Photo Provided St. Clairsville head boys’ basketball coach, middle, is surrounded by his four senior players following their Ohio Division V East 2 District championship on Saturday. The Red Devils will make their return to regional action for the first time in 13 seasons Wednesday when they meet West Muskingum at Zanesville High School. From left are Niko Jacob, Kaden Clifford, Ryan Clifford, Ollie Muhly and Griffin Straub.

ZANESVILLE — For the first time in nearly a decade-and-a-half, St. Clairsville is back in the ‘Sweet Sixteen’ in boys basketball. The last appearance came in 2013 when it competed in Division II. The Ohio High School Athletic Association expanded the sport to seven divisions starting last year.

The Red Devils (18-7) will tip off against West Muskingum (21-5) in a Division V, Region 19 semifinal on Wednesday night inside Winland Memorial Gymnasium at Zanesville High School. The game has a 7 o’clock start. The winner heads to Ohio University’s Convocation Center in Athens on Saturday to meet the winner of the Winchester Eastern-Ironton semifinal at 5 p.m., with that survivor advancing to the Final Four in Dayton.

Winning the East 2 District title at Harrison Central on Saturday against Coshocton, 52-44, was a little more special for St. Clairsville head coach Ryan Clifford and his senior group.

“Every team we have ever had is special in its own way, but this one, however, is admittedly a little different. I still remember the first game these guys played together in the old gym in Brilliant,” the coach said. “They were in 2nd grade and we were playing in the 3rd grade tournament. We didn’t score a point against a team from Harrison Central. To watch them come from that point to getting to play in the Ohio Sweet Sixteen has been an incredible experience. The thing this group should be most proud of though is the way they come to work everyday and lead our young kids.”

After posting a 10-2 mark at the midway point in the season, St. Clairsville has won just eight of its last 13. However, each of the Red Devils setbacks has come to quality teams like undefeated Delphos St. John’s (25-0); Cambridge (22-3, twice); Beaver Local (17-7); Steubenville (23-1); Columbus Bishop Ready (18-6) and OVAC rival Union Local. St. John’s and Steubenville are still alive in the postseason.

The Tornadoes enter the matchup on a six-game winning streak and have won 16 of their last 17, the lone blemish being a 70-68 reversal at defending Division IV state champion Maysville (24-1). Other losses have been to Thornville Sheridan, John Glenn (24-1) and New Philadelphia (17-7). Maysville and John Glenn meet in a regional semifinal on Wednesday.

“Obviously at this point you are playing another very good basketball team. Our kids and theirs know each other very well, they have played AAU basketball together for several years,”

Clifford said. “The score that jumps off the page is their 2-point loss to defending state champ Maysville late in the year.

“They play extremely hard and with a lot of pace,” Clifford said of the Tornadoes. “It should be an entertaining style of game with both teams getting after it on defense and pushing the pace on offense.”

St. Clairsville scores 69.4 points per game and gives up 58.4. West Muskingum averages 65.7 and yields 44.2 The Tornadoes wreaked havoc on Ridgewood in the East 1 District title game, 56-17, at Tri-Valley High School in Dresden.

The Red Devils are led by Griffin Straub with a 19.7 scoring average. The 6-7 Indiana, Pa., recruit also averages nearly 10 rebounds. He adds 49 assists, 49 steals and 71 blocked shots.

He is joined in double figures scoring-wise by Luke Schafer with 15 points a night. The 6-2 sophomore does a little bit of everything, like Straub, with 86 rebounds, 37 assists and 29 steals. Schafer scored 30 points in the district semifinal against Tuscarawas Valley and had 20 against Coshocton.

The other starters are seniors 6-3 Niko Jacob (9.7 pts., 141 reb., 52 assists, 36 steals); 5-9 Ollie Muhly (6.6 pts., 74 reb., 118 assists, 41 steals) and 5-9 Kaden Clifford, the coach’s son, (2.9 pts., 71 three-point goals).

St. Clairsville plays, primarily, a 7-player rotation that features 6-foot freshman Brody Clifford (8.1 pts., 47 reb., 27 assists, 24 steals) and 6-3 junior Griffin Pastor (3.3 pts., 67 rebs.).

The roster is completed by juniors Lucas Causey and Matheson King; and sophomores Ian McLean, Case Crum, Tyler Kosek and Owen Anderson.

Clifford is assisted by Kevin Sacco and Eric Gay.

West Muskingum is led by 6-4 senior Kyle Porter (16.3 pts., 3.3 reb.); 6-foot sophomore Noah Morrison (13.9 pts., 4.0 reb., 2.9 assists, 3.0 steals); and 6-4 senior Tavin Bennett (10.3 pts., 3.4 reb.). Six-foot senior Cade Porter (7.3 pts., 4.5 rebs., 3.6 assists) and 6-3 junior Carter Smith (6.4 pts., 6.0 rebs.) are also productive.