Buckeye 8 Thriving in Prep Sports

January 27, 2008

The idea makes perfect sense. Schools of the same size and reasonable distance from one another playing in all common sports. Pretty simple right? Well, it was something that wasn’t done on a lot of fronts for one reason or another until a couple of years ago and it’s still not totally figured out throughout OVAC membership, which is 46 members strong. After the OVAC vote for mandatory scheduling in the sport of football was shot down by the schools a couple of years ago, the braintrusts from eight local schools put their heads together. Out of that meeting formed the Buckeye 8 ...

Spring boarding into the sectional tournament

January 28, 2008

Coming off an emotional high from the Ron Mauck OVAC Wrestling Tournament, Beallsville’s Jimmy Reisz was on a roll being unmarked for the year until he stepped foot in Hannibal this weekend. The OVAC champion was stunned by Barnesville’s Kurtis Jefferis in a sudden-death overtime matchup. The win for Jefferis was a great win and will hopefully will be used as a spring board for the Shamrock grappler as the sectional tournament comes closer. But don’t think this loss will slow down Reisz. As one coach said to me this weekend, “everyone loses a match” and he is right. Maybe ...

Palm Beach invader shines

January 31, 2008

Owner Norm Rader expected Escrow Officer to be a “usable” greyhound when he shipped her from Palm Beach, Fla., to Wheeling in September 2007. What Rader never expected was for Escrow Officer to win five straight Grade AA sprint races. “I thought she’d be a money-maker at Wheeling, a good usable dog,” Rader, who operates the top kennel at Palm Beach, said. “I’m not surprised she’s been able to compete at Wheeling, but I never thought she’d go up there and win five Grade AA starts in a row.” A January 2005 greyhound out of Aimin By Design-Y Knot Saturn, Escrow ...

Wheeling Hospital OVAC Basketball Championship didn’t happen overnight

February 1, 2008

In less than 24 hours, we’ll know who the Ohio Valley Athletic Conference girls’ basketball champions are for the 2007-08 season. And all of the decisions will be made right where they should be...on the court. There are no point systems or talk of schedules. It’s all about who shows up Saturday at Ohio University Eastern’s Health and Physical Education Center to determine who will pocket the hardware and banner as the inaugural winners of the Wheeling Hospital OVAC Basketball Championship. While it may have taken a while to get to this point where it’s decided on the ...

Party Central: What Game?

February 2, 2008

PHOENIX — There are literally thousands of out-of-towners here who have no intent of viewing Sunday’s Super Bowl. You’ll find them stationed in hotel lobbys but mainly outside dozens of the area’s most popular nightclubs and restaurants. They’re armed with cameras, autograph books and the like. They’re known as celebrity chasers and they’ve come to the right place. No place like the Super Bowl attracts a more diverse setting of sports and movie personalities. The parties begin three of four nights prior to the game. And by Sunday, most have already returned to L.A., ...

T-L Super Bowl Poll: Pats have date with destiny

February 3, 2008

    What this game needs is a one-for-the-ages upset.     According to the Times-Leader’s annual Super Bowl Poll of area prep coaches and media reps, it aint happening this year.     An overwhelming majority like New England to rule and many even feel viewing all the creative $2.7 million ads could steal the spotlight. Here’s to perfection:     JAY CIRCOSTA, Monroe Central — Giants are on a roll but New England excels in all facets. PATRIOTS, 34-17.     MARK NARDONE, Wheeling Park — New ...