Sheridan girls basketball, death of an icon head top sports stories

Another New Year's approaches, which means it's time to take a look back on the great local sports accomplishments of 2022.

Per usual, high school sports lead the charge.

Here is a look at our top stories of the year, as chosen by the Times Recorder sports staff.

1. Sheridan girls basketball wins Final Four thriller

The Generals made another deep tournament run in Division II, which has hardly been a stunning development during J.D. Walters' run as head coach.

Seniors Faith Stinson and Bailey Beckstedt earned full scholarships after ending their four-year varsity careers in the state finals at UD Arena.

Their quest for a state title ended with a loss to Kettering Alter, but the win that got them there was one for the annals.

Sheridan and Norton were tied in the second overtime of their Division II state semifinal game on March 11 when Panthers star Bailey Shutsa, a thorn in the Generals' side throughout, banked in a runner from just past half court.

Bedlam broke out in a wild celebration in front of the Norton bench. Walters, like many in the arena, thought the game was over.

Until it wasn't.

Replay review from Spectrum 1, which televised the game, showed the shot came after the final horn sounded, overturning the shot. It sent off a fierce rebuttal from the Panther faithful.

Norton coach Brian Miller also felt it beat the horn.

"But that's life," Miller said. "You have to be able to bounce back. And give Sheridan credit — they made plays when they had to. We were up five late in the (second) overtime and Jamisyn stuck a pair of 3s on us. That's a credit to her to hit the big shots like that in a tough spot."

It also was the beginning of Norton's demise.

Sheridan, which let a nine-point lead disappear in the fourth quarter and a three-point advantage evaporate in overtime, dominated the third overtime.

The Generals held Norton scoreless in the second overtime while Akron-bound senior Faith Stinson scored seven points — including a 3 — in a 67-60 win that left everyone needing oxygen.

Jamisyn Stinson finished with five 3-pointers and a game-high 21 points. It hardly surprised her coach.

"We have a drill (in practice) we call 'the license drill,'" Walters said afterward. "They have to shoot 50 3s and they're all different kinds of shots. You have to hit 26 out of 50 five times to get your license. To give you an idea of the kind of shooter she is, she hit 35 out of 50 yesterday. We've got to gave confidence when a girl is shooting 35 out of 50."

Sheridan finished 25-4 with its first state runner-up in program history. Faith Stinson was first-team All-Ohio and Jamisyn Stinson a third-team selection.

2. Football coaching legend Paul Culver Jr. dies at 72

Culver's arduous five-year battle with cancer ended at his home on Feb. 9, just weeks after celebrating a final Christmas with his family.

The legendary Sheridan football coach, a Harrison County native and former quarterback at West Liberty State, won more than 300 games in a career spanning four decades. He is a member of the Ohio High School Football Coaches Hall of Fame and is the all-time MVL wins leader.

He was the architect of what the General program remains today — a consistent winner and perennial playoff contender, now led by his son, Paul III. It took four years before he produced a winning record, and it was the patience from the school administration, particularly then-Superintendent Dick Fisher, for whom he often credited for allowing him time to build the foundation.

Eventually it took off in the form of three straight playoff appearances, culminated by a state finals trip in 1987. He never returned to the finals, but his 1996 squad was a final four squad. His teams were known for running the option and star tailbacks such as Monte Shriner, Mike Bailey and Brian Crader, all of whom earned All-Ohio.

Culver III is one of four sons to play for their father, who arrived in 1981. He has continued to mold the program in the same vein as his father, particularly with its dedication to weight training, love for the option and, especially, the well-documented RMA — Right Mental Attitude.

Culver Jr's calling hours were held at the high school, where hordes of former players and counterparts alike stood in line for hours to pay their respects.

3. Tooms wins state track title, McKenzie runner-up in golf

They were senior seasons that saw John Glenn's Chris Tooms and Crooksville's Riley McKenzie leave impressive marks in fields featuring the state's best.

Tooms, just a few months removed from a frustrating finish at the Division II state cross country meet, rectified himself by earning a convincing win in the 3200 meters at the Division II state track meet on June 4. He set a school record with a time of 9:14.4, more than two seconds ahead of runner-up Joshua Taylor, of Bryan.

A few months later, McKenzie just missed doing the same in girls golf, falling one shot from forcing a playoff at the Division II state tournament. She still made history as runner-up — the highest state finish of any female golfer in Muskingum Valley League history.

For Tooms, who also qualified in the 1600, he focused his attention on the two-mile, just as Sheridan's Matt Bromley did before him. Bromley won the state 3,200 title in 2014, and Tooms matched his feat with his best race of the season.

John Glenn coach Doug Joy, whose program produced a two-time state champ in Joseph Clifford in both hurdle events four years prior, called Tooms "the cream of the crop," adding that he was also a great leader.

Tooms was happy to gain a measure of retribution.

"The stars finally aligned," Tooms told the Times Recorder while waiting to stand atop the podium. "I knew it was going to be a fast pace, and I tried to keep up with the front group. When I got to 600 meters left, I was going to go for it. I put my head down and never looked back."

McKenzie had a rebound of her own.

After shooting 79 in the opening round, McKenzie unleashed the beast on Day 2, shooting a 74 that left her tied for the lead with Gates Mills Hawken's Ella Wong with one hole to play.

Needing a two-putt to force a playoff, her par putt burned the edge as she settled for a bogey. It was the ultimate heartbreak, but it was her play leading to that hole — and her resolve — that overshadowed the ending.

After making a triple bogey on the first hole, after hitting her tee shot out of bounds, she played the rest of the course at 1-over. That included an impressive eagle on the par-5 eighth hole.

Her father and coach, Greg McKenzie, was proud of her response after the ominous start.

"Most people would have been in the tank after making a triple on the first hole," Greg McKenzie said afterward. "She told me on the second hole it was all nerves, and to me that's a sign of who she is right there. She had two other birdie putts go in and lip out, but she didn't pout or slam any clubs. She didn't act out.

"Winning was the goal, but I still believe you learn more in defeat and it reveals more of your character," he added. "Everybody can say they had some shots and 'ifs' and 'buts.' That's why you play."

4. Chad Grandstaff resigns as Zanesville football coach

Grandstaff stepped down on March 16 after 15 years as the Blue Devils' head coach, a reign of success that saw him win 105 games and lead two teams to the final four.

He led seven teams to the playoffs, including in each of his final three years. T.J. Langermeier, a London and Capital University grad, was later hired as his replacement.

"I knew someday this time would come and people told me I would know when that time would occur," Grandstaff said in a press release. "It's time."

Grandstaff said he was thankful for his former players, coaches and support staff, along with the ZHS Quarterback and Mothers clubs, and thanked the school's Board of Education for their support.

While his 2015 team, led by All-Ohioans Leondre Crosby and Alessio Amato, also played for a state final berth, the 2013 squad was his Rembrandt.

That team won 13 consecutive games and a regional championship in Division II before falling to Loveland, 38-35, in a double-overtime thriller at Columbus DeSales.

Led by All-Ohio quarterback Thomas Wibbeler and a fleet of receivers led by J.T. McFarland and Dartavious Stanford, they outscored opponents 48-11 on average.

That team was among his fond memories, one of many that made the decision difficult.

"Those that know me personally and those that spent time in that Blue Devil locker room, and ran out of that tunnel on Friday nights, understand my passion and how emotional this decision is," Grandstaff said. "We will always have that connection together."

5. MVL sends four volleyball, three softball teams to regional

It was the kind of season that puts high school sports leagues on the state map.

In May, the MVL saw Crooksville, John Glenn and Sheridan win district softball titles in Division III and Division II, respectively, while Coshocton, Meadowbrook, New Lexington and Sheridan did the same in volleyball in November.

In the Ceramics' case, they made their first regional in 10 years in a 20-6 season under coach Casey Vallee, whose team posted the most wins in school history. Their 12-0 mercy of Portsmouth in the district finals, fueled by Grace Frame's grand slam, ranks among the most impressive in program history.

John Glenn dominated league play, then blanked Morgan, 4-0, in the district finals, then toppled Sheridan, 4-2, in the regional semifinals. It was the third time the Muskies defeated the Generals that season.

The Muskies, aiming for a return to the state tournament, fell to Heath in the regional finals. It marked the final game for longtime coach Randy Larrick, who resigned after winning 577 games in 32 seasons.

Sheridan coach Troy Wolfe also stepped away after a 19-year career that featured a 195-74 record that featured three regionals and six consecutive district finals in Division II.

His final team was a gritty one, as freshman pitcher Cora Hall's arm and bat led a mostly new lineup that caught fire down the stretch. It was another freshman, Payton Powell, whose RBI double against Athens clinched a comeback win in the district finals against Athens.

Hall won 17 games and hit .460 is one of the league's top returning players.

The volleyball campaign was even more impressive.

Meadowbrook, among three MVL-Small School Division teams to win district crowns, rolled into the final four with regional sweeps before falling in four sets to Coldwater. The Colts finished unbeaten in league play.

Coshocton, behind All-Ohio setter Jalynn West and hitter Lindsay Bryant, won its first district title in 17 years after earning two pulsating five-set wins in the district.

New Lex did the Lady Skins one better, dominating its sectional and district before topping Coshocton in the regional semifinals at Heath.

It sent the Panthers, who earned a No. 5 seed in the Southeast District, to their first Elite Eight in school history, where it dropped a four-set affair to Belmont Union Local. Prior to that, a dominant win against Chillicothe Unioto earned their first district title since 1983.

Big School champion Sheridan did the same in their sectional and district, winning nine straight sets before a four-set win in the district finals against Gallipolis Gallia Academy.

The Generals then won their opening set in dominant fashion against Union Local, only to fade in a four-set loss that ended their season.

Two others won sectionals as River View, behind versatile All-Ohioan Kayla Dulgar, reached the district finals before falling in five sets to Union Local.

John Glenn dropped a district semifinals match to East Liverpool, which Coshocton came back to stun in the finals.

Some felt it was the best season in league history. A River View win would have guaranteed an MVL team a state berth from Heath and two teams in the final four.

Coshocton coach Cari Bahmer said the success was a reflection of the grueling regular season.

"It says a lot about our league and the coaches in our league," Bahmer said. "It goes back to how tough it was every week."

sblackbu@gannett.com; Twitter: @SamBlackburnTR

This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: Sheridan Generals girls basketball head 2022 top sports stories