Brock Netter, Editor
Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
ATHENS — Sometimes the outside shot isn’t needed.
Dump the ball inside to the big fella and let him go to work.
Chesapeake did just that on Monday, and Karson Frecka brought his lunch pail to clock in.
The senior forward finished his night with 18 points, nine rebounds and four assists, leading his Panthers (20-3) to a resounding 65-43 victory over Wellston in a Division V district semifinal.
“We guarded really well, but it took us a little bit to get more comfortable into the game and adjust to the Convo as a whole,” Chesapeake coach Steven Ater said. “We didn’t rebound the way we talked about in practice, but we sured that up in the second by limiting them to just one shot. Our thought was that with the bigger court, we could get into their legs a little bit and wear them down. Our depth was great as well, and those guys played really well.”
Wellston’s Wes Briggs opened with the Golden Rockets’ first five points to put them ahead 5-4.
Chesapeake quickly responded with a 6-0 run behind Maddox Kazee, Kaden Perkins and Philip Thacker to take a 10-5 lead. Both teams went on to score eight points each throughout the rest of the frame, capped by back-to-back buckets from Frecka for an 18-13 advantage.
Wellston’s Justin Jackson scored to open the second, and that was the closest the Golden Rockets (18-5) got for the rest of the night.
The Panthers, through Frecka, Kazee and Dennis Scarberry, exploded on a 12-0 run that pushed the lead to 30-15, closing out at 34-19 going into the half.
“Wellston’s big man is their main guy, and we’re fortunate to have three guys that we can put on him to match his size while we’re staying pretty fresh,” Ater said. “Rotating Karson on him, then Philip and then bringing Andy Chapman off the bench, it allowed us to be a little versatile with our looks. Scarberry knocked down a couple shots and absolutely flew around defensively. That second quarter was great and our guys deserve credit for how they played.”
Feeling that sense of energy after rounding into form in the second, the Panthers’ defense continued to match its offense.
The stops started piling up and Wellston wasn’t connecting from the. The lead only continued to swell behind Frecka and Thacker.
The Panthers won the third quarter by an 18-6 margin, extending the lead to 52-25, before cruising to the victory in the final eight minutes.
“Our guys have been here before, so the bright lights and the stage of the Convo didn’t bother them overall,” Ater said. “It’s all part of building a strong program, using that experience to perform on the big stage. We always say if you’ve made it to March, then you’re having a special season and our guys have goals they want to accomplish.”
Following Frecka’s final numbers was Thacker, who finished with 15 points and four rebounds. Kazee and Perkins added 11 points each to the mix.
For Wellston, Briggs finished with 16 points and 13 rebounds while Jackson added 14 points.
Chesapeake returns to action at noon, Saturday in a Division V district final against Eastern Brown, who defeated Zane Trace to advance.
That game will also take place at Ohio University’s Convocation Center.
“The goal for us wasn’t just to get here, it was to win all four games here and this was the first step,” Ater said. “It’s a blessing to make it to a district final and possibly bring one back. We were fortunate to do so last year, and we want to do it again and then add more onto it.”
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