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By Amy Priest

Contributing Writer

From thrilling victories to heartbreaking losses, 2008 was full of unforgettable sports moments for the Oxford area. Here's a look at some of the memorable headlines from the past year.

Braves are FAVC Scarlet champs

The year started off with a bang, when in February the Talawanda Braves boy's basketball team won the FAVC Scarlet championship, defeating the Edgewood Cougars 75-48, finishing the season 10-0 in the Scarlet.

The win marked the first outright league title for the Braves in eight years.

The Braves won the game with strong defense, with 13 of their first 17 points coming from turnovers. Junior Josh Claytor scored a team high 19 points and was one of five Braves in double figures.

Though they hoped to go all the way, Talawanda's storybook season eventually came to an end with an overtime loss to Withrow in the sectional finals of the Division 1 state tournament. But the Braves' hard work did not go unnoticed, as Josh Claytor and Jeremy LaGrande shared the FAVC Scarlet player of the year honors, while Coach Mike DeCello was also named FAVC Scarlet coach of the year.

Braves hockey captures second straight SWOHSHL

The Talawanda hockey team also grabbed headlines in February, after winning their second straight SWOHSHL championship and advancing to the district quarterfinals of the state tournament.

The league championship came after a three game tournament sweep of St. Xavier, Moeller and Troy, creating a nine game win streak for the Braves as they headed into state tournament play.

That streak continued with a 6-2 win over Thomas Worthington at the Nationwide Arena Ice Haus, where Zach Phillips and Drew Hoover each netted two goals and goalie Dan Atkins got a 19-save effort for the Braves.

But despite going in as one of the favorites, the Braves were knocked out of the tournament early after a 2-1 upset by league rival St. Xavier.

RedHawk women take part in first 'Dance'

March marked another big basketball moment for Oxford, as the Miami University women's basketball team won their first MAC championship, granting them an automatic bid into the NCAA tournament, their first appearance in school history.

The RedHawks played strong throughout the regular season and rode a six game win streak through to the MAC championship game. Senior guard Amanda Jackson, who became the leading female scorer in school history, powered the RedHawks to a 67-56 victory over the Ohio Bobcats and was named the MAC tournament MVP. Junior point guard Jenna Schone also had a big tournament, setting single season records for both 3-point baskets and assists.

Unfortunately for the Lady RedHawks, who were selected as a 13-seed in the New Orleans region, their dance was cut short, as they were defeated by the fourth-seeded Louisville Cardinals in their first ever NCAA tournament game by a score of 81-67.

After the loss, Coach Maria Fantanarosa expressed her sentiments about the team's achievements.

"I'm very proud of our team. For the whole 40 minutes, they left it all out on the floor. They played with a lot of pride."

MU hockey No. 1 seed

March also marked the beginning of the NCAA tournament for hockey, where the Miami University hockey team was selected as a top seed for the second straight year.

The RedHawks were selected as the No. 1 seed for the northeast regional and the second seed overall.

The RedHawks narrowly escaped the first round of the tournament with a sudden-death overtime win over Air Force. Junior forward Justin Mercier scored the winning goal 15:21 into overtime, giving the 3-2 victory to Miami.

But the RedHawks season came to an all too familiar end when they were defeated by Boston College, by a score of 4-3. It marked the third straight year the RedHawks were ousted by the Eagles, once again ending their hopes of reaching the Frozen Four.

The loss also marked the last game for senior forward Ryan Jones and junior goalie Jeff Zatkoff in RedHawk uniform.

For team captain and Hobey Baker Award finalist Jones, the loss was emotional.

"It's kind of scary to think about taking (the jersey) off for the last time. I got to play with a bunch of guys I love. I can't even put into words what it meant for me to come back this year."

MU coaching legend Pont dies

July began on a somber note with that passing of former Miami University football coach and Oxford resident John Pont.

Pont, who was perhaps the most honored man in Miami University football history, died at his home on July 1.

Pont's career spanned five decades at Miami University, Yale, Indiana University and Northwestern, as well as three years at Hamilton High School.

As a player, Pont had three spectacular seasons as a halfback for the RedHawks, and became the first athlete to have his jersey retired at Miami. As a coach, he guided the RedHawks to two MAC championships and a 1962 Tangerine Bowl appearance. While at Indiana, Pont was named national coach of the year after leading the Hoosiers to the 1967 Rose Bowl.

As one of the most celebrated members of Miami's prestigious Cradle of Coaches, Pont always regarded Oxford as his home and his impact on the community will never be forgotten.

Chasing the dream

With the impending Beijing Olympics, Oxford was abuzz as native daughter and Ursuline Academy Alumna Whitney Myers competed at the U.S. swimming trials in Omaha, Neb., for a shot at an Olympic dream.

2008 marked the third Olympic trials for Myers, who missed the 2004 Athens games by seven-tenths of a second in the 200-meter butterfly.

In July, she competed in the 100-meter freestyle, 100-meter butterfly, and the 200-meter individual medley. Myers finished 38th overall in the 100-meter freestyle but missed advancing to the semi-final heat. She missed qualifying in the butterfly and the individual medley.

But despite her misfortune at the Olympic trials, the 23-year old Myers has seen a lot of swimming success in her life. As a four year All American at the University of Arizona, she was named the 2006 PAC-10 swimmer of the year. Also in 2006, Myers won international gold at the Pan Pacific games and was honored as the female swimmer of the meet.

In 2007, Myers was named the NCAA Women of the Year.

Girls soccer nets first FAVC title

On Oct. 7, the Talawanda High School girls soccer team made history by winning the FAVC Scarlet Division title, marking the first outright division title in program history.

While the team was excited about their accomplishment, the division crown came on a bittersweet night as the Braves settled for a 1-1 tie against the Norwood Indians.

Talawanda scored their goal off a "body shot" by senior Carly Kleimen, in which she knocked the ball in with the side of her body.

"I just threw myself at the ball. I didn't care if it was a head, a foot, a thigh, whatever," Kleimen recalled.

With 14:07 remaining on the clock Norwood responded with a goal of their own, resulting in the tie game.

The Braves finished the season 8-2-3 overall and 4-0-1 in the FAVC.

Miami coach Montgomery resigns

On Nov. 29, after a third consecutive losing season, Miami head football coach Shane Montgomery announced his resignation.

Since taking over for Terry Hoeppner in 2005, Montgomery has had only one winning season. In 2008, the RedHawks finished a disappointing 2-10, marking the second 2-10 season in three years.

Montgomery's resignation also marks the first time in 19 years that Miami doesn't have a clear replacement to carry on the Cradle of Coaches tradition.