Ex-Rider Phillips a key cog in Blue Streaks’ defense
One of the calling cards of John Carroll University’s football team has been its defense.
And Jake Phillips has had a lot to do with that.
The former Orrville High standout and current junior has helped the Blue Streaks keep that defense-first mentality and, more importantly, stay within striking distance of Mount Union in the Ohio Athletic Conference.
Phillips, a 6-foot-1, 230-pound defensive lineman, has already surpassed his sophomore season output as he has registered 26 tackles, four going for a loss, and has recovered a fumble through the first seven games. The local product had 25 tackles in the entire 2022 season.
In late September Phillips put together one of the best contests of his collegiate career as he had six solo stops, three for loss and a pair of sacks in a win over Heidelberg, earning him a spot on the D3football.com Team of the Week.
John Carroll has won six straight games after a 27-23 loss in the season opener to nationally ranked Wisconsin-Whitewater. The Division III school will face another ranked team — No. 2 Mount Union — on Nov. 4 at Don Shula Stadium in University Heights.
Football
Jaden Schlabach (Dalton) is emerging as one of the top backs for the University of Indianapolis. The sophomore has the second-most rushing yards, 320, on 62 carries and a pair of touchdowns for the undefeated Greyhounds, averaging 5.0 yards a carry.
Undefeated Tiffin has averaged over 500 yards of total offense in its perfect 8-0 this fall. Providing that protection has been James Raber (Waynedale), who has started on the offensive line at tackle for one of the top attacks in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference.
Sophomore cornerback Owen Beatty (Dalton) has played in all seven games for Capital, registering 24 tackles including a season-high nine stops at Wilmington.
Volleyball
It’s been quite a career for Kelsey Shoup (Dalton) at Ohio Dominican. The senior libero has recorded 386 digs in 89 sets, 4.3 digs per set, this season, and her career total now stands at 1,506 with seven matches to play in the regular season.
Speaking of defense, Kiley Kalina (Smithville) has been an impact for Notre Dame College this season. The junior libero has 253 digs through 65 sets this season, including a season-best 23 digs against Fairmont State.
College of Wooster’s Tamara Turner (Orrville) has been an impact on both sides of the net this season. The junior middle hitter not only averages nearly two kills per set, but also registers 3.1 digs per set in 20 matches played.
Cross country
A 52nd-place finish by Kylee Gray (Waynedale) helped Malone to a sixth-place finish at the Great Midwest Athletic Conference Championships, clocking a 24:38.75 in the 6k race. Findlay’s Bailey Chenevey (Dalton) just missed factoring in the scoring in her 54th-place run of 24:46.10 as the Oilers were third as a team. Teammate Maya Hamsher (Orrville) also competed and was 110th overall.
Josh Rittgers (Orrville) has been making an impact in his first collegiate season at Asbury University in Kentucky. At the recent Appalachian Challenge, Rittgers clocked a college-best 27:55 to factor in the scoring for the Eagles, who were 15th as a team.
Mount Union’s Mason Kutz (Dalton) clocked personal-best times earlier this season in both the 6k and 8k for the Purple Raiders, running a 19:41.3 in the 6k race at the Tommy Evans Invitational and a 25:07.6 in the 8k at the LHU Invitational.
Evan Hodkinson (Dalton) paced Mount Vernon Nazarene at the recent NAIA Great Lakes Challenge, placing 28th out of 243 runners in Grand Rapids. Hodkinson crossed in 25:25.40.
Bluffton’s Micah Dodson (Central Christian) also ran a collegiate-best 32:44 at the recent Ohio Wesleyan Invitational.
Men’s golf
Dylan Ledford (Waynedale) played in three tournaments this past fall season for Cedarville, highlighted by tying for fourth at the Yellow Jackets’ home two-day invitational, firing a 2-under-par 142.
