State Bound: Colonel Crawford Track Studs
The state track meet will be held at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium in Columbus this weekend where a five-pack of Colonel Crawford athletes will be competing.
The most notable of the group is defending 3,200 meters state champion Chad Johnson who is a heavy favorite to retain his Division III title after finishing undefeated in local events throughout the season. He would also be in the mix for the individual 1,600 championship had he not accepted an invitation to compete in the Brooks PR a few days later in Seattle, Washington where he will run the two-mile against some of the best distance athletes in the country.
Johnson will, however, take part in the Eagles 4x800 meters relay team that took second at Regionals this past weekend with a time of 8:10. Along with junior Braxton James, who will also compete at state in the individual 800 meters, and senior’s Brody Martin and Cody Reed, the squad expects to break the school record and make the podium.
The same can be said for sophomore high jumper Drew Krassow, who also had a second-place showing at Regionals with a jump of 5’ 5”. She believes a leap better than the program standard of 5’ 6” should secure a spot for her in the top-eight.
Crawford Ends Mohawk’s Perfect Season
For the first time this season, state-raked Mohawk tasted defeat in a 53-43 loss to Colonel Crawford in front of their home fans.
The sizzling Eagles entered Sycamore riding an 8-game win streak and captured momentum from the opening frame. Crawford held a 14-5 cushion entering the second quarter where the Eagles extended their lead to a commanding 29-13 edge.
Led by Jordan Fenner’s game-high 17 points and Gavin Feichtner’s dozen, the Eagles took a 39-24 advantage into the final frame where the Warriors made a blazing charge to within five but never got any closer. Crawford’s stingy defense only allowed five Mohawk players to get in the scorebook, with Zach Hayman the lone Warrior in double-figures scoring 14 points.
Mohawk (12-1, 8-1) remains in the drivers seat for the Northern 10 Conference title, though the Eagles (11-3, 7-3) may be playing the best brand of round ball in the leagues as winners of nine straight.
Wynford Survives Thriller Against Colonel Crawford
In a Northern 10 rivalry game that came down to the final second of action to decide a winner, Wynford would hold on for a 14-7 victory over Colonel Crawford in a wild last minute of play.
Both defenses took center stage in this hard-hitting battle that featured seven total takeaways with the Eagles holding a slight edge in the turnover battle 4-3. Each squad found paydirt in the second quarter with Blake Sparks getting Wynford on the board first via a 10-yard scamper before Crawford QB Zye Shipman connected with Owin Seevers just three seconds before the half to knot things up.
There would be no second half scoring until the final minute as the Eagles would lose a pair of fumbles but intercepted two red zone passes to keep points off the board. With just 53 seconds remaining in the contest, sophomore QB Gavin Burris bursted into the endzone from 10 yards out to give the Royals a lead. Wynford would then have to make a game-tying tackle at the 1-yard line by stopping Seevers just short of forcing overtime on the final play of regulation.
Wynford still has never lost a N10 contest, extending their winning streak against Crawford to 5 in a row. The Royals (4-1) will travel to Seneca East (4-1) next while the Eagles (3-2) will host Mohawk (5-0).
Crawford Shuts Down Lucas For District Title Berth
A staunch defensive effort from Colonel Crawford helped the Eagles slow down Lucas’ offensive firepower on their way to a 51-39 victory in the Division IV Willard District semifinals.
Top-seeded Crawford controlled the paint throughout the night, limiting the #5 Cubs to almost no second chance opportunities as they led 10-8 after the first and entered the half tied with Lucas at 27 apiece. The Eagles outrebounded Lucas 26-14 for the game, holding them to just six points each over the final two frames.
Chase Walker was a standout for Crawford, scoring a game-best 18 points while collecting 11 boards and blocking a pair of shots. Teammate Jordan Fenner poured in 16 points while controlling the offensive, and Gavin Feichtner added 8, making all four of his fourth quarter free throws.
First Team All-District selection Logan Niswander was held to nine points for the Cubs who saw Ethan Sauder score 10, and Riley Gossom a team-best 11. Lucas finishes their season at 19-6.
The Eagles (20-4) will next take on #2 South Central (20-4) for the district title.
Trojans Slay Eagles For 1st District Title Since 1974
It had been 45 years since South Central last claimed a District Championship in boy’s basketball, but the #2 Trojans would finally cut down the nets again at Willard with a 48-37 victory over top-seeded Colonel Crawford.
In front of a sold-out crowd inside Robert L. Haas Gymnasium, South Central overcame a 16-8 first quarter hole by outscoring the Eagles 16-5 in the second quarter to hold a 24-21 halftime edge. The Trojans maintained their advantage heading into the fourth quarter on top 31-27 where stud junior Simon Blair took over when it mattered most.
Blair struggled offensively for much of the night, but found a rhythm attacking the basket with a noticeable quickness advantage in the closing minutes, scoring three consecutive South Central buckets in the paint then dished off to David Lamoreaux for a layup that seemingly put the game out of reach.
Blair scored eight of his game-high 16 points in the fourth, while senior guard Alex Holland and Lamoreaux each added 9 points. Zye Shipman put up a team-best 12 points in his final game wearing a Colonel Crawford (21-5) uniform with junior Jordan Fenner put up 11 points.
Next up for South Central (22-4) is a battle with New Middletown Springfield in the Canton Regional Semifinals.
Crawford Continues Amazing Turn Around With District Final Berth
he difference between last year’s Colonel Crawford baseball team and the current squad isn’t that much different on paper, but the results have been completely divergent.
A 6-3 win over Plymouth in the Division IV Galion District Semifinals has the Eagles on the doorstep of a trip to regionals after finishing an abysmal 4-20 in 2018. Amazingly enough, Crawford doesn’t have a single senior on the roster this year but Hall of Fame coach Dan Gorbett has the team soaring in his first year back with the program where he started his coaching career.
The second-seeded Eagles (21-7) took the lead early, scoring on a fielders choice RBI by Gavin Feichtner in the bottom of the first before adding another run in their offensive half of the third. Sophomore pitcher Drayton Burkhart kept the third-seeded Big Red off the board until the top of the fifth where Plymouth plated a pair of runs to tie the game and appeared to have taken the momentum.
But like they’ve done in tough situations all year, Crawford answered the challenge. “For a team with no seniors we really play well under pressure,” Gorbett told OH.Report after the game, an assessment that was on full display in the bottom of the fifth.
Cade Hamilton manufactured a 1-out run with a single, steal, then scored on a passed ball to regain the lead at 3-2. Feichtner then smashed an RBI double for a 4-2 edge before Dylan Cooke drew an RBI walk with the bases juiced to give the Eagles a 5-2 advantage with two innings to go.
Crawford then matched a 6th inning score by Plymouth in the bottom half of the frame before Burkhart closed the door in the 7th, going the distance for the win by allowing 3 runs on 7 hits with a walk and 10 strikeouts.
The #2 Eagles will next face Northern 10 foe #1 Mohawk for the Galion District crown.
Crawford Wins 1st District Title In 54 Years With Route Of Mohawk
It’s been a long wait in between district championships for the Colonel Crawford baseball program, but the Eagles 54-year drought would come to an end with an 8-1 victory over Mohawk in the Division IV Galion District Championship.
Crawford pushed a run across the plate in the top of the first to give starter Gavin Feichner the lead which the junior fireballer says helped him ease into the game. The Eagles then scored a pair of runs in the second for a 3-0 advantage before busting things wide open with a monster offensive half of the third.
Five Crawford runners would cross home plate in the top of the third aided by some costly Warriors throwing errors, giving the Eagles a comfortable 8-0 cushion. Feichtner would allow just one run on a fourth-inning Blake Harper RBI single, one of only two hits he surrendered the entire night, striking out 13 Mohawk batters in seven innings of action.
The district champion Eagles, who only won 4 games all of last season, improved to 22-7 with the decisive victory and will now advance to face Antwerp in the Hamler Regional semifinals on May 30 at 2 pm. Mohawk finishes up as district runners up at 19-7.
Johnson Dusts The Field For 2nd Straight State Title
Colonel Crawford senior Chad Johnson is considered to be one of the top high school distance runners in the entire country this season. In his last race wearing an Eagles uniform, Johnson proved it in record-setting form.
As defending Division III State Champion of the 3,200 meters, Johnson ran out to a sizeable early lead over the field during the first half lap and never looked back on his way to a new state record in the event. The future Iowa State Cyclone finished with a new Division record of 9:05.43, good enough to beat the field by at least 22 seconds.
Johnson says the passion from the crowd combined with a helpful breeze helped push him during his 2-mile run to a new state standard. The talented Eagle could have also competed for the 1,600 meters state championship, but chose to sit out and stay fresher for the Brooks Invitational in Seattle, Washington later in the week.
Antwerp Edges Crawford 1-0 For Regional Title Shot
With a spot in the Division IV Hamler Regional Final on the line, Colonel Crawford came up just short in a loss to Antwerp, falling to the Archers 1-0 at Patrick Henry High School.
Both teams received solid pitching performances from their starters with Eagles hard-throwing righty Gavin Feichtner giving up 1 run on 4 hits in 6 innings of work while striking out 8 Antwerp batters. The game’s lone score came in the top of the fifth with 2-outs and 2-strikes on Jacob Savina who lined a single to bring home Jason Geyer from second.
Archers sophomore Austin Lichty went the distance, giving up 5 hits while fanning 5 Crawford hitters in route to the shutout win, receiving an error-free performance from a defensive unit that made big plays in the field all afternoon, including a pair of double-plays.
The Eagles would put pressure on the young righty in the bottom of the 7th, though, where a Brock Ritzhaupt rope down the first base line landed just inches out of play with a runner on board. Lichty would later strike out the final batter of the game to send Antwerp (18-5) to their first-ever regional championship to face Kalida (18-4).
Colonel Crawford (22-8) finishes their season as District Champs for the first time since 1964.
Hickey Dominates In Crestview Win Over Crawford
Second-seeded Crestview took an early lead over #3 Colonel Crawford in the Division III Lexington District softball semifinals and cruised to the title game behind an impressive performance from stud pitcher Kennedy Hickey. The Cougars advanced with a 4-0 victory over the Eagles, scoring all four runs in the first two innings of action and Hickey put the game away from there.
Clare Robertson had Crestview out in front with an RBI double in the first inning which Cougars coach Aaron Goon thought was extremely important with All-Ohio pitcher Sydney Studer in the circle for Colonel Crawford. Crestview then scored three more runs in their offensive half of the second with Hickey connecting on a 2 RBI double to deep left-center that provided her with more than enough run support.
Hickey would throw a complete game shutout, allowing just five hits and no walks while striking out 14 Eagles batters. It’s the 14th time in 17 starts this season that Hickey has struck out at least 10 opponents.
The Cougars (19-2) will next face #4 Galion (15-6), who defeated top-seeded Clear Fork 6-5 in their semifinal matchup for the Lexington District title. Colonel Crawford finishes their season at 18-6 and will graduate eight seniors.
Senior-Laden Eagles Not Ready For Softball Journey To End
The most exciting part of the state softball tournament is the single loss elimination format that provides equal parts glory and disappointment. For senior players, these emotions are especially real as each postseason game could be the difference between sports grandeur and the end of a career.
For the Colonel Crawford softball squad, which features eight seniors in the starting lineup, the realization is beginning to set in that it’s win or go home for the final time. The Eagles have advanced to the round of Districts for the fourth consecutive season and believe their experience and camaraderie can lead them on an extended tournament run.
Third-seeded Crawford (18-5) was scheduled to play #2 Crestview (18-2) Tuesday evening in the Division III Lexington District Semifinals but unplayable field conditions postponed the contest until Wednesday at 6:30 pm. The veteran group feels as though their best game is good enough to defeat the Lady Cougars and plan to “Bring It” when they take the diamond, as they have made their team motto throughout the season.
Spartans Edge Crawford For 3rd Straight District Crown
#1 St. Peter’s continued their perfect season with a hard-fought 54-49 win over #2 Colonel Crawford to claim the Division IV Willard District Championship.
It’s the third consecutive trip to regionals for the 26-0 Spartans who had to hold off an explosive Eagles (20-5) rally to cut down the nets. St. Peter’s led at the half 20-17 extending their advantage to nine early in the third quarter before Crawford sophomore guard Cameron McCreary nearly willed his squad to victory. McCreary scored all of his team-best 22 points in the 2nd half helping bring the contest to a tie early in the fourth quarter where the sophomore dropped 13.
The combination of senior guard’s Elijah Cobb (18 pts, 6 rebs) and Jared Jakubick (25 pts, 4 rebs) was too much for the Eagles to overcome, however, as Jakubick went 10-10 from the free throw line in the 4th, scoring 12 pts in the frame to knock Crawford out in the district finals for the second year in a row.
Senior guard Brody Martin put up 11 points in his final game wearing an Eagles uniform and sophomore Jordan Fenner contributed with 12.
Crawford Fly's Past St Paul To District Final
Colonel Crawford played themselves back into the Division IV Willard District championship with a 61-51win against 6th-seeded Norwalk St. Paul. The #2 Eagles (20-4) led throughout most of the contest producing an answer every time the Flyers (13-12) put together a scoring run.
Senior guard Brodie Martin consistently attacked the paint with success, leading all scorers with 21 Eagles points as teammates Jordan Fenner, Harley Shaum and Reis Walker all added nine points each with Cam McCreary chipping in with seven.
Led by Chris Ruffing and Nate Winslow whom each contributed 11 St. Paul points, the Flyers would be within a possession of Crawford early in the 4th quarter but were outscored 14-6 the rest of the way to end their season. The Eagles would next get a rematch against #1 St. Peter's.
Sports Spotlight: Upper Sandusky vs Colonel Crawford
Watch every single basket from this winner takes all showdown for an outright Northern Ten Conference boy's basketball championship where the Rams outlast the Eagles for a 62-55 victory in North Robinson.
Upper Sandusky senior guard Jevon Dible scored a game-high 21 points with sophomore forward Mason Vent adding 13.
Crawford put three players in double-figures scoring with sophomore guard Cam McCreary netting 18, senior forward Harley Shaum 14 and senior guard Brody Martin 13.
Constructing A Season: Colonel Crawford Basketball
The final week of the regular season will prove to be the most significant of them all for coach David Sheldon and the 18-3 Eagles as they seek the programs first conference championship since 2015. With a record of 14-1 in Northern 10 Conference play, Colonel Crawford will host league rival Upper Sandusky (18-3, 14-1) in a winner takes all showdown for the conference crown on Friday night.
Sports Spotlight:
Colonel Crawford v Seneca East
Go all-access with the Colonel Crawford boy's basketball squad as they remain the last undefeated team in Northern 10 Conference play with a lopsided 89-41 victory over previously unbeaten Seneca East.