Here are results from around Ohio on Saturday.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Here are results from around Ohio on Saturday:

Akr. SVSM 55, Day. Thurgood Marshall 52

Albany Alexander 68, Russell, Ky. 42

Ashland 68, Wooster 50

Ashville Teays Valley 41, Cols. Hamilton Twp. 38

Chillicothe Unioto 68, Chillicothe Huntington 47

Chillicothe Zane Trace 41, Bainbridge Paint Valley 34, OT

Cin. Indian Hill 48, Batavia Amelia 46

Cin. La Salle 58, Cin. Purcell Marian 46

Cin. Mariemont 70, New Richmond 52

Cin. Oak Hills 53, Cin. St. Xavier 47

Cle. Benedictine 64, Cle. VASJ 59

Coldwater 55, Arcanum 40

Collins Western Reserve 60, Monroeville 52

Cols. Franklin Hts. 67, Pataskala Licking Hts. 45

Cols. St. Charles 61, Dublin Scioto 43

Cols. Upper Arlington 41, Chillicothe 34

Cols. Watterson 56, Delaware Buckeye Valley 39

Defiance 54, Sherwood Fairview 44

Defiance Ayersville 52, Paulding 38

Delphos Jefferson 50, Canal Fulton Northwest 38

Fairborn 62, Day. Ponitz Tech. 34

Findlay 65, Bowling Green 43

Frankfort Adena 52, Piketon 51

Ft. Recovery 58, Waynesfield-Goshen 41

Greenwich S. Cent. 65, Norwalk St. Paul 51

Hamilton 62, Harrison 50

Hamilton Badin 51, Cin. Wyoming 41

Hilliard Davidson 55, Hilliard Darby 53

Kalida 54, Columbus Grove 45

Lancaster Fairfield Union 46, Circleville Logan Elm 43

Lexington 77, Mansfield Sr. 74, OT

Lima Cent. Cath. 59, Versailles 49

Lima Perry 98, Harrod Allen E. 42

Lima Sr. 77, Ottawa-Glandorf 54

Louisville 66, Youngs. Boardman 44

Manchester 44, New Boston Glenwood 41

Mansfield Madison 63, Orrville 48

Maria Stein Marion Local 55, Jackson Center 46

McGuffey Upper Scioto Valley 58, Fostoria 42

Milan Edison 67, Oak Harbor 43

Miller City 61, Lima Temple Christian 46

Millersport 56, Patriot Preparatory Academy 48

Morrow Little Miami 56, Trenton Edgewood 45

New Hope Christian 68, Gahanna Christian 46

New Madison Tri-Village 58, Brookville 42

Ontario 63, Norwalk 35

Pandora-Gilboa 48, Bascom Hopewell-Loudon 46, 3OT

Port Clinton 54, Castalia Margaretta 44

Rockford Parkway 34, Bradford 33

Russia 53, N. Lewisburg Triad 42

Shelby 70, Bellevue 65

Sidney 74, Sidney Lehman 61

Spencerville 70, St. Marys Memorial 39

Spring. Cath. Cent. 42, Spring. Emmanuel Christian 37

St. Henry 53, Ansonia 25

Tol. Ottawa Hills 65, Findlay Liberty-Benton 48

Van Wert 58, Bryan 35

Van Wert Lincolnview 56, Antwerp 39

Vincent Warren 68, Spring Valley, W.Va. 58

Wapakoneta 54, New Bremen 32

Wheeling Central, W.Va. 84, Bellaire St. John 47

Williamsport Westfall 77, Southeastern 69

Worthington Christian 80, London 33

Chesapeake 60, Lucasville Valley 57

Latham Western 59, S. Webster 52, 2OT

Waverly 74, W. Union 47

Baltimore Poly, Md. 46, Day. Chaminade Julienne 43

Cols. Northland 87, Greenville 63

Kettering Alter 58, Pickerington N. 54, 2OT

Urbana 60, Day. Carroll 48

Wilmington 67, Cols. Walnut Ridge 63

Cols. Horizon Science 69, Shekinah Christian 57

Cols. Wellington 56, Cols. Bexley 43

First Love, Pa. 63, Can. Cent. Cath. 50

Teays Valley Christian, W.Va. 73, Massillon Washington 70

New Matamoras Frontier 41, Wirt County, W.Va. 39

Check out girls basketball results from across Ohio.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Here are results from around Ohio on Saturday:

Akr. Hoban 81, Cle. Hts. Beaumont 30

Arcadia 53, Dola Hardin Northern 29

Ashland 45, Bellville Clear Fork 25

Athens 35, Point Pleasant, W.Va. 25

Bainbridge Paint Valley 44, Chillicothe Zane Trace 28

Bay Village Bay 58, Parma Hts. Holy Name 36

Bellbrook 52, Franklin 36

Bellefontaine Benjamin Logan 56, Spring. Greenon 25

Bellevue 51, Tiffin Columbian 32

Berea-Midpark 65, Amherst Steele 63

Bluffton 43, Pandora-Gilboa 30

Brookfield 60, Youngs. Liberty 26

Brooklyn 57, Cle. Max Hayes 7

Cambridge City, Ind. 55, New Paris National Trail 31

Camden Preble Shawnee 34, W. Alexandria Twin Valley S. 33

Cardington-Lincoln 52, Centerburg 43

Carlisle 59, Lockland 12

Cedarville 58, Yellow Springs 32

Chagrin Falls Kenston 58, Willoughby S. 45

Chardon 63, Painesville Riverside 42

Chesterland W. Geauga 69, Wickliffe 29

Cin. Clark Montessori 40, Cin. N. College Hill 34

Cin. Glen Este 42, Loveland 37

Cin. Mariemont 58, N. Bend (Cleves) Taylor 20

Cin. Summit Country Day 43, Ft. Loramie 38

Cin. Turpin 47, Kings Mills Kings 27

Cin. Walnut Hills 58, Cin. Anderson 51

Cin. Wyoming 54, Cin. Indian Hill 43

Coldwater 62, Lima Shawnee 48

Cols. Northland 75, Tol. Waite 27

Cols. Upper Arlington 44, New Albany 40

Cols. Watterson 66, Cols. Franklin Hts. 16

Columbia Station Columbia 52, Oberlin Firelands 38

Columbus Grove 78, Miller City 43

Cuyahoga Hts. 35, Burton Berkshire 26

Day. Stivers 52, W. Carrollton 29

Delaware Christian 55, Morral Ridgedale 41

Delaware Hayes 47, Patriot Preparatory Academy 24

Delphos St. John's 54, Convoy Crestview 48, 2OT

Dublin Coffman 82, Akr. SVSM 60

Eaton 47, Day. Oakwood 40

Euclid 80, Strongsville 53

Fairborn 62, Day. Ponitz Tech. 34

Fairview 32, Parma Hts. Valley Forge 27

Fremont St. Joseph 49, Elmore Woodmore 43

Geneva 60, Orange 34

Germantown Valley View 48, Monroe 43

Greenfield McClain 42, Washington C.H. 35

Grove City 75, Galloway Westland 42

Hamilton 73, Lebanon 63

Harrod Allen E. 36, Elida 33

Houston 53, Bradford 31

Ironton 48, Centerville 34

Jackson 49, Gallipolis Gallia 35

Jackson Center 41, New Knoxville 32

Jamestown Greeneview 82, Mechanicsburg 36

Kenton 55, Marysville 54

Kidron Cent. Christian 41, Loudonville 38

Lancaster 48, Cols. Walnut Ridge 35

Leipsic 56, Continental 45

Liberty Twp. Lakota E. 50, Cin. Sycamore 33

Logan 62, Vincent Warren 53

Lucasville Valley 54, Frankfort Adena 33

Lyndhurst Brush 48, Madison 37

Macedonia Nordonia 46, Stow-Munroe Falls 45

Mansfield Christian 57, Lucas 44

Mansfield St. Peter's 60, Danville 49

Martins Ferry 57, Weir, W.Va. 36

Mayfield 60, Eastlake N. 58

McComb 46, Tontogany Otsego 42

Mentor Lake Cath. 54, Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit 50

Middletown 55, Cin. Colerain 40

Milford 65, Cin. Withrow 33

Minerva 66, Alliance Marlington 62, OT

Morrow Little Miami 52, Trenton Edgewood 33

N. Baltimore 54, Hamler Patrick Henry 47

N. Royalton 54, Hudson 41

New Madison Tri-Village 53, St. Henry 42

Newton Local 61, Sidney Fairlawn 54

Oak Harbor 82, Castalia Margaretta 43

Olmsted Falls 57, N. Ridgeville 55

Orrville 84, Mansfield Sr. 37

Ottawa-Glandorf 76, Lima Sr. 63

Ottoville 44, Minster 27

Oxford Talawanda 57, Cin. NW 44

Peninsula Woodridge 56, Akr. North 46

Perry 58, Beachwood 52

Port Clinton 59, Fostoria 38

Powell Olentangy Liberty 54, Ashville Teays Valley 41

Ravenna SE 48, Lodi Cloverleaf 46

Richfield Revere 53, Copley 39

Richmond Hts. 62, Gates Mills Hawken 37

Ridgeway Ridgemont 52, Crestline 36

Rocky River 63, Parma 50

Russell, Ky. 59, S. Point 35

Russia 52, Casstown Miami E. 33

Sidney Lehman 51, Union City Mississinawa Valley 32

Spencerville 45, Waynesfield-Goshen 44

St. Bernard Roger Bacon 40, New Richmond 36

St. Marys Memorial 57, New Bremen 46

Struthers 46, Niles McKinley 35

Sugarcreek Garaway 43, E. Can. 23

Tipp City Bethel 36, DeGraff Riverside 28

Tol. Christian 58, Gibsonburg 31

Tol. Ottawa Hills 60, Tol. Maumee Valley 25

Tolsia, W.Va. 57, Chesapeake 52

Trotwood-Madison 49, Cin. Winton Woods 39

Troy Christian 40, Piqua 22

Twinsburg 66, Brecksville-Broadview Hts. 41

Urbana 52, Lewistown Indian Lake 39

Ursuline Academy 48, Kettering Fairmont 32

Vandalia Butler 50, Arcanum 31

Vanlue 43, Monclova Christian 34

Versailles 61, Celina 40

Washington C.H. Miami Trace 61, Hillsboro 33

Waynesville 84, Day. Northridge 24

Wheeling Central, W.Va. 62, Hannibal River 48

Willard 48, Shelby 42

Williamsburg 67, Fayetteville-Perry 63

Wooster Triway 34, Cuyahoga Falls CVCA 33

Zanesville 41, New Philadelphia 32

Cin. Summit Country Day 43, Ft. Loramie 38

Kettering Alter 63, Cols. Africentric 48

Mason 56, Rocky River Magnificat 33

Mt. Notre Dame 59, Millersburg W. Holmes 56

New Carlisle Tecumseh 70, Doylestown Chippewa 46

Wadsworth 54, Newark 46

Kettering Alter 63, Cols. Africentric 48

Cols. School for Girls 52, Shekinah Christian 46

Cols. Bexley 53, Cols. Wellington 37

Cabell Midland, W.Va. 60, Nelsonville-York 45

Huntington, W.Va. 57, Albany Alexander 50

S. Webster 72, Spring Valley, W.Va. 61

Clarksville Clinton-Massie vs. Chillicothe, ppd.

Find out Northeast Ohio's results from Saturday, Jan. 16, 2016.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Here are Saturday’s high school sports results:

BOYS BASKETBALL

No. 2 St. Vincent-St. Mary 55, Thurgood Marshall 52: The Fighting Irish edged Thurgood Marshall a day before they face Cincinnati Roger Bacon at Sunday’s Flyin’ to the Hoop event in Dayton.

No. 4 Lorain 109, Clearview 48: The Titans snapped a two-game skid with the home win.

No. 5 St. Edward 84, Cathedral Prep (Pa.) 35: The Eagles bounced back from Friday’s loss to Pennsylvania’s Neumann-Goretti with Saturday’s win at the Burger King Classic in Erie, Pa.

No. 7 Beachwood 68, Buchtel 53: The Bison won at home in nonconference play.

No. 13 Benedictine 64, No. 17 VASJ 59: The Bengals rallied from 11 down in the third quarter to beat Villa Angela-St. Joseph in Vikings coach Babe Kwasniak’s second game back from a leave of absence. Benedictine’s Justin Layne scored 22 points, while Sherman Dean III paced VASJ with 23 points and seven 3-pointers.

No. 19 Copley 87, Twinsburg 48: The Indians improved to 11-0.

No. 21 Elyria 64, No. 24 Elyria Catholic 59: The Pioneers closed on a 10-2 run and were led by Blake Furcron’s 25 points. Antonio Blanton added 23 for Elyria. Darin Guice led Elyria Catholic with 18 points.

North Canton Hoover 79, No. 22 Cleveland Heights 69: The Tigers fell behind in the second quarter and lost at Hoover’s Mercy Medical Classic.

CVCA 65, Streetsboro 47: Jerry Judd scored 17 points for Streetsboro, which lost at Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

No. 1 Wadsworth 54, Newark 46: Jodi Johnson scored 17 points and Wadsworth pulled away in the fourth quarter at Classic in the Country.

Wadsworth plays again Sunday in the Classic in the Country. It takes on Mason. Other games Sunday at the Classic in the Country include Solon vs. Reynoldsburg and Shaker Heights vs. Huber Heights Wayne.

Mason 56, No. 2 Magnificat 33: Mason held Magnificat to two first-quarter points to win at the Classic in the Country. Phoebe Sterba led Magnificat with 10 points.

No. 4 Mentor 46, No. 18 Medina 33: The Cardinals won at home in Greater Cleveland Conference play.

No. 6 Westlake 52, North Olmsted 25: The Demons won convincingly on the road in Southwestern Conference play.

No. 9 Berea-Midpark 65, No. 24 Amherst 63: The Titans emerged with the two-point Southwestern Conference road victory, pushed by four players in double figures. Miranda Otero scored a team-high 15 points, while Jada Marone added 14, and Zorrane Host and Lexy Siggers each had 12. Sydney Roule scored a game-high 20 points for the Comets.

No. 10 North Royalton 54, Hudson 41: Julianne Lebo scored 15 points, Taiyier Parks added 13 and Gabby White scored 12 for North Royalton.

No. 11 Twinsburg 66, Brecksville 41: Jasmine Bishop’s 25 points led Twinsburg.

No. 12 Archbishop Hoban 81, Beaumont 30: Hoban jumped out to a 33-8 first-quarter lead to win on the road.

Dublin Coffman 82, No. 13. St. Vincent-St. Mary 60: Payton Pooler scored 14 points for the Fighting Irish, who fell into a eight-point halftime deficit that grew.

No. 14 Nordonia 49, No. 15 Stow 45: Soliel Barnes had 19 points, Holly Groff scored 17 and Nordonia beat Stow.

No. 19 Elyria Catholic 49, Normandy 31: The Panthers won at home in Great Lakes Conference play.

No. 20 Bay 58, Holy Name 36: Nora Ziebarth scored 18 points and Maddie Andrews added 16 for the Rockets. Emily Davis led Holy Name with 18.

No. 22 Rocky River 63, Parma 50: The Pirates padded a seven-point lead entering the fourth quarter on the road.

No. 23 Padua 67, NDCL 52: Elena Rauhe scored 20 points, Alex Pillin added 15 and Alainna Conroy had 10 to lead Padua. Lexi Hammer paced visiting Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin with 16 points.

Brooklyn 57, Max Hayes 7: Junior Bre’Asha Williams led Brooklyn with 16 points to help snap three-game skid. The Hurricanes kept Max Hayes from scoring in the first and fourth quarters.

Brush 48, Madison 37: Arielle DeBase scored 20 points and Dania Sanders had 18 to lift Brush at home.

Chardon 63, Riverside 42: Josie Cremeans’ 18 points paced Chardon.

Columbia 52, Firelands 38: Alison Schafer’s 21 points led Columbia on the road.

Cuyahoga Heights 35, Berkshire 26: Lexi Martin’s nine points, five rebounds and three assists helped Cuyahoga Heights (12-2).

Euclid 80, Strongsville 53: Rayjon Harris’ 21 points led Euclid.

Fairview 32, Valley Forge 27: Cate Schmiedl scored 15 points to lead Fairview.

Kenston 58, Willoughby South 45: Michaela Barnes and Corenna Maynard each scored 14 points to lead Kenston. Grace Weyman-Heller led Willoughby South with 10 points.

Lake Catholic 54, Walsh Jesuit 50 (OT): The Cougars rallied with a 19-5 fourth quarter to force overtime and seize momentum. Claire Mullee scored 13 points to lead Lake Catholic. Emma Russ had 11 for Walsh Jesuit.

Mayfield 60, Eastlake North 58: Megan Valenti scored the winning basket with 1.2 seconds left, Shannise Dillard scored 23 points and Alexa Pasquale had 22. They helped Mayfield overcome Eastlake North and Samantha Pirosko’s 27.

MLK 47, Whitney Young 21: Nia Green scored 17 points to pace MLK in a game played Friday.

Olmsted Falls 57, North Ridgeville 55: Sarah Balfour’s 25 points led Olmsted Falls.

Perry 58, Beachwood 52: Claire Dolan’s 25 points helped the Pirates on the road.

Revere 53, Copley 39: Emily Brock and Caitlin Vari each scored 16 points for Revere, which overcame Armani Jackson’s 22 points for Copley.

Southeast 48, Cloverleaf 46: Once up 28-5, Southeast held off the Colts’ rally. Danielle Norquest broke a 46-all tie with 9.8 seconds left.

St. Martin de Porres 37, Northeast Ohio College Prep 27: Jenell Fowlkes’ 12 points led St. Martin de Porres.

VASJ 59, Central Catholic 43: The Vikings overcame 20 points from Central Catholic’s Ka’Irra Reed.

West Geauga 69, Wickliffe 29: The Wolverines led from start to finish. Hanna Zuzek led the way with 17 points, six rebounds, five steals and three assists.

Woodridge 56, Akron North 56: Abbe Esterak’s 29 points led Woodridge, which also got 17 points from Shayla Williams.

BOYS ICE HOCKEY

Lake Catholic 2, Cincinnati St Xavier 2: Neither team could break the tie in the third period. Jacob Zab had 20 saves in goal for Lake Catholic, while Ben Harding had 18 for St. Xavier. Kyle Horvath and Luke Prpic scored for Lake Catholic.

NDCL 6, Benedictine 5: Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin rallied with a four-goal third period at the Martin Luther King Jr. tournament, which the Lions host.

Toledo St. John’s Jesuit 3, Lake Catholic 2: St. John’s Jesuit scored in the third period to take the victory.

University School 13, Oregon Clay 1: JD Clemens scored five goals and Ben Heller added three for University School.

University School 10, Archbishop Moeller 2: JD Clemens scored three times to lead University School.

St. Ignatius made a pair of key defensive plays to defeat Walsh Jesuit in overtime.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — St. Ignatius' boys basketball team relied on its defense late to defeat Walsh Jesuit in overtime, 49-47, on Saturday.

The Wildcats (9-2), ranked No. 1 in the cleveland.com, got key blocks from Jimmy Berger and Austen Yarian in the final minutes. Yarian, who had 10 points, seven rebounds and three blocks, had a key block on No. 12 Walsh Jesuit's Mitch Peterson as he was driving into the lane late in the game.

Peterson had one more chance to win the game, but missed a shot as time expired. Peterson, a Kent State commit, led all scorers with 18 points after missing the Warriors' game Friday vs. NDCL with an illness. At 6-foot-8, Yarian defended Peterson most of the night, including going out to the 3-point line for parts of the game.

"I love it out there. I love the challenge," Yarian said.

Matthew Davet led the Wildcats with 14 points, and Deven Stover added 11.

St. Ignatius scored only four points in the first quarter. But the Wildcats got going late in the first quarter and early into the second with a 15-0 run.

"Give Walsh some credit. They forced us into a little bit of a slow-down game. We're more of an up-tempo team," St. Ignatius coach Brian Becker said. "We had to create some tempo with our defense. We made a couple of shots, enabling us to get into some pressure. Then we got on a 15-0 run."

Walsh Jesuit (9-3) ended the first half on a 12-2 run to take a 20-19 lead. St. Ignatius opened the second half with an 11-2 run to take an 8-point lead before Walsh Jesuit cut it to one heading into the fourth quarter. The Warriors and Wildcats traded the lead four times in the fourth quarter before Nate Reich tied the game with a layup and sent the game into overtime.

"It was a phenomenal battle," Walsh Jesuit coach John Norris said. "We had a couple of opportunities, obviously, to finish down the stretch. But neither team would give an inch. It just so happened we came up a little bit short."

St. Ignatius is on the road on Friday night when it faces rival No. 5 St. Edward, and Walsh Jesuit will go to Gilmour on Tuesday.

St. Edward lost to St. Paris Graham Saturday, 37-17, in a dual match between Ohio's top two wrestling programs.

LAKEWOOD, Ohio – St. Edward lost to St. Paris Graham Saturday, 37-17, in a dual match between Ohio’s top two wrestling programs.

The schools, which have 49 team state titles between them, are also ranked in the top 10 in multiple national rankings this season. The Falcons have won 15 straight Division II team titles at the season-ending state tournament, as well as two dual state titles. The Eagles have a record 29 Division I season-ending crowns – including the 17 of the last 19 - and one dual state title.

So it’s understandable why there were few available seats in St. Edward’s gym on Saturday.

The Eagles (16-2) won five of the 14 matches, including two in overtime. The Falcons (8-0) got three pins to pull away in the upper weights.

Eagles junior 126-pounder Allan Hart lost a 5-3 decision to Falcons sophomore Mitch Moore in a battle of state champions. A bear hug by Moore led to a takedown and back points and an early 5-0 lead, but Hart got his own back points in the second period. Despite being on top through the second and third periods, Hart only earned a stalling point.

“The second period I got a cradle on him and got two back points so that was good,” said Hart, who lost a 1-0 decision to Moore at the Walsh Jesuit Ironman in December. “In the third period I was working for my turns but nothing was really happening. He just got that bear hug in the first period for five (points) and that’s what decided the match.”

Another anticipated matchup was a 138, where two-time state finalist and defending state champ Brent Moore of Graham won an 11-3 major decision against state runner-up Hunter Ladnier.

The Eagles got wins from Bryce Andonian (106), Sam Dover (132), Jack Conway (152), Tyler Stepic (182) and Jared Campbell (220).

Dover and Stepic both won in overtime. Dover, a freshman, wrestled to a 3-all tie with Ryan Thomas (third at state last season). In overtime, Dover countered a Thomas takedown attempt to put the Falcon on his back for a 5-3 win.

“I knew he was gassed in the overtime,” said Dover, whose win cut the Falcons’ lead to 9-6. “I could feel him kinda wearing down throughout the match and I kinda knew that once I got him into OT I was going to win.”

Stepic also had a match-winning counter move in overtime, taking down Gage Braun and keeping the Eagles’ hopes of a comeback alive, trailing 25-12 with three matches to go.

But Kana Sarver’s first-period pin against Cody Howard at 195 clinched the dual for the Falcons.

“Little things to work on and I’m sure it’s already in Coach (John) Heffernan’s mind what to work on and clean up,” said coach Greg Urbas.

Graham 37, St. Edward 17

106: Andonian (St. Edward) d. Crace, 15-9.

113: J. Thomas (Graham) d. Rini, 10-4.

120: Stickley (Graham) d. Hepner, 9-4.

126: M. Moore (Graham) d. Hart, 5-3.

132: Dover (St. Edward) d. R. Thomas, 5-3 OT.

138: B. Moore (Graham) md. Ladnier, 11-3.

145: R. Jordan (Graham) d. Collier, 7-2.

152: Conway (St. Edward) d. Sanchez, 5-0.

160: G. Jordan (Graham) d. Carpenter, 6-4.

170: Marinelli (Graham) p. Leidich, 2:29.

182: Stepic (St. Edward) d. Braun, 9-6 OT.

195: Sarver (Graham) p. Howard, :45.

220: Campbell (St. Edward) tf. Newport, 22-7.

285: Shafer (Graham) p. O’Malley, 4:39.

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

See how the Cardinals nearly lost their NFC Divisional playoff game and then took the lead late to win it.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Carson Palmer's shovel pass to Larry Fitzgerald was almost anticlimactic.

It delivered the Arizona Cardinals a 26-20 overtime win Saturday night against the Green Bay Packers in Glendale, Ariz. However, this matchup was full of catches to remember.

Cardinals with the old school shovel pass to Larry Fitzgerald for the win pic.twitter.com/GwXui4zhTy

-- The Cauldron (@TheCauldron) January 17, 2016

Earlier, there was Randall Cobb's diving one-handed grab to harken memories of Odell Beckham Jr.'s grab last season. It didn't count, but it's still worth seeing.

Randall Cobb with possibly the greatest catch in NFL history that never happened. #GBvsAZ #GoPackGo https://t.co/rfxyKgnARK

-- NFL (@NFL) January 17, 2016

In case you forgot, here's that catch by Beckham.

But back to Saturday. This game could have -- should have? -- ended in regulation on Michael Floyd's tipped catch.

Sometimes it's definitely better to be lucky, good or not. Cardinals TD pic.twitter.com/Cd4yTPxQMs

-- The Cauldron (@TheCauldron) January 17, 2016

If Floyd's go-ahead grab wasn't enough, the Packers forced overtime thanks to a Hail Mary. Why not?

Aaron Rodgers did it again: Packers down to 1 last play... Rodgers finds Jeff Janis for the HAIL MARY #Touchdown [?] https://t.co/nqOSTI5eUG

-- NFL (@NFL) January 17, 2016

By the way, there was that whole coin toss thing.

The coin that didn't flip, including the slow motion look at it from NBC pic.twitter.com/CB1dU2kcRS

-- The Cauldron (@TheCauldron) January 17, 2016

The Cardinals will await Sunday's winner between the Carolina Panthers and Seattle Seahawks for next week's NFC championship game.

Held scoreless for two straight games, the Lake Erie Monsters found their groove and the net on Saturday night in a 4-2 victory against the Chicago Wolves in an AHL Central Division game.

ROSEMONT, Illinois -- Cleveland's Lake Erie Monsters found their groove and the net on Saturday night after being shut out in two straight games, beating the Chicago Wolves 4-2 at the Allstate Arena.

The victory -- their third in a 10-game road trip that ends at noon Monday against the first-place Rockford IceHogs -- raised the Monsters to 20-13-3-3, in fifth place in the American Hockey League Central Division. Sixth-place Chicago is 17-17-1-2.

Anton Forsberg, in net for Lake Erie after being returned from the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday, stopped 31 of 33 shots, making him 13-6-2 for the Monsters this season.

Alex Broadhurst had three assists on the night, starting on the goal by John Ramage that put the Monsters up, 1-0, at 11:52 of the first period. Brett Gallant also had an assist.

Eric Roy made it 2-0 when he notched his second AHL goal on a power play at 13:05, with Broadhurst and Daniel Zaar assisting. Broadhurst and Zaar had assists again as Oliver Bjorkstrand scored on a power play at 1:41 of the second period.

Evan Trupp put the Wolves on the board at 10:54, but a goal by Derek DeBlois at 12:33, assisted by Tynan and Craig, opened Lake Erie's lead to 4-1. That ended the night for Chicago goaltender Phoenix Copley, who stopped 18 of 22 shots and took the loss. Niklas Lundstrom replaced him and saved 11.

Chicago captain Pat Cannone, assisted by Ivan Barbashev, scored at 7:36 of the third period.

The Monsters were two-for-five on power play opportunities. Chicago went scoreless in four chances.

Attendance was 14,407.

Larry Fitzgerald set up and scored the winning touchdown on the third play of overtime Saturday night, taking a 5-yard pass from Carson Palmer that lifted Arizona past Green Bay 26-20.

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Aaron Rodgers rolled to the left and avoided a tackler, heaving the ball high into the desert air before he was hit.

Two Arizona Cardinals defensive backs were waiting in the end zone, but Jeff Janis squeezed between them to pull it down.

Another 'Hail Mary' completed.

This one didn't come with the same magical ending.

Rodgers hit Janis on the desperation pass on the final play of regulation, but Larry Fitzgerald weaved through Green Bay's defense for a 75-yard reception to open overtime. Fitzgerald then scored on a 5-yard shovel pass to send the Cardinals to a 26-20 win over the Packers in the NFC divisional playoffs Saturday night.

Fitzgerald's touchdown moved the Cardinals (14-3) into the NFC championship game against Carolina or Seattle, and sent the Packers to another what-could-have-been offseason.

Rodgers gave Green Bay's season a kick start with a desperation heave to beat Detroit on Dec. 3 to Richard Rodgers. The tight end pulled that one down, the 61-yard reception giving the Packers an improbable 27-23 victory.

Aaron Rodgers did it again on an even bigger stage, marching Green Bay 85 yards in the final 1:15 of regulation for another high-in-the-sky completion.

Janis leaped between Arizona's Patrick Peterson and Rashad Johnson to pull down the pass, injuring himself on the play but holding onto the ball by pinning it to his hip.

After an officials review, 'Hail Mary,' the sequel, was confirmed.

But unlike the Detroit game, this one wasn't the winner. The 41-yard reception and Mason Crosby's extra point tied the game at 20.

NFL Playoffs: Patriots beat Chiefs, 27-20; Brady, Gronkowski team for 2 TDs

Arizona won the coin toss for overtime and quickly put the Packers (11-7) away.

Carson Palmer, who hit Michael Floyd on two touchdown passes, rolled right on Arizona's first play and threw back left to Fitzgerald. The Cardinals' star receiver, who never seems to age, was alone by the left sideline, and wasn't done, zigzagging his way through Green Bay's defense until finally being brought down at the Packers 5.

Two plays later, Palmer flipped a shovel pass to Fitzgerald, who streaked from the left and bulled his way into the end zone.

Fitzgerald, ,32, left to chants of "Larry! Larry!" The Packers went home wondering how they could complete a "Hail Mary" and still lose.

Last year, Green Bay blew a big second-half lead at Seattle and lost the NFC title game in overtime.

Rodgers threw for 261 yards, two touchdowns and an interception on 24-of-44 passing Saturday night.

LeBron enjoys some home cooking after a long road trip: Crowquill

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- After a tough six-game road trip, LeBron James and the Cavaliers are back home tomorrow night against Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors. This is the last time these two teams will meet this season, unless they end up playing for the NBA championship.

For the Cavs, this is a chance to restore some normalcy to their routines and eat some home cooking before trying to slow down Curry and even their two-game series with Golden State at one win apiece.

Crowquill, by Plain Dealer artist Ted Crow, appears three times a week on cleveland.com.

Junior Volleyball Association stages big weekend volleyball tournament

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The entire floor of the Cleveland Convention Center was covered in volleyball courts -- some 36 in all -- on Saturday for the largest junior volleyball event ever staged in the city, the Rock 'n' Rumble tournament.

The Junior Volleyball Association competition presented by Rox Volleyball brings over 2,600 athletes on 253 teams to the city, according to Nick VanDemark of the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission, which helped bring the tournament here.

He says the event will create $2.5 million of economic activity annually during the three years it will be staged in Cleveland. It fully utilizes the Convention Center's exhibit hall space during the Martin Luther King holiday weekend.

The club teams come from 10 states and Canada, with players ranging from 12 to 18 years old. For many girls, it gives important exposure to college scouts in attendance recruiting for Division I programs.

Championship games in the different age categories will begin around 11 a.m. Sunday and continue through the end of the tournament day at 6 p.m.

No. 10 SMU tries to remain unbeaten today when it takes on Tulane.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- No. 10 SMU puts its perfect record on the line today when it travels to Tulane (3 p.m., ESPN3), one of four games today involving teams in the AP Top 25.

SMU is down to seven scholarship players following the transfer this week of Keith Frazier, one of the team's stars and also a central figure in SMU being banned from competing in this season's NCAA Tournament, among other penalties.

But the Mustangs have somehow managed to remain undefeated, running their record to 16-0 at the mid-point of the schedule. Can they stay perfect?

• LIVE SCOREBOARD: Latest college basketball scores, stats, updates and more

Also on tap today are a pair of Big Ten games involving Top 25 teams. No. 4 Michigan State plays at struggling Wisconsin (1:30, CBS), trying to rebound from its loss to Iowa earlier in the week.

No. 16 Iowa plays host to Michigan (4:30, BTN) trying to run its Big Ten record to 5-0. The Wolverines are coming off Thursday's stunning upset of No. 3 Maryland.

Sunday's Top 25 schedule:

• No. 4 Michigan State at Wisconsin, 1:30 p.m. CBS
• No. 10 SMU at Tulane, 3 p.m. ESPN3
• No.13 Virginia at Florida State, 6:30 p.m. ESPNU
• No. 16 Iowa vs. Michigan, 4:30 p.m. BTN

Hue Jackson says during a radio interview that if it's true Johnny Manziel went to Las Vegas after being rule out of the game with a concussion, that says 'non-starter' to me. He added that the Browns need a quarterback in his opinion.''

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Hue Jackson continues to indicate that he'll move on from Johnny Manziel and likely pick a new quarterback of the future at No. 2 overall.

In an interview Sunday morning on Bleacher Report radio with Jason Cole and Ty Schalter, Jackson was asked if Manziel was indeed in Las Vegas during the season finale, if that would say "non-starter'' to him. He was spotted in a blond wig and fake mustache according to USA TODAY Sports.

"Yes, it would be (a non-starter),'' Jackson said. "Anytime things are not done the correct way with any player at any position, it would be a non-starter with me.''
Jackson also made his strongest statements to date about the Browns needing to go out and find their quarterback of the future.

"If there is a quarterback there at pick No. 2 or pick No. 32 that we feel is the best option, the best fit for our organization, for our football team, then we need to go get him,'' he said. "I do believe that this team does need a quarterback.''

He indicated that Johnny Football's time is over in Cleveland.

"I think what we need to do is look to the future and find what we think is going to be the best fit for us and go from there,'' he said.

He admired the job Josh McCown did last season, but acknowledged he's not looking for him to start next season.

"Now, whether it was health issues or whatever it was last year, the position didn't play great,'' Jackson said. "Josh McCown played great when he was healthy and did some really good things. But we also know that he's getting up there age-wise. This guy's very competitive and done a great job (but it's time to look to the future).''

Jackson re-iterated what he's been saying in interviews all week: that character is king and players must fall in line.

"There's criteria that we're going to look at to determine if the players really need to be here or if they've earned the right to be here to be considered a Cleveland Brown,'' said Jackson.

Jackson's remarks advanced the things he said during the week about what he wants in a quarterback -- and none of them say Johnny Football.

Related: Manziel goes incognito in Vegas

"Outside of all of the physical characteristics that we look for in a quarterback, the thing I'm looking for is the guy that's going to be the face of the franchise,'' Manziel told Solomon Wilcots and Shannon Sharpe Friday on Sirius XM NFL radio. "Somebody that our players can rally behind, somebody that our fans can rally behind, that they believe that this guy has the chance to go out week in and week out and win games,''

What's more, Jackson is seeking "a guy that can help elevate this football team, not anybody that's going to tear it down because it's too hard in the National Football League to have a guy like that. A guy that's all-consumed with one thing -- being the best quarterback that he can be, and being the best leader he can be. That's the kind of guy I'm looking for.''

Jackson has promised he'll evaluate Manziel -- who missed his concussion treatment the day of the season finale and was given the cold shoulder by the team when he showed up the day after -- before making a decision and that everyone in the building has a clean slate.

But as Jackson continued through three days of local and national radio interviews, it became increasingly clear that Manziel, who seemed to be on a downward spiral throughout the season, isn't the man to "carry the flag for us'' or represent the Browns in a professional manner.

"We need a very consistent and dominant quarterback," Jackson said Thursday on the Stephen A. Smith Show on SiriusXM Radio. "That's what this team has to have in order for us to be successful -- because that position is the face of the franchise. We all know that, respect that and that's where it starts.''

He outlined other things he's seeking in his franchise quarterback, who will likely be found either with the No. 2 pick in the draft, through a trade or in free agency.

"The first thing obviously, he's got to have arm talent and leadership ability is huge,'' Jackson said on Cleveland Browns Daily. "Poise under pressure, because on third down that's when it tough. The other thing the guy's gotta have, he's got to have some charisma. He's got to be able to get this crowd and our team and everybody behind him. But he has to be able to, when thing are not going well, everybody can look to him and he can make magic happen.''

Hue Jackson on if @JManziel2 was in Vegas if that warrants a non-starter: "Yes. Anything like that [says] non-starter to me."

-- Bleacher Report SXM (@br_radio) January 17, 2016

Hue Jackson on the Browns: "If there is a QB at #2 that is a best fit for our team, we need to go get him. It's my opinion we need a QB."

-- Bleacher Report SXM (@br_radio) January 17, 2016

Larry Pinto retires from coaching after 30 seasons at Mayfield.

MAYFIELD, Ohio – Larry Pinto is done, at least for now.

After 30 years of coaching football at Mayfield including 18 as a head coach, Pinto announced to his players at Sunday morning’s workout that he’s retiring.

“I just felt it was the right time,” Pinto said. “I have a lot to be thankful for. I was privileged and honored to work at my alma mater. Grew up in the community, raised my family here. I love Mayfield. Its been a great place to coach and teach for the past 30 years.”

Mayfield is where he played football and graduated from continuing his career at Mount Union as an offensive lineman. He returned in 1985 as a teacher in physical education and started as an assistant coach.

This season, Pinto led Mayfield to the Division II regional finals before being ousted by Hudson ending his career with 138 wins and 64 losses. He credits the community and administration for their support, and the players for their dedication.

Coach Pinto officially announced his retirement as head football coach today. No finer man, teacher, or coach. Truly loved his players...

— Mayfield Athletics (@MayfieldSports) January 17, 2016

Cont...An incredible leader who's impact on the community will be felt for years to come. Congrats to him on 18 terrific seasons!

— Mayfield Athletics (@MayfieldSports) January 17, 2016

“I hope that I had a positive influence on the kids’ lives,” Pinto said. “From my star athletes to my scout players, who worked their tales off at practice, I tried to make sure they felt special.”

Pinto said he is keeping his options open for what’s next in his career. He’s made no decision yet on retiring from teaching.

“Mayfield has been a wonderful place to work and I don’t think I coach anywhere else,” Pinto said. “I love Mayfield.”

In a release from Mayfield, Pinto’s successor has not been determined.

See related: Pinto shares some thoughts behind the Mayfield football helmet.

Contact Nathaniel Cline via email (ncline@cleveland.com) or Twitter (@nathanielcline).

Cleveland Cavaliers backup point guard Matthew Dellavedova was first labeled a dirty player during the team's playoff run last season.

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio -- Cleveland Cavaliers backup point guard Matthew Dellavedova earned the reputation as a dirty player during the team's playoff run last season.

After an on-court run-in with Chicago's Taj Gibson during the Eastern Conference semifinals, putting the power forward in a leglock, Dellavedova irritated the Atlanta Hawks when he rolled up on Kyle Korver's ankle, taking the sharpshooter out of the conference finals. Later in the series, Hawks forward Al Horford retaliated, was given a flagrant foul 2 and ejected for diving on Dellavedova and making contact above Dellavedova's shoulders. 

Coaches and teammates in Cleveland have defended Dellavedova repeatedly, laughing off criticism and saying that the defensive-minded lead guard simply plays hard and gives supreme effort on every possession.

Apparently, NBA players don't agree with Cleveland's viewpoint.

In a survey conducted by the Los Angeles Times -- polling 24 coaches, players and assistants -- in search of the league's dirtiest players, Dellavedova received the most votes with 13.

Oklahoma City center Steven Adams was next with seven votes. Rounding out the top five were Golden State center Andrew Bogut (5), Memphis forward Matt Barnes (4) and Oklahoma City forward Serge Ibaka (2).

"Wow! Delly and Bogut are both from Australia. How about that! Delly is kind of dirty and he does cross the line. But I don't even think it's even close with Bogut. Dellavedova is a little bit wild and out of control."

"He's as dirty as they come," a Western Conference coach said. "When you're hurting people, that is not OK."

"He was kind of dirty in the playoffs, for sure," an East coach said. "He broke Kyle Korver's leg. He held Taj Gibson with his legs and Al Horford's legs and got them kicked out the games because they retaliated against him."

Dellavedova's non-stop hustle, infectious energy and role of irritant have earned him an important place on Cleveland's roster, taking over for Mo Williams as Kyrie Irving's primary backup. 

Others included in the survey view Dellavedova the same way.

"He ain't dirty. He just plays hard," said an old-school East assistant coach. "See, guys resent people that play hard because they don't want to play hard. So if a guy plays hard, he's dirty. He's not dirty. He just plays hard. People question the play he made in the playoffs against Korver. I just think it was poor judgment."

A younger coach from an Eastern Conference team agreed.

"His stuff really ain't intentional. It's just like goofy. It's not like John Stockton, where John Stockton was calculated. Dellavedova is accidentally dirty. He can't help himself. He's a quality backup point guard."

While 24 people hardly represent a huge number around the NBA, it's clear Dellavedova's play has caught the opposition's attention.

The Cavaliers have moved on from their quasi-obsession with the Golden State Warriors, who visit Cleveland for the first time since winning the Finals here.

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio - There was a time when LeBron James held up the Warriors to his teammates as the gold standard.

There was a period of days earlier this season when, in an effort to fight off complacency and a general malaise, James said the defending NBA champion Warriors were hungrier than the Cavs, even though it was Golden State that hoisted the Larry O'Brien trophy at The Q.

Those days, those comparisons have passed. The Warriors return to Cleveland Monday (8 p.m., TNT) for the first time since winning the title here as simply a great team in the Cavs' eyes, and nothing more.

"I believe we're just more aware of what's going on," Kyrie Irving said Sunday, following Cleveland's first workout since returning home from a season-long six-game road trip.

The Cavaliers (28-10, winners of nine of 10) can be an emotional group. Going all the way back to training camp, Irving was among those talking about feeling "rage" over what happened in the Finals. The Warriors, of course, took the series 4-2 but did it while Cleveland was without Kevin Love for the entire series and Irving after Game 1.

And then on Nov. 17, the Cavs lost to Detroit and fell to 8-3. The Warriors were 12-0 at the time. After that loss to the Pistons, James said: "We lost in the Finals. We didn't win. And the team that beat us looks more hungry than we are. So it shouldn't be that way."

James didn't speak to reporters Sunday. But, following the Cavs' 91-77 win in Houston Friday, James said when it comes to comparisons between Cleveland and either the Warriors or, for that matter, San Antonio, "the only thing I care about is how I lead these guys every single night.

"I know we can compete with any team in the league and it doesn't have to be a regular-season game," said James, who in 28 regular-season and Finals games against the Warriors is averaging 30.4 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 7.8 assists. He's scored at least 20 points in all but one of those games.

"You give us four games and it's time to lock down in a playoff series, we can play and we can beat any team in this league, so that's my feeling and that's what I know."

The Cavs are vastly different from mid-November, and even from their Christmas Day loss to the Warriors in Oakland. Cleveland fell 89-83 that day. James scored 25 points, but was 10-of-26 from the field.

Irving and Iman Shumpert had just returned from injuries by Christmas, now they're fully settled into their roles and healthy. Tristan Thompson starts at center. The Cavs' player rotations are tighter. Their only loss this month was by four points to the Spurs, in San Antonio, in game no. 5 of the road trip.

There's also that awareness Irving mentioned. Somewhere between November and now, the Cavs turned inward to set expectations, and it's paid dividends.

"As a team, within our locker room we know what we have to take care of, and that's just being there for one another," Irving said. "Despite what's going on outside our locker room, doesn't really matter. That rage is still burning inside us. We all share it and we definitely have a chip on our shoulder and we need that."

The Warriors won an NBA-record 24 games to start this season. Since Dec. 11, they're 13-4 and have lost two out of three. The Cavs are 13-3 over the same stretch, but 12 of those 16 games were on the road.

Cavs coach David Blatt never publicly compared his team to the Warriors like James, but he did call out his players for lacking toughness in November. He and James were both trying to prevent using injuries to Irving and Shumpert as an excuse for poor play, and to keep the Cavs from coasting on guarantees of a second Eastern title by outsiders.

"Complacency is a strong word in my opinion, I don't think we've been complacent," Blatt said. "At times, we have been less sharp and we have been perhaps guilty of looking too far ahead and getting ahead of the process.

"Obviously with our team given that people are going to come out you with their best game every time you play them and you may not always be healthy and you may not always be sharp. The mental side has take over, and we've improved from that standpoint - coming to games more mentally ready to play and that's a good thing."

In the first meeting between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors, an NBA Finals rematch, point guard Kyrie Irving was playing in his third game, trying to get reacclimated after an off-season filled with rehab.

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio -- In the first meeting between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors, an NBA Finals rematch, point guard Kyrie Irving was playing in his third game, trying to get back in rhythm after a rehab-filled off-season.

Heading into Monday night, another crack at the league's best team that celebrated inside Quicken Loans Arena about seven months ago, Irving feels different, inching closer to his old form.

"A lot better," Irving said following Sunday's practice, the first workout since returning home from a season-long six-game road trip. "Definitely trying to prove it out there every single time I go out there and play. Just trying to continue to be better every single game for my teammates."

Since that Christmas Day showdown, an 89-83 loss, Irving has hypnotized defenses with his slick ball handling, made a pair of clutch three-pointers in the closing minutes and had a few scoring outbursts. He has given Cleveland an offensive boost, averaging 103.8 points in his 12 games.

"Coming back it was a tough adjustment at first, missing a few shots here and there, being on the minute restriction, just had some things to get used to," Irving said. "And as I continue to progress and the more games I play, the better I am getting.

"I just didn't want to come in and break anyone's rhythm. We had a great thing going, and me just being an added piece, just wanted to come in and make it seem seamless and do whatever it takes to win. I mean, it was a tough transition coming back, I'm not going to lie, but I think it's getting easier and easier every single game."

Irving is averaging 17.0 points on 42 percent from the field, including 26 percent from three-point range. He's also averaging 3.8 assists and 2.8 rebounds.

His numbers are down and his play has been dotted with inconsistency. But Cavs head coach David Blatt is focusing on the positives. 

"Kyrie has been doing well," Blatt said Sunday. "I said on a few occasions after some of his bigger games that still we had to understand and show patience. And he has gone more or less up and down a little bit and it's totally understandable. He missed a long time, came off a serious injury. But he's worked hard and he's played well since he's come back. Some games better than others. And it's just part of the process and we understand it. And that will continue for a little while."

The Cavs are 9-2 since losing to the Warriors, with wins against Houston, Dallas and Toronto, among others.

"I think we've had the chance to incorporate Shump (Iman Shumpert) and Kyrie back into the team," Blatt said. "That game was the very beginning of them being back with the team and obviously we've gone through a number of games and a number of wins since then. So I think, yeah, we're in better shape right now. No question."

That's just one of the changes from the first meeting. Tristan Thompson has been starting at center, giving the Cavs a better option for Golden State's lethal small-ball lineup. The rotations have been tightened, with nine players getting a majority of the playing time. The Cavs are also brimming with confidence after an impressive 5-1 trip -- the only loss coming against another Western Conference power, San Antonio.

"We're in a better rhythm. Just making progress," Irving said. "I continue to speak on it, but coming off a 12-day road trip, made some strides in the right direction execution-wise. We know what to expect from one another. Starting to show signs and it's good. We're not a totally different team, but we're in a better space than we were on Christmas Day."

Monday's meeting is one of the most anticipated games on the schedule. The Warriors have yet to lose two straight this season and are coming off a blowout loss against the Detroit Pistons on Saturday night.

Golden State just recently reincorporated Harrison Barnes back into its lineup after he missed 16 games, including the entire month of December. 

"We're the two best teams playing right now," Irving said. "Number one in our respective conference and they're number one in their conference.

"It's a great test. You guys know what it is. I mean, it's two great teams playing against each other. It's what everybody wants to see, the media is going to continuously talk about it and they should. It's great players all the way around, gonna be a great game tomorrow night."

The Warriors are wearing the NBA's crown, having beaten the Cavs in June, 4-2. But Cleveland doesn't feel it gave its best shot. Kevin Love was sidelined, suffering from a dislocated shoulder. Irving missed the final five games with fractured left kneecap. Shumpert was hobbling up and down the court on an injured groin.

Of all the games between the two title contenders recently, Monday provides the matchup that many, including the Cavs, have been awaiting.

Both teams are expected at full strength, finally providing the opportunity to see how the Cavs truly measure up to the NBA's best. 

"We're going to find out tomorrow," Blatt said.

The Panthers hung on in the face of a furious Seahawks rally before surviving 31-24.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- If the Carolina Panthers win their first NFL championship, they can credit the lesson they learned from the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.

Playoff games are never truly over until that final gun.

Emphatically backing up their superb regular season with one of the most dominating halves in football history, the Panthers then hung on in the face of a furious Seahawks rally before surviving 31-24.

The Panthers have won 12 straight home games, and next Sunday, Carolina (16-1) hosts Arizona (14-3) for a trip to the Super Bowl.

Jonathan Stewart, returning from a foot injury, scored two touchdowns after jumpstarting the Panthers with a 59-yard sprint on their first play. Cam Newton threw for a touchdown and fellow All-Pro Luke Kuechly ran in an early interception for a score as Carolina built a 31-0 lead.

Seattle (11-7), showing its pedigree as two-time NFC champs, climbed back within seven points.

The Seahawks got two touchdowns in the first 7:20 of the third quarter. Finally with time to throw, Russell Wilson hit Jermaine Kearse for a 13-yard score and rookie Tyler Lockett for 33 yards, making it 31-14 -- and making the full house at Bank of America Stadium unnerved.

When the Seahawks succeeded on a fake punt from their 23, an epic comeback seemed possible. That drive stalled, but with Carolina's offense sputtering, Seattle later got closer on Kearse's 3-yard catch of a jump ball against All-Pro cornerback Josh Norman.

With Newton waving the crowd into frenzied cheers on the sideline, the Panthers' defense couldn't stop a 60-yard drive capped by Steven Hauschka's 36-yard field goal with 1:12 remaining.

At 31-24, All-Pro linebacker Thomas Davis hauled in Hauschka's onside kick -- and Charlotte could breathe again.

This will be the Panthers' fourth trip to the NFC championship game, and their first time as host.

Denver will host Tom Brady and the New England Patriots for a shot at playing in the Super Bowl.

DENVER -- Get ready for Brady-Manning XVII.

Peyton Manning earned one more and possibly final game against his rival by leading the Denver Broncos to a come-from-behind 23-16 win over Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.

That set up an AFC championship game next weekend in Denver against Tom Brady and the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots (13-4).

Manning and Brady have squared off 16 times before, a full season's worth of matchups between the two quarterbacks whose careers are so intertwined that a conversation about one almost has to include the other -- like Bird vs. Magic or Ali vs. Frazier.

"It'll be the Broncos vs. the Patriots," Manning said. "We'll enjoy this one tonight. I think you knew that answer was coming. To kind of quote Bill Belichick, we'll be on to New England. But I'll be talking about them on Wednesday."

His boss, John Elway, who only got to face his fellow Hall of Famer Dan Marino twice in his playing career, once said there will never be another rivalry like Brady-Manning.

Brady has won 11 of the 16 meetings, but they're 2-2 in the playoffs, including Denver's 26-16 win in the conference championship game two years ago. This game marks just the seventh time Manning will face Brady at home.

This matchup was slated for November before Manning went out with a foot injury that pushed longtime backup Brock Osweiler into the starting -- and starring -- role.

Osweiler led the Broncos (13-4) back from a two-touchdown, fourth-quarter deficit against New England on Nov. 29 in a game Denver won 30-24 in overtime. Manning had just gotten out of his cast and watched that game from the locker room.

He returned to action in the season finale, his cameo propelling the Broncos past San Diego and into the AFC's No. 1 seed that ensures Brady & Co. will have to play at altitude in their fifth consecutive trip to the conference championship game.

Manning's teammates dropped seven passes, but came through in crunch time. Denver is 10-3 in games decided by seven points or fewer, and Manning said being battle-tested helped them on this night.

With Denver down 13-12 with less than 10 minutes left, cornerback Bradley Roby punched the ball from Fitzgerald Toussaint's arms and teammate DeMarcus Ware recovered at the Denver 35-yard line.

Then, Manning went to work, driving Denver to its only touchdown.

C.J. Anderson ran it in from the 1, and Demaryius Thomas -- who was playing in front of his mother for the first time in his life -- caught the 2-point conversion for a 20-13 lead with three minutes remaining.

That was Manning's 55th game-winning drive in the fourth quarter or overtime, extending one of the dozen NFL records he owns.

Ware's sack ended Pittsburgh's next drive and Brandon McManus kicked his fifth field goal, tying the NFL playoff record.

Chris Boswell made a 47-yarder with 19 seconds left, but Anderson recovered the onside kick.

Manning credited Denver's NFL-best defense for thwarting a team that piled up 34 points on them last month.

"Obviously, down in the fourth quarter and down the home stretch, great play by our defense," Manning said. "They gave us some good opportunities all day. Pittsburgh did a great job down there in the red zone, keeping us from touchdowns. We had to settle for field goals.

"The best thing we did, we stayed patient all game. We didn't force anything and we didn't give them any short fields. Obviously, when we needed it, we had that big drive and we got that touchdown that really put us up."

Roethlisberger completed 24 of 37 passes for 339 yards despite playing with a sore right shoulder and missing his top receiver -- Antonio Brown (concussion) and rusher -- DeAngelo Williams (foot). Martavis Bryant had nine catches for 154 yards.

Manning completed 21 of 37 passes for 222 yards. Emmanuel Sanders had five catches for 85 yards, and Anderson ran 15 times for 72 yards.

Manning has said this could very well be his final hurrah after dealing with a left foot injury that forced him to miss six weeks before winning his starting job back.

Now he's 60 minutes from a fourth Super Bowl, and Brady stands in the way.

Hue Jackson still wants Ray Horton as his defensive coordinator, but Horton told espn.com he's in extension talks with the Titans.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Titans defensive coordinator Ray Horton disputed a report Sunday that he was insulted by the Titans initially overlooking him for their head coach vacancy, and that he has been granted permission to interview with the Browns.

Horton, whom Hue Jackson hopes to hire as his defensive coordinator according to John Wooten of the Fritz Pollard Alliance, hasn't received permission to talk to Cleveland and hasn't interviewed with Jackson yet.

Instead, he's in talks with Tennessee to remain as their coordinator under coach Mike Mularkey, who was promoted from interim coach to the full-time job on Saturday, according to ESPN.com.

"I'm not insulted," Horton told ESPN.com. "I was very happy Mrs. [Amy Adams] Strunk gave me an interview. I think she was very impressed with me. I was told some ideas I gave are going to be implemented. I'm still under contract. I'm talking about a contract extension. The insulted comment is not true. I'm very happy. I was very happy to be interviewed."

Wooten, the former Browns guard who works tirelessly to promote minority hiring in the NFL, told The Tennessean that Horton was insulted that the Titans didn't interview him sooner for their head coaching vacancy. They did so Saturday morning, and hired Mularkey a few hours later. It had been widely reported that it was Mularkey's job to lose.

Related: Hue Jackson says 'this team needs a quarterback'

Wooten also confirmed The Tennessean report for cleveland.com, saying that Horton had been granted permission by the Titans to interview with other teams and that he planned to join the Browns.

Later in the day, Horton, who ran the Browns defense in 2013 under Rob Chudzinski, told The Tennessean that Wooten is not authorized to speak on his behalf.

"The interview went outstanding,'' he told the paper. "It was about a four-hour interview where great ideas were exchanged that I was told will be implemented in the Tennessee Titans organization. I couldn't have been insulted by it, because it went well."

Wooten told The Tennessean that Horton, who has been promoted by the Alliance as a head coaching candidate for the past four years, was dismayed that the interview came so late. He was the last of four candidates to interview, after former Bills coach Doug Marrone, Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin and Mularkey.   

"He felt disrespected just because of the way -- it's really touchy," Wooten said. "For them all to be in the same building and not to know what Ray Horton is about just tells you that, it's like you don't exist, like you're invisible."

Jackson has also interviewed former Colts offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton for the position of assistant head coach/offense, a source said. He's also interested in adding Vikings running backs coach Kirby Wilson as his running game coordinator, according to Wooten, and has talked to former Colts offensive line coach Hal Hunter about the same role here.

Find out Northeast Ohio's results from Sunday, Jan. 17, 2016.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Here are Sunday’s high school sports highlights:

GIRLS BASKETBALL

No. 5 Solon 67, Reynoldsburg 48: The Comets had three players in double figures in scoring at their Classic in the Country game at Berlin Hiland.

Solon is ranked fifth in the cleveland.com Top 25.

Solon’s Dee Bekelja led all players with 30 points, along with 18 rebounds, four steals and four assists. Jordan Joseph added 14 points, including four consecutive 3-pointers in the first half, and Gabby Mitchell took two charges and scored 10 points.

The Comets’ defense limited the Pirates to 18 points in the second half. Solon led, 33-30, at halftime.

Mason 41, No. 1 Wadsworth 30: The Grizzlies, also ranked No. 1 in Division I in Ohio, suffered their first loss of the season at Classic in the Country at Berlin Hiland.

Wadsworth (14-1) was held to six points in the first half to Mason’s 19. Mason is ranked fourth in Division I.

Huber Heights Wayne 71, Shaker Heights 51: The Raiders were unable to overcome a 21-9 deficit after the first quarter in their Classic in the Country game at Berlin Hiland.

Nailah Mitchell led Shaker Heights with 16 points, five rebounds and two blocks. Teammate Jamir Huston added 12 points and 10 rebounds.

BOYS BASKETBALL

No. 2 St. Vincent-St. Mary 66, Roger Bacon 56: The Irish (11-2) prevailed at Flyin’ to the Hoop in Dayton behind Henry Baddley (23 points) and Jayvon Graves (21).

Huntington Prep 82, No. 3 Garfield Heights 68: The Bulldogs suffered their second loss of the season, falling to 12-2 after the defeat at Flyin’ to the Hoop in Dayton.

Willie Jackson led Garfield Heights with 20 points and 19 rebounds, followed by 17 from both Frankie Hughes and Shawn Christian. Hughes added seven rebounds.

No. 11 Brunswick 72, Coventry 60: The visiting Blue Devils overcame a 19-12 deficit after the first quarter in the nonleague contest.

Michael Quiring netted a game-high 26 points and teammate Aaron Badowski added 21 for Brunswick (11-3). Coventry is 10-3.

HOCKEY

University School 3, Toledo St. John’s 1: James Koch scored two goals for the Preppers.

Lake Catholic 7, Dublin Jerome 3: Luka Prpic and Kyle Horvath each scored two goals for the Cougars. Prpic added two assists.

Lake Catholic 4, Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller 0: Logan Walnsch scored two goals, Ryan Bruss had a goal and two assists, Aaron Valentine had a goal and an assist and goalie Patrick Kristo preserved the shutout with 18 saves.

Chagrin Falls 5, Benedictine 2: The Tigers pulled away with three goals in the third period. Four players scored for Chagrin Falls, including Matt Witalec with two goals. Jackson Markley logged 33 saves for the winners.