Brilliant High HOF announces initial honorees

February 11, 2018

BRILLIANT — The Blue Devil Nation will return to life this summer. Brilliant High consolidated with Smithfield High in 1972 to form Buckeye North High School. Eighteen years later, Buckeye North merged with Buckeye South and Buckeye West high schools to create the current Buckeye Local High School. Blue Devil pride still runs deep nearly a half-century after the school’s closing. So much so, the inaugural class for the Brilliant Hall of Fame will be inducted Saturday, Aug. 11. As is the case with any fledgling hall of fame, the first class is a large one. Brilliant’s initial ...

Times Leader Super Bowl Poll leans heavily toward Patriots

February 4, 2018

The wait is almost over. The players are ready. The fans are ready. Even the commercials are ready. The NFL season comes to a close tonight with Super Bowl LII taking center stage. Helping to get you ready for what may transpire tonight in Minneapolis between New England and Philadelphia is the annual Times Leader Super Bowl, which was the brainchild of the late Rich Gibson. The poll has expanded in recent years and this year’s contains the thoughts and predictions of 99 people. Included are current and former football coaches and players as well as media types. As for what to ...

Super Bowl Special for Glen Dale Couple

February 4, 2018

GLEN DALE -- Super Bowl 52 will be extra super for a Glen Dale couple. Joe and Trudy Blake are in Minnesota today for the NFL championship game, pitting the Philadelphia Eagles against the New England Patriots. They have a vested interest in the game -- their son, Craig, is the assistant equipment manager for the Eagles. He has been with NFC champions for nearly five years. Blake is a 2008 John Marshall grad. He played football and ran track for the Monarchs. His equipment-management vocation took root when he was 8-years-old as served as manager for John Marshall football coach ...

Eastern board sets Ohio sectional tournament sites

January 30, 2018

Teams have been placed in their respective sectional tournaments by the Eastern District Athletic Board. The tournaments, which will be held on Saturday, Feb. 24 are one-day events now, instead of two as in the past. Barnesville and Sandy Valley have once again been selected as host sites in Division-III. Teams heading to western Belmont County to join the host Shamrocks, include Belpre, Chesapeake, Crooksville, Federal Hocking, Nelsonville-York, Reedsville Eastern, South Point, Trimble, Waterford, Martins Ferry, Coshocton, Shenandoah, Buckeye Local, Union Local, Shadyside ...

Bruney getting excited about upcoming year

January 28, 2018

WHEELING — It is no easy task building a college football program from scratch. But Zac Bruney was charged with that momentous undertaking on July 17 when he was named the first head football coach at Wheeling Jesuit University. The former Martins Ferry High and Mount Union quarterbacking star boasts the ideal pedigree to meet the formidable challenge. In addition to his playing greatness, he has scripted an impressive coaching resume. This past fall marked the first time Bruney wasn’t either playing or coaching football since his days as a pup. Rather, the time was well ...

Mat officials make donation in memory of Kish’s grandson

January 23, 2018

The Ohio Valley Athletic Conference wrestling officials have held a golf outing for the past two summers, along with several major sponsors, at the Cadiz Country Club. Proceeds from the event go to OVAC wrestling scholarships. Because of the sponsors and several other donations, the group has been able to provide $500 awards to the Lucas Sedgmer and OVAC scholarship funds. Saturday night the group made its latest presentation to former official Steve Kish in honor of his grandson, Mason Boyd, who tragically passed away earlier this year. Boyd, a sophomore wrestler at Watkins Memorial ...