February 13, 2007 - Volume 16, No. 7

a Winkler Company publication

Also featuring photos from our monthly supplement...

American Foursquare on East Schantz Avenue

New Photo Gallery
Auto Show 2007

Jills slam dunk SWBL trophy

Photo by Jeff Breidenbach

Kneeling: (L to R) Seniors Liz Garner, Cara Wald, Tiffany Taylor. Standing: ( L to R) Head Coach Aaron Oakes, Coach Andy Keating, Brittany Moore, Cathryn Hardy, Maeve Harper, Nicole Disbrow, Erin Requarth, Coach Andy Seyfang, Coach Kelly Colson.

The Jills captured the league title since 2002 with a 50-37 win over Franklin Thursday. They ended the regular season 16-5.

Highlights this season include a win over Bellbrook and Catherine Hardy’s 339 points, the highest in the league. The Division II state tournament started Monday and if the third seeded Jills get past Edgewood, they play Bellbrook on Saturday at Springboro HS at 1 p.m.

Jacks pluck Eagles in 51-38 showdown

By King Merritt

The Oakwood Lumberjacks took a huge step in capturing the SWBL’s Southwestern division basketball crown and extending their winning streak to 14 by defeating the Bellbrook Eagles 51-38 in front of a sellout crowd at home in “The Pit.” The Lumberjacks entered the game ranked third in the state rankings in Division III.

The Eagles took an early lead of 8-0 as the Lumberjacks were trying to find out which defense would work best. Sophomore, Will Garner broke the seal on the bucket for the Lumberjacks with a great drive to the basket. After the dust settled in the first quarter the score stood at 18-7 in favor of Bellbrook.

The Lumberjacks defense in the second quarter really took hold with Jake Mays, Tommy Lambert and Chris Hardy taking care of the Eagles big man, Matt Farler. The offense also began to jell with the Jacks closing the deficit to just 3 points, outscoring Bellbrook 16 to 8.

The Oakwood home crowd (featuring The Blue Men) brought out the Lumberjacks to a rousing ovation as the second half began. The Lumberjacks had taken the Eagles out of their normal inside game and you could feel the confidence growing for Oakwood. The offense started clicking again and the Lumberjacks took the lead by outscoring the Eagles 15-6 in the third quarter.

With one quarter remaining the self-assured Jacks continued their smothering defense on Farler as the rest of the Eagles could not find anyone to make up for the lack of the inside game. Exceptional defense on the perimeter by Scott Casebere, Will Garner, John Richardson and Will Merritt flustered the Bellbrook offense.

Outstanding free-throw shooting extended the lead for the Lumberjacks as the Eagles could only foul to try to get back into the game. Holding Bellbrook to only six points in the fourth quarter sealed the victory for Oakwood. “It completed my senior year; it was one of my greatest high school experiences.” exclaimed Scott Casebere, senior captain.

Balanced scoring for the Lumberjacks was one of the keys to the victory with Jake Mays scoring 12 points, 10 for Robby Sherk, 9 points by Scott Casebere and Will Garner, Will Merritt 6 pts, John Richardson 5 pts, and Chris Hardy 3 pts. Senior captain John Richardson commented “Our hard work and defense have really carried our team this year and our success is a result of it.”

For the first time in school history the Jacks swept the Eagles in basketball and were rewarded with sole possession of the division lead “The feeling of beating Bellbrook in a packed house is indescribable and a memory not many can live.” said Senior Captain Will Merritt. With this win the Jacks record stands at 16-1, one of the best in the history of Oakwood.

Photo by Leon Chuck

Scott Casebere gets a lift out of the Pit after the game.

The Lumberjacks have two remaining must-win league games - against Franklin this Friday at home with a 7:30 p.m. start time; and an away game vs. Milton Union Feb. 20. The next home game is Tuesday night at 7:30 against Northeastern. Warm up with Lumberjack fever!!! Catch it!!!

Photos by Leon Chuck

Cheerleaders clap in delight at another score made.

Jacks backers cheer the team on.

The coaches watched the game closely through all four quarters.

The “Blue Men” group paid the Pit a visit.

OHS students getting head start on college

By Dawn Beigel

Twenty-three students at Oakwood High School have a head start on their college education thanks to career tech planning programs offered at neighboring high schools.

Five of the students were showcased at last night’s Oakwood Board of Education meeting where they discussed their personal experiences with the programs, what their courses are like, what their college plans are, why they chose their specific fields and what their alternative choices would have been if necessary. OHS guidance counselor Kelly Owens, who introduced them at the meeting, said these students “are no different than the general population at Oakwood High” and that “being enrolled in a career planning program is not an easy thing for them to do with their scheduling.”

Emma Hicks, a senior, is in the early childhood education program at Centerville High School. She said she has always known she wanted to be a teacher, and noted a benefit to the program is how it looks on a college application.

Marie Thiele, a junior, is in the marketing program at CHS. She explained why she is interested in the field of marketing, and admits to now loving her program experience despite being overwhelmed initially at the size of CHS.

Ben Slagel, a 2005 OHS graduate, is now a sophomore at Sinclair Community College and thoroughly enjoying the automotive program he chose at Fairmont High School. He described his experience as alternating between “two different atmospheres.”

The other students at the meeting included Nathan Bitter, junior, automotive program at FHS; and Josh Curley, senior, engineering program at FHS.

All are going on tech prep scholarships, and they all agree the program opportunity is “a real good, hands-on introduction” to college and their future careers. There are 15 to 18 different career programs offered in the three-school consortium, and the opportunity is growing in popularity every academic year, according to Owens.

School Superintendent Dr. Mary Jo Scalzo presented the five students with “Shining Star” pins.

Among legislation at the meeting, the school board:

*Approved a resolution to proceed with placing a 1.8-mill permanent improvement replacement levy on the May 8, 2007 ballot (see story below for details).

*Approved the job description of secondary academic intervention coordinator as presented for review at last month’s meeting.

*Approved establishing an expendable trust fund to support an essay scholarship, and accepted a $5,000 donation from M. Thomas Murray for such fund.

*Approved increasing the junior high school petty cash fund from $300 to $500.

*Accepted from Tom Cecil the donation of a scaled replica bust of George Washington done by Jean-Antoine Houdin; and accepted from investment representative Bob Collins a $150 donation to the high school in support of the Stock Market Game.

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