VW independent sports and submitted information
COLUMBUS — At least for now, high school student-athletes in Ohio will not be able to profit like their counterparts at the collegiate level.
The Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) proposal before Ohio High School Athletic Association member schools failed by a substantial margin, 538-254, or 68-32 percent.
The proposal mirrored recent changes made at the collegiate level. It would have allowed student-athletes to sign endorsement agreements so long as their teams, schools and/or the OHSAA logo were not used, the endorsements did not happen on school property or in school uniform, and provided there were no endorsements with companies that do not support the mission of education-based athletics, such as casinos, gambling, alcohol, drugs and tobacco. By rejecting the proposal, Ohio’s student-athletes remain unable sign endorsement deals without losing their amateur status.
“If NIL is going to enter the Ohio interscholastic landscape, we want the schools to be the ones to make that determination,” OHSAA Executive Director Doug Ute said. “Whatever we do moving forward, it will include discussion on this issue with our school administrators, Board of Directors, staff and leaders of other state high school athletic associations.”
Another notable issue that failed by just 13 votes, 406-393, was a proposal to add a new exception to the Enrollment and Attendance Bylaw, which would have permitted a student enrolled at a member public school that does not sponsor a team sport to potentially play that sport at a public school located in a bordering public school district. The vote count on this issue was the closest referendum outcome since Competitive Balance during the 2014 cycle when it failed 327-308 before it passed in the following cycle.
(more…)POSTED: 05/17/22 at 8:30 am. FILED UNDER: Sports
SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor
This week’s edition of Random Thoughts centers around a co-championship, a quirk in baseball tournament scheduling, girls state wrestling, and more than three dozen strikeouts by a pitcher in a single game.
NWC co-champs
Congratulations to Lincolnview and Crestview, 2022 NWC softball co-champions.
Crestview’s season is over and while it wasn’t the ending the Knights had hoped for (regular season and tournament) it was a very successful season. For Lincolnview, it’s the second straight NWC championship, not an easy task in the NWC.
An oddity
Our friend Kevin Wannemacher pointed this out and it’s something I haven’t seen before.
Patrick Henry’s baseball team could advance all the way to the state tournament, yet not have to leave Hamler until then. Patrick Henry is hosting the district and regional tournaments and the Patriots are the No. 2 seed.
If Patrick Henry wins the sectional title and district championship, the Patriots would continue on at home in the regionals. In theory, five tournament games could be played at home before the state tournament in Akron.
Girls wrestling
In a press release issued on Monday, the Ohio High School Athletic Association announced that its inaugural girls wrestling state tournament in March of next year will be held alongside the three divisions of the boys wrestling state tournament at the Schottenstein Center at The Ohio State University.
POSTED: 05/17/22 at 3:54 am. FILED UNDER: Sports
VW independent sports
Van Wert 9 Coldwater 6
Kaden Shaffer and Brylen Parker each had two RBIs to help Van Wert to a 9-6 Senior Night victory over Coldwater at Russell Fisher Field on Monday.
Shaffter doubled in TJ Stoller for a 2-1 lead in the second inning, then singled home Stoller in the third to increase the lead to 5-1. Parker had a two-RBI double in the fourth, scoring AJ Proffitt and Luke Wessell, giving Van Wert an 8-4 lead.
In the fifth inning, Turner Witten singled home Shaffer for the final margin.
Josh Reichert, Sam Houg and Wessell combined to strike out six Coldwater batters, while allowing nine hits.
Van Wert (13-7) will play at Antwerp at 5 p.m. today.
Kalida 9 Lincolnview 5
Kalida defeated No. 3 Lincolnview 9-5 in the regular season finale on Monday.
No game information was available.
The Lancers will host Ada or Spencerville in the Division IV sectional finals at 5 p.m. Thursday.
POSTED: 05/17/22 at 3:53 am. FILED UNDER: Sports
VW independent sports
Lincolnview earned a pair of baseball victories on Saturday while Van Wert shut down Delphos Jefferson.
Lincolnview 15 Pandora-Gilboa 8
Lincolnview 3 Parkway 0
No. 4 Lincolnview rallied from a 3-0 first inning deficit to defeat Pandora-Gilboa 15-8 on Saturday.
The Lancers scored five runs in the second inning, including a two-RBI single by Jack Dunlap, After a three run fourth and two more in the fifth, Lincolnview added five runs in the sixth, including an inside-the-park home run by Austin Bockrath.
Bockrath and Dane Ebel each finished with three RBIs, while Price, Cole Binkley and Dunlap each drove in a pair of runs.
In the second game of the day, Price and Keegan Farris combined to hold Parkway to one hit in a 3-0 victory.
Price struck out six in two innings while Farris fanned three and allowed a hit in five innings of work. All three of Lincolnview’s runs came in the fifth inning – a two-RBI double by Caden Hanf and an RBI single by Evan Miller.
Parkway’s lone hit was a fourth inning single by Bryce Stearns.
The Lancers (18-4) are scheduled to host Kalida at 5 p.m. today.
Van Wert 16 Delphos Jefferson 0 (five innings)
DELPHOS — Briston Wise pitched a complete game one hitter and Brylen Parker drove in five runs to lead Van Wert to a five inning 16-0 win over Delphos Jefferson on Saturday.
Wise struck out six and walked two and gave a up third inning double to Jacob Simmons.
Van Wert led 2-0 entering the fourth, then added six runs, including a three-run triple by Parker. Eight more runs were scored in the fifth, including an RBI double by Parker.
Josh Reichert and TJ Stoller each had two RBIs for the Cougars (12-7).
Van Wert will host Coldwater at 5 p.m. today.
POSTED: 05/16/22 at 4:04 am. FILED UNDER: Sports
VW independent sports
LIMA — Van Wert’s Jace Fast finished as the No. 3 seed heading into this week’s Division II district tennis tournament at Port Clinton.
During sectional play at UNOH on Saturday, Fast lost to St. Marys Memorial’s Joey Vanderhorst 7-5, 6-4, but came back to defeat Lima Central Catholic’s Max Gaumier 6-2, 2-6, 6-2 to secure the third seed.
District competition is scheduled for Thursday and Saturday at the VonThron-Hablitzel Tennis Center at Port Clinton High School.
POSTED: 05/16/22 at 4:04 am. FILED UNDER: Sports
VW independent sports
Van Wert cruised to the Western Buckeye League boys’ track and field title while Ottawa-Glandorf won the girls’ title by the slimmest of margins.
The 2022 WBL meet was held at Van Wert High School Wednesday and Friday.
The 4×200 relay team of Connor Pratt, Nate Phillips, Nate Jackson and Trey Laudick won with a time of 1:30.34, and the 4×400 team of Laudick, Phillips, Gage Springer and Pratt won in 3:24.97.
The 4×800 team of Gage Wannemacher, Rylan Miller, Springer and Hunter Sherer finished second (8:10.63), as did the 4×100 team of Keldyn Bill, Phillips, Gage Stemen and Jackson (44.54).
Pratt won the 400 meter dash (49.76) and finished second in the 200 meter dash (22.9), while Springer won the 800 meter run in 2:01.33. Nate Phillips won the high jump title (6-01).
As a team, the Cougars finished with 119.5 points to easily outdistance runner-up Shawnee (94) and third place finisher Celina (55).
On the girls’ side, Mia Rager was Van Wert’s lone champion, finishing first in the long jump (16-08.75). Kendra Deehring was the runner-up in the 100 meter dash (13.14) along with the 4×200 team (Deehring, Macy Johnson, Danesha Branson and Sofi Houg, 1:47.76) and the 4×400 team (Johnson, Deehring, Branson and Houg, 4:09.70).
Ottawa-Glandorf edged Celina for the girls’ title, 100.5-100. Van Wert finished fifth with 50 team points.
POSTED: 05/13/22 at 10:28 pm. FILED UNDER: Sports
VW independent sports
Baseball
Van Wert 11 Bath 10 (eight innings)
Luke Wessell’s RBI single scored Ethan Rupert and gave Van Wert an eight inning, 11-10 win over Bath at Russell Fisher Field on Friday.
It was Wessell’s second hit and third RBI of the game, and he pitched the final three innings of the game and struck out seven while giving up just two hits. Kaden Shaffer, Kaiden Bates and TJ Stoller each had an RBI for the Cougars, while Shaffer, Bates, Turner Witten and Brylen Parker each had two hits.
The game was tied 2-2 after one inning and Van Wert erased a 5-2 deficit by scoring five runs in the bottom of the third, including Briston Wise and Wessell scoring on a wild pitch and Stoller singling in Parker.
The Wildcats led 10-8 in the top of the seventh, but Van Wert tied the game when Wessell scored on a Stoller grounder and an RBI single by Shaffer that plated Parker.
The Cougars (11-7, 6-3 WBL) are scheduled to play at Delphos Jefferson at 11 a.m. today.
Adams Central (IN) 4 Crestview 1
CONVOY — Crestview was held to three hits and the Knights fell to Adams Central (IN) 4-1 on Friday.
The game was scoreless until the top of the fifth inning, when the Flying Jets hit three consecutive doubles and scored all four of their runs with two outs. Crestview’s lone run came in the bottom of the fifth, when Isaac Kline scored on a passed ball.
Bryson Penix pitched the first five innings and gave up four hits and four runs (three earned) while striking out three and walking two. Ayden Lichtensteiger pitched the remaining two innings and gave up a pair of hits while striking out one.
The Knights (11-6) will host Waynesfield-Goshen in the Division IV sectional semifinals at 5 p.m. Tuesday.
POSTED: 05/13/22 at 10:27 pm. FILED UNDER: Sports
VW independent sports
CONVOY – Just like last year, it came down to the Northwest Conference finale between Crestview and Lincolnview.
In 2021, Lincolnview won the final conference game and was crowned as the outright champion, but Friday’s scenario was a little different. The Lancers needed a victory over their rivals to claim a share of the NWC championship and they got it with a 5-2 win at the Crestview Athletic Complex. Both teams finished 7-1 in conference play.
Lincolnview pitcher Taylor Post played a big role in the win by striking out nine and holding a potent Crestview lineup to just four hits, including an RBI double by Kaylee Mollenkopf.
Crestview took a 1-0 lead in the first, but Lincolnview tied the game 1-1 in the second, then took the lead for good in the third when Kendall Bollenbacher singled in Ashlyn Price. Price singled home Andi Webb in the fourth for a 3-1 lead and Lincolnview iced the game in the seventh when Zadria King’s two-RBI single plated Post and Emma Bowersock, who was in as a courtesy runner.
Crestview’s Olivia Heckler allowed 12 hits, struck out five and walked just one. At the plate, Megan Mosier, Laci McCoy and Katie Sawmiller had singles.
Friday’s game was the final one for Crestview (20-4) while Lincolnview (20-4) will host New Bremen in the Division IV district semifinals at 6 p.m. Tuesday.
POSTED: 05/13/22 at 10:27 pm. FILED UNDER: Sports
Van Wert’s Jace Fast returns a shot during Thursday’s Division II sectionals at UNOH. Fast qualified for district competition by defeating Gabe Rutter of Shawnee 7-5, 6-4, Wade Ginther of Bluffton 6-3, 6-2, and Aristide Brastille of St. Marys Memorial 6-1, 6-3. He’ll return to action Saturday for seeding at the district level. Photo submitted
POSTED: 05/13/22 at 3:48 am. FILED UNDER: Sports
VW independent sports
Softball
Lincolnview 7 Parkway 6 (eight innings)
Ashlyn Price drove in the winning run in the eighth inning and No. 3 seed Lincolnview survived a scare with a 7-6 win over No. 6 seed Parkway in the Division IV sectional finals on Thursday.
The Lancers led 2-0 after two innings but Parkway rallied with a five-run third inning.
Addysen Stevens finished with two hits and three RBIs, while Price drove in a pair of runs. Braxton Sherrick had two hits, including a home run. Taylor Post pitched the first three innings, then Sydney Fackler came in and pitched the remainder of the game, allowing just three hits and striking out two.
Lincolnview will play Crestview in the de facto NWC championship game at 5 p.m. today, then will host New Bremen in the district semifinals on Tuesday.
Baseball
Van Wert 6 Kenton 5
Van Wert scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth and held on to defeat Kenton 6-5 at Russell Fisher Field on Thursday.
Trailing 5-3, Luke Wessell tripled in AJ Proffitt and Briston Wise, then scored on what proved to be a game winning single by Damon McCracken.
(more…)POSTED: 05/13/22 at 3:46 am. FILED UNDER: Sports
