Perkins and Glenville renew rivalry indoors

PERKINS TWP. — The final four days of the boys basketball season will begin with Perkins on the court. The Pirates face Cleveland Glenville at noon Thursday in a Division IV state semifinal at Wright State University's Nutter Center. "First game of the tournament," Perkins coach Andy Hoying pointed out. "Noon tip, a little bit different. But if you can't get up for a state semifinal game, you probably got a couple things wrong with you. We're ready to play at any time. A lot of these guys have played AAU so they're ready to go at 8 in the morning." Perkins has faced Glenville before — on the football field. The two gridiron powerhouses split a pair of high-stakes playoff games in 2023 and 2024. Perkins basketball starters Sam Schweinfurth and Bryce Davie and bench star Kaden Legando played in the 2024 state semifinal matchup in the frigid cold in Clyde. The Pirates beat the Tarblooders 13-11, avenging a playoff loss a year earlier. "With our history with them in football, we're 1-1 right now," Legando said. "Obviously getting the tiebreaker over them would be fun. The past two years we've played them, it's been freezing cold. Playing in a gym will definitely be way better." Perkins and Glenville both have blown out five tournament opponents. The Pirates have won five postseason games by an average of 25.2 points. Glenville has won five by an average of 25.8 points. "They're really playing well right now," said Hoying of the Tarblooders. "They beat a couple really good teams (in the regional) and played some tough competition throughout the year so they're battle-tested. I think we're battle-tested. It should be a true dogfight once the tip goes up." Perkins headed south Wednesday morning and stopped at Capital University for a shootaround before heading west to its hotel. "I'm super pumped for these guys," Hoying said. "It's gonna be a great experience for them down in Dayton. We have a tough matchup with Glenville. These guys have seen them in football so they know they're a tough, physical group. Super athletic, really do a lot of things well. They can shoot the ball and get out in transition. "I wasn't here for the football state run, but our guys still want to get a little payback here. Our guys are ready to compete." Glenville is led by 5-foot-9 senior guard Theo Castro, who averages 17.3 points and 5.2 assists per game. Castro has made 54 3-pointers and is one of four Tarblooders who shoot 32 percent or better from long range. "He can hit a shot on you at any point," Hoying said. "He really creates for their offense. He's gonna be a tough guard for our guards to keep him in front and contest and contain him all game long." Arvell Nelson Jr., a 6-3 senior who was the quarterback on Glenville's 2025 state football championship team, averages 13.2 points and has made 48 3s. Gio Ramos, a 6-5 junior, averages 9.2 points and a team-high 8.2 rebounds per game. Like Perkins, Glenville has seven players who average more than 5 points per game. Glenville, which lost in the state semifinals last year, has grabbed 388 offensive rebounds this season and has 252 steals. Perkins has 251 steals and plenty of athleticism to challenge Glenville. "I think it's gonna be a phenomenal matchup," Hoying said. "Both teams share the ball well and really get after it defensively. We'll continue to mix it up and do some different things defensively to try to contain some of their guys." Perkins' top scorer is 6-6 senior Kellen Glass, who averages 13.4 points per game. Groot is at 10.3 and Schweinfurth averages 10 points and a team-high six rebounds per game. Grant Kuhnle, a 6-3 junior, averages 7.2 points off the bench. He has made 50 3-pointers, second on the team to Schweinfurth's 55. Junior point guard Bryce Davie averages 6.3 points and 3.5 assists. Legando adds speed and 6.3 PPG and senior Kash Koch averages 6.1 PPG. "With us playing them before (in football), that should definitely help," Legando said. "With all our football success — we played in the state championship, obviously — that sets us up for the moment and gets rid of some of those nerves." The Pirates, who are 25-2 and have won nine straight games, have risen to No. 4 in MaxPreps' Division IV state rankings, thanks to their tournament dominance. "I think we came into every game with full energy and wanting to win," senior Levi Groot said. "Some games in the regular season we made close that shouldn't have been close. Throughout the tournament we've all been ready to play from the tip to the end of the game." Glenville (18-9) is ranked No. 6 and avenged a regular-season loss by routing Cleveland Central Catholic 70-54 in a regional final. Defending state champion and No. 1-ranked Maysville (26-1) and No. 2 Wyoming (25-2) clash in the second semifinal at 2 p.m. The winners will play for a state title at 4:15 p.m. Friday at University of Dayton Arena. "Hopefully we play at great game (Thursday) and get a shot to play at UD as well," Hoying said. "Two phenomenal arenas, two great atmospheres to play in." Hoying, who is in his first season as Perkins' head coach, is excited to see how his team performs under the bright lights. He's been there, leading Jackson Center to a state runner-up finish in 2012. Hoying was named Division IV player of the year his senior season. "It was a great experience for me personally," he said. "We had a tight-knit group at Jackson Center; we were basically like brothers down there. This group has a lot of similarities to that. They're really enjoyable to be around and like each other. "You get a great experience with some of your best friends. You get to make some great memories and compete at the highest level."