Quantcast
Channel: Cleveland Sports News
Viewing all 53367 articles
Browse latest View live

Smaller walleye bag limit expected to be set for 2011

0
0

Ohio fisheries experts report this year’s Lake Erie walleye reproduction is better than originally estimated, but projections still point to a reduced walleye daily bag limit for 2011.

walleye.jpgThere is a possibility the Ohio bag limit could remain at six walleye per day.

Ohio fisheries experts report this year’s Lake Erie walleye reproduction is better than originally estimated, but projections still point to a reduced walleye daily bag limit for 2011.

“I hope we don’t have to make cuts as drastic as early assessments suggested,” said Roger Knight, the Lake Erie fisheries head for the Ohio Division of Wildlife. “Fishermen should not be surprised if the Ohio walleye bag limit for 2011 is as low as three fish per day.”

Sport anglers won’t know the exact Ohio bag limit until March. The Lake Erie Committee of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission must first set a TAC, or total allowable catch, of Lake Erie walleye, for Ontario and the states surrounding Lake Erie. That decision will be made at the LEC meetings on March 21-25 in Ypsilanti, Mich.

There is a possibility the Ohio bag limit could remain at six fish per day, said Knight, but that is the least likely scenario.

Ohio trawl net surveys to assess the success of the spring spawning season are complete. With low oxygen levels at about 35 percent of the survey sites, the original estimate of this year’s hatch was about 50 percent of an average hatch. Factoring in the oxygen problems, the 2010 hatch is now rated average, better than the 2008 and 2009 hatches.

The walleye hatched this year are not considered when setting catch limits for 2011. Only walleye of catchable size are used to determine the TAC. In 2010, the walleye TAC was 2.20 million fish, 10 percent lower than 2009’s TAC of 2.45 million fish. Ohio’s share was 51 percent of the TAC, or 1.124 million walleye. Ohio and Ontario are now completing gill net surveys of Lake Erie walleye stocks to determine the adult population. The numbers will be crunched through February, and presented at the LEC meetings in March.

How many walleye? Anglers always want to know how many walleye are swimming in Lake Erie. When the total allowable catch is set for Ohio, Ontario, Michigan, Pennsylvania and New York each March, it allows sport and commercial anglers lakewide to take 10 to 20 percent of the lakewide population.

If the experts set the TAC at 1.5 million walleye, there should be a walleye population of 15 million to 30 million walleye swimming in Lake Erie. When the 2003 walleye class reached catchable size in 2005, the population shot up from about 20 million to 60 million fish.

Black powder results: Black powder rifle hunters killed 512 deer during the recent six-day primitive weapons season at three public hunting areas in southeast Ohio. It was an increase from the 474 deer checked in 2009.

Hunters help hungry: The local chapter of Safari Club International is already gathering venison from successful deer hunters to supply local food pantries and kitchens. The ground venison must be processed into 2-pound packages and dropped off at Hall Brothers Meats, 27040 Cook Road, Olmsted Falls; and Brian’s Deer Cutting, 3462 West 128th St., Cleveland.

For information, call Brian Foster (216-337-0623) or Mike Samsel, (216-241-0333).

Hunters wanting to donate an entire deer can contact the Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry program, which is subsidized by the Ohio Division of Wildlife. To find a local contact, visit fhsh.org or call  1-800-WILDLIFE.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: degan@plaind.com, 216-999-5158



A.M. Ohio State links: Buckeyes are expected to bury the Gophers ... again

0
0

Ohio State goes up against overmatched Minnesota on Saturday.

DeVier-posey-marvin-fong.JPGView full sizeLast year, DeVier Posey spent a lot of time looking back to see if anyone from Minnesota could catch 'em in the Buckeyes 38-7 win. It could be more of the same -- or worse-- on Saturday when Ohio State visits the Gophers.
Sometimes you just gotta feel for the opponent. Obliterate him, sure. But feel for him. Take, for example, Minnesota quarterback Adam Weber. The guy has started every game in his Gophers career, according to theozone.net's preview of Saturday's Ohio State @ Minnesota game, and just became only the fifth quarterback in Big Ten history pass for 10,000 yards in his career.

Of course, a lot of passing is pretty much what you have to do when you're behind a lot. As the website noted, Weber's first season, as a redshirt freshman quarterback, the Gophers finished 1-11, and they're on a pace to do the same THIS season.
Going up against the Buckeyes isn't likely to improve the odds for Weber or his team.

Ohio State is 42-7 against the Gophers all-time, including a 20-4 mark in Minneapolis.

The Buckeyes have won the last seven games against Minnesota, and 23 of the last 24.

Jeff Horton will be coaching in just his second game as the Gopher interim head coach. Jim Tressel is 16-1 against first-year head coaches, with the lone loss coming last year to Danny Hope and Purdue.

Ohio State owns a 69.8 percent winning percentage in Big Ten games all-time, which is the best percentage of any team in the conference.

Boy, that's gonna leave a mark.

Who are the other guys?
Starting Blocks just KNEW you'd want to know who the other members of that 10,000-yard passer club are. That would be Drew Brees, Curtis Painter, Bret Basanez and Chuck Long. Ohio State's Terrelle Pryor has 5,180 yards in the air at this juncture. If the wind is right, he could join the club this weekend. Yeah, Minnesota is that bad.

A bit of advice
Mom and dad, you might want to make sure that parental control dealie on the cable remote is working around 8 p.m. Saturday. The Ohio State-Minnesota game will be aired on WEWS-Channel 5, and it could be bloodier than "SAW 3D." That's the hint to be gleaned from collegesportsmatchups.com:

Expect Ohio State football to have no mercy on struggling Minnesota football team.

With three tough games scheduled for the end of the season, Ohio State gets a final chance to load up against one of the Big Ten’s bottom feeders. With Penn State, Iowa and Michigan looming, the Buckeyes can use a dose of Minnesota.

No. 10 Ohio State (7-1, 3-1 Big Ten) rebounded from its tumble against Wisconsin with a 49-0 rout of Purdue last week. Now the Buckeyes play a Minnesota team (1-7, 0-4) that has lost seven consecutive games and had its coach dismissed two weeks ago.

This one could get ugly, given Ohio State's plentiful offensive options.
Better option, 'rents, might be "Scared Shrekless," which is on WKYC-Channel 3 at the same time. Of course, it features someone other than Eddie Murphy as Donkey, so it's a little on the frightening side, too.

From The Plain Dealer
Beat writer Doug Lesmerises notes that the Buckeyes' head coach may not be the best-known Tressel in Minnesota this weekend, and he dang sure won't be the most-loved. Jim Tressel will have to defer to his older brother, Dick, who coaches running backs for the Buckeyes, but before that, spent 23 years as the head coach of Division III's Hamline University in St. Paul.

Lesmerises' Ohio State Football Insider column says that the tragedy at Notre Dame -- where a student videotaping practice was killed when high winds toppled the scissor lift he was in -- has reinforced Ohio State's safety-first attitude when it comes to taping outdoor practices in adverse conditions.

Busy Lesmerises also had a piece on the Big Ten media day for basketball, and it looks like another good year ahead for both the men's and women's Ohio State teams. The women are preseason favorites to repeat as conference champs, and the men -- ranked No. 4 in the first AP poll of the year -- are tabbed to finish second, behind Michigan State.










Concerned about Mo Williams: Cavs Comment of the Day

0
0

"Getting a little bit concerned about where Mo Williams head is at. I felt that if he was healthy he should have been playing on opening day instead of being on the bench in a suit." -doctor3dee

Byron Scott, Mo WilliamsCleveland Cavaliers coach Byron Scott greets guard Mo Williams during the NBA basketball team's media day at the Cavaliers' training facility in Independence, Ohio, on Monday, Sept. 27, 2010. (AP Photo/Amy Sancetta)

Reacting to an article posted by the Plain Dealer reporting Mo Williams is questionable for tonight's game in Toronto, cleveland.com user doctor3dee comments:

Getting a little bit concerned about where Mo Williams head is at. I felt that if he was healthy he should have been playing on opening day instead of being on the bench in a suit. At least he could have put his uniform on.  Maybe Byron Scott is giving Williams time to clear his head. With no Anderson tonight, Williams need to suit up and bring it. 



Cleveland Browns A.M. Links: Scout says stick with Colt McCoy; Cleveland Clinic provides help to NFL; Browns happy with Joe Haden

0
0

 The biggest story in Cleveland is what to do with rookie quarterback Colt McCoy, writes James Walker of ESPN.com. Seneca Wallace told reporters recently that he deserves to be the starter when healthy. Jake Delhomme was brought in to be the starter (but he's been hurt). McCoy was impressive in his debut against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and it was McCoy who was under center when...

wallace-horiz-jg.jpgSeneca Wallace


The biggest story in Cleveland is what to do with rookie quarterback Colt McCoy, writes James Walker of ESPN.com. Seneca Wallace told reporters recently that he deserves to be the starter when healthy. Jake Delhomme was brought in to be the starter (but he's been hurt).

McCoy was impressive in his debut against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and it was McCoy who was under center when the Cleveland Browns pulled off the upset against the New Orleans Saints.

Walker checked with Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. -- to get some answers.

Williamson: If I were the Browns, I think the No. 1 priority the rest of the season has to be 'Do we need a quarterback, or do we have a quarterback?' I think they need to know that by draft day. The other two quarterbacks don't matter. McCoy has to be the starter. Cleveland needs to know if he's ready, or if he's not capable of being a starter in this league.

Wallace says he still wants to be the starter. What are your impressions of him?

Williamson: He's one of the better backups around, and I think he's still proven to be a backup. He's better coming off the bench, because teams can't prepare for his legs, and he comes in as a big change-up. Wallace has that role going forward. But I don't think he's a starter. He gets exposed after he puts two or three games of film together.

 

Helmet to helmet

The Cleveland Browns have had their share of violent hits. Josh Cribbs was knocked out against Pittsburgh and Mohamed Massaquoi also suffered from a hit in that same game.

Ohio.com's Stephanie Storm writes how the Cleveland Clinic is working on two ways to assess concussions in all sports more quickly and thoroughly.

Researchers at the Cleveland Clinic are developing technology called an ''Intelligent Mouthguard,'' equipped with sensors that measure head orientation and the velocity and acceleration at which the player's head moves. The information is transmitted wirelessly to a computer on the sidelines that would be shared with the training or medical staff.

Dr. Damir Janigro, is leading work on a blood test that helps detect concussions and could ultimately spare patients from an expensive CT scan or MRI. Storm also writes how Janigro's team is conducting a preclinical investigation on college football players to determine whether the blood test is useful in identifying if and when players are fit to return to the field.

 

Joe Haden

Defensive coordinator Rob Ryan is happy with cornerback Joe Haden, writes News-Herald reporter Jeff Schudel. Through seven games Haden has 19 tackles, four pass breakups and one interception.

"I think (Haden) has done an excellent job of tackling and hitting," Rob Ryan said." I think he's covering really well. He competes. He's growing fast and I think he's doing a good job."

The Browns have a bye-week this week, but they return to the field next Sunday against New England.

Haden could have the difficult assignment of covering Patriots lightning-bug receiver, Wes Welker. If so, he will earn his pay. Welker, 5-foot-9, 185 pounds, leads the Patriots with 37 catches and three touchdowns.

 

 

Chat with Randy Lerner

CantonRep.com reporter Steve Doershuk interviewed Cleveland Browns owner Randy Lerner. He talked to Lerner about Mike Holmgren, Jim Brown, Eric Mangini and other issues related to the team.

Doerschuk: In the process of opting not to attend the Ring of Honor ceremony, Jim Brown used some harsh language toward the Browns, specifically alluding to Mike Holmgren. What would you like people to understand about the Jim Brown issue?

Lerner: Jim is an old friend. He was a friend of my father’s. He is a friend of my mom’s. He knows my children. It’s been a very nice relationship for me. I’ve learned a lot about football. I’ve learned a lot about other things from Jim. Certainly Jim was an adviser, but in practice what Jim did was he worked down with Jerry Butler in that area (player development), with players and with coaches, and dealt with matters that he has a background in. Social matters. Competitive matters. Football matters ... so on and so forth. And he played a real role with this organization. So, from a practical perspective, that’s what he was doing. From a nominal perspective, we had the word adviser. I understand that.

 

Cleveland Cavaliers A.M. Links: Fans love the Cavaliers; TV ratings soar; Supportive

0
0

The Cavaliers continue to rave about the support given by the fans at The Q in the season opener on Wednesday night. News-Herald reporter Bob Finnan writes how many wondered how the fans would respond in LAL --- Life After LeBron. Judging from Wednesday's performance, the fans are going to enjoy this year's team, even if it's not a...

Cavaliers win home opener against the Boston CelticsCleveland Cavaliers' Daniel Gibson splits two defenders on his way to the hoop.

The Cavaliers continue to rave about the support given by the fans at The Q in the season opener on Wednesday night.

News-Herald reporter Bob Finnan writes how many wondered how the fans would respond in LAL --- Life After LeBron.

Judging from Wednesday's performance, the fans are going to enjoy this year's team, even if it's not a championship contender.

"I could sense they were really into it last night," Cavs coach Byron Scott said. "They added energy and motivation."

Many fans appreciated the team's effort, despite being down by double digits in the second half.

Fans will see a hard-working team that doesn't have any superstars.

"We have to play that hard every night and with that sort of purpose," Scott said. "It's not something that we hope to do. It's something we have to do."

Gibson said the fans couldn't have been better.

"They were out there cheering for us, rooting us on," he said. "We relished that. I loved it."

The Cavs may love it, but not the opposition. Boston's Paul Pierce told reporters that the Cavs are a hungry team.

 

 

TV time

Jason Lloyd of Ohio.com writes how more people watched the Cleveland Cavaliers first game without LeBron James than any other season opener with him.

The Cavs’ win over Boston scored a 10.38 household rating, the highest for an opening night on FSN Ohio, according to figures released today by the network.

That represents almost 158,000 households in the Cleveland/Akron area that watched the game, not to mention the raucous crowd of more than 20,000. The crowd roared throughout the night as if it was a playoff game.

 



Mirror images

Jason Lloyd of Ohio.com writes how Chris Bosh's departure from Toronto was similar to how LeBron James left Cleveland.

He left town without saying goodbye. The fans here believe he quit on them. It wasn't how he left, but the way he left. He is still infuriating fans every time he opens his mouth.

But no one in Toronto burned their Bosh jerseys the day he signed with the Heat. Bosh also didn't have to deal with any demeaning nicknames and no cries of anger. In comparison to how Cleveland reacted to James leaving, the outrage in Toronto was minimal.

''I was disappointed,'' said Paul Geary, a 40-year-old Toronto banker. ''But I wasn't going to draw a bath and slit my wrists over it.''

 

Matthew Kosik of Parma wins You Pick the Winners contest for Week 7

0
0

"You Pick the Winners' victor Matt Kosik drops by to share some of his winning ways with hosts Branson Wright and Chuck Yarborough.

you-pick-the-winners.jpgView full size
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Matthew Kosik of Parma went 13-1  last week in the You Pick the Winners weekly contest. The only blemish on his record? Picking Philadelphia to beat Tennessee.

Branson Wright had the week of his life, picking up four games on co-host Chuck Yarborough, going 11-3 while Chuck went 7-7. Wright now leads the season series 55-49, while Yarborough falls to 51-53. Thank heavens Kosik agreed to stop by and give Yarborough the benefit of his expertise. Wright should worry, as in several of this week's game  where he and Yarborough disagreed, Kosik sided with Yarborough. And Kosik's a mechanical engineer, so you know at least one of our triumvirate is no dummy!

As the winner of this week's show, Kosik gets a $25 gas card and is now a finalist for a $250 gift card.

Each week, fans can go online to cleveland.com/footballpicks and make their predictions. The winning prognosticator will win a $25 gas card and the opportunity to be the guest of SBTV hosts Wright and Yarborough on You Pick the Winners streaming on cleveland.com every Friday morning.

In the event of a tie, we'll use the total score of the Browns game as a tiebreaker. Whoever comes closest to the total without going over will prevail. If there's still a tie after that, we'll do a random drawing. See official contest rules for further details. Whoever makes the most correct picks will become a finalist for a $250 gift card to be awarded at the end of the season. (OK, it's not much; this is mostly for fun.)

So get out your stat sheets and start picking.

You Pick the Winners Video for Friday, Oct. 29, 2010

Cavs coach doesn't expect Varejao for tonight's game at Raptors

0
0

TORONTO, Ontario -- Cavaliers coach Byron Scott does not expect starting center Anderson Varejao to arrive here in time for tonight's game against the Toronto Raptors. Varejao remained in Cleveland with his father, who was scheduled to have heart surgery today. Ryan Hollins is expected to start in Varejao's place. "I told Andy hopefully we'll see him [Saturday] night...

varejao.jpgAnderson Varejao is doubtful for tonight's game.

TORONTO, Ontario -- Cavaliers coach Byron Scott does not expect starting center Anderson Varejao to arrive here in time for tonight's game against the Toronto Raptors. Varejao remained in Cleveland with his father, who was scheduled to have heart surgery today. Ryan Hollins is expected to start in Varejao's place.

"I told Andy hopefully we'll see him [Saturday] night for the game against Sacramento,'' Scott said before the team's shootaround at Air Canada Centre. "He has to be there for his dad. His dad is in Cleveland. Andy's the only family he has (there.) Going through what he just went though a month ago, we thought it was very important for him to stay at home and be with his father.''

Point guard Mo Williams, trying to get back up to speed after missing time with a groin injury and then the death of his father-in-law, will be a game-time decision, Scott said Friday morning.

Colt McCoy should play in December so Cleveland Browns can see what he's got, says Tony Grossi (SBTV)

0
0

PD Browns reporter answers fan question about whether McCoy has the arm strength to succeed in the NFL.

colt-mccoy-2.jpgColt McCoy should play some games in December so the Browns can see how he plays in bad weather, 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 Branson Wright and Chuck "Count Chocula" Yarborough.



Who is the best team in the NFL today? Today's guest on SBTV, Plain Dealer Browns reporter Tony Grossi, says he believes it's the Pittsburgh Steelers. Cast your vote in today's Starting Blocks poll.


Tony also answers questions from his weekly "Hey, Tony!" feature about where money from NFL fines goes; why Joshua Cribbs wasn't considered a quarterback on the hit by Pittsburgh's James Harrison; and whether Colt McCoy has the arm strength to be a legit NFL quarterback.


SBTV will be back Monday with Plain Dealer reporter Dennis Manoloff talking about the Browns. Have a great weekend, and on't forget to play our You-Pick-the-Winners Contest where you can outpick Branson and Chuck Yarborough each week and earn an appearance on SBTV, a $25 gas card and a chance at a $250 gift card.



Starting Blocks TV for Friday, Oct. 29, 2010

UFC absorbs WEC, brings total of weight classes to seven

0
0

Mixed martial arts giant UFC will absorb World Extreme Cagefighting, another Zuffa LLC organization, and add two lighter weight classes -- featherweight and bantamweight.

dana-white-ap.JPGView full sizeUFC President Dana White, shown in a 2006 file photo, announced that the organization will absorb its WEC arm and add two weight classes, featherweight and bantamweight.

By Bob Emanuel Jr.



World Extreme Cagefighting is no more.

The MMA promotion, which was owned by the Ultimate Fighting Championship's parent company Zuffa, will stage its final two scheduled events on Nov. 11 and Dec. 16. The WEC roster, including its champions, will be folded into the UFC as part of its expansion. The move will give the UFC seven weight divisions.

The new divisions include featherweight (145 pounds) and bantamweight (135 pounds). White expects the UFC to add a 125-pound division in the future.

"All these weight classes should be in the UFC," UFC president Dana White said on a teleconference Thursday. "There was a time, early on when we first bought this thing, that 155 didn't even exist.

"Now, as we continue to grow, we're doing more fights every year. We're going into these different markets. We need to continue to add weight classes. That's always been our goal. Our goal is to build this sport worldwide and continue to add weight divisions until we every single weight division in the UFC. Now is the time."

Featherweight champion Jose Aldo will now be recognized as the UFC's champion in the division. Aldo will make his first UFC title defense at UFC 125 on Jan. 1 against an opponent to be determined.

"Jose Aldo, this kid can be a huge star," White said. "He's a kid that can dominate at that weight class and could probably move up to 155 and challenge the guys there."

The UFC bantamweight champion will be crowned on WEC's final show in December when WEC champion Dominick Cruz faces Scott Jorgensen.

The lightweight championship will require an eventual unification bout. WEC lightweight champion Ben Henderson will face Anthony Pettis in December. UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar fights Gray Maynard at UFC 125. The two winners will then face each other later in 2011.

"It's awesome," White said. "To bring these 155s in that people know, recognize and care about is very exciting."

White hopes the additional weight classes will help the UFC's global expansion, with more title fights available as the company begins to host events in move countries.

"We've always wanted to do this," White said. "We always wanted to have every weight class in the UFC. The problem was we didn't have enough, whether it was either pay-per-view time or television time. Now, as we continue to roll into these other countries and do more and more fights, now it makes sense."

The UFC also announced a new, four-fight deal with Versus for 2011. The deal results in a net loss of programming. The WEC aired seven fights on the network in 2010, with an additional two UFC shows also on Versus.

"I'm not looking at this thing as a negative, like, 'Oh we lost a couple of fights on Versus.' It's a positive," White said. "We've got the UFC on Versus. The last one we did with those guys pulled killer numbers. Now that we've added these other two weight classes to the UFC, everything's positive. I'm not looking at it like, 'Oh, we lost two fights. We've got to pick these up somewhere else.'"

cleveland.com announces the launch of Digital Sports Network

0
0

cleveland.com in alliance with Digital Sports Network Cleveland announced today the launch of the Digital Sports Network on cleveland.com. The online-only sports talk channel, located at www.cleveland.com/dsn will include over 100+ hours of sports-focused programming streamed in audio and video, exclusively on cleveland.com.

dsn logo smallDigital Sports Network goes on the air Monday at 6 a.m.

cleveland.com in alliance with Digital Sports Network Cleveland announced today the launch of the Digital Sports Network on cleveland.com.

The online-only sports talk channel, located at www.cleveland.com/dsn will include over 100+ hours of sports-focused programming streamed in audio and video, exclusively on cleveland.com.

Digital Sports Network (“DSN”) will launch on Monday, November 1, 2010 at 6 a.m. as an interactive, full-service online “station” with live programming, fan chat rooms, reporting, blogs, Twitter, Facebook and more. Fans will be able to interact live with the on-air show hosts, who will broadcast from DSN's studios at Tower City Center in downtown Cleveland.

The talented line-up of well-known and respected sports broadcasters and reporters includes:

  • Chuck Booms
  • Bill Boronkay
  • Mike Cairns
  • Brian Fowler
  • Bob Karlovec
  • Greg Kozarik
  • Les Levine
  • Kendall Lewis
  • Matt Loede
  • Joe Lull
  • Harry Petsanis
  • Paul Rado
  • Daryl Ruiter
  • Bud Shaw
  • Ken Silverstein
And contributors including:
  • Ryan Isley
  • Doug Lesmerises
  • Dennis Manoloff
  • Glenn Moore
  • Ray Yannucci

“We are excited to team up with Digital Sports Network to offer quality, live sports talk to the sports-hungry users of cleveland.com,” says cleveland.com’s Editor-in-Chief, Denise Polverine. “We are so proud to have the best multimedia sports coverage from The Plain Dealer and with the addition of the impressive line-up from DSN, users of cleveland.com will be able to read, listen to, watch and participate in informative and interactive sports conversation nearly all day, every day.”

Harry Petsanis, the President of Digital Sports Network, says “We’re proud to be affiliated with cleveland.com which is already well-known as the online home of the Cleveland sports fan. We’ve put together a team of all-stars who I’m proud of and that I know will deliver the sports talk that this town wants and needs.”

cleveland.com General Manager, Wayne Snow, adds “In addition to the sports programming we’re adding to cleveland.com, I’m thrilled that advertisers and businesses will benefit from this new vehicle, which helps them get their advertising message to what we think will quickly become dedicated, and therefore valuable listeners and viewers of Digital Sports Network on cleveland.com. ”

A full list of show names, programs, blogs and more can be found at: cleveland.com/dsn.




Urijah Faber drops weight clases for WEC bantamweight battle

0
0

Former WEC featherweight champion is dropping to 135 pounds for a bantamweight fight against Takeya Mizugaki on Nov. 11.

urija-faber-mike-brown-ap.JPGView full sizeFormer featherweight champion Urijah Faber is dropped to 135 pounds to fight as a bantamweight in a Nov. 11 MMA battle with Takeya Mizugaki.
Urijah Faber is dropping weight, as many suggested when he was beaten by WEC featherweight champion Jose Aldo last spring, and will fight Takeya Mizukgaki as a bantamweight in November as part of one of the last WEC cards.

The WEC has been absorbed by the UFC in a union of two Zuffa, LLC-owned entities that was announced this week as a merger.

If former WEC featherweight champ Faber wants to regain a championship belt, he's going to have to win on Nov. 11, then beat either Dominick Cruz or Scott Jorgensen, who battle for the 135-pound crown currently held by Cruz in the final WEC event on Dec. 16. Given popularity of "The California Kid" in mixed martial arts circles, a win over Mizugaki would pretty much guarantee a title shot.

Faber boasts a record of 23-4-0, all as a featherweight. Mizugaki's record is 13-4-2. The rest of the card for the fights at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas includes featherweights  Chad Mendes vs. Javier Vazquez and Josh Grispi vs. Erik Koch, plus ex-bantamweight champ Brian Bowles against Wagnney Fabiano. Several lesser fights are also on the card, but may not be part of the 9 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 11, telecast on Versus.

The Thursday, Dec. 16, card also will be televised by Versus. In addition to the Cruz-Jorgensen bout, it will feature a title fight between lightweight champ Ben Henderson and Anthony Pettis in a battle of 155-pounders. The fights will be in Glendale, Ariz., native Henderson's home town.

Mike Brown, former Cleveland Cavaliers coach, is enjoying family time

0
0

 Former Cleveland Cavaliers coach Mike Brown is not bitter about his firing. Brown told Yahoo.com reporter Mark Spears that he understands the business and he is thankful that team owner Dan Gilbert took a chance on him five years ago. But Brown said he would have wanted at least one more crack at a championship, with LeBron James. Brown said...

Cavaliers lose to Celtics, 94-85LeBron James and former Cleveland Cavaliers coach Mike Brown.


Former Cleveland Cavaliers coach Mike Brown is not bitter about his firing. Brown told Yahoo.com reporter Mark Spears that he understands the business and he is thankful that team owner Dan Gilbert took a chance on him five years ago.

But Brown said he would have wanted at least one more crack at a championship, with LeBron James. Brown said the team was that close.

But how close was Brown and James? Many believed the two didn't have a good relationship, and that James had a role in Brown’s firing.

“There wasn’t anything negative between him and me,” Brown said. “There was nothing between him and me. We had a player-coach relationship. That’s it. Situations like that where you are out early in the playoffs are always hard. There were a lot of ups and downs, strains.

“I had a great time coaching him. I felt like one of the luckiest coaches in the world. … Coaching LeBron was unique in itself. If he’s not the best, he is one of the best to ever play the game.”

Also in the article, Brown told Spears he had no problem with James choosing to play for the Heat. He just wishes James would have delivered the news to Cleveland fans with a little more grace.

“I feel for the fans in Cleveland,” Brown said. “They are so emotionally attached. When anything happens, it’s a big punch in the gut. They take it hard.”

Brown has returned to coaching. He's an assistant football coach for the Westlake Lee Burneson Middle School team that his 13-year-old son, Cameron, plays on. Spears also reports the Cavs are paying Brown the $4.5 million he was due this season over the next six years.

Brown's oldest son Elijah is a sophomore guard on St. Edward’s High School team. So would Brown like to coach in the NBA again?

“I’d love to coach again,” Brown said. “I miss being on the sidelines.”

 

 

Cleveland Cavaliers come out flat, get leveled by Toronto Raptors

0
0

Missing two key starters, the Cavs come out flat and get routed by the Raptors, 101-81, at Toronto.

cleveland cavaliers 1.JPGView full sizeThere is nothing good to watch from the bench as the Cavaliers are routed by the Raptors on Friday in Toronto.
TORONTO, Ontario -- When Cavaliers coach Byron Scott addressed the media after Friday's 101-81 drubbing by the Toronto Raptors, he was remarkably composed.

"I was already angry," he admitted as the Cavs dropped to 1-1 with a thunk. "I already got over that. Now I'm a little bit more reserved.

"I do understand that it is a process. It's only the second game of the season. We still have a long way to go."

Make that a long, long way to go. There was almost nothing positive for the Cavs to take out of this game, which felt much worse than a 20-point loss. They were without starting center Anderson Varejao, who stayed in Cleveland to be with his father after heart surgery, and starting point guard Mo Williams, held out for the second straight game as a precautionary measure to make sure his groin injury is fully healed.

As a result, the young team suffered some major growing pains -- but all the injuries were self-inflicted.

The Cavaliers came out flat and never got into a rhythm offensively. They shot 38.1 percent for the game (32-of-84) with 19 turnovers. The ball movement stopped, and guys settled for jumpers and one-on-one plays.

The starters totaled 29 points. Ramon Sessions, starting for Williams, struggled mightily, making just 1 of 10 shots with five turnovers. Forward J.J. Hickson was in foul trouble most of the night and played just 18:31.

Meanwhile, they allowed the Raptors to shoot 47.6 percent (39-of-82), run off 25 fast-break points and dominate the boards, 46-33.

With so much focus on the Cavs new Princeton offense, Scott was banking on them continuing their traditionally strong defensive focus. But that didn't happen Friday night.

"What we've been talking about all season long, all preseason and all training camp is defending, and tonight we didn't do a very good job," Scott admitted. "We didn't trust each other, didn't play together on the defensive end as well as the offensive end.

"But our defense has to be our staple, and that's something we failed to do tonight."

There was no turning point in the game, because the Cavs were never in it.

Gallery preview

Toronto, which lost its home opener Wednesday, clearly was interested in making a better impression, and the Raptors did so. Andrea Bargnani, who always gives the Cavs trouble, finished with 20 points, while the always-tough Reggie Evans added 14 boards.

The fact the Cavs put up little resistance made it that much easier.

"I thought they outplayed us," Scott said. "I thought they played harder than we did. I thought they wanted it a whole lot more than we did.

"I was hoping that because we have such a young team we would take it to the next level after a good win Wednesday night. But we went backward. We seemed like the fat cats and they seemed like a team out there really trying to get a win. It looked like we won the other day and they lost. You could tell the team that really wanted to win tonight -- and that was them."

Sessions said Scott did not raise his voice to the team after the game.

"He didn't come in yelling because he knew we knew," Sessions said. "It was one of those nights. We shot ourselves in the foot. We just took a step backward. We've just got to get back at it [tonight]."

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: mschmitt@plaind.com, 216-999-4668


Tallmadge gets past Green to reign in Suburban League

0
0

TALLMADGE, Ohio — Was it great offense or a lack of defense? Probably a little of both.

TALLMADGE, Ohio — Was it great offense or a lack of defense?

Probably a little of both.

When the final tally came down it added up to Tallmadge and Green saving the best show for the last night of the regular season.

On a night in which offense reigned, Tallmadge outlasted Green, 35-32, to win its first outright Suburban League championship since 2006 and clinch a first-round home game for the Division II playoffs. It also completed the program's second undefeated season in coach Joe Vassalotti's nine seasons.

The title capped a rags-to-riches story for Tallmadge, which was picked to finish in the bottom half of the league standings in almost all the preseason polls.

Playoff pairings will be made on Sunday but the Blue Devils will return to Rossiasky Stadium on Friday. The unnamed opponent had better be ready to play defense because the Blue Devils can play offense. Big offense.

On Friday, they rolled up 453 yards, with junior tailback Tyrin Williams rushing for 200 yards and two touchdowns on 37 carries and sophomore quarterback Anthony Gotto throwing for 243 yards and one touchdown by completing 13 of 16 attempts. Senior Andrew Bonnette caught six of those throws, accounting for 127 yards.

"The linemen get cookies in the morning," said Gotto, who escaped without being sacked. "I'm buying."

Williams, who rushed for 174 yards last week against Copley, said, "It was scary at the end. I was so nervous. We stayed calm, didn't panic."

It was scary at the end because Green refused to fold. The Bulldogs, who had gotten off the canvas all season after an 0-3 start against quality non-league opponents and played its way into the title picture, were no slouch offensively.

The Bulldogs (5-5, 5-2) churned out 413 yards of offense, with junior quarterback Mark Zimmerman completing 15 of 32 passes for 246 yards and two touchdowns and sophomore running back Seth Weiland rushing for 124 yards on eight carries. Junior Andrew Pratt caught three passes for 96 yards and senior Luke Davies had five receptions for 91 yards. Each caught a scoring pass.

Tallmadge, which led 28-10early in the third quarter after tight end Jacob Wood rambled 67 yards for a score, needed a five-yard scoring run by Williams with 8:07 to play to seal the deal.

Williams' run capped a nine-play, 85-yard drive that took 3:56 off the clock and gave the Blue Devils a 35-25 lead following the fifth conversion kick by Mitch Heath.

"Going undefeated and winning the league outright is special," said Vassalotti. "We preached all week that it would be special, not only to go 10-0 but to win the league by ourselves. Coming in we knew emotionally that we had to get back up after Copley, and our guys did. They found ways to win all year."

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

Solon's perfect ending leaves Strongsville feeling jilted as Mustangs see win slip away

0
0

STRONGSVILLE, Ohio — Talk about refusing to lose. Solon shook off an outstanding effort by Strongsville, which was fighting for its playoff life, to stage one of the more improbable rallies of the season in a 31-28 overtime victory Friday night at Pat Catan Stadium.

Solon's Cory Stuart pulls in a pass in front of Strongsville's Jake Dasher in the first half Friday at Strongsville. - (Gus Chan / PD)

STRONGSVILLE, Ohio — Talk about refusing to lose.

Solon shook off an outstanding effort by Strongsville, which was fighting for its playoff life, to stage one of the more improbable rallies of the season in a 31-28 overtime victory Friday night at Pat Catan Stadium.

Trailing, 28-20, the Comets faced a third-down play at Strongsville's 34 with about 30 seconds left in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Chris Humphrey completed a short pass to Drew Barksdale to the 26, but Barksdale was tackled in bounds, and the Comets were out of timeouts.

Solon hustled to the line, and just about everyone assumed Humphrey would spike the ball to set up one last-gasp play. Humphrey took the snap and lunged forward, as if to attempt a quarterback sneak, before stepping back and darting around right end, fighting his way in for a touchdown after time had expired.

Humphrey then passed to Barksdale for the two-point conversion to force overtime.

"That's part of our no-huddle attack," Solon football coach Jim McQuaide said. "He's been a good runner for us all year. We took a shot, and he made an unbelievable play."

Humphrey made another play to stop Strongsville on its overtime possession, intercepting Austin Pritchard's pass in the end zone.

Solon ran two plays in its overtime possession, then turned to Alex Knight, who drilled a 32-yard field goal -- his third of the game -- to set off a celebration.

"It was unbelievable," McQuaide said. "Strongsville did a phenomenal job. You could tell they were fighting for the playoffs, but our guys wanted this and it showed."

Solon, which already had clinched a first-round home game next week, takes a perfect 10-0 record into the Division I playoffs.

The Comets won the Valley Division of the Northeast Ohio Conference, going 5-0.

Strongsville finished 6-4 and 3-2.

"I still can't believe it happened," said Strongsville coach Russ Jacques, several of his players still standing at midfield in stunned silence long after the game ended. "Their kid made an unbelievable play. I've never seen anything like it. I hope I never see anything like it again."

Solon took advantage of a partially blocked punt to score first. On a third-down play, Humphrey beat an all-out blitz with a quarterback draw up the middle for a 30-yard touchdown.

Solon's defense held Strongsville without a first down until a quick-strike score drew the Mustangs even. Pritchard hit Ryan Aske on a quick slant, and Aske went 49 yards for a touchdown with 27 seconds left in the first quarter.

Solon needed just one play to regain the lead. Backup tailback Nick Davidson squirted through a hole up the middle. Two defenders had a clean shot at him about 20 yards downfield, but Davidson bounced off the hits and was in the clear for an 85-yard touchdown run.

Solon increased the lead to 17-7 on Knight's 23-yard field goal, but Mustangs came right back with another big play.

Pritchard hit Chris Barth for a 33-yard reception, then found Ray Hamilton wide open down the middle for a 39-yard touchdown pass, cutting the deficit to 17-14 with 1:38 left in the first half.

The Mustangs got a 22-yard touchdown run from Matt Bianco in the third quarter and a 1-yard run by Pritchard in the fourth quarter to take a 28-20 lead. But it was not enough.

Bob Migra is a freelance writer in Westlake.


Avon Lake gets two positives from one victory: league title and playoff spot

0
0

See a photo gallery from the game here. AVON LAKE, Ohio — One waiting game was over. But another one was just beginning.

Avon Lake players celebrate after defeating Amherst on Friday to earn a share of the conference championship and a playoff spot. - (Joshua Gunter / PD)

See a photo gallery from the game here.

AVON LAKE, Ohio — One waiting game was over. But another one was just beginning.

Avon Lake knows how fortunate it is to know its football plans. The Shoremen, dodging disaster for nearly three quarters, came away with a share of the Southwestern Conference title by defeating Amherst, 21-17, on Friday night at Avon Lake Memorial Stadium.

Not until defenders Brett Bass and Trent Toy knocked down a pass with no time on the clock could the home club and its fans breathe easy.

"That was two quality teams," said Avon Lake coach Dave Dlugosz, whose club upped its mark to 8-2 overall and 6-1 in the conference to tie Olmsted Falls. "It was high intensity. Our defense did a heck of a job because our offense got off track."

The Shoremen led, 21-0, one play into the second quarter. After that, the game turned to one of Amherst moving the ball behind the passing of Toy and a staunch defense limiting Avon Lake's offensive chances.

Trailing, 21-10, at the break, the Comets (8-2, 5-2) cut the deficit to 21-17 on a 2-yard run by senior Jason Stump with 7:42 left in the third quarter.

The Comets were turned away on downs at the Avon Lake 24 early in the fourth quarter and were forced to punt two times after that. But taking over at their 30 with :57 seconds to go, the Comets moved to the Avon Lake 13 with five ticks on the clock.

But senior quarterback Brennan Hosier could not sneak one more pass into the hands of senior wide receiver Adam Herbert in the middle of the end zone and the celebration was on for the Shoremen, who will get into the playoffs in Division II, Region 6.

The loss means Amherst will have to sweat matters out until the official playoff pairings are announced Sunday. The Comets came in standing eighth in Division I, Region 2.

"We dug ourselves and couldn't get out of it," said Amherst coach Kevin Fell, whose club won its first eight games. "I guess we came up a couple yards short."

Unofficially, the Comets outgained the Shoremen, 390-198. Hosier passed for 302 yards and one touchdown. Toy passed for 165 yards and a score.

The Shoremen scored the first two times they had the ball.

Taking advantage of a good return of the opening kickoff by senior Alex Grunick, Avon Lake covered 37 yards in eight plays with senior Zach Johnson going in from 1 yard.

Facing another short field, the Shoremen needed only two plays to move 47 yards. Toy hooked up with senior wide receiver Ron Willoughby for 37 yards and junior Dontez Smith got the final 10 yards on a sweep around right end.

On the first play of the second quarter, Toy found Grunick over the middle at the 10 and he completed the 32-yard scoring play for a 21-0 advantage.

The Comets definitely needed a boost and they got it when senior wide receiver Tyler Parrish came down with a tipped pass and went 59 yards to the Avon Lake 18. On the next play, senior Adam Herbert caught a short out pattern and went down the right sideline for the touchdown.

Amherst nearly got another score when it moved to the Avon Lake 14, but senior linebacker John Hegarty intercepted a tipped pass at his 12. The Comets moved into scoring territory again, but had to settle for a 30-yard field goal by senior Tyler Bires.

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

Manchester holds off CVCA to reach 10-0: You Pick the Game

0
0

CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio — Both teams played their hearts out, but afterward the CVCA Royals could only walk around, stunned, with tears in their eyes, watching the Manchester Panthers celebrate an unexpected 10-0 season. Senior Mark Noble scored three touchdowns -- two in the game's final 6:16, as Manchester clinched another PAC-7 championship as well as a Division IV...

CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio — Both teams played their hearts out, but afterward the CVCA Royals could only walk around, stunned, with tears in their eyes, watching the Manchester Panthers celebrate an unexpected 10-0 season.

Senior Mark Noble scored three touchdowns -- two in the game's final 6:16, as Manchester clinched another PAC-7 championship as well as a Division IV playoff berth, doubling up on host CVCA, 28-14.

But don't be fooled by the final score. The Royals stood toe-to-toe with the state's second-ranked Division IV team, only faltering in the end with too many crucial penalties and one devastating special-teams blunder.

"I thought we outplayed them," an obviously disappointed CVCA coach Ray Carroscia said. "I thought we out-hit them, and I thought we had a great game plan that we executed well, especially in the second half."

The crux of the game occurred midway through the final quarter with the score 14-14. CVCA tailback Alex Utley, who finished with 212 yards on 39 carries, broke a 65-yard TD run after breaking several tackles -- usually by running through and over the defender -- but the play was called back on a holding penalty, CVCA's fourth of the game.

"Alex Utley gave everything he had on that play," Carroscia said. "He left it all on the field. It was outstanding. I thought we had the momentum, and they caught that break, if you want to say that."

Carroscia clearly didn't agree with the call and continued to let the officials know about it, even after the game. But the bottom line was that the play was called back, and Manchester needed to take advantage.

"Momentum plays a big part on all levels of football," Manchester coach Jim France said. "They seemed to go down a little, but it gave our guys new life."

As a result of the penalty, the Royals were unable to get a first down and had to punt from their own 31. However, the snap bounced through the legs of punter Aaron Port, who was downed on the 5-yard line.

On the next play, Noble, who finished with 94 yards on 14 carries, ran through a huge hole to make it 21-14 with 6:21 to play.

On the ensuing possession, CVCA again failed to get a first down, this time with quarterback Antonio Carroscia being sacked on fourth down.

"Utley was dominating us," Noble said. "Then our D-line made a few huge plays that got us all riled up."

Once again it took Noble only one play to score, this time from 17 yards out to complete an undefeated regular season that was not really expected by this young team.

"I think our coaches thought we could go 10-0," Noble said. "But I know a lot of families that believed we would be lucky to go 6-4. It's great to prove them wrong."

Joe Magill is a freelance writer in University Heights.

Westlake's postseason dreams get rudely doused in rout by Brecksville-Broadview Heights

0
0

WESTLAKE, Ohio — Excitement was in the air when the visiting Brecksville Bees took on Southwestern Conference rival Westlake Friday night at Lou Duchez field. Both teams were facing must-win situations in order to keep their playoff hopes alive.

WESTLAKE, Ohio — Excitement was in the air when the visiting Brecksville Bees took on Southwestern Conference rival Westlake Friday night at Lou Duchez field.

Both teams were facing must-win situations in order to keep their playoff hopes alive.

But it was the Bees (7-3) who came to play, shattering the Demons (6-4) dreams of postseason play with a 35-3 win.

Brecksville coach Jason Black said the Bees did what they had to.

“I’m very proud of the seniors,” Black said. “They were able to come back from a difficult year last year and finish at 7-3. Regardless of what happens outside of our control, we did what we were supposed to do tonight.”

Senior running back Matt Galland dazzled for Brecksville, scoring three touchdowns and picking up 145 yards on 24 carries. Galland’s rushing effort gives him 1251 yards on the year, which is the Bees’ new single-season rushing record.

“I give all the credit to the offensive line,” Galland said. “They’ve been doing a great job all year. I have a tremendous amount of respect and confidence in them.”

Galland also commented on what could have been his last game.

“If it is my last game, it’s a great way to end my season and my career.”

Bees quarterback Tom Tupa was another who came up big, going 6-of-10 for 118 yards and a touchdown.

Westlake struggled against a stingy Brecksville defense all night. Junior Johnathon Brick did most of the damage for the Demons, rushing for 52 yards on 21 carries and catching five passes for 60 yards.

The Bees, who sat at No. 11 in the latest Division I, Region I computer rankings, will have to hope for some help for a shot at the playoffs.

 

Chagrin Falls rolls into playoffs with convincing win over Perry: High school football roundup

0
0

To say Friday night was prosperous for the Chagrin Falls football team is putting it mildly. The Tigers, ranked 13th in The Plain Dealer Top 25 and 11th in the Division IV state poll, locked up home-field advantage for next week's Region 13 quarterfinals with a 27-6 win over host Perry. Chagrin Falls also earned a piece of the...

To say Friday night was prosperous for the Chagrin Falls football team is putting it mildly.

The Tigers, ranked 13th in The Plain Dealer Top 25 and 11th in the Division IV state poll, locked up home-field advantage for next week's Region 13 quarterfinals with a 27-6 win over host Perry. Chagrin Falls also earned a piece of the Chagrin Valley Conference Chagrin Division championship thanks to Kenston's upset of Aurora.

Kurt Vidmer and Jack Campbell teamed up for 111 rushing yards and two touchdowns for the Tigers (9-1, 6-1), who finish as tri-champs with Kenston and Aurora.

Glenville 38, John Marshall 20 The Lawyers gave the champion Tarblooders their toughest league game of the season but it still wasn't enough. Quarterback Cardale Jones completed 9 of 16 passes for 198 yards and touchdown tosses to wide receivers Shane Wynn and Nicholas Davis for Glenville (10-0, 6-0), ranked No. 1 in the area and the Division I state poll, fifth in ESPN and 10th in USA Today. Tailback V'Angelo Bentley rushed for 93 yards and two touchdowns, Davis finished with three receptions and linebacker Frank Clark led the defense with six tackles, including two sacks and two passes defensed.

Maple Heights 45, Warrensville Heights 14 The Mustangs (10-0, 4-0), ranked fourth in the area and fifth in the Division II state poll, wrapped up an unbeaten regular season and clinched the LEL Erie Division crown. Quarterback and Cincinnati recruit Shaq Washington passed for 127 yards and two touchdowns, and added 65 yards rushing.

Mentor 48, Euclid 7 The sixth-ranked Cardinals (7-3, 4-0) won their sixth straight game and clinched the outright championship in their Lake Erie League Lake Division swan song. (Mentor is joining the Northeast Ohio Conference in 2011.) Wide receiver Colton Wallace had seven receptions, good for 111 yards and a touchdown while tailbacks Ricky Hanzlik and Mike Korecz combined for 247 yards and three touchdowns, and quarterback Mitch Trubisky made good on 8 of 9 passes for 121 yards and a touchdown.

Twinsburg 45, Elyria 0 The ninth-ranked Tigers (9-1, 4-1) will share the Northeast Ohio Conference River Division title with Hudson. Tailback John Barton rushed for 63 yards and had 104 yards receiving and two touchdowns.

Walsh Jesuit 55, Toledo Bowsher 0 The 11th-ranked Warriors (7-3) romped in the nonleague road game as quarterback and Michigan State recruit Connor Cook passed for 267 yards and rushed for 50 to total five touchdowns on the night. Tyler Starkey was on the receiving end of seven of those passes for 193 yards and two touchdowns.

Copley 40, Revere 7 The 21st-ranked Indians (9-1, 6-1) got 213 rushing yards and two touchdowns from tailback Argeros Turner, and a 10-for-13 effort from quarterback Lou Gigliotti for 120 yards, two passing touchdowns and one touchdown via the run in the Suburban League victory.

Olmsted Falls 33, North Olmsted 14 Jeremy Ortiz had four touchdown runs as the 19th-ranked Bulldogs (7-3, 6-1) earned a piece of the Southwestern Conference crown with Avon Lake.

Mogadore 17, East Canton 7 Sophomore tailback Gary Strain had a 2-yard touchdown run and caught a 34-yard scoring pass as the unbeaten Wildcats (10-0, 7-0), ranked No. 2 in the Division VI state poll, won the Portage Trail Conference County Division crown.

Madison 35, Riverside 13 John March gained a game-high 136 yards and scored a touchdown as the Blue Streaks (7-3, 4-1) closed the regular season with the Premier Athletic Conference victory.

Kirtland 55, Newbury 0 The CVC Valley Division champion Hornets (10-0, 4-0), ranked No. 2 in the Division V state poll, closed their regular season unbeaten and with three shutouts as quarterback Paul Guhde passed for two touchdowns, and Zach Hill and Christian Hauber each rushed for two touchdowns.

Mayfield 10, Nordonia 3 Tailback Carlos Cruzado rushed for 122 yards and scored the clinching touchdown from 1 yard out with 8:08 left to play as the Wildcats (6-4, 2-3) won the NOC Valley Division nail-biter.

John F. Kennedy 14, Rhodes 8 Quarterback/cornerback Antonio Howard passed for 62 yards, rushed for 82 yards and a touchdown, and also had a first-quarter interception which stopped a Rhodes' drive as the Eagles (7-3, 5-2) prevailed. Defensive tackle Savon Jefferson had a game-ending quarterback sack with the Rams on the JFK 15-yard line.

John Hay 14, John Adams 6 Safety/receiver Brandon Sipp had two interceptions, 47 yards rushing and 68 yards receiving with a touchdown to help the Hornets (6-4, 4-3) win. Quarterback Darnell Tucker passed for 87 yards and ran for 43 yards with a touchdown while defensive end Richard Johnson came up with two sacks in the fourth quarter.

Hudson 28, Lakewood 6 The Explorers (4-6, 4-1) earned a NOC River Division championship thanks to Joey Studer and Ben Gedeon, who rushed for 108 and 77 yards, respectively, and a touchdown each.

Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin 24, Holy Name 6 The Lions (3-7, 2-3) closed in fine fashion as tailback Randy Dameron rushed for 116 yards and a touchdown and quarterback Mike Strubley passed for 120 yards and touchdown in the North Coast League Blue Division upset.

Orange 55, Harvey 21 The Lions (4-6, 1-5) gained 407 yards on the ground and Chase Ullman accounted for 262 of those yards and three touchdowns in the CVC Chagrin Division win.

Cloverleaf 45, Highland 7 Grant Vujanov rushed for a game- and career-high 247 yards and four touchdowns as the Colts (4-6, 2-5) won the Suburban League home game.

Streetsboro 30, Rootstown 7 Junior fullback Chris Lahm scored three times as the host Rockets 5-5, 5-2) prevailed in a PTC County Division game.

Bedford 22, Lorain 6 The host Bearcats (2-8, 2-2) dominated the final three quarters of the LEL Erie Division game after falling behind, 6-0. Senior quarterback Wayne Mathews threw touchdown passes of 24, 11 and 37 yards. Lorain, in its first year following the summer merger of Admiral King and Southview, finishes 2-8, 1-3.

Padua 10, Archbishop Hoban 6 Quarterback Jim Solano scored on a 1-yard run in the second quarter, putting the host Bruins (7-3, 4-1 North Coast League Blue Division) up for good. Hoban ends its season at 4-6, 2-3.

Garrettsville 49, Windham 7 Junior running back/safety Bobby Bright scored three times as the G-Men (8-2, 6-1) wrapped up second place in the PTC County Division behind unbeaten Mogadore. Bright scored on runs of 13 and 11 yards and a 52-yard punt return.

Beachwood 20, Hawken 19 Corey Jones rushed for 105 yards, including a 57-yard touchdown, as the visiting Bison (5-5, 2-2) held off a late rally in CVC Metro Division play. The Hawks (3-7, 1-3) scored with 1:37 left on a 6-yard run by Jeremy Simmons and went for two, but Liam Green's pass attempt to Simmons was incomplete. Hawken then recovered an onside kick and moved to the Beachwood 22 before Green's pass was batted down in the end zone on the last play of the game. Simmons led Hawken with 20 rushes for 169 yards and two touchdowns.

Rocky River 48, Fairview 14 Quarterback Robbie Plagens threw for three touchdowns, covering a total of 151 yards, to receivers Killian Hollo, Kyle Dunn and Zak Echols. The Pirates (7-3, 6-1 West Shore Conference) also got touchdowns on fumble recoveries by Luke Riemenschneider, Scott Iverson and Dunn. Fairview (5-5, 4-3) got touchdown runs by John Doherty and Nick Williams.

Lake Erie Monsters falter for a second and Manitoba makes them pay

0
0

The Manitoba Moose score four goals in the second period to beat the Monsters at The Q, 6-3.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Monsters forgot how to play defense in the second period Friday night. A victory slipped through their gloves because of it.

Manitoba scored four goals in the second in rallying for a 6-3 conquest at The Q.

The Monsters (3-5-0-1) have dropped four of their past five games that ended in regulation. They squandered leads of 2-0 and 3-1.

The Moose (5-2-0-0) has won three in a row.

"We looked like world beaters for 25 minutes," Lake Erie coach David Quinn said. "Then we stopped doing what we're supposed to do. We gave up odd-man rush after odd-man rush. The mistakes we made were of epic proportions."

Both teams played the first of three games in three days. Lake Erie will be in Toronto today while Manitoba faces Grand Rapids. Lake Erie and Manitoba return to The Q for a Sunday afternoon tilt.

After an uneventful first period, the Monsters swarmed the Moose early in the second. Center Mark Olver delivered a laser off the pipe from the left side at 2:17. He beat goalie Tyler Weiman, who played the previous three seasons with Lake Erie and is the franchise's all-time leader in most of the significant goaltending categories.

Monsters forward Zach Cohen made it 2-0 at 2:59 by punching in a loose puck.

The Moose righted itself with a tally at 5:12, center Marco Rosa slipping a shot past goalie Jason Bacashihua.

Bacashihua and Weiman were teammates with Lake Erie in 2007-08 and 2008-09. Bacashihua played for Hershey last season.

A sensational no-look pass from Monsters center Ben Walter set up right winger Greg Mauldin at 6:19. Mauldin's fourth of the season electrified the crowd.

The Moose was unfazed. It answered at 8:22 (Shawn Weller), then tied the score at 17:55 (Joel Perrault).

Manitoba grabbed its first lead when center Cody Hodgson fired a rocket upstairs from long distance at 19:12.

Lake Erie seemed to have the life sucked out of it and struggled to generate legitimate chances in the third. Manitoba scored at 12:57 and 15:22 of the final period.

"We've got to get better defensively," Quinn said. "It was one guy after another making mistake after mistake. Every time I looked up, there was a [Moose] jersey with the puck and nobody was on him."

Bacashihua gave up all of the goals and made just 15 saves. Quinn refused to hang the loss on him.

"I felt bad for Jason Bacashihua because most of their goals were tap-ins," Quinn said.

Weiman made 24 saves in his first game as a Monsters opponent.

"It obviously was a little strange coming back," Weiman said. "I didn't know how to get into the building. I tried to stay focused on the game and not think too much."

The Monsters went 0-for-4 on the power play, sinking to 1-for-34 this season.

The Moose was 0-for-6 on the power play. Quinn has had minimal complaints about his club's penalty kill through nine games.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: dmanoloff@plaind.com, 216-999-4664

Viewing all 53367 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images