PD Browns reporter says veteran's inability to get on the field can't be scoring points with president Mike Holmgren and GM Tom Heckert.

Shaun Rogers: The torch already may have been passed, says Tony Grossi.

Welcome to today's edition of Starting Blocks TV, our Web video show about what's going on in Cleveland sports. Today's show is hosted by Chuck Yarborough and Branson Wright.

Let's go to the highlights:

• The Browns take on the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, and Jake Delhomme will try to come back as the starting QB. Who will benefit most from his return? Cast your vote in today's Starting Blocks poll.

• Today's guest, Plain Dealer Browns reporter Tony Grossi, answers fan questions from his weekly Hey, Tony feature. He says defensive lineman Shaun Rogers has not impressed the Mike Holmgren-Tom Heckert regime so far with his inability to get on the field. Tony also answers questions about whether the Browns might try to trade with Buffalo for Bedford High's Lee Evans; and whether they would draft Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck, who is the son of Cleveland native Oliver Luck.

SBTV will return Monday with Plain Dealer Browns reporter Mary Kay Cabot breaking down the Browns-Falcons game.

Speaking of football, don't forget to play our You Pick the Winners Contest where you can outpick Chuck and Branson Wright each week and earn an appearance on SBTV, a $25 gas card and a chance at a $250 gift card.

The Indians on Monday officially announced that Chris Antonetti was the new general manager and Mark Shapiro would become team president. Today other promotions were announced in the Tribe's baseball operations department.

Chuck Crow / The Plain DealerChris Antonetti announced more additions to the Indians front office.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- New GM Chris Antonetti reworked the flow chart of the Indians baseball operations department with the following promotions.

 -Meka Asoyne has been named assistant in baseball operations. He will focus on doing financial analysis of baseball markets, paying particular attention to arbitration, player contracts and industry trends. He will report to Mike Chernoff, Antonetti's new assistant general manager.

 -Alex Eckelman has been promoted to assistant director of pro scouting. He played nine years professionally after graduating from Ohio State. He was an intern in 2010, preparing scouting reports on the Tribe's opponents. He reports to Chernoff.

 -Derek Falvey has been promoted to assistant director of baseball operations. In his three years with the Tribe, Falvey has assisted in the amateur and international scouting departments. He reports to Chernoff.

 -Carter Hawkins has been promoted to assistant director of player development. Hawkins, who joined the Indians in 2008, graduated from Vanderbilt University where he was a teammate of Indians right-hander Jensen Lewis. He will assist Ross Atkins, the director of player development.

"They'll miss Jake, but better to have him next week in Madison than this week vs. the Hoosiers." - ScriptOhio02

View full sizeMarvin Fong | The Plain DealerJake Stoneburner (11) won't be on the field celebrating with his teammates on Saturday.

In response to the story High ankle sprain will keep Jake Stoneburner on sideline: Ohio State Buckeyes Insider, cleveland.com reader ScriptOhio02 thinks resting the tight end this week is the right call. This reader writes,

"They'll miss Jake, but better to have him next week in Madison than this week vs. the Hoosiers."

The top one-on-one players of all time: Who would win a tournament?

APMichael Jordan

Someone posed the question to Kobe Bryant, and Bryant couldn't answer it in any other way.

Bryant was asked who would win if he played LeBron James one-on-one. Of course, Bryant said he would come away with the victory.

Which sparked this blog by Erie.com reporter Duane Rankin, who came up with his top 10 list of greatest one-on-one players.

It is hard to argue with the players Rankin had 1 and 2 on his list, and that's Allen Iverson and Michael Jordan. Iverson was one of the quickest players, with the quickest crossover dribble in history. Check out this move he made on Jordan.

Rankin's list is fine, but what would happen if we had a tournament with some of the best one-on-one players of all-time? A good one-on-one player must be quick, have the ability to finish at the basket, possess good ball-handling skills and have a good outside shot. Just because a player is fast on the fast break doesn't mean he has the quickness in a halfcourt set.

Here's my Sweet 16 of one-on-one players, and in my tournament, no centers allowed.

Top four seeds

1. Michael Jordan, considered the greatest basketball player of all-time. Jordan can score from the perimeter and inside of the paint. He can handle the ball, and most importantly, he can play defense.

2. Kobe Bryant is MJ light. He posses all of Jordan's skills, but he is probably a better outside shooter than Jordan.

3. Allen Iverson. He's one of the best one-on-one players because he was one of the quickest players in NBA history. He'd blow past you in a blink of an eye.

4. Kevin Durant poses problems for defenders because of high-level offensive skills. He can shoot, finish at the basket and dribble, and his length causes problems when he plays defense. He's the second coming of George Gervin.

The rest of the field:

5. Dwyane Wade 6. Julius Erving 7.  LeBron James 8. Larry Bird  9. Earl Monroe 10. Isiah Thomas 11. Bernard King 12. George Gervin 13. Rick Barry 14. Nate Archibald 15. Pistol Pete Maravich 16. Andrew Toney.

Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle was conscious and answering questions after being taken to a nearby hospital following his collapse at practice today.

View full sizeAP FileDallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle became lightheaded and collapsed during practice today and was taken to a hospital. He reportedly was awake and talking to doctors.

Jake Delhomme and Peyton Hillis are among seven Browns players questionable for the Falcons game.

Joshua Gunter, The Plain Dealer Peyton Hillis is questionable for the Falcons game with a thigh injury.

CLEVELAND -- Browns quarterback Jake Delhomme (ankle) and running back Peyton Hillis (thigh) are among seven players questionable for the Falcons game on Sunday.

Hillis, who was added to the injury report Thursday with a thigh injury, sat out Friday, but Eric Mangini said it "shouldn't be an issue for the game.''

Hillis said he strained the muscle while running a go-route in 7-on-7s, but said he'll be "perfectly fine'' for Sunday.

Mangini's said Delhomme's status for the game will come down to how he feels on Saturday. "It's better than last week, but we have to go through the whole set of days before we make that decision,'' he said.

Center Alex Mack, who's also listed as questionable, returned to practice today after missing the previous two days with a shoulder injury suffered in the Bengals game and also said he should be fine for Sunday. The other questionable players are defensive ends Kenyon Coleman (knee) and Robaire Smith (back), nosetackle Shaun Rogers (ankle, hip) and safety Nick Sorensen (calf).

NFL looking into reports that Brett Favre sent racy messages and pictures to former sideline reporter.

View full sizeAP FileAn NFL spokesman said the league is looking into reports that Vikings quarterback Brett Favre sent racy messages and photos to a former sideline reporter while he was with the Jets.

Browns defensive coordinator Rob Ryan said Bengals guard Nate Livings was the one delivering cheap shots during last week's game, not T.J. Ward.

Updated at 9:10 p.m.

Tracy Boulian/The Plain DealerBrowns defensive coordinator Rob Ryan says Bengals guard Nate Livings was playing dirty Sunday, not T.J. Ward.

CLEVELAND -- Browns defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, when asked about T.J. Ward's hit on Bengals receiver Jordan Shipley, said the Bengals have no room to talk when accusing Ward of a cheap shot.

Pulling out a sticky note with all the pertinent facts on it, Ryan accused Bengals guard Nate Livings of several cheap shot against Browns linebacker Scott Fujita.

"There's a big hullabaloo about this penalty but (heck) those guys need to shut up,'' said Ryan. "This is our team, they don’t coach our team. We do. (Heck) if they want to worry about a cheap shot they ought to look at first and 10 on the 35, third quarter, 4:24 left, make sure you get that down and watch their guard Nate Livings. Our kids played great the whole game. They want to (complain) about him and he hit a guy in the face. This kid hits our guy in the back after he got a sack for a forced fumble, (Scott) Fujita, and a blocked field goal over him.

"Then this kid dives and hits him in the back of the legs. If you want to talk about cheap, talk about this (expletive). Excuse me, Nate Livings.  We are the least penalized defense in football. If we aren’t, we are always one of the tops. That’s how we teach. We teach a hard, tough, smart brand of football. We don’t give away yardage. People think we are out to hurt them, we are out to hit them. We are not out to hurt anybody or maim anybody, we are out to hit them and they are going to get hit. To be honest with you, I think we took Cincinnati’s best shot, and we won. That’s the facts.”

Hillis, who suffered a strained thigh in practice this week, sat out Friday's session, but said he'll be "perfectly fine" for the game. Offensive coordinator Brian Daboll said, "From my understanding, it's more precautionary than anything else. I think he'll be ready to go. It's never good [to have someone miss practice]."

As for Delhomme, Mangini said he'll wait until Saturday to make his decision. Like each of the past three weeks, he won't announce it until game time. He said he wanted to see a full week's work before he made his decision.

"He's starting to move around better so we'll see," said Daboll.

Mack said he got "hit funny" diving for a fumble during the Bengals game. He sat out Wednesday and Thursday and was limited Friday. "We'll see how everything feels," he said. "It's the trainers' decision."

The other questionable players are: defensive ends Kenyon Coleman (knee) and Robaire Smith (back), nose tackle Shaun Rogers (hip, ankle) and safety Nick Sorensen. Right tackle John St. Clair (ankle) is out.

The windswept waters of Lough Corrib, an expansive lake in Ireland's County Mayo, wasn't what they had expected. The fly fishing techniques were rather odd and quite arduous. But for a fly fishing team from Case Western Reserve University, it was the angling adventure of a lifetime.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JOHN ORLOCK

The windswept waters of Lough Corrib, an expansive lake in Ireland's County Mayo, wasn't what they had expected. The fly fishing techniques were rather odd and quite arduous. But for a fly fishing team from Case Western Reserve University, it was the angling adventure of a lifetime.

Chemistry professor John Protasiewicz and student Evan Maynard were one of two U.S. teams competing in the Lough Corrib World Varsities Trout Fly Fishing Competition Aug. 28-29. The team captain, CWRU English professor John Orlock, was along for support, and to take magnificent photographs of the 44,000-acre Lough Corrib, Ireland's second largest lake.

 "We were one of 13 university teams, all invited because of some form of fly fishing in their curriculum," said Orlock. "We certainly didn't realize just how they fished for big trout there. It was quite a learning experience."

 A Plain Dealer article featuring Orlock, who had introduced fly fishing literature and actual fly fishing in a University Circle pond to an English class, was instrumental in CWRU getting an invitation. Orlock chose the two best CWRU fly anglers he could find.  Protasiewicz is a steelhead trout fan and Maynard a stream trout specialist in California.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JOHN ORLOCKCase Western Reserve University student Evan Maynard (left) and chemistry professor John Prostasiewicz are in front of Lydon's Lodge Hotel in Cong, Ireland, ready for the opening round of the Lough Corrib World Varsities Trout Fishing Competition.

 Most trout fishermen wade streams or rivers and cast a fly. On Lough Corrib, fishermen traditionally drift in a boat and cast with the wind using a four-fly rig on fly line with a 25-foot leader.

It is a style of fishing that has been around for a couple of hundred years and rated the best way to hook a wild brown trout that could weigh more than 30 pounds. 

 "The casting was pretty difficult," said Maynard, 19, a sophomore from San Jose, Calif., studying aerospace engineering. "The retrieves were even more of a challenge. You had to strip line like a mad man, bringing in about three feet of a line at a time before the boat drifted over your line."

 Helping each team was a ghillie, or guide, who had traditional wooden boats with an outboard motors. Their ghillie, Frank Costello, would control the drifting boat while standing tall in 3- to 4-foot waves, using a long shaft to control the outboard motor.

"All of the trout fishing was catch-and-release," said Protasiewicz. "The winning team caught 22 trout, and we caught three. The ghillies are so concerned about the health of the trout, they had them measured and back in the water almost before you could blink."

Fish pictures were not an option.

"We couldn't have begun to plan the trip without the support of CWRU's Dean Cyrus Taylor and Dean Peter Whiting," said Orlock. "They may have thought we were a little crazy, but they saw the benefits. And Blair Cameron of the local Orvis store was especially generous with funds and equipment.

The anglers stayed at the Lydon's Lodge Hotel in Cong, a tiny town of only a couple of blocks. After nightly dinners, the fly fishers shared angling tales over a Guinness at the Lydon's Bar, a highlight of the adventure.

"We brought a huge selection of flies, including dry flies that never saw water," said Protasiewicz. "The only fly that seemed to work was a local wet fly, the Claret Bumble."

PHOTO COURTESY OF JOHN PROSTASIEWICZ The top fly of the Lough Corrib World Varsities Trout Fly Fishing Competition recently in Ireland was the Claret Bumble, for a couple of centuries a local favorite of local fly fishers.

It was not surprise the top two teams after the two-day competition were local Irish fly fishermen from the Galway Mayo Institute of Technology and the Limerick Institute of Technology. Unsettling for pro teams from countries like Finland and Great Britain that were used to international competition, a University of Montana team captured third.

 "The scenery was just beautiful," said Orlock. "They filmed "The Quiet Man" with John Wayne there in 1951. The area is famous for the Ashford Castle, once the Guinness family estate. We'd love to fish there again, now that we're  familiar with the techniques."

Carson Palmer threw for 371 yards against the Browns and lost. That is really hard to do without interceptions, and Palmer had none.  Palmer was also the first of a train of feared quarterbacks whom the Browns have to face with their high-risk defense. There is Atlanta's Matt Ryan this Sunday, then Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger, both of whom can...

Carson Palmer threw for 371 yards against the Browns and lost. That is really hard to do without interceptions, and Palmer had none. 

Palmer was also the first of a train of feared quarterbacks whom the Browns have to face with their high-risk defense. There is Atlanta's Matt Ryan this Sunday, then Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger, both of whom can extend plays with their scrambling. Then comes New Orleans' Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Drew Brees, who completed a mere 16 of 17 passes in the second half of the big game; the bye week, when flying footballs might haunt the dreams of defensive coordinator Rob Ryan; and finally New England's Tom Brady with his three Super Bowl rings. 

"It's like a Pro Bowl quarterback every week," Rob Ryan said. "Most of those guys have been sacked about three times all year. This guy [Matt Ryan] has eight sacks. Hopefully, we'll get some shots in on him." 

There is an old saying, "Sometimes you get the bear, and sometimes the bear gets you." It seems particularly appropriate for the Browns' gambling, blitzing defense. At the very least, the mere prospect of facing the Browns jolts the bear out of hibernation. 

Baltimore's Joe Flacco had thrown one touchdown pass and five interceptions in his first two games before he suddenly lit the Browns up for three TDs and a 128.7 quarterback rating that was the second-best of his 36 starts. 

Cincinnati fans were wondering what was wrong with Palmer and his diva duo of receivers Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco before Palmer put up video game stats last week in the second-most prolific day of his seven-year career. 

Fans love Rob Ryan because he is aggressive. There is no "bend, but don't break" philosophy, as there was when Marty Schottenheimer or Butch Davis or Romeo Crennel would play the prevent defense. That scheme usually led to long, methodical scoring drives. 

Ryan's defense has the virtue of brevity. It might be a score, it might be a sack, but it won't take long. The Browns had 40 sacks last season. Only seven of the 32 NFL teams compiled more. They gave up 375 points. Only nine teams surrendered more. 

Such aggressiveness with the blitz is a dicey proposition. But without pass rushers who can beat individual blockers or command double teams, what is the option? Certainly, the quality of the secondary has been dramatically upgraded by the draft of Joe Haden and T.J. Ward. 

"Everybody, [Coach] Eric Mangini, our president [Mike Holmgren], wants us to not blitz when we get beat. The neighbors, my wife's best friend. Sometimes you want to put a string on 'em and bring the ball back," said Ryan. 

Eric Wright might be the weak link in the secondary, but Brandon McDonald was far worse as the designated soft spot last year. 

"I'm excited with our players," Ryan said. "All players are smart and tough. That was the blueprint in New England for Eric and myself. Some have foot speed and some don't. Some lift a million pounds, and some don't. But put a whole team of tough, smart guys out there, and we can do so much and ask so much of them. Mentally, we do about as much as you can do on defense." 

Aggression seems to be hard-wired into the football coaching sons of James David "Buddy" Ryan. Rex, the head coach of the New York Jets, and Rob are both boisterous men who never made a brag they didn't expect to be fact. Rob is just as colorful as his brother, and, remember, Rex proved on HBO's "Hard Knocks" show that he could make a rainbow out of just a few short Anglo-Saxon words. 

"My father taught me a lot of things," said Ryan, adding that the biggest was, "The most physical team usually wins." 

The lesson was brought home in the mid-1970s. Rob Ryan was a Toronto Maple Leafs fan when the Philadelphia Flyers were winning back-to-back Stanley Cups in their "Broad Street Bullies" incarnation. In their second Stanley Cup season, the Flyers met the Leafs in the playoffs. In four straight games, the Leafs went gently. 

Rob knows the word, although it is banned from his playbook.  

Indiana quarterback Ben Chappell has great stats, but over the past several years, the Ohio State defense has handled conference quarterbacks who put up big numbers against weaker competition.

Darron Cummings / Associated PressIndiana quarterback Ben Chappell has put up some big passing numbers going into Saturday's game at Ohio State, but opposing passers find the going much rougher against the Buckeyes.

Columbus -- He fits the mold, the kind of Big Ten quarterback who has grown into his role over time. Now, as an experienced veteran, he has sliced up some suspect defenses and is carrying some impressive numbers and justified confidence into the Ohio State game.

Today, it's Indiana's Ben Chappell. But the Buckeyes have seen his kind before. This Hoosier has to prove that he's different.

•In 2006, Iowa senior Drew Tate threw seven touchdowns and two interceptions in his first three starts of the season. In his fourth start, he was intercepted three times as the Hawkeyes fell to Ohio State, 38-17, for their first loss of the year.

•In 2007, Purdue junior Curtis Painter started the season with 18 touchdown passes in his first five games. In Game 6, he threw just one touchdown -- in a meaningless fourth quarter when he also threw for half his 268 passing yards -- as the Buckeyes shut him down in a 23-7 win.

•Over the course of 26 games as a junior and senior in 2008 and 2009, Penn State quarterback Daryll Clark threw for fewer than 140 yards just three times, and two of them were against Ohio State -- in a 13-6 win over the Buckeyes in 2008 and a 24-7 loss in 2009.

•Also last season, Wisconsin junior quarterback Scott Tolzien was developing a reputation as a savvy game manager, throwing eight touchdowns and one interception in his previous four games during the Badgers' 5-0 start, when Ohio State intercepted him twice and returned both for touchdowns in a 31-13 win.

All those quarterbacks ended the season ranked among the top 50 in the nation in passing efficiency. Ohio State has 10 times in the past four years faced conference quarterbacks that finished the year in the top 50, and in those 10 showdowns, those quarterbacks have thrown eight touchdowns and 11 interceptions against Ohio State. In all their other games during those seasons, those quarterbacks threw 201 touchdowns against 95 interceptions.

Now Chappell is ranked 12th in the nation in passing efficiency, one of eight Big Ten quarterbacks in the top 30. The Buckeyes face five of those quarterbacks over their next seven games, and all those passers have to truly live up to their stats against what has been the Big Ten's most consistently stingy defense.

"I'm sure they will be ready to stop our passing game and anxious to stop our offense," Chappell told reporters in Indiana this week. "Hopefully they're looking at it as a challenge, too."

Darron Cummings / Associated PressIndiana's Ben Chappell averaged 261 yards per game passing in Big Ten contests last season but threw for just 210 against the Buckeyes and Doug Worthington in Ohio State's 33-14 win in Bloomington, Ind. Chappell, who was picked off twice by OSU, threw two touchdowns in that game, the second one coming on the final play of the contest.

The Buckeyes do see it that way, with the Hoosiers featuring one of the conference's most dangerous receivers in 6-foot-3 junior Tandon Doss, who leads the Big Ten with 108 receiving yards per game. Then 6-5 junior Damarlo Belcher is second at 94 receiving yards per game and 6-3 senior Terrance Turner is ninth at 62 yards.

"They're probably the biggest group of receivers we've seen all year," OSU senior safety Jermale Hines said. "We've got to go out and try to be as physical as we can."

They also have to get to Chappell, who against a lower-level FCS school and three major college defenses ranked 102, 109 and 113 in the country, has thrown for an average of 336 yards per game with 12 touchdowns and just one interception.

"He's more experienced, and he's more confident," OSU safeties coach Paul Haynes said. "You can see that, big time. That's the difference right now, just the confidence, and he's playing a lot smarter and running around a little bit and staying away from pressure and getting rid of it before pressure gets to him."

OSU coach Jim Tressel is impressed with the way Chappell proved himself though Indiana seemed to always want other quarterbacks to win the job. Linebacker Brian Rolle remembered a play from film study when Chappell rolled out and threaded the ball to a receiver between two defenders. And the Buckeyes do have a secondary that could be vulnerable, with sophomore safety Orhian Johnson making his fourth career start and freshman Christian Bryant making his first career start, replacing the injured Tyler Moeller as the fifth defensive back in the nickel defense the Buckeyes should be playing the entire game.

"He may not be the runner that you see from some quarterbacks," Rolle said, "but he's a guy who can wing it. That's something we know. One thing they're going to do is pass the ball for sure."

It's one thing to pass. Against the Ohio State defense, it's another thing for Big Ten quarterbacks like this to pass like they usually do.

"This is the same thing that has been posted before every game this year: We will be tromped, blown out, look bad, no chance. But, in actuality, none of these things have happened. The Browns have played competitive football in every game." - TriceUp

View full sizeEric Mangini and the Browns haven't been blown out in any of their first four games, something that couldn't have been said last season.

In response to the story Tony Grossi and Mary Kay Cabot preview Cleveland Browns vs. Atlanta Falcons - video, cleveland.com reader TriceUp sees improvement from the Browns. This reader writes,

"This is the same thing that has been posted before every game this year: We will be tromped, blown out, look bad, no chance. But, in actuality, none of these things have happened. The Browns have played competitive football in every game."

"I for one am quite impressed with Byron Scott. If only he had come to the Cavs seven years earlier." - oversea

View full sizeLisa DeJong | The Plain DealerByron Scott yells direction to his team.

In response to the story Cleveland Cavaliers players enter a new world with coach Byron Scott: Terry Pluto, cleveland.com reader oversea is impressed with Byron Scott. This reader writes,

"I for one am quite impressed with Byron Scott. If only he had come to the Cavs seven years earlier."

"I hope he's sincere in turning his life around. He's absolutely made his share of mistakes in life, but he seems like he's trying to straighten his life out. Good luck, Mo." - cunxtyr

View full sizeAP file photoEven though his Buckeyes career ended badly, Buckeyes fans have fond memories of Maurice Clarett's freshman year in Columbus.

In response to the story Former Ohio State star Maurice Clarett trying to find way back to a normal life, cleveland.com reader cunxtyr wishes Clarett the best. This reader writes,

"I hope he's sincere in turning his life around. He's absolutely made his share of mistakes in life, but he seems like he's trying to straighten his life out. Good luck, Mo."

Browns kicker Phil Dawson can tie or break Hall of Famer Lou Groza's all-time field goal record of 234 Sunday at the Stadium.

Lynn Ischay / The Plain DealerPhil Dawson, the last remaining member of the 1999 expansion Browns, can break Lou Groza's team record for career field goals with two against the Falcons on Sunday.

When Browns kicker Phil Dawson signed here in 1999 as a first-year free agent who had never kicked in an NFL game, he hauled out the record book, looked up the Browns' all-time field goal record of 234 set by Hall of Famer Lou Groza, and decided then and there that he was going to break it.

"I wanted to see where the bar had been set here," he said. "I remember telling my wife [Shannon] way back then, 'Someday that's going to happen.' "

Now, 13 years, five head coaches, three children, and 120 losses later, Dawson has a chance to accomplish the feat Sunday at the Stadium against the Falcons. He needs one to tie Groza's mark of 234 and two to break it.

"Had I announced [the goal] back then, I probably would've gotten laughed out of town," he said. "It's heresy, you know. But you might as well try to be the best."

Shannon's reaction to his goal?

"Go get it," he said. "I yanked her out of Texas, took her all the way across the world to this strange, foreign land of Ohio and told her I'm gonna get that. She said, 'You better. You made me go through all this.' It'll definitely be a special moment for her and me because there's been a lot of ups and downs between then and now."

For Dawson, the fact that it could happen at Cleveland Browns Stadium makes it all the more special.

"Obviously, we wanted it to be in Cleveland, in front of the fans, and to have my own family there," he said. "It's been a family deal. To think this all started before I ever had kids and now my two boys will be there Sunday is special. Hopefully it will happen and lead to a victory."

The only remaining member of the 1999 expansion team, Dawson admitted that the record is looming large in his mind.

"Uncharacteristically, I found myself reflecting a lot this week," he said. "It's going to be a challenge to zero in and make sure I approach everything the same way."

As for the stopping the game to commemorate the moment, Dawson said there won't be time.

"I've got to kick off," he said. "Seriously, I'm trying to prepare myself for that, because I think it's going to be a pretty emotional deal, but a minute later I've got to go do my job."

Paul Sancya / Associated PressPhil Dawson kicks a 29-yard field goal in Detroit last season, one of 233 field goals he has made as a Brown.

What also makes it special for Dawson is that he got to meet Groza, who died in 2000, during that first training camp in 1999.

"That first training camp here, he pulled me into the tents right over here and I sat down at a round table with him," said Dawson. "That's when it really hit me. I was like, 'Wow.' That that was the first Hall of Famer I had ever had the pleasure of sitting down with. Just to share that moment kind of added fuel to that motivation way back then.

"The amount of respect I have for him and what he was able to do here -- every day I come down this road [The Browns facility is on Lou Groza Boulevard] I see his name on the street. You mix all that together, it's going to be pretty neat."

Dawson said he and Shannon didn't know it would take 13 years to reach the goal, but knew it was important to set the record.

"For the first time in my career, I wasn't surrounded by people that believed in me," he said. "I can still remember the day of final cuts in 1999. Here was my moment when I made my first NFL team, and Chris Palmer said, "We're going to start out with you."

"Literally I felt like that whole season, I miss a kick, I'm out of a job. It wasn't necessarily fun or enjoyable. I needed something to shoot for, because there wasn't a whole lot of positive things going on around me."

In addition to nearing the field goal record, his 986 points rank third on the Browns' career scoring list. His 82.9 career field goal percentage ranks 10th all-time in NFL history and first in Browns history.

"Talking about Phil Dawson, number one you have to talk about the person," said Browns special teams coach Brad Seely. "He's a solid guy. I think that is one of the reasons he has become one of the better kickers in the history of the NFL. He really works at his craft. It's always enjoyable for me as a coach to see a good guy who works hard have success at what he does."

Unlike Groza, who kicked in 13 championships, including four in the All-America Football Conference, Dawson has gone 60-120 in his 13 seasons, with one playoff game and only two winning seasons.  Dawson also has wanted a new contract for several years, but the team hasn't been willing. His current deal is up after this year. Still, he's always come to training camp on time and kicked like he's going to the Super Bowl.

Robin Rombach / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette via APPhil Dawson's first game-winning kick for the Browns was this field goal as time expired to give the Browns a win in Pittsburgh in 1999.

"My attitude has been it's my time to go to work, be the best I can with the opportunity I've been given," he said. "If you don't have a goal, you can lose your way."

Dawson has 12 game-winning field goals. The kick most people will remember is the game-tying 51-yarder in Baltimore in 2007 that hit an upright, bounced off a metal support bar behind the crossbar and went back onto the field as time expired. Eventually, the kick was ruled good and the Browns won in overtime on Dawson' 33-yard kick. But Dawson suspects he hasn't kicked his most memorable one yet.

"I'd be willing to bet two from right now [the record-breaker] may be that one, to be honest," he said. "But there's certainly been some big ones through the years. I just wished more of them would've resulted in victories because that's kind of the whole point of what we're doing here."

Dawson's accomplishments are all the more remarkable considering he kicks in the whipping winds and frigid conditions of Cleveland Browns Stadium.

"I don't expect other people to understand what it's taken, but I know what it has required of me both physically and emotionally," he said. "I've learned to embrace the challenges here. I used to like to complain about them. I think people who have kicked in this league have a tremendous amount of respect for it and they've told me so."

He admits he has no idea what the future holds, but believes in this team.

"You can wish your career away talking about next year," he said. "I haven't given up on this season. My focus is on winning games. That's what I'm driven to do. For now, I'm going to cherish the moment."

Cavaliers' free agent Loren Woods spent last season playing in Iran and is back in the States fighting to make the Cavs' roster.

Ed Suba / Akron Beacon JournalCavaliers' free agent Loren Woods, right, blocks Leon Powe's shot during the Win & Gold Scrimmage last weekend. Woods, who played basketball in Iran last season, is hoping to make the team as a backup center.

Last season, Loren Woods regularly got recognized and greeted by fans on the street, played in front of sold-out crowds, and was on the best team in the league.

It was quite an experience, even for a veteran pro like Woods, mostly because it was happening in Tehran.

Right now, Woods is fighting to win a roster spot with the Cavaliers. The 7-foot-2 center and former first-round draft pick has played parts of six different seasons in the NBA and is trying to beat out challengers 10 years younger to make the roster as a training camp free agent.

But last season, Woods spent time in the Iranian Superleague, one of a handful of Americans who played in the sometimes controversial country as its populous becomes more and more interested in basketball.

Basketball is becoming a big deal in Iran. The Iranians have won the past two FIBA Asian Championships, beating out China both times. And the NBA also has its first Iranian player, Hamed Haddadi, who is about to start his third season with the Memphis Grizzlies.

Woods, for a time, was part of an explosion of the sport for the Tehran-based Mahran team last season.

"For a while, I think I was the tallest person in Iran," Woods said. "But it was a little like being a superstar in the NBA; I hadn't had that much attention since college."

When the call came that there was an opportunity, Woods -- who appeared in an NCAA Tournament final at the University of Arizona -- considered some of the same things any American might about moving there.

Is it safe? How will an American be treated? How will the heavy government influence affect his life? Will he be able to get in and out of the country when he wants? And will he be able to communicate with his family and friends?

The answers turned out to be all positive and, other than a few hassles, Woods said he left Iran thinking positively about it.

"I knew the situation would be somewhat difficult with all the political things that were going on, but it panned out and actually ended up being one of better experiences of my professional career," said Woods, who also has played extensively in Europe.

"When you just read about it or see it on TV, you can't picture it, but once you get there, it's a pretty normal place to be."

Tony Dejak / Associated PressLoren Woods.

Normal is a bit relative. Because of the language barrier and just for general safety, a representative of Woods' team accompanied him when he was out in public. But that is standard procedure for Americans on some European teams as well.

"Most of the places in the world right now, being an American is always seen as the best thing," Woods said. "Just like anywhere in the world, there's good people and there's bad people. I got to meet a lot of people who understand the United States and respected me as the person."

"I always stayed current with the political things going on just to be sure. But there was never a problem. Dubai was an hour-and-a-half away [by plane] if anything did happen, so I had a safe haven to go to if I needed it."

The games themselves were varied, not unlike the NBA. Woods said in some cities, crowds would be overflowing and very much into the game. In other cities, he played in nearly empty arenas.

"As a whole, the Iranians appreciate sports whether it is soccer or basketball," Woods said. "They have a pretty decent sports organization."

Woods averaged 15.5 points and 12.3 rebounds for Mahran. He probably won't be putting up numbers like that for the Cavs, who are looking at him as a potential third center. At age 32, Woods is competing with younger and quicker players for the role. Right now, he's battling through a sore Achilles that knocked him out of Thursday's preseason game.

But that sort of adversity likely won't impact Woods much, especially after all of his basketball experiences.

"I could have stayed home, but I love to play basketball; that is why I went to Iran and why I'm here now," Woods said. "It ended up being one of the better experiences of my professional career."

AKRON, Ohio — After more than three quarters of quick-strike football, it was time for the Manchester Panthers to get back to basics. "We just wanted to shove it down their throat," said senior fullback Mark Noble.

AKRON, Ohio — After more than three quarters of quick-strike football, it was time for the Manchester Panthers to get back to basics.

"We just wanted to shove it down their throat," said senior fullback Mark Noble.

With Noble carrying the ball 11 times in a 17-play drive, host Manchester scored a late touchdown to clinch a 34-22 Homecoming victory over Wooster Triway. The Panthers, ranked No. 25 in the Plain Dealer Top 25 and third in the state in the AP division IV poll, are now 7-0 while the Titans fall to 5-2.

"We just sucked it up and tried to use up six or seven minutes off the clock," said veteran coach Jim France of the final drive. "Fortunately we were able to do that. We hadn't been blocking that well earlier in the game, but we talked to the kids about finishing off a drive, and on that one they really did it well."

Noble ended the game with 81 yards on 22 carries, with most of his work coming on the final drive, which took seven minutes, 28 seconds off the clock. Noble also scored two touchdowns in the final quarter.

"He's just an old country boy," France said. "He's a throwback to the old days."

Noble combined with junior tailback Cort Logan to put up some big numbers. The speedy Logan gained 133 yards on 13 carries and scored twice, on a 60-yard reception and on a 73-yard run. He also had a 39-yard run late in the third quarter.

"Our line did a great job," Noble said. "Everybody on the line blocked great. I had some huge holes to run through."

Manchester needed that much offense because Triway quarterback Derek Carmichael completed 29 of 46 passes for 347 yards and three touchdowns. In the first half alone he completed 23 of 33 passes for 216 yards and two scores.

The first half of the game was a shootout, as the teams combined for more than 430 yards, 34 points and only one punt. It was the possession-passing game of Triway, which ran 44 plays, vs. the big-play offense of Manchester, which ran only 18 plays but still held a 22-12 lead at intermission.

A turning point in the game occurred late in the first half as Triway senior Sawyer Polen was knocked out of the game with a shoulder injury. At that point the Kent State baseball recruit already had 10 catches for 142 yards and one touchdown and the Panthers didn't seem to have an answer on how to stop him.

Bill Magill is a freelance reporter from University Heights.

KENT, Ohio — Kent Roosevelt quarterback Evan Shimensky, who will be attending Kent State on a football scholarship next season, was the big-name recruit going in to the Rough Riders' Portage Trail Conference showdown with Ravenna. Ravens coach Jim Lunardi hopes his running back, Stephen Wilmington, opened a few recruiters' eyes with his performance Friday night at Roosevelt Stadium.

KENT, Ohio — Kent Roosevelt quarterback Evan Shimensky, who will be attending Kent State on a football scholarship next season, was the big-name recruit going in to the Rough Riders' Portage Trail Conference showdown with Ravenna.

Ravens coach Jim Lunardi hopes his running back, Stephen Wilmington, opened a few recruiters' eyes with his performance Friday night at Roosevelt Stadium.

Wilmington rushed for 94 yards and three touchdowns, recovered a fumble, intercepted a pass and completed a 44-yard halfback option pass to lead the Ravens to a 28-14 victory.

"He's a class act," Lundardi said. "Stephen is going to write his ticket wherever he wants to go. He's a heck of a football player. I hope a game like this opens up the door for Stephen. I don't know how it couldn't."

Wilmington's third score was the biggest. He took a direct snap on the first play after a Kent punt midway through the fourth quarter. After faking a handoff to D.J. Jones, Wilmington shot through a big hole on the left side and sprinted 43 yards for a touchdown to give Ravenna a two-touchdown lead.

"This feels great," Wilmington said. "It was supposed to be a sweep left. I was just going to get a few yards but my line was able to get a few blocks and I was off to the races."

Ravenna improved to 5-2 overall, 4-0 in the PTC Metro Division. Kent slipped to 5-2 and 2-2.

"[Ravenna] played a very good football game," Kent coach John Nemec said. "I congratulate them. Our kids played hard. They're very disappointed right now."

The Ravens scored on their first possession. Wilmington capped the 63-yard drive, taking a direct snap on a 2-yard touchdown run.

Kent threatened on its next possession, driving to the Ravenna 2, but Shakeel Howard fumbled and Wilmington recovered for Ravenna. The Rough Riders broke through on their next possession, Shimensky completing a 15-yard touchdown pass to Trei Thomas, with 7:25 left in the second quarter.

Ravenna held on to the lead when the extra point kick was wide. Kent took its first lead with 10 seconds remaining in the first half. Shimensky dove in from a yard out for the touchdown, then completed a pass to Nicholas Sacchini, who made a nice grab at the back of the end zone, for a two-point conversion and a 14-7 lead.

Shimensky completed 16 of 30 passes for 152 yards, but spent most of the second half scrambling for his life.

Ravenna drew even on the opening drive of the second half. Wilmington's 44-yard pass to Deiondre Mack was the big play.

"We've been working on it this whole week," Wilmington said. "They called it and I knew it was going to happen."

Bob Migra is a free-lance writer in Westlake.

AKRON, Ohio — Call it an omen. Call it a sign from above.

Walsh Jesuit kick returner Doug Lewis gets away from St. Vincent-St. Mary's Eric Prologo, left, and Tyler Bischof on a first-quarter run Friday.



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(Phil Masturzo / Akron Beacon Journal)

AKRON, Ohio — Call it an omen.

Call it a sign from above.

Call it a meaningless statistic, if you like.

The kids from Walsh Jesuit are calling it the first step to the playoffs.

The Warriors blocked two punts in the second half -- leading to 10 points -- and came from behind to defeat host St. Vincent-St. Mary, 17-10, on Friday in a game the Warriors knew they had to win.

The victory raised the Warriors' record to 5-2 and should help them inch their way into one of the eight playoff spots in Region 5 of the Division II computer standings.

"From here on out, every game is a playoff game," said quarterback Connor Cook, who completed 7 of 16 passes for 112 yards, which included a 29-yard scoring strike to Ryan Jun that tied it, 7-7, after kicker Ross Martin's conversion. "That's how we're going to treat it. If we lose one game, we're done."

The Warriors' defense did a superb job of bottling up the Irish offense, holding it to 225 yards and keeping dangerous Doran Grant pretty much under wraps. It also blocked two punts and recovered a fumble, which led to all 17 points.

Senior linebacker Mike Driscoll and junior tight end Kevin Enright blocked the punts. Senior corner Aaron Barna recovered the fumble, which led to the Cook-to-Jun touchdown -- the first score the Irish defense had allowed in 12 quarters.

Martin, one of the top place-kickers in Ohio, kicked a 43-yard field goal, was 2-for-2 on PATs and sent four of five kickoffs into the end zone.

Jun, a 5-11, 195-pound junior who doubled at linebacker, finished with 96 yards on 23 carries.

Driscoll blocked the first punt, getting a piece of the ball that gave the Warriors possession at the SVSM 32 with 4:47 to go in the third. Five plays later, Martin's line drive was good from 43 yards, giving the Warriors their first lead of the game at 10-7.

Enright, who caught two passes for 21 yards, stung the Irish on their next possession, which ended on their 19. Charging unblocked up the middle, he smothered Luke Piglia's punt and recovered it in the end zone for a touchdown and a 10-point lead.

"A blocked punt is always nice," said Enright. "Coach always tells us in practice that if you block a punt, you win 90 percent of the time. That was fun."

The Irish (5-2) made it interesting when Chris Motley kicked a 35-yard field goal with 8:22 to play and teammate Mark Murphy blocked a Martin field-goal attempt from 45 yards with 2:56 to go.

The Irish failed to get a first down when Jun stopped Grant short of the 30 after the speedster had caught a pass from Oliver Hildebrandt.

Grant caught five passes for 62 yards, including SVSM's lone touchdown on a 29-yard reception in the first quarter.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: trogers@plaind.com, 216-999-5169

WESTLAKE, Ohio — Up front and personal. That's how Olmsted Falls played defense on Friday night in shutting out Westlake, 10-0, in a Southwestern Conference contest at the Demons' Lou Duchez Field.

WESTLAKE, Ohio — Up front and personal.

That's how Olmsted Falls played defense on Friday night in shutting out Westlake, 10-0, in a Southwestern Conference contest at the Demons' Lou Duchez Field.

The visiting Bulldogs (4-3, 3-1) never let the home club get untracked as they kept alive their hopes for the postseason.

"It was team defense -- that's what was most important," said junior two-way lineman Mike Sauvey, who helped Olmsted Falls limit Westlake to less than 150 yards of offense. "This was pretty much a playoff game for us."

If down and dirty was how you liked your football, this was one for the muck and mire of the soft-field conditions.

It was strictly defense in the first half as neither could move the ball.

On its fourth series, the Bulldogs broke things open when junior quarterback Brennan Laird connected with senior receiver Zack Ferster on a crossing pattern good for 44 yards to the Westlake 21.

However, after gaining a first down, the drive stalled, and Ferster was called on for a 25-yard field goal for the half's only points.

Unofficially, the Bulldogs outgained the Demons, 106-24, in the half. Westlake did not have a first down.

"This one goes to the defense," said Olmsted Falls coach Jim Ryan. "They were playing field position like we were."

The Demons put together their best drive of the night to open the second half, moving 43 yards to the Olmsted Falls 27. But that drive ended there. They missed another opportunity when they recovered a fumble at the Bulldogs' 44 but were once again turned away on downs.

"At the end of the first half, they were getting frustrated," said Olmsted Falls senior captain and two-way lineman Ben Coyle. "When Zack got that touchdown, it really turned things our way."

The Bulldogs got their touchdown when Laird connected with Ferster on a 12-yard scoring pass with 11:13 to play. Ferster was unable to continue after that play because of leg cramps.

His younger brother, junior Nathan Ferster, came on and kicked the extra point.

"That was his first one," said Zack Ferster, referring to the point after. "They wanted to grind it out, just like we wanted to grind it out. We've played a tough nonconference schedule, and we wouldn't have it any other way."

The Demons (5-2, 2-2), who are seeking their first playoff appearance since 1987, could not solve the Olmsted Falls defense with any consistency. They did move the ball better in the second half, but several holding penalties wrecked momentum.

"They just took it to us up front," said Westlake coach Mark Campo. "Every time we'd get going, we'd have a penalty."

The Bulldogs relied on the power running of senior running back Jeremy Ortiz, who gained 92 yards on 24 carries. Laird was an efficient 4-for-5 passing for 98 yards.

Westlake junior running back Johnathon Brick, who had 40 carries for 247 yards last week, was limited to an unofficial 22 yards on 12 carries. Senior quarterback Mike Massad connected on 6-of-17 for 89 yards.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: jmaxse@plaind.com, 216-999-5168