Peebles vs. Africentric Regional Semi 3/11

[TribeManiac10]

Peebles (22-3) advances to the regional tournament for the first time since 1984 with a win over South Gallia while perennial Columbus power Africentric (14-10 per maxpreps) beat last year's state representative from our region Fairfield Christian. I haven't seen them play this season but if they are like every other Africentric team i've watched they will be the most athletic team we have faced all season. Peebles will probably not be able to survive getting in an early hole in the regional like we have the last two games, they will need to be on their game the entire match. The winner gets the victor of the Fairfield/Harvest Prep semi. This will be a rematch of last year's Ironton Classic matchup in which Africentric pounded Peebles 83-57, granted these are two very different teams this year. Africentric last season was a 21 win team that lost in the Columbus city league championship to D1 Northland by 2pts and Peebles failed to win the sectional, but at the same time it was in a different division to a Lynchburg team that was better than this year's Lynchburg's squad in my opinion so who knows about that team comparison.

[streetballer]

Africentric by15-20..justice gets less than 20 pts..peebles other players best show up to continue their season

[TribeManiac10]

Africentric is led by 6'8"/6'9" junior power forward Ulmer Manzie and 6'3" junior guard Jaquan Harrison. Both players have been offered by D1 Bethune Cookman and Indiana State.


Video of Jaquan Harrison from one of Africentric's open gyms. The kid is a freak athlete.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzwcGlGJRVI

Africentric vs Walnut Ridge mixtape
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vci4ljDbbzk

[philbilly]

My opinion is that the only way Peebles beats a team like this is to slow the game down to a crawl and that's just not their style.

[art_vandelay]

Good luck Peebles...SE Ohio rooting you on*

[jchitwood]

Think we'll ever see a day when private and voucher schools get their own tournament?

I've beaten this drum for a long time, but it doesn't seem right that schools that recruit from major metropolitan areas (as well as the entire state!) are slotted into D4 with schools that are actually, you know...small.

Private and voucher schools' teams don't represent communities--they represent aggressive athletic departments.

That being said, Africentric's a goliath of a team, but the Tribe is filling up their slingshots.

"Let's win this game for all the small schools that never had a chance to get here."

[chiefs]

Africentric is not a private or voucher school.

[jchitwood]

Africentric is not a private or voucher school.

Unless I'm misreading the Columbus Dispatch (which is possible, that's what I get for posting after a ten-hour drive) they offer vouchers. Please correct me if I'm wrong. http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories ... ouble.html

Whether Africentric offers them or not, it does;t take away from my main point, that city schools that recruit and have a low enrollment shouldn't be in a division with schools that have a much smaller pool to draw from. This isn't Indiana in the 1950s, we've established division sized for a reason.

[chiefs]

You're reading it wrong, but actually it furthers both of our disdains for the school's athletic premise; the article means since A-High is a bad school in the eyes of the state Department of Education, those kids can get monies to go to private schools.

I agree A-High shouldn't be in D4, especially since they play on the public dime. However, it's silly to make a catch-all regarding all private schools. Schools like Ironton St. Joe's, Portsmouth ND, Zanesvile Rosecrans, Bellaire St John, Lancaster Fairfield Christian and Lancaster Fisher Cath do in fact represent communities. Kids do not go there for simply sports. For every Akron SVSM, there's a Bishop Watterson whose families have made the sacrifice to pay the $50,000 or so in tuition over the course of 12 years just so they could get a Catholic/private education.

[Hopper 11]

Is there an advantage for private schools? Do some research and look how many public schools there are in the state and look how many private schools there are in the state. Now look and see how many championships have been won by both. Some simple math gives us the answer. I have watched Africentric in shootouts beat some of the better D2 and D3 schools in SEO. That being said Good Luck Peebles!

[chiefs]

Is there an advantage for private schools? Do some research and look how many public schools there are in the state and look how many private schools there are in the state. Now look and see how many championships have been won by both. Some simple math gives us the answer. I have watched Africentric in shootouts beat some of the better D2 and D3 schools in SEO. That being said Good Luck Peebles!

Take away all the private schools, you'll see larger, wealthier school districts align divisionally with the smaller, socioeconomically challenged districts like the ones in Southeast Ohio to make four divisions. I think too many people are ready to call the "public/private" card, when really there's a bigger picture. Trimble did not lose to a private school in football this past year, they lost to a team from a competitively strong part of the state that is structurally stronger. You can get rid of the privates all you want, but that's not going to level the playing field completely. You could put a team from say, Lawrence County against a school such as Grandview Heights or Bloom-Carroll, and I think they'd lose. Or against a team from NW Ohio. They don't just have good teams, they also are in a position to have continued success.

[jchitwood]

Is there an advantage for private schools? Do some research and look how many public schools there are in the state and look how many private schools there are in the state. Now look and see how many championships have been won by both. Some simple math gives us the answer. I have watched Africentric in shootouts beat some of the better D2 and D3 schools in SEO. That being said Good Luck Peebles!

Take away all the private schools, you'll see larger, wealthier school districts align divisionally with the smaller, socioeconomically challenged districts like the ones in Southeast Ohio to make four divisions. I think too many people are ready to call the "public/private" card, when really there's a bigger picture. Trimble did not lose to a private school in football this past year, they lost to a team from a competitively strong part of the state that is structurally stronger. You can get rid of the privates all you want, but that's not going to level the playing field completely. You could put a team from say, Lawrence County against a school such as Grandview Heights or Bloom-Carroll, and I think they'd lose. Or against a team from NW Ohio. They don't just have good teams, they also are in a position to have continued success.

Great points, I'm learning a lot on this topic. When you say that removing the private schools would align wealthier schools with smaller schools, do you mean because the lack of private schools will create a vacuum and the division sizes would realign?

I did read that article wrong, that what I get for doing a five minute google search and calling it "research."

The odds are against Peebles (we're basically playing a D1 school), but I also know we haven't played our best game at the convo yet. We don't have to be a better team, just be a better team Tuesday night.

[chiefs]

It basically does create a vacuum. For instance, fifteen of the twenty-one schools participating in Division IV for Central District are private schools. Of the remaining six, two of them (Berne Union and Fairbanks) actually just moved down to Division IV this year. Now, I know there are three small private schools that are looking to affiliate with OHSAA that could push the fringe D3/D4 schools back into D3. It'll probably be the public schools (Africentric is one of them) that get moved up.

Get rid of the privates and you'll see Bloom-Carroll, Logan Elm, and a bunch of Columbus City League schools drop down to D3. By that time, OHSAA will probably determine four divisions of public schools will not make much money for them and probably won't be too well received.

[Mohawknation33]

Rooting for Peebles.If you are playing, there's a chance to win.

[alabama mike]

Good luck to Peebles. This game cannot get into a track meet. The Indians just need to do the things they have done all year that got them this far.

[beaverlover]

It was only 2 short years ago my Eagles were in this situation..alot of the same talk about public vs private but it is what it is..nothing you can do about it but just play the game. Pulling for the Indians but a tall task..Justice will have to light it up! I hope he does and his supporting cast also plays well..Good luck Indians from Beaver!!

[eagles73Taylor]

Africentric limits its enrollment because it is in a small building, they have lottery's to see who gets in. The only thing public about this school is that it is paid for with public money! lol It operates just like a private, limits its enrollment via a lottery, yet they seem to get quite a few good boys and girls basketball players! lol Their girls team consistently plays in the state finals and wins as well. They draw students from the greater Columbus area.

The lower divisions are where the big gap comes in from private/parochial schools.

Good luck Peebles.

[streetballer]

I see africentric shuttin justice down to less than 20 pts..peebles supporting cast best show up or their in for a long night

[Crab's Brother]

I see africentric shuttin justice down to less than 20 pts..peebles supporting cast best show up or their in for a long night

You made the same statement 15 posts ago.

[Chieftan]

I see africentric shuttin justice down to less than 20 pts..peebles supporting cast best show up or their in for a long night

Ha ha...maybe he thinks if keeps repeating it over and over it will come true? I hope Justice has a great night but if he doesn't, you can't take anything away from the kid, he's a great player. Let's hope streetballer's one-dimensional crystal ball is wrong. Roll Tribe!!