MANSFIELD — It has been rebranded, but the Richland Source Challenge is back for its third year and is more north central Ohio-centric than ever.
The event, previously known as the Richland Source NOL-OCC Challenge, had to be renamed because of the breakup of the Northern Ohio League following the 2016-17 school year. Most of the former NOL members joined the Sandusky Bay Conference.
Challenge organizers used the NOL’s untimely demise as an opportunity to recruit more Mansfield-area programs. Boys and girls teams from St. Peter’s, Galion and Mansfield Christian have been added this year and will join holdovers Mansfield Senior, Madison, Lexington, Clear Fork, Ontario, Shelby and Ashland.
“What an incredible opportunity to add more local teams,” said Lexington athletic director Joe Roberts, one of the event’s founding fathers. “We’re going to have an incredible two days of basketball.”
The Richland Source will serve as the title sponsor for a third straight year.
“High school sports are the primary focus of our sports coverage,” Richland Source publisher Jay Allred said. “We pride ourselves in our local coverage and it doesn’t get any more local than that.”
The girls teams will tip off this year’s Richland Source Challenge on Dec. 16 at Shelby High School. Newcomers St. Peter’s and Galion will open the day at 11 a.m., followed by Mansfield Christian and Clear Fork at 1 p.m. Lexington will play Norwalk at 3 p.m. and Bellevue will play Napoleon at 5 p.m. Napoleon is filling in for Madison, which had a scheduling conflict this year. Ontario will take on Mansfield Senior at 7 p.m. and host Shelby will play Ashland at 9 p.m.
The boys will play Dec. 23 at Ontario High School. St. Peter’s takes on Galion at 11 a.m., followed by Mansfield Christian and Clear Fork at 1 p.m. Ashland will play Shelby at 3 p.m. and Madison will play Bellevue at 5 p.m. Lexington and Norwalk meet at 7 p.m. before Mansfield Senior plays Ontario at 9 p.m.
In addition, Buffalo Wild Wings in Ontario will again host media days for the boys and girls. The girls media day is at 7 p.m. Dec. 11. The boys media event will be at 7 p.m. Dec. 18.
Presale tickets for the girls event can be purchased online. Every presale ticket may be redeemed at the gate for a $5 Buffalo Wild Wings voucher.
Presale tickets are $5. All tickets at the gate will be $8.
“North central Ohio has great high school basketball and so many people love to come out and support their teams,” Roberts said. “This is an opportunity to see a lot of area teams all on one day under the same roof. You can’t beat it.”
