Category: Sports

A search is underway for a new football coach at Minerva High School following the resignation of Tim Speakman. Speakman, who led the Lions the past three seasons, won one game and lost 29. The win came in the 2004 season against St. Thomas Aquinas. The coach listed his reason for resigning as wanting more time with his family. Minerva Athletic Director Garth Evans said the extracurricular position was posted

By Dan Ries Sports Reporter Leading by two points at halftime, the Carrollton Lady Warriors used a dominant third quarter to defeat Eastern Buckeye Conference foe Marlington Dukes 47-32 Nov. 27 in Carrollton. The Warriors used a stingy defense to create turnovers, seemingly grabbing every loose ball, while controlling the defensive boards and limiting second chance shots on the way to a 19-5 third quarter. Marlington made just two baskets

By Carol McIntire Editor The Conotton Valley Rockets nearly pulled off the upset Friday when they faced the undefeated Eastern High School Eagles in a Division VII regional semifinal contest at Heath High School.  The Rockets dug a hole early and trailed 21-0 at halftime. Coach Derek O’Hara’s squad pulled themselves out of the hole, outscored the Eagles 22-0 over the next two quarters and took a 22-21 lead in

By Carol McIntire Editor With 30 ticks left on the game clock in a regional semifinal game against the Hillsdale Falcons Friday night, the Malvern Hornets had victory within their grasp. Coach Matt Chiurco’s team had just scored a 33-yard touchdown to go head of the Falcons 48-40.  All they had to do was keep the high-powered Falcon offense out of the end zone for the final 30.5 seconds and

By Carol McIntire Editor The Conotton Valley Rockets have lived by the passing game all season long, and Friday’s Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) regional quarterfinal game against Trimble was no different. The Rockets relied on senior quarterback Zach Putnam’s arm and a defense that forced four fumbles in a nail-biting 26-22 win over the team from Athens. The Rockets move on to the third round where they will

By Carol McIntire Editor Malvern Football Coach Matt Chiurco breathed a sigh of relief Friday after his Hornets posted a 42-14 win over Lowellville in the regional quarterfinals of the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) playoffs.  “It’s a big relief,” Chiurco said, referring to the fact that the Hornets have not advanced past the second round of the playoffs since 2009 and have not advanced to the third round

By Carol McIntire Editor Minerva won its second consecutive Division II girls championship and its third in four years Saturday at the Ohio High School Athletic Association Cross Country State Championships. The Lady Lions stood atop the podium in 2021, 2023 and again in 2024 in front of a large crowd at Fortress Obetz near Columbus, the site for the championships the last few years. Minerva tallied 100 points to

By Carol McIntire Editor Malvern quarterback Jared Witherow threw for 347 yards and six touchdowns as the Hornets held off the Lucas Cubs at home 40-26  in the first round of the Division VII football playoffs Friday.  The Hornets came into the game as the No. 3 seed in Region 25 and the Lucas Cubs as the No. 11 seed. Malvern (10-1) will now host Lowellville (7-4) in a regional quarterfinal

Minerva will send its defending girls Division II state championship team back to Fortress Obetz for the state’s top cross country race this Saturday.  Joining the Lady Lions will be individual qualifiers from Carrollton, Sandy Valley and the Minerva boys team. All qualified at the regional meet Oct. 26 at Pickerington North High School. The top six teams and the top 24 individuals in each race advanced to the state

Four area football teams are headed to the first round of the Ohio School Athletic Association (OHSAA) football playoffs. Malvern and Conotton Valley both secured home games, while Carrollton and Edison will both make road trips to meet their opponents. All games are scheduled Nov. 1 at 7 p.m. Conotton Valley and Malvern are the highest ranked teams in the Carroll County area. The Rockets finished #3 in Division VII

CCM Staff Report Malvern clinched at least a share of the Inter Valley Conference North title Saturday when the Hornets knocked off  Tuscarawas Central Catholic 41-0 in New Philadelphia. The Hornets will be looking for their fifth straight conference title this Friday when they travel to East Canton to face the Hornets.  Saturday’s game afforded Malvern Coach Matt Chiurco and his staff the opportunity to provide playing time to many different

By Dan Ries Sports Reporter A disastrous first quarter by the Carrollton Warriors was all the West Branch Warriors needed to defeat Carrollton 33-6 at Community Field Nov. 18.  West Branch has won 25 straight Eastern Buckeye Conference (EBC) matchups. The team’s last loss in the EBC was a 30-20 loss to Minerva in 2019. Fumbles and big plays gave West Branch a 20-0 first quarter lead.  The game didn’t

Ricky Sibila erased a sixth-place finish at the 2023 Eastern Buckeye Conference cross country championships with a win Saturday on the course at Marlington High School.  The Carrollton senior’s time of 16:00.50 was 17 seconds faster than second place Grasyn Rettig of Minerva, who finished with a time 16:17.10. Minerva won the boys team title with five runners in the top 11 slots.  Rowen Hoffee placed fifth, followed by teammates Ryan

By Dan Ries CCM Reporter Carrollton senior quarterback Jake Whitmore set a school record, throwing five touchdowns, as the Warriors defeated the Salem Quakers 35-34 in overtime Oct. 11 at Sebo Stadium in Salem.  Whitmore was 15-20 passing for 263 yards and ran 17 times for 120 yards. Fellow senior wide receiver Braylon Murphy tied a school record, catching three of Whitmore’s touchdown passes, including the game winner in overtime.

By Carol McIntire Editor Malvern Head Coach Matt Chiurco believed the more physical and tougher team would win a showdown between his one-loss Hornets and the undefeated Newcomerstown Trojans Friday night in Malvern. He was spot-on with his prediction. The battle was a tough, hard-hitting contest won by the Hornets 38-28, who now sit atop the Inter Valley Conference North standings with two games remaining on the schedule.  “We stressed

By Carol McIntireEditorWhen the Carrollton Warriors needed the defense Friday against the Alliance Aviators it was there.When the Warriors needed the passing game, it was successful.When it was time for the offense to grind out yards on the ground late in the contest, the line opened holes for running backs to squirt through.When the different aspect of the game responded when called upon, the results are usually favorable, as was

Malvern boys team moving on in Division III The Malvern Boys Golf Team earned a trip to the District Tournament by firing a 333 to place sixth at the Division III East District Sectional Tournament at Cambridge Country Club Sept. 25. Sophomore Cooper Kiehl shot a career best 77 to tie for 8th place in the individual standings. Junior Cameron Good fired an 83.  Sophomore Tyler Pelle also posted a career

Carrollton cross country runners Ricky Sibila and Kylie Ujcich recorded career milestones at the Cambridge Invitational Sept. 28. Sibila broke the 16-minute mark for the first time in his career by winning the large school boys race in a time of 15:59.45. It was his second race win of the season.  “Ricky led the entire race, and finally broke into that 15 minute time! He has been working hard all

 By Carol McIntire Editor Carrollton jumped on top early and then held off a late Marlington rally for a 24-17 win in Alliance Friday night in the Eastern Buckeye Conference (EBC) opener for both teams. Going into the game, first-year Carrollton Coach Storm Hill was concerned about the Duke’s passing game but his defense stood up to the test.  Hill’s defense recorded seven tackles for loss, four sacks, one interception

Minerva won the Eastern Buckeye boys golf tournament Sept. 18 and placed second in the final league standings. It was the first league title for Minerva in the last seven years and only the second time in school history.  “Our guys came out and played really well all day. It was great to see,” said Coach Troy Richeson. Junior Reid Spall led the Lions with a 79 on the par

The drought is over!The Minerva Lions snapped a 33-game losing streak that dates back to 2020 with a 16-7 win over St. Thomas Aquinas Friday on their home field.Senior kicker Zavier Wheeler provided field goals of 22, 42 and 34 yards and added the extra point after quarterback Julian Dunbar scored a three-yard touchdown to account for the Lions’ scoring.Dunbar ran for 94 yards on 12 carries and completed two

By Carol McIntire Editor In the game of high school football, special teams play is one aspect of the game that does not get a lot of attention.  For the Carrollton Warriors Saturday at Akron, it was the special teams that lifted the Warriors to a 10-7 win over the Garfield Rams.  When asked following the game how important special teams play is, Carrollton Coach Storm Hill’s reply was simple,

Carrollton cross country runners Rick Sibila and Kylie Ujcich notched second place finishes at the Dover Invitational Saturday, both finishing behind runners from the host school. Luke Jones of Dover won the large school boys race with a time of 17 minutes with Sibila right behind at 17:08. There were 95 runners in the race. In the large school girls race, Dover’s Sydney Stevenson clocked a time of 20:54 for

By Carol McIntire Editor Senior quarterback Jacob Whitmore accounted for all three Carrollton touchdowns in a 21-14 win over Howland Friday night at Warren. The win improved the Warriors to 2-2 on the season and offered the team its first look at the Tigers, who will join the Eastern Buckeye Conference for football only in the 2026 season. Whitmore used his legs and arm to lead the Warriors to the

By Carol McIntire Editor The teacher and his student met on the football field Friday night at Malvern. The teacher, Matt Chiurco, head coach of the Malvern Hornets. The student, Jeremy Taylor, new head coach of the Tusky Valley Trojans, who served as the defensive coordinator for the Hornets last year.  Chiurco used the football field as his blackboard to lay out a game plan clicked on all cylinders and

Malvern put all its points on the board in the first half Friday in a non-conference contest with the Harrison Central Huskies and held off the hosts for a 38-28 victory. Hornet quarterback Jared Witherow and wide receiver Rodney Smith accounted for three of the team’s five touchdowns.  The 6-5, 190 lb. senior Witherow connected with Smith, a 6-2, 170 lb. senior, for two first-quarter scores, a 36-yarder and the

Carrollton battled back from a 3-1 halftime deficit to tie Marlington 3-3 in the Eastern Buckeye Conference opener Sept. 4 at Community Field. The Lady Dukes struck first when senior Anastasia Vitale sent the ball into the corner of the net at the 28:44 mark of the first. The Warriors went right to work and almost exactly three minutes later, Chelsea Pesta put the Warriors on the board with an

By Carol McIntireEditorArea cross country runners found success at the Mark Albaugh Early Bird Invitational Aug. 24 at Claymont High School.The Sandy Valley girls won the small school girls team race, Carrollton senior Ricky Sibila captured the top spot in the large school boys race, the Carrollton girls team placed third in the large school girls race, the boys team fourth and several runners earned individual medals.Sibila (16:09) put 14

By Carol McIntire, Editor Conotton Valley picked the Malvern defense apart for 278 yards through the air and gave the Hornets a scare Friday on the Rockets’ home field. Malvern won 35-20 on the field by putting points on the board, but on paper, the Rockets won the battle for total yards 297-280 and passing yards 278-95. Malvern found success on the ground, piling up 185 yards on 44 carries

By Carol McIntire, Editor Carrollton Coach Storm Hill made no excuses for his Warriors after they lost a non-league contest to Triway Friday at Community Field. “I liked our game plan, but I think we just missed some opportunities,” Hill said after team suffered a 26-7 loss to the Titans. “I have to make sure we are better prepared whenever they do certain things on the field to make plays.”

By Dan Ries CCM Reporter The Carrollton Warriors came from behind twice to defeat the East Liverpool Potters 20-13 Friday night at Patterson Field, giving Storm Hill a victory in his first game as the Warriors’ head coach. The sun beat down on the stadium crowd, warming the cool breeze coming off the Ohio River as fans on both sides poured in to see the two teams meet for only

By Carol McIntire Editor Malvern Coach Matt Chiurco was excited to get the first win of the season out of the way Aug. 23 at home against a new opponent -Youngstown Valley Christian. “It’s always good to get  a win week 1,” Chiurco said after his Hornets defeated the visiting Eagles 36-16. “That was a relief. Now we can just go play.”  The Hornets went into the game knowing they were

Minerva Local will return to classes Aug. 21, but the Lady Lions have been schooling their opponents on the golf course all summer, building a 14-0 record before the first school bell rings.  This past week they went 7-0, 2-0 in the Eastern Buckeye Conference. They started the week Aug. 12 hosting Northwest and Canton South at Great Trail and captured two wins, defeating Northwest 190-202 and Canton South 190-208.

Five individuals and one team will join the Carrollton High School Athletic Hall of Fame during a ceremony Aug. 31 in the high school Performing Arts Center.  Individuals include John Sharp, class of 1954; Jeff Fox, class of 1975; Jamie Reed, class of 1977; Jake Smethers, class of 1991; and Ethan Naylor, class of 2008.  The 2001 girls cross country team, coached by Kevin and Mark Spears, will also enter

A new “Storm” is brewing at Community Field this year as Storm Hill takes over the reins of the Carrollton Warriors football team, replacing Jim Tsilmos, who stepped down after five years at the helm. The Warriors reached the playoffs the last four years under Tsilimos. The road to the playoffs will be tougher for the Warriors this year as they moved up to Division III, Region 11 this year

Carrollton kicked off the 2024 varsity boys golf season Aug. 1 at Carroll Meadows with a win. The Warriors topped Eastern Buckeye Conference foe Alliance 167-203, placed by Bryce Lonca with a 41. Bryce Taylor and Michael Mullen both carded 41s followed by Everett Brooks with a 45. The team took to the road for the Pirate Invitational Aug. 5 and Indian Valley Invitational Aug. 7. Hoover topped a field

Francesco Borsellino has been selected as the new wrestling coach at Malvern High School. He will officially be hired at the Malvern Board of Education meeting Aug. 19. Borsellino is a 2017 graduate of Sandy Valley High School. He earned bachelor’s degree in Social Work from West Liberty University in 2022 and a master’s degree in Business Administration from West Liberty University in 2024. He will also serve as a full-time

 Carrollton, Malvern, Southern Local and New Philadelphia high school football teams converged on Community Field in Carrollton for 7-on-7 play July 11. The Ohio High School Athletic Association announced in April football 7-on-7 competition will now be permitted at any time prior to and after the season, other than the 28-day no-contact period immediately after the season. Previously, 7-on-7 competition was not permitted until May 15. Full practice and hitting

By Carol McIntire Editor A veteran teacher and coach is set to begin his duties as Carrollton’s next athletic director. The board of education approved the hiring of Eric McCort at the June 29 meeting to replace Caleb Crowl, who resigned earlier in the month.  McCort completed his 22nd year of coaching in May. He taught physical education and weight training and most recently algebra and 8th grade math.   He

Southern Local High School’s Wigwam Stadium will have a fresh look when the Indians kick off the football season this fall as officials improve its surface and lighting. Superintendent Tom Cunningham said work wrapped up on an estimated $518,906 turf replacement project and new material was purchased from FieldTurf, which has companies across North America including Buckeye Lake. Officials said the sod was of a higher quality and the stadium

2024 Malvern High School graduate Ethan Bush was named the Outstanding Defensive Player at the Ohio High School Coaches Association (OHSBCA) All-Ohio Senior All Star game last week.  The game was played at the home of the The Ohio State University baseball team, Bill Davis Stadium, which is named after a Carrollton High School graduate and longtime Ohio State athletic department employee. “Bush represented the Hornets with great pride, helping

Two Carrollton seniors earned first team All-Eastern Buckeye Conference (EBC) honors in spring sports.  Hayden Jenkins was a first team baseball pick and Maleyna Havens a first team softball selection. The two were recognized as first team selections during the recent Eastern Buckeye Conference Spring Sports Banquet held at Sebring. Jenkins was a standout pitcher for the Warriors who struck out 113 batters and ended his career with 221 strikeouts. 

Sandy Valley senior Lexi Tucci captured the Division III high jump state championship last weekend in Dayton.  The win comes a year after Tucci was forced to sit out with an injury. She jumped 5-feet, six-inches to win the title. She followed the fete up with a second place in the long jump with 18-8.75. She earned All-Ohio Status in both events.  The 18 points she put on the scoreboard

By Carol McIntire, Editor Malvern, Minerva and Sandy Valley all qualified athletes for the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) state championships this week at Welcome Stadium in Dayton. The event was moved from Jesse Owens Stadium on the campus of The Ohio State University for one year due to construction at the stadium Sandy Valley senior Lexi Tucci won both the high jump (5-feet, 4-inches) and the long jump

By Dan Ries CCM Sports Reporter The Indian Creek Redskins scored two unearned runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to defeat the Carrollton Warriors 5-4 in the first round of district baseball action May 20 in Richmond.  The Redskins used three walks, a hit by pitch and a Warrior error to come from behind for the win. The game featured five lead changes. It was the second time

By Carol McIntire Editor Ricky Sibila, II and Coach Mike Aukerman had a goal and a plan to reach that goal heading into the Division II district track meet Friday at West Holmes. The Carrollton junior and his coach had their sights set on a win in the 3200M, a new district record and had a plan in place to achieve it.  Minerva junior Grasyn Rettig had a plan as

A 2018 Carrollton High School graduate has been recommended as the next head coach for the school’s girls basketball program. The Athletic Committee announced this morning Mikayla Poole will be recommended to the board of education. The hiring is expected to be on the June 11 school board agenda. Poole earned four varsity letters in girls basketball and three letters in girls volleyball while at CHS. As a sophomore, she