Not off the Press
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
It's been a slow seven or so days for Highland County sports, except for the three runners in the state cross-country championships, as Collin Rothwell, Blake Hildebrant and Michael Mangus all took part in either the Division II or Division III Cross-Country championships on Saturday in Hebron.
This past week, I had the opportunity to talk to the three runners and their coaches … and their communities and schools should be very proud of these three student-athletes for their athletic achievements and how they represent their respective schools. All three were very deserving of being able to take part in the state meet, and beyond that, they are very respectful high school students.
So when the three runners finished their respective races on Saturday, that ended the 2011 Fall Sports season for Highland County.
In my print column from over the weekend, I wrote about my favorite football moments from the South Central Ohio League this past season.
Anyways, it was a great fall sports season, and here are some of my favorite moments from this past fall before we get to basketball, wrestling and swimming this winter.
• Some top moments from the fall
- The trilogy of the McClain-Hillsboro boys soccer matches. Three of the best soccer games I watched all season. Each game came down the the final minutes of the matches. Very exciting.
- When the Fairfield girls volleyball team won the Southern Hills League championship. That was a very fun night all around with the Lady Lions winning the match, the overall atmosphere of the night and the pure joy the team had when they won their first volleyball championship since 2005.
- One of my favorite games from this past season was the tie at Richards Memorial Field in Hillsboro during the Hillsboro Lady Indians and Clinton-Massie Lady Falcons girls soccer match. This one is in my Top 5 games/matches of the fall. It would have been even better if soccer didn't have ties.
- One of the weirdest moments of the season was Week 2 football at Unioto High School when the lights went out for around 20 minutes when McClain visited them this season.
- A non-SCOL football moment was the week I covered the Paint Valley Bearcats in Week 5 when they hosted the Southeastern Panthers. The best moment from that game had to be when sophomore running back Mark Clifford ran into two Southeastern players and won, as he knocked them over, stayed on his feet and went to the end zone in the final minutes of the fourth quarter for six points.
• A Big "Thank You" to the Southern Hills League
I, along with the rest of the HCP, want to thank the Southern Hills League, especially commissioner Jerry Lewis, for emailing photos/names and lists of players who made their respective All-SHL teams this fall, along with photos of teams who were in first or second place in the league this season from either Whiteoak, Fairfield or Lynchburg-Clay. It is a big help.
• Non-high school sports thoughts
- Jeff Pearlman's latest biography "Sweetness: The Enigmatic Life of Walter Payton" is one of the best sports biographies I've ever read. I finished it a couple weeks ago, and if anyone gets the opportunity to read the book … I suggest you give it a shot and read it. Well worth the time. I'm a fan of all of Pearlman's work, he is well worth reading.
- Peyton Manning should be on the list when the people who vote for NFL Most Valuable Player once the regular season is complete. I've never seen a team play as bad as the Colts have when their quarterback missed the season. Even the Patriots were decent when Tom Brady was injured in 2007. The Colts should have been prepared for this.
- I want the Big East (football) to go away or at least away from the BCS. The division they are "rebuilding" doesn't deserve to be an automatic BCS team in football.
- I want the BCS to go away even more. I'll be happy with a four-team playoff. Computer rankings and football is a waste of time.
- Anyone else enjoying the last few weeks of the NASCAR season? The championship will be clinched in two weeks, and it is a two-man race with Tony Stewart trailing Carl Edwards by three points. As a race fan, this is all I've wished for all season long. A championship race with two races to go. Well, that and hopefully a win by Dale Earnhardt Jr.
- The "Game of the Century" between LSU and Alabama was a fun game to watch. I don't know if it was defense or bad offense (or a mix of both), but all the scoring was from field goals and it was a great game … not a game of the century, though.
- I can't wait for election season to be over. I'm tired of all the political TV ads and yard signs. Neither will change my mind. I prefer newspaper/Internet political ads.
- On Saturday, I was pretty excited that there was such a thing as sunflower seed bread.
- On Sunday, many birds enjoyed the same sunflower seed bread that I purchased on Saturday, and I was even more excited to get rid of it.
- So far, I'm not missing the NBA.
- I think I'll miss the NBA if it is still on lockout come Christmas.
- Aaron Rodgers is the best quarterback in the NFL. Period. (I was completely wrong in my preseason predictions.)
- The Cincinnati Bengals aren't who I thought they were. (At least through Week 9.) This is not a typo … the Bengals lead the AFC North. Yes, that means they aren't in last place. That means they are in first place in their division. Now let's see how good they are with their upcoming schedule. (Again, I was completely wrong in my predictions.)
- Wait and see … the SHL in boys basketball this year will be fierce in the standings. (I'll talk more about basketball at a later date.)
- I think Twitter is a fun way to keep track of sports. Everyone should give it a shot.
- The most overused term in sports is "The Vertical Passing Game." Think about it.
- No matter how much money the NCAA approves to its athletes … it will never be enough for anyone.
- Have I mentioned how awful the Indianapolis Colts are? Well, they make the Cleveland Browns look like a competitive football team. (I still think Colt McCoy can be a good, not great, NFL quarterback. He's like Jay Cutler in a way … get them some quality help on offense).
- If you didn't enjoy the two main primetime games on Saturday and Sunday … well, then I don't know what you want from football games, as they were great, hard-hitting football games. The Ravens-Steelers game was the best game I've watched all season long. The Ravens had 14 third down conversions … that is clutch football. Plus, how can anyone not love watching Ray Lewis play linebacker?
- Not a sports-related topic whatsoever, but I had a box of assorted TastyKakes mailed to me from the Philadelphia area. Best. Snack. Cake. Ever. I need to visit Philadelphia one day.
• Quote of the Week
"It was an awesome accomplishment. I had a pretty good idea that I made it, and it was just a great feeling of accomplishment. Playing two sports, it made it more difficult … it feels great." — Blake Hildebrant, Fairfield cross-country runner in describing what it was like when he realized he made the state meet.
• (A second) Quote of the Week
"It's a lot harder than what people think. It's more than just going out and running for 15 minutes." — Michael Mangus, Fairfield cross-country runner describing the sport.
• (A third) Quote of the Week
"When I first crossed, I was thinking 'I can't believe I just did this.' It was an amazing feeling to just cross that finish line and be like 'I worked six years to be in the spot that I'm at, and I'm finally here. It feels really good, it really does. It's hard to explain because it's that good of a feeling … you just can't put it into words." — Collin Rothwell, HHS cross-country runner talking about his thoughts when he made the state meet.
• Stat of the Week
I'm going with the Clinton-Massie Falcons winning 35-0 against North College Hill in their playoff opener on Saturday night at CMHS.
• A number that stands out
We have 11 days until the SCOL and SHL girls shootouts take place. Basketball (and winter) is almost here. I can do without the latter.
• One final item of business
It is time to go full-speed ahead on the upcoming basketball season. The HCP will come out with another preview (just like last season), previewing the upcoming basketball season for Highland County teams. To advertise, contact Caitlin, Rory or Angie at (937) 840-9490.
Stephen Forsha is the sports editor of The Highland County Press. He can be reached at sforsha@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @hcpsportseditor.[[In-content Ad]]
This past week, I had the opportunity to talk to the three runners and their coaches … and their communities and schools should be very proud of these three student-athletes for their athletic achievements and how they represent their respective schools. All three were very deserving of being able to take part in the state meet, and beyond that, they are very respectful high school students.
So when the three runners finished their respective races on Saturday, that ended the 2011 Fall Sports season for Highland County.
In my print column from over the weekend, I wrote about my favorite football moments from the South Central Ohio League this past season.
Anyways, it was a great fall sports season, and here are some of my favorite moments from this past fall before we get to basketball, wrestling and swimming this winter.
• Some top moments from the fall
- The trilogy of the McClain-Hillsboro boys soccer matches. Three of the best soccer games I watched all season. Each game came down the the final minutes of the matches. Very exciting.
- When the Fairfield girls volleyball team won the Southern Hills League championship. That was a very fun night all around with the Lady Lions winning the match, the overall atmosphere of the night and the pure joy the team had when they won their first volleyball championship since 2005.
- One of my favorite games from this past season was the tie at Richards Memorial Field in Hillsboro during the Hillsboro Lady Indians and Clinton-Massie Lady Falcons girls soccer match. This one is in my Top 5 games/matches of the fall. It would have been even better if soccer didn't have ties.
- One of the weirdest moments of the season was Week 2 football at Unioto High School when the lights went out for around 20 minutes when McClain visited them this season.
- A non-SCOL football moment was the week I covered the Paint Valley Bearcats in Week 5 when they hosted the Southeastern Panthers. The best moment from that game had to be when sophomore running back Mark Clifford ran into two Southeastern players and won, as he knocked them over, stayed on his feet and went to the end zone in the final minutes of the fourth quarter for six points.
• A Big "Thank You" to the Southern Hills League
I, along with the rest of the HCP, want to thank the Southern Hills League, especially commissioner Jerry Lewis, for emailing photos/names and lists of players who made their respective All-SHL teams this fall, along with photos of teams who were in first or second place in the league this season from either Whiteoak, Fairfield or Lynchburg-Clay. It is a big help.
• Non-high school sports thoughts
- Jeff Pearlman's latest biography "Sweetness: The Enigmatic Life of Walter Payton" is one of the best sports biographies I've ever read. I finished it a couple weeks ago, and if anyone gets the opportunity to read the book … I suggest you give it a shot and read it. Well worth the time. I'm a fan of all of Pearlman's work, he is well worth reading.
- Peyton Manning should be on the list when the people who vote for NFL Most Valuable Player once the regular season is complete. I've never seen a team play as bad as the Colts have when their quarterback missed the season. Even the Patriots were decent when Tom Brady was injured in 2007. The Colts should have been prepared for this.
- I want the Big East (football) to go away or at least away from the BCS. The division they are "rebuilding" doesn't deserve to be an automatic BCS team in football.
- I want the BCS to go away even more. I'll be happy with a four-team playoff. Computer rankings and football is a waste of time.
- Anyone else enjoying the last few weeks of the NASCAR season? The championship will be clinched in two weeks, and it is a two-man race with Tony Stewart trailing Carl Edwards by three points. As a race fan, this is all I've wished for all season long. A championship race with two races to go. Well, that and hopefully a win by Dale Earnhardt Jr.
- The "Game of the Century" between LSU and Alabama was a fun game to watch. I don't know if it was defense or bad offense (or a mix of both), but all the scoring was from field goals and it was a great game … not a game of the century, though.
- I can't wait for election season to be over. I'm tired of all the political TV ads and yard signs. Neither will change my mind. I prefer newspaper/Internet political ads.
- On Saturday, I was pretty excited that there was such a thing as sunflower seed bread.
- On Sunday, many birds enjoyed the same sunflower seed bread that I purchased on Saturday, and I was even more excited to get rid of it.
- So far, I'm not missing the NBA.
- I think I'll miss the NBA if it is still on lockout come Christmas.
- Aaron Rodgers is the best quarterback in the NFL. Period. (I was completely wrong in my preseason predictions.)
- The Cincinnati Bengals aren't who I thought they were. (At least through Week 9.) This is not a typo … the Bengals lead the AFC North. Yes, that means they aren't in last place. That means they are in first place in their division. Now let's see how good they are with their upcoming schedule. (Again, I was completely wrong in my predictions.)
- Wait and see … the SHL in boys basketball this year will be fierce in the standings. (I'll talk more about basketball at a later date.)
- I think Twitter is a fun way to keep track of sports. Everyone should give it a shot.
- The most overused term in sports is "The Vertical Passing Game." Think about it.
- No matter how much money the NCAA approves to its athletes … it will never be enough for anyone.
- Have I mentioned how awful the Indianapolis Colts are? Well, they make the Cleveland Browns look like a competitive football team. (I still think Colt McCoy can be a good, not great, NFL quarterback. He's like Jay Cutler in a way … get them some quality help on offense).
- If you didn't enjoy the two main primetime games on Saturday and Sunday … well, then I don't know what you want from football games, as they were great, hard-hitting football games. The Ravens-Steelers game was the best game I've watched all season long. The Ravens had 14 third down conversions … that is clutch football. Plus, how can anyone not love watching Ray Lewis play linebacker?
- Not a sports-related topic whatsoever, but I had a box of assorted TastyKakes mailed to me from the Philadelphia area. Best. Snack. Cake. Ever. I need to visit Philadelphia one day.
• Quote of the Week
"It was an awesome accomplishment. I had a pretty good idea that I made it, and it was just a great feeling of accomplishment. Playing two sports, it made it more difficult … it feels great." — Blake Hildebrant, Fairfield cross-country runner in describing what it was like when he realized he made the state meet.
• (A second) Quote of the Week
"It's a lot harder than what people think. It's more than just going out and running for 15 minutes." — Michael Mangus, Fairfield cross-country runner describing the sport.
• (A third) Quote of the Week
"When I first crossed, I was thinking 'I can't believe I just did this.' It was an amazing feeling to just cross that finish line and be like 'I worked six years to be in the spot that I'm at, and I'm finally here. It feels really good, it really does. It's hard to explain because it's that good of a feeling … you just can't put it into words." — Collin Rothwell, HHS cross-country runner talking about his thoughts when he made the state meet.
• Stat of the Week
I'm going with the Clinton-Massie Falcons winning 35-0 against North College Hill in their playoff opener on Saturday night at CMHS.
• A number that stands out
We have 11 days until the SCOL and SHL girls shootouts take place. Basketball (and winter) is almost here. I can do without the latter.
• One final item of business
It is time to go full-speed ahead on the upcoming basketball season. The HCP will come out with another preview (just like last season), previewing the upcoming basketball season for Highland County teams. To advertise, contact Caitlin, Rory or Angie at (937) 840-9490.
Stephen Forsha is the sports editor of The Highland County Press. He can be reached at sforsha@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @hcpsportseditor.[[In-content Ad]]