Perhaps the most outstanding high school athlete in Adams County in 2024 was Peebles’ Payton Johnson, a multi-sport standout who is now playing basketball for Rio Grande University. (Photo by Mark Carpenter)
In 2024, North Adams’ Cody Hesler excelled on the soccer field, the basketball court and the track and is taking his talents to Shawnee State University. (Photo by Mark Carpenter)
Stepping down after 14 seasons at the helm. North Adams boys basketball coach Nathan Copas led his team to an undefeated conference record and their second consecutive Division III district championship. (Photo by Mark Carpenter)
By Mark Carpenter
People’s Defender
Sometimes in life there aren’t a whole lot of things you can count on and in the sports world, that is even more prevalent with its unpredictability from day to day. But one thing you can count on each year is that the young student/athletes of Adams County will leave behind a year of successes that they will tuck away as lifelong memories. 2024 was no different, as from January to December, the four schools of the county and those of the entire Southern Hills Athletic Conference again proved they can match up with anyone.
The 2023-24 high school basketball season was another memorable one, especially for the teams from North Adams High School. The true definition of a “winner,” Lady Devils head coach Rob Davis again took his team on a magical run, one that began with yet another SHAC big school championship, going 12-1 in conference play. A sectional title, a district title and a win in their opening regional contest sent the Lady Devils back to the Elite Eight in Division III, where they fell to Portsmouth, ending the season with a 21-6 overall record.
In his 14th and final year as head coach of the North Adams boys, Nathan Copas led his team to a 21-5 record, claiming a gold ball trophy by going 13-0 in conference play, a sectional title and the team’s second consecutive district championship before bowing out in the Division III Sweet 16.
Coach Austin Kingsolver and his Manchester Greyhounds went 15-9 and made a trip to the district tournament appearance at the Convo, while the Peebles Lady Indians and coach Sidney Pell were 19-5 (10-3 SHAC) and claimed a sectional crown.
A pair of county hardwood standouts, Peebles’ Payton Johnson and North Adams’ Bransyn Copas, signed to continue their basketball careers at Rio Grande University.
When spring softball season rolled around, Coach Matthias Applegate and his Manchester Lady Greyhounds continued their run of success, winning another sectional championship and advancing to the Division IV sectional finals where they fell to Portsmouth Notre Dame. The Lady Hounds finished 15-5 overall.
In the sport of track and field, Adams County was again well-represented in the OHSAA State Meet, with North Adams’ Cody Hesler placing second in the state in the 400M Dash. Brother Beau Hesler also competed at state and the pair were part of the Devils’ 4 x 400 relay team at state, along with teammates Garrett Emerson and Dalton Pence.
From Peebles, Samantha Seas continued the family tradition of running in the state meet as she finished fifth in the state in the grueling 3200M Run. After her outstanding volleyball and basketball seasons, Payton Johnson continued to show her prowess as an all-around athlete, competing in three events at the state track meet and breaking school records in two of them.
Fall sports is easily the busiest tine of year for the dedicated sports department here at the Defender, and 2024 was no exception. The volleyball season once again was dominated by Coach Katie Ragan and the North Adams Lady Devils, who finished 21-3 overall, 13-0 in the SHAC, capturing Coach Ragan’s 17th conference title and 11th gold ball trophy.
There were also a number of individual accomplishments on the volleyball court, led by North Adams’ Katelynn Boerger getting her 1,000th career kill, along with being named the SHAC Player of the Year for the second time. The Lady Devils’ Natalie Ragan earned her 2,000th career assist, while West Union’s Ashlah Staten picked up her 1,000th career assist along with her 500th dig. West Union’s Madison Stout also garnered her 500th dig.
At the junior high volleyball level, the Peebles eighth grade girls were SHAC regular season champions while the West Union seventh grade girls won the SHAC Tournament.
Coach Donnie McCarty and his West Union Lady Dragons certainly had a memorable 2024 season. First, the Lady Dragons won the Southern Hills Athletic Conference Meet, then were co-champions of the District Meet along with the Manchester Junior Lady Greyhounds. Individually, North Adams’ Ryan Reed won the Adams County Meet, as did Ryan Parker (Manchester JH), Haylee Wheeler (NAJH) and Leotie Carman (MHS).
On the golf course, Coach Marci Nehus and the West Union Lady Dragons made school and SHAC history by being the first girls golf team from either to advance to the OHSAA State Tournament after finishing as district runners-up. The Lady Dragons also won the Adams County Cup and the SHAC Tournament, with Olivia Lewis and Nina McCann sharing the conference girls championship. On the boys side, first-year head coach Corey Richmond led North Adams to a three-peat in the Adams County Cup and later to a sectional championship. At the County Cup, Manchester’s Parker Hayslip broke through by winning the individual championship.
On the pitch, the most successful soccer squad was Coach Kirk Bunn’s North Adams squad. The Devils finished with a record of 13-5-2, making it to the Division III district finals where they fell in a heartbreaking overtime, penalty kick contest with the Minford Falcons.
Finally, history was made on the gridiron at Manchester as Coach Nick Neria and the Greyhounds ended their season with just a 3-7 record, but that was good enough to qualify the Hounds for their first-ever OHSAA Division VII playoff appearance. In the Southern Ohio Independent League, the Peebles Indians again totally dominated and won their fifth consecutive SOIL championship.
With the 2025 seasons underway, local sports fans can look forward to more of the same as the year progresses. Remember that the only place to read about all of those sports in print is in the sports pages of The People’s Defender. Congratulations to all of last year’s heroes and good luck to all our athletes in 2025!
