High school news, features and notes
- Walsh Jesuit, Field set to meet in Akron Division II softball district final Thursday
- High School Spotlight — May 22
- High school notebook: Twinsburg confident after defeating Walsh Jesuit in sectional for second year in a row
- High school baseball/Firestone 8, Ellet 6: Falcons win, set up showdown in City Series championship game
- Softball Division II district semifinals: Fairless, Springfield advance
- Division II district baseball final/Archbishop Hoban 8, Tallmadge 1: Knights click to advance to regional
- Division I district softball/Medina 5, Barberton 2: Megan Paradise pitches Bees into district final
- High school sports roundup — May 21
- Cuyahoga Falls names Sean Flaherty new football coach
- St. V-M alumni say goodbye to old gym, set to be gutted Wednesday
- High school baseball: Starting pitching leads Hoban, Tallmadge to district semifinals wins
- High school sports roundup — May 20
- Ellet gains early edge on Firestone to win 12-3
- Track and field: Area standouts seek standout postseason performances
- Ellet, Firestone to compete for title
- Nordonia boys, Green girls win Suburban League track and field team titles
- High school sports roundup — May 18
- High school track/City Series Meet: Buchtel boys, Firestone girls take titles
- High school sports roundup — May 17
- OHSAA announces competitive balance proposal failed, transfer rules softened
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Buchtel No. 1 in final Division II state boys basketball poll
The Buchtel boys basketball team finished No. 1 in the final Associated Press Division II state poll, becoming the first Akron Public School in 30 years to do so.
A state panel of sports writers and broadcasters selected the undefeated Griffins (19-0) after they won the City Series title and defeated then-Division II No. 1 Dayton Dunbar 75-66 this past weekend. Dunbar finished No. 2 in the poll.
"This is a great accomplishment for the school and the West Side community," Buchtel coach Stephen White said. "I hope to continue and keep it going. Hopefully we can get to state. We have to win sectional, district and regional titles before we get to go to state."
Central-Hower was the last Akron Public School to win a poll title. The Eagles won the Class AAA poll in 1980 and then won the Class AAA state tournament title and finished with a 28-0 record under coach Joe Siegferth.
Senior guards Jason Pitts and Myles Fitten average a team-high 15 points per game for Buchtel, who also defeated a Cleveland Benedictine (16-3) team that finished No. 6 in the Division II state poll.
Junior guard Jazel Garrett (11 points, 5.5 assists), senior forward Dainan Lewis (nine points) and junior forward Shawntrail Smith (eight points, 11 rebounds) are also key players.
Junior guards Chevin Meadows and Marlon Oden, senior forwards Da'Jon Lewis and Marwan Muhammad, senior guard Anthony Thomas, junior forward Nate Harris, freshman guard Elijah Bell and junior center Shaquille Riddick provide depth.
"Everything starts in practice and you need to practice hard," White said. "Our motto is if you lose you go home, and that is what we are trying to avoid."
White is in his seventh year at Buchtel after five years at East. He guided Buchtel to a 20-0 regular season record during the 2005-2006 season and that team finished 23-1. The Griffins have won five City Series titles during his tenure.
Buchtel opens tournament play on March 5 against the winner of Alliance and Coventry.
