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Marion Local's Brayden Mescher (32) celebrates with a team manager after the Flyers' 52-38 victory over Colonel Crawford in the Division VI state semifinal at the Stroh Center in Bowling Green. The win sends the Flyers to its first state championship game since 2018.
BOWLING GREEN - The first three minutes of the first and third quarters proved big for Marion Local on Friday night.
The Flyers jumped out to an 8-2 lead on Colonel Crawford in the first three minutes of the first quarter, then scored six straight points in the first two minutes of the third quarter to regain a double-digit lead and win the Division VI state boys basketball semifinal 52-38 at Stroh Arena on the campus of Bowling Green State University.
Marion (26-2) has a week off before heading to the University of Dayton Arena next Saturday, March 22, at 2 p.m. to try and win the program's fourth state title. Woodsfield Monroe Central will be the opponent after the Seminoles defeated Kirtland 58-54 in the other semifinal held at Otterbein University.
"Just super-thrilled to be heading back to the state championship game," said Marion coach Kurt Goettemoeller, who last took the Flyers to state in 2018. "These kids are taking us on a heckuva ride. It's a fun group. I told them it took all 15 guys, six coaches and four managers."
The Eagles, which won 25 straight games after losing the season opener, ends its season at 25-2.
"I felt good about the matchup," said Goettemoeller about Colonel Crawford. "But you just never know how it's going to play out."
Marion Local's Ryan Homan goes over a Colonel Crawford defender during Friday's game at Bowling Green State Unviersity's Stroh Center.
Ryan Homan, who had the big fourth quarter in last Saturday's regional final win over Anna, got the game going with a hoop-and-harm 3-point play with 6:51 to play in the opening quarter, then after the Eagles went scoreless in their first possession, Homan knocked down a 3-pointer to make it 6-0. It took 2 ½ minutes before Colonel Crawford got on the board on a John DeGray bucket, but Brayden Mescher countered with a bucket seconds later to make it 8-2.
"We played ahead almost all year," said Goettemoeller. "Lot of our games I don't remember trailing many games, especially after the first quarter. Ryan had two massive threes to get us going and made some other plays.
"To gain that early lead and get up 7-8 points early was pretty important."
Marion Local's Kale Ahrens (24) goes towards the bucket for a layup during Friday's game against Colonel Crawford.
The Flyer defense worked hard to keep Northwest District Player of the Year Brayden Holt in check. Sophomore Kale Ahrens played stopper again as Holt was held scoreless in the first quarter and didn't score until nearly two minutes elapsed in the second quarter. By then, the Flyers had built a 19-9 lead.
With Holt bottled up, Payne DeGray picked up the slack. That, and some good defense, helped Crawford trim the margin to 22-18 with 3:40 to play in the half. Niekamp, having to deal with the 6-5, 230-pound Payne DeGray in the paint, picked up a bucket to push the margin back to six. An Ahrens free throw with 2:13 remaining proved to be the last points of the half with the Flyers leading 25-18.
"We don't want teams to shoot threes on us," said Goettemoeller, a reference to the Eagles going just 1-of-9 from behind the arc, especially Holt (who made the lone trey for Colonel Crawford in the fourth quarter). "We were going to make him make tough twos."
Marion Local's Brennan Hess (22) blocks the shot of Colonel Crawford's Payne DeGray during the second quarter of Friday's Division VI state semimfinal at Bowling Green State University's Stroh Center.
The Flyers came out with a mission to get control of the game early in the third. Niekamp, Mescher and Ahrens each scored buckets within a span of 74 seconds as Colonel Crawford coach Dave Sheldon called timeout with 6:25 to play in the third with his team down 31-18.
"Austin hit a big three to get it to seven at the half," said Goettemoeller. "We always talk about the first three minutes of the second half. To get that 6-0 spurt to get it back in double figures. Of course, you knew (Colonel Crawford) was going to make a run."
The run came early in the fourth quarter. The Eagles continued to battle, getting to within five points twice in the first two minutes of the fourth quarter. That would be all the closer the Eagles would get as the Flyers started making regular trips to the foul line. After making 21-of-27 against Anna, Marion was 10-of-12 from the stripe in the fourth quarter against Crawford and 16-of-19 in the game.
"We were a rotten free throw-shooting team for most of the year," said Goettemoeller a nod to the team's 61.4% free throw percentage coming into the game. "But when the chips have been down, we're done it. Ryan was 10-of-10 (against Anna). Everybody contributes."
That was all Marion needed to put the game out of reach, putting the lead back into double digits to stay as the clock ran out.
"It was one of those games where (the margin) hung between five and 11 the whole game," said Goettemoeller. "They couldn't catch us and we couldn't put them away. We made some plays, but man, (Crawford) battled. They're a good basketball team for sure."
Marion Local's Austin Niekamp (23) shoots as Colonel Crawford's Payne DeGray defends.
Niekamp, despite having to battle the 6-5, 230-pound Payne DeGray, a first team All-Ohio defensive lineman, in the paint all night, finished with a game-high 18 points.
"He's an ox. I won't lie," said the 6-8 Homan. "He was big. But you just keep battling. He kicked my butt a little bit."
Homan and Mescher each added 11 points with Mescher pulling down 10 rebounds. Kremer added seven and Ahrens scored five.
Marion Local's Grant Kremer goes over Colonel Crawford's Logan Goddard for a basket.
The DeGrays and Holt were the only Eagles to score on the night. Payne DeGray finished with 15 with Holt scoring 13, five under his average. John DeGray finished with 10 as the rest of the players attempted just five total shots.
"It all comes down to defense and rebounding," said Goettemoeller, whose squad out-boarded Crawford 31-20. "That's what we hang our hat on. We defended very well tonight."
Now Marion has a week off to prepare for Monroe Central.
"Happy to get another week and we're going for the gold," said Homan.
