Lions Basketball v Amelia

The lions basketball team had a great win last night at Amelia, 62-58. Josh Heiden scores 21, hits 2 FTs and ends the game with a great block to seal the win. Chad Nort was a beast on the boards with 8 rebounds and adding 9 points. Caleb Hayward and Austin Wells score 8 each. John Ernst scores 6 points. Frankie Taulbee scores 6 points and hits 2 clutch free throws with 14 seconds left to go ahead by 4. The Lions travel to Norwood on Tuesday.

Lion’s Den sign to be retired Feb. 8

The Lion’s Den sign at the New Richmond High School gymnasium, which has watched over the careers of Major League baseball star Todd Benzinger, NFL star Dwayne Woodruff and New Richmond basketball legends like Glenn Stiles, Doug Ast and Liz Mischeff for the past 58 years, will be retired during the Feb. 8 home basketball game against Western Brown.

“It’s an important part of New Richmond High School’s history but it has dry-rotted and deteriorated to the point it cannot be saved and it has become a safety issue,” said Supt. Adam Bird. “We have investigated the viability of renovating it but it is not feasible.”

The thin plywood-over-wood frame sign was painted by New Richmond resident Reed Ulrey, whose son Bill Ulrey attended New Richmond High School, and went up in the old Market Street Fieldhouse during the 1954-55 basketball season, Bill Ulrey's sophomore year. Both Mr. Ulrey and his son Bill are deceased.

To former superintendent Brooks A. Parsons, the Lion’s Den sign means more than just a symbol of New Richmond athletics. It represents the fighting spirit that led to the creation of the New Richmond Exempted Village School District that involved President Dwight D. Eisenhower and Judge John W. Hausermann, the gold king of the Philippines.

“It went up during a time when we were fighting to preserve our school district,” said Parsons, who was New Richmond’s superintendent from 1953 to 1962.

Parsons and the school board got word that the other school districts in the county had met twice to form a county wide school district and get the tax revenue from the Beckjord Power Plant from New Richmond.

“We learned they had scheduled a third meeting to vote on county consolidation so I chartered a plane to fly to Columbus and submit our application to become an exempted village school district,” recalled Parsons, 90, who lives in the Kenwood area.

 “The state questioned if we were large enough to get exempted village status and we couldn’t get the Census Bureau to do a special census so we had Judge Hausermann contact President Eisenhower who ordered a special census for us.”

Hausermann, a Spanish American War veteran who remained in the Philippines after the war and controlled the largest gold mine in the islands, met Eisenhower when the former general and president served in the Philippines under Gen. Douglas McArthur. Hausermann returned to New Richmond in the 1930s.

“We got our special census but in the end it did not matter as Pierce Township, and later Monroe Township, consolidated with New Richmond and our size was no longer an issue,” noted Parsons, who won two county championships as New Richmond’s basketball coach in 1950-51 and 1951-52.

Robert Tucker followed Parsons as both basketball coach and school superintendent and realized the importance of preserving the Lion’s Den sign.

The sign remained at the Market Street fieldhouse after the new high school opened  in 1965 and the Market Street School became the district’s middle school.

“After we built the new middle school in 1972 we moved the Lion’s Den sign back to the high school gym where we felt it belong,” said Tucker, who was superintendent from 1962 to 1977.

The district maintenance staff has added additional screws to hold the sign up until the end of the season.

“I have asked athletic director Doug Foote to put together a small ceremony for the last home game Feb. 8 during which it will be up,” said Supt. Bird. “We may have some community members interested in coming to the game for that reason or to take pictures of the sign. I wish we could save it but we cannot take a chance of it falling.”

Lady Lions Over Amelia

The NR Varsity Girls Basketball team got a big league win on the road last night at Amelia, final score 46-44. Josie Buckingham was on fire, leading all scoters with 26, she also brought down. The proverbial game ball however, went to Alexis Meyer who scored 7 points and grabbed 13 big rebounds. The Lady Lions overcame an early double-digit deficit through good defense and reliable scoring from Buckingham.

Wrestlers close out the State Duals finishing second in the sub-region.

The Lions traveled to Ross to wrestle in the sub-region final four of the State Duals. First match of the evening was the #3 seed Eaton. The Lions gave a forfeit at 106, 6-0 Eaton. Nathan Rostetter won a close match 2-0, 6-3 Eaton. AJ Rostetter wrestled tough but lost, 11-3 Eaton. Lions forfeitted 126, 17-3 Eaton. Jesse Troy lost by pin, 23-3 Eaton. Freshman Josh Bauscher had the big win of the night, pinning his opponent in the first period, 23-9 Eaton. Clay Loadman kept the streak going with a 6-4 decision, 23-12 Eaton. Jared Bray lost by pin, 29-12 Eaton. The Lions put the hammer down and won the next six matches! Kenny Booker won by decision, 29-15 Eaton, Kevin Reid won by pin, 29-21 Eation. James White won by pin, 29-27 Eaton. Justin Patrick won by pin, 33-29 LIONS! Nathan Dixon won by pin, 39-29 Lions. JR Forsee recieved a forfeit, final score Lions 45 Eaton 29. The Lions performed like Lions under the pressure! It was a strong team win.

Next up for the Lions was the #1 seed Ross Rams. The Lions found out why they were seeded #1. Although it was a tough loss, the Lions battled match after match. Seniors Kevin Reid, James White and JR Forsee all had big wins. Final score, Ross 54 Lions 16. That ends the Lions trip in the State Duals.

The Lions will travel to Blanchester Saturday to compete in the SBAAC league meet. The Lions have won the last three league titles. Come watch these young men attempt to four-peat! WE ARE NR!!

Lady Lions Big Over Deer Park

The Varsity Lady Lions Basketball Team won big at Deer Park last night, final score 65-43. New Richmond was led by Josie Buckingham who led all scorers with 20 points. Freshman standout Maren Hance scored a career-high 17 in the contest while Junior Bailey Workman chipped in 10. It was a good win all around for the Lady Lions who improved their overall record to 10-6 on the season. Next at Amelia Thursday 1/31.

Varsity Wrestlers finish third at MIT.

The Milford Invitaional Tournament was held Friday and Saturday. The MIT has always been the final tune-up before the SBC meet for the Lions. It is littered with top DI schools around the city. The Lions finished third out of sveenteen teams, not too bad! This senior class proved to be up to the test again.

James White, Nathan Dixon and JR Forsee brought home indiviual titles. Kevin Reid and Clay Loadman finished second. Kenny Booker and Will Lytle finished sixth.

The Lions wrestle Wednesday evening @ Ross in the state duals. Next Saturday is the SBC league meet @ Blanchester. Come see these young men capture their fourth staraight league title! WE ARE NR!!