Tecumseh looking to prove itself vs. Beavercreek

There’s no lack of incentive for the streaking Tecumseh girls basketball team. Not with a tag of “they don’t belong” clinging to the Arrows like a tenacious defender.

That’s what had emerging sophomore Presley Griffitts bristling following Wednesday night’s 54-45 defeat of Fairmont in a Division I girls high school sectional semifinal at Butler.

“This means a lot,” said Griffitts after scoring a game-high 22 points. “People thought we weren’t going to make it this far and we showed them we could.”

Tecumseh converted free throws for its final 16 points with less than three minutes left to end Fairmont’s season. Corinne Thomas, another promising sophomore, hit 9 of 10 free throws and added 14 points. Yet another sophomore, Macy Berner, added 11 points.

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Tecumseh (22-2) is a postseason wildcard that continues to make a Central Buckeye Conference breakthrough. That’s been the perceived knock on the Arrows because they are the CBC’s only D-I program. But if the Arrows had their detractors, that should be offset by a No. 6 ranking in the final Associated Press D-I state poll last week.

GIRLS SCHEDULE: District final matchups

Still, Tecumseh could do no better than a No. 4 sectional seed. That’s why returning to another sectional final means everything. Tecumseh will take a 10-game win streak against Beavercreek (16-8) at 1 p.m. Saturday also at Vandalia. It’s a rematch of their sectional final last season that Tecumseh won, 63-46. Beavercreek advanced by taking out Centerville 41-27 on Wednesday.

BOYS SCHEDULE: Sectional matchups

The Arrows were formidable enough in the regular season to win their second straight CBC Kenton Division title (10-0) and hand D-II perennial power Kenton Ridge (16-8) its only divisional defeats.

Sensing Tecumseh could be in for another great run after going 22-4 last season, coach Danielle Thomas loaded the Arrows’ non-conference schedule with Greater Western Ohio Conference and Greater Catholic League Co-Ed powers. That resulted in losses to Carroll (76-68) and two-time D-II defending state champion Alter (66-52). It also renewed a sense of confidence the Arrows could hang with those programs.

The Tecumseh girls program has taken off at all levels since Thomas started overseeing the New Carlisle girls youth program nine years ago. Sophomores Mackenzie Pauley, Katlin Sanning, Macy Berner, Corinne Thomas (Danielle’s daughter) and Griffitts didn’t lose a game during middle school and freshman and JV, meaning this season could be the blueprint of additional title teams.

Thomas (26.1) and Griffitts (20.2) lead the Arrows in scoring. Macy and senior Allison Berner are daughters of assistant coach Jimmy Berner. Junior Zoey Berner is a cousin. Former Tippecanoe coach Tom Rettig also is an assistant fixture.

That all adds up to a young and surging program out to prove itself. Last season’s defeat of Beavercreek should have sent a message that Tecumseh belongs among the area’s best.

“It kind of took the lid off this program and raised the expectations higher for all of us,” assured Thomas.


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