As 2026 approaches MyCountyLink would like to reflect on the top sporting events in 2025 that includes three state championships by a team or individuals. There were plenty of accomplishments coming from our eight Darke County Schools and links provided to those stories.
While there was no state finalist this year in basketball it still tops the list of sports accomplishments in the winter of 2025 with five district championships between the boys and girls teams.
In D7 boys basketball Franklin Monroe won their first district title since 2011 with a 38-32 win over perennial power Fort Loramie before falling in the regional semi-finals to Botkins.
https://mycountylink.com/franklin-monroe-boys-win-first-district-title-since-2011/
In D6 boys basketball Tri-Village went undefeated in the WOAC to win the league title and also won their 5th straight district championship over Cincinnati Country Day before dropping a one-point game to Anna in the regional semifinals concluding a 23-3 season.
https://mycountylink.com/tri-village-boys-win-5th-straight-district-title/
Three Darke County girls basketball teams also won district championships.
In D7 Girls basketball Mississinawa Valley won back-to-back district championships and then won their first ever regional semi-final game advancing to the elite 8 before falling to Ft. Loramie. It was a history making year for the Lady Blackhawks who also shared the WOAC league championship in 2025.
https://mycountylink.com/mississinawa-valley-girls-district-champs-with-overtime-win-over-russia/
In D6 Girls Basketball Arcanum knocked off Fort Recovery 44-25 to win their first district title since 1978 and also shared the WOAC league championship as well. They fell to Minster in the regional semi-final concluding a successful season.
https://mycountylink.com/arcanum-lady-trojans-district-champions/
In D5 Girls Basketball Versailles added to their impressive list of district championships with a double overtime win over Brookville then defeated Cincinnati Mariemont advancing to the regional championship game … but came up short advancing to state to a red-hot Fairland team.
In the spring of 2025 softball and track tops the list with lots of success there as well.
In softball we often think of Greenville who has a long tenure of success over the last twenty some years. Under the direction of Jerrod Newland, the Green Wave have won an average of 25 games a year for the last 23 seasons and Newland ranks 9th all time in the State of Ohio for wins as a coach with 588.
Greenville won their 17th District Title in 19 years and the program is 5th in the state with over 900 wins.
Greenville won the league in the Miami Division last year, it’s something they’ve done every year since joining the Miami Valley League. They advanced to the OHSAA DIII Regional Championship game but came up short against Western Brown finishing the year at 26-3.
Greenville Lady Wave earn OHSAA DIII District Championship with 12-0 run-rule win over Bellefontaine Lady Chieftains. (Gaylen Blosser photo)
https://mycountylink.com/greenville-lady-wave-softball-ohsaa-dii-district-champions/
The “Wave” of success in softball extended to other teams in Darke County in 2025 as well.
The Ansonia Tigers under 2nd year coach David Fisherback broke through this year with a District Championship defeating a good Covington team 14-3 before falling in the Regional Semi-Finals.
The other two titles were in 2008 and 2009. (Dale Barger photo)
https://mycountylink.com/ansonia-lady-tigers-ohsaa-dvii-southwest-district-champions/
The big highlight for softball though belonged to Tri-Village. The Lady Patriots reached the state finals four times in the early 80’s, then knocked on the door in again in 2024 and finally busted through in 2025 for their 5th final four appearance.
They dispatched Minster in the regional finals a team who denied them last year in the same game. They won a 1-0 thriller over Dalton off a steal of home and then won convincingly in the state championship game 6-3 over Sugarcreek Garaway for the first Softball State Championship completing a perfect season at 30-0.
https://mycountylink.com/tri-village-softball-goes-30-0-wins-dvi-state-championship/
In Track it was an historic season for the Ansonia boys and girls with a number of athletes experiencing success with the boys team winning a regional championship.
https://mycountylink.com/a-historic-season-for-ansonia-track-field/
Several Darke County Athletes competed at state many placing at the state level, but Cade Shellhaas tops the list winning a Pole Vault State Championship.
https://mycountylink.com/cade-shellhaas-captures-state-championship/
The fall of 2025 features more success stories in Volleyball, Football and Cross Country.
In football Tri-Village won a WOAC league championship and advanced to the regional semi-finals before bowing out to Coldwater.
In D5 Volleyball the Versailles Lady Tigers won their 13th straight district championship over Cincinnati Madeira in straight sets and then won the regional semi-final game 3-1 over Fairbanks but then came up short in their quest for a state berth falling to Cincinnati Summit Country Day 3-1.
In D6 Volleyball Arcanum won their third straight league championship and parlayed that success into winning their first district title since 1982. They would eventually fall in the Regional Semi-Finals to a solid Fort Recovery team.
https://mycountylink.com/arcanum-captures-first-district-volleyball-title-since-1982/
In D7 Volleyball Mississinawa Valley won their first District Title in school history over Middletown Christian in straight sets. They would fall to Fort Loramie in the regional semi-final game.
https://mycountylink.com/mississinawa-valley-makes-history-with-district-championship-in-volleyball/
In Cross Country the Ansonia boys won their third straight WOAC League title, then won a district championship but the top cross county achievement would be the impressive performance turned in by Ansonia’s Bennett Lehman defeating a two-time state champion to win his own state championship.
Congratulations to all our Teams and Athletes on your success in 2025 along with our communities who support them which has been tremendous making all of Darke County proud.
MyCountyLink is honored to have been able to cover these events and look forward to doing so again in what I’m sure will be an exciting 2026 as we bring in the new year.
