LOUDONVILLE — To the victors go the spoils, and the Loudonville girls basketball team has piled up an awful lot of victories this season. The seventh-ranked Redbirds are in a state semifinal Thursday at 11 a.m. against sixth-ranked Waterford in Dayton. Individually, the postseason accolades have followed. On Tuesday, senior standout Corri Vermilya was selected […]
Sophia Spangler
ANALYSIS: Loudonville heads to state tournament in rare underdog role
LOUDONVILLE — Rare air is all around the Loudonville girls basketball team. The Redbirds are in the state tournament for the first time since the 1992 squad finished as Division III state runner-up. Those ‘Birds beat Versailles 61-48 in the state semifinals before falling to Coldwater 63-47 in the championship game at St. John Arena […]
Loudonville erupts for regional crown to reach Final Four
MASSILLON – The Loudonville girls basketball team was going to lose an hour of sleep Saturday due to daylight saving time anyway. Facing New Middletown Springfield in a Division IV regional championship game at Massillon Perry High School, the Redbirds figured they might as well just stay up all night. Behind a masterclass of a […]
One final foe blocking Loudonville’s path to state tourney
LOUDONVILLE – The air is getting rare for the Loudonville girls basketball team. A 46-40 win over Danbury on Thursday night at Massillon Perry High School vaulted the Redbirds into the Elite Eight at 7 p.m. Saturday. They are the first girls basketball team in Ashland County to advance this far in over three decades, […]
Loudonville edges Danbury to reach Elite 8 for 1st time in 32 years
MASSILLON – It was an and-1 bucket that nearly blew the roof off the gym at Massillon Perry High School. Facing Lakeside Danbury in a Division IV regional semifinal Thursday, the Loudonville girls basketball team clung to a five-point lead with less than 90 seconds to play. After his team had stalled with the ball […]
Bates collects 200th win as Loudonville cruises past Mogadore for district title
EDITOR’S NOTE: This story was updated at 8:12 p.m. CRESTON — Steamrolling foes has become routine for the Loudonville girls basketball team. So, Saturday afternoon’s 61-44 victory over Mogadore in the Division IV Norwayne District championship game was merely another example of the Redbirds following this season’s script. Coach Tyler Bates’ bunch shot out to […]
Loudonville’s Vermilya selected MBC Player of Year
LOUDONVILLE — The first of what will be many postseason awards arrived on Corri Vermilya’s doorstep. Loudonville’s senior standout was selected the Mid-Buckeye Conference Player of the Year after leading the Redbirds to their eighth consecutive MBC title. An Ashland University recruit, Vermilya recently became the only player in state history with more than 2,300 […]
Lesson Learned: Loudonville bounces back with resounding win over Col. Crawford
NORTH ROBINSON — Loudonville coach Tyler Bates didn’t know how the Redbirds would respond to their first loss of the season, but Sophia Spangler put his mind at ease. The Tiffin-bound Spangler scored 10 of her 14 points in the second quarter and the Redbirds cruised to a 56-30 win at Colonel Crawford on Wednesday. […]
Loudonville hammers Wellington in latest blowout
LOUDONVILLE — The Loudonville girls basketball team is racking up some ferocious results this season. Wednesday night was supposed to be a stronger test against stiffer competition. It wasn’t. The fourth-ranked Redbirds buried Wellington 74-22 to improve to 15-0. “I just think we really play hard,” said All-Ohio senior Corri Vermilya, who was a finalist […]
Loudonville ranked 4th in 1st girls state basketball poll
LOUDONVILLE — The Loudonville girls basketball team is clearly the class of the sport in north central Ohio. The Redbirds are also making waves statewide. Coach Tyler Bates’ squad is ranked No. 4 (with 58 points) in the Division IV girls basketball poll, released this week by the Associated Press. Loudonville is the only area […]