ONTARIO — Winning a Fremont district title was anything but easy. Defending it may be even more difficult for Ontario. The Warriors (12-8) earned the No. 2 seed during Sunday’s district tournament draw and took a first-round bye. Ontario will host either No. 6 Clyde (9-9) or No. 10 Madison (5-14) in a sectional championship […]
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Posted inSports
Major changes coming as OHSAA announces new divisional assignments
MANSFIELD — The new-look high school sports landscape came further into focus earlier this week. The Ohio High School Athletic Association announced in February the divisional expansion of several sports, including girls volleyball and boys and girls soccer, effective for the 2024-25 school year. On Tuesday, the OHSAA released its preliminary divisional assignments for those […]
Posted inSoftball
Undefeated Lady Lex earns top seed in softball tourney draw
LEXINGTON — Lady Lex may be the best-kept secret in all of Ohio — at least for now. Unbeaten Lexington picked up the No. 1 seed in Sunday’s Division II Willard district tournament draw. Lady Lex (19-0) opted for a first-round bye and will host either No. 9 Vermilion or No. 10 Tiffin Columbian in […]
Posted inBaseball
On The Rise: Clear Fork grad Blubaugh promoted to Astros Triple-A affiliate
SUGAR LAND, Texas — A.J. Blubaugh’s stay in Corpus Christi was a brief one.His days in the minor leagues might be numbered, too. A few more outings like his first two of 2024 and Blubaugh could find himself in the Major Leagues. A 2019 Clear Fork graduate, Blubaugh was promoted Wednesday to the Sugar Land […]
Posted inGirls Basketball
Loudonville’s Vermilya selected Ohio’s Division IV Player of the Year
LOUDONVILLE — She led her team to the Final Four and rewrote Loudonville’s record book along the way. It’s no wonder Corri Vermilya is Ohio’s Division IV Player of the Year. A 5-foot-9 senior guard, Vermilya led the Redbirds to the state tournament for just the second time in program history and first time since […]
Posted inBoys Basketball
A New Era? Shelby’s Final 4 berth 1st in north central Ohio since 2018
It may be a little premature to call it a full-blown revival, but Shelby’s run to the Final Four could usher in a new era of north central Ohio high school basketball. Or maybe it’s a return to a former era. The Whippets snapped the area’s six-year state-tournament drought when they knocked off Lutheran West […]
Posted inSports
Road Less Traveled: Ontario’s Turnbaugh takes long path to third-place state finish
COLUMBUS — They reached the same rung of the state podium, but took vastly different routes to get there. Ontario 113-pounder Jacob Ohl and 138-pounder Mason Turnbaugh both finished third Sunday morning at Ohio State’s Schottenstein Center, but not all third-place finishes are created equal. A junior, Turhbaugh couldn’t have navigated a more difficult path. […]
Posted inSports
True Grit: Ontario’s Ohl, Galion’s Harding headed to state wrestling finals
COLUMBUS — Ontario’s Aiden Ohl and Galion’s Gradey Harding did the dirty work Saturday night inside Ohio State’s Schottenstein Center. Ohl held on for a gritty, 2-1 win over St. Paris Graham’s Jake Landis in the 106-pound semifinals. Harding then followed suit with an equally resolute 5-1 win over Columbus Watterson’s Neal Krysty in the […]
Posted inSports
Mansfield-area wrestlers shine on 1st day of state tournament
COLUMBUS — Luke Schlosser spoke for the entire north central Ohio state-qualifying wrestling contingent after an impressive opening day in Columbus. “I expected to come down here and win,” Schlosser said after dispatching Beaver Local’s Justin Cox 7-2 in the opening round of the Division II state tournament. “That’s the mindset you’ve got to have. […]
Posted inSports
Lexington’s Nicol ready for state debut
LEXINGTON — He was the last and least likely of the 11 area wrestlers to earn state bids at last week’s Division II Norwalk district. And Lexington’s Aedan Nicol will likely be the lightest 285-pounder in the 16-man field when the state meet starts Friday afternoon. Nicol punched his ticket to state with a fourth-place […]