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Southeast Ohio teams begin postseason Monday: Links to 64 printable, interactive OHSAA boys basketball sectional/district tournament brackets statewide 2015

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A look at the OHSAA boys basketball sectional/district tournaments across the state.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — For some schools in the southeastern part of Ohio, the 2015 OHSAA state boys basketball tournament starts on Monday.

Other schools will start their postseason tournaments as early as Friday.


Here are the 64 statewide, division-by-division boys basketball sectional/district brackets for the 2015 OHSAA tournament.


Click the links below to access cleveland.com's brackets, which are printable and include seeds, dates, times and locations.


The brackets also are interactive. Click on the game to see more about the matchup, particularly after the game has been played.


These brackets will be updated daily from all the playoff games across the state. Come back often to follow all the postseason action, including new brackets at the regional and state final four levels.  


Click each link below to see a cleveland.com bracket of that sectional/district tournament.


DIVISION I


Cleveland Region


Copley


Solon


Euclid


Canton


Columbus Region


Columbus 2


Columbus 4


Columbus 1


Columbus 3


Akron Region


Broadview Heights


Grafton


Findlay


Toledo


Cincinnati Region


Dayton 2


Dayton 3


Dayton 4


Dayton 1


DIVISION II


Canton Region


Warren


Canton


Stow


Ashtabula


Athens Region


Zanesville


Belmont


Worthington 1


Athens


Bowling Green Region


North Ridgeville


Mansfield


Toledo


Findlay


Kettering Region


Dayton 2


Worthington 2


Dayton 1


Dayton 3


DIVISION III


Canton Region


Salem


Warren


Garfield Heights


Wooster


Athens Region


Belmont


Columbus 2


Athens 1


Athens 2


Bowling Green Region


Columbus 1


Ashland


Ada


Whitehouse


Kettering Region


Dayton 4


Dayton 2


Dayton 3


Dayton 1


DIVISION IV


Athens Region


Athens 1


Carroll 2


Carroll 1


Athens 2


Bowling Green Region


Willard


Van Wert


Elida


Kansas


Canton Region


Barberton


Meadowbrook


Struthers


Orwell


Kettering Region


Dayton 3


Wapakoneta


Dayton 2


Dayton 1


Listen to 911 tape from fight involving Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel

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Police released the 911 call from a Nov. 22 brawl involving Johnny Manziel at his apartment.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cleveland police on Monday released the 911 call from an early morning hotel lobby brawl involving Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel, whose partying habits landed him in rehab in February.

911 call

A woman called 911 about 2:30 a.m. Nov. 22 to report a large fight in the lobby of The Metropolitan at The 9. The caller, who doesn't appear to recognize Manziel, said half the people involved got away after hotel security broke up the fight.

The caller refers to the brawl as a riot, saying 20 men were pitted against two security guards. No arrests were made.

Manziel's account differs from that of Chris Gonos, the 33-year-old Sandusky man who allegedly sparked the fight by provoking the football player outside the elevator. Manziel claims a "very intoxicated, very aggressive" Gonos approached him and placed his hands on him.

Manziel's friend acted to defend him, he said.

Gonos told police he was attacked by Manziel's entourage after he told Manziel that he was a fan and went in for a hug. Gonos later apologized to Manziel in a letter and pledged his loyalty as a Browns fan.

Cleveland Browns General Manager Ray Farmer said it was "concerning" that Manziel was involved in the incident. Manziel entered a treatment facility earlier this month to address substance abuse.

Is Jameis Winston too much of a character risk for the Cleveland Browns? Hey Mary Kay!

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Should the Browns consider trying to trade up for Florida State QB Jameis Winston? Or should they avoid him because he's a character risk? Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Hey Mary Kay!

Hey Mary Kay:  Do you think there's any chance the Browns will try to trade up to draft Jameis Winston, and if so, do you think they should?

-- Matt Wigginton, Cincinnati, Ohio

Hey Matt: The Browns used one of their 60 allotted 15-minute NFL combine interviews on Winston, so he's at least on their radar. I think the Bucs will take him No. 1 overall, so if they want him, they'd probably have to try to trade all the way to No. 1, and that would take at least their No. 12 and No. 19, and next year's first-rounder. From a talent standpoint, it might be worth it. Scouts and coaches rave about Winston's arm and pro readiness. But I don't think the Browns can afford to take the character risk on Winston after what they've been through with Johnny Manziel, Justin Gilbert and Josh Gordon. In the end, I think they'll pass.

Hey, Mary Kay:  Jimmy Haslam mentioned that the Browns will probably not be big spenders in free agency this off season. What should we expect
out of free agency this year?

-- Paul  Vocca, Cottonwood, Ariz.

Hey Paul: Despite what Haslam said, I think the Browns will sign a few big-name free agents to fill in some gaps. When a team misses on so many first-round picks, it has to make up for it somewhere. I'm guessing one of those will be a quarterback and another one might be a receiver. I think the Browns will also try to wrap up some of their own free agents, including cornerback Buster Skrine and receiver Miles Austin, although Skrine told Sirius XM radio that he wants to test the market.

Hey Mary Kay:  Do you really think the Browns will try to trade for Rams quarterback Sam Bradford?

-- Maggie Hunt, Rocky River, Ohio

Hey Maggie: If they do, I don't think they'll get very far. Rams coach Jeff Fisher debunked a report that Bradford has been given permission to seek a trade, and  he insisted the Rams are counting on Bradford to be their man in 2015. What's more, Bradford is due to make $12.95 million in 2014, and that's a large sum for a player coming off back-to-back torn ACLs. Sure, they might make a call to check on his availability -- they're leaving no stone unturned in their quest for a QB --- but I don't think it will go much farther than that.

 Hey Mary Kay: Do you think the Browns will draft a receiver in the first round?
 
-- Bob M., Tampa, Florida

Hey Bob: I don't think Browns GM Ray Farmer would be opposed to it, and will likely be poised to draft several of them if they're on the board at No. 12 or No. 19. Some experts had the Browns targeting West Virginia's Kevin White at No. 12, but he may have priced himself out of their range with a lighting-quick 40 time in the 4.3s at the NFL combine. However, their are there plenty of good receivers in this draft, including Alabama's Amari Cooper.

Hey, Mary Kay: Here's a question I don't think I've heard anyone ask yet. Throughout all of last season, why did the coaching staff decide to have Manziel only run the scout team? I would think that Connor Shaw could have handled that job fine, rather than only getting special teams reps (for which he never even got on the field). Given that Manziel got no real practice running actual Browns plays, it shouldn't have surprised anyone that he didn't look ready when he finally got his chance. And I don't buy into the idea that mental reps are an adequate substitute for real reps. I get that some of the criticisms of Manziel are warranted, but the coaches deserve a lot more blame than they're getting for not putting him in position to succeed. If anything, Manziel should get credit for his work on the scout team and helping our secondary have such a successful year. What do you think?

-- Minh Nguyen, Columbus, Ohio

Hey Minh: It's typical in the NFL for the backup to run the scout team and not get many -- if any -- reps with the starting unit. There are so few reps to go around that teams want their starting quarterback to be as prepared as possible. Somehow, the backup has to be ready to play when called upon. We saw Brian Hoyer do it in 2013 and we saw Colts McCoy step in as a rookie 2010 and perform admirably in his first four starts. I do believe that Manziel got the defense ready to play by running the scout team. I've had guys like Donte Whitner and Karlos Dansby say he gave them great looks. But the backup quarterback must also work overtime to know the regular offense, and apparently Manziel didn't do enough of that.

St. Edward boys basketball player Derek Funderburk wants a college similar to his high school: Recruit spotlight (photos, video)

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Funderburk holds an Ohio State offer.

LAKEWOOD, Ohio -- One of the most popular names in local boys basketball recruiting is St. Edward junior Derek Funderburk. The Eagles forward has been on the radar of many people since gaining an Ohio State offer last season.

Funderburk can do a little bit of everything, as he has the size to battle with anyone down low but also possess good dribbling skills and a smooth jumper. He is the No. 46 player in the Class of 2016, according to 247Sports.com.

Name: Derek Funderburk.

School: St. Edward.

Year: 2016.

Height: 6-foot-9.

College offers: Ohio State, Indiana, Iowa, Penn State, Xavier.

How has the recruiting process been?

It's obviously a process, and it's stressful. At the same time, it's nice that coaches take time out of their day to contact you and show their interest for you to come to their school.

What do you look for in a school?

I'm looking at the bond between the coaches and the players, the facilities and the environment of the school and student section. I look and see how it's compared to my school. I know you can't really compare high school to college, but I look at chemistry and play style.

Why do colleges say they are interested in you?

The schools that I've been down to want me to play the three or the four. They see me in AAU. I can put the ball on the floor, dribble, shoot and get to the basket. They like my intensity.

What do colleges say that you need to work on?

Shooting and my 3-point shot. Those are the two big things, and other than that, they just say keep working.

When you are on a campus visit, what do you pay attention to?

I pay attention to the players. I know sometimes coaches put on a front for the recruits. I ask players questions when they aren't around the coaches so I get an honest opinion. Also, the environment and how the coaches coach the game. How the players play, and if they have respect for the coaches.

What do you remember about getting your first offer?

My first offers came from Ohio State and Penn State on the same day. It was last year when we played at Dunk 4 Diabetes. Someone saw it on Twitter and sent it to me. I didn't even know. I found out there.

Who will help you make this decision?

My coaches, my mom and my dad. 

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

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

Normandy boys basketball coach Tim Schmotzer answers 6 questions: Varsity Timeout

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Get to know Normandy girls basketball coach Tim Schmotzer.


PARMA, Ohio -- The boys basketball playoffs are getting close, and for Normandy boys basketball coach Tim Schmotzer, the Invaders have big hopes.


Normandy finished the season with a 15-5 record, while posting an 8-1 record in the Northeast Ohio Conference. The Invaders are the No. 6 seed in the Brecksville district, and will be in action on Friday against Elyria.


Coach Schmotzer took some time to speak with the Northeast Ohio Media Group to talk about why he got into coaching, and what teams he enjoys to watch.


Q: Who was the biggest reason that you became involved with coaching?


A: The main reason I got into coaching was because of my father.  He was just an amazing man.  He fought for our country in World War II on the beach at Normandy, so it's so ironic that I am coaching at Normandy High School.  He worked on the railroad, but always found time to coach my brothers and me in baseball, basketball and football while we were growing up.  The crazy part of all this is that my son is studying over in France this semester, and the night we clinched the first conference championship in the history of our school, he visited Normandy in France and walked the same path our father walked during the War.


Q: Greatest piece of advice you have ever received while coaching?


A: Someone once told me to read a book about Earl Weaver, the former manager of the Baltimore Orioles entitled It's What You Learn After You Know It All That Counts.  The book deals with learning new ideas after spending many years in coaching.


Q: When you are not coaching, what are some other hobbies do you have?


A: I love spending time with my wife Renee and my two children, Tim and Emma.  I also love spending time with my brothers and sisters and their families.  I love to read, and also run when I have the time. I also like to follow the Indians, Cavaliers, and Browns.


Q: What is the greatest moment of your coaching career?


A: For me the greatest part of coaching is when I see former players and catch up with them as to what is going on with them.  I can't lie, though, winning that championship at Normandy this past season was really great. Just seeing how happy the players and their families were is something I'll never forget.


Q: Who are some coaches or players in college or pros that you like watch?


A: I love what the Spurs do on the NBA level.  On the college level, Virginia does some wonderful things.  The way they defend the paint and move the ball on offense makes it a real pleasure to watch them.


Q: If someone hasn't watched your team play before, what can they expect to see from your team?


A: We will defend the half court and rebound on defense.  Offensively, we will screen for each other and reverse the ball to attack the basket. We emphasize unselfish basketball at Normandy.


 

Lake Erie Monsters schooled by Rochester Americans, 5-1

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The Lake Erie Monsters fall to the Rochester Americans, 5-1, in their annual school day game.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Lake Erie Monsters staged their annual school day game here Tuesday, but the Rochester Americans taught the lessons with a 5-1 victory in front of 3,102 fans at Quicken Loans Arena for the 10:45 a.m. start.

The Americans jumped ahead 2-0 in a game which saw 18 penalties totaling 56 minutes. Rochester drew 10 penalties for 34 minutes and center Justin Kea received a game misconduct for a third major/second fight midway through the second period.

Sam Henley scored for the Monsters on a power play with just over a minute left in the first period to cut the lead to 2-1, but Rochester scored one more in the second and two in the third to put it away.

Matt Hackett stopped 37 of 38 shots to get the win, while Monsters goalie Calvin Pickard stopped 27 of 32. Kenny Ryan and Markus Lauridsen had assists for Lake Erie. Rochester's Jerome Leduc had a goal and two assists.

The Monsters fall to 24-21-4-3 and are 1-2 on their five-game homestand. They host Iowa on Friday and Saturday.

Berea-Midpark bowler AJ McCullough answers six questions: Varsity Timeout

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McCullough sees this postseason as his chance at redemption after a poor showing at last year's state tournament.


BEREA, Ohio – Berea-Midpark senior bowler AJ McCullough is a four-year varsity player on a mission. 


After a poor performance at last year's state tournament in which he got pulled, he bowled a 663 at last week's sectional tournament to help lead the Titans to this week's district tournament.


McCullough told the Northeast Ohio Media Group about how he got started in bowling, what his performance this weekend means to him and his plans after high school in this week's Varsity Timeout.


Q: How did you get into bowling?


A: I got into bowling when I was watching my dad when I was six or seven and was bored of watching and wanted to get into a league.


Q: What's your favorite thing about bowling?


A: It's not so serious. You can build great friendships off of it. You can do it all year long, practice as much as you want. 


Q: What did it feel like to bowl a 633 series this weekend to help lift your team to the next level?


A: It felt great. My 280 game is the highest I've bowled in my high school career. It's the first time I've done well at sectionals which made me really happy. Being able to lead my team to a higher tournament feels good.


Q: How big of a motivator is reaching states again for you or do you find yourself loving the game regardless of how it turns out?


A: It's a huge motivation for me. After my poor bowling last year at state I want to get back there and just light it up this year to redeem myself.


Q: What do you like to do for fun?


A: Bowling is a huge part of my life, Also play tennis in the spring and also love to ski. I got into that recently, about two years ago.


Q: What are you plans for college and what do you see yourself doing when you grow up?


A: I'm going to be going to Bowling Green. I'm a political science major, but am going to be changing when I get there, so I'm undecided for now. I do want to bowl for their club team throughout college.


Follow our high school sports Twitter, @NEOVarsity for high school news and score updates. Be sure to use the hashtag #NEOVarsity to Tweet about your favorite school.


Contact high school sports producer Cameron Moon by email (cmoon@cleveland.com) or on Twitter (@MoonCameron20). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

Andrew Hawkins: Cleveland is about tradition, not being cute; Donte Whitner lobbies for Ted Ginn Jr. -- Browns links

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Today's Browns links include tweets from Andrew Hawkins on the logo, Donte Whitner lobbying for Ted Ginn Jr. and more.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Browns wide receiver Andrew Hawkins was just as confused as many fans this morning when the Browns released their updated logo (at least according to his Twitter account):

Hawkins, who signed with the Browns last off-season after spending three seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, tweeted in response to the slightly more orange helmet logo with a different font that left many fans wondering what the hype was all about. Hawkins, however, approved of not making drastic changes:

Hawkins did put his full emoticon endorsement behind this logo, however:

Other than that, most Browns players have been quiet about the new logos. Donte Whitner, however, has been doing some free agent lobbying:

Oh, and SB Nation wonders what every NFL logo would look like if the Browns redesigned them. Here's a sample:

 

See them all at SB Nation.

Here are more Browns links:

Browns' belief in analytics complicates Bridgewater-Manziel draft decision (ESPN.com)

Cleveland Browns Free Agent Review: QB Brian Hoyer (Dawgs By Nature)

5 Hidden Gems the Cleveland Browns Should Have Noticed at the Combine (Bleacher Report)


Cleveland Indians pitcher Shaun Marcum, finally 100 percent, won't be spending another season in the desert

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He has been an oft-forgotten name when it comes to the race for the No. 5 spot in the rotation, a competition that includes Danny Salazar, Josh Tomlin, T.J. House, Bruce Chen and Zach McAllister. Marcum said this is as healthy as he has felt since "2011 or early 2012."

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- There stood Shaun Marcum, in the dry Arizona heat, repeating the same drills over and over and over.

All summer.

"It was definitely boring," Marcum said. Miserable, even.

"You're in the desert and it's 115 degrees outside," Marcum said. "It's boring doing the same thing every single day. It's just being stuck out in the desert all summer."

It was a necessary evil, however. Marcum needed the 2014 season to regroup and rebound physically following July 2013 surgery to correct thoracic outlet syndrome in his right shoulder. The condition, which can result from repeated strain of a particular area, can hamper nerves from the neck to the arm.

Marcum, who had logged a 1-10 record and 5.29 ERA in 14 outings for the Mets in 2013, missed the final three months of the season. From 2007-12, he had compiled a 54-32 record and 3.67 ERA for the Blue Jays and Brewers.

He has been an oft-forgotten name when it comes to the race for the No. 5 spot in the rotation, a competition that includes Danny Salazar, Josh Tomlin, T.J. House, Bruce Chen and Zach McAllister. Marcum said this is as healthy as he has felt since "2011 or early 2012."

"It's been a while," he said.

The Indians will treat Marcum as a starter, though the right-hander contends he would be pleased to make the 25-man roster in any fashion.

"He really hasn't pitched a lot in the last couple of years, but he is competing like everybody else," said manager Terry Francona. "We told him that if he needs extra days to tell us. But in fairness to him, treat him like everybody else and we'll be really honest with him where we think he stands.

"Quite honestly, it's hard to make a good evaluation on a guy in 18-20 innings who hasn't pitched in a couple of years. That is very difficult. We'll do the best we can."

Last year, the Indians signed Marcum to a minor-league deal and invited him to spring training. He wasn't ready physically, though. In fact, he didn't appear in a minor-league game until August. He eventually posted a 2.35 ERA in eight appearances with Triple-A Columbus. He spent the first few months of the season at the club's facility in Goodyear.

"Mentally, it was definitely a grind," Marcum said. "When you see all of the guys who have had the surgery, it's been different results. Some people have been back in six weeks. Some people have been back in a year and a half. That was the frustrating part, not knowing how my body was going to react to it. Now that I'm back and feel 100 percent, it's nice to have that feeling back."

Marcum had his wife and two kids (a third is due in March) with him in Arizona last season. This year, he doesn't plan to be in the desert past the first week of April. Marcum has an opt-out clause in his contract should he not break camp with the big-league club.

"I'm 100 percent. Everything is full go," he said. "I have a full camp, just like everyone else here. We'll see what happens."

Josh McCown visiting Cleveland Browns today and tomorrow, source says

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Free-agent quarterback Josh McCown will visit the Cleveland Browns in Berea as the sides explore the possibility of the veteran joining the team, Northeast Ohio Media Group has learned.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Longtime veteran quarterback Josh McCown is visiting the Cleveland Browns today and Wednesday, a league source told Northeast Ohio Media Group.

It means the Browns' process of overhauling the quarterback position is officially underway.

McCown, 35, was released last week by the Bucs with a year remaining on his two-year deal. Since then, he's visited with the Bills, Bears and Jets, but planned to take his time and visit more of the eight teams interested in him. Most other free-agent quarterbacks won't hit the market until March 10, so McCown can afford to take his time.

A 13-year pro, McCown is viewed by the Browns as the perfect mentor for Johnny Manziel or any other young quarterback they decide to bring in, a source said.

Browns coach Mike Pettine said at the NFL combine Wednesday that the Browns are looking for a starting quarterback in free agency and the draft because they can't count on Manziel right now given his situation. Manziel has been in rehab since Jan. 28, and the Browns don't know how it will all play out.

"That's probably accurate (that we need to find a starter) just because you look at the uncertainty of where he is,'' Pettine said. "Just given the small sample size we still don't know based on what he was going through whether or not he is that answer.

"There's too much unknown. I'd obviously be scared if we had a game this weekend. It's a position we're well aware of where our depth chart is. We'll look to address it here in the coming months."

In 2007, McCown was coached by new Browns offensive coordinator John DeFilippo, who was then Raiders quarterbacks coach. McCown went 2-5 as a starter that year, with nine touchdowns and 10 interceptions. But the two enjoyed working together and would look forward to the opportunity to do so again, a source said.

A third-round pick of the Cardinals in 2002 out Sam Houston State, McCown is the older brother of former Browns quarterback Luke McCown, a fourth-round pick in 2004 who started four games for the Browns before being traded to Tampa Bay on draft day in 2005.

The Bucs, who own the No. 1 overall pick and might draft Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston, released McCown after a disappointing season in which he went 1-10 and threw 11 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. McCown, who was replaced during the season by Mike Glennon but then reclaimed the starting job, earned a 70.5 rating, second-worst in the NFL to Jacksonville rookie Blake Bortles.

The sub-par season followed a stellar year with the Bears that earned McCown his two-year, $10 million free-agent contract with the Bucs. In 2013, McCown threw 13 touchdowns and only one interception en route to a 3-2 mark for the Bears. He finished with a 109.0 rating.

If the Browns sign McCown, it could mean the end of Brian Hoyer in Cleveland. Hoyer, who's set to become a free agent next month, is expected to receive several opportunities to compete for a starting job, which is what he wants.

McCown, on the other hand, made it clear at the end of the season that he'd accept a mentor role with the Bucs if that's what they wanted.

"Whatever they ask me to do, I'll do it and do it the best I can, whatever helps this team,'' he told the Tampa Tribune. "That's my stance on it regardless of whether it's me or anyone else (who's starting).

"For a player of my age, he can't play forever anyway. So, somebody has to come in and play and be ready to go. Whether that's next year or whatever, I just want to help whoever it is that's here.''

McCown's release makes it less likely the Bucs will trade Glennon, who's been rumored to be on the Browns' radar.

Browns owner Jimmy Haslam also recently stressed that the Browns are on a mission to find a winning quarterback and will leave no stone unturned until they find their man. McCown isn't expected to play that role, but could help DeFilippo implement his system and the tutor the young quarterbacks.

Scouting OHSAA boys and girls swimming and diving state championships 2015

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See capsule previews for the 2015 OHSAA boys and girls state swimming and diving championships in Canton.

CANTON, Ohio -- Here is a look at the top statewide and area contenders at the 2015 Ohio High School Athletic Association boys and girls swimming and diving championships, which begins Wednesday in Canton.

Check out a complete list of local qualifiers here and log into the comments below this post to tell us which individuals you think will make the biggest splash at this year's meet.


2015 OHSAA STATE SWIMMING AND DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS


Where: C.T. Branin Natatorium, 2323 17th St. N.W., Canton. Call 330-438-2739.


Tickets: $16 each division all-session swimming ticket. Diving $8. Participating schools have priority.


Schedule:


Wednesday — Division II girls diving, 9 a.m.; Division II boys diving, 2 p.m.; Thursday — Division I girls diving, 9 a.m.; Division II boys and girls swimming preliminaries, all events, 5 p.m.; Friday — Division I boys and girls swimming preliminaries, all events, 9 a.m.; Division II boys and girls swimming finals, all events, 5 p.m.; Saturday — Division I boys diving, 9 a.m.; Division I boys and girls swimming finals, all events, 4 p.m.


Defending state champions: Division I — Cincinnati St. Xavier boys, Cincinnati Ursuline Academy girls. Division II — Dayton Oakwood boys, Hawken girls.


Division I boys (see seed times here): Cincinnati St. Xavier will be going for its seventh straight state title and 36rd overall with challengers Toledo St. Francis DeSales, Cincinnati Moeller, Mason, Brecksville, Strongsville and Hudson figuring to contend. Hudson senior Ross Palazzo will look to continue his streak of dominance in the 200-yard individual medley and 100 breaststroke, having claimed both titles the last two years. To accomplish the double three-peat, Palazzo will have to get past Butler junior Tommy Cope, who has the top seed times in both events. Cope's district time of 1:47.93 in the 200 IM is three-tenths of a second off the state record held by Mark Gangloff of Firestone (2000), a mark Palazzo covets. Walsh Jesuit senior Michael Reilman is the top seed in the 100 backstroke, where he was third in 2014. Reilman will also contend in the 200 freestyle, where he tied with Cope for second last year. But getting past St. Xavier sophomore phenom Grant House in the 200 free would be an epic feat. Hudson's Brendon Mulcahey will also have to contend with House in the 100 freestyle. Mulcahey is also a contender in the 50 freestyle, while Strongsville's Mike Pichette will challenge in the 100 butterfly. Brecksville's 400 freestyle relay team of David Madej, Mike Lynch, Matthew Martin and Mark Krusinski is ranked just ahead of Hudson and St. Xavier, while Strongsville's 200 medley relay team of Carter Ostrowski, Kenny Whitlock, Pichette and D.J. Arslanian is seeded No. 2 behind St. Xavier. The Bees could also contend in the 200 freestyle relay with Krusinski, Anthony Savena, Martin and Lynch carrying the mail. In the diving competition, Powell Olentangy Liberty junior Cameron Thatcher is the top seed after finishing second at last year's state meet. St. Ignatius freshman Alex Claus is the top local qualifier (No. 8), followed by Solon junior Anthony Styrt (No. 12).


Division I girls (see seed times here): Cincinnati Ursuline Academy aims for its third consecutive state title after edging Upper Arlington in the final race of the 2014 meet. Mason, Centerville and Fremont Ross will also contend, while Strongsville, Brecksville and Hudson have the best chances among area teams. Watch for Walsh Jesuit sophomore Carly Hart to challenge teammate and defending state champion Hanna Gresser in the 100 breaststroke. Hart has the top seed time ahead of Gresser in a wide open field that features six underclassmen among the top eight seeds. Gresser will try also try to knock off defending champion Sydney Lofquist of Cincinnati Ursuline Academy in the 200 individual medley after finishing third in 2014. Copley senior Madison Myers holds the No. 3 seed time in the 200 IM and qualified 10th in the 100 butterfly, where she finished third last year. Myers was also third in the 100 backstroke last year, but will not compete in that event in 2015. Instead, Brecksville's Anna Coronel, seeded No. 7, will lead a field loaded with eight local entrants vying for the backstroke crown. Rocky River junior Lauren Devorace will challenge for a spot on the podium in the 200 and 500 freestyle, while Hudson senior Caitlin Weigel contends in the 50 and 100 freestyle. Hudson's 200 freestyle relay of Macy Trattner, Natalie Gundling, Stephanie Boyd and Weigel is seeded No. 2 behind Upper Arlington while the Explorers' 400 freestyle relay of Gundling, Boyd, Weigel and Gaby Palazzo could get on the podium from the No. 5 spot. Strongsville's 200 medley relay of Megan Pederson, Karley Mattson, Julia Newbould and Brooke Delventhal should also challenge for a top spot. District champions Kailey Francetic of Walsh Jesuit (No. 4 seed) and Julia Oppedisano of Strongsville (No. 5) lead the area contingent of divers.


Division II boys (see seed times here): University School appears to be in good shape to climb back atop the podium after finishing second to Dayton Oakwood the past two years. The Preppers could face serious competition from local foes Rocky River and Bay, which boasts one of the area's fastest swimmers every time he dives into the pool. Senior Trevor Lake aims to repeat his record-setting double individual wins in the 50 freestyle and 100 freestyle, battling senior Sam Vested of Cincinnati Indian Hill in both events. Lake will also lead the Rockets in both the 200 and 400 freestyle relays as they try to earn enough points to stay with University in the team chase. As the Preppers look to return to the dominant form that saw them win five consecutive titles prior to 2013, they will be led by senior Kingsley Bowen, who is looking for individual titles in the 100 butterfly and the 100 backstroke. Bowen has the top seed time in the butterfly and is No. 2 behind Cincinnati Seven Hills junior Matthew Marquardt in the backstroke. Marquardt finished second in the backstroke last year while Bowen was fourth. Chagrin Falls junior Jason Quinn holds the No. 2 seed times in both the 200 individual medley and the 500 freestyle. Quinn will have to get past Oakwood's Jackson Higgins to win the 500 free. Higgins was the runner-up in the event last year. Rocky River senior Sam Stankivicz could challenge for a spot on the podium in both the 100 butterfly and 100 breaststroke. River's 200 freestyle relay of Stankivicz, Jake Vehar, Konrad Katterle and Eric Kanner has the top seed time ahead of Bay (Lake, Colin MacMillan, Kyle MacMillan and Colin Southerington). University's 400 freestyle relay of Charlie Stewart-Bates, Michael Kondratiev, Scott Bowman and Bowen should make things interesting as the No. 3 seed in the meet's final race. Sophomore Peter Natchwey, who finished seventh in 2014, is the top area qualifier in the diving competition. Natchwey has the No. 9 seed entering Wednesday's first dive.


Division II girls (see seed times here): The battle will be for second place as Hawken is primed to win its state record 17th consecutive title. The Hawks have won all 15 Division II titles, 18 of the past 19 state titles and 24 overall. Only St. Xavier boys swimming (35) and St. Edward wrestling (28) have won more state championships. Hathaway Brown, Cincinnati Mariemont and Columbus School for Girls will duke it out for second. The Hawks have the top seeded time in the 200 and 400 relays, and will score in the final relay against top seed Columbus School for Girls. Returning champions for the Hawks include sophomore Crile Hart in the 200 individual medley and junior Claire Doerr in the 500 freestyle. Hart is also the top seed and heavy favorite in the 100 breaststroke. Doerr and junior Lauren Heller will challenge Cincinnati Country Day's Alexandra Wooden in the 200 freestyle. Wooden was second in the event last year. Gilmour senior Kiley Eble looks to defend her title in the 100 butterfly as the top seed in the event, and will battle Abby Stone of Granville in the 100 backstroke, where she is the No. 2 seed. Hathaway Brown junior Mary Motch is the top local contender in the 50 freestyle as the No. 5 seed. West Geauga freshman Kamryn Goodrick is the top local contender in the diving competition. Goodrick is the No. 3 seed, while Laurel's Tricia Roscoe is No. 7. Kettering Alter junior Claire Schuermann is the top seed and defending champion.


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Scouting all area Division IV girls basketball sectional/district tournaments 2015 (poll)

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A look at the Division IV girls basketball sectional and district tournaments.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Here is a scouting report on the two Division IV girls basketball sectional/district tournaments involving local schools. Check out previews for Division I, Division II and Division III.

See all 64 printable, interactive brackets for the upcoming postseason throughout Ohio.


Creston District


Where: All sectional games will be played at better seed’s home court. All district games will be played at Norwayne, 350 S. Main Street, Creston. Call 330-435-3684.


When: Sectionals start Wednesday. District semifinals, March 4 at 6 p.m. and 7:45 p.m.; final March 7 at 1 p.m.


Seedings: 1. Ashland Mapleton; 1. Louisville St. Thomas Aquinas; 2. Columbia; 2. Mogadore; 3. East Canton; 3. Rittman; 4. Dalton; 4. Lake Ridge Academy; 5. Hartville Lake Center Christian; 5. Kidron Central Christian; 6. Canton Heritage Christian; 6. Jeromesville Hillsdale; 7. Open Door; 7. Our Lady of the Elms.


Check out the Cleveland.com Division IV Creston District bracket.


Contenders:


Ashland Mapleton: The Mounties will look to win the bracket again this season in an attempt to return to the regional semifinals, where they lost last season to Cuyahoga Heights when the Redskins went on a 22-0 run.


St. Thomas Aquinas: Between Paige Dempsey, Nicole Newman and Sydney Film, the Knights have a solid list of scorers – who can also rebound and dish out assists too. All that could lead them far in this postseason.


Columbia: The Raiders tied for second place in the Patriot Athletic Conference with a 12-3 record. Columbia enters the postseason on a three-game win streak.


Players to watch:


Pella Baker, Lake Ridge Academy: Check out the 6-foot-3 sophomore forward. Along with teammate Megan Williams, Baker consistently scores in double digits.


Faith Edwards, Mapleton: The senior guard leads her team in points, but junior Hannah Krause and senior Leslie Rogers are close behind.


Nicole Newman, St. Thomas Aquinas: The sophomore is among the leaders in scoring and rebounding in the Canton area.


Grace Reilly, Mogadore: The senior guard passed the 1,000-career point mark this season. She’s just a stellar all-around athlete.


Alison Schafer, Columbia: The junior point guard also surpassed the 1,000-career point mark this season. She’s the full package for a Division IV team with the ability to rebound, grab steals and hand out assists.


Cleveland.com pick: No. 1 Mapleton defeats No. 1 St. Thomas Aquinas. It won't be an easy road for the Mounties, but they have more scorers to reach the district final and capture the title.


Orwell District


Where: All sectional games will be played at better seed’s home court. All district games will be played at Grand Valley, 111 Grand Valley Ave., Orwell. Call 440-487-0413.


When: Sectionals start Wednesday. District semifinals, March 4 at 6 p.m and 7:45 p.m.; final March 7 at 4 p.m.


Seedings: 1. Cuyahoga Heights; 1. Windham; 2. Cortland Maplewood; 2. Villa Angela-St. Joseph; 3. Fairport Harding; 3. Kinsman Badger; 4. Lutheran East; 4. Vienna Mathews; 5. Bristolville Bristol; 5. Ledgemont; 6. Warren John F. Kennedy; 6. Newbury; 7. Ashtabula St. John; 7. Chalker.


Check out the cleveland.com Division IV Orwell District bracket.


Contenders:


Cuyahoga Heights: Cuyahoga Heights’ only losses this season were to teams ranked in the Top 25. Look for Jenna Stegmaier to have a big tournament, especially with it being her last.


Villa Angela-St. Joseph: The Vikings lost just three games this season, each by four points or less. Led by Mariah McGee, Villa Angela-St. Joseph will be difficult to stop. They are on an 11-game win streak, which includes a victory against Louisville St. Thomas Aquinas, which is ranked No. 1 in the Division IV Creston District.


Windham: The Bombers have solid performers who fill their roles in positions one through five. They have all the keys needed to run away with the title, but they’ll likely have to beat Cuyahoga Heights.


Players to watch:


Dari Heller, Windham: The senior creates a clog in the defense and is too strong for many offenses.


Jessica Isler, Windham: The senior will drive baseline to baseline and toss in a layup or try to draw a foul – or she’ll hang back and drop a trey.


Mariah McGee, Villa Angela-St. Joseph: The senior passed the 1,000-career point threshold this season, leading the team to a stellar regular season.


Jenna Stegmaier, Cuyahoga Heights: The senior will look to cap an outstanding high school career with a trip to regionals or state.


Cleveland.com pick: No. 1 Windham over No. 1 Cuyahoga Heights. This will be one of the best district final matchups in the state. Both teams have a solid star: Cuyahoga Heights with Stegmaier and Windham with Isler. The difference is Cuyahoga Heights runs everything around Stegmaier but runs a stout defense with players like Allie Triskett. Windham is heavy on running things around Isler but also feeds a lot into the low post.




Follow girls basketball all season


Bookmark the girls basketball webpage at cleveland.com to see every post, podcast and video pertaining to the sport.


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

Francisco Lindor dives to finish line to win Cleveland Indians sprint test (video)

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Francisco Lindor shows off his speed in sprint test for position players; Indians build team chemistry. Watch video

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Shortstop Francisco Lindor won the Indians' sprint competition Tuesday by diving across the finish line.

"I had to dive because I couldn't get there (by running)," said Lindor.

Position players ran a series of timed sprints at the end of their first full-squad practice Tuesday. Players either dropped out voluntarily or were eliminated because they didn't complete the sprints on time.

"It's a fun competition," said Lindor. "It brings all of us together to compete against each other. As athletes that's what we do."

Lindor didn't know strength and conditioning coach Joe Kessler would introduce this testing program in spring training, so there was no way he could train for it. That didn't matter.

"Every time I do something as a competition, I'm trying to win," said Lindor.

The race appeared to end in a dead heat as Lindor, Tyler Naquin, Jordan Smith and Erik Gonzalez all crossed the finish line and seemed to stop.

"I stopped and sat down and I heard Walley (Akron manager David Wallace) yell, "There's no one else out there. You better get up.' That's when I started running."

Nick Hagadone won the competition among the pitchers and sees a match race with Lindor in the future.

"Maybe we can do it next spring," said Hagadone.

Lindor worked with a personal trainer during the off-season. He also trained with Hall of Fame shortstop Barry Larkin. At his physical, Lindor weighed 192 pounds with seven percent body fat.

"I can't thank Barry Larkin enough for what he does for me and the rest of the guys who work with him," said Lindor.

Said manager Terry Francona, "At some point that thing is not about how fast you are, but your will to continue because it's easy to stop."

The Indians drafted Lindor with their top pick in 2011. This is his second big-league camp and he is expected to open the season at Class AAA Columbus.

"One of my goals this spring is to get to know Lindor better because you don't know how long they'll be in camp," said Francona. "The same thing with Erik Gonzalez. I want to really get to know those guys better because they're the next group that hopefully is coming."

This is the first year the Indians have held this competition with Francona as manager.

"You try to figure out ways to test where the guys are at and not over-doing it," said Francona. "To be honest about it, we're not a track team. We're a baseball team."

Francona liked the results.

"The most important thing out of this is the team-building concept," he said. "I loved that they got after it. Some of the pitchers came out and even the guys who couldn't run were out there."

Ohio State football: Where do you think the Buckeyes' offense improved the most in 2014?

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Share your thoughts on where Ohio State's offense improved most during the 2014 season.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- J.T. Barrett took a short drop, looked to his left and fired a strike to Devin Smith on a receiver screen. Smith took it and ran 13 yards for a first down. One of the few times, maybe the only time, Smith caught a pass that close to the line of scrimmage all year.

That's how the 2014 season started for Ohio State's offense.

Far removed from the eventual College Football Playoff National Championship the Buckeyes would win five months later, Urban Meyer and Tom Herman were just trying to get Barrett acclimated to his first college start with an easy throw to a sure-handed veteran receiver.

You know what happened from there. But where do you think Ohio State's offense improved the most over the course of the 2014 season? Which offensive players jumped out to as the biggest difference makers? Who made the biggest jump?

Give your take in the comments section, we'll take the best and post them Wednesday afternoon. Also look Wednesday morning for a breakdown of the progression of the offense using our TV Rewatch posts from the season and notes from the national title game.

Don't worry, we'll discuss the defense on Thursday.

John McDonald's role, Michael Brantley's balky back and Terry Francona's speech: Cleveland Indians quick hits

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Francona gives a speech to the team on the first day of spring activities each year. This marks his 15th season as a big league skipper.

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Tuesday marked the Indians' first day of spring training drills with the entire cast of characters. Position players fielded ground balls and pop flies, practiced bunting and took their hacks. Pitchers tossed baseballs around.

After a few hours of activities, manager Terry Francona met with reporters.

The new guys

John McDonald and Travis Hafner participated in the first day of full-camp drills. Hafner sported a glove -- something he rarely did during his decade in Cleveland -- and received throws from infielders who fielded ground balls. McDonald slapped grounders at the organization's young infielders on a different diamond.

How will McDonald be tasked with helping to improve the league's worst defense?

"We're going to turn him loose," Francona said. "We'd be silly not to. He has such a passion for what he's doing. He has a reputation that he earned as a player where guys warm up to him. The first thing we did when we hired him was, [coach Mike] Sarbaugh called him and told him, 'You're welcome here. We're going to use you.'

"He's not here as a figurehead. He's here to work and to help us."

Not viral yet

Infielders Lonnie Chisenhall and Zach Walters were excused from Tuesday's activities. Both players are battling flu-like symptoms. Walters, who came down with the bug a couple of days ago, was at the complex on Tuesday. Chisenhall became ill on Monday.

"I hope this doesn't go viral on us," Francona said.

Michael Brantley hit in the cages on Tuesday, but did not participate in the position players' conditioning competition. He may follow a similar routine for the next couple of days.

"His lower back is biting him a little bit," Francona said.

The message

Francona gives a speech to the team on the first day of spring activities each year. This marks his 15th season as a big-league skipper. He said, other than his first year with Philadelphia and his first year with Boston, this was the most anxious he has been before that initial meeting with the group.

What was his message?

"I want them to know we're going to go through this together," Francona said.

The clubhouse staff assembled a cluster of chairs in the back of the clubhouse. The scene looked reminiscent to two years earlier, when the Indians filmed a Harlem Shake video. This time, though, there were no costumes.

"No. That won't happen," Francona said.

Everyone was in position in time for Francona's speech. Francona didn't have to worry about that this time around.

"The first time in Boston, I was pretty anxious because I didn't think Manny [Ramirez] was going to come," Francona quipped.


Cleveland Indians spring training scribbles: What to do about David Murphy -- Terry Pluto (photos)

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Signing Brandon Moss seems to make David Murphy expendable.

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Scribbles in my Tribe spring training notebook:

1. I wrote about why Oakland made the Brandon Moss deal with the Tribe, and that was certainly a trade that the Indians had to make. Moss has hit 76 homers in the last three seasons. The 25 homers he hit with the A's last season would have ranked second on the Tribe. Only Carlos Santana (27) had more. Yan Gomes (21) was the only other player with more than 20 homers in 2014.

2. Moss battled through a hip injury in the second half of the season. That certainly damaged his trade value. But the price (minor league second baseman Joey Wendle) was too cheap for the Indians to pass up. Moss also appears to be making a strong comeback from his off-season hip surgery. He has never been on the disabled list in his big-league career.

3. Which brings us to the Tribe outfield ... and David Murphy. Like Moss, Murphy is a veteran left-handed hitter. He batted .262 (.703 OPS) with eight homers and 58 RBI last season. His most impressive stat was batting .360 with runners in scoring position. His season was just ... OK. If you buy into some of the advanced fielding stats, it was worse than OK. Fangraphs ranked Murphy No. 15 out of 16 regular right fielders in 2014. The Bill James stat book -- using a different set of measurements -- rated Murphy as the AL's second-worst right fielder.

4. The odd part is that this comes after Murphy was ranked the No.1 defensive LEFT fielder in 2013 by fangraphs. That's when he was with Texas. The Indians thought the adjustment from left in Texas to right with the Tribe would be easy for Murphy. It was not. He had only three errors, but struggled when it came to running the proper routes to cut off balls in the corner.

5. To be fair to Murphy, Frangraphs has ranked Michael Brantley among the bottom 25 percent of left fielders. Bill James has Brantley in the middle of the pack. He seems to be very above average to my naked eye. I know the Tribe's internal stats rate him above average.

6. But here's the deal with Murphy. He doesn't hit for much power. He is not very effective (.238) against left-handed pitching. He is 33. He did battle an oblique injury last season. He also went through a 2-for-49 slump in 20 days of July.

7. "Let's not sell (Murphy) short," said manager Terry Francona. "Let's not make him an extra guy in the first day of camp." Francona is a huge fan of Murphy the person. Their relationship began when Murphy was a top prospect with Boston and Francona was the Red Sox manager.

8. But Francona knows that he has a lefty hitter (Brantley) in left. He has a lefty hitter (Michael Bourn) in center. Moss and Murphy are lefties. Francona talked about how in the outfield, there usually is a tradeoff between power and speed. "Usually you get one of those things, not both." But Murphy's power was below average, as was his defense last season.

9. Francona said Moss is considered "adequate" at first base and right field, the two positions he played for Oakland. But Moss brings power. Moss played only 245 innings in right last season, and fangraphs ranked him in the middle of the pack defensively.

10. The Indians are hoping for a bounce-back season from Ryan Raburn. He's a righty who hits lefties, and does a decent job in right field. Or at least, he hit lefties and played well in right for the Tribe in 2013. Last season, was a mess -- as I wrote about on Sunday.

11. The Indians aren't saying this, but I imagine they are watching what happens in various training camps -- seeing what team could use Murphy. The Tribe signed Murphy to a two-year, $12 million deal last season. The Indians would probably want prospects in return.

12. I haven't mentioned Nick Swisher as an outfield candidate because he's coming off two knee surgeries. My guess is that he will be mostly a designated hitter, and perhaps play a little first base.

13. Three of the Tribe's top upper-level outfield prospects are Carlos Moncrief, Tyler Naquin and James Ramsey. They also are lefty hitters. Only Tyler Holt is a right-handed batter. That's yet another reason it seems Murphy is a likely candidate to be traded.

Scouting all area Division III girls basketball sectional/district tournaments 2015

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A look at the Division III girls basketball sectional and district tournaments.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Here is a scouting report on the four Division III girls basketball sectional/district tournament involving local schools. Check out previews for Division I, Division II and Division IV.

See all 64 printable, interactive brackets for the upcoming postseason throughout Ohio.


North Ridgeville District 


Where: All sectional games will be played at better seed’s home court. All district games will be played at North Ridgeville, 34600 Bainbridge Road. Call 440-327-1992.


When: Sectionals start Wednesday. District semifinals are March 3 at 6 p.m. and March 4 at 7 p.m.; final, March 7 at 1 p.m.


Seedings: 1. Elyria Catholic; 1. Gilmour; 2. Beachwood; 2. Independence; 3. Lutheran West; 3. Richmond Heights; 4. Trinity 4. Wickliffe; 5. Kirtland; 5. Oberlin; 6. Warrensville Heights; 6. Wellington.


Check out the cleveland.com Division III North Ridgeville District bracket.


Contenders:


Beachwood: The Bison have had a solid season in the cleveland.com Top 25 rankings – and they’ve pulled off some big upsets. Watch for them to be the team that shakes up this bracket.


Elyria Catholic: The Panthers finished atop the West Shore Conference and dropped four games but after the loss of Josie Carandang to a knee injury, Elyria Catholic has struggled to win or win big against top ranked teams.


Gilmour: The Lancers finally suffered defeat late in the season after starting the season 18-0. Look for Naz Hillmon and Emily Kelley to find their game swagger once again now that a single loss equals elimination.


Richmond Heights: The combination of points that Deja Winters and Monique Evans can put up will be what makes Richmond Heights tough to stop offensively, but it’s what the Spartans can do defensively that could lead them deep into this bracket.


Players to watch:


Naz Hillmon, Gilmour: Just get the ball to the freshman post and watch her work. If she doesn’t make the first shot, she’ll fight for the offensive rebound – and she’ll usually win thanks to her height and her grit.


Aryana Jackson, Beachwood: Jackson has fantastic ball-handling skills. The Bison likely wouldn’t be ranked in the Top 25 without the Texas A&M Corpus Christi commit.


Emily Kelley, Gilmour: Just get the sophomore wing the ball and watch her work too. She doesn’t just make threes; she takes smart threes. Those smart treys quickly add up to give Gilmour the edge both inside and out.


Mariah Porter, Wickliffe: The program’s record holder in rebounds and points, she reached the 1,000-point career mark in the final game of the regular season.


Riley Schill, Elyria Catholic: Despite losing a top performer in Josie Carandang, Schill has continued to lead the Panthers this season. She helped them win a conference title while scoring a career-high 30 points against Lakewood to win that title.


Deja Winters, Richmond Heights: She’s smooth all around the court, from ball-handling skills to her shooting.


cleveland.com pick: No. 1 Gilmour defeats No. 1 Elyria Catholic. Gilmour already beat Elyria Catholic once this season in a holiday tournament. The Lancers won 54-42. Yes, Gilmour has lost two games since then but EC’s loss of Carandang is greater. The key for the Panthers will be trying to shut down Hillmon in the post, a feat no team has accomplished this season.


Ravenna District


Where: All sectional games will be played at better seed’s home court. All district games will be played at Ravenna, 6589 N. Chestnut St. Ravenna. Call 330-296-3844.


When: Sectionals start Wednesday. District semifinals are March 3 at 6 p.m. and March 4 at 7 p.m.; final, March 7 at 1 p.m.


Seedings: 1. Newtown Falls; 2. Andover Pymatuning Valley; 3. Garrettsville Garfield; 4. Orwell Grand Valley; 5. Hawken; 6. Rootstown; 7. Warren Champion; 8. Leavittsburg Labrae; 9. Cardinal; 10. Berkshire; 11. Waterloo.


Check out the cleveland.com Division III Ravenna District bracket.


Contenders:


Grand Valley: The Mustangs are coming off a regular season finale game with a three-point loss to Pymatuning Valley, which could lead to an interesting playoff. Grand Valley has more than just the scoring of Jessica Vormelker but the defense of Taylor Hoffman and a point guard in Abby Triskett who plays more like 6-foot-2 instead of her 5-5 frame.


Newtown Falls: The Tigers went undefeated in their conference play, yet three of their four losses this season have come in the new year.


Pymatuning Valley: The Lakers finished the regular season 15-6 and 10-4 in conference play, including a three-point victory against Grand Valley on Tuesday. Valley finished last season 19-0 and atop the AP Ohio girls basketball poll, but wasn’t ranked this season. They will run their normal pressure defense, looking to force opponents into easy turnovers.


Players to watch:


Destinee Huston, Newtown Falls: The senior point guard is good at reading defenses, which leads to steals, which leads to points.


Grayson Rose, Garrettsville Garfield: She leads the G-Men in field goals, free throws and total points.


Megan Stech, Pymatuning Valley: Watch this senior center’s defense on ball handlers.


Jessica Vormelker, Grand Valley: The senior does a little bit of everything for the Mustangs. She’s strong and hard to defend – and she can score, which makes her a difficult player to match up against.


cleveland.com pick: No. 2 Pymatuning Valley defeats No. 1 Newton Falls. Knocking off last year’s district champs will a challenging task for Newton Falls, but the Lakers defense will find a way to defend its title.


Wooster District


Where: All sectional games will be played at better seed’s home court. All district games will be played at Wooster, 515 Oldman Road, Wooster. Call 330-345-4000.


When: Sectionals start Wednesday. District semifinals, March 4 at 6 p.m and 7:45 p.m.; final March 7 at 1 p.m.


Seedings: 1. Doylestown Chippewa; 2. Massillon Tuslaw; 3. Orrville; 4. Manchester; 5. Canton Central Catholic; 6. Creston Norwayne; 7. Smithville; 8. Apple Creek Waynedale; 9. Wooster Triway; 10. West Salem Northwestern; 11. Loudonville; 12. Black River


Check out the cleveland.com Division III Wooster District bracket.


Contenders:


Doylestown Chippewa: Under coach Denny Schrock, the Chipps are 73-13. They also were just crowned the AP state poll champion for Division III. That’s all due to the fact that it’s hard to shut down Chippewa from scoring, especially with a player like Carly Koncz.


Massillon Tuslaw: The Mustangs haven’t lost a game since December and hold a .952 winning percentage with their 20-1 regular season record. They’ve outscored opponents 1,137 to 870. They will enter the postseason on a 15-game win streak.


Players to watch:


Carly Koncz, Doylestown Chippewa: We watched Koncz at the Classic in the Country and she was just incredible. She was fast. She could shoot. She was smart. She could dish assists and haul in rebounds. She’s the full package.


Mayci Sales: The sophomore post player is one of the top posts in the Massillon area. At 5-foot-11, she scored four double doubles in just December.


cleveland.com pick: No. 1 Doylestown Chippewa defeats No. 2 Tuslaw. The district final will be a tough matchup between the two teams, but Chippewa gets the edge for the win with its balanced scoring.



Follow girls basketball all season


Bookmark the girls basketball webpage at cleveland.com to see every post, podcast and video pertaining to the sport.


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

Kendrick Perkins on his decision to join the Cleveland Cavaliers: 'Doc or The King? I choose The King'

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Perkins will make his debut with the Cavaliers on Tuesday night against the Detroit Pistons, but it may take him a little while to get up to speed.

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- As new Cleveland Cavaliers center Kendrick Perkins was weighing his options recently, he went to his former coach for advice.

That former coach, Doc Rivers, wanted him on the Clippers.

"He was real honest with me," Perkins said on Tuesday night. "He told me, 'I think your best two situations right now is either us or Cleveland.' So I was like, 'Doc? Or I have a chance to go play with The King (LeBron James). Doc? The King? Uh, I choose The King."

Perkins admitted it was hard to turn down Rivers. The pair won an NBA championship together with the Boston Celtics in 2008, but the 6-foot-10 center was drawn to the remade Cleveland roster that he believes is equipped to win a championship. 

"I had been watching the games and I looked at Cleveland and said, 'Man they play great basketball.' I wasn't just looking at the offensive end, I was looking at the little things," Perkins said. "Passing up good shots for great shots, on the defensive end you see guys helping the helper, see guys being at the nail, guys coming out pick and roll, guys bumping early, communication was there.

"I said, 'Man, that team is on a mission. You can tell they're playing agenda-free basketball, trying to get the win and get better.' I just wanted to be part of it.

Perkins, a 12-year NBA veteran, was averaging 4.0 points and 5.5 rebounds for the Oklahoma City Thunder prior to being traded to Utah on Feb. 19. Before playing a game for the Jazz, he was bought out of his contract on Saturday.

He passed through waivers unclaimed and that's when Rivers came calling. But the Cavaliers had their own pitchman, a former teammate of Perkins from AAU in high school, James.

"He just said, 'Let's make this happen. Been a long time coming.' He's right. I've been wanting to be on the same team with him for a while," Perkins said. "So I feel like everything happens for a reason at the right time."

Perkins will make his debut with the Cavaliers on Tuesday night against the Detroit Pistons, but it may take him a little while to get up to speed. He did not take part in the team's morning shootaround and hasn't played in about two weeks.

"I spoke with (the coaches) a few times," Perkins said. "They said to come in and be myself. They know what I bring to the table. I'm going to come in and do me, I'm not going to do nothing outside my body. I just want to help improve the team. They're already a great team, I just want to add to it."

Perkins, who has been to the playoffs eight times in his career, will bring valuable experience and much-needed toughness inside. He prides himself on the defensive end, trying to protect the paint.

"I know a lot of teams don't like me, but that's fine," Perkins said. "I'm a good guy if I'm on your team. Other than that, that's fine. I feel like if another team don't like me, than I done my job for the night."

The Cavaliers have been playing shorthanded in the frontcourt since Anderson Varejao's season-ending injury on Dec. 23. Timofey Mozgov, who arrived in a January trade, has become the team's starting center, which will leave Perkins filling an important role coming of the bench.

"I don't want to call Perk an insurance policy," Blatt said before Tuesday's game. "He's a guy that can really contribute. If you look at our team one of the areas that you would address if you were thinking, 'OK how can we get a little better at this stage of the year,' that's one of the things you would put your finger on is the fact that we could use one more player with size and experience that can give us physicality and great defense and presence."

Perkins was greeted by his new teammates in the locker room, including Mozgov, who got in a scuffle with him earlier this season.

That's all in the past now. Perkins is the latest piece of Cleveland's championship puzzle and the team is happy to have him.

"Our players were really positive about him coming in as well and that's a good sign," Blatt said. "They know he can help us in a number of different ways and that's something that lends itself to the chemistry we have in the locker room."

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Detroit Pistons Game 58: Live chat and updates

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Get live updates and analysis as cleveland.com's reporters bring you the latest on the game between the Cavs and Pistons.

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- The Cleveland Cavaliers are in action, wrapping up their three-game road trip against the Detroit Pistons. It's the third meeting of the season between the two teams. 

Get live updates and analysis as cleveland.com's reporters bring you the latest on the game in the comments section below.

Make sure you're following Chris Fedor and Joe Vardon on Twitter.

Game 58: Cavs (35-22) vs. Pistons (23-33)

Tip off: 7:30 p.m. at The Palace of Auburn Hills

TV/radio: Fox Sports Ohio; WTAM AM/1100, WMMS 100.7 FM

Cavs probable starting lineup: Kyrie Irving, J.R. Smith, LeBron James, Kevin Love and Timofey Mozgov.

Pistons probable starting lineup: Reggie Jackson, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Tayshaun Prince, Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond.

FREQUENTLY REFRESH this page to get the latest updates. If you're viewing this on a mobile app, click here to get updates and comment.

West Geauga freshman Kamryn Goodrick finishes second at OHSAA Division II state diving; Laurel third (photos)

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West Geauga's Kamryn Goodrick bursts on state diving scene with second-place finish.

CANTON, Ohio — West Geauga's Kamryn Goodrick spent many hours in the gym training in her quest to become a stellar gymnast. However, an elbow injury curtailed her career in that sport.

Goodrick didn’t sulk or lament her bad fortune. Instead, she just changed sports and now finds herself amongst the top high school divers in the state.


The West Geauga freshman, who took up gymnastics at age 3 and began diving this past summer, scored a 430.85 Wednesday to finish second at the Ohio High School Athletic Association Division II girls diving state championships at the C.T. Branin Natatorium.


Goodrick entered the final round in third place, but a strong showing on her final three dives allowed her to surge past Laurel’s Tricia Roscoe for the runner-up spot. Roscoe (425.90) finished third.


Claire Schuermann of Kettering Archbiship Alter (483.85) won the state title.


“I’m really happy,” Goodrick said of her second-place finish. “My goal at the beginning of the year was making it to states. I couldn’t imagine myself finishing second. I’m really proud of myself.”


Goodrick’s rise amongst high school divers can be attributed to her tenacity and fearlessness, said her coach Marc Cahalane, who runs America Flyers Diving and coaches several area divers.


“Being a former gymnast helps, but her mental aspect of this sport is amazing,” Cahalane said. “She doesn’t have fears. She does exactly what I tell her to do and she can focus extremely well.”


Having no fear allows Goodrick to try new dives. It also allows a diver to attempt and execute dives with higher degrees of difficulty, which allow one to rack up points with the judges.


“They aren’t worried about the fear, they are worried about looking at their feet on a kick,” Cahalane said of fearless divers.


Goodrick didn’t officially convert to diving until this past summer after she had six holes drilled in her elbow in an attempt to stimulate blood flow.


“People kept telling me diving is like gymnastics over the water, you’d be really good at it, so just try it,” Goodrick said.


Goodrick attempted her harder dives as the meet went on, she said, and nailed an inward double somersault on her last dive of the day.


“That’s my hardest dive and that’s the reason I (finished second),” Goodrick said.


Goodrick, who won the district at Cleveland State last week, came out of nowhere to win that meet, according to West Geauga coach Debbie Diadiun.


“You could see her improving during the season,” Diadiun said.


Roscoe entered the final round of dives in second place, but didn’t appear as sharp late in the meet, which allowed Goodrick to sneak past her.


Roscoe’s coach, Matt Lewis, said his diver was “a little bit” disappointed with her finish, but said she’s only a junior and can come back next year.


“She’s got the summer and next season. She’s not graduating,” Lewis said.


Overall, Northeast Ohio dives made a strong showing.


Brooke Zedar (391.00), a junior from Gilmour, finished seventh and Emma Bryan (374.60), a senior from Hathaway Brown, finished 11th. Izzy Schlacter, a sophomore from Orange, finished 21st and was eliminated after the first round of dives.


Next up is the Division II boys diving state championships Wednesday afternoon.


Michael Fitzpatrick is a freelance writer from Avon Lake.

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