Schedule/Results | Standings | Roster | Stats | (Scroll Down for Game Stories)

The 2007-8 season was one of the most challenging the Knights program has faced in years.  Nine of the Knights’ eleven non-conference opponents were larger DI schools.  Despite this the Knights were able to put together a 14-8 record, including 8-2 in the Cardinal conference.

 This was a roller coaster of a season… a huge win to start the season over Fairfield - the largest school in the state!   Then a tough last second loss to Milford.  A solid win over Walnut Hills, then a tough overtime loss at Loveland.  A big win over Turpin at home, then a tough overtime loss to Wilmington on the road.  And on it goes… the Knights were able to beat all the teams they should, and many that they could.  Some of the close losses were a bit hard to for the Knights to swallow, but they never let up.  They packed the gym night after night, pulling in some of the largest crowds ever seen at The Mill. 

Along the way, this group of players - led by seniors Mark Byrd, Aaron Gayhart, Alex Grant, Danny Hagee, Colin Medley, Calvin Scruby and Matt Stevens - good friends who had played together for years and knew each other’s games well - showed the toughness and discipline that has become the hallmark of Knights basketball under Coach Mike Stevens.

 The stat sheet:

Aaron Gayhart led the Knights in scoring with 13.0 points per game, 5th in the conference.

Derrick Harris led the team in rebounds with 5.7 per game, 3rd in the conference, and in steals with 2.0 per game, also 3rd in the conference.

Calvin Scruby led in assists with 3.7 per game (3rd in the conference), and set a new FAVC conference record for assist/turnover ratio (also 3.7).

Danny Hagee led in FG % with 55.9% (3rd in the conference).

Mark Byrd led in 3 point FG % with 48.7% (1st in the conference).

Matt Stevens led in FT % with 81.8% (2nd in the conference).

The awards:

Aaron Gayhart and Derrick Harris were named First Team All-Conference and were named Honorable Mention All-City.

Matt Stevens was Second Team All-Conference.

Aaron was also named team MVP, and Colin Medley won the Red, White and Blue award, both voted on by their teammates.

 As for the future of Knights basketball… the future is bright!!

The JV team finished with an overall record of 17-3 and led the conference with a 9-1 record.  They were coached by Phil Poggi and Terry Jenkins. 

The Freshman team finished with an overall record of 15-5 and tied for first in the conference.  They were coached by Kevin McClung.

The 8th grade “A” team finished 16-1 under Reggie Holtrey.

The 8th grade “B” team was 8-3 under Joe Moore. 

The 7th grade “A” team was 13-3 under Eric Poggi.

The the grade “B” team was 10-2 under Tod Jones.

 Overall, the Knights basketball program posted a record of 93 wins against 23 losses, a winning percentage of 80%!!

The Knights’ basketball program is thriving under the leadership of head coach Mike Stevens!!   So see you at The Mill next season!!

 GO KNIGHTS!!!

Friday the Knights season came to a sudden but exciting end.  St. Xavier of Cincinnati came into the Cintas Center ranked number 4 in the state, ready to make another state tournament run, and only the most ardent Knight fans were expecting anything but an early blowout.   Which made the early minutes of this game some of the most enthralling of a Knights season that was action packed from beginning to end. 

After St. X opened with a bucket, Derrick Harris came back with a deep three, and the game was on.  The Bombers built a couple of 4 point leads in the first quarter, but each time the Knights fought back, till a 3 by Matt Stevens with one minute left in the quarter brought the Knights within one at 15-14, which held up till the end of the period.  As the Knights came to the bench, Knights Nation shook the Cintas Center as the Bomber faithful sat stunned.

Then Stevens opened the second quarter with another 3, putting the Knights up 17 to 15.  The Bombers came back and took the lead, but the Knights answered, and when a Derrick Harris 2 with a minute left held up as the Knights went to the locker room, the Knights found themselves down by two points at half time, 29 to 27, to the no. 4 team in the state.

Putting this into perspective:  Kings is of course a public school, which means that its 473 male students must live within the district.   St. Xavier, as a private institution having no limitations with respect to student residence, recruits from all over the city.  And their male enrollment of 1,173 is second largest in the state.   

This is why the OHSAA is planning to provide the “super schools” with their own division… and it’s why, as the two teams prepared for the 3rd quarter, there was a significant buzz in the Cintas Center.  

In the second half the Bombers scrapped their man-to-man defense in favor of a 2-3 zone.  This might have worked in the Knights’ favor if they could shoot in the second half as well as they did in the first.  And it looked as though they might, after Matt Stevens hit another 3 pointer early in the quarter to bring the Knights within one at 31-30. 

But then the Knights went stone cold, hitting only 2 of their next 10 shots.  Combined with an 11 to 4 disadvantage on the boards in the period, this all but eliminated the Knights’ hopes of an upset.  The Bombers went on a 17 to 2 run, and the 3rd quarter ended with St. X firmly in control at 48 to 32.

In the fourth quarter the Knights’ shooting woes continued.  They were unable to close the gap, and the game ended 64-40.

 It was a disappointing end to an exciting game.  The Knights were led by Derrick Harris’ 11 points - all coming in the first half.  Aaron Gayhart had 10 points, Matt Stevens 9, Mark Byrd and Tyler Smyth 3, and Danny Hagee and Calvin Scruby 2 each.  Harris also led the Knights in rebounding with 7 boards, and Stevens contributed 4 assists.

GAME STATS | SLIDE SHOW (Courtesy of Jenny Haralamous)

 The Knights finish the year at 14-8, 8-2 in the FAVC Cardinal.  Check back soon for a wrap-up of the Knights’ exciting 2007-8 season!

GO KNIGHTS!!

Friday the Knights faced a team many perceived to be their nemesis… the Anderson Redskins had knocked a strong Knights team out of the tournament last year, and last Fall the football Knights lost in the postseason to a Redskins team that would go on  to win the state title.  But after the Knights’ resounding 60-39 victory Friday night, the fact is that the Knights have won 2 of the 3 games the two teams have played in the past five seasons. 

GAME STATS | SLIDE SHOW (Courtesy of Jenny Haralamous)

Enough history.   This was a special win for this year’s Knights, who came in knowing they were the better team.  But Anderson, though 8-12 on the year, had won 4 straight, and had athletes that were capable of making things dicey.   There was no question that the Knights would have to play well or stay nervous.  They played well.

The start of the game though, was marked by one of those early “uh-oh” moments:  Nick Truesdale, a 6-8 UC commitment in football, spun in the lane for a little jumper that looked almost unstoppable.  That’s the bad news.  The good news:  it was not obvious how else the Redskins were going to score.  The Knights defense was locking down every other option, and it was not likely that Truesdale, at 14 ppg, was going to be able to beat the Knights by himself.  The first quarter ended in promising fashion, at 15 to 9, with Danny Hagee playing Truesdale even at 6 points apiece.

In the second quarter Knights’ X-factor Aaron Gayhart upset the balance of power under the basket, posting 8 points and 2 offensive rebounds in the quarter and pushing the Knights to a 32 to 20 half time advantage.

Then in the 3rd quarter Matt Stevens stepped in, nailing two 3’s and a 2 as the Knights outscored the Redskins 16 to 6, pushing the lead to 22, and making the 4th quarter a period of celebration for the Knights, who closed out a satisfying 60 to 39 win in which everyone participated.

Gayhart finished with 19 points.  Combined with a 27 point effort against Little Miami last week, Aaron has begun to present himself as a force to deal with in the tournament.  Matt Stevens contributed 11, Mark Byrd 10 and Danny Hagee 9 as the seniors helped the Knights ensure they’d play another day.  Tyler Smyth, Derrick Harris, Nick Bauer and Calvin Scruby rounded out the scoring with 4, 3, 2 and 2 respectively.  Alex Grant continued his stellar work on the boards, leading the Knights with 5 rebounds in just 6 1/2 minutes of play.

Next the Knights will head to the Cintas Center next Friday at 7:45 to take on the St. Xavier Bombers - the no. 4 team in the state!   The 14-7 Knights have the opportunity to make this one of the more exciting in recent memory - let’s TURN CINTAS RED!!

 GO KNIGHTS!!

This Friday the Knights will be at the Cintas Center to take on the St. Xavier Bombers.  The Bombers at 18-2 come in ranked no. 4 in the state, with their only losses coming against no. 1 Moeller.  The Bombers are led by 6′ 7″ Walt Gibler’s 16 points per game. 

 The Knights, 14-7 and riding the crest of a 3 game winning streak, are led by 6′ 5″ Aaron Gayhart, who is averaging over 17 points over the last 6 games.

Knights’ Bracket | All Brackets

Game time is 7:45.  Let’s Turn the Cintas Center Red and back the Knights as they continue their post season run! 

Or if you can’t make it to the game, click on:  WEBCAST to tune in and stay up with the game on your computer!

 GO KNIGHTS!!

The Pulse-Journal recently featured Knights basketball coaches Mike Stevens and Mike Byrd and their sons - Matt and Mark - in an article that highlights their special bond.

 Read the Pulse Journal story.

Friday night the Knights completed their regular season at Little Miami.  It was Senior Night for the Panthers, and their strong senior class was determined to make the most of their last shot at their front door friends and rivals.   But the Knights were ready, and came away with a 65 to 50 victory behind Aaron Gayhart’s 27 points.

GAME STATS | STANDINGS | SLIDE SHOW (Courtesy of the Pulse Journal)

The Panthers came out firing, opening up a 6-0 lead on two 3’s before Matt Stevens got untracked with two 3’s of his own… the second a rainbow that nearly escaped the earth’s atmosphere before sliding through the net.  After that the game settled into a typical Knights-Panthers fight, the Knights clearly the better team but unable to open a sizable lead. 

The referees kept their whistles busy and the Panthers were in foul trouble throughout the game.  Early in the second quarter Calvin Scruby, spotting the Panthers’ Matt Beerse coming up the court with his head turned, stepped in and took the charge - sending Beerse to the bench with his third foul.  With the Panthers’ leading scorer on the bench, the Knights looked to finally create some separation, but the Panthers kept fighting and managed to keep it close - 32 to 25 at the half.

Then in the third quarter Gayhart just took over.  The 6-5 Senior scored 13 of his game-high 27 in the quarter on 6 of 8 shooting.  And after trading buckets early in the period, the Knights finally began to assert themselves, finishing the quarter with a 52-41 lead.

In the 4th quarter the Knights were able to celebrate in a way that had eluded them at their own Senior Night the week before.  Coach Mike Stevens was able to substitute freely, inserting seniors for final curtain calls, and the Knights closed out with a strong 65 to 50 victory.

Gayhart finished with a somehow quiet 27 points on 11 of 16 shooting.  Danny Hagee contributed 14 points, Matt Stevens 11, and Calvin Scruby 7.  Derrick Harris (3), Alex Grant (2) and Chris Burton (1) rounded out the scoring.

Key Stat:  The Panthers’ Matt Beerse (15 ppg) was held to 4 points on 2-8 from the floor.

Now the Knights (13-7) will play their first tournament game against the Anderson Redskins at Lakota West next Friday.  The game time has been changed to 6:00.  Stay tuned for directions and pre-game details.

GO KNIGHTS!!

It was Tuesday, so… you couldn’t be sure.  The Knights have struggled on Tuesday, but last night they faced a Harrison team that at 8-9 was looking like a nice non-conference win after the tough Senior Night loss to Wilmington.   Following a 10-10 first quarter though, you couldn’t help but wonder. 

GAME STATS | STANDINGS | ICRC GAME VIDEO (courtesy of ICRC TV)

 Not to worry.  The Knights came out in the second quarter and got on one of their rolls, putting up 18 points to the Wildcats’ 5, and gaining the kind of separation that, given the disparity in the two teams, allowed coach Mike Stevens to substitute freely throughout the second half. 

It was the bench, in fact, that scored the 21 points that separated the two teams.  The Wildcats’ bench, by comparison, was only able to muster 5 points. 

The Knights were led by Matt Stevens’ 11 points, but as is typical of the Knights’ stronger performances, the key was their balanced scoring: 10 for Aaron Gayhart, 8 for Danny Hagee, 6 for Mark Byrd and Calvin Scruby, 4 for Nick Bauer, 3 for Alex Grant and Derrick Harris, and 2 each for Colin Medley, Chris Burton and Zac Murphy.  Gayhart also had 8 rebounds, Byrd and Stevens each had 4 assists, and Nick Bauer contributed 4 rebounds and 2 steals in 11 strong minutes of play.

Next the Knights will finish out their regular season at Little Miami this Friday.  Let’s head down Route 22 and back the Knights as they finish out a strong conference season!

 GO KNIGHTS!!

Friday was one of the biggest basketball nights The Mill has seen in some time.  With all the packed houses this year (e.g. Turpin, Mason, Lebanon), with all the exciting basketball that’s been played… there was nothing quite like this. 

GAME STATS | STANDINGS | SLIDE SHOW (Courtesy of Jenny Haralamous)

It was Senior Night at The Mill, it was for first place in the Cardinal division, there was media coverage (TV and Internet), the top north tier was jammed for the first time in memory… and it was the only opportunity the Knights would have to avenge any of the 5 last second losses they’ve suffered in the 2007-8 season.

 Unfortunately, they were playing a young Wilmington squad that has improved significantly since December.  It was an uphill battle all the way, with the Knights never quite able to get over the hump, finally succumbing 51 to 42.

The Knights struggled with their offense from the beginning.  The Hurricane, who lead the conference in steals, were able to shake the ball loose time and again, eventually forcing the Knights into 16 turnovers.  The Hurricane took the lead with 4 1/2 minutes left in the first quarter and never relinquished it.  The Knights pulled within 26-24 with 1:50 left in the third quarter on 2 by Danny Hagee, but the Hurricane responded with 4 quick points, and the Knights were never able to get within 6 after that.

The Knights were led by Aaron Gayhart, who was fighting off the flu, and Derrick Harris.  Both managed 13 points.  Gayhart also contributed 6 rebounds, and Harris had 4 assists.  Danny Hagee and Matt Stevens each chipped in 7 points.

 Now the Knights stand at 11-7, 7-2 Cardinal, with 2 games remaining in the regular season.   They’ll be at Harrison next Tuesday and Little Miami next Friday, before starting their postseason run against Anderson at Lakota East on Friday the 15th.

GO KNIGHTS!!

It was Tuesday, after all.

 The Knights played at West Carrollton Tuesday night, facing a team who came into the game 12-3 and looking to make up for a ridiculous 86-43 thrashing laid on them by the Knights at The Mill the previous year.  The Pirates didn’t quite erase that humiliating loss, but they did manage to beat the Knights, 59-48.   But the score doesn’t quite tell the story. 

GAME STATS | STANDINGS

The Knights constantly and valiently fought back from deficits, trailing by 3, then 5, then 7… then 7 again in the 4th quarter… each time fighting back to within 1 or even taking a brief lead.

But this is a strong Pirates team.  They push it up the floor, scoring quickly after opponents’ buckets, and they would not let the Knights build momentum.

 But with just 1:09 left in the game the Knights were down just 48 to 45 and had the ball.  Then, as you know if you’ve noticed the score, the wheels just came off.  A Knights missed field goal, a Pirates rebound, and a questionable foul.  Two free throws, a technical foul on the Kings bench, and two more free throws.  Suddenly the lead was 7 with under a minute to play.  A missed shot and another foul, and it was desperation time.  The Pirates took 12 free throws in the fourth quarter and drained 10 to put it out of reach.

This was a good Pirates team, and as usual… it’d be great to catch them on a Friday.  The Knights are now 2-5 on Tuesdays and 9-1 on all other days.  

Now, this FRIDAY, the Knights play their biggest game of the year.   Wilmington comes to town tied with the Knights for first place in the Cardinal division.   The Knights led by 13 in the 3d quarter at Wilmington in December before losing on a buzzer beater in overtime.  Both teams know what’s at stake, and the Hurricane will be trying to keep the Knights from winning their 3rd FAVC title in 4 years.   Let’s PACK THE MILL Friday night!!

 GO KNIGHTS!!

The Knights have received a no. 14 seed in the district, and will open tournament play on February 15 against Anderson at Lakota West High School.  Click below for more tournament info, and stay tuned for details!

Knights’ Bracket | All Brackets

GO KNIGHTS!!