SOCCER ROUNDUP News and notes

Fit to be tied: Over the past week, Howland tied Champion 3-3, Columbiana and Crestview were even at 3 apiece, Canfield knotted up CVCA 2-2, Fitch battled Ursuline to a 1-1 stalemate and Ursuline and Ashtabula Edgewood were involved in a scoreless standoff. And that was just the boys. The girls at Howland played to a scoreless final with Hathaway Brown, Warren Harding deadlocked Maplewood 1-all and Liberty and Youngstown Christian evenly split four goals.

How about those Warriors? Combined, the West Branch High School boys (3-0) and girls (4-1) are off to a terrific 7-1 start. When the players take the field, they wear armbands with the initials RJ on them. The armbands are to honor Ryan Johnson, a West Branch student who died after running in a track meet in the spring.

Standings: League directors are encouraged to e-mail soccer overall and league standings to sports@vindy.com on Sundays. If received, they will be published on Mondays.

Newspaper coverage: Scores and highlights should be reported right after the game to sports@vindy.com. Don’t forget the opponent’s highlights.

Top games this week: Lakeview at Liberty boys, Tuesday, 7 p.m. (Two of our top-10 square off in an old rivalry; Ursuline at Hubbard boys, Thursday, 7 p.m. (The Irish have emerged as the top Div. III team in the Valley); a Saturday doubleheader at Valley Sports — West Branch boys vs. Mooney, 3 p.m., followed by Walsh Jesuit girls vs. Mooney, 5 p.m. (Both Mooney teams are atop our weekly polls today. Can they continue?)

Bill Sullivan