Russia caps perfect season with state championship

Division VII RUSSIA 74CORNERSTONE 57DAYTON – It was a day for milestones more than miracles at UD Arena on Saturday when undefeated and top-ranked Russia beat Willoughby Cornerstone Christian and Quinn "Turtle" Kwasniak 74-57 to capture the Division VII boys basketball championship at the University of Dayton Arena.The win was No. 1,000 for Russia, which had 11 seniors on a team that lost in the state semifinals the past two seasons, before capping a perfect 29-0 record this year and winning the programs' first state title.Cornerstone Christian ended up 21-9 but etched the name of one of its players in Ohio's list of milestones as well. Kwasniak, a senior guard who this season passed Jon Diebler as Ohio's all-time leading scorer, pumped in 38 points, raising his final career total to 3,341.Kwasniak was at his best in keeping Cornerstone in it in the second quarter. With Russia threatening to break it open, Kwasniak drilled three straight 3-pointers – two of them from over 30 feet out – to pull the Patriots within one, 31-30. A basket by Darrien Davis then gave Cornerstone its first and only lead of the game – 32-31 – before Russia's Dominic Francis, a 6-foot-6 center, scored on back-to-back putbacks. When Jaxon Grogean nailed a 3-pointer just before the half, Russia took a 38-34 lead to the locker room.Led by Francis and Southwest Division VII Player of the Year Braylon Cordonnier, Russia exerted its dominance with a 16-8 edge in the third quarter. That created a 54-42 cushion that the Raiders stoked until the final buzzer.Cordionier scored 22 points and Dominic had 21 points and eight rebounds. Vince Borchers had 14 points, five assists and four rebounds.Kwasniak made 6-of-11 3-point attempts, 13-of-23 shots overall and was 6-of-8 from the line en route to his 38-point game. Division V LUTHERAN EAST 53COL. ACADEMY 49DAYTON – TJ Crumble had 14 points and 10 rebounds to lead four players in double figures as Cleveland Heights Lutheran East defeated Gahanna Columbus Academy, 53-49, in the Division V state championship game.Lutheran East won its third straight title—just the fifth school in state history to win three in a row—and sixth overall. Only three schools (Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary, 10; Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph, 7; Middletown, 7) have won more than Lutheran East's six boys basketball titles. The Falcons have played in 10 state tournaments, all since 2005. Columbus Academy has finished runner-up in both of its state tournament appearances (1981, 2025).Dylan Zeigler (13 points), Chris Hill (12) and Ty Harrison (10) joined Crumble in double figures. Columbus Academy was led by Jason Singleton, who finished with 27 points, nine rebounds, three assists and three steals. Division VI MONROE CENTRAL 43MARION LOCAL 35 DAYTON – Monroe Central won its first-ever state title and kept Marion Local from adding to its state championship collection by taking an early lead and holding off the Flyers 43-36 in Saturday's Division VI final at UD Arena.Marion Local, which won a state-record 15th football championship in December, was looking to add the school's fourth boys basketball crown to the trophy case. But the Flyers fell behind 14-6 in the first quarter and never caught up as an off-night shooting the ball (3-of-17 3s, 14-of-38 overall) and costly turnovers (15) stifled their hopes of a successful comeback.Corbin Farnsworth led Monroe Central (26-3) with 12 points and Cooper Howell, the East District's Division VI Player of the Year, and Chance Allen had 10 points each.Austin Niekamp, Marion Local's 6-foot-8 senior center, had 13 points and nine rebounds. Grant Kremer scored 11 points for the Flyers (26-3). Division I ORANGE 56REYNOLDSBURG 41 DAYTON – Olentangy Orange completely dominated the third quarter in beating Reynoldsburg 56-41 on Saturday to win the boys Division I state championship.Orange led just 17-14 after a sluggish first half in which both teams struggled to sustain a consistent offensive rhythm. But the Pioneers exploded out of the halftime locker room, scoring the first seven points of the third quarter and pumping in 30 points in the period to take a commanding 47-26 lead.Ellis Appiah knocked down three 3-pointers in the third quarter and scored 11 of his team-high 20 points in the period. Trey Schroeder added 12 points for the Pioneers and Levi Davis had 10.Jordan Fisher scored 20 points and Xavier McKinney added 11 for Orange.Both teams ended the 2024-25 season with 26-2 records. Both were also looking for their first-ever state basketball title. OHSAA BasketballBOYS STATE FINALSAT UD ARENAFRIDAY'S RESULTSDivision IIILouisville 63, Cincinnati Aiken 61zDivision IVMarysville 74, Cleveland Glenville 67Division IIWesterville North 78, Massillon Perry 46 SATURDAY'S RESULTSDivision VCleveland Heights Lutheran East 53, Gahanna Columbus Academy 49Division VIWoodsfield Monroe Central 43, Maria Stein Marion Local 35Division VIIRussia 74, Willoughby Cornerstone Christian 57Division ILewis Center Olentangy Orange 56, Reynoldsburg 41