Shawnee Dominates Fourth Quarter to Defeat Defiance, Claim Back-to-Back District Titles

By Charles Wright

On March 1, 2025, the Shawnee High School boys basketball team secured their second consecutive district championship by defeating Defiance High School 58-43 at Liberty-Benton.

Trevick Bertke at the free throw line. (Photo by Dom Carpenter)

The game began with Shawnee taking a 13-9 lead in the first quarter. Both teams displayed strong defensive efforts in the second quarter, resulting in a halftime score of 20-17 in favor of Shawnee. In the third quarter, Shawnee outscored Defiance 14-13, maintaining a 34-30 lead. The fourth quarter saw Shawnee dominate, scoring 24 points to Defiance's 13, sealing the victory.

Sophomore guard Trevick Bertke led Shawnee with 22 points, shooting 56% from the field and 78% from the free-throw line. Junior forward Beckett Bertke contributed a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds.

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Shawnee's defense was instrumental, limiting Defiance to 43 points and forcing multiple turnovers. This win improved Shawnee's record to 23-2, while Defiance concluded their season at 19-6.

Shawnee will advance to the regional semifinals, where they will face Toledo Central Catholic on Wednesday, March 5. Toledo Central Catholic enters the matchup with a 13-9 record, coming off a dominant 81-46 victory over Sylvania Southview.

For a visual recap of the game, highlights are available on Hudl.