Sandusky shooting for the top

SANDUSKY — Sandusky isn't running from the hype. The Blue Streaks return all five starters from a team that finished 22-2 and breezed through the Sandusky Bay Conference Lake Division, finishing 10-0. Head coach DeMar Moore, entering his fourth season leading the program, has a 64-9 overall record and his teams have gone 33-2 in the Lake. Sandusky has beefed up its schedule in an attempt to be at its best when the tournament rolls around. "Our ceiling is the same every year — a state championship," Moore said. "That's what we've been preaching. These guys, when they came in as freshmen they said, 'Coach Moore, we're gonna give you your first state championship.' I challenged them and said, 'Hey, you remember when you said that?' "I try to make sure they're focused and ready to go, not taking any plays off and developing good habits." The senior class is accomplished and large. The Streaks have eight seniors and four of them are listed at 6-foot-5. Jason Henlon, a third-team Division I All-Ohio pick as a junior, returns after averaging 17.9 points per game. He added 5.5 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 2.5 steals per outing. Henlon, a standout quarterback who helped Sandusky win a football playoff game, has offers to play college basketball at the NCAA Division II level. "He's definitely our leader, but we have enough guys with experience to piece that puzzle together," Moore said. Henlon's running mate in the backcourt is Amir Aaron, who averaged 13 points, 4.5 rebounds and a team-high 3.4 steals per game last season. He shot 74 percent from the free throw line, easily the best on a team that made only 61 percent of its free throws. Aaron also was a football star and was a first-team All-Northwest District selection. "Just aggressive," Moore said. "A lot of things he did on the football field, he brought with him. He's part of the heart and soul of our team. He's a tough kid, a fierce competitor. He loves the challenge of guarding the other team's best player." The other three familiar faces in the starting lineup are Kobe Brown, Aa'Zoriyon Bonner and Azarieon Arrington. Brown, a 6-5 perimeter player, averaged 11.7 points and led the Streaks with 37 3-point baskets. He also averaged 5.4 rebounds per game. Bonner, who will miss the start of the season with an arm injury he suffered in Sandusky's last football game, is another athletic 6-5 option. He averaged 9.3 points and a team-high 7.5 rebounds per game last season. Arrington, a physical 6-0 guard, averaged 9.9 points and 3.5 rebounds. Sandusky has plenty of talent coming off the bench, too. Anthony Redding, a slender 6-6 junior, averaged 3.3 points and 3.4 rebounds as a sophomore playing varsity ball. Dale Johnson, a 6-7 junior, has looked good in the preseason. He played in four varsity games last season but will be a factor in the Streaks' rotation. "Dale lives in the weight room," Moore said. "I come in to work every morning about 6:45 and he's leaving, just getting done working out. He's grown about three inches since last year. I think he's every bit of 6-7. "Scooter (Redding) is right behind him at 6-6. We finally got some size for the first time in a long time, along with Zory and Kobe at 6-4, 6-5." Senior guard Maky'Veon Lately and sophomore point guard Camrion Jones also could log valuable minutes. "We'll thrown him in the fire early and see what happens," Moore said about Jones. Moore has been pleased with the quick turnaround from football to basketball for Henlon, Aaron, Bonner, Lately, Johnson and senior big man Tate Maillard. "I was pleased with the guys wanting to get back in the gym as fast as they did," he said. "They lost on a Friday (November 8) and they were ready to go Monday. Having them hungry and just having them back is a good thing for us." He said that group has retained some of its fall sports physicality. "All that football stuff that's translating over to basketball is fun to watch," Moore said. "Sometimes I get caught up watching those guys in five-on-five because they're so intense and going at it. "We had a really good practice for an intense hour. We had to scale back and go to some shooting in fear of guys getting hurt because they were going so hard." Sandusky lost to Perrysburg in a Division I district semifinal last season. The Blue Streaks will play in Division III in the OHSAA's new seven-division setup. The 2024-25 schedule is daunting. It features a handful of Division I programs, including Lakewood St. Edward, as well as D-III powerhouses Lexington and Mansfield Senior. Oh, and don't forget about Richmond Heights, the multiple state champion basketball factory from the Cleveland area that will play in Division V this season. The Spartans will visit the Big House on January 24. "With the goal of competing for a state championship, I feel that's what we need to do to see where we are with things. It's a test for us," Moore sad. "They're all competitors. We get a chance to compete with other teams at a high level. They all perk up a little bit. "I wanted to put a schedule together that will challenge us. When we get to the state tournament there won't be a style we haven't seen." Moore is expecting big crowds this season and plenty of Streakball entertainment. "Everyone tells us how good we're going to be, but I try not to get caught up in that," he said. "We haven't shot a ball yet. But everyone's excited. I get it all the time: 'Can't wait for basketball, can't wait for basketball.' "I think we'll have a lot of support from the community, and our school is very excited about basketball. I think this will be one of our better years with student support. We have a lot of pieces. We just have to figure out how to use them all." Roster No. Name Pos. Ht. Yr. 0 Azarieon Arrington G 6-0 12 1 Jason Henlon G 6-1 12 2 Amir Aaron G 6-0 12 3 Aa'Zoriyon Bonner F 6-5 12 4 Camrion Jones G 5-9 10 5 Maky'Veon Lately G 6-0 12 11 Adryaan Hollingshed F 6-5 12 23 Dale Johnson F 6-7 11 24 Kobe Brown G 6-5 12 32 Anthony Redding F 6-6 11 40 Tate Maillard C 6-5 12