A seven-time Ohio Prep Sportswriters Association writer of the year, Blackledge spent the final 34 years of a four-decade career as the chief prep beat writer for the Columbus Dispatch. A Delaware, Ohio native, Blackledge graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University in 1982 with degrees in journalism and communications. He served as sports editor of the Wilmington News-Journal for three-plus years. He also worked at the Lake County Telegraph and the Delaware Gazette. In addition to the prep beat, Blackledge has covered the Browns, Indians, Reds, Bengals, Columbus Crew and various Ohio State sports.
Marysville, Dublin Coffman, New Albany, Pickerington Central, Newark and Olentangy walked off with Division I district girls basketball championship trophies Saturday at the Ohio Expo Center and Ohio Dominican University. Columbus, OH – Third-seeded Hilliard Darby and seventh-seeded New Albany entered a tantalizing Division I girls district title game matchup Saturday allowing exactly 37.4 points
Already crowned champion of the Ohio Capital Conference Cardinal Division two weeks ago, Olentangy raced to a 17-0 lead and blasted intra-district rival Berlin to go into the district tournament with a head of steam. Delaware, OH – Amiable veteran Olentangy boys basketball coach John Feasel is never one to mince words. When looking ahead
Five years without a championship seems like an eternity for tradition-rich Hilliard Bradley, but the Jaguars turned in a superlative defensive performance to slay the two-time defending Central champs and 2025 state champs. Hilliard, OH – That big old number 66 stuck out like a sore thumb on the otherwise glittering resume of the Hilliard
– Watterson put itself in position to capture a CCL title and a high Division III tournament seed with a win and season sweep of rival DeSales. Carter Bellisari led the way with 17 points. Columbus, OH – Except for maybe longer shorts, shorter socks and more colorful shoes, a snapshot of Bishop Watterson’s boys
Kypton Norris, Ben Mirgon and Jayden Reed-Davis combined to score 37 points, but it was the Jaguars’ stifling defense that stole the show, holding the Golden Bears to their lowest point total of the season. Hilliard, OH – With a sly grin, Hilliard Bradley veteran coach Brett Norris half-apologized for “kind of a boring