Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

PROCTORVILLE — The Fairland Dragons did the expected last season when they won the Ohio Valley Conference.
But with all five starters graduating, the Dragons were not expected to anything more than the middle of the pack this time.
But the Dragons proved everyone wrong as they clinched at least a share of the OVC title on Friday with a 61-40 win over the Chesapeake Panthers.
Fairland is now 16-4 overall and 11-1 in the league. Chesapeake goes to 12-7, 5-7.
Clayton Thomas dialed up long distance as he hit six 3-pointers and scored 21 points for the Dragons. Ian Chinn scored 13 and Aiden Porter got nine points on three 3-pointers.
The Dragons had 10 shots from behind the arc as a team.
Chesapeake was led by Levi Blankenship, Austin Jackson and Eli Archer with eight points each.
Thomas had a pair of 3-pointers, Porter one and Jacob Polcyn scored four points as Fairland took a 15-9 first quarter lead. Jackson had a trey and five points for the Panthers.
The lead was 27-17 at the half as Chinn scored seven points and Thomas hit a triple in the second quarter.
Fairland blew the game open by outscoring the Panthers 21-8 in the third quarter. Porter hit two 3-pointers, Thomas had a trifecta, Chinn scored four points and Matt Mondlak hit a 3-pointers and scored all seven of his points.
Thomas had two more 3-pointers and scored nine points in the fourth quarter to offset six points by Blankenship and a triple by Nathan Cox.
Chesapeake hosts Ironton at 6 p.m. Saturday. Fairland visits Portsmouth on Tuesday.
Chesapeake 9 8 8 15 = 40
Fairland 15 12 21 13 = 61
CHESAPEAKE (12-6, 5-6): Logan Walsh 1 0 0-0 2, Travis Grim 1 0 0-0 2, Nathan Cox 2 1 1-1 8, Zander Schmidt 1 0 0-0 2, Austin Jackson 1 1 3-4 8, Josh Cox 1 0 0-0 2, Trent dearth 0 0 0-0 0, Tylan Hutchison 1 0 0-0 2, Jacob Lemley 0 0 0-0 0, Eli Archer 3 0 2-5 8. Totals: 11 4 6-10 40. Fouls: 7. Fouled out; None.
FAIRLAND (15-4, 10-1): Jacob Polcyn 3 0 0-0 6, Aiden Porter 0 3 0-0 9, Gavin Hunt 2 0 1-2 5, Matt Mondlak 1 1 2-2 7, Mason Manns 0 0 0-0 0, Ian Chinn 6 0 1-1 13, Nate Thacker 0 0 0-0 0, Andy Lange 0 0 0-0 0, Devon Bellomy 0 0 0-0 0, Clayton Thomas 1 6 1-1 21, Tevin Taylor 0 0 0-0 0, Cameron Mayo 0 0 0-0 0, Max Ward 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 13 10 5-6 61. Fouls: 12. Fouled out: None.