Perrysburg Trio Take Down Foes Monclova Christian Gains Respect
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FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK MALE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK Name: Niki McCoy The Wildcats’ 5-11 post McCoy, the only under- Name: Mike Dhondt The 6-0 guard scored 28 victory Saturday over School: Northview player scored a game-high classman in starting lineup, School: Perrysburg points in an 89-84 NLL Bellevue. Dhondt, who hit Class: Junior 21 points and grabbed leads the Wildcats in scor- Class: Senior overtime loss Friday at 13 3-pointers (9 vs. Sport: Basketball seven rebounds in a pivotal ing (16.4) and is second in Sport: Basketball Southview, then set a Bellevue) in the two games, Northern Lakes League vic- rebounding (6.0). school single-game record lifted his season scoring tory over Perrysburg. with 41 points in an 84-47 average to 23.4. SIDELINEST HE BLADE, TOLEDO, OHIO ■ T H U R S D A Y ,JANUARY 15, 2004 SECTION C PAGE 6 SECTION C PAGE 7 WRESTLING NOTEBOOK THE DOCKET BOYS BASKETBALL WRESTLING ■ Tomorrow and Saturday: Bedford among state’s The Mary E. Kerr Memorial Invitational wrestling tourna- ment begins with preliminary best in volleyball again competition at 4 p.m. tomorrow at the Waite High School field house. In its 28th year as one of the Through her 19 seasons as SWIMMING area’s top regular-season invi- head volleyball coach at Bedford tationals, this year’s tourna- High-flying 5 ment features a 26-team field, High School, Jodi Manore has cul- Titans make waves tivated, and come to expect, excel- St. John's Jesuit coach Andy with schools that sent a com- lence in her Kicking Mules. Her Dugan has plenty to be pleased bined 42 wrestlers to the state 1998 and 2001 teams won Michi- about, tournament last year. gan Class A (big school) state cham- The Titans (5-1 in dual meets), Included in the field are Monclova Christian gains pionships, and this year’s squad is who face Erie Mason tonight, are Clay, Delta, Franklin Heights, off to a 25-3 start and a No. 4 rank- coming off a close victory over a Galloway Westland, Genoa, ing in the latest state poll. strong Northview team. It required Grove City, Hilliard Darby, Libbey, Led by senior right-side hitter St. John's 400-meter freestyle relay Lorain Southview, Massillon Lauren Keiser, who Manore said has team of Greg Szmanski, David Washington, Maumee, Mid- respect, wins with few players been the Mules’ most consistent all- Braunreuther, David Fournier and dlefield Cardinal, Montpelier, around player, Stott Dittemore to win the final Mount Vernon, Newbury, North- By DONALD EMMONS and sophomore race with a time of 4:01. wood, Perry, Reynoldsburg, BLADE SPORTS WRITER 20 boys and 20 girls enrolled in the entire high middle hitter “It was more of a mental win for Sandusky, Scott, Start, school, Monclova Christian is among the smallest Veronica Rood, us than anything,” Dugan said. Southview, Springfield, host schools in Division IV. By comparison, Swanton the team’s leader “To win, it really was a confidence Waite, Whitmer and Wood- espite having as many freshmen dress for the has 189 boys in the upper three grades alone, and in kills and kill builder for us. They should have ward. boys varsity basketball team as sophomores, Seneca East 126. percentage, Bed- very positive thoughts for them- The tournament resumes juniors and seniors combined, Monclova Basically, in no time flat, the Thunder rose from ford, a state semi- selves going into other meets.” Saturday at 10 a.m. with cham- D Christian Academy believes its prayers have nothing into the (Very) Little Engine That Could. finalist last sea- Fournier, a senior, ranks fifth in pionship-bracket semifinals been answered this season. The Thunder finished last year at 13-7 while Jodi son, has lost only the state in the 50-yard free with and consolation-bracket match- The Thunder is on a major roll, just two seasons also playing well enough to garner a Buckeye Chris- to the three teams a school-record time of 21.90. es, and concludes with first, removed from a 3-18 inaugural campaign in which tian League championship. Based upon the Thun- Manore ranked above it in David Colturi, a freshman, ranks third and fifth-place matches at the majority of its games came against junior var- der’s start to this season, expectations are to exceed the state poll — No. 1 East Kent- third in the state among divers 5 p.m. sity teams. last season’s win total. wood, No. 2 Fraser and No. 3 Grand after posting a season-best 281 Monclova Christian has opened its third season “We’re gaining some respect,” said Derek Mer- Haven. points on six dives. SWIMMING/DIVING by winning seven of its first ten games, including rin, the coach’s son, a 6-4 junior who is averaging 19 The Mules, 3-0 in the South- ■ Tomorrow: The Sylva- notable victories over Swanton and Seneca East. Not points and a team-leading 11 rebounds. “We real- eastern Conference, face an SC nia Invitational takes place at bad for a team that employs an ironman starting five, ly were embarrassed the first year. challenge tonight against Chelsea, HOCKEY Northview, with diving at 4 p.m. with few substitutions, and has been a member of “We’re a small school, but we’ve shown that we THE BLADE/JEREMY WADSWORTH the only conference team to beat and swimming at 6 p.m. Swim- the Ohio High School Athletic can come out and play with the rest. We’ve done that Monclova Christian’s varsity players are joined by junior varsity players as they get the Mules last year, and has a big- Icy hot mers from as many as 16 Association for just two years. this year.” pumped up for a game. The JV players are used as substitutes in the varsity game. ger test Jan. 24 at the 24-team East Veteran coach Dan DeWitt’s schools are expected to com- “We’re pioneering a pro- Exactly how Monclova Christian has succeeded Kentwood Invitational. That tour- Bowling Green Bobcats are on a roll. pete. THE BLADE/DAVE ZAPOTOSKY gram,” coach Russ Merrin is not typical. For instance, tryouts for the varsity have The Thunder relies on its three seniors — 5-10 “It’s all still kind of new to me,” said Russell, nament field includes perennial Their 2-0 win Saturday at Parma ■ Saturday: Napoleon will Perrysburg wrestlers Tony Rodriguez, left, Dave Wyper and said. “If we stay at our level been non-existent during the past three seasons. Brian Boes, 6-2 Tony Russell and 6-4 Josh Rose — and who transferred from Bowling Green to Monclova powers Portage Northern and Padua Franciscan was their 15th host the Greater Buckeye Con- Noah Zyduck are all ranked No. 1 in their respective weight we feel no one is going to “If you come out you’re on the team,” said Matt juniors Merrin and Velazquez to log most of the Christian two years ago. “To start out on varsity Portage Central, both top-10 ranked straight victory, avenging the only ference Championships. The classes in the area coaches poll. humiliate us.” Velazquez, a 6-1 junior who leads the Thunder in scor- minutes in each game. Two of the seniors had never and never having played basketball before, I thought teams. blemish on a 17-0-1 record. Bowl- meet is scheduled to start at With approximately ing with 21.7 points a contest. played organized basketball until last year. that was kind of cool. It was all confusing at first. I ing Green is 6-0-1 against teams 9:30 a.m. had no idea of what was going on.” BASKETBALL from the Cleveland area’s top divi- Meanwhile, the bench is made up of even more sion, including a win over defend- GYMNASTICS inexperience — one sophomore and six freshmen. 1,000 and counting ing state champ University School. ■ Saturday: Central vs. The underclassmen also make up the Thunder’s Fostoria junior guard Jacob The Bobcats, 6-0-0 in the top Southview and Notre Dame vs. junior varsity team. Diebler surpassed the 1,000 mark division of the Northwest Hockey Northview at Sunrise Gym- Merrin is limited in the number of substitu- in career points Conference, have been led by sen- nastics Academy at 4:30 p.m. Perrysburg trio ■ tions he can make in a game based upon OHSAA rules Friday when he ior forwards Kevin Rawlik (26 goals, Jan. 21: Southview and that limit students from playing in more than five quar- scored 38 in an 13 assists), Steve Culbertson (16, 11) Notre Dame at Perrysburg — at ters of basketball on a given day. 81-66 Northern and Casey Horner (11, 16). Perrysburg Gymynastics Club Generally, Merrin doesn’t substitute in the first Ohio League win Senior goalie Dan Marcson has at 7 p.m.; Northview and Bow- take down foes quarter, which then allows him to use his non- over Tiffin Col- a 1.37 goals-against average and a sher at Maumee — at South starters as subs for the rest of the game, although none umbian. The 6-2 .937 save percentage. Toledo YMCA at 7 p.m. can play in more than one quarter. Diebler is aver- By STEVE JUNGA high school, and this late start kept A lack of players also hinders his coaching aging 24.3 points GYMNASTICS FLASHBACK ■ 30 YEARS AGO: BLADE SPORTS WRITER him off the varsity team as a fresh- options. Applying full-court pressure is out of the ques- Jacob and 8.1 rebounds On tion.