RIO GRANDE — The last time that the University of Rio Grande took to the football gridiron, Harry Truman was the President of the United States — and the winners of Major League Baseball’s Most Valuable Player awards were Jackie Robinson and Ted Williams.

The times they are a changin’, though.

Plans to revive the school’s long-dormant football program, as well as the creation of a marching band program to go along with it, were announced by school officials during a Tuesday morning press conference.

“Football is a cherished tradition in Ohio, and we believe the time is now to revive it here at Rio,” said University of Rio Grande president Ryan Smith. “This initiative strengthens our bond with the southern Ohio community.”

Smith pointed to the school’s plan to add archery, women’s wrestling and dance in the Fall of 2024, as well as the addition of programs such as rugby, men’s wrestling, eSports, men’s volleyball and bass fishing in recent years, toward its efforts of strengthening the bond between the University and the surrounding communities of southeastern Ohio.

“It’s all about more opportunities for the students in our region, both educationally and athletically, as well as for people who just want to come and be involved in a vibrant campus environment,” he said.

The former Rio Grande College fielded football from 1914 to 1949, with its last game played on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 24, 1949 — a 44-0 loss to Wilberforce on a snow-covered field in Detroit, Mich.

On March 21, 1950, the school’s Board of Directors dropped football for financial reasons.

Interestingly enough, the football equipment was then sold — and that money was used to purchase basketball uniforms, including the number 32 worn by Rio Grande legend Bevo Francis.

Smith said the addition of the two programs is expected to bring an influx of 150 to 200 students to campus.

The school will post the positions for football head coach and band director immediately, with plans to fill both jobs by this summer.

The head coach will then hire a pair of assistant coaches — in order to start the recruiting process towards fielding a team in the Fall of 2025.

The current plan is to play home games for at least two seasons at nearby Jackson High School’s Alumni Stadium.

Rio Grande is currently a member of the NAIA’s (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) River States Conference, which does not sponsor football.

The school is, however, in the process of applying to become an affiliate member of the Appalachian Athletic Conference for football only.

The AAC’s football membership is comprised schools in Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina and Georgia, including nearby Kentucky Christian University in Grayson, Ky. and Bluefield (Va.) University.

Smith also announced that the school is also making a major investment in the construction of a new fitness center, which will benefit all of the RedStorm’s athletic programs.

“The fitness center that we currently have was built 32 years ago, but the addition of these two programs is going to put us at right around 700 student-athletes,” Smith said. “We’re building locker rooms to go along with it as well. That’s Phase I of the project. Phase II, depending how fast we can get there, is a turf field and a stadium where we currently play rugby.”

Rio Grande athletic director Jeff Lanham echoed the sentiments of Smith regarding the announcement.

“This move signifies our commitment to growth and development, enhancing campus life and fostering deeper community engagement,” Lanham said. “With football comes the opportunity to unite our stakeholders and amplify school spirit, while the addition of a marching band further enriches the experience.”

COLUMBUS — Member schools of the Ohio High School Athletic Association will vote on six proposed changes to the OHSAA bylaws during the annual referendum voting period May 1 thru May 15.

Results will be announced on Thursday, May 16.

A simple majority of the votes cast by the OHSAA membership is the only way to amend the bylaws and constitution.

Member schools are required to submit a ballot.

The full text of the referendum details and more information about the process are posted at: https://www.ohsaa.org/School-Resources/referendum-voting

2024 OHSAA Referendum Issues

Issue 1B- Create New Exception to Bylaw 2-1-1, Alternative Divisional Assignment

This proposed exception would allow schools to move up to Division I on a sport-by-sport basis if they desired to do so for that season. The request would have to be received by the OHSAA Executive Director’s Office by the established deadline (to be published on the OHSAA website). If requested for an individual sport, all athletes on that school’s team would have to compete in Division I. This was initially announced on Feb. 21: https://www.ohsaa.org/news-media/articles/opting-up-to-division-i-among-referendum-items-approved-for-spring-vote

Issue 2B- Modify Bylaw 4-6-2, Residency

This proposed modification would allow that once a student is subject to custody orders involving child protective services, social services or a similar state agency, school administrators would be absolved from enforcement of the residence bylaw (e.g. ensuring the student has a parent living in Ohio) for that student.

Issue 3B- Modify Definition of “School Day” Within Bylaw 4¬-4-3

This proposed modification would address the transition of athletic eligibility between grading periods and amend the OHSAA’s definition of a school day to not include calamity days, where school is cancelled due to weather or similar circumstances.

Issue 4B- Modification to Bylaw 4-7-3, Midseason Transfer Exceptions

This proposed modification came about from feedback from student eligibility appeals. There are currently two exceptions which will allow a student to play the same sport for two different schools during the same season, but both exceptions require the schools to be at least 50 miles apart. The proposed change would address the second exception when a student transfers to a different school midseason due to the death or incarceration of the student’s parent(s) or the intervention of Children’s Services or a similar government agency. If such a situation transpires, the proposed exception would allow the executive Director’s Office to restore full transfer eligibility at the new school even if it is less than 50 miles from the former school. The proposed new language to the midseason transfer regulations would not include “standard” custody transfers (Exception 2).

Issue 5B- Modify Bylaw 4-7-3, Sub-varsity Midseason Transfers

This proposed modification would allow for midseason transfers to be fully eligible at a new school in the same season but only at the sub-varsity level (and no OHSAA tournaments) and only if the student met the requirements of an exception to restore full transfer eligibility. The proposed change would not permit a student who has played for the varsity team (or if there has not been a distinction between varsity and sub-varsity competition) at the school from which they are leaving to gain sub-varsity eligibility at the school to which they are transferring.

Issue 6B- Modify Bylaws 9-2-1 and 9-2-2, Contests with Out-of-State Schools

This proposed modification would allow schools to: 1.) travel to bordering states or provinces an unlimited number of times strictly to practice, and no approval would be needed by the OHSAA Executive Director’s Office, and 2.) travel to a non-bordering state for practice purposes only one time per sports season. The current bylaws only permit teams to practice while out-of-state if they will also be participating in a contest(s) during that trip. New language would clarify that schools are permitted to miss school time at their discretion when they exercise their one-time travel to a non-bordering state or province.

SPORTS SCOREBOARD — April 23-April 25

Tuesday, April 23

Softball

SOC III

Wheelersburg 19, Waverly 0

SOC I

Clay 9, East 5

OVC

Ironton 14, Gallia Academy 0

Others

Notre Dame 12, Portsmouth 2

South Webster 22, Green 1

West 5, Fairland 4

Western 11, New Boston 2

Rock Hill 1, Valley 0

Baseball

SOC I

Green 10, New Boston 0

SOC II

Symmes Valley 12, South Gallia 6

Others

Gallia Academy 6, Oak Hill 4

Ironton St. Joseph 4, South Point 1

Wednesday, April 24

Softball

SOC III

Valley 14, Minford 1

South Webster 9, West 1

Wheelersburg 10, Waverly 0

SOC II

Northwest at Oak Hill, no report

Symmes Valley 15, South Gallia 0

Eastern 9, Western 5

SOC I

Notre Dame 23, Green 0

Clay 13, East 3

OVC

Ironton 5, Portsmouth 0

Coal Grove 10, South Point 5

Fairland 8, Chesapeake 3

Gallia Academy 2, Rock Hill 1

Baseball

SOC III

Minford 15, Valley 8

South Webster 5, West 2

Wheelersburg 10, Waverly 2

SOC II

Eastern 9, Western 3, 9 innings

SOC I

Notre Dame 6, Green 5

Clay 14, East 12

Ironton St. Joseph 12, New Boston 1

OVC

Portsmouth 6, Ironton 5

South Point 12, Coal Grove 7

Fairland 12, Chesapeake 2

Gallia Academy 3, Rock Hill 1

Others

Whiteoak 3, Symmes Valley 0 (at Chillicothe VA Memorial Stadium)

CHILLICOTHE — The Portsmouth Trojans and Valley Indians opened the Prep Baseball Report Classic early on Saturday, but finished with an extra inning.

That’s because the Trojans first forced that extra inning by scoring the tying run in the bottom of the seventh, then captured the 3-2 non-league triumph in walkoff fashion —scoring the winning run in the bottom of the eighth at Chillicothe’s VA Memorial Stadium.

Both teams scored a run in the fourth followed by one apiece in the seventh, as Portsmouth plated the winning walkoff run to raise its record to 10-4.

The Indians made one error compared to none for the Trojans, and Portsmouth outhit Valley 10-8.

The contest was a rematch, right back at VA Memorial Stadium, of last season’s Southeast District Division III championship tilt.

Valley won that one, but the Trojans exacted some measure of revenge on Saturday.

PHS senior Deandre Berry pitched a complete-game gem, as both Indians runs were earned —as he struck out 11 and did not walk nor hit a batter of the 29 he faced.

Berry threw 112 pitches, as Nolan Barnett’s basehits for the Indians went for a double and a triple.

The remaining six Valley hits were all singles —two by Carson Powell and one apiece by Jaekyn Ridout, Gabe McNeil, Jace Copley and Hunter Cunningham.

Barnett and Powell plated RBIs.

Barnett started for the Indians and McNeil relieved him on Saturday, as McNeil was the losing pitcher —working the final four innings and allowing the two earned runs in the seventh and eighth on six hits.

Barnett went the opening three and one-third, allowing the fourth-inning run on four hits and one walk with two strikeouts —as McNeil struck out three.

Of the 10 Trojan hits, Colin Perry with three and J.T. Williams with two combined for half —as Nathaniel Berry tripled and Camron Williams doubled, with Malachi Loper, Jacob Roth and Preston Krebbs all singling.

Perry with a pair and Loper with one had the RBIs, J.T. Williams with two and Berry with one had the three Trojan runs, and J.T. Williams drew the team’s only walk.

Portsmouth stranded five runners, while Deandre Berry left three Indians aboard.

© 2024 Portsmouth Daily Times, all rights reserved

Green sophomore pitcher Jon Knapp

Paul Boggs | Daily Times

FRANKLIN FURNACE — Per David Shoupe, it’s a simple Green plan for cleaning up through the Southern Ohio Conference Division I baseball chase.

“Jon (Knapp) almost going the distance, Landon (Kimbler) coming in and throwing strikes…all you have to do is your pitchers throw strikes and play defense and put the ball in play,” said Shoupe, the fourth-year Bobcat coach. “It’s been our gameplan all year, and so far it’s been successful.”

In other words, it’s been —on many afternoons in Franklin Furnace like it was on Monday — “Knapp time”, with the Bobcat bats waking up in time to put runs on the scoreboard.

Against Ironton St. Joseph, in a key SOC I first-place contest at Dan McDavid Memorial Field, the six-foot and four-inch sophomore standout Jon Knapp nearly went the distance in striking out 11 Flyers — as Green garnered three third-inning runs, and tacked on single points in its final three at-bats during its important 6-2 triumph.

Knapp, at the time of his 124th and final pitch, had allowed just two Flyers basehits — but he hit Wesley Neal with a pitch to lead off the seventh, as his walks reached four and five as he loaded the bases with two outs.

At the time, the Bobcats boasted a seemingly-commanding 6-0 lead, but Landon Kimbler came on in relief of Knapp —and Evan Balestra promptly singled off him, scoring Neal and Landon Rowe for a 6-2 Flyers’ deficit.

With runners on second and third, the tying run reached the on-deck circle, but Kimbler struck out Carson Lyons to end the game.

Individually, and ideally, Shoup wanted Knapp to finish what he started —a dominating mound performance that raised the Bobcats’ record to 8-3, and to a perfect 5-0 and atop the SOC I.

Green is indeed halfway home to a division championship, as St. Joseph (7-3, 5-2 SOC I) and Notre Dame (5-2 SOC I) split their season series —and each trail the Bobcats by two games in the loss column.

The Bobcats defeated host Notre Dame 7-2 on April 8, and will host the Titans on Wednesday (April 24).

Knapp did his part to keep Green clean, and two games clear, in the SOC I.

He tossed a two-hit, 11-strikeout gem in six and two-thirds innings —as Balestra singled with one out in the fourth, followed by an infield hit by Jake Stephens in the fifth.

Until three consecutive Flyers batters reached base in the fifth, including his first two walks to load the bases, Knapp retired 10 in a row — and 14 out of 15 from innings one thru five.

Speaking of five, that many strikeouts came consecutive in innings one and two.

The only Flyers baserunners before the fifth were Rowe reaching on a Knapp throwing error and advancing to third on his only wild pitch to lead off the game, and Balestra’s single and steal of second base in the fourth.

With the bases loaded in the fifth, Knapp escaped the jam by inducing Mason Weber to ground into a 6-4 fielder’s choice.

Before loading the bases again in the seventh, he walked pitching counterpart Drew Brown with two outs in the sixth.

Shoupe so desperately wanted Knapp to finish, but quite simply, his pitch count and gas tank level wouldn’t allow for it.

“He was getting really close to his pitch limit, and we could have let him throw to another guy. We really wanted him to finish, but his pitch count was right there at the limit, and we still have a lot of season left. But he did really well today. He was on his game. Had 11 strikeouts. He was probably getting a little fatigued there late, but very proud of his performance today. He kept his composure really well,” said the coach. We were a little nervous early it looked like, but Jonathan helped us maintain time to get us in to start swinging the bats.”

Green senior Braxton Conschafsky

Paul Boggs | Daily Times

That Bobcat bat-swinging started in inning three.

Knapp in the first and Ace Thompson in the second drew two-out walks against St. Joseph starter and left-hander Carson Willis, but Mason Neal reached on the Flyers’ first of two errors in the game —and went to second on a passed ball.

From there, four straight singles by Kimbler, Knapp, Blake Smith and Quincy Merrill produced three runs —an unearned run by Neal and earned runs by Kimbler and Knapp.

Knapp, Smith and Merrill had runs batted in.

Green junior Blake Smith (15)

Paul Boggs | Daily Times

In the fourth, Braxton Conschafsky drew a leadoff walk, advanced to second on a groundout, and made it home on two Stephens wild pitches.

Similarly in the fifth, Merrill singled to center to lead off, stole second, went to third on a Brown wild pitch, and scored on another wild pitch.

“Being aggressive (running bases). I was always trying to maintain at least a four-run lead,” said Shoupe.

Finally in the sixth, Brannigan singled for the second time, stole second, and scored on Kimbler’s second single combined with a Flyer fielding error.

Green junior Landon Kimbler (11)

Paul Boggs | Daily Times

That made it 6-0, and Shoupe said he ultimately felt better with his Bobcats playing add-on.

“I was really pleased with our guys at the plate today. We tried to limit our strikeouts, put the ball in play and make them field the ball. We had the guys staggered throughout our lineup that we can do damage all the way through nine guys. We had some timely hits,” he said. “Anybody who knows baseball, hitting is contagious. We start getting guys to put balls in play. I would like to look back and see how many hits today we had with two strikes. I thought put the ball in play really well.”

Throwing strikes, playing defense, and putting the ball in play.

It’s the simple Green gameplan so far —like it was on Monday against the Flyers.

* * *

St. Joseph 000 000 2 — 2 3 2

Green 003 111 X — 6 8 2

SJHS: Carson Willis 2 1/3 IP, 3R, 2ER, 2H, 0HB, 2BB, 0IBB, 0WP, 1K, 12BF; Jake Stephens 1 2/3IP, 1R, 1ER, 3H, 0HB, 1BB, 1IBB, 3WP, 1K, 10BF; Drew Brown 2IP, 2R, 2ER, 3H, 0HB, 0BB, 0IBB, 3WP, 4K, 9BF

GHS: Jon Knapp 6 2/3IP, 2R, 2ER, 2H, 1HB, 5BB, 0IBB, 1WP, 11K, 29BF; Landon Kimbler 1/3IP, 0R, 0ER, 1H, 0HB, 0BB, 0IBB, 0WP, 1K, 2BF

W —Jon Knapp; L —Carson Willis

Reach Paul Boggs at (740) 353-3101 ext. 1926, by email at [email protected], or on X @paulboggssports © 2024 Portsmouth Daily Times, all rights reserved

COLUMBUS — With NAIA National ‘A’ Standard performances at two different track and field events in the shot put already in his back pocket during the outdoor season, Shawnee State freshman thrower Justin Moore has long proven himself as one of the best throwers in the nation.

Saturday afternoon’s performance at the second and final day of the Jesse Owens Classic by the alum of nearby Valley High School simply made that statement a more pronounced one.

Moore, who posted three throws at an NAIA National ‘A’ Standard mark on Saturday, posted his best mark of 53 feet and nine inches to reach the final flight — setting the 11th-best mark in the NAIA with his performance in the Columbus-based event.

The talented freshman, who already ranked 16th nationally following his performance at the Cherry Blossom Invitational in Athens that featured a throw of 52 feet and 10-and-three-quarters inches, exceeded that mark quickly with a 53 feet and one inch posting on his second attempt to reach the final round.

Moore — the only freshman and the only non-Division I participant to reach the finals — then stepped it up further, notching a 53-foot and nine-inch throw on his next-to-last jaunt.

Moore finished off the day with a 53-foot and seven-inch toss — as all three of his throws went well beyond the NAIA National ‘A’ Standard cutoff.

By finishing ninth in the 27-thrower field, Moore bettered seven NCAA Division I throwers from four programs — including Connecticut, Miami (Ohio), Ohio State and Youngstown State.

Moore’s competition was stout in every sense of the word.

The winner of the event, Ohio State senior Hayden Tobias, is a two-time first-team USTFCCCA Outdoor All-American who finished sixth in the 2023 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field National Championships — while third-place finisher Carlos Aviles, another Ohio State senior, was a Second Team USTFCCCA Outdoor All-American in the discus who finished 14th in that event at the 2023 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field National Championships.

Along with Moore, Alan Austin, who competed in the discus, placed 20th with a 140-foot and six-inch throw.

Austin, who is also a freshman and a graduate of Piketon High School, placed second among all freshman — and bettered four NCAA Division I competitors from three different programs, including Connecticut, Miami (Ohio) and Ohio State.

The SSU men’s track and field team will be back in action next Thursday and Friday at the River States Conference Championships, which will be held in Pittsburgh, Pa. — with Austin and Moore competing as well.

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