St. Henry's Regional Semifinal Preview

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It was pretty much a given that it was going to take someone playing darn good basketball to survive the gauntlet of the Coldwater Sectional and Elida District tournaments in the past couple of weeks.  When the dust settled last weekend at the Elida Fieldhouse, it was Eric Rosenbeck’s St. Henry Redskins who emerged from the hornet’s nest after defeating the Fort Recovery Indians on Friday evening by a final of 48-39.  With the win, the Redskins earned a battle this week in the regional tournament opener against the unbeaten and top-ranked team in Division IV – the Jackson Center Tigers.  The Redskins are led by junior Kyle Stahl and senior Craig Knapke who average 12.8 and 7.3 points per game respectively.  Stahl also pulls down a team-high 10.3 rebounds each time out, while Knapke adds 5.7 rebounds per game.  In the victory over Fort Recovery, the duo combined for 31 points and 23 rebounds.   Offensively, the Redskins average a little more than 55 points per game, while allowing 45.5 points every time they take the floor.

The Tigers currently sit 24-0 overall and previously steamrolled through the Shelby County Athletic League at 12-0.  They average 57 points per game, while allowing 40.9 on the defensive end of the floor.  They are paced offensively and defensively by two-time SCL Player of the Year, Andy Hoying, who hits for 16.5 points and ten rebounds per game, while Alex Meyer gets in on the action as well with 14 points per contest.  In the district tournament, the Tigers bettered Fairlawn by eleven points before edging past Tri-Village by five at 40-35, a team the Redskins defeated earlier in the season by three points.  “Jackson Center is a very well-coached team, led by Andy Hoying who is very, very good with a relentless motor,” complimented Rosenbeck.  “Meyer averages just under 14 ppg and is really good off the bounce or catch-and-shoot.  They also have three other kids who can really shoot and finish.  They are an excellent defensive team who are as solid as anyone I have seen on film all year on that end of the floor.”

The winner of this contest will return to Trent Arena in Kettering on Friday for a date with the winner of Dayton Jefferson and Cincinnati Lockland. 
By Robb Hemmelgarn