How will LeBron James look after two weeks off? Joe Vardon offers the numbers immediately following James' two-week hiatus last season, which show there was a clear improvement.

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio - LeBron James said "I feel good" and declared himself active for the Cavaliers' season opener Tuesday against Chicago.

James, who practiced for the first time Sunday after nearly two weeks off following an anti-inflammatory injection in his back, wanted to see how he recovered from that workout before making any final declarations.

Following the Cavs' practice Monday, James declared "I'm ready to go" and said "nope" when asked if he ever truly doubted he'd play against the Bulls.

Cleveland coach David Blatt said there wouldn't be any specific minutes restriction on James, but "we'll be cautious, and careful, and not overplay him."

James' status for the season opener - he's yet to miss one as he enters his 13^th year - turned into a song and dance over the past several days with Blatt stating "absolutely" that his star player would be ready early last week.

James told the Northeast Ohio Media Group Friday he wouldn't "put all my eggs in one basket" to play in the opener, and expressed similar caution in a group interview that day.

This is the second time in 10 months James took about two weeks off after receiving an injection his ailing back. The last time he did it, in January, the results were stellar when he returned.

James' last game before his two-week hiatus last season was Dec. 28. In the two weeks before he sat down to formally rest and rehabilitate back and knee strains, he averaged 24.4 points, 4.8 rebounds and 7.8 assists while shooting 48.2 percent from the field.

He scored 34.9 percent of his points from the pain in those two weeks. Keep that in mind.

When James returned following the injection, on Jan. 13 in Phoenix, he averaged 30.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 6.3 assists over the next seven games. His shooting percentage jumped to 51.7 percent, and, most telling, he scored 45.3 percent of his points inside the lane.

Additionally, there was an eye test James was failing before he went out and passed with flying colors upon his return. He was quicker, dunking more often, getting more lift on his jump shot. And he was more aggressive getting into the key - his scoring and rebounding numbers are proof.

James' two weeks out of practice this time was a little different, he was more active working and shooting on the side, but he and the Cavs are counting on him to return with a similar burst.

But how long will it last? James' numbers from Jan. 13 through the end of the season, were close to what they were from the start of the season through Dec. 28. He finished averaging 25.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 7.4 assists.

The sorest spots for James from a year ago were his shooting percentage (48.8 percent) and turnovers (3.9 per game). It was the first time since 2007 that James experienced a dip in his shooting and the turnovers were a career high.

James reiterated what he told the Northeast Ohio Media Group last week, that some of his dips in production during the regular season should be attributed to a lack of comfort on a new team.

He won't have that problem when the Cavs take the floor in Chicago. Cleveland, of course, enters as the defending Eastern Conference champion with expectations of a repeat.

Things are not what they seemed with the Browns, even if the record is about what was expected.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Like little Alice, the Browns have gone "Through the Looking Glass," into a world where nothing is quite what it seemed to be.

"Through the Looking Glass," or mirror, is the sequel to "Alice in Wonderland."

Say, let's call the Browns' territory Blunder Land!

The record doesn't indicate it, but in some ways, the Browns have been a surprise.

They are not the dregs of the league some commentators thought they would be. Nor are they contenders. No, no, a thousand times no. 

No, no, no, no!

And speaking of no, if you say "no" once every second for 16 waking hours every day, you will say "no" 57,600 times a day.

It would then take you a little more than 156 days, or over five months, to say "no" once for every dollar (nine million of them) in the guaranteed portion of the contract of General Manager Ray Farmer's biggest free agent acquisition, Dwayne Bowe.

Bowe's numbers so far: Two games, in which he was targeted one time in each, no catches, no yards, no rushes, no kick returns, no nothing.

Club Trillion

In a basketball box score, a player who appears in a game, no matter if it is only for one second, receives credit for one minute. If he contributes, as the scorekeepers say, "zeroes across" in all the categories, he is called a trillionaire (for a line of, with commas added, 1,000,000,000,000).

Mark Titus, a former walk-on basketball  player at Ohio State wrote a funny and insightful blog called "Club Trillion" about his experiences.

Dwayne Bowe doesn't write or, apparently, do anything for his  game-day trillion.

Even Keith Hernandez was better

A couple of readers asked me recently to rethink my characterization of former Indian Keith Hernandez's dismal, disgraceful play in the  1990 season.

I considered him to be the biggest con man, loafer and unrepentant deadbeat in Cleveland sports in the more than 30 years I've been writing this column.

Hernandez had 130 at bats in 1990. He hit .200 with two doubles and a home run. He drove in eight runs and scored seven.

Keith Hernandez had Ruthian, steroidal, Bondsian numbers, compared to Bowe.

But that's the way it is on the other side of the looking glass. Things don't go as planned.

Do-over and d'oh!

Farmer's other top free agent pick-up, cornerback Tramon Williams, was flagged for being offside when San Diego missed a last-play game-winning field goal. On the do-over, the Chargers made it.

The only time Peyton Manning looked like Peyton Manning was when he threw a 75-yard touchdown pass, which eventually led to an overtime Denver victory against the Browns. The victim on the play was Williams.

Williams has a three-year contract with $10 million of it guaranteed.

Williams is not Bowe, though. Who is? 

Draft debacles

As for the drafts Farmer has directed, alleged cornerback Justin Gilbert can't play the position well enough to be trusted. He was drafted 14 spots higher than critical magnet Johnny Manziel.

Gilbert is contributing in a much reduced role as a kick returner. It is faint praise, but he is doing a solid job there.

The 2014 season was low-lighted by the micro-managing general manager's admission that he had texted coaches during games, a violation of NFL rules.

As for the 2015 draft, offensive lineman Cam Erving -- who's not Julius Erving and not Kyrie Irving -- might replace center Alex Mack, provided Mack's struggling performances thus far in coming back from a broken leg allow him to receive lucrative contract offers.

Maybe it's just me, but it seems to be a lot more fun waiting for next year with Kyrie, to see if he can stay healthy and help the Cavaliers gain the NBA championship they would have won except for injuries.

Danny Shelton, the top pick in the 2015 draft, plays in the middle of the line for a run defense that usually ranks as the worst in the league.

Pettine's place

I could go on about how the defense can't stop the run and the Browns have not exactly unleashed the next Jim Brown in their own running game.

That goes on coach Mike Pettine, but it's hard to see how he has the tools to succeed.

On the positive side, quarterback Josh McCown has been considerably better than expected, although he has taken a ferocious beating, mostly because the line has at times looked as overmatched on offense as it does on defense.

Hitchin' a ride?

Since Farmer came back from his four-game suspension for texting, he hasn't talked to the media or even been seen much.

On the bright side, it's nice that he can use his thumbs for things other than twiddling. A thumb could come in handy when it's time for him to leave town.

The Browns lost to St. Louis. Who is to blame? Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Browns lost to the Rams on Sunday, 24-6. There was plenty of blame to go around.

On Monday, Chris Fedor, Michael Reghi and Bud Shaw debated who was to blame for the defeat. Watch the video above and tell us who you blame in the comments.

The Cleveland Cavaliers will be missing a critical piece of their menacing Big Three at the start of the 2015-16.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers will be missing a critical piece of their menacing Big Three at the start of the 2015-16 season.

Kyrie Irving suffered a fractured left kneecap during Game 1 of the NBA Finals, ending his season and robbing him of a chance to compete for a title. His latest injury, in a career dotted with them, has also kept him from practicing with the Cavs as they get ready for the opener against the Chicago Bulls tonight.

The Cavs and Irving have been careful not to set a timetable for his return, but it wouldn't be surprising to see the talented youngster sidelined until December.

That means trying to sail through without a three-time All-Star point guard, one who blossomed as LeBron James' running mate last season. James and Irving became the league's highest-scoring duo, besting Golden State's Splash Brothers, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. 

If this were one year ago, taking Irving out of the mix would mean trouble -- the Cavs staring at a shaky contingency plan. But thanks to general manager David Griffin's aggressiveness this off-season, not settling after a trip to the NBA Finals, the Cavs are in much better shape.

The financial space limited options, especially after a spending splurge to keep the core intact. But Griffin scoured the free agency list. He wanted another playmaker -- the NBA Finals loss revealing the issue once Irving and Kevin Love suffered season-ending injuries. Shorthanded against the Warriors, too much of the offensive burden was placed on James. He wore down, likely having flashbacks to his first tenure with the Cavs. Even Matthew Dellavedova, a one-time Finals folkhero who was exposed as the series progressed, pushed himself to exhaustion.

After a few players came off the board this summer, Griffin arrived at a familiar name: Mo Williams.

The one-time Cavalier had an affinity for the city and fan base, even admitting this off-season that when playing in Portland, Minnesota and Charlotte recently, he kept a keen eye on the Cavaliers. He even rooted for them. Plus, Williams' price tag was appealing. At age 32, money wasn't much of an issue. It was about getting back to the postseason, a stage that wasn't kind in his first go-around.

"I want to do what makes me happy and what makes me happy is winning a championship," Williams stated during media day. "Where do I want to win a championship? There's no other place than here."

Williams will begin the year as the starting point guard, a role he played and excelled in during most of his Cleveland tenure. But his versatility, shooting prowess, comfort playing off the ball and potential scoring outbursts (52 points last year with Minnesota) also help explain why he was the ideal fit. 

Finding another player aside from the Big Three, one capable of creating his own shot, was one of Griffin's top objectives. While many celebrated the re-signing of James, Love, Shumpert, Dellavedova, Tristan Thompson and J.R. Smith, it will be Williams' addition that becomes the most critical.

The Cavs want to limit minutes. They want to be patient when it comes to bringing players back from injury, especially Irving. They want to limit James' offensive workload and have him do less early, unleashing a fresh four-time MVP in the postseason. They want to have enough versatility to play an array of lineups. They want shooters on the perimeter so they can be one of the most lethal three-point shooting teams in the league. They want to have at least one more creator than last year. And they want a deeper, more reliable bench.

Williams helps them achieve all of those ambitions, making him the Cavs' X factor.

The Cleveland Cavaliers hit the road to clash with the Chicago Bulls this evening in a potential Eastern Conference Finals preview.

CHICAGO, Ill. - It's finally the NBA season opener as the Cleveland Cavaliers hit the road to clash with the division-rival Chicago Bulls this evening in a potential Eastern Conference Finals preview.

Tipoff: 8 p.m. at the United Center, Chicago.

TV/radio: Fox Sports Ohio; WTAM 1100, 87.7 La Mega.

Last game: Cleveland defeated Dallas 103-97 in the preseason finale.

Cavaliers' probable starting lineup: Mo Williams, J.R. Smith, LeBron James, Kevin Love and Timofey Mozgov.

Bulls' probable starting lineup: Derrick Rose, Kirk Hinrich, Jimmy Butler, Nikola Mirotic and Paul Gasol.

Last season's record: 50-32.

Last season's Eastern Conference Semifinals: Cleveland advanced past Chicago in six games.

Key additions: Fred Hoiberg is the team's new head coach, replacing Tom Thibodeau.

Key losses: Tom Thibodeau.

2014-15 season series record: Cleveland, 3-1.

Injuries for Cleveland: Kyrie Irving (knee) and Iman Shumpert (wrist) are out.

Injuries For Chicago: None to report.

Cavaliers' next opponent: The second half of this back-to-back has the Cavaliers in Tennessee for a meeting with the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday at 8.

Catch Terry Pluto's latest podcast where he talks about the Cavaliers and Browns.

We're on iTunes. Subscribe to the cleveland.com Sports podcasts channel here (or search cleveland.com Sports podcasts).

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Is Terry excited for the Cavaliers season to start? Where does he see the Cavs finishing in the Eastern Conference? What team in the West does Terry see reaching The Finals? What can the Browns do to stop the run?

Plain Dealer sports columnist Terry Pluto answered those questions and more in our weekly podcast. Among other topics discussed:

* What is Terry looking forward to from the Cavs this season?

* Will David Blatt be able to limit minutes for LeBron?

* Will Johnny Manziel play for the Browns against Arizona?

You can download the mp3 or listen with the player to the right.

Be sure to also like Terry Pluto on Facebook and follow him on Twitter.

Michael Reghi is riled up. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Michael Reghi is riled up again this week. This time: it's about Mike Pettine playing more aggressive, especially with the Browns season falling apart.

Watch the video above to see Reghi's take.

At 8:07 p.m. ET on Tuesday, the Kansas City Royals and New York Mets will commence a journey that will culminate in the ending of a lengthy World Series title drought.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- At 8:07 p.m. ET on Tuesday, the Kansas City Royals and New York Mets will commence a journey that will culminate in the ending of a lengthy World Series title drought.

The Royals last captured the Fall Classic crown in 1985. The Mets won the World Series the following year. Neither has stood atop the league's hierarchy since. That will change over the course of the clubs' impending seven-game series.

The World Series will be televised by FOX and broadcast on ESPN Radio (AM 850 in Cleveland). Viewers can stream the coverage on the Fox Sports Go mobile app or on MLB.tv.

Here is the schedule for the series. The visiting team's starting pitcher is listed first.

Game 1: Tuesday, 8:07 p.m., at Kauffman Stadium

Matt Harvey (13-8, 2.71 ERA) vs. Edinson Volquez (13-9, 3.55)

Game 2: Wednesday, 8:07 p.m., at Kauffman Stadium

Jacob deGrom (14-8, 2.54) vs. Johnny Cueto (11-13, 3.44)

Game 3: Friday, 8:07 p.m., at Citi Field

Yordano Ventura (13-8, 4.08) vs. Noah Syndergaard (9-7, 3.24)

Game 4: Saturday, 8:07 p.m., at Citi Field

Chris Young (11-6, 3.06) vs. Steven Matz (4-0, 2.27)

Game 5: Sunday, 8:15 p.m., at Citi Field

Game 6: Tuesday, Nov. 3, 8:07 p.m., at Kauffman Stadium

Game 7: Wednesday, Nov. 4, at 8:07 p.m., at Kauffman Stadium

(Games 5-7 are if necessary)

Check cleveland.com/tribe for a live chat and scoring updates during each game.

Browns receiver Dwayne Bowe could finally see the field against Arizona with Andrew Hawkins suffering a concussion in St. Louis.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- With Andrew Hawkins likely to sit out the Cardinals game with his concussion, receiver Dwayne Bowe  is poised to see the field Sunday after being a healthy scratch each of the last three games.

The last time Bowe played was Oct. 4 against the Chargers, but he failed to catch the one contested ball thrown to him.

Bowe, who has no receptions this season, has been active for only two of seven games this season and Ray Farmer has come under heavy fire for signing him to a two-year deal in the offseason worth $12.5 million, including $9 million guaranteed.

If not for the big guarantee, the Browns may have cut the nine-year veteran by now.

Last week, coach Mike Pettine acknowledged it might be hard for Bowe to get on the field because the top four receivers "are entrenched'' and that special teams play is the key to being active thereafter. Therefore, Marlon Moore has played ahead of him.

On Monday, Pettine said that Hawkins is in the concussion protocol, meaning he'll likely have to sit this one out. Hawkins may have suffered the concussion during a helmet-to-helmet collision with Nick Fairley after he recovered Travis Benjamin's fumble.

So far this season, Bowe, who missed most of training camp with a hamstring injury, has played a total of 12 snaps, but  offensive coordinator John DeFilippo has urged him to stay ready.

"We are going to need Dwayne at some point this season."

When he was preparing to face the Chargers in week four, he vowed, "it starts Sunday. I can't wait to go out there and showcase my talent and be a ringleader for the guys and go out there and bring home a win. That's all I can ask for. If God's capable of having me out there playing, that's what I'm going to do.''

He said he didn't feel pressured to live up to the big contract.

"I don't look at it like that,'' he said. "Everything I (get) I deserve. It's just going out there proving it. It's a long season. Everybody's waiting for something to happen. I understand. I'm more ready than you guys are. But you have to be smart. I don't ever look at  the contract. I look at what I did to get here. That's being a football player. Everything else will speak (for itself) after that.''

 Jordan Poyer out

Pettine ruled safety Poyer out of the Cardinals game with a shoulder injury suffered in St. Louis.

"It is a shame because Jordan played one of his better games of the season yesterday,'' said Pettine.

With starting free safety Tashaun Gipson missing the past three games with a sprained ankle, they're hoping he's ready to go.

"Gip made a lot of positive strides last week,'' said Pettine. "We will see where he is.''
The Browns have contingency plans at safety if Gipson can't go. Rookie Ibraheim Campbell can step and in "we've also cross-trained K'Waun Williams - he could play some safety. (Johnson) Bademosi, knows safety, and also Don Jones. It's probably toughest on [Jones]. He's doing a good job for us on (special) teams but just to come in, he would probably be the last option there. There are options."

Joe Haden still in concussion protocol

Haden has missed the past two games with his concussion, but is still in the protocol, Pettine said. He's improving but hasn't been cleared yet. He's in jeopardy of missing the Cardinals game unless he gets the green light soon. ....Pettine said he's very optimistic about linebacker Craig Robertson (ankle) returning to action this week.

Backup Barkevious Mingo still listed as starter

Curiously, Mingo is listed as the starting outside linebacker on the depth chart despite the fact he hasn't started since week two. Rookie Nate Orchard has started the past three games there and got almost three times as many snaps in St. Louis.

LeBron James said he'll talk to his children about playing in front of the president of the United States in tonight's season opener.

CHICAGO - LeBron James said playing in front of President Barack Obama in tonight's NBA season opener would be "an honor," something the game's brightest star would recount to his children long after the final buzzer.

"Our league, I believe our league is the greatest league that we have in the world," James said prior to the Cavaliers' morning shootaround, in preparation for the season's first game against the Chicago Bulls at the United Center. "We have the greatest athletes and greatest fans and so on and so on. So (for) the president of the United States to grace us on opening night in Chicago, I'm just honored, something I can tell my kids a long, long time from now.

"I'll actually be able to have the film showing them, kids don't believe me sometimes, I'll be able to show them the film that the president of the United States was at a ball game I played in. That's pretty cool."

Obama, a native Chicagoan who still has a home here and is a noted fan of the Bulls and James, is giving multiple speeches in the city earlier on Tuesday. The White House hasn't formally confirmed Obama's presence at tonight's opener, but the United Center was crawling with Secret Service agents even before the Cavs took the court for shootaround.

"You can tell he's going to be in the building by all the suits running around," Kevin Love cracked.

Both James and Love recalled playing in front of Obama before, during a game with Team USA against Brazil in the summer of 2012 (Obama's re-election year).

James remembered that Obama, who he supported financially and vocally as a candidate for president in 2008, "was able to grace that game and came into the locker room and things of that nature."

Cavs coach David Blatt, a champion coach for Maccabi Tel Aviv who has a relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said he couldn't recall ever before coaching in front of an American president.

"You know, I've been in front of some presidents in other parts of the world, actually," said Blatt, who also coached the Russians in the 2012 Olympics. "So, (president) of the United States? Yes (it is his first time). Unless the president was at the Olympic games and I didn't know it.

Last year, the Cavs played in front of extra special guests when the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and the former Kate Middleton, sat courtside for a game in Brooklyn.

That night, James and Kyrie Irving wore "I Can't Breathe" T-shirts to protest police violence against African-Americans, and after the game James sparked a minor international controversy by placing his arm around the duchess.

Last week, James spent time with First Lady Michelle Obama in Akron, when they held an event for James' charitable foundation celebrating their separate but congruent education programs.

James said the First Lady gave him no hints that the president would be stopping by in Chicago.

"Nah, I don't think they disclose information like that."

Cavs guard Mo Williams said if he gets the chance, he'll say "what's up" to Obama on the court.

"I'm pretty sure it wouldn't be a lengthy conversation," Williams said. "Definitely, if I get a handshake it will be something to be remembered, obviously."

Several teams from across the state have entered district play for the 2015 OHSAA state boys soccer tournament, many of which are local to Northeast Ohio.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Teams from across Ohio have entered district play for the 2015 OHSAA state boys soccer tournament. 

If you are curious how your favorite team is doing or how far the top teams from the area can go, you've come to the right place to find out. 

Follow along all postseason with our interactive, printable brackets for every sectional/district tournament featuring a local team. These brackets will be updated daily throughout the postseason.

Regional brackets will be added after district tournament play, followed by state final four brackets.

Here are brackets for all the sectional/district tournaments featuring at least one local team. Local teams still remaining are noted in each district:

Division I Tournament – Austintown-Fitch District (Green remains)

Division I Tournament – Brunswick District (Archbishop Hoban, Copley, Medina and Wadsworth remain)

Division I Tournament – Kent District (Aurora, Brecksville, Hudson and Solon remain)

Division I Tournament – Mentor District (Cleveland Heights, Mentor, Riverside and Shaker Heights) 

Division I Tournament – Rocky River District (Berea-Midpark, Olmsted Falls, Strongsville and Westlake remain)

Division I Tournament – University Heights District (Lakewood, Normandy, North Royalton and St. Ignatius remain)

Division II Tournament – Brunswick District (Norton and St. Vincent-St. Mary remain) 

Division II Tournament – Kent District (Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy, Orange, Revere and Woodridge remain)

Division II Tournament – Rocky River District (Bay, Firelands, Padua and Rocky River remain) 

Division II Tournament – University Heights District (Hawken, Lake Catholic, University School and West Geauga remain)

Division III Tournament – Brunswick District (no locals remaining)

Division III Tournament – Kent District (Rootstown remains) 

Division III Tournament – Rocky River District (Columbia, Independence, Lutheran West and Oberlin remain)

Division III Tournament – University Heights District (Beachwood, Cornerstone Christian, Kirtland and Wickliffe remain) 

Follow along throughout the postseason to monitor how your favorite team is progressing all the way up through districts, on to regionals and then states. 

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

Mike Pettine has made complimentary comments about Johnny Manziel lately. But it's clear he sees him only as an emergency starter -- Bud Shaw's Sports Spin

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Mike Pettine used the word "entrenched" to describe his top wide receivers.

He has never felt the need to use the word for Josh McCown as the No. 1 but it obviously fits him just as well.

"If our starting quarterback is physically able to play, will we play him? Yes," Pettine said Monday with a look that said he's weary of the subject, or bemused, or both.

What Pettine didn't add: "even if we have to wheel him to the huddle."

Pettine does say nice things about Johnny Manziel when given the chance. So there's that.

 He gave him a A-plus for how he's handled himself inside the Berea complex. He gave Manziel credit for not missing much of a beat in game preparation after unhappily returning to the bench following the Tennessee win.

The reference point for that comment: A CBS Sports report quoted a source saying Manziel "thought he got the job back...so you had a bad feeling something might be coming and he might slip."

That was following the incident two Mondays ago involving Manziel and his girlfriend.

CBS's Jason LaCanfora quoted a source saying he is "not sure (Manziel) is wired to be a backup."

Some quarterbacks aren't. The real issue for Manziel is he hasn't shown he's good enough to be a NFL starter either.

The byproduct of the season plan to start McCown is a re-wiring of Manziel on and off the field. That's a big job.

Some of the same people who recognize that Manziel acted entitled last season were anxious to see the reins get handed to him this season after just one win against the Titans.

Pettine is not so anxious. Good for him. He seems in no interest to artificially accelerate Manziel's status.

Despite the 2-5 record, McCown is just as entrenched as he was in the season opener.

Part of it is the way he's played, especially if the No. 2 quarterback doesn't project as the future of the franchise.

You can rail about McCown's career record all you want. The sobering flip side of that argument is this: in separate training camps, Manziel failed to beat out two journeyman quarterbacks.

This isn't Aaron Rodgers failing to unseat Brett Favre here and biding his time.

The Browns aren't holding Manziel back. Manziel has held Manziel back. You can't blame Pettine if the incident with girlfriend Colleen Crowley is another reason to appreciate McCown.

The natural juncture to consider a change at quarterback is the bye week. The Browns play Arizona at home Sunday and Cincinnati and Pittsburgh away before the breather.

If they're 2-8 or 3-7 and McCown is playing well, who knows, Pettine still might not see reason to change.

But Manziel could get the final six  games - Baltimore, Cincinnati, San Francisco, Seattle, Kansas City, Pittsburgh.

You could sell a locker room on that in late November a  lot easier than you can when the season is seven games old and you're preaching about the benefits of adversity and what you can learn from taking on big challenges.

Those final six games offer teams trying to salvage reputations as well as teams chasing playoff spots.

 It's a big enough sample size. Manziel, after all, isn't a blank slate.

Based on what the Browns have seen of him over two seasons, he's far more convincing as a backup than as starter.

More than likely he'll get his chance to show more than that.

For now, there's no reason why Pettine should see it any other way.

Which explains why the question of McCown's status, if healthy, seems to have  brought the head coach closer to full eye roll.

Many Division I teams from across Ohio recently completed sectionals while Division II and III programs are headed for the district finals in the 2015 OHSAA state girls soccer tournament.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Several Division I teams from across Ohio recently completed sectionals while Division II and III programs are headed for the district finals in the 2015 OHSAA state girls soccer tournament. 

If you are wondering how your favorite team is doing or how far the top teams from the area can go, you've come to the right place to find out. 

Follow along all postseason with our interactive, printable brackets for every sectional/district tournament featuring a local team. These brackets will be updated daily throughout the postseason.

Regional brackets will be added after district tournament play, followed by state final four brackets.

Here are brackets for all the sectional/district tournaments featuring at least one local team. Local teams still remaining are noted in each district: 

Division I Tournament – Brunswick District (Brunswick, Copley, Medina and Wadsworth remain) 

Division I Tournament – Kent District (Hudson, Kenston, Twinsburg and Walsh Jesuit remain)

Division I Tournament – Mentor District (Cleveland Heights, Madison, Mayfield and Mentor remain)

Division I Tournament – Rocky River District (Amherst, Magnificat, North Olmsted and Westlake remain)

Division I Tournament – University Heights District (Brecksville, Lakewood, North Royalton and Strongsville remain)

Division II Tournament – Brunswick District (Archbishop Hoban and Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy remain)

Division II Tournament – Kent District (Hathaway Brown and Revere remain)

Division II Tournament – Rocky River District (Holy Name and Rocky River remain) 

Division II Tournament – University Heights District (Chagrin Falls and Lake Catholic remain)

Division III Tournament – Brunswick District (Manchester remains) 

Division III Tournament – Kent District (no local teams remaining) 

Division III Tournament – Rocky River District (Cuyahoga Heights remains)

Division III Tournament – University Heights District (Hawken and Kirtland remain)

Follow along throughout the postseason to monitor how your favorite team is progressing all the way up through districts, on to regionals and then state. 

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

Tonight is the start of a new season, and for the Cavs, it marks the beginning of another championship quest. They will open the season on the road against the Chicago Bulls, expected to be the East's biggest threat. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The final seconds ticked off the clock as Golden State's Stephen Curry launched a basketball into the air at Quicken Loans Arena. The Warriors had just won their first championship in 40 years, beating the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals.

That's how last season came to an end, with the Cavs walking off the court while another team celebrated in their building, a memory that they reflected on during the off-season. 

But tonight is the start of a new season, and for the Cavs, it marks the beginning of another championship quest. They will open on the road against the Chicago Bulls, expected to be the East's biggest threat.

As tipoff approaches, here are the preview stories from our reporting team from the last week, including all of our predictions for this season. 

You can check out all of our Cavs content at cleveland.com/cavs.

For other NBA-related stuff, click here. 

Cavs win total

Why the Cavaliers will go 52-30 this season

Chris Haynes 

"The Eastern Conference champs will use the first week of the regular season as their exhibition schedule.

The week of practice leading up to Oct. 27 against the Chicago Bulls was supposed to be where the team would really get at it, but LeBron James has been held out and limited to shooting drills due to the injections for his troublesome lower back.

Gaining continuity and guys getting into game shape will have to be established in the mix of real games. Other teams used the final couple of friendly matches to determine lineups and rotations, while distributing minutes.

Cleveland will be at a disadvantage at the outset." Read more >>

LeBron James and Cavaliers will shake injuries, win 59 games

Joe Vardon

"Cleveland's problem this year is, you guessed it, injuries. They're what derailed the Cavs in the Finals and again this preseason. Let's not rehash it.

Between the surgeries that will keep Irving and Shumpert on the sideline for a while and the two shots James has received in his back in 10 months, it's reasonable to suspect the team will play a large amount of games without some of its best players.

And yet a favorable early schedule, coupled with a reasonable expectation that the Cavs should have all of their key parts working together after the All-Star Break, has me thinking 59 wins and a No. 1 seed in the East for Cleveland." Read more >>

Cleveland Cavaliers won't reach peak until later in the season

Chris Fedor

"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." Read more >> 

NBA season predictions

History will be made in Cleveland when the Cavaliers win championship

Chris Haynes 

"The Golden State Warriors will not repeat as NBA champions. In each round of the playoffs last season, their opponents dealt with injuries to key players. It won't be that easy this time around.

The Clippers and Spurs are dramatically better. Houston would also like to believe so. In the Eastern Conference, I don't see there being any real competition that can stand in the way of the Cavaliers reaching The Finals. Cleveland's stiffest competition will be avoiding injuries." Read more >>

Why LeBron James and the Cavs will beat the Golden State Warriors this time

Joe Vardon

"Yes, you'll get the Finals rematch you wanted, LeBron James vs. Stephen Curry.

Anyway, I love the Cavs' talent. I don't think LeBron James will play enough games to win MVP. And my Finals pick is based on the following opinion I've never been able to shake:

Having watched the Cavs in their glory days of February and March, I felt they were better when healthier than the Warriors. I'm betting they'll get the chance to prove it this June." Read more >>

San Antonio Spurs will defeat Cleveland Cavaliers in NBA Finals

Chris Fedor

"Armed with valuable experience from last season and a better overall roster thanks to new additions Mo Williams, Richard Jefferson and Sasha Kaun, the Cavs are equipped to make another run. The lack of a true East rival will also help pave the way for a second straight trip to the Finals -- overcoming early-season injuries. 

But there won't be a rematch of last year's title series. 

The Western Conference is filled with land mines. Golden State escaping unscathed a second straight year will be too challenging, especially with the reloaded San Antonio Spurs lurking.

But James' greatest challenge -- ending Cleveland's title drought -- will be delayed by the Spurs, a team that has prevented him from two titles already." Read more >>

Cavs X-factor

Richard Jefferson is Cavaliers' X-factor

Chris Haynes 

"Remember Richard Jefferson, the 14-year NBA veteran. He's my pick for this season's Cleveland Cavaliers X-Factor of the team.

Jefferson, 36, was arguably the Cavaliers' most consistent player during the preseason and he has a golden opportunity to be the best backup LeBron James has ever had.

The reigning Eastern Conference champions experimented with Shawn Marion last season and it failed miserably, to say the least. Marion, a possible future Hall of Famer, was retired before he even retired. Over the summer the team went the same route in plucking another aging vet to spell James." Read more >>

LeBron James' back is an X-factor for the season

Joe Vardon

"The Cavaliers went 2-11 in games LeBron James didn't play last season, a career high in absences for The King.

This year's team is built to better withstand an extended absence, more so once Kyrie Irving returns from knee surgery.

Irving, Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson now understand what it means to win. Veterans Richard Jefferson and Mo Williams bring further stability to a team that got a lot sturdier when it added J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert and Timofey Mozgov last January.

All of that is good news, because, well, I think James is going to miss some games. Thus, the X factor for the Cavs this season is not one person or collection of players, but a body part. It's James' back." Read more >>

Mo Williams is Cleveland Cavaliers X-factor

Chris Fedor

"The Cavs want to limit minutes. They want to be patient when it comes to bringing players back from injury, especially Irving. They want to limit James' offensive workload and have him do less early, unleashing a fresh four-time MVP in the postseason. They want to have enough versatility to play an array of lineups. They want shooters on the perimeter so they can be one of the most lethal three-point shooting teams in the league. They want to have at least one more creator than last year. And they want a deeper, more reliable bench.

Williams helps them achieve all of those ambitions, making him the Cavs' X factor." Read more >>

More stories

LeBron James feels ready for the opener

Joe Vardon

"James, who practiced for the first time Sunday after nearly two weeks off following an anti-inflammatory injection in his back, wanted to see how he recovered from that workout before making any final declarations.

Following the Cavs' practice Monday, James declared 'I'm ready to go' and said 'nope' when asked if he ever truly doubted he'd play against the Bulls." Read more >>

Tristan Thompson, the Cavs' Swiss Army Knife, completes the roster

Chris Fedor

"Sometimes it's difficult to truly measure a player's value. If Tristan Thompson's brand new $82 million contract wasn't enough to show his importance to the Cleveland Cavaliers, general manager David Griffin tried to explain it another way, using a popular multi-use tool as an analogy.

'He makes us a Swiss Army Knife,' Griffin said following Friday's practice. 'We literally can deal with anybody in the frontcourt the way we're built when we have Tristan in the fold. We have something for every type of big man that we'll come across. I think he just completes us in that way.'

It's an apt comparison, one that was first mentioned last year by either LeBron James or Kevin Love, according to Griffin. That kind of versatility, one of the important traits when piecing together a title-contending team, was one of Cleveland's biggest obstacles in the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors." Read more >>

Cavs not thinking about predictions, just about getting together and getting healthy

Chris Haynes

"Blatt didn't care to talk about a championship run. He's focused on today.

'We're not even talking about that right now,' Blatt said. 'We're talking about how we can get everybody on the same page, get all of our players back, work hard and try to make day-to-day progress.'

In the survey, LeBron James was voted as the favorite to win his fifth MVP award. Cleveland is bringing back its entire core and has added contributors in Mo Williams and Richard Jefferson. Read more >>   

Cavs' Big Three featured in TNT's promotion for opening night 

Chris Fedor

"The Cavs' 30-second spot was released on Twitter.

In the uniquely-produced promo, the Cavs' Big Three of LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love are walking through the desert as they see the Larry O'Brien trophy in the distance. There are camels, art pieces, basketballs and plenty of sand. There's even a cameo from comedian Mike Epps.

The first landmark in the quest is the top of the Eastern Conference, a spot the Cavs claimed during last year's playoff run." Read more >>

It's a long road to the Larry O'Brien trophy. #TheQuest begins OPENING NIGHT on TNT. (more teams coming soon!) https://t.co/KAvdBx3Wh0

-- NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) October 7, 2015

Michael Reghi, Dan Labbe, Bud Shaw and Chris Fedor offered up bold Browns predictions for this week and the remainder of the season. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Browns are moving on after getting pounded by the St. Louis Rams, 24-6. 

But things won't get much easier this weekend against the NFC West-leading Arizona Cardinals, especially with the uncertain quarterback situation. 

Michael Reghi, Dan Labbe, Bud Shaw and I offered up our bold predictions for this week and the remainder of the season. Watch the video above and then share one of your own in the comments section below.

See OHSAA brackets in all boys and girls soccer, volleyball and field hockey postseason tournaments involving local teams.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Playoffs are under way in several fall team sports and cleveland.com has you covered with printable and interactive brackets for all local OHSAA sectional/district tournaments in boys and girls soccer, volleyball and field hockey.

Also see lists of all the area teams that are still competing.

The playoffs began last week. This week is district semifinals and finals. Brackets will be updated daily throughout the postseason. The brackets show when and where all local teams are playing. They also are interactive, linking to box scores and team pages. 

Regional brackets will be added after district tournament play, followed by state final four brackets.

• Boys soccer brackets: See all the OHSAA boys soccer district tournaments involving local teams.


• Girls soccer brackets: See all the OHSAA girls soccer district tournaments involving local teams.


• Volleyball brackets: See all the OHSAA volleyball district tournaments involving local teams.


• Field hockey brackets: See the OHSAA state-qualifying field hockey tournament involving local teams.

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

See Ohio high school football computer playoff ratings for all Ohio schools for October 27, 2015.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Here is the sixth weekly high school football computer poll, released October 27, 2015 by the Ohio High School Athletic Association.

The computer ratings are released every Tuesday afternoon beginning after the fourth week of the season, with the final report on Sunday, Nov. 1.

Again this season, there are seven football divisions. The largest schools are in Division I, which is divided into two regions. The top 16 teams in both Division I regions will qualify for the playoffs. The top 20 schools in both Division I regions are shown below.

Schools in Divisions II through VII are each divided into four regions. The top eight teams in each region will qualify for the playoffs. The top 12 are shown below.

Click here for the full report listing every team in Ohio
 
Division I  (top 16 from both Division I regions will qualify for the playoffs)

Region 1 - 

1. Lakewood St. Edward (8-1) 34.8949, 2. Westerville Central (9-0) 28.0778, 3. Stow-Munroe Falls (9-0) 24.9556, 4. Euclid (7-2) 24.8889, 5. Mentor (7-2) 24.4949, 6. Lewis Center Olentangy (8-1) 23.75, 7. Canton GlenOak (7-2) 23.5278, 8. Powell Olentangy Liberty (6-3) 22.3333, 9. Tol. Whitmer (7-2) 21.9778, 10. Solon (7-2) 21.8557, 11. Canton McKinley (6-3) 18.6616, 12. Tol. Start (8-1) 17.8617, 13. Austintown-Fitch (6-3) 16.6818, 14. Berea-Midpark (6-3) 16.1056, 15. Elyria (5-4) 13.8444, 16. Massillon Jackson (4-5) 12.55, 17. Lorain (5-4) 12.3167, 18. Strongsville (4-5) 12.0278, 19. Cleveland Heights (3-5) 11.5764, 20. Cle. St. Ignatius (5-3) 11.375

Region 2 - 1. Cin. Colerain (8-1) 32.6278, 2. Hilliard Davidson (8-1) 30.4778, 3. Lancaster (7-2) 27.3833, 4. Huber Hts. Wayne (9-0) 26.8889, 5. Gahanna Lincoln (7-2) 24.1197, 6. Upper Arlington (7-2) 23.2653, 7. Mason (7-2) 23.2273, 8. Cin. Elder (6-3) 22.2595, 9. Pickerington Central (7-2) 21.7333, 10. Cin. St. Xavier (5-4) 21.3944, 11. Fairfield (7-2) 20.6, 12. Hilliard Darby (8-1) 20.5611, 13. Springboro (7-2) 20.2323, 14. West Chester Lakota West (6-3) 17.9278, 15. Centerville (6-3) 17.8722, 16. Reynoldsburg (6-3) 17.3535, 17. Grove City Central Crossing (6-3) 17.0455, 18. Cin. Archbishop Moeller (4-5) 16.5533, 19. Beavercreek (6-3) 15.6616, 20. Dublin Coffman (6-3) 15.3778

Division II  (top 8 from all regions in Divisions II through VII will qualify for the playoffs)

Region 3 - 1. Aurora (8-1) 26.0111, 2. Madison (8-1) 23.5941, 3. Mayfield (8-1) 21.8889, 4. Copley (8-1) 19.0667, 5. Chardon (7-2) 18.3384, 6. Hudson (7-2) 17.1889, 7. Maple Hts. (7-2) 16.1212, 8. Macedonia Nordonia (6-3) 15.6056, 9. Warren G. Harding (6-3) 15.4331, 10. Green (3-6) 12.7944, 11. Brecksville-Broadview Hts. (7-2) 11.6278, 12. Bedford (5-4) 11.3485

Region 4 - 1. Perrysburg (9-0) 28.6889, 2. Grafton Midview (9-0) 27.5167, 3. Avon (8-1) 22.1, 4. Holland Springfield (8-1) 21.8556, 5. Cle. Glenville  (8-1) 20.3939, 6. Medina Highland (6-3) 18.75, 7. North Ridgeville (7-2) 16.5778, 8. Olmsted Falls (6-3) 12.7667, 9. Tol. St. John's (6-3) 12.4056, 10. North Olmsted (5-4) 8.8889, 11. Sylvania Northview (4-5) 7.5611, 12. Fremont Ross (4-5) 7.4111

Region 5 - 1. Massillon Perry (7-2) 23.3611, 2. Worthington Kilbourne (8-1) 21.0333, 3. Uniontown Lake (6-3) 20.5278, 4. Pataskala Licking Hts. (8-1) 20.3016, 5. Boardman (5-4) 19.9596, 6. Dresden Tri-Valley (8-1) 18.6889, 7. Wooster (7-2) 18.5778, 8. Mansfield Senior (7-2) 16.5722, 9. Logan (7-2) 16.2833, 10. Massillon Washington (4-5) 14.8232, 11. Cols. Walnut Ridge (6-3) 14.4646, 12. Cols. Northland (6-3) 13.5646

Region 6 - 1. Cin. La Salle (8-1) 35.4, 2. Kings Mills Kings (8-1) 25.8, 3. Cin. Turpin (8-1) 24.7278, 4. Miamisburg (8-1) 21.8, 5. Lima Senior (8-1) 21.7389, 6. Vandalia Butler (7-2) 20.0889, 7. Cin. Winton Woods (5-3) 19.9739, 8. Cin. Glen Este (7-2) 18.9091, 9. Ashville Teays Valley (7-2) 17.1833, 10. Trenton Edgewood (7-2) 17.0111, 11. Riverside Stebbins (7-2) 14.0657, 12. Harrison (6-3) 13.8278

Division III

Region 7 - 1. Akron Archbishop Hoban (9-0) 30.5556, 2. Poland Seminary (9-0) 24.6278, 3. Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary (8-1) 24.1111, 4. Louisville (8-1) 23.0333, 5. Medina Buckeye (9-0) 21.9056, 6. Chesterland West Geauga (8-1) 20.6315, 7. Akron Buchtel (7-2) 17.4394, 8. New Philadelphia (7-2) 17.0111, 9. Canfield (7-2) 15.8889, 10. Painesville Harvey (6-3) 13.6414, 11. Ravenna (6-3) 12.5722, 12. Mentor Lake Cath. (5-4) 12.5454

Region 8 - 1. Cle. Benedictine (9-0) 29.4798, 2. Tol. Central Cath. (7-2) 23.7109, 3. Clyde (8-1) 22.2, 4. Sandusky Perkins (8-1) 21.5444, 5. Ashland (8-1) 21.1833, 6. Bay Village Bay (8-1) 20.8111, 7. Rocky River (8-1) 19.7722, 8. Bowling Green (7-2) 16.2611, 9. Cle. John Hay (8-1) 15.2833, 10. Elida (6-3) 12.3833, 11. Mansfield Madison Comp. (5-4) 11.6278, 12. Hunting Valley University School (6-3) 11.0521

Region 9 - 1. Cols. Hamilton Township (7-2) 20.7677, 2. Cols. St. Francis DeSales (8-1) 19.6827, 3. Zanesville (8-1) 19.2535, 4. Jackson (8-1) 19.1611, 5. Bexley (8-1) 19.0, 6. Cols. Marion-Franklin (6-3) 15.3968, 7. Cols. Eastmoor Acad. (6-3) 14.6889, 8. Cols. Beechcroft (6-2) 14.2399, 9. Chillicothe (6-3) 12.75, 10. Cols. Independence (6-3) 12.6111, 11. Thornville Sheridan (6-3) 12.5222, 12. Granville (4-5) 12.1263

Region 10 - 1. Wapakoneta (9-0) 24.0833, 2. Tipp City Tippecanoe (8-1) 23.0722, 3. Trotwood-Madison (6-3) 20.4056, 4. New Richmond (7-2) 18.9, 5. Celina (6-3) 16.4056, 6. Cin. Mount Healthy (6-3) 16.1944, 7. Goshen (7-2) 14.6587, 8. Dayton Belmont (7-1) 14.6322, 9. St. Marys Memorial (6-3) 14.3611, 10. Piqua (5-4) 14.2111, 11. Wilmington (7-2) 12.4111, 12. Cin. Woodward (5-3) 12.0553

Division IV

Region 11 - 1. Peninsula Woodridge (9-0) 22.3222, 2. Perry (7-1) 20.4653, 3. Mantua Crestwood (7-2) 19.9222, 4. Youngstown Ursuline (5-4) 16.381, 5. Chardon Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin (6-3) 15.6611, 6. Streetsboro (6-3) 14.0833, 7. Oberlin Firelands (7-2) 13.8111, 8. Beloit West Branch (7-2) 13.3056, 9. Cortland Lakeview (6-3) 12.8611, 10. Youngstown Cardinal Mooney (4-4) 12.8378, 11. Jefferson Area (6-3) 11.9278, 12. Mogadore Field (6-3) 11.6111

Region 12 - 1. Plain City Jonathan Alder (8-1) 19.0808, 2. Cols. Bishop Hartley (5-3) 17.7507, 3. Wauseon (8-1) 17.6263, 4. Springfield Kenton Ridge (7-2) 14.8485, 5. Bellevue (7-2) 13.45, 6. Ottawa-Glandorf (6-3) 12.8444, 7. Lewistown Indian Lake (7-2) 12.5455, 8. Napoleon (6-3) 12.0611, 9. Caledonia River Valley (6-3) 11.702, 10. Port Clinton (6-3) 11.3056, 11. Lima Bath (6-3) 11.1833, 12. Marengo Highland (5-4) 9.2222

Region 13 - 1. Steubenville (8-0) 29.2955, 2. Johnstown-Monroe (9-0) 27.3283, 3. St. Clairsville (8-0) 23.7886, 4. Gnadenhutten Indian Valley (8-1) 15.1667, 5. Newark Licking Valley (6-3) 14.9192, 6. Salem (8-1) 14.1889, 7. Wintersville Indian Creek (6-3) 13.2778, 8. Byesville Meadowbrook (8-1) 11.8889, 9. Carroll Bloom-Carroll (5-4) 11.8778, 10. Zanesville Maysville (7-2) 11.5778, 11. Heath (5-4) 10.7834, 12. Shelby (5-4) 9.4333

Region 14 - 1. Middletown Bishop Fenwick (9-0) 25.2056, 2. Clarksville Clinton-Massie (8-1) 21.7667, 3. Cin. Indian Hill (9-0) 21.0606, 4. Kettering Archbishop Alter (8-1) 20.9222, 5. Reading (9-0) 18.899, 6. Hamilton Badin (7-2) 16.7222, 7. Cin. Wyoming (7-2) 16.6349, 8. Cin. Taft (6-2) 16.375, 9. Monroe (5-4) 13.6389, 10. Day. Oakwood (5-4) 13.5333, 11. Circleville Logan Elm (6-3) 12.9778, 12. Middletown Madison (6-3) 11.3111

Division V

Region 15 - 1. Columbiana Crestview (8-1) 19.8278, 2. Magnolia Sandy Valley (8-1) 17.0056, 3. Canton Central Cath. (6-3) 15.1333, 4. Orwell Grand Valley (7-2) 14.9628, 5. Gates Mills Hawken (8-1) 13.3139, 6. Burton Berkshire (5-4) 10.7722, 7. Leavittsburg LaBrae (7-2) 10.4889, 8. East Palestine (6-3) 10.3056, 9. Canfield South Range (6-3) 9.9667, 10. Akron Manchester (4-5) 9.55, 11. Garrettsville Garfield (6-3) 9.1088, 12. Massillon Tuslaw (5-4) 9.1056

Region 16 - 1. Creston Norwayne (8-1) 19.2889, 2. Milan Edison (8-1) 19.0889, 3. Millbury Lake (9-0) 18.6889, 4. Swanton (8-1) 15.0167, 5-tie. Doylestown Chippewa (7-2) 14.3833, 5-tie. Apple Creek Waynedale (6-3) 14.3833, 7. Rossford (7-2) 13.2444, 8. Galion (6-2) 12.2847, 9. Findlay Liberty-Benton (6-3) 10.7944, 10. Elyria Cath. (5-4) 9.35, 11. West Salem Northwestern (5-4) 8.9056, 12. Archbold (4-5) 8.1889

Region 17 - 1. Wheelersburg (9-0) 22.1364, 2. Chillicothe Zane Trace (9-0) 20.2, 3. Albany Alexander (8-1) 17.9889, 4. West Lafayette Ridgewood (8-1) 14.7556, 5. Cadiz Harrison Central (7-2) 14.0275, 6. Ironton Rock Hill (5-3) 13.1389, 7. Bidwell River Valley (7-2) 12.6061, 8. Coshocton (6-3) 11.404, 9. Ironton (5-4) 11.3788, 10. Oak Hill (5-4) 10.8434, 11. McDermott Northwest (6-3) 8.0057, 12. Portsmouth West (4-5) 7.8586

Region 18 - 1. Brookville (9-0) 21.1778, 2. Cin. Hills Christian Acad. (8-1) 20.5378, 3. Coldwater (9-0) 20.1611, 4. West Milton Milton-Union (6-3) 13.9944, 5. Jamestown Greeneview (6-3) 11.6222, 6. Cin. Shroder (5-4) 9.3507, 7. Carlisle (5-4) 9.0278, 8. Bethel-Tate (5-3) 8.8403, 9. Cin. Aiken (6-3) 8.8194, 10. Richwood North Union (4-5) 7.4394, 11. London Madison Plains (4-5) 6.9778, 12. Cin. Clark Montessori (4-5) 6.8197

Division VI

Region 19 - 1. Columbia Station Columbia (9-0) 18.5111, 2. Kirtland (8-1) 17.2833, 3. Columbiana (8-1) 16.4, 4. Smithville (7-2) 15.0056, 5. Lisbon David Anderson (8-1) 13.85, 6. Cuyahoga Hts. (7-2) 13.8278, 7. Berlin Center Western Reserve (7-2) 13.4389, 8. McDonald (6-3) 12.0667, 9. Brookfield (8-1) 11.9389, 10. Jeromesville Hillsdale (5-4) 11.4778, 11. Louisville St. Thomas Aquinas (6-3) 10.1444, 12. Rittman (5-4) 8.3667

Region 20 - 1. Bucyrus Wynford (8-1) 19.3056, 2. Defiance Tinora (7-1) 16.1777, 3. North Robinson Colonel Crawford (8-1) 15.9167, 4. Gibsonburg (9-0) 13.6222, 5. Attica Seneca East (7-2) 13.3056, 6. Defiance Ayersville (8-1) 12.9798, 7. Delta (6-3) 12.1263, 8. Van Buren (6-3) 11.5, 9. Liberty Center (5-4) 10.8182, 10. Bascom Hopewell-Loudon (6-3) 10.35, 11. Hamler Patrick Henry (5-4) 9.2475, 12. Columbus Grove (5-4) 8.5611

Region 21 - 1. Beverly Fort Frye (9-0) 19.7222, 2. Lucasville Valley (7-1) 17.8056, 3. Bainbridge Paint Valley (8-1) 17.4222, 4. Grandview Hts. (8-1) 15.4192, 5. Cols. Bishop Ready (6-3) 14.229, 6. Hannibal River (8-1) 14.1541, 7. Chesapeake (7-2) 13.3485, 8. Newark Cath. (7-2) 13.2029, 9. Fredericktown (7-2) 10.8535, 10. Cardington-Lincoln (7-2) 10.1722, 11. Woodsfield Monroe Central (5-4) 10.0111, 12. Steubenville Cath. Central (5-4) 9.9306

Region 22 - 1. Maria Stein Marion Local (8-1) 17.816, 2. Mechanicsburg (9-0) 17.2056, 3. Spencerville (9-0) 15.8833, 4. West Liberty-Salem (7-2) 15.1833, 5. Cin. Country Day (8-1) 14.7424, 6. Delphos Jefferson (8-1) 14.4167, 7. Williamsburg (7-2) 14.0355, 8. Casstown Miami East (7-2) 11.8838, 9. Bluffton (6-3) 11.05, 10. Lewisburg Tri-County North (6-3) 10.3788, 11. Fayetteville-Perry (6-2) 10.0795, 12. Harrod Allen East (6-3) 9.7111

Division VII

Region 23 - 1. Warren John F. Kennedy (8-1) 16.2389, 2. Mogadore (8-1) 16.1474, 3. Norwalk St. Paul (8-1) 11.8778, 4. Toronto (8-1) 10.1465, 5. Vienna Mathews (5-2) 8.7068, 6. Monroeville (6-3) 8.1944, 7. Sandusky St. Mary Central Cath. (5-4) 7.7056, 8. North Jackson Jackson-Milton (6-3) 7.2879, 9. Windham (6-3) 7.0278, 10. Wellsville (4-5) 6.0667, 11. Malvern (4-5) 5.5667, 12. East Canton (3-6) 5.4091

Region 24 - 1. McComb (8-1) 14.7278, 2. Hicksville (7-2) 13.3571, 3. Lucas (8-1) 11.4583, 4. West Unity Hilltop (6-3) 7.1444, 5. Leipsic (4-5) 6.5056, 6. Convoy Crestview (3-6) 5.9333, 7. Tiffin Calvert (4-5) 5.9167, 8. Arlington (4-5) 5.8278, 9. New Washington Buckeye Central (5-4) 5.8167, 10. Pandora-Gilboa (5-4) 5.7, 11. Lakeside Danbury (3-6) 4.8722, 12. Kansas Lakota (4-5) 4.5017

Region 25 - 1. Danville (9-0) 15.6056, 2. Glouster Trimble (7-2) 13.9222, 3. Caldwell (8-1) 12.3556, 4. Canal Winchester Harvest Prep. (7-2) 10.399, 5. Belpre (7-2) 10.1465, 6. Willow Wood Symmes Valley (6-3) 8.5204, 7. Portsmouth Sciotoville (5-4) 7.8628, 8. Corning Miller (6-3) 7.4864, 9. Lancaster Fisher Catholic (6-3) 7.197, 10. Crown City South Gallia (5-4) 6.4944, 11. Shadyside (3-6) 6.2222, 12. Waterford (5-4) 6.1444

Region 26 - 1. Minster (7-2) 14.5, 2. Covington (7-2) 13.9091, 3. Fort Recovery (7-2) 11.1944, 4. DeGraff Riverside (8-1) 10.5667, 5. Cin. Miami Valley Christian Acad. (7-1) 9.0697, 6. Sidney Lehman Cath. (5-4) 8.9111, 7. Ada (5-4) 8.5611, 8. Fort Loramie (5-4) 8.0444, 9. McGuffey Upper Scioto Valley (5-4) 7.3944, 10. Troy Christian (4-4) 5.2083, 11. Springfield Cath. Central (4-5) 4.2525, 12. Bradford (4-5) 4.0287

Five reasons why Royals will beat Mets in five games to win their first World Series since 1985.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The 2005 Chicago White Sox are the only team from the AL Central to win a World Series championship. Former manager Ozzie Guillen and the four horses he rode to that title - Jose Contreras, Freddy Garcia, Jon Garland and Mark Buehrle - better make room in the Central's trophy case because they're about to get company.

The Kansas City Royals will beat the New York Mets in the 111^th running of the World Series. Game 1 starts Tuesday night at Kauffman Stadium.

My two picks in the league championship series were the Royals and Mets. My record in such ventures is poor so take this latest prediction with a five-pound bag of salt. I think the Royals win this thing going away.

Here are five reasons why:

No. 1: Royals offense: I like the Mets pitching. I like the flowing locks of Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard. I like the fact that they throw 98 to 99 mph at the bottom of the strike zone and I'll always have a soft spot for Bartolo Colon.

But I like the Royals' offense more. They have ALCS MVP Alcides Escobar at the top of the lineup to set the table and everybody else hits. They don't strikeout. They don't walk a lot and they finished last in the AL in homers during the regular season.

Yet in the ALCS, against the powerful Blue Jays, they outscored them, 38-26, out-hit them, 59-46, out-homered them, 7-6, and out-averaged them .294-.234. They also won in six games.

The ALCS game that stands out to me is Game 3 at Rogers Centre. The Royals opened the series with two wins at home, but Toronto hammered Johnny Cueto on the way to an 11-4 lead entering the ninth inning in Game 3. It was time for the Royals to make three quick outs and get ready for Game 4.

Kansas City, however, scored four runs, forced the Blue Jays to use closer Roberto Osuna before losing, 11-8. The next day they scored 14 runs to win Game 4. That's a team looking to make a statement even in defeat.

One more thing, no team in the NL threw more pitches at 95 mph or above than the Mets. The Royals, conversely, hit an AL-high .284 against pitches at 95 or above.

No. 2: 1B Eric Hosmer: The No.4 hitter is batting just .222 (10-for-45) in the postseason, but leads the Royals with 11 RBI. When Hosmer does hit, there are usually runners on base. Escobar, Ben Zobrist and Lorenzo Cain, the top three hitters in the lineup, have scored a combined 27 runs in the postseason.

No. 3: CF Cain: Did you see him score the AL pennant clinching run in Game 6 from first base on Hosmer's single to right? No further explanation needed.

No. 4: Bullpen vs. rotation: Kansas City's weakness is its starting rotation. Through their first 11 postseason games, the starters have won twice, while the bullpen is 5-0. When Edinson Volquez, who starts Game 1 Tuesday night, is your most reliable starter, the bullpen better be good. Cueto and Yordano Ventura, the No.2 and No.3 starters, offer nothing but heartburn for manager Ned Yost.

The key is getting to the pen, highlighted by closer Wade Davis, with a lead. It's difficult to do in the postseason.

No. 5: Experience: I'm not a big proponent of experience being a reason why the Royals will win the World Series. I am a proponent of experience when it's young enough and talented enough to do more than sit on the bench and offer advice.

The Royals, who won their last World Series in 1985, are back in the Fall Classic for the second straight year after losing to San Francisco in seven games last year. I think that experience will pay dividends this time around.

The pick: Royals in five games.

MVP: Eric Hosmer, first baseman.

Check out a Q-and-A with Ohio State defensive line coach Larry Johnson as we introduce our new series on defensive tackles. Urban Meyer said "like a quarterback, that's a premium position." Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A defensive tackle is the kind of player you notice most when you don't have one, and the kind of recruit you notice when you can't find one.

"That's a premium," Urban Meyer said. "Like a quarterback, that's a premium position."

Most of the other positions you'll find in football - quarterback, cornerback, the pass-rushing defensive end - are out in the open and easy to find. Defensive tackles are hybrids who must fight through the dirty work in the trenches and pop out the other side in the quarteback's face like any other playmaker on the field.

This week, we've going to give them some extra attention.

Like we did last year with QB Quest, we're focusing on a single position with a week-long series, taking the chance during Ohio State's bye week to examine a position that's helped Ohio State's success and continues to be a priority.

"Middle Men," will go in-depth on senior Adolphus Washington, who has played as well as any Buckeye this season, and delve into Ohio State's pursuit in recruiting of his potential successors.

It's just finding the right guys. Sometimes it's find a high school player who isn't a perfect fit yet, and then turning him into that ideal defensive tackle.

In Ohio State's defense, that spot in called the three technique. There's a noseguard inside for the Buckeyes who plays over the center and is charged primarily with eating up blockers and stopping the run. But the three technique plays inside off the shoulder of the guard and must be able to stop the run and also attack the passer.

Michael Bennett did it last year and Washington is manning the position this year. Back in the days when the SEC was dominating college football, the difference at defensive tackle was as stark as at any position on the field. The SEC had those disruptive interior athletes with size and speed.

Now Big Ten teams like the Buckeyes know they need them, too. [?]

"So many times those guys are developed," Meyer said.

Current Buckeyes like Donovan Munger, Michael Hill and Dre'Mont Jones are still in that tackle development process. The Buckeyes will never stop looking for who might be next.

"That is as critical position as there is. You ever turn down a good defensive lineman," Meyer said

The guy in charge of finding those guys for Ohio State is veteran defensive line coach Larry Johnson, who is in his second year with the Buckeyes after coaching for 18 seasons at Penn State.

In this question and answer session, Johnson explains what it's like looking for and coaching these Middle Men.

Adolphus Washington is the kind of versatile athlete who developed into a great defensive tackle at Ohio State.Marvin Fong, The Plain Dealer 

Q: Is defensive tackle one of the hardest positions to find a truly elite talent?

A: Not really. Just find a right match. Find the right guy for what you want to do skillset-wise. You can find a lot of great defensive linemen, but do they fit the scheme and the system you want to play them in? That's the difference for me, finding that right guy.

Q: What is the right guy?

A: I want a guy that is very athletic to play inside. I want a guy who has some basketball skills, who is able to move his feet, that's the start of it. You can take a big defensive end and move him inside and make him a great three technique because he can move. 

I think that's the start. And a guy who can play hard, and that's a skillset.

Q: You've coached some great defensive tackles, who was the best one?

A: They're all different kind of guys. I can tell you Jordan Hill (a third-round pick out of Penn State to Seattle in 2013) who is 6-1, 305 pounds, might be the best inside guy I've coached because he could rush the passer and he could play the run. 

You've got Jared Odrick (a first-rounder to Miami in 2010) who is a big guy who played three technique, also a great guy. So the list goes on and on. Adolphus Washington is different from all those guys and each guy has a different mindset and different skillset that you're like wow, that's really special. 

Adolphus has great hips, really great hips. He has the ability to flip his hips and rush the passer and use his hands. That's a gift.

Q: When you have an elite inside guy, how much easier is it for the rest of the defense to be good?

A: I think that's the key. Finding a guy, not only a great defensive end but a great inside guy, because they complement each other. And I think that's what's happening with Joey (Bosa) because everyone is focusing on him and all of sudden you let Adolphus run wild. 

When you have a complete front that can do that, it really changes how we play.

Q: Is it any more difficult to find defensive tackles than defensive ends?

A: A little more difficult. You might have to take a short guy. Sometimes you might not want to take a 6-2 guy, you want to take a 6-4 guy. Sometimes you can't find them. But you can take a big defensive end and hope he grows into being that guy on the inside. If you can find a big D end you think he could play inside, you take that guy.

Q: Most of the defensive tackle prospects you find, are they playing defensive tackle in high school or are they playing another position?

A: Some are playing defensive end. I can tell you three or four kids that we recruited that were D ends that we moved inside because of the athleticism. 

You look at his hips, look at his size, look at his arms, you say boy, he's probably going to grow to be 280, 285, he's going to grow out of that defensive end pretty quickly. You look for that, a guy you can project to be inside with the athletic skills to be a big guy and give you what you want on the inside as a pass rusher.

Q: You tell the recruit that?

A: Oh yeah, I'm up front. You have to. You have to be up front about how you see them in the future. Some guys are defensive ends with narrow frame, narrow hips, he's going to stay at defensive end. A guy who has big hips, you know he's going to get bigger, he's going to get stronger, you say as we move forward, to get the four best guys on the field, you may have to go play three technique.

Q: So you don't necessarily find a great defensive tackle, you identify a good athlete and develop him into a great defensive tackle.

A: That's a fair assessment.

Q: They don't come ready made.

A: Some do. Some guys we recruit might be a 6-5, 295 D tackle, you know that's the position he's going to play. But you also can find a guy who's a 6-5, 270-pound defensive end and because of his athletic skillset you say, 'Wow, he could be great.'

Kids say, 'Why do you say that?' Because that guy gets a lot of one-on-one. You don't get slide protection. You don't get chipped. You don't get tight end blocking. You get one-on-one on the onside. And they can't do it all day. So that guy in our defensive scheme is critical, that three-technique, because he's going to get those one-on-one looks.

LeBron James and the Cavaliers held a team meeting to remind players to straighten up.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - As the start of the regular season grew closer, LeBron James' patience grew thin.

The last few weeks, the captain hasn't been happy with the team's frame of mind and has used his voice to send a message that pursuing a championship requires a businesslike mindset from the start.

James wasn't the only one who noticed something didn't feel right about the team's demeanor. Other players saw it too, prompting a team meeting before they took off for an exhibition game at Toronto on Oct. 17.

"[We were] just making sure everybody is doing the right thing and having the right goals in their heads," the Cavs' Sasha Kaun said of that meeting.

Players, I'm told, spoke up about not liking what some considered to be a increasingly loose, frolicsome atmosphere. James, I'm told, chimed in on the need to straighten up. Guidelines were given and a renewed commitment was established.

The weight of the world is on James' shoulders. He knows how much a championship would mean to the city of Cleveland. The Cavaliers may have the talent and depth to contend, but unless they approach the season the right way, the amount of quality players won't mean a thing.

"All I care about is raising banners," James told Northeast Ohio Media Group. "Nothing else. That's what I'm here for."

James' mood has been somber. He's setting the tone.

The Cavaliers have a vast collection of personalities and backgrounds. They can be an entertaining bunch, but that's not the perception James and other players want on a regular basis.

The Cavs have a three-month window to find themselves and get by without Kyrie Irving and Iman Shumpert.

After that, James isn't naive to think they'll be able to just flip the switch and get serious once everybody is healthy. He has informed his team that it's time to buckle down, now.

"Yeah, you can see it," James said. "You can also tell if guys are messing around a little too much. Me as a leader, I'm able to gauge that and see where our minds are at."

The championship quest is now and the memo was crystal clear: It's time to get down to business.