High School Basketball Player's Shocking Cheap Shot Sparks Outrage During District Championship

The Ohio high school district championship game took an ugly turn when a controversial moment left one player reeling and fans in shock. Ben Mirgon, a sophomore from Hilliard Bradley High School, became the unfortunate target of a below-the-belt cheap shot during a heated matchup against Reynoldsburg High School.

Mirgon, who had just passed the ball, was punched in the groin by a defender. The incident, which many felt deserved harsher consequences, resulted in only a technical foul for the guilty player instead of the more severe flagrant foul and ejection. It's the kind of call that makes you wonder if the refs had their whistles on mute for the night.

"No technical, not ejected," tweeted Dan Mirgon, who appeared to be a relative of the victim, expressing his frustration over the leniency of the penalty.

Greg Glasser, a high school sports reporter in Ohio, reported that the punch forced Mirgon to leave the court late in the second half. Clearly shaken, the young player later took to social media, posting that he was "struggling." It’s hard not to feel for the kid; taking a cheap shot like that in the middle of a championship game is a low blow—literally and figuratively.

The incident marked a turning point in the game. Reynoldsburg capitalized on the moment, shifting the momentum in their favor. Dan Mirgon noted that the foul occurred "right after Ben hit back-to-back threes," suggesting the move may have been a deliberate attempt to disrupt his rhythm. If that’s the case, it’s not just unsportsmanlike—it’s downright dirty.

Hilliard Bradley had led 33-25 at halftime, but Reynoldsburg staged a comeback to win 57-51, securing their first district championship in seven years. Despite the loss, it was an impressive run for the underdog 15-seed team, who faced the No. 2 seed Reynoldsburg at the Taft Coliseum at the Ohio State Fairgrounds.

As of now, the Ohio High School Athletic Association has not commented on the incident. One can only hope they’ll take a closer look at the footage and consider whether the rules of fair play were upheld—or flagrantly ignored.