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Dawes, Knights Selected 2008-09 Cavs Co-MVPs
Monday 04-06-2009 12:42pm ET
(L to R) James Van Voorhis, Seth Dawes, Ron Smith, Greg VanVolkinburg and Caleb Knights before winning the SEOAL Championship game at Zanesville. Photo by Jim Day wbex.com
While the 2008-09 Chillicothe basketball season didn't have the pomp and circumstance of last year's state championship, but it wasn't a season to forget.
The Cavaliers' basketball awards banquet honored those who helped pave the way to the 2008 title season and three consecutive regional appearances. As guest speaker Mark Francis stated to the six Cavs Seniors, "Chillicothe basketball is back on the map... and we were all witnesses".
The Cavs wrapped up the season 18-6.
In addition to the current crop from that title team, Stu Beverly, a redshirt freshman at Rio Grande returned for the ceremony.
With a group that returned just 20% of its offense from last year's Final Four and Championship team, Coach Gary Kellough and his Cavs defied nay-sayers to return to the Sweet 16, grabbing an SEOAL title along the way.
And they got it done without what some would term "pure" basketball players. Seth Dawes is headed to Xavier on a baseballg scholarship while Caleb Knights is headed to the U.S. Air Force Academy and Ron Smith to Otterbein to play football. Smith and James VanVoorhis are three sport athletes (track and baseball respectively) and Greg VanVolkinburg plans to head to Wisconsin, Michigan or Ohio State to major in Engineering. Jordan Benson played just four games before having season ending shoulder surgery in December. He'll play football at West Liberty State College.
Among them, Dawes, Knights and Smith dominated the statistical categories and worked their way into the Chillicothe All-Time Top 20 spots in an array of categories.
Career Scoring: Dawes (10th) 800 points and Knights (12th) 696 points
Career Rebounding: Dawes (9th) 535 Career Field Goal Percentage: Smith (9th) 49.4% and Dawes (13th) 44.4% Season Field Goal Percentage: Dawes (9th) 52.2% (Jr.) Career Free Throw Percentage: Dawes (8th) 70.7% Season Free Throw Percentage: Dawes (10th) 75% (Jr.), (14th) 71.9% (Sr.), 16th 70.7 (Fr.) Games Played: Dawes (1st) 96, Knights (2nd) 91, Smith (6th) 71
Dawes and Knights were selected Co-MVPs.
The future remains promising for the Cavaliers. Michael Turner returns to help lead the offense. As a junior, Turner averaged 11.4ppg. Also in that mix, sophomore Donte Thompson and Freshman Malik London.
Many second teamers for Chillicothe were on the 13-4 Junior Varsity team which finished with a 9-3 SEOAL mark. Coaches Kellough and Pat Beard explained there's a number of players who can score from this group, but as Beard (a former player for Coach K) stated, "... if you can't play defense, you don't play for Coach K."
That includes, Cameron Lowe, Madison Hitchens, Jalen Ragland, Shay Netter and the Beverly's, Brandon, Landon and Isaac.
NOTES: For the first time in three seasons, Chillicothe will not host a season opening shoot out. Instead, they'll open at home with Xenia... VanVolkinburg and Smith will particiapte in this year's Sertoma All-Star Classic... Bernie Davis' Freshman team finished the season 7-8... The Chillicothe Boys Basketball Club thanked their major sponsors, Roosters, State Farm Insurance Agents Dave Strickland and Susie Natolie and Citizen's National Bank. The sponsors helped defray the costs of new uniforms, shoes, summer camps, charter buses and food for the teams.
Road Ends with 50-42 Loss to Logan Elm
Friday 03-20-2009 12:53am ET
The season came to a close for the Chillicothe Cavaliers in a place where they've had great success the past three years, the Convo in Athens.
Logan Elm earned a 50-42 win and the right to faces Cambridge Saturday afternoon for a trip to the DII Final Four.
Read the story.
Chillicothe was 9-2 in 11 games at the Convo. Three Regional appearances with just two losses (DeSales in 2007 and Logan Elm in 2009).
For seniors Caleb Knights and Seth Dawes, starters since their freshman years, a 74-24 record. The past three seasons, 63-13 and a state championship.
See the Photo Gallery taken by Jim Day, wbex.com.
Logan Elm will play Cambridge Saturday afternoon at 3:00pm.
Long time Chillicotheans may remember Cambridge High School's Tom Boehm. The 75 year old Boehm coached Bishop Flaget in the 1960s and has been a fixture on the Cambridge bench a number years.
 Tom Boehm Cavs-Braves Showdown in Athens
Wednesday 03-18-2009 3:14pm ET
Thursday night's Chillicothe-Logan Elm Regional Semi-Final game is one many fans
across Southern Ohio have anxiously awaited.
The Cavs nipped the Braves in the District Final last year 49-48 after trailing for much of the game, and back in December, Logan Elm returned the favor 55-52 at Hatton Gym.
The game was set up when both teams grabbed District championships at Ohio University's Convocation Center last Thursday night. The winner will face Zanesville District winners Cambridge or Carrollton.
Braves coach Doug Stiverson says his kids are still hungry after cutting down the nets last week. "It's an exciting time for our kids, and at the same time, I got the feeling our kids are still hungry for more." The win was the fourth title in Logan Elm's history, and second in the past four years.
When Chillicothe hosted Logan Elm in December, the two teams were very different. While the Braves were getting used to the driving, slashing style of Southeast District D-2 Player of the Year Brandon Amann and 6'7" post man Logan Hauserman, both transplants from Teays Valley and Adena respectively.
Meanwhile, the Cavs were adjusting to their off and on schedule. Chillicothe had played twice during a 21-day period and coming off their first SEOAL loss in two seasons at Ironton.
Now, three months later, both teams are a good bit different.
Chillicothe's defensive prowess around the basket has been a strength this year, but coach Gary Kellough says the job needs to get done on the offensive boards, too. "We're going to play decent defense, if Mike (Turner), Caleb (Knights) and Seth (Dawes) do their job around the perimeter and Gregg (Vanvolkinburg) and Ronnie (Smith) around the basket, we'll be in good shape"
That's NOT what Doug Stiverson wants to see. "We're definitely going to have to make sure we rebound, no matter what we play defensively, Chillicothe does a great job of crashing the board and getting second opportunities."
Stiverson added the Chillicothe defense creates problems and the Braves will "have to make sure we're getting good shots every time down (the floor)".
Cambridge and Carrollton start the doubleheader at 6:15pm, followed by an 8:00 tip-off for Chillicothe-Logan Elm with the winners meeting Saturday at 3:00pm at the Convo.
If you can't make it to the game, listen in. Coverage on 1490 WBEX and Horizonview Channel 298 begins at 7:45pm.
Cavs-Logan Elm Rematch in Sweet 16
Tuesday 03-17-2009 9:36am ET
The Cavs earned a 57-39 victory in their fifth straight win over Marietta. It's Chillicothe's third consecutive District Championship. Get the story here.  2009 Upper Bracket District Champions, Jim Day, wbex.comCavs Starting Five AP All-Southeast District
Wednesday 03-11-2009 10:55am ET
Post season honors are rolling in for the Chillicothe Cavaliers.
Division II:
First Team... Seth Dawes, Caleb Knights
Second Team... Ron Smith
Honorable Mention... Greg Van Volkinburg and Mike Turner SEOAL players receiving honors: DIVISION II
First Team:
Anthony Tabler, Marietta Second Team:
Kyle Mitchell, Gallia Academy
Jonathan Hebb, Warren
Dylan Newsom, Jackson Third Team:
Zane Eschbaugh, Marietta
Grant Venham, Warren Honorable Mention:
Zach Arnold and Evan Brockmeier, Marietta
Brandon Fivecoait, Warren
Chris Armstrong, Gallia Academy DIVISION III
First Team:
Michael Lamb, Ironton
Anthony Williams, Portsmouth Third Team:
Johnathon Schweickart, Ironton Honorable Mention:
Tim Kochendoerfer, Ironton
Click to see all the players, Boys and Girls. Cavs District Final Tickets on Sale
Monday 03-09-2009 9:44am ET
Tickets for the Chillicothe-Marietta District Championship game went on sale Monday at the Chillicothe Athletic Office.
The tickets are $6 cash only and can be purchased 8:30am until 3:00pm each day.
Tickets will also be sold Tuesday and Thursday evenings in the Hatton Gym Ticket Booth 6:00pm-8:00pm.
Fan are encouraged to wear their Cavalier Blue for the game Friday night at 6:15pm.
Former Cavs Ready For Post Season Play
Monday 03-09-2009 9:38am ET
Former Cavaliers Humpty Hitchens, Ray Chambers and Megan Lee are nearing the end of their freshman seasons. Hitchens has started 28 of Akron's 31 games, including Sunday's 67-63 loss at Kent State. Hitchens scored 13 points. Humpty is averaging 9.2 ppg and 23.5 minutes per game. The Zips (19-12) begin play in the Mid American Conference Men's Tournament at Cleveland's Quicken Loans Arena this Tuesday. Chambers hasn't had as many starts for Cowley Junior College (28-4) in Kansas, but has been a contributor, including a basket that helped the Tigers gain an overtime victory Saturday night, and four points in the KJCCA Region VI championship game played at Wichita State University. Chambers has appeared in 26 of the Tigers games and is averaging 3.5 ppg with 71 rebounds and 12 blocked shots. Lee has appeared in 27 of the 28 games played by Presbyterian College (4-23). The Blue Hose wrap up their regular season Monday night with Coastal Carolina. Then it's on to the Big South Tournament this weekend. Cavs Get Past Warren 73-66
Friday 03-06-2009 10:56am ET
 Caleb Knights pops a 4th Quarter shotGame Photos by Jim Day wbex.comChillicothe made good on their rematch with Warren at Ohio University Thursday night. Back in January, Warren nipped the Cavs 54-53 in an SEOAL division cross over, snapping an 8-game winning streak. This time, Chillicothe faced the Warriors zone defense with pass reversal and penetration... and the free throw shooting was much better. In their first meeting, Chillicothe made just 10 of 22 shots. Thursday night, the Cavs managed 17 of 22 shots from the line. Chillicothe found themselves in trouble early, as Warren jumped out to a 6-0 lead. Then the Cavs went on a 12-2 run and finished the 1st Quarter with a 12-8 lead. The Cavs extended their lead to 31-24 by the half and managed an 11 point lead in the 3rd Quarter. The Warriors would not be denied. Warren's Jonathan Hebb got hot (finishing with 28 points) and pulled to within one after three periods 42-41. Chillicothe watched the Warriors pull ahead 50-44. That's when Chillicothe stepped up. Ron Smith had a strong drive to the basket and was fouled, cutting the lead to three, Gregg VanVolkinburg hit a basket and Michael Turner drained a 3-pointer for a 53-52 lead. After the teams swapped leads, Chillicothe took over with free throws by Caleb Knights and Seth Dawes keeping Warren at bay. Michael Turner led the Chillicothe attack with 20 points, followed by Ron Smith with 18 and Caleb Knights' 17. Chillicothe will face Marietta Friday March 13th at OU for the District title. Marietta advanced to the title game with a 54-36 win over Greenfield McClain.   Gregg VanVolkinburg Michael TurnerBill Riley 2009 Service Award Winner
Wednesday 03-04-2009 8:53am ET
Chillicothe's Bill Riley has been selected as a recipient of the newly-created Southeast District Athletic Board’s Friend of Youth Award. The award is presented annually to an announcer, scorekeeper, or clock operator who has served in their respective capacity for 20+ years. The award will be presented during halftime of the Boys Basketball District Finals (March 13, 2009).
Riley was the announcer for Football and Boys Basketball games for 27 years. He also has been a long-time member of the Cavalier Club, presently serving as President. Riley has also been the coordinator of the concession stand for the Club which opens for Volleyball matches, Basketball games, Wrestling matches and Track meets as well as a tireless worker and coordinator for the Cavalier Club Fish Fry during the fall. Other 2009 Recipients: Karen Yeager, Greenfield McClain
Galen Neal, Hillsboro
Jesse Mount, Whiteoak
Jerry Hawk, Vinton County
John Mitchen, Warren
Larry Baumgard, Warren
Bill Bonar, Marietta
Greg Kroft, Marietta
Oran Adams, Waterford
Robert “Moon” Mullins, Portsmouth West
Pat Gibson, Athens
Mike Null, Symmes Valley
Ralph Hutchinson, Minford
Jim Soulsby, Meigs
Larry McKenzie, Sheridan Cavs Dismantle Mohawks 83-38
Sunday 03-01-2009 7:59pm ET
 Michael Turner scores 20 for CHS
Hear the podcast
Photo Gallery by Jim Day wbex.com
The Chillicothe Cavaliers began their state title defense with a resounding 83-38 thumping of the Northwest Mohawks. The Cavs shot 53% from the field in the Division II Sectional Final at Southeastern High School. The shooting percentage was a product of scoring off of turnovers created by the Chillicothe defense. The Cavs' D forced 27 Mohawks turnovers. Northwest shot well (45%), but Chillicothe outshot the Mohawks 68-31. When Northwest managed to get the ball into the scrimmage area Hank Leslie was the main man, notching 22 points. For the Cavs, Michael Turner poured in 20 points Caleb Knights added 17 and Seth Dawes 12. Chillicothe's victory is their 8th straight post season win dating back to last February, and it sets up a rematch with SEOAL foe Warren next Thursday in the District Semi-Final. Warren stopped an 8 game Chillicothe winning streak on January 23rd in Vincent, Ohio, 54-53. The Warriors got to the Districts with an 84-63 win over Athens Friday night. $6 tickets for the Chillicothe-Warren game will be on sale at the CHS Athletic Office daily from 8:30am to 3:00pm beginning Monday. Game time is slated for 8:00pm with air time on 1490 WBEX at 7:45pm.
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