Crawford 100: Galion has a special mix of youth and experience in several sports

Editor's Note: This is the fifth installment of a series.

Galion is the biggest school in Crawford County, and is always flush with talented athletes in almost every sport. The Tigers have had some fantastic teams over the last few years, and 2024-25 should be no different.

We'll take a look at 10 featured returners, along with a handful of honorable mentions, ranging from sophomores to seniors in just about every sport.

In case you missed the first three installments featuring Buckeye Central, Bucyrus, Colonel Crawford, and Crestline, they can be found in the links below.

Let's get started!

Dominic Capretta, so.

After carving out a role for himself on the basketball court as a freshman, Capretta quickly turned into a key role player for the Tigers down the stretch. Standing at 6-foot-3, 195 pounds, he should get some looks in football this fall with several spots up for grabs including tight end and defensive ends — his two positions. And when winter rolls back around, Capretta will likely see his role on the team increase even more so with a lot of scoring gone and key positions needing filled. Still a raw talent, there's a lot that can come from him over the next few years.

Makenzie Halbisen, so.

Another impressive young talent, Makenzie and her twin Makayla (we'll get to her in a couple weeks) immediately became the top two scorers on the cross country team. They both finished in the top 10 at districts and helped the team qualify for regionals, which is where Makenzie's season would end with a 38th place finish. When track season rolled around, she ran just about anything they asked of her including the 200-meter dash, half-mile, mile, and two-mile, plus the 4x200, 4x400, and 4x800 relays.

Quinn Miller, sr.

A sharpshooter for the Tigers on the court, Miller endured a season of pain as a junior battling through back issues but still managed to give 110% whenever he was in. His 4.3 points per game last winter are the most among returners, as are his 14 made 3s. Defensive is undoubtedly going to be even more of a priority for the Tigers with two prolific scorers gone, and Miller is always up for the challenge. Don't be surprised if he has a big senior year.

Sam Evans, jr.

A three-sport stud, Evans will be one of the leading tacklers returning for the Tigers this fall having recorded 88 tackles, eight for loss, one sack, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery as a sophomore. In the winter he wrestled some at the 138-pound weight class before running sprints, hurdles, and pole vaulting for the track team. Coming off a foundation-building sophomore campaign, Evans is in for a major junior year across all three sports.

Cameron Eckert, sr.

Another three-sport standout, Eckert plays volleyball in the fall, basketball in the winter, and softball in the spring. Featuring in every set as a junior, she was primarily a defensive specialist finishing with 24 aces, 190 digs, and 293 receptions. Her 8.6 points per game led the Tigers in basketball, as did her 6.0 rebounds and 1.3 steals. And as part of the surprise team of the year making a run to the district championship after starting 0-6, Eckert batted .295 with 18 hits, 18 runs, and four RBIs. A vocal leader, Eckert will be key to any and all success all three teams see this coming year.

Kaitlyn McKee, sr.

Eckert's teammate in all three sports, McKee saw limited action in volleyball appearing in just eight sets before featuring in all 22 games for the Tigers on the basketball court. She averaged 0.9 points, 0.9 rebounds, and 0.3 steals as a junior. In the spring, she was one of the team's best hitters boasting a .350 average with 28 hits, eight doubles, two triples, two home runs, 34 runs, 13 RBIs, and eight stolen bases leading off the lineup. She should see a role increase in volleyball, along with a scoring uptick in basketball. By spring, she'll look to lead the Tigers to another memorable season.

Audrey Glew, sr.

I feel like a broken record at this point — Glew joins Eckert and McKee in all three aforementioned sports. She took over libero duties as a junior and led the team with 292 digs and 362 receptions, while also serving 17 aces. In the winter she was second on the team with 4.5 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. Glew then was used sparingly in the spring appearing in just three games with seven plate appearances on the season. Part of a core of experienced seniors, she'll be a leader by example in her final year as a Tiger.

Allen Carver, sr.

Mostly operating as a defensive back where he had 18 tackles, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery, along with being the team's kicker where he was 37-of-39 kicking extra points and 1-of-2 kicking field goals with a 28-yard make. Baseball season is where he really shined batting .241 with 20 hits, one double, one triple, 23 runs, and 10 RBIs while also pitching 15⅓ innings with a 2.74 ERA, 14 strikeouts, and three saves. He should see time on offense this fall as a skill player, along with being one of the most reliable kickers around.

Michael Drake, sr.

Taking over duties as center last fall, Drake was part of a stellar offensive line that blocked for a nearly 1,500-yard rusher and a dual-threat quarterback with just shy of 1,800 all-purpose yards. Winter he focused on indoor track to prepare himself for the outdoor season and thrived in the weight throw placing ninth at state and qualifying for Adidas Nationals where he was 21st. And in the spring he made finals in the shot put but missed out on regionals by 29 inches; he was also 11th in discus prelims. Drake will be one of only a few returners on the line and look to lead the new wave of athletes alongside him in the fall, then see just how far he can go in throws with track.

Ayden Schmidt, jr.

Backup quarterback on the depth chart, Schmidt was thrust into action against Highland in Week 7 last fall and led the Tigers downfield for a go-ahead Carver field goal to come away with a gutsy 23-21 win . As a cornerback he had 55 tackles, one interception and two fumble recoveries. In the spring he was a sprint specialist running in the 100-meter dash along with the 4x100, 4x200, and 4x400 relays. He will likely still be QB2 coming into this fall, but his athleticism should allow him to see plenty of time on the field in some fashion.

Honorable Mentions

Carson Walker (jr.) a talented golfer, he will be part of a group of boys eager to return to state after missing out last fall … Maddy Roseberry (jr.) should have a much bigger role on the court in volleyball after recording 62 kills, 25 blocks, and 65 receptions as a sophomore … Parker Tinch (so.) another key member of the golf team, Tinch also has potential to see some varsity time in basketball and baseball this year … Weston Clark (so.) another talented sophomore, Clark spent most of freshman year on the JV teams but could get some varsity looks in football, basketball, and baseball … Braylen Beachy (jr.) & Brant Walker (sr.) two returners on the soccer field having earned All-MOAC honors, they'll look to continue building the young program … Anthony Ferini (sr.) one of a handful of seniors leading the distance program this fall, he was 37th at districts and 18th at the MOAC.

zholden@gannett.com

419-617-6018

Twitter/X: @Zachary_Holden

This article originally appeared on Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum: Crawford 100: Galion has a special mix of youth and experience in several sports