The Tigers play Friday at Lorain for the Lake Erie League championship.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Last week’s game-ending fight between football teams from Cleveland Heights and Shaw dealt a critical blow to the Tigers, who play Friday at Lorain for the Lake Erie League championship.

Standout junior receiver Jaylen Harris is among those Cleveland Heights players suspended Friday, coach Mac Stephens said Thursday. Eight or nine other Cleveland Heights players could miss Friday’s game. Stephens said he hoped all players’ fates would have been determined Monday, but he remained unsure Thursday before practice.

Harris’ absence is a certainty.

“Jaylen’s down a little bit,” Stephens said. “Sometimes, some extra curricular things are happening. Unfortunately Friday it got out of hand.”

The Tigers’ 29-0 home win Oct. 23 vs. Shaw ended in the third quarter because of the fight, which both coaches said involved Harris and members of both teams. Shaw (3-6) will have its 54-man roster nearly sliced in half Friday when its season concludes at home against Garfield Heights (1-8).

“We’re down to about 25 players,” Cardinals coach Rodney Brown said. “We complied with the state and said anyone who left the bench was suspended.

“I hope all who were involved learned a lesson,” Brown said. “You never who’s watching in the stands, whether it be a college coach or someone else.”

Harris has received Division I college interest from schools, such as Ohio State, Michigan State and Alabama. At 6-foot-5, he is the Tigers’ leading receiver and centerpiece of their offense.

Cleveland Heights (3-5, 3-0) will be without that production when it visits Lorain (5-4, 2-1), which can force a split of the LEL title.

A potential playoff berth also is at stake. The Tigers are 19th in Division I, Region 1. Lorain is ranked 17th. The top 16 qualify for the postseason. With both have a chance, neither controls its destiny, according to JoeEitel.com.

Cleveland Heights already had a disadvantage in attaining playoff points with its Week 4 game against Toledo Scott cancelled because of a scheduling conflict. The Tigers regrouped from an 0-4 start to reach this point.

“It gives us an opportunity to rally around the things we’ve talked about since Day 1,” Stephens said, “from the demolition of the school to injuries, transportation issues, not having easy access to weight lifting. I could go on and on, but it’s a rallying point for the kids.”

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) or email (mgoul@cleveland.com). Visit cleveland.com/hssports Sunday afternoon for breaking news as the 224 OHSAA football playoff qualifiers are announced. Content will include division-by-division previews, printable and interactive brackets for all 26 regions, state championship predictions, and more.

American Pharoah, the first Triple Crown winner since 1978, is the biggest star among the tops in horse racing gathered for the 2015 Breeders' Cup races on Friday and Saturday at Keeneland in Lexington, Kentucky. But he isn't Bob 'Railbird' Roberts' pick.

By BOB ROBERTS
Special to The Plain Dealer

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Is your kid's tuition due? Already worried about paying for Christmas? What are the odds the old furnace makes it through another northeast Ohio winter? Sure sounds like you could use a winning day at the track. Maybe two days.

The Breeders' Cup, thoroughbred racing's annual carnival of riches, goes to the post Friday and Saturday at pastoral Keeneland in Lexington, Kentucky. The Breeders' Cup races offer $24.5 million in purses and have attracted the sport's shiniest of stars - American Pharoah. The massive colt, the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978, heads the $5 million BC Classic, but that doesn't mean I'm picking him (read on).

• The 2015 Breeders' Cup fields

NBC (WKYC Channel 3) will televise the BC Classic on Saturday at 4 p.m. NBCSN will televise racing on Friday from 3-6 p.m. and on Saturday from 1-4 p.m.

Area railbirds can watch and wager on all 13 Breeders' Cup races (four Friday starting at 3:30 p.m. and nine Saturday at 12:05 p.m.) at both Northfield Park and ThistleDown.

Northfield is offering a free $2,000 handicapping contest on Saturday's Breeders' Cup races. It's for Player's Club members, but membership is also free and horseplayers can join prior to the races.

For the first time in its full-card simulcast history, Northfield will also offer a live Halloween night racing card (6 p.m. post) following the Breeder's Cup. It features a $5,000 Ghost of Northfield pace with all gray horses.

But while sheiks, oil barons and dot.com millionaires will get even richer if they win a BC race, it's the money in the wagering pools that most interests grandstand railbirds. There will be around $150 million bet on this year's races. After purses, taxes and fees are paid, bettors will share in a $125 million jackpot.

Let's try to get a slice of it. Here's how I see the horses hitting the wire during 71/2 hours of handicapping and hoping.

FRIDAY'S RACES

Juvenile Turf: It's been a rainy week in Lexington, so the turf figures to be anything but firm. Soft going favors the Europeans. Cymric, a surging runner-up in a Grade I stake in France earlier this month, is the pick. Longshots to ponder: Dressed in Hermes and Azar.

Dirt Mile: The victory chances of Liam's Map, the even-money morning line favorite, are enhanced by the fact that he could find himself alone on the lead. This one-mile dash does have a local angle. War Story, a 50-1 shot, is owned by Stow's Ron Paolucci, is conditioned by ThistleDown champion trainer Jeff Radosevich, and will be ridden by Deshawn Parker, son of ThistleDown steward Daryl Parker.

Juvenile Fillies Turf: Alice Springs is already a seasoned performer. She has run six times in Great Britain and is a member of the outstanding Aidan O'Brien barn. She should stalk and then strike. If you liked Tin Type Gal, pick another horse. She was scratched after being entered.

Distaff: This race lost its defending champion, Untapable, when she came down with a fever Tuesday morning and was declared out. How about a 20-1 shot? Yahilwa, beaten just a neck in the Grade I Spinster at Keeneland, has been working in the morning like a mare on a mission.

SATURDAY RACES

Juvenile Fillies: Songbird is 3-for-3 by a combined margin of 161/4 lengths, racing at Del Mar and Santa Anita. A fourth score looks likely. Enough said.

Turf Sprint: Toss out the bad last by Something Extra. It was in the mud and she's back on the infield lawn today. Bobby's Kitten seeks back-to-back Turf Sprint scores, but she's started just twice this year and is winless.

Filly & Mare Sprint: An outside post should help Cavorting count the house before launching a mild rally, a style that has netted her five victories in seven career starts. Among her rivals is Judy The Beauty. She is looking for back-to-back Filly & Mare Sprint wins. Super Majesty may be the spoiler.

Filly & Mare Turf: Dacita gets the call. A Chilean import, she rallied from the clouds to win a stake at Saratoga this summer. It convinced Javier Castellano, the best grass rider in the country, to stay in her saddle.

Sprint: Runhappy carries a four-race winning streak to the gate. He is freaky fast and carries his speed from the gate to the wire. A "live" longshot is Limousine Liberal. He's light on experience, but very quick.

Mile Turf: British invader Esoterique is one tough customer. She's faced a steady field of Grade I rivals and looks better than her North American rivals. Karakontie, another trans-Atlantic shipper, seeks back-to-back wins in this race.

Juvenile: Brody's Cause's job today is to win a stakes race at 1 1/16 miles at Keeneland. He's already done so in the Oct. 3 Breeder's Futurity. An encore would be nice.

Turf: Twilight Eclipse was an unlucky third in the Sept. 26 Turf Classic at Belmont, having been trapped on rail in upper stretch. Maybe he can find a hole. Golden Horn, the 4-5 favorite, is off score in Arc de Triomphe in Paris. An Arc winner has yet to win a BC Turf.

Classic: American Pharoah is the 2015 Triple Crown champion, but neither he nor any other 3-year-old in this $5 million centerpiece race has beaten an older horse this year. They haven't even tried. Tonalist, winner of last year's Belmont Stakes, is the pick to end a long and hopefully profitable day for us never-say-die horseplayers.

North Ridgeville's Cameron Bright has helped to fill some of the void left behind by injuries to Demario McCall.

NORTH RIDGEVILLE, Ohio — North Ridgeville's football team is entering the final week of the 2015 season with a 7-2 record.

The Rangers, ranked No. 24 in the cleveland.com Top 25, have done that despite senior RB and Ohio State commit Demario McCall finishing just two games this year. McCall has had three separate injuries, including a hamstring injury that makes him doubtful for Friday's game at No. 2 Midview.

"If we were back in August you told me, 'Demario would only finish two games and be injured most of the year, would you take 7-2?' I would've jumped all over that," North Ridgeville coach Luke Durbin said. "It really says a lot about our guys."

Helping to fill some of the void caused by McCall's injuries has been junior RB Cameron Bright. In North Ridgeville's 35-21 Week 9 win against Lakewood, Bright rushed for 255 yards and three touchdowns.

Durbin knew Bright had a chance to be a strong player in the summer when he gave McCall a good challenge in a sprint contest.

"Cam's got some really good speed," Durbin said. "But he's definitely more of a bruiser. He's our strongest kid on the team and a great athlete. He catches the ball and runs it downhill. If we can ever get Demario healthy, it would be a great one-two, inside-outside punch."

Durbin added that McCall's injury status is a day-by-day situation.

Reporter Tim Bielik covers the Patriot Athletic Conference, Southwestern Conference, St. Ignatius, Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy, Manchester, Newbury and Windham. Check out his football beat notes every week.

Brookside clinches first winning season in 10 years

For the first time since 2005, Brookside will finish the season with a winning record.

The Cardinals (6-3, 3-1 Patriot Athletic Conference Stars Division) ensured their winning record in Week 9 with a 48-34 win against Wellington.

Brookside first-year coach Paul Ferguson, who was an assistant with the team last season, credited the mental toughness of his senior class along with the continuity on the staff despite a coaching change in the offseason for the winning record.

"Brookside had a little bit of a history there of getting a new coach, and getting a new coach, and getting a new coach. And they saw that coming up into the system," Ferguson said. "I think they knew they could trust me from last year. They knew what I was trying to do."

Brookside will travel to No. 22 Buckeye (9-0, 4-0) on Friday. A win will give the Cardinals a share of the Stars Division title.

North Olmsted to close Drive Morris Stadium

North Olmsted will close Drive Morris Stadium on Friday night when the No. 25 Eagles host Avon Lake.

Drive Morris Stadium opened in 1964. The stadium will make way for a new facility that will be ready for the 2018 season.

North Olmsted athletic director Mike Ptacek said the team will play its home games for the next two seasons at neutral sites.

Friday will feature a special fireworks show after the game.

Who's in, who's out

With one week to go, here's a look at all the teams within my beat that either have clinched a playoff spot or have not been eliminated according to JoeEitel.com prior to Week 10. Rankings are in parenthesis.

In Division I, 16 teams in each of the two regions make it into the playoffs. In the other six divisions, the top eight in a region move on.

Division I, Region 1:Berea-Midpark (No. 14), St. Ignatius (No. 20).

Division II, Region 4:Midview (No. 2), Avon (No. 3), North Ridgeville (No. 7), Olmsted Falls (No. 8).

Division III, Region 7: Buckeye (No. 5).

Division IV, Region 11:Firelands (No. 7), Brookside (No. 16).

Division V, Region 15:Manchester (No. 10).

Division VI, Region 19: Columbia (No. 1).

Division VII, Region 23:Windham (No. 9).

Patriot Athletic Conference checkdowns

Wellington (3-6, 0-4): Despite the news earlier this month that its home stadium bleachers were condemned, Wellington will still play at home on Friday when they host Black River. Wellington coach Sean Arno confirmed that the school will have temporary bleachers set up for the game, which is Wellington's senior night.

Southwestern Conference checkdowns

Midview (9-0, 8-0): Senior WR Logan Bolinmoved into a tie for fourth place in state history with 49 career touchdown catches after he caught three in the Middies' 35-14 win against Avon Lake. Only three players in state history have had 50 touchdowns in a career. He has 17 TD catches this season.

Tweet of the week

READ pic.twitter.com/t0dS9kPub2

— Cullen Wolford (@Wolford160) October 26, 2015

Standings

Northeastern Athletic Conference

Patriot Athletic Conference

Stars Division

Stripes Division

Principals Athletic Conference

Southwestern Conference

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

Cleveland.com's Browns beat reporter talks all things Browns on Sports Insider. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Browns are preparing to face the Cardinals on Sunday at FirstEnergy Stadium. If Josh McCown is healthy, he'll start, but it's that first part of the sentence that could lead to Johnny Manziel receiving his second start of the season.

Today, on Sports Insider, Mary Kay Cabot called in to talk about that, plus she gave us the latest on the Manziel investigation and looked ahead to the Arizona game.

You can catch Sports Insider live every Thursday at noon at cleveland.com/sports.

Columnist goes through comments and figures out which coach, GM or player is on the hottest of hot seats in Cleveland. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- There's always a hot seat in Cleveland. Browns, Indians, Cavaliers, winning, losing -- it doesn't matter. There's a hot seat somewhere.

Columnist Bud Shaw got into that on his weekly spinoffs segment on Sports Insider today. Check out the video above as he also talks about how fans view Cavaliers coach David Blatt and more.

Watch Sports Insider live every Thursday at noon at cleveland.com/sports.

Cavs beat reporter Chris Haynes talked about the first two games of the season and Kevin Love's expanded role. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Following the Cleveland Cavaliers' first win of the season, LeBron James spoke about Kevin Love's new, expanded role. 

"We'll use Kevin however he wants to be used," James said. "I told you Kevin is going to be our main focus. He's going to have a hell of a season. He's going to get back to that All-Star status. He's the focal point of us offensively.

"I know I can go out and get mine when I need it. But I need Kev to be as aggressive as he was tonight, and when he rebounds at the level he did tonight, the shots will automatically fall for him."

Love spent most of last year trying to adjust and fit in as opposed to being seen as the uncomfortable third member of Cleveland's Big Three.

He scored 18 points in his debut and then followed it up with his first double double, scoring 17 points and grabbing 13 rebounds in the win against Memphis Wednesday. 

Cavs beat reporter Chris Haynes joined Dan Labbe and I on Thursday's Sports Insider to talk about the difference in Love this year, how much concern there is for James' back and Cleveland's bench production. 

Watch the video above.

These Northeast Ohio high school football games will have a major impact on the playoff picture after Week 10.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Here are 10 games from Week 10 of the high school football season that will have major implications on the Ohio High School Athletic Association playoff computer points chase.

Highlighted games are based on analysis of figures provided by JoeEitel.com and Drew Pasteur's Fantastic50.net.

Predictions made here are not final or official and serve only to demonstrate the value of each game in regards to playoff positioning.

Visit cleveland.com/hssports Sunday afternoon for breaking news as the 224 OHSAA football playoff qualifiers are announced. Content will include division-by-division previews, printable and interactive brackets for all 26 regions, state championship predictions, and more.

St. Ignatius (5-3) at St. Edward (8-1): The only way the Wildcats make it to their 27th playoff appearance is to upset the top-ranked Eagles.

University School (6-3) at Maple Heights (7-2): The Preppers can jump into the Division III, Region 8 picture with an upset win.

Brecksville (7-2) at Hudson (7-2); The Bees need a win and a Nordonia loss in order to qualify.

Avon (8-1) at Olmsted Falls (6-3): A win guarantees the Bulldogs a playoff spot, but they can still qualify with losses by North Ridgeville and Toledo St. John.

Archbishop Hoban (9-0) at Benedictine (9-0): Both teams have clinched home games. Winner gets a No. 1 seed in its region, a league title and bragging rights.

Ravenna (6-3) at Field (6-3): The Falcons can play their way into the Division IV, Region 11 picture with a win and some help. Same goes for the Ravens in Division III, Region 7.

Rocky River (8-1) at Holy Name (6-3): Pirates control their playoff destiny with a win. Green Wave needs a win and a whole bunch of help.

John Hay (8-1) at Glenville (8-1): Hornets only chance at a playoff spot is to hand Glenville its first Senate Athletic League loss since 1997.

Vienna Mathews (6-2) at Windham (5-3): Mathews controls its own destiny and can qualify for its second straight playoff berth with a win. Windham is No. 9 in Division VII, Region 23 and needs to win and get help in order to keep its season alive.

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

Indians beat reporter Paul Hoynes joined Thursday's Sports Insider to talk about Mark Shapiro's tenure and whether he would fill the vacant general manager position in Toronto with someone from the Indians front office. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Former Indians president Mark Shapiro hasn't even officially started his tenure with the Toronto Blue Jays and fans already have a negative impression. 

There's a petition going around that calls for his departure. The negative feelings toward Shapiro began recently when General Manager Alex Anthopoulos decided not to stay in Toronto. Anthopoulos helped build the Blue Jays into a playoff team with shrewd trades and was even named Sporting News Executive of the Year. 

Shapiro isn't going anywhere, of course, but he will need to fill the vacant GM position. Could he grab someone from the Indians' front office? Who would be the most likely candidate? 

Indians beat reporter Paul Hoynes joined Dan Labbe and I on Thursday's Sports Insider to talk about that, Shapiro's tenure and the World Series matchup between the New York Mets and Kansas City Royals. 

Watch the video above.

Ravenna DE/FB Willie Ross will bring relentless energy and great character to Toledo.

TOLEDO, Ohio -- With Ravenna DE/FB Willie Ross, the University of Toledo gets a player bursting with energy who poses a significant threat to opposing quarterbacks. 

Ross has 61 total tackles, 31 of which were unassisted and 11 for a loss, and 10 sacks for a net loss of 63 yards. He's also forced two fumbles. He verbally committed to Toledo earlier this year.

Ross will likely start out as a defensive end for Toledo but could move to tackle if he puts on some weight, Ravenna coach Jim Lunardi said.

"The kid's character is out of this world," Lunardi said. "The way I define character is the way you are when people aren't watching you. He started out with a low GPA as a freshman but hit the books hard and has really turned it around. He is an A/B student now."

Lunardi has a good relationship with Toledo coach Matt Campbell, as they both attended Mount Union at the same time. This relationship helped Ross in getting to know Campbell and his program. 

While Ross originally committed to Toledo in April, he continued to see interest from several other Mid-American Conference schools, as well as Wisconsin. 

Toledo line coach Tom Manning came to speak with Ross recently to ensure he was not considering de-committing and that they were on the same page. 

Lunardi said Ross provides Toledo a "relentless" player with boundless enthusiasm and few, if any, bad habits.

"He didn't start playing football until his seventh grade year," Lunardi said. "Sometimes guys develop bad habits that are tough to break but that didn't happen with him." 

Ravenna will finish the season against Field on Friday. 

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

Cleveland Browns beat writers Mary Kay Cabot and Tom Reed report on what happened in Berea Thursday. Plus, videos with Joe Haden and Josh McCown. Watch video

BEREA, Ohio -- Cleveland Browns beat writers Mary Kay Cabot and Tom Reed take a look what happened in Berea on Thursday as the team continues preparations to play the Arizona Cardinals Sunday at FirstEnergy Stadium. 

Topics include:

• Johnny Manziel still waiting to hear from the league after investigators talked with him yesterday on his incident last week in Avon.
• Josh McCown returned to practice Thursday with his sore shoulder on a very limited basis. 
• Coaches have said that McCown will start if healthy, but Manziel is still taking the first-team reps.
• Offensive coordinator John DeFilippo said that with wide receiver Andrew Hawkins in the NFL concussion protocol, Dwayne Bowe could possibly see action.
• It's a good week to get defensive players Joe Haden, Tashaun Gipson and Craig Robertson back from injuries as they face the Cardinals' 4th-ranked offense.
• Paul Kruger missed practice with an illness.

On Twitter: @CLEvideos

On Facebook: CLEvideos

Despite a report by NFL Network's Ian Rapoport that Johnny Manziel isn't expected to be disciplined by the league, an NFL spokesman said 'the review has not been completed.'

BEREA, Ohio -- The NFL's review of Johnny Manziel's domestic incident "has not been completed" despite a report by NFL Network's Ian Rapoport that the quarterback isn't expected to be disciplined, a league spokesman told cleveland.com.

Manziel's Oct. 12 incident involving his girlfriend, Colleen Crowley, is still being reviewed under the personal-conduct policy, and there's no way of knowing yet which way the league will go.

Coach Mike Pettine said the Browns anticipate a resolution, but possibly not before Sunday's game against the Cardinals. He also said that the NFL did not talk to him Wednesday night when it came to the Browns facility Wednesday night to interview Manziel.

"Expect it soon, but I know that they have their timetable,'' said Pettine. "I know there's reports out there, but, especially from a coaching standpoint, we're hunkered in preparing for the game, so when we get the word, we get the word."

He added, "I've had no direct communications to that extent."

Manziel met with NFL senior advisor Lisa Friel, a former Manhattan prosecutor, on Wednesday night at the Browns facility in Berea, sources told cleveland.com. He was represented by NFLPA attorney Heather McPhee, who won Ray Rice's appeal of his indefinite suspension by the NFL for his domestic violence incident.

The Browns are preparing Manziel to be active for Sunday's game against the Cardinals, either as the starter or the backup. Josh McCown returned to practice Thursday on a limited basis with his shoulder and rib injuries, and expects to start, a league source told cleveland.com.

Receiver Brian Hartline came to the Browns facility Monday complaining of concussion symptoms and was placed in the protocol. He'll likely sit Thursday in Cincinnati.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Browns starting receiver Brian Hartline was a surprise addition to the injury report Monday with a concussion Monday.

He's one of three Browns players who suffered concussions during Sunday's 34-20 loss to the Cardinals.

The others were cornerback Joe Haden and safety Donte Whitner, who left the game in the third quarter and did not return.

The Browns also have wide receiver Andrew Hawkins in the concussion protocol, meaning they'll likely be down two of their top four receivers and two of their starting defensive backs, both Pro Bowlers, for Thursday night's NFL Network game in Cincinnati.

Hartline did not report concussion symptoms during or after the game, but came into the Browns facility Monday morning complaining of symptoms.

He was soon diagnosed with a concussion and placed into the NFL's stringent protocol.

It's unknown when he suffered the concussion, but he was a different player from the first half to the second. Hartline caught two of Josh McCown's three touchdown passes on three targets in the first half to help put the Browns up 20-7 midway through the second quarter.

In the second half, he dropped four passes on his 10 targets, including two on third down in the third quarter that forced the Browns to punt, once while ahead 20-17 and once while behind 24-20.

"Nobody is harder, nobody critiques themselves more than Brian,'' said coach Mike Pettine. "He was upset with the drops. I was happy for him certainly with the two touchdowns. I thought he ran two great routes, and I thought Josh did an outstanding job of getting the ball to him, especially the one where they went max blitz and he just back peddled and threw it to his spot.

"I thought Brian did a great job understanding the route and getting to where he was supposed to be, and the ball found him."

With Hartline likely sidelined and probably Hawkins too, the Browns will rely more on Travis Benjamin, Taylor Gabriel, Marlon Moore and Dwayne Bowe. Bowe played seven snaps against the Cardinals, but didn't catch the one pass thrown his way by Johnny Manziel at the end of the game.

Overall, Hartline caught only four passes for 32 yards, but the two TD catches for 10 and 2 yards were huge in the first half.

The loss of Hartline is big because he's one of McCown's few weapons, and one of the only receivers with some height.

Get the latest updates and analysis on the Cleveland Cavaliers game against the Philadelphia 76ers.

PHILADELPHIA -- The Cleveland Cavaliers won their third straight game on Monday night, beating the Philadelphia 76ers, 107-100. 

LeBron James led the way with 22 points and 11 assists. He also became the youngest player to reach 25,000 points in his career with a fourth quarter basket off a lob from Matthew Dellavedova.

Mo Williams added 21 points. Kevin Love chipped in with 15. 

The Cavs, 3-1, will return home for four straight, a stretch that begins Wednesday night against the Knicks. 

Scoring Summary: 

End of 3rd Quarter - Cavs lead the 76ers, 82-72, after outscoring Philly by 15 points in the quarter. Mo Williams leads the way with 19 points. LeBron James has 16 points and 10 assists. Kevin Love is also in double figures, with 15 points. The Sixers are led by Jahlil Okafor, who has 20 points. Nerlens Noel has chipped in with 14. 

End of 2nd Quarter - Cavs trail the 76ers, 54-49. Philadelphia's Jahlil Okafor leads all scorers with 14 points on 6-of-11 shooting. Nerlens Noel has added 12 points. The Cavs are paced by Mo Williams' 13 points. LeBron James has added 10 points and eight assists. 

End of 1st Quarter - Cavs trail the 76ers, 32-18. Nerlens Noel leads all scorers with 10 points. Rookie Jahlil Okafor has added six points. The Cavs are led by Mo Williams' six points. Kevin Love has added four points. 

St. Edward finishes the regular season with a win against St. Ignatius and as the unanimous choice for No. 1 in the cleveland.com high school football Top 25.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – St. Edward finishes the regular season with a win against St. Ignatius and as the unanimous choice for No. 1 in the cleveland.com high school football Top 25. 

Mentor's loss to Elyria surprised staffers and resulted in a drop for the Cardinals and a few new teams earned votes this week. 

Voters are Tim Bielik, Nathaniel Cline, Matt Goul, Joe Noga, Scott Patsko and Robert Rozboril. Below are individual ballots for each voter, as well as an explanation for some of their decisions. 

Share your take and/or your Top 25 in the comments section below. 

Bielik's ballot

1. St. Edward, 2. Benedictine, 3. Midview, 4. Stow, 5. Archbishop Hoban, 6. Avon, 7. St. Vincent-St. Mary, 8. Mayfield, 9. Glenville, 10. Solon, 11. Mentor, 12. St. Ignatius, 13. Nordonia, 14. Aurora, 15. Hudson, 16. Euclid, 17. Madison, 18. West Geauga, 19. Copley, 20. Buckeye, 21. Perry, 22. Berea-Midpark, 23. Elyria, 24. Woodridge, 25. Bay.

Bielik's ballot explanation

St. Edward’s win against rival St. Ignatius meant the Eagles secured the top spot in my final ballot. St. Edward has been extremely impressive all season considering the amount of talent it had graduate. Because of its win against Archbishop Hoban, Benedictine flipped spots with Midview from No. 3 to No. 2. Stow benefited from the two teams in front of it last week losing in Week 10 and thus moved all the way up to No. 4. Archbishop Hoban's loss only cost it one spot in my ballot. Mentor ends the season just outside of my top 10 at No. 11 after its stunning loss at Elyria, which returned to my ballot at No. 23. This was the first time since 2010 Mentor has lost three games in the regular season. St. Ignatius also ended the season outside of my top 10, finishing at No. 12 and missing a playoff spot. Berea-Midpark' s fourth loss in its last six games pushed the Titans down to No. 22, the lowest-ranked team in my ballot that was in last week's ballot. Woodridge and Bay were the final two teams to make it into my final ballot.

Cline's ballot

1. St. Edward, 2. Benedictine, 3. Midview, 4. Archbishop Hoban, 5. Stow, 6. Avon, 7. Mentor, 8. St. Ignatius, 9. St. Vincent-St. Mary, 10. Berea-Midpark, 11. Madison, 12. Mayfield, 13. Glenville, 14. Euclid, 15. Aurora, 16. Solon, 17. Hudson, 18. Nordonia, 19. West Geauga, 20. North Olmsted, 21. Olmsted Falls, 22. Perry, 23. Buckeye, 24. Copley, 25. Elyria

Cline's ballot explanation

St. Edward, the defending Division I state champ, is clearly in my eyes the leader for this year's Top 25. The effort by the team on defense in combination with the talent has been a good recipe for success. Now it’s on to the playoffs for the Eagles. Benedictine's defense is what I've grown fond of watching when it comes to the Bengals and after their win over Archbishop Hoban I moved them up one spot and switched them with Midview in my final ballot. I also dropped Mentor three spots after a disappointing loss to Elyria. As a result, Hoban, Stow and Avon moved up one spot. St. Ignatius played a strong team in St. Edward, but I didn't see reason to move the Wildcats farther down looking at the teams behind them in the rankings. Brecksville drops out of my poll after picking up its fourth loss due to a combination of Hudson's strong performance and the Bees missing key players like quarterback Luke Strnad and receiver/cornerback Tyler Tupa. Elyria returns to take the final spot in my ballot after the team's win against Greater Cleveland Conference opponent Mentor.

Goul’s ballot

1. St. Edward, 2. Benedictine, 3. Midview, 4. Stow, 5. Avon, 6. Archbishop Hoban, 7. Glenville, 8. St. Vincent-St. Mary, 9. Euclid, 10. Hudson, 11. Aurora, 12. Solon, 13. Madison, 14. Mayfield, 15. Copley, 16. Mentor, 17. Nordonia, 18. St. Ignatius, 19. West Geauga, 20. Perry, 21. Buckeye, 22. Cleveland Heights, 23. North Ridgeville, 24. Brecksville, 25. Kirtland.

Goul’s Top 25 explanation

Benedictine’s win vs. Hoban shrunk the gap between the Bengals and St. Edward, but not enough for me to leapfrog them over the Eagles. Hoban drops from fourth to sixth in my ballot. That might be the shortest drop I’ve given a team this season after a loss. The toughest area for me to rank is Nos. 15-18. This begins a stretch where a lot of teams suffered Week 10 losses, which compelled me to reward Copley after a 9-1 regular season. One loss, just seven points, to Aurora. Enough said. I anticipate St. Ignatius’ positioning might still be the hot topic. I dropped the Wildcats just one spot, which is befitting for a 35-28 loss to the No. 1 team. Finally, Cleveland Heights vaults into my Top 25. You go out and win a league crown without your best player, make the playoffs and do this to cap a tumultuous season, you’ve earned your spot. My bubble teams are Berea-Midpark, Columbia and Woodridge.

Noga's ballot

1. St. Edward; 2. Midview; 3. Benedictine; 4. Stow; 5. Mayfield; 6. Avon; 7. Archbishop Hoban; 8. St. Vincent-St. Mary; 9. Mentor; 10. St. Ignatius; 11. Solon; 12. Glenville; 13. Euclid; 14. Madison; 15. West Geauga; 16. Aurora; 17. Chardon; 18. Perry; 19. Hudson; 20. Nordonia; 21. Buckeye; 22. Woodridge; 23. Copley; 24. Berea-Midpark; 25. Elyria.

Noga's ballot explanation

For the second straight season, St. Edward is the undisputed No. 1 on my ballot. The Eagles adapted to a new coach, a new quarterback and met the challenge of the toughest schedule in Ohio. Undefeated teams Midview, Benedictine and Stow round out the top four. I dropped Archbishop Hoban three spots to No. 7 and Mentor four spots to No. 9 after losses in Week 10. Chardon made the biggest move on my final ballot, leaping eight spots to No. 17. Nobody wants to face the scrappy Hilltoppers in the postseason. Brecksville falls off my ballot and Elyria sneaks in for the No. 25 spot after upsetting Mentor and earning a playoff bid.

Patsko’s ballot

1. St. Edward, 2. Benedictine, 3. Midview, 4. Archbishop Hoban, 5. Stow, 6. St. Vincent-St. Mary, 7. Avon, 8. Glenville, 9. St. Ignatius, 10. Madison, 11. Mayfield, 12. Solon, 13. Mentor, 14. Euclid, 15. Hudson, 16. Aurora, 17. Nordonia, 18. Copley, 19. Buckeye, 20. North Ridgeville, 21. Elyria, 22. West Geauga, 23. Chardon, 24. Berea-Midpark, 25. Cleveland Heights.

Patsko’s poll explanation

We made it! Ten weeks later (actually 11 with the preseason poll) and we’ve – well, I - determined that St. Edward is the best team in Northeast Ohio. Easy choice. The rest of my top five, however, got a bit of a shakeup in the final week. Benedictine vaults two spots to No. 2 after defeating Archbishop Hoban. The Bengals were impressive, not just on offense, where RBs Dontez Rash and DeCavilon Reese always seem like they’re shot out of a cannon, but also defensively, hounding QB Danny Clark all game. Too bad we can’t have the Bengals and Eagles square off. Yep, that’s St. Ignatius at No. 9. How can I have Wildcats ranked in the top 10 when they didn’t even make the playoffs? Easy. This poll doesn’t have anything to do with the playoffs, and the Wildcats are as good as anybody in the Top 25. Thanks to its big Week 10 win against Mentor, Elyria hops back on my ballot, along with Lake Erie League champ Cleveland Heights. Brecksville, Rocky River and Highland don’t survive final cuts. That’s a wrap.

Rozboril's ballot

1. St. Edward, 2. Benedictine, 3. Midview, 4. Glenville, 5. Stow, 6. Archbishop Hoban, 7. Avon, 8. St. Vincent-St. Mary, 9. Euclid, 10. Hudson, 11. Aurora, 12. Copley, 13. Mayfield, 14. St. Ignatius, 15. Solon, 16. Nordonia, 17. Perry, 18. Elyria, 19. Mentor, 20. Madison, 21. North Ridgeville, 22. Olmsted Falls, 23. Westlake, 24. Berea-Midpark, 25. Brecksville.

Rozboril's ballot explanation

Mentor drops considerably after losing to Elyria, which in turn jumps in at the No. 18 spot. Benedictine and Midview switch places as the Bengals earned a convincing win against Hoban while the Middies only beat North Ridgeville by a touchdown. The Pioneers have had back-to-back impressive wins and, despite their less than impressive record, have proven to be a tough team to beat. Hoban doesn't move after losing to Benedictine, which I had ranked three spots ahead of the Knights going into Week 10. Brecksville falls considerably after being shut out by Hudson. Westlake, having played multiple talented teams tough this year and coming off an upset of Berea-Midpark, jumps into my ballot at No. 23. All of the movement at the bottom of the ballot pushes Olmsted Falls to No. 22 and squeezes Highland and North Olmsted out after losing to Kent Roosevelt and Avon Lake, respectively. 

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Miller is back in the quarterback room and there's a chance he could play at his old position on Saturday vs. the Gophers. Which brings us to ... what should we expect? Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Urban Meyer said Monday that Braxton Miller is Ohio State's backup quarterback behind Cardale Jones for the Buckeyes' game vs. Minnesota on Saturday. 

Jones will take over the starting role unexpectedly while J.T. Barrett serves a one-game suspension for an OVI he got on Friday evening. 

* Braxton Miller back to QB? Urban Meyer says he's healthy enough to throw, will backup Cardale Jones

But here's the point: Miller is back in the quarterback room and there's a chance he could play at his old position vs. the Gophers. Which brings us to this important question ... What should we expect from Miller? 

See what we think of Miller in the above video. 

We set the over/under for Miller throws vs. Minnesota at two. What do you think? 

Michael Reghi tells us what he thinks of the fan attachment to Joe Haden and Joe Thomas. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- With trade rumors swirling prior to Sunday's Browns game against the Cardinals, many fans expressed their displeasure in trading team stalwarts like Joe Thomas and Joe Haden. It got Michael Reghi riled up.

Watch Reghi's riled up segment from Monday as he reminds fans that the team hasn't won much with the players here and maybe it is time to let guys go.

See the final AP Ohio high school football state poll of 2015 season.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Here's how a state panel of sports writers and broadcasters rates Ohio high school football teams in the final weekly Associated Press poll of 2015. With won-lost record and total points (first-place votes in parentheses).

Others receiving 12 or more points: 11, Toledo Whitmer 17. 12, Mason 15.

Others receiving 12 or more points: 11, Lima Senior 23. 12, Dresden Tri-Valley 21. 13, Miamisburg 16. 14, Holland Springfield 14. 15, Hudson 13. 16, Mayfield 12.

Others receiving 12 or more points: 11, Louisville 34. 12, Tipp City Tippecanoe 26. 13, Zanesville 24. 14, Canfield 16. 15, West Geauga 13. 15, Trotwood-Madison 13.

Others receiving 12 or more points: 11, Columbus Bishop Hartley 21. 12, Plain City Jonathan Alder 17. 13, Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin 12.

Others receiving 12 or more points: 11, Magnolia Sandy Valley 29. 12, Albany Alexander 17. 13, Orwell Grand Valley 14. 13, Canton Central Catholic 14. 15, Leavittsburg Labrae 12.

Others receiving 12 or more points: 12, Columbiana 31. 13, Lisbon David Anderson 30. 14, Gibsonburg 23. 15, Columbus Grandview Heights 17. 16, Berlin Center Western Reserve 14. 17, Brookfield 12. 17, Bainbridge Paint Valley 12.

Others receiving 12 or more points: 11, Glouster Trimble 19. 12, Toronto 16. 13, North Jackson Jackson-Milton 13. 13, Vienna Mathews 13.

Rookie safety Ibraheim Campbell could be making his first start as Donte Whitner and Joe Haden are expected to miss game with concussions. Watch video

BEREA, Ohio - The Browns head to Cincinnati facing the prospects of using another makeshift secondary against the NFL's third-highest scoring team.

The club is likely without cornerback Joe Haden and strong safety Donte Whitner, who were both lost to concussions in the 34-20 setback to the Cardinals on Sunday.

Unless reserve safety Jordan Poyer (shoulder) can return on a short week, rookie Ibraheim Campbell will make his first start against the undefeated Bengals in a nationally-televised game Thursday night. Johnson Bademosi probably will start in place of Haden, who suffered his second head trauma in a month.

Whitner and Haden are in the league's concussion protocol and coach Mike Pettine doesn't expect either to be ready for the game. The Pro Bowl corner has endured an injury-filled season and not played well when he's been on the field. He sustained his latest concussion while getting beat on a 60-yard touchdown by the Cardinals' Michael Floyd in the third quarter.

Haden has enjoyed some of his finest games against the Bengals' A.J. Green. That responsibility now falls to Bademosi, a special teams ace, who's moved ahead of Pierre Desir and Justin Gilbert on the depth chart.

Desir, who's started three times in place of Haden, had a rough finish to the Browns' 24-6 loss to the Rams on Oct. 25.  

"I think Johnson is one of those guys that you know what you're going to get out of him," free safety Tashaun Gipson said. "You know he's going to compete. In this business, being a competitor that takes you a long way because he's a big guy, he's physical and he's fast."

Gipson and Pettine each expressed concern for Haden due to the multiple concussions in a short span. Haden was inadvertently kicked in the head by Floyd as he broke free from the corner. Gipson said Haden was bloodied on the play.

"You get to concussions like that, it's serious man," Gipson said Sunday. "I'm praying for Joe and a speedy recovery, and he'll get his chance when he gets back healthy."

Campbell, a fourth-round pick, played relatively well in Whitner's absence, making five tackles and earning the team's fifth-highest grade, according to ProFootballFocus.com

It's been a trying season for Browns' defensive backs, who touted themselves as one of the league's top secondaries in preseason. Injuries have contributed to their problems as only corner Tramon Williams has been healthy for all eight games.

Despite forcing four turnovers, the Browns squandered a 13-point lead against the Cardinals, who converted 13 of 16 third downs.

"Just a revolving door injuries that just keep hitting the secondary, which was supposed to be the strength of the team, as well as the defense," said Gipson, who missed three games with an ankle sprain. "We've been hit with this injury bug and it's unfortunate because like I said, we have great players back there."

Cleveland Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith suffered a right knee contusion and will not return to the game against the Philadelphia 76ers.

PHILADELPHIA -- Cleveland Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith suffered a right knee contusion and will not return to tonight's game against the Philadelphia 76ers.

It is unclear at what point he sustained the injury. He only played in five minutes and was 0-for-1 from the field.

Smith has also battled a right hamstring injury during training camp. The last thing the Cavaliers need is another contributing body out.

Browns coach Mike Pettine isn't ready to turn the team over to Johnny Manziel just yet, but that time could be coming soon.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Josh McCown waved Johnny Manziel off the field on Sunday and then coach Mike Pettine waved him off again Monday.

During a conference call, Pettine made it clear that he's not ready to turn the team over to Manziel despite the fact that McCown has a rib injury and the Browns are a dire 2-6 heading into Thursday night's game against the 7-0 Bengals.

"You take each week as it comes and we're not at that point,'' said Pettine, who's 2-11 in his last 13 games and 3-12 in his last 15. "To me, it's a valid question. When we get to each week, especially with some time off coming up, we'll certainly hit the reset button and see where we are. Each week brings a new challenge, a new set of circumstances. We're just not ready to say we're at that point yet."

Pettine disagreed with the notion that he's reluctant to play Manziel, who pulled on his helmet and took two steps onto the field during Sunday's 34-20 loss to the Cardinals before McCown motioned him back to the sidelines. In fact, Pettine was asked if he'd consider starting third-teamer Austin Davis if he's so dead set against using his 2014 first-round pick.

"To me, (Manziel's) our backup,'' said Pettine. "When our starter was hurt against the Jets, he came in and I thought, for the most part, did a good job, given the fact that he hadn't gotten a ton of reps. Then he did a good job preparing the following week and went out and played well. So again, part of that is maybe my own being bunkered in. I don't really get too wrapped up in what the outside perception is of our quarterback room, but I just know Josh McCown has done a great job for us.'

With mostly McCown at the helm, the Browns have racked up 2,290 passing yards, second-most in the first eight weeks of a season in Browns history. The total is seventh among NFL teams this season.  Against the Cardinals, he threw three touchdowns in the first half for a 20-7 lead before the Caridnals stormed back with 27 unanswered points.

"(McCown's) doing a good job playing the position,'' said Pettine. "We feel good about where Johnny is and the direction he's headed. Those are just our circumstances."

Manziel did get in the game with 2:16 remaining, just after the Cardinals tacked on their final field goal to put the game out of reach for the Browns. But if all goes as planned, he'll be on the sidelines in Cincinnati while McCown tries to pull the Browns out of their three-game tailspin.

McCown underwent X-rays on his ribs after the game, but Pettine declined to reveal if they were negative. If the Browns had practiced Monday, McCown would've rested.

 "Josh is sore and it's difficult this week just given that it's a short week,'' said Pettine. "He'll be day to day. We'll know a lot more when we get into (Tuesday) and into Wednesday."

With the short week, the Browns only have a light practice on Tuesday before heading to Cincinnati on Wednesday, so the quarterback decision might come down to gametime again.

"Everything we're doing this week is essentially a walk-through, so other than the guys that are in the concussion protocol, we'll expect all our guys to be out there at practice, but we'll know more (Monday night) and more heading into tomorrow,'' said Pettine.

After reviewing the film of McCown taking three straight hard hits by the Cardinals, including two straight by former Brown Frostee Rucker, Pettine stood by his decision again to the keep the 13-year veteran in the game. McCown needed medical attention on the sidelines, and then crouched on the field to compose himself and recapture his wind after the second hit by Rucker. That's when Manziel started out onto he field, only to be turned back by his indestructible mentor.

"We had a conversation with Josh today, and like I said before, when a guy is suspected of having an injury, I think our medical staff does a good job of checking them out, making sure they're ready to go back in,'' said Pettine. "Our players all know that if there's a situation where they know that they can't continue, that they should go down and get medical attention. Just looking at that sequence of plays, I still feel the same way that I felt (Sunday).''

Fortunately for the Browns, it appears that Manziel will be available for the Bengals game either as the backup or the starter. An NFL spokesman said there's been no decision yet on Manziel's possible discipline under the personal conduct policy for his Oct. 12 incident, and that there's no timetable on a ruling.

Regardless of who starts, he'll have a skeleton crew at receiver. Brian Hartline was diagnosed with a concussion Monday morning and will most likely sit out the game. Andrew Hawkins was still in the concussion protocol as of Monday afternoon.

What's more, the Browns have no running game to speak of, and McCown was their leading rusher Sunday with 18 yards. It's a major reason McCown has been hit so much this season.

"We have not run the ball consistently,'' said Pettine. "You've got to win on early downs running the ball to avoid third and long. That's the challenge to the guys up front. That's the challenge to the backs, that's the challenge to the tight ends, everybody involved in the run game -- that we can not be one-dimensional.''

After the Bengals game, the Browns will have 10 days to recover before heading to Pittsburgh for another tough AFC North game. Then it's bye week and a chance to hit the reset button.

If the Browns are 2-8 at that point, Manziel might finally be waved onto the field.