Minerva football stays hot; golf, cross country teams keep winning

Football

The Lions roared again as Minerva visited Sandy Valley Sept. 12 for a non-conference battle. And it was Nate Linkous that roared the loudest.

Linkous scored three TDs in the second quarter as the Lions overcame an early 12-7 deficit to roll to a 47-12 victory over the Cardinals (0-4).

After Sandy Valley moved in front 12-7 early in the second period following a 5-yard touchdown run by quarterback Liam Fetty, Minerva immediately responded as Linkous took the kickoff 74 yards to the house for a 14-12 advantage.

Linkous then added TD runs of 89 and 13 yards as the Lions entered halftime leading 27-12. The senior back amassed 195 yards rushing on only 12 carries as Minerva piled up 336 net yards rushing. Timothy Kirpatrick and Lane Hawk rushed for 58 and 48 yards, respectively.

Minerva (3-1) has won three straight under first-year head coach Zach Slates. Just last year, the Lions finished 1-9 and ended a 33-game losing streak that stretched back to the 2020 season.

Girls Golf

The Lions as they put the finishing touches on an undefeated regular season Sept. 8 by defeating host Rootstown 168-182 at Sunny Hills Golf Course.

Minerva was led by freshman Savanna Bartley, who carded a career-best 41. Emery and Delaney Sell each posted 42s, and Hannah Kirkpatrick shot a 43 as the Lions finished match play with a 16-0 record.

The Lions visited The Legends of Massillon for successive tournaments Sept. 11 and 13.At the Massillon Invitational, the Lions placed second to Canfield with a team score of 383. Peyton Beaumariage (91) led Minerva, while Emery Sell (92), Delaney Sell (93), and MadyBartley (107) all contributed.

Minerva finished third at the Stark County Championship, posting a score of 379. Emery Sell led with an 85, Beaumariage and Delaney Sell were right behind with a 96 and 97, respectively, and Kirkpatrick shot a 101.

Boys Golf

Minerva posted three more match wins last week. First was a Sept. 8 defeat of St. Thomas Aquinas, 183-209. Reid Spall paced Minerva with a score of 43, Wil Blackburn shot a 44, Karson Lutz carded a 47, and Tyson Fetty followed with a 49.

The Lions were back on the links the next day to face Harrison Central and cruised to victory, 175-210. Blackburn led Minerva with 38 and Fetty carded a 44. Benjamin Smith added a 46, while Karson Lutz capped the scoring with a 47.

The Lions won their third match in three days, defeating Eastern Buckeye Conference foe West Branch 176-196. With the win, the Lions (15-2, 9-1) tied the school record for wins in a season.

Blackburn was again the leader with 38, while Fetty (40) was close behind. Lutz shot a 48, andHudson Peterson posted a 50.

Cross Country

The Lions continued their hot start with a first-place finish for the girls and a second-place showing for the boys at the Boardman Spartan XC Invitational, held Sept. 13.

For the girls, who defeated Tusky Valley 79-87, Makenzie Beavers (19:05.9) placed second to lead Minerva, while Tateum Richard (20:14.1) was eighth. Addison Keyser and Charlie Galleyfinished 16th and 18th, while Chloe Carson placed 35th.

On the boys’ side, the Lions placed second to a strong Woodridge team and were led by the 1-2 combination of Rowen Hoffee (16:24.4) and Anderson Scott (16:25.1), who placed fourth and fifth. Tyson Fetty was 15th, Owen Yoder finished 21st, and Brady First was 27th.

Volleyball

Minerva went finished the week with two losses at West Branch and Fairless, but the Lions defeated EBC rival Carrollton at home Sept. 9. Minerva spotted the Warriors a 2-1 lead before storming back to win 3-2 (20-25, 25-23, 21-25, 25-18, 16-14).

Ayla Shellenbarger set a career-high 30 kills, four from tying the school record, She also had 17 serve receptions and 17 digs. Becca Jackson added 13 kills, five aces, 11 serve receptions, and 18 digs. Addy Kocher led the Lions with 42 assists, while Jenna Dowell recorded 24 digs.

For the Warriors, Haley Leslie picked up 14 kills and eight blocks, Juliaunna Miller recorded 30 digs, and Rhemee Beadnell dished out 20 assists.

Boys Soccer

The Lions suffered two losses but picked up a tie in the middle of the week. First was a 10-2 defeat at Salem Sept. 9. Noah Morckel scored both goals while Kiptin Kiko assisted on each play. Zane Shephard had 10 saves for Minerva.

The Lions next hosted Loudonville Sept. 11, and came away with a 0-0 draw. Minerva completed its week with a 9-2 loss Sept. 13 at Sandy Valley. Morckel again did all the scoring, and Talan Murphy picked up nine saves for the Lions (1-6-2, 0-2)

Girls Soccer

The Lions opened the week with a 3-1 loss in the EBC to Salem Sept. 10. Scoring Minerva’s goal was Kyleigh Lippincott from an assist by Ireland Kirkpatrick. Meanwhile, goalkeeper Ally Sullivan recorded 10 saves.

The Lions next traveled to Sandy Valley Sept. 13 and bounced back with a 5-1nonconference win over the Cardinals. Lippincott recorded her first hat trick of the season, andSophia Burick added two second-half goals for Minerva (3-4-1, 1-2). Lippincott, Autumn Thompson, and Liz Battin all had assists and Sullivan recorded seven saves.