Willard hosts Margaretta in huge league title game

You could see it coming. Willard and Margaretta have stood head and shoulders above the rest of the Sandusky Bay Conference Bay Division. So when the Polar Bears topped Willard back on Jan. 9, the sense of the second meeting having huge title implications seemed likely. Both teams have taken care of business, and Friday, they will face off at Bob Haas Gymnasium in the biggest of stakes. The Div. V No. 12 Crimson Flashes (17-2, 8-1 SBC Bay) host Div. V No. 5 Margaretta (17-3, 9-0) in a massive league contest. The Polar Bears have clinched a share of the league title and can win it outright with a win. Willard needs a win to share the league title with Margaretta. Willard won the league championship three years ago while the two teams split the league title two years ago with each winning on the other's home floor. Last year, the Polar Bears won the title with an undefeated record. "I'm excited for our team to play in a meaningful game in February," Willard coach Joe Bedingfield said. "Not every kid gets a chance to play for a piece of a league championship against one of the best teams in the state of Ohio. "Our kids have worked really hard to put themselves in this position, and I'm very proud of them. They deserve all the credit for their hard work and dedication." The first meeting five weeks ago was standing-room only at The Iceberg in Castalia. Margaretta raced out to leads of 13-2 and 18-4 before Willard got back in the game. The Flashes got within 33-25 by halftime and as close as 52-50 in the second half. Margaretta finished the game strong, getting a key 3-pointer from Keiygan Morris and buckets from Julian Washington and Tyson Bailey to win 67-55. "A game like this helps test your kids, and it is a team we can see again in the tournament very soon," Bedingfield said. "The more experience we can gain from playing an athletic team and a well-coached team like Margaretta, the better prepared we will be when the tournament does start. We will need to stay loose and focus on each possession. "We just have to understand it will be a game of runs, and we can't allow them to go on big runs like they are very capable of." Margaretta's three losses have come against some of the top teams in their divisions. The Polar Bears lost to Div. VI No. 11 Colonel Crawford (51-45), Div. IV No. 6 Dayton Northridge (58-55) at Flyin' To The Hoop and Div. III No. 1 Toledo Central Catholic (54-50) at the Tourney Tune-Up. "I think we've prepared by what we've done this year with our schedule," Polar Bears coach Steve Keller said. "Going to Willard is going to be similar to going to Colonel Crawford. We have to understand that in that environment, we live by a saying that we have to be so many points better because we're on the road. We have to be able to weather their storms because they're really skilled." Willard's only other loss came to Div. IV No. 10 Perkins (78-58) on Dec. 6. The Flashes have won eight straight games since the loss to Margaretta. "With Genoa and Margaretta being in the top five of the state in Div. V in Ohio and being in our same pod for the tournament, you couldn't ask for a better test than Friday," Bedingfield said. "Hopefully playing at home gives our kids some confidence to come out and play their best." Sophomore Jaxson Hall paces the Flashes with 21.8 points per game. After a slow start in the first meeting with Margaretta with just four points in the first half, Hall finished with 26 points. Also for Willard, Mason Dawson registers 12 points a night. The Flashes have a third double-digit scorer in freshman JJ Bedingfield, who averages 11.7 points per contest. Willard averages 60.3 points per contest while giving up 51.1 points a game. "They have some young men that can flat-out shoot the basketball and handle the rock," coach Keller said. "It's all about competing for 32 minutes. They're going to make runs. We're going to make runs. They're very good. Let's go make the last run and finish off the ballgame on the road." Margaretta's offense starts and ends with Washington, a 6-foot-5 senior. The Div. I University of Dayton signee scores 25.3 points per game while knocking down a team-high 31 3-pointers. Washington adds 6.1 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 3 steals per game. Washington had a team-high 26 points in the first meeting against Willard. Senior Judah Keller adds 13.1 points, 5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists a night from his point guard position, while junior Kale Bailey contributes 10.1 points and 4.8 rebounds per contest for the Polar Bears. Margaretta is scoring 70.6 points per game while allowing 49.1 points a night. "Margaretta does such a great job in transition, and usually it is because of their ability to turn you over with live ball turnovers that transition into easy layups," Bedingfield said. "We will have to handle their press and value each possession on the offensive end. "We have to limit their second-chance opportunities, which can be a problem because they can rebound at all five positions, which makes it challenging. They are a very unselfish team and do a good job of getting efficient shots, so we will do our best to make them work on the offensive end."