J.T. Barrett made some mistakes but also made the throws that enabled Ohio State to defeat pesky Navy.

BALTIMORE, Maryland – The advice to J.T. Barrett was not to look in the mirror for any reflection of Braxton Miller's tackle-slipping and defense-ripping.

Instead, he was to recognize what he, the pride of Wichita Falls, Texas, could do as a redshirt freshman suddenly thrust into the role of Ohio State's starting quarterback two weeks before the season opener.

"Coach (Tom) Herman (Ohio State's offensive coordinator) said don't worry about being anybody but you. Go in and play with confidence," said Barrett.

"Him being from Texas, like me, we're pretty close" said sophomore H-back Dontre Wilson, from suburban Dallas. "I told him don't try to be me. You're best when you do you."

From the evidence presented Saturday in Ohio State's break-it-open late 34-17 victory over Navy, there is not a lot of worry about Barrett being Wilson, who has a 4.3 clocking in the 40 that trails after him like a jet contrail.

Nor was he anything like Miller.

"With Braxton, he does some crazy stuff. I'm not Braxton," said Barrett.

"J.T. can make plays. He's not going to take a broken play and turn it into 40 (yards) or 80, but he can make something out of nothing," said Herman.

No voodoo. You do you instead.

When Barrett got to the edge of the defense, missing was the hectic agitation of fast-twitch muscles that let Miller avoid tacklers on cuts sharp enough to draw blood.

"Guiton-ish," coach Urban Meyer called Barrett after the heady reliever, Kenny Guiton, who for two years could be yanked into the spotlight when Miller went down without blinking in the glare or shrinking in the moment.

"Guiton-ish" is a compliment at Ohio State.

Barrett brings a sense of composure, a resistance to being rattled – even when he was put in third-and-10 (courtesy of a dropped huge gainer over the middle by Wilson) and a third-and-18 (courtesy of a sack and a holding penalty) on his first two possessions.

He threw an interception on the sill of the Midshipmen's' goal when Ohio State trailed, 7-3, on which the chaotic situation on the offensive line in the first half played a part. "Minus, minus, minus," said Meyer of the play. "We've been 1, 2 or 3 in the nation in red-zone scoring the past two years."

"A double whammy," said Herman. "You never want to throw an interception, especially in the red zone."

"When he threw that interception, he was smiling and letting us know everything was going to be good," said Wilson.

An additional plus after that major subtraction was that Barrett didn't back off from the throws Navy, crowding nine men near the line of scrimmage, was daring him to make. He didn't miss them when they were there, either, as Miller sometimes did.

When a fourth-and-1 became a 2-yard loss by Ezekiel Elliott when the Buckeyes were behind, 14-13, in the final five minutes of the third quarter, Herman finally dialed up the play-action fake on first down. Navy's defense almost dictated it would be beaten by this.

A deep pass to a wide-open Devin Smith hung up long enough that Smith got his heels clipped by falling Navy defender Kwazel Bertrand on an 80-yard touchdown play.

Until then, it seemed Ohio State was trying to infuse confidence in Barrett with a series of safe shovel passes, including a two-handed, basketball-style chest pass to Wilson on the move.

Such plays led to Barrett's 12-for-15 day passing, but it was the deeper throws that would win the game and accumulate 226 yards in the air. On the drive that put the game away, the big gainer was a 19-yarder to Evan Spencer on first down off another play-fake.

"We had to do it," Meyer said when asked about throwing on first down.

His reticence for much of the game to do so wasn't lack of confidence in Barrett, but in the offensive line.

Barrett finished with two touchdown passes, the second in the final minutes for 9 yards to Michael Thomas.

Barrett seems to be a player whose strength at this point is his intangibles. Demeanor, comportment on the sideline, a grasp of the possible rather than a reach for plays beyond his ability. Patience is going to be needed, but he is also not Miller as an unready true freshman, thrown into a starting role by the defection of Terrelle Pryor in the wake of scandal.

Barrett is not the spectacle Miller provided. But who is?

"You miss every great player," Meyer said of Miller.

Great is gone for the year. Good enough was in its place in the opener.

 

"The positives were that he managed the game, he was an unbelievable presence on the sideline, he was accurate to throw the ball down the field," offensive coordinator Tom Herman said. "I came away from it really pleased, understanding, though, that we aren't going to go where we want to go until we get the few (negatives) fixed." Watch video

BALTIMORE, Md. – Ohio State wanted you to believe that things would be just fine with a redshirt freshman quarterback, that the offense would move along after losing Braxton Miller, its most dynamic playmaker, for the year. 

Maybe it will be fine with J.T. Barrett one day. 

But it won't be the same. Not this year. 

"Coming in after Braxton, people expect you to do some crazy stuff," Barrett said. "But I'm not Braxton. I'm J.T." 

What's refreshing, and perhaps the most encouraging thing about Barrett, is that he knows that. There will be nothing "crazy" about the plays he makes this season, and he's not going to pick up the offense and move them down the field alone. 

It's abundantly clear that Ohio State has a quarterback in Barrett, but not a dynamic superstar. That may seem obvious, but until Barrett came out from behind the closed, protected doors of Ohio State's practices, it was impossible to know for sure. Now we know ... 

That Buckeyes have to win differently this year. 

So don't be consumed by the statistics or the score or the fact that Ohio State beat Navy 34-17 to open its season Saturday, a game in which Barrett completed 12-of-15 passes for 226 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for 50 yards. 

The win wasn't as easy as the stats and the score indicate.

View full sizeOhio State freshman quarterback J.T. Barrett passes against Navy as Ohio State won its opener in Baltimore Saturday. It was his first career start. Associated Press 

And Barrett is still very much a work in progress. 

"The positives were that he managed the game, he was an unbelievable presence on the sideline, he was accurate to throw the ball down the field," offensive coordinator Tom Herman said. "I came away from it really pleased, understanding, though, that we aren't going to go where we want to go until we get the few (negatives) fixed."

There it goes again, another Ohio State coach using "game" and "manage" to describe what Barrett brings. It's not a transcendent compliment – and you'd certainly find a different way to describe a player like Miller – but it's 100 percent accurate with Barrett. 

You get exactly what he means when he's talking about Barrett, though. He's a guy who can make plays, especially in the right environment, but one that must have help from the people around him to do it. 

So now that the notion that Barrett could come out and surprise the world like the last two Heisman Trophy winners – redshirt freshmen Johnny Manziel and Jameis Winston – no longer exists, the world can move forward knowing where Ohio State stands: with a freshman quarterback that'll probably make some plays, and definitely make mistakes. 

"J.T., you know, I thought he did OK," coach Urban Meyer said. "Every new player will have their mistakes. Obviously with the team we're playing next (Virginia Tech), we have a lot of work to do." 

Barrett made only one glaring mistake, which actually is impressive considering this was the first game he played in since October of 2012. But because of it, the Buckeyes failed to score a touchdown in the first half. 

With the Buckeyes down 7-3 late in the second quarter, Barrett drove them down into the Navy red zone. After avoiding a sack – he does get credit for that – he threw the ball toward the sideline and in the range of two Navy defenders. One picked off the pass at the three yard-line. 

"Oh my goodness," Meyer said. "That was all bad. Minus, minus, minus. ... He was good, though. I never felt that he was rattled. I counted back from 10 backwards a few times and didn't say what I normally would say to a quarterback who does that. Which is good. We all mature, I guess. But his demeanor is great. He'll get better and better." 

His improvement should correlate with the improvement of the offensive line and the skill players around him. For example, Barrett's first pass down field on the second play of the game may have been a 61-yard touchdown pass, but a wide-open Dontre Wilson dropped the ball. 

"I beat myself up for that," Wilson said, "but J.T. told me not to worry about it." 

And there's that leadership, that understanding that if Ohio State is going to win games and compete for a Big Ten title, that Barrett can't do it alone. It's a collective offensive effort, where when everything comes together, plays happen. 

Barrett isn't a solo act like Braxton Miller. 

And he's fine with that. 

Curtis Grant, Darron Lee and Chris Worley started at linebacker for the Buckeyes, but it won't stay that way.

BALTIMORE, Md. -- Ohio State's depth chart, with seven positions listed with an "or" that explained that the job at that spot was shared, was confusing enough.

Then it turned out that what the Buckeyes showed at linebacker in a 34-17 win over Navy on Saturday didn't look like anything Ohio State had shown before.

Or should show again.

"That wasn't on the sheet?" linebackers coach and co-defensive coordinator Luke Fickell asked.

No, Curtis Grant starting at middle linebacker, flanked by two smaller quicker outside linebackers in Darron Lee and Chris Worley wasn't something anyone had seen.

"It was a unique situation, it was a unique game," Fickell said. "We had guys playing some different spots. We asked a lot of guys to do some different things. You see they all rolled through there. Guys played positions they hadn't normally played."

Expected weakside linebacker starter Joshua Perry, for instance, played behind Grant, sharing time with him as the middle linebacker.

Since the spring, coaches have talked about how much they liked both Lee and Worley, with Lee doing just enough to win the starting job. But seeing them together was unusual. But reasonable, as the Buckeyes wanted to be as fast as possible while chasing down Navy's triple option.

Perry, who added weight and size this offseason, is 6-foot-4 and 252 pounds. Lee is 6-2, 228 and Worley is 6-2, 222. 

Next week against Virginia Tech, Fickell said things will go back to normal. That means Perry at the weakside linebacker, backed up by Dante Booker; Lee and Worley at the walkout linebacker spot; and Grant in the middle backed up by freshman Raekwon McMillan.

The changes Saturday, with both Grant and Perry in the middle, meant that McMillan, a five-star recruit, didn't get on the field for his first college game. Camren Williams, another middle linebacker, did get a few snaps. And nickelback Armani Reeves played some even though the Mids didn't throw, working as basically a linebacker to get even more speed out there.

In the end, the linebackers weren't perfect. Navy ran for 370 yards. But the Mids turned those yards into just 17 points. 

Despite not starting, Perry finished with nine tackles while Lee and Grant had seven and Worley five.

Quick hits from Ohio State's 34-17 season-opening win over Navy. Watch video

BALTIMORE, Md. — Urban Meyer has dealt with preparing for service academy football before, so forgive him for not wanting to see Navy again any time in the near future.

Ohio State pulled away from the Midshipmen late in Saturday's game in Baltimore, and Meyer's reaction was one of relief more than anything else.

"When I was at Notre Dame that was the worst week of the year when we played Navy," Meyer said. "There's some kind of expectation that you'll just beat Navy, well wait a minute. The best thing about it is it's in the rearview mirror and we won."

Meyer had trepidation about this Navy team, considered by some to be the best coach Ken Niumatalolo has ever had in his seven years there. Those fears were realized when the Mids hung with the Buckeyes for three quarters.

Asked if Navy would be on Ohio State's schedule again any time soon, Meyer, who didn't have a hand in scheduling this game, had a quick response.

"That one was snuck in without any input from Coach Meyer," he said.

Sounds like a resounding, "No."

Here are more notes, quotes and nuggets from Ohio State's 34-17 win:

• Only two true freshmen saw the field for Ohio State: running back Curtis Samuel and kicker Sean Nuernberger. True frosh LB Raekwon McMillan, who was dressed but didn't play, was the most surprising absentee.

• Navy QB Keenan Reynolds, who's earned praise throughout his career at Navy for not only being a gifted runner, but also one of the better passers to come through Annapolis in recent years, was held to 42 rushing yards on 23 carries (1.8 avg) and 20 passing yards.

Said Buckeyes defensive coordinator Luke Fickell on stopping Reynolds: "He's the guy. He's the guy. To be honest with you, the plays that hurt us were maybe plays we hadn't seen a bunch of." 

• Navy came dangerously close to taking a two-score lead in the second quarter when defensive back Parrish Gaines sniffed out a screen pass from Ohio State QB J.T. Barrett. Gaines just missed getting his hands on an interception that almost certainly would've have gone for a touchdown.

• Saturday's attendance was announced as 57,579, most of those Ohio State fans. Meyer remarked postgame about how the game had a home feel.

• Tyvis Powell led Ohio State with a career-high 13 tackles.

Said Powell: "That's just basically reading your keys. We went over that all in practice so many times, that once I saw it I knew exactly what the play was and I was able to trigger and I was able to trust it."

• Navy ran out of timeouts with 9:53 left in the fourth quarter of what was then a three-point game after unsuccessfully challenging the spot of an Ezekiel Elliot run on fourth-and-1 that got just enough for a first down.

• Ohio State extended the nation's longest regular-season winning streak to 25 games. Meyer is 13-0 in his career in season openers.

• Nuernberger's first career kick was a 46-yard field goal that put the Buckeyes up 3-0 in the first quarter. He was 2-for-2 on the day, also hitting from 26 yards.

• Ohio State junior receiver Corey Smith didn't get any touches Saturday, offensive coordinator Tom Herman would like to see that change.

Said Herman: "The guy were were trying to get the ball to on certain occasions was Corey Smith. Just the way the play worked out either the protection broke down or the coverage wasn't what we thought it might be. Would've liked to see him touch the ball a few times."

Highlights from Urban Meyer's press conference after Ohio State's 34-17 win over Navy.

BALTIMORE, Md. — Ohio State coach Urban Meyer could enjoy the moment after the Buckeyes pulled away late for a 34-17 win over Navy on Saturday in Baltimore.

Despite the win, there was plenty for Meyer to be upset about, including lackluster play from the offensive line and some mental mistakes from quarterback J.T. Barrett.

There was some good as well. Meyer liked the defensive play for the most part, and was happy his team got to enjoy everything that comes with playing a service academy while also getting a win.

Here are some highlights from Meyer's postgame press conference:

On Barrett's play: "J.T. I thought did OK. We'll evaluate the film. Every new player is gonna have a certain amount of mistakes. We wanted to open it up a little more in the first half and we couldn't. It wasn't because of him, it was because of our offensive line. We had a couple mistakes in there — a penalty, a sack — and we just can't do that. Obviously with a team we have playing next we have a lot of work to do. But we'll take this win. I'm very proud of our guys for fighting through the second half and doing what they did."

On offensive line play: "Very disappointed. There's a standard set of offensive line play for many, many years and it's really been enhanced by our line coach Ed Warriner the last two years, and that didn't resemble an offensive line at Ohio State for the first two quarters. I'm being hard on them, but I think they played much better in the second half. We have to settle in on a starting five, we'll have to play much better if we're going to make a dent in the Big Ten Conference. I just think we expected them to play much better."

On playing Navy: "A lot of respect for Navy. Best thing about this game is we won it and it's in the rearview mirror. It's seems like we've been working on this thing forever. What you saw a little bit throughout the course of the game is what I saw during practice, every once in a while they're gonna get one on you because they execute so well. That quarterback is a heck of a player."

On the turning point: "The turning point I think is the Darron Lee fumble return. The fact that our defense kept everything in check when I went for it on fourth down and didn't get it. We just were playing defense and giving us a chance to go take the lead."

On Cam Burrows, Von Bell and rotating players: "I think they're co-starters. It's a little bit like our group of receivers. You see a steady stream of guys running in and out. Like, who's our starting H? Is it Jalin or Dontre? It's both of them. Same thing at the wide receiver, Michael Thomas, Evan Spencer, Corey Smith and Devin Smith. We have a lot of confidence. We have to spread the ball a little bit more around than we did today."

On playcalling challenges with some many new players: "First half was tough. We only ran about four or five plays in the second half. One of them was that little hand sweep to one of the H-backs. We faked a sweep to the H-back and the downhill run. The playaction pass we hit a homerun on one. That was the same pass we called earlier to Dontre Wilson."

On if he misses Braxton Miller: "A lot of times, great players like that will pull out of something. I didn't physically think about that during the course of the game, but you miss great players and Braxton is a great player."

On the atmosphere: "Awesome. We won, so you can enjoy it. I've coached against Navy for along time. I thought their uniforms were great. I had my son take a look at all the white-clad men and women who represent the Naval Academy. I thought it was awesome. Best thing about this one is it happened, we won, show great respect and get out of Dodge fast before they change their mind."

A complete photo gallery from the on-the-field festivities from Ohio State's 34-17 win over Navy in the season opener in Baltimore's M&T Stadium on Saturday.

BALTIMORE, Md. – For a while Saturday afternoon Ohio State wasn't smiling because there was a time, at least early in the second half of its 34-17 win over Navy, when it seemed like there was a chance the Buckeyes could be upset. 

But after Ohio State pulled away in the fourth quarter behind redshirt freshman quarterback J.T. Barrett, the Buckeyes started grinning because they could finally celebrate something ... 

Their first win of the 2014 season after a tumultuous fall camp that included the loss of star quarterback Braxton Miller for the season. 

Doug and I were on the field as Ohio State wandered from end zone to end zone to sing Navy's alma mater, "Navy Blue and Gold," and their own, "Carmen Ohio." 

Check out the above 19-picture photo gallery that includes everything from Barrett to head coach Urban Meyer to freshman Jalyn Holmes. 

And below are some important links from our coverage of the game. 

• 'I'm not Braxton - I'm J.T': Ohio State QB J.T. Barrett isn't a superstar, and he knows the Buckeyes must win differently as a result

• Ohio State freshman QB J.T. Barrett shows who he is in first start: Buckeyes Barrett Breakdown

• Ohio State's unexpected linebacker alignment was a one-time thing vs. Navy's triple option

• Happy with J.T. Barrett's play, concerned with offensive line: Quick hits from Urban Meyer's press conference

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

Urban Meyer wants to see improvement in Ohio State's inexperienced offensive line after Saturday's lackluster debut.

BALTIMORE, Md. — Ohio State offensive line coach Ed Warinner said you generally see the most improvement in new players from Game 1 to Game 2.

From Urban Meyer's assessment of the offensive line's play in Game 1 against Navy, there's plenty of room for improvement before the No. 5 Buckeyes take on Virginia Tech next Saturday night.

"Very disappointed," Meyer said. "There's a standard set of offensive line play for many, many years, and it's really been enhanced by Coach Warriner the last two years. That didn't resemble an offensive line at Ohio State for the first two quarters."

The Buckeyes broke in four new starters against Navy in the opener, and it showed in the first half as mental lapses, missed assigments and communications errors all contributed to a lackluster 30 minutes.

On Ohio State's second possession of the game, starting left guard Pat Elflein missed a block which led to a sack of quarterback T.J. Barrett.  Two plays later, right guard Billy Price was called for a hold that negated a 9-yard run by Barrett.

Right tackle Darryl Baldwin struggled at times containing Navy defensive end Will Anthony, who finished with five tackles, including a stop of Ezekiel Elliot on a fourth-and-1 play in the third quarter.

"A couple of areas that we made mistakes in the first half were guys getting beat one-on-one, and there were some communication things," Warriner said. "That's a part of the first game experience. First game for four new guys up front."

Frist game jitters or not, Meyer was adamant that something needs to change before next week. That starts with the Buckeyes finding the right mix, particularly at guard.

Redshirt freshman Price and redshirt sophomore Elflein started at right and left guard, respectively. Senior Joe Hale was mixed in at left guard in the second quarter, with Elflein moving to to the right.

The Buckeyes found better success by going back to the starting lineup in the second half, but Meyer said he will continue looking for the right mix.

"We have to settle on a starting five," Meyer said. "We'll have to play much better if we're going to make a dent in the Big Ten Conference. I just think we expected them to play better."

A comprehensive 35-picture catalogue of every single important action shot from Ohio State's 34-17 win over Navy in the season opener in Baltimore's M&T Stadium on Saturday.

BALTIMORE, Md. – There's a difference between the professional photos taken by the Cleveland Plain Dealer's Marvin Fong and the ones Doug and I snap with our iPhones. 

We like to think ours are pretty good.

But there's no question that Marvin's are better. Actually, they're great. 

So check out the above photo gallery, a comprehensive 35-picture catalogue of every single important action shot from Ohio State's 34-17 win over Navy in the season opener in Baltimore's M&T Stadium on Saturday. 

And below are some important links from our coverage of the game. 

• 'I'm not Braxton - I'm J.T': Ohio State QB J.T. Barrett isn't a superstar, and he knows the Buckeyes must win differently as a result

• Ohio State freshman QB J.T. Barrett shows who he is in first start: Buckeyes Barrett Breakdown

• Ohio State's unexpected linebacker alignment was a one-time thing vs. Navy's triple option

• Happy with J.T. Barrett's play, concerned with offensive line: Quick hits from Urban Meyer's press conference

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

Ohio University opens the season with a 17-14 Mid-American Conference victory over Kent State.

KENT, Ohio -- Kent State just did not have enough in the end to hold off Ohio University as the Bobcats got a 44-yard field from Josiah Yazdani with three seconds to play to pull out a 17-14 victory Saturday night in the season opener and Mid-American Conference opener for both teams.

"Tough loss,'' Kent head coach Paul Haynes said. "Just came up short."

The Golden Flashes were playing their first game since the death of teammate Jason Bitsko 10 days ago and the week of missed practice following Bitsko's death showed in some ill-timed penalties and defensive breakdowns early in the game that aided OU's first two scores.

The miscues flowed all the way down to the coaching staff, as a Kent penalty for having two players on the field with the same number turned a fourth down OU punt attempt into a first down. The Bobcats promptly went on to score.

"That one is my fault,'' Haynes said. "We all have to go back and get better."

Kent failed to capitalize on a pair of recovered fumbles in the third quarter and two more in the fourth before finally breaking through with a late score to tie the game, 14-14.

"We were trying,'' Kent quarterback Colin Reardon said. "But we shot ourselves in the foot. We got to clean it up. We're close to being good."

A missed 20-yard field goal, turning the ball over on downs near midfield, and a three-and-out spoiled the first three fumble recoveries. Then a 23-yard pass from Reardon to Chris Humphrey with 3:34 to play tied the game, 14-14.

The Bobcats then rushed the ball fluidly and ran down the clock for the final field goal to win.

"They did not stop us,'' OU head coach Frank Solich said of the Golden Flashes. "We stopped ourselves with fumbles."

This loss spoiled a strong individual defensive game for Kent safety Nate Holley, as he finished with 18 tackles, two forced fumbles and one recovered. But he was not satisfied in the end. Also strong was freshman nose guard Jon Cunningham (Bedford High) who started, had four tackles and forced a fumble.

"Our challenge to ourselves right now is what's our identity,'' Holley said. "We let a couple (big plays) hurt us."

The Bobcats first two scores came on a 23-yard TD pass from Derrius Vick to Landon Smith, then a 5-yard Vick-to-Smith pass in the second quarter. Kent's early touchdown was an 8-yard pass from Reardon to Josh Boyle that tied the score in the first quarter.

Kent's woes were compounded as 6-1, 245-pound senior tailback Trayion Durham was on the sidelines recovering from off-season foot surgery. His loss showed in the running game as the Flashes could only muster 31 yards.

Overall, the Bobcats had 437 yards of total offense -- 175 rushing -- to 295 total yards for Kent.

"Give them credit,'' Haynes said of the Bobcats rush defense. "That's where they're strong at, up front."

Take a look at how the cleveland.com Top 25 football teams fared on Saturday of Week 1 and see how their counterparts did on Friday as well.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Here is an updated look at how the high school football teams in the cleveland.com Top 25 fared in Week 1, including final results from Friday and Saturday. 

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, on Friday.

Next: At Uniontown Lake on Sept. 5. 

3. Mentor 

Defeated Youngstown Boardman, 48-14, on Friday.

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

4. St. Ignatius 

Defeated Lawrence Central (Ind.), 28-21.

Next: Plays No. 3 Mentor on Sept. 6 at Byers Field. 

5. Nordonia 

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

Next: Plays 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.), 21-6, on Friday.

Next: Plays No. 1 St. Edward on Sept. 6 at Lakewood Stadium. 

8. Avon 

Defeated No. 22 Avon Lake, 44-7, on Friday.

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 

Defeated Buchtel, 45-21.

Next: Plays at Strongsville on Sept. 5. 

11. Bedford 

Defeated Olmsted Falls, 14-7, on Friday.

Next: Plays No. 22 Avon Lake on Sept. 5 at Bedford Bearcat Stadium. 

12. Highland 

Lost to Wooster, 21-20, on Friday.

Next: Plays Buckeye on Sept. 5. 

13. Brecksville 

Defeated Holy Name, 28-13, on Friday.

Next: Plays at North Royalton on Sept. 5. 

T14. Brush 

Lost to Padua, 21-14, on Friday.

Next: Plays at Ashtabula Lakeside on Sept. 5. 

T14. Stow 

Defeated North Canton Hoover, 28-17, on Friday.

Next: Plays No. 19 Kent Roosevelt on Sept. 5. 

16. Elyria 

Defeated Fremont Ross, 28-19, on Friday.

Next: Plays Lorain on Sept. 5. 

17. Mayfield 

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

Next: Plays Willoughby South on Sept. 5. 

18. Aurora

Defeated Twinsburg, 34-13, on Friday.

Next: Plays Ravenna on Sept. 5. 

T19. Brunswick 

Defeated Medina, 36-0, on Friday.

Next: Plays Padua on Sept. 5. 

T19. Kent Roosevelt 

Lost to Copley, 32-14, on Friday.

Next: Plays at No. 14 Stow on Sept. 5. 

21. Kirtland 

Defeated Eastlake North, 49-14, on Friday.

Next: Plays Grand Valley on Sept. 5. 

22. Avon Lake 

Lost to No. 8 Avon, 44-7, on Friday.

Next: Plays at No. 11 Bedford on Sept. 5. 

23. Villa Angela-St. Joseph 

Defeated Youngstown Liberty, 54-29.

Next: Plays at Euclid on Sept. 6. 

24. Madison 

Defeated No. 25 Chagrin Falls, 36-0, on Friday.

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

T25. Chagrin Falls 

Lost to No. 24 Madison, 36-0, on Friday.

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

T25. Solon 

Defeated Kenston, 20-14, on Friday.

Next: Plays at 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.

Ohio State had some impressive moments in Saturday's win over Navy, but also has room to improve.

BALTIMORE, Maryland -- Observations from Ohio State's 34-17 victory over Navy on Saturday:

1. Curtis Samuel is probably Ohio State's best running back already.  He carried the workload late in the game any way.

2. Joey Bosa forced the fumble that became a defensive TD by whacking the Navy QB's arm on a pitchout. Bosa was incredibly good for a true freshman who reported in the summer last year, not in the spring. Mentally and physically, this guy is a pure, certifiable load on the D-line.

3. H-back Dontre Willis is indeed bigger and stronger and a threat between the tackles. But he has to catch the ball on potential big plays. The slow start wouldn't have been so slow if he hadn't dropped a low but completely catchable ball when he was open in the middle of the field on the first possession.

4. Still a lot of missed tackles by the linebackers, although Navy's triple option will fool you. Curtis Grant did have some impact plays in the second half.

5. Ohio State administrators and officials, standing outside the Buckeyes' locker room, applauded the Navy players as they trooped past to their own locker room after the game. The Mids are far more than competitive losers in football against  an elite program, albeit one with inexperienced players, like Ohio State. I've covered all three major service academies in my career. I've never met a single player from any of them that wasn't impressive in every way. It sounds trite, but it is true: A special type of person goes there, men and women. The Buckeyes were right to clap.

A Jose Ramirez triple in the 11th turned the tide for the Tribe, as Cleveland moved to within 3 1/2 games of a playoff spot.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Jose Ramirez rose up off his backside, his pants dirtied, his helmet jarred loose. He smacked his hands together and exhaled as his foot graced third base. After nearly 11 innings, many dripping with late-season drama, he was 90 feet from home.

The Indians have been pushed to the brink on several occasions this season, only to have rebounded each time and climbed back into the playoff chase. The same theme unfolded on Saturday night at Kauffman Stadium, where the Tribe outlasted the Royals, 3-2, in 11 innings.

Ramirez's leadoff triple in the 11th and subsequent RBI singles by Michael Brantley and Carlos Santana propelled the Indians to their sixth win in seven games. The late-game offensive burst eased the tension placed on the Tribe's taxed bullpen. Cleveland pitchers stranded 16 Royals runners and seven relievers pieced together 5 1/3 effective innings.

It wasn't easy.

With one on and no outs in the eighth, Scott Atchison fielded a grounder and twisted his body to throw to second to start a potential double play. Ramirez and Jason Kipnis both converged on second base and Atchison's throw, a little low and to the left of the bag, sailed into center. Instead of the bases cleared and two outs, the Royals had runners at the corners with no outs.

Manager Terry Francona then initiated his nightly bullpen shuffle. By the time C.C. Lee entered in the eighth, Kansas City had the bags packed with one out. Lorenzo Cain tapped a slow chopper toward short, where Ramirez corralled the baseball and, rather than throw home, tossed it to second in an attempt to start a twin killing. Cain beat out the relay to first and the Royals erased Cleveland's 1-0 advantage.

That closed the book on Trevor Bauer, who demonstrated the balance of an Olympic gymnast as he walked a tightrope throughout his performance. He loaded the bases with no outs in the first inning, but followed with three consecutive strikeouts to escape unharmed. The right-hander walked five and served up four hits in 5 2/3 innings, but kept Kansas City off the scoreboard.

Catcher Salvador Perez tacked on Kansas City's final run with a two-out RBI double in the bottom of the 11th.

What it means

The Indians closed to within 3 1/2 games of the Royals and Tigers for first place in the American League Central and 3 1/2 games of both clubs for the second AL Wild Card berth. The Tribe captured their third straight win.

Bauer outage

Bauer departed with runners on second and third and two outs in the sixth after yielding a double to Lorenzo Cain. Southpaw Kyle Crockett, however, shut the door by inducing a groundout off the bat of Mike Moustakas. Jason Kipnis fielded the grounder in the hole near second base turned his body while leaping through the air and fired an on-target throw to first.

Double the fun

Back-to-back doubles by Kipnis (to the gap in right-center) and Yan Gomes (down the left-field line) in the fourth inning provided the Tribe with the game's first run.

See you later

Pitching coach Mickey Callaway was ejected for the first time in his career. With two outs and the bases loaded in the first inning, Royals designated hitter Raul Ibanez checked his swing on a pitch in the dirt. Callaway apparently had some choice words for third-base umpire Bill Welke, who ruled that Ibanez held up. Welke promptly tossed Callaway and Francona sauntered onto the field to offer the umpire a piece of his mind. Bullpen coach Kevin Cash relocated to the dugout to take Callaway's place. He made his first mound visit in the sixth.

What's to come

Tribe southpaw T.J. House (2-3, 4.18 ERA) will oppose Royals lefty Danny Duffy (8-11, 2.47 ERA) on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball telecast. House had a stretch of eight consecutive outings in which he limited the opposition to three runs or fewer before he surrendered five runs in 4 2/3 innings in Chicago on Tuesday. Duffy has had mixed results in two starts against Cleveland this season. On July 6 at Progressive Field, he allowed four runs on 10 hits in six innings. Three weeks later, he blanked the Tribe on two hits over seven innings.

The Indians are 13-5 since Aug. 9.

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

Game: 134.

Opponent: Royals.

Location: Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, Mo.

Time of day: Night.

Time elapsed: 4 hours, 23 minutes.

Attendance: 35,089.

Result: Indians 3, Royals 2 (11).

Records: Indians 70-64, Royals 74-61.

Nick Camino Scoreboard Watch: The Royals entered the weekend with an opportunity to dump dirt on the Indians in the AL Central. Instead, the Tribe has won the first two of the series and pulled within 3.5 games of Kansas City and Detroit, who are tied atop the division with identical records.

Rare air: The Indians are six games above .500 for the first time.

Staying hot: The Indians clinched their fifth consecutive series and are 6-0-1 in the past seven. They have won three straight games and are 13-5 since Aug. 9.

Inching ahead: The Indians lead the season series, 8-7. They have won the past three meetings, all at Kauffman Stadium.

Stage fright: The Royals slipped to 4-8 in front of home crowds of 30,000-plus.

In honor of Beeg Boy: On Aug. 30, 1974, Ken Aspromonte's Indians defeated Billy Martin's Rangers, 7-3, at Texas. Tribe designated hitter Rico Carty -- the Beeg Boy -- went 3-for-5 with three RBI.

Forty years later, the Indians prevailed in Missouri while wearing the 1974 uniforms as part of retro night at The K.

Bottom line, up front: The Indians had absolutely no business winning Saturday's game, but they did -- against a first-place team in its (packed) house. Therefore, this ranks as the Indians' most improbable, and impressive, victory of the season. 

Francona's Fun Bunch: The game belonged to numerous Indians. Almost every Cleveland position player and pitcher to have appeared contributed something tangible that helped secure the victory.

Sheer hustle: Indians shortstop Jose Ramirez led off the 11th inning with a triple to right-center against lefty Scott Downs. The easy hit for Ramirez was a double, but he refused to settle. He pressed the issue with his speed and was rewarded -- albeit on a (very) close play.

Ramirez having reached third turned out to be ginormous. The Royals pulled the infield in against Michael Brantley. In a 3-1 count, Brantley swung and missed at a sweeping slider down and away. For reasons known only to Downs and Kansas City catcher Salvador Perez, Downs eschewed another sweeper and opted for a fastball. Perez wanted the pitch away, but it got too much of the plate and Brantley chopped it over second baseman Omar Infante's head to give the Tribe a 2-1 lead.

Brantley improved to 7-for-16 with two homers and four RBI in extra innings this season.

If Ramirez had been at second, Infante would have been at normal depth. Assuming the same swing by Brantley, Infante would have recorded the out as Ramirez advanced to third.

Righty Jason Frasor relieved to face Carlos Santana. On the first pitch, Brantley got a terrific jump and stole second. As a bonus for the Tribe, Perez rushed and threw the ball into the outfield, enabling Brantley to advance to third.

With the infield forced in again, Santana chopped a 3-1 pitch up the middle for a 3-1 cushion.

Ramirez's calculated risk had set up the entire uprising.

The Indians needed both runs as Kansas City came up just short in its half.

Royals flushed: The Royals amassed nine hits and walked nine times, but they went 2-for-18 with runners in scoring position and stranded 16. Let that marinate.

Make no mistake: Indians pitchers had plenty to do with Kansas City's ineptitude in the clutch.

Among the notable Kansas City missed opportunities/Cleveland escapes:  

First inning: bases loaded, none out -- zero runs. Tribe right-hander Trevor Bauer struck out Billy Butler swinging (curveball), Perez swinging (curve) and Raul Ibanez swinging (3-2 fastball on outside corner).

Against Butler and Perez, Bauer combined to throw 10 strikes in 10 pitches. Bauer should have had Ibanez struck out earlier in the AB, but third-base umpire Bill Welke somehow ruled that Ibanez checked his swing. Replays showed Welke missed the call; Tribe pitching coach Mickey Callaway gave Welke an earful. Welke compounded his error by ejecting Callaway.

Good for Callaway.

Fourth inning: runners on first and second, none out -- zero runs. Bauer got Tribe antagonist Mike Moustakas to chop a 1-2 curveball into a 3-6-1 double play and Alcides Escobar to fly to center.

Sixth inning: runners on second and third, two outs -- zero runs. Lefty Kyle Crockett relieved Bauer to face Moustakas, who grounded up the middle. Tribe second baseman Jason Kipnis fielded on the move, jumped and threw on-target to first for the out.

Bauer gave up four hits, walked five and struck out six in the grittiest, guttiest 5 2/3 scoreless of his career.

Eighth inning: runners on second and third, none out -- one run. Tribe reliever Scott Atchison should have been working with two outs and none on, but a miscommunication between Kipnis and Ramirez led to Atchison firing a potential double-play ball into center field.

The mistake put Royals on first and third. One pitch later, it was second and third because pinch-runner Jarrod Dyson stole easily.

Atchison bowed his neck and struck out Perez swinging at a full-count curveball that would have been ball four -- with room to spare. When lefty Nick Hagadone relieved Atchison, Royals manager Ned Yost pinch-hit Erik Kratz for Ibanez. The Indians will take that trade every time, no matter what Ibanez is hitting or how old he is, but Hagadone fell behind Kratz, 3-0, and threw the fourth one intentionally wide to load the bases.

Indians manager Terry Francona signaled for righty C-C Lee, who got Lorenzo Cain to chop to the charging Ramirez. Instead of throwing home for the force, Ramirez sought to end the inning with a double play. The Indians recorded an out at second but Cain beat Kipnis's relay; Kipnis had been required to reach back for Ramirez's feed. Alex Gordon scored to make it 1-1.

Lefty Marc Rzepczynski relieved. After Cain stole second, Moustakas grounded to first.

Ninth inning: runners on first and second, two outs -- zero runs. Tribe closer Cody Allen struck out Dyson looking at a 2-2 fastball at the knees.

10th inning: bases loaded, one out -- zero runs. Indians long man Josh Tomlin began by giving up a double to Perez, who had been down in the count, 0-2. Perez shot a 1-2 fastball into the left-field corner.

Kratz struck out swinging at a full-count pitch.

Cain reached on a single to second, Perez stopping at third. Moustakas was intentionally walked. Escobar, in a 2-2 count, chopped to third, where Lonnie Chisenhall made a slick pick on the short hop and threw to catcher Yan Gomes to force Perez. Former Indian Jayson Nix struck out swinging.

The pick by Chisenhall easily could get overlooked, but it shouldn't.

11th inning: runner on second, two outs -- zero runs. With two outs and none on, Dyson singled and took second on fielder's indifference. Perez doubled to pull Kansas City within 3-2; he improved to 7-for-9 against Tomlin.

Kratz stepped in. When Tomlin's 0-2 curve veered inside, Kratz acted as if the ball plunked him on the leg. Kratz trotted toward first, but plate umpire James Hoye didn't bite and ordered him back in the box. SportsTime Ohio play-by-play man Matt Underwood said: "Come on back. Where are you going?''

For the ninth pitch of the at-bat, Tomlin threw a full-count fastball that scraped the bottom of the zone. Kratz began moving toward first, but Hoye effectively told him he would get nothing and like it.

Ball game.

Tomlin earned the victory. He allowed one run on four hits in two innings. He walked one and struck out four. He threw 54 of his club's 214 pitches.

Spotlight on....Indians 1B Carlos Santana. He entered Saturday batting .538 (14-for-26) with six homers and 13 RBI in seven games at Kauffman Stadium this season. He had hit safely in all seven.

For his career, Santana was batting .384 with 11 homers and 39 RBI at The K.

Here is a breakdown of his at-bats:

First inning vs. righty James Shields (runner on second, two outs) -- 81 curve down and in, ball; 89 cutter down and in, ball; 86 hard changeup outside corner, called strike; 90 cutter up and on hands, foul; 87 changeup in dirt, ball; 87 changeup down and in, grounder to first.  

*Shields and Perez refused to give in to Santana and throw a fastball. Shields spiked the penultimate changeup. The next change was good enough to get an out, even if the location was off; Perez set up over the outer third of the plate. Royals first baseman Billy Butler fielded behind the bag and on the line.

Fourth inning vs. Shields (none on, none out) -- 79 curve at knees, called strike; 84 changeup outside corner, called strike; 79 curve in dirt, ball; 86 slider outside, ball; 87 slider outside, ball; 85 changeup, foul; 87 hard changeup, foul; 87 slider, grounder to second.

*Shields continued with nothing but secondary stuff. 

Sixth inning vs. Shields (none on, none out) -- 93 fastball low, ball; 77 curve outside corner, called strike; 78 curve, called strike; 79 curve, liner to right.

*Shields opened the AB with his first fastball of the evening against Santana, then threw three straight curves. Santana dug out the last one but was unable to get enough air under it.

Ninth inning vs. Greg Holland (none on, none out) -- mid-90s fastball, ball; 96 fastball low, ball; 96 fastball outside corner, called strike; 88 splitter, foul pop to first.

*Holland hung the split and Santana was on it; Santana just missed it.

11th inning vs. Frasor (runner on first, none out) -- 82 off-speed outside, ball (Brantley stolen base, to third on wild throw by Perez.); 93 fastball inside, ball; 82 off-speed, swinging strike; 93 fastball inside, ball; 82 off-speed outer half, RBI single to right-center.

*Santana, capitalizing on the infield having been in, found a hole.

Leon McFadden, Dion Lewis and Nate Burleson were among the Browns roster moves today to get down to the final 53.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Browns cornerback Leon McFadden had two preseason starts to try to keep his job, and wide receiver Nate Burleson hoped that returning in the preseason finale and catching a big 27-yard pass from Johnny Manziel might be enough to save him.

But it wasn't to be for either of them.

McFadden, Burleson, and running backs Chris Ogbonnaya and Dion Lewis were among the 19 cuts the Browns made to get down to the final 53. Other bigger-name players that got the axe include guard Garrett Gilkey, second-year safety Josh Aubrey and tight end MarQuies Gray.

Rookie quarterback Connor Shaw, the undrafted free agent from South Carolina, was let go, but could resurface on the practice squad if he clears waivers on Sunday.
The Browns also placed fourth-year cornerback Isaiah Trufant on injured reserve for the season with a knee injury that caused him to miss three of the four preseason games and receiver Marlon Moore was suspended for the first game of the season and does not currently count on the 53-man roster.

The more notable players that made the team include 12th-year quarterback Rex Grossman, and three undrafted rookies: fullback Ray Agnew, running back Isaiah Crowell and receiver Taylor Gabriel.

Four of the players let go are vested veterans and are free to sign with any team, right away:  Burleson; linebackers Zac Diles and Jamal Westerman; and Ogbonnaya.

The following players were waived and must clear waivers before they can join another team: defensive backs Josh Aubrey and McFadden, defensive linemen Calvin Barnett, Jacobbi McDaniel and Justin Staples; offensive linemen Reid Fragel, Gilkey, Donald Hawkins, Alex Parsons and Abasi Salimu; quarterback Shaw;  Gray; Lewis; tight end Emmanuel Ogbuehi; and  receiver Willie Snead.

Pettine regretted having to part with Burleson, who missed most of the offseason with arm surgery and the first three preseason games with a pulled hamstring. The affable Burleson was a leader in the receiver room and a great mentor to the young receivers.

"Nate is a true professional and it was a difficult decision for us." Pettine said in a release. "Ultimately, his availability was a concern with all the time he missed and we liked what we saw in the other players at that position."

Burleson tweeted, "Been real Ohio! Huge S/O to the fans for showin me luv while I was here, I now know why people luv Cleveland! #Dueces.

 The Browns kept only five receivers -- and will be sure to add more over the next few days. Some intriguing ones have been cut, including former Jets 2012 second-round pick Stephen Hill, former Saints veteran Robert Meachem and former Charger Vincent Brown.

Pettine was the Jets defensive coordinator in 2012, so he's familiar with Hill, whom the Jets traded up to draft at 43rd overall out of Georgia Tech. But the speedster never quite lived up to his potential in New York, catching 45 passes for 594 yards and four TDs in his 23 games. He also finished each of his first two seasons on injured reserve.

His agent, Alan Herman, told Newsday, "I just don't think (the Jets) gave him the opportunity he deserves.''

Did Pettine see it the same way? If so, the Browns might consider putting a claim in.
The Browns' projected starters are Miles Austin and Andrew Hawkins, but several young receivers have a chance to make an impact, including Gabriel, the undrafted rookie from Abilene Christian, and Charles Johnson, who was acquired last year despite recovering from a major knee injury.

Gabriel caught two big passes from Brian Hoyer in Thursday's 33-13 victory over the Bears, and led all receivers with 10 catches for 128 yards in preseason. Gabriel also returned four kickoffs for a 31.8-yard average, including a team-long 68-yarder.

"Gabriel's an explosive athlete, he's very strong for his size (5-foot-8 and 172 pounds)," Pettine said. "He has the ability to get off the line against press, whicha lot of times you don't find with smaller guys. A lot of times, you have to put them off the ball or have him on the move (before the snap)."

The Browns kept a dozen defensive backs, in part because several are injured: Joe Haden (foot), Buster Skrine (thumb surgery) and rookie Pierre Desir (knee). The list includes four rookies: first-round draft pick Justin Gilbert, fourth-rounder Desir, and two rookie free agents -- K'Waun Williams of Pitt and Robert Nelson of Arizona State.

"It's a big part of the system, just with how it's become such a passing league," Pettine said. "You need to carry a high number of DBs, especially corners."

 The Browns opted to keep Grosssman, who can help both Brian Hoyer and Johnny Manziel. Grossman has played for offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan for five seasons, in Houston and Washington.

"Rex is a veteran, he's played in this system, he's good for the (other) guys in the (quarterback) room, and he also showed that he can still throw it," Pettine said. "And that's the most important thing. He can still play."

Crowell, who churned out 102 yards on 13 carries --- including a 48-yard TD blast -- for an impressive 7.8-yard average against the Bears, made Lewis expendable. Before Thursday night, he had rushed only twice for three yards.

"It wasn't something where he was on the outside looking in and, all of a sudden, he had that big night," Pettine said. "He had flashed at practice and he was a guy that we knew had that type of ability. But you still have to show it in games, and we had kind of earmarked (the Bears') game as one where we were going to feature him a little bit more. And, to his credit, he went out and performed."

Crowell (5-11, 225) was the SEC Freshman of the Year at Georgia in 2011 and then transferred to Alabama State, where he  finished sixth in school history with 1,963 yards after two seasons.

"I knew once I got a chance, I'd prove to everybody I've got what it takes," Crowell said after the Bears game. "I knew I could do whatever they wanted me to do."

The Browns opted for Agnew, a true fullback, as opposed to tight end-turned fullback Gray and the multi-purpose Ogbonnaya.

"Ray was another guy that I'd put in that category with Gabriel in the sense that if you watched how he handled himself, you'd never know he was a rookie, especially an undrafted one," Pettine said. "But he fits our commitment to wanting to run the football, he fits that classic mold where he brings an air of toughness."

Pettine stressed that the Browns will be scouring the waiver wire. They'll also add some of the waived players to their 10-man practice squad when they clear waivers.

"I think the 53 is always going to be fluid, especially at the start of the season." Pettine said. "Ray and his staff have done an outstanding job of keeping tabs on the league and I'm confident they will continue to make any moves that are necessary to give us the best possible 53."

Other roster notes:  

* The departures of McFadden and Gilkey leaves only two of the five draft picks from 2013 on the roster: first-round pick Barkevious Mingo and seventh-round pick Armonty Bryant. Also gone from that draft is sixth-round safety Jamoris Slaughter.

McFadden started the last two preseason games in place of Haden, but couldn't save himself. Thursday night against the Bears, he committed a 37-yard pass interference penalty and also surrendered a 32-yard pass to receiver Josh Bellamy.
Slated for an eventual starting role, McFadden started only two games for the Browns last season and made 15 tackles.

* Lewis, acquired in a trade for former Browns sixth-round pick Emmanuel Acho, who's out of football, battled back from a broken fibula that cost him all of 2013, but lost out to Crowell. Last week, Pettine said Lewis has separated himself some in the battle for the third running back job. But he finished the preseason with only 12 carries for 30 yards and a 2.5-yard average.
 
The Browns 53-man roster includes:

Offense (23)

Quarterbacks (3): Brian Hoyer, Johnny Manziel, Rex Grossman; running backs (3) : Ben Tate, Terrance West, Isaiah Crowell, fullback (1): Ray Agnew; wide receivers (5):  Miles Austin, Andrew Hawkins, Travis Benjamin, Taylor Gabriel, Charles Johnson; tight ends (3): Jordan Cameron, Gary Barnidge, Jim Dray; offensive linemen (8): Joe Thomas, Alex Mack, John Greco, Mitchell Schwartz, Joel Bitonio, Paul McQuistan, Martin Wallace, Karim Barton.

Defense (27)

Defensive linemen (7): Desmond Bryant, Armonty Bryant, John Hughes, Ishmaa'ily Kitchen, Phil Taylor, Billy Winn, Ahtyba Rubin; linebackers (8): Karlos Dansby, Barkevious Mingo, Craig Robertson, Paul Kruger, Jabaal Sheard, Chris Kirksey, Tank Carder; Eric Martin; defensive backs (12): Joe Haden, Buster Skrine, Justin Gilbert, Aaron Berry, Pierre Desir, Robert Nelson, K'Waun Williams, Donte Whitner, Tashaun Gipson, Jim Leonhard, Johnson Bademosi, Jordan Poyer.

Specialists (3)
Kicker (1): Billy Cundiff; punter (1): Spencer Lanning; long snapper (1): Christian Yount.

The Browns cut Rex Grossman and have only two quarterbacks on their roster. They added receiver LaRon Byrd and running back Glenn Winston.

BEREA, Ohio -- The Browns continued to tinker with the bottom of their roster Sunday, cutting quarterback Rex Grossman and receiver Charles Johnson, and adding  receiver LaRon Byrd and running back Glenn Winston off waivers from Dallas and San Francisco, respectively.

The club also waived offensive linemen Karim Barton and Martin Wallace

In addition, they were awarded offensive linemen Caylin Hauptmann (Seattle) and Ryan Seymour (San Francisco) off waivers.

The Browns also signed six  players to their practice squad: quarterback Connor Shaw, offensive lineman James Brown, defensive lineman Jacobbi McDaniel, tight end Emmanuel Ogbuehi, and linebackers Keith Pough and Justin Staples.

The departure of Grossman leaves only two quarterbacks on the 53-man roster in Brian Hoyer and Johnny Manziel, and then Shaw on the practice squad. Pettine indicated that Grossman might also land back with the team at some point.

The claiming of Winston is somewhat controversial, considering he's been jailed twice, once in 2009 and 2010.

According to csnbayarea.co, Winston was kicked out of Michigan State in 2009 after two physical assaults in less than a year and was sentenced to six months in jail in 2010. He also spent four months in jail in 2009 for a previous incident.

Winston is the third rookie running back on the roster, including third-round pick Terrance West and undrafted rookie Isaiah Crowell.  

 Originally signed as an undrafted rookie by the 49ers out of Division II Northwood University, Winston led the 49ers in rushing during the preseason with 113 yards on 19 carries with one touchdown.

Byrd (6-4, 220) is in his is 6-4, 220 pounds and in his third NFL season out of Miami.  He was originally signed by the Cardinals as an undrafted free agent in 2012. In four games as a rookie, he caught one pass for 8 yards and added two special-teams tackles.

Last season, Byrd suffered a concussion that cost him the entire season.

In preseason, Byrd caught seven passes for 103 yards with a touchdown for the Cowboys. At Miami, he totaled 106 receptions for 1,254 yards and seven touchdowns.

Hauptmann (6-3, 300) originally signed with the Browns as an undrafted free agent out of Florida International last year. He spent the first two weeks of the season on the Browns' practice squad before being signed to Seattle's active roster. He was inactive for 10 games and dressed but did not play in three more.  

Seymour (6-4, 305) was originally drafted by the Seahawks in the seventh round of the 2013 draft out of Vanderbilt. He spent the first 14 weeks of his rookie season on the Seahawks' practice squad. He was signed to the 49ers' active roster and was inactive for the final three games.

McDaniel, Ogbuehi, Pough and Staples were each in camp with the Browns this year. Brown is entering his third NFL season out of Troy. He spent the past two seasons with the Bears and has appeared in five games.

In other Browns new today:

* Cornerbacks Joe Haden (foot), Buster Skrine (thumb surgery) and Pierre Desir (knee) all returned to practice after extended absences. However, the team was in shorts and no pads.

* Defensive end Desmond Bryant (wrist surgery) rode the bike today.

* Four players cut by the Browns on Saturday were awarded to other teams on waivers Sunday. They are cornerback Leon McFadden (Jets), guard Garrett Gilkey (Bucs), guard Donald Hawkins (Cowboys) and tight end MarQueis Gray (Vikings).

* Former Browns offensive line coach George Warhop, who now works for the Bucs, pushed for Gilkey to be drafted by the Browns in the seventh round last year, a source said. The two are now re-united in Tampa Bay. 

Here are the lineups and the pitching matchup for Sunday's series finale.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Here are the lineups and the pitching matchup for Sunday's series finale.

Pitching matchup: T.J. House (2-3, 4.18 ERA) vs. Danny Duffy (8-11, 2.47 ERA)

Lineups

Indians

1. CF Michael Bourn

2. SS Jose Ramirez

3. LF Michael Brantley

4. 1B Carlos Santana

5. 2B Jason Kipnis

6. DH Yan Gomes

7. 3B Mike Aviles

8. C Roberto Perez

9. RF Tyler Holt

Royals

1. RF Nori Aoki

2. 2B Omar Infante

3. LF Alex Gordon

4. 1B Billy Butler

5. DH Salvador Perez

6. CF Lorenzo Cain

7. 3B Mike Moustakas

8. C Erik Kratz

9. SS Alcides Escobar

Junior running back Cole Gest rushed for 194 yards and three touchdowns.

LAKEWOOD, Ohio – In front of a nationally televised audience, No. 1 St. Edward dominated Gilman (Md.) on Sunday, 38-7, as junior running back Cole Gest had 194 yards rushing and three touchdowns.

Check back before 8 p.m. for another story with more information from the game, including key plays that shaped the game, top individual performers, and more.

The Eagles, No. 1 in the cleveland.com preseason Top 25, led 14-0 midway through the first quarter before the Greyhounds responded with an 89-yard kickoff return for a score.

But the momentum didn’t shift. The Eagles tacked on an Andrew Dowell 1-yard touchdown run and a John Patrick Walton 25-yard field goal to lead 24-7 at halftime.

The Eagles outgained the Greyhounds 204 yards to 23 in the first half.

Gilman, an all-boys Catholic school, is equivalent in size to a Division III school in Ohio.

What’s next

No 1 St. Edward hosts No. 7 Glenville (0-1) Saturday, 7 p.m.

Gilman Academy hosts Paramus Catholic (N.J.) Saturday, 11 a.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

Get scoring updates and analysis as the Indians take on the Royals at Kauffman Stadium and chat with cleveland.com's Zack Meisel.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Get scoring updates and analysis as the Indians take on the Royals at Kauffman Stadium and chat with cleveland.com's Zack Meisel in the comments section.

Game 135: Indians (70-64) vs. Royals (74-61)

First pitch: 8:07 p.m. at Kauffman Stadium

TV/radio: STO; WTAM AM/1100, WMMS 100.7

The Indians placed Tomlin on the paternity list on Sunday and recalled pitcher Zach McAllister, who will give the club an extra arm in its taxed bullpen. Additional reinforcements are coming on Monday, when teams can expand their active rosters to as many as 40 players.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Josh Tomlin was the last reliever Terry Francona had at his disposal on Saturday night. The Indians sent T.J. House -- Sunday's starting pitcher -- to the 'pen just in case.

Tomlin was pitching on back-to-back days for just the second time in his career. He was running on fumes and he ran into trouble in both innings in which he stood atop the rubber.

The right-hander shut the door, however, delivering a called third strike to Erik Kratz to strand the tying run on second in the 11th inning. Tomlin saved Francona from having to dip into his starting rotation. He sealed a critical late-season win against a fellow playoff contender. And then he sailed off into the night to join his wife, who is expecting.

"We knew [Saturday] night when he pitched that he was leaving," Francona said. "It works out pretty well."

The Indians placed Tomlin on the paternity list on Sunday and recalled pitcher Zach McAllister, who will give the club an extra arm in its taxed bullpen. Additional reinforcements are coming on Monday, when teams can expand their active rosters to as many as 40 players.

McAllister has compiled a 3-6 record and 5.91 ERA in 14 starts with the Indians this season. In 11 starts with Triple-A Columbus, he logged a 7-1 record and 2.09 ERA.

Tomlin (6-8, 4.40 ERA) has pitched better since being relegated to the bullpen. In six outings (one spot start), he has posted a 1.59 ERA with 12 strikeouts and only one walk in 11 1/3 innings.

During last year's late-season surge, Tomlin made only one appearance. Having just recovered from Tommy John surgery, he was merely along for the ride. As Saturday's effort demonstrated, he's here to help this time.

"He means so much to that group out there," Francona said. "He was wiped out, but he's going to figure it out. If he didn't, he's going to leave it all out there. That's the way he is."

The team will promote first baseman Jesus Aguilar and pitchers Austin Adams and Bryan Price from Triple-A Columbus.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Indians will add three kids and one aged veteran to the big league roster before Monday's series opener against the Tigers.

The club will activate Jason Giambi from the 60-day disabled list. The 43-year-old designated hitter has been -- somewhat conveniently, from a roster space standpoint -- sidelined with a handful of nagging, age-induced injuries. The team will also promote first baseman Jesus Aguilar and pitchers Austin Adams and Bryan Price from Triple-A Columbus.

"It'll help," said manager Terry Francona. "Bullpen arms are always welcome."

Here are the numbers (prior to Sunday's action) on the trio of call-ups.

Aguilar: .303/.394/.511 slash line, 19 home runs, 77 RBIs, 31 doubles (three hits in 16 at-bats with Cleveland)

Adams: 54 innings, 2.50 ERA, 52 strikeouts, 1.111 WHIP (10.80 ERA in 3 1/3 innings with Cleveland)

Price: 26 1/3 innings, 2.73 ERA, 28 strikeouts, 1.101 WHIP

The Indians, in the midst of a stretch of 30 games in 30 days, burned through seven relievers on Saturday night.

Francona said the organization wants some players at Triple-A to gain experience in participating in the Clippers' upcoming playoff games.

"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."

Giambi has collected six hits in 47 at-bats (.128 average) with two home runs for the Tribe this season. He has not appeared in a big league game since June 11.