The Evergreen Vikings went on the road and slipped past the Wauseon Indians 3-2 on a late second half goal. The win put the Vikings’ record at 2-0 in the NWOAL and 8-1 overall. The Indians fall to 2-1 in the league and 6-1 on the season.
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’s Riley Dunbar (8) and Wauseon’s Seth Richer (4) fight for ball possession.
As part of a continuing fund-raising effort for Wreaths Across America, the Legion Riders of Swanton American Legion Murbach-Siefert Post 479 put on a poker run in honor former Legion member Eric Stasa this past Saturday and to raise awareness for this worthy cause. Wreaths Across America is a non-profit organization that raises money in order to place a wreath on the gravesite of every United States military veteran in the nation. Their mission statement reads: Remember our fallen U.S. veterans. Honor those who serve. Teach our children the value of freedom.
Leading the local effort is Swanton resident and Legionnaire John Schmidt, U.S. Army Retired. “We’re going from Swanton to Holland, from Holland to Morenci, from Morenci to Wauseon and Wauseon back to Swanton,” said John outlining their itinerary for the day. “Basically, the reason is to raise money to purchase wreaths for every veteran’s grave in Swanton. Right now, we have two cemeteries. We have the main cemetery on Main Street and St. Richard’s Cemetery (Dodge Street) that have signed up to be locations for it. We’re looking to purchase 600 wreaths. There are 600 grave sites between the two cemeteries. I know because I counted every single one of them. I figure if Toledo can do it and West Unity can do it, why can’t we do it? That’s our goal.”
This year, the wreath-laying ceremony will take place on December 16th in over 3700 cemeteries in all 50 states. Over two million wreaths will be placed on veterans’ grave sites that day. The Swanton Legion is still very short of their goal at this writing. Each wreath is just $17. If you would like to donate to this great cause you can contact the Legion at 419-826-2936 or stop in at 200 S. Hallet Ave. and they will provide all the details you need.
Photo: John Schmidt riding to help honor American veterans
The Archbold Blue Streaks went to halftime down just 14-7 to the defending NWOAL Champion Liberty Center Tigers, but were outscored 28-7 in the second half and dropped their league opener 42-14. The loss was the first of the season, moving their overall record to 3-1. Liberty Center remains unbeaten at 4-0.
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: Blue Streak Lucas Dominique follows Jayden Gensler upfield
Click on the link above to access photos from the activities surrounding the football game. Photos are in the jpeg format to allow for editing and can be downloaded for NO CHARGE courtesy of the fultoncountymedia.com website.
The visiting Ottawa Hills Green Bears scored 21 points in each of the first two quarters and went on to defeat the Swanton Bulldogs 49-7 in a non-league football game.
Click on the link above to access photos from the game. Photos are in the jpeg format and can be downloaded for NO CHARGE courtesy of the fultoncountymedia.com website.
Miguel Deeds-Rodriguez and Max York scored midway through the first half and the Delta Panthers went on to defeat the Swanton Bulldogs 5-0 in NWOAL boys soccer. Both teams wore special uniforms as part of a tribute to a Swanton parent battling cancer.
Click on the link above to access photos from the match. Photos are in the jpeg format to allow editing and can be downloaded for NO CHARGE courtesy of the fultoncountymedia.com website.
As passionately as we love our sports, with a dedication that we willingly give while pushing aside so many, too many other things, life has a way of delivering a wakeup call that quickly resets our priorities and relegates sports to a more appropriate position, after our health and after our loved ones. Last evening, under the lights of Swanton High School’s David W. Hansbarger Stadium, we were given a stark reminder of how important it is to practice this philosophy.
Prior to the boys’ soccer match between the visiting Delta Panthers and the hometown Swanton Bulldogs, a tribute was paid to Catherine-Gee Robinson, a Soccer Mom who is in the midst of battling colon cancer. Cathy has been a heavily involved parent in support of the Bulldogs soccer program while watching her son Jake, SHS Class of 2023, compete on the pitch for his school.
Unfortunately, as she began to experience some health symptoms during son Jake’s senior year, she held off seeking medical attention, chalking it up to “getting older” and being tired. In February of this year, Cathy’s symptoms became progressively worse and she finally saw a doctor who recommended she undergo a colonoscopy. She was surprised at the advice, believing you had to be 50 years of age before needing a colonoscopy, but was told the suggested age is now 45.
The test results found a tumor blocking both the large and small intestines. Further testing discovered that the cancer had spread to her liver and several lymph nodes. In May Cathy underwent surgery to remove the tumor along with sections of her intestines and later began chemotherapy treatments. To date, her body is responding very well to the chemotherapy, but she will now begin a series of radiation treatments to battle the tumors on her liver.
The special night for Cathy, unknown to her or her family, was put together by Swanton head-coach Ronnie Rico and Lisa Wylie and coordinated with Delta head-coach KJ Abair. Both teams wore special uniforms donated by North Star Bluescope of Delta for the match with the name “Robinson” on the back and colored with dark blue for colon cancer and pink.
This particular game was chosen because, growing up, Jake had played travel soccer with many of the Panther players and had actually played for Coach Abair. In another ironic twist, Amy Roth, mother of Panther goalie Brodey Roth, was also diagnosed with colon cancer last year and a special tribute to her was held In Delta during its match with Swanton. Cathy remembers that game quite well.
“I remember going to the Delta game last year where Amy Roth and everyone were trying to make people more aware of colon cancer and I talked to her in the stands,” recalled Cathy. “I kept thinking, ‘Just go and take the test. If you’re not feeling well, go and see a doctor.’ But it was Jake’s senior year and I had basketball games to go to.”
Looking at Cathy last night she appeared to be just fine, smiling and talking like it was an ordinary day in the life of a mother with two teenagers growing up in Smalltown, America. She was a profile in courage, facing what is next with respect to her illness. Cathy’s story is a cautionary tale and she wants everyone to raise awareness of this disease. Caught in time, colon cancer has a 90% survival rate. “Be an advocate for your health. Be an advocate for yourself,” said Cathy. “Take the test. It’s a simple test. And I will tell you that chemo is way worse that a colonoscopy. So, take the colonoscopy.” Great advice from a very brave woman.
Photo: Cathy Robinson with husband Wayne, daughter Audrey, son Jake and the Swanton and Delta boys soccer teams.
Adrianna Dunning scored twice in less than a one-minute span to stake Delta to a 2-0 lead early in the first half and later added a third goal for a hat trick as the Lady Panthers defeated the Swanton Lady Bulldogs 7-1. Grace Munger had a goal in each half and Abbey Todd and Ella Demaline also scored for the Panthers. Jessica Finfera had Swanton’s only goal.
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Photo: Delta senior Grace Munger drills one to the back of the net to give the Lady Panthers a 3-0 lead.
As stated in their literature, “Habitat builds and repairs homes for those in need of affordable housing who have little means to better their circumstances through conventional avenues. Projects require payback of the home build at an affordable price because no interest is charged. Mortgage payments are used to fund projects and operations but aren’t enough, so, Habitat relies on donations, grants, and fundraising. One of the ways we fundraise is Playhouse Projects. Sponsors pay for, design and build a playhouse to give away to children in the community.”
About two weeks ago, Heidi Kern, Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity of Fulton County, its Board of Directors and other volunteers, got together in the parking lot of Ace Hardware in Wauseon to build two 4’x5’x6’ playhouses. But not your everyday standard playhouses would these be. Dividing the “builders” into two construction teams, one house would be decorated in the theme of The Ohio State University (OSU) Buckeyes and the other in the theme of their fiercest rival, the University of Michigan (UM) Wolverines.
“I’ve got my OSU (Scarlet & Gray) team over here working hard and my Michigan (Maize & Blue) team over there working hard and, in the end, we’re going to raffle these off in the community and it is a fundraiser for Habitat,” said Ms. Kern. “People can vote in this competition between these two teams. People can vote at our website (www.habitatfco.org) and it’s $5.00 per vote or five votes for $20.00 and you choose which playhouse you want to win. On Game Day (November 25th) someone will win the Michigan playhouse and someone will win the OSU playhouse. They don’t have to be present to win. We will do it through Facebook Live and will contact the winners right away.”
Photos of the playhouses are on the organization’s website and Facebook page and will also be displayed in their booth at the Fulton County Fair which runs from September 1st through the 7th. “Our booth will be in the Merchant Building just north of the grandstand and will be there all week. We will also be building additional playhouses at the fair over where the horseshoes used to be. We have six to seven sponsors that are going to be building and those playhouses will be given away to families in the community with no raffle,” explained Ms. Kern. “That’s what our Playhouse Project is all about. We have sponsors fund them, build them, decorate them and give them away to families in the community that can really use them. It’s a fund raiser for Habitat, a team-building experience for those sponsors and someone in the community gets a playhouse. We consider that a win win win.”
One of the sponsors this year, as they have been in years past, is North Star Bluescope Steel of Delta. The company will have a large presence at the 2023 Fulton County Fair and had volunteers working on the OSU/UM Playhouse Project that Saturday morning. “Our team enjoys the seeing the excitement of the kids every time. It’s priceless just to be part of that,” exclaimed Kirsten Fruchey, one of North Star’s volunteers. “The organization, Habitat, just does so much for our community and to be a part of that is just amazing.”
The competition to be chosen as the winning playhouse, much like the OSU/UM rivalry, will be intense. Does either side have an edge? Fulton County is in the Buckeye State but also borders the Wolverine State on the north. It lies within the hotbed of the biggest rivalry in all of college football. Vote early and vote often. It is all for a great cause.
Click on the link above to access photos from the playhouse construction site. Photos are in the jpeg format and can be downloaded for NO CHARGE courtesy of the fultoncountymedia.com website.
Adam Lemon fired a nine-hole round of 37 and Mazin Rukieh shot a 41 to lead the Swanton Bulldogs Boys golf team over the Lake Flyers 172-188 at Valleywood Golf Club on Monday afternoon. Lemon’s 37 earned him medalist honors and Rukieh’s 41 was tied for second place with a Lake golfer.
Also figuring in the team scoring total were Brady O’Shea and Dylan Smigelski who both finished with a round of 47. Carson Lemons shot a 53 and Grady Tipton had a 57.
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Photo: Rukieh walks off the fifth green as Lemon lines up his putt.
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