MANSFIELD, Ohio — Ontario’s Jackson Todd sounded more like a veteran coach than a high school senior.
Todd had just scored a career-high 35 points in Ontario’s season-opener at Mansfield Senior, but rather than bask in the glow of the triple-overtime win, Todd already had turned his attention to the next opponent. The Warriors were scheduled to host highly-regarded St. Peter’s the following evening.
“Our schedule is tough, but it’s going to teach us a lot about who we are as a team,” Todd said at the time. “It will show our character and how tough we are.”
No team in Richland County has played a more rugged schedule through the first two weeks of the season. After beating Senior High and St. Peter’s, Ontario fell to Sandusky and Wooster last weekend.
The Warriors took a 2-2 record into Thursday’s game at Bellevue (2-1) in their final tune-up for Saturday’s grudge match with unbeaten Lexington (4-0) in the Richland Source NOL-OCC Challenge.
Ontario’s opponents were a combined 10-4 coming into this week. Wooster was unbeaten while Sandusky and St. Peter’s each had one loss.
“It’s a tough schedule,” veteran Ontario coach Joe Balogh said at last week’s Richland Source NOL-OCC Challenge media day at BW3 in Ontario. “We play some ver good non-conference opponents.”
Count Lexington among them. The Minutemen (4-0) needed a last-second 3-pointer by the now graduated Jonah Yaussy to hold off the Warriors 57-54 in the final game of last year’s Richland Source NOL-OCC Challenge.
“I remember (Yaussy) making a 3 to beat us,” Balogh said last week. “I think it was one of only two 3-pointers he made all year.”
For teams in both the Northern Ohio League and the Ohio Cardinal Conference, Saturday’s six-game showcase at Ontario serves as a Division II sectional preview. Nine of the 12 teams in last year’s Division II Galion district field will be in action Saturday.
“We will see a lot of these teams down the road, either in conference play or in the tournament,” said Shelby coach Troy Schwemley, whose Whippets (2-2) take on Ashland (2-0) at 5 p.m. Saturday. “We are familiar with a lot of these teams and they are familiar with us.
“It should be a great day of basketball for area fans.”
Appreciation: The Richland Source NOL-OCC Challenge wouldn’t be possible without tremendous partners. The NOL-OCC Challenge is presented by Mechanics Bank Be the Change scholarship program in partnership with The Holden Agency, Marco Photo Service and BW3. Supporting sponsors include Olive Garden, North Central State College, The Ohio State University at Mansfield, Rinehart Walters Danner Insurance, Prospering Life Events, Text Loyal, The Vault Wine Bar, Best Buy, and Lantz Star Graphics.
