SIDELINES
Blade fall sports review
12/5/2013
St. Ursula's Lauren Daudelin, 12, and Elizabeth Coil, 15, celebrate another point during a Div. I state semi-final volleyball game on Nov. 7, 2013 at the Nutter Center in Fairborn, Ohio.
Skip Peterson
Central Catholic WR Jermiah Braswell (11) celebrates scoring a touchdown against Tiffin Columbian with teammate Marcus Winters (5) during the Division III Regional Semifinal football game Friday, Nov. 15, 2013, in Fremont.
If anything stood out about the high school football playoffs it was that, despite some superb regular-season finishes by several teams, no area squad advanced to a state semifinal.
Three Rivers Athletic Conference champion Central Catholic and repeat Northwest Ohio Athletic League champion Bryan, as well as Southeastern Conference Red Division champion Bedford, all turned in unbeaten, state-ranked regular-season runs and reached third-round playoff contests before falling in heartbreaking regional finals.
In the Ohio playoffs, second-ranked Central (12-1, 7-0 TRAC) was upset 42-41 by Clyde in a Division III regional final. READ MORE.
St. Ursula's Lauren Daudelin, 12, and Elizabeth Coil, 15, celebrate another point during a Div. I state semi-final volleyball game on Nov. 7, 2013 at the Nutter Center in Fairborn, Ohio.
St. Ursula falls 1 win shy of state crown
St. Ursula was Ohio’s No. 1 ranked volleyball team during the regular season and was one victory away from making that rating stand up this season.
In his 18th season, coach John Buck guided the Arrows (29-1) to their 10th state final-four appearance in 14 years after winning their third straight Three Rivers Athletic Conference championship (10-0) without a loss.
The Arrows, led by All-Ohio first-teamer Lauran Graves and second-teamer Maurissa Leonard, both juniors, escaped defeat in a hard-fought 3-2 regional semifinal against Chagrin Falls Kenston. They won the regional final and breezed past Columbus DeSales in the state semis before falling 25-27, 25-23, 25-19, 26-24 in a back-and-forth state championship match against Cincinnati Mount Notre Dame at Wright State University. READ MORE.
Anthony Wayne's JJ Fortner (9) collides with Mentor's Brock Venman (9) during a Division I boys state soccer semifinal Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2013, at Perkins High School in Sandusky, Ohio. Mentor defeated Anthony Wayne 1-0.
Success goes a long way for Generals
It was all Anthony Wayne on the soccer pitches this fall.
The Generals’ boys team earned a No. 2 ranking in the state poll and reached the final four in Division I, while the AW girls made a run to the regional final.
In Division III, the Oak Harbor girls reached the state semifinals.
The AW boys posted a 17-1-4 record, falling 1-0 to Mentor in the state semifinals. The Cardinals scored the game-winning goal with just 3 minutes, 28 seconds left in regulation. READ MORE.
Ben Silverman of Ottawa Hills High School hits his tee shot on the 11th hole of the Ohio High School Boy's Div. III golf championship in Columbus, Saturday, Oct. 12, 2013.
Green Bears Ohio’s best in Division III
The Ottawa Hills boys golf team charged from behind in the final round of the Division III state tournament in Columbus and rallied to win the championship.
The Green Bears improved their first round score by 11 strokes and went on to capture the third championship in school history.
Entering the final round, Ottawa Hills trailed Gahanna Columbus Academy by six strokes.
Ottawa Hills senior Ben Silverman placed second with scores of 75-72—147. Silverman shot 14 strokes better than Academy senior Shabaz Khan and led his team to an overall 647 that included a 318 in the final round. READ MORE.
Notre Dame Academy doubles partners Teagan McNamara (left) and Alicia Nahhas celebrate a point during action of the Ohio High School Athletic Association's 38th Annual Girl's State Tennis Tournament.
Notre Dame doubles team best of area players at state
Notre Dame’s Teagan McNamara and Alicia Nahhas closed out the girls tennis season as one of the best Division I doubles teams in the state.
They reached the state semifinals and finished fourth. McNamara and Nahhas suffered a loss in the semifinals before losing in a consolation final.
The Eagles’ duo reached the state tournament by winning sectional and district championships.
Northview senior Megan Miller reached the state singles tournament but lost to Massillon Jackson’s Tessa Hill 6-2, 6-4 in the second round. READ MORE.
Liberty Center runners Emma Babcock, (130), Rachael Pinson (134) Jenna Vollmar (135) and Brittany Atkinson (129) leave the track after finishing the Ohio High School Girls Div. III cross country championships at National Trail Raceway in Hebron, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2013.
Liberty Center girls complete 3-peat
The Liberty Center girls cross country team won the Division III state championship for a third straight season.
The Tigers were led again by junior Brittany Atkinson, who won her second individual state title. She also won the race as a freshman.
Atkinson finished with a time of 18 minutes, 31.45 seconds, followed by teammates Paige Chamberlain (ninth), Jenna Vollmar (22nd), Olivia Kundo (30th), Cheryl Davenport, Rachel Pinson, and Hannah Knapp.
Wauseon junior Taylor Vernot captured a state title in the D-II girls race by running a personal-best time of 18:40. Her effort also helped the Indians place sixth. READ MORE.