The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Breaking down the tournament brackets
Elyria and Keystone are favored as they prepare for district play as Sports Editor breaks down the brackets for Morning Journal area teams. Plus, the Top of the Crop and softball statistics.
The road to Akron starts next week. The brackets are in, so it’s time to have some fun. Here are the favorites and dark horses for all the Morning Journal area districts.
DIVISION I AVON LAKE
FAVORITE » Elyria DON’T FORGET » Amherst, Midview
DARK HORSE » Olmsted Falls
BREAKDOWN » This district didn’t have a ton of surprises when it came to seeding. There’s a clear top four, and they were seeded at the top. The middle is what was expected, and the bottom was the same.
So why does Elyria get the nod?
Well, simply put, the Pioneers are the defending Division I state champions and, even with a few slips, Elyria has been playing at a high level all season. Now, it’s true that the Pioneers’ record is not the greatest against top teams around the state. With that said, they’ve been competitive in those games and even with the Avon Lake District being one of the toughest in the state, the Pioneers shouldn’t have a ton of trouble until regional play.
Amherst and Midview are always contenders for this district. Both have played well this year and have records that are not truly indicative of how good both teams are. Both also feature losses to the dark horse of this district, Olmsted Falls.
The Bulldogs have been in a rut as of late, transforming them from a team that once appeared to have a lot of promise in this district into one that has a lot of questions. If Olmsted Falls can turn it around in the next week, it will do some damage in this district.
DIVISION II LAGRANGE
FAVORITE » Keystone DON’T FORGET » Holy Name DARK HORSES »Firelands, Fairview
BREAKDOWN » This is Keystone’s district to lose, as it is every year. The Wildcats have turned what many thought would be a down year into one of their best. Keystone has been nearly flawless in every facet of the game this season, and there’s no reason to expect that to change once the postseason begins.
Holy Name will, as always, be one of the top contenders to overthrow Keystone. The Green Wave have all but wrapped up the Great Lakes Conference title and have looked strong doing so. However, Holy Name’s schedule is not nearly as daunting at Keystone’s.
Firelands and Fairview will be looking to make a splash in the district. The Falcons are fighting their way through an extremely tough Patriot Athletic Conference Stars Division and holding their own quite well. The Warriors are looking to claim their first PAC Stripes Division title. If any of the top teams in the district take these two lightly, they are more than capable of taking the win.
DIVISION II MILAN
FAVORITE » Mansfield Madison DON’T FORGET » Bellevue, Ontario DARK HORSE » Tiffin Columbian
BREAKDOWN » You don’t get a state ranking for no good reason, and rest assured that Mansfield Madison has earned its No. 6 ranking in the state because it is a well-rounded team that rarely has an off day.
Bellevue and Ontario are always teams to keep an eye on. While they may not always have the dominance the Madison has, either team can pull out a close one to keep teams honest.
Tiffin Columbian is primed to make some noise this postseason. With a strong core of bats and respectable pitching, it will by no means be an easy out this postseason.
DIVISION III AVON LAKE
FAVORITE » Wellington
DON’T FORGET » Independence, Elyria Catholic DARK HORSE » Trinity
BREAKDOWN » This was a rare district where it appeared the coaches may have gotten the seeding wrong.
Wellington was awarded the No. 2 seed in the district, but barely. Independence edged the Dukes, 96-91, in the seed voting. It might have been a lack of games for the Dukes at vote time that hurt them, as Wellington had played 11 compared to the Blue Devils’ 14.
But Wellington is the team to beat in the district. The Dukes have the highest state ranking in the district (No. 7) and have played the hardest schedule, with multiple wins over D-I and D-II opponents.
That is not to take anything away from Independence, the No. 10 ranked team in the state. The Blue Devils are 13-3 with strong wins via potent bats and strong pitching. They could very well win the district, but would need to make no mistakes to do so.
Don’t discount Elyria Catholic, either. The surprise champions from last season appear to be getting hot at the right time, winning eight of their last 10. At 10-7 overall, the Panthers’ record in no way indicates just how dangerous this team is.
DIVISION IV REVERE
FAVORITE » Hillsdale DON’T FORGET » Mogadore DARK HORSE » Columbia BREAKDOWN » Defending district champion last year when it was the Copley District, Hillsdale has only gotten better — which is scary because Hillsdale romped though its competition last year to the tune of 33-0 in its three district games.
As always, Mogadore will be the biggest threat to the Falcons’ dominance. The Wildcats will need to have some strong hitting to make it through a district that has some very solid pitching, though, if they hope to force a rematch for the district title with Hillsdale.
Columbia can’t be discounted in the district. The Raiders dropped to D-IV this season after being a continual threat in D-III for the past few years. There is no reason that should not change. If the Raiders, seeded No. 4 in the district, can keep a D-III mentality, they will turn some heads in the district, particularly if they can knock off Hillsdale in what would be a district semifinal showdown.
Taste of victory
Wednesday, May 4, 2016. That was the last time Lutheran West had experienced the thrill of victory. 724 long days. That all changed on April 27, six days shy of the twoyear anniversary of the Longhorns’ 13-9 win over Valley Forge at home.
Lutheran West defeated Open Door in thrilling walk-off fashion, 12-11.
With one out and the bases loaded, Gia Rzeczycki singled to center in the bottom of the eighth, scoring Lucie Alicea to snap the 34game losing streak.
Michelle Goll picked up the win in the circle for Lutheran West, striking out 10 while allowing seven earned runs and 11 hits in eight innings.
Offensively, the Longhorns had 15 hits, with Madison Groppe leading the way on a 3-for-4 performance that included a double and three runs scored. Rzeczycki, Goll, Alicea, Kelly Owens and Haley Tome all had two hits, and Kaitlyn Kromer and Klana Poindexter rounded out the Lutheran West hits.
The win also marked the first for coach Dennis Matson at the helm of the Longhorns. Matson is in his second season.
Polls are in
The Ohio High School Softball Coaches Association released its third poll of the season on April 30 and the three area teams that were in the second poll have made the cut for the third week in a row.
In Division I, Elyria dropped from No. 6 to No. 8, totalling 57 points with a first-place vote — up from 55 points last week. D-I state runner-up Lebanon remained in first with 119 points and six first-place votes — a drop from 127 points and 10 first-place votes last week.
In D-II, Keystone remains the team to beat, ranking No. 1 with 108 points and 10 first-place votes, a marked increase from 74 points and five first-place votes last week. Even with the increase, the Wildcats’ lead over No. 2 Oak Harbor shrank, as the Rockets jumped from 58 points last week to 74 this week.
In D-III, Wellington took sole possession of No. 7 after being tied for the same spot with Bloomdale Elmwood last week. The Dukes’ point total dropped from 38 to 23 this week. Defending state champ Warren Champion remains at No. 1, but saw its point and first-place vote total decrease to 97 and seven, respectively.