2026 Hughes vs Centerville

This game pits the defending champions of the Cincinnati Metro Athletic Conference against the defending champs of the Greater Western Ohio Conference.   Hughes won the CMAC with an 8-2 mark, while going 20-6 overall and winning a district championship.   The Centerville Elks won the GWOC with a 13-1 record while going 18-7 overall against a very formidable schedule.

Mike Hill’s Big Red will look to senior guard Alex Davenport and junior wing Dontrezz Shepard to lead the way this year.  The 6’3” Shepard can score from all three levels.  He is a candidate for POY in the Metro, and he is receiving college interest.  Davenport, a 5’10” guard, is another player who Coach Hill feels could be a POY candidate.   Brian Ross Jr. averaged 6.6 points a game for Aiken last season, before transferring to Hughes for his junior campaign.  The lefty has a pure stroke according to his coach.   Coach Hill is high on senior guard Mike Nixon who transferred in from Princeton.

Coach Brooke Cupps has built the Centerville Elks into a state power including a state championship in 2021.   This year’s team doesn’t have the star power that some previous teams have, but they have a solid group that Coach Cupps feels will be very competitive.  Leading scorer Sam Keely returns.  The 6’6” Keely averaged 13.6 ppg last season, and is receiving interest from D-1 colleges.  Ty Rohrer also scored in double figures last season as the 6’2” senior hit for 10.3 ppg.  6’5” senior Spencer Maxwell also started a year ago.  Both he and Rohrer are getting some D-II looks according to Cupps.  6’2” sophomore Luke Mastin is another player Cupps feels could one day play collegiately.

Coach Mike Hill knows the Elks are talented and well-coached.  But, he is excited for the matchup as he noted Centerville is the type team his Big Red will face somewhere in the tournament.

Hughes is 1-0 in the Ohio Valley Hoops Classic defeating London, while Centerville is 0-1 losing to Procterville Fairland.