TOTALS

5

13

12

15

53

TOTALS

3

20

9

12

58

DeSales Johnson steps up with career-high 15 points

Sunday, March 19, 2006
by Aaron Portzline
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

ATHENS, Ohio — Point guard Dane Johnson has been DeSales’ setup man all season, using his passing skills to assist Stallions scoring standouts Alex Kellogg and Elijah Allen.

But yesterday, when DeSales needed it most, Johnson morphed from setup man to go-to guy.

Johnson had a career-high 15 points, including 13 in the second half, to propel DeSales to a 58-53 victory over Zanesville in a Division II regional final in Ohio University’s Convocation Center.

"Going into this tournament, I knew that for us to get to where we wanted to go, there’d have to be a game where (Johnson) put us on his shoulders and carried us," DeSales coach Blair Albright said. "I think that was (today).

"We’ve always known, as coaches, that he could step up and score when need be, and when the game was on the line, he really stepped up and put the ball through the rim for us."

The win gave DeSales (19-6) its first state tournament bid since 1987, when it won a Class AA state championship.

"I was open tonight," Johnson said. "Usually the other guys are open, but tonight I was the one with the open looks."

Johnson, who also had 10 assists, made back-to-back three-pointers in the final 90 seconds of the third quarter, helping DeSales to a 47-39 lead.

Zanesville responded with a 9-0 run to take a 48-47 lead with 5:17 left in the fourth quarter, but DeSales answered with one final surge to put it out of reach.

Allen had six points and Johnson made 3 of 4 free throws to fuel a 10-0 run in the next four minutes, the lead growing to 57-48 with 1:15 to play. Zanesville went 0 of 8 from the field and committed four turnovers during the run.

"You’ve got to give DeSales credit," Zanesville coach Scott Aronhalt said. "They’ve got a lot of guys who can beat you. And honestly, (Johnson) scored a lot more points, really, than we thought he was capable of."

It’s the first time all season that Johnson has led DeSales in scoring. Allen had 14 points and Kellogg 12 for the Stallions.

Zanesville (17-8) tried to overcome DeSales’ decided height advantage — the Stallions have nine players who are 6 feet 2 or taller — by beating them off the dribble and shooting three-pointers.

"We got inside on them," Aronhalt said. "We got good looks."

But the Devils missed more bunnies than Elmer Fudd, and they hit just 5 of 22 three-pointers. They were just 2 of 13 on three-pointers in the second half.

Zanesville was led by Logan Aronhalt with 14 points and Steven Hollins with 12.

The loss spared Zanesville coach Scott Aronhalt a tough decision. With the school district’s teachers threatening a strike, he might have had to cross a picket line to coach his players in the state tournament.

Wednesday, March 22, 2006
BY SETH SHANER
Northland News Sports Reporter

For the first time since winning the Class AA state championship in 1987, the DeSales boys basketball team will play in the state final four thanks to a 58-53 Division II regional final win over Zanesville at Ohio University's Ohio Convocation Center Saturday.

The Stallions (19-6) used their size and the solid ball handling of junior point guard Dane Johnson to break free from a tough Blue Devils squad in the late going.

Zanesville (17-8) took a 48-47 lead in the back-and-forth game with 5:20 left to play as junior Elijah Allen scored six straight points.

"We were down early and we started playing hard," Allen said. "I came off the bench after having a little foul trouble. I knew I had to do something for the team so I got some rebounds and helped push the ball up the court. Then I scored (six straight)."

Johnson made two free throws and junior Alex Kellogg added a hoop to give the Stallions a 57-48 lead, one they'd never relinquish.

Zanesville coach Scott Aronhalt saw the game come down to things DeSales was able to do, but his team wasn't.

"We got the ball inside, but we just didn't finish the easy plays," he said. "At the same time, they come down to the other end and Johnson penetrates and finds some people for some easy opportunities.

"That's the difference in the game. You get to the regional final and it comes down to that series of a five- to seven- minute stretch where someone has to get it done, and they were able to do that."

On a team with several players capable of taking over a game, Allen, Kellogg and Johnson have continually shown why Stallions coach Blair Albright refers to them as the "Big Three".

Johnson was especially notable in the win.

Senior guard Andrew Thomas went down in the first quarter with a turned ankle. He'd scored five of the Stallions' early points and it was obvious his outside shooting could greatly influence the contest.

While Thomas did return, his ankle wasn't the same, but Johnson put it on himself to fill the hole, hitting two three-pointers in the third quarter.

"He scored a lot more than really we thought he was capable of," Aronhalt said. "We thought he'd have to penetrate and find other people.

"Today he found his stroke a little bit and was able to get in the lane and score. He stepped up and made some big free throws. You have to give him credit, he's an excellent player at the point."

Albright said he has always known Johnson was much more than a distributor.

"I knew there would be a game in the tournament when he'd put us on his shoulders," the coach said. "I thought down the stretch he really did that.

"That's the thing about Dane people don't realize. He takes so much time to distribute the basketball. He does that all season, but we as a coaching staff know the kid can score pretty much when he wants to. I think he realized he needed to step up."

Johnson scored 15 points and dished out 10 assists to lead the way for DeSales.

Allen had 14 points and Kellogg added 12. "You have to look at what Elijah, Dane and Alex have done for us," Albright said. "The 'Big Three' has really stepped up when the time was right. Those three guys really made the big plays we needed to make."

The coach praised David Knapke for his solid play, and Ricky Taylor, who, he said gave DeSales great minutes.

Regional semifinal

DeSales defeated Cadiz Harrison Central (21-3) 70-46 at the Convocation Center Thursday.

Allen and Kellogg led the way with 20 points apiece, putting the team on their backs after having only a 12-8 lead after one quarter.

"I thought it was our most complete game, without question," Albright explained. "It was all fueled by our defensive performance. When you perform that well defensively, everything else comes a lot easier.

"Shooting 68 percent from the field in that game was big. We had 17 assists and only 13 turnovers so the way we shared the ball really played to our strengths."

Sunday, March 19, 2006
by DAVE WEIDIG
Sports Editor
THE ZANESVILLE TIMES-RECORDER

ATHENS - Despite a 6-7, 6-5, 6-5 frontline, plus a 6-7 player off the bench, Zanesville didn't stand in awe of Columbus DeSales' huge height advantage on Saturday.

That size, however, eventually took its toll, as the Stallions wore down the Blue Devils and pulled out a 58-53 Division II regional championship victory in Ohio University's Convocation Center.

"They had great size, but I don't think our kids were intimidated," said ZHS head coach Scott Aronhalt. "Our biggest guy's maybe 6-4. A big guy would help, but we have to play with the hand we're dealt. I still thought we could compete in the paint with them. With all their size, you think they would be a little more dominant."

"The first half, they did a great job blocking us out," said the Stallions' 26-year-old, second-year head coach, Blair Albright. "And when we tried to post up, they got real physical inside with us. They got our guys frustrated."

A switch to a 1-2-2 zone defense the second half proved fruitful for DeSales, which trailed 31-29 at halftime. The Stallions forced ZHS to beat them from the perimeter, and the Blue Devils made just two of 10 second-half threes and just five of 22 for the game. Meanwhile, the Stallions wound up controlling the backboards 34-28, with 6-5 Alex Kellogg snagging nine boards, while 6-7 Ricky Taylor and the 6-5 duo of Elijah Allen and David Knapke adding five each.

"They couldn't guard us man-to-man, so they went to the zone, and we weren't very good against the zone," Aronhalt said.

The fact that Zanesville had to pull out a grueling double-overtime win over Logan Elm on Thursday wasn't lost on Albright.

"Give them credit; they came back from that game and played us tough," he said. "We wanted to keep the game at a comfortably fast pace and hopefully get them tired, especially down the stretch with their threes."

Albright said DeSales had scouted Zanesville several times.

"We foresaw this matchup," he said. "But they do so many different things, and do them well, that they're hard to prepare for.

"In big games like this, it comes down to a matter of runs, and who has the last run. Today, it happened to be us."

Sunday, March 19, 2006
by SAM BLACKBURN
Sports Writer
THE ZANESVILLE TIMES-RECORDER

ATHENS - You can preach defense and rebounding until your lungs collapse. But sometimes, basketball simply comes down to making shots.

That was something Zanesville found difficult to do against Columbus DeSales in The Convo Saturday.

Thanks mostly to 5 of 22 shooting on 3-pointers - and the stellar all-around play of DeSales point guard Dane Johnson - the Blue Devils saw their magical tournament run come to an end with a 58-53 Division II regional final loss at Ohio University.

Zanesville, which loses seven seniors, ended a 17-8 season. DeSales (19-6), in the state for the first time since the mid-1980s, advanced to play either Wooster Triway or Painesville Harvey on Friday morning.

Logan Aronhalt led three Zanesville players in double-figures with 14 points and seven rebounds. Steve Hollins added 12 points and five rebounds off the bench, while Kodey Haddox added 10 points and nine rebounds. It was the last game for Hollins, Jordan Aronhalt, Caleb McFerren, Jamal Jones, Bryant Keith, Cory Lyons and Jonathan Wicker.

"I hurt like hell for the seniors. It's not the way I wanted them to go out, and definitely not for my son (senior Jordan Aronhalt) on his birthday," Zanesville coach Scott Aronhalt said. "But that's the way it is at this point. There's a fine line between going out there and making the next step ... It's always a play here or a play there."

DeSales, at least in the second half, made the plays - and caught the breaks - that made the difference. While Zanesville was on its way to making only 4 of 11 shots in the third quarter, 1 of 5 on threes, Johnson keyed a critical 12-2 third-quarter run with eight of his career-high 15 points.

Known for his passing ability and penetration, the junior hit a pair of threes in the run, and left Zanesville trailing 47-39 with 50 seconds left in the third. Zanesville eventually overcame that deficit with 9-0 run of its own, taking a 48-47 lead on Hollins' basket in the low post with 5:15 left in the game, but never truly recovered. A four-minute scoring drought followed.

The Blue Devils' outside shooting woes would continue, and they wouldn't score again until Hollins' layup with 58 seconds left. As a result, the Stallions methodically scored nine straight points in building an insurmountable 57-48 lead with just over a minute left.

Kodey Haddox's 3-pointer from the right corner ended a streak of three straight Zanesville misfires from the outside, and pulled the Blue Devils within 58-53, but they would get no closer.

"We're (up) one, and then we go down and give up a layup," Scott Aronhalt said. "We get a stop there and we have the chance to go up three or four, and then you never know what happens. Instead, they get the lead back."

Scott Aronhalt refused to use his team's hard-fought double-overtime win just two days earlier against Circleville Logan Elm as an excuse for his team's poor shooting in the second half, when they hit only 2 of 10 threes and 7 of 22 overall (37 percent).

But Stallions coach Blair Albright said that game was a big reason why his team wanted to play at a higher tempo.

"It had to make a difference. Those kids were exhausted after that game was over," said Albright, who praised the Blue Devils' effort and discipline. "Those kids play so hard out there, and they are so well-schooled. That's a testament to what Coach Aronhalt has been able to do there."

Johnson was contained well by Zanesville's Dakota Matz for much of the first half, but Matz left with three fouls midway through the fourth, and Johnson was able to shake loose for his two 3-pointers. Albright said he knew a time would come in the tournament when Johnson would have to score for his team to win a big game.

Saturday's regional final certainly qualified.

"For whatever reason, I just knew that he was going to come through," Albright said. "He's one of those guys who puts so much emphasis on getting assists instead of points, but a time was going to come when he was going to have to put us on his shoulders and handle the scoring load."

After taking a 31-29 lead at halftime, and with DeSales often struggling to stop Zanesville's halfcourt offense, it looked like the Blue Devils were going to be able to overcome their physical shortcomings against a DeSales lineup featuring four regulars standing 6-4 or bigger.

But DeSales switched to its 1-2-2 zone, protecting the paint and penetration, and forced Zanesville to beat them from the perimeter.

The rest was history.

"You can do everything you want defensively, but the bottom line is, you have to make shots at this level," Scott Aronhalt said. "We didn't do that tonight."

Saturday, March 18, 2006
By DAVE WEIDIG
Sports Editor
THE ZANESVILLE TIMES-RECORDER

After a gut-wrenching double-overtime win over Logan Elm on Thursday night, will Zanesville have enough gas in its tank to take down Columbus DeSales today?

Coach Scott Aronhalt thinks so, as the Blue Devils (17-7) prepared to put their 10-game winning streak on the line at 3 p.m. in Ohio University's Convocation Center against the tall and talented Stallions (18-6) for a trip to the Division II state tournament.

"We're going to be ready to go," he said. "We might be a little leg weary, but this is another chance for them to go to the Final Four. We've been here before, and we have to want it more. Hopefully, the mental can overcome the physical. We've been through so many tough games."

Expect another one today. DeSales, blitzing tournament opponents 67-43 to date, uses its size, athleticism and depth to push the tempo and wear teams down.

The junior-dominated Stallions are led by a trio of juniors: Clark Kellogg's son Alex (6-7, 15.5 ppg, 6 rebounds), Elijah Allen (6-4, 16.5 ppg, 7 rebounds) and point guard Dane Johnson (6-0, 8 ppg, a Central Ohio-leading 10.5 assists per game). Well-balanced DeSales, guided by second-year coach Blair Albright, also starts seniors David Knapke (6-5, 8 ppg, 6 rebounds) and Andrew Thomas (6-2, 7.5 ppg) and brings 6-7 senior Ricky Taylor off the bench.

Ironically, Taylor is the son of ZHS grad Jim Taylor and a cousin of former Blue Devil basketball player Ty Shepfer.

Kellogg and Allen scored 20 points each in the 70-46 regional semifinal romp over Harrison Central, while Johnson dished out 12 assists.

"We obviously have to keep them off the boards, prevent the runouts they like to use, especially with Kellogg, and stop transition," Aronhalt said. "We have to make them run as much offense as possible. Offensively, if we play as fundamentally sound as we can, we think some good things can happen."

The Central Catholic League champions share two common opponents with ZHS: Logan Elm and Cleveland St. Ignatius. The Stallions lost 78-62 at Logan Elm early in the season, and 88-66 at St. Ignatius. Zanesville, of course, just beat the Braves 63-58 in double overtime, and lost a 63-62 heartbreaker at home to the Wildcats.

"They're playing much better than they did earlier in the season," Aronhalt said.

Sophomore Logan Aronhalt boosted his scoring average to 16.5 with his 25-point performance against Logan Elm, while junior Kodey Haddox boosted his total to 14.6 after a 21-point effort. Junior Dakota Matz adds 8.0, senior Steve Hollins 7.7, senior Jordan Aronhalt 6.9 and senior Caleb McFerren 3.9 for the Blue Devils.

Logan Aronhalt grabs 6.0 rebounds and shoots 83 percent at the line, while Haddox averages 2.5 assists while shooting 39 percent on threes and 73 percent at the stripe. Matz chips in with two steals and 2.5 assists, Jordan Aronhalt 4.2 assists and Hollins a team-leading 6.3 rebounds.

ZHS shoots 43 percent from the field, including 35 percent on threes, and 72 percent at the line. The Blue Devils outscore opponents 61.7 to 54.5 and outrebound them 31-29 despite often being at a height disadvantage, as they will today.