East Knox High School

This week, OHSAA post-season competition takes center stage as softball and baseball players rise to the top. Our Athletes of the Week are Maddy Cotsamire (East Knox softball) and Grant Bentley (Northmor baseball).

Teams from 14 schools ran, jumped and threw at the Fredericktown Invitational on April 28 and the visiting Mount Vernon Yellow Jackets won both divisions, taking home the most gold. East Knox Bulldog runner Nathan Streby was a two-time winner, as was Fredericktown track and field leader Elsa Hoam.

Our Athletes of the Week are Natalie Smith (East Knox softball) and Landon Spearman (East Knox baseball).

A red hot player, and a return honor earned by a perfect diamond performance. Our Athletes of the Week are Chesnee Fairall (Centerburg softball) and Bryar Householder (East Knox baseball).

Coming off a 15-6 season in 2022, in which they finished third in the KMAC with an 8-4 conference mark, and with a solid group of returning players, the East Knox High School baseball team is brimming with confidence entering the 2023 season.

East Knox High School Softball Coach Jake Urey brings a philosophy to his work that reinforces the idea of living in the present and doing the best you can do all the time.

Last week, milestones, gritty performances and hard work paid off in local action. Our Athletes of the Week are Ella Divan (East Knox basketball) and Matthew Bland (Mount Gilead basketball).

Shanda Melick is a three-sport star at East Knox High School, who excels in softball. She has signed to play college ball for the MVNU Lady Cougars.

On Tuesday, Jan. 17, the alleys were alive at Galion’s Victory Lanes. The Northmor Golden Knights bowling teams hosted the East Knox Bulldogs in a KMAC battle.

Indiana University (IU) golfer Drew Salyers appears poised for a monster senior campaign next year, based on his late-season form.

Nathan Streby of East Knox recently held his college signing day, where the Bulldog runner announced he will be taking his talents to Ohio State University.

The Mount Vernon wrestling team is coming off a season in which they went 5-3 in dual meet action and Coach Corey Firebaugh hopes that with a solid core of 13 returning letter winners they can put together a strong 2022-23 campaign. The team started the season strong, with a second-place finish at the John Brown Invitational.

In a low-scoring contest, the Northmor Lady Knights survived a third quarter comeback by East Knox (2-3, 1-1) to take a 36-24 win, improving their record to (3-2, 2-1).

The Lady Bulldogs must overcome obstacles on their way to success this basketball season.

The 66th annual Devil-Dog game, an annual battle between the Danville Blue Devils and the East Knox Bulldogs turn, Friday night, as the Danville Blue Devils (8-2) earned a statement win over the East Knox Bulldogs (2-8), who had won in each of the past four years.

Friday night at Howard, two local football rivals fought it out in the Knox County version of Army-Navy or Ohio State-Michigan.

Digging hard on the court and on the course

Coming off a year in which the Lady Bulldogs finished 2-19 and were 0-12 in KMAC matches, winning only six of 64 sets, the East Knox volleyball team has a new coach and the rally call to “Be aggressive.”

The East Knox football team is coming off a solid 10-3 season in which the team went 5-1 in KMAC play, going to the regional semifinals before losing to state finalist Newark Christian, and Coach Andy Beatty is hoping this success will continue in the 2022 season.

The Mount Vernon News sports department’s 33rd ATHLETE OF THE WEEK nominations continues the established procedure of spotlighting student-athletes’ skills and performances on the fields and courts of action. This week we have a pitcher who was perfect and a batter who was nearly perfect and who came up big all game.