Mount Gilead High School

The Mount Vernon News sports department's MVN ATHLETE of the WEEK is a weekly feature that spotlights local student-athletes and their schools.

The Mount Gilead boys’ basketball team is gearing up for the start of the 2022-2023 season following a year in which they went 8-15 and 5-7 in Knox Morrow Athletic Conference play, and with the Indians bringing back four key letter winners, Coach Dan Strasser has high hopes for success and a run at a a title.

Baker, Hoam lead Mount Gilead boys and Fredericktown girls to KMAC Cross-Country championshipsWill Baker led a 1-2-3 finish for Mount Gilead, to win the KMAC Boys Cross-Country championships, Oct. 15 at  at Fredericktown, Kokosing Reservoir.

The Mount Vernon News sports department’s MVN ATHLETE of the WEEK is a weekly feature that spotlights local student-athletes and their schools. Our ATHLETE of the WEEK WINNERS for this week are Jadine Mills (Cardington-Lincoln volleyball) and Matthew Bland (Mount Gilead football)

At Seneca East's Stars, Stripes and Lights night run on September 10th, senior Joel Roberts helped lead the Highland Flying Scots to a first place finish in the D2 division and while Nathan Streby of East Knox continued his hot early-season pace and came in first, it was Mount Gilead that took teams honors with three top-five placements.

The Mt. Gilead Indians struggled last year in a season in which they went 2-8, including 0-7 in KMAC play, and now the team looks to rebound with Coach Mike Reid rallying the team with a mantra of “Power of One.” in which

The Mount Gilead Boys Basketball team recently held a youth basketball camp for 4th, 5th and 6th graders and focused on offensive and defensive fundamentals.

The Mount Gilead varsity baseball team finished 11-15 last season, but that record doesn’t tell an accurate story. In May, the Indians lost eight straight to tough conference foes. The defeats to East Knox, Highland and Fredericktown were tight ones to teams that all advanced to Regional play-offs. Mount Gilead head baseball coach Mark Kennon said, “Our kids showed up every game and battled. “It had been six seasons since our last sectional championship, and our goal is to improve on last season, compete for the KMAC title, win another sectional championship, and advance to districts,” said Coach Kennon.

Indians keep Trojans winless in KMAC with 44-41 win. The Centerburg Lady Trojans remain winless in KMAC play, but it is not for lack of effort, and they have come very close to notching that illusive first conference win several times this year. They could almost smell the winner’s circle against Mount Gilead on Jan. 15, but fell just short, 44-41.

Bob Scott, the head coach of Mount Gilead girls’ basketball team, knows that if the program hopes to continue its winning ways, they have some work to do.

East Knox stays undefeated, outlasts Danville, 52- 47. The East Knox Bulldogs started slowly, then ramped up their offense higher each quarter to remain unbeaten and improve their record to 6-0, 5-0 in KMAC play, with a hard-fought 52-47 win over host Danville. The Tuesday night loss dropped the Blue Devils to 2-6 and 1-5 in KMAC.

East Knox tops Granville, 61-47 to remain unbeaten. In a non-conference matchup, Saturday, East Knox came from behind to down Granville Christian, 61-47. Remaining undefeated at 5-0, the Bulldogs dropped Granville to 1-3, after a tight first quarter that ended with EK on top 9-8. The Bulldogs were outplayed in the second quarter, 20-13, to go into the locker room at halftime down 28-22. The Bulldogs came out shooting in the third and took over with a 20-9 run, led by Sam Whitney and Peyton Lester with seven points each and Ethan Rine with six.

Chafin deadly at the line in Mount Gilead’s overtime win over Northmor, 79-70. Elijah Chafin calmly hit 15-of-17 at the line and scored 10 points on overtime, as Mount Gilead (3-3, 2-2 KMAC) came from behind to take down the Northmor Golden Knights (3-3, 2-2 KMAC), 79-70, Tuesday night.

Mount Gilead rebounds from scoreless first to down Centerburg, 35- 21. Mount Gilead (3-2, 1-2 KMAC) was held scoreless in the first quarter but won their first KMAC game of the season, beating Centerburg (1-5, 0-3 KMAC), 35-21. It was as much as scoring hardship as it may have appeared, as Centerburg only put up two points on two free throws by Chloe Goulter, to lead 2-0 after the first.

Weckesser’s 26 outdone by Bentley’s 29 in Northmor’s comeback win over Danville. Danville’s Walker Weckesser scored 26 points, and the Blue Devils took a seven-point lead into the fourth quarter, but a 29-point night by Grant Bentley and a 22-point fourth-quarter onslaught by The Golden Nights took home a come-from-behind one-point victory December 3.

Note:   Run separate from Girls basketball briefs and college basketball briefsMount Gilead Indians clip Loudonville Redbirds 63-41In the season opener for both schools, Mount Gilead’s boys basketball team fought off a first-quarter deficit and defeated Loudonville, 63-41 at home, Tuesday.Elijah Chafin started things off for the Indians with a nine-point opening quarter on three deuces and a “three”.

Ultimate Goal Centered on KMAC Championship. Dan Strasser doesn’t hold back on his expectations for the 2021-22 Mt. Gilead High School boys basketball team. With three of the five starters returning, and fingers crossed for the return of a fourth, Strasser said there is enough talent to make serious noise toward a Knox Morrow County Athletic Conference title.

Local schools vie at KMAC Cross Country Championships. It comes to down one race.The KMAC Cross Country Championships will be held at Mount Gilead High School this morning at 10 a.m. With runners from local schools giving it their all for a medal, here are some of the top runners and times in recent local races:

The Indians’ new head coach, Mike Reid, has his team attacking the challenge of coming back from COVID with a philosophy he borrowed from Mahatma Gandhi, "Be the Change." Coach Reid said, “It is not often one uses a quote from Mahatma Gandhi for football, but it really fits this year.”