In finishing with the best record in the team’s five-year history, the Miami Valley Silverbacks should they had finally learned what it takes to win during the season.  After Friday night’s 48-24 loss to the Cincinnati Gardens in only Miami Valley’s second playoff game ever, the Silverbacks learned they still have some learning to do to win in the postseason next year.

                Cincinnati took advantage of early mistakes to build a 21-0 first-quarter lead, and Miami Valley could never get closer than within two scores of the CIFL’s top-seeded team the rest of the way. “We had some mistakes,” said head coach Brian Wells.  “It was a little bit of everything.”

After the Commandos needed just three plays to take a 7-0 lead, a low snap to quarterback Chris Stanford led to a fumble on Miami Valley’s first play from scrimmage, which James Spikes recovered at the Silverbacks’ 7-yard line.

Ray Jackson scored one play later, and Cincinnati led 13-0 before Stanford, filling in for the injured Kyenes Mincy, ever had a chance to get his hands firmly on the ball. Another mishandled snap on a 43-yard field goal attempt gave Cincinnati possession at the Miami Valley 16 later in the quarter, and although the Silverbacks made the Commandos work for seven plays to score, Mauk’s one-yard touchdown pass to Johnny Long put Miami Valley in a 21-0 hole after just 12 minutes of play. “I’m lost,” Wells said of the poor snaps.  “I really don’t know.  Our snaps were good in pre-game.”

Wells did agree going against the top defensive line in the league, including All-Big East nose tackle Terrill Byrd, may have been part of the problem. “He’s an unbelievable player,” Wells said of Byrd.  “The Commandos broke the league record for sacks in a season.  They only got to our guy two or three times.  We only had a problem getting to ball to the QB.”

When Stanford did get the ball, he performed admirably in place of the starter Kyenes Mincy, who was out with a shoulder injury suffered in the regular season finale in Chicago.  After an 0-for-3 first quarter, Stanford finished 9-of-18 for 89 yards and rushed 11 times for 48 yards.  He had a hand in all four Miami Valley touchdowns, throwing three and rushing for another. Stanford’s favorite target during the season, Aric Evans, was limited to a late touchdown grab, but Melvin Bryan caught a team-best five passes for 56 yards and a touchdowns and Daniel Stover added two grabs for 25 yards and a score. “They did a good job of taking ‘AE’ (Evans) out of the game,” Wells said.  “but Mel continues to evolve into a great receiver.”

Running back Derrick Moss added 40 yards on five carries, his third-straight game of at least 40 rushing yards, as Miami Valley rushed for 87 yards in the game, the most allowed by the Commandos since April 2. After an Austin Goss interception early in the second quarter, the offense moved 47 yards for a touchdown, scoring on a 16-yard pass to Stover, but Miami Valley missed on two opportunities to get any closer than 21-6.

A turnover on downs gave the Silverbacks a chance to score again in the final minute of the first half, but the Silverbacks could not pick up a first down. More costly, another mistake to open the second half allowed Cincinnati to start pulling away.

James Frazier poked the ball away from a scrambling Stanford on the first play of the second half, and James Spikes recovered the loose ball at the Silverback’s 15-yard line.  Mauk found Brandon Boehm for a 12-yard touchdown two plays later, making it 28-6, Commandos. “I thought, ‘We get the ball to start the second half.’  We get the ball, we drive and score.  We saw some things that would let us score,” Wells said.  “Then we turn the ball over and they capitalized on it.  That turnover to start the second half was probably the turning point of the game.”

Stanford rallied Miami Valley back with a 15-yard scoring strike to Bryant, but Cincinnati countered with back-to-back touchdowns that expanded their lead to 41-12 into the fourth quarter. The teams traded touchdowns in the fourth quarter, with Stanford diving in from a yard out for one score and finding Evans for a 4-yard touchdown to complete the scoring in the game.

The disappointing result could not take away from the fact that Miami Valley seems to have turned itself around both on and off the field.  The team not only finished the regular season with its first-ever three game winning streak, but also appears close to an agreement to play its 2011 home games at Hara Arena after two seasons without a full-time home arena. The momentum from the end of the season was so great that Wells says he passed on a chance to augment his roster for the playoffs, a decision not even the loss could make him regret. “Will White, Derrick Crawford and Ray Huff have performed well and Luke Scarborough has too,” Wells said.  “I would not feel right about bringing a guy like Terrence McKenzie over and sitting one of those guys.”

“We have a good group of core guys and we’re going to build on that.”

27th annual athletic contest on June 19 consisting of a 4 mile canoeing, 5 mile running, 17 miles of biking. Teams of 2 start at the West Milton park and end at the park entrance.

Registration Fee to Participate
Call for more information 937-698-0287 or visit www.speedy-feet.com

Fresh off it's exposure at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Curling has gone from an odd curiosity to a Miami County activity thanks to seven dedicated fans from Troy who have started the Troy Curling Association, making it's debut inside the Hobart Arena this weekend.

Paying for the equipment and setup out of their own pockets, the association has created quite a local buzz of interested participants, and is set to begin with an "introduction" to curling this Sunday afternoon at the Arena.

A popular winter sport in Canada, Curling will make it's Miami Valley debut in Troy, with the association hoping to establish a summer league in the next few weeks. Additionally, there is already a growing interest to attract national competitions to the 3,786 seat arena, with future aspirations of even having future Olympic tryouts and training right here in Miami County.

Of course, the county is no stranger to the winter Olympics, with Piqua native Kristin King earning a Bronze medal in 2006 as part of the USA Woman's Hockey Team.

For more information on the sport, it's rules and of the newly formed Troy association, visit their website at www.CurlTroy.org.

Dayton Dragons Baseball is back and you are invited! Come enjoy a game at Fifth Third Field in Dayton with the Piqua Parks and Recreation Department and the YMCA. The price of $13.50 per person includes reserved seating and transportation on the YMCA bus. We have tickets reserved for the following games: Thursday, July 1st at 7:00 p.m. vs. Great Lakes Loons
Sunday, August 8th at 4:00 p.m. vs. West Michigan Whitecaps

The bus will leave from Mote Park parking lot at 5:30 p.m. and returns at approximately 11:00 p.m, on Thursday July 1st. The bus will leave Mote Park at 2:30 pm and will return by 8:00 pm on Sunday August 8th. Tickets are on sale now in the Piqua Municipal Government Complex at 201 West Water Street. Call (937) 778-2085 for more information.

FAIRFIELD, OH – The Cincinnati Dockers Australian Rules Football Club will begin regular season play on the road against the reigning three-time Mid American Australian Football League (MAAFL) champions, Chicago United.  This game will take place on Saturday June 5th at 3 PM central time at Waveland Park in Chicago. 


Recently, Cincinnati competed in the pre-season John Harrell Memorial Cup Tournament 1-3 overall, challenging squads from Columbus and Nashville.  While those matches were tune-up matches for the veterans, and learning experiences for the rookies, this match will be the first true test for the reigning Division 4 national champions. 


Chicago United will present a formidable challenge for the Cincinnati Dockers.  The United are three-time defending champions of the MAAFL, and most recently came out winners against the Dockers’ in-state rivals, the Columbus Jackaroos, by a score of 68-48, in a match which forced Chicago to come back after trailing by 2 points after 3 quarters of play. 


Following this match, the Dockers will again take the road to challenge the Columbus Jackaroos on Saturday June 26th. Chicago, meanwhile, will take the long journey to Denver, Colorado on June 19th to participate in a tournament hosted by the Denver Bulldogs. 


The Cincinnati Dockers are an Australian Rules Football club based out of Fairfield, Ohio. Established in 1996, they are the oldest club of its kind in the United States. The Dockers won the USAFL Division 4 National Championships in 2008 and 2009. For more information about the Dockers please visit their website at www.cincinnatidockers.com. To contact the Dockers, please send an e-mail to dockers@cincinnatidockers.com.