FREDERICKTOWN — The Fredericktown boys basketball team has already wrapped up an outright Knox Morrow Athletic Conference championship and is riding a 20-game winning streak.
Yet the Freddies (20-0) might have picked up their most impressive win in an already sterling season on Tuesday night.
Coach Derek Dibling’s undefeated bunch used a 14-10 surge in overtime to push past an outstanding Colonel Crawford outfit 57-53 before a packed gymnasium in a tournament-like atmosphere at Fredericktown High School.
“This was a game these guys were excited about,” Dibling said. “Obviously, the community was excited about it. So from that point of view, just go out and enjoy.
“That’s what makes high school sports so special, and those kids played a whale of a game.”
The difference in the contest came at the charity stripe. The hosts drilled 20-of-23 free throws, while Colonel Crawford made just 3-of-12.
Junior Carson Rinehart pumped in a game-high 22 points, including eight clutch points and a key three-point play in the extra session to pace the Freddies.
“He closed out well,” Dibling said. “He did a good job maintaining space and getting the ball and moving. He hit the free throws when he really needed to.”
Teammate Zane Luckmeier contributed 13 points.
Peyton Baker topped the Eagles with 15 points on five treys, while leading scorer Brayden Holt was limited to 13 and Payne and John DeGray each chipped in 11.
The game was tight throughout, with Fredericktown edging in front 13-12 after the first quarter. But the Eagles knotted the affair at 22-22 heading into halftime. C.C. pushed in front 37-32 at the third-quarter buzzer.
When Colonel Crawford opened a seven-point lead, it tried to stall the game away by holding the ball for more than three minutes. However, that strategy backfired.
“I just told (our players) to just take a breath, and you know, it’s nothing we’re doing, it’s on them, and you can’t control that,” Dibling said. “We have to play our game and speed them up.
“They (stalled) so early in the fourth quarter, and it made it kind of tricky. You have to maintain your composure, and eventually you can get the lead.”
The Freddies responded by putting the visitors in a defensive vice, outscoring coach Dave Sheldon’s squad 11-6 in the fourth period and forcing overtime at 43-43.
Fredericktown’s offense found its form in the extra session to pull away for the win.
“I think it means a ton, actually, to build on. (The Eagles) are a great team, they’re well coached, they’re physical, that’s a team that’s going to go a long way in the postseason and again to deliver on our home floor in front of that great crowd,” Dibling said.
“It means a lot to (our players). It means a lot in terms of our confidence moving forward and kind of setting us geared up for the postseason.”
The 12th-ranked Eagles slip to 18-2, but have already clinched at least a share of the Northern 10 championship. A win at Seneca East on Friday would wrap up the undisputed crown.
Colonel Crawford’s only other loss this year was a 62-55 defeat to Canton Central Catholic on Jan. 31.
Fredericktown will host Utica on Friday night.
(Photos by Dan Werner)
The last time Col. Crawford and Fredericktown played in a 69-53 game on Jan. 25, 2025.
In recent action on Feb. 11, Fredericktown faced off against Delaware Buckeye Valley.