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OHSBCA Sponsor Shot Clock Shootout
Once again, the Ohio High School Basketball Coaches Association (OHSBCA) will sponsor a high school event using the shot clock. This event will take place at the Canton Memorial Field House, featuring ten games over a two-day period. The games will be played on Saturday & Sunday, December 27th-28th, 2025.
The OHSBCA is excited to sponsor the 2025 Shot Clock Shootout. This exclusive event will feature 10 games all utilizing the shot clock under the guidelines of the National Federation of High Schools. Data and information will be gathered from this event to continue discussions surrounding the future implementation of the shot clock in the state of Ohio.”
The games will be played at the historic Canton Memorial Field House in Canton, Ohio. Joe Bogdan, Director of Sports, Athletic Partnerships, Facilities, and Physical Education for the Canton City School District stated, “Canton McKinley High School is excited to partner with the OHSBCA on this event. The OHSBCA’s commitment to running first class events and their willingness to help make this a fan friendly event on pricing really sets them apart from other large scale showcases. Canton Memorial Field House is the best high school basketball venue anywhere. Having the Shot Clock Shootout here is the perfect combination of basketball’s past and future.”
For more information about the 2025 OHSBCA Shot Clock Shootout, please contact Adam Hall at ohsbcapublicrelations@gmail.com or Joe Bogdan at bogdan_j@ccsdistrict.org.
Saturday, December 27, 2025
12:00 PM - Shelby vs West Branch (Girls)
1:45 PM - Northwest vs Canton McKinley (Girls)
3:30 PM - Olentangy vs Hoover (Boys)
5:15 PM - Elyria vs Massillon (Boys)
7:00 PM - Maysville vs St Vincent St Mary (Boys)
Sunday, December 28, 2025
12:00 PM - Grand Valley vs Rocky River (Boys)
1:45 PM - Olentangy Berlin vs Rocky River (Girls)
3:30 PM - Hamilton Township vs Canton Central (Boys)
5:15 PM - Ursuline vs Tallmadge (Boys)
7:00 PM - Warren Harding vs Canton McKinley (Boys)
MLK Events Using Shot
During the past year, the OHSBCA has worked with the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) to expand events to use the Shot Clock. The such events have been been approved the use of the shot clock. These three showcase events taking place over the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend. The Battle in the 614 (Columbus), the Fort Loramie MLK Classic (Fort Loramie), and the Classic in the Country (Berlin) will each implement the shot clock in accordance with NFHS guidelines.
Classic in the Country Director, Bryce McKey, shared his excitement: “We are incredibly honored and excited to be selected by the OHSBCA as one of the first events in Ohio to use the shot clock. We know college coaches will appreciate seeing a style of play that mirrors the collegiate game as they evaluate future recruits. We also look forward to receiving feedback from players, coaches, and scouts, as we continually strive to enhance the Classic in the Country, now entering its 23rd year. Thank you to the OHSBCA for giving us this opportunity to elevate the stage even further here in Ohio.”
AC Sallee, Battle in the 614 Representative, stated: “Eventive Sports and the Battle Series are proud to present the Shot Clock Shootout, a groundbreaking addition to the Boys Battle in the 614. This marquee event tips off January 17–19, 2026, at Ohio Dominican University. Elite high school teams from across Ohio will showcase their talent under the fast-paced intensity of the shot clock. Driven by the OHSBCA and in partnership with the OHSAA, the Shot Clock Shootout represents the next era of high school basketball in the Buckeye State.”
Fort Loramie Athletic Director, Mitch Westerheide, stated: “The Fort Loramie MLK Classic is proud to stand among the select showcase events in Ohio featuring the shot clock. Over the years, the Classic has grown into one of the state’s premier stages, bringing together outstanding teams, elite players, and supportive communities to celebrate competition, unity, and excellence. This year’s introduction of the shot clock highlights the event’s commitment to innovation and to delivering the very best experience for athletes and fans alike. We extend our gratitude to the OHSAA and OHSBCA for leading this important initiative and exploring how the shot clock can benefit schools of every size across Ohio.”
Public Relations Director for the OHSBCA, Adam Hall, shared his thoughts: “The OHSBCA is proud to partner with the OHSAA in bringing the shot clock to three of Ohio’s premier showcase events over the MLK holiday weekend. These events provide the perfect stage to introduce a faster pace of play that mirrors the collegiate game, while allowing us to gather valuable feedback from players, coaches, and fans. This is an exciting step forward for high school basketball in Ohio, and we look forward to seeing how the shot clock can elevate the game for schools of all sizes.”
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National Federation of High Schools Coach of the Year Award
Boys Recipient
T
he Ohio High School Basketball Coaches Association has nominated Eric Flannery of St. Edward High School as the Ohio Boys Nominee for the National Federation of High Schools Boys Coach of the Year Award. Coach Flannery is a proud graduate of St. Edward High School, where he has dedicated his entire professional career to developing student-athletes both on and off the court.
His coaching journey began at his alma mater, where he served as the freshman and junior varsity basketball coach from 1990–1996 before being named head varsity coach, a position he has held for the past 29 years. During his tenure, Coach Flannery has compiled an impressive overall record of 554–169, all at St. Edward. Under his leadership, the Eagles have captured two state championships (1998 and 2014), eleven regional championships, twenty-two district championships, and twenty-eight sectional championships.
Throughout his distinguished career, Coach Flannery has earned numerous coaching honors including Ohio Associated Press Coach of the Year (2007), Greater Cleveland Basketball Coach of the Year (1998, 2007, 2014, 2020, and 2023), and Cleveland Plain Dealer Coach of the Year (1998, 2007, 2008, and 2014). In 2010, he was selected as a Head Coach for the McDonald’s All-American Game. His impact extends far beyond the high school level, as he served with USA Basketball from 2001–2022, first as a Court Coach and later as a member of the USA Basketball U16 and U17 coaching staff, where he helped lead the United States to five gold medals.
Off the court, Coach Flannery continues to make a significant impact in the community. He is the owner of Cleveland Old School Athletics, a youth basketball program for boys and girls in grades 4 through 8.
What they are saying about Coach Eric Flannery
“Coach Flannery was a calming and constant presence with the USA Junior National Team program when I was serving in a support staff role. He had the gift of balancing his humility with a quiet confidence that gave you the sense that whatever teaching point we were engaging in was the right way to go. The best way I can describe Coach Flannery is that he is a true caretaker of the game, and in particular celebrating and elevating those of us who are tasked with coaching today’s high school players.”
-Marshall Cho, Nike Hoop Summit World Team Head Coach
“Eric Flannery’s career is a testament to consistency, loyalty, and excellence. His dedication to St. Edward High School and the countless young men he has coached speaks volumes about his impact on the game and his community. Coach Flannery represents everything that is right about high school athletics.”
-Adam Hall, Public Relations Director, OHSBCA
Girls Recipient
The Ohio High School Basketball Coaches Association has nominated Christina Hart of Archbishop Alter High School as the Ohio Girls Nominee for the National Federation of High Schools Girls Coach of the Year Award. Coach Hart is a proud graduate of Archbishop Alter High School and Xavier University.
Her coaching career began as a graduate assistant women’s basketball coach at Western Illinois University. She then spent seven years as the head women’s basketball coach at the College of Wooster, where she compiled an overall record of 104-73 and won two North Coast Athletic Conference Championships. For the past 32 years, Coach Hart has served as the head coach of the Archbishop Alter High School girls basketball program. Under her leadership, the Knights have captured five state championships, ten regional championships, seventeen district championships, and eleven Greater Catholic League championships. Her overall record at Alter stands at an impressive 571-209.
Throughout her distinguished career, Coach Hart has earned numerous league and district coaching honors. In 2002, she was named OHSBCA Coach of the Year and Associated Press Coach of the Year. In 2014, she received the prestigious Agonis Club Coach of the Year Award, becoming the first female coach ever selected for that honor. Coach Hart’s legacy at Alter has been recognized with her induction into the Archbishop Alter Hall of Fame, first as an athlete in 2010 and most recently as a coach in 2024.
What they are saying about Coach Christina Hart
“Coach Hart is an outstanding choice to represent Ohio for the NFHS Coach of the Year. She is a consummate professional who is deeply respected by her fellow coaches across the state. Through her exceptional leadership and coaching ability, Coach Hart has developed numerous college basketball players by consistently getting the very best out of her teams. A fixture on the sidelines at Alter for many years, she has guided her program to multiple state championships and earned numerous honors along the way. Most importantly, she has done it all with tremendous class, shaping not only great athletes but outstanding young women.”
-Adam Priefer, District 15 Director
“Coach Christina Hart’s nomination for the NFHS Girls Coach of the Year Award reflects her outstanding leadership, integrity, and commitment to student-athletes. Her success at Archbishop Alter and her dedication to education-based athletics embody the values the NFHS strives to promote. Coach Hart’s passion for developing young women through the game of basketball has left a lasting impact on countless players, teams, and the broader high school sports community.”
-Adam Hall, Public Relations Director, OHSBCA
OHSBCA North-South All-Star Game
The Ohio High School Basketball Coaches Association will continue the same format of the North-South All-Star Game. There will be only one girl’s game and one boy’s game. The number of players on each team has been increased to 12 players. The games will be played on Friday, April 24, 2026, at Olentangy Liberty High School. Girl’s game will tip-off at 6:00 pm followed by the boy’s game at 7:45 pm. All the OHSBCA awards presentation will take place during the games. The selection process for players and coaches has been revised.
Player Selection
The player selection is done by the following procedure: The State is divided into 16 Districts, eight southern and eight northern. One player and alternate are selected from each district – One Player from Division I, II, III, IV and One Player from Division V, VI, VII. The District will then designate the representative (first selection) and the alternate (second selection) from these two candidates. Voting is done at the Local level with each school receiving the number of votes as they have state members in the Association. Twelve players will be select for the North and Twelve players will be select for the South – (1) Each District will have their First Selection represent their District in N-S Game, (2) All Player of the Year will receive automatic selection to the N-S Game, (3) If the First Selection is unable to play in the N-S Game, the Second Selection from that District receives the automatic selection to the N-S Game.
Coach Selection
District Directors from the North will select the North coaches and District Directors from the South will select the South coaches. Nominees can come from all districts. Coaches must be an OHSBCA Member and coached in the District Finals in the previous season. Two (2) Coaches from the North District (District 1 – 8) will be selected to coach the N-S Game for the North. One coach is from Division I, II, III, IV and one coach is from Division V, VI, VII. Two (2) Coaches from the South District (District 9 – 16) will be selected to coach the N-S Game for the South. One coach is from Division I, II, III, IV and one coach is from Division V, VI, VII.
North-South Game Activities
6:00 pm - Girls Game
A. Introduction
B. Presentation of All-Stars by OANG
Halftime of Girls Game
A. Team Pictures
B. Girls Players of the Year
C. Girls Coaches of the Year
D. Ms. OHSBCA
E. Girls Assistant Coach of the Year
After Girls Game
A. MVP of Game
B. Scholarship Winners
7:45 pm- Boys Game
A. Introduction
B. Presentation of All-Stars by OANG
Halftime of Boys Game
A. Team Pictures
B. Boys Players of the Year
C. Boys Coaches of the Year
D. Mr. OHSBCA
E. Boys Assistant Coach of the Year
After Boys Game
A. MVP of Game
Holding Court with Adam Hall / Walt Cerrato
The Holding Court Podcast is presented by the Ohio High School Basketball Coaches Association. These podcasts are another way to connect coaches to the game of basketball. They are free and encourage you to listen to them.
Join hosts, Adam Hall and Walt Cerrato, as they sit down with some of the biggest names in Ohio High School Basketball and beyond. To date, 43 episodes of the podcast have been released. The 2025-26 basketball season begins the fourth year of the podcast and here are the episodes released to date.
Episodes
2/19 - Josh Hose, Boys Coach at Massillon High School - Building a Winner in a Football Town.
3/26 - Walt Cerrato, Girls Coach at Canton South High School - Not Taking Success for Granted.
4/23 - Jeff Howell, Girls Coach at Madison Christian School - Planning the Three Off-Season Phases.
5/7 - Amy Hughes, Girls Coach at Portsmouth High School - Getting Teams to Defend at High Level.
6/25 - Greg Nossaman, Boys Coach at Olentangy Liberty High School - Coach & AD Relationship.
7/30 - Selana Ickes, Women’s Coach at Malone University - Mental Health & Program Standards.
8/19 - Zach Ross, Boys Coach at New Philadelphia HS - Developing A Championship Caliber Staff.
10/11 - John Leonzo, Women’s Coach at Wright State University - Leveraging Analytics to Guide Strategy and Player Development.
These podcasts are available anywhere you listen to podcasts. Make sure to subscribe. Also, you can access them on the web at:
linktr.ee/OHSBCA
Schools With the Most Coaches Joining the OHSBCA
The OHSBCA had 3,429 coaches joined the Association last year. This year Massillon Jackson had the most coaches for Boys Coach Staffing. Congratulations to Massillon Jackson Boys Staff and Coach Tim Debevec for joining 15 coaches. The leader on the Girls side with 15 coaches was John Glenn Girls Staff and Coach Gary Sigman.
| Boys Teams | Girls Teams |
| Massillon Jackson - 15 | John Glenn - 15 |
| Keystone - 11 | Findlay - 10 |
| Archbishop Moeller - 10 | Lancaster - 10 |
| Massillon Washington - 10 | Archbishop Alter - 9 |
| Newark - 10 | Archbishop Alter - 9 |
| Dover - 9 | |
| Harrison Central - 9 | |
| Uniontown Lake - 9 |
These schools joined their entire Varsity staff, JV staff, Freshmen staff and Junior High staff. Some team even joined their scorekeepers, timers and video personal. The teams with the most coaches joined are listed to the left for last year’s membership.
As we enter into a new year, let’s try to break our record of 4,099 by joining more coaches to our Association. Please join your Varsity staff, JV staff, Freshman staff and Junior High staff. WE WOULD LIKE TO SURPASS THE 4,100 MARK THIS YEAR!! The only way we can accomplish this is to get every in your program to join.
Hooplines
This year, there will two editions of HOOPLINES as the OHSBCA starts to move to digital content. The Year in Review / January edition will be released around Mid-January. The Spring / May edition was be released in Mid-May. The OHSBCA has increased the number of Monthly newsletters, like this one, to provide more timely information. The newsletters will be sent to your email address provided on the membership form.
OHSBCA Coaches Clinic
The Ohio High School Basketball Coaches Association (OHSBCA) is pleased to announce that the 2026 OHSBCA Clinic will be return to the Frank Murphy Convocation Center, located on the campus of St. Charles Preparatory School in Columbus, Ohio.
The Frank Murphy Convocation Center, which opened in 2023, is a state-of-the-art facility designed to enhance both athletic performance and fan experience. It features seating for 1,300, three video boards, and a dropdown scoreboard, making it an ideal venue for the clinic.
The 2026 OHSBCA Clinic will be held September 20th & 21st.
OHSBCA Membership
Membership Deadline is Tuesday, December 31, 2024. Please get your membership in by that date. You must be a member to receive the Coaches and Players Awards. In addition to this year’s membership, you will be a member of the NHSBCA which will provide the benefits from Luceo Sports - Online Registration, NHSBCA Resource App, and the NHSBCA Playbook App. All ACTIVE members are entitled to these benefits.