Derrick Webb, Managing Editor
Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
ATHENS — The monkey is officially off Minford’s back.
It’s taken 30 long years for the Falcons to be able to say that, but the wait was well worth it after Friday’s historical victory at Ohio University.
Behind a Batman and Robin-like effort from Myles Montgomery and Bennett Kasyer, Minford (23-1) handed Zane Trace a 60-49 loss in a Division V district championship game — claiming the program’s first district crown since 1995.
CREDIT: Erica Fike/SOSA
“It’s just relief. I’m just happy for the kids right now. I know how much they’ve worked and I know that they’ve had a rough go,” Minford coach Josh Shoemaker said. “They’ve had a lot of critics. But none of that matters because they stuck together as a group. Every kid out there started at Minford Elementary. We’re going to graduate five seniors and we started playing preschool ball together. So I’m just happy for them. But We’re not done. We’re ready to keep going.”
Zane Trace (20-5) was the early aggressor, using a mix of Gunnar McCullough, Landon Robinson, Ezra Ripppeth and Grady Steward to take a 15-9 lead and force Minford into a timeout with 2:21 to go in the first quarter.
But the tides started to turn at that point.
Ashton Reeder and Myles Mongtomery each scored before the quarter ended, bringing the Falcons to within two at 15-13.
Montgomery instantly tied the game with 7:40 left in the second before Bennett Kayser gave the Falcons a 17-15 lead with a jumper at the 6:40 mark.
And Kayser was just getting started.
The senior would score again at the 6:27 mark before Curtis Glenn capped a 12-0 run, giving Minford a 21-15 advantage with 6:08 to go. By halftime, the lead had grown to seven at 29-22.
Stewart began the second half with a bucket before Landon Robinson dialed long distance, cutting Minford’s lead to 29-27 with 6:27 to play in the third.
Two points, however, was as close as ZT could get.
Montgomery buried two free throws before he turned in an old-fashioned three-point play, pushing Minford’s lead to 36-29 at the 4:26 mark. By the start of the fourth, the Falcons had built the advantage to 40-31.
Minford held a sizable lead throughout much of the fourth, leading 44-31 early and 47-37 midway through, following a 3-ball from Jackson Shoemaker. And down the stretch, the Falcons knocked down their free throw tries, riding off into the sunset.
“I really go back to two plays where we were lagging a little bit, trying to run a little bit of clock … Jackson’s wide open, steps out and hits the big 3. That was the one we needed to give us the confidence back,” Shoemaker said. “And then [Kayser] had an offensive rebound with the and-one late in the game. Just two big-time buckets. Zane Trace is a heck of a ball club. They battled back, so I was glad to see us make free throws down the stretch.”
Statistically, Kayser led the way with a double-double of 23 points and 11 rebounds while Montgomery added 22 points, five rebounds and four assists. Shoemaker also chipped in with eight points.
“Big-time players have to show up in big-time games and they’re going to show up,” Shoemaker said. “I know Bennett was getting going and [ZT’s] halfcourt defense gave us some problems. But once we got in transition more, Bennett started getting there. Myles surprised me because I looked up and he had 22 and I didn’t think he had nearly that much. So I’m just impressed that through his grit, he was able to get there.”
McCullough led the Pioneers with 16 points and nine rebounds while Stewart finished with 13 points and four boards. Landen Jarrell also helped out, totaling 11 points.
While ZT’s season comes to a close, Minford advances to a Division V regional semifinal at 6 p.m., Friday at the Convocation Center. The Falcons will match up with Coshocton or Sugarcreek Garaway.
“We just have to take care of our bodies,” Shoemaker said. “Everybody is dealing with, you know, minor injuries. But we’ve got a week of practice and it’s just adjusting. We’ve seen a little bit of everything defensively this year. And it’s the regional semifinals, so we’re not blowing anybody out. We have to be ready for tough ballgames from here on out.”
BOX SCORE
Zane Trace: 15-7-9-18 — 49
Minford: 13-16-11-20 — 60
Zane Trace: 18-39 FG, 5-11 FT, 8-20 3pt., 18 rebounds (McCullough 9), 15 turnovers, 13 assists (Rippeth 5). Scoring: McCullough 16, Stewart 13, Jarrell 11, Robinson 3, Rippeth 3, Berry 3.
Minford: 21-47 FG, 17-21 FT, 1-11 3pt., 27 rebounds (Kayser 11), 10 turnovers, 8 assists (Montgomery 4). Scoring: Kayser 24, Montgomery 22, Shoemaker 8, Reeder 4, Glenn 2.
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