‘Gibsonburg’ to premiere on Sunday

Movie about team’s improbable state title

5/23/2013

Ohio native and sports fan Bob Mahaffey thought a few years ago the 2005 Gibsonburg baseball team's improbable Division IV state championship deserved to be chronicled.

With no filmmaking credits to his name, he took it upon himself to turn the story into a movie.

Eight years removed from the title run, the film is hitting the big screen this summer. Mahaffey, Golden Bears coach Kyle Rase, and members of that team will be at a private screening of Gibsonburg at 6:45 p.m. Sunday at the Maumee Indoor Theater.

"I’m very excited to see the final version of it," said Rase, who served as an advisor on the movie. "Not only that, I’m excited to see the players and their reaction to the movie."

Gibsonburg beat Lancaster Fisher Catholic 6-5 in the state final to became the only team in Ohio history to capture a state championship with a losing record, finishing 14-17.

Rase was in his first season and at one point the team suffered 13 straight losses. Seven defeats came by way of the mercy rule, the game being stopped after five or six innings when a team trails by 10 runs or more.

The 90-minute film features actors from Ohio portraying members of the team. The evening will begin with a meet-and-greet reception in the lobby at 5:45 p.m. School officials, members of the team, and invited guests make up most of the invitation-only crowd expected to attend. A contest for a chance to attend the premiere was held on the movie’s Facebook page.

It will be a baseball atmosphere with hot dogs and apple pie available with an attire of shorts, T-shirts, and baseball caps expected.

Mahaffey said the film will officially open in 30 movie theaters in Ohio on June 7 and is expected to be released on DVD and video on demand later this summer.

Rase doesn’t relive the state title run every day, but admits it’s still a topic that comes up quite often in his life.

"I get it a lot, especially during the baseball season," said Rase.

Track and field

Districts ahead

Bowsher senior Jasmine Price said she's put in more work training for track and field in the past year than any other year.

Now she looks to make her mark at the Division I district meet at St. Francis de Sales.

Price looked impressive competing at the City League meet.

She won the 400 meters with a time of 1:00.64 and the 800 in 2:41.38. In each case, Price took a lead early and never looked back.

"It was time," Price said, who had been denied a CL victory in previous tries.

Hurdlers Genova Hooks (Start) and Tymeshia Childress (Woodward) shared the spotlight at the CL meet.

Hooks won the 100 hurdles (16.80) and Childress took the 300 hurdles (49.95) and both should contend at the district.

Rogers sprinter Sasha Dailey, a D-II state finalist in the 100 and 200 as a freshman, didn't run track last year.

After winning both events at the CL meet this season, she has her sights set on the state meet again.

"I know I've got to keep working hard because it's not going to be easy," she said.