UNION CITY – Western Ohio Athletic Conference (WOAC) Commissioner Frank Carr can be seen each season taking in a home game at each of the league’s schools.
“One of the great parts about my job is to be able to get to every school for a home game in every season, the fall, the winter, and the spring,” said Carr.
The WOAC school lineup includes Ansonia, Arcanum-Butler, Bradford, Dixie, Franklin Monroe, Mississinawa Valley, National Trail, Newton, Preble Shawnee, Tri-County North, Tri-Village, and Twin Valley South.
Carr was in Union City, home of the Mississinawa Valley Blackhawks, to take in Friday night’s varsity twin bill, with the Lady Blackhawks taking on the Preble Shawnee Lady Arrows in the opening game with a WOAC girls league title on the line. With the Arcanum Lady Trojans and Tri-Village Lady Patriots already clinching their spot with 10-1 records, Mississinawa Valley, with a 9-1 conference mark, had to earn a win to secure a co-championship league title.
“I’ve seen all three teams play,” Carr stated. “On any given night, somebody is going to win. From top to bottom in this league, the small schools that we are, the WOAC seems in every sport to have the top two or three teams in there to make a run in the tournament. I’m sure that Mississinawa and Arcanum and Tri-Village girls teams will do that this year.”
“Ansonia and Twin Valley South girls are having a good season,” Carr continued. “It’s great to see competitiveness. For example, in tonight’s game, these two teams are playing hard and getting after it.”
The Lady Blackhawks earned the win to close out the WOAC girls regular season with three teams, Arcanum, Mississinawa Valley, and Tri-Village, earning WOAC Co-Championship Titles.
Game two of the night pitted a young 3-6 Mississinawa Valley varsity boys team against 8-1 Preble Shawnee, with the Arrows holding out hope for a share of the WOAC boys league title with the 9-0 Tri-Village Patriots.
When the dust settled, the Mississinaw Valley boys pulled off the upset win over the Arrows in front of a packed senior night house in Union City.
“Mississinawa only has two senior boys,” said Carr. “I’ve been impressed with Franklin Monroe’s team. They lost a tough game at Tri-Village a couple of weekends ago. It was a good game in the first half. They defended and shut down Tri-Village’s Sagester, and then he hit his first three in the second half and the rest is history, but it’s fun. Arcanum’s boys are competitive, and that middle-of-the-pack group, the teams that are 6-4 or whatever, on any given night can reach up and knock somebody off.”
“To come into these gyms, the crowd we have here tonight for the boys and girls doubleheader, that is a great idea to do it on senior night and to come in on a senior night and to see the home team clinch a championship is special,” Carr added. “The boys and girls tournaments are right upon us, so watching will be fun.”
