Golden celebration coming up in Russia

50 years ago this monument was erected in the Village of Russia

The Russia Alumni Softball Tournament will take place August 8th-10th and this year is of particular significance for the annual event. Not only will Raider alums be celebrating the 25th anniversary of the tournament, but they'll also be honoring the 50th anniversary of Russia Community Park. 

On Saturday evening, August 9th at 8:00, a ceremony will take place recognizing volunteers and donors who established the park in 1975. A display will also be on hand with enlarged newspaper articles documenting the original planning and construction. Current Park Board President, Mitch Bergman, is inviting every Park Board member that served the past 50 years to attend for a group picture scheduled at the end of the ceremony. Highlighting the festivities will be a ceremonial pitch between Russia's first Park Board President, Ed Borchers, and Village Mayor, Terry Daugherty. 

The entire three day event is the biggest fundraiser of the year for the Russia Park Board, which uses proceeds for improvements and maintenance to Russia Community Park. Below is the entire rundown of pool play games, tournament bracket, and rules. 

Former Fairlawn Jet reaching new heights on the golf course

Matt Mullen was one to watch in the fall of 2021

Fairlawn alum Matt Mullen was once a star golfer in the Shelby County Athletic League. Mullen graduated high school in 2022 with many golfing accolades, including an individual state qualifier his senior year with the Jets. These days he competes with the Ave Marie University men's golf team in Florida and also stays sharp on the national tournament circuit. 

This past Monday, Mullen marked the biggest accomplishment of his career so far, when he earned a place in Final Qualifying for the 125th U.S. Amateur Championship. The letter Mullen received from the United States Golf Association congratulated him on his quest to become the next U.S. Amateur Champion and noted that the most elite players from around the world annually vie for a place in the championship. On July 3rd, Mullen will be notified of his Final Qualifying site to take place July 14-21.

A big smile on Monday after receiving his letter from the USGA!

To earn the spot, Mullen had to finish in the top nine at a tournament at The Concession Golf Club in Bradenton, Florida. Things weren't looking good when he was +5 through 15 holes. Then Mullen went birdie, birdie, birdie to finish +2 and tied for 9th-place with four other golfers. Next was a five man playoff for one remaining spot. On the first playoff hole Mullen knocked his ball to two feet on his approach for a tap-in birdie, his fourth in a row on the 19th hole of the day.

Just a kid from Sidney, Ohio!

Until the Final Qualifying date, Mullen will continue to play additional tournaments. This Wednesday and Thursday he's competing at PGA National Fazio Course in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida on the Minor League Golf Tour. To follow Mullen's progress, click here.

Seven Divisions in Baseball.. Much Ado About Nothing

Critics were concerned about a watered-down state tournament this year. In fact, Division-VII will showcase four of Ohio's top programs. (Photo by Luke Gronneberg | Sidney Daily News)

Zeb Borchers and the Raiders tuned up with 

a scrimmage hosting Graham on Monday. 

Russia's senior class will soon close out a

remarkable run of success the past four years.

When the Ohio High School Athletic Association expanded football from six divisions to seven divisions in 2013, the pigskin purists initially scoffed. The same can be said when basketball went from four divisions to seven this past season. Now folks are hollerin' about baseball! Calm down. Marion Local was winning football titles before 2013 and still are today. Russia has also been a recent regular at the state final four on the court and the diamond, including this weekend. Winning state championships will always be really, really hard. Ask former Russia basketball coach Spencer Cordonnier if that gold trophy his Raiders hoisted in March was given just for participating. Turns out, all those grandpas complaining about extra divisions and high school sports being better in the good ole days is much ado about nothing. 

The Division VII Baseball State Tournament pairings at Canal Park in Akron is exactly as it should be. When the action starts on Thursday at 1:00 PM state-ranked #1 Tiffin Calvert meets #6 Newark Catholic. Calvert was a small school state semi-finalist in both 2022 and 2023. Their opponent from Newark will be making their 18th trip to the final four and has nine titles. The 4:00 PM game will be #2 Minster versus #8 Russia. The Wildcats are appearing for the sixth time and previously earned three championships. The Raiders are returning for their seventh time in school history and have hauled home 1st-place hardware twice. Rest assured, none of the state media panel will need to open their Rand McNally's to find those schools on the map.

That latter matchup will surely create a parade of vehicles with orange M's and gold R's across US 30 on Thursday. Fans from both Minster and Russia always show up in full strength for baseball. However, the most common wisecrack in local coffee shops this week has been suggesting the game be played in Ft. Loramie. That'd be the halfway point between both communities they explain. It would also save burning all that expensive gasoline for the six hour round-trip commute. True, but the Redskin's ballpark wouldn't contain the 5,000 people that might enjoy stadium seats. That attendance figure is at least how many spectators saw the Wildcats and Raiders battle in 2017, at the D-IV state championship game at Huntington Park in Columbus. Minster beat Russia 2-1 in a thriller, on a walk-off base hit in the bottom of the seventh inning. This 2025 rematch is anticipated to have all that same drama. Even despite the fact it's in D-VII.

Russia's one run against Minster in 2017 came when Hunter Cohee scored on an Evan Monnier single. Area experts believe one run will likely decide the winner on Thursday.

Finally, one fact is certain in Akron when it comes to Minster coach Mike Wiss matching wits with Russia coach Kevin Phlipot. This will be a business trip and the business is winning. It's safe to assume the Minster and Russia skippers expected their programs to be in this position when the season started. It's also unquestionable the crowds for both schools would enjoy nothing more than a state semifinal victory over their powerhouse neighbor. When the brick dust settles between the Wildcats and Raiders, half of the Canal Park stadium is going to be disappointed. Nothing wrong with that. However, it'll be no surprise to Fish Report if the losing coach also tells his players to smile because it happened. Nothing wrong with that either. Because baseball culture like Minster and Russia share is one of the biggest reasons they're back in the state tournament. Regardless of how many divisions OHSAA gives us.

As seen above, Mike Wiss and Kevin Phlipot played a full schedule of games in 2020 after baseball was cancelled across the country. That dedication was a life lesson for their players even bigger than winning.

Russia versus Mohawk Regional Preview

District Championships are a longtime tradition at Russia and in Shelby County

Raider fans will be caravanning to another regional baseball tournament this week, just like they've been doing now for eight straight seasons since 2017. Baseball fundamentals are taught at a young age in Russia and the surrounding area. As a matter of fact, this year marks 27 consecutive seasons that a team from Shelby County has qualified for the regional final four. State-ranked #8 Russia (16-11) will meet #4 Mohawk (22-6) on Wednesday at 5:00 in the Division VII Southwest Regional semifinal. Prior to that game at 2:00, Fayetteville-Perry (7-14) will play in their program's first-ever regional semifinal taking on Cedarville (16-6). For Cedarville, they get the rare treat of competing in their home town. The tournament is being hosted at the neutral site of Yellow Jacket Field, home of Cedarville University.

The district puzzle for the OHSAA

Folks from southwest Ohio might be wondering where in the Buckeye State is Mohawk from? Well, the school is located in the northwest region, just outside the town of Sycamore and nine miles south of Tiffin. That's over 100 miles from their opponent in Russia and likely a two hour thirty minute bus ride to Cedarville. The northwest region has six districts for D-VII, but only four district champions can make up a regional tournament. Therefore, the southwest region with just three districts gets another district champion from another region. Before the tournament started, district athletic boards determined the bracket formula of where everyone would land. In 2024 that formula for the southwest region included the Central District champion instead.

This Wednesday's prime time matchup between Russia and Mohawk was set up late last week. On Thursday the Raiders earned their regional ticket after beating state-ranked #17 Tri-County North (16-10) in a six inning run rule, 10-0. Then on Saturday, the Warriors also won easily over South Central (16-11) by the final score of 9-1. 

Russia coaches have built a winning culture

Russia High School no longer needs an introduction to small school sports teams around the state. Foremost, their baseball tradition is well known and documented. Head coach Kevin Phlipot has racked up a whopping 216 career victories so far in just his 10th season. In the four year span from 2021-2024 the Raiders recorded win totals of 26, 25, 26 and a school record 27 last year. That lofty standard is perhaps why some baseball experts naively lost faith in the program this year as they scrambled together 14 regular season wins. A rational understanding would include opening the season just two weeks after Russia's basketball state championship with a roster full of multi-sport athletes, a brutal spring schedule of games, and a pitching ace that couldn't toe the rubber until May 9th.

Of course that pitching ace would be Braylon Cordonnier. For anyone living in a cave the past four years, Cordonnier is a Marshall University baseball commit recently named Shelby County Athletic League Player of the Year for the third straight season. He also injured the middle finger on his throwing hand during basketball season and was instructed not to bend it for a really long time. So, after four pitching starts to date, Cordonnier is just now getting his groove back. The best evidence of that was his most recent outing at the district championship. He threw a complete game shutout scattering four hits and two walks with nine strikeouts. Cordonnier is leading Russia at the plate too with a .478 batting average and six homers. Furthermore, one final statistic that's particularly glaring is 97 total plate appearances with 26 walks and only four strikeouts. It's safe to say "Bray" has forced opposing coaches to calculate their odds on every pitch. 

Braylon Cordonnier's sixth home run of the season versus Catholic Central went over the flagpole at Russia. He's also one dinger away from tying the single season school record.

Eight total seniors litter the Raiders roster. Along with Cordonnier are Vince Borchers, Zeb Borchers, Micah Grieshop, Landon Pleiman, Zeb Schulze, Caleb Unverferth and Benjamin York. The coaching staff recently told Fish Report these seniors have always embraced Russia culture and that's the biggest reason for all their success the past four years. Each senior contributes in their own way and has made a difference at some point through 27 games so far. One recent example is York hitting his first home run "since little league" at the district championship. In that game, the seniors also accounted for 10 of the 12 hits by the Raiders. 

Unverferth is veteran presence at any position

The other two Russia hits last Thursday came from junior Cooper Unverferth, who is second on the team in batting average at .360. For Fish Report readers old enough to remember, Unverferth is a modern day Craig Biggio. The former Houston Astros Hall of Famer was an all-star catcher and second baseman, as is Unverferth. Actually, "Coop" might be better than Biggio because he also has a team-best four pitching wins with a 1.00 ERA this season. His junior teammates for the Raiders include Leo Counts, Maddox Goubeaux and Michael Voisard. Sophomores on the roster are Eli Borchers, Brody Phlipot and Sam Prenger. Freshman are Grant Bergman, Quinn Hoying and Parker Lloyd. 

While pitching is arguably Russia's strongest quality heading into the regional tournament, one thing certain about the Mohawk Warriors is their penchant for timely base hitting. All 11 of Mohawk's hits in their district final win were singles, but most importantly they were 6-for-13 with runners in scoring position. Leading the way from the second spot in the batting order was senior Hunter Haynes with three hits. Haynes is the Northern 10 Athletic Conference Player of the Year and was the second best hitter in the entire conference this season with a .452 average. He's also swiped 26 stolen bases. Haynes is a pitcher too and earned the complete game win at the district championship allowing one earned run, three hits, and one walk with five strikeouts.

The final high school baseball season for Mohawk pitcher Hunter Haynes has produced plenty of memorable experiences for the senior already, and the Warriors journey isn't over just yet. The recently crowned Northern 10 Player of the Year helped lead Mohawk to the program's 1st… pic.twitter.com/mhX5QQLVRo

— OH.Report (@oh_report) May 31, 2025

Mohawk head coach Zach Hawkins was interviewed after the district championship and asked about his pitching staff. He ranks Haynes, senior Kaleb Bish, senior Elias Magallanes and sophomore Andon Clouse all number one pitchers. That may sound like typical coach speak, but in this case it's probably not. Haynes is 6-1 with a 1.52 ERA and Bish is 6-0 with a 0.76 ERA. Leading the Warriors in strikeouts is Clouse with 46 and a 1.56 ERA followed by Magallanes with 45 and a 2.12 ERA. Any Fish Report readers remember the names Maddux, Smoltz, Glavine and Avery? 

Finally, for any Russia fans overlooking a team that earned their regional ticket with 11 base hit singles. Keep an eye on Mohawk cleanup batter and third baseman #3 Kaden Bish. He's a first team all-conference honoree with his older brother Kaleb. The sophomore also wrestles and placed at the State Meet back in March, which might be a clue as to why he leads the Warriors in home runs with three. 

Fans heading to the game on Wednesday can purchase presale tickets online here: https://www.ohsaa.org/tickets. If you can't make the trip, you have options to listen live here: ScoresBroadcast.com or 97.5FM WTGR.com.  

Russia shooting for gold and perfection

11 seniors will play their last game on Ohio's biggest stage (All photos by Cara Daugherty)

When the high school basketball season tipped off in November, Ohio welcomed a new era unlike any other in OHSAA history. As we head into the state finals this weekend, Russia fans will say farewell to an era unlike any other in school history. The 103rd annual boys state championships begin on Friday. The Raiders will be in the state spotlight on Saturday at 5:15 versus the Cornerstone Christian Patriots.

Stroh Center was perfect for the state semifinals

Seven divisions, state semifinals at smaller venues, and two weekends for the state tournament. Now that this inaugural season is coming to a close, even the basketball purists have to admit the changes are good. Over the years I've personally witnessed numerous state semis at St. John Arena, the Schottenstein Center, and the University of Dayton Arena. There was no more electric atmosphere than last Friday night at Stroh Center in Bowling Green. Crowded, loud, and zero AAU teams taking advantage of divisional enrollment counts. Reports are similar from other parts of the state. Exactly the way it should be. Reminiscent of those regular season league rivalry nights when the gymnasium attendance exceeds the maximum capacity sign. The weeklong wait for the finals at UD Arena is appropriate too, deservingly giving 14 teams the opportunity to prepare for their one shining moment. Contrary to the Gen Z cliché that everyone gets a trophy, only seven of the almost 800 schools will call themselves champions this weekend. Less than 1% is rare air. 

I attended a class reunion last summer in my hometown of Ft. Loramie. One of my classmates who roots for the Redskins asked me, "are you Russia people about out of athletes yet?" Much to his displeasure, I informed him the upcoming Class of 2025 was still really good. I just didn't realize the 11 seniors on this year's basketball roster were going to be this good. It should come as no surprise. I've documented their athletic success on these pages before. If this is your first time reading my blog, the class has been part of eight total state tournaments, including three straight in basketball. Their hardwood record the previous three years is a mind-boggling 80-6. These boys are the last members of a culture changing phenomenon that began at Russia in 2022 during their freshman year. That's when the Raiders won a state baseball championship and raised the bar of expectations that's continued to carry on for every other boys sport at Russia. Golf, cross country, and just as impressive as the baseball team, has been the basketball program. It's a four-year run that will be talked about for ages.

Russia players claim they play better when the rowdy Raiders are loud 

If you're not aware, a program with 11 seniors is an anomaly. That's because most players can predict their futures in the first couple years of high school. If five or six classmates already have more talent, that equates to years of tough practices making the starters better and minimal floor time on game nights. Most other classes might think, ain't nobody got time for that. However, if you've recently heard the Russia starters talking to the press, leaders like Braylon Cordonnier and Vince Borchers are quick to tell reporters those "scout team" seniors are the reason for the Raider's success.

Speaking of Braylon and Vince, calling them leaders doesn't do justice. Those two titans will forever be debated among the best to wear a blue & gold uniform. If Russia suddenly started a ping pong team, they'd both figure out a way to beat everyone. Braylon's heroic 29 points at Friday's state semifinal versus Arlington vaulted him into 3rd-place on Russia's all-time scoring list. Vince recently broke Russia's single season steals record and might also unofficially be the first pure point guard to lead the Raiders in total rebounds.

Senior sharpshooter Jaxon Grogean

Then there's the supporting cast of four that have assisted in all 28 wins and could be MVP's at a lot of other schools. Benjamin York's regional final performance with a game-high 18 points wasn't what Botkins planned for, but just what Russia needed for a state berth. Dominic Francis is a human highlight, thrilling crowds on both sides of the floor all season with acrobatic layups and dunks. One of those slams went viral on social media with 3.5 million views. Anytime I watch Zeb Schulze play, I envision him clocking in at practices in work boots and carrying a lunch pail. That's just me, but it's obvious his teammates trust him for his workmanlike performance every time he takes the court. Finally, here's something you need to know about Jaxon Grogean. At a pre-state tournament pep rally, Jaxon was summoned to the free throw line during a shooting contest. His coaches confidently directed him to back up from 15 feet to 30 feet from the basket. With no stretching or warm-up, Jaxon swished a three-pointer that would've made even Steph Curry proud.

Head coach Spencer Cordonnier ended his postgame press conference after Friday's state semifinal win talking about the past. He said he not only wanted a state championship for these guys, but wanted it for anybody that's ever put on a Russia uniform. The program has been close before. Raider fans remember the heartbreak of losing the 2002 state finals. This year's players remember the disappointment of the 2023 and 2024 state semifinals. Yep, it's going to take a helluva effort to beat Cornerstone Christian and OHSAA all-time leading scorer, Quinn Kwasniak. How many opportunities in history does Russia get to finish 29-0 and earn all-time win #1000? Just one. See you Saturday.

Coach Spencer Cordonnier with his two All-Southwest Co-Players of the Year, Vince Borchers and Braylon Cordonnier

Russia hoping third time's the charm

The Raiders are state bound for a third consecutive year

While the University of Dayton campus was enjoying an early St. Patrick's Day celebration last Saturday, across town at Wright State University's Nutter Center there was a sea of green-clad Russia students cheering for their Raiders and a little luck in the D-VII regional championship. Turns out the Raiders didn't need any luck at all and simply did what they've been doing for a while. That is, pounding an opponent into another lopsided victory and their third consecutive berth to the state tournament. The unlucky competitor for the third time this season was the Botkins Trojans, this time by the final score of 58-30.

This Friday will be the fifth different venue
Russia has played at in six tournament games

The 28 point win was the closest contest Russia fans have witnessed this postseason. Their four previous tournament wins had margins of 39, 38, 43 and 58. In fact, head coach Spencer Cordonnier's program is playing even better on the tournament trail than their 22-game regular season schedule, when Russia's average point spread was only 25 points per game. Some folks are already even debating if the 2024-25 Raiders are the best team in Shelby County Athletic League history, or if their current 27-0 record might deserve an asterisk after OHSAA's expansion to seven divisions and a softer-than-usual SCAL. 

Let's squash that latter argument right now. The single change Russia made to their regular schedule this season was canceling a date with Ansonia, who was in rebuilding mode and finished this year with a tournament loss to the Raiders and a record of 1-22. To fill that open date, Russia added D-VI Coldwater from the mighty Midwest Athletic Conference. When the regular season ended, the Raiders had beaten six of the top seven schools from the MAC. Along the way, they also won the Piqua Holiday Tournament over two D-IV & D-VI opponents, and a marquee matchup at Ft. Loramie's MLK Classic versus D-VI Tri-Village. As for questioning the strength of the SCAL, the league did advance three of their seven teams to the regional finals in D-VI and D-VII. Case closed.

Anna flexed their SCAL muscle when the Rockets made the D-VI regional finals

Now, lets talk about that elephant in the room. This is Russia's third straight trip to the state tournament in basketball. The previous two trips ended at the state semifinals. It's also the eighth time in the previous nine sports seasons that Russia High School has qualified a boys team to an OHSAA state tournament. Yes, you read that right: 2025 basketball, 2024 cross country, 2024 baseball, 2024 basketball, 2023 golf, 2023 baseball, 2023 basketball and 2022 baseball. Each of the 11 seniors on Russia's current basketball roster have all been to multiple state tourneys. Most notable are Braylon Cordonnier making his seventh appearance and both Vince Borchers and Zeb Schulze making their sixth. Even more remarkable, Braylon will be a starter in all seven of those appearances. However, as this historic era of senior talent approaches graduation, naysayers are pointing to the seven previous state trips and just the one baseball title from 2022. Make no mistake, Raider Nation is well aware and hungry for another championship. Actually, after tasting all that success, Russia is starving for another championship.  

Arlington star Calvin Willow (#35) was an 

AAU teammate with several Russia players

The Raider's opponent in the semifinals this Friday will be the Arlington Red Devils (24-3). Arlington High School has only eight more boys than Russia High School. The Red Devils have also been to the state tournament just once before and lost in the semifinals. That was 2012 when they fell to Berlin Hiland, who later won the title over Jackson Center. Those are two schools Russia folks know well. Yep, this won't be another rematch versus Richmond Heights. This year's semifinal is what a small school state tournament game should be.

What else is in the scouting report if you're a Russia follower? Arlington has a really good head coach named Jason Vermillion. Coach Vermillion has led the program for 27 seasons and tallied 435 career wins. He also has a senior son on the team named Jase Vermillion who was 1st-Team All-Blanchard Valley Conference. Jase had 10 points in their regional final win on Saturday over Delphos St. John's. There's another Red Devil that's really tall. Like 6-foot 10-inches tall. He's a junior named Calvin Willow who won the 2024 D-III State High Jump as a sophomore. Calvin had a game high 22 points on 11-for-14 shooting in that win over the Blue Jays. Most of the Russia starters know Calvin. Calvin knows most of the Russia starters. Lets repeat it again: This year's semifinal is what a small school state tournament game should be.

In Arlington's postgame press conference on Saturday, Coach Vermillion was asked by a reporter if their state tournament berth was the proverbial icing on the cake or if he felt like they still had a job to do? The coach said after being down there in 2012, "we're going to make sure we approach this the correct way and why not try to get the game." Russia coach Spencer Cordonnier is probably thinking the same thing. Why not, after all, there's a pot of gold waiting at the end.

Division VII

State Semifinals

• Willoughby Cornerstone Christian (20-8) vs. South Webster (22-3), Friday, Ohio Dominican University, 7 p.m.

• Arlington (24-3) vs. Russia (27-0), Friday, Bowling Green State University, 8:30 p.m.

State Championship: Saturday, March 22, at University of Dayton Arena, 5:15 p.m.

The Raiders will see you at Stroh Center in Bowling Green (Picture by Cara Daugherty)

It's a long journey to 1000 wins

Russia fans have witnessed 23 wins so far in 2024-25

The box score from win #500 on 2-24-1995

In the midst of all the excitement surrounding Russia boys basketball this season, most Raider fans may not realize a historic milestone that's fast approaching. After last Friday's tournament victory over Ansonia, the program notched all-time win #994. It took 58 years of pioneering to earn the first 504 W's and just the previous 30 years to add the next 490 and counting. With the possibility of six tournament games remaining this postseason, the team could hit the magic mark of 1000 on March 22nd if they win a state championship. 

According to the OHSAA record book only two other schools in our talent-loaded, four-county area of Shelby, Darke, Auglaize and Mercer have reached 1000 boys wins heading into this year. Those schools are both St. Henry and Ft. Loramie. On another note from the girl's record book, Ft. Loramie just became the only school in Ohio history to reach 1000 wins with their district championship victory last Saturday. 

The first Russia boys basketball team hit the hardwood in 1937 and finished 0-10 that inaugural season. The following school year they finished 0-13. It wasn't until their third season on December 1, 1939 the 0-2 Raiders finally recorded the program's debut win over Perry Township (Pemberton), who had been playing basketball since 1923. Below is the report as it appeared in the Sidney Daily News.

Russia tallied four victories in 1939-40 with trailblazers named 

Marion Grillot, Quintin DeBrosse, Tom Francis and Ken Borchers

The season highlights since win #1 have been plentiful. In 1948 Russia won their first Shelby County League championship with an 8-0 record and 17-6 overall record. The following season in 1949 their success continued, as the Raiders won another SCL title and finished 20-4. 

Russia piled up the wins for two seasons with shooters like Wayne Groff (#3) and Jerry Bohman (#11), who were the top two scorers in the Shelby County League in 1949

After 1949 it would take 53 years until Russia achieved their second 20+ win season. It happened in 2002 when fans recall that Raider-mania energized the entire community. The team amassed a then-record 24 wins and finished as Division IV state runner-up to Delphos St. John's. 

The program broke their 2002 record win total in 2023 with 25 wins and again in 2024 with 27. Beginning with that '02 campaign, Russia has racked up 20+ win seasons in nine of their last 24. 

Win #944 was a memorable one at the 2023 regional championship

To read more about Raider lore and memorable moments, hunt down a copy of the book "A History of Clair C. Naveau Gymnasium" distributed in 2024 by Brad Francis. It's a wonderful account of nostalgic games and a comprehensive list of achievements and statistics. 

For the past 88 years, generations of Russia families have all contributed to those 994 wins and counting. Whenever the program finally does reach 1000, fans might celebrate with simply a smile or perhaps an icy cold fish bowl at Russia Inn. If that milestone happens this March, bet on the fish bowl!

Tournament Magic 25 Years Ago

The 2025 Tournament Brackets for high school girls basketball were set on Sunday. For a few lucky teams, an unpredictable magical moment will highlight their tournament trail. For Russia fans, it was a quarter century ago when folks saw a magic show and arguably the greatest comeback in school history.

The date was February 16, 2000 and #3-seed Russia's offense disappeared in the fourth quarter versus West Liberty-Salem in the opening round of the Sidney sectional. With exactly 60 seconds remaining in regulation, the Raiders trailed the Tigers by 12 points. Foul trouble was an added problem as starters Cassie Francis had four, Andrea Puthoff four, Abby Cordonnier four, Ashley Homan four and Laura Borchers three.

Cassie Francis, a sophomore with 17 points at the time, recalled the bleak moment to Fish Report this past Saturday. 

"When we were down 12 points with a minute to play, I looked at our student section and some boys were leaving for the exit." 

Seven seconds later Francis hit a three-pointer to cut the West Liberty lead to nine. What happened over the next 53 seconds was hocus pocus that even Harry Houdini would be proud of. Listen to the radio call on Hits 105.5 from the late Jim McBee and Lloyd Shoemaker:

Senior Abby Cordonnier, who later finalized her career as Russia's all-time leading scorer with 1,221 points, still remembers the crazy final minute of regulation and red hot shooting from her teammate Francis, in her comments to Fish Report on Sunday. 

"We ran flare twice and she hit both the three-pointers. Before the last one we called a timeout and changed the name of the play to rocket to try to throw them off, which it did and she nailed it! She was hot and we got her the ball. That last minute was something else."

In overtime, senior Laura Borchers scored five points on Russia's first two possessions and the Raiders won by the final score of 71-64. Head coach Don Cordonnier, who led the program from 1989 through 2004, was quoted after the game.

"It was probably the best game I've ever been a part of coaching wise. I've never seen anything like it. Cassie was just unconscious that final minute. We just kept running that stupid flare play because it was working and she kept knocking down the threes."

A week later, Russia captured the sectional championship over Springfield Catholic Central and eventually fell in the district tournament to league foe Jackson Center. In the years to come, Francis would go on to set several school records that still stand today, including passing her former teammate Cordonnier for the all-time scoring record. Francis' career total of 1,282 points is the current high mark for both the girls and boys programs. Fish Report listened to the radio call with Francis on Sunday and asked her what she remembers most about that historic night. 

"I can still feel the feelings I felt 25 years ago when I listen to that tape. It's probably the best memory of my four years playing. It has always stuck with me that Don never stopped coaching. Down 12 with a minute. I feel like most would have thrown in the towel. I loved playing for Don."

Here's the full report as documented by sportswriter and Russia graduate, the late Matt Zircher.

OHSAA Winter Sports Officials Appreciation Week

Referees are never perfect. Neither are coaches, players and fans.

January 12th-18th is Winter Sports Officials Appreciation Week as recognized by The Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA). The designation is part of the OHSAA’s Respect the Game program, which encourages sportsmanship among student-athletes, coaches, officials and spectators. “Officiating is both a service and a commitment, and we appreciate each individual in our state who serves as a contest official,” said OHSAA Director of Officiating Beau Rugg. The OHSAA has also encouraged member schools to read the following script before home contests this week and to promote on social media accounts.

At Fish Report we echo those sentiments and this school year more than ever. As press row broadcasters for all Russia home basketball games this winter, our announcers typically get fist bumps from each referee shortly before tip off. Similar to the fist bumps and handshakes between officials and opposing teams during player introductions. The unsolicited respect from OHSAA officials for our Fish Report team is appreciated and mutual. They certainly understand we won't agree on every call over four quarters, but we're all there for the same reason. Because we love the game!

Here's the top three Fish Report facts about referees we've confirmed after 21 years of covering high school sports and hundreds of contests:

• The winner of any game has NEVER decided by a referee.
• Referees know the rules BETTER than the media, fans, players and coaches.
• Fans that yell at referees ALWAYS look dumb.

Thanks OHSAA officials for all you do. We couldn't play high school sports without you.

Without sports officials, it’s just recess.