Loveland Magazine

LOVELAND MAGAZINE

News and Events from the Loveland, Ohio Area

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Since 2004

Tag: eastern cincinnati conference

  • A Look at Last Week’s LHS Sports and What’s to Come This Week!

    A Look at Last Week’s LHS Sports and What’s to Come This Week!

    by Cassie Mattia

    Loveland, Ohio – Loveland High School’s Fall sports seasons have finally taken off! Although COVID-19 has made school vs. school competitions this Fall season somewhat difficult the Eastern Cincinnati Conference (ECC) and the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) has implemented safety protocols that have allowed high school student-athletes to have the sports seasons they have been dying to have! 

    Last week in LHS sports proved to be quite the success as several Tiger squads had victories! Here’s the Loveland Sports 411 for the week of September 7th-13th as well as what competitions you should expect for this week in the LHS sports world!

    FOOTBALL

    The LHS Football team was supposed to have the ultimate rivalry game at Milford on Friday, September 11th, but unfortunately, the game had to be canceled due to a positive COVID-19 test involving a Milford Football player. The schools are working on rescheduling the contest.

    Currently, the LHS Football team is sitting at 0-2, with losses against Turpin and West Clermont. The Tigers are looking to grab their first win at home against Little Miami on Friday, September 18th.

    VOLLEYBALL

    The LHS Women’s Volleyball team is sitting right in the middle of the pack in the ECC with a 4-4 overall record (2-3 in the ECC). On Tuesday, September 8th the Tigers traveled to Turpin. While Loveland battled hard, they ended up losing 25-23, 25-12, winning 22-25,  and losing the final game 25-15. 

    On Wednesday, September 9th Loveland played at home against Lebanon. The Tigers played 3 games losing 25-14, 25-8, and 25-17. On Saturday, September 12th the Lady Tigers came back with a vengeance facing one of the best teams in the GMC, Lakota West, at home. The Tigers played 5 games losing the 1st and 2nd games 23-25, and 20-25.  Loveland than collected 2 wins in the 3rd and 4th games, 25-22, and 25-24. Unfortunately, the Tigers lost in a very close 5th game, 15-13. 

    The LHS Women’s Volleyball team will be back in action this week on Monday, September 14th at home against Little Miami at 6:30 p.m, Tuesday, September 15th at Anderson at 6:30 p.m, and at home against Kings at 6:30 p.m.

    MEN’S SOCCER

    The Loveland Men’s Soccer team played at Milford on Thursday, September 10th. The Tigers ended up losing 2-1 in a close battle. The Tigers are sitting at 3 wins, 1 loss, and 1 tie (1-1-0 in the ECC) thus far for the 2020 Fall season.

    The Men’s Soccer Team this week will be hosting Little Miami on Tuesday, September 15th at 7 p.m.

    WOMEN’S SOCCER

    The Loveland Women’s Soccer team has kicked off the 2020 season with a bang sitting at 1st place in the ECC with a 5-0-0 record overall (2-0-0 in the ECC). On Tuesday, September 8th they played Milford at home collecting a 3-0 win! Ryann Eversole, Brooke Hatfield, and Shraya Smolenski all had a goal in the big Tiger win.

    On Saturday, September 12th the Lady Tigers faced Sycamore at home, in which they grabbed another win, 2-1. Leiah Goedde and Brooke Hatfield both had a goal for the Tigers. 

    This week the Loveland Women’s Soccer team will play 3 games, 1 on Tuesday, September 15th at Little Miami at 7 p.m, another on Thursday, September 17th at home against Kings at 7 p.m, and on Saturday, September 19th at Mason at 5 p.m.

    MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY

    The Loveland Men’s Cross Country team has had quite the successful season thus far clocking times at the top of the ECC! On Saturday, September 12th the Tigers traveled to Corwin Nixon Park for the Mason Invitational. Loveland finished in 4th place as a team with 116 points. Ryan Chevalier took the gold for the entire invitational finishing in 1st place with a time of 16:14.8. Ajay Stutz was next finishing in 16th place with a time of 17:15.5, followed by Sam Neiger in 22nd place with a time of 17:42.5, then Caden Dyer in 38th place with a time of 18:00.4. The next finisher was Colin Beran in 59th place with a time of 18:31.1, followed by Grant Hanson in 66th place with a time of 18:40.1, then Alex Salatin in 71st place with a time of 18:44.7, and Zach Mays in 79th place with a time of 18:52.1. Rounding out the Tigers was Alex Saletta in 86th place with a time of 18:56.4. 

    Junior Ryan Chevalier’s 1st place performance out of 381 runners at the Mason Invitational gained him an ECC Athlete of the Week Nomination! Chevalier is currently sitting in 2nd place in the ECC with a time of 16:06, in which he ran at the Loveland Invitational on Saturday, September 5th.

    The Men’s Cross Country team will compete again Saturday, September 26th at the Saturday Night Lights Meet at Centerville High school.

    Read here about the Loveland Invitational that was held on September 5th.

    WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY

    The Loveland Women’s Cross Country team is running off the ECC competition this 2020 Fall season with their unbelievable 5k times! The Tigers competed in the Mason Invitational on Saturday, September 12th at Corwin Nixon Park finishing in 2nd place out of 15 teams with 87 points.

    The top finisher for Loveland was Sarah Madix clocking a 2nd place finish with a time of 19:32.6. Ellie Carr finished next in 18th place with a time of 20:43.4, followed by Sophia Huff in 20th place with a time of 20.50.1, and next in 25th place was Ally Colegate with a time of 20:58.4. The next finisher for the Tigers was Ansley Richards in 27th place with a time of 21:01.5, followed by Maaike Snider in 29th place with a time of 21:07.9, and Audrey O’Keefe in 34th place with a time of 21:14.5. Other finishers for the Lady Tigers were Lauren Gard with a time of 21:27.3 and Meghan Tibbs with a time of 21:34.3.

    Junior Sarah Madix was the 2nd Loveland Tiger this week to be nominated for the ECC Athlete of the Week for her performance at the Mason Invitational. Madix not only had the 2nd fastest time out of 347 runners she was also 1 out of only 4 girls to break 20 minutes on the new Mason 5k course.

    Currently, in the ECC several Lady Tigers are sitting in the top 10 for their Loveland Invitational 5k times. Emily Sager is in 2nd place with a time of 18:53.5, Sarah Madix is sitting in 4th place with a time of 19:18.2, and Ellie Carr is in 7th place with a time of 20:04.03.

    The Loveland Women’s Cross Country team will be competing again on Saturday, September 26th at the Saturday Night Lights Meet at Centerville High School.

    Read here about the Loveland Invitational that was held on September 5th.

    MEN’S GOLF

    The Loveland Men’s Golf team has been having a great season as they are sitting at the top of the ECC with a 7-0 record overall (6-0 in the ECC)! On Tuesday, September 8th the Tigers beat Anderson 159-160 at Legendary Golf Course. Over the weekend Loveland competed twice, traveling to Heatherwoode Golf Course on Saturday, September 12th, and to Glenview Golf Course for the Hadley Invitational on Sunday, September 13th. The results for both competitions have yet to be posted on the ECC website.

    Several Tigers are in the top 10 in the ECC for their golf performances! Tyler Vallee is in 2nd place with a 38.36 average, Anthony Moran is in 4th place with a 38.63 average, Joe Jankowski is in 5th place with a 39.09 average, and Matthew Geist is in 9th place with a 40 average.

    The Men’s Golf team will be competing again on Monday, September 14th at Miami Valley Golf Course for the Alter Invitational and on Tuesday, September 15th at Shaker Run Golf Course against Lebanon at 3:30 p.m.

    WOMEN’S GOLF

    The Women’s Golf team, currently 1-4 in the ECC, competed at Harmon Golf Course against Lebanon on Wednesday, September 9th. The Tigers lost 212 to 191. 

    This week the Loveland Women’s Golf team will be traveling to Eagles Nest Golf Course to face Little Miami at 3:24 p.m and then will be heading to Walden Ponds for the ECC Tournament on Thursday, September 17th at 8 a.m.

    WOMEN’S TENNIS

    The Women’s Tennis Team is in 4th place in the ECC with a 10-2 overall record (3-2 in the ECC)! Loveland took on the Mason B Team on Wednesday, September 9th gaining another win, 4-1. Since collecting the Mason win, the Lady Tigers are ranked at the top of the ECC in Singles and Doubles. Maira Hodar is in 4th place in First Singles with a 6-6 overall record (2-3 in the ECC), while Grace Haught is in 6th place in Second Singles with a 9-3 overall record (3-2 in the ECC). Tess Broermann and Hanna Wenger are in 1st place in the ECC in First Doubles with an 11-0 overall record (5-0 in the ECC), while Jenna Batsch and Babs Dwyer are in 1st place in the ECC for Second Doubles with an 11-0 overall record (4-0 in the ECC).

    The Loveland Women’s Tennis Team will be playing 3 times this week! On Monday, September 14th Loveland will be competing against Indian Hill at 4 p.m, then on Tuesday, September 15th at Lebanon at 4 p.m, and on Wednesday, September 16th against St.Ursula at 4 p.m.

    Stay tuned for more of the Loveland Sports 411 With Me, Cassie Mattia!

  • Plitt Named to Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Watch List

    Plitt Named to Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Watch List

    by Cassie Mattia

    Loveland, Ohio – A former LHS student-athlete has found himself on another prestigious list for excelling in the game of football! Ball State redshirt Senior, Drew Plitt, was placed on the watch list for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award just two weeks after being placed on the watch list for the Manning Award, which recognizes the top-performing quarterback in America.

    The Golden Arm Award was named after Johnny Unitas, an 18-year NFL veteran, who began his stellar football career with the Baltimore Colts in 1958. Unitas was not only responsible for creating football’s 2-minute drill he also racked up some very impressive stats throughout his career. 

    The recipient for the Golden Arm Award each year is selected by the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Educational Foundation and the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Selection Committee. The top Senior quarterback is chosen based on their performance on and off the field. This year Plitt joins Kent State’s Dustin Crum on the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award watch list. Plitt and Crum are the only MAC quarterbacks on the list. 

    2020 Golden Arm Award Watch List

    Jack Abraham, Southern Miss
    Jake Bentley, Utah
    James Blackman, Florida State
    Ian Book, Notre Dame
    Alan Bowman, Texas Tech
    Myles Brennan, LSU
    Charlie Brewer, Baylor
    Chase Brice, Duke
    Anthony Brown, Oregon
    Shane Buechele, SMU
    Sean Clifford, Penn State
    Jack Coan, Wisconsin
    K.J. Costello, Mississippi State
    Dustin Crum, Kent State
    Micale Cunningham, Louisville
    Sam Ehlinger, Texas
    Justin Fields, Ohio State
    Feleipe Franks, Arkansas
    Chase Garbers, California
    Jarrett Guarantano, Tennessee
    Donald Hammond III, Air Force
    Sam Hartman, Wake Forest
    Hendon Hooker, Virginia Tech
    Josh Jackson, Maryland
    Mac Jones, Alabama
    D’Eriq King, Miami

    Trevor Lawrence, Clemson
    Levi Lewis, Louisiana
    Adrian Martinez, Nebraska
    Dylan McCaffery, Michigan
    Davis Mills, Stanford
    Kellen Mond, Texas A & M
    Tanner Morgan, Minnesota
    Jamie Newman, Georgia
    Patrick O’Brien, Colorado State
    Asher O’Hara, Middle Tennessee
    Brandon Peters, Illinois
    Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh
    Drew Plitt, Ball State
    Brock Purdy, Iowa State
    Peyton Ramsey, Northwestern
    Shawn Robinson, Missouri
    Anthony Russo, Temple
    Nick Starkel, San Jose State
    Zach Smith, Tulsa
    Zac Thomas, Appalachian State
    Skylar Thompson, Kansas State
    Dorian Thompson-Robinson, UCLA
    Kyle Trask, Florida
    Brady White, Memphis
    Zach Wilson, BYU
    Terry Wilson, Kentucky

    To read more about Plitt’s phenomenal career thus far at Ball State click the following link: Former LHS Student-Athlete Listed on Pre-Season Manning Award Watch List!

    After the MAC made the decision to postpone all scheduled fall contests in 2020, as well as MAC championships, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Plitt expressed his feelings on the cancellation and the honor of being placed on the Golden Arm watchlist.

    “This has been an unexpected and frustrating year for us and the cancellation of the season was extremely disappointing. The team was playing really well having a lot of fun and enjoying the little bit of normal we were experiencing when on the field for practice,” Plitt explained, “For all us, football is an escape from reality, a time to forget everything else in the world, put on the helmet and pads and be a kid again and it’s very disappointing and very frustrating that we won’t be playing and really didn’t have much say in the entire decision making. The award watchlist is a tremendous honor and really a testament to my teammates because, without them, I wouldn’t be able to do what I do. It’s awesome to be apart of the watchlist but I’ve got other things on my mind like winning a MAC championship first and foremost! That’s what our team wants, the awards come when a team performs great and wins.”

    If you would like to read the MAC’s full announcement about postponing Fall sports click the following link: MAC Announces Postponement of Fall Sports

    Plitt’s parents Steve and Julie said they couldn’t be prouder of their son’s accomplishments and hope they will get to see him play his final college season.

    “As Drew moves through each phase of his sports career and life he continues to amaze me and make me proud. This is just another example,” Julie Plitt said, “He is privileged to have great coaches and players to help him in this journey.”

    Bryce, Julie, Marie, Steve, and Drew Plitt at Marie’s volleyball Senior night in 2019

    “For me personally, being raised and growing up in Baltimore, this resonates deeply inside. Johnny Unitas went to our church and I saw him there often,” Steve Plitt explained, “His youngest son graduated from the same high school as I did.  Johnny Unitas was the pinnacle of success in Baltimore, not for just being maybe the best QB of all time, but his time off the field spent in the community helping others. My roots are from Baltimore, and I know that there is a little of that ‘blue-collar’ Baltimore grit in Drew’s spirit as well. Johnny U was my father’s favorite QB, Drew never had the chance to meet his grandfather, so in some way this connection is both humbling and very, very special for me.”  

    Here at Loveland Magazine, we want to congratulate Drew Plitt for representing Loveland in such a positive way! We admire Plitt’s hard work and dedication and commend his parents for raising such a top-notch student-athlete! We will be rooting for you Drew when you get back out on the field!

    For more of Ohio and Loveland’s sports updates stay tuned to the Sports 411 With ME, Cassie Mattia!

  • Winton Woods Retires Native American Chieftain Mascot

    Winton Woods Retires Native American Chieftain Mascot

    by Cassie Mattia

    Loveland, Ohio – Another school in the Eastern Cincinnati Conference has decided to forego its Native American Mascot. Loveland Magazine wants to congratulate the Winton Woods City School District on the retirement!

    Winton Woods High School announced on their school website this week that after several years of gradually hinting at the retirement of their Native American Chieftain Mascot it has finally been approved. Winton Woods City School’s Community and Public Engagement Coordinator, Corina Denny, said the discontinuation of the Native American mascot has been 5 years in the making.

    “This stemmed from our high regard for the Native American people and their rich history and contributions to our community and nation,” Denny explained, “The design elements of our two new campuses gives us another opportunity to move in the right direction.”

    Superintendent Anthony G. Smith also weighed in on the historical change saying that, “With a diverse student body and 31 spoken languages, it is a priority and imperative that we continue to create a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment for all of our students and families.”

    On July 27th the Board of Education voted and approved the retirement of the Chieftain Mascot and with that the Winton Woods City School District did a thorough search through every school in the ECC’s advertisements and marketing tools just to be sure anything pertaining to the Native American Mascot was removed.

    Winton Woods was not the only school in the ECC to retire a mascot. The Forest Hills School District announced in early July that Anderson High School would be retiring their Redskins Mascot as it was approved by a 4 to 1 vote. To read more about Anderson’s decision to retire the Redskin CLICK HERE.

    For more of your local sports news stay tuned to the Sports 411 with me, Cassie Mattia!

     

  • LHS’s Andy Cruse Gives Preview of up and Coming Football Season!

    LHS’s Andy Cruse Gives Preview of up and Coming Football Season!

    by Cassie Mattia

    Loveland, Ohio – As student-athletes across Ohio are gearing up to start practicing and competing, the Loveland Tigers Football Coach, Andy Cruse, is more than excited to get his team ready for the 2020-2021 season!

    Over the past several months, all contact sports in the state of Ohio were put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic, forcing student-athletes to take it upon themselves to prepare for their up and coming sports seasons. Ohio coaches of course tried to impact their student-athletes as much as possible virtually, but for many high school athletes having coaches physically there motivating them through tough practices is what the athletes are saying they both want and need!

    Recently OHSAA released guidelines for all Ohio High School sports programs in regards to what the protocol will be once practices and competitions begin. With that being said I decided to check in with LHS’s Head Football Coach Andy Cruse to see just how these guidelines will affect the football program, the student-athletes, the coaches, and the loyal Tiger spectators. Here is the Loveland Tiger Football 411 featuring Coach Andy Cruse!

    Cassie   Have you started in-person practices yet with the team and coaches and if so are there any restrictions?
    Coach Cruse   We began workouts with restrictions on June 1st. We have done football-related activities for a while now, but just recently started having limited contact during on-field training. We officially begin our season on August 1st.
    Cassie Have you had fewer players come out for the team because of COVID-19 and the Pay-to-Play implementation?
    Coach Cruse   Surprisingly, no. We have had the best attendance since I’ve been the Head Coach at Loveland. I truly believe that quarantine made our athletes appreciate football and being together more. Many of them had to be very creative in their workouts without a weight room, so being able to train in our beautiful weight room has been great for all of them.
    Cassie Have you named team captains and if so who are they?
    Coach Cruse  We have not. This is something we will do early on in August. We have many players that have really emerged as leaders since last December.
    Cassie How are you and your staff handling the COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions? Has it been tough or have you successfully managed the situation?
    Coach Cruse Our staff has handled it very well. Head Coaches did a walk thru on everything with Brian Conatser, our AD before we started workouts and then my staff and I did a walk-thru of how the workouts would go before we started back up on June 1st. My staff and I, like the rest of the athletic department, are taking every precaution necessary and are following the guidelines that the state has put out. Initially, it was very different than what we were used to. We have told our players from the beginning of quarantine that we must adjust and adapt moving forward and that is exactly what we have done.
    Cassie Do you have any returning Seniors or stand-out players from last year? What are your expectations for this year in regards to wins and losses?
    Coach Cruse We return 9 out of 11 starters on offense and many defensive players return with varsity experience. This team is quietly gaining more and more confidence. It has been a joy to be around them since June 1st as it is very clear they enjoy working hard and being around each other. My expectations are to be competitive in every game we play and to respond to adversity that is thrown our way this season. Senior standouts include QB Calvin Cloud, OL Zach DeWitt, WR Tyler Lake, WR Aaron Morton, DE Gabe Ogdan, and TE/LB Austin Lodor. There are a number of other players we expect big things from this season too. As a whole, we are seeing a lot of competition for playing time, which is what we want.
    Cassie The ECC recently added 3 more schools to the conference making the conference that much more competitive! This year who are you excited to compete against and who do you think will be challenging to compete against?
    Coach Cruse The ECC is a terrific conference and will continue to be even more challenging. In our conference for football, every week is an absolute battle. There are no easy games on our schedule but we embrace that challenge and are excited about it!
    Cassie Are you able to hold any fundraisers for the athletes or events to help with the pay-to-play fees?
    Coach Cruse Unfortunately we missed out on a couple of things we had planned due to COVID-19. We will be selling discount cards until July 30th around the community. Be on the lookout for our players and please help support Loveland Athletics!
    Cassie In your own words, talk about your experience with the quarantine, COVID-19, and trying to be the best coach you can be during this time.
    Coach Cruse Quarantine was a unique time for all people for a lot of reasons. For me personally, I really enjoyed the time with my family, especially being with my daughter every single day! She is 8 months old now, so seeing how much she has changed in a few months and being with her every step of the way has been a blast. It was time I would’ve never gotten had COVID-19 not happened.
    Overall, I looked at quarantine as an opportunity to get better every day. Just like we stressed with our players, I tried to have a routine every day to make sure I was productive.  I am not a huge reader, but during quarantine, I quickly became one. I read about a book every 1-2 weeks and really enjoyed it. There were also a number of virtual football clinics that my staff and I attended as well.
    Aside from that, we had a team meeting every week, at least one position meeting a week with players and a number of staff meetings. I grew to really look forward to these interactions with our players and coaches. When it all started, we decided as a staff that we wanted to make sure we were in constant communication with our players. We felt that checking in with them to see how things were going at home, how school was going, and then how workouts were going was going to be very important. We also took it as an opportunity to get closer as a team by getting to know each other better.
    Check out the Loveland Tigers football schedule for this up and coming season!
    2020-2021 Loveland Tigers Football Schedule
    8/28 Sycamore
    9/4 at Princeton
    9/11 Turpin
    9/18 West Clermont
    9/25 at Milford
    10/2 Little Miami
    10/9 at Walnut Hills
    10/16 at Kings
    10/23 Anderson
    10/30 at Winton Woods
    For more of your latest local sports news stay tuned to the Sports 411 With Me, Cassie Mattia! Oh and by the way…GO TIGERS!
  • Eastern Cincinnati Conference Holds a “Slogan Contest!”

    Eastern Cincinnati Conference Holds a “Slogan Contest!”

    by Cassie Mattia

    Loveland, Ohio – Calling all student-athletes, coaches, parents, and fans! The Eastern Cincinnati Conference (ECC) recently announced that they will be going through somewhat of a league transformation. In addition to adding three new schools, Little Miami, Winton Woods, and Lebanon, to the ECC for the 2020-2021 sports season they are also looking to add a new conference slogan.

     

    The ECC stated that they would love to bring more awareness and reach to the conference’s brand so the conference decided to have students, coaches, and fans submit slogan ideas. The ECC selected the top 4 slogan ideas and posted them on the ECC website so that anyone and everyone could vote on their favorite slogan! Below are the top 4 slogan selections.

    1.  Engage.  Compete.  Conquer

    2.  Excite. Challenge.  Compete.

    3.  Eastern Cincinnati Conference … top-level competition with community-based values.

    4.  Engagement.  Competition.  Community.  We are the ECC!

    The Slogan Contest allows voters to submit their slogan selection as many times as they want up until Friday, June 26th, 2020. The new slogan will be released in early July. If you would like to participate in the Slogan Contest click the link below to submit your vote!

    VOTE NOW

    ECC Schools

    Stay tuned for the latest and greatest Local Sports 411 with me, Cassie Mattia!

     

  • OHSAA Plans to Expand the 2021 Football Playoffs

    by Cassie Mattia

    Columbus, Ohio – OHSAA released some excellent news for Ohio High School Football teams on Wednesday when they announced their Board of Directors approved expanding the playoff qualifiers from 8 teams to 12 teams per region.

    OHSAA’s Board voted 9-0 to expand the OHSAA Football playoffs to 12 teams per region starting in the 2021 season. The expansion was proposed by the Ohio High School Football Coaches Association. OHSAA’s Director of Communications, Tim Stried, sent out a press release explaining how the new football playoff expansion will work.

    “During the first round of the playoffs, the top four seeds will have a bye, while the No. 12 seed will play at the No. 5 seed, No. 11 at No. 6, No. 10 at No. 7 and No. 9 at No. 8. In the second round, the No. 1 seed will play the winner of the 8 vs. 9 game; the No. 2 seed will play the winner of 6 vs. 11; the No. 3 seed will play the winner of 7 vs. 10 and the No. 4 seed will play the winner of 5 vs. 12.

    The expansion will increase the number of football playoff qualifiers from 224 to 336. Last year there were 709 schools in Ohio that played 11-man football. Football is the only OHSAA team sport in which not every school qualifies for the postseason.

    ‘We still have details to work out regarding the format and specific season dates, but this vote by the Board gives us the green light to finalize those details for 2021,’ said Beau Rugg, Senior Director of Officiating and Sport Management for the OHSAA and the Association’s football administrator. ‘We are thankful for the Board’s support on this proposal, which will bring all the great things of playoff football to 112 additional schools and communities.’

    Rugg also noted that the football finals in 2021 are expected to end during the same weekend as previously scheduled (Dec. 2-5). Schools will still be permitted to play 10 regular-season contests.

    The higher seeded teams will have the opportunity to host their playoff games during the first and second rounds of the playoffs.

    Loveland Tigers vs. Lebanon in September of 2016

    The OHSAA football playoffs began in 1972 when only 12 schools qualified for the playoffs (four schools in each of three classes). Expansion first came in 1980 when the OHSAA changed to five divisions with eight teams each (40 total qualifiers). A sixth division was added in 1994 (96 total qualifiers) and the number of qualifiers was increased to eight schools per region in 1999 (192 total qualifiers). A seventh division was added in 2013 to bring the number of qualifiers to 224.”

    Stay tuned for the latest Ohio and Loveland sports news!

     

  • LHS’s Head Women’s Volleyball Coach Tells us What his Athletes are Doing to Stay in Shape!

    LHS’s Head Women’s Volleyball Coach Tells us What his Athletes are Doing to Stay in Shape!

    by Cassie Mattia

    Loveland, Ohio – With May arriving in just a few days, many LHS students are still trying to process that they will not be stepping foot back into their schools for the remainder of the academic year. LHS student-athletes also received some devastating news last week confirming that they would not be competing in their designated Spring sport for the remainder of the school year. With all of the unfortunate news, LHS coaches have been trying to place a positive spin on everything by providing their athletes with workouts that they can do at home as well as a variety of other motivational tools!

    LHS’s Head Women’s Volleyball Coach, Brian Baugh, is one of the LHS Coaches that has really been dedicating a lot of his time during the Stay At Home Order to his team in order to keep them both motivated and dedicated to their craft.

    “For Women’s volleyball, the Spring and Summer are extremely important for getting the girls ready for the season. Typically we would hold open gyms and lift throughout the week,” Baugh said, “Many of the girls would be participating in club season as well, but like every team, we have had to adapt. We are fortunate that at Loveland we have Strength and Conditioning Coach, Derek Berry, on staff. He puts together workouts that are pushed out to our players through the Team Buildr app. It’s a great way for the athletes to work out at home and for me to track their workouts.”
    Coach Baugh told us that many of his players have gotten very creative with their volleyball training, creating things around the house to help them work on their skills. Many of the team’s siblings and parents are helping them at home with their skill sets as well!

    LHS’s Head Women’s Volleyball Coach, Brian Baugh

    “To me, the most important thing is to come together as a team, so that whenever we get back on that court, we are building each other up and have each other’s backs when things get tough,” Baugh explained, “We are fortunate that our future seniors are really leading the charge. We have great leaders in Maya Jepson, Diana Clark, Abbie Miller, Alex Miller, Faith Meece, and Ellie Egan. They are high character girls. They have created different competitions for the team to complete during the quarantine. For example, they did a baking competition where they baked and decorated cakes and then put them on Twitter to have fans vote for the best. They also created a virtual pepper video that they put on Twitter. We have been sharing baby pictures of each player and are having fans guess which player or coach is featured in the picture. We also have been holding Google Meets weekly to check-in on one another.”
    Coach Baugh says he has been challenging his players weekly. One of the ways Coach Baugh has been challenging his team during the isolation period is by asking them once a week how they have improved as a player and a person. After the player comes up with their answer Coach Baugh has them share their response with the team.
    “It has certainly been a challenge not being on the court, but I am so impressed with how the players have responded during this time off,” Coach Baugh said with pride, “I cannot wait to see how they go for that fourth straight ECC title this coming season!”

    For more LHS sports updates stay tuned to the Loveland Sports 411 With Cassie Mattia!

  • LHS Men’s Tennis Coach lets us in on What his Athletes are Doing to Stay in Shape!

    LHS Men’s Tennis Coach lets us in on What his Athletes are Doing to Stay in Shape!

    by Cassie Mattia

    Loveland, Ohio – Ohio is starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel and so are LHS’s coaches and athletes! Over the past couple of months, athletes and coaches have been in limbo waiting to see if their season will continue. During the COVID-19 outbreak, LHS’s Coaches have been hard at work with their athletes trying to keep them motivated and doing workouts even though they aren’t in school or competing. This week we spoke with LHS’s Men’s Tennis Coach, Thomas Sharpless, to see just what his athletes have been doing to stay in shape.

    LHS’s Men’s Tennis Coach, Thomas Sharpless

    Coach Sharpless gave a lot of credit to LHS’s Strength Coach for keeping his athletes in shape, but he also didn’t fail to recognize how dedicated his athletes have been during this time.

    “Most of my athletes play tennis year-round at the club; however since the tennis clubs have been closed per the governor’s directions along with most of the local public courts, my players, like all Ohio athletes, are indeed having to find other means to stay fit,” Sharpless explained, “Luckily, we have an awesome weight coach at LHS and he has put together a nice list of dumbbell and free weight exercises for our players. I’ve shared this valuable resource with my players in the hopes that, if they have the equipment, they will utilize this information to stay in shape,” Sharpless added.

    Sharpless had an unbelievable 2019 season leading his team to an ECC Championship! The Men’s Tennis team ended 2019 with a perfect 6-0 record and a 14-3 record overall.

    We are excited to hopefully be seeing some Tiger competition very soon! Stay tuned to read more about what LHS coaches and athletes are doing to prepare for their potential seasons!

    What: Online ordering, custom ordering, yard signs, banners, decals
    When: Currently we are here Monday-Friday 11:00-5:00 and Saturday 11:00-2:00 to answer calls, assist customers with ordering and curbside pick up.
    Where: 370 Loveland-Madeira Rd. (This is NOT the retail store. It’s the door to the left of the store entrance.)
    Why: Our retail store is currently closed but we are still filling online orders, custom orders, yard signs, banners, and decals.
    During the current situation of COVID-19 we are offering FREE DELIVERY in the 45140 area code. Just simply select local pick up and enter your address in the COMMENTS section.
  • Loveland High School’s Spring Athletes Commit to Collegiate Play!

    Loveland High School’s Spring Athletes Commit to Collegiate Play!

    by Cassie Mattia

    Loveland, Ohio – Although time seems to be slowly dragging due to the COVID-19 Stay At Home Order, for LHS Seniors time is still flying by as graduation is right around the corner! With graduation just a few weeks away, LHS Senior Athletes are also preparing for collegiate sports opportunities. We would like to take the time to give a big shout out to the LHS Senior Athletes that have committed to playing their sport at the collegiate level! Congratulations to the following LHS Student-Athletes:

    Katlyn Kramer-Softball
    Otterbein University

    Jake Cotsonas-Wrestling
    University of Mount Union

    Connor Patton-Soccer
    Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

    Nathan Holman-Football
    Heidelberg University

    Andrew Gwynn-Football
    Thomas More University
    (No Photograph Available)
    Iyon Davis-Football
    Hocking College

    A Note from the Publisher to these athletes – their teachers, coaches, and parents

    Over the past, five or so years Loveland Magazine TV was at the annual Spring, Fall, and Winter signing events at LHS to record the ceremonies so the whole community could hear the athletic director brag about your accomplishments on and off the playing fields, courts, pools, and alleys.

    It was also a time I could see the athletes alongside their parents with those proud smiles and their own well deserved sense of accomplishment.

    It was always a wonderful afternoon seeing the representatives of the Athletic Department, the Principals, teachers, and coaches deservedly proud of their own unwavering work.

    It is darned sad that the event couldn’t be held this Spring because it was something you all deserved due to your outstanding work as an athlete, in your classroom, and at home. Being there has always been a real treat for me, however, I also know you didn’t accomplish so much just to get a few moments of fame and applause. Hard work is its own reward.

    Your continued success is guaranteed because you have been scholars of merit, good sports, and good representatives of your school and the entire community. I have enjoyed every single moment watching you compete.

    Best regards as you take these next steps,

    David Miller

    RP Diamond Printing & Embroidery

    New items have been added to our online flash sale. Available for a limited time! Up to 33% off items

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    Image may contain: 1 person, standing, possible text that says 'Tigers'
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  • One Tiger Makes it to State, Another Tiger Team Heads to Nationals!

    One Tiger Makes it to State, Another Tiger Team Heads to Nationals!

    In the photo above Liam Hamill (2nd from left) is with his family for a Senior Day photo. Liam Hamill will be competing in the State Championship for Wrestling

    by Cassie Mattia

    Loveland, Ohio – Loveland High School Athletics has yet again seen several Tiger teams reach their peak as the Winter Sports season comes to an end! Loveland’s Athletic Director, Brian Conaster, made the announcement Monday that Liam Hamill will be competing in the State Championship for Wrestling and the Women’s Indoor Track Team will be competing in the National Championship.

    Senior Liam Hamill wrestled his heart out on Saturday lending him the opportunity to advance to the State Championship Tournament which will take place in Columbus on Friday, March 13th through Sunday, March 15th. Liam finished at the top of the 170 weight class in the ECC with 34 wins, 9 losses, and 23 pins. Check out these photos from over the weekend of Hamill pre and post-victory!

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B9cNpkvgREj/

    Loveland’s Women’s Indoor Track Team also made some noise this weekend at the State Tournament placing 13th as a team! Several Lady Tigers competed at the chance to make it to the National Tournament, which will be held in Harlem, New York beginning on Friday, March 13th. Individually Kaitlyn Andrews competed in the 60m dash and the 200m dash, Miya Brines competed in the 60m hurdles and the long jump, Sarah Hallock competed in the 400m dash, Emmy Sager competed in the 3200m run, Megan Korniak competed in the high jump, and Sophia Horrigan competed in the pole vault. The Tigers also competed in the 4x200m relay, which included Miya Brines, Kaitlyn Andrews, Reagan Brunett, and Sarah Hallock, the 4x400m relay, which consisted of Ellie Carr, Ava Westfall, Chloe Smeller, and Sarah Hallock, and the 4x800m relay, which included Ellie Carr, Jessie Gibbins, Sarah Madix, and Ansley Richards.
    After competing like Tigers over the weekend Miya Brines advanced to Nationals in the 60m hurdles and the 4x800m relay team advanced as well! Brines will be racing on Saturday, March 14th while the 4x800m relay squad will compete on Friday, March 13th. Check out the podium shot that was captured of our Lady Tigers on Sunday!
    Conaster was so proud of the Tigers that advanced to the State and National Tournaments that he decided to host a send-off parade at LHS on Wednesday, March 11th, at 2 pm. Conaster reminded teachers to, “Please have your class step into the hallway, outside of your classroom, for the send-off parade. Our student-athletes, their coaches and the drumline will come to every floor starting at 2:00 pm. Please have your class, out in the hallway, to cheer them on! We appreciate your support for these athletes!”
    The following students will get the privilege to be in the send-off parade:
    Liam Hamill
    Sarah Hallock
    Megan Korniak
    Nadia Trombley 
    Kaitlyn Andrews 
    Miya Brines
    Makaela Feldman
    Chloe Smeller
    Regan Brunett
    Ellie Carr
    Jessie Gibbons
    Sarah Madix 
    Ansley Richards
    Emmy Sager
    Sophia Horrigan 
    Ryan Hetzel 
    To check both the Tigers’ progress and the results as they compete in the State and National Tournaments this weekend you can visit www.ohsaa.org. GO TIGERS!!