By Dean Eversole
MaxPreps.com
Softball: Greenville Green Wave Looking for Elusive Prize
Five years ago a brash, confident young man came to Greenville and things haven't been the same since.
The Greenville Green Wave softball team had always been considered talented, but it resume lacked the sparkle imprinted by a winning tradition and championships. Enter Jerrod Newland. Installing a fast-paced, intense style, Newland changed things in a hurry at Greenville.
Five years later the Green Wave have achieved a national ranking, won a pocket full of conference titles, and are considered a premier program.
Newland won his 100th game at Greenville last week in a 10-0 shutout over Piqua. Led by Justine Shilt and Abbie Shell, both headed for Wright State bound, Newland's crew will be looking for that one final piece, a state title.
Standing in Greenville's way will be a number of teams, but none more daunting than Lagrange, the defending Division II champion.
Wendy's Classic
All four defending state champions will converge on Ashland, April 12-14 at the Wendy's Fast Pitch Classic.
North Canton Hoover (defending D-I champion), Lagrange (D-II), Bloom Carroll (D-III) and Dalton (D-IV), will all participate this year, but the invitees were not limited to Ohio champions.
Joining the four Ohio champs are three out of state titlists, Cicero North Syracuse (AA, New York), Harvest Sparkman (6A, Alabama) and Martinsville (4A Indiana).
Three Buckeye Aces
You would be hard pressed to find three pitchers better than Brandy Holmes, Emily Schwaeble and Annie Dubovee.
Schwaeble is a sophomore at Colerain and has come out of the 2007 gate fast. The sophomore is already 4-0 for the Cardinals.
Clay's Brandy Holmes dominated opponents last season compiling a 13-2 record, with a 0.85 ERA and 119 strikeouts. Clay will turn to Holmes in their quest for a Toledo City League title.
Annie Dubovee of Kenston is basically unhittable. The hurler put up stunning numbers in 2006, 16 wins, 0.54 ERA and 210 strikeouts. Duplicating those numbers will be difficult, but Dubovee is certainly capable.
Track, Off and Running
Mother Nature is often very rude to the Ohio track & field scene, but this year things have been different. Above average temperatures and calm conditions greeted the first two weeks of the season, a welcome change.
Piqua's Brandon Saine did something he didn't do very much last season, lose a 100 meter race. The senior finished second behind Chaminade's Julienne's Travis Jackson at the Wayne Invitational. Jackson turned in an 11.29, while an injured Saine came across at 11.33.
Pacifico Nearing State Title
Vandalia Butler's senior Jimmy Pacifico is close to reeling in the long standing shot put record. Pacifico burst on the scene as a freshman and has only gotten better. Dominating both the discuss and shot put, he recorded a shot of 69 feet 8 and half inches, four inches short of the state title. In the same meet he won the discus with a throw of 173 feet 10 inches.
Football News & Notes
Ironton is back in the coaching hunt. One year after replacing legendary coach Bob Lutz, the position is open again. Ironton is a premier football power and should draw a lot of interest.Aikens, Hughes, Shroder, Taft, Western Hills, Withrow and Woodward have formed the Cincinnati Metro Athletic Conference (CMAC). The Cincinnati city schools had been members of the now-defunct Southwest Ohio Public League, which included the Dayton City Schools.The Dayton schools, made up of Dayton Dunbar, Belmont, Colonel White, Meadowdale and Stivers have created the Dayton Public League. The move was agreed on by all schools in an effort to curb traveling expenses.
