Flyer boys, Ladies in Blue cap off great seasons

It was November 1996 and many football teams, as well as volleyball squads, were giving their fans memories that would last for years.The St. Paul football team was one of them. John Livengood's team played its way through another great season and was in the midst of still another post-season run. It was late November and the Flyers had dispatched U.S. 20 foe Monroeville for a second time, this one at George Daniels Fiield in the regional finals. Next up was perennial-power Mogadore.The winningest season in school history would come to an end, however, in the state Div. VI semifinals in Berea as the Wildcats played keep-away with the Flyers, winning 26-13.The game was tied at 13 at halftime. But when Mogadore's Aaron Pendegrast returned the second-half kickoff 73 yards to the Flyer five with a tie-breaking run following on the next play, Mogadore had the lead it protected with two more drives that covered 180 yards in 35 plays.The Flyers did not help their cause by fumbling six times, losing two of them. The Wildcats also picked off three St. Paul passes.Mogadore would loose the following Friday to defending small school champions St. Henry in the championship game.Exactly opposite vs. MonroevilleThe week before at Lorain, St. Paul would be the beneficiary of Monroeville's inability to handle the football. The Eagles fumbled the ball six times in the first half, losing four of them and also had three passes picked off as the Flyers ran their record to 12-0 with a 34-8 victory.Monroeville edged Pandora-Giboa, 28-26 in the first round while St. Paul stopped Hopewell-Loudon 34-14.While the Flyers were allowing just one score or less in seven of the 10 regular-season games, Monroville was surprised in its opener at Kystone, 20-12, and then ran off seven wins in a row before facing St. Paul and losing 33-7 in game nine. They made the playoffs by beating Crestview 22-12 in the final game of the season.It was against Western Reserve in game seven Flyer fans would not forget. The running load was put on junior Mike Morrow as eventual All-Ohio runningback Dan Pugh was on the sidelines with an ankle injury. All Morrow did was score six times plus have runs of 95 and 45 yards called back in a 49-6 victory.The second win over the Eagles pitted them against Mogadore, the last team to beat the Flyers. That was a 35-0 whipping at Brooklyn in a driving rain-storm in the first round of the 1995 playoffs.Bitter-sweet Willard victoryWillard picked up a huge win when it shut out Norwalk, 26-0. It was made even bigger when Bellevue was upset by Tiffin Columbian. That win allowed Willard to pull into a four-way tie for the league lead.SP and Monroeville dominate FC teamSt. Paul put center Tom Pheifer, split end Frank Van Dresser, running back Dan Pugh and kicker Ryan McDonnell on the first offensive team and end Terry Taylor, tackle Brad Wise, linebacker Brad Hite and defensive back Mike Morrow on the first defensive unit.Monroeville countered with guard Brad Dunlap, tackle Lee Ackerman and tight end Brandon Smith on the first offensive unit and end Dan Ringenberg, tackle Clint Poths and defensive back Charlie Clark on the first defensive unit.Other area first-teamers included split end Brandon Osborn and quarterback Doug Dendinger from South Central on the offensive team while Dendinger was also on the first team defense at linebacker along with teammate Ty Stevenson at defensive back. New London's Ken Dawson was a first team defensive back.Ackerman and Poths were name Lineman of the Year while Hite and Pugh were Backs of the Year. John Livengood and Steve Ringholz were named co-coaches of the year.Lady Truckers fall just shortFour points from Dayton and the state semifinals.That's how close the Lady's In Blue came from making an appearance at the Nutter Center.It was Lima Bath that ended the season for Norwalk at the Div. II regionals at Mansfield Madison.Norwalk finished with a 23-4 record, winning its 23rd match against Canton South in the regional semis.Norwalk was hoping to earn another trip to Dayton. The six seniors on the team were freshmen when the Truckers earned their only spot as members of the Final Four.The main-stays on the team were Tara Still, Britt Nickoli, Renee Grose, Mary Pierce, Jill Robertson, Corey Meisler, Jennie Woodruff and Amanda Gordon.During the season, Norwalk won its fifth straight NOL title, defeating Tiffin Columbian in the final league match.New London wins FC titlesBoth the girls and boys from New London won conference cross country titlesVern Pickering and Joe Hicks finished 1-2 to lead the boys to a 27-61 victory over hosting St. Paul.The girls had to work harder for it. When St. Paul freshman Erin McFadden ran first in the ladies race, it meant the Lady Cats had work to do. They did get it done, however, shading the Flyers, 33 to 35.The Lady Cats were paced by second-place finisher Katie Landis and third-place finisher Chastity Myers.Church goes up in one dayThat's right, in one day and in the rain and cold, the Jehovah's Witness Church was erected. Hundreds of worshipers, some 400 of them, helped build a new Kingdom Hall at 37 Cline St. in Norwalk.All of the trades in the area were represented.Fisher-Titus employees honoredFisher-Titus president Richard Westhofen was the emcee at the 24th Annual Service Awards Banquet held at the IAB Club in Sandusky. Eighty-nine employees were honored, all with 35-or-more years of service.Ariene Geer was the 35-year recipient.Thirty-year honors went to Sylvia Birdsall, Sherry Fishbaugh, Elizabeth Obrenovich and Susan Sheidler.The 25-year honorees were Cathy Campbell, Phyllis Perry, Allen Steele and Richard Westhofen.Twenty-year awards went to Margaret Baird, Janet Calco, Judy Church, Karen Crawford, Phyllis Fries, Anna Mahl, Regina Kidd, Joan Lamson, Karla Staschke and Janis Rang.Seventeen employees were congratulated for 15 years and 19 others for 10 years.Blue Bridge openedThere was a lot of hand-shaking on the bridge known as Blue Bridge on Lamereaux Road. Some much-needed repair was needed on the bridge that spans the west branch of the Huron River. The original bridge went up 114 years ago. It took seven years for the Highway Department to complete the update but at a huge saving to the taxpayers.New steel support beams would be the major cost to the $80,000 project that was completed by the County Highway Department — one that bridge contractors figured would cost $500,000.It took 61 gallons of paint to turn the steel to the blue color it had been known for since 1882 and that is something like six years before Custer lost to the Indians.Two major hires at furnitureThe Norwalk Furniture Corp. announced the hiring of Gene Fernandez as the retail controller, which puts him in charge of accounting for various company-owned retail locations.The announcement was also made that Reyna Moore has been promoted from internal sales coordinator to director of international operations.Recognized were many long-time employees including Robert Seitz (41 years) James Timman (40 years), John Copsey, Sr. (39 years), David Warner (38 years), Werner Schweizer, Paul Brookover and Larry Mason (37 years), Robert Smith and Norm Ott (36 years), Bonnie Hayes (34 years), Bruce Kurtz (33 years), Huberta Osborn (32 years), Jack Bess, Frances Osborn (31 years) and Wilma Wade, Paul Beck, Larry Weisenberger, Nancy Burkett, Glen Pocock, Dale Knittel and Linda Ruffing (30 years).Schwieterman promotedMichael J. Schwieterman, the Columbia Gas area manager at the Norwalk office, has been promoted to area manager for the combined Sandusky/Norwalk offices.Schwieterman joined Columbia Gas in 1981 as a customer accounting specialist in Cambridge. He was promoted to collection supervisor in Toledo in 1982 and named cash and collection supervisor at that office in 1984. In 1987, he was promoted to area manager of the Fostoria office. He came to Norwalk in 1990.He holds degrees from both Ohio State and the University of Toledo.Sisters give birthSisters Pepper and Dawn Freeman became roommates and mothers in a 24-hour span.The two delivered boys just 23 hours and five minutes apart at Fisher-Titus.Pepper's son, Tristin, weighed in a 5-pound plus. His father is Scott Farnsworth.Dawn's son, Kaden, weight in at six-pound plus. His father is Lorne Black.Gas prices in 1996Another increase in gas at local stations. The season demand for heating oil was partly to blame as it pushed crude prices higher.The Lundberg Survey had the national price at $1.30 per gallon, up from $1.28.Norwalk stations had prices as low as $1.25 at the Clark Station on Benedict and all three Speedway Stations.Kelley wants end to disputeNew London gas station owner R.J. Kelley wants the dispute with the state over and done with. His New London Unocal 76 Station in New London has been in the spotlight for four years, the state claiming that fuel from his tanks is the source of gasoline in the city's ground-water.Republicans back in chargeGOP challengers Terry Boose and Larry Silcox toppled incumbent Democrats Jim Seitz. Sr. and Tom Kilbane in the races for Huron County Commissioner.They will join incumbent Karen Wilhelm in making it all all-GOP board.To those who read this column and would like me to touch on other subjects, shoot me an e-mail. I'll do what I can to accommodate you. The address is dhohler@neo.rr.comDon Hohler is a longtime Reflector sportswriter.