Lorain Wins Their Third Straight Holiday Classic

By T.J. Peatross, 12/29/16, 12:30PM EST

Lorain sent a statement to the rest of the county on Wednesday night with their third consecutive championship in the area's annual holiday classic.

The Titans followed up a three-point victory over rival Elyria on Tuesday with a 94-70 route over Oberlin in the championship game. After last year's event was cut short after the first night, this year's classic was a success.

Check out the top performers from Wednesday night as I was on hand for both contests.

Top Performers

Antonio Blanton (Elyria) 5'11, Sr. G

After a 28 point outing last week in a win over Shaker Heights, Blanton opened up Wednesday's game against Sandusky with a long two-point field goal on the Pioneer's first possession. The sharpshooting senior would make sure he was behind the line next time as he would rattle off three first half triples en route to a team best 23 points. Blanton appears to be in a rhythm after a minor injury earlier this season, and Coach Larrick will need him to carry over some of this momentum as they head into a tough stretch of conference matchups.

Naz Bohanon (Lorain) 6'5, Sr. F

In a game where he was plagued by foul trouble early on, Bohanon came out strong in the second half, scoring 19 of his game-high 25 in the last two quarters of play. A late Oberlin turnover led to a powerful jam by Bohanon on the other end that nearly tore the roof off of the gym, a makeup for an easy dunk the senior missed in the first half. Behind Bohanon's combined 52 points in the classic's two games, the Titans appear to be back to regularly scheduled programming since their loss to North Canton Hoover on the 18th of this month.

Tone Brown (Elyria) 5'10, Sr. G

With Blanton firing on all cylinders in the game's opening minutes, Brown decided to join in on the action as well. The two backcourt running mates traded rhythm jumpshots, Brown would go on to make four of his six three-pointers in the first half. The senior was the beneficiary of a number of defensive lapses committed by Sandusky and he made them pay early and often. Brown finished the night with 20 points.

Devon Grant (Lorain) 6'0, So. G

Knowing that the team would be without senior Jalil Little, the team's second leading scorer, Grant entered the starting lineup for the first time this season and was the catalyst behind the Lorain offense, dishing out seven assists. The sophomore halted a late quarter run by Oberlin as he drilled a fall-away three right as the buzzer sounded to end the first half. Known for his flair and ability to score the ball, Grant showcased a much improved effort on the defensive end to go along with facilitating the offense.

Donald Johnson (Oberlin) 6'5, Sr. F

In what has been an up-and-down start for head coach Kurt Russell, the one consistent piece throughout the season thus far has been the improvement of Johnson. Using the offseason and summer months to add some significant weight to his frame, Johnson has proven to be a reliable presence on the inside and has upped his scoring output from a year ago. Behind Johhnson and the rest of their strong senior class, Oberlin is looking to capitalize off of their experience and deep postseason run from last season.

Jayrese Williams (Sandusky) 6'0, Sr. G

After losing by 3 to Oberlin on Tuesday, the host Sandusky Blue Streaks ran into a hot Elyria team on Wednesday. The lone bright spot for the home team was senior guard Jayrese Williams. Scoring half of his team's 50 points, Williams ran out of gas late but not before rattling off a string of pullup jumpers and crafty finishes at the rim. As the season continues, Sandusky (5-4) will need more of a collective effort if they want to compete come February.

Octavius Wilson (Lorain) 6'2. Sr. F

A full-time JV guy just a year ago, Wilson has proven to be a vital piece to the Titans' 5-1 record this season. The senior just has a knack for rebounding the ball on both ends as it seems to almost find its way into his hands. Wilson's motor and relentless pursuit allowed him to have a double-double after just two quarters of play during Wednesday's championship game, he finished with 20 points and a game-high 16 rebounds.