Sandusky in Division III in new 7-division format

Sandusky's basketball teams will play in Division III in the OHSAA's new seven-division format, as expected. The Ohio High School Athletic Association released its divisional breakdowns for the 2024-25 winter sports postseason on Monday. The Blue Streaks could have one of the best boys basketball teams in the state next season. Sandusky played in Division I (out of four) last season. "I think it's good," Sandusky coach DeMar Moore said of the new alignment, which the OHSAA voted on at its April board meeting. "It evens the playing field for schools like us." To address the huge disparity in enrollments in Division I, the OHSAA placed the largest 64 schools in D-I, followed by the next 64 in D-II. There are 134 boys teams in divisions III through VII. Sandusky is the 39th-largest school in Division III with a boys basketball adjusted enrollment of 391. Earlier this spring, the OHSAA received base enrollment data, comprised of students in grades 9, 10 and 11 as of October 2023, from the Ohio Department of Education to use for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 school years. Boys and girls basketball also utilize competitive balance data that can adjust enrollment counts. The new divisions are preliminary, pending the outcome of a vote on Referendum Issue 1B, which would allow teams such as small-school super power Richmond Heights to move up to Division I. Results of that voting will be announced May 16. Other teams of note that will join Sandusky in Division III include SBC Lake Division rivals Norwalk and Tiffin Columbian as well as Lexington, Lutheran West, Akron Hoban, Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary, Mansfield Senior, Toledo Central Catholic and Fremont Ross. Lima Senior, which lost 59-57 to Sandusky in a D-I sectional final last season, will be in Division II. The Blue Streaks have beefed up their schedule for next season, adding Lakewood St. Edward, Gahanna Lincoln, Clintondale (Mich.) and either Pickerington North or Pickerington Central at the Coaches For A Cure Classic at Capital University in December. "We want to get the best competition we can to challenge us," Moore said. Five SBC schools will play in Division IV. That list includes Perkins, Bellevue, Clyde, Vermilion and Port Clinton (boys only). PC is the fifth-smallest boys program in D-IV with an adjusted boys basketball enrollment of 199. Shelby also is in Division IV. The boys teams from Huron, Margaretta, Edison and Willard will play in Division V. Huron and Margaretta have the same adjusted enrollment number of 156 — a figure that includes identical competitive balance numbers of 16 for each school. Also in Division V (for now): defending D-III state champion Lutheran East and defending D-IV state champion Richmond Heights. Monroeville is in Division VI while Danbury, St. Mary Central Catholic and St. Paul will play in Division VII. Margaretta and Port Clinton are the only area schools with boys and girls programs in different divisions. Margaretta's girls will drop down to Division VI while Port Clinton's girls are in Division V. Margaretta's girls have advanced to the state semifinals and regional finals the last two seasons in Division III. Harvest Prep, a team the Polar Bears have defeated two straight years at the regional level, also is in Division VI. Teams of note that are not in D-VI include Ottawa-Glandorf and Africentric (both in D-V). Margaretta has split against O-G the last two years in regional finals. Some possible tourney opponents in D-VI for Margaretta include Gibsonburg, Coldwater, Carey and Buckeye Central. "Teams like Africentric and Ottawa-Glandorf were our opponents at the regional level, but you have to be successful at the sectional and district levels," Margaretta coach Ray Neill said. "My two cents is there are some very good programs, like Gibsonburg, who we could be playing earlier. Our earlier tournament games will be more difficult." The number of girls basketball schools are similar to the boys roster. There will be 64 girls teams in Division I and II. Between 127 and 131 schools will be in divisions III through VII. St. Ignatius, with a boys basketball adjusted enrollment of 1,371, is the largest school in Division I. Findlay (624) is the largest school in Division II. Firestone Community Learning Center in Akron is the largest D-III boys program. The largest schools in the remaining divisions: Maumee (IV), Byesville Meadowbrook (V), Coldwater (VI) and Waterloo (VII). The largest girls programs in each division: Mason (I), Westerville South (II), Edgewood (III), Cleveland Heights Beaumont (IV), Canal Fulton Northwest (V), Preble Shawnee (VI) and Ansonia (VII). —— 2024-25 BASKETBALL DIVISIONS Division III Sandusky, Norwalk Division IV Bellevue, Perkins, Clyde, Vermilion, Port Clinton (boys in IV, girls in V) Division V Edison, Huron, Margaretta (boys in V, girls in VI) Division VI Monroeville Division VII St. Paul, Danbury, St. Mary Central Catholic