A lot can be said about doing something for the first time. Then again, the ability to do something over and over again screams volumes as well. You’ll find both as The News-Herald sports staff unveils its list of top games and performances of the 2025 calendar year. Voting was done with 10 points for the top game/performance, nine for second, eight for third, etc. Tally them all up and — well — you get the idea. So without further ado, here are the top 10 games/performances of the 2025 school year. 1. Riverside’s softball team wins the first state title in program history (57 points, 4 first-place votes) With an 8-6 win over Mount Vernon, the Beavers won the Division II state softball championship, the first one in program history, not to mention the first girls fast-pitch state title by a current News-Herald area school. Riverside (27-4) trailed, 5-2, in the top of the fourth, but drew closer on a Maddy Kevern home run. An inning later, Kevern and Olivia Powell delivered RBI hits to tie it, 5-5, before Maddie Proud’s three-run double gave the Beavers an 8-5 lead it wouldn’t lose. News-Herald softball player of the year Annaliese Davis locked down the final inning to clinch the title, which players and coaches dedicated to longtime coach Dave Granchi, who died in 2024. Said Proud, tears streaming down her cheeks, “We did it for him today. We all know it.” 2. Kirtland football wins its eighth state championship (51 points, 1 first-place vote) Coach Tiger LaVerde and the Hornets plastered Hopewell-Loudon, 41-6, at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium on Dec. 6 to give the program its eighth state title in the past 14 years. Kirtland (15-0) punished the Chieftains all day with the running attack, as John Silvestro ran for 255 yards and four touchdowns as part of the Hornets’ 433-yard attack on the ground. Jake LaVerde ran for 112 yards and a score, with Ty Bledsoe running for 62 yards and a score. As part of the tremendous season, Silvestro became the first Hornet to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a season and Jake LaVerde polished off a career with more than 3,000 yards rushing and 3,000 yards passing. Additionally, Coach Tiger LaVerde improved his career record at Kirtland to 259-21. “They care so much. They love each other,” LaVerde said. “And they do what it takes. It’s a gritty group of kids right here.” 3. Lake Catholic volleyball wins its fourth straight state title (48 points, 1 first-place vote) For the fourth straight year, the Lake Catholic volleyball team toted a golden state championship trophy back to the school. After avenging two regular-season losses to Elyria Catholic earlier, the Cougars defeated New Lexington, 3-1, on Nov. 9 behind a stellar performance from Ahnna Bergant (23 kills). Only Hopewell-Loudon (1997-2001) and Cincinnati St. Ursula (1993-98) have won more consecutive championships in OHSAA history than the Cougars. Ava Starr had 48 assists for the Cougars, while Lola Loncar recorded 36 digs. The win came after many (if not most) figured Lake was headed for a rebuilding year. “One thing that we really focused on through the postseason especially was that we can do this,” Grace Stenger said. “It was fun being able to show everyone that we still can and also to remind ourselves of that, too. We wanted to be back here, and we weren’t going to be stopped.” 4. Lake Catholic baseball team wins the state title (43 points) With a 3-2 win over Sandusky Perkins, Lake Catholic’s baseball team won the program’s first state title and Lake County’s first state crown since 1974 when Wickliffe brought home the gold. A.J. Trobenter drove in a pair of runs, and Brayden Mann had the game-winning hit as the Cougars rallied from an early deficit to send Canal Park in Akron into a frenzy. A flyout to Sean Walsh in left with the bases full of Perkins Pirates ended the game. “It was super impressive for them to stay calm,” Coach Brian LeRoy said. “Not panic and play the way we’ve been playing all year. They were going to come through eventually.” 5. Mentor hockey reaches the frozen four for the first time (23 points) Time after time in recent years, Mentor got its shot at the frozen four out of Kent (or Brooklyn when warranted). Time after time, the breakthrough didn’t quite come. But on its fifth attempt at a district final Feb. 28 against University at Kent, the Cardinals executed a pitch-perfect game plan in the defensive zone and got key goals from A.J. Trobenter and Jake Mackey en route to a 4-0 win to secure their first frozen-four berth in program lore. In the process, Mentor became the fourth News-Herald coverage area hockey program and first public school to reach the frozen four all-time. “If you would have told me when I woke up this morning this was going to be a 4-0 shutout in a district final, I would have said, ‘No way,’” Cardinals coach Paul McKito said postgame. “I’m not taking that back. One goal, 1-0 or 2-1 type dogfight. But what can I say about our group? We put a lot of time and effort into preparing for what they do. On everything. From their line changes to their faceoffs. What they do on stoppages. We put hours in watching film. We had our own scout teams in practice against each other, emulating what they do to help us prepare for this moment. “Every one of those kids in there dialed it in and bought into it. Their best 45 minutes of their lives.” 6. Mentor volleyball reaches the state final for the first time since 1988 (20 points) The last time Mentor made it to the state round of the tournament, Coach Sam Weaver was a player for the Cardinals. But when the senior class came in as freshmen, she knew the class was going to be special. Mentor had been to a regional semifinal the last two seasons. But this year, they got over that hurdle and made the state round for the first time since 2007. The Cardinals recovered from a second set loss to beat Olentangy Orange, 3-1, and made the final for the first time since 1998. While they couldn’t upend Seton’s perfect season, the Cardinals brought home the state runner-up title. “That (1998 team) was the only team to have ever been this far, so these girls will be a part of history forever,” Weaver said. “It proved that Mentor volleyball is back and we’re ready to get back down here again.” 7 (tie). Brush girls basketball advances to the state tournament for the first time (12 points) On the power of a 22-game winning streak, Brush’s girls basketball team advanced to the state final four for the first time in program history. The Arcs (24-3) eventually lost to Avon Lake, 43-39, in a state semifinal at Canton Memorial Field House, but the story was just getting to that point in the first place with an underclassman-heavy lineup. Brush clinched its state berth with a 51-46 win over Akron Hoban. Tatiana Mason had a game-high 23 points. After the season, she was named the winner of the Kaayla Chones Award as The News-Herald’s girls basketball player of the year, with Coach Demarris Winters taking home coach-of-the-year honors. “Just a relief,” Winters said. “I’m so happy for these girls. I went to school here. We never made it. We’ve had really good boys teams who didn’t made it. Really good girls teams who didn’t make it. We never got over the hump, but today we did.” 7 (tie). Richmond Heights denied a fourth straight state title (12 points) Only three teams in OHSAA history have won four straight boys basketball titles. Richmond Heights had the chance to add its name to the list. Standing in the way was a Division V regional title game against two-time reigning state champion Lutheran East, as the division expansion put the powerhouses against each other. Richmond Heights led through the first three quarters but wasn’t able to shut the door on the Falcons. The Spartans juggled foul trouble, as Demarris Winters and Dorian Jones each had four fouls by the fourth quarter. That allowed Lutheran East to turn up the attack against the Spartans’ zone, taking the win 64-59 and eventually winning a third straight state title. “It encompasses a lot of history for the group that we’re leaving here,” then-Coach Quentin Rogers said. “They should go out with their heads high. They set a legacy that few can live up to and even fewer can surpass.” 9. Grier Peckham and Caroline Koch of Gilmour win state doubles title (10 points) Gilmour’s tennis doubles team of Grier Peckham and Caroline Koch repeated as Division II state champion with a 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 win in the final over another coverage area tandem, Hawken’s Dani Forte and Valeria Kislyansky. The repeat is more remarkable when considering that Peckham and Koch are sophomores and, in turn, theoretically have the opportunity to aim for a 4-for-4 run with state titles. Before this repeat, no News-Herald coverage area girls tennis doubles team had won a state championship. 10. Freshmen have an immediate impact in girls track and field (8 points) Beachwood’s Meena Abdul-Basser and Perry’s Emily Mechenbier had immediate impact as freshmen, claiming Division II state crowns in historic fashion. Mechenbier won the D-II shot put title with a best effort of 45 feet, 6 1/2 inches. “You know, it kind of doesn’t feel real,” Mechenbier said. “I went into this thinking — I knew it was going to be tough competition, not thinking I was going to win. Just to be able to pull that out was really good. It felt really good.” Abdul-Basser, the present and future of coverage area 400, was tasked with a challenging assignment for Day 2 at state: 4×200, subbing into 4×1 and then open 4. She handled it admirably, running a dominant third leg on the Bison’s D-II state champion and all-time coverage area record-breaking 4×2 with a 1:39.40. The 4×1 was runner-up in 48.41, and she was third in open 4 in 56.02. “It’s just amazing,” Abdul-Basser said. “I know I came into this race saying, ‘We’re going to PR. We’re going to try to get that state record.’ Unfortunately, we didn’t. But I am so proud of everything we’ve done. We have come a long way, from indoor running 1:45 to running a 1:39 outdoor. I’m just happy and grateful to be here and I’m able to do this with my team.” Others receiving votes Kenston’s Sofia Macias wins all-around title in gymnastics (7 points), Beachwood’s Caleb Greenwood wins state title in wrestling (6 points), Lake Catholic’s Danny Zmorowski wins state title in wrestling (6 points), Kirtland boys basketball goes to the state final four (5), Kirtland’s Izzie Copeland breaks school record, places at state in cross country (5 points), University’s baseball team finishes second in the state (4 points), Mentor’s Aidan Shiels breaks all-time NH record in the 800 (4 points), Hawken basketball goes to state final four in Coach Anthony Burns’ first year (3 points), Perry’s GG Dominish records highest finish in girls wrestling history by placing third (3 points), West G’s Ian Res finishes sixth at the state cross country meet, a program record (2 points), Eight volleyball teams make it to the regional round (1 point), South, Berkshire play in first girls state flag football tournament (1 point) ...read more read less