Chris Rupe has made so many speeches the week of the state cross country meet, invigorating his teenage distance runners to stretch their talents to heights they never would imagine. McDonald High School’s boys cross country is synonymous with Division III state excellence, winning five in ...

Bass anglers looking to pursue higher education about Mosquito Lake will have an opportunity to earn their master’s degree when they view the Fishing University TV show in 2021. Professional bass anglers Charlie Ingram and Ray Brazier traveled to Trumbull County on Thursday and prepared for ...

Judging by the mid-day parades of trucks towing boats southbound on Ohio 11 this summer, it is apparent that limiting on Lake Erie walleyes was not difficult. Based on news released earlier this week by Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife, the outlook for easy limits ...

It was weird. I guess I should be grateful for fall sports to be back, more so for a sport I’ve covered for almost two decades — cross country. Nothing has made sense in 2020. That includes the distance runners in this area. A 3.1-mile run starts. Normally, a word sparsely used ...

High school football in Ohio is set to begin in four days after the most difficult and convoluted preseason that followers of the sport have seen. Despite not knowing whether or not the governor’s office would even allow games to be played, players and coaches prepared as if the season ...

Some fishing days are easier than others. Thursday was not one of the easy days, but it provided yet another learning experience. I hitched up the BassCat in the cool inkiness before sunrise and arrived at Mosquito Lake just as dawn broke in a molten gold splash across the lake over Cortland. ...

Let’s start this column with a game. It’s called, “Words I never want to hear again after 2020.” 1. Social distancing. 2. COVID-19. 3. Mask up. 4. Fluid situation. 5. Spring football. Feel free to email me your list. I’m curious to see which ones drive you mad. I don’t know if ...

A flexible regular-season schedule of at least six games with expanded high school football playoffs is the new plan. The Ohio High School Athletic Association lost its spring sports season and, more importantly, the winter sports postseason because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Money was lost by ...

So, the Ohio High School Athletic Association went and did it. The organizing body for high school sports in the state conferred with all the right people — school superintendents, principals, athletic administrators and coaches — and came up with a plan for high school football this fall ...

Experienced anglers understand that fishing is a lot more than casting, reeling and unhooking fish. To succeed on the water, anglers need to be prepared. Preparation starts at home, in the garage or workshop, and extends through the drive to the lake and all of the various actions that we ...

Let me start by saying, “I don’t know.” I don’t know what should be done about high school fall sports. I know that plenty of people on various social media know exactly what should happen, but they aren’t the people who actually have to make the decision — and neither am I. I ...

Decisions, decisions. That little phrase used to be a funny way of expressing the struggle of a minor choice in life. It doesn’t seem like there are any “minor” choices these days. The state, the schools, the Ohio High School Athletic Association and everyone involved in the potential ...

All Cleveland Indians games of the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season will be on television. SportsTime Ohio will air 57 of the 60 games, including the home opener Friday night at Progressive Field against the Kansas City Royals. The Indians will play 10 games each against their four AL Central ...

If the COVID-19 pandemic has kept you from connecting with family and friends, it’s time to play nine. I’m talking about playing nine holes of golf. In fact, you should call a loved one and hit the links right away. Heck, even if you’ve never picked up a club, now is the perfect ...

Like the proverbial needle in a haystack, the bass in a weed bed can be difficult to find. Bass love aquatic vegetation. Lakes like Mosquito, West Branch and Pymatuning are loaded with a variety of leafy green plants that harbor largemouth bass and the food on which they prey. But ...

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 ...

It's nice to finally be able to catch a baseball game at one of the local parks in the area as baseball is starting to begin play around the Mahoning Valley. Groups of men and women came together, along with Gov. Mike DeWine and the Ohio Department of Health, to find a way to work around the ...

Oh man, to go back to senior year in high school. Wouldn’t that be something? You could get away with just about anything as a senior. Plus, you were the top dog — in sports, at school, at parties and pretty much wherever you went. Good times. No, great times. The same can’t be said ...

CORTLAND — The drive up state Route 11 provided no sense of anticipation, not even when my vehicle headed west on state Route 305 toward my destination. The road leading to Lakeview High School was barren, not a soul in sight as I made my way to the back toward Don Richards Stadium. ...

Sometimes it can be frustrating when you’re really good at something. I’m talking REALLY good, like there might be one or two people better than you, but you’d have to fly across the world and ride a camel 250 miles into the desert to find them. When someone is Egyptian-desert good, ...