SIDELINES
Emmanuel Christian to rejoin OHSAA
1/30/2014Emmanuel Christian gave up its affiliation with the Ohio High School Athletic Association more than a decade ago.
The Warriors recently announced they will rejoin the OHSAA beginning in the fall.
“The student body and the coaches are excited,” Emmanuel Christian athletic director Dave Regnier said. “The administration is very excited.”
A charter member of the Toledo Area Athletic Conference, Emmanuel Christian severed ties with the OHSAA in 1998 after students living in Michigan would be ruled ineligible to participate in OHSAA-sanctioned events. With about 15 percent of the student body at the time Michigan residents, school officials chose to leave the OHSAA.
School administrators began discussions about regaining its membership within the OHSAA a number of years ago. They started the OHSAA application process this year and will begin competing as an OHSAA member with the fall sports season.
Regnier said the first year will be a probationary period.
The Warriors participated as a member of the Association of Christian Schools International and the Ohio Christian High School Athletics Association since leaving the OHSAA. A return will allow for the Warriors to compete in postseason tournaments.
“We’d get to the end of the season for whatever sport, and we kind of go our own separate way from the rest of the schools in the conference,” said Regnier, who is also the boys basketball coach.
Emmanuel Christian has been a longtime member of the TAAC, which includes Cardinal Stritch, Danbury, Gibsonburg, Maumee Valley Country Day, Northwood, Ottawa Hills, and Toledo Christian, along with two football-only members — Edon and Hilltop. Tiffin Calvert will become a member next school year.
The decision to pursue a return to the OHSAA came down to the fact that Emmanuel Christian is the only TAAC member that’s not an OHSAA member. Scheduling of games and officials for OHSAA-sanctioned events is generally done electronically among OHSAA members.
Emmanuel Christian’s conference opponents continued to work with it via paperwork..
Regnier said school enrollment numbers have decreased since 1998, and there are fewer students who live in Michigan. The decision would affect less students than 10 years ago, when there were about 60-70 students who lived across the border.
Michigan students who have been continuously enrolled since fourth grade and are in high school are eligible by OHSAA rules to participate in high school athletics in Ohio.
Emmanuel Christian’s enrollment has dropped from about 410 to about 350 in the past decade. Regnier thinks reconnecting with the OHSAA could turn into a positive with regard to increasing enrollment.
Basketball
Bowsher, Scott showdown
Bowsher is playing its best basketball. Scott appears to be in a good groove, too.
The teams meet Friday on the Bulldogs’ home court in a big City League boys game.
“It’s going to be a great contest,” Bowsher coach Joe Guerrero said. “It’ll be exciting, and you can’t assimilate that kind of atmosphere in practice.”
The Rebels are 12-1 overall, 5-0 in the CL. The Bulldogs (8-4, 3-1) have won four straight. Their lone league loss was 67-58 to Bowsher in December.
“The first time we played them was our first big-game environment of the season,” Scott coach Chris Dames said. “We’ve been in a few of those since then, and the nerves will be more calm playing at home.”
Bowsher is led by 6-foot-4 Nate Allen, who tops the City League in scoring with 23.2 points. He’s also pulling down a team-best 7.6 rebounds. Dajuan King averages 20.2 points. Point guard Cam White averages 17.6 points and 5.4 rebounds. Mark Washington grabs a team-best 12.3 rebounds to go along with 8.1 points.
Bowsher’s fifth starter, Jason Sandridge, averages 9.8 points. Guerrero will also have senior Andre Kizer, who has not been eligible to play until this week.
“The key for us is rebounding,” Guerrero said. “Getting used to the environment and settling into the game, that’s key, too. The fact that we’ve been in a lot of big games will help us.”
Chris Harris and Chris Darrington lead a young Scott team. Harris, a 6-foot senior guard, averages a team-leading 18.3 points, while Darrington, a 6-foot junior, averages 15.7 points and 5.5 rebounds.
“We want to reach our goals this season, and we're not going to overplay this game,” Dames said. “We could end up facing them three times this season.”
Maumee to honor Robinson
Retired coach Jim Robinson will be recognized Friday night at a home basketball game against Southview for his upcoming induction into the Ohio High School Basketball Coaches Association hall of fame.
Robinson, 70, coached for 45 years and retired with a record of 531-311. He coached 21 years at Maumee.
The induction ceremony is April 26 in Columbus.
Contact Donald Emmons at: demmons@theblade.com, 419-724-6302 or on Twitter @DemmonsBlade.