LOCAL SPORTS | Old Fort Holds Off Hopewell-Loudon, 62–55, in Physical SBC Battle

OLD FORT, Ohio — Old Fort finished off a season sweep of Hopewell-Loudon on Wednesday night, pulling away late for a 62–55 Sandusky Bay Conference win in another bruising matchup that closely resembled the teams’ showdown just a few days earlier on Friday. For the second straight time, the game was physical, intense and decided by execution in key moments, with neither side able to gain more than a few points of breathing room until the final quarter.

Hopewell-Loudon briefly seized control in the second period with a strong offensive surge, highlighted by three 3-pointers from Kellen Frankart, to move in front. Old Fort answered before halftime, cutting into the deficit and keeping the margin to a single possession at the break. “I was proud of the kids,” Hopewell-Loudon head coach said. “We had chances to win both games. When you’re playing a team like that, it’s possession by possession, and one or two plays can swing it either way”

The Chieftains kept coming in the third quarter, with Ashton Miller sparking another push that helped Hopewell-Loudon reclaim a slim 41–40 advantage late in the frame. Despite some turnovers in the closing minutes of the period, Hopewell-Loudon still trailed by just one heading into the fourth. On the opposite bench, Old Fort head coach challenged his group to elevate its defensive effort — and the Stockaders delivered. “I challenged them to see how bad we wanted to win,” the coach said. “They responded, started playing defense, and we finally got the pace where we wanted it”

Old Fort took over down the stretch with a decisive fourth-quarter surge, driven by Isaac Gallagher’s relentless drives and composure at the foul line. Gallagher poured in 24 points and went a flawless 10-for-10 at the stripe, knocking down six free throws in the final period to hold the Chieftains off. The home crowd reached a crescendo midway through the fourth when Henry Beisner jumped a passing lane, raced the other way and hammered home a dunk to stretch the lead to eight. “That dunk was a huge momentum swing,” Beisner said. “It gets the crowd going, gets everybody amped up, and puts us on a run. I love that feeling”

Hopewell-Loudon tried to extend possessions, manage the clock and claw back in the closing minutes, but Old Fort’s composure at the line and a handful of key defensive stops shut the door. “We’re really close,” the Hopewell-Loudon coach said. “These are some of the hardest games to lose, because you know you were right there. But our kids competed, and they’ll bounce back” With the victory, Old Fort remained firmly in the SBC title hunt heading into a critical stretch of league play, while Hopewell-Loudon walked out of Old Fort knowing the gap between the two rivals is still razor thin.