In Person: Featuring Ben Vore
One of the top baseball prospects in the state of Ohio hails from Lexington High School where 2019 graduate Ben Vore just finished up a stellar prep career. The future Cincinnati Bearcat was a standout on both the diamond and the basketball hardwood, also competing on the gridiron during the Minutemen’s best season in program history.
Vore has spent significant time molding his game during summer baseball, where he is competing for Bo Jackson Elite out of Columbus this year. As a member of Team Ohio Pro Select in 2018, the highly sought-after recruit traveled the country to battle top national prospects in an effort to attract the attention of both collegiate and pro scouts.
In this exclusive interview with OH.Report founder Brian Skowronski in their downtown Mansfield studio, Vore discusses the top memories from his high school career which included regional final trips in baseball and football, plus a state final four berth in hoops that he and the squad still talk about on a regular basis. Vore also takes us through the recruiting process, gives his two-cents on NBA free agency, takes on the “whisper challenge” and more.
Van Wert Bounces Lexington At Districts
A battle between future D-1 college pitchers would be decided by some costly Lexington fielding errors as the Minutemen bowed out of the Division II Tiffin District Semifinals with a 6-1 loss to top-seeded Van Wert.
After nearly three innings without a base runner, the Cougars caught a break when a questionable ball down the third base side was ruled fair, leading to an RBI by nine-hole hitter Jalen McCracken. Then, a routine fly-ball to right should have ended the inning but a Lexington error would bring home two more Van Wert runs for a 3-0 edge.
The #5 Minutemen would answer with an RBI sac-fly from starter Ben Vore in the top of the fourth, but that’s all the damage senior standout Lawson Blackmore would sustain in the contest. The Miami University commit allowed just three hits while striking out a dozen Lexington batters, and helped his own cause with a solo shot in the sixth.
The University of Cincinnati bound Vore was solid, giving up a pair of earned runs in 5 ⅔ innings of work with 4 K’s, but a second dropped fly ball in the fourth would lead to two more Cougars runs that would prove to be more than enough for Blackmore and company.
Lexington finishes their season as OCC & Sectional champions at 16-7 and will graduate seven seniors. Van Wert now advances to face Lima Shawnee for the Tiffin District title.
Lexington Baseball To Meet Top-Seed Van Wert At Districts
The confidence surrounding the Lexington baseball team is obvious as they prepare for the Division II Tiffin District playoffs. The squad feels as though they have the best wealth of talent each time they take the field with so many veterans filling key positions, leading to a string of success unmatched by any team in North Central Ohio.
Lexington boasts a pair of aces in University of Cincinnati commit Ben Vore, recently named District 9 and OCC player of the year, and OCC pitcher of the year, Jacob Depperschmidt. Other top players like Austin Basham and Josh Aiello, both named 1st-Team All-OCC performers this season, have fueled an impressive stretch where the team has literally been unbeatable.
The 5th-seeded Minutemen have won 11-straight (not including their scrimmage with Hillsdale) heading into their district semifinal showdown against #1 Van Wert, which includes an OCC conference title and sectional championship. The purple and gold feel as though they’ve established an identity following a difficult 0-3 start and have found motivation in receiving a lower seed than the team likely deserved at the tournament draw.
With a chip on their shoulder and the talent to make a deep run, Lexington appears to have what it takes to keep their season alive heading into June. The next step is a tough showdown against a Cougars team who won their first WBL Championship in 35 years, but the hopeful Minutemen believe they have what it takes to survive and advance.
Ben Vore Named D2 District 9 Player of the Year
High school baseball coaches throughout Northwest Ohio have selected Lexington senior Ben Vore as the District 9 Player of the Year for Division II.
The University of Cincinnati commit has been phenomenal on the diamond during his final prep season, leading the Minutemen to an OCC title where he was selected conference player of the year and a sectional championship.
Vore has been a monster from the dish with a gaudy .461 batting average, leading a veteran Lexington squad with 35 hits, 27 RBI and 26 runs. He has been equally as dominant from the mound with a perfect 6-0 record, boasting a miniature 1.02 ERA with 55 strikeouts to just 17 walks in 34 ⅓ innings of action.
The #5 Minutemen (16-6) will look to ride Vore to the Tiffin District Final when they battle top-seeded Van Wert in the semifinals at the Paradiso Athletic Fields.
Lexington Smashes Galion For Sectional Crown
The Lexington baseball team entered their sectional final matchup at Galion with a head of steam as winners of 10-straight to end the regular season and would ride their momentum to a dominating 10-0 victory in five innings of action.
Though the #5 Minutemen were the lower seed in the contest (Galion was seeded 4th), they hadn’t lost a game since the tournament draw and poses arguably the most dangerous weapon in the Heidelberg District in senior pitcher Ben Vore. The University of Cincinnati commit was nearly flawless in the shutout win of the Tigers, allowing just one hit while striking out seven in four innings from the mound. Vore also did some damage at the plate, finishing 2-3 with a pair of RBI and scored three times.
Lexington knocked around Galion starter Cameron Payne for eight runs on seven hits in 2 1/3 innings, scoring two runs in the top of the first, adding another run in the second, then blew the game wide open with five in the third. Kevan Grimm belted out four RBI on a pair of hits as the Minutemen racked up eight in the game to just one for the Tigers, who end their season at 15-8.
Lexington (16-6) now advances to the Division II Heidelberg District Semifinals.
Lexington Blanks Ontario For 6th Straight Win
The good times keep on rolling for the Lexington baseball squad who shutout cross-county rival Ontario 9-0 on the road to extend their winning streak to six.
The Minutemen got on the board early, taking a 1-0 edge in the top of the first when Josh Aiello scored on a wild pitch from Warriors starter Avery Fisher, who would go on to surrender 7 runs in 3.1 innings of work. The game then remained at a 1-0 stale mate until Lexington exploded for seven runs in their offensive half of the fourth.
Aiello finished 2-3 with 2 runs, 2 walks and an RBI for a balanced Minutemen offense that saw seven different players produce hits with six driving in runs. Starting pitcher Ben Vore was lights out for Lex, throwing five innings of 2 hit ball while striking out nine before handing things over to Austin Basham who allowed just 2 baserunners with 3 K’s.
Since opening the season at 0-3, Lexington (11-6) has now won 11 of their last 14 games and are tied for the OCC lead. Ontario (10-11) has not been able to find the same success they did last year when the squad won 24-straight and competed for a regional title, but are still in the mix to repeat as MOAC champs.
Lexington Hammers Rams For Season Sweep
For a second straight evening, Lexington clobbered Richland County rival Madison with a 13-0 win at home after blanking the Rams 9-0 at their place the previous night.
The defending OCC champion Minutemen lit up the scoreboard early with four runs in the bottom half of the first before adding another in the second and five more in their offensive half of the third. Lexington then plated a trio of runners in the fourth before closing out the contest midway through the fifth inning via the double-digit run rule.
Senior pitcher Ben Vore was lights out for the Minutemen both on the hill and at the dish, throwing five innings of shutout ball on four hits and two walks while striking out eight Rams batters. Vore also went 2-3 from the plate with 3 RBI and 4 Runs, Mitchell Sheets drove in 3 runs and Kevan Grimm had 2 RBI.
Lexington is now above .500 for the first time this season at 5-4 following an 0-3 start.
Madison falls to 1-8 overall with the loss.
Ontario Upsets Lexington For Sectional Title
March Madness was in full swing at the Division II Willard Sectional Championship where #8 Ontario overcame a slow start to take down cross-county rival Lexington by a final score of 45-41.
The Warriors came out flat offensively, scoring just three first quarter points as they fell behind 12-3 and trailed 21-14 at the half. The 2nd-seeded Minutemen would be outscored every quarter following the opening frame, as Ontario improved their shooting percentage from 20% in the first half to 42% in the second half.
A 15-11 third quarter charge by the Warriors was then followed by a 16-9 fourth quarter run, receiving a clutch offensive rebound and put back by senior Jayden Jacobs to seal the win. Cade Stover carried Lex with 18 points and 13 rebounds but would foul out in the closing minutes, finishing his career as the Minutemen’s all-time leading scorer and rebounder.
Ontario (16-8) will next take on #1 Norwalk (21-3) at the Mansfield District Semifinals.
Shelby Beats Lex In Overtime For Sectional Title
The third-seeded Lady Whippets got pushed by a game Lexington squad who forced overtime in the D2 Bucyrus Sectional Final, but Shelby outlasted #9 Lady Lex 52-48 for the title.
The opening half saw Lexington jump out to a 13-8 first quarter advantage as the Lady Whippets trailed 26-22 at the break with junior guard Gabby Stover pouring in 13 of her game-best 22 points in the first two quarters of action. Shelby came out of the half and dominated the third quarter, however, outscoring Lady Lex15-3 in the frame to take the lead, but Lexington would force overtime with the game knotted up at 42 apiece.
A 10-6 overtime margin for the Lady Whippets would then prove to be the difference, as junior Emma Randall dropped a team-high 19, with freshman Sophia Niese adding 12 and Bailey Walter nine points.
Shelby (22-2) now advances to face #2 Willard, who blitzed Madison 69-49 in their sectional final, in the Galion District Semifinals.
Tygers Beat Lex, Tie For OCC Lead
Lexington entered their second matchup of the season against cross-county rival Mansfield Senior with a chance to clinch an outright OCC championship, but a stellar defensive performance helped the Tygers earn a 61-51 victory to tie for the top spot in the league standings.
Quan Hilory fueled Senior High early, scoring 17 of his game-best 18 points in the opening half with Jakobee Reese adding 12 and 8 rebounds. The Tygers led 31-26 at the break and built on their advantage by pressuring the Minutemen into 18 turnovers which led to 11 points.
Lexington (15-5, 9-2) star senior Cade Stover was in foul trouble throughout the night, finishing with 14 points and 13 rebounds before fouling out with three minutes remaining in the contest. Kyle Johnston also dropped 14 for the Minutemen while Josh Aiello added 10 to keep Lex within striking distance until Mansfield put the contest out of reach from the free throw line in the final minute.
The Tygers (15-4, 9-2) finish the season at home against Ashland with a chance to win a share of the OCC while the Minutemen will try to get a share of the league crown when they play at Wooster.
Norwalk Takes Heavyweight Battle At Lexington
Much was riding on a mega non-conference showdown at Lexington with visiting Norwalk riding a 12-game win streak against the Minutemen and their run of 9-straight victories. The contest would end how you might imagine as well, with Lex taking a potential game-winning shot at the final horn in a tight 46-45 loss to the streaking Truckers.
Minutemen star senior forward Cade Stover attempted the final shot of the game after scoring a team-best 21 points to go along with 11 rebounds, but Norwalk defended the play extremely well and forced Stover into a deep, contested 3-pointer that clanked off the backboard. This coming after Truckers All-Ohioan Brandon Haraway, who netted a game-high 23 points, sunk a clutch free throw following a questionable foul call with just 8 seconds remaining to take the lead.
Norwalk (15-2) held an advantage following each quarter of the contest, finding themselves ahead of Lexington (13-4) 15-13 after the first, 31-25 at the break and held a 36-33 edge heading into fourth quarter action. The win is expected to propel the Truckers into the top-seed of the Division II Mansfield District where they very well could meet the Minutemen again.
Lexington Gets Revenge, Swat Jackets
It was a total beat down in favor of Lexington in their second regular season matchup with Mount Vernon, evening the score for an early season loss to the Jackets with a lopsided 66-33 victory.
After taking a slim 12-9 lead into the second stanza, the Minutemen dominated the rest of the way by holding Mount Vernon to single-figure scoring in each quarter of the contest. Lex held a 28-18 halftime edge before blitzing the Jackets 22-9 in the third and put an exclamation point on the win with a 16-6 fourth quarter rush to close the game.
Cade Stover fueled the Minutemen with an efficient 8-13 shooting performance, finishing with 20 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocks. Fellow senior Kyle Johnston added a dozen points while Nick Stehle and Kaydan Berry each chipped-in in eight.
Only Connor Fisher netted double-figures for Mount Vernon with 11, as the Jackets made just 2 of 16 three-pointers, and turned it over 13 times.
Lexington improves to 10-3, 5-1 in the OCC with their 6th straight win, dropping Mount Vernon to 6-8, 3-4.
Lexington Ends Mansfield’s Streak, Ties For OCC Lead
The two hottest teams in the OCC met at Lexington with first place in the OCC up for grabs where the Minutemen put an end to Mansfield Senior’s 9-game win streak with a dominating 53-39 victory.
It was an exciting, fast-paced first quarter of play that saw the Tygers out in front 14-13 before offensive struggles became the story for Senior High for the rest of the evening. An 11-7 second quarter edge put Lex on top 24-21 at the break and they never trailed again as no Mansfield player scored more than 7 points.
The Tygers finished the night 14-54 from the field for an abysmal 26%, which included a 2-10 (10%) shooting performance from beyond the arc. The Minutemen took advantage of Mansfield’s shooting woes by outscoring Senior High 18-8 in the third and closed out the win with an 11-10 fourth quarter advantage, outrebounding the Tygers 36-29.
Cade Stover led the charge for Lexington with 20 points and 12 rebounds while Ben Vore added 11 pts and Josh Aiello contributed with 7 and 9 as the now 9-3 Minutemen tied Mansfield (9-1), who hadn’t lost since opening night, for the top spot in the league.
Stover Makes History But Jackets Get The Win
Much was at stake inside “The Hive” for Mount Vernon’s conference opener against defending league champion Lexington where the Minutemen saw their history books rewritten while the Jackets defended home court with a 55-48 victory.
After a slow offensive start for both teams, finishing the first quarter with Mount Vernon in front 6-5, both sides found their rhythm at some point in the contest. The score was tied 20-20 at the break before the Jackets outscored Lex 17-11 in the third and held off a late Minutemen charge by draining eight clutch free throws down the stretch to secure the win.
Lexington senior forward Cade Stover became the programs all-time leading scorer, passing Dale Ford with a game-high 17 points to go along with 8 rebounds and 3 assists. Stover is also the Minutemen’s career rebounding leader and still has 19 more regular season games scheduled.
Sounds From the Hardwood : Schwemley & Hamilton
Shelby hosted Lexington in an exciting early season battle between arguably the top two boys’ basketball teams from Richland County with the Whippets earning a 69-57 victory to protect their home court.
See the game from each coach’s perspective with exclusive sound from the Minutemen’s Scott Hamilton and Shelby head coach Troy Schwemley, as our microphones capture audio from both throughout the hard-fought contest.
Shelby Pulls Away From Lexington 69-57
The Shelby Whippets are off to a 2-0 start with a monster 69-57 victory over Lexington.
It would be the Minutemen (1-1) who would build an early lead, however, holding a 20-16 advantage after the 1st quarter and maintained their 4-point edge at the break, leading 35-31. Cade Stover’s 20 points and 9 rebounds helped pace the Lexington attack, receiving 17 pts from Ben Vore and 8 by Josh Aiello.
Shelby then caught a wave of momentum in the third quarter and rode it to the tune of a 38-22 second half performance. Sophomore T.J. Pugh led the squad with 15 pts and 7 rebs, while Hunter Hoffman added 14 and 6 rebs, and Cody Lantz chipped-in with a dozen off the bench.
Lexington Takes Season Opener At Colt Corral
Former league rivals Lexington and Clear Fork met in the valley to kick off the boys’ basketball regular season where the Minutemen shook off a slow start for a 66-49 victory.
The Colts were hot early in the contest as Brennan South scored the majority of his team-high 12 points in the first quarter, helping Clear Fork build a 17-13 edge after the opening frame. Lexington then surged on a 14-3 run and held a 30-22 halftime advantage by outscoring the Colts 17-5 in the second quarter then never looked back.
Cade Stover led the Minutemen charge with 19 points and 10 rebounds while Kyle Johnston added 12 pts and Josh Aiello had 10 with 5 rebs.
As a team Lexington finished 27-48 (56%) from the floor, outrebounding Clear Fork 34-22 and winning the turnover battle 9-7.
Cade Stover Named Ohio Mr. Football 2018
The top football player in Ohio for the 2018 high school season calls Richland County his home.
Lexington’s Cade Stover was named Mr. Football by the Ohio High School Athletic Association, in coordination with the Ohio Prep Sports Writers Association, becoming the first player in the county to win the prestigious honor.
The Minutemen’s All-Ohio senior LB/RB was a force on both sides of the ball, leading his squad to the Division III Regional Semifinals with a 7-5 record after Lex started the season at 1-4.
Stover accumulated 175 total tackles including 11 for a loss with a sack, also intercepting 4 passes and forcing a pair of fumbles. The standout senior also rushed 205 times for nearly 1,500 yards and 18 TD’s, catching 21 passes for 238 yards and a score.
For his career, Stover racked up nearly 600 tackles with 4 sacks, 8 interceptions, 6 forced fumbles, 4 fumble recoveries and 24 pass breakups. He is committed to play for Ohio State University at the college level.
Sandusky Blows Out Lexington For Regional Title Shot
It took #6 Sandusky just 11 seconds to get on the board and their momentum snowballed into a 56-12 destruction of #7 Lexington in the Division III Region 10 Semifinals at Willard.
The Blue Streaks set the tone when Tevin Stewart returned the opening kickoff back 75 yards for a touchdown and a 7-0 advantage. On the Minutemen’s ensuing possession, a Cade Stover fumble would lead to a 17 yard scoop and score by Kendrick Scott Jr. to make it 14-zip less than two minutes into the ball game.
From there, Sandusky star running back Terion Stewart was the best player on the field, rushing for 211 yards and 3 TD’s on just 12 carries while adding a receiving score. Stewart now has more than 2,600 rushing yards this season, helping the Streaks run up 352 yds on the ground and a 42-0 halftime edge over Lexington.
Sandusky’s lead would balloon to as many as 50, as they led 49-0 before the Minutemen got on the board with a 49-yard hook and lateral taken to the house by Alex Green, then added a final score by freshman Desmond Williams to put the icing on the cake.
Lexington (7-5) sees their 6-game win streak come to a close as Stover, who will play for Ohio State next fall, finished with 22 carries for 70 yds and a TD in his final high school game. 14 other seniors also suited up for the last time in a Minutemen jersey.
Sandusky (8-4) will now advance to face #4 Norwalk (9-3) in a rematch between the Sandusky Bay Conference foes for the Regional Championship. The Truckers beat the Streaks at their place 52-35 back on Oct 5.
Lexington Keeps Streaking Into Regional Semifinals
The amazing second half surge for the Lexington football program continued to pick up steam in their opening round playoff matchup at Tiffin Columbian as the 7th-seeded Minutemen knocked out the #2 Tornados 31-21.
Lexington extended their winning streak to six with the Week 11 road victory and never trailed in their double-digit triumph over Columbian (8-3). As he has been throughout the Minutemen’s hot streak, Ohio State commit Cade Stover was dominant on both sides of the ball, rushing 29 times for 170 yards and 2 scores while also leading the team in tackles and intercepting a pair of Tornados pass attempts.
Alex Green also maintained his high impact play with 170 rushing yards on 18 attempts that included a key 86-yd scoring run late in the third quarter along with a 4th quarter red zone interception that ended Columbian’s comeback pursuit. As a team, Lexington intercepted Tornado’s quarterback Chase Frankhauser five times after the junior only threw six picks during the regular season.
Next up for the streaking Minutemen (7-4) is a Division III Regional Semifinal showdown against #6 Sandusky (7-4) who upset #3 Bay 34-14 on the road in their quarterfinal matchup.
Top-Ranked Bay Knocks Out Lexington
In a battle of top-10 squads for a spot in the Division II Region 6 Championship match, the #1 Bay Rockets had a fast start that was too much for Lexington to overcome, advancing with a 4-2 victory over the Minutemen.
In just over 21 minutes of action, Bay exploded for a trio of goals and appeared to be on their way to another dominating postseason win. The Rockets had outscored their opponents 18-0 in tournament play heading into the second half but Lexington wasn’t ready to throw in the towel on their season.
Just over five minutes into the second stanza, sophomore Gavin George ended the Rockets scoreless streak to pull the Minutemen within 3-1. Lex would produce some scoring chances over the next several minutes but were unable to capitalize then allowed what head coach Peter Them referred to as” a dagger” at the 23:26 mark that extended the deficit back to three goals. Blake Webster would make it a 4-2 contest seven minutes later, but would get no closer on a wet night at Follis Field in Wooster.
Lexington finishes their season at 14-6-0 as co-OCC & District champions as nine seniors played their final match wearing the purple and gold. Bay (17-1-2) advances to the Regional Championship to face Kenton.
Minutemen Run Win Streak To 5 For Postseason Berth
It’s been quite the second half turn around for the Lexington football program this season. Most left the Minutemen for dead following a 1-4 start that including a 3-game losing streak to kick off their campaign.
The purple and gold haven’t lost sense, though, running off five consecutive victories with a 35-6 beat down of Canton South to finish the regular season with a 6-4 record. Lexington’s run isn’t done yet either, clinching a playoff spot after beating the Wildcats in Week 10.
A major part of the Minutemen’s success over the season’s second half has been the ground game production by Ohio State commit Cade Stover, who rushed for nearly 240 yards and 3 TD’s in the regular season finale. As a team, Lex racked up 348 rushing yards and 5 scores with Alex Green adding 97 yds and a TD on just 12 carries.
The Minutemen (6-4) will now wait to see who their Week 11 opponent will be in the Division III Region 10 Quarterfinals, but know they will be going on the road to start their postseason journey.
Lex Beats Ontario In 2OT For District Crown
For the second year in a row, Lexington and Ontario met with a trip to Regionals on the line. Much like last season, extra time was needed to decide a winner beyond regulation. In the final minutes of their second overtime session, the Minutemen would lock up the district crown with a dramatic 2-1 victory over their cross-county rivals.
The Warriors would find the back of the net first on a Jayden Jacobs header less than nine minutes into the match, but Isaac Weber responded with the equalizer for Lex just over three minutes later. Over the next 94 minutes and change, these Richland County foes battled one another in a chippy affair that would see the purple and gold slow down a bit once the contest reached extra sessions.
Then with only three minutes to play in the second extra session, sophomore Ryan Parker delivered the game-winning goal for the Minutemen heading a cross from Weber that somehow escaped the clutches of Ontario senior keeper Matt Weaver to end the match. The Minutemen win also marks a program milestone with the school reaching it’s 400th all-time victory.
Ontario finishes their season as District runners-up with a 12-6-2 record.
Lexington (14-5-0) now moves on to face the winner of the Elyria District at Wooster in the Regional Semifinals.
Lex Takes Down Ashland For OCC Title
In a thrilling 5-set battle between the top two teams in the Ohio Cardinal Conference, Lexington survived a winner take all match against defending league title holder Ashland to win the conference crown.
The Lady Arrows led off with a 25-20 opening match victory before Lady Lex turned up the intensity for a 25-16 second set beat down. The momentum then swung in favor of visiting Ashland who came storming back from a late deficit to spike Lexington 25-22 in the third then built a cushion on their way to a pair of match points.
Lady Lex played clutch when it counted, scoring three straight points to keep their title hopes alive, then iced the fourth set with a 27-25 win to force a deciding fifth set. After jumping out to a 4-1 lead, Lexington never gave up the lead, knocking off the Lady Arrows for the second time this season with a 15-12 match ending win.
Amelia Moore was key down the stretch for Lady Lex, racking up 19 kills, 24 digs and 10 service aces to lead the charge, while Audra Kocker handed out 47 assists and Sara Malaska added 11 kills. Sophomore Karli Shepard was a monster of Ashland, smashing 31 of 67 kill attempts with 3 service aces.
The win puts Lexington at 12-9, 10-1 in OCC while Ashland dips to 17-3, 9-2.
Minutemen Survive Suspenseful Finish With West Holmes
A dramatic finish on homecoming night at Lexington ended with a 34-33 Minutemen victory over West Holmes as the Knights dropped their second straight conference game on the road.
In the closing minutes of the contest, senior RB Cade Stover ripped-off a 49-yard TD run to give Lexington a 1-point edge but had to stop West Holmes on their final possession to secure the win. The Knights offense, led by senior QB Bridger Cline who threw for 331 yards and 3 scores, would move the ball into field goal range with a chance to spoil the Minutemen comeback but their game-winning kick sailed wide left to end the game.
Lexington senior QB Jacob Depperschmidt had a career night with 240 yards and 3 TD’s through the air, 2 of them to fellow senior WR Josh Aiello. Stover and backfield mate Kayden Berry combined for 370 rushing yards and 4 scores on the ground to keep the Minutemen in the OCC title race with their second straight upset win.
Lexington (3-4) will next travel to Ashland (5-2) to face the Arrows while West Holmes (5-2) will try to end a 2-game skid at home against West Branch (6-1).
Madison Handles Lex For OCC Championship
For a second year in a row the Madison girls soccer team are champions of the OCC. The Lady Rams clinched the title with a 4-0 win over Lexington to finish conference play undefeated at 6-0-0 without allowing a single goal in league action.
Stud sophomore Taylor Huff netted a trio of Madison goals to give her 16 for the campaign while keeper Paige Eldridge posted her sixth shutout this year. Chesney Davis added a goal and an assist for the state-ranked Lady Rams who remain undefeated on the season.
The win puts Madison at 10-0-1 with a match at Ontario next on the schedule while Lady Lex (5-5-2) will next take on Mansfield Christian.
Lexington Rides Explosive Plays To Win At Mansfield
Lexington Rides Explosive Plays To Win At Mansfield It was a slow start for Lexington on the road at Mansfield Senior but the Minutemen produced a number of big plays in the second half to claim a 44-16 win at Arlin Field in Week 6.
After falling behind 9-0, Lex would produce some momentum with a blocked punt in the second quarter that turned into a Kayden Berry fumble recovery in the end zone and the big plays would begin snowball from there for the purple and gold. Berry would give the Minutemen a 14-9 halftime edge with a 9-yard TD run before the break, and the Lex ground game would take over from that point forward.
Along with stud senior Cade Stover, who racked up 228 yards and 2 scores on 15 carries, Berry would help lead Lex to a dominating victory with 147 rush yards and a pair of scores. Tygers junior WR Angelo Grose also produced several explosive plays, scoring both Senior High’s TD’s on the night, but twice had long scores called back due to penalties.
The win keeps Lexington (2-4, 2-1) just a game back in the OCC race with a big game next week against West Holmes (5-1, 2-1). Mansfield Senior falls to 2-4, 0-2, and will next travel to Ashland (5-1, 2-0) for a date with the Arrows.
Ashland Handles Lexington For 7th Shutout Of The Season
It was another dominating performance for the Ashland girls’ soccer squad who shutout Lexington on the road 3-0.
It was the third loss in the last four outings for Lex as the state-ranked Lady Arrows controlled time of possession 49:38-30:24, out-shooting Lady Lex 12-3 on frame. Ashland received goals from Taryn Wachtel, Katie Mcquillen and Grayce Hosse as keeper Paige Swanson saved all three shots sent her way to preserve the Lady Arrows seventh shutout in eight matches. #8 Ashland (7-1-0) will next host Louisville while Lexington (4-4-1) travels to Mount Vernon.
Whippets Hold Off Lexington 27-24
left in regulation. Shelby recovered Lexington’s onside kick attempt though and 1:41Kadin Berry, who finished the night with 140 rushing yds and 2 scores, punched in a short TD run late in the third before Josh Aiello pulled the Minutemen within a field goal on a 16 yd TD grab with
to play in the third stanza.6:51After falling behind 10-7 in the second quarter, the Whippets racked up 20 straight points on a trio of McGwire Albert touchdowns. Shelby ’s junior signal caller connected with Tanner Stephens (13 yds) and Cameron Stine (19 yds) in the end zone then scampered in for a 4 yard TD to put his squad up 27-10 with
The Shelby football team improved to 2-0 with a 27-24 win at Lexington that wasn’t decided until the closing minutes of the final quarter.were able to hold on for a key road win.
Next up for the Whippets (2-0) is a rivalry game vs Willard (1-1) while the Minutemen (1-1) will travel to Orrville.
It wasn’t a great start to the season for first year head coach Chris Miller and the Ontario football squad, but a late 4th quarter surge propelled the Warriors past cross-county rival Lexington on opening night.
The Minutemen struck early on the road to quiet a raucous crowd on hand at Niss Stadium with an 80 yard bomb from QB Jake Depperschmidt to fellow senior Josh Aiello that put Lex on top 7-0 just past the midway point of the opening frame. Both defenses would then take over for the next three quarters as neither squad was able to produce any points until the final five minutes.
Warriors senior RB Bryce Hill punched in a 1-yard score with just 4:10 to play to tie the game at 7-7 and ignited the home crowd. On the Minutemen’s ensuing possession, senior standout Cade Stover would fumble while crossing midfield and Ontario would recover with a chance to win the game.
A long run by senior QB Austin Ivy would set up a 3-yard game-winning touchdown run by senior FB Garrett Niss with just 39 seconds to play and the Warriors defense would hold on to secure a dramatic victory on opening night.
Next up for Ontario (1-0) is a Week 2 visit from Highland (0-1) while Lexington (0-1) will host Shelby (1-0).
Ontario Downs Lexington With Late Rally
Minutemen Stun Ontario At Friday Night Futbol
The “Backyard Rivalry” between Lexington and Ontario kicked off the high school soccer season with an exciting match that needed all 80 minutes to decide an outcome. In the end, though, it would be an early Minutemen goal that would prove to be the difference as the purple and gold hung on for a 1-0 victory to avenge last season’s district championship defeat.
In front of a rambunctious crowd, Lex took an early edge on a Gavin George goal at the 35:27 mark of the opening half that may have changed the entire complexion of the game. The Warriors seemed somewhat deflated by the quick deficit while the Minutemen’s energy level picked up. Ontario produced a few excellent scoring opportunities but were unable to capitalize on their favorable circumstances.
Keeper Trevor Cramer was exceptional in net for Lexington, stopping all seven Warriors shots on target while Matt Weaver saved 6 of 7 Minutemen shot attempts.
Bounce Back Season: Lexington Gearing Up For Redemption
After making the deepest tournament run in program history in 2016, the Lexington football program turned in a disappointing campaign the following season. The Minutemen finished just 2-8 in 2017, winning only one contest in OCC play as the defending league champions.
With a new season approaching, the team’s senior captains say there’s a different feel at training camp this year. Fueled by the lingering effects of a losing campaign, Lexington veterans have a collective determination to change the tide in 2018.
Ohio State commit Cade Stover returns for his final high school season without the pressure that comes with being an undecided 4-star recruit. The Minutemen plan to use him as a versatile offensive weapon all over the field after a failed experiment that saw Stover under center the previous season.
During his tenure with the program, 5th-year head coach Taylor Gerhardt has proven his teams can bounce back after difficult seasons. He has yet to post consecutive losing campaigns and has a group of tenacious seniors driven to continue that streak.
It took a heroic come from behind effort to get the job done, but the Lexington boy’s tennis team claimed their 13th District Championship in the last 15 years by knocking out Ottawa Hills 3-1 at Lakewood Racquet Club.
The Minutemen took total control of their perennial district showdown against the Bears by winning every single opening set across the board. Ottawa Hills has had Lexington’s number the last two seasons, however, ending a 12-year District Championship run by the Minutemen by claiming the last two titles, and they would respond by winning the second set in every single match.
Lexington’s Blake Webster would eventually outlast Rahul Bais 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 to win the #1 singles match but Ottawa Hills’ #2 singler Matt McGee would come from behind to defeat Benton Drake to square the match. A 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 victory by Minutemen #1 doubles combo Josh Mueller and Brent Webster would then set the stage for senior Luke Webster who trailed James Schwann 4-1 in the #3 singles match to secure the title with a gutsy performance, taking each of the last five sets.
Lexington (16-5) will now advance to face state #1 Cincinnati Indian Hill in Sunday’s State Semifinals.
Lexington Tennis Punches Ticket To State
Lexington Clinches Share of OCC Baseball Crown
It took a while for the Lexington offense to come alive in Wednesday’s 5-3 victory over OCC rival Ashland, but one big inning is all it took for the Minutemen to extend their 4-game win streak.
The visiting Arrows (6-8, 4-4) got to Minutemen starter Ben Vore in the first two innings, plating a pair of runs in the first and adding another in the second. Trailing 0-3 in their offensive half of the fourth, Lexington went to work on Ashland righty Tyler Croskey who had held them in check for the first three innings and even drove in a run.
The Minutemen loaded the bases with nobody out and knocked three consecutive RBI singles by Austin Basham, Josh Aiello, and Jared Strickler to tie the game. Lex would add two more runs in the fourth to wrap-up the scoring for either side the rest of the way.
Vore would settle in, going 6 innings and allowing 6 hits and 2 earned runs while striking out 8 Arrows batters. He collected the win to improve the Minutemen to 13-2 overall and with a 7-1 mark in the OCC claimed at least a share of the league title for the first time since 2015.
Fast Start Leads Lex Past Madison
Madison head coach Doug Rickert says the 1st inning of games has been “a killer” for his youthful Rams this season. That trend continued in a 10-6 loss to Lexington in Game 1 of a doubleheader with the Minutemen. Lex peppered Madison starting pitcher Brandon Atwell for 8 runs in the first two innings of play, lighting up the scoreboard for 6 in the opening frame.
Minutemen skipper Kevin Morrow says his team has struggled to put away teams after building early leads this season, which Lex would again fail to do against the Rams. Madison scored 5 unanswered runs with 4 of them coming in the bottom half of the 4th to make it an 8-5 game heading into the final inning of play. The Minutemen would put together a couple of runs in their half of the 7th, however, that helped them close out the game to stay perfect in OCC action.
Jared Strickler picked up the win for Lex giving up 5 runs on 9 hits with 7 K’s in 6 innings of work and going 2-3 from the dish with an RBI and 2 runs. Ben Vore went 2-4, with 2 runs and an RBI, Noah Pack went 1-3 with 2 RBI and Owen Murray went 1-4 with 2 RBI and a run. Trenton Osborne was 2-2 with 2 RBI for Madison. Teammate Cal Rickert went 2-4 with 2 runs, Bryce Lee went 2-4 with 2 RBI and a run scored, and Bronson Henry finished 2-4 with an RBI.
Celebrity Look Alike: Lexington's Jared Strickler
Take a look to see who we believe Minutemen senior pitcher Jared Strickler resembles from the celebrity sports world.
Though Jared claims he has never received this comparison, our Brian Skowronski rates a 7.5/10 on the Celebrity Look Alike scale.
Lex Handles Mt Vernon To Stay Undefeated
A pair of superb offensive innings kept Lexington’s undefeated regular season intact, knocking off defending OCC champion Mount Vernon 8-1.
The contest began as a pitcher’s duel with Yellow Jackets right-hander Connor Curry and Minutemen senior ace Jared Strickler keeping the game scoreless through 3 ½ innings. Lexington’s bats then came alive in the bottom half of the 4th, producing 5 runs on 6 hits to break the game wide open.
Strickler continued to deal, throwing 6 shutout innings with 5 K’s allowing 4 hits while the purple and gold kept it going from the dish in their offensive half of the 6th, scoring 3 more runs to grab a commanding lead. Mount Vernon would bring home a run in the 7th off reliever Jack Kleinknecht, but Lex would close out the contest for the fifth straight win to start the season. Lexington (5-0, 3-0) will next travel to Mount Vernon (3-5, 0-1) on Wednesday to close out their regular season split with the Jackets.
Lexington’s Road Ends At The Final Four
The Minutemen’s quest for the programs third state championship came up just short with a 62-51 loss to Akron St Vincent-St Mary in the Division II State Semifinals. The defending state champion Irish (20-8) punched their ticket to the D2 title game for a third consecutive season with a balanced scoring attack that featured eight players who scored five or more points. Lunden McDay led SVSM with a team-best 14 pts as the Irish bench outscored Lexington’s 21-9.
Junior forward Cade Stover posted another double-double with 17 pts & 10 rebounds, ending the season as the programs all-time leader in rebounding while sitting in second place on the career scoring list. Senior’s Bryant Givand (1/5 FG 2 pts, 2 reb, 3 ast) and Mason Kearns (4/8 FG 10 pts, 5 rebs, 2 ast) each played their final game in a Lexington basketball uniform.
The Minutemen wrap-up their season at 23-6 as OCC, Sectional, District and Regional Champions.
Lexington Community Sends Boy's Hoops To State
The Lexington boy's basketball team is heading to Columbus this weekend to compete in the State Final Four and Minutemen fans are fired up about the school's tournament run (and Friday's day off of school).
To show their support for the squad a special send-off ceremony was held at the high school to honor the players and staff. The pep band and cheerleaders led the squad through the high school hallways where students, teachers and family members gathered to show support.
Minutemen Building Belief On Journey To State
It’s been nearly three decades since the Lexington boy’s hoops squad last won a Regional Championship in 1991 on their way to a second State Championship in three seasons. The Minutemen will make their return to Columbus this weekend after a 27 year Final Four drought riding the confidence and experience they’ve accumulated during a suspenseful tournament run.
Some team members expected to be in this position at the start of the tournament while others are still coming to grips with their last-second win over Bay to claim the BGSU Regional title following a victory over AP poll champion Wauseon in the semifinals. When the purple and gold take the floor for their State Semifinal matchup against defending Division II State Champion Akron St Vincent-St Mary, they will expect solid team chemistry and determination to again carry them through the contest as they have all season.
Lexington (23-5) will no doubt be considered the underdog in their showdown against a perennial power like the Irish (19-8) who will make their 12th Final Four appearance since 2000 on Friday, but junior forward Cade Stover, who leads the team with 18.5 points and 13 rebounds per game, says that’s been the case all tournament long and it hasn’t stopped them yet.
The Minutemen will tipoff against St Vincent-St Mary at the Jerome Schottenstein Center beginning at 2 pm on Friday. There will be a community send-off for the team on Thursday at Lexington High School at 2:20 pm.
The Division II Bowling Green Regional Championship wouldn’t be decided until the final seconds but a dramatic finish would conclude with Lexington cutting down the nets as 65-64 victors over Bay.
The Minutemen got off to a slow start, turning the ball over 7 times in the opening frame as they fell behind 13-9. The Rockets (20-7) widened their advantage to 30-25 by the half, pulling down 8 offensive rebounds in the first two-quarters of play. After shooting 10-26 (38%) from the field in the opening half, Lexington then put together a 24-18 run in the 3rd quarter with a 10-13 (77%) shooting performance.
The Minutemen would continue their efficient offensive attack in the 4th; making 6-8 attempts (75%) to build a 7-point cushion before Bay came storming back to take a 1-point lead with 16 seconds remaining in the game. Lexington junior forward Josh Aiello then canned an elbow jumper to put the Minutemen on top with under 7 seconds to play and they would dodge a pair of quality Bay attempts to survive as Regional Champs.
Cade Stover led Lex with 20 pts & 9 rebs, Ben Vore added 14 pts & 4 rebs, Bryant Givand 11 pts & 4 rebs and Mason Kearns scored 9 and handed out 7 assists. RJ Sunahara was the Rockets top threat scoring a game-high 23 pts with Erik Painter dropping 18.
Lexington (23-5) now moves on to the State Final Four for the first time since 1991 where they will face #9 Akron St Vincent-St Mary (19-8) for a spot in the D2 State Championship.
Minutemen March On To Final Four On Aiello’s Game Winner
A stunning 4th quarter comeback ended the Indians perfect season and sends Lexington to the Division II BGSU Regional Finals, as the Minutemen outscore #1 Wauseon 26-14 in the final frame for a 52-46 victory.
Lex trailed for basically the entire game with the previously unbeaten Indians (25-1) leading 13-8 after 1, extending their cushion to 22-14 by the break and maintaining an 8-point advantage early in the 4th quarter. Wauseon’s 6’ 9” senior center Austin Rotroff, along with the length of the Indians perimeter players made it challenging for the Minutemen to get quality offensive looks through most of the contest.
Then a pair of 3-point field goals by Lexington junior forward Cade Stover got some momentum flowing for the purple and gold midway through the 4th, scoring 13 of his game-best 21 points in the final 6:26. Stover gave the Minutemen the lead with just over 3 minutes to play and though Wauseon challenged them down the stretch, a 4-4 shooting performance at the charity stripe by senior guard Mason Kearns helped seal the victory and send Lex to their first Regional Championship since 2008.
Kearns and senior guard Bryant Givand both scored 9 points while Josh Aiello added 9, Ben Vore 5 and Stover pulled down 14 rebounds. Rotroff finished with 13 pts and 6 rebs but was held to 3-10 shooting field goals. Lexington (22-5) now advances to face Bay for the BGSU Regional Title (20-6) on Sat at 2 pm inside the Stroh Center seeking their first Final Four berth since 1991 won they won the State Championship.
Minutemen Shock #1 Wauseon, Move On To Elite Eight
Hardwood Heroes: Lexington vs Wooster
Minutemen players Bryant Givand, Ben Vore & Cade Stover help Lexington head coach Scott Hamilton taste victory for the 1st time at Wooster with a 53-46 win over the Generals.
Purple Haze Fuel Lex To District Championship
See the Lexington Minutemen boy's basketball team knock off Sandusky for the Division II Madison District Championship with the support of their wildly spirited student section.
Student Section Experience :
Lexington "Purple Haze"
Join the "Purple Haze" student section of Lexington High School as they take you into the crowd for the Minutemen boy's basketball squads 52-46 victory over previously undefeated #1 Wauseon in the Division II BGSU Regional Semifinals.
Stover Lifts Lexington Over Sandusky To Regionals
For a third consecutive season, Lexington and Sandusky met to decide a Division II District Champion with the Minutemen taking the rubber match 64-53.
Third-seeded Lexington got a monster performance from junior forward Cade Stover who dominated from start to finish with 27 points on 9/16 field goals, grabbed 12 rebounds and blocked 4 shots. Along with fellow junior Josh Aiello, who delivered a 15 point, 10 rebound double-double of his own, the Minutemen led 17-11 after the first quarter, 23-14 at the break and were never challenged again by the Blue Streaks.
A 9-0 Sandusky run in the opening frame gave the 4th-seeded Blue Streaks a brief edge, led by sophomore guard Dylon Jones with a team-best 18 pts and senior guard Keith Williams with 15 pts and 6 rebs, but they shot just 19-64 (29%) from the field as a team. Lexington (21-5) would move on to the Bowling Green State University Regionals to face Division II AP poll champion Wauseon (25-0).
Lexington Knocks Out Top-Seed Vermilion
The #3 Minutemen (20-5) are headed to the district finals for a third consecutive season, defeating #1 Vermilion (20-4) 46-43 in the Division II Madison District Semifinals. A strong first half put Lex on top 30-19 but they would blow their cushion in the third quarter where the Sailors outscored them 15-4. In the closing minutes with the game on the line, though, Minutemen junior forward Cade Stover made a handful of valuable plays to help punch their ticket to the championship round where Lex will face Sandusky for a third year in a row. Stover finished the night with 13 points and 19 rebounds while Ben Vore dropped a game-high 16 pts and Bryant Givand added 14 to pace Lex. Joby Pfeil led Vermilion with 14 pts receiving
BIG 4th Qtr Earns Lex Sectional Crown
The Division II Willard Sectional Final between #3 Lexington (19-5) and #7 Clyde (17-6) was intensely competitive through the first 3 quarters but a 28-11 4th qtr spurt gave the Minutemen a 66-53 victory. Cade Stover dropped a game-high 23 points with 13 coming in the 2nd qtr while teammate Josh Aiello scored 9 in the fourth and 15 overall. Seth Hohman played big for the Fliers in his final high school game with 20 points with Camaron Farrar adding 11. Lexington will next play the districts top-seed Vermilion (20-4) in the Mansfield District semifinals.
Conference Clinching Performance: Lexington Boy's Basketball
With a piece of an Ohio Cardinal Conference boy's hoops title on the line in their regular-season finale against a Mount Vernon squad riding a 9-game win streak, Lexington dominated the action for a piece of the crown with a 68-39 victory on senior night. The Minutemen outrebounded the Yellow Jackets 37-15 with Cade Stover grabbing 16 boards to go along with 16 points, Ben Vore also netted 16 pts on 5/8 field goal attempts and Josh Aiello put up 13 & 7. The 17-5 (9-3) Minutemen will next be in action at the Division II Sectional Semifinals at Willard with their 5-game unbeaten run on the line against Galion. Mount Vernon (15-7, 9-3) will host Dublin Scioto in the Division 1 Columbus District.
Eye Catching Cuts: Mansfield vs Lexington boy's hoops
Top-10 Plays from Mansfield Senior's 60-52 victory over Lexington in boy's hoops on Jan 16, 2018. Cade Stover (15 pts, 16 rebs) and Ben Vore (game-high 17 pts) had stellar performances for the Minutemen but an opportunistic Tygers defense that scored 31 points off 23 turnovers stole the show along with Mansfield senior guard BJ Patrick who scored his 1,000th career point in the contest.
Norwalk Rally Falls Short vs Lexington
The Truckers received a game-high 20 points from junior guard Brandon Haraway but the Minutemen got the 56-48 victory.
Cade Stover paced Lexington's attack with 13 points to go along with 9 rebounds.