14 / THE INSIDER / December 2018
Boys High School Hoops Returns Fairland, Huntington High and Boyd County look to be the best in the Tri-State compiled by Dave Walsh THE INSIDER writer Fairland High School will have a new lineup in boys basketball in 2018-19. The group of players which helped the Dragons rule the Ohio Valley Conference, Ohio sectional and district tournaments the past three years has moved on. Luke Thomas, Kollin VanHorn, Ty Staten, Keedrick Cunningham, Isaiah Howell are playing on the college level now. Chance Short was a factor for two years before transferring.
aspect,” Speed said. “A lot will depend on how quickly the younger guys learn. Game situations are different. The young guys have to grow up quick.” Fairland won its opener at South Webster, 51-38. Gallia Academy, which features 7-foot center Zach Loveday, is viewed as the team to beat in the OVC. Speed said don’t count out Ironton either.
Not all faces on this Fairland team are new. Instead many of them are going from part-time to full-time.
“Gallia’s tough,” Speed said. “If Ironton stays healthy they can compete. Our schedule is tough again. When the seniors we lost were young, they had to grow up fast. That’s what has to happen now.” Here is the outlook for the remainder of Tri-State teams.
“It was a heck of a run,” Dragons coach Nathan Speed said about the four years with those players who won won three OVC titles, three sectional titles, two district crowns and reached the Ohio State Tournament in Division III in 2017. “Good timing. I was fortunate enough to be part of it. Guys who are seniors now practiced against those guys every day. They know what it takes. They’re focused and ready to go. I think it’ll be that next level. Who’s going to step up.”
West Virginia HUNTINGTON: The Highlanders have a new coach in Ty Holmes, who takes over from Ron Hess. Huntington reached the Class AAA State Tournament last season and lost to eventual champion George Washington in the first round.
The top seven Dragons starting the regular season include Jacob Polcyn, Aiden Porter, Joel Lambiotte, Matt Mondlak, Austin Gartin, Ian Chinn and Clayton Thomas. Lambiotte, Mondlak and Chinn are seniors. “These seniors are competitors. We’ll surprise some people in that
CABELL MIDLAND: The Knights have a young impact player in freshman Chandler Schmidt, a transfer from Huntington St. Joe. He had 23 points in Cabell Midland’s opening win over Grace Christian. Isaiah Collins also is scoring threat for the Knights. SPRING VALLEY: Graeson Malashevich and Caleb Fowler are back for the Timberwolves along with Doug Nester. Malashevich and Nester got a late start since the football team reached the Class AAA state title game in Wheeling on Dec. 1. HUNTINGTON ST. JOE: Hunter Eplin, Noah Bolton and Bronson Parker are the sparks for the Irish. WAYNE: Colt Adams and Nick Bryant led the Pioneers in scoring in their game at Logan. GRACE CHRISTIAN: Isaac Perry is expected to be the top point producer. COVENANT: Covenant started off with a 78-44 win over Ohio Valley Christian. TOLSIA: Senior Jacob Mollett returns after averaging 11 points a game last season. He has good range and can rack up assists, too. William Spaulding and newcomers Peyton Watts and Braxton Watts will provide depth. LINCOLN COUNTY: Hunter Hill, Tanner Walls and Kadin Beckelheimer are top scoring threats for Lincoln County. POINT PLEASANT: The Big Blacks try to rebound from a 3-18 campaign a year ago under coach Josh Willams. HANNAN: Dalton Coleman went over 1,000 points for his career in a win over Ohio Valley Christian to make coach/dad Shawn Coleman proud. He’s the eighth Hannan player to surpass 1,000 career points. Ohio
