Brock Netter, Editor
Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
ATHENS — The rubber match did not disappoint.
Chillicothe and Jackson split their season series in the regular season. So, when it mattered the most, it simply came down to who wanted it more on Friday.
In the end, the Cavaliers’ defense was suffocating while they finished at the rim on the other end. It helped Chillicothe outscore Jackson by a 27-17 margin in the second half to earn a 49-38 victory in a Division III district semifinal.
“We tried to focus all week long on boxing out and rebounding since I felt like that’s how they beat us at our place earlier this season,” Chillicothe coach Pat Beard said. “Our initial defense looked really good, and I thought we did a great job of making sure that we limited Jackson to just one opportunity when they had the ball. The kids played hard, executed very well and I couldn’t be happier for them.”
CREDIT: Raymond Gleadle/SOSA
The victory sends the Cavaliers (17-6) to their first district final appearance since 2012.
Chillicothe came out hot from the jump as a bucket from Noah Netter, followed by six straight points from Caydon Cox, produced an early 8-2 lead.
Jackson (20-4) answered with five straight behind Charlie Woodard and Stephen Jenkins to cut into the deficit, but the Cavaliers simply couldn’t miss.
Andrew Hamman and Cooper Stoneking found the bottom of the net as part of the team’s 7-for-7 start from the field, powering a 14-11 lead after the first quarter.
The Cavs kept both feet on the gas in the second with baskets from Cox, Hamman and Netter to push the lead to 22-15. However, the Ironmen answered with a 6-0 run behind Woodard, Jax Carroll and Ryan Seimetz to cut the deficit to 22-21 at halftime.
“I thought we did a great job of following the gameplan and getting the ball inside,” Hamman said. “Although we didn’t make any 3’s, we continued to attack and play defense. Noah, Karter [Williams] and Kavon [Pleasant] deserve a lot of credit for how they played and what they do on the defensive end for us.”
PHOTOS: Images from Chillicothe’s district semifinal win over Jackson
The Ironmen stayed within one possession until Hamman decided it was time to take matters into his own hands.
He went on a tear, scoring eight of the Cavs’ 12 points in the frame, alongside a three-point play from Stoneking, helping them win the frame by a 13-5 count to take a 35-26 lead into the fourth.
“Andrew is such an underrated player, and I don’t think he gets enough credit for how good he really is,” Beard said. “He usually gets a team’s third-best defender guarding him, and I’ll take that matchup all day because he’s much better than that. He stepped up big time and played a tough, physical game.”
Controlling the pace and flow of the game, Chillicothe continued to attack the rim and chew up the clock. However, Jackson got a pair of free throws from Carroll and a bucket from Seimetz to cut the Cavs’ advantage to 39-35.
Hamman scored on a rebound and putback, followed by a two-handed flush from Kavon Pleasant to push the lead to 43-35 … and that effectively sealed the deal on a Cavalier victory.
“When we found out we’d be playing Jackson again in the Convo, we knew we had to give it everything we have,” Cox said. “Before this season, we had never beaten Jackson in our high school careers, so to split the series with them this year, it let us know that we can play with them. We had to make sure we weren’t the ones going home tonight.”
Hamman finished the night with a game-high 16 points and nine rebounds, followed by Cox with 14 points and five boards.
Seimetz led the way for Jackson, ending the night with 11 points.
Chillicothe returns to action at 8:15 p.m., Wednesday at Ohio University’s Convocation Center for a Division III district final against Steubenville, who defeated Dover to move on.
“If you told me in my freshman year that we’d have a chance to play and win a district title, I’m not sure I would have believed you,” Cox said. “It would mean a lot to us and the community since we haven’t been to one since 2012. I think it’d mean a lot to the little kids who watch us to see what can happen if you put in the hard work and play as a team.”
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