Ohio Final 4 Preview- Division 1 and 2

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's State Final Four week in Ohio as the state tournament winds down to the state semis which takes place this weekend at different locations across Ohio. The winners will all advance to the state championship games next weekend at UD Arena in Dayton. This week, I will be taking a look at the teams competing in the Final Four, with a look today at the matchups in Division 1 and 2.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>DIVISION 1 STATE SEMIS</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":606563,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/02/IMG_8794.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-606563" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Rocky River Magnificat vs Pickerington Central , Sunday 1pm @ Mansfield Senior HS</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Magnificat advances to the state Final Four for the second consecutive season after being eliminated in the semis last season. Pickerington Central advances to the Final Four for the third consecutive season and the 16th time in school history .The Tigers last won the state title in 2018.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Players to Watch:</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Magnificat</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='319375' first='Julia' last='Hall'], 6-0 2025. Ranked #20 in the last PGH class rankings in November.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='894173' first='Reese' last='Roggenburk'], 6-1 2025. Ranked #27 in the last rankings.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='894202' first='Sofia' last='Wilson'], 5-7 2025. Ranked #80 in the last rankings.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='619439' first='Gemma' last='Wichmann'], 6-0 2026. Ranked #30 in recent 2026 rankings. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='852933' first='Lily' last='Kuhlman'], 5-10 2026. Ranked on the Watch List in recent 2026 rankings.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='812836' first='Avery' last='Maslar'], 5-5 2028. Ranked #23 in the recent 2028 rankings.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Pickerington Central</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='319026' first='Sa'Mahn' last='Johnson'], 5-6 2025. Ranked #18 in last 2025 rankings.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='745432' first='Kennady' last='Gordon'], 5-8 2025. Ranked #37 in last 2025 rankings.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='640502' first='Blossom' last='Wallace'], 6-1 2026. Ranked #8 in recent 2026 rankings. <em>(pictured</em> <em>above)</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='748810' first='London' last='Johnson'], 6-0 2026. Ranked #12 in recent 2026 rankings.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='808257' first='Zoe' last='Coleman'], 5-8 2027. Ranked #8 in recent 2027 rankings. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There are stars and next-level kids eveywhere in this game. Hall is headed to IUPUI after what she hopes is a successful Final Four. Love her intensity and ability to score in a variety of ways. Roggenburk will be attending Stonehill while Wilson will leave Magnificat as the schools all-time assist leader. Keep an eye on the younger kids! Pickerington is also loaded with so many talented players! Johnson is a high prolific scorer with over 1,000 career points and has taken her game to a new level. Gordon is another D1 player heeded to Long Island U. with great handles and can control both ends of the court. The young ones are also eyeing the next level as both Wallace and Johnson are D1 prospects and Coleman continues to compete at a very high level.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":325789,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2021/09/64-Mari-Gerton-scaled.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-325789" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Cincinnati Princeton vs Springboro, Sunday 5pm, Fairfield High School</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ironically, Princeton has been to the state Final Four three times, and they have three state titles. They look to remain perfect against the preseason favorites to win this years gold in Springboro, the defending state runner-up with their top two players back and a kay move-in. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Players to Watch</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Cincinnati Princeton</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='319294' first='Mari' last='Gerton'], 5-7 2025. Ranked #4 in the last 2025 rankings in November. <em>(pictured above)</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='636696' first='Kali' last='Fortson'], 6-2 2025. Ranked #36 in the last 2025 rankings.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='966457' first='Erin' last='Thomas'], 6-3 2028. Ranked #3 in the updated 2028 rankings.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='808260' first='Kiara' last='Harris'], 5-10 2027. Ranked #20 in the updated 2027 rankings.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='640508' first='Heaven' last='Sneed'], 5-5 2026. Ranked #55 in the updated 2026 rankings. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Springboro</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='319321' first='Bryn' last='Martin'], 6-2 2025. Ranked #2 in the last 2025 rankings in November.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='319295' first='Aniya' last='Trent'], 6-1 2025. Ranked #8 in the last 2025 rankings. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='640896' first='McKenzie' last='Jones'], 5-11 2026. Ranked #17 in the recent update.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='319070' first='Ava' last='Wade'], 5-11 2025. Ranked on the Watch List on the last 2025 update.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Princeton has a lot of weapons on both ends of the floor. Gerton is an incredible guard with a lot of flash, headed to Florida State next year. She can do it all with the ball in her hands including explode to the rim. Fortson is a strong physical presence on the boards while Thomas is a freshman who is no longer playing like a freshman (if she ever did!). Love [player_tooltip player_id='319321' first='Bryn' last='Martin']s game, she reminds me a lot of a new-age Katie Smith, the way she can knock down the three, or get downhill to score and draw the foul. She is headed to Washington, while Trent is going to Virginia Tech. Aniya is a powerful player in the paint, great hands and a soft touch to score. The addition of Jones gives them a guard who can push tempo and score in a variety of ways. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":400907,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2022/03/IMG_9723-scaled.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-400907" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>DIVISION 2 STATE SEMIS</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Olmsted Falls vs Whitehouse Anthony Wayne, Sunday 4pm, Mansfield Senior HS</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Omsted Falls are your defending state champions and finished as runner-up the year before. They bring in several key players from last years title team. Anthony Wayne had little trouble in the Northwest Ohio regionals and has some very strong offensive guards looking to lead them to the D2 state title. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Players to Watch</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Olmsted Falls</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='319342' first='Maddie' last='Cerovac'], 5-7 2025. Ranked #62 in the recent 2025 rankings in November.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1229415' first='Jesse' last='Simon'], 5-10 2026. First-Team all-Northeast District</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='812228' first='Emma' last='Schaefer'], 5-11 2027. Ranked #13 in the updated 2027 rankings. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Anthony Wayne</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='319654' first='Elise' last='Bender'], 6-0 2025. Ranked #7 in the recent 2025 rankings in November. <em>(feature photo)</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='319655' first='Brooke' last='Bender'], 5-11 2025. Ranked #16 in the recent 2025 rankings in November.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='538056' first='Leah' last='Pike'], 5-11 2026. Ranked #27 in the latest 2026 update.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cerovac showed a lot of good leadership and has the ability to score from both behind the three-point mark, or around the rim. She can play physical and battle through the defense, finishing at the rim. Simon has good size and is proficient at knocking down the three. Schaefer is a rising sophomore with a good skillset, making her mark. Anthony Wayne bring in the Bender sisters, both heading to Villanova and provide not only leadership, but they are difficult to defend. Add volleyball commit Pike to this talented sister act and Anthony Wayne has their sites set on Dayton. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":1161575,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2025/01/4F3AD383-2362-4924-84AF-E5721E617FC9_1_201_a.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1161575" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Cincinnati Winton Woods vs Sunbury Big Walnut, Sunday 3pm, Vandalia Butler HS</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Winton Woods has a big target on their backs, as they are a perfect 26-0 on the season and have a lot of firepower to lead the charge. Big Walnut is also a team with a lot of weapons, making this one of the most anticipated games in the Final Four!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Winton Woods</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='319301' first='Daniah' last='Trammell'], 6-1 2025. Ranked #9 in the recent 2025 rankings in November. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='745403' first='Ryan' last='Davis'], 6-0 2025. Ranked #60 in the recent 2025 rankings in November.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='966455' first='Dakahri' last='Blankumsee'], 5-10 2028. Ranked #1 in the updated 2028 rankings.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='748813' first='Whitley' last='Davis'], 5-11 2026. Ranked #21 in the updated 2026 rankings. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Big Walnut</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='319045' first='Denza' last='Allen'], 6-1 2025. Ranked #23 in the recent 2025 rankings in November.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='959234' first='Lexi' last='Federer'], 5-8 2026. Ranked #55 in the updated 2026 rankings. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='808253' first='Sydney' last='Mobley'], 6-2 2027. Ranked #1 in the updated 2027 rankings. <em>(feature photo)</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='812225' first='Remy' last='Largent'], 5-10 2027. Ranked #7 in the updated 2027 rankings. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This battle that is coming to Vandalia will be one for the ages! You have the #1 ranked player in 2027 vs the #1 ranked player in 2028! Both teams have D1 talent on the floor. Trammell is headed to Buffalo and has developed into an elite player. Blankumsee can do it all with the ball and will open the eyes of fans this weekend. Mobley is an unstoppable force in the paint and will provide a challenge for her opponent. Largent is also making her way up the rankings in her class!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->