Winter Sports Update & Merry Christmas!

Wanted to update the happenings with the Red Rider winter sports teams, but first let me wish everyone a very Merry Christmas.  Thanks so much for all your positive comments and for following me on Facebook on Twitter, which are great mediums to get out quick blasts of news.  I do a lot more posting there, than here on the blog.  Score updates and links are much easier to share via social media rather than here.

With only 54 posts this year, 2012 was the slowest year for me doing the blog....and it continues to be tough to find the time and energy to put into the site like I did back in 2008 & 2009 when I first started the site.

Not sure what 2013 will bring as far as this site will be concerned, but I'll do my best to keep it up and running.  It may evolve into more of a reference site, with less focus on the week to week happenings.  I still plan to continue the Football Playoffs series, and have a few other things of a historical nature that you'll enjoy reading.

On to the update....

Girls Basketball
The girls hoops squad is off to a fast 5-1 start, counting tonight's win over Mansfield Senior.  Their only loss was to undefeated West Holmes.  Senior Hannah Plybon became the school's all-time leading scorer last week against Lexington.  Plybon's career points stand at 1,496 points through the West Holmes game, and for her record breaking effort, she was nominated for the JJHuddle/Ohio National Guard Player of the Week honor, and in a voting poll, won the award with over 80% of the vote.  Likely the first of many awards she will receive this year, including a very impressive 4th consecutive All-Ohio honor.

The girls will travel to Danville this Saturday (2pm, varsity only), take on Madison at home next Thursday and then travel to North Canton to play Norton in the Lady Vikes Classic on Saturday the 29th.

Boys Basketball
The boys team is off to a tough start, dropping their first four games, two being OCC contests.  They travel to Wooster this Friday and then face Northwest in the annual WQKT Smitty Classic over at the College of Wooster on Saturday.  They will then face Clear Fork at home on Friday Dec. 28th, which is also the night for the Booster Club car raffle.  Tickets are $10 ea. or 3 for $20 and make great stocking stuffers.  On sale at Serpentini's, Crown Investments and out of the OHS Athletic office.  Assuming they'll be sold the night of the drawing in the high school lobby.

(Click here for an info sheet for the Smitty and the Lady Vikes Classic, including game times and ticket prices)

Wrestling/Swimming
On Thursday Dec. 27th, the wrestling team will participate in the Manchester Invitational and on Saturday Dec. 29th the swim team will participate in the Cloverleaf Invite at Wooster High School.

Moment of the Year?
Not going to run down a top 10 like I did a few years ago...but a few events in Red Rider sports in 2012 stick out as special.  In no particular order...the baseball team going to regionals, the softball team dominating and winning the OCC, the turf project at Red Rider Stadium, another district title for boys basketball, the volleyball team making the final 4, Hannah Plybon breaking the school scoring record.  I think out of all those, the turf project and the volleyball final 4 run stick out as the two big stories of the year.  All were great accomplishments though.

Have a blessed and Merry Christmas!!

Plybon Breaks Career Scoring Record

Big congrats to Red Rider senior Hannah Plybon as tonight she broke the all-time girls basketball scoring record at Lexington High School.

First...and most importantly, the Riders won the game 62-32 to improve to 4-0 on the season and 2-0 in the OCC.

Coming into the game Hannah's career mark stood at 1,458 points, needing just 12 to tie Stacie Howard's career mark of 1,470.  Her 18 points in the first half captured the record, and her 25 points for the game put her at 1,483 points...and counting for the University of Akron commit.

Howard set the prior record in 1990, so the record stood for nearly 23 years...quite a record considering some of the excellent players that have come through the program since then.

Hannah needs just 17 points to become the first Red Rider to eclipse 1,500 career points and that could come as early as Saturday against undefeated West Holmes at Bob Knight Gymnasium.

The career Wayne Co. scoring mark is held by Chippewa alum Tonya Smoot with 1,745 points.  As of right now, Hannah is 263 points away from beating that mark...and with at least 16 more regular season games, she'd need to average 16.5 points per game to hold the county scoring mark all to herself...and that's not counting any tournament games.  If she averaged 25 points over her final 16 regular season games, plus 5 tournament games, she'd hit 2,000 for her career, and join West Holmes' Lisa Cline as the only area players to hit 2,000.  That one will be tougher, but you never know.

Congrats Hannah, her coaches, teammates and family.  Great night for them..and for Red Riders everywhere.  I hope a moment is taken prior to the tip of the West Holmes game Saturday to give Hannah a moment of recognition in front of the home fans.

For the record...here's the top 10 Orrville girls basketball career scorers.

1. Hannah Plybon - 1,483 points (active)
2. Stacie Howard - 1,470 points
3. Rhonda Winters - 1,368 points
4. Dawn Woodruff - 1,105 points
5. Erica Short - 982 points
6.  TaNeisha Winters - 965 points
7. Jenny Carter - 940 points
8. DeVonne Howard - 874 points
9. Kim Winters - 837 points
10. Libby Ladrach - 800 points

Winter Sports Schedules, Car Raffle, Flag Football & More

Lots going on in this post...grab a cup of coffee.

Winter Sports
Hard to believe that the winter sports season is upon us with all winter sports regular seasons beginning this week.

Courtesy of the Orrville Booster Club Website, here are the links to the boys basketball, girls basketball and wrestling schedules.

A new wrinkle in both boys and girls basketball is that the regular seasons will now be 22 games instead of 20. Not sure why the change was made. I'd think it will lead to more weeknight games and back-to-back games on Friday and Saturday. I can't think coaches are too keen on either situation...especially if winter weather forces some rescheduling. Teams could be playing a weeknight game AND a Friday and Saturday game.

For the boys, their two extra games will be at Smithville on December 15th and against Carrollton in the Timken Mercy Classic in North Canton, on Sunday Jan. 20th. It's been since 1994 that an Orrville boys team has played in Smithville's Berkey Fieldhouse..but that was a tournament game (a loss) against Norwayne. Wonder how long it's been since we played Smithville at their gym? Decades for sure. That will be an interesting evening of basketball.

The boys will again participate in the WQKT Steve Smith Holiday Hoops Classic at the College of Wooster. They'll be the final game of the evening at 8:45 and will face the Northwest Indians. Here's a great link to WQKT showing the lineup for this year and for all games since the Classic's inception in 2004.  Orrville has lost the last 2 games in the Classic, to Hillsdale and Hiland, after winning the first 5 beginning in 2005.

The girls will be a part of the Classic in the Country at Hiland HS, this year against Reedsville Eastern at 10am on the first day of the classic, Saturday January 19th.  Reedsville made regionals last season in Division 4 and this past fall in volleyball...so guessing they're primed for another strong run in basketball.

Plybon Points
One of the more interesting storylines this basketball season will be senior (and University of Akron commit) Hannah Plybon's pursuit of the all-time girls scoring record.  By my count, she has 1,380 points heading into the season.  Stacie Howard has the current record of 1,480, so Hannah is exactly 100 points away from the record.  If she maintains her roughly 20 points per game average, she should get the record in game 4 (at Lexington, Thursday Dec. 13th) or at home against West Holmes on Saturday December 15th.

Just for fun, the all-time boys record is Marcell Denson's 1,722, and that record could be in danger as well if Hannah averages 20 points per game over 20+ games.  She's got an outside shot at 2,000 points, something that no Wayne County player has ever done according to the OHSAA. I'd love to know Wooster grad Marcie Alberts' career total (EDIT: Her career total is 1695 per this link), but no other Wayne County girl comes to mind that could have broken the 2,000 point barrier.  Chippewa's Tonya Smoot holds the career scoring mark among county schools with 1,745.  Fellow Lady Chipps Charbea Haller & Sue Porter have 1,723 & 1,533 respectively.  Smithville's Jenna Pew had 1,679.

To get to 2,000, she'd have to average around 25 points per game and the team would have to make a deep run to at least the regional final.

House That 'Smitty' Built
This will also be the final season for winter sports in the current gym.  Next season, events will be held in the new gym currently being built.  Boys basketball season ticket holders this year will get first crack at season tickets in the new gym next year.  The date to remember is Tuesday December 11th at 6pm, that's when first time season ticket holders can get seats, or existing season ticket holders can change their current seats for new ones.

I've been told that the "Bob Knight Gymnasium" name will follow the move to the new gym, and that's fine, but a bigger part of me says that there needs to some sort of recognition of Smitty, the coach who put Orrville basketball on the map and hung 3 state title banners in the 1990's.

What about "Steve Smith Court at Bob Knight Gymnasium?"  I know that's a little wordy, but I don't think anyone would mind.  Would be a great honor to a great coach.  At least some sort of recognition in the gym for his accomplishments, maybe on a banner listing his time at Orrville, his wins, league titles, district titles, regional titles and of course the 3 state titles.

Whatever is done, I sure hope we see banners like this at one end of the gym...and it needs to recognize ALL sports, not just winter sports.  Recognize league titles, district titles, regional titles, final four appearances and state titles of all sports...and have another banner listing individual state champs in golf, cross country, wrestling, etc.  We're all proud of our tradition, so lets put it where people can see it and be proud of it. 

Car Raffle
One more reminder about the Booster Club raffle.  The drawing for the new Chevy Cruze courtesy of Serpentini Chevrolet will be held on Friday December 28th at halftime of the boys basketball game against Clear Fork.  2nd prize is a 47" LG brand TV from Bennet's Appliance and 3rd prize is a recliner from Browns Furniture.  Tickets are $10 and can be purchased from any Booster Club officer or at Tom Brenner's Crown Investments office on West High St.

Alumni Game
This past Friday, 21 Orrville football alumni gathered on the turf at Heartland Field for a friendly game of flag football.  Each player tossed in $10 to benefit the turf replacement fund.  This is just one more event that could not have been held on a grass field.  The red team beat the white team 34-28.  It is hoped that this tradition will continue and grow next year.  Thanks to Stephen Carozza, Mike McMorrow and Tommy Brenner for organizing this event.

Turf Picture
Speaking of turf, here's a real nice panorama of the turf field that was taken last week.  Looks like there was some frost on the field so it must have been early in the morning.  Looks great, especially with everything around it (trees, grass) dying off for the season.  Feel free to download and view offline as the file is 6 MB big and shows some great detail if you zoom in.

That's all for now...good luck to the winter sports teams.  Go Riders!!

Two More Red Riders Sign College Offers & Fall Sports Honors

Orrville seniors Rylee Scott (L) and Hannah Plybon sign their college letters of intent on Wednesday.

Congrats to Orrville seniors Hannah Plybon and Rylee Scott on inking their college letters of intent on Wednesday.

Plybon will play basketball on a full ride at The University of Akron and Scott will receive a full tuition and books scholarship to Ashland University to play volleyball.

Plybon has led the girls basketball program in scoring each of the last 3 seasons and (by my count) is exactly 100 points away from being the all-time leading scorer in school history. She is also seeking a rare 4th All-Ohio honor and another 1st team All-Ohio honor this season would make 3 straight..another super rare feat.

Scott, a 2-time All-OCC honoree, was recently named 2nd Team All-Ohio Division 3 and was a key part of the Red Riders Final Four run.

Congrats to Rylee and Hannah.  Continuing the tradition of Red Riders excelling at the college level.

I won't add them to my "College Riders" list until their days at Orrville are finished, but wanted to ask everyone to review the list and please let me know if I'm missing anyone else.  By my count we have over 30 alums playing sports at the collegiate level.

Football Honors
Congrats to Orrville senior Zane Vierheller for being named to the OCC first team and also Honorable Mention All-Northeast Inland District.  Junior Trevor Summers was named 2nd team All-OCC and Honorable Mention All-Northeast Inland District while fellow junior Joel Zook was named Honorable Mention in both the OCC and the Northeast Inland District.  Harrison Brown and Chase Infield were also selected as Honorable Mention OCC.
Volleyball Honors
Congrats to Hannah Plybon and Rylee Scott for being named All-OCC first team, Maggie Davault (2nd team) and Raegan Renner and Triniti Hall (Hon. Mention).  Also, pictures from the Final 4 game against Bishop Ready are available for purchase here.

Golf Honors
Congrats to juniors Chad Harrison and Layne Scheufler for being named to the Northeast Ohio Golf Coaches Association Division Two 2nd team.

Monheim named Big10 Frosh of Week
For the 2nd time this season, Mason Monheim has been named the Big10 Freshman of the Week for his 15 tackle performance against Purdue last weekend.  He leads his team in tackles and is 14th in the entire conference in tackles and the only freshman in the top 50 in the conference in tackles.  His 74 tackles put him 7th among all freshmen in the country and tied for 4th among freshmen linebackers.

Orrville Volleyball: Final Four Edition

Wanted to send out best wishes to the Orrville volleyball team and staff as they prepare to play in the Divison 3 Final Four tomorrow in Dayton at the Nutter Center on the campus of Wright State University.

It's the Riders 3rd trip to the final four since 2003 when they won the Division 3 state title by beating Versailles in two games.

Orrville will take on Columbus Bishop Ready at 6pm.  If the Ready name sounds familiar, it should.  The Silver Knights defeated Orrville for the 1983 Division 4 football title.  It was also the school that the Orrville boys basketball team defeated in the state semifinals in 2009.

Back to volleyball, the other Division 3 semifinal pits Casstown Miami East (27-1), the defending D-3 state champs and #1 ranked team in D-3, against Bloom Carrol (24-3).

The winners will meet for the D-3 state title Saturday at 5pm.  That game will be broadcast on SportsTimeOhio on SUNDAY (not live) at 9pm.  So if the Riders win Friday, we'll all have a chance to watch the finals on TV on Sunday evening.

The Riders are playing their best ball when it counts the most...taking 36 of their last 37 sets, dating back to the 3rd set of their game with Canton Hoover back on 9/29.  They were down 2 sets to 0 in that game....won the next 3 to win the game, and have only dropped 1 set since.  That's pretty impressive dominant.

Safe travels to all heading down this weekend.  I'll send updates via twitter/facebook as much as I'm able.  Hoping to report on 2 more wins and a 2nd state title for the volleyball program.

As best I can tell, there is no radio broadcast of the game.  Some games are being broadcast by radio stations that have teams from their area playing, but not Orrville.  If Miami East and Orrville meet in the finals, it's likely that the game will be broadcast here.  Again.....it would be so neat if we had our own capabilities to broadcast over the web.  Wouldn't have to count on WQKT or anyone else to broadcast our games.

We look through the prism of football (maybe a little too much) in this town...but the volleyball team's run has been such a good distraction after a tough football season. It's also been great to see the support of a lively student section.  They're showing that you can be a supportive and loud cheering section without having to be disrespectful...a lost art in student sections anymore.  Keep it up students!

Good luck & GO RIDERS!!!  Also a "good luck" to the Central Christian Comets as they seek a state title in Division 4.  They play Friday at noon against Beaver Eastern.

Wooster Week & Fall Sports Tournament Update

Sorry for the absence lately...life got in the way, and as I've mentioned before, that's first for me. I apologize for missing the last few weeks of football game previews (first ones I've missed in 4 years of doing this site).

What better time to rev things back up again...because it's Wooster Week and several fall sports teams are still alive in tournament play, so let's get it started.

Week 7 Preview - Orrville at Ashland

Note: I apologize to my email subscribers who wont be reading this until Saturday morning (after the game has been played). Been very busy lately and just did not have time to get this posted.

Who: Orrville Red Riders (1-5, 0-3 in OCC) at Ashland Arrows (3-3, 1-2 in OCC)

When: Friday October 7th

Where: Community Stadium in Ashland

Series: Ashland leads 13-8, there was 1 tie.

Last Year: Ashland won 14-0

Last Week: Orrville lost West Holmes 41-0, Ashland lost Mansfield Senior 29-15

Radio/TV: Ashland's 1340 AM will broadcast the game.  Click here.

Coaches: Orrville's Doug Davault is 51-28 in his 7th season, Ashland's Scott Valentine is 84-37 in his 11th season with the Arrows

Both teams come into this game in uncharted waters, Ashland has lost 2 straight OCC games for the first time since 2008, and Orrville's 5 straight losses are the most consecutive losses since 2002 when they lost 7 in a row.

Beating the Arrows is something that hasn't come easy for the Red Riders, as the Arrows have won 4 of the last 6, but the 2 Rider wins have come at Ashland (in 2006 & 2008).

I've heard rumblings of some different offensive looks from the Riders this week, possibly to emphasize a focus on the run game, and it's probably overdue as the Riders total of 20 points scored in the last 3 weeks just isn't going to win many ball games.  Have to find a way to keep the offense on the field and to score points when we do.  If we struggle again on offense, it's going to be a repeat of the past few weeks where the defense can't get off the field and we wear down late in the game.

Ashland will throw it around the field, providing a good test to our DB's, but also an opportunity to create some turnovers, which we haven't done much this year.

Both teams are currently on the outside looking in at the playoffs right now.  Ashland sits 12th in region 7 while Orrville sits 27th in region 13.  Even if the Riders win out, it probably won't be enough to capture a spot in the top 8, but stranger things have happened.

I don't think the playoffs should even be looked at right now...a lead and a win would be a good starting point...we haven't had either since week 1.

Hoping to see a spark from this team...losing is tough, losing bad is even tougher.  Win or lose, play with Rider Pride and keep fighting.

Go Riders!!

Week 6 - West Holmes at Orrville

Who: West Holmes Knights (5-0, 2-0 in OCC) vs. Orrville Red Riders (1-4, 0-2 in OCC)
Where: Heartland Field at Red Rider Stadium
When: Friday September 28, 2012, 7pm
All-Time Series: Orrville leads 26-12, including the last 3 in a row and 10 of the last 13.

Coaches: Kevin Maltarich, 11-14 in his 3rd year at West Holmes. Doug Davault, 51-27 in his 7th year at Orrville.
Last Week: West Holmes beat Ashland 41-36, Orrville lost to Mansfield Senior, 35-12.
Last Year: Orrville beat West Holmes 28-21.

Radio: Live webcast courtesy of The Voice of Holmes County. Broadcast begins at 6:30pm

Orrville and West Holmes will meet for the 40th time since the rivalry began in 1967 and for the 88th time if you count the games between Orrville and Millersburg High.

The Riders have won 11 of the 13 meetings between the schools since 1993, but will be decided underdogs to the undefeated and state-ranked Knights.  Fresh off a big win over Ashland last week, the Knights will look to begin the 2nd half of the season the same way they ended the first half..with a win..and they can think of no better venue to continue their winning ways than the new turf at Red Rider Stadium against a Red Rider team having it's share of struggles.

They will bring a stable of running backs to the turf at Heartland Field and will run the ball 85% of the time, but will also have athletes to catch the ball as well.

The Riders are struggling to find their way on offense, scoring a total of just 20 points over their last 2 games, while the defense has given up 32.5 points over those same 2 games.  In the Riders 4 losses, they've allowed 29, 34, 30 and 35 points (128 total) while scoring just 70.

To have a shot at a win, the Riders must create turnovers and turn those into points.  On offense, they must sustain drives and on defense they have to get off the field on 3rd down.  They cannot be on the field for long Knight drives of 10+ plays.  The Knights attack will simply wear our defense down unless the Riders can get stops & turnovers.

Stranger things have happened, and perhaps the Knights, who have big contests looming with Mansfield Senior and Lexington will be looking past the Riders...but I doubt it.  The Knight faithful know all too well of the Red Rider Tradition and I'm guessing won't be looking past anyone on their way to a likely playoff appearance.

Amazingly enough, if the Riders are able to pull out a win, a bevy of computer points will come their way, possibly enough to crack the top 15 in the region.  It would be the needed first step to even begin discussing a playoff spot.

Play for pride, Riders!!  Let's win one on the turf.

Week 5 - Mansfield Senior at Orrville

Who: Mansfield Senior Tygers (3-1, 1-0 in OCC) vs. Orrville Red Riders (1-3, 0-1 in OCC).
When: Friday September 21, 2012
Where: Heartland Field at Red Rider Stadium.
All-Time Series: Orrville leads 9-6, including 5 of the last 6. Senior has not won at Orrville since 2002.
Last Year: The Tygers won 21-14.
Last Week: Orrville lost to Lexington 30-8, Senior beat Clear Fork 35-7
Coaches: Chioke Bradley is in his 3rd season as Tyger head coach with a 12-12 record. Doug Davault is 51-25 in his 7th season as Orrville head coach.
Radio/TV: None.

Well...this is certainly uncharted territory for Red Rider fans..and players/coaches too.  We've not lost 3 games in a row since 2002 & it's only happened 3 times since 1990.  And never had an Orrville team lost 3 in a row in a season and gone on to make the playoffs.....but enough of the negative, that's not what this site is about and that's not what this team is about.

I have a real good feeling about this matchup with the Tygers.  They've won 3 of their first 4 and are averaging 40 points per game over the past two weeks.  Our offense struggled to put points on the board last week at Lexington, but had several drives stall in Lex territory & our defense fell victim to the big play.

Senior will bring maybe their most talented and athletic team (and new helmets) they've had in a long time to Orrville so the Riders will have to play their most complete game of the season to break the losing streak and get all-time win #598.  Senior has not won at Orrville since 2002 so they'll have plenty of their own motivation.  A week after breaking a 7-year drought against Clear Fork last week, Senior is out to put another losing streak to bed, and position themselves nicely in the OCC and possibly a playoff appearance.

With West Holmes coming to town next week and a trip to Ashland after that, the Riders are running out of time to get back in the hunt.  Another OCC loss probably means another season without a OCC title and will dig us a deep hole in the hunt for playoff appearance #23.

I think the Riders come out with something to prove.  I'm encouraged to hear that the kids are keeping their heads up and continuing to work hard to get better.  I think it's a matter of hitting some big plays early.  Playing with a lead is imperative this week...as Senior seems to be a team that gets more confident as the game wears on.  It's time our defense creates some turnovers and some big plays of their own....let's get an early lead and make the Tygers play catch up.

The Riders haven't killed themselves with penalties so far this season, it's just a matter of finishing drives.  When we get inside the 20, we have to find a way to put points on the board.

Call it a hunch, but I think the Riders get the win and ride some momentum into week 6.  Our backs haven't been against the wall in week 5 in a very long time...and if there's one thing fans should know by now is that we seem to play our best ball when our backs are against the wall & everyone doubts us.

Week 4 Preview - Orrville at Lexington

Who: Orrville Red Riders (1-2, 0-0) vs. Lexington Minutemen (2-1, 0-0)
Where: Lexington Stadium
When: Friday September 14th, 7:00pm

All Time Series: Orrville leads 8-5.
Last Meeting: 2011 (Orrville won 35-12)
Last Week: Orrville lost to Copley 34-28, Lexington lost Olentangy 35-21.

Coaches: Dan Studer takes over Minutemen football after BJ Payne resigned at the end of last season.  Studer is a Massillon graduate and one of the featured subjects in the film 'Go Tigers.'  Doug Davault is in his 7th season at Orrville, with an overall record of 51-24.

Radio/TV: None.

This isn't territory an Orrville football team is accustomed to.  The last time an Orrville football team lost 2 straight games was in 2009 when they dropped the first 2 games of the season to Northwest and Triway.  The Riders under Doug Davault have never lost 3 games in a row.  A 3-game losing streak hasn't happened since the 2002 season that saw them go 2-8.

The Riders will seek to avoid a 3-game losing streak when they travel to Lexington Friday night in the opening week of OCC play.  Lexington is coming off their first loss of the season last week so both teams will be looking to right the ship.

I hate to look any farther than this week, but if the Riders are to make a run at their 4th straight playoff appearance, this game is as "must win" as any week 4 game can be.  A 1-3 record with Mansfield Senior, West Holmes and Ashland looming on the schedule would not bode well for the Riders playoff chances.  But a win over the Minutemen Friday would give the Riders a much-needed jolt of confidence heading into 2 straight home games.

The Riders will look to build on last week's positive effort against Copley.  They fought back from down 28-7 to make it a 1 touchdown game.  If not for the effort of Copley's Aregeros Turner, the Riders might have pulled that game out.

For the 2nd straight week, the game won't be on TV or radio, which is a bit disappointing, as a drive to Lexington is nearly an hour.  This would be where a web radio broadcast specifically for Orrville games would come in real handy....someone should work on that.

Here's hoping for a Rider win.  Let's get this thing back on track.

Week 3 - Orrville at Copley

Who: Orrville Red Riders (1-1) vs. Copley Indians (2-0)
Where: Infocision Field at Copley Stadium
When: Friday September 7, 2012
All Time Series: Orrville leads 24-14.  Copley has won the last two matchups, 34-33 in double overtime in 2010 and 14-13 in overtime last year.  Orrville is 3-2 at Copley since the rivalry renewed in 2001.

Last Meeting: Copley won 14-13 in overtime last season.
Last Week: Orrville lost to Triway 29-20, Copley beat Akron Firestone 34-27.
Coaches: Doug Davault is 51-23 in his 7th year as Orrville coach, Ron Viscounte is 27-26 in his 6th year for Copley.
Radio/TV: None that I know of.

Week 2 Preview - Triway at Orrville

Who: Orrville Red Riders (1-0) vs. Triway Titans (0-1)

Where: Heartland Field at Red Rider Stadium

When: Friday August 31, 2012, 7pm - GATES OPEN AT 5:45pm

Radio: Updates on WQKT 104.5

All Time Series: Orrville leads 34-6.  The Riders have won 7 of the last 8 in the series.  Last Triway win was in 2009, 28-14.

Last Meeting: Week 2 of 2011 (Orrville won 52-7)

Last Week: Orrville beat Northwest 24-20, Triway lost to West Holmes 41-22.

Coaches: Doug Davault is 51-22 in his 7th year as Orrville coach, Tony Lee is 18-15 in his 4th season as Triway coach.

Opening Night Festivites Planned to Dedicate Heartland Field

This was sent out by Athletic Director Kent Smith in his weekly Booster Club update, but I wanted to share it here too. Looks like a Red Rider fan with a pilot's license got a bird's eye view of the new & improved Heartland Field.

I know we've all been amazed by the transformation that's taken place since mid June, but this really shows how different (in a good way) the facility has become in a little over two months.  I love hearing how impressed the Orrville community is, but also the positive comments fans from other communities have had.

I can't wait for opening night to see the field under the lights.

While on the subject, please plan to arrive early on Friday night for the 2012 home opener and the first ever Orrville varsity football home game on turf as the Red Riders take on backyard rival Triway.

A special recognition ceremony is planned to thank several large business donors and to also thank all of Red Rider Nation that helped make this project a reality.  It will be capped off by skydivers arriving with the game ball.  The Orrville band begins the festivities with their performance at 6:40pm.

A large crowd is expected as always when Orrville & Triway meet.  Add to that it will be the first chance for many to see the new turf, and with weather expected to be good, an overflow crowd is possible.  With parking at the school limited due to construction, please plan ahead.  Parking will be available at the lower part of Orr Park and at the Orrville Elementary & Middle Schools and also in the grass lot behind the home bleachers.  The area between the high school and the practice field will be reserved for media and the parking lot at the south end of the high school (by the Board of Administration office) will be reserved for buses.

Week 1 Info & 2012 Orrville Football Preview

I can't believe I'm doing my 5th Orrville Football season preview. Here was the first preview I did all the way back in 2008 (I predicted a 7-3 record and nailed it).

It's time for another, and while I'm no longer in the predictions business, I wanted to share some info to hopefully make us all better and more informed followers of our Red Riders.

Turf Field renamed 'Heartland Field at Red Rider Stadium'

This literally happened within the last 48 hours & I wanted to share and clarify this with my readers.

First things first....here's the press release:

Orrville High School Turf to be Named Heartland Field
Heartland Field will be the name of Red Rider Stadium’s new artificial turf. The announcement was made earlier this week by Bob Serpentini of Serpentini Chevrolet / Buick, the naming sponsor of the 'Team Up for Turf' project at Orrville High School.

Serpentini said naming the field in honor of the Heartland Education Community, Inc., is a fitting recognition for the hundreds of people that have been committed to the Heartland Education Community for the past 20 years.

It also reflects Orrville’s community spirit, which was instrumental in bringing to fruition Heartland’s vision of creating three new centerpiece school buildings, a multi-purpose facility and The Orrville Area Boys & Girls Club in a common campus in the center of the city.

“We are honored that the Heartland name will be connected with the new field at Red Rider Stadium,” said Al Yeagley, Steering Committee Chairman for Heartland. “Education always has been at the heart of the Orrville community. The naming of the field will help recognize and continue the good work that the community has committed to the education of our youth by shifting the focus from school to education and shifting responsibility from school to community.”

Heartland Field at Red Rider Stadium will be dedicated Friday, August 31, 2012, prior to the first home game of the season.

Basically what this means is there was an agreement reached between Serpentini Chevrolet-Buick and the Heartland Education Community, Inc. to rename the field and from this point forward, the field will be referred to as "Heartland Field at Red Rider Stadium."

Mr. Serpentini's significant financial commitment to the turf project remains the same and his support is greatly appreciated.  He agreed to transfer the naming rights due to his respect for the positive impact the Heartland initiatives have had on the Orrville community via their involvement with the Orrville schools.

The agreement had no input from the Orrville City Schools, their administration or the 'Team Up for Turf' Committee.

This should reflect positively on both parties.  The relationship between Serpentini, the Orrville Schools and the Turf Committee was and remains 100% positive and the Heartland Education Community has been amazingly supportive of the Orrville School System for 20+ years.

As far as logistics related to the stadium, specifically the Bleacher Wrap bearing Serpentini's name....the top part of the wrap has already been removed and will be replaced with signage recognizing Heartland as the new naming rights sponsor of the field on one half, with Serpentini keeping an advertising presence on the other half. 

The costs associated with replacing the banners will be paid for by the Heartland organization.

I think a sincere "thank you" is warranted to both Heartland and to Serpentini Chevrolet for this agreement.  Two entities got together and made a mutually beneficial decision that positively impacts the Orrville community.  Let's keep that in mind when discussing this issue.

 

Turf Project - Week 9 - Fundraising Deadline & Projects Update

Wanted to take a brief moment and update everyone on the turf project. Even though the turf is finished, several projects related to the larger project are still in progress.  Thanks to Rod Dilyard for the picture at the top.  Click here for a full-size version.

Also wanted to share some updated photos as well as info relating to the cut-off date for fundraising.

Fall Sports Schedules & Football Master Schedule

Courtesy of the Orrville Booster Club website, here are you 2012 fall sports schedules.

Volleyball

Football

Cross Country

Girls Tennis

Soccer

Golf

One last schedule I wanted to share is one I made up showing our football schedule along with the complete schedules of all 10 teams we play.  Click here to view the 2012 Orrville Football Master Schedule.  It's helpful for those computer playoff points nerds gurus (like me) and anyone in general who wants to know what teams our opponents are playing each week.

Orrville Football Coaching History

The 1976 Red Rider coaching staff. Also pictured are (front, from left) Mike Bushi, Fred Blosser, Bill Sturgeon; (back, from left) Bob Shonk, head coach Mo Tipton and Ron Zook. (Photo courtesy of The Daily Record)

As we approach 600 wins as a program, I thought it would be neat to share this with my readers....the complete list of Orrville football head coaches.  If this post gets buried over time, you can find the list under the "Football" tab at the top of the page.

Not too many programs can claim to have 600 wins and also boast 22 playoff appearances.  I'd say the number of schools that can is less than a dozen....and having good coaches over the years is a big reason why we're poised to join the 600 win club.

From looking at this list of past Red Rider coaches, I plucked some interesting facts of note....

• From our first season in 1903 until now, we've had a total of 26 coaches...but just 4 since 1954, which is pretty incredible
• From 1903 to 1954, we had 22 head coaches over 45 years of football, an average tenure of just over 2 years per coach.  If there's ever been a better example of continuity leading to success, I haven't seen it.  
• The program has 596 wins, with the four winningest coaches (Shunkwiler, Tipton, McMillan and Davault) accounting for 413 of those 596 wins.  That's 70% of our program's wins from 4 coaches that cover the last 57 years of Red Rider Tradition.
• Blog reader Vince pointed out that Harry Strobel (not Henry as I originally listed him) went on to coach Barberton football and was eventually named Ohio State's freshman coach after his time at Orrville.  Reading this link, it sounded like Strobel was almost chosen as Ohio State's head coach in 1951, but that went to Woody Hayes instead.  Strobel won a state basketball title at Bellevue in 1945 and a state football title in 1947 at Barberton (where he coached Bo Schembechler) before moving on to Ohio State. Great read, and thanks to a loyal reader for pointing out Strobel's history.
• Current coach Doug Davault has the highest average wins per season (8.3) of any Orrville coach.  Mo Tipton averaged 7.3 wins per season and Coach Mac just below at 7.27 wins per season.  Having an extra few rounds of playoff games certainly helped Coach Mac and Coach Davault's numbers.  About a third of Coach Tipton's years of coaching came when there were no playoffs, and when playoffs did begin in 1972, there were only a few rounds...not the 5 rounds that exist now.

Enjoy reading.
 

Turf Update: Week 8 - Turf is DONE!..plus Fundraising Update

From this (on June 11, 2012).....

To this (on July 30, 2012).....

I still have a hard time believing this is real, and an even harder time putting it into words how cool this is....but as of July 30, 2012, a completed turf field now resides at Red Rider Stadium...and in what is a highlight of the 4+ years I've been writing this blog...I can now say that Serpentini Field at Red Rider Stadium is now a part of the list of Northeast Ohio Turf Stadiums.  I made that list at least 3 years ago and I had hoped to add our field someday.  Now I can.  Again, pinch me.

What is so amazing about this project is how swift it has moved along, especially the turf piece.  It took just eleven days from the time the first roll of turf was installed at Red Rider Stadium, but that's all that was needed...thanks to a hard working crew and some dry weather.

From the day the first piece of grass was removed from the field until this past Monday when the turf was completed was only 7 weeks & 2 days.  Work on the field started on June 11th, and ended on July 30th. That's just amazing.

What exists now is simply one of the nicest fields anywhere in the state for a public school of our size, and a testament to the community of Orrville and the support the citizens, alumni and businesses have shown time and again.  I know of only three other Division 4 public schools that have turf (Huron, Martins Ferry and Germantown Valley View)...and none can boast the 'campus' feel of their district like we can.

The best, or most satisfying part of this project was the fact that it was 100% privately funded.....everything being done at the stadium except for the track will be paid for with privately raised dollars.  This was a true grassroots effort from it's beginning in January.  This was done on a quick time schedule, but done well.  Smart people made smart decisions and hard working crews got this job done with pride.  Was great to see local companies used when possible.  Orrville Trucking & Grading provided stone for the base, B&K Concrete (Marshallville) did miscellaneous concrete work and Berkey Excavating (Smithville) did all the sod removal and field grading.  Truly a local project.  Local dollars & local contractors.

Here's an album I put together on the "Team up for Turf" Facebook page that shows the progress from the start of this project in June until now.  Here's a 2nd album with just panorama photos.  You don't have to be signed up with Facebook to see the photos.  Keep checking back there to see updated photos.

What's Next?
Now that the turf is down, work with re-focus on the track with the crew from VASCO back to put the latex topcoat on top of the new asphalt that was poured in late June.  The process is a 7-layer process that will only add 1/2" of thickness to the track.  Each layer must dry completely before the next layer is applied.  Once they finish that, the track will need to cure for 2 weeks and then they will apply the proper lane markings.
Work on the bleacher wrap from Gameday Renovations out of Massillon should be finished up by late this week or early next week....as well as new fencing around the perimeter of the track and stadium is in process as well.  The old fencing was really starting to show it's wear.  Again, both of these projects (the bleacher wrap and fencing) are being paid for by the funds raised by the turf committee.


Also part of the turf project is a permanent recognition space for all donors to the project as well as a space to honor past Red Rider coaching legends.  This will be located near the south entrance by the fence.  Currently there is a plaque honoring former team physician Dr. Reiheld....that will remain, but there will be 3 other plaques added to recognize former coaches Bill Shunkwiler, Mo Tipton and Bill McMillan.  Those 3 coaches represent 50 years of Red Rider football and account for 363 of the program's 596 all-time wins.

Turf Grand Opening
The first contest on the turf will be the JV football game between Northwest and Orrville on Saturday August 25th.  The varsity team will host Triway on August 31st and the soccer team will host their first home match on turf on September 4th.

A special night is being planned for August 31st to dedicate this field for the next generation of Red Riders...make plans to be there.

Fundraising Update
As of this past Monday, the turf committee is excited to report that just over $650,000 (new donor list has been posted) has been committed to this project.  It's been explained to me that the whole project (turf, grooming equipment, bleacher wrap, recognition space, etc.) will cost somewhere around $625,000-$645,000. 

Anything above that range will go to a replacement fund for the turf.  The field will last roughly 10-12 years until it will need replaced...and cost to replace will be several hundred thousand dollars. 

The naming rights that Serpentini Chevy currently holds will expire in 10 years, and the new naming rights sponsor ($100,000) coupled with money being raised right now to replace the turf (hopefully another $100,000) will go a long way to paying for the 2nd generation of 'red rider turf.' 

It is the goal of the committee that the field not be a financial burden to the district in 10-12 years, which is why funds are being set aside now.  There likely won't be a large fundraising effort the next time around so that is why a push is being done now. 

Fundraising will likely cease on September 7th, and as mentioned above, all donors will be recognized on the plaque at the stadium, so please help out if you can.  Our goal of $750,000 is still within reach.  Visit RedRiderTurf.com today to pledge your tax deductible support to this project. 

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU....on behalf of the committee to the citizens of Orrville, OHS alums and especially the Orrville business community.  Your support is just amazing.

Turf Update - Week 7 - Bleacher Wrap Install Begins

The above artist's rendering made the rounds on the Orrville Alumni Association's Facebook page last week but this is the first I've mentioned it here. It's been in the works for a while now, but just a few weeks ago became official and installation began today.

See below for more info on this product, and some updated turf pictures.

Turf Update - Week 6 - Starting to take shape

This is a dream right?  We're not actually getting turf are we?  It's a cruel dream.  It has to be....

I received an email from a fellow member of the turf committee when he saw the first pictures of the turf that was laid out this past Friday...and it simply said "it's starting to sink in now."  He was referring to the hard work the committee has put in and the generous giving that the community has done..and that this really is going to be the end result.  Just awesome.

That echoes my thoughts and the thoughts of many others about this project.  It's truly remarkable how quick this has come together...and when a project of this magnitude comes together this quickly, you worry about details being missed or corners being cut....but that's not the Orrville way...and it's shown in the folks working behind the scenes on this project.  It's being done quick, for sure, but it's being done the right way.  The Orrville way.

Onto business....

Turf Project Update: Week 6 - Carpet has arrived!

As of July 18th, two truckloads of artificial turf have been delivered to Red Rider Stadium.

This means the install crew is not far behind and that we're one step closer to seeing the vision of turf become a reality.

See below for pictures and a video of what the turf install process will probably look like.

A Worthy Gesture to Benefit the Turf Project

We're coming down the homestretch of fundraising for the Orrville Turf Project.  As of last night, just over $600,000 has been raised, with a goal of $750,000 still in reach.

Many Orrville alumni, citizens and businesses have given generously, above and beyond their normal giving to the Booster Club, to make what was once a dream a near reality.  The turf, combined with a new 8-lane track surface vaults Red Rider Stadium into the premier high school sports venue in the county, and very well the nicest small public school facility in Northeast Ohio.  It will be a showpiece that all of Red Rider Nation will be very proud of.

I don't want to minimize the collective endeavor of Red Rider fans for their tireless effort in giving generously and getting the word out by knocking on doors, making phone calls and sharing this project with their neighbors, but one recent gift really impressed me and I wanted to share it will my readers...because I think it will impress you just the same.

Turf Project - Week 4 Update: Track is Poured

The one big step in the Red Rider Stadium renovations this past week was the removal of the old (and worn out) asphalt track on Monday and the pouring of the new track surface on Friday.

Below you'll see pictures of the track being poured and also an update on the turf part of the project.

Remember, donations are still needed to fully fund the turf project.  Donations can be made online at RedRiderTurf.com or a pledge card can be printed off and your donation can be mailed to the OHS Booster Club.

Turf Update - Week 3 Progress plus Fundraising Update

Week 3 of the Turf project is in the books and we're one step closer to the finish line.

Below you'll see some pictures of the progress and below that, an update from the contractor and also an update from the turf committee as to where things stand financially.

Turf Update - Week 2 - Day 6

Stopped by the field this past Saturday and wanted to share a few items with you as the project prepares to enter it's 3rd week of work. Week 3 will see the stone base put down as well as a fabric liner to aid in drainage and to also separate the dirt base from the stone base.

Remember, fundraising it still ongoing.  We're still hoping to raise several hundred thousand dollars in order to fully pay for the turf project, any associated costs/overruns and to possibly seed other projects at the stadium to be done in the future.  You can give right now at RedRiderTurf.com by using your credit/debit card through PayPal or print out a pledge card and mail in your payment.

Turf Update - Week 2 - Update from the Contractor

There's not a lot of visible work going on right now at the field, but lots of smaller tasks are being completed in preparation for the stone drainage base and the arrival of the turf.

Below is an update from Brad at Maumee Bay Turf on what is going on this week and next.

As far as the financial aspect of the project...at last report, the project has just crossed over the $500,000 mark of committed funds.  That means we're close, but not yet at the finish line.  Thank you to those who have already given and to those considering it.  There is no such thing as too small of a donation...every bit helps. 

Head over to RedRiderTurf.com and donate today.

Orrville Turf Project - Week 1, Day 4

Just a quick update today. The sod is completely removed and work has begun on installing drainage pipe around the perimeter of the field.

Here's your daily panorama showing the field in it's current state.

Also of note is the new scoreboard that was installed last year. I noticed a crew working near it & went to investigate. What I saw was this..

Notice the lights coming out from the bottom? Those are new. If you recall from last season, when the sun set, the 10 advertising panels were almost impossible to see due to the lack of lighting. These lights will take care of that problem & give the scoreboard a nice finished look at night.

From the Contractor...
Maumee Bay Turf has been kind enough to send along updates as they progress through this project and it was agreed that this is information that the turf committee wants to share with the public, just to keep folks up to date with accurate information.

Here is their plan for the next week or so...

• installation of perimeter drainage system will begin tomorrow and should take all of Thursday and Friday.
• field will be compacted and proof rolled by Friday June 15th.
• Burkey Excavating will be quitting a bit early Friday to allow Relay for Life to hold their event.
• curb cut (along inside perimeter of track) will transpire Monday or Tuesday.
• surveyors will be on site Monday or Tuesday to locate control points and stake for new goal post/soccer goal sleeve installations.
• Vasco Group will be on site early week to pour track event (long jump & pole vault) runways.
• installation of geotextile subgrade liner and flat panel system along with install of stone field base will begin Friday the 22nd or Monday the 25th.

I know I'm repeating myself a lot...but it needs to be repeated...the project has begun but the fundraising is on-going.  Contributions can be mailed in care of the OHS Booster Club, or donations can be made online via PayPal.  RedRiderTurf.com has all the info.

The goal has not been met and fundraising will continue until that time.  When completed, this project will vault Red Rider Stadium into one of the nicest facilities in the state for a school our size.  In the last 5 years, we've seen new visitor bleachers built, new home bleacher coverings, new lights, a new scoreboard and now turf and track.  We're certainly a blessed and fortunate community to be able to provide a facility like this for the next generation of Red Riders.

Orrville Turf Project - Week 1, Day 3

Work continues fervently at Red Rider Stadium's Serpentini Field today as the crews were blessed with another great weather day. As you'll see from the pictures below, more than 50% of the existing sod has been removed and if the weather holds, all of the sod will be removed by week's end.

I love sharing these pictures with my readers, but several times already I've had to stop and remind myself that THIS IS HAPPENNING...in ORRVILLE!!  We WILL play Triway on September 7, 2012 on a turf field.  Is that amazing or what? It's a testament to our community and the support of Red Rider alums all over the country.  Life takes us all in many directions, but we're all still Red Riders.

I don't have an exact number, but I think that among schools our size in the entire state of Ohio, there's less than 10 that can boast a turf field.  The fact that we're going to be able to do this with 100% of the funds being privately donated speaks volumes about this special community.

On to the pictures... (but don't forget to head over to RedRiderTurf.com to pledge your support today).

Turf Update with Pictures: Work has begun!!

Things have officially gotten started at the corner of Mineral Spring and Ella Streets as the first steps to remove the natural grass field and replace it with a new synthetic turf surface have begun.

My plan is to provide pictures of the process from start to finish so all of Red Rider Nation can see the progress from start to finish.  If you're the bookmarking type, click here and bookmark it.  Each time I update with new pictures, you'll be able to find them there.  That same link has also been added to the home page of RedRiderTurf.com

I'm hearing that the project, while getting started this week, won't hit it's full stride until next week, after this weekend's Relay for Life has ended.

Please remember that while work has obviously started...fundraising is still on-going and needed to fully fund the project.  Head over to RedRiderTurf.com to read about all the advantages this surface will provide and to make your 100% tax-deductible donation today! 

Now on to the pictures....

Turf Project News - Naming Rights Sponsor Secured & Progress Update

(Photo from Serpentini Orrville's Facebook page - Bob Serpentini and Orrville superintendent Jon Ritchie)

Exciting news from the 'Team up for Turf' project, as local car dealer Serpentini Chevrolet has secured naming rights to the new turf field at Red Rider Stadium for a period of 10 years with a generous donation toward the project.

The field itself will be named Serpentini Field in recognition of their significant donation.  It's great to see a local business step up with a continued commitment to Orrville High School and OHS athletics.  For each of the past 2 years, Serpentini has donated a new car to be raffled off by the OHS Booster Club and has been a supporter of several YMCA youth sports leagues as well as other community efforts.

This is the 2nd naming rights sponsorship Serpentini  has secured since 2010.  Back in November of 2010, Serpentini secured the stadium naming rights sponsorship of North Royalton's new Stadium.

It is my understanding that the stadium will still be called Red Rider Stadium, but the field will be referred to as Serpentini Field.

In general, the Orrville business community has been absolutely awesome in their support of this project and we should all be proud to live in a community with a business base that supports the school system.  Time and time again, the business community, alumni and citizens of Orrville have come through in a big way and they've done it again.

Project Update
The "Team Up for Turf" project will move forward the week of June 11th (!) with the removal of the grass sod and leveling of the field, followed by installation of new drainage and aggregate and then the installation of the synthetic turf surface and new all-weather track.

The installation of the turf field from start to finish will take several months (assuming no delays), so the decision was made to begin the project as soon as possible so the field would be ready for the first home football game September 7th against Triway. 

The removal and replacement of the existing 8-lane track will be paid for with school dollars that have already been earmarked for that purpose.  It was slated to be done next summer (2013) but was moved up to be done in concert with the turf project to realize a significant cost savings.  The current track is well beyond it's useful life.

This next part is REALLY important...............

While the project may begin next week, the fundraising period will continue with efforts to reach out to Orrville alumni, former football players, former soccer & band members as well as the Orrville business community to raise the balance of the funds needed to complete this vision. 

Please do not assume that because you see the project being started that fundraising in complete.  The project is nearing 75% funded & we feel confident that the Orrville community and alumni will step up and help us reach the remaining goal.

'Team Up' to bring TURF to Red Rider Stadium

Remember when I wrote this two years ago? My dream of one day having turf at Orrville's Red Rider Stadium. Seemed like the biggest pipe dream ever at the time, right?

But it appears that this "dream" is about to become a reality, perhaps as early as THIS summer!!

I'm happy to announce that a committee of Orrville citizens, alumni and fans, formed back in January of 2012 to explore bringing turf to the home of the Red Riders, has secured a large portion of the necessaary funds thorugh a period of "silent" fundraising.

State Track Recap: 7 Red Riders named All-Ohio

Wanted to recognize the Orrville track program on another successful showing at the OHSAA State meet in Columbus.  The Red Riders sent down competitors in 7 events and placed in the top 8 in 5 of the 7.  A top 8 finish earns All-Ohio honors.

Leading the way were field events where senior Lexi Jarrett finished 2nd in the Div. 2 Pole Vault with a jump of 11'6". That breaks her own school record and establishes a new Wayne County record. (the county record is 11'8" set by Chelsea Detweiler of Dalton in 2008).  The area record of 12'0" set by Stephanie Foster of Cloverleaf in 2010 still stands.  Jarrett finished 5th in last year's pole vault, making her 2nd place finish this year her 2nd straight All-Ohio finish in pole vault.

Fellow senior Stewart Turner Jr. finished 2nd in the boys long jump with a jump of 22' 11 3/4".  The winning jump was 22' even, meaning Stewart was just 1/4" from tying for first, and just 1/2" away from a state title.

On the girls side, senior Nicole Greegor capped an excellent career at Orrville with a 4th place finish in the girls 100m hurdles. This was her 3rd appearance at the state meet. She qualified for the 100 hurdles as a sophomore, junior and senior, and the 300 hurdles her junior year.

Also a senior, Drew Brenner finished 7th in the 300m hurdles.

Brenner also anchored the 4x200m relay team also consisting of Joel Zook, Elijah Coleman and Cody Weaver that finished 7th. 

So that's 7 Red Riders to leave Columbus with All-Ohio honors, with Brenner being a 2-time All-Ohioan.  All were seniors except for sophomores Joel Zook and Elijah Coleman.

Brenner capped a great senior season in which he earned All-Ohio honors in football and basketball as well as today's 2-time All-Ohio performance in track.  Pretty rare feat to be named a 4-time All-Ohioan in 3 sports in a single school season.  Guessing maybe Brent Steiner may be the only other recent graduate to be an All-Ohioan in 3 different sports in a single season. (Sam Reusser was a 3 sport All-Ohioan in 2010-11 in football, wrestling & track. Thanks to Coach Ayers for the reminder)  Add in his All-Ohio honor from this past football season and also his 2 All-Ohio honors last year in track and he's a 6-time All-Ohioan at Orrville.  Ashland U. sure has a good one coming their way.

I also want to mention Stewart Turner...he was a 3-time All-Ohioan last season in track, and made All-Ohio in both his junior and senior season in football at Orrville.  Add in this year's All-Ohio in the long jump, and he's also a 6-time All-Ohioan over the past 2 years.  So he was a 4-time All-Ohioan last year and Brenner did it this year.  Quite the accomplishment by both young men.

That's a wrap on another sports season at OHS.  The start of football practice is about 2 months away....won't be long.

Another OCC "All-Sports" Title for Lexington, Orrville 5th

I wrote about this last year and it's something I try to follow each season. With the completion of another school year of sports, the Ohio Cardinal Conference has released the final tallies for their "All-Sports" Championship, a combination of points scored based on order of finish for all boys & girls sports.

And the more things change, the more they stay the same.