Check out reaction from players and fans after Thursday's opening games from Week 1 of the 2014 high school football season in Northeast Ohio.

Carlos Carrasco pitched 6 2/3 innings for the victory and Cody Allen earned a four-out save as the Indians beat the White Sox on Thursday night.

CHICAGO, Ill. – Before Thursday night's game, manager Terry Francona talked about pitchers being in the attack mode from their first pitch of the game.

He used Carlos Carrasco as an example, saying. "Carrasco has been doing that for four months to be honest with you."

Carrasco did it again Thursday night, hitting 99 mph against Adam Eaton, the first batter he faced, on the way to pitching the Indians to a 3-2 victory over the White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field.

In four starts since being taken out of the pen to replace Josh Tomlin in the rotation, Carrasco is 3-0 with a 0.73 ERA. Overall he's 6-4 with a 3.01 ERA.

Cody Allen worked the last 1 1/3 innings for his 18th save. Allen struck out the last four batters he faced after giving up a single in the eighth.

The Indians have won 11 of their last 16 games. The streak includes four straight series victories.

Chicago left John Danks (9-9, 4.88) took the loss.

What it means

Michael Bourn, 3-for-5 Thursday, seems to be coming around following his second stay on the disabled list with a troublesome left hamstring.

He flashed his speed with a diving catch in center field Tuesday in the first game of this series. He showed it again Thursday with two triples and a a well-timed dash home on Jose Ramirez's ground out for a 1-0 lead in the first.

The Indians started four rookies Thursday. With David Murphy still on the disabled list, Asdrubal Cabrera traded and Nick Swisher out for the season following double knee surgery, the Indians need a veteran who can perform on the field to lead the way in September. Bourn could be the guy.

Carrasco's night

Carrasco's return to the rotation continued to hum along. He allowed one run on four hits in 6 2/3 innings.

In his four starts since coming out of the pen, Carrasco has allowed two runs in 24 2/3 innings. In those four starts the opposition is hitting .131 (11-for-84) against him.

Thursday night Carrasco struck out seven and walked one. He threw 103 pitches, the most he's thrown this season including his four April starts, and 71 percent of them (73-for-103) were strikes.

Fast start

Bourn opened the game with a triple into the left field corner. The he caught the White Sox napping when Jose Ramirez sent a grounder to shortstop Alexei Ramirez. Bourn, with a good lead off the bag, waited until Ramirez released the ball and then sprinted home.

He dove across the plate well ahead of Jose Abreu's throw from first for a 1-0 lead.

Bourn added a second triple in the ninth to give him the American League lead with nine. 

Fast start II

Jose Ramirez opened the sixth with a single to center. He stole second and took third on Michael Brantley's grounder to short. After Carlos Santana lined out to Danks, Jason Kipnis delivered Ramirez with a single to left for just his fourth RBI in August. It was Kipnis' 40^th RBI overall.

Mike Aviles drove Kipnis to third where he took a foot to the nose from third baseman Connor Gillaspie, who fell on top of him. Kipnis stayed on his knees for a couple of minutes, but stayed in the game.

Roll on big O

The Indians continued to add to their lead with the attack of a thousand singles.

They made it 3-1 in the seventh as rookie catcher Roberto Perez singled with one out and took second on Bourn's single to right. Jose Ramirez forced Bourn at second with a grounder, but Perez made it to third.

Brantley delivered him with a single to left. It gave Brantley a team-high 83 RBI, 10 that his previous career high of last year.

Robbed

The boom-or-bust bat of rookie Zach Walters almost went boom again in the second inning.

Walters sent a long drive to left center field that Alejandro De Aza brought back into the park with a leaping catch above the yellow line on top of the fence. De Aza almost collided with center fielder Adam Eaton, but he jumped out of trouble to deny Walters his seventh homer as an Indian and 10^th overall.

He came into the game averaging one homer for ever 10 at-bats.

Oh, those errors

The White Sox made it 3-2 in the eighth. Bryan Shaw had two outs and a runner on first when Mike Aviles couldn't handle Abreu's bouncer to third. He was charged with an error and Allen relieved to face Adam Dunn.

Dunn blooped a single into right field to make it 3-2, but Allen slammed the door by striking out the next four White Sox.

Abreu, who beat the Indians on Wednesday with a game-winning single, drove in Chicago's first run with a single in the third.

What's next?

The Indians open a critical three-game series against Kansas City at Kauffman Stadium on Friday night. Danny Salazar (4-6, 4.52) will face KC's Jason Vargas (10-6, 3.17) at 8:10 p.m. SportsTime Ohio, WTAM and WMMS will crry the game.

The Royals went into Thursday's game with a 6 ½ game lead over the third-place Indians in the AL Central. Salazar is 1-1 with a 4.85 ERA in two starts against the Royals in his career.

Yan Gomes has a clear mind after his head cleared a series of tests.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Yan Gomes has a clear mind after his head cleared a series of tests.

The Tribe catcher returned to the lineup on Friday after missing a week because of a mild concussion. He was examined one final time on Thursday evening. That test was sent to the league offices. He passed every protocol.

"He's good to go," said manager Terry Francona.

Gomes exited a game at Target Field in Minnesota on Aug. 21 after being struck in the face mask by a wayward baseball. He immediately felt dizzy and started dry-heaving. He landed on the league's seven-day concussion disabled list two days later.

"It's a pretty serious injury," Gomes said Friday. "You just have to go through it. I felt better after four days, but I still had a couple of days left. It's better to be safe than sorry."

Gomes started at catcher and batted sixth on Friday. That provided Robert Perez, who filled in while Gomes was sidelined, with a breather. Perez tallied five hits during Cleveland's series in Chicago at the start of the week. He is batting .278 in 54 big league at-bats and his defense has impressed the Indians.

"He did a hell of a job," Francona said. "Sometimes when things happen, rather than feel sorry for yourself, it gives somebody else a chance to shine. He got a chance to play for a week and he showed he's a pretty good player."

To clear a roster spot for Gomes, the Indians placed Chris Gimenez on the paternity list. Major league rosters expand to 40 players on Monday.

On the mend: Francona said Jason Giambi and Ryan Raburn remain on target for returns to the big league roster next week. Raburn collected three hits and three RBIs in Thursday's contest with Double-A Akron. Giambi added a double and an RBI. David Murphy, shelved with a strained oblique, has progressed to hitting in the cages.

Check out high school box scores and highlights for golf, soccer, tennis and volleyball matches for Aug. 29, 2014.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Check out high school box scores and highlights for golf, soccer, tennis and volleyball for Aug. 29, 2014.

BOYS GOLF

Holy Name 163, Cornerstone Christian Academy 163.

At Washington Park

Top individuals: 1. Manfroni (CCA) 36; 2. Belich (CCA) 38; 3. Sico (HN) 39.

Notable: Holy Name won a fifth-score tiebreaker 42-59.

Western Reserve Academy 152, Lake Center Christian 174, Canton Central Christian 182

At Sable Creek

Top individuals: 1. Schumacher (WRA) 35; 2. Pamer (WRA) 38; 3. Wang (WRA) 39.

 VOLLEYBALL

John Marshall d. John Hay 25-18, 25-21, 14-25, 21-25, 15-9.

Martin Luther King Jr. d. Whitney Young 25-7, 25-10, 25-15.

Notable: For Martin Luther King, Annissa Wright had 4 blocks, 3 kills and 5 aces.

LATE BOX SCORES

BOYS GOLF

Kenston 163, Perry 169

At Punderson

Top individuals: 1. C. Bagdonas (P) 36; 2. Boutton (K) 39; 3. B. Bagdonas (P) 40.

Riverside 158, Chardon 184

At Painesville

Top individuals: T1. Irish (R) 39; T1. Tagg (R) 39; 3. Jeddy (R) 40.

Solon 169, Mentor 170

At Solon

Top individuals: 1. Mandry (S) 37; T2. Breetz (S) 39; T2. Jurcago (M) 39; T2. Hurst (M) 39.

Villa Angela-St. Joseph 193, Trinity 203

At Shawnee Hills

Top individuals: 1. LeSueur (T) 39; 2. Keyse (VASJ) 42; 3. Grudzinski (VASJ) 44.

GIRLS GOLF

North Royalton 196, Cloverleaf 200

At Westfield

Top individuals: 1. Grospitch (NR) 40; 2. O'Toole (NR) 46; 3. Horstman © 47.

BOYS SOCCER

Saint Vincent Saint Mary 3, Lake Catholic 0

SVSM (1-2): Kanakkanatt 3. LC (3-2): none.

Goalies: SVSM, Walters (5 saves); LC, N/A.

Willoughby South 5, Brush 4

WS (1-3): L. Kenney, Kraft, Spasuik, Silvaroli, C. Kenney. B (2-3): Bolinger 3, Gordon.

Goalies: WS, Barcza (7 saves); B, McLoughlin (7).

TENNIS

Chagrin 3, Avon 2

Singles: Lopez (A) d. Mahoney © 6-1, 6-0; Wagner © d. Lorincz (A) 6-2, 7-6; O'Neil © d. Hejnal (A) 6-1, 6-2.

Doubles: Rini/Nakon (A) d. Mazzola/Dowling © 6-1, 6-1; Doman/Guggenheim © d. Shusta/Curtan (A) 6-2, 6-4.

Gilmour 4, Magnificat 1

Singles: Althans (G) d. Price (M) 6-0, 6-0; Longo (G) d. Reaser (M) 6-0, 6-0; Schultz (G) d. Kunkle (M) 1-6, 6-4, 6-3.

Doubles: Doe/Lawrence (G) d. Faticia/Minotti (M) 6-4, 6-4; Knock/Monroe (M) d. Levy/Evans (G) 7-5, 4-6, 7-6.

VOLLEYBALL

Chagrin d. Cardinal 25-18, 16-25, 25-14, 17-25, 18-16.

Cuyahoga Falls d. Akron Garfield 25-12, 25-16, 25-11.

Norton d. Coventry 16-25, 25-23, 28-26, 25-23.

Corrected box score: Olmsted Falls d. Westlake 25-16, 25-8, 25-17.

Check back with cleveland.com for a more in-depth recap of the game.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Glenville came away empty twice on fourth-and-goal Friday and Cathedral Prep (Pa.) shut the door with an 8:17 scoring drive in the fourth quarter, leaving the Tarblooders with a season-opening 21-6 defeat.

Check back around 10:45 p.m. for another story with more information from the game, including key plays that shaped the game, top individual performers, and more. 

Cathedral Prep led 14-6 at halftime on the strength of two second-quarter touchdowns. The first was set up by a Tarblooder fumble. The next came after the Tarblooders turned the ball over on downs at the Ramblers 7-yard line.

That kickstarted a 93-yard scoring drive by the Ramblers, capped off when William Norfolk found Stevie Crockett for a 29-yard pass.

The Tarblooders scored first when quarterback Marcus Drish scrambled on fourth-and-four for a 25-yard touchdown run to cap the opening drive of the game 

The Ramblers have a long tradition of success in Pennsylvania. The equivalent size of a Division II team in Ohio, they won the 2012 state title and have claimed seven regional titles since 2006. The team went 10-0 in the 2013 regular season, including a 43-20 win over Lake Catholic.

What’s next

No. 7 Glenville at No. 1 St. Edward, Sept. 6, 7 p.m.

Cathedral Prep (Pa.) at Strong Vincent (Pa.), Friday, 7 p.m.

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

Mistakes and lack of execution near the goal line doomed the Tarblooders.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Glenville came away empty twice on fourth-and-goal Friday and Cathedral Prep (Pa.) shut the door with an 8:17 scoring drive in the fourth quarter, leaving the Tarblooders with a season-opening 21-6 defeat. 

Check out more from the game below, including key plays that shaped the game, top individual performers, and more.

The Tarblooders also turned the ball over three times. A second-quarter fumble led to a Ramblers touchdown, erasing the Tarblooders’ 6-0 lead.

Trailing 14-6 to start the fourth, the Tarblooders had fourth-and-goal at the Ramblers 2, but again couldn’t complete a scoring pass.

The Ramblers followed that by putting the game away with an 18-play, 98-yard drive. It ended with 2:03 to left in the game. The Ramblers converted four third downs on the drive, which featured just four plays longer than 10 yards.

What it means

The Tarblooders, No. 7 in the cleveland.com preseason Top 25, start the season 0-1 for the second straight season. Last year, they were able to overcome the opening loss and reach the Division II state final.

They will try to rebound with games against No. 1 St. Edward and No. 10 Cleveland Heights before entering the Senate Athletic League schedule.

6 plays that shaped the game

1. Tarblooders junior quarterback Marcus Drish turned a fourth-and-4 disaster into an electrifying 25-yard touchdown run to cap the opening drive of the game. Drish couldn’t find a receiver so he tucked in the ball, avoided rushers and found the end zone himself, giving the Tarblooders a 6-0 lead.

2. Senior running back Christopher Lavette’s second-quarter fumble was quickly turned into a 17-yard touchdown for Ramblers running back DeAngelo Malone.

3. On fourth-and-goal from the Ramblers 7, Drish was unable to connect with Milen Golden in the back of the end zone. It kickstarted a 93-yard scoring drive by the Ramblers, capped off when William Norfolk found Stevie Crockett for a 29-yard touchdown.

4. The Ramblers were in position to add to a 14-6 second-quarter lead, but a fumbled snap on second-and-goal lost 22 yards, leading to a failed 48-yard field goal attempt.

5. Tarblooders senior linebacker Duray Hall jumped an out pattern and returned an interception 63 yards in the third quarter.

6. Trailing 14-6 to start the fourth quarter, the Tarblooders had fourth-and-goal at the Ramblers 2, but a Marcus Drish pass to running back Shawn Thomas was broken up at the goal line.

“We had the right play call,” said Glenville coach Ted Ginn Sr. “We just didn’t execute.”

Who stood out for Glenville

Drish: Ginn said his quarterback “did OK for a young guy.” Drish was making his first varsity start for the Tarblooders, who have a new quarterback for the first time in three years because Quan Robinson Jr. graduated.

Drish had two interceptions, although one was bobbled by receiver Trevon Story and picked out of the air by the Ramblers. Drish showed his ability to improvise in the first quarter with his scrambling touchdown run.

Who stood out for Cathedral Prep

Malone: Just 5-foot-10 and 175 pounds, Malone was involved in some of the game’s biggest plays. His second-quarter touchdown run gave the Ramblers a lead they never lost. He also converted two third downs, and later scored on a 20-yard run, on the Ramblers’ final drive. 

Early in the third quarter he picked off Drish on a deep pass to the Ramblers 14.

Glenville sound bite 

Ginn: “(Cathedral Prep) wanted it more. They wanted to run the ball, were physical on the line and they were doing what they were taught to do.”

Other key stats

238 – Total offensive yards for Glenville.

100 – Yards Malone had on 15 carries.

What’s next 

No 7 Glenville at No. 1 St. Edward, Saturday, 7 p.m.

Cathedral Prep (Pa.) at Strong Vincent (Pa.), Friday. 7 p.m.

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.

Listen to the archive of our broadcast of Avon's 44-7 win over Avon Lake.

AVON LAKE, Ohio -- Avon opened their season with a 44-7 win over Avon Lake. The game was the featured game on cleveland.com's The Blitz.

Listen to the archive of the game broadcast below as Dan Labbe and Daryl Ruiter were in Avon Lake for the contest.

See how football teams in the cleveland.com Top 25 fared in Week 1.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Here is a look at how the high school football teams in the cleveland.com Top 25 fared in Week 1.

Check this post for updates of games involving Top 25 teams as results come in and you can also get live updates from other games around Northeast Ohio right here. 

You can also see the preseason Top 25 rankings and see the video of the live show explaining the poll. 

Where do you think the teams should be ranked when the new poll comes out Monday? Let us know in the comments section below.

1. St. Edward 

Idle. 

Next: Plays Gilman (Md.) on Sunday at Lakewood Stadium. 

2. Hudson 

Defeated Euclid, 40-6.

Next: At Uniontown Lake on Sept. 5. 

3. Mentor 

Defeated Youngstown Boardman, 48-14.

Next: Plays No. 4 St. Ignatius on Sept. 6 at Byers Field. 

4. St. Ignatius 

Idle.

Next: Plays Lawrence Central (Ind.) on Saturday.

5. Nordonia 

Defeated No. 17 Mayfield, 36-35 (OT).

Next: At Twinsburg on Sept. 5. 

6. Benedictine 

Defeated Normandy, 62-13, on Thursday.

Next: Plays Youngstown Ursuline on Sept. 5 at Bedford Bearcat Stadium. 

7. Glenville 

Lost to Cathedral Prep (Pa.), 14-6.

Next: Plays St. Edward on Sept. 6 at Lakewood Stadium. 

8. Avon 

Defeated No. 22 Avon Lake, 44-7.

Next: Plays East Tech on Sept. 5. 

9. St. Vincent-St. Mary 

Defeated Akron Garfield, 45-10, on Thursday.

Next: Plays Walsh Jesuit on Sept. 5. 

10. Cleveland Heights 

Idle.

Next: Plays Buchtel on Saturday. 

11. Bedford 

Defeated Olmsted Falls, 14-7.

Next: Plays Avon Lake on Sept. 5 at Bedford Bearcat Stadium. 

12. Highland 

Lost to Wooster, 21-20.

Next: Plays Buckeye on Sept. 5. 

13. Brecksville 

Defeated Holy Name, 28-13.

Next: Plays at North Royalton on Sept. 5. 

T14. Brush 

Lost to Padua, 21-14.

Next: Plays Ashtabula Lakeside on Sept. 5. 

T14. Stow 

Playing North Canton Hoover.

Next: Plays Kent Roosevelt on Sept. 5. 

16. Elyria 

Defeated Fremont Ross, 28-19.

Next: Plays Lorain on Sept. 5. 

17. Mayfield 

Lost to No. 5 Nordonia, 36-35 (OT).

Next: Plays Willoughby South on Sept. 5. 

18. Aurora

Playing Twinsburg.

Next: Plays Ravenna on Sept. 5. 

T19. Brunswick 

Defeated Medina, 36-0.

Next: Plays Padua on Sept. 5. 

T19. Kent Roosevelt 

Lost to Copley, 32-14.

Next: Plays Stow on Sept. 5. 

21. Kirtland 

Defeated Eastlake North, 49-14.

Next: Plays Grand Valley on Sept. 5. 

22. Avon Lake 

Lost to No. 8 Avon, 44-7.

Next: Plays Bedford on Sept. 5. 

23. Villa Angela-St. Joseph 

Idle. 

Next: Plays Youngstown Liberty on Saturday at Euclid.

24. Madison 

Defeated No. 25 Chagrin Falls, 36-0.

Next: Plays Pickering (Canada) on Sept. 5. 

T25. Chagrin Falls 

Lost to No. 24 Madison, 36-0.

Next: Plays Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin on Sept. 5. 

T25. Solon 

Playing Kenston.

Next: Plays Shaker Heights on Sept. 6. 

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

Aurora football overcomes slow start.

TWINSBURG, Ohio - After a slow start, the Aurora football team finally wore down Twinsburg’s defense to escape with a 34-13 win in the season opening game for both teams.

Check out more from the game below, including key plays that shaped the game, top individual performers and more.

Aurora took over the game in the third quarter, scoring two touchdowns to take a 27-13 lead into the final quarter of play after being tied 13-13 at the half. Aurora grabbed its first lead at 20-13 on a 17-yard touchdown run by Austin Piunno with 6:22 left in the third quarter. Ryan Devine added a 1-yard touchdown run with 23 seconds remaining in the quarter.

After Twinsburg failed to score on a 17-play, 55-yard drive in the fourth quarter, Nick Settecase sealed the win for Aurora with a 15-yard touchdown run with 2:11 remaining.

Aurora was led by quarterback Alex Smierciak, who had 66 yards on the ground and scored the first two touchdowns of the night. Aurora had five players with at least 23 yards rushing, paced by Ben Nelson, who had 76 yards.

After scoring 13 points and having the lead twice in the first half, the Tigers were held scoreless in the second half.

“The first half was a great battle,” Aurora coach Bob Mihalik said. “I told our kids that’s all about our off-season workouts and I think we wore them down in the second half.”

What it means

For Aurora, the Greenmen started their hunt for a 10th consecutive trip to the playoffs with a win in the first game with Smierciak at the controls, as he took over for the departed George Bollas.

For Twinsburg, the Tigers start the season 0-1 after a 2-8 season in 2013, while facing a tough schedule the rest of the way.

Plays that shaped the game

* On the first drive of the game, Randy Tucker hit a cutting Darius Jones for a 36-yard touchdown pass to give the Tigers a 7-0 lead. The play came on a third-and-9, with the drive looking like it would result in nothing. 

* With Aurora driving in the first quarter at the Twinsburg 32 yard line, Smierciak hit DiNardo on a wide receiver screen, putting him one-on-one with defensive back Shawn Smith. Smith took the challenge and made a great open field tackle for a three-yard loss that stalled the Aurora drive.

* Tucker hit for two big pass plays in a second quarter drive for Twinsburg, hitting Ryan Christy for 44 yards and then Noah Edwards on a 23-yard touchdown pass with 8:20 left in the second quarter. The play to Christy took Twinsburg from its own 36 yard line to the Aurora 20, while the touchdown pass was on fourth-and-13.

* On fourth-and-1 at their own 37 in the second quarter, the Greenmen elected to go for it and handed the ball to Dan Ozersky, who picked up 12 yards. The Greenmen used that play to help put together a 13-play, 70 yard touchdown drive.

* Austin Piunno scored on a 17-yard run with 6:22 left in the third quarter to give Aurora its first lead of the game at 20-13. They never relinquished the lead after that.

* With 4:38 to play in the third quarter, Twinsburg tried a fake punt from its own 33-yard line, but was denied, turning the ball over to Aurora. The turnover on downs led to another Aurora touchdown, giving the Greenmen a 14-point lead.

* On fourth-and-10 from the Aurora 17 and just over seven minutes to play, Tucker’s pass in the end zone went through the hands of Dylin French, ending the drive and stopping any hopes the Tigers had of a comeback.

Who stood out for Aurora

Smierciak: The senior quarterback relied on his legs more than his arm, carving up the Tigers defense for 66 yards on 15 carries and scored two touchdowns.

“I think he managed the game really well,” Mihalik said. “He had some happy feet early in the game but we got him going with his legs. I think he is only going to get better.”

Nelson: Nelson led the Greenmen in both carries and yards rushing, with 76 yards on 11 carries.

Ryan Devine: Devine carried the ball 10 times, picking up 45 yards, and scored a touchdown. Devine added a sack on defense in the fourth quarter with Twinsburg driving.

“Ryan seems to be around the ball on big plays,” Mihalik said.

Who stood out for Twinsburg

Tucker: The 5-foot-10 senior quarterback completed 10 of 23 passes for 183 yards and two touchdowns. He spread the ball around, hitting five receivers with his 10 completions.

Darius Jones: Twinsburg’s best playmaker had 26 yards on four carries and 50 yards on two catches.  

Deyonte Groce: Groce led Twinsburg with 50 yards on nine carries.

Aurora sound bites

Mihalik: On his offensive game plan: “That’s old (Jim) Tressel ball, you want to expand and contract. You want to spread out and contract and then do some in between stuff and keep them guessing with your formations.”

Twinsburg sound bites

Coach Joe Schiavone: “Absolutely 100 percent I am happy about the effort. Our kids fought hard and there’s no cupcakes on our schedule. One of the easiest things to do is cave and our guys did not show that at all tonight. I am extremely proud of that effort.”

Other key stats

3 – Penalties for each team.

0 – Turnovers in the game.

7 – Twinsburg players who carried the football at least once.

What’s next

Twinsburg hosts Nordonia on Sept. 5 at 7 p.m.

Aurora travels to Ravenna on Sept. 5 at 7 p.m.

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

Ryan Isley is a freelancer from Akron.

Alders caught a 10-yard touchdown pass in overtime that led to the game-winning extra point.

MACEDONIA, Ohio -- A 10-yard touchdown catch by No. 5 Nordonia senior Alex Alders led to a game-winning extra point to give the Knight a 36-35 overtime victory over No. 17 Mayfield on Friday night.

With fourth-and-goal to go for Nordonia, senior quarterback David Murray found Alders in the right front corner of the endzone to tie the game. The extra point by senior Jimmy Embrescia sealed the Week 1 home victory for the Knights.

This post will be updated shortly with video, a slideshow and key stats.

In the middle of it all was Nordonia senior Denzel Ward. The Ohio State commit busted out for 134 receiving yards and two touchdowns.

But that wasn't all. He also had a 69-yard kick return to start the second half to set up a field goal and an interception in the fourth quarter.

Nordonia will try to keep things going next week when it travels to Twinsburg. Meanwhile, Mayfield will be on the road again, as it will visit Willoughby South in Week 2.

What it means

Nordonia survives what would have been a crushing defeat to a season with such high expectations. The Knights lost their final three games of the season last year, including a playoff loss to Massillon Washington. This performance shows that Nordonia can win a big game, and that should only give the team confidence going forward.

"I'm so proud of our kids for battling and making plays when it's needed down the stretch," said Nordonia coach Jeff Fox. "We tell them like crazy to keep giving 100 percent effort and things will work out."

Even in a loss, Mayfield showed that it has a terrific football team. To push Nordonia to overtime in a road game should only boost Mayfield's confidence. In the loss, the Wildcats also showed it has a terrific rushing attack, led by Andy Isabella, Michael Canganelli and Gage Bican, which combined for 229 yards and four touchdowns.

3 key moments that shaped the game 

* Coming out of halftime, Nordonia trailed 21-19. To start the third quarter, Ward returned a kickoff 69 yards to set up a field goal that gave the Knights the lead. Had Nordonia not scored on that drive, Mayfield might have been able to seize the game.

* After a touchdown put Mayfield down 29-27 with under three minutes remaining, the Wildcats needed a two-point conversion to tie the game. That's when junior quarterback Mario Monastero connected with a wide-open Bican on a two-yard pass over the middle.

* Down by six points in overtime, Nordonia was faced with a fourth-and-goal from the 10-yard line. In that do-or-die situation, Murray connected with Alders in the front right corner of the endzone to tie the game. Nordonia would win on the extra point.

Who stood out for Nordonia

Ward - The senior finished with 134 receiving yards, two touchdowns and an interception. He was also a major factor in the return game.

Murray - Faced with tough situations all game long, Murray never lost his cool, including on the game-tying touchdown in overtime. He finished with 247 passing yards and four touchdowns.

Alders - With the game hanging in the balance, Alders was able to get open for the game-tying catch. He finished the day with 64 receiving yards and two touchdowns.

Tye Evans - The freshman running back busted out in a big way with 65 rushing yards on nine carries. He could be the key to the entire Nordonia offense.

Who stood out for Mayfield

Bican - In the three-headed rushing attack of the Wildcats, Bican looked terrific. He carried the ball six times for 97 yards and had a touchdown and a two-point conversion.

Isbaella - The lightning-quick running back was tough to bring down all game, and he finished with three touchdowns.

Sound bites

Alders: "We were successful with that play early in the game, so I knew when we called that our linemen would be able to get the edge. Then Murray threw it early, perfect pass right to me, and it was easy from there."

What’s next

Mayfield will be on the road again next week as it travels to Willoughby South for a game on Sept. 5 at 7 p.m.

Nordonia travels to Twinsburg for a Week 2 game on Sept. 5 at 7 p.m.

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 David Cassilo by email (dcassilo@cleveland.com) or Twitter (@dcassilo). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

Avon football defeated Avon Lake, 44-7, in the season opener.

AVON LAKE, Ohio – Avon quarterback Jake Sopko’s spent the summer studying. His material was the Eagles offense. On Friday, that offseason preparation helped No. 8 Avon football win the rivalry game, and season opener, against No. 22 Avon Lake, 44-7.

Check out more from the game below, including key plays that shaped the game, top plays, and more. Check back shortly for post-game interviews with Avon and Avon Lake.

Sopko wasted no time showing what he’d learned, throwing a touchdown to Zack Torbet three plays into the Eagles’ opening drive. Sopko and Torbet would connect two more times through the air for touchdowns, in the first half. They would total more than 100 yards. The Eagles led at halftime, 24-7.

The Eagles rushing game, though, was close to non-existent in the first half at -9 yards, including a sack that cost them seven yards. Avon coach Mike Elder found the sweet spot in his team’s run game in the second half, and smooth runners in seniors Isiah Pinto and Joe Travagliante, and junior Gerett Choat, all of whom scored a touchdown.

Sopko finished the game 12-of-20 for 247 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Torbet was the Eagle’s leading receiver with five catches for 143 yards and three touchdowns. Pinto lead the team in rushes with six carries for 45 yards and a touchdown.

Avon Lake’s leading rusher was senior running back Brian Sharpe with 10 carries for 44 yards. In Shoremen coach Dave Dlugosz’ first game back after one year away, he tried to revive Avon Lake’s run game through nine different runners. Senior quarterback Jeremiah Campo struggled from the shotgun, going 3-of-12 with one interception.

“I just think the way our kids played with passion and energy and emotion was the highlight for us,” Elder said. “Sometimes when you’re in a rivalry game and the other team won the year before, the other team can have more of an edge, but I think our team played exceptionally hard and I’m proud of them for that.”

What it means

Avon’s passing game is well-established, even if Sopko is only a junior. The Eagles will be a hard team to defend when they pass, especially if they continue to go to four different receivers for big gains.

Avon Lake coach Dave Dlugosz was not happy after the game because he felt like his team was beat not just in the score. The Shoremen finished the game with nine penalties. But they definitely still have a run game with four different rushers – QB Jeremiah Campo, and running backs Brian Sharpe, Tony Mango and Sam Kilmkowski – picking up more than 20 yards, respectively.

6 plays that shaped the game

*Eagles take advantage of a high snap on the third play of the game over Avon Lake QB Jeremiah Campo’s head. Avon’s Andrew Roesch comes up with the ball.

*Sopko’s first TD pass to Torbert set the pace of the game, even if it was just a 10-yard pass. It set them up to feel comfortable for the 85-yard pass he connected with Torbert on two tries later.

*Avon Lake’s Klimkowski lowers his head and increases his foot speed and runs his way past multiple defenders into the endzone to give the Shoremen their lone score of the game.

*Avon Lake’s Anthony Thielman comes up with a fumble recovery to open the second half to give the Shoremen some hope.

*On Avon’s next drive, Avon Lake’s junior defensive back Holden Ohm intercepts Sopko, showing his team that the Eagles’ quarterback does have miscues and that if the Shoremen didn’t rack up so many penalties, they could be a threat.

*Avon’s Choat takes it 8-yards for the Eagles’ first rushing touchdown of the game, proving that they aren’t a one-dimensional offense.

Avon sound bites

Sopko: “(This win) really gives us momentum going into the rest of the year. This is the biggest game of the year for us, the first one and after that they’re all big games but we work all offseason for this.”

Avon Lake sound bites

Avon Lake players were not allowed to be interviewed after the loss.

Other key stats

Total offense for Avon: 573.

Total offense for Avon Lake: 345.

Total penalties-yards for Avon: 4-60.

Total penalties-yards for Avon Lake: 9-55.

What’s next

Next up for Avon is a home game against East Tech on Friday at 7 p.m. No. 23 Avon Lake travels to Bedford (1-0) on Friday at 7 p.m.

Garfield Heights-Collinwood football game ends early due to unsafe conditions.

GARFIELD HEIGHTS, Ohio – Friday's football season opener between Collinwood and host Garfield Heights ended early on Friday after three fights stopped the game.

During the third quarter, game officials had to stop the contest after two fights in the stands and another on the field, deeming it unsafe for players to continue, said Bulldogs coach Chuck Reisland.

“I’m just so disappointed,” Reisland said.

Reisland said his team was up, 26-6, in the third quarter when officials stopped the game following an altercation on the field between the teams. He wasn't sure how many players were involved. This followed two incidents in the stands with fans behind the Garfield Heights bench.

Whether the game will be resumed is to be determined, Reisland said.

Follow @NEOVarsity and tag your high school sports tweets and score updates with the #NEOVarsity hashtag.

Contact high school sports reporter Nathaniel Cline by email (ncline@cleveland.com) or Twitter (@nathanielcline). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

Blue Streaks shut out perennial playoff team Chagrin Falls, 36-0.

MADISON, Ohio – The Madison Blue Streaks made an impressive statement on opening night of the 2014 high school football season. The Blue Streaks shut out perennial playoff team Chagrin Falls, 36-0, at Memorial Stadium on Friday night.

Check out more from the game below, including key plays that shaped the game, top individual performers, and more.

The Madison defense played outstanding. The Madison defense had five sacks and held Chagrin Falls to just 51 yards of total offense.

“To shut out Chagrin Falls I am so proud of those kids,” Madison coach Tim Willis said. “They are very well coached on offense and they do a lot of different things and have a lot of great athletes. But our kids made a lot of big plays like sacks and put them in situations they are not used to being in. We took away their passing game and not a lot of teams do that.”

Madison junior Connor Smith made his first start at quarterback. On his third throw of the game, he had a receiver in stride for what looked to be an easy touchdown but the pass was dropped. Smith shook it off and on the next series with Chagrin Falls daring him to throw he found junior Nick Brooks for a 45-yard touchdown. Smith finished 7 for 13 for 161 yards. He added 23 yards on the ground and a touchdown.

“Connor Smith for his first game out of the shoot, he was very composed and he is learning on the run but he is a playmaker,” Willis said. “People talk about Johnny Manizel. He has some of those characteristics in him. He runs around and makes plays. He works hard.”

Chagrin Falls coach Mark Iammarino believes his team will get better.

“We have a lot of new young guys,” Iammarino said. “We need to take each experience and get better. We are going to work hard. Guys will find their roles and we will continue to get better. It is a 10-game season.”

What it means

Madison, which lost to Glenville in the regional final last year, made a statement that they again are a force. Chagrin Falls has made six consecutive playoff appearances. It is only one loss but the Tigers know they have a lot of work to do to become the team they want to be.

New rule

When Madison scored with 11:12 left in the fourth quarter to move ahead by 36 points the new mercy rule was enforced. The rest of the game was played under a running clock that only stopped on change of position, timeouts or a score.

Wildcat

Madison had a first-and-goal on the 5-yard line in the third quarter. Senior Connor Nikses took two direct snaps out of the formation and scored a 2-yard touchdown.

Plays that shaped the game

* After missing his first three throws and having his offense commit multiple penalties, Smith hit Nick Brooks in stride for a 45-yard touchdown. The Blue Steaks offense was on track the rest of the night.

* After Madison’s second touchdown, the PAT snap was high. Smith did not panic; he scrambled around and found Nikses for the two-point conversion.

* In the second quarter, it looked like the Tiger offense had finally found a rhythm.

Brooks ended that momentum with a huge sack of junior quarterback Michael Brigeman. The Tigers never threatened the end zone the rest of the game.

Who stood out for Madison

Smith: The junior quarterback was impressive in making his first varsity start and replacing Austin Burkholder.

“I had a ton of nerves but so does everybody in a big game against Chagrin Falls,” Smith said. “ I was frustrated at first (after the dropped touchdown) but I know a quarterback needs a thick skin and you have to clear your mind for the next play.”

The defense: The Blue Streaks defense had five sacks and 11 tackles for a loss.

Who stood out for Chagrin Falls

Sean Mackin: The Harvard football commit and senior linebacker had a strip and a fumble recovery in the second quarter stopping a Madison drive in the red zone.

Madison sound bites

Willis: On Madison’s balanced offense: “We were able to go over the top on them. If teams load the box on us, we have other options now. We have some skills kids that can run. They have to pick their poison now. You can’t load the box against Madison anymore.”

Smith: On replacing Burkholder: “Austin’s legacy was great with his season last year. It felt great to get out there and get it done.”

Chagrin Falls sound bites

Iammarino: “Madison is great football team that is very physical. We gave up a lot of big plays but our effort was good.”

Key stats:

5 -- Consecutive first half completions for Smith after missing his first three attempts.

7, 8, 9 -- Number of Chagrin Falls first downs, penalties, and punts, respectively.

11 -- Tackles Madison had for a loss.

17 -- Chagrin Falls rushing yards.

24 -- Yards for senior Ricky Simcic. He only had two rushes but he made them count for 11 and 13 yards.

34 -- Chagrin Falls passing yards.

55 -- Yards for a touchdown catch by senior Aaron Petruccelli in the second quarter.

What’s next

Madison (1-0) hosts Pickering (Canada) Sept. 6 at 7 p.m.

Chagrin Falls  (0-1) travels to Notre-Dame Cathedral Latin on Sept. 5.

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

Zachary Dzurick is a freelancer from Cleveland.

Padua knocks off host Brush.

LYNDHURST, Ohio — The Padua Bruins pulled off a 21-14 upset victory over Brush on Friday, executing efficient, consistent plays on offense. Led by senior quarterback Brett James, the Bruins utilized an up-tempo offense, and used their powerful linebackers to break through the Arcs defense.

The Arcs, ranked No. 14 in the cleveland.com Top 25, struggled with penalties throughout the game, and were unable to capitalize on their faster players when they were on offense. James and the Padua offense, under the pistol formation, pushed 65 yards up the field in a single series, before senior running back Tony Liana scored the first touchdown for the Bruins early in the first half. Despite the Arcs trailing by one early in the second quarter, and later tying the game at 14 into the middle of the second half, the Bruins never let Brush hold the lead.

Brush demonstrated a late-game spark of excitement, when a series of impressive passes from quarterback Dillo Johnson Jr. to Ameer Jackson drove the Arcs up the field, but the Bruins defense held strong on a fourth-and-34 pass that left Brush just shy of the first down it needed.

The Arcs are headed to Lakeside in Ashtabula on Sept. 5 at 7 p.m. The Bruins are headed back home to face Brunswick on Sept. 5 at 7 p.m.

What it means

The Arcs have some work to do to live up to their No. 14 ranking. After making it to the playoffs in 2013, the players are motivated to make it there again. The team needs to work toward less penalties and more ways to capitalize on scoring opportunities.

Plays that shaped the game

* Brett James demonstrated versatility and efficiency on the field with his ability to pass, hand off, and run the ball for successful plays. He had three runs for a total of 19 yards, with his third quarterback keeper landing his offense at first and goal, only one yard away from the end zone.

* Brush wide receiver Jordan Overton took the snap and threw a touchdown pass to receiver Phillip Duncan to cut the Bruins lead to 7-6 late in the first half.

* James faked a pass to running back Mike Ontario, and ran the ball into the end zone halfway into the third quarter, creating a 14-6 lead.

* After an impressive leaping catch by Brush tight end Moses Marshall IV into the end zone, Overton took the snap on the two-point conversion and ran into the end zone to tie the score at 14 with a minute left in the third quarter.

* James let a high pass fly to wide receiver Eddie Smigielski for a touchdown, pushing the Bruins ahead of the Arcs with 7:44 left in the game.

* Despite good field position and a chance to tie the score late in the fourth quarter, an intentional grounding penalty on the Arcs moved them back to fourth-and-34 with only a minute left. A completed pass knocked out of bounds 10 yards shy of the first down marker left Padua with possession.

Who stood out for Padua

James: The senior quarterback demonstrated flexibility and efficiency on offense throughout the game, executing passing as well as rushing plays, and was not afraid to run with the ball. He also used a series of fake passes and handoffs throughout the game to throw off the Brush defense and gain yardage for the Bruins.

Nick Medaglia: The senior wide receiver gained a considerable amount of yardage for the Bruins, catching as well as running the ball up the field for additional Padua yardage.

Tony Liana: The powerful running back helped to tire out the Brush defense in running up the field and scoring one of the three Padua touchdowns.

Who stood out for Brush

Johnson: With former starting quarterback Stephen Shorts graduated, Johnson is new to the position, and has the expectations of another playoff year. The senior showed some impressive passes, and had some running plays with the ball, demonstrating some good instincts in his first game as starter.

Overton: The senior wide receiver took the bulk of the passes and showed off his arm as well when he threw a touchdown pass to Duncan in the middle of the first half.

Jackson: The junior wide receiver caught some impressive late-game catches that awarded the Arcs good field position and some opportunities to score against the Bruins.

Brush sound bites

Coach Josh Wells: “It’s always a big adjustment to have new players take on new positions at the beginning of the season but we had a lot of them really step up to the plate and take on their new roles well. We certainly didn’t play as well as we would have liked to this first game but it’s a learning curve and we are still adjusting so hopefully we can do better next time around.”

What’s next:

The Arcs are headed to Lakeside in Ashtabula on Sept. 5 at 7 p.m. The Bruins are headed back home to face Brunswick on Sept. 5 at 7 p.m.

Megan Katz is a freelancer from Lyndhurst.

Vote for high school football Week 1 top performer from Friday: Game Balls 2014 (poll).

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Below is a look at some of the top Week 1 high school football performers from Friday night.

Vote for your favorite in a poll below.

Voting is open until Wednesday at noon.

The Week 1 contenders:

Christian Ammons, North Olmsted: Tied a school record for five touchdown passes in a 48-23 win over Valley Forge.

Jayson Gobble, Stow: Carried the ball 28 times for 234 yards and three touchdowns in the Bulldogs’ 28-17 win over North Canton Hoover.

Zack Lake, Coventry: Caught two passes for 56 yards, threw one pass for 35 yards, had five carries for nine yards, returned two punts for 70 yards and returned three kicks for 183 yards and a total of four touchdowns in the Comets’ 46-34 win over Canton South.

Defense, Madison: The Blue Streaks shutout No. 25 Chagrin Falls and had five sacks on the night.

Demario McCall, North Ridgeville: Carred the ball 26 times for 287 yards and five touchdowns in the Rangers’ 34-33 loss to Westlake.

Matt Owens, Berea-Midpark: Owens had a school record 97-yard punt return for a touchdown in a 44-7 win over North Royalton.

Check out a full recap of all the action of Week 1 of the 2014 high school football season.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Football season is back in Northeast Ohio as Friday was the first game for most high school teams throughout Ohio. 

Everybody has been looking to get off to a good start, and some raised a few eyebrows in doing so.

This is your one place to get caught up on everything that happened in Northeast Ohio and the 71 games that were contested. Check out below for dozens of links to Friday night coverage, including lots of picture galleries and videos. Look for the Varsity Blitz Rewind every Saturday morning.

Where were we?

Reporter David Cassilo was in Macedonia where the Knights, ranked No. 5 in the cleveland.com Top 25, faced No. 17 Mayfield in an overtime thriller. Nordonia's David Murray connected with Alex Alders in overtime to tie the game at 35 and Jimmy Embrescia's extra point gave the Knights a 36-35 win (slideshow). Cassilo caught up with Alders afterward. 

Reporter Stephanie Kuzydym was in Avon Lake where the No. 22 Shoremen hosted No. 8 Avon in Dave Dlugosz's return to the Avon Lake sideline as head coach. The Eagles were strong from start to finish as they routed their rivals, 44-7 (slideshow), in their last regular season meeting before Avon joins the Southwestern Conference next season. The Blitz featuring Dan Labbe and Daryl Ruiter had the broadcast of the game and you can listen to an archive of the broadcast. Avon QB Jake Sopko spoke with Kuzydym following the Eagles' win.

No. 7 Glenville struggled offensively and fell to Erie Cathedral Prep (Pa.), 21-6. The Tarblooders twice had fourth-and-goal, and did not convert. Read reporter Scott Patsko's recap of the action from the Collinwood Athletic Complex along with a slideshow and a video with Glenville coach Ted Ginn Sr.

The biggest upset among two local teams took place in Lyndhurst, where Padua knocked off No. 14 Brush, 21-14. See the story from reporter Megan Katz.

Brad Bournival was in Brunswick to see the No. 19 Blue Devils shut out Medina, 36-0. QB Steven Ficyk had three touchdown passes for the Blue Devils.

No. 18 Aurora bounced back from a slow start to pull away from Twinsburg, 34-13. Aurora QB Alex Smierciak rushed for two touchdowns in the second quarter. Check out reporter Ryan Isley's story. 

Read reporter Bill Mayville's recap of No. 13 Brecksville's 28-13 win against Holy Name and see a slideshow of the action.

Check out reporter Mike Fitzpatrick's game story from No. 25 Solon's 20-14 win at home against Kenston (slideshow).

Reporter Zach Dzurick saw No. 24 Madison shut out No. 25 Chagrin Falls, 36-0, as the Blue Streaks held the Tigers to just 51 yards of total offense. 

Varsity Blitz Live: Coming to your computer or mobile device every Friday night

Friday was the debut of the new weekly Varsity Blitz Live. Every Friday night from 7-10 p.m., members of the Northeast Ohio Media Group high school sports staff will have live updates from games all throughout the seven-county coverage area. We will also have live chats in the comments with fans who are searching for updates for their respective games every Friday night.

Varsity Blitz Live also has live audio from our weekly Blitz broadcast, as well as Tweets from our staff. Check out Friday's Varsity Blitz Live to see what you missed. We hope you'll join the live fan experience with us next Friday.

To participate by also commenting in next week's Varsity Blitz Live, please sign up for a free account (it’s fast and simple).

Scenes from the area

Berea-Midpark's Titans run through a gauntlet of fans from younger leagues before the home football opener. (Grant Segall, The Plain Dealer)

Several Northeast Ohio Media Group and Plain Dealer community reporters were out at games throughout the area capturing the scenery of the first week of high school football. Check out their photo galleries here. They will be photographing all the festivities off the field every week.

Click on the following links to see all the feature picture galleries:

Chanda Neely was in North Olmsted and caught scenes from both the North Olmsted and Valley Forge fans.

In Westlake, Barb Galbancea met up with Westlake Music Boosters who were running the concession stands and selling spirit wear.

Sara Dorn was at the game featuring Padua and Brush and took photos of the Brush cheerleaders trying to get their fans fired up for the game.

Solon's cheerleaders were out supporting their team as it faced Kenston. Reporter DiAngelea Millar captured the cheerleaders in action.

Maura Zurick was in Brooklyn with the Brooklyn Hurricanes' marching band in its first performance of the fall.

Grant Segall went to Finnie Stadium in Berea and got some scenes from Berea-Midpark's home opener against North Royalton.

Action photo of the night

McCall's big night not enough

North Ridgeville junior RB Demario McCall rushed for 287 yards and five touchdowns. But his strong night was not enough as the Rangers fell at Westlake, 34-33. Westlake RB JaQuan Hardy rushed for three TDs and 133 yards on 27 carries.

Fight stops Garfield Heights-Collinwood game

Friday night's game between host Garfield Heights and Collinwood was stopped after two fights in the stands and a fight on the field. The Bulldogs led Collinwood, 26-6, in the third quarter before officials stopped the game. The game has not yet been rescheduled, Garfield Heights coach Chuck Reisland said. 

How the Top 25 fared

Most of the cleveland.com Top 25 opened their seasons on Friday night. Check out how each of them did and who they will play in Week 2.

Area scoreboard

See all 71 scores from games involving a local team.

Statewide scores

If you're looking for a score from any game throughout the state on Friday night, we have you covered. Check out the statewide scores.

Game Balls

Several players from the area had spectacular games in their 2014 debuts. Fans can now vote for who they think had the best performance of the week and who should get the Game Ball for Week 1.

What's next

Several area teams get their seasons underway on Saturday, including two teams ranked in the top five of the cleveland.com Top 25.

Here are preview capsules for the other games involving Northeast Ohio teams in Week 1.

Beachwood vs. Gilmour

Cleveland Heights vs. Buchtel

Gilman (Md.) vs. No. 1 St. Edward

Horizon Science Academy vs. Lincoln West

Shaw vs. Arlington

No. 4 St. Ignatius vs. Lawrence Central (Ind.)

University School vs. Shaker Heights

Youngstown Liberty vs. No. 23 Villa Angela-St. Joseph

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

The Indians have won 12 of 17.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians played the Kansas City Royals in the opener of a three-game series Friday. Here is a capsule look from The Plain Dealer reporter Dennis Manoloff:

Game: 133.

Opponent: Royals.

Location: Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, Mo.

Time of day: Night.

Time elapsed: 3 hours, 17 minutes.

Attendance: 31,341.

Result: Indians 6, Royals 1.

Records: Indians 69-64, Royals 74-60.

Blues/Bronchos/Naps/Indians@9K: The Cleveland A.L. baseball franchise secured victory No. 9,000.

Nick Camino Scoreboard Watch: The Indians pulled within 4.5 games of first-place Kansas City in the A.L. Central. They also are in the mix for the second wild card.

Francona's Fun Bunch: The Indians have won 12 of 17. They are 7-2 on the road in that span.

Bottom line, up front: Given the caliber of opponent and the stakes, this rates as a top-five victory for the Indians this season. They pitched well, hit well, ran the bases well and played good defense.

The Tribe handled a team, in its house, that had won 19 of 26 and scored 4.7 runs per game in August. (The Tribe is 16-9 this month.)

Getting offensive: The Indians amassed 13 hits and walked twice against four pitchers. They did the majority of their damage against starter Jason Vargas, a quality lefty. Vargas allowed four runs on 10 hits and threw 112 pitches in six innings. The Indians could have had several more hits, and possibly more runs, off him if not for slick defense by Royals third baseman Mike Moustakas.

Vargas' two previous starts against Cleveland this season had been quality (combined 13 2/3 IP, 5 ER). He gave up at least four earned runs for just the sixth time overall.

Vargas is 10-7 with a 3.27 ERA.

Action baseball: The Indians delivered a large dose of small ball in the third, scoring three runs to take a 4-0 lead.

No. 9 batter Tyler Holt led off with a 1-1 bunt toward the mound. Vargas fielded and hurried the throw. The ball skipped past first baseman Billy Butler, enabling Holt to advance to second. Holt forced Vargas into a mistake; an accurate throw would have gotten the out. Because the play was close enough, Holt was credited with a single.

Michael Bourn attempted to bunt Holt to third. He failed and eventually struck out swinging.

Pesky Jose Ramirez, down in the count, 1-2, lined an 89-mph fastball for a single to left. Third-base coach Mike Sarbaugh, noticing that Alex Gordon was about to field the ball flat-footed, pinwheeled Holt. The move shocked Gordon, whom teams -- especially the Indians -- have learned not to test. By the time Gordon recovered, it was too late; Gordon's throw was cut off and the Tribe led, 2-0.

With Brantley batting, Ramirez stole second on the first pitch. Ramirez, perhaps grinding over having been disrespected by an 89-mph fastball in a 1-2 count, easily ripped the bag against a lefty pitcher and superb defensive catcher, Salvador Perez.

Brantley slapped a 2-2 breaking pitch into the hole at short, where Alcides Escobar picked and jumped but did not throw. Ramirez astutely followed the ball and resisted any temptation to dash for third.

Carlos Santana got ahead in the count, 3-1. Vargas didn't give in, throwing an 80-mph circle changeup. Santana's big swing produced an end-of-the-bat bloop into right-center to drive in Ramirez and send Brantley to third.

Jason Kipnis chopped the first pitch to second. It turned into a fielder's choice but not a double play as Brantley scored for the 4-0 cushion.

El Oso enjoys mashing at The K: Santana hit a two-out, two-run homer off lefty Francisley Bueno in the ninth. Santana's 22nd made it 6-0.

In seven games at Kauffman Stadium this season, Santana has not done much --  other than go 14-for-26 with six homers and 13 RBI. He has hit safely in all seven.

Dr. Smooth returns: Brantley finished 3-for-5 with two doubles. All of the hits came against lefties.

Gremlins had invaded Brantley's bats in the previous 11 games (5-for-42).

Setting the tone: Indians right-hander Danny Salazar gave up four hits -- all singles -- in five shutout innings. He walked two and struck out three. He threw 45 of 73 pitches for strikes.

Salazar threw a ball to Butler leading off the sixth, then rain halted play. When the game resumed after a 44-minute delay, C-C Lee relieved. Lee got Butler to ground his first pitch to the mound.

Salazar relied heavily on one pitch, the fastball. Catcher Yan Gomes, who likes for his pitchers to use their heater, regardless, saw that the Royals were not taking good swings against Salazar's. So Gomes continued calling it. Credit Salazar and Gomes for not trying to get cute and for forcing the Royals to try to beat Salazar's best pitch.

When it came time for Salazar to use the secondary stuff, his changeup was good and his slider so-so. 

Here is a breakdown of the at-bats against Salazar, including the decisive pitch (count in parentheses):

First inning

LH Nori Aoki -- 98 fastball, grounder to short (3-2); RH Alcides Escobar -- 97 fastball, liner to short (0-0); LH Alex Gordon -- 96 fastball, pop to short (1-0).

Second inning

RH Billy Butler -- 96 fastball, swinging strikeout (0-2); RH Salvador Perez, 96 fastball, grounder to short (0-1); RH Josh Willingham -- 96 fastball, walk (3-1); RH Lorenzo Cain -- 96 fastball, single (0-1); LH Mike Moustakas -- 95 fastball, grounder to first (1-2).

Third inning 

RH Christian Colon -- 88 slider, pop to third (1-2); LH Nori Aoki -- 96 fastball, fly to center (2-1); RH Alcides Escobar -- 88 slider, single to left (1-2); LH Alex Gordon -- 85 changeup, swinging strikeout (0-2).

Fourth inning

RH Billy Butler -- 95 fastball, single up the middle (0-1); RH Salvador Perez -- 96 fastball away, foul pop to first (1-0); RH Josh Willingham -- 96 fastball at knees, called strikeout (2-2); RH Lorenzo Cain -- 95 fastball, fly to center (2-1).

Fifth inning

LH Mike Moustakas -- 96 fastball, walk (3-1); RH Christian Colon -- 95 fastball, bunt pop to first (0-0); LH Nori Aoki -- 96 fastball, fly to right (2-1); RH Alcides Escobar -- 95 fastball, single to right (2-1); LH Alex Gordon -- 95 fastball, grounder to second (1-0).

Sixth inning

RH Billy Butler -- fastball, ball. (Rain delay.)

Rising to the occasion: Salazar's past two starts against the Royals have been good ones at Kauffman Stadium in big spots.

On July 27, Salazar gave up three runs in seven innings of a 10-3 victory as the Tribe avoided a four-game sweep. The Tribe had lost four straight overall; the Royals had won five straight.

Spotlight on....Royals LF Alex Gordon. He was in the midst of a terrific August.

Here is a pitch-by-pitch breakdown of his ABs:

First inning vs. Salazar (none on, two outs) -- 97 fastball inside, ball; 96 fastball, pop to short.

*Gordon wasn't quite prepared for Salazar's velocity.

Third inning vs. Salazar (runner on first, two outs) -- 95 outside corner, called strike; 85 changeup, swinging strike; 85 changeup, swinging strikeout.

*Gordon wasn't quite prepared for Salazar's change of speed, either. Both of the changeups were Bugs Bunny-esque.

Fifth inning vs. Salazar (runners on first and second, two outs) -- 94 fastball low, ball; 95 fastball, grounder to second.

*Tribe second baseman Jason Kipnis, positioned in short right because of the shift, fielded cleanly.

Seventh inning vs. lefty Marc Rzepczynski (runners on first and second, two outs) -- 91 fastball inner half, grounder to second.

*Gordon got a pitch to hit, but he didn't hit it hard. Regardless, it would have been an RBI single if not for the shift.

Ninth inning vs. righty Josh Tomlin (runners on first and second, one out) -- 88 fastball, called strike; 86 cutter outside, ball; 86 cutter low, ball; 89 fastball, foul; 77 curveball down and away, swinging strikeout.

*The 2-1 fastball was on the inner half at the knees -- a pitch Gordon should be able to handle. He managed just a tap foul. The curve was filthy.

On this night, at least, Tribe pitchers worked over Gordon.

A collective offensive effort -- Cleveland totaled 13 hits -- backed a solid start from Danny Salazar, who tossed five scoreless frames.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- This is what the Indians have wanted. It's what they have aimed for all year.

Despite a season defined, to this point, by inconsistency and shortcomings in all phases of the game, the Indians are playing meaningful contests against teams that sit ahead of them in the standings. The schedule now grants them an opportunity to narrow their deficit in both the division and Wild Card races.

The Tribe took a small step forward on Friday night, when they topped the Royals, 6-1, in their series opener at Kauffman Stadium.

A collective offensive effort -- Cleveland totaled 13 hits -- backed a solid start from Danny Salazar, who tossed five scoreless frames before a 44-minute rain delay knocked him out of action. Zach Walters plated the game's first run with an RBI double to center in the second. The Tribe tacked on three runs in the third. Carlos Santana provided the final cushion with a 397-foot moonshot off the red wall beyond the Royals' bullpen in left field.

Salazar scattered four hits and two walks over his five frames. C.C. Lee, Kyle Crockett, Scott Atchison, Marc Rzepczynski, Bryan Shaw and Josh Tomlin pieced together four effective innings of relief.

The Royals never mounted much of a threat until the ninth, when they scored their lone run. They placed two aboard with two outs in the seventh, but Rzepczynski induced an inning-ending groundout off the bat of Alex Gordon to escape unscathed.

What it means

The Indians closed to within 4 1/2 games of the Royals in the race for the American League Central crown. They remained four games behind the Tigers in the chase for the second AL Wild Card berth. The Indians have now won five of their last six.

Little guy

Jose Ramirez delivered an RBI single in the third inning and added a one-out single in the ninth. The rookie shortstop now has hits in seven of his last eight games. Since being recalled in late July, Ramirez is batting .306 (30-for-98). Over his last 14 games, Ramirez is hitting .370 (20-for-54).

Hit parade

By the fourth inning, every Indians batter -- save for leadoff man Michael Bourn -- had registered at least one base hit. Michael Brantley, who entered the game in a 5-for-42 funk (.119 average) in his previous 11 contests, notched a single and a pair of doubles.

Nice leather

With a runner on first, Lonnie Chisenhall laid out in the damp dirt to snag a sharp liner off the bat of Lorenzo Cain to end the sixth inning.

What's to come

Cleveland's Trevor Bauer (5-7, 4.18 ERA) will oppose Kansas City's James Shields (12-7, 3.45 ERA) in Saturday's affair. Bauer has been a different pitcher on the road (1-5, 5.81 ERA) than he has been at the friendly confines of Progressive Field (4-2, 3.07 ERA). Bauer held the Astros scoreless in six innings of work last Sunday.

Navy was just 2 of 4 passing for 20 yards. A triple option team, Navy never got a chance to hit Ohio State through the air when the Buckeyes weren't expecting it

BALTIMORE, Md. -- Each week after the Ohio State game, I'll attempt to answer a question about the game that I found interesting.

Why didn't Navy hit Ohio State over the top for a sneaky big pass play?

Up by a point after stopping Ohio State on a fourth-down run in the middle of the third quarter Saturday, Navy finally called the play safety Tyvis Powell had been waiting for.

"When you play in the secondary, you're waiting for the pass," Powell said. "So I didn't want to let no moment go by where they threw the ball and I wasn't there to make the play."

A year ago, Navy quarterback Keenan Reynolds averaged 10 passes per game. As he dropped back on second-and-12 for what could have been his second pass of the game, his tight end released down the middle of the field.

It's the kind of play seen all the time with running teams. Aggressive safeties and corners are caught sneaking up and looking in the backfield, and the next thing you know, the ball is in the air.

This ball never got in the air.

Powell picked up the tight end as soon as he got about 10 yards down the field and ran with him the rest of the play. Defensive end Joey Bosa and linebacker Curtis Grant got in the backfield and sacked Reynolds for a loss of 11 yards.

Reynolds finished his day 2 for 4 for 20 yards in Navy's 34-17.

Powell didn't make an interception or a tackle or deflect a pass. But just by being there, he took away a chance at a game-changing play.

"Discipline, man," Powell said. "We worked on it all week in practice. What we did is we watched a bunch of teams that they faced and we would be like, 'Oh, look at this (defender) running down there, while the receiver is flying past.' So this whole game that was my main focus to make sure I wasn't flying down there too fast to make a tackle on the run."

Joey Bosa (97) and Curtis Grant (bottom) sacked Navy QB Keenan Reynolds in the third quarter after the OSU secondary took away his passing options.Marvin Fong, The Plain Dealer 

Five years ago, an 85-yard Navy touchdown pass in the fourth quarter pulled the Mids back within one score of the Buckeyes. Powell said he watched the film of that game this week. He saw the pass.

This time, that pass wasn't there.

"We were disciplined," co-defensive coordinator Luke Fickell said. "We were very disciplined. You've got to give credit to our corners. They did exactly what we asked them to do."

The way the Buckeyes will play pass defense this year, the safeties will act like corners more often, asked to match up in coverage, not just float over the top. So Powell was there.

"That's how I look at it, I just basically did my job," Powell said. "It shows we're a very disciplined defense. We take coaching and we don't get sucked up into the run as much, I guess."

The Buckeyes' revamped pass defense has been the talk of the offseason. This wasn't a game to really show that off. But in what Ohio State didn't even allow Navy to try, the Buckeyes maybe gave a peak of the defense they hope has changed.

Hagadone, who has quietly logged a 1.37 ERA in 25 appearances this season, is dealing with mid-back soreness, which has shelved him since an outing on Tuesday night in Chicago.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- For years, Nick Hagadone has bounced back and forth between Triple-A and the big league level. Now that he appears to have progressed forward, his back has been holding him, well, back.

Hagadone, who, entering Saturday's action, has quietly logged a 1.37 ERA in 25 appearances this season, is dealing with mid-back soreness, which shelved him for a few days after an outing on Tuesday night in Chicago.

"It's something minor that I'm working through," Hagadone said before returning to action Saturday, when he came on in relief in the eighth inning.

Over the last month, Hagadone has pieced together 12 1/3 scoreless innings, with two walks, 14 strikeouts and six hits allowed. This is the same guy, technically, who posted a 5.59 ERA in 72 appearances with the Tribe from 2011-13.

"Everything is coming together," Hagadone said. "I've made a lot of changes mechanics-wise and a lot of changes to my approach, the way I come into a game mentally. I've been more consistent with my warmup routine and I've been more prepared mentally."

The previous demotions and treks down I-71 back to Columbus have helped.

"Any time that you go through struggles or have setbacks, it always makes you stronger," Hagadone said. "Being able to go through bad experiences always helps you in the end if you take it the right way. Every time I got sent down, I tried to take something from it and go down and work on something and keep a positive attitude. That always helps."

See you in September

At the first opportunity, the Indians will likely seize the ability to carry more than 25 active players on their roster. When rosters expand to 40 players on Monday, the club is expected to promote certain players from Triple-A. They will not, however, call for a mass exodus up I-71.

The Columbus Clippers have qualified for the postseason and the Indians want some of their youngsters to complete the experience.

"The major league team always has to come first, as it should," Francona said, "but we're not just going to call up every single guy because we value some of the experience those guys would be getting. We think it's all good. If something happens and we have to make a change, we'll call them up. But we've tried to be pretty organized so they can prepare. We do want them to have a chance to win. They've played all year [for this opportunity]. It'd be great."

On the mend

If Jason Giambi gives the nod of approval, the Indians will activate the 43-year-old designated hitter from the 60-day disabled list on Monday. Outfielder Ryan Raburn, on the 15-day DL, could follow suit on Tuesday. David Murphy, recovering from a strained oblique muscle, continues to work his way back. He has progressed to pre-game hitting, but there is no specific timetable for his return. Francona said he might make a brief minor-league cameo before being activated.

"I think Murphy's getting antsy to play," Francona said. "He's been pretty diligent about getting here early."

The muscle

The Indians signed 38-year-old Russell Branyan to a minor league contract on Friday. He reported to Triple-A Columbus, for whom he suited up on Saturday evening. The addition gives the Clippers some depth. The Indians plan to promote players from the Triple-A squad when rosters expand next week. Francona said Branyan most likely will not join the big league club in September.

"I think [general manager] Chris [Antonetti] was really honest with him about that," Francona said.

Branyan was playing for Tijuana in the Mexican League this year. He last appeared in a major league game in 2011 with the Angels. He played with the Indians from 1998-2002 and again in 2010. The organization selected him in the seventh round of the 1994 amateur draft. He belted 40 home runs at Class A Columbus in 1996.