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Flames
Have to Contain Mason
Mansfield Christian visits Seneca East for a division VI sectional
final on Friday night.
The Flames (12-10) spilt their games on the final weekend of the
regular season in losing (47-45) to Cardington Friday and beating Bucyrus
(52-31) on Saturday.
Coach Cary Craner is pleased they were able to take some momentum
into the postseason. “We were
hoping to get two wins last weekend. Finish
the regular season with two wins, but we weren't able to get it done Friday
night. We came back Saturday and
played pretty well. It was good
to have that game Saturday night because they play a lot like Seneca East as
far as the type of defense they’re running and whatnot,” he told
Swankonsports.com on Tuesday evening, “It was good to see the boys come
back and get that win and then play pretty good.
So, just hate to lose that one, but we didn't get a win going into
tournaments.”
Seneca East (16-6) lost to “N10” champ Colonel Crawford (61-48)
on Friday. They finished third
in the conference standings.
Craner says their big guns are Luke Mason, their senior point guard,
and freshman Jaron Depinet. “They
have got a couple big boys up there. Two
good kids, one that can just shoot from anywhere on the floor.
We just have got to make sure we stick with him at all times.
Then they have got a freshman that's really athletic and just plays
really well. A couple boys
around them too that can shoot on a given night.
It's the two that we have really got to stop.
The point guard and then the wing, the freshman,” he said.
Craner says they need to they can to keep the ball out of Mason’s
(17 ppg) hands. “He constantly
moves. I've watched plenty of
film. He just doesn't run out of
energy. Just all the time on the
move. You can stop him maybe by
face guarding and stuff, but he's going to get to the basket,” he told
Swankonsports.com on Tuesday evening, “He's going to clean up dirty and
rebounds and he's going to get buckets that way.
We've been working on some things this week to try to contain him.
I think if we can do that we might be okay, but he's a good ball
player. I know he's the all time
leading scorer up there at Seneca East and so it's going to be a tough chore
for us to stop him.”
Published 2/25/26
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Mansfield
Christian Working on Things
Mansfield Christian plays at home for two non-conference games over
the weekend with Cardington on Friday and Bucyrus on Saturday.
On Monday night, the downed rival Mansfeld St. Peter’s (52-41) in
overtime in Mid-Buckeye Conference action.
Coach Cary Craner says they ground one out.
“We didn't play very well the first quarter.
Looking at stats (Tuesday), we shot like 20% from the field.
I think through like 2-18 or something, so it was a rough start.
We were able to get it done. St.
Pete's isn't the team they used to be for sure, but they played pretty good
ball. We were able to walk away
with a win,” said Craner.
The Flames (11-9) host Cardington (5-15) on Friday night.
The Pirates are coming off a (62-34) loss to Libert Union last Friday
night.
Craner says they have a young squad.
“They're young and inexperienced, but they play hard.
The games I've seen, they've been in it.
They just make some young mistakes.
We're going to have to play well and just continue to work on the
things we need to work on and get better at them.
It ought to be a close game I believe,” he said.
Christian will play at Seneca East in a division VI sectional final
next Friday.
Craner says the draw went pretty much as well as it could.
“In my opinion, we got the best we could get with our seed.
We got Seneca East at their place.
They're a tough team but it was go there or maybe you could get a
home game with one game and then maybe you're going to get Colonel
Crawford,” he told Swankpnsports.com on Tuesday evening, “We decided to
take our chances and go to Seneca East and see what we can do.
Maybe get a win there. Then
we would get the winner of Crestview and New London.
Crestview beat us the week before by 10, but I think we were in it.
Other than the second quarter we were in that game the whole time.
So, we have got to get to that first tournament game and see what
happens after that.”
Published 2/18/26
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Mansfield
Christian Plays for a Share
Mansfield Christian can earn no less than a share of the title in the
Mid-Buckeye Conference with a win at home Friday night against Kidron
Central Christian.
The Flames and the Comets share the top spot in the conference
standings.
They will come in with some momentum after a (56-55) win over
Firelands Conference leader Plymouth on Saturday night.
Coach Cary Craner says they played really good defense.
“That was a great win for us. Our
boys just really played hard. Bryson
Winemiller stepped up for us that night and had a career high 19 points.
So, we played pretty well, played pretty good defense.
We went in there and were able to come out with the win,” he said.
Mansfield Christian (9-6,5-1) entertains Kidron Central Christian
(12-5,5-1) on Friday night. The
Comets beat Mansfield St. Peter’s (67-53) last Friday in a league game.
It was the Flames that won the first meeting (53-46) on January 2.
Craner says they will run and jump press you the entire game.
He says you have to be able to beat the double teams.
“Kidron is really good this year.
They're even better when they're at home.
They just play, like we talked before, they play a defense that just
hounds you the whole game. They
double team you everywhere. They
just chase the ball. That can
get them in trouble, but you have got to have kids that can handle that type
of pressure. So, we know coming
into our gym they're going to be doing the same thing to us.
They're just a really good basketball team,” said Kraner.
Craner says the live turnovers just fuel the momentum for the Comets.
He says they have to be able to respond.
“If you give them a turnover you got to be able to get the next
possession and go down and at least get a good look at the basket,” he
told Swankonsports.com on Thursday evening, “We've talked before you know
those live ball turnovers are key. We
just have got to be able to handle the pressure.
We know what they're going to do to us and we just have got to be
able to execute and handle it. That's
what we've been working on all week and we hope we're ready.”
Published 2/06/26
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Mansfield
Christian Battling Adversity
Mansfield Christian, a co-leader in the Mid-Buckeye Conference, plays
down a Lucas in a conference game on Friday night.
They play Firelands Conference leader Plymouth on Saturday.
Last Saturday, they lost (58-37) to South Central in a conference
game.
Coach Cary Craner says they were playing with a skeleton roster.
“We were missing like four of our varsity kids.
We played with a mixed roster last week, a lot of JV swingers playing
for us. We just had the flu bug
go through us and we just didn't play really well.
We hung with them the first half of the game and then we just ran out
of gas. The starters we did have
there they were sick and they were giving everything they could, but we
didn't have anything to at the end in the second half,” said Craner.
The Flames (7-6,4-1) will be at Lucas (0-15,0-5) on Friday night.
Lucas has had problems scoring ball this year as seven times they
have scored 30 or less.
Craner says they have to respect the Cubs because they are going to
play hard. “They're in a
rebuilding year, I think. They
play hard. They're going to come
out and play every night. You
can't go in there expect you're going to get a win, especially with what we
got going on right now with illness and injuries and stuff,” he told
Swankonsports.com on Thursday evening, “We have got to go in and we have
got to execute. We have got to
play our style of basketball and play hard and not overlook them.”
Mansfield Christian won the first game between the two (57-22) back
on December 19.
Craner says they can’t lose their focus here, especially with the
other co-leader Kidron Central Christian looming next week.
“They don't have a win yet, so every game they play is a chance for
them to get that first win and we don't want to be that first one for them.
We have got to go out and execute.
We know they're going to come at us and play hard and physical.
So, it ought to be a tough game for us,” he said.
Published 1/30/26
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Rebounding
Key for Flames
Mid-Buckeye Conference co-leader Mansfield Christian entertains rival
Mansfield St. Peter’s in a conference game on Friday night.
They got a big win in the conference last Friday when they went to
Crestline and beat the Bulldogs (48-34) to knock Crestline from a share of
the lead. They lost a tough one
to talented Danville (54-53) on Saturday.
Coach Cary Craner says they were able to handle the Bulldog pressure.
“We're really happy with that.
Our boys played hard and they played well.
We did what we had to do to win that game.
Like we talked last week and we didn't have the turnovers in that
game. We won the turnover battle
and when you can win turnover battles you can win some games.
We're starting to finally shoot the shoot the ball well from beyond
the arc. Our three-point
percentage is going up and so I like the way we're playing right now,”
said Craner.
Mansfield Christian (7-5,4-1) is at home for St. Peter’s (5-5,2-3)
on Friday night. The Spartans
beat Lucas (51-44) in a league game last Friday.
They lost (48-32) to “SBC” River co-leader Sandusky St. Mary’s
on Saturday.
Craner says they have to keep St. Peter’s out of the lane.
“The Spartans are a different team than they were last few years.
They play really hard, they play pretty aggressive, they can score
now. So, we have to be able to
handle the attack of the basket,” he told Swankonsports.com on Tuesday
evening, “They like to get to the glass and we have got to be able to
handle that. We have got to be
able to box out and win the rebounding battle against them.
Just continue to shoot the ball well.
They're a very good team. Their
coming into our gym and so having a home court advantage is I think a little
bit of an advantage, but we just got to play our game.”
Craner says St. Peter’s is a solid rebounding team and he says they
have to win that battle. “You
watch a lot of their game film and they don't score well from the outside,
but if you let them get in the paint and get second and third chance
offensive rebounds they can score. They
have got some big kids that can get to the glass, but if you do the
fundamentals right and box them out, you'll either draw fouls or you'll win
the rebounding war,” he said.
Published 1/21/26
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Mansfield
Christian Has to Handle the Ball
In a battle of co-leaders Mansfield Christian is at Crestline in play
in the Mid-Buckeye Conference on Friday night.
The two share the lead with Kidron Central Christian.
On Monday night, the Flames beat Northwestern, out of the Wayne
County Athletic League, (44-35) in non-league play.
Coach Cary Craner says they didn’t play very well.
“It wasn’t one of our best games.
We played as a pretty ugly, but we still got to the win.
We worked on some things this week.
They played us hard and we just did some different things.
We didn't look really good, but I'm hoping we can play a whole lot
better (Friday) night,” he said.
Mansfield Christian (6-4,3-1) is at Crestline (7-6,3-1) on Friday
night. The Bulldogs edged
Mansfield St. Peter’s (67-63) in conference game last Friday.
Crestline won the first game between these two (51-45) on December 5.
Craner says the Bulldogs are going to be aggressive.
“Crestline is a team that’s going to give 110% the whole 32
minutes. They play physical.
They attack on offense, they play a lot of pressure defense.
If we can handle the pressure and don't turn the ball over I think we
have a pretty good shot of going in there maybe pulling out a win and
splitting with him this season. We
just have to see what happens. It's
a nice gym to play in and they're playing pretty good basketball themselves
right now,” said Craner.
Craner says they just cannot have a bunch of live ball turnovers and
win the game. “That's what
hurt us over at Hillsdale. We
were in that game in the second quarter.
We went to the bench and we had I think four quick turnovers where
they got easy buckets and went up eight points, we ended up losing that game
by seven,” he told Swankonsports.com on Thursday evening, “That's my
opinion that was the deciding factor. I
talked a lot about how live ball turnovers are really bad.
I tell them I'd rather have a 10 second count in the back court than
a live ball turnover. So, if we
can limit those live ball turnovers and just limit turnovers in general, I
think we'll be okay.”
Published 1/16/26
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Flames
to Play Talented Hillsdale
Mansfield Christian does not play Friday, but they go to Hillsdale to
face the Falcons on a non-league game on Saturday night.
Last week, they got a huge win (53-46) at Kidron Central Christian in
Mid-Buckeye Conference action on Friday to move into a share of first place.
They lost (54-46) in overtime to Old Fort in not league play on
Saturday night.
Coach Cary Craner says they kind of ran out of gas on Saturday.
“Friday was a good win for us.
Central Christian is pretty tough and playing in their gym is pretty
hard to go in there and get a win. We
were able to go in there and pull went a win out.
Went up to Old Fort and I think we led most of the game and they were
able to come in towards the end of the game and tie it up and go to
overtime. We were kind of out of
gas from the emotions we spent the night before and playing and they had a
whole week off. I was proud of
the boys. They played hard, you
always wanted to win a course, but we didn't get it and that's the way it
goes,” said Craner.
Craner says they have shown some improvement this season, but they
are still thing they need to improve. “There's
always things to work on. We
have gotten better. Communication
is just one of the things that we talk about in practice daily, just the
turnovers. We've got to improve
on the turnovers. I know we had
25 plus over there at Kidron and we were pretty fortunate to come away with
the win with having that many turnovers.
That's one of our goals is to cut our turnovers down every week to
week. There's some days we do
and some days we don't, but we continue to work hard in the gym on all of
the improvements we need to make and we know that,” he said.
Mansfield Christian (5-3) is at Hillsdale (5-3) on Saturday.
The Falcons play Dalton in a Wayne County Athletic League game on
Friday. They are coming off a
(79-40) win over Rittman in their league on Tuesday.
Craner says they have got some scorers.
“Hillsdale is really good. They've
got some shooters on that team. They
play well together. I've watched
quite a bit of their games and they've got some scorers there
They've got a couple boys that can really shoot the three.
The Ferguson boy he can shoot, he can offer drive and always pretty
quick,” he told Swankonsports.com on Thursday evening, “We talked about
that (Thursday) night practice and we'll go over that again (Friday) night.
Just some of the assignments we have got to do.
We have got to be able to get midline help off when he drives.
They're a well coached team. They're
a good team. They're playing
really good basketball right now. So,
I'm hoping we can go in there and make it competitive maybe come out of
there with a win.”
Published 1/09/26
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Mansfield
Christian Must Limit Turnovers
It’s the biggest game of the season for the Mansfield Christian
Flames as they are at Kidron Central Christian for a huge game in the
Mid-Buckeye Conference on Friday night.
Right now, the Flames trail Central Christian by game in the
conference standings and this will be their final conference game of the
season.
They have won five of their last six, including a (70-49) win over
Lucas on Friday night in “MBC” play.
Coach Cary Craner says they are playing some pretty good basketball.
“We are starting to figure some things.
I can't complain, we gave Monroeville a pretty good game.
We were down I think two or four with about four minutes ago.
We had to start fouling and that happens.
We're playing pretty good basketball right now,” he said.
The Flames lost (53-46) to Monroeville of the Firelands Conference on
Saturday night.
Mansfield Christian (10-8,6-1) is at Kidron Central Christian
(12-5,6-0) on Friday night. The
Comets beat Mansfield St. Peter’s (80-58) in a conference game last
Friday.
Kidron won the first matchup (51-47) on January 3.
Craner says the Comets will show you a lot of pressure.
“Central Christian is playing a really good right now.
I think they're close to us as far as record wise.
They get up after you on defense.
They're playing pretty physical.
It's a tough place to play. We
have got to go over there in their gym and it's always a hard place to go
over and perform and play. They're
a different team. They don't
play their zone defense anymore. They
really get after you. So, I'm
looking forward to this game,” said Craner.
Craner says to get the win they must limit their turnovers, something
they didn’t do very well last time. “I
think that's one of the things that hurt us the first time we played them
down the stretch. I think we
were up close to double digits in going into fourth or so and down the
stretch we turned the ball over too much,” he told Swankonsports.com on
Monday night, “They do like to play a lot of full court man or a lot of
traps. So, that’s something we
have got to be prepared for and be stronger with the basketball, value the
basketball and if we can take care of the ball, I think we're in pretty good
shape.”
Published 2/04/25
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Mansfield
Christian Stressing Fundamentals
Mansfield Christian will host rival Mansfield St. Peter’s in a
clash in the Mid-Buckeye Conference on Friday night.
The Flashes are (1-1,1-0) so far this season with a (53-38) win at
Crestline in a conference game last Friday and then a (61-49) loss to
Mapleton in non-league play Saturday.
Coach Cary Craner says they are a young team that will develop as the
season progresses. “We started
out okay with the win against Crestline and then we went to Mapleton and
they have got a really good team over there and we did end up losing that
one. So, and you start out 1-1
you have got to be pleased, but still a lot of work to be done.
We've got a lot of inexperience at the varsity level.
We have got a lot of JV players this year.
We have got one returning varsity player.
So, I think we'll get things going as we get into the season, but
it's kind of early right now just to say,” said Craner.
Craner says they have to get better at the basic things.
“The fundamentals like defense is one that it kind of hurt us
against Mapleton. Just our help
defense is a little slow. Again
fundamentals, box out, we didn't rebound too poorly, but we could have did
better I believe. So, just the
fundamentals, boxing out, playing good defense, making foul shots,” he
said.
Mansfield St. Peter’s (1-1,0-1) lost (44-35) in overtime to Lucas
in “MBC” play last Friday and then belted Mansfield Temple Christian
(76-16) in a non-conference game on Monday.
Craner says this is an improved program.
“St. Peter’s is an improved basketball team.
They're very athletic, they have got a good coach over there now.
I've watched a couple games that they played and they're playing more
disciplined, like I said very athletic group of kids over there,” he told
Swankonsports.com on Thursday morning, “We have got to come out and we
have got to take care of the basketball, we got to play good, we have got to
be able to get a box out and get the missed shots and hopefully we can get a
win Friday night.”
Published 12/13/24
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Mansfield
Christian has to Convert
Mansfield Christian can move into a share of first place with Lucas
by beating the Cubs on Friday night.
The Flames have played very well this year, winning 12 games.
Coach Cary Craner says they have quality experience and they have
been playing solid defense. “We
have got some boys that have been there playing varsity since their
freshman, sophomore years, so we've got some boys that's got some
experience. We've just been
playing hard. This is my third
year here and when I took over, we wanted to really get back into playing
defense like Mansfield Christian has in the past and that's one of our main
points that we've tried to emphasize. The
boys play well together and they gel together,” he said.
Mansfield Christian (12-4,7-1) is at Lucas (13-4,9-0), #4 in the
Swankonsports.com boys’ basketball coaches poll in the small school
division, on Friday night. The
Cubs clinched a share of the conference title by beating Loudonville (60-34)
last week.
Cramer says Lucas in very good on defense.
“Lucas this is another team they continue to each year just
replenished and just continue to improve. Again,
they're a team that just loves to play good hardnosed defense, put a lot of
pressure on the ball that's one of the things that concerns us.
We have to take care of the basketball. Lucas
will play hard every single night. We
know that, that's one of our goals, we have to master their physicality.
Coach (Taylor) Iceman does a great job over there getting everything
out of the boys that he can. They're
just a really good team,” said Iceman.
Lucas beat Mansfield Christian (71-66) on January 17.
It was a game where the Flames led for a large part of the game.
Craner says this time they have keep their best players on the floor
and they must make foul shots. “The
first time we played them I believe we were up double digits in the first
half. Our best player Ammar
Davis foulded out in the third quarter and we had to play about 11 minutes
or so without him. We still hung
in there and we only lost by five,” he told Swankonsports.com on Wednesday
night, “One of our keys is we have got to make foul shots.
That's kind of been our problem with our four losses we have this
year. We've talked about that
throughout the year. I believe
if we make 50% of those foul shots that we missed in all four of those games
we probably win two or three of those games and Lucas being one of those.
We just have got to be able to make foul shots and we have got to
keep people on the floor that night.”
Published 2/02/23
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Mansfield Christian Squares off with Wynford
Mansfield Christian tangles with Wynford in a first round tournament game in division four on Wednesday night at Lexington High School.
The two teams have had similar seasons in getting off to a somewhat slower start and then really playing well over the last six, seven weeks of the regular season.
Mansfield Christian (14-8) has won seven of its last 10 and coach John Kurtz says they have been playing well, but they need to be in top form on Wednesday night. "As coaches we know that when you get to the tournament a lot of different things can happen. So, we are excited about the tournament and being in the tournament, but yet we also know you have to be playing your best basketball and playing your best basketball that night. It is important to be playing well at the end of the season, but also be playing well in that last game," said Kurtz.
Wynford (13-9) had a pretty good streak going too before losing three in row before beating Bucyrus (74-51) last Friday. Kurtz says the Royals are taking some momentum into the game. "You can see the improvement in their team from that little bit after Christmas area to the end. I think at one time they had won six over seven in a row. So, they have played much better and they shoot the ball very well. I think they are playing well at the end of the season and probably feel good about this game and going into the tournament the right way. They are playing some of their best basketball right now," he said.
Kurtz adds that they Royals have a couple of excellent perimeter shooters and some beef inside. "They have two kids, (Braxton) Tea and (Alex) Crall, the two main guys that do the shooting, are really, really, good. Crall can make shots with you right on top of him, he is that kind of shooter. They are streaky, we have seen film when they are just unbelievable," he told Swankonsports.com on Tuesday, "That is the kind of team we are preparing for, a one that has made a lot of shots. They made a lot of shots against Crawford at Crawford, which is a tough place to play. So, we definitely know they can shoot the ball. They also have some kids that are pretty big inside. They are kind of a duel threat."
In a game like this before the number six seed Wynford and a number seven seed Mansfield Christian is likely going to come down to the final moments. Kurtz says that makes the little things very important. "All week we have talked to our kids about the little things, free throws, and making the extra pass and do all of the little things you have to do at tournament time. Typically in this area at tournament time the game slows down a little bit, sometimes it becomes more physical. In these games that you have a six-seven match up it is typical that those games are tight. The team that maybe makes the fewest mistakes or can make that play that you need down the stretch," said Kurtz.
Published 2/24/16
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Mansfield Christian Has to Stop St. Peter's Break
Mansfield Christian hosts Mansfield St. Peter's on Friday night at "the Furnace" in a game that most certainly will decide the Mid-Buckeye Conference this season.
Right now, St. Peter's leads Mansfield Christian by a game in the conference standings. The Flames also play Crestline, winless in the conference, on Saturday night.
The Flames (13-7,8-2) have won eight of their last ten, including a (56-38) win over Fredericktown, in non-conference play, on Tuesday night. Coach John Kurtz says they have been running on all cylinders since the new year. "We have played really well. I guess other than the night we played Ontario. The Ontario night they really jumped on us and are a really good team. We were not able to get back in that one, but for the most part for the last month, month and a half we have played really well," he said.
St. Peter's (18-3,10-1), #2 in the Swankonsports.com boys' basketball coaches poll in the small school division, beat Mansfield Christian (54-50) last month. Kurtz says they are very good in three areas in particular. "I think they are really good at transition, I don't think that is any surprise, any new revelation. I think they get the ball out and they have really good finishers around the rim. I think that is something you at least have to try and control somewhat," he told Swankonsports.com on Thursday, " They are very good on offense. They shoot the ball. They run their stuff really well. Then on defense they are really good at pressuring the ball. They try and speed the game up a little bit. Those are the things that stick out quite a bit on film. One of those three areas they have used all year to win games."
When it comes to defending the Spartans fast break, Kurtz says it is all hands on deck. He says everybody has to get back and defend the basket. "You have to get back as a group and defend. They just don't send two or three guys that can finish. Really all five of their guys can finish the fast break. And they are quick. Those are all things that translate to them being tough in transition. It definitely has to be a team effort to control them," he said.
There is going to be a lot of emotion in this game on both sides, but Kurtz says you can't live on that and expect it to carry you to a win. He says they have to execute like they have been. "That is something our kids have been pretty good at. We are not a big rah, rah team. We are not a team that gets really high or really low. Even after our Ontario loss I thought our kids came right back against Fredericktown and were ready to go. We have talked about there may be runs in the game it is hard to know. You have to be able to control that and control yourself and stay focused on the job at hand," said Kurtz.
Published 2/19/16
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Mansfield Christian Feeling Good, Playing Well
Mansfield Christian is a team that has found itself and is really playing some pretty good basketball.
The Flames have won eight of their last 10 games.
Coach John Kurtz says he really pleased with how his kids are playing, especially in a (62-50) win over Hillsdale last Saturday. "We have really progressed. I think the Hillsdale game Saturday night showed how far we have come. We have watched some film from back early in the season and a lot of ways we don't look the same as we did then. Certainly we give the credit to the kids and how hard they have worked. We beat a very good Hillsdale team, there is no doubt about that. We have a rough weekend coming up this weekend and we just hope to keep things going," said Kurtz.
Kurtz says they have gotten very good leadership this year and he says the players are really working hard. "It is a great group of kids. Some of these seniors we have had now for four years, so the expectation level is high. I think we have had good leadership this year, our captains have done a great job pushing us in practice. We have a group of kids that seem the get along really well and play well together. I think that all works hand in hand for you to improve," he said.
Loudonville (9-9,4-6) plays host to the Flames (11-6,7-2) on Friday night. The first meeting went double overtime before Christian won (79-72) in early January. Kurtz says they expect a real battle. "We have told our kids all week that we are preparing the Loudonville team that beat St. Pete's early in the year. I just think on a given night if they get going they can just score a lot of points," he told Swankonsports.com on Thursday, "They have a lot of weapons and they are good in their gym. There are so many things that go into this. We had a close game at home. We are preparing for the best Loudonville team and we think it is going to be a very good game."
The Flames trail arch rival Mansfield St. Peter's by a game in the Mid-Buckeye Conference standings and play them next week, but Kurtz says they aren't concerned about that now. "It has kind been our philosophy for the last 11 games we are just looking at that next game on the schedule. Today we are preparing for Loudonville and that is the game we are preparing for. We don't want to look too far down the road because that can get you into trouble. We are just concerned with Loudonville and how good they can be at home," he said.
Mansfield Christian plays at Northern Ohio League co-leader Ontario (16-3), #2 in the Swankonsports.com boys' basketball coaches poll in the large school division, on Saturday night. Kurtz says the Warriors are very good on defense. "We certainly know Ontario is a very good team, a very good program. Joe does a phenomenal job over there. You look at their team on paper and they have so many weapons, it is not just the five that are playing, but it the four or five that come off the bench and we just don't see much difference in the kids that come off to ones that are playing. I think defensively in the half court they are outstanding position wise and the way their pressure the ball. It is one the better defensively Ontario teams that I have seen. They are always good, but this one just seems to be a little special," said Kurtz.
Published 2/12/16
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Mansfield Christian is a Good Clutch Team
Mansfield Christian has won seven of its nine games since the New Year's holiday and they are poised to do some pretty good things this year.
They beat Lucas in overtime (57-53) on Friday and Kidron Central Christian (34-31) in Mid-Buckeye Conference games last weekend to keep themselves in the conference race, a game behind rival Mansfield St. Peter's.
Coach John Kurtz says it was kind of an ugly game on Saturday night, but one they found a way to win. "It was a hard fought game. You could tell that are kids had had a game Friday night that was a little bit draining. We hung on again and won. We had about a 10 point lead in the third quarter and it got a little bit closer in the fourth. It was pretty ugly the whole way. We made some free throws late to seal it up. We have had a lot of close games lately and that was another one," he said.
The plodding style that Kidon plays can be difficult for teams, including Mansfield Christian, to deal with, but Kurtz says they have been pretty good at the end of games. "That style of play is not something that I guess we like to coach against or play against. You have to adapt to who you are paying and who they are and they play that style. Our kids don't really panic at the end of games and our kids are really controlled," he told Swankonsports.com on Monday, "We kind of have knack for getting to the free throw line in those situations. We haven't been a great free throw shooting team, but we have been a good one, especially late in fourth quarters we have been pretty good."
Mansfield Christian (9-6) plays at Plymouth (5-11) in a non conference game on Tuesday night. Plymouth is in the bottom half of the Firelands Conference, but they have wins over two pretty good teams in South Central (65-56) and New London (50-45.) Kurtz says the Rig Red has been playing to its strengths and they can be tough to deal with on their home floor. "They are very good at home. I think that they are much better than what their record looks like. I was at the New London game and they played a good game, a controlled game, limited their mistakes and were able to defend well enough, especially against New London's best player that they were able to get the win. It is a very good opponent with the tradition there with good runs in the tournament in the past. There is a lot of tradition and good play that comes from that program," said Kurtz.
Published 2/02/16
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Christian Has to Keep Winning
Mansfield Christian trails Mansfield St. Peter's by a game in the Mid-Buckeye Conference standings and to make the rematch with their arch rivals on February 19 mean anything they have to keep winning.
They play lost to Lucas on Friday and Kidron Central Christian on Saturday in conference games. They need to win both.
They won at Danville (59-56) last Friday and coach John Kurtz says they did what they had to do at the end of the game. "It was a hard fought game. It came down late in the game we had to make a couple of stops and then we made a lot of free throws in the fourth quarter. I think we made 17 free throws in the fourth quarter. It was a good, solid win for us. Danville is a good team and especially good at home," he said.
Defense has been the cornerstone of the Mansfield Christian program and Kurtz believes the execution on that end of the court is getting better for the Flames. "I don't think we played great at Danville, but I think we have played well. I think we still have a little improvement to do there, but overall pretty pleased with the progress we have made on defense," he said.
Lucas (4-8,0-5) pays a visit to "The Furnace" on Friday night to play the Flames (7-6,5-2) in a conference game. Mansfield Christian trailed early, but won the first meeting between the two (60-46) on December 11. Kurtz says the Cubs are a much improved team this year. "They are diffidently much improved. I think people forget that they have a lot of kids back from last year's team. They are competitive and more physical. I think the thing that stands out to me is they don't turn the ball over as much as they used to. All of those things translate to you being a lot closer in games. We expect a fight. We expect a really good game. This weekend certainly has bearing in the conference. These are very important games for us," said Kurtz.
Kidron Central Christian (6-4,6-2) beat the Flames the first time they played (44-32) on December 18. Kurtz says they must make better decisions and they have to shoot better than they did that night at Kidron. "I think we are a different team than we were then. That was early in the year and we didn't shoot the ball particularly well and our decision making I didn't think in that game was particularly good," he told Swankonsports.com on Tuesday, "Not to take anything away from them. Everybody knows Kidron is a hard place to play. They come in an they set in a zone and they limit your looks and they kind of make you take shots sometimes that are a little out of your comfort zone. So, we have to make better decisions. When we play them we certainly have to shoot the ball better."
Published 1/27/16
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Mansfield Christian With Tough Schedule this week
Mansfield Christian has an important Mid-Buckeye Conference game on Friday and two interesting non conference games against Firelands Conference opponents this week.
Last Friday, they feel out of a share of the conference lead when they lost a tough one to arch rival Mansfield St. Peter's (54-50) on the road. Still, coach John Kurtz thought they did a lot of good things. "I think our kids played pretty well in that game other than a little spell in the fourth quarter where we had some untimely turnovers, but other than that I thought our kids played really well. For the sake of harping on the same thing, but think I see progress out of our kids. We are learning how to play the game a couple of different ways offensively, so there has been a little bit of a learning curve there. I saw some good things with our post play and I saw some good things with our guard play. In those two areas that we have really been working we showed improvement," said Kurtz.
The Flames (5-5) will be at New London (8-3) for a non-conference game. The Wildcats had a week in which they lost to Plymouth (50-45) on Thursday and then hammered Crestview (96-65) on Saturday. Kurtz says they are tough, especially at their place. "We looked at this game a couple of weeks ago and had said that this is going to be a tough game. They are always good at home. Back in my Firelands Conference days just knew they were going to give you a good game there. When I saw that score from the weekend, 96, wow that is just set you back a little bit that they got that many. It just shows that on a certain night they can be very good, especially form the perimeter," said Kurtz.
As the 96 points seems to speak to, Kurtz says New London has a lot of players that score. "They have a least two kids that I think are very good in both areas right there. They can either takes the ball to the rim or they can shoot it. If they get going the flood gates come upon a little bit. You just have to be careful that they don't see a couple go in early. I think that is key for us to defend well early and I hope we can do that over there," he said.
Mansfield Christian (5-5,4-2) is at Danville (4-6,2-2) in an "MBC" game on Friday. The Flames beat Danville (49-42) 10 days ago. Kurtz predicts they are in for another battle. "It was a hard fought game at home that we pulled out in the end with some free throws. That place is very hard to play. Danville goes to Loudonville and really controls that game. We knew this would be a tough game away," he told Swankonsports.com on Monday, "The conference is so balanced right now that I think any team on a given night depending on where you play them can be very, very tough. Its a very, very tough week for us. We have New London on Tuesday, Danville on Friday, and then South Central on Saturday. It's a rough week."
Published 1/19/16
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Rivals Meet in the "MBC"
Mansfield Christian and Mansfield St. Peter's are among three schools to share the lead in the Mid-Buckeye Conference and they meet for the first time this year Friday night at the Franciscan Activities Center at St. Peter's.
St. Peter's is the defending league champion. Mansfield Christian won it two years ago.
Last week, was a big week for the Flames, who beat Crestline, Loudonville (79-71) in double overtime on Friday and Danville (49-42) on Saturday.
Coach John Kurtz is happy with what he is seeing. "We played three conference games with Crestline, Loudonville, and Danville last week and we got all three of them. The Friday night game was rough. It was double overtime. It took a lot out of us from that game. We made some free throws late to seal it. We didn't play to well against Danville on Saturday. We were a little drained, but we had enough in the tank to get by them," he told Swankonsports.com on Wednesday, "That was another close game. So, we were happy with the progress. That is how we have been viewing this season as a little bit of a work in progress and we think we have made some progress to this point."
After playing 40 minutes basketball on Friday, Kurtz says they were able to suck it up on Saturday. "We challenged our kids at halftime that we need to find enough energy to make a run. We did, I think we went on a 12-0 run in the third quarter, right at the beginning of the third quarter. We had enough energy to get to that point. We found a way to pull it out in the end. We made some free throws to put it away. It was one those games where you just needed to be on top at the end of the game and that's what we were happy with," said Kurtz.
Mansfield Christian (5-4,4-1) plays its biggest rival in Mansfield St. Peter's (9-2,3-1), #3 in the Swankonsports.com boys' basketball coaches poll in the small school division, on Friday. Kurtz says the Spartans are athletic and they don't to make this a track meet. "They are very talented, obviously. They had a lot of kids back that had experience. They are very good in transition, especially on the offensive side of that. I think if we get into that kind of game that is going to be detrimental to us when it comes to being in they game and winning the game. We have to control transition and I think you do that a little bit with the glass and how you play, but they are very good in transition," he said.
Rivalry games can be about emotion, but Kurtz says they really aren't approaching it that way this year. "Our kids have been pretty steady this year, so I really haven't heard a lot of talk that I have heard in the past. I think our kids are approaching this with the attitude that there is a lot of season left and there are a lot of conference games left and this is one along the way. I think the conference is fairly balanced, so you could win this game and let another game slip up on you. We have to sort of play each game as its own game and not get too far ahead of yourself. That is kind of how our kids are approaching that. This could be a really tall task over there. Our kids are ready for it, but we have a pretty steady approach," said Kutrz.
Published 1/14/16
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Mansfield Christian with Two More League games
This is a key week for Mansfield Christian when it comes to competing for the Mid-Buckeye Conference title.
They play three league games. They beat Crestline on Monday and play at home against Loudonville on Friday and host Danville on Saturday.
They hammered Crestline (76-32) on Monday and coach John Kurtz says they were able to do some things to pull away in the second half. "I don't think the score was indicative of what the game was like. I think it was a kind of a methodical game for a while there. We started to pull ahead and we started to make some shots there in the second half and that put us over the top. I thought overall defensively we were pretty good in that game. We limited shots and kind of pushed them off the spots that they wanted to get to. It was a good win. It's a tough week. We have to play three conference games. It's a double weekend. You get into January and a lot of times your week looks like this, especially a double weekend," said Kurtz.
The Mansfield Christian coach says the team is getting better, especially at shooting the ball, they just have to be more consistent on game night. "Our problem so far is it hasn't transferred from practice to games, but that potential is there. We feel like we are doing a good job in practice. We still don't seem to get the ball where we need to at the tight time for our shooters. There is progress being made at time there. We thought it would be mid-season before we really started to play better, so we are hoping that as we get into this 10, 12 game spot in the season we start to shoot the ball a little better," he said.
Mansfield Christian (3-4,2-1) is at "The Furnace" against Loudonville (5-4,2-1) for a conference game on Friday. The Redbirds beat defending league champ Mansfield St. Peter's (68-64) last month and Kurtz says they have some guys that can really play. "I think they have a very good team. They are quite a bit faster than they were last year. I know they did struggle from the field against Clear Fork, but it is the same team that has beat St. Pete's already and has played really well in different situations. I think they are right up there with St. Pete's as far as the talent level in the league," he told Swankonsports.com on Wednesday, " They have a couple of players that can really shoot the ball. I know they depend a lot of the perimeter shooting. Hopefully we can get them off the three point line and make it a game we can compete in. I think there are a lot of area teams that are like that this year. There aren't a lot of teams that are clear cut favorites in games. There are a lot of games that could do either way depending on how a team plays on a given night."
Danville (3-3,0-1) comes calling on Saturday night. Like Loudonville, the Blue Devils have been very good on some nights. Kurtz says they have shown they can really score the ball. "It is a hard team to predict also because I know that they went to Fredericktown and won the other night. They are a little farther behind than most of us. On given nights when they get it going and score a lot of points they are very good. With the Durbin kid they have a lot of size, so they present a lot of problems for you, especially for us with all of that size. They have scored quite a few points in games, so that is something that you have to be concerned with," he said.
Published 1/07/16
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It's a Maturing Process for Mansfield Christian
Mansfield Christian lost a tough one last Friday to Kidron Central Christian and now they most play a very good Colonel Crawford team on Monday night.
The Flames (2-2,1-1) lost their first conference game of the season at Kidron (42-33) on Friday night. Coach John Kurtz says that is a difficult place to play and the Comets are good at playing their style. "We have found in the past that playing down there, it's a tough place to play. They do a nice job doing what they are doing. It was one of those nights, I think Loudonville may have had the same situation as us, where we just didn't shoot the ball very well. We ended up for the night 1-15 from the three point line. It is just going to be hard to win on those nights. We just didn't make very many shots. I thought ours kids battled hard, but we just had trouble shooting. It was something we were in the gym working on Saturday and hopefully we get a little better," said Kurtz.
Especially with a season ending injury to point guard Stevie Brown, Kurtz says it is going to be a process this year and it might take some time for the Flames to develop in the team Kurtz knows they can be. "This is a situation that we have to taker as a learning experience. It is tough to take a conference loss like that. It's a long season. We said as a coaching staff at the beginning of the year that this team has a good high ceiling, but it is kind of a work in progress," he told Swankonsports.com on Saturday, "We also think it might be mid-season before our guards have enough experience to replace someone like Stevie that we lost. It's a big loss when you have a kid that has run point for you for two or three years. You replace him with a sophomore. Those things all play into this and you have to work through them. It is part of being mentally tough to get through those situations."
Mansfield Christian hosts Colonel Crawford (5-1), #4 in the Swankonsports.com boys' basketball coaches poll in the small school division, on Monday night in a non-conference game.
Kurtz says it will be a big challenge, but one they need to have to get better. "Crawford is very good. They are a very good team and Dave (Sheldon) does a great job with his program. We have had some really good battles over the years. We haven't gotten them yet and boy we sure would like too. Crawford is now a D-4 team so all of these games are important. It is just another really good opponent on our schedule, which is one of the better schedules around in D-4 with all of the teams we play it makes it tough, but we hope it reaps benefits down the road. Looking at these games coming up the holidays kind of mess things up for us, but once we get into January we have a lot of weeks with three games, maybe a double weekend and then another on a Tuesday or a Monday," said Kurtz.
Published 12/21/15
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Patience a Key for Mansfield Christian
Mansfield Christian won the Mid-Buckeye Conference title two years ago and they want it back.
They started off on the right foot by beating Lucas (60-46) last Friday night. They play at Kidon Central Christian in an "MBC" game this Friday night.
They trailed (11-6) after the first quarter last week at Lucas, but coach John Kurtz says they were able to shoot a better percentage for the last three quarters. "We ended up winning by a decent margin. In the first quarter we really couldn't buy a basket. We had some pretty decent looks and just couldn't get one to go. Luckily we made some free throws to compensate for that. In the end we started to get going and ended up for the game shooting a very good percentage from the field, which was hard to believe with the way we started. Lucas is an improved team. They have a lot of kids back from last year. It was a pretty half court game. We were happy with the win and the way we played at the end," said Kurtz.
There are going to be other games like this later on in the season where things don't go well early and Kurtz says in those situations you have to show patience and stick to the game plan. "You have to do what you have been working on, so I thought we did a pretty good job of that the second half. It is kind of interesting dynamic when you play a team, like Lucas, that has got a new coach, and hadn't scrimmaged anybody up to that point with their entire team, so you don't have much film on them. It is just a lot of unknowns going into the game. I think our kids were pretty resilient in the game. We were able to figure things out at halftime and I think we played much better in the second half," he said.
Kidron Central Christian (3-0,1-0) beat Loudonville (36-34) in a "MBC" game a couple of weeks ago. Kurtz says Central Christian will patient in the game and try to slow down the tempo. He says they have to take advantage of their opportunities. "They are very well coached. They want a game in the half court. They want a game that is slower. That is really not exactly how we want to play. Sometimes they force the issue with you on that, so you have to be prepared to play like that. They do a really go job in their 2-3 zone of making you spend time passing the ball and working the ball and looking for a good, high percentage shot. If you don't they can force you into some bad looks. If you have a night there where you are not shooting very well it can be tough as Loudonville found out."
Published 12/18/15
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Third Quarter Run Propels Flames Past Colts
Brandon Mount scored six of his team high 19 points in a 9-0 Mansfield Christian run and the Flames went on to beat Clear Fork (62-49) in a non-conference boys' basketball game Tuesday night at Les Hauenstein Gymnasium.
Clear Fork cut the Flames lead to (34-30) on a Christian Beer lay in with 5:29 to play in the third quarter, but over the next three minutes Mansfield Christian took a (43-30) lead.
Colts coach Steven Bechtel says they had five straight turnovers. "We just got done talking about it and telling the guys it is a long year and obviously that is an area that we really, really have to focus on. We put it on the board. We talk in practice. Just taking care the basketball has to be a point of emphasis with the Colts," he said.
Flames coach John Kurtz says he thought his team was more physical than Clear Fork and he says that was at the top of their scouting report. "We really emphasized that coming in and we thought coming into this game that they would try to be more physical than us. So, we really talked about trying to match that and play tough inside and overall I thought we did that," he said.
It was (32-25) Flames at halftime and Bechtel says he thought they held their own in terms of physicality. He says Flames were better able to handle the pace of the varsity game. "I felt it was fairly balanced that way. I thought both teams really came out and were battling really well there in the first half. I thought they showed their veteran leadership there in the second half," he told Swankonsports.com after the game, "They turned us over there five times in a row and the took fool advantage of it and just continued too push and we just couldn't get those shots going down the stretch."
Clear Fork was paced in the scoring column by sophomore Chance Barnett with 22 points, 13 in the first quarter. He was the only Colt in double figures.
Mansfield Christian (1-1) didn't shoot it very well in a loss to Crestview (70-58) to open the season and Kurtz says Tuesday night they wanted to get it to the rim. "That was by design. We have really spent a lot time working on that. We did not do that against Crestview and that was a problem. We really talked to Jared (McPeek) and Kyle (Kurtz) those two about taking the ball to the rim harder. Overall I think we did that pretty well," he said.
They ended up with a two rebound advantage in the game (27-25,) but Kurtz felt they did a good job early keep Clear Fork off the offensive glass. "I would say we spent the last three days working on rebounding. Spending a good portion of time rebounding the ball and talking about rebounding the ball. That was a big key (Tuesday) night and we are bigger this year, so I think that helps," said Kurtz.
Mansfield Christian opens Mid-Buckeye Conference play at Lucas on Friday night. It will be the Cubs first game after a long run in the football playoffs. Clear Fork (0-3,0-2) visits Ashland (0-3,0-1) Friday.
Published 12/08/15
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Flames Ready to Play Clear Fork
Mansfield Christian has only played one game this season and that was on the opening Friday, the day after Thanksgiving.
It will be 10 days between games when the Flames play Clear Fork in a non-league game on Tuesday night at Les Hauenstein Gymnasium. Coach John Kurtz says he is a little concerned with the lay off, but it gave them a chance to refine some things. "It gave us a chance to work on some things we didn't think we did very well. There were quite a few of those in that first game, so on that front it gave us some time to work in it. But, it also a challenge to keep you kids focused and really wanting to get it. There is good and bad with it. I think we are ready to go now. I think we are anxious to get a game in. The only problem about having that long period off is you know the games are going to start to bunch up you going forward," said Kurtz.
Defense is the cornerstone of Mansfield Christian's program and they didn't play that well on that end against Crestview in a (70-58) loss, but Kurtz says there are other things they need to improve too. "We have spent a lot of time talking about that. Part of the problem with Crestview was not as much our defense wasn't that good, but we also turned the ball over and put ourselves in some bad situations in transition, so our defense definitely has to be better and we have spent a lot of time over the last 10 days on it," he said.
Clear Fork (0-2) will be looking for its first win too. They have lost two Ohio Cardinal Conference games to Mansfield Madison (53-33) and Lexington (85-52) this year. However, Kurtz says the Colts are getting better. "I got to see them twice so far because we have had so much time off. I thought between Madison and Lex I thought they improved. I thought they looked better against Lexington. They have some young players that can really shoot the ball. They present some problems there. I think it is going to be a great game," he told Swankonsports.com on Monday, "They have some kids that can really play well. They are young and inexperienced, but those young kids start to adapt as you get into the season. They make improvement. I have seen already how their team goes from game one to game two. I think they have some kids that can really play."
Published 12/08/15
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Defense the Deal at Mansfield Christian
Mansfield Christian opens the season on the road on Friday night as they visit the Crestview Cougars in non-conference game.
The Flames played Lexington, of the Ohio Cardinal Conference, in their final scrimmage on Monday night. Coach John Kurtz saw some good things, especially on defense. "We thought we played pretty well against Lexington. They are a good team, very big. We thought we had a pretty good outing in that scrimmage. I thought our kids played hard. We didn't shoot the ball particularly well, but we defended really well in that game. That being the last scrimmage before you play you want to play well and we thought we did," he said.
Defense has always been the cornerstone of the Flames program since Kurtz arrived and it still is. However, Kurtz says they have to get better at shooting the ball if they are going to become the team they have the potential to be. "You are so busy trying to get all of your stuff in and be prepared and all of that stuff sometimes shooting takes a back seat and sometimes I think that did. We are trying to correct that as we move forward here trying to get ready for the next game. Last year I didn't feel like we shot the ball that well until about five or six games in," he said.
Crestview has a new coach in Daniel Spencer and Kurtz admits it is a bit of a guessing game for them going into Friday night. "Well, they have a new coach and a new system in and we don't have a lot on them. We know they are short and quick and guard oriented and look to shoot the three a lot, so I think what we have heard they like to get up and pressure the ball a little bit," he told Swankonsports.com on Wednesday, "We don't know a lot about them, we do know their personnel because we have played them a couple of years in a row. We do know they have a lot of good perimeter shooters, so that is something that we are really going to have to pay attention to to get into that game."
Published 11/26/15
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Foundation Game to Honor Gurney
John Gurney, a basketball official since the mid 1970's, has been battling cancer for the last year, and administrators and coaches at Lexington and Mansfield Christian High Schools have decided to honor Jon by donating the proceeds from their foundation game on Monday night to his health fund.
Lexington Athletic Director Joe Roberts says they wanted to do something to let Jon know how much they have they respect him. "We are excited to be able to help out a longtime official and a man we all consider a friend in John Gurney and his continued fight that he moves forward with. We got this idea going several weeks ago. Scott Hamilton and I were talking about Jon and that he had fallen into a rough patch there. We thought we should consider doing something for him," he told Swankonsports.com, "We and coach Kurtz over at Mansfield Christian started to talking about it. It's just a great way to say, hey, we are here and make sure we remember all of the good things he does for basketball. So, Mansfield Christian and Lexington have traditionally scrimmaged against one another, so it is just a good way to tie it together and make it a foundation game."
There are not any officials that get every call right, but Roberts says Gurney has always been willing to talk to coaches and players and that sets him apart from many. "The underlying factor is this. He doesn't make every call correct, we all know that, he is an official, but he does it in a class manner. He is just always approachable and he always available and I think that is what sets him aside from so many others. He has just done an outstanding job in both baseball and basketball for the last 41 years," he said.
The games will be hosted by Lexington Monday night and will start at 6 o'clock, according to Roberts. "All tickets are $5 at the door. After the JV game is over we are going to do a little recognition of John and give him the microphone for just a few seconds to say thanks for the evening and then we are going to tip it off at approximately 7:30 with the varsity contest," he said.
Roberts says some local business have also been kind enough to lend a hand. "We also want to thank Mechanics Bank and Modern Woodmen for their support. Mechanics Bank put up the money that goes to the Ohio High School Athletic Association for their foundation for this event. Modern Woodmen has done a matching gift up to $2,500 for the John Gurney health fund. Thanks to Bucks Bar & Grill in Lexington where Monday evening they are going to donate 10% of the sales before and after the game. So, stop out at Bucks in Lexington and get one their good cheeseburgers. 10% of those sales are going to go back to the John Gurney health fund as well," said Roberts.
Published 11/23/15
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Mansfield Christian in Good Position
Mansfield Christian figures to be in the Mid-Buckeye Conference girls' basketball race as the Lady Flames may have one of their better teams in recent years.
They host Crestline in a Mid-Buckeye Conference game in the opener for both squads on Friday night.
Coach J.R. Wilson says he has been happy with what he has seen from his players so far this year in preseason work. "So far, I have been very pleased. We are returning four lettermen this year and the scrimmages for far this year, of course they aren't games, but in the scrimmages this year we have looked like a pretty solid team. So, yes, very pleased so far," said Wilson.
As far as strengths are concerned, Wilson believes this will be a team that is going to be pretty good on defense and the boards. "Right now, our man to man defense is probably the best thing we are doing and defensive rebounding are a couple of areas that we seem to be pretty strong in," he said.
If Mansfield Christian is to have a good season this year, they are going to have to play better in the first half that they did last year. Wilson believes that is a real key. "Last year we had an issue with being consistent and starting off fast. We wouldn't get started to like the third quarter when our girls really started getting going. Honestly, that is what I am a little nervous about," he told Swankonsports.com on Wednesday, "Hopefully, we can get off to some fast starts and get some good leadership this year. Time will tell."
It is sort of odd to start a basketball season with a conference game, but with that being the case Wilson knows this is going to be an important game for them against Crestline. "We are hoping to have a lot fans come out and support the Lady Flames. Crestline just transferred over to the "MBC," along with Kidron Central Christian. So, we are hoping our girls are up to the challenge and we can get a jump on the "MBC," said Wilson.
Published 11/19/15
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Mansfield Christian Feeling Pretty Good
Mansfield Christian won the Mid-Buckeye Conference boys' basketball title two years ago and finished second behind arch rival Mansfield St. Peter's last year.
They are working hard to get that title back.
Flames coach John Kurtz says his kids have been working hard and he is pretty up beat about where they are right now. "We have had a really good start to practice and we like what we have been able to accomplish to this point. We did get our kids back in a pretty timely fashion, so we have been able to work and get some scrimmages in already. We are really happy with where we are at. Our kids are working really hard. We are always a little apprehensive going into that first game. So far we feel like we have made progress. Hopefully we will be ready for that opening night," he said.
Kurtz has always been a coach that has emphasized defense from his days at Mansfield Temple Christian and Crestview and he thinks this team has shown during the preseason they can be pretty good on defense. "I think the best thing we do right now is we still defend pretty well. That is kind of what we hang our hat on. I think there are a number of things that we are good at. We are pretty experienced this year, so we don't seem to make as many mistakes," he told Swankonsports.com on Tuesday, "We had a nice year last year and we really only lost a couple of seniors and we expect a good year out of our kids. I think the defense is always a little farther ahead than the offense at this time of year, but we have defended pretty well in our scrimmages."
On offense there have been some growing pains early for the Flames. Kurtz says that is just something they are going to have to work through. "We are doing some things differently offensively and I think my biggest concern right now is just learning to play like we want to play and being consistent and just learning match ups a little better. Those are the things we have spent a lot of time working on and I think those are the things we need to work on. I say right now offensively we have shot the ball okay, but it changing how we are doing things a little bit just growing up and learning how to play that way. That is the part that we have spent the most time on and we probably won't feel comfortable with that until midway through the season," said Kurtz.
Mansfield Christian starts the season the day after Thanksgiving against the Crestview Cougars in non-conference play.
Published 11/18/15
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Mansfield Christian Remains on Right Path
Mansfield Christian is the defending division three boys' soccer state champion and the Flames take an unbeaten record in a regional semi final match-up with Columbia Station on Wednesday night at Brunswick High School.
Carrying a (17-0-2) record into the contest, coach Steven Armstrong says they have not been complacent after winning the state title, instead they have been focused all season. "That was one of things we focused on in the off season, over the winter, the spring and the summer. The guys have done a really good job this year. I have been impressed with them. They have been extremely mentally tough and worked hard and played focused," he said.
Christian beat Van Buren (4-1) in last Saturday's district final, Van Buren's goal coming in the final minutes. Armstrong says he has players that can deliver from a number of positions. "We have a really nice group of kids. They do a really good job all around. We have a very versatile team. I can put several different players in several different positions on the field. A lot the guys are pretty smart, so I can trust them. We obviously don't try and dribble out of the back, but I have got guys that we like to get forward out of the back. We like to do that a lot, get our outside backs forward," said Armstrong.
It is not like this year's Flames team is a carbon copy of last year in terms of personnel, but Armstrong says they have had some players step into new roles. "We lost eight seniors last year, which means out of our 22 man roster we have 14 returning players, that's fantastic. A lot of the underclassmen has stepped up this year, which is great. They have had older brothers that have come through the program and now we are down to a lot of the younger brothers," he told Swankonsports.com on Tuesday, "It is kind of cool to see how different siblings play. We are down to the younger brothers now, so we play a much more physical game. They have been doing that their whole lives with their older brothers, so it is kind of fun to see that."
When it comes to scouting Armstrong says they don't know much about Columbia Station (16-2-1,) but he says their record alone tells him this will be a great match. "I don't know a whole lot about them. I know they have done what they have had to do. They beat a good Independence team and we are not taking anything for granted. We know that any team that makes it this far is dangerous and we don't want to bow out early in the tournament. We are going to do everything we can (Wednesday) to make life hard for Columbia," he said.
Published 11/04/15
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