.st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Matt Goul, cleveland.comCANTON Ohio — Lutheran East has a chance for a third straight OHSAA state championship in boys basketball Richmond Heights’ bid to win its fourth straight T.J. Crumble celebrated with his Falcons, as they beat his former teammates and advanced to the state semifinals with a 64-59 win Saturday at the Canton Memorial Field House in the Division V regional finals Lutheran East (23-4) will play an opponent at a site to be determined Sunday by the OHSAA after the conclusion of all regional finals a 6-foot-8 junior forward and one of the country’s top prospects in his class Demarris Winters paced Richmond Heights with 19 points while playing with four fouls for more than two quarters Ohio State recruit Dorian Jones fouled out in the fourth quarter missing most of the third after committing his fourth foul and the Spartans (17-10) saw the end of an era with their trio of longtime standouts at guard with four-year starters Jones and De’Erick Barber Jr Jones finished with six points and four blocks Chris Hill complemented Crumble with 16 points and six rebounds while sophomore Ty Harrison dished out five assists Lutheran East rallied from a 15-point deficit and attacked the Spartans’ defense with their top players in foul trouble Harrison and Lutheran East coach Sam Liggins in the video atop this post Contact sports reporter Matt Goul on X (@mgoul), Threads (@mgoul) or email (mgoul@cleveland.com) Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, (updated 8/1/2024) and acknowledgement of our Privacy Policy, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/1/2025) © 2025 Advance Local Media LLC. All rights reserved (About Us) The material on this site may not be reproduced except with the prior written permission of Advance Local Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site YouTube's privacy policy is available here and YouTube's terms of service is available here Ad Choices COLUMBUS — Austin Rose and Kalen Winbush do not sky above the rim but few are better than the Newark senior boys basketball duo at protecting it Rose and Winbush spearheaded a defensive charge Sunday that stifled the three-time Division IV state champions Newark held Richmond Heights to 28 percent shooting in a 41-36 victory during the Five-C Classic at Capital “(Coach Jeff Quackenbush) always harps on focusing on something other than scoring to help us win and that’s what me and (Winbush) always find a way to do,” Rose said “We have been doing it for about four years now I hope we pass that on down to the younger guys Sometimes you are going to have those games where nothing’s falling That’s when you have to get stops on defense.” but he did score twice on layups during a pivotal third quarter when Newark (6-1) built as much as an 11-point lead The Spartans (2-2) cut that lead to 34-30 with 3:55 left in the game but the Wildcats held them scoreless until the final 30 seconds Rose and Winbush each took a charge in the victory Winbush went end to end in the second quarter contesting a 3-point attempt before racing down to finish a transition layup off an assist from sophomore Ty Brooks and he grabbed a key offensive rebound with Newark clinging to its late lead in the fourth “We are getting pressured full-court the whole game I know our guards are going to be tired,” Winbush said It’s small things like getting open for them or getting them open by cutting hard or setting blur screens a two-time reigning Division I district champion running its winning streak to six since a season-opening loss to Akron Buchtel The Wildcats beat fellow perennial powers Pickerington Central and Richmond Heights in a span of less than 48 hours taking the lead for good after a 2-2 tie and leading 10-2 after the first quarter The Spartans got as close as 39-36 with 10 seconds left but Newark junior Jake Quackenbush made two clinching free throws “Our kids played a little tired after having four games in eight days more mentally than anything but that builds some toughness in the long run,” Jeff Quackenbush said They have five guards who stand around the perimeter and they made us look bad on some possessions They need a day or two off to get their legs back.” Newark only allowed Richmond Heights one easy basket in transition The Wildcats forced the Spartans to play 5-on-5 and they limited them to one often missed shot piling up a 36-16 rebounding edge with Jake Quackenbush grabbing a game-high nine “Defense is how we win games,” Winbush said but it’s really about having that 3- or 4-point lead going to the fourth because defense is the foundation of our team Senior Braylon Morris led a balanced attack with 10 points as Newark was able to score in the first quarter on back-door cuts and drives Jake Quackenbush added 8 points for the Wildcats who were able to get behind the Spartans’ extended full-court defense in the third quarter including when Winbush again beat the defense in transition for a layup hit two of the Spartans’ six 3s and totaled a game-high 12 points scoring just 5 points and sitting out much of the fourth quarter “It’s no secret who they got and where they’re going We knew if we tried to beat them with skill ksnyder@newarkadvocate.com Instagram: @newarkurt Akdeniz and his business partner, Chong Yo, are transforming the strip mall at 4205 N. Florida Ave. into a food hall. The Seminole Heights spot, which doesn’t have a definitive name yet, is expected to house around eight different eateries. The partners hoped to open the food hall by the end of this year, but Akdeniz now projects that construction will likely be complete in early 2025. The restaurateur, originally from a village in Turkey, has been busy launching two new ‘za shops, including one at the University of South Florida. Yo said that one side of the hall may open sooner, hopefully by the end of 2024. As construction continues, more booths would become available. 4205 Florida Ave LLC, owned by Yo, purchased the strip mall for $750,000 in 2021. The Tampa native wanted to return to his roots after living in New York. Recent development and an influx of new restaurants along Florida Avenue made for a property with much potential. In the future, Akdeniz hopes to expand the food hall to include an inviting outdoor space. Each of the hall’s establishments will feature Asian flavors. Expect Korean street food, Japanese fusion, Vietnamese dishes and more. Other concepts will put Asian twists on American classics: smash burgers infused with spices from the region, carnitas tacos reinvented with a Korean kick and, of course, pizza. Except, instead of selling pizza by the slice, guests will be able to craft personal pies. It was just last year that the once-homeless pizza shop owner brought the first Champion Pizza (which is co-owned by Yo) to Florida. The chain began in New York City, and Akdeniz’s personal story shaped the mission for his pizzerias. He makes sure that every customer, including those who are homeless, leaves fed. “Whenever you see any homeless people, just send [them] to our pizzeria to go eat free food,” he said. Hakki Akdeniz, owner of Champion Pizza, is bringing a new food hall to Seminole Heights in Tampa. [ Courtesy of Hakki Akdeniz ]When it comes to serving the community, Akdeniz has similar plans for his food hall. The business partners plan to work with vendors to reduce food insecurity for the homeless. Akdeniz also anticipates the hall being the first of its kind in Tampa Bay due to its innovative flavor mashups. ”Have you tried any Korean pizza?” he asked. The food hall in Seminole Heights won’t be the duo’s final mark on the area. Akdeniz envisions several more Champion Pizza locations across the Sunshine State. Subscribe to our free Do & Dine newsletter You’re all signed up!Want more of our free, weekly newsletters in your inbox? Let’s get started. “Believe it or not,” he said, “the moment I stop giving is the moment I’m gonna stop making money.” The National Weather Service is surveying damage across Ohio on Thursday following severe weather on Wednesday These survey teams are looking at the storm damage to determine if a tornado caused it and how strong of a tornado it was when it occurred PORTAGE COUNTY: The NWS in Cleveland confirmed damage from an EF 1 tornado occurred Wednesday evening near Windham in Portage County The tornado had estimated wind speeds of 110 mph and was on the ground for nearly 4 miles with a path width of 65 yards It started WSW of Windam at 6:45 pm and ended NNE of Windham at 6:51 p.m The tornado began near the intersection of State Route 303 and Stanley Road The tornado produced wind damage of EF-0 to low-end EF-1 intensity as it downed trees and damaged the roofs of several buildings The tornado continued northeast toward Bryant Road where the tornado caused significant damage to a large garage and moved a shed several yards impacting three tractor-trailers and closing the highway for some time North of the Ohio Turnpike and off Bryant Road and caused other minor structural damage indicative of EF-1 damage The tornado continued northeast toward Parkman Road This area received the greatest wind damage from the tornado Two homes were shifted off their foundations Numerous large trees were downed onto some homes The tornado continued northeast and crossed State Route 82 The tornado continued producing tree damage to Frazier Road before dissipating prior to reaching Silica Sand Road there were no reports of injuries or fatalities TRUMBULL COUNTY: The NWS in Cleveland confirmed damage from an EF 0 tornado occurred Wednesday evening near Champion Township and Southington Township in Trumbull County The tornado had estimated wind speeds of 80 mph and was on the ground for nearly three miles with a path width of 20 yards It started west of Champion Heights at 7:01 p.m and ended NNW of Champion Heights at 7:06 p.m The tornado touched down near State Route 305 Damage in this location included significant damage to a garage and some downed trees The tornado continued northeast to Oak Hill Drive where additional downed trees caused damage to a couple of homes The tornado continued northeast to Downs Road NW where more trees prompted more home damage The tornado caused more tree damage west of Mahoning Avenue (State Route 45) but the tornado likely dissipated prior to reaching the road CRAWFORD COUNTY: The NWS in Cleveland confirmed damage from an EF 1 tornado that occurred Wednesday near Bucyrus in Crawford County This is just outside of the Power of 5 viewing area to the west of Richland County The tornado had estimated wind speeds of 110 mph and was on the ground for nearly 3 and a half miles with a path width of 100 yards It started WSW of Bucyrus at 4:06 pm and ended NE of Bucyrus at 4:11 p.m The tornado began near the bend of Kerstetter Road and West Southern Avenue The tornado yielded 80 mph winds with damage to the roof of a home on West Southern Avenue The tornado tracked northeast and produced scattered damage in the form of broken tree limbs The tornado continued northeast across the Sandusky River and increased in intensity up to 100 mph Several large hardwood trees were uprooted and a shed was destroyed near the intersection of Ridge Avenue and Wise Street The tornado continued northeast with max winds of 110 mph while moving a house off its foundation The tornado also caused roof damage to the post office and a roof collapse at a convenience store in and around downtown Bucyrus an abandoned plant wall was blown out and several antennas were bent blowing down several large trees across a golf course and damaging a storage shed Several tree limbs were broken as the tornado tracked northeast and weakened The tornado finally ended along Beechgrove Road northeast of U.S There were also other tornadoes reported in Ohio The NWS in Wilmington confirmed an EF-0 touched down in eastern Champaign County and an EF-1 in SE Delaware County EF Scale: The Enhanced Fujita Scale classifies tornadoes into the following categories: Download the StormShield app for weather alerts on your iOS and Android device: Apple|Android Click here to view our interactive radar. Read and watch the latest Power of 5 forecast here. Mark Johnson: Facebook & Twitter Trent Magill: Facebook & Twitter Katie McGraw: Facebook & Twitter Phil Sakal: Facebook & Twitter Raina Fitzwater has always had an affinity for being in the air Long before she won state championships in pole vaulting and diving she started doing gymnastics at the age of three she was introduced to the idea of an additional sport “My older teammates started pole vaulting,” Fitzwater said Many of her skills from her first athletic endeavor transferred to her next one “Gymnastics definitely helped me to transition to pole vaulting,” Fitzwater said “[It] definitely taught me good body-air awareness If a pole vault thing ever went kind of wrong or something I knew where I was in the air to make it as safe as possible with the landing.” Fitzwater began pole vaulting when she was in eighth grade but she quickly improved to an elite status when she rose above a height of 10 feet The performance earned her first place at the event where she reached the milestone but I wasn’t even a high schooler yet and that really pushed me to want to become a better pole vaulter and definitely helped me gain confidence in myself,” Fitzwater said Western Albemarle’s Raina Fitzwater is in this week’s Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital Athlete Spotlight She continued developing into her freshman year at Western Albemarle and finished third at the VHSL Class 4 Indoor Track and Field State Championships She later placed fourth at the outdoor state championships that spring Fitzwater started diving to go along with her pole vaulting pursuits and competed in both during the winter of her sophomore season She quickly grew accustomed to the new endeavor due to the overlap in skills with her first sport “Gymnastics definitely also helped with diving — a lot of the background with the flips and tumbling,” Fitzwater said I didn’t have too much fear in diving because it’s just so similar [to] gymnastics.” She finished fourth at the diving state championships in 2023 and became the state runner-up in pole vaulting less than two weeks later she claimed the state title in pole vaulting at the outdoor championships “It wasn’t a surprise,” Western Albemarle pole vaulting coach Kevin Matheny said and a lot of trust between the athlete and coach to really knock those bars down and get those heights.” Her early success in diving also motivated her to commit further to her pursuits at the pool “It made me realize that I could be a lot better and I had a lot of growth I could do,” Fitzwater said “I practiced a lot over the summer before my junior year just trying to become better and getting new skills and more difficulty to try and win states the next year.” When the date of the 2024 diving state championships arrived she claimed her second-consecutive pole vaulting state crown in the outdoor championships Western Albemarle’s Raina Fitzwater has won VHSL state championships in both pole vaulting and diving Fitzwater claimed All-American status in pole vaulting and competed among the best in the country I tried and focused more on the national level As she has been at the same events of fellow top-tier pole vaulters she has enjoyed the culture embraced by everyone involved “I feel like when you get to the higher levels it’s definitely a closer community that all want the best for each other,” Fitzwater said “They’re all very supportive of each other because although it is an individual sport everyone just wants a [personal record] for each other.” Throughout her time competing in various sports Fitzwater has grown appreciative of the assistance from those closest to her “My family — they’ve supported me — driving me to meets and paying for my stuff,” Fitzwater said Regarding her progression in pole vaulting “He has always supported me and has always wanted the best for me and just always had confidence in me,” Fitzwater said Fitzwater will be continuing her athletic and academic journey at William & Mary under a scholarship she earned through her pole vaulting prowess Fitzwater will keep her focus on being the best she can be but really competing against yourself is the most important part.” cgionta@dailyprogress.com Email notifications are only sent once a day Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account Learn LU Facts Find Maps View Events Browse Undergrad Majors  Browse Grad Programs Apply Visit Request Info Make a Gift The Lehigh men's ice hockey team celebrates with the AJ Ruth Memorial Cup after winning its first ever Eastern Collegiate Hockey Association championship The hockey program was ranked as high as 23rd this season and won the Eastern Collegiate Hockey Association championship For the first time in the program’s 85-year existence, according to coach Josh Hand, Lehigh’s Division 1 men’s club ice hockey team earned national recognition as well as an Eastern Collegiate Hockey Association (ECHA) championship Lehigh was at one point ranked 23rd by the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) And in its first ECHA conference playoffs since the 2019-20 season on Sunday to hoist the AJ Ruth Memorial Cup Lehigh's Michael Grise corrals the puck along the boards in a game played earlier this year winning the Eastern Pennsylvania Intercollegiate Hockey League Hand says going into the season he knew they had a strong first-year class to pair with a talented roster of returning players but predicting success is difficult because each season is so different He’s confident that the team will continue to build on the created momentum Goaltender Kenny Burgess helped Lehigh go 22-7-3 setting a record for best season in school history for the club “Next year is looking really good,” Hand says “We will lose [to graduation] a significant number of impact players that have helped grow this program to the level of earning it national attention The program’s success is a direct reflection of how hard they have worked But we have a fantastic freshman class coming in as the result of the recruiting efforts of my assistant coaches who has been with the program for the last two years Hopefully these new players pick up where our graduating players have left off and continue to find success.” Read more stories on the Lehigh News Center. head coach Kevin Cahill has changed the culture of Lehigh football and it’s already paying dividends on and off the field Skyler Mott ’25 is involved in numerous entrepreneurial ventures ranging from a chess nonprofit to a storage company Goodman was instrumental in shaping the retail landscape of the mid-to-late 20th century and a pioneer of the super-regional mall concept For inquiries, visit the media page or contact: Amy White(610) 758-6656abw210@lehigh.edu 301 Broadway, 4th Floor - Suite 400Bethlehem, PA 18015U.S.A.P: (610) 758-4487Fax: (610) 758-5566communications@lehigh.edu GO: The Campaign for Future MakersBe part of the most ambitious fundraising and engagement effort in Lehigh's history. Visit the campaign website now > Phone: (610) 758-3000 © 2025 All Rights Reserved Eleonora Curtabbi was not sure how much she would even compete this past track and field season.  The West Texas A&M junior distance runner had complications from a blood clot in December that caused her to be hospitalized She was not cleared to run until returning to campus in January and shortly following clearance from her doctors she developed an issue with one of her knees Curtabbi had some inner trepidations about getting back into her usual routine and she approached the spring schedule with caution She did not compete in the indoor season until the GVSU Big Meet in Michigan on Feb she was a Lone Star Conference indoor champion in the 3,000- and 5,000-meter runs Just three months after those conference titles Curtabbi won her first individual national championship in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a personal best time (10 minutes 7.77 seconds) that was more than five seconds quicker than the second-place finisher.  Her résumé from the spring also includes setting school records in both the 800 (2:08.72) and 1,500 (4:24.78) "I honestly had the best season of my life," Curtabbi said Curtabbi began working with new WT head cross country and distance coach Zach Daniel and the two built a solid rapport throughout the spring semester.  Sod Poodles Weekly: Cam Booser continues to improve after five-year hiatus from baseball "We work really well together," Curtabbi said and he honestly did an amazing job with me this season We both knew that I could do very good at nationals I came in with the top time and the goal was to try to be smart in the race and do exactly what we did I'm so happy about the title and I know we can do something even better next year." Daniel was impressed with the drive that one of his star athletes showed as well as her ability to push through her health issues to reach new heights it's even more impressive what she was able to do this outdoor season," Daniel said "She has one of the best attitudes out of anyone that I've ever coached." and was pushed extensively by her parents to run competitively at the college level in the United States After a year off from school and a delayed decision on where to take her talents to compete for the Iowa Central Community College Tritons Curtabbi was an eight-time All-American and won the 2020 NJCAA half-marathon national championship title in her two years in Iowa She gained valuable experience running at the junior college level and showed that she had the skills to compete against tougher competition She also gained new friendships and perspective during her time spent in the Midwest.  "It was very hard for me my first year because my English was very bad so I couldn't speak with my roommates but everyone was always there to try to help me out Something that I really love about the USA is that in every college you can find a lot of people from different countries and learn a lot of different cultures."  BASKETBALL: LaMarcus Penigar commits to play basketball at Fort Scott Community College in NJCAA Curtabbi has spent that last two years competing and contributing big-time for the back-to-back NCAA Division II outdoor national champion Lady Buffs She was a 2021 indoor second team All-American and first team All-Lone Star Conference selection before an outdoor season that included a 14th-place finish in the 3,000 steeplechase (11:05.87) and another first team All-Lone Star Conference honor She won both the 1,500- and 3,000-meter steeplechase at the LSC Championships in 2021 while also being responsible for delivering the Lady Buffs' first title in the 3,000 steeplechase (10:59.96) Her national title-winning time this season was 58.1 seconds faster than her time at the 2021 Outdoor D-II Championships Curtabbi recalls how she was injured "mostly all that season" and by the time the national championship meet rolled around she was mentally exhausted and not ready to compete at 100 percent.  Curtabbi was determined as ever to succeed under her third coach in the last three years "She had this new level of confidence that she really hadn't had while she's been here in the U.S.," Daniel said "I think that was probably the biggest change was just making sure that while we're in practice we're giving her workouts where we're not setting her up to fail We're setting her up to where she can succeed every day and take a step forward." Curtabbi had a goal this year of running a sub-10-minute steeplechase and while competing back in Europe this summer achieved that goal she ran 9:49 – which is nine seconds shy of the D-II record "It was a beautiful night and I called (Daniel) one second after my race," Curtabbi said the 2022 NCAA Division II steeplechase national champion will set a couple new personal goals for herself that include setting the D-II record and one day running for her home country "I'm very happy about the last season I had," Curtabbi said. "Now for next year I hope I finish with more good times and dream big for an international race with Team Italy." The leading authority for the Architecture & Design community Recharge in a Restored Spanish Farmhouse in Menorca Words: Jesse Dorris Photography: Connie Zhou Brooklyn put the finishing touches on the brick-and-stone Bedford Union Armory back in 1908; after years of use by the National Guard it eventually fell into disrepair and closed And while its 21st century reopening—with efforts to fill it with a mix of housing “affordable” and otherwise—has brought controversy BFC Partners’ creation of a 67,000-square-foot recreational facility within it called the Major R Owens Health & Wellness Community Center has won louder cheers Floor markings under an elaborate skylight reinterpret reception into its own kind of basketball court while an immersive installation of pennants honor each college or university attended by a New Heights student-athlete—and blank pennants for them to look up at and envision their own future.  Best of Year Award Winner for Shining Moment Nicholas Church had been used as an office and restaurant in the years since it ceased being a place of Russian Orthodox worsh… Studios Architecture’s Major League Baseball headquarters in Midtown forges a new era for the sport With its nautically inspired interiors for Dock 72 Fogarty Finger helps the Brooklyn Navy Yard chart a new course Jacob Lucas-Miller made four saves for the Granville boys soccer team on Tuesday preserving a 3-0 shutout against visiting Grandview Heights and Charlie Wright scored the other goal for the Blue Aces (4-1-1) 1-1-1) picked up a 2-1 victory at Lakewood in Licking County League play Cadence McNichols scored for the Lancers (2-5-2 Rylee Sensabaugh and Makala Bennett recorded 12 kills apiece for Licking Valley in a victory against Utica Emily Bone 17 assists and Kendall Tucker 21 digs for the Panthers (6-5 Leigha Burnett and Emilee Ellis had three kills each for Utica (4-7 Ellis also had nine assists and Lexi Wiegand 18 digs Kyndall Spicer’s 13 kills propelled Heath to a victory at Watkins Memorial Matilyn Mathias four blocks and Caroline Robertson 19 digs for the Bulldogs (5-4 Adalyn Rhodes added five kills and seven blocks Ella Barbour five kills and Lizzie Bricker 23 digs Emily Yanczura and Kate Ruffle served five aces apiece for Johnstown in a victory at Zanesville (0-11 Kylie Sharp added nine kills and three aces and Lucia Kuhn five kills for the Johnnies (9-1 Bella Martinez and Makayla Meister had five kills apiece for Newark in a loss at Pickerington Central (8-2 to open Ohio Capital Conference-Buckeye Division play Carlee Thompson added 11 assists and Cora Hann three kills and an ace for the Wildcats (7-3 Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker One of the nation's biggest broadband builders is expanding access to communities in Trumbull County Brightspeed is installing its fiber network in Trumbull County to serve more than 33,000 people Brightspeed Fiber Internet is available for more than 17,000 Trumbull County residents crews are connecting 2,600 homes and businesses in Howland Center Champion Heights and Warren's Oak Knoll neighborhood Brightspeed says its network uses the latest technology to bring boosted capabilities and responsiveness to households that use multiple devices to work The expansion in Warren is part of the North Carolina-based company's $2 billion investment in constructing the next-generation fiber-optic technology to more than three million homes and businesses across 20 states Brightspeed says it's pursuing state and federal funding to close the digital divide across Ohio        Magnolia Heights School is ranked No 10 in the country in the national high school poll by Collegiate Baseball        Simpson Academy found out why Tuesday night        Four-time defending MAIS Class 5A state champion Magnolia Heights won its 34th consecutive game and remained undefeated in Mississippi with a 15-5 victory over Simpson Tuesday night in Game 1`of the best-of-three series in the 5A semifinals at Simpson in Mendenhall        Magnolia Heights improved to 37-3 and also won its 41st straight game against MAIS teams dating back to a 9-8 loss to Starkville Academy in the regular season last year Magnolia Heights lost to three Texas Class 6A public schools early in the season 30 and 30 games in the last state title seasons and haven’t lost a playoff game since 2019 Magnolia Heights’ win over Simpson was its 21st consecutive playoff victory        Simpson dropped to 34-3 and broke a 13-game winning streak The Cougars are trying to win their first state baseball championship since a three-peat in 2004-2006        The two teams play Game 2 Wednesday at 5:30 p.m Magnolia Heights got off to a 10-0 start in the first two innings and its star – senior shortstop Cooper Pratt – led the way with a three-run home run in the second inning 43 player in the upcoming Major League Baseball Draft and the 22nd highest high school pick by mlb.com        Magnolia Heights is loaded with future college players Three more Division I players – two signees and one commitment – are in the lineup Senior centerfielder-pitcher Keondre Fields signed with Missouri senior outfielder Ethan Melton signed with South Alabama and freshman pitcher Cole Prosek has committed to Ole Miss  Five more have signed or committed with junior colleges        The talent showed Tuesday senior second baseman and Northwest Mississippi Community College signee Jackson Jenkins and senior first baseman John Ellis Price        Melton and senior left fielder and Meridian CC signee Will McClure had three hits each Cole Prosek and senior third baseman and Gulf Coast        Cole Prosek pitched the first four innings for the win        “We had a long trip we ate and hit in the Jackson area to break it up,” said Magnolia Heights coach Chris McMinn and Delta State alumnus who won his 500th game this season “Our senior leadership takes over this time of year and they did tonight We are fortunate to have good hitters one through nine in our lineup and allows us to score a lot of runs I was worried about this week because we haven’t played a lot of seven inning games and Simpson is a tough team Our seven seniors understand the importance of this time of the year and help get our team ready to play.”        Sophomore third baseman Ben Kennedy had two hits and two RBIs for Simpson        “It was a tough night all the way around,” said third-year Simpson coach Kelly Greer who is trying to win his first state title in his 19 years as a coach (Florence for six years “We just didn’t get ahead in the count enough and walked too many early The second inning got away from us and we were trying to dig out of the hole the rest of the game They swing it and pitch it too good to put runners on base like we did tonight I thought my kids played hard and gave effort all night we just couldn’t get over the hump after we got behind We will regroup tomorrow and get ready for Wednesday and try to force Game 3 One thing I know is my kids will be ready Wednesday and will play hard.” Robert Wilson is a national award winning sportswriter regional and state levels in his 23 years as a sportswriter for The Clarion-Ledger/Jackson Daily News covering high school and college sports and writing a tennis column Wilson also produced Victories in Metro Jackson who was the first black football official in the SEC and was an NFL official and a Mississippi educator for several decades Wilson is well known among Mississippians for his ability to paint a picture of the subject he is writing about and not only about their ability Hinds Community College and Ole Miss graduate Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress COMMUNITY PARTNER That’s So Tampa has been the most trusted local resource for discovering All Things Good in Tampa Bay Antonio Krastev was a a two-time world weightlifting champ. Antonio Krastev died early Thursday morning on Highway 13 in Mendota Heights after being ejected from his vehicle as it rolled off the road According to a State Patrol incident report the GMC Yukon ran a red light at Highway 55, then failed to negotiate a curve crossing the median into oncoming traffic before leaving the road.  Authorities believe alcohol was a factor in the crash On its website, the Bulgarian Weightlifting Federation describes Krastev as "one of the greatest Bulgarian weightlifters," and says he was a "two-time world (Södertale 1985 and Sofia 1986) and two-time European (Karl-Marx-Stadt 1986 and Reims 1987) champion" in his sport.  The federation also says the American magazine Power Lift once called him "The Strongest Man on the Planet."  According to their report on his death, Krastev moved to North America in 1991, operating a weightlifting club at the University of Toronto for a time before moving to Minnesota, where he opened a private weightlifting club and "recently worked as a truck driver." suffering dogs were removed from her in-home business was sentenced to 300 months in prison in Rice County court on Friday Jocelyn Gates’ phone bill has probably never been higher than it was for the four years she worked at the University of South Florida Call after call and text after text went out to athletics administrators across the country trying—begging—to schedule football games On the receiving end of most of those countless calls and text messages who at the time worked for Ohio State University After Jarmond turned Gates and USF down once she resolved to text him at least once a month until he agreed “He needed to know I was serious about getting this game,” Gates said It was a tall task, seeing as USF wasn’t—and still isn’t—a Power Five program, while Ohio State certainly was Every text she sent elicited the same response: no USF still hasn’t played Ohio State in football But it wasn’t for a lack of trying on Gates’ part “That is a real talent and skill of hers: that she can connect And you see it as an administrator because she can talk to student-athletes she can talk to staff and administrators on campus—she connects well with people Though she never secured a game against Ohio State Gates laid the foundation for her ascent into the highest ranks of athletics administration extended a hand when he found himself in a position to help her Gates graduated from Howard University with a degree in biology and a plan to be a dental researcher After deciding not to show up to her scheduled MCAT twice she realized that another path lay in front of her who was a four-year player on Howard’s soccer team soon understood that she wanted to pursue a career in sports without giving up the chance to help people After Gates made a few stops at the NCAA headquarters and universities across the country Jarmond hired her to serve as the senior associate athletics director and senior woman administrator at Boston College She is also BC’s deputy Title IX coordinator “I always told him ‘when you become an athletic director I’m gonna work for you,’” Gates said of Jarmond from the countless texts she had sent him and the handful of in-person meetings they had but it was a conversation with Kevin White “He said ‘I don’t care what you’re looking for recalling a conversation he had with White in 2017 I remember that was probably the strongest indication [to hire her] White and Gates worked together at Duke for four years prior to her role at South Florida “He had a vision for this role to help somebody grow and he wanted to help a minority specifically grow,” Gates said of White “I knew that this was where I was supposed to be I would not be where I am in my career right now He has propelled me in ways that I can’t even imagine.” White is one of a select group of people in Gates’ life who she calls “champions”—those mentors with whom she has a deeper connection and who will have her back without her even asking So though her title said she was an “assistant,” she was at the table for every big meeting and every major decision Gates now champions for BC student-athletes just like White did for her over a decade ago Gates has an intimate understanding of the challenges which many of the people she works with face every day But she doesn’t limit her scope to student-athletes of color “It’s important for our students—not just for student-athletes—for our students on campus to know that there are people in leadership that look like them,” Gates said “And because I have people in leadership that look like me that allowed me to know that I can get there as well.” Her identity as a Black woman is central to her work in a way that not only builds rapport with students but goes a step further to prove to them that she is acutely aware of the struggles and hardships that they face particularly for minority students at a predominantly white institution “Being a Black woman is everything to me,” Gates said and my passion is helping Black people and Black students feel great about themselves and understand that they have a place in any room they want to be in To know that and then also to know that people have their backs and it’s so important for me in particular to know that I want all students on campus to know like I have your back.” After Jarmond’s departure to UCLA last summer Gates is now the highest-ranking person of color But being alone at the top is not an unfamiliar feeling to Gates at every school that she’s at she just continues to rise and be mentors to other people,” Heather Burris “And I think that she is definitely a champion for inclusion and diversity especially related to women’s sports and higher athletics.” Gates and Burris met at Howard as freshmen Burris would spend weekends and holidays with Gates’ family and though Gates’ soccer schedule kept her busy—Burris admitted to having never attended one of her games—they always found a way to unwind at the end of the day and Burris said having her at any event infuses boundless energy and joy into the room “She wants to be a good dancer,” Burris said Gates is unabashedly enthusiastic in her friendships and in her family life “She just wants to make sure that everyone has a good time that everyone feels good about themselves,” Shannon Perry it’s like I get to break out of being who I am—I get to the fun side of me.” But only about 6 percent of BC faculty is Black and though 39 percent of new hires this year identify as AHANA BC students of color have to work harder to find role models who look like them Gates has evolved into the same sort of figures she used to admire She strives to be someone her son Duke and her step-daughter and she gives Black students at BC a role model in the administration who looks like them you need to see what you can be,” Jarmond said she embodies some of the some of the traits and values and characteristics that we want our young people to have or aspire to be.” What Gates took from her experience at Howard in addition to lifelong friendships and a top-tier education she would have to work twice as hard as the majority of people in her field to get half as far But she doesn’t seem to carry that attitude with a sense of bitterness her voice exuded gratitude as she spoke about all of the hard work she has put in to earn her plentiful career opportunities “We just have to be that much better than everybody else because nobody’s gonna hand us anything,” Gates said because no one is sitting here and doing that for me.” such an attitude is bound to create a chip on the shoulder and life with the utmost sense of humility It never has been in any capacity that I have known her,” Perry said Gates and Perry overlapped briefly at Duke where Perry was the assistant coach for Duke women’s basketball and they met by chance after discovering they attended the same church but they developed their friendship from afar over the last decade Gates was even a bridesmaid at Perry’s wedding “I have this picture of me … and my [other] best friend who’s holding my hands like moments before I’m about to go down the aisle,” Perry said “And you see Jocelyn in the view from the mirror in the picture Gates’ work doesn’t end when she’s off the Heights because she views her role as one of constant compassion When Perry ran into a seemingly unsolvable problem with one of the student-athletes she coaches at UCLA Perry turned to Gates for her perspective on the situation “She didn’t have to give that information and talk to me or my student-athlete about “… And so I think she cares about just the athletes in general The persistence she showed in trying desperately to schedule a game against Ohio State all those years ago wasn’t the catalyst of her career—we may never know what truly sparked her unwavering desire for progress—but it was certainly indicative of a larger pattern Gates has turned heads for the caliber of work she produces and for the smile plastered across her face as she does it I’ve loved seeing her become more confident because I think sometimes she would doubt herself She’s earned national recognition, as well, earning the title of FBS Administrator of the Year in September 2020 “I almost cried,” Gates said about earning the honor it’s such an amazing accolade to receive it’s not like you’re out there boasting about yourself but then you’re realizing that others see the hard work you do and then they appreciate you.” she handles her work with an effortless grace much of the work Gates puts in often goes unnoticed The simple act of checking in on one student-athlete during finals or recommending another for a job seems small but it’s the small things which set Gates apart “I think part of the reason why I’m able to be in a role like this is because I just bust my tail,” Gates said and I’m not looking at the job ahead of me I’m looking at the job I’m in and how I can do awesome at what I’m doing.” Other Images Courtesy of Martin Jarmond and Shannon Perry NEWS SPORTS ARTS MAGAZINE NEWTON OPINIONS MULTIMEDIA ShareSaveLeadershipForbesWomenHow Olympic Champion David Boudia Handles His Fear Of Heights When Diving 32 Feet Above The WaterByJeryl Brunner Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights 03:54pm EDTShareSaveThis article is more than 8 years old.David Boudia is an Olympic champion diver He recently won silver and bronze medals in Rio and the gold medal at the 2012 London Olympic games he qualified for the Olympic trials when he was 15 Boudia clearly remembers the acrobatic joy that diving gave him "I loved the thrill that came with the free fall and the adrenaline that surged through my body when I flipped through the air," he says Despite all his diving success Boudia is afraid of heights "My first day of diving I cringed at the thought of wearing briefs like that,“ he shares "Not only do I have to wear my underwear in front of millions of people I now have to jump off the equivalent of a three story building while in them." Although the Olympian is able to manage his fright he still gets a twinge of timidity when stepping onto the diving platform “I don’t think it will ever go away completely,” he adds Boudia who recently released his candid memoir Greater than Gold: From Olympic Heartbreak to Ultimate Redemption talked to me about overcoming his fears and what winning is all about Jeryl Brunner: You are afraid of heights and yet diving is your livelihood and you're one of the best in the world David Boudia: I was terrified because I was 33 feet up in the air going head first at 35 miles an hour towards the water it came to a point where I was on the platform what am I doing now that’s going to get me where I want to be in the future If I'm not going to overcome this fear I need to walk back down those stairs and kiss my dreams goodbye In order for me to do something to get me to my goals it means I have to take an action step It means getting over this fear and actually diving off the platform Boudia: I do a lot of mental exercises like deep breathing controlling my heart rate so it’s not bouncing out of my chest I close my eyes and constantly see my movements time and time again So when it comes down to the point when I'm ready to dive I’ve already done it a thousand times in my head Brunner: In your book you very openly talk about your dream of making the Olympic team in 2008 and then hitting rock bottom Boudia: Because it was my dream for so long I put everything that I had in that basket I was so focused on the destination of making the Olympics It was all about the destination that I thought would bring me joy and happiness Boudia: Our culture is constantly feeding us that the American dream will satisfy rich and famous we’re going to get everything that we’ve ever wanted But as I got more recognition it was totally the opposite I wasn’t fulfilled with the things that I thought should bring me happiness I was on that pursuit of making everything that I do be about myself My life became what I could do to please myself the most my “me monster.” Everything I did was about me Finally it came to a a point where that was not my purpose in life Brunner: In your memoir you very openly talk about smoking marijuana and being very destructive and then transforming your life Why did you decide to you to write your autobiography now I want to inspire people and show them that struggle is real That’s how I learned to be real with myself and change Brunner: You talk about the devastation you felt when you didn’t get a medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympics How did your mindset change in the 2012 London Olympics when you won the gold I characterize 2008 as a destination that wanted to be conquered 2012 was more about focusing on the journey and process – taking baby steps Instead of being so overwhelmed with what I could get at the end It was about valuing what I was doing day-to-day when I won the Olympics and I saw the flag being raised I felt an an overwhelming feeling of thankfulness – knowing that it wasn’t me alone who got me to this point I wasn’t the only one standing up on this platform There are so many people who play a big role It's being open to find ways to change to make it better Brunner: How is Rio different from the 2012 Olympics for you Since 2012 I got married and my wife and I had a child I am trying to really enjoy this journey that I’m on But there’s just so much more joy when you are able to share that with your family mixed martial arts fighter Aleksa “Lexi” Camur of Broadview Heights competes and trains in the light-heavyweight class His size got him matched to a training and sparring partner whose name might ring a bell: Parma resident and UFC Heavyweight Champion Stipe Miocic Camur was signed in July to a UFC contract as part of Dana White’s popular “Tuesday Nights Contenders” TV show that scouts talent for the ring He said his next fight hasn’t been arranged yet but he is hoping for something by the end of this year or the beginning of 2020 a place Camur recommends as much for families and fitness fans who want to stay in shape as for serious contenders Featured image photo caption: Broadview Heights resident Aleksa Camur first tried mixed martial arts during his senior year at Brecksville-Broadview Heights High School he’s sparring partners with UFC Heavyweight Champion Stipe Miocic and signing a UFC contract of his own Subscribe to the FREE monthly Newsletter CINCINNATI -- Guenther Oka started wakeboarding when he was 3 years old His family has a place on Williamstown Lake in Grant County "We'd go to the lake house every weekend," Oka said it was kind of a no-brainer to plop me on a wakeboard and see what happened with it." Williamstown Lake is full of other water-skiers and wakeboarders every weekend Pretty much none of them turn it into a living he was the overall Pro Junior World champion last year lake-less Monfort Heights end up among the best wakeboarders in the world Guenther Oka (Photo provided by Rodrigo Donoso) Oka's father was more than your average water-skier He spent time skiing in shows at Sea World in Orlando the wakeboard nationals came to Cincinnati," Guenther said It's like in the backyard.' I had learned quite a few tricks So I got ready for this contest and to compete with all the other kids "I was kind of inspired to learn more tricks and excel my skills on a wakeboard," he said "I liked the whole competitive edge of individual sport Check out these videos of Oka's skills! He was a junior at Walnut Hills at the time But Orlando is the competitive wakeboard Mecca of the U.S "It was a really hard decision," Janie said "Since we had been in the wakeboard industry We saw a lot of parents let their children go to Orlando without them at a very young age -- 11 13 -- because there's this carrot out there Guenther had shown that ability from the time of that first competition but his parents wanted to wait before allowing him to make the big move Two things cinched the decision: Guenther won that world junior title and the Okas ran into the mother of Mike Dowdy "She told us her story on how she let her son go and do it," Janie said Guenther was also moving up to the next level he would need to be on the water in winter "It wouldn't have been fair for him to come out and only have had a couple of sets," Janie said "We set guidelines and criteria: If you're going to do this you're going to have the grades It helped that Thomas knew a lot of people in Orlando from his time there and that Guenther would be living with Dowdy graduated from the online school (he's taking online college courses now) and flourished on the wakeboard Wakeboarding is to water skiing what snowboarding is to snow skiing There are two types of competition -- cable and boat Oka honed his craft at Wake Nation in Fairfield "That's where I grew up riding cable," Oka said The cable park allows you to have six or seven people spaced out on the cable Before he began spending winters in Orlando Heshbacks headware and Konex allow him to pursue the sport full time "The past couple years I've gotten support from multiple companies," he said "There's the opportunity to make a career out of this and embed yourself in the wakeboard community." The tour stops in West Chester at Voice of America Park on Aug "I'm definitely going to try to make it up there." State champion Shawnee Heights dominates 5A All-State softball honorsSeven T-Birds earn first-team All-5A honors; Seaman lands three on 5A first teamThe Capital-JournalSeven members of Class 5A state softball champion Shawnee Heights earned first-team All-Class 5A honors from the Kansas Softball Coaches Association which recently announced its postseason honors while Class 5A state qualifier Seaman garnered a trio of first-team picks which finished undefeated for the first state title in program history landed pitchers Paige Petefish and Jaycee Ginter infielders Aniya Holt and Sydney Wellshear and outfielders Lydia Ostenson and Faith Rottinghaus on the 5A first team Infielder Abbey Fischer was a second-team pick for the T-Birds Seaman infielders Lauren Mills and Alexis Sharples and catcher Taylor Nickel were first-team selections and pitcher Makayla Akin was a second-team pick Topeka West catcher Riley Zook also was a 5A second-team selection Class 3A state runner-up Rossville had four first-team All-Class 3A selections — pitcher Amanda Hill infielder Kinlyn Lundin and outfielder Sara Shinn The Bulldawgs also had a second-team pick in infie.lder Giorgia Migliorini while Silver Lake got first-team selections for infielder Chelsea Miller and outfielder Lexi Cobb and a second-team selection in catcher Daryn Lamprecht State-champion Shawnee Heights puts eight on All-City boys track teamHigh's Long T-Bird relay earn gold medals at stateThe Capital-JournalState champions — individual relay and team — highlight the 2015 All-City boys track and field team Topeka High senior Joel Long and Shawnee Heights senior Rasheed McAlpin were the city’s lone individual state champions with Long winning the Class 6A high jump and McAlpin winning the Class 5A 300-meter hurdles Shawnee Heights seniors DeJuan Gardenhire Jr. Austen Hubert and McAlpin also teamed to win the 5A 1,600 relay That relay win also gave Shawnee Heights the 5A team championship by one and a half points and four other T-Bird state placers — seniors Nick Bouzianis and Derek Selk junior Trace Henault and freshman Hunter Henderson — also earned spots on the All-City team Hubert and McAlpin also placed third in the 400 relay Henault (discus) and Selk (javelin) both notched third-place state finishes while Bouzianis (shot put Seniors Brock Safarik and Joseph Reagan lead a four-athlete Seaman contingent on the All-City team with junior William Daniel Kramer and sophomore Dawson Podlena also earning first-team berths Safarik finished second in the 5A pole vault while Reagan was a six-time state sprint champion who missed this year's state meet with an injury Hayden senior Ty Dickerson placed second in the 4A 1,600 meters and is joined on the All-City team by fellow Wildcat state placers Jacob Klemz and Robbie Schmidt Washburn Rural senior Miles Dortch was a state placer in the 6A javelin and discus while Topeka West senior Josh Reynolds was a state placer in the 5A long jump and Topeka High junior Tyrece Parker was a multi-event state qualifier who helped the Trojans finish third in the 6A 400-meter relay Correction — Washburn Rural freshman Michaela Gnagi was inadvertently omitted from the All-City girls first team that was published Saturday Gnagi runs the 100- and 300-meter hurdles for the Junior Blues The Liberty Champion The official student newspaper of Liberty University Fly — Liberty began to use the airport for practice Liberty University purchased a nearby airport for $1.8 million to use as a location for further developing its School of Aeronautics which is operated in Bedford County 10 miles away from Liberty’s campus was officially closed December 21 after negotiations took place between Liberty and former New London owner Kevin Murray “We are extremely pleased with the warm reception we have received from the 50 plus pilots at the New London Airport,” Dave Young Liberty’s assistant provost for aeronautics education “We see this as an opportunity to further develop grow and create a university level aviation program that will be unique and not rivaled anywhere.” public-use airport and is therefore open to general aviation flights the airport handled approximately 10,000 flight operations something Young said he hopes to maintain through Liberty’s ownership in the future The status of the airport is not finalized The school of aeronautics is working with the Virginia Department of Aviation to determine if New London will remain a public-use airport in the long-term Young said he is confident the airport’s public-use status will prove to support the school’s FTA program held at New London The school of aeronautics’ FTA program aims at utilizing airports across the country to become flight training affiliates wherein students can take online classes to work toward their degree in aviation and receive hands-on pilot training at the FTA-participating airport closest to them New London also operates a dragstrip within its location where over 150 drag racers have competed within the last year in 18 different events said he hopes to establish a strong relationship with Liberty in the future “Neither [New London Dragway nor Liberty] is really familiar with each other yet,” Powell said “Liberty does not know what our needs at the dragstrip are and I do not know what Liberty expects out of us but everything so far has been fine between us.” The New London Dragstrip has been guaranteed its 2016 season Young said it is questionable over whether or not the dragstrip built two years before the airport in 1958 will be able to operate within Liberty’s master-plan for New London I can see where drag racing may be incompatible with our plans for the school of aeronautics and to expand the general aviation component of the airport,” Young said Powell said he is concerned with the longevity of the dragstrip though he is trying to focus solely on the upcoming season Concerning the upcoming plans for New London Murray said he is excited to see the location become a flight school He said his top priority in selecting a buyer was to choose one that would best continue the operations of New London while also being able to improve the facility “Liberty really sold us when they said they wanted to keep the airport operating as it currently is,” Murray said “A lot of good land is being turned into housing developments so we were very happy when Liberty told us they have the same desires for the airport that we had in mind for its future.” Liberty plans on making changes to the infrastructure of the airport ramp and other facilities that are too old and no longer meet the standards of a modern airport the purchase of New London allows the school of aeronautics more freedom in expanding their operations than working with the Lynchburg Regional Airport Students will now have a better opportunity to gain experience in airport management and providing service to general aviation customers The school of aeronautics said it has recently begun to use New London for practice approaches and looks to increase the level of operations over time Plans to incorporate engineering and business students into the operation of the airport are being discussed Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" LAPEL —  There’s no doubt about it in Trent Miller’s mind: He and his Pendleton Heights teammates are the best shooting team in the state of Indiana but one the Arabians (3-0) backed up to a certain degree in Friday night’s 53-50 road win over Class 2A defending state champion Lapel (2-1) went 5-for-10 from behind the arc and tied for a team-high 17 points with sophomore point guard Karsten Windlan who hit two of his three 3s in the first half Lapel senior forward Jon Ross Richardson led all scorers with 23 points and went 8-of-10 from the free-throw line who is averaging a team-best 16.7 points per game through the first three games And I think we were actually off for some people.” One such player with an off night was senior guard Mark Albers who hit just one shot and went 0-for-10 from behind the arc after coming into Friday night averaging 15.5 points through the first two games Pendleton Heights coach Kevin Bates wasn’t pleased with the team’s shooting on the night especially with some of what he called their sloppy shot selection late in the game But his disappointment is based more in that he believes what Miller said about his team that they are — or can be — the best shooting team in Indiana “This is a guy (Albers) that made 102 3-pointers last year and set the school record This is a guy that shot 45 percent from the 3-point line last year We’ll bounce back with the shooting slump that we’re in.” Once the Arabians struck first on a smooth put-back from sophomore Eli Pancol Consistent shooting in the first half (13-for-26) gave them 32-21 lead at halftime that swelled in the early minutes of the third quarter The Bulldogs eventually found some teeth late in the third quarter when they nailed back-to-back 3s and started chipping away at the deficit They Bulldogs scored 16 points in the fourth quarter and pulled within three in the final minute but were unable to complete the comeback dropping their first home game since last February “I felt like we won the first two games with bad defense I felt like we won this game with our defense and handling the basketball.” Follow IndyStar reporter Jordan J. Wilson on Twitter: @Wilsonable07. Email him at  jordan.wilson@indystar.com LAPEL 50PENDLETON HEIGHTS — 16 16 13 8 — 53LAPEL — 10 11 13 16 — 50Pendleton Heights: Karsten Windlan 6-12 2-3 17 Team totals: 20-40 4-8 53.Lapel: Jon Ross Richardson 7-13 8-10 23 Ohio — Lutheran East practiced for 10 hours over the course of two days in preparation for its OHSAA Division V boys basketball regional final against Richmond Heights Defending state champions from the OHSAA’s old format of four divisions Crumble had won two titles already in his first two years of high school one with the Falcons as a freshman and another last year with Richmond Heights Lutheran East coach Sam Liggins wanted his team to attack the Spartans unlike any team had before and it led them to a 64-59 victory Saturday at the Canton Memorial Field House 10 hours of practice in two days is nuts,” an exuberant Liggins said Everybody in that gym probably thought we were about to get blown out for sure sought an OHSAA-record fourth straight crown The Spartans (17-10) took an 18-9 lead after the first quarter with Ohio State recruit Dorian Jones’ buzzer-beating 3-pointer the tallest player at 6-foot-5 on the Spartans’ short and guard-reliant rotation got going with four blocked shots on the defensive end he also quickly accumulated fouls and picked up his fourth by the 7:45 mark of the third quarter with Richmond Heights racing out to a 35-20 lead Richmond Heights pushed its lead to double digits, as many as 15 points in the first half, with plays like this. @Dem0fficial has nine points, but also playing with four fouls since the midway point of the second quarter. pic.twitter.com/UJ88uFReif Lutheran East feeding @_TJCrumble2026 to the tune of 16 first-half points and eight rebounds to fuel @LEFalconsHoops’ comeback. pic.twitter.com/xRYcksEnbV “I can’t give enough credit to Coach Sam,” Crumble said with a game-high 25 points and 11 rebounds including one late in the fourth quarter on a 3-point attempt that all but clinched the outcome Crumble took the basketball after his block looked up court and found sophomore point guard Chris Hill in transition for a five-point lead freshman Dylan Zeigler found Crumble for a slam dunk “That was probably the best in-game basketball moment of my life,” Crumble said “That’s probably the highest my energy’s ever been Here’s a look at the finish as @_TJCrumble2026 came up with a huge block and found @Ymcchris2Hill for the clincher. pic.twitter.com/wK5jF9XGyS Crumble had to sit out for Richmond Heights’ postseason run a year ago because of OHSAA transfer rules but the association cleared his return to Lutheran East “He texted me at like 12 last night,” Hill said I’m going to give it all to my team.’ I said They will advance to play a team Saturday next week in the Division V state semifinals against an opponent and at a location to be determined Sunday by the OHSAA following the conclusion of all regional finals Both sides in Canton felt this one was for the state championship “I tried to put the best schemes out there I could,” Richmond Heights coach Quentin Rogers said our toughness ended up hurting us big time.” Rogers played mostly a six-player rotation with A.J He used a seventh player briefly while managing the foul situations of Jones and Winters who managed not to foul out and finished with a team-high 19 points who scored six points while being bothered by an apparent leg injury kept warm by running to the locker room and back during the third quarter while saddled with four fouls 5 and exited for good at the 4:53 mark of the fourth quarter while fouling Crumble inside “I got a little bit out of my comfort zone,” Crumble said “guarding a way smaller guard on the perimeter But also it’s a pro because it’s pretty hard to guard me in the paint Crumble’s play opened up Hill for 16 points and Zeigler for 12 who also played last year at Richmond Heights Hill had the task of defending new OHSAA all-time assist leader De’Erick Barber Jr Barber finished with 18 points and only one assist “All credit to them,” Crumble said of his guards’ effort him going to Richmond and coming to Lue Nation Richmond Heights pushed its lead to double digits, as many as 15 points in the first half, with plays like this. @Dem0fficial has nine points, but also playing with four fouls since the midway point of the second quarter. pic.twitter.com/UJ88uFReif Lutheran East feeding @_TJCrumble2026 to the tune of 16 first-half points and eight rebounds to fuel @LEFalconsHoops’ comeback. pic.twitter.com/xRYcksEnbV Here’s a look at the finish as @_TJCrumble2026 came up with a huge block and found @Ymcchris2Hill for the clincher. pic.twitter.com/wK5jF9XGyS