The Browns will interview Cincinnati's Hue Jackson and Carolina's Sean McDermott on Sunday. They interviewed four candidate in their first three days.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Browns interviewed four head coach candidates in the first week of their search and are gearing up for two more on Sunday.

On Friday, they interviewed their fourth candidate in Cowboys secondary coach Jerome Henderson, and will huddle with Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson in Cincinnati and Panthers defensive coordinator Sean McDermott in Charlotte, N.C. on Sunday.

They kicked off the hunt with Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase and Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin on Wednesday, and spoke with former Bills head coach Doug Marrone on Thursday.

The Browns are also expected to interview Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, but apparently not this weekend. Like Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, who's not yet been identified as a Browns candidate this time around, Patricia is expected to focus on the Patriots' playoff game next weekend.

Widespread reports that the Browns were to interview Bengals defensive coordinator Paul Guenther Sunday in Cincinnati prove to be inaccurate. The interview was never scheduled, a source told cleveland.com. That doesn't mean the Browns won't come calling, but they haven't yet.

By the time the Browns meet up with Jackson on Sunday, he will either be advancing to the divisional round of the playoffs or packing up after a loss to the Steelers in the wildcard round.

Related: Browns interview their former DB coach Jerome Henderson for head coach job

The Bengals finished 7th in the NFL in points scored this season and quarterback Andy Dalton finished second with a 106.3 rating, but is ruled out of the game with a broken hand. The Bengals will be hard-pressed to advance with A.J. McCarron at the helm.

In addition to the Browns, Jackson is tentatively scheduled to meet with the Dolphins and 49ers.

McDermott, 41, is also being courted by the Giants and Bucs, and has made it clear he'd like to coach for the Eagles, where he spent 12 seasons as an assistant.

According to a source, the Browns are still very much in the hunt for Gase,who interviewed with the Eagles on Tuesday, the Dolphins on Thursday and the Giants on Friday.

A report out of Miami Friday, however, stated that Gase has become the frontrunner in the Dolphins' search.

In New York, he would coach quarterback Eli Manning, the younger brother of Peyton Manning, whom Gase tutored for three years in Denver, first as his position coach and then as offensive coordinator.

Gase comes with a ringing endorsement from Peyton Manning, who's also touted him to his good friend Jimmy Haslam. Gase and Peyton Manning are so close it's conceivable the two will be reunited somewhere soon in some capacity.

Sources have said Manning would like to continue playing after this season. If not, he'll have several chances to move into a front office.

In Cleveland, Gase would have an opportunity to help hire his own general manager, who will be primarily a talent evaluator. It remains to be seen if Manning would fit that bill.

The Giants are replacing iconic Super Bowl winning coach Tom Coughlin, who stepped down this week after 12 seasons with the Giants.

The Browns are vying with five other teams for a head coach -- the Eagles, Dolphins, Giants, Titans and 49ers --  and most of their candidates are making the rounds to the same teams.

Marrone, who's represented by Jimmy Sexton, the same agent as Gase, is meeting with most teams one day after the Bears coordinator. He followed Gase in Cleveland, Miami and will do Saturday with the Giants. Marrone is currently the assistant head coach/offensive line coach of the Jaguars under Gus Bradley.

While the Browns are busy interviewing candidates, one of their own assistants, offensive coordinator John DeFilippo, interviewed Friday for the 49ers head coach vacancy. He will also talk to the Rams on Tuesday about their offensive coordinator opening. If he doesn't take one of those jobs, the Browns might want him to stay here if the new coach wants him.

Owner Jimmy Haslam said Sunday that some of the current assistants will be retained if the new coach is interested.

Sources said candidates interviewing with the Browns have been impressed by new Executive Vice President of Football Operations Sashi Brown and new Chief Strategy Officer Paul DePodesta, formerly of the Mets. The search committee includes Haslam, co-owner Dee Haslam and Jed Hughes of the Korn/Ferry search firm.

McAllister became a central figure in the Indians' bullpen last season.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians avoided arbitration with right-handed reliever Zach McAllister on Friday.

Rather than engage in what can sometimes be an uncomfortable process, the two sides agreed upon the terms of a contract for the 2016 campaign. The deal is worth $1.3 million, a source confirmed to cleveland.com.

McAllister was one of six Tribe players eligible for arbitration. Teams are scheduled to file arbitration figures on Tuesday and exchange them with players on Friday. Arbitration cases will be held beginning Feb. 1, though teams can strike an agreement at any point before then.

Lonnie Chisenhall, Bryan Shaw, Cody Allen, Jeff Manship and Josh Tomlin are also eligible for arbitration.

McAllister, in his first full season in Cleveland's bullpen, posted a 3.00 ERA in 61 appearances. He totaled 84 strikeouts in 69 innings as a bridge to Shaw and Allen.

The 28-year-old was a member of the Indians' rotation from 2012-14. He made one start for the Tribe in April against the Detroit Tigers before relocating to the bullpen for the remainder of the season.

The New York Yankees selected McAllister in the third round of the 2006 amateur draft. They dealt him to the Tribe in 2010 in exchange for outfielder Austin Kearns.

Get the latest updates and analysis on the Cleveland Cavaliers game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers will continue their six-game road trip on Friday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Follow along in the comments section as Chris Haynes, Joe Vardon and Chris Fedor bring you observations and analysis throughout the game.

Make sure to follow Haynes, Vardon and Fedor on Twitter.

Game 34: Cavs (24-9) vs. Timberwolves (12-24)

Tip off: 8 p.m. at Target Center

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

Cavs probable starting lineup: Kyrie Irving, J.R. Smith, LeBron James, Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson.

Timberwolves probable starting lineup: Ricky Rubio, Andrew Wiggins, Tayshaun Prince, Kevin Garnett and Karl-Anthony Towns.

The Cleveland Browns are taking a new approach organizationally. But the most important hire is still the head coach, and their target should be Bengals' coordinator Hue Jackson.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - One of the more implausible takes on the Browns while they lost 18 of 21 games was that they were a young team.

Far more accurately, they were a young, flailing organization with an inexperienced coaching staff and an inexperienced GM.

Now that the 2016 roster can be expected to freshen considerably, the Browns are no less young and inexperienced in the most critical decision-making positions: Sashi Brown in a new job as head of football operations and Paul DePodesta in a new sport as strategy chief.

In the NFL, the organization that learns together loses together -- at least until it finds a head coach and/or quarterback to lead it. Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson should be that coach. (And Johnny Manziel should not be that quarterback, but you already knew that).

Jackson knows what it takes to be a head coach because he was a head coach (a crazy coincidence, I know). He knows what it takes to navigate storms -- as every head coach must -- from his days in Oakland.

Any list of less than functional organizations in recent years would have Oakland and the Browns near the top.

Adam Gase signs deal to become Dolphins new head coach

We are told that Brown and DePodesta are smart enough to know what they don't know. Which I guess beats the alternative. It also makes it even more important to land a coach who really knows what he knows.

In Jackson's case, that's offense, quarterbacking and the AFC North. His creative play calling suggests he's open to new ways of doing things and that should be the extent of the conversation with him about analytics.

Is he open to using analytics as another tool to help reduce the margin of error? If he says yes, the Browns should do whatever is necessary to make sure he's comfortable with them. I suspect the trick will be convincing him to take the job, not Jackson convincing the Browns he deserves their consideration.

The Browns can't possibly think it's a good idea to devalue the head coaching position by making it a secondary consideration to the New Way of Thinking.

When they interview head coaches, they can think of Brown and DePodesta as the smartest guys in the room so long as they know the head coach is the most important guy in the room.

By his own admission, DePodesta has much to learn in his move from baseball to football. Brown does, too, in his role. Why bring in another rookie coach who fits the same description? A willingness to go "all-in" on analytics is not nearly a good enough reason.

I'm pretty sure the Arizona Cardinals didn't decide Bruce Arians was the right coach for them based on his open mind.

The Browns showed immediate interest in 37-year-old Adam Gase, their first interview in the latest episode of Coach Search. But Gase accepted the Miami job offer Saturday. That may not be a bad thing if sometime soon the Browns are announcing Jackson as their head coach. He is exactly what they need, desperately so.

We don't know if the Browns are "directionally correct," a term Jimmy Haslam attached to his management team back in August. They can only be directionally correct now if there's room for an experienced football coach with a strong personality.

For now, Haslam has announced a multi-year rebuild --  distinguishing this latest blueprint from the unannounced multi-year, multi-regime rebuild we've seen since 1999. That probably becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy if the Browns end up with a first-time head coach.

Overall, Haslam needs to keep in mind his reason for this organizational approach is to reduce the margin of error.

Landing Hue Jackson wouldn't be the first step toward that, just the most important.

A 12-for-25 3-point shooting game for Milwaukee lifted the Panthers to a victory while Cleveland State remains winless in Horizon League play.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Tenacious defense was almost rewarded for Cleveland State in the final minutes against Milwaukee Saturday afternoon in the Wolstein Center. But a turnover as the Vikings looked for a tying score instead gave Milwaukee a 65-62 victory.

It was the fourth straight loss for CSU (5-12, 0-4), all in Horizon League play.

The Vikings defense trimmed a 14-point deficit to three. Milwaukee (12-5, 3-1) was shooting 11-of-19 behind the arc when CSU made its move with just under 12 minutes remaining. The Panthers made just one of their final six 3-pointers while the Vikings attacked the rim on the offensive end.

But in the final seconds, as CSU lost the ball off a back-tip and did not get a shot off to tie.

The previous three Horizon opponents shot a combined 26-of-59 on 3-pointers against CSU, so Milwaukee attacked from the arc. But even with Milwaukee's hot shooting, the Vikings were in this one, 60-50, with 7:49 to play.

The Panthers only had two turnovers at that point. But a rash of them helped the Vikings rally.

A CSU layup got the Vikings inside double figures for the first time since the first half. A Milwaukee turnover followed, answered by another CSU layup. Milwaukee's lead, once at 18 points, was down to 60-56 when Demonte Flannigan scored yet another layup.

Andre Yates led CSU with 15 points, with Demonte Flannigan and Rob Edwards scoring 11. Austin Arians led Milwaukee with 13.

Magnificat senior Elise Keshock scores 34 points and grabs nine rebounds in win over East Tech.

ROCKY RIVER, Ohio – In a battle of top 5 girls basketball teams in the cleveland.com Top 25, No. 4 Magnificat used an early hot streak and then inside dominance to defeat No. 5 East Tech, 71-42, on Saturday.

The host Blue Streaks (11-3) scored the first 19 points of the nonleague game. Senior Phoebe Sterba scored eights points during the run, including two threes. East Tech (7-4) did not score until the last 30 seconds of the first quarter.

Magnificat coach Meghann Hubach was impressed by her team’s effective start as the Blue Streaks made 9 of 13 shots in the first quarter while limiting the Scarabs to 1 of 9 shooting. Magnificat senior Elise Keshock netted a game-high 34 points.

“We shared the ball well offensively,” Hubach said. “We made shots early and we got good stops on defense. I think it makes a big difference when we are able to get stops and make shots early. It really loosens us up.”

East Tech seemed to gain confidence in the second quarter as the Scarabs closed the half on an 8-4 run. Keshock quickly shook that confidence. Keshock made all seven shots she attempted in the third quarter as the Blue Streaks pushed the lead to 52-24 after three quarters.

“I think I was kind of lucky I made those seven but we pass really well as a team so I was just doing what we normally do in practice,” Keshock said.

Keshock made 16 of 22 attempts and added nine rebounds.

“Elise played great tonight and made shots when we needed them,” Hubach said.

Senior Phoebe Sterba collected 12 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds. Fellow senior Lily Schwind also played well as she had 11 points and 10 rebounds. Magnificat out-rebounded the Scarabs, 40-18. East Tech coach Melvin Burke said the game would help prepare his young team for the postseason.

“I told the girls this is like a tournament game," Burke said. "It will be beneficial for us. We need to get tougher, smarter and more physical.”

East Tech senior Morgan-Elaine Daniel made four 3-pointers and led the Scarabs with 16 points. North Carolina AT&T signee Shantell Bostick scored nine points, while Eastern Michigan recruit Corrione Cardwell added seven points.

Magnificat is back in action on Monday as the Blue Streaks will travel down the street to play No. 18 Rocky River. East Tech will visit John Adams on Tuesday.

Zachary Dzurick is a freelancer from Cleveland.

"Mich time and consideration has been put into trimming my list down to 10 schools," Peoples-Jones wrote. "With the help of prayer, family, coaches and mentors, I have decided to release my top 10 schools. "

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State has been recruiting four-star wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones of Detroit (Mich.) Cass Tech for more than a year and he's been to Columbus multiple times. 

So it was no surprise when the Buckeyes cracked the 6-foot-2, 192-pound prospect's top 10 when trimmed his list Saturday. 

Rated the No. 1 wide receiver in the 2017 recruiting class in the 247Sports composite rankings, Peoples-Jones also included Alabama, Florida, Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Stanford, Tennessee, Texas A&M and USC. 

"First of all, I would like to thank God for blessing me with the talent and opportunities he's given me," Peoples-Jones wrote on his public Twitter account. "It is a blessing to be in this position with such major universities recruiting me. Throughout this process, I've learned so much information and have made connections with people and coaches, which I will value forever. 

"Mich time and consideration has been put into trimming my list down to 10 schools. With the help of  prayer, family, coaches and mentors, I have decided to release my top 10 schools."

Ohio State is the leader for five-star junior wide receiver Trevon Grimes of Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas, the No. 2 receiver in the 2017 recruiting class behind Peoples-Jones. 

Top 10! #Blessed pic.twitter.com/yxlVlH8c6q

-- Donovan P. Jones (@dpeoplesjones) January 9, 2016

Ohio State commit Demario McCall played in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

SAN ANTONIO, Texas — North Ridgeville senior running back and Ohio State football commit Demario McCall fulfilled a dream of his on Saturday when he played in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl at the Alamodome.

McCall's East team lost to the West, 37-9. But from an individual point of view, McCall had a few nice plays, including a couple of big runs to set up the East's only touchdown.

"Once I got the feel of it, they gave me the ball a couple more times," McCall said. "Once I get going, there's no stopping me."

McCall committed to Ohio State on March 28 and received his Army All-American jersey on Sept. 24. He admitted when he received his jersey that he was surprised that he was invited to the game and it hit him early on Saturday when he stepped on the field at the Alamodome.

"I never knew that I'd be playing in the game," McCall said. "I always watched the game on TV and (thought), 'Wow. Those guys have got to be good. I wish I could be there one day.' I made my dream come true."

He entered the game ranked No. 47 overall among college prospects according to 247Sports.com, and is Ohio's No. 3 prospect and the No. 2 all-purpose back in the country.

Race against ourselves, cuz we already lapped them other fools. @Fast_lane28 x @DemarioMccall #NewSpeed #ArmyBowl https://t.co/cGrNyMy9SE

— adidas Football US (@adidasFballUS) January 7, 2016

McCall was one of six Ohio State commits to participate in the game, joining Gahanna Lincoln DE Jonathon Cooper, Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller TE Jake Hausmann, Cincinnati La Salle P Drue Chrisman, Fort Wayne (Ind.) WR Austin Mack and Plymouth (Mich.) OL Michael Jordan. Chrisman was the only player of the six to play on the West team.

McCall said he shared a room with Cooper, and Jordan and Mack had a room together next door.

National Signing Day isn't until Feb. 3, and McCall will not be in Columbus until the summer. But he believed the experience he had in the Army All-American Bowl was a good practice for what he expects to see at the college level.

"To me, to be honest, I didn't really look at that game as a high school football game. I looked at that game as a college football game because of the speed and the abilities that everybody has and (the athleticism)," McCall said. "The speed and the tempo of the game, it was very fast. So I looked at that as a college game. It wasn't a high school football game to me."

Maple Heights girls basketball falls on the road to Shaw, 50-36.

EAST CLEVELAND, Ohio – Maple Heights girls basketball needed a road win to keep the some space in the Lake Erie League on Saturday.

But Shaw took those hopes away erasing Maple Heights' halftime lead and taking a 50-36 win at home.

“We came out a little sluggish and we needed to tighten up on defense,” Shaw coach Dana Jeter said. “We came out on top towards the fourth quarter, saw her starters getting a little fatigued so we just continued to put on pressure, made more adjustments and came out with the victory.”

Shaw extended its win streak to six following the Braggin Rights Classic led by North Carolina A&T signee Alexus Lessears. The senior post led the Cardinals on Saturday finishing with 22 points, 16 rebounds, four assists, four steals and four blocks.

Shawnshirae Brown-Kirby chipped in with nine points and a team high five steals.

“If we had pulled up on our defense we never would’ve been down,” Brown-Kirby said. “Defense is what held us in the game and we took over.”

Shaw outscored Maple Heights 22-10 in the third quarter after going in halftime down 22-20.

“Our biggest problem as I said at the beginning of the year is not giving up and playing all four quarters,” Maple Heights coach Julie Taylor said. “At the end of the day there was a lot of pushing and shoving, and I think my girls got intimidated at some points and were afraid they were going to foul if they played too hard.”

Foul trouble was something Maple Heights tried to avoid minus Xavier commit A’riana Gray out for the season with an ankle injury since Thanksgiving. Ammaarah Williams and Mia Richardson carried the load on offense finishing with nine and eight points respectively.

“We’re a very broad team and usually everyone scores,” Taylor said. “We had to finish the ball and we missed a lot of wide open layups, turned the ball over. When you can’t put the ball in the hoop to get two points it becomes a problem.”

Shaw (9-4, 4-1) will suit up again on Wednesday when the team hosts Canton McKinley. Maple Heights (6-7, 3-1) will have a chance to rebound after dropping the last three games when the team travels to Gilmour, ranked No. 6 in the cleveland.com Top 25, on Wednesday.

Related: See what other games there are this weekend.

For more high school sports news, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Contact Nathaniel Cline on Twitter (@nathanielcline), by email (ncline@cleveland.com) or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

Knile Davis had a 106-yard kickoff return and the Kansas City defense forced five turnovers to cruise to their first playoff win since 1994, a 30-0 wild-card victory over the Houston Texans on Saturday.

HOUSTON (AP) -- After 22 years without a playoff victory, the Kansas City Chiefs secured this one early thanks to a touchdown off the opening kickoff and a harassing defense that forced five turnovers and shut out the Houston Texans Saturday.

Alex Smith and the Kansas City offense was effective, if not explosive, while Texans quarterback Brian Hoyer had the worst game of his career and was booed most of the afternoon in a 30-0 loss in the wild-card round of the NFL playoffs. Houston lost J.J. Watt to an injury in the third quarter and Jadeveon Clowney never even put on his jersey.

The Chiefs extended their NFL-best winning streak to 11 games and will face Denver or New England next week.

On the opening kickoff, Knile Davis got three good blocks around the 10-yard line and then simply outran the rest of the defenders for the 106-yard kickoff return score, the second-longest kickoff return TD in postseason history.

The defense took over after that, forcing Hoyer into a fumble and a three of his career-high four interceptions before halftime to help the Chiefs (12-5) take a 13-0 lead.

Smith threw a touchdown pass late in the third and Spencer Ware added a 5-yard TD run on the first play of the fourth quarter to make it 27-0.

The victory breaks a streak of eight straight playoff losses by the Chiefs and is their first postseason win since beating the Oilers in Houston on Jan. 16, 1994.

Hoyer was 15 of 34 for 136 yards as Houston (9-8) lost a home playoff game for the first time.

Travis Kelce, who also had more than 100 yards receiving in the first meeting with the Texans this year, had another big day, finishing with eight receptions for 128 yards.

Watt missed most of the second half after injuring his groin in the third quarter. Last year's Defensive Player of the Year and the NFL sack leader didn't have a sack on Saturday as Houston's defense played well but couldn't hold off an offense that got so many extra chances because of Hoyer's terrible day.

Watt injured his groin midway through the third quarter. He returned after a few plays, but soon left the game again when he was pushed to the ground by the head by tackle Eric Fisher. Kansas City receiver Jeremy Maclin injured his right knee on the same play and didn't return.

The Chiefs capped that drive when Smith found rookie Chris Conley in the back of the end zone for 9-yard touchdown that extended the lead to 20-0.

Houston defensive end Jared Crick got a personal foul late in the third quarter when he hit Fisher after a play, in an apparent retaliation for the Watt hit.

Hoyer threw an interception to Eric Berry with about seven minutes left in the first quarter. It didn't matter though as two plays later Kareem Jackson deflected a pass by Smith and it was intercepted by Brian Cushing to give Houston the ball right back.

The Texans were driving after the interception when Hoyer was sacked by Allen Bailey and he fumbled. Dontari Poe recovered it at the Kansas City 42 for the Chiefs and they extended their lead to 10-0 on a 49-yard field goal on the ensuing drive.

Trailing 13-0, a 49-yard run by Alfred Blue got Houston to the Kansas City 13. The Texans got a first down at the 2 and Watt and defensive tackle Vince Wilfork came in on offense, with Watt lined up as the wildcat quarterback and Wilfork blocking. Watt took the direct snap but had nowhere to go and lost a yard on his first career carry. Hoyer was intercepted on the next play by Josh Mauga.

Hoyer had also struggled against the Chiefs in the season opener, being benched in the fourth quarter of a 27-20 loss.

The Texans won the AFC South to reach the postseason for the third time in franchise history and first since 2012.

Clowney, the top overall pick in the 2014 draft, was inactive with a foot injury.

Assistant Rich Newlon is in a hospital after an episode Friday night that stopped the Vikings’ home game against Warren JFK in the third quarter.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – After Villa Angela-St. Joseph’s pregame prayer Saturday night for its boys basketball game vs. St. Edward, the public address announcer asked an extra prayer be given to Vikings assistant Rich Newlon.

Newlon is in a hospital after an episode Friday night that stopped the Vikings’ home game against Warren JFK in the third quarter.

“We’re really scared because we don’t know what it could be,” VASJ coach T.J. Kwasniak said Saturday after the Vikings’ 68-65 loss to the Eagles.

Kwasniak said during Friday’s game he heard another coach say he thought Newlon was having a heart attack.

“I looked down, and it was the scariest thing I’ve ever seen,” Kwasniak said. “He was hugging his chest.”

Kwasniak said Saturday night Newlon was alert, but he did not know what his assistant coach suffered. No resumption of Friday’s game has been planned. Newlon is scheduled to remain in care until at least Monday while undergoing tests, Kwasniak said.

Amid the confusion, former VASJ coach Babe Kwasniak – who announced days before the season that he is taking an indefinite leave of absence – returned to the bench Saturday night to help his brother T.J.

Both coaches said the situation was unique to prompt Babe Kwasniak’s appearance.

Eagles coach Eric Flannery said he heard Friday night what happened but did not receive any word that Saturday's game could be postponed.

“Obviously we would have understood if they did,” Flannery said.

Newlon concentrates on VASJ’s freshman and JV teams and monitors players’ grades.

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.

The Browns will interview Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson and Panthers defensive coordintor Sean McDermott on Sunday.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Despite a report that Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson is the clearcut frontrunner for the 49ers job, it's not a foregone conclusion he's headed there, a source told cleveland.com.

Jackson, who's available to be hired anytime now after the Bengals lost a heartbreaker to the Steelers 18-16 Saturday night in the AFC Wildcard game, will head into interviews Sunday with the Browns and 49ers with an open mind, and he's equally interested in both jobs, the source said.

The division-winning Bengals, playing with backup quarterback A.J. McCarron, seemingly had the game won 16-15 in the final seconds until Vontaze Burfict and Adam Jones committed costly personal foul penalties that led to the Steelers gamewinning field goal.

Jackson will have to shake off the crushing defeat quickly and put his interview face on Sunday.

In addition to reporting that Jackson is the 49ers' favorite, The San Jose Mercury News said the club is under the impression that Jackson will accept the offer if it comes.

But a source told cleveland.com that Jackson, the former head coach of the Raiders, has both teams on a level playing field heading into Sunday. What's more, he might draw interest from other teams as the process unfold.

The Browns will also interview Panthers defensive coordinator Sean McDermott on Sunday.

On Saturday, they lost Adam Gase to the Dolphins and interviewed Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia. They can likely also scratch Cowboys secondary coach Jerome Henderson, who interviewed with them on Friday, off their list. He's expected to join Gase in Miami in the same capacity.

The Browns have also interviewed Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin and former Bills head coach Doug Marrone, who interviewed with the Giants on Saturday.
Jackson, who went 8-8 in his lone season as head coach of the Raiders in 2011, is a players' coach who's universally loved by his players.

Related: Dolphins hire Gase, Browns interview Patricia

This week, Steelers receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey gave his former Raiders coach a ringing endorsement.

 "I think he's a great football mind. He's good for football. He demands a lot out of his players, and any team would love to have him," Heyward-Bey told USA TODAY Sports on Thursday. "Why has it taken [four] years? The way he left Oakland, I think there was still a lot of unknown of how that went down, so I guess that could be some reasoning. But I know he'll interview well, and hopefully he gets a job somewhere.''

Jackson's wait could be over soon.

See Ohio high school boys basketball statewide scores for Saturday, Jan. 9, 2016.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Here are Ohio high school boys basketball statewide scores for Saturday, Jan. 9, 2016.

See Ohio high school girls basketball statewide scores for Saturday, Jan. 9, 2016.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Here are Ohio high school girls basketball statewide scores for Saturday, Jan. 9, 2016.

See highlights from Saturday's winter sports action.

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

BOYS BASKETBALL

Huber Heights Wayne 65, No. 1 St. Ignatius 58: The Wildcats' fourth-quarter rally fell short against the undefeated Warriors, who are the defending Division I state champions. Matthew Davet led St. Ignatius (7-2) with 20 points. Trey Landers led Huber Heights Wayne with 15 points.

No. 3 Garfield Heights 77, Youngstown Ursuline 67: Willie Jackson was unstoppable as he poured in a game-high 30 points helping the hosting Bulldogs (11-1) to victory against Youngstown Ursuline. Shaun Christian added 19 points. The Fighting Irish (7-5) had 21-point performances by Greg Parella and Armon Nassari. Mike Hughes added 18 points.

No. 5 St. Edward 68, No. 17 VASJ 65: Read reporter Matt Goul's recap of the game.

No. 12 Walsh Jesuit 35, Western Reserve Academy 34: The Warriors handed again WRA their first loss of the season. Mitch Peterson had the game-high 14 points for the Warriors (7-2), who had a 23-12 lead at the half. Walsh Jesuit the Pioneers their first loss of the year last season as the Warriors won their first five games. The Pioneers (7-1) were led by Michael Pamer with 13 points and Vince Brookins had 11 points.

No. 21 Warrensville Heights 70, Rhodes 57: The Tigers outscored the Rams, 25-6, in the fourth quarter to win the non-conference matchup. Brandon Peters led the Tigers (5-6) with 24 points. Yavari Hall had 20 points. The Rams' (4-4) Isaiah Washington had a game-high 28 points, and Kevin Tucker added 17 points.

Perry 78, Gilmour 63: Perry's Jackson Burdyshaw led all scorers with 15 points to give the Pirates the road win. Jackson Clark led Gilmour with 16 points.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

No. 2 Solon 64, Strongsville 53: Dee Bekelja had 23 points, 10 rebounds and five assists to help the Comets defeat Greater Cleveland Conference foe Strongsville. Alexis Stover added 22 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, three blocks and two steals for Solon (7-4, 6-1).

No. 4 Magnificat 71, No. 5 East Tech 42: Read freelancer Zach Dzurick's recap of the game.

No. 6 Gilmour 50, No. 22 Laurel 32: The Lancers won their 12th game of the season by beating host Laurel. Emily Kelley led the Lancers (12-3) with 16 points and Naz Hillmon added 13 points. Peighton Taylor had nine points for the Gators (9-3).

No. 8 Berea-Midpark 57, Lakewood 35: Zoranne Host had 22 points as the Titans snapped a two-game losing streak with a victory against Lakewood in a Southwestern Conference game. The Titans (9-4, 8-3 SWC) separated themselves with a 19-8 third quarter. For the Rangers (4-9, 4-6) Olivia Nagy had a team-high nine points.

No. 9 Westlake 54, Olmsted Falls 41: Rebecca Essig had 13 points to lead the Demons to the Southwestern Conference victory. Taylor Hood and Katarina Jamsek had 10-points each for the Demons (13-1, 10-1 SWC). Clair Kelly led the Bulldogs (4-9, 3-7) with 11 points.

No. 14 St. Vincent–St. Mary 68, Pickerington North 49: The Irish won their 10th consecutive game as Payton Pooler had a game-high 19 points leading to a victory over Pickerington North. STVM (11-2) also got 18 points from Jane Uecker.

Elyria Catholic 47, No. 17 Bay 46: Elyria Catholic went to overtime period to give Bay their first loss of the season in a Great Lakes Conference showdown. Megan Scheibelhut led Panthers (9-2, 4-1 GLC) with game-high 16 points. Maggie Holmes had 15 points for the Rockets (11-1,4-1).

No. 18 Rocky River 48, Normandy 43: The Pirates rallied in the fourth quarter by outscoring the Invaders, 20-7, to win. Nicole Popovich led Rocky River with 18 points.

No. 24 Amherst 60, North Ridgeville 49: The Comets raced out to a 20-6 first quarter lead and never look back in a Southwestern Conference matchup. The Comets (11-2, 8-2 SWC) got 23 points from Jayla Hall.

Revere 55, No. 23 Highland 23: Revere's Camryn Brown scored her 1,000th career point in the Minutemen's home win. Brown led all scorers with 14 points and hit four 3-pointers. Revere (7-6, 6-1) shut out Highland, 18-0, in the second quarter.

Andrews Osborne 32, St. Martin de Porres 29: Andrews Osborne had only three points in the fourth quarter, but held on for the win. Gabby Culotta had her seventh double-double of the season for Andrews Osborne with 14 points and 14 rebounds.

Chagrin Falls 49, Orange 39: Brianna Baker had put up a game-high 17 points as the Tigers beat the host Lions in a Chagrin Valley Conference Chagrin Division contest. The Tigers (8-5, 6-1 CVC) held a 31-14 lead at halftime. Maggie Clemens added 12 points. For the Lions (5-5, 3-4) Shayna Severin led the way with 11 points.

Cloverleaf 55, Streetsboro 34: Lexi Civittolo had a game-high 24 points for the Colts to defeat the Rockets. Cloverleaf (10-3, 6-1) led by 10 points after the first quarter.

Cornerstone Christian 72, Trinity 33: The Patriots outscored Trinity, 45-12, between the second and third quarters to win. Grace Marino led Cornerstone Christian with 23 points. Jordan Cloonan, who had 18 points, was honored for scoring 1,000 career points.

Cuyahoga Heights 33, Fairport Harding 18: Dayla Denner's game-high 12 points led the Redskins to their 12th win of the season.

Fairview 48, Black River 40: The Warriors outscored the Pirates, 19-10, in the fourth quarter to get the win on the road. Jenny Mylett led Fairview (4-9, 3-6) with 13 points. Cate Schmiedl and Rachel Coyne each had 10.

Lutheran West 48, Brookside 25: The Longhorns had a 13-2 lead after the first quarter on their way to the road win. Abby DeSimpelare led Lutheran West (9-3) with 11 points.

Shaw 50, Maple Heights 36: Read reporter Nathaniel Cline's recap of the game.

Woodridge 44, Akron Springfield 32: Shayla Williams had 13 points and Abbe Esterak added 12 for the Bulldogs in their road win. Allie Rodenbucher led Akron Springfield with 13.

GYMNASTICS

West Geauga Meet: On Thursday, Magnificat's gymnastics team set a school record for points in a meet with 145.525 in its win at a 10-team meet at West Geauga. The Blue Streaks had individual winners in three of the four events and had the second, third and fourth-best all-around competitors led by freshman Emily Conner's all-around score of 36.125. She won the floor exercise. Chardon's Kayla Benjamin was the best all-around competitor with a score of 36.5.

HOCKEY

Aurora 11, Mayfield 2: Joe Capretta had six goals to lead the Greenmen to the win against Mayfield. Capretta has 44 goals in 15 games for Aurora.

SWIMMING

Greater Cleveland Conference Championship: Strongsville girls and Medina boys were the champions at the first GCC championship meet. In the boys meet, only 66 points separated the top four teams. Medina won with 429 points, followed by Solon with 406. Shaker Heights was third with 393 and Strongsville came in fourth with 363. In the girls meet, Strongsville had 497.5 points, with Solon finishing second and scoring 434.5 points.

Western Reserve Conference Championship: Mayfield's boys and girls swimming teams each won the first WRC championship meet. In the girls events, Mayfield's Carmen Ferrante was a part of multiple wins, including with the 200-yard medley relay (1 minutes, 54.67 seconds), the 200 free (1:57.47), the 100 breaststroke (1:09.09) and with the 400 free relay (3:46.10). Mayfield freshman Gianna Ferrante added wins in the 50 free (25.08), as a member of the 200 free relay (1:45.99), the 100 back (1:01.05) and with the 400 free relay. In the boys events, Mayfield senior Conor Milroy won the 500 free (4:45.55), the 100 breast (1:00.04) and with the winning 400 free relay (3:27.94).

WRESTLING

Len Pariano Invitational at Berea-Midpark: Berea-Midpark won the meet against six other teams. Berea-Midpark had 163 points, edging out Lorain for the team title. Lorain came in second with 162.5 points. Berea-Midpark's lone individual champion was 195-pounder Tyler Wieland, who defeated Kevin Nieves of John Marshall by a 5-4 decision. Lorain had multiple individual champions including Shawn Petty Jr. (152), Aaron McDowell (160) and Sadi Santana (285).

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. 

Dan Chambers scored a game-high 25 points, Sean Flannery led a pressuring defense in the third quarter that took the coach’s words to heart and St. Edward outlasted VASJ, 68-65.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Villa Angela-St. Joseph’s run to close the second quarter left St. Edward boys basketball coach Eric Flannery fired up in the visitors’ locker room.

Flannery usually can pick something out during, before or after a game. He an arsenal or words to express his displeasure Saturday night, seniors Sean Flannery and Dan Chambers said.

Chambers scored a game-high 25 points, Sean Flannery led a pressuring defense in the third quarter that took the coach’s words to heart and St. Edward outlasted VASJ, 68-65.

Check back later for more video highlights and reaction.

Here is the finish. pic.twitter.com/xT3PU3nIan

— Matt Goul (@mgoul) January 10, 2016

The Vikings (7-2), No. 17 in the cleveland.com Top 25, took an eight-point halftime lead on the fifth-ranked Eagles (6-3). A steal and dunk by VASJ senior guard Sherman Dean III sparked a 14-2 Vikings run to close the half, which ended with a Kevin Roberts’ putback to beat the buzzer.

Half ended like this, courtesy of VASJ's Kevin Roberts. pic.twitter.com/HKwgn9FDL0

— Matt Goul (@mgoul) January 10, 2016

“Coach ‘Flan’ was intense at halftime, I can’t lie,” Chambers said, “mainly about our defense. It sparked our third quarter.”

Sean Flannery admitted, “We were on our heels.”

Then his dad let them hear it.

“We were giving up way too many easy baskets and weren’t fighting,” coach Eric Flannery said. “When you come to a place like this, you’ve got to fight and scratch your way out of there.”

They did so by forcing VASJ into 11 third-quarter turnovers. The Vikings committed 18 of them total to St. Edward’s 14, but the sequence after halftime allowed the Eagles to erase a 41-33 deficit.

VASJ coach T.J. Kwasniak said those mistakes worried him about this matchup, which featured two of Northeast Ohio’s top programs with new looks this season. The Eagles reached last year’s Division I state semifinals and now use a perimeter-oriented attack after losing college prospects Kipper Nichols (graduation) and Derek Funderburk (out of state transfer). VASJ won last year’s Division III state championship, but was hit heavy by graduation. It also lost its head coach days before the season when Babe Kwasniak took an indefinite leave of absence.

Babe Kwasniak, however, sat on the bench as an assistant Saturday night. He said his presence was to help his brother, T.J., and a shorthanded staff after assistant coach Rich Newlon needed medical attention during the third quarter of Friday’s game vs. Warren JFK.

That game was not continued, and Newlon is currently in a hospital, T.J. Kwasniak said. Kwasniak added he is unsure of what caused Newlon to collapse on the Vikings’ bench Friday. They are awaiting a diagnosis for Newlon, whom Kwasniak said is alert and expected to undergo tests in a hospital until Monday.

Their young team nearly picked up its biggest win of the season.

Sophomore guard Jerry Higgins scored a team-high 25 points, Dean added 11 and freshman forward Alonzo Gaffney added 10 points and 12 rebounds.

“After what the kids have been through the last couple of days and all season, they’ve been phenomenal,” T.J. Kwasniak said. “These are some pretty tough kids.”

Their effort ended with two attempts at a tying 3 by Dean before Flannery pulled in the final rebounds as the horn sounded.

St. Edward hit 10 3-pointers. Tommy Schmock, who finished with 20 points, and Chambers each hit three of them. Matt Gonzalez came off the bench for 12 points and 13 rebounds. Schmock added five steals, all in the third quarter, to spur the defensive effort.

That was the result of a fiery Eric Flannery.

“There’s always something wrong,” Chambers said, “but he’s always looking for something for us to do better.”

Another challenge awaits St. Edward on Tuesday, when it hosts No. 4 Lorain. VASJ is off until Friday, when it plays host to Trinity. No plans have been made to reschedule or resume the Vikings’ matchup vs. Warren JFK.

Quarter ended like this for @MattMattgonzo14 pic.twitter.com/VbEjd1dZ3Z

— Matt Goul (@mgoul) January 10, 2016

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.

GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan —- Grand Rapids Griffins center Andy Miele scored in the shootout after overtime to defeat the Lake Erie Monsters of Cleveland, 4-3, in a see-sawing American Hockey League game Saturday night at Van Andel Arena. The Monsters earned a point on the regulation tie, leaving them in 5th place in the AHL Central Division with a...

GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan --- Grand Rapids Griffins center Andy Miele scored in the shootout after overtime to defeat the Lake Erie Monsters of Cleveland, 4-3, in a see-sawing American Hockey League game Saturday night at Van Andel Arena.

The Monsters earned a point on the regulation tie, leaving them in 5th place in the AHL Central Division with a record of 18-12-2-3.

The victory for 3rd-place Grand Rapids extended their home winning streak to 13 games, the season's longest in the AHL.

Miele forced the overtime when he tied the game, 3-3, at 17:06 of the second period with assists from Eric Tangradi and Anthony Mantha, on a power play goal while Lake Erie's Michael Chaput served a double minor penalty for high-sticking.

The Griffins struck first, at 7:37 of the first period, when Tangradi notched his team-leading 16th goal of the season, assisted by Louis-Marc Aubry and Zach Nastasiuk.

Lake Erie captain Ryan Craig tied it, 1-1, at 14:30, with Oliver Bjorkstrand and Dillon Heatherington assisting, before Grand Rapids regained the lead on a goal by Mantha at 15:17, Robbie Russo and Colin Campbell assisting.

T.J. Tynan evened the tally for the Monsters on a power play goal at 6:47 of the second period, with assists by Daniel Zaar and Michael Paliotta. Nick Moutrey gave them the lead at 10:03 of the second frame, assisted by Joe Devin and Jaime Sifers.

Goaltender Brad Thiessen took the loss for the Monsters, stopping 25 of 28 shots in regulation. Jared Coreau, now 12-0 for the Griffins on home ice, saved 34 of 37 for the win.

Attendance was 9,246.

Ice chips: Two days after he was named an AHL All-Star on Thursday, Kerby Rychel, the Monsters' second-leading scorer, was recalled by the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets for the fifth time this season. The second-year left wing has five goals, 20 points and 45 penalty minutes for Lake Erie this season, and three points and 11 penalty minutes in 11 NHL appearances for Columbus.

The Monsters continue their long road trip with the first of two games against the Manitoba Moose at 8 p.m. Monday in Winnipeg. They don't return home to The Q until Wednesday, Jan. 20, when they'll host Grand Rapids.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are heading to Denver.

CINCINNATI -- The Pittsburgh Steelers are heading to Denver. The Cincinnati Bengals are heading to another long offseason after a meltdown as ugly and ill-timed as it was complete.

Chris Boswell kicked a 35-yard field goal with 14 seconds remaining as the Steelers somehow pulled out an 18-16 victory in the AFC wild-card game Saturday night.

Pittsburgh moved into field goal position after a pair of 15-yard penalties on the Bengals, one on linebacker Vontaze Burfict and another on Adam Jones after Burfict hit defenseless Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown. Boswell drilled his fourth field goal of the game to give the Steelers their first playoff win since the 2010 AFC championship game.

The Bengals appeared to be in position for their first postseason win in 25 years before Jeremy Hill's fumble gave Pittsburgh one last shot.

Roethlisberger left with a right shoulder injury on the final play of the third quarter but returned for Pittsburgh's last-gasp drive. Unable to throw with any real authority, he still managed to get the Steelers near midfield with 22 seconds to go when he threw high to Brown in Cincinnati territory.

Burfict, whose sack of Roethlisberger sent the quarterback to the locker room, lowered his shoulder as Brown landed. The volatile linebacker earned a personal foul. Jones compounded the problem when he lost his cool, easily putting Boswell within field goal range after Cincinnati's eighth -- and final -- flag of an unsightly night.

Roethlisberger finished 18 of 31 for 229 yards and a touchdown in rainy conditions. Jordan Todman and Fitzgerald Toussaint combined for 123 yards rushing filling in for DeAngelo Williams.

Still, it hardly seemed like it would be enough. AJ McCarron put together a late rally after Martavis Bryant's somersaulting touchdown grab gave the Steelers a 15-0 lead heading into the final quarter.

Cincinnati ripped off 16 straight points, the last six on a 25-yard strike from McCarron to A.J. Green that put the Bengals in front. They missed the 2-point conversion.

When Burfict intercepted Landry Jones on Pittsburgh's ensuing possession, Cincinnati and coach Marvin Lewis appeared ready to end the sixth-longest postseason drought in NFL history.

Then, the team that said it would keep it together fell completely apart.

Hill saw the ball pop out as Cincinnati tried to run out the clock and the Steelers recovered at the Pittsburgh 9 with 1:23 left. Just enough time for Roethlisberger -- with plenty of help from Cincinnati -- to send the Steelers to Denver and a rematch with the Broncos, whom Pittsburgh beat 34-27 on Dec. 20.

Another long winter looms in Cincinnati.

Mo Williams says he has a torn ligament in his thumb, but the team hasn't corroborated that diagnosis.

PHILADELPHIA - Mo Williams' inactivity on the court of late isn't the only puzzling development.

Williams informed media members on Friday that he's playing with a partially torn ligament in his right thumb after visiting with hand specialist Dr. Michelle Carlson the day before in New York.

However, no one within the Cleveland Cavaliers' organization has corroborated that diagnosis. Typically for such an injury, the team puts out a release stating the severity and playing status. They have not done so.

The team's evaluation before Williams sought the second opinion revealed it was a sprain. Williams, having had surgery on the thumb twice before, felt it was necessary to get an outside examination due to the pain he was experiencing.

He told reporters if he doesn't re-aggravate the injury; the thumb should heal on its own within six weeks without having to go through another surgical procedure.

"It's just peace of mind, knowing I didn't rip it off or anything," he said about going to New York. "It's just a little partial tear, no different from like when you sprain your ankle real bad."

Williams' role has dipped dramatically, but he has remained professional and supportive throughout. With Kyrie Irving back in the fold, the Cavaliers have used Matthew Dellavedova as the primary backup point guard.

In the last three games, Williams has registered three DNPs (did not play). Head coach David Blatt made it sound as if Williams' benching had nothing to do with his injury.

"He could have played," Blatt said on Friday before playing the Timberwolves. "It's just the way the games went." He later added, "His time will come. He's not out of the rotation forever."

The Cleveland Cavaliers will continue their six-game road trip on Sunday night against the Philadelphia 76ers. Tipoff is at 6 p.m. and the game will be shown on Fox Sports Ohio.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers will continue their six-game road trip on Sunday night against the Philadelphia 76ers. Tipoff is at 6 p.m. and the game will be shown on Fox Sports Ohio. On radio, it will be simulcast on WTAM-AM 1100, 100.7 WMMS-FM and 87.7 FM (ESP).

The Cavaliers (25-9) have won six straight, and 12 of 14, including Friday's 125-99 victory against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second game of the road trip. The Cavaliers have scored at least 120 points in a franchise-record tying three straight games. 

In the win against the Timberwolves, J.R. Smith scored a season-high 27 points while Iman Shumpert added 23, his highest point total since joining the Cavaliers about one year ago.

Philadelphia (4-35) has lost two straight games, including Saturday's 108-95 defeat against the Toronto Raptors. In the loss, new acquisition Ish Smith scored 28 points. Since his arrival in a trade with New Orleans on Dec. 24, 2015, Smith is averaging 14.3 points and 8.0 assists.

The Sixers have improved as well, going 3-5 with Smith in the lineup after getting one win in their first 31.

Later, catch the coverage from before the game; join in the live chat starting at tipoff; and stick around for full postgame coverage. For all Cavs information, be sure to check out cleveland.com/cavs.