Naylor committed first to the NAIA program at Fort Wayne, Ind. It was an easy sell to James after another offer fell through to the receiver.
“That allowed us to connect again,” Naylor said. “So, four more years in college. I’m excited. I’m glad.”
A lefty and the South’s starting QB, Naylor, 6 feet 5 and 185 pounds, went often to James, 6-2, 175. Naylor had two touchdown passes, including a 30-yard strike to James for the South’s first score. The North won, 31-28.
• Stivers grad Tyler Johnson was the only area winner in this past Saturday’s Midwest Meet of Champions at Ohio Wesleyan, sweeping the 100 meters (10.72) and resetting the 400 record (46.19) that had stood for 26 years. Placing second for Team Ohio were Mitchell Poynter of Tippecanoe in the 1,600 (4:13.79), Stephen Jones of Troy in the 3,200 (9:26.02) and Miami Valley’s Taylor Middleton in the long jump (18 feet, six inches).
Also placing were Northmont grad Christian Champen, third in the pole vault (16-0), Centerville grad Isis Trotman, third in the discus (139-9), and Wayne grad Madison Doss, seventh in the 400 (58.17).
The annual meet draws top senior placers in the Ohio, Michigan and Indiana state track and field meets.
• Former Northwestern University and Miami football coach Randy Walker and five others will be inducted into the Northwestern athletics hall of fame during a home football game against Nebraska at the Evanston, Ill., campus on Sept. 24.
Walker was a starting running back at Troy for a 20-0 run during the 1970-71 seasons. Those teams were considered among the area’s all-time best and featured 15 seniors from the Class of 1972 who landed football scholarships. An outstanding runner who also played at Miami, Walker wasn’t the featured back on those Trojans teams. Instead, it was Gordon Bell (Michigan) who earned the most accolades.
Walker would eventually be more known for his coaching, first at Miami, then Northwestern. He died of a heart attack in 2006 at age 52.
• Reetta Piipari should be approved as Minster’s girls varsity basketball coach. A Minster grad, she starred on the 1998 Division IV state title team and was part of an outstanding program at Xavier. She also spent 12 seasons playing pro ball in Finland and Spain. She’ll succeed Nann Stechschulte, who resigned after 27 seasons as the Wildcats’ head coach.
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