Not off the Press: Fall season is back and so is this column
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
The high school sports season is back, and after around a year away, I've decided that it is time to bring this weekly column back as well.
Last season I toned down my workload (at least for me) for various reasons, but now is the right time to have this weekly column of my thoughts on area high school athletics, along with what the student-athletes are achieving on the field during the 2014-15 school year.
I try to make this column fun, but informative, so let's all have a good time this season. For my thoughts on football, visit my "Forsha on Football" blog, also on highlandcountypress.com.
First off, my congrats to the Hillsboro Lady Indians starting off their new era under head coach Jeremy Ratcliff with a non-league win over Eastern Brown on Saturday by a 5-2 score.
[[In-content Ad]]I'm really excited to see how the Lady Indians play this season to see if they can make the regionals for a third consecutive season. Along with that thought, I'm also excited to see what the Lynchburg-Clay girls team has to offer this season as well.
Remember, the LC ladies were in the regional finals last season in Division III (HHS were regional finalists in Division II). LC opened their season with a 1-0 loss at Western Brown.
With all that said, it looks like Highland County will have some very quality soccer to watch this season.
There is also the high school cross-country season with the Fairfield Lions looking to make it back to the Division III State Championships as a team for the second consecutive season. They start their season this Saturday in a meet at Wilmington College.
Also, Hillsboro has De-Andre Steward back this season, and he's already starting off from where he left last season. Remember, Steward qualified for the Division II State Championships last season, so he's a must-watch athlete this fall for HHS.
He placed second in the OHSAA Preseason cross-country meet on Saturday. Click here to read the Tweet by @HHS_OH_Sports.
So, congrats to Steward for beating 175 other runners.
We also have some very quality golf teams in the area, and the volleyball teams have already started their season with Whiteoak winning the 10th Annual Spike & Dig Challenge at HHS.
The HHS girls tennis team has also started off the season with two team wins, winning 5-0 in matches against Unioto and Glen Este. They lost to Wilmington last week in South Central Ohio League play.
Again, this fall season will have some successful athletes and teams, I believe.
• Looking ahead to this week
Starting today (Monday), the event I'm looking forward to is in Greenfield between the McClain and Lynchburg-Clay boys soccer teams at 5 p.m. The girls will follow at 7 p.m.
Tuesday will be fun as we'll have a Highland County rivalry matchup with the McClain Tigers at Hillsboro in boys golf at the Hillsboro Elks Golf Course starting at 4:30 p.m.
Also on Tuesday, there is some SCOL soccer action with Hillsboro hosting Chillicothe and McClain hosting Wilmington.
For Wednesday, what catches my eye are volleyball matches where McClain hosts Jackson and Whiteoak hosts Paint Valley.
On Thursday, there is a big golf match with Fairfield, Whiteoak and Lynchburg-Clay all involved. Also on Thursday, McClain will be hosting the Lady Indians in a Highland County rivalry match at Buckeye Hills.
In more Highland County matchups, the HHS and MHS boys and girls soccer teams will be facing each other in SCOL play.
On Friday, we'll have the final football scrimmages, plus there is another Highland County rivalry game with the Fairfield Lady Lions at Lynchburg-Clay.
This should be a good first week of Highland County fall sports.
• Final Thoughts
With this being the start of my eighth full-time year as a sports editor in Highland County (10th year of covering high school athletics), I just want to wish the best of luck to all of those competing this fall for Highland County and the surrounding area.
Also, thanks to everyone who reads the articles and watches the videos we make at The Highland County Press.
You can follow me on Twitter @hcpsportseditor. Let's make this fall sports season the best yet.
Also coaches, fans, athletic directors, etc. can email results and game stats to sforsha@gmail.com.
Also be on the lookout this Friday for the 2014 First and Ten High school football preview edition at area stores (and the office of the Highland County Press) and/or online at highlandcountypress.com.
Stephen Forsha is the sports editor of The Highland County Press.
Last season I toned down my workload (at least for me) for various reasons, but now is the right time to have this weekly column of my thoughts on area high school athletics, along with what the student-athletes are achieving on the field during the 2014-15 school year.
I try to make this column fun, but informative, so let's all have a good time this season. For my thoughts on football, visit my "Forsha on Football" blog, also on highlandcountypress.com.
First off, my congrats to the Hillsboro Lady Indians starting off their new era under head coach Jeremy Ratcliff with a non-league win over Eastern Brown on Saturday by a 5-2 score.
[[In-content Ad]]I'm really excited to see how the Lady Indians play this season to see if they can make the regionals for a third consecutive season. Along with that thought, I'm also excited to see what the Lynchburg-Clay girls team has to offer this season as well.
Remember, the LC ladies were in the regional finals last season in Division III (HHS were regional finalists in Division II). LC opened their season with a 1-0 loss at Western Brown.
With all that said, it looks like Highland County will have some very quality soccer to watch this season.
There is also the high school cross-country season with the Fairfield Lions looking to make it back to the Division III State Championships as a team for the second consecutive season. They start their season this Saturday in a meet at Wilmington College.
Also, Hillsboro has De-Andre Steward back this season, and he's already starting off from where he left last season. Remember, Steward qualified for the Division II State Championships last season, so he's a must-watch athlete this fall for HHS.
He placed second in the OHSAA Preseason cross-country meet on Saturday. Click here to read the Tweet by @HHS_OH_Sports.
So, congrats to Steward for beating 175 other runners.
We also have some very quality golf teams in the area, and the volleyball teams have already started their season with Whiteoak winning the 10th Annual Spike & Dig Challenge at HHS.
The HHS girls tennis team has also started off the season with two team wins, winning 5-0 in matches against Unioto and Glen Este. They lost to Wilmington last week in South Central Ohio League play.
Again, this fall season will have some successful athletes and teams, I believe.
• Looking ahead to this week
Starting today (Monday), the event I'm looking forward to is in Greenfield between the McClain and Lynchburg-Clay boys soccer teams at 5 p.m. The girls will follow at 7 p.m.
Tuesday will be fun as we'll have a Highland County rivalry matchup with the McClain Tigers at Hillsboro in boys golf at the Hillsboro Elks Golf Course starting at 4:30 p.m.
Also on Tuesday, there is some SCOL soccer action with Hillsboro hosting Chillicothe and McClain hosting Wilmington.
For Wednesday, what catches my eye are volleyball matches where McClain hosts Jackson and Whiteoak hosts Paint Valley.
On Thursday, there is a big golf match with Fairfield, Whiteoak and Lynchburg-Clay all involved. Also on Thursday, McClain will be hosting the Lady Indians in a Highland County rivalry match at Buckeye Hills.
In more Highland County matchups, the HHS and MHS boys and girls soccer teams will be facing each other in SCOL play.
On Friday, we'll have the final football scrimmages, plus there is another Highland County rivalry game with the Fairfield Lady Lions at Lynchburg-Clay.
This should be a good first week of Highland County fall sports.
• Final Thoughts
With this being the start of my eighth full-time year as a sports editor in Highland County (10th year of covering high school athletics), I just want to wish the best of luck to all of those competing this fall for Highland County and the surrounding area.
Also, thanks to everyone who reads the articles and watches the videos we make at The Highland County Press.
You can follow me on Twitter @hcpsportseditor. Let's make this fall sports season the best yet.
Also coaches, fans, athletic directors, etc. can email results and game stats to sforsha@gmail.com.
Also be on the lookout this Friday for the 2014 First and Ten High school football preview edition at area stores (and the office of the Highland County Press) and/or online at highlandcountypress.com.
Stephen Forsha is the sports editor of The Highland County Press.