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State champs next for East Liverpool

EAST LIVERPOOL — They’ve earned their shot against the defending state champions. Ninth-seeded East Liverpool’s boys’ basketball team, which had as much as a 19-point lead, held off a furious fourth-quarter rally by 11th-seeded Edison to clip the Wildcats 55-54 and win a Div. IV sectional championship at Potter Fieldhouse Friday night. The win vaults the Potters (11-12) into a district semifinal matchup against No. 1 seed and defending Div. IV state champion Maysville (22-1) Tuesday night at 7 p.m. at the ECO Center. Maysville easily advanced Friday night with a 73-32 ...

SPORTSBRIEFING STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

Cal Baptist axes wrestling RIVERSIDE, Calif. — Big 12 member California Baptist University recently announced it was cutting its men’s wrestling program. The Lancers, who upset West Virginia University in a Peyton Hall homecoming dual at Oak Glen High School in December 2024, wrestled their final dual against California State Bakersfield last Saturday. The team planned to wear “Save CBU Wrestling” singlets during the match but the administration threatened the wrestlers with cancelation of the final dual if they went ahead with the plan. Men’s golf and men’s ...

Long finishes strong

CANTON — Salem High School senior Ryan Folger ended his prep swimming career on the podium at the Div. II state swimming meet on Friday at C.T. Branin Natatorium. Folger swam the 100-yard butterfly championship final in 50.52 to take seventh. Oak Harbor senior Austin Sorg won the event in 47.68. Paul Mooney of University School was second in 48.45. Folger’s preliminary time was 50.44. Beaver Local junior Cole Long grabbed 10th in the 200 individual medley (1:58.63). Jackson Swiatek of Ontario won the consolation final in 1:58.32. In the 100 backstroke, Long improved 11 ...

EOAC champs both knocked out of tourney

LISBON — It wasn’t a good day for the Eastern Ohio Athletic Conference boys basketball champions on Thursday. Both Lisbon and Columbiana saw their seasons come to an end in the Div. VI sectional opener. No. 7 seed Lisbon fell behind by 19 at the half, but climbed to within one point with 12 seconds to play against No. 16 Springfield, but the Tigers picked up a key offensive rebound off a free throw attempt in the final seconds and converted it for two to come away with a 71-67 win. Lisbon dropped its seventh straight tournament game and ended the season 16-7. Springfield, ...

Tigers live to fight another day

WELLSVILLE — Wellsville is making its way through the Northeastern Athletic Conference, which Leetonia will be joining in the fall. The 13th-seeded Tigers road a second-half surge past 15th-seeded Ashtabula St. John, 72-47, in a Division VII sectional final Thursday. It was a one-point ...

Beaver Local’s Long makes consolation finals

CANTON — Salem senior Ryan Folger will be on the podium today at the Div. II state swimming tournament at C.T. Branin Nataroium. Folger finished fifth in the 100-yard butterfly preliminary (50.44) to qualify for today’s finals. He was behind Oak Harbour’s Austin Sorg (48.52), Beachwood’s Derek Fan (48.54), University’s Paul Moody (49.17) and Hamilton Ross’s Luke Mignery (49.57). In the 100 breaststroke Folger took 19th (1:00.44). Beaver Local junior Cole Long advanced to the consolation final of the 200 IM by placing 10th in the preliminary (1:59.12). Long also ...