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Wednesday’s winter sports roundup: Basketball highlights

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Here are high school sports highlights from Wednesday.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Here are high school sports highlights from Wednesday. See below for information on how you team’s accomplishments can be recognized in these daily roundups.

Girls basketball


Laurel 42, Brush 32: Alex Cade and Peighton Taylor each had double doubles for the Gators. 


Norton 60, Springfield 15: Kelsey Hosey had 14 points, Natalie Miller had 11 and Timi howell had 10 in the victory.


Normandy 55, Valley Forge 21:Abi Oriti had 21 points and 13 rebounds for the Invaders. Ella Dukarm scored 11 and Kelsey Metlesitz had 10.


How your team can be included in these roundups


These roundups are based on box scores and game notes entered in cleveland.com’s database by school or team representatives. If your team is not participating in the box score program please contact your athletic director or coach and encourage them to do so. They can obtain instructions and database login information from High School Sports Manager Kristen Davis at kdavis@cleveland.com.


Statewide girls basketball scores for Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2015

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Here are Wednesday’s girls basketball scores from around Ohio.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Here are Wednesday’s girls basketball scores from around Ohio:

Akr. Manchester 47, Alliance Marlington 37


Akr. SVSM 69, Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit 20


Atwater Waterloo 52, Mogadore 44


Avon 41, Lakewood 34


Avon Lake 48, Amherst Steele 37


Beavercreek 65, Trotwood-Madison 22


Berea-Midpark 69, Olmsted Falls 45


Brooklyn 47, Lorain Clearview 41


Can. Cent. Cath. 50, New Philadelphia 38


Can. Glenoak 49, Uniontown Lake 37


Can. McKinley 55, Green 47


Can. South 60, Canal Fulton Northwest 30


Canfield 54, Warren Howland 50


Chagrin Falls 38, Beachwood 32


Chardon 55, Willoughby S. 32


Cin. Indian Hill 65, N. Bend (Cleves) Taylor 28


Cin. Mariemont 66, Cin. Wyoming 48


Cin. NW 67, St. Bernard Roger Bacon 49


Cin. Oak Hills 39, Cin. Sycamore 29


Cin. Turpin 47, Cin. Anderson 35


Cin. Walnut Hills 52, Milford 50


Clarksville Clinton-Massie 49, Chillicothe 40


Cols. Hartley 56, Cols. Bexley 47


Columbia Station Columbia 47, Oberlin 19


Cuyahoga Hts. 33, Richmond Hts. 29


Eastlake N. 65, Cle. Hts. 62


Elyria Cath. 56, Parma 36


Euclid 62, Bedford 52


Fairport Harbor Harding 42, Burton Berkshire 35


Gates Mills Gilmour 92, Warrensville Hts. 15


Greenfield McClain 43, Washington C.H. 35


Hamilton 79, Cin. Colerain 29


Hudson 46, Cuyahoga Falls 42


Kent Roosevelt 44, Richfield Revere 33


LaGrange Keystone 45, Oberlin Firelands 34


Leesburg Fairfield 49, Batavia Clermont NE 29


Liberty Twp. Lakota E. 46, Middletown 40


Lodi Cloverleaf 68, Peninsula Woodridge 47


London 41, Spring. NE 20


Loveland 48, Cin. Withrow 37


Macedonia Nordonia 71, Brecksville-Broadview Hts. 32


Madison 39, Maple Hts. 38


Malvern 61, Sugarcreek Garaway 60, 2OT


Mantua Crestwood 76, Rootstown 55


Mason 76, Cin. Princeton 35


Massillon Perry 56, Massillon Jackson 43


Massillon Tuslaw 53, Navarre Fairless 40


Mayfield 73, Garfield Hts. 46


Medina Highland 52, Aurora 37


Mentor 48, Mentor Lake Cath. 29


N. Can. Hoover 58, Shaker Hts. Hathaway Brown 50


N. Olmsted 53, N. Ridgeville 51


New Carlisle Tecumseh 66, Tipp City Tippecanoe 48


Newark 67, Grove City 62


Norton 60, Akr. Springfield 15


Oak Glen, W.Va. 60, Steubenville 49


Orange 52, Wickliffe 24


Oxford Talawanda 38, Eaton 35


Parma Normandy 55, Parma Hts. Valley Forge 21


Parma Padua 45, Parma Hts. Holy Name 41


Port Clinton 51, Castalia Margaretta 46


Ravenna 59, Akr. Coventry 27


Ravenna SE 49, Garrettsville Garfield 45


Reading 57, Cin. Finneytown 12


Rocky River Lutheran W. 31, Fairview 14


Rocky River Magnificat 65, Cle. St. Joseph 49


Salem 44, Youngs. Mooney 30


Sandusky Perkins 52, Huron 27


Shaker Hts. Laurel 42, Lyndhurst Brush 32


Sheffield Brookside 80, Sullivan Black River 54


Stow-Munroe Falls 49, Twinsburg 48


Streetsboro 44, Mogadore Field 25


Sugar Grove Berne Union 51, Circleville Logan Elm 39


Tallmadge 48, Copley 38


Vincent Warren 56, Marietta 53


W. Chester Lakota W. 67, Fairfield 34


W. Lafayette Ridgewood 61, Magnolia Sandy Valley 18


W. Union 63, Portsmouth W. 44


Wadsworth 48, N. Royalton 24


Washington C.H. Miami Trace 66, Hillsboro 37


Westlake 83, Grafton Midview 17


Whitehall-Yearling 51, Bloom-Carroll 49

Will Cleveland Indians, Cincinnati Reds make deal for third baseman Todd Frazier?

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The Indians have been looking for a right-hander hitter to drive in runs and bat in the middle of the lineup. Could Cincinnati's Todd Frazier be that guy?

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Could third baseman Todd Frazier be coming to the Indians?

Maybe, yes. Maybe, no.

It was reported Wednesday by Bob Nightengale of USA Today that the Indians met with the Cincinnati Reds about Frazier, who hit 35 homers last season and won the Home Run Derby at the All-Star Game. The Reds are rebuilding and looking for young players. The Indians do have prospects who might interest them.

They have outfielders Tyler Naquin, James Ramsey, Brad Zimmer and Clint Frazier in the pipeline. Naquin and Ramsey are on the 40-man roster. All four are No. 1 picks.

The Indians have pitching in the minors as well. They are getting a lot of inquiries on Mike Clevinger, Shawn Armstrong and Rob Kaminsky, the former No.1 pick they received from St. Louis for Brandon Moss.

The thing is this isn't the first time the Indians and Reds have talked. The conversations haven't strictly centered on Frazier, 30, either. The Reds are shopping right fielder Jay Bruce as well.

If the Reds are expecting to get Carlos Carrasco or Danny Salazar in return for Frazier, they've probably set the bar too high. Here's the Indians' mindset when it comes to their starting pitching - they can't afford to go out and buy the type of starting pitching they have right now. So if they trade a Corey Kluber, Carrasco, Salazar or Trevor Bauer, they have to get exactly what they want.

Right now the Indians believe one hitter isn't going to make that much of a difference. As manager Terry Francona said, "we have some holes to fill."

Those holes would be at DH or first base, third base and all three outfield positions. So if they trade a starting pitcher, they have to bring back more than one big-league-ready player.

Frazier can be a free agent after 2017. So the Indians would get two years out of him. Salazar and Bauer are under the Tribe's control for five more years. Carrasco is signed for three more years with two club options.

It would not be good business for the Indians to trade that many years of control for two years of Frazier, no matter how good he would look hitting in the middle of the Tribe's lineup.

Still, GM Mike Chernoff said it is easier for teams to make a trade when they're coming from different ends of the MLB spectrum such as rebuilding Reds and trying-to-win-now Indians.

"In any type of trade discussion, when the time frame is different for one team or another, it can make it easier to align just because you value one thing and the other team values another thing," said Chernoff. "It can be much easier to find a fit in those cases.

"When a team is looking to impact their major-league team, and just balance it out somewhere else, it's much harder to find that fit because you're usually going to value your own players more than any other team would."

Frazier hit .255 (158-for-619) with 89 RBI in 157 games last season. He hit .284 (97-for-342) with 25 homers and 57 RBI in the first half. In the second half, Frazier hit just .220 (61-for-277) with 10 homers and 32 RBI.

What happened? Before Arizona acquired Shelby Miller from Atlanta on Tuesday, the Diamondbacks and Indians were in negotiations.

The Indians wanted center fielder A.J. Pollock, but it was unclear exactly who the Diamondbacks wanted. GM Dave Stewart was pushing for Salazar, who the Indians were willing to talk about.

Tony La Russa, Arizona's chief baseball officer, was leaning toward another group of players. Eventually talks stalled and the Diamondbacks turned their attention to the Braves and Miller.

Arizona sent big-league outfielder Ender Inciarte and prospects Dansby Swanson and Aaron Blair to the Braves. Swanson, a shortstop, was the No.1 pick in the 2015 draft.

The rebuilding Braves need prospects, but the Indians were seeking big-league ready players from the Diamondbacks, starting with Pollock.

When asked if the rebuilding Braves were in a better position to make a deal with Arizona than the Indians, Chernoff said, "I think it just shows you the high value of major-league controllable starters. Whether it's on the free-agent market, and you're seeing what guys are getting in terms of dollars, or on the trade market where you're seeing what teams will give up for controllable starters.

"I think it just reaffirms the value of (our) guys, whether it's to us as we keep them or as other teams come at us and we explore other options."

No go: When the Pirates non-tendered Pedro Alvarez last week, the Indians expressed interest in the power-hitting first baseman. The interest seems to have waned.

Alvarez hit .243 (106-for-437) with 27 homers and 77 RBI last season for the Pirates. He struck out 131 times and committed 23 errors.

Checking in: The Indians have talked to the agent for Steve Pearce. Last season the right-handed Pearce hit .218 (64-for-294) with 15 homers and 40 RBI in 92 games for Baltimore. He played 41 games in left field, 28 at first base, 18 at second and eight in right field. Pearce hit .293 (99-for-102) with 21 homers and 49 RBI in 2014.

Pearce, 33, has played parts of nine years in the big leagues with the Pirates, Orioles, Houston and Yankees. Thirty-six of his career 53 homers have come in the last two seasons.

The fit for Urban Meyer and Greg Schiano - a respected coach, yes, but an important friend as well

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"Schiano is one of my closest friends," Meyer said last summer.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- What was on Urban Meyer's list for hiring a new defensive coordinator?

Recruiting ability? Defensive acumen? Experience? 

How about - he's my friend?

Let's go back to August, when Meyer met with reporters in the middle of Ohio State's preseason camp. He was asked about defending a championship, and what research he may have done on that.

"It's interesting that my confidantes are Steve Addazio, Greg Schiano and some other guys I call frequently about, hey, tell me about this situation, tell me about this, guys that I know have no vested interest other than they're very good friends and I respect them," Meyer said as part of that answer.

Steve Addazio has been one of Meyer's best friends for decades and worked under Meyer at Florida. He's the head coach at Boston College.

Greg Schiano? He's Ohio State's new defensive coordinator.

Ohio State confirmed Schiano's hiring Friday to replace Chris Ash in an Ohio-for-New Jersey swap. The Buckeyes are losing their co-defensive coordinator, who is the new head coach at Rutgers. So Ohio State hired as its new co-defensive coordinator the most successful head coach in Rutgers history.

Schiano's resume is unquestioned. He was 68-67 as Rutgers' head coach between 2001 and 2011 before leaving for the NFL, hired as the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He went 11-21 in two years there and was fired.

So that's your new assistant coach - the former NFL head coach.

The 49-year-old's name was floated for plenty of college head coaching jobs this offseason, but once schools like Virginia, Maryland, Miami, South Carolina and Rutgers itself made other hires, the idea of Schiano working for Meyer popped up.

Just as Meyer did with hiring former Penn State defensive line coach Larry Johnson when Mike Vrabel left, he looked at an obvious choice and made an obvious call. 

This one means something more.

The only thing that will derail Meyer in any serious way at Ohio State is burnout. Everyone knows Meyer can win. The only long-term issue for him is whether he wants to keep doing it.

That's what stopped him at Florida. Himself. 

What helped lead to that? Losing assistants he trusted.

At Ohio State, Meyer didn't hire from his network in nearly the same way he did at Florida, because those he knew so well from moving up the coaching ranks already had better jobs. He's found success with coaches he didn't know personally, coaches like Ash and former offensive coordinator Tom Herman and co-defensive coordinator Luke Fickell and Johnson and offensive line coach Ed Warinner.

Now? Not a bad time for a friend.

Meyer will drop the "good friend of mine" line from time to time when discussing other coaches, but he's probably used it on Schiano as much as anyone in his four years in Columbus. Their relationship is personal and professional. Meyer can trust Schiano as a friend and respect him as a coach. 

When it comes to running the defense, where Meyer has little hands-on involvement other than knowing he wants to play an aggressive man-to-man defense, there may be no one with whom Meyer would be more comfortable.

There's a sense that Meyer is handling the championship shortfall this season far better than he handled Florida coming up just short of the title game in 2009. But this is going to be a time of change. The Buckeyes will lose a ton of talent before the 2016 season. 

What will Meyer gain?

"He's a great friend of mine."

That's what Meyer said after Schiano visited Ohio State's practice in the spring of 2014, as the Buckeyes were beginning to reshape their defense.

"Our pass defense was not very strong and he's an excellent secondary coach," Meyer told NJ.com later that summer while explaining Schiano's visit. "He's a guy I just have a lot of respect for."

Then Schiano was stopping by and offering tips to guys like Ash. Now he's replacing Ash.

Meyer and Schiano will work together for the first time after their friendship developed in the late '90s. Schiano was working for the Chicago Bears while Meyer was an assistant at Notre Dame.

"Schiano is one of my closest friends," Meyer told NJ.com last summer. "We were two young guys trying to figure it out. He was a secondary coach and I was a receiver and quarterback coach and we just became friends. We really became real close during the Nike years when we'd go on the Nike trips and our wives would just hang out together for a week. He's a great guy, a great friend."

Obviously, Schiano wants to be a head coach again someday, and he will be. Ohio State will lose him, just like it lost Ash and Herman and Vrabel and others who moved on to bigger things.

Right here, right now? He's a very good coach. And a very good friend.

Meyer needed the first. It wasn't a bad idea to get the second.

Ron Harper, Wayne Embry have fond memories of former Cleveland Cavaliers forward John 'Hot Rod' Williams (photos)

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Teammates and others remember Cavaliers forward John "Hot Rod" Williams, who died Friday from complications related to prostate cancer.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The pain lingers even several hours after Ron Harper was told the news about his former teammate with the Cleveland Cavaliers. John "Hot Rod" Williams, 53, died from complications related to prostate cancer Friday.

Williams played nine of his 13 NBA seasons with the Cavaliers, from 1986-95.

Harper, who spent three seasons with Williams, took the news hard.

"This is a very sad and upsetting day because his death is like losing someone you grew up with or a relative," Harper said. "I heard he wasn't doing well a couple of days ago, and then I got the call today that he passed away... It's a sad day."

In happier times, the Cavaliers selected Williams out of Tulane in the second round. He developed into one of the premier sixth men in the league. He came off the bench in '89 and averaged 16.8 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.04 blocked shots.

"He was an awesome teammate who came to work everyday and worked hard," Harper said.

Williams was the Cavaliers all-time leader in blocks until Zydrunas Ilgauskas set the mark in 2009.

Despite his success, general manager Wayne Embry traded Williams to the Phoenix Suns before the start of the '95 season. In exchange the Cavaliers received Dan Majerle, Antonio Lang and a '97 first-round draft pick.

Embry said the deal was made because Brad Daughtery went down due to injuries and the Cavaliers needed to rebuild.

"John loved Cleveland and didn't want to go," Embry said. "I told him that we had to rebuild and he said if he had to go that Phoenix would be the place."

Williams played with the Suns from '95 to '98. He ended his career with the Dallas Mavericks the following season. Embry and Williams remained in touch through the years.

"I talked to him several months ago and he said things were going well," Embry said. "And the other day I was thinking about John and then I got this text from Craig Ehlo that John wasn't doing well... He was a special kind of guy."

Former Cavs forward Phil Hubbard, now coaching in Korea after coaching in NBA D League the last few years recalled his kindness.

"He died way too young ... so sad," Hubbard said. "He had such a huge heart. He was such a kind person."

Hubbard also remembered how Williams couldn't wait to build his "dream" home in his hometown of Sorrento, La. He did eventually finish the house and built another for his stepmother.

"He loved to talk about the house that he was building in Sorrento," Hubbard said. "He would show us the plans, and talk about how he wanted to retire there and live there the rest of his life.

"You should have seen those plans, so detailed. I know he did a lot of the  construction work himself."

Several former players shared thoughts on Twitter, including former Cavs point guard Mark Price:

Cavs owner Dan Gilbert also weighed in on Twitter:

Former Chicago Bulls forward Scottie Pippen Tweeted his condolences.

Gallery preview 

Donte Whitner calls for Jimmy Haslam to keep Browns coaching staff: 'We've let them down'

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Safety Donte Whitner wants the coaching staff to remain intact despite the Browns 2-10 record. Watch video

BEREA, Ohio --  Safety Donte Whitner called for Browns owner Jimmy Haslam to keep the coaching staff intact, and said the player "have let them down'' this year.

"Yeah I would like to see that happen but the call is not up to me,'' he said Friday, two days before facing his former 49ers team at FirstEnergy Stadium.  "You always understand that second, third year in the system some things can change, something can click. Maybe the players won't make the same mistakes or the same mental errors when we step out there being the third year in the system so we'll see."

He believes that overhauling the staff and scheme is not the answer.

"Yeah a whole new one and then you got all types of other big plays happening so I would say stick with it but who am I?'' he said. "I don't know anything."

Whitner, who spent three seasons with the 49ers and helped them reach the Super Bowl after the 2012 season, still has "total faith'' in the coaching staff.

"Every time we've taken the football field we've been prepared,'' he said. " I can be the first to tell you that. We've known what the opposition was going to do to us. We've known where they want to go with the football. Now It's hard for us as players being prepared to get out there and not know what's going on. Because we study so much.

"Sometimes it's just like we have mental lapses out there. I really do like this coaching staff. They're really, really a hard-working coaching staff. They're young but they're hungry to win. I think just players, we've let them down a little this year.''

He cautioned that firing the staff won't necessarily solve the team's problems -- a sentiment shared by coach Mike Pettine, who's lost 15 of his last 17 games but hasn't had much talent this year.

"A lot of times change will, a lot of times change won't,'' said Whitner. "Sometimes it's not greener on the other side. Sometimes you have to stick it out to get to where you want to get to.''

He likened the Browns situation to that of the Carolina Panthers, who snuck into the playoffs with a  7-8-1 mark last season and are currently 12-0.

 "Who's to say we couldn't come out next season with the same coaching staff being in the third year in the system and run off a streak like the Carolina Panthers, because last year...their situation last year wasn't so much better than what ours is right now and they just stuck with it. There was people that was calling for, they didn't make the playoffs last year for their coaching staff to get fired to so sometimes you have to stick it out and wait and see.''

Whitner attributed the Browns defensive woes in large part to Pro Bowl cornerback Joe Haden missing most of the season with his concussion. Haden has been ruled out of Sunday's game against the 49ers, his seventh absence of the season from the head injury. He also missed on game with a broken finger and rib injury.

"Not having Joe and not being able to put him in 0 coverage and take one side of the defense away or add that other guy in the box to stop the run, it's a huge trickle-down effect,'' said Whitner. "If Joe was healthy all season and played up to his capabilities all season then I believe that our defense would be a lot better than what it is right now. You can go to another team and bring a great pass rusher in that's going to give you 16-20 sacks, that's going to change you tremendously.

"That's going to allow you to only rush with four and be able to help put extra guys into coverage. It's a huge trickle-down effect. We wish he was out there, we wish he was healthy and we do need him back as soon as possible because when he's out there and playing his best, our defense is playing at its best."

Aside from that, Whitner attributed the Browns' 29th-ranked defense to lack of execution on the part of the players.

"The main cause is we have some guys that don't do what they're supposed to do as consistently as they're supposed to do it,'' he said. "That's the honest to God truth. Sometimes you could even tell some guys, this play is coming, somehow he still sees some other type play out there. That does happen, so I don't know what else to say about that.

"Sometimes guys do what they're supposed to do. Sometimes they don't. When you tend to not do what you're supposed to do, that's when you tend to get beat.''

He disagreed, however, with the notion that the defense is too complicated.

 "That's B.S.,'' he said. "It's the same defense we've been running for two years. Honestly, if I could sit here and show you guys cut-ups from things (we're doing) perfectly in practice and get in a game and doing something totally you didn't practice to do - but maybe it's because I've been playing 10 years. I don't think it's too complex.''

He noted that there are three reasons for making mistakes: "You don't know, you don't care or you don't want to play football. We have to figure that out. These four games right here is where you figure that out. You figure out who are the front runners and who really cares and who really loves the game of football and who wants to play the game of football."

Whitner said the film will show over the next four games who's quit and who hasn't.

"With all of this adversity we have to be able to block this out, go out there and get our jobs done no matter if we're 2-10 or 10-2 and that's what we're paid to do,'' he said. "If you love the game of football it really shouldn't matter about record or playoffs or anything. It should be about the love of the game, going out there and having pride and not laying down and that's what we have."

Related: Donte Whitner knows folks wrote him off as old

Whitner, who missed two games with a concussion and has been back for two weeks, admitted that  even he "started off a little rocky. A lot of people -- even a lot of you guys -- some people said I should have been benched or I was getting old or whatever.

"As I look around the National Football League I see a lot of people miss tackles. I see even some that you call the best or are perceived to be the best miss tackles. A lot of worse tackles than what we missed earlier in the season. So, I don't know. It's just the game of football. You have to take the criticism, the good with the bad. So that's what I do.''

He refused to pin all of the defensive woes on the young guys in the lineup. The Browns are 31st against the run and 31st in points allowed.

"You can't put it just on young guys, you can't put in on older guys but we're not as detailed as we need to be to be dominant,'' he said.

Whitner, who went to the NFC Championship Game all three of his seasons in San Francisco, admitted that the 2-10 season hits especially hard because it's happening in his hometown.

"It is a bit frustrating,'' he said. "Especially coming home, and being from here, and having to hear people - family members, even my own children - say stuff about us losing, and (asking) when are we going to start winning,'' Whitner said. ''So it has been tough. One thing I can say is, we haven't given up. We have guys that want to get things right.''

And he's hoping some of those same guys are still around next year.

Can Cleveland Browns defense help end skid against San Francisco? -- Bud Shaw's You Said It

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Cleveland sports fans wonder about Dwayne Bowe's availability against the Niners and whether Jimmy Haslam will decide to sell the team. As usual, we have no answers -- Bud Shaw's You Said It

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- You Said It is based on the premise that the only thing Cleveland sports fans need more than a championship is a sense of humor...

YOU SAID IT

Bud: How much did the betting line move when it was revealed that Dwayne Bowe missed Browns' practice due to "personal reasons"? -- Paul

Not sure. But San Francisco sources say Niners defensive coordinator Eric Mangini lost a few seconds of preparation verifying that Bowe is still in the league.

Hey Bud: Any idea where you stand in the writing equivalent of cleveland.com's "depth chart?" Or is the Spin column considered to be their version of the practice squad? -- Jeff, Westlake

I used to identify most with Austin Davis. Then he got promoted.

Bud: Why not encourage LeBron to buy out Haslam?  He's certainly got the sheckles to do it - Tom Grauman

LeBron taking business tips from me would be like Clooney taking hair style advice from Trump.

Bud: Despite numerous attempts, I have never made You Said It, while my friend has done it a dozen times. How inferior should I feel? - BKwaz

You know what they say: nobody on their deathbed ever wishes they spent more time reading their emails in an online newspaper column when they could've been watching the Browns instead.

Bud: Do winners on the Bernie Kosar video lottery machine walk away with 'diminished thrills'? - Jim Corrigan, Fairview Park

You Said It winners hit the jackpot.

Bud: Like at all other disasters, will the Red Cross start passing out coffee and donuts when the Browns defense is on the field? - Michael Sarro

The contributions of You Said It winners have no redeeming social value.

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Orlando Magic: Live chat and updates with Chris Fedor

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Get the latest updates and analysis on the Cleveland Cavaliers game against the Orlando Magic.

ORLANDO -- The Cleveland Cavaliers cruised to a 111-76 win against the Orlando Magic on Friday, winning the first game of a two-game road trip. 

LeBron James led the way with 25 points. Timofey Mozgov scored a season high 17 points. Iman Shumpert, in his season debut, added 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting. 

Scoring Summary:

End of 3rd Quarter - Cavs lead Magic, 83-52. LeBron James leads the way with 25 points. Timofey Mozgov has 17 points. Matthew Dellavedova has added 12 points. Orlando is led by Nikola Vucevic, who has 14 points. 

End of 2nd Quarter - Cavs lead Magic, 53-37. LeBron James, behind a 16-point quarter, has a game-high 20 points. Matthew Dellavedova has added nine points. Orlando is led by Nikola Vucevic, who has 12 points. Elfrid Payton has chipped in with seven points. 

End of 1st Quarter - Cavs lead Magic, 22-20. Timofey Mozgov leads the Cavs with six points. LeBron James has added four points. The Magic are led by Nikola Vucevic, who has seven points. Elfrid Payton has added five. 

Game 22: Cavs (14-7) vs. Magic (12-10)

Tip off: 7 p.m. at Amway Center

TV/radio: Fox Sports Ohio; WTAM AM/1100, WMMS 100.7 FM, 87.7 FM (ESP)

Cavs probable starting lineup: Matthew Dellavedova, Jared Cunningham, LeBron James, Kevin Love and Timofey Mozgov.

Magic probable starting lineup: Elfrid Payton, Evan Fournier, Tobias Harris, Channing Frye and Nikola Vucevic.

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

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Iman Shumpert to make season debut tonight against Orlando Magic

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Iman Shumpert will make his season debut tonight for the Cleveland Cavaliers on the road against the Orlando Magic.

ORLANDO - Iman Shumpert told cleveland.com he will make his season debut tonight for the Cleveland Cavaliers on the road against the Orlando Magic.

"I'm playing," he said.

The defensive specialist decided to give it a go after a successful shootaround and pregame shooting session. Cavs coach David Blatt refused to confirm Shumpert's availability status, as he tends to do with his players.

Judging by Shumpert's vibrant spirit this morning, making his return this evening from October wrist surgery was inevitable. He's even sporting a fresh haircut with "90" shaved on the back of his head, signifying the year he was born.

"Shump certainly adds a depth to our team," LeBron James said earlier today. "He adds some experience to our team. So whenever he's available, it's going to be good for our squad."

Blatt said after practice Thursday that there was a chance Shumpert and Kyrie Irving could finally hit the hardwood during this two-game trip starting tonight, followed by Boston on Tuesday.

Irving, working his way back from knee surgery, is still inactive.

Shumpert has been ahead of schedule in his rehab for well over a month. General manager David Griffin described him as a "gym rat" as he fought to get back. Shumpert understands it's going to take him a while before he finds his groove, but he believes he can help his team out of the gate.

"It's going to be obvious that I haven't played in a while," Shumpert said. "I think I'll be overly excited my first time up and down, but I bring more good energy than bad energy. So, if my timing is not all the way there or my timing on some plays isn't all the way there, it'll be OK because I'm going to bring the energy."

Browns' Terrelle Pryor to make his debut at WR vs. 49ers: 'Hopefully I'll shock some people'

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Browns receiver Terrelle Pryor will make his NFL debut at receiver Sunday against the 49ers.

BEREA, Ohio -- Terrelle Pryor is expected to make his NFL debut at receiver Sunday against the 49ers, one of the 10 teams that tried him out and failed to sign him this season. But revenge is the furthest thing from his mind.

"No, because I understand business,'' he said. "The Browns are the only ones that have really seen me at receiver, so hopefully I'll shock some people out there on the field. But at the same time I can't really look back on who didn't give me a chance.  All I can really think about right now is playing hard for my teammates and trying to help them get a W on Sunday.''

Coach Mike Pettine indicated that Pryor will play at least a little on Sunday. The Browns have one receivers who's been ruled in Andrew Hawkins (concussion) and four that are questionable:  Taylor Gabriel (concussion), Brian Hartline (hip), Marlon Moore (ribs), and Travis Benjamin (shoulder).  

"Terrelle looks good,'' said Pettine. "I don't know if he's ready to take on a full role, but there's a chance that there will be some involvement in the plan there.''

He said he's probably not ready for a larger yet, but should be able to contribute.

"He's just got to play (to get some experience),'' said Pettine. "The credit to him, he came back in great shape, came back in really, really good shape and retained a lot of what we're doing. You say, 'Hey, it's going to be sooner than later.' More than likely, it's going to be sooner."

When Pryor is up to speed, the Browns can use him in multiple ways. In addition to receiver, he'll serve as the third quarterback and can play on special teams. His athletic ability and versatility gives the Browns the option of using him on gadget plays.

"He trained primarily this week as the split end, the X receiver, but we can move him around some,'' said Pettine. "There is some flexibility in the system. Flip (offensive coordinator John DeFilippo) does a nice job of putting guys where they need to be to run the routes.

"He's not fully versed on the entire route tree so we're not going to put him in that position where he has to run everything. The positive thing is the way he came back here. We can potentially work him in early and get him some playing time between now and the end of the year."

Related: Terrelle Pryor was disappointed when the Browns cut him

By all accounts, Pryor (6-4, 223) returned to the Browns facility a better receiver than when he left -- despite playing no football in between.

"He worked,'' said Pettine. "He just wasn't doing aerobics stuff. He was working at his craft. He is better. We have all noticed it."

DeFilippo has been pleased with Pryor's grasp of the system.

"He did not take a huge drop off mentally from when he left here,'' he said. "If Terrelle plays on Sunday, I'm really, really looking forward to seeing that."

He said he hasn't sensed that other players resent Pryor walking in off the street and playing a new position with no experience.

"Obviously, Terrelle has a skillset that a lot of guys don't have in that he is a big, fast receiver with good hands and with a different view of the game than a lot of receivers because he has played the quarterback position,'' said DeFilippo. "He sees things a little bit differently. I am not saying it is better or worse than other receivers, but you see it differently when you have seen the whole thing. Again, Terrelle offers a skillset that we are looking forward to seeing."

His former Ohio State alum Donte Whitner is eager to see what he can do.

"Terrelle, he's been working hard,'' said Whitner. "Just coming back, I don't know how much to expect but I know he'll probably be out there on special teams in some capacity, and on offense in some capacity, so I'm just as excited as you guys are about seeing him on the field.''

Receiver Dwayne Bowe, who's struggled to get on the field this season after missing most of training camp with a pulled hamstring, has witnessed the same transformation in Pryor since he was cut by the Browns Sept. 10.

"I can't wait to see him out there,'' he said. "He's definitely 10 times better than when he came the first time. He's listening and he's learning and he's applying it. He came back super polished and he looks great. He made a couple of big plays today.''

Niners coach Jim Tomsula, who like Pryor hails from Pennsylvania, would've loved to have signed Pryor when he worked him out in early October, but he wasn't 100% healed from the hamstring.

"You all know him from Ohio State, but I know him from Jeannette, Pa.'' Tomsula said on a conference call. "Terrelle is just a tremendous athlete. He can pretty much do anything he wants to do. We had him in here for workouts. He had that leg injury and we didn't have a place right at that time, but I think Terrelle is a really, really tremendous athlete."

Pryor said the major difference between him now and during camp is a healthy hamstring. He pulled it early on and missed most of the rest of the summer.

"I believe coming back here I'm a better receiver, a better playmaker, smarter and I actually think it (the time away) helped me,'' he said. "My routes are a lot better, a lot more detailed and a lot more savvy. It's an exciting time for me and I'm looking forward to the opportunity."

In addition to watching videos of his own Browns teammates running routes, he studied film of other big-body wideouts such as Martavis Bryant, Calvin Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald and Randy Moss.

"How do those guys get open? How do they set defenders up? How do they run their routes? I tried to to learn that stuff of those guys, pulling up Youtube clips,'' he said. "It's very important to me to work on my craft, so I'm excited.''

Pryor knows he won't get open every play against elite NFL defenders.

"I just think I've got to stay on my technique and worry about myself,''  he said. "They get paid too, but when the ball's in my way, in my area, I expect to make a play. I expect high things from myself. I expect high things for our offense. Even though the record's not showing it, when we're on the field together, I expect us to play. Whether it's 2-10, 10-2 or whatever, I expect to play great and us to make some moves and play hard. I'm just looking forward to going out and putting my heart on the field with those guys.''

Despite his long journey, Pryor doesn't expect to let his emotions get the best of him.

"I understand the game of football,'' he said. "I'm going to go out and play how I practice. I practice hard and I'm going to play hard. I'm going to be physical. I'm going to play fast, and at the end of the day, do the best I can to help out Johnny (Manziel) and the whole team.''

Pettine on Gary Barnidge and Benjamin's optimism about the Browns' future and wanting to stay with the team

"We brainwashed them (laughter),'' he said. " It's a credit to their character. They see it. They see the work that's put in and how hard, how detailed we are and what we're doing. It's nice to have guys come out and say it. We all know that it's a bottom line business and we're associated with our record, but we feel like we're doing some pretty good things around here and it's nice to have players that recognize it."

Gabriel on his concussion

Gabriel, who's hoping to play Sunday, admitted that he doesn't remember the play in Pittsburgh on which he suffered his concussion.

"I didn't know right away (he had a head injury),'' he said. "I didn't know until, I would say, two hours later when I didn't remember the play. So it's a scary thing to go through, and I'm glad I'm out of the protocol."
 
He feels for Hawkins and Haden, who have both missed significant time with their concussions and are out for this game. Justin Gilbert is also inactive with his concussion.

"Sympathies out to those guys and hopefully those guys can get healthy,'' Gabriel said.

Pettine On Browns wide receivers' status for Sunday's game

The Browns were down to two receivers against the Bengals, and one of them was rookie Darius Jenning, but Pettine now expects to have Benjamin, Gabriel and others back from their injuries.

"Much better than we thought,'' said Pettine. "If you had asked me this question 10 minutes after the game, it would have been a very different answer. We feel good. I'd say we feel a lot better about it today than we did early in the week."

Charles Gaines will start at CB

Rookie Charles Gaines will get the nod again at cornerback opposite Tramon Williams and over Pierre Desir.

"The one thing about Gaines is that he is confident,'' said Pettine. "He has that corner mentality that he can hit the reset button. He is a young guy that we think has a future here, and we are getting to see him play."

Why the Cleveland Browns should pay tribute to Niners' kicker Phil Dawson on Sunday: Tom Reed

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The 40-year-old continues to excel with the Niners after the Browns let him walk in free agency in 2013

BEREA, Ohio - As players cleaned out their lockers following another losing season and coaching change, Phil Dawson pulled aside a reporter on New Year's Eve 2012 and showed him what he had scrawled in an adjoining cabinet where he stored his cleats:

Phil was here, 1999-2012.

"Prison style," the former Brown told the Associated Press' Tom Withers.

Dawson served hard time on one of pro sports' losingest franchises, but he was no Andy Dufresne tunneling his way out of Shawshank using a rock hammer. Among NFL's most accurate kickers, Dawson didn't want to leave. He wanted to remain in a place where change and unpredictable weather were the only constants.

In a classic case of the Browns outsmarting themselves, they allowed the then-37 year-old Pro Bowler to walk in free agency. Brandon Bogatay, the youngster management signed to replace Dawson, never kicked in a regular-season game. The Browns settled on veteran Billy Cundiff, who missed several crucial field goals in 2014 that contributed to losses and his release.

As for Dawson, he continues to split the uprights in San Francisco. Unfazed by Father Time and the pressures of his position.  

"I consider him one of the all-time best kickers in the league," said Browns punter Andy Lee, who spent the last two seasons as Dawson's teammate in San Francisco. "I think he was kind of underrated a little bit while he was here, probably didn't get the notoriety that he probably deserved, but he's definitely one of the best I've played with and best I've seen play."

Dawson, 40, returns to FirstEnergy Stadium on Sunday for perhaps his final appearance here. The Browns get few things right as their 2-10 record attests, but they have another opportunity this weekend.

The organization should pay tribute to one of its most popular and hard-working players in the post-1999 era. No on-field ceremony or video montage is necessary. The humble Texan wouldn't want a fuss created on his account, anyway. During a television timeout, however, the game-ops folks should beam a close-up of No. 4 onto the giant video boards and keep it locked there for 10 seconds.

Savvy Browns fans - the ones who haven't been run out of the building by 17 seasons of inept football - will do the rest. They will stand and cheer a figure who provided excellence and continuity for a franchise in short supply of each.

Think the Browns could spare 10 precious seconds for Dawson? How many NFL fan bases appreciate kickers? This one does. Its training facility resides at 76 Lou Groza Blvd.

"I use him as a standard with young kickers," Browns special teams coordinator Chris Tabor said. "I really do. I say, 'Someday, if you can be a Phil Dawson, you have made it.'"

Tabor admitted Thursday it was tough for Dawson to leave Cleveland. He made a push for the club to re-sign him, but there's only so much an assistant coach can do.

Dawson converted 84.0 percent of his field-goal attempts with the Browns, playing in a windswept stadium where winter often comes early and makes life miserable for specialists. His 87.2 percent career mark ranks him 12th all-time with six kickers ahead of him playing most of their days in domes or warm-weather environs.

He's a staggering 37-of-52 on field goals from 50-plus yards, including all three attempts this season.

In an organization renowned for high-profile screw-ups, nobody took more pride in his craft more than Dawson. He arrived at venues hours early to gauge wind speeds and patterns. He owned cleats for every field-condition and kept a log of each attempt in the stadium along with the atmospheric conditions. He also studied the rotation of balls from his long-snapper so the holder knew exactly where to catch it with the laces pointed toward the goalpost.

He is Bill Nye the Science Guy with a stronger leg.

Three seasons later, Dawson is still kicking at a high level, converting 87.2 percent of his tries while setting a Niners' record with 27 consecutive makes.

Dawson reached the NFC title game in his first season out West, but comes here Sunday as part of a rebuilding 4-8 team. It's similar to the many he played on with the Browns.

Nevertheless, he's excited about his return.

"I'll admit right off the top that it's a really special game for me and my family and (I) certainly had it circled ever since the schedule came out," Dawson said in a conference call. "It's important for me that the Browns fans know that -- that it is indeed special for me."

The Browns should respond accordingly and exhibit the requisite class. Dawson wasn't part of any great teams so often honored at halftime of home games. He didn't win a championship or make a deep playoff run here.

Dawson did something much tougher: He consistently excelled on bad teams and gave fans a player on whom they could rely.

If that's not worth 10 seconds of face time Sunday, what is?

St Edward wrestling in title hunt after Walsh Jesuit Ironman Day 1 2015 (pairings, photos)

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St. Edward is tied for second in the team race after Day 1 of the Walsh Jesuit Ironman.

CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio – St. Edward is tied for second in the team standings and has five wrestlers in the quarterfinals after Day 1 of the Walsh Jesuit Ironman wrestling tournament. 

St. Paris Graham, last season’s Ironman team champ, leads the team race with 62.5 points. The Eagles, the defending Division I individual state tournament team champs, are tied for second with Wyoming Seminary (Pa.) at 61 points. Blair Academy, a 12-time winner of the event, is fourth with 60.


Bryce Andonian (106), Sam Dover (132), Hunter Ladnier (138), Jack Conway (152) and Jared Campbell (220) are quarterfinalists for the Eagles, who have won the Ironman team title five times, most recently in 2006. They also have five others – including 2015 state champ Allan Hart (126) – in the consolation bracket.


Graham has four quarterfinalists and four in the consolation bracket. Wyoming Seminary has seven and two, Blair has five and five.


Other Northeast Ohio wrestlers in Saturday’s quarterfinals include: Brecksville’s Justin DeMicco (145), Brunswick’s Josh Heil (145) and Nick Kiussis (160), CVCA’s Jordan Decatur (113), Elyria’s J.T. Brown (182) and Ben Darmstadt (195), Lorain’s Sadi Santana (285), Lutheran West’s James Handwerk (170), Manchester’s Jerek Cropper (220), Padua’s Tony Decesare (120), Wadsworth’s Noah Baughman (120) and Walsh Jesuit’s Alex Mackall (126),


Team standings (top 10)


1. St Paris Graham 62.5; T2. St. Edward 61; T2. Wyoming Seminary (Pa.) 61; 4. Blair Academy (N.J.) 60; 5. Malvern Prep (Pa.) 47; 6. Marmion Academy (Ill.) 44; 7. Belle Vernon (Pa.) 43; T8. Montini Catholic (Ill.) 42.5; T8. Wadsworth 42.5; 10. Reynolds (Pa.) 39.


Quarterfinal pairings


106: Demilio (Genoa) vs. Andonian (St. Edward); Melendez (Montini Catholic, Ill.) vs. Bayless (Reynolds, Pa.); Keaton (Circleville) vs. Nunez (St. John Bosco, Calif.); Dunlop (Belle Vernon, Pa.) vs. Olejnik (Bakersfield, Calif).


113: Mattin (Delta) vs. Cruz (Orting, Wash.); Sanchez (Genoa) vs. Cannon (Blair Academy, N.J.); Woods (Montini Catholic, Ill.) vs. Decatur (CVCA); Punke (Washington, Ill.) vs. Hoskins (Dayton Christian).


120: Mueller (Trinity Christian, Texas) vs. Hanneman (Oregon Clay); Davis (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) vs. Baughman (Wadsworth); Sherman (Blair Academy, N.J.) vs. Beard (Napoleon); Decesare (Padua) vs. Prata (St. Christopher, Va.).


126: Mackall (Walsh Jesuit) vs. Pawelski (Montini Catholic, Ill.); Matthews (Reynolds, Pa.) vs. Lattanze (Malvern Prep, Pa.); M. Moore (St. Paris Graham) vs. Guillen (Perrysburg); Wilson (Steubenville) vs. Warner (Uhrichsville Claymont).


132: Demison (Bakersfield, Calif.) vs. Solomon (Franklin Regional, Pa.); Spiess (Delta) vs. Townsell (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.); Mattox (Central Crossing) vs. Olson (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.); Dover (St. Edward) vs. Duncan (Montini Catholic, Ill.).


138: B. Moore (St. Paris Graham) vs. Hernandez (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.); Lewan (Montini Catholic, Ill.) vs. Deakin (Legacy, Colo.); Ladnier (St. Edward) vs. Figueroa (Bakersfield, Calif.); Jaffe (Marmion Academy, Ill.) vs. Munn (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.).


145: Verkleeren (Belle Vernon, Pa.) vs. Heil (Brunswick); Budock (Good Counsel, Md.) vs. R. Jordan (St. Paris Graham); Carr (Massillon Perry) vs. Anderson (Pleasant Grove, Utah); DeMicco (Brecksville) vs. Z. Wick (San Marino, Calif.).


152: Manville (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) vs. Conway (St. Edward); Carello (Marmion Academy, Ill.) vs. Hong (Kiski Prep, Pa.); Ramirez (Tampa Jesuit, Fla.) vs. Vestal (Dayton Christian); Megongal (James Madison, Va.) vs. E. Wick (San Marino, Calif.)


160: Marinelli (St. Paris Graham) vs. Karoly (Blair Academy, N.J.); Kiussis (Brunswick) vs. Beverly (Delta); Justin (Calvary Chapel, Calif.) vs. Hiles (Brecksville); DeMoss (Marmion Academy, Ill.) vs. Sheets (Stillwell, Okla.).


170: Dallavia (Blair Academy, N.J.) vs. Wilkinson (Pleasant Grove, Utah); Mulligan (Saegertown, Pa.) vs. Bell (Belle Vernon, Va.); Thomas (Calvary Chapel, Calif.) vs. Wiederholt (Bellebrook); Buser (Tampa Jesuit, Fla.) vs. Handwerk (Lutheran West).


182: Reenan (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) vs. Cooper (Canfield); Blackiston (Massillon Perry) vs. Beard (Malvern Prep, Pa.); Warner (Washington, Ill.) vs. Kobaly (Belle Vernon, Pa.); Brown (Elyria) vs. Traxler (Marmion Academy, Ill.).


195: Darmstadt (Elyria) vs. Lusane (Malvern Prep, Pa.); Sinletary (Blair Academy, N.J.) vs. Dietrich (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.); Naples (Brunswick) vs. Frankrone (Trinity, Ky.); Traub (Sycamore) vs. Harris (Urbana).


220: Stencel (Oregon Clay) vs. Richard (Delta); Cropper (Manchester) vs. Campbell (St. Edward); Black (The Phelps School, Pa.) vs. Janney (Malvern Prep, Pa.); Schultz (Ponderosa, Colo.) vs. Meyer (Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller).


285: Veller (Delta) vs. Aranda (St. John Bosco, Calif.); Ringer (Reynolds, Pa.) vs. Teacher (Central Crossing); Santana (Lorain) vs. Hilliard (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.); Abdul-Malik (St. Vincent Pallotti, Md.) vs. Mullins (Orting, Wash.).


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

Kevin Simmons, Zach Cebula lift No. 12 Brunswick past No. 17 Elyria, 57-53 (photos, video)

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Brunswick overcame a slow start as Kevin Simmons scored a game-high 20 points and Zach Cebula added 19.

BRUNSWICK, Ohio – The hot hand of Kevin Simmons and Brunswick’s stingy defense proved too much in the second half Friday night, lifting the Blue Devils to a 57-53 Greater Cleveland Conference win against Elyria.

Brunswick (3-0, 2-0), ranked No. 12 in the cleveland.com Top 25, overcame a slow start as Simmons scored a game-high 20 points and Zach Cebula added 19. Blake Furcron led Elyria (2-1, 1-1) with 19, as the Pioneers cut an eight-point deficit down to two in the final seconds.


Cebula’s two free throws in a one-and-one situation made the difference.


“A lot of pressure, but I practice those a lot,” the 6-foot-2 senior said.



Check back later for more video highlights, reaction and photos.


He nearly didn’t get there as Elyria was whistled in the backcourt for a foul with 2.2 seconds left. Elyria coach Brett Larrick, who saved three timeouts for the final stretch – and used all of them – hoped his defenders could force a jumpball.


Cebula admitted his doubt.


“When the referee blew his whistle, I couldn’t see him,” Cebula said. “I was like, ‘Please don’t call a jump, please don’t call a jump.’”


To reach that point, Brunswick withstood a hot Elyria start. The Blue Devils fell into an 8-2 hole on two Antonio Blanton 3-pointers and trailed 33-29 at halftime.


Simmons then emerged with 16 of his points in the second half.


“We just played defense in the second half. Part of that’s my fault,” said Simmons, a 6-1 guard.


Brunswick coach Joe Mackey agreed, but he didn’t single out his leading scorer.


“I got on them a little bit because we practiced the last three days on Elyria’s stuff and we didn’t do anything we worked on,” Mackey said.


That changed with a six-point third quarter for Elyria, which hit only one field goal in the first 11 minutes of the second half.


“I thought they executed with what they wanted on the defensive end with the switches and where the help was coming from,” Larrick said. “You can’t relax. We talked about the sets they run and then gave them a strong hand.”


Except for a moment late in the first quarter, Elyria led all the way until midway through the third.


While Brunswick’s defense limited Elyria’s open looks, which came on swing passes and offensive rebounds, the Blue Devils’ offense picked up with last-second shots.


Simmons hit one to end both the first and second quarters. Freshman Kyle Goessler then knocked down a 3 to end the third, which broke the last tie score of the night.


“Offensively we’re going to find a way to score. We’re talented, offensively,” Simmons said. “When we give up a lot of points, we start to think about it. If we continue to lock up defensively, we’ll be fine.”


Elyria didn't leave without providing a late scare. The Pioneers trailed 53-45 in the final two minutes before cutting the difference down to 55-53 with five seconds left. Larrick used his final timeout after that play, which led to Cebula drawing a foul on Elyria's trap.



“It’s so early in the season, there will be no cartwheels, getting excited,” Mackey said.


Both teams play again Saturday, but outside of the GCC. Brunswick is home against Lutheran East, while Elyria visits Westlake.


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). Or log in and leave a message below in the comments section.

Iman Shumpert returns in style, LeBron James terrific as Cleveland Cavaliers crush Magic: DMan's Report, Game 22 (photos)

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LeBron James, Iman Shumpert and Timofey Mozgov were headliners as the Cleveland Cavaliers blasted the Orlando Magic on Friday night in Orlando, Fla.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- LeBron James scored 25 in 29 minutes and Iman Shumpert scored 14 in his season's debut as the Cleveland Cavaliers dismantled the Orlando Magic, 111-76, Friday night at Amway Center in Orlando, Fla. Cavs center Timofey Mozgov scored 17 on 8-of-9 shooting.

Here is a capsule look at the game, which was televised by Fox Sports Ohio:

Back on track: The Cavs (15-7) have won two in a row after a three-game slide.

Jelly legs: The Magic (12-11) played for the first time since a five-game trip against Western Conference opponents ended Wednesday in Phoenix.

Dominance: The Cavs are 2-0 against the Magic this season. They won, 117-103, Nov. 23 at The Q.

The Cleveland franchise has won 12 in a row against the Magic, and LeBron has won 13 straight.

Globetrotters at work: The Cavs never trailed.

In the second and third quarters combined, the Cavs outscored the Magic, 61-32. They entered the fourth quarter with an 83-52 cushion.

Granted, the Magic was lethargic and provided minimal resistance. But the Cavs repeatedly forced the issue with, among other attributes, defensive intensity and ball movement.

Not a fair fight: LeBron vs. Magic rookie Mario Hezonja.

It's great to be King: LeBron, in a standard-issue performance against Orlando, toyed with anyone who attempted to stay in front of him. He shot 10-of-15 from the field and 5-of-8 from the line and amassed eight assists, four steals and three rebounds.

LeBron was ridiculously good, even for him, in the first half. He shot 8-of-9 from the field and scored 20. All of the field goals came in the restricted area.

One stretch late in the second quarter stood out:

*Received outlet from Mozgov and made fastbreak layup. Cavs, 39-30, with 3:02 left.

*Knocked away ball from Evan Fournier, received pass from Jared Cunningham for  fastbreak layup, plus the foul. (Scored with the left hand as Elfrid Payton enveloped him.) Made free throw. Cavs, 42-30, 2:35.

*Assisted on Matthew Dellavedova's jumper. Cavs, 44-30, 2:19.

*Drew charge against Aaron Gordon to thwart layup attempt. 1:38.

*Received zip-pass from Kevin Love in low post left and overwhelmed Hezonja for lefty layup, plus the foul. Made free throw for 17th and-one of the season. Cavs, 47-30, 1:29.

*Received "touchdown'' pass from Love and beat Victor Oladipo for layup. (As part of a set play, Love quickly inbounded after Evan Fournier's free throw.) Cavs, 49-31, 1:17.

*Re-posted against Hezonja on low right, spun toward the baseline and flipped in George Gervin-style scoop with right hand. Cavs, 51-31, 0:48.

Fox Sports Ohio play-by-play voice Fred McLeod said: "Cut it out, LeBron James! Just cut it out, will you?''

Coming out of intermission, Cavs assistant coach Jim Boylan simply spoke the truth  when he told Fox Sports Ohio reporter Allie Clifton: "(Orlando) has a tough time matching up with him, as most teams do....What their answer is going to be, who knows?''

As it turned out, only the Cavs' excellence saved the Magic. LeBron did not play in the fourth quarter. 

Plenty of positives: LeBron, who posted a +29 in 35 minutes Nov. 23, was a game-best +36 on Friday.

Cavs starters LeBron, Love, Mozgov, Matthew Dellavedova and Jared Cunningham combined for a +141 in 124 minutes.

Shumptastic: Shumpert, coming off wrist surgery, shot 5-of-7 from the field, including 2-of-3 from 3-point range, and 2-of-3 from the line in 25 minutes off the bench. He had three rebounds and, as expected, was active defensively. He swatted the ball from Oladipo twice, one of which resulted in a turnover.

Shumpert factored in the Cavs helping hold the Magic to 38.9 percent (28-of-72) from the field. (The Cavs shot 56.9 percent; 41-of-72.)

Welcome back, Timo: Mozgov played his best game of the season -- and not just because he shot 8-of-9. He was locked in from the opening tip and played well at both ends in his 20 minutes. He posted a +27.

Because he could: From 5:52 to 2:48 of the fourth, Cavs reserve James Jones scored all 14 of the Cavs' points. He made four 3-pointers and another jumper, much to the delight of his teammates on the bench.

No. 16 Archbishop Hoban boys basketball earns first win of the season with 81-68 win over No. 19 Benedictine

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A fourth quarter run helped Archbishop Hoban boys basketball defeat Benedictine 81-68 Friday night

AKRON, Ohio – The Archbishop Hoban boys basketball team found the win column for the first time this season with an 81-68 home win over Benedictine in a North Coast League game Friday night.

Hoban (1-1, 1-0 NCL), ranked 16th in the cleveland.com Top 25, was able to pull away from Benedictine (1-1, 0-1), ranked 19th in the Cleveland.com Top 25, in the fourth quarter after the Bengals had cut what had at one time been a seven point lead for the Knights to just one at 61-60 with 4:13 to play.


The Knights then went on an 18-2 run over the next 3:11 to stretch the lead and ice the game.


A step-back jumper from Collen Gurley, a three-pointer by Anthony Christian and two free throws gave Hoban a 68-60 lead before Gurley and Garret Houser each hit a three-pointer following two free throws by Benedictine to give the Knights a 74-62 lead. After a Christian free throw, Brian Cuppett scored on a layup to make the score 77-62 and Christian hit two free throws to end the run with a 17-point lead.


“We shot horribly tonight,” Hoban coach TK Griffith said. “But when they started dropping at the very end, it started to look a little better.”


The Knights got 21 points from Christian, who rejoined the basketball team after helping the Knights football team win the Division III state championship just last week.


“It feels great, I just love being out here,” Christian said. “We got a win tonight and I am thankful to be part of this team.”


Hoban took a 40-38 lead into the locker room at halftime thanks to the efforts of junior Cartier Bickley, who scored all of his 16 points in the first 16 minutes.


Justin Layne led the Bengals with 15 points, while Jamari Patterson was the only other player in double figures for Benedictine with 10.


The game never really had a flow because of the number of whistles blown throughout the night, resulting in a combined 76 free throws.


“It was a very ugly game and I kind of feel bad for the fans because it was so stagnant because of the free throw situation,” Griffith said. “I am not going to criticize the officiating. It wasn’t necessarily bad officiating, but it was close officiating.”


Hoban had the advantage from the charity stripe, hitting 31-of-46 free throws, with Benedictine hitting 18-of-30.


“It’s something we need to focus on more,” Griffith said. “We probably could have even shot better than that.”


The Knights are still a few weeks away from being really ready after getting players back from the football, but Griffith was willing to sacrifice the cohesiveness of his team early on for the football team to make its deep run.


“It’s very difficult but for the school it was a great accomplishment so we will take the good with the bad,” Griffith said. “We are team players here and we love Hoban.”


Ryan Isley is a freelancer from Akron. For more high school sports news, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter


This is my head, but which Ohio State body is it? Bill Landis (poll)

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Having some fun with my photoshopped picture on Big Ten Network.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Now I know what Kate Upton feels like.

In the photo above, you see two pictures of yours truly.

On the left is the headshot I sent to the Big Ten Network earlier on Friday when they asked me to come on for a few minutes to talk about Ohio State basketball, it was a per-recorded segment for "BTN Live".

On the right is how that photo actually appeared on BTN.

Imagine my surprise when I saw they photoshopped my head on what I can only assume is the body of an Ohio State player or coach.

I'm not really upset about this. I question the decision to do it, if the headshot I sent wasn't good enough, they could've asked for a different one. (Though, full disclosure, that's about as good as it gets when you're working with what I'm working with.)

I thought it was funny more than anything. It looks pretty ridiculous.

But still, I need answers. On whose body did they place my misshapen head?

Here's the early leader. This is the graphic BTN was using for Ohio State assistant coach Chris Ash when he was announced as the head coach at Rutgers.

Chris Ash 

Pretty similar, but you'll notice the tie is a little different. Maybe this master photoshopper changed the ties to throw me off the scent. But this fake red tie is pretty discernible from the perfectly fine blue tie in the original photo that my parents brought for me when I started working big boy jobs. 

Maybe this nameless photoshopper knows about my short-lived career as a CYO offensive lineman, and plopped my head onto the shoulders of one of Ohio State's offensive linemen. Maybe Taylor Decker? Or Pat Elflein?

Whoever owns the body, they should be flattered. They instantly became more handsome. You're welcome.

Yes, I know this is dumb. But again I need answers.

Akron Zips soccer falls on penalty kicks after double-overtime in College Cup 2015 semifinals

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The Akron Zips had their chances in overtime, but the Stanford Cardinal prevailed, 8-7, on penalty kicks to advance to the finals of the NCAA College Cup soccer.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- The Akron Zips lost on penalty kicks, 8-7, against the Stanford Cardinal in double-overtime in the second NCAA Soccer College Cup semifinal Friday night in Sporting Park.

Stanford goalkeeper Andrew Epstein embraced Nate Shultz attempt for Akron to seal the win and send Akron home.

Stanford will play the Clemson Tigers, who also battled Syracuse to a 0-0 double-overtime tie, then advanced on penalty kicks, 4-1. It marked the first time since 2011 both semifinal matches went to overtime.

Akron actually had the first chance to win it on PKs, but after a Jake Fenlason block on the seventh PK for Stanford, Akron's Goncalo Soares attempt to win hit the left post and caromed out. Three kicks later, Schultz attempt to keep extending the match was blocked by Epstein to send the Cardinal to the final.

"I told the guys, I'm going to save one,'' Fenlason said. "You guys put yours away. That's the game of soccer. You have to put yours away."

The Zips, the highest scoring team in tournament play in the field, did not even attempt a shot in the scoreless opening period. Didn't even come close. It marked the first time this season the Zips failed to even get one boot toward the goal in the opening session.

The previous low was one, Oct. 24th at Western Michigan which ended a 1-1 tie in double-overtime. The six shots in regulation play were also a season low for the Zips, after recording just seven in that game at WMU. Stanford did not do much better. And of the three shots they did get, Fenlason swallowed two them.

The rest of Akron's defense effectively contained wunderkind Jordan Morris, Stanford's striker and Hermann Trophy semifinalist who has split much of the season playing for the Cardinal, the US National Team and the Olympic Qualifying team.

Akron finally got a few attempts in the second half, but nothing serious. Same for Stanford, until 22 minutes were left in regulation when Morris had a clear kick at Akron's net. But his attempt was high as the match remained scoreless.

With 10:34 left to play in the period, Akron had its best look of the game to that point, front of the net inside the arc by Richie Laryea, but his kick was high as well. Neither team got another good look before the final regulation horn. Both teams had good looks in the first overtime, but keepers on both sides passed the test.

The second overtime had no real scoring attempts, leaving the outcome to penalty kicks and goalies Fenlason and Stanford's Epstein.

The Zips suffered a big loss on Wednesday, and tried to keep it quiet and away from Stanford. Robby Dambrot, a redshirt sophomore, suffered a torn meniscus during practice. Dambrot, the son of Akron's men's basketball coach, will have surgery upon his return to Akron and will be out of action for five months.

In the opening match, Syracuse (16-5-4) and Clemson (17-2-4) were scoreless in regulation. The two ACC foes were playing for the third time this season with each winning on the other's home field. Clemson only had two shots on goal the entire match to seven for Syracuse, as the Orangemen kept Clemson goal keeper Andrew Tarbell busy.

But Tarbell was flawless in defense, sending the first semifinal to overtime. It remained scoreless through the first 10 minute OT, then the second as well as the match was essentially played between the boxes as neither team could find a crack in the other's defense.

Once it went to penalty kicks, Tarbell instantly put the pressure on Syracuse as he blocked the first kick.

When Syracuse then missed high of the net on the third kick, Clemson aced its fourth straight for a 4-1 penalty kick victory sending the Tigers to the College Cup title, 2 p.m. Sunday against Stanford while Syracuse went home.

"We had our chances,'' Syracuse coach Ian McIntyre said. "On another night we get a goal, maybe two."

Then again, maybe not. "We have the best goal keeper in the country,'' Clemson coach Mike Noonan said. "He showed it tonight."

Iman Shumpert's return sparks defensive turnaround and LeBron James finds another way to rest: Fedor's five observations

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The Cleveland Cavaliers cruised to a 111-76 win against the Orlando Magic on Friday, a carryover from their stellar second half performance against the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday night.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers cruised to a 111-76 win against the Orlando Magic on Friday, a carryover from their stellar second half performance against the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday night.

LeBron James scored a game-high 25 points. Timofey Mozgov added 17 points and Iman Shumpert, playing in his first game of the season, had 14 points. 

Here are five observations from the win:

Shumpman's return sparks defense - Shumpert attacked his rehab, hoping to beat the 12-14 week timeframe he was given following surgery on his right wrist. He did that, making it back around the 10-week mark, and debuting Friday night against Orlando.

There were some questions early in the day, but the swingman eliminated any doubt about his availability with an afternoon tweet.

Shumpert didn't start the game. Cavs head coach David Blatt went with Jared Cunningham, hoping to ease Shumpert back and get him some more practice time before he takes back his previous role as starter, one he excelled in during the Cavaliers' playoff run.

At the 6:05 mark of the first quarter, Shumpert entered, making his presence felt immediately.

I remember having a conversation about Shumpert last year with Cavaliers general manager David Griffin when I was trying to pinpoint Shumpert's value after the trade.

Griffin explained how Shumpert not only provided the Cavs athleticism on the perimeter -- something lacking while the team was giving minutes to worn-down veterans Shawn Marion and Mike Miller -- but Shumpert gave Cleveland an edge.

They needed a player like him, one who gained a reputation early in his career as a hard-nosed defender.

That edge, an intangible quality, became clear on Friday night.

He finished with 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting in 25 productive minutes. He also helped hold the Magic to 28-of-72 (38.9 percent) from the field. That's his true impact, which can't always be measured by the box score.

Shumpert is a rare defensive playmaker who brings much-needed toughness. 

The schedule didn't help Orlando, playing at home for the first time after an exhausting five-game Western Conference road trip that ended in Phoenix on Wednesday night. But it isn't a coincidence that the Cavs played their best all-around defensive game on the night Shumpert debuted.

In the previous four games, Cleveland had allowed 102.5 points per night. 

The return of Moz - The body language showed a defeated player, one who was searching for answers internally to turn around a horrendous start. Mozgov had just come off his worst game of the season, scoring zero points in seven minutes, and bolted out of the locker room.

That was Tuesday night, following a game against Portland where he was benched in the second half as the Cavs turned to a small-ball lineup.

Confidence has been an issue for Mozgov throughout his career.

On Friday night, the Cavs wanted to lift that, at least that's what it looked like. They made it a focus to get him the ball rolling to the basket where he could get easy baskets or throw down lobs.  

After the first six minutes, Mozgov had six points on 3-of-3 shooting, an offensive explosion by his standards. That kept him engaged on the defensive end, providing the Cavs an interior presence on a night the Magic scored just 28 points in the paint.

He was locked in, focused from the opening tip, and playing with the intensity that made him a key piece of Blatt's rotation last season. 

Mozgov played 20 minutes, scoring a season-high 17 points on 8-of-9 from the field.

Getting rest - James and Blatt met with the media on Thursday, prior to boarding the plane for Orlando. They answered numerous questions, but a handful centered on James' recent workload.

Third in the NBA in minutes played heading into the night, James only needed 29 to blowout Orlando.

He used a brilliant second quarter, scoring 16 points on 6-of-6 shooting, to help the Cavs extend their lead to 16 heading into the locker room.

Then the Cavs pulled away even further, pushing their lead to 40 at one point in the second half. James didn't play in the fourth quarter, spending the final frame celebrating on the bench with the other starters. That's the best way for the Cavs to limit his minutes, something they were hoping to do this season.

He said it the other day: He's not a 31 or 32 minute per game player. Blatt has a hard time pulling him off the court, especially in the heat of a close game. Blatt wants to win. James wants to win. The Cavs best chance is with him playing plenty of minutes. It's why he played 40 against Portland and 45 against New Orleans, averaging 41 in the month of December.

If he isn't going to accept extended rest throughout the game and Blatt is going to continue having a hard time finding him breathers then playing well for three quarters and cruising to a blowout win with James as a spectator is the best way to keep his minutes down.

Moving the ball - There's something about playing against Orlando.

In the first meeting, the Cavs dished out a season-high 34 assists on 43 made field goals. They scored 117 points, their second-highest total this season.

The offense had slipped since that game, falling into more isolation, as the Cavs continued to drop in the assists per game category.

Playing against Orlando, the Cavs regained their early-season offensive form, whipping the ball from side-to-side and making the Magic defense scramble.

The Cavs assisted on their first seven made shots and finished with 28 helpers on the night, which is well above their season average (22.6). James had eight and Dellavedova and Kevin Love each dished out six. On the night, the Cavs shot 41-of-72 from the field (56.9 percent). 

Late-game party - James Jones played six minutes in the first three quarters, scoring zero points and missing all three of his shot attempts. But no one would've thought that watching the bench celebrate during his fourth quarter surge.

Jones scored 14 straight points for the Cavs in the last six minutes, finishing with a season-high 15.

"He's my favorite player of all time," James said. "Every time he does anything I'm probably the most excited person. I told J.J. as long as I'm playing he's going to be around. I'm going to make sure I have a roster spot for him. I love him. He's the greatest teammate I've ever had, he's my favorite player ever. You can tell. Everyone on the bench loves him. Guy who always works on his craft every single day. No matter the circumstances -- whether it's a blowout or close game or anything he's always ready. That's a great thing."

Finding minutes for Jones will be a consistent challenge, especially with players returning from injury. He's not very strong defensively and he's a streaky offensive player.

His value, however, extends beyond the court. He's a strong voice in the locker room, a veteran presence that has earned trust among his teammates.

If there were any questions about that, they were answered as his teammates went nuts for his success Friday night. 

LeBron James' colossal 2nd quarter fuels Cavaliers' 111-76 demolition of Orlando Magic

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Led by LeBron James' 25 points, eight assists and four steals in 30 minutes, the Cavaliers destroyed the Magic 111-76 at Amway Center on Friday evening.

ORLANDO, Fla. - When the Cleveland Cavaliers handed the Orlando Magic their second consecutive loss to give them a 6-8 record on Nov. 23, Magic coach Scott Skiles decided to make a drastic change.

He moved Victor Oladipo to the bench and inserted stretch-four Channing Frye into the starting lineup. Since then, Orlando has won six of its last eight games.

"They're just growing as a team and they're a good basketball team right now," Cavaliers coach David Blatt said before Friday's game in Orlando. "They've definitely made progress since the beginning of the season. They play really hard and they compete and they've got talent. So it's a tough matchup, no question."

Tough? Not at all. Led by LeBron James' 25 points, eight assists and four steals in 30 minutes, the Cavaliers destroyed the Magic 111-76 at Amway Center on Friday evening.

The Cavaliers have now defeated the Magic 12 straight times, their longest current winning streak over an opponent. Cleveland (15-7) forced Orlando (12-11) into shooting 39 percent from the floor.

How it happened

Toward the end of the first quarter, James called for a sub as he limped off the court holding his right leg. He had been kneed in the right quad.

He sat on the bench stretching out his leg in pain with a towel covering his face. The pain eventually subsided and he returned in the second quarter.

A few minutes later he set a backdoor screen, freeing up Tristan Thompson for the alley-oop dunk. As he trotted back on defense, James got his teammates' attention and pointed to his head as if to say, "That was a smart play by yours truly."

And then he got in on the scoring action by dominating the paint. He outmuscled his opponent for low-post position and scored at will. The Magic's double teams were too late to rotate over because James was deep in the paint before receiving the ball.

That's what coaches would call doing your work early. Orlando would eventually beat James to his sweet spot on the court, but still failed to stop him.

A little less than three minutes into the quarter, Elfrid Payton grabbed James with two hands while in transition and James somehow managed to finish with a left-handed layup, plus the foul. Immediately after the play, James stared at his left shoulder and slapped it as if a mosquito was on it.

Payton was the mosquito whose bite didn't faze the four-time MVP one bit.

Magic fans were witness to a one-man show. James scored 16 of the team's 21 points in last five minutes of the second quarter and helped his team build a 20-point lead.

Cleveland would push the lead to 34 in the third quarter with tenacious defense. Orlando was held to seven points in the first nine minutes, and it cost them the game. The Magic were embarrassed on their home court. The Cavs' Timofey Mozgov, who has struggled, scored nine of his season-high 17 points in the quarter. It was by far his best performance of the young season.

Cleveland's James Jones had 15 points off the bench and Matthew Dellavedova registered 12 points and six assists.

In the fourth, it didn't get any better for the Magic. With all the starters done for the night, the Cavs bench players were going crazy as they watched their teammates continue to obliterate the Magic. Kevin Love was frantically running all around the baseline area in anticipation of his team adding to its 40-point lead. When the Cavs knocked down a 3-pointer, he'd sprint from under the hoop to the bench where they celebrated in laughter.

There was no magic for Orlando tonight.

Shump Day

After Iman Shumpert completed his pregame shooting routine, assistant coach Phil Handy threw the basketball off the backboard and Shumpert skied in the air and assaulted the rim with an emphatic, rim-rocking right-handed dunk.

His right wrist was injured no more. He was ready.

Shumpert made his long-awaited season debut with 6:05 left in the first quarter and was the first Cavalier off the bench. It didn't take him long to show his impact. He chased down an Oladipo fastbreak and slapped the ball off of Oladipo's leg, sending it out of bounds.

It would have been a routine layup had it not been for Shumpert not giving up on the play. That's what this team can expect from him from Day 1 before he finds his all-around rhythm. But on this night, he looked like he was in midseason form. He finished with 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting to go with three rebounds off the bench in 24 minutes.

Climbing the mountain

By securing his fifth board of the game in the fourth, Tristan Thompson passed Tyrone Hill (2,785) for 10th on the Cavaliers' all-time rebounding list. He pulled down six on the night.

On deck

Cleveland's next game is against the Boston Celtics on the road Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. on NBATV. It will be the first time these two teams have met since the Cavaliers swept the Celtics in the first round of the 2015 playoffs. Kyrie Irving could make his return from his knee surgery on that night.

Fox's Brady Quinn on Johnny Manziel: 'He's got all the talent in the world to be a franchise QB'

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Former Browns quarterback Brady Quinn, who will call the Browns-49ers game, is tired of seeing the Browns give up on good young quarterback. He thinks they should stick with Johnny Manziel.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Brady Quinn, who will call the Browns-49ers game Sunday for Fox, hopes the Browns don't give up on Johnny Manziel like they did him and other young quarterbacks.

"He's got all the talent in the world to be a franchise quarterback,'' Quinn told cleveland.com. "It's just a matter of the stars aligning and somebody giving him the opportunity to be the guy. Can the Browns draft guys to help him out? Will they have the patience enough to let him develop? No one has any patience anymore. The second he has a bad game, people are calling for the next guy to come in.''

First and foremost, however, Quinn hopes that Manziel -- who gets his starting job back Sunday after two weeks on the bench -- takes care of himself off the field so he can excel on it.

"I know what I'd want out of a Cleveland Browns quarterback,'' he said. "Being a fan growing up, and being a guy who was here and got traded away, I took a lot of pride in playing quarterback here and I wasn't going to be out galavanting around town, especially during the season. This team has been starved just to go to the playoffs, so that's the most difficult thing for me to swallow is seeing that stuff.

"Just figure out a more professional way of doing it, and do it in the offseason and out of the public eye,'' he said. "It's such a bad image and obviously perception is reality.''

Quinn, who was highly critical of Manziel for his frat-boy personna last season, is now more concerned for him than anything else.

"When you go to a clinic for some sort of substance abuse issue or whatever it was, it sets off red flags and you're concerned for the guy's wellbeing,'' he said. " Last season, I was disappointed to see what he was doing. This year, if he's got a real issue, it's heartbreaking. It's sad and you hope that he can get help and he can fix whatever his issues are if indeed that was the case.''

He said it appeared to him that coach Mike Pettine did the right thing in benching Manziel for the past two games for partying over the bye weekend and lying to the coaching staff about it.

"If Johnny Manziel has an issues with drug abuse or alcohol, whatever it is, that would be what's alarming to me,'' said Quinn. "That's what would make the punishment make sense, because he's trying to protect the young man. He's trying to take something away from him that makes him realize he can't keep turning to that sort of thing. As a coach, you want to have trust in your quarterback because they're an extension of you on the field and it's a very delicate thing.''

He said he believes the Browns should focus as much on helping Manziel off-the-field as on, which echoes what Pettine has been saying.

"If there's an issue with addiction, it's not like it goes away,'' said Quinn. "You don't go to rehab and it gets cured. You battle that your whole life. If that's what's going on -- based on (admitting himself to inpatient rehab) this spring --  you hope they can continue to work with him and they don't just give up on him.''

If Manziel can get it together off the field, Quinn believes he's worth more time and effort.

"At some point, if you draft a kid, then let him go through his growing pains,'' said Quinn. "He's not going to be perfect right away. Johnny's not going to be perfect (on Sunday). But the more reps he gets he's going to get better and I promise you that because he's got all the talent and the skills in the world.''

Quinn said quality rookies such as Marcus Mariota are more the exception than the rule.

 "It's a difficult transition regardless of what system you're coming in from, but Johnny has also had to learn an entirely new system and I think people underestimate that,'' he said.

He said he was encouraged by the leap Manziel made in one week this season from the Cincinnati game to the Pittsburgh game.

"He had a terrible start in Pittsburgh (the fumble on the first play) and it's hard to start much worse, but as the game wore on, he got more comfortable and more confident,'' said Quinn. "You started to see him move his feet really well through is progressions, and he was really in control and kind of put the game on his shoulders. It was encouraging to see the type of strides he had made just in that one week.''

On Sunday, Quinn is curious to see how Manziel fares against Quinn's former Browns head coach Eric Mangini, now the 49ers defensive coordinator.

"It might be tough to get back into the rhythm, plus he's going against a guy who's a pretty good defensive mind in Eric Mangini,'' said Quinn. "He'll disguise coverages and to try to confuse Johnny before the snap and after the snap. He'll use some different stunts and games up front to try to pressure him and get him to leave the pocket the way he wants him to leave the pocket, and he'll have a guy chasing him down from the backside or a guy wrapping back around that will be free coming after him.

"I can guarantee you, he's going to have something dialed up for Johnny that they haven't seen before.''

Quinn, who would 'jump at the chance'  to re-sign with the Browns, doesn't believe nine starts for Manziel -- which he'll end up with if he starts the final four games -- is enough to decide if he's the quarterback of the future.

"I had 12 and they wanted to move on from me in Cleveland,'' he said. "Is it enough? It all comes down to what happens after the season. If (general manager) Ray Farmer and (coach) Mike Pettine are still here, I'd imagine he'd have a great opportunity to be their guy if he plays well the next four weeks. That will be a big factor.

"Beyond that, do I think it's enough time? Heck no. To really see what he's capable of, it would take three full seasons of playing in the NFL. Not 10 starts. People have no patience in the NFL anymore.''

Quinn, No. 12 on the list of 24 Browns quarterbacks to start a game for the Browns since 1999, is tired of watching the Browns cast aside good young quarterbacks -- especially those drafted in the first round. Selected No. 22 overall out of Notre Dame in 2007, Quinn started only 12 games (3-9) for the Browns before they shipped him to Denver after the 2009 season for running back Peyton Hillis.

"I'd love to think I could've been successful, especially if they would've let Rob Chudzinski stay as the offensive coordinator,'' said Quinn. "I would've loved to see where my career would've gone if I had time to develop there. I'm probably the only quarterback who would've stayed in Cleveland my entire career regardless of how many games we won or whatever else, because it was the place I wanted to be, it was the place I grew up rooting for and the place I never really wanted to leave.

"That's the unfortunate thing. I would've signed a deal for life and tried to get better until they had to drag me off the field physically.''

Since his ouster, Quinn has watched the Browns turn over coaches, front offices, owners --- and especially quarterbacks. Twelve have started a game since he debuted in 2008, and the Browns have quickly abandoned good young prospects such as Colt McCoy, Brandon Weeden and Brian Hoyer.

"Once they decide they have a guy who's a franchise guy, they need to stick with him,'' he said. "I feel like what they did to Brian Hoyer was just awful. The only quarterback since 1999 to have a winning record and you just let the guy go? And now he's down with the Houston Texans who are still in the playoff hunt in the AFC South. It doesn't make any sense to me.''

A lifelong Browns fan, Quinn has followed the careers of other deposed Browns quarterbacks such as McCoy, who's currently the backup in Washington. Last season, McCoy beat the Cowboys 20-17, throwing for 299 yards and completing 83.3 percent of his passes for a 94.3 rating.

"It's funny,'' said Quinn. "He's done a pretty good job with the opportunities he's had in Washington, so I'll be curious to see what happens when free agency comes up this offseason.''

Quinn, who's career fizzled after back surgery when he was with the Rams in 2013, noted that most players never rebound from a rocky start with a bad team. Quinn went 1-7 with the Chiefs in 2012 and never got another chance to start.

"Once you have an experience where things don't go well, it's really hard to overcome that stigma of 'he's a bust,''' said Quinn.

He cited the case of 49ers starting quarterback Blaine Gabbert, who's 2-2 this season since replacing Colin Kaepernick. The No. 10 overall pick in 2010 by the Jaguars, Gabbert went 5-22 in his four seasons as a starter in Jacksonville.

"The young man got absolutely pounded playing for a really bad team in Jacksonville,'' Quinn said. "Now he's getting an opportunity with a team that's actually giving him the chance and actually believes in him. He's 2-2 as a starter this year and looks like a different quarterback after sitting on the bench and watching and learning. It shows you what can happen if you give guys the opportunity to develop and mature, and an organization that isn't ready to pull the rug out from underneath him at a moment's notice.''

Still, he noted that Gabbert is penalized for his time spent in Jacksonville.

"It's not like he's got a ton to work with this season and and he's doing a really good job,'' said Quinn. "But people are still like 'they have to draft a quarterback because Blaine Gabbert is not the long-term solution.' It's like 'who knows?' People immediately want to write him off because of what he was in Jacksonville.''

Related: Johnny Manziel is back in the saddle and 4 other things to watch

Quinn, who analyzed 14 college games this season for Fox and CBS, cautioned against trading Manziel and drafting a quarterback with the top pick.

"It's hard,'' he said. "You can look at guy like (Memphis') Paxton Lynch, who has all the measurables, the size, the strong arm, athleticism, is built to withstand the beating he'll take in the NFL, but at the same time, he's playing in the American Conference, so is the competition going to be up to par and is the system he's running going to translate?

"I think Connor Cook is the most prepared to be in that position based on the offense he ran and the size and protocol pocket passer that you look for, but he didn't have quite as an impressive year as you would've hoped in his final year. So it becomes, who are you going to draft?''

Likewise, Quinn is opposed to firing Pettine after only two seasons.

"I don't know Mike Pettine but he seems like a really good guy,'' said Quinn. "If he sat Johnny because he feels like has a problem, he's almost acting like a father figure and that sends a strong message to me, like this guy really cares about his players and all of that.

"He seems like a good guy who's trying to do the best he can with what he's got. You've got to have everyone in that building on that same page. You have to let the guys who have the football knowledge to control it.''

Quinn, who's open to playing again, has been saddened by all the losing and the revolving door since he left.

"There's not many guys left from where I played here,'' he said. "Only Joe Thomas and Alex Mack. It's incredible when you look at other teams and other rosters. Since 1999, the Browns have had the most turnover of any team by far. Jacksonville and Oakland are up there too, but it's ridiculous how much turnover Cleveland's had.''

Especially at the quarterback position.

Brady QuinnBrady Quinn started 12 games for the Browns. 
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