O-G back in state semis, facing Silver Knights

OTTAWA – Some early trips to the woodshed may have prepared Ottawa-Glandorf's girls soccer team for this week's trip to the penthouse.Following Saturday's 2-0 win over Niles McKinley in a Division IV regional final, O-G coach Michelle Maag said, "We aren't the same team we were four or even six weeks ago."The results back that up.O-G faced two perennial powers to open the 2025 season and got whacked by both, losing 7-0 to Anthony Wayne and 9-1 to Perrysburg. Anthony Wayne (18-0-3, Division II) and Perrysburg (17-1-2, Division I) would both end up ranked No. 2 in the final girls state soccer polls and both have reached the state semifinals in their respective divisions.Ottawa-Glandorf rebounded to win four straight matches but after 2-1 losses to Lima Bath on Sept. 22 and to Ontario five days later, the Titans stood just 8-5 on the season.Then the switch got flipped.Starting with a 1-0 Western Buckeye League win over Celina, O-G has rattled off nine straight wins. That unbeaten stretch earned O-G a fourth straight WBL championship, district and regional tournament titles, and a fifth straight trip to the state semifinals where the Titans (17-5-0) will find themselves in a déjà vu situation when they face Cincinnati Summit Country Day (20-0-2) in today's 7 p.m. Division IV state semifinal at Skyhawk Stadium in Fairborn.The game is a rematch of last year's Division IV state championship, won by Summit Country Day 3-0. O-G fell by 1-0 scores to Cincinnati Country Day in the Division III final in 2023 and 2022, and by that same score to Waynesville in the 2021 championship match.Defense has been key for O-G's run to the state semifinals. The Titans have scored 30 goals during their nine-game winning streak, while a stout defense anchored by junior goalie Libbie Niese has given up just one.Niese had five saves in Saturday's regional win over McKinley. Delaney Duling had two assists in the game, one on a goal by Emma Heringhaus and another when Liv Grothause scored an insurance goal midway through the second half. FHS football ticketsFINDLAY – Findlay High School will be hosting Huber Heights Wayne High School this Friday at Donnell Stadium in the OHSAA regional quarter final.Due to this being an OHSAA tournament event, all FCS reserved seating and district passes will not be honored. Tickets must be purchased at ohsaa.org/tickets. Gates will open at 5:30 pm with game time at 7:00 p.m.