Other notes include updates on Justin Gilbert, Pierre Desir and K'Waun Williams.

BEREA, Ohio – In a game filled with negatives, the injury news was not be as bad as initially feared.

Pro Bowl cornerback Joe Haden, who played just 28 snaps due to a shoulder injury, is considered day to day with a possible bruised rotator cuff. Rookie cornerback Justin Gilbert, who left the 30-0 loss to the Bengals with a head injury, did not suffer a concussion, coach Mike Pettine said.

Gilbert should be ready for Sunday's game in Charlotte against the Panthers. The status of Haden, who had an MRI Monday, is unclear.

"He has not been ruled out for this weekend, but I think we'll know much more information when it quiets down and we get to the end of the week," Pettine said.

--- The coach praised the play of rookie corner Pierre Desir, who saw his first action of the season on defense. He was pressed into service due to the injuries to Haden and Gilbert.

"(He) went out and played 39 snaps and played at a high level -- was very physical, tackled well," Pettine said. "Here's a kid coming from Lindenwood (Mo. University) where our training camp practices had more people than his games did, and it was not big for him at all . . . Here's a guy that I think he heard from everybody that, 'Hey, this is your redshirt year.' He didn't want to hear that, and he certainly didn't prepare that way. He went out and played very well."

 --- Pettine said K'Waun Williams (hamstring), who's missed Sunday's game, might have a chance to return to practice this week.

--- The coach conceded there were communication issues with Johnny Manziel and halfback Terrance West on several handoff attempts.

--- Pettine said the tweaks the Browns made to the offense were not radical enough to excuse a few poor performances on the offensive line. "It's not that we shifted gears in such a way that we asked the offensive line to go from running the run-shoot to running the wishbone. It was still, conceptually, everything that we've been doing."

Pettine thought right tackle Mitchell Schwartz played one of his better games. The Browns might consider another change at center, he said, a position that remains in flux since the Oct. 12 loss of Alex Mack to a broken leg.

Alex Mackall was the 120-pound state champion in Division I last season.

Alex Mackall was the 120-pound state champion in Division I last season.

Cleveland State basketball got a feel good victory Monday night when Mount Vernon Nazarene fell to the Vikings, lifting CSU to .500 on the season.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A Cleveland State basketball team in need of a cleansing got one with an easy triumph over Mount Vernon Nazarene, 86-40, Monday in the Wolstein Center.

The Vikings, who lost three of their previous five, were coming off a 10-point loss at Bowling Green where head coach Gary Waters blasted his team as dysfunctional and with a collective group of bad attitudes.

In an attempt to get all on the same harmonious page, Waters overworked his starters in the blowout as all played well over 24 minutes or more and all five were on the court with less than eight minutes to play holding a 40-point lead.

While the Cougars entered the game 11-2, the small college (NAIA) entry was no match for the pressuring defense the Vikings applied. By halftime CSU had forced 20 turnovers and held Mount Vernon to just 5-of-15 shooting.

CSU built a 12-2 lead by the 15:05 mark and had already forced six turnovers. At the opposite end of the court, junior center Anton Grady had his way inside, scoring eight of the Vikings 12 points to set the stage for CSU's rise back to .500 on the season.

The Vikings focus continued as their lead grew to 17-4 with just under 12 minutes to go. The Cougars to that point had 10 turnovers and only three shot attempts. By halftime the Vikings were on cruising, 43-16. Trey Lewis was already in the books with 15 of his career high 32 points, including nine 3-pointers, and Grady had 12 of his 18.

The easy victory set the stage for a tough four-game stretch for the Vikings. They are at Virginia on Thursday, followed by games against San Francisco, Eastern Illinois and VCU before Horizon League conference play begins Jan. 2.

Only one of those teams (Eastern Illinois) has a losing record. VCU (6-3) began the season nationally ranked as did Virginia (9-0), currently ranked No. 6 in the weekly Associated Press Top 25 poll.

Led by The Big Three, the Cleveland Cavaliers get a win after dropping two straight.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Big Three got the Cavaliers back on track with a much-needed 97-88 win over the Charlotte Hornets at The Q on Monday night.

LeBron James, Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving led the charge, combining for 65 points. More specifically, they fueled a blazing start that gave the Cavaliers a 21-0 lead more than six minutes into the game.

Cleveland (14-9) swarmed Charlotte with aggressive traps and blitzed the gaps, leaving the Hornets discombobulated. According to Elias Sports Bureau, the three-touchdown lead was the largest in the NBA since Portland got out to a 22-0 lead against Boston last Feb. 21.

On their first 11 baskets, the Cavaliers had 11 assists -- six by James.

Charlotte missed its first nine shots before Al Jefferson got on the board with a contested baseline jumper with 5:33 left in the first quarter.

The Hornets made their run in the second, going on a 21-9 run to cut the deficit to three. But the Cavaliers closed the quarter on an 11-4 spurt to enter the break up 54-45.

Cleveland didn't start the second half quickly, allowing the Hornets to get within three once more. However, the momentum switched when the Cavaliers ended the period on an 18-9 run, led by Love and James -- who had seven and eight points in the quarter, respectively.

At the end of three, the Cavaliers led 80-68.

In the final quarter Cleveland locked down defensively. Charlotte shot 8-of-18, which translated to 20 fourth-quarter points. It wouldn't be enough.

James was three rebounds shy from a triple double. He registered 27 points, seven boards and a contest-high 13 assists.

Love, who had secured his 13^th double double by halftime, ended with 22 points and a season-high 18 rebounds, along with five assists and four steals.

Irving supplied 16 points, four rebounds and five assists.

Play of the Game

In the third quarter Love got the defensive board and saw James leaking out. He threw his patented outlet pass and hit James in stride for a breakaway tomahawk dunk.

The airtime was reminiscent of the 22-year-old James, lifting the Cavaliers to a 70-61 lead.

Injury

Mike Miller (concussion) missed his sixth consecutive game. He will go though a full practice on Tuesday and is expected back in action on Wednesday.

Who's on deck?

The Atlanta Hawks visit for the season time on Wednesday. On Nov. 15, the Cavaliers demolished the Hawks, 127-94.

LeBron James scored 27 points and dished out 13 assists with friend and business icon Warren Buffett in the crowd

CLEVELAND, Ohio – LeBron James tied a season-high assists and was efficient in all phases of the Cavaliers' 97-88 win over the Charlotte Hornets.

With James' friend and business mentor of sorts Warren Buffett watching, James scored 27 points, registered 13 assists, and grabbed seven rebounds. If Kevin Love (22 points, 18 rebounds) hadn't hogged all the boards (kidding), James might've nabbed his first triple-double this season.

Instead, he'll have to settle for a merely complete performance at the start of a five-game homestand.

Here is an instant, quarter-by-quarter briefing on James' performance against the Hornets.

1^st Quarter

Stats: 7 pts, 3 rbs, 6 ast, 2-2 FG, 2-2 FT

Highlight: How about assists on five consecutive baskets during the Cavaliers' 21-0 run to begin the game?

Briefing: With Buffett seated on the baseline, James and the Cavaliers could do little wrong. During that 21-point run, James also contributed three rebounds, two blocks, and knocked in two free throws. His three-pointer with 1:22 to go was noteworthy because, well, he added to his lead on Mark Price for all-time threes with the Cavaliers – a record James broke Friday night. Price is an assistant with the Hornets and was on the bench Monday night.

2nd Quarter

Stats: 6 pts, 1 rb, 3 ast, 3-7 FG, 0-0 FT

Highlight: James bowled his way in for a lay-up and then knocked in a 20-footer on consecutive possessions with two minutes left and counting.

Briefing: With 13 points, nine assists, and four rebounds through two quarters, the crowd was already on alert for a triple-double. But the 20,562 – Buffett included – in attendance were also keenly aware that the Hornets had made this a game. So close, in fact, that Charlotte cut a one-time 22-point deficit down to three.

3^rd Quarter

Stats: 7 pts, 1 rb, 3 ast, 3-5 FG, 1-2 FT

Highlight: Running under a Love fade pass, James caught it and went up for a one-handed jam that was reminiscent of the James of old.

Briefing: James got himself in trouble early in the quarter dribbling too much, and at one point was hit with a charge after he had again dribbled away much of the shot clock. But he regained control as time when along. A pretty finger roll in traffic with 30.7 seconds remaining gave Cleveland a 13-point advantage. He'll need to crash the boards for that triple-double.

4^th Quarters

Stats: 7 pts, 2 rbs, 1 ast, 3-5 FG, 0-0 FT

Highlight: A step-back jumper with 52.2 seconds to go ended any prayer the Hornets had of a comeback.

Briefing: After James' jumper effectively ended Charlotte's night, James added a three-pointer with 22.8 seconds left to rub it in. No triple-double for James, but a complete game indeed.

Totals: 27 pts, 7 rbs, 13 ast, 11-19 FG, 3-4 FT, 40 min

Bernie Kosar says Johnny Manziel and any other quarterback for the Cleveland Browns will fail until the "uneducated'' front office establishes a culture of winning.

BEREA, Ohio -- Bernie Kosar ripped the Browns' top brass Monday, saying Johnny Manziel and any other quarterback is destined to fail here because of the lack of a winning culture.

In an interview on The Mike Trivisonno show on WTAM 1100, Kosar said he's been talking all year about "how we're limited with our weapons offensively and it is somewhat of a tough spot for Johnny given this team and given this organization. It's just a complete recipe for a disaster.''

He said the quarterbacks keep changing, but the results are the same because of  the way the team is run. He never specifically mentions owner Jimmy Haslam or general manager Ray Farmer by name, blaming the problems on the front office in general.

Haslam, in his second full year of ownership, is committed to turning the franchise around and is working hard to do that. Coach Mike Pettine has talked about changing the culture from the moment he walked in the door. The Browns were all alone in first place in the AFC North this year before losing four of their last five games.

"You can't put these kids (the quarterbacks) in these spots,'' Kosar said. "It's almost abuse. If you're going to keep running it the way we're running it, we may as well do nothing (to fix the quarterback situation), because you'll kill two more kids coming in here. It'll fail. It does not matter right now.''

Kosar, who was taken off the Browns preseason broadcasts on WKYC this year and has long wanted to help run the Browns, said, "we've had a headache. I've had a headache for 15 years with this and it's not stopping. It's getting worse."

Kosar said it doesn't matter if it's Brian Hoyer, Manziel or anyone else they can put behind center.

"You can take out Brian, you can take out Johnny Manziel's name and you can plug in (Tim) Couch.....(Derek)  Anderson, Brady Quinn, Colt McCoy...the names change, but the way we do things as a culture above them is still the same and yeah he wasn't ready, but the team's not ready. December is when teams have to play good.''

Kosar said the Browns set the bar too high for Manziel by the way they praised him all week.

"They've been talking so positively like 'this is the savior' and that's what bad organizations do,'' he said. "They set these quarterback controversies up and it kind of takes the heat off of them and it gives everybody a little glimmer of hope. ...The organization and the players and coaches actually thought he was going to do good. I know they believed he was going to do good.''

Kosar said he's been hearing the same refrain since 1999 about the 21 quarterbacks who have started a game since then.

"I'm 51,'' he said. "At this pace, I'm going to die by 60 and for the last 25 years of my life, all I'm going to talk about it 'who do you think the quarterback should be? That's all we talk about. And you can't fix it until you fix it above it.''

Kosar stressed that he's not pinning any of this on coach Mike Pettine.

"For all the reporters that listen to our show that want to say I'm dogging him, absolutely not,'' said Kosar. "He was hired under this set of rules where everybody gets to giggle and laugh and talk about things and everybody is involved in everything. He was hired in a tough, tough spot in a culture above him that is not a football culture. It's not a winning football culture. It goes above that.''

He also absolved the players.

 "I ain't coming down on the players now,'' he said. "These are 25 years olds. Yeah, they're men and yeah they're professionals, but, heck, at 25, did you know everything in life? You need leadership, and leadership just doesn't mean a player. There's a culture that's established within the building of intensity and focus and conviction and love for the game. You have to have a single-mindedness, a focus, in order to win.

Asked if the Browns should bench Josh Gordon, he said, "I wonder what culture they stand for and what their rules are systematically as to what they're supposed to do and how they're taught. The issue is systemically from a culture in Berea, they've got to get it together because I know of anyone who can be consistently successful within this culture, within this organization right now. You can't play football like this.''

Kosar, who was once a paid consultant for the Browns, said the front office doesn't have the right mindset to win. The Browns had no comment.

"When you have a front office that's really uneducated, and I'm not talking about just the coach, there's way above him that deserves this, they don't know how to lead and organize and set a culture to play winning football, to win in the NFL consistently,'' he said.

Throughout the interview he cites Patriots coach Bill Belichick as the model for  success.

"This is an obsessive game of high stakes, high competition, and the feeling of winning is good, but the distaste that those guys have, Belichick, have for losing fuels them to obsessively focus on their job and what's going to take to win games,'' he said. "You can't expect a 23, a 25 year old kid to know that. if they're allowed to go out and talk about everything and laugh it up and yuk it up, then they're not told and then if they don't see the examples from the people above them, then how are they supposed to know?"

He said teams like the Patriots and Packers know how to win at this time of year, citing a television shot of Hoyer and Manziel chuckling on the sidelines of the fourth quarter of Sunday's 30-0 loss to the Bengals.

"You didn't see any chuckling or smiling (out of the Patriots or Packers) like we saw on the sidelines yesterday,'' he said.

He ripped quarterbacks coach Dowell Loggains for texting owner Jimmy Haslam on draft day and imploring him to draft Manziel. Loggains also said he texted coach Mike Pettine.

"That's not acceptable,'' said Kosar. "It can't happen. (Even) the defensive people are talking about how Johnny is going to do. They were like us fans. Even the head coach said, 'hey we're kind of looking forward to watching him play.' Everybody wanted to watch him play instead of do their job.

"When you start worrying about everybody else's and you don't focus on your job that's what happens.''

Mike Pettine admitted that the Browns will still have doubts about Johnny Manziel as their quarterback of the future even if he rocks these final two games at Carolina and Baltimore.

BEREA, Ohio -- Coach Mike Pettine admitted Monday that the Browns will still have doubts about whether or not Johnny Manziel is their quarterback of the future after his three starts. Maybe even a ton of them.

"It's a sample size,'' he said. "I don't know enough. We'll have a sense, but I still think there will be question marks.''

No matter what happens in these final two games at Carolina and Baltimore?

"No matter what happens,'' he said. "We'll have a sense, but it's something that I don't think it's going to confirm one way or the other the opinion. He could hit it out of the park the next two and there'll still be doubts. He could not play very well the next two, there'd be a ton of doubts.

"We're going to see him play and then see how it goes from there. We can't look back and say we wish we had played him more games now that we're for all intents and purposes close to being eliminated, so we'll see.''

Pettine refused to speculate on how the Browns will approach the offseason without having a definitive answer on Manziel, their No. 22 overall pick. They have two first-round picks again in the upcoming draft, and the quarterback class is good -- stronger and deeper than last year's.

"My last thought right now is how we're going to proceed in the offseason,'' he said. "We're all about Carolina and our prep. Again, we have so few opportunities that we have a lot of time when things finish up for us to look for it. That falls more on Ray's plate (general manager Ray Farmer) than mine, that he'll have a lot of plans ready to go and we'll go in and have lively discussions on how we want to handle things moving forward. But I'm not going to sit here today and start to talk about what we're going to do after the season.''

Manziel did nothing to bolster his status as the Browns franchise quarterback during Sunday's 30-0 loss to the Bengals, which Pettine called "our biggest game of the year.'' The performance was so raw (10-of-18, 80 yards, no TDs, two picks, 27.3 rating) that Pettine didn't even bother to try to sell Manziel's upcoming start Sunday in Carolina from "the best chance to win'' standpoint.

 "We're going to move forward with him as our quarterback,'' said Pettine. "We feel he gives us an opportunity to win, but I think we're hanging too much on the quarterback position. We haven't played well enough around him and it showed. I think we could have played Brian Sipe at quarterback yesterday. I don't think the outcome would have been much different."

Likewise, Pettine stressed that one horrendous game doesn't a bust make.

"When you look at how we played around him, I think it's very unfair to judge what somebody's career is going to be like off of their first start,'' he said. "I'm sure you could go back and find a lot of regrettable performances in the first start."

 Pettine did see a few flashes of Johnny Football -- but he wasn't on the field enough to get into a rhythm. Manziel managed only five first downs -- and two came via defensive penalties.

 "We know we'll get better and part of it, too, is as we've said all along, we have to play better around him,'' he said. "The unfortunate thing about yesterday is that we had some guys who played well but the mistakes that they made were at critical times. We had guys who grade out high and maybe made three or four mistakes, well, those mistakes were on a third down or on a goal-line play, they were in the red zone on a critical third-down or critical point of the game and that's unfortunate because hidden within yesterday were some pretty good performances.

"Johnny showed some flashes of what he's capable of and we had some chances to turn those plays into some real positive ones. The one hawk got hit on and ultimately dropped it on third down. Jim Dray mistimed the jump a little bit, those were both plays where I thought he showed his escapability and made a good throw but it's just across the board, we have to find a way.''

Meanwhile, the national analysts continue to pile on.

Boomer Esiason said on "NFL Monday QB on CBS Sports Network: "It's obvious that he's a guy that's more pomp and circumstance than he is substance. ...Somehow he has to find the poise that it takes to be a pocket-passer in the NFL.''
 
More to come soon on the aftermath of Manziel's disappointing debut.

Meet Independence wrestler Paul Deely.

Meet Independence wrestler Paul Deely.

Lillard just began his senior season for the Ironmen.

Lillard just began his senior season for the Ironmen.

The recruiting trail heated up in the early days of December.

If you were one of the handful of blue-chip recruits to commit in the last week, your big announcement might have gotten a little lost in the shuffle.

That's because Josh Sweat also made his decision. Sweat is 247Sports' No. 1 player in the 2015 class and the No. 6 player in the 247Sports composite rankings -- which figure in all the major recruiting services.

Sweat, who missed most of the season with a knee injury, chose Florida State, part of another big week for the Seminoles. But it was far from the only news. Let's look at the big additions, subtractions and flips of the week:

2015 commitments

DE Josh Sweat to Florida State: The 6-foot-5, 240-pound rush end with astonishing athleticism picked the Seminoles over Ohio State and others. The addition of the 5-star Sweat gives Florida State perhaps the greatest recruiting class Jimbo Fisher has put together.

QB Chad Kelly to Ole Miss: The Rebels landed the player who perhaps will replace Bo Wallace as the team's starting quarterback in Kelly, the nephew of Hall of Famer Jim Kelly and a former Clemson star. Kelly, who was a 4-star prospect coming out of high school, played at East Mississippi Community College where he led his team to the junior college national championship.

OT Michael Howard to Ole Miss: It was a productive week on the trail for the Rebels, who also got a commitment from offensive tackle prospect Howard, a 4-star prospect on the ESPN Recruiting Nation list.

DT Albert Huggins to Clemson: Clemson picked up a consensus top-100 player in Huggins, a key in-state pickup for the Tigers, who have put together an outstanding class on both lines, especially on defense. Of the 11 Tiger commits who are 4-star or better, six are linemen, including Huggins.

LB Darrin Kirkland to Tennessee: The Vols picked up their 12th commitment rated 4-star or better when they landed the athletic Kirkland, the nation's No. 4 inside linebacker and the No. 2 2015 prospect in Indiana.

ATH Cameron Scarlett to Stanford: The Cardinal stole a player from Oregon's backyard in Scarlett, who picked Stanford over UCLA, Washington and Notre Dame, among others.

A couple of flips

TE Tyler Petite from Duke to USC: The Californian had planned to head across the country, but with USC lacking depth at tight end, Petite, an ESPN 4-star prospect, changed his mind and decided to stay close to home.

OT Matt Womack from LSU to Alabama: It seemed inevitable ever since September when, while committed to LSU, the Mississippi native got the offer he wanted from the Tide. So it was not the biggest surprise when the 3-star prospect flipped on Saturday.

One who reopened his recruiting

QB Jarrett Stidham from Texas Tech to uncommitted: On the same night Marcus Mariota brought home the Heisman Trophy, Stidham, a 5-star dual-threat quarterback, decommitted from Texas Tech and appears to be leaning toward picking either Oregon or Baylor. Stidham is considered the nation's No. 3 dual-threat quarterback and the No. 26 overall prospect, meaning somebody is going to add a stud to their class.

... and some future star commits

2016 C Drake Jackson to Kentucky: Jackson, the top player in Kentucky in the 2016 class, became an early commitment to the Wildcats, giving Kentucky the top-rated center in the class.

2016 TE Isaac Nauta to Florida State: Florida State, already enjoying an epic 2015 class, got great news for 2016 by getting a commitment from the top tight end in the nation in that class. Nauta is also the No. 5 player in the state of Georgia, giving the Seminoles a steal from an SEC state.

It looks like the Indians have found their veteran arm for the starting rotation by signing Gavin Floyd to a one-year deal.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians have signed right-hander Gavin Floyd to a one-year, $4 million big-league deal. He can earn another $6 million in incentives.

Floyd, who pitched with Atlanta last season, spent the previous seven seasons pitching for the White Sox. He made just nine starts for the Braves after missing most of the 2013 season with right elbow surgery.

The 31-year-old Floyd owns a 72-72 record in the big leagues. He has a 4.40 lifetime ERA in 208 appearances, including 196 starts. Last season he went 2-2 with a 2.65 ERA.

The Indians were looking for a veteran starter to add depth to the rotation and it looks like Floyd is it.

Check out the latest news in the girls basketball scene.

Check out the latest news in the girls basketball scene.

Larry Kehres is having fun watching his son, Vince Kehres, coach Mount Union to another Stagg Bowl championship game.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Larry Kehres realized how much some things had changed at a Mount Union football game early in 2013.

"I watched the punter take off and run for a first down," he said, adding that first thought was, "I wonder if Vince called the fake punt."

Vince is Vince Kehres, who took over for his father as head coach in 2013.

Then Larry thought, "Nah, I bet the punter took off on his own."

Why think that? "Because I never would have called a fake punt in that situation," said Larry Kehres. "But it turned out that Vince did."

Vince had been the team's defensive coordinator for eight years under his father before becoming head coach. That play was when Larry Kehres also realized something: "I sensed as I was getting older, I was getting a little too stern. I was getting afraid to take risks. I probably was too conservative."

Larry Kehres retired as football coach after the 2012 Stagg Bowl, a 28-10 victory over St. Thomas. That gave him his 11th Division III national title. So it's not as if he had lost the winning touch.

But he knew something was missing.

"When I was a younger coach, we took more chances, had more trick plays," he said. "And the players liked that. But I got away from it as I got older."

Kehres paused for moment.

"There wasn't much joy in winning any more," he said. "It was more a relief not to lose. I watch Vince's practices, and the guys have more fun. They still get the work done, but even film sessions are more fun for the players. I think we needed that."

THE RIVALRY

Larry Kehres has rediscovered some of the joy of football watching his son coach the Purple Raiders.AP 

Larry Kehres is now 65. He remains the athletic director at Mount Union.

This is the second year of Vince Kehres as head coach, and he has the Purple Raiders in what has become their usual spot this time of year -- the Stagg Bowl.

Mount Union will face Wisconsin-Whitewater at 7 p.m. Friday in Salem, Va.
A year ago, Whitewater wiped out Mount Union, 52-14.

"It's harder to win a national title now," said Larry Kehres. "When we first started getting (to the Stagg Bowl, in 1993), we didn't have to face a team like Whitewater."

Whitewater has won the last four Stagg Bowl matchups against Mount Union, and is 5-3 overall vs. Mount Union in title games. The Purple Raiders' last victory over Whitewater was in 2008.

That's why this game means so much to Mount. The coaches and players have described last season's loss as "embarrassing and humiliating." They believe they are a better team, peaking at the right time compared to 2013.

Furthermore, Whitewater coach Lance Leipold will become the head coach at the University of Buffalo after the game. It's a last chance to knock them off at their peak. Leipold is 108-6 in eight years at Whitewater. He has won five national titles.

THE SON'S TURN

"I didn't come into this job thinking I had to make big changes or put my stamp on it," said Vince Kehres. "It was the opposite. I wanted as much continuity as possible."

It made sense for Vince to take over for his father. As head coach, Larry Kehres concentrated on the offense. His defensive coordinators were head coaches of the defense.

Vince had been offered a chance to be a head coach at Wisconsin-LaCrosse and an assistant at Division I Toledo. That was part of the reason that Larry stepped down after 2012. He believed Vince was ready, and Vince also was highly regarded by other schools.

"I also was 37 when I became head coach," said Kehres. "It seemed like the right time for Vince (who was 37 when promoted)."

Vince Kehres also had been doing the major recruiting for years. His father would close the deal when the players and parents visited the Alliance campus, but it was Vince and the other assistants who made the phone calls and developed the relationships with high school prospects.

Larry realized that no matter who became the next head coach, "He'd be under a lot of pressure -- that comes with the territory here."

This will be Mount's 10th consecutive trip to the Stagg Bowl. Vince has been a part of 10 of Mount's 11 championship teams, either as a player or an assistant coach.

"It seems like in the last five years before I got the job, (Larry) would have some long talks with me about important decisions," said Vince Kehres. "I can see now that he was helping me to get ready for this job."

Vince takes a 28-1 career record into the Stagg Bowl, looking for his first national title.

FATHER IS INVOLVED

During games, Larry Kehres is usually on the end of the sidelines, and often is on the headphones.

"I don't say anything, I just listen," he said. "I like to hear what is going on."

He attends at least some portion of most practices.

"I wish I could get him to do more," said Vince. "He's great watching film, but doesn't do it that much. He has an iPad, and I ask him to look at stuff. He'll send me a text now and then with an idea, but he really doesn't offer much advice."

After last season, when Mount Union's defense gave up 151 points in their final three games, Vince decided to replace his defensive coordinator -- himself. He turned the job that he had for nine years over to Chris Kappas. Geoff Dartt calls the plays on offense.

"When Vince decided to make that move (with the defensive coordinator), I wasn't sure it was a good idea," said Larry. "He's such a good defensive coach."

And Larry had been his own offensive coordinator for most of his 27 years as head coach. But Vince decided to take a big-picture role as a head coach, trusting his assistants.

"But I did take over as special teams coach," he said. "I like to keep my hand in the day-to-day stuff. And I also think when the head coach is in charge of special teams, the guys pay more attention."

Vince Kehres bragged about Tim Kennedy, the Hudson product who has set school and NCAA records for punt return yardage. Kicker Edward Ruhnke has set several NCAA and school records, and he is a first team Division III academic All-American.

As for Mount's defense under Kappas, it ranked No. 2 in points allowed in Division III.

"They have turned out to be great (coaching) moves," said Larry Kehres.

The father doesn't want to brag about the son. He talks about how the school has "several really good young coaches, including Vince."

But Larry has been fascinated watching some of the changes made by his son leading to the Purple Raiders being in the Stagg Bowl again.

"It's been fun," he said. "I've really enjoyed it this season."

Tallmadge football coach Joe Vassalotti has applied for the head coaching job at Massillon.

Tallmadge football coach Joe Vassalotti has applied for the head coaching job at Massillon.

Wesley Matthews appears to be off limits while the Cavaliers are in play for Kosta Koufos.

CLEVELAND, Ohio  – The Cavaliers have been linked to an array of potential trade targets over the last few months.

From a versatile wing defender capable of knocking down outside shots to a rim-protecting big man, Cleveland has let it be known they are in the business of securing a player at each position.

Shawn Marion has been serviceable and steady, but he is playing out of position at shooting guard. In an ideal situation, Marion comes off the bench. However, the Cavaliers have had to modify the arrangement once it was clear that Dion Waiters wasn't a good fit with the starters.

View full sizeKosta Koufos shown protecting the paint, a skill-set the Cavaliers desperately need.Mark J. Terrill, Associated Press 

To upgrade the position, Cleveland was in talks with the Minnesota Timberwolves for Corey Brewer, but those conversations have subsided.

As of now, a rash of injuries has deterred Minnesota from handing over their best perimeter defender.

The idyllic fit for the Cavaliers to fill their void for toughness, shooting and defensive tenacity resides in the Pacific Northwest: Wesley Matthews of Portland Trail Blazers. Cleveland has adored Matthews for quite some time and its quest of him has been repeatedly vetoed, league sources told Northeast Ohio Media Group. 

Portland, at 19-6, is one of the best young teams in the league and is off to its best start in 15 years. Breaking up a sturdy nucleus entrenched in a winning culture isn't in the team's plans.

Barring an unexpected plummet, the Trail Blazers are dismissing all overtures for Matthews. He is a free agent at the end of the season and they have every intention of re-signing him next summer, a league source said.

When it comes to big man needs, Memphis Grizzlies' center Kousta Koufos is certainly a legitimate target. His $3 million salary would absorb perfectly into the $5.3 million trade exception Cleveland acquired in the Keith Bogans deal during training camp.

It's no secret that Koufos desires more minutes than what the Grizzlies are providing. With Memphis occupying the second-best record in the NBA, there is no rationalization for switching things up.

The Grizzlies value Koufos. They know you can never have too much depth in the frontcourt. But sooner or later, they'll have a huge decision to make. He is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year and at this stage in his career, he wants to play.

If the Grizzlies elect not to move Koufos, they risk losing him for nothing over the summer along with All-Star center Marc Gasol, who will be unrestricted. Losing both would be a decimating scenario.

Cleveland is high on Koufos, we're told. They view his talent as a remedy to their lack of protection around the paint. However, beyond this season, a team is going to have to make a financial commitment.

Longtime NBA agent Mark Termini, renowned as a masterful negotiator, represents Koufos. He is also the senior advisor of negotiations for Rich Paul's Klutch Sports Group agency. Termini has an excellent relationship with Cavaliers ownership and management.

With the Denver Nuggets holding firm on center Timofey Mozgov, Koufos appears to be the most logical bull's-eye. It's a waiting game at this point, a source said.

Out of all this uncertainty, one thing is certain: Cavaliers General Manager David Griffin is being aggressive and isn't afraid to make an unpopular transaction for the betterment of the team.

Cleveland has holes, but is determined to patch them with sustainable talent. The time to do so isn't far away. 

The 6-foot-2, 295-pound prospect visited Columbus over the weekend, and on Tuesday Landers flipped his commitment to Ohio State.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Needing to fill a need at defensive tackle in the 2015 recruiting class, Ohio State offered three-star prospect and West Virginia commit Robert Landers of Huber Heights (Ohio) Wayne late last week.

The 6-foot-2, 295-pound prospect visited Columbus over the weekend, and on Tuesday Landers flipped his commitment to Ohio State, according to multiple reports. 

Huber Heights (OH) Wayne DL @roblanders96 makes hard decision because a Buckeye. http://t.co/XyKlz6qWtH @AllenTrieu

— Dave Berk (@DMBerk) December 16, 2014

Rated by 247Sports the No. 51 defensive tackle in the country, Landers becomes the 24th commitment in the Buckeyes' 2015 recruiting class. Room in Ohio State's class is now very tight. 

Below are some highlights of Landers: 

Gavin Floyd's arrival stokes competition for fifth spot in rotation among Danny Salazar, Zach McAllister, Josh Tomlin and T.J. House.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Indians just didn't sign Gavin Floyd for depth or to have another arm in the rotation in spring training. They signed the 31-year-old right-hander and gave him a spot in the rotation.

All he has to do is stay healthy.

Floyd signed a one-year, $4 million big-league deal with the Indians on Tuesday. The contract contains $6 million in incentives based on starts and innings pitched. The bonuses don't start until he reaches 19 starts and 160 innings.

GM Chris Antonetti told reporters that Floyd owns one of the top four spots in the rotation along with Cy Young winner Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco and Trevor Bauer. It means the fifth spot will be decided among Danny Salazar, T.J. House, Zach McAllister and Josh Tomlin in spring training.

McAllister, who is out of options, could open the season in the bullpen if he's not in the rotation. Carrasco and Bauer are also out of options.

Injury has been Floyd's constant companion the last two seasons. His 2013 season with the White Sox ended on April 27 after five starts because of Tommy John surgery on his right elbow.

Last season with Atlanta, the 6-4, 235-pound Floyd was nine starts into his comeback when he threw curveball to start the seventh inning against Washington and fractured the olecranon bone in his right elbow. In layman's terms, he fractured his funny bone, but it was far from funny for Floyd.

He underwent surgery on June 25 and was done for the season after going 2-2 with a 2.65 ERA in nine starts. Floyd was throwing a two-hit shutout when he was injured.

Antonetti said the Indians have watched Floyd's throwing sessions since November. He was at Progressive Field for a physical Monday.

"One of our goals as we went into the off-season was to add a veteran presence to our rotation and add depth to our pitching staff," said Antonetti. "We feel by signing Gavin we were able to do that.

"He's a veteran starter who has had a lot of success in the American League. When he's been healthy, he's proven to be a very effective pitcher."

Floyd is 72-72 with a 4.40 ERA in 208 appearances in his career. Primarily a starter, Floyd is averaging 7.1 strikeouts and 3.0 walks per nine innings. He is 26-27 in the AL Central, including a 7-3 record against Detroit and an 8-4 record against the Indians.

"We feel his elbow is fine," said Antonetti. "He went through an extensive physical Monday. We feel his (elbow) ligament is strong an intact and the fracture he suffered last season is well healed."

Antonetti said Floyd is expected to be ready for the start of spring training Feb. 18 in Goodyear, Ariz.

"We watched some of his workouts in November," said Antonetti. "We watched him throw out to 120 feet. He was free and easy at that point and looked healthy."

The addition of Floyd does not necessarily mean the Indians can deal another starting pitcher to help improve the team in another area.

"From the beginning of the off-season we talked about adding a bat to the middle of the order," said Antonetti. "We feel we were able to do that with the acquisition of Brandon Moss and we wanted to improve our pitching.

"We always try to build a starting staff that is eight or nine deep. We felt Gavin was a good addition to the group of guys we already have in place. We now go into spring training in a position of strength where we have a number of options to chose from for our rotation."

Unfortunately, Floyd and Moss have health concerns. Moss is coming off October surgery on his right hip.

The Indians won 85 games last season and finished third in the AL Central. So far this winter, there has been a flurry of activity in the Central. Here's a quick look at some of the big moves the other four teams have made.

Tigers (90-72, first): They re-signed DH Victor Martinez, while acquiring RHP Alfredo Simon and OF Yoenis Cespedes. They acquired Simon from the Reds for prospects. They sent RHP Rick Porcello to Boston to get Cespedes.

The Tigers lost OF Torii Hunter and could lose RHP Max Scherzer to free agency.

Royals (89-73, second): They signed DH Kendrys Morales, OF Alex Rios and re-signed RHP Luke Hochevar. They lost DH Billy Butler to free agency and are expected to lose RHP James Shields and OF Nori Aoki.

White Sox (73-89, fourth): GM Rick Hahn has signed LHP Zack Duke, 1B Adam LaRoche, closer David Robertson and OF Melky Cabrera from the free agent pool. He acquired RHP Jeff Samardzija in a trade with Oakland.

Twins (70-92, fifth): The Twins signed RHP Ervin Santana and Hunter.

"There's no doubt the other teams in our division have certainly improved themselves over the course of the winter," said Antonetti. "We always assume teams will look to improve as they head into the off-season and the teams in our division have done an excellent job of that.

"We expect it to be a very competitive division. It should be a fun race to watch over the course of a summer."

Alabama coach Nick Saban gave his initial impressions of Ohio State quarterback Cardale Jones.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — A lot has been made, and surely will be made, about the lack of film Alabama has on Ohio State quarterback Cardale Jones heading into the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1.

The Crimson Tide must prepare for that New Year's Day College Football Playoff matchup with really only one game's worth of film on Jones. Tide coach Nick Saban called it a game-and-half when speaking to reporters in Alabama on Tuesday, but the half game might as well not count seeing as Jones wasn't asked to do much in the waning moments of the Buckeyes' win over Michigan.

But Saban, who said the Tide will get into the gameplan portion of their practices later this week, has an idea of what to expect from Jones.

"I think this guy is very capable," Saban said. "He's a good passer, big, strong, athletic guy who can really do all the things the other guy (J.T. Barrett) could do in terms of quarterback runs. It's just different styles."

• See video of Saban's full post-practice remarks here

Barrett would never be mistaken for a track star, but he does seem to have a better immediate burst that the long-striding Jones. Jones didn't get a chance to show much of his running ability in the Big Ten Championship win over Wisconsin, but didn't exactly look smooth on some early runs against the Badgers.

Saban came away more impressed with the way Jones threw the ball.

"The one thing he did really well was pass the ball," Saban said. "He made some good throws in the Wisconsin game, some big plays downfield. We feel like philosophically, they're going to run their offense, it's just what part of it they might feature a little differently, that's the part we're not sure about."

Check below for more Tuesday coverage of Ohio State and Alabama from cleveland.com and our colleagues at AL.com.

Cleveland.com on the Buckeyes

Ohio State offensive coordinator Tom Herman signs five-year, $6.75M contract as new Houston coach

Who's the next big hire for Ohio State's Urban Meyer? 8 thoughts on replacing Tom Herman

More than Amari - Why Alabama has the best offense Ohio State has seen: Crimson Tide TV Rewatch

Ohio State football: Buckeyes QB J.T. Barrett named third-team All-American by Associated Press

Ohio State flips Huber Heights Wayne DT Robert Landers from West Virginia: Buckeyes recruiting

Four-star North Carolina ATH Nyheim Hines to announce between Ohio State, others Friday: Buckeyes recruiting

Ohio State vs. Alabama - Nine 2016 prospects that have offers from Urban Meyer Nick Saban: Buckeyes recruiting

AL.com on the Crimson Tide

Traffic jam makes Alabama players late for first Sugar Bowl practice

Alabama practice report: Former 5-star RB Bo Scarbrough makes surprise debut, starter not spotted

Alabama has 2 on on Associated Press All-America first team

Tyren Jones shakes off injury, suspension to emerge as Alabama's No. 3 runner entering Sugar Bowl

The Arcs led wire-to-wire in the victory.

The Arcs led wire-to-wire in the victory.

Lorain's balance on offense was too much for Cleveland Heights to stop on Tuesday.

Lorain's balance on offense was too much for Cleveland Heights to stop on Tuesday.