Monday Mailbag: OHSAA and more

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent sports editor

The Monday Mailbag resumes its normal format today with questions about Ottoville boys’ basketball, Van Wert baseball, OHSAA tournament venues and Ohio’s running clock rule in basketball.

Q: How do you think Ottoville would have fared at the state basketball tourmament? Name withheld upon request

A: I think the Big Green would have held their own and perhaps more in Dayton. In my mind, the Division IV field of four was fairly balanced and Ottoville probably would have fit in quite nicely.

It’s a shame they had to face Columbus Grove in the district finals instead of regionals, but that’s the way it happens sometimes.

Q: What are Van Wert’s chances of winning the WBL baseball championship this year? Name withheld upon request

A: After no baseball last spring, the Cougars still have a lot of returning talent and they should be considered contenders.

However, the Western Buckeye League always seems to be a very good one so at this point it’s tough to pinpoint a favorite, but I would say Van Wert could be considered as one of the teams that should be in the mix.

Q: Regarding your comments about it not being a big deal that OHSAA championships be played in Columbus or the central part of the state (I’m paraphrasing here), I think you’re wrong.

Look at last week’s state basketball tournament – one team in Division II practically could have walked to the game while one of the Division I teams was 15 minutes away. How is that remotely fair? It’s practically home court advantage. Isn’t in OHSAA’s duty to find a central venue for these games? Name withheld upon request

A: It’s true, Dayton Chaminade-Julienne had very short drive, 10 minutes or less to UD Arena for the Division II semifinals. It didn’t help them, as they lost to Columbus St. Francis DeSales.

If we apply your argument, what if the state tournament was held in Columbus – would it have been unfair for DeSales to drive just 15 minutes to get to the game, while Chaminade-Julienne drove roughly an hour to get there?

What about Westerville Central? The Warhawks are about 25 minutes from the Schottenstein Center, roughly the same distance as Centerville from UD Arena.

My point was regardless of the location of any state tournament, there’s always a decent possibility that one of the participants is going to be close, or at least a significantly shorter distance than the other team.

It’s the Ohio High School Athletic Association’s job to find suitable venues for state tournament games and events and for various reasons, those are getting harder to come by.

Personally, I think UD Arena is a fine place for the girls’ and boys’ state basketball tournaments and I hope those games remain there for the foreseeable future.

Q: This might be a little late since the season is over but can you explain the mercy rule in Ohio High School basketball? I’ve heard different people say different things about it. Name withheld upon request

A: Certainly, here it is.

The running clock rule, or mercy rule as some call it, goes into effect in the second half if the difference between the two competing teams reaches 35 points.

It remains in effect as long unless the scoring differential falls under 30 points, then normal timing rules apply.

When the running clock rule is in effect, the clock doesn’t stop for anything except a timeout or an injury.

It’s also used exclusively in OHSAA tournament games, not during the regular season and I’m not sure there are any plans to add it to the regular season rules anytime soon.

If you have a question or comment for the next Monday Mailbag, please email it to sports@thevwindependent.com.