Andrews is a Division I Player of the Year candidate in Ohio.

LORAIN, Ohio -- It's four days before Lorain boys basketball's sectional final game, and tickets are in high demand. 

Because of the potential crowds lined up outside, the Titans were the only Northeast Ohio team allowed presale for tickets, and fans lined up starting at 6:30 a.m on Tuesday. Even the players and coaches are allowed only a few tickets each for their family.

Coach John Rositano is looking for a ticket for his niece, who like most people in Lorain has become an avid fan of the basketball team. It's a tough task to find one, but Devon Andrews, the team's star senior, tells Rositano that his niece can have one of his tickets.

"He's a people pleaser on and off the court," Rositano said. "He's so unselfish. He wants to get everyone involved."

Andrews and his development as a player and person are largely responsible for No. 1 Lorain being 22-0 entering Saturday's Division I Grafton district sectional final against No. 15 North Ridegville. 

"I've been around Lorain since the mid-70's," Rositano said. "There haven't been many come along with his skill set and the level of play he's exhibited."

Andrews is the middle child of three boys. His younger brother, Daviere Andrews, is a junior on the team, and they were raised by their mother, Christine Bailey. 

"She played an important role," Daviere Andrews said. "She always been tough on us with grades and made sure we were staying out the streets and into the sports."

The sport Devon Andrews felt most comfortable in was basketball. Although he started playing at a very early age, he didn't really break out until the ninth grade.

"I wasn't better than people when I was little," Andrews said. "As I got older, I started knowing how to use my body."

Remarkably, this is the first time Andrews, a 6-foot-6 guard who is a Division I player of the year candidate in Ohio, has ever played a full season.

His freshman year, Andrews had to sit half the season after transferring in from Clearview. His sophomore year was cut short by issues with his grades. It was a wake-up call.

"You can't get anywhere in life without your grades," Andrews said. "That's what I focused on. I do my work now, and then I play around."

Andrews' junior year was an eventful one. He originally enrolled at Central Catholic, but he decided after just hours of attending his first day of school that he had made a mistake and wanted to go back to Lorain.

"I felt like I let my team down," Andrews said. "I didn't tell anyone I was moving. I just got up and left. It was a good environment, but it just wasn't a fit for me."

Even though he was only there for one day, Andrews had to sit out half of his junior season due to OHSAA transfer rules.

But in the middle of that setback, he made a big decision. In September of his junior year, Andrews committed to Kent State, who were highly-interested despite never seeing him play a full high school season. Andrews made the choice because of the way Kent State kept checking in on him.

"My grades weren't that good," Andrews said. "All of the other schools were backing off. Kent State kept coming, and they were making sure I was getting my grades up."

The junior season that had many highs and lows ended with Andrews being forced to miss the team's sectional final game against Westlake after he missed a class in school. The Titans lost by 24 points, and the season was over.

This year is different. The obvious change is that Andrews has actually played all season long. Less obvious, though, is a change in demeanor. He seems to realize that time is running out.

"Now he has a sense of urgency that some seniors get," Rositano said. "This year he has played like a senior with his skill set and his motor. That's why his game has taken off to another level."

The results have been eye-opening. Andrews is averaging 21.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game. He shoots nearly 70 percent from the field and made less than half his shots just twice all season.

Meanwhile, he's a leader, albeit a quite one for the Titans. His teammates admire his work ethic in practice, and the way he tries to get everyone involved before himself.

"He doesn't say a whole lot in practice, but he plays really hard," Rositano said. "When other guys see your best player playing really hard in practice, you don't have to say a whole lot."

Whether he communicates it or not, Andrews has had a goal since his first day at Lorain -- to win a state title. It's been a bumpy road, but Andrews has his team in position to do that in his senior season, and he is ready to begin the final push towards Columbus.

"I dreamed about it since my freshman year," Andrews said. "If we cut down these nets, it would be the best feeling ever."

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

Meet Gilmour girls basketball player Emily Kelley.

GATES MILLS, Ohio—Emily Kelley was impressed with the girls basketball program when she visited Gilmour a couple of years ago. After her visit, meeting the coaching staff and players, she knew early this is where she wanted to begin her high school career.

With her commitment to the team and edge she gives the Lancers against opponents, Kelley is being considered cleveland.com’s girls basketball Player of the Year.

Find out more about Kelley below.

Emily Kelley

Year: Sophomore.

Height: 5-9.

School: Gilmour.

Position: Guard.

2014-2015 regular season stats: 16.7 ppg., 83 3-pointers out of 165 attempts.

Team record right now: 23-2.

College: Undecided.

Why Emily has stood out to us: The 5-9 guard is know for shooting touch, but has emerged as a leader on a young, talented and coincidentally experienced basketball team. She’s tall, long and versatile guard. Earlier this season, set a new school record for 3-pointers  with nine after scoring 32 points in a 90-31 win against Barberton.

In the words of Emily

When did she start playing: "I started probably first grade playing rec basketball, then travel basketball and AAU…my eighth grade year I got involved into talking to coach Bob Beutel and we became really good friends. I came to watch a bunch of their games, got to meet the players and it made me really want to come to school here. It was the best choice. I got really excited about the program because of the success they were having, so I thought this was the place I wanted to be."

Best win this season so far: "I would say against Hathaway Brown, 67-49. We started off as a team pretty well and this was the first time we were down a certain point, but our team never gave up and we just worked hard together as a team...it really proved to our team that if we never give up and keep working hard no matter what we can accomplish anything."

Do you see any areas you can improve: "I want to improve my defensive game ans also working different move to get to the basket."

What motivates you: "My coach and teammates because they are always supporting me." 

Do you have a favorite quote: "No not really. Just the cliche sayings 'never giving up.' I just think that's so important...I think with our team we stress to stay in the game, locked in and focused."

Ever see any double teams: Yes. I've seen every type of defense and when that happens it really opens up my other teammates, so we look for them to step up and hit the open shot.

Aspirations after high school: "I hope to play college basketball of some sort and that’s what I really want to do, but right now I’m just focused on my high school career. I hope we can do great things this year."

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 Nathaniel Cline by email (ncline@cleveland.com) or on Twitter (@nathanielcline). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

Brian Hoyer told USA Today that it's "good for both sides to get a fresh start and go our separate ways'' in regard to leaving the Browns.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Brian Hoyer acknowledged what he and the Browns have known since they agreed to terms Friday night with new quarterback Josh McCown: the hometown hero story is over.

"It's good for both sides to get a fresh start and go our separate ways," Hoyer told USA TODAY Sports on Thursday. "Being from here, I'll always root for the Browns. I know I'm going to be continuing my football career somewhere."

Hoyer, who went 10-6 for the Browns over the past two seasons, is one of the top free agent quarterbacks on the market and will undoubtedly receive plenty of interest as early as Saturday when teams can begin calling agents. Teams can start negotiating deal on Tuesday at 4 p.m., and Hoyer, who will play in Kurt Warner's flag-football charity event in Arizona on Saturday, is eagerly anticipating his next move.

"In between games Saturday, I'll be checking my phone to see if my agent has talked to anyone," Hoyer told USA TODAY Sports. "It's an exciting time, my first time as a free agent.

"You don't know where you'll be living in two months. The good thing is I'll have an opportunity to be on an NFL team, and hopefully, compete for a starting job. ... I have a lot to offer whatever team I go to. My best football is still ahead."

Hoyer will compete for vacancies with Jake Locker, Ryan Mallett, Mark Sanchez, Christian Ponder and Shaun Hill. On Thursday, one possible opportunity dried up when Matt Cassel was traded from the Vikings to the Bills, where he'll compete with E.J. Manuel for the starting job.

Texans coach Bill O'Brien coached Hoyer in New England and likes him, but indicated at the NFL combine that he'll give Mallett a shot to be his man. The Rams are looking to bring in quarterbacks to backup Sam Bradford, and the Titans could be looking to drive competition for second-year quarterback Zach Mettenberger, who's represented by the same agent as Hoyer. Titans coach Ken Whisenhunt also started Hoyer in the 2012 season-finale in Arizona.

"I look forward to helping whatever team get better and go to the playoffs," Hoyer said. "If you're in the right situation, believe in yourself, nothing will hold you back."

The Browns have known for some time that they were moving on from Hoyer, but wanted to make sure they had a plan B in place first.  When Browns owner Jimmy Haslam took his top club officials to Florida a three-day retreat in late January, they returned home in agreement that they were going in a different direction. Present on the trip were coach Mike Pettine, Farmer, team president Alec Scheiner and general counsel Sashi Brown.

At an appearance at The Great Big Home and Garden Show on Feb. 7th, Hoyer talked like a man who knew he was gone, showing support for former Browns offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, who left with two years on his contract, and stressing that his decision on whether or not to stay would be determined in part by the outcome of general manager Ray Farmer's texting scandal.

Hoyer never felt Farmer was in his corner, and wanted to know if the texts contained derogatory comments about him before he'd decide to stay. Hoyer also anticipated having a meeting with Farmer before either side made a decision, but it never materialized. Hoyer waited for Farmer to call him, and Farmer expected Hoyer to come in and meet with him at the Browns facility in Berea.

When the Browns signed McCown to a three-year deal worth $14 million, including $6.25 fully guaranteed, it spelled the end of Hoyer in Cleveland. Coach Mike Pettine and general manager Ray Farmer each called Hoyer to deliver the news, and although they didn't come out and say it, it meant good-bye.

The move angered many Browns fans, but one NFL coach told Northeast Ohio Media Group he'd start McCown over Hoyer because McCown plays relaxed, doesn't get rattled and was not the reason the 2-14 Bucs struggled last season.

McCown, meanwhile, told NEOMG that he understands Browns fans' devotion to their homegrown quarterback, one who had the Browns all alone in first place in the AFC North after nine games last season before it all fell apart down the stretch.

"I met Brian a few years ago at a workout for the Giants and I was impressed with him and I've rooted for him from afar especially with what he went through a couple of years ago with the knee and to come back this year,'' McCown said. "I love stories like that. It's awesome. I'm a fan of Brian and I his work ethic. It's been a great story of him playing right there in his hometown.

"Trust me, Growing up in Texas, I had dreams of playing for the Dallas Cowboys, so I can appreciate that 100%, and I don't take anything away from anybody who's thrown their support behind Brian.

"Whatever happens with Brian, I wish him well, but I certainly understand the loyalty to a hometown guy who's done the things that he's done and had a role in last year. So I get it, and that's why I'm excited about coming to the city because the get behind people and support the guys. And all I've heard over and over is how much that city loves the Browns, so it's exciting to come to a place like that. I'm looking forward to experiencing it.''

ESPN Monday Night Football analyst Jon Gruden had some encouraging words for Hoyer as he heads into free agency.

"Brian Hoyer has proven he can win games for you," Gruden told USA TODAY Sports. "I was in Green Bay and we cut Kurt Warner. We didn't think he had a chance. He went to Arena ball. And he's going to the Hall of Fame.

"It's all about the coach, the organization building their team around the quarterback and doing everything they can to make him successful."

University School hockey beat Lake Catholic, 4-0, in Friday's Kent District Final matchup at the Kent State Ice Arena.

KENT, Ohio -- Robby Engoglia netted a pair of goals to power University School hockey to a 4-0 win against Lake Catholic in Friday's Kent District Final matchup at the Kent State Ice Arena. 

After a scoreless opening period for both teams, the Preppers found some momentum in the second, getting on the board 3:46 into the frame on a goal by Nick Muha. 

Goalie Alec Silver kept helped keep that momentum going when he successfully thwarted a penalty shot by the Cougars' Alex Piazza, much to the dismay of the Cougars bench and fans. 

US struck again with 5:17 left in the second. This time, the score came off Robby Engoglia's stick after a rebound. 

"Robby is going to be the next Krueger. No doubt in my mind," Lacroix said. "He's got all the skills and he is the smartest player on this hockey team by far."

Engoglia scored again with 6:01 left in the third period, a goal Lake Catholic coach Ryan Okicki said was the thoughest blow for his team. 

"When they scored that third goal, that really took a lot out of us," Okicki said. "We were really pressing at that point to try and score one of those opportunities we had in the third period. I mean, 2-0 is no big deal. This team has faced adversity before and come back but that third goal was really when hit us big time." 

Evan Krueger assisted on both of Engoglia's goals which gave him a total of 100 points for the season. His empty net goal with 2:03 remaining put him at 101. 

What it means

University School will advance to the state final four for the first time since the 2011-12 season when the Preppers lost to St. Edward, 3-2, in overtime. 

Plays that shaped the game

1. Nick Muha put US on the board just under four minutes into the second period. Jackson Johnson and Matt Yopko assisted. 

2. Lake Catholic was afforded a penalty shot opportunity after a tripping call against the Preppers. Alex Piazza dribbled the puck in close to the right of the net and took the shot which US goalie Alec Silver deflected, virtually doing the splits in the process. 

3. Robby Engoglia put US up by two with about five minutes to play in the second. Evan Krueger and Ryan Gorbett provided assists. 

4. After nine scoreless minutes to start the third, Engoglia netted his second goal off assists by Krueger and Zach Goetsch. 

5. Krueger notched an empty net goal with about two minutes left in the game to extend the Preppers' lead to 4-0. 

Who stood out for University School

Engoglia: The junior forward netted goals in the second and third period. 

Muha: The junior forward scored the first goal of the game to give the Preppers the first lead. Muha later said the score was probably the biggest of his career. 

Silver: The junior goaltender made several critical saves, including one on a penalty shot by Piazza in the second period. He finished with 21 stops. 

Krueger: The senior forward recorded two assists, both on goals by Engoglia. 

Who stood out for Lake Catholic 

Piazza: The senior forward was as aggressive as anyone on the ice, finding several good looks at shots and not hesitating on trying to capitalize.  

Denner: The senior goalkeeper did his part, stopping 39 shots from crossing the goal line against a relentless Preppers offense. 

University School soundbites

Lacroix on forechecking: "You could tell, I think the one mistake we made is in the first period, we didn't forecheck to well and they were coming out and they didn't get any goals but we didn't either. I told my guys, 'We need to forecheck them better,' and then we came out in the second period and we outshot them 18-5. That was the difference, I think." 

Lacroix on the third period: "I think (Lake Catholic) ran out of gas in the third period. I think we were in better shape and it showed." 

Engoglia: "I definitely think that every person who was on the team last year thought that this was unfinished business. We've got to take it to them. We've got to end their season this year." 

Muha: "We used the second period as kind a reality check because we knew that this game was going to be tough and we said that 'if we can play in the third period like we did against Gilmour, in this game, it will all be good.

Muha on the penalty save by Silver: "That was huge. Piazza had one last time we played them and (Silver) stopped it. Today he did the same thing. That was a huge momentum-builder for us." 

Lake Catholic soundbites

Okicki on his team's defense and offense: "We played very strong defensively, especially in the first period. We had a lot of chances offensively but, you know, we couldn't pop one in early on, couldn't pop one in in the second. It just kind of trickled down from there. Guys were struggling to score so they started pressing and doing things they're not used to. 

Okicki on Piazza: "He's a very offensive player. He had a lot of good chances. He had a lot of pressure on him. It's what good guys do, step up to generate some more chances even though he's getting pressured really hard."

Okicki on the future: "I come back with three seniors next year. Our sophomore class is huge. We have a huge incoming class as well. So we will be young. We will mold them and we will come back and we will be back in Columbus. If it's not next year it will be the year after that." 

What's next

University School moves on to state final four vs. winner of Findlay/Toledo St. Francis, Thursday, 7 p.m.

University School 4, Lake Catholic 0

US: Engoglia 2, Muha, Krueger. LC: None. 

Goalies: US, Silver (21 saves); LC, Denner (39). 

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

Contact high school sports reporter Robert Rozboril by email (rrozboril@cleveland.com) , on Twitter (@rrozboril) or on Facebook (facebook.com/rrozboril). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

See the semifinal pairings from the local OHSAA sectional wrestling tournaments for March 6, 2015.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Here are the box scores and highlights from the OHSAA district wrestling tournaments for March 6, 2015.

DIVISION I

MENTOR DISTRICT

Brecksville has the lead after Day 1 at the Mentor District. The Bees will send six wrestlers into the semifinals, needing only one win each to qualify for state. Among Brecksville's semifinalists are Austin Assad at 126 pounds, who finished third at the state meet last year at 120.

Willoughby South and Twinsburg each have four wrestlers in the semifinals.

Other local semifinals include defending 120-pound state champion Alex Mackall from Walsh Jesuit.

How they stand: 1. Brecksville 81; 2. Massillon Perry 64; 3. Massillon Jackson 47.5; 4. Uniontown Lake 40.5; 5. Willoughby South 40; 6. Aurora 34; 7. Twinsburg 33; 8. Austintown-Fitch 31; 9. Mentor 28; 10. Boardman 23; 11. Massillon 21; 11. Hudson 21; 13. Green 18.5; 14. Mayfield 17; 14. Walsh Jesuit 17; 16. Parma 16; 17. Solon 15; 18. St. Ignatius 14; 19. Chardon 12.5; 20. John Adams 11; 20. Ashtabula Lakeside 11; 20. Valley Forge 11; 20. Maple Heights 11; 24. North Canton Hoover 10; 25. Kenston 9; 25. Riverside 9; 27. Madison 8; 28. Bedford 7; 29. New Philadelphia 5; 30. Canton GlenOak 4; 31. Garfield Heights 2; 31. Shaker Heights 2.

Semifinal pairings

106 pounds: Mancini (Bo) vs. James (Bed); Dusi (WS) vs. Jar. Bronstrup (Bre).

113: Feuer (May) vs. Dimuzio (Tw); Georgian (K) v. Ramos (Pa).

120: Mackall (WJ) vs. Donahue (Mass); Newhouse (MP) vs. Brezovec (Au).

126: Assad (Bre) vs. Hendershot (WS); Stowers (MH) vs. Rodriguez (MP).

132: Mitchell (WS) vs. Whitehead (MJ); Hennig (Me) vs. Spencer (MP).

138: Griffin (AL) vs. Soehnlen (MP); Bostic (MJ) vs. DeMicco (Bre).

145: Lucas (Bre) vs. Carson (UL); Steed (MP) vs. Motter (H).

152: Green (AF) vs. Marcelli (MJ); Graziani (Bo) vs. Hiles (Bre).

160: Edwards (Tw) vs. Poling (MJ); Mancini (Bo) vs. Pruitt (JA).

170: McNally (UL) vs. Jackson (AF); Stewart (So) vs. Murdock (Tw).

182: Bruce (Tw) vs. Strnad (Bre); Lewis (Pa) vs. Kunka (Me).

195: Durieux (MP) vs. Johnson (Ch); Delsanter (H) vs. Martin (UL).

220: Rogers (Gr) vs. McNamara (Au); Militello (Ri) vs. Franks (AF).

285: Roberts (Mass) vs. Burger (Au); Crosby (VF) vs. Urban (WS).

See a roundup of boys basketball postseason games for Friday, March 6, 2015.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Area boys basketball teams opened sectional final play on Friday, with spots in district semifinals at stake.

Several teams had to have big quarters to keep their seasons alive, including Perry and Elyria Catholic.

Here is a roundup of some highlights from Friday's action as well as access to all of Friday's scores and how they shape the 64 statewide brackets.

DIVISION II

ASHTABULA DISTRICT

No. 3 Perry 67, No. 9 Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin 59

No. 3 Perry used a 25-10 fourth-quarter rally to beat visiting No. 9 Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin, 67-59, in an Ashtabula sectional final.

Perry's Jackson Burdyshaw had a game-high 26 points, hitting four 3-pointers. DJ Aultman hit five 3-pointers and had 21 points for the Pirates.

Brendan Leininger and Ryan McMahon each had a team-high 14 points for Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin.

Perry will play No. 2 Chagrin Falls on Thursday at 7 p.m., at Ashtabula Lakeside in a district semifinal.

DIVISION III

GARFIELD HEIGHTS DISTRICT

No. 4 Elyria Catholic 58, No. 6 Columbia 52

Trailing most of the game, No. 4 Elyria Catholic used a fourth-quarter rally to beat visiting No. 6 Columbia, 58-52.

The Panthers outscored the Raiders, 22-13, in the fourth quarter to win the game.

DJ Graham and Jake Kuchta each had 13 points to lead Elyria Catholic. Columbia's Kevin Simon led all scorers with 16.

Elyria Catholic will face No. 1 Villa Angela-St. Joseph at Garfield Heights on Monday at 7 p.m., in a district semifinal.

DIVISION IV

BARBERTON DISTRICT

No. 2 Cuyahoga Heights 60, No. 3 Open Door 50

After being held to two points in the first quarter, host No. 2 Cuyahoga Heights rallied with 58 points in the final three quarters to beat No. 3 Open Door, 60-50.

The Redskins were effective from the free-throw line, hitting 27 foul shots.

Kevin Jezerinac had 18 points to lead Cuyahoga Heights. Teammate David Porter scored 15 points and Michael Kozak added 14.

Check out scores from games statewide here.

Take a look at how Friday's action shaped all 64 statewide brackets.

A look at high school box scores in bowling, gymnastics and hockey on March 6, in Northeast Ohio.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Here are high school bowling, gymnastics and hockey box scores and highlights for Friday, March 6, 2015.

BOWLING

GIRLS

DIVISION II STATE BOWLING

How they finished: 1. Mechanicsburg 3387; 2. Coldwater 3295; 3. Vermilion 3166; 4. Napoleon 3127; 5. Bryan 2991; 6. Springfield Kenton Ridge 2922; 7. Urbana 2882; 8. Youngstown Cardinal Mooney 2825; 9. Rossford 2811; 10. Minerva 2809; 11. Garrettsville Garfield 2807; 12. Washington C.H. Miami Trace 2797; 13. Hubbard 2790; 14. Springfield Northwestern 2757; 15. Delaware Buckeye Valley 2727; 16. Plain City Jonathan Alder 2665.

Top 10 individuals: 1. Hickey (Bryan) 678; 2. Vermeulen (Napoleon) 615; 3. Edwards (Mechanicsburg) 610; 4. Dickerson (Fairport Harding) 606; 5. Hartings (Coldwater) 599; 6. Frazier (Open Door Christian) 593; 7. Harcula (Vermilon) 592; 8. Fortener (Coldwater) 589; 9. Hosier (Mechanicsburg) 583; 10. Bush (Mechanicsburg) 580.

Notable: Fairport Harding junior Katelyn Dickerson finished the highest among any local from the area. With a 606 score, Dickerson finished third in the state followed by Open Door Christian sophomore Selena Frazier in sixth place with a score of 593.

See a recap of the girls tournament by Jared Ullrey.

GYMNASTICS

2015 OHSAA STATE MEET TOURNAMENT

How they finished: 1. Brecksville 148.700; 2. Mentor 142.500; 3. Strongsville 141.925; 4. Dublin Coffman 141.535; 5. Magnificat 141.400; 6. Hudson 10.750; 7. Mason 137.750; 8. Findlay 135.600; 9. Worthington Kilbourne 135.000; 10. Centerville 132.625; 11. Columbus Upper Arlington 131.725; 12. Holland Springfield 129.300.

HOCKEY

KENT DISTRICT

University School 4, Lake Catholic 0

US: Engoglia 2, Muha, Krueger. Goalies: US, Silver (21 saves); LC, Denner (35).

Ben Street scored in overtime to lift the Lake Erie Monsters past the Chicago Wolves, 4-3.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Ben Street scored a power-play goal at 4:28 of overtime Friday as the Lake Erie Monsters defeated the Chicago Wolves, 4-3, in front of 10,871 at Quicken Loans Arena.

Street's goal, his fifth of the season helped the Monsters snap a five-game winless streak. Andrew Agozzino and Tomas Vincour had assists on the goal. A high sticking penalty against Chicago's Colin Fraser left the Wolves a man down.

The Wolves had forced the overtime when Yannick Veilleux scored with just 52 seconds remaining in regulation, beating Monsters goalie Sami Aittokallio, who faced 44 shots on the night and finished with 41 saves in earning the win. Chicago out-shot the Monsters, 44-34.

Chicago took a 1-0 lead at 10:10 of the first period when Adam Burish scored on a power play, but the Monsters tied it at 14:38 of the period on a goal by Vincour, assisted by Michael Schumacher and Freddie Hamilton.

Lake Erie then took the lead just 1:27 into the second period when Agozzino scored his 16th goal of the season, unassisted.

The Wolves tied the game on a goal by Brendan Bell with 7:13 remaining, but again the Monsters came back, this time scoring a power-play goal by Vincour with 2:54 remaining. Agozzino and Street assisted on Vincour's third goal of the season.

Vincour finished with two goals and an assist, Agozzino had a goal and two assists, and Street had a goal and an assist.

The Monsters and Chicago meet again on Sunday at 3 p.m. in the Q, then the Monsters go on the road for five games and eight of their next nine.

Brecksville captured yet another team state gymnastics title on Friday night with a score of 148.700.

HILLIARD, Ohio – Brecksville gymnastics once again proved itself to be the dominant team in the state, winning the 2015 OHSAA team state championship with a score of 148.700 on Friday at Hilliard Bradley.

In winning Friday night, Brecksville won its 12th consecutive state title and 15th overall, all under coach Joan Ganim, who was named the Coaches Association coach of the year after team competition ended.

"It's wonderful," Ganim said. "We went out and had a great meet."

After more than a decade of dominance, you might think the feeling of winning the golden trophy would be getting a bit old to Ganim. Quite the opposite.

"Every group of kids is different," Ganim said. "It's always a different challenge. It's wonderful."

The Bees' score was more than six points higher than that of Mentor, which finished in second place with a score of 142.500.

Four of the top five placers were from the Northeast Ohio District, including Strongsville (141.925) and Magnificat (141.400). This was the second consecutive second-place finish for Mentor.

"We're beyond ecstatic to be runner-up for the second year in a row," Mentor coach Megan Mertz said. "However, we're a little shocked that we came in second. Our motto coming in here was 'Go big or go home,' so we threw some new stuff. Unfortunately, we ended up hitting our new stuff, but missing our old stuff."

The Bees had the highest score in all four events, especially in vault, where the Bees scored a 37.350, .150 points away from a goal the coaching staff had made for them prior to Friday night. It was the first time Brecksville has scored a 37 all season.

"My husband (Ron) made them a deal and said 'If you get a 37.5, I'm going to buy you all steaks,'" Ganim said. "So I don't have to buy them steaks, but that really set the tone."

The best vaulter for Brecksville on Friday was junior Alecia Farina, who scored a 9.9 and earlier this season recorded a perfect score in vault three times. 

Farina said it was a goal of hers to get a perfect score at the state meet, but that it didn't surprise her when she didn't get it. She was more pleased with the team's effort, after saying that last week's district performance needed to be improved upon to have a solid showing at the state meet.

"During practice, we really got on each other to make sure we perfected the little things that we need to work on," Farina said. "Today, I think we really came together cheering and being very supportive of everything that's going on."

If Brecksville doesn't feel pressure from being in one of the toughest districts in the state, it feels pressure from the tradition of the program, which shows no signs of slowing down. Farina, Tessa Philliips and Jamie Waugman, who also participated in last year's state meet, will all be back next season to make a run at consecutive title No. 13.

"They don't want to be the first class that didn't get it," Ganim said. "It's the tradition. And I have a wonderful staff that keeps pushing them all."

The meet continues Saturday with individual competition.

Team scores and videos will be added shortly.

Kent State earned the No. 3 seed in the MAC Tournament with a last-second win over rival Akron on Friday.

KENT, Ohio -- Kent State senior guard Kris Brewer, maligned and criticized the bulk of his Kent State career, made his mark the last two games of the regular season, ending with a driving layup at the buzzer to defeat rival Akron, 79-77, before a packed crowd Friday night in the M.A.C. Center.

"The fact KB hit that game-winning shot, it's special,'' Kent State coach Rob Senderoff said. "For him to make that shot - he's the guy who generally takes the most criticism when we don't play well - for him this week, to play the way he has (21 points in an 81-80 win at Bowling Green Tuesday night), words can't describe how proud I am for him and his resiliency."

The victory gave the Golden Flashes (21-10, 12-6) a share of the hard-fought 2015 Mid-American Conference title, its first taste of a MAC crown since 2011.

Never mind that Kent was in that precarious position at the end due to a slew of missed free throws late in the second half, including a pair from Brewer with 40 seconds to play.

With 5.9 seconds left, after Akron's mercurial guard Antino Jackson had driven the lane for the last of his 16 points to tie the game, 77-77, Brewer took the inbounds pass just above Akron's 3-point line, drove down the right sideline, cut to the rim and dropped in a lefty layup at 0:00.3.

As the red lights went on around the backboard and the horns went off to signal the game was over, Brewer leaped into the arms of his teammates, who carried him on their shoulders around the court.

"It was a crazy feeling,'' Brewer said. "Everybody was on me and I wanted them to get off. I'm still in shock."

Brewer finished with 20 points, all in the second half which topped the 19 backcourt teammate Derek Jackson scored in the first half, but not the 22 Jackson delivered for the game. With another 18 from sophomore Jimmy Hall, the Flashes had just enough to get past the Zips in the end.

The Zips (18-13, 9-9) entered the game short-handed and reeling, losers in five of their last six games. On the sidelines wearing a boot was 6-11 starting center Pat Forsythe, who suffered a turf toe injury in the last game at Miami. Also sidelined was 6-5 freshman B.J. Gladden who had surgery earlier in the week, and 6-0 starting freshman point guard Noah Robotham, who also had knee surgery (ACL) earlier in the week.

"I didn't know what I was going to get tonight,'' Akron head coach Keith Dambrot said. "With a break or two, we probably win."

The Flashes gave their season a spark earlier in the week with an 81-80 road victory at Bowling Green, which lifted them into the thick of five teams playing for one of the top four seeds in next week's MAC Tournament in the last game of the season. The victory was good for the No. 3 seed behind No. 1 Buffalo and No. 2 Central Michigan, all three with 10-6 MAC slates.

The Flashes began the game with the energy and focus needed when the regular season creeps to the edge of one-and-done. After the Zips took an early lead Kent responded with a 9-0 run, including a four-point play from senior guard Derek Jackson to take an 18-9 lead. The Zips, however, held firm after that and by halftime the Zips only trailed, 37-29.

The second half Akron found the one thing it has been missing most of the season, which is its outside shooting eye. By the 11:18 mark the Zips had tied the ballgame, 51-51, as they were shooting 9-of-18 for the game and 4-of-5 for the half from behind the arc. Coming out of a timeout, Akron's Reggie McAdams was fouled on a 3-point attempt. He promptly gave the Zips their first lead of the half, 53-51.

Kent responded, and had a six-point lead inside the final minute when Akron's Reggie McAdams hit the last of his 16 points, all in the second half to cut the margin to 76-73. Missed free throws by both teams, surrounded Antino Jackson's layup, then set the stage for Brewer's finish.

"Tremendous, tremendous finish," Senderoff said. "Tonight, he was fantastic."

Cleveland State advances to the Horizon League semifinals after beating Detroit.

VALPARAISO, Indiana -- Guards Charlie Lee and Trey Lewis combined for 33 points here Friday as Cleveland State defeated Detroit in the quarterfinals of the Horizon League men's basketball tournament, 70-53.

CSU improves to 18-13 and will play top-seeded Valparaiso in the semifinals on Saturday at 9:30 p.m., with the winner advancing to the championship game on Tuesday at the highest remaining seed.

Detroit finishes at 15-18.

Lee and Lewis combined to make 8 of 12 from the 3-point line. Lee was 6 of 9 from the field for 17 points and Lewis made 5 of 10 for 16 points. CSU made 25 of 49 shots from the field (51 percent) and 9 of 15 (60 percent) from the 3-point line.

Marlin Mason had nine points and grabbed 13 rebounds to lead the Vikings and Lewis contributed five assists.

"Our guys came out mentally ready to play and I thought we were outstanding on defense," coach Gary Waters said in a team release. "I thought we executed on the offensive end and when our defense kicks in like it did tonight, we usually have good results.

"I thought Marlin really came out and provided us a spark," Waters said. "He had 13 rebounds and worked extremely hard."

CSU slowly built a 10-point lead late in the first half and held a 31-21 advantage at the intermission.

At the 15:00 mark of the second half, the Vikings began a 10-0 run for a 48-27 lead and a 3-pointer by Anton Grady made it 55-30 with 11:22 remaining.

Juwaun Howard Jr., who beat CSU with a late jumper in a gamer earlier this season in Detroit, was limited to 3 points on the night, hitting a 3-pointer in the final second of the game.

In a game that had a playoff feel, the Hawks sent a loud message: The road to the NBA Finals goes through Atlanta.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers had won 20 of their last 24 and boasted the best record in the NBA since Jan. 15. Fresh off a statement win against the Toronto Raptors, the Cavs had seemingly usurped the Hawks as the best team in the East.

Not so fast. In a game that had a playoff feel, the Hawks sent a loud message: The road to the NBA Finals goes through Atlanta. Behind a balanced scoring attack and typically sharp offense, the Hawks held off a second-half rally, beating the Cavs, 106-97.

The Cavs (39-25) will return to Cleveland tonight to play their fourth game in five nights against the Phoenix Suns.

Here are five observations from the Cavs' loss:

Paint job -- The Hawks showed why their offense is so dangerous. Known as a lethal outside shooting team, the Hawks attacked the Cavs inside. The much-improved interior defense had no answers as Atlanta used dribble penetration, snappy ball movement and cutting to carve through the defense, showing it doesn't take a strong post player to control the paint.

The Cavs were outscored, 54-24.

Timofey Mozgov, added to provide a presence at the rim, was often flat-footed, beat to his spot or slow to get back in transition. The Russian played just 21 minutes, scoring six points and grabbing three rebounds. The Hawks' starting center, Al Horford, drained jumper after jumper en route to a 19-point, nine-rebound night.

Marked man -- Ask around the NBA. Ask David Blatt. Kyle Korver is the first name on the scouting report. His three-pointers not only ignite the crowd, but they help fuel Atlanta's offense while creating space and driving lanes for the ultra-quick guards.

Korver admitted early Friday morning that he hasn't felt comfortable shooting lately, and it shows in his numbers.

The first-time All-Star, who shot better than 50 percent from three-point range in the first half of the season, hasn't shot better than 45 percent in a game since the All-Star break. He hasn't scored in double figures in four straight. J.R. Smith, who has been rejuvenated in Cleveland while becoming a reliable defender, harassed Korver all night.

Korver started 0-for-5 from beyond the arc, but wiggled free early in the fourth quarter, making his first. Then two minutes later, Korver got another look and drained the shot, giving the Hawks a 10-point lead, sending the sellout crowd into frenzy and forcing the Cavs to call timeout.

Korver is Atlanta's heartbeat and Cleveland never recovered from those two shots. 

Creating a wall -- Early Thursday morning, DeMarre Carroll, Atlanta's defensive stopper, was asked how to slow down LeBron James. He spoke of making him work hard on both ends and trying to tire him out. He also talked about needing a team effort.

Mission accomplished.

Carroll held James to 1-of-7 as the primary defender Friday night, but Kent Bazemore and others took turns helping out. They trapped James and created a wall in the paint, forcing him toward the sidelines. It was as good a defensive effort by any team against James all year. He never looked comfortable, finishing with 18 points on 5-of-13 shooting, including 1-of-4 from three-point range. He also finished with nine turnovers.

Friday wasn't a case of an off night. The credit should go to Atlanta for taking James out of his comfort zone and not allowing him many easy looks. It was a page right out of the Gregg Popovich playbook, which isn't surprising since Atlanta coach Mike Budenholzer was a Pop disciple.

It wasn't just James, either. Kyrie Irving scored a team-high 20 points, but was just 7-of-16, including 0-for-5 from three-point range. Irving had more turnovers (five) than assists (four). Of the Cavs' 18 turnovers, James and Irving, the two primary ball handlers, committed 14.

This is nothing new for Atlanta. Known for smooth, beautiful offense, the Hawks haven't gotten enough respect for their defense.

They don't have a rim protector like Memphis, Utah or Indiana, and are actually a bit undersized, which can show up on the glass, but they are allowing the second-fewest points this season (96.4), only six of the last 25 teams have scored at least 100 points and none of their last six opponents have reached that mark, a stretch where they are allowing 89.6 points. That's how a team gets to 49-12.

The Cavs have been getting by lately with a lot of isolation basketball. James and Irving are so dangerous one-on-one that playing more of a team style hasn't been necessary. That kind of ball works against the defensively deficient Raptors and Celtics, but it doesn't, and won't, against Atlanta's stifling defense. The Cavs have plenty of time left to improve. They should use Friday as a lesson.

Baffling lineup -- I praised Blatt the other night for taking out Kevin Love in the fourth quarter and keeping James Jones in. It was a bold move and paid off, with Jones hitting the game's biggest shot. I gave Blatt credit when he changed the game in Los Angeles earlier this year by fouling DeAndre Jordan repeatedly and drawing up a terrific out-of-bounds play. I even defended him when he chose to go with the more effective Tristan Thompson during Sunday's loss in Houston.

But Blatt didn't have a good night against Atlanta.

He altered his first quarter rotation, keeping James in for all 12 minutes. He once again left Mozgov on the bench in the fourth quarter and his lineup to begin the fourth, after the Cavs fought back to trim the Atlanta edge to two points, was indefensible.

Matthew Dellavedova, Smith, Jones, Irving and Thompson were on the floor as the Hawks opened the quarter on a 10-2 run in the first three minutes, forcing Blatt to call timeout.

He then brought Iman Shumpert, James and Love off the bench, but it was too late. That early run killed any momentum the Cavs had built during a 36-point third quarter.

Future threat -- The Hawks don't have a superstar, they aren't flashy and hype hasn't surrounded them since the summer.

In a way, they are the anti-Cavs. Or in other words, Cleveland's worst nightmare.

Known as the Spurs of the Eastern Conference, the Hawks are smart, surgical and deep, with six players making at least five field goals on Friday night. They are top 10 in offense as well as defense and second in the league in assists per game. They use ball movement and cutting, never letting the defense rest.

This isn't hyperbole. It's pointing out what not enough people are saying: The Hawks posses the necessary formula to crush the Cavs' title hopes.

Friday night the Cavs were looking across the court at their biggest postseason threat. On a night when the Cavs finished with a 21-point edge at the three-point line against a team that makes nearly 10 per game and outscoring Atlanta by 12 points at the foul line, the Hawks still raced out to an early lead and held a double-digit edge for the final eight minutes.

When the Cavs tried to close on shooters, taking away the outside attack, the Hawks bludgeoned the Cavs in the paint. When they tried to limit the inside damage, Atlanta started to knock down mid-range jumpers and triples.

The Hawks can play big or small. They are equally as dangerous in the half court as they are in transition. They win high-scoring games or games that have to be played in the 90s. They don't get distracted and keep their composure no matter the environment or the opponent.

Matchups and styles play a big role in postseason outcomes. The Hawks play the right way, have built good habits and in a seven-game series could have a counter for anything the opponent tosses their way.

The shooting and style reminds me of the Orlando team that took out James and the Cavs in the Eastern Conference Finals in 2008-09 when few gave the Magic a chance. They have the experience, chemistry, balance, coaching and style of the Mavericks that kept James' super team from winning a title his first year in Miami. It's not always the most talented team, with the best player, which ends up holding up the trophy at the end of the season. 

Will it be enough to beat James four times in seven games? 

They don't have a four-time MVP in crunch time, but rather a diverse attack that keeps defenses off balance. Combine that with likely having home court advantage in a building where they have lost four times and it truly becomes a toss up.

Of the reasons to be concerned by the Cavaliers' 106-97 loss to Atlanta, the Hawks and LeBron James' nine turnovers apparently aren't among them.

ATLANTA -- To say the Cavaliers were carefree following their third loss in four tries this season to the East-leading Atlanta Hawks would be a little steep.

There were issues aplenty in the Hawks' 106-97 triumph Friday night, in a game where the Hawks seemed to prove that, at least for this moment, Cleveland still had work to do to be the conference's best team when it matters this spring.

The Hawks dazzled the Cavs with their ball movement early and confused them with a different kind of pressure on the pick-and-roll, which busted up Cleveland's offense.

Atlanta wasted away a 17-point lead and actually trailed momentarily in the third quarter, but a 17-4 run to open the fourth iced the game. Cleveland hoisted 38 three-pointers, which drew the ire of coach David Blatt.

LeBron James scored 18 points, but committed nine turnovers. That tied a season high for the third time in this the most turnover-plagued campaign of James' 12-year career.

"I suck. As far as turnovers I suck. I suck," James said. "Tonight was another one of those nights."

OK, that reads like concern. But James was speaking more matter of factly than with worry, as though he was grounded by the reality that turnovers are a part of his game and on most nights he is more than good enough to overcome them.

But James seemed calm because of a deeper, and more important belief that the Cavs' struggles against the Hawks -- both last night and this season -- do not portend bad things come playoff time.

Cleveland destroyed the Hawks 127-94 back on Nov. 15. About a month later, Atlanta returned the favor with a 127-98 thumping at The Q. And on Dec. 30, the Hawks didn't have Al Horford and Cleveland was without James when Atlanta scored a 109-101 victory.

So this was one was supposed to be the litmus test. The Hawks had their best players. The Cavs not only had James, but they overhauled their roster with the additions of J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert, and Timofey Mozgov. It was Cleveland, not the Hawks, that had been the NBA's hottest team since Jan. 13.

It was the Hawks who answered on Friday.

"There's a lot of (progress) from the start of the year to where we are now, but I think tonight was a great night for us to play at a higher level and have a little better focus and a little better effort," said Mike Budenholzer, Atlanta's coach. "Hopefully we can build off of this and play like this more."

The Hawks were happy about their three good quarters of defense (they allowed 36 points in the third when the Cavs climbed back into it), and thrilled with how they defended James.

Atlanta pressured the Cavs at the point of attack on the pick-and-roll, and often swarmed both James and Kyrie Irving (20 points) with two defenders.

DeMarre Carroll was primarily responsible for defending James, who shot just 5-of-13 in addition to committing those nine turnovers.

"I just want to be a gnat," Carroll said. "When you're outside in the summer and you just can't get that gnat away from you -- that's all I want to be."

Carroll transformed from gnat to sledgehammer in the fourth quarter, when he crushed James on a drive. It's the second hard foul James has suffered in a week.

Though James declared Carroll's play to be "a good, hard foul," unlike the neck tackle he endured from Toronto's Jonas Valanciunas on Wednesday, James also said such hard fouls are "taking a little toll."

That's an area of concern for him and for Blatt, who sees a trend.

James' turnovers and the hard fouls he bears were linked on Friday night. A James turnover -- which came when he was whistled for an offensive foul in the second quarter -- enraged Blatt, who drew his first technical of the season.

"I just think LeBron's getting hit," Blatt said about the technical. "He's getting hit every time he's goes to the basket and half of them are ignored because of, you know, I said this the other night, because of the strength and the power he brings to his drives."

Blatt said he wasn't concerned about James' turnovers.

"What concerns me is when we're not moving the ball and putting the ball in easy positions to score, that's what concerns me," Blatt said.

James is averaging 4.3 turnovers this season, easily a career high. His previous high was 3.6 in his first season with the Miami Heat in 2010-11.

He's just missed his single-game high of 10 turnovers -- which he endured once, in 2005 -- on three separate occasions this season and committed eight turnovers in four other games.

It's a topic he's discussed throughout the year, and he tries to draw distinctions between the turnovers that come sometimes when he attacks and careless mistakes.

The latter is the kind he expects to avoid.

"Some of them I was attacking," James said last night. "I had a couple where I drove left hard, I thought Kev (Kevin Love) was going to be at a certain place, he cut, I threw it out of bounds.

"The first two turnovers I got my arm grabbed, I wasn't strong with the ball, I turned the ball over. My last turnover I seen Kyrie in the paint and I threw high, should've thrown low. Those are careless turnovers.

"That's a split, out of my nine I think five of them were unforced, four of them was attack turnovers. But I suck, as far as me turning the ball over. I've got to be better."

Again, James wasn't all bad. He contributed six rebounds and eight assists, and needs just nine more to pass Mark Price (4,206 assists) as the franchise's all-time leader. It could happen as early as tonight against the Phoenix Suns at The Q.

James also knows that regular-season success or failure against an opponent does not mean it will carry into the playoffs. His career is littered with examples.

Last season, for instance, the Brooklyn Nets swept the Heat in the regular season, only to be bounced by James' Miami squad 4-1 in the playoffs. In 2010-11, James went 1-6 against the Bulls and Celtics; the Heat dumped both on their way to the Finals.

"Going forward, we will be better ... if we happen to face them again," James said of the Hawks.

Read a preview of the 2015 Brooklyn District Final between St. Edward and St. Ignatius hockey set to kickoff on Saturday at 1 p.m. in Brooklyn.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The 2015 Brooklyn District Final will begin today at 1 p.m. will feature St. Edward hockey taking on St. Ignatius for the right to move on to the state final four. 

Here is a breakdown of the matchup:

What: St. Edward vs. St. Ignatius.

Where: John M. Coyne Rec Center, 7600 Memphis Ave., Brooklyn. 

When: Saturday, 1 p.m.

See a printable version of the Brooklyn District bracket. 

WHAT TO WATCH

Saint Edward: Eagles coach Troy Gray said during an interview for cleveland.com's Brooklyn District Final Preview Podcast that he is thrilled to lead his team to its first district final since the 2011-12 season. 

Saint Edward, which has been a defense-heavy team all season, scored 11 goals against Rocky River in the semifinals while allowing only one. 

Some of the Eagles' top scorers are among the team's youngest players, such as freshman Colin Price and sophomore Curtis Szelesta. Seniors such as Alex Sabitsch and Will Armbruster play important roles in providing leadership for their more youthful counterparts on both sides of the puck. 

Gray was glad to see the amount of offense his team churched out against the Pirates but knows the key to keeping the Wildcats in check is clean defensive play. 

"First and foremost, I think you have to stay out of the box against a team like St. Ignatius," Gray said. "They have some very strong senior leaders. They lead from the front and they're good goal-scorers and you cannot give those kids the opportunity to put pucks on your net, especially in shorthanded situations." 

The Eagles lost to the Wildcats both times the two squads met in the regular season. 

Saint Ignatius: The Wildcats earned the No. 1 seed and defeated Padua, 7-2, in the district semifinals to advance to the finals for the second year in a row. 

Saint Ignatius benefits from having a wide array of scoring threats, including seniors Matty Geither, Jack Wiegandt, Ethan Whitney and Peter Hyland. The Wildcats also have several players just as skilled in the art of the assist such as junior Zack Kisel and senior Jack Mazanec. 

"It's kind of a 'Nights of the Round Table' thing where no one is necessarily better than anybody else, it's just teams can't, I don't think they can shut down one kid and shut our whole team down," O'Rourke said during cleveland.com's Brooklyn District Final Preview Podcast. "That's how we try to be, at least." 

As for Saturday's game being another in a lost list of storied rivalry games between the Eagles and Wildcats, O'Rourke and his coaching staff have a simple way of addressing any extra pressure his players may feel entering such an atmosphere. 

"We kind of tell them, during warmups, take a look around at the crowd. Take one peek and then, other than that, just focus on playing hockey," O'Rourke said. 

Kevin Love said he's not a stretch-four and he'll need to prove it if Cavaliers face the Hawks in the playoffs.

ATLANTA -- The Atlanta Hawks treated the Cavaliers as if it were postseason time in Friday's 106-97 home win. They showed their hand defensively, tormenting the visitors with a heavy dose of blitzes and traps in their pick-and-roll coverages.

If there was a time when LeBron James and Kyrie Irving were able to elude the defense and turn the corner, there were a flock of Hawks waiting near the painted area to deter them from finishing around the rim.

It led to contested shots and difficult cross-court passes. Either way, the percentages of securing a defensive stop were in the Hawks' favor. James was limited to 13 field-goal attempts and he only converted on five. He coughed up the ball a game-high nine times.

Irving was better but not great, coming away with 20 points on 7-of-16 shooting while committing five turnovers. Atlanta's scheme was evident: Get the ball out of hands of the playmakers and make the others beat them.

"They did a great job of forcing you to get it to your third and fourth options," Irving said afterward. "That's something we haven't seen this season. You have to give them credit. They played well. We'll get better and be better prepared next time."

The next time will likely be in the Eastern Conference Finals. These are arguably the conference's two best teams. If the Hawks did indeed reveal too much of their defensive strategy, the Cavaliers believe they'll be ready if another meeting is in order.

"They just tried to get us off the ball," James said, speaking of Irving and himself. "They wanted to try and make the other guys beat us tonight obviously with their pick-and-rolls. It's the first time this year they've played that type of coverage. They changed their approach and it's something that we'll be ready for if we face them again in the postseason."

Which brings us to Kevin Love, the other Cavaliers playmaker. He was 4-of-11 from the field and all but one of his attempts were three-pointers. He missed his lone two-point try, a failed put-back in the paint.

Atlanta turned Love strictly into a stretch-four. In the 35 minutes he played, the Hawks never saw the back of his jersey, only the front. Not a single post-up opportunity was available for the three-time All-Star power forward who is one of the most versatile players in the league.

But Atlanta doesn't get all the credit for altering Love's game. He has been venturing out further and further as of late.

Love is launching 8.1 threes per contest in his last seven games. His highest rate of threes taken in Minnesota was 6.6 last year, and that was along with the inside touches he received. No matter what the statistics suggest, Love is not in agreement on the big-man long distance tag.

"I heard some people calling me that but I know I'm not a stretch-four," Love told NEOMG. "I'm a post player who can shoot. Right now I'm just doing what I'm called to do. For good, bad or indifferent, I'm playing my role and doing what's asked of me. Tonight, I stayed out on the perimeter."

James says Atlanta's game plan caught them by surprise, but he doesn't foresee it being a blueprint that other teams will mimic.

"A lot of teams don't have the ability to do it," he said. "With their ability to have [Al] Horford and [Paul] Millsap and those guys that move their feet pretty well, and Mike Scott, they do a good job."

If the Cavaliers want to shred the Hawks' defense the next go-around, Love will need to be more involved in the interior on a consistent basis. Plays designed for him to get post touches have been dramatically reduced over time. The games he's played well are due to efficient outside shooting nights.

Ironically, after Friday's loss, coach David Blatt said he felt his team settled too much for the three-ball.

"I really wish we had rotated the ball better and attacked more even from the weak side of the defense because I thought we overshot the three again tonight," he said.

James disagreed.

"We had open looks, man," an irritated James said. "We had open looks. We lose and then you look at it we shot 38 threes, [but] how many free throws did we take? 33 free throws. So you don't worry about the stats. You play the game."

Atlanta played the epitome of unselfish, team basketball. On offense they moved the ball and kept the Cavaliers on their heels. On defense they smothered James and Irving. They cut off the heads of the two-headed dragon and the body collapsed.

But the Cavaliers are supposed to be equipped with a three-headed dragon. Love needs some love, and not just from 22 feet. If it takes fewer isolations and 1-4 flat sets, then so be it. If Atlanta and Cleveland happen to cross each others paths again, the Cavaliers will need the old Love to be on duty. Not the stretch-four.

The Browns believe how Josh McCown played in Chicago in 2013 is just as important as how he struggled in Tampa Bay in 2014.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- As you read this, keep in mind that I'm giving you the Browns' perspective. Other than the statements from the public relations department, we've heard very little about why they signed quarterback Josh McCown.

And very few people have been excited about it, including me.

Anyway, I wanted to know what the Browns were thinking, so here we go:

1. They believed Brian Hoyer would probably sign elsewhere once free agency began on March 10. Of course, the Browns also were not willing to make any sort of real commitment to Hoyer. In the end, it seemed best for both sides to move on.

2. The free agent quarterback selections are very limited -- Mark Sanchez, Jake Locker, etc. There will be a lot of competition for mediocre quarterbacks. McCown was available now, whereas Locker and the rest can't sign until March 10. Signing McCown before free agency opened ensured the Browns have at least one veteran quarterback in place.

3. The Browns studied every snap taken by McCown in the last two years. In 2013, he threw 13 touchdown passes compared to one interception in Chicago. He started five games. Last season, he had 11 touchdowns compared to 14 interceptions in 11 games. What was the difference?

4. Last season, the Browns used the play-action fakes to running backs on 29 percent of their plays for Brian Hoyer. Tampa did it on only 9 percent for McCown, second fewest in the NFL. The year before in Chicago, it was 21 percent for McCown.

5. In Chicago, McCown had Matt Forte (1,339 yards rushing) in the backfield. Last season, he had Doug Martin (494 yards) and Bobby Rainey (406). The Bears strong running game helped set up McCown's passing.

6. Tampa often used formations with no running backs and lots of wide receivers. Chicago's Forte was not only a weapon in the running game, he also caught 79 passes in 2013. So he was always on the field, and receiving lots of attention from the defense.

7. Tampa ranked 29th in rushing. The Bucs scored only seven touchdowns on the ground, and three belonged to McCown.

8. The Browns ranked 17th in rushing with 17 touchdowns on the ground. There is no doubt that the Browns have a much better ground game.

9. McCown had good receivers in both places. In Chicago, it was Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffries and Martellus Bennett. In Tampa Bay, it was Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans.

10. In fact, both of those teams have superior receivers when compared to the Browns in 2014.

11. The difference for McCown was the Bears having the strong running attack and a much better offensive line than Tampa Bay. McCown also was put in formations that fit his skills with the Bears.

12. Football Outsiders rated Tampa Bay as having the worst offensive line in the NFL, and 29th protecting the passer. The Browns at 24th overall, 15th protecting the passer. The Browns expect a big upgrade with the return of Pro Bowl center Alex Mack and some help in the draft.

13. Profootballfocus ranked the Browns as the No. 6 offensive line in 2014. They had Tampa at No. 25. No matter the ranking, McCown is coming to a much better line.

14. The Bucs were 2-14. McCown certainly had an arm in it when it came to the problems, but they were widespread. A week before the season, offensive coordinator Jeff Tedford became ill and had to resign. It was just a mess with the lousy blocking and running game.

15. The Browns know that McCown will be 36 on July 4. They know he is a stop-gap. New offensive coordinator John DeFilippo worked with him in Oakland. The Browns believe they can duplicate the offense they had with Hoyer early in the season and make it work with McCown.

16. McCown also is willing to work with Johnny Manziel, Connor Shaw or a Quarterback To Be Named Later. At this stage of his career, he wants to start -- but he also knows that he has real value as a backup.

17. I could not get a sense if the Browns plan to draft a quarterback -- or sign another one. They are looking at some options and their salary cap room gives them chances to reach out for another quarterback.

ABOUT MONEY AND QUARTERBACKS

Some fans were shocked by the three-year, $14 million contract that the Browns gave McCown.

First of all, that $14 million means nothing. The key to any NFL contract is the guaranteed money. For McCown, it's $6.2 million.

That's right, $6.2 million for a guy who had a 1-10 record as a starter with Tampa Bay last year. McCown made $4.75 million with the Bucs.

Veteran backups make good money, and it will keep rising. Buffalo paid $5.4 million to Kyle Orton in 2014. He retired, and the Bills tried to sign McCown. The Browns out-bid them.

Then Buffalo traded for Matt Cassel, who signed a two-year, $10.5 million contract with Minnesota in 2014. He was guaranteed $5.6 million. His career record is 23-33.

Before 2014, Chad Henne signed a two-year, $8 million deal with Jacksonville -- $4 million guaranteed.

Before 2014, Matt Moore received the same two-year, $8 million with $4 million guaranteed from Miami.

Matt Schaub signed a two-year, $13 million deal to back up in Oakland -- with $6.5 million guaranteed.

Free agency opens on March 10. Some very mediocre quarterbacks such as Mark Sanchez and Jake Locker will be paid a lot of money.

I'm very curious to see where Brian Hoyer ends up. I thought Buffalo would be a great spot, but the Bills traded for Cassel. They apparently want to see if E.J. Manuel (their first-rounder in 2013) can win the starting job.

The Browns signed Hoyer to a two-year, $2 million deal in 2013, so they had him at a bargain price because he had played so little in the NFL.

THE RUNNING GAME

The Browns feel very good about their young backs heading into 2015. Terrance West and Isaiah Crowell combined for 1,280 yards, 12 touchdowns and a 4.0 rushing average. Both were rookies, both should improve.

He didn't have a single carry, but the Browns really like Glenn Winston. Look for him to receive a lot of attention in the summer and preseason. They want to find out if he can be in the mix with West and Crowell. Depth also is needed because running backs do get hurt -- a lot.

If they do add a running back, it may be more of a third-down pass catcher. That is what the Browns need to work on. West and Crowell combined for only 20 receptions out of the backfield. No matter who is the quarterback, the team needs to find a running back who can also help as a receiver.

• Terry's Talkin' Cavs.
• Terry's Talkin' Indians.

The Cavs need to use Timofey Mozgov and Kevin Love in the low post near the rim at certain times during the game.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Because the Cavaliers are playing so well and because David Blatt has been able to quickly make a lot of adjustments during the season, I sometimes forget that he is a rookie head coach.

I know, Blatt hates that term -- because he has indeed been a head coach for 20 years. He has coached from one end of the globe to the other -- from Tel Aviv to Moscow to Greece to Turkey to...

I know I'm leaving out some of his stops.

And he's coached about a zillion games.

That's part of the reason the 55-year-old has been able to adapt quickly to the NBA.

As I wrote last week, he had received little credit for how he adroitly blended J.R. Smith, Timofey Mozgov and Iman Shumpert into the team at mid-season. Usually, making a major trade like that during the season creates some real bumps before things become smooth.

It was just the opposite for the Cavs. They lost their first three games after the two trades -- and are 20-5 since. LeBron James being healthy is a big part of that.

But there's more, from the coaching end. Blatt and top assistant Tyronn Lue have made some major changes in how they play defense:

1. Early in the season, the big man would "chase" a guard out near the 3-point line. It was the style of defense that former coach Mike Brown employed. Anderson Varejao is one of the best big men in the NBA in that approach to defending a pick-and-roll.

2. After Varejao blew out his Achilles, the Cavs really struggled with the pick-and-roll play. Also, no one else played that style as effectively as Varejao. It's far more complicated than what I'm explaining, but now the big man floats back -- and tends to defend the lane near the rim.

3. The Cavs also have adopted new strategies about when to force the man with the ball to the baseline. The idea was the keep the 7-foot-1 Mozgov, Tristan Thompson or another big man near the rim.

4. In the 20-5 streak, the Cavs have held opponents to .428 shooting from the field -- compared to .471 before that. They were giving up 100 points, and it dropped to 97 during the 25 games.

5. Yes, it helped that General Manager David Griffin not only increased the team's size with Mozgov, but he added athleticism with Smith and Shumpert. It's also up to the coaching staff to create defensive schemes for these guys to fit with Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love, Thompson and James and the others who opened the season with the team.

THE NEW CHALLENGE

The way the Cavs have been winning some games lately will not work against certain teams in the playoffs.

Blatt has been riding James and others in the fourth quarter, most of the scoring coming from the outside or from players driving to the basket. There has been very little use of big men in the low post.

In fact, Mozgov has rarely played in the fourth quarter -- slightly more than five total minutes in the 10 games since the All-Star break.

I write this knowing that Mozgov had a rough night Friday in Atlanta, only three rebounds in 21 minutes. He was 1-of-1 from the field and made four free throws for six points.

The temptation is to simply put the ball in the hands of James and let him dictate the action. In general, that's a good approach. But in those games where James is dominating the ball and the offense becomes stagnant -- Blatt has to become assertive and call some plays.

You could see it a few times recently, including Sunday's 105-103 loss at Houston and Friday's 106-97 loss at Atlanta. James has had the ball too much while his teammates moved too little. Teams are attacking him with multiple defenders.

Furthermore, the Cavs have been relying on the 3-point shot. In the last four games heading into Saturday night, they have fired up 38-36-28-40 shots from 3-point range. They are making 34 percent -- not terrible.

But so many long 3-pointers can create an offense that drags. In the loss to Atlanta, Kevin Love took 11 shots -- 10 from 3-point range. That makes no sense for a 6-foot-10 forward who also has the talent to score inside.

In fact, the Cavs attempted more 3-points shots (38) than they did 2-pointers (31) in Atlanta.

Mozgov can score in the low post, as he has the ability to make short hook shots with either hand. In some ways, they haven't come close to making him the inside threat that he can be with this team.

Blatt knows Mozgov well, having coached the big man with the Russian Olympic team. He can score inside.

Love also has some effective inside moves, although I've been surprised how often that he is pushed off his spot near the rim when he has his back to the basket.

Blatt has been sticking with Thompson in the fourth quarter because he has been a relentless rebounder.

In games where Love seems to be floating, I'd rather see the Cavs use Mozgov and Thompson for some stretches in the fourth quarter. That would give the team a physical presence.

And let's face it, you can see how teams are now knocking James to the floor. They will try to bully the Cavs.

Mozgov knows how to deliver some bone-rattling picks and some well-placed elbows.

Yes, they also have Kendrick Perkins who has the reputation as a physical center -- but his talent isn't close to that of Mozgov and Thompson.

There will be games where the Cavs must establish some scoring in the low post -- and it's up to Blatt to make that happen.

The encouraging part is when I watched some tapes of his team last season in Tel Aviv, Blatt had several plays to get the ball inside to his big men. It definitely is a part of his offense.

ABOUT DANNY FERRY

I don't know if the Atlanta Hawks will bring General Manager Danny Ferry out of exile. He is on a "leave of absence" after reading a racist scouting report about Luol Deng to his owners.

I'll never understand why Ferry did that.

Deng was a free agent, coming off a partial season with the Cavs. The case against signing Deng was easy. As one top Cavs person told me, "We loved the guy, but it's so hard for him to stay healthy. He had back problems, calf problems, lots of physical problems. He could barely practice. He's played a lot of minutes and he's worn down."

End of story in terms of why a team may not want to make a major investment in Deng.

Actually, the 29-year-old Deng has bounced back well with Miami, averaging 14.6 points and 5.0 rebounds. He's shooting .490 from the field and has played in 54-of-60 games. He also has won the Walter Kennedy Award, given to an NBA player each season for his public service.

I've known Ferry since he was traded to the Cavs. I spent three days with him in Italy when he was playing in Rome before he came to Cleveland. I spent hundreds of hours on the phone with him over the five years that he was the Cavs general manager.

Never once did he say anything close to racist -- or along the lines of the Deng comments.

Former Cavs General Manager Wayne Embry has come out in support of Ferry. So has Andrew Young, the former Atlanta mayor and former civil rights leader.

Embry and I have had several conversations about Ferry, both of us hoping he gets another chance in an NBA front office.

Meanwhile, the team that Ferry put together has the best record in the Eastern Conference.

The 49-12 Hawks are the surprise team of the NBA. Ferry retained veterans Al Horford and Jeff Teague. He added Coach Mike Budenholzer, reworked the roster and turned the Hawks into a viable contender.

Will the Hawks bring him back? I doubt it. Too much baggage.

But sitting out this season should be penalty enough, and another team should at least be interested in adding Ferry in some type of capacity.

While his five years with the Cavs weren't ideal, the team reached the finals once and never lost in the first round. Obviously, LeBron James was a huge reason for that, but Ferry has been one of the NBA's better GMs when taking his records in Cleveland and Atlanta into account.

• Terry's Talkin' Browns.
• Terry's Talkin' Indians.

Using his new two-seam sinking fastball, Indians right-hander Trevor Bauer suddenly has better control and that has the Tribe excited.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- In his first start of spring training, Trevor Bauer was strike one on 8-of-12 batters. That's 67 percent, a number that has the Indians smiling.

That's because Bauer continually pitched from behind in the count last season with the Tribe. He drove up his pitch count and put a strain on the bullpen. It also was part of the reason Bauer had first inning troubles, a 5.60 ERA.

Like most pitching coaches, the Tribe's Mickey Callaway puts the emphasis on strike one. It can mean as much as a 100-point swing for some hitters, being 0-1 in the count, as opposed to 1-0.

Bauer was using a "two-seam fastball," which is a fastball that sinks. It was a pitch that he generally ignored before this season. In his three innings Thursday, eight of the outs came on ground balls.

Bauer allowed one unearned run in three innings, allowing three hits. Bauer walked no one, and 24-of-32 pitches were strikes. His fastball was in the 94-96 mph range. His two-seamer was in the 90-92 mph range.

Bauer walked 3.5 batters per nine innings last season, the highest rate of any Tribe pitcher. So the Indians are excited about his control, hoping the improvement continues.

ABOUT FIRST PITCH STRIKES

I wondered about first-pitch strikes, and how that ranks with the Tribe starters.

According to Fangraphs, there were 149 pitchers considered "regular starters." The average starting pitcher in that group threw a first-pitch strike 60 percent of the time.

Here's the numbers on the Tribe:

• Josh Tomlin, 68.7 percent.
• Carlos Carrasco, 64.7 percent.
• Corey Kluber, 64.1 percent.
• Zach McAllister, 61.5 percent.
• T.J. House, 60.8 percent.
• Danny Salazar, 59.7 percent.
• Trevor Bauer, 56.4 percent.

So only Salazar and Bauer were below average.

By the way, Justin Masterson was a 56.4 percent. He also averaged 5.1 walks per nine innings, and that explains many of his problems in 2014.

ABOUT CARLOS MONCRIEF

Once in a while, there is a story like -- like Carlos Moncrief.

There is a player who is drafted as a pitcher, and indeed pitches a few years in the minors. It doesn't work out. But the player is a gifted physical athlete.

Moncrief had a 1-2 record and 7.75 ERA in two summers in the Arizona Rookie League. Pitching was not his future. But Moncrief had played some outfield in junior college, so why not try him in the field?

The Tribe did that, starting in 2010.

Slowly, he is rising up the minor league ladder. He is a good outfielder with a strong arm. Moncrief batted .284 (.824 OPS) with 17 homers and 75 RBI at Class AA Akron in 2013.

He played all of 2014 at Class AAA Columbus, batting .271 (.759 OPS) with 12 homers and 63 RBI. Those are rather modest numbers for Columbus, where hitters usually thrive. Akron is one of the hardest places to hit in Class AA.

Moncrief has been the early comet in spring training. He was 4-of-4 in one game. He had a double and homer in a "B" game. He has displayed a strong arm and range in the outfield.

In the winter, the 6-foot Moncrief became serious about his diet. He dropped about 20 pounds and 8 precent in body fat. Baseball America says he has "the best arm in the Indians minor league organization."

Moncrief now weighs about 200 pounds. He stole 20 bases at Class A Lake County in 2011. But dropped to only eight steals in 2014.

Moncrief is 26 and that's old for a prospect. But he had a late start because he began his career as a pitcher. The Indians are intrigued.

The Indians want depth in the outfield in Class AAA. They believe they'll have it with Tyler Naquin, James Ramsey and Moncrief.

ABOUT THE TRIBE

1. Bruce Chen breezed through two scoreless innings, striking out three. Chen is 37 and had a miserable 2014, 2-4 with a 7.45 ERA for Kansas City. Chen was 9-4 with a 3.27 ERA for the Royals in 2013. The lefty said he had some physical problems in 2014, but he's healthy now. If he is healthy, he could make the team in the bullpen -- and as a starter in reserve. Chen is on a minor league contract.

2. The Indians were impressed by 23-year-old shortstop prospect Erik Gonzalez. In their pre-camp meeting, General Manager Chris Antonetti told the Dominican native that they could conduct the meeting in Spanish. Gonzalez said, "Oh, no. Let's speak English." He had spent the winter improving his English because he knows it's important for a shortstop to communicate with everyone in the infield.

3. Because the Tribe has hot shortstop prospects Jose Ramirez and Francisco Lindor in camp, little is said about Gonzalez. But he is a legitimate prospect. He split 2014 between Class AA Akron and Class A Carolina, batting a combined .309 with four homers and 62 RBI. He had 21 steals.

4. The Indians are excited about Kyle Crockett. It took only 49 minor league innings for him to reach Cleveland, and he had a 1.80 ERA in 30 innings with the Tribe last season. They think the lefty can do more than just be a situational pitcher vs. left-handed batters. He seemed very good in the clutch as hitters were 5-of-39 against him with runners in scoring position.

5. In his first outing, T.J. House retired all six batters that he faced. The lefty was 5-3 with a 3.35 ERA last season. He may force the Tribe to put him in the rotation. Danny Salazar had a rough first outing. His history is that of being a poor spring pitcher, in Arizona and early in the season. That could cost him a roster spot.

6. I will be speaking at the Middleburg Heights Library on Thursday at 7 p.m. It's Free! I'll talk about my book Glory Days In Tribe Town written with Tom Hamilton -- and other topics. I take questions. I sign any books that people bring (I prefer them to be written by me!). It's a lot of fun. Call 440-234-3600 to register as the crowds are often big for these events.

• Terry's Talkin' Browns.
• Terry's Talkin' Cavs.

The Cleveland Cavaliers dropped one in Atlanta, losing 106-97 as LeBron James struggled.

ATLANTA -- It was an intense, playoff-type atmosphere that featured a potential Eastern Conference Finals preview between the Cavaliers and Atlanta Hawks on Friday night.

For the third time in four opportunities this season, the Hawks -- owners of the NBA's best record -- defeated the Cavaliers. This one ended 106-97 on Dominique Wilkins night at Philips Arena.

Al Horford led a balanced attack with 19 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Jeff Teague and Paul Millsap chipped in with 16 points each.

It was the first time Atlanta (49-12) had played Cleveland (39-25) since the Cavs added Timofey Mozgov, JR Smith and Iman Shumpert, but it didn't matter. Atlanta was the better team on this night.

The backdoors, the cuts, the screens and the movement gave the Cavaliers fits. It's how Atlanta jumped out to a 17-point lead in the opening quarter. Cleveland clawed back to even through three quarters. But when the Cavs needed their best player to step up, it was the Hawks who had the winning answers.

LeBron James labored to convert at the basket as the Hawks loaded up at the paint. He was either forced to pass off the drive or forced contested shots.

James scored 18 points on 5-of-13 from the floor to go with six boards and eight assists in 40 minutes. There were also nine turnovers.

He insisted the game wasn't a measuring stick.

"All I care about is us continuing to do what we've been doing over the last two months," James said before the game. "We [have] to continue to play our game offensively. We share the ball, we move bodies. And defensively we communicate, help one another and be aggressive. That's what I care about."

Kyrie Irving had a team-high 20 points. Kevin Love registered 14 points, eight rebounds and was 4-of-11 from the field. All but one of his attempts were three-pointers.

What this means?

Not much. The Cavaliers aren't in a position to catch the Hawks -- the No. 2 seed remains the prime goal. That duel with Chicago and Toronto has a long way to go before it's resolved.

Ball protection

James couldn't get a handle on the ball. He committed three turnovers in the first five minutes, six in the half. Atlanta's defense was suffocating and they deserve the bulk of the credit, but James was mighty careless with his passing. The Hawks' fans exploded with cheers every time he gave the ball to their team.

Sensing his team needed some adrenaline, David Blatt was hit with his first technical of the season midway in the second quarter after James was charged with a questionable offensive foul.

Blatt had to be restrained by his coaching staff from referee Tony Brothers. The team did find some momentum, trailing by 10 at the half and two after three quarters.

Who's on deck?

Cleveland's second game of this back-to-back takes them home for Phoenix at 7:30 p.m. It will be their second and final meeting of the season. On Jan. 13 Phoenix (32-30) defeated the Cavaliers, 107-100, at US Airways Center.

After Saturday, the Cavaliers face a four-game road trip starting Tuesday in Dallas.

Here are the results of the 2015 OATCCC indoor state championship meet.

Here are the results of the 2015 Ohio Association of Track and Cross Country Coaches boys indoor state championship meet set for Saturday in Akron.

Division I

In Division I boys, Hudson’s Gavin Gaynor and Mayfield’s Andy Isabella were the only two locals to pick up an individual victory.

Gaynor won the 1,600 meter run with a time of 4:16.84, while Isabella won the 60 meter dash with a time of 6.8 seconds.

The St. Ignatius 3,200 relay team won with a time of 7:56.58.

The top finishing local team was St. Edward, as the Eagles finished seventh place with 21 points. Stow and Berea-Midpark finished eighth and ninth, with 18 and 17 points respectively.

How they finished: 1. Pickerington North 45; 2. Austintown Fitch 37; 3. Mason 36; 4. Hilliard Davidson 33; 5. Centerville 32; 6. Dublin Coffman 23; 7. St. Edward 21.5; 8. Stow 18; T9. Massillon Perry 17; T9. Berea-Midpark 17. 11. North Royalton 16; 12. Mentor 15; T19. Medina 10; T19. St. Ignatius 10; T19. Solon 10; T19. Hudson 10; T19. Mayfield 10; 27. Cleveland Heights 9; T29. Strongsville 8; T35. Euclid 6; T40. Brunswick 5; T48. Glenville 2; T54. Twinsburg 1; T54. Avon 1; T.54 Nordonia.

800 Relay: 1. Mason (Maity, Pearson, Borden, Besecker) 1:30.1; 2.John F. Kennedy (Diaz, Majette, Salters, Ware) 1:31.1; 3. Centerville (Goldsmith, Hale, Harmon, Whitaker) 1:31.39.

3,200 Relay: 1. St. Ignatius (Kruchan, Wagner, Huber, Sullivan) 7:56.58; 2. Dublin Coffman (Alford, Bons, Graf, Hannan) 7:57.53; 3. Sycamore (Berling, Menyhert, Lucken, Gonzalez) 8:02.2.

60 Hurdles: 1. Rainey (Princeton) 7.915; 2. Floyd (Strongsville) 7.918; 3. Ragland (Pickerington North).

60: 1. Isabella (Mayfield) 6.8; 2. Harrington (Austintown Fitch) 6.87; T3. Chambers (Lakota West) T3. Crawford (St. Edward).

1600: 1. Gaynor (Hudson) 4:16.84; 2. Landis (Norwalk) 4:19.38; 3. Kernell (Uniontown Lake) 4:22.12.

400: 1. Gray (Pickerington North) 49.19; 2. Maity (Mason) 49.53; 3. Tillman (Euclid) 49.81.

800: 1. Bons (Dublin Coffman) 1:56.69; 2. Smith (Westerville South) 1:57.45; 3. Jankowski (Berea-Midpark) 1:59.52.

3,200: 1. Jordan (Watkins Memorial) 9:17.47; 2. Colin Burdette (Hilliard Davidson) 9:23.69; 3. Davis (Dublin Jerome) 9:24.02.

1,600 Relay: 1. Pickerington North (Miller, Tolliver, Ragland, Gray) 3:21.4; 2. Mason (Pearson, Maity, Borden, Belcastro) 3:23.06; 3. Sylvania Southview (Hayes, Bowers, Lawrence, Armstrong) 3:24.38.

Division II/III

Lake Catholic had a very good day, as the Cougars finished in second place with 50 points.

The Cougars finished second in the 800 and 1,600 relays, while Jordan Pritchard finished second in the 800, and Matt Ludwig finished second in the 200.

Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy finished fifth overall with 18 points, as Brandon Harris won the 200 with a 22:18.

How they finished: 1. Dunbar 75; 2. Lake Catholic 50; 3.John F. Kennedy Warren 28; 4. Eastwood 20; T5. Stivers 18; T5. Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy 18; T7. John F. Kennedy 16; T7. Archbold 16; T9. River Valley-Caledonia 15; T9. Lincolnview 15. T13. St. Vincent-St. Mary 12; T 16. Rootstown 10; T23. University School 9; T23. Crestwood 9. T34. Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin 6; T40. Warrensville Heights 5; T53. Gilmour 3; T53. Cleveland Central Catholic 3.

800 Relay: 1. Dunbar (Jones, Brown, Hill, Willis) 1:29.47; 2. Lake Catholic (Robinson, O'toole, Rassavong, Pritchard) 1:32.98; 3. Martins Ferry (Hill, Russell, Watts, Fitch) 1:33.24.

3,200 Relay: 1. Dunbar (Peebles, Dozier, Brown, Bell) 7:58.45; 2. St. Vincent-St. Mary (Rossetti, Heller, Patrick, Campbell) 8:09.42; 3. Maplewood (Morrison, Hall, Dahmen, Sparks) 8:11.19.

60 hurdles: 1. Zallow (John F. Kennedy Warren) 7.62; 2. Wilt (Miami Trace) 7:83; 3. Scott (Dunbar) 7:93.

60 dash: Zallow (John F. Kennedy Warren) 6.90; 2. John Colangelo (Canton Central Catholic) 6.97; 3. Johnson (Stivers) 6.99.

1600: 1. Tow (Lincolnview) 4:18.63; 2. Adams (Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy) 4:18.99; 3. Stanovsek (Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin) 4:19.2.

400: 1. Johnson (Stivers) 48:87; 2. Horseman (Otsego) 49.71; 3. Javonta Brown (Dunbar) 49.99.

800: 1. Bell (Dunbar) 1:53.73; 2. Pritchard (Lake Catholic) 1:57.07; 3. Fitzgerald (Crestwood) 1:58.37.

200: 1. Harris (Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy) 22.18; 2. Ludwig (Lake Catholic) 22.19; 3. Willis (Dunbar) 22.31.

3,200: 1. Gannon (Fredericktown) 9:41.31; 2. Bragg (Dayton Christian) 9:44.09; 3. Trojan (University School) 9:47.

1,600: 1. Dunbar (Scott, Brown, Dozier, Bell) 3:22.96; 2. Lake Catholic (Ludwig, O’Toole, Pritchard, Robinson) 3:31.7; 3. River-Valley Caledonia (Blanton, Waterman, C. Waterman, Reiff) 3:32.99.