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January 23, 2009
MVP Looks Back: 2008 Ohio High School Sports Year in Review
Contributed by Eric
Frantz, Managing Editor, Miami Valley Sports
Magazine
Sports Illustrated
recently tabbed 2008 the Best Sports Year Ever. It wouldn’t be too
far of a stretch to consider 2008 in similar terms for prep sports
in Ohio.
Whether you like
football, basketball, wrestling, track or whatever, 2008 was a
remarkable year across the board. The following is a look at the Top
30 high school sports stories – and a few others worthy of mention –
from 2008.
I’m sure some will
disagree so I invite you to email me (eric@bucknuts.com)
and let me know what I have wrong (and right) and what I may have
missed.
Click here to read
this story directly at Miami Valley Sports' web site.
Let the games – or
rather countdown, recognition and debate – continue and conclude.
TOP 30
1.
Hillsboro’s Carter captivates the country: Hillsboro senior Dustin
Carter achieved his dream and completed an unlikely journey by
qualifying for the Division II state wrestling meet. Carter, born
with the rare blood disease known as meningococcemia, which is from
the same bacteria that causes a severe form of meningitis, lost both
arms and legs to amputation at age five. Despite his handicap,
Carter showed he was anything but. Able to get around with the help
of prosthetic legs, Carter shed those and the competition when he
got on a wrestling mat. As a senior, Carter went 40-2 and earned a
berth in the D-II 103 bracket by finishing runner-up at the Goshen
district. Carter won the Chillicothe sectional. At state, Carter won
his first round match 2-1 in overtime over Cambridge’s Andrew
Bertubin. He lost his next two matches and was eliminated. Carter
was introduced to the crowd once more prior to the championship
semifinals on Feb. 29 as his story was retold on the video screen at
Ohio State’s Value City Arena. Carter received the largest cheers of
the weekend and a standing ovation that lasted several minutes.
Carter’s story made national news and was told on the Today Show as
well as broadcast on other news outlets. His picture recently
appeared in Sports Illustrated - again.
2.
Cleveland St. Ignatius wins 10th state football title: In a state
defined by football, St. Ignatius reinforced its place in Ohio high
school gridiron history. It can be argued that Massillon Washington
has more state football titles than any other football program in
Ohio, but in regards to titles earned by a tournament as opposed to
voting, there is no argument – St. Ignatius is the most successful
program in Ohio history. The Wildcats won their 10th D-I state title
(all since 1988) and first since 2001 with a 28-20 win over
Cincinnati Elder on Nov. 30. No other Ohio high school has
double-digit titles since the playoff system was implemented in
1972. Chuck Kyle has been the head coach for all 10 titles and all
21 Ignatius playoff appearances. The Wildcats first made the
postseason in 1988 and have been back every year since.
3.
Graham wins National Wrestling Championship: The Falcons beat both
fabled Blair Academy of New Jersey and Ohio stalwart Lakewood St.
Edward at last year’s Walsh Ironman Tournament to propel them to No.
1 in the country. Graham never slowed down. Despite being a D-II
school the Falcons captured their first national championship and
eighth straight D-II state title on March 1. In addition to winning
its 10th state championship overall and moving into a second place
tie with Maple Heights for the most ever regardless of division in
Ohio, the Falcons also broke their own D-II state meet points record
with 221.5. The old standard of 208.5 lasted just one year. Graham
entered the finals with 202 points and six wrestlers vying for first
place. Four Falcons captured crowns as Graham outdistanced second
place Oak Harbor by 140.5 points.
4.
Steubenville puts together sixth straight undefeated regular season
in football and becomes just third school in state history to win
700 games all-time: In Week 10 of the high school football regular
season, the Big Red recorded a 34-14 win over Tonawanda (N.Y.)
Cardinal O'Hara 34-14 to wrap its sixth straight undefeated regular
season and become just the third school in Ohio history with 700
all-time wins. Only Massillon Washington and Canton McKinley have
more career victories. There are also less than 30 programs
nationwide that own 700 all-time wins in football. Steubenville has
played football for 109 years.
5.
Bluffton’s Guagenti wins four events at the D-III state track meet:
Ohio has held a boys state track meet for 101 years and only 10
times has an athlete won four events. Bluffton senior John Guagenti
became just the third to do so in the last 56 years when he captured
the 200 and 400 and anchored the winning 800 and 1,600 relays in
June. The effort also helped Bluffton win its first state track
title as a team.
6.
Two jumpers clear 7-foot at state track meet: After a disappointing
finish last year (sixth) following a state title as a sophomore,
Napoleon senior Ryan Fleck rebounded to win the D-II state
championship with a state and meet record leap of 7-1.25. The
previous D-II state meet record of 7-0 was set by Bellbrook’s Kevin
Bryant in 1977. The previous D-II state record of 7-0.25 was set by
Columbus Wherle’s Jaye Bailey in 1982. In addition to Fleck’s
heroics, Toledo Rogers junior Erick Kynard won the D-I title with a
leap of 7-0. Kynard was the first D-I athlete to clear 7-0 since
1992. In all just nine athletes in Ohio high school history have
conquered 7-0.
7.
The Midwest Athletic Conference claims seventh state football title
in four years: It might be a small school conference but the 10-team
MAC is anything but small when it comes to the state football scene.
The conference, made up of schools from the rural Western Ohio
counties of Darke, Auglaize, Mercer and Allen counties, claimed its
seventh state title in four years on Nov. 28 when Delphos St. John’s
won the D-VI crown. In the last four years, DSJ (two), Coldwater
(two) Marion Local (two) and St. Henry all have titles. DSJ finished
the season 13-2 after going 2-8 last year.
8.
Lakewood St. Edward plays for D-I boys basketball, ice hockey,
wrestling and baseball state titles: St. Edward, an all boys school
in Cleveland, flexed its muscle in 2008 to the tune of four state
finals appearances. In hockey the Eagles won their 11th state title
with a 3-1 win over Gates Mills Gilmour Academy. In wrestling they
claimed their 12th straight and 24th title overall and in baseball
they won their second championship. St. Ed lost to Newark in the D-I
boys basketball final.
9.
GGCL shut out at state volleyball tournament: Every year since 1992
at least one team from the Girls Greater Cincinnati League had
captured a volleyball state championship. That streak ended on Nov.
8. Cincinnati Ursuline lost to Olmsted Falls in the D-I final, while
Kettering Alter fell to Parma Padua in the D-II final. Olmsted Falls
and Ursuline also set a record for scoring (since the inception of
the rally scoring format in 2004) when their first game went 39-37
with the Bulldogs winning.
10.
Lakewood St. Edward wins record 24th state wrestling title and 12th
in a row: This might be higher on the list if the Eagles weren’t so
dominant and heavily favored at the beginning of every season. St.
Ed has owned Division I wrestling through the years and 2008 was no
different. Doubt 2009 will be either.
11.
Cleveland Beaumont wins record 16th state track title: The Blue
Streaks won their second straight D-I girls state track title and
16th overall on June 7, which is one more than the Glenville boys
program. Senior Emily Infeld powered Beaumont by becoming just the
15th girl in history to win an event four times when she captured
the 800 title (2:09.12). She also defended her 1,600 title. Senior
Aareon Payne also gave a great effort, winning the 200 for the third
straight time and adding titles in the 100 and 400 relay. Infeld is
now at Georgetown and Payne is at USC.
12.
Pendleton continues family dominance in the discus ring: After
watching her older sister Emily win four straight D-III discus
titles at the state track meet, Elmore Woodmore’s Erin Pendleton
captured her first title with a heave of 168-10. The effort broke
Emily’s state meet and Jesse Owens Stadium record of 163-4 and is
Ohio’s best ever in state competition, regardless of division. The
throw was the second longest throw in the country by a prep athlete
last season. Erin, who finished second to her sister in 2007, will
join Emily at Michigan next year.
13.
Cincinnati Mount Notre Dame claims third straight D-I girls
basketball title and fourth in five years: In the 33-year history of
the girls basketball state tournament, no D-I team had ever won
three titles in a row until Mount Notre Dame accomplished the feat
with a 69-67 win over West Chester Lakota West on March 10. The
Cougars were playing in their fifth straight D-I state final.
14.
New Knoxville (boys) and Versailles (girls) record the only
undefeated records in the state in boys and girls basketball: The
Midwest Athletic Conference has long been considered head and
shoulders above every other small school conference in Ohio. The
2008 basketball state tournament in March reinforced that fact.
Versailles won the D-III girls state basketball title, while New
Knoxville won the D-IV boys crown. The Tigers (28-0) were the
state’s lone unbeaten girls basketball team (regardless of
division), while the Rangers (27-0) matched that feat on the boys
side. Versailles also put a stamp on its title by handing stalwart
South Euclid Regina its first loss in six trips to state and 10
state games. The Tigers beat the Royals 75-60 in the semifinals. New
Knoxville won both its state games by over 20 points and its average
margin of victory over the course of the entire season was 27
points.
15.
Fitch’s Jameson wins fourth wrestling state title: Austintown-Fitch
senior Tony Jameson added his name to a short list of four-time
state winners, becoming just the 16th with a hard fought 8-4 win
over New Carlisle Tecumseh’s T.J. Rigel in the D-I 145 finale on
March 1. Jameson, who trailed 4-2 entering the third period, is only
the fourth wrestler to win four titles in D-I and his championships
span eight weight classes, which is the most of any four-time champ
(103, 119, 135 and 145). Jameson’s final high school record is
168-6. He’s now at Ohio State.
16.
North Canton Hoover’s Simpson wraps stellar high school softball
career: Senior Jessica Simpson ended her high school pitching career
by leading the Vikings to their second D-I state title in three
years. Simpson allowed two hits in 10 innings of work as Hoover beat
Elyria 1-0 in 10 innings in the state final. Simpson ends her career
ranked in several state records. She’s No. 1 in shutouts (69), No. 2
in wins (103) and No. 4 in strikeouts (1,162).
17.
Chillicothe returns to state after 78-year hiatus, wins first title:
Chillicothe appeared in the boys state basketball tournament in 1924
and 1930. Seventy-eight years later, the Cavs returned. Led by
standout Anthony Hitchens, Chillicothe won it’s first state title
with a dramatic 70-69 win over Toledo Libbey and Mr. Basketball
William Buford. With 5.1 seconds remaining, Hitchens dribbled the
length of the floor and fed Ray Chambers for the winning basket as
time expired. Hitchens had 24 points, while Chambers had 23.
18.
B.J. Mullens scores 62 points against Our Savior New American at
Flyin to the Hoop: The 7-foot-1 Canal Winchester senior and current
Ohio State Buckeye slapped 62 points and 21 rebounds on OSNA, a
private school from New York, in a 79-69 win at the Flyin to the
Hoop on Jan. 21. Mullens scored 36 of Canal’s 38 first half points.
His tally was just the fourth since 1969 in which an Ohio high
school player scored more than 60 points in a game.
19.
Newark wins fourth basketball title, first in 65 years: Newark ended
a 65-year basketball championship drought when the Wildcats bested
favorite Lakewood St. Edward 65-52 in the Division I title game
March 15 at Ohio State’s Value City Arena. It is the fourth
basketball title for Newark (24-4) with the others coming in 1943,
1938 and 1936. Senior guard Greg Avery, who was named to the
All-Ohio third team with 18.6 points per game, poured in 33 in the
championship game and pulled down 11 rebounds. Newark didn’t even
win the Ohio Capital Conference finishing second to Hilliard Darby.
20.
Gates Mills Hawken wins its ninth straight D-II girls swimming
championship: Hawken continued its dominance in the pool by
capturing its 12th state title in 13 years and raised its all-time
lead in girls state swimming and diving championships to 18. The
Hawks had 358 points to runner-up Lima Shawnee’s 142. Hawken was led
by senior Brittany Strumbel who won her third straight championship
in the 200 freestyle, won her second consecutive 500 freestyle title
and swam on the winning 200 and 400 freestyle relays.
21.
Upper Arlington wins its fourth straight D-I girls state swimming
title: The Golden Bears captured their fourth consecutive title and
fifth in sixth years with a record 419 points in Canton in February.
Cincinnati Ursuline Academy was runner-up for the sixth straight
year with 222 points. UA was led by junior Darcy Fishback, who won
her third straight 100-meter butterfly with state and tournament
records (53.85) and was on the winning 200 medley and 200 freestyle
relay teams that both set state and tournament records (1:44.47 in
the 200 medley relay; 1:35.08 in the 200 freestyle relay).
22.
Troy Christian’s Wells sets girls state pole vault record: After
missing the entire track season last year with injuries to both
ankles, Troy Christian senior Mackenzie Wells rebounded this year to
win the D-III state title and set an all-divisions state record by
clearing 13-0 at the Milton-Union district meet. Wells set a record
at nearly every event she competed in including district, regional
and state marks.
23.
Minster ties record for most girls cross country state titles: The
Wildcats won their seventh state cross country title on Nov. 1,
moving into a first place tie with Cleveland Beaumont for the most
ever regardless of division. Minster has won six titles in the last
10 years.
24.
Brecksville-Broadview Heights wins fifth straight state gymnastics
title: The Bees captured their seventh title in eight years and tied
Thomas Worthington for most gymnastics titles in history with eight
thanks to edging Rocky River Magnificat in the second closest finish
in tournament history in March. With senior Andrea Kinzer scoring
9.725 points in the vault, the last event of the day, the Bees beat
Magnificat 147.4-147.05.
25.
Marion Local defends D-IV state volleyball title despite having five
new starters: Despite returning just three girls with varsity
experience and one starter from last year’s state championship team,
the Flyers defended their state title in D-IV with a win over
Jackson Center on Nov. 8. JC had beaten the Flyers earlier in the
season.
26.
Logan Elm football records remarkable turnaround: Last year at this
time the Logan Elm football program was coming off an 0-10 regular
season. This year the Braves are celebrating something else. Under
the direction of first-year head coach Scott Bartholomew, Logan Elm
went from 0-10 to 10-0. In addition to winning the Mid-State League
title and hosting the school’s first playoff game, the Braves
recorded the first postseason win in history and advanced all the
way to the D-III regional finals. Remarkable.
27.
Columbus St. Charles ends Cincinnati St. Xavier’s nine-year state
title streak in boys swimming: The Cardinals, state runners-up the
last two seasons, broke through for a historic win when they beat
the Bombers 266-246 for the D-I boys state swimming title in Canton
on Feb. 23.
28.
Toledo Libbey’s Buford claims Mr. Basketball: Cowboys senior William
Buford captured the coveted Mr. Basketball award after ending his
career as the Toledo City League’s second leading career scorer
(2,059 points). Only Ohio State legend Jim Jackson scored more
(2,328) while at now defunct Toledo Macomber. Like Jackson, Buford
now plays for Ohio State.
29.
Cleveland Heights ends Glenville’s five-year reign in D-I boys
track: For the first time since 2002, Glenville did not win the D-I
boys track title. Instead another Cleveland school did. Heights
qualified athletes to the state meet in every event except the 400
and won the state team title despite not having a single state
champion.
30.
Cincinnati St. Ursula wins fourth girls soccer state title, ties
record: In a rematch of the 2007 D-I girls soccer state
championship, No. 2 St. Ursula again beat No. 6 Strongsville 1-0 at
Columbus Crew Stadium on Nov. 8. St. Ursula, which beat Strongsville
2-0 last year, tied Clayton Northmont and Cuyahoga Falls Walsh
Jesuit for the most girls soccer championships in history with four.
HONORABLE
MENTION
Gilmour Academy
freshman Davis cruises to D-II tennis title: That one player
dominated the girls Division II state tennis tournament is a bit
unusual. That she surrendered one measly game until the title match
and just five throughout the event is amazing. That she was a
freshman is absurd. But indeed, that was the scenario played out by
Gates Mills Gilmour Academy’s Lauren Davis, who swept through the
entire season without so much as losing a set. And in Columbus, she
won her first two matches without dropping a game, blitzed her
semifinal foe, 6-1, 6-0, then polished off tough Gabby Steele of
Cincinnati Country Day, 6-4, 6-0, for the title. Certainly, however,
Davis was no underdog. Despite just having turned 15, she is second
in the nation in the United States Tennis Association (USTA)
16-and-under rankings. After she won the 2008 National 16-and-under
Hard Court Championship in San Diego last August, local newspapers
were comparing her to Tracy Austin and legendary Chris Evert. Stay
tuned.
Berlin Hiland wins
its fourth D-IV girls state basketball title and third in four
years: Led by the school’s all-time leading scorer (boys and girls)
Jena Stutzman (1,645 points), the Hawks continued their mastery of
small school hoops with a convincing 44-37 win over No. 1 ranked and
defending state champion Columbus Africentric on March 10.
Dayton dominates
boys and girls bowling – again: The Miami Valley has a successful
history in all sports, but it’s suddenly become a hotbed for
bowling. Although the OHSAA has only held two official state
tournaments in the sport, Dayton-area teams have dominated. The
17-team Greater Western Ohio Conference has produced all four girls
state champions (two team and two individual) the past two years,
while Centerville was the boys team runner-up this year. All four
semifinalists in the girls competition this year were from the GWOC.
Riverside Stebbins, a member of the Central Buckeye Conference, was
the boys state champ. Last year Coldwater won the boys state
championship over St. Henry. Individually, Brice Ream from Urbana
(another CBC school) was the boys individual state champion this
year.
Cuyahoga Falls
Walsh Jesuit wins third D-II baseball title in last four years: The
Warriors won their fourth title overall with a 6-0 win over Canal
Winchester on June 7.
Elyria and North
Lewisburg Triad reach third straight softball state finals: The
Pioneers and Cardinals each reached their third straight softball
state finals in D-I and IV, respectively, but neither could capture
that elusive state title. Never before had a school lost three
straight softball state finals. Now two have.
Peninsula
Woodbridge wins third straight D-II boys cross country title:
Woodbridge became just the second school in history to win three
straight D-II boys cross country titles on Nov. 1, matching the feat
first done by Sandusky Perkins in 1987-89. The Bulldogs edged
runner-up Tippecanoe 96-99.
Mason ties state
record for lowest score in D-I girls golf state final: In just its
second state tournament appearance, Mason took home its first D-I
girls golf state title in record fashion on Oct. 18. The Comets’ 630
was 26 strokes better than runner-up Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit and
tied Dublin Coffman’s 2000 squad for the lowest team score in Ohio
girls state tournament history. Three Mason golfers placed in the
top 10 overall standings: sophomore Erin Michel (No. 3 with a 153),
senior Alexis Nelson (No. 7 with a 158) and sophomore Emily Wright
(No. 10 with a 160).
Ottawa Hills
becomes first Toledo-area school to win a state soccer title: Senior
midfielder Sam Kuehnle’s 30-yard strike in the 51st minute gave
Ottawa Hills a 1-0 win over Worthington Christian in the boys D-III
soccer state championship at Columbus Crew Stadium on Nov. 7. As a
result, the Green Bears are the first Toledo-area school to win a
boys or girls soccer state championship. Unranked entering the
postseason, Ottawa Hills knocked off the state’s No. 1-ranked team,
Gates Mills Hawken, 3-0 in the state semifinals and the state’s No.
2-ranked team, Worthington Christian, in the finals.
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