How about the Reds and the Guardians both making the MLB playoffs!! Two teams that were pretty much dead in the water as far as postseason play was concerned just weeks ago now get a chance to vie for a berth in the World Series. Both teams were greatly aided by epic collapses down the stretch by the Mets and Tigers, with the Reds winning just enough in the final weeks to pull through, and Cleveland getting hot at the right time to overcome a historic 15.5-game deficit beginning in early July.
Now on to the Wild Card Series, with the Reds traveling to the West Coast to face the Dodgers, and the Guardians hosting the deflated Tigers. Both series are two-of-three with the winners advancing to the division series level—all first-round games will be played at LA and Cleveland. Unexpected baseball for fans of both Ohio teams!!
Former Arcanum quarterback Bryce Schondelmyer, in his first season as the starting signal caller for the Dayton Flyers, is off to a strong start. Against Stetson on Saturday, he threw for 333 yards and five touchdowns in UD’s 48-14 victory, as the Flyers advanced to 3-1 for the campaign. Schondelmyer is getting his chance after transferring from Youngstown State and was mentioned on ESPN’s “College Football Final” Sunday morning!
The top five teams in the Miami Valley League breezed to wins Friday night, with only the Butler and Greenville game being competitive. Troy, Xenia, Tipp, and Fairborn all recorded dominant wins as the season heads into the final four weeks, when the top teams will face off with each other.
In the WOAC, Preble, Shawnee, and Tri-Village continue on the path to an epic collision on October 17th, while Arcanum, Ansonia, and Tri-County North all registered big wins. Shawnee tangles with Mississinawa Valley and North before hosting the Patriots, while Tri-Village takes on winless foes in Dixie and Bradford.
What a great game between Versailles and Marion Local over the weekend! The Flyers extended their nation’s best win streak to 70 games by overcoming a valiant Versailles effort, scoring with 2:38 remaining in the fourth quarter to win 20-19 after trailing by 12 points in the third period. Tiger quarterback Ethan Wilker and running back Landon Knapke had outstanding games, while Flyers sophomore QB Brennan Hess led the Marion attack and remained cool in pressure situations, in keeping his team on track for yet another MAC title. Small school high school football at its finest!
High school cross country teams start to wind down the regular season with league meets around West Central Ohio scheduled for Saturday, the 11th. The following weekend finds district meets being held in all divisions, the first year of spreading the field from the traditional three to four classes, making competition more equitable.
On the college scene THE rolled on with a 24-6 road win over Washington in the Big Ten opener. Oregon traveled to Happy Valley and took a 30-24 win back to the West Coast in defeating Penn State in OT; Indiana scored late in the game to overtake homestanding Iowa 20-15; Illinois kicked a last play field goal to take down USC; and Minnesota (this week’s THE opponent at the ‘Shoe Saturday night) scored late to beat Rutgers.
Elsewhere, Alabama traveled to Athens, Georgia, and edged the ‘Dawgs 24-21; Virginia upset Florida State 46-38 in overtime; Notre Dame punished Arkansas 56-13; and Slippery Rock fell from the ranks of the undefeated by losing a heartbreaker to California (PA) by a 45-38 count.
Great NFL games as always! It is always amazing how many contests are decided in the final seconds and how one or two plays makes the difference between victory and defeat. The Seahawks, Steelers, Giants, and Bears all won by three points or less, while the Falcons, Eagles, Jaguars, and Rams all took home wins by a touchdown. And the Packers and Cowboys played an extra ten minutes to go home with a 40-40 tie and leave everyone, players and fans alike, unhappy. The Joe-less Bengals travel to Denver for one of this week’s two Monday Night Football games to take on the Broncos, hoping to maintain a winning record.
If you didn’t have the chance to attend last week’s showing of the documentary “The American Constitution” at Greenville’s historic Wayne Theater, you missed out on an entertaining evening sponsored by the Fort Greeneville Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Director David Garrigus is touring the country for a year, previewing his film that gives an interesting background look at the summer months of 1787 when the Constitutional Convention met in Philadelphia to compose one of the most influential and consequential documents in human history. You’ll have another opportunity to view the film in the fall of ‘26 when it is broadcast on PBS. It’s well worth your time to refresh the knowledge you should have learned in high school civics classes; remember “We the People”…..
Have a great week, stay healthy and active!!
