Basketball is a game to most. For Jessica “Ellie” Shields, it saved her life. Before Shields, a 6-foot-3 standout player for Howland and later at Kent State University, came to Howland High School she was home-schooled until age 12. She wanted to fit in, but the teenager quickly became an ...

WARREN — Former Howland High School girls basketball coach John Diehl said he was miffed by a recent investigation report from the Howland Local School District. Diehl was the Tigers’ coach for 26 seasons before it was recommended last month that his contract not be renewed. Diehl, who ...

Despite a recent change at the top of the Ohio High School Athletic Association, the organization remains focused on having a fall sports season, though that certainly could change. Bob Goldring took over as interim executive director on Monday, replacing Jerry Snodgrass who was executive ...

COLUMBUS — Ohio High School Athletic Association Board of Directors President Dan Leffingwell has announced Monday Bob Goldring has been named interim executive director, effective immediately. Goldring has served as the OHSAA senior director of operations and is completing his 25th year as ...

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is one in a series of stories about the Build the Bridge program in northeast Ohio high school football. Chaney High School football coach Chris Amill knows teaching the sport to group of teenagers is just part of his job, and mentoring the young men in life skills is ...

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the first in a series of stories about the Build the Bridge program in northeast Ohio high school football. Steve Arnold sees his football players a majority of the calendar year. Off-season conditioning. Practices. Pre-game talks. Being the focal point of a ...

Alex Ochman spent the last couple of months in her front yard. There was a half court. It was her shooting over and over again, rebounding her own shot. About a month ago, a court with two baskets opened in the backyard of Shawn Pompelia. Former Howland High School girls basketball players ...

GIRARD — Damon LaRiviere was an assistant coach for the Girard High School boys soccer team last year, and the 52-year-old often would demonstrate some of the agility drills for the Indians. “One of my attributes is my quickness,” LaRiviere said, laughing as he told the story. “These ...

LIBERTY — Sophie Howell and Allison Smith looked at the lineup. Smith batting fourth. Howell in the fifth spot. It seemed appropriate for the Champion High School senior duo during Trumbull County’s 6-2 win over the Mahoning team on Wednesday at the 17th annual Bill Sferra Classic senior ...

Jaw-dropping moments are pretty common in sports, and they come in all types. The last-second shot to win the game. The big hit or amazing catch in football. A walk-off hit or a diving catch in the outfield. Heck, they’re a big reason sports are so much fun. There are other shocking ...

The annual Bill Sferra Fastpitch Classic has survived the COVID-19 pandemic. The event annually pits senior softball stars from Mahoning and Trumbull counties against each other. With the pandemic causing school spring sports to be wiped out, it seemed the all-star classic would not have a ...

Following is a list of senior softball players selected for the Bill Sferra Fastpitch Classic Monday at Liberty Township Park (*-denotes will play in college): Name School Pos. College Jackie Adler Hubbard SS-2B Otterbein* Elise Armile Mooney OF Cincinnati Brook Bobbey Poland CF St. ...

The John F. Kennedy High School boys tennis team was doing some light hitting, hoping for some better news. Schools had started to close in the middle of March because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Maybe spring sports would return? James Martuccio and Armand Nannicola would be the team ...

On May 26, the state of Ohio and the Ohio High School Athletic Association gave the all clear for sports to begin conditioning. Precautions were taken as part of Phase 1 by the state government in the gradual restart due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This was after winter sports were halted in ...

John Diehl is going to turn 65 years old during the 2020-21 basketball season. But he won’t celebrate that birthday on the sidelines this year at Howland High School as his contract was not renewed and he was informed he would not be back. Diehl, 64, was told there was “philosophical ...

Jeff Bayuk heard the news Friday morning. Former Fitch High School football coach Phil Annarella, who died last June, was inducted into the Ohio High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Bayuk said he couldn’t be more thrilled. Bayuk was John F. Kennedy High School’s ...

The four stood atop a podium inside the track and field facility at Massillon Perry High School in late May of 2019. The four girls represented different schools at the Northeast Ohio Division III regional meet, but all four of the shot putters had something in common — they were from ...

Allison Smith still gets Dairy Queen every now and then after a long day’s work on the softball field. She’ll be adding more Gatorade to her diet now. The Champion High School softball star was named the Gatorade Ohio Softball Player of the Year last week. Smith, an Ohio State ...

Mike Richards stood there with the large M with blue, yellow and white colors on his outfit. His son, Caleb, finished his 3.1-mile trek around the challenging Boardman High School cross country course. All Caleb’s Maplewood High School team needed was the right places in order to finish ...

AUSTINTOWN — T.J. Parker had his mask up over his beard. It’s not the look he envisioned when he took over the Austintown Fitch football program in December. Then again, who saw this coming? The former Falcons athlete was on social media with the constant hashtag #FeedTheNest. Offseason ...