Page 9 - Dresden Buzz 07-26-24

JULY 26 - AUGUST 8, 2024 SPORTS | PAGE 9

Final Four Stars! by Gregg Meadows
….Yes, girls’ basketball – and girls’ athletics - at Tri-Valley High School have come a long way since their humble beginnings in the fall of 1971.
And to see just how far the journey has come, take a look on this page, to relive and appreciate the accomplishments of the impressive five
TVHS girls’ basketball teams that have reached the holy grail of girls prep cage honors – the OHSAA Final Four!

1985 – TVHS Girls Basketball 1st Final Four appearance
Pictured above is the 1984-85 Lady Scottie Basketball team. Head Coach Mary Ann Grimes
and her team compiled a solid 13-6 regular season record and were led by All-Ohioan Julie 2005 – TVHS Girls Basketball 4th Final Four appearance
Hoag. The Lady Scotties caught fire in the post-season, defeating first East Liverpool (77-38), Pictured above is the 2004-05 Lady Dawg Basketball team. Head Coach Marty Bice and his
and New Philadelphia (47-43) for a Sectional title, downed Lancaster (51-42), and then Zanes- team compiled a near perfect 19-1 regular season record for an MVL crown (perfect in confer-
ville (50-29) for a district title, and all of a sudden, they were in the ‘Sweet Sixteen’, where ence action), and were led by All-Ohioan Tricia Smith. The Lady Dawgs opened tourney play
they earned a pair of hard-earned victories over Youngstown Boardman (53-50), then Canton with a 62-38 win over John Glenn, then dispatched Meadowbrook 52-41, and Steubenville a
McKinley (38-36) to reach the school’s first girls hoops Final Four. After a 63-57 win over East game later 66-52 for a District title. A 46-37 win over Miami Trace in a Sweet Sixteen semi-
Cleveland Shaw in the state semi-final game, the ‘Tri-Valley train’ was finally derailed, as the final, set up a classic re-match with perennial state power River View in front of a packed
Lady Scotties dropped a heart-breaking 58-55 overtime nail-biter to Pickerington in the state house at ZHS, with the Lady Dawgs prevailing 58-42, punching their ticket to the school’s
championship game. To date, no other Tri-Valley girls’ basketball Final Four team has reached fourth state Final Four appearance. Tri-Valley fell 59-48 to Columbus Eastmoor in the state
the state title game. Row 1: (l-r) Manager Lori Wortman, Clarrinda Cain, Lori Weaver, Crystal semi-final and finished the season with a sterling 24-2 record. Row 1: (l-r) Danae Lacy, Kellie
Wortman, Gigi Sarbaugh, Traci Hindel, Manager Valerie Thomas. Row 2: Coach Mary Ann Walters, Tayler Lewis, Kelsey Shumaker, Tricia Smith. Back row: Coach Marty Bice, Michelle
Grimes, Lisa Reily, Amy Hutchison, Julie Hoag, Kelly Spaulding, Charlene Bell, Sharon Bauer, Hogue, Kelly Todd, Kassie Wagner, Sammy Bice, Tara Harper, Coach Ben Kennedy.
Shannon Murphy, Assistant Coach Brenda Hindel.

2020 – TVHS Girls Basketball 5th Final Four appearance
Pictured above is the 2019-2020 Lady Dawg Basketball team on the floor they never got
to play on at St. John Arena. The year 2020 will always be remembered as the ‘What If’ year
for TVHS Lady Dawg basketball, whose 2019-20 championship hoops season and Final Four
appearance in Columbus at OSU’s St John Arena on March 12 was cut short by the COVID-19
national pandemic and ensuing nation-wide shutdown – just minutes before they were to take
the floor in their D-II state semi-final contest vs. Napoleon. The 2020 post season saw Tri-Val-
1990 – TVHS Girls Basketball 2nd Final Four appearance ley earn a Sectional title with a 68-12 win over East Liverpool, then down Dover 64-42 in the
Pictured above is the 1989-90 Lady Scottie Basketball team. Head Coach Mark Hartman and district semi-final game. The Lady Dawgs defeated Maysville 44-41 for the district title and
his team compiled a near perfect 19-1 regular season record for an MVL crown, and were led Sweet Sixteen spot. In two memorable Regional contests at Zanesville HS, Tri-Valley nipped
by leading scorers Leigh Ann Longaberger, Nancy Fry, and Lora Vandenbark. The Lady Scot- powerhouse Sheridan 50-48, then knocked off No. 1 ranked Circleville 45-43 in overtime for
ties continued their roll in the post season, downing Claymont (60-49) and West Holmes (49- the school’s fifth Regional title, punching their ticket to Columbus with a 26-3 record. Row 1:
38) for a Sectional title, then Edison South (64-43) and Maysville (55-50) for a District crown. (l-r) Kiana Reynolds, Lexie Littick, Olivia Rapol, Audrey Spiker, Riley Tracy, Lauren King, Karsan
In ‘Sweet Sixteen’ action, Tri-Valley defeated rivals River View 67-48, then New Lexington Ross, Hannah King. Back row: Trainer Dave Peadon, Assistant Coach Logan Scott, Ashton
(54-46) for a Regional trophy and the school’s second visit to the State Final Four. In the state Thomas, Ashley Dinan, Jacie West, Janie McLoughlin, Kyndal Howe, Anna Krupa, Tailor Dupler,
semi-final game, the Lady Scotties fell to Elida 62-48 to finish 25-2 on the season. Row 1: (l-r) Lexi Howe, Isabella Baughman, Head Coach Kurt Kaufman, Assistant Coach Buster Howe.
Manager Amy Ross, Lora Vandenbark, Shannon Holtz, Angie Myers, Diana Lee, Molly Madden.
Back row: Assistant Coach Louie Chapman, Beth Jerig, Lisa Pollock, Leigh Ann Longaberger,
Marcy Edwards, Julie Priest, Nancy Fry and Coach Mark Hartman.

1999 – TVHS Girls Basketball 3rd Final Four appearance
Pictured on the right is the 1998-99 Lady Scottie Basketball team. Head Coach Mark Wilson
and his team compiled a 17-3 regular season record for an MVL crown, and then nipped rival
River View 44-43 in the tourney opener thanks to a Tai Kirk free throw. More last-second
heroics were needed in the Sectional title game, and junior Ashley Gallogly was up to the
task, banking in a last-second short jumper to give the Lady Dawgs a 43-41 win over Mead-
owbrook. In the district title game vs. St. Clairsville. Leslie Goins’ 19 points paced TV to a
come from behind 57-50 win for the trophy, then in Regional play, the Lady Dawgs routed
Dover 45-26 and defeated powerhouse Warren Local 51-44 thanks to 20 points from Tai Kirk
to send the Tri-Valley girls to the state Final Four for the third time in school history. The Lady
Dawgs were defeated by Dayton Chaminade 43-30 in the state semi-final, and finished with
an outstanding 22-4 record. Row 1: (l-r) Ty Kirk, Adrienne Shesky, Aimee Gibson, Leslie Goins.
Back row: Coach Mark Wilson, Kelly Martin, Cara Rollison, Ashley Gallogly, Stacy Stotts, Allix
Magaziner, Abbie Wilson.

photos on this page were submitted