Ray Cooney
Ray Cooney was elected president of The Graphic Printing Company in December 2023. He became publisher of The Commercial Review on July 1, 2020, while retaining the title of editor he has held since Dec. 1, 2014. He served managing editor from July 2013 through November 2014, assistant managing editor from November 2005 through July 2013 and sports editor from March 2001 through July 2013.
He earned the most awards of any journalist in Division III in the Hoosier State Press Association Better Newspaper Contest for four consecutive years from 2013 through 2016. His first-place honors this year were for in-depth feature, sports feature, general news photo and video.
In his career he has also won HSPA awards for sports commentary, editorial writing, use of graphics, community service, news writing under deadline pressure, sports action photo, sports feature photo, headline writing, editorial page, profile feature and multiple picture group. He had picked up nine Indiana Associated Press Media Editors awards earlier in the year, including first place for business writing, non-deadline sports story and headline writing.
Cooney was honored with the Indiana High School Athletic Association Distinguished Media Service Award in 2012, and also received the Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association Outstanding Baseball Media Award in 2009.
A native of Avon, Ohio, Cooney graduated from St. Edward High School (Lakewood, Ohio) in 1996 and Cleveland State University in 2000. He was the inaugural editor of The Cleveland Stater at CSU, and also worked for The Morning Journal (Lorain, Ohio) and The Chronicle-Telegram (Elyria, Ohio) before moving to Jay County.
Cooney lives in Portland with his dog, Scooter.
SPORTS
JC baseball target should be .500
After taking last month off, I’m returning to the question-and-answer format for my final column of February. This month there are questions about Jay County High School baseball and boys track, a perception of bias in my NFL top 10 and NBA scoring records.
SPORTS
Tourney vengeance
COLDWATER, Ohio — Chelsea Pottkotter took an outlet pass deep in the left corner.
JAY COUNTY
Technical fall
OSSIAN — Facing one of the best teams on their schedule, the Patriots were not at their best.
SPORTS
Batt finishes as state runner-up
INDIANAPOLIS — In 40 years, South Adams had just two wrestlers place in the top four at the state finals. Todd Batt and Sawyer Miller matched that in a single day.
SPORTS
Jay Co. breaks 100
Shelby Pryor saved her best for last. Her teammates were right their with her.
JAY COUNTY
Hemmelgarn third for Jay
INDIANAPOLIS — It seemed only fitting that Eric Hemmelgarn’s reaction after his final match was another jump into the arms of assistant coach Andy Pfeifer. His career had made quite a leap.
JAY COUNTY
Sorry dad
UNION CITY — Honor thy father. That is, unless you’re on a basketball court.
JAY COUNTY
Keen places second
A record-breaking performance still left James Keen short of the state finals.
SPORTS
JC boys top 'Cats
With three events remaining, the Patriots were clinging to a three-point lead. Their effort in the backstroke and breaststroke put the meet away.
SPORTS
Patriots top Marion
MARION — Katie Snyder stood underneath the uneven bars Thursday, awaiting her turn.
SPORTS
Picking rematch for Indy
Philadelphia Eagles over Pittsburgh Steelers. That was my preseason Super Bowl prediction.
SPORTS
FR state finals run leads list
For the second straight year, a Tribe tournament run topped local sports news.
FORT RECOVERY
Fort edges Cavs
FORT RECOVERY — Olivia Schwieterman has been at the foul line in pressure situations before. She came through again Thursday.
JAY COUNTY
Jay tramples Tigers
Although he made the pass that eventually led to the game-winning basket, Kegan Comer didn’t have much going on the offensive end Friday. On Saturday, he more than made up for it.
JAY COUNTY
JC tops Lincoln
The Patriots posted their lowest score since the season opener. But it was still enough for a victory.
JAY COUNTY
Schwieterman beats buzzer for win
CONNERSVILLE — Offensive rebounds had been plentiful all night long.
JAY COUNTY
Jay earns road win
HUNTINGTON — Thirty-five years of history is a lot to overcome, regardless of the records.
SPORTS
Indians ready to take flight
The last time the Indians visited Trent Arena, they were playing in their biggest game of the last decade. They hope Saturday’s trip will help lead them back to that level again this year.
JAY COUNTY
Pats roll over Indians
GAS CITY — After 16 days away from game action, the Patriots returned Friday with a simple mission.
SPORTS
Snyder back to lead JC
After getting a taste of the state finals on vault as a freshman, Katie Snyder set her sights on an all-around state berth.
JAY COUNTY
Murphy lifts JC
Tuesday’s second half left plenty for the Patriot coaching staff to lament.
JAY COUNTY
JC senior shines
The entirety of the Jay County High School wrestling team and its coaching staff stood, yelling instructions and cheers to Matt Shrack.
SPORTS
Jay rolls to 3-0
The Patriots have yet to hit their stride. Still, they are off to their third 3-0 start in the last four seasons.
SPORTS
Hoosiers have six Ws over No. 1
The holiday season has been a bit slow in terms of sports questions.
JAY COUNTY
Jay wins ECIC crown
James Myers has coached state qualifiers four times. He was one of two state medalists on the Patriots’ 1997 team. But Jay County had not won its own tournament for more than two decades.
RAYS OF INSIGHT
Wishing for inspiring moments
Each year my parents, sisters, brother and I make a Christmas list so everyone else has some idea of what to purchase and put under the tree.
SPORTS
Kahlig leads Findlay
The University of Findlay men’s basketball team picked up its third straight win with a former Indian leading the way.
JAY COUNTY
No. 1 MC tops Jay
MUNCIE — The Bearcats are playing in Class 3A this season for the first time in their history.
SPORTS
JCHS moves to 5-0
MUNCIE — Good defense, rebounding and free-throw shooting make it much easier to protect a lead.
JAY COUNTY
Jay crushes Bluffton
In their final competition of the 2010-11 season, the Patriots finished seventh in the sectional tournament. They were 35 points behind fifth-place Bluffton.
SPORTS
Tribe tops Jay in OT
Ericka Lennartz missed a chance to win the game for the Indians at the end of regulation. With the game on her shoulders late in overtime, she earned redemption.
JAY COUNTY
Patriots dominate Mississinewa
GAS CITY — The Patriots have put the season opener well in their rearview mirror.
SCHOOLS
FR approves school plan
FORT RECOVERY — After voting down a plan to build a new high school last year, school district voters gave resounding approval Tuesday to the new plan to renovate the existing facility.
SPORTS
JC seeking more state berths
During the six years from 2000 through ’05, the Patriots were in a drought.
SPORTS
Fort finishes seventh
TIFFIN, Ohio — It’s hard to believe the first 200 yards of a 3.1-mile race can make much of an impact.
SPORTS
It's a team effort
BERNE — Ask Evan Liechty about his rally in the final mile of the semi-state race to a third-place finish and he gives a nonchalant response.
SPORTS
NFL is hard to decipher
We’re already midway through the NFL season, and with a few exceptions it’s hard to have any idea what is going to happen in the second half of the year.
JAY COUNTY
Patriots fall in 5
FORT WAYNE — The Patriots opened their season with a goal of winning their first sectional title in nearly a decade, and had aspirations of tournament success beyond that.
SOUTH ADAMS
Jay, SA runners focused on state
Katie Simmons, Hannah Moore and the Starfire boys have an unusual fall-break destination in mind. All of them would like to make a trip to Terre Haute.
SOUTH ADAMS
SA back in sectional final
UNION CITY — Both teams made some big plays. The Starfires just made more of them.
FORT RECOVERY
Chasing state goal
FORT RECOVERY — The Indians didn’t have their best day at the district meet. Oddly, that may turn out to be a good thing.
JAY COUNTY
Liechty third for SA
FORT WAYNE — No Starfire had ever made it to the state finals.
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