Top 10 Sports Moments at Elder for 2015-2016

Elder has been known around the state for its ability to compete in sports. Every year, there are always bigger and better moments which define Elder’s athletic program and shape the image of the school. So, for Zach Fries and I, it was hard to narrow down all the moments this year to the five best. Elder had the best winter sports season in school history, with bowling and basketball winning GCL and hockey winning the SWOHSHL. While some will debate the order of importance, no one can deny these moments are some of the best from this school year.

Number 10: Freshman Football repeated an undefeated season. I’m aware of what many of you are thinking, it is freshmen so who cares? Well, in two years you’re all going to care a great deal when the two undefeated freshmen teams are on varsity together. Many may not think this is a big deal, but for any team at Elder, or any school for that matter to have a completely undefeated team two years in a row is something worth noting.

Number 9: Elder Cross Country had a solid 2015 campaign. One memorable moment came at the Fairmont Invitational. Elder CC was taking on LaSalle and 15 other schools. Eric Ostertag and Drew Mack posted solid times for the Purple Pack. In a tight race that came down to the wire, the Panthers edged out the Lancers. It’s safe to say that LaSalle was dejected. The Lancers didn’t show up to the post-race ceremony. That win was one of many great showings by the Purple Pack.

Number 8: Peyton Ramsey and Frankie Hofmeyer both win GCL player of the year in football and basketball, respectively. Peyton is arguably the greatest quarterback at Elder in recent memory, and Frankie Hofmeyer might be one of the greatest all around basketball players at Elder. Without a doubt, they earned this. The only reason they are not actually ranked for this milestone is because their accomplishments which earned them this award are ranked ahead of them.

Number 7: Tommy Kraemer carved out an unbelievable career on the football field. Tommy had over 150 pancake blocks in his senior year. He committed to Notre Dame to continue his athletic and academic career. Also, Tommy won Gatorade player of the year in the state of Ohio. Many well-known NFL players have won this prestigious award including: Charles Woodson (1994-1995), Ted Ginn (2003-2004), and Jordan Hicks (2009-2010). Tommy has had a tremendous impact on the Elder community, and everyone is looking forward to what his future holds.

Number 6: Elder beats Saint Xavier in football double overtime by a score of 24-17. Many people say this game belongs in the top 5, and I would have to agree in some aspect, but given the circumstances surrounding the game, and comparing it to the other top 5, this is a good place for it. Elder football has beaten Saint Xavier 49 times over the years, and although each game is important, the bar for football has been set so high since 2002-2003. This game is not one of the top 5 best moments of 2015-16, but it is without question the most memorable. The game went back and forth until Elder pulled out the win to begin the pathway towards the GCL title Elder football has missed for a long time.

Number 5: Starting it off the top five is Coach Ramsey’s 150^th win as the head coach of the Elder football team. Since 1997, Coach Ramsey has instilled a winning tradition at Elder by winning back to back state titles in 2002 and 2003. He has led the panthers to four GCL titles during his tenure. Coach Ramsey’s first win came on August 29^th, 1997 against the Middletown Middies by a score of 32-14. Elder beat Lakota West 34-17 on September 5^th, 2015 to get Coach Ramsey to the 150 mark. It’s been a great run so far, but there are plenty more wins to come.

Number 4: October 30^th, 2015 was a big night for the Elder football team. They were looking for revenge on LaSalle and a share of the GCL title. Elder marched onto LaSalle’s home turf and dominated the game from the start. The defense held LaSalle to just seven points, and Elder prevailed 21-7. It gave the Panthers some much needed momentum going into the playoffs. Elder would eventually lose to Colerain, but it was definitely a successful season on the gridiron for the Panthers.

Number 3: Elder Hockey wins its first ever playoff game against LaSalle in a 4-3 shootout. Yes, Elder does have a hockey team. For the first time, the hockey team is now making themselves known as a reckonable force on the ice of Cincinnati. The next playoff game Elder would go on to win its first ever league championship. For a team with no previous notoriety for being a playoff contender, nor being considered a great team, the 2015-2016 hockey team deserved a place in the top 3.

Number 2: Sophomore Austin Murphy placed 6^th in the Ohio State Tournament. Elder has not had a state placer since 2014 with Jacob Conners, about two years ago as a senior. Since then, Elder has had a hiatus of state placers until Austin Murphy. Murphy only placed sixth in the state, but for a sophomore this is extremely impressive. Orlando Scales placed third when he started wrestling as a sophomore, and won first place the next two years. Murphy may not have placed as high as Orlando Scales did, but the potential is there for him to develop into a better wrestler and improve his state rank by the time he graduates. Since he is a sophomore and the only state placer in two years, his momentum carries him to the number two spot on the top 105, and may bring his ranking up in years to come if he continues to improve.

Number 1: Senior Joey Sabato not only broke the goal scoring record in soccer with 57, he also broke the assist record in basketball with 304, a record that has stood since Jeff Bleh in 1987. Sabato’s 57 career goals beat a record which lasted almost a decade by Anthony Meyer. Joey Sabato is currently the only athlete to hold multiple records in multiple sports in Elder’s athletic history to date. He is also second on most goals scored in a season with 17, behind Anthony Meyer with 22. Although he is a senior and his time to break records is up, the impact he made over the four years is enough to cement his legacy in Elder’s athletics, and this year alone to make his impact the number 1 moment at Elder this year. This without question is the number one moment at Elder in sports this school year, and these records will most likely stand for a long, long time.

The video contains footage of the top 5 moments.