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Tag: Bluffton

  • Crestview Knights Get Rolled by the State Ranked Bluffton Pirates on Senior Night.

    A group photo on a football field, featuring a team of players in blue uniforms standing in the center, surrounded by supporters wearing red and blue attire. The scene is set during sunset with trees in the background.

    The sun was starting its’ descent in the small town of Convoy, Ohio. A horizontal streak of orange lay across the top of the school to the west. The air was choked with the smell of burgers and brats, that assaulted your nose, and made your mouth water, as the Knights Pride Club had another fund raiser for the student-athletes.

    The slight breeze and the warmth, shone brightly onto the football field. The stadium filled with children running and laughing. On the grass of the gridiron, parents stood with their kids, talking and reminiscing about treasured memories, as they were introduced and celebrated, one last time, as it was Senior Night,

    Knights OT/DE Senior Will Sheets carries the sledgehammer out on Senior Night.

    Unfortunately for the Knights, the pregame festivities would be as good as it was to be on this night.

    Just 56 seconds into the game, Pirates HB Parker Lovell would score his 1st of 4 touchdowns in the game from 4 yards out. He’d run another in from 3 yards out, and QB Tayte Giesige would hit WR Blayne Hill on a 40 yard TD pass, to put the #7th ranked Pirates up 21-0 after the 1st quarter.

    Bluffton Pirates HB Parker Lovell scoring his 2nd of 4 TDs of the game.

    The Pirates would jump out to a massive 34 – 0 lead, behind a fast and physical defense. Crestview’s offensive line, just didn’t seem to have an answer for the blitz packages, as I heard multiple players tell the coaches.

    The Knights would finally get on the board with a 32 yard TD pass from Cash Hammons to Beau Lichtensteiger, with :34 seconds left in the 1st half. The PAT (point after touchdown) was blocked, but at least they didn’t get shutout, and were on the board 34-6. They’d end the first half on a high note. Not just with the TD, but the final play was a much need QB sack, by DL #55 Kale Lichtensteiger and DL #1 Beckam Putman.

    Knights QB Cash Hammons finds Beau Lichtensteiger on this 32 yard TD pass.

    That momentum would carry over into the 2nd half. The Knights received the kickoff. They’d get a Pirates 15 yard facemask penalty on a 2nd and 6. They’d connect on a 33 yard pass on a 3rd and 11. Once again, they’d hit another big pass, this time for 29 yards.

    A 3 yard run, followed by an 11 yard pass, would get them down to them a 1st and Goal from the 7 yardline.

    QB Cash Hammons would scamper in for another Knights TD. They’d miss the 2 point attempt was no good, but it was now a 34-12 game, with 9:21 left in the 3rd quarter.

    Knights QB Cash Hammons runs for a 7 yard TD.

    The Bluffton Pirates are the #7th ranked in Division 5 for a reason. They would immediately squash all that momentum by the Knights, by scoring 2 TDs in a matter of 4 minutes.

    QB Giesige would hit WR Blayne Hill for their 2nd TD of the night, this time from 52 yards out. Lovells’ final TD of the game (4 yard run) and it was 49 – 12 to end the 3rd quarter, as well as the final score of the game.

    Bluffton Pirates HB Parker Lovell, scores the final points of the game, on this 4 yard TD run.

    Knights Junior QB Cash Hammons went 16 of 28 for 168 yards, with 1 passing TD, and 1 INT (which was an uncalled DPI), and had 13 carries for 33 yards and 1 TD.

    Freshman WR Beau Lichtensteiger had 10 catches for 115 yards and 1 TD.

    4 different Knights, led the team with 5 total tackles.

    I spoke to Knights head coach Cole Harting after the game.

    High school football team kneeling on the sidelines during sunset, with a crowd in the background and a marching band visible on the field.

    “Well, we wanted to come in and limit their big plays. Make them earn every drive. Unfortunately, at the beginning they got some easy ones and had a few short drives. We’ve got to do a better job tackling and making those type of plays, when we have the opportunity to do so.”

    I asked him, what positives he and the staff could take away from this loss?

    “A big positive is that Cash came in and gave us a lot of really good stuff back there at quarterback. He showed a surprising ability to come in and command the offense.”

    I asked Coach Harting about Hammons ability to run, and how it limited the Pirates ability to blitz in the 2nd half.

    “Absolutely. Cash brings some size and playmaking ability to extend plays, that we didn’t have before. He did a really good job of keeping his eyes downfield. These were his very first snaps he’s ever played at quarterback in a live game. We’re very proud of the way he played tonight.

    The defense was able to bat a few balls out of the air. Which was something that I rarely saw this season, covering the Knights.

    “We’re blessed to have 2 defensive ends with really good size at 6’5″. They were able to get their hands up and if those passes aren’t up, they’re going to be able to effect those throwing lanes.”

    The Knights are now 2-6 overall, and 2-3 in the Northwest Conference.

    They play their final home game of the season, next Friday against state ranked Columbus Grove, at 7:00 PM (EST).

    – by Sean McKenzie

    Stats and information courtesy of…..Chris Lutz.

  • Crestview Girls Varsity Volleyball Get Big Win on Homecoming Week.

    A group of young female volleyball players huddled together on a court, wearing matching white uniforms with blue accents, engaged in a team discussion.

    It’s homecoming week for the students at Crestview High School in the small town of Convoy, Ohio.

    You opened the door to the school, and you could hear and see the excitement. The students singing and dancing. Elementary kids running around talking with their friends, while their parents were up in the stands. The smell of popcorn and pizza from the local bar, filled the gymnasium.

    The Knights (4-5) girls varsity volleyball team was playing in front of a home crowd, for the first time in 10 days (4 games), taking on the Bluffton Pirates (10-5), in a Northwest Conference action.

    The first set was a back and forth affair, with both teams trading points and streaks. The Knights would go up 10-9 on a long rally by both teams, with lots of digs and blocks. The Pirates would call a timeout down 12-9. They’d go on a small run, and get the set to 17-16, before forcing the Knights to call a timeout. A Crestview ace, would make it 21-18, and the Pirates would use their last timeout. It would be to no avail, as the Lady Knights would win the first set 25-20.

    A volleyball match in a gymnasium, featuring players in action with a net in the center and spectators on the benches in the background.

    The Lady Knights would start out the 2nd set hot, winning the first 4 points. The Lady Pirates would get on the board after a long rally to make it 4-1. They’d come back and tie it at 5-5. Crestview would get it to 10-7, but again, Bluffton came back to tie it at 10-10. Crestview would call a timeout with the game tied at 18-18, after Bluffton got 4 of 5 points. They’d trade point back and forth, getting it to 22-22. Crestview would score 2 straight, to make it 24-22. A Bluffton timeout would get them a point at 24-23, but the Lady Knights would close it out, winning a hard fought 2nd set 25-23.

    A high school volleyball game in action, featuring a player in mid-jump preparing to hit the ball over the net, while opposing players attempt to block the shot.

    The Lady Pirates however, would not go out quietly. They quickly got out to a 8-3 lead, forcing Knights head coach Tammy Gregory to call an early timeout. The break worked, as they’d get 4 of the next 5 points to make it 9-7. A Bluffton point, then Crestview rattled off 4 straight to take their first lead of the 3rd set 11-10.

    As it was all game long, it would be back and forth. Both teams making hard digs and saves, trading points and short streaks. It was a 17-17 game, when the Lady Pirates would score 3 straight points to make it 20-17. That would force the Knights to use their final timeout of the set.

    Once again, that timeout stopped all the momentum C-O-L-D, as the Crestview Lady Knights would score 7 straight points, and win the 3rd set 25-20, and the match with a 3-0 sweep.

    Scoreboard displaying the final score of a basketball game: Home team 25, Guest team 20, with 1:00 remaining in the third period.

    I spoke with Crestview Lady Knights Head Coach Tammy Gregory after the game.

    “There was so much on the line. We knew that Bluffton would be at the top of the conference at the start of the year, and knew that we could not overlook anybody. I’m so proud of the girls and how they played tonight.”

    I noticed that the Knights had a player, all the way at the back line. That was something I hadn’t seen them do so far this season. I asked Coach Gregory, if that was specific for this game, or would that be a season long change.

    “They’re not a team that’s going to tip a lot, so we were able to move our defense around a bit more. We wanted to make sure that we protected that out of bounds line.”

    A volleyball player in mid-air preparing to serve during a game, with teammates and spectators in the background.

    Leading the way for the Lady Knights in the victory tonight…..

    Serving

    Ayla Kreischer 15/16 with 2 aces

    Kenadie Schwartz 13/14 with 2 aces

    Kaci Gregory 11/13 with 2 aces

    Nora Perkins 14/14 with 1 ace

    Hitting

    Kaci Gregory 12 kills

    Kenadie Schwartz 9 kills

    Ayla Kreischer 8 kills

    Setting

    Nora Perkins 21 assists

    Kenadie Schwartz 9 assists

    Digs

    Kaci Gregory 10 digs

    Ayla Kreischer 8 digs

    Zoe Ross 6 digs

    Blocks

    Alecta Baxter 3 stuff blocks

    Kenadie Schwartz & Ayla Kreischer 2 stuff blocks each.

    A clear plastic cup filled with a layered dessert featuring creamy toppings, chopped pecans, caramel drizzles, and crunchy bits.

    I’d like to thank Daily Dose in Convoy for being a sponsor of the allsportsfan.com Player of the Game.
    For all your special-tea drinks, high protein breakfasts, and snacks, stop into the Daily Dose in Convoy.
    I personally eat and enjoy their Banana Nut Protein Bowl.
    Located at the corner of US-49 and Tully Street in downtown Convoy. Check out their Facebook page for store hours, drink menu and specials.

    The Lady Knights are now 5-5 overall and an undefeated 3-0 in Northwest Conference play.

    Their next game is next Monday night, at home against the Van Wert Cougars 1-11 overall and 1-4 in Western Buckeye League.

    JV starts at 5:30 PM, with varsity to start afterwards.

  • Crestview Knights Football Season Preview.

    Scoreboard for the Crestview Knights football team at their home field, displaying game information.

    The small town of Convoy, Ohio is just 10 minutes from the Ohio/Indiana border in Van Wert County. With a population of only 1,002 (according to the 2024 census) it’s small town Americana. Mail is not delivered here. Instead, everyone in town is given a PO Box.

    It has a flower shop “The Secret Garden Floral and Gifts”, run by Jason and Nate. A coffee shop “The Rebel Bean” run by Jennifer, Amy, and Ashley; and ice cream shop “Convoy Tastee Freeze”, share the same building. My daughter is in love with Daily Dose drinks. Cheers and Gears Bar and Grill has great mozzarella sticks. that I just smash on.

    People are friendly, chatty, and always say “hello” when walking around and in the shops and churches.

    There’s only one stoplight in the whole town, and it’s at the school.

    It is home to the Crestview Knights.

    Two high school football players are practicing a tackling drill on a grassy field, with coaches and teammates observing in the background.

    3rd year head coach Cole Harting (in white shirt above) leads a team that returns 12 letter winners in total. 8 starters return on offense (mostly underclassmen) and 4 on defense.

    I watched the team practice for 4 days and sat down with the head coach who granted me an interview.

    With 2 of their first 3 games against their rivals, my first question was how he’ll keep his players focused on the games with all the trash talking that comes with these types of games?

    “I’m sure there is more than I know about, but for the most part, you know, the kids are just interested in playing, and they want to go out there and compete. And you know the biggest thing for us is we just want to get better you know. From game to game. So, it doesn’t matter who we’re playing, whether it’s’ a rival or not.”

    A printed document featuring the 2025 Crestview Knights football schedule with game dates and opponent names.

    Between those two games, in Week 2, Crestview plays the 4-time defending state champions and a team on a 64-game winning streak, in the Marion Local Flyers in their home opener.

    I asked Coach how he and the staff will scheme to match such a powerhouse school with personnel.

    “We’re going to run our stuff. Obviously, we’ll scout them. We’ll probably get to their first game and then maybe a scrimmage or so. We’ll tackle them like we do everybody else. See what they run, and we’ll see what we can do to stop them. I’m actually really excited for that game. It’s going to be a great game. They are the gold standard. If we want to get where we want to get to, I think it’s important to play teams like that.”

    High school football practice scene with players in blue jerseys on a grassy field, some in position preparing for drills.

    Something that I noticed in my 4 days of watching them at practice was that they were rotating a lot of players at the center position. So, I asked him about that.

    “Well, right now we’re returning 4 of our 5 starting linemen from last year. The one that was lost was actually our starting center. So right now, we’re just trying some different guys in that spot and see who can execute most consistently for us there.”

    Senior TE/DE #7 Liam Putman led the team in receptions and sacks last season. I asked Coach Harting, how he plans on keeping him fresh throughout the season.

    “You know, some kids just have the ability to play the whole game. We try our best to rotate guys in and out depending on certain circumstances. The biggest thing is keeping him fresh during the week. We don’t want to put too much on our two-way players throughout the week.

    High school football practice featuring players in blue and gray uniforms, with a coach observing as they simulate drills on a grassy field.

    The Knights start the final month of the regular season with back-to-back road games, against Bluffton and Columbus Grove. Two teams that made deep playoff runs last season.

    “You know, with high school kids the biggest thing is you go on these road trips, and once that bus leaves, the guys are focusing and thinking about the task at hand. Our kids aren’t messing around on the bus. They should be focused, locked in, preparing themselves for what’s ahead of them.” Coach Harting replied when I asked him about those games.

    A football practice session with players in blue uniforms gathered on a grassy field, discussing strategies with a coach in a white shirt.

    The 2024 Crestview Knights season was snake bitten by injuries. That led to a lot of young players getting pressed action. I asked Coach how that experience last season, benefited them coming into this season.

    “Anytime you have injuries, that’s a huge blow to your team. And in the moment, it’s tough to overcome. But when you kind of step back a little bit, it’s kind of a nice thing sometimes, where it gives kids opportunities to grow. So last year, obviously dealing with all those injuries, that was difficult, but it did give a lot of our kids chances to play.”

    A high school football player in a green practice jersey prepares to throw a football during practice, with another player in a blue jersey walking in the background.

    (Starting QB Huxley Grose, was forced into action last season due to injury. Started 6 games as a junior. He had a ROCKET side arm throw on Day 4, into a tight window.)

    Coach brought up the injury to star HB/DB #2 Braxton Leeth in particular.

    “Braxton Leeth got hurt last year, which forced us to play one of our freshmen at safety, Cash Hammons. And you know, he had his moments where he struggled a little bit, but after he got a few games under his belt, he started playing really well. Now as a sophomore, he has almost a full season of experience, you know, has paid huge dividends.”

    Speaking of Braxton, he was absolutely unstoppable on offense and defense. In my 4 days of watching practice, he was only stopped 2 times, and that was when he and Liam went head-to-head on a tackling drill. They split the 4 reps that I saw 2-2.

    A football player practices running drills on a grassy field, guided by a coach. Blue training equipment is visible in the background along with other players in practice.

    Listed at 6’0″ and 185 lbs. He certainly looks the part. He’s one of the fastest players on the field, and powerful enough to break the tackles of defensive lineman who weigh in at 235, 265, 230, and 245. There were multiple times where he was breaking through double and triple tackles.

    As a sophomore, Braxton rushed for over 1,200 yards. Even though he missed 4 games last season, he still rushed for over 600 yards and 10 touchdowns.

    I asked Coach Harting if another 1,200 yard and double-digit touchdown season, is the bar for Braxton.

    “He holds himself to such a high standard. He thinks that he’s always going to get that. Every time he touches the ball, he thinks he’s going to score a touchdown. He refuses to be tackled. He’s got the speed, agility, and the vision. On your team, you have guys at different levels, and he’s just one of those guys. He’s all in when it comes to football. It shows in his work ethic. He’s been tremendous.”

    He continued to sing his praises.

    “When I got this job, I mean he never missed. He’s always here. He’s always looking to get better. The injuries last year were unfortunate, but he’s a tough kid and he battled back. I fully expect him to have a great year for us.”

    (High point catch in the corner of the endzone on Day 4 of practice.)

    A young football player jumps to catch a pass during practice, wearing a helmet and blue and red uniform against a clear sky with clouds.

    To end my one-on-one interview with Coach Harting; I asked him what his and the coaching staff’s expectations are for the 2025 season.

    “Our expectations are we’re going to continue to get better every single day. We’re going to chase excellence, and we’re going to do everything we can to put ourselves in positions to win games. There are a lot of great matchups throughout the season. We’re going to prepare every week, and we’re going to continue to grow week to week to week and be playing our best football come the weekend.”

    Something I noticed in practice was just how well the entire coaching staff interacted with the players. Especially, when the players had questions about the schemes, proper forms, and lining up. They were eagerly asking questions and whether it was OL Coach Kory Lichtensteiger or STC/Linebackers Coach Dylan Hicks, or any of them. The coaches were clear and hands on with instruction. It was great to see.

    A football coach instructs players during a practice session on a grassy field. Several athletes in football gear gather around, attentively listening and engaged in discussion.

    During my 4 days interacting with the team, I also interacted with coaches from other sports. I went to the Crestview “Meet the Teams” Assembly, for the fall sports teams, held in the HS/MS gym. It was completely full. Not a seat to be found. It was a pleasure to see the community come out to support not just the football team, but the wrestling, cross country, cheer, golf, soccer, and the volleyball team. The volleyball team, led by Coach Tammy Gregory, has finished first in the conference the last 3 straight seasons, as well as deep playoff runs in those seasons.

    The Knights have a deep and rich history in fall high school sports. I look forward to travelling and seeing them as often as possible this year.

    A large crowd of people standing in a gymnasium, with many in red and blue clothing, showing community support during a school assembly.

    – by Sean McKenzie

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    Information packet provided to me, courtesy of……Head Coach Cole Harting.