NEW MIAMI — The scoreboard told one story Tuesday night. The benches, huddles and locker rooms told another.
Cincinnati Christian and New Miami, two programs navigating seasons filled with setbacks and growing pains, met at New Miami High School with more on the line than just a final score.
The Cougars walked away with an 82-33 victory — their second win in three games — while the rebuilding Vikings continued to search for progress under first-year coach Shawn Morgan.
Cincinnati Christian (2-13) used balanced scoring and defensive pressure to pull away early and never look back. Landon Booth scored a game-high 21 points by sinking seven 3-pointers, while Zach Concepcion added 20 as the Cougars built a 27-6 first-quarter lead and extended it to 43-11 by halftime.
The win came as a welcome moment for a program that has battled injuries for much of the season.
“Always good to get another win in the column,” CCS coach Brian Gunter said. “We don’t play again until next Friday, so we get to sit on this one for a little bit and get ready for our stretch run.”
Cincinnati Christian has been short-handed most of the winter, with multiple players sidelined at various points. Gunter said the rash of injuries has tested his roster more than any season in his 38 years of coaching.
“We’ve had guys in and out all year,” Gunter said. “Some of our kids have been dealing with injuries for weeks, some just happened recently. You just have to grind through it. That’s what this group has done.”
Despite the adversity, the Cougars have remained competitive, winning two of their last three games, including a 66-42 victory over Talawanda. Gunter credited his players for continuing to show up and compete.
“Our guys come to practice every day and work,” Gunter said. “That’s all you can ask. They haven’t packed it in. They care about each other and they’re trying to get better.”
Booth, a freshman, said the recent stretch has helped restore confidence.
“It gives us momentum,” Booth said. “We’ve been working hard, and when we play the right way, things start to go our way.”
Concepcion, a senior, echoed that sentiment.
“We really needed this one,” Concepcion said. “We’ve had a slow start, but we’re staying together. We just keep working and trusting each other.”
For New Miami, the season has been about patience and development.
The Vikings dropped to 0-12 under Morgan, a 2009 New Miami graduate who took over the program this season. The roster features just one senior, one junior, four sophomores and four freshmen — a reality that has shown itself nightly.
Sophomore Trey Strong led New Miami with 18 points, scoring 16 in the second half and going 8 of 9 from the free-throw line. The Vikings struggled offensively overall, shooting 25 percent from the field and turning the ball over 18 times against the Cougars’ pressure.
Morgan said the record doesn’t define the progress his team is making.
“We’re trying to build something,” Morgan said. “It’s about creating a winning culture — doing the little things, talking on defense, boxing out, making the right passes. We’re young, and there are growing pains, but we’re laying a foundation.”
Morgan acknowledged the challenges of taking over a young program midway through a rebuild but said the focus remains on development rather than results.
“We’re not freshmen anymore. We’re not sophomores anymore,” Morgan said. “We’re learning what it takes to compete at this level. It’s about building for next year and beyond.”
Despite the lopsided score, Morgan credited his team for continuing to compete and pointed to Strong’s second-half effort as an example of growth.
“I knew coming in it wasn’t going to be easy,” Morgan said. “They’re well-coached, they pressure you, and they make you uncomfortable. But our guys stayed with it.”
The Cougars face Clark Montessori for Senior Night next Friday, while the Vikings travel to Norwood this Friday.
“As tough as it’s been,” Gunter said, “you keep showing up, you keep working, and eventually it pays off.”
