Highland football coach Tom Lombardo will stay at Highland, per media reports.

Highland football coach Tom Lombardo will stay at Highland, per media reports.

Check here for updates from the Country in the Classic.

Check here for updates from the Country in the Classic.

Cleveland State guard Trey Lews snaps a four-game slump with a 29-point effort to lift the Vikings to an easy road win over Youngstown State.

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -- Cleveland State's Trey Lewis erupted in a big way Saturday, leading CSU to a 74-61 victory over Youngstown State in the Beeghly Center.

Lewis, who had not scored his average for the last four straight games, came back with a 29-point night, including 7-of-13 on 3-pointers.

"You knew that wasn't going to last forever,'' coach Gary Waters said of Lewis' four-game drought. "He needed to hit a few and start to feel comfortable."

Still, the victory came at a cost as guards Andre Yates and Terrell Hales left the game with ankle injuries.

"That's a major setback for us,'' Waters said. "Both are out for awhile."

The Vikings (11-9, 5-1) entered with a half-game lead in the Horizon League standings with two of their first four wins coming on the road. The Penguins (9-12, 0-6), playing an absurd conference schedule that had four of their first five games on the road, were looking for their first HL victory of the season. No dice as CSU ended a three-game road swing with a 2-1 record.

Both teams struggled early. YSU led, 8-7, at the 11:57 mark as the Vikings were 3-of-13 from the field to 3-of-8 for the Penguins. The Vikings, working hard on the offensive glass, slowly began to flex and with 6:04 to play in the half had taken a 22-14 lead. By halftime CSU was up, 31-22.

Lewis, the junior from Garfield Heights High, had 16 of his points at the break. Averaging nearly 18 points a game going into league play, he scored 27 in CSU's first HL game, then proceeded to score 11, 0, 5 and 13 points in the next four.

When the Penguins opened the second half with a 6-0 run, Lewis stepped up with a 3-pointer to get the Vikings rolling again. CSU seemed set to take command, up 40-30, until Yates, driving hard to the basket, rolled his ankle and screamed loudly as he went to the floor with 15:16 on the clock.

He was carried off the court without putting pressure on his right ankle. Combined with the first-half loss of freshman Hales, the Vikings were short-handed in the backcourt for the final minutes of the game.

Brecksville wrestling had won the last six Bill Dies team titles.

Brecksville wrestling had won the last six Bill Dies team titles.

The Zips won six of their last seven games.

AKRON, Ohio - The Akron Zips backed themselves into a corner just when Reggie McAdams was on his way to a career night. But a late 3-pointer by Nyles Evans held off the Central Michigan Chippewas for an 82-76 victory for the Zips on Saturday night at Rhodes Arena.

The Zips (12-5 overall, 3-1 in the MAC) have won six of their last seven. McAdams highlighted this latest victory with a career-high 31 points and six rebounds. His  previous high was 20 points in 2013, and five rebounds in December 2013. McAdams became the first 30-point scorer since Romeo Travis scored 37 points on Feb.24 in 2007.

"This feels great," said McAdams, a reserve forward. "I'm just glad to help the team. I don't really know how to explain it but when you got it going, you got it going."

McAdams scored a total of three points in his last two games. He went scoreless in his previous game in more than 14 minutes, and he scored three points in 17 minutes in the game before that.

His 23 minutes on Saturday was his second highest this season.

"He's capable of [scoring like] that," said Akron coach Keith Dambrot. "He got on a roll. I guess I've been stopping him. I should have him out there a lot more."

McAdams scored 18 of his 31 points in the first half. He got open. He nailed open shots. McAdams was 3-of-5 from 3-point range. While he was on fire, the Zips contained CSU's explosive offense to 25 percent shooting from the field.

CMU, ranked No. 2 in the NCAA in scoring offense (85.9 ppg) and 3-pointers per game (11.4), struggled against the Zips frantic defensive pace. CSU missed nine of their first 10 shots  and 15 of 18 with about seven minutes left. CSU shot 1-of-7 from beyond the 3-point arc.

The second half was much of the same for the Zips. McAdams went on a splurge that pumped the crowd to chant his name. The Zips led by 13 with 3:41 left, but poor free throw shooting and a drop in effort caught up. The Zips shot 48.3 percent from the free throw line.

"We weren't as energetic as in the second half," Dambrot said. "Had we made free throws, we'd win by 15 or 20 points."

But the Zips did not and a CSU layup with 60 seconds left cut the lead to one. Evans preserved the night with a 3-pointer from the corner with 38 seconds left for a 76-72 lead.

"I thought [Deji Ibitayo] was too deep and I didn't think he was going to pass it," Evans said. "I actually caught it bad and the [defender] came out late to me. I regrouped and I said this one's got to go in, and it did for me."

The Zips visit Northern Illinois on Thursday.

See box scores and highlights from ice hockey and swimming from Jan. 17, 2015.

See box scores and highlights from ice hockey and swimming from Jan. 17, 2015.

Defense helps lift Kent State over Ohio University, 69-59.

KENT, Ohio -- It took a while for Kent State to get its shots to fall, but defense was there from the get-go for the Golden Flashes as they recorded a 69-59 win over Ohio University on Saturday night.

Kent State senior guard Derek Jackson scored 18 points, but it was a determined man-to-man defense that held Ohio to 27 percent shooting until the meaningless final few minutes that sparked the win before 5,084 energetic fans at the M.A.C. Center.

"We guarded for 36 minutes about as well as we possibly could." said Kent coach Rob Senderoff.

The Golden Flashes, 12-5 overall, are 3-1 and in a four-way first-place tie in the early going of the Mid-American Conference East Division race.

Jackson keyed a perimeter defense that held Ohio's leading scorer, Javarez Willis, to three points. Jimmy Hall, the Golden Flashes' 6-7 sophomore forward, helped contain the Bobcats' standout forward, Maurice Ndour. The 6-9 Ndour scored 19 points in 37 minutes, but he missed 12 of 18 shots and scored six of his points after Kent built a 20-point lead with seven minutes to go.

Kent junior forwards Khaliq Spicer and Chris Ortiz also made things difficult for the Bobcats in the paint with their defensive efforts. The 6-9 Spicer blocked four shots and altered others.

"In the post, we just kept working and moving our feet," Hall said of the Golden Flashes' rim protection. "We did a lot of doubling in the post. It's a matter of willpower there, who wants it most."

Senior guards Devareaux Manley and Kris Brewer helped Jackson pressure Ohio's offense on the outside.

The Bobcats (5-10, 0-4) had tried 21.3 shots per game from 3-point range in their first 14 games, but were limited by Kent to 12 3-point tries, making four. The Golden Flashes' pressure led to 14 Ohio turnovers in the game's first 28 minutes.

"We don't give up corner 3's," explained Jackson. "We just were locked in, trying to stay focused on our game plan. ... It's defense first for us."

Jackson had four assists to go with his 18 points, and Brewer totaled 14 points and five assists. Hall and Ortiz scored 12 and 10 points, respectively.

Ohio didn't score the first eight times it had the basketball. Then, the Golden Flashes held Ohio to two points in a stretch of 15 possessions, got their offense going and used a 14-2 run to build a 26-15 lead late in the first half.

"They're active, they're big and they do a good job," Ohio coach Saul Phillips said of the Kent defense. "The post doubles and the pressure were the two things that stood out."

The Golden Flashes locked up the win with a 19-8 run that put them ahead, 61-40, with five minutes left. Brewer scored seven points during the outburst, with Ortiz and Jackson each netting six. Ortiz hit two 3-pointers during the spurt, and Brewer and Jackson each canned one from long distance.

-- Mike Peticca, Special to The Plain Dealer

Lake Erie Monsters barely avoid shutout, falling to Iowa Wild, 4-1.

DES MOINES, Iowa -- The Lake Erie Monsters were held scoreless until the final second of the game here Saturday night, falling to the Iowa Wild, 4-1, at Wells Fargo Arena.

The Monsters only goal came with one second remaining when Kenny Ryan scored, assisted by Mitchell Heard and Bruno Gervais. Iowa goalie John Curry stopped 24 shots in recording the win and near shutout.

The loss snapped the Monsters two-game win streak, dropping them to 16-16-2-3. Iowa (14-23-1-1) had lost three straight and been shut out in its last two games.

Danny Syrvet got the Wild on the board with a goal at 15:02 of the first and Michael Keranen made it 2-0 at 12:53 of the second. Brad Richard's goal with 2:49 left in the second period put Iowa on top 3-0. Stu Bickel completed the scoring with a goal at 2:03 of the third.

Reto Berra, who scored a goal in his first game with the Monsters on Friday, stopped 24 of 28 shots in taking the loss. Berra is on a five-game conditioning assignment from the Colorado Avalanche. He became the 11th goalie in AHL history to score a goal with a shot on an empty net in the third period Friday.

The two teams play again Sunday at 3 p.m., completing the Monsters five-game road swing. They return to Quicken Loans Arena to host San Antonio on Thursday at 7 p.m.

Notes: The Monsters are 0-1-0-0 this season against Iowa... Last season, the Monsters were 1-2-0-1 against the Wild... The Monsters are 0-3-0-0 against the Wild at Wells Fargo Arena all-time... The Monsters are 2-2-0-0 on their current five-game road swing, which ends Sunday... The Monsters are 8-9-2-1 on the road this season... The Monsters were 0-2 on the power play, while Iowa was 0-3.

St. Vincent-St. Mary's boys basketball team moves to 11-0.

St. Vincent-St. Mary's boys basketball team moves to 11-0.

The 43-year-old Allenby said he might have been drugged in the Amuse Wine Bar in Waikiki Beach.

HONOLULU -- Australian golfer Robert Allenby says he was robbed, beaten and dumped in a park after missing the cut in the Sony Open, leaving him with cuts and a deep scrape on his forehead.

"I should be OK, just in a lot of pain," Allenby said in a text message to The Associated Press.

He said he was still meeting with the FBI on Saturday evening.

Golf Channel reported during the Sony Open telecast that Allenby was in a wine bar Friday night when he became separated from his caddie and a friend from Australia. The caddie told the network that Allenby was beaten, robbed of his cellphone, cash and credit cards and driven some six miles away and dumped in a park.

He was found by a retired military man, who helped him back to his hotel at Waialae Country Club.

Contacted by Australian Associated Press, the 43-year-old Allenby said he might have been drugged in the Amuse Wine Bar in Waikiki Beach and taken to an underground garage where he was robbed and thrown into the trunk of a car.

"I didn't think I was going to survive this one," Allenby told AAP.

He said a homeless woman in the park told him she saw him thrown out of the car, which led to the scrapes on his forehead. He said the retired military man paid for a taxi to get him back to his hotel.

A Honolulu police spokesman did not immediately return for comment.

Honolulu television station KHON2 said police were investigating it as second-degree robbery.

Stuart Appleby, a fellow Australian player, said he called Allenby's hotel room Saturday morning and that Allenby was trying to reconstruct what happened. Appleby did not want to disclose what he said because "I don't know how straight his brain is."

Allenby has four PGA Tour victories, the last one in 2001. He has won 22 times worldwide, played in the Presidents Cup six times. His career was slowed in 1996 when he was seriously injured in a car accident in Spain.

A part of Dr. King's dream has been fulfilled in Cardale Jones having the opportunity to choose between the NFL and continuing his college education, and choosing the latter.

CLEVELAND, Ohio-- Cardale Jones added to his impressive winning streak with his decision to stay in school, instead of declaring for the NFL draft.

He won the Big 10 Championship, the Sugar Bowl and the National Championship.  And now he's also winning the biggest game of all... the game of life.

Jones had already become a role model for the young athletes in Glenville, all over Ohio and the rest of the nation.  With his decision to stay in school to earn his degree, he is also now a  great role model for all those young kids who don't play sports.

It's fitting that Cardale Jones delivered his positive message the same week the nation remembers and celebrates  Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his enduring message.

A part of Dr. King's dream has been  fulfilled in Cardale Jones having the opportunity to choose between the NFL and continuing his college education, and choosing the latter to fulfill his own dream for himself and his family.

LeBron James' personal trainer is Mike Mancias, who paved a path to the NBA by helping Michael Jordan prepare for his comeback with the Washington Wizards.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – If you stayed up late last week to watch the Cavaliers on the West Coast, you saw Mike Mancias' work on full display.

Mancias, 37, is LeBron James' personal trainer, the man James credited for pushing him through rigorous rehabilitation of nagging injuries that forced him off the court for two consecutive weeks and a total of nine games this season -- a career high.

In James' three games since his hiatus ended, he's scored 33, 36, and 32 points, running, dunking, driving and rebounding with a kind of athleticism and abandon not previously seen from James this season.

Mancias isn't putting the ball in the hole for James, but to the extent that James' performance is related to his health, Mancias played a hand in helping the player many think is the best basketball player in the world get himself right.

Michael Mancias, LeBron's personal trainer who also serves as an assistant on the Cavaliers' training staff, heads back to the bench following a timeout in Los Angeles Friday night.Joe Vardon, Northeast Ohio Media Group 

It's not the first time for Mancias, either. He owes his career as an NBA trainer in no small part to the summer he spent helping train Michael Jordan for a comeback with the Washington Wizards in 2001.

"If he didn't have that (internship), he would've never gotten the Cleveland job. There is no doubt in my mind," said Tim Grover, famous in NBA circles for his 15 years spent as Jordan's personal trainer.

Grover hired Mancias as his first intern, and Jordan wrote Mancias a letter of recommendation following his 2001 summer comeback.

"That whole part, that whole internship, allowed him to understand what it is to deal with the elite, elite athlete, and how demanding it is, and how they think and how they work," Grover said.

Mancias has been James' personal trainer for years, beginning some time after Mancias joined the Cavs as an assistant trainer in 2004-05. He's traveled to two Olympics with James, joined him in Miami when he left the Cavaliers in 2010, and was eventually hired by the Heat.

He was placed on staff by Cleveland after James announced his return to the Cavs in July, and is seen occasionally stretching other players, such as Kevin Love.

It was Mancias who accompanied James to Miami in the middle of his rehab to work out in the warmer weather.

Mancias declined, politely, to speak with the Northeast Ohio Media Group for this story. Asked last week what it was that first endeared Mancias to James, why it was that James chose him as his personal trainer, James simply said "trust, I trust him."

Mancias handles LeBron's personal kit, which holds lip balm James applies before every game.Joe Vardon, Northeast Ohio Media Group 

In interviews with people who've known Mancias for nearly two decades, loyalty was a common theme in their descriptions of him.

"That's definitely one of his attributes, loyalty," said Joe Resendez, 34, an assistant trainer for the Los Angeles Clippers who's known Mancias since the two met as students at the University of Texas-Pan American in the late 1990s.

Resendez and Mancias reunited Friday night before James dominated with 32 points and 11 boards in Cleveland's 126-121 win over the Clippers.

"If I didn't know what Mike did for a living, training LeBron, which is such a personal thing for the athlete, I would say Mike was a loyal guy because of how he's been since I've known him. I can definitely see how that would be one of the major factors for LeBron."

Mancias and Resendez come from the same small town in Brownsville, Texas, which sits on the Mexican border. But they didn't become friends until they were studying together for certification at Texas-Pan Am.

Resendez said Mancias played a key role in helping him land his first job as a trainer in pro basketball with the Houston Rockets and their D-League affiliate in 2006.

Mancias arrived on Texas-Pan Am's campus in Edinburg, Texas, about 45 minutes from Brownsville in Texas' Rio Grande Valley, not as an aspiring student trainer but as a manager for the men's basketball team.

The Rio Grande Valley in south Texas, where Mike Mancias grew up and went to college.valleychamber.com 

His interest in training grew, however, and then-basketball coach Delray Brooks placed Mancias on a basketball scholarship so Mancias could stay with the team and continue his studies as a trainer.

Jim Lancaster, head trainer at Texas-Pan Am who held that job when Mancias was there, remembers his pupil as "a real go-getter" who would cold call NBA teams and trainers to introduce himself and ask for advice.

"We were going to go play at Northwestern, and Mike asked me if he could go up a day early so he could go to Chicago," Lancaster said. "Mike said he wanted to meet with Tim Grover, personal trainer for Michael Jordan. The next think you know, Mike's working Jordan's summer camp. Mike's someone who always expressed interest in going to the pros."

While he was pursuing a master's degree, Mancias slept on the couch at the home of a friend's parents who lived near campus.

Lalo Rios, who played for Texas-Pan Am while Mancias was a manager and later a trainer there, remembers his grandmother cooking Mancias meals and Mancias helping out around the house with laundry during his stay.

"We didn't have a lot of room," Rios said. "We tried to accommodate Mike the best we could. He had some rough nights, that's for sure."

Mancias is a long way from the Rios family couch, which doesn't surprise Rios. He remembers Mancias showing him the Jordan letter, framed, and thinking Mancias would reach his goal of working in the NBA.

Though Mancias now travels the world working alongside James, he hasn't forgotten his friends. He shares text messages with Rios and Resendez, and joins Lancaster for some barbeque when he's in Edinburg.

Rios and Lancaster attended Mancias' wedding last summer, an event with a guest list that not only included James, but also the entire Miami Heat team and coaching staff, as well as team president Pat Riley.

"Mike didn't want us to act like we had never seen these guys before," said Rios, who was a member of Mancias' wedding party. "He wanted us to blend in, act normal, he didn't want us taking pictures. He's protective of LeBron and the people he works with, and he's also a good friend. He wanted everyone to be comfortable."

Rios said Mancias was a little starstruck when he first started working with the Cavs, texting home about getting to "tape LeBron's ankle, or stretch a hamstring." Rios also had the chance to join Mancias in Cleveland for a 21st birthday party for James.

As James has grown in stature, so has Mancias. There aren't any more stories to friends about working with James, and only occasionally will Mancias share an anecdote from the road. It's part of the "trust" factor.

"He and LeBron developed quite a relationship, a friendship," said Rios, now a high school basketball coach back in Edinburg. "They're two friends who go along and help each other do their thing.

Hate being away for the teammates(really sucks!!) but it's time I listen to my body, my trainer… http://t.co/WPaLOz8HVV

— LeBron James (@KingJames) January 2, 2015

Hate being away for the teammates(really sucks!!) but it's time I listen to my body, my trainer @mikemancias1, the team and the docs finally, get healthy and back to myself! Day 2 of rehab. #NoFunWithoutHoopsandHomies #RehabStinks #StriveForGreatness

A photo posted by LeBron James (@kingjames) on Jan 2, 2015 at 10:12am PST

"There's times where LeBron tweeted that he had to listen to advice of his trainer," Rios continued, citing an Instagram James shared early in his rehab work on Jan. 2.

"I got so many text messages about that tweet. It's quite interesting that one of the world's greatest basketball players is taking advice from my friend."

Bill and Ari's return trip to Ohio takes them to Louisiana. Watch video

BATON ROUGE, La. — Apologies for the blinding light in the video above, but we thought LSU's Tiger Stadium was a good way to break in our time in Louisiana.

Ari and I are officially out of Texas and have moved on in our return trip to Ohio after Ohio State's national championship win, but we still have plenty leftover to write from Texas.

Check back later today for Ari's story on how Texas powerhouse DeSoto High School molded Buckeyes H-back Dontre Wilson. And I'll have a story on how Jim Harbaugh recruited Andrew Luck out of Houston and what that might mean for Harbaugh's recruiting efforts at Michigan.

We're also sitting on some great stuff from the University of Houston on former Ohio State offensive coordinator Tom Herman that we plan to start rolling out on Monday.

Thanks as always for following along with our coverage on this trip. If there are any stories you'd like to see us chase while we're in this part of the country (or if you have any food suggestions) let us know in the comments section.

Here's our Ohio State coverage from Saturday:

Four-star Texas WR Devin Duvernay has Ohio State offer, wants to visit: Buckeyes recruiting

A day at Houston powerhouse North Shore explains why not all Ohio State offers are equal: Buckeyes recruiting

"We're watching," Peterman said. "We know when you go through a program like this that you're prepared to compete at the next level. He's a special player and he's going to leave his mark on Ohio State before his career is over there." Watch video

DESOTO, Texas – It wasn't that big of a deal, but Larry Davis was annoyed he couldn't find his keys. He was too excited to show everything there is to see about DeSoto football that a minute-long delay was a source of annoyance. 

When he finally found a set – he didn't have time to wait for his – the keys didn't open half the doors. Davis sighed every time a key didn't fit. 

There was so much to see: The 10,000-seat Eagle Stadium, the large college-style weight room and the locker room with impressive paint jobs were all sure to illustrate that DeSoto is a high school football power. 

"Sorry about this," Davis said at least three times as he fiddled with a keychain attached to a Baylor lanyard. 

Davis may not have realized it, but the facilities weren't what illustrates DeSoto, the place that groomed Ohio State H-Back Dontre Wilson. He didn't need any keys to show what needed to be seen to really explain who Wilson is or where he came from. 

As Davis walked out of his office and through a small room, there was a DeSoto prospect sitting a table with a University of Kansas assistant having a recruiting meeting. The coach uttered, "You have an offer." 

When Davis arrived at the coaches room, TCU was waiting. BYU was at the front door, and Houston, the program former Ohio State offensive coordinator Tom Herman now leads, visited there earlier. More schools were on their way. 

Busy day apparently. 

"This is typical," said DeSoto offensive coordinator Todd Peterman, who remained in the office to make sure the visiting college coaches were properly attended to. 

The tour continued elsewhere because Peterman had his hands full, so Davis led the way to DeSoto's athletic training room. The purpose was to show another state-of-the-art facility, but that's where the beginning of Wilson's true story came to light. 

Most already know that Wilson played at a Texas power at a high school program that rivals some small colleges. They know Wilson was an electrifying speedster who scored a lot of touchdowns, that he committed to Oregon before flipping to Ohio State to become the next Percy Harvin for Urban Meyer. 

View full sizeOhio State H-Back Dontre Wilson looking down at a severely sprained ankle. He helped DeSoto defeat Southlake Carroll 49-45 after he injured it. Ari Wasserman, cleveland.com 

But DeSoto athletic trainer David Young II pulled out a little photo album: "Dontre is going to kill me for showing you this," Young said. 

It was a picture of Wilson uncomfortably looking down at his left leg, which was taped from his ankle all the way up to below his knee.

Wilson suffered a severe ankle sprain he in the first half of the DeSoto's Class 5A Division I regional final against Southlake (Texas) Carroll. 

When he went into the locker room to get it taped, some random guy snuck in and grabbed Wilson's ankle and began to pray. Wilson had never seen that man before in his life, but the man swore he was a reverend. 

"He was a reverend that day," Young joked. But that's how crazy DeSoto is – crazy fans, crazy pressure and crazy talent, all of which draws all these college coaches into Peterman's room. 

But back to Wilson. He returned from that ankle sprain – "I didn't think he could play," Young said – and scored two late touchdowns to help DeSoto to the 49-45 win. One touchdown was a run up the middle through traffic, the other was a long reception downfield. 

"That Southlake Carroll game was crazy," said 2017 prospect Kadarrian Nixon, who said he'd accept a scholarship offer to Ohio State because he looks up to Wilson that much. "I am still trying to figure out how to do those moves." 

"His performance in the Southlake Carroll game was one of the most impressive performances I've ever seen," Peterman said. "He's the real deal." 

Southlake Caroll. Southlake Caroll. Southlake Carroll. 

That was the last game of Wilson's high school career because he couldn't go the following week once the adrenaline wore off. But that game made him a legend at DeSoto, not just another good player who scored a lot of touchdowns. 

Which is why the last month of his recruitment got so intense that even those used to coaches wandering the DeSoto hallways were caught off guard. "It was a Dontre frenzy," Davis said. 

Ohio State won that frenzy. 

Now everyone at DeSoto is watching his every move with the Buckeyes, waiting for him to have the same impact on the Buckeyes that he had on the Eagles. 

Things haven't quite worked out that way for Wilson. He had a productive season for a freshman in 2013, but he was kicked out of the Michigan game for fighting after a kickoff return. A few Wolverines cornered him, then Wilson threw a punch. 

View full sizeOhio State and Michigan's scuffle in 2013 led to Dontre Wilson's ejection.Marvin Fong, The Plain Dealer 

"Everyone in the halls was buzzing about that," Davis said. "We joke about how it was only a matter of time before the Dallas came out in him. ... He was definitely provoked." 

This season Wilson was supposed to be Ohio State's biggest offensive playmaker. But Wilson only scored three touchdowns until the Michigan State game in early November. Then Wilson broke his foot vs. the Spartans, but didn't come out of the game before scoring his fourth touchdown. 

But he was lost until playing sparingly in Ohio State's win over Oregon to capture a national title. It was fitting that Wilson got to help the Buckeyes finish off a championship season in Dallas, in front of all of those from his high school that widen their eyes when talking about him.  

Wilson wants more, though. 

And DeSoto expects more. 

"We're watching," Peterman said. "We know when you go through a program like this that you're prepared to compete at the next level. He's a special player and he's going to leave his mark on Ohio State before his career is over there." 

Wedged uncomfortably between two of the franchise's most cataclysmic moments -- Bernie Kosar's release and the team's move to Baltimore -- the 1994 Browns managed to become the franchise's last team to win a playoff game.

BEREA, Ohio – Two decades later, Louis Riddick recalls the New Year's Day playoff game at old Municipal Stadium with remarkable clarity.

The former Browns defensive back describes the smell of the hot dogs cooking at the vendor's stand outside the antiquated home locker room. He pictures orange pom-poms being waved by a sellout crowd on an unseasonably warm Sunday afternoon.

He remembers the field conditions as "three inches of dirt painted green," requiring players to wear cleats the length of stilettos. Riddick offers one other vivid memory from the Browns' 20-13 win over the Patriots on Jan. 1, 1995:

"We rocked their ass from play one," said the ESPN analyst, who had one of three Cleveland interceptions that day.

Riddick seems to be in the minority, however, when it comes to that game, even that season. The sad irony is the Browns' most recent playoff win remains arguably their most forgotten.

Wedged uncomfortably between two of the franchise's most cataclysmic moments – quarterback Bernie Kosar's release in 1993 and owner Art Modell's decision to relocate to Baltimore in 1996 -- the '94 Browns are a good team fans find hard to embrace.

They were a defensive juggernaut in a town that adores its offensive heroes.

They were a collection of future coaching and managerial stars, led by the polarizing Bill Belichick, who made it big after they left town.

They were a blueprint for sustained success that took root in other cities like Baltimore and Foxboro, Mass.

"You hear people who have been in a bad car accident say they don't remember anything from the crash, that's kind of how it was with this team," said WKNR talk show host Greg Brinda, who's worked in the market for 37 years. "Because of all of what happened with Bernie and the move there's a crazy disconnect."

View full sizeOnly the Chiefs, Lions and Bengals have gone longer without a playoff win than the Browns.ESPN graphics 

The Browns playoff teams of the late 60s and early 70s were celebrated at a time when there was still a whisper of empire around the franchise. The Kardiac Kids of 1980 might be the most beloved club never to a win a playoff game. The squads of the mid-80s spawned almost as many tribute songs as postseason victories.

The '94 Browns, who registered an 11-5 record, enjoy no such reverence. A YouTube search for the team produces virtually no highlights save for an NBC halftime show from the 29-9 second-round loss to the Steelers.

"There's a subdued feeling toward that team," Browns de facto historian Steve King said. "The fans were happy they won, but they never entirely warmed up to those guys."

And yet since the NFL switched to a 16-game schedule in 1978:

• Only the '86 Browns have more franchise wins (12) in a year;

• No Browns' defense has allowed fewer points (201) in a full season; and

• Just 11 other NFL defenses, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, have been stingier. Atop the list are the 2000 Ravens (165 points), a team built by former Browns tight end and Belichick staffer Ozzie Newsome.

Twenty years after Belichick won his first playoff game only the Chiefs, Lions and Bengals have gone longer between postseason victories than the Browns. His '94 club, a product of continuity and perseverance, supplies a good template for current ownership.

"The lesson is you have to know who you are and what you're looking for if you have any chance of finding it," said Riddick, who worked in the Redskins and Eagles front offices before joining ESPN. "You've got to stick with your plan through the inevitable ups and downs.

"I know we're in an era when fantasy sports are so popular and everyone is an armchair GM ... but know who you want and support the hell out of them. Let them work and be respectful of the process."

Prelude to 1994

LeBron James wasn't the first Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary athlete thrilled to return home and play for a Cleveland pro team. Linebacker Frank Stams joined the Browns from the Los Angeles Rams in 1992.

His first impressions of Belichick, who became the NFL's youngest head coach at age 38 a season earlier, were positive. Some teammates, who had a experience under the man the local media dubbed the "Voice of Doom," did not share in his opinion.

Former Browns linebacker Frank Stams said he enjoyed playing for Bill Belichick and admired the coach for "not letting anyone define him."Plain Dealer file

The former Giants defensive coordinator proved a radical departure from then-59-year-old Bud Carson, a players' coach who bottomed out with a 3-13 mark in 1990. The gruff new coach won few games or friends during his first three seasons in Berea.

"A number of guys wanted out of Cleveland when I got there," Stams recalled. "Bill had made training camps really difficult. It was a 'last guy standing makes the team' mentality. Clay Matthews said under Bud it was a real player-friendly culture. The team might gotten a little soft."

Belichick made his share of mistakes in Cleveland, alienating some veterans, media and fans in attempting to rebuild the organization. His biggest miscalculation, however, was not anticipating the blowback for releasing Kosar midway through the 1993 season. The quarterback had grown up in Boardman and wanted to play for the franchise, leading them to the cusp of the Super Bowl three times.

Belichick and the strong-willed Kosar clashed, however, and the coach thought injuries were starting to catch up with the popular quarterback.

Stams remembers Modell hugging Kosar in the locker room after the Colts sacked him 11 times in the 1992 opener. The linebacker knows it had to be tough on the owner to endorse Belichick's decision to replace the hometown hero with Vinny Testaverde.

The announcement drew public outrage, a few death threats and forever colored fan opinion of Belichick and, by extension, his Browns teams.  

"That was unsettling," Stams said. "He was the quarterback, he was our guy. It also sent a message that, 'we're moving forward and if you're not on the same page we're moving on without you.'"

View full sizeBernie Kosar and Bill Belichick in happier times before the coach released the popular quarterback in 1993. David I. Anderson, The Plain Dealer 

The Browns fell apart, winning just two of their remaining games to finish 7-9 for a second consecutive season.

"It was crazy," center Steve Everitt said. "I was a rookie that season and I got to see how things were different from college. Favorite son of Cleveland gets the axe. It was a public-relations nightmare and there was no way to put a good spin on it."

Kosar won a Super Bowl ring that season as a backup to Troy Aikman in Dallas. Public resentment for Belichick grew as Bill Cowher – a former Cleveland linebacker who Modell interviewed for the job in 1991 -- was in the process of taking the Steelers back to the playoffs and whipping the Browns on a regular basis.

After three straight losing seasons, some assumed the Browns would fire Belichick. But a defiant Modell, who unbeknownst to many was incurring serious financial problems, stuck with the embattled coach.

Over time, veterans began to trust Belichick, who added former Giants linebackers Pepper Johnson and Carl Banks as his locker-room lieutenants. Stams respected Belichick for "not letting anyone define him."

Former Browns running back Leroy Hoard said the organization developed "one voice," a trait common with Belichick teams in New England.  

"Owners, GMs and fans may not care, but the most important thing to players is consistency and continuity," Hoard said. "How can you build something if you keep changing who's in charge of delivering the message?"

Belichick assembled a young, hard-working staff filled with future pro and college decision makers: Newsome, Scott Pioli, Thomas Dimitroff, Phil Savage, Michael Lombardi, Jim Schwartz and Eric Mangini. Future Alabama head coach Nick Saban served as defensive coordinator from 1991-94.

"You had Belichick, Ozzie and Saban on the same staff," King said. "You can make the argument all three are the best at what they do now."

Stams said as the 1994 season opened, the veterans had a graduate-level understanding of the system, a concept foreign to many post-1999 Browns' teams who rebuild every few years.

"We had such a good handle on things on defense," Stams said. "We had cut down on the mistakes and went into that year really confident."

'We were close'

The Browns first playoff game since the 1989 season fell on the day after New Year's Eve. In preparing for a rematch with his protege Bill Parcells and the Patriots, Belichick did not sequester his team in a hotel.

His leaders made sure there was no late-night revelry.

"Pepper told us, 'I better not hear anyone screwing around or they will have to answer to me,'" Riddick said. "I was in bed at 10 o'clock that night."

Belichick's signature victory with the Browns was a microcosm of the season – a dominant defensive performance, strong rushing attack and sense of calm in a tight, low-scoring game.

Former halfback Earnest Byner was part of five Cleveland postseason teams and won a Super Bowl with the Redskins. The author of Everybody Fumbles contends the '94 Browns rank among the most talented and well-coached sides on which he played.

The Browns allowed more than 20 points just twice that season, relying on an athletic secondary led by the late Eric Turner who recorded nine interceptions.

The offense leaned heavily on the running of Hoard, who paced the club with 890 yards, while trying to keep Testaverde from committing big mistakes, which plagued him his entire career. That season he threw 16 touchdowns and 18 interceptions.

Many Browns fans never took to the congenial quarterback, a two-time Pro Bowler who played 21 NFL seasons, because of Kosar's ouster. After years of dramatic comeback wins armed by Brian Sipe and Kosar, fans also were less than enthralled with the grind-it-out approach.

"They were a team that punched you in the mouth and wore you down," King said.

That's how they toppled the Patriots, who entered the playoffs on a seven-game winning streak, their last loss coming in Cleveland.

Testaverde completed 20 of 30 passes for 268 yards with a touchdown and no turnovers. Hoard and Byner combined for 96 yards rushing and the defense intercepted Drew Bledsoe three times.

"Our entire team was in the zone that day," Riddick said.

It would not carry over the following week in Pittsburgh, however.

The Browns fell behind the Steelers, 24-3, at halftime and lost to them for a third time that season. In the three games, Pittsburgh won the turnover battle, 10-1.

View full size Steelers halfback John L. Williams (22) leaves Cleveland Browns Pepper Johnson (52) and Mike Caldwell (56) behind as he makes a 26-yard touchdown run during their AFC playoff game. The Steelers beat the Browns three times during the 1994 season. Keith Srakocic, Associated Press

"I still hate Pittsburgh," Everitt said. "That was such a fun year, but we couldn't get over the Steelers' hump. What made it worse is they lost to the Chargers (in the AFC title game). That could have been us going to the Super Bowl."

Everitt and others believed the hype surrounding the '95 Browns. Some national publications picked them to reach the Super Bowl, and their 3-1 start did nothing to curb optimism. By midseason, however, news of Modell's intention to relocate leaked out. The Browns lost six of their final seven to finish 5-11.

Belichick's relationship with Modell, which already had unraveled, ended on Valentine's Day in 1996 as the owner fired him over the phone.  

"I was so naive at the time, I thought a court injunction might save the team," Everitt said. "After the announcement the players' attention was elsewhere. The season became a joke."

Byner believes that group probably needed a few more playoff victories to win over the fan base.  

"We were prepared to do something great, but because of the move we never got the chance," said the two-time Pro Bowler.

Newsome has been the architect of two titles in Baltimore. Belichick has won three in New England and could earn his sixth Super Bowl berth with a win Sunday against the Colts.

The Browns, meanwhile, have torn through seven full-time coaches since their 1999 return. None have approached the five seasons Belichick was granted to compile a 36-44 mark.

"We were close," Riddick said. "Had we been able to find that great quarterback they would have talked about Cleveland the way they talk about the Patriots."

Instead, the '94 Browns were simply a good team that won a playoff spot and grudging admiration from a fan base soured by Kosar's release and Modell's betrayal.

Byner still interacts with many Browns fans. They love to discuss the teams that made three trips to the AFC title games, noting the energy and excitement they brought to Cleveland. He concedes the '94 Browns rarely get mentioned.  

"They're like an asterisk team that not many people care about," Brinda said.

The '94 Browns are still the franchise's last team to win a playoff game, a distinction that gives the players involved no joy.

They want to see the organization thrive again, yet remain fiercely proud of what they achieved during adverse times.

And regardless of public perception, they don't need anyone defending their record – 11 wins and just 204 points allowed does it for them.

His left eye bruised and swollen shut, Australian golfer Robert Allenby is still shaking over a beating and robbery that left him unable to remember anything except being dumped in a gutter near a park of homeless people.

HONOLULU -- His left eye bruised and swollen shut, Australian golfer Robert Allenby is still shaking over a beating and robbery that left him unable to remember anything except being dumped in a gutter near a park of homeless people.

"You think ... that happens in the movie, not real life," Allenby told The Associated Press by phone Sunday. "I'm just happy to be alive."

Allenby posted a photo to his private Facebook account showing a bloodied scrape on his forecast and the bridge of his nose. He said that came from being tossed from the trunk of a car. He said the bruise on his left eye must have come from being beaten in the car.

"I don't know what they hit me with between the eyeballs, whether a fist or a baseball bat," he said. "Whatever it was, it hurts."

Allenby missed the Sony Open cut and then went to Amuse Wine Bar in Honolulu on Friday night with his caddie and a friend from Australia. He had been to the bar earlier in the week, thought it was a trendy spot and wanted to try the restaurant. Allenby remembers having dinner, a few glasses of red wine and that was about it.

Even after he returned to the bar on Saturday with police and watched tape from a surveillance camera that showed him leaving with four people, he doesn't know who they were or even leaving the bar. Allenby said he has no recollection until getting kicked and prodded by homeless people searching for whatever he had left.

Allenby said his wallet, cash, driver's license, PGA Tour badge and cellphone were taken. All he had on him in the gutter were two receipts, the American Express card to pay for dinner that he put loosely in his pockets and a watch.

He said the receipt showed that he paid for dinner at 10:06 p.m. Friday, and paid for the wine at 10:48. He said the restaurant closed at 11 p.m.

Allenby said he was checked out by the doctors, but he did not have a blood test to determine if he was drugged.

"I did ask to get a blood test, but they said it was probably out of your system," he said.

The Honolulu Police Department did not return repeated calls. TV station KHON2 in Honolulu reported Saturday that the matter was being investigated as second-degree robbery.

The image of Allenby's face, which he posted to Facebook, was a jarring image in the middle of a golf tournament. Webb Simpson ran into Allenby went he got back to the hotel last night.

"I could believe what happened to him," Simpson said.

Allenby said surveillance cameras showed his friend Anthony Puntoriero talking to someone in the bar.

"I think that was a decoy, a distraction," Allenby said. "I went to the bathroom, came out of the bathroom and was told that Anthony had left and was downstairs waiting for me. I go downstairs and then, bang! They knock me out and take me six or seven miles away."

He said the tape showed one man put a hand on Allenby's shoulder.

"I seriously don't even remember meeting these people," he said. "That's what is weird. All I know is that I was walking very quietly with them and normal. It didn't make any sense at all."

Allenby said a homeless woman told him he was thrown out of the car, but the ordeal wasn't over just yet. He said several homeless were "kicking me to see if I was alive, and then trying to steal everything else from me."

He said a man who said he was in the Army came to his aid. Instead of calling an ambulance or the police, Allenby said he wanted to go back to the Kahala Resort at Waialae Country Club because "I just wanted to be in a safe place."

Allenby said he called daughter Lily, who turned 13 on Saturday, and she was sobbing.

He said his body felt fine except for the swollen left eye and scrapes on his face. He was hoping to make his flight Sunday night to Los Angeles, and then he would decide if he was fit to play the Humana Challenge next week in La Quinta, California.

Allenby has 22 wins worldwide, including four on the PGA Tour, the last one in 2001. He has played in the Presidents Cup six times.

"I'm still shaking, still scared," he said. "It's just so surreal, just amazing. How does that happen to me? I went from one area where I could have died to another area where I got dumped and homeless people are trying to mug me even more. Sometimes we're all naive. We only think this happens in the movies."

Russell Wilson hit Jermaine Kearse for a 35-yard touchdown 3:19 into overtime to lift the Seattle Seahawks to an improbable 28-22 victory over Green Bay in the NFC championship game.

SEATTLE -- Never doubt the resilience of the Seattle Seahawks.

Plagued by turnovers and outplayed much of Sunday by Green Bay, the Seahawks staged an improbable comeback and beat the Packers 28-22 in overtime. Russell Wilson, who struggled until the final minutes, hit Jermaine Kearse for a 35-yard touchdown 3:19 into the extra period on the only possession.

» Watch the game-winning touchdown

The Seahawks became the first defending champion to make the Super Bowl in 10 years, and will play the winner of the AFC title game between Indianapolis and New England. How they got there was stunning.

Seattle (14-4) trailed 19-7 with about four minutes remaining and had been ineffective on offense all game. Wilson finally put a drive together with passes to Doug Baldwin and Marshawn Lynch -- initially ruled a touchdown but called back because he stepped out. Wilson finished with a 1-yard scoring run to cut the lead to 19-14 with 2:09 left.

Seattle recovered a bobbled onside kick at the 50, and Lynch sped and powered his way to a 24-yard TD run. Wilson's desperate 2-point conversion pass was hauled in by Luke Willson to make it 22-19.

Then Aaron Rodgers led the Packers (13-5) to Mason Crosby's fifth field goal, from 48 yards with 14 seconds to go to force overtime.

Then Wilson and Kearse struck, with Kearse -- the target on all four interceptions Wilson threw -- beating Tramon Williams on the winning pass. Kearse caught the winning TD in last year's conference title win over San Francisco, too.

"Just making the plays at the end and keep believing," said Wilson, who was overwhelmed and sobbing after the game. "There was no doubt ... we had no doubt as a team."

Kearse, who has caught touchdown passes in four straight postseason games, and several other Seahawks leaped into the stands behind the end zone, saluting the stadium-record crowd of 68,538. Wilson ran through cameramen to jump on Kearse's back, and defensive end Michael Bennett borrowed a bicycle from a police officer and rode around the edge of the field saluting the "12s."

Until the final minutes, there seemed to be no doubt the Packers were headed to the big game Feb. 1 in Glendale, Arizona. Despite All-Pro quarterback Rodgers' injured calf that had him limping much of the game, Green Bay and its overlooked defense was carrying the day.

But special teams trickery lifted the Seahawks back into the game after falling behind 16-0. Their first touchdown came on a fake field goal when holder Jon Ryan threw 19 yards to tackle eligible Garry Gilliam in the third quarter. After Wilson made it 19-14, Chris Matthews recovered the onside kick that Packers tight end Brandon Bostick couldn't gather.

Lynch, who rushed for 257 yards on 25 carries as the one consistent offensive force Seattle had, wouldn't be denied with 1:25 remaining.

The 16-point comeback was the largest ever in a conference title game. The Colts defeated the Patriots after trailing 21-6 in 2006.

And after the Packers tied it, Seattle wouldn't be denied in overtime, winning the coin toss and going 87 yards in six plays.

"It takes everybody and everybody had to contribute to get that done," coach Pete Carroll said. "It was so much heart, so much belief today. Somehow, somehow we pulled it out."

Wadsworth girls basketball team drops second straight game, falls to Lakota West 62-30.

Wadsworth girls basketball team drops second straight game, falls to Lakota West 62-30.

The Lake Erie Monsters fall at the Iowa Wild on a penalty shot in overtime.

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Tyler Graovac scored on a penalty shot in overtime to lift the Iowa Wild over the Lake Erie Monsters on Sunday, 4-3.

Graovac beat Monsters goalie Reto Berra with a backhand flip at 1:32 of the overtime period after being awarded a penalty shot. Berra was making his third start in as many days since coming to the Monsters on a five-game conditioning assignment from the Colorado Avalanche on Friday.

The win gave Iowa a sweep of the two-game series.

Jason Gregoire got Iowa on the board with a goal just 35 seconds into the game and just over two minutes later Marc Hagel scored to give the Wild a 2-0 lead.

The Monsters got one back less than a minute later when Sam Henley scored his third goal of the season, assisted by Maxim Noreau.

Iowa took advantage of a power play to make it 3-1 on a goal by Jonathon Blum at 4:07 of the second, but the Monsters came right back when center Colin Smith scored his ninth goal of the season at 12:26 of the second period.

The Monsters evened the score at 3-3 with 8:40 remaining in the third when Andrew Agozzino scored on a power play, which set up overtime. Mike Sgarbossa and Noreau had assists on the goal, Agozzino's eighth of the season.

The Monsters outshot Iowa, 36-32. Berra stopped 28 shots, while Iowa's John Curry stopped 33.

Monsters center Joey Hishon, who had a three-game scoring streak stopped Saturday, had eight penalty minutes on Sunday. Hishon got a four-minute double minor for high sticking in the first period, then spent another four minutes in the box in the second when he got two minutes for tripping, then had two more tacked on for disputing the decision. The Monsters were called for eight penalties, totally 22 minutes.

The Monsters return home to Quicken Loans Arena to host San Antonio on Thursday and Saturday, both games at 7.

Notes: The Monsters are 0-1-1-0 against Iowa this season, and are 0-3-1-0 all-time against the Wild at Wells Fargo Arena... The Monsters played Iowa in back-to-back games on January 17^th and 18^th of last season as well... The Monsters are 8-9-3-1 on the road this season... The Monsters are 4-3 in games decided in overtime this season... The Monsters were 1-4 on the power play, and Iowa was 1-5 on the man-advantage... The Monsters are 18-19 on the penalty kill over their last five games.

Westlake hockey now has two straight wins against Red South-rival Brecksville in addition to its back-to-back conference championships after Sunday's 4-2 win.

Westlake hockey now has two straight wins against Red South-rival Brecksville in addition to its back-to-back conference championships after Sunday's 4-2 win.