By Tom Nader

Publisher and Editor

HONORING A HERO

The Southeast High School boys basketball team’s coaching staff all wore patches on the back of their cage jackets Friday night in remembrance and honor of Benjamin C. Dillon, who was a gun team leader in the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment at Fort Banning, Ga.

Dillon was killed in action on Oct. 7, 2007, in Northern Iraq while supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

YOUTH BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS

• The Rootstown 5th grade boys basketball team won the Eastern Ohio Youth Basketball League’s Group A Silver Division championship on Sunday.

The team, which is coached by Craig Mullaly, Mike Bellar and Mack Miller, includes: Johnny Kortright, Brock Bellar, Blake Miller, George Stevenson, Brody Mullaly, Wyatt Playmate, Dom Bell, Hunter Hillegas, Colton Rastetter and Dalton Seavey.

• The Rootstown 5th grade boys basketball team won the Eastern Ohio Youth Basketball League’s Group C Silver Division championship on Sunday.

The team, which is coached by Scott Sharp, Dan Stitzel and Mike Cirjak, includes: Charlie Stitzel, Henry Kline, Vincent Manzo, Owen Cirjak, Owen Schrock, Ahlias Hickman, Lincoln Beitzel, Alex Gragg, Calvin Sharp.

• The Field 5th grade boys basketball team won the tournament championship on Sunday at the Garrettsville Youth Basketball Tournament.

The team, which is coached by Kurt and Tori Walker, includes: Oliver Farwell, Cruz Sugg, Rylan Peterson, Jax Swab, Jack Smith, Nathan Boring, Johnny Walker.

• The 6th grade Mogadore boys basketball team won the Garrettsville Youth Basketball Tournament on Sunday, defeating Rootstown in the final 49-37.

The Wildcats went a perfect 4-0 in the tourney, with Colton Lehner scoring 25 points and Derrick Williams 18 in the title game.

The team, which is coached by John Lehner, with assistants Collin Lehner and Corey Lehner, includes: Colton Lehner, Derrick Williams, Cal Brodie, Colten Trumps, Bryce McQuain, Owen Adorni, Mike Knox, Ridge Rygiel, Cayden Dunson, and Carter Reyes.

• The St. Patrick (Kent) 7th/8th grade girls basketball team captured the Cleveland CYO championship on Saturday with a 21-7 victory over Seton Catholic (Stow).

The game was played at Ursuline College.

The Panthers are coached by Ty Barksdale and Bob Eikenburg. The team includes players from throughout Portage County: Caroline Smith, Lauren Resek, Vivian Barksdale, Jules Rosky-Owens, Audrey Skinner, Eva Kintz, Brooke Warczak, Teagan Dougherty, Josie White, Jocelyn Atanga, Sophia Shelton and Gabrielle Garro.

COLLEGE SIGNINGS

   • Addie Biggin, Rootstown volleyball, Ohio Wesleyan University

   • Adrianna Mineo, Kent Roosevelt girls golf, Oakland University

   • Teddy Maccarone, Kent Roosevelt baseball, University of Mount Union

   • Olivia Pope, Rootstown cheerleading, University of Mount Union

   • Caden Kolesar, Field baseball, Bryant & Stratton College

A NIGHT FOR THE STARS

Portage Sports is very excited to announce information about our annual High School Basketball All-Star Games!

This year’s event will once again be hosted by Ravenna High School and will be held on Friday, April 17, 2026.

Ravenna has been an amazing host, and we are excited to have its support once again.

We love the opportunity to showcase the county’s best basketball student-athletes. Player invitations will be mailed out soon, and we will share the player and coach lists once rosters are secured.

At this point, we can proudly share that the Mogadore High School pep band will be at the event. Also, Mogadore cheer advisor Julie Popio and Windham cheer advisor Nikki Sweet will lead the coordination of this year’s cheerleading participants.

Mark your calendars, and we look forward to seeing everyone there!

YOUTH WRESTLING STANDOUTS

The Buckeye League state championship youth wrestling event was hosted at the Kent State University M.A.C. Center last weekend and Portage County was well represented.

In a league that includes more than 100 teams, Crestwood placed second overall and Aurora was 10th.

Competing at the event were Aurora, Crestwood, Garfield, Ravenna, Rootstown, Southeast, Streetsboro and Waterloo.

League champions and placers included…

AURORA

• Roman Wolf, 64 pounds, champion
• Hudson Briggs, 67 pounds, sixth
• Phoenix Wolf, 73 pounds, second
• Rudy Castrigano, 110 pounds, second

CRESTWOOD

• JB Blakey, 60 pounds, second
• Abe Lommler, 64 pounds, fourth
• Cain Hampton, 67 pounds, fifth
• Andrew Huffman, 73 pounds, champion
• Kayden Miller, 100 pounds, fourth
• Jameson Blakey, 100 pounds, second
• Kolby Rose-Kramp, 132 pounds, third

ROOTSTOWN

• Armando Thomas, 56 pounds, third

SOUTHEAST

• Landon Brokaw, 79 pounds, champion

WATERLOO 

• Warren Herman, 105 pounds, third

FROM KENT TO PUERTO RICO

Kent resident Luke Garretson recently was named a member of the 2027 Team USA 11-12U national baseball team.

Garretson will represent the United States in the Latin America Baseball World Series that will be hosted in the Dominican Republic from June 22-28.

The event will pull top talent from all over the world.

ROOSEVELT’S PEEPS RECEIVES PRESTIGIOUS INVITATION

Kent Roosevelt High School senior Gavin Peeps has been selected and invited to play in the 81st annual Ohio North-South Classic football game.

The game will be played on April 25 at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium in Massillon and is a spotlight event for Ohio’s top senior football standouts.

Peeps, who has committed to continue his career at Kent State University, finished the 2025 season with 2,068 yards passing (152-257), with 21 touchdowns against nine interceptions. He also rushed for 537 yards and eight touchdowns.

1,000 FOR ROSS

Ravenna High School senior boys basketball standout Curtis “CJ” Ross scored the 1,000th point of his career on Feb. 13 during the Ravens’ 67-47 victory over Field.

Ross is just the third player in program history to reach the scoring milestone, joining Stan Trivelli and Jordan Jones.

Ross reached his achievement with a free throw in the fourth quarter.

GIRLS FLAG FOOTBALL UPDATE

Four Portage County schools will sponsor high school girls flag football this spring:

   • Field (coach George Wetzel)

   • Kent Roosevelt (Josh Schoenberger and Jay Wilson)

   • Rootstown (Alexis Ayers)

   • Streetsboro (Jon Hannan)

Last July, the OHSAA announced that it would sponsor a state championship for the sport for the first time in state history.

School districts were given a deadline of Dec. 1 to commit to a team for the spring 2026 season. Schools which have not decided to sponsor the sport this spring will have an opportunity to explore it for future years.

FIELD 8TH GRADE GIRLS BASKETBALL WINS CHAMPIONSHIP

The Field 8th grade girls basketball team won the Metro Athletic Conference Tournament championship on Wednesday, defeating Cloverleaf 28-20 to win the title. The win completed a perfect 17-0 season for the Falcons.

To win the championship, the Falcons outscored the Colts 16-3 in the fourth quarter for the comeback win and held the Colts to just one made field goal for the entire second half.

The team includes: Ava Murphy, Odessa Hottensmith, Tayla Turner, Tenley Stoicoiu, Avery Caskey, Kenley Bey, Addisen Thomas, Kaelyn Henson, Ryan Roberts, Ruby Roberts, Annie Miller and Keira Schock.