Knights jump out early, beat DSJ 53-34

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent sports editor

ELIDA — For all intents and purposes, Tuesday night’s Division IV district semifinal game between Crestview and Delphos St. John’s was over in the first quarter.

Using a stifling defense and a balanced offense, the Knights jumped out to an 18-0 advantage and led 20-3 at the end of the period, and while the Blue Jays later made things interesting, Crestview rolled to a 53-34 victory at the Elida Field House.

The No. 1 seed Knights (23-1) will face Kalida Friday night in the district championship game. The Wildcats (19-5) defeated Wayne Trace 54-39 in the second game of the night.

Javin Etzler and Derick Dealey each scored six points in the opening quarter, while Wade Sheets added four. Isaac Fairchild’s trey with 2:12 left in the period accounted for the only points for the Blue Jays.

“You couldn’t have scripted it any better,” Crestview head coach Jeremy Best said of the fast start. “We needed that because we knew Delphos St. John’s is tough, well coached and executes well.”

“It’s certainly not the start you draw up or imagine, but it was kind of our season in a nutshell,” Delphos St. John’s coach Aaron Elwer said. “It was an adversity filled year from the get go with injuries, but we weren’t going to start not competing.”

Delphos St. John’s (16-8) outscored the Knights 15-6 in the second quarter, including halftime buzzer beating triple by Jared Wurst to trim Crestview’s lead to 26-18.

“The play at the end of the second quarter was huge,” Best said. “We went a little too early on our action and they hit a three to cut it to eight, and I was a little worried when we came out in the third quarter that they would take the momentum.

After a layup by Wade Sheets to open the third quarter, a pair of foul shots by Lucas Metcalfe and a right corner trey by Aiden Rode pulled the Blue Jays to within five, 28-23 with 4:50 left. However, the Blue Jays would not score again in the period. Sheets hit a free throw, Kalen Etzler connected on a pair of foul shots and Javin Etzler beat the buzzer with a bucket to extend Crestview’s lead to 10, 33-23.

“You don’t always know how kids are going to respond, but when you have veterans you put a lot of faith that they’ll rally the troops so to speak and really make us (coaches) meaningless on the sideline because they’re the ones playing the game,” Best said. “I think that’s what I was most pleased with.”

Two free throws by Javin Etzler and a layup by Kalen Etzler pushed the advantage to 37-23 a minute into the fourth quarter, and the Knights later went on to use the foul line, going 10 of 12, to keep the Blue Jays at bay.

“There’s a reason they’re 23-1,” Elwer said of the Knights. “You fight back but they have some firepower and they’re not going to give you anything.”

Javin Etzler and Derick Dealey each led Crestview with 14 points, including a 7-for-7 performance from the free throw line by Dealey. Kalen Etzler finished with 11 points and Sheets tallied 10.

Jared Wurst was the only Blue Jay to reach double figures (15).

Friday night’s district championship game against Kalida will tip off at 7 p.m. and the winner will advance to the regional semifinals Tuesday at Bowling Green State University.

Scoring summary

Crestview 20 6 7 20 – 53
St. John’s 3 15 5 11 – 34

Crestview: Kalen Etzler 4-2-11; Wade Sheets 3-4-10; Javin Etzler 6-2-14; Drew Kline 1-0-2; Colton Lautzenheiser 0-1-1; Brant Richardson 0-1-1; Derick Dealey 3-7-14

St. John’s: Lucas Metcalfe 1-3-5; Jared Wurst 4-6-15; Brady Parrish 1-0-2; Aiden Rode 2-0-6; Isaac Fairchild 2-1-6