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The Dixie Boys Soccer Team celebrate winning their 3rd consecutive league title.
(All Feature Photos by Dale Barger)

NEW LEBANON – The Dixie Boys Soccer Team pulled off the trifecta beating Preble Shawnee 3-0 in their last regular season game giving them an undefeated WOAC record and their third straight Western Ohio Athletic Conference Championship in Soccer.

After winning back-to-back titles the Hounds graduated a lot of talented players in 2023 and there were some questions on whether Dixie would be at the level they had played in those previous two seasons which prompted coach Charlie Miller to talk about the keys to their success in 2024.

“The key to this season was the chemistry that these boys have together. We came into this season having graduated 6 seniors the year before, so a lot of guys had to step up. We did not have an established goalkeeper, were short 2 defenders and lost midfielders and a strong forward. We had underclassmen who stepped into roles they were not used to playing and a freshman who stepped up to become our goalkeeper. This group of young men work well together, support each other, push each other, and have been able to do whatever it takes to win, this year,” Miller explained.


Dixie senior Nate Emrick leads the league in goals with 39 this year.

Some of those key players would end up leading the league in many statistical categories.

“Nate Emrick is leading the league with 39 goals and 9 assists, he is a strong player, he has scored several goals off of set pieces.

Evan Marker is second in goals in the league with 22,  he also has 9 assists, he is strong in our offensive end. Braden Hall is leading the league in assists with 19 , he has been a strong play maker with his passes and his powerful throw ins.


Evan Marker lines up to take a goal kick.  He 22 this year.

Our defensive end consists of JR Bemis, Paul Hickey, Noah Gentry, and Albert Lamb, they have greatly contributed to Aiden Hammond, our goalkeeper's success .

Hammond currently leads the league in saves with 123 and 7 shutouts.

However, when it all comes down to it, it’s been a team effort and all 18 boys on the roster have contributed to the individual success of these boys,” Miller noted. 

Although, there were many memorable moments of throughout the  season, Coach Miller ranks winning the league title as the top highlight.

Dixie coach Charlie Miller wasn't able to escape the gatorade bath after his team won the league championship.

“The other thing that sticks out … and maybe the most important to me is that this team fights hard even in the games when the score is against us, these boys do not give up, they persevere and they leave it all out on the field,” Miller praised.

They say once you win three titles you’ve created a dynasty and Dixie Boys Soccer has become a dynasty in the WOAC with three league titles in the 1^st four years of the league.

Miller smiled when I told him that and then proceeded to give credit to others.

“We wouldn’t have been able to do any of this without the help from my
assistant coach Dan Marker, the boys' soccer team, all the fans, my daughter Cooper Miller for taking stats , our 4 consistent ball boys Mo, Red, Jackson, and Isaac they have been with us for all three championships,” Miller exclaimed.

Miller also heaped praised on his seniors.


Dixie coaches and seniors pose to celebrate all being a part of three league championships.

“They have great work ethic a strong desire to learn, teach , and have created a family dynamic and each one has contributed to the success of the team and to winning three league championships. They inspire the underclassmen to set their goals high,” Miller stated.

Coach Miller can now turn to the post season but doesn’t want to get too far ahead of themselves and will focus on taking it one game at a time.  Dixie now stands at 13-1-1 overall and 7-0-1 in the league earned the 6^th seed in the OHSAA DV District Tournament and they will host at home the #9 seed Emmanuel Christian on Saturday October 19^th at 7pm.

No matter what happens in post season winning three league titles in a row means you are doing some things right and coach Miller hopes those accomplishments will account for something going forward.

“I am hoping that we have built a strong culture that inspires our younger students to be motivated and continue to want to build our soccer program. With winning the league 3 years in a row, our community support has grown, and hopefully it continues to grow stronger, and we thank them for being there for us,” Miller concluded.


Dixie is your 2022, 2023 and now 2024 WOAC Boys Soccer Champions!

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Western Ohio Athletic Conference has a Special Announcement regarding future Ticket prices taking effect with "Winter Sports". 

Due to Ohio House Bill 147 the following changes will take affect starting with winter sports that effects future ticket prices at all WOAC sporting events.

Cash, credit card and online ticket prices are to be the same with no up-charge for online ticket purchases.

Student prices will be lower than adult prices.

Ticket Prices

Adults $7 

Students $5 (K thru 12th grades)

Seniors $5 (62 and over)

Prices are the same for all events including tournaments both junior high and high school.

WOAC Golf and Cross-Country Championships is $5 per person or $10 max per car.

Starting this spring schools will begin charging admission for all Baseball and Softball events.

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The Lady Arrows won the 2024 WOAC Conference Championship and remain undefeated in the league with one game to go.  (Champine Photography Photo)

Game Photos
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.555196133526578&type=3

CAMDEN – The Preble Shawnee girls soccer team defeated National Trail 5-0 to claim the WOAC Conference Championship in 2024.  It is the 2^nd title for the girl’s program in the 4^th year of the league having also won in 2022.

Preble Shawnee coach Donnie Hatton was unsure about how his team would do this year due to graduation last year.

Preble Shawnee coach Donnie Hatton has coached his 2nd team to a WOAC Conference Championship. (All Feature Photos by Dale Barger)

“It is exciting that we won this year. I was unsure what to expect having lost 8 starters last year. We started 7 or 8 freshman every game this season. We thought we would be competitive in every game but didn’t think we would go undefeated thru 9 games in league play. That is a little surprising to us considering the youth and inexperience of our roster,” Hatton stated.

The Lady Arrows are 8-3-3 overall and 7-0-2 in the conference with one game left with Dixie.  Right behind them is Newton at 6-2-2 and Twin Valley South at 5-2-2. 

Ironically both Newton and South have also won a league title making the Arrows earn their title this year.

Senior Gracie Leach moves the ball ahead at midfield in game with National Trail.

“The biggest moments of the year so far for our team was beating Newton and Twin Valley South in back-to-back games. These were the two favorites in my opinion to compete for the league title. After those wins our team played with a lot more confidence knowing we were in the driver’s seat as far as the league goes. We had some minor setbacks with ties to Newton and South in round two of league play which forced us to go 9 games deep into league play to secure the title,” Hatton explained.

The nucleus of the team for Preble Shawnee and coach Hatton has to be centered around junior captain Aubrey Unger.

Junior Captain Aubrey Unger boots a goal & leads the league with 20 on the season.

“She currently leads the league in all 3 offensive categories and is a strong candidate for Player of the Year. She has 20 goals, 14 assist and leads in points with 54 and is definitely the backbone of our team and a fantastic player,” Hatton praised.

Hatton went on to talk about other keys players as well.

Junior Captain Nora Feck sends a left-footed kick forward in game with Trail.

“Next is Junior Captain Nora Feck, she leads the team in minutes played and I don’t believe she has missed a minute of league play. She is our center back that we move back and forward depending on the game situation. She is an excellent one on one defender that contains well and takes great angles to close down offensive players. She also helps the young players around her,” Hatton applauded.

“Freshman Lyla Ford is second on our team in scoring with 13 goals, she is a predator, always pressuring the defense to win balls and find the net. Has a lot to learn but an excellent start to a very bright high school career,” Hatton commended.

Freshman Lyla Ford lines up a kick, she has scored 13 goals this season for Arrows.

Coach Hatton also spoke highly of three other freshmen.

“The next three freshman players go together, Myra Neihoff, Sammy Peffly, Jillian Murphy.
Sammy is our other center back and has played terrific all season. Myra is an outside back who has improved every game and helps keep the opponent’s offense at bay. I’m Really impressed with these 2 freshman defenders. Jillian Murphy is our freshman Keeper. Stepped up when last year’s keeper was unable to play due to shoulder injury.  She was an inexperienced keeper who just seems to make plays at the right time. She’s helped us stay in games and saved a win and a tie with fantastic saves.”

Freshman Jillian Murphy gets a save and kicks the ball back in play.

The Arrows have had a great regular season so far and now can set their sights on post season after securing the league title.

“We’re not ready for this year to be over, we still have work to do and I’m excited about the post season. I think our record and league champion status should give us a solid seed and most likely a home game. I think the change in the divisions makes the tournament more competitive for young, small teams like us. A lot of the teams are evenly matched with a few key plays determining the outcome.  We love to compete, and I believe we will match up very well and give ourselves a chance to advance,” Hatton concluded.

Congratulations to the Preble Shawnee girls Soccer Team 2024 WOAC League Champions

Freshman Sammy Peffly gets in on the action against National Trail.
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Newton Senior Isaac Beidelman scores a goal in first 30 seconds to show Dixie they came ready to play. The Indians tied Dixie 3-3 to keep their WOAC title hopes alive with one game to go. (All Feature photos by Dale Barger)

NEW LEBANON – The Newton Boys Soccer team did what they needed to keep their chances at winning or sharing a WOAC league title alive stunning undefeated Dixie.   Trailing 3-1 at the half the Indians collected two goals in the second half with the game ending in a tie. 

Newton 5-1-1 in the league can claim a share of the title with a loss by Dixie and a win by the Indians at Tri-County North on Tuesday of next week.

Dixie 6-0-1 in the WOAC can still earn an outright title by defeating Preble Shawnee who they host next Tuesday.

Newton didn’t take long to score in their game Tuesday night scoring in the first 30 seconds on a kick to the left corner by senior Isaac Beidelman just clearing the outreached hands Dixie goalie Aiden Hammond.

Newton celebrates one of three goals by Isaac Beidelman as he pulls off the hat trick against Dixie. 

“Our guys were pumped to coming in tonight because they knew that they could maybe get a share of a League title with a win or a tie for the first time since the new league was formed.”  

“So, they played with a lot of energy, and it showed coming out and getting that goal right away knowing they had a lot to play for tonight,” Newton Coach Jeff Armentrout said.

It would be big night for Beidelman who also scored both goals in the second half for the Indians.

Dixie responded to the opening goal by storming to three of their own goals to a take a 3-1 lead at the break.

Greyhound senior Nate Emrick scored two of the three goals with the other one coming from junior Evan Marker.

Dixie senior Nate Emrick hit the back of the nets twice to help give the Hounds a 3-1 halftime lead.

But the second half belonged to Newton who was a quicker and a step faster and more aggressive forcing most of the action with Beidelman scoring  two more goals before the game ended deadlocked in a tie.

The 2^nd half performance pleased Newton coach Armentrout who made some strategic personnel changes that helped his team be more aggressive.

“We moved Evan Hemphill to right wing, it’s not a position he likes to play but he’s pretty good at it.  With Carson Resides our other winger getting the yellow card we had to take him out to clear his head bit and moved him up front and that helped because he is a really good ball handler,” Armentrout stated.

Newton Goalie Sawyer Renner deflects shot with three Dixie guys around him. Renner was able to shutout the Hounds in the 2nd half.

“We have six seniors who have been instrumental to our program over the last three years, and they have always been right there in contention for a league title and for them this was big because we came in here and did what we needed to do to keep us alive with a shot to still earn a share of the title with one game to go.  We just have to go do our part with a win over Tri-County North and then see how Dixie ends up in their game with Preble Shawnee,” Armentrout concluded.

Dixie coach Charlie Miller tries to get his team going in the 2nd half as his team hung on for a 3-3 tie with Newton to at least clinch a share of the WOAC conference title.

National Trail Boys Golf Team wins the OHSAA DIII District Tournament & advances to State. (Dale Barger photo)

DAYTON - The National Trail and Newton boys golf team participated in the OHSAA DIII District Tournament at PipeStone Golf Course, and the Blazers shot a team score of 315 to win the District Championship and advance to the State Tournament.

It was the first District Championship and trip to the state for the Blazers.

Trail senior Nick Brubaker tied for second as an individual carding a 73.

The Indians season ended placing 10^th overall. They graduate just one senior Ridge Gray and have the nucleus of their team returning next year.

Team Results

Individual WOAC golfers competing in the DIII districts did not advance to state and their scores were as follows:

Trey Homan, Tri-Village – 86, Leo Kinnison, Franklin Monroe – 89, Byron Young, Ansonia – 93 and Brayden Bacher, Tri-County North.

Tri-Village senior Golfer Reagan Brewer was the lone girl’s golfer to advance to the OHSAA Girls DII District Golf Tournament at PipeStone golf course.

She finished with an 88, an 11^th place finish and saw her career come to an end … but not before setting numerous school records along the way.

The Arcanum boys golf team competed at the OHSAA DII District Tournament at PipeStone and finished their season in 11^th place. Senior Graham Brubaker ended his outstanding career by just missing the cutoff to advance to the State Tournament carding a 73, the fifth best score at districts.

Team Results:

Congratulations to all the teams and individual golfers getting this far and good luck to National Trail in the State Tournament.

The Blazers will compete on Friday October 11^th at the Northstar Golf Club in Sunbury, Ohio.

For more information follow this link.

https://www.ohsaa.org/Sports-Tournaments/Golf/Golf-2024/2024-State-Tournament-Coverage


National Trail District Boys Golf Champions, advances to state both first in school history. 
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