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List of high school football games delayed or suspended to Saturday (updates all night)

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Get a rundown of how weather is impacting football games Friday night in Northeast Ohio

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The following high school football games are in weather delays or have been suspended to Saturday due to lightning.

Check this post for updates throughout the night. The most recent updates are at the top of the bolded sections. And see a live scoreboard from all 70 games in the region here.

In delays:

Berea-Midpark at Garfield Heights

Central Catholic at Elyria Catholic

Fairview at Vermilion

Hawken at Lutheran West

John Hay at Norwalk

Midview at Amherst

Westlake at Bay

Suspended to Saturday:

Mayfield at Willoughby South. Suspended to Saturday at 2 p.m.

Maple Heights at Fremont Ross. Suspended to Saturday at 1 p.m.

Lake Catholic at McDowell (Erie, Pa.). Suspended to Saturday at 2 p.m.

 

 


Johnny Manziel is ready if called on in Pittsburgh: 'That's what these coaches have asked of me'

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Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel is ready for a package of plays in Pittsburgh. If the game dictates, he'll come off the bench to provide a spark.

BEREA, Ohio -- The Browns have urged Johnny Manziel to stay on his toes in Pittsburgh on Sunday, just in case they roll out the ballyhooed Johnny package.


"I have to be (ready),'' Manziel said Friday. "I think that's what these coaches have asked of me, so I've been tuned in all week."
 
Is he nervous at the notion of facing the Steelers?

"No, I think that coach Pettine has made it very clear how everything is going to go and how things are going to work, but at the same time whenever my name is called I have to be ready, no butterflies,'' he said.

What kind of change-up would he provide if he gets in the game?

"I can't get into it, there's just too many ifs,'' he said. "If it happens, I need to be ready. Once again, that's an if.''

When Brian Hoyer was named the starter Aug. 20, Manziel admitted that he didn't feel ready at that time to start against the Steelers. Does he feel more prepared now?

"Every day it progresses, every week it progresses (and) is better for me,'' he said. "I know throughout this week I felt like I've been really dialed in with everything that's going on and making sure, more than anything. I think it's given me a chance to sit back from behind and get a chance to really analyze things that go on and really get a chance to slow some things down in my head and see them, like the pieces move throughout the defense and our offense. It helps.''

Manziel has been in this position before, backing up Ryan Tannehill at Texas A&M and being at the ready on game day.

"Every snap that's going on during the game I need to be processing as well and listening to in the headsets and making sure ... just like I did my freshman year when I wasn't playing at A&M and watching Tannehill and trying to help him and be another set of eyes for him,'' he said. "I'm going in with a mindset to help this team get better and help Brian from whichever view I can. ...That's what this is about. This isn't about me or getting in. It's helping this team win and get a win on Sunday."
 
On Tuesday,  Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said he fully expects Manziel to play, and on Thursday, defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau followed suit.

"I'll be very surprised if we don't see him,"  LeBeau told reporters in Pittsburgh. "He's been one of the top football players in the nation not for one year but for several years. You look at his offensive numbers and it's not a magic wand that he's waving out there. He's creating those situations and making plays. They're going to be wanting to bring him along and get him some game action. I'm sure of that."

LeBeau acknowledged that the Steelers will have to adjust to Manziel's mad scrambling if he plays.

"You do have to treat him a little bit differently," LeBeau said. "Some guys you can take a little more liberties with (when rushing) but he'll be gone in a minute. You have be coordinated in your rush. It comes down to execution more than anything."

Browns coach Mike Pettine noted that Manziel's insertion will be dictated by the game.

"It's pure gameplan stuff, change of pace,'' he said. "That would be a feel thing. I don't think there would be a strict set of parameters for when to do it."

Manziel also addressed again the harsh criticism by ESPN analyst Merril Hoge, who said Manziel has no business on the field in Pittsburgh and had no business being drafted in the first round.

"Everybody's  is entitled to their opinion,'' said Manziel. "I'm sorry he feels that way. He's never met me. I've never met him, so I guess he thinks I'm not a very good football player."
 
Shanahan's retort that Manziel is "worth a first-round pick" and that he's excited to see him play was music to his ears.

"It means the world,'' Manziel said. "Everybody from top to bottom in this organization treats me incredibly well. I'm extremely loved here, this city of Cleveland has shown me a lot of love -- from the fans in the preseason games to just going around town and living life so I'm very happy to be here. I'm very happy to be a part of this organization and this team and I hope we can do something special going forward."

How cleveland.com Top 25 football teams fared in Week 2, 2014

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Take a look at how football teams in the cleveland.com Top 25 fared in Week 2.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Check out how the cleveland.com Top 25 high school football teams fared in Week 2. 

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 hereYou can also see the Top 25 rankings as they stood after Week 1.  

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

(Record is followed by voting point total. First-place votes are in parentheses.)

1. St. Edward, 1-0 (7) 175

Previous ranking: 1

Idle.

Next: Plays No. 10 Glenville Saturday at Lakewood Stadium.

2. Hudson, 2-0 165

Previous ranking: 2

Defeated at Uniontown Lake, 48-10.

Next: At Brecksville on Sept. 12. 

3. Mentor, 1-0 164

Previous ranking: 3

Idle.

Next: Plays No. 4 St. Ignatius Saturday at Byers Field.

4. St. Ignatius, 1-0 153

Previous ranking: 4

Idle.

Next: Plays No. 3 Mentor Saturday at Byers Field.

5. Nordonia, 1-0 141

Previous ranking: 5

Playing at Twinsburg.

Next: Hosts Parma.

6. Benedictine, 1-0 138

Previous ranking: 6

Idle.

Next: Plays Youngstown Ursuline Saturday at Bedford Bearcat Stadium.

7. Avon, 1-0 135

Previous ranking: 8

Hosting East Tech.

Next: Hosts Twinsburg. 

8. St. Vincent-St. Mary, 1-1 125

Previous ranking: 9

Lost to Walsh Jesuit, 14-7.

Next: At Lake Catholic. 

9. Cleveland Heights, 1-0 119

Previous ranking: 10

Playing at Strongsville.

Next: Hosts No. 10 Glenville on Sept. 13. 

10. Glenville, 0-1 105

Previous ranking: 7

Idle.

Next: Plays No. 1 St. Edward Saturday at Lakewood Stadium.

11. Bedford, 2-0 102

Previous ranking: 11

Defeated No. 24 Avon Lake, 34-0.

Next: Hosts No. 6 Benedictine. 

12. Stow, 1-0 96

Previous ranking: T14

Hosting Kent Roosevelt.

Next: Hosts Firestone. 

13. Brecksville, 1-0 95

Previous ranking: 13

Playing at North Royalton.

Next: Hosts Olmsted Falls. 

14. Elyria, 1-0 83

Previous ranking: 16

Hosting Lorain.

Next: At Midview on Sept. 12. 

15. Brunswick, 1-0 77

Previous ranking: T19

Hosting Padua.

Next: At Austintown-Fitch on Sept. 12. 

16. Mayfield, 0-1 69

Previous ranking: 17

Suspended against Willoughby South until 2 p.m. on Saturday.

Next: Hosts Olmsted Falls on Sept. 12. 

17. Highland, 1-1 65

Previous ranking: 12

Defeated Buckeye, 44-6.

Next: Hosts North Royalton on Sept. 12. 

18. Aurora, 1-0 54

Previous ranking: 18

Hosting Ravenna.

Next: Hosts Revere on Sept. 12. 

19. Kirtland, 1-0 43

Previous ranking: 21

Hosting Grand Valley.

Next: At Ashtabula Edgewood on Sept. 12. 

20. Brush 40

Previous ranking: T14

Playing at Ashtabula Lakeside.

Next: At Kenston on Sept. 12. 

21. Madison, 1-0 36

Previous ranking: 24

Hosting Pickering (Canada).

Next: Hosts Perry on Sept. 12. 

22. Solon, 1-0 31

Previous ranking: T25

Idle.

Next: At Shaker Heights Saturday.

23. Villa Angela-St. Joseph, 1-0 22

Previous ranking: 23

Idle.

Next: At Euclid Saturday.

24. Avon Lake, 0-2 10

Previous ranking: 22

Lost to No. 11 Bedford, 34-0.

Next: At Shaker Heights on Sept. 13. 

25. Wadsworth, 1-0 8

Previous ranking: Not ranked.

Playing at Wooster.

Next: Hosts Medina on Sept. 12. 

   

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.

Honey B stings favorite in Ohio Sires Stakes at Northfield Park

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There were lots of fillies in action on Friday night in the Ohio Sires Stakes racing at Northfield Park, with Honey B setting the standard for wild finishes with the fastest mile of her young career.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – There were lots of fillies in action on Friday night in the Ohio Sires Stakes racing at Northfield Park, with Honey B setting the standard for wild finishes with the fastest mile of her young career.

There were nine $40,000 OSS divisions for two- and three-year-old distaff trotters and pacers.

Honey B was chasing her second OSS victory in a two-year-old trotting division, a race dominated early by strong favorite Like Old Times. Driver Kyle Ater kept 25-1 Honey B close to the leader all the way to the stretch, when Like Old Times went off stride with Josh Sutton at the helm.

Honey B ($53.40) trotted on past for a 1 ¾-length victory in a sizzling 1:58.2, just one-fifth of a second off the track record for her age and gait. It was the second win in six starts this season for Honey B, trained by Dan Ater and owned by Jim Burnett of Wilmington, Ohio and Tim Homan of Mainesville, Ohio.

Betts Sam was second and Lisa Jane third.

In the other two-year-old trotting divisions, Chris Page drove Sunrise Nibbles ($2.60) to her fifth win in six starts and Lofty Chip ($15.60) nailed her second straight win and third in seven starts this season with Dan Noble in the sulky.

Sunrise Nibbles won by three-quarters of a length in 1:59 with Student of Life second and Soaring Flight third. Lofty Chip was a 1 ¾-length winner over Countthechip and Sammy Star in 2:00.3.

Hannah Forever ($15) and driver Ryan Stahl took advantage when favored Shakin Friskie went off-stride at the three-quarter-mile mark in a three-year-old filly pace, taking over the lead and scoring a three-quarter length victory in 1:54.1. A winner of four of her last five, Hannah Forever has won seven of 19 starts this year. God Only Knows finished second as Shakin Friskie recovered to take third.

Page drove Crown Time Keeper ($4.40) to an easy 3 ½-length win in a sharp 1:53 in the other three-year-old filly pacing division, a career best. Lady Julie and Friske's Angel followed Crown Time Keeper, a winner of eight of 12 starts this season, to the wire.

Strong favorite Turbochargedroxie ($2.80) gave Noble his second driving win of the evening in a test of three-year-old filly trotters, winning by three lengths in 1:57.4. In The Grippers was second, with Dellou third. It was Turbochargedroxie's third win in her last five starts and fifth in 11 outings this season.

Two-year-old pacer Friskie Til Dawn ($12) and driver Aaron Merriman won the two-year-old pace with a hot 1:56.4 mile, taking the lead away from Crosswinds Cupcake in the stretch to win by 1 ¼ lengths. Crosswinds Cupcake held off Ut Oh Spakiddio for second.

Firestone football reacts to coach Tim Flossie suspension, falls 31-8 to Copley (slideshow, video)

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Coach Tim Flossie was suspended for at least Friday's game amid allegations of abuse.

COPLEY, Ohio -- A 31-8 loss to Copley on Friday night capped a tumultuous week for Firestone football. Head coach Tim Flossie was suspended by Akron Public Schools for Friday's game amid allegations of abuse, and that led to a circus around the Falcons all week long.

"It was a long week; it was a hard week," said interim coach Billy Adair. "On Tuesday, we had news cameras down on the field, and it's hard to concentrate like that. But we're not looking for excuses, we're looking for results."

Flossie is under investigation for two separate allegations from at least one parent that he was abusive to at least two students. According to Akron Public Schools Director of Communication Mark Williamson, the claims are that he was verbally abusive to one student and slapped another. It is unclear if or when Flossie will be reinstated.

Adair was alerted of the situation last Friday and the team was addressed on Saturday of the news.

"It was bad, but as a team we stay together like a family," said running back Demonte Swain. "I felt bad about what was going on, but I knew Coach Billy was going to step up."

Adair commended the players for the way they handled it and said it made it easier on all of the adjustments the coaching staff needed to make.

"That kind of change is tough," Adair said. "We lost our head coach and offensive coordinator in the same week because he was one in the same."

As for Flossie's future with the team, Adair said he hasn't heard of any decisions from the Akron Public Schools.

Firestone played much better than it did last week. A safety in the second quarter gave the Falcons their first points of the season, and a 27-yard run by Swain gave the team its first touchdown of 2014.

But Copley had an answer for nearly everything Firestone did, as the Indians never trailed during the game. It was a big night for running back Aulden Knight, as he ran for 131 yards and had three touchdowns, including one on a punt return.

The win, which was cut four minutes short by lightning in the area, improves Copley to 2-0 for the season. It's the third-straight season that Copley has won its first two games, and now the focus is on maintaining that success.

"We just need to learn from our mistakes and consistently be a student of the game," said Copley coach Scott Chouinard. "We just need to clean everything up."

Copley will look to jump out to a 3-0 start in 2014 when it hosts Norton next Friday. For Firestone, it will try to gain some stability as it prepares for a Week 3 meeting at Stow on Friday.

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.

David Murphy's single in 10th gives Cleveland Indians a 2-1 victory over Chicago White Sox

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The Indians notched their 11th walkoff victory Friday.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- David Murphy did not take long to get re-acclimated.

Pinch-hitter Murphy hit a bases-loaded single with one out in the 10th inning as the Indians defeated the White Sox, 2-1, at Progressive Field. Paid attendance: 15,531.

Murphy was activated from the disabled list earlier in the day. He had been sidelined because of an abdominal injury.

Yan Gomes led off the 10th with a triple to left against righty Maikel Cleto. Gomes was able to reach third because of a long carom after left fielder Michael Taylor banged into the wall. Chris Dickerson pinch-ran.

Michael Bourn was intentionally walked. Lefty Eric Surkamp entered and intentionally walked Lonnie Chisenhall to load the bases for Jason Kipnis.

Kipnis swung and missed at 3-1 and 3-2 pitches. White Sox manager Robin Ventura hooked Surkamp for righty Ronald Belisario.

Murphy lined a 1-2 pitch to center for Cleveland's AL-leading 11th walkoff victory. Murphy notched his fifth career walkoff RBI -- all via singles.

"It was a pretty thing to watch him come through there,'' Indians manager Terry Francona said.

The Tribe is 11-7 in extra innings.

In the top of the 10th, White Sox center fielder Adam Eaton, a left-handed batter, led off against lefty Marc Rzepczynski with a first-pitch bunt toward first. As Carlos Santana fielded, Eaton beat second baseman Kipnis and Rzepczynski to the bag.

Leury Garcia's bunt pushed Eaton to second. Rzepczynski intentionally walked Jose Abreu. Francona signaled for righty C-C Lee to face righty Avisail Garcia.

Garcia fouled two full-count pitches before drawing a walk to load the bases.

Lee escaped by getting Dayan Viciedo to pop foul to first and Marcus Semien to ground to second.

What it means

The Indians (72-67) remain relevant in the race for a postseason berth. The White Sox (63-77) still lead the season series (9-8). Last season, they lost 17 of 19 meetings.

House party

Indians left-hander T.J. House had the unenviable task of attempting to keep up with White Sox lefty Chris Sale. House not only kept up with Sale, he outlasted him.

House allowed one run on seven hits in seven innings. He walked none and struck out seven as part of 101 pitches.

Sale allowed one run on five hits in six innings. He walked one and struck out five as part of 98 pitches. His AL-leading ERA went from 2.11 to 2.09.

In nine road starts, Sale's ERA is 1.41.

House answered the challenge with his second straight superb start. On Aug. 31 at Kansas City, he allowed one run on five hits in seven innings. The Indians led, 4-2, entering the bottom of the 10th when the game was suspended because of rain.

Early advantage

The Indians took a 1-0 lead in the first. They forced Sale to throw 26 pitches.

Tyler Holt led off with an eight-pitch at-bat that ended with a grounder into the hole at second for a single.

Jose Ramirez grounded sharply to third, where Semien triggered a 5-4-3 double play. Michael Brantley lined a 1-2 fastball to left for a single. Brantley extended his hitting streak to nine games.

Brantley notched just the 17th hit by a left-handed batter against Sale this season. Lefties entered Friday at 16-for-107 (.150) with one double, two RBI, six walks and one hit-by-pitch against him. The OPS was .361.

On a 1-2 pitch to Carlos Santana, Brantley stole second. Brantley advanced to third when catcher Tyler Flowers' throw ended in the outfield. Brantley is 18-for-19 in steals.

After a ball, Santana singled to left to make it 1-0. Gomes struck out swinging.

Sale had not allowed an earned run on the road in his previous 22 innings over three starts. He had given up one earned run on the road in the past 32 2/3.

Alexeeei goes deep

The White Sox tied the score, 1-1, in the third. Alexei Ramirez sent a 2-2 off-speed pitch into the left-field bleachers for his fourth homer against the Indians and 14th overall. More credit goes to Ramirez than blame to House for the homer; it was decent pitch.

Rookie slugger Abreu followed with a liner off the right-field wall that caromed past Ryan Raburn. By the time Raburn secured the ball, Abreu had bagged his second triple of the season.

House bowed his neck and got Avisail Garcia to ground to third.

Painful exit

With a runner on second and two outs in the Chicago fifth, Ramirez was drilled in the left foot by House's 1-2 pitch. Ramirez hopped in pain and crumpled to the ground. Leury Garcia pinch-ran.

At this point, the game was on the line, because the ultra-dangerous Abreu stepped in. House fell behind, 2-1. After a foul and a ball, House refused to give in. He threw a nasty off-speed pitch away, and Abreu swung and missed.

"He was either going to swing at something outside the zone or walk to first,'' House said.

Providing assistance

The Indians backed House with quality defense. Among the plays that stood out:

*With one out in the first, center fielder Holt denied Ramirez extra bases by making a running catch in deep right-center. The play was magnified when Abreu singled to right. Garcia struck out swinging to end the threat.

Abreu extended his hitting streak to 14 games.

*With one out in the second, Semien lined a single to right-center. It would have been an extra-base hit if Raburn had not made a backhanded pick of a ball that appeared to be past him.

Semien advanced to second on a passed ball. As Taylor grounded to short, Semien, despite the play being in front of him, sprinted for third. Jose Ramirez smoothly handled the hop and threw on-target to Chisenhall for the out. Tyler Flowers struck out looking.

*Flowers led off the fifth with a grounder up the middle that second baseman Zach Walters picked with the backhand.

When the White Sox were in the field, Semien made several above-average plays.

What's next

The series continues Saturday night when Indians righty Corey Kluber (13-9, 2.72 ERA) faces White Sox lefty Jose Quintana (7-10, 3.44).

Kluber has lost his past three starts, although two rate as quality. He is coming off his shortest outing of the season, during which he allowed five runs (two earned) in 2 2/3 innings against Detroit in Cleveland.

Shorthanded Garfield Heights football trails Berea-Midpark in game suspended by lightning (slideshow)

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The Bulldogs, missing players due to suspension, trai the Titans 36-21 with 7:00 left in the fourth quarter.

GARFIELD HEIGHTS, Ohio – A week after an in-game fight halted Garfield Heights’ season-opener in the third quarter, lightning put a stop to things this time.

The Bulldogs trailed Berea-Midpark 36-21 with 7:00 to play in the fourth quarter Friday when officials stopped the game. With lightning still visible 20 minutes later, the game was postponed until 10 a.m. Saturday at Garfield Heights.

When the game resumes, the Bulldogs will have the ball at the Titans 30-yard line.

The delay extends an already long week for the Bulldogs. A late hit after a punt sparked a bench-clearing brawl last week against Collinwood. Four players were ejected by officials, and police made arrests due to fighting off the field.

Garfield Heights got the win, 26-6, after the teams agreed to let the score stand. But against Berea-Midpark, the Bulldogs were without seven football players due to suspensions stemming from the fight. Two players ejected during the incident were required to miss Friday’s game due to Ohio High School Athletic Association rules. Five others were disciplined by Garfield Heights.

In all, the Bulldogs were missing five starters due to suspension or injury. That led to a slow start and a 22-7 first-quarter deficit.

“Our kids came out sleepwalking,” said Bulldogs coach Chuck Reisland. “But toward the end of the second quarter we started to wake up. And when they (called) the game we’re only two touchdowns down and we’re on the 30-yard line.”

The Titans got two touchdowns from running back Justin Harris and two more from running back/linebacker Joey Bachie, one of which was a fumble return. That helped build a 29-14 halftime lead.

Bulldogs quarterback Asim Rose threw two first-half touchdown passes to Antoine Wiggins, the second of which energized the team as the half ended.

The teams traded touchdowns in the third quarter. The Titans’ came on a 22-yard pass from Nick Gassman to Steve Maryo, and the Bulldogs’ was on a 30-yard run from Rose.

“I’m proud of our kids because they dug down deep,” said Reisland. “We’re going to see what happens to tomorrow.

Prior to the game, Garfield Heights superintendent Terrance Olszewski said he felt confident in the safety and security measures the school was taking. Just one extra police officer was used this week, and that was decided prior to last week’s incident due to the extra fans Berea-Midpark was expected to bring.

“Every game here we have our safety and security measures already in line. The people that are already here will be extra vigilant in keeping an eye on what’s going on,” said Olszewski. “We’re not going to let what happened last week show that that’s who we are. I can’t change what happened last week, but we’re going to move forward.”

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

Highlights from suspended Beachwood vs. Orange football game; CVC crossover to resume Saturday at 5 p.m. (slideshow)

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Beachwood leads Orange, 31-26, with 6:42 left in the fourth quarter.

PEPPER PIKE, Ohio -- Beachwood’s Nate Hamilton could hardly be stopped and Orange’s Chris Von Hendrix could barely be contained and the quarterbacks joined right in Friday before the game was suspended due to lightning.

The Chagrin Valley Conference crossover will resume Saturday at 5 p.m. at Orange. Beachwood leads, 31-26, with 6:42 left in the fourth quarter.

Beachwood was going for its first win against Orange in seven years, five of those with Orange coach Adam Bechlem at the helm and the sixth with him as an assistant.

Hamilton had just scored on a 7-yard run to put the Bison ahead when it looked like the final 6:59 would give them their second win of the season.

Sixteen seconds later, a 62-yard trick play that went from Orange quarterback Steven Borgman to junior WR/QB Ryan Singer to WR Henry Mays kept Orange a touchdown away from its second win of the season.

Then the officials determined the game needed to be postponed due to lightning.

Seven key plays from Friday

* On its first drive of the game, Beachwood took four plays before Hamilton took it 62 yards from the Bison’s own 37 for a touchdown that set the tone early.

* With five seconds left before halftime, Hamilton broke free on a sprint down the right sideline. He went 61 yards for the touchdown.

* The play was called over and over: Max Balazs fakes the handoff to Hamilton and then gains five yards or three yards or nine yards. It’s how the Bison stayed alive most drives.

* After Beachwood found a way to burn seven minutes of time off the clock in the third quarter with a 10-play drive that ended in a Hamilton rushing touchdown, Orange’s Mays took a kickoff return 46 yards to set up the Lions at Beachwood’s 26. Seven plays later, Borgman punched it in from five yards out to bring the score within five.

* Beachwood and Orange’s opening drive of the fourth quarter both ended in a turnover on downs. Beachwood capitalized on its second drive with Hamilton scoring a touchdown.

* Two plays later, Borgman tossed a pass wide right to Singer, who launched it 20-plus yards down field to the open arms of Mays. It ended up being a 62-yard touchdown trick play.

* Orange failed on the two-point conversion after that touchdown and the officials called the second lightning delay of the game.

Who stood out for Orange

Borgman: His ability to stay alive in the pocket is what really helps Borgman. He was able to go through his reads without panic. He didn’t throw an incomplete pass until his ninth attempt in the first half.

Von Hendrix: In the first half, Von Hendrix amassed four carries for 71 yards and two touchdowns. Then he picked up his euphonium and played with the band in the second half.

Who stood out for Beachwood

Balazs: The senior quarterback did not get off to a good start, going 4 for 10 in the first half for four yards. Three of those attempts were dropped passes, though. In the second half, Balazs fired off seven straight passes until the game was suspended.

Hamilton: Had 20 carries for 188 yards. Scored twice in each half, on runs of 63 and 61 yards in the first half, then runs of 3 and 7 yards in the second half.

Other key stats

1 - Failed extra point attempts by Orange.

1 - Failed two-point conversion attempts by Orange.

2 - Failed extra point attempts by Beachwood.

2 - Failed two-point conversion attempts by Beachwood.

53 - Yardage for one punt by Borgman late in the second quarter.

What’s next

After the game is completed Saturday, Orange hosts Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy on Sept. 12 at 7 p.m. Beachwood will host Elyria Catholic on Sept. 13 at 1 p.m.

 

 


Josh Gordon says 'I'm over' being in limbo and has no plans to sue NFL, according to report

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Browns receiver Josh Gordon, who will begin working at an auto group this weekend, says he has no plans to sue the NFL over his suspension and isn't counting on being reinstated this season.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Browns receiver Josh Gordon has no plans to sue the NFL over his drug ban and isn't counting on getting back into the league this season, according to ESPN.

"The whole being in limbo thing, I'm over it," Gordon told ESPN's Elizabeth Merrill Friday in his first interview since his season-long drug suspension. "I'm not waiting on the edge of my seat anymore."

League sources have told cleveland.com there's a chance Gordon could be reinstated this season if the NFL and NFLPA revamp its drug policy.

In the meantime, Gordon is set to begin selling cars at Sarchione Auto Group in Randolph, Ohio, this weekend.

Gordon, who argued in his failed appeal that he tested positive for marijuana because of second-hand smoke, said he hasn't smoked it in awhile.

"I think it was before I got into the league," he said. "I don't know."

He reiterated what he's told cleveland.com several times, that he doesn't consider himself an addict. He said he checked himself into rehab after DWI in July to help him with life skills.

"Just to see. ... To seek out some help on decision-making,'' Gordon said. "Not drug use or drug abuse, but decision-making. Life skills. How to be your own person and stuff like that."

Gordon told Merrill that sitting out the season has "definitely hit me" and that he held out hope until last week that his ban would be reduced to eight games.

Jeff Sarchione, co-owner of the auto group, told cleveland.com Gordon will be on the floor selling cars and learning all aspects of the automotive industry.  Gordon told Merrill that he might like to own a dealership someday.

"People probably expect me to be hidden in a dark room somewhere, going crazy and never coming out," Gordon said. "That's definitely not going to happen. That's just not me.

"I plan to spend it staying busy, that's for sure. Staying positive and surrounding myself with positive, good people who are only here to support me. Nothing to tear me down negatively. Just carry on about life. There's definitely life outside of football."

Strongsville football upsets No. 9 Cleveland Heights behind RB Dominic Lombardo (slideshow)

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Mustangs go on 20-0 rampage to move to 2-0.

STRONGSVILLE, Ohio – Strongsville senior tailback Dominic Lombardo was thrown into every situation in the book on Friday night. He responded with three touchdowns that helped the host Mustangs upset ninth-ranked Cleveland Heights, 34-6.

An expected shootout quickly turned into a defensive struggle, with no scoring in the first and third quarters. But the Mustangs went on a 20-0 rampage with Lombardo, but without a true field general in the huddle.

The Mustangs (2-0) were already without starting senior quarterback Bobby Cole, who suffered a torn MCL last week in the last play against Lake Catholic. Strongsville put halfback Zach Kahn under center when it lost backup quarterback Ryan Robertson, and kept feeding Lombardo in the backfield.

Lombardo fired a pair of touchdown passes, as if he had done it before. After a blocked punt, Strongsville scored its second touchdown in two minutes on a Robertson rollout. While Robertson was out, Lombardo threw a second touchdown pass, and ran for another.

“I wish I had Dom on my fantasy team,” Strongsville coach Larry Laird joked. “He did everything we asked him to do tonight.”

Lombardo’s first passing touchdown came on a play the team never ran before. He finished the day with 76 yards on the ground, and his only two passes went for touchdowns.

“I figured if Dom was a baseball player, he could throw,” Laird said. “I wanted to stay aggressive because it is in our philosophy. You cannot be aggressive only half the time. This is my first rodeo with these kids. We needed to score there.”

Cole will return in three weeks, according to Laird.

The Tigers’ only score came late in the second quarter on a Taylor Jones quarterback keeper from half a yard out. It capped a seven play, 42-yard drive, the Tigers’ longest of the game. Jones had some passing plays working early, but the Strongsville secondary played a perfect game after a locker room adjustment. They were able to get off the field defensively on third and fourths downs.

Jones went 18-of-36 passing for 132 yards. The Cleveland Heights (1-1) offense managed just four third-down conversations in 15 attempts, and went just 1 of 4 on fourth downs.

“This is probably the most athletic team we will face all year,” said Laird. “I am extremely proud of the way our guys played, especially in the second half. We are getting better, day by day.”

After three other head coaching stints, including stops at Medina and Avon Lake, Laird feels his stay with the Mustangs will be permanent.

Tigers 290-pound lineman Mario Patton injured his right knee in the third quarter but returned to action.

Eddy Jansen is a freelancer in Strongsville.

Inside Chardon football's 19-7 win over Kenston: Tops plays, quotes, key stats

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The Chardon defense has gets a big goal line stand in the fourth quarter and kicker Riley Tatonetti makes history for the Hilltoppers.

CHAGRIN FALLS, Ohio – With the game on the line, the Chardon defense came up big, helping to secure a 19-7 win against rival Kenston at Bomber Stadium.

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

Chardon was clinging to a 13-7 lead with seven minutes remaining in the game. However Kenston had first and goal at the 1 yard line. The Hilltoppers defense, which forced four Kenston turnovers in the game, stood firm and kept the Bombers out of the end zone.

“Our defense was the key for four quarters. They just happened to come up big in the fourth quarter,” Chardon head coach Mitch Hewitt said. “To hold an offense like that to just seven points was impressive.”

The Chardon offense rewarded its defense with 94-yard touchdown drive that put the game away. Senior quarterback Patrick Sullivan completed just four passes in the game. The first two went for long touchdowns and the last was an important third down completion in the fourth quarter to keep the drive alive.

Senior Joe Grippi scored on the very next play on a 15-yard run.

“Our passing game is made for success,” Sullivan said.

Kenston scored first on 58-yard touchdown pass by Parker Gdula to senior Jeremy Wyers. Chardon answered with a change of pace play. After 10 straight runs to open the game, Sullivan found a wide-open Christian Ross for a 32-yard touchdown pass.

What it means

Chardon improves to 2-0 with wins over two of its biggest rivals. Kenston is in a 0-2 hole. The Bombers have been 0-2 before and rebounded to make the playoffs. 

History

When Riley Tatonetti kicked the Chardon extra point in the first quarter she became the first female to ever score for the Hilltoppers.

“She is a great kid and I would take 100 more just like her,” Hewitt said. “She was player of the week in soccer and she is risking a lot by being down here with a bunch of guys. I am very proud of her.” 

Plays that shaped the game

*The Chardon pass rush forced Gdula to hurry his fourth down pass that fell incomplete to finish the goal line stand.

*On 3rd and 8 with about three minutes left, Sullivan completed his third pass of the game to Michael Cardina for 22 yards.

* Chardon gambled on 4th and 1 on their own 39 in the fourth quarter. Jeremy Wexler made important tackle to turn the ball over on downs. Kenston then drove to the 1-yard line before being stopped.

* Chardon took the lead in the third quarter on Sullivan’s 47-yard touchdown pass to Drew McCartney.

Who stood out for Chardon

Sullivan: The senior quarterback was 4-for-9 for 120 yards and two TDs. He also ran for 110 yards.

Grippe: The senior ran for 83 yards and a TD.

Who stood out for Kenston:

Gdula: He was 15-of-27 for 228 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for 64 yards.

James Thigpen: He ran for 110 yards on 16 carries.

Jeremy Wyers: He caught eight passes for 149 yards and a touchdown. He also recovered a fumble.

Chardon sound bites

“I don’t have words for what our defense did on that stand. It was amazing.” - Sullivan

“We are going to do what we have done for the last 30 years. We are going to grind out people till we think we have an advantage in the fourth quarter.” - Hewitt

Kenston sound bites

Kenston head coach Jeff Grubich on all the penalties and turnovers: “That is on me. It is my job to make sure we clean that up. When you make that many mistakes you don’t deserve to be on the right side of the scoreboard.”

On 0-2 start: “These kids were in this position two years ago and we went on a run.”

Key Stats:

4- Number of Kenston turnovers

14- Number of Kenston penalties

389 – Total Chardon offensive yards 

What’s next?

Chardon (2-0) visits Canton South.

Kenston (0-2) will host Brush.

 

More on No. 13 Brecksville's 26-8 football win against North Royalton (details, reaction, slideshow)

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Brecksville quarterback Luke Strnad completes 18 of 24 passes for 214 yards and four touchdowns.

NORTH ROYALTON, Ohio – Brecksville’s football team lost 20 starters from last year’s team that went 10-2. But the Bees do not appear to be going through any growing pains in the early going.

The Bees, ranked 13th by cleveland.com, jumped on neighborhood rival North Royalton early and never looked back in a 26-8 win at North Royalton’s Serpentini Chevrolet Stadium on a hot and muggy night.

Perhaps no one was hotter than Brecksville starting quarterback Luke Strnad. The sophomore looked like a seasoned veteran as he completed 18 of 24 passes for 214 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Bees, who improved to 2-0.

“I thought he did a great job,” Brecksville coach Jason Black said. “He’s great at taking what they (the defense) give and that’s been our offensive philosophy for years. If they give you the 5-yard hitch, take it and move on to the next play. He’s not trying to do too much with the football. He did a great job today.”

Strnad completed his first 12 passes of the night and finished the first half 15 of 20 for 178 yard and three touchdowns as Brecksville built a 19-0 lead.

His favorite target was junior wide receiver Tyler Tupa. Tupa, who scored three touchdowns in the Bees’ opening week win, finished the night with nine catches for 104 yards and two touchdowns.

“It’s a superlative everytime I talk about the young man,” Black said when asked about Tupa. “He’s the best receiver we’ve had come through here and we’ve had some good ones.”

Tupa was quick to give his entire offense credit for his big night.

“Our line is holding up for our QBs and we are able to get open. We also have other great receiving threats, so they just can’t focus on one guy,” said Tupa.

Tupa also praised the play of Strnad.

“He’s been working hard, watching a lot of film. He’s been great for us,” Tupa said.

Fellow wideout Garrett Patterson also caused the Bears fits. Patterson, a senior, caught six passes for 80 yards and touchdowns of 18 and 9 yards.

Brecksville’s defense was also dominant. The Bees limited North Royalton to just 40 yards of total offense in the first half and forced three turnovers, which the offense converted into touchdowns.

“They attacked and swarmed, that’s what our defensive coordinator John Shirilla preaches,” Black said. “We always had helmets around the football and good things happen when you have helmets around the football.”

North Royalton was able to score late in the fourth quarter when junior running back Shane Tyson got in from 10 yards. Tyson finished with 43 yards rushing on 10 carries while quarterback TJ Hoffman threw for 103 yards on 12-of-19 passing.

Brecksville hosts Hudson on Sept. 12 and North Royalton will try to get on the winning track when it travels to Highland.

 

David Murphy returns from DL just in time to deliver walkoff win for Indians

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David Murphy's return from the DL took some convincing, but it came just in the nick of time for the Indians on Friday night.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- With the Chicago White Sox throwing two lefties to start their series at Progressive Field, newly activated David Murphy didn't know when the opportunity he'd been itching for since going on the disabled list on August 10th would come.

Turns out, he only had to wait until the bottom of the 10th inning Friday night.

With the bases loaded, one out and the threat of rain looming, Murphy singled to center to score pinch runner Chris Dickerson.

It was Cleveland's league-leading 11th walkoff win. Indians 2, Chicago 1.

"That went well," Murphy said with a smile after the game. "Hit the ball, see the ball."

In fact, the ball thrown by White Sox reliever Ronald Belisaro was in the perfect spot for a guy who spent nearly four weeks on the DL with a strained right oblique muscle.

"It was up and away," Murphy said. "What's going to challenge me are pitches low and away. I didn't have to reach that much.

"It felt great, I was able to let it loose a few times and didn't feel a thing."

Murphy almost didn't get the chance. Even though the Indians activated him before the game, the plan was for him to play on Sunday.

"He only had the two rehab games," manager Terry Francona said before the game. "He still hasn't played nine innings. We knew all along Murph wanted to be activated tonight and our thought was he probably should play nine innings."

"I always want to be part of it," Murphy said. "As soon as I felt healthy and good, I wanted to be activated."

The decision to put him back on the roster Friday, which Murphy described as a compromise, paid off big time.

"That was great," Francona said. "It was a pretty thing to watch him come through there."

"We're in the hunt right now," Murphy said. "It's the worst thing in the world when you do this for a living and you're a competitor.

"You want to be there in the thick of things with your teammates and having to watch from the bench has not been fun."

The walkoff RBI hit was the fifth of Murphy's career. His last one came in 2010 when, as a member of the Texas Rangers, he beat Mariano Rivera and the Yankees.

Josh Gordon could be reinstated this season if the NFL and NFLPA agree on the new drug policy, sources say

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Browns receiver Josh Gordon could be re-instated this season if the new drug policy is approved.


BEREA, Ohio -- Josh Gordon's new career as a car salesman might have to wait.

Two league sources told cleveland.com that the suspended receiver might be eligible for reinstatement this season if the NFL and the NFL Players Association approve the revamped drug policy that they're feverishly working on.

"Thatt would be awesome, obviously, to have him back,'' said tight end Jordan Cameron. "But I'm not holding onto that hope at all. We're planning on playing without him. Obviously if he could back, that would be a dream come true.''

NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith said during a radio interview Friday that if the new policy is approved, players who were recently suspended under the old rules should have their sanctions revised or revoked.

"If we get a deal done that covers players in this league year, I don't like that we punish players under a deal active in the old league year," Smith told 106.7 The Fan in Washington. "We don't want players to suffer because the union and the league couldn't get it done before the league year.''

The issue with Gordon, however, is that he may have tested positive for marijuana  before the league year began on March 11. If that's the case, the new rules might not apply to him. A league source told cleveland.com that the NFL has known about Gordon's positive test since February -- even though it didn't surface publicly on ESPN until May 9.

Still, that's not necessarily a dealbreaker in terms of Gordon getting back on the field this season.

Another source told cleveland.com "it's possible Gordon will be reinstated this season,'' because the NFL and the NFLPA are still working through the process of which players would fall under the new policy.

For example, the two sides could agree to revise the suspensions for players who were notified of them after the league year began; or they could apply the new rules to players who tested positive after the league year began.

All of these things are still to be determined, one source said, and Mark Maschke of the Washington Post reported that a deal would likely have to be struck before this weekend's games for Gordon and Welker to benefit this season.

If they agree that the new policy would apply only to players who tested positive after March 11, Gordon might still have to serve his season-long ban.

Among other things, the two parties are negotiating a new threshold for the banned substance in marijuana. Currently, it's 15 nanograms per milliliter. Gordon's "A" test was 16 ng/ml, and his "B" confirmation test was 13.6, a source told cleveland.com.

According to Albert Breer of NFL Network, the sides are considering a 50 ng/ml threshold for the "A" test -- the same as Major League Baseball and the military. In the Olympics, it's 150 ng/ml.

In the case of Broncos receiver Wes Welker, who reportedly tested positive for a stimulant in May, he'd be more likely to fall under the new rules because it was after the new league year.

The revised policy will reportedly state that players testing positive for stimulants in the offseason would fall under the substance abuse policy and the not the performance-enhancing drug policy, which carries an automatic four-game ban for a first-time offender. Under new rules, Welker would not be suspended as a first-time offender pursuant to the substance abuse policy.

The potential impact on Gordon and Welker was first reported by profootballtalk.com.

There are other things on the table that could impact Gordon. The NFL reportedly wants the chance to immediately discipline players who are arrested for DWI without going through due process. If the league wins on that front, Gordon could be suspended for his DWI July 5 in Raleigh, N.C., although first-time offenders usually aren't suspended. His hearing for the DWI is in November.

With the new policy including HGH testing, the NFLPA wants to pump the brakes on an agreement a bit to make sure it's in the best interests of the players, so there's still plenty to be worked out.

But there is a chance Gordon could return to the field this season.

In the meantime, he's set to begin working as a car salesman this weekend at the Sarchione Auto Group in Randolph, Ohio.

Special teams put Ohio State in a hole, and the Buckeyes couldn't find a way out in a 35-21 loss to Virginia Tech

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Ohio State tied the game at 21, but the the Hokies stormed right back and then finished the game by running back an interception for a touchdown.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- By kickoff Saturday night, Ohio State's Urban Meyer had told the story many times. A young coach at Notre Dame is handed special teams duties and has no earthly idea what do to.

He seeks out the best in the business to consult. He finds his way to Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer, who teaches him the fundamentals of special teams play, and its value.

Two decades later, Meyer knew all that going into Ohio Stadium. Beamer has always known it. So if you showed them only how the special teams played out in this matchup between Meyer's Buckeyes and Beamer's Hokies, they probably both could have guessed what happened.

The Hokies upset No. 8 Ohio State 35-21, handing Meyer his first regular-season loss at Ohio State. The Buckeyes (1-1) lost at home to an unranked nonconference opponent for the first time in 64 games and 23 years, since a 1982 loss to Florida State.

And the special teams started it. What locked down the loss? The desperate search for what else may be special about the Buckeyes, and the mundane realities discovered along the way.

A 24-yard punt in the first quarter set up Virginia Tech's first touchdown drive of just 43 yards. A 63-yard punt late in the second quarter set up the Hokies' third touchdown, because the boot outkicked the OSU coverage and led to a 35-yard return and more good field position. Ohio State missed two field goals in the first half.

Ohio State brought in scores of the best high school players in the nation on Saturday to show off the expanded Horseshoe, and the festivities (Hey, LeBron!) included the smoke that accompanied Ohio State's entrance out of its new tunnel.

The Buckeyes were recruitin', but they sure weren't bootin'.

Yet ... should Ohio State become undone by feet?

Ohio State's search for something special commenced after the special teams errors, the Buckeyes not wanting, but needing, the smoke machine. Who would emerge from the mist? Would anyone?

If you're losing on the little things, and maybe too young to do the difficult things, maybe all that's left are the special things. And Ohio State found a few of them, at least for a time.

An interception by Vonn Bell. A 53-yard catch-and-run touchdown by Michael Thomas created by one missed tackle. A forced fumble by defensive end by Joey Bosa, when you can imagine a sideline full of Hokies screaming, "Look out for Bosa."

And that wasn't enough.

Ohio State, two games into 2014, now losers of three of their last four games dating back to the Big Ten Championship and Orange Bowl, have the special. What they lack is the mundane.

The revamped defense, at times on Saturday, seemed to allow the same cushion and give up the same throws as the defense of last year. The Buckeyes talk about their six starting receivers, yet continue to wonder who will make a catch when it matters. Corey Smith's drop of a first-half touchdown set up one of the missed field goals.

The OSU defensive line is the real deal. But if you have a quarterback, like Tech's Michael Brewer, who can roll out and throw on the move, and a plan that includes a few quick passes and screens, you can avoid that line at times, or even use its aggression against it.

The run game? It was mostly Barrett making things up as Braxton Miller (he was there, too, crashing pregame in a blue suit) used to, without as much speed. Ezekiel Elliott's 15-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter tied the game, sprung by blocks from Jeff Heuerman and Evan Spencer, but otherwise, the tailbacks were an afterthought.

And when Ohio State did tie the game with 11:40 left? Kyle Clinton pushed the kickoff out of bounds, as he had on a kick against Navy, and the Hokies' go-ahead drive started at the 35-yardline.

As for the freshman quarterback, he was a freshman. Blitzed into near submission, Barrett never gave up. His 22-yard run on third-and-19 kept the final last-gasp drive alive. Then he was sacked. Then a 23-yard throw. Then a sack. And then a final pick, his third of the game, run back for a score.

If a future opponent's defense needs a plan, it's send everyone and see what happens.

The deep ball was one of the few things that seemed to work - and the Buckeyes went to it so often, Barrett threw his first two two interceptions on bombs that landed softly in the arms of the Virginia Tech safeties.

What else was there to do? Nothing Saturday. Ahead?

Watch the calendar. Gain experience. Get older. Get better. But don't be too shocked by all this.

The freshman kicker missed a few and the freshman quarterback did, too. If that's what you're leaning on, you must live with the risk.

Special teams put Ohio State in a hole Saturday. For now, for these Buckeyes, that was too much.


Virginia Tech cracks Ohio State's defense often enough to beat the Buckeyes: Bill Livingston

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It wasn't J.T. Barrett's fualt. It was an old culprit -- the Buckeyes' pass defense.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- "Here, take a buckeye for good luck," the parking attendant at the Horseshoe said Saturday.

The reporter took it and pocketed it, happy to have squeezed into the parking spot at which the attendant had pointed, next to a Virginia Tech tailgate party, without denting a fender or hitting a Hokie.

The reporter apologized for the chairs that the visitors had  scraped along the lot's surface to make room for his car.

"I would not have parked there myself, breaking up your tailgate party," he said.

"No problem," the fans said.

"By the way, what's a Hokie?" the reporter said.

"A (butt)-kickin' chicken," one of the Virginia Tech guys said.

Taking out the gift of the lucky buckeye, at which the scribe had barely glanced, he popped it into his mouth.

"No problem," he said.

After realizing it was not a chocolate and peanut butter candy replica, but was, in fact, a real, actual buckeye tree buckeye nut, possibly taken from Buckeye Grove 50 yards away, the reporter walked away quickly, ducked out of the Virginia Tech crowd's sight, and spat it into his hand.

And the lesson, Buckeye fans, is that sometimes, luck's got nothing to do with it.

Saturday night a young quarterback could not create the point eruptions that made up for  an unpatched  defense for two straight seasons while Braxton Miller was buckling his swashes at quarterback.

A buckeye, it is said, is a hard nut to crack, resistant to heat and pressure.

"We completely have blown up and started from scratch, an area that we were not very strong in, pass defense," said coach Urban Meyer.

Navy passed for only 20 yards last week in the season opener, but that was due to the Midshipmen's lack of interest more than Ohio State's defensive deterrence. It was impossible to judge the interaction of the Buckeyes' ballyhooed front four and the press coverage by their cornerbacks.

Then, Saturday night, Ohio State encountered Michael Brewer, a Texas Tech transfer, a player with a college degree, compared to Ohio State's redshirt  freshman quarterback J.T. Barrett.

In the first-ever meeting of Ohio State and Virginia Tech, the nimble, dart-throwing, possession-passing Brewer staked the Hokies to a two-touchdown lead at halftime, then rallied them  after the Buckeyes evened it to  take a 35-21 victory before a record crowd of 107,517.

Ohio State's pass defense is still Achilles and his heel, less buckeye nut than acorn squash at times. Virginia Tech was seven  of 10 on first half third-down conversions, when it took a 21-7 lead. Tech was only two of 7 in the second half, but Ohio State was only 4 of 16 for the game. That won't cut it.

Not even the presence of the restored Cavalier, LeBron James, along with former teammates Damon Jones and Norris Cole (of Cleveland State) on the Ohio State sideline did much to change that. James' Buckeye partisanship is the lone fan devotion he shares with most Clevelanders.

By the end, he had partaken of an old, familiar Cleveland feeling, that of a painful defeat for a team whose rise and fall he follows closely.

The loss  was hardly all Barrett's fault. He is adapting to a learning curve steeper than he ever thought it would be after Miller was lost for the season. "The quarterback's a product of the offensive line, and we also had some dropped passes," said Meyer, whose team surrendered seven sacks.

Meyer said earlier in the week of Barrett, "He's not the dynamic guy. Wouldn't mind (for his attitude to be), when you go, go."

Still, Barrett did enough to put the go-go sock in the Buckeyes at times. Some of the Miller package of quarterback draw, counter and read-option scurry around the defense's flank was executed by Barrett, just not as explosively as Miller would have done.

Barrett scored on a draw, and he connected on big passes of 58, 53, and 40 yards against the Hokies' own press coverage,  with only the middle one resulting in a touchdown.

Things would have been different had Corey Smith not dropped a touchdown pass just before Sean Nuernberger missed the second of his makeable field goal attempts.

This was a huge recruiting night for Ohio State, and that is nice, as are all the accolades of the rock-star recruits Meyer gets. But there is really no way to compensate for youth. Ohio State would have traded the experience of its bitter losses in the Big Ten Championship Game and the Orange Bowl last year for new ones now. But it doesn't work that way.

Sometimes, you just have to take your medicine, although buckeye nuts are optional even in small doses.

Ohio State's comeback attempt falls short in 35-21 loss to Virginia Tech

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Ohio State's failed comeback attempt resulted in a 35-21 win for Virginia Tech, the first regular season loss for Urban Meyer as the coach of the Buckeyes.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The stadium renovations and the record crowd meant nothing. Familiar problems on pass defense, sub-par special teams and more offensive struggles are what mattered as eighth-ranked Ohio State lost 35-21 to Virginia Tech on Saturday night at Ohio Stadium.

Urban Meyer's first regular season loss as the head coach of the Buckeyes was played in front of a crowd of 107,517, the largest in the history of The Horseshoe.

The Ohio State offense could never get it going, with freshman quarterback J.T. Barrett getting sacked seven times, three times on Ohio State's final possession. Barrett finished 9-of-19 for 219 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions.

His counterpart, Virginia Tech's Michael Brewer, was not fazed by the raucous crowd, leading the Hokies to a pair of early scores and helping Virginia Tech find an answer when it needed it. He finished 23-of-36 for 199 yards two touchdowns and two interceptions.

Ohio State outgained Virginia Tech 327-320.

What it means

The questions that were left unanswered after the opener against Navy were answered, and the early returns suggest this Ohio State team isn't the College Football Playoff-bound team many thought it was before Braxton Miller's injury.

The pass defense, which was supposed to be improved under a revamped scheme this season, looked anything but, and the offense sputtered through the majority of the game, struggling to move the ball in the run game and failing to adequately protect Barrett.

Taking all of Saturday's results into consideration, it's still very possible for the Buckeyes to contend for the Big Ten championship, but there's a lot of work to be done before that's a consideration.

When it was over

Donovan Riley intercepted Barrett with 46 seconds left, returning it 63 yards for a touchdown and giving the Hokies a 35-21 lead.

Bosa comes up big again

A week ago, it was a Joey Bosa caused fumble that helped turned the tide in Ohio State's win over Navy. Saturday night against the Hokies, Bosa made another play to get the Buckeyes back in the game.

His strip sack of Brewer was recovered by Rashad Frazier on the Virginia Tech 28-yard line. Ezekiel Elliot scored two plays later on a 15-yard run to tie the game at 21 with 11:40 left in the fourth quarter.

Hokies answer right back

It started when Ohio State's kickoff went out of bounds, giving the Hokies the ball on their own 35 with the game tied at 21. A pass interference call against Eli Apple on third-and-7 kept the drive alive, and Virginia Tech scored three plays later to take a 28-21 lead with 8:44 left in the game.

Freshman Deon Newsome took it 22 yards on a jet sweep. Sam Rogers ran it 17 yards on a reverse after first looking to pass. Brewer connected with Bucky Hodges for a 10-yard touchdown pass two plays later.

Offense out of sync

With the exception of Ohio State's second possession of the game, when Barrett did it all with his legs on a 83-yard scoring drive that was helped by two Virginia Tech pass interference penalties, the Buckeyes' offense looked stagnant.

Unlike last week when Ohio State eventually wore Navy down in the fourth quarter, the Buckeyes could never get in sync offensively. Dropped passes by receivers, a couple of overthrows from Barrett and a run game that could never get going stalled the Ohio State offense until Barrett hit Michael Thomas with a 53-yard touchdown pass with 3:01 left in the third quarter.

The big play didn't provide a boost to the offense, though. The Buckeyes managed one more touchdown on a short field.

Third down struggles

The Hokies converted their first five third down opportunities of the game, including a couple of crucial ones on their first two scoring drives. Virginia Tech was 7 for 10 on third-down conversions in the first half, including a third-and-16 from its own 5-yard line. It was one of two long third downs that Brewer converted while throwing from his own end zone.

It wasn't much better for the Ohio State offense either. The Buckeyes were just 1 for 6 on third downs in the first half, which didn't help on a day when the kicking game struggled.

The Hokies finished 9-for-17 on third down, the Buckeyes finished 4-for-16.

Kicking woes

Johnston's shanked punt helped set up a scoring drive, but the kicking problems didn't stop there for the Buckeyes.

Freshman kicker Sean Nuerenberger, who went 2-for-2 last week against Navy, missed his first two kicks Saturday night. He pushed a 40-yard attempt wide left, then put one off the left upright from 27-yards out.

Barrett shows off his legs

On Ohio State's second offensive possession, Barrett ran for 60 yards on four carries, including a 2-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 7-7 with 3:51 left in the first quarter.

First, Barrett stepped up to avoid pressure on third-and-9, scampering 25 yards up the middle of the field for a first down. He took it 20 yards on a read-option on the next play, then 13 yards two plays later before scoring on the short run.

The Buckeyes went 83 yards on seven plays thanks to Barrett's legs and a couple of pass interference calls against Virginia Tech. 

Barrett was strong in the running game all night, finishing with 70 yards on 24 carries.

Missed opportunity

There were a few, but perhaps the biggest came after Von Bell intercepted Brewer with 1:33 left in the third quarter. Trailing 21-14, the Buckeyes were set up on the Virginia Tech 49 after Bell undercut the type of comeback route that gave the Ohio State secondary fits all night.

Barrett ran for 11 yards on first down, but followed it up with an incomplete pass to Corey Smith, a 5-yard loss on a poorly executed read-option to Dontre Wilson and an incomplete pass to Evan Spencer. All of which led to Ohio State's fifth punt of the day.

Short fields help VT's first two scoring drives

Johnston mishit a punt that traveled just 24 yards to set up the Hokies' first scoring drive, which went 43 yards on 10 plays. 

A personal foul against Ohio State on the kickoff before Virginia Tech's next drive set the Hokies up at their own 42. They scored nine plays later on a 14-yard run by Marshawn Williams.

What's coming up

The Buckeyes play Kent State (0-2) on Saturday at 12 p.m. at Ohio Stadium. The game will be aired on either ABC, ESPN or ESPN2.

Corey Kluber returns to dominance as Cleveland Indians defeat Chicago White Sox: DMan's Report, Game 140, Saturday

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The Indians have won six of their past seven series.

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

Game: 140.

Opponent: White Sox.

Location: Progressive Field, Cleveland.

Time of day: Night.

Time elapsed: 2 hours, 46 minutes.

Attendance: 17,367.

Result: Indians 3, White Sox 1.

Records: Indians 73-67, White Sox 63-78.

Comforts of home: The Indians are 42-28 at Progressive Field.

Nick Camino Scoreboard Watch: The third-place Indians pulled within 5.0 games of first-place Kansas City (78-62) in the AL Central. The Royals lost to the Yankees earlier in the day in the Boogie Down. The Indians pulled within 3.0 games of second-place Detroit (77-65). The Tigers lost to the Giants earlier in the day in Detroit.

The Tribe remains in the hunt for the second wild card, as well.

Solid work: The Indians won the first two games in the series, clinching their sixth series in the past seven.

Finding a way: The Indians are 2-0 in the series despite scoring a total of five runs. On Friday night, they won, 2-1, in 10 innings.

The victories came in games started by White Sox quality lefties (Chris Sale, Jose Quintana).

Klubot reboots: Tribe right-hander Corey Kluber gave up one unearned run on five hits and struck out eight in a complete game. He threw 74 of 104 pitches for strikes. He threw 24 of 33 first-pitch strikes.

Kluber rebounded from his shortest start of the season, during which he allowed two earned runs on six hits in 2 2/3 innings of a loss to Detroit on Sept. 1.

Kluber (14-9, 2.47 ERA, 223 K) snapped a three-start losing streak, during which he allowed eight earned runs in 16 innings.

Kluber handled the White Sox using his standard three-pitch mix: fastball, cutter, slurve. He and catcher Yan Gomes established the fastball early, especially on the inner half, and mixed in the secondary stuff as needed. Kluber and Gomes capitalized on the White Sox' aggressiveness throughout; the White Sox made 19 of their 27 outs in three pitches or fewer.

Chasing Swindy: Kluber authored his fourth start of nine innings and zero earned runs -- most by an Indian since Greg Swindell's five in 1988.

Fast fact: Kluber has allowed three or fewer earned runs in 10 straight starts.

No match: The best illustration of Kluber's dominance was found in his work against White Sox rookie sensation Jose Abreu, who entered at .324 with 33 homers and 99 RBI. Abreu went 0-for-4 in 10 pitches, although he was denied a single by Cleveland's defense.

First inning: Abreu took a fastball for a strike on the outer half; swung and missed at a fastball on the inner half; and grounded a fastball to short.

Fourth inning: Abreu swung and missed at a cutter; took a fastball away for a ball; and grounded a slurve to third. Abreu was upset with himself because the pitch was available; he committed too early.

Sixth inning: Abreu took a fastball on the outside corner for a strike; swung and missed at a cutter down and away; and swung and missed at a slurve down and away. Abreu had no answer for the variety of speeds and planes.

Ninth inning: Abreu grounded a cutter to third, where Lonnie Chisenhall made a slick pick while moving to his left. It was Chisenhall's second stellar defensive play.

Money men: The Indians' Nos. 1-4 batters -- Michael Bourn, Jose Ramirez, Michael Brantley and Carlos Santana -- combined to go 8-for-14 with one double, one triple, one homer, three RBI, three runs and two walks.

Santana led off the fourth against Quintana with a homer to left. Santana's 25th tied the score, 1-1.

With one out in the seventh, Bourn walked against righty Zach Putnam. Bourn battled back from a 1-2 count in an eight-pitch AB.

Ramirez fouled a 2-2 pitch, then sent one deep to right for an RBI triple. Credit Ramirez with a good swing, but Avisail Garcia helped by misjudging his proximity to the wall.

Putnam allowed his first earned run since July 12 at Cleveland.

With the infield in, Brantley threaded White Sox first baseman Andy Wilkins and second baseman Carlos Sanchez for an RBI single to account for the final margin.

Ramirez and Brantley each finished 3-for-4.

Dr. Smooth chronicles: Brantley has hit safely in 10 straight games -- his third streak of 10-plus this season. He owns 47 multi-hit games.

Oh, by the way: Brantley stole second for his 19th steal in 20 attempts.  

Fast and furious: Corey Kluber throws nothing but fastballs early in victory over Chicago White Sox

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Corey Kluber ends three-start losing streak by throwing his third complete game of the season Saturday night at Progressive Field. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Corey Kluber threw nothing but fastballs to the first eight batters he faced Saturday night at Progressive Field.

Pitching coach Mickey Callaway asked him why and Kluber told him, "That's what Gomer (catcher Yan Gomes) was calling."

If it was good enough for Gomes, it was good enough for Kluber and it was good enough for Callaway and so on down the line. Whatever the reason, it set the tempo for Kluber's third complete game of the season, a five-hitter in the Tribe's 3-1 victory over the White Sox.

"He threw the fastball exclusively to the first eight hitters," said manager Terry Francona. "Then once he got into their lineup he started throwing his breaking ball and he was really good."

Saturday's victory ended a three-start losing streak by Kluber. It was the longest of his career.

After the game, Francona and Kluber talked briefly in the dugout. Kluber made a slight adjustment in his mechanics after his last start and Francona told him he was going to talk to the media about it.

"I told him I was going to talk to you guys about him changing hiss direction to the plate so you guys can get off him about being tired," said Francona, half in jest.

Kluber (14-9, 2.47 ERA) lasted only 2 2/3 innings on Monday in a 12-1 loss to the Tigers. It was his shortest start of his career and led to speculation that Kluber was tiring in his first full season in a big-league rotation.

"His tank looks like it's as full as it's ever been," said Francona.

Yet that did not stop Francona from pulling Kluber early against the Tigers to give him some extra rest.

"That extra rest may have been a bonus," said Kluber, "but I felt fine against the Tigers. I just didn't make pitches."

He plenty of pitches Saturday, throwing 71 percent (74-for-104) of his pitches for strikes. Kluber struck out eight and didn't walk a batter to send the White Sox reeling to their 13th loss in the last 17 games.

Kluber has thrown a career-high 204 1/3 innings and says he feels strong.

"That's why you do all that work in the offseason," he said. "So when you get late in the season you're still in a good spot and not wearing down. Hopefully, that has something to do with this."

The Indians don't make it easy on Kluber. In his last six starts, they've scored 12 runs. When the Indians scored twice in the seventh to take a 3-1 lead, Kluber must have felt like he had a 10-run lead.

"You have to stay locked in," said Kluber. "Stay in the moment. Don't worry about the score. Focus on getting outs."

After losing three out of four to the Tigers last week, the Indians rebounded to win the first two games against Chicago. With 21 games left to play, they're five out in the AL Central, four out in the second wild card spot, but the clock is running.

"That's the only choice we have," said Kluber. "Put the past behind us and focus on each game as itself. Just try to go out and win every game. What happened the night before, win or loss, has no bearing on the game tonight."

What surprised you about Ohio State's 35-21 loss to Virginia Tech? Postgame breakdown (video)

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Doug, Bill and Ari talk about what went wrong in the Buckeyes' first regular-season loss under Urban Meyer.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- No. 8 Ohio State's 35-21 loss to Virginia Tech on Saturday included seven sacks, three interceptions, just 38 rushing yards that didn't come from the quarterback and a defense that allowed the Hokies to covert 9 of 17 third-down chances.

But was anything that happened a real suprise?

Doug Lesmerises, Ari Wasserman and Bill Landis stopped after the loss to talk about how it transpired, and why Ari picked the Hokies to win before the game.

Ohio State gets Kent State at home next week, and the 1-1 Buckeyes are looking at their season in a different way after a loss like this.

Be sure to like our cleveland.com Ohio State sports Facebook page, where we'll keep you up to date with everything that's happening in the world of Ohio State football, basketball and recruiting.

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