February 27, 2020

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

Appreciation for our sports reporters I

ELLEN WAGNER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

am not a fan of watching sports. I understand the basics, but I don’t get the excitement over watching any sporting event. I definitely do not understand the different logistics and statistics that go into every team at Ohio University.

But every time I read an article from our sports staff, I think about how much I appreciate them for what they do.

The job of a sports journalist is to have the audience to better understand the game, team and players. Readers follow The Post’s sports coverage to stay up-todate on the Bobcats whether they have just missed a game once or they have left Athens and OU. The audience wants to read The Post sports articles to get a deeper analysis of a game from players and coaches or to learn more about the team outside of the game they play.

I am a terrible Ohio sports fan. I have sadly only gone to a few football and hockey games during my time at OU, and I have not been to a basketball game. My extent

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ELLEN WAGNER DIGITAL MANAGING EDITOR Taylor Johnston

EDITORIAL

NEWS EDITORS Abby Miller, Nolan Simmons ASST. NEWS EDITOR Ian McKenzie LONG-FORM EDITOR Ashton Nichols SPORTS EDITORS Matt Parker, Anthony Poisal CULTURE EDITOR Baylee DeMuth ASST. CULTURE EDITOR Riley Runnells OPINION EDITOR Shelby Campbell ASST. OPINION EDITOR Noah Wright THE BEAT EDITOR Molly Schramm ASST. THE BEAT EDITOR Mady Lewellyn COPY CHIEF Bre Offenberger SLOT EDITORS Jack Gleckler, Avery Kreemer, Chloe Meyers, Kevin Pan

ART

ART DIRECTORS Rilee Lockhart DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Kelsey Boeing PHOTO EDITOR Emilee Chinn

DIGITAL

WEB DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Midge Mazur SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR Matthew Geiger DIRECTOR OF MULTIMEDIA Nicholas Langer

BUSINESS

STUDENT MEDIA SALES INTERNSHIP MANAGER Andrea Lewis MEDIA SALES Emily Cassidy, Ali Gifford, Kyle McCort

2 / FEB. 27, 2020

of knowledge about basketball includes Troy Bolton from High School Musical, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the one time I coached a recreation basketball team in high school. I know the basics, but ask me to explain anything more, and I will definitely do it wrong.

I know there are others like me who are completely lost when it comes to anything sports-related. However, The Post’s basketball reporters know how to break it down, no matter the extent of your knowledge of sports.

Over the past few years, I have learned a lot more about sports journalism than I thought I would. It’s more challenging to do than people think.

Sports journalism is more than just the game. People who saw the game or the score know what happened. It’s about getting people interested enough to read a story about it after. Our basketball reporters make it easy and interesting for anyone to understand the game. Sport journalism is a difficult craft to master, and they chal-

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lenge themselves with it every day.

Our reporters give up weekday nights and weekends to attend the games both at Ohio and other universities. They are quick to give turnarounds on stories with game results and a deeper analysis of the game for our audience to have right away.

I am always excited to hear about the pitches and read our stories about the OU basketball teams. Our reporters that work on men’s and women’s basketball stories always seem to find the most interesting angles beyond what happens on the court.

So even though I may not be rooting for our Ohio teams in the stands, I am rooting for them through our reporters and our publication.

Ellen Wagner is a senior studying journalism at Ohio University and the editor-in-chief of The Post. Have questions? Email Ellen at ew047615@ohio.edu or tweet her @ewagner19.

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WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

MEN’S BASKETBALL OHIO 14-14, 6-9 MAC

TALE OF THE TAPE RECORD

KENT STATE 18-10, 8-7 MAC

OHIO

TALE OF THE TAPE RECORD

17-9, 10-5 MAC

BUFFALO 15-11, 6-9 MAC

71.1

POINTS PER GAME

76

73.6

POINTS PER GAME

68.8

35.5

REBOUNDS PER GAME

36

35.9

REBOUNDS PER GAME

42.5

14.5

ASSISTS PER GAME

13.8

12.23

ASSISTS PER GAME

.445

FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE

.454

.411

FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE

.393

.348

3-POINT PERCENTAGE

.344

.327

3-POINT PERCENTAGE

.283

JASON PRESTON (16.3 PPG)

LEADING SCORER

MATT PARKER SPORTS EDITOR Ohio will play its final game in The Convo this season on Friday when it hosts Kent State in a critical Mid-American Conference East Division matchup.

The Bobcats (14-14, 6-9 MAC) lost their first bout against the Golden Flashes (18-10, 8-7 MAC) on Feb. 15 in an 87-72 final. In perhaps one of their worst defensive performances of the season, the Bobcats allowed three Kent players to score double digits.

Even though the loss occurred just a few weeks ago, the Bobcats since then

ANTONIO WILLIAMS (14.2 PPG)

have rattled off three impressive games despite one ending in a one-point loss.

With the arrival of Ben Roderick, it appears that Ohio has another vital weapon at its disposal alongside Jason Preston, Ben Vander Plas and Jordan Dartis.

It’s the Bobcats’ senior night, and Dartis and Sylvester Ogbonda will be celebrated ahead of the game.

Tip-off is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. and will be televised on CBS Sports Network.

@MATTHEWLPARKER5 MP109115@OHIO.EDU

CECE HOOKS (18.5 PPG)

LEADING SCORER

J.L. KIRVEN STAFF WRITER The Bobcats (17-9, 10-5 Mid-American Conference) have suffered back-to-back road losses, but luckily for them, they’ll return to The Convo on Saturday to face Buffalo.

Ohio is looking to rebound from a 8268 blowout loss at Bowling Green. The Bobcats still hold onto a slim lead in the MAC East Division but currently trail behind Central Michigan and Ball State in the conference standings. Central Michigan locked up the MAC title on Wednesday, so at this point, the Bobcats are playing for favorable seeding and a first-round bye in

12.04

DYAISHA FAIR (21.2 PPG)

the MAC Tournament.

Buffalo (15-11, 6-9 MAC) was a thorn in Ohio’s foot last season, but this year has been a disappointment for the Bulls. Last year’s MAC Tournament champs at one point were near the bottom of the conference but have since risen into the middle of the pack after a pair of wins over Miami and Bowling Green.

A win on Saturday would put the Bobcats back on track, but a loss would show signs of a tailspin at a crucial part of the season.

@JL_KIRVEN JK810916@OHIO.EDU

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MEN’S BASKETBALL

Surpassing expectations The Bobcats were selected to finish last in the conference. Now, they’re a few games away from potentially hosting a MAC Tournament game MATT PARKER SPORTS EDITOR

“ X X X X X X X

n Oct. 31, 2019, the Mid-American Conference released its coaches’ preseason poll ahead of the basketball season.

Ohio received 12 votes. All of them picked the Bobcats to finish last.

The criticism was fair. After all, it had a new coach with new systems and a new culture. It had players that could’ve made an impact transfer out of the program. It had eight incoming freshmen who all had never played a minute of Division I basketball in their life.

And yet, with just three games left, the Bobcats inch closer and closer to potentially hosting a first round game in the MAC Tournament, which starts on March 9.

They haven’t hosted a tournament game since the 2016-2017 season when rival Miami lost in The Convo by 14 points.

The aforementioned facets of adversity should’ve caused Ohio to be in a worse spot than it is right now.

A new coach with implementing new staff, systems and culture can be tough on the most impressionable or seasoned team. The losses of James Gollon, Jason Carter, Teyvion Kirk and Antonio Cowart Jr. hurt. They were experienced players who had the skills to give the Bobcats more than just 12 votes.

The now seven freshmen, after the departure of Marvin Price, have had

their youthful moments. But with nearly 30 games under their belts, the experience and, more importantly, the confidence shows.

Ohio opened up its first half of the MAC slate with a 2-7 record but has since then found its stride. The Bobcats have won four out of their last six games — including an 80-69 final over Buffalo, who currently has a first-round bye heading into the MAC Tournament — and it’s because of both tangibles and intangibles.

Tangibly speaking, coach Jeff Boals has used a multitude of in-game substitutions that have put his team in positions to succeed. Perhaps the most notable of these substitutions came against Miami on Feb. 8 when he pulled Sylvester Ogbonda in place for Ben Roderick.

From there, the Bobcats rolled with their small ball lineup, and it gave them great success against the Miami and Western Michigan the following week.

Truly, it’s been the intangibles. As they find ways to win moments in the game, those moments turn into the game itself, and the confidence grows.

“We’re learning every game,” Jason Preston said. “We’re a young team, and we’re just getting better each practice — staying together and following what coach Boals says.”

Preston, the sophomore point guard who runs Ohio’s offense like he ties his shoes, has had that preseason prediction in the back of his mind. It’s given him part of the chip that’s on his shoul-

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

We probably should’ve been picked last, but if you go back, from day one we’ve had two goals, and that’s get better every day and get closer as a team every day.”

- Jeff Boals, Ohio men’s basketball coach

ders every time he goes out on the court.

“The goal is to just keep going up that ladder,” he said.

There’s only three more rungs on that ladder with Kent State, Akron and Miami. For the Bobcats to climb that ladder, they need to continue to play with that confidence they’ve shown over the course of the last three weeks.

“We probably should’ve been picked last,” Boals said. “But if you go back, from day one we’ve had two goals, and that’s get better every day and get closer as a team every day.”

Those two goals translate to the tangibles and intangibles. Ohio’s never gotten too low in its worst stretch of the season, a four-game losing streak where it lost by an average of 5.5 points. In the midst of that stretch, there was optimism that this young team could hang around a veteran squad like Akron.

At the end of the stretch, a road trip to Dairy Queen after a loss to Ball State froze up the woes. In their next game, the Bobcats blew out Miami.

Ohio was a team that was looked down upon at the start of the season.

With all of the turnover and changes it had faced and was set to experience, it would’ve been an easy vote to put the Bobcats in last place.

But week by week, they’ve quietly begun to turn those expectations into falsehoods and have played the way that perhaps they didn’t even know they could.

There’s still plenty of time for things to go sour or stay the same, but nevertheless, with where it is now, there isn’t reason for the Bobcats to believe they were going to be last.

@MATTHEWLPARKER5 MP109115@OHIO.EDU

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MEN’S BASKETBALL

Gaining experience Ben Roderick provided a glimpse of what kind of player he can be in Ohio’s win over Buffalo MATT PARKER SPORTS EDITOR

B

Ohio University’s Ben Roderick (No. 3) drives the ball against Central Michigan University. The Bobcats won the game 77-69 in The Convo on Tuesday, Feb, 18, 2020.

(RYAN GRZYBOWSKI / FOR THE POST)

en Roderick caught the ball, and with a Buffalo defender closing in on him toward the left wing, he jumped and snapped his left wrist.

The ball snapped in the back of the net, and Ohio was on the board with a 3-0 lead.

Then he did it again and again. The freshman from Powell, in his first home start in what’s sure to be a storied career at Ohio, gave the Bobcats just the spark they needed to open up the game against one of the Mid-American Conference’s best.

His 21 points – both a game and career high – helped push Ohio past Buffalo on Tuesday night in an 80-69 win in The Convo.

It was a game that Roderick needed to have. All season long, he’s dealt with injuries and trying to ease himself into being a key player for Ohio in his first season in college basketball. An ankle injury and then a broken hand limited his development. Once he was cleared, he was given a few minutes here and there just to get his body and mind right for a game atmosphere.

He’s had big moments where he’s come up short. Against Northern Illinois, he missed the game-tying field goal from the top of the key in a two-point loss. At Bowling Green, he could’ve potentially sealed the game if he had made the second free throw.

Instead, the ball rimmed out, and the Falcons recovered. Justin Turner hit the game-winning shot with just two seconds left in a one point loss for the Bobcats.

Rather than mope about and stay in his head, Roderick opened Tuesday’s game a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond-the-arc and contributed half of Ohio’s 18 points in the first 10 minutes of the game.

“I just was getting up extra shots, watching film with all my coaches. Tonight (Tuesday) it just finally paid off,” Roderick said. “I’m just going to keep shooting.”

Roderick’s shots came from all over the floor. The left wing, the right wing, in the middle. Simply put, the reigning Ohio Gatorade Player of the Year had the coming out party that’s been 28 games in the making.

“Ben Roderick coming off the missed free throw, to have him do that performance was huge for his confidence,” coach

Jeff Boals said. “In this game, confidence is everything. As a coach and as a teammate, you’ve got to build people up.”

Boals credited Roderick as one of the few players who can make a contested shot of all the talent that’s on the Bobcats roster when a defender isn’t giving much space or has a hand in his face.

For Roderick and his teammates, a performance such as the one against Buffalo doesn’t come as a surprise. Throughout the ups and downs that the Bobcats have experienced, Roderick has come on as of late. In their last few games, whether it’s been on the defensive end tallying up rebounds or offensively dishing out assists, the high-scoring performance was one he’s been wanting and needing.

“He’s a great shooter, knock down what, his first three 3s?” Jason Preston said. “He does this.”

Performances like the one against Buffalo soon won’t be seen as surprises. When he signed his letter of intent to play at Ohio, the 6 feet, 5 inch forward became the highest-rated recruit to sign and commit in program history.

“I just think it built up my confidence,” he said. “Especially getting the lead and holding that lead is what we have trouble with. It was good to come out with a win.”

Despite his injuries, he’s developed into a vital bench player, and with Lunden McDay working through an injury, Roderick might have bought himself more time in the starting five – especially with Ohio needing to close out the season strong to host a first round tournament game.

“Him being in a close game like he was against Bowling Green, it’s going to help him in the long run. It’s going to help us in the long run,” Boals said. “He’s going to be a big part of our future.”

When the final horn blared, signalling the Bobcats’ victory over their fellow Mid-American Conference rival, Roderick wiped the sweat from his brow and began shaking hands with the opponents.

Then, when he and his teammates traced the perimeter of the court high-fiving their fans, he let his guard down and smiled, knowing he was a difference maker.

Not only on Tuesday, but for the rest of his career.

@MATTHEWLPARKER5 MP109115@OHIO.EDU THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 5

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Top to Bottom MAC men’s basketball power rankings MATT PARKER SPORTS EDITOR With the Mid-American Conference Tournament just a few weeks away, there’s still plenty of time for seedings to change, first-round byes to be earned and home playoff games to be hosted.

Most teams only have three games left, and before the tournament star ts, The Post will take a quick glance at all 12 teams and rank them from first to worst.

1. BOWLING GREEN (21-7, 12-3) With their 78-60 win over Akron on Tuesday, the Falcons have taken sole possession of first place in all of the conference and have already secured a first-round bye. Bowling Green’s victory over the Zips was its largest conference win of the season, and it was needed. It has shown that it has the ability to close out narrow games. Most recently, it avoided an upset from visiting Ohio on Saturday in a narrow 62-61 win. Led by Justin Turner and the return of Dylan Frye, the Falcons are the team to beat heading into the tournament.

2. AKRON (21-7, 11-4) As long as John Groce is a coach in the MAC, his team should be feared and respected. Built by an experienced starting five and plenty of transfers, Akron has put themselves in position to have a first-round bye as long as they close out the season in comfortable fashion. Looking at their schedule, the Zips travel to Buffalo with MAC East Division standings on the line. They close out the season hosting Ohio and Kent State, both of which gave the Zips trouble in their first bouts.

3. BUFFALO (18-10, 9-6) Even though the Bulls suffered an 11-point loss to Ohio on Tuesday, there’s reason for them to be the No. 3 team in our power rankings despite being the fourth seed at the moment. Buffalo was on a four-game win streak before its visit to Athens with wins over Central Michigan, Toledo, Ball State and Kent 6 / FEB. 27, 2020

1. BOWLING GREEN

5. KENT STATE

9. CENTRAL MICHIGAN

2. AKRON

6. BALL STATE

10. EASTERN MICHIGAN

3. BUFFALO

7. TOLEDO

11. WESTERN MICHIGAN

4. NORTHERN ILLINOIS

8. OHIO

12. MIAMI

State. Against its two superiors, however, Buffalo is currently 1-1. It will have a chance to avenge the loss to Bowling Green and sweep Akron, which would affect the seeding for the tournament.

West in the preseason coaches poll, but with wins over Northern Illinois and Toledo and a chance to sweep them to finish the season, it could make a mess of the current bracket.

4. NORTHERN ILLINOIS (17-11, 10-5) The Huskies’ six-game win streak that started on Jan. 21 and ended on Feb. 7 helped catapult them into a position to maintain a first-round bye. Northern Illinois hosted a first round game in DeKalb, Illinois, last season, and if it can close out the narrow games, it should punch a ticket to Cleveland.

7. TOLEDO (14-14, 6-9) Chalk up the 2019-20 season as a disappointment if you put stock into preseason polls. The conference’s coaches selected Toledo to win the West Division, and it received two votes to win the whole conference. Instead, the Rockets have experienced too much inconsistency and land at No. 7. Their two-game win streak could potentially end, however, after they play both Ball State and Northern Illinois.

5. KENT STATE (18-10, 8-7) We give more credit to the East Division teams merely because how top heavy the division is compared to the West. Kent’s seven conference losses have been sporadic in how they occur. Ranging from blowouts to narrow margins, its most impressive stretch of late occurred when the Golden Flashes halted a hot Ohio team, but then lost by 21 points to Eastern Michigan.

6. BALL STATE (16-12, 9-6) The Cardinals currently are in second place in the West Division standings and are in the midst of a two-game win streak with victories over Eastern Michigan and Western Michigan. Ball State was selected to finish third in the

8. OHIO (14-14, 6-9) In the Bobcats’ first half of the conference schedule, they went 2-7 and were halfway through a four-game losing streak. Now, they’ve won four out of their last six, including an 80-69 win over Buffalo on Tuesday. The schedule is tough with games against Akron and Kent, but Ohio closes out the season at Miami, which should be an easy win.

9. CENTRAL MICHIGAN (13-14, 6-8) Despite its losing record both overall and in the conference, Central Michigan would host a first-round game if the tournament started today. Before

Tuesday’s games were final, the Chippewas, along with Toledo and Ohio, had a three-way tie for the final two host spots in the bracket. They can still slide out of place, however, and their sixgame losing streak could continue as they still have to play four more games.

10. EASTERN MICHIGAN (15-13, 5-10) After a hot start in nonconference play, the Eagles went 0-7 to open up their MAC slate. Since then they’ve won close games, minus a 21-point blow out over Kent State.

11. WESTERN MICHIGAN (11-17, 4-11) Three of the Broncos four wins all happened in their first half of the MAC schedule. They currently are in the midst of a five-game losing streak with NIU, CMU and EMU left on the schedule.

12. MIAMI (10-17, 3-11) The great thing about a bad season is that there’s always next year. The RedHawks will be traveling in the first round. They could upset their host, but it’s unlikely.

@MATTHEWLPARKER5 MP109115@OHIO.EDU

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PA announcer Lou Horvath gives advertisements during the OU versus Central Michigan University basketball game, as he does for many other sports, on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2020. (NATE SWANSON / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)

Meet Lou Horvath Ohio fans always hear the baritones of Horvath, but his story goes deeper

With Horvath, something new is always there to discover.

ANTHONY POISAL SPORTS EDITOR Lou Horvath leans forward in his chair at the local Ruby Tuesday restaurant and takes a bite out of a chicken pimento sandwich.

It’s a cloudy afternoon in Athens, where Horvath has lived for over four decades and has become a local legend in the small Southeast Ohio town. His snow white hair, well-trimmed beard and circular glasses give Horvath, 72, an indelible look that matches his easy-going, personable vibe.

But not many Athens residents see that side of him.

Usually, they usually just hear the voice of Horvath, the public address announcer at nearly every Ohio University athletic event and the lead vocalist in a classic rock band that draws locals to each gig.

His story, however, goes far beyond his baritones, which is why Horvath set down his sandwich after one bite.

He always has a lot to tell.

“Oh, hell no,” he said when asked if his life as a PA announcer has ever grown old. “It’s a privilege. It’s elation.

The only problem is people move on.”

He’s right. Plenty of people have moved on across his 20 years as the voice of Ohio athletics. That’s what happens in a college athletic department, where the typical career of a student-athlete is four years.

Horvath, born and raised in Bellaire, has lived in Athens since 1971. He’s here to stay. For him, Athens is the perfect town, and anyone who’s attended an OU sporting event or heard one of his musical acts won’t forget about him.

8 / FEB. 27, 2020

Lou Horvath when he was in the Army and served in the Vietnam War in the late 1960s.

(PROVIDED BY SHELLY HORVATH)

Ohio men’s basketball coach Jeff Boals shimmies down the sideline and pumps his arms at the fans sitting a few feet behind his team.

Between Boals and the crowd is Horvath. He’s sitting with two hands firmly placed atop the scorer’s table and shouting into the black earpiece lined along the right side of his cheek.

He’s excited, too. His voice echoes through The Convo as the Bobcats race up and down the court between each play. Horvath’s job is to ensure the crowd can feel the same energy as him.

“Jordan Dartis, from the third ring of Saturn!”

“Put! Back! Slam! Jason Preston!”

Horvath is unconventional. He prefers not to follow the typical linguistics most PA announcers use.

For basketball, his Saturn reference and thunderous pronouncements when a player dunks stick out most. For volleyball, Horvath bounces around nicknames with each player — “Leapin’” Lizzie Stephens, “Jumpin’” Jamie Kosiorek. For football, he constantly urges the crowd at Peden Stadium to “get agitated!”

He sprinkles in his own blend of phrases for each sport.

That’s, perhaps, the biggest reason so many Ohio fans know Horvath.

“Way back in the day when I first heard him, I thought it was cool and neat,” said Rick Hartung, 73, who’s attended games in The Convo since the ’70s. “But I thought, ‘Man, can he keep that up?’”

Horvath certainly has. He wants everyone to know he doesn’t script his phrases and monikers, either. They flow freely. When he feels the time is right for one, he just says it.

“If you haven’t noticed, I’m not exactly the quietest guy,” Horvath said with a smile. “I’m not an NBA cookie-cutter guy that yells, ‘Threeeee.’ If I ever do that, just drag me off.”

Horvath first broke into PA announcing for his son’s junior high school soccer games at Alexander High School in the late ’90s. He was so good that the school eventually asked him to be their basketball announcer, too, and it’s a role he still has today.

Horvath followed Alexander to The Convo when the team played in a tournament inside the now 51-year-old building.

For the tournament, Horvath sometimes completed eight games in a day.

So, he couldn’t help himself when he overheard someone from the Ohio athletic department at a scrimmage soccer game at Peden Stadium.

“If we could just find somebody to announce these games,” he said.

Horvath was sitting behind him and tapped him on the shoulder.

“Hey, I’m Lou,” he said. “I can do this.”

His role expanded to men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball and football, which he began 10 years ago. He’s still the announcer for each of those sports and has rarely missed an event across his two decades with OU athletics.

Players have noticed when Horvath isn’t there. His most recent absence was for three Ohio WNIT games last season when he took his family on vacation to Italy.

The athletic department found a replacement, but players and coaches certainly noticed a difference. The Convo had an odd vibe.

“It was definitely weird not having Lou here,” guard Dominique Doseck said in a postgame interview March 21 against High Point. “That was … odd, especially in warmups.”

Coach Bob Boldon missed Horvath, too.

“I think everyone misses Lou,” Boldon said. “That gave us a peek into what retirement might look like without Lou here.”

Horvath’s absence was only temporary. He doesn’t plan on permanently vacating his seat anytime soon.

“As long as I can still think and talk,” he said when asked about how much longer he’ll go. “As long as I can put a phrase together.”

Before he began a life tucked into the Southeast Ohio portion of Appalachia, Horvath endured a brief but important period of time in Pleiku, Vietnam.

Horvath is a Vietnam War veteran. He is open to discussing his experiences — and opinions — from his time as an intelligence analyst for the U.S Army. He spent 18 months on tour after a high school friend convinced him to forego his engineering degree at Indiana Tech and enlist upon being drafted.

At the time, Horvath only wanted to join the Army Security Agency. He was told the ASA didn’t operate in Vietnam.

Instead, Horvath could visit Rome or Athens, Greece.

Horvath soon learned that was all for show.

Turns out, the ASA did operate in Vietnam. The recruiter just referred to them with a different name: “Radio Research.”

Horvath didn’t know that, though. Soon enough, he was heading to Pleiku. The war was reaching its peak, and he was part of hundreds of thousands of American soldiers boarding an 18-hour flight to the battlegrounds.

“We were scared,” Horvath said. “Everybody was scared.

You get on the airplane, look down, and it’s frightening. You see smoke billowing in different places. You hear shots. You

hear sirens.”

Horvath’s duties didn’t require him to fight in combat, but he still had a close-up view of the carnage. When he describes one of them, it’s not with a disappointing, sorrowful tone a listener might expect.

Instead, he cracks a smile.

The date was Sept. 12, 1968. Horvath and his crewmates were settling into a station located on a red dirt hill three kilometers outside of Pleiku. The base was not fully developed. Soldiers had bed spreads stuffed with feathers instead of mattresses, and the area looked much different from a typical barracks.

On that calm night, Horvath and his crewmates were hit with 110 mortar shells that fell within the length of a football field around their base. In training, they were told to use their mattresses as shields in an attack.

They didn’t have those. The only cover was their thin bed linens.

As bombs exploded the area around him, Horvath looked over to his friend, John Miller, and laughed.

“Miller!” Horvath yelled. “We’re supposed to roll over on our butts and cover up with a mattress. All we have is sleeping bags. If we get hit, there’s going to be feathers everywhere!”

Miller looked back at Horvath, nicknamed “Hoover,” and delivered a grisly reply.

“Hoover,” he said, “if we get hit, there will be red feathers!”

The rest of the crew laughed as explosions continued to bludgeon the land around them.

None of the men Horvath knew were hurt, and he escaped the end of his 18 months without any wounds or longterm health problems.

But the fallout of the war and whether the U.S. should’ve been involved have always given Horvath mixed feelings.

“There’s kind of a suspicion in how things work,” Horvath said. “There’s a bit of a chip on your shoulder ... We picked the wrong side, I think. If you read back through history, we chose the more corrupt of the two sides.”

Horvath struggled to cope with the U.S. involvement in the war until he watched the movie Apocalypse Now in the Athena Cinema in 1979, nearly a decade since he was in Vietnam.

Before then, he and other veterans felt a sense of regret for serving in the war. People from both ends of the political spectrum were skeptical of the war efforts, and that limited the level of pride Horvath felt for being a Vietnam veteran.

But the movie, which details the tumultuous journey of a U.S. Army officer’s pursuit to assassinate a Special Forces colonel, helped Horvath come to grips.

After watching the film, Horvath remembers walking outside the cinema and sitting on the curb. He was lost in thought.

So, too, was another man across the street who watched the film and was pacing around the parking lot.

“That was another veteran,” Horvath said. “We were reflecting on those things we experienced. (The movie) pretty much captured the feeling that we didn’t exactly know where we were going. There was always an underlying sense of uneasiness and foreboding. That allowed me to vent and put things in perspective.”

Unlike some other veterans, Horvath doesn’t carry a bucket list of tasks he feels he should do after spending a fraction of life in war.

To him, Athens has given him everything he’s wanted, anyway. He’s been married to his wife, Shelly, for 31 years and has watched his three kids grow up and call Athens

If you need a little lovin’/ Call on me all right / If you want a little huggin’ / Call on me baby, mmmmmm / Oh, I’ll be right here at home Oh, I’ll be right here at home

home. Horvath held a Social Security job after his military service. He is now retired.

He’s also ensured that the courage of Vietnam War veterans won’t be forgotten in his town.

One of Horvath’s proudest achievements can be seen on the bricks of the Athens County Courthouse, where the Athens Area Vietnam Veterans of America chapter raised money to place a bronze plaque with 31 names of Athens residents and OU students who died in the war.

The plaque was added to the building in 1990. Horvath was one of the chapter’s members who led the fundraising efforts and reached out to each of the veterans’ families listed on the plaque for an invitation to the memorial ceremony.

“This is my adopted community,” Horvath said. “I spent more time here than in any other place in my life. The ability for our organization to give back to the community and recognize those people who made the ultimate sacrifice, that meant a great deal.”

Horvath received a plaque of his own, too.

It was from his family, who gave it to Horvath on the day of the ceremony and wanted him to have a personal piece of memorabilia for his service. It currently sits in his home office.

“On this day of dedication, we honor you,” the plaque says in gold engraved script, “a Vietnam veteran who came home — and lives to make a difference.

The Smiling Skull Saloon is mostly quiet. A few bargoers — ranging from OU college students to older Athens residents — sit in wooden chairs around the dimly lit bar and chat over a playlist of Johnny Cash songs playing over the speakers.

Then, the music stops. Horvath breaks the silence as he stands on a stage with his five other band members.

“For those who don’t know who we are, that’s good — because you can’t put it in a subpoena,” Horvath jokes after grabbing his light brown Music Man guitar and making a practice strum.

Horvath is in a light blue Hawaiian shirt decorated with dark blue flowers. Underneath is a black long-sleeve Ohio Bobcats football T-shirt.

It’s Horvath’s traditional attire when he performs at The Skull with his band, Backwords. The band performs dozens of classic rock and soul hits about once a month, and it’s another way that Horvath has built his fame around town.

“Every time I see Backwords is playing, I’m here,” said one woman, facing the stage and tapping her foot to the music.

Her husband is sitting next to her and nodding his head to the beat.

“They’re the local guys,” he said, “and we like that.”

It doesn’t matter who watches, though. Horvath feels at home.

He’s felt that way ever since he returned from Vietnam in 1970 and moved to Athens. He’s also made Peden Stadium, The Convo and basketball gyms in Southeast Ohio his second homes, too.

Horvath’s voice has become as recognizable as “Stand Up and Cheer” at Ohio sporting events. He loves his job, and people can feel it.

So, after his opening remarks, Horvath looks back and receives the nod from his bandmates for their first song. He steps up to the mic and serenades the crowd with the opening lyrics of “634-5789” by Wilson Pickett.

@ANTHONYP_2 AP012215@OHIO.EDU

- “634-5789,” WILSON PICKETT THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 9

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Jeff Boals, the new head coach for the Ohio Bobcats men’s basketball team, catches the ball after it bounces out of bounds in the first match of the season against Capital University in The Convo on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2019. (NATE SWANSON / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)

Dream Life The first-year coach at Ohio is doing exactly what he wants, where he wants MATT PARKER SPORTS EDITOR Jeff Boals sat in his office in The Convo on an unseasonably warm February afternoon.

Dressed in a green Adidas polo with the Bobcat logo above his chest, Boals shifted from his chair to one of the two black leather couches that were parallel to one another.

A loud hum from his personal refrigerator pierced the room, ensuring that his 24-pack of Aquafina water and two logs of Johnsonville summer sausage remained cool.

He never initially wanted to be a coach, but when his former head coach Larry Hunter offered him a spot on the

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staff after Boals’ playing days at Ohio were done because of injury, he took the opportunity and hasn’t looked back.

Once he took that opportunity, it was his dream to one day come back to Athens and be at the helm of one of the most storied programs in the Mid-American Conference. Ohio was his home: it had given him basketball lessons and lessons about life.

Now, after experiences where he was a one-man show to graduate assistant spots to a high profile assistant spot and job rejections, Boals is doing what most people in life unfortunately don’t get to do: live out his dream.

X MARCH 13, 2019. X Days after Ohio lost to Northern Illinois in the first round of the MAC Tournament, then-coach Saul Phillips’ contract wasn’t extended, ensuring his exit and the entrance of someone and something new.

Then-athletic director Jim Schaus exclaimed they would host a national search. But the search took four days.

Nearly 600 miles away in Long Island, New York, where Boals was the head coach at Stony Brook and about to cap off his second season, his phone rang with a familiar area code.

On the other end was Schaus, and it was a conversation that has happened before.

The first-year coach at Ohio had been in the interview process for his current position twice. The first time after John Groce left for Illinois, and the second was after Jim Christian darted for Boston College.

Two interviews, two rejections.

So when the phone rang on a Wednesday afternoon, he answered calmly and cooly.

“I was calm because I knew I had a great job. I knew that we had a great team coming back (at Stony Brook),” Boals said. “It was going to have to take something really good for me to leave there, and once I talked to Jim at length, they wanted to interview me.”

Busy preparing for the Seawolves’ first game in the College Basketball Invitational, and more importantly, his daughter Sydney’s 16th birthday, Boals put off the interview and made it on his time.

“They wanted to interview me on that Friday, but my daughter’s sweet 16 was on Friday, and I know if I had interviewed on that day and I wasn’t there for the party, I’d be divorced,” Boals joked. “So we delayed it to Saturday, and Dr. Nellis and Schaus flew out to Long Island, and we talked for about an hour and 15 minutes.”

That Saturday was March 16. The next day, it was announced that Boals would become the 19th head coach in Ohio history.

After his introductory press conference, Boals met with the players he inherited. They talked about the vision and the direction that would take place moving forward.

Of all the players that Boals immediately made an impression on, it was Ben Vander Plas.

“I remember we came in the locker room, and we sat down and he talked to us for a while,” Vander Plas said.

“He talked about how accountability is Head coach Jeff Boals cheers during a conference game against Central Michigan University at The Convo on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2020. (NATE SWANSON / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)

non-negotiable, the fact that he cares about us going to class and getting our education. He was just talking about a lot of things that kind of line up with how I look at things, and so it was just really good to hear.”

In the days since that meeting in the locker room, the redshirt sophomore’s feelings about his coach have elevated, and it’s clear that all he wants is to play for Boals.

“You can just see it in him every day,” Vander Plas said. “The energy that he brings every day to practice to every film session to every team thing we have. He just loves being here.”

That type of commitment has shown from both players and Boals. The ups and downs of the pilot season have been evident in point differentials and the record, but neither side has given up.

The message Boals gave back in March is now a piece of his team’s core identity, and it only will get stronger over time.

X NOV. 9, 2019. X Fans, critics, the media and a slew of others awaited the early glimpse of the Bobcats.

They were about to take the court for the first time under Boals in The

JEFF BOALS

19th Ohio head coach

2019-2020 SEASON RECORD

14-14

Convo, and despite the fact that they had an exhibition game the week prior, this was for real.

“You get butterflies thinking you’re going to coach your first (home) game,” he said. “We got a trial run with our exhibition game, but this was real, and one of those days you thought would never happen. It’s surreal knowing you’re the head coach of your alma mater.”

His opening day in The Convo wasn’t soured, as the Bobcats defeated Heidelberg 88-50.

He took in the crowd. He recalled how the Marching 110 gave him chills, and the memories of him and his teammates back in the mid-’90s winning MAC championships flooded his brain.

With his first game under him, the nerves have since settled. It’s been about finding ways to win with a young team. Implementing a new culture within a locker room that only returned a handful of faces from the year prior. Establishing and recreating a program that can withstand the ins and outs, daily nuances of the lives of student-athletes.

He’s handled those things with an outside-the-box approach. Ohio was on a four-game losing streak, the fourth loss on the road at Ball State.

On the bus ride back home, with the atmosphere in blue, Boals announced they were going to Dairy Queen.

How the Bobcats have been unable to close out games when they have halftime leads has also been an issue this season. Prior to their game against Buffalo on Feb. 25, Boals ran a halftime simulation where the team went through halftime procedures like it was an actual game.

The Bobcats opened the game on an 18-0 run and never lost the lead in an 11-point victory.

X FEB. 12, 2020 X Itching to change out of the green polo and dress slacks for his standard practice outfit — a gray or black Ohio basketball crewneck and a pair of shorts — Boals looked around his office as if he couldn’t believe it was truly his.

He stood up and reached for a bottle of water, eyeing the sausage, but opted not to. As he sat back down on the couch, he let out a sigh that only is familiar with a few people.

Those who get to live out their dreams.

“It’s been really cool,” he said. “There’s not too many people who can say that they’re coaching at their alma mater, and I think this is a start. We aren’t where we want to be, but it’s awesome.”

@MATTHEWLPARKER5 MP109115@OHIO.EDU THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 11

MEN’S BASKETBALL

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Ohio team and staff members celebrate a scored basket during the Bobcats’ game against Western Michigan on Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2020, in The Convo. Ohio won the game 73-61. (ANTHONY WARNER / FOR THE POST) Ohio guard Lunden McDay (No. 15) dunks the ball with only one minute remaining in a match against Central Michigan University at The Convo on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2020. The Bobcats will end the game in victory with a final score of 77-69. (NATE SWANSON / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER) Ohio’s Miles Brown attempts to move past Toledo’s Willie Jackson (No. 23) and Keshaun Saunders (No. 24) during the match in The Convo on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2020. Ohio lost the game 83-74. (ANTHONY WARNER/ FOR THE POST) Ohio guard Jason Preston (No. 0) drives to the basket during the first half of the game against Bowling Green State University at the Stroh Center on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2020.

(JESSE JARROLD-GRAPES/ FOR THE POST)

12 / FEB. 27, 2020

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT Ohio’s forward Gabby Burris (No. 41) celebrates on the bench against The University of Toledo on Feb. 19, 2020.

(MADISON BRYANT / FOR THE POST) Ohio guard Amani Burke (No. 3) drives to the basket with pressure from Akron during the 70-57 Bobcat victory in The Convo on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2020.

(JESSE JARROLD-GRAPES / FOR THE POST) Ohio guard Erica Johnson drives toward the basket with pressure from Akron guard Kendall Miller during the Bobcat 70-57 victory in The Convo on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2020. (JESSE JARROLD-GRAPES / FOR THE POST) Ohio’s CeCe Hooks (No. 1) makes a fast break layup during the home game on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2020 against Kent State University. The Bobcats won 63-57.

(KELSEY BOEING / DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY)

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WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

The Final Stretch

Ohio University coach Bob Boldon speaks to players during the Ohio versus Toledo game in The Convo on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2020. Ohio won the game 86-58.

(ANTHONY WARNER / FOR THE POST)

Bob Boldon wants Ohio to finish playing fast

SCOTT THOMAS FOR THE POST he Bobcats have one of the highest-paced offenses in the Mid-American Conference. When they can score fast, they take over games.

Toledo saw that happen when Ohio rattled off a 14-0 run in just three minutes in what was a close game. Cece Hooks and Erica Johnson led the team up and down the floor, knocking down almost every shot.

Coach Bob Boldon thinks the Bobcats were missing some of that speed in the second half of the 79-76 loss at Akron.

“I wish we would play a little faster,” Boldon said. “It’s hard to complain about that when we’re 32nd in the country for scoring. It seems like a silly thing. Maybe I should pick something else to complain about, but we’ve been better when we play fast. We never look bad playing fast.”

It’s hard to play fast at this point of the season. In late February, teams are worn down from playing for the last four months. The Bobcats have been prac14 / FEB. 27, 2020

ticing and playing games regularly and have fallen into a routine.

“We tried something different,” Boldon said. “Something where it’s not coming and doing the same practice routine over and over and over again on a Monday. At the same time, I believe in routines, so I try to stick with them in general regimen. But sometimes it’s nice to put something different out there to spike your attention.”

That’s why on Monday, Ohio’s practice was fi lled with games of 3-on-3.

Hooks, Johnson and Amani Burke, the Bobcats’ top three scorers, were all on different teams for the competition.

Not only did this competitive play spike the players’ attention — it also forced them to play fast. With a 12-second shot clock, the players had to play faster on both sides of the ball. Boldon was also looking for quick transitions between offense and defense, something he thought needs improving heading into the fi nal stretch of the season.

“They started to develop some strategies to work with a quick clock, get both good offensive shots and get

matched up on defense,” Boldon said. “I didn’t think we did a really good job of that Saturday.”

Ohio (17-9, 10-5 MAC) might need to use some of that quick clock management in the upcoming MAC Tournament. All four of the Bobcats’ conference losses have come by one possession. Their average margin of loss in the MAC is two points.

The team will look to Hooks and Johnson as they have all season to up the tempo on the floor.

The problem with that for Boldon, however, is that he is already asking for so much from his two guards.

“It’s also more taxing on your point guards to play fast,” Boldon said. “There is a limited amount of things I can ask Cierra and Erica to do. So, it’s kind of a fi ne line of I wish we could play a little faster. I think if we’d play faster, we’d have more success. But the offensive side of things is fi ne. It’s just defense we’ve got to pick up a little bit.”

Luckily for the Bobcats, they have the fastest player in the conference — who also happens to be the best defender

in the MAC — in Hooks. The star point guard has averaged a career-high 3.8 steals per game, which is fourth in the nation, and leads Ohio with 18.4 points per game.

The defense will be tested in the final two weeks of the season, with three of the MAC’s top six offenses on Ohio’s schedule. Hooks will be key, but she can’t do it all.

The Bobcats failed their first test by falling to Bowling Green on Wednesday and gave up 82 points to the No. 10 offense in the conference. That performance may serve as a wake-up call for Boldon’s players, who dropped back-to-back MAC games for the first time since 2018.

Ohio still has three games left against Buffalo, Kent State and Miami.

The Bobcats defeated each of those teams in their previous East Division meeting this season, but they can’t afford to slip any further if they want to win their division for the second consecutive season.

@SCOTT_CTHOMAS11 ST610417@OHIO.EDU

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Doing the Dirty Work

Gabby Burris plays with grit so the Bobcats can gleam J.L. KIRVEN STAFF WRITER Gabby Burris walked off the court with her head high but her pride low.

Surrounded by exuberant teammates in the locker room, Burris celebrated with the Bobcats following a 70-57 win Jan. 29 over Akron. It was a good team win. Burris couldn’t deny it, but she also couldn’t suppress her personal disappointment with her final stat line.

She only scored one point and was 0-for2 from the field. That was very different from the stats she used to put up.

Burris has gotten buckets her entire life.

She averaged 22.3 points per game in high school and was the Player of the Year her senior year. So when the highly-touted recruit from Baltimore, Ohio, arrived on campus two years ago, it was expected that her scoring ability would follow her.

It did. She just doesn’t get to utilize it.

“My game definitely has changed since coming to OU,” Burris said. “Being around a whole new team and a new family makes your game change.”

Burris shares the court with two of the best guards in the Mid-American Conference and one of the best 3-point shooters in school history. The Bobcats are deep with

talent, but there’s only one basketball to go around, and rarely is it headed Burris’ way.

The transition from a star to role player has been tough — and smooth — at times for Burris, a junior. While one-point nights aren’t exactly highlight worthy, Burris’ willingness to rebound, defend and do Ohio’s dirty work has been a bright spot for the Bobcats this season.

“I think everybody wishes they could get more shots, and I don’t fault kids for having that mindset,” coach Bob Boldon said. “I also think there is an understanding that ‘I have to do what’s best for the team.’”

Burris had a team-comes-first mindset from the moment she stepped in The Convo. All she wants to do is win. She was happy when she made the MAC All-Freshman team, but she was also upset when Ohio failed to go deep in the postseason. Heading into Burris’ sophomore season, the expectation was she and point guard Cece Hooks would be Ohio’s duo of sophomore sensations.

But things change. Erica Johnson was a breakout star as a freshman last season. She started off the bench, quickly became a starter and has since cemented herself as one of the most talented players to ever play for the Bobcats. If Ohio was going to succeed with its best players in their best positions, Bur-

feats. Her placement is ris would have to take another just as valuable in role as a potential third or fourth Ohio’s sets. scoring option.

It’s thankless Now, Burris doesn’t touch the ball work. Even though Hooks as much. The best way she can help and Johnson have been on a tear is by playing within the system. this season, teams still guard The decrease in touches forced Burris tightly because they know her to morph into a different type about her potential. Oftentimes, of player. She plays more off-ball. games feel like a track practice.

Catch-and-shoot 3-pointers and Moving a defender out of the paint tough finishes under a crowded isn’t fun for someone who used rim have become her game. At to score at will. times, the process aggravated That’s why on some nights, Burris. Boldon’s been there to help Ohio forward Gabby Burris (No. 41) Burris gets to take a night off with the adjustment. from her role and let loose.

“If I feel like I’m not producing dribbles past Indiana University - Purdue In a game against Eastern enough, he’ll (Boldon) pull me aside University Indianapolis Michigan on Feb. 5, Burris exand let me know the things I do still forward Macee Wilploded for 19 points and six rematter,” Burris said. “It’s just a little liams on Dec. 7, 2019.

(MADDIE BRYANT / bounds in a 75-65 win. It was reminder is all you need.” a performance similar to her For Burris, those reminders FOR THE POST) days when she first arrived have been critical. The numbers on her stat sheet don’t show she’s with the Bobcats.

But the days of Burris needing to score the most disciplined player on the team.

On defense, she commands her gaps and 20 points every game are gone. Her role as a defender, passer and rebounder is what knows all her assignments.

“She’s somebody that her teammates can Ohio needs.

If Burris needs to step up and go back to count on to be in the right spot,” Boldon said “It’s very refreshing to know that spot will be her old ways, though, she’ll be happy to.

“It obviously feels good to score points,” covered correctly.”

On offense, Burris is the team’s sec- Burris said. “It feels really good.” ond-best rebounder with 5.9 rebounds per game and provides space for Hooks and @JL_KIRVEN Johnson to pull off their highlight-worthy JK810916@OHIO.EDU

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Jason Preston is Ohio’s new and improved offensive commander

ANTHONY POISAL SPORTS EDITOR

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A Proven Preston

Jason Preston caught the pass at the right corner and immediately looked to the paint.

He wasn’t looking to shoot the 3-pointer even though he had a few feet of separation between him and a Western Michigan defender. Instead, Preston looked directly at Ben Vander Plas, who was charging toward the hoop and knew what was coming next.

Preston heaved a vicious over-the-head bounce pass directly to his hands. The ball thread between two defenders, one of which was hip-to-hip with Vander Plas, who caught the pass and finished the play with a layup.

For Preston, it was an easy play — he’s one of the only players in the nation who can consistently make it, too.

Those types of passes are why Preston, a sophomore guard, is fourth in the nation with 7.3 assists per game. He’s led Ohio in assists in all but one game this season, and he’s settled well into his new role as the commander of the Bobcats’ offense.

“I’m not going to say I’m surprised,” Preston said about his assists accolades. “This has been a dream and a goal of mine since I was little. It’s very humbling to be up there and actually doing it.”

Preston is, perhaps, the biggest reason why the Bobcats are a win away from matching their wins total a year ago despite a season that featured a new coach and a plethora of young players who didn’t have experience at the college level before the season.

Ohio is 6-9 in the Mid-American Conference under coach Jeff Boals. The Bobcats have won four of their last six games and are peaking at the perfect time with three regular season games left.

Preston has taken his game to the next level in that span. Boals has constantly remarked about how Preston, who was relatively quiet on the court last season as a freshman under former coach Saul Phillips, has become one of the loudest players in practice.

Preston puts his teammates in position.

When someone botches a play or is out of a position, he’ll let them know. Before games, he’s begun to approach Boals with suggestions about schemes based on what he sees from both Ohio and the opponent in warmups.

“I think it’s awesome that he does that,” Boals said. “It’s another piece of the accountability stepping up, and we give him a lot of credit for that.”

Preston’s suggestions have worked. Before wins against Miami and Western Michigan, he suggested to Boals that the Bobcats open the game by pressing on defense.

Why? Ohio was feeling energized and fun in warmups. Players were bopping heads to

Ohio University’s Jason Preston poses in The Convo for a portrait session. (NATE SWANSON / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)

the hip-hop music blaring from The Convo speakers and sharing laughs while swishing pregame shots.

The energy was there, and Preston wanted the Bobcats to keep it going.

Ohio won both games and limited both offenses to rough first half performances.

Against Miami, the Bobcats forced the RedHawks to open the game with an 0-for-24 shooting slump from the field. Preston also completed just the second triple-double in program history against the Bobcats’ rival.

“I’ll ask J.P. what he wants to do,” Boals joked when asked whether Ohio would continue pressing to open games. “That seems to work out.”

Preston’s on-court performance has taken big strides, too. His jaw-dropping passes have become common now for the Bobcats, but he’s also become a better shooter.

Last season, Preston averaged a mere six points per game. Now, he’s the Bobcats’ leading scorer and averages 16.3 points per game.

His shooting confidence has sky-rocketed, and it showed Tuesday against Buffalo.

With three minutes left, Preston faced no pressure from the Bulls defense when he dribbled the ball through the “Ohio” logo at midcourt.

So he pulled up with his feet still touching the green paint in the final “O” and took a shot. He walked back and watched as it swished through the net for three points, giving the Bobcats a dagger to the Bulls and solidifying Ohio’s biggest win of the conference season.

“He was just sliding off, so I shot it,” Preston said. “I shoot that shot a lot during practice.”

Preston is Ohio’s most complete player.

His IQ and athleticism make him one of the conference’s best players, and he still has two years left with Ohio while Boals continues to build a roster capable of winning the MAC. As long as Preston is on the floor, Ohio’s offense will be fluid. The Bobcats have seen this season how far they can go with their new leader, and the future looks bright.

“You can be three passes or three people away from Jason Preston, and he’s going to find you somehow,” Boals said. “We’re going to put him in a lot of situations to make a decision, and those guys have to be ready.”

@ANTHONYP_2 AP012215@OHIO.EDU

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Blood and Basketball

Katie Barker’s journey through bad knees, torn hips and blood clots to return to basketball J.L. KIRVEN STAFF WRITER To Katie Barker, basketball is a matter of life and death.

The sport has given her joy since she was a little girl growing up about an hour outside of Chicago. It’s allowed her to see the world and meet amazing people.

But as Barker held an MRI scan inside The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus in November 2018, all she could think about was the possibility of a basketball-induced death.

“It was more scary than anything,” Barker said. “There was a point in time when you know it was a life and death matter.”

Since her days playing at Cary-Grove High School, the Ohio shooting guard has battled through a slew of injuries.

In her sophomore year in high school, she faced a torn meniscus in her right knee.

She came back.

During senior year she was plagued with pain in her left knee.

She came back.

She missed her freshman season at Ohio because she needed platelet-rich injections in her left knee to ease more pain.

She came back.

During her redshirt freshman year with the Bobcats, literal blood, sweat and tears followed Barker into the training room due to the pain of a torn labrum in her left hip.

She came back, and she still played 30 games that season.

So, when Barker went to get her stitches taken out following surgery for another torn meniscus last season, she knew she’d be back, too.

But that trip to the doctor only uncovered another battle for Barker to face. The MRI scan in her hands was bright red. Blood clots were scattered throughout her lungs.

“My chest was lit up like a Christmas tree,” Barker said.

The pain in Barker’s chest sharpened.

Her blueish grey eyes started to swell. Tia Jameson, Ohio’s director of Basketball Operations, could see the fear as she tried to console her.

“She doesn’t show when she’s scared and nervous,” Jameson said. “But I knew genuinely that day she was scared.”

In the midst of her fear, though, Barker

“

I wasn’t even thinking about basketball. I was just thinking ‘I have to get healthy and make sure I don’t die.’”

- Katie Barker, guard for Ohio Women’s Basketball

Ohio University guard Katie Barker (No. 2) during the game against The University of the Incarnate Word on Nov. 23, 2019.

(MADISON BRYANT / FOR THE POST)

knew she was blessed.

Six days earlier, Barker suspected she had a blood clot in her leg after sitting in the car for hours following surgery on her meniscus, but the doctors didn’t find it. When she went home that night, she treated the pain in her leg like a muscle strain. The heat from that improper treatment was what dislodged the clot into her lungs.

Now that Barker knew what she was fighting, she could prepare for battle.

The doctors immediately gave her blood thinners and needed her to solely focus on recovery.

“I wasn’t even thinking about basketball,” Barker said. “I was just thinking, ‘I have to get healthy and make sure I don’t die.’”

Barker wasn’t thinking about basketball, but her team was thinking about her. The next day, Barker’s friends, teammates and Jameson were there by her bedside. Coming back wasn’t going to be easy, but she had support.

“The fact that I was able to be there at that moment for her was a blessing for me,” Jameson said.

The next few months for Barker felt tougher. The thinners took care of the clots, but the anxiety from the ordeal weighed on her. A bulky cast from the surgery impeded her ability to walk. Her chest ached from the scars in her lungs. The worst part was she couldn’t do what she loved.

“It was definitely my hardest recovery process,” Barker said. “I would come out of shooting drills with a purple face from the lack of oxygen.”

Basketball was teasing her constantly.

Why did she have to be the player on the team plagued with injuries? Why couldn’t she be the one making 3-pointers from the corner to the cheers of fans in The Convo?

Instead, Barker was confined to the bench. It would be weeks before she could even start rehabbing. The urge to return back to the court was overwhelming at times. Barker saw how Ohio was thriving

and running teams out of the gym.

She desperately wanted to be a part of that. It wasn’t jealousy, though. Barker knew her time was coming, and when she finally returned, she would only enhance the special team Ohio was putting together.

So she rested. She watched how Erica Johnson ran the offense, how Cece Hooks grew as a player and how Gabby Burris utilized her versatility. Barker knew her 3-point shooting would be a magnificent fit.

Once the cast came off, Barker was free to return to the court. She was far from being able to practice with the team, but she knew she was on her way back.

Hours before games, Barker was often the first on the court. Sweat dripped off her blonde hair as she shot 3-pointer after 3-pointer. She’d put on a show for any fans arriving early.

She didn’t have to be out there. She could have relaxed on the bench and cracked jokes, but basketball meant too much to her.

“It’s resilience,” Jameson said. “The fact that she’s that resilient, that tough and has that much passion is a true testament to her.”

Not everyone could come back from a life-or-death injury, but nothing has ever kept Barker permanently off the court.

It had been a long time. Barker’s journey was marred with pain, sadness and frustration. It took a lot more than a few steps to make it from the end of the bench back into the starting lineup.

Now, as a redshirt junior, she’s averaging 7.1 points per game for an Ohio team inching its way to a second consecutive Mid-American Conference East Division title.

Barker shows no signs of a player that’s had multiple surgeries and a death scare.

She’s all smiles when she’s on the court.

The meniscus tears, the torn labrums and blood clots can’t stop her. Basketball is in her blood.

And she will come back.

@JL_KIRVEN JK810916@OHIO.EDU THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 17

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Time is ticking MAC women’s basketball power rankings SCOTT THOMAS FOR THE POST It has been an interesting week in the Mid-American Conference with two weeks to play in the season. Teams at the top have begun to reshuffle, and the conference tournament is starting to shape up with three games left on each team’s schedule.

Here are this week’s power rankings: 1. CENTRAL MICHIGAN (22-4, 15-0 MAC) The Chippewas still haven’t lost in 2020. Over the last 15 games, they have survived three overtimes and have blown out half the conference. Despite everyone coming for them, the Chippewas can’t lose. Central Michigan locked up the MAC regular season championship on Wednesday and will be the top seed in Cleveland.

2. BALL STATE (19-8, 11-4 MAC) The Cardinals took a loss this week from Eastern Michigan. Ball State has been tied with Ohio for much of the season but finally passed them thanks to an Ohio loss. The Cardinals now control their own destiny to take the second seed heading into the tournament but will have to beat Central Michigan on Saturday to keep that control.

3. OHIO (17-9, 10-5 MAC) The Bobcats took a step back this week with consecutive losses to Akron

18 / FEB. 27, 2020

and Bowling Green, both on the road.

While Ohio is still atop the East Division, it has fallen to third in the overall standings for the first time this season.

The Bobcats have some serious adjustments to make going into the final stretch of the season if they want to make a tournament run.

4. KENT STATE (16-10, 9-6 MAC) The Golden Flashes have won four of their last five games and have themselves in a great position. After a trip to Bowling Green, Kent State will play Ohio where it may have a chance to overtake the MAC East.

5. WESTERN MICHIGAN (15-11, 8-7 MAC) The Broncos have quietly put their season back together. With four wins in a row, they put themselves back into the mix before a loss to the Chippewas.

Western Michigan will likely host a game in the first round of the conference tournament and has a good shot of making it to Cleveland if it continues to play well.

6. EASTERN MICHIGAN (13-13, 8-7 MAC) The Eagles have been inconsistent in February but are still in a good position in the MAC. Eastern Michigan still has its counterparts in Michigan left on the schedule, including Central Michigan.

A strong end of the season could propel what has been a middle-of-the-pack team to a contender in the tournament.

7. BUFFALO (15-11, 6-9 MAC) The Bulls finally came out of a long six-game losing streak and have won their past two games against Bowling Green and Miami. Buffalo has one of the tougher remaining schedules with road games at Ohio and Akron and a season finale against Kent State. Two wins in those three games would be more than enough to show that it has snapped out of its cold streak.

8. AKRON (13-13, 6-9 MAC) The Zips were putting together a nice win streak with quality wins over Ohio and Eastern Michigan but were set back by an 18-point loss to Kent State on Wednesday. Akron’s remaining schedule has bottom feeders Bowling Green and Miami, and it could secure a home game in the first round of the tournament with a couple wins.

9. NORTHERN ILLINOIS (9-17, 5-10 MAC) The Huskies ended a three-game skid on Wednesday with a win over Eastern Michigan. Northern Illinois has been inconsistent this season and hasn’t put together many substantial win streaks. It can shake up the West Division in the final games of the sea-

son when it faces Ball State and Western Michigan.

10. BOWLING GREEN (9-18, 2-13 MAC) The Falcons finally ended their seven-game losing streak with a huge 14-point win over Ohio. While they are still at the bottom of the MAC, they are the best shooting team in the conference. The Bobcats saw first-hand what Bowling Green can do if it gets hot, and if it puts together some wins at the end of the season, the rest of the conference shouldn’t take the Falcons lightly.

11. TOLEDO (11-15, 6-9 MAC) The Rockets had a great 6-4 start to the conference schedule, but after five straight losses, they find themselves in the cellar of the conference. Toledo needs to turn its season around, but that looks unlikely with Ball State and Central Michigan still on the schedule.

12. MIAMI (11-16, 4-11 MAC) The RedHawks are right there with Toledo with a five-game losing streak of their own. Miami has lost by an average of almost 10 points in that span, and it still has to go to Ohio again this season. The RedHawks have hit rock bottom.

@SCOTT_CTHOMAS11 ST610417@OHIO.EDU

MEN’S BASKETBALL

The First Impression

“

You got to give new coaches some leeway and some breaks. I think Jeff’s done a wonderful job.”

What do fans think of the first season in a new era of Ohio basketball?

ANTHONY POISAL SPORTS EDITOR Hundreds of Ohio fans sitting in the sections behind the home team’s bench are attentively tuned into the Bobcats’ game against Central Michigan at The Convo.

Most of the people are Athens locals. They’re locked into the action on the court and observing the work of coach Jeff Boals, who’s nearing the finish line of his first season with the Bobcats. Ohio will end what was supposed to be a transitional season in the bottom half of the Mid-American Conference standings.

The fans, for the most part, are OK with that. They understand where the program is and — hopefully — where it will be in the future under a new coach.

They’ll be at The Convo regardless, eager to see when the basketball program will turn a corner and ascend back to one of the conference’s dominant teams.

“You got to give new coaches some leeway and some breaks,” said Rick Hartung, who’s been attending games from his seat a dozen rows up from Ohio’s bench since the ’ 70s. “I think Jeff ’s done a wonderful job.”

Most fans would agree with Hartung. Ohio is 6-9 against MAC opponents this season with three games to play and is 4-3 in February. Four of the Bobcats’ MAC losses have been decided by one possession.

Sure, some of the close finishes have been frustrating for the fans, but they know that Ohio is capable of winning those games soon. The Bobcats entered the season carrying eight freshmen and will only graduate two players, Jordan Dartis and Sylvester Ogbonda, after this season.

Boals was hired in March after coaching Stony Brook. He didn’t receive a full offseason to recruit players for his new program but still hauled in a class of promising recruits, which included 2018-2019 Ohio Gatorade Player of the Year Ben Roderick.

He’s also helped returning players who were recruited under previous coach Saul Phillips, who’s now the coach at Division II Northern State, take the next step in their game.

Sophomore guard Jason Preston has spent most of the season top five in the nation in assists. Redshirt sophomore Ben Vander Plas is 10th in the conference in points per game. Dartis, a redshirt senior, became

Ohio’s all-time 3-point leader Feb. 8 against Miami.

But the Bobcats have seen growth in their newest additions, too.

Freshman guard Lunden McDay has become one of the Bobcats’ better defensive players and has flashed potential on the offensive side of the court, too.

Roderick, meanwhile, scored a career-high 21 points Tuesday against Buffalo. He opened that game with three quick 3-pointers and was arguably the best player in Ohio’s biggest win of the season.

“A lot of these guys were in high school last year,” said Heather Cumbo, who’s attended games for the last two decades. “They’re doing really well. Coach Boals is just wonderful. I think he’s going to be here for a long time and be a really good coach.”

If the Bobcats win Friday against Kent State, they’ll surpass their win total from last season. Ohio is currently the ninth seed for the MAC Tournament, but if the Bobcats can win two of their fi nal three games and move up just one spot in the standings, they could be in position to host a fi rst-round game at The Convo.

That’s something the Bobcats haven’t done since the 2016-2017 season.

“We all wish we had a better record right now,” Hartung said, “but we’ve lost a lot of close games.

We’ve seen improvement from the first game to today. I think Jeff will do well here, and I think he’ll be here a while.”

From the fans’ perspective, things appear to be going up. Most of them believe the Bobcats should be back at a competitive level in another season or two.

By then, their current crop of young talent could develop into one of the premier teams of the MAC. “Maybe in a year or two,” said Myles Kiphen, who’s been attending Ohio games for over 35 years. “I think the players he’s brought in are great. He plays as many people as he can, and their intensity is good. I think they really like playing for this guy.”

@ANTHONYP_2 AP012215@OHIO.EDU

- Rick Hartung, regular game attendee since the ’70s

“

A lot of these guys were in high school last year. They’re doing really well. Coach Boals is just wonderful.

I think he’s going to be here for a long time and be a really good coach.”

- Heather Cumbo, regular game attendee for two decades

“

I think the players he’s brought in are great. He plays as many people as he can, and their intensity is good. I think they really like playing for this guy.”

- Myles Kiphen, regular game attendee for over 35 years THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 19

The Lone Survivor MEN’S BASKETBALL

Ohio University’s Jordan Dartis (No. 35) dribbles the ball past Rio Grande’s Gunner Short during the Ohio versus Rio Grande match on Wednesday, December 4, 2019. Ohio won 90-51.

(ANTHONY WARNER / FOR THE POST)

Jordan Dartis, the “Old Man” and lone survivor from a rocky era of Ohio basketball ANTHONY POISAL SPORTS EDITOR at ease as he coasts through JORDAN DARTIS seems his pregame rituals. Walking from one

end of The Convo floor to the other, he flashes his pearly white teeth as he shares laughs with his Ohio teammates.

One of the few in sweatpants, Dartis, 23, is the oldest player on the floor.

Teammates and coaches tease him about his age, too. Some call him “Old Man,” a nickname that fits because he’s two years older than almost everyone on the youngest roster in the Mid-American Conference.

“Ah, the ‘Old Man!’” Dartis said. He laughs heartily and shakes his

20 / FEB. 27, 2020

head. “We’re just clowning, man. We’re having a good time. It just takes me a little longer to get warmed up.”

After seasons of injuries, transfers and adversity that have put him in a position for a final ride he didn’t have to take, Dartis, a redshirt senior, has become the unquestioned leader of the Bobcats.

In the big picture, he’s proved a survivor. He’s the last man standing from an era of Bobcat basketball that featured substantial shifts from sky-high hopes to disappointing finishes.

“I’m just blessed to be back,” he said. “It’s my fifth year, and I feel good.

I’m just grateful to have the opportunity to play again.”

“ X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

It didn’t take long for Saul Phillips to fall in love with Dartis when he made his first visit to Newark High School in 2014.

A school custodian approached Phillips as he walked into the school’s gym to scout Dartis.

“Who are you?” the custodian asked.

“I’m the new coach at Ohio University,” Phillips said.

“I’m here to see Jordan Dartis.”

“Oh, Jordan,” the custodian said with a smile. “He’s one of the nicest kids that has ever come through here.”

Phillips recalled the conversation six years later. He could see why the custodian complimented Dartis as soon as he met him.

Dartis always emitted an abundance of kindness and positivity, and the qualities seemed genuine.

Those weren’t traits Phillips had always seen in highschool recruits.

“It just came to me within seconds of stepping foot (in the school),” Phillips said. “Jordan had the qualities that brought everybody into him. I liked to coach that kid a lot.

Not only was he talented, but he was the kind of person I wanted to be around.”

Dartis was talented on the court, too. He was a mainstay in Ohio’s starting lineup by the end of his freshman season, and he developed a knack from the 3-point line during his sophomore season when he led the team in 3-pointers per game.

But the solid foundation of talent that Phillips assembled under Dartis began to crumble after his second season.

Antonio Campbell, who led Ohio with 17 points per game in Dartis’ freshman year, ended his career after breaking his foot midway through his senior season. Jaaron Simmons, who averaged over 15 points per game from 2015-17, transferred to Michigan.

The two players who anchored the Bobcats before Dartis arrived had left earlier than expected. Phillips had promising prospects who could potentially fill the gaps, but for Dartis, the landscape was different.

Despite the change, Dartis remained positive. He continued to joke with teammates in warmups; he built relationships with team personnel; and he exuded the same charm Phillips saw from his high school workout.

“Sometimes, you feel like he’s putting on a show for you,” Phillips said. “But he’s like that when nobody is watching. That’s just how he is. He’s got a gift with people.”

Obstacles for Dartis were still ahead of him.

The next one proved out of his control. It was his left hip, and it was bothering him.

Originally, he felt the pain in high school, but it subsided in his first two seasons at Ohio before it picked up again in his junior season, Dartis said.

His left hip started to bother him again when he made a push-step while on defense in a preseason practice.

Phillips walked over and offered a hand to lift him to his feet, but Dartis couldn’t take it.

“I need a sec,” Dartis remembered telling Phillips. “This is pretty painful.”

Dartis stood up a few seconds later, but the pain never went away.

Then, he injured his right hip.

It happened in November of that season in the Charleston Classic against Indiana State, Ohio’s third opponent in the three-day tournament. The Bobcats needed four overtimes to win one of the longest games in program history, but Dartis — who played 54 minutes — was in serious pain.

“My hips, I just … I couldn’t feel them,” he said. “I knew my other hip was toast.”

Dartis didn’t stop playing. He felt as if he couldn’t.

X X X X X X X X X X X X X

When I look back, it’s like, ‘Man, I’ve been at OU for four years. Why would I want to lose something that’s so pivotal to me?’”

- Jordan Dartis, senior guard for Ohio men’s basketball

Ohio guard Jordan Dartis (No. 35) looks for a pass in a conference match held at The Convo on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2020.

(NATE SWANSON/ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)

He knew that Ohio needed him to lead a team of inexperienced players who lacked a replacement for freshman Jason Carter, who emerged as a reliable option alongside Dartis in 2016-17 but who suffered a season-ending leg injury three games into the season.

So Dartis underwent a series of cortisone injections and occasionally missed practice to nurse the lingering pain.

That’s when Dartis began to change — not necessarily in his play, but in his mind.

“Mentally, it was so draining,” he said. “At that point in time, basketball wasn’t fun for me anymore. I was just reaping the benefits of college and having my education paid for.”

Dartis limped his way through the rest of the season.

But his offseason required two surgeries and a lengthy timetable for recovery. He missed his senior season, which could only be salvaged with a redshirt.

And without Dartis on the floor, the prospects for Ohio in the 2018-19 season were even more unknown.

The low point for Dartis came in the summer practice.

He was sitting, not playing, when the Bobcats held their first practice in what eventually became a pivotal year for the program.

He couldn’t smile in warmups or joke with teammates or bring positivity to the court because he wasn’t on it.

“Just seeing them work all summer and just not being a part of it — that was a big moment where I was feeling sad,” Dartis said. “When the first game started, it was just surreal that I wasn’t going to play that year.”

He watched as the Bobcats crumbled. They were inconsistent and lacked the identity Dartis helped build

when he joined the program three seasons earlier. He couldn’t do anything to help, though.

His positivity was apparent when he was around his teammates. He still struggled when he thought about what was next.

Not for the program, but for himself.

Should he quit?

“There were thoughts about it,” Dartis said. “Well, not about should I quit, but is it worth it? Is it worth going that extra mile?

“I love basketball, and I will keep it to my grave, but when I’m 30 to 35 (years old), I want to be able to get out of bed.”

Ultimately, he decided going the extra mile was worth it, but he didn’t feel confident in that decision until last spring when he could finally return to the court.

To play again, however, he needed to cope with more changes.

Phillips, who now coaches at Division II Northern State, was out after the Bobcats went one-and-done in the MAC Tournament and finished the 2018-19 season 14-17.

Carter, Teyvion Kirk and Anthony Cowart Jr. also left.

All three were frequent starters in Phillips’ final season, and all of them transferred upon the arrival of new coach Jeff Boals.

Ohio had new players — eight of whom were freshmen — and a new coaching staff. The Bobcats were rebuilding.

They were unlikely to be any better than the teams Dartis previously played with.

For the new era of Ohio basketball, he would be the only constant.

Dartis holds no ill will toward teammates who left the program.

“I hope the best for them,” he said of the transfers. “I think they made the best decision for themselves.”

Now, Dartis has a new supporting cast, and he’s embraced his role as the veteran on a young team. He’s OK with that role, too.

He’s back playing for a school he’s devoted four years to. His current teammates have embraced the “Old Man” among them and have helped make his last season at Ohio memorable.

On Feb. 8, Dartis became the program’s all-time 3-point leader when he splashed his 291st. At the next timeout, teammates showered him with cheers and highfives, and his achievement was celebrated with a pregame ceremony in the next home game.

To Dartis, the record reflected more than his ability to shoot 3-pointers. It showed his resilience. He fought through pain — both physically and mentally — as he underwent near constant change around him.

With the record, his name will long be remembered.

“When I look back, it’s like, ‘Man, I’ve been at OU for four years,’” Dartis said. “‘Why would I want to lose something that’s so pivotal to me?’”

Dartis could be resentful of his teammates who gave up on the team. He could also have regrets for not opting for surgery sooner in his career when he first felt pain in his hip.

Looking back at his college career, the “Old Man” can only discuss all of its ups and downs in a positive way.

A bumpy college career full of unexpected twists hasn’t changed that.

“That made me who I am today,” Dartis said. “There’s a fan base here, and I got a lot of respect here. I wanted to give them one last show.”

@ANTHONYP_2 AP012215@OHIO.EDU THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 21

the weekender Ken Stringfellow to bring raw, stripped-down music to Donkey Coffee BAYLEE DEMUTH CULTURE EDITOR

Donkey Coffee and Espresso is a place Ohio University students and Athens residents alike flock to for that perfect cup of coffee, a comfy couch to do homework on or to listen to live music on a chill night.

Friday’s vibes will be accompanied by Ken Stringfellow and his intimate performance on the acoustic piano.

Stringfellow has over 25 years of experience as a performer, composer, producer and more in the music industry. He’s a founding member of The Posies, spent a decade touring with REM and has played alongside big names, such as Neil Young and Ringo Starr. Presented by WOUB Public Media, he’ll perform his 2001 album Touched plus other songs from his musical history with special guest Karen Allen at Donkey, 17 1/2 Washington St., Friday night.

Donkey is Stringfellow’s first stop of six in the region where he’s looking forward to playing Touched front to back.

Despite the album coming out 19 years ago, it’s Stringfellow’s most popular piece of work among fans due to its release being on Sept. 11, 2001.

“I think it’s already an intense album emotionally, but the fact that it accompanied that historical period for a lot of people, or a certain group of people, made it even more intense,” Stringfellow said.

Stringfellow debuted his album at a show in New York only days after 9/11, and it slowly became an album people clung to during the days and weeks that followed the tragic event.

“What started out as a one show in New York has turned into over 70,” Stringfellow said. “(The album is the) right mix of grief and hope, and I think that’s what makes it a kind of strong album in general, but even more so that people were encountering this album during a time where they needed it most in a way.”

Even after all these years, Stringfellow 22 / FEB. 27, 2020

IF YOU GO WHAT: Ken Stringfellow’s Touched and More Tour with Karen Allen WHEN: Friday, 7 p.m.

WHERE: Donkey Coffee and Espresso, 17 1/2 Washington St. ADMISSION: $15

PHOTO BY OLLI TUMELIUS, PROVIDED BY KEN STRINGFELLOW.

has a deep connection with the songs on his album that make playing them night after night a memorable show every time.

“Even after playing the same songs, I’m still feeling these songs very deeply in each performance,” Stringfellow said.

“But it’s something that keeps bringing up the rawness in me.”

The latter half of Stringfellow’s performance will include songs from his 2015 album The Record and his 2012 album Danzig in the Moonlight with Allen.

“When I bring in these other songs and have Karen sing with me, it kind of gets us out of that heavy mode and

gives the listener something brighter,” Stringfellow said.

The night will conclude with a grab bag of hits from Stringfellow’s past with his bands The Posies and Big Star. Stringfellow is excited to perform at a new venue, looking forward to making connections with people through a medium of music where people can feel free to put their emotions on the table.

“I’m usually off the stage, right in front, playing and singing really intensely inches away from the audience if possible,” Stringfellow said. “Even if I don’t have any kind of audience there, a new

place is a new place, and a new audience is a new audience.”

Luckily for Stringfellow, there will certainly be fans of his in the crowd Friday night, one of those fans being Emily Votaw. Votaw, the arts and culture director of WOUB, bought tickets as soon as she heard Stringfellow was coming to Athens and invited her father and brother to come see him perform as well.

“He’s definitely someone who music geeks are crazy about,” Votaw said.

“When I saw he was coming to Athens, I was like, ‘Wow, I cannot believe that.’”

Votaw was equally as excited when Stringfellow agreed to star on one of WOUB’s Radio A sessions as well as when he asked if WOUB would affiliate itself with his show. While WOUB typically features state and local musical artists, the media station was happy to make an exception for Stringfellow’s national reputation.

“It just seemed like a natural fit to be affiliated with (the show),” Cheri Russo, community engagement manager of WOUB, said. “This is something that is unique that Ken wanted to partner with us, to present his concert here in town … Being able to provide a niche audience something like this is a big honor for us.”

Chris Pyle, co-owner of Donkey, is also looking forward to bringing in an act crowds at Donkey don’t usually see. Pyle himself has been listening to Stringfellow since college when he played in the band The Posies and played second guitar for REM and Big Star.

“We just thought it’d be great for him to play at Donkey. He’s amazing,” Pyle said. “I’m hoping it’ll be a pretty large crowd coming out for his performance, especially since we’re pretty close to Columbus. Hopefully it’ll be a nice, packed, intimate gig.” @BAYLEEDEMUTH BD757016@OHIO.EDU

WHAT’S GOING ON? ERIN GARDNER FOR THE POST

FRIDAY NOTS with DANA and Taung Child

at 9 p.m. at The Union Bar and Grill, 18 W. Union St. Listen to the sounds of NOTS, a four-piece “nuevo no wavo” band hailing from Memphis, Tennessee, and DANA with special guest Taung Child. Admission: $10 Perfect Arrangement at 8 p.m. at

Create Space, Putnam Hall, 96 E. Union St. The play is set in 1950 amid the Red Scare. Inspired by the true story of the earliest stirrings of the American gay rights movement, two “All-American” couples are forced to stare down the closet door. Admission: Free ’90s Night with Talkboy Trio at 7 p.m.

at Eclipse Company Store, 11309 Jackson Dr., The Plains. Listen to Talkboy Trio, a Columbus-based band that strips down ’90s classics. Don’t expect grunge or hiphop, though. Admission: Free

SATURDAY River Park’s Annual Polar Plunge

last night to catch Qui Nguyen’s play about Dungeons & Dragons and family. Admission: Free to OU students, $10 for adults and $7 for other students and seniors

OPEN STAGE

Fiesta Latina at 9 p.m. at The

Union. The Latino Student Union is raising funds to build homes in southern Ecuador to help fight Chagas disease. Admission: $5 under 21, $3 over 21

MUSICIAN’S OPEN STAGE

WITH MEGAN WREN

EVERY THURSDAY 8-11 pm

DESIGNATED SPACE Poetry, prose and spokenword open stage.

EVERY TUESDAY 9-11 pm

Game Night at 3 p.m. at Little Fish

Brewery, 8675 Armitage Road.

Take a break from studying, grab your friends and head to Little Fish for a game of Dungeons & Dragons, Risk, Monopoly or any game that tickles your fancy.

Admission: Free National Unplug Day Hike at

1 p.m. at The Ridges, State Route 682 and Richland Ave. OU Outdoor Pursuits encourages everyone to do a digital detox and hike the trails at The Ridges.

Admission: Free

at 12 p.m. at River Park and River’s Edge on South Green, 36 N. McKinley Ave. Residents of River Park and River’s Edge and their guests can participate or watch others jump into a freezing pool.

There will be free food and drinks, but attendees must be 21 years old to drink. Admission: Free

Athens Noise Show at 4 p.m. at ARTS/West, 132 W. State St. Come listen to three hours of sounds and music from Weedghost, Dinner of Swords, David Colagiovanni, Robert McClure, Noise_MF and more.

Bring food to share.

Admission: $5 suggested donation

She Kills Monsters at 8 p.m. at Forum Theatre, RTV Building. It’s the

@ERINGARDNER_ EG245916@OHIO.EDU

a fundraiser event to raise money for people who have been affected by Chagas disease in Southern Ecuador. The infectious Tropical Disease Institue builds homes for families affected by the disease and we want to support the cause with your help! bring your friends and help support the ITDI build homes in southern Ecuador

Join Chris Monday for Open Mic Night. $1 off most house & draft taps

Saturday Feb. 28th 9:00 pm $3 21 and over; $5 under 21

donkeycoffee.com

THEATER Forum Theater • RTV Building

SHE KILLS MONSTERS

SUNDAY

West End Ciderhouse

FIESTA LATINA OPEN MIC NIGHT

African Heroes Night at 6:30 p.m.

at Baker University Center, 1 Park Place. This year, the Ohio University African Students Union honors Dr. Arikana Chihombori-Quao, a public speaker, educator, diplomat, entrepreneur and founder of medical clinics. Doors open at 6 p.m. Admission: $10 in advance, $15 at the door

The Union Bar

By Qui Nguyen (Alumnus, 2002) Dir. by Brian Evans In this high-octane dramatic comedy laden with homicidal fairies, nasty ogres, and 90s pop culture, acclaimed playwright Qui Nguyen offers a heart-pounding homage to the geek and warrior within us all.

Feb. 25th - 29th Feb. 27 (ASL inter. perf.) th

8:00 pm $7 Ohio University Student / Senior $10 general admission

ohio.edu/fine-arts/theater/

OPEN STAGE The Front Room • Baker Univ. Ctr

OPEN STAGE

Showcase your talent-or just enjoy a cup of coffee as a spectator

EVERY FRIDAY 8:00 pm

Casa Cantina

COME ON, COME ONS

Saturday, Feb 29th 6:00 pm

FREE EARLY SHOW

EVERY MONDAY 7-10 pm

Dairy Barn Arts Center

OH+5

The twelfth in a series of competitions, OH+5 is a regional, all media juried exhibition of contemporary artwork. promote artists residing in Ohio and its five bordering states.

Through Mar. 14th $5 General; FREE for Members

Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium

ATHENS DIY

WINE, MEAD & VENISON

COMPETITION

Athens Do-It-Yourself Shop presents its annual winter contest. Sample and judge some great locally homebrewed wine, mead, cider, and delicious venison dishes. 21 and over ONLY. Please bring ID. There will be live music as well! $15 for souvenir judging glass to enjoy all the festivities.

Saturday Feb. 28th 5-9 pm $15 to judge

ArtsWest

NOISE SHOW

INSTALLMENT 2 Sounds, drones, noises, notes, music, and other weird stuff, with performances from Weedghost, Dinner of Swords, David Colagiovanni, Robert McClure, Noise_MF, and more. Presented by the Municipal Endowment for the Sonic Arts and Aquabear Legion.

Bring some food to share!

Sunday Mar. 1 4-7 pm

st

$5 suggested donation

dairybarn.org

Kennedy Museum of Art PICTURE THE WORLD: BURHAN DOĞANÇAY AS PHOTOGRAPHER This exhibition, from the artist’s personal archive of roughly 30,000 images taken in more than 100 countries.

Through Mar. 22nd

FREE ADMISSION ohio.edu/museum

Kennedy Museum of Art

PATTERN & DISRUPTION: DINÉ LIFEWAYS AND EMBEDDED MATHEMATICS

An exploration of the Diné (Navajo) weaving design from the perspective of their traditions and beliefs, and how fundamental mathematical ideas are also embedded in the designs.

Through Sept. 27th

FREE ADMISSION ohio.edu/museum

Find More News, Sports, Culture @ thepostathens.com THEPOSTATHENS.COM / 23

NEWS BRIEFS

University prepares for Athens Beautification Day; OU experiences power outage over the weekend ABBY MILLER NEWS EDITOR CITY PREPARES FOR ATHENS BEAUTIFICATION DAY Two Ohio University students spoke at City Council on Monday to bring awareness to landscaping projects that will begin in April during the new “Athens Beautification Month.”

Volunteers will work on a variety of landscaping efforts in honor of Athens Beautification Day, which is being expanded to the entire month of April this year. University students Martina Costanza and Madeline Ponder said the projects will be led by students and will take place throughout the city.

The projects include tree planting, removal of invasive plant species and the planting of pollinator gardens.

There will also be tree giveaways and demonstrations on how to take care of trees in the city.

Those helping in the beautification efforts will also try and remove invasive plant species from Athens.

Mayor Steve Patterson said the plans to remove invasive species from the area were “music to his ears” because the city is currently restoring a forest south of the Athens Community Center.

Athens residents are also encouraged to attend demonstrations and participate in the landscaping efforts taking place throughout the month.

POWER OUTAGE HITS TWO CAMPUS GREENS OVER WEEKEND Parts of Ohio University’s experienced power outages for the majority of Sunday for unknown reasons.

At the height of outages, some parts of campus did not have electricity for about eight hours and did not have hot water for hours after. About 50 university buildings on both West Green and South Green were impacted.

Power returned to West Green at about 3 p.m. on Sunday, and power was restored to all other impacted parts of campus at about 5:30 p.m.

WRAY HOUSE TO REOPEN AGAIN IN THE FALL Wray House will be reopened to students during the 2020 Fall Semester due to renovations that will take place in Gamertsfelder Hall.

Next year, Gamertsfelder will be closed in order to make improvements to the building’s restrooms and heating and cooling facilities, Peter Trentacoste, executive director of Housing and Residence Life, said. Wray will be reopened to accommodate for students who would normally be living in Gamertsfelder.

Wray House was open during the 2019 Fall Semester but closed during the Spring Semester because it could not be filled up completely.

Wray began the 2019 Fall Semester as a “consolidation dorm,” meaning stu-

dents who selected it for the Fall Semester were made aware that they would have to fi nd alternate housing accommodations for the Spring Semester.

Trentacoste said Housing and Residence Life helped any students who needed to find new housing, but most found it on their own.

Currently, Wray House will be used for any visiting OU alumni or parents staying for Parents Weekend.

CPS LAUNCHES PILOT JOGGING GROUP THERAPY Ohio University’s Counseling and Psychological Services launched a jogging group therapy earlier this month to offer a form of therapy that parallels life.

Kate Hibbard-Gibbons, the psychology resident in charge of the jogging group, said she sees similarities in the way joggers in her group approach both life and jogging. For example, if a runner starts off too fast, they may take that same approach with schoolwork or extracurriculars, she said.

Since the group is a pilot program, there are currently only about four to five students in it. The first session was held in mid-February, and later, sessions will take place once a week for seven more weeks.

Those who are interested in enrolling in the group are first monitored by Hibbard-Gibbons to ensure they can run at 12-minute mile pace, which is an ideal pace for conversation. The group

is encouraged to chat while running, and mindfulness activities also take place during the runs.

As the group continues, Hibbard-Gibbons hopes that the jogs will encourage conversations about doubt and self-critical thoughts.

PLAY CAFE ENCOURAGES SOCIALIZATION DURING WINTER MONTHS A local Athens church recently hosted a Central Play Cafe as a way to create fun events for children during the months of winter.

Central Avenue United Methodist Church, 29 E Carpenter St., hosted two Play Cafe preview events this year, one in January and the other in February. The Play Cafes received good feedback, Beth Flick, a mother and volunteer at the cafe, said.

Lauren Fuchs, associate pastor at Central Avenue United Methodist Church, said the goal of the Play Cafe is to create a space for parents, kids and caretakers of young kids during the day to come and play, work and connect.

Parents are encouraged to either work while their children play or to play with their children at the cafe. There are a variety of activities for attendees of the Play Cafe to engage in, such as blocks, a bounce house, a basketball hoop and more, Fuchs said.

The next Play Cafe will take place on March 17 at 9 a.m. The cost to get in will be between $3 and $5.

@ABBLAWRENCE AM166317@OHIO.EDU

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