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Darby, Kilbourne avenge earlier losses in OCC Challenge

May 22, 2005

By Jim Jicha

Hilliard Darby and Worthington Kilbourne gained sweet revenge for early season losses at the 3rd Annual OCC Challenge held May 10 at Darby High School. The OCC is divided into the Capital and Ohio divisions and the Challenge pits the first, second, third and fourth place teams, respectively, against each other.

Darby won the match up of first place squads over rival Hilliard Davidson 25-12, 25-19, 25-22. Both teams finished 7-0 in their divisions. Darby had topped Kilbourne to win the Ohio title, while Davidson fended off Pickerington North and Westerville South to take the Capital crown.

The rematch bore little resemblance to their previous meeting in the Cardinal Classic won by Davidson 25-18, 19-25, 15-13. This time around Davidson’s only leads were 2-1 and 3-2 in game one, 11-10 and 12-11 in game two, and 1-0 in game three with Darby was in control much of the time.

Kills by junior Ryan McGuire gave Davidson their first game margin. All Region Player of the Year Jason Martin tied it with a spike that was blocked out, and after some errors Darby was up 8-4. Ryan Cahill spiked a point and Michael Yarman blocked a dump attempt as the Wildcats closed to 8-6.

After the teams traded points on kills by Martin and Yarman, Darby went on an 11-1 run to put the game out of reach. Panther setter Jake McCrae served seven points including three consecutive aces.

Darby scored the final points on kills by Austin Fleming and Martin.

The Panthers roared to an 8-3 margin in game two but weren’t able to shake the Wildcats who clawed back to a 9-9 deadlock on kills by Michael Nahm, Cahill and Yarman. Davidson edged ahead, with a short set tip by McGuire giving them their final lead. But a kill by 6’5” junior Mike Baker tied it and started a five point Panther run.

Davidson closed to 17-15 only to see Martin pound two more kills as Darby used a 6-1 run to go up 23-16. The Panthers’ game winner came on a smash by 6’4” sophomore Chris Dreger who scored on a slide right after being rejected on the left.

On the first volley of game three Darby blocked a spike by Wildcat junior Michael Dietz into the pole for a Wildcat point, but it was all Panthers thereafter. Zach Null and Martin scored on kills as Darby went on top 4-1. Dietz scored for Davidson, but a kill by Martin initiated a big rally that saw sophomore Everett Bell block for a score, Dreger spike three kills and Dreger and Martin block Cahill.

(Darby opponents who are celebrating Jason Martin’s upcoming graduation take note – the Panthers have three big sophomores, a 6'5" junior hitter and a junior setter).

Scoring went back and forth for a while as Darby crept closer to pay dirt at 18-8.

At this point Davidson rallied as Dietz smashed a spike to the back line and then served 5 points. Brady Callaghan spiked two points, Cahill won a play at the net and Dietz served an ace.

But Bell broke that up, and after a bad Panther serve, Martin scored two on a kill and an ace.

The teams traded points until it was 24-19 at which Davidson took advantage of another long serve by the Panthers to close to 24-22 on points from Callaghan and Cahill.

But the sideouts brought Martin back to front court and he ended the match with a spike that was blocked out of bounds.

Kilbourne also settled a score, topping Pickerington North 23-25, 25-19, 25-17, 25-22, atoning for a loss to the Panthers on April 9. They did it without All Region middle blocker Nick Baehr who was out with a cold.

The first game was close early on with momentum swings later. Kilbourne led 9-8 after an ace by 6’5” outside Kevin Lookabaugh. With the Wolves up 13-12, Greg Lewis tipped a short set by Ryan Mahoney for a kill, starting a five point Panther run as Drew Evans served an ace and Mahoney tipped for a point.

After an intervening error, North continued their run. Doug Schneider scored on a cross court kill, then got a heads up pop over the net after libero Andrew Dulmage dug a Lookabaugh smash. Mike Payne blocked Lookabaugh to make it 23-16. The teams traded points to put North at game point, and then Kilbourne went on a big rally.

Sophomore Jared Johnson started it with a kill, David Scheaf scored on a dump, Johnson nailed two aces interspersed with a back court kill by Lookabaugh, and when a North player touched the net, suddenly it was 24-23.

But alas, in rally mistakes kill you and a net serve ended the Wolves’ comeback.

Leading 13-10 in game three, Kilbourne rallied for four on two kills from 6’4” Jordan Lookabaugh and an ace by Johnson. Scoring went back and forth from there leaving the Panthers on the short end of a 23-17 score. Kevin Lookabaugh made one of his patented back court kills and sophomore Jon Jekeli iced the win with an ace.

Game four featured rallies with the winner in doubt all the way. Kevin Lookabaugh started it with a kill, and North responded with a kill by Jeremy Griffith and a short serve ace from Evans.

Lookabaugh sparked a six point rally with a kill. Johnson and freshman Jeremy Ocheltree spiked points and Lookabaugh served up an ace. But North rallied for four with Dulmage scoring on a dig, and after some back and forth, the Panthers added a six point run, fueled by two aces from Mahoney to go on top 14-11.

Momentum swung again as Kilbourne scored eight of next eleven. Jordan Lookabaugh mashed a short set from Nathan Palmer to start it, Kevin added two kills and Jekeli served an ace. North tied it at 19 on a well placed hit by Griffith and a block by Evans.

But then came two Panther errors followed by an ace from Johnson and a short set kill by Jordan Lookabaugh. North managed two more points, but could not stop Kevin Lookabaugh, who smashed three straight spikes, the third one scoring match point. Dulmage dug the first and Mahoney the second, but the third was touched and sailed out.

Westerville South won the match between third place teams over Gahanna 27-25, 25-19, 25-13. Gahanna rallied from way back to trail 13-12 in game two on points from Travis Conner and Matt Overstreet. But David Brodine was too hot for the Lions, scoring four blocks and a kill to put the Wildcats up 20-15. South’s final two points came on kills by Derek Laird and Brodine, and South pretty much controlled game three.

Meanwhile, Westerville North topped Delaware 25-9, 25-20, 25-21. Sophomore Bobby Roidt led a Delaware rally that cut North’s 19-13 third game lead to 21-19. But North prevailed, getting the final two points on kills by Ryan Neer and Jon Cooley.

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Darby and Kilbourne both qualified for the state quarterfinals yesterday. Darby topped upset minded St. Charles 25-22, 25-17, 20-25, 25-22, while Kilbourne defeated Pickerington North again, this time 25-20, 25-22, 25-23. Darby will meet Lakewood St. Edward in the quarterfinal next Friday at Sinclair Community College in Dayton. Kilbourne will face Walsh Jesuit.