MOUNT BLANCHARD — Balloons were released. Flowers were handed out. And before the start of the Riverdale-Van Buren football game on Saturday, a moment of silence was held. Players from both teams took a knee before kickoff.

FINDLAY — Despite second- and fourth-place finishes from Riverdale’s Juleigha Collier and Kendra Collier, Riverdale’s girls were nipped by Hopewell-Loudon for the league title, 50-54, on Saturday in the Blanchard Valley Conference Championships at the Owens Community College Findlay campus.

McCOMB — McKenzie Row’s seven kills were not nearly enough in Carey’s 25-16, 25-15, 25-17 nonconference loss to McComb to close out the volleyball regular season Saturday. Row added a team-leading eight digs and 11 serve receptions for the Blue Devils (10-12).

WAYNESFIELD — Taylor Sherman served 11 aces as Riverdale closed out its volleyball regular season with a 25-9, 25-16, 22-25, 25-12 road victory Saturday at Waynesfield-Goshen. Sherman added a team-leading seven digs.

COLUMBUS – Brett Montgomery and his Upper Sandusky coach Graham Treadway agree. Montgomery’s opening round of 76 on Friday in the Division II state boys golf tournament was far from his best, yet it is good enough for the junior to be tied for third place entering the second and final round.

BUCYRUS — With the exception of one interception, there was little the Carey football team did wrong on Friday versus Wynford. The Blue Devils rushed 45 times for 261 yards, forced three turnovers and quarterback Ethan Beringer threw two touchdowns as the Blue Devils overwhelmed Wynford 45-7 at Wynford High School. The Blue Devils (5-3, 3-2 Northern 10 Athletic Conference) …

NEW WASHINGTON — Jesse Leeth scored four touchdowns as Division VII top-ranked Mohawk rolled past Buckeye Central, 50-14, on Friday night in New Washington. Leeth scored three rushing touchdowns and also returned a blocked punt for a score, all in the first two and a half quarters.

ATTICA — On a cold and soggy Friday night of football, Upper Sandusky had difficulty getting its offense out of first gear. Seneca East, however, had no issues moving the ball as Upper Sandusky was clobbered by the Tigers 63-6 at Seneca East High School.

MOUNT BLANCHARD — The shot traveled approximately 60-65 yards, and moments later, Riverdale junior Ryder Egbert’s Riverdale boy’s soccer teammates tackled him to the ground in celebration.

SYCAMORE — Mohawk has had good teams — some of them exceptional — nearly every season for the last couple of decades, but many of those teams were unable to win league championships. The Warriors met that challenging goal, winning their first Northern 10 Athletic Conference title outright by beating Ridgedale, 25-10, 25-14, 25-9, on Thursday night.