Loveland, Ohio – It’s that time of year again to honor the Loveland High School student-athlete Seniors as we send them on their way to play collegiate sports at the conclusion of this school year!
Although the 2020-2021 season for athletics was a bit more difficult due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, these particular LHS Seniors focused in and made sure to still dedicate all their time and energy into doing what it takes to get the opportunity to play their sport at the collegiate level. Despite all of the 2020 obstacles, the following Tigers are moving forward to play college athletics:
Vallee committed to playing Golf at the University of Findlay and is currently maintaining a 3.6 GPA.
Vallee is a 4-year Varsity athlete. Valee acquired 1st Team All-Conference in 2018, 2019, and 2020. In 2020, Valee was awarded the ECC Player of the Year.
Vallee enjoys playing Recreational Basketball as well.
Zicka committed to playing Baseball at Xavier University. He is currently maintaining a 3.95 GPA.
Zicka earned Perfect Game Underclass All-American and was selected to be on the All-Tournament Team.
Zicka participates in Golf and is also a member of the National Honor Society, and the Student Athletic Leadership Team.
We would like to take the time to congratulate these OUTSTANDING Tiger student-athletes for getting the opportunity to fine-tune their crafts at the collegiate level! It has been a joy watching each and every one of you thrive as students and excel as athletes. We will be cheering all of you on as you take the next step in your athletic and education journey! LONG LIVE THE LOVELAND TIGERS! GOOD LUCK SENIORS!
For more of the Sports 411 with me, Cassie Mattia stay tuned!
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!
Cassie Mattia is a resident of Historic Downtown Loveland and the Associate Editor of Loveland Magazine
by Cassie Mattia
Loveland, Ohio – This Loveland Tiger Homecoming was one for the history books! Although many locals pray to never have to orchestrate a “COVID-19” Homecoming again here at Loveland Magazine we felt as though we should still celebrate and document the memorable event for those who were not able to get a glimpse of what it was like.
Loveland High School and the Loveland Athletic Boosters tried their best to make the 2020 Homecoming Game as normal as possible despite COVID 19 restrictions that “Ruled Sovereign” over the evening that had no crowning of a Queen or King. Loveland’s Principal Peggy Johnson after the Homecoming event assured families, students, friends, and Tiger fans that she hopes to make up for students missing the traditional Homecoming experience and would like to hold the Homecoming Saturday night dance this winter if the pandemic restrictions ease.
Even though there wasn’t a tradition Homecoming Saturday night dance Loveland Magazine’s David Miller did catch the Tiger Band busting a move for a few seconds at the Homecoming game against Little Miami!
The “non-traditional” Homecoming Parade consisted of cheerleaders and players escorted to the High School upon the red chariot of a local fire truck provided by the Loveland-Symmes Fire Department! Luckily we captured the impromptu Homecoming parade on video for you our loyal readers as it left Historic Downtown and crossed over the Little Miami River.
The tradition of delivering the game ball via helicopter did continue as Grand Marshall Otto Huber, the Loveland-Symmes Fire Chief, landed mid-field to hand off the ball to the officiating crew.
In the video below Loveland Magazine’s David Miller captured the Marching Band and Color Guard during the opening ceremony playing the fight song and the National Anthem. The video also includes some action clips from the game including the opening kick-off and the traditional pre-game fireworks as the Loveland Tigers ran onto the field!
The visiting Little Miami Panthers ruled the field of play, beating our Tigers 55-20.
Our Tigers traveled to Covington, Kentucky on Friday, September 25th to play the Holmes Bulldogs. Loveland grabbed their first win of the season, 48-14! The Tigers are now 1-3 overall and 0-3 in the ECC. The Loveland Football team will play again on Friday, October 2nd at Kings at 7 p.m.
Cassie Mattia lives in Historic Downtown and is the Associate Editor of Loveland Magazine
by Cassie Mattia
Loveland, Ohio – Did you miss out on some of your favorite Tiger competitions last week? Well now is your chance to catch up! Here is your Loveland Sports 411!
FOOTBALL
On Friday, September 18th, the Loveland Tigers Football team hosted Little Miami. Both teams had a big first quarter, the Tigers scoring 20 points while Little Miami scored 42 points. Unfortunately, Little Miami ran away with the game scoring 6 points in the 3rd quarter and 7 points in the 4th quarter. The final score was Little Miami 55 and Loveland 20. Senior, Calvin Cloud had quite the game for the Tigers completing 16 out of 35 attempted passes, 3 of those passes being touchdowns. Cloud is in 4th place in the ECC for Offensive Passing Yards at 621. Currently, Loveland is sitting at 0-3 in the ECC.
The Loveland Football team will be playing again this Friday, September 25th at Holmes (KY) at 7 p.m.
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
The Loveland Women’s Volleyball played several games last week winning one and losing the other two. On Monday, September 14th, the Tigers took on Little Miami at home, where they gained a big ECC victory! Loveland won 3 out of the 4 games, 25-11, 25-22, 21-25, and 25-11.
On Tuesday, September 15th, Loveland traveled to Anderson for another conference game! Although the Tigers lost they battled hard in all 3 games played, 25-20, 25-20, and 25-15.
The Loveland Women’s Volleyball team had their final game of the week on Thursday, September 17th, at home against Kings. The Lady Tigers played 3 very close games but came up a little short. The final scores of the games were 25-11, 25-18, and 25-23.
After Loveland’s week of competitions, several Lady Tigers are sitting in the top 5 in the ECC for individual stats! Senior Abbie Miller is in 5th place for Assists with 221, Senior Diana Clark is in 1st place for Digs with 221 and Pass Points with 654, and Junior Audrey Planner is in 4th place for Pass Points with 467.
This week Loveland has already played one game at home against West Clermont and captured another win with a score of, 25-19, 25-19, 17-25, and 35-33. The Tigers are now 6-6 overall and 4-5 in the ECC. Loveland took on Walnut Hills at home on Tuesday, September 22nd at 6:30 p.m. (results will be in the next edition of the 411), and on Thursday, September 24th the Tigers will face Winton Woods at home at 6:30 p.m.
MEN’S SOCCER
The Loveland Men’s Soccer team had a very successful week collecting 2 wins and 1 tie! On Tuesday, September 15th the Tigers hosted rival Little Miami beating them 6-0. Senior Max Flanders had 1 goal, Senior Helge Harris scored 4 goals, and Senior Ethan Smith had 1 goal in the big Tiger win.
Thursday, September 17th Loveland played another important ECC match-up at Kings, winning 2-1. Just a couple days later on Saturday, the Tigers took on GMC powerhouse Mason. Loveland played hard tying the Comets 2-2. Loveland’s stats have yet to be reported for their games against Kings and Mason.
After last week’s games, the Loveland Men’s Soccer team is in 1st place in the ECC with an overall record of 5-1-2 (3-1-0 in the ECC).
This week Loveland played on Tuesday, September 22nd at home against Highlands at 7:30 p.m. (results will be in the next edition of the 411) and on Thursday, September 24th at home against West Clermont at 7:30 p.m.
WOMEN’S SOCCER
The Loveland Women’s Soccer team had an exciting week, gaining 1 win and 2 ties! On Tuesday, September 15th the Lady Tigers played at Little Miami where they won 4-0. Impressively enough several Tigers added to the scoreboard! Senior Lauren Donovan scored 1 goal, Junior Leiah Goedde had 1 goal, Sophmore Brooke Hatfield collected 1 goal, and Sophmore Sophia Kapszukiewicz also added a goal to the win.
On Thursday, September 17th Loveland took on Kings at home where they tied 1-1. Junior Erin Bullock scored the tying goal for the Tigers. On Saturday Loveland traveled to Mason where they tied again 1-1. Junior Leiah Goedde had the 1 goal for the Tigers.
The Loveland Women’s Soccer team is currently in 1st place in the ECC with an overall record of 6-0-2 (3-0-1 in the ECC). On the ECC’s Women’s Soccer “leaderboard,” many Tigers are making a name for themselves with their individual stats. Leiah Goedde is tied for 4th place with her own teammate, Brooke Hatfield, for Points, both having 13. Goedde is also in 4th place for Goals with 6. Junior Eva Dudeck is sitting in 2nd place for Shutouts with 5.0, and Lauren Donovan is in 1st place for Assists with 6.
This week Loveland played at West Clermont on Tuesday, September 22nd at 7 p.m. (results will be in the next edition of the 411) and at home against Lakota West on Saturday, September 26th at 7 p.m.
MEN’S AND WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
The Loveland Women’s and Men’s Cross Country team will be competing again on Saturday, September 26th at the Saturday Night Lights Meet which will be held at Centerville High school. The time is still being determined!
MEN’S GOLF
The Loveland Men’s Golf team has had quite the impressive season as they finished the season in 1st place and undefeated, 9-0 overall (8-0 in the ECC). Loveland competed in the ECC Tournament on Tuesday, September 22nd at Grizzly Golf Course, and won with 304 points! Tyler Valee grabbed 2nd place in the tournament with a score of 73, Joe Jankowski finished in 4th with a score of 74, Anthony Moran placed 5th with a score of 78, Aiden Callahan placed 7th with a score of 79 and Ben Kirlin rounded out the top 10 with a score of 81. Tiger, Jake Zicka placed 44th with a score of 102.
The Tigers will golf one more time at St. Xavier at 4 p.m. at Oasis Golf Course on Monday, September 28th.
WOMEN’S GOLF
The Loveland Women’s Golf team also competed in the ECC Tournament last week on Thursday, September 17th at Walden Ponds Golf Course.
The Lady Tigers, 2-5 in the ECC, finished the tournament in 6th place with 407 points. The top performer for Loveland was Emme Amy who finished in 20th place with 95 points. Caroline Sproull tied with her teammate Kristin Dygert for 26th place with a score of 103, and Ryan Smith placed 36th with a score of 114.
The Loveland Women’s Golf team will compete again at St. Ursula on Thursday, September 24th. The time is still being determined!
WOMEN’S TENNIS
The Loveland Women’s Tennis team had a very busy week last week competing 3 times! On Monday, September 14th the Lady Tigers competed against Indian Hill losing 5-0, but bounced back the next day at Lebanon capturing a 5-0 win!
On Wednesday, September 16th Loveland faced St. Ursula losing a close battle, 3-2. Again the Tigers came back on Monday, September 21st, and grabbed a win against Little Miami, 5-0.
On Tuesday, September 22nd, Loveland competed in the ECC Championships, but the score has yet to be reported.
Currently, there are a few Lady Tigers sitting in the top 10 for their individual stats in the ECC! Maira Hodar is in 4th place for Single with a 4-3 record in the ECC (8-8 overall), and Grace Haught is in 8th place for 2nd Singles with a 5-2 record in the ECC (11-5 overall). Tess Broermann and Hanna Wenger are in 1st place in the ECC for Doubles with a 6-0 record (12-0 overall, and Sarah McKenzie and Kendall Forrest are in 4th place for 2nd Doubles with a 2-0 record.
The Loveland Women’s Tennis team, 5-2 in the ECC (12-4 overall), will compete on Monday, September 28th at Mason High school at 4 p.m and on Wednesday, September 30th against Walnut Hills at 4 p.m.
Stay tuned for more of the Loveland Sports 411 with Me, 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.
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.
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!
Loveland, Ohio – With Ohio High School 2020-2021 sports seasons set to start on August 1st, coaches, parents, fans, and student-athletes are wondering when school vs. school competition will be allowed to resume. That particular question was answered on Tuesday when the OHSAA sent out a newsletter confirming that for the time being all contact-sport school vs. school scrimmages will be suspended.
The OHSAA’s Interim Executive Director, Bob Goldring, stated in the newsletter that the goal is to work with the Governor’s Office to make sure everything that they are implementing for the 2020-2021 sports seasons will be “in concert.”
OHSAA’s Interim Executive Director, Bob Goldring
“We are on track for the low/non-contact sports of golf, girls tennis and volleyball to begin practices on August 1, with school vs. school scrimmages and contests to follow per their normal OHSAA permissible dates and regulations,” Goldring said, “We are on track for the contact sports of football, soccer, field hockey and cross country to begin practices on August 1. We are waiting for more guidance from the Governor’s Office and Department of Health on when school vs. school competition can begin and are hopeful of that permission being granted for our normal contest dates later in August. To that end, school vs. school scrimmages are SUSPENDED. We do not anticipate that suspension changing soon and there remains the possibility that no scrimmages will be permitted in the contact sports of football, soccer, and field hockey. We will certainly keep you updated if that changes.”
Goldring said that the OHSAA plans on continuing to have conversations about both field hockey and cross country being put into the low/non-contact category.
After speaking with the Governor’s Office, Goldring explained that one thing was very clear, the end goal is to make sure Ohio’s student-athletes get the opportunity to “learn the lifelong lessons and receive the social, emotional, and physical benefits that the privilege of participating in education-based interscholastic athletics programs provide.”
“We all have to be accountable for following all mandates and requirements. By not following the mandates and requirements, we are putting our student-athletes at risk of not only contracting and/or spreading COVID-19 but also at risk of losing the season for themselves, their families, their teammates, their schools and their communities. Mandates and requirements put into place must be followed in order for the Governor’s Office to continue to allow us to participate,” Goldring said.
According to Goldring, the OHSAA has been working hard to finalize contest day mandates and requirements that he says will be strictly enforced.
“Our administrators, coaches, and student-athletes will be held accountable for non-compliance. So as to not cause alarm, these mandates and requirements will be to elevate many of the recommendations that were provided in the OHSAA Return to Play Recommendations document to the level of mandates and requirements and should not require wholesale modifications to your game-day protocol,” Goldring added.
As rules and regulations change within the sports world due to COVID-19, here at Loveland Magazine we will continue to bring you the latest updates so that you and your family know what to expect if your child or someone you know is participating in Ohio High School athletics this year! Stay tuned to the Sports 411 With Me, Cassie Mattia!
Loveland, Ohio – The Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) made another sports announcement on July 22nd giving more specific “Return to Play” guidelines for the sports of cross country, field hockey, football, golf, soccer, and tennis.
The updated guidelines also included a Student Pledge that all student-athletes are now required to sign before participating in a sport this Fall.
Below is the OHSAA’s 2020 COVID-19 Individual Sports Recommendations:
The OHSAA’s Interim Executive Director, Bob Goldring spoke about the updated sport-specific guidelines in the newsletter the OHSAA released on July 22nd.
“The COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic has presented the OHSAA with a myriad of challenges. The Executive Director’s Office, with support from its Board of Directors and feedback from the Ohio Joint Advisory Committee on Sports Medicine, the National Federation of State High School Associations and the Ohio Department of Health along with support from the Ohio Lt. Governor’s Office, offer a Return to Play document as recommendations on how our member schools can consider approaching the many components of ‘opening up’ sports with the objective of commencing the fall sports seasons on August 1, 2020. The OHSAA fully intends to support its member schools and the student-athletes who desire to compete in interscholastic athletics and will continue to assess all areas as more information becomes available. We encourage you to especially pay attention to the early pages of the document closely since they indicate that many of the recommendations can ONLY be utilized if mandates from the Ohio Department of Health Director’s Order are modified.“
Included below are the updated “Return To Play” recommendations brought to you by the OHSAA.
The OHSAA understands that the physical and mental benefits of participation in education-based interscholastic athletics are numerous and are heightened even more during this pandemic. Students who participate learn life lessons in an environment that cannot be duplicated. Academic achievement, the development of leadership, and social skills as well as the mental health benefits are known to be greatly enhanced in students who participate in our programs compared to those who do not. There is no doubt that the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic has already resulted in thousands of our students missing out on these life-shaping educational experiences over the past several months, and we certainly hope we can return to some type of normalcy as it relates to interscholastic athletics soon. With that being said, in order for interscholastic athletics to occur, we all need to follow the protocols that have been put in place.
The recommendations within the Return to Play document for the resumption of the varsity, non-varsity, and 7th-8th grade interscholastic athletic seasons and participation opportunities have been made with the health, safety, and well-being of all student-athletes in mind.
The risk of coronavirus transmission will still be present to some degree as interscholastic athletics activities begin in August and will continue until there is a widely available vaccine or therapeutic care, possibly through the 2020-21 school year. While the science about COVID-19 is evolving, it will be important to remain vigilant and nimble to respond to new developments. Students and their families, along with school personnel, must recognize these risks and implement best practices to reasonably mitigate these risks. Participation in school activities is voluntary and every individual will need to evaluate the risk versus the benefits of athletics participation. Those immunocompromised students and staff, or those who live with family members with elevated health concerns, should evaluate associated risks of participation and may choose not to participate. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the virus that causes COVID-19 is thought to spread mainly from person to person, mainly through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks, and also may be produced when yelling, cheering, singing and spitting. These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs. Spread is more likely when people are in close contact with one another (within about six feet). Risk mitigation strategies should be aimed at reducing the likelihood of a person being exposed to respiratory droplets coming from another person. Every school is different, and every athletics activity is different. Certain mitigation strategies may be feasible in one school or for one activity, but not another.
Schools should attempt to significantly mitigate exposures by:
Maintaining physical distancing while not on the field or court of play;
Requiring face coverings while not on the field or court of play;
Reducing or greatly eliminating unnecessary travel;
Reducing or eliminating sharing of common equipment, and
Reducing or eliminating contact frequency with student-athletes from schools and non-interscholastic programs outside of each school’s league/conference or normal competition sphere.
As things develop and are consistently adapting to make Ohio High School sports the safest possible during the COVID-19 pandemic Loveland Magazine will continue to bring you the latest local sports updates! We wish all those planning on participating in high school sports this year the best of luck and to please adhere to the safety guidelines so that fans, family, and other students may enjoy watching you compete this year!
Loveland, Ohio – Summer will be here before you know it, which means football season is right around the corner! Many LHS athletes have been working hard during the Stay At Home Order so that they are prepared when competition starts up again. Coach Andy Cruse and his football players are one of the Tiger teams that have made sure that they are staying in shape for the 2020 upcoming season!
Coach Cruise told us that his players have not only been working hard but they have also been very creative with their workouts.
“One of the things we have tried to do as a football program to make sure we continue to make progress in the off-season is using the Team Buildr App. This app is great for bodyweight workouts and it also includes videos that show the proper technique for each exercise,” Cruse explained, “The app also has both dumbbell workouts and home gym workouts. We also created a 3k push-up challenge for the month of April, in which each player completes 100 push-ups a day. Many of our players are doing it with family members and often record themselves doing it to have a little fun with it. They are doing this on top of their regular workouts,” Cruse said.
Andy Cruse when he was introduced as the Tiger Head Coach in February of 2019 (File Photo)
Coach Cruse said that twice a week he is holding Zoom meetings with his players in order to get to know them better and discuss football.
“The Zoom meetings have been very positive. I think the players are really enjoying having interaction with their teammates and coaches during this time,” Cruse said, “We have encouraged our players to do position-specific drills as well. As a program, we are retweeting our players working out and spreading positivity as much as possible during this time,” Cruse added.
Due to all of the gyms being closed and of course, LHS athletes are not able to use any of the LHS facilities, Tiger athletes have been forced to get creative with how they are staying in shape. A few Tiger football players shared with us what they have been doing at home during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Gabe Ogdan was a Captain of the 2019 team. (File Photo)
Gabe Ogdan said, “I’m lucky enough to have my own home gym, but still have had to get creative for certain things! It’s been interesting but with not as much school I’ve been able to devote more time to speed and agility training as well as weight lifting and bulking.”
Max Huddleston said, “My home gym is minimal, and for some exercises, I may not have the right equipment. For example for pull-ups, since I don’t have a pull-up bar, I’ll do them on a steel beam in my basement.”
Mason Moore said, “I don’t have a home gym and the heaviest dumbbells I have are eight pounds, so I have to do my best to get my workouts in with what I can make do. I use paper plates as ab sliders, I do pull-ups on a metal beam on my ceiling, and I do lots of cardio along with the bodyweight workouts our coaches have us do.”
My dad is a landscaper so he had some stuff I could get creative with. I used bricks and stones to do various things and made a bench out of stones and a board and used a tube and metal bars to make a bar. – Weston Manske
Zach DeWitt said, “I am thankful to have many opportunities to maintain and build upon what we have been building this offseason. The absence of a field, however, has made me turn the front yard and driveway into everything I need for speed and agility training.”
Luca Aquilino said, “Since I only have a couple of things of workout equipment I’ve been sticking to lots of bodyweight workouts from our TeamBuildr app. I’ve had to use wooden shelving in my garage to do pull-ups and I have had to put bands around trees and around my basketball hoop to add a little bit of weight to workouts.”
Weston Manske said, “My dad got a bench this past weekend so now I can use that but before I had to get creative. My dad is a landscaper so he had some stuff I could get creative with. I used bricks and stones to do various things and made a bench out of stones and a board and used a tube and metal bars to make a bar. At my mom’s, I have resistance bands and then I found cinderblocks in my shed I use. I’ve also found basketball hoops are good for pull-ups.”
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.
Be sure to tune in to 
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.
