Tressel led his teams to nine national title game appearances, winning four FCS championships with Youngstown State and one BCS National Championship at Ohio State in 2002. He also led the Buckeyes to six Big Ten titles and coached 73 first team All-Americans.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Former Ohio State coach Jim Tressel is on the 2014 ballot for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame, the National Football Foundation announced Thursday morning.

The ballot includes 75 players and six coaches from the Football Bowl Subdivision and 87 players and 26 coaches from divisional college football.

Tressel’s accomplishments came in both.

He led his teams to nine national title game appearances, winning four FCS championships with Youngstown State and one BCS National Championship at Ohio State in 2002. He also led the Buckeyes to seven Big Ten titles (one vacated) and coached 73 first team All-Americans.

In order to be on the ballot, you have to be retired for at least three years. This is Tressel's first appearance on the ballot.

But will voters overlook his involvement in Ohio State’s “Tatgate” scandal, one that led to his resignation as the Buckeyes head coach in 2011? Tressel's resigned after being suspended for knowingly playing players who received improper benefits from the owner of a local tattoo parlor.

Former Ohio State linebacker Tom Cousineau, who recorded 572 career tackles, and fullback Jim Otis, a member of the Buckeyes national title team in 1968, are also included on the ballot.

The 2014 class will be announced in May from Irving, Texas, and will be inducted into the Hall of Fame at the 57th NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 9 in New York City's Waldorf Astoria Hotel.

The new Hall, which is currently under construction, will open in Atlanta before the beginning of the 2014 college football season. 

We know the selection committee isn't going to listen and most of these won't happen, but it's always fun to think what if.

March Madness is ramping up with the conference tournaments starting this week and the NCAA tournament just around the corner.

With the excitement building, it seems like a good time to start looking at match-ups.

We're not talking seedings, potential upsets, things like that.

This will be more of a dream sequence, sort of like when Fletch played for the Lakers.

We know the selection committee isn't going to listen and most of these won't happen, but it's always fun to think what if.

1. Creighton's Doug McDermott against Duke's Jabari Parker: McDermott may be the front-runner for national player of the year, but Parker hasn't had too bad of a season himself -- as a freshman.

2. Kansas' Andrew Wiggins against Arizona's Aaron Gordon: Two of the nation's best freshmen on two pretty good teams. Two of the game's best dunkers, too.

3. SMU coach Larry Brown against San Diego State's Steve Fisher: These guys may be getting up there in age, but they sure can still coach.

4. Kansas vs. North Carolina: Seeing Roy Williams go against his former team and the man who replaced him was fun in last year's tournament, so why not do it again.

5. Wichita State vs. Gonzaga: The new mid-major king against the most consistent.

6. Kansas center Joel Embiid vs. Kentucky forward Julius Randle: Two future lottery picks going head to head. What's not to like?

7. Ohio State guard Aaron Craft against Louisville's Russ Smith: Watching one of the nation's best defenders trying to slow Russdiculous would be all kinds of fun.

8. Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski vs. Syracuse's Jim Boeheim: They're No. 1 and 2 on the career wins list in Division I, have won a few big games between them and have a budding rivalry now that the Orange are in the ACC.

9. Oregon vs. BYU: Both are top-10 nationally in scoring, combining for 167 points per game. They would make the play-by-play announcers tired.

10. Arizona State center Jordan Bachynski vs. New Mexico State center Sim Bhullar: That's 14 feet, 7 inches of shot-blocking prowess.

11. Boeheim vs. Cincinnati coach Mick Cronin: Just to see if they can blow their stacks at the refs again.

12. Virginia vs. Clemson: The nation's top two teams in scoring defense, for the defensive purists.

13. Arizona coach Sean Miller vs. Dayton's Archie Miller: Big bro Sean has always gotten more attention, but Archie has done well in his first head-coaching job. Though a mismatch on paper, the Flyers are scrappy, just like Archie.

14. UCLA's Kyle Anderson against UConn's Shabazz Napier: Two of the nation's best stat-sheet fillers can do a little of everything.

15. Wichita State's mascot vs. Stanford's: Wheat vs. a tree. Doesn't get any better than that.

16. Baylor's Brady Heslip against Michigan's Nik Stauskas: Two of the nation's best shooters going 3-to-3.

17. Wichita State's Tekele Cotton vs. Oklahoma State's Markel Brown: Same thing as above, only dunk for dunk.

18. Nebraska's Terran Petteway against Utah's Tyler Haws: Two of the best players you may have never heard of.

19. Craft vs. Ole Miss guard Marshall Henderson: Fans will be trying to decide which one they hate the most.

Cast your vote as to whether the former Ohio State and Youngstown State head coach should be voted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Jim Tressel's resume is hard to argue with. Will it land him in the College Football Hall of Fame? He is on the ballot for the first time this year.

He won four national titles, and made the playoffs 10 times, in 15 years at Youngstown State. He won Ohio State's only national title since 1968 in his 10 years with the Buckeyes, claimed seven Big Ten titles and won 106 games.

For his coaching career, he's 229-79-2, including a 106-22 record at Ohio State.

That includes the games, and the Big Ten title, that Ohio State was forced to vacate as part of the sanctions for NCAA violations that occurred under Tressel.

Since leaving Ohio State, Tressel has worked with students at the Univerisity of Akron, and the National Football Foundation, which runs the election, says that "the candidate’s post-football record as a citizen may also be weighed."

Tressel's post-football record has included people wanting him to be the president of a university, mentioned for the posts at both Akron and Youngstown State.

A new coach helped senior Missy Spahar become the top scorer and rebounder in John Carroll history.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- "We were a little scared."

That's how Missy Spahar remembers feeling before the team's first practice with John Carroll women's basketball coach Kelly Morrone.

"We knew she came from Division I," said Spahar. "And she had an assistant (Alicia Manning) who played at Tennessee. A lot of the girls wondered if they were going to be running us until we dropped or whatever."

Spahar was entering her senior season. A year ago, JCU was 14-13 overall, 6-12 in the Ohio Athletic Conference.

Morrone was the new coach. A first-year head coach. Her previous stops as an assistant were at William & Mary, Davidson and Buffalo.

She also was a starting point guard for a South Carolina team that reached the Final Eight. Two of her teammates later played in the WNBA.

Manning was the new assistant who started 44 games in her Tennessee career for Pat Summitt.

Would these coaches act as if Division III players knew nothing -- especially because none of the coaches were from Northeast Ohio?

"We wondered that," said Spahar. "But Coach Kelly was the opposite. She talked about it being our team, and how the coaches were there to make us better. No 'my way or the highway …' But soon, we figured out that the coaches thought we were better than we thought we were."

Not just better …

This is the best team in the 44 years of JCU's women's basketball, finishing with a 21-4 record overall, and tied for first at 15-3 in the OAC with rival Baldwin-Wallace.

JCU and Baldwin-Wallace will both be in the Division III NCAA tournament that opens Friday. John Carroll will face Texas Lutheran at 5 p.m. at Thomas More College in Kentucky. Baldwin Wallace played Lebanon Valley at 5 p.m. at York, Pa. Winners advance to play Saturday.

BW is making its 12th trip to the NCAA Tournament.

For JCU, it's the first in school history.

New goals

"I can't believe all the things that have happened this year," said Spahar.

She said the players believed they were a better team than they had shown in the past.

But the best in school history?

Or Spahar averaging 25 points a game, becoming JCU's all-time leading scorer? And rebounder? And also the OAC Player of the Year?

"We played Mount Union early in the season and killed them (82-64)," she said. "That was new for us. And then we started 11-0. That made us think that we could do something special."

Morrone deflects any credit for the team's success.

She mentions that JCU had talent and it's a "veteran team." She didn't recruit the key players.

"The main thing is the players were receptive to us," she said. "They could have made it hard for a new coaching staff."

Especially for someone with no area connections who had never been a head coach at any level.

"We didn't come in to blow the doors off and change everything," said Morrone. "We knew there would be some fear, especially from the seniors."

Morrone and her staff treated the players with respect.

Respect was returned, and winning followed.

"I do think Kelly raised expectations and added some discipline," said Laurie Massa, the JCU athletic director. "That made a difference. She is just a good teacher and coach."

John Carroll athletic director Laurie Massa took a chance on hiring a rookie head coach with no Division III experience to make the Blue Streaks a contender in the OAC.file photo

New coach

Morrone is from Syracuse and never coached in Ohio before being hired at John Carroll.

Massa was an associate athletic director at South Carolina when Morrone played there. The two women kept in touch as Morrone pursued a coaching career that carried her from one program to another. Twice, the head coach that hired her was fired within a year. The staff also was wiped out.

"They had a coaching change at William & Mary and I knew Kelly was available," said Massa. "I thought she was at the right point in her career to be a head coach."

Morrone was looking for a different opportunity. Her relationship with Massa and the chance to be a head coach was intriguing.

"Especially in Northeast Ohio, because I know there is so much talent in this area," said Morrone.

JCU primarily uses six players. Three are from Lake Catholic: Beth Switzler, along with Missy Spahar and her sister, Katlyn Spahar.

The other key players are Emily Taylor (Elyria Catholic), Daniella Rice (Kent Roosevelt) and Allie Lustig (Palo Alto, California).

The high caliber of area high school girls basketball is why Massa had bigger dreams for JCU's program.

"For so long Mike (Moran) has done such a great job with the men's (basketball) team," said Massa. "It's great to have our women's team now getting noticed, too."

New hopes

In her early 20s, Massa was the women's basketball coach at Xavier. She loves the sport and knows how a successful basketball team can bring attention to women's athletics.

At JCU, she wanted a coach who could lead the women's basketball program to take a step from being in the middle of the OAC pack -- to being a contender.

That's a demanding task in a league that this year is sending four teams to the NCAA tournament.

Nearby are two premier programs. Cheri Harrer has reached almost legendary status at Baldwin-Wallace with a 486-178 record in 24 seasons.

Suzy Venet has led Mount Union to the NCAA tournament in three of the last four years.

Add in OAC powers such as Capital and Ohio Northern, and you know why Morrone said she "doesn't see much difference" between her Division I experience and "how hard it is to win and how competitive it is in the OAC."

Division III means no athletic scholarships.

"You have a lot of nice girls with very little sense of entitlement," said Morrone. "I don't have to stay on them to study. There are times when I get texts from some of the players at 1 a.m. and they say they are taking a break homework. I text them back and tell them to go to bed, get some rest."

This rookie head coach was named the OAC Coach of the Year.

Spahar said Morrone really blasted the team only once this season.

"We were losing by about 20 points to Wilmington," Spahar said. "We went into the locker room for halftime. I don't remember much of what Coach Kelly said, but she made us stand up all during halftime. We came back and won that game."

It seems the message was if you lazy during the game, you didn't need to rest at halftime.

But most of the season, Morrone has been able to stay very positive.

Lake Catholic product Kaylyn Spahar is the OAC Freshman of the Year. Her older sisrter, Missy Spahar, is the OAC Player of the Year.John Kuntz / The Plain Dealer

New heights

Missy Spahar said one of the reasons that she went from averaging 16.9 points as a junior to 25.3 this season is that she often works with assistant Alicia Manning, the former Tennessee forward who is 6-foot-1.

The 5-foot-10 Spahar believes having some success in drills when defended by Manning, "gave me a lot of confidence. I remember early in the year, I was averaging 25 points. I didn't think it would last, but the coaches kept pushing me."

Spahar is second in the country in scoring, behind Sydney Moss. Consider that the Thomas More forward is the daughter of former NFL star Randy Moss. She was Kentucky's "Miss High School Basketball" and began her career at Florida, averaging 11.6 points as a freshman.

She became homesick, and transferred to Thomas More in Crestview Hills, Ky.

"I think Missy could have played at any Division I program where I have coached," said Morrone. "She's really nice off the court and humble, but a killer on it. You can foul her and she makes you pay at the line (87 percent). She's very tough."

Spahar praises Lustig, the 5-foot-5 point guard for "getting me the ball in great situations." Lustig was named All-OAC second team.

Morrone also went to more up-tempo basketball and the Blue Streaks averaged 81.6 points -- No. 9 in all of Division III. That also has helped some of the scoring stats.

JCU's second-leading scorer is Katlyn Spahar (13.6 points), who was named the OAC Freshman of the Year. She comes off the bench.

"She's really tough," said Missy Spahar. "She played tight end on the CYO football team. I'm more of a girlie-girl."

The sisters' older brother (Nick Spahar) played football for JCU.

Morrone said "we have a lot of blue-collar kids." She raved about the defense of Daniella Rice and Beth Swtizler. Emily Taylor (35 percent) is the team's second-best shooter from 3-point range behind Lustin (44 percent).

"I'm just so proud what of these players have accomplished and how they accepted us (the new coaches)," said Morrone. "They have made this so much fun for everyone."

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- On the cusp of the state semifinal matchup between the Lake Catholic Cougars hockey team and St. Ignatius, coaches from both teams took some time to talk about what they expect to encounter.  St. Ignatius coach Pat O'Rourke and Lake Catholic coach Ryan Okicki were also each joined by one of their players as they discussed...

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- On the cusp of the state semifinal matchup between the Lake Catholic Cougars hockey team and St. Ignatius, coaches from both teams took some time to talk about what they expect to encounter. 

St. Ignatius coach Pat O'Rourke and Lake Catholic coach Ryan Okicki were also each joined by one of their players as they discussed the game and the atmosphere they expect to see in Columbus. 

O'Rourke was joined by Wildcats senior Beck Schultz and Okicki was accompanied by Cougars senior Grant McMullen. 

Lake Catholic earned its way to the state final four by beating University School, 5-4, in triple overtime last Friday to claim the team's first-ever Kent District title. St. Ignatius defeated Holy Name, 4-2, in the Brooklyn District final to earn a trip to Columbus. 

State Hockey Final Four Podcast (3/05/14)

The puck is scheduled to drop at 4 p.m. on Friday at Nationwide Arena in Columbus for the state semifinal matchup between Lake Catholic and St. Ignatius. 

Prior to the aforementioned game, Columbus St. Charles will take the ice against Sylvania Northview at 1 p.m. to decide which team will face the winner of the Lake Catholic-St. Ignatius contest will face in the state championship at 2 p.m. on Saturday at Nationwide Arena. 

To read more about all of the teams in this year's state hockey final four, follow this link. 

Contact high school sports reporter Robert Rozboril by email (rrozboril@cleveland.com) or Twitter (@rrozboril). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

Today, live at 2:30 p.m., join cleveland.com's Glenn Moore and Chris Fedor as they talk about the latest pro days on Draft Insider.

Watch Draft Insider today at noon.

Note: To turn off audio alerts in the chatroom, click on the round button on bottom left of the chat room, then preferences. Uncheck all audio options and save.

About the show: Draft Insider airs live every Thursday at noon with hosts Glenn Moore and Chris Fedor. They break down the upcoming NFL Draft and discuss which players could be future Cleveland Browns.

Viewers have to the opportunity to ask questions and post comments in a live chat room during the show. They can also email their video questions during the week.

Our live coverage of the boys high school basketball tournament continues Friday night on The Fastbreak. Listen live beginning at approximately 6:50 p.m. as we bring you live play-by-play of the district final between Warrensville Heights and Villa Angela-St. Joseph.

Our live coverage of the boys high school basketball tournament continues Friday night on The Fastbreak.

Listen live beginning at approximately 6:50 p.m. as we bring you live play-by-play of the district final between Warrensville Heights and Villa Angela-St. Joseph.

The Northeast Ohio Media Group's Chris Fedor and Dan Labbe will have live coverage, with pregame beginning 10 minutes prior to tip-off. Then stay locked in for our live webcast of the game followed by postgame coverage including an interview with the winning head coach.

Box score: Villa Angela-St. Joseph vs. Warrensville Heights.

High school basketball scoreboard | Brackets

Complete boys basketball coverage

For the first time since 1981, I am home during training camp. I am officially retired. I have become a man of leisure whether I like it or not, and I guess spring training is my first test. So do I miss it?

Sheldon Ocker covered the Indians for the Akron Beacon Journal for more than three decades before retiring in January.

For the last 20 of the 33 years I covered the Indians, I knew exactly when I should start thinking about spring training.

A voice told me. It was always around mid-January, usually when I was lying on the couch, busy watching a replay of the Poulan Weed-Eater Independence Bowl. My wife, Stephanie, would arrive home from work, stomp the snow off her Uggs and pointedly ask, "Why are you still here? Shouldn't you be somewhere else by now?''

Doing my best to look hurt, I would tell her that I would be gone in a month and wouldn't return for six or seven weeks, depending on whether the Indians began the regular season on the road or at Progressive Field.

"Oh, that's right,'' Stephanie would say. "It just seems like you've been around here for a long time.''

She never said "too long,'' but the implication was clear.

Being on the road for 130 days a year was my life for more than three decades. It was my routine, the only existence I knew.  It was normal. After awhile I started to think everyone lived that way.

I am finding out that they don't. For the first time since 1981, I am home during training camp. I am officially retired. I have become a man of leisure whether I like it or not, and I guess spring training is my first test. So do I miss it?

Not exactly, but it does seem strange sitting at home, looking out the window and seeing piles of graying, rock-hard snow that probably won't melt until May. I'm not a weather fanatic. I don't mind winter if it doesn't overstep its bounds.

And it's not as if being a baseball writer enabled me to skip the chill weather. But I did escape every mid-February, either to Tucson (12 years), Winter Haven, Fla., (16 years) or Goodyear, Ariz., (5 years).

So, it does seem like someone is exacting revenge for regularly bolting to a sunny climate, this being the coldest winter in decades. Fine, I can take it. I can keep a stiff (frozen?) upper lip as long as necessary.   

The issue of foregoing spring training isn't really about weather, though. It's about baseball. I always felt that a big part of my job, aside from reporting the news, was to examine and appraise the Indians' strategies and the players they put on the field. 

Of course, all of that starts in spring training.

I wanted to know who had the best chance to fill the final few precious roster spots and why, and which minor-league players had the talent to impact the team two years hence.

There was all kinds of stuff to find out, like which of the previous season's slump-ridden players seemed to have gotten back on track, and was the surprise hero of the previous year for real or a guy who would soon add to Cleveland's inferiority complex.

I enjoyed answering these questions, even though spring training wasn't necessarily a good place to uncover the truth. 

I miss trying to persuade Paul Hoynes to party on his birthday (in early March), and I miss attempting to trick General Manager Chris Antonetti into answering provocative questions:

"Chris, do you expect Justin Masterson to pitch right-handed and left-handed this year?''

"We'll just have to cross that bridge when we come to it, Sheldon. We'll do whatever gives us the best chance to win.''

I miss the action. Obviously, writing about players and their bosses isn't the same as being a player, manager or GM, but until now I was on the inside of the process.

There also are things I don't miss. In case you don't know – why would you – a big chunk of a baseball writer's life is spent standing around in the clubhouse waiting for someone to show up. I did so much of this it became almost ritualistic, as if I could not be fulfilled until I walked to the locker room and stood for 30 minutes, even if there was nobody I needed to speak to.

Doing laundry was not a favorite chore, nor was driving to the airport after four weeks to renew my rental car agreement (they wouldn't do it on the phone). And I spent too many springs coughing and sneezing because I forgot to get an allergy shot. My bad, of course.

Change, of course, is inevitable. Nothing stays the same. So I am not in sunny, warm Arizona with the Indians, and I'm not complaining about it. I have other things I could gripe about, but nobody really wants to listen.

Ironically, my wife – a diehard Indians fan – will be flying to Goodyear in a couple of weeks to observe spring training, and not for the first time.

More power to her. Will I be jealous? Only if she happens to run into Antonetti, and he candidly answers one of her pointed questions. 

For anyone who enjoyed the Winter Olympics, the Winter Paralympics beginning Friday will blow your mind. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Sports is about to get a little more exciting and a lot more interesting, if you let it.

For anyone who enjoyed watching Winter Olympics events you either knew little about or would never attempt, the Winter Paralympics in Sochi, Russia, will blow your mind. The opening ceremony is 11 a.m. Friday and the Games continue through March 16.

Sled hockey, Alpine blind skiing and sit skiing, Paralympic snowboard cross and other sports bring an element of “are you kidding me?'' to each event. Competing on ice and snow comes with enough risk and uncertainty, and doing so at a high level while lacking the use of limbs or sight is, as they say, TV worth watching.

The Paralympics is not new. This is the fourth Paralympic Winter Games held in the same city as the Olympics. The Summer Paralympics date back in different forms to post-World War II and have been growing ever since. The 2012 Summer Paralympics were held in front of huge crowds as Londoners embraced those Games.

What is completely different this time around is the exposure Paralympics is receiving from sponsors and NBC.

U.S. Paralympic athletes were featured in numerous commercials during the Olympics, including “tough love'' spots for Cincinnati-based Proctor & Gamble and an AT&T ad featuring Alpine sit-skier Heath Calhoun getting a phone call from his son after a rough day on the slopes. Snowboarder Amy Purdy has been on a cereal box and will compete on “Dancing with the Stars” after the competition.

NBC and NBCSN will air a combined 52 hours of coverage over 11 days, compared to 5.5 hours from London. Beginning with the Opening Ceremony live at 11 a.m. Friday on NBCSN, there will be 27 hours of live coverage of all five Paralympic sports – alpine skiing (which includes snowboarding), biathlon, cross-country skiing, wheelchair curling and sled hockey. The highlight event is expected to be NBC's live coverage of the gold-medal sled hockey game March 15 at 1 p.m., though the snowboard cross races March 14 could be a big draw as well.

  Athletically, the advancement of Paralympics sports compares to women's Olympic hockey. Not long ago, the quality of play wasn't very high. Now, with more athletes competing – including highly motivated wounded veterans – and much better support from the various Olympic committees and sponsors, the competition has vastly improved around the world. Just as women's hockey simply has become good hockey, the Paralympics are becoming good skiing, snowboarding and curling, etc.

While many viewers tune into the Olympics for the heartwarming and inspiring back stories, the Paralympics has that in spades and can trump every Olympian who talked of “overcoming” knee injuries or positive drug tests. Paralympians have dealt with with war, severe birth defects and often life-threatening trauma or diseases. The word “inspiration” gets tossed around a lot in sports, especially at the Olympics. At the Paralympics, it is palpable.

Among the U.S. Paralympians are: retired Marine Rico Roman, who lost his legs in combat in Iraq; Prudy, the world's only competitive double-amputee snowboarder, had both legs amputated below the knees after contracting meningitis as a teenager; Tatyana McFadden, born in Russia paralyzed below the belly button and given up for adoption to an American family, she returns to Russia and will compete in front of her birth mother; and Danelle Umstead, a blind skier who after winning a bronze medal at the Vancouver Paralympics learned she has multiple sclerosis.

“I've seen a lot of inspirational stuff coming out of (Paralympics),'' U.S. Olympic skier Bode Miller said. “Anyone who gets involved, it's surprising the impact it really has on you. It's rewarding to a degree you wouldn't expect. It's an untapped fuel for humanity that we really need to start using.

“Sport sometimes is a great opportunity to grow, to shed light on things, where you maybe wouldn't in every day life. When you watch athletes perform, you can really connect. It awakens that part of you.''

Speaking to reporters before the Olympics, Miller warned fans not to look at his six Olympic medals as a source of inspiration. Miller has all the advantages of the best gear and training, and only a knee injury and age (36) to slow him. Miller is an active supporter of the U.S. Paralympic movement's new “Gateway to Gold'' program designed to recruit and support disabled athletes. Miller's source of inspiration is real. Childhood friend and snowboarder Cam Shaw-Duran was paralyzed in a car accident in 1997. He now is a sit-skier, but he did not make the U.S. team.

“When you take away all the stuff and advantages I have and make the most fundamental aspects of life really, really challenging, and then ask that person to do something spectacular and to rise above it, then you come face-to-face with what the root of inspiration really is,'' Miller said.

Sled hockey goalie Steve Cash said the inspiration derived from the increased exposure for his sport is a two-way street.

“It gives you more confidence in what you're doing,'' he said. “Being able to share your story with other people and either have them become inspired by it, or learn something new, it not only makes other people inspired, but it makes me a better person and a better athlete.''

Cash did not allow a goal in the United States' gold medal run in 2010.

“Sometimes people get misconceptions about people with disabilities. The (Paralympics) is a way of turning people's attention away from their disabilities and towards their abilities. I'm really excited about that aspect,'' Cash said.

Roman hopes the Paralympics motivates other physically challenged athletes.

“I want to reach those other disabled adults and children who are hoping to get into adaptive sports, hopefully I'll set a little flame off in them,'' Roman said. “Go and take a chance, and dream and maybe accomplish the same things, and compete at this high level.''

Paralympians are both extraordinary and ordinary folks. The 22 women and 58 men on the U.S. team hail from 33 states (none are from Ohio) and many balance raising families with competing and working. There are 15 fathers, three mothers.

Team USA features 18 military veterans, several of them wounded in combat.

“This is awesome in that we're almost getting a second chance to represent our country,'' said sled hockey player Josh Sweeney, a double amputee who was wounded in Afghanistan. “After I was injured, I never thought I'd able to represent my country in a second way. This means a lot to me.''

Sled hockey player Brody Robyal is just 15, and Alpine skier Bark Bathum of Washington is 55.

Several are multi-sport athletes. Allison Jones of Colorado has competed in seven summer (cycling) and winter (Alpine skiing) Paralympics Games. She owns seven medals. McFadden, known affectionately as “The Beast,'' is the most decorated athlete on the team with 10 track and field Summer Paralympic medals and is making her Winter Games debut in Nordic skiing.

“This is going to be an experience I'll never forget,'' McFadden said.

So it also can be for those who watch.

Carlos Santana has looked great in drills in trying to make the move from catcher to third base this spring. It's been a different story once he gets into Cactus League games.

GOODYEAR, Ariz. – This is the 25th day of spring training for the Indians. It has officially become Groundhog Day, where every day is just like the one before it.

The season opener against the A’s in Oakland is 23 days away. So let’s start observing.

1. Crossroads at the hot corner? The Indians knew this wasn’t going to be an incident-free transition. Their saving grace was that Carlos Santana, at least in practice, didn’t look like a catcher trying to play third base.

The problem is that every time Santana gets into a Cactus League game, that’s exactly what he looks like. Right now, Lonnie Chisenhall and every other third baseman in camp look better than Santana when it comes to defense.

No. 1, Santana hasn’t gotten a lot of chances. No. 2, when he has gotten a chance, he’s looked stiff and uncomfortable. Maybe things will improve when he starts playing two or three games in a row.

If it doesn’t work, Santana can always go back to being a full-time DH and a backup third and first baseman. Santana’s bat, not his glove, will always be his calling card.

2. Close race: Manager Terry Francona said that he wants the players to make the end of March a difficult time for him and GM Chris Antonetti when it comes to picking the 25-man roster. He’s getting his wish regarding the starting rotation.

Trevor Bauer, Josh Tomlin, Carlos Carrasco and Aaron Harang have all pitched well in a competition that could be for the final two spots in the rotation depending on how things shake out with Danny Salazar.

Bauer has shown more control in his last two appearances and he’s throwing harder than he did last spring. He has a good curveball, but lives high in the strike zone with his fastball, and that can be dangerous not matter how hard he throws. Tomlin looks like he could go five innings right now. Carrasco’s stuff is great as usual and he’s pitched out of a couple of jams. Harang is a veteran right-hander who signed in February and has come to camp ready to compete because he sees an opportunity.

3. Just win baby: We’re eight games into the Cactus League season and the Indians haven’t lost a game since their opener against the Reds on Feb. 26. What does it mean?

Nothing.

Spring training is always a tricky thing when it comes to winning and losing. I prefer a team that gets out of Arizona or Florida with as close to a breakeven record as possible. Teams with records that spike one way or the other scare me.

4. Yeah, let’s talk about him again: It’s hard to go a day this spring without writing something about Salazar. No apology is needed because that’s how important he is to the rotation in the wake of the free-agent losses of Ubaldo Jimenez and Scott Kazmir and ownership’s reluctance to bring in another top arm.

Today, Salazar will throw one inning in an intrasquad game at the Tribe’s training complex in Goodyear. It will be his first competitive inning of the spring.

Francona has already left the door open for Salazar to be skipped the first time through the rotation in the regular season. Right now the best-case scenario is for Salazar to open the season as the fifth starter.

If the Indians’ plan works, and their decision to “slow-play’ Salazar through camp lets him make 28 to 30 healthy starts in the regular season, good for them. An arm like Salazar’s should be protected, but at some point he’s going to have let that 98 mph fastball “eat," as the pitchers say. There can be no protecting him then.

5. Short game: The Indians have asked leadoff hitter Michael Bourn to work more on his bunting this spring.

As Jason Lukehart of SB Nation pointed out at the end of last season, Bourn averaged 12 bunt hits per season during his career - until last year, when he had just five. Perhaps that will help improve Bourn’s .316 on base percentage from 2013.

Cleveland State has had a week to get ready for its Horizon League tournament game Saturday in Green Bay. Akron hosts Kent State in a season-ending MAC game.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Postseason basketball starts Saturday for the Cleveland State Vikings (21-10), who have had a week to prepare as the No. 2 seed in the Horizon League Tournament. And if you can't get to Rhodes Arena in person tonight, turn on the TV sets as Akron plays host to Kent State at 7 p.m. on ESPN2 in a key Mid-American Conference game.

For CSU, a week of rest should have them pretty healthy for the winner of Friday's HL quarterfinal matchup between Wright State and Oakland. The game will be at 7 p.m. in Green Bay. CSU defeated the Oakland (13-19) twice during the season comfortably, but split with Wright State (18-13) in a pair of close contests.

Saturday's winners -- No. 1 seed Green Bay plays the Milwaukee-Valparaiso winner in the other semifinal, will play Tuesday on ESPN2 at the site of the highest seed for the tournament title and the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

That means, if CSU wins and Green Bay loses, the championship will be Tuesday night in the Wolstein Center.

Even if the Vikings win, and have to play the Phoenix on their homecourt, the Vikings now have an 'X' factor in 6-9 senior Luda Ndaye.

He was injured during a preseason scrimmage, had shoulder surgery just after the season began, and returned to practice in early February.

"I hurt it in the scrimmage against Central Michigan,'' Ndaye said during the Christmas holidays.

At that point it was after surgery and prior to rehab, so the thought of taking a redshirt season was on his mind. However, head coach Gary Waters had made it clear Ndaye would get a lot of quality time at power forward this season, and that was something the product of Montreal, Canada wanted.

"This was the year I would be playing more in my comfort zone,'' he said. "I was really looking forward to it. So I'm not going to change anything when I come back."

Ndaye was cleared to play by Valentine's Day and has come on solidly, giving the Vikings a much-needed long presence with his 245-pound frame, ability to defend, and ability to score away from the basket. Interestingly, his first action came four games ago, in CSU's home loss to the Phoenix as Ndaye played eight minutes and scored two points.

His breakout performance came in the last game against Valparaiso, as Ndaye played a season-high 14 minutes, scoring 10 points with seven rebounds.

The first Kent-Akron game pretty much capsulizes the status of both teams on the cusp of MAC Tournament play next week. Kent needs to play 35-40 minutes of good-to-great basketball to have a chance against a solid opponent. The Golden Flashes (16-14, 7-10) did play equal or better than Akron (19-11, 11-6) for 35 minutes in the first game. But Akron had the upper hand the last five and Kent needed a desperation 3-pointer to keep that game from going into overtime.

Akron never led the final 10 minutes of the game, and Akron needed to force three Kent turnovers in the final 90 seconds just to make it a tie game for the Zips. Then Kent got the miracle win.

For Akron, the overall talent is clearly there to beat any team and in many cases just five minutes of quality basketball down the stretch can turn defeat into victory. Akron's challenge is playing solid most of the game, then putting together that quality five, particularly at the end of games, to make sure victory does not become defeat.

That showed in Akron's latest win, 83-71 over Buffalo on Tuesday, which kept the Zips in position for the No. 4 seed in next week's MAC Tournament.

As for Kent, the Flashes showed their stripes Tuesday against Miami, falling behind by 20 at halftime before losing 73-61.

Afterward Kent senior Darren Goodson, said the team was "out to lunch" in that pivotal game against the RedHawks, which pretty much describes the level of leadership KSU has had all season. Now Kent needs a second upset over Akron tonight just to have a chance at the No. 8 seed, which would let them host a MAC Tournament game on Monday.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It is always an exciting experience when high school athletes get to play on the same state as professionals during a state title game, regardless of what sport.  However, considering the reality that most pro venues are built for much larger crowds than any high school state championship game could ever draw, realistically, would it be...

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It is always an exciting experience when high school athletes get to play on the same state as professionals during a state title game, regardless of what sport. 

However, considering the reality that most pro venues are built for much larger crowds than any high school state championship game could ever draw, realistically, would it be better to have teams play at more modest-sized locations to a packed house rather than in a pro stadium built for a much larger crowd than any high school fanbase can fill? 

That is what we want to ask you, the reader, for our High School Sports Question of the Day. 

Look for the comments section at the bottom of every post. Registering for an account is free and takes just a few minutes (click here for an account). Once you register you will have the ability to comment on all posts.

Contact high school sports reporter Robert Rozboril by email (rrozboril@cleveland.com) or Twitter (@rrozboril). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

Former Browns linebacker D'Qwell Jackson makes the choice to sign with the Indianapolis Colts.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Former Cleveland Browns linebacker D'Qwell Jackson signed with the Indianapolis Colts after visiting with three other teams.

Reporter Mike Chappell writes on IndyStar.com how it may have also been a plus since former Browns head coach Rob Chudzinski is an assistant with the Colts.

The Colts signed Jackson to a four-year, $22 million contract. About $11 million of the package is guaranteed.

Before signing with the Colts, Jackson also met with the Tennessee Titans, Denver Broncos and Miami Dolphins. And, writes Chappell, the long-time starting inside linebacker with the Browns — 96 starts in eight seasons — made it clear Chudzinski had more than a little influence in his decision to relocate to Indianapolis.

"Once I became a free agent and I was allowed to speak to teams, (Chudzinski) was one of the first calls that I personally made," said Jackson, whose contract recently was terminated by the Browns. "He's a big part of me being here today. I thought highly of him last year when he was my head coach in Cleveland. He hasn't been here for a long time, but I trusted his judgment."

Joining the Colts also put Jackson in an unfamiliar position. For the first time, Jackson will play on a team with a solid quarterback in Andrew Luck. The Browns used 12 different starting quarterbacks when Jackson was in Cleveland.

"If you've been in this game long enough, you start to realize if you don't have a guy under center, it's going to be hard for you to be in a place with stability, let alone win games," Jackson said. "Unfortunately that's been my career in Cleveland, but it never stopped my drive, my passion, the way I prepared, the way I played the game."

Jackson is expected to start alongside Jerrell Freeman, and take the place of Pat Angerer, writes Chappell.

More Browns and NFL news

Alex Mack's agent is confident other teams will talk with his client (Cleveland.com).

Browns agree to contract extension with kicker Billy Cundiff (Cleveland.com).

Browns extend contract tender to ILB Craig Robertson (Cleveland.com).

Some Colts fans are critical of D'Qwell Jackson's contract (IndyStar.com).

It looks like Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New York Jets are options for QB Josh McCown (NFL.com).

Reporter goes ga-ga over center Alex Mack (CBSSports.com).

Johnny Manziel signs multiyear deal with Nike (ESPN)

QB Michael Vick is drawing interest from Jacksonville and Minnesota (CBSSports.com).

Here's a breakdown on how offensive linemen are graded (The MMQB).

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- And then there were five. This Friday and Saturday boast the final weekend of girls basketball matchups before teams head to Columbus. Northeast Ohio still features five teams: one in each Division, including two in Division I. Those five teams are Division I's Solon and Wadsworth, Division II's St. Vincent-St. Mary, Division III's Beachwood and Division...

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- And then there were five. This Friday and Saturday boast the final weekend of girls basketball matchups before teams head to Columbus.

Northeast Ohio still features five teams: one in each Division, including two in Division I. Those five teams are Division I's Solon and Wadsworth, Division II's St. Vincent-St. Mary, Division III's Beachwood and Division IV's Cuyahoga Heights.

Each team is led by a player Northeast Ohio Media Group reporters Stephanie Kuzydym and Mark Kern have talked about all season. All were featured in the Top 25 too. 

So what's left to tell? The five things that got them to where they are now, a regional final matchup, and five opponent breakdowns.

Join us. 

Five things that got them to a regional final

1. Depth. Each of the five teams has a star player with a wide repertoire of skills and scoring, as well as a deep bench. They also have two more solid scorer.

Here's a quick breakdown:

Solon 

Star: Kristen Confroy.

Two more solid scorers: Jordan Bekelja and Dee Bekelja

Wadsworth

Star: Jodi Johnson. 

Two more solid scorers:Peyton Booth and Hannah Centea

St. Vincent-St. Mary 

Star: Jordan Korniek. 

Two more solid scorers: Kiley May and Shannon Jack

Beachwood 

Star: Mikah Aldridge. 

Two more solid scorers: Aryana Jackson and Aneisha Hardin

Cuyahoga Heights

Star: Jenna Stegmaier

Two more solid scorers: Liz Spence and Ariel Rebello

2. Tough regular season schedules. Sadly an RPI-system hasn't been implemented at the high school level so we can't sit and argue this with numbers. However, let's start with Cuyahoga Heights' only loss was to a Div. III Beachwood, whom they beat earlier in the season. 

Early in the season, Bison coach Michael Coreno tested his kid at the Fight or Flight Tournament, where they played Division I teams like North Royalton.

Then there's Solon, who scheduled som eo fthe toughest teams in the state and even played a team from Kentucky.

And throughout it all, they pretty much dominated their competition. Combined, the five teams left standing have a 123-13 record.

Solon is 24-3. Wadsworth is 29-1. St. Vincent-St. Mary is 24-2. Beachwood is 20-6. Cuyahoga Heights is 26-1.

3. Solid coaching. Solon's Trish Kruse was named Coach of the Year last year. Although none of these five coaches came away with the honor this year, if you've watched them from the bench they're one of the coolest bunches.

Half the time, Cuyahoga Heights' Al Martin looks so relaxed that he is somewhat reclining in his sideline chair.

They also come in with a game plan that benefits all the strengths of their team (hence their records which include two one-loss teams.

4. Domination of regional semifinal opponents. Solon didn't even look contested against Canton McKinley. Wadworth found a way to eliminate Berea-Midpark's Stasha Carey and her stout defense. St. Vincent-St. Mary is probably the one team that didn't blowout Geneva like many thought. 

However, Beachwood ended up creating a wide margin in the second half against Pymatuning Valley thanks to their physical style of play. 

Then there's Cuyahoga Heights. Up more than 25 points by the fourth quarter, the Redskins student section began all sorts of 'goodbye' chants while Ashland Mapleton's student section quieted.

5. Experience. This is somewhere they've all been before. Solon lost to Twinsburg last year. Wadsworth lost to Toledo Notre Dame Academy. 

That experience is what propelled each of these five teams through the season, with three of them at the top of cleveland.com's Top 25 for the entire season.

Five opponent breakdowns

Division I

1. Toledo Notre Academy (plays Wadsworth): This is a familiar foe for Wadsworth, as the Grizzlies have lost to Eagles in the regional final in each of the past two seasons. Kaayla McIntyre is the star of this team.As Wadsworth Andy Booth said on the pick-and-roll podcast, she may very well be the best junior in the state of Ohio.

The Eagles will flat get after you on the defensive end, which is exactly what they did in the victory against Magnificat.

2. North Canton Hoover (plays Solon): The Vikings are one of the most complete teams in the state, as they can do work in the paint as well from the perimeter. Marquia Turner is a terrific player at the point guard. The Xavier commit has moved from a shooting guard to point, but has not missed a beat leading a very talented frontcourt.

Senior Kaylee Stroemple is a terrific post player for Hoover, and will be a tough matchup for Solon forward Alexis Gray. Coach Abbey Allerding is one of the younger coaches in the area, but she does a terrific job with her program. 

Division II

3. West Branch (plays St. Vincent-St. Mary): The Warriors clinched this appearance by knocking off a talented Holy Name team. Melinda Trimmer played very well in that game, leading the team with 24 points. She has the ability to score in many different ways, making her a very difficult matchup for her opponents.

St. Vincent-St. Mary has some great defenders on the team, as Shannon Jack and Kiley May both figure to get a lot of time guarding her. Against a talented player in Holy Name's Kim Cook, the Warriors really made it a focal of collapsing on her and trying to limit her scoring. With the talented Jordan Korinek in the post for the Irish, look for the Warriors to use their speed and quickness to try and pressure the ball.

Division III

4. Smithville (plays Beachwood): Smithville is coming into this game with a lot of confidence, as they defeated Canfield South Range by 29 points in the regional semifinal. The matchup against Beachwood will be an interesting one as the Bison have a lot of speed and quickness, but Smithville has tremendous size all across the board.

In the game against South Range, Smithville did a great job of forcing tough contested shots, and dominated the defensive glass. The rebounding battle will be a big key in this game, as Smithville will not want to get into a track meet with Beachwood.

Division IV

5. Zanesville Bishop Rosecrans (plays Cuyahoga Heights): This is a dangerous team that has shown how good of team it is by beating Stow-Munroe Falls earlier in the season in a close contest. Like Smithville, they are coming off a dominating victory in the regional semifinal, defeating Western Reserve by 36 points. There is a lot of firepower all over the court for this team, but will have an intriguing matchup against Cuyahoga Heights on Saturday.

The Redskins looked dominant on Thursday night, and this is your offense vs. defense matchup. If you are looking for the most competitive game regional final game of the weekend, this very well may be it. 

Adam Grimm is on top of the waterfowl art world as he returns to Ohio on Saturday and Sunday to display his paintings at the 37th annual Wildlife Art, Decoys & Collectables Show and Auction in Strongsville.

CLEVELAND, OHIO – Elyria native Adam Grimm is on top of the waterfowl art world as he returns to Ohio on Saturday and Sunday to display his paintings at the 37^th annual Wildlife Art, Decoys & Collectables Show and Auction in Strongsville.

The young artist's work will soon be a familiar to waterfowl hunters all around country, and especially in Ohio. Grimm, who now lives in Burbank, S.D., won the prestigious Federal Duck Stamp Contest last year, as well as the Ohio Waterfowl Stamp competition. Buckeye waterfowl hunters need to buy both conservation stamps for the 2014 waterfowl hunting seasons.

If the twin wins in the stamp contests aren't enough to celebrate, Adam and Janet Grimm's daughter, Madison, just 6 years old, won the Federal Junior Duck Stamp contest in 2013.

"It's been a tremendous year for me and my family," said Grimm, in a call from his rural South Dakota home. "When they announced the subject for the 2014 Federal Duck Stamp was the canvasback duck, I was thrilled. I've photographed a lot of 'cans' for subject material, and just had a feeling it was going to be my year to win the federal stamp contest again."

Many outstanding artists have tried and failed to win the popular stamp contests, but Grimm has always been blessed with confidence. He became the youngest to win the federal competition when, at 21, his painting of a backlit mottled duck was chosen for the 2001 stamp.

Grimm won the 2014 stamp contest with a painting of drake and hen canvasback ducks basking in the warm glow of sunset. His winner in the Ohio contest was a sleek pintail in flight, a Grimm favorite in the duck marsh. Grimm also won the 2005 Ohio Duck Stamp Contest with a rendition of a wood duck, one of the most colorful of waterfowl, as it paddled in bright green duckweed.

Adam Grimm has shared his success as a waterfowl artist by helping to establish the Adam Grimm Marsh on the Sandusky Bay shoreline in Erie County. He visited the waterfowl marsh last year with his parents, Len and Jane Grimm. D'Arcy Egan / The Plain Dealer

Grimm's waterfowl art will be featured twice in this year's federal stamp package. For the first time, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has asked the winning artist for a companion painting. Grimm's depiction of canvasbacks in flight will adorn the dollar bill-sized card the federal duck stamps are attached to before they're sent to hunters and collectors.

Displaying artwork at the annual Ohio Decoy Collectors & Carvers Association show has become a tradition for Grimm. He sold his first painting there when he was just 11. By the age of 13 he had graduated to a full-fledged display of his art.

Hosted by the Ohio Decoy Carvers & Collectors Association, the show will fill the Strongsville Holiday Inn with dozens of decoy carving contests, waterfowl art, carving and painting supplies and a wide variety of exhibits. Show hours are Saturday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. The weekend admission is $5.

"It's still my hometown show," said Grimm. "Our family enjoys the wilds of South Dakota, but it's always fun come back to Ohio and visit with old friends."

There is another budding artist in the family. While daughter Madison has shown surprising talent, her younger sister, Hannah, 5, was disappointed she was too young to submit a painting in the junior contest this year.

Just as his father, Len, instilled a love of waterfowl and hunting in his son, Grimm is enjoying introducing his little boy, Jonas, to the outdoors.

"Jonas isn't two years old yet, but he is so into hunting, shooting and camouflage," said Grimm, known for photographing and hunting ducks and geese while wearing a brushy ghillie suit. "I took Jonas dove hunting twice last fall, and it was a life-changing experience for him and for me as we shared the outdoors."

Get your questions ready and join Dennis Manoloff today at 12:30 p.m. as he talks Cleveland sports.

Talk Cleveland sports with Dennis Manoloff during his weekly podcast today at 12:30 p.m.Allison Carey/The Plain Dealer

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Get your questions ready and join Dennis Manoloff today at 12:30 p.m. as he talks Cleveland sports.

DMan will talk with cleveland.com's Chris Fedor about NFL free agency and what the Browns should do about T.J. Ward. He will also talk about Zydrunas Ilgauskas' retirement ceremony on Saturday and whether he has an issue with LeBron James being there.

You can jump in the chat room and ask your questions as well as interact with other users and respond to DMan's remarks, or you can just listen. The chat will also be made available shortly after its completion in MP3 format.

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Get live updates during the state hockey semifinal matchup between Lake Catholic and St. Ignatius, beginning today at 4 p.m.  Reporter Robert Rozboril will keep you posted on all of the action at Nationwide Arena in Columbus as it happens. Updates will be posted in the comments section of this post. 

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Get live updates during the state hockey semifinal matchup between Lake Catholic and St. Ignatius, beginning today at 4 p.m. 

Reporter Robert Rozboril will keep you posted on all of the action at Nationwide Arena in Columbus as it happens. Updates will be posted in the comments section of this post. 

Feel free to leave your own comments about the game from your cleveland.com account as well. 

Registering for an account is free and takes just a few minutes (click here for an account). Once you register you will have the ability to comment on all posts.

Contact high school sports reporter Robert Rozboril by email (rrozboril@cleveland.com), Twitter (@rrozboril) or Facebook (www.facebook.com/rrozboril). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

McDermott leads the nation in scoring and is approaching the 3,000-point mark for his career.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- This year's race for Player of the Year wasn't much of a race at all. Creighton's Doug McDermott was the best player in college basketball from perhaps start to finish. There were no slow starts, slumps or fatigued finishes -- just high-level production.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — The road to the state final four continues tonight and Satursay as all throughout Ohio, boys basketball teams will try to win district championships. None may be a more compelling matchup than in the Division III Garfield Heights District as Warrensville Heights meets Villa Angela-St. Joseph. See all the updated brackets across the region here, and...

CLEVELAND, Ohio — The road to the state final four continues tonight and Satursay as all throughout Ohio, boys basketball teams will try to win district championships. None may be a more compelling matchup than in the Division III Garfield Heights District as Warrensville Heights meets Villa Angela-St. Joseph.

See all the updated brackets across the region here, and check back to see updated brackets.

Here's a look at what you need to know heading into the district finals:

GAME OF THE WEEKEND

No. 4 Warrensville Heights vs. No. 1 Villa Angela-St. Joseph, Division III Garfield Heights District final, Friday, 7 p.m.

The Garfield Heights District in Division III featured four teams ranked in the final Associated Press state poll. Friday night is the conclusion of one of the toughest districts in the state as the defending Division IV state champion Vikings meet a Warrensville Heights team that has been among the hottest down the stretch.

VASJ has gone through its half of the bracket relatively untested, winning its three games by an average of 40 points per game.

The Tigers, who haven't lost since Jan. 26, have already beaten two other teams ranked in the top-ten in Division III (Gilmour and Beachwood) just to make it to the district final.

This game features several intriguing matchups, particularly at the point guard position between VASJ's Brian Parker and Warrensville Heights' Jalen Jackson.

Listen to the game live in The Fastbreak with Chris Fedor and Dan Labbe, who will provide live play-by-play coverage from the game.

Reporter David Cassilo will be in Garfield Heights to cover the game. Click here to follow him on Twitter for live updates.

KEEP AN EYE ON

No. 3 Berea-Midpark vs. No. 4 St. Ignatius, Division I Grafton District final, Saturday

Arguably the toughest district in Division I will end on Saturday when Berea-Midpark and St. Ignatius will meet up for the second time this season.

Both teams looked impressive in their district semifinal wins.

Berea-Midpark had a dominant fourth quarter to knock off Olmsted Falls on Wednesday, 72-48. St. Ignatius used its length defensively to slow down Lakewood on Thursday in its 61-39 win.

The two teams met earlier in the season at Berea-Midpark, where the Titans won, 70-61, behind a big night from Alex Brown.

Reporter Tim Bielik will be at the game. Click here to follow him on Twitter for live updates.

No. 2 Uniontown Lake vs. No. 3 Medina, Division I Copley District final

Medina has bounced back from a rough finish to the regular season by making its second district final appearance in the past three years.

The Bees knocked off a surprising Green team on Thursday, 43-32, to reach the district final, where they will meet Canton-area power Uniontown Lake.

The Blue Streaks have been tough all season, led by talented senior Mitchell Spotleson, the Division I Northeast Inland District Player of the Year.

No. 2 East Tech vs. No. 3 Mentor, Division I Euclid District final

Two of the top seniors in Northeast Ohio clash in the Euclid District final as KT Taylor and East Tech battle Caleb Potter and Mentor.

The Cardinals, last year's Division I state champions, have been impressive down the stretch and are playing their best basketball of the season. A 20-point win against Jimond Ivey and Glenville on Thursday sent Mentor back to the district final.

East Tech won the Senate Athletic League with an unblemished conference record and has an extremely talented group that can score in many different ways.

No. 1 St. Vincent-St. Mary vs. No. 2 Alliance, Division II Canton District final

VJ King, Jalen Hudson and the Irish are only three wins away from yet another trip to the state final four in Columbus.

To get to the regional semifinals, they will have to get past Division II Northeast Inland District Player of the Year J.J. Kukura and Alliance.

So far, St. Vincent-St. Mary has been impressive in district play, winning its first three games by at least 28 points. Alliance had to escape an upset-minded Norton team in the sectional final, 79-76, but beat Kenmore, 67-48, to reach the district final.

No. 1 Lake Catholic vs. No. 2 Chagrin Falls, Division II Ashtabula District final

The Cougars are no strangers to the district final stage. Saturday's game against Chagrin Falls will be the third trip in four years to the district final for Lake Catholic.

Zavier Powers and Justin Robinson may be one of the best duos on the east side of Cleveland, as both are capable of big nights offensively.

Chagrin Falls has had a strong year led by junior third-team all-district selection Sawyer McGuire, who is averaging close to 15 points per game. Tigers coach Dave Bargar, the Division II district coach of the year, has helped lead the team to its first district final appearance in 20 years.

Here are some highlights from this week's action:

MONDAY

No. 4 Warrensville Heights 70, No. 2 Beachwood 58: Warrensville Heights overcame an 11-point halftime deficit with a big run in the third quarter to pull away from Beachwood and advance to the district final. Yavari Hall had 17 points to lead the Tigers.

WEDNESDAY

No. 3 Berea-Midpark 72, No. 5 Olmsted Falls 48: A 23-4 fourth quarter won by Berea-Midpark turned a close game into a rout in favor of the Titans. Alex Brown had a game-high 23 points for the Titans.

No. 7 Brunswick 54, No. 6 Westlake 48: Ryan Badowski and Zach Parker combined for 40 points to lead the Blue Devils past the Demons to advance to the Brecksville District Final against No. 1 St. Edward. As a team, Brunswick was 12 of 25 from 3-point range.

THURSDAY

No. 4 St. Ignatius 61, No. 8 Lakewood 39: The Wildcats were stifling on defense against Lakewood, slowing down the explosive Rangers on their way to a district final. Eric Black had 15 points and eight rebounds to lead St. Ignatius.

No. 12 Euclid 60, No. 4 Garfield Heights 58: Euclid has taken on the role of Cinderella this postseason. Thanks to a game-winning shot by Steve Owens, the Panthers upset Garfield Heights and will play Shaker Heights in the Division I Solon District Final on Saturday. Owens had 13 points for Euclid, and teammate Chavez Harper had 15.

Contact sports reporter Tim Bielik by email (tbielik@cleveland.com) or on Twitter (@bielik_tim). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

The Bobcats have won not only the first two meetings with the Cavaliers, but also two preseason games before the start of the regular season.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Surprising as it might be, the Charlotte Bobcats are a team the Cavaliers are trying to emulate.

Well, for one quality above all others: Right now, the Bobcats are a playoff team.

True, Charlotte is just 27-33, but in the Eastern Conference, that's good for a No. 7 seed in the playoffs.

The turnaround from last season's 21-61 has come in coach Steve Clifford's first season, and Cavaliers coach Mike Brown, for one, isn't too surprised.

"They have a nice team if you think about it," Brown said. "And then they haven't had to go through much change throughout the year. They've been pretty consistent with their approach, with their team."

The Bobcats also have given the Cavaliers fits this season, topping them twice during the regular season and also during two preseason meetings.

"They have a lot of different types of pieces that have been able to attack us the right way," Brown said. "[Michael Kidd-]Gilchrist has hurt us slashing, [Gerald] Henderson has hurt us on the post, Kemba [Walker] has hurt us at pick-and-roll, Josh [McRoberts] has done a great job spreading us out and hurting us at pick and roll."

And both losses to the Bobcats came when they were without leading scorer Al Jefferson, who is averaging 20.9 points per game.

The Cavaliers will face Charlotte and Jefferson without Anderson Varejao, who will miss his 12^th straight game with a sore back.

Cavaliers vs. Bobcats

Probable starting lineups: Cavs -- F Luol Deng, F Tristan Thompson, C Spencer Hawes, G Jarrett Jack, G Kyrie Irving. Bobcats -- F Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, F Josh McRoberts, C Al Jefferson, G Gary Neal, G Kemba Walker.

Injuries: Cavs -- Anderson Varejao (back), C.J. Miles (sprained left ankle), Carrick Felix (left knee stress fracture) are out. Bobcats – Brendan Haywood (stress fracture, left foot) and Jeffery Taylor (ruptured right Achilles tendon) are out. Gerald Henderson (right calf strain) is day-to-day.

Officials: Ken Mauer, Curtis Blair, Tre Maddox.

Up next for Cavs: vs. New York on Saturday at The Q.