Category: Sports

By Carol McIntireEditorJared Witherow is etching his name in the Malvern football history book.The sophomore quarterback set a new single game passing record Friday with 350 yards through the air against the Strasburg Tigers Friday at Malvern. The new mark is 13 yards better than the previous record of 337 yards set in 2010 by Shawn Ball.The 6-4, 175-pounder completed 21 of 25 passes, including four touchdowns, in the Hornets

Carrollton defeated runner-up West Branch by 331 strokes to win its four consecutive Eastern Buckeye Conference (EBC) boys golf championship Sept. 19 at Salem Country Club.Carrollton recorded a team score of 308 while West Branch tallied a 339, Marlington 343, Minerva 388, Salem 404 and Alliance 455.The season-ending tournament also marked the third time the Warriors were undefeated in regular season play. The team finished the 2019 season with a

By Carol McIntireEditorIn 1978, Conotton Valley Football Coach Don Hertler was a sophomore at North Canton Hoover High School. His junior varsity coach was Dick Gross.Friday, Gross, who retired from coaching in 2011, was on the sidelines watching his former player lead his Rockets to a 42-18 win over the previously once-beaten Bridgeport Bulldogs.“When Don was a sophomore our quarterback was Todd Blackledge: ever heard that name?” Gross asked leaning

By Carol McIntireEditorCarrollton turned two early Garfield fumbles into touchdowns and cruised to a 49-18 non-conference win in a rare Saturday afternoon game at Akron Sept. 17.A quick touchdown by junior Ryan Kiko after the visiting Warriors pounced on a Rams fumble on the second play of the game and a one yard score by senior Ben Zinda on a third-and-13 play on Garfield’s next possession gave the Warriors a

Conotton Valley senior Evan Rice ran for five touchdowns as the Rockets routed Strasburg 50-22  Friday in an Inter Valley Conference (IVC) matchup.  Rice ran for 306 yards on 25 carries and added two 2-point conversions. The Rockets started fast and kept their foot on the accelerator, scoring 28 points in the first quarter and 16 in the second to hold a 38-8 halftime lead. Strasburg cut the lead to 38-22

Elizabeth Funkhouser led the Carrollton girls to the championship title for large schools at the Dover Invitational Sept. 10. Athletes ran together in the boys and girls divisions and results were then broken down into large and small school division. Carrollton tallied 36 points in the six-team field to win the girls team trophy. Funkhouser, a senior, placed second overall in the girls race (first in the team competition) with

By Carol McIntire, Editor Carrollton Coach Jim Tsilimos’ Warrior football team set the tone for a 63-6 win over the St. Thomas Aquinas Knights on the first possession of the game. “I told them we were going to come out, kick off, get the ball and score and that is exactly what they did,” Tsilimos said following the victory. Carrollton kicker Lawson sent the ball sailing into the end zone

Senior Jaxon Rinkes fired a one-under-par 35 at Great Trail Golf Course Sept. 1 to help the Carrollton Warriors remain undefeated in boys golf action. It was the first of two meetings between the Warriors and Minerva Lions this season with the Warriors posting a 152-179 win.  Colton Moore carded a 37 and Isaac Warner a 38 for the winners. Cayden Rininger and John Birong both added 42s for the

Football, soccer, volleyball, golf and cross country highlights are featured in this week’s issue of The Messenger. Follow the fall athletes from Carrollton, Conotton Valley, Malvern and Minerva schools.

Malvern Football Head Coach Matt Chiurco will lead a young team this year but, he has a lot of experience returning.  Of the 13 lettermen returning, only two are seniors. The team lost several to graduation, including Tristan Phillips, Bryson White, KJ Thomas, Noah Ball (IVC North Player of the Year), Sam Foster, Will Steinberg, Kaden Grinder, Johnny Walker and Trevor Slider.  “We have 11 guys who at least started

First year Minerva Football Coach Tim Speakman is excited about building a football program at the school.He returned to his hometown earlier this year and takes over a program that won one game last season.Nineteen lettermen return to the squad. Returning are sophomore Hunter Dietrich, QB/DL; junior Nathaniel Frankford, WR/DB; junior Jon Davis, WR/DB; sophomore Jayden Yerger, WR/DB; junior Eli Miller, QB/WR/DB; sophomore Joel Gropp, WR/DB; junior Lance Deibel, WR/DB;

Head Coach Don Hertler noted the Conotton Valley football set four goals for the season which include winning a play-off game.  On the way to winning a play-off game, Hertler wants his team to get better each week, play their best games last and earn a home spot for an Ohio Valley Athletic Conference (OVAC) play-off game. The Rockets return several lettermen along with promising risers and newcomers.  “We have

Win league; win season; make playoffs Fifteen players were lost to graduation from a Carrollton football team that posted an 8-4 regular season record and garnered second place in the Eastern Buckeye Conference (EBC) with a 5-1 mark. The Warriors won their first Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) playoff game over Cambridge before falling to St. Clairsville in the second round.  The graduating class included quarterback Austin Colletti, who

By Carol McIntire Editor The Carrollton varsity football schedule looks a little different for the 2022 season, including a Saturday afternoon contest, three new opponents and all Eastern Buckeye Conference games clumped together at the end of the season. Canton South, St. Clairsville and Coventry are gone from the schedule, replaced by Manchester, Philo and Garaway. “Canton South withdrew from the EBC so we knew we would be looking for

State track meet results Minerva senior Connor Shingleton turned in the top performance of area competitors at the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) state track meet June 3 and 4 at Jesse Owens Stadium on the campus of The Ohio State University. Shingleton earned berths in the Division II 800 and 1,600M, placing seventh in the 1,600 and 16th in the 800. According to Minerva team officials, another competitor

Conotton Valley pays tribute to baseball coach Dave DiDonato or “Dino” as he is known throughout the baseball community, has decided to call it a career.  The Conotton Valley board of education accepted the resignation of the longtime high school baseball coach during the May 19 meeting.  When he resigned as the school’s athletic director in October, Dino announced his return to the dugout for one final season. That season ended

Athletes from Carrollton, Minerva, Malvern, Conotton Valley, Sandy Valley and Edison advanced to regional track competitions by placing in the top four at district events May 21. Carrollton, Minerva, Sandy Valley and Edison competed at the Division II district meet at West Holmes High School while Malvern and Conotton Valley traveled to St. Clairsville for the Division III district meet.  Those placing in the top four in each event qualified

By Leigh Ann Rutledge CCM Reporter An error by the River Pilots and a triple by Chloe Stuber was the turning point in the opening round of tournament action May 10 at Conotton Valley High School. The Lady Rockets defeated River 6-3 to advance to in the East District Division IV Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) sectional competition. Stuber’s hit came in the bottom of the fourth when the

The Warrior baseball team kicked off last week with a dominate performance over Alliance that earned the team an 11-1 Eastern Buckeye Conference (EBC) victory.After scoring one run in the first inning and two in the second, the Warriors exploded for eight runs in the third inning. Alliance’s lone run came in the top of the first inning.Warrior pitcher Hayden Jenkins went the distance on the mound, allowing only two

By Carol McIntire Editor Longtime Carrollton track coach Larry Cogan was center stage Friday for the invitational  track meet that carries his name. Cogan, who coached and taught at Carrollton schools for over three decades was clad in his “official event starter” uniform Friday night at Community Field for the seventh annual event.  In his true spirit of always putting athletes first, Cogan’s main concern as the running events began  was to

By Leigh Ann Rutledge CCM Associate Editor The Conotton Valley Lady Rockets are back-to-back OVAC Champions! The Rockets won the Ohio Valley Athletic Conference (OVAC) 1A Championship April 29 at I-470 Complex in Wheeling, WV, by defeating the Beallsville Blue Devils 10-0 in five innings.  Sophomore Masy Baker put the Rockets on the board in the first period. On a full-count, she hit a three-run homer which bounced off the

Cayden Rininger and Jimmy Little combined for a two-hit shutout of United Local to begin a busy weekend of baseball for the Carrollton Warriors. The host Warriors scored three runs in the first inning, four in the second and six in the third behind a strong pitching and hitting effort. Rininger went three innings of the five-inning contest with a strikeout and three walks. Little went the final two innings

The Conotton Valley Rockets hosted Buckeye Trail in an Inter Valley Conference (IVC) and Ohio Valley Athletic Conference (OVAC) contest April 13 and fell 16-4.  The Warriors took a 6-0 lead in the first inning, scored two in the third and fifth innings and finished with six runs in the top of the sixth inning.  Rocket Pitcher Gaige Galigher went 4 1/3 innings, walking three, striking out two and giving

Warriors, Hornets join nine-team field at annual Sandy Valley event, athletes earn top 10-placings Nate Baker and Logan Beaver both won individual titles for Carrollton at the Lidderdale Invitational, held April 14 at Sandy Valley High School.Baker won the 200M with a time of 23.71 and Beaver won the discus with a throw of 130-feet, 7-inches. Baker also placed second in the 100M (11:56) and Beaver finished sixth in the

In a muddy, rainy game April 5, the Lady Rockets defeated the Malvern Hornets 11-0 at home in a cross-county Inter Valley Conference contest. The Lady Rockets came out strong, taking a 6-0 lead in the first inning, one run in the second and four in the third inning.  “Masy Baker had yet another solid performance on the mound tonight with nine strikeouts and only giving up one hit in

Minerva capitalized on six Carrollton errors  and outhit their hosts 8-6 to defeat the Warriors 11-5 at the Field of Dreams April 6. The Lions plated five runs in the top of the first inning. Carrollton pulled to within two runs in the third inning by scoring three runs. The Lions widened the gap to 6-3 in the fifth. Carrollton pulled back to within one run in the bottom of the

By Carol McIntire Editor Carrollton opened the 2022 track season March 29 on a new eight-lane track at Community Field and a much-improved view of the finish line. When the track was installed in the summer of 2021, the finish line was moved from the south side of the track (visitor bleachers) and relocated to the north side at the west end of the home bleachers.  “The life span of

Feb. 10 win over Minerva marked school’s 1,000 match, secured league championship By Leigh Ann Rutledge CCM Reporter Wrestling Coach Joe McGee announced a milestone the program reached during the March 17 wrap-up banquet, held in Carrollton High School. The wrestling program celebrated its 1,000th match since its inception of the program in 1962. The milestone in itself is an accomplishment, but the match was a lot more. The Warriors

By Leigh Ann Rutledge CCM Reporter Carrollton sophomore Josh Carman (126 lbs.) and Minerva junior Kaiden Haines (215 lbs.) capped off the 2021-2022 wrestling season on the podium at the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) State Wrestling tournament March 11-13 at the Jerome Schottenstein Center at The Ohio State University.  Carman (42-8), a two-time state qualifier, placed sixth in his weight bracket. He defeated Liam Hatgas of Holy Name

Lead group of Carrollton, Minerva wrestlers to state tournament By Leigh Ann Rutledge CCM Reporter Two area wrestlers earned spots atop the podium at the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) Division II District Wrestling Tournament March 4 and 5 at Gallia Academy High School in Gallipolis. Carrollton’s Josh Carman and Minerva’s Kaiden Haines won titles and will join seven other area wrestlers in Columbus for the OSHAA State Wrestling

By Carol McIntire Editor Carrollton was one of eight teams to advance to the championship round of the Division II girls state bowling tournament March 5 at Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl only to run into the top qualifying team – Napoleon – in the first round.  Coach Wendy Russell’s Warriors qualified eighth and, according to the Ohio High School Athletic Association format, the top qualifier –Napoleon- was pitted against the

By Carol McIntire Editor Carrollton’s boys and girls bowling teams experienced a whirlwind of accomplishments last week, capped off with berths in the state bowling tournament. The teams kicked off the week by winning a make-up match at Carroll Lanes with Minerva that gave both teams outright Eastern Buckeye Conference and Stark County Bowling League American Conference championships.  On Thursday, the teams traveled to Coshocton to compete in the Division

By Leigh Ann Rutledge CCM Reporter Senior night for Carrollton wrestlers ended with a championship celebration. The Warriors defeated Canton South 55-18 and earned the outright Eastern Buckeye Conference (EBC) champions with a 6-0 conference record.  Seniors Steven Byler, Domanick Speelman, Trey Hilliard, Spencer Grindstaff, Jaden Powell and Cody Fritz were introduced with their parents prior to the start of the match, held Feb. 17 in the CHS gym.  Speelman

Will be joined by Conotton Valley, Minerva bowlers at district tournament CCM Staff Report Carrollton swept the top awards at the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) Division II sectional bowling tournaments, winning the individual titles in both divisions as well as the team titles and leads a group of three area schools advancing both teams to district competition. The Warriors won the 21-team boys division with a total pin

By Leigh Ann Rutledge CCM Reporter The rivalry match.  Attendees could feel the tension when they walked into the Minerva High School gymnasium for the annual Carrollton-Minerva wrestling match Feb. 10.  Fans from both schools cheered loudly, stomped their feet and bounced so much the bleachers vibrated as the two teams, undefeated in Eastern Buckeye Conference (EBC) action, squared off on the wrestling mat with the top slot in the

Carrollton and Minerva will meet at Carroll Lanes Feb. 21 with Eastern Buckeye Conference (EBC) boys and girls bowling titles on the line for both schools.  The match at Carroll Lanes was originally scheduled Jan. 18, but has been postponed three times due to weather conditions, which set up the Feb. 9 match at Minerva bowl prior to the Carroll Lanes match.  Both boys and both girls teams were unbeaten

Two members of the Lady Warriors bowled 400 series Feb. 2 as their team topped Alliance by 1,000 pins at Carroll Lanes. The Warriors won the individual games score 1,945 -1,106 and the Baker 584-421 for a total pin fall win of 2,529 -1,527. Senior Kellyn Harsh earned high series and high game honors with a 446 series and a 265 single game score. Her 265 game score was a

Conotton Valley bowler Bobby Brennan rolled his way into the Rockets record books. Brennan, a sophomore, threw the first 300 game in school history Feb. 1 at Atwood Lanes.  Brennan was voted the Stark County High School Bowling Conference National Division’s Bowler of the Year last season and qualified individually for the District tournament.   Along with his record setting game, he also rolled the high series 504 (300, 204) helping

By Carol McIntire Editor The Sandy Valley Cardinals led for nearly the first 24 minutes of a non-league girls basketball game at Carrollton Jan. 31, at times by as many as 10 points.  Carrollton led when it mattered the most: 72-58 the final buzzer.  The Warriors chipped away at Sandy Valley’s 34-27 halftime lead in the third period, closing to within three points at 43-40 when Sophia Glass swished a

CCM Staff Report Michael Minor recorded a double-double and four Hornets scored in double figures as Malvern picked up an 84-71 Inter Valley Conference road win over Tuscarawas Central Catholic Jan. 25. Michael Minor scored a game high 27 points and grabbed 12 of his team’s 30 rebounds. KJ Thomas added 17 points, Dylan Phillips 15 and Mitchell Minor 12. All 12-of Mitchell Minor’s points came from 3-point range. Michael

Conotton Valley bowling swept the Ohio Valley Athletic Conference (OVAC) championships, winning not only the top team awards in the small school division, but also top boys and girls awards as well Jan. 22 at St. Clair Lanes in St. Clairsville.  All teams bowled three individual games, where five bowlers bowl three games each, and four bakers, where the five bowlers work together to bowl a game. Girls title The

Malvern pulls away in second half for 63-43 cross-county victory By Carol McIntire Editor Minerva kept pace with Malvern over the first two quarters of a fast-paced boys basketball contest Jan. 11 in the Minerva gym.    The second half was a different story and led to a 63-43 win for the visitors. Pressure defense and a trapping full court press by both teams led to a low scoring first quarter

Carrollton, Malvern grapplers stand atop podium By Leigh Ann Rutledge CCM Reporter Five county wrestlers won championships at the first Rumble in the Pit at Claymont High School Jan. 14 and 15.  Kail Snair (113 lbs.), Josh Carman (126 lbs.) and Ben Zinda (190 lbs.) each won their brackets and helped the Warriors win the team championship.  Malvern wrestlers Tyson Clear (138 lbs.) and Zach Babiczuk (215 lbs.) won their