River Valley Vikings/Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference News

River Valley Has to Make Shots

          River Valley takes on Chillicothe Unioto on Thursday night in a division IV regional semifinal at Ohio University.

          If they win, they will play either Maysville or New Lexington for a regional title on Sunday afternoon at “OU.”

          The Vikings (23-2) stuffed Buckeye Valley (50-30) in a district final win on Sunday.

          Coach Rodney Brown says they were outstanding on defense.  “We were able to hold them to low points.  Their best player got in foul trouble.  We did a good job on him.  I think maybe a little bit of frustration fouls for him.  It kind of took them out of their rhythm and they weren't able to do what they're comfortable doing,” he said.

          Unioto (23-3) beat Waverly (56-32) to win their district.

          Brown says the Shermans like to get the ball in the paint.  “They've had a good season, won their league, they have won six or seven in a row, they have got some good size, strong guys, play really hard, they're aggressive.  Most of the film we've watched of their last few games they play full court man.  So, they're similar to us a little bit I think defensively and what they want to do, but they definitely like to go inside a lot more than we do,” said Brown.

          The way the Shermans play reminds River Valley of a couple of regular season opponents, according to Brown.  “They do kind of they have some similarities to both West Liberty-Salem and to Ridgemont.  The boys are talking about that in practice, that's kind of what they compared them to and I agree.  They're very similar to both of those teams in different ways,” he said.

          Brown says they are going to have to do a lot of things well to win this game, beginning with perimeter shooting.  “Hopefully, we shoot the ball better than we have lately, that's going to be huge for us.  We just haven't shot it well from the outside.  We're going to have to defend just like we always do,” he told Swankonsports.com, “We're going to stop penetration and we have got to guard inside because they like to keep the ball inside to different people, even the guards.  Rebounding and we're going to have to handle their pressure, attack them, like I said before we go shoot it well.”

Published 3/06/25

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River Valley Doesn’t Want to Share

          River Valley wins the undisputed title in the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference if they beat Clear Fork on Friday night in front of a senior night crowd in Marion County.

          They claimed at least a share of the title with a (73-22) destruction of the Ontario Warriors in a league game on Tuesday night.

          Coach Rodney Brown says they were able to get a lot of kids involved.  “We came out ready to go.  The kids played well and we were able to play everybody early.  It was good some guys got to play a lot more than they normally do.  So, that was fun for everybody to just kind of get out there and have fun,” said Brown.

          12 kids played and 11 scored in the game against Ontario.  Sawyer Weston was the leading scorer with 15 points.

          River Valley (18-2,12-1), #3 in the Swankonsports.com boys’ basketball coaches poll in the large school division, plays at home against Clear Fork (8-13,4-9) on Friday night.  The Colts have won three straight, including a (76-36) beating of Lucas on Tuesday in non-league play.

          Brown says they have been playing pretty well.  “They've been hot.  They’ve won their last three.  (Garrett) Hotz is tough and they have got some good shooters.  We have got to try to slow him down and hopefully not let him get too much room,” said Brown.

          Hotz (18.8 ppg) and (8.3 rpg) is second in the conference in both categories.

          The Vikings want that outright title and Brown says they know what’s at stake.  “We have got a lot on that line (Friday) night. The outright title, senior night, it's going to be a busy night, a fun night, hopefully the kids will be ready,” he said.

          The Vikings visit Bloom-Carroll (9-10) on Saturday night for a non-conference game.

          Brown says it will be good tournament prep.  “They're a tough team.  I know the win column doesn't show it, but they're really physical.  They have got some really good players and they get after it,” he told Swankonsports.com on Thursday evening, “We have to make that trip after an emotional night.  Get on the bus for an hour and a half and head there on a Saturday night.  So, that's good though.  It's kind of tournament like, so it's good for us.”

Published 2/14/25

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River Valley Must Guard Shooters

          River Valley, the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference leader, has an assignment at Galion in a conference game on Friday night.

          They play at Cardington, the Knox Morrow Athletic Conference co-leader, on Saturday night.

          They were able to hold onto their one game lead over Marion Harding with (56-41) win over Highland on Tuesday night.

          Coach Rodney Brown says they took control in the third quarter.  “We didn't have a great shooting night for anybody.  We only hit two threes, which is not accustomed for us.  Those two threes were made by Carter Myers.  We didn't have a great first half and I wasn't happy with the way we defended.  I kind of tried to light a little fire at halftime and we came out and really guarded and were able to turn them over and get the game to our pace.  We were able to hold them to 13 points in the second half.  So, I was very pleased with how hard we played and we just didn't lay down,” said Brown.

          River Valley (15-2,10-1), #3 in the Swankonsports.com boys’ basketball coaches poll in the large school division, plays at Galion (7-12,5-7) on Friday night.  Galion lost for the first time since January 20 when Willard beat them (58-49) on Monday in a non-conference game.

          Brown says they have shooters.  “They've been hot then I saw they dropped the one to Willard.  They have got a lot of young guys playing.  I think they're just starting to get more experience and maybe get a little more comfortable with the speed of the varsity game.  They have got some different guys that can do different things and a lot of guys that have put the ball in the hole and shoot the ball well.  We have got to go over there defend and hopefully we can knock in some shots,” he said.

          Cardington (16-2) has had an outstanding season, plus Brown says it’s a homecoming for him.  “They are tough I have watched them a couple of times.  They have got a lot of seniors and they're they got a lot of guards, they move the ball well, they share it well, they shoot it well and they score a lot of points.  So, they had a really good year,” he told Swankonsports.com on Wednesday night, “It's going to be a very interesting for me as I went there, coached there, it will be my first time returning there as a head coach.  So, it'll be a little bit emotional probably for me.  It will be cool to go back there and hopefully we're ready to go.  It's our first back-to-back of the year.  We have got another one next weekend.  So, it would be good for the kids to play somebody different.  We haven't played them in a few years and it should be a great atmosphere.”

Published 2/06/25

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River Valley Expects Battle With Shelby

          River Valley, the outright leader in the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference, plays at home against defending league champion Shelby on Thursday night.

          Right now, Shelby trails by two games.

          The Vikings (13-2,8-1), #3 in the Swankonsports.com boys’ basketball coaches poll in the large school division, outlasted Marion Harding (56-49) in the battle for first place last Friday.

          Coach Rodney Brown says it was a quality win.  “Going on the road at a tough place to play against a good team.  We got out early and were able to never let the lead go.  Just proud of the kids for battling and playing in front of a great crowd, packed atmosphere for them,” he said.

          Chase Ebert had 21 to lead the Vikings past Harding.

          However, River Valley has four players that average in double figures and Brown says that balance is a real key for them.  “We've had, let me think about this, we've had five different guys I believe lead us in scoring at any given night this year.  We're balanced even with the starters.  It's just been fun.  The kids work well to share it.  If somebody gets hot they know to get it to him.  It's just good basketball,” he said.

          Shelby (10-6,7-3) has won four of its last five games, including a (65-50) win over Highland in league play last Friday night.

          River Valley did take them to the woodshed to the tune of (94-64) at Shelby on December 20.

          Brown says Shelby is playing well right now and they are hard to defend on the offensive end.  “They're going to want to get the pay back.  They're playing well right now.  So, we have to stop DeVito or two to slow him down the best we can.  He's playing really, really well right now,” he told Swankonsports.com on Wednesday night, “We got to defend again.  It seems like the M.O. right now.  Teams have got shooters, have got a lot of guys capable of making baskets, and they rebound hard.  So, we're going to have to move the basketball, box out, get all the loose balls and get try to get another win at home.”

Published 1/30/25

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River Valley Must Execute

          River Valley tangles with Marion Harding in a meeting of co-leaders in the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference at Harding on Friday night.

          The Vikings only loss in conference play this season came early in the season to Pleasant.  The Spartans had a fourth quarter lead on Saturday night before River Valley rallied for a (56-48) win.

          Coach Rodney Brown says they did it with defense.  “We got out early and had a pretty decent lead.  They just clawed back and right at the beginning of the fourth they took the lead.  Then we were able to hold them scoreless for about four and a half, five minutes after that.  We did have to dig.  We definitely have to dig deep and that was good to see the kids overcome,” he said.

          River Valley (11-2,7-1), #3 in the Swankonsports.com boys’ basketball coaches poll in the large school division, hosts Marion Harding (13-2,8-1), #5 in our poll, on Friday night.  The Presidents beat Highland (52-42) in their Saturday night league game.

          Brown says Harding is very disciplined.  “They run a lot of sets.  They are good at what they do.  Running their sets, they get the ball inside to (Boston) Pearson and he's very good inside.  The Thrapp kid playing point guard stuff and then they got a couple shooters.  They are just patient.  Jamie (Pearson) does a good job with them and they do a good job of trying to stay with what they're doing.  He tries to keep them from getting away from that,” said Brown.

          River Valley beat Harding (64-56) on December 14 at River Valley.

          Brown says they must play outstanding defense and take good shots.  “We're going to defend.  I haven't been super thrilled with our defense the last couple games.  We have got to defend them.  We have got to do the best job we possibly can inside on Boston (Pearson) trying to slow him down.  We have got to limit their shooters.  We have got to limit their looks.  No straight line drives.  We're going to have to rebound the ball.  Offensively, take care of it and share it, move it, and hopefully knock down some shots.  We can't settle for just jumpers.  We have got to finish at the rim and we struggle with that a little bit at times.  I know we have the capabilities of finishing that around the rim with contact.  We just have to a better job.”

Published 1/24/25

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River Valley Understands the Task

          River Valley, the co-leader in the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference, plays at Ontario Thursday and home with rival Marion Pleasant on Saturday in conference games.

          The Vikings smoked Clear Fork (80-37) last Wednesday in a conference game.

          Coach Rodney Brown says a good start was key for them, plus they continue to be unselfish.  “We had a good start, those things we talk about.  The kids shared the ball well, a lot of guys got involved offensively and I really was really, really happy with their defensive intensity to start the game,” he said.

          River Valley (8-2,5-1), #3 in the Swankonsports.com boys’ basketball coaches poll in the large school division, plays at Ontario (3-8,2-3) on Thursday night.  The Warriors broke a seven game losing streak with a (62-60) win over Willard last week.  Their last conference game was a (68-59) loss to Shelby on January 2.

          Brown says the Warriors have a lot of exciting young talent.  “They have got a lot of young guys are playing right now, but skilled.  Their young guards are skilled and they move the ball fairly well with each other.  They have got a lot of guys that can score.  We're going to have to play really well.  They have plenty of guys that can score it for them,” said Brown.

          Pleasant is the only league school to beat River Valley this year, (51-48) December 12,

          Browns says that was kind of a wake up call for the talented Vikings this year.  “We're playing a lot better than we did at that point of the year.  I think you know that loss really kind of made us who we are at this point,” he told Swankonsports.com on Monday night, “We just have got to make sure that we're not looking past Thursday for Saturday.  That was the emphasis (Monday) in practice.  You have got to play Ontario first.  Saturday doesn't really matter if you don't win Thursday.”

Published 1/14/25

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River Valley Has to Contain Hotz

          River Valley, the co-leader in the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference, travels to Clear Fork to take on the Colts on Wednesday.

          This is a game that would have been on your schedule for Friday, but was moved to Wednesday due to the Cotton Bowl game between Ohio State and Texas.

          River Valley (7-2,5-1), #3 in the Swankonsports.com boys’ basketball coaches poll in the large school division, did lose it’s last game (67-64) to Columbus Bishop Watterson on Saturday.

          Coach Rodney Brown says they want to be tested.  “Watterson is really good, they always are.  We try to play them just to get ready for the tournament and play good competition.  We had a five point lead and let it get away from us.  We had a shot late to tie and weren't able to get it off.  So, the kids battled and I was proud of their efforts and how hard they played.  We just have to find a way to finish those big ones,” said Brown.

          Clear Fork (4-7,2-4) is coming off a win over Edison (65-53) in a non-conference game on Saturday.  Garrett Hotz is the second leading score in the conference (18.9 ppg) and the second leading rebounder (8.2).

          Brown says Hotz is a load and Les Hauenstein Gym is a tough place for them to play.  “They have the (Garrett) Hotz kid, he's really good. A big kid that can really score the basketball.  We have got to try to figure out ways to stop him or try to limit him as best we can.  They have got a lot of young guys playing, got some athletic guys.  I know they have got a few guys that can shoot it if they get it out to them,” he told Swankonsports.com on Tuesday night, “We have to play our style and try to do what we do best.  It's always tough going over there, it seems like for us.  It always seems like it's snowy and cold when head over there and feels like a really long trip even though it's really not that bad.  It's just different atmosphere.”

          Brown says they have to make Hotz work for his points.  “I don't know that we can stop him, nobody's really stopping him.  Hopefully, we can limit his opportunities as much as possible and try to make it difficult for him and try to be physical with him.  He's a big kid and we have got to do the best we can to try to slow him down and then shut down their other guys,” he said.

Published 1/08/25

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River Valley Doing Good Things

          Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference co-leader River Valley plays host to Galion in a conference game on Thursday night.

          They won their fourth straight game (76-39) over Highland in a league game last Friday.

          Coach Rodney Brown says they are continuing to do things that make them successful.  “They stuck to the game plan.  We’re playing well together right now just trying to keep the ball moving and defending people,” said Brown.

          Sawyer Weston had 20 points against Highland to lead three players in double figures. 

          River Valley has averaged 83 points a game over the last three.

          Brown says they want great shots.  “In our game plan it's always to try to share, try to get the ball to the extra guy, the open guy and make the extra pass.  We're just trying to play as unselfish as possible,” he said.

          River Valley (6-1,3-1), #3 in the Swankonsports.com boys’ basketball coaches poll in the large school division, entertains Galion (1-6,1-4) on Thursday night.  Galion lost (49-46) to Marion Pleasant in league play on Friday night.

          Brown says the Tigers have potential.  “They have a lot of guys who can shoot the ball.  I know they're pretty young.  They play hard.  They are just looking for that cohesiveness,” he told Swankonsports.com on Monday afternoon, “I know coach (Tyler) Sanders is playing a lot of guys, probably trying to find the right mixture of who he wants at this point.  I think they got capabilities of knocking down shots and you know they're young guys, so they get a little confidence and maybe that’s all they need.”

Published 12/31/24

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River Valley Has to do a Lot

          River Valley tangles with Shelby Friday night in play in the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference.

          The Vikings have been one of the key players in the league, but to get that title they have to find a way to beat the Whippets.

          They were upset last Thursday by rival Pleasant (51-48) last Thursday, but they have responded with an “MOAC” win over Marion Harding (64-56) on Saturday and a (79-63) victory of Ridgemont Tuesday night in non-league action.

          Coach Rodney Brown says Tuesday night they were really good.  “It didn't go as well as we'd like it to on Thursday, but played pretty well Saturday against Harding, played well (Tuesday) night probably our best performance so far was (Tuesday) night, played very well,” he said.

          Brown says it was a really good response.  “You always want to see them bounce back out there after a loss.  We talked about just overcoming adversity and battling.  We've kind of played some close ones and some went our way and some went against us.  So, I feel like maybe we're battle tested a little bit and just trying to get better,” he said.

          River Valley (4-1,1-1) is at Shelby (3-1,2-1) on Friday night.  The Whippets were (64-53) winners over Highland in a league game on Friday night.

          Shelby lost a lot to graduation, but Brown says they just reloaded.  “They're good, they have some good size.  They have (Karsen) Holman back he's playing now and that helps them.  I feel like he's a motor guy, he plays really hard and (Brayden) DeVito he's just an athlete in general and it's really great basketball player.  They have some nice pieces around him and have got some guys who can shoot it.  He's playing a lot of guys and they're deep.  Coach (Greg) Gallaway does a great job, so it's always a tough one,” said Brown.

          Brown says they have a lot of goals they must accomplish in this game on both ends.  “We're going to have to try to slow down DeVito for sure, like I said he's really good.  We're going to have a rebound.  Hopefully, we shoot it well, that always helps everything.  We have got to stop the ball and we have got to get out to the shooters and rebound,” he told Swankonsports.com on Wednesday evening, “Then we have got to attack them and make them guard us and finish at the rim.  It's always physical game.  It's always hard to win over there too.  We've had some close ones, but we've never been able to get one, so hoping to be able to head over there and play a tough one.”

Published 12/19/24

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River Valley Playing Rivals This Week

          River Valley, one of the favorites to win the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference this season, plays its first two league games this week as they are at Pleasant on Thursday and hosts Marion Harding on Saturday.

          Tuesday night, the Vikings (2-0) downed Jonathan Alder (63-58) in a non-league game.

          Coach Rodney Brown says they turned in a pretty good performance.  “I was really proud of our kids play and the way we competed, especially the start of the game.  We came out real hot.  Jonathan Alder is really good and very well coached.  They just stuck around, like we just couldn't pull away from them,” said Brown.

          Chase Ebert scored 17 points in the win.

          In a note Ebert, along with fellow “MOAC” quarterback Bodpegn Miller of Ontario and Brayden DeVito of Shelby were named All-Ohio first team in division IV.  First time this reporter can remember three quarterbacks from the same league on the first team.

          Pleasant (1-2,0-2) lost (48-41) to Clear Fork in a league game on Tuesday night.

          Brown says the Spartans have pretty good guard play.  “Pleasant has some good guards.  The (Lathan) McCants kid is tough. We're going to have to contain him,” he told Swankonsports.com on Wednesday afternoon, “They're a little young and inexperienced, but I mean it's always in that rivalry game throw the records out the book.”

          Marion Harding (2-1,1-0) beat defending “MOAC” champ Shelby (78-70) in overtime on Tuesday night.

          Brown says the Presidents have good floor balance.  “They are athletic.  Coach Pearson’s boy does a really good job inside.  They've got a lot of good guard play, shoot the ball pretty well.  We're going to have to be ready we have got two tough, emotional ones this week being county rivalries,” he said.

Published 12/12/24

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River Valley Takes a Step

          River Valley, one of preseason favorites in the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference, won their opener and continues to work to get better.

          They play Jonathan Alder next Tuesday followed by two “MOAC” games against Pleasant and Marion Harding on Thursday and Saturday.

          They beat Olentany Berlin (51-38) on Wednesday night.

          Coach Rodney Brown says it was good to get the season started with a win.  “It was a good win.  It felt really good to get back out there.  I know the boys were getting antsy.  So, it was a good place to go play.  They're always good competition and they're very well coached.  That was good to get a win,” said Brown.

          Brown says they were able to play good defense without following, which is a step forward for the Vikings.  “The craziest thing for us was we typically foul a lot and they were only in the bonus one quarter and they never shot a double bonus free throw.  So, 38 points and that was a wide open layup in the fourth quarter on a missed assignment late.  I was really happy with the way they defended,” he said.

          Now before next week, Brown says they have to become more consistent shooters.  “We didn't shoot it very well.  We had a really great start by our big sophomore (Carter) Myers.  He comes out gets the layup, hits a three and he gets the nerves off his back in his first start and then we go like ice cold.  We're getting some layups, but we couldn’t hit a jump shot,” he told Swankonsports.com on Thursday afternoon, “After that point, if I remember correctly, we had two threes in the first half.  We didn't hit a three until midway through the third when they had made a run to cut it to four, we hit a three in the corner right in front of the bench and then it was like we just kind of exhaled.  We didn't shoot it well, but I’ll tell you what we I thought we defended well, we rebounded well.  We need to be a little bit more patient on offense, but I was happy with our performance just a little bit low scoring for my liking.”

Published 12/06/24

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River Valley Has Lofty Goals

          River Valley, the runner-up in the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference last season, would like to take another step this year and claim the title.

          Coach Rodney Brown says they have a combination of experience and younger guys, but they are pretty talented.  “A little bit of both.  We have got three starters returning, a couple guys that played some decent minutes off the bench last year and then a lot of guys that were on pretty good JV teams last few years and practiced with this every day,” he told Swankonsports.com on Monday night, “We have got a lot of seniors, seven of them be exact, but it's just a good mix of guys.”

          Brown says they are working hard to be ready to play.  He says they play well as a team.  “They play hard.  They are a little rusty on offense, but you know like I said they get after it and they play well together,” he said.

          They are scheduled to open the season on December 4 against Olentangy Berlin in non-conference play.  Their first “MOAC” game will be December 12 against arch rival Marion Pleasant.

          Brown says the road to the title still goes through Shelby, but he believes they have got a good chance.  “I think Shelby's your favorite until someone proves them otherwise.  Hopefully, I’d like to think that we have got the guys to do it finally and hopefully this is our year,” said Brown.

Published 11/19/24

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River Valley Must Handle Linden Pressure

          River Valley meets Columbus Linden McKinely on Wednesday night in a district semifinal in division II at Big Walnut High School.

          The Vikings (18-5) beat Columbus Beechcroft (62-50) in their tournament opener last Saturday.

          Coach Rodney Brown says they held Beechcroft scoreless in the first quarter.  “I mean we had a really good start defensively and then that second quarter not so good.  They have got a lot of athletes and they have got some guys who can score it.  We did a good job defending early and then kind of the things we talked about not doing, we kind of did in the second,” he said.

          Linden beat Bexley (60-51) in their sectional final on Saturday.

          Brown says the Panthers are quick and they have some shooters too.  “Linden won their division of the (Columbus) City League.  They have a really good player in Phillip Towns, who averages about 22 points a game.  They have got really good guard play.  Not a lot of height, but they're quick, they play really hard, they play really well together and then they have got some guys that can really shoot.  So, I mean they're going to be a tough opponent for sure.” Said Brown.

          With the athletes they have, Brown says Linden reminds him a little bit of Marion Harding, a fellow member of the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference, that they spilt with this year.  “Maybe a little bit like Harding, I guess.  They have a number of guys that can shoot, kind of like Shelby, but as far as like who we've played I would say maybe Harding just because of the overall athleticism and overall quickness that they have,” he said.

          Brown says they need to keep the Panthers out of the lane and they must handle the pressure without a lot of turnovers.  “We're going to have to stop their penetration for sure.  They do a good job sending all five guys to the glass, so we'll have to make sure that we rebound as a whole unit.  We're going to have to move the ball and take care of the ball.  We played them last year in our first game of the tournament and they run a 1-2-2 three quarter court defense that's very good and it gave us some problems,” he told Swankonsports.com on Tuesday morning, “We have got to make sure that we take care of the ball.  We have to knock down shots, I mean that's every night.  So, hopefully we're ready to go.  It will be a great atmosphere because the game before us is going to be packed, so there'll be a lot of people there, so it should be pretty fun.”

Published 3/06/24

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River Valley Needs Good Start

          River Valley plays at home on Saturday night against Columbus Beechcroft in a division II sectional final.

          When they hit the floor, it will have more than two weeks since the Vikings (17-5) would have last played.

          Coach Rodney Brown admits he is a little concerned about the layoff.  “Yeah, a little bit.  I mean it feels like it's been a year since we've played.  We've been trying to keep the intensity and the energy up in practice and just trying to keep it lively.  I think it's like the beginning of the season, but at least then you get to throw some scrimmages in there,” he told Swankonsports.com on Wednesday night, “We were out of scrimmages.  So, you just get tired of playing against the same guys I think every day, but I mean we have got a veteran group, so hopefully it doesn't matter.”

          Columbus Beechcroft (10-12) also is facing a similar stretch without playing a game.  They beat Columbus Eastmoor (74-59) in their last game on February 15.

          Brown says they are athletic and can do some things on offense.  “They are very athletic.  They have got a lot of guys who can shoot, a lot of quickness, a real strong guy inside who finishes well.  They can get to the rim.  We're going to have to defend and we're going to have to rebound because they're very aggressive because they play very physical and scrapy.  Their a scrapy group,” said Brown.

          River Valley is seeded second in the district and Brown says they want to establish right away who is the better team.  “We talked about that (Wednesday).  We have to be the aggressor and make sure the tone is set by us.  They're in our house and we want to defend that.  It’s the seniors last chance of ever playing on that floor.  We want to definitely have a good start and set the tone for the game in our pace,” he said.

Published 2/29/24

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River Valley to Host Clear Fork

          River Valley is at home for Clear Fork on Friday night in a game in the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference.

          On Tuesday night, the Vikings beat North Union (64-52) in non-conference play.

          Coach Rodney Brown says it was a good win over a good team.  “That was a good win for us. They're the two seed in division III in the Central District, so that was a good game, it was tournament atmosphere, a lot of people there.  It was a hard fought game,” he told Swankonsports.com on Wednesday night, “We played really well at times and I told the boys that we played really well at times and we played really bad at times.  I don't know really know what's going on there, but North Union’s a good team.  They have a good chance I think to make a decent run, so it was a good win for us.”

          River Valley (16-5,10-3) hosts Clear Fork (8-11,4-8) on Friday night.  The Colts won a league game against the Highland Fighting Scots (49-34) last Friday. They lost (71-57) to Mid-Buckeye Conference champion Lucas on Tuesday night.

          The Vikings won the first matchup (84-69) on January 12, but it was close for three quarters.

          Brown says the Colts can make perimeter shots.  “They had a pile of threes against this the first time.  I don't think anybody missed in the first half of that game. They have got guys that can shoot it, they have got big, strong guys, and they play hard.  We have got to defend, box out, rebound and hopefully we can make some shots too.  The little added bonus is it’s senior night, so maybe a little extra adrenaline for us,” said Brown.

          When it comes to senior night, Brown says it can be difficult to predict what you are going to get emotionally from those seniors.  “I think in the past you have four, five, six seniors I feel there's a little maybe a little more emotion involved.  I've never had this little amount of seniors before with three.  So, it will be interesting to see it because I think we're trying to be business as usual all the time, so I doubt that it'll be anything crazy, but there is definitely a little bit of emotion there,” said Brown. 

Published 2/15/2024

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Defense The Key for River Valley

          River Valley will be on the road on Friday night for a Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference game against the Galon Tigers.

          The Vikings were on fire Wednesday night when they throttled Highland (100-48) in a league game.

          Coach Rodney Brown says it was like they couldn’t miss.  “We hit 21 threes for new single game school record, which was 16 that we hit last year.  It was crazy, 13 threes in the first half, Chase Smith hit five in the second quarter, we scored 40 points in the second quarter, it was crazy, it really was.  I mean everybody shot well and a lot of guys contributed to it, it was great,” said Brown.

          Smith ended up with 24 points, his brother Carson Smith had 39 for the game.  River Valley was leading (90-38) after three quarters.

          Brown says games like Wednesday night are rare to say the least.  “When I was at Cardington against believe it or not River Valley, we hit 17 threes that night.  We were 17-25, so it was pretty crazy,” he told Swankonsports.com on Thursday night, “It was like you know everything was going in.  To be honest with you, I think looking back on it kind of felt like us against Clear Fork when Clear Fork was hitting all those threes on us in the first half.”

          River Valley (14-5,9-3) travels to Galion (8-9,9-6) on Friday night in conference play.  Galion beat Bucyrus (70-35) in a non-conference game on Tuesday night.

          The Vikings prevailed (82-47) in the first meeting on January 4.

          Yes, they can score, but Brown says the key on Friday night is going to be their ability to play defense.  “I mean they have two really good players.  Two of the two top players in the league with Kent and Chaffin and they have got a good supporting cast.  Every time we play them, I mean they always seem to play well, shoot well, especially Chaffin and Kent.  So, we have got to stop those guys and do the best we can to try to limit their other guys too,” said Brown.

Published 2/09/24

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River Valley Has to Do Everything Well

          River Valley has a chance Thursday night to make things interesting down the stretch in the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference as they play at Shelby against the first place Whippets.

          Right now, they trail by two games.  A Vikings win puts a little pressure on the Whippets, if they lose Shelby wraps up no less than a share of the title and they would have to fall apart not to win it outright.

          River Valley kept themselves in the race with a (75-65) win over Marion Harding last Friday.

          Coach Rodney Brown says Carson Smith did a lot of things well last week.  “I was really proud of our guys.  Our leading scorer didn't score a lot, but everybody else stepped up and even though he wasn't scoring I think he had one of his better games of the year just by distributing and rebounding and defending,” he said.

          River Valley (13-3,8-2) is at Shelby (13-2,10-0), #2 in the Swankonsports.com boys’ basketball coaches poll in the large school division, on Thursday night.  The Whippets crushed Highland (96-53) last week in a league game.  They beat Mansfield Senior (73-55) in a non-conference game on Saturday night.

          Brown says they are just very good.  “They're a tough team, they have got a lot of pieces.  They have got Bruskotter, he's one of the best players in the area.  They have got great pieces around him, athletic guys who can shoot the ball and they're all shooting the ball pretty well right now.  So, were going to have to play really well,” he said.

          Shelby beat River Valley (61-60) on December 21 when Alex Bruskotter made two free throws with less than second left.

          Brown says they are going to have to play a complete game to win.  “Rebounding is going to be huge.  Trying to contain their shooting, especially their outside shooting and trying to contain Bruskotter, he's like I said before, he's really good,” he told Swankonsports.com on Wednesday night, “We have to defend and rebound and we have got to be able to put the ball in the basket.  Trying to make them uncomfortable a little bit.  Hopefully, keep the pace at our tempo and just do things right and hopefully limit mistakes.”

Published 2/01/2024

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River Valley Has to be Physical

          River Valley plays what amounts to an elimination game in the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference game as they host Marion Harding in a conference game on Friday.

          The loser likely falls three games behind league leader Shelby.

          On Tuesday night, the Vikings outscored Bloom-Carroll (92-71) in a non-league game.

          Coach Rodney Brown says they were hitting on all cylinders.  “We played really well.  We shot the ball pretty well for the first time in a long time this year.  We shared the ball and had 31 assists, 16 made threes.  It was an all out effort for the boys,” said Brown.

          River Valley (12-3,7-2) entertains Marion Harding (12-3,7-2) on Friday night.  The Presidents won the first meeting (63-57) on December 15.

          Brown says they know a win is a must.  “It's very important you know.  We have to get through them to give ourselves a chance to keep alive with the race.  We have got to do a much better job on the boards this time against them or we won't have a chance,” he said.

          The Vikings have shooters, but Brown says if they are going to win on Friday they must be physical and defend well.  “We definitely have to be physical.  They killed us on the boards the last time we played them.  We lost by six and we didn't shoot particularly well,” he told Swankonsports.com on Wednesday night, “Hopefully, we can maybe tap into some of that from Tuesday night.  If we don't defend and we don't box out and rebound, I mean it'll be hard.”

Published 1/25/2024

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Vikings Must Defend Ontario Shooters

          River Valley, two back and in contention in the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference, will host Ontario on Thursday and travel to Marion Pleasant on Saturday in conference play.

          They beat Clear Fork (84-69) in a “MOAC” game last Friday night to keep their hopes alive.

          Then on Saturday they went to Ohio Dominican and beat Columbus Bishop Ready (65-64) in a holiday tournament game.

          Coach Rodney Brown says it was a nice way to cap off the weekend.  “It was a good weekend, a fun weekend for the kids, and for me too.  I mean beating Ready and to win it late.  The last shot was just executed well and it was a great one for us, great weekend,” he said.

          River Valley (9-3,5-2) plays at home against Ontario (3-9,1-5) on Thursday night.  The Warriors won their first conference game (57-54) over Highland last Friday.  They lost (77-70) to Ashland in a non-conference game on Saturday.

          River Valley won the first game between the two (87-63) on December 7 at Ontario.

          Brown says the Warriors have some shooters.  “They have a lot of guys that can shoot.  They hit I think it was 10 threes, 10 or 12 threes, the other night against Ashland.  The (Landon) Foltz kid did a nice job against us the first time.  We did not shoot well, but were able to score a little bit and hopefully we can maybe shoot a little better at home and contain their shooters and try to not let them score a lot of points on us,” said Brown

          The Vikings biggest, and most long standing rival, is Pleasant (6-7,2-5) and they meet Saturday at Pleasant.  The Spartans had an 18-point second quarter lead against “MOAC” leader Shelby last week only to lose (57-50) to the Whippets.

          It was (61-52) River Valley on December 9.

          Bown says Pleasant is always a tough place to win.  “That's a rivalry game and every time we play no matter what the records are it's always a good close, game and hard fought game.  Going over there it's always tough and their new gym it's pretty loud,” he told Swankonsports.com on Monday night, “We had a really, really close one there last year, so you know they'll be ready to play for sure.  Coach (Ben) Snively will have ready like he always does and I'm sure it'll be a good one.”

Published 1/16/2024

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River Valley Must Keep Winning

          River Valley, two games behind Shelby in the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference standings, will travel to Clear Fork for a conference game on Friday night.

          The Vikings destroyed Galion (82-47) in a conference game last Thursday.  They followed that up with (62-49) win over Columbus Bishop Watterson on Saturday.

          Coach Rodney Brown says those wins put a smile on his face.  “I was very pleased with how we played.  We’re just trying to stay on the winning track as much as you can and try to keep ourselves with some kind of a chance in the “MOAC”.  We had a good performance against Galion.  Getting that I guess revenge maybe if you want to call it on Watterson form the district final last year, it felt really good,” said Brown.

          River Valley (7-3,4-2) visits Clear Fork (5-5,2-3) on Friday night.  The Colts own a three game winning streak after a (45-37) win at Edison on Saturday in non-conference action.  They beat Highland (53-44) in a league game on Friday.

          Brown says the Colts have developed some players.  “I actually watched them play Loudonville.  They have got some big, strong kids and they have got guys that can shoot it.  We're have to defend and rebound for sure and hopefully we can hit some shots and you know be able to beat them,” he told Swankonsports.com on Tuesday night, “It’s a tough place to play over there.  It's a long trip for us, or at least it feels like a very long trip, I guess.  It's just always kind of tough to go over there.”

          Being two games back, Brown says they can’t lose anymore league game if they are going to get a piece of that title.  “I mean every league game is going to be crazy critical for us.  I mean right now we're thinking if we win out, we at least give ourselves a chance.  Obviously, we're going to need some help.  So, we have to take care of us and try to win every league game we can because if we fall any further behind it's going to be really, really difficult,” he said.

Published 1/10/2024

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River Valley to Play Impressive Shelby

          River Valley will meet Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference leader Shelby on Thursday, but first they have a non-conference test with Buckeye Valley on Tuesday night.

          On Friday night, they fell (63-57) to Marion Harding in a conference game.

          Coach Rodney Brown says the Presidents hurt them on the boards.  “We gave up way too many second chance opportunities to them.  We didn't shoot the ball very well and got down by ten couple times.  We made some good runs.  The kids fought hard to come back.  We gave ourselves a chance there late.  Had a shot that didn't go in and had to foul.  So, we had opportunities,” said Brown.

          As far as Buckeye Valley is concerned, Brown says they have a big guy that poses some problems for the Vikings.  “They have got some athletic kids, a lot of shooters, real good player inside, he’s going to be hard to stop.  We have got to keep him off the boards and limit his second chance opportunities.  Then we have just got to take care of the ball and hopefully knock down some shots,” he said.

          Now, Shelby (4-1,3-0), #3 in the first Swankonsports.com boys’ basketball coaches poll in the large school division, is coming off their only loss of the season (67-63) to state power Ottawa-Glandorf on Saturday.  The Whippets won their league game though in blasting Highland (74-21) on Friday, leading (31-2) after the first quarter.

          Brown says, yes, they are loaded.  “They have a lot guys that can play.  I just finished up watching one of their films and they're tough.  I mean they got a lot of weapons, a lot of size and length, they play well together and play good defense,” he told Swankonsports.com on Monday night, “They move the ball and (Alex) Bruskotter is very, very good, so that's a really good team.”

          Bruskotter averages almost 23 a game and 36 against O-G.

          Brown says you want to keep the ball out of his hands, but that is not very easy.  “We have got to try.  I mean you have got to try as hard as you can.  They're used to that, everyone tries to do that to him.  He's long so, he's hard to keep the ball from.  We'll have to do our best to try to slow him down, slow the other guys down too.  Like I said they're really good,” said Brown.

Published 12/19/23

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River Valley Looking to Bounce Back

          River Valley plays at Marion Harding in another rival game for the Vikings on Friday night in play in the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference.

          They just beat Pleasant (61-52) last Saturday.

          On Tuesday, they lost a tough one (77-71) to Jonathan Alder in non-conference play.

          Coach Rodney Brown says literally the ball didn’t bounce their way.  “We played without our starting point starting point guard, who's down with ankle injury.  We were leading early and it was back and forth.  They have got some really good players, a good team, well coached, and we battled,” he told Swankonsports.com on Wednesday night, “We were down 10 with 2:44 to go out coming out of a time out.  I told the kids it's not over, don't quit.  We had a loose ball that took a weird bounce, we thought we were going to end up with it and have a chance to potentially score again with about 30 seconds and get that kind of bounced high and they ended up getting it and we ended up fouling them and then it was over.  So, it was that kind of game, but it was quite the battle.  We had a lot of kids step up off the bench and I was proud of that.”

          Brown says the loss identified some areas where they have to get better.  “It's always a learning experience when you lose, and it gave us some things to look at and say we really need to emphasize these things more and pay more attention to some of the smaller details.  Hopefully, we have everybody healthy for Friday and we'll be ready to go,” he said.

          River Valley (3-1,2-0) plays at Marion Harding (2-1,1-1) on Friday night.  The Presidents beat Highland (63-43) on Saturday.  Their only loss comes to defending conference champion Shelby (41-29) last Thursday.

          Brown says they have kids that have a lot of skill and can do a lot thing on the floor.  “They are very athletic.  I mean they have three or four guys that can score 20 in a game.  They got some good shooters, they have got a couple scorers, they got guys can handle the ball, they defend, their long and athletic.  They're always a tough matchup.  It's another county rivalry, a couple miles down the road, and it'll be a great atmosphere for sure,” said Brown.

Published 12/14/23

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River Valley Can’t Give Ontario Easy Looks

          River Valley opens play in the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference on Thursday night as they visit Ontario to meet the fast paced Warriors.

          The Vikings downed Olentangy Berlin (76-61) in their first contest of the season last Friday.

          Coach Rodney Brown was pleased.  “We played well.  I was very pleased with our intensity, our aggressiveness, we moved the ball around well and had a lot of guys contribute,” he said.

          Ontario lost their opener (105-94) to Crestview on Saturday night in a game that seemed to be played at the speed of light.

          Brown says they have some perimeter shooters that can bury some long ones.  “They have got a lot of guys that shoot the ball, a lot of guards,” he told Swankonsports.com on Monday night, “They play hard, they press a little bit, we're going to take care of the ball and we're going to have to the limit their shots and hopefully not allowing to make a bunch of threes.”

          With their aggressive defense, Ontario is going to give you some chances to make plays.  Brown says they have to attack.  “You have got to be aggressive to them with their pressure.  So, you have got to try to match their intensity and play strong and try to get to the basket and take everything that you can get from them,” said Brown.

          Now, it’s not that the Vikings are methodical or anything like that, but Brown says a key is slowing this game down a least a little bit.  “Hopefully, we can try to control the tempo and play it at our pace.  Not allow them to get those open looks and not turn us over to where they get easier it looks,” he said.

Published 12/05/23

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River Valley Has Good Mix

          River Valley, the runner-up last year in the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference, certainly has the potential to be a very good team this year too.  They open the season on Friday night at home against Olentangy Berlin in non-league play.

          Coach Rodney Brown says they have some veterans back and some new kids that can play too.  “We have some returning guys with some experience and some young guys to go with them in that mix.  Just trying to get the young guys to fit in and understand how we play.  It's been a good preseason.  We've had some good scrimmages, played against some really good competition and have been pleased with how we've done,” said Brown.

          Brown says playing a strong scrimmage schedule gives you a better idea what you have and what you need to improve.  “You want to be challenged, you want to see what you need to work on.  Sometimes you want the kids to see that, hey, you know we need to do this better,” he told Swankonsports.com on Tuesday night, “We need to work on this harder in practice and not get a big head I guess.”

          Olentangy Berlin is a division I school, so bigger than the Vikings, and Brown says they have solid guard play.  “Berlin has two really, really good guards, a four year starter and their point guards are really good, both of them had really good games against us last year.  We have to contain them and hopefully it'll be enough to keep us in it, but those two players are very good,” he said.

Published 11/29/23

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River Valley Back at it

Click here to listen to an interview with coach Rodney Brown

          River Valley, the runner-up last year in the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference, will have some kids to form another solid team this year.

          With a little less than week under their belts, coach Rodney Brown says it feels good to start preparing for the season.  “It’s always nice to get back in the gym with everybody.  The kids are playing hard and trying to get back into the groove a little bit.  We had a lot of football players.  So, we're just trying to get things going and get some chemistry going and getting ready for our first scrimmage on Friday night,” said Brown.

          Brown says they have some guys back to help form their team this year.  “We'll be experienced, I mean we lost some key contributors from last year, but we have a lot of guys that played a lot of minutes.  We have two starters back and the sixth man who will move into a starting role.  So, we have got a lot of experience.  We should be sort of seasoned I guess,” he said.

          With scrimmages and practices, Brown says they are going to initiate those younger players to varsity basketball and what it’s all about.  “We’ve got guys filling into different spots trying to replace the guys that we lost.  We're just hoping that those puzzle pieces fit together nicely, quickly as possible,” he told Swankonsports.com on Wednesday night, “Those young guys that were bringing up from JV can just fit in and realize how we play and the toughness that we try to play with.”

Published 11/09/23

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River Valley Hosts Linden

          River Valley, the runner-up in the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference, plays at home against Columbus Linden McKinely, of the Columbus City League, in a division II tournament game on Friday night.

          At (17-5) it has been a very good season for the Vikings, but coach Rodney Brown says the tournament has a different feel to it.  “Oh definitely it is, I mean you have got to think about the fact that it could be one game and that's it.  Fortunately, we're home so, hopefully, that adds a little fire to us.”

          Linden McKinley (11-11) is a school with rich tradition in boys’ basketball and Brown says they have one young man in particular that they will have their eye on.  “They are a young team that is very athletic.  A really good freshman, who believe it or not I read somewhere that I think he won the 215 pound weight class in the city league wrestling championship over the weekend,” he told Swankonsports.com on Wednesday night, “He is a very athletic basketball player and obviously very athletic in general if he can do that.”

          In this game, Brown says they must dictate how things are going to be played, at their liking, not Liden’s.  “We have to control the pace for sure.  They run 1-2-2 that's pretty effective with their speed and athleticism they can get steals and that's what they try to do.  They're patient in the half court on the offense.  We're going to have to defend, stop them from driving and take care of the basketball and not be lazy with our passes because if we do, we'll turn it over and they'll score,” said Brown.

Published 2/23/23

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River Valley Must Win, Needs Help

          River Valley has to beat Galion on Friday night and get an assist from Ontario to share the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference title.

          They trail Shelby by a game and need the Whippets to lose to Ontario to get a trophy for their case.

          They warmed up by beating Centerburg (85-66) on Tuesday night in a non-conference game and that was after a (86-45) win over Highland last Friday in league play.

          Coach Rodney Brown says they have a had a lot of guys pitch in.  “We've been able to score a little bit the last couple games.  We've had some big contributions from different guys and it's been fun, it's been exciting,” he said.

          In the Highland game, Carson Smith scored a school record 48 points, had a school record 11 threes, 35 of those points came in the first half of the game.

          Brown says it was something to see.  “It was an amazing thing to watch and to be a part of.   I mean he just he just couldn't miss.  It was crazy to the point to where like how many points does he have?  We're actually checking at that point because we're like he can't really have as many as we think he does,” he told Swankonsports.com on Wednesday night, “Seven threes in the second quarter, it's just it was just crazy.”

          River Valley (16-5,11-2) plays at Galion (8-13,3-10) on Friday night in “MOAC” play.  Galion beat Buckeye Central (69-50) in a non-conference game on Tuesday night.

          Brown says the Tigers can score too.  “They like to get out and run.  They have got some guys that could really shoot the ball you know and a couple of them can shoot it from deep.  We have got to make sure we're on them and we locate them and get a high hand up and try to make it as hard on them as possible,” he said.

          Like we stated earlier, The Vikings need some help from Ontario, but Brown says that all goes for not if they don’t win.  “We need the basketball gods to help us a little bit.  We need to handle our part of the bargain try to you know finish the season strong and hope that the unthinkable maybe happens,” he said.

Published 2/16/23

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River Valley Must Bounce Back

          River Valley, now a game behind Shelby in the race for the title in the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference, plays at Highland on Friday night in “MOAC” play.

          They lost (75-73) in double overtime to the Whippets on Saturday night.

          That was a tough loss, but coach Rodney Brown says they can’t be looking in the rearview mirror.  “We have got to try to get back on the winning track.  Try to hopefully fix some of the things that that we did wrong Saturday night and just get back to what we were doing well,” he said.

          There are still two games left on the league schedule and the Vikings would need Shelby to lose to either Clear Fork or Ontario, but Brown says at the same time they have to keep up their share of the bargain.  “We have got to keep winning.  I mean we've been able to control our own destiny now for a while and let one get away from us the other night that I thought we could have won.  It's a part of the game, part of high school sports you have got to figure out a way to get back on track as quick as possible,” said Brown.

          River Valley (14-5,10-2), #5 in the Swankonsports.com boys’ basketball coaches poll in the large school division, plays at Highland (6-14,0-12) on Friday night.  The Fighting Scots lost (87-53) to Shelby last Wednesday in their last league game.  River Valley beat them (72-52) on January 5 at River Valley.

          Brown says they have some kids that can make plays and they have to be focused for this game.  “They play hard.  They have some young players that are playing a lot of minutes, supporting minutes for them.  They have got some seniors that that play really hard and couple that can shoot the ball,” he told Swankonsports.com on Monday night, “I mean they can be a dangerous team and we have to make sure that we contain what they do and try to do what we do best and hopefully we can come out on top.”

Published 2/07/23

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Shelby Wins Double Overtime Thriller

          Shelby takes a one game lead in the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference as they edged River Valley (75-73) in double overtime in a tough, physical game on Saturday night at River Valley.

          Alex Brushkotter gave Shelby a (71-70) lead with 1:39 to play in the double overtime period with a basket and Issaiah Ramsey laid one in after a steal to make (73-70) Whippets with 1:23 left.  River Valley came right back as Carson Smith drilled a three to tie it (73-73) with 1:03 left.  The final margin was provided as the Whippets converted two of four free throws in the final :42, one by Ramsey and one by Casey Lantz.

          Whippets coach Greg Gallaway says it was like they survived a war.  “We knew we were in for a four quarter battle here, but then we realized it wasn't four quarters, it took a couple more overtime periods.  It's a credit to what coach (Rodney) Brown does here with the culture and just always those guys are competitive every game that they play.  We knew it was going to be a great game.  I'm just so proud of our guys for being relentless,” he said.

          The Whippets (16-2,11-1) made some physical plays in the fourth quarter and the overtime period, a couple by Lantz, who scored all his 17 points in the second half and overtime.  Brushkotter tied the game (67-67) with :35 left in the first overtime with a twisting layup and foul shot.

          Gallaway says they got the ball to the right people in the right spots, plus they made a defensive adjustment in taking off the press.  “We made the right plays at the right time, especially late in the game and that's the thing I'm really proud of our guys.  We fought adversity a lot (Saturday) night,” he told Swankonsports.com after the win, “I think we were down 15 at one point in the second half and our guys just kept fighting back.  We kind of took off our press a little bit and just wanted to rely on our half court defense and I thought our guys bought into that.  It was a physical game and I thought our guys were just able to make some big plays when we needed it.”

          River Valley (14-5,10-2) built 15 point lead (51-36) with after Chase Ebert’s goal with 1:37 to play in the third quarter, but they couldn’t put the Whippets away.  Still down eight (61-53) with 4:37 to play in regulation, the Whippets outscored River Valley (9-1) to send the game to overtime.

          The Vikings were just 2-9 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter and overtime and that was costly.

          River Valley coach Rodney Brown says they made the plays to get to the line, but they couldn’t covert when it counted.  “We were trying to slow it down and value possessions trying to take care of the ball, didn't want to take any dumb shots.  I thought we did a pretty good job of that.  We were able to get fouled.  We were able to have the guys we want to go to free throw line, go to the free throw line.  They just they just didn't go in.  It's one of those things where that's a fixable thing.  I mean these guys shoot free throws all the time and we have certain rules with our free throws.  It's not like it's something that we don't do every day.  I said maybe this lights a fire under us.  This makes you mad and makes you want to work harder,” said Brown.

          The first four quarters were a series of runs by each squad.  Brushkotter, who finished the night with a game high 25 points, scored the Whippets first seven as they took a (7-2) lead, but the Vikings can right back with (16-3) run to close the quarter up (18-10).

          River Valley took a 10 point lead (24-14) on a Carson Myers field goal with 4:19 to play in the second quarter, but the Whippets responded with (12-2) run, punctuated by two threes by freshman Brayden DeVito to tie the game at 26.  However, River Valley ended the quarter with their own (6-0) run, including a couple of baskets by Ebert to go up (32-26) at the break.

          It was (37-32) River Valley with 5:15 to play in the third, but the Vikings put together a (14-6) run to establish the (51-36) lead, as five different plays scored during that flurry.

          Gallaway says his kids never gave up.  “We have got some really tough kids on our team and that's kind of one of our motos to be relentless.  Whatever is thrown at us, I mean that's basketball, every team is going to go on different runs and our guys just stayed the course stayed one possession at a time and they fought back,” he said.

          The “MOAC’s” leading scorer Carson Myers (21.9 ppg) really hurt the Whippets early in the interior, scoring 14 points over the first 13 minutes, but Shelby held him to only one hoop over the final 27 minutes.

          Gallaway says they tried to not allow him to get the ball on the block.  “He is such a great player.  We can only try to do so much against Carson Myers, but he leads our league and points and rebounds.  We tried to just make him catch it as far away from the block as possible because if he catches it so deep by the basket, it’s two points every single time.  So, I thought we did a better job forcing him to catch deep, outside of the paint the second half, and us making him take tough shots,” said Gallaway.

          Ebert was huge for the Vikings with 22 points and Carson Smith added 17.

          River Valley was the team that had the final shot at the end of regulation and both overtimes.

          Brown says they executed what he wanted done, but the ball didn’t go in.  “We ran some different stuff that I drew up that we don't normally run trying to get you know some advantages.  I thought we did a decent job there at the end of regulation and didn't get a (bad) shot it.  It wasn't a great shot, but he kind of got off balance when he went to catch it and it put him off balance to shoot it,” he told Swankonsports.com after the game, “We had the two with Carson Smith and Carson Myers involved in it.  It was who we wanted to get the ball.  We didn't do a good job of getting Myers the ball in the fourth quarter and that's on me.  Shelby, they're great basketball team and that was a great basketball game.  I mean double overtime for the league title.  It just stinks that we're not the ones celebrating.”

          Shelby must beat Clear Fork next Friday and Ontario the following Friday to wrap up the undisputed title.

          Gallaway says defensively they communicated well in those critical possessions late in the game.  “I mean they had the last possession like at the end of each period. Our guys just stayed connected and man that shot sure looked like it was going in there in the corner too, but just credit to our guys just staying the course and finishing the game off,” he said.

Published 2/04/23

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River Valley With Two Huge Ones

          River Valley shares first place with Shelby in the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference standings with Marion Harding just a game behind.

          The Vikings play at Harding on Thursday and host Shelby on Saturday night.

          Coach Rodney Brown says these are games you want to play in if you are a competitor.  “This has been an exciting week trying to get ready for two of the top teams in our conference.  Just the excitement of it and the possibilities of what could be are great to look forward to,” he said.

          River Valley (13-4,9-1), #5 in the Swankonsports.com boys’ basketball coach poll in the large school division, plays at Marion Harding (12-4,8-2) on Thursday night.  The Presidents are coming off a (55-18) dismantling of Highland in a league game last Friday.

          In their first meeting, the Vikings won (61-58) on December 16.

          Brown says they have to keep Harding out of the lane and off the boards.  “One of the biggest things I think is we have got to stop their penetration.  They have got a couple guys that can really shoot the basketball so we have got to make sure that we stay close enough to them.  Not let them get open looks.  We really have to box out and rebound.  They crash the boards extremely hard.  We fouled them too much the first time we played them and they made a lot of free throws.  So, we have got to be more solid in what we do defensively.  We need to have a fast start and be ready for whatever they might throw at us,” said Brown.

          Shelby (15-2,10-1), #2 in our poll, beat Highland (87-53) on Wednesday night.  They beat River Valley (70-56) on December 20.

          Brown says they have to score more consistently and they have to get stops, which they didn’t get enough of last time.  “We had a hot start for Carson Smith and we did a poor job of getting him open.  One of our other guys, who has been our best shooter from the outside, Brock Mosher, went down real early in the first quarter of that game.  I think it was just a lot of crazy things that happened that night,” he told Swankopnsports.com on Wednesday night, “They were better than us.  We didn't take care of the ball, we didn't score like we normally do consistently and defensively we just weren’t solid.  We have got to be able to stop their runs, we have got to be able to have our own runs.  They're a great team.  They have got a lot of length.  They've shown they know how to win and hopefully at home with potentially a lot on the line we can we can battle with them.”

Published 2/02/23

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Shelby Edges River Valley; Takes First Place

          Shelby is in position to win its fifth straight Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference title as they made a furious fourth quarter rally to beat River Valley (40-38) on Saturday night.

          That win combined with Ontario’s upset of Marion Pleasant (29-27) has left the Lady Whippets along in first place by game over River Valley and Pleasant with two games to play.  Shelby plays at Clear Fork next Friday and hosts Ontario on February 9.

          Eve Schwemley canned two free throws with :18 left to give the Lady Whippets a (39-38) lead and after River Valley missed a three point attempt and Shelby secured the rebound, Charlotte Niese split a pair with :05 left.  The Lady Vikings missed about a 30 footer at the horn.

          Shelby (16-4,10-2) trailed by as many as eight in the fourth quarter (37-29) with 3:02 to play after Brooklyn Moser cashed in for the Lady Vikings.  They went some full court pressure and coach Natalie Lantz says that was effective or them.  “As flat as we were playing I know it was a gamble, but we had to.  Boy the way these girls stepped up and just took it on, they took it head on, and you know we got a steal and got a bucket and I think that encouraged them.  Then you just saw a little bit of intimidation, I don't even know if it's intimidation, because we came back on them last time too and obviously we didn't get the win last time,” she told Swankonsports.com after the win, “I mean that was really an incredible comeback, incredible winning in the fourth quarter.  I mean kudos to River Valley they held us to one point in the third quarter.  With their defense they switched it up a lot.  They ran a couple different zones and man.  I felt like we worked pretty well against the man early on but, we just didn't win value basketball enough.  We forced some passes and things like that.  Big credit for to our kids not giving up.  When we play with energy it's pretty exciting, when we don't it's very flat and not pretty which and we saw obviously that in third quarter especially.”

          River Valley (15-5,9-3) didn’t help themselves either.  In addition to the turnovers, they missed the front end of two one and one opportunities in the final :45 of the contest.

          Coach Tim Chiles says they didn’t value the basketball enough in that pivotal fourth quarter.  “We turned the ball away too much late, missed some free throws down the stretch.  They came out and hit us early and got ahead (7-0).  I told our girls, I'm very proud of the fact that we continue to play.  Battled back and got the game where we wanted, had the lead but, we just turned the ball over too much late.  We're a veteran team, we shouldn't be doing that, but it is what it is.  They're very athletic, they're good, they have a great tradition here.  I think that's kind in the end the homecourt advantage.  They had a big crowd, cheering, little pressure, it just kind of got to us.  We've got to be better than that.  Like I told the girls, we learned from this and we move on, we prepare for the tournament and try to make a run in the tournament,” said Chiles.

          Shelby took a (7-0) lead in the first three minutes of the game.  They never trailed in the first half, leading (12-7) after the first quarter and (23-16) at the intermission.  However, the third quarter was all Lady Vikings.  Moser gave them their first lead with a three (25-24) with 2:25 to play the third.  They held Shelby to only one point in the third quarter and held the lead until the Schwemley free throws with :18 to go.

          Shelby held the advantage on the glass and Lantz is proud of how her kids kept fighting all night.  “We have to, we're not necessarily big.  Brooklyn Moser, I mean she's a great player, and obviously they're playing without Halle Snyder, who I think is the glue, I mean she's just such a great athlete and the kid was averaging like 11 or 12 boards a game, she's just a great player and she's their vocal leader.  So, I thought what they did in kind of fighting back in the third quarter.  We just looked flat, we didn't come out.  We always strive to win the first three minutes of the quarter and then push past that and we sure didn't do that.  It took us a long time and honestly they held us to five points until there was like two and half minutes left in the fourth quarter.  Definitely the change of pace defense I think helped us.  We had the right group in defensively that made some big plays.  I mean obviously Audi (Albert) made some big plays.  Charlie Niese made some fantastic plays.  A huge credit to a couple sophomores stepping up.  Eve Schwemley knocking down two free throws to put us in the lead and then Charlie at least getting one of the two,” said Lantz.

          Albert has six points in that fourth quarter for Shelby.

          Cliles felt going to the zone in the third quarter changed the momentum for them.  “We lost one of our best defenders and rebounders couple games ago to a knee injury, so we have to mix things up.  We've had zones in, we switched between two of them, but we haven't been playing them a lot.  So, we were able to get into that and I thought our girls did a good job of mixing them up between the two and then playing some man here and there to just to give them different looks because once they get comfortable seeing something they figure out how to attack and get looks,” he said.

          The “MOAC” race, now between three teams, has been close all year, and Lantz likes the competition.  “They're a good team.  Coach Chiles and I were talking about before the game.  We don't necessarily have these big standout players like our conference has had in the past.  We have really good teams and that's why you're seeing kind of this back and forth.  I mean I think there was a four way tie for first at one point.  They're just good teams and they play hard and they play well together.  I'm just proud to be part of that group and proud of these girls for not giving up, that was great, that was fun,” she said.

Published 1/28/23

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River Valley Has to Take Care Business

          River Valley, now in a share of first place in the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference, will be at home for arch rival Marion Pleasant on Friday night in league action.

          The Vikings share first place with Shelby in the “MOAC”.  They both have (8-1) conference records and lead Marion Harding by a game.

          Last week, they had a big second half in both games and beat Clear Fork (75-55) on Thursday and Ontario (55-37) on Saturday.

          Coach Rodney Brown says they got off to slow starts, which has been rare for them.  “We had some slow starts, which is uncharacteristic for us, but we're able to really come up big in the second half against Clear Fork and had a huge third quarter against Ontario,” he said.

          River Valley (12-4,8-1) plays host to Marion Pleasant (7-7,4-5) on Friday night.  The Spartans beat Highland (59-48) in their last league game on Friday night. 

          The Vikings won the first matchup (53-46) on December 10.

          Brown says this a big rivalry game and anything can happen.  “Well, they played us really tough.  We were down most of the game and were able to close it out late,” he told Swankonsports.com on Wednesday night, “Their kids play hard, they're coached well.  You can throw the records out the window whenever these two teams play.”

          Pleasant’s Trey Booker leads the league in scoring (23.7 ppg) this year.  Brown says they will have to do their best to contain him.  “He gets to the basket really well, he's a really good pull up shooter, and he's developed a nice three-point shot.  He's a hard guy to guard and we're going to have to try to stop him the best we can,” said Brown,

Published 1/26/23

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River Valley Needs to Keep Winning

          River Valley, in second in the standings in the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference, play host to Clear Fork on Thursday and travels to Ontario on Saturday night in conference play.

          The Vikings beat Jonathan Alder (61-43) Sunday in a game that was played at Ohio Dominican University.

          Coach Rodney Brown says they executed well on offense.  “We had a nice game.  We moved the ball well, shot the ball pretty well, defended well.  That was a fun atmosphere, it's cool for the kids, I think it had that tournament feel too,” he said.

          River Valley (9-4,6-1) plays at home against Clear Fork (5-9,1-6) on Thursday night.  Clear Fork won its first “MOAC” game in almost two years last Friday in beating Highland (59-47).  The Vikings destroyed Clear Fork (69-38) on December 2.

          Brown says teams that shoot a lot of threes are always dangerous.  “They have got some different pieces than they did when we played the first time,” he told Swankonsports.com on Wednesday night, “They play hard, they shoot some threes and anytime a team gets hot that shoots like that they can be dangerous.  So, we have got to be able to defend and try to limit their opportunities.”

          The Vikings smoked Ontario (77-41) on December 8 in the first meeting between the two.

          Brown says the Warriors push the tempo and have a lot of guys that can make perimeter shots.  “They have got a lot of shooters.  They push the floor.  What they do offensively is nice to watch and hopefully we're able to defend them and hopefully limit their opportunities as well,” said Brown.

          Ontario has a number of kids that make those perimeter shots, so Brown says that stretches your defense.  “It makes it a lot more difficult.  We have to talk more.  Communication is going to be key for us.  Try not to let them get into their stuff easy and try not to let guys just get wide open looks,” he said.

Published 1/19/23

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River Valley Getting Ready for Galion

          River Valley, a game back in the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference standings, plays host to Galion in a conference game on Friday night.

          They broke a three game losing streak with a (72-52) win over Highland in “MOAC” play last Thursday.

          Coach Rodney Brown says it was a win they needed and it put a smile on everyone’s face.  “Yeah, we needed to win.  We played pretty well.  I was proud of our guys, they played hard.  We got out early and was able to keep the lead.  Absolutely, yeah it makes everybody feel better,” said Brown.

          River Valley (7-4,5-1) entertains Galion (5-6,3-4) on Friday night in “MOAC” action.  The Tigers beat Highland (58-54) in league play last Thursday.

          Brown says they have solid guard play.  “Galion’s got really good guard play,” he told Swankonsports.com on Tuesday night, “The (Cooper) Kent kid is shooting the ball really well right now for them and Chapin is a great addition for them.  They got some guys that can shoot it and they're not afraid to pull it.”

          In this game both teams like to push the pace.  Brown says transition defense is going to be pretty big for them.  “Tempo would be fast probably for both teams.  Hopefully, we're able to get some stops in there, make some stops, and limit their open threes and rebound the ball and then put the ball in the hole for us,” said Brown.

          At times through the middle part of the year the Vikings have had some injury concerns, but Brown says that should not be an issue this week.  “We are pretty healthy.  We had a another ankle sprain earlier this week, but I think he'll be alright by the time we play Friday.  So, hopefully, we seem to be healthy, knock on wood,” said Brown.

Published 1/11/23

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River Valley Needs Better Execution

          River Valley, a game back in the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference standings, plays at home against Columbus DeSales in non-conference play on Wednesday night.

          Last Tuesday, they lost for just the second time this year, and fell out first place, when they lost (70-56) at Shelby to the Whippets.

          Coach Rodney Brown says they just couldn’t score enough to keep pace with the Whippets.  “Shelby is pretty good team.  They did a lot of nice things.  We weren't able to really stay with them.  They were able to score every time we made a little bit of run, they just spread the lead a little bit more.  In the second half we just weren't able to stay with them,” he said.

          Brown says they have been working on running their offense better.  “We have to do a better job offensively, especially in our half court stuff.  We didn't do a good job of getting Smith more looks and we didn't move the ball enough,” he told Swankonsports.com on Tuesday night, “I feel like we get better shots when we reverse the floor and we weren't able to do that and I think that's part of why we weren't able to score as much in the second half.”

          River Valley (6-2) is at home for Columbus DeSales (3-3) on Wednesday night.

          Brown says the Stallions are a very good defensive team and they are going to be patient on offense.  “The Central Catholic League, so it’s a tough conference obviously a lot of good basketball in that conference.  They have a lot of size and good guard play.  They really get after you defensively and they make you be patient defensively as they move the ball around trying to get the best shot they can,” said Brown.

Published 12/28/22

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Co-Leaders River Valley and Shelby to Meet

          It is a key early season game in the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference on Tuesday night as River Valley is at Shelby to tangle with the Whippets.

          The two schools share first place in the conference.

          River Valley got a three point basket from Chase Ebert with 1.7 seconds remaining to beat Marion Harding (61-58) last Friday.

          Coach Rodney Brown says they were in a lot of foul trouble, but they found a way.  “We really had to dig deep.  We had a major foul trouble.  (Carson) Smith went down in the third quarter and didn't return,” he told Swankonsports.com on Monday night, “We had a lot of guys from the bench really step up play huge minutes for us.”

          River Valley (6-1,4-0), #4 in the Swankonsports.com boys’ basketball coaches poll in the large school division, plays at Shelby (5-1,4-0),#5 in our poll, a winner of five straight, on Tuesday night.  The Whippets smoked Highland (93-63) in a conference game on Friday night.

          Brown says the Whippets have a lot they will have to defend.  “They have athleticism, length, they have got a lot of length with tall kids.  They are all good basketball players.  Very skilled and good shooters too,” said Brown.

          6’7” Alex Brushkotter is in the top 10 in the league in four statistical categories.  Brown says they have to contain him and not lose the other players.  “He's really very, very good.  He led the league in scoring last year.  We have to try to slow him down if we can and hope to try to slow down their other guys too,” said Brown.

          Shelby has averaged around 80 points a game over their last three and really like to push the tempo of the game.

          Brown says they are not going to back away from a quick tempo.  “I think we like to play fast too.  That tempo is a lot more fun to play and watch and coach as well and hopefully we can run with them or at least try to keep up with them,” he said.

Published 12/20/22

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River Valley off to Great Start

          River Valley, the co-leader in the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference, plays at home against Buckeye Valley in a non-league game on Tuesday night.

          They host Marion Harding in a conference game on Friday night.

          Last Saturday, they rallied from behind to beat arch rival Marion Pleasant (53-46) in a conference game.

          Coach Rodney Brown says they had to really grind out that win.  “We trailed until about midway through the third.  It was a tight game, very scrappy.  The atmosphere was crazy, very loud in there.  Both teams, it’s the old rivalry, really got after it.  We were just able to grind and make free throws down the stretch, which was honestly why we won,” said Brown.

          The Vikings now own a four game winning streak.

          Brown says they have a lot of experience, including last year’s conference player of the year Carson Smith.  “We have a lot of guys back that played a lot of minutes last year.  We have the reining “MOAC” player of the year.  We have good kids and they work hard.  They play well together.  They get along well together.  I think they just trust in each other.  So far, we have been able to play pretty well,” he said.

          When it comes to Buckeye Valley on Tuesday night, Brown says the Barons will be patient and they will play very good defense.  “Coach (Andy) Gast does a great job with them.  They have been very good for a long time.  They will make you be patient defensively.  They are going to move the ball around.  They set a lot of screens,” he told Swankonsports.com on Monday night, “They are really going to defend you.  They are going to really get up in your face and guard.  We are going to have to take care of the basketball.  Take good quality shots and hopefully make them.”

          River Valley (4-1,3-0), #4 in the first Swankonsports.com boys’ basketball coaches poll of the season in the large school division, will host Marion Harding (3-2,2-1) on Friday night.

          Brown says they have to handle pressure and be able to defend an athletic Harding squad.  “Marion Harding is very athletic.  They have some new faces.  I think they are trying to mesh together as new players on a team.  They have some very athletic kids that can score the basketball.  Jamie’s teams always try to get up and pressure you.  Their athleticism will be an issue for us,” he said.

Published 12/13/22

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Whippets Take “MOAC” Lead

          Shelby outscored River Valley (13-4) over the game’s final 3:48 and they downed to Vikings (72-65) to take the lead in the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference to themselves Saturday night.

          Alex Bruskotter scored nine of his team high 22 points during that final rush.

          Shelby (15-3,10-1), #1 in the Swankonsports.com boys’ basketball coaches poll in the large school division, now leads River Valley (11-6,9-2) and Marion Harding, who beat Clear Fork (76-45) Saturday night, by one game.

          They have Clear Fork next Friday, Ontario on February 18 and Highland February 19.

          Coach Gregg Galloway says they know they still have basketball to play.  “We knew this was a big one (Saturday) night, but we still have three big “MOAC” games left.  Our first team goal here at Shelby is to win a “MOAC” title.  So, we are going to enjoy this one, but get back to work next week and work towards that title,” he said.

          River Valley led by as many as six in the third quarter (38-32) after a Carson Smith hoop with 7:02 left in the quarter, but Shelby would take lead (45-44) after Andre Hill’s basket with 3:15 to play in the quarter.  Nobody led by more than three until Shelby’s final push.

          River Valley coach Rodney Brown is proud of his team’s effort, but says they can never make the big shot in that final quarter.  “We played extremely hard (Saturday) night.  I am very proud of them.  We battled to the end.  We couldn’t get anything to go there late.  We forced a few shots.  We could never distance ourselves in the third quarter.  We let them hang around and they are good.  They hung around and took the lead,” he said.

          The Whippets took a lead (64-61) they would never relinquish on a Bruskotter three with 2:22 to play.  Carson Myers would muscle one in to cut it to one (64-63) with 1:51 left.  After Bruskotter made two free throws, Marshall Shepherd stole the ball between the circles on the River Valley end and raced down the court to score on a layup with 1:17 to play and give his team a five point (68-63) lead.

          “It was a big play.  Marshall, I thought did a great job defensively.  He is kind of one of our guys that we can hang our hat on with defense this year.  He guards a lot of the other team’s best players.  I thought he did a great job, along with Jeremy in the first half, on a very talented player like Carson Smith.  That steal was big and we were able to capitalize on it and finish the game out,” said Galloway.

          Brown says it was a great athlete making a big play.  “The hand off up top, obviously, we didn’t handle it the way we wanted to.  He made a good play, he is a great athlete, a three sport guy, he made a great play and then we couldn’t recover and get back.  The big one to me was the three with about 1:34 left that he missed and we didn’t get the rebound, that was a big one, and we foul them and they go to the line, that was a big one too.  There are lots of points that you can pick out, but you want to pick out the ones late,” said Brown.

          Bruskotter then put it away by making four of four free throws in the final 50 seconds.

          Shelby made 10 of 12 free throws in the fourth quarter and Galloway says they did good job in the second half of getting to the charity stripe.   “As a team we are shooting a great percentage from the line this year.  We always talk about when we look at the opponent’s attempts and our attempts we are able to see who the aggressor is too.  They had five more attempts than us the first half and we were able to beat them the second half and get to the rim and get to the line,” he said.

          Hill added 21 points for the Whippets.  Issaiah Ramsey added 12.  Smith led everybody with 27 after not scoring the game’s first nine minutes.

          Shelby led (19-10) after the first quarter, but River Valley took the lead (20-19) after a Jevin Beard basket with 6:38 to play in the half.  They led (36-30) after the intermission, but could never pull away.

          Galloway says keeping them within sight was key.  “I think we have to give a lot of credit to them, they are a great basketball team.  Offensively, they have a lot of guys that contribute and be productive with points.  We were up 19-10 after one and we knew they were going to go on runs,” he told Swankonsports.com after the win, “We just talked to our guys, how are we going to respond to them?  Obviously, we don’t want to give up 26 points in a quarter.  We were able to settle in at halftime and change some things defensively and get stops when we needed to an pull out a win.”

Published 2/05/22

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River Valley Outscores Ontario

          River Valley scored seven times in the first two innings and went on to down Ontario (14-8) in a Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference softball game on Wednesday evening.

          Shelby Westler had an RBI single in the first and an RBI double in the second for River Valley.

          Assistant coach Katie Jividen ran the game on Wednesday for the Lady Vikings because head coach Phil Shepler was unavailable due to sickness.

          She says they got off the bus ready to play.  “Absolutely, our bats were hot.  We knocked their pitcher out in the second inning.  We came out ready to play,” she said.

          Ontario errors certainly helped the River Valley’s cause on Wednesday.  The Lady Warriors had nine errors.

          Coach Sean Snow says that is very uncharacteristic of them.  “You can’t make mistakes like we did against good teams like that.  I can almost tell you without looking at the stats that we made more errors than we have in the last 10 games we have played combined,” he told Swankonsports.com after the game, “When things are going really well, but a lot of times in this sport things fall apart and defensively it fell apart, but you can see that the girls don’t give up and I am proud of them for fighting back.  My pitcher threw well, we didn’t support her defensively.  Still proud of them and still pointing out the good things.”

          Freshman Autumn Taylor started the game for Ontario, but she lasted only an inning, and gave up six runs, four earned, on five hits.  She was replaced by sophomore Joselyn Frazier, who went the final six allowing, eight runs, four unearned on eight hits.

          River Valley (10-3,4-2) also beat Ontario (7-4,2-2) by a score of (10-9) on Wednesday.  They both trail Clear Fork and Pleasant by two games.

          Jividen says this was a big series for them after losing twice to Clear Fork last week.  “We talked about before we came in that this is one of the teams that is going to contend for the league and we have to come out and start strong and we did both nights,” said Jividen.

          Ontario trailed (11-0) going to the bottom the fourth, but responded with three in their half and scored in each of the final four frames to make it a game.  Catcher Kylie Snow highlighted the Ontario attack with three RBI.  The Lady Warriors scored three times in the bottom of the seventh and had a runner on when River Valley pitcher Laine Wooten struck out the final hitter.

          Westler and Bentley Auld had three hits for the Lady Vikings.

          Jividen says they gave a consistent effort on Wednesday.  “We never gave up.  We played hard the whole game and we finished when we needed to,” she said.

Published 4/15/21

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