Fulton County Ohio Media

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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

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The Lady Panthers pelted the Lady Vikings goal with shot after shot in the first half of the DIII Girls District Semi-Final match, but it took a penalty kick from senior Saige Walter to finally send one to the back of the net, giving Delta a 1-0 victory over Evergreen.  Viking goalie Hannah Wilson turned in an outstanding performance in the contest, but really had no chance against the Panther sharpshooter who drilled the shot to the far-right side of the goal.

“In a ‘Shootathon’ earlier this year she made 48 out of 50 penalty kicks.  She’s our go to girl on PKs,” said Delta coach Paige Triana explaining why Saige was chosen to take the critical shot attempt.  The win gave the Panthers, in addition to moving on in the tournament, a measure of revenge for the 3-2 loss to the Vikings in the regular season.  “They are a fantastic team,” Coach Triana said of Evergreen.  “We changed our formation to be more offense-minded.  That was our thought process and it worked in our favor today.  We were shooting on all cylinders.”

Delta entered the tournament as the #2 seed and will now face the #1 seed, the Ottawa-Glandorf Lady Titans, on Saturday at 3:00 PM at Evergreen High School for the District Championship and a trip to the DIII Regional Tournament.

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: Saige Walter is hugged and congratulated by her Lady Panther teammates after scoring on a penalty kick for the games only goal.

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The Evergreen Vikings overcame a tough Delta defense and a 12-0 deficit in the fourth quarter to spoil Homecoming Night with a 15-12 victory over the Panthers in the final game of the year for both teams. Justin Ruple scored twice on one-yard plunges in the second quarter to give Delta a two-touchdown lead. However, a 56-yard return for a touchdown by Riley Dunbar ignited the Vikings who then later scored the winning on a touchdown pass from Bryce Boger. The win improves Evergreen’s record to 2-5 in the NWOAL and 4-6 overall. Delta finishes the season with a league record of 1-6 and 3-7 overall.

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: Viking Max Mossing (4) looks to get past Tyler Ruple

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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.