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Tag: Sports 411 With Cassie Mattia

Luke Waddell Selected as Pre-season 2nd-Team All-American!

by Cassie Mattia

Loveland, Ohio – Former Loveland High School Baseball and Football stand-out, Luke Waddell has again been awarded quite the preseason honor!

On Monday afternoon D1Baseball announced Waddell, Georgia Tech Baseball’s shortstop, and captain would be apart of their Pre-season All-American Second-Team. Last season Waddell earned the Academic All-American honor and was a semifinalist for Shortstop of the Year in 2019.

During the 2020 Georgia Tech Baseball season Waddell had a .300 batting average over the course of 16 games and in 2019 averaged a .419 on-base percentage. For both seasons Waddell averaged a .432 on-base percentage, a 10:1 at-bat to strikeout ratio, and the highest on-base streak on the team (39 games).

Waddell is clearly a highly decorated collegiate student-athlete but just how does one get selected to D1Baseball’s All-American Pre-season Team?

According to D1Baseball’s website, “D1Baseball’s editors and national writers select the preseason All-America teams with one guiding principle in mind: to identify the best and most valuable college baseball players for the 2021 season. Past performance and future potential factor into the deliberations, but the goal is neither to identify the best future major leaguers nor to reward the players who have put up the gaudiest numbers in past seasons (particularly since the level of competition varies significantly from one conference to another). The objective is to select the players who would provide the most value for a team that wanted to win the College World Series in 2021 — the players who are best equipped to perform against elite college competition this spring.”

To see D1Baseball’s entire All-American Pre-season Second-team click the following link: https://d1baseball.com/season-preview/2021-d1baseball-second-team-preseason-all-americans/.

After Georgia Tech Baseball’s 2020 season being shortened because of COVID-19, the Yellowjackets are more than ready to grab another Coastal Division Championship! The Yellowjackets have several 2020 Freshman All-Americans returning as well as several top-performing upperclassmen. The expectations for GT is high as they’re currently on 4 National Pre-Season Top-25 lists. D1Baseball ranked the Yellowjackets 15th, College Baseball Nation also ranked the team 15th, Perfect Game ranked them 19th, and Baseball America ranked GT 22nd.

Congratulations Luke Waddell on all your outstanding collegiate accomplishments! We can’t wait to see you and the Yellowjackets succeed this year!

Looking for more local sports news and updates? Stay tuned to the Sports 411 With Me, Cassie Mattia!

Feb 2, 2021
Congratulations Loveland Tigers ECC 2020-2021 Academic Team Award Winners!

by Cassie Mattia

Loveland, Ohio – Our Loveland Tigers are both talented on and off the field/court!

Introducing to you the ECC (Eastern Cincinnati Conference) 2020-2021 Loveland Tiger Academic Team Award Winners! In order to earn this achievement, the athlete must be on the varsity squad and earn a 3.5 g.p.a or higher. The following Tigers managed to meet the above requirements.

FALL CHEER: Kaitlyn Breese, Baylee Bronner, Erin Flanagan, Amy Keyser, Joseph Koehne, Blake Moore, Rachael Morgan, Nicole Pedicini, Olivia Powers, Grace Schamel, Anna Soupene, Caroline Staley, and Rowan Strayer.

BOYS CROSS COUNTRY: David Ballman, Colin Beran, Brady Burns, Ryan Chevalier, Cayden Dyer, Grant Hanson, Jesse Jenkins, Carter Jerome, Alex Laman, Sam Neiger, Alex Saletta, Brady Steiner, Ajay Stutz, Andrew Waple, and Alex Wolf.

GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY: Ellie Carr, Allyson Colegate, Skyler Daumeyer, Bella Dillhoff, Kali Egan, Allie Fogel, Lauren Gard, Jessie Gibbins, Bethany Griffin, Sophia Huff, Sarah Madix, Tara McCarthy, Audrey O’Keefe, Ansley Richards, Emmy Sager, Maaike Snider, Meghan Tibbs, and Ellie Zicka.

FOOTBALL: Luca Aquilino, Zach Bebout, Jack Bergman, Sawyer Bowin, Calvin Cloud, Cam Delaney, Zach Dewitt, Ethan Freeland, Max Huddleston, Noah Kline, Tyler Lake, Weston Manske, Mason Moore, Jackson Noe, Gabe Ogdan, Adam Perry, Reed Stewart, Ben Svitkovich, and Jude Wint.

BOYS GOLF: Aiden Callahan, Matthew Geist, Ben Kirlin, Anthony Moran, Tyler Vallee, and Jake Zicka.

GIRLS GOLF: Emme Amy, Kristin Dygert, Elena Hentz, Kylie Poe, Meghan Smith, Ryan Smith, Caroline Sproull, Maya Stokes, and Kathryn Taylor.

BOYS SOCCER: Cole Brock, Gavyn Caney, Ian Circ, Kees Ciric, Landon Cornwall, Ryan Dillinger, Helge Harris, Addison Hearn, Sean Hollenkamp, Noah Lee, Luc Parrish, Alex Paumier, Aaron Schuetter, Brayden Shepard, Ethan Smith, and Joseph Stepaniak.

GIRLS SOCCER: Lindsay Barry, Erin Bullock, Megan Davis, Lauren Donovan, Eva Dudeck, Ryann Eversole, Leiah Goedde, Ella James, Sophia Kapszukiewicz, Campbell Massey, Grace Muchmore, Abby Pawlikowski, Shraya Smolenski, and Ava Webb.

GIRLS TENNIS: Jenna Batsch, Tess Broermann, Babs Dwyer, Kendall Forrest, Grace Haught, Sarah Hiett, Maira Hodar, Sarah McKenzie, and Hanna Wenger.

VOLLEYBALL: Julia Bayliff, Diana Clark, Faith Daugherty, Ellie Egan, Maya Jepson, Kate Krabacher, Nancy Taylor McKibben, Faith Meece, Abbie Miller, Alex Miller, Maggie Norris, and Audrey Planner.

Great job Tigers! Here at Loveland Magazine we are so proud that our athletes perform in the classroom as well! Congratulations!

Stay tuned for more of the latest 411 on your local sports!

Jan 21, 2021
OHSAA Announces Adjustments to High School 2021 Football Schedules

by Cassie Mattia

Loveland, Ohio – Although COVID-19 is still causing Ohio’s High Schools to be cautious, OHSAA (Ohio High School Athletic Association) announced in their routine Thursday morning meeting on the 14th that they voted in favor of making adjustments to the 2021 Ohio High School football regular-season schedules.

In May of 2020, OHSAA released that the Ohio High School Football Playoffs would be expanded to 12 schools per region rather than 8. This expansion alone would increase the number of football playoff qualifiers from 224 to 336. To read more about how the new playoff format will work click the following link: https://www.ohsaa.org/Sports/News/ohsaa-to-expand-football-playoffs-in-2021.

With the approval of the playoff expansion, the 2021 regular Ohio High School football season will begin a week earlier. Now schools will be allowed to execute two of the mandatory five “acclimatization” days in July. Practices are officially able to begin on August 1st.

Before the first day of the regular season for Ohio High School Football, which is on August 20th, teams will be able to participate in two scrimmages or jamboree games that can take place between August 6th-14th. The conclusion of the regular-season schedule will be on October 23rd followed by six weeks of playoffs.

To view more highlights from the OHSAA Board of Directors meeting that took place on January 14th click the following link: https://www.ohsaa.org/news-media/articles/ohsaa-board-of-directors-meeting-highlights-44.

Want to stay up to date on the latest Loveland and Ohio sports news? Stay tuned for more of the Sports 411 With Me, Cassie Mattia!

Jan 18, 2021
LHS Winter Sports Has Huge Victories Over Christmas Break!
The photo above by Claire Besler is Senior Bowler Jacob Kim

by Cassie Mattia

Loveland, Ohio – Student-Athletes and sports fans across Ohio are celebrating as Winter sports are finally back in session!

Over Winter break, the LHS Winter sports teams competed and gained some unbelievable ECC (Eastern Cincinnati Conference) victories! There have been many Tigers that are not only helping their designated teams win but also making a name for themselves as top performers within the ECC. Here is your Loveland Sports 411 With Me, Cassie Mattia!

Men’s Basketball

The Loveland Men’s Basketball Team worked hard over Christmas break so that they could compete to their best ability in some big league and non-league games!

On December 22nd the Tigers faced Talawanda at their home court. Loveland gained a victory winning 34 – 32 (click the link to see box score). The lead scorer for the Tigers was Addison Hearn who had 10 points while fellow Tiger Sam Cox played a great game as well grabbing 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal.

On December 29th Loveland hosted Mason. Although the Tigers lost 62 – 24 they fought as hard as they could to compete. The lead scorer for the Tigers was Pete Craft putting up 16 points.

On January 5th the Loveland Men’s Basketball Team played at Turpin losing in a very close game 45 – 39. The top performer for the Tigers was Aaron Krabacher scoring 14 points and grabbing 6 rebounds.

On January 8th the Tigers played in another nail bitter at home against Lebanon. The Tigers lost in overtime 70 – 68. Aaron Krabacher played unbelievably scoring 18 points and collecting 10 rebounds while teammate Pete Craft scored 17 points and gained 11 rebounds.

Currently, the Tigers are sitting in the middle of the ECC with a 3-4 record (5-6 overall). Tiger Addison Hearn is 1st in the ECC in Assists averaging 3.3 per game.

The Loveland Men’s Basketball Team will play again on January 12th at Home against Aiken at 7:30 PM.

Women’s Basketball

The Loveland Women’s Basketball Team is taking the ECC by storm achieving an 8-1 record (12-1 overall) after competing over Winter break putting the Tigers at the top of the ECC!

The Tigers kicked off Winter break play on December 23rd on their home court against Walnut Hills. Loveland secured a victory winning 52 – 21. The top performer for Loveland was Tess Broermann who had 14 points and 5 assists. Jenna Batsch also had a beyond stellar game scoring 12 points and grabbing 3 steals. Tiger Nia Kemper chipped in for the win with 11 points and 5 steals.

On December 28th Loveland traveled to West Clermont gaining another win 43 – 31. Tess Broermann was once again the leading scorer with 14 points! The Tigers bounced back and played again on December 30th on their home court against St. Ursula. Jenna Batsch helped lead the Tigers to another win, 51 – 43, scoring 19 points!

On January 4th Loveland made the trip to play at Sycamore where they had another victory winning 48 – 36. The MVP for the Tigers was Jenna Batsch who had 22 points, 4 rebounds, 3 steals, and 1 assist.

Loveland competed on January 6th at home against Lebanon winning 47 – 43 putting the Tigers officially on a 10 game winning streak! Jenna Batsch helped lead the Tigers to a victory once again earning 17 points, 8 rebounds, 3 steals, 1 assist, and 1 block.

After Loveland’s successful Winter break, several Tigers are now at the top of the ECC stat leader boards! Jenna Batsch is in 5th place in Scoring averaging 14.2 points per game, in 4th place for Blocks collecting 1.4 blocks per game, and is in 5th place for Steals grabbing 3 steals per game. Olivia Raby is in 3rd place for Blocks averaging 1.8 per game.

The Tigers will play their next game on January 13th on their home court against West Clermont at 7 PM.

Dive Team

Enjoy the beautiful compilation of photos taken of the Loveland Tigers Dive Team by Loveland Magazine intern Claire Beseler!

Photos by Claire Beseler © 2021
Wrestling

The Loveland Men’s Wrestling Team competed over Winter break earning top spots on all of the ECC leader boards! Check out the Tigers individual placement within the ECC according to what weight class they competed in!

EDITORS NOTE:

Katie Folzenlogen, the “Wrestling Liaison” sent this info to Loveland Magazine :

“You have some of the boys in the incorrect weight classes and missed the weight class 152. I am the wrestling liaison and I am happy to send the corrections if you would like them.”

126: Alex Harrison (10) and Tre Webster (12)
145: Ryan Harden (10) and Cole Ray(12)
152: Gavin Folzenlogen (11)

“Coach is switching up weight class placements for the duals moving forward. So there may be a few changes coming this Thursday.”
- 106 W L PINS
2. Ryne Webster (Jr), Loveland 5 5 1
- 113
1. Brett Hogan (Jr), Loveland 6 4 1
- 120
2. Ty Harter (So), Loveland 7 3 3
- 126
1. Alex Harrison (So), Loveland 7 3 3
- 132
1. Jake Case (Jr), Loveland 7 3 6
- 138
3. Ryan Harden (So), Loveland 5 4 3

4. Cole Ray (Sr), Loveland 1 1 1
- 145
3. Parker Ashby (Jr), Loveland 4 6 4
- 160
4. Brayden McCaleb (Fr), Loveland 1 3 1
4. Jack McCaleb (Jr), Loveland 1 6 1
- 170
2. Jarod Mendoza (Sr), Loveland 10 0 8
- 182
3. Semi Ozarslan (Jr), Loveland 4 2 3
- 195
2. Tristan Greatorex (So), Loveland 9 1 5
- 220
2. Vaughn Pence (Jr), Loveland 6 4 3
- 285
1. Sawyer Bowin (Jr), Loveland 9 1 5

The Loveland Wrestling Team’s next competition will be on January 14th at home against Lebanon at 5 PM.

Men’s Swimming

The Loveland Men’s Swim Team swam their hearts out over Christmas break placing in the top 10 in several ECC swimming categories! Below is the placement of both the team and Tiger individuals in the ECC.

The Women’s and Men’s Dive Team (Photo from Loveland Athletics)
- 200 Yard Medley Relay – 3rd – 1:51.93
- 200 Yard Freestyle
3. Evan Lucas (Jr), Loveland 1:58.04

8. Jackson Farrell (So), Loveland 2:10.51
- 200 Yard I.M
5. Colin Blackburn (Sr), Loveland 2:07.78

7. Landyn Temple (Fr), Loveland 2:20.64

9. Jackson Farrell (So), Loveland 2:29.17
- 50 Yard Freestyle
2. Evan Lucas (Jr), Loveland 23.85
- 100 Yard Butterfly
3. Evan Lucas (Jr), Loveland 56.29

6. Jackson Farrell (So), Loveland 1:04.02
7. Landyn Temple (Fr), Loveland 1:05.89
- 100 Yard Freestyle
3. Evan Lucas (Jr), Loveland 52.36

6. Colin Blackburn (Sr), Loveland 54.28
- 500 Yard Freestyle
6. Evan Lucas (Jr), Loveland 5:29.18

8. Landyn Temple (Fr), Loveland 5:32.83
- 200 Yard Freestyle Relay
2. Loveland 1:41.26
- 100 Yard Backstroke
5. Cole Kissick (So), Loveland 1:02.31
6. Jackson Farrell (So), Loveland 1:04.89

9. Jacob Carle (Sr), Loveland 1:11.50
- 100 Yard Breaststroke
2. Colin Blackburn (Sr), Loveland 1:05.20

4. Landyn Temple (Fr), Loveland 1:09.81

6. Evan Lucas (Jr), Loveland 1:12.69

8. Cole Kissick (So), Loveland 1:16.34
- 400 Freestyle Relay
3. Loveland 3:38.91

The Men’s Swim Team will compete again on January 21st at the Dive Championships at 5 PM at West Clermont High School and on January 23rd for the ECC Championships at 12:40 PM at Various Sites that have yet to be announced.

Women’s Swimming

The Loveland Women’s Swim Team swam fantastically over Winter break also placing in the top 10 in several ECC swimming categories! Below is the placement of both the team and Tiger individuals in the ECC.
- 200 Yard Medley
3. Loveland 2:03.60
- 200 Yard I.M
1. Sarah Lolli (Sr), Loveland 2:17.59

6. Kiley Dunlap (So), Loveland 2:31.64

10. Kendall Hubbell (So), Loveland 2:35.76
- 50 Yard Freestyle
3. Sarah Lolli (Sr), Loveland 26.66
- 100 Yard Butterfly
2. Sarah Lolli (Sr), Loveland 1:02.80

7. Kiley Dunlap (So), Loveland 1:10.19
- 100 Yard Freestyle
4. Kiley Dunlap (So), Loveland 58.54

8. Sarah Lolli (Sr), Loveland 59.95
- 200 Yard Freestyle Relay
3. Loveland 1:57.26
- 100 Yard Backstroke
7. Kendall Hubbell (So), Loveland 1:09.22
8. Kiley Dunlap (So), Loveland 1:10.37

10. Kendall Chapman (Fr), Loveland 1:10.62
- 100 Yard Breaststroke
3. Sarah Lolli (Sr), Loveland 1:15.52

9. Kendall Chapman (Fr), Loveland 1:22.31
10. Kiley Dunlap (So), Loveland 1:23.30
- 400 Yard Freestyle Relay
2. Loveland 4:14.62

The Women’s Swim Team will compete again on January 21st at the Dive Championships at 5 PM at West Clermont High School and on January 23rd for the ECC Championships at 12:40 PM at Various Sites that have yet to be announced.

Men’s Bowling

Photos by Claire Beseler © 2021

The Loveland Men’s Bowling Team kicked off January bowling in 3 different matches capturing 2 big ECC victories!

On January 2nd the Tigers bowled at the SWOC/ ECC Tournament then bounced back to bowl again against Anderson on January 4th claiming a big win! On January 6th Loveland secured another victory against Lebanon.

Below are the details for each of the 3 matches (click the blue link below to see)!

Sat. 2 at SWOC/ECC Tournament    Match Details
Mon. 4 Loveland 2489, Anderson 1810    Match Details
Wed. 6 Loveland 2624, Lebanon 2589    Match Details

The Loveland Men’s Bowling Team bowled again today at Little Miami at Eastgate Lanes at 3:30 PM, in which the results will be posted in a future Loveland 411 update, and will bowl on Wednesday at Crossgate Lanes at 3:30 PM against West Clermont.

Currently, Joey Kapszukiewicz is in 4th place in the ECC with a 202.6 bowling average, and Loveland as a team is sitting in 3rd place in the ECC with an average of 927.4. The Tigers are 2nd in the ECC with an 8-1 league record (9-1 overall).

Women’s Bowling

The Loveland Women’s Bowling Team started out 2021 bowling in 3 different matches capturing 1 win and 1 loss!

On January 2nd the Tigers competed at the ECC/SWOC Challenge, in which the Match Details weren’t available. On January 4th Loveland beat Anderson and a couple of days later on the 6th lost against Lebanon. The match details for both bowling competitions are below!

Sat. 2 at ECC/SWOC Challenge
Mon. 4 Loveland 1926, Anderson 1773    Match Details
Wed. 6 Lebanon 2133, Loveland 1913    Match Details

The Loveland Women’s Bowling Team competed on Sunday at Northwest Lanes for the Lancer Baker Bash and then again on Monday at Eastgate Lanes against Little Miami where they claimed a big ECC victory. The match details weren’t available for Sunday’s Lancer Baker Bash but were available for the Tigers match against Little Miami which is listed below.

Mon. 11 Loveland 2051, Little Miami 1718        Match Details

Loveland’s next match will be on January 13th against West Clermont at Crossgate Lanes at 3:30 PM.

Currently Tiger Ashley Gilker is in 4th place in the ECC with 175.5 bowling average and Loveland as a team is in 4th place with a 691.4 average. The Loveland Women’s Bowling Team is 6-4 in the ECC (6-5 overall).

Academic Team

The Loveland Tigers Academic Team competed twice thus far in 2021. Although they battled hard, the Tigers lost in both games against Little Miami on January 6th. The Tigers lost 82-67 and 70-63 putting them at 2-2-0 in the ECC.

The Academic Team’s next match will be January 13th at Kings at 4 PM.

That rounds up the Loveland Sports 411 With Me, Cassie Mattia! For more of sports updates stay tuned!
Jan 11, 2021
Loveland High School’s Winter Sports Update!

by Cassie Mattia

Cassie Mattia is the Associate Editor of Loveland Magazine and lives in Historic Downtown

Loveland, Ohio – Winter sport student-athletes in Loveland have been competing, and wow have they claimed some excellent victories already! Although COVID-19 positive cases have been spiking in the tri-state area, LHS Athletics has managed to keep the athletes safe, healthy, and competing. So without further ado here is your Loveland Sports 411 for December 7th-10th!

Men’s Basketball

On Tuesday, December 8th Loveland’s Men’s Basketball Team battled against Walnut Hills at home but unfortunately came up with a loss, 57 – 28. Addison Hearn was the Tigers’ lead scorer with 12 points.

Earlier this month the Men’s Basketball Team gained two victories against Harrison and West Clermont. Loveland is currently 2-1 overall and 1-1 in the ECC.

Loveland will travel to Winton Woods on the 11th and to Mariemont on the 12th. Both games will tip off at 7:30 PM.

Women’s Basketball

The Loveland Women’s Basketball Team played Milford at home on Monday, December 7th, and pulled out a conference victory, 45 – 35. Nia Kemper was the Tigers’ lead scorer with 15 points and Olivia Raby hit the boards hard collecting 8 rebounds.

On Wednesday, December 9th Loveland played in another rivalry ECC match-up against Little Miami at home. The Tigers won 58 – 51. Tess Broermann was Loveland’s top performer with 20 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals while Jenna Batsch played quite the game as well ending with 14 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 4 blocks.

The Tigers are now sitting in 2nd place in ECC with a 4-1 overall record and 3-0 ECC record. The Loveland Women’s Basketball Team will face Turpin on Turpin’s home court on the 12th at 2 PM.

Men’s and Women’s Swimming

Both Loveland’s Men’s and Women’s Swimming Teams will compete on Friday, December 11th at Milford at 6 PM.

Men’s Bowling

The Loveland Men’s Bowling team competed on Tuesday, December 8th where they won against Milford, 2691-2636 (Match Details). Brayden Shepard was the Tigers’ top performer with a 223 average and 446 Pins.

On Wednesday, December 9th Loveland won against Walnut Hills, 2564-2238 (Match Details). Sherron Peacock was the Tigers’ top bowler with a 210 average and 420 Pins.

The Men’s Bowling Team are 4-1 overall and 3-1 in the ECC capturing the 3rd place spot. Loveland will compete again today against Winton Woods at 4 PM at Omni Funplex and again on the 13th in the Holiday Classic at Western Bowl at 9:30 AM.

Women’s Bowling

The Loveland Women’s Bowling Team competed on Tuesday, December 8th against Milford where they won 1989-1528 (Match Details). Ashley Gilker was the Tigers’ top performer with a 188 average and 376 pins.

On Wednesday, December 9th the Tigers captured another win against Walnut Hills, 2057-1518 (Match Details). Ashley Gilker was the top bowler for the Tigers with a 202 average and 404 Pins.

Loveland’s Women’s Bowling Team is now 2-3 overall and 2-2 in the ECC. The Tigers will take on Winton Woods today at 3:30 PM at Omni Funplex and on the 13th will participate in the Holiday Classic at Western Bowl at 9:30 AM.

Academic Team

The Loveland Academic Team faced Milford in two games on Wednesday, December 9th winning 81-47 in both games.

The Academic Team is currently 2-0-0 in the ECC and will play again on January 6th against Little Miami at 4 PM.

For more of Loveland High School’s latest sports news stay tuned to the Sports 411 With Me, Cassie Mattia!

Dec 10, 2020
Huge Ohio Rivalry College Football Games Scheduled for Saturday are Canceled

Cassie Mattia is the Associate Editor of Loveland Magazine and lives in Historic Downtown Loveland

by Cassie Mattia

Loveland, Ohio – Many college football fans across Ohio are devastated due to the announcement that was delivered by the American Athletic Conference and the Michigan Athletic Department on Tuesday that both the OSU vs. Michigan game and the Cincinnati vs. Tulsa game are officially canceled.

Both rivalry games were scheduled for Saturday, December 12th, but because of the rise in positive COVID-19 cases in Cincinnati and in Michigan, it was advised by UC’s conference Medical Advisory Group and Michigan’s health experts that they cancel the games. The UC vs. Tulsa game will not be rescheduled but both teams are scheduled to play again on Saturday, December 19th in the AAC Championship Game.

Both UC’s and Michigan’s Athletic Directors spoke about the spike in positive COVID-19 cases in their student-athletes and around campus.

“Like so much of our country, the Bearcats football program has dealt with rising cases of COVID-19 over the last several weeks,” UC’s AD John Cunningham said in a press release, “Since returning from Orlando on Nov. 21, 2020, we had an increased number of positives among our student-athletes, coaches and staff. Thankfully, we have had very few symptomatic cases and those who did show symptoms appear to be doing well. This week, UC began a slow, measured return to activities, fully aware of the importance of monitoring our student-athletes who are returning after time away from practice. If we are selected to host the AAC Championship game on Dec. 19, we have requested a variance with the state of Ohio to allow a limited number of fans in the stadium. We look forward to continuing our season on Saturday, Dec. 19.”

Michigan’s Athletic Director Ward Manuel said, “The number of positive tests has continued to trend in an upward direction over the last seven days. We have not been cleared to participate in practice at this time. Unfortunately, we will not be able to field a team due to COVID-19 positives and the associated quarantining required of close-contact individuals. This decision is disappointing for our team and coaches but their health and safety are paramount, and it will always come first in our decision-making.”

The Wolverines will continue daily testing in hopes that they will be cleared to be apart of the Big Ten Champions Week, which will be held December 18th-19th.

Due to the OSU vs. Michigan game cancellation, the Buckeyes are now facing their third game cancellation this season resulting in the team being ineligible for the Big Ten Champions Title. This particular rule was established before the season began.

Thankfully for both UC and OSU fans, both teams are still ranked in the Associated Press Top 10. Below are the rankings as of December 9th.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL RANKINGS: ASSOCIATED PRESS TOP 10 (12-9-2020)

1. Alabama (9-0)

2. Notre Dame (10-0)

3. Clemson (9-1)

4. Ohio State (5-0)

5. Texas A&M (7-1)

6. Florida (8-1)

7. Iowa State (8-2)

8. Cincinnati (8-0)

9. Georgia (6-2)

10. Miami (8-1)

11. Oklahoma (7-2)

12. Indiana (6-1)

13. Coastal Carolina (10-0)

14. Northwestern (5-1)

15. USC (3-0)

For more of your latest Ohio and Loveland sports updates stay tuned to the Sports 411 With Me, Cassie Mattia!

Dec 9, 2020
OHSAA Releases Individual Winter Sport COVID-19 Recommendations and Modifications

by Cassie Mattia

Cassie Mattia is the Associate Editor of Loveland Magazine and lives in Historic Downtown

Columbus, Ohio – High school winter sports are a go in the state of Ohio! On November 20th the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) sent out a memo to schools confirming that the up and coming winter sports season would begin as scheduled.

The OHSAA memo read, “While individual school districts can pause sports at any time due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the OHSAA does not intend to alter the statewide season dates. The decision came after discussions with the Governor’s Office, the OHSAA Board of Directors, OHSAA staff, and many school administrators, along with the results of a recent survey of OHSAA member school administrators. Of 1,464 survey responses, 826 respondents (56 percent) voted to begin winter sports as previously scheduled.”

According to the survey, 33 percent of Ohio’s school administrators wanted to post-pone winter sports until early January, while 11 percent voted to post-pone winter sports indefinitely until Ohio’s COVID-19 conditions got significantly better.

The OHSAA made sure to mention the Governor’s Curfew Order in the memo as well stating, “the Governor’s 10:00 p.m. Ohio curfew order does not mean that teams and fans must be home from their competitions by 10:00 p.m., but venues must be vacated by 10:00 p.m. The OHSAA encourages schools and conferences to alter start times if needed so that competitions end in time to close the facility by 10:00 p.m.“

OHSAA has made it very clear since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic that their number one priority is the safety of the student-athletes, coaches, and fans. In order to continue interscholastic competition during the winter sports season OHSAA developed “sport-specific requirements, recommendations, and modifications.” Below are the links to each winter sports requirements, recommendations, and modifications provided by OHSAA.

Basketball: http://bit.ly/BKRecs

Bowling: http://bit.ly/BORecs

Gymnastics: http://bit.ly/GYMRecs

Ice Hockey: http://bit.ly/IHRecs

Swimming & Diving: http://bit.ly/SDRecs

Wrestling: http://bit.ly/WRRecs

Swimming & Diving: http://bit.ly/SDRecs

Although Ohio’s High school winter sports seasons are allowed to continue as planned, for the time being, OHSAA was sure to include in the memo Friday mandates, spectator capacity, and recommended best practices per the Ohio Department of Health Director’s Sports Order (https://bit.ly/2RWa1jh). OHSAA’s memo read, “It is especially important that requirements for facial coverings, social distancing, and frequent hand washing be followed and that facility hosts disinfect and clean competition and high contact areas frequently. Also note that the Order has a limit on spectator capacity, which is the lesser of 15 percent of fixed, permanent seats or 300.“

If you would like to read the Health Department’s Responsible Restart Ohio Guidance Document for Sports click the following link: https://coronavirus.ohio.gov/static/responsible/Youth-Collegiate-Amateur-Club-Pro-Sports.pdf.

If you would like to read the Health Department’s Responsible Restart Ohio Guidance Document for Sports Venues click the following link: https://coronavirus.ohio.gov/static/responsible/Sports-Venues.pdf.

For the latest OHSAA COVID-19 sports updates stay tuned to the Sports 411 with me, Cassie Mattia!

Nov 23, 2020
L.H.S’s Coach Parker Gives Sneak Preview of 2020-2021 Season!

by Cassie Mattia

Cassie Mattia is the Associate Editor of Loveland Magazine and lives in Historic Downtown Loveland

Can’t imagine a Countdown without the Kid, Our Capt @tessbroermann
AKA T-Wip! Tess has been my Coach on the floor for 3 yrs & now as a Sr she is the undisputed engine & leader of our program! Proud of you is an understatement! Let’s run it back one last time kid #OurWay – Coach Parker

Loveland, Ohio – It’s that time of year again that gives many, including myself, an endless amount of joy! You maybe asking yourself, “Well what is so significant about this time of year?” IT’S BASKETBALL SEASON BABY! Of course the single phrase has to be said in a Dick Vitale voice!

Basketball teams all across Ohio are preparing for what should be a very interesting season in light of COVID-19. The L.H.S Women’s Basketball team has not been letting the pandemic slow them down as they have been safely practicing hard in preparation for the first game that will be held on November 24th at the Tiger’s home gym against Lakota East at 7:30 P.M.

Coach Darnell Parker and Assistant Coach Keith (Breezy) Braswell celebrating the ECC Championship in 2020

Coach Parker from #Darnell Parker on Twitter

L.H.S’s Women’s Basketball team is coming off of a historical 2019-2020 season, grabbing their first league title, sectional title, and an outstanding overall record of 22-4. Although they have lost some unbelievable female athletes such as the Tiger’s top performer, Jillian Hayes who will begin her career as Cincinnati Bearcat this year, Head Coach Darnell Parker says that he has two incredible leaders returning in Seniors Jenna Batsch and Tess Broermann that are sure to give the team that fire they need to succeed this year!

So without further ado, here is the 2020-2021 Loveland High School Women’s Basketball Season Preview!

The following graphics and photos provided by team photographer, Gayle Rothmeeler.

Tiger Nation let me introduce you to Our @ViviClayton
AKA ViVi! Vivi is a team-first guard willing to do whatever her team needs! Greatness is already in your DNA kid, go ahead and put it on display for all to witness! Orange and Black looks good on you Viv!#OurWay – Coach Parker

Cassie – What have you and the Tigers been doing in preparation for this season?

Coach Parker – Preparation for this season started over the summer with our team lifting and conditioning sessions, as well as our super popular 6 A.M, Breakfast Club workouts. This is a great time for our kids as we start forming bonds and shaping the identity of this year’s team!

She had her coming out party against the number 1 team in the state last year and Our Miss @EarlyJosie is hungry for more! Ultra competitive guard with a knack for slicing through defenses! Remember the name folks, get your ready! #OurWay – Coach Parker

Cassie – What effect has COVID-19 had on your preparation?

Coach Parker – Keeping our Student-Athletes safe is our top priority. Each player, coach, and member of our program is diligent in following the guidelines set by our District and the OHSAA. Our kids have done a great job adjusting and it hasn’t affected our preparation too much.

No better place to start than with the Captain @JennaBatsch
aka STRETCH! Don’t let the smoothness fool you, the Kent St commit is an absolute BEAST on the court! It’s her time to shine bright! #OurWay – Coach Parker

Cassie – Who are some of the players that are returning? Any starters? Who do you expect to be a captain or “leader” for the other ladies to look up to this year.

Coach Parker – SR-Jenna Batsch(Kent State Commit, Second leading scorer last year 11ppg)-Captain, SR-Tess Broermann(4-year starter 6.3ppg last season)-Captain, SO-Olivia Raby(Lead the team in FG% 52% 3.5ppg), SO-Josie Early(3ppg, Strong tournament run last season), Jr-Nia Kemper(PG Transfer from Wyoming 14ppg, Excellent shooter and defender), Jr-Vivian Clayton(G Transfer from Sycamore 8ppg, Great Defender and strong guard attacking the basket).

Next up it’s Our Miss @ellanagel_AKA Shirley(another inside joke)! A summer spent grinding and getting better, and the Jr is ready to Soar! You have the green light to be great kid! All gas no brakes!! #OurWay – Coach Parker

Cassie – Any big games you and the team are looking forward to?

Coach Parker – We always enjoy the matchups with Walnut Hills and West Clermont. They have been the Gold standards in the league for a lot of years. This year we add three new teams in Little Miami, Lebanon, and Winton Woods. Starting new rivalries with these schools will be fun!

LIV!!!!! Big sis may be gone but the Raby legacy continues! Our @Olivia_Raby_
established herself as a big-time rim protector last season and this Summer added to her offensive game! Don’t take my word for it though, just enjoy the show #OurWay – Coach Parker

Cassie – What will be some of your primary focuses or things you would like to improve on from last season this year?

Coach Parker – This season we will really focus on sharing the basketball and attacking opposing defenses from a lot of angles. We have 6-7 girls that could get double digits points on any given night and as a coach that is very exciting! Defensively our pressure is going to be suffocating and we are going to be able to pressure teams for 32 minutes or more if necessary!

I call her Laverne(inside joke) but Our @Yeager_Rachel15 is coming off of a solid Summer and ready to make her mark! You won’t find many who work as hard as Yeags, and that hard work is starting to pay dividends! Watch out Tiger Nation she’s ready to explode! #OurWay – Coach Parker

Cassie – Will the coaching staff be the same as last year or do you have any newcomers?

Coach Parker – We return our entire coaching staff from last year. Really helps with continuity.

Salute to the next in a long line of great #24s Our Miss Twitterless Gabby Saletta! The freshman is Lightning Quick on both sides of the ball and a ton of toughness after spending the fall on the pitch! Keep working Gabs! You got Next! #OurWay – Coach Parker

Cassie – Do you have any Freshmen or Sophomores that you are expecting big things from this season?

Coach Parker – Josie Early and Olivia Raby received significant minutes and experience as a freshman last year. They are going to be a big piece of the puzzle this season!

Tiger Nation allow me to introduce a NewComer to the program Our Miss @NiaKemper4
AKA FLEEK! Don’t Blink because if you do the ultra-quick sharp shooting PG will be gone! Don’t let the smile fool you she’s looking to take Someone’s lunch money on that Court #OurWay – Coach Parker

Cassie – What are some of your personal coaching goals this year? Team goals?

Coach Parker – Personally my goals have shifted based on my health situation. Every day that I am able to spend with my team is a blessing! When I am physically able I want to be with the team. I draw energy from them. The team really wants to defend out ECC crown and get back and when a District title. The community has really rallied behind myself and this team, I really feel we are destined for great things!

We play in the present but the future looks bright especially for Our @HannahPawlikow1! This is one tough Freshman who doesn’t mind mixing it up in the paint! Excited to watch her develop in the next 4 years!! #OurWay – Coach Parker

Cassie – Will you be competing against any schools that you haven’t competed against in the past or haven’t competed against in quite some time? If so what teams?

Coach Parker – As Mentioned above we will start playing the new teams in our conference. We also open up with Lakota East who we haven’t played in recent times.

Big shoes to fill after she took over her pals # but Our @SophiaKapsz
(just call me KAPS) is up for the challenge! Infectious energy and an animal on the boards, she ready to wreak havoc this year. I hope she even breaks out the dance moves #OurWay – Coach Parker

Cassie – Any new mottos this year other than your infamous #Ourway?!

Coach Parker – Haha, OurWay will always be the motto that we follow. With my diagnosis, the Girls have reached a Mantra of OURWAY, OURFIGHT. They are in this battle with me. That’s what Family does!!#OurWay

Another one of our Fab Frosh making the Countdown! Our Miss @bebout_sara
is well on her way to being a force in the paint for our Tigers! The future is bright for you kid! Keep working and getting better every day! #OurWay – Coach Parker

For more of the Sports 411 with me, Cassie Mattia, stay tuned!

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Nov 20, 2020
Tiger Seniors Jenna Batsch and Lauren Donovan Announced as part of 2021 Collegiate Recruiting Classes!

The above photo is Jenna Batsch in action in the District Semi-Final for the Loveland Tigers last season (Loveland Magazine file photo)

Cassie Mattia is the Associate Editor of Loveland Magazine and lives in Historic Downton.

Loveland, Ohio – As the end of the school year nears, L.H.S’s Senior student-athletes are making plans for the future! It was announced last week that two Tigers, Jenna Batsch and Lauren Donovan committed to playing collegiate athletics at two very prestigious schools.

Lauren Donovan

University of Minnesota’s Head Women’s Soccer Coach, Stefanie Golan, announced last Wednesday, that L.H.S’s Lauren Donovan would become a part of the Women’s Soccer 2021 Recruiting Class. Joining Donovan will be five other talented women, two forwards, two midfielders, one defender, and one goalkeeper.

Donovan has had quite the impressive Tiger journey earning All-City and First Team All-Southwest honors in 2019 for Soccer as well as two varsity letters in Basketball and Track and Field (in addition to Soccer). This year Donovan was apart of the 16-4 L.H.S Women’s Soccer Team that not only secured a District Championship but also Regional Runner-Up honors.

Head Coach Golan is excited to see Donovan’s contribution to what Golan thinks will be a stellar 2021 recruiting class!

In addition to playing soccer, Donovan will be majoring in Communications at the University of Minnesota.

To see the full article on Lauren Donovan click the following link: https://gophersports.com/news/2020/11/11/gopher-soccer-announces-2021-recruiting-class.aspx.

Jenna Batsch

The University of Kent State’s Women’s Basketball Coach, Todd Starkey, also announced on Wednesday that Loveland Tiger basketball stand-out, Jenna Batsch, along with three others, would be joining the 2021 Recruiting Class.

Head Coach Starkey said that he believes Batsch will be a much needed addition to an already talented group of student-athletes! Starkey then went on to predict a possible Mid-American Conference Championship throughout the course of the 2021 Recruiting Class’s four seasons.

Six-foot guard, Batsch was a part of last year’s Loveland Women’s Basketball Team that made history earning their first-ever ECC Championship, a Sectional Title, and a 22-4 record. Batsch collected First Team All-ECC, Honorable Mention All-District, and was ranked in the ECC’s top 10 in both steals and blocked shots, averaging 10.9 points, 2.5 steals, and 0.8 blocked shots per game.

To read the full article on Jenna Batsch click the following link: https://kentstatesports.com/news/2020/11/11/womens-basketball-starkey-adds-four-to-begin-early-signing-period.aspx.

To stay up-to-date on the latest Loveland Tiger sports news tune into the Sports 411 with me, Cassie Mattia!

Nov 16, 2020
OSU AT MARYLAND FOOTBALL GAME CANCELED

Maryland pauses team-related activities; the game was set to be played at College Park, Md., on Saturday

by Cassie Mattia

Cassie Mattia is the Associate Editor of Loveland Magazine and lives in Historic Downtown Loveland.

Columbus, Ohio – COVID-19 has yet again claimed another college sporting event as the football game between No. 3 Ohio State University and the University of Maryland, which was scheduled for tomorrow at 3 p.m. in College Park, Md., televised on the Big Ten Network, has been canceled. The game will not be rescheduled.

Earlier this week the University of Maryland put out a press release saying that they would be hitting the pause button on all team activities because of the rise in COVID-19 cases. Maryland’s press release said that “the joint decision to pause football activities and cancel Saturday’s game was made by Director of Athletics Damon Evans and University of Maryland President Darryll Pines, following a recommendation from University health officials, and in consultation with the Big Ten Conference.”

According to the Maryland press release, during the past seven days, eight Maryland Football players have tested positive for COVID-19. Maryland Athletics released a testing update stating that between September 30th and November 10th 1,510 on-campus PCR screening tests were conducted for student-athletes in all sports. 10 student-athletes tested positive.

The Big Ten Conference started testing football student-athletes on September 30th and the men’s and women’s basketball team on October 26th. All other student-athletes will continue to be tested weekly.

For the latest sports updates stay tuned the Sports 411 with me, Cassie Mattia!

Nov 13, 2020