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Aces in the circle: Pitchers played major role in local district titles

The old adage goes “Defense wins championships” and when it came to six of our local softball teams winning district titles this past week, that saying could not be truer. But, you could also throw a little wrinkle into the mix and include the young ladies that stepped into the circle for our local champions. Winning pitchers in five of the six district title games went the distance this past week and all five of those winning pitchers recorded 10 or more strikeouts. Austintown Fitch’s freshman phenom Sydnie Watts could call herself a strikeout queen after this week as she ...

Anglers and journalists can’t take their tools for granted

Anglers have their lures, technicians have their tools and golfers have their clubs. It’s impossible to fish, repair or golf without them. Writers have tools, too, chief among them the keyboard on which they tap out the messages that are rattling around in their brains. As an angler and a writer, I speak from experience when I say that it’s easy to take lures and keyboards for granted. They are always there, ready for the call to duty. They are there, that is, unless misfortune strikes – and that is when we realize we have taken our tools for granted. All of this ...

World of Outlaws tour coming to Sharon Speedway

The World of Outlaws national tour — “The Greatest show on dirt” — will return to Sharon Speedway three big nights in one week. The biggest back-to-back weekend show in the speedway’s history. The Sprint cars will return Saturday May 21st. for a $10,000 to win. Last year in one of the seasons most popular wins went to hometown hero 58-year-old Dave Blaney. He won on a last lap pass setting the racing world into a frenzy bringing his career total to 95. The traveling elite series seldom loses to a non-regular. The series races across the county starting in Florida across the ...

NIL in high school? It should not happen

Monday is the final day that the 817 member schools of the OHSAA will have the opportunity to vote on the approval of a Name, Image, and Likeness proposal that mirrors changes made at the collegiate level in the last year. If the proposal passes, Ohio could be the 10th state to approve NIL regulations. The proposed addition would allow student-athletes to sign endorsement agreements so long as their teams, schools and/or the OHSAA logo are not used and provided there are no endorsements with companies that do not support the mission of education-based athletics (casinos, gambling, ...

Preparation is key when getting ready for fishing season

“Where’s Jack?” That is a question Barb has no trouble answering April through October. If I’m not fishing, golfing or otherwise occupied away from the house, she knows the likely answer is, “He’s out in the garage.” Our garage is Fishing Headquarters once the season rolls into high gear. It’s the home-off-the-water for the Bass Cat when it isn’t on a lake or river and it’s the base of operations for strategic planning and tactical preparation. I enjoy puttering around the boat when I have idle time. And when a fishing trip is on the horizon, I can think of few ...

May means business for Northeast Ohio anglers

May means business for Northeast Ohio anglers, as the lakes are full, the rivers are running strong and the fish are at their friskiest. Whether you pursue bass, muskies, walleyes or crappies, May is first or second on most anglers’ rankings of their favorite months to go fishing. I love May in Ohio. The wetlands are alive as the waters warm and the plants gain their greenery, while the spring peepers’ choruses grow louder every day. The trees are budding and the birds are nesting. May means the walleye spawn is completed here in our local streams and rivers and the adults are ...