Fellow Loveland student and Loveland Roar staff member Sean Behling (12) has officially joined the American quidditch team. Quidditch has continued to rise in popularity ever since the book series “Harry Potter” brought the sport to fruition. For those who don’t know, the objective is to outscore the opposing team. You accomplish this by throwing the quaffle through hoops, or catching the golden snitch for 150 points; this also ends the game.
Behling was ranked the number one chaser in the nation as well as the number one overall quidditch prospect in America. Behling is expected to make an immediate impact on the field, and he stands at a lofty 6 foot 5 and a lean 215 pounds. Behling moves surprisingly fast for his size and thrives using his frame to keep other chasers out of the way of the quaffle. Due to Behling’s frame, he was easily able to mitigate the effects of the beaters. Behling had an unreal career, with an average of 84.9 points per game. Sean was also a gifted passer, averaging a respectable 5.9 assists. He is also a cerebral player and always hyper-aware of his surroundings, which was why his assist/turnover ratio was an impressive 2.8.
This legend led the Tigers to a record of 79-8 in his eighty-seven career games. His most impressive season was his
junior year, when he led the quidditch team to a record of 19-1. They later went on to win the state championship. Behling averaged 96.9 points and 7.1 assists per game. The Tigers won their first championship against St. Edwards, who had won three of the last five championships to date. The Tigers won in a nail-biter 290-230 where they ended it by grabbing the snitch. The score was closer than it seemed, as the Tigers needed the snitch to take home the trophy.
Another notable season was Behling’s senior season, when the Tigers went on a terror tour and finished the regular season 18-2. The Tigers met Springboro in round one, and Loveland had already bested the Panthers twice. This matchup was no different; Loveland won 380-170. In round two, the Tigers met Anderson. Anderson managed to split the season series in an upset victory off of a miracle snitch pull. In an interview after the game, Behling is quoted saying, “We will see them again, and when we do… no mercy.” The Raptors started hot, ending the first half on a 30-0 run. After the half Behling put the team on his back, putting the Tigers back in the lead. Behling continued his string of dominance, winning the game 330-160.
After the game, Behling had this to say:
“Obviously it feels good to win. Obviously, I’m happy with how the squad performed. With that being said, it’s not over, we still have the championship, and until I’m hoisting that trophy I will keep the celebration to a minimum.”
For the second consecutive year, Loveland was set to face St. Edwards in the championship. Behling and the Tigers
came out hot and stayed hot throughout the first half, jumping to an early lead of 90-60. Behling eventually
pulled the Tigers over the edge, winning 310-150. Sean’s illustrious high school career looks to be a precursor of his success on the national team.