The Hometown Huddle - January 28th, 2015 PDF

EDON HILLTOP STRYKER MONTPELIER PETTISVILLE NORTH CENTRAL FAYETTE WAUSEON
THE HOMETOWN
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28TH, 2015
A WEEKLY SPORTS PUBLICATION COURTESY OF "THE VILLAGE REPORTER"
LADY BOMBER
ALEX KIESS
FLIES HIGH IN
LEAGUE PLAY
WILLIAMS
FULTON
EDON BOMBERS MONTPELIER LOCOS NORTH CENTRAL EAGLES

HILLTOP CADETS STRYKER PANTHERS FAYETTE EAGLES
PETTISVILLE BLACKBIRDS WAUSEON INDIANS
PHOTO BY LUCINDA HELD-FAULHABER

FIGHTING HER WAY OUT ... Edon's Alex Kiess (22), despite being surrounded
by Fayette's Alexis Fruchey (21), Jessie Wheeler (45), and Hannah Machacek
(15), still makes a play at the rim, taking the three defenders by surprise.
St. Rd. 6 Edgerton, OH
419.298.0102
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Cell: 260.225.2065
dan@afspivots.com
Call today for more information
Varsity Boys Basketball Action

THE HOMETOWN HUDDLE
Stryker Panthers Lose Close Stryker Panthers Pounce

Game With Liberty Center On Hilltop In Road Win
(January 20th, 2015) STRYKER: After

getting off to a slow start this season, the
Panthers of Stryker have built a good bit of
momentum of late. That momentum was
put to the test when Liberty Center came
to town last week.
It was a close game, but the visiting Tigers were able to sneak away with a 46-43
win over the hometown boys of Stryker.
The contest was tight throughout. Liberty Center came out just ahead in the first
period, 14-13. Not deterred, the Panthers
came roaring back in the second quarter.
They claimed the lead for themselves at
26-22. With a 4 point advantage going into
the locker room, Stryker had to be feeling
confident about their chances against their
North Western Ohio Athletic League foe.
With no signs of slowing down, the
battle continued in the third quarter. The
Tigers narrowly reacquired the lead by
the conclusion of the period, 35-34. Both
squads gave it their all in the contests final
stanza. Down the stretch, however, the vis-
iting Tigers were able to slip ahead of the

Panthers in their own den, hanging on to a
3 point advantage.
Turnovers are always a big part of any
basketball game, but they seem to particularly sting in the close ones. This contest
was no different. Stryker's 15 turnovers,
while not terribly high, certainly had a
negative impact on the outcome of the nonconference match-up. Especially when Liberty Center turns the ball over just 7 times.
Perimeter defense was another issue for
Stryker. Liberty Center was allowed to connect on 6 different three-point attempts.
Letting a team get that many open looks
from long range is bound to lead to trouble.
Parker Ruffer led the Panthers in scoring. The rangy senior managed 13 points in
the loss. Teammate Brody Shock put up 11
points against the Tigers' defense. Tanner
Clingaman was good for 5 points as well.
All three players combined to produce all 3
of the Panthers' successful three-point attempts.
(January 23rd, 2015) WEST UNITY:

The Panthers pulled ahead from the early
onset of the game, and never looked back.
The visitors from Stryker made the
short trip to West Unity with the intent
of taking down the Cadets of Hilltop. And
that's exactly what they did, winning the
contest 75-54.
Quick to find a rhythm, Parker Ruffer
made sure Stryker got off to a great start.
The senior put up 7 points in the first period, including a make from beyond the arc.
Fellow fourth year Panther Tanner Clingaman also knocked down a triple in the
opening quarter. A third senior, Brannan
Woolace contributed to Stryker's strong
beginning as well, adding 2 points to the
Panthers' 23 point first quarter.
Hilltop had a balanced offensive attack in the early goings of the contest. The
Sophomore duo of Quinn Smith and Tim
Maneval each hit a three in the opening
stanza. Senior Jalen Towers chipped in
4 points to begin the game as well. As a
team, the Cadets managed 15 points in the
first quarter.
The Ruffer and Clingaman combination continued to dominate offensively
in the second quarter. At 6'5 tall, Ruffer
moved in a bit closer to the rim in the period, racking up 6 more points in the process. Not to be outdone, Clingaman hit on
2 more three-point attempts, also scoring
another 6 points. This made up the bulk of
Stryker's 20 point second period.
For the Cadets, Smith increased his
production from the first quarter, putting
up 6 points in the second. Maneval connected on another three-point shot in the
period as well, which earned him the entirety of his 3 points in that span. It was
this duet of scorers that accounted for
most of Hilltop's 13 points before the half.
Going into the visitors locker room,
Stryker had build a significant lead over
Hilltop, 43-28.
Scoring slowed down for both teams
in the third quarter. Smith was one of the
few Hilltop players to register a field goal
right after the half, contributing another 2
points to the Cadet cause.
Clingaman refused to stop shooting
from long range, putting down another
three in the third period. Slowing down a

bit, Ruffer still managed to score another
2 points for the Panthers. Woolace led the
team through the drought, however, offering 4 points to his team's efforts.
Both squads totaled 9 points in the
third quarter. This put the score at 52-37,
in favor of the Panthers. Hilltop would need
an exceptional offensive performance during the fourth quarter in order to march
their way back into the contest.
It was Smith who delivered that performance. With 11 points down the stretch,
the sophomore standout pulled out all
the stops in a furious attempt to bring his
team back from the 15 point deficit. Teammate Kelby Grime did his part as well,
making a three in the game's final quarter.
In all, Hilltop managed 17 points to end
the contest.
In the end, it was all for naught, however. Ruffer and Clingaman each registered
only a single field goal in the final period,
but that didn't the Panthers from exploding for 25 points to close out the game.
Clingaman again hit on a three-point attempt, giving him a successful long range
shot in each and every period of the contest.
For the game, Ruffer used his versatility to give his team 19 points. Clingaman's
accurate shooting added up to 17 points,
most of which came from his 5 threes.
Woolace contributed 12 points to the win
as well.
Smith was the offense for the Cadets.
The young leader totaled 26 points to lead
all scorers. Maneval put up 7 points, based
heavily upon his pair of triples. Towers and
Grime each chipped in 6 points in the loss.
Free throws played a vital role in the
game. Stryker made 17 of their 22 attempts from the line, as they made good
on 77% of their shots. By contrast, the
hometown Cadets went just 12 for 20 from
the charity stripe, good for a 60% average.
More attempts and a higher success rate
from the free throw line is typically tough
for an opponent to overcome.
Hilltop turned in a solid offensive performance on Friday. Unfortunately for
them, Stryker was simply unstoppable on
that night.
PHOTO BY ANGI WALKUP, STAFF
PROTECTING THE BALL ... Stryker senior Tanner Clingaman (30) uses his right arm to
shield the ball from a Liberty City defender as he dribbles down the court with his left.
Big Fourth Quarter Propels

Wauseon To Win Over Archbold
(January 23rd, 2015) WAUSEON:
Archbold led for most of the game. In
fact, going into the final period, it was
beginning to look as though they were
going to win.
Wauseon saw something different,
however, as the Indians scored 16 points
in the fourth quarter to lay claim to a 4539 win over their rivals.
The first quarter saw Wauseon grab an
early lead, 9-8. It wouldn't last, though.
The Blue Streaks came back with a strong
second quarter, putting up 14 points to
the Indians' 11. This shift in momentum
actually led Archbold nursing a 2 point
advantage at the half, 22-20.
Archbold was able to further distance

themselves from Wauseon in the third
period. They took the quarter 11-9, widening the gap between the two teams to
4 points. But the fourth quarter belonged
to Wauseon. The Indian boys outscored
the Blue Streaks 16-6 to close out the
contest, earning a hard fought 6 point
victory.
Carter Bzovi was the linchpin of the
Wauseon offense, scoring 11 points
against the Blue Streaks. Zac Robinson,
Zach Johnson, and Noah Castle, all sePHOTOS BY TIMOTHY KAYS, STAFF
niors, each contributed 8 points to the
rivalry win. Fellow senior Jacob Newlove RACE AGAINST TIME ... Cadet Sophomore Quinn Smith (12) prepares to let the ball fly
as Parker Ruffer (24), a 65 senior for the Panthers closes in on a block.
added 7 more points as well.
FIRST TO THE RIM ... Strykers Tanner Clingaman (30) is one of many Panther defenders beaten to the basket by Jalen Towers (22) as he takes the ball to the rim in transition.
PHOTO BY JAKE WEBER, STAFF
NOWHERE TO GO ... Carter Bzovi (30) leaps into the air as Jacob Newlove (32) comes
in to help trap an Archbold ballhandler who has picked up his dribble in the corner.
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2 - The Hometown Huddle - Edon, Montpelier, North Central, Hilltop, Stryker, Fayette, Pettisville & Wauseon Sports Action
Wednesday, January 28th, 2015
Junior Trio Pushes Fayette

Pettisville Handles Visiting Past Edon In Home Win
Eagles Of North Central
CONTINUATION OF VARSITY BOYS BASKETBALL ACTION
(January 23rd, 2015) PETTISVILLE:

In Buckeye Border Conference action, the
Blackbirds of Pettisville played host to the
Eagles of North Central on Friday night.
Pettisville overwhelmed their guests early
on, and never allowed the Eagles to claw
their way back into the game.
When the contest was finished, the final
score read 58-35 in the Blackbirds' favor.
Tate Kauffman, a Pettisville senior, got
the Blackbirds going in the first quarter,
scoring 4 points in the period. This led a
12 point outing in the opening stanza for
the home team.
On the other end of the floor, Jordan
Bailey knocked down a three-point shot.
Other than that, however, not much was
working for the Eagles. They produced just
4 points in the first period.
It was Caleb Rychener who led Pettisville through the second quarter. The 6'5
sophomore worked the paint to put up 4
points of his own. Kauffman hit a triple in
the period as well, helpnig the Blackbird
boys on their way to a 13 effort in that
span.
North Central continued to struggle
offensively in the second period. Senior
Brady Zuver and junior Ethan Douglass each contributed a basket in what
amounted to a 5 point period for the Eagle
boys. At halftime, the team from Pioneer
were down 25-9.
The Eagle offense took off coming out of
the locker room. Bailey connected on another three, while four other North Central
players registered points int the third period. They more than doubled their point
production in that single quarter, earning
13 points thanks to their team effort.
Pettisville did not slow up in terms of
scoring, though. Gabe Beck, Stuart Yoder,

and Noah Miller all had successful field
goal attempts as the Blackbirds added 15
points to their collective score.
Bailey tacked on 4 more points to his
total in the fourth quarter, as did sophomore Eagle Kaleb Geiser. Josh Roesener
put a long ranged shot through the bottom
of the net as well. Senior Jordan Reeves
took the ball to the rim hard to register his
only field goal of the game. Overall, North
Central recorded another 13 point quarter.
For the Blackbirds, Rychener used his
size to convert on 3 more close ranged shots
for 6 points. Kauffman and Yoder scored 2
more points apiece down the stretch also.
Pettisville closed out the contest with an
18 point final period.
For the game, Kauffman led all scoreres
with 15 points. Rychener was close behind
with 14 points of his own. Miller added 9
points to the Blackbird collective score,
while Beck scored 8 points in the victory.
The hot shooting of Bailey propelled
him to a 12 point evening for the Eagles.
Douglass contributed 4 points to the losing effort, while Roesener and Geiser added 5 and 6 points, respectively.
Free throws played a huge role in determining the outcome of this game. North
Central went 4 for 12 from the line, good
for a 33% success rate. Pettisville, on the
other hand, had an outstanding night from
the charity stripe. They made an impressive 21 of their 23 attempts, meaning they
connected on 91% of their shots.
North Central gave a valiant effort, but
Pettisville was just too much for them on
Saturday. The Blackbirds, on the other
hand, are peaking at the right time, winning 4 of their last 5 games.
(January 23rd, 2015) FAYETTE: Even

with five seniors on the team, it was the
junior class that stood out for the Eagles
against Buckeye Border Conference visitor
Edon.
The Bomber defense, at times, was able
to frustrate the most experience laden
players for Fayette. In particular, Edon's
Logan Bloir absolutely refused to allow
Skylar Lantz to score off of the dribble
drive, recording multiple blocks against
the senior speedster from Fayette throughout the game. Still, the hometown Eagles
simply had too many weapons for the
Bomber boys to contain.
This time, it was a set of juniors who
got the job down for Coach Mitchell's Fayette squad. The grouping of Joel Smith,
Jared Seiler, and Tristen Bates combined
for 42 points as the Eagles claimed a 5625 victory over the Edon boys.
Seiler went to work right away for for
Fayette, scoring 6 points, all from close
range field goals, in the first quarter.
Smith also knocked down 1 of his 5 threes
in the opening period as well. Together, the
pair contributed the bulk of their team's
14 points in the beginning stanza.
Meanwhile, on the other end of the
floor, Bloir challenged the interior of the
Eagle defense, helmed by the 6'7 Yates,
displaying no fear of the daunting junior in
the least. That approach had mixed results
however, as the Edon junior put up all 3 of
the Bombers' first quarter points.
The second period saw a more balanced
scoring approach from both units. Eagle
senior Koby Biddix and junior Grant Scaffner each connected on a shot from beyond the arc, while Smith added another 5
points to his total with both three and twopoint field goals, with the three coming in
the closing seconds of the quarter. Bates
got in on the scoring as well, making the
first of his 5 close range field goals. Overall, Fayette earned 16 more points before
heading into the locker room.
Sophomore Brayden Bauercame earned
5 points for the Bombers in the second
quarter. Bloir made another shot from
inside the paint, and senior Alex Kirkingburg registered a basket as well. This was
all part of a 10 point second period for the

Edon travelers.
At the half, Edon trailed the Eagles in
their nest 30-13.
Bauer tacked on another 2 points for
the Bomber squadron in the third quarter.
That amounted to half of Edon's scoring in
the first stanza of the second half.
For Fayette, Seiler again led an Eagle
scoring frenzy, making another 6 points
to open the second half. Continuing his
shooting hot streak, Smith put another
three-point attempt through the bottom of
the net, doing so in each of the first three
quarters. Lantz, who had a though evening
scoring the ball, got on the board with a
two-point field goal, while Bates scored
again also. This put the Eagle boys at 13
points for the quarter.
Another Edon boy put points on the
board in the game's final quarter, as Jim
Peckham nailed a three-point shot on the
Bombers behalf. Kirkingburg contributed
2 more points as well, helping Edon to an
8 point final period total.
Smith turned in another pair of triples
for Fayette, completing a four quarter
streak of hitting at least one three-point
shot. Bates also put up 6 points in the
contest's closing period, but doing so the
old fashioned way with 3 two-point field
goals. The Eagles closed the quarter with
13 more points added to their collective
score.
When the final buzzer sounded, it was
Smith who led all scorers with 17 points,
due in large part to his spectacular shooting from behind the three-point line. Fellow junior Seiler had a strong day on the
inside with 13 points overall, while a surge
in the fourth quarter ballooned Bates'
point total to 12. Yet another junior, Alec
Bost, produced another 5 points in the victory as well.
Bloir gave a strong effort for the Bombers, earning most of his 10 points from
the free throw line. With 8 points, Bauer
was the next highest Edon points producer. Kirkingburg had 4 points in the game,
while Peckham's successful three-point attempt brought about his only points of the
contest.
PHOTOS BY T.J. HUG, STAFF
TOO LATE! ... Jordan Bailey (32), a senior for the Eagles, outruns Pettisvilles Evan King
(1) to the basket after stealing the ball at mid-court.
JUST OUT OF REACH ... Landon Bloir (5), a junior for the Bombers, uses his left hand
to go up for a layup, keeping the ball away from the waiting hand of Fayette senior Koby
Biddix(24).
MY REBOUND ... Blackbird Stuart Yoder (13) rips the ball from the air before a stretching Steven Williams (20) can procure it for North Central.
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FIGHTING THROUGH FOULS ... Jared Seiler (30) takes the ball up towards the rim,
ignoring the slaps to his wrists by Edons Alex Kirkingburg (2) and Trey Waltz (42).
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The Hometown Huddle - Edon, Montpelier, North Central, Hilltop, Stryker, Fayette, Pettisville & Wauseon Sports Action - 3
North Central Eagles Drop

Homecoming Game To Hicksville
(January 24th, 2015) PIONEER:
Typically, a homecoming game involves a
team returning to their home court to go
up against an opponent that is likely to be
over matched. This increases the chances
of a victory for that travel weary squad
greater, thus giving the hometown crowd
something to celebrate.
That's not the route North Central
took, however.
Instead, for their homecoming, the Eagles did battle with Hicksville, the toast of
the Green Meadows Conference, which is
producing an outstanding brand of basketball in its own right. Scheduling such a
strong foe during such an important night
displayed guts by the North Central Athletic Department. And that's how the boys
of Pioneer played on Saturday; a.
It wasn't enough, though, as Hicksville
used a monster second half performance
to spoil North Central's Homecoming 7132.
Jordan Reeves gave the Eagle boys
a 6-0 led to start the contest, knocking
down a pair of threes on North Central's
first two possessions. From there, the two
units battled back and forth throughout
the first half, with the Aces gain the upper
hand in the middle of the second quarter. By halftime, they held a 9 point advantage, leaving North Central in a 28-19
deficit.
It was the third quarter when momen-
tum began to tip further and further away

from the Eagles. Giving up 20 points to
Hicksville in the period, the Pioneer boys
were only able to answer with 8 of their
own. The final stanza played out similarly, as the Eagles were outscored 23-5
down the stretch.
Athleticism and depth made the difference in this game. Hicksville normally
relies on their full-court press to generate
turnovers, yet the experience laden Eagle
squad broke through the Aces' pressure
with relative ease. But the same could not
be said of North Central's efforts against
the Hicksville half court defense. Aggressively shooting the passing lanes, the
Ace defenders intercepted the ball a good
many times, leading to transition baskets.
The Eagles turned the ball over 16 times
against the Hicksville defense.
As the game wore on, North Central's
limited bench became more of an issue.
With just seven players who consistently
see time throughout a game, the Eagles
looked tired in the second half. Hicksville
had a full roster of players contribute to
their win, appearing fresh late into the
contest.
Reeves, a senior, led the North Central
offense with 15 points. Sophomore Steven
Williams put up 8 points, attacking the
rim with ferocity all night long. The senior
duo of Josh Sawyer and Brady Zuver each
added 3 points in the loss as well.
Pettisville Steals Thunder

From Vikings At Home
(January 24th, 2015) PETTISVILLE:
In a matchup between NWOAL and BBC
conference teams, the early dominant Vikings forgot to recharge their batteries
during the halftime break, allowing Pettisville to make a strong third quarter comeback and take the win at home in overtime.
Evergreen took off strong in the first
half, putting 25 points on the board while
the Blackbirds scored 15. During the second half, Pettisvilles offense exploded in
the 3rd quarter, racking up 22 points. The
Blackbirds then went on to win over Evergreen 53-47.
Eli King led the Blackbirds in scoring
for the evening with 17 points. Teammates
Tate Kauffman and Josh Liechty also contributed 11 and 10 points, respectively.
Liechty shot 5/5 free-throws while King
made an astonishing 11/13; overall the
team went 73% from the line opposite Evergreens 35%. Rebounds were critical in
the Blackbird's redemption, with 27 defensive and 9 offensive rebounds totaled
throughout the night against the Vikings
17.
Evergreens Brighton, Oswald, Maseman, and Etue dominated offensively, totaling 45 points collectively. Although the
Vikings came out of the gate strong, the
Blackbirds ability to snag the loose ball
helped the team rally for the win.
PHOTOS BY JAKE WEBER, STAFF
I DONT EVEN NOTICE YOU ... Sophomore Blackbird Gabe Beck (5) ignores the Evergreen player attempting to disrupt his shot as he prepares to release the ball.
PHOTO BY T.J. HUG, STAFF
GO UP STRONG! ... Ethan Douglass (11) readies himself to take the ball hard to the rim
among three Hicksville defenders after obtaining an offensive rebound.
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BYE BYE! ... Pettisvilles Eli King (25) swiftly dribbles around the Viking defender trying
desperately attempting to stay in front of him, intending to take the ball all the way to
the basket.
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Biddix & Bates Lead Fayette Eagles

Montpelier Beats Edon In Rematch Homecoming With Win Over Holgate
(January 24th, 2015) MONTPELIER:

In a rare non-conference rematch, Buckeye Border Conference team Edon traveled
to Montpelier to take on their North Western Ohio Athletic League neighbor on Saturday. The two teams last met in the first
game of the season for both teams, with
Montpelier taking home a win from Bomber Country. The Edon boys were looking to
get some revenge against the Locos.
They didn't get it, though, as Montpelier
claimed a 55-35 victory.
Instead, the Locomotives used the same
strategy that worked so well the first time
to defeat Edon. They used their depth and
athleticism to wear down the Bombers, a
tactic for which Coach Arkwright's limited
roster numbers provides no answer.
The contest started out quite close,
with two evenly matched teams battling it
out. The Locos came out ahead, 13-10 in
the first period. Montpelier began to build
momentum in the second quarter, putting
more space between themselves and their
guests from Edon. They took the period
16-10, enjoying a healthy 29-20 lead going
into the half.

But it was the third quarter where the
Locomotives really set themselves apart.
They outscored the Bombers 14-6 in the
period. A close fourth period proved irrelevant after that, as the 12-9 showing for
Montpelier down the stretch did little more
than pad the final score.
Michael Blake powered the offense for
Montpelier. The sophomore totaled 17
points in the game. Kolden Uribes thrived
against the Bombers, knocking down
a pair of threes on his way to 11 points.
Kyrin Schuman scored 7 points, and Nate
McCord added 6 in the win as well.
Edon was led by the junior duo of
Landon Bloir and Jim Peckham, as both
players put up 11 points apiece. Bloir tore
up the interior of the Locomotive defense,
scoring 11 points in the paint. Peckham,
meanwhile, had a spectacular night shooting from long range, connecting on a trio
of three-point shots against the Montpelier
perimeter defense. Senior Alex Kirkingburg and sophomore Brayden Bauer each
contributed 5 points in the loss as well.
PHOTOS BY LUCINDA HELD-FAULHABER, STAFF
RIGHT BY YOU ... Alex Matzinger (30) blows past Edons Trey Waltz (42) as the Montpelier senior goes up for an uncontested lay up in the Locomotives win over the Bombers.
(January 24th, 2015) - FAYETTE: When

a thoroughbred horse throws a shoe in the
middle of a race, its chances of success
at the finish line are, at best, poor. When
Fayette senior forward Koby Biddix lost a
shoe while setting up for a three with 1:09
left in their Homecoming night tilt against
the Holgate Tigers, he didn't let it bother
him. His missile from the lower left side
proved to be the margin of victory, as the
Eagles held off a furious flurry of late Tiger
trifectas to ring up a 24-21 white-knuckler
of a win.
While the tough zone defense of Holgate
was up to the task of trying to hold the
Eagles at bay, they had no clue early as to
what to do about 6' 7" junior pivot, Tristen Bates. His king-sized presence proved
to be a pain in the paint for the Tigers all
evening, but his six first quarter points,
along with a trey from Alec Bost, had the
hometown boys running away before the
visitors could close to a 9-8 deficit going
into the second.
The second period saw the Eagles continuing to press the issue on the offense,
while their defense practically brought
the box-and-one slowdown zone offense
of Holgate to a screeching halt. Holgate
found a way to corral the beast known as
Bates by banging him around on the interior with physical double and triple teams,
but not before he landed another deuce.
Bost planted a field goal, and Biddix rained
down a three to go with a pair of free throws
to extend the Eagle lead to a half dozen going into the intermission, 18-12.
The third period saw the offense of both
teams vying for positions in the local bricklayers union. It is a rare day when a varsity
team is able to pitch a shutout at their opposition for a full quarter of play. On this
night however, both teams clanked anything that was heaved toward the rim. The
0-0 third brought the final frame into play
with the score remaining at 18-12.
Biddix drilled a field goal, and Bates
put down a free throw in the fourth, providing a much needed three points, but
they came at a cost. The physical approach
on defending Bates took a toll late, as he
was clobbered from behind in the lower
right side of the paint, sending him down
like a falling oak tree. He remained down
in pain, and when he finally began to get
up, his right knee was glowing red. The big
man was done for the game, and Holgate
began to mount a charge. An earlier three
had negated the earlier damage of Biddix
and Bates, and the defenses of both teams
stepped up their games.
Needing a score, Fayette turned the ball
over, but a fast break by the Tigers off the
turnover proved futile as they too gaffed
when opportunity knocked. The fast break
was now in the hands of Skylar 'Speedy'
Lantz, who drove into the center of a Tiger
defense that, for the most part, was still
trying to get to the other side of the court.
With two defenders collapsing in the paint
to deny the senior guard, Lantz kicked the
ball out to the left where Biddix was in the
process of simultaneously losing his shoe
and picking his spot beyond the arch on
the left wing. By the time that the closest
defender could react, Biddix had already

launched what turned out to be the insurance trifecta with 1:09 remaining in the
game. The hometown crowd roared their
approval as the Eagles went up by a supposedly insurmountable score.
Holgate, on the other hand, had differing ideas about the outcomeand they
quickly put them into action. If they had
only dispensed antacids, the final 69 seconds of the game would have netted the
concession stand operators a small fortune.
Having dispensed with their slowdown
offensive concept, the Tigers shifted their
offense into a reckless overdrive, and it
paid dividends. An off-balance heave from
the upper right side went down for three.
A quick fire from the upper left fell in for
three more. The Fayette offense, desperate
to either get something to fall, or a chance
to kill the clock, instead found themselves
retreating on the defensive again with the
Tigers charging down for one final shot
with under ten seconds remaining. As their
long range shooters were weaving their
way through the Fayette traffic to stake
out ideal shooting spots, Lantz reached
out and grabbed the guard advancing the
ball. That tactic is something that one normally expects the losing team to pull in the
closing seconds, but in this case, it completely upset the apple cart of the Tigers.
With 6.6 seconds remaining, the Holgate
shooters were forced to abandon their long
range launch sites in order to get the ball
inbounds. Once the ball was inbounded,
nobody was in an optimal shooting spot,
and the snarling Eagle defense did the
rest, sealing the 24-21 victory, and sending Coach Todd Mitchell and his staff back
to the locker room with more fingernails in
their teeth than on the ends of their fingers.
"It was planned," said a grinning Biddix of his game clenching three. "I planned
to take my shoe off, and sit in the corner.
Actually, I kind of just cherry-picked and
waited. Then Skylar set me up, and I made
the three."
Lantz said, "I was driving, and I saw him
(Biddix). I thought about it, and passed it
to him. I didn't really care if his shoe was
off, because I knew he was going to make
it."
The play of Bates was huge on this
night, showing that he has gone from just
a big presence in the middle in his freshman and sophomore years, to a force to be
reckoned with as a junior. "Last year, I really didn't have that much confidence in
myself. Playing over the summer, and the
guards getting me the ball, I was making
it more than I was missing. I got a confidence boost. Now if I come into a game,
if I have the open shot, I know I have the
green light from Coach (Mitchell)I'm going to shoot." Just what the rest of the
BBC needsa 6' 7" machine in the middle
with which to contend, with confidence to
take it to the rack. The Fayette faithful are
not complaining in the least.
Biddix finished with a game-high ten
points, while Bates left with nine, and Bost
added five for the 8-3 / 3-1 Eagles.
TOO SLOW ... Bomber sophomore Brayden Bauer (30) has already unleashed a three by
the time Loco senior Cody Caudill (12) arrives at the scene. Meanwhile, Edons Landon
Bloir (5) follows the balls trajectory as it makes its way toward the basket.

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A MAN AMONGST BOYS ... Tristen Bates (44), a 67 junior for the Eagles, neednt jump
very high to put the ball well over the heads of two Holgate defenders, easily putting it
through the net.
JV Boys Basketball Action

THE HOMETOWN HUDDLE
Hilltop JV Win Big At Edon

(January 15th, 2015) EDON: The Junior Varsity Cadet Basketball team made
the trek down to Edon, ready for some junior varsity Buckeye Border Conference
action.
The Cadets were able to secure the road
victory, taking the contest 41-28.
In the first quarter, the Bombers fell behind by 4 points, as the Cadets took the
period 12-8. Edon struggled to score in the
second quarter. Hilltop took advantage,
adding another 5 points onto their lead.
At the half, the boys of Edon found themselves in a 19-10 deficit.
Coming out of the locker room, the
Bombers were determined to keep pace
with their guests from West Unity. Although they were able to do so, that wasn't
enough for them to make up any ground
on Hilltop. The third quarter saw Edon fall
behind just 1 more point, as they were outscored 9-8. For the contest's final period,
the Cadets managed to tack on 3 more
points to their advantage, with both teams
having their best quarter offensively. Hilltop claimed the quarter by a 13-10 margin,
giving them a 13 point win.
Steven Riley, of Hilltop, led all scorers
with 19 points. For the Bombers, it was
Blake Thiel who did most of the scoring, as
he produced half of his unit's points with
14.
(January 23rd, 2015) FAYETTE: Eight

different Eagle players registered points in
the Fayette Junior Varsity team's defeat of
the visiting Bombers of Edon in Buckeye
Border Conference play.
It was due to Fayette's selfless style of
play and quick decision making that they
were able to have so many contributors to
their offense. Playing with poise and precision well beyond their years, the young Eagle boys zipped the ball around the court,
swinging it between their guards while occasionally driving into the paint to look for
an opening.
The Bomber defense was forced to work
on every Fayette possession, but they did
a solid job of closing up any gaps the fast
moving offense could create. Still, the persistent and potent attack was too effective
for Edon to keep the Eagles off the score-
board, and the Bomber boys ended up

dropping the road game to Fayette 24-13.
Eagle Garett Reinking spred his 8
points out through the contest's first three
quarters. Teammate Casen Burkholder
produced 5 points, most of which came
in the first half. Five players, including
sophomores Austin Lopez, Tharyn Colegrove, Christopher Jaso, and Cole Stuckey, as well as freshman Grant Reinking,
were responible for 2 points apiece. Mason
Maginn, another sophomore, made a free
throw to give the Eagles an eighth scorer
in the game.
For the Bombers, freshman Logan Bloir
led the way with 5 points. Blake Thiel. A
sophomore for Edon, worked the inside in
the game's final quarter for 4 points. Travis
Siebenaler and Jordan Julian each contributed 2 points in the loss as well.
Fayette JV Balance Scoring

In BBC Win Against Edon
Late Run Falls Short For

Stryker JV In Loss At Hilltop
(January 23rd, 2015) WEST UNITY:

After spending the majority of the game
trailing, the junior varsity boys of Stryker made their move in the fourth quarter.
During the homestretch, the Panthers
scored 18 points in an attempt to steal a
victory away from the Cadets of Hilltop.
They fell short, however.
Hilltop was able to nearly match the
Panthers in the final period, ensuring their
victory by a 45-38 margin.
The Cadets jumped ahead early on,
claiming an 11-4 advantage in the first
quarter. Both teams scored 7 points in
the second period, maintaining Hilltop's 7
point lead at the half, 18-11.
Coming out of the locker room, both
squads continued to slowly build on their
respective offensive outputs from the first
half. Stryker added 9 more points to their
total,while Hilltop piled on 10 more points
to their own collective score. Now facing a
28-20 deficit, the boys from Stryker knew

they had to step up if they were going to
take this game.
They did exactly that, assaulting the
Cadet defense for 18 points. Hilltop made
up for their defensive folly with a huge offensive of their own, gashing their way to
a 17 point quarter to close out the contest
with a victory.
Freshman speedster Tyler Suboski led
the charge for Hilltop with 13 points, a total built from a pair of three-point makes.
Steven Riley was close behind with 12
points, while Kohl Collins controlled the
paint for 11 points.
Kaid Woolace played a pivotal part in
the Panther offense, contributing 13 points
in the loss. Sophomore Hayden Clingaman
hit the only three in the game for Stryker, helping him to earn 11 points. Hunter
Lilleholm added 10 points as well.
(January 23rd, 2015) WAUSEON:

From the beginning of the contest,
Wauseon's Junior Varsity team established
themselves as in control of the outcome.
Even before the game got out of hand, the
Indians were leading and dictating pace.
That's how the best the hated Blue
Streaks of Archbold 45-31.
The Indian boys developed a small
cushion at the game's beginning. They
took a 14-10 lead in the first period. They
expanded on that advantage slightly in the
second quarter, carrying a 21-15 lead into
the locker room.
A 13-9 outing in the third period for
Wauseon built on their lead even more.

Suddenly, they were up by 10 points, 3424, with only the fourth quarter to go.
Down the stretch, the boys of Wauseon
were able to come out ahead again, taking
the period 11-7.
Wauseon took over this game gradually, a little at a time. Before their Archbold
counterparts knew what was happening,
they were down by double-digits.
Austin Rotroff gave the Indians a boost
with 20 points. Meanwhile, Austin Bachman put up 11 points. Chase Brock added
8 points in the win as well.
(January 24th, 2015) PIONEER: The

North Central Junior Varsity team hosted
Hicksville on Saturday night, serving as
the opening act to the school's homecoming game.
The Eagles were quickly overpowered
by their guests from the Green Meadows
Conference, who dominated the contest on
both sides of the court. When the battled
was finished, North Central had fallen to
the Aces 52-12.
After being held to just 5 points in the
first quarter, the young North Central boys
scored only 2 more points in the second
and third periods combined. Hicksville
gradually added onto their lead, producing
16 points in the first quarter, 16 more in
the second, and another 10 in the third.

Heading into the fourth and final quarter,
the Eagles found themselves on the wrong
side of a 42-7 score.
North Central's offense found signs of
life in the game's last stanza. They tacked
on 5 more points ot their total. Hicksville
was still able to add more to their lead,
however, putting up another 10 points to
close out the contest.
Nick Henry was the primary scorer for
the boys of Pioneer, earning all 5 of his
points from the free throw line. Teammate
Keean Livensparger made 2 field goals for
4 points. Josh Roesener added 2 more
points, while Josh Bailey added a single
point in the loss.
Wauseon JV's Win Over

Archbold Never In Doubt
North Central JV Loses

Home Game To Hicksville
PHOTO BY T.J. HUG
AN OPEN LANE IN TRAFFIC ... Edons Tyler Thiel Maag (22) somehow gets around the
Fayette defense and finds a window to the basket.
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UP IN THE AIR ... North Centrals Kaleb Geiser (23) is already nearly finished with his
layup by the time an Ace defender can make it to his vicinity.
Fayette JV Mounts Huge

Pettisville JV Lose Heartbreaker
Second Half Rally To Stun
To Evergreen In Overtime
Holgate On Homecoming Night
CONTINUATION OF JV BOYS BASKETBALL ACTION
(January 24th, 2015) PETTISVILLE:

The Buckeye Border Conference (BBC) is
generally considered to be a lesser division than the North Western Ohio Athletic
League (NWOAL). However, the Pettisville
Junior Varsity squad set out to prove this
conception to be amiss when they took
on the Vikings of Evergreen on Saturday
night.
And they did just that, giving the Vikings all they could handle in a competitive contest. The Blackbirds weren't the
least bit intimidated of their guests from
Evergreen, and the battle between the two
teams was a back and forth affair. So much
so, in fact, that four quarters was simply

not enough time to determine a winner.
Overtime was required to decide the
victor.
It was in that extra time that the Vikings were able to gain just enough of an
advantage to claim victory. They held on
in overtime, beating the Blackbirds 48-44.
Though they lost the game, the young
Pettisville unit still has much of which to
be proud. This game could have gone either way, and it became evident to those
in attendance that the separation between
the NWOAL and BBC representatives was
slight, if present at all.
(January 24th, 2015) - FAYETTE: There

is an old descriptive phrase that says, 'ugly
as a mud fence'. That phrase would have
been more than adequate to describe the
first half offensive production of the Fayette JV Eagles on Homecoming Night on
January 24. No matter how homely the
hometown boys were in the first half, they
came away as heroes in the second, rallying from a dozen down to stun the Holgate
Tigers, 27-18.
The Tigers' defense kept the Eagles in
check for the first two periods, limiting
them to passing around the perimeter and
taking ill-advised shots that clanked away
harmlessly. While this was happening
though, both teams were being whistled
incessantly for infractions, the Tigers more
so. Even from the security of the free throw
line though, Fayette was launching bricks.
Their entire offensive output in the first
half was summed up in a first quarter free
throw from Garett Reinking, and a second
period free throw from Tharyn Colegrove.
Going into the intermission, Fayette was
down 14-2.
The second half was a completely different story.
The Eagles came out of the locker room
with fresh wings, and with a more aggressive offense and defense, immediately
climbed to cruising altitude. The home-
town boys began to challenge the Holgate

defense, which could not match up in the
speed department. Colegrove drained a
trey, and Cole Stuckey, Austin Lopez and
Casen Burkholder all connected from the
floor. With another pair of connections
from the charity stripe from Reinking, and
the effects of the now snarling Fayette defense added to the mix, the game went into
the fourth quarter with the Eagles looking
at a 16-14 deficit.
In the final frame, the Fayette shooting
power of the third vanished as quickly as
it had arrived. The defense continued to
hold down the visitors, and their own fouls
helped the hometown cause immensely,
but someone needed to step up and land
field goals. Off the bench came Grant Reinking, and the call was answered. The
stocky freshman forward muscled his way
into the paint to connect for a pair of deuces. Free throws from Colegrove and Burkholder, and another pair of free throws
from Grant Reinking erased the deficit,
and with the defense holding firm, the Eagles pulled away for the huge Homecoming
win.
Colegrove drove home a game-high seven points, with Burkholder and Grant Reinking each dropping a half dozen. Stuckey and Garett Reinking had three points
apiece, and Lopez finished with two.
PICKING THE RIGHT TIME ... Clay Waidelich (21) begins to lead his defender into a
coming pick as he looks to drive the ball into the paint.
PREPARE FOR TAKEOFF ... Fayettes Garett Reinking (12) begins his ascent as he uses
his speed and athleticism to allude Holgate defenders.
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Montpelier Loco JV Handles Edon
(January 24th, 2015) MONTPELIER:

In a rematch from each team's season
opening game, Montpelier's Junior Varsity squad once again did battle with its
Buckeye Border Conference neighbor,
Edon. This time, the Bombers took off for
Montpelier, playing on the road against
their North Western Ohio Athletic League
opponent.
The results were similar to the first
meeting between the two units, as the Locos took down the Edon boys 40-18.
The Locomotives set the tone for the
contest early on, steamrolling their way
through the first quarter with a 14-1 lead
to show for it. The second period was a
much closer affair, but Montpelier was still

able to build on their lead by coming out
on the better end of a 10-5 exchange. At
the half, the Loco boys commanded a 24-6
advantage.
Edon just couldn't find a way to climb
back into the game. Coming out of the
locker room, the Bomber boys were again
met with the strong defensive presence of
Montpelier. They were outscored 8-2 in the
third period. Finally, in the fourth quarter,
Edon found their offense. It was too late,
however, as their 10-8 advantage in the
period was not enough to make up the difference on the scoreboard.
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The freshman sensation has played stellar all year long, and that play was
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Var sity Girls Basketball Action

THE HOMETOWN HUDDLE
Missed Opportunities Costly North Central Withstands

For Hilltop Against Fairview Late Run, Defeats Edgerton
(January 20th, 2015) WEST UNITY:

The Lady Cadets simply gave Fairview too
many chances to stay in the game.
Giving the Apaches too many shot opportunities proved to be a crucial mistake for the Hilltop girls. They dropped
the home contest to their Green Meadows
Conference (GMC) opponent 49-43.
The two teams slugged it out in the first
half. In the first period, the Cadets and
Apaches traded blows, with each squad
totaling 8 points by the last buzzer of the
quarter. During the second quarter, Hilltop was able to gain a slight advantage, despite the Fairview girls keeping pace with
them. At the half, the Lady Cadets held a 3
point lead over their guests, 24-21.
Fairview stepped up hard in the second
half, however. Taking charge in the third
quarter, the Lady Apaches outscored the
girls of West Unity 13-8, effectively shifting momentum and giving the GMC school
a 2 point advantage of their own. With a
score of 34-32 in the Apaches favor, the
fourth and final quarter would have a major impact on determining the winner of
the contest.
In that quarter, the Cadets failed to
make up any ground, as the Lady Apaches
added a bit more distance between the two
units. Ending the game on a 15-11 downswing, Hilltop let is slip away in the 6 point
defeat.
So what happened?
It began with turnovers. The Hilltop
girls turned the ball over 22 times against

the Apache defense. Comparatively, Fairview committed just 14 turnovers. This differential is more or less the same as the
visiting Apaches an eight possession edge
over the Cadet girls.
Rebounding was another critical factor
in the game. Hilltop was able to procure 19
rebounds, while Fairview pulled down 26.
Not unlike turnovers, rebounds also create, or take away, opportunities to score.
Whether they give an offense an extra attempt at a basket, or limit the opposing offense's chances at scoring, the battle of the
boards has a lot to do with who's putting
points on the scoreboard.
These two statistics led to the Lady
Apaches taking several more shots than
their Buckeye Border Conference hosts.
Despite both teams shooting 33% from the
field, Fairview was able to take 60 shots in
the game, while Hilltop only managed 40.
Allowing an opponent 20 more chances to
score makes it difficult to win.
Allie Schmitt made the most of her own
shot attempts, knocking down a pair of
three's on her way to a team leading 11
points. She also had 3 steals. The lone senior on the squad, Destiny Denton, earned
10 points while also sharing the ball for 5
assists. Their teammate, second year player Felicity Jackson, hit 2 shots from beyond the arc as she totaled 6 points, while
fellow sophomore Abby Schaper contributed 5 points and 5 rebounds in the loss.
(January 20th, 2015) PIONEER: One

of the telltale signs of a strong, unified team
is their ability to take their opponent's best
shot, and still come away with a victory.
That's exactly what happened to the girls
of North Central as they took on the visiting Lady Bulldogs of Edgerton last week.
Despite Edgerton challenging in the
second half, the Lady Eagles were still able
to secure a 41-38 win.
The Pioneer girls claimed an early advantage, pulling ahead 12-5 in the first period. They were able to solidify that lead in
the second quarter, maintaining a 21-16
gap between themselves and the Bulldog
girls at halftime.
Edgerton made their move in the third
quarter. They overtook the Lady Eagles
with a 10-4 run which took up the entirety
of the period. The momentum shift took
North Central from a 5 point lead to a 1
point deficit with a 26-25 score. With the
fourth quarter lingering ahead, it would
have been easy for the Eagle girls to give
in to the flow of the game and be overrun.
That's not what happened, though.
Both teams stood poised to have their
best quarter in the final stanza. The two
units traded blows, each side struggling to
gain the upper hand. Down the stretch, it
was North Central who accomplished that
goal, earning the period with a 16-12 margin, and procuring the 3 point victory,
Rachel Oxender, a senior leader for the
Lady Eagles, produced 15 points in the
win. Of those points, 8 came from two-
point field goals, and the rest were earned

from the free throw line, where she went 7
for 8 shooting. Junior Cady VanDeVoorde
added 12 points to the North Cenral total,
knocking down a trio of triples along the
way. Sabrina Pickford and Alyssa Swank
added 5 points apiece as well.
Neither team could be described as
exceptional from the charity stripe. As a
team, the Lady Eagles connected on 13 of
their 21 attempts from the line, good for
a 62% success rate. That's a solid performance, and a decent number of attempts,
but a higher shooting percentage on their
extra points would have made things a bit
easier.
Edgerton went 10 for 15 from the stripe,
which put them at a 67% rate of accuracy.
While that is a high percentage of shots
made from the free throw line, the lower
number of attempts on the Bulldogs part
actually gives the Eagles a slight advantage
in that aspect of the game.
The turnover battle was as tight as the
final score. North Central was careful with
the ball, making just 12 of the possessioncosting mistakes. With just 13 turnovers of
their own, the Lady Bulldogs weren't prone
to many errors, either.
This out of conference victory was a big
one for the girls of Pioneer. After getting off
to a 4-2 start, a brutal schedule has led to
North Central falling into a 5 game losing
streak. Beating a Green Meadows Conference opponent could be the shot in the arm
they needed to get back on track.
PHOTOS BY ANGI WALKUP, STAFF
A HARD DRIVE ... Lady Cadet Karissa Crisenbery (33) doesnt hesitate to drive directly
at the Fairview girl attempting to defender her as she makes her way toward the basket.
FOR THREE ... North Centrals Cady VanDeVoorde (3) lets loose a triple from right
around the scorers table in the Lady Eagles victory against Edgerton.

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FIGHTING FOR THE BALL ... Hilltop scrapper Bailey Funkhouser (20) goes up for the
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Pettisville Continues Dominant

Fayette Eagles Continue To Season, Defeats North Central
CONTINUATION OF GIRLS BASKETBALL ACTION
Pile Wins, Defeat Edon
(January 22nd, 2015) EDON: Junior

Alexis Fruchey earned a double-double,
with 10 points and 10 rebounds, as the
Lady Eagles controlled the game against
the hometown Lady Bombers.
Of course, Fruchey was just one of three
Fayette girls to reach double digit scoring
in the Eagles' 63-32 win over Edon. The
Bombers, who were already short-handed
due to Kaitlin Chrisman's broken hand,
struggled on both ends of the floor all night
long.
Fayette took over the game early, and
continued to establish more control each
period as they widened the gap between
themselves and the Edon girls. Starting
with a 15-9 score at the end of the first
quarter, the Eagles were able to widen the
degree of separation in the second after
taking the Lady Bombers' best shot as they
outscored Edon 15-12. This gave Fayette a
30-21 advantage going into halftime.
Edon was almost completely shut down
offensively in the second half. Only allowed
5 points in the third period, the Bomber
girls fell further behind due to the Lady
Eagles' 14 point effort in that same span.
Yet it was the fourth period that really put

this game out of reach for Edon, as Fayette
went on a 19-6 to close the game.
While Fruchey's performance proved
pivotal for the Lady Eagles. It was Taylor
Griffiths who stole the show. The rangy
junior earned a contest leading 17 points,
hitting on 3 of her three-point attempts
along the way. Jessie Wheeler was a force
from inside the ar, scoring 14 of her 16
points from close range. Kaela Seiler add 6
more points, all of which came in the first
period, to the Eagle total.
Edon's points came almost exclusively from two players. Alex Kiess, the lone
senior leader with Chrisman out, did her
part by putting up 16 points. Junior Kaitlyn Sonneberger added 10 more points to
the Bomber collective score. Eliza Zulch,
Breanna Davis, and Hannah Kaylor each
managed 2 points to complete Edon's total.
Despite never giving up, Edon just
didn't have the firepower to keep pace with
a talented and deep Fayette roster. The
win brings the Lady Eagles to 10-2 on the
year, with a 5-1 record in Buckeye Border
Conference play.
(January 22nd, 2015) PIONEER:

Since losing their first game of the season,
by a single point at Archbold in overtime
no less, the Lady Blackbirds have been
playing their best basketball of the season.
In fact, the Pettisville girls were riding a 5
game win streak heading into their excursion into Pioneer to take on North Central
on Thursday.
They were able to tack on their sixth
straight win, beating their Eagle hosts 4414.
Starting off the contest with a stifling
defensive performance, the Blackbird girls
never let North Central get comfortable
with the ball in their hands. By the end of
the opening period, Pettisville held a 12-1
lead. They followed that up with a 12-3 effort in the second quarter. This gave the
visitors from Pettisville a 24-4 advantage
going into the locker room.
The Lady Eagles continued to struggle
scoring the ball in the second half. They
were outscored in the third quarter 9-4,
putting them in a 25 point hole heading
into the fourth and final stanza. Despite
their best offensive output of the evening,
North Central still couldn't stay with Pet-
tisville. The hometown Eagles fell behind

the Lady Blackbirds 11-6 down the stretch.
Turnovers were a massive factor in this
contest. Pettisville was able to limit their
possession-costing mistakes to 6, an impressive number to say the least. The Lady
Eagles had a much tougher time against a
stout Blackbird defense. They turned the
ball over 20 times, creating a turnover differential of 14.
The difference in rebounding also factored into the Eagle defeat. North Central
found themselves heavily outrebounded,
with Pettisville bringing in 28 rebounds
to the Lady Eagles' 15. Those 13 extra rebounds greatly impacted how the game
played out.
Dana Fricke, a Pettisville senior, led all
scorers with 16 points. Classmate Mikala
Avina also reached double-digit scoring,
producing 11 points. A third senior, Jordyn Pursel, added 7 points to the Pettisville victory as well.
North Central looked to Sabrina Pickford to carry their offense, and the senior
offered 8 points to the Eagle cause. Fellow
senior Julie Rhinard contributed 3 points
in the loss as well.
PHOTOS BY TIMOTHY KAYS, STAFF
OUT OF MY WAY ... Jordyn Pursel (14) a senior for the Blackbirds, maneuvers around
North Central sophomore Alyssa Swank (2), refusing to let the young North Central back
in front of her.
MY BALL ... Fayettes Rylee Ruger (middle) fights with Edons Alex Kiess (22) for the
rights to a rebound.
FORCED TO WATCH ... Eagle senior Sabrina Pickford (5) can only watch as Pettisvilles
Mikala Avina (12) makes an uncontested layup.
INSIDERS CHESS MATCH ... Lady Eagle Jessie Wheeler (45 dark) and Lady Bomber
Hannah Kaylor (45 light) battle inside the paint, as the former looks to find a way
around the Edon defender.
CONTINUATION OF GIRLS BASKETBALL ACTION
Stryker Comes Back In

Home Win Against Hilltop
(January 22nd, 2015) STRYKER:
There were times when it would have been
easy for the youthful Lady Panthers to fade
away against Hilltop, but the Stryker girls
showed great maturity and never gave up.
The result was a 52-44 home win over
the Lady Cadets.
In the first quarter, Stryker and Hilltop
took turns leading the game. It was the Cadets who gained the upper hand, holding
on to a 13-12 advantage at the conclusion
of the period. The girls of West Unity added
to their lead in the second period, outscoring the hometown Panthers 14-10. This
put the girls of Stryker in a 5 point hole at
the half, 27-22.
Hilltop looked as though they might
put the game away right out of the locker
room. Yet Stryker was able to come back,
tying the contest at 36 by the end of the
third period. With everything even heading
into the fourth and final stanza, the Lady
Panthers were poised to play their best
basketball of the night. They scored twice

as many points as Hilltop in the period,
with a 16-8 margin for the victory.
Stryker limited their turnovers to 8
against a solid Cadet defense. Given the
lack of previous experience held by most
of the Panther girls going into this season,
such a low number of errors is astounding.
Not only that, but they helped force Hilltop
into 15 turnovers of their own.
Haley Doehrmann gave Stryker the
boost they needed to earn the win. The
freshman put up 16 points against the
Hilltop defense. Maddie Uribes and Brittany Brier each offered up 11 points to
the Panther cause. Audra Rupp, a junior,
scored 10 points for Stryker as well.
Hilltop looked to Ariana Brown for their
scoring, and the sophomore delievered
with 10 points. Both Destiny Denton and
Allie Schmitt earned 9 points in the loss,
with Denton also making 8 assists. Bailey
Funkhouser had 8 points also.
Fayette Wins Impressively

Against Hicksville Aces
(January 22nd, 2015) FAYETTE: It
shouldn't have come as a surprise to anyone that Fayette took down Hicksville last
week. What should raise a few eyebrows,
however, is the way in which they did so.
Fayette trounced the Green Meadows
Conference team 48-31.
While the Lady Eagles quickly claimed
an early advantage, it wasn't until the
second half that they pulled so far away
from the Aces. By the end of the first period, Fayette was harboring a 5 point lead,
14-9. Hicksville refused to fall any further
behind in the second quarter, and the two
teams battled to a 10-10 tie before the
half. This put the score at 24-19, in Fayette's favor.
As the game played out in the second
half, it quickly became apparent who was
the superior team. The girls of Fayette began to distance themselves from the Lady
Aces, taking the third period 13-6. They
closed out the contest in similar fashion,
out scoring the Hicksville girls down the

stretch 11-6.
It was a balanced scoring attack that
did in the Aces. Kaela Seiler led the charge
with 12 points, making a pair of threepoint shots along the way. Teammate and
fellow junior Jessie Wheeler registered 5
baskets from inside the arc for 10 points.
All 9 of Hannah Machacek's points came
on long ranged shots. Taylor Griffiths and
Alexis Fruchey each added 6 points in the
victory as well.
A shocking stat stands out, however.
Fayette was just 1 for 2 from the free throw
line. Hicksville was 7-11. Giving up such
a large margin from the charity stripe is
usually pretty difficult to overcome, yet
the Lady Eagles did so with relative ease.
Their pure offensive prowess carried them
to a blowout victory against a good team.
That's a scary thought to process for
the rest of the Buckeye Border Conference.
PHOTOS BY JAKE WEBER
GOING UP ... Taylor Griffiths (11) puts up a shot, choosing to focus on the basket instead of the Ace defender attempting to disrupt her.
PUTTING THE BALL IN THE BASKET ... Allie Schmitt (10) leaps into the air as she
drives hard toward the basket, paying no mind to the Stryker girl attempting to get in
her way, completely determined to supply her Lady Cadets with two more points.
MOVING FORWARD ... Senior leader Paige Keefer (3) begins to drive the ball against the
Hicksville girls in front of her, attempting to stimulate the Fayette offense.
Wauseon Versus Archbold

NO STATS RECEIVED BY TIME OF PRESS
ON YOUR HEAD ... Strykers Maddie Uribes (4) knocks down a three with the hand of a
Hilltop defender planted firmly within her line of sight.

PHOTO BY JAKE WEBER, STAFF
KEEP AWAY ... Natalie Koenig (11), a Lady Indian senior, dribbles the ball close to the
ground and away from the Blue Streak defender reaching for it.
JV Girls Basketball Action

THE HOMETOWN HUDDLE
Fayette Eagle JV Squeak By North Central JV Loses Low

Scoring Battle With Edgerton
Hicksville In Home Win
(January 20th, 2015) FAYETTE: In
a tight contest, the Junior Varsity girls of
Fayette were able to best their guests from
the Green Meadows Conference early last
week.
With the Hicksville Lady Aces making
the long journey to Fayette, which involves
traveling through parts of three different
counties, the Lady Eagles knew their opponent would come ready to play. And play
they did, giving the hometown girls of Fayette all that they could handle. Still, the
Eagles have been no stranger to tight ball
games this season, and were able to find a
way to win.
Fayette slipped past the Aces, 32-31
(January 20th, 2015) PIONEER: Inviting a young Lady Bulldog squad onto
their home court, the junior varsity girls
of North Central readied themselves for a
struggle against an evenly matched opponent. In what was a contest dominated
by defense, the Edgerton girls were able
to gain the upper hand on the Lady Eagles.
They wouldn't relinquish control, either, as North Central fell the Bulldog
girls 19-9.
The youthful Lady Eagle team has
had difficulty all season. Yet they've been
showing improvement as of late, and
keeping the Green Meadows Conference
locked in such a low scoring affair is a
sign of improvement for North Central.
Fayette Eagle JV Secures

Road Win At Edon
(January 22nd, 2015) EDON: The

Lady Eagles of Fayette made the long trek
to Edon, ready to take on the Lady Bombers Junior Varsity team in Buckeye Border
Conference competition.
Despite playing on the road, the girls
of Fayette had no trouble getting into a
groove. They scored early and often against
the Bomber defense. Edon was unable to

slow down the Eagle attack. Nor were they
able to keep pace on the opposite end of
the court. Fayette overwhelmed the Bomber girls throughout the evening, even as
Edon gave its best effort.
The Lady Eagles claimed the road victory, taking down the Bombers 47-24.
GAINING EXPERIENCE ... Freshman Alexis Ball (23) drives the ball against the Hicksville defense in her teams victory against the Aces, as she gains valuable experience
that should serve her well in the years to come.
TURNED AROUND ... Fayette junior Rylee Ruger (5) confuses the Lady Ace defending
her, ending up behind the confused Hicksville girl and on her way to the basket.
JUMP BALL ... Samantha Wiedmer (24) represents Edon while Rylee Ruger (5) represents Fayette as the two do battle for a jump ball to begin the game.
TO SHOOT OR NOT TO SHOOT ... Lady Eagle Courtney Cuff (45) weighs her options
as she stands ready to shoot, yet has a defender in her face as well.
Hilltop Cadet JV Loses

Heartbreaker In Fourth Quarter
(January 20th, 2015) WEST UNITY:
Holding a 5 point lead heading into the last
period, the Junior Varsity Lady Cadets had
to be feeling pretty good about their chances of victory.
Yet their Fairview counterparts were no
less confident. Hilltop was blindsided in
the fourth quarter, as the Lady Apaches
took control of the game on both ends of
the court. At the end of the contest, Hilltop had suffered a shocking 38-32 defeat
at the hands of their young guests from
Sherwood.
Hilltop got off to a bit of a slow start to
the game. Still, they were only down by 3
points by the conclusion of the first quarter, 11-8. The Lady Cadets seized control
of the contest in the second period, outscoring the Apache girls 12-7. This put
them at a 2 point advantage with a 20-18
score going into the locker room.

The West Unity girls were able to expand upon that lead in the third quarter.
Winning the period by a 9-6 margin, they
held a 29-24 advantage heading into the
fourth quarter. It was in that final stanza
that chaos reigned supreme.
Fairview went on a scoring frenzy, putting up 14 points for their highest offensive
output of the game. On the other side of
the floor, Hilltop struggled to put points on
the board. They managed a mere 3 points
in the same span. This surprising momentum swing gave the Lady Cadets a 6 point
loss at the hands of their Green Meadows
Conference foe.
Cadet Aubrey Wyse performed admirably in the losing effort. The freshman
scored 10 points against the Apache defense.
OPEN SHOT ... Kaitlin Brubaker (13), of Fayette, finds a look she likes and takes the
open shot.
Pettisville Blackbird JV
Take Down North Central
(January 22nd, 2015) PIONEER: It

was gradual, but the Lady Blackbirds, in
their junior varsity incarnation, came to
dominate the Lady Eagles of North Central
in Pioneer.
The first quarter was a defensive struggle between the two young teams. Pettisville slipped out of the period with a slight
advantage at 4-3. Then, the Blackbird offense began to build some traction, giving
the Pettisville girls a 6-3 margin in the second period. This allowed them to enjoy a
10-6 lead at the half.
North Central was unable to slow down
their guests from Fulton County in the
third quarter. Nor were they able to keep

pace offensively. The Lady Eagles were
outscored 10-3 in period, which put them
in a 20-9 deficit. The girls of Pioneer would
be unable to make up the difference in the
fourth quarter, as they dropped the game
26-11.
For the Lady Blackbirds, freshman Kyra
Behnfeldt led the team with 10 points. Another first year player for Pettisville, Nicole
Foor, put up 9 points of her own against
the North Central defense.
Alex Richmond was the leading scorer
for the Lady Eagles, providing her team
with 3 points in the loss.
High School Swimming Action

THE HOMETOWN HUDDLE
Wauseon Indian Boys & Girls Wauseon Indian Girls Win

Win In Five Way Meet
Tri-Meet On Senior Night
(January 20th, 2015) WAUSEON:

With swimmers and divers coming from
four other high schools, including Anthony Wayne, Clay, Bowling Green, and Maumee, it seemed as though the Wauseon
boys and girls teams had their work cut
out for them.
They made things look easy, however,
as both squads won their respective meets.
Diving was a critical portion of the competition, particularly for the girls. The Lady
Indians took the top four places in that
event, with Patience Bachman earning
first, Jordan Sloan second, Jenna Rhoads
third, and Alexis Witt fourth.
The relays also played a key role in the
girls' victory. The group of Alexys Carteaux,
Alexis Meyer, and Darnell sisters Kasy and
Sydney, was able to claim victory at both
the 200 Meter and 400 Meter Freestyle Relays. They won the 200 Meter Relay with a
time of 1:47.02, and the 400 Meter Relay

at 3:56.54.
Kasey Darnell also won the 500 Meter
Freestyle individual race thanks to her
time of 5:26.23.
The boys of Wauseon also used the diving team to springboard to victory. Cody
Fry was the first place diver, with Tony
Schweinhagen taking second place.
Individual performances are what
put the Indian boys over the top. Derek
Rupp won 50 Meter Freestyle with a time
of 24.95, and the 100 Meter Freestyle at
56.52. Austin Schuette earned a hard
fought victory in the 200 Meter Freestyle
race as well, swimming a 1:56.16.
Of course, the relays were good to the
Wauseon boys as well. They laid claim to
the 200 Meter Freestyle Relay, as the team
of Seth Hutchinson, Rupp, Schuette, and
Nic Dilworth swam a 1:41.11.
(January 22nd, 2015) WAUSEON:

On their last home meet of the season,
the Lady Indians of Wauseon came away
victorious against Southview and Central
Catholic High Schools.
The Darnell sisters led their Indians to
a dual win against the two Toledo schools.
Sydney Darnell took first place in the 100
Meter Freestyle race, finishing at 56.41.
She also claimed first in the 200 Meter IM
with a time of 2:15.45.
Kasey Darnell was awarded first place
first place in the 500 Meter Freestyle, completing the race in 5:34.66. Also the winner of the 50 Meter Freestyle, she swam
a 27.42.
The sister teamed up with Alexys Carteaux and Alexis Meyer to take part in the
200 Meter Freestyle Relay. The group took
home first place, with the last swimmer
touching the wall at 1:47.44.

Harley Serres also had a big afternoon
for the Lady Indians. She placed first in the
100 Meter Breaststroke.
The Wauseon boys had a tough outing,
losing the contest. Still, they had some admirable individual performances.
Derek Rupp finished first in the 50 Meter Freestyle Relay at 25.06. He was also
part of a 400 Meter Freestyle Relay team,
along with Nick Dilworth, Seth Hutchinson, and Austin Schuette, who claimed
second place at 3:45.02. That same team
took second place at the 200 Meter Freestyle Relay as well, swimming a 1:39.09.
Dilworth had a pretty good day in his
own right. He finished second in the 200
Meter Freestyle race with a time of 1:57.03.
In the 100 Meter Backstroke, he claimed
first place at 1:02.53.
GIVE ME A BACKWARD C! ... As this Wauseon boy attempts a dive, he uses the entirety
of his body, contorting himself in mid-air in the hope that he has enough time to complete the maneuver.
BACKFLIP! ... A Wauseon Lady Indian diver executes a complicated dive during her
teams meet against four other teams.
PATIENCE ... Bringing her entire body close, this Lady Indian is waiting for the right
moment to shift her body and straighten herself out before making contact with the
water below.
SWIM HARD! ... This Lady Indian swimmer pushes water behind her, propelling herself
swiftly toward the wall which serves as a finish line as she helps her team achieve victory in their final home meet of the season.
ON YOUR MARKS ... A Wauseon boy lines up, preparing himself to lunge into the pool
at great velocity in order to gain an advantage that could mean the difference between
winning and losing the race.

Winter 2014-2015 Sports Schedules

January 30 - FEBRUARY 5
Basketball Boys
(Jan 30) Evergreen @ Montpelier
(Jan 30) Fayette @ Stryker
(Jan 30) Hilltop @ North Central
(Jan 30) Pettisville @ Edon
(Jan 30) Wauseon @ Delta
(Jan 31) Hilltop @ North Central
(Jan 31) Edgerton @ Edon
(Jan 31) Fayette @ Montpelier
(Jan 31) Pettisville @ Liberty Center
(Jan 31) Rossford @ Wauseon
(Jan 31) Stryker @ Fairview
(Jan 31) Tinora @ Hilltop
(Feb 3) Ayersville @ Edon
Bowling
(Jan 30) Wauseon @ Bryan
(Feb 2) Tinora @ Wauseon
(Feb 3) Fayette @ Delta

Basketball Girls
(Jan 31) Fayette @ Montpelier
(Feb 2) Fayette @ Evergreen
(Feb 2) Hicksville @ Montpelier
(Feb 3) Holgate @ Pettisville
(Feb 3) Liberty Center @ Stryker
(Feb 3) Tinora @ Wauseon
(Feb 5) Hilltop @ Pettisville
(Feb 5) Liberty Center @ Montpelier
(Feb 5) North Central @ Fayette
(Feb 5) Stryker @ Edon
(Feb 5) Wauseon @ Patrick Henry
Swimming & Diving

(Jan 31) Wauseon @ NWOAC Championships
(Feb 3) Wauseon @ Ayersville
Wrestling
(Jan 30) Montpelier @ Sandusky St. Marys Duals
(Jan 31) Montpelier @ Sandusky St. Marys Duals
(Jan 31) Wauseon @ Joe Z Duals (Elmwood)
(Feb 4) OHSAA Team Duals Regional Semi-s and Final
(Feb 5) Montpelier/Liberty Center/Wauseon @ Delta
Wrestling Action
Assorted Sports Action
THE HOMETOWN HUDDLE
THE HOMETOWN HUDDLE
Wauseon Takes Down Evergreen, North Centrals 1964 Baseball

Swanton In NWOAL Matches
Team Reunites At Home
(January 22nd, 2015) EVERGREEN:

The Indians of Wauseon claimed multiple
victories on Thursday night
First, the Indians did battle with the Vikings of Evergreen. In the 145 pound weight
division, Wade Hodges pinned Sergio Reyna in
1:31. Alex Sosa, at 285 pounds, pinned Carl
Bittinger in 3 minutes flat. At 120 pounds,
Andrew Bailey made short work of Tony Boger, pinning the Viking in 30 seconds.
Overall, Wauseon dominated the match
71-9.
They then moved on to fellow visitor
Swanton. Hunter Yackee took the 138 pound
weight class with a pin of Mitchel Reisinger
in 34 seconds. The 182 pound Tre Campbell
earned a victory over Gregory Wilson, pinning
the Bulldog in 1:25. Mauricio Barajas, of the
113 pound division, won a 7-2 decision over
Dylan Cook.
The Indians took the win by 30 points, 5121.
OLD TIMES ... A member of the 1964 North Central Baseball team recalls his time playing with
his comrades and the things his team accomplished during their run at a State Championship.
SAY UNCLE ... Sandro Ramirez locks his opponent into an arm bar as he refuses to let
the other wrestler return to his feet.
TOGETHER AGAIN .. The North Central 1964 Baseball team, which finished its season
with a 19-2 record and a loss in the State Championship game, stands at center court
at halftime of their alma maters homecoming game against Hicksville.
Blakeslee Knights Of Columbus

Crown 2015 Local Free Throw Champs
THE PRETZEL ... Wauseons Jackson Sluder grabs and twists at his opponent, looking
to earn a victory.
TAKE UP ... Tre Campbell puts his foe up onto his shoulder before the Indian wrestler
takes him down to the ground.
2015 BLAKESLEE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS FREE THROW PARTICIPANTS Competing in the annual Blakeslee K of C Local Free Throw Championship were, from left,
front row, Michelle Callaway, Stefanie Thiel, Mallory Wofford, Jarrett Trausch, Peyton
Trausch, Emma Hickman, Jade Wiley, Ian Hickman, John Goebel and back row, Jenny
Cook, Claire Radabaugh, Jordan Runyan, Dylan Mason, Riley Bloir, Cameron Siebenaler, Bree Hug, Tatum Schaffter, McKenna Hickman, Jenna Dulle, Henley Dye, Meghan
Derck, Jacob Dulle, Aidan Muchlfeld, Hayden Dye, Alea Brandt.
2015 BLAKESLEE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS FREE THROW WINNERS Area youth

brought their best shooting game to compete at the annual Blakeslee Knights of Columbus Free Throw Contest held Sunday, January 18 at Edon High School Gymnasium.
Twenty-five boys and girls, ages nine through fourteen, were allowed three practice
shots before attempting fifteen consecutive free throws in the contests. Receiving the
highest score in each category and named 2015 Local Champions were, from left, front
row: Jade Wiley (Girls Age 9), John Goebel (Boys Age 9), Jarrett Trausch (Boys Age 10),
Emma Hickman (Girls Age 10), Stefanie Thiel (Girls Age 11) and back row: Joe Radabaugh, Knights of Columbus event coordinator, Henley Dye (Boys Age 11), Riley Bloir
(Girls Age 12), Dylan Mason (Boys Age 13), Aidan Muehlfeld (Boys Age 12) and Bree Hug
(Girls Age 13). Each winner now advances to the District Free Throw Competition slated
for Sunday, February 8, 2015 at Edgerton High School Gymnasium beginning at 1:00
p.m.
CONTINUATION OF ASSORTED SPORTS ACTION
New Wauseon Athletic Facility Formally Dedicated

By: Timothy Kays
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
As a community grows, it seems that
the local school shrinks. Rooms in the
original plans that were intended to be
for a specific purpose become multipurpose rooms, and multi-purpose
rooms tend to become over-crowded,
over-booked, and over-used. Grants
for expansion are scarce, and in this
economy, nobody wants to pay out extra
taxes if it is not absolutely necessary.
Such has been the case in Wauseon
Schools, but that situation has been
remedied by the addition of the new
Wauseon Athletic Facility, an incredible
project that has been undertaken
without the use of one dime of taxpayer
money. Located adjacent to the Wauseon
track and soccer field at the southeast
side, the new Wauseon Athletic Facility
was accepted by the Board of Education
on December 22, and formally dedicated
in a well attended official ceremony on
the afternoon of January 11.
Welcomed to the event by Athletic
Director Matt Hutchinson, the audience
was led in the Pledge of Allegiance by
Tribe fifth grade wrestler Mason Ritter.
The first of six guest speakers on the
day was District Superintendent, Larry
Brown. "This facility truly represents the
commitment of our entire community,"
he said. Mr. Brown added, "This specific
facility will be used by the community
to benefit the student athletes and the
future student athletes that reside here
and attend the Wauseon Schools. A
secondary benefit is that other groups
will now have access to the multipurpose room and the cafeteria inside
the high school."
Mr. Hutchinson returned to the
podium, and spoke of the process
involving the construction of the
building. "It was Sunday, October
13, of 2013 5:02 p.m.," he began.
"I received an e-mail from (Wauseon
Wrestling Coach) Mike Ritter. I had
to search through 534 e-mails that
he and I had shared in order to find
this one 534. It was a one sentence
e-mail. It was very simple. It was very
straightforward. It was very engaged.
All it said was, 'Thought this was worth
a shot.' Attached to the e-mail was a
request for me to present to the Athletic
Boosters, a request to build a wrestling
annex building. 455 days later Here
we are." Mr. Hutchinson went on to talk
about how the Athletic Boosters and
the community came together to solve a
huge problem for the wrestling program.
Renowned as a program that produces
State champions and placers, practice
space for the Tribe is at a premium. In
the words of Mr. Hutchinson, "We had
space issues, safety issues, locker room
issues, lack of availability issues We
had issues."
Mr. Hutchinson continued, "This
building went from groundbreaking to
usage in 146 days," he said, adding,
"That's an incredible turnaround for a
project of this magnitude." Mr. Hodges
noted that he was called upon to attend
a meeting at Donnell Stadium in Findlay.
Dedicated in 1928, the facility remains
not just as a functional piece of beautiful
period architecture, but also as a site
worthy of the OHSAA Regional Football
Finals. As he continued, he drew
parallels between Donnell Stadium, and
the new Wauseon facility.
"October 27, 1928, was the day that
Donnell Stadium was dedicated, and
the deed to the stadium handed over
to the Findlay Board of Education,"
Mr. Hutchison said. "At that dedication
ceremony, one speaker said, 'We have
endeavored, to the best of our ability, to
carry out the plans in accordance with
the wishes of the originator of this idea.'
The originator was James C. Donnell,
President of the Ohio Oil Company, which
is now Marathon Oil. Mr. Donnell wanted
to, 'provide a place in Findlay, where
games of youth could be conducted.' The
fact that the facility was constructed and
given to the Findlay City Schools at no
cost was quite unusual at the time, and
became the envy of many communities
throughout the State of Ohio. The
original cost of Donnell Stadium was
$150,000. Donnell Stadium is still
going strong after over 80 years, It is my
hope that we have now created our own
version of Donnell Stadium. Granted,
we have built a completely different type
of athletic facility, but the manner in
which it came to be, and the building's
purpose, to provide a place in Wauseon
where games of youth can be conducted,
are very similar to the accomplishments
in Findlay many decades ago. This
facility will be the envy of many schools,
for years to come."
To look at the interior and exterior
of the superb facility, it is difficult to
imagine the problems that beset the
project, problems that, on more than
one occasion, threatened to derail the
entire thing. Mr. Ron Hodges, the Project
Manager, detailed several of those issues
in a speech that saw him fighting back
tears as he spoke of how the community

came together to push the project
through.
Mr. Hodges spoke of the first meeting
with the Boosters to discuss the project,
and he recalled the zeal shared by Cyndy
Brock, Wanda Newlove, Linda Robinson
and others who, despite not having any
connection to the wrestling program, got
behind the building concept and lent their
support. Calling them the 'cornerstone
of the project', Mr. Hodges called out
the initial resources of the project Joe
Thourot of Duket Architecture, Kevin
Bailey, and Chad Banister of Banister
Excavating. The ball began rolling, and
with community support and funding
from the community and the Boosters,
the project left the drawings and began
to become reality. Funding, materials,
and utilities issues were all overcome,
thanks to community support and
involvement. One of the most striking
contributions came at what, to most,
would be an impossible time.
The Wauseon Indian logo on the back
wall of the south wing is an incredible
work of art, and the sign over the drinking
fountain near the entrance is no less
impressive. Sonya and Jim Ballmer of
Fine Lines Laser Engraving volunteered
their talents to produce the sign, but like
the rest of the building, they ran into a
roadblock and a devastating one at
that. As Mr. Hodges recalled, "Jim and
Sonya Ballmer did that this week. They
said, 'If you can get us the names by
Monday, we can have them up.' This
week, Sonya's mom went in the hospital;
Sonya's dad went in the hospital, and
her brother got into an accident out in
Pennsylvania. She lost three people close
to her; she had three funerals this week
alone. I said, 'Sonya, take the pressure
off; we'll get the sign some other time.'
We came from a tournament last night
the sign was there." Again fighting off
the tears that were frequently at the
threshold of springing forth, he said,
"Incredible people do incredible things."
Coach Ritter stepped to the podium,
and recalled some of the difficulties that
the team had to endure, just in order
to practice. "This whole process came
about as a result of the scheduling
meeting that usually happens every
year between myself, Ashley Oyer and
Chad Burt, to try to figure out how to
make sure we figure out a place for the
junior high wrestling practice, and how
it fits in with the basketball schedules,
who's coming back late after school,
who's going to be where, who's going
to be in the cafetorium, when there's
other things going onthe after school
program, the choir, the band. This is
difficult that every year we have to go
through that exercise. Matt explained to
us that with the changes in the Athletic
Booster program and his involvement,
how it would work that, 'if you want
something from the Boosters, send me
this form with a description of what you
want and how you want it, and we'll
approach the Boosters about it.' I sat
there about twenty minutes and thought
about it, then said, 'You know whatI'm
going to do it,' - and here we are today."
Cyndy Brock, the President of the
Wauseon Athletic Boosters, came forward
and spoke briefly, then apologized for her
awkwardness in public speaking. She
then called Sandra Griggs, the President
of the Wauseon Board of Education to
the podium. When Ms. Griggs came
forward, Ms. Brock said, "On behalf
of the Athletic Boosters, I would like
to publically donate this facility to the
Wauseon Board of Education and the
Wauseon Schools." With that, Ms. Brock
turned over the papers of ownership
to the facility, an act which harkened
back to the statements made by Mr.
Hutchinson regarding the gift of the deed
to Donnell Stadium made to the Findlay
Board of Education 87 years ago.
"Speaking for the Board of Education,"
Ms. Griggs said, "we thank you all
for coming. It has been a pleasure to
share in the vision and the dedication
of these many volunteers. They obtained
the needed permits, completed the
necessary inspections, dotted all the I's,
and crossed all the T's that has brought
us here today. This facility is a welcome
addition to the Wauseon Schools
campus. It will provide much needed
space for the many Wauseon athletes,
both current, and in the future. We
thank you for this beautiful facility."
Wauseon High School Principal
Keith Leatherman came forward to
thank all the volunteers, saying, "It
never ceases to amaze me the support
that this community gives the school
system, and the opportunity to provide
for the studentsand this project is just
another example of that commitment
to our students." With that, Mr.
Leatherman called forward a delegation
of students for the official ribbon cutting.
Ellie Hayati, Joshua Kauffman, Maddie
Richer, and Zac Robinson came forward
to flank Wade Hodges and Gavin Ritter
as they took the scissors and cut the
ribbon.
The ceremonies were then over,

but the project goes on. As previously
stated, this project was undertaken and
brought to fruition by volunteer efforts
and donations made by the community.
Nary a single cent of Wauseon School tax
revenues was expended in the effort, but
more is needed. The facility is in need
of a washer and a dryer for the laundry
room. The weight room is in place, but
what do you call a weight room without
weights? These are just a couple of
the final touches needed to bring this
impressive project to a fitting close. The
door for assistance remains open to
anyone who would like to be a part of a
project that will endure long after we are
all gone. If you have the capability, and

if you have the vision to be a part of a
project that will be trans-generational in
endurance, Matt Hutchinson would like
to hear from you. Please give him a call
during school hours at 419-335-5756.
It is not often that a school of
champions has an opportunity for the
general public to step in and influence
the lives and athletic careers of their asyet unborn great-great grandchildren.
That opportunity is indeed available
now, and Matt Hutchinson is holding a
key just for you!
Timothy Kays can be reached at
tim@thevillagereporter.com
PHOTOS BY TIMOTHY KAYS, STAFF
ITS OFFICIAL ... Sandy Griggs of the Wauseon Board of Education takes ownership of
the building from Cyndy Brock of the Wauseon Athletic Boosters.
OPEN FOR BUSINESS ... Wauseon High School Principal Keith Leatherman looks on as
Gavin Ritter and Wade Hodges, flanked by Maddie Richer and Ellie Hayati, perform the
official ribbon cutting.
NORTH WING INTERIOR ... A view of the new Wauseon Wrestling practice area.
THE NEW WAUSEON ATHLETIC FACILITY ... From dream, to drafting board, to dedication in 455 days.
COACHES: PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR JUNIOR HIGH - VARSITY RESULTS SO WE CAN HONOR YOUR ATHLETES: EMAIL: SPORTS@THEVILLAGEREPORTER.COM / FAX: (877) 778-9425

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