COLUMBUS, Ohio - Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy, which will place all seven of its wrestlers on the podium Saturday night, leads area teams at the Division II state championships with 42 points, good enough for third overall. It trails St. Paris Graham (first, 81.5) and Lexington (second, 42.5) in the team race through Friday's first session.

Coventry's Jesse Gunter, pictured on Thursday, will be part of the only all-area state wrestling semifinal in Division II tonight when he faces Walsh Jesuit's Cory Stainbrook at 120 pounds. - (Lisa DeJong, The Plain Dealer)

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy, which will place all seven of its wrestlers on the podium Saturday night, leads area teams at the Division II state championships with 42 points, good enough for third overall.

It trails St. Paris Graham (first, 81.5) and Lexington (second, 42.5) in the team race through Friday's first session.

Thirteen area wrestlers will be competing tonight in the semifinals, with a berth in the state championship bouts on the line. There will only be one all-area semifinal: Walsh Jesuit's Cory Stainbrook vs. Coventry's Jesse Gunter at 120 pounds. Gunter is legally blind.

Overall, the area will place 32 wrestlers in the top eight out of the 49 that qualified.

Walsh Jesuit, with four state-placers, is in fifth place with 30.5 points. Lake Catholic, which will place all four of its wrestlers, is seventh with 27 points. St. Vincent-St. Mary (ninth, 25) and Perry (10th, 20) give the area five teams in the top 10 heading into tonight's second session.

COLUMBUS, Ohio - It's all over but the counting, and the shouting. St. Edward leads second-place Massillon Perry, 95.5-41.5, heading into tonight's Division I semifinals at the state wrestling tournament.

St. Edward’s Jacob Davis, top, edged Solon’s Justin Kresevic, 4-3, Friday afternoon in an overtime tiebreaker match at 160 pounds in Columbus. - (Lisa DeJong, The Plain Dealer)

COLUMBUS, Ohio - It's all over but the counting, and the shouting.

St. Edward leads second-place Massillon Perry, 95.5-41.5, heading into tonight's Division I semifinals at the state wrestling tournament.

The Eagles have not yet mathematically clinched their 27th state wrestling championship, but it's as certain as weird winter weather in Cleveland.

St. Edward has 10 semifinalists. No other team has half that many. Massillon Perry put four in the semis and Maple Heights three.

Two other Eagles survived second-round consolation matches, which means 12 are assured of placing at least eighth. St. Edward wrestlers are 24-6 in the tournament.

Northeast Ohio has captured 32 of the 56 semifinal berths.

All 113-pound semifinalists are local. St. Edward's Alex Moore faces Medina's Ryan Hornack, and Solon returning state champ Brandon Thompson wrestles Brecksville's Aaron Assad, a Division III state runner-up last year at St. Peter Chanel.

The 132-pound semifinal features a rematch of a 2011 state final between Wadsworth three-time state placer Kagan Squire and Cincinnati Moeller's Joey Ward, who beat Squire last year in overtime.

An interesting 220-pound matchup pits unbeaten Maple Heights senior Almonte' Patrick against St. Edward's Ty Walz, a freestyle national champion last summer.

In the quarterfinals Maple Heights heavyweight Aaron Pipkins beat previously undefeated Olentangy Liberty senior Pat Elfein, 4-3, in overtime. In the second, 30-second tiebreaker, Elfein hit a reversal to take a one-point lead, but Pipkins scored a penalty point (locking hands) and another point on an escape to win it.

In another eventful overtime tiebreaker match at 160, St. Edward's Jacob Davis edged Solon's Justin Kresevic, 4-3. Kresevic took a 3-2 lead on a reversal with 22 seconds left, and Davis countered with a winning reversal 12 seconds later.

Brecksville, Twinsburg, Solon and Wadsworth each have two semifinalists.

The semifinals begin at 6:30 p.m. in Value City Arena.

Browns kicker Phil Dawson has been franchised for the second straight season by the Browns, he'll make about $3.8 million this year.

Joshua Gunter, The PDPhil Dawson will make an estimated $3.8 million in 2012.

CLEVELAND -- The Browns have franchised kicker Phil Dawson, an NFL source told the Plain Dealer today.

He'll make an estimated $3.8 million in 2012. It's the second straight year Dawson has been franchised. Last year, he made $3.175 million as the Browns franchise player, and was due a 120% raise with the second-year tag.

The Browns can continue to negotiate a long-term deal with Dawson, who heads into his 14th season with the Browns.

Dawson played in all 16 games last year, converting 24 of 29 field goal attempts and all 20 PATs for a team-high 92 points. He also made seven field goals of 50 yards or more, which tied for most in the NFL.

Teams are allowed to franchise only one player, meaning running back Peyton Hillis will become an unrestricted free agent on Mar. 13 unless the Browns re-sign him before then. The Browns have said they'd like to bring him back at the right price.

"What is amazing to me is the fact Hillis could be an elite RBin this league. He is only 26, but no matter how much talent a guy has, if his head isn't on straight, it would be hard to trust him as your opening day starter. Lets say the CIA story is fiction. Lets say he got a new agent because he really wanted to work a deal with the Browns and the AGENT wasn't doing his job. Then maybe, we bring Hillis back. His mental state right now has to be the thing the Browns MUST be aware of, before doing anything with the man." - browns1day

View full sizeAP Photo/Tony DejakWhile Peyton Hillis has the talent to be an elite NFL running back, one cleveland.com reader states his mental health is holding him back.

"What is amazing to me is the fact Hillis could be an elite RBin this league. He is only 26, but no matter how much talent a guy has, if his head isn't on straight, it would be hard to trust him as your opening day starter. Lets say the CIA story is fiction. Lets say he got a new agent because he really wanted to work a deal with the Browns and the AGENT wasn't doing his job. Then maybe, we bring Hillis back. His mental state right now has to be the thing the Browns MUST be aware of, before doing anything with the man."

Cavs rookie Kyrie Irving will miss Friday night's game against the Chicago Bulls because he is ill.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cavaliers rookie Kyrie Irving is ill and will not play against the Chicago Bulls, the team announced about 45 minutes before tipoff at The Q. Ramon Sessions will start in Irving's place.

Team spokesmen have not provided specifics on the nature of Irving's illness.

Irving, the two-time Eastern Conference rookie of the month who leads the Cavs with 18.5 points per game, did play almost 34 minutes at New York on Wednesday. The Cavs had off on Thursday. Irving did not take part in the team's shootaround on Friday noon at its practice facility.

Ironically, Bulls guard Derrick Rose, the league's reigning MVP, missed the first matchup between these teams with an injured toe, so the two have yet to face each other.

This will be the fourth game Irving has missed. He missed three in February after suffering a concussion at Miami on Feb. 7.

Wilt Chamberlain said nobody roots for Goliath, which might be why he embraced the skills of smaller men, Bill Livingston writes.

Paul Vathis, Associated PressWilt Chamberlain towered over most of his competitors, in height and talent level, a fact that was never more evident that on the night he scored 100 points in a game in Hershey, Pa. In this photo, fans and Philadelphia Warriors teammates congratulate "The Stilt'' after he reached the century mark against the New York Knicks on March 2, 1962.

Wilt Chamberlain said nobody roots for Goliath, which might be why, as the greatest big man in basketball history, he channeled his inner David.

Wilton Norman Chamberlain was -- even given the low profile of the NBA in his era, even given the absence of the 24-hour news cycle and the celebrity shows of our time -- just Wilt. Like Elvis, like Marilyn.

When Wilt scored 100 points in a game, 50 years ago Friday against the New York Knicks, he seemed to tower over his sport. And in a way, he did just that.

According to current team rosters posted on NBA.com, which include some injured players, there are 34 players listed as 7 feet tall or taller and 36 others listed at 6-11.

In 1961-62, when Chamberlain averaged 50.4 points per game and scored his amazing 100, there were three 7-footers (7-3 Swede Halbrook of Syracuse, 7-0 Walter Dukes of Detroit and the 7-1 Wilt). There were two players (the Lakers' Ray Felix and the Chicago Packers' Walter Bellamy) listed at 6-11. To a great extent, Wilt simply turned and shot over smaller men.

With today's defensive sophistication, and all the football terminology (blitzes, traps and double-teams, oh my), no one else has come closer to the century mark than Kobe Bryant's 81 points against Toronto in 2006.

The view that height made right was incompatible with Chamberlain's self-image, however.

He was well-coordinated and would have been an excellent player had he been a half-foot shorter. At Kansas, he shot-putted 56 feet, triple-jumped more than 50 feet, and won the Big Eight Conference high jump championship three straight years. He was an avid volleyball player after retirement from the NBA.

He spent much of his career attempting to debunk the Goliath aspects of his game. Wilt loved to take fadeaway bank shots. Opposing teams loved for him to take them, too. The shot took Chamberlain out of the rebounding pattern.

The fadeaways of Wilt's early years were a distant mirror of Hakeem Olajuwon's baseline spinners and Patrick Ewing's mid-range accuracy. Wilt would have probably approved of the "stretch" bigs of today. Seven-foot Dirk Nowitzki of Dallas owns a victory in the All-Star Weekend's 3-Point Shootout. Zydrunas Ilgauskas, at 7-2, often popped 3-pointers from the corner for the Cavaliers in his later years.

Fearsomely strong, Wilt sought to prove he possessed finesse and touch. By the 1970s, when he probably weighed more than 300 pounds, he became one of the first (if not the first) players to finger-roll dainty little shots into the basket, rather than bulling his way to the rim for dunks.

The physical bulk of his later years was a sign of things to come, too. Such tall and wide men as Shaquille O'Neal, Kendrick Perkins and Mark Eaton became space-eaters on defense, able to plug defensive holes as surely as nose guards do in the NFL.

Chamberlain's career free-throw percentage, infamously, was barely better than 50 percent. That too foreshadowed the struggles of O'Neal and others.

Analysts blamed the size of Wilt's hands, saying it would be like anyone else shooting a softball. But Alex Hannum, one of Wilt's coaches, sensed that Wilt was uncomfortable in his own skin. Hannum thought Wilt hated standing alone on the foul line, isolated in space as well as height.

With Wilt's embrace of skills that were thought to be the exclusive property of smaller players, he also became in 1967-68 the only center ever to lead the NBA in assists.

Assists were much more strictly rationed then, so, former teammates say, he was extremely picky about the targets of his passes. He trusted Hal Greer and Billy Cunningham on jump shots. No one else, including Chet "The Jet" Walker, one of the great players of the era, got the ball from him for outside shots. Walker habitually gave an "upfake" before shooting. Under the rules of the time, that slight move took the assist away.

Because of all the statistical records Wilt held, he could only validate himself fully by winning all the time. That, at least, was the view of the Knicks' cerebral Bill Bradley. Instead Chamberlain won only twice, albeit with the 1966-67 Sixers, coached by Hannum, and the 1971-72 Lakers, two of the greatest teams of all-time.

Chamberlain set records as a great low-post scorer that will last forever, while also embracing a playing style that was far ahead of his time. It was a remarkable trick, and one unlikely ever to be repeated.

The Cavaliers look to get their first win after the All-Star break as the Chicago Bulls come to town. Get a preview and follow in-game updates from @pdcavsinsider on Twitter.

The Cavaliers look to get their first win after the All-Star break as the Chicago Bulls come to town. Get Twitter updates from Tom Reed and Mary Schmitt Boyer @PDCavsInsider in the box below. Check out the in-game box score here. Read on for a game preview. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

View full sizeAP Photo/Charles Rex ArbogastDerrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls come into Cleveland tonight as the Cavaliers will look for their first win since the All-Star break.

UPDATED: Without Irving, who was sick, the Cavs offer little in the way of resistance in dropping their fourth straight game.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — How much of a challenge do the Chicago Bulls present to opponents?

"You have to play, I wouldn't say perfect basketball against them, but pretty close because they are that good," Cavaliers coach Byron Scott said.

His shorthanded squad, missing ailing rookie guard Kyrie Irving and injured center Anderson Varejao, was not up to that challenge in a 112-91 loss to the Bulls on Friday night at The Q.

Chicago has visited Cleveland twice this season and won both games by a combined 60 points, even though reigning MVP Derrick Rose missed the first game with a sore toe. That 114-75 loss on Jan. 20 was the Cavs' worst of the season, although Irving and Varejao both took part.

"Both those guys make a big difference in what we do," Scott said.

And in what they don't do without them -- defend and rebound. Chicago shot 52.8 percent for the game, 50 percent from 3-point range. The Cavs never could figure out what to do with Bulls small forward Luol Deng, who finished with 24 points, including 4-of-4 on 3-pointers as Chicago improved to 30-8. The Bulls held a 41-33 edge on the boards and forced 16 turnovers, including two on inbounds plays.

"We can't afford to have those type of turnovers in games like this against teams like this," Scott said.

The defense has been so weak during this four-game losing streak, which dropped the Cavs to 13-21, that Scott is threatening changes to his starting lineup and rotation. Starting small forward Omri Casspi could be replaced by Alonzo Gee, and Manny Harris, who signed his second 10-day contract on Friday, likely could find more minutes off the bench.

Irving, the Cavs' leading scorer and two-time reigning Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month, did travel to Washington and could be back against the Wizards tonight -- the Cavs fourth game in five nights. After missing the Cavs' shootaround on Friday because he did not feel well, Irving was activated for the game but sat at the end of the bench in street clothes. The Cavs did not provide any specifics about his illness.

It was the fourth game Irving has missed. He missed three in early February after suffering a concussion on Feb. 7 at Miami. The Cavs are 1-3 in his absence.

It's possible his schedule has just caught up with him. He was the MVP of the Rising Stars game last Friday during All-Star Game weekend and also took part in the skills challenge on Saturday night. The Cavs practiced Monday night and then Irving played 27 minutes and scored 24 points in a home loss to Boston on Tuesday. He played almost 34 minutes and scored 22 points in a loss to the Knicks on Wednesday in New York.

Antawn Jamison (22 points) and Ramon Sessions (16 points) did their best to make up for Irving's 18.5 points per game, but they had little help on Friday night. No other Cav scored in double figures.

"They try to take you out of what you do," Jamison said of the Bulls' defense. "They do a great job in transition. When you play a championship-caliber team, you have to match their intensity."

The Cavs didn't come close to doing that on Friday and the game was over after the Bulls shot 77.3 percent (17-of-22) in the third quarter and took a 24-point lead at 94-70.

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

On Twitter: @pdcavsinsider

GRAFTON, Ohio - Consistent 3-point shooting and a defense that kept opposing players away from rebounds was Brecksville-Broadview Heights' recipe for success in Friday night's 62-41 win against the Strongsville Mustangs in the Division I boys basketball sectional tournament at Midview High. The second-seeded Bees (17-4) used their 3-point shooting to build an early lead and continued that hot shooting...

GRAFTON, Ohio - Consistent 3-point shooting and a defense that kept opposing players away from rebounds was Brecksville-Broadview Heights' recipe for success in Friday night's 62-41 win against the Strongsville Mustangs in the Division I boys basketball sectional tournament at Midview High.

The second-seeded Bees (17-4) used their 3-point shooting to build an early lead and continued that hot shooting throughout the game, making 9-of-16 three-pointers and 26-of-48 attempts from the field. Conversely, the Mustangs (5-17) -- the No. 9 seed -- made just 15-of-46 shots (32.6 percent) and 5-of-20 3s in the setback.

"Tonight's probably the best night all year we've done of sharing the basketball," said Brecksville coach Steve Mehalik. "It was complete unselfishness by our guys, which was very, very nice to see. It helps when the ball goes in seven times from the 3-point line in the first half. It makes the game a lot easier when that ball goes in the basket."

The Bees started the game by hitting their first two 3-pointers, and the Mustangs fired back with two of their own as Wes Davic and Sean Alexander hit long-range shots from the right side of the floor. However, after Alexander's 3-pointer, Strongsville went the next 9:44 without a field goal.

"They played really good defense, and we stood around," said Strongsville coach Joe Lynch. "If you stand around and you don't move, if you don't create opportunities, attack the seams of the defense, attack the basket, then you're not going to get many opportunities. They defend well. They all have basketball skills that are solid."

While the defense held Strongsville at bay, Brecksville sophomore guard Tim Tupa hit long-distance shots from the left wing and the right side of the floor after he was set up by his teammates' ability to move the basketball.

"It's always good if we're hitting our outside shots, but we can't live by that," Tupa said. "We've just got to run the floor, penetrate and kick, or penetrate and try to create something for others. We were making that extra pass, and it was working."

With the win, Brecksville moves into Wednesday night's district semifinal.

"I'm never happy," Mehalik said with a laugh. "There are some things out there that we're going to make sure we correct, but this is a lot better than last year at this time, when we got drilled by Lorain. It's a much better result. I think we're getting there, but we have a lot of stuff to get better at."

See a photo gallery from the state wrestling tournament here. COLUMBUS, Ohio — The pomp and circumstance. The fireworks. The lights.

Aaron Yonker of Garrettsville Garfield wins his match against Beachwood's David Shapiro in the 160-pound weight class. - (Lisa DeJong, PD)

See a photo gallery from the state wrestling tournament here.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The pomp and circumstance. The fireworks. The lights.

All that happens tonight.

What happened Friday evening at the Division III state tournament can be summed up in six minutes of stress.

While 14 skilled -- and sometimes lucky individuals -- will win state championships in tonight's final, Friday's semifinals came with some blood, gallons of sweat and more than a few tears.

Many of the six area individuals who reached the finals freely admitted that sometimes the anxiety of wrestling in the go-to match to the championship was a bigger bear than the opponents they faced.

But for Garrettsville Garfield seniors Aaron Yonker (160 pounds) and Kevin Stock (182), there was just a bit more riding on their semifinal matches.

The G-Men have never had a state finalist in the long history of the school.

That all changed as both reached the state championships by not letting their heads become a bigger opponent than the man standing on the other side of the mat.

"Nerves can come back and bite you in the butt if you let them," Yonker said. "You have to overlook it, fight through and take nothing for granted. If you do that, you've got nothing to lose.

"It wasn't just another match at stake, it was the biggest match. Now, you go at things without a care in the world."

Yonker showed the most poise under pressure in knocking off Beachwood's David Shapiro in an overtime thriller.

With the score tied at one in overtime, Yonker hit a switch to a double and won, 3-1.

Stock saw what his teammate did and one-upped him with a 17-6 major decision over Covington's Brian Olson.

It was the second trip to the semifinals for Yonker and one the senior wasn't going to take lightly.

"I've been here before," Stock said. "The nerves weren't even there. I've been working all year for this stuff. The hard work is finally reaping rewards."

It did for Beachwood's Sammy Gross (113) and Rootstown's Garrett Linton (195) as well as the St. Peter Chanel tandem of Dan Barrett (195) and Kennedy Smith (220).

While all were gracious in accepting congratulations, every one of them admitted the biggest obstacle happened before they ever stepped on the mat.

Gross hung tough in a 4-2 win over Troy Christian's Garrett Hancock.

The Beachwood sophomore, who finished third a year ago, admitted it felt like he swallowed a pond of bullfrogs before stepping on the mat with Hancock.

"You take it like you do any other match and try not to think about it," Gross said. "But you feel it. You definitely feel it.

"You can be your own worst enemy if you let yourself get inside your own head. I was feeling the stress, but when I scored first, it took a lot of the emotion out of things."

Perhaps the biggest bundle of nerves came from Barrett in his donnybrook with Manchester's Lucas Dies at 195.

With projected state runner-up Linton sitting on the other side of the bracket, Barrett had to overcome his first trip to state as well as the pressure cooker of a semifinal match with Dies.

Barrett and Dies traded escapes in the second and third period before Barrett scored a takedown late in overtime to win, 3-1.

While Dies fought off numerous attempts in the extra session, Barrett's guts and determination finally won out.

"It's a challenge for some to overcome the nerves, but my coaches didn't let me think about much of anything before the match," Barrett said. "I needed to believe in myself and my abilities.

"If I did that and didn't let my emotions get ahead of me, I knew I'd be all right. To make it to the finals in my first trip down, it's amazing. Simply amazing."

Smith will be making his second appearance in the finals for the Firebirds after blowing out his knee in last year's championship match. Linton is making his first trip to the big stage.

Championship action gets under way today at 5:45 p.m.

Brad Bournival is a freelance writer in North Royalton.

GRAFTON, Ohio -Junior guard Shawn Turk scored a team-best 10 points, as 11 different players scored for top-seeded Westlake (19-2) in its 61-42 victory against 10th-seeded Amherst (6-16) in the nightcap at Midview. Friday's win was the Demons' third against Amherst this season, as they swept the season series in Southwestern Conference play.

GRAFTON, Ohio -Junior guard Shawn Turk scored a team-best 10 points, as 11 different players scored for top-seeded Westlake (19-2) in its 61-42 victory against 10th-seeded Amherst (6-16) in the nightcap at Midview.

Friday's win was the Demons' third against Amherst this season, as they swept the season series in Southwestern Conference play.

"All I've stressed all week long was not necessarily strategy, but intensity," Westlake coach Shawn Hood said. "I wanted us to bring our intensity to championship level."

The Demons trailed for all of 25 seconds in the win and went on a 13-2 run during the first quarter after being down 2-0, when guard Brent Nowicki put the Comets in front.

Turk made two of his next four jump shots and finished the half with eight points. While Turk put the ball in the basket, Gavin Skelly kept the Comets away from the glass. Skelly pulled down six first-half rebounds, while the Comets collected just seven as a team.

With the win, Westlake earned a third game against Brecksville after the two teams split the regular-season series in the SWC. Both squads won home games.

Brecksville's 3-point shooting in Friday's first game got the attention of the Demons.

"It scared me, so I'm guessing it scared them," Hood said. "Wow, were they phenomenal. They never looked back from the first quarter on. They played a near-perfect game. They were terrific, and I have to believe that our kids got a little bit more focused when they watched Brecksville."

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Regardless of tonight's final outcomes, St. Edward's wrestling team will be remembered as one of the best in school history -- and by natural extension, among Ohio's best all-time great teams. But what will be the Eagles' final place in Ohio history? That depends not just on the outcome, but also perspective.

St. Edward coach John Heffernan hugs his son, Colin Heffernan, after he lost his match against Max Byrd of Cincinnati LaSalle in the 120-pound weight class. - (Lisa DeJong, PD)

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Regardless of tonight's final outcomes, St. Edward's wrestling team will be remembered as one of the best in school history -- and by natural extension, among Ohio's best all-time great teams.

But what will be the Eagles' final place in Ohio history? That depends not just on the outcome, but also perspective.

They seek to break Cleveland West's 1951 "big-school division" record of six state champions. The all-division record is eight by St. Paris Graham in 2009.

St. Edward has eight finalists, which ties the Division I record it set in 1983 and Walsh Jesuit tied in 1995.

"It's a big deal because we feel like we're the best team in the nation, even though we lost to Blair (N.J.). What really matters is that we win state titles," said St. Edward junior finalist Markus Scheidel.

Led by Hall of Fame coach Harold Kester, the West Cowboys' champs were Robert Pogue (121 pounds), Vince Matteucci (128), Fred Darienzo (134), Emil Palmieri (139), Pete Rossi (155) and Dick Bonacci (161). A seventh finalist, John Morabito (146), lost in the state finals to Don Wem of Garfield Heights. The wrestler many regarded as perhaps West's best was unbeaten Pepe Rocco, who missed the tournament with an injured shoulder.

There were 10 weight classes in 1951, and all schools competed in one division. There are 14 weight classes and three divisions today. West's half-dozen still is regarded as the standard for large schools.

"Six was 60 percent of the weight classes. They have to win eight of 14 [to tie the record]. That's 60 percent. That's the way I look at it, and Bonacci does, too," said Matteucci, whose grandson, Alex Moore, is one of St. Edward's finalists.

Fatherly feeling: St. Edward assistant John Heffernan has coached hundreds of place-winners and dozens of champions, often appearing stoic in the corner. His outward appearance hasn't changed this weekend, but on the inside, his emotions are churning while his son, Colin, wrestles. Colin, a junior 120-pounder, lost his quarterfinal but clinched a spot on the podium Friday.

"Sometimes, I think I'm not doing him justice when I'm worried about everybody else, and sometimes, I think I'm not doing everybody else justice when I'm worried about him," Heffernan said.

Foes, future teammates: Division I 138-pound finalists Mike Labry of Twinsburg and Mitch Newhouse of Massillon Perry will be teammates who will likely be battling each other for starting spots at Ashland University next year.

Labry beat Newhouse in the Mentor district final last week.

"I have to do the same thing I did last time and work my offense," Labry said.

Freestyle futures: Ohio wrestling legend Bobby Douglas was at the tournament as the head of USA Wrestling's freestyle development program. He said there are a handful of Ohio wrestlers who have bright freestyle futures. Topping his list is St. Paris Graham's Bo Jordan, who, thus far, has done little freestyle. Douglas said Jordan has world-class speed.

"When I see Bo Jordan, I see Cael Sanderson and I see Jake Varner," Douglas said.

Say cheese: Reigning world champ Jordan Burroughs and MMA wrestler (and St. Edward graduate) Lance Palmer drew a crowd of wrestlers in the warm-up area as they struck various wrestling poses wearing singlets for a magazine photo shoot. Burroughs dabbled with MMA recently.

No more sinking feeling: Canton Repository veteran writer Jim Thomas received the Wrestling Media Service Award from the OHSAA. He's having a better tournament than last year, when a sink fell off a truck and smashed into his brand-new car.

Awards:St. Peter Chanel coach Graham Coghill has been named as the National Federation of High School Association's 2012 Ohio Coach of the Year. Coghill has compiled 239 dual-meet wins and coached five state championship teams and seven state runners-up. He has had 116 placers and 153 state qualifiers throughout a 33-year career. Last year, he guided Chanel to a state title in Division III.

St. Edward coach Greg Urbas was inducted Friday into the Ohio High School Wrestling Coaches Association's Hall of Fame. Urbas has guided the Eagles to 16 state championships and four state runner-ups. He has had 227 state qualifiers and 64 state champions during a brilliant 23-year career at St. Edward.

Wow: Jordan Cowell of Archbold will go in the record books when his season concludes today.

A four-time state qualifier and fifth-place finisher last year, Cowell has racked up more than 50 wins in the four years of his high school career. The 152-pound Division III wrestler finished fifth a year ago and has compiled 236 career wins. He will wrestle in the finals for the first time today. Incidentally, the win total unofficially makes him the all-time state leader.

Wadsworth-y: There are only five four-time state placers in Medina County, but none ever finished his career on the same team. That changed today when Nick Tavanello (285) and Kagan Squire (132) accomplished the feat for the Grizzlies.

Brad Squire was the last four-timer in the seven-school county to do it when he won state titles in 2007 and 2010 to back up a runner-up finish in 2008 and sixth-place finish in 2009.

Family affair: Before the state tournament, many people expected that brothers Ryan and Nic Skonieczny would eventually run into each other in the 132-pound bracket during Friday's evening session. However, it was expected to be a semifinal clash.

Due to quarterfinal losses by both wrestlers, Walsh Jesuit senior Nic Skonieczny and St. Vincent-St. Mary sophomore Ryan Skonieczny were sent to the consolation bracket. One win later apiece, and the anticipated clash of the brothers took place.

After a tentative start, action picked up toward the end of the third period. But, it was Nic who got an early advantage in the match and came away with an emotional 5-3 win against his younger brother.

Both brothers were relieved that the match was over.

"He's my older brother, and family always comes first," said Ryan, who placed eighth last season and now has a chance to finish seventh this morning. "We wanted to go out there and have a great time. You only live once, and you want to have a blast and have fun with it. I think we did."

Fortunately, the match wouldn't be to decide whether one of them would be on the podium. Both clinched their respective spots with their wins in the second round consolations. However, the loser would have to wrestle for seventh- and eighth-place, while the winner is guaranteed to finish as high as third or as low as sixth.

"Making history is always fun," said Nic, who placed third last season and can duplicate that finish with two victories this morning. "I don't think there's ever been a brother-versus-brother match down here at state. It was a fun experience, and it was a good experience for the both of us. It was weird, but it was good."

Before the match, Nic predicted that it would be a "basement brawl." And in the third period, it turned into one.

With Nic breaking a scoreless tie with a three-point second period, Ryan became the aggressor, going for shot after shot. Nic was able to elude most of them, even though he gave up a point for stalling right before the end.

"What's inside the circle is inside the circle," Ryan said. "There's no animosity or hard feelings there. Once the match was over, it's like business as usual.

"I'm proud of both of my brothers [twins Nic and Nate, the latter a defending state champion going for his second crown tonight]," Ryan said.

"They deserve all the accolades they can get. It's great that we all can be on the podium together for the second straight year. I was hoping for higher, but I'm focused on seventh this year, and I believe next year is going to be my year."

Cinderella run:Coventry senior 120-pounder Jesse Gunter, who has garnered a lot of media attention this week for being just the third legally blind wrestler to reach the state tournament, had his run to the state championship match thwarted in the semifinals.

Gunter (45-6) gave Walsh Jesuit senior Cory Stainbrook, the projected state champion, a run for his money in their semifinal bout, but he came up on the short end of a 2-1 decision.

Gunter declined to be interviewed following the match. Coventry coach Keith Shinn apologized to reporters, saying that all the media attention this week was a bit overwhelming for him.

"Being with Jesse is like being with one of my own kids," Shinn said. "I'm kind of emotional about it, too."

Stainbrook (35-7), now a four-time state placer and a defending state runner- up, admitted that Gunter was a much tougher opponent than when he faced him at Alliance last weekend.

"Last time, I took him down six or seven times," Stainbrook said. "This time, I could tell he definitely prepared for me. He came at me pretty tough. It was a dogfight."

Well-represented: The area was represented by 49 wrestlers in Division II, and when the dust settled Friday night, 31 of them have earned a spot on the podium.

Of the 31 area state placers, 13 reached the semifinals and seven will wrestle for the state championship tonight.

Of the placers, only three -- Padua finalists Bobby Mason (senior, 126) and Brent Fickel (senior, 132) and Holy Name's Jimmy Klosz (senior, 145) -- came from the tough Maple Heights District. All the rest emerged from the Alliance District.

Freelance writers Brad Bournival and Dan Gilles contributed to this story.

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

On Twitter: @TimsTakePD

Goalie Cedrick Desjardins stops all five shooters he faces.

View full sizeLake Erie Monsters

Hamilton took a 1-0 lead on a power-play goal at 16:15 of the first period but Lake Erie would tie the game less than three minutes later when Dean Strong scored during a 4-on-4. Mike Brennan and Stoa earned assists on Strong's third goal of the season.

Desjardins, who was whistled for interference in overtime, was credited with 29 saves.

Also, the Monsters' Patrick Bordeleau earned a game misconduct penalty in the first period after being called for a five-minute boarding penalty.

With the win, Lake Erie (28-25-2-3) now has 61 points, the same as Rochester in the Western Conference standings. The top eight teams qualify for the playoffs.

Mentor's boys basketball team faced an early test Friday night against Shaw in the second round of the playoffs, but in the end, it rang up another triple-digit performance. Top-seeded Mentor and No. 11 Shaw were knotted at 23 after the first quarter before Mentor showed why it is The Plain Dealer's No. 1 team, winning, 102-88, in a...

Mentor senior guard Justin Fritts led his team to a Division I sectional final win over Shaw with 30 points. - (Allison Carey, The Plain Dealer)

Mentor's boys basketball team faced an early test Friday night against Shaw in the second round of the playoffs, but in the end, it rang up another triple-digit performance.

Top-seeded Mentor and No. 11 Shaw were knotted at 23 after the first quarter before Mentor showed why it is The Plain Dealer's No. 1 team, winning, 102-88, in a Division I sectional championship game at Euclid.

Senior guard Justin Fritts once again led Mentor (20-2) with 30 points. But scoring honors went to Shaw's Cordell Smith with 42. The junior point guard sank 13 baskets, including seven 3-pointers, and was 9-of-12 from the free-throw line.

East Tech 65, Mayfield 55 Johnell Free and Ramon Sheffield teamed for 44 points to lift the Scarabs in the other sectional final at Euclid.

Fourth-seeded East Tech pulled away in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Wildcats, 23-15.

Fifth-seeded Mayfield, ranked 23rd by The Plain Dealer, ends its season at 17-4. The Wildcats were led by Drew Teller with 15 points.

Midpark 50, Valley Forge 47 The Meteors escaped when Forge missed a 3-point attempt at the buzzer in a Division I sectional championship game at Brecksville.

Sixth-seededValley Forge (11-10) outscored fourth-seeded Midpark, 14-8, in the fourth quarter.

Midpark was led by junior Christian Colton and senior Simon Kucharewicz, who each tallied 16 points.Nicholas Ho scored a team-high 10 points for Valley Forge.

Next up for Midpark is top-seeded St. Edward.

St. Edward 103, John Marshall 48 Fourteen players scored for St. Edward in the Eagles' playoff opener at Brecksville.

Four tallied double figures, led by Myles Hamilton with 18, as the senior guard returned from a four-game suspension after being assessed two technical fouls at Columbus Northland.

The Eagles, ranked fourth by The Plain Dealer, move to 14-7. No. 12 John Marshall ends its season at 3-19.

Massillon Jackson 50, Barberton 48 (OT) The third-seeded Magics overcame a deficit to force overtime but were stopped there.

Senior guard Eric Hummel led the Magics (14-7) with 16 points. Seventh-seeded Jackson is 16-8.

Firestone 62, Cuyahoga Falls 56 (3 OT) The Falcons survived the thriller with a 12-6 edge in the third overtime in a Division I sectional final at Copley.

Jerome Lane and Stefan Willis each scored six points in the final overtime for Firestone, seeded fourth and ranked 24th by The Plain Dealer. Lane led all scorers with 22 points. Kevin Gladney added 19 for Firestone (15-6).

Ninth-seeded Cuyahoga Falls, which upset No. 6 Twinsburg in the sectional semifinal, was led by Josh Ricker's 18 points.

Stow 53, Highland 37 David Walker led all players with 24 points and Kyle Scelza added 16, as the Bulldogs encountered little trouble in a Division I sectional final at Copley.

Stow, seeded first and ranked 12th by The Plain Dealer, moves to 18-4.

University School, 68, Collinwood 53 Davidson recruit Jordan Barham converted nine baskets and 10 free throws en route to 29 points, as his team won a Division II sectional title at Ashtabula Lakeside.

Sam Bentz added 15 points and Curtis Black had 11 for the fourth-seeded Preppers. No. 6 Collinwood was led by Maurice Scott's 13 points.

Archbishop Hoban 55, Marlington 44 The Knights overcame a slow start to claim a Division II sectional title at Canton Fieldhouse.

Third-seeded Hoban trailed, 19-11, after the first quarter.

DeAllen Jackson led the way for the 15-6 Knights, with 18 points and seven rebounds. Jaelen Hollinger collected a double-double, with 15 points and 12 rebounds, including an 11 of 13 effort at the free-throw line.

Lucas Strouble led fifth-seeded Marlington (14-8), with 23 points and 10 rebounds.

Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy 49, Tallmadge 45 The fourth-seeded Royals were led by sophomore guard Terry Moorer and freshman Mike Peters in a Division II sectional championship game at Stow. Each contributed 14 points, as CVCA improved to 16-6.

Tallmadge, 10-11 and the seventh seed, got 13 points from senior forward Tucker Linder.

Central Catholic 67, Vermilion 43 Carlos White led all scorers with 16 points and Greg Snyder added 13, as the Ironmen won each quarter in a Division II sectional final at Westlake.

Central Catholic, seeded fourth, evened its record at 11-11. No. 11 Vermilion ends its season at 4-17.

Benedictine 72, Buckeye 47 T.J. Steele, Mike Roberts and Desmond Ridenour combined for 41 points, as the top-seeded Bengals (13-8) won a Division II sectional title at Westlake.

Steele led his team, ranked 15th by The Plain Dealer, with 15 points.

Ninth-seeded Buckeye bows out at 9-13.

Lutheran West 53, Columbia 48 The Longhorns rallied late, holding a 20-5 scoring edge in the fourth quarter, to pull off the upset in a Division III sectional final at Harvey.

Lutheran West, seeded 11th, had three scorers in double figures, led by Ricky Downer with 15. Columbia was seeded fourth and ends its season at 15-7.

Wellington 55, Oberlin 46 Nathan Starkey and Brady Shaw each netted 17 points for the third-seeded Dukes in a Division III sectional final at Wooster.

Nine players scored for eighth-seeded Oberlin, with Charles Lewis leading the way with 12 points.

Richmond Heights 110, Newbury 58 The top-seeded Spartans coasted, amassing 96 points in the first three quarters of a Division IV sectional final at Garfield Heights.

Richmond Heights, 21-1 and ranked ninth by The Plain Dealer, had 10 players score. Ishaam Smith led the way with 20.

Newbury, seeded 13th, got 16 points from Mark Hamilton.

Cuyahoga Heights 72, Kidron Central Christian 63 The sixth-seeded Comets' 29 points in the fourth quarter wasn't enough in the other Division IV sectional final at Garfield Heights.

Cuyahoga Heights, 17-5 and seeded fourth, had four players tally double digits in scoring. Jordan D'Orazio led the way with 15 points.

Windham 88, Mineral Ridge 64 Tyler Pennington and Matt Knight combined for 38 points in a Division IV sectional final at Warren Harding.

Second-seeded Windham, which led, 51-28, at halftime, was led by Pennington's 22. Rickey Parker added 11.

Waters admits that when the Vikings take the court at 6 p.m. today for the Horizon League Tournament semifinals, any success will depend on contributions by rookies Anton Grady, Charlie Lee, Ike Nwamu and Marlin Mason.

View full sizePD fileCleveland State's Marlin Mason.

Looking at the 22-9 season so far, this was done through fits and starts, triggered by slow production and injuries.

But the process is now showing signs of fruition.

Waters admits that when the Vikings take the court at 6 p.m. today for the Horizon League Tournament semifinals, any success will depend on contributions by rookies Anton Grady, Charlie Lee, Ike Nwamu and Marlin Mason.

For CSU, the future appears to be now.

"I did tell the freshmen this when we got together in a meeting: 'If we're going to win this thing, you will be a major part of this,' " Waters said. "I truly believe that."

Circumstances made the rookie transition unusually rough this season. At midseason, an injury to 6-4 redshirt freshman Sebastian Douglas forced CSU to take the redshirt off the 6-6 Mason. Then a groin injury to senior D'Aundray Brown impacted both the starting five and the bench.

Combine that with a sudden offensive cold spell from senior guards Trevon Harmon and Jeremy Montgomery, and it all combined to keep Waters from playing the rookies together in games as a group, which they liked.

That only magnified the fact that the 5-9 Lee wasn't just struggling as an outside shooter, but he also suffered turnovers in clusters.

Mason, who missed the first 16 games, was out of step and not up to speed with his teammates, even though his skill and athleticism were evident the moment he took the floor. The 6-4 Nwamu, initially just a shooting spark off the bench, was slowed by defensive shortcomings.

The only rookie to make a smooth transition was Grady, the 6-8 forward whom the players call "Silk."

The product of Central Catholic High finished the regular season averaging 8.8 points a game, 6.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocked shots. He had four double doubles and 11 games with eight or more rebounds. He was named to the Horizon League's All-Newcomer Team.

On Feb. 23 against the Detroit Titans, with Brown still sidelined and foul troubles plaguing others, Waters was forced to go with his young guns -- playing together. And they came out blazing.

Lee had 12 points and five assists in that game. Mason posted 15 points and nine rebounds. Nwamu had eight points. All played at crunch time -- and down the stretch -- as CSU snapped a five-game losing streak with a 77-64 win.

"It took all the way to this weekend for me to have -- I don't want to say confidence -- to deal with the fear of going [with the freshmen]," Waters said. "Now I don't feel bad about going to them. I actually feel good."

Mason said: "That's what it is going to look like the next few years. Together, we're looking kind of good. We're used to playing with each other already. In the summer, we all played with each other, two-on-two against each other."

Those summer battles are what kept the young group united during the tough times and focused them on getting in sync.

"It's something we knew we were all capable of doing," Grady said. "Everybody knew. It was just a matter of time. At the beginning of the year, coach played us all together. Then we struggled a little bit, and coach stopped putting us in as five. He started playing us one by one.

"Now we're starting to have times when we're all in together again, and for us, that's how it's been since Day One in practice."

While the numbers weren't as flashy in the last regular-season game against Wright State, once again, the freshmen -- playing chunks of minutes together -- were impressive and key to the win.

With possibly two HL Tournament games ahead -- today's semifinals and Tuesdays final -- the rookies now want to put a stamp on this season and continue to give a look at what is to come with Cleveland State basketball.

"Coach says he needs everybody," Lee said. "He's got it in his head to play everybody, so we can go get this tournament. . . . All we've got our mind on right now is winning the Horizon League championship and getting to the NCAA Tournament."

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

Akron, Kent State and Cleveland State all are in action today.

View full sizePhil Masturzo, Akron Beacon JournalAkron head women's basketball coach Jodi Kest.

Women

Akron vs. Buffalo

Tipoff: 2 p.m. at Rhodes Arena, Akron.

Radio: WARF AM/1350.

Notable: Four first-round Mid-American Conference Tournament games will be played today on campus sites. The second round, quarterfinals and semifinals will move to The Q starting Wednesday. This first-rounder will be a rematch from Akron's last game, when the Zips allowed just five points over the final 7:52 to come back and beat Buffalo, 78-69, on Senior Night at Rhodes Arena. Ti'eshia Stubbs (18 points, 11 rebounds) led Akron with her first career double double. Taylor Ruper and Hanna Luburgh added 17 points each. Akron is seeded sixth. Buffalo (9-21, 4-12) is seeded 11th. Brittney Hedderson leads the Bulls at 20 ppg.

Next for Akron: The winner of this game faces either No. 10 Western Michigan or No. 7 Northern Illinois at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday at The Q.

Kent State at Ohio

Tipoff: Noon at the Convocation Center, Athens.

Notable: The Golden Flashes (6-20, 5-11 MAC) are the No. 9 seed. OU (13-17, 6-10) is No. 8. The teams split in the regular season. KSU won, 68-65, in Kent on Jan. 7, and dropped a 51-45 decision at the Convocation Center on Feb. 18.

Next for KSU: The winner of this game will face either No. 5 Central Michigan or No. 12 Ball State on Wednesday at noon in The Q.

-- From staff reports

Cleveland State vs. Youngstown State

Tipoff: 2 p.m. Wolstein Center.

Notable: Cleveland State (10-18, 5-12 Horizon League) ends the regular season looking to snap a two-game losing streak against neighboring Youngstown State (10-18, 4-13), which has lost seven straight.

Next for CSU: Monday TBD, Horizon League Tournament.

-- Elton Alexander

It will be the third meeting between the two teams this season, with the Vikings winning the first two games.

View full size

VALPARAISO, Ind. — The Detroit Titans showed all their wares Friday night in the quarterfinals of the Horizon League Tournament, as they easily dismissed Youngstown State, 93-76, to advance to today's 6 p.m. semifinals against No. 2 seed Cleveland State.

In the second quarterfinal game, No. 5 seed Butler had its way with No. 4 Milwaukee, 71-49, as the Bulldogs physically muscled the Panthers inside and above the rim. Butler will now play No. 1 Valparaiso in the second semifinal game tonight at 8:30 p.m. Butler (20-13) won with ease, as Khyle Marshall and Roosevelt Jones each scored 17 points against Milwaukee (20-13).

It will be the third meeting between the two teams this season, with the Vikings winning the first two games, 66-61 and 77-64. Against the Penguins, the No. 3 seed Titans (20-13) showed no mercy as they jumped out to early leads of 29-10 and 38-15 with more than seven minutes to play in the opening half, as Youngstown State never led.

YSU (17-15) closed it to 50-34 at halftime, then put on a rush to get within 10 points on several occasions, as forward Damian Eargle led the way with 25 points. But the Penguins never could hit the big shot or make the big defensive stop to put pressure on Detroit. The Titans, the preseason pick to win the league before injuries and player turmoil spoiled the early months of the campaign, showed what many expected from them.

"We came out with great focus and intensity," said Detroit coach Ray McCallum. "We set the tone for the way we wanted to play and carried it out."

Five Titans scored in double figures, led by Ray McCallum Jr. with 22 points, Chase Simon with 14 and LaMarcus Lowe with 13, all with the CSU team sitting courtside watching the game.

"We definitely sent a statement, especially on the defensive end," McCallum Jr. said. "It's a rematch game for us. We're ready to get after them and get a win."

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

Also, Mount Union defeats La Roche in a Division III NCAA Tournament game.

View full sizeMichael Conroy, Associated PressOhio State guard Raven Ferguson, right, drives on Michigan forward Sam Arnold in the first half Friday in Indianapolis.

Kalpana Beach (Westlake) scored 12 points for the second-seeded Buckeyes (25-5), who shot only 38 percent. Big Ten Player of the Year Samantha Prahalis scored 11 points but went 4-of-15 and turned it over seven times. However, her five assists made her the conference's all-time leader.

Carmen Reynolds scored 14 points and Courtney Boylan 10 for the seventh-seeded Wolverines (20-11).

Michigan used a 10-0 run to cut the deficit to 45-39 with 7:49 left but could not close the gap.

The Buckeyes are looking for their fourth straight tournament title.

They will play No. 24 Nebraska in the semifinals today. The sixth-seeded Cornhuskers ousted third-seeded Iowa, 80-68. Lindsey Moore scored 26 for Nebraska (23-7).

Kamille Wahlin and Samantha Logic each scored 17 for the Hawkeyes (19-11).

In another quarterfinal, Maggie Lucas scored 24 points as No. 9 Penn State got past Minnesota, 78-74. Freshman Rachel Banham scored 25 for the Golden Gophers (15-17).

The top-seeded Nittany Lions (24-5) will face fourth-seeded Purdue (22-8), which got 29 points from Brittany Rayburn to down Michigan State, 73-64. The Spartans are 20-11.

Mount Union 73, La Roche (Pa.) 63 Kori Wiedt (North Olmsted) scored 20 points, and Rosa LaMattina (Westlake) added 16 as the Purple Raiders (26-1) downed the Redhawks (22-5) in the first round of the Division III NCAA Tournament in Alliance, Ohio.

Don't mention plantar fasciitis to Ryan Spilborghs. All the former Rockies outfielder is concentrating on is winning a job with the Indians this season.

GOODYEAR, Ariz. — Outfielder Ryan Spilborghs' right heel is healthy. The plantar fasciitis that put him on the disabled list twice last year with the Rockies has been rectified, but Spilborghs is taking no chances.

He still sleeps with a protective boot on his right foot.

"I do not want that thing to ever come back," said Spilborghs, a right-handed hitter. "I'm super vigilant because the last thing I want, especially with the amount of injuries this outfield had last year, was to come in here with an injury from the past and not be 100 percent."

Spilborghs is one of 10 pure outfielders in camp trying to win a starting job with the Indians. The job opening will most likely be in left field, but that doesn't matter to Spilborghs. He played all three outfield positions with the Rockies from 2005 through '11.

Last year, Spilborghs had cortisone shots and PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma) treatments on the heel. PRP involves taking the athlete's blood, spinning it and injecting it into the injured area. He played just 98 games, struggling to run and hit because of the injury.

"To my detriment, I decided not to go on the DL when I probably should have," said Spilborghs. "I hurt myself in that regard. People think you're not the player you once were. That's not the case."

The Indians signed him to a minor-league deal after he was non-tendered by the Rockies.

"My goal is to make this team out of camp," said Spilborghs, 32. "I think if I prove I'm healthy and they see my approach and the way I play the game that they would try to make a spot for me to help this club."

Warming up: Lefty David Huff will start for the Indians in today's Cactus League opener against the Reds at Goodyear Ballpark.

Jeremy Accardo, Nick Hagadone, Frank Herrmann, Chen Lee, Danny Salazar, Chris Seddon, Tyler Sturdevant and Robinson Tejeda will follow Huff.

The Reds will start right-hander Mike Leake.

'''The Reds are the home team today, but will use the DH. The two teams play each other Sunday and Monday. The Indians will be the home team on Sunday.

Ubaldo Jimenez will face Cincinnati's Homer Bailey on Sunday. Justin Masterson will start for the Tribe on Monday against Reds right-hander Johnny Cueto.

Baby steps: Carlos Carrasco, recovering from Tommy John surgery on his right elbow, will start playing catch at 75 feet Monday. By the end of March, he hopes to be throwing at 90 to 105 feet, but the earliest he could be pitching in games is sometime late this season.

"I'm just going every day step by step," said Carrasco. "I know this is going to take a while. Maybe I can pitch at the end of this year or next season." Finally: The Indians will meet with representatives from the players association at 8:30 a.m. Friday. It was announced that MLB will go to a 10-team format for the postseason starting this year. A second wild card will be added to each league and the players have to approve that move.

For the curious, under the new system, the 2000 and 2005 Indians would have qualified for the postseason as the second wild card team. The Indians won 90 games in 2000 and 93 in 2005.

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

On Twitter: @hoynsie

COLUMBUS, Ohio - St. Edward clinched its 27th Division I state wrestling championship during the semifinal round Friday night in Value City Arena. The Eagles lead second-place Massillon Perry, 188.5-86.5.

St. Edward's Jacob Davis, top, defeated Solon's Justin Kresevic in the Division I 160-pound weight class Friday afternoon in Columbus. The Eagles went on to clinch their 27th state title Friday night. - (Lisa DeJong, The Plain Dealer)

COLUMBUS, Ohio - St. Edward clinched its 27th Division I state wrestling championship during the semifinal round Friday night in Value City Arena.

The Eagles lead second-place Massillon Perry, 188.5-86.5.

The Eagles tied a Division I tournament record by advancing eight wrestlers to Saturday's championship matches, a mark set by St. Edward in 1983 and tied by Walsh Jesuit in 1995.

Saturday, St. Edward will go after what is regarded as the big-school division record for individual champs, which is six by Cleveland West in 1951.

The Eagles will need to win at least six of their eight finals to have a shot at their Division I scoring record of 229 points.

"We have one more round. It's a big round tomorrow," St. Edward coach Greg Urbas said. "It's a real feather in our cap to have eight in the finals. It's awesome."

Solon and Twinsburg each put two in the finals and the Greater Cleveland and Akron area totaled 17 finalists in the three divisions combined.

Massillon Perry has virtually clinched its eighth runner-up finish in the last 10 years.