In an exciting turn of events, Dixie Heights and St. Henry have both secured their spots in the 34th District championship game, marking the fourth consecutive season these teams will face each other for the title. St. Henry, the top seed, advanced by defeating Ludlow, while Dixie Heights, the second seed, edged out Lloyd Memorial in a tightly contested match. The championship game is scheduled for Thursday at 7 PM at Lloyd Memorial High School in Erlanger.
In the semifinal clash between Dixie Heights and Lloyd Memorial, Dixie Heights emerged victorious with a final score of 52-39. Leading 27-15 at halftime, Dixie Heights seemed to have the game in control. However, Lloyd Memorial mounted a strong comeback, outscoring Dixie 18-9 in the third quarter and narrowing the gap to just three points at 36-33 as they headed into the final quarter. The atmosphere in Scheben Gymnasium intensified, as the home crowd rallied behind the Juggernauts.
Despite the pressure, Dixie Heights held their composure in the fourth quarter. Coach Joel Steczynski praised his team”s resilience, stating, “They showed a lot of heart and discipline… It”s the nice thing about having a game like tonight heading into Thursday”s championship. We”ll be fresh off a close game.” Lloyd Memorial had faced similar challenges in earlier matches this season and had come back strong, but tonight it was Dixie Heights that prevailed.
Junior Asia Carner played a pivotal role for Dixie Heights, scoring 28 points, including 13 of the team”s 16 points in the final quarter. This performance was particularly special for Carner, as she reached the milestone of 1,000 career points in front of a familiar crowd, having attended Tichenor, Lloyd”s middle school. “It feels great because I went to Tichenor… To accomplish that and do it with my team, it felt great,” Carner expressed.
In contrast, Lloyd Memorial struggled to recover from their early deficit, with Brooklyn Jackson leading her team with 17 points. The Juggernauts finished their season with a record of 14-15, losing four seniors, including three starters.
On the other side of the bracket, St. Henry dominated Ludlow with a convincing 58-38 victory. The Crusaders quickly established a double-digit lead and never looked back. They were ahead 35-14 at halftime and maintained a strong lead throughout the game. Anna Bain led the Crusaders with 16 points, while Joey Powers contributed 15 points to the win. Ludlow ended their season with a record of 13-14, with standout performances from Rylie Meyer and Addy Garrett, who concluded her high school career as the Panthers” all-time leading scorer.
As both teams prepare for the championship, Coach Steczynski remarked, “We know each other pretty well… there”s not much that we do that they don”t know about and not much that they do that we don”t know about.”
