John Kampf
I’ve been doing this sports writing thing for a while, going back to August 1991 when I graduated on a Friday morning from Ohio State and covered a football game that night at my first “real” job. Since then I haven’t missed a Friday night football game — until Sept. 6, 2004. I had a wedding that night that I couldn’t and wouldn’t miss, which meant I would be missing the super-rare (both locally and statewide) game between two reigning state champions — the Perry vs. Kirtland game. Of course, it was a classic, with Kirtland’s Jake LaVerde throwing a touchdown pass and then diving to the pylon to score the game-winning two-point conversion for a 22-21 triple-overtime win. As everyone knows, it was played in an absolute deluge. And to be 100 percent honest, as much as I felt bad about missing my first Friday night football game of my career — an instant classic to boot — I admit I looked out the window at the reception a few times at the monsoon and muttered, “Man, I’m glad I’m not standing out there covering a football game tonight.”
Ben Hercik
Often these are tales of a funny story or a unique situation. But a bit of nostalgia happened on Feb. 24 that jumped to one of my favorite moments. I wrestled for Euclid in my high school days, the first time my name was in The News-Herald was as a part of the high school scoreboard and as a part of the Panthers’ comeback win when we beat Mayfield after six straight wins from 160-285 with five straight bonus point wins in the regional dual my junior year. It was my favorite sport that I participated in and still has some of my favorite memories of all time, minus the cutting weight. Fast forward nine years, I walked into Doc Daugherty Gymnasium to cover my first wrestling event as a member of the News-Herald for the sectional round. I was hit with both nostalgia and so many emotions at one time. I went up to the second level of bleachers while wrestlers were getting taped and eating after weigh-ins to take it all in. Wrestling will always hold a special place in my heart, while I love every sport I cover, wrestling will always be at the top of the list.
Chris Lillstrung
From a game standpoint, my 25th high school hockey season was supposed to begin Dec. 1 as Gilmour hosted University. “Supposed to” being the key words. That was, of course, in the middle of our historic snowstorm that, for all intents and purposes, shut down the snowbelt. For two days, I shoveled my driveway in Painesville for several rounds with the hope of still making it to Gates Mills, which had barely been broached by the storm. When the time arrived, I got out of my driveway with minimal issue … but then got stuck in the street. My small street, understandably, had tire tracks but had not been plowed for a couple days, as Painesville did its best to keep up with main roads. Long story short, it took an hour and a neighbor’s assistance just to make it back to my driveway, let alone cover hockey. And while this tug of war of being stuck in the street transpired, unbeknownst to me, Painesville had issued a travel ban, making hockey a moot point anyway. I don’t ever miss Battle of SOM chapters on the ice. But for this one, I had a good reason.
An honorable mention as well: Oct. 5, I was starting a three-match soccer day with the Berkshire girls side hosting Karns City (Pa.). It was also the Badgers involved in my “Now it can be told” last year, when I dropped my key fob amid a thunderstorm and had to be towed back from Warren Champion to Painesville as a result. The key fob, it turned out, was in just the “right” crevice under my driver’s seat that I couldn’t find it at night and in the rain. Getting back to 2024, the Berkshire-Karns City match had just begun the second 40 when I felt a sharp pain in my right arm. For the first time since I was a child, I had been stung by a bee. Postmatch, Badgers coach Ian Patterson connected me with the Berkshire trainer to treat the sting before moving on to a Mayfield-West Geauga doubleheader. It’s worth noting, ironically, I had a major beehive problem in my siding at home and had not been stung while spraying the nest multiple times. Yet at one soccer match, just my luck, I got stung. Not sure what it is about me and Berkshire girls soccer matches recently.