Sunday, March 21st, 2010Liberty-Benton celebration set The Liberty-Benton Athletic Boosters will host a special reception for the Division III state champion Eagles girls basketball team today at 1 p.m. in the high school gymnasium. Everyone is welcome. more >>Div. III State Tournament: L-B wins championshipCOLUMBUS -- Liberty-Benton had its chance to put Middletown Madison away in the first half, but the Eagles saw the Mohawks climb back into the game. more >>Div. III State Tournament: L-B seniors enjoy successCOLUMBUS -- For Liberty-Benton's four seniors, the past two girls basketball seasons have been a tremendous success. more >>Div. III State Tournament: L-B's Petersen solid againCOLUMBUS -- If there's an unsung hero in Liberty-Benton's run to a state championship it just might be Amber Petersen. more >>Div. III State Tournament: Irwin mastermind of Eagles' runCOLUMBUS -- When Nate Irwin got his first coaching and teaching job as a fresh-faced 22-year-old out of Heidelberg College, few would have predicted in less than a decade he would lead Liberty-Benton to its first state girls basketball championship. more >>L-B's undefeated season at a glance27-0 Campaign more >>Locally: Butler, Leppelmeier win state titlesAKRON -- Liberty-Benton's Seth Butler and McComb's Jackie Leppelmeier won state titles Saturday at the Division II-III Ohio state indoor track and field championships at the University of Akron. more >>Girls State Tournament: Hathaway Brown wins Division IIThe Associated Press more >>ScoreboardPREP BOYS BASKETBALL more >>Weekend prep basketball: Liberty-Benton sweeps BVC top awardsLiberty-Benton's Aaron Craft led the Eagles to a perfect regular season and the Blanchard Valley Conference boys basketball championship this season and for his work on the hardcourt he was named the conference's player of the year as the league has released it's all-conference teams for the 2009-10 season. more >>Weekend prep basketball: Spiegel, Kessler earn first-team nodsBUCYRUS -- Riverdale's girls basketball team won one for the thumb this season. more >>Local Sports Liberty-Benton celebration setThe Liberty-Benton Athletic Boosters will host a special reception for the Division III state champion Eagles girls basketball team today at 1 p.m. in the high school gymnasium. Everyone is welcome. Div. III State Tournament: L-B wins championship By Ted Radick Staff writer COLUMBUS -- Liberty-Benton had its chance to put Middletown Madison away in the first half, but the Eagles saw the Mohawks climb back into the game. Presented with another opportunity, L-B didn't pass it up. The Eagles exploded to a 20-2 second-half run and scorched Madison 66-44 to win the Division III state championship Saturday at Value City Arena in Columbus. Liberty-Benton finished its first girls basketball title with a 27-0 record, becoming the 40th girls team in Ohio history to finish an undefeated season. Madison ended its season at 27-1. A layup by Madison's Rachel Blevins with 5:13 left in the third quarter drew the Mohawks to within 40-38 of Liberty-Benton. Eight minutes later, Brittany Shields scored for Madison. In between, Liberty-Benton ran Madison out of the building. Liberty-Benton senior Amber Petersen got things started with a 3-pointer, senior Amanda Hyde dropped in a layup and sophomore Caite Craft hit a pair of free throws. All of a sudden, the Eagles were up 47-38. “They definitely had the momentum going into the half,” Liberty-Benton coach Nate Irwin said. “I think that was the biggest difference in the game, that three or four minutes in the third quarter. I told the girls we had to win the first part of the third quarter, get to the first TV timeout and hopefully extend our lead. I think we were up 10 or 11 at that point.” Hyde led the Eagles with 23 points and eight rebounds. Craft added 19 points and Petersen 13. Liberty-Benton held Madison to 10 second-half points and 4 of 21 (19 percent) shooting over the final two quarters. “We had to run the floor and hopefully wear them down,” Irwin said. “We wanted to get them playing a little faster than they wanted to play and hopefully it would affect their shooting. “I don't think they shot a good percentage in the second half. I think a lot of it was they were just tired from chasing us up and down floor for most of the game.” The game started at a breakneck pace as both teams came to run. Madison built a quick 9-5 lead less than two minutes into the contest, but Liberty-Benton closed the gap and took its first lead with 38 seconds left in the first quarter. Petersen nailed a 3-pointer to give Liberty-Benton a 21-19 lead at that point. The Eagles, down 18-15 at one point in the first quarter, stretched that advantage to 32-19 behind a 17-1 run. “We knew they were going to come out hard,” Hyde said. “We knew they weren't going to be scared of us and we weren't scared of them. Fortunately, we were able to weather their good start and settle down.” Madison settled down as well, reeled off a 15-6 run and closed to within four points by halftime. “That's the sign of a good team. They weren't going to go down easily,” Irwin said. “They fought back and made things very interesting by halftime.” The Mohawks never seemed to get going after the half, though. Seven turnovers and poor shooting dogged Madison throughout the final two periods as the Mohawks seemed to run out of steam. “I don't think they missed a free throw in the second half,” Madison coach John Rossi said. “We missed some easy (shots) that were pretty much point blank. The next thing you know, it kind of snowballed on us and give them a little bit of credit for that. “They're a good basketball team. They're well-coached.” Liberty-Benton kept the pressure up, building a 60-40 lead early in the fourth quarter. “We have a great group of athletes,” Irwin said. “They run the floor and they play a lot of minutes. Leading up to game days we go very light, because we know on game day they're going to put forth a lot of energy.” Still, Craft said she wasn't completely comfortable. The Eagles knew Fort Loramie lost a 10-point, fourth-quarter lead and the ballgame in a Division IV semifinal Friday night. “Anything's possible, so I knew we had to box out and take care of every rebound on every end,” she said. “We had to take care of the ball, and make them work all the way up the floor and tire them out and make them take minutes and seconds off the clock. So, no, it wasn't a sure thing.” Liberty-Benton helped its cause by going 24 of 28 from the free-throw line, hitting, as Rossi noted, all 16 in the second half. The Eagles were 6 of 14 from the 3-point arc, increasing their total to 235 on the season. “When you're missing point-blank ones and they're draining '3s,' it's not a three-point play, it's a five-point play because you're not getting your two and they're getting their three,” Rossi said. “We just couldn't finish the deal.” Liberty-Benton held all-Ohio forward Ally Malott, all 6-foot-3 of her, to 10 points on 4 of 14 shooting and nine rebounds. Sophomore Brittany Shields led the Mohawks with 13 points. Catelen Ramsey added seven points and five assists for Liberty-Benton. Ashley Snider had seven rebounds. “This group of girls is a special group,” Irwin said. “I think they deserve everything they're experiencing right now and it's good to see good things happen to good people.” LIBERTY-BENTON (66) Ramsey 1-4 4-4 7, K. Schroeder 0-0 0-0 0, A. Schroeder 0-0 0-0 0, Rhodes 0-0 2-2 2, Petersen 5-8 0-1 13, Craft 5-12 7-10 19, Snider 0-2 2-2 2, Mason 0-0 0-0 0, Stuck 0-0 0-0 0, Weaver 0-0 0-0 0, Burket 0-0 0-0 0, Gibson 0-1 0-0 0, McCreary 0-0 0-0 0. TOTALS: 18-40 24-28--66. MIDDLETOWN MADISON (44) Malott 4-14 2-2 10, Cox 0-1 0-0 0, Lehman 2-6 1-2 7, Hoskins 3-8 2-4 8, Shields 6-9 0-0 13, Miller 0-0 0-0 0, Owens 0-1 0-0 0, Me. Miller 0-1 0-0 0, Forrester 0-0 0-0 0, Whiteman 0-1 0-0 0, Edwards 0-0 0-0 0, Jerger 0-0 0-0 0, Murphy 0-0 0-0 0, Blevins 2-6 2-4 6, Brunswick 0-0 0-0 0. TOTALS: 17-47 7-12--44. Liberty-Benton 23 15 15 13 -- 66 Middletown Madison 19 15 6 4 -- 44 3-POINT GOALS: Liberty-Benton 6-14 (Petersen 3-3, Craft 2-7, Ramsey 1-3, Gibson 0-1); Middletown Madison 3-12 (Lehman 2-5, Shields 1-2, Malott 0-4, Hoskins 0-1). REBOUNDS: Liberty-Benton 27 (Hyde 8, Snider 7); Middletown Madison 29 (Malott & Hoskins 9). ASSISTS: Liberty-Benton 10 (Ramsey 5, Craft 3); Middletown Madison 9 (Malott 4). STEALS: Liberty-Benton 3 (Petersen 2); Middletown Madison 2. BLOCKED SHOTS: Liberty-Benton 0; Middletown Madison 2. TURNOVERS: Liberty-Benton 11, Middletown Madison 16. FOULS: Liberty-Benton 12, Middletown Madison 21. ATTENDANCE: 6,098. Radick: 419-427-8405, tedradick@thecourier.com Div. III State Tournament: L-B seniors enjoy success By TED RADICK Staff writer COLUMBUS -- For Liberty-Benton's four seniors, the past two girls basketball seasons have been a tremendous success. A 23-2 record and a trip to the final four in the 2008-09 season was just an appetizer for the Eagles' veterans. Saturday's 66-44 win over Middletown Madison capped an undefeated senior year for the four. Amber Petersen, Amanda Hyde, Catelen Ramsey and Kirsten Schroeder have earned their place as part of the 40th girls team in Ohio to finish a season unbeaten. “It's an amazing feeling, I'm so excited right now,” said Petersen, who hit all three of her 3-point shots, drained 5 of 8 field goals overall and finished with 13 points. “I couldn't have done it without any of those girls on the bench or on the court. They're a great bunch of girls and it's a great way to finish the season.” Hyde led all scorers with 23 points. She was 7 of 13 from the floor, 9 of 9 from the free-throw line and had a team-high eight rebounds. “It's hard to explain. I've dreamed about this for a long time,” she said. “To have it actually come true is just amazing. “I can't thank my teammates or my coaches enough, because they're the reason we got this win today.” Ramsey hit all four of her free throws in the title game and dished out five assists. “Honestly, it leaves me speechless. The feeling is awesome. My teammates are awesome, the coaches are awesome,” she said. “The feeling is just amazing. I wouldn't even want to count how many hours I've put into this. Thank goodness we came out on top and we won a state championship.” Schroeder has provided valuable bench minutes all season. She said Saturday's victory helped take the sting out of a loss last year in the state semifinals to South Euclid Regina. “I'm so proud of my teammates for what they've accomplished and what we've all accomplished this season,” she said. “I'm so excited. It's just a great feeling to be a part of this team. “Last year, it was a disappointment but it wasn't too bad. We knew what we were up against. It just feels so good to come back and win this time.” Radick: 419-422-5151, tedradick@thecourier.com Div. III State Tournament: L-B's Petersen solid again By JAMIE BAKER Staff Writer COLUMBUS -- If there's an unsung hero in Liberty-Benton's run to a state championship it just might be Amber Petersen. Petersen's solid all-around play during the two-day tournament was one of the differences as the Eagles claimed the school's first girls basketball state championship by running down Middletown Madison 66-44 at Value City Arena Saturday. Playing at the OHSAA state tournament is a once in a lifetime opportunity. But Petersen is one of a handful of players that has had the opportunity to play in three state girls basketball tournaments. The first trip to Columbus came when she was a freshman at Findlay High. She got on the floor at the end of the Trojans' 56-41 Division I state semifinal loss to Cincinnati Mount Notre Dame. "When I was a freshman, I kind of hoped I'd get back down here to play at state again. But I didn't know it was going to be at L-B," said Petersen, who was also an outstanding soccer player for the Eagles. "I went to Liberty-Benton through the eighth grade and decided to come back for my junior and senior years. Those friendships were never really lost when I went to Findlay so it was easy going back." Last year, Petersen played in the Eagles' 59-30 loss to South Euclid Regina but wasn't much of a factor. She collected a rebound and a steal in nine minutes of action. Fast forward 12 months and Petersen was back in Columbus a year older, quicker and stronger. And when it was time to step up and be counted, Petersen made her presence felt. She scored 31 points with 10 rebounds, four blocked shots and three steals in Liberty-Benton's regional wins over Tinora and Western Reserve. In the Eagles' victories in Columbus, she netted 24 points with 10 rebounds, eight steals and four assists. "Amber Petersen has had probably the best games of her career in these last four. She has played a huge role for us both offensively and defensively," said Liberty-Benton coach Nate Irwin. "She has just filled up the stat chart for us, blocks, assists, rebounds, steals. I'm proud of what she's done to help us become a balanced team. Teams had to account for her this weekend." So what helped spark Petersen's strong postseason performances? "A lot of people talked to me about believing and having confidence in myself," Petersen said. "I never lacked confidence in our team but I might have had a little lack of confidence in myself." That confidence certainly took Petersen and the Eagles a long way. Baker: 419-427-8409, jamiebaker@thecourier.com Div. III State Tournament: Irwin mastermind of Eagles' run By JAMIE BAKER and TED RADICK Staff Writers COLUMBUS -- When Nate Irwin got his first coaching and teaching job as a fresh-faced 22-year-old out of Heidelberg College, few would have predicted in less than a decade he would lead Liberty-Benton to its first state girls basketball championship. But that's exactly what happened. “We really felt good when we hired him. My only reservation at that time was that he was so young,” said Liberty-Benton athletic director Dean Butler. “He spent three years as our junior high boys coach and learned a lot from (veteran L-B boys coach) Steve Williman. Their philosophies are the same and Nate uses a lot of the same things Steve does.” In six seasons in charge of the girls program at Liberty-Benton, Irwin has a 102-35 record. TAKE THAT BIG BROTHER: Amanda Hyde and Caite Craft are both the little sisters of their families. They followed some big footsteps at L-B left by their brothers. Amanda's brother, Nathan, and Caite's brothers, Brandon and Aaron, were all a part of the Liberty-Benton boys basketball team that advanced to the Division III state final in 2007 before falling 50-45 to North College Hill. But winning a state title is something they've done that their brothers could not accomplish. “Coming down my freshman year to watch my brother and Caite's brother was a really cool experience,” Amanda Hyde said. “We knew how upset they were and we didn't want to go through that same experience. It feels good to have something over them, finally.” ALL-TOURNEY TEAM: Craft was named the most outstanding player of the Division III tourney after scoring 42 points combined in the semifinals and finals. Hyde, who also scored 42 in the two games, was named to the all-tournament team as well. The Liberty-Benton players were joined by Middletown Madison's Ally Malott (28 points, 16 rebounds in two games); Ironton's Nikki Elswick (14 points, eight rebounds in a semifinal loss) and Smithville's Jenna Pew (18 points in a semifinal loss to Liberty-Benton). HOME OF CHAMPIONS: The trophy case at Liberty-Benton is getting a little crowded with OHSAA state championship trophies. The Eagles' Division III girls basketball crown is the latest state title for the school, which now has won nine state titles. Other L-B state championships have come in boys basketball (1995), girls cross country (1984, 1986, 1996) and boys track (1995, 2000, 2005). There were some similarities between the L-B boys basketball team that won the title in 1995 and this year's girls team. “I think that it would have been a huge disappointment if we didn't win it with the boys that year. We went down there expecting to win it,” said Butler, who was the school's athletic director at the time. “When Regina (High School) was thrown out of the tournament it made the playing field pretty even in Division III. After that, I think everyone's expectations really went up.” SCHOOL SUPPORT: The Eagles and Mohawks certainly had plenty of support from their communities. Liberty-Benton sold 1,038 tickets at the school for Thursday's semifinal game and sold around 2,500 tickets to its fans for the two games combined. Ticket presales netted the school an estimated $4,000 to $5,000 during the postseason. The Division III game between Madison and Liberty-Benton drew 6,098 fans compared to the Division II final between two private schools, Shaker Heights Hathaway Brown and Kettering Alter, which drew just 3,686 fans. L-B's undefeated season at a glance 27-0 Campaign Dec. 3 Arcadia 58-33 Dec. 8 Eastwood 80-35 Dec. 10 Arlington (BVC) 51-41 Dec. 15 Ottawa-Glandorf 60-40 Dec. 17 Pandora-Gilboa (BVC) 47-28 Dec. 28 Minster 63-29 Dec. 30 Elida 77-41 Jan. 5 Ada 95-37 Jan. 12 Lima Bath 62-44 Jan. 14 Vanlue (BVC) 92-25 Jan. 18 Riverdale 62-42 Jan. 21 Leipsic (BVC) 72-34 Jan. 25 Kalida 47-38 Feb. 2 Upper Scioto Valley 78-46 Feb. 4 Van Buren (BVC) 70-43 Feb. 15 Cory-Rawson (BVC) 92-15 Feb. 16 Bluffton 71-32 Feb. 20 Miller City 81-39 SECTIONAL FINAL Feb. 27 Lakota 86-18 DISTRICT SEMIFINALS Mar. 4 Ottawa Hills 60-38 DISTRICT FINAL Mar. 6 Lake 39-28 REGIONAL SEMIFINALS Mar. 9 Tinora 48-41 REGIONAL FINAL Mar. 13 Collins Western Reserve 73-42 STATE SEMIFINALS Mar. 18 Smithville 56-34 STATE CHAMPIONSHIP Mar. 20 Middletown Madison 66-44 Locally: Butler, Leppelmeier win state titles AKRON -- Liberty-Benton's Seth Butler and McComb's Jackie Leppelmeier won state titles Saturday at the Division II-III Ohio state indoor track and field championships at the University of Akron. Butler, a two-time Division III state outdoor champion in the 800-meter run, won his specialty in a meet record time of 1:56.77. Teammate Brad Keller was third in the pole vault (14-0) and Joseph Sherrieb was sixth in the triple jump (39-2¾) to help the Eagles finish ninth in the team standings with 19 points. Leppelmeier had a big day for the Panthers. She won the shot put (43-2½) and finished second in the weight throw (46-5). Three other area competitors added second-place finishes. Elmwood's Katie Reiser was runnerup in the 60-meter dash (7.59) as she was nosed out at the finish line by Gates Mills Gillmour Academy's Candace Longino-Thomas by a mere three-thousands of a second in a photo finish. Returning Division III state pole vault champ Amanda Hotaling of North Baltimore was second in her specialty with a leap of 11-0. Leipsic's Kendra Averesch was second to Leppelmeier in the shot put with a throw of 40-4¾. Area Girls Finishes 60 -- 2, Katie Reiser (Elm) 7.59. 200 -- 5, Reiser (Elm) 25.49. PV -- 2, Amanda Hotaling (NB) 11-0. 8, Shea Barnett (HN) 9-9. SHOT -- 1, Jackie Leppelmeier (McC) 43-2½. 2, Kendra Averesch (Leip) 40-4¾. WEIGHT THROW -- 2, Leppelmeier (McC) 46-5. 5, Alyssa Gary (L-B) 42-4. Area Boys Finishes 800 -- 1, Seth Butler (L-B) 1:56.77. 200 -- 8, Foster (Fos) 23.19. TJ -- 6, Joseph Sherrieb (L-B) 39-2¾. PV -- 3, Brad Keller (L-B) 14-0. Vicars wins again WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Derrick Vicars recorded his third win of the weekend Saturday to lead the University of Findlay men's and women's track teams at the Wake Forest Open Saturday. Vicars captured the hammer throw with an NCAA Division II provision heave of 181-7. The Oilers 1,600-meter relay team of Lyndon Johnson, Curtis Smithey, Simon Bernard and Greg Schaible added a third place (3:14.85) while Nathaniel Kurtz took fourth in the hammer throw (167-11). Johnson also was sixth in the 200 (21.45) and seventh in the 100 (10.71). On the women's side, Raven Clay finished second in the 100-meter hurdles (13.87) while Bethany Grimes was second in the high jump (5-1/4). Erin Calvelage finished fourth in the 3,000 steeplechase (3:55.81) and the 1,600 relay team of Stephanie Charnigo, Jhazmyn Anderson, Christine Zimmermann and Lindsey Schmitmeyer was fifth (3:55.81). Coppus leads UF team Calli Coppus had five singles and drove in three runs to key a 21-hit attack as the University of Findlay women's softball team beat Notre Dame College 13-7 in the second game of a non-conference doubleheader Saturday. UF (5-11) suffered a 6-5 loss in the first game. Coppus got plenty of support in the nightcap with Jenna Motuza cracking two doubles and a single to plate two runs and Jaci Messmer collecting three singles and 2 RBI. Lauren Orban (3-4) earned her second straight win, allowing seventh runs on five hits with five strikeouts. In their first game, Notre Dame used a fourth-run fifth inning to secure the win. Katie Ammons led the Oilers with three singles, Motuza drove in a run with two hits and Carly Borderwas also singled twice with an RBI. The Oilers are scheduled to host Malone today in a doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m. first game Findlay 110 00 3 -- 5 11 0 Notre Dame 001 140 x -- 6 12 3 WP -- Harbarger (2-2). LP -- Schultz (2-3). top hitters: (UF) Ammons 3-1B; Motuza 2B,1B, RBI; Haubert 2B; Border 2B, 1B, RBI. (ND) Harder 2B, 3-1B; Colston HR, 1B, 2 RBI. SECOND GAME Findlay 500 040 4 -- 13 21 4 Notre Dame 021 201 1 -- 7 5 1 WP -- Orban (3-4). LP -- M. Harbarger (2-7). top hitters: (UF) Motuza 2-2B, 1B, 2 RBI; Coppus 5-1B, 3 RBI; Messmer 2B, 2-1B, 2 RBI; Border 2B; Bell 2-1B, 2 RBI. records: Findlay 5-11, Notre Dame 7-12. SVSU sweeps Oilers Saginaw Valley State scored seven runs in the top of the sixth inning for a 16-9 victory the University of Findlay baseball team Saturday to complete a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference sweep of the Oilers. UF is now 3-11 overall and 0-5 in the GLIAC. The two teams played to a 7-7 tie through five inning before SVSU (8-6, 5-0) rallied for the win on a day when the Oilers committed nine errors. Ross Guisinger suffered the loss by allowing nine runs, only three earned, on 10 hits in five innings. Dustin Zielaskiewicz had a double and two singles while Victor Migliore drove in three UF runs. Saginaw Valley State 133 007 020 -- 16 19 2 Findlay 331 001 100 -- 9 11 9 WP -- Haase. LP -- Guisinger. top hitters: (SVS) Mayner 2B, 3-1B, 2 RBI; O'Boyle 2B, 2-1B, 3 RBI; Hunt 2-1B, 3 RBI. (UF) Zielaskiewicz 2B, 2-1B; Migliore 2B, 1B, 3 RBI. records: Saginaw Valley State 8-6 overall, 5-0 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference; Findlay 3-11, 0-5. Schultz All-American MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- Ohio Northern junior Michael Schultz earned All-America honors with a fifth place finish in the 1,650 freestyle on the final day of the 2010 NCAA Division III Swimming & Diving Championships at the University of Minnesota Saturday. Schultz shattered his previous school record by nearly two seconds, finishing in 15:44.01. He earned All-America honorable mention in the 500 free on Wednesday, finishing ninth in 4:30.40. Girls State Tournament: Hathaway Brown wins Division II The Associated Press COLUMBUS -- Mylan Woods had 16 points and seven rebounds to help Shaker Heights Hathaway Brown defend its Division II title with a 48-35 win over Kettering Alter on Saturday. Woods, the Associated Press Division II Player of the Year, also had three assists and three steals, including one during a key stretch early in the fourth quarter. Hathaway Brown (23-4) entered the fourth ahead 30-27 but ran off eight straight points with Tanisha Lawler getting four of them, the second bucket off a steal and feed from Woods to make it 38-27. The Blazers led 28-18 three minutes into the second half but Alter (25-2) got to within 28-27 four minutes later before Woods drove the lane for a three-point advantage. Whitney Dabbelt had eight points for Alter, the 2008 state champion when it beat Hathaway Brown in the title game. Alter did a lot of things wrong but trailed only 19-15 at the half when Kaila Howe made a three-pointer with 16 seconds left. The Knights hit 33 percent (5 of 15) of their field goals and committed 11 turnovers. Hathaway Brown was slightly better at 36.5 percent (8 for 22) and had 10 turnovers to prevent it from increasing a 19-9 lead. Woods had six points and Hathaway Brown led 11-5 after the first quarter. Alter had only three free throws by Dabbelt until Ashley Christie made a layup with 31 seconds after the Knights had missed their first four shots from the floor. Hathaway Brown made their fourth straight state appearance. The Blazers last year beat Kettering Alter in the semifinals and Wapakoneta in the championship game. KETTERING ALTER (35) Dabbelt 2-6 4-6 8, C. Christie 2-5 0-1 6, A. Christie 3-10 0-0 6, Bockrath 3-6 0-2 6, Howe 2-3 0-0 5, Mygrants 1-3 2-2 4, Westerkamp 0-1 0-2 0. Totals: 13-34 6-13--35. HATHAWAY BROWN (48) Woods 7-10 2-4 16, Guy 3-7 2-3 10, Almady 3-7 2-2 8, Lawler 3-7 1-4 7, Dobbs 2-7 0-0 5, Smith 1-3 0-0 2. Totals: 19-41 7-13 48. Kettering Alter............... 5 10 12 8 - 35 Hathaway Brown................ 11 8 11 18 - 48 3-point goals: Kettering Alter 3-7 (C. Christie 2-3, Howe 1-2, Bockrath 0-1, A. Christie 0-1); Hathaway Brown 3-11 (Guy 2-4, Dobbs 1-4, Lawler 0-1, Woods 0-2). Fouled out: Kettering Alter 0, Hathaway Brown 0. Rebounds: Kettering Alter 22 (Dabbelt 6); Hathaway Brown 32 (Woods 7). Assists: Kettering Alter 9 (A. Christie 3); Hathaway Brown 14 (Woods 4). Total fouls: Kettering Alter 14, Hathaway Brown 11. Technical fouls: Kettering Alter 0, Hathaway Brown 0. ATTENDANCE: 3,686. Harvest Prep 45 Berlin Hiland 41 COLUMBUS -- Cheyenne Rose sank two free throws with 37 seconds left and Shicole Watts added two more from the foul line to give Harvest Prep a win over Belin Hiland for the Division IV title in its first tournament appearance. Berlin Hiland (25-3) got 19 points from Hilary Weaver, but the Hawks lost in the championship game for the second straight season. Watts had 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Warriors (27-1), who were up 41-39 when Noelle Yoder stole the ball near midcourt and passed ahead to Weaver for a layup to tie the score. Harvest Prep brought the ball up and Weaver was called for blocking after Rose dribbled into her in the backcourt. After a timeout, Rose sank both free throws for a 43-41 lead. Weaver then drove into the lane and lost the ball, and possession was awarded to Harvest Prep in the ensuing scramble. Weaver stole the ball, but as Yoder was bringing it to the frontcourt, Destiny Turner knocked it away to Watts. She was fouled and added two free throws with 16 seconds left. Harvest Prep rallied from a 27-21 halftime deficit to lead 38-37 going into the fourth quarter. Hiland's biggest lead of the third was 30-23, but Harvest Prep leveled the score at 32 on a Watts free throw. Yoder immediately countered with a three-pointer before baskets from Lucia Herndon and Turner gave the Warriors the lead at the 1:46 mark of the quarter. Jaren Francis added a layup to make it 38-35, but Jessica Stutzman's driving shot pulled Hiland to within one. HARVEST PREP (27-1) Watts 4-8 6-8 14, Jaren Francis 4-10 1-1 9, Herndon 3-4 0-0 6, Turner 2-3 0-2 4, Jarel Francis 2-2 0-0 4, Rose 0-2 3-4 3, McKnight 1-10 0-0 3, Beavers 1-2 0-0 2, Crowder 0-1 0-0 0, Fort 0-2 0-0 0. Totals: 17-44 10-15--45. BERLIN HILAND (25-3) H. Weaver 6-12 6-7 19, Yoder 2-12 0-0 6, Stutzman 2-6 1-2 5, M. Miller 1-3 2-2 5, Stuckey 1-5 1-2 3, R. Miller 1-5 1-2 3, A. Weaver 0-1 0-0 0, Stoneman 0-1 0-0 0, Hall 0-3 0-0 0. Totals: 13-48 11-15--41. Harvest Prep 9 12 17 7 -- 45 Berlin Hiland 13 14 10 4 -- 41 3-point goals: Harvest Prep 1-11 (McKnight 1-6, Jaren Francis 0-2, Rose 0-2, Beavers 0-1); Berlin Hiland 4-11 (Yoder 2-6, M. Miller 1-2, H. Weaver 1-2, R. Miller 0-1). Fouled out: Harvest Prep- McKnight; & Beavers; Berlin Hiland 0. Rebounds: Harvest Prep 36 (Watts 10); Berlin Hiland 31 (Stuckey 7). Assists: Harvest Prep 8 (McKnight 3); Berlin Hiland 8 (H. Weaver 3). Total fouls: Harvest Prep 16, Berlin Hiland 11. Technical fouls: Harvest Prep 0, Berlin Hiland 0. ATTENDANCE: 4,529. Scoreboard PREP BOYS BASKETBALL Saturday's Regional Finals Division I Mentor vs. Lakewood St. Edward,, 7:30 Massillon Jackson vs. Toledo St. John's, 7:30 Columbus Northland vs. Gahanna Lincoln, 7:30 Division II Cleveland Benedictine 64, Poland Seminary 61 Zanesville 51, Columbus DeSales 45 Port Clinton 66, Celina 55 Dayton Dunbar vs. Dayton Thurgood Marshall, 3 Division III Chesapeake vs. Ironton, 7:30 Lima Central Catholic vs. Plymouth, 7:30 Orrville vs. Newton Falls, 7:30 Columbus Ready vs. Cincinnati Taft, 7:30 Thursday's State Semifinals At Schottenstein Center DIVISION II Cleveland Benedictine (21-4)vs. Dayton Dunbar (23-3)-Dayton Marshall (21-4), 5:15 Zanesville (17-6) vs. Port Clinton (26-0), 8:30 FINALS: Saturday, 2 DIVISION III Chesapeake (21-4)-Ironton (22-3) vs. Plymouth (25-0)-Lima Central Catholic (21-4), 10:45 a.m. Orrville (20-5)-Newton Falls (21-5) vs. Columbus Ready (19-7)-Cincinnati Taft (23-2), 2 FINALS: Saturday, 10:45 a.m. Friday's State Semifinals At Schottenstein Center DIVISION I Cincinnati Moeller ()21-4) vs. Mentor (22-3)-Lakewood St. Edward (22-3), 5:15 Massillon Jackson (23-2)-Toledo St. John's (20-4) vs. Gahanna Lincoln (26-0)-Columbus Northland (25-0), 8:30 FINALS: Saturday, 8:30 DIVISION IV Ottawa Hills (23-1) vs. Newark Catholic (25-1), 10:45 a.m. Bedford Chanel (14-11) vs. Dayton Jefferson (16-10), 2 FINALS: Saturday, 5:15 PREP GIRLS BASKETBALL State Semifinals Division I Toledo Waite 61, Kettering Fairmont 55 Reynoldsburg vs. Canton McKinley, 8 Division II Shaker Heights Hathaway Brown 53, Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit 48 Kettering Alter 57, Washington C.H. Miami Trace 46 Division III Middletown Madison 50, Ironton 43 Liberty-Benton 56, Smithville 34 Division IV Berlin Hiland 49, Minster 48 Canal Winchester Harvest Prep 49, Fort Loramie 46 Saturday's State Finals Division III Liberty-Benton 66, Middletown Madison 44 Division II Shaker Heights Hathaway Brown 48, Kettering Alter 35 Division IV Canal Winchester Harvest Prep 45, Berlin Hiland 41 Division I Toledo Waite vs. Reynoldsburg-Canton McKinley winner, 8:30 LOCAL SPORTS Friday's Results Men's College Tennis FINDLAY 9, NOTRE DAME COLLEGE 0 Singles 1, Kyle Collette (UF) def. Jimmy Goodwin 6-0, 6-1. 2, Dawid Hebda (UF)def. Andy Sherman 6-1, 7-5. 3, Josh Smedley (UF) def. Geoff Becktell 6-1, 6-0. 4, Bryan Simard (UF) def. Kyle Roche 6-3, 6-1. 5, Bryan Little (UF) def. Johnny Morris 6-4, 6-2. 6, David Brooks (UF) won by default. Doubles 1, Collette & Hebda (UF) def. Goodwin & K.Roche 8-1. 2, Smedley & Simard (UF) def. Becktell & Sherman 8-2. 3, Little & Brooks (UF) won by default. Saturday's Events College Athletics BASEBALL -- Bluffton 3-3, Thomas More, Ky. 2-2; first game, 9 innings Ohio Northern 5-3, Manchester, Ind. 3-2 WOMEN'S TENNIS -- Oberlin 6, Ohio Northern 3 WOMEN'S SOFTBALL -- Ohio Northern 11, Centre, Ky. 3 Ohio Northern 6, Birmingham Southern, Ala. 1 Sunday's Events College Athletics MEN'S GOLF -- Findlay at Northern Kentucky Invitational, Pendleton County Country Club, Falmouth, Ky. MEN'S TENNIS -- Adrian at Findlay, 9 a.m. WOMEN'S TENNIS -- Adrian at Findlay, 9 a.m. LOCAL & AREA MAL Statistical Manual The Midland Athletic League basketball record manual will be available for sale at the Blanchard Valley Conference-Midland Athletic League all-star games March 28 at Van Buren High School. The manual contains standings, scores and league statistics, boys and girls, since its inception in 1985. The spiral-bound book also includes coaching records, 1,000-point scorers in league history and a listing of every 30-point scorer, boys and girls. The manual is $14. For those that already have a manual, they can bring it to the game and have it updated with this year's stats and any previous years pages they might be missing for $1. New covers will also be available to include Lakota's acceptance into the league. For additional copies, mail $14 plus $3.50 for postage ($17.50 total) to Jeffrey Garber, P.O. Box 303, Sycamore, Ohio 44882 or can call Garber at 419-927-6446. BOWLING AMF Sportsman Lanes Sportsman Juniors League High series: (boys) Josh Meggett 562; (girls) Maeve Hocanson 526. High game: (boys) Meggett 222; (girls) Andrea Grotrian 180. Bantam I League High series: (boys) Bryce Gunter 259; (girls) Fiona Giesey 171; (8-udner boys) Khail Stokes 256. High gme: (boys) Zach Salazar 139; (girls) Giesey 87; (8-nder boys) Stokjes 134. Weekend prep basketball: Liberty-Benton sweeps BVC top awards Liberty-Benton's Aaron Craft led the Eagles to a perfect regular season and the Blanchard Valley Conference boys basketball championship this season and for his work on the hardcourt he was named the conference's player of the year as the league has released it's all-conference teams for the 2009-10 season. In addition, Liberty-Benton coach Steve Williman picked up the conference's other top award as he was named the BVC Coach of the Year. Williman is certainly no stranger to success as he has guided the Eagles to five straight conference titles and 14 overall since 1992. The Eagles also finished as the No. 1 team in the final Division III Associated Press poll after completing a 20-0 regular season. Craft, who is headed to Ohio State to play college basketball, led the conference in scoring at 26.7 points per game and assists at 6.5 per contest while also adding 7.7 rebounds per game. He was joined on the first team by Pandora-Gilboa's Josh Lee, Vanlue's Jordan Cook, McComb's Mason Roth and Arlington's Kevin Rogers. Lee, a senior, led the Rockets by scoring 18.1 points and grabbing 6.1 rebounds per game. Cook put together a terrific senior year for Vanlue as he was second in the conference in scoring (22.2 points per game) and assists (5.1 apg). Roth helped McComb to a 17-3 regular season record and second place tie in the BVC by tossing in 19.7 points with 3.6 assists per game. Rogers, a 6-foot-7 senior, was the top player for the Red Devils this season as he netted 17.0 points with 8.8 rebounds per game. There were some outstanding players on the all-BVC second team too. Pandora-Gilboa senior Tyler Gratz, Leipsic junior Liam Nadler, Arlington sophomore Thayne Recker, Van Buren junior Rich Meyer and McComb's Taylor Hanes were second-team all-conference honorees. All-BVC Boys Basketball First Team Aaron Craft, sr., Liberty-Benton; Josh Lee, sr., Pandora-Gilboa; Jordan Cook, sr., Vanlue; Mason Roth, jr., McComb; Kevin Rogers, sr., Arlington. PLAYER OF THE YEAR -- Aaron Craft, Liberty-Benton. COACH OF THE YEAR -- Steve Williman, Liberty-Benton. Second Team Tyler Gratz, sr., Pandora-Gilboa; Liam Nadler, jr., Leipsic; Thayne Recker, soph., Arlington; Rich Meyer, jr., Van Buren; Taylor Hanes, jr., McComb. Third Team Thomas Hochstettler, sr., Pandora-Gilboa; Brett Pasche, sr., Liberty-Benton; Andrew Dee, jr., McComb; Jonathan Kloepfer, soph., Vanlue; Derek Mangas, jr., Leipsic. Honorable Mention ARCADIA -- Jordan Duncan, sr.; Julian Pina, sr. ARLINGTON -- Zane Leonard, sr.; Matt Morehart, sr. CORY-RAWSON -- David Hector, sr.; Jeremiah Alspach, soph. HARDIN NORTHERN -- Tommy Wheeler, jr.; Joe Walter, sr. LEIPSIC -- Jay Maag, sr.; Derrick Schroeder, sr. LIBERTY-BENTON -- Jordan Benson, jr.; Zach Jones, sr. McComb -- Andrew Morse, sr.; Matt Newcomer, jr. PANDORA-GILBOA -- Nathan Lee, sr.; Zach Niese, sr. VAN BUREN -- Andrew Bell, sr.; Clay Sudlow, jr. VANLUE -- Dillon Kliesch, jr.; Taylor Chiow, sr. All-Academic ARCADIA -- Clay Baker, Patrick Coward, Jordan Duncan. ARLINGTON -- Matt Morehart. CORY-RAWSON -- David Hector. HARDIN NORTHERN -- Reid Parsons. LIBERTY-BENTON -- Aaron Craft, Brett Pasche. PANDORA-GILBOA -- Josh Lee, Nathan Lee, Thomas Hochstettler. VAN BUREN -- David Lee. VANLUE -- Drew Bostic. Weekend prep basketball: Spiegel, Kessler earn first-team nods BUCYRUS -- Riverdale's girls basketball team won one for the thumb this season. After capturing the school's fifth straight North Central Conference title, the Falcons were rewarded with a pair of players on the all-North Central Conference girls basketball first team. Senior Morgan Spiegel and junior Lacey Kessler earned first-team nods for Riverdale. Kessler had a monster season to help the Falcons share the NCC crown with Wynford, while earning a spot in the Division IV regional tournament. She averaged a team-best 18.0 points while grabbing 7.1 rebounds per game. She also led the team with 76 steals while dishing out 58 assists. Spiegel, meanwhile, added 10.5 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. Riverdale junior Ashley Fox and senior Christy Fox made the all-NCC second team while junior Mallorie Hicks made the conference's honorable mention list. All-NCC Girls Basketball First Team Teneil Krebs, jr., Wynford; Melissa Hoffbauer, sr., Buckeye Central; Lacey Kessler, jr. Riverdale; Natalie Ronk, sr., Crestline; Natalie Huggins, sr., Colonel Crawford; Morgan Spiegel, sr., Riverdale; Emily Kelller, jr., Wynford; Chelsea Dropsey, sr., Ontario. Second Team Ashley Green, sr., Buckeye Central; Ashley Fox, jr., Riverdale; Kelsey Volkmer, jr., Colonel Crawford; Allie Hawkins, soph., Bucyrus; Taylor Graham, jr., Wynford; Hailey Dzugan, jr., Crestlijne; Samantha Jeremy, sr., Ontario; Christy Fox, sr., Riverdale; Alexa Crase, sr. Colonel Crawford. Honorable Mention Ashley Langjahr, jr., Buckeye Central; Kylie Thompson, fr., Bucyrus; Kailey Reynolds, sr., Colonel Crawford; Megan Milliron, sr., Crestline; Jenny Homan, sr., Ontario; Samanthan Harvey, sr., Lucas; Mallorie Hicks, jr., Riverdale; Kailee Schiefer, sr., Wynford. |
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