Salem’s Tice completes unbeaten CC season

DUBLIN — Salem eighth-grader Taven Tice completed an unbeaten cross country season.

Tice won the Division 2 boys race at the 19th annual Ohio Cross Country Middle School and Elementary State Championships on Sunday.

He topped the 139-runner field with a winning time of 11 minutes, 2.34 seconds at Dublin Jerome High School.

The Eastern Buckeye Conference featured three of the top five finishers –Richfield Revere eighth-grader John Long was second (11:23.10), Carrollton seventh-grader Henry Roudebush was third (11:27.13), Bellfontaine eighth-grader Jackson Maus was fourth (11:28.71) and Marlington eighth-grader Mason Lovejoy was fifth (11:29.91).

The meet is sponsored by Ohiocrosscountry.org.

Tice won every race he ran this season, highlighted by victories at the Salem Early Bird Invitational, Walsh Jesuit Pat Ritchie XC Invitational, Legends Meet, Columbiana County Meet and the Eastern Buckeye Conference Meet.

A move that makes sense

HANOVERTON — Since both the United boys and girls soccer teams are playing Cornerstone Christian in district semifinal action at Euclid High School, it has been rescheduled for a doubleheader today instead of making two trips.

The girls match will start at 5 p.m., followed by the boys match at 7 p.m. Stands will be cleared between matches and separate tickets must be purchased.

Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for students and under 5 are free. They are available at the gate and online.

Raider stands out for Grove City

GROVE CITY, Pa. — Grove City College senior midfielder Camden Thomas has been named the Presidents’ Athletic Conference Men’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week.

The former South Range High School standout struck for three goals in a pair of Grove City wins that lifted the Wolverines to first place in the PAC

He scored twice last Wednesday, including the opening goal of the match in the fourth minute, as Grove City downed Franciscan, 4-2, in a matchup of conference unbeatens, 4-2. On Saturday, Thomas scored on a penalty kick for an insurance goal in the 75th minute of Grove City’s 2-0 win at Chatham.

Thomas has started all 14 matches this season, collecting four goals and one assist.

He has led the Wolverines to a 10-2-2 record heading into today’s home match against Saint Francis.

Potter steals the show for Rockets

TOLEDO — Toledo sophomore safety Eric Williams from East Liverpool made a special play Saturday.

Williams blocked a punt by Kent State’s Charlie Durkin and returned it 19 yards for his first collegiate touchdown during the Rockets’ 45-10 win at the Glass Bowl.

He took the ball off Durkins’ foot and his score gave the Rockets a 38-10 lead with 4:25 to play in the third quarter.

The 5-foot-11, 193-pound Williams plays on the scout team and is listed as a fifth-team safety on the depth chart.

“He plays and travels and goes to games because he’s going to play a couple roles in the kicking game,” Toledo head coach Jason Candle said. “He’s a guy who shuts up and doesn’t say a word. Never makes it about him. He just goes to work and does what he’s supposed to do. That’s one of the main reasons I love coaching. It’s the guys who do what they’re supposed to over and over and over, and somehow, always, the football gods repay those guys. A really special moment for the guys in our locker room.”

It was Toledo’s first blocked punt returned for a touchdown since Reggie Gilliam did it against Nevada in 2018.

Toledo (4-3, 2-2 MAC) will play at Washington State at 3:30 p.m. Saturday.