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All the talk of Peyton Hillis and his contract/strep throat is the Browns' fault: Bill Livingston

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Everyone is talking about Peyton Hillis and his contract. Didn't the Browns bring this on themselves with a premature announcement by team President Mike Holmgren?

peyton hillis.JPGView full sizeThe Peyton Hillis contract/strep throat drama is a controversy the Browns' front office brought on itself.

The game is faster, the players bigger, the collisions more violent today than ever in the NFL. Yet the players were tougher in the old days, say the players of the old days.

Former Browns Hanford Dixon and Bob Golic criticized current Brown Peyton Hillis, who said he could not play against Miami almost two weeks ago because he had lost 10 to 12 pounds while battling strep throat.

Said a former NFL lineman I know, who never played with the Browns: "I played with strep throat, too. They gave me IVs and told me to go get 'em. I lost significant weight, too."

It's unclear how mucking it up in the line translates to taking the hits Hillis takes. It seems like he takes at least three (a couple of tacklers and the ground) on every carry and often a lot more. His punishing running style is perfect for a blue-collar town that has seen its favorite team outmuscled by hated rivals like Pittsburgh and Baltimore for years.

Simply as a physical issue, it really doesn't work to call Hillis soft after watching him butt into a knot of Indianapolis players, then bounce off them and race to the end zone for the clinching touchdown in the second game of the season, or to watch him take hit after hit, churning forward, legs driving, in search of extra yards last season as the feature back in the anemic Browns offense.

It does work, however, if critics graft the modern pathologies of greed and selfishness onto the story -- an option that grew more attractive after Hillis' agent said he advised him not to play in the Miami game. Mike Holmgren, Brown supremo, said weeks ago that he was "trying like crazy" on ESPN's "Mike and Mike in the Morning" to get Hillis, who is playing for the four-year minimum of $600,000, to agree to a contract extension. Nothing has been finalized.

It seemed like a very odd thing to say, given the shift to a more finesse, short-passing offense, given the restored health of promising running back Montario Hardesty as a player who could share the load and given the often dismal histories in this city of players too soon rewarded with big contracts. That would include Grady Sizemore, Fausto Carmona, and Reuben Droughns.

The timing of Holmgren's comments were a disconnect with the reality of the offensive planning, other than Hillis has very soft hands that allowed him to catch 61 passes last season.

But there is no disconnect with Hillis' game. He has shown no evidence of malingering, so it is hard to believe he refused to push himself because the big rush to sign him stalled.

The belief here is that Hillis realizes the value of his presence, even if he was mainly a decoy, and that he missed the game because he was really ill. Also, while no one is 100 percent healthy in the NFL, severely diminished playing capacity will be punished severely by today's better athletes.

A more ridiculous theory floating around is that Hillis is a victim of the "Madden Jinx" ever since he became popular enough to be voted onto the cover of the John Madden video game for this season. Perhaps the circumstances that made Hillis such a force will not be repeated with the new regime. Perhaps he is only a very good player, not a game-changer. Perhaps the Browns simply don't have enough talent around him. Each argument has some truth to it.

It also would have helped, with a whole bye week for this slur on Hillis to smear its way along, if new coach Pat Shurmur, after the Miami game, which the Browns won, had said something more emphatic than: "Peyton was sick. That was my understanding." But that is what Shurmur said, not "Peyton was sick and should have stayed in bed."

Holmgren's premature disclosure of his plans for Hillis set the terms of the debate. Shurmur's comments did little to change it. This is a controversy the Browns' front office brought on itself.


Garfield Heights boys basketball player Jermaine Davis chooses LaSalle over Cleveland State, others

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GARFIELD HEIGHTS, Ohio - Jermaine Davis, a main cog in Garfield Heights' drive to the Division I boys basketball state semifinals last winter, has made an oral commitment to LaSalle. Davis, a 6-9, 270-pound power forward, averaged six points and four rebounds as the first post player off the bench for the Bulldogs, who finished with a 24-2 record...

Garfield Heights power forward Jermaine Davis averaged six points and four rebounds as the first post player off the bench for the Bulldogs last season. - (Special to The Plain Dealer)

GARFIELD HEIGHTS, Ohio - Jermaine Davis, a main cog in Garfield Heights' drive to the Division I boys basketball state semifinals last winter, has made an oral commitment to LaSalle.

Davis, a 6-9, 270-pound power forward, averaged six points and four rebounds as the first post player off the bench for the Bulldogs, who finished with a 24-2 record while reaching the state semifinals for the first time in more than 60 years.

Garfield Heights coach Sonny Johnson said Davis chose LaSalle after considering offers from Cleveland State, Northern Illinois and Bowling Green.

"Every school liked his size and his ability to rebound," said Johnson. "Jermaine is a big kid and at 6-9, 270 he can be a force inside."

Davis figures to play a bigger role this season as Garfield attempts to repeat as regional champs.  

Ohio State football: Inside the game as the Buckeyes take on Nebraska

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Doug Lesmerises looks Inside the Game for the Nebraska-OSU matchup.

Breaking down the four components of today's Ohio State football game: mental, physical, emotional and, a part of the game that's too easy to forget these days, the fun.

The Mental

When the offense is having trouble picking up 3 yards per run, the last thing it can do is turn a first-and-10 into a first-and-15. Especially when the first-and-15 play is another run into the line.

Among the litany of offensive issues for Ohio State in its loss to Michigan State last week, the nine penalties for 82 yards, including three false starts on the offensive line, are among the most correctable.

"I think the thing that bothered us the most was the unforced errors," OSU running backs coach Dick Tressel said. "We had some unforced errors when we started to get a little momentum, and some silly penalties and things like that, that stung a little bit."

The physical issues for the OSU offense will persist. Playmakers such as DeVier Posey, Dan Herron and Terrelle Pryor will continue to be missed. But it's reasonable to expect a smarter game from the Buckeyes.

The players avoiding penalties is only part of that.

If the Buckeyes' game plan doesn't show that Ohio State's offensive coaches, particularly offensive coordinator Jim Bollman, learned from last week, televisions across Ohio may end up with cracked screens by the end of the game. Asked about freshman quarterback Braxton Miller's options to audible at the line, OSU coach Luke Fickell said Miller can, but "again, you can only do what your guys can handle."

That makes sense. But at some point tonight, Miller may have to be given the freedom to make a mistake. Yes, he's young. But he's also the starting quarterback. There's no point in focusing on turnovers so much that it also diminishes the possibility of scoring points.

The Physical

jhall.jpgAfter taking a pounding against Michigan State, Ohio State's Jordan Hall (No. 7) might be used a bit more judiciously this week. The Buckeyes might even try to get the speedy back the ball out away from the line of scrimmage.

Ohio State running back Jordan Hall's postgame interview last week was cut short because the junior was in some physical pain, beaten up a bit by the load he carried against the Spartans. Tressel and Fickell said taking part in close to 50 plays was too much for the 5-9, 195-pounder. His load should be lessened a bit tonight, with Carlos Hyde and Jaamal Berry seeing some more action.

Among his plays, Hall returned one punt and two kickoffs and carried 18 times for 45 yards. But he didn't catch a pass. For the season, he has just one catch for 4 yards.

Hall was suspended for the first two games of the season and missed much of the second half against Miami with cramps. Still, this doesn't match what the Buckeyes showed in the spring and during preseason with throws they practiced to the running backs and with the plan they talked about to get Hall the ball in space. Instead, he's getting beaten up inside while going unused on the outside, where he would likely do even more damage to a defense.

"All along, we have said if you can get this guy the ball in space, that's a good thing," Tressel said. "We would like to do that, but you have to do it in progressions. You can't just say, 'Hey, let's figure out all the ways we can get the ball to Jordan Hall in space.' It's going to be in the system, and I think slowly but surely our hope would be that would show up a little bit more."

Saturday night would be a good start.

The Emotional

Perhaps this category should be renamed "The Stoic." The idea of Nebraska coach Bo Pelini facing his alma mater as a head man doesn't seem to be generating much of a personal reaction.

"I think coach Bo could care less if we were in the Big Ten, the Pac-12 or the Big 12," Nebraska defensive lineman Jared Crick said before the season. "Having that Ohio background, he's maybe a little excited, but he's not letting us see it."

In this coaching matchup of OSU alums, Fickell said he doesn't know Pelini, who was seven years ahead of him at Ohio State, all that well. But they learned some of the same things, having both played under John Cooper.

Pelini, an OSU safety from 1987 to '90, started his career playing for Earle Bruce. Pelini said young player Pelini would not have done well playing for coach Pelini.

"There would be a lot of arguments," Pelini said. "As a player, I thought I knew everything."

The Youngstown native, the youngest of eight children, said he chose to play at Ohio State, in part, because his parents were older and it was easier for them to see him if he stayed close to home.

Obviously, Pelini said his experiences as a player helped shape him as a coach. But don't expect him to give Brutus a pregame hug.

"It isn't more or less meaningful," Pelini said. "It is about doing a job."

The Fun

There were more than a few fans in Ohio State gear walking the streets of Lincoln, Neb., on Friday afternoon. Even if your 3-2 team is unranked, coming off a loss that was nearly a shutout, missing three suspended players, facing the prospect of consecutive defeats for the first time since 2004, continually dogged by talk of NCAA violations and dealing with a coaching rumor mill, you can find a way to have a good time. Maybe.

"We know a lot of people who canceled their trips because we're having a bad season," said Jim Valentine, 74, an OSU fan from Columbus who made the trip with his son, Bryan. "But we thought for Nebraska's welcome to the Big Ten, we wanted to have as big a presence as we could. We wanted to support them, win or lose."

The Valentines thought the people they met in Lincoln were the nicest fans they'd run across in all their travels to OSU away games. And they have hope for tonight.

"People always like a winner," Jim Valentine said. "But too many people are fair-weather fans."

Ohio State football: Key to the game in the Nebraska-OSU matchup

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The return game could make the difference when Ohio State plays Nebraska.

The return game: Most Ohio State fans seem to expect the Buckeyes' offense to generate between three and negative-10 points on its own tonight. The idea of Ohio State marching up and down the field, even on a Nebraska defense that is playing below expectations, seems like a foreign one.

Nebraska fans may have only slightly more faith in the Cornhuskers' offense against the OSU defense. So waiting for defensive or special-teams scores, or at least big plays to set up short fields for the offenses, makes sense.

Nebraska's Ameer Abdullah leads the Big Ten in kick-return average (35.1 yards), including a 100-yard touchdown, and is second in punt-return average (12 yards).

Ohio State's Jordan Hall, who averages 46.8 yards per kick return and 14.8 yards per punt return but doesn't have enough returns to officially qualify for the Big Ten stats, has to win the return battle for the Buckeyes.

In a game where scoring may be scarce, one return for a touchdown, for either side, might feel more like 20 points than seven.

Ohio State Buckeyes' DeVier Posey suspended for another 5 games

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The NCAA's five-game suspension for Ohio State receiver DeVier Posey drew an angry reaction from Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith and from Posey's lawyer.

LINCOLN, Neb. -- The NCAA has suspended Ohio State receiver DeVier Posey for another five games, a ruling that drew the ire of Ohio State Athletic Director Gene Smith and virtually wipes out Posey's senior season.

 

 

devierposey.jpgView full sizeThe NCAA suspended Ohio State senior receiver/returner DeVier Posey for another five games Friday. The soonest Posey can take the field is Nov. 19, when the Buckeyes host Penn State.

Larry James, the attorney for Posey and other OSU players involved with the NCAA, said he believes the NCAA is punishing Posey for his association with former OSU quarterback Terrelle Pryor, since the NCAA cannot punish Pryor, who is now in the NFL. James said he provided documentation that Posey was properly paid for his time working for an OSU booster.

"I believe they think he was probably dirtied by Terrelle Pryor," James said in a phone interview. "I think that's the reason they simply would not believe anything. That's the only thing that could make sense."

As it stands, Posey will be able to return for the Buckeyes' home game against Penn State on Nov. 19 and the road trip to Michigan on Nov. 26. He was suspended for being overpaid $720 by Independence Excavating, and for accepting a free round of golf worth about $100 from another person. Previously he had been suspended five games at the start of the season for his role in the tattoo scandal that broke last December.

Ohio State running back Dan Herron and offensive lineman Marcus Hall, also suspended for today's Nebraska game, saw their latest suspensions set at one game, allowing them to return against Illinois next week. Injured defensive lineman Melvin Fellows also had his suspension set at one game.

"I am extremely disappointed with the NCAA's decision regarding DeVier Posey," Smith said in a statement released by Ohio State minutes after the ruling was made public Friday night. "This penalty is harsh considering the nature of the violation and the five-game suspension already served by this student athlete."

As Ohio State continues to wait for a full ruling from the NCAA Committee on Infractions, which may not come before December at this point, Smith's reaction showed a bump in Ohio State's relationship with the NCAA. Dating back to December and through Ohio State's hearing Aug. 12, Smith spoke frequently about the school's work in conjunction with the NCAA. But he also said that, for instance, if the NCAA issued a bowl ban for Ohio State's violations connected to the tattoo scandal and the lack of information provided by former coach Jim Tressel, he would be "on the offensive."

That's a pretty good way to characterize his reaction Friday night, as well as the reaction of James.

Bobby DiGeronimo, the owner of Independence Excavating and an OSU booster now disassociated by the school, said previously that Posey was paid properly. James said phone records and credit card records showed Posey worked as claimed. He also said the NCAA rule that players couldn't be paid more than $15 an hour did not account for the higher union wages that Posey had to be paid while working alongside union employees.

"I could try this case 100 times and 100 times I'd win it," James said. "The NCAA just ignored [the documentation]."

A request sent to the NCAA asking for a response to James' statements was not returned.

No surprise to some Peralta has excelled

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Back at shortstop, ex-Indian thriving with the Tigers.

jhonny-peralta.JPGView full sizeFormer Indian Jhonny Peralta hit .299 with 21 homers and 86 RBI for the Tigers this season.

Arlington, Texas — The emails and online comments keep coming.

The curious want to know who is playing shortstop for the Detroit Tigers. They recognize the unique spelling of the first name, but not the stats. Jhonny Peralta goes into Game 1 of the American League Championship Series tonight against Texas at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington apparently a changed man.

Peralta hit .299 (157-for-525) with 25 doubles, three triples, 21 homers and 86 RBI for the AL Central champs. He hit .222 as the Tigers went the distance in the five-game AL Division Series to defeat New York at Yankee Stadium and received praise for, gather yourself, his play at shortstop.

Indians fans say they have never seen Peralta play this well. They feel secure in that knowledge because he was the Tribe’s shortstop and third baseman from 2003 through July 2010 when he was traded to Detroit in a salary

dump.

Tigers DH Victor Martinez does not go along with the prevailing line of thought that an alien has taken over Peralta’s body.

“ Jhonny is the same good player he’s been his whole career,” said Martinez, who came up through the Indians’ minor-league system with Peralta. “I’m just being honest with you.”

Martinez, traded to Boston the year before Peralta was shipped to Detroit, still has a soft spot for Cleveland.

“My family, my son, even my mom will always have Cleveland in our hearts,” said Martinez. “That is a place that saw me grow up as a person and a player. I will always have a special thing for Cleveland.

“But this is something I don’t understand. When we come to Cleveland, why do they boo Jhonny? Just look around at the shortstops they’ve been running through the organization. Jhonny has been one of the greatest offensive shortstops in the organization.”

Peralta shows little, if any, emotion on the field. He’s a flat-liner who plays at one speed. Cleveland fans sometimes interpreted that as Peralta not caring.

“I’ve been playing with Jhonny since Single-A,” said Martinez. “Sometimes it looks like he doesn’t care. But that’s his personality and you can’t change that. But he really cares and he really works hard to get himself ready to play every day. As a teammate, that’s something you really appreciate.”

Peralta, the Indians’ all-time home run leader among shortstops, played 146 games this year, third most on the Tigers. In five full seasons with the Indians, he averaged 149 games a year.

“ Jhonny did a lot of great things in Cleveland,” said Martinez. People are surprised he hit 21 homers this year. He hit 24 one year [2005] in Cleveland. He almost had 90 RBI another year [2008]. He’s been a good player.”

Peralta says one of the reasons he’s had such a good year at the plate is because right after the trade, Tigers manager Jim Leyland moved him back to shortstop. He was moved to third in 2009 in Cleveland by then-manager Eric Wedge to make room for Asdrubal Cabrera.

“Shortstop is my natural position,” said Peralta. “When I played short, I relaxed. I feel comfortable.

“The move to third base didn’t bother me that much, but I worried too much about my defense. It was a new position and it bothered me a little when I went to hit.”

Before the Tigers signed Martinez to a four-year, $50 million contract last off-season, they called Peralta.

“They asked me, ‘What do you think of Victor?’ ” said Peralta. “I said we need this guy here. He’s a really good hitter and he’s going to bring a lot of energy to the team. What I said he’d do, he’s done.”

Martinez hit .330 (178-for-540) with 40 doubles, 12 homers and 103 RBI in the regular season. He drove in the winning run in Detroit’s 3-2 victory Thursday night in Game 5.

Peralta’s wife, Molly, is from the Cleveland area. They still own a house there. He has heard all that talk about “where was this guy when he played for the Tribe?”

“I know a lot of people are surprised at what I’ve done this year,” said Peralta. “But a lot of people aren’t surprised because they know what I’ve done in the past.”

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

On Twitter: @hoynsie


Heat edges Monsters in opener

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Lake Erie loses season opener, 2-1, in front of 13,000 fans.

monsters-opener.JPGView full sizeThe Lake Erie Monsters’ Greg Mauldin, left, works around the Abbotsford Heat’s Greg Nemisz on Friday at The Q.

The Monsters played well enough at even strength to defeat Abbotsford on Friday night, but special-teams issues doomed them.

Lake Erie gave up two power-play goals and scored none in a 2-1 loss in front of 13,021 at The Q. It was the American Hockey League season opener for both clubs.

The Monsters slipped to 3-2 in season openers despite a terrific performance by goalie Trevor Cann, who stopped 29 shots.

“Trevor gave us a chance, especially in the second period,” Monsters coach David Quinn said. “He did exactly what I thought he would.”

The Heat outshot the Monsters, 17-5, in the second and scored the go-ahead goal. Penalties early in the period left the Monsters scrambling.

“In the first and third periods, we did things we were looking to do,” Quinn said. “The second period was disappointing in so many ways.”

Abbotsford finished 2-for-5 on the power play; Lake Erie was 0-for-3.

“We were puck-watching on both of their goals,” Quinn said.

“You can’t do that and expect to win.”

The Heat opened the scoring at 5:07 of the first. Center Dustin Sylvester pounced on a loose puck and beat Cann. Lake Erie answered at 10:50 when winger Greg Mauldin slipped the puck past goalie Leland Irving from in front. Mauldin had been providing traffic for Stefan Elliott.

The Heat made it 2-1 at 12:05 of the second when winger Greg Nemisz converted a rebound.

The Monsters made matters interesting with a strong third period, during which they held a 12-5 advantage in shots. They pressured Irving in the final five minutes.

Irving finished with 22 saves. As a member of the Heat last season, he posted a .913 save percentage and AHL-best eight shutouts in 61 games.

“In the first and third periods, we moved our feet,” Mauldin said. “In the second period, we weren’t moving our feet.”

Cann said it was fun to play in front of such an enthusiastic crowd.

“The fans were so loud,” he said. “They cheered every save.”

The Monsters did a nice job against Abbotsford center Ben Walter. Last season, Walter led the Monsters with 70 points.

One minute into the game, Monsters winger Hugh Jessiman fought with Heat winger Guillaume Desbiens. The 6-6 Jessiman and 6-3 Desbiens provided high entertainment value.

Jessiman essentially was introducing himself to his club and Monsters fans. A first-round pick of the New York Rangers in 2003, Jessiman played 25 games each for Rockford and Rochester in the American League last season — combining for eight goals and 74 penalty minutes.

In 2009-2010, Jessiman had 20 goals and 111 penalty minutes for the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals.

The teams meet again tonight at The Q. Faceoff is at 6 p.m.

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

On Twitter: @dmansworldpd


Woods makes cut, is seven behind Casey

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Tiger Woods avoids missing cut at PGA Tour's Frys.com Open.

tiger-woods-bunker.JPGView full sizeTiger Woods reacts after hitting a bunker shot into another trap on the 13th hole during the second round of the Frys.com Open golf tournament Friday.

The fog finally lifted at CordeValle and revealed a Tiger Woods that looked vaguely familiar.

Woods ran off three straight birdies early in his round, survived a rough patch around the turn and kept the stress to a minimum Friday in his round of 3-under 68 in the PGA Tour’s Frys.com Open that assured he would be around for the weekend in San Martin, Calif.

“I don’t like missing cuts, period,” Woods said. “If I miss the cut, that means you can’t win the tournament on the weekend. I’ve got a shot at it this weekend.”

He still was seven shots behind Paul Casey, who is making a revival of his own.

Casey, at No. 135 on the money list and in danger of losing his PGA Tour card, has been fighting a foot injury since the middle of May. He showed signs of getting better by winning in South Korea last week, and then he got over jet lag in time to post a 7-under 64.

That put him at 8-under 134. Bud Cauley, who turned pro this summer and is trying to avoid having to go to Q-school, had a 66 and was one shot behind. Garrett Willis (69) was two back. Fog delayed the start of the second round by 2 hours, 20 minutes, meaning it would not finish until today.

Woods was so disgusted by his putting after his opening 73 that he went to the practice green in the chill of late afternoon after the first round and rapped 5-foot putts, sometimes using only one hand.

He also put two strips of lead tape on the bottom of his putter, and it seemed to pay off. He holed a 25-foot birdie putt on No. 14 to begin his run of three straight birdies, and all but one of his birdie putts looked to have a chance. He was missing, but not by much.

“I hit one bad putt today, and that was it,” Woods said. “Every other putt was on line.”

It was the first time since the Masters that Woods made a 36-hole cut and the first time in two months that he broke par. That speaks only to the kind of stop-and-start year he has had, missing three months this summer to let injuries to his left leg fully heal, and missing the past seven weeks when he failed to qualify for the FedEx Cup playoffs.

And while the 68 was what he needed to make it to the weekend, the pleasant sunshine over CordeValle allowed for good scoring. He wasn’t the only one who took advantage, and several others did far better, starting with Casey.

“To be honest, it’s probably the best I’ve hit the golf ball all year,” Casey said.

LPGA Tour

Yani Tseng lived up to her top-ranked billing with a 7-under 65 to take the lead after the first round of the LPGA Hana Bank Championship in Incheon, South Korea.

The world No. 1 had 10 birdies and three bogeys to take a one-stroke lead over Chella Choi, who capitalized on early mild conditions at Sky 72 Golf Club to set the early pace at 6 under.

Two-time defending champion Na Yeon Choi was in a tie for third with Sandra Gal of Germany at 5 under.

Paula Creamer and Sweden’s Sophie Gustafson were part of a group of six players in a tie for fifth at 4 under, joining Koreans Meena Lee, Hee Young Park, Jimin Kang, and Mi Hyun Kim.

Cristie Kerr, Suzann Pettersen, former world No. 1 Jiyai Shin and Michelle Wie were at even par.

Champions Tour

Michael Allen shot a 9-under 63 to take a three-stroke lead over former Ohio State star John Cook after the first round of the Insperity Championship in Woodlands, Texas.

Allen had nine birdies in his bogey-free round. Cook, the 2009 champion at The Woodlands and a three-time winner this year, also had a bogey-free round.

Schwab Cup points leader Tom Lehman and Mark Calcavecchia opened with 67s, and defending champion Fred Couples was another stroke back along with Tommy Armour III and Eduardo Romero.

European Tour

England’s Lee Slattery shot a 6-under 66 to lead the Madrid Masters by one shot after the second round. Slattery had seven birdies and one bogey at El Encin Golf Hotel to finish at 11 under. He leads Spain’s Eduardo de la Riva and Italy’s Francesco Molinari, who each shot 67.

OneAsia Tour

U.S. Open champion Rory McIlroy shot a 2-under 69 to take a share of the lead after the second round of the Korea Open in Seoul, South Korea. McIlroy is tied with YE Yang (70), Rickie Fowler (70), Bronson La’Cassie (67) and Mo Joong-kyung (66) at 5-under 137.



For more Cinesport video on cleveland.com, go here.


Brewers finish off Diamondbacks

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Nyjer Morgan's RBI single in 10th puts Milwaukee in the NLCS.

brewers-celebrate.JPGView full sizeMilwaukee’s Nyjer Morgan, second from right, is the man of the hour after belting an RBI single in the 10th inning that gave the Brewers a 3-2 victory over Arizona in Game 5 of the National League Division Series.

Milwaukee – Nyjer Morgan did it again for Milwaukee, delivering an RBI single in the 10th inning to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks, 3-2, Friday in Game 5 and send the Brewers to the NL Championship Series.

Morgan hit a one-out grounder up the middle, and Diamondbacks closer J.J. Putz tried in vain to stop it with his leg. Carlos Gomez scored from second, sailing across home plate as a wild throw went high, and Morgan was mobbed by jubilant teammates near the mound.

The latest dramatic finish for baseball's best home team at raucous Miller Park gave Milwaukee its first victory in a postseason series since it won the AL pennant in 1982.

“We've heard all about 1982, so it's nice to start our own legacy,” slugger Ryan Braun said.

Next, the Brewers move on to face the St. Louis Cardinals in the NLCS, which begins Sunday in Milwaukee.

Arizona did all it could to extend its surprising season. Center fielder Chris Young made a jaw-dropping catch in the sixth inning, and the Diamondbacks had one last comeback left in the ninth.

Willie Bloomquist drove in the tying run with a safety squeeze, but Arizona was unable to forge ahead against closer John Axford.

“This was a great baseball game today. I'm not happy to be on this end of it. Yet I'm proud of my team, and they played true to the way they played all year,” Arizona manager Kirk Gibson said.

“And the Brewers, they cashed in on their opportunities, what can we say? We had tons of opportunities.”

Morgan was a critical addition for the Brewers this year and had several clutch hits, winning fans along the way with his oversized personality that includes a wildman alter ego he calls “Tony Plush.” But he wasn't having a particularly productive series until his big moment in the deciding game.

“He's been getting big hits all year,” Braun said. “He enjoys the moment.”

With a 2-1 lead and their tough 1-2 bullpen combination of Francisco Rodriguez and Axford lined up for the eighth and ninth innings, the Brewers appeared to have their ticket punched to the NLCS.

But the Diamondbacks had the most comeback victories in the majors this season (48) and weren't about to go away quietly.

They nearly got the best of Rodriguez in the eighth. He loaded the bases with two outs for Ryan Roberts, one of two Diamondbacks players to hit a grand slam in the series. But Rodriguez got Roberts to ground into a force at second base, ending the threat.

Axford pitched the ninth, allowing a leadoff double to Gerardo Parra. The reliever nearly struck pinch-hitter Sean Burroughs with a pitch, then Burroughs blooped a single to put runners on first and third. Bloomquist pushed a bunt to the right side, and first baseman Prince Fielder nearly collided with Axford while fielding the ball. Fielder stumbled and was unable to get off a throw to the plate as the tying run scored.

Axford got the win despite a rough outing. Putz took the loss.

“We've had great comebacks all year. Unfortunately tonight, we weren't able to finish it off,” Gibson said.



For more Cinesport video on cleveland.com, go here.

Cardinals advance to NLCS with win over Philadelphia

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Chris Carpenter throws three-hitter to beat Roy Halladay, Phillies.

cardinals-celebrate.JPGView full sizeThe St. Louis Cardinals celebrate after their 1-0 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 5 of the NLDS on Friday. They will face Milwaukee in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series on Sunday.

Philadelphia – Chris Carpenter tossed a three-hitter to outpitch old pal Roy Halladay and the St. Louis Cardinals edged the Philadelphia Phillies, 1-0, Friday night in the deciding Game 5 of their NL Division Series.

The wild-card Cardinals scored in the first inning when Rafael Furcal led off with a triple and Skip Schumaker followed with a double.

And that was it.

Heavily favored Philadelphia never broke through against Carpenter. Ryan Howard grounded out to end the game and hurt his leg coming out of the batter's box – he limped a couple of steps and crumpled to the ground as St. Louis started to celebrate.

“It was some kind of fun, getting out there and was able to get that one run early off Doc, he was dominant the rest of the game,” Carpenter said.

“He's a great friend of mine, and like I said, he did a great job tonight, also,” he said.

The Cardinals needed a monumental collapse by Atlanta in the final month and major help from the 102-win Phillies just to reach the playoffs. Now they're heading to Milwaukee for the NL Championship Series starting Sunday following a stunning upset in which they beat three of Philadelphia's four aces: Halladay, Cliff Lee and Roy Oswalt.

Three of baseball's four opening-round matchups went to a deciding Game 5, and all of them were pitching-rich thrillers. Detroit held off the New York Yankees, 3-2, on Thursday night, and Milwaukee defeated Arizona, 3-2, in 10 innings earlier Friday.

Then, the showdown between Carpenter and Halladay topped them all.

Trailing, two games to one, the Cardinals began their comeback with a win in Game 4. That night in St. Louis, a squirrel scampered across home plate as Schumaker batted in the middle innings – if the Cardinals keep winning, their fans will certainly go nuts, thanks to their “Rally Squirrel.”

Coincidentally, a squirrel was caught at Citizens Bank Park before Game 5. Not a good omen, apparently, for the Phillies.

“I think guys we're just relaxed and having fun,” Carpenter said. “We put ourselves into position where everybody was expecting us to have no chance, and we just started playing like the team we knew we were.”

Carpenter had thrown more than 100 pitches when he took the mound in the ninth. He retired Chase Utley on a fly to the warning track in center and got Hunter Pence on a grounder.

Howard was next, and Carpenter got the big slugger to end a most improbable series win.

Catcher Yadier Molina threw his mask toward the mound, Carpenter turned to the left of first looking for someone to celebrate with before his teammates finally got there, led by Albert Pujols. The congregation settled at second base, as just off to the right, Howard was carried off the field and into his dugout.

The Phillies' loss meant the teams with the top two records and payrolls in the majors – the Phillies and Yankees – were gone in the first round, even while holding home-field advantage.

Carpenter walked none and struck out three in the matchup of Cy Young Award winners who were longtime teammates in Toronto.



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Detroit's Verlander a problem for Rangers - ALCS Notebook

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Verlander slated to start tonight's Game 1 of the ALCS.

justin-verlander.jpgView full sizeJustin Verlander will face Texas in Game 1 of the ALCS.

Arlington, Texas – Mike Napoli's first big-league homer came off Detroit's Justin Verlander. The date was May 4, 2006, and he's still waiting on No. 2.

The chance could come tonight in Game 1 of the ALCS when Verlander faces Texas left-hander C.J. Wilson at Rangers Ballpark. Verlander, 24-5 during the regular season, is the favorite to win the AL Cy Young award.

“It's not going to be easy,” said Napoli, who should start at catcher for the Rangers. “ Verlander has great stuff, but we scrapped away at good pitchers all year.”

Tigers manager Jim Leyland said his rotation for the best-of-seven series after Verlander will be Rick Porcello in Game 2 on Sunday, Doug Fister in Game 3 on Tuesday when the series moves to Detroit, Max Scherzer for Game 4 and Verlander for Game 5, if necessary. Porcello and Fister are scheduled for Games 6 and 7 if needed.

Texas manager Ron Washington will use lefty Derek Holland in Game 2. When the series moves to Detroit, Colby Lewis will start Game 3 and Matt Harrison will pitch Game 4. Lewis went 14-10 during the regular season, including 9-5 on the road. Against Detroit, however, he was 0-1 with a 15.95 ERA in two starts.

The Rangers have home-field advantage in the ALCS, but the Tigers have their number. They went 6-3 against Texas during the regular season. Right-hander Alexi Ogando beat the Tigers three times, but he's in the bullpen for the ALCS.

During the regular season, the Rangers didn't have the full services of Josh Hamilton and Adrian Beltre when they faced the Tigers. In April, Hamilton tried to score from third against the Tigers and suffered a broken bone in his shoulder and missed six weeks.

“You can forget the season series,” said Leyland. “You can throw it out the window. It's a tremendous team, a very versatile team. They've got power, got some speed. They've got a very creative manager who is probably untouched in motivational tactics.

“As I reminded everybody in New York, we're pretty good, too. It should be a real good series.”

With the Tigers starting four right-handers, look for the Rangers to go with lefties Mitch Moreland at first, Hamilton in center and David Murphy in left field.

Leyland couldn't give his lineup because of the uncertainty of left fielder Delmon Young. He strained an oblique muscle in Thursday's Game 5 victory over the Yankees.

The numbers: Verlander is 6-2 with a 2.31 ERA in nine career starts against the Rangers. They are hitting just .213 (47-for-221) with four homers against him.

One of the losses came April 11.

Wilson is 0-1 with a 5.56 ERA against the Tigers in seven appearances. The former reliever has made only one start against Texas.

This is Wilson's walk year. He went 16-7 with a 2.94 ERA during the regular season and will be eligible for free agency this winter.

He was asked Friday about his market value rising or falling depending on his postseason performance.

“I don't really care what people talk about as far as what my value is,” said Wilson. “The most important thing for me is ending this year hoisting a trophy.”

Wilson's 206 strikeouts during the season are the most by a Rangers lefty in one season.

Protect and defend: Leyland made it clear to anyone who would listen that Verlander would not pitch in Game 5 on Thursday at Yankee Stadium. He said he would never put a player in harm's way, even though it was clear Verlander wanted to pitch.

When asked what Leyland told him during the postgame celebration Thursday, Verlander laughed and said: “He said something along the lines, 'You never trust your skipper, do you? It worked out all right, didn't it?' Him and I just always had that kind of relationship.”

Finally: After beating the Yankees, celebrating and boarding a charter flight to the Dallas-Forth Worth airport Thursday, the Tigers didn't reach their team hotel until 6 a.m. Friday.

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

On Twitter: @hoynsie


Five questions with Browns linebacker Chris Gocong

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Browns linebacker talks about his biomedical engineer major, playing 1-AA and more.

gocong-practice-vert-jk.jpgView full sizeChris Gocong recently signed an extension with the Browns.

Q: You were a biomedical engineer major at Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo. What did you plan to do with that, and do you still hope to use that degree?

A: I really went into the engineering field with an open mind, and I realized I like the biomed field. But really, career-wise, you could go a lot of places. I think I would go into the endoscopic camera area. My dad is in that business. He designs and manufactures endoscopic cameras. I love 3D modeling to Photoshopping, all that good stuff.

Q: You went to a I-AA school. Did you ever feel like you had to prove yourself in football?

A: No, not really because I wasn’t really trying to go into the NFL. I played because I had a scholarship, and I loved playing football. And then once it kind of got to where I was invited to the combine and all-star games, I realized there is a little bit of, “Oh yeah, but it was I-AA.” That sort of stigma. It seemed like you did have a couple extra hurdles to go through. But other than that, I didn’t really think about it too much. I think coming from an engineering school, we might have eight or nine or 10 engineers on a team, and it’s a usual thing. It’s not unusual. We had study groups and stuff like that. But it’s all frame of reference, I guess.

Q: Rumor has it that you used to play guitar pretty well in a band in college called Void. Do you still play?

A: I play piano and guitar whenever I can. I try to mess around on it. But when you’re in season and you dislocate a couple fingers and this and that, it kind of slows you down.

Q: Do you have any superstitions?

A: No, but I do have a routine. I don’t like to be rushed, so I get there early. It’s not superstition, but it is routine. And if I do something one way and I have a good game, I’ll probably do it the same way the next game. I wouldn’t call it superstition.

Q: You were a defensive end in college and moved to linebacker in the NFL. What was that transition like?

A: It was tough. I literally never dropped [back into coverage] in college. Never. It was a big learning experience just mentally and physically, going backward and learning coverage. The playbook is way different. It’s changing your mind-set from “I’m going to go get the quarterback,” to “I have to read routes, I have to read patterns.” A lot of thinking involved. So it took some getting used to. That’s the other thing I realized: It’s one thing to be book smart and another thing to be football smart. Having a good memory does help.


Rebels’ Hunt runs for 308 yards in Willoughby South win

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Not a lot was known about Willoughby South's offense or tailback Kareem Hunt before this football season.It's time to get to know Hunt, because the junior is going to be around for a while.Hunt has scored 11 touchdowns in his past two games, including four in Friday night's crucial, 42-28 victory over visiting Madison.In the open field, Hunt is...

Not a lot was known about Willoughby South's offense or tailback Kareem Hunt before this football season.
It's time to get to know Hunt, because the junior is going to be around for a while.
Hunt has scored 11 touchdowns in his past two games, including four in Friday night's crucial, 42-28 victory over visiting Madison.
In the open field, Hunt is as fast as any back in the area. He darts through significant holes parted by a young and quickly improving offensive line.
Last week, Hunt set a Lake County record with 415 yards rushing and seven touchdowns against Chardon.
Friday night, he had 30 carries for 308 yards.
Hunt (5-11, 185) looks like a slasher, but against one of the area's more physical defenses, he proved he can bust through tackles.
Hunt scored on touchdown runs of 4, 61, 30 and 67 yards. He broke several tackles on the final, game-clinching TD.
“He's a special player. He's just different,” South coach Matt Duffy said. “The more he goes, the better he gets. I've not seen many players that are physically and mentally gassed, and then can bring it to another level. He's an amazing guy to watch.”
How fast is Hunt?
“I ran an 11.3 in the 100 [meters] last spring. I think I've gotten faster since then,” Hunt said, laughing.
There would be no argument from Madison.
“He's a Division I [college] player,” Madison coach Tim Willis said.
South, which starts one senior on the line, had 558 yards of offense, and junior quarterback Casey Klicman totaled 215 yards passing and rushing and threw one TD pass.
The victory keeps South (5-2, 4-0) alone atop the Premier Athletic Conference, while Eastlake North and University School are tied at 3-1. South plays North in three weeks.
South, which was seventh in Division I, Region 1, has won four in a row.
“We know we cannot lose, and we come out ready to play every game,” Klicman said.
Preseason favorite Madison falls to 5-2, 2-2. Two turnovers and 115 yards in penalties handcuffed the Blue Streaks after they took a 14-6 lead on two Josh March TD runs.
A fourth-quarter holding call erased a touchdown that would have cut the margin to 42-35 with 5:45 to play.
“Penalties are a major problem,” Willis said. “That kills us.”
Madison quarterback Andy Karlson completed 15 of 35 passes for 255 yards and two TDs, with two interceptions.
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: twarsinskey@plaind.com, 216-999-6177

 

Lake Catholic's defense too much for NDCL

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Lake Catholic coaches have continuously preached the importance of defense.As the Cougars entered this week's rivalry matchup against Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin, the coaches advocated pressuring the quarterback to force some bad plays.Lake Catholic's defense forced plenty, recording four interceptions and a safety en route to a 24-10 victory over the Lions at Jerome T. Osborne Sr. Stadium in Mentor.“A...

Lake Catholic coaches have continuously preached the importance of defense.
As the Cougars entered this week's rivalry matchup against Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin, the coaches advocated pressuring the quarterback to force some bad plays.
Lake Catholic's defense forced plenty, recording four interceptions and a safety en route to a 24-10 victory over the Lions at Jerome T. Osborne Sr. Stadium in Mentor.
“A big part of our game plan was to try and put heat on the quarterback as much as we could to not allow him to be comfortable and maybe force him into some difficult situations,” said Lake Catholic coach Mike Bell.
“I thought our guys up front did a great job of that.”
The defense for the Cougars (6-1), ranked ninth in The Plain Dealer Top 25, helped their slow-to-start offense early by consistently pressuring the quarterback.
“Our defense gave the offense time to adjust and make the proper adjustments to have a successful second half,” Bell said. “We talk about starting fast and finishing strong.
“That's exactly what our defense did tonight.”
Lake Catholic nabbed three first-quarter interceptions. Richie Miller snagged the first two, and then Evan Gormley picked off a pass and returned it 55 yards for a touchdown.
“The coaches told us that the quarterback likes to lock onto his targets,” Gormley said. “I looked at his eyes, saw where he was going to throw the ball and jumped the route.
“I got great blocking, broke a couple of tackles and took it to the house.”
The Cougars got an early safety with a team sack and took a 9-0 lead on Gormley's pick-six with 5:02 remaining in the half.
The Lions (5-2) answered with a 6-yard touchdown pass from Robbie Nash to Tim Helton, making it 9-7 at the half.
Although NDCL took a 10-9 lead with a 35-yard field goal by Nick Matic to start the second half, the Lions would continue to fall to the Cougars' nagging defense.
On NDCL's next possession, Zach Hawkins pulled in his team's fourth interception, leading to a 1-yard rushing touchdown by quarterback Mark Baniewicz.
Lake Catholic led, 17-10, following a successful two-point conversion pass from Baniewicz to Hawkins.
The Cougars' next possession resulted in a 67-yard Baniewicz touchdown throw to Gormley.
Baniewicz completed 7 of 15 passes for 135 yards, a touchdown and an interception.
Cody Erbacher is a freelance writer in Kent.

Snowball, undefeated Grizzlies plow through Copley on road

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See Jack run.See Jack throw.See Jack fumble the ball as he's crossing the goal line only to catch it in midair while flat on his back. Touchdown.In Wadsworth, there are more than the usual guarantees. There is death. There are taxes. And, there is Jack Snowball carrying the football this year. Many times. For long distances.Snowball, a 6-0, 211-pound...

Wadsworth’s Josh Schnick, right, gains yardage with Copley’s R.J. Karam closing in during the first quarter. - (Paul Tople | Akron Beacon Journal)

See Jack run.
See Jack throw.
See Jack fumble the ball as he's crossing the goal line only to catch it in midair while flat on his back. Touchdown.
In Wadsworth, there are more than the usual guarantees. There is death. There are taxes. And, there is Jack Snowball carrying the football this year. Many times. For long distances.
Snowball, a 6-0, 211-pound senior, helped Wadsworth remain unbeaten Friday as the Grizzlies ran past host Copley, 35-3, in a Suburban League game in front of a standing-room-only crowd of about 5,000.
To say Snowball is making up for lost time is an understatement. He missed all but about 10 plays with knee and collarbone injuries last year, but his performance Friday – 33 carries for 261 yards and two touchdowns – raised his season total to 1,404 yards on 165 carries.
Wadsworth, ranked 12th in The Plain Dealer Top 25, improved to 7-0 overall and remained tied with Tallmadge for first place in the league, both at 4-0. Copley, ranked 17th in The Plain Dealer, fell out of a share of the lead and is 5-2, 3-1. Wadsworth, fourth in the Division I, Region 2 computer race, plays at Tallmadge next week.
“I just say, 'Thank you,' ” Snowball said when asked what he says to his offensive linemen after a big gain. “I just go back to the huddle and say, 'Thank you.' There's nothing else I can do. They work so hard, and they are so great. It's all about them, really.”
Not only did Snowball raise his season touchdown total to 16 on runs of 19 and 5 yards, he also threw a halfback pass to quarterback Jon Kuss that went for a 79-yard touchdown that extended Wadsworth's lead to 21-3 in the second quarter.
“I'll tell you what, I really like throwing it,” Snowball said about his pass. “It was nice. Nobody hit me, and I was able to just lob it up there, Kuss made a great catch and we got some points on the board.”
He also caught a ball out of the air when he was hit hard on his 5-yard scoring run in the third quarter. The ball popped into the air but right into Snowball's hands as he was prone on the turf in the end zone.
“The kid made a great hit on me, right on the ball,” he said. “It popped up, and I just reached up and got it. I'm not a very lucky guy, 'cause of last year, so it was good to get one of those.”
While Snowball provided the offensive show, the Wadsworth defense stymied Copley at every turn. The front line of Tyler Perry, Nick Tavanello, Brandon Palidar and Byron Brown made it a long night for the Indians.
Copley's Aregeros Turner, who had come into the game having rushed for more than 1,000 yards, was held to 14 yards on 12 carries. Quarterback Lou Gigliotti, who had thrown for almost 1,000 yards, completed 13 of 25 passes for 166 yards, with Isiah Wheeler catching five of those for 106 yards. Copley was held to 204 yards total offense, while the Grizzlies had 463.
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: trogers@plaind.com, 216-999-5169
On Twitter: TimRogersPD


Brock Jones leads Walsh over Hoban

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Archbishop Hoban fans enjoyed a spectacular homecoming fireworks display after Friday night's North Coast League football game against rival Walsh Jesuit.The Warriors' third-quarter offensive fireworks, not so much.Hoban looked nothing like a winless team as they matched Walsh Jesuit score for score in the first half. But the Warriors scored 24 points in the third quarter and ran away with a 41-14...

Archbishop Hoban fans enjoyed a spectacular homecoming fireworks display after Friday night's North Coast League football game against rival Walsh Jesuit.
The Warriors' third-quarter offensive fireworks, not so much.
Hoban looked nothing like a winless team as they matched Walsh Jesuit score for score in the first half. But the Warriors scored 24 points in the third quarter and ran away with a 41-14 victory.
Brock Jones led the Warriors' scoring spree with touchdowns on three consecutive touches.
Jones' first two scores in the third quarter came immediately after two Walsh Jesuit interceptions – a 13-yard run and a 26-yard run. His third touchdown came on a 67-yard punt return, the first of his varsity career.
“It's a big win” Jones said. “It's a great feeling. The linemen just started opening up some huge holes. I saw the holes and said, 'I'm going for the end zone.' ”
Jones finished with 143 yards rushing on 17 carries. He also had a second quarter touchdown, giving him four in the game.
“Brock is really emerging as quite a weapon at the running back spot,” Walsh Jesuit coach Gerry Rardin said. “He's running hard and he's got great skills.”
Kicker Ross Martin proved to be another weapon. Martin kicked a 45-yard field goal to start the scoring in the third quarter, and had a career-best 50-yarder in the fourth quarter.
Walsh Jesuit improved to 5-1 overall and 2-0 in the NCL. Hoban slipped to 0-7 and 0-2.
Both defenses scored early.
Walsh Jesuit's Bryan DiCillo intercepted Dominick Orsini's first pass of the game and returned it 35 yards for a touchdown.
Hoban's defense answered early in the second quarter. Jordan Cook scooped up a Jones fumble and returned the ball 63 yards for a touchdown.
“We expected they'd come out fired up,” Jones said. “They're our big rival. They were looking for a win. If they got a win it would salvage their season.”
Walsh stormed back, driving 65 yards in six plays. Nick Wargo completed a 25-yard pass to Doug Lewis and a 17-yard pass to Crissean Caver to set up Jones' 9-yard touchdown run with 4:41 left in the half.
That was enough time for the Knights to answer. Hoban, helped by an interference call and a 21-yard run by DarShaun James, had a first-and-goal at the 9.
A holding call moved the Knights back, but Aaron Abernathy took a swing pass from Orsini, sprinted past a defender and scored from 21 yards out with six seconds left in the first half for the tying score.
“I'm shaking my head because the last three weeks, against teams with a combined record of probably 16-2, we played right with them in the first half,” Hoban coach Ralph Orsini said. “I don't know what happens in the third quarter. Against the good teams like Walsh, you can't make the mistakes we made.”
Bob Migra is a freelance writer in Westlake.

Pirates continue their roll, beat Rootstown

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Southeast's football team is loving its new digs.A Portage Trail Conference Metro Division representative a year ago, the Pirates moved down to the County Division and it has been nothing but success.Coming into a highly anticipated matchup with Rootstown on Friday, Southeast made quick work of the Rovers in a crucial 35-0 victory.The win has Southeast (7-0, 4-0) eyeing...

Southeast's football team is loving its new digs.
A Portage Trail Conference Metro Division representative a year ago, the Pirates moved down to the County Division and it has been nothing but success.
Coming into a highly anticipated matchup with Rootstown on Friday, Southeast made quick work of the Rovers in a crucial 35-0 victory.
The win has Southeast (7-0, 4-0) eyeing its first undefeated season since 1982 (9-0-1), according to coach Steve Sigworth, and is putting a 5-5 season from a year ago in the rearview mirror.
What the win over the Rovers (5-2, 2-2) also does is give them a little more breathing room – at least briefly in a crowded division.
Heading into Friday's game, four teams were a game behind the Pirates. Now, only Waterloo and Mogadore are one back of Southeast.
Incidentally, Waterloo and Mogadore are next up for the Pirates.
“We liked the rivals we had in the old PCL,” Sigworth said. “We're really happy about being down in the County and we wanted to make a statement that we're a good football team when we got down here.”
They certainly did against Rootstown.
Behind an offensive line featuring Nathaniel Devers, Matt Trecarichi, Zach Corby, Nick DeJacimo and Charlie Hostetler, Southeast pretty much did what it wanted.
Tylor Brokaw (23 carries, 171 yards, TD), Noah Kainrad (6, 66, 1) and Bryant Lavigna (11, 53, 2) reaped the rewards as the mass pushed the Rovers around all night.
Southeast, which picked up 252 yards by halftime and had a 28-0 lead at intermission, gained 419 yards on the evening and scored on every possession of the first half.
That the Rovers gained only 112 yards total as Ryan Herman (55 yards) and Danny Lashley (45) were kept in check, shows just how dominant the Pirates were.
“Our hoggies up front did great,” Sigworth said. “We challenged them to be the best line tonight. I can't say enough about how good they did in the trenches.”
What the win also does is keep Southeast relevant in Division III, Region 9. Sitting 10th in the rough-and-tumble region, the Pirates are looking to make their first postseason appearance since 2005 and only the third in school history.
“Being a senior, I want to make as many memories as I can,” Brokaw said. “Making the playoffs is a huge goal.
“We're not afraid to say 'playoffs' here. We're not afraid to dream big. It feels good to be 7-0, but we don't give ourselves slack. It's all about the next team on the schedule.”
Brad Bournival is a freelance writer in North Royalton.

Lorain beats Bedford, 23-20

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Lorain coach Mark Solis gathered his players around him after Friday night's thrilling 23-20 victory over visiting Bedford and screamed his appreciation.“I'm so proud of you,” he yelled. “I'm so proud to be your coach. You deserved to win. If that ain't adversity, I don't know what is. You guys did an outstanding job.”When senior quarterback Collin Bryant went...

Lorain’s Paul Juhasz is brought down by Bedford’s Daniel Clayton during the second quarter Friday night at George Daniel Stadium in Lorain. The Titans defeated the Bearcats, 23-20. - (Lonnie Timmons III | The Plain Dealer)

Lorain coach Mark Solis gathered his players around him after Friday night's thrilling 23-20 victory over visiting Bedford and screamed his appreciation.
“I'm so proud of you,” he yelled. “I'm so proud to be your coach. You deserved to win. If that ain't adversity, I don't know what is. You guys did an outstanding job.”
When senior quarterback Collin Bryant went out with an undisclosed injury midway through the third quarter with the Titans clinging to a 21-14 lead against the hard-charging Bearcats, Solis turned to senior wide receiver Christian Nogueras.
“It was like, “Oh, boy,' ” Solis said of his reaction to Bryant's injury, which isn't believed to be serious. “But kids follow their leaders, so we didn't bat an eye. You've got to plan for these things.”
Nogueras admitted that his eyes got wide when the coach told him to take some snaps on the sidelines. He kept thinking Bryant would get up. When he didn't, Nogueras took his first snaps ever at quarterback.
“Coach just said we were going to run out the clock,” said Nogueras, who scored two touchdowns in the first half of the Lake Erie League game at George Daniel Stadium.
Thanks to their defense, the Titans were able to do that, but not before Bedford senior quarterback Devin Davis found Terrick McKenney with an 85-yard touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter to get the Bearcats within 21-20.
Davis completed 5 of 17 passes for 164 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for 29 yards and a touchdown. But the Bearcats were without injured place-kicker Eric Hawkins and failed on all three conversions – two passes and a kick.
“That was a blow to us,” said Bedford coach Sean E. Williams, whose squad slipped to 4-3, 3-1 in the conference.
Before being injured, Bryant completed 6 of 12 passes for 102 yards and two touchdowns as Lorain improved to 4-3 overall and 2-2 in the conference.
Lorain jumped out to a 21-0 lead at halftime, but Bedford came roaring back in the second half and closed to within one point. Lorain's defense saved the victory when senior defensive lineman Cedric Peyton sacked Davis in the end zone for a safety with 3:53 left.
“Hats off to Lorain,” Williams said. “We got it done for a half, they got it done for four quarters.”
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: mschmitt@plaind.com, 216-999-4668

North Ridgeville capitalizes on Rocky River's mistakes

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North Ridgeville took advantage of early Rocky River turnovers and recorded its third straight shutout, blanking the host Pirates, 42-0, in a West Shore Conference game on Friday.“That was a team effort,” North Ridgeville coach Jeff Riesen said. “When you can score 42 points and hold the other team to a zero on the scoreboard, that's special.”It was anything but special, though,...

North Ridgeville took advantage of early Rocky River turnovers and recorded its third straight shutout, blanking the host Pirates, 42-0, in a West Shore Conference game on Friday.
“That was a team effort,” North Ridgeville coach Jeff Riesen said. “When you can score 42 points and hold the other team to a zero on the scoreboard, that's special.”
It was anything but special, though, for Rocky River, which slips to 3-4, 1-3. The Pirates trailed, 14-0, in the blink of an eye as the Rangers (6-1, 2-1) cashed in on two Rocky River mistakes.
The Rangers' Matt Dawson recovered a fumble on the game's first play, which led to junior running back Paul Sonego's 3-yard touchdown run.
After another fumble recovery, this one by North Ridgeville's Zack Bowden, Sonego scored again on a 1-yard run with 7:57 left to play in the first quarter.
The second quarter began with the Rangers continuing their offensive onslaught. After a 21-yard pass completion from senior quarterback P.J. Bunevich to senior Christian Watkins, the Rangers reached the end zone again by way of a 10-yard TD strike from Bunevich to Josh Hudson.
Bunevich added one more touchdown pass before halftime, hooking up with Watkins on a 25-yard score and a 28-0 lead at intermission.
The Rangers mixed things up well in the first half, with 94 yards rushing and 85 yards passing.
“I really liked the fact that we didn't let up during the second half,” said Riesen, whose club lost to Rocky River last season. “I also like that we were able to use a lot of kids in the second half. They practice hard and work hard, too.”
The work, as far as adding more points on the visitors' side of the scoreboard, continued during the third quarter.
From its own 26, North Ridgeville capped off a 74-yard drive with Bunevich throwing his third touchdown pass of the night to his favorite receiver, Watkins.

In triple overtime, Medina finally tops rival Strongsville - Roundup

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The drought is over.Medina can finally drink in the satisfaction of a football victory against rival Strongsville as the visiting Bees defeated the Mustangs, 30-27, in triple overtime Friday night in a Northeast Ohio Conference Valley Division game. Medina had lost the past 22 meetings against the Mustangs.The Bees (3-4, 1-1) won it on a 22-yard field goal by...

The drought is over.
Medina can finally drink in the satisfaction of a football victory against rival Strongsville as the visiting Bees defeated the Mustangs, 30-27, in triple overtime Friday night in a Northeast Ohio Conference Valley Division game. Medina had lost the past 22 meetings against the Mustangs.
The Bees (3-4, 1-1) won it on a 22-yard field goal by Nick Bavaro, his third field goal of the night.
They had to rally at the end of regulation when Danny Eller scored on a 20-yard pass from Mason Schreck to cut the Strongsville lead to 17-15. Medina drew even on a two-point conversion pass from Schreck to Walter Bailey.
In the extra period, Bavaro connected on a 30-yard field goal, his second from that distance, and Schreck scored on a 9-yard run to tie matters, 27-27. The Mustangs stand 1-6, 0-2.
No. 4 St. Vincent-St. Mary 62, Marion Harding 13
The visiting Irish, ranked No. 3 in the Division III state poll, had little trouble improving to 7-0 as senior quarterback Kevin Besser passed for 178 yards and three touchdowns. Junior wide receiver Franshon Bickley caught four passes for 142 yards and two scores. Marion Harding stands 3-4.
No. 5 St. Ignatius 42, Erie (Pa.) Cathedral Prep7
Junior Mike LaManna had to fill in for senior Eric Williams (minor injury) and responded by passing for 289 yards and four touchdowns as the Wildcats (6-1) took care of business in Erie, Pa.
LaManna connected with senior wide receiver Jake Mooney on scoring plays of 18, 15 and 61 yards. He also passed to senior fullback Mike Svetina on a 74-yard scoring play. Playing safety, Svetina scored the final points on a fumble recovery.
No. 7 Avon 42, Bay 0
Senior quarterback Justin O’Rourke passed for four touchdowns, two to senior wide receiver Jacob Mullins, as the visiting Eagles, ranked No. 3 in the Division II state poll, were in control to improve to 7-0, 4-0 in the West Shore Conference. The Rockets stand 2-5 and 1-2.
No. 14 Ravenna 38, Field 13
Senior running back D.J. Jones amassed 131 yards on 16 rushes and scored three times in the Portage Trail Conference Metro Division win.
Senior quarterback Brandon Holt was 10-of-18 passing for 157 yards, and he added 70 yards rushing on 10 carries and a score.
Ravenna (6-1, 4-0) outscored Field (2-5, 2-2), 21-6, in the second half.
No. 16 Hudson 6, Stow 0
The visiting Explorers won the defensive battle on a 65-yard scoring run by Ben Gedeon in the fourth quarter. Gedeon finished with 112 yards on 17 carries.
Hudson improved to 6-1 and 2-0 in the Northeast Ohio Conference River Division. Stow stands 3-4, 0-2.
No. 21 Benedictine 28, Padua 17
The Bengals rallied from a 10-point deficit with 21 points in the fourth quarter to win the North Coast League Blue Division contest at Bedford in the first meeting between the schools since 1986.
Versatile junior Marshall Howell scored on the first play of the fourth quarter on a 70-yard pass from junior quarterback Dan Piascik. Howell put the Bengals (6-1, 2-1), ranked No. 10 in the Division III state poll, in front to stay on a 1-yard run with 6:46 to play. He scored on a 14-yard run with 47 seconds left.
The Bruins (1-6, 1-2) were led by senior quarterback Jim Solano, who ran for 78 yards and passed for 154, with one touchdown.
No. 24 Kirtland 45, Cardinal 20
Senior fullback Christian Hauber had 16 carries for 157 yards and two touchdowns as the Hornets built a 42-0 halftime lead.
Kirtland (7-0, 4-0 Chagrin Valley Conference Valley Division) is ranked second in the state in Division V.
No. 25 Kent Roosevelt 56, Crestwood 21
Quarterback TraVon Chapman threw touchdown passes of 46, 14, 37 and 69 yards in the Portage Trail Conference Metro Division victory.
The Rough Riders are 6-1, 4-0; Crestwood is 1-6, 1-3.
Olmsted Falls 39, Berea 14
Senior quarterback Brennan Laird went 23-for-37 passing for 239 yards and three touchdowns as the host Bulldogs went to 4-0 in the Southwestern Conference and 5-2 overall. Drew Meketa had eight receptions for 107 yards and two scores. The Braves fell to 3-4, 1-3.
North Olmsted 31, Midpark 16
Sophomore quarterback Brad Novak passed for two scores to junior Mike Starcovic and ran for 127 yards, including a 71-yard scoring jaunt as the visiting Eagles drew even in the Southwestern Conference at 2-2, 3-4 overall. The Middies stand 2-5, 1-3.
Shaw 44, Warrensville Heights 8
Senior quarterback William Woods connected with junior wide receiver Da’Vonte Price for three touchdowns on passes of 30, 39 and 50 yards as the host Cardinals evened their overall mark at 3-3 and 2-2 in the Lake Erie League. Woods completed 9 of 14 passes for 215 yards.
The Tigers dropped to 2-5, 0-3.
Euclid 14, Warren G. Harding 13
The Panthers rallied from a 13-0 deficit to knock off the host Raiders (1-6, 0-4) in the Lake Erie League. Senior Benny Walker scored on a 1-yard run in the second quarter, and the Panthers (2-5, 2-1) went in front later in the quarter on a 49-yard interception return by senior DeAndre Rollins.
John Marshall 42, East Tech 6
Senior running back Dominique Dickerson gained 120 yards on 18 carries and scored two touchdowns in the Senate Athletic League win.
He also scored a two-point conversion and had eight solo tackles at linebacker. Senior running back DeAndre Brown had four carries for 43 yards and two TDs.
Marshall is 4-3, 3-2; The Scarabs are 1-6, 1-4.
Lakewood 17, Valley Forge 0
Junior running back Jovan Young scored a touchdown in the first and fourth quarters, and the Rangers’ defense posted their second straight shutout.
Young scored on runs of 37 and 7 yards as Lakewood moved to 5-2, 1-1 Northeast Ohio Conference Lake Division. Valley Forge is 0-7, 0-2.
Brecksville-Broadview Heights 43, Amherst 14
The Bees enjoyed a comfortable victory on homecoming night.
Running back Jay Schott collected only 37 yards on the ground, but he scored three touchdowns in the first half for the Bees (4-3, 3-1 Southwestern Conference). The junior ran 13 times and scored from 5, 2 and 5 yards.
Girls tennis
Division I at Oberlin
Westlake’s Lauren Golick bested Magnificat’s Emily Witt, 6-1, 6-0, to claim the sectional championship. Magnificat’s Lauren O’Malley took the third-place match with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Carmela Mostardi of Avon. All four players advance to district play, which begins Thursday at Oberlin.
In doubles, the Westlake duo of Michelle Djohan and Julia Dunbar won the top seed with a 7-6, 6-3 win over Magnificat’s Annie Foliano and Kelly Plagens. Third place went to the team of Jessica Hollis and Abby Lawless, who bested Dana Miller and Bhargavi Maheswher of Westlake. All four of those teams advance to district.

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