In a few short days, the Grand Valley boys basketball team will attempt to do what no other basketball team - boys or girls - has done in school history.
Win a district championship game and advance to the regional tournament.
Coach Justin Turk's Mustangs (20-4) will play Warren JFK (6-18) in the Division VI district final at Salem on Saturday. Tip-off is at 3:30 p.m.
Four other times in program history have the Grand Valley boys basketball team played in a district championship game. A few others came close by playing in - but losing - district semifinals.
Is this the year the Mustangs get over the hump and punch their tickets to the Sweet 16?
Stay tuned... or better yet, make the trip to Salem on Saturday and see history made first-hand.
This year's Mustangs are a tournament-tested unit for the most part. A year ago, Coach Turk's team advanced to the district tournament only to be turned away in the title bout by Dalton via a 61-54 game. The sheer participation in that game broke a long drought of appearances in a district championship game, the last time being in the 1988-89 season.
A year ago, Grand Valley set a program record for wins as part of its 21-4 record. Senior Braden Hart scored nine of his game-high 25 points in the fourth quarter, but the Mustangs were ousted by Dalton, 61-54. Carter Turk had 17.
But you'd have to go back a LONG way to find the last times - the FEW PRECIOUS TIMES - Grand Valley's boys basketball team got to a district championship game. Let's take a look at those years, as well as a few year misses.
THE GROUND-BREAKING 1986-86 SEASON
The 1985-86 team was a landmark team for a number of reasons. The 16-4 regular-season record was the best since 1974-75 and the 53-40 win over Bristol gave the program its first sectional title since that 74-75 season.
When the Mustangs defeated Mineral Ridge, 67-47, in the Class A district semifinal at Harding Fieldhouse in Warren, it marked the first time in program history that a Grand Valley basketball team would play for a district championship
But that's as far as the journey would go.
Led by a 25-point, 15-rebound performance by 6-foot-5 Joe Fabry, Windham ousted Grand Valley, 65-49, to claim the title and earn the trip to the regional tournament at the Canton Memorial Field House.
Grand Valley led, 17-16, after one and 24-21 at halftime, but Windham - a perennial district-title team in those days - let their experience do the talking in the second half.
Guard Ray Harriman, one of four seniors on the team along with Brian Olah, Derek Nicholes and Danny Schuller, led the team with 20 points. Junior Tom Benge pulled down a team-high eight rebounds, but Windham held a commanding 57-27 advantage on the boards.
"When we got down by eight," Coach Tom Henson said in a Star Beacon article, "they had control of the game at that time. We missed a couple of easy baskets and made some crucial turnovers. We couldn't put it together after that point."
Dejected in the locker room afterward, Harriman said, "I wanted to go to Canton bad. I can't come back now. Wed can't go any farther. That's it."
In the district semifinal, GV (which finished the season 19-5) drilled Mineral Ridge by 20. Junior Jim Henson, recently voted the MVP of the Grand River Conference, led the team with 26 points while junior Tom Benge had 11 points and 11 rebounds. Junior Rodney Harris locked down Ridge leading scorer Troy Fronzaglio to 13 points, 11 fewer than his season average.
CLOSE CALL IN 1988-89
Grand Valley's second trip to the district championship round ended in heartbreak also.
After defeating Vienna Mathews, 73-56, in a semifinal game, Grand Valley met up with Warren JFK in the Division III district title game at Warren Western Reserve High School.
It was a foul-infested game for the Mustangs, who were whistled for 27 fouls and lost three players - Bob Wingfield, Dominic Dlugos and Ray Busser - to fouls in the pivotal fourth quarter. The Eagles outscored the Mustangs 32-20 in the fourth quarter, many of which came from the free throw line. JFK was 18-for-22 from the charity stripe in the fourth quarter alone.
Warren JFK was 31-for-39 from the line in the game, while Grand Valley was 13-for-17. The 18-point difference in free throws made (not to mention the 22-shot difference in attempts) marked the difference in the game.
Said Coach Tom Henson after the game, "The obvious key was the fact they got back in the game on the fouls and their parade to the foul line. ... We were able to play our game in the first quarter. The fouls really got us in trouble."
The Mustangs were led by 6-foot-7 forward Steve Oman, who scored a game-high 31 to go with a game-high 16 rebounds. Fellow senior Brian Turner, who a few months later was drafted by the New York Yankees, hit for 20.
"In the second half, we had to try an do to Brian and Steve," Henson said. "They've been our money players all season."
Win a district championship game and advance to the regional tournament.
Coach Justin Turk's Mustangs (20-4) will play Warren JFK (6-18) in the Division VI district final at Salem on Saturday. Tip-off is at 3:30 p.m.
Four other times in program history have the Grand Valley boys basketball team played in a district championship game. A few others came close by playing in - but losing - district semifinals.
Is this the year the Mustangs get over the hump and punch their tickets to the Sweet 16?
Stay tuned... or better yet, make the trip to Salem on Saturday and see history made first-hand.
This year's Mustangs are a tournament-tested unit for the most part. A year ago, Coach Turk's team advanced to the district tournament only to be turned away in the title bout by Dalton via a 61-54 game. The sheer participation in that game broke a long drought of appearances in a district championship game, the last time being in the 1988-89 season.
A year ago, Grand Valley set a program record for wins as part of its 21-4 record. Senior Braden Hart scored nine of his game-high 25 points in the fourth quarter, but the Mustangs were ousted by Dalton, 61-54. Carter Turk had 17.
But you'd have to go back a LONG way to find the last times - the FEW PRECIOUS TIMES - Grand Valley's boys basketball team got to a district championship game. Let's take a look at those years, as well as a few year misses.
THE GROUND-BREAKING 1986-86 SEASON
The 1985-86 team was a landmark team for a number of reasons. The 16-4 regular-season record was the best since 1974-75 and the 53-40 win over Bristol gave the program its first sectional title since that 74-75 season.
When the Mustangs defeated Mineral Ridge, 67-47, in the Class A district semifinal at Harding Fieldhouse in Warren, it marked the first time in program history that a Grand Valley basketball team would play for a district championship
But that's as far as the journey would go.
Led by a 25-point, 15-rebound performance by 6-foot-5 Joe Fabry, Windham ousted Grand Valley, 65-49, to claim the title and earn the trip to the regional tournament at the Canton Memorial Field House.
Grand Valley led, 17-16, after one and 24-21 at halftime, but Windham - a perennial district-title team in those days - let their experience do the talking in the second half.
Guard Ray Harriman, one of four seniors on the team along with Brian Olah, Derek Nicholes and Danny Schuller, led the team with 20 points. Junior Tom Benge pulled down a team-high eight rebounds, but Windham held a commanding 57-27 advantage on the boards.
"When we got down by eight," Coach Tom Henson said in a Star Beacon article, "they had control of the game at that time. We missed a couple of easy baskets and made some crucial turnovers. We couldn't put it together after that point."
Dejected in the locker room afterward, Harriman said, "I wanted to go to Canton bad. I can't come back now. Wed can't go any farther. That's it."
In the district semifinal, GV (which finished the season 19-5) drilled Mineral Ridge by 20. Junior Jim Henson, recently voted the MVP of the Grand River Conference, led the team with 26 points while junior Tom Benge had 11 points and 11 rebounds. Junior Rodney Harris locked down Ridge leading scorer Troy Fronzaglio to 13 points, 11 fewer than his season average.
CLOSE CALL IN 1988-89
Grand Valley's second trip to the district championship round ended in heartbreak also.
After defeating Vienna Mathews, 73-56, in a semifinal game, Grand Valley met up with Warren JFK in the Division III district title game at Warren Western Reserve High School.
It was a foul-infested game for the Mustangs, who were whistled for 27 fouls and lost three players - Bob Wingfield, Dominic Dlugos and Ray Busser - to fouls in the pivotal fourth quarter. The Eagles outscored the Mustangs 32-20 in the fourth quarter, many of which came from the free throw line. JFK was 18-for-22 from the charity stripe in the fourth quarter alone.
Warren JFK was 31-for-39 from the line in the game, while Grand Valley was 13-for-17. The 18-point difference in free throws made (not to mention the 22-shot difference in attempts) marked the difference in the game.
Said Coach Tom Henson after the game, "The obvious key was the fact they got back in the game on the fouls and their parade to the foul line. ... We were able to play our game in the first quarter. The fouls really got us in trouble."
The Mustangs were led by 6-foot-7 forward Steve Oman, who scored a game-high 31 to go with a game-high 16 rebounds. Fellow senior Brian Turner, who a few months later was drafted by the New York Yankees, hit for 20.
"In the second half, we had to try an do to Brian and Steve," Henson said. "They've been our money players all season."
Congratulations to our Girls Wrestling All County Selections!
1st Team - Sophia Thirion
2nd Team - Ava Crouser
2nd Team - Jenna Poyer
1st Team - Sophia Thirion
2nd Team - Ava Crouser
2nd Team - Jenna Poyer
Congratulations to our Boys Basketball All-County Selections!
1st Team All-County - Carter Turk
2nd Team All-County - Solomon Schultz
Honorable Mention - Anthony Eason
Honorable Mention - Payton Plizga
1st Team All-County - Carter Turk
2nd Team All-County - Solomon Schultz
Honorable Mention - Anthony Eason
Honorable Mention - Payton Plizga
Congratulations to the Lady Mustangs All-Ashtabula County Selections!
Coach of the Year - Zach Sirrine
1st Team All -County - Cloe Turk
1st Team All-County - Riley Rowland
Honorable Mention - Breanna Rowland
Honorable Mention - Reese Nims
Coach of the Year - Zach Sirrine
1st Team All -County - Cloe Turk
1st Team All-County - Riley Rowland
Honorable Mention - Breanna Rowland
Honorable Mention - Reese Nims
Grand Valley will have a Spirit Bus for students in 7-12th grades for the Boys Basketball District Championship game this Saturday. The bus will leave at 2:15 PM from the high school. Cost is $10 which includes the ticket and ride. Wear Blue!!
GV!
Kindergarten kicked off Dr Seuss week by reading The Cat in the Hat yesterday!
Mustangs beat Columbia, will play Saturday for the district championship
When the Grand Valley boys basketball team walked out of Salem's John A. Cabas Gymnasium last March, they vowed they'd be back.
Thanks to a gutsy effort on Monday night, the Mustangs have made good on that promise.
Junior Carter Turk scored a game-high 32 points to lead Grand Valley to a 74-67 lead over Columbia in a Division VI district semifinal. The win puts the Mustangs (20-4) in the district championship game against Warren JFK on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
The game is being held in the same gymnasium where the Mustangs' season ended last year via a 61-54 loss to the district final to Dalton. The Mustangs vowed to return - and they've made good on that vow.
"It feels great," senior Payton Plizga said. "We've been practicing for this all year long. We're ready to take it to them."
When the final buzzer sounded, GV coach Justin Turk pumped his fists in celebration as the massive home crowd cheered their approval wildly, ready for a return trip to the district championship game.
"We certainly talked about this back in June," Coach Turk said. "This was our goal, not just to get to districts but to win districts. (JFK) is going to be a great challenge. We're just happy to have the opportunity."
No boys or girls basketball team in school history has advanced to the regional tournament. This team hopes to break that mold after the clutch win.
"A great atmosphere, a double overtime game... you can't ask for more from high school sports," Carter Turk said.
The 6-foot-5 junior is a big reason why the Mustangs have lived to see another day. His feed to a streaking Payton Plizga opened up a five-point lead for GV in the second overtime. Then Cooper Plizga iced the game with a pair of late free throws.
Grand Valley held leads near the end of regulation and near the end of the first overtime period, but both times Columbia tied the score. The Mustangs were unable to cash in with last-second shots in both regulation and the first overtime.
"A lot of times if you miss the last shot in regulation, it's a deflator," Coach Turk said. "Our kids never put their heads down. They knew what we had to do. We did what we had to do and we got it done."
Grand Valley trailed at both the end of the first quarter (15-11) and at halftime (31-26). But the Mustangs went on a 10-0 run to start the third quarter to take the lead and get the home crowd electrified.
GV led, 45-43, after three, but Columbia tied it up at 55 at the end of regulation. Turk hit a pair of shots to help GV open a six-point lead in the first overtime, but Logan Menges (team-high 32 points) hit a 3 to help Columbia send it to a second overtime. The Mustangs dominated from there.
"It comes down to execution play after play after play," Coach Turk said of his team's persistence. "Hats off to their guys. I don't know how many minutes they played, it was a lot. We talked about playing to the end. I think both teams left it all out there."
Aside from Carter Turk, GV got 14 from Solly Schultz, 11 from Anthony Eason, nine from Payton Plizga and eight from Cooper Plizga. Eason and Payton Plizga both went out winners in their final home game in GV's gymnasium.
"We've had four great years playing here," Plizga said of he and Eason. "We're ready to finish it off right."
Plizga tipped his cap to the raucous home crowd, saying, "I think we've had the best crowd out of everyone."
His coach didn't disagree.
"We call them the Mustang Maniacs," he said. "They're great. They come no matter where we are. We're certainly going to need them this weekend."
BOX SCORE
Grand Valley 74, Columbia 67 (2 OT)
GV - Eason 11, Turk 32, Schultz 14, C.Plizga 8, P.Plizga 9.
Columbia - Washburn 6, Menges 32, Fisher 14, Ross 2, Beach 9, Hess 4.
Gr.Valley 11 15 19 10 7 12 - 74
Columbia 15 16 12 12 7 5 - 67
Free throws: Columbia 10 of 13, GV 16 of 20; 3-pointers: Columbia 5 (Menges 3, Fisher 2), GV 8 (Turk 4, Eason 3, P.Plizga)
Dear Grand Valley Local Schools Students, Staff, Families, and Community Members,
This is a final reminder to complete the Grand Valley Local Schools Community/School Needs Survey.
Your voice matters. We are currently planning for the future of our school system, and we want to hear directly from you about what you believe is most critical to making our students, schools, and community stronger. Your feedback will play an important role in guiding our decisions and setting priorities moving forward.
To ensure everyone has an opportunity to participate, we have extended the deadline to Wednesday, March 4, 2026.
If you have not yet completed the survey, please take a few minutes to do so. Your honest input—whether you are a student, staff member, parent, or community member—helps us better understand our strengths, needs, and opportunities for growth.
Thank you for your continued support of Grand Valley Local Schools and for partnering with us to build the strongest future possible for our students.
Use link below:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe3lCHjAI0dUQza_HTicJILWdQfXCJZ1pJV_s4UgB2Jdy89Aw/viewform
This is a final reminder to complete the Grand Valley Local Schools Community/School Needs Survey.
Your voice matters. We are currently planning for the future of our school system, and we want to hear directly from you about what you believe is most critical to making our students, schools, and community stronger. Your feedback will play an important role in guiding our decisions and setting priorities moving forward.
To ensure everyone has an opportunity to participate, we have extended the deadline to Wednesday, March 4, 2026.
If you have not yet completed the survey, please take a few minutes to do so. Your honest input—whether you are a student, staff member, parent, or community member—helps us better understand our strengths, needs, and opportunities for growth.
Thank you for your continued support of Grand Valley Local Schools and for partnering with us to build the strongest future possible for our students.
Use link below:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe3lCHjAI0dUQza_HTicJILWdQfXCJZ1pJV_s4UgB2Jdy89Aw/viewform
GVMS!
5th thru 8th Grade Dodgeball Tournament
Friday, March 20, 2026 from 6-8:00pm
GVMS Gym
See Mr. Mailach to sign up.
All proceeds benefit GV Girls Varsity Soccer
$25.00 per team
$1 per student spectator
$2 adult spectator
Concession stand will be open!
Friday, March 20, 2026 from 6-8:00pm
GVMS Gym
See Mr. Mailach to sign up.
All proceeds benefit GV Girls Varsity Soccer
$25.00 per team
$1 per student spectator
$2 adult spectator
Concession stand will be open!
Congratulations to our boys and girls All NAC team selections!
Congratulations to our boys and girls All NAC team selections!
🎉Congratulations to our State Qualifiers🎉
The following have qualified to the State Indoor Track & Field Meet which will take place on Saturday, March 7 at SPIRE.
State Qualifiers
Jocelyn Cozad- Long Jump
Luke Giddings- 400m Dash
Girls 4x200m Relay
Maddie Freeman
Lily Ross
Kylee Portzer
Brooke Tolla
Boys 4x200m Relay
Lane Gallagher
Mason Demshar
Lukah Mramor
Luke Giddings
Thanks to everyone who helped make this happen. Your donations have given our athletes an opportunity they may not have had without your help.
⚡️SPEED is our Stampede⚡️
Boys Basketball will host Columbia Station tonight in the District Semis! Game time 7:00 pm. This is the boys last home game so please come out and support them as they compete for an opportunity to advance to the District Finals!
Mustangs slam Open Door, set sights on district tourney
There was no wild celebration on Monday when the Grand Valley boys basketball team won a Division V sectional championship with a 72-43 win over Elyria Open Door Christian. There was no net-cutting ceremony either.
That's because Coach Justin Turk's team has much bigger goals than to win a sectional title.
With the dominating win over Open Door, the second-seeded Mustangs advance to the district tournament. Grand Valley (19-4) will host 14th-seeded Columbia in a district semifinal on Monday, with the winner advancing to next Saturday's district championship game.
No basketball team from Grand Valley has ever won a district championship.
"It felt good to be here at home for a tournament game," Solomon Schultz said. "Now it's on to the next game. We don't want to fall short in districts like we did last year. That's our goal - to win districts."
The Mustangs left to doubt from the get-go against visiting Open Door, blitzing the Patriots with full-court pressure from the opening tip and holding a double-digit lead from the first quarter. Open Door never led and spent most of the evening trying to keep the deficit to less than 20 points.
Grand Valley led, 32-12, at the half, with Carter Turk scoring 12 of his game-high 22 points in the first quarter and Schultz scoring 13 of his 18 prior to intermission. The big lead electrified the large home crowd.
"That's the enjoyment of playing well all year," said Turk, who's team has now won six in a row. "You get the opportunity to host playoff games. We certainly wanted to bring the energy for our home fans."
GV didn't let up at all in the third quarter, putting up 24 more points to take a commanding 56-32 lead into the fourth. Carter Turk dished out impressive assists to the Plizga brothers in the third, with Payton scoring nine of his 11 in the third quarter and brother Cooper hitting a pair of inside buckets.
"A lot of talk about Carter is his scoring, but he'd rather pass the ball to his teammates," Coach Turk said. "We certainly need him to score at times, but he's a really good passer."
Of Payton Plizga's big game, Turk said, "He's been a beast all year. He's the heart of our team."
Most of the fourth quarter was played with the starters on the bench. All 14 of the Mustangs in uniform played, with youngsters Parker Zupancic, Sam Mazzei, Hunter Doing, Alex Chudzik and Liam Hart all scoring points. In all, nine different players scored.
"What people don't realize is most of the time these (younger) kids don't get that playing time in tournament games," Turk said. "We were fortunate to get the lead early so we could get those players tournament experience. You never know when you're going to need them down the road."
Next up is a Columbia team that is 13-10 after its 64-46 win over East Canton on Monday.
"We're certainly motivated," Turk said. "The next game is going to be a good one. They might be the best team we've played all year. We're happy that we're going to be playing at our place again."
BOX SCORE
Grand Valley 72, Open Door 43
Grand Valley - Turk 22, Schultz 18, Chudzik 1, Hart 2, Doing 3, C.Plizga 6, P.Plizga 11, Mazzei 5, Zupancic 3.
Open Door: Sqegulak 3, Benoik 24, Hanrahan 6 Patten 4, Coughlin 4, Geyer 2.
Gr.Valley 18 14 24 20 - 72
Open Door 9 12 20 11 - 43
Free throws: GV 11 of 11, Open Door 6 of 12; 3-pointers: GV 9 (Schultz 3, Turk 2, Doing, P.Pizga, Mazzei, Zupancic), Open Door 3 (Benoik 2, Swegulak).
There was no wild celebration on Monday when the Grand Valley boys basketball team won a Division V sectional championship with a 72-43 win over Elyria Open Door Christian. There was no net-cutting ceremony either.
That's because Coach Justin Turk's team has much bigger goals than to win a sectional title.
With the dominating win over Open Door, the second-seeded Mustangs advance to the district tournament. Grand Valley (19-4) will host 14th-seeded Columbia in a district semifinal on Monday, with the winner advancing to next Saturday's district championship game.
No basketball team from Grand Valley has ever won a district championship.
"It felt good to be here at home for a tournament game," Solomon Schultz said. "Now it's on to the next game. We don't want to fall short in districts like we did last year. That's our goal - to win districts."
The Mustangs left to doubt from the get-go against visiting Open Door, blitzing the Patriots with full-court pressure from the opening tip and holding a double-digit lead from the first quarter. Open Door never led and spent most of the evening trying to keep the deficit to less than 20 points.
Grand Valley led, 32-12, at the half, with Carter Turk scoring 12 of his game-high 22 points in the first quarter and Schultz scoring 13 of his 18 prior to intermission. The big lead electrified the large home crowd.
"That's the enjoyment of playing well all year," said Turk, who's team has now won six in a row. "You get the opportunity to host playoff games. We certainly wanted to bring the energy for our home fans."
GV didn't let up at all in the third quarter, putting up 24 more points to take a commanding 56-32 lead into the fourth. Carter Turk dished out impressive assists to the Plizga brothers in the third, with Payton scoring nine of his 11 in the third quarter and brother Cooper hitting a pair of inside buckets.
"A lot of talk about Carter is his scoring, but he'd rather pass the ball to his teammates," Coach Turk said. "We certainly need him to score at times, but he's a really good passer."
Of Payton Plizga's big game, Turk said, "He's been a beast all year. He's the heart of our team."
Most of the fourth quarter was played with the starters on the bench. All 14 of the Mustangs in uniform played, with youngsters Parker Zupancic, Sam Mazzei, Hunter Doing, Alex Chudzik and Liam Hart all scoring points. In all, nine different players scored.
"What people don't realize is most of the time these (younger) kids don't get that playing time in tournament games," Turk said. "We were fortunate to get the lead early so we could get those players tournament experience. You never know when you're going to need them down the road."
Next up is a Columbia team that is 13-10 after its 64-46 win over East Canton on Monday.
"We're certainly motivated," Turk said. "The next game is going to be a good one. They might be the best team we've played all year. We're happy that we're going to be playing at our place again."
BOX SCORE
Grand Valley 72, Open Door 43
Grand Valley - Turk 22, Schultz 18, Chudzik 1, Hart 2, Doing 3, C.Plizga 6, P.Plizga 11, Mazzei 5, Zupancic 3.
Open Door: Sqegulak 3, Benoik 24, Hanrahan 6 Patten 4, Coughlin 4, Geyer 2.
Gr.Valley 18 14 24 20 - 72
Open Door 9 12 20 11 - 43
Free throws: GV 11 of 11, Open Door 6 of 12; 3-pointers: GV 9 (Schultz 3, Turk 2, Doing, P.Pizga, Mazzei, Zupancic), Open Door 3 (Benoik 2, Swegulak).
In the inaugural season of Grand Valley’s all-girls wrestling team, Sophia Thirion made program history by becoming the first female wrestler to qualify for Districts, earning a 3rd place finish at Sectionals.
Jenna Poyer and Ava Crouser also had strong performances, each earning 5th place finishes and securing positions as District alternates.
A historic milestone season for Grand Valley girls wrestling.
Congratulations to all of our District qualifiers! Shout out to Joe Montgomery for being Sectional champ!
Joseph Montgomery - Stoltz
(138) 1st
Luke Giddings
(215) 2nd
Dexter Plott
(HVY) 2nd
Zeal Waldo
(113) 3rd
Jesse DeLisle
(175) 3rd
Ashton Lampman
(190) 4th
100th day of school!
GV!
