Tip of the cap: Redskins back on the big stage

This year it was Ft. Loramie rejoicing on the floor and in the stands at Northmont 

Sometimes being a high school sports fan means celebrating my team's accomplishments. Other times it means accepting a tough loss and recognizing just how special the competition was on the other side of the court. Saturday was one of those days for me and my Russia Raiders.

There's no getting around the disappointment of watching a historical Russia volleyball season come to an end in the regional championship. I hoped to be writing a story this week about their return to the Final Four. Now I'm left wondering what might have been. Regardless, there's another team in Shelby County that deserves a lot of respect. The Ft. Loramie Redskins battled their way back to the OHSAA Division VII State Volleyball Tournament. Make no mistake, the 'Skins earned every bit of it.

Another memorable regional final

Redskins versus Raiders shenanigans 

Saturday's matchup at the Northmont High School Thunderdome was everything it's supposed to be in a regional title game. Two great teams that split during the regular season, a packed gymnasium with students dressed like crazy rivals, and five sets of volleyball that had spectators on the edge of their green seats. Ft. Loramie ultimately prevailed 24-26, 25-21, 20-25, 25-21, 15-13, in a marathon that could have gone either direction.

It was especially meaningful for the Redskins, who endured 12 months of waiting after losing to Russia in the same regional final a year ago. In 2025, the Raiders captured their first regional championship in program history, ending Ft. Loramie's season in five sets. This time, the Redskins found a way to flip the script and finish the job.

Trailing 20-18 in the fourth set, Ft. Loramie turned up the defense, allowing Russia just one more point and forcing a deciding fifth set. Then, after falling behind 10-6 in the final frame, the Redskins responded once again. With the match tied at 13-13, Ft. Loramie scored the last two points, as sophomore Olivia Brandewie delivered the match-ending block and sent the Redskins crowd into a frenzy. Simply put, that's resilience and that's a team that refused to let this opportunity slip away.

Regular season paying dividends

If you tuned into any of our Fish Report volleyball broadcasts this year, we often touted the strength of Russia's tough regular season schedule. Well, this year Ft. Loramie's schedule was arguably even more brutal. The Redskins were an impressive 18-4 before tournament, but that record doesn't tell the whole story. 

Take a closer look at their 22 regular season games. Ten were versus regional tournament qualifiers in Divisions V, VI, and VII. Let me rephrase that. Nearly half of their regular season matches were against teams playing in the Sweet Sixteen and five of those matches were against teams playing in the Final Four! OHSAA purists can say what they want about seven divisions. Nobody gets to state with a mediocre schedule. Russia understands that. All those tough matchups are required deposits if you want to invest in elite volleyball at your school. Ft. Loramie's investment is now paying dividends when it matters the most in November.

Tradition of excellence

12 years ago Kelly Turner and the 
Redskins won their first state title

For anyone who follows volleyball in this part of Ohio, Ft. Loramie's postseason success is certainly nothing new. The Redskins are making another trip to the state tournament, adding to a program history that includes state championships in 2014 and 2024, along with a state runner-up finish in 2019.

Both of those championships are, at this moment, worth revisiting. One of the eight seniors on the 2014 squad was the former Kelly Turner, now current head coach Kelly Hoying. Her coach that season was the legendary John Rodgers, who I witnessed in attendance this past Saturday cheering on his protégé and her team. The 2024 championship run was most notably highlighted by Ft. Loramie sweeping Tiffin Calvert in three sets in the title game. This weekend the Senecas are state-ranked #1 and have rattled off 56 consecutive wins since that loss to the Redskins two years ago, including the 2025 D-VII state championship.

The only thing that matters in 2026 though, is the Redskins are back with an opportunity to make even more history. While coaches change, players graduate, and every season presents new challenges, the expectations surrounding Ft. Loramie volleyball have been the same for decades. There's a tradition of excellence and this year's team is doing their part.

Road to another gold trophy

Now comes the biggest challenge of all. Ft. Loramie opens state tournament play this Thursday at 2:00 at Wright State's Nutter Center against Newark Catholic (20-5), last year's Division VI state champions. The other Division VII semifinal features undefeated Tiffin Calvert Catholic (27-0) against Westerville Northside Christian (25-2) at noon. If you care to look ahead, there's also a little more recent history in a potential Ft. Loramie-Tiffin Calvert finale as well.

Tiffin Calvert defeated Ft. Loramie in two sets 25-13, 25-21, back on August 22nd at the Coldwater Spikeoff. The Redskins would likely love nothing more than another chance to face the Senecas. Just like 2024, there would be another gold trophy on the line. The finale is scheduled for Friday at 6:00 at the Nutter Center.

That's a pretty impressive state tournament, even for the most casual volleyball fan. Ft. Loramie definitely has their work cut out for them, and wouldn't that make winning it all even better.

Rivalries help make programs great

The next generation of Russia and
Ft. Loramie is always fun to watch

All said, I still selfishly wish Saturday had ended differently and I was watching Russia this weekend. The Raiders put together a remarkable 23-4 season, established school records for wins and consecutive victories, and reached their second straight regional championship match. There are five seniors who ended their volleyball careers, and a tremendous amount of pride comes from what that group accomplished. But as a Fish Report sports broadcaster and writer, I also know enough about high school athletics to appreciate what Ft. Loramie has done.

Both programs pushed one another to higher levels. Last year, Russia celebrated its first regional championship at the expense of the Redskins. This year, Ft. Loramie enjoyed their opportunity to celebrate at the expense of the Raiders. That's sports. That's competition. That's what has always made Russia versus Ft. Loramie so special.

I can be disappointed without being anything less than respectful and appreciative of the opponent. Saturday's match was a reminder of just how fortunate we are to have this level of volleyball right here in our backyard. I genuinely tip my cap to Coach Hoying, her staff, the players, and the Loramie Army. Congratulations on all your success!

Now, bring that gold trophy back to Shelby County.

The best in the Southwest and maybe the best in all of Ohio

Russia Taking Care of Unfinished Business

After coming up short a year ago, this past Saturday the Russia boys cross country team won their first regional championship since 2009

Bixler and Bennett. Two of
the best in southwest Ohio.

A year ago last October, I wrote about the possibility of Russia rewriting history. The Raiders were coming off a district championship and appeared to have a legitimate shot at winning their first regional title in 16 years. Unfortunately, things didn't quite go as I thought. Russia finished a distant second to Cedarville at the regional meet and were actually just three points away from third. In hindsight, maybe that experience created some motivation.

Fast forward one year and the Raiders got another chance with their history assignment. This past Saturday, Russia captured the Division IV southwest regional championship in Troy, putting an end to a 17-year drought. They didn't just sneak away with it either.

Head Coach Zach Bell's Raiders posted 57 points, comfortably ahead of state qualifiers Legacy Christian (86), Botkins (89), Cedarville (139), and Lehman Catholic (153). Leading the way was Paxson Bixler, who continued his super sophomore campaign by blazing a school-record 15:32.9. His runner-up individual finish was just 4.9 seconds behind Ansonia senior Bennett Lehman, the 2025 defending state champion. Lehman is also college bound next fall for D-I Youngstown State University. The rest of Bixler's teammates included senior Samuel Phlipot finishing 7th in 16:06, junior Evan Smith 12th in 16:28, senior Owen Sargent 16th in 16:41, and rounding out the top five scorers was senior Keagan Baldridge 27th in 16:58. Freshman Francis Phlipot was 33rd in 17:10 and senior Eli Schmitmeyer 46th in 17:27. 

Something left to accomplish

Back in August when the season began, I wrote that Russia was on course for a big 2026. They returned their entire state roster from 2025 after a 5th-place finish at last year's state meet. That marked the third-highest finish in program history behind 4th-place in 2008 and 3rd-place in 2007. Last year Samuel Phlipot also earned First Team All-Ohio honors, while Paxson Bixler earned All-Ohio recognition. As respectable as all that was, most of Russia's squad will now tell you their 2025 performance felt like unfinished business. Cue up the most important race of the season this weekend where legends are made.

The state-ranked #2 Raiders will perform on Ohio's biggest stage at Fortress Obetz this Saturday in the last race of the day, a 4:10 start time. Their stiffest competitor according to the coaches poll is #1 Mount Gilead. The Indians won the southeast regional in Pickerington last Saturday, placing all five scorers in the top 11 finishers. They are led by junior Henry Bartlett who won the race in 16:04. 

The chart on the right compares last Saturday's regional times from Russia at Troy versus Mount Gilead at Pickerington. It's important to note that course conditions are perhaps the biggest influence on those results. While I didn't get any reports from Pickerington, I attended the race in Troy and it's my opinion that course was fast. Meaning the ground was firm after seven earlier races. There was even dust flying in a few spots behind the ATV leading the race. The runners in Troy had one tough climb up the Great Miami River levee bank at the 2-mile mark, but were otherwise running back-and-forth laps in front of the spectators. Here are links if you'd like to compare Troy's course to Pickerington's course (page 3). It's also worth noting the Pickerington D-IV boys race was the eighth race of the day as well.

As they say in cross country, "all it takes is all you got". And that's what will likely determine the winners on Saturday. There will be 24 teams plus 48 individual qualifiers in the small school boys race. For everything you need to know, check out the OHSAA website here. Enjoy the show race fans.

Russia will be running for a small town celebration on back-to-back Saturdays

Moving Through Life in Russia

For years, a golf cart has been just one way of getting around town

Sophie Francis, CT

This may not be a question we've ever asked ourselves, but perhaps we should. Are some of the things that make life easier as we grow older inadvertently making it harder to stay healthy? I was inspired last week after listening to a presentation by Russia alumni Sophie Francis, a Clinical Mental Health Counseling graduate student. Sophie came to my workplace at Superior Aluminum to speak about general wellness. During her talk, she explained that one of several factors to a healthy mind and body is physical movement. While that statement is certainly obvious to most, Sophie spurred me to reflect on myself and my community. 

This past spring my wife and I were working the scoreboard and sound system for a baseball game at Russia Community Park. Between innings the home plate umpire came over to ask us a question. He smiled and smugly inquired if buying a house in Russia included getting a golf cart for free. I smiled back as we looked at the long line of personal golf carts watching the action outside the left field fence. I then quipped back, "How else do you expect us Russia fans to get to the baseball game?" I also wasn't about to mention my Honda scooter parked just 50 feet away for my three block ride back home!

Even when the distance might be short enough to walk, I can reason that our motorized toys make getting around town a lot more fun. Likewise, it's hard to argue against the convenience of today's technology, such as ordering groceries from our phone and having them delivered right to our door. As we age, comfort and safety naturally becomes much more important. However, I wonder if folks like me sometimes focus too much on eliminating the physical challenges of everyday life and overlook the value those challenges might provide?

Exercise without realizing it

Bolotana’s hilly streets encourage residents to walk as part of their daily routines

Earlier this week I read an interesting story about Bolotana, a small village on the Italian island of Sardinia with a strong Catholic tradition. It's a little larger than Ft. Loramie and a little smaller than Versailles. Bolotana has attracted attention for its unusually high number of residents living to 100 and beyond. Researchers are investigating what might explain the village's remarkable longevity. One particular observation caught my attention. Residents regularly walk the village's steep streets to visit shops, cafés, workplaces, and friends. Their environment and daily routines encourage them to move. Walking isn't something they schedule into their day like an exercise class. It's simply part of living there.

There were a couple other observations as well. The village also has a largely plant-based traditional diet and residents enjoy strong social connections among family, friends, and neighbors. Researchers have not established that any one of these habits causes people to live longer. Yet, the combination offers some interesting food for thought.

I do believe people in Russia and the surrounding area generally have strong social connections. Our diets surely may be different, but again, what struck me hardest was the idea that Bolotana people can remain physically active without necessarily thinking of themselves as exercising. They walk because they have somewhere to go. They climb hills because that's where the road takes them. They visit friends because relationships matter. Physical movement is woven into their daily lives rather than becoming another task on some to-do list.

I try to imagine what that physical movement equivalent looks like here in my village. Do we walk or drive for leisurely trips and errands? Do we safely navigate stairs at home or avoid our second floor and basement? Do we hand clean our vehicles in the garage and driveway or pay for the automatic car wash? Simply said, when we have a choice between sitting and moving, which do we tend to choose? These decisions alone are not likely to determine how long we live. However, our daily habits repeated over many years, can shape how well we move through life.

Aging well starts today

Russia's Ed Borchers finished a 5K at age 87

I don't believe there's a magic formula for living to 100. As a Human Resources Manager in charge of health benefits at my company, I'm fully aware that genetics, medical care, nutrition, social relationships, environment, and plenty of factors beyond our control all influence how long we live. I also don't believe that everyone needs to take the same approach to aging. Yet, I do believe it's worth asking ourselves another question: What can I do today to give myself the best chance of remaining active and independent tomorrow? Maybe this weekend I'll use the rake for 30 minutes before bagging my fallen leaves with the mower. Maybe I'll attend at least one high school sporting event on Saturday versus scrolling for those same results on social media. Maybe I'll go for a short bicycle ride and enjoy the Autumn weather instead of watching football on television the entire day. These answers will be different for everyone.

The important thing I learned from Sophie's presentation is NOT to assume getting older means giving up movement and the activities we enjoy. Sometimes, the ordinary physical demands of everyday life are helping us maintain the very abilities we want to preserve. I think about those residents in Bolotana walking up and down their steep streets. They aren't necessarily climbing those hills because they believe doing so will help them live to 100. They're climbing them because that's how they get where they want to go.

There's a lesson in that for all of us. We don't have to live on a hillside in Italy. We simply need to recognize that our bodies benefit from being used, in ways that are safe and appropriate for us. As we get older, making life easier certainly has its place. At the same time, we should also think about making it possible to keep doing the things that matter. After all, the goal isn't just to live longer. It's to live well for as long as we can.

A healthy mind and body allows us to enjoy things that matter - like family