Harvest Prep moves on in dominate fashion over Waterford
By: Eva Greene
PICKERINGTON, Ohio (WOUB) — The Division VI regional semifinal matchup between the Waterford Wildcats and the Harvest Prep Warriors proved to be a hard-fought battle early on. Harvest Prep entered the game with a 20-2 record and the No. 1 seed, while Waterford came in at 14-10 as the No. 3 seed. After a competitive start, the Warriors’ offense eventually caught fire, defeating the Wildcats 45-33.
The first quarter saw both teams come out strong. The Warriors struck first when Janiyah Wilcon knocked down a three-pointer. Waterford quickly responded as Elsie Malec answered with a three of her own. The quarter remained tightly contested throughout, with the Wildcats holding a narrow 13-12 lead at the end of the period.
Harvest Prep looked like a completely different team in the second quarter. Their defense locked in while the offense found its rhythm, allowing the Wildcats to score just two points in the period. Led by Israelle Smith and Janay Carter, the Warriors went on a run and carried a 29-15 lead into halftime.
Coming out of the break, Waterford tried to mount a comeback. Shaeli Hayes and Ava Hurley hit back-to-back three-pointers to cut the deficit to under ten points and spark some momentum for the Wildcats.
However, Harvest Prep responded by taking a timeout to regroup before continuing to control the game. Despite Waterford’s efforts to close the gap, the Warriors maintained their lead and secured the 45-33 victory.
With the win, Harvest Prep advances to the regional finals, where they will face Shenandoah on March 6. Waterford’s season comes to an end with a 14-11 record, along with a share of the TVC-Hocking title and a district championship.