Westerville North takes Perry to "deep water", wins state title
Friday, March 21, 2025
By Kevin Rouch
krouch@cbussports.com
Westerville North head coach Shan Trusley celebrates the Warriors’ state title win over Massillon Perry Friday at University of Dayton Arena. Photo: Kevin Rouch
[See head coach Shan Trusley on CBUS Roundball Weekly last week]
Westerville North (24-2) started their state championship game with a 10-0 run against the Cinderella Massillon Perry Panthers (14-13) Friday at University of Dayton Arena. It never got better than that for the Panthers who committed eight turnovers in the first quarter against relentless full-court pressure from the Warriors. North came away with a 78-46 victory.
The score at the end of the opening frame was 23-8 and at halftime, it was 47-28. The Warriors caused 15 Panther turnovers by the break, who ended up committing 27 in the game. North took advantage of the miscues with a number of uncontested easy baskets.
Westerville North’s Tyson Perkins drives to the basket against Perry’s Darnell McLeod during the OHSAA state final at University of Dayton Arena Friday. Photo: Kevin Rouch
The exhausting pace did lead to some foul trouble in the first half for the Warriors with three players committing two infractions, and Ronald Jackson with three. Had the game been closer and the Warriors’ bench thinner, it may have been a factor, but not this night on the season’s biggest stage.
The two senior stars for North, brothers Micah Young and Tai Perkins, led the scoring for the Warriors with 24 and 19 points, respectively. Sophomore Tony Cornett added 10 points, while sophomore Tyson Perkins scored eight.
Westerville North’s Jacob Medhane (left) and Elijah McCree trap on the full-court press during the Warriors’ state championship victory Friday at University of Dayton Arena. Photo: Kevin Rouch
It was Westerville North’s second state title in its 50-year history. The Warriors beat Cincinnati Withrow in overtime in 1994, lead by legendary coach Dave Hoover. Shan Trusley, who became North’s head coach in 2013, served as an assistant on that staff.
Explaining what the current team’s philosophy is with its torrid pace of play, he said “Our goal every game is to take the other team out to the deep water, … taking them somewhere they’ve never been before … where their feet can’t feel the bottom.”
And it’s not just the full-court press and ball pressure on the defensive side that turned up the game’s pace. “We use a 10-second clock in practice,” noted Trusley. So, the nonstop style of play on offense and defense served the Warriors well all season long, but at no point bigger than the final game on their tournament schedule Friday in Dayton.
Westerville North’s Tony Cornett takes a jump shot at the top of the key during the Warriors’ OHSAA state title win at University of Dayton Arena Friday. Photo: Kevin Rouch