Not off the Press: Indians have new 'Chief'; rainouts ruining the spring slate 
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By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
This spring season is more like a rainout season sprinkled in with some spring sports.
C'mon, Mother Nature … let us have some baseball and/or softball. With more rain in the forecast this upcoming week, the tournament draw and the end of the regular season should be interesting. Does anyone else sense regular season games being played during or after the postseason?
Well, one positive in the South Central Ohio League is the McClain Tigers' baseball and softball programs are currently in first place, but both the SCOL and Southern Hills League (where the LC Mustangs have just one loss in baseball league play) have many games remaining. Also, the Fairfield Lady Lions' softball team are battling near or at the top in their division of the SHL. I can't forget about the Fairfield Lions baseball team, who are at or near the top in the SHL as well.
Though we have some good talent in Highland County, the question remains: when will the teams ever get back on the field?
• Speaking of spring sports
The only baseball game I got to cover live this past week was the Hillsboro Indians and Clinton-Massie Falcons at the pony league field at Shaffer Park.
Fun game to watch for the fact the Indians were dominant in the final inning, scoring runs at will. They did it by playing small ball in the final inning, forcing walks and getting the clutch hits they needed to go home after five innings.
After two days of rain, Thursday was for tennis. I will say this, I'm glad I went because if you want to talk about the ups and downs in a sporting event, the first singles match involving Hillsboro's Reese Leibreich and London's Eric Gunthorp was absolutely a roller-coaster ride.
The match went back and forth and even had to be settled by a tiebreaker. Again, I had to think back to my college tennis class to remember the scoring, but this was as exciting of a sporting event that I have covered this spring. Seeing those two student-athletes start off calm, but the longer the match went, the more intense it was … it was what high school sports represents.
Once the match was over, the two players talked and shook hands, and thanks to those two players for playing their sport with a lot of passion on that day.
• A new varsity basketball coach
"I want the community to come out and support us. The style we're going to play is very endearing to the fans, and to me the community is very important. I want the community to be a part of what we are going to do. You enjoy your success more when you can share it with the community."
Hillsboro, welcome your new boys varsity basketball coach, Brett Prince.
In a sit-down interview this past week that lasted over 23 minutes, Prince didn't hold back, showed a sense of humor and got down to the details about what he wants from his basketball program.
Hillsboro fans should get ready for a defensive brand of basketball, mixed with a running style of offense, which should be fun to watch.
Good luck to Coach Prince.
• Legion baseball golf outing
The American Legion Golf Outing will be held Saturday, May 21 at 1 p.m. at the Hillsboro Elks. Tee times can be accommodated. The cost is $200 per team and $50 for hole sponsors. There will be prizes and food.
Proceeds will benefit the "boys of summer," the American Legion Post 129 baseball team, who advanced to the state tournament last season. For more information, call Scott Morgan at (937) 763-1307 or Steve Newby at 763-7799.
• The NFL Draft
Though there may or may not be a NFL season due to the current lockout, the NFL Draft is always a must-watch event. The first round is fun, but I like the 2nd-7th rounds because those are the rounds where teams are built.
Let's stay in Ohio, and the question I've been asking my friends is who they want their Cincinnati Bengals to draft.
Not having a fan's opinion on the Bengals, my thought is they should draft a wide receiver in the first round. It looks like Chad Ochocinco and head coach Marvin Lewis aren't friendly, plus more than likely No. 85 will be wearing another NFL uniform this "upcoming" season. Also, if Ochocinco doesn't return, there is no way Terrell Owens returns for a second season in the Queen City, though by the stats, he was the most productive of all Bengal receivers in '10.
Sports Illustrated's Peter King said the Bengals will draft Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert for the fact Carson Palmer said he'll never play for the Bengals again. King also said the Bengals should draft Julio Jones, a wide receiver from Alabama. Though I'm no Peter King, I do agree with the Bengals needing to draft a wide receiver. There are plenty of quarterbacks in this draft, and maybe if they get some new weapons, Palmer will return, or they can draft a free agent veteran if the lockout is ever lifted.
Jones is described as a Hines Ward-type of wide receiver who can make blocks, along with the ability to catch the football. He'd fit well with Jordan Shipley (52-600-3) and tight end Jermaine Gresham (52-471-4). The Bengals have some talent at the wideout position besides their two reality stars (Ochocinco and Owens), so they can be replaced. Whomever the QB will be this season (Palmer or someone else), they will have some weapons returning if given the chance. If Jones is added to the mix, that would make the "rebuilding project" by the Bengals move a bit faster.
Another reason why the Bengals need a "standout" receiver is the fact that even with former Pro Bowlers on the roster, they didn't have a 1,000-yard receiver or a wideout who had 75 or more receptions. Owens led with 72 catches and 983 yards, and he was 35 years old, so some new blood in the receiver core is needed.
Defensively, I don't see them giving up the big plays like last season … they have the talent, but not playing up to that talent, along with injuries, mixed with the entire franchise just being a cluster-mess … last season was a year to forget.
Remember, the Bengals are just two seasons removed from a division championship, so they have the ability to win it again, but they need to step back to the level they played with in 2009 where they took the Ravens and Steelers to the limit.
But I like others' opinions on the Bengals. Tom Coleman, who has done some blog entries and photographs for the HCP and is also a big fan of the Bengals (along with being a Fairfield High School graduate), gave me his opinion on who the Bengals should draft.
Here is what Mr. Coleman wrote — I think the Bengals should take Patrick Peterson, the safety from LSU. There are three really strong reasons I believe this.
The first reason is that defensive backs historically have had a higher rate of initial success in translating to NFL football.
The second reason is that with Johnathan Joseph likely not returning after this season because "Mr. Shallow Pockets" (aka Mike Brown) refuses to pay a premium to any other position than overrated, injury-prone QB's (Carson Palmer) and prima-donna, overrated wideouts with alligator arms (Ochocinco). It seems as though it's pretty much a sure thing Joseph will not be wearing stripes in the foreseeable future, and Peterson could likely play CB as well as safety.
The third reason is that a wide receiver has a tough time adjusting early on to the NFL. Couple that with the fact that A.J. Green (Georgia) likely will have no proven QB throwing to him, and yes, I'm including both of the Palmer brothers in that mix, and basically you would be wasting a pick by drafting a position who relies on someone to deliver the ball to him. The pros outweigh the cons, but as in years past, the Bengals really never seem to grasp that concept, for every steal (Ray Maualuga, Jordan Shipley) there are at least four busts (David Klinger, Akili Smith, Andre Smith, Chris Perry).
• The Cincinnati Reds
After their three-game weekend series against the St. Louis Cardinals, the defending NL Central champs are 11-11 overall this season, second-place in the NL Central.
One item that hurt the Reds this weekend was third baseman Scott Rolen being placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained shoulder. The lineup isn't the same when a healthy Rolen isn't playing.
Friday's game was a mess for the Reds, with the "gamesmanship" (sudden pitching changes, slow weather report) by the St. Louis Cardinals, and the Reds lost 4-2. Saturday was a big day for the Reds, winning 5-3. On Sunday night, Edinson Volquez had one bad pitch, and it ruined what was a very good outing for him. The three-run home run by Cardinal catcher Yadier Molina in the sixth not only ruined Volquez's night, but the homer put the Cardinals ahead 3-0. St. Louis took the three-game series with two wins, taking the first and third games of the series. The Cardinals out-hit the Reds 27-18 in the weekend series, while outscoring Cincinnati 10-7. Sunday night was the first time the Reds have been shut out this season, their 22nd game.
The Reds travel to Milwaukee for three games, starting Monday, then host the Florida Marlins for three games starting on Friday. They have an off day on Thursday.
All I can say is you can't win the division in April, but you can possibly lose it. There is still plenty of baseball left in the season, so I wouldn't panic just yet, but I can't figure out this team at all. The past couple weeks … well, they (the Reds) are a lot better than the way they have played in that span. Since starting the season 5-0, they have gone 6-11.
• 10 Thoughts on high school sports
1. Tennis was really exciting to watch when I focused on just one match. If I tried to watch all four at once, well, I would have been confused.
2. I'm thinking the start of May will be really hectic for athletic directors in their rescheduling of games. The weather report for this upcoming week, well, Monday through Wednesday, is full of rain and thunderstorms.
3. With the above weather report, I'm thinking there will be regular-season league games being played during and after the tournament.
4. The Fairfield Lions baseball team had a big week. One win was a come-from-behind win, and the other was a big victory over a county and league rival. They are showing they can win games in a variety of ways.
5. The McClain and Hillsboro baseball and softball teams have been rained out three times this season when scheduled to play each other. I would really like to see these games played before the actual postseason begins.
6. I think I've looked at the weather report more this year than actual stats. That makes for a sloppy spring. I'd be willing to give up May flowers for some April baseball.
7. I honestly don't see how games will be made up in time before the start of the postseason. The draw is on May 1.
8. Yes, I still think having a spring football practice is a good idea. I also still think it makes no sense not to have rivalry games at the end of the basketball season, though I know people in charge of these things don't agree with me.
9. Though there haven't been many games this spring, the games I've attended have been, for the most part, very competitive.
10. It's good to see Highland County has teams that are in contention for a league title, though as stated earlier, there are still a lot of league games to be played.
• Stat of the Week
In their game against Whiteoak, the Fairfield Lady Lions' softball team had 17 hits, seven going for extra bases.
• (A Bonus) Stat of the Week
Fairfield junior pitcher Lauren Larrick has 102 strikeouts in 11 games this softball season.
• Quote of the Week
"To me, it is attractive (Hillsboro) because this school is one of the bigger schools in the league. It is very similar to where I grew up. That's where my roots are, and that's where I wanted to get back to … my roots. This is a really, really good fit for me." — Brett Prince, new Hillsboro varsity boys basketball coach.
• (Another) Quote of the Week
"Reese (Leibreich) is in just his second year at the high school level. Last year he was third singles and was all-league. He's been doing well and had a heck of a match (Thursday)." — LaRue Turner, Hillsboro varsity tennis coach.
• (A third and final) Quote of the Week
"This has to be our most complete game of the season. We got pitching, hitting and defense. I am really proud of the girls. With the rainouts, we have really been breaking down our hitting. The girls are putting extra time in to get better, and it really showed (Thursday)." — Jarrod Haines, McClain varsity softball coach.
• Just for fun
On Saturday I purchased a DVD titled "Reverse of the Curse of the Bambino." It was just $5 and produced by HBO Sports. I'm not a fan of the Red Sox, but this was a good documentary. It was made after the Red Sox won the World Series in 2004, but it was worth the money I paid for it.
Has HBO Sports ever made a bad documentary?
• One last item of business
The NBA Playoffs are worth watching, but what I can't stand is the seven-game series for the first round. There are too many games being played when the playoffs start in late April and end in June.
Don't get me wrong, it is the best brand of basketball played, but with the NBA Playoffs, quantity doesn't equal quality.
Stephen Forsha is the sports editor of the Highland County Press. He can be reached at sforsha@gmail.com. Follow Stephen at www.twitter.com/hcpsportseditor.[[In-content Ad]]
C'mon, Mother Nature … let us have some baseball and/or softball. With more rain in the forecast this upcoming week, the tournament draw and the end of the regular season should be interesting. Does anyone else sense regular season games being played during or after the postseason?
Well, one positive in the South Central Ohio League is the McClain Tigers' baseball and softball programs are currently in first place, but both the SCOL and Southern Hills League (where the LC Mustangs have just one loss in baseball league play) have many games remaining. Also, the Fairfield Lady Lions' softball team are battling near or at the top in their division of the SHL. I can't forget about the Fairfield Lions baseball team, who are at or near the top in the SHL as well.
Though we have some good talent in Highland County, the question remains: when will the teams ever get back on the field?
• Speaking of spring sports
The only baseball game I got to cover live this past week was the Hillsboro Indians and Clinton-Massie Falcons at the pony league field at Shaffer Park.
Fun game to watch for the fact the Indians were dominant in the final inning, scoring runs at will. They did it by playing small ball in the final inning, forcing walks and getting the clutch hits they needed to go home after five innings.
After two days of rain, Thursday was for tennis. I will say this, I'm glad I went because if you want to talk about the ups and downs in a sporting event, the first singles match involving Hillsboro's Reese Leibreich and London's Eric Gunthorp was absolutely a roller-coaster ride.
The match went back and forth and even had to be settled by a tiebreaker. Again, I had to think back to my college tennis class to remember the scoring, but this was as exciting of a sporting event that I have covered this spring. Seeing those two student-athletes start off calm, but the longer the match went, the more intense it was … it was what high school sports represents.
Once the match was over, the two players talked and shook hands, and thanks to those two players for playing their sport with a lot of passion on that day.
• A new varsity basketball coach
"I want the community to come out and support us. The style we're going to play is very endearing to the fans, and to me the community is very important. I want the community to be a part of what we are going to do. You enjoy your success more when you can share it with the community."
Hillsboro, welcome your new boys varsity basketball coach, Brett Prince.
In a sit-down interview this past week that lasted over 23 minutes, Prince didn't hold back, showed a sense of humor and got down to the details about what he wants from his basketball program.
Hillsboro fans should get ready for a defensive brand of basketball, mixed with a running style of offense, which should be fun to watch.
Good luck to Coach Prince.
• Legion baseball golf outing
The American Legion Golf Outing will be held Saturday, May 21 at 1 p.m. at the Hillsboro Elks. Tee times can be accommodated. The cost is $200 per team and $50 for hole sponsors. There will be prizes and food.
Proceeds will benefit the "boys of summer," the American Legion Post 129 baseball team, who advanced to the state tournament last season. For more information, call Scott Morgan at (937) 763-1307 or Steve Newby at 763-7799.
• The NFL Draft
Though there may or may not be a NFL season due to the current lockout, the NFL Draft is always a must-watch event. The first round is fun, but I like the 2nd-7th rounds because those are the rounds where teams are built.
Let's stay in Ohio, and the question I've been asking my friends is who they want their Cincinnati Bengals to draft.
Not having a fan's opinion on the Bengals, my thought is they should draft a wide receiver in the first round. It looks like Chad Ochocinco and head coach Marvin Lewis aren't friendly, plus more than likely No. 85 will be wearing another NFL uniform this "upcoming" season. Also, if Ochocinco doesn't return, there is no way Terrell Owens returns for a second season in the Queen City, though by the stats, he was the most productive of all Bengal receivers in '10.
Sports Illustrated's Peter King said the Bengals will draft Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert for the fact Carson Palmer said he'll never play for the Bengals again. King also said the Bengals should draft Julio Jones, a wide receiver from Alabama. Though I'm no Peter King, I do agree with the Bengals needing to draft a wide receiver. There are plenty of quarterbacks in this draft, and maybe if they get some new weapons, Palmer will return, or they can draft a free agent veteran if the lockout is ever lifted.
Jones is described as a Hines Ward-type of wide receiver who can make blocks, along with the ability to catch the football. He'd fit well with Jordan Shipley (52-600-3) and tight end Jermaine Gresham (52-471-4). The Bengals have some talent at the wideout position besides their two reality stars (Ochocinco and Owens), so they can be replaced. Whomever the QB will be this season (Palmer or someone else), they will have some weapons returning if given the chance. If Jones is added to the mix, that would make the "rebuilding project" by the Bengals move a bit faster.
Another reason why the Bengals need a "standout" receiver is the fact that even with former Pro Bowlers on the roster, they didn't have a 1,000-yard receiver or a wideout who had 75 or more receptions. Owens led with 72 catches and 983 yards, and he was 35 years old, so some new blood in the receiver core is needed.
Defensively, I don't see them giving up the big plays like last season … they have the talent, but not playing up to that talent, along with injuries, mixed with the entire franchise just being a cluster-mess … last season was a year to forget.
Remember, the Bengals are just two seasons removed from a division championship, so they have the ability to win it again, but they need to step back to the level they played with in 2009 where they took the Ravens and Steelers to the limit.
But I like others' opinions on the Bengals. Tom Coleman, who has done some blog entries and photographs for the HCP and is also a big fan of the Bengals (along with being a Fairfield High School graduate), gave me his opinion on who the Bengals should draft.
Here is what Mr. Coleman wrote — I think the Bengals should take Patrick Peterson, the safety from LSU. There are three really strong reasons I believe this.
The first reason is that defensive backs historically have had a higher rate of initial success in translating to NFL football.
The second reason is that with Johnathan Joseph likely not returning after this season because "Mr. Shallow Pockets" (aka Mike Brown) refuses to pay a premium to any other position than overrated, injury-prone QB's (Carson Palmer) and prima-donna, overrated wideouts with alligator arms (Ochocinco). It seems as though it's pretty much a sure thing Joseph will not be wearing stripes in the foreseeable future, and Peterson could likely play CB as well as safety.
The third reason is that a wide receiver has a tough time adjusting early on to the NFL. Couple that with the fact that A.J. Green (Georgia) likely will have no proven QB throwing to him, and yes, I'm including both of the Palmer brothers in that mix, and basically you would be wasting a pick by drafting a position who relies on someone to deliver the ball to him. The pros outweigh the cons, but as in years past, the Bengals really never seem to grasp that concept, for every steal (Ray Maualuga, Jordan Shipley) there are at least four busts (David Klinger, Akili Smith, Andre Smith, Chris Perry).
• The Cincinnati Reds
After their three-game weekend series against the St. Louis Cardinals, the defending NL Central champs are 11-11 overall this season, second-place in the NL Central.
One item that hurt the Reds this weekend was third baseman Scott Rolen being placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained shoulder. The lineup isn't the same when a healthy Rolen isn't playing.
Friday's game was a mess for the Reds, with the "gamesmanship" (sudden pitching changes, slow weather report) by the St. Louis Cardinals, and the Reds lost 4-2. Saturday was a big day for the Reds, winning 5-3. On Sunday night, Edinson Volquez had one bad pitch, and it ruined what was a very good outing for him. The three-run home run by Cardinal catcher Yadier Molina in the sixth not only ruined Volquez's night, but the homer put the Cardinals ahead 3-0. St. Louis took the three-game series with two wins, taking the first and third games of the series. The Cardinals out-hit the Reds 27-18 in the weekend series, while outscoring Cincinnati 10-7. Sunday night was the first time the Reds have been shut out this season, their 22nd game.
The Reds travel to Milwaukee for three games, starting Monday, then host the Florida Marlins for three games starting on Friday. They have an off day on Thursday.
All I can say is you can't win the division in April, but you can possibly lose it. There is still plenty of baseball left in the season, so I wouldn't panic just yet, but I can't figure out this team at all. The past couple weeks … well, they (the Reds) are a lot better than the way they have played in that span. Since starting the season 5-0, they have gone 6-11.
• 10 Thoughts on high school sports
1. Tennis was really exciting to watch when I focused on just one match. If I tried to watch all four at once, well, I would have been confused.
2. I'm thinking the start of May will be really hectic for athletic directors in their rescheduling of games. The weather report for this upcoming week, well, Monday through Wednesday, is full of rain and thunderstorms.
3. With the above weather report, I'm thinking there will be regular-season league games being played during and after the tournament.
4. The Fairfield Lions baseball team had a big week. One win was a come-from-behind win, and the other was a big victory over a county and league rival. They are showing they can win games in a variety of ways.
5. The McClain and Hillsboro baseball and softball teams have been rained out three times this season when scheduled to play each other. I would really like to see these games played before the actual postseason begins.
6. I think I've looked at the weather report more this year than actual stats. That makes for a sloppy spring. I'd be willing to give up May flowers for some April baseball.
7. I honestly don't see how games will be made up in time before the start of the postseason. The draw is on May 1.
8. Yes, I still think having a spring football practice is a good idea. I also still think it makes no sense not to have rivalry games at the end of the basketball season, though I know people in charge of these things don't agree with me.
9. Though there haven't been many games this spring, the games I've attended have been, for the most part, very competitive.
10. It's good to see Highland County has teams that are in contention for a league title, though as stated earlier, there are still a lot of league games to be played.
• Stat of the Week
In their game against Whiteoak, the Fairfield Lady Lions' softball team had 17 hits, seven going for extra bases.
• (A Bonus) Stat of the Week
Fairfield junior pitcher Lauren Larrick has 102 strikeouts in 11 games this softball season.
• Quote of the Week
"To me, it is attractive (Hillsboro) because this school is one of the bigger schools in the league. It is very similar to where I grew up. That's where my roots are, and that's where I wanted to get back to … my roots. This is a really, really good fit for me." — Brett Prince, new Hillsboro varsity boys basketball coach.
• (Another) Quote of the Week
"Reese (Leibreich) is in just his second year at the high school level. Last year he was third singles and was all-league. He's been doing well and had a heck of a match (Thursday)." — LaRue Turner, Hillsboro varsity tennis coach.
• (A third and final) Quote of the Week
"This has to be our most complete game of the season. We got pitching, hitting and defense. I am really proud of the girls. With the rainouts, we have really been breaking down our hitting. The girls are putting extra time in to get better, and it really showed (Thursday)." — Jarrod Haines, McClain varsity softball coach.
• Just for fun
On Saturday I purchased a DVD titled "Reverse of the Curse of the Bambino." It was just $5 and produced by HBO Sports. I'm not a fan of the Red Sox, but this was a good documentary. It was made after the Red Sox won the World Series in 2004, but it was worth the money I paid for it.
Has HBO Sports ever made a bad documentary?
• One last item of business
The NBA Playoffs are worth watching, but what I can't stand is the seven-game series for the first round. There are too many games being played when the playoffs start in late April and end in June.
Don't get me wrong, it is the best brand of basketball played, but with the NBA Playoffs, quantity doesn't equal quality.
Stephen Forsha is the sports editor of the Highland County Press. He can be reached at sforsha@gmail.com. Follow Stephen at www.twitter.com/hcpsportseditor.[[In-content Ad]]