Columbus — Moments after cutting down the nets at the Ohio Expo Center, St. Francis DeSales senior standout P.J. Noles took a moment to soak it all in. He had just led the Stallions to a district championship victory over Catholic rival Bishop Watterson, a moment he could hardly put into words.
“It is undescribable,” Noles said. “I’ve never experienced anything like this.”
Noles led the way with 23 points, draining five three-pointers to fuel the Stallions’ offense. Meanwhile, Carter Ward, Frankie McAllister, and Daevyn Amankwaah each contributed seven points as St. Francis DeSales powered past Bishop Watterson 51-36 to claim the Division III district championship on Tuesday night.
The Stallions exploded out of the gates, building a commanding 21-2 lead after the first quarter behind 11 points from Noles and all seven of Ward’s points.
Though Watterson fought back to trim the deficit to 26-16 at halftime, DeSales reasserted control in the third quarter, outscoring their rival 14-7 to take a 40-23 lead into the final period.
DeSales Head Coach Pat Murphy emphasized the importance of halftime adjustments in maintaining their lead. “We weren’t getting out on shooters, getting rebounds, or taking good shots,” Murphy explained. “We cleaned that up in the third and fourth quarters, and it was good to see.”
Defensively, DeSales took control by forcing 10 turnovers while committing just four of their own. Noles led the Stallions with eight rebounds, while McAllister contributed five. Though Watterson edged DeSales on the boards, 27-23, the Stallions’ defensive pressure remained the key to maintaining their lead.
With the victory, DeSales reclaimed a long-sought goal, returning to the district championship summit after years of near misses. “It’s a goal we work toward every year, and we had fallen short the past three,” Coach Murphy said. “It feels great to be back where we aspired to be.”
Noles emphasized how the strong bond among the seniors made this championship even more meaningful. “The senior group is all super close. We hit some adversity during the year,” he reflected. “But we kept fighting and turned it around. We trusted our coaches and worked our butts off to get here.”
The Stallions will take the next step in their postseason journey when they face a Northeast District champion in the regional semifinals on March 4 at the Ohio Expo Center.
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