Top stories – No. 10-9: sports, time capsule

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

Editor’s note: This week, the Van Wert independent is publishing the Top 10 local stories of 2021. Articles featuring two of the top stories will be published each day, with the top two stories published on Friday, December 31.

No. 10 – Two Van Wert County sports teams go to OHSAA State in 2021, Cougars win WBL

It was quite a girls basketball season at Crestview High School. The Lady Knights rolled to a Northwest Conference co-championship, along with Division IV sectional, district and regional championships.

The tournament trail was filled with dominating victories. After a 60-32 sectional championship win over Stryker, Crestview defeated stubborn North Central 39-11 in a district semifinal game that was just 12-4 at halftime, then the Lady Knights defeated Ottoville 51-35 to earn a district championship.

In the regional semifinals at Elida, Crestview shut down high-powered Toledo Christian 54-41. Entering the game, the Lady Eagles averaged 65 points per game but had just 16 at halftime. Meanwhile, Olivia Cunningham and Bailey Gregory combined for 35 of Crestview’s 54 points. After that game, Crestview cruised by Columbus Grove 65-35 in the regional title game, putting the Lady Knights in the State Tournament for the first time since 2009.

Unfortunately, Crestview ran into No. 1 Fort Loramie in the Division IV semifinals at UD Arena at the University of Dayton. The Associated Press poll champions sprinted out to a 17-9 first quarter lead and never looked back on the way to a 66-24 victory. Fort Loramie went on to beat McDonald 60-26 for the state title.

While it wasn’t the ending the Lady Knights (23-4) had hoped for, it was truly a memorable 2020-2021 season.

Less than three months later, in June, Lincolnview’s baseball team was playing for a Division IV state title in Akron.

To get there, the Lancers won the district championship by defeating St. Henry 1-0 in 11 innings, followed by 7-2 and 5-0 regional victories over Antwerp and Leipsic, with the latter putting Lincolnview in the State Tournament for the first time since 1974.

In the Division IV semifinals, Landon Price struck out 14 batters and the Lancers advanced to the title game with a 2-1 win over Lucasville Valley.

Unfortunately, upstart Warren JFK scored three runs in the fourth and went on to defeat Lincolnview 4-0 in the title game. Even so, it was a record setting season (24 wins) that won’t soon be forgotten by Lancers players, coaches and fans.

Also of note – the defending Division IV state champion Van Wert Cougars football team won the 2021 Western Buckeye League co-championship, the program’s first since 1987.

The Cougars were ranked No. 1 in the state in the initial Associated Press poll and finished No. 5 in the final poll.

No. 9 – Blast from the Past: downtown Van Wert time capsule opened

It had been waterlogged, but a small box helped provide a snapshot back to life in Van Wert in the early 20th century.

The box/time capsule, which was found inside the cornerstone during demolition of the former Home Guards of America Temple on West Main Street, was officially unveiled at the Van Wert County Foundation Office in July.

The contents included three newspapers dated August, 8, 1905, including the Daily Republican, Home Guards paperwork, an invitation to become a Home Guards member and a medallion. All of the contents had sustained long term water damage. The newspapers were somewhat intact, but the paperwork had crumbled and the medallion was rusty.

“They did not have waterproof containers 50 or 100 years ago or longer and they usually are penetrated by water,” Van Wert County Historical Society trustee Gary Showalter said.
The building, which was dedicated in June, 1906, was home to the business offices of the Home Guards of America, along with a music store, the Home Guard Grocery, several clothing shops, law offices and law library, physicians’ offices and more.

In later years, the building sat empty for nearly 30 years before a partial collapse last fall led to its demolition in December, 2020.