Monroeville Walks Off On Lucas In Extras For 1st District Title
Monroeville clinched their first District Championship in program history after an intense 5-4 come back win in 9 innings over the Lucas Cubs in Shelby. T
The game started as a defensive struggle with 4 scoreless innings of back and forth action as power pitchers Erica Westfield and Carley Helmstetter kept the scoreboard spotless. The Cubs would break through offensively in the top of the 5th, plating a trio of runs to build what felt like a commanding lead.
The Eagles would gain their wings in the bottom of the 6th, however, where they too would plate three runs to tie the game. A scoreless seventh would lead to extra innings with Lucas regaining the lead with a score in the top of the eighth, but Monroeville would answer back with a run of their own in the bottom of the frame.
The top-seeded Eagles would end the game in the bottom of the ninth with Jessica Hays hitting a deep fly to center field, sending Sydney Meisler to home plate for a walk-off 5-4 victory, clinching the first district championship in program history.
Lucas wraps their season as outright MBC champs and district runners-up with an 18-8 record.
Monroeville (22-4) now advances to face McDonald in the Akron Regional Semifinals.
Westfield’s Perfect Game Wins Lucas MBC Crown
It was a senior night to remember for Lucas pitcher Erica Westfield who threw a perfect game in a 16-0 blowout of St. Peter’s to clinch an outright Mid-Buckeye Conference championship.
The hard throwing righty struck out each of the first twelve Spartans batters she faced, sitting down 13 of St Peter’s (1-14) 15 total batters via strikeout in five innings of work. Westfield, who was honored before the game along with fellow seniors Frankie Depue and Brooke Niswander, also added a pair of RBI from the dish during her stellar performance.
The Lady Cubs (14-6, 9-0) dropped 11 on the scoreboard in their offensive half of the first behind sophomore Kali Nolen’s pair of 3-RBI triples in the frame. Lucas tacked on three more runs in the second and two in the third to cap off their scoring attack, clinching their first outright MBC title since 2012 with the win.
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.
Lucas Tops St Paul For 2nd Straight Sectional Title
In a battle for a spot at districts between #4 St Paul and 5th-seeded Lucas, a strong start led to a victorious finish for the Cubs who celebrated their second Sectional Championship in as many years with a 58-49 win at Galion.
Lucas stormed out to a 19-6 first quarter advantage by forcing 10 Flyers turnovers in the frame without committing one of their own. From that point forward, the Cubs were never truly challenged as they took a 31-20 lead into the half and maintained their margin on the scoreboard at 42-31 heading into the final eight minutes of play.
Logan Niswander led Lucas offensively with 18 points and 4 rebounds while Riley Gossom added 13 & 6 and Ethan Sauder chipped-in with 7 & 6.
Next up for the Cubs (19-5) is a District Semifinal showdown vs #1 Colonel Crawford (19-4) at Willard High School.
Lucas Beats St Peter’s For 1st League Crown Since 1991
It had been a while since Lucas Cubs basketball fans last tasted a conference championship before the 2019 version ended a 28-year drought with a Mid-Buckeye clinching 65-52 win over 4-time defending champ St. Peter’s.
The Cubs (12-5) are still perfect in MBC play with a spotless 9-0 mark, handling the Spartans (11-7, 7-2) by double-figures for the second time this year as sophomore guard Ethan Sauder scored 14 of his career-best 22 points in the second half to go along with 16 from Logan Niswander and 13 by Riley Gossom.
It’s the most points allowed by St. Peter’s this season, who got 22 points from senior guard Caleb Stewart but his Spartans trailed 18-6 after the first and 32-14 by halftime, falling into a 53-31 hole by the start of the fourth.
Hardwood Hero: Lucas Jr. Logan Niswander
Following his stellar 28 point performance in a 69-54 victory over Crestline, Lucas junior Logan Niswander received over 65% of the total fan vote to earn the title of Hardwood Hero.
For his impressive accomplishment, Logan received a $50 gift card from Scout Construction along with this exclusive interview on the OH.Report with founder Brian Skowronski.
Hear from the Cubs star forward on a variety of topics, including; his progression on the hardwood, favorite player to watch growing up, area player he likes to follow, Lucas’ rise to success and upcoming showdown with defending Mid-Buckeye champion St. Peter’s for the conference title. Niswander also takes on the Lightning Round where he answers 10 questions about himself and his teammates.
Lucas Jr. Logan Niswander Wins Hardwood Heroes
Congratulations to Lucas Cubs junior forward Logan Niswander, who with over 65% of the total votes by fans has been selected as this week’s Hardwood Hero!
Niswander led the Cubs to a 69-54 victory over Crestline by scoring a game-high 28 points that included a 20-point outburst in the first half that created some distance on the scoreboard between Lucas and the Bulldogs.
For his impressive accomplishment, Logan will receive a $50 gift card from Scout Construction and get an exclusive interview on OH.Report.
Lucas Rides Niswander To Win Over Crestline
An explosive opening quarter for Lucas inside the Cub Cave helped keep the Mid-Buckeye Conference frontrunners unbeaten in league play, holding off a late Crestline surge to beat the Bulldogs 69-54.
Junior forward Logan Niswander sparked the Cubs monster 28-point first quarter with 14 of his game-high 28 in the frame, including three straight triples that had Lucas ahead by a dozen heading into the second stanza. The Cubs edge swelled to 46-30 by the break as Ethan Wallace added 15 Lucas points in the contest and Jeb Grover chipped-in with 14 off the bench.
Behind senior’s Ty Clark and Max Anatra, however, Crestline clawed their way back into the game with a 15-10 third quarter spurt that included the first eight points of the frame. Clark finished with a team-best 23 points while Anatra scored nine, all in the second half, and dished out 10 assists, but it wouldn’t be enough to make up for the Cubs blistering first half.
Lucas improves to 10-0, 7-0 in MBC action while the Bulldogs dip to 5-9, 2-5.
Lucas Tops St. Peter’s For Mid-Buckeye Lead
It had been a long time since St. Peter's School last lost a Mid-Buckeye Conference game and even longer since league foe Lucas has tasted victory against the Spartans, but the Cubs would take a monster 47-38 win on the road to end each lengthy streak.
Lucas hadn’t beaten their Richland County rivals in the last 12 meetings against St. Peter’s and it appeared that drought would continue after a fast start by the Spartans. The Cubs fell into a double-digit first-quarter hole, trailing 13-3 before clawing their way back to a 15-9 deficit by the start of the second stanza.
Behind Logan Niswander, who scored seven of his team-best 12 points in the second quarter, Lucas surged to a 27-21 advantage by the half and held the Spartans to just 23 points in the final 24 minutes of action.
Though St Peter’s pulled to within 31-30 by the start of the fourth, the Cubs closed out the contest on a 16-8 run to claim their first win in the series since 2011, and also ended the Spartans 36-game win streak in MBC play.
Caleb Stewart led all scorers in the game with 18 points, but no other Spartan scored more than eight while five Lucas players netted at least six points. The win now bolsters the Cubs (6-3, 4-0) to the top of the league standings, taking a 1-game lead over St. Peter’s (5-4, 3-1).
Cubs Smack Crestline To Stay Unbeaten
Lucas improved to 3-0 on the young season with a 68-46 victory at Crestline in their Mid-Buckeye Conference opener.
The Bulldogs (1-4) ran out to an 8-2 advantage by cashing in early Cubs turnovers for points but Lucas quickly recovered to regain a 20-16 edge by the end of the first quarter. The Cubs carried their momentum into the second stanza where they outscored Crestline 13-7 to hold a 33-23 lead at the break.
The third quarter would prove to be the difference with the Bulldogs coming out flat while Lucas strung together a consistent offensive attack and outscored Crestline 20-7 in the frame before taking their foot off the gas midway through the fourth with a sizeable lead.
Sophomore Riley Gossom led all scorers with 20 points while Logan Niswander added 18 for the Cubs and Ethan Sauder chipped in with a dozen.
Ty Clark paced the Bulldogs with 11 points, breaking the programs all-time career rebounding record during the contest.
Trimble Knocks Off Lucas In Final Seconds
The Division VII Region 27 championship ended in heart-breaking fashion for the Lucas Cubs who gave up a game-winning touchdown in the final seconds in a 21-14 loss to Glouster Trimble.
It’s the second straight postseason Lucas has lost a tough matchup against the Tomcats, as the Cubs failed to capitalize on early opportunities that could have seized control of the contest.
Jeb Grover put Lucas on the board first at Hamilton Township Alumni Stadium, scoring the only touchdown against the Tomcats defense in the last 26 quarters dating back to Week 6 of the regular season. Trimble then stopped the Cubs twice inside the red zone in the opening half, sending the game tied at 7-7 into the break.
A 62-yard Trimble scoring run gave the Tomcats their first lead early in the third quarter but a sensational one-handed TD grab by Lucas WR Ethan Sauder tied the game at 14-14 where the score remained until the final minute of action. Then with just 17 seconds to play, Tomcats RB Conner Wright capped-off a 14-play, 71-yard scoring drive with a hard-fought 9-yard carry into the end zone to stun Lucas and punch Trimble’s ticket to the Final Four.
Lucas (10-3) ends their season as regional runners-up for the second time since 2015. The Cubs 12 seniors played in a program-record 48 games, with Grover totaling over 6,000 rushing yards for his career.
Trimble (12-1) will advance to face Cuyahoga Heights (11-2) in the state semifinals.
Lucas Wrecks Waterford For Regional Final Berth
For the second time in the last four seasons, the Lucas football team will play for a regional championship after running over #4 Waterford 33-14 in the Division VII Region 27 semifinals at Coshocton.
After claiming an early 14-0 advantage with scoring runs by Logan Niswander and Jeb Grover, the Cubs then rattled off 19 straight points following a Wildcats TD. Grover finished the night with 184 yards and 3 scores on 26 carries while Niswander added 54 yards and 2 TD’s on just nine carries, as the Lucas ground attack chewed up 330 yards as a team.
The Lucas defense was incredible throughout the contest, limiting Waterford (9-3) to just 145 total yards with only 11 of those coming from the run game. The Cubs staunch unit harassed the Wildcats in the backfield all night, dropping Waterford ball carriers for a loss seven times and intercepted a pair of Peyton Stephens pass attempts.
Top-seeded Lucas (10-2) will next get a rematch with #3 Trimble (11-1) in the Region 27 Championship after the Tomcats knocked them out of the tournament in the opening round last year.
Lucas Tramples River Into Week 12
Top-seeded Lucas smashed #8 River, 42-0, in a Division VII, Region 27 quarterfinal at Madison's STARTEK Stadium.
Cubs senior running back Jeb Grover ran for 209 yards and had four touchdowns (14, 73, 80, 25) on just five first-half carries, going over 6,000 career rushing yards in the process. Grover also added a 47-yard interception return for a score as Lucas had complete control of the ball for the entire game.
Kaiden Thomas completed Lucas’ scoring for the evening with a 4-yard scamper to paydirt early in the third quarter before the Cubs took their foot off the accelerator.
Lucas (9-2) now advances to the Region 27 semifinals to face off against #4 Waterford. The Wildcats beat #5 Berne Union 34-14 in their Week 11 matchup.
Lucas Runs Over Centerburg With BIG 2nd Half
The Lucas football team is off to a 2-0 start to the season after defending their home turf in Week 2 with a 42-14 win over Centerburg at Bob Wine Field.
Senior running back Jeb Grover had a monster performance, rushing for 250 yards and 4 scores while also hauling in a couple passes and intercepting the Trojans in the red zone. Grover tore through the Centerburg defense in the third quarter, churning out over 130 yards and a pair of touchdowns on just 3 carries.
A late second-quarter touchdown only had Lucas up a score at the half, before the Cubs exploded for 28 second-half points to put the game out of reach behind more than 400 yards on the ground for the contest. Trojans QB John Sheasby carved up Lucas in the first half but was held in check in the final two quarters by a swarming Cubs defense.
Lucas (2-0) will next travel to Northmor (2-0) to battle the Golden Knights in Week 3 while Centerburg (1-1) will host Northridge (0-2).
Mohawk Fends Off Lucas For District Crown
Seeking their second consecutive Division IV Shelby District Championship, the 2nd-seeded Lucas softball squad fell into an early hole against red hot Mohawk in the district title match. The Lady Cubs got on the board first with a score in the opening frame, but seven unanswered Warriors runs, plating three scores each in the second and fourth innings, gave 4th-seeded Mohawk a comfortable 7-1 lead heading into the sixth.
The Cubs would rally with a pair of runs in their offensive half of the sixth and score two more in the seventh with their all-time homerun leader Liz Yirga at the plate with a runner on third, but a deep blast to center field fell just short of tying the game and Mohawk took the title with a 7-5 victory.
The Warriors (18-7) will advance to face East Canton in the Akron Regional Semifinals while Lucas finishes their season at 15-7 with basically the entire team returning next season.
Lucas Downs St Paul For 5th Straight District Berth
For a fifth playoff tournament in a row, the Lucas softball squad is advancing to the round of Districts. The 2nd-seeded Cubs (14-6) defeated the 7-seed in Norwalk St Paul (7-12) Thursday evening by the final tally of 7-2 at Lucas High School.
Cubs junior pitcher Erica Westfield was dominant from the circle striking out 13 Flyers hitters, giving up 7 hits and 2 runs while also scoring 2 runs and hitting a double at the dish. Sophomore catcher Morgan Spitler also had a day from the plate, going 3-3 with a HR, 4 RBI and scored 2 runs to help clinch Lucas a sectional championship.
The Cubs now advance to play #3 Seneca East, who defeated #5 Wynford 5-4 in their sectional title matchup, Tuesday at Shelby with the first pitch scheduled for 6:30.
Balanced Spartans Wear Out Lucas At Districts
Top-seeded St. Peter's punched their ticket to a third consecutive district championship game completing a season sweep of MBC rival Lucas, 81-71.
With the Cubs defending Spartans senior studs Elijah Cobb (22 pts) and Jared Jakubick (16 pts) with a triangle and two technique for much of the contest, all 5 St Peter's starters would light up the scoreboard for double-figures with Jonah Ramey scoring 15, Caleb Stewart 13 and Luke Henrich 11.
Lucas (15-9) pushed the AP #1 Spartans for most of the night, trailing by just a point at the break but couldn't slow down the St. Peter's offensive arsenal in the final two quarters. Brian Sauder poured in a game-high 25 pts for the Cubs with Jeb Grover adding 16 and Logan Niswander chipping in with 15.
The Spartans (25-0) would next put their undefeated record on the line when they faced #2 Colonel Crawford (20-4) in a rematch of last years district title game.
Niswander Fuels Lucas Comeback Over Flames
Mid-Buckeye Conference foes Mansfield Christian and Lucas hooked up for a third time this season in the Division IV Lexington Sectional Finals where the #5 Flames appeared to be in total control through 3 quarters of action. Jared McPeek carried MC with 22 points while backcourt mate Kyle Kurtz added 15 and the Flames led 52-43 heading into the final frame.
The 4th quarter would belong to the #3 Cubs and sophomore Logan Niswander who scored an incredible 21 fourth-quarter points, finishing with a game-high 26 to help fuel a 33 point stanza that lifted Lucas to a 76-68 victory.
Lucas (15-8) would next play #1 Mansfield St Peter's (24-0) in the district semifinals.