The Cardinals of Triad have had ups and downs, not only over the past two seasons, but this season as well. They have suffered injuries in key positions, but have weathered the storm and turned their program around with a 4-1 record. Head coach Joe Cardinal has been on the sidelines for every call, every up and every down. Now he has his full roster back and is ready to show the full potential of his team. “This will be the first game where our offense that we envisioned in the offseason will be in play,” he said. “We have…
Author: Sam Dillon
Trevor Moran of North Union attempts to run through an Ontario tackler during last week’s game. Moran has been a huge part of the Wildcats’ ground attack and leads the MOAC in rushing yards. (Photo submitted) –––– The Wildcats are a team that is playing with high energy and confidence. That confidence will be needed as the Wildcats make the short trip to rival Pleasant on Friday for a 7 p.m. game. The familiarity that both teams have with each other stretches beyond their proximity. Pleasant is a team that likes to run the ball and North Union is the…
Lexi Murray of Fairbanks leads a pack of North Union runners Ashley Hayward, Madelyne Liebler and Kaylee Smith around a corner during the girls race of the Triad Invitational. The Lady Cats finished second, while the Lady Panthers took third during the meet. (Journal-Tribune photo by Mac Cordell) –––– The Wildcats of North Union took the Triad Cross-Country Invitational with three top 10 runners and a team score of 50 points on Tuesday. The Panthers of Fairbanks also competed at the meet and took seventh place with 160 points and the host school Triad finished in ninth place with a…
Trevyn Feasel (3) breaks free of an Ontario tackler during North Union’s Homecoming game. Feasel tallied 118 yards and three touchdowns during the Wildcats 47-14 win. (Photo submitted) –––– Confidence can be a shaky thing. Either you have it or you don’t and after a big loss last week for North Union, the big question as the Wildcats took the field for their Homecoming game against Ontario was, were they going to have it? NU got off to a less than stellar start, but a big third-down conversion on a pass from Anthony Padovano to Trevor Moran for 27 yards…
North Union’s Trevor Moran breaks through a gaggle of Clear Fork tacklers during Week 4’s game. The Wildcats lost, but have a chance to get back on track during Homecoming tonight against Ontario. The North Union Wildcats are a team that is on the road to recovery. The Cats are recovering from their first loss in a season that has high expectations for them head coach Nick Hajjar. “Any time you take a setback, it doesn’t matter if it is life or football, you’ve got to be able to bounce back,” said Hajjar. “Sometimes that takes longer for some than…
Josie Duncan of North Union sets the ball during a volleyball match against Urbana Tuesday. Duncan reached her 1,000th career assist during the 3-1 victory. (Journal-Tribune photo by Sam Dillon) –––– The life of a setter in volleyball is a humbling position, according to North Union head coach Peg Curts. Josie Duncan is the Lady Cats’ setter and Tuesday night’s 3-1 win against Urbana in was cause for celebration for two reasons. The triumph kept NU undefeated in the Central Buckeye Conference, but also saw Duncan reach the 1,000 assist milestone for her career. “She (Duncan) understands as a setter…
Dawson Detweiler of Jon Alder stretches out for an overthrown ball during the second quarter against Benjamin Logan Friday. The Pioneers were able to control the clock to take a 28-12 win and increase their record to 2-2 on the season. (Journal-Tribune photo by Sam Dillon) –––– It was a game of big plays and defensive stands as the Pioneers of Jonathan Alder grinded the clock away to win their Central Buckeye Conference opener against Benjamin Logan, 28-12, Friday night. Neither team was able to sustain an offensive drive to put the first points on the board in the first…
Carson Smith weaves his way through the Fairfield Christian defense during Week 3 of the season. Smith will be an important tool for the Wildcats as they take on the MOAC defending champs Clear Fork this week. (Photo submitted) –––– The Wildcats are a team on a football mission. That mission is to knock off the defending Mid Ohio Athletic Conference champions Clear Fork. With league play starting this week, the Cat’s will have that opportunity as they face the Colts on Friday. North Union head coach Nick Hajjar realizes the challenge ahead, but has a fairly straightforward view of…
Ethan Mouser (13) of North Union jukes around a Fairfield Christian defender as Chaz Reeder (52) prepares to provide a block during the rushing effort. Mouser tallied 25 yards and one touchdown on two rushing attempts. (Photo submitted) –––– Ask any high school football coach and he will tell you that four touchdowns on four plays is a pretty good effort. The North Union Wildcats exhibited a highly-efficient offense on Friday night in pummeling Fairfield Christian Academy, 72-7. The win was a true team effort as North Union’s youth got to play a large portion of the game. “Anytime you…
In this file photo, Austin Bails (3) of Triad rushes the ball around the outside while Isaiah Bruce (21) watches against Ridgemont. The Cardinals will travel to Springfield Catholic Central to take on the Irish for Week 3 of the season. (Journal-Tribune photo by Sam Dillon) –––– The Triad Cardinals have crawled out of the darkness and into the light so far this season. The Triad gridders have had their struggles over the past few years, but to date, this year has seen Triad turn a 180, winning its first two games. Head coach Joe Cardinal summed up his team’s…
North Union’s Colton Clark (54) brings down a Colonel Crawford ball carrier. The Wildcats will host Fairfield Christian Academy on Friday. (Photo submitted) –––– The Wildcats of North Union have big goals for this season and it will take continuous improvement to get where they want to go. The Wildcats (2-0) have seen that improvement from Week 1 to 2, but head coach Nick Hajjar said that every week is a chance to get even better. They will look for that improvement on Friday when host 0-2 Fairfield Christian Acaemy. “It doesn’t matter who is across from you,” he said.…
Triad’s Isaiah Bruce runs around the right end over a Ridgemont defender Friday night. Bruce scored four touchdowns as the Cardinals rolled past the Golden Gophers, 63-2. (Journal-Tribune photo by Sam Dillon) –––– The Triad Cardinals have now matched their victory total of the last two years in the first two games of the 2018 season. The Cardinals (2-0) won by a 63-2 landslide Friday night when Ridgemont came to town. With the monkey securely off of head coach Joe Cardinal’s back, all he could say about this game was how proud he is of his players. “They play so…
The Cardinals of Triad are a different football team this season. The last two years have been tough for third-year coach Joe Cardinal. The Cards have won only two games of the past two years. The team, though, is already in the win column with a victory over Bradford last week. Cardinal said it feels good to get a win early in the campaign. “The big thing is just that getting that first win takes a lot of the pressure off of you in the fact that you are not trying (to get that first win) in week two, three…
Anthony Padovano of North Union throws the ball while Dylan Stage of Fairbanks prepares to tackle him. The Wildcats will head to Colonel Crawford for Week 2 of Friday night football. (Submitted photo) –––– With a victory under their belts during the first week of the 2018 high school football season, the North Union Wildcats look to add to their momentum. NU rolled to a 46-3 triumph at home over Fairbanks and now will head north to face Colonel Crawford. The win didn’t come as a surprise to North Union head coach Nick Hajjar. However, the spread was a bit…
Trevor Moran of North Union (10) gets past a Fairbanks defender on Friday. The Wildcats beat the Panthers, 46-3. (Photo submitted) –––– One team came, saw and conquered while the other has to go back to the drawing board. The Battle of Union County between North Union and Fairbanks was an anticipated game by both coaches, but after a quick turnover forced by the Wildcats, it was over before you knew it as the Wildcats took the win, 46-3. Regardless of the opponent or the score it just feels good to get a win in Week 1, according to North…