COLUMBUS (AP) — The Newark boys and girls teams have yet to lose, and the Shumate family is a big reason why.
J.R. Shumate is the girls coach of the top-ranked in The Associated Press Division I poll this week. His daughter, Katie, is a sophomore guard who is second on the Wildcats (18-0) in scoring.
Shumate’s son, J.T., is a junior forward and also the No. 2 scorer on the boys team that is No. 2 in Division I.
The Wildcats are 17-0 after defeating defending state champion Westerville South, 55-53, on Saturday in the final of the Jared Sullinger Scholastic Play By Play at Ohio Dominican University in Columbus.
Senior guard Kobe Long-Weber hit two late free throws for Newark and teammate BJ Duling, a Kent State commit, had 22 points, 16 in the second half, and seven rebounds. Westerville South trailed 44-36 but rallied to tie the score before Shumate hit a 3-pointer to put Newark ahead again. He had 15 points and seven rebounds.
Newark received one first-place vote in the most recent poll while top-ranked Cincinnati Moeller garnered the other 23.
The Newark girls reached No. 1 in the poll for the first time in program history after beating Powell Olentangy Liberty Center (62-56), Canal Winchester (88-36) and New Albany (68-25).
The Wildcats received all but one of the 22 first-place votes with West Chester Lakota West getting the other.
Newark is looking to build on last season’s run when the Wildcats repeated as district champions before losing in the regional final to Reynoldsburg.
COMING FROM WAY BACK
Trenton Edgewood trailed 44-17 with five minutes left in the third quarter at Germantown Valley View, but rallied to win 56-54 on Garrett Gabbard’s jumper at the buzzer on Saturday. The Cougars improved to 12-5 and ensured their first winning season since 2009-10.
Valley View led 35-17 at the half and scored the first nine points of the third before Edgewood pulled to within 46-35 heading into the fourth quarter. The Cougars then outscored Valley View 21-8. Gabbard had 21 points and made 4 of 5 3-pointers.
NET RESULTS
Senior Kaleb Wesson of Westerville South scored a school-record 49 points in his team’s last-second 68-67 loss to Upper Arlington last week. Junior guard Dane Goodwin scored 35 for UA, 10th in Division I. Wesson has signed with Ohio State. Goodwin committed to the Buckeyes as a freshman. . With wins over Fremont Ross (59-38) on Friday and Warren (Mich.) DeLaSalle (64-35) on Saturday, Toledo St. John’s Jesuit coach Ed Heintschel moved up to No. 5 on Ohio’s all-time wins list in boys basketball. Heintschel, in his 38th season, is now 678-207 coaching the Titans (13-2). He moved past Bob Arnzen, who was 676-291 at Delphos St. John’s from 1951-1993. Toledo St. John’s is seventh in Division I.
TIGHT RACE
With top boys teams Granville and Pataskala Watkins Memorial graduating a combined nine of 10 starters from a season ago, coaches expected the five-team Licking County League-Buckeye Division race to be wide open. That’s been proven true. After Newark Licking Valley beat Watkins and Pataskala Licking Heights beat Granville on Friday, the four teams entered this week separated by just one game, with Granville holding the lead by a half-game.
