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Unbeaten teams Eastwood, Oak Harbor to clash for NBC crown
The most compelling matchup of the area's 2024 high school football regular season schedule is set for Friday night, when a battle of unbeatens to decide the Northern Buckeye Conference championship has Eastwood visiting Oak Harbor. The host Rockets (8-0, 5-0 NBC) enter as defending conference champions and as the preseason pick of NBC coaches to repeat that title this year. The visiting Eagles (8-0, 5-0) were the 2023 NBC runners-up and were picked to finish second this year. Here is a look at Friday's showdown. ■ BY THE NUMBERS
2024 high school state tournament scores for Oct. 17
Here are the OHSAA fall sport state tournament scores for Toledo-area teams on Thursday, Oct. 17. VOLLEYBALL Division IV: Gibsonburg district■ No. 1 Lake d. No. 8 Bryan 25-15, 25-8, 25-10■ No. 2 Clyde d. No. 7 Napoleon 25-15, 25-11, 25-15■ No. 3 Bellevue d. No. 6 Wauseon 25-8. 25-14, 25-21 Division IV: Mount Blanchard Riverdale district■ No. 3 Liberty-Benton d. No. 6 Upper Sandusky 25-20, 25-14, 25-16
2024 Friday Forecast: Predicting 10 Toledo-area games for Week 9
Each week, The Blade sports department’s Steve Junga, Mark Monroe, Kyle Rowland, Michael Burwell, and Ron Seibel predict winners for 10 intriguing high school football games in the Toledo area. Last week, Rowland, Monroe, and Seibel each went 10-0, while Junga went 9-1 and Burwell 8-2. For the season, Junga, Rowland, and Monroe are each 63-17, followed by Burwell at 60-20 and Seibel at 59-21. Here are the predictions for this week. Winning Drive Game of the Week presented by Renewal by Andersen: EASTWOOD (8-0) AT OAK HARBOR (8-0)■ Junga: Oak Harbor, 28-21■ Rowland: Oak Harbor, 28-21■ Burwell: Eastwood, 33-28■ Monroe: Oak Harbor, 35-28■ Seibel: Oak Harbor, 35-14
BGSU says it's 'a surprise' band won't be able to perform at Battle of I-75 in Toledo
Members of the Bowling Green State University community reacted with surprise this week to the news that the marching band would not be given a chance to perform at halftime of the Battle of I-75 football game in Toledo. But University of Toledo officials contend they previously informed their BGSU counterparts of both the decision and the reason for it. “UToledo replied to BGSU’s request to perform through a series of communications to BGSU leadership that we would be utilizing the time available at halftime for our Hall of Fame inductions and the Rocket Marching Band performance,” UT officials said in a statement Tuesday. On Monday, in an email to marching band members, BGSU President Rodney Rogers said he believes the decision is breaking “decades of tradition and goodwill for this rivalry game, where the hosting university has welcomed the opposing team’s band to perform during halftime.”
Toledo men's basketball is back in a familiar place
The 2024 offseason for the University of Toledo men’s basketball program was the same as the previous three. The Rockets said goodbye to several starters in the transfer portal, replenished the roster via the same mechanism, and, once again, they might be the best team in the Mid-American Conference. “I like this team,” coach Tod Kowalczyk said. “A little worried about some chemistry things regarding rotations and who’s going to get playing time, but we are deep. We may have some guys that may not play as much as they would like. Overall, it’s a team that has a chance to grow and get better and be very good.” Toledo is coming off its fourth consecutive outright MAC championship and its sixth 20-win season in seven years. The transfer portal losses, however, were significant. The team’s three leading scorers — Dante Maddox, Jr., Ra’Heim Moss, and Tyler Cochran — decamped for Xavier, Oregon, and Minnesota, respectively.
Briggs: 'Halftime is for the bands!' Snub of BG a baffling and unforced error by Toledo
Strike up the band drama. In a move that has raised and furrowed brows alike, you’ve probably heard that the Battle of I-75 will be a little quieter this year. Toledo is not allowing Bowling Green’s marching band to play at halftime of their game a week from Saturday at the Glass Bowl, citing a scheduling conflict for the break from tradition. It has caused quite the stir, producing dueling accusations by the rival schools and leaving Falcons — and many Rockets — supporters to wonder: What in the name of Tom PETTY is going on here?
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