Is everyone out there okay? Good!
I promise to keep this short and sweet this week. I may even lay off of the sappy, emotional stuff and actually talk some sports Sound good?
Last Friday, the high school football season entered week 11 or week 1, however you choose to look at it. I traveled to the Colt Corral to cover the now 11-0 Clear Fork Colts for the Bellville Star. The home team won easily, 44-0 over the Clearview Clippers from Lorain to advance to the regional semifinals against the Bellevue Redmen.
Congratulations to the Colts on their first ever 11-0 season!
Northmor’s first playoff appearance was cut short as they traveled three hours to get shutout 6-0 against the Fort Frye Cadets. Wynford lost 7-2 to inner-conference rival Carey. Mohawk lost, Seneca East lost, Highland lost, in fact, the only teams remaining from conferences covered here at the Inquirer are Danville (KMAC), Carey (N-10), Pleasant (MOAC) and Clear Fork (MOAC).
Also, good luck to the Buckeye Central Buckettes volleyball squad! On Saturday afternoon, they defeated Carey 3-0 to advance to the State Final Four in Division IV.
Saturday was also the day that the best distance runners in the state made their way to the National Trails Raceway in Hebron to compete in the OHSAA State Cross Country Meet.
The Colonel Crawford Eagles boys team finished 19th of 20 teams in the Division III field on the day but senior standout and future Iowa State Cyclone, Chad Johnson won his second consecutive state title. Braxton Tate was the only runner from the Galion Tigers XC team to compete at state and finished 57th out of 180 total runners in the Division II race. In that DII race, Zach Kreft of Buckeye Valley claimed his second title in two years. In fact, all three divisions in the boys race saw back-to-back champions.
So, with all of the triumphs of the fall sports season mainly in the past, we shall look forward to the winter sports season.
The Galion winter teams will be under familiar leadership as Matt Valentine returns as the boys basketball coach, Nick Vukovich is back for the girls, Brent Tyrrell for wrestling, Ted Temple will head up the swimmers and Bobby Lear is back as the girls bowling coach. The boys bowling squad sees Ryan Scribner out and Brad Fairchild taking over.
Coach Sheldon, coach Fenner and coach Holtzapfel will all be back as boys basketball, girls basketball and swimming coaches, respectively over at Colonel Crawford High School.
Northmor has a new coach for girls basketball this season. Gone is Daryl Uhde and in steps Freddie Beachy. Zach Ruth is back to lead the boys b-ball squad, Scott Carr is still leading the storied wrestling program and Russ Montgomery will head up the bowling squads.
For the Crestline Bulldogs, it will be Rob Lisle leading a much improved boys basketball team, Denise Jeffrey in charge of the swimmers, Jeff Teeple coaching the bowlers and first-year coach Kyle Strauch at the helm for girls hoopsters.
All of the above coaches will look to lead their student athletes to repeat successes this winter season and hopefully ride the momentum their respective schools have picked up after a solid fall sports season.
Look for me at a high school sporting event near you and as always, follow me on Twitter @GalionSportsGuy for news and updates on the local squads as they take to the courts, mats and lanes all over the area.
