MIDDLETOWN — Seth Crawford grew up dreaming of these moments ever since he first stepped on a wrestling mat, shortly after learning how to crawl, walk and talk.

The Brunswick High senior dreamed of being ranked No. 1 in the state, which he has been for most of the season at 150 pounds.

Crawford dreamed of winning four county championships, which he clinched Saturday night at Middletown High School, and four regional titles, which he has a chance to do next weekend.

Most importantly, he grew up wanting to be a state champion. He's done it before on the junior level, and he has a chance to win one more on the high school level on March 7 in Upper Marlboro.

"I love it," Crawford said Saturday night. "It's a great feeling."

What Crawford never imagined was being on his back in the 150-pound final at the Frederick County Public Schools Co-Ed Wrestling Championships or being down 7-0 halfway through the second period.

But, after a season full of pins and technical falls and mostly quick matches, that was the situation he found himself in at Middletown High School against Linganore's Cash Wheat, a very talented wrestler himself with more than 100 pins in high school.

"I don't remember too much," Crawford said. "I was taken down, and he put in legs, and I was on my back for a second. I was like, 'I gotta get up.' And I just started chipping away, chipping away, taking shots, staying good, keeping it close, pouring it on like I have been."

Crawford (43-1 this season) scored 14 points over the final period and a half and eventually wound up with a five-point victory over Wheat, putting him in the club with the select few that have won four Frederick County championships. He was named the tournament's Outstanding Wrestler for upper-weight participants.

"I came to high school, and I didn't really think about the future," he said. "Freshman year, I just thought, all right, let's go win. Let's go match by match. Now, it's just like, oh, the big picture is coming together. It's almost surreal. Not like I didn't think I could do it. But it's just, like, crazy, everything."

Crawford wasn't the only wrestler to rally to win in the co-ed edition of the county finals, as Middletown junior Liam Soe and Catoctin junior Ashton Thompson each came back after giving up the initial takedown.

Soe (27-2) pulled it together and pinned Thomas Johnson's Nick Putnam in 2 minutes and 59 seconds in the championship bout at 126 pounds for his first county title.

"It's not a sprint. It's a marathon," said Soe, who was runner-up at 113 last season. "That's what my coach told me. I always think about that. It's just one takedown. I am not going to let someone take me down and not have to go for something more. I knew when I got on top and got my wing in, this is what I run. I run it every day in practice. It's what I love to do."

Meanwhile, Thompson (44-3) overcame that first takedown and pinned Thomas Johnson's highly regarded Rhys Ferguson with his trademark cradle in 3:14 at 144 pounds.

"It's just a mental game," said Thompson, who was named the Outstanding Wrestler for the lower-weight classes. "You just have to have it in your head that you're going to go out there and succeed. If you go out there and do what you were meant to do, everything will happen. Everything will come together, and you'll pull it off."

Overall, it was a pretty balanced co-ed tournament. All 10 teams sent at least one wrestler to the finals, and nine crowned at least one champion.

Fresh off its unbeaten season and Class 2A championship at the state duals, Middletown won the team championship with 172.5 points.

The Knights sent the most wrestlers to the finals (six) and crowned the most champions (three) in Soe and seniors Brodie Burdette (138 pounds) and Carter Canale (165 pounds).

"I love this team," Soe said. "They make me better in every single way, and we make each other better."

Linganore was second in the team standings with 120.5 points. The Lancers crowned a pair of champions in juniors Jayden Lassiter, who received a forfeit in the county final at 113, and Alex Tortolani, who earned a 6-0 decision over Brunswick senior Dorran Charles in the championship bout at 215.

"I've never been in this situation before," said Tortolani, who didn't start wrestling until he entered high school. "So, the confidence, knowing that I am not the same guy I was from the past two years, will really help me with my approach going forward."

Elsewhere, Oakdale was third in the team standings with 111 points. The Bears sent four to the finals and saw sophomore Paul Fitzpatrick, who is deaf, claim his first county title with a 17-2 technical fall in 5:58 over Urbana's Youssef Abdel-Rahim.

Catoctin, fueled by Thompson's victory, was fourth in the team standings with 100 points, and Frederick High was fifth with 97.5, a half point better than sixth-place Brunswick, which crowned two champions in Crawford and senior heavyweight Lane Riggleman, who the county title at 285 for the second straight time.

Frederick sent three to the finals and saw two win titles in junior Victor Guerra at 157 pounds and senior Ian Tumi, a returning state finalist, at 175.

Co-Ed Championship Finals

157 — Victor Guerra (Frederick) dec. Tobias White (Middletown), 4-1

160 — Carter Canale (Middletown) by forfeit over Eddy Beza (Oakdale)

175 — Ian Tumi (Frederick) dec. Zach Landis (Middletown), 9-7

190 — Max Birth (Walkersville) pinned Ryan Crabb (Oakdale), :23

215 — Alex Tortolani (Linganore) dec. Dorran Charles (Brunswick), 6-0

285 — Lane Riggleman (Brunswick) pinned Ben Herrera (Frederick), 1:49

106 — Paul Fitzpatrick (Oakdale) tech. fall Youssef Abdel-Rahim (Urbana), 5:58 (17-2)

113 — Jayden Lassister (Linganore) by forfeit over Eugene Armardi-Frimpong (Tuscarora)

120 — Gabe Helmen (Urbana) dec. Cam Bowman (Middletown), 7-0

126 — Liam Soe (Middletown) pinned Nick Putman (Thomas Johnson), 2:59

132 — Ryan Wheeler (Tuscarora) major decision over Shawn Smith (Catoctin), 12-2

138 — Brodie Burdette (Middletown) major decision over Austin Flook (Tuscarora), 12-2

144 — Ashton Thompson (Catoctin) pinned Rhys Ferguson (Thomas Johnson), 3:14

150 — Seth Crawford (Brunswick) dec. Cash Wheat (Linganore), 14-9

When Brad Ausmus first visited Israel he found just two baseball fields in the entire country, one a high school-level facility, one short of that. Efforts to grow baseball were just getting started.

“The people in Israel that were integral in bringing me on board 15 years ago, the real crux of it, they are ex-patriots who moved to the United States, lived in Israel, have a real passion for baseball,” Ausmus said. “They want the sport to grow in their now home country. So that’s a big part in why they were so fervent in getting involved in the WBC.”

Ausmus, from Cheshire, a longtime MLB catcher, executive and manager, now beginning his third season as Aaron Boone’s bench coach with the Yankees, has played a foundational role in the growth of baseball in Israel. He will manage Team Israel in the upcoming World Baseball Classic, his second go around.

“Truthfully, it’s playoff atmosphere baseball,” Ausmus said, before a Yankees workout in Tampa, Fla., this week. “We were in Miami three years ago, and that pool with the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Nicaragua and Venezuela, and 30,000 people there you could barely hear the person next to you talking. The atmosphere was on par with a playoff game.”

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Ausmus managed Israel’s first team in 2012, which lost in the WBC qualifiers. Four years later, Israel, with former Yard Goats manager Jerry Weinstein at the helm, qualified and defeated South Korea, Chinese Taipei, Cuba and the Netherlands before being eliminated by Japan. Last time, with Ian Kinsler managing and Ausmus on his coaching staff, Israel was placed in a brutal pool and went 1-3, getting the win they needed to automatically qualify for 2026.

“There’s a strong Israeli baseball connection culturally,” Ausmus said. “It even happened in my family, my Mom’s Jewish, my Mom’s parents lived in Brookline, Mass., and my grandparents raised my mom to be a Red Sox fan. I do think there is a strong connection between baseball and the Jewish community, especially in the cities.”

Kinsler stepped aside last November and Ausmus, who managed the Tigers from 2014-17 and Angels in 2019, returned to manage Team Israel again. Baseball there is a different picture today. The Israel Association of Baseball (IAB), which formed as a nonprofit in 1986, now has a league with 13 teams, an academy established in 2014, and there are said to be over 1,000 players on teams spread across the country. The national team was one of six that qualified for the 2020 Olympics and got a win over Mexico when the games were played in Tokyo in 2021.

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Dean Kremer, who has dual citizenship, was the first Israeli player drafted by MLB and debuted with the Orioles in 2020. He was 11-10 with a 4.19 ERA last  year, and figures to be the ace of Ausmus’ staff when the games start March 6 in Miami. Israel this year is in a pool with the Netherlands, Nicaragua, Dominican Republic and, it’s first opponent, Venezuela on March 7.

Ausmus was part of a four-man group recruiting players and filling out the 26-man roster, a handful with major league credentials.

“You’re definitely looking for a certain level of commitment,” Ausmus said. “But initially you’re looking at professional players. The Dominicans, the United States, have the ability to choose from a large number of professionals, and specifically major-league players. Israel doesn’t have that luxury, so you’re looking at the whole professional spectrum, minors all the way up to the big leagues, independent leagues, occasionally beyond. We do have legitimate major-league talent, we just don’t have the pool to choose from that other countries do.”

Cole Carrigg, who played for the Yard Goats last season, is on Israel’s roster. Kremer, relievers Eli Morgan and Tommy Kahnle, catcher Garrett Stubbs, outfielder Harrison Bader and infielder Spencer Horowitz, are among the familiar major-leaguers committed to play for Ausmus and his coaching staff, with MLB names like Kevin Youkilis, Mark Loretta and Jerry Narron. The WBC has proven to be popular, but there is the persistent question of risk of injury as players ramp up to perform at full intensity so early in their season. Star closer Edwin Diaz, then with the Mets, suffered a season-ending knee injury last time.

“The players really like (the WBC), they really enjoy it,” Ausmus said. “There is the risk of injury, we try to minimize that risk with pitch counts. I’m hyper aware, especially as a part of a major-league team, I wouldn’t want anything to happen to our players playing for a WBC team. Overall, I think it has raised the popularity of baseball globally, I think it has been a great thing. … We’re going to be the underdog, but anything can happen in baseball. I hope people are pleasantly surprised by the underdog.”

More for your Sunday Read:

In the mix with Azzi Fudd

A beaming Azzi Fudd showed up at one of her favorite places to eat, Cava in Newington, to mix with the staff, meet and greet fans, some very young, others elderly, and film promotional content for the brand on Friday.

Fudd grew up near the very first Cava store in Bethesda, Md., and is known to be a legit fan of its Mediterranean fast casual fare, Greek salads and grain bowls. A natural NIL fit, in other words, as Cava now has five locations in Connecticut.

“We pride ourselves on using a lot of real ingredients,” said Andrew Downing, Cava’s director of social media, “and knowing her, how authentic she is to her audience, she’s really herself and she’s a really authentic fan of the brand. While we were doing a photo shoot, she was calling out all the ingredients. She knows them like the back of her hand.”

Fudd, who will be feted on UConn’s Senior Day on Sunday, likes the tzatziki, “which we like to call ‘A-ziki,'” Dowing said, which includes red pepper hummus, crazy feta, half sweet potatoes and half honey-harissa chicken. There will be an Azzi Fudd Gameday Bowl offered during Cava’s March Madness campaign, which will include several college athletes.

Dom Amore: A gold medal Olympic hockey hero blossomed at CT prep school: ‘She was magic on the ice’

SCSU swimmers honor coach

Southern Connecticut’s athletic community received shocking and terrible news earlier this month with the sudden passing of longtime swimming coach Tim Quill, just as his teams were about to compete in the Northeast 10 conference championships. The men’s and women’s teams honored their coach with their inspiring performances.

The SCSU women captured their sixth straight, and 18th conference championship. Junior Molly Kennedy, from Prospect, was most outstanding swimmer, collecting seven of the Owls’ 20 medals, six gold. The men’s team rallied to finish fourth, garnering eight medals. Teams carried a photo of their coach, with  the words “always in our hearts.”

“Those who knew Tim understood that he was, above all, a husband and father, a mentor and a teacher,” said SCSU’s  interim president Sandy Bulmer. “He offered a steady, compassionate presence in the lives of generations of student-athletes.”

Quill, 58, who started at the Cheshire YMCA in 1990, coached Southern swimmers for 27 years, his teams winning 35 conference titles, 17 for the men and 18 for the women, and he developed 121 Division II All-Americans. His swimmers have won 19 NCAA individual championships.

‘He was a builder’: Beloved, legendary CT football coach dies at 73

Sunday short takes

*One has to be just heartbroken for Yale football coach Tony Reno, who stepped down this week citing health problems, and his family. His son, Dante, transferred to play quarterback for his Dad. They can cherish the memorable season they had together.

*Former UConn receiver Kashif Moore made a rep for himself coaching Skyler Bell at his alma mater. He left to follow Jim Mora to Colorado State, and now Moore is pivoting upward to coach receivers at Penn State, according to reports.

*The Nets waived UConn over-achiever Tyrese Martin last week, but he kept his NBA career alive, hooking on with the 76ers.

*Former UConn star James Bouknight, who won the G League’s 3-point shooting contest last week, is averaging 19.6 points, 2.8 assists for Mexico City. At 25, he still has time to revive his NBA hopes four years after he was drafted No. 11 overall by Charlotte.

*Outfielder Yanquiel Fernandez, who played for the Yard Goats in 2023 and ’24 after making a harrowing journey from Cuba to get a toehold in pro baseball, debuting with Colorado last year, was in Yankees camp as a non-roster invitee. The Yankees got him through waivers and retained him with a minor-league contract. At age 23, a lefty hitter with power, Fernandez could one day add value in a park with a short right field porch.

Yard Goats are the current, critical stop on Yanquiel Fernandez’s journey from Cuba to the big leagues

*John Cirillo, long-time sports publicist in New York, including a long stint with the Knicks, has become a versatile author, Two of his books you’d want to add to your reading list: “Marbles on an Unpaved Road: An Ode to Sheepshead Bay,” is a captivating memoir of growing up in Brooklyn at a certain time. (Hint, there’s some Vince Lombardi in there), and a children’s book,“A Tail from the Bronx: Life’s Lessons Taught by a Cat.”

*Have been curious to see how the San Francisco Giants’ out-of-the-box hire of former Tennessee coach Tony Vitello would work out. His first weeks have created some curious quotes that have the media out there wondering if his heart is in the job. To be fair, there is some overreaction, but coaching college baseball, much more so than basketball or football, is so radically different from the pros. A college baseball coach has a lot of control over his program and gets relatively little scrutiny; an MLB manager has very little control, and is heavily scrutinized.

Last word

*Now that Tom Seaver’s family has put a lot of his memorabilia up for auction, including his 1969 World Series ring, here’s hoping that Mets owner Steve Cohen blows away all bidders and gets some of that stuff to display at Citi Field. Bidding for the 1969 ring has surpassed $400,000 on Heritage Auctions site, couch-cushion coin for Cohen.

In basketball, teams celebrate a championship by cutting down the nets. In track, it’s a victory lap. In swimming, it’s a jump into the pool.

Olympus swim coach Tom Thorum doesn’t really like to jump in the pool with his clothes on though, which is kind of a problem with the embarrassment of riches his program develops each year.

Knowing that, he promises his team at the start of each season that he’ll only jump in the pool if if both the boys and girls teams win state titles.

It happened in 2022 and 2024, and now again in 2026 as the Titans swept the 5A state championships at BYU on Saturday night.

After both teams made their celebratory jumps, for a few brief moments Thorum thought his athletes might’ve forgotten about their deal as he stood on the pool deck.

Within a few seconds though, chants of “Tom, Tom, Tom,” started echoing through the facility, and Thorum knew he had to make good on his promise.

“It’s something that we talked about at the beginning of the season as a goal of doing it together, boys and girls. I think that’s a very important element so they come together. It was fantastic,” said Thorum.

The team titles were never expected to be close on Saturday at the state meet, and they weren’t.

Olympus’ boys didn’t have a single individual champ, but tremendous depth helped the program rack up 327 team points to finish comfortably ahead of runner-up Skyline’s 240.5 points.

The girls, meanwhile, had star power and depth, and it showed on the scoreboard as the Titans racked up 406 points, with Skyline finishing second with 305.5 points.

For the boys it was a 3-peat, and six titles in the past seven years. For the girls it was their fourth title in the past six years.

“Every year, it seems like a special class, but this one was special in its own way. Just remarkable chemistry and kindness and sportsmanship among the kids,” said Thorum.

While Olympus dominated the team races, Timpview sophomore Camryn Tanton and West Field’s Malachi Villarreal were named the girls and boys swimmers of the meet as they racked up the most NISCA Power Points.

For Olympus’ boys, in many ways this was going to be a rebuilding year after the graduation of incredible senior talent from a year ago, including Abe Astle who basically rewrote the state record books.

“But I’ll tell you, that class that we had last year, they left such a strong culture that these boys have stepped into and now they’re just following in their footsteps, and it’s just a matter of time before we see those same superstars,” said Thorum.

Even though Olympus lacked an individual champ, it won two of three relays to rack up big points.

Olympus girls team was led by Rainie Moran, who won both the 200 individual medley and the 500 freeestyle.

“She’s poised and always in control. She makes it all look effortless, but I know she’s working hard every single day. She never lets it show. She’s always got a happy demeanor, positive outlook and she’s a complete swimmer,” said Thorum.

Moran had high expectations to break the 200 I.M. state record, and she claim close with a time of 2:02.79, just .43 seconds off the pace.

“I definitely did have a goal of getting that record, but just the fact of getting the All-American consideration I’m very grateful for that,” said Moran.

“I also just love being in the water and having the feel of the water and I just love racing, and I think this community of people are great, and like you find friends within competition.”

Olympus’ other two individual winners en route to the team title were Vienna Lemmon (100 fly) and Emma Staskus (100 free).

Timpview’s Tanton was named 5A Swimmer of the Meet as she posted a outstanding time of 1:01.47, which automatically qualifies her for All-American status.

“I felt really good before, so I knew it was going to be a good race. I left it all out in the pool,” said Tanton.

Another sophomore, Springville’s Aulia Leauanae, had a great meet of her own in winning both the 200 free and 100 backstroke, both with new PRs.

“It’s been a really good meet, a really fun meet,” said Leauanae.

Just like the girls meet, there were several multi-event winners for the boys as well.

Viewmont senior Thomas Chamberlain won the 200 individual medley and 100 butterfly, while West Field senior Villarreal won the 200 and 500 frees.

Villarreal swam for Kemmerrer High School in Wyoming last year and was named the Wyoming swimmer of the year. He said it took him a while to adjust in and out of the pool at his new school, but he’s feeling great now and happy about his overall performance at state.

“I didn’t go as fast as I really wanted to. I was actually looking forward to maybe trying to get those state records, but man, they’re fast,” he said.

“I’m happy, though. In the end, I really am, and I had a fun senior year.”

5A girls state swim meet

At BYU

Team scores

1. Olympus, 406
2. Skyline, 305.5
3. Timpview, 233
4. Springville, 168
5. Woods Cross, 143
6. Salem Hills, 113
7. Payson, 113
8. Alta, 104

Individual results

200 medley relay

1. Olympus (Sadie Macdonald, Emma Staskus, Sydney McElwee, Greta Doretto), 1:48.00
2. Timpview, 1:52.00
3. Salem Hills, 1:53.58
4. Skyline, 1:53.96
5. Woods Cross, 1:54.49
6. Alta, 1:55.21
7. Box Elder, 1:56.22
8. Cyprus, 2:01.19

200 freestyle

1. Aulia Leauanae, Springville, So., 1:54.21
2. Sophie Wrona, Olympus, Jr., 1:54.49
3. Rori Sorenson, Skyline, Jr., 1:54.74
4. Vienna Lemmon, Olympus, Sr., 1:56.04
5. Shayla Zulcic, Skyline, Jr., 1:58.36
6. Lola Watson, Timpview, So., 2:01.55
7. Amelia Sanft, Timpview, Sr., 2:02.03
8. Madilyn Hatch, Northridge, Jr., 2:05.96

200 individual medley

1. Rainie Moran, Olympus, Jr., 2:02.79
2. Camryn Tanton, Timpview, So., 2:05.65
3. Sadie Macdonald, Olympus, Sr., 2:10.42
4. Ava Glissmeyer, Woods Cross, Jr., 2:10.82
5. Kate Brower, Springville, Sr., 2:11.86
6. Mia Smith, Cyprus, So., 2:14.88
7. Lauren Vinik, Skyline, Jr., 2:18.65
8. Tiffanie Palmer, Cyprus, Sr., 2:19.38

50 freestyle

1. Hannah Quinn, Timpview, Jr., 24.54
2. Sophie Wrona, Olympus, Jr., 24.63
3. Greta Doretto, Olympus, Jr., 24.87
4. Maisey Preece, Payson, Jr., 25.05
5. Haley Bott, Payson, Jr., 25.10
6. (tie) Camryn Petersen, Box Elder, Jr., 25.68
7. (tie) Elsa Bringard, Skyline, Sr., 25.68
8. Ella Brimhall, Springville, Jr., 25.69

100 butterfly

1. Vienna Lemmon, Olympus, Sr., 57.56
2. Sofie Anders, Alta, Sr., 58.68
3. Sydney McElwee, Olympus, Jr., 59.70
4. Mia Smith, Cyprus, So., 1:00.12
5. Mia Greenhalgh, Viewmont, So., 1:00.80
6. Madilyn Hatch, Northridge, Jr., 1:00.83
7. Greta Doretto, Olympus, Jr., 1:01.05
8. Annie Nelson, Salem Hills, So., 1:01.53

100 freestyle

1. Emma Staskus, Olympus, Fr., 51.68
2. Hannah Quinn, Timpview, Jr., 52.76
3. Maisey Preece, Payson, Jr., 53.74
4. Haley Bott, Payson, Jr., 54.61
5. Elsa Bringard, Skyline, Sr., 55.22
6. Shayla Zulcic, Skyline, Jr., 54.88
7. Maggie Harris, Viewmont, Fr., 56.04
8. Rebekah Cyril, Woods Cross, Sr., 56.07

500 freestyle

1. Rainie Moran, Olympus, Jr., 5:05.29
2. Rori Sorenson, Skyline, Jr., 5:14.76
3. Lola Watson, Timpview, So., 5:17.89
4. Ellie Long, Maple Mountain, Sr., 5:25.97
5. Sady Jonart, Skyline, Jr., 5:30.43
6. Ryli Jonart, Skyline, Sr., 5:30.43
7. Cassidy Long, Maple Mountain, So., 5:31.68
8. Aspen Johnson, Pleasant Grove, So., 5:41.83

200 freestyle relay

1. Olympus (Vienna Lemmon, Greta Doretto, Sophie Wrona, Rainie Moran), 1:37.48
2. Springville, 1:40.67
3. Skyline, 1:42.37
4. Alta, 1:43.18
5. Timpview, 1:43.28
6. Payson, 1:43.86
7. Salem Hills, 1:46.39
8. Box Elder, 1:46.46

100 backstroke

1. Aulia Leauanae, Springville, So., 55.84
2. Ava Glissmeyer, Woods Cross, Jr., 57.38
3. Sadie Macdonald, Olympus, Sr., 57.86
4. Annie Nelson, Salem Hills, So., 59.50
5. Cadence Lawes, Olympus, Fr., 1:00.03
6. Ada Frazier, Olympus, Sr., 1:01.99
7. Sydney McElwee, Olympus, Jr., 1:01.42
8. Caialee Parkin, Box Elder, Jr., 1:01.51

100 breaststroke

1. Camryn Tanton, Timpview, So., 1:01.47
2. Emma Staskus, Olympus, Fr., 1:02.76
3. Sofie Anders, Alta, Sr., 1:07.25
4. Kate Brower, Springville, Sr., 1:07.53
5. Lauren Vinik, Skyline, Jr., 1:11.06
6. Mia Greenhalgh, Viewmont, So., 1:11.74
7. Addison Eldredge, Skyline, Fr., 1:11.76
8. Amelia Sanft, Timpview, Sr., 1:12.27

400 freestyle relay

1. Olympus (Sophie Wrona, Vienna Lemmon, Rainie Moran, Emma Staskus), 3:32.74
2. Skyline, 3:40.41
3. Timpview, 3:43.82
4. Woods Cross, 3:44.41
5. Springville, 3:45.84
6. Payson, 3:50.32
7. Cyprus, 3:52.83
8. Maple Mountain, 3:56.70

5A boys state swim meet

At BYU

Team scores

1. Olympus, 327
2. Skyline, 240.5
3. Timpview, 232
4. Alta, 217
5. Kearns, 207
6. Viewmont, 134
7. Hillcrest, 131
8. Box Elder, 114

Individual results

200 medley relay

1. Alta (Blake Abney, Nosh Stout, Sawyer Mortensen, Ilyan Manriquez), 1:35.72
2. Skyline, 1:36.00
3. Olympus, 1:36.46
4. Timpview, 1:37.03
5. Viewmont, 1:37.80
6. West, 1:41.69
7. Kearns, 1:41.91
8. Hillcrest, 1:41.93

200 freestyle

1. Malachi Villarreal, West Field, Sr., 1:42.32
2. Justin Tao, West, So., 1:44.82
3. Jack Hatchard, Olympus, Sr., 1:45.18
4. Henry Long, Bountiful, Jr., 1:45.70
5. Ryan Horne, Kearns, Jr., 1:45.86
6. Kai Hale, Skyline, Jr., 1:46.14
7. Josh Hawkins, Timpview, Sr., 1:47.14
8. Artsiom Novikau, Hillcrest, So., 1:47.38

200 individual medley

1. Thomas Chamberlain, Viewmont, Jr., 1:52.70
2. Oscar Astle, Olympus, So., 1:54.74
3. Benny Bridge, Hillcrest, Sr., 1:55.27
4. Blake Abney, Alta, Sr., 1:56.27
5. Stockton Rogers, Olympus, Jr., 1:57.10
6. Emmett Hansen, Timpview, Jr., 1:59.49
7. Carter Brown, Pleasant Grove, Jr., 2:02.55
8. Eddie Hansen, Spanish Fork, Jr., 2:02.62

50 freestyle

1. Everett Bushman, Timpview, Jr., 21.44
2. Lincoln Hatch, Kearns, Sr., 21.49
3. Ilyan Manriquez, Alta, Sr., 21.77
4. Sawyer Mortensen, Alta, Jr., 21.91
5. Pi Jones, Skyline, Jr., 21.96
6. Emmett Hatchard, Olympus, Fr., 22.07
7. Tucker Hodgkinson, Box Elder, Sr., 22.24
8. Max Campbell, Clearfield, Sr., 22.63

100 butterfly

1. Thomas Chamberlain, Viewmont, Jr., 50.51
2. Oliver Northway, Olympus, So., 51.57
3. Logan Hansen, Springville, Sr., 51.68
4. Everett Bushman, Timpview, Jr., 52.41
5. Chaz Keddington, Cyprus, Fr., 52.42
6. Liam Talbot, Hunter, Jr., 52.90
7. Andrew Mitton, Timpview, Fr., 53.60
8. Thomas Ockey, Olympus, Sr., 53.64

100 freestyle

1. Lincoln Hatch, Kearns, Sr., 47.50
2. Donnie Lowe, Skyline, Jr., 47.80
3. Emmett Hatchard, Olympus, Fr., 47.91
4. Sawyer Mortensen, Alta, Jr., 48.42
5. Pi Jones, Skyline, Jr., 48.64
6. Artsiom Novikau, Hillcrest, So., 48.70
7. Tucker Hodgkinson, Box Elder, Sr., 48.81
8. Hayes Courtney, Olympus, Jr., 49.37

500 freestyle

1. Malachi Villarreal, West Field, Sr., 4:41.59
2. Jack Hatchard, Olympus, Sr., 4:44.41
3. Josh Hawkins, Timpview, Sr., 4:51.91
4. Logan Hansen, Springville, Sr., 4:53.77
5. Ryan Horne, Kearns, Jr., 4:54.30
6. Cash Caballero-Scott, Kearns, Fr., 4:55.99
7. McKay Simons, Cyprus, Jr., 5:00.57
8. Max Wesemann, Kearns, Jr., 5:11.02

200 freestyle relay

1. Olympus (Thomas Ockey, Stockton Rogers, Emmett Hatchard, Jack Hatchard), 1:27.03
2. Kearns, 1:28.40
3. Alta, 1:28.83
4. Timpview, 1:29.17
5. Skyline, 1:29.23
6. Box Elder, 1:29.90
7. Clearfield, 1:31.01
8. West, 1:32.19

100 backstroke

1. Kai Hale, Skyline, Jr., 50.96
2. Henry Long, Bountiful, Jr., 51.58
3. Oscar Astle, Olympus, So., 52.30
4. Emmett Hansen, Timpview, Jr., 52.48
5. Chaz Keddington, Cyprus, Fr., 52.56
6. Donnie Lowe, Skyline, Jr., 53.32
7. Justin Tao, West, So., 53.81
8. Darwin Campbell, Box Elder, So., 54.87

100 breaststroke

1. Henry Helgesen, Viewmont, Sr., 57.18
2. Blake Abney, Alta, Sr., 58.16
3. Benny Bridge, Hillcrest, Sr., 58.65
4. Stockton Rogers, Olympus, Jr., 59.50
5. Robert Miller, Skyline, Sr., 59.65
6. Ivan Swan, Salem Hills, Jr., 59.65
7. Noah Stout, Alta, Sr., 59.74
8. Matt Lee, Olympus, Jr., 1:01.50

400 freestyle relay

1. Olympus (Emmett Hatchard, Jack Hatchard, Oscar Astle, Stockton Rogers), 3:11.32
2. Skyline, 3:13.01
3. Kearns, 3:13.60
4. Timpview, 3:16.39
5. Alta, 3:16.79
6. Hillcrest, 3:19.18
7. Viewmont, 3:20.59
8. Box Elder, 3:21.74

5A unified swim meet

Girls 50 freestyle unified intel

1. Skyla Stiehle, Alta, 39.82

Boys 50 freestyle unified intel

1. Nate Lauritzen, Salem Hills, 27.31
2. Garrett Draper, 29.85
3. Colton Reddon, Cyprus, 32.99
4. Westin Stewart, Salem Hills, 35.81
5. Gavin Remington, Woods Cross, 40.39

Girls 50 freestyle unified Phy

1. Lily Orton, West, 1:21.08

LONGVIEW, Texas (KETK) — The East Texas Coaches Association held its’ annual Hall of Honor banquet Saturday night in Longview.

The 2026 ETCA Hall of Honor inductees included longtime Lufkin defensive coordinator and head football coach Todd Quick, former Spring Hill and Hallsville HFC Steve Gaddis and former NFL players Jason Peters (Queen City) and LaMichael James (Liberty-Eylau).

Quick, who coached at Lufkin for 30 years, started out as defensive coordinator under legendary Panthers head coach John Outlaw in 1995.

He served as Lufkin’s DC until he became head coach in 2012, a few months after Outlaw passed away.

Quick helped lead Lufkin to its’ only state title in 2001 and also led the Pack to the state semifinals in three of the next four seasons after that.

In his final season as Lufkin’s head football coach, Quick led the Panthers to a 10-2 record, district title and second round playoff appearance.

“It’s a great honor. What I tried to do every day was do what the kids needed, what was best for the kids, and you just go in and you do that. That’s your goal. It led to this. I had a great mentor for 26 years. John Outlaw. Not everybody’s as lucky as what I was because he really, really helped me through the times as growing up as an assistant coach. Mr. Roy Knight gave me a chance after Coach Outlaw passed away and never looked back. Mr. Kurt Stephens was at the superintendent’s spot also. Great supporter of what we tried to do and just thankful. You can’t do it by yourself. There’s kids, there’s coaches, there’s family and there’s administration. You have to have those four or it’s not going to be successful. You have to have those and so I’ve been very fortunate through the 40 years that I’ve been coaching I’ve been around the good groups, those four groups,” Quick said.

J.B. Haggerty, who’s served as an assistant coach at Pittsburg, Karnack, Tatum and Marshall, was also inducted into the ETCA Hall of Honor, and Carthage football was recognized after the Bulldogs captured their 11th state title back in December.

Rocky Mullikan with Riddell was honored with the Distinguished Service Award and James Hargett with the Tyler TASO was also honored as a football official.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KETK.com | FOX51.com.

The Maquoketa girls’ basketball team is heading back to the State tournament. The Cardinals defeated Assumption, 54-36, in front of a packed crowd inside Maquoketa High School Saturday night.

Relive some of the best moments from the game in the video above.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHBF - OurQuadCities.com.

Feb. 21—ST. PAUL — After everything that Alexa Van Straaten, Kylie Meyer and Zoe Heimer have meant to the Dodge County girls hockey program for six years, this was a fitting way for the Wildcats' seniors to end their high school hockey careers.

Van Straaten and Heimer had assists on the game-winning goal, and the Wildcats' senior trio combined for four assists as No. 4-seeded Dodge County beat No. 3-seeded Blake 4-1 on Saturday in the Class 1A state tournament third-place game at Grand Casino Arena.

The Wildcats end their season at 22-7-1 overall and with their third consecutive top-three finish at the state tournament.

"We talked about several things we wanted to accomplish," Wildcats coach Jeremy Gunderson said. "No. 1, we wanted to win this (game) for the seniors.

"No. 2, we were seeded below Blake, so we told the girls 'if there are doubters out there, come back and show them differently.' It's the last game, the last chance. There are very few times you get to play on the last day of the season and end your season with a win. ... Now, every year we've been (at state), this group has placed in the top three in the state. They've been the first from southern Minnesota to do a lot of things."

The victory capped another outstanding season for Dodge County, and outstanding careers for its five-player senior class. Injuries kept seniors Berkley Klaehn and Ashlyn Praxel off the ice in the postseason. Klaehn missed the full season, Praxel was injured on Jan. 6 and was unable to return, but they remained leaders on a team whose only postseason loss came by one goal, in overtime, to state powerhouse Warroad.

"Each of those kids is pretty special," Gunderson said. "Berkley was with this group all the way through youth hockey and was very valued. She built great relationships with her teammates and was like having an extra coach for us.

"Ashlyn was our third-line center, did a great job there. We feel bad she wasn't able to participate (since her injury), but she was with us this week and stayed close with the team."

The three seniors who were on the ice during the playoffs have all been key players in the program for at least three seasons, during which time the Wildcats compiled a 69-15-3 overall record, three section championships, two trips to the state championship game and one state title (2025).

They combined for 34 goals and 99 points this season — Van Straaten had 41 points, Heimer 35 and Meyer 23.

Van Straaten — one of five finalists for the inaugural Minnesota Girls Senior Defender of the Year award — finished her three-year career with 96 points (26 goals, 70 assists), a remarkable run for a defender.

Meyer, also a defender, finished her five-year varsity career with 76 points (26 goals, 50 assists).

"Lexi and Kylie, they quarterback the team," Gunderson said. "They change off for each other, so one of them is always on the ice. They're a dynamic duo on our top penalty kill (unit) and they both quarterback the power play; whoever is fresh is the one who goes out first on the power play. They play great defense and are great in the locker room.

Heimer, a forward who played on the Wildcats' top line this season, completed a five-year varsity career in which she scored 43 goals and added 74 assists, for 117 points.

"Zoe is just a sparkplug of energy, a kid who plays with a lot of emotion," Gunderson said. "She's a gritty player who'll never go down quietly and isn't afraid to get to those hard areas around the net. She sticks with it, scores those hard goals. She's strong on her stick and really hard to defend. It's been fun to watch her grow from being 5 or 6 years old, through all the progressions."

Those seniors leave some big skates to fill, but Dodge County has shown it has the players capable of stepping into bigger roles.

Leading scorer Maysie Koch, a junior forward, scored two goals and added an assist in Saturday's victory. The University of St. Thomas commit finished her junior year with 56 points (24 goals, 32 assists) and will enter her senior season with 93 career goals and 211 points.

Sophomore forward Daisy Harens had two goals and four points in this state tournament and finished the season with 15 goals and 31 points. Her sister, Willow, just a seventh-grader, had a key assist in the Wildcats' overtime state quarterfinal win against Proctor/Hermantown on Wednesday, and had 16 points this season. Taryn Wernecke, a 20-point scorer this year, is back up front, too, along with Bryn Spreiter, Maren Hodgman, Grace Roethler and Vivi Cano.

On the back end, defenders Sophia Buesking, Josie Fulton, Adyn Spreiter and Maisy Fulton all return.

So, too, does junior goalie Faith Humphrey, who was excellent in her first season as a starter. Humphrey played all but four periods this season, going 22-7-1 with a 1.63 goals-against average, a .903 save percentage and 9 shutouts. She made 19 saves on Saturday.

Saturday's win in the state third-place game was the second of the season for the Wildcats against Blake. Dodge County also beat the Bears 3-1 on Nov. 25 at Dodge County Ice Arena in Kasson.

There was no scoring through the first 20 minutes of Saturday's state third-place game.

The Wildcats took control, though, with a flurry of second-period goals.

It started on their their third power play of the game, 3:54 into the second. Van Straaten took the puck in her own end and carried it up the left wing. She circled all the way behind the net and carried it back out front into the right circle. Two Blake defenders drew toward her, so Van Straaten made a nice feed to Koch in the left circle and she put a one-timer just under the crossbar.

On their next power play, 10:45 into the second, Van Straaten gathered a loose puck near the far wall. She skated it back to the point and again drew the attention of Blake's penalty killers. That leaft Daisy Harens open with all kinds of space in the right circle. Van Straaten slid the puck over to her, Harens took a stride to get her momentum going toward the net and wired a wrist shot past Blake goalie Janie McGawn's glove.

The Wildcats made it 3-0 with 19 seconds left in the second, when Koch forced a turnover along the far wall in the Blake zone. The junior standout took it hard to the net, but three defenders collapsed toward her, leaving Taryn Wernecke uncovered just above the crease. Koch fed her and Wernecke fired it into the net before McGawn could get back across. It was the ninth goal and 20th point of the season for Wernecke.

That made it 3-0 after two periods.

Blake got on the board nine minutes into the third, when Elizabeth Salonek let a point shot fly thorugh traffic and Leila Dalum redirected it at the top of the crease, past Humphrey, for the only goal she allowed in the game.

Shortly after Blake got on the board, Koch won a draw in the Wildcats' defensive zone and pushed it to Meyer on the left wing. Koch and Meyer swapped spots and Meyer sent a pass up to Koch, who flew in along the left wall. She skated the puck into the left circle and sniped the top corner, far-side on McGawn for her second goal of the game and 25th of her junior season. Meyer earned her 15th assist and 23rd point of her senior year.

The Wildcats will take a few days before turning the page and starting to look toward the 2026-27 season, but they also know a lot of talented players will return when practice starts in late October.

"Faith is coming back after her first season, she took that next step to being a starter for us this year," Gunderson said, "and we'll be good on defense. We have some kids who've played a lot of minutes. Forward-wise, we'll be deep, too."

DODGE COUNTY 4, BLAKE 1

Dodge County 0-3-1 — 4

Blake 0-0-1 — 1

First period — no scoring. Second period — 1. DC, Maysie Koch 24 (Alexa Van Straaten 26) 3:54 (pp). 2. DC, Daisy Harens 15 (Van Straaten 27, Zoe Heimer 23) 10:45 (pp). 3. DC, Taryn Wernecke 9 (Koch 31) 16:41. Third period — 4. BLK, Leila Dalum 13 (Elizabeth Salonek 10) 9:00. 5. DC, Koch 25 (Kylie Meyer 15) 11:45.

Shots on goal — DC, 16-9-5 — 30; BLK, 6-7-7 — 20. Goalies — DC, Faith Humphrey 19 saves (20 shots); BLK, Janie McGawn 26 saves (30 shot). Power-play opportunities — BLK, 0-for-2; DC, 2-for-5. Penalties — BLK, 5-10 minutes; DC, 2-4 minutes.

It’s been a rare occurrence this season for No. 2 Green Canyon to be trailing at halftime, but that’s the situation the Wolves found themselves in Saturday’s 4A championship game against top-seeded Dixie.

Even though it was only a four-point halftime deficit, it was the first time this season Green Canyon had trailed by more than two at the break.

But the Wolves opened the second half with focus on attacking the rim, and that earned them a 59-53 win for their first-ever state championship.

“Just offensively, we got a little cold in the first half,” said Green Canyon head coach Kara Foster. “We just knew if we kept attacking and attacking, sooner or later the shots would fall.”

Despite the halftime deficit, Green Canyon was defending well and making sure it got plenty of possessions. In the first half, it forced Dixie to turn the ball over nine times and got up 10 more shots.

However, the Wolves were also losing the rebounding battle, and the Flyers were more efficient with their shots. Dixie shot 60% from three in the half while Green Canyon shot only 17%.

The shooting was Green Canyon’s biggest struggle early, which resulted in the 26-22 halftime deficit, but Foster made sure that didn’t deter her team from continuing to get shots up.

“I felt like our defense was pretty solid, our rotations were good, our outside was fantastic, but if we could just keep attacking, eventually the shots would fall,” Foster said. “I felt like they did in the second half for sure.”

Green Canyon focused on getting to the rim out of the half, and it paid off as the Wolves outscored the Flyers 19-13 in the third quarter to take the lead heading into the final period.

Despite struggling with her shot in the first half, Kloey Tensmeyer got to the rim, facilitated and hit a big 3-pointer early in the fourth quarter.

“What I’m most proud of her for this year is if she’s missing shots, last year she would have been more frustrated,” Foster said.

“This year, it doesn’t bother her. She keeps trying, keeps shooting, and eventually she starts hitting, which is fantastic for us.”

The Wolves remained in control for the remainder of the game. However, Dixie’s Izzy Hollinghead gave it her best effort. Hollinghead was in foul trouble all game, but scored nine points in the fourth while having four fouls.

Luckily for Green Canyon, Talyssa Nelson and freshman Halle Hunter helped keep it ahead with their scoring.

Hunter usually isn’t toward the top of the scoresheet for the Wolves, but she often makes big impact plays that help winning. On Saturday, Hunter was a perfect 6 of 6 from the field for 12 points off the bench while adding six rebounds.

“You just got to treat it like any other game,” Hunter said. “I don’t need to be the lead scorer because we have so many amazing people on our team, but when I get the opportunity, I want to make it count.”

Nelson led Green Canyon offensively with 20 points and had the shot of the game. Green Canyon had a four-point lead with just under a minute left, but Nelson hit a dagger 3-pointer to put Dixie away.

“I just shot it, and I said, ‘I really hope this goes in,’” said Nelson. “I think we played a really good game all the way around, but I think our shots started falling in the second half.

“I think the key was confidence in the second half, just not giving up, knowing that our shots would fall and keep on pushing hard.”

Mya Hinds had a strong tournament for Green Canyon and added nine points, nine rebounds and eight assists in Saturday’s win. Hinds also had a monster performance in Friday’s semifinal with 22 points.

Saturday was Green Canyon’s first-ever state championship appearance after going 0-3 in semifinal games previously. It made sure to capitalize on its opportunity.

“This is huge for us,” Foster said. “I think this has just been a great group of girls. They bought in from the beginning, which I think is rare.

“They set the standard high now for Green Canyon girls basketball and I’m so proud of them.”

4A All-Tournament Team

MVP — Talyssa Nelson, Green Canyon

Mya Hinds, Green Canyon

Kloey Tensmeyer, Green Canyon

Izzy Hollinghead, Dixie

Addison Winters, Dixie

Reese Gustin, Pine View

BEDFORD, Va. (WFXR) — Liberty beats Glenvar, 82-74 in the Boys Region 2C Quarterfinals. The Minutemen take on Dan River in the semifinals Wednesday at Franklin County H.S.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFXRtv.

BEDFORD, Va. (WFXR) — Liberty beats Martinsville, 49-23 in the Girls Region 2C Quarterfinals. The Lady Minutemen take on Floyd County in the semifinals Tuesday at Franklin County H.S.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFXRtv.

ROANOKE, Va. (WFXR) — William Fleming beats Albemarle, 73-8 in the Girls Region 5C Quarterfinals. The Colonels host Mills Godwin in the semifinals Tuesday.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFXRtv.

METTER, Ga. (WSAV) — The Portal boys basketball team claimed the Region 3-A Division II championship with a win over Screven County, 52-44, Friday night at Metter High School.

Portal came out strong in the opening minutes of the contest. They scored the game’s first 11 points. By the end of the first quarter, they held a 15-7 advantage.

Portal, the No. 2 seed headed into the region tournament, defeated Savannah High on Thursday.

In the first round of the state tournament, Portal will play Twiggs County, the No. 4 seed from Region 5.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSAV-TV.

(WFRV) — Notre Dame Academy, Brillion, and Reedsville boys basketball all grabbed wins on Friday night. With NDA’s win over Bay Port, only one conference game remains for the Tritons, and it comes against De Pere next Thursday for the FRCC regular season title.

Brillion’s win over Roncalli clinched the EWC crown, and Reedsville jumped Saint Mary Catholic for first place in the Big East-North standings. Additionally, before tip-off, the Panthers honored senior captain Arden Strenn for surpassing the 1,000-point mark last week.

SCORES:

• Notre Dame Academy 85, Bay Port 69
• Brillion 45, Roncalli 33
• Reedsville 75, Saint Mary Catholic 66

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFRV Local 5 - Green Bay, Appleton.

Isaiah Ogurcak scored 26 points to lead third-seeded Red Lion to a 50-45 victory over Wilson in the District 3 Class 6A boys basketball quarterfinals on Friday night at Red Lions High School.

Wilson’s Correll Akings scored 13 points and went over the 1,000-point mark for his career and now has 1,002.

Wilson drops down to the consolation semifinals on Monday and will play the loser of the Central York-Chambersburg game.

Also for the Bulldogs (16-9), Michael Glover scored nine points.

Red Lion plays the winner of Central York-Chambersburg in the semifinals on Tuesday.

Class 4A

Kingston McKoy scored 24 points as top-seeded Berks Catholic cruised to a 63-33 quarterfinal victory over Eastern York in the District 3 Class 4A playoffs.

The Saints will play Schuylkill Valley in the semifinals on Tuesday at Berks Catholic. The Panthers defeated Wyomissing 63-52 on Friday night.

Also for the Saints (23-2), Carmelo Harper had 13 points and Gavin Welker had 11.

Schuylkill Valley 63, Wyomissing 52

Ervin Ortiz and Josiah Urbaez each scored 13 points as Schuylkill Valley defeated fourth-seeded Wyomissing 63-52 a quarterfinal game on Friday.

The fifth-seeded Panthers (15-9) play at No. 1 seed Berks Catholic on Tuesday in the semifinals.

Tanner Staus had 11 points and Derek Grim 10 for Schuylkill Valley.

Wyomissing drops down to the consolation bracket and plays Monday against Eastern York at Wyomissing.

Bishop McDevitt 74, Oley Valley 44

Second-seeded Bishop McDevitt knocked Oley Valley down to the consolation bracket by beating the Lynx 74-44 in the quarterfinals.

Oley Valley (13-10) plays the loser of Susquenita-Big Spring in the consolations on Monday.

For the Lynx, Luke Turchi scored 17 points.

RIO RANCHO — Perhaps the best thing that happened to Ryan Means Jr. was one of the worst things that can happen to a high school athlete.

Friday was Means' first experience of the State Wrestling Championships, but it should have been his second. The Santa Fe High sophomore missed last season's state meet as poor grades kept him off the mat.

But from that disappointing moment came a renewed and refocused student-athlete. Means regained his eligibility and took advantage of a second chance, going 25-9 this season as he competes in the 175-pound weight class in Class 5A. He took fourth at last week's Region 1-5A Championships to earn a sixth seed for this weekend's state meet, then lived up to the seed with a convincing performance in the opening round over Carlsbad's Eddie Lopez.

Means built a 15-0 lead into the second period before pinning Lopez at the 1:10 mark to reach the quarterfinals. The afternoon session did not go as well as Albuquerque Eldorado's Martin Lovato pinned him in the third period with a 10-1 lead.

The day was not over for Means, who returned to the mat almost two hours later to pin Albuquerque La Cueva's Louis Pennington with 15 seconds left in the opening period to reach a consolation semifinal. With a win over Organ Mountain's Carlos Maldonado on Saturday morning, Means will guarantee himself a spot on the podium.

Demons head coach Joe Jiron said the sky is the limit for Means, especially after learning a tough lesson about the importance of academics and athletics.

"I feel like he's embraced academics they way he's embraced his sports," Jiron said. "He's just going all out and doing good. His grades are awesome now."

Means said some of his struggles resulted from personal issues he dealt with through middle school. He said he dealt with a series of family issues and the death of his grandmother affected him profoundly. He said wrestling and football helped him cope with his struggles until his grades began to slip as a freshman. Means said he did enough to get by in the fall for football but his grades after that "sort of just tanked."

Jiron said Means disappeared for a few weeks from the wrestling room, but he saw him mature and improve his grades. Means said his stepmother also encouraged him to come to church, which helped him find direction.

"I had a lot of support and a lot of help getting me to this point," Means said. "Not being able to go to regionals and state last year gave me a goal to make it here and stay on top of my grades."

Jiron said Means keeps himself busy not just with sports, but also with the school choir. He added, Means also intends to play baseball to add to his to-do list.

Means grew up in Chardon, Neb., before moving to Santa Fe when he was in fourth grade. He said the transition to Santa Fe, where his dad and 2005 Capital graduate Ryan Means Sr. grew up, was challenging because he had roots in Chadron.

He added, that might have contributed to some of his struggles in middle school.

"I was kinda rebellious," Means Jr. said. "I didn't want to move, so I distanced myself a little bit."

However, wrestling helped him find new friends and adjust to his surroundings. Means started competing in the sport at the age of 5, and had plenty of youth programs to attend because of the sport's huge popularity in Nebraska.

Jiron said Means Jr. was already a well-skilled wrestler as an eighth grader, so the goal was to refine his skills and get him stronger as his body developed. The coach said Means' best asset on the mat might be his ears.

"He listens on top of putting in the work at practice," Jiron said. "He transitions pretty well now, going from A to B, and from B to C. There's a little bit of fluidity in his body to where he doesn't get stuck in one position."

The performances of Means Jr. and of fellow sophomore Marina Martinez, who reached the semifinals of the 235 girls division, were bright spots amid a tough season in which boys medal contenders Elias Mendiola and Leyton Opare missed the last half of the season because of injuries.

"The sky's the limit for these kids," Jiron said, "as long as they focus on their academics and put in the work that's in front of them."

In other action

Martinez wasted little time in making her way to the girls semifinals, needing 83 seconds to record pins of Belen's Emma Perez and Shayla Esplain of Kirtland Central. Martinez, the third seed in the bracket, will take on No. 2 Vanessa Martinez of Roswell Goddard on Saturday morning.

Pojoaque Valley's Natalie Romero also recorded a pair of pins to get to the 140 semifinals. She took down Albuquerque Volcano Vista's Alyssa Herrera with 13 seconds left in the second period to set up a rematch with Kirtland Central's Hailey Robinson. The two faced off in the Region 1 Championship finals Feb. 7, with Robinson pinning her in the third period.

In 1A/4A boys, West Las Vegas had four wrestlers make it to the semifinals — Andres Rambo Lopez at 113, Santiago Medrano at 132, Korbyn Harvey at 175 and Vicente Garcia at 192. They helped the Dons to a 68-point total in the team standings with four other wrestlers still alive in the consolation round.

Los Alamos and Taos each had one wrestler alive in the championship side. The Tigers' Reggie Suazo needed an escape in the third period of his opening-round match against Roswell Goddard's Riccie Winchester to pull out a 6-5 win but pinned Aztec's Harvey Blackwater to reach the semifinals. He will take on Silver's Christian Maynes.

Adrian Oshel also made it to the 165 semifinals for the Hilltoppers, pinning Tristan Lopez of Belen in the third period of their quarterfinals battle.

Jedrek Lewandowski of St. Michael's, the fourth seed in the 285 division, lost in stunning upset to 12th-seeded Thomas Williams, who pinned him in the second period of their quarterfinal match.

ROGERSVILLE, Mo–Girls high school basketball Friday night, the top ranked team in Class 5 Marshfield paying at visit to Logan-Rogersville.

Log-Rog is ranked fourth in the state in Class 4.

Lady Wildcats down one late in the first quarter, until Eden Kibby knocks down her second three of the quarter, 10-8, Log-Rog.

However, the Lady Jays would take a three point lead into the second quarter after this lay up in transition by Izzy Cherne.

And after that, Marshfield couldn’t miss.

Peyton Ward called glass on this step back triple.

Lady Jays led by as many as 17 at the break and 20 in the second half to comfortably win, 63-45.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOLR - OzarksFirst.com.

No. 5 LCA advances to play in the championship game. This story will be updated.

Layton Christian 52, Union 40

After a crazy Thursday night of upsets in the 3A tournament where all top four seeds lost, Friday’s first semifinal was a game between two up and coming teams.

LCA immediately came out with the same intensity that it used Thursday against Canyon View. Using a man defense, the Eagles got out to a 12-6 lead at the end of the first quarter as the Cougars made just three of 14 shots.

LCA wasn’t great offensively early but did make three 3-pointers in the first quarter, including one from 30 feet out as the quarter buzzer sounded.

The second quarter was when the Eagles really gained separation. In the quarter, they forced 10 turnovers, which led to 14 points. Senior Ava Smith had all 13 of her points in the quarter as LCA won it 22-6 to go up 34-12 at halftime.

“We knew that we had to have that defensive identity, out whole culture and identity is built off defense. Without that we aren’t talented enough offensively to carry the game. We had to get our offense through our defense,” said LCA coach Mark Burton.

Union cut into the deficit a bit in the third quarter as it started attacking the basket and getting to the free throw line. The Cougars finished the quarter 7 of 11 from the free throw line and won the frame 13-6 as LCA shot just 2 of 10.

Five different Union players scored in the quarter as the Cougars trailed by 16 heading into the fourth.

Then in the fourth quarter, Union cut the deficit all the way down to five, led by Halle Oakley, but LCA’s Fabiana Lopez and Ava Smith were clutch at the line, making a combined seven free throws in the last 90 seconds to seal the win.

“I felt we went into a mindset just trying not to lose, not just playing the game and playing against the clock and conservatively,” Burton said. “ I told them that we needed to stay aggressive and take the game. Finish out the game so we can play tomorrow.”

With the victory, the Eagles advance to their first girls basketball championship game in school history, where they will face the winner of the other semifinal between Grantsville and Morgan.

SHREVEPORT, La (KTAL/KMSS) — Huntington had three football players sign letters of intent on Friday.

Quarterback Justin Whitaker, wide receiver Caiden Starks and offensive lineman Royuan Jackson committed to continue their academic and athletic careers at the collegiate level.

The Whitaker and Starks connection will continue at the same school, as both signed with Midland University.

“I just feel blessed and I just feel happy that I had people that’s here to support me throughout the whole entire way and I’m just glad to be able to go to college and keep playing football,” Whitaker stated.

“Really just excited, you know, it’s a new thing for me. I never really thought I was gonna be signing for football, but here we are, gave it to God. I’m excited to see where it’s gonna go,” Starks said.

For their teammate Royuan Jackson, his decision to sign with Southern Arkansas was easy.

“It was amazing, at first it was a little uncertainty, but seeing how my family was about it and how excited they were for me, it made the decision easier,” Jackson said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTALnews.com.

Three years ago when Maple Mountain’s current seniors were freshmen, they suffered through a miserable 1-19 season. The context of that frustration is what made Thursday’s 5A second round road victory at Olympus all the more special.

Spurred on by dominance on the offensive glass and timely 3-point shooting, No. 10 seed Maple Mountain beat No. 7 Olympus 60-55 to advance to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2021.

“It’s a big deal for us,” said Maple Mountain coach Dave Lainhart. “Our girls are confident. We’re excited to go there and compete, honestly.”

Maple Mountain never trailed after taking the lead late in the first quarter, and its 15 offensive rebounds were a big reason why.

Those boards led to 14 second-chance points, including half of the team’s field goals in the second half.

Lainhart said rebounding was perhaps the biggest focus for his team ahead of the game.

“That was a huge focus of ours because of (Cammie) Bontempo. We watched game film on them and Alta, and she had 21 boards in their win against Alta, so that was a focus. If we don’t rebound, we don’t win,” said Lainhart.

“You gotta control the glass because it gives you extra possessions anyways.”

Offensively, Maple Mountain is a team that relies a lot on 3-point shooting volume, and though it shot a lower percentage than normal on Thursday, it still made 8 of 30 in the win.

Leah Bailey led the way for Maple Mountain with 22 points and three 3-pointers, while Ashlynn Lainhart made three treys of her own.

“It’s definitely a strategy. What we try to do is try to get paint touches with kicks, because instead of just jacking it up, paint touches and then a kick creates good shots,” said Dave Lainhart.

With the win, Maple Mountain advances to Monday’s quarterfinals at 5:50 p.m. against No. 2 seed Bountiful, the three-time defending state champion.

The teams met in the preseason back in December, with Bountiful rallying in the fourth quarter for the 53-48 win.

Maple Mountain made seven 3-pointers in that game, and will likely need an uptick in volume to pull off the upset.

Even though Maple Mountain led most of the game on Thursday, it was tight throughout. It only led 21-17 after the first quarter, 36-35 at the half and 52-48 after three.

An Autumn Jones 3-pointer gave the Golden Eagles their biggest lead of the game at 48-38 midway through the third, but it actually seemed to ratchet up the urgency for the Titans.

They closed the quarter on a 10-4 run, and then opened the fourth with a 3-point play from Ava Blair to close to within 52-51.

With all the momentum on Olympus’ side, Maple Mountain wrestled it right back with offensive rebounds.

On the ensuing possession, Bailey scored on a rebound-putback to push the lead back to 54-51. Following a missed Olympus 3-pointer that could’ve tied the game, Maple Mountain corralled three offensive rebounds on the same possession, with Bailey again scoring on a putback for the 56-51 lead.

Bailey then stretched the lead to 59-51 with 4:58 remaining on a three-point play.

At the other end, Olympus went scoreless for over seven minutes on nine straight misses. By the time it scored again on a Blair layup, only 37 seconds remained and it still trailed 59-53.

Coach Lainhart believes a defensive shift in the fourth quarter contributed to the Titans’ late struggles offensively.

“We changed our strategy at the beginning of the fourth, which was our game plan anyway to try and stop (Kya) Newton. She’s a heck of a player,” said Lainhart.

“It’s unexpected a little bit, because they get used to playing a certain way and then the fourth, they have to adjust.”

Newton led Olympus in the loss with 21 points, with Bontempo adding 11.

VIDALIA, Ga. (WSAV) — The title matches for Region 3-A Division I are set after a thrilling semifinal round on Thursday at Vidalia High School.

On the girls’ side, Savannah Country Day will face Vidalia. Country Day squeaked past Swainsboro, 33-32. Vidalia had an easier time getting past St. Vincent’s, 42-20.

On the boys’ side, Vidalia and Swainsboro. Vidalia defeated in-county rival Toombs County, 58-48. Swainsboro nearly doubled up Woodville-Tompkins, winning 66-34.

The girls’ championship game will take place Friday at 7 p.m. The boys title tile will follow 15 minutes after the girls’ game concludes.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSAV-TV.

ELK POINT, S.D. (KELO) — Several teams and athletes punched their tickets to the state wrestling tournament at Thursday’s Region 2 Wrestling Tournament.

Canton had four athletes win their weight class and several more reach the title match.

That success helped the C-Hawks finish atop the team scoreboard.

TEAM SCOREBOARD

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KELOLAND.com.

CHESTER, S.D. (KELO) — The #7 Chester girls basketball team earned a 58-35 win over #3 and unbeaten Colman-Egan on Thursday night.

The Flyers didn’t miss much for shots in the first quarter. They built a 21-9 lead after the first eight minutes.

Chester continued to add on, pushing the first half lead to 20. Colman-Egan trailed by 16 at halfitme.

The Flyers now close the season with an 18-2 record. Colman-Egan suffered their first setback, finishing the year 19-1.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KELOLAND.com.

NORTH AUGUSTA, SC (WJBF)- It’s a new chapter for six North Augusta baseball players, who will be signing to play college ball at their respective programs.

The entire baseball team along with their head coach celebrated those moving on to play at the next level: Wyatt Longe heading to Emmanuel University, Sim Lorier, Bren Ivy, and Brady Jenkins will play together at Spartanburg Methodist college, Dylan Morrison, who has quite the familiar last name from our GMA team, will be playing at USC Beaufort in the Peach Belt Conference.

Finally, pitcher Landen Jones, will play at Coastal Carolina, a premier college baseball program that was just in the College World Series Championship a season ago.

“It’s really special to me. I got offered from them as they were in the World Series, and so to be able to watch them do that and know I could be able to go there next year is amazing,” Jones said.

“He’s extremely humble, he works hard, he doesn’t take anything for granted, he asks questions to get better, other people feed off of him, he’s a great leader, great role model,” said North Augusta head coach Kevin Lynn.

The seniors have one final season together, with their home opener set for next Saturday against Greenville.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJBF.

After winning a state title last year, the Tupelo tennis team is setting out to do it all over again.

Tupelo is off to a 3-0 start to the season after a 7-0 win over Southaven on Tuesday, although the Golden Wave will be tested with matches against Ocean Springs and Madison Central this week.

“We started off with good results to start the year,” Tupelo head coach Payton Pearce said. “Had good wins over New Albany and Oxford. Yesterday, we played our first division match where we played Southaven. Kind of a weird thing that happened in that match that we don’t see very often is we won every court 6-0, 6-0 across the varsity and junior varsity, so it was a really, really good outing from our team.”

Tupelo has a core of experienced players among its boys, led by Land Magruder. For the girls, Tupelo lost much of its title-winning group, and the Golden Wave are also a little shorthanded right now, as some players are also playing on Tupelo’s girls soccer team. That means there have been a lot of new faces but also plenty of opportunity.

“Land Magruder is back for us, he’ll lead the way for us,” Pearce said. “... We’ve got a good group of core guys between Wes Henson, Sam Ueltschey, Whit Harbour that play a lot of matches for us and have in the previous years.”

“We lost five out of the six (girls) that played for us in the state championship,” Pearce added. “They all graduated. For the girls that are currently playing for us right now, for a lot of them it’s their first opportunities at varsity matches.”

Off and running

Ace Hall’s high school career got off to a fast start in the most literal sense.

The Starkville freshman made his varsity debut last Thursday at the Starkville Season Opener meet, winning the 100-meter dash with a time of 11.02 seconds. Hall’s showing came as little surprise to Yellow Jacket head coach Tory Reeves.

“I kind of knew he had some really good potential,” Reeves said. “We had him in indoor, and he ran over in Birmingham and ran a couple of good (60-yard dashes). I kept up with him in middle school, keeping up with his progress, and I could see he was going to have a lot of potential. Right out the gate, first meet, lower 11s – that was really impressive.”

While Hall is young, he has already developed a solid approach to running. Reeves hasn’t had to make any major changes to Hall’s technique or running style.

“He had some good stuff he was already doing, but we worked on some things like relaxing a little bit. Because I tell him all the time, a loose muscle’s a lot quicker than a tight, tense muscle,” Reeves said. “… He hadn’t had a lot of block work, and when you’re doing sprints, you can win or lose a race coming out of those blocks. He’s done a lot of reps of getting out of those blocks quicker, and that shaved a little bit of time for him.”

With a full high school career still ahead of him, Hall has the potential to do some special things. Reeves said the key to that will be continuing to work, and he believes Hall has the required makeup it takes to keep improving.

“He’s there every day, and he’s putting in the time, so I can really see, if he keeps that up, him getting in those mid-10s and, dare I say, the low 10s. That’s special territory there.”

Tupelo opens playoffs

The first round of the MHSAA basketball playoffs tips off this weekend for both of Tupelo’s teams.

The girls will host Oxford on Friday, while the boys will entertain Murrah on Saturday in Class 7A action. Tupelo’s girls (19-6), who have won two straight state titles, are the No. 1 seed out of Region 1-7A and have won their last 10 games. The boys, with a 17-7 record, are a No. 2 seed.

While this weekend marks the opening round for Classes 5A through 7A, it will be the second round for 1A through 4A.