Captain Brinn's Pre-Pre-Season Rankings: D1

Last but not least, here is my look at Division One, where the Cincinnati Catholic Schools have dominated! The state tourney usually ends up being the GGCL Invite!!
Here we go:
1. Cincinnati Mother of Mercy (These GGCL teams just seem to reload despite losses to their rosters. While I doubt Mother of Mercy will be number one all season long, they are the defending state champions so we will give them the benefit of the doubt.)
2. Cincinnati Mt. Notre Dame (Same reasoning. These teams beat up on each other and are so well-coached and talented. Last year's runner-up will start my early rankings in the same position.)
3. Cincinnati Ursuline (Came on strong at the end of last season and really it should be the GGCL and everyone else. Ursuline is right up there.)
4. Rocky River Magnificat (Return enough to return to state, though won't be strong enough to challenge the Cincy teams. Well-coached and enough talent to keep the tradition going.)
5. Cincinnati St. Ursula Academy (Julie Thoman-Perry has now gone without a state title for five seasons. Her schedule is always brutal and her team made a run to regionals last season. I have to believe they are going to get their groove back soon.)
6. Cincinnati McAuley (Same reasoning as the rest of this GGCL-dominated top 10. Can be good enough to beat anyone, but their record will be blemished because of its level of difficulty.)
7. Dublin Coffman (Looking good during the summer according to my sources and a lot of talent returning. Could be on of the sleeper teams of the season in D1 and propel Columbus into the D1 hunt.)
8. Mentor (This team came out of nowhere last season, though the tradition has always been here. They didn't just roll over and play dead in the state final four last season either and made a strong showing in four games. Losses to the roster, but last year's finish gets them in the top ten.)
9. Cincinnati Seton (Can you say GGCL team? Good enough for me!)
10. Toledo St. Ursula Academy (Last season didn't live up to the standards for TSUA, who has been a staple in the state tournament most of the decade. Can they return to their perch this season? May be a little tougher for them.)
The rest:
11. Dayton Chaminade-Julienne
12. Toledo Notre Dame Academy
13. Solon
14. Amherst Steele
15. Hilliard Davidson
16. Pickerington North
17. Cincinnati Oak Hills
18. Vandalia Butler
19. Olentangy
20. Bowling Green
21. Olmsted Falls
22. Dublin Scioto
23. Lebanon
24. Youngstown Boardman
25. Stow Monroe-Falls
26. Wooster
27. Elyria
28. Westerville South
29. Centerville
30. Lakota West

The Class of D1: Any GGCL team and Rocky River Magnificat
Sleepers: Dublin Coffman, TSUA, Mentor, Dayton C-J
Don't Be Surprised If: Duh. A GGCL team is crowned state champion once again!

Last Five State Champions:
2007: Cincinnati Mother of Mercy
2006: Cincinnati Mount Notre Dame
2005: Cincinnati Seton
2004: Toledo St. Ursula Academy
2003: Cincinnati St. Ursula Academy

Captain Brinn's Pre-Pre-Season Rankings: D2

Here are my early thoughts on D2:
1. Tipp City Tippecanoe (D2 will be wide open, but Tippecanoe was impressive at state last season and return enough to be a title contender so I am giving them the pre-pre-season target, though we will see how they perform over the summer. They lost a heartbreaker (16-14) to Bishop Hartley in the state semi last year and that bitter taste could propel them.)
2. Salem (Another team with a bitter taste in their mouth after they lost a close and tight battle to the eventual state champion, Toledo Central Catholic, 15-13 in five games in the state semi-final. Revenge will be my motivation for the top two in my early rankings!)
3. Columbus Bishop Hartley (Impressive team that finished as runners-up last year. Even more impressive coaching. This team should be even better this coming season.)
4. Bexley (They burst onto the radar last season and lost in three close games to Bishop Hartley in regional finals. They were young and they will threaten this season, but will have to get through Hartley once again probably.)
5. Kettering Alter (A tough schedule will prepare them once again for tourney and they should be better than last season. You can never count out this traditional powerhouse.)
6. Toledo Central Catholic (Probably way too high, but the title of defending state champions will get them the #6 spot. They lose an incredible array of talent from last years team and will have to rely on new players to keep the momentum going. Probably will be good, just nowhere near what they were last season.)
7. Mansfield Madison Comprehensive (This program is always on the radar and they showcased some momentum in last season's tourney, almost upending TCC in regional finals when they pushed the eventual champions to five games. May threaten again this season.)
8. Parma Padua Franciscan (Padua was a sleeper all season and almost awoke when they pushed Salem in the regional finals.)
9. Cincinnati McNicholas (A GGCL team which means they will be tested in the regular season. Last season they proved worthy and almost knocked Tippecanoe out in regional semi-finals. Could they finally breakthrough this season?)
10. Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit (Had an up-and-down season last year after their 2006 season dominance. They recovered for a strong tourney run, where they lost 17-15 to Salem in regional semi's. I have to believe they will be stronger this season.)
The rest:
11. Hubbard
12. Cincinnati Wyoming
13. Bellbrook
14. Tallmadge
15. Beaumont School for Girls
16. Unioto
17. John Glenn
18. Celina
19. Mentor Lake Catholic
20. Warsaw River View
21. Ottawa-Glandorf
22. Kenston
23. LaGrange Keystone
24. Lakeview
25. Sunbury Big Walnut
26. Urbana
27. Wooster Triway
28. Canal Winchester
29. Millersburg West Holmes
30. Akron SVSM

The Class of D2: Tippecanoe, Salem, Bishop Hartley, Bexley, Alter
Sleepers: Madison Comp., McNicholas, Toledo Central Catholic, Parma Padua, Walsh Jesuit
Don't be Suprised If: The top five teams stay steady all season and the final four includes at least three returnees from last season.

Last Five State Champions:
2007: Toledo Central Catholic
2006: Kettering Alter
2005: Roger Bacon
2004: Roger Bacon
2003: Kettering Alter

Captain Brinn's Pre-Pre Season Rankings: D3

Here are my Division 3 pre, pre-season rankings:

1. Lima Central Catholic (The defending champions came out of nowhere last season and now will begin this season with the target on their back. They return quite a bit from last year's team, but will face a tough road back to state. Can they handle the pressure?)
2. Cincinnati Roger Bacon (A final four team last season, it definitely wasn't what a Roger Bacon squad usually is. Still, they have a great coach and a great tradition and will once again be battle-tested in the GGCL.)
3. Albany Alexander (This team is very well-coached and was runners-up last season. They return many players from that team and could be a contender in this division once again.)
4. Versailles (The top team in the MAC conference last season should once again be good enough to be in contention for anything.)
5. Anna (Kind of a disappointing end to the Rockets' season, as they could not defend their 2006 state title. They will have plenty of talent back and without the injury bug biting might find their way back to state, though their regional will likely include two teams ranked before them in Roger Bacon and Versailles.)
6. Milan Edison (Young last season, but highly talented. They could finally steal the spotlight in their league from Huron if the inexperience is under control from their talented athletes. They are playing a tough schedule this season and that will help come tourney time.)
7. Huron (The post-Sarah Sage era begins with Huron, a team that failed to live up to expectations last season after their final four run in 2006. Of course with Don Wood, who continues to coach the program to lofty expectations, Huron is still going to be in the mix.)
8. Gates Gilmour Academy (They were so close to being in the state title game last season, but lost in a heartbreaker to Albany Alexander in the semi-final. Will they be able to repeat the magic this season?)
9. Frankfort Adena (Of course the top 10 would not be complete without Adena, a team that seems to churn out more consistency than any other small school program, though the big prize as eluded them in the modern era. This team is solidly coached and could contend out of the Central District for a state bid.)
10. St. Henry (Who knows how this formerly great program will do in the regular season since they play such a tough schedule, but we do know that it doesn't matter as they will always threaten in the postseason much like last year after a non-characteristic regular season yielded a regional tourney appearance.)
The rest:
11. Heath
12. Tuscarawas Valley
13. West Salem Northwestern
14. Centerburg
15. Archbold
16. Cleveland VASJ
17. Hamilton Badin
18. Girard
19. Marion Pleasant
20. Buckeye Trail
21. Orrville
22. Monroe Central
23. Columbiana Crestview
24. Berkshire
25. Hebron Lakewood
26. Williamsport Westfall
27. Wheelersburg
28. Norwayne
29. Chagrin Falls
30. Kansas Lakota

The Class of D3: L.C.C., Roger Bacon, Albany Alexander, Anna, Versailles
Sleepers: Milan Edison, Huron, Frankfort Adena, Gilmour Academy
Don't Be Surprised If: The final four features four entirely new teams

Last Five State Champions:
2007: Lima Central Catholic
2006: Anna
2005: Cleveland VASJ
2004: Newark Catholic
2003: Orrville

Jeromesville Hillsdale softball coach resigns

Just had this article sent to me about Hillsdale's coach resigning as softball coach after nine seasons and two state appearances at the tradition-rich program. He makes some pretty bold statements about the Board of Education in this article, which makes it sound like it is not something he necessarily wanted to do.
Here's the link:
http://www.times-gazette.com/news/article/3970341

Milan Edison to face-off against defending D3 champs L.C.C.

I just got this email from some Milan Edison fans regarding the kick-off to a highly-anticipated season for Edison. The Lady Chargers were very, very young last year and made an impression. An even bigger impression is expected from this squad this season and next, as most of the players will be just juniors from my understanding.
Here's the email:
"Hey Captain, Some info for you....The Lady Chargers of Milan Edison are looking forward to opening the season on Saturday, August 23rd at Edison with State Champion Lima Central Catholic. This match up could potentially be a Regional Final preview. Just a couple years ago, teams of this caliber would not have even considered Edison as an opponent. Lot of talent on the team with one starting senior and three strong hitting juniors to be. We'll see how things progress throughout the season. Keep the ladies on the radar! Thanks for all you do for this great sport of high school volleyball."
We love to see when teams toughen their schedules in order to get better! I also thought I read on JJHuddle at one time that Milan Edison would be joining the always-touch Convoy Crestview Invitational this season, which in the past has always featured Marion Local and Norwalk St. Paul and last year added Celina. If true, it seems Edison might be making a statement about the fact that they want to challenge Huron for supremecy in their league!
Stay tuned, D3 Pre-Pre-Season Rankings will be posted in the next few days!

Captain Brinn's Pre-Pre Season Volleyball Rankings: D4

I couldn't wait anylonger. I had to start the conversation about vollyeball's upcoming season. What a better way to do that than to rank, which seems to ruffle feathers and start debate instantaneously! The first round starts with Division 4. Keep in mind these are the rankings before the preseason rankings which are before the start of my annual REAL rankings. These are just food for thought. Feel free to comment on them in the comments section!

DIVISION 4
1. Marion Local (Seems to make sense to start off with the best team in D4 last season and the defending state champion. They had some stars graduate, but the tradition and plenty of talent remain.)
2. Jackson Center (They weren't impressive in the final four last season, but they were a pretty impressive team overall during the regular season. They should be right there again.)
3. Norwalk St. Paul (An established program in D4 volleyball that seems to keep churning out talent since bursting onto the scene with their first state title. )
4. Sidney Lehman Catholic (Another established program that was easily handled by Jackson Center in regional finals last season. Always a guarantee to make regionals, but can they make their way back to state?)
5. New Bremen (Last season they surprised everyone with their strong showing. Started to fade towards seasons end, but were young. Should be in contention for the MAC title and should challenge Marion Local. Can they finally break out of the tough MAC sectional and make it to regionals and perhaps state?)
6. Newark Catholic (Tradition rich and underappreciated last season. Made it to state, but were easily handled. Still a strong team and should be towards the top.)
7. Minster (Another MAC team and another surprising team last season. Can they continue to improve and get back to the glory days?)
8. Delphos St. John's (I may be stepping out on a limb here as they are traditionally one of the worst teams in the tough MAC conference, but they just had a strong showing in Lehman's summer tourney and they had a run to the district finals last season and took ML to four games. Could be their season to make a statement and finish in the top 3 or 4 of the MAC.)
9. Hopewell-Loudon (Not the H-L teams of the past, but made a good run last season. Won't contend for a state appearance or anything, but good enough to win their league and make another run to regional finals perhaps.)
10. Twin Valley South (Did well last season. Can they continue?)
The rest:
11. Leipsic
12. Kidron Central Christian
13. New Knoxville
14. Sycamore Mohawk
15. Lancaster Fisher Catholic
16. New Riegel
17. South Charleston Southeastern
18. Lordstown
19. Reedsville Eastern
20. Convoy Crestview
21. Kalida
22. Ashtabula St. John & Paul
23. Berlin Hiland
24. Tuscarawas Central Catholic
25. Portsmouth Clay
26. Edon
27. Ayersville
28. Fort Recovery
29. Monroeville
30. Old Fort

The Class of DIV: Marion Local, Jackson Center, NSP, New Bremen, Lehman Catholic
Sleepers: Delphos St. John's, Minster, Hopewell-Loudon, Newark Catholic
Don't be surprised if: We see Marion Local and NSP play again for the state title

Last Five State Champs:
2007: Marion Local
2006: Norwalk St. Paul
2005:Sidney Lehman Catholic
2004: St. Henry
2003: Centerburg
2002: Norwalk St. Paul

Ohio loses Big 33 game to Pennsylvania

Ohio's future college football players were active this past weekend in the Big 33 game. They were on the losing end of things, however.
Here's the story:
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20080615/SPT030101/806150422/

Summer Volleyball Tourneys give preview of season to come

So the summer volleyball season is underway with teams competing in the early going in preparation of what I think is one of the most exciting seasons in Ohio H.S. sports! I wanted to give a summary of what has happened so far at the recent Lehman Summer Tourney. In a few weeks I will post my Pre-Pre-Season Rankings!

Sidney Lehman Tourney:
Not necessarily a strong pool beyond Lehman, but it is too early anyway and players were missing because of the ACT test. Lehman's Gold Team won the whole thing defeating Delphos St. John's, a surprising team here. They defeated Lehman's Blue Team and Huber Heights Wayne and split with Dublin Coffman to advance into the Gold bracket, where they defeated Little Miami and lost to Lehman Gold. Lehman's Gold Team defeated Fairbanks, Centerburg, Little Miami and Dublin Coffman before defeated Delphos St. John's.

New Coach Alert: Solon Volleyball

Solon's volleyball program has experienced quite a bit of success, including their 2006 State Final Four appearance and lofty ranking all through the 2007 season until a tough 5-game loss (16-14 in the fifth) to Mentor. Now, they are getting some new leadership. A Solon Volleyball fan sent us this email today:
"The JJ Huddle posters are looking for new coach names. Solon's is Liz Guard"
Here's the story:
Liz Guard named to lead Solon High School volleyball program
SOLON – A successful player in her own right in high school and college, Liz Guard today was named as the new head coach of the Solon High School volleyball program. Coach Guard served as assistant volleyball coach at Beaumont in 2007 and at the University of Tulsa in 2006. She currently is a Junior Olympic jump/serve volleyball coach.
We believe Liz possesses the knowledge, passion for the sport and enthusiasm to not only maintain our current program, but to also take us consistently to the next level,” said Erin Short, associate principal of Solon High School. “Her personal playing and coaching experience at very high levels will be invaluable in leading our female athletes.
While playing at Eastern Kentucky University, Coach Guard’s competitive accomplishments included a 2006 All-American Honorable Mention, and spots on the 2006 First Team All-Midwest Region as well as the First Team All-Ohio Valley Conference from 2004-06. Her Eastern Kentucky team earned a birth in the NCAA Volleyball Tournament in 2004. At the high school level, she played on the 2001 Division III state championship team at Villa Angela-St. Joseph.
Having played at high competitive levels, including in the NCAA tournament, Coach Guard said she is confident she will be able to help the players on and off the court.
“I am honored and excited as the new head coach at Solon High School,” Coach Guard said after meeting her team for the first time today. “I am looking forward to taking a program that has already been so successful and setting even higher expectations.”
Link:
http://www.solonschools.org/athletics/features/displayarticle.asp?articleid=324200810735

Tell the story of your school's athletic tradition!

If you are proud supporter of your school and want people to know about its athletic tradition, then write a blog feature for Captain Brinn's Ohio Varsity. No length requirements or anything specific like that. We want to learn about as many high school sports programs as possible. Tell us about state appearances, greatest teams, greatest athletes, athletes who made it big in the pros or at college, title runs, cinderella runs, etc. Simply put, tell about your high school program!
Email you blog feature to captainbrinn@gmail.com
We hope to feature them on here as we get them! And, you don't have to put who you are. Anonymous is fine. Looking forward to it!

Pre-Pre-Season Softball Predictions

The dust has just been cleared from home plate in Akron and already I can't wait to predict what the landscape will look like for next season. There will be some new teams that pop-up out of nowhere, but the typical powers will be back vying for another shot at the title. So without further ado, here are my 2009 softball pre-pre-season rankings!
The Captain's Preseason 2009 State Rankings
D1
1.)Grove City 2.)Elyria 3.)Mason 4.)Brunswick 5.)Lebanon 6.)North Royalton 7.)Hilliard Darby 8.)Holland Springfield 9.)Greenville 10.)Clayton Northmont
Others to watch:Lakota East, Hudson, Ashville Teays Valley, Marysville.
D2
1.)Clyde 2.)LaGrange Keystone 3.)Akron Hoban 4.)Granville 5.)Canfield (loses 8 to graduation)6.)Springfield Kenton Ridge 7.)Tallmadge 8.)Poland Seminary 9.)Chardon Notre Dame Cathedral Latin 10.)Celina
Others to watch:Lima Bath, Thonrnville Sheridan, Dover, New Concord John Glenn
D3
1.)Hebron Lakewood 2.)Wellington 3.)Jeromesville Hillsdale 4.)Akron Manchester 5.)Columbia Station Columbia 6.)Richwood North Union 7.)North Robinson Colonel Crawford 8.)West Liberty Salem 9.)Bloomdale Elmwood 10.)Archbold
Others to watch:Carroll Bloom Carroll, Wheelersburg, Blanchester, Brookville
D4
1.)Danville 2.)Convoy Crestview 3.)Warren JFK 4.)North Lewisburg Triad 5.)Rockford Parkway 6.)Ansonia 7.)Willow Wood Symmes Valley 8.)New Riegel 9.)Strasburg Franklin 10.)Pleasant Hill Newton
Others to watch:South Charleston Southeastern, East Canton, Dalton, Crestline

What's to come?

Keep checking Captain Brinn's Ohio Varsity this week and all summer. The state championships are over, but the Captain is just getting warmed up! We just want this blog and the Captain Brinn network to grow and grow and we want you to be a part of it. You can submit story ideas or write blog postings of your own and submit them to captainbrinn@gmail.com!

In the meantime, here's what's next:
*The Captain will post pre-pre season softball rankings late this week
*The Captain will start looking ahead to volleyball season and football season
*The Captain will feature rankings all summer of the top Ohio programs in various sports and overall
*The Captain will launch the Ohio Varsity Social Community

Keep reading! Nearly 1700 unique visits in less than 3 weeks! Wow!

Captain's Roundup

Here's a roundup of the stories from the state softball and baseball championships!Triad's 3rd straight trip to the title game in D4 was not the charm; Danville gets the gold!
Here's the story:http://www.springfieldnewssun.com/s/content/oh/story/sports/high-schools/2008/06/07/sns060808sptriadsbnotes.html
Walsh Jesuit's baseball team wrapped up their 2nd title in 3 years with easy win over Canal Winchester
Here's the story:http://www.cleveland.com/plaindealer/stories/index.ssf?/base/sports/1212913832215320.xml&coll=2As I predicted, Patrick Henry was just too much. They won the D4 baseball title big over Berlin Hiland.
Here's the story:http://highschoolsports.cleveland.com/game/recap/127844/
The D1 Softball Championship will go down in history as a classic battle where either team could win. North Canton Hoover was the lucky team, though, over Elyria.
Here's the story:http://www.cleveland.com/plaindealer/stories/index.ssf?/base/sports/1212913894215320.xml&coll=2
It wasn't Celina's day in the D2 Softball Championship, as Canfield rolled to a 6-0 win.
Here's the story:http://www.limaohio.com/sports/celina_24015___article.html/falls_game.html
Controversy in the D1 state baseball title game, where Lakewood St. Edward stole the show and the title from Cleveland St. Ignatius
Here's the story:http://www.cleveland.com/plaindealer/stories/index.ssf?/base/sports/1212913984215320.xml&coll=2Hebron Lakewood won the D3 softball title as expected, but not without a scare from Wellington
Here's the story:http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/sports/stories/2008/06/08/hs_softball_lakewood08.ART_ART_06-08-08_C6_85AEDUC.html?sid=101

TAKING HOME THE TITLE

Here is a list of all the baseball and softball champions:
DIVISION ONE:
Lakewood St. Edward (Baseball)
North Canton Hoover (Softball)
DIVISION TWO:
Cuyahoga Walsh Jesuit (Baseball)
Canfield (Softball)
DIVISION THREE:
Canton Central Catholic (Baseball)
Hebron Lakewood (Softball)
DIVISION FOUR:
Patrick Henry (Baseball)
Danville (Softball)

The last champions

The Elyria and North Canton Hoover softball D1 final was a classic! 10 innings, good defense, and star pitchers. Hoover was the lucky one, though, winning the title 1-0.
Here's a recap:
http://www.ohiohssports.com/game/recap/127822/
Patrick Henry was way too much for Berlin Hiland as they rolled to a big 10-0 victory and the D4 state baseball title.
Here's the recap:
http://www.ohiohssports.com/game/recap/127819/

Shutouts highlight next round of games

Celina was wiped out in the D2 softball finals. Canfield had their way with the WBL representative and won the title in a 6-0 route.

Things were only worse for Hamilton Badin in the D3 baseball finals. Canton Central Catholic was an 8-0 victor in the the title match.

Here's the championship list so far:
SOFTBALL:
D2 Canfield
D3 Hebron Lakewood
D4 Danville
BASEBALL:
D1 Lakewood St. Edward
D2 Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit
D3 Canton Central Catholic

More from the championships

Lakewood St. Edward was probably the one team no one thought would win the D1 baseball title, especially with nationally-ranked Lakota West there, but after upsetting West, they have now upset Cleveland St. Ignatius to claim the championship 2-0!

Hebron Lakewood capped off a championship season in D3 softball upending Wellington 5-3.

Captain's Roundup

Here are links to stories from what happened yesterday and today:
Looks as if Danville might have been the best team in D4 afterall defeating favored Crestview and Triad for the state title:
http://ohiohssports.com/game/recap/127831/
Elyria rocked Mason's world in DI softball yesterday and will now face Hoover:
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20080607/SPT0301/806070427/
Hamilton Badin's baseball team had little trouble with Wheelersburg in D3 baseball:
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20080607/SPT0301/806070426/
Celina softball advances to title game, while Coldwater baseball suffers a heartbreak. Video stories here:
http://www.limaohio.com/video/index.php?bcpid=992398979&bclid=1032340849&bctid=1593347111
Hoover softball advanced to the state title game:
http://highschoolsports.cleveland.com/game/recap/127845/

First Champions Crowned

In Division 2 baseball Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit rolled past Canal Winchester 6-0 to claim its fourth state title.

In Division 4 the third time wasn't the charm for Triad as Danville surprised again and upset the Cardinals for the Division IV title. Triad finishes as state-runners-up for three straight seasons. Here's the game blog from the Springfield News-Sun:
http://www.springfieldnewssun.com/o/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/between_the_lines/

Day Two: State Baseball and Softball

I don't have much time to post today, but wanted to provide some scores from the baseball and softball tourneys today:

BASEBALL:
Hamilton Badin 7 Wheelersburg 2
Canton Central Catholic 5 Coldwater 4
SOFTBALL:
Canfield 4 Clyde 1
Celina 5 Dover 1

The First Half: State Baseball Tourney

Biggest Headline: St. Edward upsets nationally-ranked defending champ Lakota West!

Here's the story from Cleveland.com:

http://blog.cleveland.com/tlr/2008/06/st_edward_sets_up_state_baseba.html

Comback City: Cleveland St. Ignatius avoided the upset, scoring three in the seventh to defeat Cincinnati Moeller

Here's the story from The Cincinnati Enquirer:

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20080605/SPT0301/306050073/

Cinderella's Rally: Canal Winchester continues tourney run in rally past Notre Dame Cathedral Latin

Here's the story from The Columbus Dispatch:

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/sports/stories/2008/06/05/canal_state.html?sid=101

Biggest Heartbreaker: Kenton Ridge can't hang on in upset bid of Walsh Jesuit

Here's the story from Springfield News-Sun:

http://www.springfieldnewssun.com/s/content/oh/story/sports/high-schools/2008/06/05/sns060508spkrweb.html

The First Half: Softball State Tourney

TOP HEADLINE: #1 Convoy Crestview suffers heartbreaking upset
Here's the story from The Lima News:
http://www.limaohio.com/sports/falls_23908___article.html/semifinal_state.html
BIGGEST MOMENT: Triad's Chelsea Brooks hits a grandslam in the bottom of the 10th to upend Warren JFK
Here's the story from the Springfield News-Sun:
http://www.springfieldnewssun.com/s/content/oh/story/sports/high-schools/2008/06/05/sns060608sptriadweb.html
NOT EVEN CLOSE: Hebron Lakewood rolled past a depleted Bloomdale Elmwood
Here's the story submitted by reporter Josh Morgret for The Findlay Courier:

http://www.thecourier.com/Issues/2008/Jun/06/ar_sports_060608_story1.asp?d=060608_story1,2008,Jun,06&c=s

CLOSEST BATTLE: West Liberty-Salem vs. Wellington decided by miscues only
Here's the story from Cleveland.com:
http://blog.cleveland.com/tlr/2008/06/wellington_advances_to_state_f.html

Triad vs. Danville MY PICK: Triad...still!
Hebron Lakewood vs. Wellington MY PICK: Hebron Lakewood...still!

More reports...

The Plain-Dealer reports that Moeller is up on Cleveland St. Ignatius 4-1 in the 4th inning at the Division 1 State Baseball Semi-Final...

Here's a report on the Convoy Crestview loss to Danville from The Lima News:
http://www.limaohio.com/sports/danville_23896___article.html/falls_semifinals.html

Here's a blog update from The Plain-Dealer on Wellington's upset of West Liberty-Salem:
http://blog.cleveland.com/tlr/2008/06/wellington_wins_diii_state_sem.html

A little story from the News-Sun in Springfield on Triad's triumph over JFK:
http://www.springfieldnewssun.com/hp/content/oh/story/sports/high-schools/2008/06/05/sns060608sptriadweb.html

More action...

*West Liberty-Salem loses a heartbreaker after an errant throw led to a Wellington score. Wellington is the first D3 team set for the championship game. Wellington 2, WLS 1.

More to report from around the state...

Canal Winchester upset Notre Dame Cathedral Latin today in D2 baseball and now will contend for the state championship against Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit.

The Division IV softball championship is set and Triad used a big homerun in the bottom of the 10th against Warren JFK to advance to play for the title for the third time. Will it be a charm? Unknown Danville took advantage of Crestview's poor baserunning and some timely hitting to win 3-2 over the #1 Lady Knights, who once again fall short of the title game.

Division 3 softball is underway between West Liberty-Salem and Wellington. Currently 0-0 in the 2nd inning. WLS is trying to be the second school from Champaign County to advance to the title game today (Triad being the other). PeakofOhio.com has the game on their website now! Here's the link:
http://www.peakofohio.com/content/view/5544/116/

The hunt for state titles in baseball and softball begins

Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit needed 9 innings to do away with Kenton Ridge in the first baseball semi-final for D2.



Big upset of #1 Convoy Crestview by upstart Danville. Crestview made a huge error when senior Meghan Henry was set to score but for some reason stopped and turned around and was tagged out in an attempt to return to 3rd base. Cview would have been up 1-0. Danville then scored two, though it could have been worse as they loaded bases with no outs. Then Melissa Eickholt's 2-run homer tied things up. It looked like Crestview would get the last word in the bottom of the 7th as pitcher Chelsea Lare had 2 outs but then walked a batter and then Danville got on a roll and managed to send one to home for a 3-2 lead. Crestview would threaten again with runners on 2nd and 3rd and one out, but a double play sent Danville onto the championship game and Crestview was upset once again in the state semi's. Crestview has been favored going into the state tourney in 2001, 2005, 2006, and this year, but only in 2005 did they manage to win it all.

Word is Canal Winchester up 3-1 on Notre Dame Cathedral Latin.

More later....

Softball poll results, story link

This from our friend Josh Morgret from the Fostoria Review Times who is sharing with us a preview of Bloomdale Elmwood:
http://www.reviewtimes.com/Issues/2008/Jun/04/ar_sports_060408_story1.asp?d=060408_story1,2008,Jun,04&c=s

We conducted a non-scientific poll here on the blog. Thanks to all who responded. Here are the results vs. the Captain's Predictions:

D1
Captain's Prediction: North Canton Hoover
Your Prediction: Hoover 59%, Grove City 27%, Elyria 13%, Mason 0%
D2
Captain's Prediction: Clyde
Your Prediction: Clyde 50%, Celina 44%, Dover 5%, Canfield 0%
D3
Captain's Prediction: Hebron Lakewood
Your Prediction: West Liberty-Salem 37%, Elmwood 25%, Lakewood 25%, Wellington 12%
D4
Captain's Prediction: North Lewisburg Triad
Your Prediction: Convoy Crestview 54%, Triad 31%, JFK 9%, Danville 1%

Follow baseball and softball tournament action live!

OhioHSsports.com will feature live streaming video of all state baseball and softball tournaments from their site on Saturday and it looks like they will have updated inning-by-inning score updates on the site as well. If you can't make it to your game, follow along on this site!
Link:
http://www.ohiohssports.com/

THE CAPTAIN BRINN BASEBALL PREDICTIONS

Tomorrow also kicks off the baseball state championships in Columbus. Here are my predictions on the games!
D2
Walsh Jesuit will defeat Kenton Ridge
ND-CL will defeat Canal Winchester
State Champ: Walsh Jesuit
D1
Cincinnati Moeller will upset Cleveland St. Ignatius
#1 Lakota West over Lakewood St. Edward
State Champ: Lakota West
D3
Wheelersburg over Hamilton Badin
Coldwater over Canton Central Catholic
State Champ: Coldwater
D4
Patrick Henry gets past Fort Loramie
Gilmour Academy over Berlin Hiland
State Champ: Patrick Henry

Yes, Lacrosse is alive in Ohio

While we focus on softball and baseball most of the time on here, there are other sports happening in Ohio at the high school level. LaCrosse is being played at the club level as is boys' volleyball. I have heard, though I can't say I have a qualified source on this, that LaCrosse is one of the fastest-growing sports in Ohio! Here are some article links to the happenings in some more sports coming to a head this weekend that we normally don't focus on. If you have info or thoughts to share on lacrosse, boys' volleyball, tennis, etc., please email captainbrinn@gmail.com and let us know!



Four-time defending champion Upper Arlington will take on rival Worthington Kilbourne for the boys' lacrosse championship:

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/sports/stories/2008/06/04/hs_lacrosse04.ART_ART_06-04-08_C6_B7AD6DF.html?sid=101



Columbus Academy wins the DII team boys' tennis state championship:

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/sports/stories/2008/06/02/hstenn02.ART_ART_06-02-08_C10_TFACIGN.html?sid=101



Cincinnati schools rule boys' volleyball over Columbus schools in state semi-finals:

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/sports/stories/2008/06/02/hs_volleyball02.ART_ART_06-02-08_C10_TFACIG9.html?sid=101



Columbus schools rule girls' lacrosse over Cincinnati schools in state championships:

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/sports/stories/2008/06/02/hs_volleyball02.ART_ART_06-02-08_C10_TFACIG9.html?sid=101

Approaching the 1300 hit mark!!

Excited to notice that Captain Brinn's Ohio Varsity is approaching the 1300 unique visitor mark in just our 2nd week up-and-running! Wow! Lots of you like to read about Ohio Varsity Sports, which is to be expected because Ohio does have the best high school sports around! 1300 visitors in just 2 weeks is an astounding number!

Now, we want you to join the conversation and add to our content! Feel like sharing information and your opinions or featuring your school or team or athletes? Email us a blog post/article/story, etc. at captainbrinn@gmail.com and we will post it (as long as it is appropriate). We know that everyone wants to spread the word about their team of choice and the Captain cannot cover it all so here is your chance to write and get the word out through this blog.

If you don't feel like having a whole blog post, then email us links to newspaper articles, email us video, photos, etc. or just leave a comment and join the conversation here on the blog. Just click on the COMMENTS button below the blog you want to discuss or respond to and it will let you post a comment.

Thanks for reading! Hope to hear from you soon!

Captain's Roundup

A look at some articles previewing state teams in all sports. If you have one from your local paper you don't see here, email it or add it to the comments on the post!

Danville's getting excited for their matchup with Convoy Crestview. Here's some articles from the Mt. Vernon News:
http://www.mountvernonnews.com/Sports/08/06/04/01.html
http://www.mountvernonnews.com/Sports/08/06/04/02.html
Triad is looking to getting over the "hump" and finally win that elusive title. This from the Bellefontaine Examiner:
http://www.examiner.org/sports06.03.1.php
Convoy Crestview's state tournament experience is infused with youth who have never been on the big stage before reports The Lima News:
http://www.limaohio.com/sports/softball_23780___article.html/crestview_youth.html
TV44's Sports Report previews Crestview's team, but also gives state track & field previews for Coldwater, Kenton, Van Wert, Lima Shawnee and more:
http://www.limaohio.com/video/index.php?bcpid=992398979&bclid=1032340849&bctid=1587942449

That's it for now. More later today...

By the numbers: A look at the best programs in state softball history

Real quick list of the top programs based on consistency and state appearances (and championships). I am ranking them solely based on appearances at state!

#1-Tallmadge (13 appearances, 7 championships)
#2-Akron Springfield (11 appearances, 9 championships)
#2 (tie)-Jeromesville Hillsdale (11 appearances, 5 championships)
#2 (tie)-LaGrange Keystone (11 appearances, 2 championships)
#5-Portsmouth West (10 appearances, 0 championships OUCH!!)
#6-Strasburg-Franklin (9 appearances, 4 championships)
#6 (tie)-Portsmouth Clay (9 appearances, 3 championships)
#8-Akron Hoban (8 appearances, 6 championships)
#9-Archbold (7 appearances, 3 championships)
#9 (tie)-Convoy Crestview (7 appearances, 1 championship)
#9 (tie)-Lima Bath (7 appearances, 1 championship)
#9 (tie)-Springfield Northwestern (7 appearances, 0 championships)

Loudonville (6 appearances, 3 championships), Colonel Crawford (6 appearances, 1 championship), Elyria (6 appearances, 1 championship)

THE CAPTAIN BRINN D2 FINAL FOUR BREAKDOWN

DIVISION II

These matchups may be the most difficult to analyze and to project a state champion. In the left corner we have #3 Clyde taking battle against #6 Canfield and in the right corner we have Dover vs Celina. 2 ranked vs 2 unranked opponents. The Clyde/Canfield matchup promises to be a heavy weight battle. Clyde enters the contest after upsetting one of Ohio's best in Kara Dill and #1 LaGrange Keystone in extra innings in such an epic battle. Clyde did not get one player mentioned on the All-Ohio list, but they are a team that leads by committee. In fact, they are a team full of heroes. There season has been built on a total team effort requiring contributions from every single player. The sum of the parts are greater than any one individual player. The Fliers are lead by a cast of stellar players including Lauren Meyer, Nikki Bryant, Aubrie Burkett, and Aliesha Boonie. Their victory over heavy favorite LaGrange Keystone showed this team was not only resilient, but they are that good...maybe even better than the rest of Ohio believed. Canfield, another Youngstown area rep, got their first state final four appearance after dethroning heavy final four favorite Akron Hoban in the regional final game 2-0. Hoban had been to the final four just one year ago. Tricia Bettura leads Canfield on the mound, while Melissa West takes home the golden glove award along with a solid stance at bat. Celina makes it 2nd appearance at the state tournament after taking an 8 year hiatus. The Mercer County rep is lead by ace pitcher Laura Homan with a spectacular 0.20 ERA. Celina started gaining my attention as the season went on. Their defeat of perennial state power Lima Bath in sectionals proved this team was on a mission to get to the final four. The Bulldogs kept rolling and defeated huge favorite Springfield Kenton Ridge in the regional final. They truly are the total package with timely hitting and stingy defense and pitching. Allison Braun also rounds out the all-state team players for head coach Nicole Driggs. Dover on the otherhand was a bit of a tourney surprise coming into the final four with 11 losses. These to me are the teams to be very afraid of. These teams have learned from their mistakes and usually have nothing to lose and play with little pressure and expectations. Kristin Moreland (15-4) leads the pitching attack for the tornadoes. What's most scary is that she is peaking at the right time and is getting stronger and stronger each game she has thrown in this tournament. Lindsay Limbacher has also helped the cause at the plate this season. This game may be better than advertised and therefore we shouldn't be fooled by the 11 setbacks for the Tornadoes. I'm sure Celina is well aware of the work they have cut out for them.

Clyde: 1 State Appearance (08)

Canfield: 1 State Appearance (08)

Celina: 2 State Appearances (99, 08)

Dover: 1 State Appearance (08)

All-State Players to Watch:1st Team Laura Homan--Celina, 2nd Team Allison Braun--Celina, 2nd Team Lindsay Limbacher--Dover, 2nd Team Melissa West--Canfield, Honorable Mention Tricia Bettura--Canfield

Predictions: Clyde over Canfield /Celina over Dover

State Champs: Clyde

THE CAPTAIN BRINN D3 FINAL FOUR BREAKDOWN

DIVISION III

#2 ranked West Liberty-Salem will bring their lofty 31-1 record into the first D3 matchup on Thursday in Akron against unranked and lesser-known Wellington. Wellington, led by All-Ohio Honorable Mention outfielder Carrie Gleisner, was a 5-0 winner over Akron Manchester, and pitcher Melanie Conklin shined in a one-hit shut out. Gleisner shined herself for Wellington when she had a double in the sixth inning to send in two more insurance runs for her team to advance to their first state final four. Things won't be so easy when they face the Tigers of West Liberty-Salem. Coach Lanay Detwiler's team has been solid all season and rocked North Union's world in a 4-1 victory in the regional finals. Pitcher and All-Ohio Honorable Mention pitcher Emily Kauffman was the top offensive option for the Tigers in the win against North Union, though WLS's stud all-season has been First Team All-Ohio short stop Abby Ledford. In the second matchup, #1 Hebron Lakewood, an 8-5 winner over Wheelersburg in regional finals, will do battle with #3 Bloomdale Elmwood, who defeated Colonel Crawford 4-2 to advance to the final four for the first time. Lakewood is the only team that's been on the big stage before (2002) when they finished as state runners-up. Elmwood's five seniors fell just short in 2005 as freshmen when they suffered a devasting defeat to Sycamore Mohawk, 7-6. Elmwood's First Team All-Ohio pitcher Brittany Dauterman is one of the best in the state. Too bad they will likely be without her after she suffered an arm injury in the regional win. That will make things even more difficult for Elmwood as they face the #1 team in D3 which is led by Second Team All-Ohio and Honorable Mention players Allissa Birkhimer (P) and Lindsay Barrett (C), respectively.

Wellington: 1 State Appearance (08)

West Liberty-Salem: 1 State Appearance (08)

Bloomdale Elmwood: 1 State Appearance (08)

Hebron Lakewood: 2 State Appearances (02, 08)

All-State Players to Watch: 1st Team-Brittany Dauterman (injured) (Elmwood, P), Abbey Ledford (West Liberty-Salem, SS); 2nd Team-Alissa Birkhimer (Lakewood, P), Brooke Morgart (Elmwood, SS); Honorable Mention-Linday Barrett (Lakewood, C), Cassie Gleisner (Wellington, OF), Emily Kauffman (West Liberty-Salem, P)

Predictions: West Liberty-Salem over Wellington /Hebron Lakewood over Elmwood

State Champs: Hebron Lakewood

THE CAPTAIN BRINN DIVISION 4 FINAL FOUR BREAKDOWN

DIVISION IV

#1 Convoy Crestview will take the field against #13 Danville. Danville is in unchartered water making their first state final four appearance. The Knox County rep has continued to impress along the tourney trail knocking out team after team with solid pitching and timely hitting. Presley and Matheny will look to lead the way for the Blue Devils along with Connor and their do-it-all player in Payne. A great victory over Ashland Crestview in the regional finals caught the eye of many. I had Danville as high as #6 this season in my rankings. They are no slouch. Convoy Crestview is making their astounding 7th state final four appearance and are in hopes of capturing another state title. They are led by First Team All-State Melissa Eickholt who at one point was batting around .600. The short stop stud is equally impressive on the field with her defense. The Knights showcase a youthful sophomore pitcher along with a very explosive offense. #11 North Lewisburg Triad will take on newcomer #6 Warren JFK. Triad is making their 3rd straight final four and are in hopes of winning their second state title in school history (1992). Triad has an outstanding pitcher in Morgan Ryan and a superb catcher in Brooks. First Team All-State shortstop Amber Herron also comprises this SW Ohio squad who look to get back to the state title game. They took some losses early to much larger schools, including 3 losses at the infamous Wendy's Classic. 2 other losses were to nail biters against D3 Final Four participant West Liberty Salem. While Warren JFK makes their first appearance in the state tournament, they do not come without a great resume. They have played a tough schedule around the greater Youngstown area against much larger schools as well. Rachel Pico is first-team All-State selection who will be leading the charge on the mound. JFK did derail the 2 time defending state champion Dalton in the regional semi-finals which proves their legitimacy.

Danville:1 State Appearance (08)

Convoy Crestview: 7 State Appearances (00, 01, 03, 05, 06, 07, 08)

North Lewisburg Triad:5 State Appearances (92, 99, 06, 07, 08)

Warren JFK:1 State Appearance (08)

All-State Players to Watch:1st Team Melissa Eickholt--Convoy Crestview1st Team Amber Herron--Triad2nd Team Lydia Etzler--Convoy Crestview2nd Team Rachel Pico--Warren JFKHonorable Mention Chelsey Lare--Convoy CrestviewHonorable Mention Kristen Cooney--Triad

Predictions:Convoy Crestview over Danville /Triad over Warren JFK

State Champs:North Lewisburg Triad

THE CAPTAIN BRINN D1 FINAL FOUR BREAKDOWN

DIVISION I
#3 North Canton Hoover will take battle against #2 Grove City. This game is very intriguing for the softball savants. Will Grove City be able to handle Jessica Simpson?Some may believe Grove City is the underdog, especially with the senior laden Hoover Vikings. Hoover seniors Jessica Simpson, Megan Lilley, Sarah Gerber, McKenna Russ and Felicia Houtz have all accepted Division I scholarships early, and classmate Erin Riccardi signed with John Carroll during the season. Quite frankly, North Canton Hoover is LOADED. They are looking to hoist the hardware that was ripped from them one season ago. Hoover was nationally ranked in the top 25 teams in America one season ago, before they ran into eventual state champion Hudson who literally shell-shocked the softball world with a stunning victory over Hoover in the regional finals. Grove City hopes to play spoiler this year for the star-studded Vikings. First Team All-State player Paige Myers hopes to continue her success on the mound just as she did against a pesky Lebanon team. Grove City will present a great line up of hitters as well including Erin Galloway, Paige Myers, Katie Yoho and Courtney Coleman. The other D1 semi-final will pair #1 Elyria vs Mason. Mason is making it's 2nd trip to state in as many years. Mason has taken some lumps this season but a strong schedule and a lofty throwing arm by Christin Miller and honorable mention all-state player DJ Engelman hope to derail the state's #1 team. Mason who is traditionally known as an athletic powerhouse has now placed it's stamp on the softball world. Usually, you can't bet against the Comets, but there is one team who may be very difficult to defeat---Elyria. Afterall, Elyria did defeat Mason 2-1 last year in the state semi-final. Junior Tess Sito leads the #1 Pioneers back to the state tournament for the 3rd straight season, 6th overall. Elyria does hail from the coveted Lorain County, and are looking to take their 2nd overall state title (2002).

North Canton Hoover:4 State Appearances (98, 99, 06, 08)
Mason:2 State Appearances (07, 08)
Grove City:5 State Appearances (83, 84, 89, 98, 08)
Elyria:6 State Appearances (94, 00, 02, 06, 07, 08)

All-State Players to Watch:1st Team Paige Myers--Grove City1st Team Tess Sito--Elyria1st Team Jessica Simpson--HooverHonorable Mention Megan Bashak--ElyriaHonorable Mention Felicia Houtz--HooverHonorable Mention Sarah Gerber--HooverHonorable Mention DJ Englenman--Mason
Predictions: North Canton Hoover over Grove City /Elyria over Mason
State Champs: North Canton Hoover

Captain Brinn on MySpace

Expanding the ways to communicate and connect with like-minded Ohio High School Sports Fans, Captain Brinn's Ohio Varsity is expanding its presence and now has a page on MySpace. If you have a MySpace profile add me as a friend or sign-up, create your page, and add me as a friend. This is just one more way to talk about and spread the great things about Ohio High School Sports!

http://www.myspace.com/captainbrinn

Video Highlights

Here is a link to The Lima News, which features video from WTLW TV44 Sports Report. They have video highlights of regional track and field, softball, and baseball:

http://www.limaohio.com/video/index.php?bcpid=992398979&bclid=1032340849&bctid=1582123277

Captain's Roundup

Brunswick was unable to stop the powerhouse that is North Canton Hoover:
http://www.cleveland.com/hssoftball/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/sports/1212309177150840.xml&coll=2
Elyria is heading to its third straight state tournament:
http://highschoolsports.cleveland.com/game/recap/127224/
Convoy Crestview's softball dominance continues in making state for seventh time:
http://www.limaohio.com/sports/crestview_23676___article.html/makes_plays.html
Rockford Parkway's youth catches up to them in loss to experienced Triad team:
http://www.limaohio.com/sports/parkway_23671___article.html/regional_triad.html
Celina returns to state for first time since 1999:
http://www.limaohio.com/sports/softball_23670___article.html/state_celina.html
Wellington headed to state with win over Akron Manchester:
http://www.cleveland.com/hssoftball/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/sports/1212309206150840.xml&coll=2
West Liberty-Salem moves on in defeat of Richwood North Union:
http://www.peakofohio.com/content/view/5533/1/
Grove City ousts Lebanon, Hoover up next at state:
http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/sports/stories/2008/06/01/hs_softball_d101.ART_ART_06-01-08_C6_A8ACASM.html?sid=101
Clock strikes midnight for Windham, Warren JFK set to play Triad:
http://www.tribune-chronicle.com/page/content.detail/id/506117.html?nav=5021
Hebron Lakewood moves on to state for first time since 2002:
http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/sports/stories/2008/06/01/hs_softball_rdp01.ART_ART_06-01-08_C6_A8ACASO.html?sid=101

State Softball Matchups Set

Thursday, June 5 Semifinals
Division IV
10:00 a.m.
Convoy Crestview (26-1) vs. Danville (20-6)
12:30 p.m.
North Lewisburg Traid ( 20-9) vs. Warren John F. Kennedy (20-4)
Division III
3:00 p.m.
Wellington (22-4) vs. West Liberty-Salem (31-1)
5:30 p.m.
Bloomdale Elmwood (28-1) vs. Hebron Lakewood (30-2)
Friday, June 6 Semifinals
Division II
10:00 a.m.
Clyde (24-2) vs. Canfield (21-4-1)
12:30 p.m.
Dover (19-11) vs. Celina (23-3)
Division I
3:00 p.m.
North Canton Hoover (30-2) vs. Grove City (28-3)
5:30 p.m.
Elyria (27-1) vs. Mason (24-8)

Patriots' Party

Patrick Henry's Explosive Offense May Be Too Much D4 Field
Patrick Henry comes in ranked #1 in the final coach's poll of the 2008 season. Rightfully so. Standing tall at 26-3, the Patriots have advanced to the Final Four once again. The question among the remaining 3 teams in D4 is can anyone stop this offensive explosion of the Patriots? Thus far, Patrick Henry has scored over 260 runs this season and sport a .380 team batting average. This translates into approximately 8 runs per game. That is spectacular. Bob Obenour, head coach for the Van Buren Black Knights who fell victim to PH in the regional final, stated, "There's not a weakness in their lineup, and there isn't a weakness in their hitting approach, either."PH sent 17 batters to the plate in just the 3rd inning, and collected 12 hits with each player scoring at least once. "We pride ourselves on being balanced throughout the lineup," Greg Inselmann, PH's coach, said. "We want to be able to hurt teams with any guy up at the plate. Right up and down the order, you have to give credit to everybody." The Patriots look to battle last year's D4 State Champion in perennial power Ft Loramie (21-11). Conquering the Redskins is no easy feat. Coming from the SW Region against MAC teams proves they have been battle tested and will provide a great game against the state's number one team. One thing is for sure with the Redskins is you can never count them out. They have had multiple games this season where they have trailed and then prevailed. In the regional semifinal against Franklin Monroe the Redskins trailed 7-1, to end up winning 17-7, and then trailed twice to Delphos Jefferson in the Regional final to rally late to upend the Wildcats. When the dust settles at Cooper Stadium this Friday, I expect Patrick Henry to advance to the state title game, although it may not be as easy as some believe.