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Patrick Rissmiller scores four goals as Lake Erie Monsters defeat Chicago Wolves, 6-3

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Lake Erie's skaters -- notably, center Patrick Rissmiller -- play lean and mean in thumping the Chicago Wolves, 6-3, Friday night at The Q.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — After completing a largely successful stretch of eight games in 11 days, the Monsters had five days off.

They did not get fat during the break.

Lake Erie's skaters -- notably, center Patrick Rissmiller -- played lean and mean in thumping the Chicago Wolves, 6-3, Friday night at The Q.

Rissmiller notched a natural hat trick over the first and second periods and finished with four goals. And get this: He is not even property of the Monsters or their parent, the Colorado Avalanche.

Rissmiller's rights belong to the NHL's Atlanta Thrashers, whose AHL affiliate is Chicago. Rissmiller had played in six games for the Wolves this season before the Thrashers reassigned him. He joined the Monsters on Nov. 20.

Rissmiller set a franchise record for goals in a game and tied a franchise record with five points.

Lake Erie went 5-2-0-1 during the meat grinder that ended with a victory last Saturday against Oklahoma City. The five-day break was its longest since having six days off between the second and third games of the season, Oct. 9-16.

The Monsters (12-9-2-2) showed some rust early in the first period, falling behind, 1-0. Once they kicked it into gear, though, they were relentless.

Lake Erie scored five straight goals before Chicago caused a bit of a stir beginning midway through the third. The Wolves scored twice and created a 6-on-4 in the final minutes thanks to a penalty and pulled goalie.

Rissmiller's fourth goal was an empty-netter.

The Monsters did not simply win a game; they handled a nemesis. The Wolves (11-13-1-0) had prevailed in the previous three of the four-game season series, including 6-5 in overtime Nov. 5 at The Q.

 


Shaq Washington dominant as Maple Heights wins Division II football state championship

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See a photo gallery from the game here. MASSILLON — Talk about finishing.

Maple Heights' DeVonte Ransom returns a kickoff deep into Trotwood-Madison territory during the first quarter. - (Chuck Crow / The Plain Dealer)

See a photo gallery from the game here.

MASSILLON — Talk about finishing.

What a finale.

"Finish" has been the rallying cry at Maple Heights since it lost in last year's state football final. Despite a horrendous start to Friday's Division II state championship game, the Mustangs closed with a flourish to beat Trotwood Madison, 45-33, in front of 3,987 fans in Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.

The state championship is Maple Heights' first in football and the school's first since legendary wrestling coach Mike Milkovich won his 10th and final title in 1974.

Maple Heights (15-0), which lost to Winton Woods by 30 points in 2009, is the first Division II team to win a football championship a year after being the runner-up.

Maple Heights trailed, 13-0 and 26-7, then scored on six consecutive possessions while getting two key defensive stops in the fourth quarter.

"Last year, I felt we gave up in the state championship game. This is a totally different team," quarterback Shaq Washington said.

Washington, as he has done for two years, led the way. The Cincinnati recruit threw three touchdown passes in the first half and scored four rushing touchdowns in the second half, tying a Division II record for rushing TDs.

Washington (5-9, 170), who has always played bigger than his frame, ran the football on Maple Heights' final 19 plays.

In the end, his toughness was matched by his flamboyance.

Following his final snap, he stripped to his waste in the north end zone and hopped over to the Maple Heights cheering section to show off a new chest tattoo that reads "Mr. Maple Heights" from shoulder to shoulder and "216" on his pectorals, which is Maple Heights' area code.

"That's cool," tackle Donovan Garner said, chuckling. "He is the leader of this team. Got to give him his props."

As it would happen, 216 also was Washington's number of yards passing, completing 11 of 19 attempts. He finished with 174 yards rushing -- 148 in the second half.

"When we get the ball in our hands, we will live and die with Shaq Washington every single time," coach Todd Filtz said.

Washington fulfilled a promise he made in the early weeks of the 2009 season, back when no one outside the East Side suburb had even heard of him. He said then this talented group would win a state title.

"I've played with this team since seventh grade," said Washington, who attended Glenville in Cleveland for three months in 2008. "We knew we had one of the best teams around and we proved it today."

Wideout Andre Stubbs, a 5-5 senior, caught seven passes for 170 yards, a Division II record. He scored two touchdowns, including an 80-yarder that sparked the comeback late in the first half.

Maple Heights finished with 406 yards offense, and it needed 44 plays covering 355 yards to dig itself out of a 13-0 hole in the game's opening moments. Washington's 2-yard touchdown run gave the Mustangs a 37-33 lead to complete the comeback with 9:41 remaining in the game.

None of it would have mattered had the Mustangs not stopped Trotwood Madison on fourth-and-2 at the 3-yard line in the second quarter, and on the Rams' first two drives in the fourth quarter.

"If we didn't make those stops, we probably would not be celebrating right now," Garner said.

The game did not start well for Washington. After Trotwood scored on the opening possession, he fumbled his first snap, which led to another Rams TD and the 13-0 deficit.

DeVonte' Ransom returned the ensuing kickoff 69 yards, setting up a 3-yard TD pass from Washington to Dana Day, but Trotwood scored the next two TDs.

Washington threw two touchdown passes to Stubbs before halftime, cutting the margin to 26-19.

Maple opened the second half with a 51-yard scoring drive. Stubbs converted a third down with a 14-yard catch at the 9, and Washington ran it in on the next play. Kadeem Clark's extra-point was blocked, his third straight miss, preserving Trotwood's 26-25 lead.

Trotwood answered for the last time with a 17-yard TD pass from Marcus Graham to Wisconsin recruit A.J. Jordan for a 33-25 lead in the third quarter.

Washington capped the next three drives with TD runs of 4, 2, and 9 yards.

"It couldn't have happened in any better way," Filtz said. "We were told all year we couldn't do it because we had to replace the offensive line. We were told our schedule was too weak. We were probably told when we were down, 26-7, we couldn't win. But guess what, we came back, we're state champions and it was a perfect season."

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: twarsinskey@plaind.com, 216-999-4661

Miami RedHawks stun Northern Illinois to win Mid-American Conference football title

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UPDATED: Miami converts a fourth-and-20 on the final drive before getting a 33-yard touchdown pass for the game-winner.

miami northern illinois.JPGView full sizeMiami (Ohio) running back Thomas Merriweather tries to break away from Northern Illinois cornerback Tommy Davis during the first quarter Friday at Ford Field in Detroit.
DETROIT — The Miami RedHawks survived their own kicking game problems by collecting in a tipped pass on fourth-and-20 to keep a drive alive, then beating the blitz with a 33-yard touchdown pass for a stunning 26-21 upset over No. 24 Northern Illinois to win the Mid-American Conference Championship on Friday night at 'Ford Field.

"Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good," said Miami quarterback Austin Boucher, the freshman backup who has won three straight games since taking over for the injured Zac Dysert. "The play was made, the drive stayed alive and the rest is history. We still had to score, and that's exactly what we did."

The RedHawks had a PAT blocked in the first quarter, a field goal blocked in the second quarter, then failed on a fake field goal in the third quarter.

"It was a play that should have worked," Miami head coach Michael Haywood said. "I would call it again."

That looked to be the difference after NIU took a 21-20 lead midway through the final period, then got the ball still leading with 3:47 to play looking to run out the clock. But the Huskies failed to do it.

"You got to go win the game," NIU head coach Jerry Kill said. "You can't just punt and run. This hurts, and it should hurt. Give them credit for making plays."

A quick three-play, 59-second drive by the Huskies put the ball back in Miami's hands where Boucher (29-of-46, 333 yards, 1 TD) found some late-game magic. After suffering a sack leading to a fourth-and-20 at his own 38, he scrambled on fourth down and launched a missile into a crowd of Huskies. The ball was tipped right into the hands of receiver Chris Givens for a first down.

"He was open so long, it seemed like the hour glass had expired," Haywood said. "Then it's tipped into his hands."

Moments later, facing a corner blitz from the left side, he hit Armand Robinson (14 receptions 176 yards, 1 TD), for the 33-yard game winner.

"They had a blown coverage," Haywood said. "Boucher sees it and does a great job of throwing the ball."

This capped a regular season when the RedHawks, who finished 1-11 last season, now stand at 9-4 with a bowl game, somewhere to be decided by Sunday.

The Huskies (10-3) saw a nine-game winning streak snapped, and will likely lose their national ranking by next week. But a bowl game is in their future as well.

The 12,031 fans expecting a blowout were treated to a shootout instead early on. By the end of the first quarter, the Huskies had a 14-13 lead as four straight possessions after an opening punt by NIU led to touchdowns, although Miami had its first PAT blocked.

The RedHawks did most of their damage on the ground behind tailback Thomas Merriweather who rushed for 81 yards and a TD in the first quarter.

Meanwhile, the Huskies used the passing arm of quarterback Chandler Harnish ( 4-of-7 for 129 yards), while also getting two receptions for 96 yards and two touchdowns covering 69 and 27 yards from sophomore receiver Martel Moore.

Loss in title game disappointing, but Chagrin Falls football team takes pride in great season

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MASSILLON, Ohio — Crushed. Coming up one victory short of a state football championship for the second straight year will do that to you. That was the disappointed state Chagrin Falls found itself in Friday afternoon after losing to Columbus Bishop Hartley, 34-13, in the Division IV title game at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.

Chagrin Falls head coach Mark Iammarino comforts his players Friday after their second consecutive loss in a state championship game. - (Thomas Ondrey / PD)

MASSILLON, Ohio — Crushed.

Coming up one victory short of a state football championship for the second straight year will do that to you. That was the disappointed state Chagrin Falls found itself in Friday afternoon after losing to Columbus Bishop Hartley, 34-13, in the Division IV title game at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.

There was no hiding the tears, but there was also a satisfied conviction that comes with a well-played season and solid run in the playoffs.

"I'm proud because I don't think there was a person in Ohio who thought we would be playing in this game," said senior center Alex Forbers, referring to his team's return to the championship game. "I played three seasons [30 games] in two years. The fact is, not many people can say that."

The Tigers went 14-1 last season and finished at 13-2 this year.

After falling behind, 20-0, Forbers said the Tigers began running inside the tackles to control the ball.

"We kept working against their three-man front," said Forbers. "It wasn't working at the start. But we stayed up and were positive."

Sophomore running back Bradley Munday led the Tigers with 38 yards on 13 carries. He had a 45-yard kickoff return and also caught four passes, including an 11-yarder from fellow sophomore Tommy Iammarino to get the Tigers on the board in the second quarter.

"We settled down and knew what we had to do," said Munday, whose club cut the deficit to 20-13 after three quarters. "It's a great achievement to get here. We'll be ready to come back next year."

However, that won't be the case for senior quarterback Tim Porter, who suffered a serious left knee injury with 7:50 to go in the third quarter. He had to watch his high school career end from the sidelines, a crutch under each arm.

Porter was hurt when Hartley linebacker Jordan Dickerson slammed into his left knee on a passing attempt. Porter became the fourth Tiger lost to a knee injury this season.

"We were making a drive and it just stinks to go down like that," said Porter, who also plays baseball. "I think at the start we struggled because they did a good job on our long pitch. They brought up the safety and they had not done that before. They tackled well. The defense was tough."

Senior wide receiver/defensive back Spencer Diedrich totaled 159 all-purpose yards, earning good field position for the Tigers on returns of 44, 40 and 22 yards. Still, he would have liked to have one defensive play back.

On the first play of the fourth quarter, tight end Jacob Matuska caught a 10-yard touchdown pass in the corner of the end zone on a perfectly thrown ball that Diedrich just missed knocking down. It gave the Hawks a 27-13 lead.

"I'd like to have that back, but I can't do anything about that now," said Diedrich. "I thought we were in it and I thought we were going to win. They made a couple good plays on us."

The Tigers just could not come up with enough of those.

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

Strongsville trio helps Mustangs defeat Olmsted Falls in boys basketball: High School Roundup

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Strongsville's Gurjeet Gill, Ray Hamilton and Aaron White combined to score 57 points Friday on opening night of the boys basketball season, leading the Mustangs to an 83-63 win over host Olmsted Falls. The Bulldogs led, 22-17, at the end of the first quarter, but the Mustangs used their athleticism to take over in the second, outscoring their opponent,...

Senior Ray Hamilton, an Iowa football recruit, scored 22 points in the first game of the 2010-11 season. - (Lonnie Timmons III / The Plain Dealer)

Strongsville's Gurjeet Gill, Ray Hamilton and Aaron White combined to score 57 points Friday on opening night of the boys basketball season, leading the Mustangs to an 83-63 win over host Olmsted Falls.

The Bulldogs led, 22-17, at the end of the first quarter, but the Mustangs used their athleticism to take over in the second, outscoring their opponent, 22-6.

Gill tallied 23 points, Hamilton had 22 and White contributed 12 for Strongsville, ranked ninth by The Plain Dealer.

Olmsted Falls was paced by junior Eric Meehan, who had 21 points, and Steve Johnson, who had 14.

North Royalton 66, Holy Name 49 Post Ned Tomic started his senior season with a double double, collecting 23 points and 15 rebounds in the win.

Senior forward Andrej Markovic added 15 points.

Holy Name was led by post Dan Dreher's 14 points.

Benedictine 82, John F. Kennedy 73 Desmond Ridenour led the eighth-ranked Bengals with 35 points, including two three-pointers and 12-of-16 shooting from the free throw line.

Mike Roberts and Winston Grays had 12 points apiece. JFK got 22 points from Anthony Howard.

Euclid 73, Lorain 63 The 22nd-ranked Panthers came back from a 50-45 deficit after three quarters, thanks to a string of turnovers by Lorain.

Point guard Jeland Head led the Panthers with 21 points and guard Martel Medley added 18.

Euclid went 22 of 36 from the foul line.

Lorain, playing its first-ever game since Admiral King and Southview merged over the summer, was led by guard Michael Davila's 17 points.

Medina Highland 56, Valley Forge 54 The Hornets escaped after Valley Forge missed a three-point attempt with three seconds remaining.

Junior guard Chad Sedio scored 19 points for Highland, and sophomore post Austin Adams added 16.

Valley Forge junior guard Nick Ho scored 20 points, including 11 in the fourth quarter.

Highland outrebounded Valley Forge, 50-22.

Mentor 93, Willoughby South 76 Guard Cole Krizancic picked up where he left off last year, tallying 38 points for the second-ranked Cardinals.

Guard Justin Fritts added 21. New Mentor player Collin Barth, a transfer from Olmsted Falls, added 11.

Cleveland Heights 81, Solon 60 The fifth-ranked Tigers had four players in double figures in scoring, paced by senior forward Cody Martin's 21.

Martin, back after suffering a broken leg last year, added 11 rebounds and three blocks.

Girls basketball

Shaker Heights 71, Toledo Waite 37 Junior guard Jordyn Peck led the host Raiders with 24 points, including four three-pointers. She added four assists and two steals.

Another guard, senior Chyress Lockhart, had 13 points, eight assists and three steals.

Shaker is ranked sixth by The Plain Dealer.

Kirtland 60, Newbury 40 Kaitlyn Kish scored 16 points and guard Rachel Borowske added 14 as the visiting Hornets moved to 2-0.

Newbury got 15 points from junior point guard Jennifer Velotta.

Kenston 34, West Geauga 21 Nine Bombers scored in the Chagrin Valley Conference Chagrin Division win.

Tops was senior guard Ali Read with seven points, including two three-pointers.

Hockey

St. Edward 6, Walsh Jesuit 2 Junior forwards Danny O'Sullivan and Clay Jarrell each netted goals for the 3-2 Eagles.

Holy Name 6, Mentor 3 Forwards Jamie Bucell and Joe Baker each scored two times to help the Green Wave stay unbeaten at 5-0.

Sophomore Sam Pikus tallied 34 saves.

Boys swimming

University 117, Upper Arlington 66 Kevin Stang was part of two record performances as the Preppers won their home dual.

Stang set a pool record in the 100 back, in 52:67. He led off the 200 medley relay that finished in a pool record 1:36.96.

Andrew Malone set a pool record with a 21.52 swim in the 50 free. Malone also won the 100 breast (59.05) and was part of the winning 200 medley and 200 freestyle relays.

Russell Stack won the 100 butterfly (53.65) and was part of the winning 400 freestyle and 200 medley relays.

The dual pitted the defending Division II state champion Preppers against the Golden Bears, who placed third in the Division I state meet last winter.

 

With two big stops, Maple Heights goes on to win the Division II state title

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MASSILLON, Ohio — In a game in which the Maple Heights offense was at its proficient-best, it was two monster defensive stops that helped lift the Mustangs to the first state football championship in school history on Friday. After watching Trotwood Madison's Antwan Gilbert run around, through and between their defenders most of the night, the Mustangs put the...

Maple Heights head coach Todd Filtz celebrates with with his assistant coaches as the Mustangs win the state title Friday at Massillon Paul Brown Tiger Stadium. - (Chuck Crow / PD)

MASSILLON, Ohio — In a game in which the Maple Heights offense was at its proficient-best, it was two monster defensive stops that helped lift the Mustangs to the first state football championship in school history on Friday.

After watching Trotwood Madison's Antwan Gilbert run around, through and between their defenders most of the night, the Mustangs put the speed trap down to start the fourth quarter and rallied to a 45-33 victory in front of 3,987 chilled fans at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium

Maple Heights trailed, 33-31, entering the final 12 minutes as Gilbert, as elusive a running back you will see this side of Shaq Washington, rolled up 179 yards on 28 carries, and quarterback Marcus Graham completed 9 of 16 passes for 145 yards and two touchdowns.

"I've said all year that our best defense is our offense because our offense is so good," said Maple Heights defensive coordinator Aaron Bubonics. "But in the fourth quarter the defense was unreal."

The Mustangs switched from a six-man to a four-man front of seniors O'Brea Williams and Claybourne Miller and juniors Aaron Pipkins and Kennedy Linston.

Bubonics felt that threw some confusion to Trotwood.

"I don't think they've ever seen us in a four-man front, ever," he said. "We made some adjustments and we blitzed 'em a little and the kids played their hearts out. We knew we needed one stop, but we got two."

The Mustangs also had a goal-line stand with 4:52 remaining in the second quarter, stopping the Rams at the one-yard line on a charge led by linebacker Dontell Kennedy.

"If we would have executed on that play it might have been different," said Gilbert.

Trotwood Madison (12-3) got the ball at its 44-yard line with about two minutes left in the third quarter and drove to the Maple 33. The Mustangs forced Graham into two incomplete passes to take over on downs. It was just the fourth time they had stopped Madison on downs.

With Washington taking control and lugging the ball on practically every down, the Mustangs drove 67 yards to take their first lead of the game, 37-33.

Then came the stop that might have won the game.

Madison took the ensuing kickoff to the Maple 48. Miller and Dana Day stopped Gilbert for a three-yard gain on first down, and Kennedy made a tackle on Gilbert at the line. The Rams attempted a flanker-around to Michael Jordan, but linebacker John Welcome dropped Jordan for a two-yard loss.

"We had to go non-stop and dig down deep," said Miller. "We stuck together as a team, and that was the atmosphere all along the line."

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

Loss to Miami Heat embarrassing and revealing for Cleveland Cavaliers

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The "embarrassing" loss to the Heat still stings the Cavaliers. But the bigger issue is that the team isn't playing fundamentally sound basketball, players admit.

lebron james.JPGView full sizeThe fans managed to show up on Thursday night and display some passion. Unfortunately for them, their team did not in an embarrassing blowout to LeBron James and the Miami Heat.

STRONGSVILLE, Ohio — No one slept. Not much, at least.

Daniel Gibson tossed and turned, replaying everything that went so wrong so quickly. Mo Williams sent out a Tweet at 5:30 a.m. saying, "I still ain't closed my eyes." And Antawn Jamison, a 13-year NBA veteran, called it a good ol'-fashioned "whupping" of the magnitude he hasn't seen often.

"I don't think anyone slept in the state of Ohio last night," Jamison said Friday. "This is by far one of the toughest losses in my career."

It was the Cavaliers' biggest loss of the season, a 28-point drubbing by Miami in LeBron James' homecoming appearance. This was the game all of Cleveland had circled on the schedule for months.

Now, it might be the highlighted game on which this Cavaliers season hinges. The team fell to 7-11 with the 118-90 loss, but of greater concern was the effort displayed on both ends of the court, and what appeared to be too warm of a reception for James by his former teammates.

Players contend that what appeared to be laughter and smiles with James was actually unfriendly conversation -- so unfriendly that Gibson's once-strong friendship with James might now be frayed. But the disarray and confusion on the court was undeniable in allowing the Heat to sink 57 percent of their field goals while the Princeton motion offense was stagnant far too often.

daniel gibson.JPGView full sizeCavs guard Daniel Gibson (1) says there was "nothing friendly" about his conversations with LeBron James on Thursday.

"Defensively, we're not in tune; offensively, I don't know what we're doing," Jamison said. "When you play that type of basketball, you get embarrassed."

It was embarrassing in such a way that owner Dan Gilbert Tweeted in the early hours of Friday morning, "Words don't express my feelings so I won't even try. Know this: There's nothing [you] are feeling that I'm not." Gilbert met with General Manager Chris Grant after Thursday's loss, but it was the standard meeting that the two generally have after each game.

Still, the way the loss occurred stuck with the Cavaliers on Friday. They replayed how they sank just 36 percent of their field goals, how Jamison watched teammates hold onto the ball too long as he shook his head in frustration on the court.

"It's not even really dealing with the system," Jamison said. "It's Basketball 101. . . . Offensively, it's not even the concept, it's not even what we're doing with the new scheme. We're just not playing fundamentally sound basketball. We're not spreading the court, we're not looking for the open guy. We're kind of being selfish a little bit, and that's not our identity at all."

The Cavaliers want fans to know that they don't want to be labeled with the identity of being too friendly with ex-players like James, either. Center Anderson Varejao exchanged hugs with James pregame, James jawed with the entire Cavaliers bench each time he sank baskets in the third quarter, and Gibson was seen laughing and smiling during conversations with his former mentor.

However, things were not as they appeared, Gibson said.

"To say we were fraternizing and being friendly . . . no one knows what was said, and the things that were said probably couldn't be repeated right now," Gibson said. "There was nothing friendly about the conversations we had last night."

Asked point-blank if he still considered James a friend, Gibson merely smiled. That came moments after Gibson explained that he often smiles when he's angry.

Cavaliers coach Byron Scott contends one loss won't make or break this season, and that's part of the reason he didn't judge his team more harshly after the lackluster loss.

"I think the guys are beating themselves up enough," Scott said. "I don't think I need to jump on the wagon and beat them up any more. I think they also need to know that I'm behind them 110 percent."

Still, the Cavaliers learned some things about themselves in the loss to the Heat. They know their vulnerabilities, and they know how much it hurts to lose so soundly.

"This should make us angry to the point that we learn from it," Jamison said. "We've been embarrassed and we should never want to have this feeling ever again."

Gibson vs. House: Both Gibson and Heat guard Eddie House earned technical fouls in the fourth quarter of Thursday's loss. Neither player would relay what was said, but it was apparently enough that House wanted to talk to Gibson about it after the game.

As media waited in the hallway outside the visitors' locker room, House sat nearby, and had to be talked out of heading to the Cavaliers' locker room by both security and teammates. After several minutes of anxious coaxing, House retreated to the Miami locker room.

"He said some things I didn't like, and that was it," Gibson said of the on-court incident. "We had our words and that was the end of it. . . . If he wanted to do something [after the game], it would have happened. We all know Eddie House from the playoffs."

Police blotter: According to Cavs spokesman Tad Carper, security at The Q reported one arrest and four ejections during Thursday's Miami Heat game. They also estimated a few dozen T-shirts and about a dozen signs were taken from fans because security considered them inappropriate.

According to the Cleveland Police, there were three arrests outside The Q and one other person was issued a minor misdemeanor citation.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: jvalade@plaind.com, 216-999-4654

Cleveland State women's basketball team defeats Western Michigan

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The Vikings improve to 6-1 on the season thanks to a 20-0 run in the first half.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Cleveland State went on a 20-0 run in the first half Friday night at the Wolstein Center, and defeated Western Michigan, 66-55, in women's basketball.

With the win, the Vikings are 6-1 on the season.

The Broncos, from the Mid-American Conference, led by as many as 10 in the first half, 24-14. But WMU didn't hit its next basket until 2:19 was left, while the Vikings went on their 20-0 run. CSU took a 36-30 lead into the locker room.

After shooting 40.7 percent in the first half, Western Michigan shot just 30.8 percent in the second. The Broncos (2-6) committed 28 turnovers in the game.

Cleveland State placed four players in double figures, led by Janelle Adams with 23. The Vikings outscored the Broncos in the paint, 34-22.

The Broncos' Ebony Cleary finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds for her third double-double of the year, and 12th in her career.


Western Michigan sees a chance for bowl berth: Mid-American Conference Insider

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Arizona State's rejection for bowl eligibility might open a door for Western Michigan.

western michigan.JPGView full sizeAkron linebacker Matt Little dives in vain after Western Michigan's Jordan White during their game in October at InfoCision Stadium.

DETROIT — It's all off the record, but here is the water cooler scuttlebutt at the Mid-American Conference Championship game at 'Ford Field.

It starts with the news that Arizona State was denied its NCAA appeal to be bowl eligible. The Sun Devils are 6-6, but two of their victories came over Football Championship Subdivision teams. It takes a minimum of six victories to be bowl eligible, and only one of those six can be against a lower-level FCS team.

When ASU was dropped by San Jose State before the season, it left the Sun Devils short a major-conference team. The irony is, supposedly one of the teams they tried to schedule was Western Michigan, which turned ASU down. As it stands now, 6-6 WMU is bowl eligible but ASU is not. No WMU official was at the MAC title game to confirm or deny this.

Scuttlebutt II: Word is, the league's interest in UMass for football is a big leverage stick aimed at the Temple Owls. Temple must decide by the first of the year if it wants to extend its allegiance to the MAC for football, or end it after the 2012 season.

If the decision is to stay, then UMass will be welcomed to partner with the Owls, and (hopefully) the MAC will see fit to (a) get both to sign a long-term deal and (b) have a seven-figure buyout clause for both if they leave early. The fallout would be another team added to a small MAC post-season bowl pool (three guaranteed) and Bowling Green once again becomes the pawn, moving from the MAC East Division back to the MAC West, where it began when the league first went to divisional play in 1997.

If Temple opts to end its association with the MAC, UMass would be put on the back burner until the league found another team, preferably one interested in all-sports status, which would then put some pressure on the Minutemen to join the league in all sports as well.

Scuttlebutt III: The bowl situation for MAC teams continues to be in a state offlux, with the possibility of an All-MAC bowl game in Detroit (Little Caesar's Bowl)still on the table. Games today in the Sun Belt Conference (Middle Tennessee 5-6 vs. Florida International, 6-5 ) and the Pac 10 (Washington, 5-6 vs. Washington State, 2-9) are critical to getting more eligible bowl teams, a Sun Belt team to Detroit and/or keeping two MAC teams from playing each other.

"This is not our fault," one MAC person said of the possibility of two MAC teams in a bowl. "We did our job getting six teams bowl eligible. Other conferences may be coming up short."

The secondary bowl problem could come from Mobile, Ala., with the GoDaddy.com Bowl. Should a ranked MAC team fall to them (the Little Caesar's Bowl has first MAC choice this season) it is doubtful they would pass to allow them to play another ranked team in another bowl game. That certainly is not going to happen in Mobile where another Sun Belt team is slated to play there, also.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: ealexander@plaind.com, 216-999-4253

Akron men's soccer team knows Perry Kitchen is part of recipe for success

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Kitchen is what coach Caleb Porter calls "the joystick" to his defense.

petty kitchen.JPGView full sizeAkron midfielder Perry Kitchen, left, battles Indiana's Cameron Jordan for the ball during the Zips' 2-1 victory last Sunday.
AKRON, Ohio — When the home state university comes calling in a sport where it ranks among the nation's best, one might think it would be hard to say no.

But for Indiana native Perry Kitchen, saying "no" to playing soccer for the Indiana Hoosiers was "not as tough as you think," he said.

"Coach [Caleb] Porter has done a great job at Akron," Kitchen said. "And the guys are awesome, too. That helps. I felt like this was the best fit for me."

The No. 3 Zips (20-1-1) can move closer to their national championship goal today with a Sweet 16 victory over No. 6 California (14-2-3) at Lee Jackson Field.

For that to happen, the freshman midfielder Kitchen will have to be on his game as one of the leaders of Akron's defense.

"I think I bring something to the team: a hard-nosed defender, which I think is good for us," Kitchen said. "It's just in my nature. It's what I do; tackle people and win the ball. Use your body, win the ball off of them. If you commit a foul, it's obviously not good defending, so you have to do it without committing a foul."

Yet, Kitchen is more than a tackler. He is what Porter calls "the joystick" to his defense.

"On defense, I make sure they're in the right spots to make sure we win the ball, dictating what we do on defense," Kitchen said.

"Our style is high pressure. All the guys have bought into us pressing wherever we are on the field and trying to win the ball right back so we can get on it."

All of this is what Porter expected from Kitchen after seeing him play at a Hoosiers soccer camp years ago when Porter was an IU assistant coach.

"He came to camp when he was 11 or 12 years old," Porter recalled. "I ended up coaching his team at camp, and at the end of the week he was named MVP. I remember saying, 'That kid would be a professional player one day.'

"You could just tell in his presence, his drive, his competitiveness, just the way he kind of ran the midfield. He just had this swagger about him."

As often happens with young players in camps, Porter lost track of Kitchen after that first encounter and forgot about the young soccer player for a while.

"I can't remember when I started talking to him again, maybe my sophomore year," Kitchen said. "He would come to watch, so I knew he had some interest. So I just started looking into the program. Then a bunch of guys -- highly recruited players -- started rolling in. So I knew a good amount of the guys before I actually got here."

Porter said those early camp contacts paid off in the recruiting process, because just as he remembered Kitchen, the soccer player also remembered him.

"That certainly helped," Akron's fifth-year coach said. "Before I left IU, I coached a club team. He came and trained with our team, so I got to know him pretty well through that. I tell you, he's one of the most competitive, driven, tenacious kids I've ever coached.

"He's the type of kid who will just rip the heart out of his opponent. . . . '"""'He'd rather break his leg than lose."

Kitchen has been named a first-team All-Mid-American Conference honoree, and was named to Top Drawer Soccer's All-Freshman First Team -- which essentially is the Freshman All-American Team.

And it all started with a summer camp visit years ago.

"When I came here, I knew I would recruit him," Porter said. "Obviously, IU wanted him, but we got him, and here he is."

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: ealexander@plaind.com, 216-999-4253


Ohio State women's soccer team falls to Notre Dame in College Cup semifinal

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Mandy Laddish scores in the 83rd minute to lift Notre Dame past Ohio State.

ohio state soccer.JPGView full sizeOhio State goalie Katie Baumgardner (0) and Cassie Dickerson (13) are unable to stop a goal by Notre Dame's Mandy Laddish (not shown) during Friday's semifinals of the NCAA Women's College Cup in Cary, N.C.
CARY, N.C. — Mandy Laddish scored in the 83rd minute to lift Notre Dame past Ohio State, 1-0, in the NCAA Women's College Cup soccer semifinals on Friday.

Laddish scored her second goal of the season for the Fighting Irish (20-2-2), who advance to the championship game on Sunday for the fourth time in the past seven years.

Katie Baumgardner made a career-high 10 saves, many of them acrobatic, for the Buckeyes (17-5-2).

Laddish broke through with a long run down the middle of the field. Outracing pursuit, she drilled a left-footed shot from the top of the box into the upper left-hand corner of the net.

The Fighting Irish threatened the Buckeyes with similar runs throughout the second half, nearly scoring on two other occasions after Laddish's goal.

"I know what our Achilles' heel is, and they found it," Ohio State coach Lori Walker said. "Penetrating on the dribble through the midfield was the one thing that if they did that, we didn't have an answer."

Ohio State's best opportunity came in the 89th minute. Paige Maxwell lofted a shot that got past Notre Dame goalkeeper Nikki Weiss, but the ball bounced off the left post.

"I guess it was our turn to get robbed," said Maxwell, the Big Ten Player of the Year from Medina High School.

"They got robbed a few times. The soccer gods were not in our favor on that one."I just put everything I had, all my being, through that ball."

The Fighting Irish dominated possession throughout, particularly in the second half. They outshot the Buckeyes, 15-3, in the half, getting turned away time after time by Baumgardner.

Notre Dame put together a flurry midway through the period. Melissa Henderson rocketed a shot from inside the box that Baumgardner saved, but Henderson threatened again just 10 seconds later.

Henderson hit a left-footed shot from straight on that Baumgardner dived to her right to knock away just before the ball found the bottom corner of the net.

"I guess it was our turn to get robbed," Maxwell said. "They got robbed a few times. The soccer gods were not in our favor on that one. I just put everything I had, all my being, through that ball."

Notre Dame's Rose Augustin generated the best scoring opportunity in the first half. Augustin's blast from the left wing just outside the box in the 24th minute hit the far post near the top of the goal, and the Buckeyes cleared the loose ball.

Augustin also had a header in the seventh minute that Baumgardner saved.

In the other semifinal, Camille Levin scored in the 48th minute and Stanford beat Boston College, 2-0. 'The Cardinal (23-0-2), which reached the championship game for the second year in a row, next plays Notre Dame on Sunday.


Garfield Heights gets revenge with boys basketball victory over St. Vincent-St. Mary

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AKRON, Ohio — If season openers are any indication of things to come, Ed DeChellis is smiling brightly. The Penn State men's basketball coach locked Garfield Heights guard Trey Lewis to a scholarship in November, and the senior came through in a 75-69 win as the Bulldogs defeated host St. Vincent-St. Mary on Friday.

Garfield Heights' Trey Lewis. - (PD file)

AKRON, Ohio — If season openers are any indication of things to come, Ed DeChellis is smiling brightly.

The Penn State men's basketball coach locked Garfield Heights guard Trey Lewis to a scholarship in November, and the senior came through in a 75-69 win as the Bulldogs defeated host St. Vincent-St. Mary on Friday.

The Fighting Irish kept the season opener a spirited game, but every time it looked like things were about to get interesting, the 6-2 Lewis stood front and center.

"We've had big-time players in the past, and we teach them to step up in pressure situations," Garfield Heights coach Sonny Johnson said. "Trey's a big-time player. This was a big-time game and he proved he was that big-time player willing to step up."

Lewis finished with 24 points before fouling out with 2:59 left.

Before that, he punctuated a 9-0 run by the Bulldogs with a driving bucket for a 67-55 lead midway through the fourth quarter.

SVSM had cut the lead to three with 5:18 remaining when Ricky Johnson (18 points) hit a 3-pointer.

Kenny Simpson and Mike Davis answered for the Bulldogs, but the run was highlighted by a driving bucket by Lewis.

"That was huge," Johnson said. "When the game is close like that, we try to prepare our players for moments like that."

It seemed Lewis was always in the mix for Garfield Heights.

He led a feisty run at the end of the first quarter into the second quarter to give the Bulldogs a lead they wouldn't relinquish.

Down, 18-14, with 31.2 seconds left in the first quarter, the senior point guard scored seven of the game's next 13 points to give Garfield Heights a five-point lead.

"Trey played well," Irish coach Dru Joyce said. "They've had this date circled on their calendar for a long time. [Lewis] shot the ball well, but we gave him open looks."

The win was sweet redemption for a Garfield Heights team that had lost two straight to SVSM, including a 24-point thrashing last season.

"This one was really nice," Lewis said. "We were motivated the whole year to come out and get this one. It was good to come into their house and take something from them. They came to our house last year and took something from us."

Davis finished in double figures for the Bulldogs with 12 points, while Tony Farmer scored 10. The Irish were led by DaVonte' Beard's 20 points.

Brad Bournival is a freelance writer in North Royalton.

Healing Eric Wright knows starting job is in jeopardy: Cleveland Browns Insider

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With rookie Joe Haden playing well, Eric Wright knows he may have lost his starting left cornerback job.

eric wright.JPGView full sizeThis has been a difficult season for cornerback Eric Wright, right, who has been targeted and victimized by opposing offenses.
BEREA, Ohio — Browns cornerback Eric Wright, who is listed as probable for the game against Miami on Sunday with a knee injury, knows he might have lost his starting job to rookie Joe Haden.

"First, I have to get healthy and give myself a chance to do what I've done my whole life," said Wright. "I've never been a backup. I've never been on the bench my whole entire life. I don't know what that feels like and I don't want to know what that feels like. But for the team, if that decision is made, then I'm going to move on and do what I can."

Wright has watched Haden develop into a bona fide NFL starter, one who has had an interception in each of the past three games for a total of four on the season.

"Coming into [the season], you have a small margin of error anyway," said Wright. "They bring in Sheldon [Brown], who's a great player, and then draft a young guy that early [No. 7], he's going to play eventually. For [Haden] to go out here and do the things that he's doing, he deserves to be on the field. He's a great player and he's going to be even better."

joe haden.JPGView full sizeCornerback Joe Haden.

Browns defensive coordinator Rob Ryan said the issue of who starts is tougher on the players than the coaches because they all play so much anyway.

"You want to hear your name called out and all of that," said Ryan. "[But] Joe Haden's done a super job and he could probably start for every team in the league, including ours. So whatever happens there, we'd be happy to get Eric back obviously and have all three of those guys back at full strength."

Brown, whose locker is near Wright's, overheard the line of questioning and jumped to his defense.

"I'm just telling you, the guy is going to play a lot, even if he has to split time with me," said Brown. "The guy can play ball and he's going to be on the field."

Wright said it would be a huge adjustment for him to play only in the nickel and dime coverages.

"You have to change your mentality a little bit," he said. "You have to get acclimated and try to make the best of it because you're not in a rhythm.

"You have to come off on third down and make a stop. You have to get off the field on third down. You can't get into a good rhythm, learning the receivers and getting a feel for what they're trying to do. It's a tough spot. I've always had great respect for guys that are just nickel guys. It's hard. It really is."

But the Browns have praised Haden, the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month, so much lately, it's clear they think he's earned the job.

"He's such a good tackler and he's very physical," said Ryan. "The thing I'm most impressed with is the way he competes. Not just on Sundays but all through the week in practice. He makes plays on the ball, he's got great leaping ability, great hands and he really is everything you want in a corner. He really is. He's going to be great for a long time."

Cribbs is ready: Josh Cribbs, who is listed as questionable with his foot injury, said he thinks he can add some offense to his duties this week, along with kick returns.

"Of course, it's not 100 percent, but I can move around and be effective in both aspects of the game," said Cribbs. "I found that out. I can be effective on offense as well. It's just a matter of battling through it."

Other players listed as questionable include Eric Barton (shoulder), Kenyon Coleman (knee), Shaun Rogers (ankle, hip) and T.J. Ward (thigh).

Cribbs was one of a number of Browns who attended the Cavs-Heat game Thursday night.

"I really think Cleveland fans would have rather cheered for [LeBron James] than against him," said Cribbs. "They'd rather him be on our team. It was a loss that we all felt when he left. But it is what it is. This is a great sports city, sports town, and it showed that yesterday by the passion that they showed, how they came out, the signs and everything. It's just the passion of the city."

Good answer: Coach Eric Mangini said he was "satisfied with the answer we got back from the league" on the controversial ruling at the end of the Panthers game that nearly cost the Browns the victory.

He declined to get specific about what NFL officials told him, but indicated they agreed with his take that time should have run out and John Kasay should not have been allowed to attempt the field goal.

The play in question was the 28-yard catch by Brandon LaFell to the Browns' 24 with four seconds remaining that set up Kasay's 42-yard field goal attempt, which glanced off the left upright.

Mangini argued that LaFell was touched by Brown in-bounds and the clock should have run down to zero. When officials decided to review whether it was a catch, Mangini was assured that even if the catch was upheld, there would be no time left to attempt the kick. Instead, the catch stood, but officials left four seconds on the clock.

Fortunately for the Browns, Kasay missed the kick. Otherwise, Mangini could have ended up on the hotseat.

"That happens a lot, and everybody is trying to do their best to get it right, I get that," said Mangini. "If you're on the plus side of that decision you're happy, and if you're on the down side of it you're miserable. It just depends where you sit."

Hillis absent, honored: Peyton Hillis, who missed Friday because of a personal reason but will play in Miami, was named FedEx Ground NFL Player of the Week. He totaled 131 rushing yards on 26 attempts with three touchdowns, while getting six receptions for 63 yards in the Browns' 24-23 win over the Panthers.

It marked his fourth 100-yard performance of the season and third-highest total of the year. He joined Hall of Famers Jim Brown and Leroy Kelly as the only Browns players to record 11 or more rushing touchdowns in a single season.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: mcabot@plaind.com, 216-999-4670


Live on DSN: Talkin' high school football, Cavaliers and more

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Join DSN's lineup of all-star hosts from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. and get in on the discussion by posting in our chat room and calling into the shows.

greg kozarikJoin Greg Kozarik from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. to talk Cavs, Browns and more on cleveland.com/dsn.

There's always plenty to talk about in the world of Cleveland sports. It's football state championships weekend in Canton and Massillon. The Cavaliers look to rebound from their poor outing against the Heat. The Browns travel to Miami looking for their second straight win.

You'll bet they'll be talking about those topics and more on Digital Sports Network, cleveland.com's new online sports station featuring live streaming video and audio.

Join DSN's lineup of all-star hosts from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. and get in on the discussion by posting in our chat room and calling into the shows.

Here's today's lineup on Digital Sports Network:

8 a.m.-10 a.m. Across the Gridiron: Talking high school football state championships with Glenn Moore and Joe Lull, including a preview of tonight's Division I title game between St. Edward and Huber Heights Wayne.

10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Flotsam and Jetsam with Greg Kozarik:We'll look at the Cavaliers' problems, the Browns' game against the Dolphins and take your calls and chat room questions.

3:30 p.m. Live at the State Football Finals: Buchtel vs. Bishop Watterson (live in-game chat only)

6:30 p.m. Live at the State Football Finals: St. Edward vs. Huber Heights Wayne (audio-only)

Remember, you can watch the live video stream or listen to the audio-only stream and interact with the studio via chat room, Twitter, Facebook, phone or email. Be sure to also check out DSN's sports blog.


Cleveland Indians sign INF Jack Hannahan with invitation to big-league spring training

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The Indians, searching to strengthen themselves at third base, have signed Jack Hannahan to a minor league deal with a spring training invitation.

CLEVELAND -- The Indians have signed infielder Jack Hannahan to a minor league deal with a spring training invitation. Hannahan, a left-handed hitter, has played mostly first and third base in the big leagues.

Hannahan, 30, didn't play in the big leagues last season. He split his time between Class AAA Tacoma (Seattle) and Class AAA Pawtucket (Boston) where he hit a combined .237 (79-for-334) with nine homers and 45 RBI. His slash line was .237/.340/.374.

He played every infield position last season, seeing his most time at third (46 games) and second base (37).

Hannahan last played in the big leagues in 2009 with Oakland and Seattle. He hit a combined .213 (57-for-267) with four homers and 19 RBI. His slash line was .213/.297/.326.

He played 84 games at third base and 18 at first base in 2009.

Hannahan was a third round pick by the Tigers in 2001. He made his  big league debut with Detroit in 2006.


Mascots gone wild: Cincinnati Bearcat cited for disorderly conduct (now with video)

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A school spokesman says the mascot was told to stop throwing snowballs in the stands and pushed a security guard, knocking both of them to the ground. The mascot was detained and cited.

cincinnati-bearcat.jpegThe University of Cincinnati's Bearcat mascot, nose to nose with an actual bearcat.

CINCINNATI, Ohio -- The University of Cincinnati's Bearcat mascot was cited for disorderly conduct after a snowball-throwing incident in the stands during a game against Pittsburgh.

Heavy snow covered the field and stands for the Big East game on Saturday afternoon. When Pitt's Dion Lewis scored the second of his three touchdowns in the half, students pelted him with snowballs and were told to stop.

A school spokesman says the mascot also was told to stop throwing snowballs in the stands and pushed a security guard, knocking both of them to the ground. The mascot was detained and cited. He was not identified.

A backup mascot took his place at halftime.

Earlier this year, Ohio University's Bobcat mascot tackled Ohio State University's Brutus Buckeye, setting off a wrestling match.

Columbus Bishop Watterson edges Buchtel, 13-12, for Division III state football championship

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Massillon, Ohio -- Point fingers. Make excuses. Analyze all you want. The bottom line to Buchtel's agonizing 13-12 loss to Columbus Bishop Watterson in Saturday's Division III state championship football game came down to something that could pass for a line in a country song.

Buchtel safety Marlon Oden, left, cannot hold his emotions back as the Division III state title game ends with Columbus Bishop Watterson winning, 13-12, at Massillon Paul Brown Tiger Stadium. - (Chuck Crow / The Plain Dealer)

Massillon, Ohio -- Point fingers. Make excuses. Analyze all you want.

The bottom line to Buchtel's agonizing 13-12 loss to Columbus Bishop Watterson in Saturday's Division III state championship football game came down to something that could pass for a line in a country song.

If it wasn't for defense, the Griffins wouldn't have had any offense at all.

Despite causing six turnovers -- three fumbles and three interceptions -- the Griffins were able to turn just two of those take-aways into points and lost in the state title game for the third time in five tries in front of 5,920 fans.

Even when Watterson fumbled on its 21-yard line with 3:33 to play and protecting its final one-point lead, the Griffins were unable to unwrap what appeared to be an early Christmas present that was recovered by D'Antonio Parmer.

Thus, what had been a marvelous, go-for-broke tournament run came to a frustrating, heart-breaking end in a setting that was colder and certainly more harsh than the 31-degree temperature at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.

"This is hard to take," said senior running back/safety Marlon Oden, one of the team's leaders.

Oden came within inches of being a hero when his bid to gain a first down at the Watterson six came up short on fourth down and 4:30 left.

"I don't know what to say," said wide receiver Corey Smith. "I am so hurt by this. We beat ourselves."

Not necessarily so. Watterson's defense had a lot to do with it as the Eagles were able to nullify Buchtel's strike-from-anywhere offense at every turn.

Buchtel was inside Watterson's 30-yard line six times and scored once.

"They did exactly what I would have done if I was coaching against Buchtel High School," said Buchtel coach Ricky Powers. "I would keep our kids back, don't blitz and let them run to me a little bit. They did a good job. We had a lot of opportunities, we just didn't get it done."

The Eagles, winning the school's second state title this decade, held Buchtel to 204 yards of offense. They hounded Buchtel quarterback Steve Parker like no one has during the playoffs and they seldom let the Griffins break off a big play.

"We didn't give our quarterback any time," said Smith, who was held to two receptions for 20 yards.

When he wasn't running for his life, Parker completed 6 of 13 passes for 113 yards and one touchdown, a 20-yard strike to Tyler Jones that gave Buchtel a 12-6 lead with 3:04 to go in the third quarter.

"They were able to stop me the whole game and they had guys who could contain me," said Parker, as he peeled the tape that covered the cast on his broken left (non-throwing) hand. "They were tough."

The Griffins (11-4) looked as if they would be held scoreless in the first half, which would have been the first time that's happened since the third week of the season. Junior Jarrod Wilson took care of that when he picked off a Patrick Rhomberg pass and raced 80 yards down the sideline for a touchdown, forging a 6-6 tie on the last play of the first half.

Watterson, ranked third in the final state poll, scored first on a nine-play, 77-yard drive in the first quarter.

The Griffins were leading, 12-6, when Watterson began the winning drive at its 45-yard line with 2:58 left in the third quarter. The drive took eight plays and was aided when senior Jevonte Blackwell was penalized 15 yards for slugging a Watterson player after a one-yard loss on second down.

Buchtel had three possessions in the fourth quarter but the first one ended in a three-and-out and Oden was stopped short on the second. Its chances ended three plays after Parmer's fumble recovery when Parker was sacked and then threw an interception on a desperation play with 2:02 to go.

 

Red-faced Cleveland Browns defense determined to make a better showing against Miami

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The Browns have missed crucial tackles with the game on the line in each of the past three games, but vow to get that corrected today against the Dolphins.

brown-lafell-panthers-horiz-jk.jpgView full sizeStill seething from their errors in the final minutes against Carolina and in previous weeks against the Jets and Jaguars, Sheldon Brown (right, against the Panthers' Brandon LaFell) and the rest of the Browns defense have put in a spirited week of practice in attempting to regain their footing Sunday against Miami.

Browns at Dolphins, Sunday, 1 p.m. TV: WOIO Ch. 19

MIAMI, Fla. -- Rob Ryan, who acknowledged that his Ph. D is in football, evoked Mark Twain to explain how his embattled Browns defense will bounce back Sunday from three straight weeks of costly missed tackles.

"The death of our defense has been greatly exaggerated," said Ryan. "Our guys have had a great week of practice and we're responding. We're looking forward to this challenge and we're going to prove our mettle."

Over the past three weeks, the defense has missed crucial tackles with the game on the line: the 37-yard TD pass to Santonio Holmes in overtime that cost them a tie in the Jets game, the 75-yard screen pass in Jacksonville that blew the victory, and the 32-yard pass at the end of the Panthers game that nearly cost them the win.

"It's amazing because I haven't seen guys miss tackles all year like that and then we'll have a rash of them," said Ryan. "We've got to stop it and that's what we're doing. There's no excuse for it. If you're in the right place to make a tackle, you've got to get him down. I think guys press at those times, when the game's on the line."

Heading into last week's game against the Panthers, Ryan knew his defense was off. He didn't bound into his Friday press conference with the same gusto, and his apprehensions were borne out when the Browns snapped a streak of 23 straight games without surrendering a TD on the opening drive.

"It's the first time in a long time ... where you just know as a coordinator that you're not having a good week of practice," Ryan said. "That was not what we were looking for obviously and it looked like we had to wake up. We got back on track, but our tackling still wasn't up to par."

This week in practice, veteran cornerback Sheldon Brown, who spoke out after the Panthers game about the woeful finish, set the tone.

"During the course of the week, he was wrapping up guys and it was just his mentality," said linebacker David Bowens. "It started on Wednesday when we were in pads, and then everyone else started doing it. Being the veteran that he is, Sheldon backed up what he said by the way he practiced."

Brown, who came under for fire after the Jacksonville game for trying to strip Maurice Jones-Drew on a 75-yard screen pass instead of wrapping him up, wanted to make a statement.

"It's important to lead by example," he said. "I wanted to show the younger guys that I'm working on the things that I need to work on. If I can do it after being in this league for so long, there's no excuse for you not to do it."

He said he's trying to instill the same work ethic in the younger players here that older veterans did with him in Philadelphia.

"The guys you really want in your foxhole are the guys that really prove it when nobody's watching during adversity," he said. "It's more important that you rise to the occasion during the hard times than the front-runner that a lot of people are when things are great."

He derived little satisfaction from the NFL agreeing with the Browns that time should've run out after the 28-yard catch by Carolina's Brandon LaFell because Brown had touched him inbounds. Fortunately, John Kasay missed the ensuing field goal attempt.

"The games shouldn't even come down to those plays," he said. "It's just not being used to winning, understanding how to finish it. We're in position early, where the only thing we have to do is not make mistakes."

The Browns know that good tackling will be paramount against Dolphins backs Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams, along with tight end Davone Bess and receiver Brandon Marshall.

"Try to block-tackle Ricky Williams, it's not going to work," said coach Eric Mangini. "Same thing with Ronnie Brown. He's very patient in the backfield. He's got a great ability to navigate through traffic and nothing's hurried. You've got to be sound on the edge and you've got to be sound up front and this is a group that will commit to running and if they get it going, they'll keep it going."

Miami can also bust out the Wildcat, which the Browns have experience practicing against.

"These guys will run it down your throat if you're not ready," said Ryan. "They'll get in that Wildcat and pound you with it. I think they had about (471) yards against Oakland so that will get your attention. They have a two-headed monster back there, they can just keep feeding one and sometimes they're both in there together.

"But we're excited. We can't wait to get back to play and get things corrected."

Defensive dominance keeps Mount Union rolling in Div. III playoff victory over Alfred

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The Raiders were clinging to a 10-7 lead early in the second quarter before pulling away with a strong defensive effort.

munion-football-alfred-spec.jpgView full sizeMount Union's defense swarms after a fumble during the Purple Raiders' 37-7 victory over Alfred in Saturday's NCAA Div. III quarterfinal game in Alliance.

Joe Magill

Special to The Plain Dealer

ALLIANCE, Ohio -- Through the years fans have been spoiled by the Mount Union football team.

In winning 10 Division III national championships in 17 years, the Purple Raiders have made a habit out of shredding their opponents, often by gaudy scores that made it seem it was men playing against boys.

But what if that doesn't happen, such as Saturday's 37-7 national quarterfinal victory over Alfred University? While it appears to have been a typical blowout, the Raiders were clinging to a 10-7 lead early in the second quarter, having struggled mightily on offense.

In the first quarter, Mount Union quarterback Neal Seaman completed only three of 10 passes for 32 yards and tailback Jeremy Murray averaged only 2.6 yards on 11 carries. One drive started on the Alfred 6 after an interception by Walsh Jesuit graduate Alex Ferrara, but three plays lost two yards and a field goal ensued.

"On offense we probably looked sporadic, but that was a good defensive team," Mount Union coach Larry Kehres said. "Their linebackers were very good. As opposed to thinking that we played poorly, I want to recognize that Alfred had a good defense that was very disciplined."

Eventually the Raiders pulled away, and it was a defensive play that was the key, as Nick Driskill picked up a fumble early in the third quarter and returned it 17 yards for a touchdown and a 27-7 Mount Union lead.

"It was pretty apparent why they're the No.1 defense in the country," Alfred coach Dave Murray said. "They have tremendous team speed and it made it difficult for us to do anything."

Alfred quarterback Tom Secky had a miserable day, completing just eight of 33 passes for 122 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Freshman tailback Austin Dwyer entered needing just 17 yards to set a single season rushing record, but it wasn't until late in the game that he got it, ending with 22 yards on 15 carries.

"Every player on their defense is fast and athletic," Secky said. "It was basic stuff that we've seen all year, but they have 11 guys who are great on defense."

Murray said his team's defense did a great job of keeping the Saxons in the game. But it was almost as if an offensive explosion by the Raiders was inevitable.

"You always feel like you're sitting on a powder keg waiting to explode with Mount Union's offense," he said.

The offense was spearheaded by Collinwood's Cecil Shorts, who had 199 all-purpose yards and scored one touchdown on a 15-yard pass from Seaman. Murray also eventually got going, finishing with 122 yards on 33 carries and one touchdown. Fullback Wes Ryder added 52 yards on seven carries, including a 20-yard TD.

The Raiders, 13-0 and ranked No.2 in the country, next host No. 14 Bethel, which upset No.4 St. Thomas, 12-7.

Joe Magill is a freelance writer based in University Heights.

Moving on? Cleveland Cavaliers need to find some success after "Return" debacle: NBA Insider

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What happens next will be far more important as far as determining the future of the season and, ultimately, the Cavaliers roster.

scott-heat-cavs-vert-ap.jpgView full sizeWatching his team be thoroughly dominated by LeBron James and the Heat on Thursday, Byron Scott knows the current three-game, four-day road trip is important to his players.

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- All season long, whenever they've been asked about the departure or the return of LeBron James, most of the Cavaliers had a standard answer: We're moving on.

That has never been more true that it is in the wake of Thursday's devastating loss to the Miami Heat in James' return to The Q for the first time since the debacle of Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against Boston.

As bad as that was -- and NBA.com's Steve Aschburner may have described it best when he said the Cavs went from deer-in-the headlights to "complete Bambi" -- the Cavs are not going to let one day define their season. Even if it was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day, to borrow a line from author Judith Viorst.

The Cavs are well aware of the fans' outrage, especially over the perception that they were laughing and joking with James as he demolished them -- a perception the team has worked hard to correct in the 48 hours since then. According to several players and officials, what may have looked friendly was not. In addition, they point out, current NBA rules prevent the sort of mayhem that many fans were demanding.

Furthermore, common sense prevents the sort of roster overhaul that fans also are demanding after one particularly distasteful defeat. There's no doubt owner Dan Gilbert was incensed. He stalked from the arena declining interview attempts but later tweeted, "Words don't express my feelings so I won't even try. Know this: There's nothing U are feeling that I'm not. The best B-Ball player ever once said: 'My pain was my motivation.' And so it will be with us."

But he, too, realizes that at this point the Cavs are not dealing from a position of strength. Not a soul in the NBA doesn't know what happened on Thursday, which doesn't leave General Manager Chris Grant much bargaining room.

If it's possible -- and it may not be -- to take the emotion out of what happened Thursday, what happens next will be far more important as far as determining the future of the season and, ultimately, the roster. And not in that Nietzsche "What doesn't kill us makes us stronger" way either.

With a three-game trip against Minnesota, Detroit and Philadelphia, the Cavs can salvage the rest of their season.

"To win all three games would be a great trip, to win two out of three would be a good trip," coach Byron Scott said. What he didn't say was that to win none could spell disaster. But Antawn Jamison almost did.

"It's definitely a sense of urgency," Jamison said. "If we continue to play the way we're playing now, it's going to be a long season. The one good thing I will say is that looking at our record, we're still right there in the mix. We have to find a way start playing better basketball, and quickly.

"We have to put whether we're mad with our roles or anything, we have to put that behind us and just salvage what we have as far as the talents and what we're capable of doing as a team because if we don't do it now, it can really turn into something negative."

At the end of this trip, the Cavs will have played 21 games, a quarter of their season. They have had their moments, but overall they have not looked very good. They're not running Scott's Princeton offense effectively, the defense they're playing seems to come more from muscle memory than effort, and they're content to play about one good quarter a game.

But they have a chance to correct all that and start the recovery process.

"Do we feel we should win these games?" Scott said. "Yeah, we do. But we have to go out on the court and do it. We have to be a lot more aggressive, a lot more physical, a lot more patient on the offensive end. We have to trust each other a lot more than we have on both ends the last few games. If we do that, we feel we'll be victorious."

Two or three victories now will not erase the memory of Dec. 2. But if the Cavs can truly put it behind them and move on, it will not have to be the defining date of this franchise.

P.S. In case you're wondering, that best basketball player referred to in Gilbert's tweet is Michael Jordan.

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