Coincidence?
Probably, but we’ll take it regardless.
This week the boys of summer down south are making positive headlines, starting with a guy who spent part of his spring in the Gem City.
Chase Burns dazzles in MLB debut
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
I got the impression during Dragons media day in April Chase Burns was not really thrilled to be there.
Not that the No. 2 pick in the 2024 MLB Draft seemed to have any problem with the questions being asked or the city he was living in but that he felt like he should be starting his pro career somewhere other than Advanced Single-A after dominating at the college level.
Not much has happened since then to indicate such feelings would not have been justified — especially Tuesday night at Great American Ball Park.
Here is Hal McCoy’s assessment of the action in case you missed it.
Chaminade Julienne coach remembers late student as an unforgettable, wonderful kid
Credit: Marcus Hartman
Credit: Marcus Hartman
Tragedy struck this week when Chaminade Julienne football player Elijah Berman was killed while riding his motorcycle south of Dayton.
“He was a wonderful kid,” CJ coach Marcus Colvin told the Dayton Daily News on Thursday. “I think he’ll be unforgettable. Our mission is to make sure his life is celebrated and that he lives in all of us and with CJ for eternity. He was going to be one of our best graduates, and obviously that was taken from him, but it’s our job to carry him forward.
“I love Eli. I want everybody to pray for his mom, Heather. She’s such a great mom, and unfortunately she’s going to have to live with this.”
Holmes will return to action in NBA Summer League one year after Achilles injury
Credit: David Jablonski
Credit: David Jablonski
One year ago this week, DaRon Holmes II heard his name called in the first round of the NBA Draft. He hugged his family members and Dayton Flyers coach Anthony Grant and then posed for a photo with Commissioner Adam Silver on the stage.
A big night for Holmes and a memorable night for Dayton basketball, which saw a player drafted for the second straight year for the first time in the two-round era of the draft, should have led to many late nights for the Flyer Faithful in the 2024-25 season as they stayed up to watch Holmes in his rookie season with the Denver Nuggets.
However, Holmes tore his Achilles tendon in his first NBA Summer League appearance, delaying the start of his professional career for a year. Now he’s approaching his second chance in the NBA Summer League.
Dayton Flyers athletic director expresses confidence in Anthony Grant entering Year 9
Credit: David Jablonski
Credit: David Jablonski
Roster construction never ends in college basketball, so our David Jablonski had to ask UD director of athletics Neil Sullivan about how coach Anthony Grant passed his latest test.
“I think we’re pleased with how it ended up,” Sullivan said. “It was very unique operating environment. This spring, there were no regulations. There were no rules. Everything was contingent on the settlement. So it was definitely the most chaotic period (in the name, image and likeness era), but I think that we navigated it with the appropriate balance between aggressively getting the players that our coaching staff thinks they need to compete for championships and also recognizing that there’s a responsibility to steward money — our fans’ money — in the right way. I think we struck that balance.”
Check out the whole conversation here.
College football is full of local high school grads
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
With the start of college football training camps only about a month away, we are taking stock of who went where in the offseason — not to mention who is still around, who has made an impact and who is looking to make their mark this fall.
That started with a look at the players from the class of 2021 — along with one guy hanging on from the class of 2020 — and continued with the robust group of 2022 grads.
Look for more on the younger classes this weekend.
OHSAA basketball division changes
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
Unlike the boys, which will see little change, OHSAA girls basketball divisions will look notably different thanks in large part to adjustments made via the competitive balance initiative.
That includes Edgewood and Xenia moving up to Division II, Bellefontaine moving up to Division III and both Meadowdale and Brookville moving up to Division IV.
Click here for the changes on the boys side.
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