Not off the Press: Highland County fall season concludes
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
The fall sports season is officially over for Highland County. While other areas are still in the football playoffs or at the state tournaments, I want to look back at this past fall season as there were great successes, heartbreaks, tributes and seasons teams won't soon forget.
All in all, I feel this was a competitive fall season for Highland County with league championships, sectional wins, district champions and a tough battle from the Hillsboro Lady Indians soccer team as they went toe-to-toe with the defending state champions. (More on them later.)
I had a good time this year covering all the sports this season, I saw every team take part in their respective sport (some more than others), but here at the HCP, we did get a game article for every postseason game involving a Highland County team.
But this fall season wasn't about me or the coverage here … it was ultimately about the student-athletes because without them I wouldn't have much to do on a daily basis … so to them, I say thank you.
• Division III State Cross-Country Championships
Though I went through a lot of mess to get to the state championships Saturday morning, I got there as the race was beginning … and got to the finish line just in time to get a photo of Michael Mangus crossing the finish line, and then a minute later got a photo of Blake Hildebrant doing the same.
Both these runners showed tremendous effort Saturday. Mangus gained 16 or so spots in the final mile or so to get 14th place in Division III and a spot on the podium, and when he crossed the finish line, you knew he'd actually given all that he had and then some, but all the years of work paid off for him the moment he crossed that finish line and earned a spot on the podium.
Who knows what he can accomplish his senior season.
Hildebrant, too … the junior two-sport fall athlete raced under pain Saturday and still had a very respectable finish and time in his second trip to the state race. I want to thank both runners for their time this week with interviews and want to congratulate them on their success this season.
• Regional soccer heartbreaker
In a span of five days, the HHS Lady Indians went from celebrating an overtime win for a district title to ending their season on a goal by Columbus St. Francis DeSales with 1:14 left in regulation for a 1-0 loss in the Division II Regional semifinal.
This was the best soccer match I can recall seeing the Lady Indians play. Even though they lost, the ladies played the defending state champions, were even on the scoreboard for 78 minutes and should be very proud of their effort.
I know it must be tough to lose a game that way, but again, I can't stress enough how impressed I was with how they played. If they can continue that into next season … watch out, everyone else.
Also in that match, the play of keeper Rachel Sexton was on point. I even had a fellow sports writer covering the game for DeSales tweet me saying how great of a game Sexton had and that she was the real deal.
He was correct in that statement as she had more saves in that game as she did in many games combined this season, just for the sheer number of times Columbus St. Francis DeSales took shots on goal at her, with her coming up with the big stops.
Again, this match was a great effort by HHS, and I hope they can get back to this round next season.
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• Random thoughts … sports and non-sports
- I'm guessing NASCAR already has the nameplate ready for Jimmie Johnson in two weeks for his sixth Sprint Cup championship. I don't see him losing this lead.
- So glad the NBA has returned … for those who don't like it, give it a chance. Well worth watching.
- Again, didn't see much college football this weekend, but I saw enough to know Alabama will be BCS National Champions again.
- Does anyone even care if the NHL returns this season … they already canceled the outdoor game this year, so why bother?
- I find it hilarious everyone overreacted when the Lakers began 0-3 … they play 82 games, I'm sure they will be fine.
- Cannot wait until election season is over … tired of all the antics at any level. The political parties need to get over themselves.
- Election season annoys me more than "Teen Mom 2."
- The biggest free agent this winter during the NFL offseason will be coach Sean Payton.
- If you want a feel-good article nationally, read this column by Rick Reilly on the story of Chy Johnson: http://es.pn/SzLeMW
- Colts head coach Chuck Pagano visited his team following a Colts win as he's currently battling a treatable leukemia ... he gave this speech, and it is wonderful: http://bit.ly/SL6uhd
- The Tweet of the Week: @rainnwilson — "Over 6 Billion was spent on 2012 political campaigns telling us how good they are with money & debt."
- Instead of everyone complaining about elections and who they are or aren't voting for, send congratulations to the student-athletes from this past fall ... you know they are the future of this county one day.
- Can you tell I'm sick of this election and all the politics?
- Who is ready for basketball at the high school level?
- Just not a fan of the Sherlock Holmes remakes … keep trying, though. Just didn't compare to the original.
• A quick Week 9 NFL review
- Chargers 31, Chiefs 13: The Chiefs are a disappointment this season … figured they'd be much better. For the Chargers … they should have won this game, but what can they do against everyone else?
- Texans 21, Bills 9: Texans did what they needed to do, but what I'm excited over is next week's matchup with the Bears on Sunday Night football. With the Texans' offense and the Bears' defense, it should be a great game. As for this game … it is just so hard to stop the Texans right now.
- Lions 31, Jaguars 14: Glad the Lions finally got Calvin Johnson involved … and the Jaguars are bad … rebuilding, but still bad.
- Panthers 21, Redskins 13: Didn't see much on this game … neither team is that great, but they have potential big-time players at QB … the best days of these teams are ahead.
- Colts 23, Dolphins 20: Two up-and-coming teams, but how good can Andrew Luck be? Over 400 passing yards (433, to be exact) as a rookie in one game … he's the real deal. If playoffs started today, the Colts would be in as a wild card.
- Bears 51, Titans 20: The Bears are starting to turn their level of play up not only defensively (which is a given), but their offense is playing better as well. They reaped the benefits Sunday because of their defense. If the Bears' offense can continue to improve each week, they'll be the class of the NFC.
- Packers 31, Cardinals 17: Well, the Cards are who I thought they were … the Packers can be very good, but their rushing game scares me. As long as they have Aaron Rodgers at QB and all the weapons at wide receiver, they will still be competitive.
- Ravens 25, Browns 15: Was a bit of a boring game, but I have the feeling the Browns will be looking for a new head coach this offseason, maybe earlier. Their offense bored me to a quick nap Sunday. Was nice to see the Ravens use Ray Rice more.
- Broncos 31, Bengals 23: The Broncos are a lot better than I thought they would be, but that's what I get for slightly thinking against Peyton Manning. The Bengals need work.
- Seahawks 30, Vikings 20: Hard to beat the Seahawks at home … can't explain it, but it just is.
- Buccaneers 42, Raiders 32: Doug Martin is the next big-time running back. Look at his stat line from this game … 25 carries for 251 yards (10 yards per carry) with four TDs and four catches for 21 yards. Rookie of the Year? Maybe.
- Steelers 24, Giants 20: Neither team looked crisp, but the Steelers and Ben Roethlisberger did what they needed to do to win. Eli Manning struggled, but the entire NY team looked off. The officials looked like they were the replacement ones.
- Falcons 19, Cowboys 13: Falcons did what good teams do in the fourth quarter, and the Cowboys didn't. Atlanta showed why they are the only undefeated team in the league.
- Monday Night Football Prediction: Eagles 28, Saints 24: Don't think either team is great, but this might be the last chance for Michael Vick.
• Quote of the Week
"This race went great. I ran as well as I could have hoped … I don't think I could have run much better." — Fairfield junior Michael Mangus, following his 14th-place finish at the State Cross-Country Championships Saturday.
• (A second) Quote of the Week
"The race went pretty good. I had one of my better times this year … but I went out a little too fast because the pace was so fast to keep up with everyone else. Then I had a side stitch about the two-mile mark, so that started hurting me. I could have run better, but it was just hurting." — Fairfield junior Blake Hildebrant, following the Division III State Cross-Country Championships Saturday.
• (A third) Quote of the Week
"This season, I couldn't have worked with a better group of kids. They came to all the summer workouts, the conditioning, the weight room …. everything and worked hard. Again, I'm just proud of the girls." — Leslie Molen, HHS girls soccer coach following the Lady Indians 1-0 regional semifinal loss to Columbus St. Francis DeSales.
• Stat of the Week
I don't know the exact number, but the number of saves by HHS junior Rachel Sexton at goal against Columbus St. Francis DeSales in the aforementioned regional semifinal soccer match. Best performance by a keeper I've seen in a long time.
• One last item of business
Thank you to everyone who read a story online or in print this fall season. It was a lot of fun to cover Highland County teams in all sports (and Paint Valley football from Ross County). There was a lot of success this fall by the area student-athletes and coaches. Thanks again for reading.
Stephen Forsha is the sports editor of The Highland County Press. He can be reached at sforsha@gmail.com. Follow Stephen on Twitter @hcpsportseditor.
All in all, I feel this was a competitive fall season for Highland County with league championships, sectional wins, district champions and a tough battle from the Hillsboro Lady Indians soccer team as they went toe-to-toe with the defending state champions. (More on them later.)
I had a good time this year covering all the sports this season, I saw every team take part in their respective sport (some more than others), but here at the HCP, we did get a game article for every postseason game involving a Highland County team.
But this fall season wasn't about me or the coverage here … it was ultimately about the student-athletes because without them I wouldn't have much to do on a daily basis … so to them, I say thank you.
• Division III State Cross-Country Championships
Though I went through a lot of mess to get to the state championships Saturday morning, I got there as the race was beginning … and got to the finish line just in time to get a photo of Michael Mangus crossing the finish line, and then a minute later got a photo of Blake Hildebrant doing the same.
Both these runners showed tremendous effort Saturday. Mangus gained 16 or so spots in the final mile or so to get 14th place in Division III and a spot on the podium, and when he crossed the finish line, you knew he'd actually given all that he had and then some, but all the years of work paid off for him the moment he crossed that finish line and earned a spot on the podium.
Who knows what he can accomplish his senior season.
Hildebrant, too … the junior two-sport fall athlete raced under pain Saturday and still had a very respectable finish and time in his second trip to the state race. I want to thank both runners for their time this week with interviews and want to congratulate them on their success this season.
• Regional soccer heartbreaker
In a span of five days, the HHS Lady Indians went from celebrating an overtime win for a district title to ending their season on a goal by Columbus St. Francis DeSales with 1:14 left in regulation for a 1-0 loss in the Division II Regional semifinal.
This was the best soccer match I can recall seeing the Lady Indians play. Even though they lost, the ladies played the defending state champions, were even on the scoreboard for 78 minutes and should be very proud of their effort.
I know it must be tough to lose a game that way, but again, I can't stress enough how impressed I was with how they played. If they can continue that into next season … watch out, everyone else.
Also in that match, the play of keeper Rachel Sexton was on point. I even had a fellow sports writer covering the game for DeSales tweet me saying how great of a game Sexton had and that she was the real deal.
He was correct in that statement as she had more saves in that game as she did in many games combined this season, just for the sheer number of times Columbus St. Francis DeSales took shots on goal at her, with her coming up with the big stops.
Again, this match was a great effort by HHS, and I hope they can get back to this round next season.
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• Random thoughts … sports and non-sports
- I'm guessing NASCAR already has the nameplate ready for Jimmie Johnson in two weeks for his sixth Sprint Cup championship. I don't see him losing this lead.
- So glad the NBA has returned … for those who don't like it, give it a chance. Well worth watching.
- Again, didn't see much college football this weekend, but I saw enough to know Alabama will be BCS National Champions again.
- Does anyone even care if the NHL returns this season … they already canceled the outdoor game this year, so why bother?
- I find it hilarious everyone overreacted when the Lakers began 0-3 … they play 82 games, I'm sure they will be fine.
- Cannot wait until election season is over … tired of all the antics at any level. The political parties need to get over themselves.
- Election season annoys me more than "Teen Mom 2."
- The biggest free agent this winter during the NFL offseason will be coach Sean Payton.
- If you want a feel-good article nationally, read this column by Rick Reilly on the story of Chy Johnson: http://es.pn/SzLeMW
- Colts head coach Chuck Pagano visited his team following a Colts win as he's currently battling a treatable leukemia ... he gave this speech, and it is wonderful: http://bit.ly/SL6uhd
- The Tweet of the Week: @rainnwilson — "Over 6 Billion was spent on 2012 political campaigns telling us how good they are with money & debt."
- Instead of everyone complaining about elections and who they are or aren't voting for, send congratulations to the student-athletes from this past fall ... you know they are the future of this county one day.
- Can you tell I'm sick of this election and all the politics?
- Who is ready for basketball at the high school level?
- Just not a fan of the Sherlock Holmes remakes … keep trying, though. Just didn't compare to the original.
• A quick Week 9 NFL review
- Chargers 31, Chiefs 13: The Chiefs are a disappointment this season … figured they'd be much better. For the Chargers … they should have won this game, but what can they do against everyone else?
- Texans 21, Bills 9: Texans did what they needed to do, but what I'm excited over is next week's matchup with the Bears on Sunday Night football. With the Texans' offense and the Bears' defense, it should be a great game. As for this game … it is just so hard to stop the Texans right now.
- Lions 31, Jaguars 14: Glad the Lions finally got Calvin Johnson involved … and the Jaguars are bad … rebuilding, but still bad.
- Panthers 21, Redskins 13: Didn't see much on this game … neither team is that great, but they have potential big-time players at QB … the best days of these teams are ahead.
- Colts 23, Dolphins 20: Two up-and-coming teams, but how good can Andrew Luck be? Over 400 passing yards (433, to be exact) as a rookie in one game … he's the real deal. If playoffs started today, the Colts would be in as a wild card.
- Bears 51, Titans 20: The Bears are starting to turn their level of play up not only defensively (which is a given), but their offense is playing better as well. They reaped the benefits Sunday because of their defense. If the Bears' offense can continue to improve each week, they'll be the class of the NFC.
- Packers 31, Cardinals 17: Well, the Cards are who I thought they were … the Packers can be very good, but their rushing game scares me. As long as they have Aaron Rodgers at QB and all the weapons at wide receiver, they will still be competitive.
- Ravens 25, Browns 15: Was a bit of a boring game, but I have the feeling the Browns will be looking for a new head coach this offseason, maybe earlier. Their offense bored me to a quick nap Sunday. Was nice to see the Ravens use Ray Rice more.
- Broncos 31, Bengals 23: The Broncos are a lot better than I thought they would be, but that's what I get for slightly thinking against Peyton Manning. The Bengals need work.
- Seahawks 30, Vikings 20: Hard to beat the Seahawks at home … can't explain it, but it just is.
- Buccaneers 42, Raiders 32: Doug Martin is the next big-time running back. Look at his stat line from this game … 25 carries for 251 yards (10 yards per carry) with four TDs and four catches for 21 yards. Rookie of the Year? Maybe.
- Steelers 24, Giants 20: Neither team looked crisp, but the Steelers and Ben Roethlisberger did what they needed to do to win. Eli Manning struggled, but the entire NY team looked off. The officials looked like they were the replacement ones.
- Falcons 19, Cowboys 13: Falcons did what good teams do in the fourth quarter, and the Cowboys didn't. Atlanta showed why they are the only undefeated team in the league.
- Monday Night Football Prediction: Eagles 28, Saints 24: Don't think either team is great, but this might be the last chance for Michael Vick.
• Quote of the Week
"This race went great. I ran as well as I could have hoped … I don't think I could have run much better." — Fairfield junior Michael Mangus, following his 14th-place finish at the State Cross-Country Championships Saturday.
• (A second) Quote of the Week
"The race went pretty good. I had one of my better times this year … but I went out a little too fast because the pace was so fast to keep up with everyone else. Then I had a side stitch about the two-mile mark, so that started hurting me. I could have run better, but it was just hurting." — Fairfield junior Blake Hildebrant, following the Division III State Cross-Country Championships Saturday.
• (A third) Quote of the Week
"This season, I couldn't have worked with a better group of kids. They came to all the summer workouts, the conditioning, the weight room …. everything and worked hard. Again, I'm just proud of the girls." — Leslie Molen, HHS girls soccer coach following the Lady Indians 1-0 regional semifinal loss to Columbus St. Francis DeSales.
• Stat of the Week
I don't know the exact number, but the number of saves by HHS junior Rachel Sexton at goal against Columbus St. Francis DeSales in the aforementioned regional semifinal soccer match. Best performance by a keeper I've seen in a long time.
• One last item of business
Thank you to everyone who read a story online or in print this fall season. It was a lot of fun to cover Highland County teams in all sports (and Paint Valley football from Ross County). There was a lot of success this fall by the area student-athletes and coaches. Thanks again for reading.
Stephen Forsha is the sports editor of The Highland County Press. He can be reached at sforsha@gmail.com. Follow Stephen on Twitter @hcpsportseditor.