SIDELINES: SIDENOTES
Ottawa Hills golf runs streaks for league, sectional titles to 5 years
10/2/2013It was another great weekend for the Ottawa Hills boys golf team.
The Green Bears captured their fifth straight Division III sectional title Thursday at Green Hills Golf Course and then won the St. John's Jesuit Titan Cup on Saturday at Maumee Bay Golf Course.
Ottawa Hills shot a 287 to win the sectional and a 205 to capture the Titan Cup.
Senior Ben Silverman, a three-time state qualifier, led the way with a 67 at sectional and a 71 at the St. John's tournament.
The Green Bears also won the Toledo Area Athletic Conference title for the fifth consecutive season Sept. 22 by shooting a 297 at Stone Ridge.
The team has won four invitationals and finished runner-up in three others.
Silverman has a team-best 35.27 average over nine holes. Sophomore Michael Denner is second (38.37), followed by senior Ben Dayton (38.72), junior Matt Abendroth (38.97), and senior R.J. Coil (42.93).
“They've put in the work,” said longtime coach Jim McGill. “The talent has to be there. But they travel all around Ohio and Michigan during the summer. They take lessons, and they've done everything they need to do to be successful.”
Rounding out the lineup are freshman Brett Hoffman (42.15) and sophomore Justin Judis (42.89).
The Green Bears finished fourth at state last season.
Silverman is on the verge of breaking nearly every school record, according to McGill, who is in his 23rd season. Silverman has received interest from Duke, Ohio State, and Michigan State among others.
“He sets the standard and pushes the others to another level,” McGill said.
In his third trip to state last year he placed seventh. Denner took 24th, Abendroth finished tied for 34th, and Dayton was 44th. In 2010, Silverman placed 13th as the Green Bears were state runners-up.
“We've competed with some of the best teams in northwest Ohio,” McGill said. “They've put in the work to achieve.”
More Golf
Kontak commits to BGSU
Maumee senior Mitchell Kontak, a two-time golfer of the year in the Northern Lakes League, has committed to Bowling Green State University.
Kontak was medalist at three invitationals this season — Irish Invitational (69 at Stone Ridge Golf Course), Cardinal Stritch Invitational (74 at Maumee Bay Golf Course), and Northview Invitational (70 at Legacy Golf Course).
Kontak shot a 76 and finished fourth the NLL tournament at Riverby Hills Golf Course. A four-year letter-winner, he won the NLL title last season.
This summer he repeated as champ of the Toledo Junior Match Play championships. He also won the 2012 S.P. Jermain match-play championship.
Port Clinton’s Kurtz SBC’s best
Port Clinton senior golfer Joey Kurtz earned the Sandusky Bay Conference player of the year award.
Kurtz had the league’s lowest average and was the medalist at the SBC tournament with a 75 to help the Redskins win the event. Teammate Shane Meek, a junior, tied for second with a 76.
Football
Lockett makes Southview debut
Southview senior running back Malik Lockett played for the Cougars for the first time Friday and proved to be a difference maker.
Lockett, a transfer from Whitmer, rushed for a game-high 130 yards on 20 carries in a 28-7 win over Anthony Wayne. Lockett put the game out of reach on a 24-yard touchdown run with 6 minutes, 24 seconds to play.
Lockett, who transferred to Southview last September, had to sit out until Friday night due to a ruling by the Ohio High School Athletic Association involving a violation of a recruiting bylaw.
Southview coach Jim Mayzes said Lockett made a big difference.
“He's a great kid,” Mayzes said. “His mother died a few years ago. He told me the ball would be his mom tonight and he would take care of the ball, and he’ll get his mom in the end zone.”
Southview improved to 3-2 overall, 2-0 in the Northern Lakes League.
1978 St. Joseph team to be honored
The 1978 Fremont St. Joseph football team will be honored at the school’s homecoming game Friday.
The Crimson Streaks reached the Class A state semifinals that season after going 8-2 in the regular season.
In the last two weeks of the regular season the Streaks knocked off undefeated teams, Fostoria St. Wendelin and Wauseon, to earn the only Class A playoff spot from the northwest district.
In the state semis, St. Joseph lost 19-12 to Lorain Clearview. The Streaks finished 8-3 with the three losses coming by a combined 15 points. The team was led by running back Jeff Gottron, who earned All-Ohio honors and went on to play at Ohio State.
Cross country
Perrysburg, Clay’s Gyurke tops
Perrysburg’s girls placed first, while Clay's Erin Gyurke (18:41.9) and Haley Hess (18:55.0) placed 1-2 individually Saturday in the Division I race at the Clay Eagle Invitational at Pearson Park.
The Yellow Jackets — paced by top-10 finishes from Taylor Monheim (third, 19:10.2), Courtney Clody (fifth, 19:13.8), and Jordan Doore (10th, 19:35.6) — posted 44 points to easily beat runner-up Clay (129) in the 18-team field.
In Division I boys, the top local team was Springfield, which scored 169 points to finish fourth behind champion Ashland (71).
The top area D-I boys individuals were Louis Guardiola of Fremont Ross (second, 16:11.3) and George McCartney of Central Catholic (fifth, 16:44.3).
Otsego captured the Division II-III boys race with 74 points, led by Brandon Avers, who placed first (16:32.2) ahead of runner-up Garrett Madden (16:37.9) of Ida. Eastwood was third.
In the Division II-III girls race, Liberty-Benton (53) won the title, one spot ahead of Eastwood. Ida’s Ashley Sorg (18:36.1) won the individual title, and Liberty-Benton’s top placer was Meghan Bartel (seventh, 20:18.2). Eastwood’s Hannah Sponaugle was second (19:35.4).
Contact Mark Monroe at: mmonroe@theblade.com, 419-724-6354 or on Twitter @MonroeBlade.