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.
– 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
It didn’t come easy, but Olentangy ran its record to 12-1 with a wild win over intra-district rival Olentangy Berlin before a fully-engaged sellout crowd. Lewis Center, OH – The final few seconds of an Ohio Capital Conference Cardinal Division boys basketball showdown between Olentangy and Olentangy Berlin Friday was so chaotic one had to
Buoyed by back-to-back forced turnovers, Upper Arlington scored the first five points of overtime and knocked off Dublin Coffman in an OCC boys rivalry game. Coffman rallied from an 11-point deficit to win the girls game. Upper Arlington, OH – Anyone who has been part of or followed the Dublin Coffman-Upper Arlington boys basketball rivalry
Thomas Cochran scored 20 points and Gabe Schmidt and Luke Muhlenkamp added 14 each as Coffman recovered from a 13-0 deficit to snap Orange’s 21-game OCC Central win streak. Lewis Center, OH – It would be folly to race to any rash, broad judgments about the boys high school basketball season based on an otherwise