All-star games wrap up basketball season at CPSC

After a long grueling season with practices that started back in late October and early November, the local area basketball season for the most part comes to an end Thursday. Just don't expect the games to be any less competitive than one from the regular season. Spy Report All-Star Night takes place at Cedar Point Sports Center with doors opening at 4 p.m. The girls underclass game starts at 4:30 p.m. with the boys underclass game to follow at approximately 5:45 p.m. The girls senior game then starts around 7 p.m. with the boys senior game scheduled for approximately 8:15 p.m. Returning this year is a little incentive. Winning players from the two senior games will each receive $50 gift cards to Danny's Cafe in Rossford — a donation of over $1,200. "It is always exciting to get this much talent together under one roof after the state tournaments," said Spy Report founder and Margaretta boys basketball assistant coach Jake Meisler. "The kids look forward to it, fans look forward to it and the community looks forward to it. "Cedar Point Sports Center and their staff have really embraced this thing and thanks to some great sponsors like Brad Morrison at Danny's Cafe and BSN Sports, we've been able to make it a success for the kids." Tickets are $12 per person at the gate, but one ticket is good for all four games. The games will feature boys and girls athletes from the Sandusky Bay Conference, Northern Buckeye Conference, Firelands Conference, Northern 10 Athletic Conference, Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference and Lorain County 8. Both boys games will be coached by Calvert coach Jon Otterbacher and Bellevue coach Ed Rich. The girls games will be coached by Norwalk's Kyle Brubaker and Seneca East's George Parks. "For me, the biggest sell point to the public is that this is one of very few competitive all-star games," Meisler said. "We really put an emphasis on playing the right way — playing defense, making the extra pass and not turning it into an open gym. "Most of these kids get that and as long as they buy in, it'll be here to stay." There won't be a shortage of talent between the four games. A plethora of girls hoping to play received all-Ohio honors earlier this week with many of the boys to follow Wednesday. "There are some really great names like Margaretta's Julian Washington (committed to Dayton) and Genoa's Walter Plantz (Ashland) headlining the boys senior game," Meisler said. "Margaretta's Cassidy Lane (Gardner-Webb) and Norwalk's Trinity Lazzara help feature the ladies side."