Willard finishes seventh in AP poll

COLUMBUS — The Willard boys basketball team finished at No. 7 in the seventh and final weekly Associated Press state poll for Division II, released on Monday. The Crimson Flashes (18-4) moved up two spots despite a loss to rival Shelby (20-2) — also the No. 2-ranked team in the final Div. II poll — on Feb. 23. The Whippets pulled away for an 89-67 win over the Flashes, who had taken a jump in the poll after a stunning 38-point rout at Div. III state-ranked Margaretta (19-3) on Feb. 16. Prior to the non-league loss to Shelby, Willard also defeated Vermilion on Feb. 20, 77-61, to clinch a share of a fifth league title over the past six seasons. Also in Div. II, Lexington (20-2) checks in right behind Shelby at No. 3. Both teams are longtime Willard opponents and are in the same district as the Crimson Flashes. The Minutemen defeated Willard, 58-56, in last year's sectional title game at Mansfield Madison. Should both teams win their respective sectional championship games this Friday, they would again meet in a district semifinal at a site to be determined. The Flashes entertain the winner of a third meeting between SBC Lake foes Tiffin Columbian (9-13) and Perkins (15-7), while the Minutemen host the winner of a third Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference meeting between Galion (11-11) and Clear Fork (10-12) on Friday. In Div. I, SBC Lake champion Sandusky (21-1) finished as the No. 9-ranked team. The Blue Streaks (10-0 Lake) became the first team to go unbeaten in a league season since the SBC went to the divisional format at the start of the 2017-18 season. The Blue Streaks edged host Norwalk, 62-57, in the regular season finale on Feb. 23 at NHS. In Div. III, the Polar Bears finished at No. 5, while Ashland Crestview (21-1) was No. 8. The Cougars shared the Firelands Conference with St. Paul (16-6) with identical 13-1 records thanks to splitting the two head-to-head meetings. Crestview and Margaretta are also the top two seeds at the Norwalk High School district in the tournament, and could meet in a district semifinal on March 6 at NHS. Hopewell-Loudon (20-2), the SBC River Division champions, moved up two spots to finish at No. 7 in Div. IV. The top-ranked teams in the final poll included Cincinnati Moeller (Div. I), Rocky River Lutheran West (Div. II), Ottawa-Glandorf (Div. III) and Toledo Christian (Div. IV).