Monroe wins first SWBL title in 18 years with victory over Edgewood

His Monroe High School boys basketball team got to experience the thrill of being a conference champion for the first time in 18 years.

M.J. Mapp scored a game-high 18 points, A.J. Saunders bucketed eight of his 13 in the fourth quarter — including 6 of 6 from the free throw line — and the Hornets beat the Edgewood Cougars 48-42 to clinch at least a share of the Southwestern Buckeye League Southwestern title.

Franklin sits at 5-2 in the SWBL Southwestern and hosts Bellbrook next Friday to wrap up conference play and its regular season. Monroe (14-6, 6-2 SWBL Southwestern) is finished with its league slate.

“It’s an amazing feeling,” Mapp said. “It’s always been a goal of ours, and to be able to do it this year — my senior year — it’s an unbelievable feeling. I’m so proud of my team, so proud of our coaches that we were able to do this.”  

The quest for a conference championship began during the summer for Monroe, which has won three in a row and six of its last seven.

“We started talking about that in June with the kids that we had returning,” said Popplewell, who is in his second season of his second stint at the Hornet helm. “Just felt like we would have a shot compared to the other league.

Click here to read more via the Butler County High School Sports Report