Page 11 - The Buzz 03/06/2026
P. 11

MARCH 6 - 19, 2026                                                      The                                                         SPORTS   |B3
        Tri-Valley season comes to an abrupt end with one foot into

        playoffs               BY MATTHEW DOTSON  |  DRESDEN BUZZ


                                                                                 Vs. Zanesville (2/24)                Vs. West Muskingum (2/20)
                                                                                   The Scotties hosted the Zanesville    The Dawgs rode the bus out to West
                                                                                 Blue Devils at the start of their postsea-  Muskingum  on  Friday for  a  matchup
                                                                                 son  on  Tuesday  night.   The two  teams  with  the Tornadoes.  Despite having
                                                                                 were  locked  in  step  for  the  first  eight  home court advantage, the Scotties got
                                                                                 minutes of the game, with Tri-Valley get-  the  jump  on  West  M  at  first,  taking  a
                                                                                 ting one shot ahead with a 13 – 12 lead  19 – 15 lead after the first quarter. The
                                                                                 at the end of the first quarter. Zanesville  Tornadoes got fired up by the deficit and
                                                                                 would  not readily  let that hold  as  they  blasted back to tie the game in the sec-
                                                                                 pushed into the second quarter, tying up  ond quarter, and slipped past Tri-Valley
                                                                                 the game, and pulling ahead by the end  to leave them trailing 30 – 29 at half-
                                                                                 of  the  first  half  to  leave  Tri-Valley  with  time.
                                                                                 the 26 – 24 disadvantage going into the    Back in action on the court, West M
                                                                                 break.                               held their ground  while defending  the
                                                                                   Back on  the  court, coach Todd  Mc-  Scotties and slowly built their lead to 40
                                                                                 Laughlin’s  charges tried  to power for-  – 36 as the final quarter started. The last
                                                                                 ward to regain the lead they had in the  minutes of the game were a deafening
                                                                                 first  quarter,  but  the  Blue  Devils  were  blur  as the  spectators stayed on their
                                                                                 ready for them, and not only stepped up  feet to witness the  battle. Best  efforts
                                                                                 defensively to stop them, but also built  fell  flat  for  Tri-Valley  as  the  Tornadoes
                                                                                 their lead to 39 – 32 by the end of the  powered into a 58 – 48 victory on their
                                                                                 third period. The Dawgs fought to hold  road to the postseason.
                                                                                 onto their playoff hopes, but the Devils
                                                                                 forced their way through the final min-
                                                                                 utes and took the win 55 – 47, shutting
                                                                                 down  Tri-Valley’s postseason  just  as  it
                                                                                 started.

        Ryan Lamonica goes for two points over Zanesville.    Matthew Dotson

        New Philadelphia ended the Zanesville boys season after

        Devils upset Tri-Valley                               BY MATTHEW DOTSON  |  DRESDEN BUZZ




















































        Blue Devil Amarius Jackson breaks away for a quick 2 against Tri-Valley.   Matthew Dotson

        Vs. New Philadelphia (2/28)          Zanesville the edge they needed in the   Vs. Tri-Valley (2/24)           pulled ahead to hold a 26 – 24 advan-
          The Quakers and  the Blue Devils  third quarter. The Devils spent the period     On  the  road  in  nearby Dresden, the  tage at the halftime mark.
        met up on neutral ground on Saturday  chasing down the Quakers and trying to   Blue Devils made their first stop on their    The Scotties tried to gain clarity during
        in  Cambridge.  The  tip-off led to chaos  counter every point, but they fell short,   playoff trail at Rich Longaberger court.  the  break, but the  Devils didn’t  give
        that was followed by New Philadelphia  allowing New Phila to build on their ad-  The Scotties had a season that was al-  them the time to  put  action  to  their
        leaping out to an 11 – 6 lead at the end  vantage to lead 30 – 21 after three. The   most a carbon copy of the Blue Devils,  plans, as they just kept putting up shot
        of  the  first  quarter.  Zanesville  went  to  clock was the enemy in the final quar-  but  they were hoping  for  a  more illus-  after shot to build their lead to 39 – 32
        work in the second period to try to gain  ter. Zanesville couldn’t find an opening   trious  postseason.  Head-to-head,  the  at the end of the third quarter. With the
        ground on its opponent, but by the end  through the Quaker defenders to allow   Dawgs got the jump in the first quarter  crowd on their feet, you couldn’t hear a
        of the first half, the Blue Devils trailed by  them to gain ground, and the postsea-  as they squeezed by with a 13 – 12 lead  thing as the Devils and the Scotties bat-
        five, with the Quakers leading 21 – 16.  son came to an end for the Blue Devils   as the buzzer rang. Zanesville didn’t let
          Reflecting during the break didn’t give  as they fell to New Philadelphia 42 – 28.  it rest  as they tied up  the  game,  then    CONTINUED ON B4



        John Glenn boys basketball continue playoff push as they

        face Cambridge                          BY MATTHEW DOTSON  |  DRESDEN BUZZ


        Vs. Claymont (3/3)                   tangs as they pumped up their lead to   that John Glenn was putting forth, and  their home court. Out of the gate, Mor-
          The Lil’ Muskies visited Uhrichsville on  42 – 34 by halftime.         the Lil’ Muskies won the game 87 – 65.   gan got the jump on their hosts, taking
        Tuesday night to continue their postsea-    Claymont came out of the break with     John Glenn looks to continue their 19-  a 13 – 12 lead into the second quarter.
        son push. The Mustangs from Claymont  drive, but John Glenn  had  an  intensity   game winning streak on in New Concord  The other shoe dropped as the second
        were looking for a battle; they stayed on  that they couldn’t match as the Muskies   at the Steele Center of Muskingum Uni-  quarter unfolded, the Raiders’ defenses
        the Muskies’ heels, but John Glenn got  blasted out  a  26-point  quarter  to  lead   versity on Friday, March 6th, the game is  failing  as John Glenn  took off into  the
        out to an early lead, holding an 18 – 16  68 – 50 at the start of the fourth quar-  set to start at 7 PM. Cambridge is hoping  stratosphere with a 25-point second
        advantage at the end of the first period.   ter.  As  the  final  minutes  ticked  down,   for revenge from the 72 – 59 defeat they  quarter to lead 37 – 29 at halftime.
        As the play intensified, the John Glenn  the Mustangs lost steam while trying to   faced at the hands of John Glenn back in    The  intermission  only  atrophied  the
        defense was just too much for the Mus-  defend against the unstoppable display   December.                    Raiders further as  the Muskies  came
                                                                                   Senior CJ Dolan had 31 points for the  out of the locker room to play a 27-point
                                                                                 Lil’ Muskies, with classmate Stehl Bates  third quarter to amplify their lead to 64
                                                                                 putting up 21 points in the game.    – 38. With the train already rolling, there
                                                                                                                      was no stopping the Muskies, who flew
                                                                                 Vs. Morgan (2/27)                    forward to a 76 – 48 win.
                                                                                   The Raiders traveled out to New Con-
                                                                                 cord on Friday to face the Lil’ Muskies on                 CONTINUED ON B5





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