Carey Blue Devils/Northern 10 Athletic Conference News

 

 

 
 

Carey Blue Devils

 
     
 

Carey Needs to Make Plays

 

          Carey can repeat as champions in the Northern 10 Athletic Conference with a win on Friday night at home against Upper Sandusky.

          Right now, they share the lead with Colonel Crawford.  Both Mohawk and Seneca East are a game back.  Crawford hosts Mohawk and Seneca East is at home for Wynford on Friday night.

          Coach Jamie Young knows this game with Upper is going to be a battle because that’s what it has been like all year.  “All year it's been a battle every time out no matter who we’ve played, if it's a home or away, I mean we have six good teams that that can knock each other off at any given time.  So, it's one of those things you just got to be ready for every opportunity.  Every game you have got to prepare like it’s your last.  So, (Friday) we'll just have to make sure we continue with that that same mindset.  We have got to be ready,” he said.

          Carey (14-7,10-3) plays host to Upper Sandusky (12-9,7-6) on Friday night.  The Rams beat Buckeye Central (66-25) in their last conference game last Friday.

          Young says these two teams are rivals and he knows Upper would like nothing better than to know them off.  “Coach (Jeff) Winslow is one of the best coaches in the area, in my opinion, and he always has his kids ready and prepared.  They play hard, they play together and they're disciplined and they're just going to bring it.  When you throw in that Carey- Upper rivalry it's going to be a heck of a game.  Both teams are going to come out and play hard, the crowds are going to be into it and that's to me that's what high school basketball, high school sports in general, is all about, just two communities getting together for a great night of basketball,” said Young.

          In their first meeting, the Blue Devils won (53-48) on January 12.

          Young anticipates the same kind of game.  “When we get together with Upper that's how it seems like it's been like the last three or four years.  I mean it's always going to be close and throughout the league this year it's been like that too.  We lost two close games to Mohawk and Seneca East by one point, each game by one point,” he told Swankonsports.com on Thursday afternoon, “It's just, it's something we've been preparing ourselves for all year so hopefully (Friday) if we get that opportunity and we're up at the end or we need a bucket at the end, we can we can rise to the occasion and get it.”

 

Published 2/23/24

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Carey Must Have Focus

 

          Carey, one the tri-leaders in the Northern 10 Athletic Conference, plays at Bucyrus in a must win game for the Blue Devils on Friday night.

          They share first with Colonel Crawford and Seneca East.  Mohawk is a game back.

          Last week, the Blue Devils pounded Buckeye Central (72-34) in a conference game.

          Coach Jamie Young says it was a pretty special night.  “It was one of those games where it was a total team win.  It was our senior night, we got an opportunity our senior that was injured in football, tore his ACL, Nic Putnam, got an opportunity to go out there and get a start.  Me and coach (Chris) Moyer over there at Buckeye Central worked it out so that we would get him a bucket and Alex Phillip would also get a bucket, so both kids that tore their ACL’s in football got an opportunity to step on the floor.  Nick lived it up, he got a boost from Butch Brodman and he threw down a dunk, so it was a it was quite the moment.  That's what high school sports is all about.  As far as the game goes after that it was kind of like anything can happen, but we just came out and we played our game and we were able to get the victory,” said Young.

          Carey (11-7,9-3) plays at Bucyrus (5-14,1-11) on Friday night.  The Redmen lost (59-51) to Upper Sandusky in a league game last Friday.  They beat Crestline (76-41) in a non-conference game on Tuesday.

          Young says the Redmen cannot be overlooked.  “It's a scary game to me because I think they're playing well.  They took Upper down to the to the wire last week.  Malachi (Bayless) is one of the top scorers in the league, one of the best offensive guards in the league.  Then they have got size and they're playing well right now,” he told Swankonsports.com on Thursday evening, “They're playing hard and they're just getting after it and they do a great job on the boards with their size and their athleticism.  We just have got to make sure we come ready to play because again in this league on any given night you can get knocked off by anybody.  So, we can't look past these guys, we have got to focus all on the Redmen and that's what we focused on all week, so we just got to be ready to play.”

          Young says in reality they have to win Friday night and next week against Upper Sandusky if they want the title.  “I'm not going to look past Bucyrus at all, but the kids know that we have got to win out if we want to really have a chance at the “N10”.  We focused all week on Bucyrus and we'll look towards Upper I’m certain next week, but right now all our focus is on Bucyrus because we don't want to go over there and lay an egg and they're playing well.  So, we have got to make sure we're totally focused and ready to go,” he said.

 

Published 2/16/24

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Crawford Takes First Place

 

          It has been defense that has paved the way for the Colonel Crawford Eagles and that was the case again Saturday night as they secured the outright lead in the Northern 10 Athletic Conference with (48-39) win over Carey at Mac Morrison Gym in North Robinson.

          The Eagles scored the first five points and took a (16-5) lead after the first quarter.

          Colonel Crawford coach David Sheldon thought that start was key for them.  “We got off to a great start defensively.  We hold them the five in the first quarter and we hit some big shots early on.  I thought the start really set the tone because I have the utmost respect for that team, that group of seniors over there, has owned this league and basketball and football and they play the game the right way.  We knew they would make a run, which they did, they cut into it in the second quarter.  They had a big second quarter, hurt us inside.  Then we made some adjustments on how we were guarding inside at halftime,” he told Swankonsports.com after the win, “I thought we got off to another great start in the third quarter when you talk about starts.  Then we expanded the lead.  I'm proud of our guy’s effort.  We knew this would be a war, physical battle, all night.  It's two physical teams that look like men.  We talked about mental and physical toughness going into this game against a very good Carey team.”

          Carey coach Jamie Young thought they got the ball into the paint, which is what they wanted, but they couldn’t make the shots.  “We did a good job I thought of getting inside and being physical with them, we just could get anything to fall.  I mean it was a physical game, so we have got to learn to finish with a little bit of contact.  Early on when we were we're getting inside, we weren’t converting our foul shots when we had the opportunity.  So, I mean that's a big part of it.  Then we couldn’t get Carter (Smiley) going because they were all over him.  The kids battled with the week we've had with me being sick, and a couple other guys being sick, I can't say it enough, I'm super proud of these guys and the way we played this season, especially the last couple of weeks,” said Young.

          Carey made only one field goal and was 3-7 at the foul line in that first quarter.

          Carter Smiley, Carey’s leading scorer, and one of the best three point shooters in the conference, was held to seven points and he made only one three.  “You look at Logan Goddard and Lucas Foy, they did an unbelievable job.  He has seven and he had to work for them, we were on his hip.  He's a great player, he's the quarterback of that team and he's one of the best three point shooters in the league if you look at stats.  We did a great job of making him hit tough looks to get those seven,” said Sheldon.

          No Blue Devils finished in double figures, Alexander Putnam also had seven for Carey.

          The Eagles connected on some perimeter shots early as Logan Goddard and Trevor both dialed long distance.  “We let Logan get open two different times and we weren't supposed to leave him, but we did and he just knocked them down.  That's what good players do.  That’s what makes you a good team, when players step up and make shots and he did that.  Trevor was cooking early.  So, we just we couldn't match them early on,” he told Swankonsports.com, “Then we got it going inside.  We cut it to four, five, six points and then we would have a miscue defensively or they would make a good shot.  It was a battle back and forth.  We just got down too much too early, but I love the way the kids battled back there at the end of the fourth quarter.  We showed a lot of fight and determination,” said Young.

          Carey got as close as six (22-16) on a stick back by Mitch Boes with 3:04 left in the second quarter, but Crawford led (27-20) at the intermission.

          The Blue Devils cut it to five (33-28) on two free throws by Boes with 1:19 to play in the third quarter, but Eagles went on a (12-0) run, highlighted by five points from by sophomore post Payne Degray, and took a (45-28) lead with 4:30 remaining in the game.

          Sheldon says they ran a lot of good offense Saturday night.  “We were very efficient in our motion offense.  We got ball reversals.  We got the shots we want, whether they're inside or kick outs.  Logan Goddard hits a big three in the fourth.  I just thought this team has been successful because they buy into their roles and everybody played their role to the highest ability (Saturday) night, which you have got to do in big games.  Once again, we guarded because that's a good team, I'm telling you.  The lead to get that up.  Carey, those kids, they didn't quit.  We forgot to make a lot of free throws in the fourth quarter, I hate to say it, but they didn't quit and that's a credit to them and coach (Jamie) Young with that program over there,” said Sheldon.

          After time out, Carey put on an aggressive full court press and forced some Eagles turnovers, plus Colonel Crawford was just 3-8 from the foul line in the final 4:00 minutes and just 10-21 on the night. 

          Carey got as close as (45-39) with 1:11 left after a Dominic Yeater hoop, but ran out of time.

          Vogt had 14 and Degray 12 to lead the Eagles.

          Colonel Crawford (14-4,9-2) now leads Carey (10-6,8-3) and Seneca East (13-4,8-3), the Tigers beat Buckeye Central (54-41) on Saturday, by a game.

          With three league games yet to play, Young knows anything can happen.  “Within our league it's very deep.  There's six teems that that can knock anybody off, actually I’ll just say everybody because I'm not going to take any nights off, I don't think.  So, they still have got to play Seneca East and Wynford (and Mohawk).  So, like anything's possible and we have just got to find our way here the rest of the way and just keep getting better every day,” he said.

          Colonel Crawford has won two of last three “N10” titles, Carey won last year, and Sheldon knows they have to keep their noses to the grindstone.  “That was game 11 game, game 12 is next Friday, so we got a lot to go.  It's a tough road ahead.  This has been the best league I've seen one through six forever, the balance.  So, there's a long way to go with this.  If you look at schedules, Carey’s top half of the second round was really tough.  We still have got three tough ones, but the reason we put ourselves in this situation is our kids have went from game 10 to game 11 now we go game 11-12.  You go enjoy it, but then you have got to get back in the workshop, in the gym come Monday and get ready for a very, very good Seneca East team that's playing for a lot as well,” said Sheldon.

 

Published 2/03/24

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Big Week for Carey

 

          Carey, the tri-leader in the Northen 10 Athletic Conference, faces two tough road games in the conference this week as they are at Wynford on Thursday and at Colonel Crawford on Saturday night.

          Right now, they share the lead with Crawford and Seneca East.  Wynford is still alive two back.

          The Blue Devils fell back into a tie when Seneca East beat them (55-54) last Friday.

          Coach Jamie Young says they had their chances.  “I mean looking back at it now.  We had some opportunities to get a little bit more of a cushion because we had a lead on them for the longest time and up until the middle of the third quarter.  We had opportunities, but we just missed bunnies and missed foul shots.  Our turnovers in that third quarter, that last four minutes, really led to a lot of points for Seneca East.  Hats off to them because they got us to turn it over and then and then they capitalized by making shots.  We were struggling from the foul line the last couple games and from inside.  So, it's one of those things, it's a tough loss, but hopefully we can learn from it and continue to get better,” said Young.

          Carey (9-5,7-2) is at Wynford (12-4,5-4) on Thursday night.  Carey won the first meeting (66-59) on December 16.

          Young says they can’t let this become a track meet.  “They're a high octane offense.  They have got multiple guys that can shoot from the outside.  So, we have got to make sure that we have got to guard our own man.  We can’t get beat off the dribble because when you get beat down and you help and they find the open guy and that's when they really get going.  We have got to keep them out of transition, which we got to make sure we build on a not turning the ball over like we have the last few games and just try to keep them from getting in transition or easy buckets,” he said.

          Colonel Crawford (12-4,7-2) is a team that likes to control the tempo and they did that in the first meeting, but Carey won (35-31) on December 22.

          Youngs says they have to control their main scorers and keep the Eagles off the boards.  “We really have to pay attention to Trevor Vogt, he's one of the top guards in the “N10” and he can score from all three levels.  So, we have got to make sure we defend him and we're ready for help.  Payne DeGray inside, he's only a sophomore, but he's playing tremendous, he's a man down there in terms of around the rim and scoring and rebounding,” he told Swankonsports.com on Wednesday night, “We have got to make sure that we neutralize those two and don't give them second opportunities.  Last time, we played them they did crash the boards and McMichael was really active.  It is one of those things we have got a match their intensity.  Playing over there is never easy, so it's going to be a fun environment, it always is when we go over there.  It's going to be loud, it's going to be an exciting game.  So, we have just got to make sure that we're ready to play.”

 

Published 2/01/2024

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Carey Must Defend

 

          It’s a huge game on Friday night in the Northern 10 Athletic Conference as conference leader Carey hosts second place Seneca East.

          Both the Tigers and Colonel Crawford are a game behind the Blue Devils.  Crawford plays Buckey Central on Friday night.

          Things got closer on Saturday when Mohawk beat Carey (47-46), the first loss in the conference for the Devils.

          Coach Jamie Young says they made too many mistakes.  “It was a hard fought game by both teams.  I mean Mohawk came in got on us early, we were down 9-0.  We just had a lot of miscues.  We missed 13 free throws and had 15 turnovers.  It's hard to do that in a game and all those empty possessions add up.  All it would have taken us was one possession where we could have hit some free throws or maybe hit another shot.  It's one of those things you just have got to get better and make sure that we don't have those same issues moving forward,” said Young.

          Carey (9-4,7-1) plays at home against Seneca East (10-3,6-2) on Friday night.  Seneca East beat Bucyrus (67-46) in a “N10” game last Saturday and added a (56-32) win over Crestline in non-conference play on Tuesday.

          Young says the Tigers offer challenges on both ends of the court.  “They're really good, they can play really fast, they have got good athletes all around, and they got some size too.  Lucas Bordner and Luke Mason are one of the more dynamic backcourts in the “N10”.  It's just one of those games where we can't rest, we can't let them get hot, we can't let them get comfortable on offense,” he told Swankonsports.com on Thursday night, “Defensively, we got to take their pressure.  They play at 1-3-1 and they do a great job of moving and pressuring and getting steals. So, we have got to make sure that we take care of the ball and just make good on every opportunity we get offensively.”

          Carey won the first game (55-50) on December 14.

          Young says they can’t let this be a track meet because Seneca East has some sprinters.  “When we played them at their place early on.  We got up on them early, but then they started getting out and running and getting some open opportunities in the half court offense out of transition.  We have got to make sure we don't give up open opportunities because they do have a very capable group of scorers.  So, we have got to make sure that we play our pace, not play to their likings and we have just got to sit down and defend,” he said.

 

Published 1/26/24

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Carey is All Business

 

          Carey, the leader in the Northern 10 Athletic Conference, plays at home against Mohawk in a conference game on Saturday night.

          Last week, they rallied in the fourth quarter to knock off Upper Sandusky (53-48) to remain on top of the league.

          Coach Jamie Young says it was a well played game, they just made a couple more plays.  “It was just a great opportunity for us to get a win at a tough place to play.  I mean the kids came out and they battled and both teams played tremendous defense and we just were able to take advantage of a few more opportunities than they were offensively.  So, I mean it came down to a few possessions, but it was a great high school environment for a game.  I was just happy that we got out of there with a win because there were times when we were down and we had to make some runs to get back into it.  So, I was proud of the boys the way they overcame that adversity,” said Young.

          It seems this year everyone can beat anyone in the “N10”, except no one can beat Carey.

          Young says a lot of that has to do with experience.  “I have got an experienced group.  I mean majority of the kids that play this year played on our team last year that won the “N10” and they are composed group.  They're group of seniors for the most part, we have one sophomore Kyler Boes that plays.  They're just all business when it comes down to it.  We have fun, they’re a loose group, but when it comes down to it and it's game time they're totally focused.  I don't have to get on them about playing hard. It’s just something they do, it's an expectation I think with this group,” he said.

          Carey (9-3,7-0) hosts Mohawk (8-5,3-4) on Saturday night.  The Warriors lost (38-27) to Colonel Crawford in a league game last Friday.  Carey won the first matchup (46-34) on December 8.

          Young says they have to play very good perimeter defense and they must handle the Mohawk pressure.  “They have three of the better three-point shooters in the league with Boomer (Cleveland) and Hunter (Haynes) and Brayden Chester.  So, I mean we have got to defend the three, we can't let them get out on their runs and we have got to be able to handle their pressure.  They throw multiple presses and zones at you,” he told Swankonsprts.com on Wednesday night, “We have got to make sure that we understand the assignment that we need to do get the shots that we want.  Again, their pressure is going to take us out of some things.  We just have got to make sure that we make the right reads and have our guys in the right position and then make plays when we have to.”

 

Published 1/18/2024

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First Place Carey Takes on Rival Upper

 

          Carey, the leader in the Northern 10 Athletic Conference, plays at red hot Upper Sandusky in a conference game on Friday night.

          The Blue Devils hold a two-game lead on Colonel Crawford, Wynford, and Seneca East.

          Last Saturday, the Bue Devils hammered Bucyrus (75-47) in a conference game.

          Coach Jamie Young says they were successful getting the ball inside.  “It was a game that we showed a different part of our offense.  We really focused on getting the ball inside and we were able to convert and got a lot of points inside the paint there and it was a big for us.  Then defensively, we did what we had to do.  It wasn't always the prettiest game, but we got through it and we managed to pull out a “W,” said Young.

          Carey (8-3,6-0) plays at Upper Sandusky (6-4,3-3) on Friday night.  The Rams have won five straight, including (59-26) win over Buckeye Central on Saturday night.

          Young says Upper shows great balance.  “They play hard, I mean all five guys they have on the floor they play extremely hard.  They get after it on defense and they pressure.  Coach (Jeff) Winslow has them playing really good right now,” he told Swankonsports.com Wednesday evening, “It's one of those games where we have got to just be locked in on offense and make sure we handle the handle the pressure and convert when we get opportunities.”

          Young says they need to handle the adversity of playing at Upper.  “Anytime you go over to Upper are play, especially when it's Carey-Upper, it's always a great atmosphere.  Both crowds bring a lot of good energy and it's just a good, competitive, fun high school basketball game.  To me, that's what it's all about.  You get the communities involved and kids go out and they play hard and it's just going to be a great environment again as always,” he said.

 

Published 1/11/2024

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Carey Must Take Advantage

 

          Carey, the Northern 10 Athletic Conference leader, will be at home for Bucyrus on Saturday night for a conference game.

          Last week, they dispatched Buckeye Central (64-28) in the league game on Friday night.

          Coach Jamie Young says they gave the Bucks some problems with their big kids.  “We came out we applied pressure and we got to turn them over and it led to easy baskets for us, which gave us a lead and then we just built from there.  I mean our size was big against Buckeye Central.  We had some bigger kids that were able to do some things against their lineup.  So, it was a good game.  We came out and we played right the right way and we were focused,” he said.

          Young says they progressed their way through the holiday season pretty well all things considered.  “I thought we did pretty good.  I mean we faced some adversity with some injuries, so we had to make some adjustments.  We lost the one game to Bluffton, who was a really good team, and then we beat Crawford and came back and beat Buckeye.  So, I'm going to say we got through the holiday season pretty good.  I mean I'm just thankful that you know we're in the position we're in right now and when we get to hopefully improve this weekend and get another “W,” said Young.

          Carey (7-3,5-0) plays host to Bucyrus (1-7,0-5) on Saturday night.  Last Friday, Upper Sandusky destroyed the Redmen (86-52) in “N10” play.

          Young says he is concerned with the height of Bucyrus.  “They're led by a Malachi Bayless, he's one of the top scorers in the “N10” and he has been for the last two years he's been.  He's been up there in scoring.  He's a solid driver that we have got to make sure we pay attention to, we don't lose, I mean because he can go off and score some points especially in spurts,” he told Swankonsports.com on Thursday night, “They have some big kids.  They have three kids that are 6’5” or bigger, so we have got to make sure that we don't give them anything easy inside because that is bigger than we have.  Then we just have to make sure we keep them off the boards.  With that size rebounding comes a little easier, so we have got to make sure that that we're disciplined and focused with keeping them off the boards.  It's one of those things where our biggest guy is maybe 6’3”, 6’4”, so we have got to make sure we use our physicality and try to keep them off the boards.”

 

Published 1/05/24

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Carey Must be Focused

 

          Carey, the Northern 10 Athletic Conference leader, plays at Buckeye Central on Friday night.

          The Blue Devils took the lead to themselves with a (35-31) win at home against Colonel Crawford on Friday night.

          Coach Jamie Young says they are proud of that win.  “Anytime you can go toe to toe with David Sheldon and come out on top I mean you have got to chalk that up as a good win because David's a great coach and he's got a great program over there.  Our kids just love the competition that they provide when we get to play them.  It gets us on top of the league leaderboard by ourselves right now so we're in a pretty good position,” he said.

          Carey (6-3,4-0) takes its act to New Washington to face Buckeye Central (3-5,0-4) on Friday night.  The Bucks lost (51-29) to Seneca East last Friday in league play.  They beat New London (47-25) in a non-league game on Saturday night.

          Young says Buckeye has never been an easy play for them to play.  “Well, in my eight years of coaching we've never went over to Buckeye and played well.  It's always been a dogfight, so I expect nothing but the same from them.  The (Jack) Phillips boy running the point is their top guy.  They play together, they're trying to do things the right way it looks like on film.  It's just one of those things you can't fall asleep on anybody in this league, especially on the road.  It's one of those places we've never played well.  So, it's just one of those things we have got to make sure that we're mentally ready and focused so that we can come out on top.  We don't want to have a bump in the road if we don't need to,” said Young.

          Young says they can’t not take a win for granted or it could cost them.  “That’s what's going to happen.  You throw young kids out there and they're going to have to, they just have to, adapt.  I think they're doing the right things over there.  You watch them on film and they're playing hard, they're getting shots the fall now and once you do that I mean with confidence and anything's possible,” he told Swankonsports.com on Thursday evening, “That's why we talked to the boys all week about just being ready no matter who we play.  We can't look past anybody, we're not that good of a team yet.  We haven't found our niche yet this year and so we have got to keep on doing what we're doing, but we have got to not take anybody lightly.”

 

Published 12/29/23

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Carey and Crawford in Big One

 

          Carey and Colonel Crawford, who share the lead in the Northern 10 Athletic Conference, square off on Friday night in Carey for the outright lead.

          The Blue Devils got a big conference win last Saturday when they downed Wynford (66-59) on their home floor.

          Coach Jamie Young says they had some kids step up.  “They got up on us early and we had a kid go out with an injury, so we had some kids step up like Kyler Boes came in scored ten points off the bench.  It was a great team victory.  We played well, they played well together, and we locked in defensively and got stops and were able to get some buckets and hit free throws down the stretch.  Wynford is a really good team, so anytime you get a game up on them that's a great feeling,” he said.

          Now Tuesday, they were smoked (67-36) by Bluffton in a non-conference game.

          Young says it just wasn’t their game.  “With Brayden (Young) out right now we had to shuffle our lineup up and we were just searching for something.  They're really good team they play four guards and they're active and they got multiple guys that can shoot and put it on the deck.  So, it was a tough matchup for us, but it's one of those things we had to figure some things out and they just they just got the better of us,” he said.

          Carey (5-3,3-0) hosts Colonel Crawford (6-1,3-0), #5 in the Swankonsports.com boys’ basketball coaches poll in the small school division, on Friday night.  Crawford pounded Bucyrus (58-23) in their “N10” game on Saturday.

          Young says they are going to have to find ways to score.  “Well first of all, they're going to be ready to play.  Dave (Sheldon) has them always ready to play.  They're going to make it a grind it out, gritty game.  Trevor 's (Vogt) going to run the show for them, he's one of the best athletes in the league.  He's having a tremendous season so far.  We have got to manage their physicality,” he told Swankonsports.com on Thursday night, “It's one of those games where it's not going to be pretty at times and I mean we're going to have to grind it out and use our physicality.  We're two common teams, I mean in terms of how we play.  We're both half court defense and we just try to get buckets and play defense.”

          Young says this is going to be a physical game and they must do a solid job on the boards.  “Especially with our size inside and they have size inside too.  It's just one of those things that we're going to have to make sure we really do a good job on the boards and not give them extra possessions because the way Crawford is that they’re going to take advantage of every time they get an extra possession.  For us, we have got to work hard to get points.  We're struggling at times getting points this year and it's just going to be one of those games because they're going to know exactly what we're going to do because they're well prepared and we're just going to have to find other ways to get buckets,” said Young.

 

Published 12/22/23

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Carey Looking at Big Week

 

          Carey faces three tough games this week against unbeaten teams as they play Willard in a non-conference game on Tuesday and Seneca East Thursday and Wynford Saturday in games in the Northern 10 Athletic Conference.

          Last week, they beat two good teams too in Mohawk (46-34) in an “N10” game on Friday and Liberty-Benton (49-44) in a non-league game on Saturday.

          Coach Jamie Young says they were big wins.  “Yeah, it was a good weekend.  I mean Friday night it was a tough hard fault game against Mohawk.  It was a battle back and forth.  Then Saturday, we came back and we get down early to Liberty-Benton, down by 11 in third quarter.  The kids, they buckled it up and we took care of business and hit some big shots and were able to squeak out a victory against a good Liberty- Benton team,” he said.

          Willard (2-0) beat Sandusky Perkins (65-58) in a non-conference game last Saturday.

           Young says they have one of the best players in the region in senior guard Max Dawson.  “Max Dawson is the first thing you think about when you think about Willard.  I mean, he's one of the best, if not the best guard in Northwest Ohio in my opinion.  I got the privilege of seeing him in the summer with the Ohio Buckets.  I coached him even one weekend.  So, I mean he's a great player.  He's very dynamic offensively.  That's the first thing you have got to think about.  Then they're a well coached team.  Then Cam Robinson, he's another electric player, he's real tough left-handed kid, goes to the basket hard.  I mean it's going to be a hard fought game.  They're a great coached team and with a player like Max, who can go off and just string buckets together it's going to be tough.  It's really going to put a strain on our defense, but I think our kids are ready to give it a shot and see what we have got,” said Young.

          When it comes to Seneca East (3-0,1-0) and Wynford (5-0,1-0), Young says they play similar styles.  “I mean both teams like up tempo style.  I mean they have got good guard play and they get out and go and defensively they try to pressure you and turn you over to get more of that transition to play their pace.  So, it's one of those things we just got to first we got to take care of the ball make sure we're not leading them into any transition, but then we have to get back an ID shooters and ID players and what their strengths are,” he told Swankonports.com on Monday night, “I mean it's one of those things we're going to stick to our game plan.  We're going to play solid defense and we're going to do what we do offensively.  We're going to share the ball, you'll never know who's going to be our leading scorer.  I mean every game this year it's been a different person.”

          As the defending “N10” champ Carey (3-1,1-0), Young says those games on Thursday and Saturday are vital to them.  “This is a big week for us.  I mean not just Willard, but like the Seneca East and the Wynford games.  I mean those are “N10” games and it's early, but it's a big deal because Wynford is one of the top teams coming back and then Seneca East, they're trying to sneak up on some people, but I think it's a game that we'll be ready to play.  I don't want to look past Willard by any means, but Thursday Seneca East is big game for us,” said Young.

 

Published 12/12/23

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Carey Needs to Handle Expectations

 

          Carey, the defending champion in the Northern 10 Athletic Conference, has a double weekend to start the season as they are at Riverdale on Friday and host Old Fort on Saturday in non-conference play.

          Coach Jamie Young believes they with a lot of experience back they are going to be in position to play well this weekend.  “I think we're moving along pretty good.  We have got some good experience to draw from, so that's always a positive thing.  It makes things a little bit easier.  With the football team being successful like they were we did have a shortened preseason, but we're kind of used to that here the last four or five years.  So, I mean with our experience coming back I think we're ready to go.  We might just have to knock off some of the rust and get our basketball legs back.  I feel pretty confident in my guys right now,” he said.

          Winning the conference last year and having a lot of kids back there are high expectations for the Blue Devils, but Young says they have some unfinished business too.  “There are more expectations, but we always expect a lot of ourselves.  I mean as a program, as a coach and I know our players do as well, especially this particular group.  I mean they were never happy last year with just winning the game.  I mean they weren't happy until we clinched the “N10” title at our place against Mohawk in the last game of the year.  They were disappointed with how the season ended with the loss to Liberty-Benton in the sectional finals.  So, I think once we get rolling here, I mean we're going to be pretty good.  I mean in terms of like the kids mindsets will be pretty on top of it.  We just have to make sure that we focus on Friday and Riverdale,” said Young.

          Riverdale on Friday night will be improved, according to Young, he says the Falcons will play some intensity.  “They bring back a lot of guys from last year.  We played at the beginning of the year, so they didn't have the best season, but coach Drew (Hobensack) over there I think he's got him heading in the right direction.  It's one of those games for us, it's a rivalry game, because it's right in our back door,” he told Swankonsports.com on Wednesday night, “I mean you know they always come play their first game of the year and they're always tough.  They always battle, they don't give up.  I mean it's kind of similar to how we play.  So, I mean I think it's going to be a battle either way and and I'm looking forward to the opportunity.”

 

Published 11/30/23

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Again it’s up Front for Carey

 

          Carey takes on Columbus Grove in a division VI regional semifinal on Friday night at Fostoria High School.

          Last week, they limited run first Columbia to only 72 total yards in stuffing them (48-0) in a quarterfinal match-up.

          Coach Jonathan Mershman says their play in the trenches was the difference.  “I thought our front seven on both sides of the ball played extremely well in that game.  We came out with a really good intensity and energy that I'm hoping we can come out this week with,” said Mershman.

          The Blue Devils (10-2 this year) have now won 11 playoff games in the last four years, including the state championship in 2021.

          Columbus Grove (10-2) hammered Black River (34-6) last week.  They have also won 11 playoff games in the last four seasons.  They finished as runners-up to Marion Local last year in division VI.

          Mershman says the Bulldogs are a very strong running team.  “They have got a really good running back and a really good running game and on defense they're sound on defense and they fly around and make tackles,” he said.

          Mershman says they have seen a lot of very good teams this fall, but in his opinion, Columbus Grove may be the best so far.  “Well, we played two very good teams right off the rip and Hopewell-Loudon, who is still undefeated and still playing and Galion in week two who took an exit last week, but played a really tough game and lost 22-19,” he told Swankosports.com on Monday night, “Those two teams are really, really good and now Columbus Grove, yeah, I would say it probably is the best team we played to date.”

          With the way Carey runs its offense and their strength on defense, Mershman says again they have to win at the point of attack.  “We have a physical up front and our front seven on both sides of the ball have to own the line of scrimmage,” he said.

 

Published 11/07/23

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It’s Carey Against Columbia

 

          Carey entertains Columbia in a division VI regional quarterfinal on Friday night.

          The Blue Devils (9-2) last week ended season for Crestview, out of the Firelands Conference, (29-6) on Friday.

          Coach Jonathan Mershman says they played pretty well in getting that win.  “It was a solid victory for us.  They came out fired up, both Crestview and ourselves, both came in.  It was a great hitting game throughout the whole game and I thought our boys played really well,” he said.

          Columbia (10-1) also beat a team out of the Firelands Conference in Mapleton (56-14) in their opening round game.

          Mershman says the Raiders will feature a lot of motion in the backfield, but their intension is to run the football.  “Offensively, they have got a great running back, a great running attack.  They're going to do a lot of motions to confuse your eyes, so you have got to have eye discipline and watch your keys and trust them,” he told Swankonsports.com on Thursday evening, “We have got to be solid on defense.  On offense we have got to be able to move the ball.  We have got to be able to rush the ball.”

          Carey has been successful this season in running the football up the gut.  Mershman says Columbia is going to try to clog up the middle of the field.  “They're usually typically in a 5-2 look and with that they'll pinch hard and they're going to give us everything they can up the middle and try to force the us outside,” he said.

 

Published 11/03/23

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Carey has to stop Run

 

          Carey, the Northern 10 Athletic Conference champion, plays host to Crestview, of the Firelands Conference, on Friday night a division VI first round playoff game.

          It was a destruction of Seneca East (55-6) that gave the Blue Devils an undisputed title in the “N10”.

          Coach Jonathan Mershman says they were not interested in sharing.  “I mean Friday night we took care of business and got that outright title in the “N10” and now we're looking forward to playing Crestview at home,” he said.

          Carey won the state title in 2021 and Mershman says they understand that the playoffs are different.  “I mean it's win or go home and you have got to play your best every week and it’s six straight weeks of playing your best,” he said.

          Carey (8-2), #5 in the final Swankonsports.com football coaches poll in the small school division, entertains Crestview (4-6) on Friday night.  The Cougars are coming off a (28-18) loss to Mapleton in a Firelands Conference game.

          The Blue Devils beat Crestview (42-14) on their way to that state title in 2021 and by the same score in a playoff game in 2020.

          Mershman sys they need to stop the Crestview run game.  “Well, they're going to give us a bunch of different fronts on defense and they're going to throw everything but the kitchen sink at us.  Offensively, they want to run the ball and if you can't stop the run then it's going to be a long night,” said Mershman.

          Liam Kuhn leads the “FC” in passing yards this season, but Mershman says that is due mostly to their play action game.  “They have got a quarterback that’s got over 1,200 yards throwing.  They have got a really good receiver, #23,” he told Swankonsports.com on Wednesday night, “We have got to make sure we can stop the pass, but again it comes down to that play action pass, so if you can't stop the run, that play action pass looks real good.”

 

Published 10/26/23

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Carey Wants to be Selfish

 

          Carey is looking to claim its third straight Northern 10 Athletic Conference title and they will get that if they win at Seneca East on Friday night.

          Also at stake is the opportunity to be at home for the first two rounds of the division VI playoffs.  To do that, you have to be in the first four in your region and right now Carey sits at number five in its region.

          Last week, they scored six times in the first quarter, similar to the week before against Bucyrus, and they whipped Upper Sandusky (61-14) to wrap up no less than a share of the league title.

          Coach Jonathan Mershman says they want a similar start this week.  “We came out ready to play in both those games.  I'm really proud of the way we came out ready to play.  This week I'm hoping we can bring that same intensity and readiness right away at Seneca East having two things that we're really fighting for,” said Mershman.

          Carey (7-2,6-0) is over at Seneca East (5-4,3-2) on Friday night.  The Tigers were smoked last week by Wynford (66-34) in conference play.  They gave up almost 600 total yards to the Royals.

          Mershman says they have an outstanding quarterback in Blake Foos.  He says they want to make the Tigers stop their power run game.  “Offensively, their quarterback is you know similar to what we saw with Upper Sandusky.  A really good dual threat quarterback, can run, can throw and they're going to spread us out and try to hit us in those gaps,” he told Swankonsports.com on Monday night, “We're going to need to be really sound on the defensive end.  That's our main focus right now.  Offensively, we're going to do what we do and move those guys around and see what we can do.”

          Foos leads the “N10” in rushing yards.

          Carey leads Colonel Crawford by a game.  The Eagles play Buckeye Central this week.  Mershman says they are not in the mood to share that title.  “I'm not very good at sharing I guess and that's kind of what our mentality is, we don't want to share, we want this thing outright,” he said.

 

Published 10/17/23

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Carey Reved up For Upper

 

          Carey can earn no less than a co-title in the Northern 10 Athletic Conference on Friday night with a win at rival Upper Sandusky.

          It would be their third in a row.

          They destroyed Bucyrus (63-0) last week.

          Coach Jonathan Mershman says they came on the field ready to play and it showed.  “In the first quarter, scoring 42 points, we came out fast and hard and it was a great first quarter for us.  We played really, really good.  That was a start that we've been looking for all season and I was really impressed with the way we started in that game offensively, defensively, and special teams.  I think we snowballed it pretty fast on Bucyrus.  I think if we didn't come out like we did that game would be a little more dangerous,” said Mershman.

          Carey (6-2,5-0) plays down the road at Upper Sandusky (4-4,3-2) on Friday night.  Last week, Kaden Holman ran it in with :19 left to give the Rams a (48-42) win over Buckeye Central.

          Mershman says Holman is a tremendous player.  “Their offense is really dynamic led by their quarterback.  Their quarterback can get it done running, throwing, making things up, whatever he needs to do, backyard ball, on schedule ball, he has all the tools,” he told Swankonsports.com on Thursday evening, “We're going to have to play really sound defense this week on all three levels linebacker, defensive line, and DB's are going to have to really pay attention to stay on their guys.”

          Upper can accomplish a goal on Friday night with a win over Upper, but Mershman says they are bragging rights on the line too.  “There are a lot of league things riding on this game and not only that it's a rivalry game.  We're next door just like we are with Mohawk.  We're right next to each other.  There's a lot of family and there's a lot of cousins.  Again, there's a lot of crossover there and people hang out with each other.  So, this is one of those games where everybody gets to do a little extra chatting and talking and getting a little fired up,” he said.

 

Published 10/13/23

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Carey Needs Consistency

 

          Carey, the leader in the Northern 10 Athletic Conference, plays at home against winless Bucyrus on Friday night.

          Last week, they survived to beat rival Mohawk (28-13) in an “N10” game and maintain a one game lead on Colonel Crawford, Wynford and Seneca East.

          Coach Jonatha Mershman says they did what they had to do to win.  “I mean Mohawk came and played us really tough.  I mean they gave us everything we could handle.  That's a rivalry game, so we're 10 minutes apart and you have got cousins and brothers and stuff like that playing.  There's a lot of heat there, so I knew that they were going to come with everything they have.  They gave it their best shot and luckily at the end there we pulled away,” said Mershman.

          The Carey coach says there are some definite things they want to work on to improve this week.  “Just being more consistent up front, you know blocks and staying on our blocks and you know and playing with a little bit more energy.  I think those are the things that we're focusing on this week,” he said.

          Carey (5-2,4-0) hosts Bucyrus (0-7,0-4) on Friday night.  Bucyrus is coming off a (44-14) humbling at the hands of the Seneca East Tigers.

          Mershman says Bucyrus has shown they can score points and their defense is going to have to be able to play.  “They have got some really good skill guys.  They're a little young up front.  I think they have got like three freshmen and a sophomore up front on the offensive line, but they're big and they're getting better and better, that's what those young guys do,” he told Swankonsports.com on Monday night, “They have got some really good skill and they're scoring points.  So, if we don't come ready to play on defense in the blink of an eye, they could have some points on the board.”

 

Published 10/03/23

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Carey Faces a Different Challenge

 

          Carey, now all alone in first place in the Northern 10 Athletic Conference, host Wyandot Couty rival Mohawk in a conference game on Friday night.

          Carey leads Colonel Crawford, Wynford, Seneca East and Upper Sandusky by a game each.

          They handed Crawford their first loss of the year (27-7) last Friday night.

          Coach Jonathan Mershman says they made some big plays in the second half to secure that win.  “I mean that's a really, really good program and a really, really good team that we beat Friday night.  They came in undefeated.  I thought we played really, really well on both sides of the ball.  I think in the third quarter, we got a really good kickoff return from Austin Niederkohr that really sparked some energy into our team,” said Mershman.

          Carey bases a lot of its success on what they do in the trenches and Mershman says those guys did the job against Crawford.  “It's about our front seven on both sides of the ball that's where we make our hay.  Those guys work their tails off and don't get as much recognition as they need for what we do game in and game out,” he said.

          Carey (4-2,3-0) is at home for Mohawk (1-5,1-2) on Friday night.  The Warriors lost (39-34) to Upper Sandusky last week when the Rams rallied in the final moments.

          Mershman says they have some playmakers on offense and a lot of quickness on the defensive line.  “They are very dynamic on offense.  They spread you out.  They're going to hit the openings and then run the ball once you start spreading out.  So, they have got a really dynamic offense and we're going to have to stay on our toes on defense,” he told Swankonsports.com on Wednesday evening, “They run a 5-2 defense and they have got some quick guys up front.  They're not real big, but man are they quick.  So, it's going to be a little bit different for us and we have to play a little bit different up front than we have in the last couple weeks.”

 

Published 9/28/23

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Carey Can’t Have Turnovers

 

          Over the las two seasons, this has been the biggest game in the Northern 10 Athletic Conference and it promises to be again this season as Carey hosts Colonel Crawford on Friday night.

          Last year, Carey won the regular season game at Crawford, and with it claimed the “N10” title, but the Eagles returned the favor by winning at Carey in the second round of the division VI playoffs.

          This year they share first place in the conference.

          The Blue Devils beat Buckeye Central (41-0) in an “N10” game last Friday.

          Coach Jonathan Mershman says they did a lot of good things.  “I thought we came out and played really well in the first half and you know got that running clock in the second half and it just kind of went really fast in the second half,” he told Swankonsports.com on Wednesday evening, “I thought we played really well front on both sides of the ball and handled some of their big boys fairly well and we're able to move the ball affectively.”

          Carey (3-2,2-0) plays the host to Colonel Crawford (5-0,2-0) on Friday.  The Eagles downed Seneca East (29-14) in their league game last week.

          Mershman says there is no doubt these are two teams that want to feature running the football.  “They have played really good up front on both sides of the ball you know and they replaced a lot of guys and they have just filled in really well.  They're 5-0 and they're the same as us.  They want to stop the run and they want to run the ball, so it's a battle of the two things that we both want to do, so it should be really exciting Friday night,” said Mershman.

          It’s going to boil down to execution and Mershman says the team that wins the turnover battle.  “And turnovers, holding on to the ball for us and getting some turnovers on defense for us would be huge in the game and swing momentum,” he said.

 

Published 9/21/23

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Carey With Different Challenges

 

          Carey began defense of its title in the Northern 10 Athletic Conference with an excellent performance last week and now they travel to New Washington to face the Buckeye Central Bucks.

          Carey (2-2,1-0) destroyed Wynford (34-0) last week.

          Coach Jonathan Mershman says they were very good on both sides of the ball.  “Our guys came out fired up and ready to go.  That was a complete game for us offensively and defensively and we got some big plays from our special teams.  I thought we played a really good game top to bottom overall,” he said.

          It has been an interesting week of practice for the Blue Devils, but Mershman thinks they have gotten through it alright.  “That's what this week's about is about sharpening the sword and getting better.  We have fair week this week, so we have guys coming and going, so there were little hiccups here, but overall, I thought we had a really good week of practice with all the distractions of fair week and guys showing animals and all that hoopla.  I thought for the most part we stayed focused and got some other guys some reps when guys were missing.  I think we're ready to go for Friday night,” said Mershman.

          Buckeye Central (2-2,0-1) got smoked (56-15) by Mohawk in a conference game last week.  Derex Dean leads the “N10” in TD passes with 11.

          Mershman says they will see some different looks for Buckeye.  “They run a 3-3 stack and we haven't really seen that this year.  So, offensively we'll have to do some things a little bit differently to block a little bit different defense.  They’re offense is a spread to spread you out throw the ball type of offense and it's a little bit different,” he told Swankonsports.com on Thursday night, “We haven't seen empty that much this year and they like to go empty and hit their plethora of receivers that they have got.  So, it's going to be a little bit different for us than last week.  Wynford was get under center and ran the ball, so this is high school football and you have got to adjust week to week.”

 

Published 9/15/2023

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Carey Has to be Physical

 

          Carey is the defending champion in the Northern 10 Athletic Conference and they open conference play at home Friday night against the Wynford Royals.

          After two losses to begin the season, the Blue Devils (1-2) beat Lima Central Catholic (28-14) last week.

          Coach Jonathan Mershman says it certainly allowed them to breath a little easier.  “We needed that win.  That win really rejuvenated our locker room got everybody excited a little bit in having fun playing football again.  We looked a lot better having fun,” he said.

          Wynford, also (1-2) on the year, lost last week to Western Reserve (28-20) in a non-conference game.  They had a pass batted away in the end zone as time expired.

          Mershman says Wynford wants to be a power football team.  “That’s a physical brand of football that they want to play.  Their defensive line is very big and stout led by #66 Skidmore the coach’s little brother.  I mean he's got a motor.  Then their offensive line is the same way.  They want to they play a physical brand of football,” said Mershman.

          Mershman says both teams are very similar in their approach and it is going to boil down to who can control the line off scrimmage.  “It's one of those games where both teams want to do the same thing.  Both want to stop the run, both want to own the trenches, and both want to run the ball,” he told Swankonsports.com on Thursday evening, “Something's got to give for one to win.  Friday night's going to be very exciting to find out who's got that that physicality.”

 

Published 9/08/23

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Carey Plays Another Tough One

 

          It’s another tough game for the Carey Blue Devils as they entertain Lima Central Catholic in a non-conference game come Friday night.

          They lost a nailbiter (21-14) last week to the Galion Tigers.

          Coach Jonathan Mershman says they were unable to finish and that cost them the game.  “We had our chances in that game and we just didn't finish in the end zone.  We need to do a better job in the red zone and finishing drives in the end zone and get those points.  If we're able to do that and I think we could change that game tremendously,” said Mershman.

          LCC (1-1) lost a shootout (42-40) to Delphos St. John’s last week.

          Mershman says they have a tremendous quarterback in Carson Parker.  He threw for 210 yards and ran for another 115 last week.  He says they need to contain him.  “They have a great offense, a really stud quarterback this year.  They were a final four team and that quarterback was a junior last year and led them that far.  I mean he's a stud and all of their offense goes through him.  So, it's going to be a big test for our defense,” he said.

          Carey (0-2) also lost week one to Hopewell-Loudon (36-19).

          Mershman says Friday night is far from a must win, but it would be nice to get.  “It’s another non-league game, so everything we want is still in front of us.  We can't make the moment bigger than it actually is.  It's just a game three.  It's not going to make or break our whole season this game, but on the other hand getting that win would put us, okay, now we can go,” he told Swankonsports.com on Tuesday night, “I think that's what we're kind of aiming for.  Let's get this thing started, let's get it rolling against a really good football team and we'll see where we're at then.  We're finding ourselves.  Playing these good teams right off the bat  it's really helping us find who we are truly.”

 

Published 8/30/23

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Carey Must Limit Mistakes

 

          Carey needs to bounce back as they head for Galion and a game with the Tigers in non-conference play on Friday night.

          In their opener, they lost (36-19) to Hopewell-Loudon.  They also lost to the Chieftains in their first game in 2021.  They never lost again that year in winning the division VI state title.

          Coach Jonathan Mershman says they let things get out of hand in the second quarter.  “We started out fast and had a good first quarter and then the second quarter snowballed on us quick.  I was telling our coaches at one point we only ran three offensive plays to their 20 and that was kind of a deciding factor for us.  We had two turnovers in those three plays and one went for a touchdown.  They scored on all three of their possessions in their 20 plays.  So, the tail is that that second quarter for us.  I think we need to clean some things up and I'll tell you what they have got some really good skilled guys,” said Mershman.

          Mershman says going forward they can’t turn the ball over like they did last week.  “You can't turn the ball over.  Turning the ball over is a no, no, especially on the first play of the series not giving your defense anytime to rest.  When it is a little bit warmer out, like it is right now, so that's number one.  We just can't let it snowball on us like that.  You could tell it was getting a little out of hand.  We have got to calm things down and get back to playing basics and playing our ball,” he said.

          Galion edged Wynford (28-20) in their first game that was played last Thursday night.  It was delayed due to lightning.

          Mershman says they do a lot of things and they really aren’t sure what to expect from the Tigers.  “That was a very good game, very close game.  Galion had two special teams touchdowns I think really put them over the top.  It was a really close game.  It was a little bit of a mud game, so they didn't get to do some of their spread stuff that they did in their scrimmage,” he told Swankonsports.com on Wednesday night, “Are they going to be grinding down like they did with Wynford or are they going to show us what they did against Tiffin Columbian.  So, not a whole lot of tape to get up good read on that.”

 

Published 8/24/23

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Carey to be Tested

 

          Carey, the defending Northern 10 Athletic Conference champion, visits Hopewell-Loudon, last year’s Sandusky Bay Conference River Division winner, on Friday night in non-league play.

          Carey coach Jonathan Mershman says his kids made a lot of improvement in the preseason and are poised to put in a good performance.  “I like the way we're coming together and we're jelling together these last couple days of two a days going into this week.  Then we have got school starting (Thursday), so that's always exciting.  I think we're ready to go.  I think we're excited about this weekend.  I really like this match up with Hopewell-Loudon to open up the season.  It goes back to the “MAL” when we used to play each other all the time.  In the last two years, we started this back up as game one and I think it's a really good litmus test for both of us,” said Mershman.

          Mershman says the Chieftains have the ability to score quickly and that is because they have explosive players.  “They have got a really good skilled group.  The quarterback’s back, they have got some really good receivers and they're running back is pretty shifty.  I know he filled in at the end of last year and he did a really nice job for them at the running back position.  So, I mean offensively I think they're going to be a load.  Defensively, they bring it they tackle well and they're well coached,” he said.

          You will see some teams schedule games they know they should win, but not Carey.  Mershman says they wanted to be tested and they will be on Friday night.  “You really want to know what you’ve got you.  Everybody's fired up ready for the season.  Sometimes you may have too big of a head or you might have it just right.  I go back to 2021 we played Hopewell at their place they laid it to us and that was our only loss that year,” he told Swankonsports.com on Wednesday night, “I think that put us in our place where we needed to get back to work.  I'm not crazy about losing a ball game to get that done, but you want to play a good game so you know exactly what you're dealing with.”

 

Published 8/17/23

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Carey With Answers to Find

 

          Carey, the defending Northern 10 Athletic Conference champion, faces their final scrimmage test on Friday and then it’s on to week one of the regular season.

          They play Hopewell-Loudon in their first game of the season next Friday on the road in Bascom.

          Coach Jonathan Mershman has been pretty pleased with what he has seen during the preseason.  “I thought so far two a days have went real well for us.  I've liked the growth that we've had from our players,” he told Swankonsports.com on Thursday night, “I was really kind of pleased with the second part of our scrimmage last Friday and the growth that we had this week.  So, I'm sitting pretty happy with what we're doing right now, not satisfied, but pretty happy.”

          The improvement the Blue Devils have shown this preseason has been very consistent and Mershman says that is what you look for.  “That's what I've seen so far in the 13 days or whatever it's been that we've been doing this.  I've seen steps going forward pretty much every day and I really am enthused by that.  Especially, even our young guys and I've seen some really big growth in our junior class,” said Mershman.

          Carey will have their preview scrimmage on Friday night as they host Elida, a bigger school.

          Number one in Mershman’s mind is to get some answers about who is going to be able to play where.  “We still have some spots that need filled and have some battles.  I would really like to have answers and not more questions.  That's always bad when you come out of the second scrimmage with more questions than answers, so that's kind of where I'm going for with this scrimmage,” he said.

 

Published 8/11/23

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Carey Meets Liberty-Benton in Sectional Final

 

          It’s not very often that you see conference champions meet in a sectional final, but that is the case Friday night at Miller City High School as Carey, the Northern 10 Athletic Conference champion, tangles with Liberty-Benton, the Blanchard Valley Conference champion.

          Carey (19-3), #1 in the final Swankonsports.com boys’ basketball coaches poll in the small school division, was the third seed in the district, but Liberty-Benton, with the number four, jumped right in that bracket and then smoked Parkway (60-38) in a Tuesday night semifinal to set up the match-up.

          Carey won the outright title in the “N10” with a (48-31) beating of Mohawk last Friday night.

          Coach Jamie Young says they were not in sharing mood.  “The kids, they wanted that.  After the Upper game we had clinched a share and I thought I'd go in the locker room and they'd be a little bit more excited and they were just businesslike as usual and all they said was we don't want to share.  So, we had a great week of practice and the kids really came ready to play.  They really wanted it and they just went out and took it,” he said.

          Liberty-Benton (19-3) was unbeaten in the “BVC” this year.

          Young says they can do things inside and out.  “They play really good defense. I mean they're comparable with our style of defense, they do the same thing.  They have got two kids inside Carson Conaway and Carson Doolittle, who are like are their main offensive threats.  Doolittle is about 6’3” he's able to get the ball to the basket and he's able to play the point guard if they need him to.  Conaway inside, he is 6’5” and he’s got a good touch around the rim and can extend the floor,” said Young.

          Now, these two teams played back on January 16 and the Eagles handed Carey a (54-32) loss.

          Young says this time they have to play more physical and execute on offense a lot better than they did last month.  “We have got to take better care of the basketball.  I think they were physical with us and we weren't ready for that, you know coming from us as that sounds like something.  They just pressured us really well and we got in a hurry and we weren't able to get good looks later in the game,” he told Swankonsports.com on Wednesday night, “We competed with them for the majority of the game, but then down the stretch we just went cold on offense and they executed their offense.  So, we have to just be a little better offensively, be more directed in what we want to do and be strong when we do it.”

 

Published 2/23/23

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Carey Wants Quick Start

 

          You don’t want kids to be selfish, especially in basketball, but that is not the case Friday night for the Carey Blue Devils.  They want the Northern 10 Athletic Conference title to themselves and the only way to get it is to beat second place Mohawk.

          If the Warriors win, they will share the title with Carey.

          Coach Jamie Young says the kids really don’t see it as title if they don’t win it outright.  “When we beat Upper the other night I went into the locker room and I told the kids you just earned a spot in Carey history because we've never had “N10” title and they said it doesn't matter right now because we're worried about trying to get it outright.  So, the kids are focused, they know what they want.  It should be a great environment.  It's going to be a packed house and it's a great opportunity for us to have a big game with a lot of meaning right before the tournament starts,” said Young.

          Carey (18-3,12-1), #1 in the Swankonsports.com boys’ basketball coaches poll in the small school division, is at home for Mohawk (19-2,11-2), #4 in our poll, on Friday night.  The Warriors picked up a big (50-29) win over defending champion Colonel Crawford on Friday night.

          Young says the are really explosive on offense and the Mohawk defense is outstanding.  “Lately they've been getting off to really good starts.  I mean against Crawford they were up 16-0 against Seneca East they got a big lead early.  They have just been getting out early and being explosive offensively and their defense has been really good,” he told Swankonsports.com on Thursday evening, “It's one of those things where we have got to come ready to play and we have got to make sure we take care of the ball and not feed into their energy.  I mean they have got what I think is probably the player of the year in the league in A.J. Hess and they have got they got three or four other kids that that are able to hang 10 to 15 on you if you let them.  So, we have got make sure we come out ready to play and not let them get off to a fast start.”

          So far, Mohawk is the only team to beat Carey in the league (47-45) on January 7.

          Hess averages (19,6 ppg) and was just selected as the division IV district 6 player of the year.  Young says he is hard to defend because he can score from all over the palce.  “It's tough because he can score on all three levels.  I mean he can post you up, he can hit the mid range jumper going off the dribble and he can hit the three, plus he's 6’5”, so that gives him added length over top of us to shoot.  So, we just have got to make sure we make everything difficult on him, make sure he doesn't get to his spots and just try to keep him off the boards because the last time we played him he had a few offensive boards down the stretch that that closed the game for them,” he said.

 

Published 2/17/23

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Carey With Its Chance

 

          Carey can win no less than a share of a Northern 10 Athletic Conference title with a win at Upper Sandusky on Friday night.

          They lead Mohawk by a game in the standings and play the Warriors next week.

          Coach Jamie Young since they can not be think about Mohawk Friday, their focus must be on Upper Sandusky.  “Oh definitely, I mean anytime Carey and Upper get together it's going to be a battle regardless of the record.  We just focus on one game at a time.  We're not good enough to look past anybody.  We just maintain our focus on the next game in front of us and that's Upper,” he told Swankonports.com on Thursday evening, “They are solid team, you look at their record it doesn't look good, but I mean they got some good players.  Ethan Kessler and Holden Daris are some of the better players in the league.  Coach (Jeff) Winslow will always have his boys ready to play.  Like I said earlier, it's Carey-Upper, so anything goes.”

          Over the last five games, all wins for the Blue Devils, the have not allowed an opponent to score more than 50 points in a game, averaging less than 35.

          Young says he has kids that buy into defense.  “We have got the kids that will just get down and defend, their gritty kids.  We don't have the best athletes and we're not the biggest team, but the kids just get after it.  That's one thing we've preached since day one, since when I took over the program, it’s defense first and the kids bought into it.  You can see that in the way we defend and the points that the other team scores on us.  So, it's just a mindset and the kids bought into it.  I have got the right group of kids that want to do it, so it works out well,” said Young.

          Carey (16-3,11-1), #1 in the Swankonsports.com boys’ basketball coaches poll in the small school division, plays at Upper Sandusky (3-16,3-9) on Friday night.  The Rams beat Bucyrus (54-47) last Friday in an “N10” game and then lost (63-58) in triple overtime to Buckeye Central on Saturday night.

          Young says one thing you can count on is the Rams are always going to play hard and they have to match that intensity.  “Definitely, especially going over there because no matter what the game when you go to Upper it's going to be a good crowd and it's going to be a great high school environment.  With what we have got going on with the benefit for Lonnie McMillan’s son I think it's going to be a packed house and I think it's just going to be a great high school environment,” he said.

          McMillian is writer for the Upper Sandusky Chief Union and his son is dealing with rare genetic disease.

 

Published 2/10/23

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Carey Must Play Hard

 

          Carey, the leader in the Northern 10 Athletic Conference, plays at Buckeye Central on Friday and at home against Bucyrus in a double weekend of league games.

          They earned a big win over Colonel Crawford (47-38) last Saturday to put the defending champs two games back.

          Coach Jamie Young says they were really good on defense.  “The kids were really locked in.  There was a lot at stake on the line for in that game.  I mean if we if we lost that game we would have been we would been tied with Mohawk and Crawford.  So, the kids came out and we really executed well defensively.  I mean you know Braxton (Baker) is one of the top players in the league and we made it tough on him.  (Jacob) Maddy, when he got in there, I know he was a little under the weather, but he's still 6’5” and he's a force inside.  So, the kids did a really good job and executed the game plan perfectly defending those two.  It's all about the kids just buying into what we were trying to do as a team and then we just we were able to score enough points to get the “W,” said Young.

          Carey holds a one game lead on Mohawk with Crawford and Wynford two behind.

          Young says it is going to be a fun final three weeks of the season.  “We kind of talk about what we could do, but we just try to take it one game at a time.  We don't want to slip up on anybody we play.  So, our focus right now is solely on Buckeye Central they have got the (Tyler) Sanderson kid.  He's a hardnosed kid, he's tough, he’s one of the better guards in the league,” he told Swankonsports.com on Thursday evening, “Anytime you go over to Buckeye and play it's a battle.  I mean it's how it's been since I started coaching at Carey.  It's like you go to Buckeye you're going to get a battle regardless of the record that of the team.  So, it's one of those games we just want to come in and play our style of defense and try to get the ball to go in the hoop and hopefully come out of there the “W”.

          Young says that Buckeye is going to try and make it a grind it out kind of game.  “That's what they do.  I mean they make the game ugly.  They'll have long possessions and they'll make you work offensively to get buckets.  They are not going to give you anything easy.  So, we want to try to just play our pressure defense and hopefully get them to turn it over a few times so we get some run outs and get a lead and then hopefully we can just relax and play.  It's never easy going over there and never has been in the seven years that I've been coaching,” he said.

 

Published 2/03/23

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Carey With Big Week

 

          Carey, the co-leader in the Northern 10 Athletic Conference, plays a couple of big games this week as they host talented Cardinal Stritch in a non-league on Tuesday and then have a possible battle with Colonel Crawford for sole possession of first place in the “N10” on Saturday night.

          They are tied now, but Colonel Crawford has a league game with rival Wynford on Tuesday night.

          Carey smokes Wynford (61-37) on Saturday night.

          Coach Jamie Young says they were able to take Wynford out of their offense.  “It all started with our defense.  With our pressure and intensity we were able to contain their dribblers and their shooters didn't get open because of that.  I mean the kids really stepped up.  We played well defensively.  Then offensively, it was nice to be home for the first time in five games and the kids shot well.  They felt comfortable so things started going in and then it just snowballed.  Wynford's a good team, I think we just had one heck of a night and maybe it wasn't their best night,” said Young.

          Cardinal Stritch, from the Toledo area, is having a great season (12-2) and in second place in the Toledo Area Athletic Conference.  They beat Tiffin Calvert (59-39) way back at the beginning of the year.

          Young says the will be a challenge.  “They have got two good guards and couple good big men, they're athletic, they get out and pressure, and they'll switch up defenses.  So, it's going to be a good measuring stick for us.  They're in the Norwalk district and right now they're leading the Norwalk district and as far as the RPI goes.  So, it's just like last Monday with Liberty-Benton, it's a good measuring stick to see where we're at in the season.  Hopefully, we can we can come out and compete and come out with a victory,” he said.

          Now, the most important game of the week will be on Saturday when Carey (11-2,8-1), #3 in the Swankonsports.com boys’ basketball coaches poll in the small school division, challenge Colonel Crawford (12-3,7-1), #4 in the poll.  They broke the Eagles 58-game regular season win streak when they beat them (51-47) on December 16.

          Young looks at Saturday as a opportunity.  “I love competing against (coach) Dave (Sheldon) and his staff.  I mean his teams are always ready to play and that's why he's been the best coach in our league for since it came around.  So, I mean it's just an opportunity for us to get another win and get a little better standing in the “N10.”

 

Published 1/24/23

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Carey Needs to Make Shots

 

          Carey, the co-leader in the Northern10 Athletic Conference, will play at home against Wynford, a game back, in a conference game on Saturday night.

          Right now, Carey and Colonel Crawford lead Mohawk and Wynford by a game in the conference standings.

          Carey lost (52-34) to unbeaten Liberty-Benton in a non-conference game on Monday night.

          Coach Jamie Young says they couldn’t convert many shots in the second half.  “It was a hard fought tournament style game.  The defense they played was outstanding.  They pressured the ball and they got all over us.  It was a tough game for us.  We were with them for the majority of the game and then they just turned it on and our offense just shut down.  We weren't able to hit shots.  A lot of it had to do with their defense.  It was a tough test, it was a great test for us at this point season because it's one of the better teams that we've played all year.  So, it was a good test, a measuring stick, to see where we're at and see what we need to improve on from here on going out,” said Young.

          Carey (10-2,7-1), #3 in the Swankonsports.com boys’ basketball coaches poll in the small school division, plays host to Wynford (9-3,5-2) on Saturday night.  Wynford beat Upper Sandusky (77-74) in overtime in a league game on Friday night.

          Young says the Royals have a lot of guys that can put the ball in the basket.  “Offensively, they get they get out and go.  They have got multiple shooters on the perimeter.  They have got good size and McGuire is playing really well here lately.  Against Upper he had a tremendous game, he is able to go inside out,” he told Swankonsports.com on Wednesday evening, “It's just one of those things we're going to have to try to make sure we get back in transition and defend.  Then offensively we just have got to make our shots.  We been haven't shooting the ball the best here lately.  So, hopefully after being on the road for five games in a row we can get some home cooking here and get the ball in the basket a little bit easier than it has a past few games.”

          Young says they have to have good transition defense and they also need to keep the Royals from getting to the basket.  “I think initially we have to get back in transition because they do get out and run.  Even their bigs get out and run.  (Sam) McMillan as well.  He is 6’5”, 6’6” and he gets out and runs.  So, we have got to make sure we get back in transition and stop the ball and stop them from driving.  They like to do a lot of things off penetration.  They like to use dribble handoffs.  We have got to communicate and just make sure we stay in front of them.  We have go to shut down their driving lanes and then we just have to make sure we close out on shooters because they like I said they have got multiple shooters.  So, we just have go to sit down and play our base defense and then keep them off the boards because they do have size and length,” said Young.

 

Published 1/19/23

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Carey Needs to Shoot Well

 

          Carey, the co-leader in the Northern 10 Athletic Conference, plays at Seneca East in a conference game on Friday night.

          They lost their first game of the season last Saturday when Mohawk beat them (47-45) and knocking them into a share of the conference lead with Colonel Crawford.

          Coach Jamie Young says they got off to a terrible start in that game and could never quite get over the hump.  “It was a game where we came out and Mohawk was the aggressor right away and they punched us in the mouth and it took us a while to react to that.  We were nonexistent offensively in the first half, only scoring eight points.  Once we figured it out, we made some adjustments at halftime just fired the kids up and they came out and we played a much better third quarter where we tied them 15-15.  Then in the fourth quarter we really cut into the lead,” he told Swankonsports.com on Wednesday night, “We had chances down one with two minutes ago.  We had a chance to get a stop and go down and try to get a bucket, but we didn't get that stop.  So, I mean it's just one of those things where I think we were kind of happy with where we were at and we just thought we were better than we were and Mohawk showed us that we got a lot to work to do.  So, it's just one of those things where we just got to continue to get better every day.”

          Carey (8-1,6-1), #3 in the Swankonsports.com boys’ basketball coaches poll in the small school division, plays at Seneca East (9-4,4-3) on Friday night.

          Young says after the loss to Mohawk, they should come out blazing.  “You would think that the kids should be fired up ready to go.  I mean we've had a decent week of practice and we've had a week to stew on this loss to Mohawk.  We need to come out and we need to really focus defensively, that's one, and then offensively we have to be able to knock down shots.  We haven’t a shot the ball well the last couple of games, so we have got to make sure that we're taking shots that are good for us and we're just lining them up and shooting confidence,” he said.

          Seneca East lost to Mohawk (71-53) in a “N10” game played on Wednesday night.  Carey beat them (65-54) on December 3.

          Young says their guards make them explosive.  “I really like their backcourt with Isaac and Luke Mason.  I mean Luke is a really good point guard, especially for a freshman, real under control.  Isaac is just the nonstop, his motor never stops.  Then they got other kids that just play a role and are good inside.  The (Blake) Foos kid is good inside and he can he can pull up from 15 feet and take you off the dribble.  So, it's one of the teams that they're high scoring offense that we got to make sure that we're really locked in defensively and not giving them anything easy.  Then offensively we just we have got to play our game and make sure we're knocking down our shots and again and get us extra opportunities,” said Young.

 

Published 1/12/23

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Carey Needs to Continue to Play Defense

 

          Carey, the leader in the Northern 10 Athletic Conference, plays down the road at Mohawk on Saturday night.

          On Tuesday night, the Blue Devils struggled offensively, but they beat Bucyrus (49-35) to remain unbeaten on the season.

          Coach Jamie Young says they found a way to win.  “It was one of those games where we did not shoot the ball well.  I mean we're getting shots we wanted.  They came out in that zone.  We hit our first couple of threes and then we just went ice cold.  Our shooters weren't able to hit shots and we were getting good shots that we wanted.  We didn't convert on some steals we had early in the game, which left them in the game.  Kudos to them because Bucyrus played hard.  You would think you got we got up on them a little bit early and they never gave up and they kept battling back,” said Young.

          Young says it was good for them to not shoot it well, but do other things well enough to win.  “It was just good for us because it wasn't easy and we didn't play our best game but, we found a way to win and that was the key.  We just had to find a way to win.  I just never panicked, but at the same time as a coach you don't want to have those games but sometimes you need those games.  A team like us the majority of us are juniors.  We only have two returners back from last year.  So, it was one of those things where hopefully we can learn from it, get better from it, and get ready for the next game.”

          Carey (8-0,6-0), #2 in the Swankonsports.com boys’ basketball coaches poll in the small school division, plays rival Mohawk (8-2,3-2) on Saturday night.  The Warriors lost to Colonel Crawford (58-49) last Friday in an “N10” game.

          Young says they have a lot of guys that can score, not just A.J. Hess and they have to be mindful of that.  “They're very explosive offensively.  I mean A.J. (Hess) is one of the top scorers in our league.  I mean he can get high and he can really extend the floor or he can you know being 6’5” he can do damage inside or he can he can score off the pull up,” he told Swankonsports.com on Thursday night, “So, I mean he's a dangerous guy that we're going to really pay attention to, but you can't pay attention to just him because they have got shooters all around him.  With (Brayden) Chester and “Boomer” Cleveland, he's really playing well right now.  It's just one of those games where we have got to come in on top of our game.  Going over there it's never easy to play.  We're just have got to focus defensively and execute better offensively than we did this past game.”

 

Published 1/06/22

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Carey Expects Battle From Upper

 

          Carey, the leader in the Northern 10 Athletic Conference, plays at home against rival Upper Sandusky in a conference game on Friday night.

          Right now, the Blue Devils (6-0,4-0), #2 in the Swankonsports.com boys’ basketball coaches poll in the small school division, lead Mohawk, Wynford, and Colonel Crawford by a game.

          Carey coach Jamie Young predicts it is going to close race all year.  “I mean going into the year you knew Crawford lost a lot from last year, you knew Mohawk was going to be good, I mean it's just one of those things where it's a league where there's five teams that could beat you on any given night depending on just how you play.  So, it's one of those things where you have got to take every game seriously and you can't look past anybody,” he said.

          Upper Sandusky (1-7,1-3) lost to Marion Harding (65-53) in a non-conference game on Wednesday night.

          This has not been a typical Upper Sandusky team this year, but Young says they still do a lot of good things.  “They can get hot and they can shoot the ball well.  They have got some capable shooters with Ethan Kessler and Levi Lamb and Holden Darius and the (Brock) Montgomery boy.  They're all capable shooters when they get their feet set they can knock it down and they play hard.  I mean Upper kids, (coach Jeff) Winslow’s teams are always going to play hard.  Not to mention it's the Carey versus Upper rivalry and we have got to be ready to play, we can't look past anybody.  I know their record isn't what it normally is for Upper, but we have got to get past that and just focus on playing them on Friday because they're going to come ready to play.  The crowd is going to be there and it's going to be a great high school environment.  We just have got step up and continue to play the sound defense and limit their open threes and keep them off the boards because they do have some size.”

          Young thinks that rebounding and turnover are going to be a big factor is this game.  “It’s going to be two teams that really get after it defensively.  Both teams have the capabilities of making shots, especially perimeter shots.  So, it’s going to come down to the little things like limiting your turnovers and rebounding.  So, I mean we have got to make sure that we take advantage of every possession and make sure that we make it hard for them and disrupt them in their offense to make everything difficult for them,” he said.

 

Published 12/29/22

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Carey Hitting on All Cylinders

 

          Carey has won its first six games this season, including breaking a 58 game Colonel Crawford win streak last week in the Northern 10 Athletic Conference, and beating talented Willard in non-conference game on Tuesday night.

          Coach Jamie Young says they looked really good in a (61-50) win over Willard on Tuesday night.  “Coming into that Willard game we were going to have our hands full with their squad.  Joe's (Bedingfield) got a really good team over there.  Max Dawson is one of the best players in our area probably the best guard will face all year for the most part.  We just came out and we played our game, we shot the ball really well, we played good defense early on to give us a lead and then we held onto the lead with big free throws down the stretch,” he told Swankonsports.com on Thursday evening, “ It's just the kids are just playing really well right now, they're playing hard, playing for each other and they're really unselfish too.  I mean we have different leading scorers it seems like all the time.  Our kids that are contributing scoring wise with everybody else just filling in their roles and it's been a really good year so far and we just have to continue to get better.”

          Again, the corner stone of what Carey is doing this year is defense.  Young says that is what he is preaching.  “That's one of the things since I took over the as coach at Carey seven years ago.  We are always going to have athletes, so we had to play hard on the defensive end.  We're not as big across the board as we've been in the past years, but we have got kids that they sit down there and they will “D” you up.  They play great team defense and it's gritty bunch of kids,” he said.

          Carey’s game with Bucyrus on Friday, they would have been heavily favored, has been postponed until January 3.

          Young says playing a lot of games, like three, in a week, does not bother them.  “We'd loved to get that game in and that way we don't have to push back our schedule anymore, but after last year where we were playing three and four games a week.  If we have to play three games in a week, I think we'd be okay with it.  I mean it's not a big deal, but yes I would I'd much rather play to just get that game under our belt and to move on to the next one.  Right now, we're just going to be focusing on Upper, which is next Friday, and we'll go from there,” said Young.

 

Published 12/23/22

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Carey Has to Play Solid Defense

 

          Carey hits the road for Wynford on Saturday night and a game in the Northern 10 Athletic Conference.

          They rallied from behind to beat Seneca East (65-54) in an “N10” game last Saturday.

          Coach Jamie Young says the found some good rhythm in the third quarter.  “We were down by one at halftime and we came out in that third quarter and went on a 22-0 run.  It all started with our defense and we were able to convert turnovers into points.  Carter Smiley got hot and hit a couple of threes in that stretch.  It was good to see the kids playing hard an getting rewarded.  Against Riverdale we would turn them over, but then we would turn the ball over.  So, it was good to see the adjustment we made to value the basketball a little more take advantage of every opportunity we got,” said Young.

          Young says they must continue to improve if they are going to get to the level they want to be.  “You want to continue to improve every day.  Even if it just a little thing like practicing passing, push passes for instance.  That is one thing we practice daily because we want to improve on it.  As a coach you want to see improvement, one percent every day they say.  If we can just continue to improve, I think we will be a pretty talented team down the road,” he said.

          Carey (2-0,1-0) is at Wynford (2-1,1-0) on Saturday night. The Royals beat Upper Sandusky (62-51) last week.

          Young says the Royals tough to score on and tough to stop too.  “I see they made 15 threes against Upper the other day, that is one thing that catches your attention.  When you look at them, they have some length and athleticism.  With the ability to shoot the ball like they have shown against Upper and before that they were averaging seven threes a game.  So, they have capable shooters and they have good length too.  They play that 1-2-2 zone and they use that length.  It makes it tough for teams to get in the half court and be comfortable. We are just going to have to take care of the basketball and try and play our brand of basketball,” he told Swankonsports.com on Tuesday night, “Defensively, we have to get after them.  We can’t let them have open shots.  We have to contain the dribble as well.  When you lose containment on the dribble that usually leads to somebody’s open shot.  If not, a good shot inside.  That is one of the things we are really going to have to focus on this next couple of days in practice.”

 

Published 12/07/22

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Carey Has to Slow Down Seneca East

 

          Carey will be at home for Seneca East for their first game in Northern 10 Athletic Conference play on Saturday night.

          They won their season opener (47-40) over Riverdale last Friday, but coach Jamie Young says they have a lot to work on.  “We have to do a better job of valuing the basketball.  We turned them over.  We forced them into 25 turnovers.  We would just turn the ball right back over.  We were careless with the ball, so we have to improve on that.  We have to shoot better.  We didn’t shoot as well as we expected.  We shot 6-23 from the three point line.  I thought we would shoot a little better than that,” he told Swankonsports.com on Tuesday night, “It is things that we can get better and improve on as the season goes on.  It is one of those things where you want it now.  With our lack of varsity experience, we are going to take some lumps.  We have a lot of adjustments to make, but we will figure it out.”

          Young says it going to be a process as far as them getting better this year.  He says they have to find out about some things.  “With the football team making the playoffs and what not, we didn’t get as much practice time as the majority of teams.  It is a feeling out process with a lot of young guys and we have some injuries too.  We just have to feel it out and see who can step up and make plays for us and do what is asked of them,” he said.

          Seneca East (3-0) is coming off a (71-48) destruction of Plymouth in non-conference play on Tuesday night.

          Young says the Tigers run the floor very well and they are going to have to play great transition defense.  “The get out and they go.  They have a nice freshman ballhandler in Luke Mason, Isaac’s younger brother.  He really pushes the tempo and Isaac and other guys get out and run.  We are going to have to really get back in transition and really identify the ball because they have guys that can score.  They will look to score.  Last year, it was it was more about Isaac.  This year, I think they spread it out.  I think this year we are going to have to make sure we defend everybody and get back in transition,” said Young.

 

Published 11/30/22

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Carey and Crawford Again

 

          Carey beat Colonel Crawford in a regular season game on its way to the Northern 10 Athletic Conference title.  They play them again Friday, this time at home, in a regional quarterfinal in division VI.

          The Blue Devils are the defending division VI state champion.

          They belted Riverdale (49-6) in their playoff opener last week.

          Coach Jonathan Mershman says they didn’t take a win for granted.  “I thought we came out ready to play in all three phases.  I thought special teams, defense and offense all played really well in that first half and we looked like we were ready to play,” he said.

          Mershman says they like the pressure on playoff football.  “Pressure is born from opportunities like playing playoff games and making it farther and farther.  Really it is an honor to have that pressure because you have earned that right.  I think that is the way our kids look at it.  As these games get more and more intense, we are looking forward to that because we have earned that opportunity and those pressures and those situations,” said Mershman.

          Carey (11-0) beat Colonel Crawford (9-2) September 23 (7-3) in a “N10” game.

          Mershman says the Eagles to make some adjustments, but he is not sure what those would be.  “It is just like going into a new game,” he told Swankonsports.com on Monday afternoon, “Yeah, you have an idea who their players are and their true size, their true speed, their true abilities, but gameplanning wise, what do they think they can do differently from game one to game two?  I don’t know what those things are that they think they can do differently.  What they saw on film versus what I saw on film.  Then it is just becomes back to the chess match just like playing them once.”

          The game will be won and lost again up front, according to Mershman.  “Both teams like to run the ball and both teams like to stop the run.  So, it comes down to up front.  Whoever up from plays better consistently throughout the whole night is probably the one that is going to come out on top,” he said.

 

Published 11/01/22

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Carey Begins Defense

 

          Carey is the defending division VI state champion and they start the defense of that title on Friday night by hosting Riverdale in a first round game.

          They won their second straight undisputed Northern 10 Athletic Conference championship on last week when they buried Seneca East (56-12) on Friday night.

          Coach Johnathan Mershman says after a come from behind win the week before against Upper Sandusky (20-14) they were ready from the kick last week.  “I thought out team came out ready to play.  We kind of challenged them last week saying let’s earn this outright and I think they took it heart and went out and go it,” he said.

          Carey lost 15 seniors off their team a year ago, but still finished the regular season 10-0 this fall.  Mershman says they have had a great number of kids accept new roles and excel.  “I knew there was going to be some growing pains early.  We graduated a ton of kids.  Some kids going into this year were going out of some role playing parts into major parts and some young kids had to move into role playing parts.  Honestly, I thought we transitioned smoothly,” he told Swankonsports.com on Wednesday afternoon, “I give that to our captains and our seniors to make that happen as fast as it did and then we started rolling and the next thing you know this season just flew by and you are 10-0.  It is one of those things where you look back on it and you are wow, those guys really did a nice job of fitting the pieces of the puzzle together.”

          Carey (10-0), #1 in the final Swankonsports.com football coaches poll in the small school division, plays Riverdale (5-5), out the Blanchard Valley Conference.  The Falcons destroyed Arcadia (58-8) last week.

          Mershman says they can score points in bunches.  “They have a really good offense.  They can put up points.  They will spread you out and throw it around a little bit.  Now, looking at film I didn’t see their starting quarterback at the beginning of the year playing at the end of the year, so I don’t know if there was an injury or something like that.  Regardless, they have some receivers that can catch the ball and a running back that can run the ball really hard,” said Mershman.

 

Published 10/27/22

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Carey Going for Outright Title

 

          Carey has no less than share of the title in the Northern 10 Athletic Conference and they get it outright if they beat second place Seneca East at home on Friday night.

          It would be their second straight title in the “N10”.  They also won the division VI state title last year.

          They got a share by rallying to beat Upper Sandusky (20-14) last Friday when Lance Rickel found Dominic Yeater for a late touchdown pass.

          Coach Jonathan Mershman was happy with their response.  “I am really proud of my players not getting their heads down when things weren’t going exactly correct.  I like the fact that we got challenged a little bit and saw our true character come out.  I thought it really helped us our in the long run in being able to score late and put it away with our defense.  I was extremely happy with our kids,” said Mershman.

          Mershman adds they faced some real adversity and came up with the plays they had to have.  “You have to give it to Upper.  We did a fake punt to get it down there and they held us from scoring and we end up trying to kick a field goal and we missed the field goal.  Upper could have just given up and let us score after that fake punt getting it down to like the 10, but they held us.  Then I was really proud of the way our kids reacted even though we got held.  We kept fighting until we could get that last score that we needed,” he said.

          Carey (9-0,6-0), #1 in the Swankomsports.com football coaches poll in the small school division, hosts Seneca East (7-2,5-1) on Friday night.  It was another miraculous comeback for the Tigers last week as they scored with :04 left on a Black Foos to Korbin Beamer TD pass to beat Wynford (32-31) last Friday.  That was the second straight week they scored on basically the last play of the game to win.

          Mershman says Seneca East is a team that knows how to win.  “We needed to get tested, well they have been tested and they know who they are.  There are a lot of last minute wins there and fighting and scrapping.  So, this is a scrappy team that we are going to be playing on Friday night,” he told Swankonsports.com on Monday afternoon, “They are a very explosive offense.  Our defense is going to have to come ready to play.  We are going to have to do some of our ball controlling stuff on offense.”

 

Published 10/18/22

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Carey Wants to Eat Clock

 

          Carey can wrap no less than a share of Northern 10 Athletic Conference football title this week if they can beat rival Upper Sandusky on a “N10” game Friday night at home.

          The Blue Devils are also in first place in division VI, region 22 of the computer standings.  They won the division VI state title last year.  They have won 17 straight regular season games.

          They manhandled Bucyrus (54-0) last week.

          Coach Jonathan Mershman says they have gotten better as a team over first eight weeks of the season.  “We are way more improved at this stage of the game.  I think our running game and our passing game are improved on offense.  Defense, I think has been outstanding lately,” he told Swanknsports.com on Wednesday afternoon, “I feel like they are getting stronger and stronger.  Our special teams are getting better and better as well.”

          Carey (8-0,5-0), #1 in the Swankonsports.com football coaches poll in the small school division, hosts Upper Sandusky (4-4,3-2) on Friday night.  The Rams beat Buckeye Central (42-13) last week.

          Mershman says the Upper offense is very good.  “Their offense is electric.  They can score, they can run, they can throw.  Their quarterback can scramble outside of the pocket and their receivers do a nice job of doing the scramble drill and getting open.  They find a way to move the ball and score a lot of points,” he said.

          Upper quarterback Kaden Holman has thrown for a conference leading 1,817 yards.

          Mershman says to be successful against Upper they have to control the point of attack.  “If we can control the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball.  It’s not a secret, or it shouldn’t be a secret, that we play keep away from other offenses to help out our defense at times.  If we can do that, I think we can shorten the game and keep them from having as many possessions,” said Mershman.

 

Published 10/13/22

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Carey Has to be Ready for Bucyrus

 

          Carey, the leader of the Northern 10 Athletic Conference, plays on the road at Bucyrus in a conference game on Friday night.

          Last week, they took sole possession of the lead by destroying Mohawk (48-0) on Friday night.

          Coach Jonathan Mershman says they got scores from all facets of their team against the Mohawk.  “I thought overall the team as a whole played really well.  We got some scores form different parts other than our offense.  Two from special teams, we got a punt return, a punt block that got returned for a touchdown, plus an interception that got returned for a touchdown.  Anytime you can score other than offense, that’s a good night,” said Mershman.

          Carey (7-0,4-0), #1 in the Swankonsports.com football coaches poll in the small school division, visits Bucyrus on Friday night.  The Redmen (1-6,0-4) downed by Seneca East (38-17) last week, their sixth loss in a row.

          Mershman says what comes off film of them is their effort.  He says they have to win the point of attack.  “They are still fighting to get better and better.  They are going to do some different things than we have seen this year and try and give us some fits.  Hopefully, we can control the line of scrimmage and do what we can do,” he said.

          With Upper Sandusky and Seneca East to end the regular season on weeks nine and 10, Mershman says they can’t lose focus this week.  “We have our rival game next week with Upper Sandusky, who just pulled an upset with Colonel Crawford and then we finish the year with Seneca East and then there is this game Bucyrus at Bucyrus.  It has been a while since we have been there,” he told Swankonsports.com on Monday, “In 2019, we were at home and they beat us, we had the COVID year where the schedule got flipped around and they played us again at home.  Last year, we were at home, so we haven’t been to Bucyrus for a while.  So, hopefully that is not a thing that creates a loss for us.”

 

Published 10/04/22

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Carey to Play Scrapy Mohawk

 

          Co-leaders in the Northern 10 Athletic Conference meet on Friday night as Carey is down the road at Mohawk.

          Both are unbeaten in three games in the “N10”.

          Last week, the Blue Devils (6-0,3-0), #1 in the Swankonsports.com football coaches poll in the small school division, beat Colonel Crawford (7-3) last week, both were unbeaten going into the game.

          Coach Jonathan Mershman says it was a big boost in confidence for them.  “Anytime you can win a game like that, it does a lot for your guys and confidence moving forward,” he said.

          In three league games Carey has only given up 10 points.  Mershman says their defense is on point.  “Our defense is playing outstanding right now.  Our linebackers are flying around and making tackles.  I feel like we are gaining ground on that side of the ball every week,” said Mershman.

          Mohawk (3-3,3-0) is coming off a (28-7) win over Upper Sandusky in “N10” play last Friday.  They too have been stingily, allowing just 27 points in three league games.

          Mershman says this a team that going to play hard to the whistle.  “I just think from week to week they are just getting better and better and better.  They are a scrapy team.  They are not overly big,” he told Swankonsports.com on Thursday afternoon, “They use that speed and scrappiness the best of their ability.  If you don’t come ready to play them, they are going to out scarp you.”

          Zaiden Fry is Mohawk’s best player on both sides of the ball.  Mershman says they have to know where he is at all times.  “They move him around quite a bit and try to get the ball in his hands.  I wouldn’t be surprised to see him get the ball in his hands at least 30 times Friday night.  If you are playing defense, you have to keep track of #24 for sure,” he said.

 

Published 9/29/22

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Carey Squares off with Colonel Crawford

 

          In a game that will go a long way in determining the winner of the Northern 10 Athletic Conference Carey visits Colonel Crawford on Friday night.

          Both share the conference lead with Mohawk.  Carey is number one in the division VI, region 22 point standings and Colonel Crawford is number two.

          Last Friday night, Carey beat Buckeye Central (48-7) in a “N10” game.

          Coach Jonathan Mershman says they go off to a good start again.  “I thought the first half we came out ready to play.  I thought our offense and defense did a really nice job on both sides of the ball, especially up front,” he told Swankonsports.com on Wednesday evening, “In the second half with the running clock, we got some other guys in there and I thought they did a really nice job as well.”

          Carey (5-0,2-0), #1 in the Swankonsports.com football coaches poll in the small school division, is at Colonel Crawford (5-0,2-0), #3 in our poll, on Friday night.  The Eagles are coming off a (42-0) romp over Seneca East last week.

          Mershman says they teams are a lot alike.  “It is kind of a mirror image of ourselves.  A team that likes to run the ball and stop the run and that’s what we like to do.  So, it is going to kind of come down to who does that better I guess,” he said.

          Mershamn says the team that gets a big pass play could have an advantage.  “You get that momentum, gets everybody’s energy going.  If you are willing to keep stopping that run and stepping in front of that freight train over and over again if you have some really good energy.  You get that energy early with a big pass,” said Mershman.

          Anytime you have good teams that are similar in makeup and know each other so well, special teams can be a big factor, according to Mershman.  “Two years ago we were over there and one of the first score they had was a kickoff return for a touchdown and that really gave them a lot of momentum in a close game that they ended up winning.  Special teams play a huge part,” he said.

 

Published 9/22/22

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Carey plays Improved Buckeye Central

 

          Carey will be at home for the Buckeye Central Bucks in a football game in the Northern 10 Athletic Conference on Friday night.

          The Blue Devils (4-0,1-0), #1 in the Swankonsports.com football coaches poll in the small school division, likely put together their best performance of the season last week in punishing Wynford (42-0) on Friday night.

          Coach Jonathan Mershman says it was a consistent performance.  “I thought we put a pretty good game together for four quarters,” he told Swankonsports.com on Tuesday afternoon, “I think that is what led to us having a 42-0 victory.  It was one of our more complete games that we have played this season.”

          Mershman says they are played really well at times during games before, but last week was what he was looking for.  “I thought we came out ready to play.  We didn’t have any turnovers I don’t believe and we forced three.  Those are the kinds of things that we were looking for to clean up on our end.  Those are things that will lead to wins,” said Mershman.

          Buckeye Central (3-1,0-1) won all of their non-league games before falling (42-12) to Mohawk last Friday in conference play.

          Last year, these teams were on the opposite sides of the league standings, but Mershman says there is no question the Bucks are improved.  “They are a much improved team over past years and they are going to come in here looking to get another victory for themselves and prove to the “N10” that they are not the low man on the totem pole anymore,” he said.

          Not only have the Bucks been successful at running the ball, but quarterback Derex Dean is second in the “N10” in TD passes with nine.  Mershman says they have to be at the top of their game.  “They are throwing the ball out there quick and fast and they have the play action pass off their run game.  I think they are a really improved football team and we are going to have to come ready to play on Friday night,” he said.

 

Published 9/14/22

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Line of Scrimmage Again Key for Carey

 

          Carey begins defense of its Northern 10 Athletic Conference title on Friday night as trey make the tip to Wynford the challenge the Royals.

          Last week, they played a much bigger school in division II Toledo Waite and whipped them (42-6) on Friday night.

          However, coach Jonathan Mershman says they still didn’t play a complete game.  “I thought we played a really good second half.  We go into halftime only 15-6.  I thought we came out of halftime playing really well.  I thought the defense all night played extremely well for us,” he said.

          Wynford (0-3) lost (42-14) to Lucas last week.

          The Royals may be winless, but Mershman says he like the way they play defense.  “It looks like they are back to wing-T and running the ball and play action pass.  They have a really stout defense.  I know they are 0-3, but they have been playing really good defense,” he told Swankonsports.com on Labor Day, “I think Lucas took advantage of some things, but their first two games it was 18-12 and 8-0.  So, they are playing really good defense.”

          In something that has been a theme for the Blue Devils (3-0), #1 in the Swankonsports.com football coaches poll in the small school division, Mershman says have to be able win at the point of attack.  “We have to control the line of scrimmage.  The name of the game for us is being able to run the ball and stop the run.  What they like to do on offense is run the ball, so we have to be able to stop it.  What we do is run the ball so.  We have to be able to move those guys out of the way so we can get some yards,” said Mershman.

 

Published 9/06/22

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Carey With Different Kind of Challenge

 

          Carey, the defending division VI state champs, will play a much better school on Friday night when they travel to Toledo Waite for game against the division II Indians.

          Carey improved to (2-0) with a (41-21) win over Galion last week.

          Coach Jonathan Mershman says they still haven’t played a full game this year.  “I thought we played a really good first half.  We didn’t play as well the second half.  We haven’t played in the two weeks out best game yet,” he told Swankonsports.com on Thursday night, “We haven’t put a whole game together.  Hopewell we didn’t play a very good first half, but played a great second half.  This week I’m looking to put a whole game together.”

          Mershman says they are searching for consistency.  “If you can get four yards a carry consistently every time you are going to find your way in the end zone very quickly.  But, it is when your get four and then you get two and then things start piling up.  If you are consistent with it, you can make some hay,” said Mershman.

          Toledo Waite (0-2) lost (72-0) Sylvania Southview last week.

          Mershman says the Indians are big and they are going to give them a different look than they have had all year so far.  “They are going to way bigger than we are on their offensive and defensive line.  They have some really good speed.  So, they are going to test us in ways we haven’t been tested yet.  They like to spread it out and throw the ball a little bit.  That is going to be a great test for us and something we need tested on,” he said.

 

Published 9/02/22

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Carey Must Match Galion Physicality

 

          Carey will be at home Friday night for a non-conference matchup against Galion of the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference.

          After trailing (8-3) at the half, Carey got the momentum and they hammered Hopewell-Loudon (37-8) last week in their opener.

          Coach Jonathan Mershman says they made some big plays and they started to roll.  “We had a really good fourth quarter and it really snowballed up on Hopewell.  Once we got that momentum going it was hard to stop,” he said.

          Mershman says they made a lot of mental errors against Hopewell-Loudon.  He says they can’t have that going forward.  “We can’t be jumping offsides.  I think we had seven of those.  We had a delay of game.  So, we had some mental errors on the offensive side that we need to get cleaned up.  That is probably the biggest thing that we had to work on this week,” he told Swankonsports.com on Wednesday evening, “We had a couple of blown assignments and things like that.  Most of it for us was mental.  I thought physically we did a really nice job up front on both sides of the ball, especially in the fourth quarter.  Mentally we had things we had to clean up.”

          Galion (0-1) lost (54-28) to McComb last week.

          Mershman says they have a lot big guys and they are going to have to win at the line of scrimmage.  “They are big up front.  They are going to challenge us in the trenches.  That is a big key for me is the trenches.  It is going to be a big test for us with their size and then their speed to go with it.  So, I’m hoping we are ready for that challenge,” said Mershman.

 

Published 8/25/22

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Carey Ready to Find Out

 

          Carey, the defending division VI state champion, opens this season at home against Hopewell-Loudon in a non-conference game in front of what should be an excited crowd.

          Coach Jonathan Mershman believes they have had a solid week of preparation.  “I think last Friday we might have needed to keep sharpening the sword.  This week we had a really good week of practice, especially as the week went on.  I am just really happy with how the team was progressing towards the end of the week.  We are ready as I think we could be.  Are we as ready as we need to be?  We are going to find our Friday,” said Mershman.

          Hopewell-Loudon advanced to the state semifinal in division VII last year and the beat Carey (30-15) in last year’s opener, which was Carey’s only loss of the season.

          Mershman says they are going to be very good again and will come ready to play from the kickoff.  “They are always well coached and they are going to come ready to play.  They are physical up front.  That is the first thing that jumped out on tape watching them in the scrimmages,” he told Swankonsports.com on Thursday evening, “They are not going to set back of their heels and let you take it to them, you are going to have to earn it.  They have a really physical running back.  He is a big boy and we are going to have to come ready play.”

          Due to graduation, neither team may not be as good as they were later year.  That remains to be seen, but Mershman knows this is the kind of opener they want to have on their schedule.  “You have to be focused and ready to go.  I wouldn’t want it any other way.  I like playing good teams right out of the gate and find out what we are made of and what we need to work on.  How can get better as the season goes.  That is typically what we have done here at Carey is play really good teams right out of the gate and we will let the sparks fly.  After that we will see what is going on and see how we can adjust and make things better,” he said.

 

Published 8/19/22

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Carey Learning Some Things

 

          Carey is the defending division VI state champion and this year they are working hard to attain that same level of success.

          The Blue Devils will be a more inexperienced team this season, no question, but coach Jonathon Mershman believes they are bringing some momentum for last year as they begin preseason camp.  “I do think we have some momentum going in, but it is a different year and different players.  We lost 15 seniors from last year and all contributed to that state championship run,” he told Swankonsports.com on Tuesday evening, “We do have some pieces back that played last year.  So, that carries a little bit of momentum, but we have to get everybody back up to snuff that are relacing those 15 seniors.”

          Carey will scrimmage Hardin-Northern and McComb on Friday and Elida next Friday.  They open the season on August 19 at home against Hopewell-Loudon, champion of the River Division of the Sandusky Bay Conference last season.

          With a lot of new guys this year, Mershman says their execution has been sound, but they have to understand at the varsity level things come faster.  “I think so far, we are executing plays correctly.  Now, getting them up to varsity speed and varsity aggression, it’s a little bit different than playing JV’s.  That is our biggest test right now in the preseason,” he said.

          A big key for Carey last year was their physical play.  Mershman says they must continue to work to become a physical team.  “We had a lot of seniors, but a lot of those seniors played as sophomores.  So, they took their lumps that year they played as sophomores.  We went 5-5 in the regular season, but we made the playoffs and made that playoff run and ended up 7-6 and those guys grew in that physicality.  It might be a little bit of a battle at the beginning of the year because we have to gain that physicalness,” said Mershman.

 

Published 8/03/22

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Carey is Confident

 

          Carey takes on unbeaten Tiffin Calvert in a district semifinal in division IV on Tuesday night at Liberty-Benton High School.

          It is a rematch from last year’s district final.  The winner plays either Old Fort or Gibsonburg Friday night in this year’s final.

          The Blue Devils (16-8) rallied last Friday to beat Hopewell-Loudon (60-54) in a sectional final.

          Coach Jamie Young says they made some big plays in the late going.  “Our defense was key in the fourth quarter.  We had a tie ballgame with just under three minutes to go and Bryce Conti shot a gap and got a steal and got a layup.  The next possession Jordan Vallejo kind of did they same thing and went down and got a layup and an and one and that gave us some cushion to finish up.  We have been playing really well as us late, especially in the fourth quarter,” he told Swankonsports.com on Monday night, “The kids are really buying into what we need to do to win.  We are just coming into our own and it has been a great end of the season here.  We have really taken off.  We have won 11 of our last 13.  So, we have really come together and are really playing well.  (Tuesday) is going to be a heck of a challenge.  Calvert is coming in and they are a pretty good team.  They are one the better teams we have faced all year.”

          Tiffin Calvert (23-0) won the Sandusky Bay Conference River Division title this season and beat North Baltimore (66-47) in a sectional final last Friday.

          Young says they are a tremendous team led by a great point guard.  “First and foremost, Garrett Spaun.  He is one of the best point guards we have seen all year.  Between him and Mason Studer.  He is just a floor general.  He gets them in what they need to get into.  He controls the tempo.  He is a kid that it is hard for him to play off of his base.  He is so good.  We played against him last year and he controls the pace.  He is better than he was last year.  Blake Ronski is one of the better shooters that we will face.  He is 6’3”, 6’4” and he has a quick release and he is great at pulling the trigger at all times.  They just play hard too.  Calvert kids have always played hard since the days we used to play each other in the “MAL”.  So, we know it is going to be a tough battle.  The funny thing about this is our kids and Calvert kids have played against each other since the forth grade.  They know each other really well.  It’s just a great opportunity for us to go against them (Tuesday) and just see where it leads us,” said Young.

          Carey upset Calvert in the district final last season and Young says that will give them confidence heading into Tuesday night.  “Four us it gives us confidence.  We were the underdog last year as well.  They were the higher seeded team.  We just have the confidence.  We have some kids that played in some big games in football, state champions, kids that ran cross country that were almost state qualifiers.  We have kids that are ready to compete.  They are business like.  Playing them last year, just gives them more confidence that we can play with them.  We are just excited for the opportunity to.  I know the seniors are just all business this week,” he said.

 

Published 3/01/22

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Carey Meets Arcadia in First Tournament Game

 

          Carey plays Arcadia in a division IV sectional semifinal on Wednesday night at Fostoria High School.

          Carey won the state title in football this year and their basketball season didn’t get started until a couple of days before Christmas.     

          Coach Jamie Young says they have really improved as the season has gone on.  “We finished the season off, we won nine of our last 11 with our losses to USV and Colonel Crawford, who won 19 and 22 games respectively.  So, we are playing well.  We beat Mohawk and Upper, two teams that beat us earlier in the season.  Our defense is really locked in right now.,” he told Swankonsports.com on Tuesday, “We just continued to get better through the final weeks of the regular season and it really showed with how we played against some of our opponents.  With our shortened season that was what we were looking for throughout the year was peaking and I think we are doing that right now.”

          Carey (14-8) plays Arcadia (3-18) on Wednesday night.

          Young says Arcadia has a couple of kids that are dangerous.  “Their two main players are Josh Castle, a 6’2” forward, he is an athletic kid, he is more of a slasher than a shooter, so he is one these guys that we will have to make sure we stay in front of and account for because he is pretty active on the boards and in transition.  Hunter Philpot has really come on as one of their better all around players.  He is a scorer, I think he had 26, 28 a couple of week ago.  We have to make sure we don’t give him any easy looks,” said Young.

          Young says defense is what wins tournament games and they need to make that a priority on Wednesday night.  “We just have to make sure we continue to play defense locked in and we don’t give up and second chance points and take care of the basketball.  This time of year every possession counts.  It's the playoffs and it is win or go home and everything is a little more amplified in the importance of every possession,” he said.

 

Published 2/22/22

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Carey Needs Defense

 

          Carey plays three games this week as they continue to prepare for the postseason tournament, which begins in about two weeks.

          They host Leipsic in a non-conference game on Tuesday, entertain Upper Sandusky in an “N10” game on Friday and travel to Upper Scioto Valley (15-2) for a non-league game on Tuesday.

          Coach Jamie Young says thus week will be a tough challenge.  “We are playing well and it is because of our defense.  Our defense is our mainstay.  We come out and we can give teams trouble with our athleticism and our explosiveness.  Offensively we are hitting out stride and we are pretty good.  We just have to continue to get better.  This week is going to be a tough match.  We have Leipsic with the Mason Brandt kid that is going to Findlay next year, the Upper-Carey game is always a big game and we finish with Upper Scioto Valley, who has only lost two games on the season,” he told Swankonsports.com on Monday evening, “It’s some tough competition, but it is good for us to have because we are trying to get ready for the tournament run.  If we were playing teams we were just blowing out I don’t think it would give us much incentive to get better.  This a good test for us this week.”

          Young says Leipsic (13-5) has a lot of guys that can make plays.  “They have Mason Brandt and they also have Paul Maag, who is a nice big inside that can go inside and out and they have some guards that are quick and athletic.  They get out and they pressure you with their 2-3, it’s kind of similar to Mohawk.  We had (Monday) to prepare for them, so we will go in there guns a blazing and see what we can do,” he said.

          Carey (9-7,6-4) plays at home against Upper Sandusky (14-5,11-1), in second place in the conference, a game behind Colonel Crawford, on Friday night.

          Upper won the first meeting (53-45) on December 29.

          Young says they must have better defense in the paint.  He says they will be more prepared to play this time.  “I think our interior defense has to be better.  I think Trent Beamer took advantage of us inside a little bit and got some easy looks.  We will just have to be more physical inside.  They last time we played them I think it was our second week, so we were just getting into playing.  We have kind of found out who we are a little bit more and we have improved since then.  It’s going to be a good game.  The Upper-Carey game is always a great environment and the kids are always pumped up.  They don’t need an “Win One for the Gipper” speeches this game.  They come out and are ready to play.  It should be fun and we have to make sure we are locked in defensively, so we don’t gaive Trent easy looks and we get out on their shooters,” said Young.

 

Published 2/08/22

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Carey With Three More Games

 

          Carey continues its busy basketball schedule with two Northern 10 Athletic Conference games this week, Seneca East on Tuesday and conference leader Colonel Crawford on Saturday, and a non-league game against New Riegel on Thursday.

          After a three game losing streak, the Blue Devils were able to get back on the winning track with a (67-42) win over Wynford on Saturday.

          Coach Jamie Young says they came out Saturday and played great defense.  “We are improving.  Last week, was a tough week for us in three games when we got beat by good opponents, but we improved.  I felt like we were in all of those games.  The Crawford game was close until the fourth quarter when they pulled away from us.  My challenge to the guys was let’s just not take steps backward.  I thought we came out against Wynford and played really well,” he told Swankonsports.com on Monday evening, “Our defense was stifling.  We held them to 16 points in the first half.  Jaron Filliater didn’t score until the second half.  We were locked in ready to go.  We are improving every day.  Every time we touch the court, I feel like we are getting a little better.  It’s just a trend we need to continue with and hopefully we peak at the right time, which is here in a couple of weeks.”

          Carey (6-6,4-3) is at Seneca East (6-9,1-7), a team they just played 10 days ago and beat (65-45) at their place.

          Young says they have to make things difficult for Isaac Mason.  “He is their “Mr. Everything”.  He gets 30 points a game plus over 10 rebounds a game.  He is their primary ballhandler.  He is one of the top guys in the league in steals.  He is very active.  He is a cross country runner, so he can run for days.  He is just a competitor.  The kid goes out and he plays extremely hard.  He gives it everything her has and that what they need him to do because he is by far their most talented kid.  They have some other kids like Alex King that can knock down some open shots.  Our job is to make everything difficult for him and making sure he gets no clean looks at the basket or diving lanes to the hoop.  If we can just make it tough on him that will help us in coming out of there with a win,” said Young.

          Colonel Crawford (14-0,9-0), #1 in the Swankonsports.com boys’ basketball coaches poll in the small school division, beat Carey (61-45) last Wednesday and the return engagement is Saturday in North Robinson.

          Young says they can’t let Crawford go on their scoring runs.  “They have two of the best players in the league in Mason (Studer) and Carter (Valentine) and their role guys excel at their role.  Baker can knock down threes and he can finish at the rim.  The other guys just do what they are supposed to do.  Coach (David) Sheldon always has them ready to play.  They are stifling on defense.  That’s what they did to us in the second half.  They really locked in and made it difficult for us to get good looks.  When we didn’t score, they took advantage of it and went on a little run.  You have to try and keep it close and try to not allow them to go on their runs.  For us it was turnovers and some ill advised shots that led to their runouts,” said Young.

 

Published 1/25/22

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Carey Takes on First Place Colonel Crawford

 

          Carey gets its first crack at unbeaten Colonel Crawford in Northern 10 Athletic Conference play as the Eagles come calling on Wednesday night.

          They trail Crawford by two games in the conference standings, so they need a win pretty badly.

          It will be the Blue Devils (5-5,3-2) fifth game in nine days.

          Coach Jamie Young says they played pretty will through this stretch.  “We started last week off and we won three straight.  Then we got to go against Bluffton, a 10-win team, and we had opportunities to get the “W”, but we didn’t close it out the way we should have and lost.  We had Liberty-Benton (Monday) night.  It was another game where we got behind early, but we battled back and gave ourselves opportunities and it just didn’t work out our way.  Those are tremendous teams and it’s frustrating to lose, but at the same time we are improving.  In the big scheme of things that’s what we want to do, especially with our shortened season,” said Young.

          Colonel Crawford (12-0,7-0), #1 in the Swankonsports.com boys’ basketball coaches poll in the small school division, beat Buckeye Central (64-49) in an “N10” game last Friday and backed that up with a big win over Lexington out of the “OCC” (51-38) on Saturday.

          Young says they are very, very good and led by two guys.  “Mason Studer and Carter Valentine are what’s good about them.  They average 18 and 16.  They are dynamic.  They can score at all three levels.  It is going to be a big challenge to us.  Their other guys are really disciplined and coach (David) Sheldon has them playing the right way and playing at a high level,” he told Swankonsports.com on Tuesday evening, “On defense, they just know what you are going to do and then they try and take you out of it.  So, it is definitely going to be a challenge for us, but at the same time I always enjoy playing Crawford because coach Sheldon brings everything to the table and you have to be ready.  We will see what we are made of.”

          Crawford point guard Mason Studer has been the best player in league over the first half of the season.

          Young says he keeps getting better too.  “He is just a really tremendous basketball player is the way I see it.  He is the engine that makes them go.  Mason has been doing it for a couple of years and his game has just grown over the years.  I have seen him play some spring ball and throughout the season.  He is by far the best point guard if not the best player in our league.  He does a little bit of everything.  We are going to have to disrupt him as much as possible and try and get him out of his spots.  He is a really good player,” he said.

 

Published 1/19/22

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Carey Ready to Play Defense

 

          Carey plays at home against Seneca East in a Northern 10 Athletic Conference game on Friday night.

          They trail Colonel Crawford by a couple of games in the conference standings.

          After winning the state title in football their basketball season didn’t start to almost Christmas.  They have played twice already this week in beating Buckeye Central (61-46) in an “N10” game on Monday and Riverdale (61-57) in a non-conference game on Tuesday.

          Coach Jamie Young says they were able to get more good things out of those games than just the wins.  “It is definitely a good thing when you can get a couple of wins on the road to begin the week.  We are just trying to get better every day whether it is a game or practice we have to take full advantage of everything when we get on the floor.  We had a good two days, Monday and Tuesday, against Buckeye and Riverdale, we learned some things,” he told Swankonsports.com in Thursday, “We played a lot of kids both days.  Some kids got some game experience that we wouldn’t normally call on.  They proved that they could play and we might need that with our upcoming schedule with a lot of games coming up here in the next two weeks.  It was a good start to the week and I hope we can continue the trend with Seneca East.”

          Carey (4-3,2-2) puts out the welcome mat for Seneca East (5-6,1-5) on Friday.  The Tigers go their first conference win by beating Bucyrus (62-48) on Saturday night.

          The Tigers Isaac Mason is the leading scorer in the conference (32.6 ppg) and Young says he is going to take a lot of shots.  “Isaac is their Mr. Everything.  He brings the ball up.  He leads in rebounds, he gets 11 a game.  He does everything for them.  He is really active kid.  He is a cross country kid, so he can run for days.  He just plays with a lot of energy.  I think his teammates feed off his energy.  They play hard.  They do rely on Isaac a lot.  He averages around 32, 33 points a game.  There is no shot that he is not afraid to shoot.  It is one of those games that we have to come out, I don’t think we can stop him, but contain him as much as possible, and just make sure we don’t let the other guys go off on us and I think we can come out of there with a victory, but it is not going to be easy be any means.  Isaac is capable of scoring points in bunches.  So, we are going to have our work cut out for us,” said Young.

          Young says the Blue Devils take pride in the challenge of defending Mason.  “We have some pretty good athletes that I think our up for the challenge with Bryce Conti, Derek Longsway, Alex Putnam, they are all are really capable athletes and they are defensive minded kids.  I think we have some good matchups for us against Mason.  At the same time Isaac is just non-stop, his engine never stops running.  We just have to make sure we keep him in front of us, run some doubles at him every now and then to just keep him off balance.  If he gives the ball up, not let him get it back.  Again, we can’t sleep on the other guys on any given night somebody could get hot and go off on us,” he said.

 

Published 1/14/22

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Carey Putting it Together

 

          It’s only been basketball season at Carey for less than two weeks, but the Blue Devils have the elements to be very good this year.

          Of course, they won the state title in football and that limited their basketball practice, but according to coach Jamie Young they are starting to round into shape.  “It is going as well as I thought it would be.  With (Monday) I think it is our 15th practice.  So, everyday we try and get a little bit better as you always do.  We just need to start shooting the ball a little bit better.  Our shooting percentage hasn’t been the best.  We are getting good shots, but we just haven’t knocked them down yet.  We are just starting to get our basketball legs back.  The kids are just getting in basketball mode.  The majority of our kids played football, so they had a really long season.  It was a tremendous accomplishment for those kids and for our town as well,” he told Swankonsports.com on Monday, “I’m not disappointed that they won.  I’m ecstatic that they won, but now we have to get back in basketball mode.  We are slowly doing that.  The second half against Van Buren last week we played a lot better than we had the previous couple of games.  So, we are trending forward it is just a day by day process.”

          Young says you just don’t walk into the gym and start shooting well.  “With shooting a lot of it has to do with timing and you have to have good lift when your shoot, which comes from the legs.  Shooting is a skill and it is something our kids didn’t do for a couple of months because of football.  They were busy winning a state championship, I can’t be mad about that.  We are starting to put it together,” he said.

          Carey (2-2,1-1) plays at home against Mohawk (7-3,4-2) on Thursday.  The Warriors were thumped (57-34) by Northern 10 Athletic Conference co-leader Colonel Crawford last week.

          Young says they have to make some shots to pull them out of their 2-3 zone.  “Coach (Paul) Dunn is always going to have his boys ready.  They are coming to our place.  No matter when Carey and Mohawk get together it is going to be a tough battle for us.  They play the pesky 2-3 zone defense.  Shooting it will be key for us because against a 2-3 if you can shoot them out of it, it is always a good thing.  They have A.J. Hess, who is a double, double machine so far this year and he can stroke it.  They have some good guard play with (Nathan) Geary and Bryce Hannam.  It is a typical coach Dunn team.  They are going to battle you and they are going to make it tough on you to score.  You are going to have to make sure you don’t give easy opportunities because they have some guys that can really fill it up,” said Young.

 

Published 1/04/22

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Carey Facing a Great Pass Offense

 

          Carey gets a chance Saturday afternoon to do something that most high school football teams in Ohio only dream about and that’s win a state title.

          They face Coldwater in the division VI state championship came at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton.

          Coldwater comes out of the powerful Midwest Athletic Conference that has two other schools playing for state titles in Versailles in division V and Marion Local in division VII.  The Cavaliers are defending state champions having beaten New Middletown Springfield (38-35) last year.  However, Carey has been a giant killer the last couple of weeks in beating Liberty Center (31-7) and Springfield (26-13) in games a lot people though they wouldn’t win.

          Carey football coach Jonathan Mershman says quarterback Reece Dellington leads an explosive pass offense for Coldwater.  “They can throw it and catch it.  They have a really nice quarterback, especially in the playoffs here he has been outstanding completing passes.  Their receivers that are fast and they are good,” he said.

          Dellington has thrown for 2,938 yards and 29 touchdowns this year.

          Tyler Schwieterman has caught 50 passes for 1,068 yards and nine scores.

          However, Mershman says he is not the only target and he says they have not face a group of receivers like this.  “Not with as many receivers.  We played Hopewell and they had a very good quarterback.  Obviously, Springfield had a really good quarterback.,” he told Swankonsports.com on Wednesday, “I think this quarterback is a little bit different.  He is more in the pocket and wants to throw.  I think they have more receivers that we have to contend with.”

          Mershman says linebacker Isaac Fullenkamp is all over the field for Coldwater.  “I think they have some really good linebackers.  #8 (Fullenkamp) that plays running back and linebacker for them.  He is all over the place making plays.  The corners have really good speed for them.  #88 plays like an outside linebacker-defensive end and he is a nice sized boy,” said Mershman.

          Mershman says their formula to success is no different than it has been.  “There is no secret, we have to control the trenches on both sides of the ball for us to win the game.  Especially on offense, if we can do what we did last week and control the clock, control the ball, and run the ball, I think we will be pretty successful,” he said.

 

Published 12/02/21

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Carey in State Championship Game

 

          Carey is one of the few schools in North Central Ohio to have won a state championship in football, but that was more than 40 years ago in 1975.

          Back then, Woody Hayes was the Ohio State football coach, Archie Griffin won a second Heisman Trophy, the Browns were relevant and we were just two years removed from the only time a President resigned from office.  I was in fourth grade and desperately searching for a Jack Brohamer bubble gum card.

          Yes, indeed it was a long time ago.

          Just two days ago, 260 pound fullback Jordan Vallejo rushed for 153 yards and three touchdowns as the Blue Devils burned New Middletown Springfield (26-13) on a snowy night in Euclid.

          Coach Jonathan Mershman says they ate up the clock and their defense was tremendous against a very explosive Springfield offense.  “The snow globe atmosphere that we had probably helped us a little bit with that.  They were extremely athletic.  One of the things that worked out in our favor is we controlled the ball for most of the game,” he told Swankonsports.com on Monday afternoon, “I think we ran like 70 plays and they ran 30, that always helps in taking away their athletic ability when they don’t have the ball.  I thought our defense played absolutely out of their minds.  A couple of slip ups here and there, but I was extremely happy with the way we played.”

          Carey held Springfield’s all-state quarterback Beau Brungard to 82 yards rushing on 18 carries and only five complete passes.

          They forced two turnovers in the fourth quarter as Cooper Brodman recovered a fumble and Bryce Conti picked off a pass.

          Carey has played in 17 playoff games over the last five years and Mershman says they are playing with a lot of confidence.  “These seniors absolutely believe.  They are coming with their lunch pails ready to work and it is showing up.  Over the last five years we have played 67 games.  That’s another whole season almost two there.  These guys have played a lot of games and they are excited about this one,” said Mershman.

          Carey plays Coldwater out of the powerful Midwest Athletic Conference for the state title in division VI on Saturday night.  The Cavaliers took our West Jefferson (35-13) on Saturday night in their semi.

          They have won seven state titles since 2005, the last coming last year when they beat, yes, New Middletown Springfield (38-35) for the title.  This their 27 playoff appearance.

          Mershman says they understand Coldwater will not be in awe.  “They have some crazy like 17 of the last 20 or something line that state championship runs.  They have a pretty good stigma about themselves,” he said.

 

Published 11/30/21

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Carey Plays Explosive New Middletown Springfield

 

          If you are playing football the week of Thanksgiving, you have had a heck of a football season and that is the case with the Carey Blue Devils.

          They play New Middletown Springfield in a division VI state semifinal on Saturday night at Euclid High School.

          Last week, they buried a very good Liberty Center team (31-7) in a regional final.

          Coach Jonathan Mershman says they won the trenches again.  “We played excellent on both sides of the ball up front and really did a nice job of controlling the trenches,” he said.

          The Blue Devils have something not everybody has, well almost nobody has, in a Jordan Vallejo, a 260 pound fullback, who has scored more than 30 touchdowns this season.

          Mershman says he doesn’t get stopped for a loss very often.  “Him just falling forward gets us two usually.  So, anything less than two you have done a really good job holding him back.  We are almost guaranteed two yards every time he touches the ball,” he said.

          Carey (13-1) has won 13 straight games and their only loss comes on week one of the regular season to Hopewell-Loudon, a state semifinalist in division VII.

          Springfield (13-1) beat Mogadore (42-27) in their regional final last Saturday.  Their only loss of the season also came August 20 in the first game of the season (41-21) to South Range, who lost last week to Kirtland in a division V regional final. 

          They have not been held to less than 30 points in any game since week three.

          Mershman says they are explosive.  “Their quarterback is electric.  Then on defense, I have people watching them and they just find a way to get off blocks and make tackles, so are very sound in tackling,” he told Swankonsports.com on Tuesday afternoon, “You watch them and their quarterback if you give him a little bit of a gap, man, he is going to take it.  They have some other kids on that offense that can do that exact same thing.  They are very dynamic in what they do.”

          Springfield quarterback Beau Brungard is special athlete.  Mershman says he is hard to bring down.  “You almost will give up and extra yard to just make a sound tackle.  It is one of those kind of kids where we gave up two yards, but he made a sound tackle and that’s what we need.  Sometimes you argue with kids, if you just would have went all out on that tackle it would have been a two yard loss, now it’s like how can we keep it a two yard gain.  So, this kid can just take it and he can run,” said Mershman.

 

Published 11/24/21

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Carey Has to Stop the Run Again

 

          Carey, the outright champion of the Northern 10 Athletic Conference, collides with Liberty Center in a division VI regional final on Saturday night at Bowling Green High School Bobcat Stadium.

          They destroyed Crestview (42-14) last week in a regional semifinal.

          Coach Jonathan Mershman says they were at the top of their game.  “Our boys came out ready to play in all three phases.  We were set and ready to go on Saturday night,” he said.

          Jordan Vallejo, Carey’s 260 pound fullback, rushed for 109 yards and quarterback Derek Lonsway added another 93.

          Mershman says they controlled the line of scrimmage on both sides.  “I thought our defense up front played extremely well.  In that first drive they drove down a little bit on us, but we really closed down the gaps when we got closer to the end zone and forced them to kick a field goal and one of our big boys got through there and blocked it.  I thought our front seven just played outstanding in stopping the run and forced them to throw and that’s not what they wanted to do,” said Mershman.

          Bryce Conti’s pick 6 right before the half was a killer for the Cougars.

          Carey (12-1) on the season plays in a regional final for the second time in three years.  They lost to East Knox (32-21) in 2019.

          Liberty Center (11-2) took out the region’s top seed in Archbold (38-35) and the Tigers own an eight game winning streak.  Archbold had beaten then (41-7) in a regular season game.

          Mershman says they will be facing another run first team.  “They beat a really good Archbold team last Saturday.  They are a solid team all of the way through.  They want to run the ball, just like we do,” he told Swankonsports.com on Tuesday night, “They want to stop the run, just like we do.  So, it is another one of those games about the same philosophy.  I think it is going to be a kind of be a car wreck for four quarters.”

          The Carey coach says the key to the game is really pretty simple.  “It is going to come down to the trenches,” he said.

          Carey has been pretty good in that area.

 

Published 11/17/21

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Carey Plays Tough Crestview Team

 

          It’s Carey against Crestview in a division VI regional semifinal on Saturday night at Marion Harding High School.

          Each was an outright conference champion this year.  Carey (11-1) in the Northern 10 Athletic Conference and Crestview (12-0) in the Firelands Conference.

          Carey blanked Defiance Tinora (20-0) last Saturday in a regional quarterfinal.

          Coach Jonathan Mershman says they did the job at the point of attack in containing a powerful run game.  “Our defense played extremely well in that game.  Our front seven did a really nice job for us Saturday night.  That Tinora team is a hard nosed team.  They gave us everything we could handle.  They smacked us in the mouth and I was really happy with the way we responded through the whole night,” said Mershman.

          Crestview downed Colonel Crawford (28-14) also of the “N10” last Saturday.

          Mershman says the Cougars have speed and power.  “They are a hard nosed team as well.  They want to run the ball and they want to smack you in the mouth.  They have really good team defensive speed,” he told Swankonsports.com on Monday afternoon, “They are going to put you in situations where you have to make you account for everybody because they are flying around making plays.  Overall, just hard nosed kids and it is going to be a battle Saturday night.”

          Crestview running back Conner Morse has over 2,000 yards for the season and had a big 66-yard scoring burst against Colonel Crawford last week.

          Mershman says he is hard to tackle.  “He has really good speed.  He is a hard nosed kid.  He runs really hard behind his pads, so it makes him a really hard target to tackle because he can beat you with speed or he can run you over.  So, he is a hard nosed kid,” he said.

          Crestview quarterback Hayden Kuhn has been very efficient this season.

          Mershman says he is a great decision maker.  “He completes the ones he needs to.  He doesn’t put their offense in a bad situation.  He makes great decisions.  They want to play ahead of the chains and their quarterback keeps them on schedule,” he said.

          Crestview features the 3-3 stack defense and Mershman against that 3-3 stack you have to get solid blocks to defeat the Crestview speed.  “They have six guys in that 3-3 stack that you have to get hats on.  If you don’t get hats on the them they have that speed to chase you down from behind and make plays.  So, if you ain’t getting a hat on a hat then it’s going to be a long night,” said Mershman.

 

Published 11/09/21

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Carey Meets Defiance Tinora in Playoffs

 

          Carey, the champion of Northern 10 Athletic Conference, entertains Defiance Tinora in a division VI regional quarterfinal on Saturday night.

          After leading just (7-0) at halftime last week, Carey (10-1) went onto to bury Van Buren (33-0) in a first round game.

          Coach Jonathan Mershman felt the score right before the half was a big turning point for them.  “We came out a little dead in the first half.  Give Van Buren all of the credit in the world they came out and smacked us in the mouth.  We didn’t capitalize of some of the opportunities that we had early and they gained momentum, but we were able to slow things downs and get the ball in the end zone right before half.  From there we just started growing the energy and there was a big momentum shift right before half,’” said Mershman.

          Last week, Tinora (10-1) hammered Seneca East, also of the “N10”, (57-14) in their first playoff game.  They had 50 points at halftime.’

          Mershman says this is a team that has a similar offensive philosophy to the Blue Devils.  “They came out and they smacked Seneca East petty good.  They are a really tough nosed football team.  It is a lot of looking ourselves in the mirror philosophy wise.  They want to run the ball, play action pass, they want to play really good run defense,” he told Swankonsports.com on Wednesday, “That is kind of our philosophy as well.  We just do things a little bit differently to get those things done.  At the end of the day that is what we both want to do.”

          Mershman believes taking advantage of turnovers could be a pretty big factor is this game.  “When teams are evenly matched or closely matched turnovers are a big part of what sways it one way or the other, but with that taking advantage of the turnovers.  Sometimes you get them and don’t take advantage of them and it was a wasted opportunity.  So, capitalizing on your opportunities is huge,” he said.

 

Published 11/04/21

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Carey Wants to be Physical

 

          Carey, the Northern 10 Athletic Conference camp, hosts Van Buren in a first round playoff game in division VI on Saturday night.

          A nine game winning streak and a sweep of conference games gave the Blue Devils the outright title and coach Jonathan Mershman says that is something they are very proud of.  “Goal one accomplished and it is really nice hearing “N10” champs for the first time from a reporter, I like it,” he said.

          Carey advanced the regional finals in division VI, so the seniors on this team have experienced playoff success.

          Mershman says you have to have a different attitude and understand there is no tomorrow if you don’t win.  “You have to keep climbing that mountain and as you’re climbing that mountain and you get knocked down there is no retry to start climbing again, it’s done,” he told Swankonsports.com on Wednesday afternoon, “So, you can’t slip up, you can’t come in unfocused.  Every day is a battle, every day is a grind.”

          Carey (9-1) hosts Van Buren (4-5) on Saturday night.  The Black Knights beat winless Vanlue (42-0) last week and has won two of their las three.

          Mershman says they want to be physical and impose their will on Van Buren.  “They have some really good team speed up front, so we are going to have to be ready for that, especially on the defensive side.  They have a nice middle linebacker, #53, he also plays center for them.  Our biggest thing is we are going to have to use our size and wear them down up front, so they are not so fast,” said Mershman.

 

Published 10/28/21

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Outright Title Hangs in Balance For Carey

 

          Carey already has a share of the Northern 10 Athletic Conference title this fall and they will win it outright with a win at Buckeye Central on Friday night.

          They would be considerable favorites to do so considering Buckeye has not won a conference game this season.

          Last week, the Blue Devils (8-1,6-0) beat Wynford (37-14) in a conference game.

          Coach Jonathan Mershman says it was a good performance by them.  “We played pretty solid.  We had some hiccups in the second quarter, but I thought overall we played pretty solid for the entire game,” he said.

          Mershman says they have done a good job this year of improving from week to week.  “There was a pretty good stretch in there where I thought we grew big time,” he told Swankonsports.com on Tuesday, “Like I said, second quarter last week we had some hiccups and hopefully we will learn from those mistakes that we made and we can show that growth going into the playoffs this last week.”

          Buckeye Central (2-7,0-6) played well into the fourth quarter last week before losing (27-6) to Mohawk in an “N10” game.

          Mershman says anytime you play Buckeye the Bucks are going to play hard no matter what the situation.  “They are going to play hard.  They always do.  At times we are probably going to outmatch them in size, but overall they are going to be very, very competitive.  If we are not ready to play, we could be in for a long night,” said Mershman.

          The Carey coach says they are not in a sharing mood right now.  He says they want the title outright.  “I don’t like sharing this one.  We are all about helping other people and doing stuff as a program, but we are going to be selfish on this one.  We are going to try and get this one outright for ourselves,” he said.

 

Published 10/20/21

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Carey Want to Create Chaos

 

          Carey clinches a share of the Northern 10 Athletic Conference title with a win at home against Wynford on Friday night.

          They lead Colonel Crawford by a game.

          Ironically, Wynford has won more “N10” football titles than any other school.

          Carey hammered a pretty good Seneca East team last week (49-0) in conference play, holding the Tigers to only 100 yards rushing.

          Coach Jonathan Mershman says they were outstanding on defense.  “I thought we played really well on the defensive end to hold them to zero points.  The gave us kind of scare in the third quarter, they drove down, but we had a nice goal line stand and then we drove it out of there.  I thought for the most part defensively we played really well,” said Mershman.

          Carey (7-1,5-0) hosts Wynford (4-4,3-2) on Friday night.  The Royals are coming off a (47-20) win at home over Upper Sandusky.

          Mershman says this is a team that is improving and cannot be taken lightly.  “They have a nice quarterback who is getting better and better every week.  We looked a little bit at their first film and saw his growth.  Last week, he had four throwing touchdowns and a rushing touchdown.  So, I think they are getting better and better.  So, I wouldn’t sleep on the Wynford Royals, that’s for sure,” he said.

          Wynford quarterback Cobey Allen is second in the conference in passing yards (1,455) and first Td’s (18) this year.

          Mershman says they have to make him feel uncomfortable in the pocket on Friday night.  “One of our mottos is let’s make feeling uncomfortable as comfortable as possible.  So, if that is what we try to do for ourselves,” he told Swankonsports.com on Wednesday, “Basically, we do the opposite for him.  Don’t make him feel comfortable being uncomfortable.  We are going to probably mix things up on him a little bit and try and make him feel uncomfortable.”

 

Published 10/14/21

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Trenches are Key in Carey vs. Seneca East Game

 

          Carey, the outright leader in the Northern 10 Athletic Conference, plays a big game Friday night on the road at Seneca East.

          The Tigers (5-2,3-1) share second place with Colonel Crawford, a game behind the Blue Devils.

          Over the last three weeks the Blue Devils have outscored their opponents (170-14), including a (56-0) win over Upper Sandusky last week.

          Coach Jonathan Mershman says they continue to do good things.  “Yeah, we are playing pretty good right now in all three phases Friday night I thought we played pretty well.  We were able to score in all three phases, which was a great night for us,” he said.

          Mershman knows Seneca East will be fired up to play and he says they have to match that intensity.  “We are going to get their best effort because if they can put us down a loss, they are tied with us for the lead and they are back with a chance to win a league championship.  They are going to want to do that, so they are going to be highly motivated going into this game,” he told Swankonsports.com on Thursday, “We are highly motivated to stay up at the top by ourselves.  It should be a really good game.  Every time we go to Seneca East it seems like it is going to rain and I think there is a chance for rain this week as well.”

          Seneca East and Carey both have very good run games and Mershman says this game will be won and lost in the trenches.  “They have two of the leading rushers in the league, number two and number three, so, yeah, we are going to have to play solid up front in our front seven on offense and defense.  They have some big boys and we are going to have to try and move those guys around and do what we want to do.  It is going to be won up front week in and week out like we always try and do,” said Mershman.

 

Published 10/08/21

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Carey Meets Blitzing Upper Sandusky

 

          Carey, the Northern 10 Athletic Conference leader, is at Upper Sandusky to face the Rams in a conference game on Friday night.

          They took sole position of the lead last week when they walloped Bucyrus (65-0) while Wynford and Seneca East both lost.

          Coach Jonathan Mershman says they were able to get on a roll last Friday.  “Last week, I thought we came out with great intensity and we played well, especially in the first half.  I thought when our younger guys got a chance to come in and play, they played really well as well.  Bucyrus is an improving team and you can see them improvement from last year.  We were just able to take control of the game from the get go and they just weren’t able to stop that snowball effect,” said Mershman.

          Carey (5-1,3-0) visits Upper Sandusky (3-3,2-1) on Friday night.  The Rams are part of a logjam in second place a game back after rallying to beat Buckeye Central (27-16) last week.

          Mershman says Upper is a lot better than they were last year when they beat them by more than 60 points.  “Upper is a much improved team as well.  Last year, I think they had some younger guys playing and you can see now that those guys have some varsity experience.  They are going give us everything we can handle this week,” he told Swankonsports.com on Tuesday, “I know on their defensive side they are going to blitz us and bring the house.  Can we handle all of their stunting and all of their stuff up front?  It’s going to be a challenge for us and we are going to have to take care of the trenches.”

          Upper leads the conference in passing yards this season.

          Blitzing creates a big play for someone and Mershman says they need to execute to ensure it is them.  “It is who executes their play.  It is going to be feast or famine.  It is one of those types of deals.  If we can’t handle then it is going to be a long night and we will be on the losing end of that snowball effect, but I’d like to be on the winning end of that,” he said.

 

Published 9/29/21

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Carey Must Focus on Bucyrus

 

          Carey, a tri-leader in the Northern 10 Athletic Conference, plays its fourth straight home game on Friday night, as they host Bucyrus on in a conference game.

          Last week, they punished Mohawk (49-14) in a conference game.

          Coach Jonathan Mershman says they accomplished what they set out to do.  “I thought for the most part we played a pretty good game.  We made an emphasis in winning the second quarter because that is a quarter we had struggled with all year.  We went out and won the second quarter 28-0, which was the biggest difference in the game,” he told Swankonsports.com on Tuesday afternoon, “After that we pretty much tied every quarter because it was a rivalry game.  They came out ready to play, we came out ready to play.  Our point of emphasis last week was that second quarter and that really helped us get the win.”

          Carey (4-1,2-0) entertains Bucyrus (1-4,0-2) on Friday night.  The Redmen lost (41-21) to Seneca East last week.  It was a game that was tied in the third quarter before the Tigers pulled away.

          Mershman says Bucyrus is improved from last year when they went (2-8) for the year.  “When you look at their record and you say, hey, they are 1-4, but if you dive into it, they have lot to a 5-0 team, another 5-0 team, a 4-1 team and a 3-2 team, those are their four losses, so they are not losing to 0-4 teams or whatever, they are losing to really high quality teams.  This Bucyrus team is a lot better than they were last year.  They have a nice quarterback, nice running back, a nice receiver, and their offensive line is moving some people,” said Mershman.

          With some tough conference games looming in the future, Mershman says thy can’t be thinking ahead.  “Like I told our team, we focus on our team and what we do.  The better we become prepared ourselves, the better the whole team is going to come together.  So, staying focused on this week, making sure we are prepared for this game,” he said.

 

Published 9/22/21

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Carey Plays Rival Mohawk

 

          Carey, coming off a huge win last week over Colonel Crawford, plays at home against rival Mohawk in a Northern 10 Athletic Conference game on Friday night.

          Last week, the Blue Devils (3-1,1-0) dominated the second half and beat Crawford, the defending conference champion, (35-17) in a key early season game.

          Coach Jonathan Mershman says they played with passion in the second half of the game.  “I thought the second half we came out with kind of a different intensity and did what we needed to do up front,” he said.

          Jordan Vallejo ran for 108 yards and two scores and quarterback Derek Lonsway added 103 yards and another score.

          Mohawk (1-3,0-1) lost to Upper Sandusky (27-13) in their conference opener.

          Mershman says they understand the rivalry here and he says Mohawk going to come out with some fire.  “They are not right where they want to be, but they are 1-3 and two their losses come to 4-0 teams, one the teams we have in common beat both of us in Hopewell-Loudon.  It’s a rivalry game and the records don’t really matter as much,” he told Swankonsports.com on Wednesday, “This win for them would put them right where they want to be anyway, so it’s a huge game for them.  For us we need to handle our business and we need to make sure that we are doing the right things.  They are going to come out with a great intensity and we are going to have to match it and then some.”
          When it comes to their offensive approach, Mershman says the Warriors want to get the ball into the hands of Zaiden Fry as much as they can.  “They spread you out a little bit, but they like to run the ball.  They have one heck of an athlete for them that they are going to try and get the ball to anyway they can, whether it is him running it from a “wildcat” or throwing him the ball.  They are going to try and get him the ball anyway they can,” said Mershman.

 

Published 9/16/21

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Carey Believes in Itself

 

          Carey hosts Colonel Crawford in a key early season matchup in the Northern 10 Athletic Conference on Friday night.

          Both have title aspirations this season.

          Last week, the Blue Devils (2-1,0-0) belted Toledo Waite (51-6) in a non-conference game.

          Waite had not played a game in over a year, but Carey coach Jonathan Mershman says they did not look past them.  “I thought we played really well.  I thought we handled our business to way should have handled it.  It did show up that that was their first game this year.  Toledo Waite was making first game mistakes and we were able to take advantage of those.  That made me feel good that we can take advantage of our situations were we need to and I thought we did last week,” said Mershman.

          During the game Friday night, the two schools will “Pass the Helmet” to raise funds for pancreatic cancer research, a disease affecting Crawford coach Ryan Teglovic.

          Mershman says the Eagles are a smash mouth football team and they must match their physicality.  “They are well coached and if you can’t stop the run and you can’t run the ball against them it is going to be a long night.  So, it is going to be a battle in the trenches up front.  One of the things they like to do is run the ball and stop the run, so you have to take advantage of those things,” he said.

          Colonel Crawford (3-0,0-0), # 1 in the Swankonsports.com football coaches poll in the small school division, has blasted three opponents, including Cardington (65-6) last week.

          Mershman hopes they have a little more stamina in the fourth quarter.  “The good thing for us this year is really about focusing on us.  I think once we started focusing on us, about what we can do, the door has really opened for us.  One of the things that we have had to do this year is play four quarters in every game.  Last week, in the fourth quarter we could ease back a little bit, but wasn’t to the point where we could ease all of the way back,” he told Swankonsports.com on Thursday afternoon, “So, we have had to play Hopewell-Loudon and Galion for four quarters.  We have had to play four quarters and I am really hoping that gives us an advantage,”

          Crawford beat Carey (16-7) last year on their way to the conference title.  Mershman says they have cleared their mind of that game focused on Friday night.  “Last year was last year, this year is this year.  We are focused on us.  Making sure we are in the right space, we are in the right mindset.  They had different players last year and we had different players.  It’s a different year, different players playing in the game.  So, we are focused on making sure we are doing our jobs and believe in each other,” he said.

 

Published 9/10/21

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Carey Getting Better

 

          Carey plays its final non-conference game of the season as they host Toledo Waite on Friday night in non-conference play.

          After losing their opener (30-15) to Hopewell-Loudon, the Blue Devils rallied in the second half last week to beat Galion (35-21) to even their record.

          Coach Jonathan Mershman sys in the second half their offensive line controlled the point of attack.  “We came out at halftime and I thought our offensive line took over and allowed us to run the ball,” he told Swankonsports.com on Wednesday, “I believe we played a way better second half and I think we corrected our, I wouldn’t say bad six quarters going into that half, but we didn’t play as good as I think we could have played and we finally did in that second half and put up 28-0 on Galion.”

          Especially after the loss to Hopewell-Loudon, Mershman feels that second half last week was important when it comes to the rest of their season.  “That was really big for us.  I saw a big growth in our team from first half to second half and it is going to help us out in the future as well.  Sometimes you need to get punched in the mouth to see how you are going to respond,” he said.

          Carey is one of the favorites to win the Northern 10 Athletic Conference title this fall.

          Toledo Waite had its first two scheduled games of the season against Toledo St. John’s and Sylvania Southview cancelled, likely due to COVID.  In fact, the Indians have not played since 2019.

          However, Mershman says they have the kind of size and speed that warrants their attention.  “I can’t find much out from last year, I don’t think they played last year, so I think this their first year playing since 2019 with the COVID stuff.  I know they didn’t play in the first two games, but what we do have are the two scrimmages is what we shared.  They look like they have some really good size and some really good speed on the edges, so we are going to have to really come ready to play on Friday night,” said Mershman.

 

Published 9/02/21

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Carey Battles Columbus Grove

 

          Carey challenges Columbus Grove in the first of the regional semifinals in division IV Tuesday night at Van Wert High School.

          New Bremen and Antwerp meet in the second game.  The winners return Friday night to play for a regional championship.

          Carey (20-5) brings a 12 game winning streak into the game after a (52-46) win over Tiffin Calvert in a district final on Friday night.

          Coach Jamie Young says they have to have focus against a very good Columbus Grove team.  “They are one of the top teams in division IV.  They have been that way for the last two years.  They have two 1,000 point scorers.  It is one of those game where we have to maintain our focus.  I told the guys we can’t be too hyped and excited that we are there.  We have to be even keel, so we don’t come out and exhaust ourselves because of our excitement.  We just have to come out and play our style of basketball and that starts with defense and go from there and hopefully give ourselves a chance to have an opportunity to win the game,” he said.

          Carey finished in a share of second place in the Northern 10 Athletic Conference this season.

          Columbus Grove (22-2) won the Northwest Conference title this year and the Bulldogs avenged one of their regular season losses by topping Ottoville (61-48) in a district title game played in Elida.  They had lost to Ottoville (55-44) on December 4.  Their only other loss came to tradition rich Jackson Center (47-41) on February 9.

          Young says the Bulldogs have two really outstanding players.  “These two guys Blake Reynolds and Tayt Brinesser they have been doing it for three years now.  They both can shoot the long ball.  Tayt is really good at shooting outside and Reynolds is 6’4” and plays the post, he plays the point, he can do it all.  We have to focus on Tayt not getting clean looks and try and take it tough on Blake to get to his sweet spot so we can try and make him uncomfortable.  They are really good, they have depth, they have size, they are all 6’1” to 6’4”.  So, we have our work cut out for us, but the kids are excited for the opportunity,” said Young.

          Carey, as we said last week, seems to be peaking at the right time.  Young says they are getting a lot of production from three seniors.  “All three of my seniors in the district provided a spark led by Cade Crawford.  He was able to do a lot of things and was really shooting the ball well.  Hayden Nash shot the ball well with some timely three pointers.  The Old Fort game he hit two threes in a row that really sealed the deal for us.  Against Calvert he came out and hit a big three in the fourth quarter to give us a little bit more of a cushion,” he told Swankonsports.com on Monday evening, “Ian (Yeater) played his best game of the year against Calvert on Friday.  Those three playing the way they are playing and the other guys are just falling in place.  It starts with our defense.  We are playing really well and that is all I can ask for.  I’m just happy to have the opportunity to have another game with these guys.”

 

Published 3/09/21

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Carey Might be Peaking

 

          Carey takes on Old Fort on Tuesday night in a division IV district semifinal at Liberty-Benton High School.

          The winner will play either Tiffin Calvert or Mohawk in a district final on Friday night at Liberty-Benton.

          The Blue Devils (18-5) hammered two opponents in the sectional tournament in beating in North Baltimore (71-44) in a semifinal and Hopewell-Loudon (62-28) in the sectional final on Friday.

          Coach Jamie Young says that the game against Hopewell-Loudon might be their best effort of the entire season.  “Especially that sectional final game our kids really came out focused and determined and played with a lot of grit and discipline.  It was probably our best game of the year all around.  We came out and we hit shots early and our defense was pretty awesome to watch.  Hopewell didn’t have many answers for us.  They couldn’t do much against us.  It was great to have that kind of performance leading into what we have coming up on Tuesday,” said Young.

          Coaches always talk about peaking at this time of the season and Young says they just might be doing just that.  “Our defense was really good and we have had a really good week of practice this week.  We practiced Sunday and Monday.  The kids are just buying into it.  It is that time of year when everything is on the line.  We have three seniors that don’t want their seasons to end and everybody seems like the feel the same way.  I think we are going to do everything we can do (Tuesday) against Old Fort,” he said.

          Old Fort (20-3), the co-champion of the River Division of the Sandusky Bay Conference, belted two foes at the sectional level too in Arcadia (68-29) and McComb (62-29) in the final.

          Young says they have a lot of weapons.  “They are a well rounded team.  They have good size, they have good athleticism, they have kids that can shoot it.  The (Colin) Nutter kid was the district player of the year as a junior.  He is 6’7”, 200 pounds, he has a nice touch around the rim.  DeWeese is a senior that is a 1,000 point scorer.  He is a guard that can do a little bit of everything.  They have good size with the Myles Miller kid,” he told Swankonsports.com on Monday, “It is one of those days when we are really going to have to be on top of our game.  You a really going to have to try and be physical and hope some things go our way.  At the same time, I think our kids are up for the challenge because we are practicing well, we played well on Friday, everything is on the upward trend.”

 

Published 3/02/21

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Carey Playing Well

 

          Carey has won six of its last seven games and stands in a share of third place in the tough Northern 10 Athletic Conference.

          They host Buckeye Central in a conference game on Saturday night.

          Last Friday, they rallied in the second half to beat rival Mohawk (54-46) in conference play.

          Coach Jamie Young says that win was huge in giving them the number three seed in their division IV district.  “It was definitely a great weekend.  We went over to Mohawk and knocked them off.  It was a game that we had to come from behind.  We were down eight at halftime.  We hadn’t won over there in three or four years, so it was a big victory for us for sectional seeding,” he told Swankonsports.com on Monday, “We come back Saturday and play at Wynford.  They gave us everything we could handle and I was just happy to get out of there with a “W” to tell you the truth.  That was like our 10th game in 20 days, so I think we were a step behind and bragging a little bit.  We showed some good character and perseverance there.”

          They outlasted Wynford (62-51) on Saturday.

          Young says they need to keep moving forward, but they need a breather too.  “Of course, they would like to play more than practice.  With intense competition every two or three days it is going to wear on you.  I was just glad we were able to finish that stretch of games with some positive momentum going forward,” he said.

          Carey (13-5,10-4) plays at home against Buckeye Central (6-12,4-9) on Saturday night.  The Bucks are coming off an (80-43) thrashing at the hands of Upper Sandusky in a conference game on Saturday.

          Back on January 9, Buckeye lead Carey in the fourth quarter before losing to the Blue Devils (55-50) in “N10” play.

          Young says they know what the Bucks can do.  “We went there and we were down at halftime.  They are not a team you can sleep on.  They make you play a tough game.  They have the ability to keep a game close with the way that they play.  It is just one of those things where we have to be ready to play.  We have to have another three good days of practice because we are taking (Tuesday) off and just get ready for Saturday.  We have to start getting tuned up for the tournament.  I think Buckeye will be a good start,” said Young.

 

Published 2/09/21

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Carey Building Some Momentum

 

          Carey has won its last three games and four of its last five heading into another big week of basketball as they play at Oak Harbor in a non-conference game on Tuesday and then visit Mohawk and Wynford for Northern 10 Athletic Conference games on Friday and Saturday.

          They won perhaps their biggest game of the season in downing Upper Sandusky (59-53) in a conference game last Saturday.

          Coach Jamie Young says that is really one they wanted.  “We came out with great focus and enthusiasm.  The kids felt bad from the last time we played them.  They didn’t think we competed like we should have.  We came out and we matched their physicalness.  The kids just came together and it was a great team win,” he said.

          Carey is at Oak Harbor (8-6) on Tuesday night, weather permitting.  The Rockets, leaders of the Bay Division of the Sandusky Bay Conference, did not play last week, but beat Willard (50-43) ten days ago in taking the division lead.

          Young says this is a good game for them to be playing right now.  “They have one of the best guards in Blake Booker.  He is just one of those kids that can knock it down from anywhere.  He plays point for them, so he can never relax guarding him.  We have played them the last few years and they always come to play,” he told Swankonsports.com on Monday, “They play a matchup zone.  It is going to be a good test for us going into the tournament.  They are a bigger school than us, but that’s what we need if we are going to make a tournament run.”

          Carey (11-5,8-4) is down the road at Mohawk (12-4,8-3) in an “N10” game on Friday night.  The Warriors lost a tough one (53-38) to unbeaten Colonel Crawford on Saturday night.  In the first meeting between these Wyandot County schools, Mohawk won (62-46) on December 19.

          Young says there is a lot riding on this game.  “With Austin (Tusing) and AJ Hess, they lead those guys.  It is always tough to play over at Mohawk.  They are a gritty bunch of kids and they play that 2-3 better than anybody around.  We are going to have to make sure we are really on top of our game.  It is big not for just league standings, but also for sectional seeding coming up on Sunday because we are in the same district,” said Young.

 

Published 2/02/20

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Carey Looking to Recapture Momentum

 

          Carey, now three games behind Colonel Crawford in the Northern 10 Athletic Conference standings, faces Seneca East on Thursday and then Crawford on Saturday.

          They are must wins for the Blue Devils.

          They outscored Bucyrus (83-69) on Saturday night in a conference game and then lost to Liberty-Benton in a non-conference game (77-52) on Monday night.

          Coach Jamie Young says they not playing as well as they were early in the season.  “I think we lost our swager form when we started the season and we are just trying to find it again.  With COVID and the team got quarantined and I wasn’t there I just think we lost a little bit and we are trying to find it.  We have to come back and get in our grove,” he told Swankonsports.com on Wednesday night, “We haven’t found it yet and hopefully we can come out (Thursday) and play with a lot of energy being at home and see the ball go through the net, just build some momentum forward through the season.”

          Carey (7-4,5-3) plays host to Seneca East (6-5,3-5) in an “N10” game on Thursday night.  The Tigers beat Wynford (66-47) on Friday night in a conference game and added a (50-28) win over Arcadia in non-conference play on Saturday.

          Carey beat the Tigers (72-54) in their first meeting back on December 10.

          Young says they have some guys that can score.  “They have some really good players.  They have four really capable shooters.  I think Kalb is a sneaky scorer.  He probably has some of the best pull up game in the league.  He finds a way to get it going.  Isaac Mason is playing great as a sophomore.  You have shooters like 24 (Turner Bridgford).  They have some kids that can just play and shoot and they spread you out and then they can get up and go, they like to run as well,” said Young.

          With unbeaten Colonel Crawford looming on Saturday, is the Seneca East game a trap game?  “We try to stress that we have to take care of each game.  If we are not ready to play they are a very capable team and they are playing well too.  Coach Powers has got those kids playing energized and playing good ball right now.  It is definitely one of those games we can’t look lightly at,” said Young.

 

Published 1/21/21

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Carey Back on the Floor

 

          Carey finally got back to playing basketball last Saturday and now they have two Northern 10 Athletic Conference games this weekend at Ridgedale on Friday at home with Bucyrus on Saturday.

          After three weeks without basketball due to being quarantined because of the COVID-19 virus, the Blue Devils rallied to beat Buckeye Central (55-50) in conference game.

          Coach Jamie Young says it was great to get the win, but even better to have a chance to play again.  “It was a good win, it was good to just get back on the court.  I had not been able to coach for a month, since the Seneca East game.  The boys were quarantined for two weeks and we had a week of practice.  I know they were really chomping at the bit to get into a game and compete, but we came out and were a little rusty.  Buckeye played really well, they are disciplined and they do the little things the right way.  Coach (Tom) Howell has them playing the right way.  They gave us everything we could handle,” he told Swankonsports.com on Tuesday, “We were able to fight back and take the lead in the fourth quarter and hang onto it.  Just thankful for the opportunity to play after the time off, it’s lot better to win of course, but just the opportunity to compete.  You never know what the next day is going to hold with what is going on.”

          Not only where the Blue Devils not able to play, but they could not practice as a team for two weeks, according to Young.  “We were not able to practice while the team was quarantined.  The JV team could practice, so I did get in the gym myself just for a little relief, for a little therapy I guess you could call it.  The varsity guys had to set out there 14 days.  I set up a program on google classroom where they could go in and do workouts and what not, but they had to wait their 14 days.  The first day we were available to practice we hit the court on a Sunday.  There was nothing we could do about it, so we just did our time and got after it as soon as we could,” said Young.

          Carey (5-3,3-3) is at Ridgedale (2-9,1-6) on Friday night.  Colonel Crawford, the conference leader, buried them (81-29) on Saturday night.

          Young says they want to force tempo.  “They are going to come out and they are going to play their 2-3 and they are going to utilize the bigs they have inside.  Adam Beard as been there for four years, it seems like he has been there forever.  We are going to have to try and get them in an up tempo game and really get them up and down and utilize our speed and quickness against their size.  Just try and wear them out and just pressure them a little bit,” he said.

 

Published 1/13/21

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Carey Must Handle Upper Pressure

 

          Carey plays a couple of Wyandot County rivals this weekend in the Northern 10 Athletic Conference play as they travel to Upper Sandusky on Friday night and host the Mohawk Warriors on Saturday.

          They will be without coach Jamie Young, who is self quarantining after coming into contact with the COVID-19 virus.

          He says being at home has been a little frustrating.  “It is one those things where we can’t do anything about it.  There has always been a chance of this, it just happened to hit close to home.  I am in constant contact with the coaches.  Coach Wendling has taken over as the acting head coach, he has done a great job.  We talk all of the time.  The coaches are probably tired of me texting them every day.  Just sitting around the house, it is just something you think all of the time, you can’t do anything else.  You just obsess about it, I guess,” he said.

          Carey suffered its first loss of the season last Saturday in “N10” action when they lost (53-50) to Colonel Crawford, one of the conference leaders.

          Young says they learned some things along the way.  “We want to play fast, at high pace, but we hung with one of the best half court teams that can do both, they can play up tempo and they can also get in the half court.  We played with them.  We didn’t shoot the best, but some of that had to do with Crawford’s defense.  Dave (Sheldon) has them on point when it comes to knowing the opponent.  It was one of those things where we proved we are able to play we just have to make some more plays, execute down the stretch and maybe shoot a little bit better and that could have been our game.  That’s why we play the games.  I am not one on moral victories, but I think it was a good game for us to build off of,” said Young.

          Carey (4-1,2-1) is at Upper Sandusky (1-2,0-1) the defending conference champions on Friday night.  The Rams are on a rare two game losing streak, with setbacks to Colonel Crawford (70-44) and Toledo Christian (70-55) in a non-conference game on Saturday.

          Young says with the Rams they are big inside and they still cause havoc with their defensive pressure.  “Those two opponents are really top opponents.  Crawford we all know and Toledo Christian has two of the better guards in Northwest Ohio, one committed to Hillsdale College, so it is not like they are playing slouches.  Upper has good size, the (Trent) Beamer and (Gavin) Carey kids are 6’6” and they also played without (Cade) Adams against Toledo Christian, he injured himself against Crawford.  Upper is going to do what Upper is going to do,” he told Swankonsports.com on Thursday evening, “They are going to play fast, but not as fast as they have in the past, but they are going to try and take advantage of their two bigs inside.  It is one those things where they are going to play hard defensively, they are going to get in your face.  You just have to be able to weather they runs and don’t turn the ball over against their pressure.  I think we have the athletes that can compete with them, we just have to go our there and get it done.”

 

Published 12/18/20

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Carey Faces Fast Paced Seneca East

 

          Carey travels to Seneca East for a matchup in the Northern 10 Athletic Conference on Thursday night.

          The Blue Devils host Colonel Crawford on Saturday night.

          Last Saturday, Carey blitzed Bucyrus (85-47) in a conference game and coach Jamie Young says the shooting of Cade Crawford got them in the right gear.  “Bucyrus came out and battled with us that first quarter, but then we calmed down and were able to get them into more of a half court battle and turned them over a little more and took advantage of those transition opportunities,” he told Swankonsports.com on Wednesday, “Cade Crawford really came up big, he hit his first six threes of the game and catapulted us out to a big lead and we just cruised home from there.  The Bucyrus kids played hard and they never gave up even when they were down in the second half.  They kept fighting and that says a lot for what coach (Barry) Eagan is trying to do over there.  It was a good win, a good opportunity for us to get a league victory on the road.”

          Carey (3-0,1-0) plays at Seneca East (2-0,0-0) on Thursday night.  The Tigers have a new coach in Mike Powers and they have won both of their games in beating Plymouth (75-65) and North Baltimore (73-53) last Saturday.

          Young says it looks like they want to push the pace of the game.  “They look like they are playing with a lot of energy, a lot of positive attitudes.  Watching them on film they get out and go.  They are averaging 74 points a game.  The sophomore (Isaac) Mason is averaging 24, 25 points a game.  (Andrew) Kalb is doing what Kalb has been doing for the last couple of years averaging about 17.  They look like they are having fun and play with a lot of energy, up tempo.  They look like they are getting after it, so it is going to be a heck of a battle (Thursday) when we go over there and face them on their home court,” said Young.

          With the way both teams play, Young says the scoreboard may be lighting up Thursday night.  “They want to get up and down and we have been playing at a faster pace this year than we have the last few years, so it could be a really entertaining game for fans to watch.  A lot of up and down action, a lot of three point shots, just kids getting after it.  Watching them on film and the way we play, both teams are going to go hard and I think they are going to leave it all out on the floor,” he said.

 

Published 12/10/20

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Carey With Good Test against Willard

 

          Carey hosts Willard in a non-conference basketball game on Thursday night between two programs that are reloading after excellent seasons last year.

          The Blue Devils opened last Friday with an (84-63) win over Riverdale in non-conference action.

          Coach Jamie Young says they used pressure to get things going in the second half.  “In the second half we really came out, in the third quarter especially, and we were able to turn up the pressure and were able to get them out of what they wanted to do and covert a lot of turnovers to transition buckets.  The kids really played well.  Our energy level was really high in that third quarter and it set the tone for the rest of the half,” he told Swankonsports.com on Thursday, “We have some good leaders.  We have four kids back.  We are missing one of those to a quarantine, but we had some kids that just get after it.  It’s a different style than we have played the last few years.  They enjoy it, it is fun, it’s fun to coach.  We have to play off our defensive pressure.”

          Leadership is going to be important this season and Young says that means off the court too.  “We have talked about keeping their mask up during school, distancing from other people and not hanging out with other friends outside of the basketball program, which in any other year would be fine.  This year you want to limit who you hang out with so when it comes down to contact tracing we don’t want to have to worry about that.  We have already lost one person to that.  So, it is one of those years when everybody has to stand up and be a leader on and off the floor.  It’s good for kid to have to take some leadership roles,” he said.

          Willard graduated its top two scorers from last year, but Young says they still have a lot of kids that can play.  “They have had our number the last couple of years.  You look at their roster, and I haven’t seen them play yet because they haven’t played a game yet.  (Trey) Paxton is back, he is going to be running the point, he is their top guard coming back.  (Micah) Dawson gave us a little trouble last year.  Miles (Pinkston) has always been a thorn in our side with his effort and defensive intensity.  Joe (Bedingfield) is going to have them ready to go.  They are a well coached team.  It is just going to be a good opportunity for us to see what some of our younger guys can do against one of the better opponents we will play early on,” said Young.

 

Published 12/03/20

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Carey Has to Get Back

Carey is the latest very good team to have a chance at knocking off Upper Sandusky, not an easy assignment.

They trail the Rams by two games in the Northern 10 Athletic Conference race and are tied for second place with Colonel Crawford and Wynford.

They beat Seneca East (77-52) last Friday, but they were belted (65-44) by Colonel Crawford on Saturday night.

Coach Jamie Young says they really couldn’t match Colonel Crawford’s intensity early in the game. “Last Saturday, they came out firing. I think they had a little fire in their belly from the game on Friday night. Gavin (Feichtner) just took over. We left him open for some threes and he had a big first half. I think he had 22 points in the first half. We came out kind of flat, which you would think you wouldn’t in a game like that. It was our third game in four days and the kids just came out flat. We held our own the rest of the game, but after that first quarter we were kind of behind the eight ball and things just didn’t work out our way,” said Young.

Carey (8-4,6-2) plays at Upper Sandusky (13-1,8-0), #3 in the Swankonsports.com boys’ basketball coaches poll in the large school division. Upper crushed the same Colonel Crawford (69-40) the night before Carey played them.

Young says the Upper guards are outstanding, they take great shots and player tremendous defense. “You can start with their guards. (Cameron) McCreary, (Mason) Vent, and Evan Young is playing phenomenal this year. As a team they are so unselfish and they make extra passes, which lead to high percentage shots. Their defense is just smothering at times. They get you to make live ball turnovers and they just covert on them. Anytime they get a live ball turnover it seems they get a basket one way of the other. That is one of the keys. We can’t turn the ball over and let them get on one of their runs. They go on those eight, 10 point runs it is over before you know it,” said Young.

The Carey coach says you absolutely must get back and defend your basket or the Rams score quickly and often. “They run the floor so well, all five guys, even when they subs come in, the big boys, (Gavin) Carey and (Trent) Beamer, they all run the floor very well, they are very unselfish. They know how to find the open guy. If we don’t get back and stop the ball and matchup quick it could be trouble. It is trouble for any team they play. It is one of their strengths, their ability to handle the ball and the ability to make good passes and finish with a three pointer or at the rim,” he said.

Published 1/23/20

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Carey in the Thick of “N10” Race

Carey trails Northern 10 Athletic Conference leader Upper Sandusky by a game heading into a double weekend of action in the Conference.

The Blue Devils are at Seneca East on Friday and at Colonel Crawford on Saturday.

With 10 games under their belts now, coach Jamie Young says the are starting to realize their potential. “After the football season, we are definitely getting our basketball legs under us. We are starting to jell together. We are just going to take it one day at a time from here on our and see if we can continue to improve,” he said.

Carey beat Ridgedale (51-31) and Bucyrus (82-52) in conference games last week.

The Blue Devils (7-3,5-1) play at Seneca East (3-8,2-6) on Friday night. The Tigers lost a league game to Wynford (55-51) last Thursday.

Young says they can be explosive. “They have two of the better guards in the league in (Andrew) Kalb (15.5 PPG) and (Andy) Bauman. They have some kids that can go off. I know Andrew was averaging 17 and Bauman hit us for 18 the last time we played them,” he told Swankonspots.com on Saturday, “It is one of those games when we don’t want to take them lightly. I have stressed to the kids that we need to go in Friday and take care of business and play our game and play it at our pace. If we do that, we should be competitive and have a chance to win.”

Colonel Crawford (9-2,5-1) plays at Upper Sandusky on Friday and if the Eagles win and Carey takes care of Seneca East, there would be a three way tie for first in the “N10.”

Young says that would give even more importance to the Saturday night game in North Robinson. “Going into that game if we both have one loss it would be for first place in the league. Anytime you play Crawford at Crawford it is going to be a battle. They are an experienced group with Gavin (Feichtner) (18.5 PPG) and (Jordan) Fenner (14.6 PPG.) They are one the best tandems in the league. We have to take care of Friday night. Going into Crawford we just have to be competitive and see what we can be and hopefully the cards fall in our favor,” said Young.

Published 1/17/20

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Carey One Back in the “N10”

Carey trails Northern 10 Athletic Conference leader Upper Sandusky by a game in the conference standings as they play Ridgedale and Bucyrus this week in conference games.

After a late start to the season due to an appearance in the regional finals in football, coach Jamie Young says they have shown the can play pretty well, they just aren’t consistent enough yet. “In games against Riverdale and Mohawk to start the season and last weekend we have played some really good ball, we just haven’t been the most consistent team in terms of shooting. We have to get our basketball legs back before we could really see what we have. I think we are starting to get in that grove,” he told Swankonsports.com on Wednesday, “I think we are only going to get better as the season goes on. We have some talent back with Hayden Snow inside and Isaiah Hoepf and Cade Crawford at my guard spots, so we have a pretty good team we just have to get in our grove and continue to play well.”

Young adds they aren’t worried about the league race, they just want to keep getting better. “We are taking it one game at a time. Especially, with Ridgedale (Thursday) we have to make sure we come out and play our game, play our style and do what we have been doing over the last week here and just continue to build momentum and move forward as we get into the “N10,” he said.

Carey (4-3,3-1) is home for Ridgedale (3-6,1-4) in a league game on Thursday night. The Falcons lost (50-28) to Colonel Crawford on Wednesday night.

Young believes defense is the key for the Blue Devils. “(Ridgedale) has one of the quicker guards in the league in Clayton Lust. He is averaging 14, 15, 16 points a game, something around that. He can light it up. He gets up and down the court pretty quick. We just have to make sure we defend him and make everybody else work to for what they get. Mostly, we just have to make sure we come out and play our game. If we come out and play defense like we are supposed to and pressure the ball I think we could get some turnovers and convert them into baskets,” said Young.

Published 1/09/20

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Defense and Rebounding are Keys for Carey

Carey faces top seeded Willard in a division three district semifinal on Wednesday night at Norwalk High School.

The Blue Devils stuffed Oak Harbor (59-22) in a sectional final last Friday at Hopewell-Loudon.

Coach Jamie Young says they were tremendous on defense. “We knew coming what they had with the Alexander kid. He is one of the best guards in our district. I just challenged the boys to make it difficult to get shots and everybody else just play solid defense. They came to play from the first second of the game to the final buzzer everybody that stepped on that floor was engaged in what we were doing and they executed the game plan petty much to perfection,” he told Swankonsports.com on Monday, “When you hold a team like that to 22 points, that is what Alexander averaged on the season pretty much. I can’t be any prouder of the way the kids responded to the game. It was a dominating performance to say the least against Oak Harbor.”

Willard beat Carey (66-62) on December 6, a full three months ago. Young says Willard point guard Copper Parrott lit them up that night and they can not allow that to happen again. “First of all, Cooper Parrott is a phenomenal guard. He’s got good size, good height to him, he can take it to the rack. He can look for the in between shot and he can get the three. We faced him earlier in the season and he hit us for 32, so we know he is the real deal. They have a lot of size and a lot of length with Triplett and Baldridge. It is going to be tough match-up, we are really going to have to be able to defend and make sure we limit their second chance points and keep them out of transition if we want to have a chance to win,” said Young.

They were right it the first time they played Willard and if they play to their potential on Wednesday night, Young says they can win this game. “We are both really good teams and we have a lot of talent. If we come to play, I think we have a good chance to keep it competitive and maybe pull one out. Willard is a really good team. They have won 15 in a row, they are really rolling and they have a lot of talent. Joe (Bedingfield) is doing a great job with them. I just hope we can show up and give it our best shot,” he said.

Published 3/05/19

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Carey Building Momentum

Carey is the fourth seed in next week’s division three tournament and they are looking to continue to build momentum for that tournament.

They lost to Colonel Crawford (56-45) in a Northern 10 Athletic Conference game on Monday and then beat Fostoria (66-65) in overtime on Tuesday.

Coach Jamie Young says it is difficult to prepare for games that are back to back on Monday and Tuesday, especially since they played Saturday too. “We didn’t have any time really to prepare for Fostoria and we only had one day to prepare for Crawford and that was Sunday because we had a game on Saturday as well. So, it is just one of those things where we just have depend on us and do what we do the best and make adjustments on the fly during the game,” he told Swankonsports.com on Wednesday, “The kids (Tuesday) night just did a really good job of coming out and executing coming out of time outs in big situations and they played hard. For the fifth game in seven days and that last game was against Fostoria, which was the fastest team we played against all year. I was glad to see the kids come out and have some grit and really be determined and to go overtime, why not, you know?”

Young says the games this week were played in such a way that if kind of felt like the tournament and that is a good thing. “The last two games against Crawford and Fostoria has more of a tournament feel. There were high stakes and we had to value the basketball and when we didn’t, we were unsuccessful against Crawford in the second half. We came out against Crawford and played really well in the first half. In the second half their defense turned in up a little bit and we weren’t able to respond. It is getting us ready for the tournament. (Tuesday) night the kids just had to fight. It was something to just get us ready for the tournament,” said Young.

Carey (13-8,9-6) plays host to Bucyrus (3-17,3-12) on Friday night. The Blue Devils won the first meeting this season (56-42) on January 12. Bucyrus has lost its last four and eight of its last nine.

However, Young says the Redmen are not void of talent. “We are not going to take them lightly because I think they have some players that can really cause us trouble with (Jaylen) Zahner and Harley (Robinson) and (Kyle) Hamm. That is three really solid players that can get the job done. We want to keep building momentum, so next Friday we are ready to go. We have had light practices (Wednesday) and (Thursday) to rest from that long stretch that we had, but with senior night and everything I think we will be ready to go,” he said.

Published 2/21/19

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Carey Needs a Couple Wins

Carey is likely out of the race in the Northern 10 Athletic Conference, they are now three behind leader Mohawk, but there are still some goals that can be accomplished this year.

On Saturday, the Blue Devils lost (66-64) to Wynford in a conference game. Josh Crall scored 44 points for the Royals and Carey coach Jamie Young says they just sent him to the line way too many times. “It came down to we gave one of the best scorers in the league Josh Crall too many opportunities at the foul line. He went 18 of 21. He is just a great offensive player and you can’t send a player like that to the line 21 times and expect a good outcome. On top of that, he hit six threes. He was dealing. We were trying to stop him. We were playing undisciplined and we got too physical with him. We sent him to the line too many times and that did us in,” he said.

Carey (8-6) plays at New Riegel (7-8) in a non-conference game on Tuesday night and then hosts Buckeye Central in an “N10” game on Saturday.

Young says those are both important games for them in terms of tournament seeding. “This week we have two games before the sectional draw and these are big games for us because they could put us up to 10 wins. We are trying to get a first round bye here in the tournament. There are four of them in our district and we would love to have one of those to get right into the sectional finals. Our focus is going to be on the tournament and getting better every day. Just trying to get ready for what’s to come,” he told Swankonsports.com on Monday, “We have to get some momentum built up. We have lost our last two games. It is going to be really important for us to play well (Tuesday) against New Riegel and then turn around and have a good week of practice and come out and compete on Saturday against Buckeye.”

New Riegel comes in having lost two of its last three, including (52-47) to Tiffin Columbian in a non-conference game on Saturday night.

However, Young expects a good test from New Riegel. “They are always going to play hard. I grew up around this area and I have always watched New Riegel play. We have Rick DeMoss, who used to coach at New Riegel, coaching on my staff. They are smart basketball players because basketball is their sport. They don’t have football there, so they are focused on basketball. We have to be able to come out an compete. We can’t make silly mistakes. We just have to come out and play. If we come out and play and take care of us I think we should be victorious, but if we come and take them lightly. They have some good guards and some nice size inside where they can compete with us if don’t come to play,” said Young.

Published 2/05/19

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Carey to Keep Pressing

Carey stands in a share of third place in the tough Northern 10 Athletic Conference, two games behind first place Mohawk, as they prepare to play at improved Wynford on Saturday night.

They lost to Mohawk (53-47) on Saturday and then had cold weather wiped out a game against Crawford on Wednesday night.

Coach Jamie Young says it will be nice to get back on the floor on Saturday night. “It is going to be a good opportunity to get back on the court. When you think about it we are going to be playing a team that has been playing better lately. They have one of the best players in the league in Josh Crall. He is the leading scorer in the league. He is not just a great scorer, he is an all around basketball player. He is a tough rebounder, he is one of the best rebounders in the league I would say,” he told Swankonsports.com on Wednesday, “We are really going to have to compete and to go over there and try and beat Wynford at their place is going to be a tough deal. We didn’t practice (Wednesday) or (Thursday) but Friday we will have to get back in the gym and be ready to go for Saturday.”

When it comes to Crall (24.9 PPG,) Young says you can’t let him have wide open shots or he is going to hurt you. “I think your best bet is to make him work for everything that he does. When he gives up the ball make him work hard to get it back. They do a great job of screening for him. Our screeners have to help, guys guarding screeners have to help. He is going to get buckets, he is going to get points. He is going to get fouled and go to the foul line. He is one of the top free throw shooters in the league. So, it is one of those things where you just have to make him work hard and hopefully by the fourth quarter his legs are gone. I am sure he is in great shape because he has been doing it all year. That is just one thing you have to hope for,” said Young.

Carey (8-5,6-3) is at Wynford (4-12,4-8) on Saturday night. In their first meeting it was all Blue Devils with a (74-37) win on December 22.

When it comes to the league, Young says all they can do is keep winning. “We obviously need a lot of help if we want to win the league. We still have Crawford, Upper, Wynford, we still have some tough matchup ahead of us. The final stretch, the last two weeks of the season, we will be playing six games in 10 days. I have to keep the kids motivated, keep them fresh, and try not to overwork them too much in practice. Hopefully, we can do our thing and take care of our business and hopefully a miracle happens,” he said.

Published 1/31/19

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Carey With Both Upper and Mohawk this Week

Carey, in a share of second place in the Northern 10 Athletic Conference, two games behind unbeaten Mohawk, plays at home against Upper Sandusky on Thursday and Mohawk on Saturday.

The Blue Devils kept themselves right there with a (75-43) win over Seneca East last week.

Coach Jamie Young says they were able to get off to a good start and make some things happen, especially when they got the ball inside. “We came out and we established inside early. Hayden (Stone) got going early. He had 12, 14 points in the first quarter and then our defense took over. The only bad thing is in the third quarter we came out and gave 18 points and we had only given up 17 in the half. As a coach you are disappointed in that because you want to see constant improvement. All in all, it was a great team win. The kids played hard and anytime you can get a “W” in the league it’s a good thing,” he said.

Carey (8-4,6-2) plays host to Upper Sandusky (10-4,7-2), #4 in the Swankonsports.com boys’ basketball coaches poll in the small school division, in the “N10” on Thursday night. Upper lost its second straight one point decision in the league when Colonel Crawford beat them (47-46) last Thursday. In the first meeting between the teams Upper won (49-48) on December 15.

Young says the Rams have great guard play and he says you have to stop those runs they are famous for. “They are one of the top teams in the league. They have two of the better guards in the area in Cam McCreary and Mason Vent. The style they play, they pressure you and get you out of you comfort zone. You just have to be able to stop them from going on their 8-10 point runs,” he told Swankonsports.com on Monday, “That’s a big key for us and not let it snowball into something worse. The key for us is just not letting their guys go off on us. Taking care of ourselves and making sure we are not putting ourselves in situations that are going to lead to them getting easy buckets.”

Mohawk (12-0,8-0), #1 in the our poll in the small school division, comes calling on Saturday night. Mohawk won (46-40) on December 21 in the first game between the two.

Young says you must control Zach Hayman without letting the other Warriors have too much space. “You have to make it hard for Hayman to get easy looks. He is one the top scorers in our league. I know he doesn’t score as many as Crall does. For what he does for his team he does a little bit of everything. If we can make it difficult for him to get easy looks. I think we did a good job of that last time. We have to make sure we don’t let Chris Klopp inside get easy buckets. Brock Brause off the bench came in and got eight points against us. We have to make sure we don’t let the other guys go off and have big games against us,” said Young.

Published 1/22/19

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Carey Has to Keep Winning

Carey, two games behind Mohawk, in the Northern 10 Athletic Conference standings, plays two games in the conference this week at home against Seneca East on Friday and at Colonel Crawford on Saturday.

They are going to have to win them both if they are going to stay in contact with Mohawk.

The Blue Devils are on a five game winning streak and coach Jamie Young says it is because they have gotten better defensive play. “We started off the season pretty slow then we started playing better defense and that really kick started our run. We play Crawford, Mohawk, and Upper and we all had really close games against each other and it would just give us momentum. We are playing good defense we just have to get the offense clicking. If we can put it together before this stretch run here we will be sitting pretty,” said Young.

On offense, Young says they need to get better ball movement so they can get better shots. “Our ball movement and our player movement is kind of stagnate at times. I think we trying to look for Hayden (Stone) all of the time. That’s not a bad thing because he is 6’8” and he is a pretty prominent player when he wants to be. We just have to mix it up a little bit. We get kind of predictable I would say. If we get ball movement, player movement, I think it will open some things up for us,” he said.

Carey (7-4,5-2) entertains Seneca East (4-5,2-5) on Friday night in conference play. Their game that would have been earlier in the season was postponed due to the Tigers long football run. Seneca East has lost its last five league games.

However, Young says they have kids that can make plays. “They are led by Tyler Turek and he is one of the bigger kids in the league. I think he could just be a force for them and they surround him with some really good athletes. Clint Wurm is playing well and (Chase) Foos. They are a team you can’t take lightly. They can make some things happen. We haven’t played at home in while. We want the kids to come out and just give us great effort on Friday,” said Young.

When it comes to playing at Colonel Crawford (9-3,5-3) on Saturday, a team they beat (49-34) on December 13, Young says it is always a great experience, even though they have had trouble winning in North Robinson. “Anytime you play Crawford it is a big game. With the league race the way is right now with us with two losses an they have three losses it is a must win for both of us. We have not played well at Crawford since I became the coach,” he told Swankonsports.com on Tuesday, “It is a tough place to play. They always have a great environment. Coach (David) Sheldon, his teams are always on point and he knows everything that we are going to do. It is going to be a tough environment, a great environment. I always love playing against Crawford.”

Published 1/16/18

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Carey Has to Slow Down Nubians

Carey is a making the trip to the regional tournament for the first time in school history and the Blue Devils will play Columbus Africentric in the division three regional semifinal at Bowling Green State University on Wednesday night.

Carey knocked off Margaretta (41-31) in a district final on Saturday afternoon and coach Jamie Young feels like they really have some momentum on their side. “We have played four really good games. The kids are really engaged. Even the kids on the bench that don’t get to play are really engaged in games and in practice. It is just an overall great feeling and I am happy to just still be playing when most teams are not. Even though we have to take a long bug ride I am really happy that the kids get a chance to play at Bowling Green State University,” said Young.

There is a tremendous amount of excitement surrounding the Blue Devils, but Young knows they still must keep some focus. “Our community has really supported us. I have been getting phone calls, e-mails, and text messages daily from people I haven’t spoken to in a long time that are just in the community. The kids are really exited, but I think they will be focused. They would like to move on. This is the first team in Carey history to ever make it to regionals. They are not content with where we are. They would love to keep moving forward,” he said.

The Africentric Nubians (19-6) play in the Columbus City League against much larger schools. They beat Northmor (68-49) the champion of the Knox Morrow Athletic Conference in a district semifinal last week and then topped Johnstown-Monroe (59-43) to win the district on Saturday.

Young says they really like to push the tempo and they have the players to do it. “With their transition offense they can really get out and push. They are led by Trey Baumgardener. He is a phenomenal point guard. He is kind of old school in that he controls the whole game for them. He is a big part of what they do. He is a really good player and the way he gets them out into transition, make or miss, is something to see. It is an exciting brand of basketball they play,” said Young.

Carey (20-5) has not been a team that has been all that patient this year, but Young says they can not get into a track meet with the Nubians. “We are going to try and control the tempo because they are going to try and get out and run and they are going to try and get out and pressure us. We can’t panic, we have to be under control and be where we are supposed to be. It all comes down to controlling the tempo and if we can knock down some shots early,” he said.

Published 3/14/18

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Carey Must Control Oak Harbor Point Guard

Carey tangles with Oak Harbor in the division three district semi finals at Norwalk High School on Thursday night.

The Blue Devils (18-6) advanced to the districts with a (66-46) shellacking of Western Reserve last Friday. They have had an outstanding season, including being the only team to beat Upper Sandusky (71-70) in a Northern 10 Athletic Conference game.

Coach Jamie Young says they have a lot experience, some athleticism and some size. “I have a player on my team that is going to letter for four years in Cody Luzader and two others that this will be their third year, so we have experience and we also have senior seniors to keep everybody in line,” he told Swankonsports.com on Tuesday, “So, that is one big key and then we have athleticism and we have some good size. Down low we have Hayden Stone, who is 6’7”, he is a sophomore. We have pretty good athletes across the board,”

Stone leads the team in scoring (14.6 ppg) and the “N10” in rebounding (10.5) and Luzader and Trey Barne have been two of the better outside shooters in the conference this year.

Oak Harbor sophomore point guard Jac Alexander has been named as a first team all district player and he certainly has Young’s attention. “The first thing is their point guard. He is only a sophomore, but he runs the show. He looks like a senior out there he has everything under control. It is hard to get him rattled. He can shoot from the outside. He can penetrate and dish or he can penetrate and score. He is an impressive sophomore. He is just one of those kids that we are going to have to try and stay in front of and not let him create too much,” said Young.

Right at the top of the scouting report for the Blue Devils is not allowing Alexander to take over the game. “They have a couple of other guards that can shoot the ball well and they have good size inside. They have a couple of 6’4”, 6’5” kids inside. One is a really good scorer. They try and kick the ball inside to him. Controlling the tempo and not letting their point guard run the show is going to be key,” he said.

Published 3/07/18

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