Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

Sometimes, players are asked to step up to a challenge.
In the first meeting, the St. Joseph Flyers beat the Symmes Valley Vikings 67-47 as Ryan Payne scored 20 points.
But Payne must sit out the second half of the season due to transfer rules, thus someone had to step up for the Flyers and make up the difference.
Guards Zach Roach and Isaac Whaley stepped up in a big way as Roach — who scored 16 points in the first meeting — hit eight 3-pointers including the game-winner just before the buzzer as he scored 36 points while Whaley had a season-high 15 points in a 64-62 thriller on Saturday.
“Great team win. All seven guys gave it everything they had. The Cardiac Kids strike again,” said Flyers’ coach Chris Barnes.
“Zach played fantastic. Isaac stepped up huge and he had to guard one of the Leith brothers in the fourth quarter.”
Symmes Valley (3-13) was coming off stunning upset at Western on Friday. The Vikings had three players in double figure as Jack and Luke Leith each scored 16 points and Drew Scherer had 10 points.
The Vikings had one of their best games percentage-wise at the foul line this season as they converted 10-of-13 free throws.
Luke Leith had six points while Jack Leith and Scherer got four each and the Vikings led 14-13 at the end of the first quarter.
Roach buried three 3-pointers and Whaley had two baskets to account for the Flyers’ offense.
Scherer had a 3-pointer and Alec Carpenter and Jack Leith scored four points each as the Vikings were up 29-27 at the break.
Roach got six points and both he and Whaley made a trifecta to keep the Flyers close.
Roach knocked down two more 3-pointers and scored 12 points — he was 4-of-4 at the foul line — in the third quarter and Matt Sheridan was 2-for-2 at the line, but the Vikings still added to their lead as Jack Leith had eight points — he was 2-of-2 at the line — and Carpenter nailed a trey to make it 46-43.
Trent Turner stepped up for the Vikings in the fourth quarter with a pair of 3-pointers as he scored all nine of his points with Luke Leith adding six more points.
But Whaley went deep twice and score eight points, J.C. Damron got four points and Roach — who scored nine points in the quarter — drained the game-winning 3-pointer as the buzzer sounded which proved to be the Flyers only lead of the game.
St. Joseph hosts Sciotoville East on Tuesday while Symmes Valley entertains Portsmouth Notre Dame on Friday.
Sym. Valley 14 15 17 16 = 62
St. Joseph 13 14 16 21 = 64
SYMMES VALLEY (3-13): Luke Leith 7 0 2-2 16, Jack Leith 7 0 2-2 16, Drew Scherer 2 1 3-4 10, Alec Carpenter 2 1 0-0 7, Josh Ferguson 0 0 2-2 2, Trent Turner 1 2 1-2 9, Toby Smathers 1 0 0-1 2. Totals: 20 4 10-13 62. Fouls: 17. Fouled out: None.
ST. JOSEPH (10-3): Jackson Rowe 1 0 0-0 2, Isaac Whaley3 3 0-0 15, Zach Roach 3 8 6-10 36, Jimmy Mahlmeister 0 0 0-0 0, J.C. Damron 2 0 4-4 8, Max Weber 0 0 1-3 1, Matt Sheridan 0 0 2-2 2. Turnovers: 10. Fouls: 13. Fouled out: None.