Some Catching Up To Do...

Apologize for the absence lately, but I kind of needed a battery recharge.  I'm going to do as much catching up as I can in one post.  Winter Sports Season is in the early stages, the Smitty Classic is this weekend, and there's been some turnover among the ranks of the Ohio Cardinal Conference football coaching fraternity.

So let's hit it...

Oh, and Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of you.  Another great year of being a Red Rider!!

Girls Basketball
The Lady Riders are off to a quick 4-0 start and are looking like a nice team capable of another run to regionals.  Junior Hannah Plybon is leading the team in scoring just like she's done the past two season, but teammates Maggie Davault, Ciera McCreary and Jacque Ray are stepping up as well.

I've got Hannah at 968 points for her career, which puts her in 7th place all-time, and just 15 points away from 5th place.  If she averages 20 points per game for another 20 games this season, she'll have 1368 points, exactly tied with Rhonda Winters for 2nd all-time and 103 points away from Stacie Howard's all-time scoring record of 1470.

Boys Basketball
The boys are off to an 0-2 start and still feeling there way it seems.  I don't think it's another season of trying to find the right mix all the way up to tournament time.  I think there are some changes we'll see very soon until the right mix is found.  In my opinion, the right mix should be irregardless of class.  The best 5 need to start or at least see significant minutes.

A matchup with defending state champ Hiland is looming this Saturday at the Smitty Classic.  The Riders were ran off the court in last year's Smitty by Hillsdale...hopefully a repeat of that won't happen.

Smitty Classic
Speaking of the Smitty.  It's time for another classic day of basketball.  Hard to believe it's already the 8th year for this showcase, and seems to get better every year.  Here's a historical list of every game played in the Smitty Classic.  The schedule this year is as follows.

12:00 pm Triway vs. Newark Catholic
1:45 pm Northwestern vs. Lutheran East
3:30 pm Norwayne vs. West Holmes
5:15 pm Hillsdale vs. Norwalk
7:00 pm Wooster vs. North Canton Hoover
8:45 pm Orrville vs. Hiland

Tickets can be bought at the OHS athletic office in advance ($6 adults/$4 students) or at the gate ($8 adults, $6 students).  Not a better value anywhere to watch up to 6 games of basketball.

Orrville is 5-1 in Smitty Classics, losing last year to Hillsdale.

OCC Football Coaching Changes
Tis the season for coaches resigning I guess.  On Monday it was Wooster Coach Mike McCreary (I had the scoop a few hours before anyone else.) and just yesterday it was Lexington coach BJ Payne who resigned.

I think in both cases, the school and the former coach will be better off in the long run, and wish both coaches luck in the future.

With this turnover, it now means that Orrville coach Doug Davault is the 2nd most tenured OCC coach behind Ashland's Scott Valentine.

Survey
Still taking responses to the survey I put together back at the end of November.  Here's the link. Have gotten some great feedback so far.

PS - I promise a college Rider update is coming...hopefully by the weekend.