Warrensville Heights, OH- This summer has been a monumental one for the sport of basketball at the high school level. Midwest Live, a competition featuring the best basketball teams in Ohio and beyond, held at Cedar Point’s Sports Complex, broke onto the scene. Social media was flooded this past weekend with highlights, interviews, pictures, and graphics from the successful event. While this event captured headlines, other Summer leagues had great games this June. One of the mainstays over the past decade, the LockedIn High School Summer League, concluded its five-week season with North Canton Hoover taking home the crown with a 45-43 victory over Warrensville Heights.
Unpacking pool play, there were a lot of great contenders fighting for the 8 playoff spots. Pool A saw Cleveland Central Catholic go 7-0, taking the #1 seed in the group. Hoover and NDCL battled it out for the #2 seed, but the Vikings were able to get the job done with a 58-47 win over the Lions. In Pool B, Brecksville was able to take first place with a 6-1 record. The battle for second in this pool consisted of Warrensville Heights, Bedford, and Gilmour. The Lancers came in fourth with a 4-3 record. Both the Tigers and Bearcats finished with 5-2 records, but a 53-38 score saw Meechie Johnson’s Warrensville edge out Jermaine Gay’s Bedford.
Pool C was stacked with teams such as Garfield Heights, Glenville, and Hawken, who all made it to regionals. The Bulldogs took the top seed with a 6-1 record. Glenville finished in fourth with a 4-3 record, while Hawken came in fifth with a 3-4 record. Andrews Osborne Academy, with some new stars joining the squad, was able to place third with a 4-3 record. However, it was Solon who stole the show as they were able to achieve second place with a 5-2 record. Pool D saw two-time champion Lutheran West place first with a 6-1 record. Fairview Park and Padua Franciscan battled it out for second place as both squads earned a 5-2 record. However, the Warriors got the nod with a 61-52 victory on June 5th.
With these results in hand, the bracket was set. Cleveland Central Catholic took on Solon, Lutheran West faced Warrensville Heights, Brecksville got drawn up against Fairview, and Garfield Heights got North Canton Hoover. The Ironmen made a statement at the top of the bracket in the quarterfinals, getting a 63-26 victory over Solon. They would see the Tigers in the semifinals as they took care of the Longhorns 38-29. In the bottom bracket, Fairview took care of Brecksville 51-42 while Hoover outlasted a King Young-led Garfield Heights 56-50. This left Cleveland Central Catholic, Warrensville Heights, Fairview, and North Canton Hoover in the final four.
The Vikings would get a big win in the semifinals, 50-37 over Fairview, ending the Warriors’ Summer League. In the first half of the CCC Vs Warrensville game, the Ironmen controlled the game early. Coach Michael Duncan’s squad saw plenty of returners such as Mike Duncan, Donnie Driscal, and Marquis Foster. However, they did have some key figures, such as Deonte James graduated, while King Young transferred to Garfield. However, the Tigers were able to get control down the stretch in the first half. Warrensville, led by a mixture of varsity vets, underclassmen newcomers, and Lutheran East transfer Jayden Nellemsbey, was able to take control in the second half. Despite CJ Williams, Geo Hester, and Jalen Gum sitting out to rest for Midwest Live, the Tigers got the win 40-29. Nellemsbey took home player of the game honors with 10 points.
This set up a must-see championship game between Warrensville Heights and North Canton Hoover. The Tigers had the chance to win their first LockedIN Summer League in program history and on their home court, no less. As for the Vikings, they won the league back in 2021. Last season, their campaign ended in the semifinals with a loss to Bedford. The Federal League still had representation in the winners circle in 2024 with Canton McKinley taking home the crown. Similar to the semifinals of 2024, Hoover got off to a hot start. Rising junior Hunter Hershberger stole the ball and scored a transition and-one. Down 20-9, Warrensville started to get back into the game. At halftime, the Vikings led 28-22.
During the break, Chris Walker, the LockedIn High School Summer League commissioner and organizer, presented a very special award to Steve Newton. Steve, known for his work at 3rdCoastHoops, was given the ‘Industry Pioneer Award.’ The official plaque explains the award as,
“In recognition of over a decade of content innovation and unwavering commitment to growing the grassroots basketball landscape in Northeast Ohio. Your vision built the blueprint, and the industry followed.”
In the second half, Jaylen Billingslea took over as he would sink six threes. Overall, he ended the game with 20 points. Rising Freshman Marlin Jackson also provided some offense and defense for the Tigers. With a few months until preseason gets underway, Jackson has a good shot at earning some varsity minutes. In the final 90 seconds, Hoover and Warrensville were tied at 43. Rising senior Brady McCann made what would be the winning shot with around a minute left on the clock. After a few defensive stops, the Vikings would seal their second LockedIn High School Summer League title 45-43.
McCann won MVP of the championship game with 13 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists. Billingslea also took home MVP honors for the second-place Tigers with 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists. Additionally, LockedIn made a $1000 donation to the North Canton Hoover basketball program for winning the title. This replaced the old format, which saw a scholarship handed out. The Vikings join Lutheran West and CCC as the winningest squads in competition history with two titles.
In a Summer of change and growth, LockedIn stepped up their game and remained one of the top summer leagues in the area. On top of the varsity competition, a JV group was also introduced for the first time. While LockedIN/FunGamesLive has gone away from high school tournaments during the year, they still have great middle school and underclass competitions in the Winter. One thing still remains a definite, the LockedIn High School Summer League showcases the best up-and-coming talents in NEO basketball while also doing great work giving back to the community.
Link to Warrensville Heights Vs Cleveland Central Catholic Basketball: https://www.youtube.com/live/3JNqZe0btqE?si=U_CoCLvvhJnwz-2F
Link to Warrensville Heights Vs North Canton Hoover Basketball: https://www.youtube.com/live/tL2Q0bAahAA?si=7Bo5LRmZbyF9uNfB
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