Berlin Hiland Captures OHSAA Division VI Boys Basketball State Title in Double Overtime

UD Arena in Dayton hosted one of the most dramatic finishes in recent Division VI history Saturday night, as Berlin Hiland outlasted Maria Stein Marion Local 54–51 in double overtime to claim the OHSAA boys basketball state championship on March 21, 2026.

The Hawks, coached by Mark Schlabach, completed a tournament run that was as dominant as it was relentless. Hiland entered the state final riding a 19-game winning streak, with 16 consecutive wins by double digits. Only the regional final against Portsmouth West, a 48–35 victory on March 14, tested that margin in recent weeks. The state title game against Marion Local pushed Hiland all the way to a second extra period before Holmes County's team finally pulled away.

Sophomore Ryan Zerger, a 6-foot-7 forward averaging 17.8 points per game, and senior point guard Alex Miller, averaging 12.0 points per game at 5-foot-11, carried the offensive load through the tournament. Miller had eight points in the regional final against Portsmouth West while Zerger paced the Hawks in that game as well. It was Zerger who drew the most attention defensively from opponents throughout the run, his size creating matchup problems that few Division VI programs could solve.

Hiland's path to Dayton required wins over four opponents before the final. The Hawks opened tournament play on March 3 with a 63–15 rout of Caldwell, followed by a 63–22 win over Buckeye Trail on March 6. They moved to Ohio University's Convocation Center for the regional bracket, beating Grandview Heights 70–44 on March 12 and then dispatching Portsmouth West 48–35 two days later to secure the Region 23 title. In the state semifinal, Hiland defeated Kirtland 65–43.

Schlabach's program has now reached the state final four for the fourth time in five years. The 2026 title is the third in program history, joining championships the Hawks won in 1992, 2011, and 2012. Lutheran East was the last team to hand Hiland a loss before the Hawks ran off their 19-game streak to end the season.

Marion Local was the only opponent capable of extending Hiland to overtime, let alone two. The final score of 54–51 stands as the narrowest margin Hiland faced all tournament, a fitting end to a championship game played at college basketball's UD Arena in front of what figured to be a packed house of Division VI supporters from across Ohio.