Playoff basketball is finally upon us.
With both Ohio boys and girls teams wrapping up their regular season last week, there were plenty of noteworthy results. From undefeated seasons to school records falling, it was the perfect setup to what’s sure to be another great high school basketball postseason.
Local teams remain the cream of the crop in both Ohio and Kentucky as the playoffs approach. Here are the top headlines you missed from Week 14 of Cincinnati high school hoops.
Williamsburg completes perfect regular season
For the first time in program history the Williamsburg Wildcats achieved regular-season perfection. With a dominant 66-39 road win at Clark Montessori on Feb. 20, Williamsburg ended the regular season with a 22-0 record.
It’s the latest milestone for the Wildcats’ eight-man senior class, which has won the Southern Buckeye Academic and Athletic Conference National Division each of the past four seasons.
Earlier in the year, senior Brody Fisher told the Enquirer that the team’s ultimate goal is to reach the state tournament for the first time in school history. The Wildcats are headed to the postseason as Cincinnati’s only undefeated team.
West Clermont outduels Milford to win ECC
The Eastern Cincinnati Conference girls basketball crown hung in the balance in the final game season. A matchup between two top-10 teams in the state, West Clermont traveled to Milford for the Feb. 18 clash. The Wolves steadily enforced their will quarter-by-quarter to take the championship with a 68-54 road win.
Freshman Bella Swisshelm, who would later be named ECC offensive player of the year, led the team with 19 points and senior Layla Hale poured in 17 points. Milford was led by junior Kylie Perrone’s 26-point, 11-rebound double-double, but the Eagles just couldn’t get over the hump with their comeback bid.
It’s the first ECC title for West Clermont since the 2022-2023 season and the win marked head coach Jeff Click’s 450th career win.
Trio of Cincinnati high school basketball 1,000-point scorers
Three more Greater Cincinnati boys basketball players crossed the historic 1,000-point milestone last week: A.J. Dean, Carson Duke, and Max Rubemeyer.
Oak Hills senior A.J. Dean hit the mark in a Feb. 17 win over Mason. His 18 points led the team to a narrow 43-40 victory on the road. Dean was aggressive on offense all night, getting to the charity stripe for 12 of his points. He finished the regular season averaging 16.1 points per game on a stellar 52/47/82 shooting split.
Carson Duke, a senior at West Clermont, tipped over the threshold in the first half of a Feb. 20 showdown with Milford. While he only needed 6 points to enter the history books, he took off to finish with 28 points in the game. The Wolves needed all of that scoring output to secure a 63-62 overtime win over the Eagles. Duke’s 20.1 points per game led the team and were good for third on the ECC’s scoring leaderboard.
On the other side of the river, Max Rubemeyer capped his final home game in style. The Dixie Heights senior went off for a career-high 35 points in a 69-37 win over Bluegrass United. It was double-double for Rubemeyer as he added 12 rebounds as well. With one game still to play in the regular season, he’s leading the Colonels with 16 points per game on a highly efficient 60% shooting.
Dre Chambers sets NCH record, wins player of the year
North College Hill had an offensive explosion in a 121-34 win against New Miami on Feb. 17, and senior forward Dre Chambers was the leading man. His 59 point barrage broke the school record, previously set by the legendary O.J. Mayo at 56 points.
Chambers turned in a double-double with 10 rebounds, adding eight steals as well. After the regular season concluded, Chambers was named the Miami Valley Conference’s Player of the Year after leading the Trojans to a 19-3 record and first place in the MVC White division. He averaged 17.6 points and 7.7 rebounds per game for North College Hill.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: ‘Burg record, ECC supremacy: Cincinnati high school hoops takeaways
Reporting by Chase Souder, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
