Marysville High School linebacker Gabe Powers (36) is shown pressuring a passer in the photo to the left. Powers was named the All-Ohio defensive player of the year for Division I in 2020. In the center photo, North Union’s Journey Blevins goes for a kill. The Lady Cats won a Division III district volleyball title in 2020. In the photo to the right, Jonathan Alder’s Ava Francis sends the ball over the net. The Lady Pioneers advanced to the Division II state Final Four. (Journal-Tribune photos by Chad Williamson and Sam Dillon)
A look back at the closing sports year
Like the rest of the world, Union County sports in 2020 could not escape the COVID-19 pandemic during the last nine of the 12-month cycle.
The coronavirus wiped out the state wrestling tournament and prevented Marysville High School’s Lincoln Heard and Erryl Will from putting their talents on the line against the best the state had to offer.
Reece Chapman of Jonathan Alder also qualified for the tournament, but was denied his opportunity for state honors as well.
Even though COVID-19 caused problems on the local sports scene, a number of teams and athletes were able to accomplish stellar highlights.
Prior to virus-related restrictions, a trio of local basketball teams finished with solid 2019-20 campaigns.
Jonathan Alder’s girls captured a Division II district title, while the boys squads from JA and North Union respectively finished as district runners-up in Divisions II and III.
The virus forced the Ohio High School Athletic Association to put the spring sports season on hold for several weeks.
As time went by, the OHSAA attempted to figure out ways that spring teams in softball, baseball, boys and girls track and field, boys and girls lacrosse and boys tennis could get in at least partial seasons.
The pandemic worsened and the entire spring season was eventually canceled.
The biggest casualty, at least among local teams, was the Jonathan Alder girls softball squad.
The Lady Pioneers were shut out of an opportunity to possibly defend their 2019 Division II state championship.
Fall sports teams went through cut-down versions of preseason practices during the summer months.
Sessions were held despite players, coaches and fans not knowing whether fall games would be played.
The state department of health and the OHSAA finally permitted sports to begin in the fall, albeit with strict safety protocols.
Athletes had to wear masks while not competing, social distancing was enforced and fan attendance was strictly lessened.
Still, there were many bright spots for local sports.
The top highlight of the fall in volleyball was a Division II state Final Four berth for Jonathan Alder.
Alder won a regional title, but fell in the state semifinals to Chardon Notre Dame Cathedral Latin.
Ava Francis of Alder concluded her career with more than 1,000 kills.
She will play volleyball at the University of Arizona.
North Union’s spikers won a Division III district title.
The Jonathan Alder girls squad ran during the Division II state cross country meet.
Amelia Cameron and Rachel Hoover of Fairbanks competed in the D-III state CC competition.
High school football teams were limited to a six-game regular season schedule before the playoffs began.
Each team was eligible for the post-season and could play additional regular season games (up to a total of 10) once they were eliminated from the playoffs.
Marysville, North Union, Jonathan Alder and Triad each won at least one post-season game.
The Triad Cardinals then scheduled two additional regular season contests to finish with a 5-5 record.
That was the best gridiron mark Triad has had for several seasons under first-year head coach Dylan Wears.
The Marysville Monarchs (6-2) won the Ohio Capital Conference Cardinal Division.
It was MHS’ first conference gridiron title since 2007 in its new division.
The OCC underwent realignment beginning with the 2020-21 school year.
A Monarch athlete earned a very special award at the conclusion of the football season.
Junior linebacker Gabe Powers was named the Division I All-Ohio defensive player of the year.
Triad’s Isaiah Leasure, a senior linebacker, was named to the Division VI first team All-Ohio.
Jonathan Alder senior wide receiver Jackson Izzard earned first-team All-Ohio for Division III.
JA’s gridiron squad defended its Central Buckeye Conference Kenton Trail Division title and went through its second consecutive unbeaten regular season.
JA won two of its three playoff games.
The best post-season run for local football teams, though, came from North Union.
The Wildcats, who went 4-2 during the regular season, caught lightning in a bottle for the post-season.
They won three consecutive Division V playoff games before their season came to an end.
COVID-19 created havoc early in the season for a number of winter sports teams.
Basketball games were pushed back into December and the Fairbanks boys hoopsters had to go through a couple of virus-related pauses.
The Panthers had played only one game until their Dec. 23 victory at North Union.
Other teams weren’t as impacted.
During the same time the FHS boys were stuck on one game, the girls squads from Fairbanks and Triad had been able to play seven or eight contests.
The Ohio Capital Conference did not permit its winter teams to start until Dec. 18.
A Marysville High School basketball player reached a career milestone shortly after the season began.
MHS senior Jack Christian reached the 1,000 point mark for his hoop career during a Dec. 28 game at Westerville South.
The annual Brecksville holiday wrestling tournament was canceled for Marysville High School’s wrestlers.
The Monarch grapplers had participated in the highly-competitive tournament for many years.
In its place, MHS hosted a quad meet on Dec. 30.
The year was coming to an end when it was announced a former local athlete has secured a D-I college coaching position.
Fairbanks High School graduate Margo Geer, who won eight high school state titles, was named the new head swimming coach at the University of Alabama.
Just how much the virus-weary Union County-area sports scene will have to deal with COVID-19 remains to be seen as the calendar flips to 2021.
Fairbanks High School was represented during the Division III state cross country meet. In the photo above, Rachel Hoover (second from right) and Amelia Cameron are pictured during the race. In the photo below, Triad High School linebacker Isaiah Leasure is pictured during a 2020 game. Leasure was named to the All-Ohio first-team for Division VI. (Cross country photo submitted, Leasure photo by Sam Dillon of the Journal-Tribune)