Girls districts: Knights lose, Lancers win

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Wednesday night’s Division VI girls basketball district semifinals at Van Wert High School produced a pair of low scoring, but close games.

In the opening game, No. 2 seed Wayne Trace trailed No. 3 seed Crestview 20-18 at the end of the third quarter, but the Raiders used an 18-10 fourth quarter scoring advantage to defeat the Lady Knights 36-30. Wayne Trace’s Kinlee Miller was the catalyst in the final period, as the freshman guard connected on three treys.  Amber Stoller scored all four of her points in the fourth quarter and Caroline Winans hit three of four foul shots in the period.

The Raiders led 9-4 after one quarter, with seven points coming from Addison Stoller. Crestview held Wayne Trace to just two points in the second quarter and the Lady Knights trailed 11-10 at halftime. In the third quarter, Peyton Hoffman scored five points and Kaci Gregory added three, enough to put Crestview ahead by two entering the final stanza.

Hoffman and Gregory each finished with 10 points, while Haley McCoy added eight points. Miller led Wayne Trace with nine points, Lexi Moore tallied eight points and Stoller added seven points.

Crestview’s season came to an end at 13-10, while Wayne Trace improved to 18-5. The Raiders will face No. 1 seed Patrick Henry in the district championship game at 3 p.m. Saturday at Van Wert High School. The Patriots defeated No. 4 seed Toledo Christian 60-32 Wednesday night at Napoleon High School.

Points were at a premium in the second game at Van Wert, as No. 6 seed Lincolnview defeated No. 4 seed Delphos Jefferson 30-28. It was Lincolnview’s second straight win over a higher seeded team.

The Lancers led 9-2 after the first quarter and by halftime, it looked like the rout was on, as the lead was extended to 20-5. Behind 11 third quarter points by Claire Stokes, including three treys, Delphos Jefferson clawed back and trailed by just three, 24-21 entering the fourth quarter. The Wildcats led briefly in the fourth quarter but after regaining the lead, Lincolnview forced a pair of turnovers in the closing seconds.

Annabel Horstman led Lincolnview with 11 points and Kassidy Hammons added eight, while Stokes and Kyah Kimmett scored 11 and eight points respectively for Delphos Jefferson (12-12).

Lincolnview (11-13) will face No. 1 seed St. Henry (22-1) for the district championship at 3 p.m. Saturday at Wapakoneta High School.

Hanicq to state!

Van Wert High School junior Aydreigh Hanicq has qualified as an individual  for the Division I bowling state tournament. Hanicq finished in a second place tie with a 169-210-211-590 series at Tuesday’s district tournament at Star Lanes at the Harbor in Port Clinton. In her final match, senior Reagan Horine made the all-district team with an eighth place finish (195-213-142-550). As a team, Van Wert finished third (3332) behind Celina (3869) and Bowling Green (3394). The two two teams qualified for the state tournament. Hanicq will bowl as an individual on Saturday, March 7, at H.P. Lanes in Columbus. Photo submitted

McCracken to Defiance

Van Wert High School senior Griffin McCracken, a four sport (golf, football, basketball, baseball) standout for the Cougars, has signed a letter of intent to golf and play football at Defiance College. He is flanked by his parents, Eric and Melody McCracken. Photo submitted

Kelly, five other Cougars named All-WBL

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All five Van Wert starters and the team’s top reserve all earned all-WBL honors in balloting done by league boys basketball coaches.

Cougar point guard Xavier Kelly was named first team All-WBL in balloting done by league coaches. Kelly led Van Wert’s balanced scoring attack with 11.5 points per game. Teammates Cohen Bragg (9.1 points, 5.2 rebounds per game) and Zach Crummey (11 ppg, 8.0 rpg) were named second team All-WBL, while Keaten Welch (10.2 ppg) and Griffin McCracken (9.2 ppg) was named third team All-WBL. Caden Collins, who came off the bench (3.4 ppg) was named honorable mention All-WBL. The Cougars finished the regular season 16-6 (8-1 WBL) and enter the tournament as the No. 1 seed in the Division IV Paulding district.

Shawnee brothers Beckett Bertke and Trevick Bertke were named WBL Co-Players of the Year and Shawnee head coach Mark Triplett was named WBL Coach of the Year. The Indians finished the regular season to a 17-5 regular season (9-0 WBL) and the program’s second straight WBL championship. 

First Team

Logan Markley, Bath

Josiah Schlatter, Defiance

Brody Fortman, Ottawa-Glandorf

Beckett Bertke, Shawnee

Trevick Bertke, Shawnee

Xavier Kelly, Van Wert

Second Team

Dagan Hawkins, Bath

Gavin Wicker, Celina

Jordan Schumaker, Ottawa-Glandorf

Cohen Bragg Van Wert

Zach Crummey, Van Wert

Ryan Richardson, Wapakoneta

Third Team

Josiah Clark, Bath

Jon Payne, Elida

Dowdy named to All-WBL team

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Amaya Dowdy was Van Wert’s lone all-WBL player in balloting done by league coaches. Dowdy was named honorable mention All-WBL.

Ottawa-Glandorf’s Karsyn Erford was named WBL Player of the Year and Titan head coach Troy Yant was named WBL Coach of the Year.

First Team

Rachel Rammel (Celina)

Lilly Sifrit (Elida)

Karsyn Erford (Ottawa-Glandorf)

Madison Mckee (Ottawa-Glandorf)

Ava Gadson (Shawnee)

Sophia Menker (St. Marys Memorial)

Second Team

Thornell to Heidelberg

Crestview softball player Dakota Thornell has signed a letter of intent to play softball at Heidelberg University, a Division III school in Tiffin. Photo submitted

Hammons named NWC Coach of the Year

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After leading Lincolnview to an outright Northwest Conference boys basketball championship, head coach Brett Hammons has been named NWC Coach of the Year in balloting done by fellow conference coaches.

A year after Lincolnview went 5-18 (0-7 NWC), Hammons guided the Lancers to a 17-5 (6-1 NWC) 2025-2026 season, along with the No. 1 seed at the Division VI Defiance district.

Two Lancers were named first team All-NWC – junior Max Hammons and senior Gavin Evans. Two other starters, freshman Marshall Hammons and junior Chayse Overholt were named honorable mention All-NWC. Two Crestview Knights were named second team All-NWC – senior Hayden Perrott and junior Will Sheets.

Lima Central Catholic senior Jordan Priddy was named the NWC Player of the Year.

Boys all-conference results

First Team

Jordan Priddy, Sr., Lima Central Catholic

Will Sensabaugh, Jr., Spencerville

Max Hammons, Jr., Lincolnview

Trevon Baxter, Sr., Columbus Grove

Owen Sensabaugh, Sr., Spencerville

Gavin Evans, Sr., Lincolnview

Second Team

Hayden Perrott, Sr., Crestview

Will Sheets, Jr., Crestview

Keagan Jones, Jr., Allen East

Bates, Wallace win WBL wrestling titles

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WAPAKONETA — Van Wert competed in the WBL Wrestling Championships at St. Marys Memorial High School and the Cougars had two individual champions and finished with a strong fourth place finish in the team standings with 94.5 points. For the third consecutive season, Wapakoneta won the tournament and the WBL championship.

Overall, Van Wert was paced by five All-WBL wrestlers. Owen Bates was crowned as the champion in the 113 pound weight class and Briggs Wallace won the 157 pound weight class. Other places for the Cougars were Breese Bollenbacher (second, 285), Ryan Wallace (third, 126) and Gavin Gonzalez (fourth, 138). Individual results for Van Wert are as follows:

113 pounds: Owen Bates, champion

Quarterfinals: bye

Semidinals : 18-2 technical fall over Dylan Melson (Shawnee)

Finals: 15-8 decision over Westen Mast (Defiance)

120 pounds: Heath Calvelage

Quarterfinals: lost by pin, 1:08, to Briceton Sampson (Defiance)

Consolation quarterfinals: lost by pin, :56, to Gabe Ditto (Shawnee)

126 pounds: Ryan Wallace – third place

Quarterfinals: won via pin, 5:56, over David Modd (Kenton)

Semiinals: lost by pin, 3:11, to Urijah Cordray (Wapakoneta)

Consolation semifinals: 20-4 technical fall over Mason Homan (Celina)

Finals: 14-4 major decision over Kamar Morris (Elida)

132 pounds: Roman Martin

Quarterfinals: lost via pin, :32, to Romeo Simmons (Defiance)

Consolation quarterinals: 7-5 decision over Harrison Brien (Kenton)

Consolation semifinals: lost via pin, 4:22, to Josiah Shoup (Elida)

Sectionals to begin!

Boys sectional basketball games will tip off this week. Zach Crummey (23) and the No. 1 seed Van Wert Cougars will host No. 7 seed Napoleon in Division IV sectional championship action at 6 p.m.Thursday night, with the winner advancing to next week’s Paulding district. At 6 p.m. Friday, Max Hammons (2) and the top seeded Lincolnview Lancers will host No. 7 seed Hicksville for the sectional championship and a spot in the district semfinals in Defiance. Crestview has a sectional bye and will face Ayersville or Fairview March 4 at Defiance. Photos by Bob Barnes and Hanna Young

Girls hoops: Cougars fall in sectional final

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FINDLAY — No. 1 seed Liberty-Benton was simply too much for Van Wert, as the Eagles defeated the Cougars 70-38 in the Division IV sectional finals at Liberty-Benton High School on Saturday.

The Eagles (18-5), ranked No. 12 in the state in the final MaxPreps regular season poll, jumped out to a 25-7 first quarter lead, with 5-10 junior guard Megan Gerken scoring 18 of those points. Katie DeAmicis accounted for five of Van Wert’s first quarter points, then added six more in the second period, but Liberty-Benton’s Corra Dehart scored seven points in the quarter and Liberty-Benton led 41-17 at halftime. Dehart and Emilia Kin scored all of L-B’s third quarter points and the Eagles carried a 55-27 lead into the fourth quarter.

In her final game, DeAmicis led Van Wert with 13 points and Jazz Florence added eight, including six in the third quarter. The game was also the final one for three other seniors – Bella Behm, who scored five points, Karly Boyher and Allison Gieb.

Van Wert’s season ended at 1-22.