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In the new State Tournament format an all-Cincinnati final is a possibility
Sunday, March 23, 2003 By Jim Jicha
With the 2003 season almost upon us, I’ve been spending lots of time speculating on how the Boys Volleyball season might end.
This is an activity I particularly enjoy. It gives me something to do while I’m waiting for the season to start. After the champion has been crowned, its fun to analyze why things didn’t work out quite the way I figured they would.
This is a sports nut kind of thing. Fans like me spend more time on “what-if” scenarios and post-game analyses than they do actually watching contests. Of course, athletes spend more time practicing and preparing than they do playing matches. So why should it be different for us fans?
Figuring things out this year is tougher because the state finals have a new format. In the past the tournament has produced four regional winners who went to the state semifinals. This time around, the regional finals will be played one match earlier in the State Tournament progression.
Regional winners will go to state quarterfinals, and those winners will in turn play in the semifinals. Eight teams will participate in the festivities at Baldwin-Wallace College, this year’s host for the tournament to be held May 30-31.
The tournament will be a two-day event with four quarterfinal matches on Friday, and the semifinals and final on Saturday.
Winners from the same region will be paired in opposite brackets. This means they can only meet each other in the state final. Thus, it will be possible for two teams from one region to get to the final.
But it gets even more interesting. The Southwest and Central regions have more teams. So some teams from Central will play in one of the Northwest brackets, and teams from both Central and Southwest will compete in one of the Northeast brackets.
Under this format it will be possible for three teams from Southwest, or four teams from Central, to make the Quarterfinals.
It is now also be possible for two Cincinnati schools to play each other for the State Championship. As Yogi Berra might say, this would be déjà vu all over again for anyone who has seen the last two Division I Girls Finals.
So who are the likely contenders? Right now the three top candidates for the state title look like Centerville, Moeller and St. Xavier.
Defending champion Centerville is looking for a three-peat. With 6’4” setter Reed Chilton back for his final year, another title is a possibility. Chilton, who just may be the best setter in the state, has led the Elks to their previous two titles. He will be surrounded with solid hitting in the likes of 6’5” Brett Versen and Jerry Hamrick, and 6’2 Ben Devine.
Trying to stampede the Elks will be Cincinnati Moeller, with four starters back from a team that made the regional semifinal in 2002. And lest we forget, the Crusaders won Centerville’s Elite Tournament last year.
Leading Moeller is 6’8” Ball State bound middle hitter/blocker Nick Meyer. Meyer has a wicked jump serve that sometimes curves while it drops. He will be joined by 6’4” setter Matt Gold, and hitters Nate Detmer, Greg Kelly and Robbie Klein.
Meyer comes from a volleyball family with State Tournament credentials. His father Dan coached Moeller’s state title teams in 1997 and 1998. And his sister Danielle, who plays club ball for Team Z, was a freshman starter on Mount Notre Dame’s state championship team in 2000.
Moeller should get a strong challenge from cross-town rival St. Xavier, who also returns lots of talent, including 6’4” junior outside hitter Jason Motz. Complementing Motz will be middle hitter Patrick Corrigan, defensive specialist Andy Pollock, and outside hitter/setters Colin Johnson and Kevin Overmann. Pollock is only 5’7” but he covers a lot of floor and is an outstanding server to boot.
Moeller beat St. X twice last year in the regular season. However, St. X ousted the Crusaders in the regional semifinal 15-13, 15-2. The Bombers also beat Centerville during the regular season 15-11, 15-11.
While we are still in Cincinnati, Roger Bacon and Elder figure to have says in what happens in the Southwest Region. Roger Bacon, who lost the 2002 regional final to St. X, returns middle hitters David Ebbler and Drew Chapman. The Spartans need to replace their starting setter.
Elder lost heavily to graduation, but had several juniors who saw playing time. Top returnees are setter/outside hitter Jeff Nienhaus, and outside hitter/defensive specialist Kevin Niemiller.
Centerville is from the Northwest Region. Given the State Tournament brackets, they won’t have to worry about the Cincinnati schools until the semifinal.
The Elks’ biggest threat in the region will probably be Beavercreek, led by 6’5” twins David and Josh Millward. David is the setter, and Josh is a middle hitter. Joining them will be Tim Green, who along with David was Honorable Mention All State in 2002.
Last year Beavercreek pushed Centerville in the regional final 15-17, 10-15. If these two teams end up seeded one-two in the region, they will be placed in opposite brackets, in which case they can not meet each other until the State Final this time around.
The Central Region looks very competitive this year what with Michael Daiga and three other Watterson starters lost to graduation.
The general consensus is that Dublin Scioto has the inside track with the return of five starters. Scioto is the logical successor, having gotten to the regional final last year where they were ousted by the Eagles. Leading the Irish will be 6’3’ middle hitters Joey Rossetter and Kevin Douce.
However, Worthington Kilbourne and Hilliard Darby also return key players. Both teams had closer matches with Watterson in 2002 than did Scioto.
Kilbourne may have the strongest defense among Central teams. They return several starters, including Brian Smith. In a recent scrimmage involving some top contenders from Central, they placed second to Scioto.
Darby lost last year’s season opener to Watterson in three, and bowed to the Eagles again in three in the regional semifinal. Returning for the Panthers is All Region setter Ryan Zelnis, but gone are two All State hitters. Darby has some reloading to do.
Several other teams could also challenge Scioto. Mount Vernon returns most starters, including Ryan Doup. They will be tall and strong, and could be the sleepers in this region.
Pickerington and Delaware are expected to field solid teams. St. Charles, Gahanna and Davidson all have talented athletes, and may be threats depending on how other players come along.
And it goes without saying in Central that you never count Watterson or Coffman out.
Turning to the Northeast, Stow seems poised for another run at State. The Bulldogs were a semifinalist in 2001. They almost returned last year with a young team, when they battled Lakewood St. Edward to the wire in the regional final, 3-15, 15-4, 13-15. With three players who made All-State in 2002 returning, the Bulldogs look like the team to beat this season.
Stow will have height in the middles with 6’7” junior Ben Spurlock and 6’5” Kevin Cawley. Sophomore Justin Hengle will handle the setting. Colin Springer and Kyle Etcher are outside hitters. All of these players have Junior Olympic experience.
St. Edward graduated several seniors last year, but their returning nucleus should keep them in contention. Conor Martin will be back as one setter/strong outside hitter, and 6’3” junior Jared Rice will join him as the other. Andy Pompei and Mike Malloy will spearhead the defense and serve receive. Freshman Justin Burridge will move up to the varsity as a middle hitter.
Several other Northeast teams have their sights on a state quarterfinal appearance.
Akron Hoban will be led by All-State players Mike Passarelli and Jake Holland, back from a competitive team last year.
Walsh Jesuit, who lost a close two game match to St. Ed in the regional semifinal (13-15, 11-15), has Mike Froehlich and Dan Matusicky returning.
Uniontown Lake has three All Region players back, Austin Clay, Joe Domer and Drew Maconachy.
And Massillon Jackson, with one of the stronger defenses in the state, could be a darkhorse candidate. They will be led by AJ Rafailedes.
So what are likely scenarios for the State Championship?
One plausible matchup is an all-Cincinnati finale between Moeller and St. Xavier.
Another possibility is Centerville beating either Moeller or St. X in a semifinal, then playing the other for the title.
These scenarios are based on the dominance of Centerville, and Cincinnati teams, in recent years. With interest in club ball surging elsewhere, we could see a closing of the gap by teams in other regions. Perhaps a Stow or a Dublin Scioto can muscle their way to the top.
The State Tournament picture will be much clearer on April 26. By that time, St. Charles’ Cardinal Classic, Kilbournes’ Wolf Open, and Centerville’s Elite Invitational will have been played. Most of the contenders play in one or more of these events.
For now the only thing to do is to wait. And to speculate. It all starts this weekend, with the Cardinal Classic in Pickerington, a tri-match at Walsh Jesuit, and a quad at Kings.
Gentlemen, start your engines.
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