Schools show orange support for West Liberty-Salem

Orange is the new color for area high schools this week. That’s how many schools have expressed their support for a grieving West Liberty community following last week’s school shooting at the rural Champaign County and Ohio Heritage Conference member WL-Salem.

OHC rivals Triad, Cedarville and Springfield Catholic Central all displayed orange apparel during school hours and recent athletic contests, often as ribbons or wrist bands. A fifth-grade youth basketball team at DeGraff Riverside also paid orange tribute. The West Liberty-Salem school colors are orange and black.

The first home basketball game for WL-S since the shooting will be Saturday night when the Tigers girls (14-1) host Catholic Central (7:30 p.m.).

• Springboro will induct three new members into its athletic hall of fame this weekend and all are from a loaded Class of 2011: Dani Barbiea (swimming), Carly Hamilton (cross country, track and field) and Cody Shivener (wrestling). All were individual state champions in their respective sports.

The trio will be introduced during halftime of Friday’s boys basketball game against visiting Springfield and will be formally inducted on Saturday night during a ceremony at Heatherwoode Golf Course.

• Northmont softball coach Kris Mangen was inducted into the Ohio High School Fastpitch Softball Coaches Hall of Fame last Friday. A Northmont grad, Mangen has been the Thunderbolts’ head coach for 21 seasons and has a career record of 435-132.

Northmont was the Division I state runner-up in 1998 and won seven D-I district titles with Mangen as coach, including the last four.

• Wayne track and field head coach Mike Fernandez will be inducted into the Ohio Association of Track and Cross Country Coaches Hall of Fame on Saturday at Columbus. A Wayne grad, Fernandez has been the Warriors’ coach since 1998 and has coached numerous outstanding boys sprinters, hurdlers and relays, including 11 individual state champs and one relay.

Wayne won a D-I boys state title in 2000 and was runner-up in 2002.

• Among the many successful Trotwood-Madison boys basketball coaches over the years was Kent Bobo, who recently died. He coached some great Rams teams in the 1970’s and was succeeded by Jim Staley, who parlayed his Trotwood success into a hall of fame career at Centerville.

A Northridge grad, area golfers should remember Bobo as a course manager at Larch Tree (Trotwood) and Moss Creek (Clayton) golf courses following his retirement from teaching. The Vandalia resident was 81.

An obituary and details for a showing on Feb. 11 at First Baptist Church of Vandalia can be found at DaytonDailyNews.com.

• Several area schools were recently hit with penalties for violating various Ohio High School Athletic Association rules.

A Miamisburg football transfer initially was ruled ineligible for the remainder of the school year. That ruling was modified and the school was fined $150.

Dayton Public Schools had 22 students who violated international and exchange student bylaws. Their eligibility was restored and DPS was fined $150.

Dunbar was fined $300 for using an academically ineligible football player.

Springfield was fined $100 for allowing a wrestler to compete last season before a transfer ruling was complete.

About the Author