Lions Win Senior Night Thriller

Austin Rutherford & Arron Jackson Led Gahanna With 14 pts Each

On Senior Night, and in front of a near capacity crowd, the Gahanna Lincoln Golden Lions boys basketball squad sent their seniors out with a bang, as they held off Reynoldsburg on their way to a 38-39 victory. Early in the contest it appeared the Raiders would spoil the Senior Night festivities, as they scored in the game’s opening possession on a pull up jumper by Spencer Kirksey, then used a 6-0 run early in the first quarter to claim an early 8-2 lead. A mid range jumper by senior guard Isaiah Israel stopped the Raider run with about 3:30 left in the period.

After Spencer Kirksey sparked a 5-0 run with a deep a trey, Reynoldsburg found themselves up 13-4 by the 1:40 mark. Aaron Jackson’s 2 free throws curbed the Raiders’ run and cut the lead to 13-6. Manny Powell found Jackson for a lay-up, and Gahanna’s 4-0 run trimmed the Raiders lead to 18-8 with 1:07 remaining in the opening quarter. Austin Rutherford would later finish an old fashion 3-point play as the Golden Lions finished the first quarter with a 7-0 run, and finished the period down by 2 points (13-11).

Gahanna started the second quarter on a 5-0 run, as Ronnie Stokes struck first with a lay-up to tie the contest at 13-13; Austin Rutherford scored on a lay-up to give Gahanna their first lead of the game (15-13), and Stokes later finished 1 of 2 free throws to extend the Gahanna lead to 16-13 at the 5:42 mark. Although senior guard Christian Lee got the Raiders on the board on a lay-up to cut the lead to 1 point (15-16), a 3-ball by Rutherford extended the Gahanna lead to 19-15 with 4:16 remaining in the period. After an Aaron Jackson put-back, a Spencer Kirksey trey and 1 of 2 free throws by Jackson, Gahanna was still up 22-21 to finish the first half. Gahanna’s Austin Rutherford led with 10 halftime points, while Spencer Kirksey paced the Raiders with 10 points.

Although he was held scoreless in the first period, junior Wendell Davis went to work early in the 3^rd quarter with back-to-back buckets that gave Reynoldsburg the 25-22 lead. After losing the lead on a Grant Patch trey (27-27), Davis scored his 6^th point of the half with an old school baby hook to retake 29-27 lead. Both teams took turns with the lead after that, but the Raiders entered the final period up 33-30.

Ryan Carter Finished With 14 Points

As was the case in the third quarter, the final period featured multiple ties and lead changes. With senior wing Spencer Kirksey relegated to the bench for an extended period of time, Reynoldsburg’s Ryan Carter in came up big for the Raiders in the 4^th, hitting a couple of big buckets to keep his team in the hunt. The final outcome of the game would come down to free throws, both made and missed. Although Carter would sink to freebies to give the Raiders a 1 point lead with 2:30 remaining, Davis’ 2 missed free throws late left Reynoldsburg with only a 1 point lead with less than a minute left.

Gahanna would take advantage of the missed opportunity as Isaiah Israel scored on a layup with only 25 seconds left. The Raiders still had a chance to tie or take the lead in the contest when RJ Raglin stepped to the line for a one-and-one, however, he failed to convert, and the missed opportunity led to a Gahanna rebound.  After Gahanna’s Ronnie Stokes was whistled for a 5 second violation on an inbound attempt, Reynoldsburg had another chance for the win.  However, Isaiah Israel blocked a Spencer Kirksey 3-point attempt with only 9’8 ticks left in the game. Coach Tony Stiab's squad would eventually hold off the Raiders to claim a 39-38 victory, and run their overall record to 13-6. Both Austin Rutherford and Aaron Jackson paced Gahanna with 14 points apiece. Ryan Carter led the Raiders with 14 points, while Spencer Kirksey finished with 10 points.

Game Pictures

Middle School Ohio vs Indiana All-Star Showdown

In collaboration with the Baylor Basketball Report(BBR) out of Indiana, the Buckeye Prep Report (BPR) will be hosting the Inaugural Middle School Ohio vs Indiana All-Star Showdown in September.  Modeled after the high school game baring the same name; the middle school version of the event will pit the top 6th, 7th and 8th graders from the Buckeye State, against the top middle school players from the Hoosier State.

The game will be held the Saturday before the fall Buckeye Prep Elite Showcase in September.  There will be 3 games (6-8^th), followed by the brand new skills and drills component of the traditional Buckeye Prep Elite Showcase. This event will become an annual event, with the host site alternating between Indiana and Ohio every other year.

In the fall of 2013, Buckeye Prep will be taking teams over to Indiana to participate in the annual showdown. There is no additional cost to participate in the game, but the participants will be chosen primarily from the standout players at Buckeye Prep Showcases, other BPR events, as well as BBR's East vs. West All-Star game and other BBR sponsored events. Some invitations will be extended to up to 12 players at the conclusion of March 4^th Buckeye Prep Elite Showcase.  

Participation in this first year event will offer significant exposure opportunities, including special team and individual player features on this website, other statewide media, and BBR's website that reaches numerous Indiana-based media outlets. In addition to the enhanced media exposure, players will receive special awards as well as a chance to represent their state.  More detailed information will be forthcoming.

Wilson is Iowa Bound

Cam Wilson Signs Letter of Intent

In a ceremony earlier this afternoon at Dublin Jerome High School, Cameron Wilson signed a letter of intent to play college football with the University of Iowa. Wilson, ranked as the # 56 best wide receiver in the country according to Scout.com, chose the Hawkeyes over programs such as Boston College, West Virginia, Kentucky, Syracuse, Illinois, Purdue, South Florida and several other mid-major programs.


According to his high school coach, the 6’2 175 lb senior owns every receiving record at Jerome. Although football was ticket to a free education, most Buckeye Prep followers know Wilson from his play on the hardwood. Not only was Wilson standout player for the Celtics’ basketball squad, he also ran with All-Ohio Red on the AAU basketball circuit.  In addition, Wilson was also a regular supporter of Buckeye Prep events, and consistently logged in impressive performances at our elite showcases. 

Wilson With Proud Parents, Candace and Kenny

Buckeye Prep would like to congratulate Cameron and his family on a truly special accomplishment! On a final note, Cameron's brother, Donovan, a junior at Jerome, is receiving a great deal of interest as well, and will likely be joining his brother at a high-major football program in a couple of years.

East vs West All-Star Game Preview

East vs West Qualifying Camp

Modeled after the prestigious McDonalds All-American Game, Toi Baylor’s East vs. West All-Star games provide very talented middle school aged basketball players with an opportunity to compete at a high level and against some of the top 4th-8th grade players from around the country. According to Toi Baylor, Executive Director of Baylor Youth Foundation (BYF), the All-Star Games will feature the top 100 amateur players from across the country. The first year event is currently scheduled for March 3rd at Indiana University Northwest in Gary, Indiana.

Participants in the event hail from 9 different states, and as far away as California. To qualify for the event players had to excel at the East vs. West Qualifying Camp which was held in Chicago the weekend of November 5-6, 2011. Of the roughly 93 players scheduled to attend the event, only 2 will represent Ohio. Ben and Peyton Harris, 5th & 6th graders, respectively, will be the lone Buckeyes at the event. To increase participation at next year’s event, Baylor intends to increase the number of regional qualifying camps. In addition, Buckeye Prep will partner with BYF to insure greater participation of Ohio kids next year.

In terms of the format, there will be an all-star game in each of the 5 grade divisions from 4th-8th grades, starting with the 4th grade game at 3:00pm and finishing with the 8th grade game at 9:00pm. Some of the event’s other features include a red carpet and an interview segment as part of the ceremony, as well as recognition for all honor roll student athletes.

As a little background on Baylor’s organization, the Baylor Youth Foundation (BYF) was founded in 2001 and has as its mission to create a nurturing environment and to foster character-building skills through recreational and educational enrichment activities. Toi Baylor has been hosting AAU and NCAA events for over 8 years and is highly respected in youth athletics in the Hoosier State. To learn more about the East vs. West All-Star Game or other BYF-sponsored events, visit her website at the links below.

All-Star Game Participant List
Baylor Basketball Link
Baylor Basketball Facebook Page

Ahmed Named Player of the Week

Esa Ahmed-6'6 Fr. C Shaker Heights

Freshman standout Esa Ahmed, a 6'6, 200 lb. center from Shaker Heights, was recently named Cleveland.com "Player of the Week" for the week of January 27, 2012.  According to the article, Ahmed led his Shaker Heights squad to a 61-58 overtime win over Warren Harding. In the game, the freshman finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds.

Ahmed's success comes as no surprise to us, as Buckeye Prep has watched him dominate the competition at AAU events and at our elite showcases for several years. From our advantage point, Ahmed has long since established himself as a top 5 player in the state in his class! Congrats to Esa and his family for this outstanding accomplishment!

Huskies Remain Unbeaten

In front of a ruckus and standing room only crowd last night, the 11-0 Valerie Huskies faced off against a 11-0 Stivers Tigers for first place in the Dayton Public School League; the #1 seed in the league tournament, as well as Dayton area bragging rights. Although billed as one of the biggest junior high school games of the year, the final score did not follow the script. Not only were the 2 teams undefeated, but the game featured several of Dayton’s top 8th graders. Stivers is led by arguably the top PG in the state (although Riggens, Simpson and Rogers might argue the point) in Rodrick Caldwell, while Valerie featured Joey Williams Jr, DJ Hoskins and Josh Smith, all of whom are listed among Buckeye Prep’s top 8th graders.

After the tip, the Huskies drew first blood when DJ Hoskins drilled a deep trey on the opening possession of the game. Stivers countered with a fast break layup on an assist by Caldwell. Valerie would then go on an 8-0 run before Stivers would answer. By the end of the 1st quarter, the Huskies were ahead 17-5. It was clear very early in the contest that Valerie was the more talented team, while Stivers was heavily dependent on Caldwell. Unfortunately for Stivers, Caldwell was more content on being a distributor than a scorer early, was injured at about the 1:57 mark chasing down a loose ball, and was forced to the bench for the remainder of the quarter. While Caldwell was out, Isiah Willams (6'3 S/PF) took control of the reins and did his best to weather the storm.

Isiah Williams-6'4 SF/PF- Showed Potential

Caldwell returned for the start of the second quarter, as Stivers scored on the first 2 possessions to cut the lead to 17-9. Valerie would get back on track with a Joey Williams Jr. bucket. Although he did not score his first points until 2:58 left in the second quarter, Caldwell caught fire and scored on 3 straight possessions including a layup, 3-pointer and a second layup to bring his team to within 6 points (23-17). Each team would score one more time before entering the locker room with the score 25-19, Valerie.

As he did the opening possession of the game, DJ Hoskins knocked down a trey to start the second half (27-19). Caldwell answered with a breakaway layup to cut the lead to 4 points. It was about that point in the game when the Huskies’ pressure defense really started resulting to turnovers and easy transition buckets, while their bigs (Williams and Smith) began controlling the boards. Valerie would start the 4th quarter up 41-28, and they never really looked back from there. The Huskies would go on to claim a stunning 57-37 victory. At the end of the day, Valerie was simply more talented and enjoyed more depth than Stivers. Though Caldwell did his best to keep his team in the game, rarely does a one man team beat a total team effort.

DJ Hoskins Paced Valerie With 17 Pts

Valerie was paced by DJ Hoskins who dropped a game-high 17 points. Right behind Hoskins in scoring was Joey Williams Jr. who added 14, Josh Smith who finished with 12 points, and Christian Montaque who added 6 points. For Stivers, Rodrick Caldwell led the Tigers with a team-high 16 points, followed by Chaz George who added 8 points, Isaiah Williams who contributed 7 markers and Sharief English finished with 4 points.

When asked about his team’s play last night, Stivers head coach Anthony Jackson was disappointed in his team’s work around the basket. “We did not rebound well, that was the bottom line. We did not box out,” stated Jackson. In addition to rebounding, Jackson felt the facility placed his team at a disadvantage. “That was our lowest scoring game. We should have had the venue another place; that gym is just too small,” added Jackson.

Rodrick Caldwell Finished With 16 Pts

Although Caldwell was held to well under his average in scoring, Jackson was still impressed with his star player’s performance. “Rodrick played very well considering he sprained his ankle last week [against Rosa Parks 3 games ago]. [Also], “We run a very open flex offense. With them [Valerie] doubling him [Caldwell] up, and in that [small] gym it’s tough. The gym was too compact for the kind of offense I have,” continued Smith. About the pre-game hype surrounding the game, “Too much hype put into it. I just kept hearing about Valerie; too much overkill,” Jackson offered.

Valerie’s head coach, Jeff Smith was pleased with his team’s efforts. “My boys came out pretty prepared, and because of the hype before the game, they were very excited,” said Smith. I thought they [his team] performed well as a team; they executed as well as I could have expected,” continued the coach. According to Smith, the difference in the game was defense. “Keeping the ball out of Cladwell’s hand as much as possible. DJ Hoskins played great defense on him and kept him going left to right,” continued Smith.

Like his counterpart, Smith was concerned about the pre-game hype surrounding the game. “They kind of over hyped it [game]. The team [Stivers] only has 3 kids that can make a difference. [I] never seen a one kid team beat 5. One guy producing; when he is not on they struggle. I did not see how they were 11-0. Every team they played they were beating by 20 [points], but they let them back in and the team would end up losing by only about 6-10 points,” offered Smith. “The hype was not justified. It happened just like I expected,” Smith stated.

With the league championship game slated for Stivers' gym, there is a good chance these two teams could face each other again in the championship game. Buckeye Prep intends to keep an eye out for this game! Good luck to both teams as the finish up league play.   Game Pictures.