Top-seeded Versailles overwhelmed Greenon in the nightcap of the doubleheader, 89-36. That puts DC (17-6) and Versailles (23-1) in Saturday’s sectional final also at Northmont.
Greeneview (15-9) slowly wilted under DC’s superior inside game and height. That’s the kind of power game the Rams had with Bradds, who averaged a team-high 19 points, in the lineup. Instead, he underwent knee surgery last month to correct an aggravated meniscus.
He initially suffered the injury during Greeneview’s playoff-bound football season. He remained a basketball force but the knee pain increased after each practice and game. He decided to forego the remainder of the season and have it repaired. A tight end, he has signed with Eastern Kentucky University to play football.
“Ethan was a big part of our offense and he was definitely a big body on the defensive end,” said sophomore Nick Clevenger, who led the Rams with 11 points. “Once he got hurt we knew we had to step it up on defense because we were losing a major scorer and option for us.”
Greeneview coach Kyle Fulk, a 2004 grad who played for current Trotwood-Madison coach Rocky Rockhold, said losing Bradds ultimately prepared the Rams for next season.
“You can’t call not having Ethan a blessing, but not having him for the second half of the year, we kind of got used to maybe how things will be next (season),” Fulk said.
“It’s like I told the guys, it’s the worst speech of the year you have to give. You can’t plan ahead because you don’t want to think about losing, but it happened to us. We’ve just got to figure out how to find some positives out of it. It’s definitely tough losing. I’m proud of what the guys did.”
Matt Welker led DC with 13 points.
Greenon (3-20) had no chance in the nightcap against Versailles. Riley Williams led the Knights with 12 points. Mr. Basketball candidate Justin Ahrens, a junior who’s verbally committed to Ohio State, led the Tigers with 38 points.
That ended the debut season for Knights coach Kevin Taylor, a Greenon grad who was a sophomore on the 1986 Class AA state runner-up team. Greenon leaves the Central Buckeye Conference and joins the Ohio Heritage Conference next season.
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