LEXINGTON — Lexington used its two tight-end offense to perfection Friday night.
But it was on a basketball court.
Juniors Brayden Fogle (6-foot-5, 225) and Joe Caudill (6-4, 220) will likely both play Division I college football as tight ends after high school.
Caudill made a verbal commitment on Friday to Michigan State University. Fogle is still entertaining an ever-growing list of scholarship offers that include the University of Georgia, Michigan and Auburn.
That’s in the future.
The bookends still have lots of unfinished business on the basketball court.
Fogle and Caudill combined for 32 points and 13 rebounds in a 74-68 win at home Friday night against Wooster, keeping Lexington atop the Ohio Cardinal Conference at 13-2 overall and 8-1 in the league.
Coach Scott Hamilton — who welcomed Fogle back Jan. 15 after he missed the first 12 games with a broken wrist sustained in the final football game of the season — is thrilled to see his two big men back wreaking havoc together on the court.
“It’s something I’m a little bit more used to … having the two bigs and be able to do some stuff,” Hamilton said.
The Lexington bench boss is in familiar territory. He also coached OSU tight end Cade Stover, who recently finished his rookie season in the NFL as a tight end with the Houston Texans.
“But I thought our guards are doing a nice job, too. We’ve tried to do some of the things with a four-guard lineup. Rebounding has not been the way I’d like it to be, but we’re working on it. We’re getting better,” Hamilton said.
photo gallery from lexington’s 74-68 win over wooster
Hamilton laughed when asked how he has produced so many college tight ends, including the 6-5, 250-pound Stover, who owns the school basketball career scoring record.
“It’s our weight room … basketball weight room. It’s our jumping and our rebounding techniques. These college coaches call me and I just say, ‘Hey, I got another tight end for you’ … Big 10 tight end,” he said.
‘That’s cool … that’s my guy’
The reunion of Caudill and Fogle on the court, where the two combined for 50 minutes on Friday night, is no laughing matter to opposing coaches.
“I think it’s pretty noticeable out there,” Fogle said, “to have two 6-5, 230 (pound) guys on the basketball court that can move well. As long as we’re blending well like we are, it’s pretty overpowering.”
Caudill is averaging 13 points and eight rebounds a game on the season, most of it as the team’s only big man. Since his return and in limited minutes, Fogle is scoring 13 per game and three rebounds a night.
The twin towers have been a great complement to junior guard Seven Allen (11 points, eight rebounds and five assists Friday night) and senior guards Gavin Husty (12 points) and Jakob Legron (11 points).
The inside work was vital against a smaller Wooster team that connected on 12-of-23 treys and led 22-11 at one point in the first quarter, spearheaded by senior Brady Bowen (25 points on 4-of-6 triples).
“I think the presence in the paint’s always going to make a difference, no matter who we play,” Caudill said. “They’re obviously a great shooting team.
“We knew we had size inside, so we took advantage of it.”
How good is it to have Fogle back on the court, relieving some of the pressure in the paint?
“It’s cool. That’s my guy,” Caudill said. “It’s back like it was last year … winning games, getting inside, doing (the) dirty work.”
Caudill has connected frequently with Fogle on the football field as the Lexington quarterback.
He knows his college future doesn’t include him throwing the ball for the Spartans.
“All that was on my mind (tonight) was the game. This was a huge game for us,” setting up a showdown at Mansfield Senior (10-4, 7-1) on Tuesday.
Why Michigan State?
“I think it’s the people and the culture in the building. They have got some great people over there and I believe in them.
“They believe in me, so it was really it was an easy decision for me,” Caudill said.
“I played a little bit (at tight end) my freshman year. But I go to camps as a tight end. I work on my own as a tight end, so I’m pretty used to it. My brother played it, so I’ve been around it my whole life,” he said.
‘I have not (made a decision yet) … We will see coming up’
Fogle connected on 8-of-12 shots and was also 3-of-5 from the foul line in 23 minutes, the most he has played since his return.
Is he back in basketball shape?
“Yeah, if not, I feel like I am pretty close,” Fogle said. “I still feel like there is plenty to work on, but who doesn’t?
“I have to get my touch back around the rim, but I feel like I am playing more physical and more aggressive than I was last year. That is the step I needed to take.”
Fogle has not made up his mind yet about which college he will choose.
“We will see coming up, I guess,” he said Friday night.
“It’s really fun getting recruited … talking to all these new schools, meeting all these new players.
“It’s cool to see things that you saw on television growing up as a kid, watch that in front of your own eyes, like some of the head coaches that come in, it’s pretty cool to see after you see them on TV, right?
“But it’s just one day at a time with everything,” he said.
“You keep your people and listen to what they have to say and lead you in the right direction,” Fogle said.
Big showdown at Pete Henry Gym on Tuesday
Basketball remains Fogle’s focus, including a home game Saturday night against non-league opponent Dover — and then the huge trip to Pete Henry Gymnasium on Tuesday.
“It is always a great atmosphere over there,” Fogle said. “We have personal relationships with a lot of their players and we know each other well so it is going to be a very fun game.
“It is going to be loud and I am excited for it just like every time we play them in any sport.”
Hamilton said the win over Wooster, which avenged a December loss on the Generals’ home court, has his team ready for the Tygers.
The Minutemen, the defending OCC champs, handed Mansfield Senior its only league loss on Dec. 20, 74-70, when Fogle was still sidelined.
“Tonight had to show that we could battle and overcome,” Hamilton said. “The loss in the first round to (Wooster) hurt, but we had to respond.
“If tonight hadn’t had gone our way, then it would be really tough. The OCC is our first target every year, so Tuesday night at Mansfield Senior is going to be a big one.
“They are going to be ready and we know that. We have to be ready for it.”
(Below is the complete box score from Lexington’s 74-68 win at home Friday night against Wooster.)
