photo credit: Marshall Medley
In a highly anticipated match-up between two of Columbus’ best Olentangy Orange and Dublin Jerome, Orange edged out a win with solid performances from seniors Mikey McCollum and Elias Lewis. In the 270 Hoops Division 1 Power Rankings Olentangy Orange is ranked #2 and Dublin Jerome is ranked #3, so you could foresee this being a huge early test for both squads.
After the tip-off, senior Elias Lewis got off to a hot start assisting on Orange’s first three buckets. Orange displayed their defense likewise to their offense holding the Celtics to just 8 points after the first quarter, 1 point a minute. One big note is Jerome senior Ryan Nutter was subbed out halfway through the first quarter due to a hamstring injury. Nutter is a Marshall basketball commit with gentry vision and quickness in handling the ball. Senior Nick Chapman for Orange had two blocks in the second quarter, making his presence felt on the defensive side of the ball. One of the tallest players for Orange, Nick had to shift to being a big man for the Pioneers this past year. When I asked Nick about this growth spurt he said, “ My dad was 6 foot 5 by the time he was a senior in high school, so I’ve been anticipating a growth spurt really ever since 9th grade.” Nick’s father Dave Chapman played basketball under head coach Ed Calo at Westerville South, the father of Orange’s head coach Anthony Calo.
Orange led 30-22 at halftime led by senior Mikey McCollum with 10 points and 4 rebounds. During the third quarter, Nick makes his presence felt with another big block leading to a Devin Brown fastbreak layup. Ending the third quarter Orange leads 38-31. To start the fourth quarter, Jerome scores 4 straight points until Jordan Edwards assists on two straight possessions to cushion the Orange lead back up. Jerome kept in the game until about a minute left when Nick Chapman made a game-sealing charge for the Pioneers.
Orange is now 3-0 and this team is looking to be a district title contender, or perhaps Regional Champions for the first time in school history. Dublin Jerome drops to 2-2 after a loss to Cincinnati Sycamore and now Orange. The Pioneers plan to extend their winning streak at Dublin Coffman this Friday, while the Celtics will look to rebound against Marysville.
