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Madonna ready to return home Friday

WEIRTON — Homecoming is a fitting word for Madonna this week. Not only is Friday night the night the Blue Dons crown a queen on the eve of Saturday’s dance, it’s also just the third time Madonna will be playing at home this season after back-to-back road games, playing five of the last six and six of the team’s eight games overall away from Jimmy Carey Stadium. “Our kids are so excited to be at home,” Madonna head coach Mauro Monz said. “It’s homecoming, and it really is a homecoming for us. We’ve been road warriors this season. I think the whole community is ...

Edison to host tough Mooney squad in round 1

RICHMOND — Edison’s chip landed in Cardinal Mooney’s slot. The Edison football team capped off a memorable regular season by defeating rival Indian Creek, 28-7, in the annual Route 43 Bowl this past Friday night at Kettlewell Stadium. The Wildcats did not play their best game of the season against the Redskins, however, they played well enough to win at Kettlewell for the first time since 2003. “Absolutely,” Edison (10-0) head coach Mike Collopy said. “The kids knew going into the game that records didn’t matter. It is a rivalry game. We knew Indian Creek was going to ...

Toronto feels its playing its best at the right time

TORONTO — Teams always want to peak at the end of the season. The Toronto football team is doing just that. After suffering through a three-game losing streak in the middle of the season, the Red Knights rallied to win their last three games by a combined score of 128-21. Toronto defeated rival Catholic Central, 54-0, in the season finale Saturday night on Reno Saccoccia Field inside Harding Stadium to improve to 7-3 on the season and wrap up the No. 7 seed in the playoffs. Toronto head coach Josh Franke said his team played a strong game against the ...

Huskies back in playoffs, headed to Norwayne

CADIZ — Harrison Central and head coach Anthony Hayes began their journey Monday to do what no Huskies team has yet to do—win a playoff game. There was a time when wins in general, let alone playoff appearances, were a major difficulty during the early days of the Harrison County consolidation. Those days are long gone thankfully, but one accomplishment still evades Harrison, that first postseason victory. Friday night in Wayne County as Hayes and company make the trek to Creston to face Norwayne in an Ohio Division V regional opening round tilt. “Our kids are excited to ...

Connor, Creek proud of effort despite final record

WINTERSVILLE — The Indian Creek football team saw its season come to a disappointing end Friday night against rival Edison. The Wildcats scored the game’s first 21 points en route to a 28-7 victory in the annual Route 43 Bowl at Kettlewell Stadium to cap a perfect 10-0 season. The outcome did not turn out in Indian Creek’s favor, but the Redskins played hard until the final whistle sounded. “They did,” Indian Creek (1-9) head coach Andrew Connor said. “They played really hard. They played well. It showed how much the kids cared about our seniors. They really wanted to ...

Panthers feel future is bright after near misses

CONNORVILLE — Win or lose last Friday, Buckeye Local’s season was coming to a close. There would be no playoffs for Coach Jim Hoover’s Panthers this season. There was still plenty to play for, however, as the V.A.L.E.S. Trophy was on the line against rival Harrison Central. The Panthers, as they did so many times this season, played well in the first half and had a great chance to win. But turnovers and mental miscues culminated in the second half, allowing Harrison to pull away late for 45-34 win. Harrison heads to the playoffs while Buckeye capped its season at 2-8, one ...