sports – SmeeSports

From Precision to Power: Mount Union Men’s Volleyball’s Young Core Powers Past Hiram 3-1

_{The Purple Raiders’ Offense found rhythm despite Michael Bowler being inactive.}

Alliance, OH- Whenever a team graduates all but two of its starters, a down year would be expected. However, Mount Union Men’s Volleyball continues to bring the same punch from a season ago. That was evident in the Purple Raiders’ 3-1 win over Hiram, which improved their season record to 5-3.

Freshman Luke Pemberton was the star of the show for Mount Union heading into the match, as he was fresh off a 37-kill weekend. The former Jackson Polar Bear once again headlined the offense with a game-high 10 kills. Still, he admitted the difference between the high school and collegiate game, stating,

“It’s been a big adjustment going to college, but it’s been a lot easier now that my teammates are here.”

His importance was further illustrated in the 3rd set as he didn’t see the floor as the Purple Raiders dropped their only set of the night, 25-20.

Looking inward, the 2025 MCVL Offensive Player of the Year, Michael Bowler, was inactive. Thus, sophomores Carson Jeffers and Justin Dickson stepped in to fill the void at middle hitter. The pair combined for 12 kills while Jeffers added three serving aces and Dickson added two blocks.

“Those two guys are working hard at practice and doing the work,” remarked Mount Union head coach Matt Mihelic, “they’re learning and growing as players.”

In the first set, the Purple Raiders got out to a 5-1 lead with Pemberton getting 30% of his kills on the first three serves. The Terriers battled back within one on numerous occasions, but couldn’t find a decisive blow. A kill from Sam Morrison forced the hand of 1st-year Hiram head coach Kyle Martini, a former player and award-winner for the Terriers, as he used his first timeout down 18-15.

Martini had to use his other timeout, down 22-18, later in the set. In the end, the combination of Ryan Lippert serving, Justin Peters assisting, and Pemberton killing was too much to overcome as Mount Union noched a 25-19 set one victory.

With the likes of Aaron Armour, Jack McClure, and Will Heeney graduating out of the program, replacing them was never going to be easy. However, Peters’ 31 assists against Hiram put him at 254 on the season. Last season, Heeney averaged 8.83 assists/set. Currently, Peters is at 8.76 assists/set. Peters attributes this success to his connection with the hitters, as he said,

“I’m working on the connection with my hitters more and more every game and practice.”

Mount Union kept its foot on the gas to start the second set, taking 13 out of the opening 16 points to go up by 10. In the end, the Purple Raiders would win the set 25-14, the largest margin of victory UMU has had in a set against the Terriers since March 15, 2023. Just like this matchup, the 25-14 set was the second of the match three years ago.

One of the main reasons why it happened again was the ace discrepancy. Overall, Mount Union out-aced Hiram 13-2. Morrison had a tied team-high three aces. He credits the Purple Raiders’ assistant coach, Jeff McDivitt, for his serving success, saying,

“He [McDivitt] is the knowledge behind my swings back at the service line.”

After a rocky third set, Mount Union came out swinging in the fourth to take a 5-0 lead from the jump. This led to a 25-17 victory and a 3-1 win overall against the Terriers. This was UMU’s third win in-a-row this season and against Hiram.

Up next for Mount Union (5-3) are four tough matchups against North Park, #15 Aurora, Concordia University Chicago, and ‘RV’¹ Dominican University, all in Illinois. With the Purple Raiders’ falling out of the ‘Receiving Votes’ section of the AVCA Poll, these games provide a path back towards the top 20.

As for Hiram (2-3), they look to regroup against Hilbert College, a team they have already defeated in straight sets this season, on February 7th at home.

Leading the way offensively for the Terriers was Derek Chiang, who had 10 kills. Cullen Sivak and Gavin Stewart followed with eight and six, respectively. Liam Dwyer, who won PAC Newcomer of the Week, had a game-high four blocks. This tally was enough to double the Purple Raiders’ total output. Kekoa Tani facilitated the offense with 31 assists.

Both teams have entered a new era. For the Purple Raiders, it’s a youth revival that packs a punch. As for the Terrirs, it’s a program legend returning home to guide his Alma Mater. As of February 3rd, it’s advantage Mount Union.

‘RV’ is the typical shorthand for ‘Receiving Votes.’ ↩︎

SmeeSports Internship Program: Applications Now Open for Spring Semester 2026

Alliance, OH- As the halfway point of the Fall Semester is upon us, SmeeSports has decided to begin accepting applications for Spring 2026 interns!

SmeeSports LLC is a sports media and broadcasting company founded in 2023 that serves the Cleveland and Stark County areas. We have partnered with many teams and organizations, such as Spectrum Channel 1022 Alliance, Minerva Athletics, Holy Name Athletics, Tri-C Baseball, 965 Midwest Challenge, WRCL, OPL, and Diamond League, to provide broadcast coverage of select games. While we do games outside of these partnerships, they make up the backbone and majority of our coverage.

Our owner, Nathan Smee, is a sophomore at the University of Mount Union. He is majoring in Sport Business and Marketing while minoring in Media and Communications. With five years in the industry, Smee has gained a lot of valuable experience in the sports media world.

Our Fall internship team, headlined by Cooper Fontaine, Bryce Fisher, Julian Rodriguez, Jack Speth, and Sarah Magyar, has done great work so far.

Cooper has been a go-to color commentator for SmeeSports, leading to a job with Spectrum Channel 1022 Alliance. The sophomore at Alliance HS has also done good work taking photos, many of which have made their way onto our gameday graphics.

Bryce and Sarah have been the “what do you need” crew for SmeeSports. They have created an Instagram account to post their pregame and in-game photos. Additionally, Sarah has been our trusted scoreboard operator, while Bryce has done everything from calling games to running our overhead or on-field cameras.

As for Julian, he has been a trusty overhead camera operator and producer, depending on the day. Signing on with SmeeSports in April, J-Rod’s addition has allowed us to cover more events with higher quality.

Not to be outdone, Jack has held down the Northeast Ohio fort. As a senior at Pauda High School and a former Cavs junior reporter, he knows how to tell a story with good comments from his peers. He has over doubled our Padua coverage while simply enjoying his senior year.

While not an official ‘intern’, Daniel Clark–AKA DC–has called a few football games on the channel. This work helped him get hired by Channel 1022, just like Cooper.

Let’s not forget about our Summer 2025 interns either. Cameron Ragazzo has been our go-to color commentator for Cleveland games this Fall. Gabriel Cozza has been a strong presence in our weekly high school football pick-ems and will rejoin the broadcast crew during Winter break.

Finally, Emily Malberg and Daniel Ridenour have done great work at Xavier and Bowling Green, respectively. Emily, a junior, has spearheaded our Guardians and St Xavier coverage. As for Daniel, he was given a media pass to attend the MAC media day in July at Ford Field.

Photographers Aaron Sharply, Christy Kyte, and Ally Hall, along with commentator Josh Minier did good work for us during the Summer and have moved on.

The point is, our interns not only get better during this program, but also have a track record of landing jobs afterwards. While this internship is unpaid, our interns get lots of amazing hands-on experiences across the sporting world.

During this upcoming internship cycle (that’ll run from December through May), interns will have the chance to help with hockey, basketball, baseball, softball, and lacrosse broadcasts.

If broadcasting isn’t your style, you can be a photographer or a sports writer for SmeeSports! These roles are not bound by location. However, you must be in the Cleveland or Stark County area and be willing to travel to qualify for the broadcast portion of this internship.

The requirement is to cover two games per week on average. This internship is the definition of you get what you give. The growth we’ve seen from our interns who buy into the process has been incredible.

If interested, you can contact Nathan Smee via email at nsmee00@gmail.com. Alternatively, you can reach out on Instagram at @smeesports. Either way, you MUST fill out the Google form at the bottom of this article.

Here’s to another successful internship cycle!

Apply Here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeeImsMsEUFATzH6ZdEuAT2QMjoBS6Hbmi_PDye6TfKrR2XmA/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=118438138772696393497

A Night to Remember: Minerva Football Earns 1st EBC Victory Since 2019 with a 7-0 Win over Marlington

Alliance, OH- Every team undergoes a rebuilding phase. For some, this period lasts a year or two. Others see the rebuild eclipse the half-decade mark. What if a rebuild sees a team go 4-96 across 10 years, leading into a new era? How do they rebuild? Zach Slates and the new look Minerva Lions have answered this question by improving to 5-3 on the year with a 7-0 victory over the Marlington Dukes.

“Minerva had a long tradition of smashmouth football, and it has been great to see it come back again,” remarked Minerva High School Athletic Director Garth Evans, “I am very excited for this school, town, and community to see success in football again.”

Minerva began the game with the football, but would proceed to fumble deep in Duke territory. After leading Marlington down inside the Minerva 35-yard line, Tyler Walder’s fourth-down scramble came up short, giving the rock right back to the Lions.

Minerva quarterback Kannon Kirkpatrick has been working on his passing all season, and it paid off in a big way on the ensuing drive. With 2nd down and 19 in front of him, Kirkpatrick found Owen Shick over the top for a massive first down inside the Dukes’ five-yard line. A few plays later, Skylar Lab would run to the corner of the endzone to sneak it in for the game’s lone touchdown with 22 seconds remaining in the first quarter.

Both defenses proceeded to dominate the final three quarters. In total, the Lions’ defense stopped Marlington three separate times on fourth down. Still, a few players on both squads managed to put up solid numbers.

Looking at Marlington, both Blaize Horn and Caden Dine ran the ball effectively. Horn had 77 yards on 6 carries, while Dine had 45 yards on 8 attempts. In the air, Cole Jones had 46 yards on 5 receptions. Finally, Walder went 9/16 with 76 passing yards. Their big loss came in the form of Cameron Evanich, who suffered a season-ending arm injury during the Dukes’ loss at Carrollton.

As for the Lions, it was the running game that stole the show as expected. Breakout Sophomore Timmy Kirkpatrick ran the rock 24 times for 171 yards. Nate Linkous followed him up with 13 carries that resulted in 45 yards. K. Kirkpatrick went 2/2 passing with 44 yards.

Circling back to Evans, he made sure to give everyone credit when talking about this revival, as he said,

“Everyone involved has been a part of this rejuvenation in football. Students, staff, band, cheerleaders, players, and coaches because they all believe the team can win, and that’s been great to see.”

Up next for the mighty Lions–the Alliance Aviators. Despite losing 34-28 on the road at West Branch, A-Town is looking poised to host a playoff game in Region 9.

As for the Dukes, this loss sees them eliminated from playoff contention in Region 13. They are on the road in week 9 as they take on Salem.

No matter what happens for the Minerva Lions during the home stretch of their 2025 campaign, one thing is certain. This small Ohio town, divided amongst Stark, Carroll, and Columbiana counties, will not forget this special group. A group that helped change the future outlook for Friday Night Lights at Dr. Robert H Hines Stadium.

SmeeSports Player of the Game: Timmy Kirkpatrick

Watch Marlington Vs Minerva Football: https://www.youtube.com/live/DfwCmOX5JDc?si=qCubrRARVxxxBuLa

‘Back on Top’: Marlington Boys Soccer Defeats Alliance 3-0 to Win the Eastern Buckeye Conference

Alliance, OH- Asking the Marlington Dukes boys soccer team to share the EBC title, or even lose it, does not go over well. The boys in orange–with a year hiatus–are back atop the Eastern Buckeye Conference as they took down Alliance 3-0 to confirm an undefeated conference season.

The big storyline, outside of the conference crown, was the return of Parker Woods after his transfer to Alliance from Marlington.

“We certainly hated to see him go,” remarked Marlington head coach Clayton Cowgill. “He’s a tremendous soccer player, a tremendous athlete, and a good kid.”

Woods would go on to have the first shot of the game, but Brock Swisher was easily able to get the save. While the junior goalkeeper was challenged on multiple occasions, he still earned his ninth clean sheet of the season. What makes this stat even more incredible is the fact that he didn’t allow a goal in EBC play this season.

After the match, Swisher said,

“It [dropping the EBC last season] was really heartbreaking, so getting this back was huge.”

With five minutes left to play in the first half, Marlington junior Iden Tate smashed in a wonderstrike on a free kick well outside the 18-yard box to give the Dukes the 1-0 lead at halftime.

“Going into it, I just practice those all the time and was just confident through the hit and placed it like I know I could,” proclaimed an excited Tate. That was his 11th goal of the year, a team high for the Dukes.

Towards the end of the first half, Marlington’s Andy Frederick came up lame after a lunging attempt at the ball and was subbed out soon after. However, he showed the whole city of Alliance that he was ok by getting the Dukes a brace with just over 25 minutes left to play.

Around five minutes later, Marlington found their ‘cherry on top’ as TJ Guess skillfully went through the Aviator defense to make it 3-0. After 20 more back-and-forth minutes, which included Jacob Schuette being denied one-on-one against Swisher, the Dukes clinched the EBC title as the full-time whistle confirmed the 3-0 victory.

For the first time this season, Allinace has dropped back-to-back games as Louisville defeated them 2-1 at Rockhill on September 25th. As well, this was the biggest defeat for the Aviators in 2025, a margin once held by Canton Central Catholic as they downed A-Town 2-1. The Aviators have St Thomas Aquinas, Akron Garfield, and Streetsboro before the regular season comes to a close with a 7-4-3 record in hand.

As for Marlington, the Dukes are now 11-1-3. With this win over Allinace, MHS is now a top 500 team in the country, coming in at 499 according to MaxPreps. As for the state of Ohio, they are ranked 69th. Saturday is going to be a tough test for the Dukes as they travel to Canton to take on the Federal League champions, GlenOak. Then, it’s a senior night duel with Nordonia. That game will be streamed live on the SmeeSports YouTube Channel.

The goal was simple heading into 2025–get back on top. That’s exactly what the Marlington boys soccer team did. In the words of Tj Guess,

“It feels pretty good.”

Link to rewatch Marlington vs Alliance Soccer: https://www.youtube.com/live/psWY1Uj35oA?si=gMe1nN7X_3i5vxnX

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Marlington Volleyball Continues to Roll in EBC Play, Defeats Minerva in Straight Sets

Alliance, OH- Fresh off a state championship game appearance, the Marlington Dukes were always going to have a chip on their shoulder heading into 2025. With losses to Twinsburg (3-0) and Olmsted Falls (3-1), Marlington had plenty to prove in the Eastern Buckeye Conference. Tonight, they earned their first home win and third conference win with a 3-0 victory over Minerva.

In the first set, it was all Marlington. After taking a 4-0 lead, the Lions got back into the frame with two quick-fire points. However, a 5-0 run followed for the Dukes, which made it 9-2. Tiffany Oaks, the head coach for Minerva, called a time-out to talk things over. Minerva got some points on the board after the break, but Marlington continued to control the frame. In the end, the Dukes got the win 25-9.

Set two started with plenty of back-and-forth play. The Lions kept Marlington within three or four points for the most part. However, the Dukes began to pull away as a timeout was called with the score sitting at 13-6. Minerva made things interesting after the break as they got within three. However, the pedigree of the Dukes showed as they sealed the set 25-17.

Just like the prior set, the Lions held Marlington at bay early. After going down, the Dukes took a narrow lead. The narrow 9-8 lead widened quick as Minerva called time with the score sitting at 15-8. This remained par for the course as Marlington cruised to a 25-12 victory, sealing the 3-0 win overall.

After the game, Danica Sarchione said,

“We worked really hard this Summer. We knew we lost some seniors, but this is a really good rebuilding year, and tonight we really proved ourselves.”

Sarchione is one of the biggest returners from last season. As a junior in 2025, Sarchione looks to be a two-year captain for the Dukes. In this match, she chipped in 7 kills along with 6 aces, 1 assist, 10 digs, and two blocks. Additionally, Marlington scored on 16 of her 18 services. Only Justine Doringo had more serves leading to points, but a lower total serve point percentage.

Looking into the priorly mentioned former seniors, Claire Battershell (Tiffin), Layne Graffice (YSU), and Jacsyn Hilliard headlined the class. However, the statsheet looked very similar to last season.

“Hey, these stats are very similar to last year,” remarked head coach Stephanie Tortola regarding what was said on the bench after the game.

The energy was the same from last year; just a few new faces were introduced. Senior setter Cali Young echoed this as she proclaimed,

“We have a good youth program at Marlington. A lot of the girls who were coming up freshman year have made an impact.”

Giana Bogunovich echoed the sentiment as she said,

“I feel like our energy and our determination just shows in everything we do.”

Bogunovich led the team with 17 kills. She also provided one assist and seven digs. Young also provided a spark, earning a total of 28 assists.

The Dukes, now 4-2 on the year, head to Salem on Thursday as they hunt for a seventh consecutive undefeated EBC season in a row. As for Minerva, they travel to Alliance again, but to take on the Aviators. The latter will be streamed live on the SmeeSports YouTube channel.

SmeeSports Player of the Game: Danica Sarchione

Link to Rewatch Marlington Vs Minerva Volleyball: https://www.youtube.com/live/bx6QRqcwC5k?si=lO7CTC0oRfEuu-m2

Link to Watch Alliance Vs Minerva Volleyball: https://www.youtube.com/live/8MfuNvVqKDo?si=8jHWb6udk289eigv

Bruin’s Soccer Bounce’s Back with a Blowout at SVSM, Winning 9-0

Akron, OH – On Tuesday, August 26th the Padua Bruins traveled down to Akron to face the St. Vincent-St. Mary Fighting Irish. The Bruin’s came into this match with a 1-1 record, following a loss at Avon Lake on Saturday, August 23rd. SVSM would come into Tuesday’s game with a 1-1-1 record, with their most recent game being a tie against Boardman.

The Bruin’s came out of the gate red hot, scoring six goals in the first half alone. It was a group effort for Padua with multiple Bruin’s scoring. In the first half Junior Eli Christine led the way scoring two goals. Senior’s Garrett Nowicki, Caleb Zolkowski, and Kevin Ontaneda followed right behind all chipping in one goal respectively. Sophomore Max Bulat also contributed to the Bruin’s high scoring half, adding on to Padua’s lead, making it 6-0 going into the half.

It was more of the same for the Bruin’s in the second half. SVSM was unable to get back into the game and Padua capitalized. The Senior’s led the second half for the Bruin’s with Garrett Nowicki and Kevin Ontaneda scoring their second goal of the game. Jacapo Del Paggio also contributed, scoring his first goal of his Senior campaign. Junior Goalkeeper Gregory Dudick and Senior Goalkeeper Joseph Belfore held their own, keeping the Fighting Irish scoreless the entire game. This allowed Padua to coast to the finish line, winning 9-0, taking their record to 2-1 on the season.

Padua’s Kevin Ontaneda was voted “Most Valuable Bruin” by Coaches following the game. I asked Ontaneda what it means to be chosen as the game’s ‘MVB’ and he said, “It feel’s amazing to be named the MVB. Coach said after the game that MVB could’ve gone to majority of the player’s out there because we all played as a team, and contributed into all nine of our goal’s. But at the end of the day being named the MVB feel’s great.” I also talked to Garrett Nowicki after Tuesday’s game. I asked him how it feel’s to get a big win on the road and he told me, “It feel’s great. Winning on the road can be tough but everyone stepped up and found a way to put nine goal’s past them.”

The Padua Bruin’s will host their home opener this Saturday, August 30th at 1:00 PM vs Olmsted Falls.

Padua Football Struggles Under the Friday Night Lights in Week 1, Losing to Alliance 25-3

Parma, OH – On Friday, August 22nd the stage was set for a rematch between the Padua Bruins and Alliance Aviators. Last season these two teams met in Week 1, with Padua walking away with a 34-6 victory. This year’s matchup had different results, this time it was Alliance getting the best of Padua, winning 25-3.

The Bruins came into this game following a 5-5 regular season. However, Padua surprised many with a deep Playoff run, making it all the way to the Regional Final where they would eventually fall to Toledo Central Catholic. On other side, Alliance finished their 2024 season with a 4-6 record. Alliance started their 2024 campaign slowly, resulting in a change at Quarterback mid-season, benching Bo Davis for JR Jackson. The Aviators were hoping to start their season strong, and that would start by getting an upset on the road at Padua.

As the game began neither team could get much going, struggling to make their presence felt on offense. It wasn’t until the 1:49 mark in the 1st Quarter that we would have our first score. Aviators Running Back Ravhan Hawkins would punch in a 6-yard rushing touchdown, putting Alliance up 6-0 following a missed PAT.

Padua was unable to answer the Aviators scoring drive, and had a trouble finding a rhythm on offense in the early portions of the game. The troubles only continued for Padua when Quarterback Landon Hanover was unable to connect with his man on a screen pass, instead throwing an interception early in the 2nd Quarter. Following the turnover Alliance drove down the field, putting quarterback JR Jackson in position for a 2-yard rushing touchdown putting Alliance up 13-0 with 5:48 remaining in the half.

Following Alliance’s second score of the game Padua was unable to answer yet again, giving the Aviators another opportunity to score before the end of the half. Alliance would make their way down the field, getting inside the 20-yard line setting the Aviators up for another scoring drive. However, Padua’s defense would come up big forcing a turnover on downs with 1:05 remaining in the half.

The Bruins would have one last chance to put points on the board before the end of the half. Hanover began to get in a rhythm, hitting Receivers Reed Cervenka and Brady Devore to get the Bruin’s offense to midfield. With 25-seconds left in the half Hanover kept it himself, rushing for 10-yards and getting out of bounds to stop the clock. Padua’s offense continued to get up field setting up Kicker Caleb Zolkowski for a 41-yard field goal. Zolkowski sent it right down the middle, putting Padua on the board for the first time of the night, making it 13-3 going into the half.

Following a lackluster 1st Half, the Bruins hoped to carry their momentum from the end of the half into the 3rd Quarter. Unfortunately for Padua, JR Jackson and the Aviators had other plans. Jackson was able to put two more touchdowns on the board in the 3rd Quarter. The first was a 5-yard rushing touchdown with 5:15 left in the half. The second was a 15-yard passing touchdown to Receiver Tajie Nicholson. with under 11-seconds left in the 3rd Quarter. Alliance would roll into the 4th Quarter up 25-3 following two unsuccessful 2-pt conversion tries.

Not much would change for the Bruin’s offense as they would put up another scoreless quarter, allowing Alliance to coast to the finish line on the road. With a final score of 25-3, the Aviators would take their first game of the season, starting off on the right foot. For Padua, it was a disappointing start to their season in front of a packed student section.

After the game I talked to Lineman Bo Barney about how the team is going to move forward following a rough Week 1 loss. Barney said going forward the team has to ‘fix the easy mistakes up front, lead the young guys, and finish drives.’ I also talked to Receiver Brady Devore about how the team will keep their moral up after a disappointing opening loss and he said, ‘We need to keep our heads up, focusing on learning from our mistakes, sticking to the basics, but realize that we have a lot of football ahead of us.’

The Bruins will be back in action next Friday, August 29th at home against Benedictine, where they’ll look to get in the win column.

Holy Name Football Dominates Thursday Night Lights, Defeating Parma Rivals Normandy 55-12

Parma, OH- After a round one exit in the 2024 season, Holy Name looked to begin the 2025 campaign on a high note. They did just that, beating Normandy 55-12. This win is the first week 1 win since 2022 for the Green Wave.

The game started with a bold play from Normandy-an onside kick. After the ball was bobbled by HN, the Invaders quickly pounced and took the football. However, the Normandy offense could not get rolling. Nick Nemeth had a TFL while Kae’Leon Cleveland sacked the Invaders quarterback Jakob Muniak.

Holy Name wasted no time on their opening drive as the offensive unit found good rhythm and balance. Eso Gonzalez helped Holy Name quarterback Connor Jamison by making a big 15-yard catch. That reception would set up Xavier Rodriguez to score the Green Wave’s first touchdown of the new year on a 27-yard rush. With 8:38 on the clock in the first, HN led 7-0.

Muniak was able to find a receiver to begin the Invaders’ second drive, but Blake Troy and Tommy Ontko forced a fumble that was recovered by Noah Wallace. Receptions from Brendon Preisel and Nemeth set up Kayden Parker for a one-yard rushing score, putting Holy Name up 14-0. To follow it up, the Namer defense remained strong, forcing a three-and-out.

On the following drive, Gonzalez would make two catches. The first went for 12 yards while the second was a 21-yard touchdown. This score gave Holy Name a 21-0 lead heading into the second quarter. For context, the Green Wave averaged 14 points per game in 2024. Additionally, they scored 21 points the last time they played Normandy.

The Invaders’ fortunes would seemingly change for the better as Cameron Hayden would catch a long throw from Muniak, getting a 43-yard gain in the process. Jai Hebebrand would take his only carry to close out this drive with a one-yard touchdown run. Normandy opted to go for two, but came up short. With 9:12 left in Q2, Holy Name led 21-6. Parker would run for a first down on the following drive, but a sack from Fernando Acevedo stalled the HN offense. A Nemeth punt pinned Normandy within its own 10-yard line. Nemeth wouldn’t be done as he ended the Invaders’ drive with an interception. However, Ray Brown would force a fumble, giving his offense a chance to strike back.

Normandy would get their second big break of the second quarter as Nick Williams caught a 54-yard pass from Brown. This set up Acevedo for a two-yard rushing score. Just like the first attempt, the two-point try was unsuccessful for the Invaders. With 4:07 on the clock in the first half, HN led 21-12. Both sides would trade fumbles, bringing the Namer offense back onto the field. Nemeth had a few knocks in this game, but he bounced back nicely with a 20-yard rushing touchdown. Then, he returned an interception 60 yards for a touchdown. At halftime, Holy Name led 34-12.

Williams would come back for another highlight reel play in the third quarter as he hauled in a 33-yard reception. Once again, however, HN had the last laugh as Preisel would pick off Muniak. Nemeth would continue his stellar game as he had 14 and 12 yard receptions along with 19 and 4 yard rushes, with the latter rush being a touchdown. Luke Hudak would join the INT parade with one of his own on the following drive. Parker would find the endzone after Holy Name got the ball back. Just like his first touchdown, his second came on a one-yard rush. That put Holy Name up 48-12.

The Green Wave would end their excellent scoring night with some fireworks. Noah Wallace returned an interception 30 yards for a pick-six, the second of the game for HN. However, it would be Troy who caught the final interception of the game for the Green Wave. Troy’s INT marked six on the night for the Namers. Hudak would come in for Jamison to close out the game as Holy Name earned its first win of the next season, 55-12.

Last season, Jamison had some trouble with interceptions. In total, he had 12 in 10 games during the 2024 season. He looked more comfortable and adjusted in the pocket and had good awareness. After the game, Holy Name head coach Dan Wondowlowski talked about the fact that Jamison should be nearing some division one offers, as he has the talent and frame. The rest of the Namer offense was improved as well. Players such as Parker, Rodriguez, and Nemeth acted as ‘gadget guys’ who moved around given the different formations.

As for the Invaders, Muniak had a couple of good passes downfield. Mario Stewart, Hayden, and Williams proved they have the talent and ability to be big weapons for the junior quarterback this season. The bulk of Brown’s carries came late in the game, potentially indicating a change in game plan heading into week two against Ravenna. Holy Name will have its penultimate home game at North Royalton’s Serpentini Chevrolet Stadium next Friday against 2024 standouts Gilmour Academy. The Lancers open up their season on Saturday against Benedictine.

The Healthiest You Chiropractic Center Player of the Game: Nick Nemeth (Holy Name- 3 Touchdowns, 2 INT’s)

Watch the Full Game Here: https://www.youtube.com/live/WuZMgh6qFDI?si=fjfJdn1obiS7IDsw

Padua Boy’s Soccer get the Ball Rolling to Start the Season

Parma, OH – The Padua Bruins took on the Normandy Invaders on the road on Monday, August 18th. The Bruins would leave victorious, winning 3-0 starting their season off right with a win.

Following a disappointing 2024 campaign, finishing 5-10-4 and a 1-0 loss in the district semifinal to Twinsburg, the Bruins looked to start their 2025 season in the win column. The team in their way would be the Normandy Invaders who also had a rough 2024 season, finishing 3-11-2.

As the game started the Bruins would seize the early momentum following a goal from Sr. Captain Garrett Nowicki, assisted by fellow Sr. Captain Caleb Zolkowski. The Bruins would end the half up 1-0 and looked to carry the momentum all the way to the finish line. Fr. Sawyer Bulat contributed to the Bruins effort, scoring off a corner kick early in the second half, putting the Bruins up 2-0. Then, in the final minute of the contest Caleb Zolkowski would be fouled in the box, resulting in a penalty kick for the Bruins. Garrett Nowicki would capitalize on this penalty kick opportunity, scoring his second goal of the day and putting the finishing touches on the Bruins 3-0 win vs the Invaders. Padua’s goalkeeper, Jr. Gregory Dudick would finish the day with 3 saves, shutting out Normandy.

Following Monday’s win I asked Sr. Captain Garrett Nowicki what it meant to start the season off 1-0 and he answered, “It feels great to get that first win, and shows that the hard work that we put in all off-season pays off. It shows that we can compete at a high level.” I also asked Sr. Captain Kevin Ontaneda the same question and he shared a similar sentiment saying, “Starting 1-0 feels very good, and we can see that there are some things we can improve on before big games. But for now we are happy with the result.”

The Bruins will look to continue their hot start on the road against Avon Lake on Saturday, August 23rd at 2 PM.

SmeeSports Apparel Now For Sale on Hometown Threads Website

Strongsville, OH- After months of work, we finally have an apparel site up and running. By joining forces with Hometown Threads in North Olmsted, we have a local, high-quality manufacturer, along with a place to easily purchase SmeeSports apparel.

We have a total of 7 different pieces of apparel, including T-shirts, long-sleeve T-shirts, hoodies, polos, pullovers, hats, and jackets. Most of these items come in multiple colors, which allows you to find just the right piece.

You can purchase apparel by visiting the Hometown Threads website and selecting SmeeSports under the “Our Apparel” tab.

Alternatively, you can find our apparel at the link here: https://hometownthreadscleveland.com/product-category/smee-sports/

We look forward to seeing our fans with their own SmeeSports apparel at games this season!