Maxwell’s Silver Ham

unique ability to watch Storm road games taking place as far away as Las Vegas, Alaska, Florida, Georgia and California in the geographically expan sive ECHL.

“The best aspect of the B2 coverage is that you can watch games on the road, and all the road games will be covered every place we go this year,” he said.

Miller said 1,500 season tickets seats have been sold for the 15th anniversary year.

Assuming the Storm draws a number of sellouts to the 5,200-seat arena, B2 video coverage could weigh in heavily as an alternative viewing source for home games.

In addition to the implementation of B2 Internet

coverage, Miller said the organization is offering other new amenities and promotions as a way to thank the area for making the team a lasting fixture in the city.

“We’re going to do live entertainment in and during games with local bands and DJs going on in the exhibition hall [adjacent to the rink],” Miller said.

He said there will be another Storm alumni exhibition game in March 2006.

President Barry Soskin lowered parking per game from $5 to $4 with the parking stub good for a dollar off concessions or team merchandise.

The team will also offer $6 standing-room-only tickets when the arena is sold out.

WEEK THIRTEEN: What started in the torrid heat of summer is now almost done. Just one game remains in the 10-game regular sea son. Most teams know who they are now, and know if they’re headed for the play-offs and a shot at the state championship. All that’s left for the Anthony Wayne Generals is a final home game match-up with neighboring Maumee. They’ve found their groove in the last three games, overwhelming their last two opponents, including a 42-21 win over Bowling Green Oct. 21. Toledo Free Press has commissioned photog rapher Art Weber to chronicle the 2005 varsity football season of the Anthony Wayne Generals. Each week, one photo will capture the evolving season. Art Weber may be contacted at aweber331@adelphia.net.

By David Gatwood

Special to Toledo Free Press prepsports@buckeye-express.com

There is little chance the Sylvania Southview volleyball team will advance beyond the first round of the state playoffs, but that does not mean that they have not enjoyed a successful season.

For the past several years, the volleyball team at Southview has been at the bottom of the NLL looking up. Teams from Perrys burg, Northview, Bowling Green, Anthony Wayne, Springfield and Maumee have enjoyed a run at success in the league, while the Cougars have continued to battle with Rossford to avoid the cellar. Such continued disappointment served to make it difficult for any one to build a successful program. Then, along came Jess McClure.

McClure is not your stereo typical volleyball coach. She is not a teacher. She is not a volleyball coach for one of the local travel volleyball clubs and she has not been a longserving assistant for one of North west Ohio’s coaching legends.

During most of her day, McClure is a police officer for the Bowling Green Police Department.

As the volleyball coach for the Southview Cougars for the past two years, McClure has demonstrated a profound ability to inspire confi dence and competitive discipline in her young athletes. She has been able to cultivate an improved performance in every area of the Cougars’ game. No longer are the Cougars losing games by 25-5 scores and straight three-game matches. They are involved in tight games, placing themselves in posi tion to win.

How has this transformation occurred in so short a time? Es sentially, McClure and her staff have made it fun to play volleyball for Southview. The players enjoy practicing and are proud of their association with the program. She has encouraged parental in volvement and taken measures to promote the team with Southview students. Attendance at volleyball matches has increased substan tially; the atmosphere is electric.

Athletic Director Glen Gillespie, said, “We were lucky to find her. Our program needed direction and McClure has provided it. The improvement has been unbelievable.”

By J. Patrick Eaken Special to Toledo Free Press

Monclova Christian Academy, under the leadership of Pastor Russ Merrin of Monclova Road Baptist Church, participates in boys basketball, girls basketball, volleyball and softball. Pastor Merrin’s goal is to offer a comprehensive listing of athletic programs to MCA students — including football.

“Athletics and extracurricular activities are a part of a complete learning experience for every student,” Merrin said.

MCA has set aside land for a football field. For now, enrollment averages at 30 students in the top four grades, continuing through this year’s eighth grade. Merrin said below the eighth grade, classes average 15-18 students; the school has sus

tained growth in each year of its operation.

Plans were to start varsity soccer this fall, but other plans involving Thunder athletes in a club football program got in the way. Veter an football coach Bill Hrabak, with Merrin’s consent, began organizing a club team consisting of home-schooled athletes and poten tial football players from smaller schools that were not competing on the gridiron.

Sporting about 35 athletes, including five from MCA and several from Horizon Sci ence Academy Downtown, as well as a com plete schedule against local junior varsity teams and first year varsity programs from Michigan, Hrabak’s team was ready to play on Friday nights with home games planned at the Lucas County Recreation Center.

Hrabak’s plan failed for financial reasons.

In the Spring, MCA plans to add baseball to its sports agenda. First, Merrin said he wants to make sure the programs can be competitive when it comes to roster numbers.

“We’ve held back. Our [softball] field has been ready to play. This year, we’re hoping we can come through [with baseball],” he said. “If we could add six to eight boys we could play fall, winter and spring sports.”

He referenced the athletic successes at Toledo Christian and Emmanuel Baptist, schools that have been in existence for de cades, but said only in the last decade did Toledo Christian start playing football. This is Monclova Christian Academy’s seventh year of existence and its fourth year as a member of the Ohio High School Athletic Associations.

“We’re in the infant stages,” he said. “Give us 25 years of improving and expanding facilities; we’ll be there.”

The boys basketball program has started playing against OHSAA competition. In 2002-03, the boy’s basketball team com pleted a 13-9 season and won a Buckeye Christian League championship with 19 boys in the high school, 12 of them playing varsity basketball.

In 2003-04, the Thunder boys schedule became top heavy with OHSAA schools — 13 of 20 games. The Thunder responded by winning six of them, including victories over Swanton, Bettsville, Northwood, Seneca East and, from the Cleveland area, Horizon Science and Cornerstone Christian.

Despite a 7-14 record last year, Merrin, who had previously coached at Zane Trace Ross and Canal Winchester, said it was the best team at the academy in five years.

Last year, seniors Matt Velazquez and Derrick Merrin, the pastor’s son, were chosen honorable mention District 7 by Northwest Ohio coaches. The 6-foot-4 Merrin ended his four-year career with 1,342 points and the 6-foot-2 Velazquez in three seasons scored 1,112 points. It was the second straight season the two players received all-district recognition, except as a junior Velazquez was chosen second team.

This year, both are attending Owens Community College. The younger Merrin is on the ballot in Waterville for vil lage council and plans a future in politics. Velazquez plans to play basketball this winter for the Owens Express.

There was a time in her childhood that Jordan Fesh had nothing good to say about the game of golf. Nevertheless, Fesh picked up her first club at age 8 for one reason: her grandfather.

“I would go over to his house when he was watching golf and I thought it was the most boring thing ever,” she said. “But then he started playing it with me, and I started to see that I could do it.”

She joined four teammates in the state tournament on Oct. 21, after medalling in the districts with an even-par 72. The 16-yearold junior from St. Ursula Academy earned Toledo Junior Golf Association’s (TJGA) 2005 Player of the Year and Karen Stone Sportswoman of the Year, named after the co-director and longtime TJGA official.

The top four individual results by the team of Julia Hanson, Nicole Momsen, Ashley Garrison, Lisa Kitzler and Fesh scored a combined record-low total of 333, 16 strokes ahead of Lima Central Catholic, to win districts. Three players scored in the top 10 for the event and made the All-Tournament team. The schedule reduces about 300 teams to 12 finalists for the state title.

Fesh said she realized drastic improvement in her game about two weeks ago through lessons with Jim McGurk, who’s ranked second in Golf Digest’s 2005 list of the best teachers in Ohio. He instructed her to clear her mind completely — to think about nothing. The next day, she shot 2-under in a 9-hole tournament at Fostoria Country Club.

“He basically told me to focus on the target and that’s it. Look at the target and just hit it there. Don’t think about anything during the swing,” she said. “I honestly think that made a huge change for me.”

The change became evident to her peers, who voted her Sportswoman of the Year. Fesh earned Player of the Year based on a point sys tem, clinching the award on the last day of play.

Her credentials have appealed to collegiate golf programs, according to Jim McGowan, St. Ursula’s head golf coach. A varsity team member since her freshman year, Fesh helped the Arrows advance to state in three of their last eight trips in nine years. McGowan described her as “pure and simply the best [female junior] golfer in Northwest Ohio.”

McGowan also cited her skills as a basketball player prior to devoting her high school athletics time to golf. A 3-handicapper himself, he said he recognizes the hard work and dedication needed to reach and maintain such a high level of play. Season’s end won’t prevent her from staying active in the sport.

“This winter, she’ll continue nonstop. She’ll travel on weekends to play in big junior golf tournaments all over the United States,” Mc Gowan said. “She can play; she can really play.” — Scott McKimmy

����� ���� ������������������ �������������������������������������������� ������������������������������������������������ �������������������������� Newest Restaurant in Downtown Sylvania