XENIA — The Xenia Legacy Christian Academy boys high school basketball team is ranked No. 9 in the latest Associated Press Ohio Division IV poll, released on Monday, Jan. 8.
Legacy Christian was closed on Monday due to the weather, but Assistant Athletic Director Becky McCaskey said it is believed this is the first time the school has been listed in the AP boys state poll.
Brad Newsome is the head coach of the LCA boys team. The veteran coach celebrated his 200th career win earlier this season.
“This kind of recognition feels good, and can be exciting, but it’s not one of our team goals,” Newsome said. “While the players have been committed and worked very hard, and the parents and school community have been amazing, we still have work to do and must stay focused.”
Newsome suspected that former Xenia Christian coach John Brent Howland may have had a ranked team in the past, but wasn’t certain. “His teams were the bext in XC history,” Newsome said.
Erik Uszynski currently leads the Knights in scoring with a 15.6 points-per-game average, and Keano Hammerstrom is next at a 13.3 ppg clip. Team is averaging a league-best 61.8 points per game, and has the MBC’s second-best points against average per game at 47.4.
The Knights are currently 9-2 and tied for first place in the Metro Buckeye Conference with Troy Christian. Those two teams will meet for the first time this season at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 9 at Legacy Christian.
LCA tied Mansfield St. Peters for ninth place in the the Jan. 8 Associated Press poll among Division IV schools.
How a statewide panel voted in the Jan. 8 Ohio Associated Press boys Division IV high school basketball poll, with first-place votes in parenthesis, team record and total points:
DIVISION IV
1. Ft. Loramie (8) 10-0 127
2. McDonald (1) 8-1 94
3. Hannibal River (3) 9-0 83
4. Springfield Catholic Central 9-1 76
5. Toledo Christian 9-1 63
6. Sugar Grove Berne Union (1) 8-2 56
7. Tree of Life 8-1 49
8. Minster 5-2 48
9. Mansfield St. Peter’s (3) 11-0 39
(tie) Xenia Legacy Christian Academy 9-2 39
Others receiving 12 or more points: Pandora-Gilboa 24. Strasburg-Franklin 21. Ottoville 21. Sarahsville Shenandoah 16. Shekinah Christian 15. Windham 15. Pettisville 15. Cornerstone Christian 15.
