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