Page 9 - Dresden Buzz 02/20/2026

FEBRUARY 20 - MARCH 5, 2026 SPORTS | PAGE 9
West Muskingum challenges Lady Bishops wrap up season

local State Champs with looking to tournament play

closest game of their season against Strasburg-Franklin

BY MATTHEW DOTSON | DRESDEN BUZZ
BY MATTHEW DOTSON | DRESDEN BUZZ
Vs. Meadowbrook (2/17)
The Tornadoes hosted the Colts on
Tuesday night in West Muskingum. The
winds started to pick up when the open-
ing whistle blew, and within the first
eight minutes, the Tornadoes had a 16
– 5 lead. As Meadowbrook tried to catch
up, West M just kept going, full steam
ahead, pummeling the Colts with shots
left and right, building a 29 – 16 half-
time deficit for Meadowbrook.
With the two teams back on the court
after intermission, they both fired off
of the line to get the ball rolling, so to
speak, the Colts almost doubled their
score in a single quarter, but West M
stayed ahead, leading 49 – 27 at the
start of the fourth and final quarter.
Holding the Colts to just five points in
the last minutes, leading the Tornadoes
to blow out the final points as they won Bishop Rosecran’s Mallory Moody tries for a shot while being blocked by the Irish defender.
65 – 32. Matthew Dotson
West Muskingum will be hosting the
Tri-Valley Scotties on Friday, February Vs. Trimble (2/13) Vs. Fisher Catholic (2/9)
20th, with game time set for 7:30 PM. The Trimble Lady Tomcats arrived in The Irish came to Zanesville on Mon-
From there, they will host Fairless on Zanesville on Friday to face the Lady day to play against the Lady Bishops.
Tuesday, the 24th, for the start of their Bishops. Within the first few minutes Fisher Catholic took control of the ball
postseason. West Muskingum’s Tavin Bennett jumps for a of the game, the Tomcats leapt into ac- right away and dominated the court to
shot as the Panthers try to stop him. tion, pulling out to a 13 – 5 lead by the the tune of a 19 – 4 lead at the end of
Vs. Maysville (2/13) Matthew Dotson end of the first quarter. Before the half the first period. The Bishops tried to reel
was over, Trimble had built a score more it back in, but were trailing 32 – 10 at
At the Panther Pound on Friday, the than double that of their hosts. halftime.
Tornadoes were hoping to upset the little in the third quarter to lead 56 – 51 The intermission didn’t do much to The Bishops didn’t have time to think
State Champion Maysville Panthers. The at the buzzer. In the final minutes, how- stop the progression of the Tomcats as about their halftime plans as the game
two teams couldn’t have been closer ever, the Tornadoes went into a frenzy, they continued on their path to a win resumed with the Irish pumping out an-
from the start of the game to the finish, catching the Panthers and tying up the with shot after shot, pushing through the other 17 points in the third quarter to
with Maysville getting a one-point leg game at 68 as the clock ticked down Bishop’s defenses and piling up a 56 – lead 49 – 14 by the time the final period
up at the end of the first quarter, lead- to just under two seconds remaining. In 29 take home victory. rolled around. Rosecrans pushed hard,
ing 26 – 25. Scoring was so fast-paced that tiniest window of time, Gator Nich- The Lady Bishops hit the road on Sat- but they were not able to match the in-
and frantic that you could get dizzy just ols went for a shot, landing it with 1.4 urday, February 21st, headed for Stras- tensity that their visitors brought, and
watching the ball go from one end of the seconds remaining to win the game 70 burg to start their tournament journey they lost the matchup, 59 – 22.
court to the other on repeat, with Mays- – 68. against the Strasburg-Franklin Tigers.
ville holding on tightly to the lead to take For West Muskingum, Senior Tavin The game is set to start at 1 PM. Vs. Coshocton (2/7)
the 32 – 30 advantage to halftime. Bennett had 20 points, four rebounds, Vs. Fairfield Christian (2/12) The Redskins traveled to Bishop Rose-
crans High School on Saturday. The
With halftime completed, the Torna- three assists, and one steal. Classmate On the road in Lancaster on Thursday, teams battled it out for four straight
does and the Panthers went back at Kyle Porter had 17 points for West M, six the Lady Bishops battled the Knights in quarters, with both teams holding their
each other. Maysville pulled out ahead a rebounds, and one assist. what ended up as a tough loss for Rose- own. The game was too close to call
crans. The Knights had them blocked at throughout, but in the final minutes, Co-
Area swimmers competed in every turn and just kept a hectic pace shocton took the lead and held it down
that was hard for the Bishops to keep up for a 52 – 49 win.
with, eventually falling by a score of 59
the Southeastern Ohio Swim – 30.

League Championships Foxfire basketball team finish

BY MATTHEW DOTSON | DRESDEN BUZZ season with a 7 – 7 overall record
Muskingum County swimmers com- Boys 100 Yard Butterfly with a time of BY MATTHEW DOTSON | DRESDEN BUZZ
peted in the 2026 Southeastern Ohio 56.78, followed by teammate Dallin Stir-
Swim League Championship that took ling, who took second. Vs. Columbus Torah Academy (2/17)
place on Saturday, February 7th. In the Girls 100 Yard Freestyle, team- The Phoenix hit the road for Columbus
For the Championship, Tri-Valley wom- mates Stella Fuhriman and Camryn Cun- Torah Academy on Tuesday. Foxfire dom-
en took second place with a score of ningham took second and third places, inated the first quarter, straight from the
168, Maysville took fifth place with a respectively. tip-off, leading to a 21 – 15 advantage
score of 64, John Glenn took 11th place Coen Fuhriman took third in the Boys heading into the second period. The Li-
with a score of 29, and West Musking- 100 Yard Freestyle for Tri-Valley. Leila ons roared back in the second quarter,
um took 13th place with a score of 8. Hawk was the top finisher in the Girls tying up the game as halftime quickly
For the Men, Tri-Valley took first place 500 Yard Freestyle for Maysville with a approached and then edging out to a 28
with a score of 261. John Glenn was time of 5:31.49. Aiden Lentz took sec- – 27 lead at the break.
ninth with a score of 37. Maysville made ond in the Boys 500 Yard Freestyle for Foxfire fought hard in the third quarter
10th place with a score of 36. Tri-Valley. The Tri-Valley team of Camryn to regain their lead from the first period,
Tri-Valley took second place in the Girls Cunningham, Raegan Berry, Bri Clark, but the Lions kept on their toes, building
200 Yard Medley Relay with the team and Stella Fuhriman took third place in their advantage to 44 – 40 as the buzzer
of Sarah Jacoby, Camryn Cunningham, the Girls 200 Yard Freestyle. The team sounded for the final quarter. The Lions
Stella Fuhriman, and Savannah Brooks. of Garrett Stirling, Cole Dougherty, Dallin were determined to go out like one, as
In the Boys 200 Yard Medley Relay, Stirling, and Coen Fuhriman took the top they tackled the Phoenix defense and
the Tri-Valley team of AJ Lawler, Owen spot with a time of 1:36.36. hit their highest scoring quarter of the
Harney, Garrett Stirling, and Coen Fuhri- Dallin Stirling finished third for Tri-Val- game to take a 63 – 51 win.
man took first with a time of 1:44.49. ley in the Boys 100 Yard Backstroke. Senior Nazir Smith had 24 points for
In the Girls 200 Yard Freestyle, Mays- Camryn Cunningham also took third the Phoenix, and classmate Braydon
ville’s Leila Hawk took first place with a place for the Scotties in the Girls 100 O’Neill had 20 in the matchup.
time of 2:02.69. John Glenn’s Lily Jef- Yard Breaststroke.
feris took third place in the same event. AJ Lawler swam in at the winning time Vs. Franklinton Academy (2/13) Phoenix Alex Kuhn throws up a shot against Oak-
Garrett Stirling took third in the Boys of 1:03.42 for Tri-Valley in the Boys 100 The Foxfire boys’ basketball team stone Academy. Matthew Dotson
200 Yard Freestyle for Tri-Valley. Yard Breaststroke, with his teammate headed to Franklinton Academy on Fri-
Savannah Brooks was the sec- Owen Harney following in third. day. Minutes into the match, it was clear start. Despite putting up 12 points in the
ond-place finisher in the Girls 200 Yard Tri-Valley’s team of Savannah Brooks, that the Phoenix controlled the game first quarter, the Phoenix trailed Oak-
IM for Tri-Valley. AJ Lawler was the top Kylie Martin, Bri Clark, and Sarah Jacoby with a 21 – 4 lead at the end of the first stone 19 – 12 heading into the second
finisher in the Boys 200 Yard IM with a took second place in the Girls 400 Yard period. As the halftime break neared, period. The Tigers kicked in the gas in
time of 2:01.21. Stella Fuhriman took Freestyle Relay. The team of AJ Lawler, Foxfire built its advantage to 33 – 10 be- the second period with a 23-point quar-
third in the Girls 50 Yard Freestyle. In Aiden Lentz, Kollin Buckner, and Dallin fore the buzzer. ter, leading at halftime by a score of 42
the Girls 100 Yard Butterfly, Tri-Valley’s Stirling took first in the Boys 400 Yard After the intermission, the Phoenix – 20.
Savannah Brooks took third. Freestyle Relay. went back to work, despite Franklinton The break gave Foxfire time to figure
Garrett Stirling took first place in the stepping up its defenses. By the end of out a better defense against the Tigers,
the period, Foxfire led 43 – 16. Franklin- but it was not enough to stop them com-
ton could not manage a rally in the final pletely as they rounded out the third
John Glenn takes the MVL title minutes, and they fell to Foxfire 57 – 25. quarter with a 54 – 28 advantage. Fox-
fire rallied in the final quarter to outscore
Braydon O’Neill had 36 points for the
and a 20 – 1 record as they Phoenix, and teammate Nazir Smith the Tigers, but they were too far behind
and fell to the visitors 66 – 42.
had 12 points.
gear up for the postseason Vs. Oakstone Academy (2/10) Nazir Smith had 15 points for the
Phoenix, Braydon O’Neill had 14, Alex
Kuhn had eight points, and Karsten Rut-
Foxfire hosted the Tigers on Tuesday
night. It was a tough battle from the ter supplied six points for the Phoenix.
BY MATTHEW DOTSON | DRESDEN BUZZ
The Lil’ Muskies take the 2026 MVL John Glenn moves on to face Warren
Championship after a very successful on Friday, February 20th, with the game
season, losing only to Maysville, who set to start at 7:30 PM on the road.
took the State Title last year.
Vs. Morgan (2/13) Your Local
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