Mike Holmgren had moments, but never gave Cleveland Browns any momentum: Terry Pluto

October 23, 2012, 4:49 pm

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Mike Holmgren's time with the Browns ends with a sense of missed opportunities. Watch video

Thomas Ondrey, The Plain DealerWould it have been better had Mike Holmgren come in as an Andy Reid-type coach with Heckert as the general manager? Who knows -- but Terry Pluto wishes we could have found out.

BEREA, Ohio -- Empty.

That's how I felt listening to Mike Holmgren's farewell press conference as Browns president. Less than three years ago, Holmgren came to town with Super Bowl rings from two teams and the nickname of "The Big Show." The press room was packed, the fans' optimism was volcanic. This was Randy Lerner's "credible football leader" that this beleaguered franchise so needed.

He left on a gray, soggy Tuesday almost with a whisper in a half-filled press room where many media members were not even sure what to ask the 64-year-old Holmgren. At one point, Holmgren said they "did some great things," which is hard to accept when the team is 1-6 and 9-23 the previous two seasons.

Yes, he did some good things. He brought in General Manager Tom Heckert, whose controversial trade of Julio Jones may have produced a real quarterback in Brandon Weeden. Heckert also made some other promising draft picks. Bryan Wiedmeier was a good choice to run the business side of the operation, and other experienced pros were added to work behind the scenes.

But now I realize I missed the obvious: Holmgren was hired with no real job description, other than to save the franchise. Want to be president? General Manager? Coach? All of the above? Lerner was open to anything Holmgren wished, and that was the flaw in his plan.

Can you name another franchise that brought in someone and said you can coach or run their entire franchise? Or both?

In the end, it seemed Holmgren saw his role as "defacto owner," which is what new owner Jimmy Haslam called it.

Always called "Coach"

But around the team complex, he was always known as "Coach." It's what he did best, and he sounded as if he wanted to do it again: "Now I'm sure, I do miss the coaching part. I really do."

When he said that Tuesday, I could hear fans screaming: "So what stopped you from doing it here?"

He had two chances. The first was when he took over the team and decided to keep Eric Mangini for the 2010 season. I confess to thinking that was OK because I liked Mangini's discipline. I thought he could be an effective coach with a strong front office behind him.

I knew that Mangini was not a disciple of the West Coast Offense, which is football's holy grail for Holmgren. But what I didn't know is Holmgren and Heckert were also wedded to the 4-3 defense. Meanwhile, Mangini will go to his grave convinced the best way to defend is the 3-4 set. From the start, this marriage between what Mangini called "two very different football families" was headed for a divorce. It never should have reached the altar.

After firing Mangini, Holmgren admitted he considered coaching -- but turned to Pat Shurmur, who had never been a head coach before.

Would it have been better had Holmgren come in as an Andy Reid-type coach with Heckert as the general manager? Who knows? But it would have been different, and Holmgren certainly would have been in his comfort zone.

I asked Holmgren about his vague job description, and if that led to any problems. He replied that he should have been "more visible" and more available at press conferences.

Then he said, "I didn't want to in anyway overshadow the coach."

Never fully comfortable

But a strong front-office guy dealing with Peyton Hillis' contract and backing his coach to the public would have helped. Holmgren never did develop a sense of what his role should be, at least in terms of how it was viewed by the fans.

So now he leaves, 2 1/2 seasons into a five-year, $40 million deal. He joins Chris Palmer, Phil Savage, Romeo Crennel, Butch Davis and Mangini as coaches/executives who were paid for several years after being fired by Lerner. Since 1999, no president, general manager or coach as survived more than four seasons.

That's why it wasn't wise for him to say that his immediate plans were: "Depending on where I am and the weather, I'm going to ride my motorcycle a lot. Perhaps go to the beach a little bit, go to Hawaii. ... Like I said, I think Kathy and I are going to go someplace where it's warm, with those little drinks with the umbrellas in it and then kind of think about what the future is all about."

So this franchise with its amazingly loyal and beat-down fan base continues to wait for someone to give them a real reason to believe in a winning future for the orange helmets. It's now in the hands of Haslam (a rookie owner who oozes passion and love for his adopted city) and Joe Banner (an experienced football CEO). It's a promising combination.

Now, maybe, just maybe, things will change ... and change for the better.

If nothing else, Browns fans can always hope so.

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Cleveland Browns coach Pat Shurmur's Wednesday press conference: A transcript

October 24, 2012, 3:58 pm

≫ Next: Hey, Tim: Which Northeast Ohio schools have gone longest without winning a team state title?

≪ Previous: Mike Holmgren had moments, but never gave Cleveland Browns any momentum: Terry Pluto

Shurmur talks about numerous Browns players as the team gets ready to play the San Diego Chargers on Sunday.

Coach Pat Shurmur and the Browns are getting ready for their home game on Sunday against the San Diego Chargers. John Kuntz, The Plain Dealer

BEREA, Ohio

Cleveland Browns coach Pat Shurmur's Wednesday press conference

Shurmur: “As I do every week, the fourth captain this week will be Brandon Weeden. I think it’s a good choice. I know you’ve been asking questions about it, but our intention here is to put Scott Fujita on IR so we’re going to do that. Again because I’m sure you’ll ask, Phil Taylor will be out there practicing today so those are probably the significant things involving the players at this point. Aside from that I’ll kind of let the injury report speak for the rest of the guys and get ready for the Chargers. We had a good walk-through, good meetings, the energy level is high, these guys understand that the process is most important - that we get ourselves as good as we can be individually, as a unit and then as a team to compete against the Chargers at 1:00 on Sunday. That’s where we’re at and that’s the mindset of the players and it’s been a good morning.”

On if Trent Richardson participated in the walk-through: “He did, yeah.”

On if it would have been wiser to have Richardson sit last week: “No, we wanted him to compete and he competed in there for about a half. I was watching him every step of the way and I don’t think it was wise to keep himself out. He didn’t re-injure himself. Had he re-injured himself or set himself back then I would have had second thoughts, but that wasn’t the case.”

On if there is value in resting Richardson until after the bye: “I think what’s important is if he’s healthy to play, he plays. If they tell me he is at no risk to hurt if further then we’re playing ball. As I watch him in practice, just like we watched him in the game, if we feel like that’s something that we can and should do we’ll do it otherwise we’re getting ready to play.”

On if Scott Fujita plans on retiring: “I don’t know that. I spoke with him this morning and I don’t know that.”

On if there will be a corresponding roster for Fujita: “Phil (Taylor) will be practicing and then depending on what happens, we may make another one.”

On what chance Taylor has to play on Sunday: “Very low. He’s got to get out there and start doing his thing.”

On if Taylor counts against the roster yet: “No. I’ve got all this flexibility.”

On what a reasonable time is for Taylor to come back considering his position: “This is not unique for a guy to come back at this point in the season and we’ve just got to watch him work. We’ve got to get him out there and let him practice, get him first into the swing of things and then step up the workload and see how he handles it. We’ll see. It’s reasonable to think maybe next week or the week after, of course we’ve got a bye in there so we’ll see.”

On how things develop on defense with Fujita out: “The guys in there have got to play good ball and they’ve got to get each other lined up. The MIKE linebacker, D’Qwell (Jackson), is ultimately responsible for that and all the guys in there have got to play. That’s how we do it, just like they did when Scott wasn’t playing the last couple of weeks.”

On his comparison of the offensive line’s run blocking versus the pass blocking: “It’s easy to talk about production, we haven’t given up any sacks, but again I think there’s a combination of reasons why. I think they’ve battled in the pass protection area. I do think as a team we need to run the ball better and each week we look at the opponent we playing, the types of runs that we like, the runner that’s in the game and then making sure we get them blocked properly. Speaking specifically on the offensive line and tying it to the team, we need to do a better job of making yards when we run the football.”

On how the defense is different with Fujita out: “Just from a roster standpoint we’ve got younger guys playing those positions. When you’ve got a guy that has experience there are things that he can add to the mix. Then on the other side of it, some of the youth and enthusiasm and the fresher legs add another little dimension.”

On what he likes about James-Michael Johnson and how has he looked: “He’s getting better. I think he’s having a little bit more production each week, having less bad plays.”

On how to defend Antonio Gates: “That’s a good question and I think he’s playing, in terms of Antonio Gates, I think he’s playing as well as he’s played recently, in my mind. He looks healthy, on tape he looks big, (Philip) Rivers is throwing to him a lot and he’s making a lot of catches. I haven’t seen a lot of the teams that we’ve watched on tape defend him all that effectively. I think it’s important that we get pressure on the passer, I think it’s important that we challenge all the throws and whoever’s covering him, whether it be a safety or a linebacker or he’s running through a zone, we’ve got to do a good job of trying to disrupt the throws.”

On how the tight end position has evolved: “I think there’s more of an emphasis put on the tight end position. You see a lot more, and we do it quite a bit, where you have one back, two tight end, two receiver sets. Then you see those guys lined up on the end of the line of scrimmage, you see them lined up as receivers, you see them lined up in the backfield. Those guys, because of their size and their athletic ability, they can provided mismatches on the inside of the defenses. There’s a lot of conversation about the matchups at the receivers so you take those guys out of it for a second, there’s a lot of stuff going on in the middle and the tight ends can be a part of it. I think without knowing exactly the numbers and how they stack up, we throw the ball to the tight ends quite a bit and I think that’s just the general trend.”

On if Richardson is a guy that they need to talk to about being honest with how he is feeling and how productive he can be: “He’s being honest and trying to be convincing at the same time. I get that. That’s not the first time that we’ve encountered a player that’s tried to do that. That’s where the relationship is where you know the player and you watch the player and you know what he looks like when he’s feeling great regardless of what he tells you. That’s where that relationship is. I’m more able to do it this year knowing the players where last year coming off of a lockout I was still getting a feel for some of that. In the case of Trent, what I do know is this, he’s a competitor, he wants to be out there and no matter how he feels he’s going to try to convince me to go out there. I just know that when I go into that decision making about whether he should be or shouldn’t be.”

On if he knew Richardson wasn’t himself right away last week: “I don’t know about right away. I gave him a little bit of time in there just to see.”

On if the young defensive tackles have hit a wall: “I think that’s a question for them. They’re the ones who know how they feel. I think it’s important that they just keep pushing and I think it’s important they keep going through the process and make sure they’re getting their preparation, rest, they’re hydrating and getting themselves just as ready as they can be for a 1:00 start on Sunday. That’s what we try to encourage them to do to make sure they’re just right. The season adds up on you a little bit. I think that’s fair to say and they’ve got to do all the right things with their time and their preparation to make sure they don’t wear down.”

On if Antonio Gates gives him pause about using linebackers to cover him one-on-one: “Pause? There are only a few choices. It’s a linebacker or safety normally, unless you’re going to put a corner in there. If you’re going to matchup in man-to-man coverage those are your choices. I’ve got confidence that our guys are going to battle him."

On what he has seen out of his tight ends: “I feel good about the production we’re getting. They’re always involved in the passing game, some games more than others. I think it’s important that you involve the wide receivers in the passing game because if you just throw the ball to the tight end at times, the game get played in a confined area. I feel like they’re doing what we ask them to do. I think it’s important that our guys try to develop as three down tight ends, which means they block the line of scrimmage and we’re making improvements there, especially with Jordan (Cameron). I think they want to try to get their game to the position where they can be playmakers, but yet they’re in there kind of getting down and dirty doing their blocking as well.”

On if Montario Hardesty did anything in camp to prove that he was the guy to back up Richardson: “Yeah, we discussed it throughout, but I thought he showed up healthy and in shape. That allowed him to kind of catch our eye and he was productive. Then you decide on who is your starter and who is your backups, and what they’re good at and why they’re filling those roles. We feel like he can be an effective runner. That’s why you see him in there on first, second down.”

On if he feels better about the depth he has at wide receiver and if this is the most depth they have had: “I don’t know. I feel like we’re getting more production out of that position. I think you guys can make the decision. We’ve added a lot of new receivers to the mix, a lot of young guys that I feel like they’re improving. Again, let’s keep in mind, we’ve won one game. I’m not happy about that, but I think as you go through it, as you dig in and try to build something, like we’re doing here. We’re trying to build something into a consistent winner. There are some tough days. You want to add some youthful guys that can be here for a while, that show you that, ‘Wow, they’ve got a chance.’ I think we can say that that’s the case with some of our young receivers.”

On if he sees Rivers as an emotional quarterback that’s unpredictable: “I don’t know about that. When I watched the game, I tried to watch it forgetting the score. I sat down, in fact before I left last night, and watched that game. I saw him playing pretty efficiently. There are things that happen where you throw interceptions. They knocked the ball off him once. Those created two scores, which kind of jump started Denver’s comeback. No, I see him as a guy that’s a top flight quarterback in this league, quite frankly. Regardless, he’s a big guy, he’s got big targets. It looks like they’re all playing above the rim. They’re very effective.”

On if he sensed frustration when he talked to Fujita about everything that has happened this year: “We didn’t talk about anything in total. Typically, I’m talking to the guys about their ‘now’ situations, what they’re dealing with. Any player, there’s a little frustration in there when they can‘t play because they want to be out there playing, when they’re trying to come back from an injury of some sort. Other than that, I didn’t talk to him about anything in total.”

On if he pushed Fujita towards retirement: “I think retirement decisions, those are personal, whether it’s coaches, players. I think those are discussions you have with your loved ones, about is it time? For a player at times, that decision is made for you. If you’re no longer on a roster and you don’t get picked up, eventually it kind of sets in. I think we all want to be in control of our own situations. I think that’s fair to say. I think it’s fair to say that most of us aren’t. I think that’s the reality of it. To me, uncertainty in the world, tells me that, ‘Hey, we’re moving along.’”

On what has Fujita has meant to him and to the team: “He’s been here longer than I have, so I had just gotten to know him really last season, and then through this offseason. He’s a veteran player that’s done a lot of things in this league. He’s one of those guys around here that kind of knew what was going on. He’s pretty calm about doing his job. The kind of the things you see from a guy that’s played in the league for a while.”

On if Josh Gordon and Travis Benjamin being on the field at the same time and if that is a work in progress: “I think whether they’re out there together, or out there by themselves with some other receiver, I think you see flashes of things that you want. They’re obviously very different body types. That’s fair to say. They’re very different body types. I think they can be very effective as receivers. They both had good production the other night. We want to get it to where they have great production.”

On if a completely healthy Travis Benjamin will take playing time away from Josh Cooper: “No, I’m going to play them all. If they’re active, they’ll play. We have ways we can play one receiver, two receivers, three and at times four so we’ll get them out there and let them all have a crack at it.”

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Hey, Tim: Which Northeast Ohio schools have gone longest without winning a team state title?

October 24, 2012, 5:01 pm

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≪ Previous: Cleveland Browns coach Pat Shurmur's Wednesday press conference: A transcript

Q: Hey, Tim: I know it's been a long drought for Rocky River in team state championships. I was wondering which other schools in Northeast Ohio are long-suffering? -- Mike Foley, Rocky River A: Hey, Mike: Rocky River's last state title was in 1927, and that is the longest drought among schools that have won state titles, according to...

Rocky River last won a state team title in 1927, the longest drought among schools that have won state championships, according to an Ohio High School Athletic Association database.

Q: Hey, Tim: I know it's been a long drought for Rocky River in team state championships. I was wondering which other schools in Northeast Ohio are long-suffering? -- Mike Foley, Rocky River

A: Hey, Mike: Rocky River's last state title was in 1927, and that is the longest drought among schools that have won state titles, according to an Ohio High School Athletic Association database of state championships. Some schools have never won state titles, but among those that have, none has waited longer for the next one than Rocky River.

The 1920s were indeed roaring for the Pirates. They won all three of their state titles, all in boys track -- in 1923, 1924 and '27.

A possible exception is Lorain, depending on how you look at it. It won one state title in 1923 (boys basketball) and no others before it closed in 1995. Admiral King and Southview, neither of which won state titles, merged into the new Lorain High in 2010.

A few other schools whose team state championship trophies are collecting dust while waiting for new hardware are Akron East (1937), John Hay (1943) and Orange (1944).

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Whatever Happened To ... Ex-Hathaway Brown field hockey coach Amy Longley?

October 24, 2012, 5:17 pm

≫ Next: John Hay on the verge of program's first playoff appearance: High School Football Insider

≪ Previous: Hey, Tim: Which Northeast Ohio schools have gone longest without winning a team state title?

Amy Longley coached Hathaway Brown's field hockey team to nine final four appearances and the 2002 state title. The Northfield resident resigned after the 2007 season but not before racking up a 26-year career record of 316-148-61, proving you don't need to play the sport in order to be successful at it.

Former Hathaway Brown field hockey coach Amy Longley remains at HB as a physical education teacher.

Amy Longley coached Hathaway Brown's field hockey team to nine final four appearances and the 2002 state title.

The Northfield resident resigned after the 2007 season but not before racking up a 26-year career record of 316-148-61, proving you don't need to play the sport in order to be successful at it.

"I played tennis at [Toledo] Rogers and Bowling Green, but I went to a lot of field hockey games in college," said Longley, 60. "When I came to HB, they told me I was going to be the field hockey coach.

"I said OK and went to a lot of clinics, camps and talked to some very knowledgeable [field hockey] coaches."

Fewer than 50 high school field hockey teams compete in Ohio, but Longley knows all too well it's still not easy winning a state championship.

"We've been the No. 1 seed a number of years, which has helped, and there aren't a lot of rounds to play to get to the state tournament, but we also don't practice or play our home games on artificial turf and that's a huge disadvantage when district tournament play begins," she said. "The state tournament is played on artificial turf and that's a big disadvantage because most of the teams competing play on that kind of surface all season long."

Longley, who teaches physical education at the all-girls private school in Shaker Heights, has not disassociated herself from the sport. She coaches HB's seventh-grade field hockey team and conducts clinics.

Longley uses her free time to hike, ride her bike, travel and go birdwatching.

"I've gone to a lot of varsity [field hockey] games and I like sitting in the stands and just watching," said Longley. "There's no pressure, but I wouldn't trade any of those years in for anything."

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John Hay on the verge of program's first playoff appearance: High School Football Insider

October 24, 2012, 5:36 pm

≫ Next: St. Edward's Ryan Fallon is your man if you're looking for a leader

≪ Previous: Whatever Happened To ... Ex-Hathaway Brown field hockey coach Amy Longley?

John Hay is feeling good about itself. The Hornets are on the verge of wrapping up their first appearance in the football playoffs. They enter today's Senate Athletic League finale at 7-2 overall, 6-0 league, and will assure themselves a game in the Division III playoffs with a win against East Tech (2-7, 2-4).

Rodney Decipeda started the football program at John Hay four seasons ago and has the Hornets on the doorstep of their first playoff appearance. - (Lonnie Timmons III, The Plain Dealer)

John Hay is feeling good about itself.

The Hornets are on the verge of wrapping up their first appearance in the football playoffs. They enter today's Senate Athletic League finale at 7-2 overall, 6-0 league, and will assure themselves a game in the Division III playoffs with a win against East Tech (2-7, 2-4).

And if the Hornets can hang on to their fourth place in Region 9, they would be the home team in the first round.

"The word to describe our season is focused," said fourth-year coach Rodney Decipeda, who started the program four seasons ago. "We had our goal to make the playoffs and we stayed healthy. We've got 50 guys still out. In years past there was a dropoff."

Decipeda, 38, was a running back at Chardon and played linebacker at Kenyon College. He teaches ninth-grade science at the school, which has kept academics at the forefront.

The coach said players don't wear football jerseys to class and there are no spirit banners hanging in the hallways, which is the way Decipeda likes it.

He also likes the way his four-year players have responded, especially senior all-purpose back Carlin Ray and two-way lineman Richard Johnson. Ray has accounted for 15 touchdowns in all phases of the game and the 6-3, 240-pound Johnson has been an anchor on the lines.

Sophomore quarterback Mylik Mitchell has guided the offense.

"It's a privilege to be a part of the first-ever John Hay playoff team," said Decipeda. "It's an honor."

Finale: The game has been on the schedule for quite some time. But both Berea and Midpark will finally have to face the reality of playing the last game of their neighborhood rivalry on Friday night at Baldwin Wallace's Finnie Stadium in Berea.

The schools will merge after this school year, returning next fall as the Berea-Midpark Titans. So the Braves (3-6, 1-5) and the Meteors (5-4, 2-4) will get together for the final time wearing their respective school colors.

"It will be something to see," said Berea coach Matt Wilson, finishing his sixth season. "Any time it's the last game of any season, you want to win to end on a positive note. Being a rivalry game just makes it more so."

Tickets went on sale Oct. 8 and were sold out the next day. With tons of former players, coaches and alumni coming, the crowd is expected to approach 8,000.

Former coaches from both schools will be on the field for the coin flip.

"It's sad to see it end," said Midpark Athletic Director Robert Johnson. "At the same time, you have to move on. We want it to turn out in a fun and exciting way."

By the way, this will be the 50th meeting. Midpark leads the series, 25-24.

- Joe Maxse

Wait a Minute, Men: Cloverleaf brings out the best in Revere. Four players scored touchdowns and senior Clay Malyj added six extra points as the Minutemen snapped the program's losing streak at 20 games with a 48-36 victory over Cloverleaf.

Revere's last win came on October 15, 2010, also against Cloverleaf. Quarterback Zech Lehman led the offense -- which produced 332 yards on the ground and scored 34 straight points -- with 116 yards on 14 carries. He scored three touchdowns, with senior Joe D'Amico and juniors Everett McGregor and Nathan August getting the others. Revere closes its season by hosting rival Copley on Friday.

Silver lining: Junior Devin Cunningham supplied it for Cloverleaf in the loss to Revere. Cunningham, a 5-10, 180-pound running back/wide receiver, broke the school record for most points in a season when he caught touchdown passes of 8, 70, 55 and 32 yards from quarterback Garrison Flora. That gave Cunningham 126 points on the season, breaking the old record of 110 set by Kurt Gibbs in the 1970s.

Pain to joy: At first, Highland football coach Tom Lombardo could feel the pain place-kicker Joe Simonis was going through.

A short time later, Lombardo and his kicker felt the same exhilaration.

Simonis, a senior with a college leg, had just lost his maternal grandmother, Carrie Wolan, less than 24 hours earlier. Simonis and his grandmother, who lived in the house next door, were close.

Lombardo had gone through a similar situation last July when his grandmother passed away. Like his kicker, Lombardo had lived next to his grandmother while growing up.

And now, Simonis was asked to make the biggest kick of his high school career.

"Before Joe kicked I was thinking about what a tough time he and his family were going through," said Lombardo. "I don't know if I've ever pulled harder for a kid."

Simonis delivered. Through rain and mud and a heavy heart, he kicked a 45-yard field goal -- the longest of his career -- with two seconds remaining to give the Hornets a 22-20 victory over Suburban League leading Nordonia, which was ranked 10th in The Plain Dealer top 25.

That Simonis was able to convert such a pressure-packed kick, which witnesses said barely cleared the cross-bar, less than one day following the death of his grandmother was not the only key in the upset victory.

Three straight tackles at the line of scrimmage by Mark Vitko and a fourth-down sack by Joe Buttita on Nordonia's final possession gave Highland the ball on its 33-yard line with 35 seconds remaining. Quarterback Bruce Kinsey and receiver Cory Moncol combined on a gain of 25 yards on a pass play and an interference penalty on the next play moved the ball to the Nordonia 28 with two seconds left.

From there, Simonis became a hero and set up a possible four-way tie for the championship between Nordonia (5-1), Tallmadge (5-1), Green (4-2) and Highland (4-2). If Highland beats Cloverleaf, Green beats Tallmadge and Wadsworth beats Nordonia on Friday, a four-way tie for the title would be created with everyone finishing at 5-2.

Numbers games: They began playing high school football at Mogadore in 1916 and the program recently won its 600th game. On Friday the undefeated and playoff-bound Wildcats travel to East Canton in an attempt to win an outright Portage Trail Conference County Division championship. If successful, it will be the 39th league title in school history and the 22nd undefeated regular season in school history. Mogadore (9-0, 6-0) has clinched a home game when it makes its 26th appearance in the playoffs in two weeks.

Making marks: School records continue to fall at the hands of quarterback Joe Repasky and receiver Chris Harris at Cuyahoga Falls.

Repasky, who earlier this season broke long-standing records held by Jimmy Ballard (yards and completions in a season) and Scott Gindlesberger (yards and completions in a game) broke the record for touchdown passes in a game last week when he threw five in a 52-35 loss to Mayfield. That broke the record of four, set by Bob Maxwell (vs. Southview 1972), Whitey Prunty (vs. Youngstown East 1970) and Ballard (vs. Springfield in 1989). Harris was on the receiving end of most of those throws, picking up 170 yards, breaking the old record of 166 set by Tom Buck against Canton Lincoln in 1973.

- Tim Rogers

A Tiger's tale: Twinsburg tailback John Barton, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in the opener, had his surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament two weeks ago. He has kept his promise to be at every game and as many practices as he was physically able. He had his surgery on Oct. 11, and despite considerable pain was on the sidelines in a wheelchair the next night for Twinsburg's victory against Solon.

The Tigers (6-3) have won four straight heading into tonight's game at Mentor, and both teams are 4-0 in the Northeast Ohio Conference Valley Division. Upsetting the Cardinals, as Twinsburg did a year ago, might not be enough to get it in the Division I, Region 2 playoffs, where it is 14th this week.

Barton said he's proud of the way his replacement, Tyrone McGuinea, has developed into a standout tailback. Barton said he worked closely with McGuinea. He said it's the least he can do for his team, when he wants to do so much more.

"It's been a bittersweet thing," Barton said. "When they win, I miss that feeling. It's not the same when you're on the sidelines as when you contribute to the game. I really miss that, but at the same time, I'm very happy for everybody."

Water way: Fairport Harbor has clinched its first playoff berth since 1991, according to joeeitel.com. The Skippers are fifth in Division VI, Region 21. If the playoffs began today, they would travel from the Lake Erie shore 200 miles south to Shadyside, which is so far down the Ohio River it's south of Wheeling, W.Va.

Playoff Mad-ness: A year after graduating an outstanding senior group, Madison is in a position to make the Division II playoffs. The Blue Streaks (6-3) are ninth in Region 5 and must win at Riverside (6-3) Friday, or their season is over.

"We are treating it like a playoff game, because it is," coach Tim Willis said.

Madison lacks the big linemen it has had in recent years, but still runs well with tailback Mark Murray, who has 920 yards rushing. However, the Blue Streaks were shut out in losses to Chardon and Willoughby South.

"We've got to be able to score points in a big game like this," Willis said. "They're going to try to come and take it to us. Going to be a physical game."

Madison is a young team and an under-the-radar player to watch is freshman cornerback Nick Law (5-10, 175). He has four interceptions.

- Tim Warsinskey

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St. Edward's Ryan Fallon is your man if you're looking for a leader

October 24, 2012, 5:33 pm

≫ Next: St. Ignatius' Tim McVey is a model football player

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LAKEWOOD, Ohio - Ryan Fallon will not be intimidated by the moment. He has played in too many big games, faced too many quality opponents, called too many audibles, offered too many soothing words to frazzled teammates, endured too many bone-cracking hits and made too many scintillating plays the past two seasons to let anything like this get to...

St. Edward quarterback Ryan Fallon is a threat to pass or run. He has completed 102 of 179 attempts for 1,466 yards and 17 touchdowns and has 438 yards rushing on 85 carries with five TDs. - (Joshua Gunter, The Plain Dealer)

LAKEWOOD, Ohio - Ryan Fallon will not be intimidated by the moment.

He has played in too many big games, faced too many quality opponents, called too many audibles, offered too many soothing words to frazzled teammates, endured too many bone-cracking hits and made too many scintillating plays the past two seasons to let anything like this get to him.

You see, Fallon is a leader and leaders do not back down in situations such as St. Edward vs. St. Ignatius, no matter the circumstances.

No. 1 St. Ignatius vs. No. 2 St. Edward? Both teams undefeated? The 50th meeting in one of the most intense rivalries in Northeast Ohio?

Fallon gets it. And, like most leaders, he revels in it.

"These are the kind of games you live to play in," said Fallon, who will make his 22nd consecutive start at quarterback for St. Edward on Saturday when the Eagles meet St. Ignatius in front of a sold-out crowd at Parma's Byers Field. "This is why we do what we do. That it's No. 1 vs. No. 2 just adds a little spice to it. This game is always huge, no matter what the rankings are."

Fallon, who is listed at 6-0, 180 pounds, has been the engineer of an offense averaging 43 points per game and has outscored nine opponents by 234 points. He has been the conductor, the conduit, the guy who makes the Eagles fly.

"I think Ryan has done a wonderful job, especially this year," St. Ignatius coach Chuck Kyle said. "He has handled a tough job exceptionally well. He is the center of the mechanism of that offense."

Kyle is well aware of Fallon's ability to make the big play and the evidence is convincing . . . a 76-yard completion to Shaun Crawford, a 65-yard strike to Anthony Young, a 62-yard hookup with D.J. Thomas. It is an offense, led by Fallon, capable of scoring from the concession stand.

"Their offense has excellent big-play capacity," Kyle said. "They can break one off at any time. You can make two great defensive plays and one bad one and they will put six points on the board."

Fallon, who was part of The Plain Dealer's "Big Man on Campus" series about four eighth-graders as they decided which high school to attend, has had a hand in 22 of St. Edward's 53 offensive touchdowns. He has completed 102 of 179 passes for 1,466 yards and 17 touchdowns against just four interceptions. And, he is the team's second-leading ground gainer, rushing for 438 yards on 85 carries and scoring five times.

"They might line up in a one-back but they're really a two-back offense with Ryan there," Kyle said. "He runs the ball like a running back."

St. Edward coach Rick Finotti said Fallon owns the qualities he wants to see in a quarterback and not all of them focus on a statistical analysis.

"He is an accurate passer, but he is a decision-maker and he is a great leader," Finotti said. "A lot of guys feel they have to put their best player at quarterback. Well, sometimes you have to put your best leader at quarterback. Ryan has a certain toughness about him and he has this quiet determination that I love. His teammates hold him in high regard. He strikes me as a kid who would make a great friend."

Fallon said one of his biggest responsibilities this week is to make sure he and his teammates stay grounded

"We can't get caught up in what they do or who they have," he said. "We have to take what we do well and go out and execute. We've played against one another so many times there aren't many surprises. We know what they're going to try and do and they know what we're going to do. So, it comes down to execution. All the analyzing is for the coaches. All we need to worry about is execution."

So far, Fallon has been one of the leaders in that category.

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St. Ignatius' Tim McVey is a model football player

October 24, 2012, 5:33 pm

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CLEVELAND, Ohio - St. Ignatius has had enough big-time football players over the years to fill a locker room. Coach Chuck Kyle believes room must be made for running back Tim McVey.

St. Ignatius running back Tim McVey has rushed for over 1,000 yards this fall along with 26 touchdowns. - (Joshua Gunter, The Plain Dealer)

CLEVELAND, Ohio - St. Ignatius has had enough big-time football players over the years to fill a locker room.

Coach Chuck Kyle believes room must be made for running back Tim McVey.

"He is the classic idea of what a high school football player should be," Kyle said. "He is the kind of player you want to take to a bunch of young kids and say, 'This is the player you want to be, this is the player you want to pattern yourself after.' From his love of the game, to his running to his blocking and the way he plays the game. He has done everything we've asked of him."

St. Ignatius will need all of McVey's talents and more Saturday when it hosts St. Edward at sold-out Byers Field in Parma.

The rivalry between the two all-boys private schools is legendary, ranking among the best in the state. Circumstances, though, raise the ante for this one.

It is No. 1 St. Ignatius vs. No. 2 St. Edward -- the top two teams in The Plain Dealer Top 25 and the Associated Press statewide poll. The order is reversed in the playoff computer rankings, where St. Edward is at the top of Division I, Region 1.

It is the 50th meeting. A St. Ignatius victory would be the 300th in Kyle's 30 seasons.

McVey said he and his teammates have not had a hard time keeping things in perspective. To them, this is just another game.

"There is so much going on but we have been able to take it one game at a time this season," McVey said. "It's just another game on the road to something better. Just another game for us to win on the road to success."

McVey was not bragging or taking a ho-hum approach to the biggest game of the season. He realizes the magnitude of the rivalry and what it means.

"It's a big game for us, a big game for the school," he said. "The St. Ignatius community loves the St. Edward game."

McVey is on his way to improving on last season when he rushed for 1,302 yards and 15 touchdowns on 298 carries. Already committed to Buffalo, the 5-9, 183-pound senior has rushed for a little more than 1,000 yards and 26 touchdowns in a pass-oriented offense. He is four touchdowns away from Eric Haddad's school record for career touchdowns (51).

Those numbers are McVey's answers to the critics who claim he is too small to play.

"I've heard it all my life," McVey said of the doubts. "People always said, 'Oh, they'll stick you at corner[back] because you are too small to carry the ball. But, I've always felt that I was capable of playing bigger than I am. I really don't care what people say any more. I don't even feel like I have to prove them wrong. I don't even think about it."

One person you won't hear challenge McVey's presence is St. Edward coach Rick Finotti.

"When you look at all the things he has done for his team, all the contributions he has made and big games he's had, it is very impressive," Finotti said. "When the game is close and might be on the line you know that Tim McVey is going to be there. He is a wonderful back . . . fast, strong and he runs hard."

McVey will be the first to credit his line of guards Ian McDonald and Michael Cray, tackles Michael Bigach and James Byrne and center Stephen Franko.

"They have been consistent all season," he said. "They open holes, stay on their blocks and play through the whistle. And, they help me a lot when I have to pass block."

While he maintains Saturday's game against the Eagles is just another on the road to the state championship game -- after all, that is St. Ignatius' goal each year -- he admits sleep on Friday might be just as elusive as he's been to opposing defenses.

"It'll be rough, but I'm sure I'll get there," he said.

If that's the case, McVey will find sleep as easily as he has found the end zone.

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Cardinal's volleyball team learns to win, again: Fall Sports Insider

October 24, 2012, 5:50 pm

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It took coach Lisa Shirkey just three seasons to get Cardinal volleyball back to the respectability it had when Shirkey played for then-Huskies coach Joyce Tudor. "I didn't put a time frame on how long I thought it was going to take," said Shirkey, whose team finished with an 18-7 record and was runner-up in the Chagrin Valley Conference...

Avon Lake's Nikolette Schroeder is not pleased with the result as she misses a putt on the 18th hole during the Division I state golf tournament at the Ohio State University's Grey Course last weekend in Columbus. - (Andrea Kjerrumgaard, ImpactActionPhotos.com )

It took coach Lisa Shirkey just three seasons to get Cardinal volleyball back to the respectability it had when Shirkey played for then-Huskies coach Joyce Tudor.

"I didn't put a time frame on how long I thought it was going to take," said Shirkey, whose team finished with an 18-7 record and was runner-up in the Chagrin Valley Conference Valley Division to perennial power Berkshire. "Our development hasn't been fast enough for me, but that's the way I am.

"But the kids bought into what we expect from them and this year's seniors had one goal when I got here: They wanted to go out successful and they will."

Middle hitters Barbara Dyrcz and Kourtney Kelly, defensive specialist Kelly Thurling, setter Emy Smoot and rightside hitter Eleni Timas made up that senior class.

"We're losing some very special individuals but we have some very special ones coming back," said Shirkey.

Junior Tia Matacusa is a solid middle hitter, while classmate Becca Kline has been the starting libero since her freshman campaign. And outside hitters Alyssa Shirkey and Lake Catholic transfer Katlyn Bean head a talented sophomore class.

"When I got here, I knew there was talent," added coach Shirkey. "Right now, we're right where we want to be."

Long-awaited victory:Rocky River's recent West Shore Conference win over Bay was its first victory over the Rockets in four years.

Same story, new twist:Clearview won the Patriot Athletic Conference Stars Division title for the third consecutive season and mustered its first 20-win season in the program's history.

The Clippers, ranked No. 17 in the Division II coaches state poll, played top-ranked Padua's in Tuesday's Division I district semifinal game at Holy Name. Clearview began the week with a 22-2 mark.

Ellet wins title:Ellet, which split with Firestone during the regular season, won the rubber match and the City Series title, breaking the Falcons' four-year reign.

Cardinals' season ends:Brookside posted a 21-1 record season, went 16-0 for the second straight season to repeat as Patriot Athletic Conference Stars Division champion and was ranked 10th in the Division II coaches state poll.

So it's easy to see why last week's five-set sectional title-match loss to unranked Wooster Triway was a bit of a surprise.

"We had our chances," said Cardinals coach Ted Whitsel, who coached his last match after 14 years. "Shelby [Kerstetter] had 29 kills but when Morgan [Brinkman] cramped up, she battled all the way to keep playing but we just never recovered."

And then there was Triway freshman Sara Skeens with 33 kills.

"[Skeens] is getting some big-time college looks now and she is very, very tough," said Whitsel. "She's a powerful, strong hitter -- the best hitter we saw all year and I believe she will be better than Kate Leary and Katie Dull."

Leary was Padua's standout during its two straight Division II state titles, while Dull was Walsh Jesuit's ace and is a former Ohio Gatorade Player of the Year. Both went on to play at Ohio State.

"We're graduating a talented group," said Whitsel, who will exit with seniors Kerstetter, Gabby Woods and his daughter, Kady Whitsel. "I'm not leaving the cupboard bare because there's four starters coming back."

-- Bob Fortuna

Field hockey

Blue Streaks improve:Magnificat had its season end with Tuesday's 2-0 district tournament loss to Hathaway Brown, but it was a year that will be hard to forget.

The Blue Streaks closed with a 13-5-1 mark, their most wins ever.

"It goes to show you what hard work and dedication will do, and our seniors worked very hard to accomplish what they did," said head coach Oksana Fedorova, who has brought stability and success to the program during her five-year stint, during which she's compiled a 33-33-6 record. "They wanted to go out as winners and worked their tales off to do it."

Forward Jackie DiGeronimo, one of nine seniors on the 16-player team, scored a team-high 22 goals. Senior forward Mary Kate Hutchinson totaled 15 goals and 12 assists and sophomore midfielder Bridget Smith chipped in seven goals.

"It was the smallest team I've had but with [the] most injuries," said Fedorova. "We brought up three players from the junior varsity and we had a lot of younger players step up to take on leadership roles."

Seniors Jordan Lampke was lost earlier in the season with a broken foot, senior Joanna Kilbane Myers was recently sidelined with an ankle injury and sophomore Jane Ertle suffered a concussion.

"Considering we don't have a middle school program like a lot of the better [area] teams do, we're holding our own," added Fedorova.

-- Bob Fortuna

Cross country

Going deep: How deep is St. Vincent-St. Mary's girls cross country team? The Irish's No. 7 runner, junior Shea O'Brien, last week placed 11th at the Goodyear District meet, which is almost unheard of, but that still wasn't enough to secure her spot on the team going forward.

Coach Dan Lancianese said senior Maddie Buzek will take O'Brien's spot at the Tiffin Regional on Saturday. At stake is who will get to run in the state meet.

"I'm putting the challenge to the seventh runner that they have to finish as close as possible to the sixth runner, or beat the sixth runner, if they wan to run at state," Lancianese said.

"If Maddie runs equally or better in relation to our sixth runner than what Shea did, then Maddie will get the nod for [the state meet]."

Bring on the brooms: It was a Chardon-Mentor sweep at the Division I district at Lakeland Community College last week. Chardon's Nick Elswick (15:54) and Corinne Kule (19:03) were the boys and girls champs, and Mentor won both team titles.

Mentor's girls team was led by three underclassmen. Sophomore Kinsey Robinson was second, freshman Rosie Mangro fifth and sophomore Peggy Mangro seventh.

-- Tim Warsinskey

Girls soccer

Once again: It's deja vu for the second straight year when Holy Name plays Rocky River tonight in a Division II district final.

A year ago, after defeating the Pirates during the regular season, the Namers lost in the district final. Holy Name won this year's first meeting, 2-1, on Sept. 10. While they played on the St. Ignatius field a year ago at the district level, this time Holy Name will have to visit the Pirates' home turf.

"It's going to be interesting," said Holy Name coach Brian Michelson, whose club stands 14-2-2 and ranked No. 8 in the state coaches poll. "We've played an extremely hard schedule and I think that has taken some of the pressure off our girls. Now people are starting to notice us."

The Namers were trounced by No. 1 Walsh Jesuit, 5-0, in early September and went 0-1-1 during a trip through Tennessee. They tied their season opener against Brecksville. Holy Name comes in with an eight-game winning streak paced by sophomore Caroline Dreher at 20 goals and freshman Sarah Krause with 16.

The Pirates are 16-2 and ranked No. 4. Their other loss came in the season finale to Magnificat, 1-0. Juniors Abby Elinsky (26 goals) and Grace Bennett (20) pace an offense that has scored 76 times, while allowing just 13 goals.

"They have good speed and like to play over the top," said Michelson. "We've played a lot of fast teams. We have to capitalize on any opportunities early because they are going to come out pumped up."

Game time is 7 p.m.

Big scorers: According to the Ohio State Soccer Coaches Association, Western Reserve Academy senior Nicky Waldeck tops the state scoring chart with 43 goals. Madison junior Julie Gavorski was tied for second with 42 scores.

-- Joe Maxse

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Cardinal's volleyball team learns to win, again: Fall Sports Insider

October 24, 2012, 5:50 pm

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