Morris, from Archbishop Hoban, will decided between Ohio State, Michigan State, Notre Dame and Pitt.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State is looking to add another receiver to its 2016 recruiting class. The Buckeyes are in good standing with one Northeast Ohio product who could fill that void.

Archbishop Hoban four-star athlete Jonah Morris announced a final list of his top four schools on Sunday. He'll choose from Ohio State, Michigan State, Notre Dame or Pittsburgh. Morris announced the final list on his public Twitter account.

The list isn't all that surprising considering Morris was already planning a visit to Ohio State on Jan. 16, and Notre Dame on Jan. 22. Morris spoke with cleveland.com earlier this month and listed a top three of Ohio State, Notre Dame and Pittsburgh.

So the addition of Michigan State to the final list is a bit of a new development, though also not surprising considering Morris was once committed to the Spartans.

Morris is rated the No. 14 player in Ohio for 2016 by 247Sports. He's also rated as the No. 28 outside linebacker in the country, though the thinking is Ohio State would want to use Morris on the other side of the ball. Morris said the Ohio State coaches he's had contact with are Urban Meyer, receivers coach Zach Smith and offensive coordinator Ed Warinner.

Down to my top 4 schools! So excited to get closer and closer. pic.twitter.com/tesLgdIe8Y

-- Thee Jonah Morris[?] (@Jumpmane22) January 10, 2016

He's high school teammates with 2017 Ohio State commits Danny Clark and Todd Sibley.

Morris committed to Michigan State last May, but announced his decommitment from the Spartans in November.

He's on a list of receivers Ohio State is still targeting after the Buckeyes missed out on Detroit product Donnie Corley. Corely committed to Michigan State on Saturday during the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

The Browns are interviewing Bengals offensive coordinator this afternoon after spending five hours with Sean McDermott this morning.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson was looking forward to his Browns meeting this afternoon after spending five hours with the 49ers this morning, a league source told cleveland.com.

The Browns also confirmed they talked to Panthers defensive coordinator Sean McDermott this morning in Charlotte, N.C.

Jackson, whose Bengals lost a heartbreaker to the Steelers, 18-16, Saturday night in an AFC Wildcard matchup, is meeting with the Browns in Cincinnati after talking to the 49ers there.

If Jackson likes the Browns, he could become their next coach. The Browns don't have any other known interviews lined up.

The San Jose Mercury News reported that the 49ers are targeting Jackson, the former head coach of the Raiders in 2011, and are prepared to try to hire him, as early as today.  The paper said the 49ers are under the impression that Jackson will accept the offer.

But a source told cleveland.com that Jackson, 50, headed into the process with an open mind and is intrigued by both clubs. Other teams could also become interested, especially now that he's out of the playoffs.

Jackson, a players' coach with a dynamic personality, is one of the most well-liked men in the business.  

"I talk about how collaboratively Hue worked with everyone in the organization,'' former Raiders executive Amy Trask, now a CBS analyst, said on-air today of what she tells teams. "And I speak to them about the challenges under which Hue labored, many of which were not apparent to the public. I would love to see what Hue Jackson can do as a head coach if he is allowed to pick his own assistant coaching staff."

Offensive tackle Andre Whitworth told cincinnati.com: "If there is an NFL team out there that's not looking at Hue Jackson in their top three, they are crazy,"

Steelers receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey, who played for Jackson in Oakland, told USA TODAY Sports Thursday: "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."

Related: Browns should give Hue Jackson enough power to land him

McDermott, who's drawn attention in the wake of the Panthers' 15-1 record this season, interviewed with the Bucs on Saturday. His defense finished sixth overall (332.9 yards per game) and sixth in points allowed per game (19.3). The Panthers also led the league with 24 interceptions and with 39 takeaways overall.

"It's an honor to be in that conversation," McDermott told panthers.com. "I've been in that conversation for the last couple of years. It's a direct result of the success we've had here. For four years straight being a top ten defense and we led the league in takeaways - that just speaks for itself in my opinion. It speaks to the players and coaches and our philosophy of how we do things."

Panthers coach Ron Rivera isn't surprised that teams are coming after McDermott, 41.

"He's done a nice job,'' Rivera told the Charlotte Observer. "It's nice to see that he's getting some recognition and we'll see how it goes," Rivera said. "It's that time of year and this is a good time if you're going to do it when you're in the playoffs."
McDermott made it clear recently that he'd love to coach the Eagles, where he spent two seasons as a coordinator and 12 as an assistant overall, but the Eagles have yet to set up an interview.

"I love the Philadelphia area and, quite honestly, it's been tough to watch the last several years, having grown up in the area and worked there for 12 years," McDermott told ESPN.com. "The fan base, I know it's important to them. They're genuine, they're dedicated and they're real.

In 2013, McDermott was named Sporting News Coordinator of the Year after his defensive finished second in the NFL. They also led the league in sacks and finished second in scoring defense with four defensive touchdowns. The defense allowed just 15.1 points per game, its fewest since 1996, and set a club record with an NFL-low 21 touchdowns.

In his first season as Eagles coordinator in 2009, McDermott was named the NFL's top defensive coordinator by Pro Football Weekly after his unit ranked third in the NFL with 38 takeaways and 44 sacks. Philadelphia also stood second in third-down defense and fifth in yards per play allowed. McDermott coached the secondary and linebackers before becoming defensive coordinator, learning under the late Jim Johnson, the Eagles' legendary defensive coordinator.

The Browns' other interviewees still available are former Bills coach Doug Marrone, Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin and Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia. Their first interview, Adam Gase, took the Dolphins job on Saturday. He'll reportedly hire Cowboys secondary coach Jerome Henderson to coach his defensive backs, according to Fox Sports. The Browns interviewed Henderson for their head coach vacancy on Friday.
 

The Buckeyes saw their seven-game winning streak come to an end on Sunday at Indiana.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Thad Matta was worried about how his Ohio State basketball team would respond to its first road game since getting embarrassed at UConn last month.

That was a few days ago, when the Buckeyes answered with a win over Northwestern on Wednesday night. Matta probably didn't sleep any better knowing what was around the corner, though. Playing at Indiana on Sunday was going to be different than playing at Northwestern.

Matta feared going back on the road would illicit the same results as it did at UConn. Sunday's game against Indiana was worse.

Ohio State's worst first half of the season laid the ground for a 85-60 loss at Assembly Hall. The loss snapped a seven-game winning streak for the Buckeyes (11-6, 3-1 Big Ten) and extended Indiana's winning streak to nine games.

The Buckeyes avoided what would've been the most lopsided loss of the Matta era. That was a 28-point loss to West Virginia in 2008.

Some better offensive play for a stretch of the second half was the best thing the  Buckeyes could point to about Sunday's game. But it was all about a first half in which Ohio State came out flat and was controlled in every facet of the game.

Indiana shot 50 percent from the floor in the opening half. The defense that Ohio State had built its winning streak on was a non-factor as the Hoosiers -- the best-scoring team in the Big Ten -- did what they wanted offensively.

Matta tried mixing lineups, nothing worked on either end of the floor.

JaQuan Lyle finished with a game-high 29 points, most of those coming in the second half when the game was already in hand. Lyle and backup point guard A.J. Harris did play together for most of the second half, which was a new thing and something to monitor moving forward.

Ohio State could establish nothing in the post. Trevor Thompson, Jae'Sean Tate and Daniel Giddens were a combined 1 for 10 from the floor.

Indiana forward Thomas Bryany handled whoever Ohio State threw at him and finished with 18 points and 13 rebounds. Troy Williams finished with 23 for Indiana.

When it was over

When Indiana went on a 22-2 run in the first half during which Ohio State went 0 for 9 from the field. The Hoosiers led 48-18 at the half.

Ohio State shot 7 for 25 (28 percent) in the first half.

What it means

Forget about the defense, Ohio State needs to figure out what to do on the other end of the floor. The defense wasn't good on Sunday, but remember it was against one of the best offensive teams in the country.

The defensive rate over the last seven games was certainly not the reality of what it is. But the offense has been consistently bad, and aside from a short spurt in the second half, this was the worst it's been all year.

What's next

The Buckeyes host Rutgers (6-11, 0-4) on Wednesday. Tip-off from Value City Arena is at 6:30 p.m.

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

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers won their seventh straight game on Sunday, beating the four-win Philadelphia 76ers, 95-85.

LeBron James scored a game-high 37 points while Kevin Love poured in 15 points to go with 15 rebounds. 

The Cavs (26-9) will continue their road trip against the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday. 

Scoring Summary:

End of 3rd Quarter - Cavs lead 76ers, 75-69. LeBron James leads the way with 25 points on 10-of-14 shooting. Kevin Love has added 15 points. J.R. Smith has chipped in with 14. The Sixers are led by rookie Jahlil Okafor, who has 19 points. 

End of 2nd Quarter - Cavs lead 76ers, 48-47. LeBron James leads the way with 14 points. J.R. Smith has added 11 points. The Sixers are led by Jahlil Okafor, who has 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting. 

End of 1st Quarter - Cavs lead 76ers, 26-20. J.R. Smith leads all scorers with eight points. LeBron James and Kevin Love have each added six points. The 76ers are led by Ish Smith, who has seven points. 

Blair Walsh's 27-yard field goal try into the frigid wind for Minnesota hooked left with 22 seconds remaining, handing the Seattle Seahawks a 10-9 victory over the stunned Vikings.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks needed more than three quarters to warm up at Minnesota.

Then, the Vikings kicked away their chance to beat the two-time defending NFC champions.

Blair Walsh's 27-yard field goal try into the frigid wind hooked left with 22 seconds remaining, handing the Seahawks a 10-9 victory over the stunned Vikings on a Sunday afternoon in their wild-card round playoff game in below-zero weather that tied for the third-coldest NFL game on record.

Blair Walsh's go-ahead 27-yard FG is WIDE LEFT. Richard Sherman loses it. Michael Bennett loses it. Wow. #SEAvsMIN https://t.co/GfnJlvUbGU

-- NFL (@NFL) January 10, 2016

The Seahawks (11-6) didn't score until Russell Wilson's short touchdown pass to Doug Baldwin early in the fourth quarter, and a fumble by Adrian Peterson for the Vikings on the next possession set up a field goal by Steven Hauschka.

The Vikings (11-6) took the ball back with 1:42 left at their 39 and, aided by a pass interference penalty on Kam Chancellor, drove deep into Seattle's territory. After draining the clock for the seemingly inevitable win, Walsh missed the winner. He made all three of his earlier attempts.

Seattle will play next weekend at Carolina, where the Panthers had a first-round bye in balmy mid-50s weather.

Huddled around sideline heaters and wearing huge capes, the Seahawks sideline on the shaded side of the stadium was a largely lethargic place for much of the game. Trailing 9-0, Wilson nearly took a huge loss on first down when he fumbled a shotgun snap. But the quarterback who Vikings coach Mike Zimmer called "Houdini" during the week darted right and found Tyler Lockett wide open for a 35-yard completion to set up the score to Baldwin.

Chancellor, who ripped the ball away from Peterson, quickly became the goat after his penalty and subsequent missed tackle on tight end Kyle Rudolph's 24-yard reception to the 18. But Chancellor and all of his "Legion of Boom" buddies were amazingly celebrating a few seconds later after Walsh's miss.

Replays showed the laces on the ball were turned in -- instead of facing out -- by holder Jeff Locke.

The Seahawks left their last visit to Minnesota with a 38-7 victory, pure domination on both sides of the ball that left no doubt that Dec. 6 afternoon they'd be a legitimate contender to reach their third straight Super Bowl even without the ear-splitting advantage of their home by the bay at CenturyLink Field.

For all their skills, experience and swagger, though, the combination of these conditions and a well-prepared, embarrassed-by-the-previous-performance Vikings team proved to be quite the challenge for the Seahawks.

This was a fittingly frigid finish for Minnesota's two-year stint outdoors at the University of Minnesota's TCF Bank Stadium during construction of the new covered downtown stadium. For the first au naturel postseason game here since the NFC championship game in 1976, the grizzled coach of that team, Bud Grant, served as an honorary captain. He strolled out for the coin flip in a Vikings cap and a purple short-sleeved polo shirt, looking ready for a round of golf.

The 88-year-old Grant got a roar of approval from the crowd, most of which was dressed in as many layers as those purple replica jerseys would allow. The announcement of the minus-25 degree wind-chill factor a few minutes later drew an equally loud cheer.

Every mistake and break was magnified in a game like this, and the Vikings were the benefactors for the majority of the first three quarters.

Punter Jon Ryan had to pick up a low snap on Seattle's first possession and, avoiding a potential block, tried to run up the middle before being upended by Jason Trusnik well shy of the first down. Ryan landed on his face, bloodying his nose, and the Vikings turned the shortened field into their first field goal.

Wilson, who led the NFL in passer rating after racking up a remarkable 24 touchdown passes with only one interception over the last seven games, was essentially reduced to a scrambler in the deep freeze. He had to run around a lot, too, against a relentless defense that was missing three key players in the previous matchup but back to full strength for this one.

The Seahawks, who scored 30-plus points in six of their last seven games, were all out of sorts on offense, with trouble getting some of the plays off in time.

Facing the wind in the second quarter, Wilson had Baldwin wide open behind the safeties at the goal line, but the ball hung in the air and was easily batted down. Headed the same direction toward the open end of the stadium in the third quarter, Wilson overthrew Chase Coffman, and Trae Waynes intercepted the deflected pass to set the Vikings up for another field goal. Cliff Avril's roughing-the-passer penalty gifted Minnesota 15 yards on that drive.

The Buckeyes lost by 25 on Sunday at Indiana, bringing their seven-game winning streak to an end. Watch video

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Marc Loving was quick to correct JaQuan Lyle. Both were asked after Sunday's blowout loss to Indiana if they had ever been part of a game like that.

The Buckeyes were down 48-18 at the half, and lost 85-60. It was ugly.

"The only thing close was UConn," Lyle said, calling back Ohio State's 20-point loss to the Huskies on Dec. 12.

"That wasn't even close," Loving quickly interjected.

On paper the difference between a 25-point loss and a 20-point loss is really nothing. Loving wasn't quibbling over five points, though. He was quibbling about the way it happened.

In the end against UConn, Ohio State was handed a sound defeat, but there was fight. At one point the Buckeyes cut that deficit to single digits. There was no such fight on Sunday. Ohio State got hit in the mouth early, went down 10-0 in the first five minutes and stayed down.

"The slow start, and we didn't do anything in terms of what we are supposed to do defensively. It was amazing," Thad Matta said. "We couldn't catch, we were dropping balls. I think we missed 11 shots in the lane in the first half. We couldn't fight our way out of it."

Everything the Buckeyes were building came crashing down around them in the form a thumping from the Hoosiers.

All it did was show that Ohio State wasn't standing on very firm ground to begin with. Now the Buckeyes have what they hope is their low point of the season with tough games against Maryland and Purdue closer than they'd like to think.

With that, though, there's something that's important to remember: Ohio State was never as good as it looked in a win over Kentucky seven games ago. And the Buckeyes aren't as bad as they looked on Sunday. This loss helps the reality of what Ohio State is set in a little bit.

This is a team with real flaws that can't afford to come out flat, or else what happened on Sunday will happen again. This was a team that might have been able to think about the words "NCAA tournament" if it left Assembly Hall with a win on Sunday. Instead it is still off the bubble, where it's been since losing four straight games at the beginning of the season.

The only way for Ohio State to get back on the bubble or dream of anything better is to get a win or two it's not supposed to have. There will be chances, but the effort obviously needs to be much better than it was on Sunday.

"The scoreboard showed we didn't respond emotionally well at all," Loving said. "There's things we gotta learn and not do later down the road."

That should be concerning. The two times this season that this young team was put in an adverse situation on the road, the end results were resounding double-digit losses.

More turnovers than made field goals in the first half, and the inability to play with composure when faced with a deficit in a tough building are traits of a young team. But that was supposed to be the old Ohio State, not this new version that was on a seven-game winning streak.

The Buckeyes built that streak on sound defense while the offense clearly still needed to round into form. Ohio State wasn't great offensively last Wednesday in a win over Northwestern, but the defense was good enough to get a win.

Nothing was right on Sunday.

"We just did that Wednesday night. What happened?" Matta said of the defense that gave Indiana easy look after easy look. "On the ball screens giving up layups, we haven't done that in a long time. The rotations weren't there. I don't have an answer for it."

If Ohio State's defense wasn't quite as sharp, that would've been expected against one of the best offensive teams in the country. This wasn't that. This was a complete lack of anything for one half that made whatever happened in the second half irrelevant.

The offense continued to be inconsistent (14 turnovers, 39 percent from the field), and that was only more glaring on Sunday because Ohio State couldn't stop Indiana on the other end.

"When you have some of the turnovers we had in the first half, catching the basketball and those type of things are hard to explain," Matta said. "We did a couple things that literally you've been doing since third grade and today we just didn't have that. We have to find a way to get out of it, wash this one away and get ready to go Wednesday."

Ohio State hosts Rutgers on Wednesday. The Scarlet Knights are bad and Ohio State could use a rebound after what happened on Sunday.

The real gauge of whether Sunday's loss hit home will come next weekend, when Ohio State has to go on the road against No. 3 Maryland.

It will be loud. The opponent will be better, and Ohio State will have to contend with that better than it did against Indiana in order to not get embarrassed again.

It didn't take very much for Ohio State to get taken out of Sunday's game.

"We just came out, and it was 7-0," Loving said.

Then Lyle corrected him. "It was 10-0."

Niko Lalos of St. Vincent-St. Mary commits to Dartmouth.

AKRON, Ohio – St. Vincent-St. Mary senior linebacker Niko Lalos has made a verbal commitment to Dartmouth. Lalos made his announcement on Twitter.

Lalos weighed offers from several MAC and Ivy League schools including Barnard, Davidson, Buffalo State, Columbia, Brown, Ball State, Akron, Colgate and Kent State.

Proud to say I have decided to commit to Dartmouth College to further my academic and athletic career #GoBigGreen 🌲🌳 pic.twitter.com/58VRg7Fgzk

— Niko (@nlalos) January 10, 2016

The AP Northeast Ohio Inland All-District and All-Ohio team member finished the season with seven receptions for 96 yards and two TD's at the tight end position. On defense, concluded with 53 tackles, eight tackles for a loss, two sacks, two interceptions and recovered one fumble.

STVM (11-2) ended the season falling 24-21 in the regional final to the soon-to-be Division III state champion Archbishop Hoban.

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.

Browns receiver Terrelle Pryor believes Hue Jackson would be an excellent head coach for the Cleveland Browns.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Browns receiver Terrelle Pryor, who played quarterback for Browns head coach candidate Hue Jackson in Oakland, believes he'd be perfect for the Browns.

"It would be great choice, I can tell you that,'' Pryor told cleveland.com. 

The Browns confirmed they interviewed the Bengals offensive coordinator, 50, on Sunday in Cincinnati for their head coach vacancy. The session lasted about four hours. The Browns talked to him after the 49ers spent five hours with him that morning.

No news is expected Sunday night from either team. Mike Silver of NFL Network also reported the Giants are expected to request permission Monday to interview him.

The Browns also interviewed Panthers defensive coordinator Sean McDermott on Sunday morning in Charlotte, N.C.

"Every day when I woke up (in Oakland), I was like, 'man, I get to go to work,''' said Pryor. "I wasn't even playing in 2011 when Hue was head coach, and you don't always feel a part of things. But Hue made it fun every single time.''

Pryor, who rejoined the Browns in December and is under contract through next season, loved listening to Jackson speak during team meetings.

"He was such a great speaker and he'd get guys fired up and it was just so motivating,'' he said.

Asked what kind of head coach Jackson would be, Pryor said, "Hue Jackson is a badass. I love Hue.''

Pryor said Jackson, who went 8-8 in his lone season as head coach but was fired after a 1-4 season-ending slide that cost Oakland a playoff shot, relate to a lot of players because of the way he grew up.
 
"He comes from the streets of Los Angeles,'' said Pryor. "He's seen a lot of tough things and he can relate to guys in so many ways. He's coached a lot of big-time players and he can relate to any of the different groups on the team. He's a smart guy. He can talk on all different levels. That's what's so great about him is that he can function well with everybody.''

Pryor said Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer, who played for Jackson at USC, Cincinnati and Oakland, raved about him.

"Carson and I are real good friends,'' said Pryor, who played with Palmer in 2011 when Jackson was head coach. "Carson would always tell me how awesome Hue is. He used to tell me all the time how much he loves Hue. And that's coming from one of the top quarterbacks in the league.''

Pryor said Jackson, a former college quarterback, is one of the best playcallers in the NFL.

"He's so creative,'' said Pryor. "He gives guys the best chance to be successful. You can look at his track record and watch film, I mean this guy, his playcallong and his formations, his ability to change it up on defenses is one of the best in coaching.''

He noted that Jackson isn't afraid to throw the ball downfield. In 2015, the Bengals finished third in net passing yards per play. They also finished seventh in points per game and Andy Dalton finished second in gain per play and second overall with a 106.3 rating.

"Hue is a shot taker,'' said Pryor. "He'll put it up and that's where the success is at in the NFL.

Pryor said Jackson is the ultimate players' coach.

"He'll hang out with us on the plane, he'll hang out with us no matter where,'' said Pryor. "He'll visit everyone in the different meetings rooms and everybody gets to see him and interact with him.''

By the same token, Pryor sad Jackson has shown he can handle difficult and flamboyant personalities over the years. In Cincinnati, Chad Johnson flourished under his guidance. He's also been a coordinator with the Redskins, Falcons and Raiders, and served as Ravens' quarterbacks coach, where he tutored Joe Flacco.

"He's a great leader,'' said Pryor. "He's got that winning mentality first. Nothing else is more important than that. You can hear it in the way he speaks.

Linebacker Bart Scott, who was in Baltimore in 2008 when Jackson was there, said on CBS' pre-game show Sunday that Jackson deserves another shot at a head coach job. But he hopes he learned from some of his mistakes.

Former Raiders executive Amy Trask, now a CBS analyst, raved about Jackson on the pre-game show.

"I talk (to teams interested in him) about how collaboratively Hue worked with everyone in the organization,'' Trask said. "And I speak to them about the challenges under which Hue labored, many of which were not apparent to the public. I would love to see what Hue Jackson can do as a head coach if he is allowed to pick his own assistant coaching staff."

Related: Browns interview Hue Jackson and Sean McDermott on Sunday

She disagreed with the notion that he was power hungry.

"Of all the coaches with whom I've worked over a roughly 30-year period, he was at the low end of power-hungry coaches,'' she said.

Jackson brought Pryor to Cincinnati this offseason as a quarterback, but the Bengals let him go after about a month. He was signed shortly thereafter by the Browns as a wide receiver.

"He explained it wouldn't have been good for me to stay there because I wouldn't have gotten any reps,'' said Pryor. "Hue goes by the book and he's going to put his best players on the field. Winning is the No. 1 thing for him. He'd be great for the Browns.''

The wild-card Green Bay Packers beat the NFC East champion Washington Redskins 35-18 to reach the divisional round.

LANDOVER, Md. (AP) -- Aaron Rodgers did a jig after his first touchdown pass. Later, he was smiling and nodding and thrusting both arms overhead.

And why not? He has a lot more fun when his offense is balanced -- and the Green Bay Packers score seemingly at will.

Spurred by a bit of hurry-up, and a bunch of running, the wild-card Packers got going after a rough start Sunday, with Rodgers throwing for a pair of TDs while Eddie Lacy and James Starks each rushed for a score, and Green Bay beat the NFC East champion Washington Redskins 35-18 to reach the divisional round.

Rodgers opened 1 for 8, and the Packers' first four drives ended this way: punt, safety, punt, punt. They had all of 11 yards -- yes, just 11 -- after one quarter.

But trailing 11-0 early in the second quarter, two-time NFL MVP Rodgers and the Packers suddenly began to show the sort of ability to gain yards in chunks and put points on the board they had been missing while losing six of their final 10 games and letting the NFC North title slip away.

Green Bay (11-6) will play at the No. 2 seed Arizona Cardinals on Saturday night. In the other NFC game next weekend, the No. 1 seed Carolina Panthers will host the wild-card Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.

With the Packers and Seahawks joining the AFC's Pittsburgh Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs, it's the first time road teams went 4-0 in the wild-card round under the current NFL playoff format, which started in 1990.

Washington (9-8) had won four games in a row, but its season ends without a single victory over a team that finished with a winning record.

Rodgers finished 21 for 36 for 210 yards and no interceptions. Washington QB Kirk Cousins, making his first career playoff start after a breakthrough season, was 29 for 46 for 329 yards. He threw for one touchdown, lost one fumble and was sacked six times.

Here is how effective Green Bay was against a Washington defense that had developed a bend-but-don't-break-reputation: The Packers scored on five consecutive possessions in one stretch, with four touchdowns and a field goal.

Green Bay compiled its highest point total since a season-high 38 in Week 3.

Rodgers connected with Randall Cobb and Davante Adams in the end zone en route to a 17-11 halftime lead. In the second half, Starks scored from 4 yards out, and Lacy from 2, as the Packers ran the ball on 13 of 15 snaps. After gaining 17 yards on nine carries in the first half, Green Bay finished with more than 140 yards rushing.

The Redskins looked like the better team in the early going.

The game was barely 4 1/2 minutes old when Washington led 2-0 on its first postseason safety since 1984 -- rookie linebacker Preston Smith got to Rodgers for his sixth sack in the past four games.

The Redskins then went ahead 5-0 on Dustin Hopkins' 25-yard field goal, but the lead could have been larger. DeSean Jackson caught a pass from Cousins and initially was ruled to have scored, but the points came off when it was ruled that the ball never crossed the goal line.

Later, Cousins connected with tight end Jordan Reed for a 24-yard score and, after a missed extra-point attempt, it was 11-0.

That was when Rodgers, the MVP of the 2011 Super Bowl, turned things around.

Rodgers looked a lot more like himself in the second quarter, going 5 for 6 for 68 yards on a drive that ended with a 12-yard TD pass to Cobb, drawing Green Bay within 11-7. And Rodgers pulled out all his usual tricks, twice going with a quick snap that generated a too-many-men penalty on Washington's defense.

Later in that quarter, Cousins was strip-sacked by Mike Neal, who also recovered the fumble, which the Packers turned into a 43-yard field goal to trim their deficit to 11-10.

And Rodgers added his second scoring toss of the quarter with 28 seconds left, a 10-yarder to Adams that gave the Packers a 17-11 halftime lead. Rodgers danced around after that TD, and threw some fist pumps, too, feeling good about his offense for the first time in a while.

Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson interviewed with the Browns and 49ers on Sunday. Both sessions went well, but Jackson might have an opportunity to interview with Giants now too, according to a report.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson was very impressed with the Browns and vice versa, a league source said.

But Jackson, who lost a heartbreaker, 18-16, to the Steelers Saturday in the wildcard round, wrapped up a long day of interviews with the 49ers and Browns Sunday night without an immediate offer, and then shut it down for the night.

He liked both teams and felt both sessions went well, and if both clubs make him an offer, it will be a tough choice, the source said.

The Browns also interviewed Panthers defensive coordinator Sean McDermott on Sunday morning in Charlotte, N.C.

According to NFL Network's Michael Silver, the Giants might also jump into the mix for Jackson. Silver reported Sunday night that the Giants are expected to request permission Monday to interview him.

Jackson, the former Raiders head coach, spent about five hours huddling with the 49ers in Cincinnati in the morning, then spent about four hours with the Browns in the afternoon.  A source told cleveland.com that Jackson was eager to meet with the Browns and open to taking the job even though the 49ers reportedly had identified him as their top target and were prepared to offer him the job.

The 49ers may not have made the offer Sunday knowing that Jackson planned to go through with the Browns interview.

A source told Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com Sunday that the 49ers hope to have their coach in place "fairly soon.''

Jackson, who has also coached quarterbacks for the Ravens, has spent the bulk of his career in the AFC North, and feels comfortable in the division. But he was born in Los Angeles and also wouldn't mind ending up back out West.

The source said Jackson is interested in the opportunity that gives him the best chance to be successful regardless of the organizational structure. The Browns have given final say over the 53-man roster to new Executive Vice President of Football Operations Sashi Brown, but Jackson is comfortable with that and with Browns new Chief Strategy Officer Paul DePodesta.

In Cleveland, Jackson would have the opportunity to help select the new general manager, but the GM won't have control over the draft or other play moves.

The ball is now in the court of the Browns and 49ers to decide if they want to hire Jackson. In the meantime, Jackson will wake up and go to work for the Bengals on Monday, as usual.

The Browns have also interviewed former Bill coach Doug Marrone, Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin and Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia. They first talked to Adam Gase, who took the Dolphins job Saturday, and they also interviewed Cowboys secondary coach Jerome Henderson, who's expected to join Gase in Miami.

The Browns have no other known interviews scheduled yet.

Jackson, a players' coach with a dynamic personality, is one of the most well-liked men in the business.

Browns receiver Terrelle Pryor, who played quarterback for Jackson in Oakland, said he'd be an excellent choice for the Browns and that the players would love playing for him.

Related: Terrelle Pryor says Jackson would be a great choice for the Browns

Former Raiders executive Amy Trask, now a CBS analyst, raved about Jackson on the pre-game show today.

"I talk (to interested teams) about how collaboratively Hue worked with everyone in the organization,'' Trask said. "And I speak to them about the challenges under which Hue labored, many of which were not apparent to the public. I would love to see what Hue Jackson can do as a head coach if he is allowed to pick his own assistant coaching staff."

Offensive tackle Andre Whitworth told cincinnati.com: "If there is an NFL team out there that's not looking at Hue Jackson in their top three, they are crazy."

Steelers receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey, who played for Jackson in Oakland, told USA TODAY Sports Thursday: "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."

McDermott, who's drawn attention in the wake of the Panthers' 15-1 record this season, interviewed with the Bucs on Saturday. His defense finished sixth overall (332.9 yards per game) and sixth in points allowed per game (19.3). The Panthers also led the league with 24 interceptions and with 39 takeaways overall.

"It's an honor to be in that conversation," McDermott told panthers.com. "I've been in that conversation for the last couple of years. It's a direct result of the success we've had here. For four years straight being a top ten defense and we led the league in takeaways - that just speaks for itself in my opinion. It speaks to the players and coaches and our philosophy of how we do things."

Panthers coach Ron Rivera isn't surprised that teams are coming after McDermott, 41.

"He's done a nice job,'' Rivera told the Charlotte Observer. "It's nice to see that he's getting some recognition and we'll see how it goes," Rivera said. "It's that time of year and this is a good time if you're going to do it when you're in the playoffs." McDermott made it clear recently that he'd love to coach the Eagles, where he spent two seasons as a coordinator and 12 as an assistant overall, but the Eagles have yet to set up an interview.

"I love the Philadelphia area and, quite honestly, it's been tough to watch the last several years, having grown up in the area and worked there for 12 years," McDermott told ESPN.com. "The fan base, I know it's important to them. They're genuine, they're dedicated and they're real.''

In 2013, McDermott was named Sporting News Coordinator of the Year after his defensive finished second in the NFL. They also led the league in sacks and finished second in scoring defense with four defensive touchdowns. The defense allowed just 15.1 points per game, its fewest since 1996, and set a club record with an NFL-low 21 touchdowns.

In his first season as Eagles coordinator in 2009, McDermott was named the NFL's top defensive coordinator by Pro Football Weekly after his unit ranked third in the NFL with 38 takeaways and 44 sacks. Philadelphia also stood second in third-down defense and fifth in yards per play allowed.

McDermott coached the secondary and linebackers before becoming defensive coordinator, learning under the late Jim Johnson, the Eagles' legendary defensive coordinator.

If the Browns are prepared to hire Jackson, they will likely have to act fairly quickly.

LeBron James and Kevin Love combined for 52 points, 22 rebounds and 16 assists in 74 minutes as the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Philadelphia 76ers, 95-85, Sunday night.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- LeBron James amassed 37 points, nine assists, seven rebounds and two steals as the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Philadelphia 76ers, 95-85, Sunday night at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pa. Kevin Love had 15 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists and two steals for the Cavs.

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

Streaking: The Cavs (26-9 overall, 11-8 on road) have won seven in a row and 13 of 15.

Tumbling: The 76ers (4-36 overall, 2-15 at home) have lost three straight and five of six.

Broom service: The Cavs swept a four-game season series against the 76ers for the first time since 1995-96.

Not good: Yes, the Cavs continued their winning ways, but make no mistake: They played relatively poorly for the majority of minutes. They easily could have lost to a terrible outfit, and such a sloppy collective effort would have spelled serious trouble against any of their next four opponents -- Dallas, San Antonio, Houston, Golden State.

Then again, the Cavs can chalk this one up to playing down to the level of the competition.

Only the myriad skills of LeBron and Love bailed them out. LeBron shot 15-of-22 from the field; Love, 5-of-11. Their teammates shot an abysmal 15-of-57 (26.3 percent).

The repeated misfires, which included Timofey Mozgov's airballed 3-pointer in the halfcourt set inside the final 10 seconds of the first half, helped prevent a franchise-record fourth consecutive game of 120-plus points.   

LeBron and Love enabled the Cavs to overcome a brutal offensive performance by their point guards. Kyrie Irving and Matthew Dellavedova combined to shoot 5-of-23 and score 12, with three assists, in 56 minutes. Irving and Delly were outplayed by Ish Smith and T.J. McConnell.

King on fire: LeBron made shots from all over the court, including several dunk-contest-worthy slams, in a ridiculously good 37 minutes. He was 3-of-5 from 3-point range and 4-of-6 from the line. And he locked down defensively.

King went full Gladiator for the Wells Fargo faithful; he didn't just play, he entertained. The show included an old-new-school raising of the roof with the arms after his reverse dunk and 3-pointer in a span of 23 seconds late in the third.

Philadelphia called timeout. The crowd booed.

Fox Sports Ohio play-by-play voice Fred McLeod said: "They don't like reconstruction in their building.''

With 7:32 remaining in the fourth quarter, LeBron re-entered. The Cavs led, 81-79.

After the Cavs won a jump ball, LeBron made a step-back jumper. It was the beginning of Cleveland's 14-0 surge that featured five field goals and 12 points by LeBron. The other points came from a Tristan Thompson putback.

LeBron's topside 3-pointer gave the Cavs an 89-79 lead with 6:05 remaining.

Fox Sports Ohio analyst Austin Carr said: "When he's hitting from the outside, you might as well forget it.''

Later in the run, LeBron received a "touchdown'' pass from Love and dunked. It was the third time that a long outlet from Love to LeBron turned into a field goal (dunk, reverse layup, dunk).

LeBron's stepback jumper made it 95-79 with 3:21 left. Philadelphia rookie big Jhalil Okafor scored at 2:34 -- his team's first points in almost six minutes.

When LeBron wasn't scoring, he was facilitating. Two of his assists were five-star.

*Backhanded pocket pass from top of key/left to backdoor-cutting Richard Jefferson, who dunked and was fouled. Jefferson sank the free throw. (second quarter)

*In-the-air touch pass from 3-point arc to Love, who made the twisting, short shot and was fouled. Love sank the free throw. (third quarter)

Notable: King has at least one steal in seven straight games (13 total).

Love in the air: Love piled up his numbers while doing the all-important dirty work inside in 37 minutes. He posted a game-best +18.

With the outlets as one indication, Love and LeBron were on the same page throughout. They simply played a different game than everybody else.

Love executed dozens of "little things'' that do not show in the box score -- from quality screens to unselfish passes to denial of 76ers bigs in the paint. Intelligent basketball plays.

Love drew at least four fouls that were not called, the most notable with 4:37 left in the first quarter. Carl Landry grabbed and pulled Love's arm, the ball went out of bounds, and Philadelphia retained possession. (Landry committed approximately 15 fouls but was called for five.)

Love was whistled for a bogus foul midway through the fourth. He forced Jerami Grant into a travel but referee Tony Brothers somehow decided that Love fouled Grant.

Than again, it was Brothers.

See highlights from Sunday's winter sports action.

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

HOCKEY

Lake Catholic 4, Gilmour 1: Senior captain Kyle Horvath posted a hat trick and junior defenseman Aaron Valentine had three assists. Jacob Zab collected 23 saves for Lake Catholic.

Benedictine 3, Chagrin Falls 0: The Bengals got two goals from Matt Carson, and William First made 10 saves.

Bay 4, Aurora 1: Center Jacob Gaudino recorded a hat trick as the Rockets pulled ahead late with three goals in the third period. Spencer O’Connell tallied 25 saves.

Chagrin Falls 4, Orange 2: All the scoring happened in the third period late Saturday night. Chagrin Falls’ David Herpst netted two goals and Joe Conway added a goal and an assist.

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. 

The Cleveland Cavaliers were rolling into the final meeting of the season against the hapless Philadelphia 76ers.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers were rolling into the final meeting of the season against the dreadful Philadelphia 76ers.

Averaging 118.0 points in the first four games of 2016, the Cavaliers were playing their best basketball of the season and looking for a franchise-record fourth straight game with at least 120 points.

Following a similar script to a few of the other meetings against Philly this season, the Cavs were sloppy and lethargic, leading to a much tougher game than expected against a four-win team.

Out of sync, the Cavs got nowhere near the record, but a late-game surge and LeBron James' brilliance led to the most important thing: a 95-85 win, which extends their winning streak to seven games.

Here are five observations:

James gets last laugh - Perhaps the signs were there during pregame warmups, as an errant pass plunked James in the face, leading to chuckles on social media.

The Cavaliers just didn't look like themselves, far from the East's best.

There were a few different chances to stretch the lead and turn the outcome into a laugher, just as they had done during the first two stops of the current six-game road trip.

But the plucky 76ers kept fighting.

In the NBA, though, fight and determination only take a team so far. Oftentimes having a four-time MVP, a player capable of single-handedly taking control, can erase an otherwise frustrating night.

That's what James did, putting on a show for the near-sellout crowd in Philadelphia.

With the Cavs' clinging to a two-point lead, 81-79, Cavs head coach David Blatt put his star back in the game.

James, who has traded the new-school "dab" celebration and his familiar "Silencer" for the mid-90's "Raise the Roof," lifted his team to victory before heading to Texas for a tough three-game stretch.

A 22-foot jumper ignited a 14-0 run, pushing the Cavaliers' lead to a game-high 16 points past the midway point of the final period. James scored 12 of the 14 points during that stretch and did it in a variety of ways. There were pull-up jumpers, three-points bombs and circus layups.  

James finished with 37 points, tying his season-high total, on 15-of-22 from the field. He also added nine assists, seven rebounds and two steals in 37 minutes. As James was scorching, the rest of his teammates were struggling, showing frustration on a cold shooting night.

James could sense it and took it upon himself to change it.

"I was able to get enough of a break to get a little energy," James said after the game. "I understand when I go back into the game I have to make plays. They needed me to put the ball in the hole tonight, especially in the fourth quarter."

Backcourt struggles - It's not going to be like this every night and it certainly hasn't been the case recently, but the Cavs' backcourt provided very little against the 76ers.

Kyrie Irving, who previously appeared to be rounding into form, scored eight points, his second-lowest total this season.

Irving made his first basket of the night, but finished 3-of-15 from the field, including 1-of-6 from three-point range. 

J.R. Smith, red-hot since the start of 2016, struggled as well, finishing with 14 points on 5-of-18 from the field, including 4-of-12 from three-point range. The starting shooting guard shot just 1-of-8 in the second half, scoring three points.

The bench duo, Matthew Dellavedova and Iman Shumpert, didn't add much either. The two players combined for six points on 3-of-13 shooting in 42 minutes.

Cleveland's four guards shot 11-of-46 from the field and were outscored, 36-28, by the likes of Ish Smith, Nik Stauskas and Hollis Thompson.

Needing Love - With Irving struggling and the Cavs in the midst of an ugly performance, someone else besides James had to pick up the scoring slack.

Enter Love.

Taking advantage of the 76ers' constant switching, Love posted up against smaller defenders repeatedly, scoring inside and forcing his way to the free throw line. He finished with 15 points on 5-of-11 from the field, including 1-of-4 from three-point range and 4-of-7 from the charity stripe.

Love also helped the Cavs control the boards, pulling down a team-high 15, including four on the offensive end.

A number of those rebounds turned into customary full-court outlet passes to James. Love ended the night with a season-high seven assists, finishing three short of his first triple-double of the season.

He also scored nine of his 15 points in the third quarter, a time the Cavs needed to make a statement coming out of the locker room.

Valuing the ball - Making their offensive possessions count this year, the Cavs have become one of the lowest turnover teams in the league. Averaging just 14.0 miscues, they rank ninth.

They were even better against the scrappy 76ers on Sunday, committing 11 turnovers.

Meanwhile, Philadelphia, the league's sloppiest team, threw the ball away 19 times, which the Cavs turned into 29 points.

Mozgov's blunder - There's a common phrase that applies perfectly to Timofey Mozgov's season: One step forward, two steps back.

One game after earning fourth quarter minutes and playing 24 overall, Mozgov's performance against the 76ers turned into a comedy of errors.

He had his shot blocked a few times and was spun around like a top on defense by Philadelphia rooke Jahlil Okafor, who scored seven of his 21 points against Mozgov in the final 1:12 of the second quarter. 

That wasn't even the worst part of Mozgov's evening.

At the end of the first half, the Cavs were looking to drain the clock. Knowing the strategy, Philadelphia ran a second defender at James, hoping to take the ball out of his hands. James tossed the ball to over to a teammate on the right wing, who skipped a pass to Mozgov in the corner.

He was wide open so he hoisted a three-pointer with plenty of time remaining on the shot clock. The 76ers' Stauskas grabbed the airball and raced up the court before dumping the ball to Okafor, who floated a buzzer-beating shot to close the gap to one point heading into halftime.

Unhappy with Mozgov, James walked to the locker room with his palms in the air, never taking his eyes off the Russian center.

Even Smith was baffled by Mozgov's decision.

"We have to be smarter," Smith said during his halftime interview with Fox Sports Ohio's Allie Clifton. "Our seven-footer shoots a three-pointer in the corner."

That ill-advised triple try was Mozgov's last play of the game.

He finished an unproductive night with two points and four rebounds in nine minutes, as Tristan Thompson, who has taken Mozgov's starting spot, played 21 of the 24 second half minutes.

LeBron James went for 12 of his 37 points in the final quarter to help the Cleveland Cavaliers get the the season series sweep of the Sixers after an 95-85 victory at Wells Fargo Center.

PHILADELPHIA - The Philadelphia 76ers had four shots at it and came up empty every single time.

On Sunday evening, LeBron James went for 12 of his 37 points in the final quarter and helped the Cleveland Cavaliers get the the season series sweep of the Sixers with a 95-85 victory at Wells Fargo Center.

James also has seven rebounds and nine assists. Cleveland (26-9) extended its winning streak to seven. Kevin Love provided 15 points and 15 boards, and Tristan Thompson supplied 10 points and 10 boards.

Exactly a minute into the game, Sixers coach Brett Brown called a timeout after his team quickly found itself down 5-0. He didn't like his team's effort on defense and he ripped into them. Later in the quarter Matthew Dellavedova penetrated toward the basket and found a slicing James, who escaped his defender and dunked it emphatically.

The crowd got out of its seats and applauded.

The Sixers were losing their home-court advantage, but the Cavaliers returned the fans to the home team once they couldn't hit a shot. In the second quarter the Cavaliers shot 29 percent from the field, giving the Sixers ample room to stay in the contest. James (15-of-22) and Richard Jefferson (1-of-2) were the only Cavalier players shooting 50 percent or higher.

Center Timofey Mozgov had a rough ending to the first half. He gave up seven of Jahlil Okafor's 21 points in the final 1:12 and shot an air-ball corner 3-pointer with six seconds left -- which Okafor followed with a floating layup over the 7-footer right before the buzzer sounded.

Cleveland was only up 48-47.

As the Cavaliers retreated to the locker room for intermission, James just stared at Mozgov all the way off the court. Mozgov felt James' eyes poking him on the side of his face, but he never looked his way. He just kept on walking. Mozgov wouldn't step on the floor again.

At 1:16 into the third quarter, Brown again tried his quick-timeout tactic after the Cavaliers scored the first five points. It worked. The Sixers didn't allow the Cavaliers to run away with it.

Late in the third James sprinted out after Love pulled down a defensive rebound, and the power forward hit him with a two-handed outlet pass that led him right to the basket. James caught the ball in stride and executed a two-handed reverse jam. As he trotted back on defense, he raised the roof with his hands and the fans booed him.

He wasn't done. On the next possession after a Philadelphia miss, James received the ball near half court and dribbled to the left wing and pulled up for a three that found the bottom of the net. The Sixers called a timeout and James raised the roof yet again as he walked towards the Cavaliers' bench.

The boos just showered down. J.R. Smith was seen laughing at James' new celebration gesture. Cleveland had its biggest lead of the game at the time, up 12 with three minutes remaining in the third.

The home team didn't give up and fought back to keep the game interesting.

Philadelphia (4-36) got within two points four minutes into the fourth quarter. James then turned it up another level by going to work offensively. He faced up his man for mid-range jump shots, he knocked down step-backs jumpers and continued to irritate the fans in transition.

He put an end to the Sixers' hopes of winning after another fastbreak dunk to put the defending Eastern Conference champs up 14 with four minutes left to play. And yes, he raised the roof. The game was unofficially over at that point.

J.R. Smith knocked down four 3-pointers out of 12 tries. Cavs guard Kyrie Irving struggled, going 3-for-15 for eight points. Cleveland scored when it mattered, because it only shot 39 percent for the game.

Point guard Ish Smith has made Philadelphia a tougher out since the team traded for him on Dec. 24. The night before he put up 28 points in a losing effort against the Toronto Raptors and finished with 18 points on 7-of-21 from the field against the Cavaliers on Sunday. 

The Cavaliers have reached the midway point of this six-game road trip. They have won 13 of their last 15 games.

On deck

The Cavaliers will finish the trip embarking on the Texas Triangle starting with the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. FOX Sports Ohio will have the game.

One of the more heartbreaking moments in Cleveland sports is approaching its 30th birthday.

The Browns were supposed to go to the Super Bowl. They were mere minutes away on this day in 1987, until John Elway authored one of the staples of the Cleveland misery montage: The Drive.

Trailing 20-13, Elway led the Broncos on a 98-yard drive to tie the game and force overtime. The Broncos won in overtime on a field goal that, to this day, some claim actually missed.

We posted the front page from the next day's Plain Dealer on Twitter and asked our followers to tell us where they were when it happened. Some were too young to remember. Others were there. Here were responses on Twitter. Tell us where you were in the comments.

The first seven teams in this week's cleveland.com boys basketball Top 25 remain unchanged. Bedford entered the top 10, while two new teams are in the Top 25.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The first seven teams in this week's cleveland.com boys basketball Top 25 remain unchanged. Bedford entered the top 10, while two new teams are in the Top 25.

Changes could be on the horizon. Fourth-ranked Lorain plays two top 10 teams this week.

Here is the Top 25:

1, St. Ignatius (7-2, ranked No. 1 last week)

Comment: A seven-point loss at defending state champion Huber Heights Wayne should not knock the Wildcats from atop this perch. Matt Davet continued his hot scoring hand a week after winning cleveland.com and Plain Dealer Player of the Week honors with 20 points at Wayne.

Next up: Friday at Youngstown Cardinal Mooney, Saturday vs. No. 12 Walsh Jesuit.

2, St. Vincent-St. Mary (9-2, 2 LW)

Comment: The Fighting Irish have won three straight since their New Year’s Eve loss to St. Ignatius. The latest victory came Sunday vs. SPIRE Institute.

Next up: Saturday at Thurgood Marshall, Sunday at Cincinnati Roger Bacon at Flyin’ To The Hoop.

3, Garfield Heights (11-1, 3 LW)

Comment: The Bulldogs are trying to leave that STVM loss in the rear-view mirror and not look back. They face a Huntington Prep squad Sunday with a common opponent in Massillon Jackson.

Next up: Tuesday vs. Akron Garfield, Sunday vs. Huntington Prep at Flyin’ to the Hoop.

4, Lorain (8-0, 4 LW)

Comment: A loaded schedule awaits the Titans, who edged a now full-strength Warrensville Heights by four on Friday.

Next up: Tuesday at No. 5 St. Edward, Friday at No. 9 Bedford, Saturday vs. Clearview.

5, St. Edward (6-3, 5 LW)

Comment: Any time this team can turn up the tempo, it can compete. That switch turned on in the third quarter Saturday at VASJ, where the Eagles forced 11 turnovers and held the Vikings scoreless for a six-minute stretch to win. After facing Lorain, St. Edward has 10 days off until it faces rival St. Ignatius.

Next up: Tuesday vs. No. 4 Lorain.

6, Archbishop Hoban (9-1, 6 LW)

Comment: A 13-point win Friday at Lake Catholic marked a ninth straight win for Hoban. Cartier Bickley and Collen Gurley provided a scoring punch to supplement Anthony Christian.

Next up: Tuesday vs. Gilmour, Friday vs. Padua.

7, Beachwood (10-1, 7 LW)

Comment: Two Chagrin Valley Conference wins helped the Bison bounce back from their Scholastic Play By Play loss to Bedford. In addition to the CVC, they have out-of-league matchups this month with Buchtel and East Tech.

Next up: Friday vs. Chagrin Falls, Saturday vs. Buchtel.

8, Medina (10-2, 9 LW)

Comment: The Bees’ win vs. Brunswick helped them bounce back from a tough loss to St. Edward at the Play By Play Classic.

Next up: Tuesday vs. No. 21 Elyria, Friday vs. No. 14 Mentor.

9, Bedford (8-3, 13 LW)

Comment: The Bearcats are playing well. Just in time with first place in the Lake Erie League on the line Friday with Lorain coming to town.

Next up: Tuesday at Cornerstone Christian, Friday vs. No. 4 Lorain.

10, Central Catholic (7-3, 8 LW)

Comment: Looking at the Ironmen’s losses, all have come within a possession during the final minutes of regulation. A comeback was cut short vs. Cleveland Heights, a tying or winning possession at Benedictine was undone by Bengals point guard Justin Layne and STVM emerged in overtime last week.

Next up: Friday at St. Thomas Aquinas.

11, Brunswick (8-3, 10 LW)

Comment: The Blue Devils enter this week having dropped two of their last three, but the competition is strong.

Next up: Tuesday vs. Strongsville, Friday at Shaker Heights.

12, Walsh Jesuit (7-2, 12 LW)

Comment: Padua beat the Warriors by one on Friday, then lost to Brecksville by 31 the next night. Don’t overthink it. Remember, these are high school kids. Walsh Jesuit bounced back Saturday with a 35-34 win vs. Western Reserve Academy.

Next up: Friday vs. NDCL, Saturday at No. 1 St. Ignatius.

13, Benedictine (6-2, 15 LW)

Comment: The Bengals have a difficult weekend ahead of them. They could remain a game behind Archbishop Hoban, or Lake Catholic could spoil that pursuit. Saturday’s VASJ matchup will only affect our Top 25 and district seeding.

Next up: Tuesday at University School, Friday vs. Lake Catholic, Saturday vs. No. 17 VASJ.

14, Mentor (8-4, 11 LW)

Comment: The Cardinals returned home from the Arby’s Classic to start the new year with a split vs. Solon and Elyria. After a double-digit loss to Elyria, they have time to hit the laboratory as coach Bob Krizancic’s club is off till Friday.

Next up: Friday at No. 8 Medina.

15, North Olmsted (9-2, 14 LW)

Comment: The Eagles suffered their first Southwestern Conference loss Friday to Olmsted Falls, then bounced back vs. Normandy.

Next up: Tuesday vs. Avon Lake, Friday vs. No. 25 Midview.

16, East Tech (8-3, 16 LW)

Comment: The Scarabs again look to be the class of the Senate League. That Jan. 23 nonleague matchup with Beachwood should be fun.

Next up: Tuesday vs. John Adams, Friday at John Hay.

17, Villa Angela-St. Joseph (7-2, 17 LW)

Comment: The Vikings stay put despite a loss to St. Edward. Remember, VASJ is Division III. A 68-65 loss to the Division I program is not a detriment. Saturday’s NCL crossover game at Benedictine will be telling.

Next up: Friday vs. Trinity, Saturday at No. 13 Benedictine.

18, Brecksville (10-1, 19 LW)

Comment: The Bees want you to know they have a rugged perimeter defense to match that sharp-shooting offense.

Next up: Friday at Hudson.

19, Copley (10-0, 20 LW)

Comment: All but two of the Indians’ wins have been by double digits.

Next up: Tuesday vs. Nordonia, Saturday vs. Twinsburg.

20, Bay (8-2, NR LW)

Comment: A 20-point win at Top 25 resident Elyria Catholic was enough to not only vault the Rockets from the bubble but past a few teams. Their two losses are to North Olmsted and Holy Name. One is a Top 15 team, and the other had that spot in the preseason.

Next up: Friday vs. Parma.

21, Elyria (5-4, NR LW)

Comment: The Pioneers have bounced back nicely from a 16-point loss to No. 4 Lorain. The Mentor win last week is a building block.

Next up: Tuesday vs. No. 8 Medina, Friday at Solon, Saturday vs. No. 24 Elyria Catholic.

22, Cleveland Heights (3-6, 18 LW)

Comment: The Tigers suffered a one-point loss to Warren Harding, which would be a top 10 team here.

Next up: Friday at No. 23 Warrensville Heights.

23, Warrensville Heights (5-6, 21 LW)

Comment: The Tigers pushed No. 4 Lorain on Friday, losing by four on the road.

Next up: Friday vs. No. 22 Cleveland Heights.

24, Elyria Catholic (7-3, 22 LW)

Comment: The Panthers reached the century mark Saturday vs. Brookside to brush off a 90-70 loss to Bay. Their tough competition – wins against Clearview, Midview and Holy Name, losses to Bay and Warrensville Heights – slots them here.

Next up: Friday at Valley Forge, Saturday at No. 21 Elyria.

25, Midview (8-4, 24 LW)

Comment: The Middies have won five straight, starting with a 60-47 win last month vs. Olmsted Falls. That game is the difference between the Middies and Bulldogs taking this final spot.

Next up: Tuesday vs. North Ridgeville, Friday at North Olmsted.

DROPPED FROM TOP 25

Ellet (7-3), Stow (7-3).

ON THE BUBBLE

Clearview (9-2), Hudson (6-3), North Royalton (7-4), Olmsted Falls (7-3), Orange (8-2).

Ohio State is hosting a huge recruiting weekend this weekend that will go a long way in determining how the Buckeyes 2016 recruiting class will turn out. Hamlin will be in for it. Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State is hosting a huge recruiting weekend this weekend that will go a long way in determining how the Buckeyes 2016 recruiting class will turn out. 

One of the prospects who will be in for an official visit is four-star cornerback Damar Hamlin of Pittsburgh (Pa.) Central Catholic, cleveland.com confirmed Monday evening. 

Rated the No. 12 cornerback in the 2016 recruiting class in the 247Sports composite rankings, Hamlin is most considering Ohio State, Penn State and and Pittsburgh. 

Hamlin spent time camping at Ohio State during the summer and he took an unofficial visit to Columbus for the Buckeyes home lost to Michigan State on Nov. 21. 

The 6-foot-1, 175-pound prospect has unofficially visited both Penn State and Pittsburgh multiple times, but he hasn't officially visited either of those schools. 

According to the 247Sports "Crystal Ball" -- a tool that polls recruiting experts to project a prospect's college decision -- Ohio State and Penn State received 33 percent of the votes 21 votes. Pittsburgh received 24 percent. 

Here are some other must-read Ohio State recruiting updates: 

* Ohio State's dream end to the 2016 class: What does the perfect recruiting finish look like for the Buckeyes?

* Jonah Morris, 4-star ATH and former Michigan State commit has Buckeyes in final 4

* Donnie Corley to Michigan State: Who are Ohio State's top remaining '16 WR targets now?

* Donovan Peoples-Jones, the No. 1 WR in the 2017 class, includes Ohio State in newly-trimmed list

* Ohio State offers teammates Obi Eboh and Robert Barnes, Texas and Oklahoma commits

* Michigan commit Chris Evans, who just earned his Ohio State offer, is sticking with the Wolverines

Reghi says it's important for the team to hire someone who fits their new direction. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Michael Reghi is back with his Riled Up segment this week. What's he riled up about? The Browns coaching search, of course.

Watch the video above to see what Reghi has to say about the Browns finding the right man for the job.

Here are 11 boys basketball Game Ball candidates for their play.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Here are 12 boys basketball Game Ball candidates for their play from Jan. 3-9.

Read the descriptions below and vote in the poll to the right. Each week's poll is open until Friday afternoons.

• Tervell Beck, Central Catholic: Beck put up 34 points Tuesday in an overtime loss at St. Vincent-St. Mary. He followed that up with 22 on Friday in a win against Trinity. The 6-7 senior has scored at least 20 points in his first eight games with at least 30 in four of them.

• Antonio Blanton, Elyria: The Pioneers returned to the Top 25 after their 65-60 win Friday at Mentor. Blanton’s 14 points and nine rebounds led the way.

• Nazihar Bohannon, Lorain: The Titans held off Warrensville Heights, 77-73 on Friday, led by Bohannon’s 21 points. He scored 16 in the first half, as the Titans built a 12-point lead. Bohannon’s dunk at the first-quarter buzzer set the tone early for the Titans, who have more big games this week.

• Dan Chambers, St. Edward: The senior forward’s 25 points and three 3-pointers on the road Saturday led a 68-65 win at Villa Angela-St. Joseph.

• Matt Dimitrijevs, Brecksville: The junior guard hit nine 3s during the weekend, including five and a 19-point game Friday to beat Stow.

• Jayvon Graves, St. Vincent-St. Mary: A 6-foot-2 junior guard, Graves supplied 37 points Tuesday to fuel the Fighting Irish's 88-78 overtime win against Central Catholic. His shooting efficiency included a 13-of-17 performance from the floor and 9-of-10 effort at the free-throw line. STVM might not have made it to OT without Graves' layup in the final 10 seconds of regulation.

• Victor Hitterman, Olmsted Falls: The Bulldogs pulled even with North Olmsted in the Southwestern Conference standings Friday night by beating the Eagles. Hitterman contributed a game-high 19 points, 10 rebounds – not bad for a point guard – and four steals.

• Willie Jackson, Garfield Heights: The 6-foot-7 Missouri recruit put up 30 points and 21 rebounds Saturday during the Bulldogs’ 77-67 win against Youngstown Ursuline, a late addition to Garfield Heights’ schedule. Jackson is averaging 23 points and 15 rebounds.

• Jerry Judd, Streetsboro: The senior guard/forward helped Streetsboro to three wins last week. He put up 15 points and 10 rebounds in a 48-42 win Tuesday against Ravenna. Friday, Judd scored 14 points with five rebounds and three assists in a 72-48 win against Cloverleaf. Finally, Judd had 22 points, 11 rebounds and four assists Saturday in 63-48 win vs. Chagrin Falls.

• John Koz, Bay: The Rockets broke into the Top 25 with a 20-point win against Elyria Catholic. Koz scored a game-high 21 points in that one.

• Deuce Martin, Clearview: If the 6-1 guard’s buzzer-beater earlier this month against Vermilion wasn’t enough, his 17 points Friday to beat Oberlin secured the Clippers the Patriot Athletic Conference Stripes Division lead.

• Jon Teske, Medina: The 7-1 Michigan recruit supplied 23 points and 10 rebounds in a vital Greater Cleveland Conference win Tuesday against Brunswick.

Contact 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 are reportedly set to make a big push for Hue Jackson, whom they interviewed on Sunday.

CLEVELAND, Ohio --The Browns are set to make a big push for Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson and hope to close it out as soon as possible, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

The Browns interviewed Jackson, 50, for about four hours on Sunday and really liked him, a source told cleveland.com. The feeling was mutual, the source said.

Jackson also spent five hours Sunday morning with the 49ers, who were expected to make an offer. But Jackson didn't receive an offer from either the Browns or 49ers on Sunday night.

On Monday, the search took a turn when the 49ers received permission to interview former Giants coach Tom Coughlin and the Giants received permission to talk to Jackson.

As of Monday evening, Jackson's interview with the Giants had not yet been scheduled, but he planned to go through with it. At about 5:45 p.m., Rapoport reported that the Browns were prepared to close in on a deal for the former Raiders head coach.

Fox Sports' Mike Garafolo also reported that the Browns are a legitimate contender because they offered a big say in personnel. Currently, Executive Vice President of Football Operations Sashi Brown has final say over the 53-man roster. However, a league source told cleveland.com that no large say in personnel has been offered to the coaching candidates.

Also making things interested is the fact that the NFL owners, including Cleveland's Jimmy Haslam, are heading to Houston Tuesday and Wednesday for the owners' meeting to possibly vote on placing a team or two in Los Angeles. Candidates are the Rams, Raiders and Chargers.

Related: John DeFilippo among four Browns assistants asked to stay if new coach wants them

The Browns also interviewed Panthers defensive coordinator Sean McDermott on Sunday morning and liked him, a source said.  Panthers coach Ron Rivera told the Charlotte Observer Monday that McDermott felt "confident'' after interviews with the Browns and Bucs.

Of the seven interviews they've conducted since Wednesday, only former Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase has been eliminated. He took the Dolphins job on Saturday after interviewing with several teams, including the Browns. He was the Browns' first interview and was believed to be one of their top targets, if not their No. 1 overall.

Fox Sports reported that another of the Browns' candidates, Cowboys defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson, was set to join Gase in Miami, but that hasn't happened yet. He reportedly told his bosses in Dallas that his meeting with the Browns went well on Friday.

The other Browns interviews were as follows: Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, Jacksonville assistant head coach Doug Marrone, and Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia.