"I'm very comfortable with where we're at," Meyer said of his staff. "I would put it in the 'great' category. I think Luke Fickell and Chris Ash have incredible chemistry in the defensive staff room."

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The five things you must know from Ohio State coach Urban Meyer's news conference during the Buckeyes media day on Sunday. 

1. Braxton Miller being held out is a part of the plan, apparently. The senior quarterback told reporters that he's 100 percent, but Meyer said if there was a game tomorrow that the Buckeyes would be very careful with him. Miller also didn't practice in the team's first scrimmage Saturday because of shoulder soreness. Meyer said keeping him out was always a part of the plan, but players who are actually 100 percent practice. 

2. Meyer names a few players who are standing out. When asked about some younger players who have stood out in camp, Meyer said he doesn't like playing the game because he always forgets guys. Then he played it - naming Vonn Bell, Tyvis Powell, Jalin Marshall, Dontre Wilson and Corey Smith. 

3. Who would be Ohio State's starting running back tomorrow? Because Ezekiel Elliott is currently out with a fractured wrist, that question gets a little trickier. Meyer said Rod Smith, a senior, has come on strong this fall, but he also was quick to point out his admiration for freshman Curtis Samuel. Bri'onte Dunn is also in the mix and Warren Ball is returning from an injury next week, but the battle is really between Elliott (when healthy), Smith and Samuel. 

4. Can Dontre Wilson run between the tackles? Meyer said Wilson has added about 20 pounds of muscle to his frame since his freshman year, and they are going to start repping him with inside zone plays. Wilson is going to be the driving force behind Ohio States' desire to get outside, but Meyer called it a "big advantage" if Wilson can also be an inside threat. 

5. When asked about the alignment of his staff, Meyer brought up Chris Ash and Luke Fickell. Meyer said he call his staff chemistry "great," and said the way Ash and Fickell play off each other has been positive so far. Though there hasn't been much insight as to who pulls rank with Ash and Fickell, both are under an incredible amount of pressure to prevent the defense from last year's issues. 

"I'm very comfortable with where we're at," Meyer said. "I would put it in the 'great' category. I think Luke Fickell and Chris Ash have incredible chemistry in the defensive staff room. All this remains to be seen. And next week is going to be tough on the coaches, too, so I'm really watching it closely. But (we have) high-character guys." 

Linebacker Raekwon McMillan and running back Curtis Samuel – freshmen who have both drawn high praise from Urban Meyer since arriving on campus in the spring – were the first two freshmen to have their black stripes removed.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Maybe it's because both enrolled early, or maybe it's because they are two of the highest profile recruits Ohio State brought in as part of its 2014 recruiting class. 

But linebacker Raekwon McMillan and running back Curtis Samuel – freshmen who have both drawn high praise from Urban Meyer since arriving on campus in the spring – were the first two freshmen to have their black stripes removed. 

Congrats to Curtis Samuel and Raekwon McMillan for being the first 2 freshmen to get their black stripes removed! pic.twitter.com/OZg6314sZ9

— Urban Meyer (@OSUCoachMeyer) August 10, 2014

What does it mean to get the black stripe removed? Coach Urban Meyer has made it a rite of passage for freshmen, who start with a black stripe on their helmet only to have it removed when they've properly proved themselves in practice. 

Or here's the way Meyer describes it: When a player has formally earned the right to be a Buckeye. 

But we can gauge which players may have excelled in practice, and it's no surprise that Samuel and McMillan are the first to formally join the team. 

McMillan, a former five-star recruit from Georgia, is in the thick of a position battle at linebacker with senior Curtis Grant. Though it isn't expected that Grant will lose his spot, McMillan has acclimated quickly to the college game and he's regularly taking snaps with the second team in practice. 

Samuel's path to the field may be even faster, especially after Ezekiel Elliott fractured his wrist on Friday. Elliott should be back in time for Ohio State's opener on Aug. 30, but Samuel has impressed enough for Meyer to say that the freshman will play this year. 

Tim Fedroff and Jordan Smith each have two RBI to help the RubberDucks roll to a 9-3 win over the New Hampshire Fisher Cats.

Designated hitter Anthony Gallas had three hits and three RBI, and outfielders Tim Fedroff and Jordan Smith each had two RBI to help the RubberDucks roll to a 9-3 win over the New Hampshire Fisher Cats in a Class AA Eastern League game Sunday in Akron.

View full sizeAnthony GallasRubberDucks 

Gallas had an RBI single, Smith a two-RBI triple and catcher Alex Lavisky drove in a run with a sacrifice fly in the first inning as the RubberDucks built at 4-0 lead.

By the sixth inning Akron had built its lead to 9-1 and were never threatened as starter Duke von Schamann (7-6, 3.76 ERA) held the Fisher Cats to two runs on four hits in seven innings. Reliever Trey Haley pitched the final two innings, giving up one run on one hit.

Gallas, a graduate of Strongsville High School and Kent State University, finished 3-for-5 with a double and one run scored. Shortstop Jaime Pedroza was 3-for-4 with three runs scored. Lavisky, outfielder Ollie Linton and second baseman Ronny Rodriguez each had two hits, with Linton getting a double and triple.

The RubberDucks had 14 hits overall, four for extra bases.

Catcher Jack Murphy and shortstop Andy Fermin each had two hits, and both hit solo homers for the Fisher Cats. New Hampshire starter Casey Lawrence (9-6, 3.23) gave up seven runs on nine hits in five innings.

The victory keeps the RubberDucks 2 1/2 games behind Richmond for first place in the Western Division.

Rory McIlroy shoots 3-under 68, beating Phil Mickelson by one stroke in near darkness at PGA Championship.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The challenge finally arrived for Rory McIlroy, and he was better than ever Sunday to win the PGA Championship.

On a back nine filled with clutch shots and as much tension as a major can provide, McIlroy emerged from a four-man race to outlast Phil Mickelson and the darkness at Valhalla to capture his second straight major.

McIlroy closed with a 3-under 68 and became only the fourth player in the last century of golf to win four majors at 25 or younger. The others were Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus and Bobby Jones, three of the game's greatest players.

Boy Wonder appears on his way to belonging in that group.

"I didn't think in my wildest dreams I'd have a summer like this," said McIlroy, only the seventh player to win the last two majors of the year. "I played the best golf of my life. I really gutted it out today."

But one of the greatest shows on soggy turf came with a most peculiar ending.

Three shots behind going to the back nine, McIlroy rallied to take the lead and then hit a 9-iron from the fairway bunker to 10 feet for birdie on the 17th hole for a two-shot lead going to the par-5 18th. Because of a two-hour rain delay earlier, darkness was falling quickly and it wasn't certain McIlroy would be able to finish.

McIlroy was allowed to hit his tee shot before Mickelson and Rickie Fowler had reached their drives. Both were only two shots behind, still in the game. McIlroy came within a yard of hitting in a hazard right of the fairway.

Then, the PGA of America allowed McIlroy to hit his second shot. Mickelson and Fowler had to stand to the side of the green.

"We were cool with hitting the tee shot," Fowler said. "We weren't expecting the approach shots."

Fowler had a 50-foot eagle attempt to tie for the lead. He was well off the mark, and missed the short birdie putt attempt that cost him his third straight runner-up finish in a major. Mickelson was short of the green, and his chip came within inches of dropping for an eagle that would have tied him for the lead.

Mickelson appeared upset that they had to wait to finish the hole — not standard procedure in a PGA Tour event — and he made two references in a TV interview that this is the only championship the PGA of America runs all year.

"It didn't affect the outcome of the championship at all, I don't think," Mickelson said. "It's not what we normally do. It's not a big deal either way."

Mickelson closed with a 66 and was runner-up for the ninth time in a major.

Fowler became the first player in history to finish in the top five at all four majors without winning one. He closed with a 68 and tied for third with Henrik Stenson, who fell out of a share of the lead by missing a 3-foot par putt on the 14th hole. Stenson shot a 66.

McIlroy hit his second shot into a bunker, and he had to two-putt from 35 feet for the win. He lagged the first one to tap-in range, and the major was his. McIlroy repeatedly pumped his fist before letting out a scream above the gallery that had been treated to one of the best shows ever in a major.

He won his first two majors by eight shots at the 2011 U.S. Open and 2012 PGA Championship. Only a month ago, McIlroy took a six-shot lead into the final round of the British Open and completed a wire-to-wire win with only a brief scare.

This was his first big test, and it took some of his best golf to come through.

"I think I showed a lot of guts out there to get the job done," he said.

The winning shot turned out to be that 9-iron from the bunker and the birdie putt on the 17th hole that gave him a two-shot lead, the largest margin for anyone on a day when as many as five players claimed a share of the lead.

It might not have been possible without a 3-wood on the par-5 10th hole.

Standing in the fairway, McIlroy watched Fowler drain a 30-foot birdie putt to take the outright lead. McIlroy was 281 yards away, slightly uphill, and his short caught the left side of the fairway and rolled onto the green before stopping 7 feet away for an eagle that got him back in the game.

Mickelson holed a 10-foot birdie putt on the 11th hole to tie Fowler, and it looked to be his day when he rolled in a 30-foot par putt on the 12th. Stenson hit a bold shot to the island-green 13th for a short birdie to tie for the lead, only to fall back.

McIlroy caught the leaders with a birdie on the 13th.

None of the other contenders made another birdie the rest of the way until it was too late.

All that was left after an exhausting day of raw emotions was the coronation. Not since Woods in 2008 has anyone won three straight tournaments, and they were big ones for McIlroy — the British Open, the World Golf Championship-Bridgestone Invitiational at Firestone in Akron, and the PGA Championship. He played them in a combined 48-under par.

"He's better than everyone else right now," Mickelson said.

Check out all the stories and social media photos from Ohio State's photo and interview day Sunday, as the Buckeyes get ready for this week, which will include three two-a-days.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Urban Meyer tried to wave former Texas coach Mack Brown up to the interview podium on Sunday, as Ohio State held its team photo and interview day. Brown, now with ESPN, laughed and offered a no comment.

But in addition to all the stories we wrote, as you can see below, and the photos put out on social media by the Buckeyes, Brown sat down with Meyer for an ESPN video.

“@ESPNCFB: "This is my favorite time of year" --@OSUCoachMeyer w/@UT_MackBrown #BusBlitz http://t.co/anxEHOBx9s http://twitter.Fun interview

— Mack Brown (@UT_MackBrown) August 11, 2014

All that talking and photo taking meant the Buckeyes had Sunday off from football, but three of the next five days will include two practices. 

"This next week is real," Meyer said Sunday. "It's 2-1-2-1-2. I can't add those up, but that's a lot of practices in the next five, six days, and that's when the home sickness sets in, and you start feeling real sorry for each other, and you start
finding out what kind of team you have, and at the end of next week, I will know what kind of a team we have.

"Everything is pretty good, but this next week is when you have to stay healthy, you gotta be smart as a coaching staff, but you also need to see how they fight when it gets tough. This will be the toughest week that they have all year."

Our coverage from Sunday:

• Five things to know from Urban Meyer's news conference Sunday

• Ohio State QB Braxton Miller missed Buckeyes' first fall scrimmage Saturday, if he misses the next one it's a problem

• Curtis Samuel, the Ohio State freshman RB Urban Meyer knows he might like too much

• Samuel and Raekwon McMillan first freshmen to have their black stripes removed

• Livingston: Ohio State's Dontre Wilson is stronger and in a hurry to meet expectations

• Does anything worry you about the Buckeyes? 

Now, on to all those pictures from Sunday:

Amazing Wife, Amazing Job & 21 Kids that I call my own - #Blessed #MeantheWorldtoMe pic.twitter.com/Rw3DGmrLAO

— Zach Smith (@CoachZachSmith) August 10, 2014

Picture Day with the DBs pic.twitter.com/0zxyAAahpz

— Chris Ash (@CoachChrisAsh) August 10, 2014

Check out this post for all the high school football preview content published to date, with more links added every day this week.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – High school football games are three weeks away but cleveland.com is your source all month for loads of content previewing the 2014 season.

Conference-by-conference outlooks and team-by-team previews for 134 area squads will be posted throughout the next three weeks, including lots of videos and pictures.

Look for a compilation post like this every week for one place to see all the previews. This post will be updated daily this week. Then look for a fresh compilation post each of the next two weeks, again updated daily.

As you get ready for scrimmages to start Tuesday, here are some preview posts that have gone live thus far.

Check back every day this week for links to many more conference and team previews.

Conference previews with predicted finish and players to watch (slideshows, videos and polls)

Chagrin Valley Conference Chagrin Division: Tough favorite to pick between Kenston, Aurora, Chagrin Falls 

North Coast League Blue Division: Benedictine loaded with returnees

Northeast Ohio Conference Valley Division: Hudson and Mentor to battle for top spot

Team previews (many include slideshow, video and/or poll)

Mentor, including keys to Cardinals winning state title

Walsh Jesuit, including keys to Warriors making playoffs

Nordonia, including keys to Knights winning state title

Firelands, including keys to Falcons having winning season

Players of the Week begin this week with golf and tennis.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- We are happy to announce the return of Players of the Week for the 2014-15 school year. The nomination deadline is Monday at noon so coaches need to act quick if they still have a ballot to submit.

We will have Players of the Week for every week in the regular season for all sports. It starts this week with boys and girls golf and girls tennis, which are the sports that began last week.

Here’s information on the nomination process for all sports: Nominations are only accepted it they are submitted by coaches. Coaches can nominate an athlete anytime between the end of all that week’s games and Monday at noon.

Go online to cleveland.com/potw to access the nomination form. Fill in all the blanks, especially the part on what the athlete did last week. The deadline is Monday at noon.

Look for the Players of the Week feature every Thursday on cleveland.com and every Friday in The Plain Dealer.

Latest racing incident with NASCAR's Tony Stewart has a tragic end, but death aside, it is not uncommon in the world of auto racing.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Tragic is the only word to describe the death of Kevin Ward, Jr. with NASCAR/Dirt Track driver Tony Stewart playing a key part of his demise.

Stewart, who has a reputation in open wheel, NASCAR and dirt tracks as an aggressive driver with an almost surly attitude, has his ream of detractors.

But unless evidence still being accumulated points to some level of criminal intent  down the road, Ward and Stewart should be judged the same as any other driver in the heat of battle during a race.

Ward was wrong for both leaving his car and approaching Stewart on a live race track. Stewart's level of error is still to be determined. Dressed in black on a dimly lit track, Ward could have been hit by anyone.

Yet only death makes this incident different from others over the years under similar circumstances in just about every racing discipline. It's called "the Red Mist" when drivers let emotions and adrenaline take precedence over common sense.

NASCAR followers point to a fist-swinging fight between Donnie Allison and Cale Yarborough -- caused by a last-lap contact in the 1979 Daytona 500 -- as key to the stock car ranks rising above a regional sport to a national one.

A decade later, 1989, one of the most indelible moments in Indianapolis 500 history is the last-lap contact between Emerson Fittipaldi and Al Unser Jr., which sent young Unser crashing into the wall. There are still arguments to this day whether Unser really gave Fittipaldi a 'thumbs up' when he passed the crash scene one lap later, or another one-finger salute.

NASCAR aside, just about every form of racing is predicated on speed, not contact, with penalties levied for physical aggression. Look for Stewart, at the least, to hear from dirt track officials about his driving. This is the second straight year he has been involved in a serious dirt track mishap at the same Canandaigua Motorsports Park race track.

The last one, in July 2013, led to then 19-year-old female driver Alysha Ruggles getting caught up in a 15-car mishap, and suffering a compression fracture in her back. Racing luck, perhaps. Just as some drivers seem to win more often than not, others seem to always crash.

Stewart seems to do both. Time will tell if he crossed the line this time, or continues to drive a fine one.

Get updates from Berea as the Browns continue training camp.

BEREA, Ohio -- The Browns are back on the practice field on Monday morning in Berea following their preseason loss in Detroit on Saturday night. Practice runs from 9:30 a.m. to 12:10 p.m. with Mike Pettine and player availability after.

cleveland.com has training camp covered. See Tweets from Mary Kay Cabot, Tom Reed and others in the box below. Scroll down to the comments where Dan Labbe will be updating you with the latest from practice.

Make sure to check cleveland.com/browns all day for the latest training camp news.

More Browns stories

Return to Browns section

The Indians climbed to .500 for the 17th time Sunday with a 4-1 win over the Yankees. Leadoff man Jason Kipnis says an injection of small ball might get them off the expressway of mediocrity.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Maybe, just maybe, the Indians have found a way to get off the .500 freeway.

The days and games are running out, but in Sunday's 4-1 victory over the Yankees they may have finally found an exit ramp to bigger and better things.

"This is the first game, if you kind of start stepping away and look at it, where we played like we won games last year," said second baseman Jason Kipnis. "Guy get on, we bunt him over.

"Down the stretch last year we started playing small ball and we might be getting back to that here soon with the kind of players we've got."

Sunday's victory gave the Indians a .500 record for the 17^th time this year. The expressway to mediocrity is no place to be at this time of year so it it's small ball to the rescue so be it.

Small ball starts with the leadoff hitter. Kipnis has been hitting at the top of the order since Michael Bourn went on the disabled list on July 6. He's had good days and bad. Sunday he was good.

Kipnis had three hits and came around to score each time with efficient work from the rest of the lineup. Jose Ramirez and Michael Brantley were especially effective in escorting Kipnis around the bases.

He opened the game with a single and Ramirez pushed him to second on a ground out to second. Kipnis took third on a wild pitch by Hideki Kuroda and scored on Brantley's single.

In the third, Kipnis hit a leadoff double, Ramirez bunted him to third and Brantley hit a sacrifice fly for a 2-0 lead.

In the seventh, a few more people were involved following a slow-motion, leadoff single through the left side of the infield by Kipnis. It included another sacrifice bunt by Ramirez, a stolen base by Kipnis, a walk to Brantley and a two-out RBI single by Yan Gomes.

"Kipnis, especially when he's leading off, makes us go," said manager Terry Francona. "He can steal a base. He can go first to third; he can hit a ball in the gap. When he's swinging like he is, and grinding out at-bats, we're a much better team."

This has not been an easy year for Kipnis. He strained his right oblique muscle at the end of April – tearing the muscle off the rib cage – and has struggled to find his swing since. He's hitting .239 (32-for-134) with 21 runs in 32 games in the leadoff spot.

Lately, however, Kipnis is hitting better. He hit .429 (9-for-21) on this five-game trip through Cincinnati and New York.

"The swing is coming around better," he said. "I'm not going to be shooting the ball out of the park too many times, but at least I can get good swings on the ball and that's my job in the leadoff spot right now – get on base, runs the bases and scores runs and today was a good day us."

The Indians need a lot more of them and they need them in a hurry.

Zach Walters, a big Derek Jeter fan, pushed one of his jersey before making his Indians debut on Sunday at Yankee Stadium.

CLEVELAND, Ohio –- Zach Walters was recalled and started his first game Sunday for the Indians at Yankee Stadium, but not before doing some shopping.

Walters, acquired from Washington on July 31 for Asdrubal Cabrera, joined the Indians late Saturday night from Class AAA Columbus when it was apparent that that outfielders David Murphy and Nick Swisher would have to go on the disabled list. He arrived at Yankee Stadium early Sunday and asked around where he might purchase a Derek Jeter jersey.

He was told there was a nearby sporting goods store that sold the official jersey of the retiring Yankee shortstop.

"The guy told me it was nine blocks away," said Walters. "But a New York City block is gigantic."

Walters, however, found what he was looking for. After the Indians' 4-1 victory, the autographed Jeter jersey was hanging in his locker.

"I might wear it under my shirt back to Cleveland," said Walters, who called Jeter his idol growing up.

He would not say how much it cost.

Walters started in left field and went 0-for-3 with a walk. When reporters approached him after the game he said, "Why do you want to talk to me? I didn't do anything. I guess I can stick around a little longer because we won."

The 6-2, 210-pound switch-hitter has more playing time in the infield than the outfield, but that mattered little to him.

"I picked some good daisies out there in left field," Walters said with a smile. "As long as I get to hit, I don't care where I play."

Walters was not surprised that the Nationals traded him.

"I kind of suspected it based on some of the things I'd heard," he said. "It feels like the Indians are happy to have me. Everyone has been great, the staff, front office, players. It's kind of comfortable."

Arizona drafted Walters in the ninth round in 2010. They traded him to Washington for Jason Marquis on July 30 2012.

Fatigue factor: Josh Tomlin, who lost his spot in the rotation to Carlos Carrasco, could be struggling with a tired arm after missing most of last season following Tommy John surgery on his right elbow.

"I didn't think it would be, but right now when I make in-game adjustments, it's taking me little longer to do it," said Tomlin. "I think fatigue could be a factor."

Tomlin has made one relief appearance since moving to the pen.

Quick turnaround: After Friday's night game at Yankee Stadium, manager Terry Francona slept on the couch in his office rather than go back to the team hotel in Manhattan and return early Saturday for a 1:05 p.m. start.

"I had, had it," said Francona. "That couch was pretty darn comfortable. The clubhouse guys said they were banging around (beer) kegs out on the concourse, but I didn't hear it. I was out cold.

"The problem was I woke up and I didn't know where I was."

Francona has spent at least one night on the pullout couch in his office at Progressive Field this season as well.

He said he started sleeping at the office while managing the Phillies from 1997 through 2000.

"I lived pretty far away from the ballpark in Philadelphia," said Francona. "And on those night game-day games I'd say why go home? The clubbie there had a blow up mattress and he'd blow it up for me and give me a blanket. I'd tell him to come get me in the morning.

"He'd come in and it would never fail because the mattress had a hole in it. I'd be laying on the floor with a white sheet wrapped around me . . .the glamour of the big leagues."

Fresh legs: Center fielder Michael Brantley started all three games in New York at DH to give his legs a rest after he hit the wall in center field earlier in the week against the Reds at Great American Ballpark.

Francona said, "We're definitely a better team with him in the outfield, but if that's what it takes to get him over the hump, I have no problem doing it."

Brantley went 5-for-10 with a homer, four RBI, three runs and three walks against the Yankees.

"I'd just describe it as general soreness," said Francona. "He's played a lot of baseball. It seems like he's on base two or three times a game, stealing and going first to third. He runs everything down in center field."

Brantley ended the season series against the Yankees hitting .464 (13-for-28) with nine RBI, six runs, four walks and five extra base hits.

Finally: It's been a tough few days for the old guard of the Indians' bullpen. Vinnie Pestano was traded to the Angels on Thursday and Frank Herrmann was released on Sunday. Pestano and Herrmann were at Class AAA Columbus when the moves were made . . .On Sunday, Carlos Santana drew his 400^th walk. He's just the 22^nd player in history to draw that many walks within the first fives seasons of his career . . .Class A Lake County infielder Ivan Castillo was named Midwest League player of the week. Castillo, 19, hit .464 with four doubles, two homers, five RBI and seven runs.

Cimoroni rebuilt the Bison wrestling program in the late 1980s.

BEACHWOOD, Ohio - Former coach Pete Cimoroni will return to lead the Beachwood wrestling program this season. Cimoroni's hiring was approved Monday by the school board.

Cimoroni replaces Dugan Bentley, who resigned after seven seasons to become coach at Lancaster.

Much like when he took the job in 1987, Cimoroni will be tasked with growing the Bison wrestling program. Graduation losses - including two-time state champions Ryan Harris and Sam Gross - have left the team with low numbers and limited experience.

In 1987, Cimoroni took over a program with one wrestler.

"What he did in one year was absolutely remarkable,” Beachwood athletic director Ryan Peters said in a statement released by the school. “He got about 23-25 kids out for the team. They weren’t very talented kids but they were excited and there was a buzz around the schools and the community about Beachwood wrestling.”

Cimoroni, the CEO and president of an advertising firm and co-founder of the Wrestlers in Business Network, plans to utilize the same tactics in 2014-2015 that restored the Beachwood program back in the late 1980s.

"We’ll start making calls to alumni and we’ll start making calls to parents and children and reach out,” Cimoroni said. “As soon as school starts we’ll reach out to the kids right there in the school system. It is critical for our future success that we rebuild our youth program and improve our middle school program.”

Prior to becoming head coach in 1987, Cimoroni served as an assistant under Domenick Iammarino. He wrestled at Dayton before earning his Master's Degree at John Carroll.

“Pete understands the task in front of him and he has a clear vision on how to execute the plan,” said Peters. “He is one of the most positive people that you could meet. Pete will make the sport fun and rewarding while helping each wrestler meet his potential. I am very confident Pete will put together a fantastic staff which will help lead our wrestlers to the highest levels of success.”

Follow our new high school sports Twitter account @NEOvarsity and tag your high school sports Tweets and score updates with the #NEOVarsity hashtag.

Contact high school sports reporter Scott Patsko by email(spatsko@cleveland.com) or Twitter(@ScottPatsko). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

Ma'lik Richmond, now 18, has returned to the roster as a wide receiver for the Big Red football team, according to news reports.

A Steubenville teen convicted of raping a 16-year-old girl at a party in August 2012 has rejoined the high school football team after being released from juvenile detention earlier this year, according to reports.

WTRF Channel 7 says Ma'lik Richmond, now 18, has returned to the roster as a wide receiver for the Big Red football team. Richmond and former football teammate Trent Mays were found delinquent of rape in March 2013 after they were accused of sexually assaulting a West Virginia girl who had passed out after a night of drinking.

Richmond must still register as a Tier 2 sex offender every 180 days for the next 20 years.

Mays, 17 at the time of his conviction, remains in detention. He also was found guilty of taking and sending nude photos of the victim.

Richmond's return to the team again has brought attention to Steubenville, a small town on the Ohio River in southeast Ohio noted for its high-school football obsession. The trial gained worldwide attention thanks to "hacktivists" on social media.

Steubenville put a rapist back on the football team. They also put a list of all their games online. Expect us. http://t.co/EVVtCfg6DZ

— Anonymous (@YourAnonNews) August 11, 2014

Steubenville football is a joke. They should be absolutely ashamed.

— Cleveland SC (@SC_Cleveland) August 11, 2014

One blogger who brought attention to the case, Alexandra Goddard, said she is disappointed by the news, according to reports.

"I wanted to be shocked, but I think we all knew it was bound to happen," Goddard said in an email to BuzzFeed. "Steubenville City Schools hasn't really done a lot in the past two years to prove to the world that they don't tolerate rape culture and allowing a Tier II registered sex offender on the team pretty much solidifies the assumption that they are concerned about wins rather than the safety of young girls or the destruction of rape culture in their area."

Not everyone is outraged. Amanda Hess of Slate.com says Richmond served his time in juvenile detention and continued efforts to shame him are wrong. 

"Steubenville has rightly become a national flashpoint for discussing the American justice system's insufficient response to our country's rape crisis. And there's a lot about the town's own response to the crime — and its high school football culture — that requires further investigation," Hess writes. "But that doesn't mean that everything that happens in Steubenville is backward, or that Richmond should be turned into a mascot for rape culture. In Richmond's case, justice was served. ... And eventually, we need to let the offenders go on with their lives, go to school, and yes, even play football." 

Brian Hoyer will try to win over the other half of the locker if what Donte Whitner says is true, that the locker room is split 50-50 on Manziel and Hoyer.

BEREA, Ohio -- If what Donte Whitner says is true, that the Browns locker room is split 50-50 on Johnny Manziel and Brian Hoyer, then Hoyer will keep trying to win over the other half.

"I'm not really concerned about that because for me, I'm always going out there trying to prove to those guys that I am the guy, so I've just to continue to improve and play better,'' said Hoyer, who's still No. 1 on the depth chart. "Those decisions are over my head, but in the same respect, you always want to go out and earn your teammates' respect and I did a little bit of that last year and now I'm just trying to build that back up this year.''

Whitner told Monday Morning Quarterback's Peter King on Saturday night that the competition has "been fierce. Two guys fighting for their lives. It's close. I'd say (the locker room) is split about 50-50. We know they both can play."

None of the players interviewed on Monday had actually been polled by Whitner on the topic, but several agreed they're backing both quarterbacks.

"At this point, (50-50 is accurate),'' said safety Tashaun Gipson. "Both of the guys bring their own elements to the game. Johnny Manziel, he can do a lot of things with his feet versus the things that Hoyer can bring. They're both good quarterbacks, and I feel like we can win football games with either quarterback. As far as the quarterback race, man, I cannot tell ya'll. I thought both of them played pretty good Saturday."

Tight end Jordan Cameron was quick to point out that supporting both quarterbacks is a positive, not a sign of a splintered locker room.

"Divided might not be the right word,'' Cameron said. "That has a negative connotation to me. It's not a negative thing.

"The competition makes you better. Everyone knows that and I think these guys are so dang competitive and they're both pushing each other to be the best they can be. We get enough reps with both of them to get the chemistry down and have a relationship so I think it'll be fine."

If there is any split on the QBs, it's been lost on Manziel.

"I don't feel any rift  or anything going on in the locker room,'' he said. "As far as my end, I think they see two guys coming out, playing football and competing, as well as everybody else out on the field competing.

"Quarterback is obviously just a position that gets a lot of flash and gets a lot of attention, but at the same time there are guys battling all around. So I don't really know if there's an exact split like that, it's not something I'm really aware of right now. I know two guys are going out and competing, trying to move the ball down the field for this offense, though.''

Whitner told King that Manziel has been very quiet and respectful.

"He's earning his keep so far,'' said Whitner. "He's not asking for any privileges. He's just a rookie, and he's acting like one. When we have the rookie show, he'll sing just like the rest of them. As far as football goes, I'm seeing him put the ball on the money like a veteran. Sometimes the receiver drops it. Sometimes the receiver isn't even looking for the ball and it bounces off him. He's got the confidence a quarterback has to have."

Running back Ben Tate is still in show-me-the-money mode on the No. 22 overall pick.

"He did kind of what Johnny is going to do [against the Lions]," Tate told ESPN Cleveland's 'The Really Big Show' on Monday. "He made some plays with his legs, but also he had some rookie mistakes. When he starts cutting down on mistakes, then we'll see what he's about."

Cornerback Buster Skrine, who picked off Hoyer in practice Monday on a deep ball intended for Charles Johnson, complimented both quarterbacks and called it even, but noted that Manziel can wear down a defense quickly.

"No corners like running quarterbacks because it makes you tired on the back end,'' he said. "So whenever you're just chasing a receiver around the field it takes a toll on you and that's one thing he can do, he has legs and can create more opportunities when he starts running around. So no corner or safety, nobody on defense likes that at all."

Hoyer, who won over the entire locker room last year by going 3-0 in his three starts and injecting life into the team, knows exactly what he needs to do.

"(Whitner's) going against us every day and he can form whatever opinions he likes,'' said Hoyer. "(But) all I'm concerned about is being the best quarterback I can be and earning those guys' respect, and the way you do that is going out on the field in a game and executing.''

Three-star defensive back Carlton Davis of Miami (Fla.) Norland committed to Ohio State on Monday evening.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State picked a verbal commitment from three-star safety Carlton Davis of Miami (Fla.) Norland on Monday evening, according to Scout.com's Corey Bender. 

#OhioState has picked up a commitment from 6-foot-2 Miami (Fla.) Norland defensive back, Carlton Davis. @AllenTrieu @DMBerk @Carlton_Lowkey

— Corey Bender (@Corey_Bender) August 12, 2014

Davis hasn't yet been rated by Rivals.com, but he's clearly a coveted prospect considering his offer list. Before committing to the Buckeyes, Davis picked up offers from Alabama, Arkansas, Clemson, Georgia, Louisville, LSU, Miami (Fla.), South Carolina and others. 

Davis is commitment No. 15 for Ohio State, but it has met some scrutiny because the 6-foot-2, 178-pound prospect made an interesting statement shortly after pledging to the Buckeyes, telling SouthFloridaHighSchoolSports.com: "I'm committed to Ohio State, but my recruiting is still open."

.@Carlton_Lowkey: "I'm committed to Ohio State, but my recruiting is still open."

— SFHSSports (@SFHSSports) August 12, 2014

So Ohio State may still have some work to do to land Davis, but for now, he serves as the replacement for Ben Edwards in the Buckeyes' 2015 class.

Edwards, another defensive back from Florida, was once committed to Ohio State, but he broke that pledge and flipped to Auburn in April. 

However, Ohio State could still be trying to land Edwards again after the 6-foot, 196-pounder decommitted from Auburn in early August. 

Von Schamann, 23, made two starts last week, going 2-0 with a 2.57 ERA and five strikeouts.

The Class AA Eastern League named Akron starter Duke von Schamann Pitcher of the Week after he led the RubberDucks to two victories last week.

View full sizeDuke von SchamannRubberDucks 

Von Schamann, 23, made two starts last week, going 2-0 with a 2.57 ERA and five strikeouts.

In his first start, von Schamann gave up two runs on seven hits, striking out four, in seven innings during a 3-2 win over the visiting New Britain Rock Cats. In his second start, he gave up only four hits and two runs over seven innings in Akron's 9-3 victory over the visiting New Hampshire Fisher Cats.

Von Schamann is 7-6 on the season with a 3.76 ERA.

The Indians acquired von Schamann in a trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers in April. He originally was drafted by the Dodgers in the 15th round of the 2012 draft out of Texas Tech.

Bryant has changed his circle of friends in hopes of closing a chapter on a troubled time.

BEREA, Ohio – LeBron James proved you can go home again. Armonty Bryant showed sometimes it's better to stay away.

After a decent rookie year, one filled with promise and free of off-field drama, the Browns defensive end remained in town much of the offseason rather than return to his native Texas. It wasn't a decision based on a love of cold weather or the opportunity to see the Cavaliers win their third NBA draft lottery in four years.  

Arrested twice over the past two years, Bryant realized it was time to find a new circle of friends and allow the old ones to drift from orbit.

"I just stayed up here where I'm focused and around this team," the Browns' 2013 seventh-round choice said.

"It was my thing. If I go home who knows what would happen? Last year, a guy went home and got kicked off the football team. I thought about that and it was like, 'I don't want to be that guy.'"

Bryant attracted a group of reporters Monday for creating the type of Saturday-night chaos the Browns endorse. The 6-foot-4, 265-pounder was a disruptive force in the Detroit Lions' backfield, registering two quarterback hits and supplying quality pressure in a 13-12 pre-season loss at Ford Field.

He possesses the highest ceiling of any Browns' defensive reserve not named Justin Gilbert and is easily the most astute draft pick of the short-lived Joe Banner-Michael Lombardi regime.

Browns coach Mike Pettine believes Bryant can evolve into a "special pass rusher," and likened him to former four-time Pro Bowler Trevor Pryce, who recorded 91 sacks in 14 seasons with Denver, Baltimore and the New York Jets.

View full sizeBrowns defensive end Armonty Bryant recorded two sacks during his rookie season.John Kuntz, The Plain Dealer 

That's high praise, but the former small-college standout admits he's just trying to "stay in my own lane." He's not talking about maintaining gap integrity, either.

Bryant wants to make good on a "third chance." You might recall the Browns selected him despite his 2012 arrest for selling marijuana to an undercover cop at East Central University in Ada, Okla. On draft night he told reporters, "I won't let anyone down." Six days later police arrested Bryant for drunk driving.

So let's not hail his reformation and make him a featured speaker at the 2015 NFL Rookie Symposium. Time will judge whether the steps he's taking are true ones.

His best response Monday came when asked if he had advised Browns receiver Josh Gordon -- facing a potential indefinite drug ban -- about the company he keeps.

"Not really," Bryant said. "You've got to find your own path and learn from your own mistakes like I did. I know there are guys talking to him."

In a June interview with the Beacon Journal, as veterans were being released for six weeks of downtime before training camp, the lineman spoke of the test that lie ahead. It's a period NFL coaches and executives fear because of the potential for off-field incidents. Bryant called it "crunch time," as he anticipated a trip home.

No news was good news.

Bryant is eager to improve on a rookie season that included two sacks and seven quarterback hurries in 189 snaps. He's part of a deep defensive line that includes Ahtyba Rubin, Phil Taylor, Desmond Bryant as well quality backups like John Hughes, Billy Winn and Ishmaa'ily Kitchen.

His angular frame and "explosive hands," Pettine said, make him a challenge for offensive linemen. He's looked quick and agile throughout camp.

"I feel like I'm ready to make a statement and go out and show my ability," Bryant added.

His college coach Tim McCarty, who acted as a surrogate father, said the pass rusher used to camp out in the coaches office studying film. Pettine describes him as a quiet kid who "you can tell really loves football."

Bryant understands how close he was to losing that privilege with the Browns a year ago. He spent time with the team psychologist and befriended edge rusher Barkevious Mingo.

"That's my boy," he said. "We go out all the time to eat and go to movies and hang out. On the field, we have a competition on who will get the sack first."

Structure and stability go a long way to helping at-risk players like Bryant make wise choices.

It's too early to say whether he's turned the corner on a troubled past. But the way he was zipping around Lions on Saturday night offers encouragement to everyone in the organization.    

Will Johnny Manziel take over the starting job? Will Tiger Woods ever win again? Inquiring Cleveland sports fans want to know that and more -- Bud Shaw's "You Said It."

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- "You Said It" is based on the premise that the only thing Cleveland sports fans need more than a championship is a sense of humor... 

YOU SAID IT

(The Expanded Midweek Edition)

Hey Bud: Have the "ManZealots" stopped raving yet about how fantastic Johnny looked taking a knee to end the half in Detroit? -- Pat

Only 85 percent of readers likened Johnny taking a knee to Lancelot's knighthood ceremony. So, yes, things are being kept in perspective.

Bud: With so many red shirts in his closet, do you think Tiger Woods should start wearing them on Fridays? – Jay Shulman

Based on how he's playing, I think he should start wearing them at Little Met.

Bud: Good to know the Tribe front office has figured out how to increase attendance by "adapting to the current sports landscape." I'm looking forward to networking over Sugardale sushi and, for my own demographic, heading to the Team Shop for Wahoo Depends – Frank Bruno, Westlake

Being a pretty quick read, I instantly detected the gratitude in your email.

Bud: I noticed this week "Shaw's Spin" got some reps on page B2 where I normally find "Terry Talking." Was this part of the plan all along or did your recent performance and semi ability to handle conjunctions and punctuation merit the reps? -- R. Fierst, Cuyahoga Falls

I'm probably not telling you anything you didn't already suspect but my sports department nickname, for obvious reasons, is Thigpen.

Hey Bud: Have you ever been forced to march in your underwear? – Len B, Chesterland

Forced? No. Never forced.

Dear Bud: LeBron coming home, Johnny Football making headlines, the RNC heading to Cleveland — why doth our cup runneth over so? – Bob, Middleburg Heights  

You forgot the chandelier.

Bud: I was wondering if Gene Smith gets a bonus every time a member of the OSU Marching Band scores – Rich Marshall, Middleburg Heights

First-time "You Said It" winners receive a T-shirt from the Mental Floss collection. 

Bud: Were you in charge of the palm leaves at LeBron's homecoming? – Jack Schmidt

Repeat winners receive hero worship.

Hawken inducts its first six members into the Hawken School Hall of Fame

GATES MILLS, OHIO -- Hawken recently unveiled its first class of inductees into the Hawken School Athletic Hall of Fame, with some of the school’s most legendary figures making up the initial grouping.

The six-member class of 2014 is Jerry Holtrey, Cliff Walton, O.J. McDuffie, Alyssa Kiel, Eric D. Hamilton and Melanie Valerio and will be officially introduced during an induction ceremony Oct. 11 at the Hawken School Sports Center.

“We’re extremely proud of our athletic tradition at Hawken, both in terms of competitive results and the type of folks we have with regards to character and leadership and those things,” said Hawken athletic director Jim Doyle.

Holtrey, the boys and girls swimming coach up until this season and namesake of Holtrey Natatorium, led Hawken to a combined 26 Ohio state swimming titles (24 girls, two boys) in his 45-year career and built one of the most well-known programs statewide.

Prior to Holtrey’s first season in 1969, Hawken swimming had yet to have a winning season.

“When you look at Jerry, the number of great swimmers and teams he produced for such a long time, it’s amazing,” Doyle said. “And he’s done it the right way. He gets to know his swimmers, cares about them. He’s always looked after each of his kids.”

Two of Holtrey’s former swimmers were named to the 2014 class. The first is Kiel, who graduated in 2005 and went on to become an Olympic trial qualifier and U.S. national champion. The second is Valerio, a graduate in 1987, who won an Olympic gold medal at the 1996 Games.

Walton, Hawken’s football coach and formerly its wrestling coach, is the lone member of the 2014 class still on staff.

Walton in 2010 became the 32nd coach in Ohio state history to reach the 200-win milestone. He’s also the namesake of Walton Stadium. Hall of Fame inductions are normally reserved for those who have produced at the school and finished their careers. But Doyle said Hawken’s first class had to have Walton as a member.

“Cliff Walton has garnered an enormous amount of respect in the alumni community for his character, and not just for producing great football teams, but for helping the young men he’s charged to be better people,” Doyle said. “It didn’t seem like there could be any other way than to have him in the first group.”

Walton on Tuesday said he was extremely privileged to get to coach at Hawken for so many years, and that he was honored to receive the selection committee’s recognition. But as the saying goes for Hawken football, “You always have to be careful with how you handle perfume.”

“I’m always very guarded with perfume,” Walton said when asked about this upcoming season and what it meant to be inducted while still on staff. “It’s a reference we have on the football team. It’s really nice, it has a nice fragrance to it, but if you drink it you get sick. It’s more for the players and coaches. But I’ve been very lucky to work with the kids and they have responded well and we’ve had fun.”

McDuffie was a star athlete at Hawken, playing football, baseball, basketball and running track before going on to play football at Penn State and then in the NFL for the Miami Dolphins.

McDuffie holds seven Hawken baseball records, two in track, several in football and has had his No. 32 retired by the football team. He also holds an unofficial state record for the longest interception return for a touchdown at 108 yards.

“Most folks know what he did in high school. Even though he went on to do great things at Penn State and with the Miami Dolphins, his story as a Hawken athlete is something else and something to be proud of,” Doyle said.

The final member of the 2014 class is Hamilton, a former track, basketball and football star who won two state titles in track and like McDuffie, went on to play college football at Penn State.

Follow our new high school sports Twitter account (@NEOvarsity) and tag your high school sports tweets and score updates with the #NEOvarsity hashtag.

Contact high school sports reporter Ryan Lewis by email (rlewis@cleveland.com) or Twitter (@RyanLewisWrites). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

See stories and links on the Browns and the NFL.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- You haven't really made it until you're the subject of an article in The Onion. The satirical newspaper targeted the Cleveland Browns and Johnny Manziel in a recent post.

"In what many claim is further evidence pointing to the NFL's growing problem with its locker-room culture, sources confirmed Monday that former Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel was forced to wear a Cleveland Browns jersey as part of a particularly cruel form of rookie hazing."

The website fabricated the following team statement as part of the story:

"'The recent incident, in which a rookie was subjected to an extreme form of public humiliation, is unacceptable and goes against the values we stand for as an organization.'"

This isn't the first time the Browns have graced the site. The struggles of the team have been an easy target for The Onion in the past.

(The Onion: Johnny Manziel Forced To Wear Cleveland Browns Jersey In Cruel Rookie Hazing Incident)

More Browns links

Browns QB battle: Manziel making strides, gaining on Hoyer (FoxSportsOhio)

Whitner: Browns players split on Hoyer vs. Manziel (NFL.com)

Johnny Manziel's next game could decide Browns' QB race (USA Today)

Kruger questions our dedication: Training camp news and notes (WaitingForNextYear)

More NFL news

NFL Preseason Player Stock Watch Heading into Week 2 (Bleacher Report)