Make that 6-0 for the Grand Valley boys basketball team against Ashtabula County competition this year.
Solomon Schultz scored a game-high 30 points and Carter Turk added 21 as the Mustangs defeated host Jefferson, 64-58, on Tuesday in Falcon Gymnasium. The win gives the Mustangs a 6-0 record against county teams this year with two wins over Pymatuning Valley and one each against Edgewood, St. John, Lakeside and Jefferson.
Grand Valley doesn't play Geneva or Conneaut this year.
"It's been a while since we've beaten them," Coach Justin Turk said of the Falcons. "It's gonna be a dogfight no matter what our record is and what their record is. We're certainly happy to be undefeated against county teams."
Navigating through Jefferson's trapping halfcourt defense, the Mustangs consistently made the extra passes - particularly in the critical second half - to find the holes in the zone for easy bucket. Turk, Schultz and Anthony Eason each hit a pair of 3-pointers against zone rotations.
"It's the hard work we put on in practice," Schultz said of dealing with defensive pressure. "We work on it all day in practice, working against presses."
Schultz hit a shot at the buzzer to give the Mustangs a 34-30 lead at the break. With the Falcons threatening to retake the lead late Schultz scored 11 points in the fourth.
"With Carter and Schultz, we have two of the best kids in the county," Turk said. "When we put the ball in their hands, good things usually happen for us."
Last week, Grand Valley drilled NAC rival Cardinal, 59-26, behind 19 points from Carter Turk and 12 from Cooper Plizga. Schultz supplemented with 11 in that game.
Grand Valley is now 17-4 and has one regular-season game remaining Feb. 17 against St. John when the Mustangs will go for a perfect 7-0 slate against county teams. But first, GV will select its slot in the postseason tournament draw this weekend.
Turk likes his chances of a good seed and favorable home-game matchup in the first round.
"We've played as tough of a schedule as we could all year so that we're ready for tournament time," he said. "We think this game (against Jefferson) was a real good tournament type of game to get us ready."
Grand Valley 64, Jefferson 58
GV - Eason 8, Turk 21, Schultz 30, C.Plizga 4, P.Plizga 1.
Jefferson - Navarro 28, Shetler 12, Dzura 12, Hitchcock 2, Dietrick 2, Fritzche 2.
Gr.Valley 19 15 15 17 - 64
Jefferson 16 14 14 14 - 58
Free throws: Grand Valley 9 of 14, Jefferson 7 of 9; 3-pointers: Grand Valley 7 (Eason 2, Turk 2, Schultz 2, C.Plizga), Jefferson 5 (Shetler 2, Dzura 2, Navarro)
Grand Valley 59, Cardinal 26
GV - Eason 7, Turk 19, Schultz 11, Hart 4, C.Plizga 12, P.Plizga 6.
Cardinal - Davis 5, B.Strever 6, Sindelar 6, Komandt 5, K.Strever 3, Skyta 1.
Gr.Valley 24 11 21 3 - 59
Cardinal 4 4 14 4 - 26
Free throws: Grand Valley 2 of 3, Cardinal 5 of 7; 3-pointers: Grand Valley 5 (Turk 2, Eason, Schultz, C.Plizga), Cardinal 3 (B.Strever 2, Davis)
Thank you Huntsburg Baptist Church for blessing our students!
Your generosity helps ensure students have the nourishment they need to stay energized and focused throughout the school day.
Your generosity helps ensure students have the nourishment they need to stay energized and focused throughout the school day.
GRAND VALLEY 64
JEFFERSON 58
Mustangs go on the road to get a huge W in front of a packed gym! 17-4 overall. 6-0 in the county! Monster game for Solomon Schultz with 30 points followed by Carter Turk with 21.
Go Big Blue!
Congratulations to Ellyana Shipley!
She was Runner Up at the Ashtabula County Spelling Bee! We are very proud of you!
🏆
The Grand Valley girls basketball team has met two of the three goals it set before the season started.
As a byproduct, the Mustangs have achieved a goal they didn't intentionally set.
With a 52-50 win over Perry on Feb. 9, Coach Zach Sirrine's team improved its record to 19-2. The 19 wins is a program record and builds on the record the team set when it won its 17th game.
A handful of Grand Valley teams have won 16 games in a season (including 2023-24, 1996-97 and 1997-98), but the Mustangs are at 19 wins and counting. Add that to the goals the team set prior to the start of the season and the Mustangs are happy - but not satisfied.
"When we got to 17, I assumed it was the most but wasn't 100 percent sure," Sirrine said. "I figured (more than 17) would be tough with only 20 games back in the day.
"The record for wins isn't something we talked about to start the year. The goals were to have a winning record, win the conference - which we've gotten - and make it to districts. We never said 'Hey, we want to set a record for wins.' We just talk every pregame about going 1-0. That has gotten us to this point."
With the NAC title already in hand, the Mustangs are testing themselves against some tough competition, ending the regular season against Perry (14-5) and Columbiana Crestview (19-2). The Mustangs passed a huge test with a 52-50 road win against Perry on Monday and then wrap up the regular season Thursday at Crestview.
"We wanted to schedule tougher games at the end of the season," Sirrine said. "I would not call us a battle-tested team. We haven't had a lot of close games lately."
He's not wrong. Heading into the Perry game, the Mustangs had won their previous six games by an average margin of 38.5 points per game. The test at Perry, and the upcoming test vs. Crestview, will be nice heading into tournament play.
Down 27-19 to Perry at the half, the Mustangs battled back. Cloe Turk scored 18 of her game-high 25 points after intermission, including 12 in the fourth quarter, to lead the team back. Additionally, Riley Rowan scored nine of her 15 after the break.
Perry had the final shot in an attempt to win or tie the game, but Rowland rebounded the missed shot and dribbled out the remaining seconds on the clock.
"We were down 15 in the first half but battled back," Sirrine said. "We finally started to hit some shots. In the first half nothing was falling. Once we started to score, we were able to pick them up full court and maybe speed them up more than they were comfortable with."
Along with the big win over Perry, the Mustangs learned they've earned the No. 6 seed in the upcoming Division VI sectional-district tournament. Grand Valley will host 16th-seeded New Middletown Springfield on Feb. 19. A win in that game puts GV in the sectional final Feb. 24 against the winner of 12th-seeded McDonald and 11th-seeded Ashland Mapleton.
As the highest seed in the pod, Grand Valley has the potential to host both games.
"We haven't made it to the district tournament since 2014," Sirrine said. "That's the next goal. I think we got a good draw, but all our focus is on Springfield first and foremost."
As a byproduct, the Mustangs have achieved a goal they didn't intentionally set.
With a 52-50 win over Perry on Feb. 9, Coach Zach Sirrine's team improved its record to 19-2. The 19 wins is a program record and builds on the record the team set when it won its 17th game.
A handful of Grand Valley teams have won 16 games in a season (including 2023-24, 1996-97 and 1997-98), but the Mustangs are at 19 wins and counting. Add that to the goals the team set prior to the start of the season and the Mustangs are happy - but not satisfied.
"When we got to 17, I assumed it was the most but wasn't 100 percent sure," Sirrine said. "I figured (more than 17) would be tough with only 20 games back in the day.
"The record for wins isn't something we talked about to start the year. The goals were to have a winning record, win the conference - which we've gotten - and make it to districts. We never said 'Hey, we want to set a record for wins.' We just talk every pregame about going 1-0. That has gotten us to this point."
With the NAC title already in hand, the Mustangs are testing themselves against some tough competition, ending the regular season against Perry (14-5) and Columbiana Crestview (19-2). The Mustangs passed a huge test with a 52-50 road win against Perry on Monday and then wrap up the regular season Thursday at Crestview.
"We wanted to schedule tougher games at the end of the season," Sirrine said. "I would not call us a battle-tested team. We haven't had a lot of close games lately."
He's not wrong. Heading into the Perry game, the Mustangs had won their previous six games by an average margin of 38.5 points per game. The test at Perry, and the upcoming test vs. Crestview, will be nice heading into tournament play.
Down 27-19 to Perry at the half, the Mustangs battled back. Cloe Turk scored 18 of her game-high 25 points after intermission, including 12 in the fourth quarter, to lead the team back. Additionally, Riley Rowan scored nine of her 15 after the break.
Perry had the final shot in an attempt to win or tie the game, but Rowland rebounded the missed shot and dribbled out the remaining seconds on the clock.
"We were down 15 in the first half but battled back," Sirrine said. "We finally started to hit some shots. In the first half nothing was falling. Once we started to score, we were able to pick them up full court and maybe speed them up more than they were comfortable with."
Along with the big win over Perry, the Mustangs learned they've earned the No. 6 seed in the upcoming Division VI sectional-district tournament. Grand Valley will host 16th-seeded New Middletown Springfield on Feb. 19. A win in that game puts GV in the sectional final Feb. 24 against the winner of 12th-seeded McDonald and 11th-seeded Ashland Mapleton.
As the highest seed in the pod, Grand Valley has the potential to host both games.
"We haven't made it to the district tournament since 2014," Sirrine said. "That's the next goal. I think we got a good draw, but all our focus is on Springfield first and foremost."
Your YSN Week 5 Big Dog of the Valley Girls Basketball winner is…
🔥 Cloe Turk — Grand Valley 🔥
Cloe balled out and the Valley showed up big in the voting, making her this week’s top dog on the hardwood. Big plays, big moments, and a big-time performance earn her the crown.
Congrats to Cloe and the Grand Valley crew! Keep eating, Big Dog. 🐾
GV - 52
Perry - 50
Gritty win over a good Perry team tonight! Cloe Turk led all scorers with 25 Riley Rowland added 15.
We close out the regular season Thursday @ Crestview, come support the girls!
Congratulations Mason Nester!
3rd place Middle School EOWL Championships
3rd place Middle School EOWL Championships
Congratulations to our Lady Mustang Wrestlers on their outstanding performances at The Spartan Invitational!
Tessa Richardson 1st place MS
104
Ava Crouser 4th place HS 105
Sabrina Welch 6th place HS 235
Both our High School Boys and Girls Basketball teams are ranked in the Top Ten in the area! Congratulations!
GV Families!
2 hour delay due to cold weather and bus issues!
Please share!
Lady Mustangs Basketball Tournament Draw.
#6 Lady Mustangs will host the #16 New Middletown Springfield on Thursday, February 19th 7:00pm at Grand Valley for the OHSAA Sectional Championship.
Congratulations to our Grand Valley Wrestlers placing at Ashtabula All-County wrestling tournament today.
Zeal Waldo (113) 7th
Joe Montgomery (138) 3rd
Jesse DeLisle (175) 5th
Ashton Lampman (190) 3rd
Dexter Plott (HVY) 3rd
Boys Basketball will travel to Cardinal High School to take on the Huskuies tonight. JV 5:30 pm, Varsity 6:45 pm.
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Grand Valley Local Schools Awarded Ohio School Bus Safety Grant
Orwell, Ohio —
Grand Valley Local Schools is pleased to announce that the district has been awarded funding through the Ohio School Bus Safety Grant, supporting continued efforts to enhance student transportation safety.
The district received $10,628 in grant funding, representing a portion of the total amount requested in the original application. While the full scope of the grant request was not funded, the award reflects the State of Ohio’s continued investment in student safety and school transportation improvements.
Grand Valley Local Schools applied for funding to support several key safety upgrades to its school bus fleet, including occupant restraining devices that conform to school bus seat belt requirements and multiple advanced lighting systems designed to increase visibility for students entering and exiting buses.
The lighting upgrades included in the application are:
Guardian Angel lighting
Ground Wash lights
LED Student lights – Red
LED Student lights – Amber
These lighting systems are especially important for Grand Valley Local Schools, as many district buses travel on very dark rural back roads that lack appropriate — and in some cases any — roadway lighting. Enhanced lighting significantly improves visibility for both students and motorists during loading and unloading, particularly in early morning and evening hours.
The Guardian Angel light is designed to activate as a student exits the bus and crosses the roadway, helping illuminate the child’s path and increasing visibility until the student safely reaches their driveway. This added layer of protection is intended to reduce the risk of accidents and improve safety during one of the most critical moments of a student’s daily commute.
“We appreciate the State of Ohio’s support of school transportation safety,” said Dr. Nye, Superintendent of Grand Valley Local Schools. “Our buses travel many rural roads with limited lighting, and these safety enhancements play a critical role in protecting our students as they get on and off the bus each day.”
Grand Valley Local Schools will share additional information as grant details are finalized and implementation plans move forward.
For more information, please contact:
Grand Valley Local Schools
(440)805-4545
https://www.grand-valley.k12.oh.us/
https://aptg.co/p41PVT
Grand Valley Local Schools Awarded Ohio School Bus Safety Grant
Orwell, Ohio —
Grand Valley Local Schools is pleased to announce that the district has been awarded funding through the Ohio School Bus Safety Grant, supporting continued efforts to enhance student transportation safety.
The district received $10,628 in grant funding, representing a portion of the total amount requested in the original application. While the full scope of the grant request was not funded, the award reflects the State of Ohio’s continued investment in student safety and school transportation improvements.
Grand Valley Local Schools applied for funding to support several key safety upgrades to its school bus fleet, including occupant restraining devices that conform to school bus seat belt requirements and multiple advanced lighting systems designed to increase visibility for students entering and exiting buses.
The lighting upgrades included in the application are:
Guardian Angel lighting
Ground Wash lights
LED Student lights – Red
LED Student lights – Amber
These lighting systems are especially important for Grand Valley Local Schools, as many district buses travel on very dark rural back roads that lack appropriate — and in some cases any — roadway lighting. Enhanced lighting significantly improves visibility for both students and motorists during loading and unloading, particularly in early morning and evening hours.
The Guardian Angel light is designed to activate as a student exits the bus and crosses the roadway, helping illuminate the child’s path and increasing visibility until the student safely reaches their driveway. This added layer of protection is intended to reduce the risk of accidents and improve safety during one of the most critical moments of a student’s daily commute.
“We appreciate the State of Ohio’s support of school transportation safety,” said Dr. Nye, Superintendent of Grand Valley Local Schools. “Our buses travel many rural roads with limited lighting, and these safety enhancements play a critical role in protecting our students as they get on and off the bus each day.”
Grand Valley Local Schools will share additional information as grant details are finalized and implementation plans move forward.
For more information, please contact:
Grand Valley Local Schools
(440)805-4545
https://www.grand-valley.k12.oh.us/
https://aptg.co/p41PVT
GV - 58
Cardinal - 28
Big win over the Huskies to close out our NAC schedule! Riley Rowland led scorers with 21, Cloe Turk added 14, along with Bre Rowland with 7.
Back in action on the road @ Perry on Monday, come support the girls!
Congratulations to our amazing students and staff for their hard work and determination! This report card data for GV is a testament to that. Your perseverance and teamwork make a difference every day, and we are proud of what we continue to accomplish together!
Tied for 1st overall, 4 stars in the county!
Tied for 1st, with a rating of 3 stars on achievement in the county!
Tied for the 1st with a 4 star rating on progress in the county!
1st overall with 73.8% of our student body being college and career ready when they graduate. (10.8% points higher than the next closest school)!
Girls Varsity Basketball faces Cardinal tonight in a NAC match-up. Varsity only 6pm at Cardinal High School.
Once again, we are proud to recognize the hard work, dedication, and achievements of our students and staff, way to go Mustangs!
Reminder!
Parent Teacher Conferences are tomorrow!
GVMS and GVHS-if you want to make an appointment, please call the building office tomorrow morning to see what times are still available.
