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Valley’s football continues to shine

CANTON For the second year in a row, things didn’t end well for the Mahoning Valley in the high school football state championship. Don’t let that fool you. Football is alive and well in Trumbull and Mahoning counties. Springfield and Poland solidified that point in the playoffs (along with Girard’s state final appearance last year). Sure, the Tigers suffered an ugly 48-14 loss to Anna High School in the Division VI title game on Friday, and Poland was stunned in the Division IV semifinal last week, giving up two late TDs in a thrilling finish. That doesn’t mean Valley ...

Players, coaches learn to overcome

YOUNGSTOWN — Coaches are supposed to instill wisdom in their players. John Barnes has done just that for the Youngstown State University women’s basketball teams since he has been the team’s coach starting in the 2013-14 season. There’s on-court knowledge, practice habits, life lessons — all things these Penguins have done well the past couple of years. The team has made three WNIT appearances and had a WBI semifinal run, in addition to continued academic excellence, one of the best in the Horizon League and the nation. The challenge this 3-3 YSU team faces now is ...

Protect your anglers from the sun’s harmful rays

While it is true that fishing will remain productive for another week or two here in the Youngstown-Warren area, the truth is most of us are turning our attention elsewhere as the nasty weather days outnumber the good ones. With Black Friday just behind us and the Ohio State Buckeyes suiting up for today’s game against TTUN, the holidays and football are getting more of our attention than the crappies at Mosquito and the walleyes in Lake Erie. So as our Christmas spirit grows with the season, families and friends are starting to think about the anglers on their shopping lists. ...

Giving thanks for kids in sports

Driving with my 16-year-old son in the passenger seat, earbuds in, listening to his version of hype music. Some of it is classic rock, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC. Thank goodness. The other is this modern techno and this new, mundane rap. My eyes roll as we progress forward. Few words are said, Erik and I have been on this drive before. Basketball, tennis, but on this day, and most drives, involve the beautiful game, soccer. All I tell him is to have fun when I drop him off to be with his high school team. I tell my daughter, Alexa, the same whether the drive is to softball, basketball or ...

Reasons to be thankful for YSU men

Thursday is a day to give thanks for the blessings we have, hence the holiday Thanksgiving. The Youngstown State University men’s basketball team is thankful winning two of three games this past week against North Carolina Central and University of South Carolina-Upstate, both with staunch defensive efforts. Offensively, the Penguins, 3-3, are trying to find their niche in their non-conference schedule. YSU may only score 68 points a game, but it only allows the same to its first six opponents, which includes a then No. 5-ranked Louisville team — one that has proven to be ...

Is this the 2016-17 YSU season once again?

COACH John Barnes has seen this before. This is a repeat performance this Youngstown State University women’s basketball team didn’t want to make, especially after trying to find their footing following last Saturday’s come-from-behind win against Eastern Michigan. YSU saw starters Kelsea Newman and Nikki Arbanas succumb to season-ended ACL tears in separate incidents during the 2016-17 season. Newman’s injury happened in the season opener, while Arbanas went down in the first practice of the season. It was after a 2016 run where these Penguins advanced to the semifinals of ...