WLS In The News - Home Page

newspaper

In the
News

2013-04-29: WTVG 13-ABC - Speed light cameras ticket more than 15,000
From January through March more than 15,000 speed and red light tickets have been issued. 406 drivers have run red lights at Secor and Alexis. The camera at Alexis and Whitmer caught nearly 3,000 drivers going faster than the posted 40 mph speed limit.

2013-04-28: Akron Beacon Journal online - Kempt, Conley & Berger star in North-South Football Classic games
Toledo Whitmer quarterback Nick Holley (Kent State) rushed for 68 yards on 11 carries for the North Team. The North Defensive MVP was Cleveland Glenville linebacker Chris Worley (Ohio State), who had six tackles.

2013-04-27: Cleveland Plain Dealer - Future KSU Golden Flash comes through in trying circumstances at North-South All-Star football game
Nick Holley hopes his future football career at Kent State University includes more meaningful games than the one he played Saturday. It's unlikely, however, that he'll ever play in a game more memorable. Less than 24 hours after learning his mother had passed away, Holley helped the North to a 33-27 win over the South in the Division I-III game at the 68th annual OHSFCA North-South Classic at Dayton's Welcome Stadium.

2013-04-26: Tiffin Advertiser-Tribune - Look for plenty scoring at the North-South Classic game
With that being the case, Colatruglio said he's looking forward to coaching the two quarterbacks on his roster, Kyle Kempt from Massillon, an Oregon State recruit, and Toledo Whitmer's Nick Holley. "Kempt is a prototypical pro-looking quarterback, 6-5, cannon for an arm," Colatruglio described. Holley is 6-foot tall, more of a runner and a tough kid. It makes it really fun to call plays."

2013-04-26: LimaOhio.com - Friday's prep roundup (baseball)
Toledo Whitmer’s Luke Hickey scattered seven hits in a win over Lima Senior.

2013-04-25: WTOL - Channel 11 - New concussion law protecting athletes to take effect statewide
Aaron Sage, athletic trainer for Whitmer High School in Toledo, believes concussions are under-reported and this new law is just what the doctor ordered. "I think this is doing a good job of making everyone aware of the long-term consequences and making sure, helping, to ensure the safety of our athletes," said Sage. Headache, confusion and nausea are just a few symptoms of a concussion. Sage says the new law is designed to help protect athletes from being forced to return to their sport too soon. "The longer I'm in the profession, the better the education is, the more information we have, and coaches make better decisions. And hopefully parents now, with this new law, can help us make great decisions to protect their kids," said Sage.

2013-04-25: Cleveland Plain Dealer - Scouting: Ohio North-South All-Star Football Game 2013
Non-local North players headed to Ohio colleges: Gareon Conley (Massillon/Ohio State); Brendon Cope (Warren Howland/Ohio); Marquise Moore (Toledo Whitmer/Toledo).

2013-04-23: Toledo Blade - Toledo mayor testifies in Columbus that red light cameras save lives
Toledo had 68,159 citations last year from red-light or speed cameras. Cameras at Alexis Road and Whitmer Drive captured more than any other: 12,451 speeding vehicles and 201 red-light violators.

2013-04-23: Point and Shoreland Journal - Shoreland Citizens of the Month (page 6)
Shoreland Citizens of the Month for February

2013-04-21: Toledo Blade - Whitmer hands boys basketball reins to Brown
When it came time to select a new boys basketball coach at Whitmer High School to replace Bruce Smith, athletic director Tom Snook said the school followed the formula it used last year for football. Whitmer stayed in house, choosing assistant coach Ryan Brown, who served the past three seasons with the varsity team under Smith.

2013-04-21: Toledo Blade - Congressional Art Award: Rep. Latta honors Whitmer junior taking top spot in 5th District art competition
U.S. Rep. Bob Latta (R., Bowling Green) honored four students Saturday for their entries to his congressional district art competition. The winner was Dana Richards, a junior at Whitmer High School, for her pencil drawing, Hopes and Dreams, which will be displayed in the U.S. Capitol tunnel for a year.

2013-04-19: WTVG - 13 ABC - Chris Wormley returns to the Wolverines after recovery from ACL surgery
Wolverine update on Whitmer alumnus Chris Wormley

2013-04-17: Toledo Blade: Track and field: Rogers' Dailey returns; L-B girls top contenders
Whitmer’s Devin Miller is one of the area’s top returning sprinters, along with Rogers senior Mike Lipkins, the defending City League 100 and 200 champion.

2013-04-15: Toledo Blade - GOP plan for schools helps Toledo Public Schools, hurts others
Washington Local also went from a 25 percent funding increase to 6 percent in the competing plans, but Treasurer Jeff Fouke brushed off the changes. “I never expected to get that 25 percent increase,” he said. “This happens every two years. You get the proposal, everyone gets excited, and then it changes.” He too was more interested in getting a firm budget in place so he could plan for the future.

2013-04-14: WTVG 13 ABC - Michigan holds annual spring football game
Chris Wormley makes his return to the field for the Maize and Blue following eight months of ACL surgery and rehab.

2013-04-13: Toledo Blade: Wake-up call lifts Clark to new heights
A pair of Toledo-area products saw time on the field in Saturday’s spring game. Chris Wormley, a Whitmer graduate, played on the defensive line after missing the fall because of surgery to repair a torn ACL. “Chris was a little tentative early in the spring, but I think he’s really had a good spring,” head coach Brady Hoke said. “His recovery, his confidence, and all those things are really good.”

2013-04-11: Toledo Free Press - Katie Rofkar makes mark with Downtown tech firm
She taught science at Washington Local Schools, her alma mater, and then moved to Erie-Mason where she became a curriculum and information technology director. During that time she started sharing weather duties with another meteorologist at FOX Toledo.

2013-04-11: Toledo Blade: Sidelines Softball Preview - Clay, ND favored in TRAC softball race
Whitmer (14-13, 9-5) has nine returning players, and that experience should put 18th-year coach Mark Figliomeni’s Panthers in good position to challenge for the TRAC title. Back to lead the way are seniors Kailyn Bates (pitcher, 8-10, 2.34), Kylie Kretz (outfield, .308), Kendra Pratt (second base, .308), Shelby Swartz (shortstop, .275), and Tori Weidinger (catcher, .304), and juniors Meghan Franz (second base, .407), Cassidy Lutz (utility), Mallory Rao (third base), and Makayla Taylor (pitcher/third base, .350).

2013-04-10: Toledo Blade: UT Coaching Search Under Way
...Kowalczyk, who will make his first coaching hire since 2010, said he “absolutely” will vet candidates with ties to the area. He acknowledged Ryne Smith, the Whitmer graduate and former Purdue standout, “is a candidate,” and current assistants in the Mid-American Conference have expressed interest. What he lacks in experience, Smith makes up for in name recognition. The son of a successful high school coach, Smith — who spent the recent season at Purdue as a student assistant — knows the profession.

2013-04-04: Toledo Blade: More than 100 armed forces recruits saluted at ceremony
Whitmer High School senior Rita Harris has started what she hopes will be a trend in her family. The 18-year-old student who has enlisted in the U.S. Army has encouraged her 17-year-old sister to join the service. Miss Harris was just one of more than 100 recruits at the Valentine Theatre on Thursday night for Our Community Salutes of Toledo. The Blade-sponsored event honors northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan high school seniors or recent graduates who have enlisted in the Armed Forces.

2013-04-03: Toledo Blade: Clay Eagles top pick to keep St. John's from repeating as TRAC baseball champions
Whitmer will take another run at it this year led by Jack Linch (catcher/third base, .426), Luke Hickey (shortstop/pitcher, .314, 1-3 pitching, 3.09 ERA), Blake Melchert (pitcher, 4-4, 3.41 ERA), and Kyle Craig (outfield, .470), who ranked third in the TRAC batting. Also back is Rex Rutherford (third base/outfield/pitcher, .317), and some top newcomers include Tylor Schneider (outfield/pitcher), Danny Tober (catcher/outfield), Nick Kozak (pitcher), Anthony Okdie (infield), and Blake Merrill (catcher/first base).

2013-03-27: Toledo Blade: Hockey - Season in Review
...Whitmer forward Nick Rutter was named player of the year in the White Division, while Panthers coach Mark Waddell was selected coach of the year.

2013-03-27: Toledo Blade: Girls Basketball - Season in Review
...Whitmer junior Keshyra McCarver was All-Ohio first team in Division I, and Perrysburg’s Sims was named co-coach of the year in D-I. Archbold’s Wyse (D-III) and Arcadia senior guard Miranda Palmer (D-IV) were selected All-Ohio first team.

2013-03-27: Toledo Blade: Boys Basketball - Season in Review
...Other notables headed for the Big Ten are Whitmer’s Nigel Hayes (Wisconsin), Bowling Green’s Vitto Brown (Wisconsin), and Anthony Wayne’s Mark Donnal (Michigan), all named to All-Ohio teams.

2013-03-26: Point and Shoreland Journal: WLS Board member recognized at OSBA spring conference
David Hunter, a member of the Washington Local board of education, was among 11 board members in northwest Ohio to receive the award of achievement from the Ohio School Boards Association at the OSBA’s Northwest Region Spring Conference on March 14.

2013-03-24: Toledo Blade: One of the Guys -- Toledoan Adrianne Palicki kicks butt in new G.I.Joe
Born and raised in Toledo, Palicki gained fame as Tyra Collette in the acclaimed TV high school football drama Friday Night Lights. Her subsequent career is proof of the difficulty in maintaining that level of success, with the failed David E. Kelley-written and produced Wonder Woman pilot and the quickly canceled Fox prime-time drama Lone Star. In November, she co-starred in the Red Dawn remake, which under-performed at the box office. Disappointments aside, the Whitmer High School graduate said she has a master plan for her career that will keep her busy with acting until she’s 80

2013-03-22: Toledo Blade: Norman K. Decker, 1931-2013: High School football coach at Whitmer was in Korean War
Norman K. Decker, a high school football coach who made sure students had what they needed to succeed, on and off the playing field, died Wednesday at his home in Bowling Green. He was 82. Mr. Decker devoted his life to teaching and coaching football. He coached and taught physical education at Celina High School in Mercer County in the late 1950s, Liberty Center High School in Henry County in the 1960s, and Whitmer High School in Toledo from 1967 to 1974.

2013-03-21: Toledo Blade: OHSAA honors Whitmer, Sylvania Northview Hockey Coaches
Two local hockey coaches were honored before the state championship game at Nationwide Arena in Columbus. Whitmer’s Marke Waddell was presented with the Sportsmanship, Ethics, and Integrity award by the Ohio High School Athletic Association. Waddell, who is in his ninth season leading the Panthers, was selected by the OHSAA's 24 coaches associations. Waddell, who played at North Olmsted, also was an assistant coach at Whitmer and St. Francis de Sales. OHSAA officials honored Waddell for his philosophy of making players work hard to improve their skills while instilling values for their post-high school lives.

2013-03-21: Toledo Blade: Eastwood wins indoor track title
...Whitmer’s Nick Holley and Tyler Szychowski finished seventh and eighth, respectively, in the pole vault. To qualify for the event, athletes had to be listed on the final top 25 performance list of the OATCCC.

2013-03-19: Toledo Blade: Loving, Heintschel, Brown garner top state honors
...Joining Loving on the All-Ohio first team was Whitmer senior Nigel Hayes, and earning a second-team spot in D-I was Anthony Wayne senior Mark Donnal.

2013-03-19: ReadMedia: Toledo Resident Receives GLIAC Commissioner's Award
Toledo resident and Ashland University football player, Donnie Dottei, was one of two Ashland University students to receive the Fall 2012 Meijer GLIAC Commissioner's Award. Dottei is the son of Donald and Alice Dottei of Toledo. He is a 2008 graduate of Whitmer Senior High School and is majoring in integrated mathematics and actuarial science at Ashland University.

2013-03-19: Point and Shoreland Journal: Whitmer student named as finalist in the Undefeated Spirit contest
See page 6. A Whitmer High School senior has been named as a finalist in the Chuck Ealey Undefeated Spirit Contest. A $1,000 scholarship will be awarded in each of three categories: football, basketball and essays. Gregory Schrock is among 10 finalists in the essay contest. Leadership Toledo and Chuck Ealey, a University of Toledo hall of famer, joined together last year to offer the Undefeated Spirit contest.

2013-03-19: Point and Shoreland Journal: Shoreland Citizens of the Month
See page 6. Shoreland Elementary School has announced its Citizens of the Month for January.

2013-03-19: Eleven Warriors: Ohio State Commit Marc Loving Repeats as Ohio Division I Boys Basketball Player of the Year
...Joining Loving on the Division I first team were St. Ignatius’ Francisco Santiago, Uniontown Green’s Dan Fanelly, Walnut Hills’ Isaiah Johnson (Akron), Westerville North’s Jack Gibbs, Toledo Whitmer’s Nigel Hayes (Wisconsin) and Springboro’s Maverick Morgan.

2013-03-19: Columbus Dispatch: Boys Basketball: Northland's Taylor is voted co-coach of year
...Joining Loving and Gibbs were Francisco Santiago of Cleveland St. Ignatius, Dan Fanelly of Uniontown Green, Isaiah Johnson of Cincinnati Walnut Hills, Nigel Hayes of Toledo Whitmer and Maverick Morgan of Springboro.

2013-03-18: LimaOhio.com: Elida's Mathias named first team all-Ohio
...Joining Loving on the Division I first team were St. Ignatius’ Francisco Santiago, Uniontown Green’s Dan Fanelly, Walnut Hills’ Isaiah Johnson, Westerville North’s Jack Gibbs, Toledo Whitmer’s Nigel Hayes and Springboro’s Maverick Morgan.

2013-03-16: Toledo Blade: Torio's gym, a beacon for health and spirited talk, closes its doors
...Even until his mid-50s, Mr. Torio continued to train wrestlers at his gym, often battling with heavyweights like Mr. Wojciechowski, Toledo’s NCAA champion, and a 1980 U.S. Olympic team member. “Dick Torio was like a second father to me,” said Mr. Wojciechowski, a two-time state champion at Whitmer and the 1971 NCAA heavyweight champion at Toledo.

2013-03-14: Toledo Blade: Loving joins Buford, Raymond as only winners of consecutive Player of the Year honors
Player of the Year History: 1998 - Floyd Campbell, Whitmer

2013-03-14: Toledo Blade: Galloway, Eagles on a surprising run
Travis Galloway is a 1997 Whitmer graduate.

2013-03-14: Toledo Blade: All-Blade Team: Nigel Hayes
Key stats: A three-time All-Blade selection, he led the Panthers to an 18-6 record (12-2 Three Rivers Athletic Conference) and No. 10 state ranking in Division I while averaging 15.4 points, 8.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 2.2 blocked shots, and 2.2 steals per game. He shot 54 percent on 2-pointers, 29 percent from 3-point range, and 72 percent at the line. For his four-year varsity career, Hayes totaled 1,333 points, 766 rebounds, 294 assists, and 163 blocked shots. His single-game best of 38 points came against Scott in his freshman year, and as a junior Hayes led Whitmer to a 24-3 record, a No. 5 state ranking, and advancement to the Division I state championship game. He was named All-Ohio second team in 2011 and 2012. He has signed to play in college at Wisconsin.

2013-03-14: Toledo Blade: All-Blade Team: Keshyra McCarver
Key stats: The Division I district player of the year recorded nine double-doubles. With her ability to shoot the 3-pointer and score inside, McCarver is difficult to defend. McCarver averaged 18.0 points per game for the 16-6 Panthers. The forward pulled down 8.7 rebounds per game and averaged 1.8 assists and 1.7 steals. She shot 66 percent from the field, including 25 percent from 3-point range. She scored 25 or more points in five games. She had a season-high 29 points against Lima Senior. McCarver has 775 career points and 398 career rebounds and was named All-Ohio first team and player of the year in the Three Rivers Athletic Conference. As a sophomore, McCarver averaged 9.1 points per game. The junior ranks sixth in scoring and seventh in rebounding in school history.

2013-03-14: Toledo Blade: All-Blade Basketball Teams - Loving soars to top of great senior group
Rounding out the Blade boys squad are Whitmer’s 6-7 forward Nigel Hayes and Bowling Green’s 6-8 forward Vitto Brown, who have each signed to play at Wisconsin, and Anthony Wayne’s 6-9 center, Mark Donnal, who has signed with Michigan.

2013-03-14: Toledo Blade: All-Blade Basketball Teams
All-Blade Basketball Teams -- Boys and Girls

2013-03-14: Toledo Blade: 4 men, 4 women from Owens Basketball Teams make All-OCCAC
Four men and four women from Owens Community College basketball teams earned Ohio Community College Athletic Conference honors. Sophomore James Kelly headlined the men’s group by earning a spot on the All-OCCAC first team. Freshman Joe Retic II was selected to the second team, while sophomore Franklin Lindsey (Whitmer) and guard Tony Boykins earned honorable mention.

2013-03-13: WTOL-11: $90M could be cut from educational service center budgets
...Washington Local Schools is one of the districts that could be impacted by these ESC cuts if they go into effect. "The reality is that a loss of funding to the ESCs translates into hidden reductions to school districts across the state of Ohio," said Superintendent Patrick Hickey. "The increase local districts may be receiving will be offset, maybe entirely, by the reduction that the governor's proposal will have on ESC funding."

2013-03-11: Toledo Blade: Whitmer's McCarver named to All-Ohio first team squad
Whitmer junior Keshyra McCarver has been selected to the Associated Press Division I girls All-Ohio first team, and Perrysburg’s Todd Sims has been chosen co-coach of the year in D-I. McCarver, a 5-10 forward who helped the Panthers to a 16-6 regular-season finish, averaged 17.7 points and 8.7 rebounds per game.

2013-03-11: Toledo Blade: Shooting begins for Tree City Film Festival Contest
Bobby Landis, a senior at Whitmer High School, and his four-person team were given the genre sci-fi or horror film. After finding out the genre, he and the other filmmakers immediately left the building to eye location sites, and organize their script. The filmmakers have 50 hours to write, shoot and edit the film. “Whether I sleep this weekend depends on how the editing and filming goes. But nothing goes according to plan,” Mr. Landis said

2013-03-11: Toledo Blade: Backcourt plays big for Rogers in win; Irish advance, edge Panthers in semifinals at Savage Hall
The third time was the charm for Central, which shook off two Three Rivers Athletic Conference losses to the Panthers. Central regrouped at halftime and outscored Whitmer 25-15 after the break.

2013-03-10: Toledo Blade: Richard C. Dreher, 1916 - 2013: Carpenter worked on Toledo landmarks
Richard C. Dreher, a carpenter by trade and a superintendent at construction sites who made sure details matched plans, from a restaurant’s windows to the intricate marble and brickwork of a new church, died Monday in Hospice of Northwest Ohio, South Detroit Avenue. He was 96...He volunteered readily. He’d been president of the PTA at Wernert School and of the athletic boosters at Whitmer High School. He was on the board of the West Toledo YMCA and helped organize teen dances in the 1950s and Christmas tree sales to fund memberships for low-income children.

2013-03-08: WNWO-24: Red light caamera ticket -- Don't pay, no problem?
Toledo Police say the highest ticket issuing cameras are the intersections of Whitmer & Alexis, and Dorner & Collingwood. But the 44 cameras throughout the Glass City are all specifically placed to achieve the highest return.

2013-03-08: Toledo Blade: High School Basketball - Loving, Heintschel lead all-district pick; Whitmer's McCarver, Perrysburg coach Sims honored
...Joining Loving on the D-I first team are Whitmer senior Nigel Hayes (16.2 points, 8.8 rebounds), a 6-7 forward who will play at Wisconsin, and Anthony Wayne senior Mark Donnal (18.5 points, 10.6 rebounds), a 6-9 center who will play at Michigan...The Division I girls player of the year is 5-10 junior forward Keshyra McCarver (17.7 points, 8.7 rebounds) of 16-6 Whitmer.

2013-03-08: Toledo Blade: Blade Photo Gallery: Boys Basketball: Central vs. Whitmer 3/07/13
Blade Photo Gallery: Whitmer vs. Central 3-7-13

2013-03-07: WNWO-24: Central Catholic completes comeback against Whitmer
It took Central Catholic three games to beat Whitmer but they did it when it mattered most, in the playoffs. Whitmer led the Irish 24-16 at halftime but it was all green in the 2nd half.

2013-03-07: Toledo Blade: 2013 Associated Press All-District basketball teams
The 2013 Northwest Ohio All-District basketball teams for boys and girls by the Associated Press... Division I Girls Player of the Year: Keshyra McCarver, Whitmer.

2013-03-06: Toledo Blade: Boys Basketball - Titan, Panthers, Irish, Rams loaded with talent; Teams comprise stacked district semifinal
Today’s Division I boys basketball district semifinals at Savage Arena can make a case for being Ohio’s most formidable four-team grouping at this level. Three of those teams — all from the Three Rivers Athletic Conference — were ranked among the top 10 in the final Associated Press state poll.

2013-03-05: Point and Shoreland Journal: WLS students advance to NW Ohio Spelling Bee
See page 6. Two Washington Local students were finalists at the Lucas County Spelling Bee sponsored by the Educational Service Center of Lake Erie West on February 19. Cody Kenyon, Washington School eighth grader, and Jordan Carle, McGregor sixth grader, were among the top spellers and will advance to The Blade Northwest Ohio Spelling Bee on March 14, at Owens Community College.

2013-03-05: Point and Shoreland Journal: Shoreland wins WLS Quiz Bowl Tournament
See page 1. The team from Shoreland Elementary School won the Junior Quiz Bowl Championship sponsored by the Washington Local School District’s Gifted Services Department and the Educational Service Center of Lake Erie West. The team was comprised of Penelope Cervantes, Ian Macknight, Morgan Neal-Little, and Michelle Zheng and was coached by Shoreland fifth grade teacher Amy Adams.

2013-03-04: Toledo Blade: Fast pins and costly errors among highlights for area wrestlers at state
Moore, who uses a hair band to keep his long dreadlocks in place, was “too pumped up” to remember to remove the band from his wrist before a Division I state semifinal bout at the Schottenstein Center.

2013-03-03: WTVG-13: Whitmer grad stars in trailer park reality show
Chelsey Keller stars in new reality show... A Whitmer High School graduate is getting a taste of fame. She's one of the stars of a new trailer park reality show.

2013-03-03: WTOL-11: Toledoan to star in new TLC reality show
Whitmer High School graduate Chelsey Keller is a main character on a new reality show, "Welcome to Myrtle Manor" on TLC.

2013-03-03: WNWO-24: Whitmer slips past Springfield in section final
TOLEDO, OH -- Whitmer's boys basketball team defeated Springfield 48-46 in the Division I sectional final at Central Catholic Friday. Ricardo Smith notched 16 points for the Panthers while Nigel Hayes added nine points and 10 boards. Marquan Hodges scored 13 points for the Blue Devils. Whitmer will face league rival Central Catholic in the district semifinal Thursday at Savage Arena.

2013-03-03: Toledo Blade: Perrysburg's Newton lone 3rd-place area medalist
Newton was one of five D-I competitors from northwest Ohio to lose in Friday’s championship semifinal. Three others — Clay’s Richie Screptock (120), Fremont Ross’ Trey Grine (145), and Whitmer’s Marquise Moore (285) — won their first consolation bout Saturday before losing to finish fourth.

2013-03-02: Toledo Blade: State Wrestling - Penalty for hair band costs Moore title shot
COLUMBUS — Losses at this stage of the season always elicit second guesses. “If only I had chosen neutral to start the second period.” “I should have known that move was coming.” “Why didn’t I remove the hair band from my wrist?” The last one was introduced Friday by Marquise Moore. No one all season long had figured out how to beat the massive Whitmer heavyweight, and Canton Glen Oak’s Corey Siegfried did so only after receiving a huge lift from his opponent’s absent mind.

2013-03-02: Toledo Blade: Panthers win as time expires on Devils; Titans trounce Knights
The second semifinal, however, went right down to the wire in Springfield’s upset bid against 10th-ranked Whitmer.

2013-03-02: Toledo Blade: Blade Photo Gallery: Whitmer holds off Springfield's bid for upset
Blade Photo Gallery - Whitmer - Springfield Boys Basketball Sectional Finals

2013-03-02: Toledo Blade: Blade Photo Gallery: State wrestling championships Day 2
Blade Photo Gallery -- Day 2 of State Wrestling Championships -- Marquise Moore

2013-03-01: Toledo Blade - 20 area wrestlers advance to state semifinals
Twenty area wrestlers won quarterfinal bouts today to advance to the semifinals of the state tournament. Competing tonight in Division I will be Clay’s Richie Screptock (120) and Nick Stencel (160), Fremont Ross’ Trey Grine (145), Perrysburg's J.P. Newton (152), and Whitmer’s Marquise Moore (285).

2013-02-28: Toledo Blade: Whitmer's Moore has perfection in sights at state wrestling tournament
Whitmer’s Marquise Moore, top, records the winning takedown in to defeat Massillon Perry’s Stefano Millin 3-1 in overtime in a 285-pound match Thursday.

2013-02-27: WTOL-11: Washington Local Schools earns 'Excellent' grade on state report card
Washington Local Schools earned a grade of “Excellent” on the Ohio Department of Education report card for the 2011-2012 school year.

2013-02-26: Toledo Blade: Superintendent search nears end - Top candidates visiting Rossford schools ahead of March decision
Ms. Piotrowski grew up in Toledo and has been superintendent in Xenia since 2010. She held the same post with Millcreek-West Unity Local Schools and was a principal and teacher in Toledo’s Washington Local Schools and taught in the Toledo Public Schools. She holds bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in education from the University of Toledo.

2013-02-24: WTOL-11: Whitmer Student Raises Awareness of Sex Trafficking
A Whitmer High School student reached out to help victims of child sex trafficking on Sunday. Josie Schreiber organized a benefit to raise money for the Daughter Project and Rahab's House, two local shelters that assist young victims.

2013-02-24: WNWO - Channel 24: Whitmer Panthers coast past Fremont Ross
he Whitmer boys basketball team defeated Fremont Ross 69-44 Friday. Ricardo Smith led the Panthers with 21 points. Whitmer finishes in second place in the TRAC behind St. John's Jesuit.

2013-02-24: Vindy.com: Toledo nets $3 million from traffic cameras
That intersection alone, at Alexis Road and Whitmer Drive, was one of the most expensive for area drivers capturing 12,451 speeding vehicles and 201 red-light violators.

2013-02-24: Toledo Blade: James Quinlivan - Whitmer teacher studied presidents
James P. Quinlivan, Sr., a high school history teacher for 39 years who moved his family to Maumee because of the community’s rich ties to the past, died Saturday in Hospice of Northwest Ohio in Perrysburg...Mel Ogradowski, a fellow social studies teacher at Whitmer High School, said his colleague was respected for his knowledge of his subject and his love of a good conversation or story.

2013-02-24: Toledo Blade: Clay third, Perrysburg fourth in Division I district wrestling
The only other individual champion from northwest Ohio was Whitmer senior Marquise Moore, who stayed unbeaten on the season at 33-0 with a 7-4 decision over Perrysburg sophomore Cale Bonner in the 285-pound title match.

2013-02-20: WTVG-13: Whitmer hockey falls to Findlay, 10-0
Highlights of Whitmer-Findlay hockey game

2013-02-17: WNWO-24: Whitmer seizes home win over Central Catholic
The Whitmer Panthers defeated league rival Central Catholic 66-57 before a crowd of 1,800 Friday. Wisconsin-bound Nigel Hayes led the charge for the Panthers with 29 points and 13 rebounds.

2013-02-16: WTVG-13: Whitmer hockey beats Southview, 7-5
Highlights of Whitmer-Southview hockey game.

2013-02-16: Toledo Blade: Clay able to outlast Perrysburg for win
The only other title not won by Clay or Perrysburg came at 285 pounds, where Whitmer senior Marquise Moore stayed unbeaten (29-0) with a 3-0 decision over Perrysburg’s Cale Bonner.

2013-02-15: WTVG - 13: Joe Nugent talks with retiring Whitmer basketball coach Bruce Smith live on 13abc
Joe Nugent interviews Bruce Smith

2013-02-15: Toledo Blade: Whitmer gets past Central in home finale
It was time to say goodbye Friday night for two prominent figures in Whitmer’s basketball history, and the host Panthers made sure the farewell was a fond one for 22-year coach Bruce Smith, and for four-year star Nigel Hayes. First, however, the Panthers had to survive a storm from ninth-ranked Central Catholic before taking a 66-57 Three Rivers Athletic Conference victory in overtime before a crowd of 1,800.

2013-02-15: Toledo Blade - Perrysburg girls top Anthony Wayne to clinch NLL title
Four Panthers scored in double figures as Whitmer (16-6, 9-5) cruised at home. Keshyra McCarver led the way with 17 points, Samantha Meinen added 15, Abigail Sarabia 13, and Jordyn Blood 10.

2013-02-15: Fremont News-Messenger: Whitmer tops Ross - Senior Night
When the Whitmer girls basketball team’s lone senior Jordan Blood was pulled with only a few minutes to play, the crowd applauded. That would be the only love shown Thursday night as the Panthers defeated Ross 55-33 in a Three Rivers Athletic Conference tilt Thursday.

2013-02-14: Toledo Blade: Southview swimming relay team sets school record at sectional meet
Whitmer senior Kristin Filby won the 200 IM (2:13) and was second in the 100 breaststroke (1:08).

2013-02-13: Toledo Blade - Suzanne Zimmerman, 1921-2013: Psychologist in local schools aided the arts
Suzanne Zimmerman, 91, who followed her career as a Toledo-area educator with long-term volunteer commitments, died Feb. 6 in Sunset House....For the first part of her career, she taught in the Washington Local and Toledo schools

2013-02-12: Toledo Blade: Blade Editorial -- What's Fair? (Governor Kasich's education budget)
Editorial about school funding in Ohio

2013-02-12: Point & Shoreland Journal: Shoreland Citizens of the Month for December
Shoreland Citizens of the Month -- see page 2

2013-02-12: LimaOhio.com: Tuesday's prep roundup
Lima Senior’s boys basketball team trailed 44-18 at halftime and couldn’t catch up in the second half as the Spartans fell to host Toledo Whitmer 77-55 on Tuesday in a Three Rivers Athletic Conference game.

2013-02-09: Toledo Blade - Boys high school basketball scores 2-08
At Clay, the Panthers dominated the proceedings from the beginning, roaring out to a 16-6 first-quarter edge and 38-11 halftime advantage. Four players reached double figures for Whitmer (14-5, 9-1), headed by Nigel Hayes’ 17 points. Chris Parker added 11 and Sam Hickey and Nick Holley 10 each.

2013-02-08: Toledo Blade - Veteran Whitmer basketball coach Bruce Smith retiring at season's end
Whitmer boys basketball coach Bruce Smith will retire after this season, though he’s not very comfortable with you knowing that. The 22nd-year Panthers coach cringes at the thought of his final weeks being treated as a farewell tour.

2013-02-07: WTVG - 13: Whitmer boys basketball coach Bruce Smith to retire following 2012-13 season
Whitmer head boys basketball coach Bruce Smith will retire following the 2012-13 season. Smith is in his 22nd season coaching the Panthers and his team has a 13-5 overall record this season with an 8-2 mark in Three Rivers Athletic Conference games. Whitmer will honor Smith before the team's final home game next Friday, Feb. 15, 2013 against Central Catholic High School.

2013-02-07: WTVG - 13: February 7 Athlete of the Week - Whitmer Wrestler Marquise Moore
Moore won the TRAC Heavyweight championship and holds a 26-0 record.

2013-02-07: Toledo Blade: Bowling Green's Brown, Whitmer's Hayes ready to become Badgers together
In December of 2009, Nigel Hayes of Whitmer and Vitto Brown of Bowling Green were each starters for their respective varsity basketball teams...Hayes and Brown are now on the same track as two members of this area’s elite class of 2013, and as future teammates at the University of Wisconsin.

2013-02-07: Kent Patch - Flashes Pick up 21 Recruits on National Signing Day
Nick Holley and Nate Holley are among the recruits at Kent

2013-02-06: WTOL 11 - Signing Day for Local Players
Football Signing Day

2013-02-06: WNWO 24 - Signing Day in Northwest Ohio
OHIO -- Year after year Northwest Ohio sends high school athletes to big name collegiate programs and this year was no different.

2013-02-06: Toledo Blade - Rockets finalize recruiting class with receiver from Florida
Six others, including Whitmer's Jack Linch and St. John's Liam Allen, have signed on as preferred walk-ons.

2013-02-06: Toledo Blade - Rockets battle BCS schools to secure top Mac class
Local players to sign were Whitmer defensive lineman Marquise Moore and Findlay linebacker Austin Niswander. Whitmer linebacker Jack Linch and St. John’s receiver Liam Allen are among six preferred walk-ons expected to arrive in the fall.

2013-02-06: Toledo Blade - Kasich funding formula favors suburban schools; TPS, other urban districts, mostly flat under governor's plan
Students in Washington Local, despite an excellent rating on school report cards, now would be eligible for vouchers. Treasurer Jeff Fouke, whose district would receive less than $3,000 per student in state funds next year, questioned why the state is willing to pay up to $4,250 for that same student to attend a private school. “They shouldn’t be receiving more dollars than a public school,” he said.

2013-02-06: Toledo Blade - Anthony Wayne picks up signature win in 50-41 defeat of Whitmer
n a nonleague contest featuring two of the area's best big men, the Generals held off visiting Whitmer 50-41

2013-02-06: Ohio.com - Kent State Flashes -- First 5 football recruits are in at Kent State
Athletes and twins Nate and Nick Holley from Toledo Whitmer were the first two letters to arrive, shortly after 8:15 am. Nate is 6-foot, 180-pounds and Nick is 6-foot, 175-pounds.

2013-02-05: Toledo Blade - Blade Photo Gallery - Boys Basketball: Anthony Wayne vs. Whitmer
Photo Gallery from Whitmer-Anthony Wayne Boys Basketball game

2013-02-05: Point & Shoreland Journal: WLS Excellent rating recognized by Toledo City Council (page 1)
Toledo City Council recently recognized the Washington Local School District for achieving an academic rating of Excellent on the state report card. City Council also honored five individual WLS schools for achieving academic ratings of Excellent or higher.

2013-02-03: WNWO 24 - Ricardo Smith drops 41 against St. Francis
Whitmer's Ricardo Smith dropped 41 points leading the charge for the Panthers 73-46 victory over St. Francis Friday.

2013-02-03: Toledo Blade - 8 champions lead Clay to TRAC Wrestling crown; Central Catholic takes runner up
Capping the tournament, Whitmer senior Marquise Moore (26-0) claimed the 285-pound title with a hard-fought 3-2 decision over St. Francis senior Sam Burns.

2013-01-31: Toledo Blade - 8 area football players selected to play in annual North-South classic
ight area players have been selected to participate in the Ohio High School Football Coaches Association’s annual North-South Classic, which will be held April 27 at Welcome Stadium in Dayton. Picked to the North squad for the Division I-II-III game were Whitmer quarterback Nick Holley and defensive lineman Marquise Moore. Holley and Moore helped the Panthers to a 14-1 record and a state runner-up finish.

2013-01-30: Aurora Advocate - Fast Closers Part II (Norwalk - Whitmer recap)
In a matchup between two top-five teams in last week's Division I Associated Press poll, Norwalk trailed Toledo Whitmer 40-26 with 3:21 left in the third quarter. However, the Truckers stormed back to outscore the Panthers 25-3 the rest of the game to win, 51-43, and extend their regular season winning streak to 37 games. Norwalk did not allow a field goal by Whitmer in the final 11:21 in front of a sold-out crowd in excess of 3,000. Norwalk is 39-1 since last season, with the lone loss to Whitmer in a Division I regional semifinal, 40-32, last March.

2013-01-29: Toledo Blade - Student of the Week - Nolan Thomaswick
“Nolan is an extremely hard working student who has achieved great success during his high school career,” said Mark Figliomeni, science teacher. “A true scholar, Nolan will finish high school ranked at the top of a very large graduating class. While achieving at a high level within the classroom, it is what Nolan did outside of school that made him the truly impressive young man he has become. Although active as an underclassman, it was during his junior year that Nolan found the theater and the ‘acting bug’ has had a hold of him ever since. His commitment to be an actor - with its tremendous time obligations - while maintaining his high academic performance is a testament to his maturity and self-motivation that separates him from his peers. He has always had his priorities in order and is an example of all that is good and positive in his generation.”

2013-01-29: Point and Shoreland Journal: Patrick Hickey Speaks to Board of Realtors -- Area superintendents discuss education, funding issues
School superintendents from Washington Local, Perrysburg, Springfield, and Sylvania Schools addressed the Toledo Board of Realtors at the organization's January 16 Lunch and Learn series. The superintendents spoke about their schools and challenges facing education in Ohio.

2013-01-28: Toledo Blade - Owens men's basketball on an upswing
"One of the best athletes I’ve seen," said teammate Franklin Lindsey, a guard who graduated from Whitmer.

2013-01-28: Toledo Blade - Local pro offers guide to walleye fishing
Robertson is a Whitmer grad who learned much about the subtleties and secrets of walleye fishing on Lake Erie from local legends Jim Fofrich, Sr., and Jim Fofrich, Jr. The 33-year-old Robertson grew to love the lake at an early age and has been making his living through tournament fishing, guiding, and promoting fishing products since graduating from college.

2013-01-27: The Morning Journal - Norwalk Truckers come from 14 points down to defeat 4th-ranked Toledo Whitmer Panthers
Toledo Whitmer was just 12 minutes away from getting its second win over the Norwalk Truckers in 10 months, leading by 14. Norwalk’s Ben Haraway and his teammates had other plans. Haraway, who had a game-high 22 points, and the Truckers flipped the script on the Panthers as Norwalk stormed back with a 25-3 run to complete a thrilling comeback, winning 51-43 in front of a full house at Norwalk High School on Saturday night.

2013-01-27: Ohio Prep Zone - Norwalk Truckers come from 14 points down to defeat 4th-ranked Toledo Whitmer Panthers
After falling behind 40-26 to a Whitmer team that ended the Truckers’ season a year ago in the Division I, Regional Semifinal, Norwalk (16-0) completely shut down the Panthers’ (12-4) offense, limiting it to just five points in the final 11:49 of the game and no field goals in the fourth quarter.

2013-01-27: Norwalk Reflector - Photo Gallery: Fans go wild at Norwalk-Whitmer basketball game
Photo Gallery by Joe Centers and Jeff Van Natta of Whitmer-Norwalk boys basketball game.

2013-01-27: Fandy.com - Haraway spurs huge Norwalk comeback over Whitmer
When the lights come on, Ben Haraway shines bright. In front of a capacity crowd at Norwalk High School Saturday night, Norwalk’s junior point guard took over when his team needed him the most. The Truckers trailed Toledo Whitmer 40-26 with 3:21 left in the third quarter in a matchup of the No. 4 and No. 5 teams in the Division I AP poll. But led by Haraway, the Truckers (16-0) closed the game on a 25-3 scoring run to post a 51-43 win.

2013-01-26-13: Fandy.com - Photo Gallery (by Luke Werk): Whitmer vs. Norwalk 0 basketball
Photo Gallery of Whitmer-Norwalk boys basketball game.

2013-01-26: Norwalk Reflector - Norwalk boys battle Toledo Whitmer in matchup of state-ranked teams / Truckers, Whitmer were neck-in-neck midway through fourth quarter
The Norwalk boys' basketball team hosted Toledo Whitmer in a battle of state-ranked teams Saturday night. The fifth-ranked Truckers rallied to defeat the fourth-ranked visitors, 51-43, in front of nearly 2,000 spectators. Norwalk's Ben Haraway scored the go-ahead basket midway through the final quarter. Norwalk has now won 37 straight regular-season games.

2013-01-25: Toledo Blade - TRAC: Panthers hold off Trojans, Smith leads Whitmer with 20 points
Luke Hickey hit a 3-point shot with 35 seconds left to give the Panthers a 47-46 lead they didn’t relinquish in a Three Rivers Athletic Conference boys basketball game Friday night. Nigel Hayes scored nine of his 14 points during the fourth quarter, when Whitmer (12-3, 7-2 TRAC) outscored the Trojans 19-11. Ricardo Smith led the Panthers with 20 points.

2013-01-25: Norwalk Reflector - Anticipation building for Saturday; Truckers host Panthers in rematch of 2012 division I regional
Toledo Whitmer (11-3) will visit Norwalk (14-0) for a boys' basketball game featuring two ranked teams. Whitmer is ranked No. 4 in the Division I state poll, while Norwalk is right behind at No. 5. It is the first time that two of the top five teams in the poll in Ohio's big school division have ever met at an area school. As if the rankings weren't enough appeal, the Truckers are 37-1 since the beginning of last season. The lone loss: A 40-32 setback to the Panthers in a Sweet 16 matchup at the Div. I Toledo Regional last March. Add in what is expected to be a sell-out capacity crowd in excess of 2,300 fans, it's hard not to get excited for Saturday's game.

2013-01-25: Fandy.com - Norwalk, Toledo Whitmer look forward to Saturday; Truckers host Panthers in rematch of 2012 division I regional
It's not often a basketball coach regrets the need to focus on a league game over a non-conference matchup. But given the magnitude of Saturday’s game between visiting Toledo Whitmer (11-3) and host Norwalk (14-0), Panthers coach Bruce Smith wishes he had more time to prepare for the Truckers.

2013-01-24: Toledo Blade Obituary - Arnold H. Joe Janney - Businessman was revered in Trilby area
He was born May 6, 1927, to Isma and J. Smith Janney. He was a graduate of Whitmer High School, where he played football and basketball. He was a member of the high school’s athletic hall of fame. He was a Navy veteran and served aboard the USS Hornet at the end of World War II. He grew up in Trilby, the community centered at Secor and Alexis, then in Washington Township, and was a member of the volunteer fire department.

2013-01-24: Ohio Prep Zone - Norwalk Truckers ready for rematch with Toledo Whitmer Panthers
On Saturday, in front of what’s expected to be a full house, Norwalk will host its toughest test yet in the Toledo Whitmer Panthers, state-ranked and coming off a Division I state runner-up season a year ago which was vacated by the OHSAA in December because of an ineligible player. Both teams are ranked in the top five in the AP D-I Basketball Poll — Whitmer is ranked No. 4 and Norwalk No. 5 — which means all eyes across the state will focus in on this much-anticipated game. The Truckers have waited 10 long months for another chance to play Toledo Whitmer after falling to the Panthers, 40-32, in a D-I regional semifinal. It was the Truckers’ only loss of last season, and they’ve learned plenty from it.

2013-01-24: Bedford Now: Dream Blooms with Salon, Spa Opening
Kate Pinkston joined the salon as a hair stylist and color specialist. Ms. Pinkston, a 2006 graduate of Whitmer High School, worked at Beauty Bar in Toledo before moving to Florida. After spending time at salons in Florida, her mom submitted an application for her daughter to work on a cruise line. Only a few people are selected to work in the salons on cruise ships, and Ms. Pinkston was one of them.

2013-01-23: Toledo Blade - Photo Gallery - St. John's edges Whitmer
Blade Photo Gallery - Whitmer - St. John's boys basketball game.

2013-01-23: Toeldo Blade -Loving's 19 secures 1,471-point milestone as he leads St. John's to win over Whitmer
Those who had been waiting four years for a memorable duel between the marquee basketball players from fourth-ranked Whitmer and sixth-ranked St. John’s Jesuit, finally got that treat Tuesday in a Three Rivers Athletic Conference showdown at Whitmer. Whitmer’s Nigel Hayes (27 points) and St. John’s Marc Loving (19 points) put on a show worthy of the skills that earned them Big Ten scholarships. The visiting Titans (12-3, 7-1) survived Hayes’ superb fourth-quarter scoring surge to escape with a 52-51 victory.

2013-01-22: WTOL 11 - Pension changes may swell Ohio teacher retirements
A spokesperson with Washington Local Schools says the district has a Feb. 1 deadline to submit retirement information. Officials with the School Employees Retirement System and the State Teachers Retirement System say they'll have a good idea about the potential impact on retirements in a few months.

2013-01-22: WTOL 11 - Area Schools Receive Excellent Ratings, Council Recognition
Toledo city council members unanimously passed a resolution Tuesday night that recognized 14 area schools for their academic excellence...The Washington Schools were McGregor, Monac, Shoreland and Wernert elementaries, and Washington Junior High.

2013-01-20 - WNWO 24 - Whitmer topples Fremont Ross 69-44
Whitmer's boys basketball team defeated Fremont Ross 69-44 Friday. Panthers' Ricardo Smith scored 20 of his 25 points in the first half alone. Nigel Hayes added 17 points for Whitmer. With this win the Panthers are now 6-1 in the TRAC, 11-2 overall.

2013-01-20 - Toledo Blade - Retired Teacher had been gardener of year - Florence Oberle, 1914-2013
She was valedictorian of Grand Rapids High School in 1932 and studied elementary education at Bowling Green State University. Her teaching career began with two years at Milton Center School in Wood County. She retired in 1976 from Washington Local after teaching 39 years.

2013-01-19: Bowling Green Sentinel Tribune - Saturday's Prep Roundup; Whitmer tops BGHS girls in OT
Prep roundup - basketball

2013-01-18: WTVG 13 - Dave White Chevrolet Basketball Friday Part I
Boys Basketball highlights from Whitmer-Fremont Ross game (follows after SJJ-Central highlights)

2013-01-17: WNWO 24 - Notre Dame and Whitmer Highlights
Highlights of Whitmer-Notre Dame girls basketball game.

2013-01-17: Toledo Blade - Whitmer mistakes turn into Notre Dame win
Coaches hate to see missed layups and, Thursday night at Notre Dame, Whitmer coach Sean Flemmings didn’t want to know exactly how many his Panthers had accumulated in their Three Rivers Athletic Conference girls basketball matchup.

2013-01-17: Toledo Blade - Sidelines Spotlight athlete: Keshyra McCarver
Spotlight on Whitmer girls basketball player Keshyra McCarver. Leading scorer in TRAC at 17.7 points per game for 9-4 Panthers; career-high 29 points in 69-59 win over Lima Senior; 3.0 grade-point average

2013-01-12: Toledo Blade - Whitmer recovers to prevail against Central
Blame it on the basket at the west end of the Sullivan Center. That hoop yielded only 17 total points in Friday night’s boys basketball showdown between sixth-ranked Whitmer and second-ranked host Central Catholic. Fortunately for the visiting Panthers, they were able to put a nightmarish 16 minutes behind them at halftime, then got to shoot at the much friendlier east end, and rallied to a 39-30 victory before a packed crowd of 2,200.

2013-01-11: WNWO 24 - Whitmer Panthers prevail in the 2nd half against Central
After trailing 19-6 at the half, the Whitmer Panthers boys basketball team rallied in the second half for the 39-30 victory over Central Catholic Friday night. Wisconsin-bound Nigel Hayes finished with 13 points and eight rebounds for the Panthers.

2013-01-11: Toledo Blade - Boys Basketball: Central vs. Whitmer
Blade Photo Gallery of Whitmer-Central boys basketball game.

2013-01-08 - Toledo Blade - Irish boys, Perrysburg girls lead Blade poll in Division I
Coach Jim Welling’s Fighting Irish, the preseason favorites to win the Three Rivers Athletic Conference, are 6-0 overall and are in first place in the TRAC (3-0) entering Friday’s matchup with Whitmer (8-2), which is the reigning Blade poll champion but ranked No. 4 in the first poll this season.

2013-01-08 - All Star Exclusive Halftime Performance Part 2
Video footage from BCS halftime show featuring All Star Band which included Whitmer junior Morgan Cox

2013-01-07: WNWO - 24 - Bedford Kicking Mules rally past Whitmer in OT
Bedford boys basketball defeated Whitmer 67-61 in overtime Saturday. Whitmer's Ricardo Smith scored 21 of his 30 points in the first 11 minutes of the game. Jackson Lamb lead the charge for the undefeated Kicking Mules with 32 points and 11 rebounds.

2013-01-07: Toledo Blade - Gallery - Prep Basketball: Bedford vs. Whitmer
Blade Photo Gallery of Whitmer-Bedford boys basketball game.

2013-01-07 - Toledo Blade - 2 local student musicians to take field at BCS game; Teens from Whitmer, N. Baltimore are in All-Star Band
When Notre Dame and Alabama take the field at Monday night’s BCS championship game, Morgan Cox and Cody Switzer will be suited up and ready to play. Not football. Morgan will be in his blue and maize Whitmer High School band uniform with a set of quad drums strapped on, while Cody will be playing the baritone horn in his black and orange North Baltimore High School band uniform.

2013-01-06: WTVG 13 - Bedford downs Whtimer 67-61 in overtime
Bedford downs Whitmer 67-61 in overtime; Nigel Hayes missed the game with an ankle injury, while Jackson Lamb scores over 30 again this season.

2013-01-06: WNWO - 24 - Whitmer coasts by Lima 70-64
Highlights of Whitmer-Lima boys basketball game.

2013-01-06 - Toledo Blade - Monroe district beefs up security by adding guards, locking doors
In the immediate aftermath of the Newtown, Conn., tragedy, some local schools beefed up security because of concerns about threats to schools. The Washington Local system assigned added security officers before the winter break after concern circulated about Whitmer High School, district spokesman Wendy Farran said. A scare about a threat ended up being unfounded. Similar incidents plagued other local schools after Sandy Hook, prompting some schools to cancel classes early the week after the shooting. “Social media clearly feeds the rumor frenzy in terms of volume, speed, and copycat messages,” Ms. Farran said.

2013-01-05: Toledo Blade - Jackson Lamb's 32-point, 11-board game sparks Bedford in win over Whitmer
The marquee individual matchup for Saturday night’s Bedford-Whitmer boys basketball game never materialized, as Panther star Nigel Hayes was out with an injured left ankle. Instead, red-hot Whitmer teammate Ricardo Smith did his best to fend off Bedford and standout Jackson Lamb, scoring 21 of his 30 points in the game’s first 11 minutes before a charged-up crowd of 1,800. Ultimately, it was not enough as Lamb paced the unbeaten Kicking Mules with 32 points and 11 rebounds in a 67-61 overtime win for visiting Bedford.

2013-01-05 - Monroe News - Bedford Basketball Team Passes Its Toughest Test
Bedford’s boys basketball team got its toughest test of the season Saturday night, but came away with its sixth straight victory. #The unbeaten Mules got 32 points and 14 rebounds from Jackson Lamb in a 67-61 overtime victory over Whitmer.

2013-01-04: Toledo Free Press - Two Whitmer softball players selected for prestigious showcase
She may only be 15, but Whitmer sophomore Jordan Hanf is already making a name for herself in her young softball career. On Jan. 5 and 6, Hanf will participate in the Queen of Diamonds Showcase North (QDSN) at Kent State University. Joining Hanf at the QDSN will be Whitmer junior Meghan Franz. Franz earned first-team honors in the Three Rivers Athletic Conference last season as an infielder, helping the Panthers place in the top four of the league.

2013-01-04: Toledo Blade - Sharp-shooting Murnen's four 3s leads Irish to 46-34 victory over Panthers
Finding Michelle Murnen standing behind the 3-point line more often than not produced positive results for Central Catholic facing Whitmer on Thursday in a Three Rivers Athletic Conference girls’ basketball tilt.

2013-01-04: LimaOhio.com - Spartans rally falls short in 70-64 loss to Whitmer
Two lessons came out of Toledo Whitmer’s 70-64 boys basketball win over Lima Senior on Friday night. Whitmer learned it could win without its 6-foot, 7-inch big man, Wisconsin recruit Nigel Hayes, who sat out the game with a sprained ankle. And Lima Senior was reminded it takes 32 minutes of solid effort to beat a team at the talent level Whitmer possesses.

2013-01-03: WNWO - 24 - Murnen shoots the lights out against Whitmer
Michelle Murnen and her 16 points led Central Catholic past Whitmer 46-34 Thursday night. Keshyra McCarver led the Panthers with 17 points.

2013-01-03: Totally Franke - BCSN Blog - Things Get Complicated When Courts Get Involved
Commentary about OHSAA ruling

2013-01-03: Toledo Blade - Gallery - Central girls beat Whitmer
Photo gallery from Whitmer-Central girls basketball game.

2013-01-03: Toledo Blade - Central Catholic topples Whitmer 46-34 in TRAC girls basketball game
Central Catholic toppled Whitmer 46-34 tonight in a Three Rivers Athletic Conference girls contest at Whitmer.

2013-01-03 - Toledo Blade - Blade Photo Gallery - Central Catholic girls beat Whitmer
Photos from Whitmer - Central girls basketball game.

2013-01-02: Toledo Free Press - Newsmakers: State runs help legitimize Northwest Ohio prep sports
Central Catholic defeated Trotwood-Madison 16-12 to capture the Division II state championship in football, while the Perrysburg girls soccer team defeated Mason 1-0 for the Division I state title. Whitmer’s football team and Sylvania Southview’s boys soccer team, meanwhile, each made it to the state championship game in their respective divisions.

2012-12-30: Toledo Blade - Letter to the Editor
Letter from Superintendent Patrick Hickey

2012-12-30: Toledo Blade - 2012: The Year in Review
The third-ranked Panthers beat Avon Lake, 28-0; Hudson, 39-28; Massillon Washington, 49-16; and Mentor, 62-34, to reach the first state football final in school history.

2012-12-29: Toledo Blade - Whitmer overwhelms Northview in dominant 2nd half
Entering halftime, the 6-foot-7, Wisconsin-bound forward had zero points and had taken just three shots from the field. Whitmer led by just five. By the time the final horn sounded, however, Hayes had filled the stat sheet with 14 points, 20 rebounds, nine assists, and three blocked shots, and his Panthers won 61-47.

2012-12-28: WTVG 13 - Whitmer student to perform at BCS Championship Game
Morgan Cox, a Junior at Whitmer High School, has been selected to perform with the All Star Invitational Marching Band at the BCS Championship Game. The All Star Band is composed of high school students from around the country that have been recommended by their school music directors.

2012-12-28: Toledo Blade- Outside shooting helps Whitmer solve Perrysburg zone in 55-49 win
Lost in the excitement of Whitmer’s historic 2011-12 basketball season was a revelation that belies conventions of how successful teams are built. The Panthers could not shoot.

2012-12-27:Toledo Blade - Photo Gallery - Panthers shoot past Perrysburg
Phtotos from the boys basketball game between Whitmer and Perrysburg

2012-12-27: Sentinel Tribune: Whitmer holds off Perrysburg
In the midst of a stretch of three of its toughest games of the season, Perrysburg’s boys basketball team fell victim to the 3-point shot Thursday night at Toledo Whitmer. After playing well in a 46-43 win over Sandusky Perkins last week, the Yellow Jackets had no answer for the nine 3-point field goals that Whitmer hit en route to a 55-49 non-league loss for Perrysburg.

2012-12-25: St. John's beats Whitmer in an early season TRAC meeting
Highlights of Whitmer-St. John's basketball game

2012-12-20: Toledo Blade - Police to increase presence at Whitmer
Although local authorities said they do not believe there is any credibility to an alleged shooting threat Friday at Whitmer High School, they will have an extra presence at the school the rest of the week.

2012-12-19: WTOL 11 - Whitmer to parents: threat not credible
Toledo police and Washington Local Schools say they do not believe a threat of violence at Whitmer High School is credible...WLS sent a letter about the threat home with students on Wednesday and plans to sent out an audio message to notify all parents and students signed up for the emergency message service. That letter and message detail the rumor, why it lacks credibility, and what WLS plans to do.

2012-12-15: Schools in area reconsider security after incident in Connecticut
Washington Local Superintendent Patrick Hickey said the district’s buildings have 24-hour security and Toledo Police officers, but those measures won’t eliminate the threat of a gunman entering a school.

2012-12-12: Toled Blade - St. John's routs Whitmer 60-37
St. John's Jesuit routed Whitmer 60-37 in tonight's Three Rivers Athletic Conference boys basketball opener.

2012-12-06: ToledoBlade - Central Catholic got its second state football championship; Whitmer makes it first trip to state
Third-ranked Whitmer (14-1) became only the second Toledo team to reach a Division I final before falling to Cincinnati Moeller 20-12 in the title game in Canton.

2012-12-06: Toledo Free Press - Culbreath: Central and Whitmer win respect
Last weekend, two of Toledo’s top prep football programs had the opportunity to play for the OHSAA Football State Championship title. One team, the Central Catholic Fighting Irish, captured the Division II crown with a spectacular defensive stand. The other, the Whitmer Panthers, had a fourth-quarter comeback snuffed out. What both teams have won, though, is the admiration and respect of every football fan in Northwest Ohio.

2012-12-05: WTVG 13 - Dec 5 Newsreel - Celebrating Excellent with Distinction - Gangam style
Washington Junior High celebrates its Excellent with Distinction rating.

2012-12-05: NorthWestOhio.com - Washington Jr. High rocks out to stellar Ohio report card
Students and staff at Washington Junior High School danced "Gangnam Style" on Wednesday to celebrate the school's Excellent with Distinction grade on the latest Ohio report card.

2012-12-03: jjhuddle.com - Division I State Final Video - Moeller makes More Football History
Cincinnati Moeller won its eighth state title and first since 1985 with its 20-12 win over Toledo Whitmer in the D-I state final. Here's how it went down - with a little music added in. Enjoy this memorable recap created by ScoutingOhio.com and presented by JJHuddle.

2012-12-02: ToledoBlade.com - Moeller holds on to beat Whitmer
The Whitmer Panthers reached the brink of their dream of a Division I state football championship Saturday night, but Toledo’s hope of claiming two Ohio titles over the weekend ended a win short.

2012-12-02: Toledo Blade- Whitmer's rushing attack silenced
For once, the Panthers’ churning ground game went missing in their 20-12 loss to Cincinnati Moeller in the Division II state championship game. A Whitmer offense that averaged 276 rushing yards per game and had piled up fewer than 37 points only once since early September was largely silenced. The Panthers had only 65 rushing yards on 24 carries through three quarters and finished with 108.

2012-12-02: Toledo Blade - Whitmer slips again during climb
Commentary by Dave Hackenberg -- On the trophy stand, the man with the microphone told coach Jerry Bell and his Whitmer Panthers to keep climbing the ladder. But it’s such a long climb. And when it ends short of the top rung, it hurts.

2012-12-02: ToldeoBlade.com - Whitmer runner up at state
Whitmer's first trip to the state championship ended with its first runner-up trophy in a 20-12 loss to Cincinnati Moeller during the Division I state championship game Dec. 1 at Fawcett Stadium in Canton.

2012-12-02: MaxPreps - Whitmer vs. Archbishop Moeller (OHSAA Division I Final)
Photo Gallery - Moeller vs. Whitmer

2012-12-02: MaxPreps - Traditional powers add to legacies on second day of Ohio State Football Finals
Archbishop Moeller (Cincinnati) celebrated "50 Years of Moeller Football" this season and capped it with the program's eighth state title. The Crusaders beat Whitmer (Toledo), ranked No. 6 in MaxPreps Xcellent 25, in the D-I final 20-12 at Canton's Fawcett Stadium.

2012-12-01: Toledo Blade - Whitmer can't capitalize on strong start
Whitmer fell just short of bringing the city of Toledo another state championship Saturday night. A day after Central Catholic won the Division II state title, the Panthers fell 20-12 in the Division I title game at Fawcett Stadium.

2012-11-30: WTOL 11 - 3 NW OH Football teams head to states
Whitmer (14-0) will take on Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller (11-3) Saturday at 7 p.m. at Canton's Fawcett Stadium for the Division I state championship.

2012-11-29: Toledo Blade - Whitmer, Central Catholic have 28 playoff appearances between them
Playoff History Stats

2012-11-29: Toledo Blade - Unbeaten Whitmer goes for its first crown
On Saturday, Canton's Fawcett Stadium will be the site of the 7 p.m. Division I final between third-ranked Whitmer (14-0) and unranked Cincinnati Moeller (11-3).

2012-11-29: Toledo Blade - statistical comparison: Whitmer versus Cincinnati Moeller
Football Team Stats

2012-11-29: MaxPreps - 10 things to watch: 41st Ohio State Football Finals
HOLY TOLEDO. A week ago Whitmer (Toledo) was a relative unknown. This week the Panthers are No. 6 in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 and No. 1 in the Freeman Rankings. Whitmer has beaten Michigan runner-up Catholic Central (Novi), Indiana state champion Bishop Luers (Fort Wayne), Ohio D-II finalist Central Catholic (Toledo), Washington (Massillon) and Mentor en route to its first D-I state final.

2012-11-28: Cincinnati.com - Early preview of Moeller vs Toledo Whitmer
Stats and comparison of Whitmer and Moeller

2012-11-27: Toledo Blade - Whitmer, Central put 2 on All-State 1st team
Whitmer and Central Catholic, which will both play for state football championships this weekend, each have two senior players selected to the 2012 Associated Press All-Ohio first team for for Division I and II. Third-ranked Whitmer (14-0), which will play Cincinnati Moeller (11-3) for the Division I title Saturday at 7 p.m. in Canton, placed quarterback Nick Holley and linebacker Jack Linch on the D-I first unit...In his first season as Whitmer head coach, Jerry Bell shared D-I coach-of-the-year honors with Steve Channell of Miamisburg.

2012-11-27: Dayton Daily News - Toledo aiming for two state title teams
oledo isn’t exactly a hotbed for high school state championship football teams. But that could change during this weekend’s 41st annual state championships at Massillon and Canton. On Friday, Toledo Central Catholic (13-1) will play Trotwood-Madison (12-2) for the Division II state title at Massillon’s Paul Brown Tiger Stadium. In Saturday’s nightcap, it’s Toledo Whitmer (14-0) vs. Cincinnati Moeller (11-3) in the D-I title game at Canton’s Fawcett Stadium.

2012-11-27: Cincinnati.com - Moeller back on track in playoffs
Preview story of Whitmer-Moeller match-up

2012-11-26: WTVG 13 0 OHSAA State Championship Information
Information on scheduled games for Ohio football state championships

2012-11-26: WTOL 11 - Whitmer's Bell Named D1 Coach of the Year
Whitmer Head Football Coach Jerry Bell has been named Ohio's Division 1 Coach of the Year.

2012-11-26: Toledo Blade - AP Names Division I, II All-Ohio football teams
AP All-Ohio Football Teams list of honorees

2012-11-26: Columbus Dispatch - High-school football state championships schedule
Division I: Cincinnati Moeller (11-3) vs. Toledo Whitmer (14-0) at Canton, 7 p.m.

2012-11-25: WTVG 13 - Whitmer State Championship preview
WHITMER VS. MOELLER: The 2012 state championship game will be the eighth meeting between the two schools. Moeller holds a 7-0 advantage over Whitmer in the head-to-head matchup. The two schools have not played since 1993. The latest the two schools have met in the playoffs prior to 2012 was in the 1979 state football semifinal.

2012-11-25: Toledo Blade - Whitmer rips Mentor, rolls into state final
Freezing temperatures and a determined Mentor defense could not contain undefeated Whitmer on Saturday night during a Division I state semifinal at Arlin Field.

2012-11-25: MaxPreps.com - MaxPreps Top 25 high school football rankings
DeSoto and newcomer Whitmer make moves for the No. 1 spot as the season winds down.

2012-11-24: Toledo Blade - Whitmer mauls Mentor, 62-34
No. 1 Whitmer defeated Mentor, 62-34, on Saturday, Nov. 24, 2012, in the Division I state semi-final game at Mansfield's Arlin Field.

2012-11-24: Toledo Blade - Whitmer beats Mentor, will face Cincinnati Moeller in state title game
Top-ranked Whitmer dominated Mentor for a 62-34 victory in a Division I state semifinal on Saturday night at Arlin Field.

2012-11-24: Toledo Blade - Mentor quarterback leads dynamic attack into state semifinals against Whitmer
If the scores weren’t enough to catch Jerry Bell’s attention, watching video of the guy responsible for lighting up the scoreboard at Parma’s Byers Field the past two Saturdays certainly grabbed the focus of Whitmer’s head football coach.

2012-11-24: News-Herald - John Kampf: Margin for error too close for Mentor
The further a team advances in the playoffs — no matter the sport or the level of play — the tighter the margin of error becomes. Mentor found that out the hard way on Saturday night in a 62-34 loss to Toledo Whitmer in a Division I state semifinal at Mansfield's Arlin Field

2012-11-24: News-Herald - High school football: Mentor's wild ride in playoffs ends
The Mentor football team took its fans on a roller coaster of emotion the past two weeks, staging a 21-point rally and winning a high-scoring triple-overtime thriller. On Saturday, Toledo Whitmer's defense saw to it that no dramatic comeback would take place.

2012-11-24: Mentor.patch.com - Mentor Cardinals Fall To Toledo Whitmer In Div. 1 State Semifinal
The Mentor Cardinals kept pace with the Toledo Whitmer Panthers for 2 1/2 quarters Saturday night. However, the Cardinals gradually ran out of fuel while the Panthers kept chugging away en route to a 62-34 win.

2012-11-24: MaxPreps.com - Game recap: Whitmer High School Football Team defeats Mentor
Whitmer (Toledo, Ohio) took the final lead of the game on Saturday as Tre Sterritt ran for a touchdown with 11:00 left, bringing the team to victory over Mentor (Ohio) 62-34.

2012-11-24: Examiner - Holley stars as Whitmer beats Mentor in state football semi-finals
Coverage of Whitmer-Mentor game

2012-11-24: Cleveland Plain Dealer - Mentor falls to Toledo Whitmer in football state semifinal as weary Cards run out of gas
Toledo Whitmer got it right, however, and beat the Cardinals, 62-34, in a Division I state semifinal Saturday night. The thin ice on which Mentor’s defense had lived in three previous playoff games split open in frigid Arlin Field. And that cleared the way for Whitmer quarterback Nick Holley, who burned the Cardinals for 246 yards and two touchdowns rushing, and 149 yards and two TDs passing.

2012-11-23: Toledo Blade - Notre Dame will still command respect, selected as No. 1 despite loss of 4 starters
Girl's Basketball - Flemmings takes over for Rhett Boyd, and will rely on returning starters McCarver (9.1 points, 2.5 rebounds) and Meinen (8.2 points, 6 rebounds) to help ease the transition. The Panthers should see improved perimeter shooting, and Flemmings has seen strong defense effort in the preseason. But overall inexperience is a concern, and Whitmer must find a rebounding and scoring source to fill the graduation void of Allie Missler (7.6 rebounds, 10 points).

2012-11-23: Toledo Blade - Armed and dangerous: Toledo native Adrianne Palicki stars in ‘Red Dawn' and upcoming ‘G.I. Joe' sequel
It's not every day that a Hollywood actress gets to rock an AK-47. Throw in handguns, grenade launchers, and assorted other weapons, and it's downright unusual. No big deal, however, to Adrianne Palicki, a Whitmer High School graduate who stars in Red Dawn, the new remake of the 1984 cult classic.

2012-11-22: Toledo Blade - Whitmer's Nick Holley, Jerry Bell player, coach of the year on All-Blade team
Under center and on the sidelines, Whitmer's Nick Holley and head coach Jerry Bell have helped guide the Panthers to a perfect season thus far. Ahead of their state semifinal game this week, the two earned respective honors as player and coach of the year in the 2012 All-Blade Football Team.

2012-11-22: Toledo Blade - Whitmer quarterback Nick Holley makes most of his chance
On the cover of The Blade’s 2012 high school football season preview section, four talented returning quarterbacks from the Three Rivers Athletic Conference were posed in front of an airplane with the headline “Air Attack.” Whitmer senior Nick Holley was not in that picture. But, as the season enters its 14th weekend with state playoff semifinals on tap, the Panthers’ quarterback has flown higher and is more worthy of a solo cover shot than any area player.

2012-11-22: Toledo Blade - Whitmer graduate Jerry Bell leads alma mater to state semis in first year
Jerry Bell was just shy of his 16th birthday as a sophomore football player at Whitmer High School in 1988 when he first formulated his dream career.

2012-11-22: Toledo Blade - All-Blade Football Team Defense
Marcus Elliott, Nate Holley, Jack Linch, Marqu8ise Moore are among honored Whitmer athletes

2012-11-21: WTOL 11 - Temperance, MI artist part of Star Wars legacy
Feature story on Whitmer alumnus and artist Brian Rood

2012-11-20: Examiner - Toledo Whitmer will be a huge challenge for Mentor in state finals
Preview of Whitmer-Mentor match-up

2012-11-18: Toledo Blade - Football playoff wins: Whitmer wins in a rout; Bellevue is tops in a stunner; Liberty-Benton squeaks out a win
For the third straight season, Whitmer will be moving on to the Division I state football semifinals.

2012-11-17: Toledo Blade - Panthers stay perfect with win
Whitmer improved to 13-0 on the year with another big win Nov. 17. The Panthers defeated Massillon Washington High School 49-16 in a playoff game at Arlin Field in Mansfield.

2012-11-16: Toledo Blade - Whitmer Panthers, Napoleon Wildcats, Central Catholic Irish lead all-district teams
Players from the top three teams in the Three Rivers Athletic Conference football standings this season — champion Whitmer, runner-up Central Catholic, and third-place Findlay — head the list of selections to the 2012 Associated Press Northwest Ohio all-district teams. Whitmer (12-0), the third-ranked team in Division I, had seven first-team selections and took three of the top individual honors.

2012-11-15: WNWO 24 - Nigel Hayes leads the 2012 Whitmer athletes
Hayes made a verbal commitment to Madison a few months ago, but it became official on Thursday. Hayes is just shy of a thousand points in his career at Whitmer and has been named the teams MVP three times. He also ranks 10th in the classroom out of 528 classmates.

2012-11-15: Toledo Blade - Familiar foes: Whitmer eliminated Massillon from football playoffs in 2006, 2010
As the Whitmer Panthers push to keep their unbeaten football season alive for at least another week, a familiar postseason opponent awaits at 7 p.m. Saturday at Mansfield's Arlin Field in a Division I regional final.

2012-11-15: NBC15 - Wisconsin men's basketball signs five for Class of 2013
MADISON, Wis. -- Head men’s basketball coach Bo Ryan announced Thursday that high school seniors Vitto Brown, Riley Dearing, Nigel Hayes, Jordan Hill and Bronson Koenig have all signed national letters of intent to attend the University of Wisconsin and play basketball for the Badgers beginning in the fall of 2013.

2012-11-11: Akron Beacon Journal - High School Football Playoffs - Toledo Whitmer 39, Hudson 28: Explorers hit end of the road
Unbeaten Toledo Whitmer got its strongest challenge of the season Saturday night at Strobel Field, but the Panthers assumed control after halftime and took a 39-28 victory over Hudson in a Division I regional semifinal.

2012-11-02: Toledo Blade - Final Regular Season Standings, Statistics
Final standings from football

2012-02-07: WTVG - 13: 2013 Football Signing Day
Football players sign with colleges

2012-02-07: WNWO - 24: Whitmer tops rival Central Catholic
Whitmer Panthers girls basketball team defeated Central Catholic 45-41 Thursday. Keshyra McCarver led the Panthers with 17 points while Abigial Sarabia added 10. Sophomore Demi Russell paced the Irish with 16 points.

12-11-02: Toledo Blade - Final Regular-Season Standings, Statistics
Final statistics of football season

11-29-12: MaxPreps - 10 things to watch: 41st Ohio State Football Finals
A week ago Whitmer (Toledo) was a relative unknown. This week the Panthers are No. 6 in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 and No. 1 in the Freeman Rankings. Whitmer has beaten Michigan runner-up Catholic Central (Novi), Indiana state champion Bishop Luers (Fort Wayne), Ohio D-II finalist Central Catholic (Toledo), Washington (Massillon) and Mentor en route to its first D-I state final.

In the News

In the
News