Fulton County Ohio Media

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The top-seeded 12-0 Liberty Center Tigers faced a major challenge Friday night in their OHSAA Division V Football Regional Semi-Final went they traveled to Clay High School’s Memorial Stadium to play the 12-0 and #4-seeded Oak Harbor Rockets out of the Northern Buckeye Conference.  The Rockets were known for their very stingy run defense and were intent on shutting down the vaunted Tiger running game as key to their hopes of advancing to the next round.

However, as someone once said, “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth,” and a punch in the mouth it was as Liberty Center scored just three plays and 70 seconds after the opening kickoff on a Trenton Kruse 31-yard run up the middle to take a 7-0 lead, a lead they would never relinquish.  Colton Kruse would later follow that up with rushing touchdown and brother Trenton scored his second TD to put the NWOAL Champions up 21-0. 

Following a Liberty Center turnover around midfield, the Rocket offense put together a scoring drive to pull within 21-7.  Prior to halftime, the Tigers drove down the field in under a minute left for an Ian Rosebrook 20-yard field goal and a 24-7 advantage heading into the locker room.  In the second half, the Tigers went to the air, with quarterback Landon Amstutz using play-action passes to open up receivers down field while still mixing in their run offense to basically put the game away.

Waylon Rentz came off the bench for an injured Colton Kruse and ran for 91 yards and two big touchdowns.  The two Kruse brothers, Trenton (122 yds and 2 TDs) and Colton (118 yds and 1 TD) combined for 240 yards and three score.  Third brother Landon Kruse hauled in five passes for 114 yards and Amstutz threw for 195 yards, completing 10 of 16 pass attempts.

Liberty Center will next take on the Coldwater Cavaliers, a team they defeated last year in the playoffs 37-0, in the Regional Final at Spartan Stadium in Lima and November 17^th at 7:00 PM.  The Cavaliers football program has won seven state titles, the last one coming in 2020. 

Click on the link above to access photos from the game. Photos are in the jpeg format to allow for editing and can be downloaded for NO CHARGE courtesy of the fultoncountymedia.com website.

Photo: Trenton Kruse scores his second touchdown of the game to put Liberty Center up 21-0 in the first half.

Last December, with two more seasons of softball still left in her in her already record-setting high school career, Lady Viking Macey Chamberlain made a verbal commitment to play softball for Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State.  On Wednesday afternoon, at Evergreen High School, a large crowd of family, friends, fellow students and coaches, past and present, gathered to witness Macey officially commit to continue her education and softball career by signing a National Letter of Intent with the Nittany Lions of the Big Ten.

“It’s an exciting day.  Not only for Macy but for the community.  You can tell by the turnout here the impact she has had on the community and the school,” said Evergreen softball coach Jim Zoltowski.  “What people don’t really see is the hard work that goes on behind the scenes and the hours she’s put into this, the grind of the process.  And she’s really coachable.” added Coach Zoltowski, referring to Macy’s dedication and commitment to reaching the level of playing at a DI university in a Power-Five conference.

In addition to her talent, Macy’s popularity stems from the professional way she plays the game and the manner in which she carries herself on and off the field, leading by example and always respecting the game and her opponents and giving time back to the Evergreen community whenever possible. In turn, her opponents, players and coaches alike, grant her the admiration and respect worthy of a consummate well-grounded ultra-competitive star athlete.

“To have the community come out like this to show support of Macy, it was really an opportunity for us to say thank you to everybody.  She’s felt that support over the years and we’ve really never had the opportunity to say thank you.  And that’s what tonight is for,” commented Macy’s father, Shane Chamberlain.  “Macy is a very humble and kind person and she doesn’t come off as any different than anybody else.  She’s an Evergreen student that happens to be a pretty decent softball player.”

The drive to the Penn State campus is five hours and ten minutes from Macy’s home, according to her father.  With all her years of playing with elite travel softball programs, the Chamberlain family has become road warriors.  “There was one time we took Macy to a softball practice; we drove five hours for the practice.  This is no different, just an extra ten minutes,” said Mr. Chamberlain.

Possessing the kind of talent Macy has will encourage a lot of offers from many colleges and universities, and she had a great many factors to contemplate before making her choice.  Purdue and Central Michigan were also in the top three of her considered destinations.  “I get this question all the time.  Why Penn State?” said Macy, beginning to explain her decision.  “Several things come to mind.  I think one of the biggest things is the coaching staff.  They didn’t just see me as an athlete.  They saw me more as a student-athlete.  I got to go my official visit in September and I got to meet the current players.  I think at that point I got to see the family atmosphere that they have at Penn State.  The last thing was the facilities are awesome.”

Before Macy packs up and heads east on I-80, the two-time NWOAL Player of the Year and First Team All-Ohio catcher, has some unfinished business to take care of while still an Evergreen Lady Viking.  “I really want to finish strong in class and on the softball field as well.  We have a lot of kids back and some talent coming in and we’re looking to have a good year.  I’m looking forward to it.”

The Evergreen softball season is currently scheduled to begin in early April of 2024.  Macy has literally re-written the hitting record book for the Lady Vikings Softball Program.  With every trip to the plate this year, she will have the potential to set new records and raise the bar for those who follow even higher.  If you have not yet seen this generational talent on the diamond, I encourage you to attend at least one of the 25+ games on the Viking schedule.  You truly do not want to miss this opportunity.

Photo: Macy Chamberlain signs her Penn State Softball NLI with her mother Keri, father Shane and brother Maddux.

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Click on the link above to access photos. Photos are in the jpeg format to allow for editing and can be downloaded for NO CHARGE courtesy of the fultoncountymedia.com website.

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As they have done for almost every game this season, the Liberty Center Tigers used the same game plan to defeat the Huron Tigers Friday night in the second round of the OHSAA DV Football Playoffs 41-7; score early, score often, trigger the running clock and start up the busses.  The hometown Tigers showed the visiting Tigers who was the biggest cat in the house by jumping out to a 28-0 halftime lead then finding the end zone early in the third quarter to turn on the rules-mandated running clock, virtually ending any chances of a Huron comeback.

The Liberty Center running game was on Kruse control for most of the night with Colton (15 carries for 195 yards and four TDs) and Trenton (10 carried for 86 yards and one TD) combining for 281 yards and five scores.  Waylon Rentz scored from 15 yards out before the end of the first half. 

On defense, the LC Tigers threw a shutout with Huron’s only score coming on a 90-yard kickoff return to make the final score 41-7.  Cody Scroggins, Huron’s quarterback, was hounded all night by the LC defensive line, getting sacked twice by senior Seth Navarre and four times overall.  The Huron offense was held to 74 yards while Liberty racked up 400 yards.

Liberty Center, now at 12-0, takes on the 12-0 Oak Harbor Rockets, winners of the Northern Buckeye Conference next Friday at 7:00 PM at a site to be determined.

Click on the link above to access photos from the game. Photos are in the jpeg format to allow for editing and can be downloaded for NO CHARGE courtesy of the fultoncountymedia.com website.

Photo: Liberty Center’s Seth Navarre takes down Huron quarterback Cody Scroggins for one of four Tiger sacks in the game.

There have been a lot of postings on social media recently regarding the possibility and even feasibility of having a debate between Swanton’s incumbent mayor Neil Toeppe and his opponent, Deacon Dzierzawski.  The postings and opinions lean heavily on the “It’s a good idea” side of the ledger.  I have always believed voters can greatly benefit from a debate or a town hall meeting where they hear what the candidates have to say on the issues most affecting and important to the citizenry and also see how they conduct themselves under pressure. 

That being said, it is now the eleventh hour in this election, with “Election Day” less than a week away.  It would need to be organized with a suitable venue being selected including a date and time, a format agreed upon, a list of topics and questions for the candidates to consider, and, maybe most importantly, a way to disseminate the information and details that come out of it to the community.  Is there any individual or group that will step up at this late date and make it happen?  If it can actually be pulled off, will there be enough time for the voting public to absorb and fully consider what they learned of each candidate?  Either way, it is not the job of the Swanton Village Council or the Village Administration.  There are times when voters need to be more involved and more engaged beyond the ballot box if they are serious about seeking change.

What this recent flurry of debate postings has shown me is that there has been a great opportunity missed.  Both Mayor Toeppe and Mr. Dzierzawski filed their petitions to run for office before the August 9, 2023, 4:00 PM deadline.  That is almost three months from the November 7, 2023 election day.  There was plenty of time to organize and schedule a debate or a town hall.  And plenty of time for voters to dissect each candidate’s position, research their history and be ready to make an informed and educated decision in the voting booth

That chance is essentially gone and, in many cases, is now a moot point.  Early voting began on October 11^th and will continue until Election Day.  How many of those early voters would have checked a different box had there been a debate between Dziertzawski and Toeppe?  We will never know. 

But before I get off my soap box, let me bring up a related issue.  The mayor’s race is the only contested race in Swanton.  Both the Village Council and the Swanton Board of Education have two open seats with only two candidates “running”.  That leaves the Swanton voter with no real choice at all as to who will be their voice at those two tables.  It is another important point to consider going forward.

There will be other elections and other opportunities to do more to make a difference.  At this point, the most important thing to do is vote.

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This past Saturday, from 3:00 to 5:00 PM, the Swanton Lions Club put on their widely and wildly popular Halloween Hoopla on Main Street in Downtown Swanton. Once again, Main Street and parts of Dodge Street and Zeiter Way were filled with Halloween celebrants, ages infant to seniors, dressed in every kind of costume imaginable.

Over the years, the Hoopla has become one of the most anticipated family social events in Swanton, second only to the Corn Festival. With bouncy houses up and down the streets, craft stations, candy being passed out at most of the businesses, free hot dogs, free popcorn, not to mention donuts and cider being given out by the members of the Swanton Fire & Rescue Division and, of course, Happy the Clown, and a dance troupe performing to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”, what could be better. And when all of this is over, kids and their families only have one hour before they head back out for the Village’s Trick or Treat night. Whew!

Members of the Swanton Lions Club put a tremendous amount of time, effort and money into making the Hoopla a very special event for the Swanton community, in addition to all their other benevolent works throughout the year.

Click on the link above to access photos from the Hoopla. Photos are in the jpeg format to allow for editing and can be downloaded for NO CHARGE courtesy of the Swanton Lions Club and the fultoncountymedia.com website.

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Click on the link above to access the photos. Photos are in the jpeg format to allow for editing and can be downloaded for NO CHARGE courtesy of the fultoncountymedia.com website.

Photo: More Cowbell

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The Evergreen Vikings Boys Soccer program reached new heights on Saturday afternoon and validated their status as #1 Seed by winning the OHSAA DIII District Championship, outlasting the #2 Seed Maumee Valley Country Day School (MVCDS) Hawks 5-3 at Ottawa Hills High School.  Senior forward Riley Dunbar stepped up big in the program’s biggest game in its history by scoring Evergreen’s first three goals, staking the Vikings to a 3-0 lead early in the second half.  Dunbar, a two-fall sport athlete, who also plays wide receiver and defensive back on the football team, used his 6’3” height great advantage, scoring two of his three goals on headers.  “We tried to move him into spots where he was going to be a little more dangerous.  After watching them play Ottawa Hills, it was a great game (MVCDS 2-1 win in 2OT), I knew Maumee Valley was going to be tired so, I told Riley ‘Just go at them, go at ‘em, go at ‘em’,” said Evergreen Coach Dave Scokzyn. 

However, the quick and talented Hawks battled back and stunned the Vikings with two goals in a two-minute span to cut the lead to 3-2 with over 31 minutes left in the game.  “Definitely wasn’t ideal with them coming back and scoring two goals.  The momentum wasn’t in our court,” said 2023 NWOAL Offensive Player of the Year, Tyson Woodring.  But we stayed positive out there and kept pushing away.  They were rolling there at the end of the half, but we pulled it out.”

In fact, it was Woodring himself who was fouled in the penalty area in front of the MVCDS goal and was awarded a penalty kick.  He calmly fired a shot into the back of the net, giving Evergreen back some cushion with a two-goal advantage and providing, what would prove to be, the winning score.  The Hawks, winners of the soccer strong Toledo Area Athletic Conference (TAAC), responded with intense pressure on the Viking defense.  Following a collision between Evergreen goalie Alex Mossing and a Hawk forward in front of the net, Maumee Valley was awarded a penalty kick and easily converted, making the score 4-3 with more than 26 minutes left on the clock.

The rest of the contest was fast, furious, physical and tension-filled as both teams’ offense generated multiple scoring chances without scoring.  Finally, with under a minute left in the game, Konner Sanford found an opening on the right side of the Hawk goal and knocked it in, essentially sealing the deal for the Green & Gold and sending the Vikings to the DIII Regional Semi-Finals for the first time ever.

Evergreen will now travel to Port Clinton to take on Kidron Central Christian at True-Lay Stadium on Wednesday, November 1^st, at 7:00 PM.  Note:  The stadium is not located on the grounds as the high school.

Click on the link above to access photos from the match. Photos are in the jpeg format to allow for editing and can be downloaded for NO CHARGE courtesy of the fultoncountymedia.com website.

Photo: Evergreen Vikings – 2023 OHSAA DIII Boys District Soccer Champions

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After Archbold linebacker Eddie Yoder scored on a fumble return to give the Blue Streaks an 8-0 lead in the first quarter, the Streaks’ offense came to life in the second quarter, scoring 22 points on its way to a 37-6 victory over the Fredricktown Freddies in round one of the DV OHSAA football playoffs.  Jack Hurst found the end zone twice to help power the offense, once on a 46-yard catch-and-run pass from Cade Brenner and another on a 39-yard run around the left side from the wildcat position.

Before the end of the half, Chase Miller intercepted a Freddie pass then later scored from 72 yards out on a pass from Benner.  That last touchdown, along with a two-point conversion, gave Archbold a clock-running 30-0 lead going into the second half.  The Blue Streaks chewed up most of the running clock in the third quarter with an 11-play drive, ending with another Miller touchdown reception and an unsurmountable 37-0 advantage. 

With the playoff win, the Streaks improve their record to 11-1 and advance to the next round.  There they will host the 10-1 Coldwater Cavaliers, a 47-0 victor over Indian Lake.  Game time is scheduled for 7:00 PM in Archbold.

Click on the link above to access photos from the game. Photos are in the jpeg format to allow for editing and can be downloaded for NO CHARGE courtesy of the fultoncountymedia.com website.

Photo: Stephen Diller (9) and Wyat Ripke force a Freddie fumble that was returned for a touchdown by Eddie Yoder

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The Evergreen Vikings got two goals from leading scorer Tyson Woodring and one from Cory Kanneman to defeat the Lake Flyers 3-1 in a DIII District Semi-Final match at Ottawa Hills High School on Wednesday.  Woodring notched his first score with 7:00 minutes left in the first half to give the Vikings a 1-0 lead.  It was a lead, however, that was short lived as the Flyers tied the game at the 5:25 mark and the 1-1 score remained until halftime.

The Evergreen coaching staff and the players knew they would have to rely on senior leadership to win this contest in the second half.  “At halftime I think I challenged them a little more.  We have to rise to the next level.  There is no tomorrow.  We stressed that and we challenged the boys to pick up our game and I think we did that and we had a little more on the ball,” said Viking Head Coach Scokzyn. 

Just 9:20 into the second half, Kanneman drove a long shot through the outstretched hands of the Lake goalie to put the Vikings back on top at 2-1.  From there, the Flyers ramped up the pressure on the Evergreen defense and their young but talented freshman goal keeper Alex Mossing, but could not find the back of the net.  With time winding down, Woodring scored the clincher on a free kick with 1:42 showing on the clock to send the Vikings to the finals.

“It’s a great accomplishment for them,” said Coach Dave Scokzyn.  “We knew Lake was going to be a really good opponent.  They’re a very good team, they’re young, they’ll be back here next year.  We knew this was going to be a good game.  It’s the district semi-final, why shouldn’t it be.  We just had to dig deep.”

Evergreen now faces perennial soccer power Maumee Valley Country Day School, a 1-0 double overtime victor over the Ottawa Hills Green Bears in the second game of the evening.  The top-seeded Vikings will take on the second-seeded Hawks at on Saturday at Ottawa Hills at the rescheduled time of 12:00 PM.

Click on the link above to access photos from the match. Photos are in the jpeg format and can be downloaded for NO CHARGE courtesy of the fultoncountymedia.com website.

Photo: Viking goalie picks off a centering kick between teammates Tyson Woodring (3) and Jayden Harmon