Patriots primed to pocket sixth Super Bowl ring

February 3, 2019

SUPER BOWL Sunday has finally arrived. Unfortunately, we have to wait around till 6:30 for the New England-Los Angeles kickoff. A 4 p.m. start would work much nicer for TV viewers, especially for those in the Eastern time zone. Amazingly this is the ninth Super Bowl for New England quarterback Tom Brady. He is 5-3 so far in the big game which has cemented him in NFL laurels as the best ever QB to play the game. The Patriots - love them or hate them - are a remarkable story. Brady has made it to the Super Bowl nine times in 18 seasons. That is a string of success that only Otto ...

Ohio-side OVAC schools faced with a busy weekend

January 31, 2019

Mother Nature has put a full-nelson on Ohio high school wrestling teams that had a busy schedule already on their plates. With postponement of the sixth annual Ohio Valley Athletic Conference Bill Hinegardner Dual Meet Wrestling Championships from Wednesday night and tonight until Friday, eight OVAC squads will find themselves doing double-duty this weekend while also competing in the Ohio High School Athletic Association’s Regional Dual Team Tournament on Saturday at various sites around the Buckeye State. In addition to their OVAC competition on Friday, also competing on Saturday ...

Prep mat squads looking ahead to rest of campaign

January 24, 2019

With the 66th annual Ohio Valley Athletic Conference Ron Mauck Wrestling Championships in the rear view mirror, teams on both sides of the Ohio River can now fully concentrate on the second half of their respective seasons, which ultimately culiminates with state tournaments. However, before that can happen there are several notable events on the prep mat calendar. Cut-offs for the OVAC Bill Hinegardner Dual Meet Championships was last night (Wednesday). The entrants will be released sometime today. The Class 3A and Class 5A tournaments will be held next Wednesday at the John ...

Morgan runs into Ohio Track and CC HOF

January 20, 2019

BARNESVILLE - She is the unquestioned premier female distance runner in OVAC history. Now Stephanie Morgan is being honored for her staggering prep achievements. The former Barnesville High distance phenom is set to be inducted into the Ohio Association of Track and Cross Country Coaches Association Hall of Fame this Friday. The Hall of Fame banquet will be held at the Hilton at Easton in Columbus at 6:30 p.m. “I am incredibly honored to be selected this year amongst so many great athletes and coaches that have brought so much to the history and tradition of Ohio cross country ...

Ron Mauck showcase begins this evening

January 17, 2019

The 66th annual Ohio Valley Athletic Conference Ron Mauck Wrestling Tournament will take over WesBanco Arena tonight for three days of what should be exciting mat action. Team-wise Parkersburg South, which has captured the past five tournaments and eight of nine since joining the conference, and beaver Local are the pre-tournament favorites with 13 seeded wrestlers each. Steubenville, Wheeling Park, University and possibly John Marshall should make some noise. Individually, half of the 14 weight classes will be filled with defending champions, but the big question is, how many will ...

Crutchfield builds another hoop power

January 13, 2019

WHEELING — Anyone who doesn’t think coaching matters never met Jim Crutchfield. The West Liberty University legend is in the midst of building his second basketball juggernaut. Crutchfield molded the Hilltoppers into one of the best Division II hoop programs in the nation. He took over a 4-23 West Liberty team and turned it into a 20-game winner in his initial season at the helm. The Clarksburg native followed that program-changing campaign with 12 more seasons of remarkable success, compiling an amazing 359-61 mark for an .855 winning percentage, highest in college ...