Dublin Coffman 48, Dublin Jerome 30

Game Recap + Prospect Scouting Report

DUBLIN, OH - The first game of the season usually isn’t the prettiest. But a near-capacity crowd between two intra-district rivals provided a fun Thanksgiving eve atmosphere to kickoff the season as Dublin Coffman made the short trek to Dublin Jerome and pulled away in the second half with a 48-30 win.

Points were difficult to come by in the first half, as the Rocks held a 16-12 lead after two periods. Yet an offensive rhythm kicked into gear for Coffman as they nearly doubled their halftime score in the third period alone. A Gabe Schmidt steal that led to his own score gave the Rocks a double-digit lead late in the third quarter and would continue to grow for the rest of the game.

“I thought we competed pretty hard, our execution was a little rusty and I think that’s natural in the beginning of the season,” Coffman head coach Adam Banks said after the game. “Jerome is a good team, well coached, they executed their zone very well and gave us some trouble. Fortunately, I thought we were able to make some shots in the second half, had more ball movement, I was encouraged by that.”

The Celtics threw a 3-2 zone at the Rocks and limited their ability to penetrate, particularly in the second period, as Coffman only scored three points during those eight minutes. Yet senior Colin McClure provided a second half spark, along with Schmidt, as they combined for 12 points in the third and began to comfortably pull away from the Celtics.

“CM is our guy,” Banks said. “We’re very fortunate that when we are struggling to score and a little shaky, we can hand him the ball and he can take us there.”

McClure finished with a game high 23 points. Sophomore Thomas Cochran finished with 10, while Schmidt added seven points and senior Stone Clifton had six points along with 11 rebounds.

Despite the 18-point defeat, the Celtics put forth the type of effort that’s to be expected from a team coached by Richie Beard. Yet Jerome’s inability to create much offense, especially from outside of the paint, proved to be the difference.

Although the Celtics had nine players score, none reached double digits. Junior guard Ryan Kolp led Jerome in scoring with eight points, although four of which came in the final period when the game was out of reach. No other player scored more than four points, as juniors Ethan Wright and Cooper Craig each had two made field goal attempts. Wright, a 6’6 forward that is expected to be the Celtics top player this season, appeared frustrated by officials and fouled out late in the fourth.

Both teams will get at least a week off before they hit the court again. The Rocks welcome Beechcroft at home next Wednesday, while the Celtics start conference play at Marysville on December 6.

For a recap on the top players of the game, check out the below Prospect Scouting Report.