Marhefka’s wait pays off with first college TD catch

November 3, 2017

ATHENS -- Good things come to those who wait. It’s a cliche we’ve all heard for many years. Few, however, are willing — in today’s day and age of instant gratification — to often invest the time and effort to prove the adage to be true. St. Clairsville graduate Jerrid Marhefka is a true testament to it. Actually, he’s been living proof of it for many years. Marhefka spurned several Division II scholarship offers to walk on at Ohio University. He made that decision because he firmly believed he could play at the FBS level. He’s proven himself as he’s now a ...

Bob Butts was a great gridder, even better man

November 1, 2017

BENWOOD -- He played fullback for Woody Hayes at Ohio State. That is all you need to know on how good a football player Bob Butts was. The Benwood Union High legend was not just a great gridder. He was also a successful coach, teacher and school administrator. Most of all, Butts was a devoted family man. Butts died Saturday. He was 75. The 6-1, 220-pounder lettered as a sophomore for Ohio State, playing center. Woody opted to move him to fullback his last two years where he rotated with two others. As a senior, Butts carried 72 times for 310 yards and three ...

Barrett silences any, and all, of his critical fans

October 30, 2017

COLUMBUS — Urban Meyer probably said it best as he opened his post-game press conference Saturday evening. “Wow! What the heck just happened?” There are certainly a lot of people — both Ohio State and Penn State fans alike — still trying to figure that out. Quite simply, Ohio State did the unthinkable. Somehow, the Buckeyes picked themselves up off the deck — despite trailing by 15 points in the fourth quarter — and found a way to knock the Nittany Lions from the ranks of the unbeatens and seize control of the Big Ten East with a 39-38 victory in front of ...

Madonna grad primed for D-1 coaching encore

October 29, 2017

ALBANY -- Joanna Bernabei-McNamee and success are synonymous. Be it as a player or coach, the Weirton Madonna product is a proven winner. Bernabei-McNamee has quickly and impressively climbed the basketball coaching ladder to the Division I level. She took over the reins at the University of Albany last season, guiding the Great Danes to 21 wins, the American East Conference title and an NCAA tourney berth. That volume of winning resulted in Bernabei-McNamee being selected as the 2017 Women's Division I Coach of the Year by the Basketball Coaches Association of New ...

Bishop finishes third in MEC CC championship

October 27, 2017

The Mountain East Conference crowned its cross country champions last weekend at the Bridgeport Recreation Complex. Wheeling Jesuit finished fourth in the men’s team competition with 89 points. The Cardinals were led by former Martins Ferry standout Jacob Bishop. The multiple-sport and multiple-time all-Ohioan has been impressive in his rookie collegiate campaign. Bishop finished fifth overall to earn first-team all-MEC and lead the Cardinals’ scoring. He crossed the finish line in a time of 26 minutes, 55.9 seconds for the 8 kilometer race. The third Cardinal to cross the ...

Ferry takes aim at program’s 700th win

October 27, 2017

Martins Ferry, which has been playing football for 110 years, can join an elite group Saturday afternoon when it meets arch-rival Bellaire for the 111th time in the seventh longest rivalry in Ohio. A win over the Big Reds at Nelson Field would give the Purple Riders 700 high school football victories. Only Massillon Washington (867), Canton McKinley (828) and fellow Ohio Valley Athletic Conference member Steubenville (800) have collected more wins in the Buckeye State. “It would be an honor and a privilege to get to 700,” veteran Martins Ferry head coach Dave Bruney, who is ...