NEW PHILADELPHIA – Some folks were saying the McDonald football team had a bit of a Cinderella-story vibe to it entering Friday night’s Division VII state semifinal against Hillsdale. The No. 3-ranked Blue Devils were playing in their 100th season, had tied their program record for wins and featured one of the best senior classes […]
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Second Chance: Hillsdale’s Heller reflects on a 2nd straight Final 4 appearance
MANSFIELD — Brady Heller hasn’t made his Christmas list yet, but the one thing Hillsdale’s senior linebacker wants more than anything else is a chance at redemption. Heller visited the Inside The Lines podcast studio ahead of Friday’s Division VII state semifinal game to talk about last year’s historic season. The lessons learned in the […]
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Great Expectations: Added pressure hasn’t bothered Shelby, Hillsdale in pursuit of state titles
Winning a regional championship is tough enough. Winning a regional championship you are expected to win is an even bigger challenge. Both Shelby and Hillsdale carried the weight of impossible expectations into the season. The Whippets returned a wealth of talent from a team that reached the third round of the playoffs last year. The […]
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Hillsdale tops Danville in another instant classic
WEST LAFAYETTE — Jesse Trevathan never doubted he would return, even during his darkest days. And there were plenty of dark days. Trevathan tore the ACL in his right knee during Hillsdale’s run to the Division VII state championship game last year. He suffered the injury in Week 12 and spent the final four weeks […]
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Attention local teams: OHSAA announces bracket pairings for football’s Final 4
COLUMBUS — The Ohio High School Athletic Association bucked tradition, and it’s relevant news for five schools around north central Ohio as each plays for a spot in the Final Four this weekend. While it’s easy, and fun, to get ahead of ourselves, Shelby, Galion, Colonel Crawford, Danville and Hillsdale each have regional assignments on […]
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Sloan’s huge home send-off pushes Falcons back to Elite Eight
JEROMESVILLE – Hillsdale’s senior football players had their last dance at home Friday night. Owen Sloan made sure it wasn’t a slow dance. Hosting fourth-seeded Symmes Valley in a Division VII, Region 27 semifinal, the top-seeded Falcons needed just one run from their record-breaking senior running back to set the tone for the game. Sloan […]
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Danville stuns Waterford to reach regional championship game
WATERFORD — The Danville Blue Devils are on what gamblers call a heater. Coach Matt Blum’s squad won its third straight game as a road underdog on Friday night by traveling nearly two hours south to defeat second-seeded Waterford 19-14 in a Division VII, Region 27 semifinal. The 11th-seeded Blue Devils (8-5) will advance to […]
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Final Friday: Three conferences to decide championships in regular season finale
I have been covering high school football in north central Ohio for the past 30 years and I can’t recall a Week 10 like the one awaiting area fans Friday night. Three conference championships will be decided on the final night of the regular season and two of them feature winner-take-all games. The Ohio Cardinal […]
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Lex will host playoff game, no matter the verdict in title tilt with Ashland
COLUMBUS — Lexington will host a monster showdown on Friday night when undefeated Ashland comes calling. While that game will determine the outright Ohio Cardinal Conference champion, the Minutemen will open the postseason at home regardless of the outcome (8-1 overall, 5-0 in the OCC). Lex already has clinched a home playoff game, according to […]
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2nd-half barrage fuels Hillsdale’s pounding of Rittman
JEROMESVILLE — A week ago Hillsdale erupted for 49 points in the first half to subdue Northwestern. This week Rittman absorbed the Falcons’ charge in the second half. Hillsdale posted 28 points after intermission to pull away from a one-score game and earn a 49-13 victory over the Indians. Senior running back Owen Sloan ripped […]