Grand Valley Local School District

GV!

Seniors and Senior Parents and Guardians!
Use link below to see important dates and times for graduation!

https://aptg.co/rk0KKX

We will have a spirit bus going to Canton on Tuesday for the Regional Semis. Cost is $10.00. We must have at least 30 kids sign up. Grades 7-12

BREAKING: Grand Valley boys headed to Division VI regional tournament The drought is over! The Grand Valley boys basketball team is headed to the regional basketball tournament. Solomon Schultz scored 24 points and Carter Turk scored 23 as the Mustangs defeated Warren JFK, 71-57, the Salem Division VI regional championship game on Saturday. The win puts Grand Valley (21-4) into the regional tournament for the first time in school history. The Mustangs will face Kirtland (22-3) in a regional semifinal on Tuesday at 6 p.m., The Hornets, a Division VI state final four team a year ago, defeated Oberlin in another district final at Salem on Saturday. "I'm so happy, and it's more than just for Grand Valley basketball," Coach Justin Turk said. "This for the community, the school, the people. I'm really proud we get the opportunity to play at the regional tournament." The win came a year after GV lost in the district final to Dalton. Said Schultz, "It felt really good to win this one because we played on this same court last yera and lost. We had a bad taste in our mouths and wanted to win this one." Grand Valley trailed, 13-11, after one quarter on Saturday but caught fire in the second quarter when Carter Turk hit four 3-pointers to help the Mustangs take a 31-25 lead at the half. "They played a lot of zone on us, packed it in," Coach Turk said. "When Carter hit some of those deep 3s, it really changed things. It gave us some better looks inside. Payton Plizga got some buckets down low and that really helped balance out our scoring." GV's offense continued to hit on all cylinders in the third. Turk scored six more, including a pair of free throws, and senior guard Anthony Eason hit a pair of 3-pointers as the Mustangs opened a 50-40 lead going into the fourth quarter. "Just get one stop at a time," Coach Turk said of his message going to the fourth. "We had a few bad offensive possessions in there, but I called a timeout and reminded them to value the basketball and grind it out one possession and one shot at a time." The Mustangs never let the momentum go down the stretch. A big reason for that was the performance of Schultz in the fourth quarter. The junior guard scored 12 of his team-high 24 points in the fourth quarter. "He was able to get to the bucket," Coach Turk said. "He had a really big quarter. That's probably one of the best game he's every played." Said Schultz bluntly of his big finish, "Honestly, I just felt I needed to make a statement." As the final minutes and seconds ticked away, the Mustang faithful got louder and louder. When the clock hit zero, pandemonium ensued as Grand Valley celebrated its first regional basketball berth in either boys or girls basketball. GV's boys played in district finals in the 1985-86, 1988-89 and 2024-25 seasons, but this is the first time they've made the Sweet 16 at the historic Canton Memorial Field House. "Certainly you never feel good until you're under a minute to go," Coach Turk said. "The fans were great, the community support was great, the spirit bus was great. Hope we have it that way Tuesday." After nets were cut, the Mustangs posed for pictures with their district championship trophy and with the fans who made the trip to Salem. As an added bonus to the game, Carter Turk hit the 1,000-point plateau for his career. "When I was younger, I always wanted to be a 1,000-point scorer," the Mustang junior said. "The older I got, I just wanted to win. The W is more important than the 1,000 points." Looking ahead to Tuesday's regional semifinal, the Mustangs face a Kirtland team that defeated Oberlin, 63-43. The Hornets have won four in a row since a 53-47 loss to Youngstown Cardinal Mooney in Feb. 18. Kirtland's other two losses came against Chardon and Chagrin Falls. The Hornets are led by a pair of senior forwards, 6-foot-4 Ben DiFranco (14.6 ppg) and Lucas Renfro (18.0 ppg). "It's a good, physical team - nothing we wouldn't expect out of them," Coach Turk said of the Hornets. "We'll coach our guys up and be ready to go. ... We played at Canton two months ago with the idea we could come back and play there against. We won tonight and we're going back just like we thought we could." BOX SCORE Grand Valley 71, Warren JFK 57 Grand Valley - Eason 9, Turk 23, Schultz 24, Hart 2, C.Plizga 4, P.Plizga 9. Warren JFK - Geracitano 17, Phillips 19, A.Georgalas 3, LaPolla 13, J.Georgalis 5. Gr.Valley 11 20 19 20 - 71 Warren JFK 13 12 15 17 - 57 Free throws: GV 10 of 12, Warren JFK 5 of 7; 3-pointers: GV 7 (Turk 4, Eason 3), Warren JFK LaPolla 3, Geracitano, A. Georgalas, J. Georgalis

We capped of the season with some great performances at the Ohio Indoor State Meet! The boys 4x200m Relay made the podium placing 7th in the State. The team consisted of Lane Gallagher, Mason Demshar, Lukah Mramor and Luke Giddings. Jocelyn Cozad just missed the finals in the long jump placing 10th. Luke Giddings placed 13th in the 400m dash after a short recovery from the anchor leg of the 4x200m relay. The girls 4x200m relay team placed 14th while running their best time of the season. The team consisted of Maddie Freeman, Lily Ross, Kylee Portzer and Brooke Tolla. We are very proud of the efforts by all. Looking forward to a great outdoor season ⚡️SPEED is our Stampede⚡️

Congratulations to Carter Turk scoring his 1000's point today in the District Championship Game!

Grand Valley Boys Basketball District Champs! Will play Tuesday 6:00pm at the Canton Field House.

If you can't make it to the Big Game today here a link to watch it. https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/events/ysn/gam05a45ffef2 Go Mustangs!!!

Good luck to the Boys Basketball team in the OHSAA District Finals! Saturday, 3:30pm at Salem HS, 799 North Lincoln Ave, Salem, 44460 vs Warren Tickets can be purchased online or cash sales at the door. The winner plays the winner of the 7pm game (Kirtland vs Oberlin) in the Regional Semifinal on Tuesday at Canton Memorial Fieldhouse. Go Big Blue!

Good luck to our Mustang Wrestlers as they travel to Independence today for the OHSAA District Championships.

Joseph Montgomery - Stoltz (138)
Luke Giddings (215)
Dexter Plott (HVY)
Zeal Waldo (113)
Jesse DeLisle (175)
Ashton Lampman (190)

Inter-State extended the last day to order yearbooks for Grand Valley Elementary.
It has been extended until 3/10/26.

Use link below to order:

https://inter-state.com/YearbookEntry/0300BF

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."

Congratulations to our Girls Wrestling All County Selections!

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

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

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