Don't forget to check out the "State Champions" page under the 2014 Tourney tab for a full recap of the state semi-finals and finals
Official Weather Data for 2014
The Throwback Game
2014 marked the beginning of a brand new State tradition dubbed as "the throwback game." In the early years of state, a simpler time with limited funds and limited ticket connections, the 300 level seats became a very familiar place for the early state-goers. The likes of Adriene Payne, Andrew Lavender, Dequan Cook, Lebron James, John Diebler, O.J. Mayo, and Bill Walker were witnessed from the nosebleeds.
As the years passed and the ticket connections improved, so did the seats. No more stares from the ushers as we scope the joint for a weakness in the defense and try to work our way down to the lower bowl.
Thankfully, the days of the 300 level tickets have become a thing of the past. As of 2010 we now acquire ticket pairs in the 100 and 200 levels. While the view is unbeatable, the gang is split up into various locations. In an effort to relive the glory days of legs stretched over the seats, naps at halftime, walking halfway around the arena to find an open concession stand, and an empty seat in between each of us to stretch out, the throwback game was born.
For at least one game out of the 12 for the weekend, we take the lengthy ride on the escalator and bypass our lower level seats to reunite the entire crew in one section. In addition to having the entire gang in one location, this year's throwback game gave us plenty of arm and leg room to bust out our own "Harlem Shake" as well as some other nonsense (see videos below)!
The 2014 throwback game was a hit and is likely to become a favorite state tradition for years to come!
2014 marked the beginning of a brand new State tradition dubbed as "the throwback game." In the early years of state, a simpler time with limited funds and limited ticket connections, the 300 level seats became a very familiar place for the early state-goers. The likes of Adriene Payne, Andrew Lavender, Dequan Cook, Lebron James, John Diebler, O.J. Mayo, and Bill Walker were witnessed from the nosebleeds.
As the years passed and the ticket connections improved, so did the seats. No more stares from the ushers as we scope the joint for a weakness in the defense and try to work our way down to the lower bowl.
Thankfully, the days of the 300 level tickets have become a thing of the past. As of 2010 we now acquire ticket pairs in the 100 and 200 levels. While the view is unbeatable, the gang is split up into various locations. In an effort to relive the glory days of legs stretched over the seats, naps at halftime, walking halfway around the arena to find an open concession stand, and an empty seat in between each of us to stretch out, the throwback game was born.
For at least one game out of the 12 for the weekend, we take the lengthy ride on the escalator and bypass our lower level seats to reunite the entire crew in one section. In addition to having the entire gang in one location, this year's throwback game gave us plenty of arm and leg room to bust out our own "Harlem Shake" as well as some other nonsense (see videos below)!
The 2014 throwback game was a hit and is likely to become a favorite state tradition for years to come!
Bibby enters points and attendance pool for first time in history ! ! !
Columbus - The biggest shockwave of the weekend hit early Thursday morning when Keith Bibbler, aka "Bibby" made state tournament history by entering his name in the points and attendance bidding.
In the 10+ years of attending State, Bibby appeared content to hold onto his singles and watch as the rest of the crew battled it out game-by-game vying for the coveted points and attendance crown. The entire crew was completely speechless (as evidenced by the picture) when Bibby reached into the pocket of his straight-fit Wranglers and pulled out two one-dollar bills and handed them to Seth prior to session one.
It was one of those moments that cannot be re-created nor duplicated. All those who witnessed the act spontaneously broke out into cheers and congratulated Bibby on taking a rather huge step.
Bibby, being a man of few words, simply nodded and smiled at the cheering audience as parking lot heads turned to find out what the commotion coming from the 10 x 10 King Canopy tent sitting at south end of the Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium was all about.
It didn't take long for Bibby to cash in his winnings as he nabbed his first attendance pot for session two, pocketing $9. Unfortunately, that was the only moment of glory for the state tournament veteran, but it was an experience that he, as well as the rest of the crew, won't soon forget!
In the 10+ years of attending State, Bibby appeared content to hold onto his singles and watch as the rest of the crew battled it out game-by-game vying for the coveted points and attendance crown. The entire crew was completely speechless (as evidenced by the picture) when Bibby reached into the pocket of his straight-fit Wranglers and pulled out two one-dollar bills and handed them to Seth prior to session one.
It was one of those moments that cannot be re-created nor duplicated. All those who witnessed the act spontaneously broke out into cheers and congratulated Bibby on taking a rather huge step.
Bibby, being a man of few words, simply nodded and smiled at the cheering audience as parking lot heads turned to find out what the commotion coming from the 10 x 10 King Canopy tent sitting at south end of the Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium was all about.
It didn't take long for Bibby to cash in his winnings as he nabbed his first attendance pot for session two, pocketing $9. Unfortunately, that was the only moment of glory for the state tournament veteran, but it was an experience that he, as well as the rest of the crew, won't soon forget!
Member of the Conley Family captures title for 5th straight year
Columbus - After a 3rd place finish in 2010 and a 2nd place finish in 2011, Seth Conley finally made it to the mountain top, and he did so in impressive fashion winning $52 for the weekend.
2014 ushered in a new era as the E.P.A.S. system was unveiled and became the official record-keeping system for points and attendance. But that wasn't the only newsworthy item for the year as 2014 saw a new points and attendance champion emerge.
Seth was able to hold off a late surge from several competitors to take home the title and become the first champion of the E.P.A.S. era.
This was Seth's first title, knocking off the defending, two-time champion (and little brother) Micah Conley who finished 4th with $27.50 in winnings in this year's race. While this is the first title for Seth, this marks the fifth consecutive year since record-keeping began that a member of the Conley family has won the coveted title (Micah - 2010, Javan 2011, Chet-2012, Micah - 2013).
After day one it was an open race as the first 8 bids saw 8 different winners, including one win by previous champions Micah and Javan, as well as a win for Seth, and one win for Josiah and James, both who have previous runner-up finishes.
Conley broke the competition open after day two. A narrow one-point miss by the defending champ for session 5 created a carryover pot for session 6. That opened the door for Seth, who had already won session 5 attendance, to capture both session 6 points as well as the carryover pot from session 5. One final attendance pot for session 10 secured the 2014 title race.
A late surge by the young gun Ethan Conley ($34) and state veteran Steve Eddy ($32) pushed Seth to the limit, but in the end, they still fell $18 short of the champ and ended the weekend in 2nd and 3rd place respectively. The $18 lead over second place marks the largest margin of victory ever.
While the top three competitors battled it out, the weekend brought its share of disappointment for some of the top-tier talent. Defrancesco, last years runner-up, netted only a single win and finished the weekend taking home $10 in winnings. Chet Conley, just two years removed from his last title, only grabbed one pot for the weekend and finished with $10 as well.
The biggest surprise of the weekend was Josiah Wade's 0-24 performance, ending the tournament without a single dollar earned. "This was my first year not winning a single pot. Really!? I get 24 shots at winning a pot and I can't win one!? My own son won a pot and he was only there for 6 games!" said Wade following the disappointing performance. This came as quite a surprise considering he is a two-time runner up (2010, 2012).
While Seth was happy to take home the title and record for largest margin of victory, he did fall $2 short of setting the all-time record for most money won of $53, which was set by his old man in 2011. Despite falling short of that particular record - which is expected to stand for quite some time - he was still more than happy to rub it in the faces of all the losers that he still won the title.
Strong showings were had by several other competitors, including a career best performance for Jake Warrington ($23) and a decent showing for Javan Conley ($23.50). There were a number of young talents Mason Conley ($12) and points and attendance newbie Jace Wade ($13) who gave the state crowd a glimpse of the talent that will be competing for future titles. Despite only being present for 6 games, they still took home more money than several competitors who were in all weekend.
Will 2015 be the year one of the young guns knocks off the veterans? Will Wade or Defrancesco grab their first title? Will Warrington ride the positive momentum and knock off the Conley's? Or will Seth defend his title? It should be interesting to follow!
2014 ushered in a new era as the E.P.A.S. system was unveiled and became the official record-keeping system for points and attendance. But that wasn't the only newsworthy item for the year as 2014 saw a new points and attendance champion emerge.
Seth was able to hold off a late surge from several competitors to take home the title and become the first champion of the E.P.A.S. era.
This was Seth's first title, knocking off the defending, two-time champion (and little brother) Micah Conley who finished 4th with $27.50 in winnings in this year's race. While this is the first title for Seth, this marks the fifth consecutive year since record-keeping began that a member of the Conley family has won the coveted title (Micah - 2010, Javan 2011, Chet-2012, Micah - 2013).
After day one it was an open race as the first 8 bids saw 8 different winners, including one win by previous champions Micah and Javan, as well as a win for Seth, and one win for Josiah and James, both who have previous runner-up finishes.
Conley broke the competition open after day two. A narrow one-point miss by the defending champ for session 5 created a carryover pot for session 6. That opened the door for Seth, who had already won session 5 attendance, to capture both session 6 points as well as the carryover pot from session 5. One final attendance pot for session 10 secured the 2014 title race.
A late surge by the young gun Ethan Conley ($34) and state veteran Steve Eddy ($32) pushed Seth to the limit, but in the end, they still fell $18 short of the champ and ended the weekend in 2nd and 3rd place respectively. The $18 lead over second place marks the largest margin of victory ever.
While the top three competitors battled it out, the weekend brought its share of disappointment for some of the top-tier talent. Defrancesco, last years runner-up, netted only a single win and finished the weekend taking home $10 in winnings. Chet Conley, just two years removed from his last title, only grabbed one pot for the weekend and finished with $10 as well.
The biggest surprise of the weekend was Josiah Wade's 0-24 performance, ending the tournament without a single dollar earned. "This was my first year not winning a single pot. Really!? I get 24 shots at winning a pot and I can't win one!? My own son won a pot and he was only there for 6 games!" said Wade following the disappointing performance. This came as quite a surprise considering he is a two-time runner up (2010, 2012).
While Seth was happy to take home the title and record for largest margin of victory, he did fall $2 short of setting the all-time record for most money won of $53, which was set by his old man in 2011. Despite falling short of that particular record - which is expected to stand for quite some time - he was still more than happy to rub it in the faces of all the losers that he still won the title.
Strong showings were had by several other competitors, including a career best performance for Jake Warrington ($23) and a decent showing for Javan Conley ($23.50). There were a number of young talents Mason Conley ($12) and points and attendance newbie Jace Wade ($13) who gave the state crowd a glimpse of the talent that will be competing for future titles. Despite only being present for 6 games, they still took home more money than several competitors who were in all weekend.
Will 2015 be the year one of the young guns knocks off the veterans? Will Wade or Defrancesco grab their first title? Will Warrington ride the positive momentum and knock off the Conley's? Or will Seth defend his title? It should be interesting to follow!
Don Korecky, affectionately know as "Big Don" who had been battling some recent health issues was forced to cut his 2014 weekend short following the Pre-State dinner. It was the first time in 22 years that Korecky, one of the state tournament patriarchs, did not attend a single tournament game. Don did make his presence felt at the Pre-State dinner however by winning the first annual Earthquake Quiz Qracker (left).
Korecky wasn't the only patriarch who missed out on part of the weekend. The other half of the "founding fathers" of State, Chet Conley, missed his first tournament game in 22 years as well when he had to skip out on the Division 1 championship game to hitch an early ride back to Findlay, Ohio with the Warrington's.
Both Korecky and Conley, credited with starting the state tournament tradition, have been attending the tournaments since 1992 and had not missed a game until 2014. While Chet was definitely missed for the final game, all who participate in the annual pilgrimage to the Schottenstein Center agreed that the 2014 tournament just was not the same without Korecky.
"He's one of the anchors. He and dad started this tradition many years ago and it has grown to be THE event of the year for all of us. To not have him here just feels wrong, man." (Micah Conley)
Javan Conley, another state participant added, "My biggest disappointment was Big Don's absence. He's always a fun personality to have around and it wasn't the same without him." Josiah Wade expressed his thoughts as well stating, "We certainly missed hearing him complain about not winning points and attendance!"
All signs point to a full 100% recovery for next year's tournament, as there will definitely be some lost time to catch up on! Big Don, we all hope to see you back in 2015!
Ironically enough, the two vehicles that logged the least amount of miles during the weekend ended up deciding to kick it at the same time. A worn out ignition cylinder and an accidental reverse-polarity mishap while charging a battery resulted in over $500 worth of repairs between Micah's Sonata and James' Highlander. Broad and James towing were called to both scenes (Micah's garage and the Schottenstein Center parking lot) as they towed the disabled vehicles to the technicians at AAA Car Care Plus. Thankfully, they were able to get both vehicles back up and running a couple of days after the conclusion of the state weekend. The two friends joked how often they are razzed by family and friends because they seemingly do everything together - including car tows and car repairs! Needless to say, these two will be gunning for the points and attendance title for the next 10 years to help offset expenses!
Division 1 Final: Lakewood St. Ed's vs. Upper Arlington
Lakewood St. Ed's hits clutch 3 to force overtime and capture 2nd State Title
Sometimes the script doesn’t play out the way it was written, and such was the case for Upper Arlington on Saturday inside an electric Value City Arena on the campus of the Ohio State University.
Upper Arlington’s dream run was supposed to end with the Black and Gold hoisting the gold trophy in front of its overflowing and energetic crowd. The script looked as if it were going to hold true as the Golden Bears held a, 52-49, advantage with 4.7 seconds remaining, but mighty Lakewood St. Edward had other ideas.
Senior Marsalis Hamilton flipped the script when he took a handoff from sophomore Derek Funderburk, and proceeded to elevate over several hands draining a nearly impossible three-pointer from the right wing as time expired to send the game to overtime.
"This was probably the best game I've seen at State since I started coming" said Josiah Wade who enjoyed watching the game of the weekend courtside with his young son Jace. The arena was electric all game long as the two giants traded heavy blows, but in the end UA just could not hold off the mighty Eagles. Check out the live shot MC caught of the final bucket of regulation that sent the game to overtime!
Upper Arlington’s dream run was supposed to end with the Black and Gold hoisting the gold trophy in front of its overflowing and energetic crowd. The script looked as if it were going to hold true as the Golden Bears held a, 52-49, advantage with 4.7 seconds remaining, but mighty Lakewood St. Edward had other ideas.
Senior Marsalis Hamilton flipped the script when he took a handoff from sophomore Derek Funderburk, and proceeded to elevate over several hands draining a nearly impossible three-pointer from the right wing as time expired to send the game to overtime.
"This was probably the best game I've seen at State since I started coming" said Josiah Wade who enjoyed watching the game of the weekend courtside with his young son Jace. The arena was electric all game long as the two giants traded heavy blows, but in the end UA just could not hold off the mighty Eagles. Check out the live shot MC caught of the final bucket of regulation that sent the game to overtime!