Basketball Preview 2017

Creek’s Rossi: Get Better Every Day

By ANDREW GRIMM WINTERSVILLE — With a year under her belt at the helm of the Redskins and seven returning letterman, Indian Creek girls coach Jackie Rossi is hoping to see improvement from her squad after a nine-win season in her first campaign leading the team a year ago. “I would say we had an OK season,” Rossi. “Our coaching staff took over five days before the first practice so it was a little bit of a learning curve last year for the kids. We were able to have a really nice offseason over the summer. It is a little bit of a different outlook this season just because the ...

Skins’ Dunlevy Likes Multi-Sport Athletes

By ANDREW GRIMM WINTERSVILLE — Those familiar with Indian Creek Redskins sports will recognize quite a few of the names on Coach Joe Dunlevy’s roster, and he would not have it any other way. Of the core group of nine players Dunlevy expects to be key contributors to his squad, four of them were key pieces of the football team this past fall, and most of them come from families that have long been a part of Indian Creek athletics. “We have nine kids back who all lettered last year,” he said. “They put a lot of time in between the end of last season and now. We have nine ...

Big Challenge for Riders

By BUBBA KAPRAL MARTINS FERRY — Derek Edwards will never forget his inaugural season as a head basketball coach. Nor should he. Edwards stepped into his dream job last winter, that being head coach at his alma mater Martins Ferry. The former all-Ohio point guard enjoyed a season few coaches ever experience. The passionate and high-energy mentor guided his Purple Riders to a sparkling 21-3 record and the OVAC 3A championship, the program’s first since 2002. Icing on that sweet Purple cake was Edwards being named the Division III state Coach of the Year. The Purple Riders’ ...

Matsuka Takes Over for Coyne at Martins Ferry

By BUBBA KAPRAL MARTINS FERRY — A new, but familiar face will be guiding Martins Ferry this winter. Paul Matuska replaces Lindsay Coyne at the Purple Riders’ helm. The former St. John Central all-state gridder has served as Coyne’s assistant the past four seasons while also being an assistant track & field coach. Matuska was also a longtime Dave Bruney football assistant. Heading into the season, Matuska looked as if he was going to be guiding a young, but quite talented squad. As fate would have it, the Purple Riders have suffered some unexpected and painful ...

Offense Taking Bigger Role for Clifford, Huskies

By SETH STASKEY CADIZ — Since Justin Clifford took over the Harrison Central basketball program, defense has been the trademark of the Huskies. While that’s still going to be an area where the Huskies place a lot of emphasis, the offensive end of the floor — as the new season is set to open this evening — is further ahead. And that’s OK with the head coach. “We have some athletic kids and we’re going to try to use that to our advantage,” Clifford said. “We’re a little bit behind defensively, but we’re ahead of where we’ve been at this point than in the ...

Harrison Central Appears Primed for Success

By BUBBA KAPRAL CADIZ — Most times when you lose seven seniors to graduation, a rebuilding scenario will follow. Not so for Harrison Central this winter. Nick Yourkovich, settling in for his ninth season at the Huskies’ helm, is chomping at the bit for the start of the 2017-18 season. “I’ve been waiting since March to really get started with this group. This is a fantastic group of girls that I love to be around,” Yourkovich, the winningest coach in program history, said. “They all have great personalities, are respectful and are just fun to be around. To this point, ...