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Nutter sets career mark for rushing yardage at Genoa

9/13/2012

Abigail Dorn

Only three games into his senior season, Kyle Nutter has already set Genoa's career rushing record.

The running back set the mark Friday on his second carry of Genoa's 49-7 win over Port Clinton when he gained 29 yards. Nutter, who finished with 180 yards, has gained 4,324 yards in his career.

"It definitely means a lot," Nutter said. "It's something you will be remembered for. You get your name up on the board at the school and a lot of people will see that."

The record had been held by Cliff Whalen, who rushed for 4,158 yards as a four-year starter from 1996-99.

"That record is a pretty good record. He had it for over 10 years," Nutter said. "It's a lot of yards."

In three games this season, Nutter has 607 yards on 55 carries and has scored 10 touchdowns, as well as a two-point conversion run for 62 total points.

Nutter is a three-year starter and has rushed 614 times for 4,324 yards (7.0 per carry) and 63 touchdowns.

Genoa coach Tim Spiess said Nutter has built himself up from 172 pounds as a sophomore to 214 pounds as a senior. Nutter has lowered his 40-yard dash time to 4.49 seconds.

"The attributes that make Kyle Nutter a special player and leader is his humble approach to be a leader," Spiess said. "He has devoted his high school life to physical fitness through proper nutrition, hydration, weight lifting and cardiovascular training."

What makes the record even more impressive is that Nutter has sat out 21 quarters during his career when the Comets have held large leads.

As a sophomore, in a regional final against Orrville, Nutter had 37 carries for 175 yards. In a game against Eastwood in 2010, Nutter had 42 carries for 237 yards. Last year in an opening-round playoff game against Huron, Nutter rushed 413 yards and four TDs.

"You need people around you that are good," Nutter said. "I've been so blessed with a lot of good players. The offensive line has been phenomenal. I couldn't do it by myself."

 

Basketball

Sweeney commits to EMU

Cha'Ron Sweeney, the City League girls basketball player of the year last season who led Rogers to its first CL championship, has verbally committed to play at Eastern Michigan University.

The 5-foot-2 senior point guard averaged 19.4 points, 4.6 assists and 3.6 rebounds per game for the 21-5 Rams, who reached the Division II regional semifinals.

Sweeney, who played her freshman season at Start, transferred to Rogers for her sophomore year, and helped the Rams reach the D-II district final for the first time that season.

Last season, she was all-district first team and All-Ohio third team.

"I like the campus, and they had the major [computer science] that I wanted," Sweeney said. "I got along with the team nicely [during EMU visit], and it just seemed like a good fit for me.

"I see myself fitting in good with the team. They play a running game, which I'm used to, and they need a point guard. I feel like I can be the person to fill that role."

EMU finished with a 23-9 record last season and won the Mid-American Conference tournament.

"Cha'Ron's been a very good leader on the floor for us," said Rogers coach Lamar Smith, "and I think she's really going to help Eastern Michigan. They love her style of play, and are very excited about having her speed, quickness and ability to pass the ball, and get everyone involved."

Sweeney's former Rogers teammate, 6-0 forward Briaunna Nix, who has graduated, accepted a scholarship during the summer to play at Glenville State, a Division II school in Glenville, West Va.

 

Hall of Fame

Rogers to induct 4

Rogers will hold an induction ceremony for its 2012 hall of fame during halftime of the Rams' football game against Columbus St. Charles.

The new members of the hall of fame are Randall J. Bartz (football coach, athletic director), Thomas J. Luettke (baseball, football, track), Rick Bechtel (tennis, basketball), and Edward J. Knack (football, baseball).

Bartz served as a teacher, coach and athletic director for 35 years. He led Rogers to a City League football title in 2011.

Luettke (1964) set many school records in track and reached the state meet. As senior lineman, he earned All-Ohio honors.

Bechtel (1978) was a four-time All-City League tennis player and reached the state tournament.

Knack (1964) was All-CL in both football and baseball and received a full scholarship to play football at Notre Dame.

 

Cross county

Phelps, Dorn win at Tiffin

Toledo Christian senior Delainey Phelps and Whitmer freshman Abigail Dorn won their respective races Saturday at the prestigious Tiffin Carnival.

The 44th annual event featured nearly 300 high school teams at Hedges Boyer Park. The meet is separated into divisions based on school size.

Phelps took first place in the Division III girls race with a time of 18:40.09.

Dorn won the Division I-B girls race with a time of 19:53.14 to lead the Panthers to a third-place finish.

Bowling Green sophomore Sasha Lanning was second (19:54.77). Danielle Szczesniak, a sophomore from St. Ursula, was third (19:57.50) and Maumee junior Madison Buck was ninth (20:33.36) in Division I-B.

Bowling Green finished fourth as a team and St. Ursula was fifth.

In the boys D-I A race, St. John's Jesuit sophomore Tevin Brown led area runners with a fourth-place finish (15:48.13).

St. Francis placed sixth and the Titans were seventh.

Liberty Center sophomore Brittany Atkinson was fifth in the Division I-A girls race, finishing in 18:47.70.

Clay junior Erin Gyurke was eighth (19:00.07) and Northview junior Janelle Noe took ninth (19:02.64).

The Wildcats were fifth in the team standings. Liberty Center was sixth.

Springfield junior Kohl Taberner was the highest area finisher in the Division I-B boys race. Taberner placed eighth (16:58.83).

St. Francis de Sales was fifth.

In the Division II boys race, Wauseon freshman Quintin Reiser placed seventh (16:40.39) as the Indians were 11th overall.

On the girls side, Wauseon freshman Taylor Vernot was fourth (19:12.21) in Division II-A. Napoleon finished fourth in the team standings.

Eastwood sophomore Maddie Jackson was runner up in the Division II-B girls race with a time of 20:20.61, while sophomore teammate Meagan Kaminski was sixth (20:52.14).

Oak Harbor was seventh, while Eastwood was ninth.

Liberty-Benton took seventh in the Division III girls race.

The Liberty-Benton boys were sixth in the D-III B race, while Woodmore was eighth and Liberty Center 10th.

Liberty-Benton sophomore Ty Gleason was runner-up with a time of 17:31.23, while senior teammate Eric Duvall was fourth (17:45.46).

Gibsonburg senior Jacob Merryfield placed eighth (18:05.68).

 

Soccer

Perrysburg girls No. 1 in Ohio

The Perrysburg girls soccer team earned the No. 1 ranking in the first Division I state coaches poll.

Last week, the Yellow Jackets (4-0-0) avenged a loss they had suffered to Northview last season.

Perrysburg has won two consecutive Northern Lakes League titles. On Sept. 5, the Yellow Jackets stung perennial league power Northview 6-1.

The Wildcats, who won 10 straight league titles from 1999-2008, knocked Perrysburg out of the Division I playoffs last season. Northview upset the Yellow Jackets, who were undefeated and ranked No. 1 in the state, in the regional semifinals.

Anthony Wayne (6-0-0) is ranked eighth in the girls D-I poll.

St. Ursula is ranked No. 4 in the Division II poll. The Lake girls are No. (5-1-0) are 10th in D-II.

Among the boys, Southview (4-0-2) is ranked No. 5 in Division I, while Anthony Wayne (6-0-0) is 10th.