Loveland, Ohio – What a fantastic day it was to be a Loveland Tiger! On Saturday both the Loveland High School (LHS) Women’s and Men’s Cross Country Teams for the first time ever in LHS history competed together for the OHSAA Division 1 title at Fortress Obetz and Memorial Park in Columbus. Both Teams went into the race having record-breaking years so many die-hard Tiger fans knew that they would come back with some impressive accolades!
The LHS Women’s Cross Country Team broke several school records this year but the most important one came in the form of a 2nd place OHSAA Division 1 Women’s Cross Country trophy on Saturday! The Tigers finished right behind Perrysburg (101) with a score of 109 and an impressive runners average of 18:59. Senior Jesse Gibbins was the top finisher for the Tigers crossing the line in 7th place with a time of 18:25.2, Senior Sarah Madix was next placing 19th at 18:55.2, Senior Emmy Sager finished in 26th place with a time of 19:09, Junior Madison Conatser finished in 28th with a time of 19:10.5, Junior Ally Colegate placed 29th with a time of 19:10.8, Sophomore Lauren Gard finished next in 82nd place with a time of 20:03 and rounding out the team score was Senior Maaike Snider in 102nd place with a time of 20:17.9.
The winning time for the Women’s Division 1 race (unscored) was 17:32.1 ran by Senior Alyssa Shope from Gahanna Lincoln. For the full OHSAA Division 1 Women’s Cross Country meet results click here.
Shortly after the LHS Women’s Cross Country milestone win, the Eastern Cincinnati Conference (ECC) released the team conference awards naming LHS’s Steve Nester ECC Coach of the Year and Senior Emmy Sager ECC Runner of the Year! Seniors Jesse Gibbins, Sarah Madix, and Emmy Sager all received 1st Team All-ECC honors while Juniors Ally Colegate and Madison Conatser grabbed 2nd Team All-ECC honors. Senior Maaike Snider also received ECC honors with Honorable Mention.
The LHS Men’s Cross Country Team had a season full of monumental moments including their trip to the OHSAA Division 1 Men’s Cross Country meet on Saturday! The Tigers placed 12th among a very talented field of athletes with a score of 313 and a runners average of 16:33. Senior Ryan Chevalier was the top finisher for the Tigers placing 6th with a time of 15:37.3, Junior Brady Steiner finished next in 48th place with a time of 16:23.2, Freshman Nick Huff finished in 84th place with a time of 16:51.7, Junior Cayden Dyer placed 85th with a time of 16:52, Senior Sam Neiger finished 90th with a time of 16:57.5, Junior Grant Hanson placed 98th with a time of 17:04.3, and Senior JP Tew rounded out the Tigers placing 134th with a time of 17:58.2.
Mason took the OHSAA Division 1 Men’s Cross Country title with a score of 106 and the winning runner (unscored) was Senior William Zegarski from Little Miami with a time of 14:39.9. Zegarski broke the previous Ohio State All-Time Meet record. For the full OHSAA Division 1 Men’s Cross Country meet results click here.
The ECC All-Conference awards were also announced for the Men’s Cross Country Teams post the State meet awarding Steve Nester with the ECC Coach of the Year! Senior Ryan Chevalier, and Juniors Cayden Dyer and Brady Steiner were awarded 1st Team All-ECC honors while Junior Grant Hanson and Freshman Nick Huff received 2nd Team All-ECC honors. Senior Sam Neiger also received ECC honors in the form of Honorable Mention.
Check out the photo album from Saturday’s meet brought to you by Loveland Magazine Editor, David Miller!
Congratulations to both the LHS Women’s and Men’s Cross Country Teams on an unbelievable season! It has been a joy watching school history happen right in front of our eyes! We can’t wait to see where the future takes all these wonderful Tiger student-athletes!
For more sports updates stay tuned to the Loveland Salad With ME, Cassie Mattia!
Loveland, Ohio – There are so many reasons why Loveland is such a great community to be a part of; the biggest reason being the community is ALWAYS ready to pay it forward and give back to those who have made a significant impact in the lives of those who reside in Loveland and beyond!
Darnell Parker, the Loveland High School Women’s Basketball Coach, received devastating news in light of the 2020-2021 basketball season, that he was diagnosed with both Colon and Liver Cancer. Coach Parker decided to take a positive outlook on his Cancer diagnosis by sharing his story and experience with those that in some way had been touched by Cancer in hopes that he would provide both strength and encouragement for those struggling.
Click the article link below to read Coach Parker’s initial announcement to the community about his Cancer diagnosis.
After Coach Parker announced he had Cancer the community of Loveland as well as those who had been positively impacted by Coach Parker rallied around him giving as much love and support as possible. Not only did the community hold multiple fundraisers benefiting Coach Parker they also created the hashtag “ParkerStrong” placing it on both t-shirts and magnets that they then sold, giving the proceeds to Coach Parker and his family.
While Coach Parker was undergoing chemotherapy, the Women’s L.H.S Basketball Team dedicated their season to him, exerting that much more effort to have the most successful season possible. The Tigers ended their season going 20-4, winning the Eastern Cincinnati Conference (ECC) for the 2nd year in a row, and Coach Parker through it all was elected the 2020-2021 ECC Coach of the Year also for the 2nd year in a row!
A couple of Coach Parker’s top-performing athletes had a lot to say about him and his impact on their lives.
“Coach Parker has inspired me to never give up and to always find the silver lining in the worst of situations,” Jenna Batsch said, “He has taught me that every little hiccup in the road is just another opportunity to get better and he has inspired me to live every day with no regrets like it’s your last.”
“Coach Parker got some of the worst news you could ever get and if you hadn’t heard it, you wouldn’t be able to tell,” Tess Broermann said, “He always has a smile on his face, and I’m thankful for his ability to fight. He doesn’t live in fear but leads a life with confidence. He inspires me to not sulk in bad news but make the most out of every day because you never know what’s going to happen tomorrow.”
“Coach Parker is family to me, so it’s a no brainer to do what we can to help him out,” Jenna Stanton L.H.S class of 2018 and former basketball player of Coach Parker’s said, “I know that I could call him any day of the week and he’d be there for me, and you can’t say that about too many people. He’s treated me like family since the day we met and I’m so thankful I was able to play for him and Coach Keith. The Loveland community always comes out in full force to support their own so I’m excited to see the turn out for Coach Parker. He’s done so much for our community, this is the least we can do.”
Jenna now plays basketball at the College of Wooster.
Click on the image below to see Coach Parker talk all about the 2020-2021 basketball season and how he was able to coach effectively while going through chemotherapy in a Loveland Magazine TV exclusive Zoom interview!
Although Coach Darnell Parker has just recently completed round 11 of chemo treatments, he is still making a conscious effort to motivate and inspire others battling cancer to stay strong by sharing his own journey.
Coach Parker’s constant positive outlook on life and his dedication to helping L.H.S student-athletes inspired Loveland’s parents to do something extra special for Parker and his family. Beginning on Monday, April 12th, L.H.S parents Jessica Early and Jodi Stanton, and local businesses, Bishop’s Quarter, The Works, and Narrow Path Brewing Company, will be hosting “Rolling Mondays” in honor of Coach Darnell Parker.
Rolling Mondays will include basket raffles, split the pot, a “Darnell” signature cocktail, music, and a guest bartender competition in which yours truly will be competing in! A percentage of the sales generated at the business hosting the Rolling Monday will be put towards Coach Parker’s Cancer bills.
On Monday, April 12th Rolling Mondays will be held at Bishop’s Quarter with fun events going on from 6 PM until 8 PM. On Monday, April 19th Rolling Mondays will be held at The Works with a Guest Bartender Competition going on from 5 PM until 8 PM. On Monday, April 26th Rolling Mondays will be held at Narrow Path Brewing Company.
So just how did the idea of “Rolling Mondays” come about? Coach Parker supporters Jessica Early, Jodi Stanton, Scott Gordon, owner of The Works, and Loveland Magazine’s David Miller explained to us why this fundraiser is so important to them.
“Jodi Stanton and I discussed the idea of holding a fundraiser in downtown Loveland back in November when we were both organizing t-shirt fundraising. At the same time, Scott Gordon reached out asking if The Works could help support anything,” Jessica Early said, “Since the Go Fund Me and t-shirt fundraisers were going strong in November, we sort of felt it seemed best to wait until the next phase of his treatment process began.”
Early said that in addition to waiting until the next phase of Coach Parker’s treatments, they also wanted to wait to hold Rolling Mondays until vaccinations were readily available so that the event could feel safer. “We understood that our Loveland restaurants took a big hit with the Covid Pandemic and thought it would be great to combine efforts of raising funds for Darnell as well as bringing life and energy back into downtown Loveland.”
“I am so inspired by his ‘style’ of fight. I’m pretty sure most people would stop everything to focus on the fight. Darnell instead uses all aspects of his life as his fuel in the fight. Cancer robs individuals and families of energy, happiness, and positive health. No one seems to be immune from getting stuck in the web of cancer,” Early said, “The best we can do is work together as families and communities to help support those In need. Our Loveland and surrounding communities have been amazing thus far with supporting Darnell. At the same time, we (like so many others) are a community in need as we navigate thru this pandemic. I’ve been so impressed with how our local businesses have ‘hung’ in there and worked on creative ways to stay in business.”
Early shared that she knows the Loveland community will enjoy coming out to Downtown Loveland on Mondays in April to help support businesses, Darnell, and each other. “Connecting to others is so important during this time. My goal is that Darnell doesn’t have the stressor of finances while making health decisions. His battle ahead is long and there will be continued treatment and monitoring for many years.”
Jodi Stanton said, “The idea of Rolling Mondays developed from a few brainstorming conversations of ways we could help Coach Parker. The ideas were discussed early on after his diagnosis. However, we decided to wait until after the holidays and after the first couple of fundraisers including T-Shirt sales and car magnets.” Stanton explained that the idea of Rolling Mondays manifested into using multiple local restaurants/establishments and hosting the event on more than one night.
“I was actually on the interview panel for the hiring of the Varsity Women’s Basketball Coach, along with other parents and coaches. When we interviewed Coach Parker, his enthusiasm and positivity were amazing,” Stanton explained, “From day one with the program, he hit the ground running. Stanton also said that Parker made an unforgettable impact on her daughter’s high school basketball career. “The funny part is, they didn’t always see eye to eye, but, their player/coach relationship turned into something special.”
“Unfortunately, me and my family have been directly affected by colon cancer. My father was diagnosed with Stage 4 Colon Cancer 17 years ago,” Stanton said, “I’m thankful that research has been expanded and there are additional treatment options available to others today fighting this awful disease. I think our Loveland Community shows time and time again why Loveland is so special. When we have someone who has given so much to the athletes in our community, this is the perfect opportunity for others to give back!”
Stanton said that she has no doubt Loveland will show up and provide support not only to Coach Parker but to our amazing restaurants and brewery who have stepped up to assist. “With the pandemic affecting our local businesses over the past year, this is a perfect chance to help out not only the Loveland businesses but Coach Parker as well. I don’t know that we have a certain monetary goal in mind. Anything we can do to help him and his fiancée, Sam, during this difficult time and to let them know they are not fighting this alone will be more than we could have hoped for. Like I mentioned earlier, Coach Parker is a special kind of guy. He invested so much time and energy into our players, our daughters, and the L.H.S Basketball program. Throughout that short time for me, he and Sam have also become two people I call friends. This is just a small opportunity to help out friends.”
Scott Gordon, the owner of The Works, talked about his connection to Coach Parker and why he holds this cause so close to his heart. “I am a Loveland High School grad ‘85 and later came back to help coach baseball for several years. I have too many connections to Cancer and hate hearing when people I know are fighting that battle,” Gordon said, “Coach Parker was my nephew Alec Gordon’s coach many years ago in Glen Este. I don’t know Coach Parker personally, but our paths have crossed a lot over the years. Our staff at The Works knows that the money raised is a small part of this, raising awareness for the ongoing battles with cancer is of course a small part. But, showing a member of our community they are appreciated and loved while battling for their life and health is what Loveland is all about.”
Loveland Magazine’s very own David Miller also weighed in on how Coach Parker has left a lasting impression on his life. “Coach is such a positive expression of all things Loveland. Watching him coach, since he has been here, has been so much fun,” Miller said, “He has a unique way of showing displeasure with an official that never seems to get him in trouble, and his coaching style during games is always to encourage and applaud his players. His constant smile is pretty contagious and it spreads to the crowd.” David added that he was delighted to be asked to help with “Rolling Mondays” and was even more gracious that Loveland Magazine was selected to be the Media Sponsor.
Here at Loveland Magazine, we encourage you to attend Rolling Mondays in support of Coach Darnell Parker. There is no better way to give back to the community than to support an individual that has given so much of himself to the community of Loveland and L.H.S. Join me on April 12th at Bishop’s Quarter as we rally around Coach Parker and his family for one awesome time in Downtown Loveland!
Check out past Loveland Magazine articles featuring Coach Darnell Parker below!
Cassie Mattia is the Associate Editor of Loveland Magazine and lives in Historic Downtown.
Loveland, Ohio – Sports across the world have had many obstacles to overcome in 2020 as the spread of COVID-19 caused seasons and post-season tournaments to be canceled or rescheduled. Many Fall sports in the state of Ohio were able to postpone their seasons and eventually get back to the games they so cherish. Though athletes and coaches were worried that they wouldn’t be prepared for any type of competition due to only being able to virtually practice for several months, that just wasn’t the case for the Loveland Tigers!
Loveland High School’s Fall Sports teams excelled in their 2020-2021 seasons, many teams and individuals receiving several accolades for their performances. Without further ado, here is your Loveland Sports 411 with me, Cassie Mattia!
Football
The Loveland Tigers Football Team had quite the year as they had to deal with their season and post-season being held-up due to COVID-19. Even though the Tigers had a lot to overcome, they still gave their best effort during their competitions. The Tigers rounded up their season 0-4 in the ECC and 1-6 overall. The ECC 2020-2021 Champions this year were both Kings and Winton Woods.
Tiger’s playoff game against Little Miami on October 9.
Calvin Cloud had a stellar season placing 2nd in the ECC in Offensive Passing Yards with 1,950. As of current, the ECC has not published the post-season football awards.
Women’s Volleyball
The Loveland Women’s Volleyball Team made it quite far in the post-season tournament, getting all the way to the 3rd round!
On October 22nd the Tigers played Little Miami in the 1st round of the post-season tournament at Lakota East. Loveland beat the Panthers in 3 out of the 4 games, 22-25, 26-24, 25-15, 25-16.
On October 24th the Tigers faced West Clermont in the 2nd round of tournament play where they won 3 out of the 4 games, 25-14, 25-23, 23-25, 25-22.
Finally on October 27th Loveland played powerhouse Mount Notre Dame in the 3rd round of the tournament and lost 25-10, 25-14, 25-9.
The Loveland Women’s Volleyball finished their hard-fought 2020-2021 season 8-8 in the ECC and 14-10 overall. Loveland also had some impressive Tigers make into the top 5 in several categories in the ECC! Diana Clark placed 3rd in the ECC in Digs with 399 and 1st in the ECC in Pass Points with 1,266. Abbie Miller placed 5th in the ECC in Assists with 428 while Audrey Planner placed 4th in the ECC in Pass Points with 899 and 5th in Kills with 249.
Several Loveland Women’s Volleyball Tigers were awarded ECC honors for their regular season performances! Diana Clark received ECC’s 1st Team, Audrey Planner was awarded 2nd Team, and Maya Jepson was honored with ECC’s Honorable Mention.
The ECC Women’s Volleyball Champions for the 2020-2021 season was Lebanon.
Men’s Soccer
The Men’s Soccer Team had a great season earning OHSAA District Runner-up.
The Loveland Men’s Soccer Team ended the season with a bang also making it far into the post-season tournament and racking up some well-deserved ECC accolades!
On October 19th the Tigers played Withrow in the 1st round of the post-season tournament and won 7 – 0.
On October 22nd Loveland faced Mount Healthy in the 2nd round of the post-season tournament and again captured a very impressive victory, winning 9 – 0.
The Men’s Soccer Team played Elder on October 24th in the 3rd round of the tournament at Sycamore High School. The game was a nailbiter as it went into overtime where the Tigers claimed another win 3-2!
The Loveland Men’s Soccer Team rounded out the season 6-1-1 in the ECC and 13-3-3 overall making them the 2020-2021 ECC Champions along with Turpin. This was the 3rd season in a row that Loveland claimed the ECC Champions title!
Several Tigers ranked in the top 5 in the ECC in several categories. Helge Harris placed 3rd in the ECC in Offensive Points with 35 and Kees Ciric placed 5th with 33. Harris also placed 3rd in the ECC for Goals with 15 and Ciric grabbed 5th place in Assists with 9. Dylan Schwinn placed 1st place in the ECC in Shutouts with 7.5. Coach Mike Dunlap received ECC Coach of the Year for the 3rd year in a row and Kees Ciric was honored with Player of the Year and ECC’s 1st Team. Helge Harris and Nick Williams received ECC’s 1st Team honors as well. Addison Hearn and Joe Stepaniack were honored with ECC’s 2nd Team while Peyton Kubin was awarded Honorable Mention.
Women’s Soccer
Head Coach Todd M. Kelly was named ECC’s Women’s Coach of the Year
The Loveland Women’s Soccer Team claimed the ECC 2020-2021 Champions title with a 7-0-1 ECC record and a 14-1-3 overall record. The Tigers have now been ECC Champions 6 times out of the past 9 seasons!
— Loveland Strength & Conditioning (@Loveland_SC) October 16, 2020
On October 24th the Tigers played West Clermont in the 1st round of the post-season tournament winning1 – 0.
Loveland then went on to face Oak Hills in the 2nd round of the tournament and after giving all that they could give, the Tigers lost1 – 0.
2020 ECC Girls Soccer Champions
The success of the Women’s Soccer Team showed as several of the Tigers placed in the ECC in several categories! Lauren Donovan placed 4th in the ECC in Offensive Points with 26 and finished in 1st place in Assists with 12. Shraya Smolenski also placed in the ECC in Assists, grabbing 3rd with 7. Eva Dudeck placed 1st in the ECC with 13.0.
Loveland racked up quite a few post-season ECC awards for their successful 2020-2021 season! Head Coach Todd M. Kelly was awarded ECC’s Coach of the Year and Lauren Donovan was honored with Player of the Year and ECC’s 1st Team. Eve Dudeck, Abby Pawlikowski, and Leiah Goedde also received 1st Team ECC honors. Ella James and Brooke Hatfield received ECC’s 2nd Team and Sophia Kapzukiewicz was awarded Honorable Mention.
CONGRATULATIONS to our Lauren Donovan – on being named this week's @RPDiamondprint Athlete of the Week! Lauren led our Lady Tigers Soccer Team to an undefeated regular season and an ECC Championship – also finished first in the ECC in assists. Great season Lauren. Go Tigers! pic.twitter.com/pIMM4cbyPd
The Loveland Men’s Cross Country Team is having a historical season this year as they recently qualified for the 2020 OHSAA State Cross Country Tournament as a team, something they haven’t done in 49 years!
The Tigers had several top performers in the ECC after the regular season meets, 7 ranking in the top 25! Below are Loveland’s personal best times for the season and where they fell among the top 25.
On October 17th the Loveland Men’s Cross Country Team placed 2nd in ECC Championship Meet at Home of Brave Park. Loveland scored 57 points. If you would like to see the full results from the meet click the following link: 2020 ECC Cross Country Championship Results (Boys). Ryan Chevalier was the ECC 1st place champion finishing with a time of 15:51.60. Brady Steiner also placed in the top 10 grabbing the 7th place spot with a time of 16:39.98.
District Runner-ups
Junior Ryan Chevalier broke the Loveland XC School Record on October 3 at the Sycamore Sunset Invitational. His winning time of 15:34.5 bettered Mark Weden’s record of 15:44 set at the Saint Xavier Invitational fifteen seasons ago. (Loveland Magazine file Photo from 2019)
The OHSAA District Cross Country Championship meet was held at Voice of America Park on October 24th where the Tigers successfully qualified for Regionals as a team! Loveland finished in 2nd place with 66 points. If you would like to check out the full results from the meet click the following link: Division I Boys – District A – Voice of America Park, West Chester. Ryan Chevalier was the Tigers top performer finishing in 4th place with a time of 15:39.3. Sam Neiger also finished in the top 10 securing a 9th place finish with a time of 16:29.5.
On Halloween, the Tigers traveled to Troy, Ohio to compete in OHSAA’s Regional Cross Country meet. In order to qualify for the State Championship, which will be held at Fortress Obetz in Obetz, Ohio on November 7th, Loveland had to be one of the top 5 teams and they did just that! The Men’s Cross Country team finished in 5th place with 168 points. If you would like to see the full results of the Regional meet click the following link: Region 4 – Division I Boys. Ryan Chevalier was the top finisher for the Tigers grabbing the 7th place spot with a time of 15:58.8. Sam Neiger finished 37th with a time of 17:00.4, Cayden Dyer placed 40th with a time of 17:02.0, Ajay Stutz crossed the finish line in 48th with a time of 17:09.6, Brady Steiner placed 53rd with a time of 17:11.4, Colin Beran finished in 71st place with a time of 17:34.5, and Grant Hanson placed 109th with a time of 18:32.1. The Tigers will run the Division 1 Championship at 3 PM on November 7th.
The Tigers’ successful season brought one individual on the team a huge honor within the ECC! Ryan Chevalier was selected as the 2020-2021 ECC Runner of the Year. Lebanon claimed the 2020-2021 ECC Champions Title.
Women’s Cross Country
Emmy Sager will compete in the State Cross Country meet on November 7th at 4 PM.
Advancing to the Regional Meet
The Loveland Women’s Cross Country team ran like true Tigers this season as the team advanced to Regionals!
On October 17th the Tigers ran at the Home of the Brave Park for the ECC Championship meet. Loveland placed 2nd with 61 points. For the full ECC Championship meet results click the following link: 2020 ECC Cross Country Championship Results (Girls) Emmy Sager was the top Tiger finisher placing 6th with a time of 19:23.98. Jessie Gibbins also placed in the top 10 finishing in 8th place with a time of 19:32.59.
On October 24th Loveland competed in OHSAA’s District Cross Country meet at Voice of America Park. The Tigers qualified for the Regional Cross Country meet by placing 2nd with 75 points. To see the full meet results click the following link: Division I Girls – District B – Voice of America Park, West Chester. Emmy Sager finished in the top 10 crossing the finish line in 3rd place with a time of 18:59.6.
On October 31st in Troy, Ohio at OHSAA’s Regional Cross Country meet Loveland missed making the State Tournament as a team by one spot finishing in 6th place with 169 points. To see the full meet results click the following link: Region 4 – Division I Girls.
In order for individual runners on their designated team to qualify for the State Championship, the runner had to finish in the top 20. Emmy Sager who finished in 8th place with a time of 19:01.9 was the only Tiger to qualify for the State Meet, which will be held in Obetz, Ohio on November 7th.
The rest of Loveland’s Women’s Cross Country team ran great races Jessie Gibbins finishing in 23rd with a time of 19:39.6, Maaike Snider placing in 45th with a time of 20:15, Sophia Huff finishing in 47th with a time of 20:20.4, Ally Colegate finishing in 63rd with a time of 20:43.2, and Ellie Carr placing in 103rd with a time of 22:03.7.
After so many great performances throughout the season, several Tigers ended the 2020-2021 season ranked within the top 20 in the ECC for their stellar 5k times. Below are where each individual runner placed and their season personal best 5k time.
The Men’s Golf Team won the ECC this year with an undefeated record! This is the 2nd year in a row that the Tigers have managed to grab the ECC Champions title.
Head Coach David Allan won ECC Coach of the Year and Tyler Vallee was awarded Golfer of the Year. Several other Tiger golfers received ECC honors for their excellent performances during the 2020-2021 season. Joe Jankowski, Anthony Moran, and Tyler Vallee joined ECC’s First Team, Aiden Callahan was awarded 2nd Team, and Ben Kirlin joined 3rd Team.
There were a couple of top-performing Tiger golfers that were honored with ECC accolades for the 2020-2021 season. Emme Amy was awarded ECC’s 2nd Team and was ranked 17th in the league for her performance with a 48.00 average and 171 holes. Kristin Dygert received ECC’s 3rd Team.
Congratulations to these 3 fine Tennis Players. All moving on to round two. Maira Hoder wins 6-3, 6-4. Babs and Batsch win 6-0, 6-2. Go Tigers! pic.twitter.com/BpU9v2pX2G
The Loveland Women’s Tennis Team had a historical 2020-2021 season as they finished at the top of the ECC with a 7.5 for the regular season and an 11.0 for the tournament totaling 18.5! The Tigers were ECC Champions for the second year in a row with a 5-2 league record and a 14-4 overall record.
Congratulations to our Girls Tennis team on an outstanding fall season. We finish the season as ECC Champions! We appreciate your hard work and dedication. Forever, Go Tigers! pic.twitter.com/7wYxG1r9n0
The Loveland Tennis Team gathered several ECC awards as Head Coach Mikayla Pitman received ECC’s Coach of the Year and Maira Hodar was awarded ECC’s 1st Team in Singles. Tess Broermann and Hannah Wenger also received ECC’s 1st Team in Doubles. Jenna Batsch and Babs Dwyer were awarded ECC’s 2nd Team in Doubles and Grace Haught received Honorable Mention in Singles.
Thus far into the 2020-2021 Athletics season, Loveland is in 2nd place with 74 points for the ECC’s All-Sports Trophy. Turpin currently is in the top spot for the All-Sports Trophy with 76 points.
Here at Loveland Magazine, we want to congratulate the Loveland Tigers Fall Athletic squads for all the hard work and dedication they put into perfecting their craft! We understand it has been a difficult time for the sports world, but we couldn’t be prouder of how Loveland Athletics was able to overcome the obstacles that were thrown at the high school student-athletes, coaches, parents, and administrators. We can’t wait to see what’s to come in Tiger sports for the remainder of the year! GO TIGERS!!
Stay tuned for more of your Loveland Sports 411 with me, Cassie Mattia!
Loveland, Ohio – It was a packed gym Saturday afternoon at Princeton High School filled with many spirited fans rooting on Loveland’s Women’s Basketball Team as they pushed to win their first District Championship. Although the Lady Tigers didn’t pull off the win, the game itself was still both competitive and exciting!
The Lady Tigers took on Mount Notre Dame, who were not only ranked number 1 in Ohio’s Division 1 High School Women’s basketball poll they were also ranked #3 in the nation by MaxPreps, as well as being both undefeated and the reigning Ohio Champs!
Loveland began the 1st quarter focused on shutting down MND’s top scorers and creating opportunities for Jillian Hayes inside the paint. The Tigers managed to achieve their first-quarter goals ending the quarter with a 19-17 lead, a field goal percentage of 40 percent, and they kept MND’s top scorers to single digits.
In the 2nd quarter, the Tigers kicked up their defense allowing MND to score only 7 points. Although MND beat Loveland 7-6 in the 2nd quarter, the Lady Tigers capitalized on their free throws, going 6 for 6. Senior Jillian Hayes led the Tigers at the half in points with 8 followed by Freshman Josie Early who tallied up 6 points. Junior Tess Broermann contributed heavily adding on 4 points, 4 assists, and 1 steal. Senior Kate Garry was the top rebounder at the half with 3 and collected 2 assists.
After the half, both Loveland and MND turned up the heat! The 3rd quarter seemed to be all about the fast break as most of Loveland’s baskets were either scored on a fast break or a v-cut pass to the basket. With 5:33 left on the clock in the 3rd quarter, the Lady Tigers led by 7 points. MND mirrored Loveland’s effort going 42 percent from the 3 point line and 82 percent from the free-throw line. MND outscored Loveland in the 3rd quarter 18-13, but the score did not reflect Loveland’s tenacity as they not only hustled for every loose ball they also capitalized on the defensive end.
Going into the 4th quarter the Loveland Tigers had everything to gain and nothing to lose. Loveland pushed until the very last second of the game but unfortunately did not collect the District title. MND outscored the Tigers 19-10 in the 4th quarter making the final score of the game 61-48.
Loveland fans at the game and at home all agreed that although the Tigers did not win it was still an exciting game and such an honor to see such a great group of women compete. The top performer for Loveland was Jillian Hayes who put up 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists. Following close behind Hayes was Josie Early who collected 11 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 1 block. The ECC champs ended their season with an impressive 22-4 record.
Emotions ran high as Loveland lined up to receive their District runner-up medals after the game ended. ECC Coach of the Year Coach Darnell Parker and Loveland’s Athletic Director Brian Conaster handed out the school history-changing medals with a smile and a huge hug to each Lady Tiger. After medals were handed out many of the Lady Tigers ran up to their friends and families to express to them how much they appreciated their support throughout the season. It’s safe to say that the season this particular Loveland High School Women’s Basketball Team had will go down as the best season ever in LHS Women’s Basketball history.
Loveland Magazine would like to congratulate the LHS Women’s Basketball Team and the LHS Athletic Department for having such an incredible year! We could not be more proud of everything everyone on the team and staff accomplished. We are truly touched to have had the opportunity to cover such a great basketball program! We wish the women moving on to the play at the college level the best of luck and of course those that still have a couple more years to play for Coach Parker we can’t wait to see what next year brings. GO TIGERS! #OURWAY!
CORRECTION: This story has been up-dated to reflect that Josie Early is a first-year student and not a Junior.
by Cassia Mattia
Loveland, Ohio – The Lady Tigers and Coach Parker are rewriting Women’s Loveland Basketball history one win at a time! LHS’s Women’s Basketball team is set to continue their impressive journey to the tourney on Monday night against Mason High School for the OHSAA District Semi-Finals crown.
The Tigers defeated Lebanon 52-25 last Wednesday night at Lakota East High School bringing their record-breaking season to 21-3. Stand out Senior Jillian Hayes led the Tigers in scoring and rebounds with 12 points and 9 rebounds. Hayes now officially holds the record as Loveland’s all-time leading scorer and holds the all-time rebounding record. In the Eastern Cincinnati Conference Hayes is ranked 2nd in points averaging 18.1 per game, 2nd in rebounds averaging 10 per game, 4th in blocks averaging 1.5 per game, and 3rd in steals averaging 3.2 per game.
First year student Josie Early, came off the bench Wednesday night and scored a season-high of 10 points.
The future of Loveland Women’s Basketball, First year student Josie Early, came off the bench Wednesday night and scored a season-high of 10 points. Teammates, Junior Jenna Batsch, and, Senior Kate Garry, added 7 points each to the big Tiger win. Batsch holds the 5th spot in the ECC for steals averaging 2.6 per game while Garry has climbed her way up to the 3rd spot on Loveland all-time leading scorer list! Not only has Garry achieved an all-time leading scorer spot she has also grabbed the number 1 spot as Loveland’s all-time leading 3-point shooter. Coach Darnell Parker celebrated Garry’s accomplishments over Twitter saying, “@Kgarry12 has vaulted herself to #3 All-Time leading scorer in Loveland History! This kid is now on the Mt Rushmore of players to wear the Orange and Black! Proud of you KG!”
Recently the ECC released the Women’s Basketball All-Conference Teams as well as the ECC Athlete of the Year and the ECC Coach of the Year. Not to anyone’s surprise, the Loveland Women’s Basketball squad received a number of accolades within the ECC. Coach Parker was named Coach of the Year and Jillian Hayes was named Co-Athlete of the Year along with Walnut Hills’ Sean Kelly Darks. Jenna Batsch and Jillian Hayes were named 1st Team All ECC while Tess Broermann and Kate Garry were named 2nd Team All ECC. Sophia Raby also received Honorable Mention All ECC.
Loveland will go up against a talented Mason Comets team who went 15-8 this year finishing in 3rd place in the GMC. The Comets advanced to the finals by beating Ursuline Academy 39-36 last Wednesday. Mason is led by Freshman Margo Mattes who averages 14.9 points per game and Junior Forward Marilyn Popplewell who averages 9.9 points per game. The District Semi-Finals will be held at Lakota East High School on Monday at 7:30 PM.
Check out the box score below from Loveland’s huge win against Lebanon last week!
![[Photo Album] Tigers fall in close game vs. Mount Notre Dame](https://lovelandmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/tigers-district-runners-up.jpg)
![[Photo Album] The Loveland Women’s Basketball Team Advances to the District Semi-Finals!](https://lovelandmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/lebanon-feature-1.jpg)
Recently the ECC released the Women’s Basketball All-Conference Teams as well as the ECC Athlete of the Year and the ECC Coach of the Year. Not to anyone’s surprise, the Loveland Women’s Basketball squad received a number of accolades within the ECC. Coach Parker was named Coach of the Year and Jillian Hayes was named Co-Athlete of the Year along with Walnut Hills’ Sean Kelly Darks. Jenna Batsch and Jillian Hayes were named 1st Team All ECC while Tess Broermann and Kate Garry were named 2nd Team All ECC. Sophia Raby also received Honorable Mention All ECC.
