It’s a Chaminade / C-J celebration

By Marc Pendleton | Wednesday, November 19, 2008, 01:20 PM

There’s no better way for the Chaminade / Chaminade-Julienne boys basketball program to celebrate its 1,000th program win than to host a big fund-raising dinner.

That’s just what the Eagles will do on Sunday, Dec. 7.

Former UD and Chaminade hoop coach Don Donoher will be the featured speaker. The 5:30 p.m. event includes a reception, dinner and presentation at C-J. Cost is $20, and free to former varsity players, coaches and managers who RSVP.

The event will follow C-J’s 3 p.m. game vs. Beavercreek that day at Fairmont’s Trent Arena. Former standout C-J players and title teams will be recognized at halftime.

Last season C-J became the area’s first school to surpass 1,000 career wins, a great run that started in 1928. That includes big-school state titles in 1966 and 1970.

According to Hoop Lines, the Ohio High School Basketball Coaches Association’s magazine, 38 Ohio schools have surpassed 1,000 career wins.

For more information, contact Mike Lehner at (937) 461-3740, ext. 212 or at mlehner@cjeagles.org.

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Alter puts Coldwater in rear-view mirror

By Mark Gokavi | Tuesday, November 18, 2008, 03:10 PM

KETTERING — Alter football coach Ed Domsitz challenged his players Monday to get over the 31-21, Division IV, Region 16 championship win over Coldwater last weekend.

That’s probably going to be easy for everyone but senior defensive end Philip Sowar, whose father, mother and uncles went to school at Coldwater. His grandparents still live there.

That made last season’s 59-52 triple-overtime loss that much tougher to take during family visits to Cavalier country.

“Losing last year really wasn’t much fun,” Sowar said. ” Winning this year made it all that much better.

“I go up there quite frequently. I remember as a little kid before I knew about Alter, I used to root for Coldwater and used to watch them play. So it was pretty neat to beat them.”

With a win over Genoa Area on Friday, Alter can advance to its second state title game in three seasons. The Knights fell by one point to Steubenville in the 2006 D-III championship contest.

The Big Red could be next for Alter, which got past Coldwater and can’t afford to soak in that victory.

“It’s something that you’ll always remember, but it’s something that you’ve got to push back for now, because we plan on playing two more games,” Alter noseguard David Casella said. “So that’s our ultimate goal.”

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Valley View has ‘09 football opener opening

By Marc Pendleton | Tuesday, November 18, 2008, 10:19 AM

Valley View is in need of a 2009 season-opening football opponent.

The Spartans began the last four seasons vs. Colonel White/Marshall, and went 3-1 against the Cougars.

Valley View was 7-4 this fall, dropping its D-III playoff opener to Columbus Eastmoor. Coach Jay Niswonger has scheduled up of late, playing non-league, two-game sets vs. D-I foes Troy and Fairborn.

Niswonger expects Valley view to drop to D-IV next season.

Marshall reportedly has replaced Valley View with Greenon of the CBC. Greenon opened this season with Greeneview.

Contact Niswonger at (937) 855-4116.

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Alter gets Genoa Area in state semis

By Greg Billing | Saturday, November 15, 2008, 07:53 PM

Alter’s road to the Division IV state title game goes through Genoa Area, according to the Ohio High School Athletic Association website.

Bracketing for the state semifinals was released on Saturday, Nov. 15, but game sites will not be determined until Sunday afternoon.

Alter (11-2) and Genoa (13-0) play 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 21, at a netural site. Genoa is located about 20 miles southeast of Toledo. Steubenville (13-0) and New Lexington (12-1) play in the other semifinal.

In D-VI, Lehman Catholic (11-1) plays Delphos St. John’s (11-2) on Firday. Bascon Hopewell-Loudon (13-0) and Malvern (13-0) are in the other semi.

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Alter 31, Coldwater 21 (final)

By Mark Gokavi | Friday, November 14, 2008, 06:36 PM

(newest updates at the top - refresh often)

Alter (11-2) 7 3 14 7 — 31 Coldwater (12-1) 7 14 0 0 — 21

First quarter C: Tony Harlamert 2 run (Mario de la Rosa kick), 6:09 left A: Chris Borland 7 run (Danny Jasper kick), 3:42 left

Second quarter C: Zach Kaup 17 pass from Cory Klenke (de la Rosa kick), 10:12 left C: Trent Muhlenkamp 7 fumble return (de la Rosa kick), 5:34 left A: Jasper 26 field goal, :03 left

Third quarter A: Austin Boucher 1 run (kick failed), 1:48 left A: Boucher 6 run (Cody Taulbee run), :42 left Fourth quarter A: Borland 2 run (Jasper kick), 1:01 left

Alter never gave the Cavaliers the ball back in driving 85 yards with Chris Borland running in from 2 yards out for a 31-21 lead with 1:01 left. The Cavaliers managed to drive to Alter’s 3 in the final minute, but couldn’t come up with a miracle this time. Alter heads to the Division IV state semifinals.

Coldwater may be running out of time. Alter has first and 10 at Coldwater’s 22 with 2:30 left with a 24-21 lead. The Cavaliers only have one timeout left.

Alter has gained three first downs while trying to keep the ball away from Coldwater. On fourth and an inch, Alter’s Austin Boucher ran option left to move the chains. With 4:41 left, Alter has first and 10 at its 46 with a 24-21 lead.

Coldwater’s latest drive stalled out in part to an illegal blocking penalty. The Cavaliers punted to Alter’s 15. The Knights lead 24-21 with 8:31 left.

Alter’s Matt Pirello made the play of the game (so far). He stole away a pass intended for Adam Rammel and returned it to Coldwater’s 7-yard line. Austin Boucher ran in for his second score of the quarter and Cody Taulbee added the two-point conversion for a 24-21 Knights lead after three quarters.

After each team punted, Alter put together a good drive on catches and runs by Chris Borland. Austin Boucher’s 1-yard dive made it 21-16 with 1:48 left in the third, but Danny Jasper missed the extra point wide left.

The third quarter has begun. Alter’s opening drive ended when Connor Cummins came up a yard short on a third-down pass. After a Coldwater timeout, Alter downed Chris Borland’s punt at Coldwater’s 8.

With 8:23 left in the third, Coldwater leads 21-10.

(first half below)

Alter (10-2) 7 3 x x — 10

Coldwater (12-0) 7 14 x x — 21

First quarter C: Tony Harlamert 2 run (Mario de la Rosa kick), 6:09 left A: Chris Borland 7 run (Danny Jasper kick), 3:42 left

Second quarter C: Zach Kaup 17 pass from Cory Klenke (de la Rosa kick), 10:12 left C: Trent Muhlenkamp 7 fumble return (de la Rosa kick), 5:34 left A: Jasper 26 field goal, :03 left

TROY — Coldwater scored 14 points off of turnovers while Alter hurt itself on special teams and with miscues. That combination has led to the Cavaliers taking a 21-10 lead at halftime.

Coldwater scored after picking off Alter’s Austin Boucher when Tony Harlamert dove in from two yards out. Already ahead 14-7, Coldwater’s Trent Muhlenkamp picked up a loose ball after the officials ruled Danny Jasper fumbled during his punt return.

The Knights had a long pass called back by a rare offensive facemask penalty. Coldwater has made use of good field position. Just before halftime, Alter forced a Coldwater punt and got a field goal to pull within 21-10.

-Alter took over at Coldwater’s 38-yard line after a Coldwater punt. The Knights were able to get a Danny Jasper 26-yard field goal with three seconds left to pull Alter within 21-10 at halftime.

-Coldwater takes a 21-7 lead after a somewhat controversial play. Knights punt returner Danny Jasper was ruled to have fumbled and Tony Muhlenkamp picked up the ball at about the 7 and headed to the end zone. Jasper argued he was down. There’s 2:37 left before halftime. It’s Coldwater’s ball first and 10 at the Cavaliers’ 8.

-An offensive facemask penalty erased a long pass from Boucher to Danny Jasper. Instead, Alter punts and Tony Harlamert retursn the ball to the 50. With 6:44 left before halftime, Coldwater leads 14-7.

-Coldwater takes the lead back on 17-yard TD pass from Cory Klenke to Zach Kaup. With 10:12 left before halftime, it’s 14-7 Coldwater.

-After one quarter, it’s 7-7. Coldwater faces a second-and-2 at Alter’s 30 when the second quarter starts.

-Coldwater has the ball at the 50-yard line after Alter’s Chris Borland had to chase down a high snap back to his 25-yard line. His punt went out of bounds at midfield. Still 7-7.

-Alter takes over at Coldwater’s 49 after the Cavaliers punted on a three-and-out situation.

-Alter responded to Coldwater’s score with a 6-play, 70-yard drive capped by Chris Borland’s 7-yard TD run. With 3:42 left in the first, it’s 7-7.

-Alter quarterback Austin Boucher had his third-down pass intercepted by Cory Klenke, who returned it to the Alter 3. Two plays later, Tony Harlamert dove in for a 7-0 lead with 6:09 left in the first quarter.

-Coldwater took the opening drive from its 20 to Alter’s 25. Alter had near interceptions on back-to-back plays that were ruled out of the field of play. After a couple of penalties, the Cavaliers punted and downed the ball on Alter’s 1.

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Piece of state football history goes with Rubber Bowl’s passing

By Marc Pendleton | Thursday, November 13, 2008, 07:16 PM

Farewell to the Rubber Bowl.

The romping ground for the University of Akron football team hosted its final game Thursday night. A $61 million stadium is scheduled to replace it, opening the ’09 season.

Long before Canton and Massillon somehow secured the high school football state championships for this millennia, there was the comfy 31,000-seat Rubber Bowl. The first six big-school state football titles were decided there and eight in all.

Here’s hoping UA dips back into the world of high school football and bids for the state championships again with its new stadium. Count me in with any group that wants to break the grip that Canton and Massillon have on title weekend.

How about championships at Welcome Stadium?

There’s no reason that Welcome Stadium couldn’t handle a state football title game. It’s already been done.

Princeton defeated Berea 12-10 in the Class AAA state championship here in 1978.

Championship weekend features six title games, three each at Canton and Massillon. Many of the games draw less than 10,000, an easy fit for Welcome. With its open-ended end zones, there’s plenty of room to rent extra seating for an event of that magnitude in Dayton.

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It pays to buy early

By Marc Pendleton | Thursday, November 13, 2008, 04:56 PM

If you’re planning on attending the Alter-Coldwater D-IV regional final football game at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Troy Memorial stadium, the Knights and Cavaliers have a deal for you.

Tickets at the gate are $9. However, presale tickets are $7. Even better, both schools reap $1.20 from each presale ticket, but nothing from gate sales. All gate sales go to the OHSAA.

Tickets will be available at Alter from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday. At Coldwater, tickets are available at the Westown Shell Station Thursday and the high school office from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Friday.

Troy director of athletics Jeff Sakal reports Memorial Stadium can hold 10,000 spectators, which includes standing room. No extra bleachers or seating will be brought in for the game, however, both bands will be relocated in the end zone area to free up extra stadium seats.

The game starts at 7:30 p.m.

The OHSAA has exclusive rights to webcast this game, meaning it won’t be available on any other site. It’ll be on OhioHSsports.com.

Also, WCSM-FM (96.7) out of Celina will air the game.

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