West Liberty-Salem remained perfect, winning an OHC title with a victory over Cedarville 54-13. The Tigers finish the regular season with an unblemished record of 10-0 and have won the OHC title.  Right now the Tigers are #4 in their region and would host West Jefferson next Friday night on Mix 98.3 WPKO.

The 98.3 WPKO Game of the Week was the traditional back yard brawl between Indian Lake and Ben Logan. The scoring was back and forth in the first half, ending in a 14-14 tie. The Raiders took control in the second half, pulling away for a 28-14 victory. Ben Logan finishes 2-8 (2-3) and the Lakers 4-6 (3-2).  Landon McKirahan was named the State Farm Insurance Player of the Game with over 130 yards rushing and two touchdowns for the Raiders.  Jonathon Mobley also scored twice for Benjamin Logan.

Listen to one of McKirahan's touchdown runs

1390 WBLL featured the Bellefontaine Chieftains against the Tecumseh Arrows. Bellefontaine, despite being outgained 303-70 in yardage, held tight where it mattered most – the scoreboard. The end of regulation saw the score knotted at 7. Bellefontaine had the ball first in OT and Jordan Price nailed a 33 yard field goal into the wind to put the Chieftains up 10-7. Bellefontaine’s defense then held tough against the Arrows, forcing a 4th and 2 from the 12 yard line, only to have a QB keeper find the end zone for Tecumseh, ending the game with a Chieftain loss 13-10.

Bellefontaine finishes 8-2 (3-2) and are unofficially in the playoffs as the #7 in their region.  If that holds the Chiefs will travel to Watterson next Friday night on 1390 WBLL.

Bellefontaine head coach Jason Brown reflects on the game, the season and his seniors.

Scoreboard:

Graham crushed Urbana 36-6 to win the Madriver Division of the CBC.  Graham has finished just shy of the playoffs as the #9 in their region (top 8 go).

Sidney nipped Troy 13-12 in overtime, helping the Chiefs try to make the playoffs.

Dublin Scioto beat Marysville 33-17.

Kenton knocked off St. Mary’s 21-8, winning the WBL crown and looking forward to the playoffs.

Elida blanked Wapakoneta 37-0.

Riverside held off Perry 28-16.The Pirates finish (6-4).

Southeastern heads into the playoffs with a 49-14 whipping of Triad.

Waynesfield-Goshen and Fairbanks squared off for the NWCC crown. W-G won 25-14, finishing 9-1 (7-0) and awaiting playoff seeding.  Unofficial tallies have the Tigers #3 hosting Southeastern next Saturday night.

Catholic Central came from behind to stun Mechanicsburg 13-12.  The Burg finishes the season (6-4).

St. Henry rolled over Minster 42-7.

Coldwater blasted New Bremen 47-7.

Ridgemont beat Marion Catholic 26-6. The Gophers finish 2-8 (2-5).

Marion Local upset Anna to sneak into the playoffs. Marion Local finishes 5-5, the Rockets 8-2.

The Bellefontaine freshman football team rallied in the final minute to beat host Tecumseh 26-22 last night.

Ian Keller tossed a 55-yard halfback pass to Tyler Shamblin for the game-winning score.

Keller also scored on a 90-yard kickoff return.

Shaff Gorham had a 70-yard touchdown run, and quarterback Mac McClain added a one-yard touchdown run.

The Chiefs finish the season 4-3.

JC Sports defeated Scotts Equipment 2-0 in the 2nd and 3rd grade boys city youth soccer championship last night at Southview Park.

Jack Clement and Slava Makarov each scored a goal.

Darrick Clark recorded an assist.

The team also won the regular season finishing 8-0.

Coaches say the entire team put forth a fantastic effort all year and in the tournament.

Pictured: 

Front row from left: Simon Stolly, Holden Nease, Tate Schmittauer, Aiden Sullivan, and Gabriel LeCrone

Second row from left: Isaac Williams, Brayden Smith, Slava Makarov, Jackson Strzalka, Quinton Bible, Sean McClain, Darrick Clark, and Jack Clement

Third row from left: Coaches Jim Clement, Jim Strzalka, and Mike Bible

Desmond Mundy and Jack Costin were absent from the photo.

Kemba defeated Gill Cleaning 1-0 in the 6th, 7th, and 8th grade city youth soccer championship last night at Southview Park.

Anthony Gibson scored the game-winning goal.

Keeper Jessica Davis earned the shutout.

Coaches say the entire team played well.

Kemba went 10-1 this fall.

Pictured:

Front - Jessica Davis

Second row - Joshua Robbins, David Guajardo, Rosie Hyden, Kenzie Brunswick, Olivia Martin, and Jenna Frannin

Third row - Assistant Coach Teresa Martin, Anthony Gibson, Keeaira Wooten, Alivia Wilson, Elizabeth Martin, Zachary Brackney, Deja Peterson, and Coach Sarah Hutchison

In boys 2nd and 3rd grade tournament soccer, JC Sports beat Scott’s Equipment 3-1.

Jackson Strzalka, Jack Clement, and Simon Stolly each scored.

Tate Schmittauer, Derrick Clark, and Isaac Williams played outstanding defense.

The Bellefontaine Chieftain boys soccer team headed to Tecumseh on Tuesday night to take on the Greenon Knights in the Division II Sectional Final, starting out slow in the first half, with the score tied, 0-0.

The Chiefs came back in the second half with aggression, and defeated the Knights 2-0. Head Coach Steve Henry said that they didn’t really change much in the second half.

“I think the guys started believing in themselves. At the beginning they came out a little flat, and Greenon really kind of controlled it and they had a lot more opportunities, but as the game progressed we started to get more confident, we started making more runs and started to see that this is definitely achievable,” Henry said after the game.

The first goal was scored by Anthony Vicario, who was injured in the first half, but came back to score the goal the same way he was injured.

The second goal was scored by Robbie Ball.

Listen to Coach Steve Henry talk about the win, what the team did the second half to win the game, what he plans to do to prepare for Saturday’s game, and Anthony Vicario’s injury to goal transformation.

Bellefontaine (15-3-1) is set to play Kettering Alter in the district final Saturday afternoon at 2:30 at Franklin High School.

Other boys soccer tournament finals:

Tipp City edged Springfield Shawnee 5-4 on penalty kicks.

Springfield Catholic defeated West Liberty-Salem 4-0.

Bethel beat Lehman 3-2.

Yellow Springs blanked Greeneview 4-0.

Centerville edged Sidney 1-0.

Alter beat Bellbrook 2-1.

The Razz-M-Tazz Studios Dancers competed in the Twirling Unlimited Competition at Indian Lake Middle School last Saturday.

Aurora Merideth and Ally Dickenson earned second and third place finishes, respectively, in the First Time Competitors in Special Beginner Solo Category.

Katie Hartsel finished third and Kierstin Diener finished fourth in the Novice Solo Competitors Category.

Chelsea Thompson placed first in Freestyle and second place in Best Appearing; Rachel Thompson also placed first in Freestyle Fancy Strut as well as Best Appearing.

Juvenile Small and Senior Small each finished first in the Dance Twirl Teams Competition.

Members of those twirl teams include: Jillian Davis, Ally Dickenson, Katie Hartsel, Chelsea Thompson, Dana Burton, Stacy Burton, Peggy Deardurff, and Rachel Thompson.

The next competition will see the dancers compete in the Miss Holiday Pageant in Ida, Michigan.

In youth football, the Indian Lake Little Lakers varsity outscored West Liberty 44-34 yesterday.

Coaches say it was a total team effort.

The Lakers went undefeated in the regular season. They will play Marysville in the championship game next week.

The Cleveland Indians and Executive Vice President and General Manager Mark Shapiro Sunday named Manny Acta the 40th Manager in Franchise History. He is signed thru 2012 with a club option for 2013.

Acta, 40, has been a coach or manager at the Major League level each of the last eight seasons since 2002. He most recently served as the Manager of the Washington Nationals for two and one half seasons after being named to the post on November 14th, 2006, becoming just the 2nd manager in Nationals franchise history while succeeding Frank Robinson. During his time with the Nationals he compiled a record of 158-252 (.385). During his first season in 2007 he led the Nationals to a fourth place finish in the competitive National League East Division after the team recorded three straight last place finishes from 2004-06. The 2007 Nationals employed 14 rookies and 13 different starting pitchers.

He originally broke into the Majors as the third base/infield coach of the Montreal Expos in 2002 and held that position for three seasons from 2002-2004. Acta then moved onto the same position on the Major League staff of the New York Mets in 2005 & 2006 before being named the manager of the Washington Nationals.

The Dominican Republic native holds dual citizenship in both the Dominican Republic and United States and is the only active manager in the big leagues and just the 4th manager overall from the baseball-rich island.

Acta began his post playing career in the Houston Astros Player Development System in 1992 and started his managerial career in 1993 at Class A Auburn (30-46) of the short season New-York Penn League. He managed for eight seasons in the Houston Astros system and was named the Florida State League Manager of the Year in 1999 after guiding Kissimmee to the Florida State League Championship.

In addition to both major and minor league managerial experience, Acta also has served as a manager for four seasons in both the Dominican and Venezuelan winter leagues. During the 2003 and 2004 Dominican Winter league seasons he guided Licey to the winter league championship and was named the Manager of the Year. Acta also managed the Dominican Republic’s team to a semi-final appearance in the inaugural World Baseball Classic in 2006. Manny’s playing career spanned six seasons at the minor league level from 1986-1991 in the Houston Astros organization.

“We are very excited to have Manny Acta as our Major League manager,” said Executive Vice President and General Manager Mark Shapiro. “After speaking with an impressive array of candidates, we feel that Manny is a very strong and experienced leader who possesses great energy and enthusiasm along with tremendous communication skills and a positive mindset that will command a presence in the dugout, clubhouse and with our fans.”

“I am very excited to become part of the Cleveland Indians family,” said Cleveland Indians Manager Manny Acta. “I look forward to working with this talented group of young men who seem to possess a lot of energy and passion for their work.  I believe we will grow together as a team with the ultimate goal of bringing a championship to Cleveland and its fans.”

The 6th-seeded Riverside Lady Pirates defeated the 4th-seeded Covington Buccaneers in Saturday tournament action to win the lower bracket of the Division IV sectional finals at Piqua High School. Riverside defeated Covington in three games; 25-11, 25-16, 25-23.

The win improves the Pirates overall record to 22-3.

For Riverside, Amelia Carter had 13 kills, 10 digs and 4 blocks; Sarah Schindewolf had 5 service aces, 4 assists and 14 digs; Brooklynn Purtee had 8 kills and 11 digs; Tory Thompson had 8 kills and 31 assists; Erica Snapp had 14 kills and 13 digs and; and Abby Heaberlin had 5 kills, 8 assists and 12 digs.

The Lady Pirates travel to Vandalia-Butler High School Saturday at 3:00 p.m. to play #3-seed Fort Loramie for the district title.

The #3-seeded West Liberty-Salem Lady Tigers also grabbed a Sectional Title in Division III, knocking off the 5th-seed Anna Rockets. The Tigers dropped the first two games of the match, then stormed back to take the last 3 games to advance (23-25, 11-25, 25-22, 26-24, 17-15).

The Tigers are now 23-1 overall.

Top performers in the match included Paige Parker with 17 digs, 20 kills and 8 points; Kayla Peterson with 43 assists, 7 blocks, 11 points with 1 ace; Becka Peterson with 24 kills, 13 blocks and 29 digs; Tyler Eckurd with 12 digs; Autumn Klinger with 11 digs and 7 points; and Olivia Marceau with 5 blocks.

The Tigers move on to play Roger Bacon at Tipp City High School Saturday at 6:30.

Other sectional final results:

Jackson Center swept Twin Valley South 25-12, 25-14, 25-16.

The Tigers improve to 21-4. They will play Cincinnati Christian (16-4) in the district title match at Vandalia-Butler Saturday at 4:30. 

Lehman defeated Triad 25-14, 25-3, 25-16.

The Cavs (16-9) will battle Cincinnati Summit Country Day (14-8) in the district final match at Vandalia-Butler Saturday at 6:30.

Ft. Loramie handled Southeastern 25-8, 25-13, 25-15.

The Redskins are 18-7.

The Bellefontaine Chieftain boys soccer team provided home fans with their second home tournament win of the week, a 2-1 victory over the Milton-Union Bulldogs Saturday night at Dodd Stadium.

Anthony Vicario provided the lone 1st half goal on an assist from Robbie Ball to give the Chiefs a 1-0 halftime lead.

Milton-Union pressed midway through the second half and was able to tie the score on a rebound off a keeper deflection.

Bellefontaine had the answer with a little over a minute to play, with Aaron Dunn taking advantage of a crowded goal box to get the ball to Vicario, who fired it past the Bulldogs keeper for the deciding goal.

The defense withstood the final Bulldogs charge to finish with a 2-1 victory, propelling the Chieftains into their third sectional final in the past four years.

The Chieftains improve to 14-3-1. They will play in the sectional final against Greenon at Tecumseh High School on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.

From Head Coach Steve Henry: "I definitely think the field conditions played a part in tonight's game. It was very muddy, and it really seemed to slow us down a little. But Milton-Union came to play, too. They weren't holding anything back, and they played with a lot of heart. At the beginning of the game we had great movement off the ball, but as the game went on, those opportunities started to not be there as often. When they equalized in the second half, I thought our team did a great job of matching their intensity, and didn't let them get the momentum. We took it up a level in the last 10 minutes, and that's what produced the go-ahead goal. These seniors will get a chance to play for their 3rd sectional title in 4 years. It should be a great match!"

Other boys tournament finals:

West Liberty-Salem beat Franklin-Monroe 3-2 in double overtime.

The Tigers will play rival Springfield Catholic at Bellbrook Tuesday at 7:30.

Springfield Shawnee edged Indian Lake 3-2 on the second round of penalty kicks.

The game was scoreless after regulation and two fifteen minute overtime sessions.

Each team then converted two of their five penalty kicks (in the first round of penalty kicks).

After the first round, it goes to sudden victory.

Springfield Shawnee made their shot and the Lakers missed.

The Braves had 15 shots on goal; the Lakers recorded 6 shots on goal.

Keeper Stanley Beatty made 14 saves.

Indian Lake finishes the season 3-14.

Springfield Shawnee will play Tipp City in the sectional title match at Tecumseh Tuesday at 5:30.

Tipp City blanked Northeastern 6-0.

Lehman defeated Botkins 3-1.

Greenon shut out Northwestern 3-0. 

12U

Huntsville lost a hard fought game to Calvary Christian 3-2.

For Huntsville, Kati Bowsher and Cody Beair each scored a goal.

U8

Huntsville #1 won its first tournament game over Lakeview #2 3-0.

Chloe Burba and Derek Cline scored, with assists by Rachel Davis and Kristen Young.

Raelyn Clary, Kaya Campbell, and Kason Carruthers helped lead the defense.

In the net, Cole Overby and Ethan Fulkerson helped lead Huntsville to its 7th straight shutout win.

Lakeview #1 C&S Farm Market opened tournament play with a 3-1 win over Huntsville #2.

Landon Siebeneck scored twice and Ethan Shoffner added a goal.

Annabelle Bryant and Reid Vance recorded assists.

The entire team played strong defense.

Keeper Anna Peterman did not allow a goal.

2-3 grade boys

JC Sports beat Fissel Floor Covering 5-1.

Tate Schmittauer had a hat trick.

Slava Makarov and Jack Clement each added a goal.

Keeper Holden Nease and Isaac Williams shined on defense.

U6

The Huntsville Sharks won two tournament games on Saturday.

The Sharks won game one versus North Logan #4 by a score of 2-0.

Goal scorers were Keyton Carruthers and Lucas Schwieterman.

The Sharks went on to defeat Lakeview #1 in the second game 1-0.

Cayden Whitman scored late in second half for the game winner.

Defensive MVPs went to Elayna Richardson and Preston Bothel.

The West Liberty-Salem girls turned in another stellar performance, placing 3rd in the DIII Southwest District meet in Clayton on Saturday.

The top 6 teams in the race qualified for next week's regional meet in Troy. The Big Orange held it's own against three top 10 state-ranked teams. (Versailles #2, Ft. Loramie #5, Russia #10, WLS #18)

Team Scores: 1st Versailles 71, 2nd Russia 87, 3rd WLS 92, 4th Ft. Loramie 96, 5th Covington 144, 6th Ansonia 169 (15 teams competed).

The Big Orange placed 3 runners in the top 15: Shawnda Henault (6th), Meghan Vogel (11th), and Jasmine Smith (13th).  Also placing were Savanna Shipp (36th), Sarah Williams (43rd), Jordan Smith (50th), and Sarah Murphy (54th).

This is the 7th consecutive year WLS has qualified for the regional meet.

WLS improves its record to 113-21 on the season and will compete at 11:05 next Saturday in Troy. 

The Big Orange Boys narrowly missed out on a regional berth Saturday at Districts. The Big Orange Boys finished 5th overall and needed to be in the top 4 to qualify for Regionals. The Big Orange Boys finished the season with their first OHC title in 5 years and an overall record of 117-36.

Colin Wilson (21st), Aaron Scott (22nd), Matt Vogel (25th), and Alex Adams (30th) all provided strong finishes. Also placing were Zane Esch (51st), J.J. Birt (61st), and Kelby Wallace (76th). Nearly the entire team returns next season, as Wallace is the lone senior.

The Chieftain Boys squad battled the mud, flu, and ACT test enroute to capturing a regional berth in next Saturday's field of 16 at Troy in Division II cross country. BHS finished fourth at the district meet.

The Chieftain places out of the 91 runners were Todd White (11th), Nate Orndorf (16th), Josh Runion (19th), Chris Walker (32nd), Lawrence Miller (33rd), Jordan Wilking (44th), and Miyabi Nonaka (56th).

For the Chieftain girls, Katie King finished 13th overall, qualifying for the regional tournament. The Chieftain girls finished 8th as a team.

The Benjamin Logan boys team finished in 10th place with 239 points at the district cross country meet at Clayton on Saturday.

Senior Logan Leis qualified for the regional meet with his 7th place finish.

Other finishers: Tyler Ahle (47th), Zach Creamer (58th), Paul Larsen (60th), Jake Penhorwood (67th), Kyle VanDyke (74th), and Evan Daugherty (82nd).

Logan Leis will be back in action representing the Raiders at the regional meet in Troy Saturday at 2:05.

Indian Lake competed Saturday at the Division II District Meet at the Miami Valley Career Technology Center in Clayton.

The Lady Lakers just missed qualifying for the regional meet, finishing 5th out of 12 teams (the top four advance).

Junior Rachel Watt and sophomore Kayla Beltz qualified for regionals.

Watt finished 9th with a time of 21:14, Beltz was 12th with a time of 21:17, junior Emily Gardner finished 27th with a time of 22:27, sophomore Ashley Albright was 30th with a time of 22:23, senior Taylor Norviel was 39th with a time of 23:11, junior Melissa Bell came in 66th with a time of 25:15, and freshman Ellie Schwieterman finished 70th with a time of 25:34.

The girls ended the season with a record 115-64.

Watt and Beltz will run on Saturday at Troy Hobart Arena in the Division II regional race at 11:50.

The boys team finished 13th out of 13 teams.

Leading the way for the boys were sophomore Jacob Varney (46th with a time of 19:28), freshman Brad McIntire (55th with a time of 19:46), junior Neill Schwieterman (68th with a time of 20:17), freshman Klay Nichols (84th with a time of 22:34), junior Nick Bozman (86th with a time of 23:00), and freshman Seth Mackesy (87th with a time of 23:46).

Junior High:

Benjamin Logan 8th grader David Wenger finished the cross country season in an impressive 6th place showing in a season-best time of 10:50 at the Middle School State Cross Country Championships on Sunday.

Classmate Kyler Young finished 24th in a time of 11:35.