At the new Sol Sprint Cycling Studio in Mentor, the intense, whole-body workouts fly by like a night out with friends, in a lively, club-like atmosphere.

MENTOR, Ohio - Cycling, for me, is intrinsically fun. Even the stationary sort. Give me a bike and I can keep myself occupied anywhere for hours.

I have to admit, though, that time passed even more quickly than usual at Sol Sprint Cycling Studio in Mentor. There, in a club atmosphere, the workout flew by like night with friends, even as I burnt myself out pedaling.

Cycling studios are everywhere these days. New ones seem to emerge every few weeks. Chalk it up to our valiant collective drive to get fitter.

Amidst all that competition, one can't simply offer a solid, complete workout. One also must boast something unique. Lucky for Sol Sprint (prices vary, solsprintcyclingstudio.com), it's amply stocked in the special department.

Start with the venue itself, the first of its kind in Lake Co. Spacious, high-ceilinged, and well-ventilated, it was inviting from the get-go. Colorful and variable stage lighting added to the appeal, rendering the room as visually lively as a night club dance floor.

The soundtrack also helped. I couldn't name all the songs on instructor Aimee Arnold's playlist, but what I can say is that on the day I rode, she skewed clubby, toward the high-energy dance music I cue up when exercising alone. One great exception: Sinatra's "That's Life," just when the riding got tough.

The bikes, too, were beyond reproach. High-end models by Schwinn, they offered all the adjustability, smoothness, and realism I look for in a stationary. From a practical standpoint, all Sol Sprint could have done better was provide towel service. As it was, I dripped all over the floor.

It was the ride, though, that ultimately won me over. A 45-minute round of intense climbing, sprinting, and weight lifting, the "Sol Style" class I took - the other options were "Sol Strength," "Sol Hip Hop," and "Sol Party" - left me feeling both drained and exhilarated.

One thing I appreciated especially was how little time we spent riding in a crouched stance out of the saddle. The default pose at many studios, this position always strikes me as awkward and inefficient. Outdoors, on a regular bike, I'd never ride that way.

I would and do, however, ride the way Arnold spent most of the class I attended, pedaling standing or seated against heavy resistance. In that stance, I could have closed my eyes and imagined myself almost anywhere on my usual routes. All-out sprints in low-gear were the exception, not the rule.

Amazingly, Arnold gave our upper-bodies an equally vigorous workout. In addition to push-ups and triceps pulses in time with the music, she also tasked us with weight-lifting. I can't recall a cycling class from which I drove home with achier shoulders or biceps, or ever feeling such a burn with 4-lb. weights.

Speaking of driving, I did quite a bit of it to reach Sol Sprint. No way does it make sense for me to become a regular.

But I would if I could. If I lived anywhere in closer proximity, I'd be at Sol Sprint several mornings a week, starting my days off right by pedaling and lifting myself to blissful exhaustion.

The Cleveland Cavaliers won 53 games during an at-times rocky 2014-15 regular season. They will finish with a similar win total this year.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers won 53 games during an at-times rocky 2014-15 regular season. They will finish with a similar win total this year.

The ingredients are there for much more. After all, the Cavs finished the second half of the season sprinting toward the finish line after a sluggish start. Following a pair of midseason trades, a flawed and inexperienced roster morphed into an East juggernaut as the Cavs won 34 of their final 43 games. That same core that rose to the top of the conference and came within two wins of an NBA championship has returned after an off-season spending spree. That was the primary summer goal.

Cavaliers General Manager David Griffin wasn't content with those moves alone.

Seeing some weaknesses exposed against Golden State in the NBA Finals, Griffin added Richard Jefferson to be LeBron James' primary backup. Jefferson, 35, is expected to provide much-needed depth and a dependable second unit option. The Cavs also added playmaker Mo Williams, an experienced point guard who will run the offense during Kyrie Irving's absence. Sasha Kaun also came over from Russia, expected to provide depth for Cleveland's oft-injured frontcourt.

It all adds up to James having one of the best supporting casts he's had in his career, giving him an opportunity to reach the 60-win mark for the fourth time.

But that's not important to James. His legacy won't be shaped based on what he does during the regular season. Nor is it the Cavaliers' primary objective.

Last year was a learning experience for everyone, including head coach David Blatt.

The goal this season is simple.

It's not about getting off to a fast start, plowing through the shaky Eastern Conference from the opening tip. Homecourt advantage isn't even a necessity. The Cavs' sole focus is to be at their best when the postseason arrives. Blatt will try to manage minutes, rest his stars and be patient when it comes to injuries -- even if that means sacrificing wins in the short term. 

Having Iman Shumpert and Kyrie Irving, the expected starting backcourt, sidelined for the first few months will test the Cavaliers and Blatt. It will make things much more difficult early -- putting pressure on the other two members of Cleveland's Big Three, and rest of the squad. 

But the unfinished business that so many have spoken about in the last few weeks, something Tristan Thompson pointed out when he finally ended his holdout, can't be taken care of until the playoffs.

Blatt validated his coaching credentials during his rookie campaign and looks much more comfortable heading into Year Two. The Big Three showed they're capable of working well together. And Griffin found the right pieces. Many of the questions that hovered last season have already been answered. 

The Cavs are once again the most talented team in the Eastern Conference, and quite possibly, the NBA, which will likely lead to a return trip to the Finals.

Given their priorities and expected early-season obstacles, however, the Cavs are staring at another slow start. Still, there won't be any reason to push the panic button. The real Cavs will arrive around the new year when all the pieces return. That's when they will begin their ascent.

It's about a patient approach to the 2015-16 campaign, using a big-picture mentality. It's about the postseason. That means a lower-than-expected win total, finishing with 56 wins.  

Ohio State makes its first ever trip to Rutgers on Saturday night. Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State's first ever trip to the birthplace of college football, Rutgers. Will it be a blowout like this game was last year?

The Buckeyes are going with J.T. Barrett at quarterback again, he had five total touchdowns against Rutgers in a 56-17 win last year. The Scarlet Knights gave up more than 50 points to Indiana last week.

So what does that mean for the Buckeyes in their quest for their eighth consecutive win?

Ohio State got its first cover in six games last week, and is favored by 21 on Saturday night. Here are our picks for Ohio State vs. Rutgers:

Doug Lesmerises picks Ohio State 45, Rutgers 13

In the 12 games J.T. Barrett started last season, the Buckeyes scored at least 49 points six times. Toward the end of the regular season, before Barrett's injury against Michigan, the offense stagnated a bit, but during the middle of the 2014 season, the Buckeyes and Barrett were rolling.

So far this season, the Buckeyes have hit 49 once, against Maryland two weeks ago the first time Barrett served as the red zone quarterback. In their other six games, the Buckeyes are averaging 35 points. Not bad, but not explosive.

With Barrett back as the starting quarterback, against a team like this that gave up 56 to the Buckeyes last year, Ohio State should creep back into the mid-40s. At least. Before the season, I predicted Ohio State would lose a regular-season game you didn't see coming. That hasn't happened, but Ohio State's first visit to Rutgers won't be that game.

Ari Wasserman picks Ohio State 52, Rutgers 10

Ohio State's offense looked complete last weekend when J.T. Barrett came onto the field and added that element of designed quarterback run. Since the beginning of the season, we've all felt that Barrett was the right man for the job, and, for the most part, the Buckeyes have looked best with him leading the way. 

That's why I think the Buckeyes roll in New Jersey. With the right guy at quarterback and a change to fire up the team, Ohio State's offense clicks and the Buckeyes run away with the same type of game as last year's contest vs. Rutgers. 

Bill Landis picks Ohio State 48, Rutgers 21

I'm feeling a little uneasy about this pick as I write it. I think I might be a few points off on the difference. Rutgers has some players, enough to play Michigan State to a touchdown game the last time they played a big game at home. 

But Ohio State just has too much talent, and I think a renewed spirit on offense with J.T. Barrett in there, for this to be anything other than at least a two-score win for the Buckeyes.

Season

Straight up: Ari (7-0), Bill (7-0), Doug (6-1)

Against the spread: Ari (5-2), Bill (4-3), Doug (2-5)

The MAC East and MAC West Division leaders are on the road Saturday with tough run of mid-week games after that.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The road can be a humbling place, even in the Mid-American Conference, so the likes of Toledo, Ohio University, Central Michigan and Bowling Green should all be careful. After this week, the mid-week gauntlet of games to decide a MAC Division title begins, and none of the contenders wants a misstep heading into that.

It will require the headline quarterbacks in the MAC, such as Bowling Green's Matt Johnson, Toledo's Phillip Ely, Central Michigan's Cooper Rush and OU's Derrius Vick, to all be on their A games.

The contest with the most intrigue has Ohio (5-2, 2-1) traveling to play Buffalo (2-4, 0-2) with both teams coming off spankings last week. Dropping two straight, particularly for the Bobcats, would make contention difficult. With a game at East Division front-runner Bowling Green (5-2, 3-0) to follow, the Bobcats can dream of an upset. But two straight MAC losses will probably lead to three.

Bowling Green did get a weather related challenge earlier this season at Buffalo (28-22) but otherwise has scored 62 and 59 points in MAC games. The UB game is also about the time the Falcons discovered a taste of defense, which has steadily improved to the point, now, there really is not a viable divisional threat. However, winning the division is still not a forgone conclusion for BG, considering cross-divisional games against MAC West powers Toledo (6-0. 3-0) and Western Michigan (3-3, 2-0) are still to be played, along with Ball State (2-5, 1-2).

It's possible the Falcons could lose to both Toledo and WMU and still win the MAC East. But that means BG can't stub its toe on Saturday at Kent State (3-4, 2-1). The Golden Flashes might well put up a strong defensive fight, but offensively KSU needs all the Halloween gremlins and goblins on hand a week early to have a ghost of a chance.

Also, No. 19 Toledo has to be careful with its road game at UMass (1-5, 0-2). For UMass this is effectively its bowl game, along with quarterback Blake Frohnapfel's last chance to impress NFL scouts against a quality opponent. UT, however, is tracking toward an undefeated season if it can get past this trap game.

Here's the MAC's slate of games for Saturday:

• Bowling Green at Kent State, 1 p.m., ESPN3
• Miami at Western Michigan, 2 p.m., ESPN3
• Central Michigan at Ball State, 3 p.m., ESPN3
• Toledo at UMass, 3 p.m., ESPN3
• Eastern Michigan at N. Illinois, 3:30 p.m., ESPN3
• Ohio University at Buffalo, 3:30 p.m., ESPN3

Heading into Week 9, there are five football teams with playoff aspirations in the Portage Trail Conference Metro Division, three of which find themselves just outside the Top 8 in those programs' respective regions.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- There are five football teams with playoff aspirations in the Portage Trail Conference Metro Division, three of which find themselves just outside the Top 8 in those programs' respective regions. 

Ravenna (6-2, 4-1) and Streetsboro (5-3, 3-2) are among those programs and are set to matchup in contest that could help vault one team toward the postseason while dashing the other's playoff hopes. 

The Rockets are 11th in Division IV, Region 11 and the Ravens are 11th in Division III, Region 7. 

"We talked about it after our Coventry loss that we basically control our own destiny," said Streetsboro coach John Arlesic. 

Arlesic and Ravenna coach Jim Lunardi recognize major differences between their teams' offenses.

"It's kind of a clash of two styles," Arlesic said. "Their skill players are big, thick individuals. They use multiple backs and we only use one back." 

Ravenna fullback Willie Ross is 6-foot-2, 245 pounds and is coming off a 107-yard, two-touchdown performance against Cloverleaf in Week 8. His teammate, Austin Fox, is more slight than Ross at 5-7, 170 pounds but still turned in 81 rushing yards and a touchdown against the Colts and rushed for 73 yards against Norton in Week 7. 

Lunardi agrees with a common comparison he's heard describing his program as more of a smash-mouth team and Streetsboro as more of a finesse team. 

"We can't worry what's going on with Streetsboro and Field or those things," Lunardi said. "We just have to eliminate penalties and turnovers and play our game." 

Field (5-3, 2-3) is set to take on Ravenna in Week 10 in a matchup that, should the Ravens beat the Rockets, could decide which team named after an aviary creature reaches the postseason. 

Should Ravenna lose to the Rockets, the Ravens could still play spoilers if they go on to beat the Falcons. Streetsboro is two spots below Field in the playoff race in Region 11. 

The Ravens are set to host the Rockets whom they are 5-1 against over the last six years, which could instill confidence in the Ravenna faithful. Having starting quarterback Derek Cross under center is also a huge plus for the program, which suffered one of its two losses on Sept. 18 when he was out with an injury. 

"I think the game would have been completely different (against Woodridge) had we had our starting quarterback," Lunardi said. 

Woodridge (8-0, 5-0) is second in playoff points for Division IV, Region 11 with Norton and Springfield still to play. Crestwood (6-2, 2-1) is right behind the Bulldogs and should also make the postseason barring some bizarre turn of events. 

The Red Devils are second in the Portage Trail Conference County Division behind Mogadore (7-1, 3-0) which has a playoff spot clinched in Division VII, Region 23 as the No. 1-ranked team.  

Cross threw for 132 yards and two touchdowns against Cloverleaf in Week 8 but also threw two interceptions. The week prior, he he threw for 132 yards and three touchdowns in a win against Norton.

Streetsboro is no stranger to injuries. 

The loss of Dakari Carter to an ACL tear during preseason was devastating but several skill positions have stepped up to keep the team in contention, such as WR/DB KeShun Jones and LB Nick Caba. 

Jones caught three touchdown passes in the Rockets' Week 8 win against Norton, 49-20, totaling 81, 38 and 37 yards. 

"We've kind of found our groove with kids who are in the slots," Arlesic said. 

Another player he spoke highly of is Brandon Cooper-Scharra who has proven about as versatile as a coach could ask for. 

"He kind of picked up the slack all over for us. He's a wide receiver, defensive back, punter, kicker. I think he fixed a tire on the bus for us last week too," Arlesic said, jokingly. 

Follow our 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.

Talk all things Cleveland sports with Dennis Manoloff live at 12:30.

Talk Cleveland sports with Dennis Manoloff during his weekly podcast today at 12:30 p.m.Allison Carey/The Plain Dealer

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Get your questions ready and join the Plain Dealer's Dennis Manoloff today at 12:30 p.m. as he talks Cleveland sports.

DMan and I will talk about the Browns as they hit the road to take on St. Louis. We'll also talk about Tristan Thompson's contract and what it means for the Cavaliers.

Jump in the comments to ask your questions and talk along with us.

Check out brackets for the field hockey playoffs.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- With the OHSAA field hockey postseason set to begin Monday, here is a look at the bracket for all local teams.

Gates Mills District (check back to follow the progress of all 12 teams).

Click to see the remaining brackets: Kettering, Dublin 1, and Dublin 2.

District semifinals continue Tuesday with No. 1 Hudson hosting No. 11 Hathaway Brown and No. 4 Ottawa Hills traveling to No. 2 Shaker Heights. The winners will play in the district final on Oct. 31 at noon at Hawken, with the winner advancing to the state final four at Upper Arlington Nov. 6 and Nov 7. 

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

How many wins will the Cleveland Cavaliers during the regular season? Share your thoughts by voting on our poll.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Earlier this morning, our Cleveland Cavaliers reporting team released their official predictions for this season, and unlike last year, the trio seems to be in the same ballpark when it comes to the Cavs' win total.

Joe Vardon has tabbed the injury-riddled unit to win 59 games, grabbing the Eastern Conference's No. 1 seed. 

Chris Haynes sees a slow start, leading to 52 wins. That total would have been good for third in the East, but roster changes have led to some uncertainty in the conference. Haynes also sees the Cavs, despite a lower-than-anticipated win total, grabbing the top spot. 

For me, there were no proclamations about the Cavs having a historic season and getting to a win total, 70, that is usually taboo to even mention. Not this year.

The Cavs aren't looking to be at their best during the regular season. The goal is to be great at the end, something that wasn't possible because last year's injuries. I still see a bunch of wins because the team is uber-talented, but 14 less than last year's prediction. I have pegged them as a 56-win squad. 

The regular season tips off Oct. 27 when the Cavs travel to Chicago to play the Bulls, a team that provided the stiffest test en route to a Finals appearance. Then it's on to Memphis the next night before the home opener against LeBron James' former team, Miami. 

How many wins do you believe the Cavs will have this season? Share your thoughts in the comments section below and vote on our poll.

Dennis Manoloff and Dan Labbe talk all things Cleveland sports in their weekly podcast.

To have this podcast delivered straight to your mobile phone or device, subscribe to our iTunes channel.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Is local media's coverage of Johnny Manziel fair? How many games will the Cavaliers win?

The Plain Dealer's Dennis Manoloff talked all things Cleveland sports in his weekly podcast with me on Friday.

Among the other topics discussed:

* Tristan Thompson's new contract.

* Browns game in St. Louis this Sunday.

* Cavaliers approach to the regular season.

You can download the MP3 or listen with the player above.

Be sure to follow DMan on Twitter.

Varsity Blitz Live is an interactive fan experience with up-to-the-minute updates from all 67 games involving local high school football teams tonight and a lively chat room.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Welcome to the center of all the Week 9 Friday high school football action with live updates, pictures, videos and scoreboards on all 67 games across Northeast Ohio, plus a chat room for fans.

Every Friday night we invite you to join us for Varsity Blitz Live, an interactive fan experience where tonight you’ll get up-to-the-minute updates from the 67 games involving local teams and a lively chat room at the very bottom of this post to talk with fellow fans as well as our reporters at games and in the office compiling box scores and recaps.

To join the conversation and see your Tweets featured below, all you need to do is include #NEOvarsity in your Tweets. Or you can comment through your cleveland.com community account.

The chat room below also features updates, pictures, videos and analysis on games throughout the seven-county coverage area. Be sure to check out live scoreboards our staffers are updating all night from the high school sports command center early and often.

Here is a lineup of where we have reporters stationed tonight. Look for their updates to pop into the chat below. Get previews on these games, as well as all contests involving a Top 25 team Friday and Saturday.

• Joe Noga is covering No. 7 Avon at No. 14 Berea-Midpark.

• Robert Rozboril is covering No. 5 Stow at No. 19 Brecksville.

• Matt Goul is covering No. 20 Perry at West Geauga.

• Scott Patsko is covering No. 8 St. Vincent-St. Mary at Massillon.

• Freelancer Michael Fitzpatrick is covering North Olmsted at No. 22 Olmsted Falls.

• Freelancer Ryan Isley is covering Lorain at Bedford.

Remember to include #NEOvarsity in your Tweets and they will appear below. If you're shooting video from the game, see how to submit highlights to be considered for the Top Play of the Week contest.

For more high school sports news, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

LeBron James' status for the season opener against Chicago a little unclear after he missed practice again Tuesday.

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio - LeBron James said "I don't think there's a question" that he'll play in the Cavaliers' season opener Tuesday in Chicago, but would not guarantee his availability after being held out of practice again Friday.

"I'm not putting all my eggs in one basket, thinking of Tuesday as the end all, be all," James said in a brief interview with the Northeast Ohio Media Group. "It's a long season. I'm preparing Tuesday as if I'll be ready, and if I have a setback then I won't be ready."

James was similarly coy in an interview with the Cavs' press corps Friday, his first question-and-answer session in a week. James has not practiced since receiving an anti-inflammatory injection in his back on Oct. 13.

"Is it by choice? No, that's the schedule I'm on," James said. "I'm trying to listen to the training staff and not be hard headed. So, I'm going with them. When they tell me I'm cleared to practice, I'll practice."

James said he would play against the Bulls if "everything goes right."

"We feel like everything is progressing well, and if we continue to do that, then I'm optimistic I'll be able to go."

Before the Cavs played their final preseason game Monday, Cavs coach David Blatt said James would "absolutely be ready" for the opener.

Whether or not this is some gamesmanship on James' part, or if he is hurting worse than either he or the organization has let on, is unclear now.

On Thursday, a noted orthopedic surgeon told the Northeast Ohio Media Group that an athlete who has received multiple shots in the back in one year is probably suffering from a "degenerative change," and said if James were to receive a third shot, it would be an even stronger sign that something was wrong to the point of possible surgery.

The Cavs insist the second shot (the first was administered in January while James was out with back and knee strains) was preventative in nature. General manager David Griffin said James was where he's supposed to be in his rest and rehabilitation period, which started the day he received the injection on Oct. 13.

James was asked about the potential for a third injection and said, "we have it set up to where if I need it, we can do it again. Hopefully it don't come to that, but it's a possibility, but that's all part of the process. It's there if we need it."

On Friday, Cavs general manager David Griffin was asked if something has changed with James since Blatt's declaration that his star player would be ready to start the season, and Griffin said "I have no reason to believe that."

"David came up and said he would absolutely play because that's what he believes, and none of us have any reason to believe he won't," Griffin said. "My point in what I'm saying to you is if something happens and he doesn't, it's not going to be the end of the world.

"We anticipate he'll play Tuesday, he anticipates he'll play Tuesday, but, again, this is a marathon, not a sprint."

James, who is entering his 13^th season and has never missed an opener told the Northeast Ohio Media Group that he wasn't concerned because "Tuesday ain't the end of the season.

"I would be concerned if this were Game 5 of the Finals, but it's not," he said.

Submit your video highlights from Week 9 games for the chance to get them included in Top Play of the Week contest.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The high school sports staff at cleveland.com wants your videos of the best football plays you record for possible inclusion in the Top Play of the Week contest.

Top Play of the Week is a weekly video contest to showcase the best runs, catches, defensive plays -- you name it -- from across Northeast Ohio. Last week's contest featured about one dozen plays from Week 8 games. Watch the original video above, and see who won as decided by readers and who won as decided by the cleveland.com staff.

We welcome video nominations sent from fans, parents, coaches off your official game tape, administrators -- anyone.

Get video of a long kick return for a touchdown? Capture footage of a pass caught between two defenders? Please send it to us.

Here's the many ways you can get your video highlights to us for possible inclusion in the contest: Send it by Twitter, Vine, Instagram or email at neovarsity@cleveland.com. Be sure to tag @neovarsity on your social media messages so we receive it.

The deadline to submit videos from Thursday and Friday games is Saturday at noon, while Saturday games have until 10 p.m.

Check back Monday morning to see if your play is featured in the latest Top Play of the Week contest. Readers will then have an opportunity to vote for their favorite highlight through Thursday at noon.

For more high school sports news, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel is still awaiting word from the NFL on whether or not he'll be disciplined for his domestic incident. In the meantime, Mike Pettine says it's 'more than likely' he'll be the backup for the Rams game Sunday.

BEREA, Ohio -- Browns coach Mike Pettine said Johnny Manziel will "more than likely'' be active and still be the No. 2 quarterback for Sunday's game against the Rams.

He also he has not heard anything from the NFL regarding possible discipline for Manziel.

An NFL spokesman also told Northeast Ohio Media Group that there's no update on Manziel's situation.

On Monday, the league told NEOMG that the NFL was investigating Manziel's domestic incident from Oct. 12, for which he was not arrested or charged.

"It is standard procedure to look into any incident that is a potential violation of our personal conduct policy,'' said the spokesman said.

If for some reason Manziel is inactive this week -- which appears unlikely -- former Rams quarterback Austin Davis  would serve as Josh McCown's backup.

McCown said this week that Davis has been helpful identifying some of the tendencies of some of the Rams defenders.

Last week, Manziel was McCown's backup against the Broncos despite the fact he was involved in a domestic incident with his girlfriend, Colleen Crowley, the Monday before. Manziel, who spent 10 weeks in an addiction treatment facility in the offseason, admitted to having two drinks earlier in the day.

At about 6 p.m., Manziel was seen driving down the berm of Interstate 90 at about 90 mph and crossing erratically over several lines. He exited at Nagel Road in Avon, where witnesses saw him putting Crowley in a headlock to keep her from exiting the moving vehicle.

Police questioned both Manziel and Crowley, who was intoxicated, but didn't charge either of them.

Crowley also accused Manziel of hitting her and shoving her head against the car window, before later denying that he physically harmed her.

  Pettine said the Browns will wait until the NFL completes it's investigation before deciding whether or not to discipline Manziel.

He faces a possible fine or suspension under the personal conduct policy, and also possibly the substance abuse policy if he's in the NFL's program.

It is not known if Manziel is required by the league to abstain from alcohol.  

Hiram has not defeated Wittenberg in 15 games.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The No. 8 Ashland Eagles (7-0) will play their final road game of the season at Northern Michigan (4-3) at 1 p.m. Saturday.

Listen to the game here.

The Eagles head up north led by QB Travis Tarnowski, who is the Week 7 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week.

Tarnowski's 72.4 completion percentage against Hillsdale was the second-highest of his career. It was also Tarnowski's third career 300-yard passing game.

Tarnowski, a graduate of North Royalton, is 15-2 as a starter. He has thrown for 4,069 yards (sixth all-time at AU), 33 touchdowns (fourth all-time) and just 10 interceptions in 17 games.

Despite Ashland's success, Saturday's game against Northern Michigan is not easy. Three Wildcats are in the top five in the GLIAC in their respective categories.

Marcus Tucker is tied for second in receiving touchdowns (6), Shaye Brown ranks third in passing yards per game (275) and fifth in touchdowns (16). On defense, L.J. Liston ranks first in the conference and is 12th among Division II players in tackles per game with 12.

In a Division II game on Thursday night, Notre Dame College defeated West Liberty, 59-51.

In Division III, Hiram (1-5) will attempt to continue one streak and stop another when it plays host to Wittenberg (4-2) at 1 p.m. Saturday.

Hiram won its first game of the season last week. The Terriers, however, have not defeated Wittenberg in 15 tries. The cumulative score in those losses is 888-77.

Here are the remaining games involving local Division III/II teams on Saturday:

Division III

Mount Union (6-0) at Wilmington (1-5), 1:30 p.m., Live stats

John Carroll (5-1) at Capital (2-4), 1:30 p.m. Live stats

Baldwin-Wallace (4-2) at Otterbein (4-2), 1:30 p.m., Live stats

Washington and Jefferson (5-1) at Case Western Reserve (5-1), 6 p.m., Live stats

Division II

Wayne State (3-4) at Walsh (2-5), 6 p.m., Live audio

Malone (0-7) at Lake Erie College (1-6), 7 p.m., Live stats

Kevin Love wants to be a man of his word and that's part of the reason he came back to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio -- No one would believe you.

That's how it was for Kevin Love with the Cavaliers last season.

No one would believe Love would sign an extension with the team at the end of the season. It didn't matter how many times Love insisted that was the plan.

If you're Kevin Love and you're scoring average is down and the frustration level is sometimes rising, why would you stay in Cleveland?

You're from the West Coast. Grew up in Oregon, went to UCLA.

Why Cleveland?

Besides, you aren't even a big part of the offense, right?

"But this is where I want to be," Love said Thursday. "I was always coming back."

Love signed a maximum five-year, $113 million contract to stay with the Cavaliers.

"I agreed at 12:01 a.m. (July 1, 2015)," he said. "Right after midnight, Griff (General Manager David Griffin) called. I said, 'Of course I'm in.' That was always my plan."

THE DECISION

Love announced his decision on the morning of July 1 on the Players Tribune website, where he is an editor.

Love wrote:

"After Game 1 of the NBA Finals, that's when it really struck me. Sitting on the sidelines, I never wanted to play in a game more than that one. I had dreamed of playing in the NBA Finals and I just wanted to help my guys win.

"I couldn't have been prouder of them as they poured their blood, sweat and tears onto the court.

"Yeah, of course I've heard the free agency rumors. But at the end of the day, and after meeting with my teammates (it turns out pools are great meeting places) and with the front office, it was clear Cleveland was the place for me. We're all on the same page and we're all in. We have unfinished business and now it's time to get back to work."

Only a few hours before that, ESPN reported that Love planned to meet with the Lakers to talk about signing with them.

Obviously, the only L.A. meeting was the one with James on June 28.

It's now called the "poolside meeting," because that's where they got together. Both had opted out of their contracts to be free agents.

James was coming back, and wanted Love to do the same

"We talked about how we played in the second half when we were all together," he said. "We both want the same things. We talked about what we wanted to accomplish, where we were headed as a team."

The Cavs were 33-3 when they had Iman Shumpert, J.R. Smith, Timofey Mozgov, Kyrie Irving, Tristan Thompson, James and Love playing at the same time.

ROUGH START

Early in the season, the big question for Coach David Blatt was how to fit Irving, Love and James together. All were used to having the ball. All were the leading scorers on their respective teams.

Irving had been with the Cavs since 2010-11. James came from Miami, Love from Minnesota.

With the Timberwolves, Love averaged 26.1 points and 12.5 rebounds in 2013-14. He was a three-time All-Star. But in his six seasons with the Timberwolves, they never had a winning record or made the playoffs.

"I was a leader there and I had to do absolutely everything, every single game," said Love. "I wasn't the second or third option any night. I had to put up those numbers for us to be competitive."

Then came Cleveland.

James and Irving quickly blended together. Yes, Love joined them with what was supposed to be Cleveland's version of The Big Three, but he often felt like the third wheel.

"There were times when I was second guessing when I should shoot the ball or where I should be on the floor," he admitted. "I tried to change my game to affect the team in the right way."

Miami Heat forward Chris Bosh predicted that Love would be in the for biggest adjustment of the Big Three. Bosh went through the same thing when he joined James and Dwyane Wade in Miami in 2010.

The 6-foot-10 Love averaged a respectable 16.4 points and 9.7 rebounds for the Cavs, shooting .434 from the field. He was taking six fewer shots per game than he did in Minnesota.

There were some games when Love didn't play in the fourth quarter because he was struggling or Blatt went with a smaller lineup. Blatt often said Love had to make the biggest sacrifice to fit in.

"By the second half the season, I was getting more comfortable," Love said. "I was finding out where I can be the most effective on the floor. It's going to be much easier this year."

LOVE AND LEBRON

They really don't like each other.

Those were the whispers about James and Love.

At times, there seemed to be a bit of strain. Love had only been with one NBA team before being traded to Cleveland. He felt like the new kid transferring into a classroom in the middle of a year.

Love insists there were no major problems.

"I first met LeBron when I was 17 and he was at a NIKE camp," said Love. "Then I got to know him just playing in the NBA."

In 2012, they played together on the Gold Medal winning USA Olympic basketball team. One of the first calls that James made after signing with the Cavs in 2014 was to Love.

"He wanted to know if I wanted to play with him," said Love. "Of course I did."

Love's point is that he and James have more history together than most fans and media members realize.

"At times, we'd joke in the locker room about the stuff they were saying about us," said Love. "Like when I said Russell Westbrook was the MVP. The next day, LeBron came up to me said that he just told them (the media) that I was the MVP."

THE INJURY

Love waited seven years to make the playoffs, and embraced the postseason during the first round against Boston. He was so animated on the court, as if he and the Cavs fully understood and appreciated each other.

In Game 3 against Boston, he was a force with 23 points and 9 rebounds.

But seven minutes into Game 4, he became tangled up with the Celtics' Kelly Olynyk, who jerked Love's left arm.

"You know right away, this isn't good," said Love. "I looked at where my (left) shoulder was supposed to be. It wasn't there. It was like down my arm. I ran off the court. I kept thinking my shoulder isn't there where it should be."

Love added, "They had to pop it back a couple times to get it back in."

But he knew the damage was severe. He needed surgery. His playoffs were over after three games.

"I so wanted to play," he said. "I remember watching The Finals. I never wanted to play more in my life. I kept thinking that if we had just one of us (Love or Irving), we could have won. Just one more guy."

WHAT MATTERS MOST

Love talked about how the Cavaliers gave him three things he wanted from basketball:

1. Happiness.
2. Winning.
3. Ultimately getting paid.

"That's why playing in Cleveland is a no-brainer," he said. "Being here, you compete for a championship each year. It's why I came here in the first place. We're very talented. That's a big thing for me and for how I now look at the game."

Love admits that he was called upon to be a leader in Minnesota without being fully prepared.

"In some ways, you have to learn how to follow before you can lead," he said. "Last year, I had to learn how to follow. Things start with LeBron. He's had an unbelievable career, five straight trips to The Finals. I was learning from him. You look to follow him."

Love said the taste of the playoffs made him hungry for more.

"It' really what the game is all about," he said.

The shoulder injury increased his passion for basketball.

"I learned it all can be taken away from you in an instant," he said.

Now, he's back for a second season with the Cavs.

"(Signing the extension) felt like a big weight off my shoulders," he said. "I want to be a stand-up guy, a man of my word."

In the toughest season of his basketball career followed by a summer of deciding his future, Love proved to be just that.

 

Get live updates and videos Saturday from the final day of the OHSAA boys and girls golf Division I state championships in Columbus.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Check out a live blog Saturday with updates and videos from the final day of the OHSAA boys and girls golf Division I state championships from Northeast Ohio Media Group reporter Joe Noga.

Noga will be providing the latest news and videos in the comments section below from both tournaments, which are being held at the Ohio State University Golf Club in Columbus.

Follow this post all day for live updates on how local teams and players are faring. Chat with Noga and other golf fans in the comments section, too.

Check out a recap of Friday's first round from each tournament.

If you want to ask Noga questions, leave a comment below and he will do his best to answer as many as possible throughout the day.

For more high school sports news, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

The Stow and Brecksville football teams produced for several great plays on Friday. Watch video of them in this post.

BROADVIEW HEIGHTS, Ohio -- The Week 9 matchup between the Stow and Brecksville football teams produced for several enthralling moments.

Stow (9-0, 6-0) held on for a 37-28 win against Suburban League National Division-rival Brecksville (7-2, 4-2) despite a late comeback effort by the Bees which brought them to within two points of the Bulldogs in the fourth quarter. 

After slow starts, offensively, each team saw its respective quarterback and receivers combine for touchdown passes of 50 yards or more, among other stellar plays. 

First half highlights are featured in the video above while second half highlights are below. 

Follow our 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.

After injuries led to a quarterback -- and center -- carousel last year, West Geauga rides Searight past Perry.

CHESTERLAND, Ohio – Four changes at quarterback.

Four more at center.

This marred West Geauga’s 2014 season. The Wolverines finished 5-5, left to think about next year.

Well, next year has arrived – and West Geauga is the Chagrin Valley Conference Chagrin Division champion, courtesy of its 49-28 drubbing Friday of No. 20 Perry.

The Pirates (7-1, 4-1) remained steady in the cleveland.com Top 25, where it stood 20^th, and in other rankings for much of the season. Coach Matt Rosati cautioned a month ago that injuries could prove costly.

His protégé at West Geauga, Lou Cirino, knows this well.

Cirino cycled between quarterbacks last year, starting with Cameron Searight as a sophomore, replacing him with Andrew Cassese and repeating it all over again. They ran 50 of 51 times last year in a game against Harvey because of it. The center snapping to Cirino’s quarterbacks also seemed like a revolving door, and West Geauga limped to a 5-5 finish.

This time around, Searight has started all nine games for West Geauga. The same goes for senior center Kyle Krebs, the 6-foot, 265-pound bull among a stable of them that pushed around Perry on Friday for 329 yards rushing.

Searight proved to be the catalyst, putting up 374 yards of total offense between his 210 passing and 164 rushing. He also figured into four touchdowns – two throwing and two rushing – while his scampering set up set up three more. 

“The quarterback is the difference of that football team,” Rosati said. “He really can spin it, he does a great job of throwing it and running it.

“We didn’t have an answer for him.”

The night didn’t begin so easily for Searight, a 6-foot junior. He took off up the middle of the field on his first play and fumbled away the football. Perry immediately had the football deep in West Geauga territory, but the Pirates bailed out Searight by fumbling it back inside the 5.

“I’m so proud of him,” Cirino said. “After that first play, where he put it on the carpet, he could have packed it away. He’s a tough kid, physically and mentally.”

It took Searight and the offense another possession before gaining traction. Once they did, they scored on all but two possessions (conceding drives to end the first half and game).

A statement?

Certainly. This gave West Geauga a division title in the CVC.

“We’ve been waiting for this week ever since the offseason,” said Searight, who had to watch much of his team’s struggles a year ago.

However, much more can be gained from this win against Perry, which owned top billing in Division IV, Region 11. West Geauga entered with a No. 6 ranking in the Division III, Region 7 playoff computer ratings. The win should thrust it into the top four, in line for a first-round home game.

“Our guys knew if we didn’t win this, we would have been clawing and scratching to get in,” Cirino said. “We could have been an eight seed, going down to Hoban.”

The win was West Geauga’s sixth straight against Perry. Now comes a skid for the Wolverines that has lasted even longer: they visit Chagrin Falls next week looking for their first win in the series since 2006.

The Tigers won by two points each of the last two years.

Going back to West Geauga’s last win in that series, Searight attended elementary school.

“I was a little bit further than the Chesterland area,” he said.

Searight lived in Richmond Heights and later enrolled at St. Edward as a freshman. His feet and throwing arm were at home Friday against Perry.

For more high school sports news, like NEOvarsity on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Contact high school sports reporter Matt Goul on Twitter (@mgoul), by email (mgoul@cleveland.com) or log in and leave a message below in the comments section.

Friday's Suburban League National Division football matchup between Brecksville and Stow ended up being a shootout between the two team's passing games.

BROADVIEW HEIGHTS, Ohio -- In a football game featuring one team with one of the top running backs in Northeast Ohio and another that lost its starting quarterback to a knee injury in Week 6, one would expect a heated ground battle. 

That's not what happened when Brecksville (7-2, 4-2) hosted Stow (9-0, 6-0) in Friday's Suburban League National Division matchup. 

While the Bees were on the short end of the final score, 37-28, Brecksville players posted impressive numbers that edged out their Stow counterparts who put up some exceptional numbers themselves. 

Bees running back Josh Underwood out-rushed All-Ohioan Jayson Gobble, 126-104 yards, and scored two touchdowns, while Gobble had one. 

Some of the most thrilling moments came through the air, though, with receivers on each team turning in career performances. 

Brecksville wideout Sam Wiglusz caught seven passes for 224 yards and two touchdowns of 76 and 36 yards from Dan Shirilla. Shirilla completed 19-of-31 passes for 295 yards. 

Stow's Joe Andrassy hauled in nine catches for 195 yards, including scoring strikes of 56 and 34 yards. Bulldogs quarterback Kyle Vantrease completed 15-of-30 passes for 283 yards. 

Stow will look to complete an undefeated regular season at home against North Royalton on Oct. 30 while Brecksville will hope to finish strong against Hudson on the road in Week 10. 

Follow our 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.

Everything you need to know about College Football 2015 Week 8 for the MAC and more.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It's Week 8 of College Football 2015 and you can follow all the action here with our schedule/scoreboard, including TV and broadcast information, links to previews and other stories of interest, and live Twitter updates.

No. 19 Toledo (6-0, 3-0) is undefeated and nationally ranked, a feather in the cap of the Mid-American Conference. But now the Rockets must battle against mounting pressure to stay there. Today's game vs. UMass (1-5. 0-2) is arguably Toledo's last soft touch before a gauntlet of games against MAC West and East Division teams to close the season.

If the Rockets decide to take the game off today, UMass certainly has enough firepower for an upset. If Toledo tailback Kareem Hunt is healthy, this is the game the Rockets can increase his workload for down the stretch.

In Division II games today, No. 8 Ashland is at Northern Michigan (4-3). In Division III, Case Western Reserve (5-1) has a home game against Washington & Jefferson (5-1) at 6 p.m. and Baldwin Wallace (4-2) visits Otterbein (4-2) at 1:30.

As for the AP Top 25, No. 1 Ohio State, with J.T. Barrett starting at quarterback, plays at Rutgers tonight at 8. No. 2 Baylor hosts Iowa State at noon. The complete schedule is below.

Tweets from https://twitter.com/EmilyMBamforth/lists/mac  

MAC GAMES TODAY

• Bowling Green at Kent State, 1 p.m., ESPN3
• Miami at Western Michigan, 2 p.m., ESPN3
• Central Michigan at Ball State, 3 p.m., ESPN3
• Toledo at UMass, 3 p.m., ESPN3
• Eastern Michigan at N. Illinois, 3:30 p.m., ESPN3
• Ohio University at Buffalo, 3:30 p.m., ESPN3

TOP 25 GAMES TODAY

• No. 1 Ohio State at Rutgers, 8 p.m., ABC Ch. 5
• No. 2 Baylor vs. Iowa State, Noon, ESPN
• No. 3 Utah at Southern Cal, 7:30 p.m., FOX Ch. 8
• No. 5 LSU vs. Western Kentucky, 7 p.m., ESPNU
• No. 6 Clemson at Miami, Noon, ABC Ch. 5
• No. 7 Michigan State vs. Indiana, 3:30 p.m., ABC Ch. 5
• No. 8 Alabama vs. Tennessee, 3:30 p.m., CBS Ch. 19
• No. 9 Florida State at Georgia Tech, 7 p.m., ESPN2
• No. 10 Stanford vs. Washington, 10:30 p.m., ESPN
• No. 14 Oklahoma State vs. Kansas, 3:30 p.m., FS1
• No. 15 Texas A&M at No. 24 Mississippi, 7 p.m., ESPN
• No. 17 Oklahoma vs. Texas Tech, 3:30 p.m., ESPN2
• No. 19 Toledo at UMass, 3 p.m., ESPN3
• No. 21 Houston at UCF, Noon, ESPNEWS
• No. 23 Duke at Virginia Tech, 3:30 p.m., ESPNU
• No. 25 Pittsburgh at Syracuse, Noon, ESPNU

DIVISION III GAMES TODAY

• Mount Union at Wilmington, 1:30 p.m., Live stats
• John Carroll at Capital, 1:30 p.m. Live stats
• Baldwin-Wallace at Otterbein, 1:30 p.m., Live stats
• Washington and Jefferson at Case Western Reserve, 6 p.m., Live stats

DIVISION II GAMES TODAY

• Ashland at Northern Michigan, 1 p.m., Live stats
• Wayne State (3-4) at Walsh (2-5), 6 p.m., Live audio
• Malone (0-7) at Lake Erie College (1-6), 7 p.m., Live stats

OTHER STORIES OF INTEREST

• Road awaits MAC leaders
• No. 8 Ashland is traveling
• MAC Power Rankings
• Bowling Green is rolling
• Ohio State will beat Rutgers: Bill Livingston