The Piqua City Open Tennis Tournament will be held over Labor Day weekend, September 4-6, 2010. Tournaments will be held for both men's and women's singles and doubles with events in the open division, and 35 and over, as well as men's 50 and over, and 62 and over. There will also be mixed doubles in the open category. The 62 and over men's doubles will be a "Golden Buckeye Blind Draw." Entrants need not indicate a partner, the tournament will conduct a blind draw and assign partners to the participants. The cost is $11.00 per person for each event entered. Ladies and High School Boys receive 1st entry free. The tournament will be held at the Piqua Junior High Tennis Courts. All participants will receive a tournament t-shirt. Championship and runner-up trophies will be awarded in all categories. Entry forms and additional information are available by CLICKING HERE. All entry forms must be received (not mailed) no later than Monday, August 30, 2010. The City of Piqua Parks and Recreation Department was proud to offer two premier events on Saturday, July 31, 2010 at Fountain Park. 6th Annual Parks and Recreation Car Show An annual tradition, the Parks and Recreation Car Show brought in cars from all over the region. In all, more than 170 cars took part in the show. The car show was held on Saturday, July 31, 2010 at Fountain Park from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm. The entries were professionally judged and awards were distributed at 5:30 p.m. The location change for the car show this year allowed the car show to be linked a great musical performance by the Van-Dells at Hance Pavilion. Van-Dell's Performance The City of Piqua, Unity National Bank, The Niels and Ruth Lundgard Charitable Trust, the Piqua Community Foundation, Upper Valley Medical Center and U.S. Bank were proud sponsors of the nation's #1 rock and roll revue, The Van-Dells. The performance was held at the newly refurbished Hance Pavilion located in Fountain Park Saturday evening. The Van-Dells have been entertaining audiences of all ages with their unique blend of comedy, costume changes, choreography and tight harmonies for over 3 decades. The Van-Dells have been called "The Three Stooges set to music." The fun, fast paced show did not disappoint! The Van-Dells hit the stage, and it was nonstop action from start to finish. Troy, OH – The Troy Bruins hockey team, in anticipation of the upcoming 2010-2011 season, are proud to announce the addition of Associate Head Coach Jack Collins and Director of Sales B.J. Rowe to the Bruins organization. Jack Collins has been named the Associate Head Coach for the Troy Bruins, and will be assisting current President, Head Coach & GM Rick Szabo on the bench this season, as well as focusing on player recruitment and development. Spending most of his life in the Miami Valley, Collins spent his younger years playing hockey at the local rink before playing juniors in Canada for two seasons. After his playing career, he moved back to Dayton where he became involved in the local youth hockey organization helping to coach every level from mite through being named head coach of the Alter Knights high school varsity hockey team. Moving on from youth hockey, Collins joined the ECHL's Dayton Bombers in 1999 specializing in statistics and tracking the player's individual on-ice progress for the coaching staff. A large part of his role with the Bombers was in breaking down game footage, both to further player development and to scout the opposing teams. After several years in this role, Jack was promoted to Assistant Coach & Hockey Operations, working closely with Bombers players and staff. After the demise of the Bombers in early 2009, Jack became the head coach of the Evansville IceMen of the AAHL, leading them to the club's first league championship. A member of Collin's championship team was former Bruins star Josh Tucker, who was called up to Evansville in February. Jack and his wife, Kathleen, live in Dayton. Also joining the Bruins staff is newly named Director of Sales B.J. Rowe. A 2000 graduate of Troy High School and avid hockey fan, B.J. previously was a member of the national sales team for computer manufacturer Systemax in nearby Fletcher, Ohio. He is primarily responsible for generating and developing both sponsorship and group ticket sales for the organization and businesses or organizations can contact him at 985-7935 or bj@troybruins.com for more information. The Bruins are full steam ahead for their second season as the Miami Valley’s affordable family entertainment destination, and full season tickets are still available for $125 to guarantee your same seats for every action packed Bruins game inside the historic Hobart Arena! Opening Weekend 2010 is set for Friday, September 17 and Saturday, September 18 (both at 8pm) as the Bruins host the Battle Creek Revolution inside Hobart Arena. FAIRFIELD, OH – The Cincinnati Dockers Australian Rules Football Club will continue their 14th season of play on Saturday July 24th when they host their in-state rivals, the Columbus Jackaroos, at 2 PM at Point Pleasant Park on Resor Road in Fairfield, OH. The Cincinnati Dockers are coming off a one point loss to Columbus in what was a very hard fought match by both sides during a mini-tournament in Milwaukee, WI last Saturday. Cincinnati will look to use home field to their advantage in this rematch. Admission to the game is free. Fans wishing to attend are advised to bring their own seating (lawn chairs, picnic blankets, etc.). After the match, players from both teams will be at Christy's Rathskeller and Biergarten at 151 West McMillan Ave. in Clifton for the official post-game function, beginning at 7:30 PM. The Dockers’ next match on August 14th will be on the road against one of their oldest rivals, the Nashville Kangaroos. Additionally, the Cincinnati Dockers are currently looking for all people interested in playing for the team. Anyone interested in joining the Dockers is should email the Dockers at dockers@cincinnatidockers.com. No experience is necessary. 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. The Cincinnati Dockers are also an official partner club of the Fremantle Football Club of the Australian Football League. For more information about the Dockers please visit their official website at www.cincinnatidockers.com. To contact the Dockers, please send an e-mail to dockers@cincinnatidockers.com.    With the recent National Theater on Ice competition fresh in their minds, the Troy Skating Club laces 'em up once again this summer to present their annual summer skating competition inside the refreshingly cool Hobart Arena through Sunday. Included in this annual event, skaters from all across the Midwest converge on Troy to showcase their freestyle skating talents to a panel of professional judges. Several members from the Troy Skating Club will participate in nearly every age category. Unlike the Theater on Ice competition which emphasized more of a theatrical performance during the team skating routines, this weekend will feature solo skaters competing with and without musical accompaniment while demonstrating freestyle skills such as axle jumps and spins. The event is free and open to the public all weekend. For more information, visit www.HobartArena.com  With over 30 years of coaching experience, John Ralph becomes the seventh head basketball coach in Edison’s history. John’s experience’s as a coach both at the high school and college level will give him a great advantage as he guides an already storied basketball program. John began his coaching career at Sandusky High School in 1976 where he coached the boy’s varsity basketball team through the 1979 season and then switched to directing the girl’s varsity team through the 1986 season. After leading the Sandusky teams to a 117-74 record during his tenure John jumped to the college game where as the assistant basketball coach at Slippery Rock University, After a successful campaign at Slippery Rock University, John coached Mifflin High school to a 14-6 record in 1987 and a trip to the regional tournament. John’s success as a head coach began to soar in 1991-1993 as he guided Lorain Admiral King High School to a 42-27 record and a trip to the regional tournament in 1993. It was while John was at LAK that he was honored as the Coach of the Year by the Lorain County Coaches Association. In the 1993-94 season John joined one of the elite high school programs in the state of Ohio by assisting the long time and hall of fame basketball coach Joe Petrocelli at Dayton Alter High School. During John’s tenure at Alter the Knight s finished 84-37 with two final four appearances. John made the switch back to college coaching in 1999 when he became the top assistant at Sinclair Community College. It was there that John became familiar with the Ohio Community College Athletic Conference. In 2002 John accepted the position as the head coach as Dayton Thurgood Marshall. He had great success at Thurgood Marshall particularly in the 2008-09 season when he guided his the program to a city, sectional, district, and regional championship. Thurgood Marshall finished the season as state runner-up. In addition John was voted the Greater Dayton Coach of the year. John is married to his lovely wife Phylliss. He is the father of two grown children, daughter Jessica Nycole Ralph and his son John Douglas Ralph. John and Phylliss reside in Englewood. The Troy Bruins are proud to announce the addition of Abbey Credit Union and Koverman Dickerson Insurance to the 2010-2011 official sponsor lineup. Celebrating the 60th anniversary of Hobart Arena and the original Troy Bruins, the Bruins look forward to the new business relationships. Since 1937, Abbey's members have experienced the meaning of belonging to a financial institution that cares about its community. Membership to Abbey Credit Union is open to those who work, live, worship, or attend school in Vandalia, Butler Township, and Miami County. Individuals belonging to Abbey are not just customers; they are members of an organization that truly cares about their needs. Just as well, Abbey is owned and operated by people within the same community. As a non-profit organization, their goal is to back the financial stability of the community by offering convenient systematic savings plans and quick sources of credit. Over 100 organizations offer Abbey's services to their employees at no cost to the company At Koverman Dickerson Insurance Agency, their first and primary concern is the customer KDI insures. For over 125 years, the agency has served Southwest Ohio, offering protection to it's clients in all areas of insurance and are now one of the largest agencies located in Miami County. Additionally, the Bruins are pleased to have Trojan Auto Care renewing their support and sponsorship of the Bruins for the upcoming season beginning this September. For more information on how partnering with the Bruins can help your business succeed, email JT Szabo at jt@troybruins.com Crews inside and outside of Hobart Arena in Troy spent all day Tuesday beginning the process of setting up for this weekend's USFS Theater On Ice National Championships. Pictured is the exterior tent and hospitality pavilion setup by Prime Time Rentals of Dayton, while inside the arena crews were busy removing the hockey glass and protection netting, while they setup a curtain to be the backdrop for the themed skating performances. Much more is expected to be done in the next days, as the city revs up to welcome hundreds of figure skaters from around the country. Tickets for the event, hosted by the Troy Skating Club, are on sale now for $15 by visiting www.HobartArena.com. 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.” Troy Memorial Stadium & Piqua's Alexander Stadium Upgrade Seating, Install Artificial Turf 06/17/2010
  Troy Memorial Stadium has seen it all...playoffs, state champions, over 100 legendary Troy-Piqua battles and millions of screaming fans in it's 62 years. Originally constructed by the Hobart Family as a key aspect of the Miami River athletic corridor that was years ahead of it's time and included Miami Shores golf course and Hobart Arena, the stadium's original listed capacity of 12,000 was intended to provide each Troy resident with a prime seat to their local high school football games (Troy's population at the time of construction was estimated right at 12,000). Over the years, the stadium has seen several renovations and upgrades, most recently consisting of a fresh coat of paint over the metal frame of the now-10,510 seat stadium back in 2009. Troy City Schools, now the stadiums owner after decades of leasing the facility from the City, is in the midst of summer upgrades to the North end of the stadium, complete with refinished seating and refurbishing of the metal floor deck. However, TMS is not the only local field receiving having work done this summer. Piqua recently announced the purchase and impending installation of an artificial turf surface to be ready for the fall 2010 football season. According to the GWOC, Piqua is the eighth conference stadium to install an artificial surface. Thanks to hard work and a lot of fund raising, Alexander Stadium will be retrofitted with "Field Turf" synthetic grass beginning Monday at a cost of $600,000. Artificial turf is widely preferred in professional and college football due to it's ability to withstand rain and it's durability with little maintenance for years at a time. Yet many fans in Troy are left with natural grass thanks to the partnership with the Mercer Group, who manages the natural lawn care of the stadium and many other local athletic fields. For Trojan football fans, the debate over which surface is better will inevitably be escalated with the installation in Piqua just in time for the Troy-Piqua rivalry to return north to Alexander Stadium this fall. |
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