Something happen over the weekend that hadn't happen during the 2010-11 boys basketball season - Avon Lake lost a game.

That's right. The team that had ran through its first 19 games of the regular season lost to Southwestern Conference foe Brecksville 65-53 in the regular season finale at home.

Despite the loss, the Shoremen should be considered as heavy favorites to repeat as Division I district champions in Grafton.



The Shormen are probably the deepest team in the Grafton district and are capable of beating teams in various ways.

During the season teams have tried to play stall ball against the Shoremen and lost. Others have tried to run with the Shoremen, only to fall victim to the same result.

The key for Avon Lake is its defense. The Shoremen are relentless with ball pressure for four quarters, which has frustrated their opponents.

Offensively, the Shoremen have a number of weapons at their disposal.

The team is led in scoring by Ronnie Willoughby. Willoughby is what makes this team go. He's 6-foot-5, can run the floor, shoot and get to the basket at will.

Teams can not key on him though, because Eric Stuczynski, Brandon Murway and Jay Seaton are flooting around the perimeter and can all knock down the 3.

Another advantage the Shoremen have is experience. The roster is filled with seniors and juniors, who all went played together in last year's tournament run.

The Shoremen have a bye in the opening round of the tournament and will face the winner of the Berea/Olmsted Falls game.

Avon Lake is 2-0 against both SWC opponents this season, so they shouldn't have a problem getting to the semifinals.

Strongsville seems to be the toughest matchup for the Shoremen, but Avon Lake would not have to play the Mustangs until the district final. The Mustangs gave state-ranked Garfield Heights their only loss in the regular season.

The Grafton district is loaded with good teams, but Avon Lake seems poised for another run to the regional.

Well the 2010-11 regular season has come to an end and Avon Lake is the Morning Journal Power Poll champions.

Despite losing their final regular season game to Brecksville, the Shoremen remained at the top spot in the Power Poll, finishing with a 19-1 overall record and 13-1 in the Southwestern Conference to share the conference title with Brecksville.

Congratulations also goes out to Western Reserve, Edison and Norwalk for winning their respective conferences.

Here is a look at the rest of the Top 10 and their upcoming tournament games, let the March Madness begin!:

1. Avon Lake (19-1)
The Shoremen will face the winner of the Berea/Olmsted Falls game in the Division I Grafton District tournament on March 4.

2. Edison (17-3)
The Chargers will take on the winner of the Clyde/Port Clinton game at the Division II Ashland District tournament on March 4.

3. Perkins (17-3)
The Pirates will battle the winner of the Norwalk/Bellevue game at the Division II Ashland District tournament on March 4.

4. Western Reserve (17-2)
The Roughriders will face Lakota in the opening round of the Division III Mansfield District tournament on March 1.

5. Norwalk (15-5)
The Truckers take on Bellevue in the opening round of the Division II Ashland District tournament on March 1.

6. Avon (14-6)
The Eagles face the winner of the Padua/Keystone game in the Division II Westlake District tournament on March 5.

7. Huron (13-7)
The Tigers will battle Woodmore in the opening round of the Division III Mansfield District tournament on March 1.

8. Elyria (12-8)
The Pioneers face Medina in the opening round of the Division I Grafton District tournament on March 2.

9. Lorain (12-8)
The Titans take on Brecksville in the opening round of the Division I Grafton District tournament on March 2.

10. Bay (13-7)
The Rockets will take on the winner of the Firelands/Vermilion game on March 4.

Here's the Morning Journal's Boys Basketball Power Poll according to Assistant Sports Editor Anthony Rios through February 18th.

The rankings are based on records, division and opponents faced.

Avon Lake remained in the top spot after victories against Amherst and Midpark. The biggest jump this week was from the Perkins Pirates, who defeated Western Reserve last Saturday at home. The Pirates are now 15-2 overall.

Norwalk had the biggest drop this week, falling from No. 3 to No. 7 after a bad loss to Galion on Tuesday.

Both Bay and Lorain also climbed in the poll this week.

1. Avon Lake (17-0)
The Shoremen defeated Westlake Tuesday 48-29. A win tonight against North Olmsted clinches at least a share of the Southwestern Conference.

2. Perkins (15-2)
The Pirates had an impressive win against Western Reserve last Saturday. On the road tonight to face SBC opponent Margaretta.

3. Western Reserve (15-2)
The Roughriders lost to Perkins last Saturday. Their on the road tonight against Mapleton and host Edison on Saturday.

4. Edison (15-2)
Defeated Monroeville on Monday, on the road against Clyde tonight and travel to face Western Reserve on Saturday.

5. Bay (13-3)
The Rockets defeated Fairview on Tuesday and are on the road to face Rocky River. A win by Bay would put them a game out of first place.

6. Lorain (11-5)
The Titans have won three in a row and are on the road tonight against Shaw, then host Toledo Scott at Southview High School on Saturday.

7. Norwalk (13-4)
The Truckers eight-game winning was snapped with a loss to Galion on Tuesday. Host NOL opponent Willard tonight.

8. Elyria (11-7)
The Pioneers lost to Garfield Heights on Tuesday and host Medina tonight.

9. Avon (12-6)
The Eagles fell to Midview on Tuesday and host WSC opponent Firelands tonight.

10. Oberlin (10-7)
The Phoenix lost to Buckeye on Monday and host PAC-leading Lutheran West tonight.

On the outside: Westlake (9-8), Open Door (10-8), Huron (10-7), Midview (9-8), Clearview (9-9), Sandusky (9-9)

Here's the Morning Journal's Boys Basketball Power Poll according to Assistant Sports Editor Anthony Rios through February 11th.

The rankings are based on records, division and opponents faced.

There was a lot movement in this week's poll as Lorain, Avon and Elyria all lost games last week.

That paved the way for Norwalk to jumped from No. 6 to No. 3. The Truckers had a busy week as they moved into first place in the Northern Ohio League with victories against Shelby and Upper Sandusky. Norwalk will try to make it 3-0 this week as they travel to play Tiffin Columbian on Saturday.

The Top 2 spots remained the same with Avon Lake at No. 1 and Western Reserve at No. 2.

Here's a look at the rest of the Top 10:


1. Avon Lake (15-0)
The Shoremen move to 10-0 in the SWC with wins against Amherst and Midpark. Host Olmsted Falls tonight.

2. Western Reserve (14-1)
The Roughriders beat Monroeville on the road last Friday and host New London tonight.

3. Norwalk (12-3)
Defeated NOL opponent Shelby on Monday and beat Upper Sandusky on Thursday. The Truckers travel to face Tiffin Columbian on Saturday.

4. Edison (12-2)
The Chargers defeated Margaretta in double OT last Friday and host St. Mary tonight.

5. Perkins (13-2)
The Pirates beat Clyde last Friday and host Port Clinton tonight.

6. Elyria (10-5)
Defeated Avon last Saturday, but lost to NOC opponent Strongsville on Tuesday. Travel to face Lakewood tonight.

7. Bay (11-3)
The Rockets defeated Firelands on the road last Friday and host North Ridgeville tonight.

8. Lorain (8-5)
The Titans lost to Massillon Washington on Tuesday. Host Warrensville Heights and Clearview tonight and Saturday.

9. Avon (11-5)
Lost to Rocky River and Elyria last week. The Eagles host WSC opponent Vermilion tonight.

10. Oberlin (10-5)
The Phoenix beat Horizon Science last Friday, but lost to Columbia on Tuesday. On the road against Brooklyn tonight.

Heading into the 2010-11 season no one thought the Clearview Clippers would be a good team.

The Clippers had dominated the Patriot Athletic Conference the last few years and won the Westlake Division II championship, but they were led by the trio of Tony Williams, Anthony Hitchens and Kyle Baughman.

Those guys were replaced by players like Jacob Senquiz, DeShawn Carter, Anthony Fears and R.J. Pressutto.

They might not be household names, but somehow Clearview coach John Szalay has this year's team in a familiar place - first place in the PAC - Stripes Division.

The Clippers last loss came to Elyria in non-conferene play on Jan. 18. Since then, Clearview has won three in row. They are 8-5 overall, and lead the PAC by two games over Lutheran West and Oberlin with a 7-1 record.

The team has 13 seniors listed on the roster, but many of these guys are getting their first opportunity to play extensive minutes on the varsity level.

The Clippers control their own destiny to win another PAC title, but they still have games left against Lutheran West and Oberlin (regular season finale).

We're just past the midway point of the 2010-11 boys basketball season and Avon Lake remains the only undefeated team in Lorain County.

The Shoremen are currently 11-0 and 6-0 in the Southwestern Conference after their 68-54 victory against North Olmsted on Jan. 21.

Avon Lake has been winning in dominant fashion and have a great shot of running the table in the regular season.

They've only had three single-digit wins and are averaging 61.9 points per game, while allowing just 45.2 ppg.

Starting this week, though, Avon Lake will embark on its toughest part of its schedule, where they will play four of its next five games on the road.



Two of those games are against Berea (Jan. 28 on the road) and Westlake (Feb. 01 at home).

The Shoremen only defeated the Braves 60-57 in their first meeting on Dec. 10 and beat the Demons 51-48 in their first meeting on Dec. 14.

If the Shoremen can win those games, they have a great shot to go 20-0. Not to take anything away from the SWC, but Avon Lake is playing on another level from the competition right now.

After that tough stretch, the Shoremen will have three of their last four games at home.

They will host Olmsted Falls (0-10), Lorain (8-3), Brecksville (7-3) and on the road against North Olmsted (3-7).

If Avon Lake wins out they will be the first boys basketball in the county to go undefeated since the 2008-09 Admiral King team, that started 21-0 before losing the Division I Grafton district tournament.

Friday night was a big night for a couple of teams trying to take control of their conference.

In Sandusky, the Edison Chargers took on the Perkins Pirates. Both teams came into the game with 7-1 records in the Sandusky Bay Conference.

The Chargers erased 40-32 deficit early in the fourth quarter to defeat the Pirates 47-44.



Edison's seniors made the difference down the stretch as Mike Yost and Ryan Reber came up with huge plays on both ends of the floor.

With 21 seconds left, Yost score on an offensive rebound to put the Chargers up by one.

On the Pirates next possession, Brandon Smith drove to the basket for the go-ahead score, but Reber stepped in to take a charge to preserve the win.

The Chargers now own the tie-breaker and control their own destiny to win the SBC for the second time in three years.

In another marquee matchup, the Avon Eagles took on the Bay Rockets in a battle of top West Shore Conference teams.

John Urwin scored a game-high 25 points, but R.J. Kauffman (20 points) and Claude Gray (21 points) were too much as the Eagles won 69-61.



The Eagles now are 9-3 overall and 6-1 in the WSC and have control of the conference.

It's been a rough week for Bay, who were 8-1 and 4-1 in the WSC before the week began, but lost to Rocky River last Tuesday and followed that with its loss to Avon.

Both teams were picked to finish in the top of the conference, but it looks like Bay might need some luck if they are going to catch the Eagles.

The teams will meet in the regular-season finale on Feb. 25th, and if Avon stumbles it could be for the conference title.

Here's the Morning Journal's Boys Basketball Power Poll according to Assistant Sports Editor Anthony Rios through January 21st.

The rankings are based on records, division and opponents faced. This week Avon Lake remained at the top spot, while Bay and Norwalk made their debuts in the Top 10.

1. Avon Lake (10-0)
Defeated Olmsted Falls last Friday and beat Avon Tuesday. The Shoremen host North Olmsted tonight.

2. Western Reserve (10-1)
The Roughriders beat Wellington last Saturday and are on the road tonight to face Crestview.

3. Edison (8-1)
The Chargers defeated Plymouth last Saturday and are on the road to face Perkins tonight.

4. Perkins (10-1)
The Pirates defeated St. Mary last Saturday and host Edison tonight in the battle of first place teams in the SBC.

5. Elyria (8-3)
Snapped its two-game losing streak with a win against Clearview on Tuesday. Hosts Brunswick tonight.

6. Lorain (7-3)
Lost to Shaker Heights last Saturday. Host Maple Heights tonight to try and stay unbeaten in LEL Erie play.

7. Avon (8-3)
Lost to Avon Lake Tuesday and hosts WSC opponent Bay tonight in a much-anticipated battle of first-place teams.

8. Bay (8-2)
Lost to Rocky River on Tuesday, will travel to take on Avon tonight.

9. Oberlin (7-2)
Beat Brookside last Friday. Travel to take on Black River tonight.

10. Norwalk (6-3)
Defeated Willard on the road in OT last Friday, host Fostoria tonight.

On the outside — Open Door (7-4), Huron (6-4), Vermilion (7-5), Clearview (5-5), North Ridgeville (5-5), Monroeville (5-5), Wellington (5-4), Sandusky (4-6), Keystone (5-6), Westlake (4-6)

Friday night Ronnie Willoughby wanted to play well on his mother's birthday against Olmsted Falls, and boy did he.

In the Shoremen's 94-54 blowout over the Bulldogs, Willoughby scored a career-high and school-record 46 points. He made 17 field goals, including five 3-pointers. He also made seven free throws.

The 46 points is also the high in Lorain County this season, two more than Open Door's Abe Valentine, who scored 44 against Brookside last week.

Avon Lake is now 9-0 and 5-0 in the Southwestern Conference.


Avon 89, Firelands 38: The Eagles made short work of the Falcons jumping out to a 48-13 lead at halftime.

Claude Gray led the Eagles with 19 points.

The Eagles are now 8-2 and have a huge game at Avon Lake on Tuesday.

Oberlin 74, Brookside 60: The Phoenix continued their season of redemption as they built a big first lead and held on for the victory.

The Phoenix have already doubled their win total from last season (3) and are 4-1 in the Patriot Athletic Conference - Stripes Division.

Clearview 47, Keystone 42: The Clippers up-and-down continue as they came away with a big home victory.


Jacob Senquiz led the Clippers with 11 points, as Clearview improved to 5-4 overall and 4-1 in the PAC.

Medina 53, Elyria 42: The Pioneers couldn't overcome a six-point first quarter, as the Battling Bees led from start to finish.

After starting the season 7-1, the Pioneers have now lost two in a row and drop to 1-3 in the Northeast Ohio Conference - Valley Division.

Elyria is in the middle of a stretch where they play six of seven games on the road and the young Pioneers are struggling so far.

They'll look to bounce back against Clearview on Tuesday.

North Ridgeville 50, Vermilion 38: Danny Montgomery scored 29 points as the Rangers improved to 5-5 and 3-3 in the West Shore Conference.

Here's the Morning Journal's Boys Basketball Power Poll according to Assistant Sports Editor Anthony Rios through January 14th.

The rankings are based on records, division and opponents faced. This week Avon Lake takes over the top spot after Elyria's lost to Garfield Heights. The Pioneers slipped to No. 5, while Avon dropped to No. 7 after its loss to Vermilion.

1. Avon Lake (8-0)
The Shoremen defeated Midpark last Friday 51-32, and are allowing just 41 ppg. They are on the road at Olmsted Falls tonight.

2. Western Reserve (8-1)
Defeated Mapleton and Norwalk last weekend and are top atop the Firelands Conference. The Roughriders host Plymouth tonight.

3. Edison (7-1)
Defeated SBC opponents Clyde and Huron last weekend and are tied for first in the conference. The Chargers host Plymouth on Saturday.

4. Perkins (9-1)
Beat Margaretta and Oak Harbor last weekend to remain tied with Edison in the SBC. The Pirates host St. Mary on Saturday.

5. Elyria (7-2)
Began a tough stretch of six of its next seven games on the road with a loss to Garfield Heights. Travel to Medina tonight.

6. Lorain (7-2)
Defeated Shaw last Friday and Sandusky on Tuesday. Host a tough Shaker Heights team on Saturday.

7. Avon (7-2)
Lost to Vermilion last Friday and beat Midview on Tuesday. On the road at Firelands tonight.

8. Oberlin (6-2)
Lost to Lutheran West on Friday and defeated Clearview on Tuesday. Host Brookside tonight.

9. Vermilion (6-4)
Defeated Avon last Friday and lost to Rocky River on Tuesday. Host West Shore Conference opponent North Ridgeville tonight.

10. Open Door (6-3)
Lost to Brookside in double OT. At Lake Center Christian tonight.

Here's the Morning Journal's Boys Basketball Power Poll according to Assistant Sports Editor Anthony Rios through January 7th.

The rankings are based on records, division and opponents faced.

1. Elyria (7-1)
The Pioneers won the LC Holiday Classic, then beat Lakewood on Tuesday. Elyria is on the road against Garfield Heights.

2. Avon Lake (7-0)
The Shoremen won the Brunswick Holiday Classic, then defeated Midview on Tuesday. Avon Lake host Midpark tonight.

3. Western Reserve (6-1)
The Roughriders look to bounce back after suffering their first loss of the season to New London. Western Reserve host Firelands Conference opponent Mapelton tonight.

4. Avon (6-1)
The Eagles won their Holiday tournament for the first time in school history. Avon is on the road tonight to face Vermilion.

5. Edison (5-1)
The Chargers are tied atop the Sandusky Bay Conference and host Clyde tonight.

6. Perkins (7-1)
The Pirates have won three in a row after losing to the Chargers and are tied atop the SBC. Perkins host Margaretta tonight.

7. Lorain (5-2)
Titans went 1-1 in the LC Holiday Classic and host Lake Erie League opponent Shaw tonight.

8. Open Door (6-2)
The Patriots handed Oberlin its first loss of the season on Tuesday. They are on the road to face Brookside tonight.

9. Oberlin (5-1)
The Phoenix look to rebound from their loss to Open Door as they travel to face Lutheran West tonight.

10. Vermilion (5-3)
The Sailors beat Clearview on Tuesday and host Avon tonight.

For two days last week at Vermilion High School, fans who attended the 13th Annual Lorain Holiday Classic tournament got their money's worth.

The tournament, which was played on December 27-28, featured Vermilion, Lorain, Elyria and Sandusky.

Prior to the tournament Vermilion, Lorain and Elyria all came in with 4-1 records.

Day 1 of the tournament had two great games, with some great performances.

In the first game Lorain and Elyria battled each other into overtime, with the Pioneers coming out with 66-56 victory.

Sophomore guard Kody Bender led all scores with 24 points.




Both teams showed why they are considered a couple of the best teams in Lorain County.

I wouldn't be surprised if these teams meet down the road in the Division I district tournament, possibly for the district championship.

In the second game, an undersized Vermilion team pushed Sandusky to the limit, but fell 64-61.

Delon Roldon-Johnson gave the Blue Streaks a spark off the bench and finished with 18 points, 16 coming in the second half.

On Day 2, Sandusky and Elyria faced-off in the championship game.

The Pioneers were without senior Chase Farris, who missed the game to play in an All-Star football game.

Under-manned Elyria still found a way to defeat the Blue Streaks, 62-59, to win the tournament for a second year in a row.

Junior forward Brendan Dickerson led the Pioneers with 20 and 10 rebounds.

Elyria is now 6-1, and its only loss came against Strongsville by one point. The Pioneers are a very good rebounding team and have size and scoring.

Bender and Dickerson were both named to the All-Tournament team along with Lorain's Theron Nelson, Vermilion's Mitch Novak and Sandusky's Xavier Turner and Roldon-Johnson.

They should contend for the Northeast Ohio Conference title and have a top seed going into the district if healthy.

LORAIN - The Lorain Titans exercise some demons Tuesday night as they defeated Toledo St. Francis DeSales, 50-41.

The win was significant for the Titans, because it was their first home win. In their home-opener they blew a fourth quarter lead and lost to Euclid.

Lorain almost blew another fourth quarter lead, but Mike Davila scored 10 points in the final quarter to lead the Titans to victory.

Davila finished with a game-high 22, while A.J. Craighead and Tevvin Jones added nine apiece.

Elyria 73, Keystone 40: Brenden Dickerson led three Pioneers in double figures, as Elyria improved to 4-1 on the season.

Kody Bender and Chase Farris each had 14 for the Pioneers.



Elyria shot 44 percent from the field, 83 percent from the free throw line and committed just 12 turnovers.

Avon 62, Rocky River 45: The Eagles remained unbeaten in the West Shore conference as they handled the Pirates.

RJ Kauffman led all scores with 23 points, as the Eagles improved to 4-1 overall. Claude Gray had 14 and seven rebounds, while Marvin Coleman chipped in with 11 and seven boards.

Bay 56, Firelands 53: Connor Outcalt scored a team-high 13 points, including two 3-pointers as the Rockets got back on the winning track.

After a tough overtime loss to Vermilion, the Rockets found themselves trailing at halftime, but cameback and held on for the win and improved to 4-1 and 2-1 in the WSC.

Midview 45, Vermilion 42: The Middies erased a seven-point fourth-quarter deficit to pick up a WSC road victory and hand the Sailors their first loss of the season.

Riley Moore scored a team-high 12 points for the Middies improved to 3-2 overall and 2-1 in the WSC.

Vermilion (4-1, 2-1) was led by Madison Montgomery who finished with a game-high 18 points, including a pair of 3-pointers.

ROCKY RIVER - The Clearview Clippers used a two-out rally in the top of the fifth inning on Wednesday to beat Lutheran West 8-7.

The win clinched the Clippers (16-8, 10-2) first-ever Patriot Athletic Conference - Stripes Division title.

It also adds to the accomplishments from the boys athletic program.

The Clippers made it a clean sweep in the major sports for the 2009-10 season.

They won the PAC title in football, basketball and now baseball.

That's a pretty impressive accomplishment for any school at any level of competition. So congratulations to all the players and coaches at Clearview High School.

They should be proud of themselves, and their fans should be very proud of them too.

WESTLAKE - Everyone knows about Anthony Hitchens skills on the football field, but Saturday night against Bay in the Division II Westlake District Final he let his skills on the hardwood do the talking.

Hitchens led the Clippers with 21 points, but it was his play in the first half that proved to be the difference.

He scored 10 points in the first quarter when the team struggled and only scored three points as the Clippers led 13-12.

Hitchens scored in a variety of ways. He hit jumpers, got offensive rebounds and putbacks and scored on layups.

"Most teams try to slack off on me and try to force me to be a jump shooter," Hitchens said. "I've worked on my shot during the summer because I didn't have one last season.

"If teams are going to slack off on me I'm going to keep taking that shot. Coach (John) Szalay has faith in me and I have faith in myself and I'm going to keep taking that shot."

Szalay said the team really fed off of Hitchens and that carried over to the second quarter, where the Clippers outscored the Rockets 17-3 and took a 30-15 at halftime.

"He stepped up and we followed his lead," said Szalay about Hitchens play in the first quarter.

Bay coach Jason Frolo said his team just didn't have an answer for Hitchens.

"We told our guys to give him a little bit of a cushion, because he loves to attack the hoop and knows how to finish strong," Frolo said. "He hit two mid-range jumpers which were big for him."

The Clippers went on to defeat Bay 61-29 and advance to the Region 6 semifinal against Celina, at Bowling Green State University, on March, 18.

WESTLAKE - Anthony Hitchens scored a game-high 28 points to lead the Clearview Clippers to the Division II Westlake District Final with a 76-59 victory against the Vermilion Sailors on Thursday night.

Nick Farley scored a team-high 24 points for Vermilion, but the Sailors could not keep up with the athleticism of the Clippers. The Clippers led 36-25 at halftime and outscored the Sailors in every quarter.

The Clippers improve to 20-2 and will now face top-seeded Bay on Saturday, March 13, at 7 p.m.

The Clippers had not won a tournament game since the 2006 season when they were still in Division III.

The win also snapped the Sailors eight-game winnning streak at Westlake High School. Vermilion had won the Westlake District the past two seasons. The Clippers also got revenge on the Sailors, who defeated them at home earlier this season.

Although they lost, a lot could be said about what the Sailors were able to accomplish this season.

Farley was the only returning player from last year's team that made it to the regional final, and they finished the season at 14-9.

The Clippers, who won the Patriot Athletic Conference title, face-off with the Bay Rockets, who were the West Shore Conference champs.

The game should be very entertaining, as both teams have a number of players who can score the basketball.

The Elyria Pioneers (9-10, 2-7) came close to pulling an upset against Northeast Ohio Conference opponent Medina (16-2, 8-1) Friday night in Elyria.
The Pioneers led 35-34 after three quarters, but managed just six points in the fourth quarter and lost 46-41. Cody Bender hit two 3-pointers and led the Pioneers with 10 points.

Eric Stuczynski scored a game-high 17 points to help Avon Lake pick up a 64-58 road victory against Brecksville in Southwestern Conference play. Dom Whitfield also scored in double figures with 11 for the Shoremen who improved to 12-6 overall, and 8-5 in the SWC.

Amherst (5-13, 1-11) and North Olmsted (7-12, 5-8) were tied at 20 after two quarters, but North Olmsted outscored the Comets 31-22 in the second half to pull out a 51-42 Southwestern Conference victory. Conor Weir led the Comets with 14 points, while Alex Kneisel added 11.