By Tom Nader

Publisher and Editor

School records and milestones have filled the Portage County landscape over the last week.

Here are a look at some of the biggest that were celebrated throughout communities.

   • LeRoy Moore, Streetsboro softball coach, 200 career wins

Moore is the seventh softball coach in county history to reach the milestone. He compiled 181 wins during an 11 year tenure, across two different stints, at Crestwood, where he won a state championship in 2003. He took over the Rockets’ program in 2024 and has 20 wins under his belt at Streetsboro.

Moore reached out to Portage Sports to publicly share a special message that he wanted all of his former players, teams and coaching staffs to see:

On April 14, 2025, I had the unique opportunity to experience my 200th victory as a varsity softball coach. Although not all inclusive, the players in the attached photos played a major part of that achievement. From the former players at Crestwood, where I coached for 11 years, to the former and current players at The Boro, where I have been the last two years, I want to THANK YOU. Without your hard work and dedication, this accomplishment would not have been achieved. Again, thank you ladies — and all my best to you!

   • Moore’s milestone was not the only piece of history for the Streetsboro softball program last week.
With a seventh-inning rally, the Rockets defeated Field at Field, 7-6, to snap a 23-game losing streak to the Portage County power Falcons.
In those 23 losses, the Rockets had been outscored by a staggering 311-37 mark, including 15 games where the Rockets scored 1 run or fewer runs.

   • Mike Haney, Kent Roosevelt baseball coach, 300 career wins

Haney, who graduated from Roosevelt in 1992, is in his 23rd year leading the Rough Riders’ program.

He became just the fourth coach in county history to reach the 300-win milestone, joining Field’s Larry Wiles, Crestwood’s Bob Merritt and Southeast’s Dave Clegg.

   • Southeast softball’s senior Ava Stephens and junior Morgan Muncy both recently collected the 100th hits of their careers.

   • The Mogadore girls track team’s 4×100 relay team, which consists of Julie Tompkins, Hayli Clester, Ava Murphy and Ari Tompkins, set a new school record at 50.2 during the team’s competition on Thursday night.

  • The Field and Ravenna boys 4×200 relay teams recently set new school records. For the Falcons, the group of Lucas Pollard, Logan Border, Isaac Czaplicki and Cedric Martin, set a new school record on Saturday at the Marlington Invitational.

The group finished in 1:32.53.

The previous record was 1:32.70 set in 2019 (Bowser, Dopkosky, Mack, James).

For the Ravens, the group of LaDarion Askew, Malachi Prisby, Tykwon Ward and Bryant Thompson, recently set a new school record.

The quartet crossed the finish line in a new program best time of 1:29.33.

COLLEGE SIGNINGS

• Bobby Melzer, Ravenna track and field, West Virginia Wesleyan University
• Julia Wheeler, Southeast cross country and track, Youngstown State University
• Jaden Dennison, Kent Roosevelt football, University of Mount Union
• Taylor Blazek, Southeast girls golf, Gannon University

NEW VOLLEYBALL COACH AT FIELD

Field High School recently announced Stacie Kucalaba as the new volleyball head coach.

Kucalaba was the head coach at Woodridge during the 2024 season and led the Bulldogs to the Metro Athletic Conference championship with a 16-3 overall record and 11-1 in the MAC.

Kucalaba takes over the Falcons’ program for Beth Dyer, who recently resigned after eight years at the helm.

KENT STATE WOMEN’S GOLF

The Golf Channel hosted the women’s collegiate golf selection show on Wednesday as the ranked top 72 teams in the nation discovered their placement in one-of-six regionals.

One day after Kent State won their 26th Mid-American Conference championship, the Golden Flashes discovered they will compete at the Ohio State University Scarlet Golf Course in the Columbus Regional as the ninth seed.

The Arkansas Razorbacks are the number one seed with Ohio State the third seed and Xavier rounding out the Ohio teams in the tournament.

STANDING OVATION FOR THE STARS

The 2nd Portage Sports High School Basketball All-Star Games were hosted at Ravenna High School on Friday.

Both games were very entertaining, competitive and came down to the closing seconds before a winner was determined.
In the girls opener, Team Foreman defeated Team Henderson 63-58.
In the boys showdown, Team Olesky pulled off a comeback win over Team Black, after trailing by as many as 20 (31-11) in the first half.
Mogadore senior Amelia Morris was named the Most Valuable Player in the girls game. She led her team to the win with 16 points and seven rebounds.
In the boys game, Crestwood senior Dekota Johnson was named MVP. He scored 19 points to go along with eight rebounds and three steals.

Here is a complete stat line for each of the 44 players that participated in the All-Star Games.
GIRLS ALL-STAR GAMES
TEAM FOREMAN
Miriyha Sandifer, Ravenna: 8 points, 2 blocked shots
Jalysia Thompson, Ravenna: 2 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists
Kelsey Bittecuffer, Rootstown: 3 points, 1 rebound, 1 steal
Julia Nash, Kent Roosevelt: 6 rebounds, 8 assists, 1 steal, 1 blocked shot
Amelia Morris, Mogadore: 16 points, 7 rebounds
Delilah Rahe, Field: 11 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 blocked shot
Ari Tompkins, Mogadore: 11 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assists, 1 steal
Sarah Balzer, Field: 2 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist
Claire VanDamme, Kent Roosevelt: 10 points, 9 rebounds, 3 blocked shots

TEAM HENDERSON

Makenzi Blockinger, Windham: 1 rebound, 1 assist
Hannah Ward, Crestwood: 7 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal
Sydney Abbuhl, Streetsboro: 7 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals
Mandy Cardinal, Garfield: 2 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 blocked shot
Brooke Pierce, Aurora: 4 points, 4 rebounds
Becca Brady, Crestwood: 6 points, 2 assists, 1 steal
Brooke Manav, Aurora: 2 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal
Naomi Benson, Streetsboro: 19 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 2 blocked shots
Kristen Campbell, Southeast: 8 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals
Brielle Jones, Windham: 3 points, 2 rebounds, 1 blocked shot

BOYS ALL-STAR GAMES
TEAM OLESKY
Charles Ivory, Streetsboro: 13 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocked shots
Dekota Johnson, Crestwood: 19 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals
Preston Gedeon, Garfield: 7 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists
Brock Habbyshaw, Aurora: 8 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals
Carlos Bruton, Windham: 3 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal
Brayden Ronowski, Field: 8 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist
Aidan Hill, Garfield: 2 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 blocked shot
Johnny Trivisonno, Aurora: 4 rebounds, 1 blocked shot
Ben Stayer, Field: 3 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 3 blocked shots
Jack Batten, Streetsboro: 9 points, 2 rebounds.

TEAM BLACK
Carson Hayn, Rootstown: 2 points, 1 rebound
Blake Mullaly, Rootstown: 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal
Jaden Dennison, Kent Roosevelt: 9 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal
Cohen Richardson, Southeast: 17 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist
Gavin Peeps, Kent Roosevelt: 20 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocked shots
Jordon Smith, Mogadore: 2 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 blocked shot
Curtis Ross, Ravenna: 6 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals
Trevor Simons, Waterloo: 5 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals
Zach Keto, Southeast: 5 points
Nick Stephenson, Mogadore: 2 points, 6 rebounds, 1 steal

I would like to sincerely thank the following group for helping make the Portage Sports All-Star Games a success:
• Ravenna High School and its administration, specifically athletic director Jim Lunardi and athletic secretary Megan Greene.
• Field’s Ellen Arena, official scorebook keeper
• Field’s Alex Black, clock operator
• Rootstown’s Denny and Ruth Pickens, statisticians
• Mogadore’s Jack Hugg, public address announcer
• Mogadore’s Jennifer Hugg, National Anthem singer
• Rootstown coach Toccara Ball and Mogadore coach Julie Popio, cheer coach coordinators
• The Ravenna Athletics Booster Club, concessions
• Tom and Julie Nader, ticket table
• Kyle Nader, gym preparation setup
• Madyson Stelzer, gym preparation set up

See everyone at next year’s All-Star Games!