Mid-Buckeye Conference

• Rbirdsman01

  I will admit I had not noticed that. But it is a good thing for the Lady Trojans. Competition is always a good thing for the conference. Just makes all the teams better.
• Red_Skin_Pride

  

  Kind of an ugly game for Utica today, but they beat Lakewood by 25, 59-34. Have Fredericktown at home on saturday, for the first home game in what feels like forever!
• BPM

  4theteam wrote: Getting of the theme of Loudenville and Utica for a change, has anyone been noticing the Centerburg is quietly eliminating teams and loading up some big numbers since the christmas break. Overall sitting at 6-3 in the league. It looks like this young squad is going to challenge teams not expecting a good fight and may surprise a few in the DIII tourney this year.

  A victory over Danville tomorrow will set up our ladies for the game next week with Utica at home. The MBC is still pretty much a two horse race but I like the effort we're seeing from some of the Lady Trojans Fresh/Sophs. If Centerburg packs the house Feb 4, the Redskins could be in for a long evening. Must get by Blue Devils first though.
  
  Good luck to all MBC teams this weekend and next week.
• 4theteam

  Utica makes a huge statement today about how they want to finish up league play this season. I think most of us expected to see a fairly close game today with 2 of our seniors out, but that was far from what went down. Smothering defense and full court press allowed Utica to runaway right from the start ending the first period 21-4. Limited turnovers by Utica and stellar performances by Londot and Corbett led the team to a 71-28 final score. Utica showed they can perform off the bench today and gave the fans quite a show from the underclassmen Wolfe, Overton, Gorious and White. Next up...non league game on Tuesday against Riverview. Go Skins!
• Rbirdsman01

  Redbirds down E. Knox 68-38. birds put 4 in double figures.
• Red_Skin_Pride

  

  So it's about time that we start getting some consideration for being ranked in the state.
• 4theteam

  RSP - I would still prefer Utica fly below the radar before the DII Central tourney. Being ranked would be nice, but I would rather most teams not pay attention and get caught off gaurd instead during a game.
• Red_Skin_Pride

  

  Utica beats River view tonight by a score of 53-46. RV was a tough matchup for Utica with two 6-footers inside and an attacking defense similar to Utica's style. Utica led 29-22 at the half, but only managed 6 points in the third, allowing RV to tie the game at 35 going into the final period. Tamra Londot stepped up big and scored half of her 18 points in the 4th, together with some better pressure defense from the Redskins, allowed them to get the win. Abbie Corbett also had 13. Great venue for a game, and even though RV is "down" by their standards this year, this was a nice test for Utica to pass, playing an unfamiliar opponent with the tradition RV has, on the road. Had a very tournament-like feel to it. Good job 'Skins, keep it rolling into Centerburg on thursday. Hopefully what we heard was true, and we are back up to 5 seniors come thursday night!
  
  GO U!
• BPM

  Congratulations Utica on passing your levy. I find it hard to believe some voters perfer to get rid of sports rather than pay a few more dolllars in property tax. Thankfully, the people that care about the schools and the students prevailed in the North Fork District last night.
• 4theteam

  Utica is on the road tonight in conference play visiting Centerburg. Just in time for this game, all 5 seniors are back in the fold and everyone is healthy. I am still expecting a close game tonight as Centerburg has seen much improvement since we played them last. Should be a good one. Go Skins!
• Red_Skin_Pride

  

  Be there rooting for the Redskins. Not to act like a traitor, but there is a lot of talk on the Central District forum on the "old" huddle about Utica being overrated and not very good, we wont even make it out of the sectionals, ect. I think these last few games Utica really needs come out strong and finish games strong. We let RV hang around way too long, even with their distinct size advantage on the inside without Lugar. As 4theteam said, I expect this to be a well-played and hardfought game. Centerburg always plays well against Utica, especially at their place; and they are young, which can be a double edged sword. But if Utica lets them hang around like we did River View, and a lot of those young players feel that they have a chance and are still in the game in the second half, Utica will have their hands full. We need to come out tonight with our foot on the gas, and keep it there the whole night. Looking to see some killer instinct that we lacked last game. Can't wait for this one, in a very nice gym I might add!
  
  GO U!
• Red_Skin_Pride

  

  Rbirdsman,
  
  Do the Redbirds have a game tonight? Any updates would be appreciated.
• Rbirdsman01

  R_S_P yes we had Johnstown at home and won 59-31. Put 3 in double figures. Vanhorn, Scarberry, and Ryan all three with 13.
• Red_Skin_Pride

  

  Sweet. Utica beats Centerburg 56-48, in what was a much closer/tougher contest than the first game. But hey, we started slow and we were on the road, so an 8 point win is one we'll take, given how it could have gone.
• Bird Nation

  Birds start tourney play 2-25-10 vs. Lutheran West. I think the have won 3 games.
• Red_Skin_Pride

  

  Utica gets the #4 seed in the central district. They will face Hamilton township on 2/17 @ olentangy high school. Rangers only have one win that I see on maxpreps, and lost by double digits to Northridge a few weeks back. However, if Utica advances to the sectional final, they meet up with Hilliard Bradley, an OCC school who plays the likes of Big Walnut, Olentangy Orange (the two favorites in our bracket), and who also had a nice win over Jonathan Alder's girls, who were 13th in the state at the time. Word has it that they run a 4 guard, 1 post player lineup. Like us, they've had like 4-5 players all crack 15 points at least once this year. If Utica should survive a few tough games, and return to the district title game, we'll likely face Big Walnut, a team that ended Utica's undefeated season in 2005-2006. Personally, I'm hoping Bexley can pull a big upset against BW in their sectional final...if someone can knock BW, Utica definately got the more favorable bracket of the two, as Beechcroft, Eastmoor, and Olentangy are all in the other bracket. Utica's bracket DOES include Desales however, and we all know how heartbreaking those games have been in the past.
  
  Also, as for MBC news, Utica's game against Danville that was cancelled yesterday, has been rescheduled for tomorrow night (monday, 2/8) at Utica 6pm for jv, 730 for varsity. Utica then plays a big OOC game against Newark Catholic tuesday night, and finishes with Northridge (away) on saturday.
• gils

  The game at Newark Catholic is wednesday night not tuesday. Bexley will not beat Big Walnut,this is the worst Bexley team I have ever seen, they lost to Lakewood the other night and you how bad Lakewood is because you played them and beat them by a large margin.
• Red_Skin_Pride

  

  Wow, wasn't aware that Bexley was that bad this year. And thanks for the correction on the NC game.
• Rbirdsman01

  bird nation Loudonville starts tourney play on the 24th. @ 7:30 but you got the opponent right.
• Red_Skin_Pride

  

  Anyone know if Utica/Danville is still on for tonight? Heard Utica cancelled school fairly late...does that mean we can't play, or can we still have the game?
• gils

  Game cancelled will play tomorrow night. If you want to scout Newark Catholic they play home tonight against Whitehall.
• Red_Skin_Pride

  

  Awesome. Just great. So now we have to play back to back nights against a team we struggled against a few weeks ago (Danville) and a team we traditionally play very close (NC), and both of those will probably be cancelled yet again due to the 4 billion feet of snow we're supposed to get starting tonight and into tomorrow. I don't understand why Utica would cancel school today...if Danville can go to school, Utica can damn sure get their buses there.
  
  And on a side note, I called Danville high school earlier today to see if the game was cancelled or still on (since all you get is a recording at Utica) and was directed to their athletic department, and the guy I talked to had NO IDEA that there was supposed to be a game tonight at Utica! He told me they never had a game scheduled OR rescheduled to play tonight! Haha what a mess. Terrible communication by both schools, nobody knows what's going on.
• spartybbcoach

  

  No big surprise there. Communication at Danville is completely not a priority. Believe me I know first hand. The right hand never knows what the left hand is doing and decisions are made by people who are not in a position to make the decisions. One messed up school district.
• birds on base

  Loudonville did play at Northridge on Monday night, winning 63-25. Record improves to 17-1 (12-1). Remaining games are at Fredericktown and at Clear Fork.
• Red_Skin_Pride

  

  well at some point in the next month, Utica might get to finish their MBC schedule lol. Danville rescheduled *tentatively* for thursday night. It is senior night so I'm sure it will be quite the happening event in Utica that night.