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The play was simple enough; get the ball to Colton Linkous and clear out. But it almost didn’t happen.
“I saw Damion (Cook) posting up down low and I thought about giving it to him,” explained the Tri-Village standout. “The guy that was guarding him jumped in front of him. I knew I had to take it.”
Good thing, because Linkous’ fall-away jumper in the lane with 1.2 seconds left was the difference in a 48-46 defeat of Harvest Prep to win the Division IV state championship Saturday at Ohio State University’s Schottenstein Center.
Tri-Village became the first boys basketball team in Ohio high school history to complete a perfect 30-0 season. It also was the first state basketball title the Patriots have won.
The first of four state title games drew a crowd of 9,794 and many were from New Madison, where Tri-Village is located near the Indiana border in Darke County. “I don’t know what’s going to happen,” Patriots coach Josh Sagester admitted about an impending celebration. “I’ve got a feeling it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Tri-Village rode Linkous and Cook, a pair of 6-foot-5 go-to offensive forces, all season. It was appropriate the game would be decided by those two.
Having squandered a 12-point lead early in the second half, Tri-Village was knotted at 46-all and in possession for a final shot. Sagester called a play: “Basically, get (Linkous) the ball and get out of the way,” he said.
After Cook was covered, Linkous made his move. He dribbled to the lane, shook off a Prep defender and swished the most important shot of his career. It was the third time Linkous hit a shot to close a quarter, including a 3-pointer at the end of the half that carried at least 30 feet.
Prep got off a final half-court heave. When it bounded off the rim, the Patriots’ celebration was on.
“Fortunately for us, we were able to make just enough plays on the offensive end,” Sagester said. “That’s been our motto all year; find ways to win. You don’t go 30-0 and play perfectly for 30 straight games. What you do do is find ways to win.”
Linkous (22 points, 12 rebounds) and Cook (15 points, 11 rebounds) were unstoppable.
“Colton hit a great shot,” Prep coach David Dennis said. “Give credit to him for taking it. Their size was a big factor, especially in the post area.”
Both teams lost in last year’s D-IV state semifinals and were on missions to win a title this season. Along with Mason McCabe and Tyler Van Winkle it caps a 102-6 overall four-year record for the Patriots’ seniors. Sophomore Gavin Richards was Tri-Village’s only non-senior starter.
Harvest Prep, located at Canal Winchester, finished 25-5.
“It’s a big thing for our community to bring that trophy back home,” said Cook. “This is what we wanted.”
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