Haylee and Katie Kellogg embrace after Southern Local's win over Columbia on Wednesday. (Photo by Michael Burich)

SALINEVILLE — Southern Local’s girls basketball players went to each corner of the gymnasium after the 66-30 win over Columbia Station Columbia in a Div. VI district semifinal on Tuesday to make sure each and every crowd member knew they appreciated the support in a season that has not seen a loss.

The Indians team went 13-0 at home and this perhaps was the most boisterous crowd of them all in maybe the Indians’ best performance of the season … so far.

“This is the loudest I have ever heard it in my time at Southern Local,” Southern coach Mike Skrinjar said. “It was a hostile environment. Our community is an amazing community. It reaches out not only to our local area but to families who are coming in from out of town to see us play and coach. When it happens like this I just tell them that they are impacting the world in such a positive way. That’s a blessing.”

No. 5 seed Southern, who extended its school-best record to 24-0, will play seventh-seeded Waynedale (17-7) for the district title at 1 p.m. Saturday at Girard High School. Waynedale advanced with a 57-40 win at No. 4 seed Mineral Ridge on Thursday.

Southern’s last district title came in 1995 and the senior group of Allyssa Shroades, Makenna Jones, Haylee Kellogg and Maddy Jones is hoping to keep the dream alive.

“It’s an amazing feeling,” Makenna Jones said. “It’s just mind blowing. It’s my senior year and this has been the best season anyone can ask for.”

No. 10 seed Columbia (16-8) was a district champion last season and make its first three shots to take an early 8-0 lead. Southern didn’t panic though.

“It was like the game against Columbiana,” Makenna Jones said. “I didn’t have any doubts. We’re coming back no matter what. We’re a team and we’re together.”

Southern managed to come back to tie the game at 11 at the end of the first quarter and never looked back from there. The Raiders had all kinds of trouble handling the ball and when they did get open shots those were often well off the mark.

A 22-2 run in the second quarter, led by the outstanding freshman duo of Katie Kellogg and Kalayah Crute put the Raiders in a 33-13 hole at half.

Katie Kellogg, like she has done all season, was the engine driving the ship as she had 35 points, seven assists, seven steals and four rebounds. Crute played strong in the post with 18 points, 11 rebounds, three steals and two assists.

“We’ve been playing together so long that I knew when (Katie) was going to pass it,” Crute said. “I know when she drives in it’s going to me. She could do a head nod and I know where I am going.”

The Indians led 48-22 at the end of the third quarter and got the game into running clock territory on a Katie Kellogg steal and basket with three minutes left which pushed the crowd into a frenzy.

Skrinjar thought this was the best game the Indians have played so far.

“We had to handle the first part of the adversity,” Skrinjar said. “In order to become a champion you have to overcome adversity. They came out with eight points out of the rip and everyone stayed composed. Through our defensive intensity everyone finds a way to contribute. Even the ones that don’t get in all the time.”

Now the stage is set for the biggest game for quite some time for a Southern team that has already won Eastern Ohio Athletic Conference and OVAC championships.

Waynedale tied for fourth place in the Wayne County Athletic League behind league champion Norwayne, Chippewa and Dalton. The Golden Bears handed Norwayne its only league loss, 51-42, on Jan. 8. Six of Waynedale’s seven losses came in league play. Last season Waynedale eliminated undefeated EOAC champion Columbiana in the sectional opener.

“We’ve had a chance to scout Waynedale and we’ve seen them play Columbiana last year,” Skrinjar said. “They’re a great program as well. They had a great, close game against Norwayne who is one of the top teams in the state. They played an intense game with them. It’s going to be a great match-up.”

Game notes

¯ Just after the postgame celebration concluded, Katie Kellogg was on the floor with leg cramps for several minutes and had to be attended to by Southern coaches and staff. It was nothing he hasn’t seen before according to Skrinjar.

“If we wrote a play about them, it might be the best theatrical play you could see,” Skrinjar said. “They’re all dramatic. They all have their own little parts. It would be hilarious.”

¯ The biggest cheers of the night came when Haylee Kellogg took a charge in the second half. The entire team came out onto the court to cheer her on.

¯ Makenna Jones had six points and seven rebounds, while Maddy Jones added four rebounds.

¯ Southern is ranked 26th in the MaxPreps Div. VI state rankings, while Waynedale is 25th. Waynedale’s strength of schedule rating is 4.7 while Southern’s is -7.3.

¯ The winner of the Southern-Waynedale game will meet the winner of No. 2 seed Canton Central Catholic and No. 11 Mapleton in the regional semifinal at Uniontown Lake High School. Dates and times have not been announced yet.

¯ No. 1 seeded Rootstown and No. 13 Smithville winner will meet No. 8 Dalton and No. 3 Richmond Heights winner in the other regional semifinal.

C: 11- 2- 9- 8–30

S: 11-22-15-18–66

COLUMBIA SCORING: Morgan Andrews 0-0-0, Alyssa Goebel 3-0-6, Natalie Miller 4-1-11, Allison Boardman 0-0-0, Bernadette Beach 0-0-0, Lexi Miller 0-0-0, Kenzie Shackleton 2-0-6, Bella Herhuth 2-0-4, Abby Elgin 1-0-3. TEAM TOTALS: 12, 1-9: 30.

SOUTHERN LOCAL SCORING: Katie Kellogg 9-14-35, Allyssa Shroades 3-0-7, Ava Reed 0-0-0, Kalayah Crute 8-2-18, Makenna Jones 3-0-6, Sarah Hawk 0-0-0, Hailey Maines 0-0-0, Haylee Kellogg 0-0-0, Raelea Carosiello 0-0-0, Lidia Spahlinger 0-0-0, Emma Boyle 0-0-0, Maddy Jones 0-0-0. TEAM TOTALS: 24, 14-18: 66.

Three-point goals: Columbia 5 (N. Miller 2, L. Miller 2, Elgin), Southern 4 (K. Kellogg 3, Shroades).