By Tom Nader

Publisher and Editor

The start of the 2025 high school football season was expected to produce some memorable moments.

It would have been almost impossible to predict the kind of start Waterloo junior Keyshawne Anderson would have, though.

In a Week 1 loss to Akron Springfield, Anderson for a touchdown, rushed for two touchdowns, caught a score and also had a 50-yard fumble return for another touchdown.

It led first-year head coach Nathan Brode down a path of curiosity.

How rare of a feat was it?

Through a Google summary table, Brode plugged in the data and the returned ratio of the likelihood for such a game to occur for an individual was set at one in 50,000 games.

Quite rare indeed!

MILESTONES

Over the last week, three milestones were celebrated in Portage County.

   • Mogadore volleyball senior Alana Whitmore recorded the 500th dig of her career on Tuesday during the Wildcats’ victory over St. Thomas Aquinas.

   • Aurora volleyball head coach Katie Cicione won the 100th game of her career on Thursday. The Greenmen defeated Revere to lift Cicione, who is in her ninth year as a coach, to the milestone.

   • Streetsboro girls soccer head coach Ryan Willard earned career win No. 150 on Tuesday during the Rockets’ 11-1 triumph over Springfield. Willard’s win total is second all-time in girls soccer county history, trailing 28-year Southeast coach Dean Dunlavy (254 career wins).

FOOTBALL ROSTERS

Varsity roster numbers, including grade by grade breakdowns, for Portage County teams.

Note: Aurora does not roster freshmen on varsity.

FUTURE PORTAGE SPORTS HISTORY

A special thank you to Portage Sports reader Kevin Loughry, who sent me scans from a 1978 Portage South Youth Football program.

Not only were they really cool to look at, even to see some of the local advertising throughout, they will also become the feature of a future Portage Sports History page post.

Thank you, Kevin!

S.P.A.C.E. FUNDRAISER

The 13th annual Sportsmen’s Raffle has been set for Saturday, Oct. 11, at 5:30 p.m.

The event is coordinated by S.P.A.C.E. and is a fundraiser for the school’s athletic department.

Presale tickets are $40 each (or $25 for a raffle ticket only) and can be purchased online at SoutheastPirates.org or at the following locations: Pettigrew’s Hardware, Sarchione Randolph, Sarchione Alliance, Randolph Home Furnishings or The Armory.

There are also a series of sponsorship levels.

   • Platinum Level: For $1,000, a reserved VIP Captains table, social media shoutouts, name and logo displayed throughout the event, recognition in the event program and eight tickets.

   • Gold Level: For $500, social media shoutouts, name and logo displayed throughout the event, recognition in event program and four tickets.

   • Maroon Level: For $250, name and logo displayed throughout the event, recognition in event program and two tickets.