Potter Game Write-up

complete Review Harrison Central article

2/14/12

At Potter Fieldhouse

At Potter Fieldhouse, EL is unbeaten at 10-0

February 15, 2012

By AARON PETCHAL , The Review

EAST LIVERPOOL - For the Potters, there is indeed no place like home.

Keyed by a 9-0 run in the fourth quarter, the No. 2 seed East Liverpool boys' basketball team pulled away for a 51-37 victory Tuesday night over Harrison Central in an OVAC Class AAAA Tournament Semifinal at Potter Fieldhouse.

The Potters improve to 17-2 on the season with the win, and East Liverpool finishes the season a perfect 10-0 inside the friendly confines of the historic Potter Fieldhouse.

"We went undefeated at home, and I told them, 'As far as I can remember I don't remember a team going undefeated at home,' so it is a huge accomplishment," second-year East Liverpool head coach Nate Conley said. "It is something to hold their heads high about, and that's a story they are going to tell for the rest of their lives that, 'Hey, we never lost at home our senior year.'

2/14/12

harrison central

complete Review Harrison Central article

Potters advance to OVAC title game with 51-37 win over HC

February 15, 2012

By AARON PETCHAL , The Review

EAST LIVERPOOL -The Potters are perfect.

The No. 2 seed East Liverpool boys' basketball team ripped off a 9-0 run in the fourth quarter to pull away and defeat Harrison Central, 51-37, Tuesday night in an OVAC Class AAAA Tournament Semifinal at Potter Fieldhouse.

With the win, the No. 8 ranked Potters improve to 17-2 on the season, and the victory enables East Liverpool to finish the season 10-0 at home.

East Liverpool will now play St. Clairsville in the championship game at 5:45 p.m. Saturday down at Ohio University Eastern. St. Clairsville advanced to the final by defeating Steubenville, 62-56, in Tuesday's other semifinal.

The No. 1 seed Red Devils are also 17-2 on the season. The Potters and Red Devils are also the top two teams in the upcoming Ohio Division II Eastern District Sectional Tournament to be played starting Tuesday at OUE.

2/7/12

wellsville

complete Review Wellsville article

Potters to 9-0 at home with 88-71 win over Tigers

February 12, 2012

By AARON PETCHAL (apetchal@reviewonline.com) , The Review

EAST LIVERPOOL - The Potters came alive in the second half.

The East Liverpool boys' basketball team scored 56 points in the second half en route to an 88-71 victory over local-rival Wellsville Saturday night on Senior Night at Potter Fieldhouse.

With the win, the state-ranked Potters improved to 16-2 on the season and 9-0 at home. It also gave East Liverpool the season sweep over Wellsville (10-8).

Two 3-pointers by Camden Douglas gave the Tigers a 35-34 lead in the third quarter, but the rest of the quarter belonged to the Potters as East Liverpool outscored Wellsville, 27-15, in the stanza to build a 59-44 advantage heading into the fourth quarter.

The Potters led by as many as 21 points in the fourth quarter.

2/7/12

beaver local

Potters sweep beavers

CALCUTTA -The Potters completed the sweep.

The East Liverpool girls' and boys' basketball teams rallied to earn victories as part of a doubleheader against local-rival Beaver Local Tuesday night at the Beaver Dome.

The victories gave both East Liverpool teams the season sweep over Beaver Local.

complete Review Beaver Local article

2/4/12

lincoln park

EL lands big win over Lincoln Park, 70-68

February 5, 2012

By AARON PETCHAL (apetchal@reviewonline.com) , The Review

EAST LIVERPOOL - For Potter nation, the hottest ticket in town proved to be well worth the cost of admission.

Marky Thompkins scored a game-high 34 points enabling the East Liverpool boys' basketball team rally from a 13-point deficit in the third quarter to defeat Lincoln Park, 70-68, Saturday night in front of a nearly capacity crowd at historic Potter Fieldhouse.

"Great win. Great win for the whole program," second-year East Liverpool head coach Nate Conley said. "I am proud of these guys. They didn't have the best freshman, sophomore and junior years, and I told them before the game, 'There is a lot of people here, and we are probably not going to have a crowd like this ever again.' I said, 'Embrace it, be proud you are a Potter,' and tonight they did."

With the win, the Potters are now 14-2 on the season. The loss drops the Leopards to 16-4.

Some events fail to live up to the hype. Saturday night's game lived up to, and perhaps exceeded, everyone's expectations.

complete Review Lincoln Park article

complete Review Minerva article

1/31/12

minerva

game photos | swimming senior night photos |

Potters improve to 13-2 with win over Lions, 62-45

February 1, 2012

By AARON PETCHAL (apetchal@reviewonline.com) , The Review

EAST LIVERPOOL - The night was a comfortable one for the Potters.

The East Liverpool boys' basketball team led by double digits for more than three quarters of its game against Minerva en route to a 62-45 victory Tuesday at Potter Fieldhouse.

The No. 7 ranked Potters (13-2) biggest lead of the night was 25 points.

"I thought we played great," East Liverpool head coach Nate Conley said. "We had a little brain fart there at the beginning of the fourth quarter and we turned the ball over, but we had a very-comfortable lead pretty much the whole game.

"Defensive-wise, we got after it. We created 15 steals again tonight. Defensively, we are playing better. It is leading to easy baskets offensively.

"It was good to get Mow Mow (Thompson) back. There is a little rust we have to shake off, but our guards stepped up. Now with the presence back inside, we're really starting to put everything together right now."

1/28/12

oak glen "winter homecoming"

Potters win rematch vs. Bears, 56-29

January 28, 2012

By AARON PETCHAL (apetchal@reviewonline.com) , The Review

complete Review Oak Glen article

EAST LIVERPOOL - The Potters are back on track.

The East Liverpool boys' basketball team used multiple runs to pull away from cross-rival Oak Glen as the Potters defeated the Golden Bears, 56-29, Friday night at Potter Fieldhouse on Winter Homecoming.

The win snapped East Liverpool's two-game losing streak, and the victory gave the Potters (12-2) the season sweep over the Golden Bears. The loss dropped Oak Glen to 2-13.

The Potters ripped of a 12-0 run to end the game as East Liverpool rallied for a 47-40 victory Jan. 14 at the Oak Glen Fieldhouse.

East Liverpool head coach Nate Conley said his team delivered a better performance against the Golden Bears Friday night.

"Yeah, they tried the same thing. They were holding the ball, but this time we weren't going to run around and chase like we did over at Oak Glen," he said. "If they want to keep the game in the single digits, we will. We had the lead, so we were in no hurry to get the ball back. If they wanted to hold it the whole game, we were going to let them.

varsity pics thanks to swish mchoops

1/17/12

west branch

BRANCH BREAKS EL WIN-STREAK

January 18, 2012

By STEPHANIE ELVERD (sports@reviewonline.com) , The Review

complete Review West Branch article

BELOIT - The Potters don't want to get used to this feeling.

East Liverpool suffered its first loss of the season on Tuesday, 51-44, on the road against West Branch.

The Potters (11-1) lost senior Mow Mow Thompson to an ankle injury in the opening quarter and it spelled trouble early.

"We lost Mow Mow in the first quarter," East Liverpool coach Nate Conley said. "They had a 6-8 and 6-4 kid and we didn't have anyone to match up against that. The kids battled and played their hearts out.

Conley said he expected Thompson to miss several games.

"We're going to miss him," he said. "We're going to have to make some major adjustments. We lost a key part of our game plan."

Facing undefeated East Liverpool, West Branch entered the game with one more win than the Warriors had all of last season. After the game, West Branch had bettered last season's wins by two and scored perhaps its biggest victory in years over the fourth-ranked Potters.

"We talked about this game all week," West Branch coach John Hancock said. "It's not everyday you get to play a team that's ranked fourth in the state. This was a game our kids were excited to play and a game they will never forget."

The Warriors were losing by 10 at the half and by as much as 15 in the third, but stormed back to take the lead with two minutes remaining in the game. The Potters could do little to change situation and committed four-straight turnovers after the lead had shifted.

"West Branch did a good job of defending us," Conley said. "They're much bigger than us and it showed in that second half. They just outworked us."

complete Review Oak Glen article

1/14/12

oak glen

unbeaten potters survive scare, 47-40, against determined bears

January 15, 2012

By AARON PETCHAL (apetchal@reviewonline.com) , The Review

GAME PHOTOS

NEW MANCHESTER - The Potters are still standing.

Barely.

The Oak Glen boys' basketball led East Liverpool, 40-35, with 4:46 left to play in the fourth quarter, but the Potters turned up the heat defensively and the Golden Bears wilted under the pressure with multiple costly turnovers in the final minutes down the stretch as East Liverpool ended the game on a 12-0 run to pull out a hard-fought 47-40 victory Saturday night at the Oak Glen Fieldhouse.

"We found a way," second-year East Liverpool head coach Nate Conley said. "I don't know what happened tonight. My hat is off obviously to Oak Glen and Vince (Gilliam). They did a good job preparing for us. They held us to 47 points, and we average close to 80, so it was way under our mark.

"We couldn't shoot the ball. We had some turnovers today that I have never seen, but like I've said, on the road you have got to get in and get out with a win. We are 11-0. We are going to forget about this game. Our goal this week was to win all three road games, and that is what we did, so there is nothing to beat ourselves up about.

"Christian Kyle had a big steal at the end of the game. That is what seniors do. They step up when they have to. They realized toward the end of the game that, 'Hey, Oak Glen can beat us,' and I think we - myself included - maybe took Oak Glen a little lightly but we got the win. That is all that matters right now."

With the win, the No. 6 ranked Potters improved to 11-0 on the season. The loss dropped the Golden Bears to 1-11.

"That is probably the best we have played all year," Oak Glen head coach Vince Gilliam said. "We had 20-something turnovers. That is too many. They were in the backcourt and resulted in layups. I talk about that all the time.

1/13/12

steubenville big red

Potters improve to 10-0 with 76-71 victory over Big Red

January 14, 2012

By AARON PETCHAL (apetchal@reviewonline.com) , The Review

GAME PHOTOS

STEUBENVILLE - The undefeated and state-ranked Potters are going to get everyone's best shot from here on out.

Friday night, they got Steubenville's.

In the end, the Potters converted down the stretch from the charity stripe as East Liverpool held off Big Red, 76-71, at the Crimson Center.

With the win, the Potters are now 10-0 at the midpoint of the season. The loss dropped Big Red to 5-3.

East Liverpool entered the game ranked No. 6 in Ohio Division II in the first Associated Press Poll of the season. The Potters also are on top of the OVAC Class AAAA standings.

"Twenty-plus turnovers, you aren't going to win to many games doing that," East Liverpool coach Nate Conley said. "Luckily, we had a pretty good comfortable lead in the first half. If not, we would have been in trouble, but Steubenville is pretty good. Their record indicates that.

"That freshman, Malik Richmond, is unbelievable. He's so good that we would consider dropping them the next three years, but we are going to get the best of the best now that all of the rankings have come out, and we still have got to prove that we really are that sixth ranked in the state. Every team is going to give us their best.

complete Review Big Red article

varsity pics thanks to swish mchoops

1/6/12

claymont

Potters improve to 9-0 with 60-53 win over Mustangs

January 11, 2012

Review Staff Reports (sports@reviewonline.com) , The Review

CLAYMONT - The Potters got a win the hard way.

East Liverpool battled back from an early deficit Tuesday to earn a hard-fought road win, 60-53, over Claymont.

The win moves the Potters to 9-0 on the season.

"It was a great win," East Liverpool coach Nate Conley said. "Anytime you win on the road against a very good opponent, it's a big win.

"We had to grind this one out. We're not really suited to that style of play, but we're learning how to adapt. Nothing was easy, but we really stepped it up in the fourth quarter."

Claymont jumped out to an early 13-10 after the first quarter of play, but East Liverpool rallied to go into halftime with a two-point advantage.

Brian Beverly paced the Potters in scoring with 18 points.

Mow Mow Thompson finished with 15 points, 10 blocks and four rebounds.

Marky Thompkins added 13 points, while Christian Kyle had seven and Seth Talbott had six points, six rebounds and four steals.

Taylor Wise led the Mustangs with a game-high 21 points.

In reserve play, Claymont won, 58-51. Hayden Cunningham led the Potters with 16 points, followed by Kade Reynolds with 15.

East Liverpool will return to action Friday at Steubenville.

1/6/12

cardinal mooney

Thompkins reaches 1,000 as Potters improve to 8-0

January 7, 2012

By AARON PETCHAL (apetchal@reviewonline.com) , The Review

GAME PHOTOS

EAST LIVERPOOL - Another basket. Another milestone. Another victory.

The East Liverpool boys' basketball team led by as many as 18 points, but the Potters had to withstand one final stand from Cardinal Mooney before securing their eighth straight win to start the season. The Cardinals got as close as seven points in the fourth quarter, but a 6-0 spurt gave the Potters some much-needed breathing room in a 69-58 victory Friday night at Potter Fieldhouse.

"Things went as planned," second-year East Liverpool head coach Nate Conley said. "Cardinal Mooney is not a bad basketball team. He (Cardinal Mooney head coach Chris Kohl) is starting to get some people back from the football program that won states. They are very young but the big boy inside, No. 42 (Doug Caputo), that's an all-state basketball player and we had to make some adjustments in the second half.

"We get up and run down the floor. We're going to give up easy layups like we did tonight, but we give a lot of teams fits with our speed and that is exactly what happened tonight.

With the loss, the Cardinals drop to 2-6 on the season.

In the third quarter, senior standout Marky Thompkins, who finished the game with 14 points, scored a layup with 3:13 left in the quarter to become the latest Potter to surpass the 1,000 point mark in his illustrious career.

"It feels great just to know I scored 1,000 points," Thompkins said. "I reached my goal, and I did it playing with my favorite friends. They are my best friends."

Thompkins has now scored 1,003 points in his career, and his bucket gave the Potters a 51-36 advantage.

East Liverpool led 55-42 entering the fourth quarter.

In the fourth quarter, the Cardinals' George Brandenstein and Demetrius Allen each nailed 3-pointers, and a bucket by Ryan Farragher made the score 57-50, but that was close as the visitors got. A basket by Thompkins sandwiched between two buckets from Mow Mow Thompson built the Potters lead back up to 13 points at 63-50, and the hosts were never threatened again.

"I was never scared because I know all we had to do was buckle down on defense," Conley said. "We got lackadaisical late in the game. You are going to have that when you are up 15-20 points.

"I'm not happy that happened with our seniors, but it is going to happen. That is stuff we are going to have to get used to, but we fought through and we pulled the game out like we did recently."

Thompson and Christian Kyle each contributed 20 points to lead the way for the Potters. Also for East Liverpool, Seth Talbott tallied nine points, Brian Beverly collected two points and Regis Auer recorded two points.

Kyle scored 13 points in the first quarter, and he ended the first half with 18.

"People keep saying, 'What got into that Christian?' That's how Christian plays," Conley said. "He has played like that all season long, but he got easy looks in the beginning just by working hard. I'm not surprised that is how well he did.

"I love the kid. He gives you all he has got every single game. You have to pretty much pick him up off of the locker room floor after a game. That is the type of kid we want in this program, good kid, good grades. He had a tremendous game today, and he really led us in the first half. That is what seniors do."

Caputo tallied a game-high 28 points to lead the way for Cardinal Mooney. Brandenstein ended up with 11 points, and Farragher recorded 10 points.

Five straight points by Kyle put the Potters up 12-6 in the first quarter. The Cardinals closed to within 16-14, but Kyle scored late in the quarter to give East Liverpool an 18-14 lead heading into the second quarter.

In the second stanza, a 3-pointer by Thompkins and a bucket by Thompson gave the Potters a 23-14 advantage. The lead grew to 34-22 on a basket by Thompkins forcing Mooney to call a timeout with 2:46 left to play before halftime.

Thompkins scored a late basket to give East Liverpool a 40-24 lead heading into the locker room at halftime.

The Potters pulled away from the Cardinals in the third quarter.

A basket by Beverly gave the Potters their biggest lead of the game at 42-24. Later, a basket by Thompson made the score 55-38, and East Liverpool led by 13 points heading into the final frame.

"I think we played as a team," Thompkins said. "Christian stepped up when we needed him to, and we came out on top."

The Cardinals won the JV game, 53-42.

Joe Kleeh, Mark Handel and Savion Watt all tallied eight points for the Cardinals. Kade Reynolds delivered a game-high 13 points to lead the way for the Potters. Also for East Liverpool, Hayden Cunningham netted 13 points, and Austin Emmerling ended up with eight points.

Cardinal Mooney's next game will be Tuesday at home against Austintown Fitch.

East Liverpool is scheduled to return to the court Tuesday night at Claymont.

"We have got a tough one Tuesday," Conley said. "Claymont is a very, very good basketball team. we are going to go down there. They have had some great wins this season. I have had a chance to see them play, and I know it is going to take all we got plus some to go down there and win."

The Potters play three games on the road this upcoming week. Friday, East Liverpool plays Steubenville at the Crimson Center before taking on local-rival Oak Glen Saturday at the Oak Glen Fieldhouse.

"We have got three road games against two very-good teams, and then a feisty Oak Glen team," Conley said. "It is going to be a challenge, but I think we are up for it. We are ready to play."

Fact Box

East Liverpool 69, Cardinal Mooney 58

CM (58): Demetrius Allen 2 0-0 5, Ryan Farragher 5 0-0 10, P.J. Quinn 1 0-1 2, Joe DeNiro 0 0-0 0, George Brandenstein 5 0-0 11, Donny Yankie 1 0-0 2, Doug Caputo 11 6-7 28, Joe Kleeh 0 0-0 0. TOTALS: 25 6-8 58.

EL (69): Christian Kyle 9 0-1 20, Regis Auer 1 0-0 2, Mow Mow Thompson 9 2-2 20, Brian Beverly 2 0-0 4, Marky Thompkins 6 1-4 14, Seth Talbott 2 5-5 9. TOTALS: 29 8-12 69.

CM 14-10-18-14 - 58

EL 18-22-15-14 - 69

Three-point field goals: Cardinal Mooney - 2 (Allen, Brandenstein); East Liverpool - 3 (Kyle 2, Thompkins)

12/28/11

HOLIDAY CLASSIC

EL wins Holiday Classic, 53-43, over Northwest

December 29, 2011

By AARON PETCHAL (apetchal@reviewonline.com) , The Review

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME PHOTOS

EAST LIVERPOOL - The battle-tested Potters survived yet another gut check to remain perfect.

The East Liverpool boys' basketball team rallied from a season-high 10-point deficit to defeat Canal Fulton Northwest, 53-43, in the 2011 Potter Holiday Classic Championship Game at Potter Fieldhouse.

With the win, the Potters improved to 7-0 on the season.

East Liverpool ended the game by outscoring Northwest, 25-8, to pull out the victory.

"That's a great win," second-year East Liverpool head coach Nate Conley said. "It's been a long time. It is something we marked on the calendar. I couldn't be anymore happy for our guys and for this area.

"We had a lot of support tonight. It was packed house. Our fans helped us out.

"We struggled in the first half. In that second half, we always say we get to that fourth quarter we are in better shape than a lot of teams, and we proved it tonight."

The Potters outscored the Indians, 21-6, in the fourth quarter, and East Liverpool held Northwest without a field goal for more than eight minutes. A basket by Dan May gave the visitors a 35-28 lead, but the rest of the game belonged to the Potters.

May's basket was the last the Indians scored until there was less than 45 seconds to play in the game.

"We were down 10, and that is the nice thing is we were able to stay poised and under control and know that no deficit is too big when their is time on the clock," Conley. "We chipped and chipped and chipped."

Three Potters scored in double digits in the game.

Mow Mow Thompson netted a game-high 14 points, Christian Kyle contributed 12 points and Brian Beverly recorded 11 points. Also for East Liverpool, Marky Thompkins and Seth Talbott each tallied eight points.

Two players scored in double figures for the Indians. Ryan Brotherton netted a team-high 13 points, and Mike Millard delivered 11 points.

East Liverpool opened the scoring in the fourth quarter on a 3-pointer by Seth Talbott. The 3-pointer pulled the Potters to within 37-35.

"That was a giant shot by Seth Talbott," Conley said. "That was one of the biggest shots of the year so far. That really gave us a spark, and then we just started playing from there."

A basket by Thompson tied the score at 37 with 4:28 left to play, and then a layup by Thompkins put the Potters up 39-37 with 3:36 left. The lead was the Potters first since a basket by Beverly made the score 2-0.

Another basket by Thompkins made the score 41-37 with 3:01 play. The bucket capped an 11-0 East Liverpool run.

Four foul shots extended East Liverpool's lead to 47-41 before Millard made Northwest's first field goal of the quarter with 44.2 seconds showing on the clock making the score 47-43.

"Defensively, we are led by Seth Talbott," Conley said. "He's an animal on defense. He gets us going, and then Marky, Christian and the rest of the guys picked it up.

"It was a beautiful-team effort in the second half. Not the first half, and the scary thing is we haven't put together a full-four quarters yet. That is something we have to work on, but it is till early on in the season. I am happy for our guys."

The Potters - with the help of a couple of key plays by Thompkins - put the game away at the free-throw line as the hosts scored the game's final six points to seal the deal.

Beverly converted a foul shot making the score 48-43, but he missed the second one, however, Thompkins was able to grab the rebound keeping the Potters in possession of the ball. Kyle ended up being fouled, and he calmly sank to shots from the charity stripe making the score 50-43.

Then, Thompkins dove on the floor to steal the Indians inbound pass, and the senior called a timeout keeping the ball in his team's possession.

"That steal was big when we are only up a few with seconds to go," Conley said. "He gets a steal, we get a timeout, and we are pretty good foul shooters so we are able to ice it.

"He stepped up. All of the guys stepped up. I am happy for the seniors. They have had a rough journey, and for them to come out on top tonight, hopefully it is just the beginning."

Two foul shots by Thompkins, and another by Beverly wrapped up the scoring.

An 8-0 run gave the Indians an 8-2 lead, and the lead grew to 10-3 on a basket by Millard. The Potters answered with a 6-0 spurt to pull within 10-9. The Indians led 17-11 after the first quarter.

In the second quarter, a bucket by Riley gave Northwest a 21-11 lead forcing an East Liverpool timeout with 6:19 left to play in the first half.

The Potters began chipping away at their deficit until Thompkins scored to give east Liverpool the lead just past the midway point of the fourth quarter.

Northwest led 26-21 at halftime.

In the third quarter, Thompkins' first basket of the game pulled the Potters to within 31-28. The Indians fought back to take a 7-point lead on May's basket, but Northwest was unable to hold off East Liverpool.

The Indians led 37-32 entering the fourth quarter.

Youngstown Ursuline defeated Vermilion, 62-51, in the consolation game.

Four players scored in double digits for the Irish. Ryan Strollo tallied a team-high 15 points to lead the way. Also, Jalen Lowe and Kevin Jackson each netted 12 points and Chris Gunther recorded 10 points.

Two players scored in double figures for the Sailors. Cameron Kuhn contributed a game-high 19 points, and Anthony Rini netted 14 points.

The Irish led 17-7 after the first quarter, and they did not look back. Ursuline led 33-18 at halftime. In the third quarter, Vermilion equaled its offensive output of the first with 18 points. Unfortunately for the Sailors, the Irish also scored 18 points in the stanza to take a 51-36 lead into the fourth quarter.

"I thought it was great," Conley said about the tournament. "Northwest is a great team. They have got a team that could go far in the state playoffs. Ursuline came to play today. They played well today. Vermilion is scrappy. They have got some shooters on that team. They are one guy away from being a very-good team.

"Northwest is going to make some noise in the playoffs. That is why it is a great win for our program."

Ursuline won the consolation game last year.

Akron Buchtel defeated Ursuline in the fist semifinal of the tournament, and then East Liverpool defeated local-rival Beaver Local to advance to the championship game. In the end, the Griffins came out on top of the Potters.

The trophy presentation as well as the announcement of the all-tournament team and the tournament MVP came after the conclusion of the game.

Four players who played in the championship game were named to the team. For East Liverpool, Beverly, Thompkins and Thompson all received the award. Riley was honored for the Indians. The Sailors' Kuhn was also named to the team.

Beverly was named the tournament's MVP.

Former East Liverpool head coach Nick Aloi was in attendance Wednesday as was his longtime assistant coach Gary Woods. Woods currently serves as the athletic director at Northwest.

East Liverpool is scheduled to return to the court Tuesday night against Minvera back at Potter Fieldhouse.

Notes: Thompson netted a game-high 33 points, and Thompkins scored 31 points in East Liverpool's 10-7-79 victory over Beaver Local Dec. 13 at Potter Fieldhouse. It is believed the duo became the first pair of Potter teammates to score 30 points in the same game.

fact box

East Liverpool 53, Northwest 43

NW (43): Cody Fink 1 2-2 4, Nick Riley 3 0-4 6, Ryan Brotherton 3 4-4 13, Dan May 2 0-0 4, Brandon Freeman 0 0-0 0, Kyle Stover 0 0-0 0, Carlos LeBron 1 2-2 5, Mike Millard 5 1-2 11. Totals: 15 9-14 43.

EL (53): Christian Kyle 4 4- 12, Regis Auer 0 0-0 0, Mow Mow Thompson 4 6-8 14, Brian Beverly 3 4-6 11, Marky Thompkins 3 2-2 8, Seth Talbott 2 3-4 8.

NW 17-09-11-06 - 43

EL 11-10-11-21 - 53

Three-point field goals: Northwest - 4 (Brotherton 3, LeBron); East Liverpool - 2 (Beverly, Talbott)

pics thanks to swish mchoops

12/28/11

HOLIDAY CLASSIC

EL moves on to finals of Holiday Classic with 71-60 win vs Vermilion

December 28, 2011

By AARON PETCHAL (apetchal@reviewonline.com) , The Review

EAST LIVERPOOL -The Potters were not at their best Tuesday night.

In the end, the East Liverpool boys' basketball team found away to remain perfect on the season with a 71-60 victory over Vermilion in the second semifinal of the night at the annual Potter Holiday Classic at Potter Fieldhouse.

With the win, the Potters remained perfect at 6-0 on the season.

"We have been struggling, I will be honest with you," second-year East Liverpool head coach Nate Conley said. "I don't know what it is. I think it has something to do with our long layoffs. We have been playing a game every seven days. We are just having a tough time staying focused. I'm trying to come up with new things at practice.

"Once again, we couldn't kick the ball into the ocean from the beach. We're just struggling offensively. Defensively, we picked it up in the second half. We started moving the ball. Don't get me wrong, Vermilion came in here and they wanted to win the basketball game, so it was actually a pretty good win."

East Liverpool will now play Canal Fulton Northwest in the tournament final tonight. Northwest advanced to the final by defeating Youngstown Urusline, 68-45, in Tuesday's first semifinal matchup.

The Irish will take on the Sailors in the consolation game at 6 p.m. The game between the Potters and Indians will follow.

The Potters used a balanced-offensive attack to upend the Sailors. Four East Liverpool players ended the game in double digits.

Senior Mow Mow Thompson, who entered the game leading the local area in scoring at 23 points per game, once again led the way for the Potters with a game-high 22 points. Also for the victors, Christian Kyle contributed 18 points, and Marky Thompkins netted 12 points. Finally, Seth Talbott tallied eight points, Brian Beverly collected seven points and Regis Auer recorded four points.

"We knew very little about them," Conley said about the Sailors. "Coach (Scott) Rogers, my assistant, did a good job of scouting them. We knew that they were streaky shooters, and they showed it. Their No. 30 he is a very-good basketball player, and he gave us everything he had, but we came out on top.

"We have got a lot of things we will still need to work on, but we have got a very-tough challenge tomorrow with Northwest."

Cameron Kuhn netted a team-high 18 points to lead the way for Vermilion.

The Potters were able to gain some distance from the Sailors in the second half.

East Liverpool led 18-15 at the end of the first quarter, and the host led just 31-29 at halftime. The Potters outscored the Sailors, 41-31, in the second half to pull out the victory.

Conley said he is glad the championship game is today.

"We need to get going," he said. "We have practiced and practiced and practiced and practiced, so it's time that we man up, we tie our shoes and we get on the floor and we win this championship. It's been almost 12 years, so we are hungry for it, and we are ready for a win."

Northwest had an easier time with Ursuline.

The Indians scored in double digits in all four quarters. Northwest led 13-9 after the first quarter, and the Indians increased their lead over the Irish to 35-21 at the half. Northwest outscored Urusline, 33-24 in the second half.

"We had a little slow start, and I was pretty nervous there about how we got out of the gate, but then we woke up and played some good basketball," Northwest head coach Mike Lower said.

Three players scored in double figures for the Indians. Nick Riley recorded a game-high 17 points to lead the way. Also, Ryan Brotherton netted 15 points, and Dan May delivered 10 points.

"Our athletic director (Gary Woods) was with Coach (Nick) Aloi down here for I don't know how many years, and we are an independent for the first time too, so we are looking for game," Lower said. "This so far, so good.

"We play in a couple of these, and we treat it as a tournament atmosphere. You have to travel and go to a neutral site. You get on a big floor with a nice atmosphere, so that's the way we approach it. I think it is good for the kids."

Ryan Stroller collected 13 points to lead the way for the Irish, and Kevin Jackson netted 12 points.

Last year, Akron Buchtel defeated Ursuline in the first semifinal of the tournament, and East Liverpool defeated Beaver Local. The Irish defeated the Beavers in the consolation game, and the Griffins defeated the Potters to win the championship.

fact box

East Liverpool 71, Vermilion 60

VE (60): Jordan Gillespie 1 2-2 4, Ross Lewis 4 0-0 11, Austin Kazner 0 0-2 0, Ryan Miler 3 1-3 7, Anthony Rini 6 0-0 16, Cameron Kuhn 8 0-0 18, Chris Yates 1 0-2 2, Joe Karres 0 2-2 2. Totals: 23 5-11 60.

EL (71): Christian Kyle 8 2-6 18, Regis Auer 2 0-0 4, Mow Mow Thompson 8 6-6 22, Brian Beverly 1 5-6 7, Marky Thompkins 5 2-3 12, Seth Talbott 2 4-4 8. Totals: 19-25-17.

VE 15-14-16-15 - 60

EL 18-12-20-21 - 71

Three-point field goals: Vermilion - 9 (Rini 4, Lewis 3, Kuhn 2)

varsity pics thanks to swish mchoops

12/23/11

Potters move to 5-0 with win over Tigers

December 23, 2011

By AARON PETCHAL (apetchal@reviewonline.com) , The Review

WELLSVILLE - The Potters remain perfect.

The East Liverpool boys' basketball team capped the third quarter with a game-changing 12-0 run en route to a 80-65 victory Thursday night at Columbiana County rival Wellsville.

With the win, the Potters are now 5-0 on the season.

"Wellsville, they were prepared," second-year East Liverpool head coach Nate Conley said. "They are a young team. They came in and gave us all we had.

"We played pretty bad. All three phases of the game transition, defense, offense - it was one of the worst games I have seen dating back to last year, but good teams find a way to win. I told them, 'On the road, what you have got to do is get in and get out with a win,' and that is what we did today.

"We faced some adversity, and I was glad we fought through and actually got a pretty comfortable lead, and we kind of cruised toward the end of the game."

The loss drops the Tigers to 3-4. Wellsville has lost three straight games since getting off to a 3-1 start to the season.

"We let it get away," Wellsville head coach Bug Thompson said.

The Tigers never got closer than 10 points in the fourth quarter.

'Yeah, they put it way," Thompson said. "They took care of business like they had to, but my kids well. I thought we played hard most of the time.

"We made some mental mistakes, which you are going to get with a young team. They think they are good. They're not good. They are decent players, but they are going to be good if they stay at it."

Four of the Potters five senior starters scored in double digits.

Brian Beverly led the way with a career-high 27 points to go along with 10 steals. Also for East Liverpool, Mow Mow Thompson netted 18 points, Marky Thompkins tallied a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds and Christian Kyle contributed 14 points. Finally, Hayden Cunningham collected five points, and Regis Auer and Seth Talbott each ended up with one point.

Three players scored in double digits for the Tigers. Senior captain Josh Carter and sophomore Camden Douglas each contributed 17 points, and Seth Bradford delivered 14. Bradford and Carter each collected a double-double. Bradford grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds, and Carter pulled down 10. Bradford added two steals.

Also for Wellsville, Nate Scott tallied nine points, Jordan Sloan netted five points to go along with seven assists and two steals and Brendon Carr recorded two points and four assists. Finally, Tim Thrasher ended up with one point.

While Conley has six seniors at his disposal, Carter is the lone senior on the Tigers' roster.

"There were times when we had five sophomores on the floor," Thompson said. "It is high school basketball. Grade doesn't make a difference. You have got to come to compete if you want to play."

The two teams traded runs in the first quarter. A 6-0 run by Wellsville gave the Tigers an 11-7 lead, but East Liverpool answered with a 9-0 run take a 16-11 lead. The Potters led 21-16 at the end of the quarter.

The back-and-forth play continued in the second quarter, but the up-tempo play came to a screeching halt as several fouls were called in the stanza.

A basket by Carter capped an 8-0 giving the Tigers a 22-21 lead. With Wellsville up 27-26, the next nine points in the game all came at the free-throw line. Next, a 6-0 run by the Potters gave East Liverpool a 36-32 lead, and the visitors led 40-37 at halftime.

The two teams combined to shoot 53 foul shots in the game. East Liverpool ended up 24-of-33 from the charity stripe, while Wellsville finished the night 14-of-20.

It was a typical hard-fought rivalry game.

"Yeah, I like playing down here," Conley said. "I have got the utmost respect for Coach Thompson. He does a great job with his staff, and I don't care what five he puts out there, I don't care if they are 8th graders, he is going to come and he is going to be ready to play.

"Playing in their building, you are never just going to walk in there...they are not going to lay down and let us win by 30 or 40 points, but if was a comfortable win at the end. I'm proud of our guys."

Neither team was able to build much of an advantage for most of the third quarter, however, the Potters were finally able to turn the tide in their direction.

A 3-pointer by Kyle gave the Potters a 48-43 lead, but the Tigers fought back. A basket closed the gap to 52-50, but East Liverpool's 12-point surge gave the victors a 64-50 lead heading into the fourth.

East Liverpool won the JV game, 52-46. Kade Reynolds recorded a game-high 30 points to lead the way for the Potters. Thrasher recorded 14 points to lead the way for the Tigers.

East Liverpool returns to the court Tuesday in the annual Potter Holiday Classic at Potter Fieldhouse. Youngstown Ursuline, Vermilion and Canal Fulton Northwest will be participating in this year's two-day tournament.

Wellsville is scheduled to return to the court Jan. 6 at home against Western Reserve.

The Potters and Tigers meet again Feb. 11 at Potter Fieldhouse. The two teams split last season with both teams winning on their home court.

fact box

East Liverpool 80, Wellsville 65

EL (80): Christian Kyle 4 5-8 14, Regis Auer 0 1-2 1, Hayden Cunningham 2 0-0 5, Mow Mow Thompson 7 4-4 18, Brian Beverly 9 7-9 27, Marky Thompkins 4 6-8 14, Seth Talbott 0 1-2 1, Peyton Newlun 0 0-0 0. Totals: 26 24-33 80.

WE (65): Camden Douglas 5 4-4 17, Nate Scott 2 4-4 9, Antonio Fultz 0 0-0 0, Seth Bradford 6 2-2 14, Brendon Carr 1 0-0 2, Jordan Sloan 2 0-1 5, Tim Thrasher 0 1-3 1, Sam McIntosh 0 0-0 0, Josh Carter 7 3-6 17. Totals: 23 14-20 65.

EL 21-19-24-16 - 80

WE 18-19-13-15 - 65

Three-point field goals: East Liverpool - 4 (Beverly 2, Kyle Cunningham); Wellsville - 5 (Douglas 3, Scott, Sloan)

12/21/11

Potters topple Quakers

December 21, 2011

By STEPHANIE ELVERD (sports@reviewonline.com)

varsity pics thanks to swish mchoops

Additional Salem Photos by Richard Coleman from Salem

SALEM - Salem led by three after one quarter and trailed by just two at the half, but undefeated East Liverpool pulled away in the third before putting the Quakers away in the fourth. The Potters outscored Salem 41-30 in the last two quarters en route to a 74-61 win - their fourth of the season - at the John C. Cabas Gymnasium on Tuesday.

"We always say that if it's a close game heading into the fourth we're in good shape," East Liverpool head coach Nate Conley said. "Our practices are harder than any game we play. We're well conditioned and in good shape. If it's close in the fourth, we know we'll be OK."

A rash of Salem turnovers coupled by missed shots late in the third and heading into the fourth ultimately opened the door for the Potters.

"We had that bad stretch," Salem head coach Rich Hart said. "We had too many turnovers and too many missed shots. That's what we have to work on - taking care of the basketball and getting better shots."

In the first quarter, half of the Quakers attempts went in. Salem was 7-of-14 from the field. They scored 20 points, four 3-pointers included, and were led by Ryan Bush who dropped in eight in the opening frame. He would score four more in the second quarter to have a game-leading 12 at the half.

"Bush lit us up in the that first half," Conley said. "He's a good player and Salem is a good team. They battled. They weren't going to lay down for East Liverpool and they showed it."

Trent Kenreigh added five points with a 3-pointer in the first quarter, and Zach Ecomomous came off the bench and drained a trey himself just as the buzzer sounded to end the opening period.

East Liverpool garnered 17 points in the first quarter with a 5-of-12 outing from the field. They dropped in three 3-pointers of their own. Seth Talbott dropped in two of the bonus goals and Brian Beverly hit one.

The second quarter was won by the Potters, who outdid the Quakers, 16-1. Mow Mow Thompson led the charge with seven second-quarter points. Marky Thompkins scored six and Beverly added another 3-pointer.

Salem began to give the ball away in the second frame, committing seven turnovers, but a 9-of-13 performance at the line kept the Potters from expanding their lead past four.

The Potters were up 33-31 at the break.

"I knew coming in both teams were going to put up points," Conley said. "I expected that first half. They came in averaging 70 points in a game and we we're averaging 80, so I knew it was going to be a fast-paced. Salem was able to slow it down in the first half and their size inside hurt us a bit."

The Quakers outside shooting slowed down in the third quarter and completely stalled in the fourth, but Salem's inside presence kept the team fighting. Bush managed just two points in the second half to register 14 total. Kenreigh scored six in the third, but was shut out in the fourth. He finished with 11 points. Post player Anthony Shivers picked up the slack and came up with 16 second-half points. He was a perfect 8-of-8 at the line and tallied a game-high 18 points. He also hauled down seven rebounds. Max Wolfgang led with 10 boards.

"Anthony Shivers had a great second-half," Hart said. "He made some inside shots and drew fouls. I was happy with him and happy with Zach Ecomomous' big play at the end of the first quarter. I was happy with the entire team. I really thought we played well. Liverpool is a good team. I'm pleased with the way we played tonight and pleased with our effort. We just had that bad stretch. We need to do better with our possessions and get better looks. If we improve on that, we'll be O.K."

Beverly and Thompson tied for a Potter-high 17 points. Marky Thompkins scored 15 and Christian Kyle chipped in 10 points to the winning cause.

The J.V. Potters also walked away with a win, topping Salem 59-43.

Salem next hosts Minerva on Friday before enjoying a seven-day break.

"We have Minerva and it's a chance to even things up," Hart said of his his 2-3 team.

The Potters play Wellsville at Wellsville on Thursday.

fact box

East Liverpool 74, Salem 61

EL (74): Christian Kyle 4 2 11, Regis Auer 4 0 8, Mow Mow Thompson 8 1 17, Brian Beverly 6 2 17, Marky Thompkins 3 9 15, Seth Talbot 2 0 6. Totals: 27 14-22 74.

SA (61): Ryan Bush 5 2 14, Trent Kenreigh 4 2 11, Brenden Webb 2 2 6, Zack Wukotich 1 0 3, Zach Ecomomous 1 1 3, Max Wolfgang 1 3 5, Anthony Shivers 5 8 18. Totals: 19 18-25 61.

EL 17-16-20-21 - 74

SA 20-11-15-15 - 61

Three-point field goals: East Liverpool - 6 (Beverly 3, Talbot 2, Kyle); Salem - 5 (Bush 2, Kenreigh, Wukotich, Ecomomous).

12/12/11

BEAVER LOCAL

GAME PHOTOS

EL cruises to 107-79 victory over rival BL

December 14, 2011

By AARON PETCHAL (apetchal@reviewonline.com) , The Review

EAST LIVERPOOL -The Potters ran away from the Beavers.

The East Liverpool boys' basketball team eclipsed the 100-point mark for the first time this season en route to a 107-79 victory over local-rival Beaver Local Tuesday night at Potter Fieldhouse.

With the win, the Potters improved to 3-0 on the season. The loss dropped the Beavers to 1-3.

"Yeah, it was great start," second-year East Liverpool head coach Nate Conley said. "That is what we want to do. We want to get out and run. We knew that they would have trouble running with this, and we wanted to dictate the tempo.

"All week long we heard of how hard Beaver Local works and they are the hardest working team in the area and they are gritty and they are nasty, and our kids wanted to prove that even though Beaver Local does work hard, East Liverpool is the hardest-working team in the area and we came out here and we proved it."

East Liverpool jumped out to a 13-2 lead, and Beaver Local wasn't able to recover.

"Yeah, they have a lot of offensive weapons and play that fast style," Beaver Local head coach Jake Walgate said. "That is what we were expecting. We had a few miscues there in the beginning, and we just have to play through that."

Four Potters scored in double digits helping East Liverpool to reach triple digits on the scoreboard.

Mow Mow Thompson netted a game-high 33 points, Mark Thompkins scored 31 points and Brian Beverly and Christian Kyle each contributed 16 points.

Also, Seth Talbott tallied five points, and Hayden Cunningham, Peyton Newlun and Austin Emmerling all added two points.

Four players also scored in double figures for the Beavers.

Troy Hudson netted a team-high 19 points, Zack Mick and Cody Reese each contributed 11 points and Ryan Smith tallied 10 points.

Also, Nick Miller recorded eight points, Kevin Sevey and Jake Allen each collected six points and Brandon Fetty finished with two points. Finally, Matt Chamberlain ended up with one point.

The Potters' pressure gave the Beavers problems throughout the game.

"We forced a lot of turnovers, and we knew with our pressure that we know we are going to give up some easy layups and jump shots just because of the way we play," Conley said. "We got out and we pressured them, and our pressure really dictated the game. We got a lot of easy layups from Mow Mow, Marky and Christian, all of those guys got easy layups.

"Once you get some easy layups and some easy points, everything else just falls into place."

East Liverpool led 26-12 after the first quarter.

"Yeah, it gave us some problems," Walgate said about East Liverpool's pressure defense. "There was a big crowd, big student sections and there was a lot of hype to the game, and I don't know if we came out a little antsy or what but definitely something did it.

"Their press is a nice press. They get after you. They get up on top of you. They do a lot of nice things. We just have got to learn to play through that."

A bucket by Beverly gave the Potters a 45-22 lead in the second quarter. Miller drained a 3-pointer as time expired in the first half making the score 54-33.

Beaver Local played a strong third quarter. The Beavers shot the ball well from the outside as the visitors hit four 3-pointers in the quarter, and a three-point play by Hudson pulled the Beavers to within 69-55.

"We scored a lot of points, and we shot the ball nice," Walgate said. "There is nothing to be ashamed of there. We just have got to make sure we cut down our turnovers and don't get too caught up in things that are going on.

"We can control what Beaver Local does. Nothing else. We have got to play through some things and protect that basketball."

The 14-point deficit was as close as the Beavers would get the rest of the way.

"They are going to wide open looks," Conley said. "They are going to get some wide open looks just by the way we play defense. I mean, we will live with those guys shooting those 3-point shots. They banked in a few shots.

"I give them credit. Beaver Local kept fighting, but we outworked them, and that was our goal all year, to outwork every single team so far."

East Liverpool led 79-57 entering the fourth quarter.

Conley said the Beavers did what we thought they would do against his team.

"We have seen them play, and we watched film from last year," he said. "We knew they were going to try and run a little 1-3-1. I really thought he would try a little 2-2-1 to slow us up, but on defense we caused so many turnovers it was tough for them to settle into their defense and that is really what we wanted to do. That was our gameplan. We came in, and we did what we had to do."

A basket by Thompson enabled East Liverpool to surpass the century mark. The bucket made the score 101-64 about midway through the quarter.

East Liverpool won the JV game, 52-48.

Kade Reynolds delivered 12 points, and Cunningham contributed 11 points for the Potters. Fetty tallied 10 points for the Beavers.

Beaver Local is scheduled to return to the court Thursday against Howland at the Beaver Dome. East Liverpool will play Tuesday at Salem.

fact box

East Liverpool 107, Beaver Local 79

BL (79): Cody Dawson 2 0-2 5, Cody Reese 4 0-0 11, Brandon Fetty 0 2-2 2, Nick Miller 3 0-0 8, Troy Hudson 6 4-5 19, Kevin Sevey 3 0-0 6, Ryan Smith 4 2-4 10, Zack Mick 4 3-3 11, Jake Allen 2 2-3 6, Matt Chamberlain 0 1-2 1. Totals: 28 14-21 79.

EL (107): Christian Kyle 7 1-1 16, D.J. Austin 0 0-0 0, Regis Auer 0 0-0 0, Hayden Cunningham 1 0-0 2, Mow Mow Thompson 15 3-3 33, Brian Beverly 7 0-0 16, Marky Thompkins 12 4-6 31, Seth Talbott 2 0-0 5, Peyton Newlun 1 0-0 2, Austin Emmerling 1 0-0 2. Totals: 46 8-10 107.

BL 12-21-24-22 - 79

EL 26-28-24-28 - 107

Three-point field goals: Beaver Local - 9 (Reese 3, Hudson 3, Miller 2, Dawson); East Liverpool - 7 (Thompkins 3, Beverly 2, Kyle, Talbott)

12/6/11

CARROLLTON

GAME PHOTOS

Potters lead wire-to-wire for win No. 2, 65-57, vs. Warriors

December 7, 2011

By AARON PETCHAL (apetchal@reviewonline.com) , The Review

EAST LIVERPOOL - The Potters fast start continued Tuesday night.

The East Liverpool boys' basketball team led from start to finish en route to a 65-57 victory over visiting Carrollton at Potter Fieldhouse.

With the win, the Potters are now 2-0 on the season. The loss drops the Warriors to 0-2.

East Liverpool led Carrollton, 12-4, in the first quarter, and the Potters extended their lead to 31-18 late in the second quarter.

"It was a good start," East Liverpool coach Nate Conley said. "Obviously, we didn't play our best. We were 3-of-18 from the 3-point line, but we grinded to a victory. It was an old-fashioned dogfight, and last year at this time, I can't say we would have come out on top, but this year we finished the basketball game."

The Warriors were down by double digits at halftime, but Carrollton shot itself back into the game. The visitors scored the first eight points of the third quarter and the Warriors hit four 3-pointers in the stanza to pull within five points, but that is as close as the Warriors would get the rest of the way.

"We gave up a lot of run-outs, and that is something that they exposed our defensive transition," Carrollton head coach Matt Voll said. "They are athletic. They run the floor well, and they are balanced. They finished well.

"I think we got settled in to start of that third quarter , I was proud that we got back up and competed hard. I think we cut it to a one-possession game, and they responded like a good team does.

"It's a learning process with our young team, but we were very excited about our possibilities once we get more comfortable. It was our first road game, and it was against a very-good team, so I think we have a lot to build on. I am obviously disappointed in our loss, but at the same time I think there are a lot of teachable moments that occurred that we can improve and go back and work on."

Conley said he knew the Warriors would not go away quietly into the night.

"I know that Carrollton lost a few players from last year, but let's not make any mistake, they went to the regional finals last year," he said. They are a good basketball team. Their big man (Steven Ericksen), he is a big-time Division I football recruit. He is going at least 300 pounds and we don't have a kid over 6-foot-3, but Mow Mow Thompson held his ground and played as hard as you could possibly play with their guards digging. That is a grind out win, and that is we need. You aren't going to blow out every team. You're not going to have 30-point, 40-point victories. You have to learn how to win. That is why I am glad this happened, so we got it out of the way early."

East Liverpool was balanced on the offensive end. Three players scored in double digits for the Potters.

Thompson netted a game-high 24 points to lead the way, Marky Thompkins scored 16 points and Christian Kyle contributed 10 points. Also, Brian Beverly recorded seven points, Seth Talbott tallied six points and Hayden Cunningham chipped in with two points.

"It is going to be balanced attack," Conely said. "Sometimes, I don't even know who leads us in scoring. Mow Mow had the soft touch going again.

"We just couldn't hit the broad side of the barn from 3. You are going to have those games, but we buckled down. We got some easy layups at the end, and we got out of here with a victory."

Kyle, Beverly and Talbott all hit shots from beyond the arc for the Potters.

"I just think we struggled from the 3-point line, which is rare because we are a pretty-good shooting team," Conley said. "We forced a lot of 3-pointers. We want to play inside-out. We're athletic enough that we can take the ball to the hole, and we settled for a lot of 3s. That is what I told them in a few of the timeouts. We were settling instead of using our athletic ability to get to the bucket, drawing fouls and getting to the foul line."

While the Potters struggled from the 3-point line, the Warriors shot the ball fairly well from beyond the arc. Carrollton connected on nine 3-pointers in the game.

Ericksen and Andrew Collins formed a nice inside-outside combination for the Warriors. Collins, who hit six 3-pointers in the game, finished with a team-high 20 points, while Erickson netted 18 points.

Also for Carrollton, Caleb Rasiuk collected 12 points, Jake Peterson netted three points and Caleb Hartong and Joe Grubbs each scored two points.

Voll said East Liverpool did not do anything he didn't expect.

"No, we saw them play up at Zanesville, and they played with a lot of poise over there," he said. "They played with poise again once we got close to them. I think that is the intangible that they have probably approved upon that I have seen with kids who have multiple years of varsity experience. Their experienced showed, and hopefully we can gain that experience and get better ourselves."

The Potters scored the first five points of the game, and East Liverpool led 12-6 at the end of the first quarter. East Liverpool outscored Carrollton, 22-15, in the second quarter to take a 34-21 lead into the locker room at halftime. The Potters led 44-37 entering the fourth quarter.

The Potters were able to convert from the charity stripe in the fourth quarter to seal the deal.

"When you have a point guard like Marky, and some of the other guards are very-good foul shooters like high 80s, 90-percent foul shooters," Conley said. "That makes you smile as a coach that you know when you're on the line the odds are with us that we are going to pull that one out."

East Liverpool won the JV game, 51-37. Cunningham contributed 15 points in the victory.

The Potters are scheduled to return the court Tuesday night against local-rival Beaver Local.

Carrollton plays Friday night at Louisville in the team's Northeast Buckeye Conference opener. Carrollton then plays Saturday at Ridgewood.

Fact Box

East Liverpool 65, Carrollton 57

CA (57): Jake Peterson 1 0-0 3, Justin Lovett 0 0-0 0, Caleb Hartong 1 0-0 2, Caleb Rasiuk 5 0-0 12, Zade Deitz 0 0-0 0, Andrew Collins 7 0-0 20, Steven Ericksen 6 6-11 18, Joe Grubbs 1 0-0 2. Totals: 21 6-11 57.

EL (65): Christian Kyle 2 5-6 10, Regis Auer 0 0-0 0, Hayden Cunningham 1 0-1 2, Mow Mow Thompson 11 2-3 24, Brian Beverly 3 0-0 7, Marky Thompkins 4 8-10 16, Seth Talbott 2 1-2 6. Totals: 23 16-22 65.

CA 06-15-16-20 - 57

EL 12-22-10-19 - 65

Three-point field goals: Carrollton - 9 (Collins 6, Rasiuk 2, Peterson); East Liverpool - 3 (Kyle, Beverly, Talbott)

12/3/11

ZANESVILLE

GAME PHOTOS

Potters pick up big road win over Zanesville

December 4, 2011

Review Staff Reports , The Review

ZANESVILLE - East Liverpool coach Nate Conley said before the season that it was important for his team to get off to a good start.

Conley got his wish.

The Potters opened the 2011-12 season with a 60-56 win on the road against Division I power Zanesville.

It was East Liverpool's first win over the Blue Devils since 2004.

"It's a huge, huge win for the program,"?the second-year coach said.?"It's a tough place to play. It's a long drive, and they're a Division I team. I couldn't be prouder of the way our guys played."

East Liverpool's Mow Mow Thompson was already in mid-season form for the Potters. The senior finished with a game-high 23 points to go along with 10 rebounds and five blocks.

"He played a tremendous game,"?Conley said of Thompson. "He had the mid-range shot going, he was blocking shots and rebounding. He stepped up big for us."

The Potters fell behind early, trailing by five after the opening quarter.

East Liverpool cut the Blue Devils' lead in the second quarter and went into the half down, 25-23.

From there, the Potters took control.

East Liverpool outscored Zanesville by six points in the second half.

"We kind of started out slow," Conley said. "But at halftime, our senior leadership really showed.

"We like to get out and run, but we kind of got out of our game. They forced us to run our offense and we did it well. We were able to work the ball around until we got the shot we wanted."

Marky Thompkins also had a big night, finishing with 13 points and six assists.

Christian Kyle and Brian Beverly each chipped in nine points. Regis Auer scored four points, and Seth Talbott rounded out the scoring with two points.

For Zanesville, Christian Myers led with 15 points, while Dar Stanford added 11 and Granger Long finished with six.

"This should get the community excited,"?Conley said of the win. "This can provide us with a lot of motivation. When you have to go on the road and you're stacked up against a Division I team like that, it can build a lot of confidence."

In junior varsity action, Zanesville won, 54-46.

Kade Reynolds paced the Potters with 11 points.

Up next for East Liverpool will be its home opener on Tuesday against Carrollton.

Fact Box

East Liverpool 60, Zanesville 56

EL (60): Chrisitan Kyle 3 2-4 9, Regis Auer 2 0-0 4, Hayden Cunningham 0 0-0 0, Mow Mow Thompson 9 5-6 23, Brian Beverly 2 3-4 9, Marky Thompkins 5 2-2 13, Seth Talbott 1 0-0 2. TOTALS: 22 12-16 60.

ZA (56): Jake Phillis 3 2-2 9, Dar Stanford 4 3-4 11, Christian Myers 5 3-4 15, Thomas Wiebler 1 0-0 2, Brandon Bouterse 1 1-2 3, Granger Long 3 4-7 10, Marcus Johnson 3 0-0 6. TOTALS:?20 13-19 56.

EL11-12-16-21 - 60

ZA16-09-11-20 - 56

Three-point field goals: East Liverpool - 4 (Beverly 2, Kyle, Thompkins); Zanesville - 3 (Myers 2, Phillis)

11/30/11

Potters look to turn up the heat on opponents in 2011-12

November 30, 2011

By PAUL EDGAR (pedgar@reviewonline.com) , The Review

EAST LIVERPOOL - This year's version of the Potters' boys basketball team might make you tired just watching them.

Second-year coach Nate Conley challenged his team at the start of practices to become one of the most well-conditioned teams in the Ohio Valley.

Challenge accepted.

"We're going to full-court press the whole game," Conley said. "This is probably one of the quickest teams we've ever had. They bought into the conditioning that it's going to take to carry this out. We've been going as hard as you can go. The seniors are asking to run sprints at the beginning, middle and end of practice. It's going to be fun to watch because we are going to cause teams a lot of problems. Our defense is going to create a lot of turnovers which should lead to some easy buckets."

Last season, the Potters finished 14-8 and ended with a 70-59 loss to Indian Creek in the Division II Eastern District sectional co-final. Lost to graduation is Andrew English (11.9 ppg), Jason Dickey (10.7), John Thompson (2.1) and Bob Mackall (1.3).

"We played an extremely tough schedule," Conley said of last season. "I think all our losses came against district champs or runners-up. It's not an excuse, but I think it served as a stepping stone for our program. I didn't base our success on wins and losses. We played with a lot of good teams and our goal was to play hard every game. We accomplished that."

This season, however, playing hard isn't going to be enough according to Conley.

"We didn't set winning goals last year," he said. "We have higher expectations this time around. I believe we have the capability to go to regionals and compete. This year, it's time to win."

Beginning his second season at the helm, Conley and his players will have the advantage of familiarity heading into the 2011-12 campaign.

Conley said last season the team spent the first three weeks getting used to each other.

"It was a lot easier this time," he said. "They already knew the system. They knew how practices were going to be run. Last year, we were still setting up the offense and defense after the first few games."

Another advantage the Potters will have is a group of five senior starters.

Conley said this group has provided leadership from the start.

"I'm not dealing with anything but on-court issues," he said. "Those seniors are taking care of everything else. They are handling the rest of the stuff because they know what I expect and they have high standards for themselves as well."

Marky Thompkins leads the senior class as the Potters' top returning player.

In 2010-11, Thompkins averaged 14.6 points per game to go along with 6.1 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 2.1 steals.

"If you asked Marky, he'd tell you he had a very average season last year," Conley said. "And he had a tough, injury-plagued football season. But, so far he's been head and shoulders above the competition in practices and scrimmages. He should be one of the best players in the district."

Thompkins will move from point guard to the two-guard spot this year and should be the Potters main offensive threat.

"He could easily score 20 or 21 points a game," Conley said. "But, he also knows that he'll get a lot of double teams so he has to create opportunities for others as well."

Seth Talbott will take over at the point for the Potters, in what Conley said will be a crucial role. Last year, Talbott averaged 3.7 points and 1.2 assists per game.

"He's one of few guys that can make or break our season," Conley said of Talbott. "He's the glue of this team. He's going to be asked to guard the other team's best player every night. On offense, he has to distribute the ball and knock down open shots."

Christian Kyle will play on the wing, and will provide the Potters with energy and enthusiasm. Kyle scored at an 8.7 clip last season to go with 3.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists.

"Some people see him as a wild player," Conley said. "I see it as controlled chaos. He plays as hard for 32 minutes as anyone I've ever seen. He's our best player on defense, and he's a great rebounder. He's got a work ethic beyond anyone."

Brian Beverly - after suffering through an injury-plagued 2010-11 campaign - will also play on the wing, but will be expected to contribute in the post as well.

"We're going to run a Villanova style offense with five out or four out and one in," Conley said. "Beverly is one of those guys who can go in or stay out. He's finally healthy and he's a tremendous passer and physically strong."

At 6-foot-2, Mow Mow Thompson will have to give the Potters a presence in the post. Thompson averaged 8.8 points per game last season, to go with 5,8 rebounds.

"We'll rarely give him the ball on the block," Conley said. "But he has one of the best turnaround shots and softest touches in the area. He can step out and hit the 15-footer, too. He doesn't have great size, but he's a tremendous shot blocker who has an uncanny ability to time his jump."

With the team's lack of size, Conley said rebounding and defending the post will be a group effort and key to the team's success.

"We're smart enough to know we're going to have to double down," he said. "We're going to do a lot of switching and recovering because we're fast enough to do that. Rebounding will be our Achilles heal. Mow Mow is a good rebounded, but he's undersized. Our guards are big enough and can do it, but we'll have to work hard at it. You have to have the ball before you can run."

A post presence that will be missing - at least for the early part of the season - is Derek Thompson. The 6-2, 215-pound junior will not be a member of the team as the season gets underway.

"At this time, he's not with us," Conley said. "He's got some off-court issues he's dealing with. It would be great to have him back and he can really help us."

Coming off the bench, Conley said the Potters have "zero experience."

Senior Regis Auer will play a key role after not playing basketball last year. Auer will be joined as a key reserve with sophomores Hayden Cunningham, D.J. Austin and Austin Emmerling.

"We can go six or seven deep if need be," Conley said. "But we're going to kind of go back to a Nick Aloi-style. These kids have to be ready to step up when needed. They know their role will be spot play, a few minutes here and there. They're willing to do whatever they can to help the team."

The road to wins will not be an easy one for the Potters. Another tough slate of games awaits them. East Liverpool opens with Zanesville which moved to Division I this season. They also play a Carrollton team that finished the regular season at 20-0 a year ago. Also on the schedule is North Catholic (Pittsburgh) and Lincoln Park. The Potter Classic will welcome Vermillion, Youngstown Ursuline and Canal Fulton Northwest.

"We could have easily made the schedule to where we'd be 20-0," Conley said. "But in the playoffs, you would be in situations you've never been in before. We might take some lumps in the regular season, but that's what teaches you how to deal with adversity. You've got to play the best of the best to be the best."

NOTES: Conley said he hopes the Potter Classic will return to a showcase of the best teams in the state in the future. "We're slowly getting there," he said. "I'd like it to be the top four teams in the state. This time is better than last year, and I hope it's even better next year."