Bay High School |
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Rockets break out the lumber against Rocky River
Putting all the pieces together can be easier said than done for any baseball team. For both Bay and Rocky River, it has been a season-long struggle.
The Rockets, who have found consistent hitting hard to come by in 2013, managed to put together two big innings in earning a 10-6 win over the Pirates Tuesday afternoon in West Shore Conference action.
Bay, now 4-17 overall, upped its conference record to 3-9 as its offense showed some signs of life. Wednesday, however, the Rockets fell behind...
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Fastpitch squads gear up for tournament season
The Westshore area’s fastpitch softball teams are winding down their regular seasons and gearing up for the tournament. The seeding meetings were held last Sunday, and the brackets are set.
In Division I, the action starts May 14 as Magnificat travels to Olmsted Falls in North Ridgeville District play. Also on that day, North Olmsted will play at Avon, while in Parma District play, John Marshall will travel to Lakewood. All games are at 4:30 p.m.
On May 15, the North Olmsted-Avon winner will travel to Westlake for a sectional final game. That same day, Midview will play at Avon Lake for another sectional title. These games are also scheduled for 4:30 p.m. In Division II...
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Rangers split with Rockets, remain at top of WSC
With the bases loaded and nobody out, Bay was poised for the sweep.
The Rockets, who had started their season an improbable 0-12, had already won their suspended game with Lakewood with a 4-2 decision in 12 innings. In the bottom of the seventh and the score tied at 4-4, a 3-game win streak was in reach.
But the West Shore Conference-leading Rangers had other ideas. Pitcher Tom Fuller worked his way out of the seventh-inning jam, and his teammates responded with a 4-run eighth as Lakewood prevailed, 8-4, Monday night at Lakewood Stadium.
Lakewood, now 14-3 overall and 6-2 in the WSC, made the most of two singles, a pair of walks and a big Rocket error to avoid the sweep and stay in the thick of the conference race. Bay, now 2-13 and 1-6, had won...
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Defense, big second half pushes Pirates past Bay
In the first 24 minutes of play, Bay was giving Rocky River all it could handle.
The Rockets, off to a 3-1 start to their season, blanked the visiting Pirates in the second quarter. They pulled to within two, 4-2, when Steve Burns found freshman Nick Best for a goal early in the quarter.
But in the third quarter, the tide turned at Memorial Stadium...
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Burns powers Bay lacrosse squad past Orange
The Bay lacrosse team has been scoring in bunches so far this season. On Saturday afternoon, Steve Burns scored in bunches all by himself.
Burns, a senior attacker, scored six goals as the Rockets rolled past visiting Orange, 13-3, at Memorial Stadium. The win pushed Bay’s record to 3-1 heading into Wednesday night’s game with arch rival Rocky River.
Bay has outscored its opponents 47-17 this season, and was coming off a dominating 15-1 win over Cleveland Heights. The Wednesday night game at Memorial Stadium against the Pirates has an 8 p.m. faceoff. There is no junior varsity game scheduled.
Larry was on hand to capture some of the action with his photos and video:
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Rockets win WSC opener on Wisner's RBI in 7th
The Bay softball team waited right until the very end to get its West Shore Conference season off on the right foot.
With the score tied at 8-8, Laura Wilson ripped a triple deep into the outfield. Lowry Wisner stepped up to the plate and brought her home with the game-winning RBI in the bottom of the seventh inning for a 9-8 win over Rocky River Saturday afternoon.
The win raised the Rockets’ overall record to 3-4, while Rocky River fell to 0-5...
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Rockets get strong start, beat Bruins in lax opener
If Wednesday night was any indication, the Bay lacrosse team is ready to make some significant strides forward in 2013.
The Rockets took a 3-0 lead in the first quarter, then exploded for five goals in the second on their way to an 11-3 win over Padua in their season opener at Memorial Stadium. A hat trick from senior co-captain Steve Burns and two goals each from Henri Adams, Jake Best and Jacob MacMillan supplied enough offense to get the job done.
“It was a little sloppy to start, but we worked...
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Rockets battle back to beat Johnson, Green Wave
The old adage says you always should look out for No. 1. That bit of advice took on a whole new meaning Tuesday night for the Bay basketball team.
The Rockets had their hands full with Holy Name sophomore Lawrynce Johnson in their Division II sectional tournament opener at Westlake. But they pulled together for one of their best halves of basketball this season, roaring back to claim a 75-71 win over Johnson and the Green Wave.
Bay, now 11-12, advanced to Friday night’s sectional final game with Buckeye at 6 p.m. But it took a combination of defense, hard work under the boards and timely shooting to get there as Johnson put on a performance to remember.
The 6-1 Johnson, who wears No. 1, scored 44 points with a combination of 3-pointers, free throws and lightening-quick drives to the basket. He was a big part in the Green Wave grabbing an early 20-11 lead and 56-51 advantage early...
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Sluggish offense leads to tourney loss for Rockets
Facing top-seeded Fairview in the opening round of the Elyria Division II Sectional Tournament was a tough enough task for the young Bay Rockets.
A poor shooting night made the challenge virtually insurmountable.
The Rockets made a quick exit from the tournament, shooting a nightmarish 16 percent from the floor in dropping a 42-30 decision to the Warriors Monday at Elyria High. Bay closed out the 2012-13 campaign at 9-14, while Fairview advanced at 19-4.
“What an unfortunate time to have another rough offensive game,” said Bay head coach Chris Brewer, whose team made just eight shots from the floor in 50 attempts.
“We put up shots left and right that just would not go down,” Brewer said. “We got the ball right where we wanted it...
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Young Rockets continue to improve, drub Rangers
As the 2012-13 regular season winds down and the tournament season approaches, now might not be a good time to have the Bay girls basketball team on your schedule.
The Rockets, with a rotation full of underclassmen, went through more than their fair share of struggles early on this season. But over the past few games, Bay has shown that it may have reached the upward trend of the learning curve.
Last Saturday, the youthful Rockets knocked West Shore Conference rival Avon out of conference contention with a stunning 53-52 overtime win. Wednesday night, they hosted North Ridgeville and dominated the game from start to finish in a convincing 59-21 decision in WSC play...
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Rocky River dominates, claims WSC swim crowns
It was a new pool for the West Shore Conference Swimming and Diving Championships at a new school to the conference in Lakewood. With all that newness, it seemed an appropriate time for new records, and there were six swimming and one diving records set over the weekend.
Lakewood\'s Jim McMahan set a new mark in diving at 419.1. Bay and Rocky River swimmers set the rest. 50 & 100 freestyle: Trevor Lake, Bay, 22.7 & 50.13; 100 butterfly: Elizabeth Auckley, Bay at 58.91 and Sam Stankiwicz, Rocky River at 58.39; 200 freestyle: Lauren Devorace, Rocky River, 1:57.94; 200 Individual Medley: Emma Flynn, Rocky River, 2:14.52.
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Pirates prevail in defensive struggle with Rockets
After eight straight losses to Rocky River, Bay had its chance.
With the two teams locked in a hard-fought defensive struggle, the Rockets were within a point of their arch rivals as the final minute ticked off the scoreboard clock. But for the ninth straight time, the Pirates managed to pull out the win, taking a 44-40 decision Friday night at the Launch Pad.
Rocky River improved to 7-5 overall and 7-1 in the West Shore Conference. The win also put the Pirates all alone in first place as Lakewood lost to Avon 57-38 Friday night.
“First of all, you’ve got to credit Bay’s defense,” said Pirate head coach Michael Murray, whose team committed eight turnovers and shot just one of five from the floor in the fourth quarter. Those problems allowed the Rockets to rally from a 10-point deficit in the final 3:47.
“They did a great job staying in front of us and they really...
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Video: Pirate girls hold off Rockets for WSC win
While their offense continues to struggle, there’s no denying the defense being played by the Rocky River girls basketball team this season.
Friday night, the Pirates traveled to arch-rival Bay and held the Rockets to nine first-half points on their way to a 36-28 win in the first game of a girls-boys doubleheader. The win improved River’s record in the West Shore Conference to 5-2, while the Rockets fell to 3-4. In the nightcap, the River boys prevailed in a defensive struggle as well...
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Eagles rally late to nip Rockets in key WSC match
If Thursday night was any indication, the battle for wrestling supremacy in the West Shore Conference is going to go down to the wire.
Avon, the defending WSC tournament champion, won five of the last six matches of the night to defeat up-and-coming Bay, 33-31, to help send the regular season race into a 3-way tie with two duals remaining.
Down the Road at Rocky River, the Pirates were having their say in the race. Their 37-34 win over previously unbeaten North Ridgeville dropped the Rangers into a tie with...
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Bay's depth prevails in WSC wins over Lakewood
With the West Shore Conference Meet just weeks away, the Bay and Lakewood swimming and diving squads met in a Friday night dual meet. It was a measuring stick of sorts for both coaching staffs, with individual improvement and future planning both in play.
When it was all said and done, the Rockets had the slight edge this night.
The Bay boys evened their dual meet record at 2-2 by handing the Rangers just their second loss of the season, 87-84. In the girls meet...
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Video: Lady Rockets blast Eagles at the Pad
The Bay Rockets lady hoopsters took it to North Olmsted Eagles 49-38 last Saturday in a non-conference game at the Rockets Launching Pad. Catch the highlights in this video and photos of JV and Varsity at the link below.
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Video: Rangers edge Rockets for narrow WSC win
The Lakewood boys basketball team is making a big early-season impression in the West Shore Conference.
The Rangers paid a visit to Bay High Tuesday night and came away from the Launch Pad with a thrilling 61-60 win over the Rockets. That kept Lakewood unbeaten at 4-0 overall as well as 2-0 in the WSC.
The visitors had the same one-point lead at halftime, 34-33, and took a 51-47 lead into the fourth quarter. The Rockets rallied, but fell one point short in falling to 1-2 overall and 0-2 in WSC games.
Pat Nelson led a balanced Ranger attack with 14 points, while Shawn McDonald added 12 points and Jacob Schmidt 10. Aaron Donahoe chipped in with another eight points for Lakewood, which hosts North Ridgeville this Friday night. Bay’s senior post player Scott Rapps led his team...
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Fourth quarter rally pushes Rangers past Rockets
Down 33-19 early in the third quarter, the Bay girls again found themselves trying to dig out of a hole. And with a big lead, Mike Harper’s Lakewood squad was getting another opportunity to learn how to close out a game.
The next 13-plus minutes provided some intersting teaching points for both Harper and his Bay counterpart, Chris Brewer.
The Rockets went on an impressive 16-2 run to close out the quarter and tie the game at 35-35. The visiting Rangers, however, roared back with a 12-2 run of their own in the fourth quarter to leave the Launch Pad with a 47-37 win in the West Shore Conference opener for both teams.
The win lifted Lakewood’s early-season record to 3-1 overall as the Rangers prevailed in their first-ever WSC game. Bay fell to 0-3 despite playing some solid basketball in spurts.
“One of the things I knew we’d have to do is deal with...
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River swims way to Rocket Relay championships
The Rocky River swim and dive team continued its hot start to the 2012-13 season by winning both the girls and boys team championships at the seventh annual Rocket Relays at Lakewood High School.
The Pirate girls won three of the eight events and finished second in two more to score 92 points. Fellow West Shore Conference member Avon was second with 66 points, while host Bay took third with 62 points. Magnificat came in fourth with 57 points. In the boys competition, River...
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CHAMPIONS! Bay tops Fairview for district crown
OHSAA Tournament games are unique in that, just like playoffs, the winner moves on and the loser goes home.
At times, these games can test the character and depth of teams. Sometimes, things may not go the desired way and a team will have to overcome the challenges to be able to live another day.
On an extremely windy and brisk fall night at Bay Memorial Stadium, the host Rockets did not play their best soccer according to head coach Bob Dougherty, but were able to defeat the Fairview Warriors, 2-0, to win the school’s 22nd district championship...
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Rockets top Pirates, soar back into district finals
Midway through the second minute, Bay senior Chris Eaton lined up the ball for a free kick just outside the box and to the left of the Rocky River goal.
Pirates head coach Kevin Zerbey had seen similar scenarios unfold several times throughout the season. The fact that this was a district semifinal game made what happened next a little tougher to take.
Eaton sent the ball into the box, and it found it’s way to fellow senior Matt Toth just to the right of center. Toth, unmarked, zipped the ball past River keeper Dominic Liva for a 1-0 Rocket lead with just 1:30 gone off the Memorial Stadium...
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Green Wave washes away Rockets' district hopes
In the first four minutes of the game, Bay came out and put the pressure on visiting Holy Name as part of the still-arriving crowd filed into Memorial Stadium.
By the time those fans had taken their seats, the tide had already begun to turn in favor of the visiting Green Wave.
No. 3 Holy Name scored early in the fifth minute and tacked on two more goals in the first half to stun the No. 2 Rockets, 3-0, in a Division II district semifinal game Monday night. The loss abruptly...
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Video: Britton, Rockets have season to remember
It was a banner season for the Bay girls cross country team.
The Rockets, behind junior Maddie Britton, repeated as the West Shore Conference champions, then went on to claim the Division I district title at Lorain County Community College in Elyria. A third place finish at the Tiffin regional meet sent them to state, where the Rockets finished eighth.
Other Westshore area teams had successful seasons as well. In the...
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Early goals return the Dover Cup back to Rockets
The Dover Cup, and all the bragging rights that go along with it, once again belongs to the Bay Rockets and the West Shore Conference.
Behind a pair of first half goals from seniors Matt Toth and Ben Tepper, as well as some great work on the defensive side of the ball, Bay was able to take back the Dover Cup from Westlake in the battle of conference champions, 2-1.
The Rockets, who currently wear the WSC crown, improved to 9-4-3 on the season, while the Demons, champions of the Southwestern Conference, fell to 11-3-2. Both teams head into tournament play next week with high expectations.
“We set up the last two games as the conference championship (a 2-0 win over Rocky River) and a must win tonight to win back the cup. That’s what you want going into the playoffs,” said Bay head coach Bobby Dougherty. “Westlake held the cup, and to get it back we had to beat them. We couldn’t tie, or else...
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River ground game leads to 19-7 win over Rockets
Down 7-6 at halftime, Rocky River head coach Rick Adams stuck to a game plan that had worked to perfection during the Pirates’ three-game win streak.
“We knew what we had to do,” Adams said.
And that plan was to run the ball.
The Pirates, behind the efforts of running backs Michael Dickey, Martin Finnegan and Jesse Singler, controlled the ball nearly 18 minutes of the second half on their way to a 19-7 win over...
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State-ranked Rockets relax, maintain first in WSC
After missing out on a number of scoring opportunities in the first half, Bay head coach Bob Dougherty had a bit of advice for his state-ranked Rockets:
Relax. Kick back. Watch the band.
It worked. After a rousing halftime performance by the Bay High Marching Band, the Rockets returned to the pitch and scored four goals in the second half to take out North Ridgeville, 4-0, in a West Shore Conference game at Memorial Stadium Wednesday night.
“We’ve weathered storms like this before where we’ve watched trying to figure out the puzzle,” Dougherty said. “The discussion we had at halftime was about how our guys...
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Rocket seniors shine, earn 3-1 win over Midview
With Bay holding a 2-0 lead over Midview and the end of the first half approaching, nobody in the crowd probably realized just how big a play they witnessed with six seconds left on the clock.
It may have been the play that prevented history from repeating itself.
After a foul in the box, the Middies were awarded a penalty kick. A goal from Midview junior Sylvester Messiah would cut the home team’s lead to one and result in a big momentum shift. But Rocket senior Matt Toth, one of 11 seniors...
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Video: Demon defense keeps The Jug in Westlake
It’s Labor Day 2012, and the Little Brown Jug has resumed the same spot it has called home over the past 11 years:
In the Westlake trophy case.
The Demons sputtered offensively, but dominated on defense Friday night in a 13-3 win over Bay before a huge crowd at Memorial Stadium. Westlake moved to 2-0 on the season, mostly by holding the Rockets to 160 yards of total offense.
“We gave up a couple of plays here and there, but overall we held things together defensively,” said Westlake head coach Mark Campo last Friday night. “They couldn’t do much...
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Week Two: Demons, Rockets battle for 'The Jug'
Bay’s Memorial Stadium will be buzzing with activity Friday night for a number of reasons.
Bay will be honoring its latest entries into its Athletic Hall of Fame, and it will also be the Rockets’ football home opener. The game with neighborhood rival Westlake was also voted the Cleveland Browns’ High School Game of the Week by the fans of both schools.
Both teams are coming off Opening Night wins for the first time in years. And, to top it all off, they’ll be playing for the cherished Little Brown Jug, a symbol of the lone-time rivalry between the two schools.
“This is a rivalry that’s been going on for a long time,” said Westlake head coach Mark Campo of the annual game that has been played since the two teams were both in the Southwestern Conference.
“Tradition is always a big thing, so playing for the Little Brown Jug is meaningful for our team, our school...
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Bay stays on a roll, tops Rangers in WSC opener
Bay head coach Jack Griffiths felt his defense would be pretty tough in 2012.
If his team’s offense keeps improving...look out.
The Bay girls scored a pair of goals in the first half and the defense continued its shutout streak as the Rockets beat Lakewood, 3-1, Wednesday night at Lakewood Stadium. Bay moved to 3-1-0 on the season, while the Rangers lost their first game and fell to 1-1-1.
Lakewood’s only goal came late in the 63rd minute when freshman Mallory Shaw...
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Lakewood spikers sweep Rockets in WSC debut
Tuesday night, the Lakewood volleyball team traveled to Bay High for its first-ever match as a member of the West Shore Conference.
The task at hand: Take on a program that had won the league title the past three years on a row, in their own gym and less than 24 hours after winning your season opener in five sets.
While the Rangers may not have played their best, the results spoke for themselves. Lakewood ran the table, rallying from behind in the third set to sweep the Rockets 25-23, 25-22, 26-24 at The Launch Pad. “This is obviously our first match in this...
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WSC Wrapup: Rockets hold on for win over Lions
Don’t look now, but the Bay Rockets are on a two-game winning streak.
It might not seem like much, but Bay, which has gone 3-7 in each of the past two seasons, is one a bit of a roll after holding on late on the road to beat Orange, 21-20, Friday night in the season opener.
The Rockets, who got a strong performance from junior quarterback Jake Best, closed out last season with a win over arch rival Rocky River. That was Bests’ first varsity start, with Friday night’s contest being start No. 2.
Friday night, the junior threw three touchdown passes, the first one coming in the second quarter. Bay was down 7-0 when Best hit on a 5-yard touchdown pass to Scott Rapps. Matt Toth made the conversion kick, and the Rockets were back in the game.
The Lions would score another touchdown in the first half to take a 14-7 halftime lead. But Bay would come right back in the opening drive of the third quarter to jump right back in it. Best hit Ryan Voiers on a 51-yard scoring toss, Toth made the kick and...
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Penalty kick gets young Streaks past Rockets, 1-0
If the age-old adage “defense wins championships” still holds weight these days, the girls soccer teams at Bay and Magnificat can look forward to banner seasons.
It was Opening Night at Bay’s Memorial Stadium as the seasoned and experienced hometown Rockets hosted a very young, but talented band of Blue Streaks. When it was all said and done, one goal - that coming on a first half penalty kick - was all the offense either team could muster.
Forward Alyssa Baumbick, one of three freshmen who started the game for Magnificat, drilled a penalty kick into the back of the net early in the 25th minute to give Magnificat a 1-0 win Tuesday night. The offensive opportunities...
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Experienced Rockets prepared to turn the corner
The summer camps, the two-a-days and the scrimmage games are over.
Now it’s time to see what progress the Bay football team has made, according to third-year head coach Ryan Gorius. The Rockets open the 2012 season this Friday night when they travel to Orange.
Over the past two seasons, Bay has gone 3-7 twice and finished in the bottom half of the West Shore Conference. But there are signs that things may be starting to turn around in Rocket Country, Gorius said.
“The most encouraging thing right now is that our kids are playing hard,” said Gorius...
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Goal in final seconds thwarts Rockets in opener
Last season, the Bay boys soccer team went through a frustrating season where goals proved to be a rare commodity.
Saturday night, the Rockets showed signs of breaking that trend with a first-half goal against Chagrin Falls in their 2012 season opener. But it was the Tigers who made the most of their limited scoring opportunities in the second half.
Chagrin Falls tied the game in the 59th minute, then nailed the game-winner with just 23.5 seconds left to edge past the Rockets, 2-1, at Memorial Stadium.
After Chagrin’s defense and keeper Anthony Rizzo fought off a late surge by the Rockets...
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Video: Britton, Connelly off and running at Mastick
Local cross country athletes got a chance to get warmed up for their upcoming season by participating in Wednesday’s annual Classic at Mastick.
It was a good night at the Cleveland Metroparks’ Rocky River Reservation for two of the Westshore’s top girls cross country runners. Bay junior Maddie Britton, who led the Rockets to the West Shore Conference championship last season, won the Female 15-16 age bracket. She finished her 5K run with a time of 20:09.3
Rocky River senior Madi Connelly also fared well in winning the Female 17-18 bracket with a time of 20:41.2. Britton and Connelly finished...
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River lax returns to Elite Eight with win over Bay
Through one quarter of play, the Bay boys lacrosse team was holding its own against Rocky River. The Rockets’ defense was holding as the Pirates held a slim 2-0 lead after the first 12 minutes.
But with River already having a 14-3 shot advantage, the bottom fell out quickly for Bay.
The Pirates, the number one team in the Division II Northwest Division, scored five unassisted goals in the second quarter and advanced to the Elite Eight with a 14-4 win Wednesday night. Rocky River has now advanced...
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River tennis program claims another WSC crown
In the seven years the West Shore Conference has existed, Rocky River has been top dog in boys tennis.
Nothing changed this spring. The Pirates won their sixth championship by going undefeated in the regular season matches and winning the WSC Tournament championship. In the tournament, River won two championships and reached the finals in all five events to score 32 team points to get past Vermilion’s 26.
Bay, which won the...
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Softball: Bay, Westlake ready for tournament play
After a rainy start to the week, the 2012 OHSAA Fastpitch Tournament should get back on track on Wednesday. Most Westshore teams will be in action, including Bay and Westlake.
The Rockets are coming off a doubleheader loss to Westlake on Saturday. The Demons blanked Bay, 5-0, in the first game on Jesse Moracz’s shutout, then came back with a 9-1 win in the second game. Westlake, now 14-8, scored eight runs in the second inning on three hits, four walks and three Bay errors.
“It was a good day to get refocused,” said Westlake head coach Tom Shiban, whose team had lost...
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Schuerger, Watterson help Rockets shock Eagles
Through six innings Monday afternoon, Avon senior Anders Mahon and Bay sophomore Marty Schuerger were engaged in a classic pitchers duel. The hits were few and far between, with both teams coming up empty in their limited scoring opportunities.
Then came the bottom of the seventh inning, with the biggest hit of the game coming from the youngest player on the field.
With the bases loaded and nobody out, freshman Griffin Watterson jumped on the first pitch he saw and drilled it to right field. That brought home Scott Pailes with the game-winning run as the Rockets prevailed, 1-0, to stun the Eagles and end their West Shore Conference win streak...
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Video: Pirates edge Rockets, 5-4, in WSC rematch
Last Thursday, Rocky River scored four runs in the first three innings and won its West Shore Conference rematch with Bay, 5-4. But after one time through the league season, the big question in WSC baseball this spring is this:
Can anybody beat Avon?
The Eagles are still unbeaten in 2012. They reside all alone in first place after last week’s 1-0 win over Midview, and have taken their overall record to 15-0 after a Saturday doubleheader sweep, 4-2 and 10-2, over Avon Lake.
Weather permitting, Avon will host North Ridgeville on Monday as teams resume...
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Baseball: Rockets get first victory of the season
It took a little longer than expected, but the Bay baseball team is in the win column.
The Rockets, winless in their first six tries, traveled to Vermilion Monday and came home happy with a 5-4 win over the Sailors in West Shore Conference action. The win evened their league record at 1-1.
Bay took a 3-1 lead after two innings, but needed single runs in the fifth and sixth frames to counter Vermilion’s three-run sixth. Starting pitcher Andrew Cooper allowed all four Sailor runs, but only one of them was earned. He struck out six and walked only one...
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Pirates rally in WSC opener, Rockets still winless
All signs pointed to Bay getting its first baseball win of the young 2012 season.
The Rockets’ bats came alive Wednesday in the bottom of the second inning, turning a walk, two doubles and a triple into three runs against Rocky River ace Justin Seffernick. In the meantime, Bay junior Jake Peters was blanking the Pirates in his first start of the season.
But the game changed drastically in the top of the seventh when the Pirates rallied for four runs. Bay recovered with a run in the bottom of the frame, but River came right back ...
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Big first quarter leads River lax to win over Bay
Last Saturday, the Rocky River boys lacrosse team had a four-goal lead turn into a 6-5 loss to St. Francis DeSales. On Tuesday night, head coach Steve Anderson was anxious to see how his team would bounce back against visiting Bay.
It didn’t take long for Anderson to find out.
The Pirates outshot the Rockets, 14-1, in the first quarter on their way to a 5-0 lead. They withstood two Bay rallies and came away with a 13-7 win to move to 4-1...
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DII boys: Pirates stop Bay, aim to tame Bengals
With both teams playing intense defense, Thursday’s Division II district semifinal between Bay and Rocky River seemed to have the makings of an instant classic.
But just like the previous two meetings this season, the Pirates’ offense provided fans with a rerun.
Despite getting held to just two points in the second quarter, Rocky River maintained its early lead and ran away in the third quarter for a 50-34 win over the Rockets. The defending champions used a 16-7 third quarter to advance to Saturday night’s title game with top-seeded Benedictine...
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DII Boys: Bay, River to meet in district semifinals
Tipoff Thursday night at the Westlake High School gym will have a distinctive West Shore Conference feel.
Longtime rivals Bay and Rocky River will meet for the third time this season, this time in a boys Division II district semifinal game at 7 p.m. The winner will move on to the district championship game Saturday night and play for a spot in the state’s Sweet 16.
Last Saturday, both teams dominated their opponents to win sectional tournament titles.
Bay, despite not having Bryan Lowrie, jumped all over third-seeded Brookside early and rolled to a 64-35 win. In the nightcap, the defending district champion Pirates built a 15-point halftime lead and eliminated Padua, 59-48.
The Rockets took the court without Lowrie, who suffered a concussion during their tournament opener...
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DII Girls: River tops Bay, to face Keystone in final
The Rocky River girls basketball team is on a mission.
The Pirates completed another stage of that mission Thursday night at Elyria High. Behind a dominating defense and a strong performance from Ciara Kessler, they manhandled Bay, 44-19, to advance to Saturday’s Division II district championship game.
At 1 p.m. that day, they’ll take on defending Elyria district champion Keystone, which needed two overtimes to defeat Holy Name, 44-42, in Thursday night’s second game. The winner will move on to the Sweet 16 and a regional semifinal in Barberton next Tuesday at 6:15 p.m.
One year ago, the Pirates...
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DII Girls: Rockets spin turnovers into golden win
In Bay’s tournament opener against Padua, the Rockets struggled from the start and needed a second-half rally to pull out the win.
To say Thursday night was a different story would be the understatement of the year.
The Rockets, behind a suffocating full-court defense, jumped out to a 10-point lead in the first quarter and never looked back. When the final buzzer sounded, Bay was moving on with a convincing 57-31 win over fourth-seeded Clearview in girls Division II tournament action at Elyria High.
Bay, the tournament’s fifth seed, will now face a familiar opponent in next week’s district semifinals. The Rockets will take on West Shore Conference rival Rocky River, which won the nightcap with a 50-24 win over Buckeye.
“Wow! What an effort my kids put forth tonight...”
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DII Girls: Defense rallies Rockets to tourney win
There were several times during the regular season when the Bay girls basketball team dug a hole for themselves in the first half, only to make a game of it in the second half.
Some of those rallies resulted in wins, others in narrow defeats.
On Monday afternoon at Elyria High School, the fifth-seeded Rockets managed to pull another late-game win out of the hat. They put on a defensive clinic and turned a 22-14 halftime deficit into a 41-36 win over Padua in a Division II sectional tournament contest.
The win upped Bay’s record to 13-8 on the season and put the Rockets in Thursday night’s sectional championship game...
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Wrestling: Scoring error clouds overall WSC title
When is a championship not a championship?
When a non-correctable scoring error says so, evidently.
Last Saturday, the Avon wrestling team thought it had won a share of the West Shore Conference championship after edging regular season champ Midview, 160.5-159.5, in the WSC tournament at Avon High. The Eagles seemingly won the tournament when Rocky River heavyweight Jesse Singler...
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Swim Sectionals: Bay girls take DII championship
The Westshore area was well represented last weekend at the 2012 Girls Lakewood Sectional Swim Meet.
The Bay Rockets won the Lakewood Division II Sectional championship Saturday, scoring 506 points to get past arch-rival Rocky River (454) and West Shore Conference foe Elyria Catholic (350).
In Division I, Magnificat advanced five events as the Blue Streaks took runner-up honors...
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Video: Lowrie's buzzer beater gets Bay past Avon
It’s been a tough season for the Bay boys basketball team. But as it turned out, the Rockets had their say in the West Shore Conference race.
Friday night, senior Bryan Lowrie drilled a 3-pointer to beat the buzzer and give Bay a thrilling 54-51 home-court win over Avon. The loss, combined with Midview’s 61-49 win over Vermilion, eliminated the Eagles from title contention.
Lowrie led all scorers with 19 points, while...
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Rockets hang on late, bring Eagles down to earth
No one will argue that the Bay girls basketball team has gone through more than its fair share of ups and downs this season.
But if Saturday afternoon was any indication, the elevator is definitely going back up for Chris Brewer’s Rockets.
Bay took the lead early on and got some big plays down the stretch to claim a 49-45 win over visiting Avon and remain one game behind Rocky River in the West Shore Conference race...
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Video: Bay girls, River boys take WSC swim titles
The Bay girls and the Rocky River boys swimming and diving teams captured their respective West Shore Conference championships out at Oberlin College. Bay scored 126 points to slip past Rocky River\'s 106, while the Pirate boys dominated with 183 points to win the meet going away.
Larry ventured out to Lorain County to capture the action with his photos and video...
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Determined Pirates on a mission, rattle Rockets
It was Jan. 4, and the Rocky River girls basketball team was taking the long bus ride home after a 56-33 loss at Walsh Jesuit.
Since then, the Pirates have been on a mission.
Over the last four games, the Pirates have taken out their frustrations on their opponents. Saturday night, they held arch-rival Bay to five first-half points and tacked on a 14-0 run in the third quarter for good measure...
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Pirates win sixth straight, sail past Rockets 49-32
When Craig Linder’s 3-pointer beat the third quarter buzzer, things were looking good for the Bay Rockets.
Linder’s shot had just helped the Rockets trim an 11-point deficit down to six. Nobody in the Rocky River gym, though, knew that trey would be the Rockets’ final basket of the game.
The Pirates, whose own offense had sputtered most of the game, went on a 10-0 run to start the fourth quarter...
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Bay icers step up, but fall short to Westlake, 3-0
Since mid-December, the Bay hockey team has gone through a tough stretch of games.
But even in Wednesday night’s 3-0 loss to Westlake, Rockets head coach Rick Kirk had reason to be optimistic about his young team’s future.
“We had 32 shots on net tonight, so that’s a pretty good showing for us,” Kirk said after his team’s loss to the Demons at Hamilton Ice Arena in Rocky River...
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Video: Avon, Bay and River visit Eagles' Lake
The Avon Eagles, Bay Rockets, Rocky River Pirates and the host North Olmsted Eagles competed at a holiday meet in North Olmsted last Wednesday. Larry captured some of the action at the North Olmsted Recreation Center...
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Video: Demons ground the Rockets, 66-44
Westlake Demons men\'s basketball grounded the Rockets in a Holiday match at the Launching Pad. While Jim is on vacation, I captured stills and video of the game. Enjoy. Happy New Year!
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Video: Lady Eagles prevail over Rockets in OT
The Bay Rockets lady hoopsters took it to overtime in a loss to North Olmsted last Monday in a non-conference game at the Eagles Nest. Catch the highlights in this video. Our \'Photography\' page has 21 images to view.
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Video: Bay hockey loses to Parma, 3-2
The Rockets dropped a tough 3-2 decision to Parma in their third meeting of the season Sunday at Winterhurst. The Redmen scored a goal in the game\'s final seconds to pull out the win...
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McCrone's trey sparks River's 66-45 win over Bay
With Rocky River starting to pull away, Bay made its move.
Five straight points by Bryan Lowrie, topped off by a steal and slam dunk by the Rocket senior, had the Bay fans on their feet screaming for more. The Pirates called timeout, clinging to a 29-27 lead early in the third quarter.
Just like that, the momentum took a turn.
The visiting Pirates went on a run of their own. As the final moments of the quarter ticked off, River junior Ryan McCrone...
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Second half outbursts propel Eagles past Rockets
In the first half, Friday night’s boys basketball season opener between Bay and North Olmsted looked like it would be a defensive struggle.
That all changed in the second half.
North Olmsted, nursing a slim 21-18 halftime lead, used scoring runs of 12-4 and 13-4 in the second half to come away with a 52-47 win to spoil the Rockets’ home opener.
“It’s early in the year, and right now the defenses are ahead of the offenses...
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Demons build early lead, roll past Rockets 52-36
In last Friday’s season opener against Chardon, the Bay girls basketball team fell behind early and had to rally for a 60-57 win.
On Wednesday night, the Rockets again fell behind early, this time against rival Westlake. This time, however, there was no comeback as the Demons rolled to a 52-36 win to move to 2-0 on the young season.
Westlake, coming off a big 57-40 win over Rocky River, jumped out to an 11-1 lead...
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Leitch comes up big as River tops Bay in shootout
After 110 minutes of intense tournament play, some of it played in monsoon-like conditions, it all came down to this.
A shootout.
With both teams battered, bruised and exhausted, Bay and Rocky River prepared for the one-on-one match ups that would decide the winner. At stake: a berth in the Division II district finals Saturday night.
Not to mention big-time bragging rights.
For all intents and purposes, the game was decided on the first of the eight shots taken....
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Creech's last-second goal in OT lifts Bay past River
With :36.6 seconds left in regulation, Bay thought it had the game-winning goal against longtime rival Rocky River. An offsides call, however, negated a Chris Eaton header and sent the game into overtime.
The Rockets made sure the next time, even though there was little time to spare...
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Rockets get first win of the season at district meet
After losing most of his team to graduation, Bay head coach Steve Babson knew he was in for a rebuilding year. His young Rockets struggled a bit early, and didn’t win a meet the entire regular season.
But after Saturday\'s performance, it looks like Babson’s young harriers are fast learners.
The Rockets, with four runners in the top 15, got win No. 1 on a soggy Lorain County Community College course...
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CHAMPIONS! Bierut, Bay girls run to top of WSC
Throughout its brief history, the path to the West Shore Conference girls cross country championship has run mostly through Rocky River.
Things have changed in 2011.
The Pirates boasted this year’s individual champion in Elyse Bierut, who turned in a dominating performance Saturday morning at the WSC championships. But the team title went to the youthful Bay squad...
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CHAMPIONS! River edges Bay to win WSC crown
The battle between Bay and Rocky River for the West Shore Conference girls soccer championship was not for the faint of heart. The action was non-stop, and the intensity was palpable.
In fact, without the sport’s 80-minute time restraint, the two teams might still be going hard at each other today on the Memorial Stadium pitch.
But with the score tied at 2-2 and just 5:28 remaining, Rocky River took advantage of a golden opportunity. That’s when...
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Seniors play a key role in Rockets' run to WSC title
More times than not, championship teams have a solid nucleus of seniors leading the way.
The Bay volleyball team is no exception.
Team co-captains Claire Wilson and Rachel Vick, along with fellow seniors Amy Urwin, Katie McFeeley, Jenny Osborn and Amelia Stickler, formed that nucleus this year. They also led the Rockets to their third-straight West Shore Conference championship Tuesday night...
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CHAMPIONS! Rockets defeat EC, earn WSC 3-peat
Throughout the 2011 season, the Bay volleyball team has found a way to dig down deep and pull out some very big wins.
Tuesday night was no exception, and it will probably be a night the Rockets won\'t soon forget.
Down 20-14 in the third set, Bay went on an amazing 11-1 run to close out a 25-19, 25-15, 25-21 win at Elyria Catholic to clinch its third-straight West Shore Conference championship. The Rockets moved to 10-1 in the league to win the crown...
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O'Rourke, Avon have big first half in win over Bay
For the better part of the first quarter, Bay was holding its own against Division II powerhouse Avon.
But in the second quarter, the Eagles showed why they are sitting at the top of the computer rankings and the team to beat in the West Shore Conference.
Up 14-0, Avon exploded for 21 points in the second quarter to take a 35-0 halftime lead and roll to a 42-0 win over the Rockets Friday night at a packed Memorial Stadium...
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Rockets top Rangers, will play EC for WSC crown
Following a three-set victory over North Ridgeville on Volley for The Cure Night, Bay has put itself right where it wanted to be.
For the Rockets, it all comes down to Tuesday night.
On Thursday night, Bay took care of business with a 25-18, 25-17, 26-24 win over the Rangers at Bay Middle School. Next Tuesday, the Rockets will take their 9-1 conference mark to twice-beaten Elyria Catholic for a match that will determine the West Shore Conference championship....
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Rockets do it with defense, regain control of WSC
Earlier this month, Midview had its way in its home volleyball match with Bay.
This time around, the Middies didn’t know what hit them.
The streaking Rockets jumped out to an 8-1 lead in the first set and held off a Midview challenge in the third to claim a 25-11, 25-16, 26-24 win Thursday night. It was Bay’s 10th win in a row and allowed the Rockets to regain...
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Volleyball: Streaks fall in Toledo; Bay tops Sailors
The Magnificat Road Warriors, better known as the Blue Streaks, haven’t seen much of Cuyahoga County the past few days.
Last weekend, the team traveled to Cincinnati to take part in the two-day Mother of Mercy Fall Classic. The Streaks went 3-1, then had a short stay at home before hitting the road to Toledo to take on St. Ursula Academy Tuesday night.
St. Ursula just happened to be the No. 1 ranked Division I team in Ohio, unbeaten at 13-0...
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XC: Bay girls take second at Cloverleaf Invitational
The Bay girls cross country team continued its strong season last Saturday with a runner-up finish at the Todd Clark Cloverleaf Invitational.
The Rockets scored 81 points, just behind the 75 of winner North Royalton and just ahead of the third place team, Walsh Jesuit (82). Sophomore Maddie Britton led the way, finishing sixth with a time of 21:09.97...
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Football: Big plays lead to big win for Rockets
Big plays were the name of the game on Homecoming Night for the Bay Rockets.
The Rockets got impact plays from juniors Jack Blake and Ryan Voiers and senior Evan Campbell that led to a 24-14 win over Vermilion in their West Shore Conference opener. With the win, Bay moved to 2-3 overall at the season’s halfway mark.
Down 14-7, Voiers returned a kickoff 71 yards in the second quarter...
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Rockets keep rolling in three-set win over Pirates
Earlier this season, the Bay volleyball team dropped a five-set decision to Midview.
Since that night in Grafton, the Rockets have a done a complete about face. It hasn’t been much fun for their opponents, with Bay winning seven matches in a row.
Tuesday night in Rocky River, the Rockets made it eight straight to move to 11-2 on the season...
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Soccer: Bay's offense fizzles in tie with Midview
Scoring goals has been a challenge so far this season for the Bay boys soccer team.
That problem reappeared Wednesday night in Grafton Township. The Rockets misfired on numerous scoring opportunities in a 1-1 tie with Midview in a West Shore Conference game.
“We did somethings very well, but you still have to finish,” said Bay head coach Bob Dougherty...
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Soccer: Bay girls fall to Mustangs in final seconds
Valiant effort. Tough loss.
The Bay girls soccer team took on nationally-ranked Strongsville Monday night and were in the midst of a 0-0 tie with just seconds left. The Mustangs, with 19 ticks left on the clock, scored on a corner kick goal to come away with the hard-fought 1-0 win.
The Rockets, now 3-2-1, were tough defensively the whole night...
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Harriers go up against the best at Tiffin Carnival
The Tiffin Cross Country Carnival is one of the largest, most competitive early-season meets a high school runner can compete in.
On Saturday, a large contingent of harriers from the Westshore area competed against some of the best cross country talent in the state. Nobody had a better day on the course than Rocky River senior Elyse Bierut.
Bierut, competing for the Pirates in the Division I-A...
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Creech's FG in 2OT gives Rockets first win of 2011
The Bay football team had to wait a little bit longer Friday night for its first win of the season.
Jack Creech, denied in the first overtime period, drilled one home from 33 yards out in the second extra period to give the Rockets a 17-14 win over Fairview at Memorial Stadium.
On fourth down and 11 yard to go at the 21-yard line, the Rocket coaching staff called a timeout...
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Soccer: Eaton's goal sparks first win for Rockets
When Chris Eaton’s 35-yard free kick sailed into the back of the net, it probably felt like the weight of the world had been lifted off the collective shoulders of the Bay boys soccer team.
In the 338th minute of the season, the Rockets’ scoring drought came to an end.
After a tough 1-0 loss to Cardinal Mooney Saturday night, Bay took out their frustrations on visiting Vermilion Wednesday night...
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