OC Brad Childress is impressed with QB Brandon Weeden.

BEREA, Ohio ---

Browns Offensive Coordinator Brad Childress 10-25-12

(On Brandon Weeden's progression)– "It has just been slow and steady, that's kind of how I see it. I don't know if it's, catastrophic is not the word, but any gigantic leap. I just think it has been slow and steady. All you ever want to know is what standard of performance you're going to get from somebody. I think he's developing a consistency that we expect."

(On how Weeden responds to a drop like Josh Gordon had against the Colts)– "You don't want a reaction either way. I really believe what you want is you want flat line guys at quarterback. You want never too high, never too low, just kind of right straight across the board. It's the same way you don't like to see receivers overly demonstrative if a quarterback scuffs a ball at him and dumps it at their feet. I think it's not a good way to act. I wouldn't want to see that either way. I know there are some tangible emotions that happen there, but his thoughts were his thoughts and he didn't act out. Let's put it that way."

(On if he's seen things from Weeden that he didn't see in the scouting report)– "It was up to conjecture a little bit how he would deal with coming from underneath the center. I think he has done a decent job with that stuff in the pocket. It's very hard to evaluate quarterbacks in general these days, just because the center-quarterback exchange is not something that you get to see and it's a fundamental of the position. You can say, well I think he'll be okay, but I can't tell you how many Senior Bowl's I've gone to where all those shotgun guys come to the Senior Bowl and balls are on the ground and it screws up a drill. That's maybe one of things that we've seen that we didn't really know about."

(On if it's been hard to keep Greg Little's head in the game because he wasn't getting the ball a lot)– "I don't think it has been that tough. Those guys know that that pendulum kind of swings towards them and away from them different times. I've said it before in here, there are different reads that have him number one and they happen to be covered with a coverage that won't allow you to go with number one. Then there are times where all of sudden they are on the backside as a number three, the ball swings their way, because somebody else was maybe targeting Josh Gordon, and all of a sudden it swings back to Greg Little on the other side. I think those guys understand it. Do they like it? No. Every one of those guys would like to have the ball in their hand every single time, which is really the way you like it. I feel them when they are frustrated when they are not getting an opportunity to play with the football."

(On if the game plan changes if Montario Hardesty is featured more than Trent Richardson)– "It doesn't. They both get ready with the same game plan and they both take the same looks at the same plays. It's hard to rep two guys a ton, but we've managed to get them enough looks at it. They get more looks at it then say, a backup quarterback, during the course of practice. I think he has done a good job of preparing himself. I think obviously two games ago was a little bit better outing, but I think he had more opportunities around the ball two games ago."

(On if Hardesty has been a leader and is helping out Trent Richardson)– "I think Gary's (Brown) got a pretty good room there where those guys share pretty good. They are innately all very, very, very competitive. Again, those guys would like to have the ball in their hand every time too. They'd like for you to turn around and hand it to them every single time. I think it's more of an example and how you prepare, how you get ready, which has been an example for Trent. I think they don't hold anything back when they get to the back of a line. Sometimes, I believe as a player, you learn the most at the back of a line with a guy standing next to him as opposed to a coach that might be coaching a guy at the front of the line. There's a lot of stuff that goes on back there. Montario has been good with that. Is he Dale Carnegie? That kind of leader? Probably not."

(On how challenging was it game planning and then Richardson wasn't himself)– "I mentioned the game plan's not going to change measurably, just having his body presence and what he can do when he's full speed ahead, I think you miss that. He's a good back when he has all his faculties. It doesn't change, like I said perceptively, when you put a guy like Montario in."

(On if Richardson has a dynamic that they can't get from the other backs)– "He does. He's a very good player. That's why he's the starter."

(On how Gordon has responded to his drop against the Colts and if he had to talk with him)– "No, I didn't. I think you can pile on from that standpoint, give it a woe is me or whatever. I don't see that from him. I see him as a hungry guy that wants to get out there and do it again, right whatever wrong there was there. He's been doing so many good things. It was a shame that he dropped that ball."

(On if they put in Hardesty for Richardson because of his rib injury or for not attacking the hole)– "It's kind of subjective, but it was probably something that Pat (Shurmur) was looking at, when he decided that he wasn't seeing the things that he wanted to see. We went with Montario. I don't mean to put words in Pat's mouth. In general, he's usually pretty good about attacking the hole. If there was something that was not in that attack mode, that's probably what Pat saw."

(On where the running game disappeared to last game after Trent Richardson left the game)– "I think it was probably driven more by the way they were playing defense. I think you'll probably see a similar defense this week with the Pagano brothers speaking to each other. I think it was driven more by some of the numbers in the forcing units that they were giving us, to where you would be kind of shoveling against the tide to bang your head and run in there against what they were doing."

(On what the discussion was like during the timeout before the fourth-and-one)– "Do we want to or don't we want to. It was one of two things, right? We just figured we had time and we had taken our shot there and played aggressively there. At that point in time, on the fourth-and-one, we wanted to put them back down there and back them up. The defense had been doing a better job of stopping them at that point. What we didn't want to do was we didn't want to give them the ball there in the event that you miss with half the field to go because you've effectively ended the game right there."

(On if that was the one factor that convinced them not to go for it on fourth-and-one)– "Just that we didn't feel that we had the call that we wanted, that type of thing."

(On if he can point to anything that has made Weeden more effective throwing the long ball the past several weeks)- "That throw he made to Josh (Gordon) was a great throw because there was somebody coming loose right in his face where it kind of stopped his arm coming through. You always go back to just like you say what drives interceptions, what drives somebody throwing well? Usually its protection and our offensive line had been doing a nice job of protecting him - giving him ample time, knock on wood. I think that he's taken a better look at things and by that I mean progressing through, getting to some numbers two's and some number three's, getting away from who's my first guy. I always ask quarterbacks can you count to four. There's usually about four of those options there and sometimes they get hooked up on one and two, one, one, one, one so I think he's progressing more through his reads."

(On how impressive Weeden's back shoulder throw for the touchdown was)- "It was great. Those two were on the same page because it's probably not going to get in the end zone if he goes in over the top so just taking some sting off the football. He can exhibit that throwing the ball long strength and I think he exhibited some pretty good touch there and you've got to know the capability of your receiver. Not everybody can go back and flip themselves around and back shoulder a ball and it's something those guys work on from time to time and it was a great throw. It was impressive."

(On what he thinks he has in Josh Cooper through two games)- "We liked him in the spring time a great deal and he had some injury issues in camp. It slips my mind exactly what they were, but he missed reps and wasn't quite the same as he was in the spring time. We thought he'd push to be on the active roster just coming out of the spring and that didn't materialize. We like his savvyness, his ball skills, there's obviously an immeasurable trust between him and Brandon having played with each other before and all things we liked in the spring time, his quicks, his football I.Q."

(On how he would assess Mitchell Schwartz's overall production)- "He's a guy that's grown too and anytime you're not talking about an offensive lineman they're usually doing okay which that's just the way it is. If they disappear, that's a good thing. I've seen him really grow and evolve since that first game against Philadelphia where all of a sudden you're getting warp speed that maybe you haven't seen before. Maybe you've seen some pretty good rushers in training camp, but training camp is one thing, regular season's another thing. I've seen him grow. Again, he's a very smart guy who has physical tools. I'm watching him grow kind of incrementally here, as we go week-to-week."

(On if there is any challenge with play time with having all receivers back)- "There will be. There are plays that we kind of earmarked for certain guys right now. The guys know which plays those are, but we can have the best intention as I mentioned before, we can want to throw the ball to this person and it's not going to this person because that person happens to be gloved or covered. There will be some challenges, but those are good challenges to have as opposed to who are we going to throw it to know."

(On if there is a drop off with Jason Pinkston out)- "We hope we don't see any drop off. The thing that (John) Greco brings to the table is, position flexibility. He's got some experience in there. He's played really everything but tackle. I think he's lined up at tackle before. He can center the football. Anytime you're talking about a guy that makes your seven man gameday roster, you're talking about a guy that probably has got position flexibility and can swing across some different spots at line. He would have been first guy in if we had a problem at right guard as well. He's a smart guy. I hope not to see much fall off."

(On if Greg Little becoming disinterested in Twitter is a sign of maturity)- "How about that? He might have just become disinterested in Twitter, you know? He might be moving on to the next Mortal Combat 7 or something. I don't know. I'm kind of disinterested in Twitter myself."

(On if Josh Cooper should have caught the ball on the last fourth and six)- "I never saw a T.V. copy of it. It looked like the guy got his hand around in there. I don't know. Did he get his hand in there on the T.V. copy? It's hard for me to tell on the coach's copy of film whether it was sideline or end zone. He would have been draped pretty good. It would have been a pretty good catch. I'm not sure if it was a little bit off center or it was right down the middle. I just know he was covered pretty good."

Dick Jauron feels good about the depth on the defensive line.

BEREA, Ohio ----

Browns Defensive Coordinator Dick Jauron Press Conference 10-25-12

(On if the young defensive linemen struggled maintaining their assignments last week)- "No I didn't think so actually. I thought they played pretty well again up front. We made some errors in our fits. That doesn't mean every play they played terrific up front. In a 70-play game, you're going to have good and bad downs. But no, I thought the young guys played pretty well again. They've been consistently solid and we talk about it a lot. Really, I don't want to say it's a surprise, because clearly we drafted them for this reason, but they've played better than you could anticipate, and continue to improve I think."

(On if he feels good about the depth on the defensive line with John Hughes and Billy Winn along with Phil Taylor and Ahtyba Rubin returning in the future)- "I feel very good about it. Inside, our depth, when we get everybody back, is really pretty good. They are all playing at a good level. We like Kitch (Ishmaa'ily Kitchen) too. Kitch has done a nice job. He's come along. He's learning more and more about our scheme and how we play, and he's willing and he's big. We like that combination. We're happy about it. Again, up front there are a lot of really good young players. I think it bodes well for the organization as it moves forward and as we move forward this year."

(On if James-Michael Johnson could play inside linebacker or if he's better suited for outside)- "I think that he can handle the MIKE in time. We don't need him in there right now. Obviously with Scott's (Fujita) injury, there's a real need at the SAM, but I do believe that he can play them both. He can probably all three of them in time. I think he's smart enough and he's talented enough to do it. He's certainly helping us in doing the job at the SAM at this point, but I think he can play inside."

(On defending Antonio Gates)- "What can you say about this guy? He's one of the premier, if not the, pass catching tight end in the business, and probably as good as the best of them have ever been. It's very, very hard to matchup with him. With the big body on the safety and the athletic ability, he can be covered and still be open. He's got excellent hands. He knows how to get open. Obviously they have a relationship, the quarterback and he have a relationship. They have played together a long time. They are very difficult to stop, very difficult. He's a very smart receiver, knows how to release, knows how to set you up in his routes. It's just a tough assignment for every team including us as you go up against him."

(On if the tight end position has had the most versatility in the league in regards to lining them up and what they can do)- "When you have that talented big man, as we were just talking about, it poses that problem for you inside. Generally they are more athletic than your backers and then bigger than your skilled secondary players. Occasionally, you find a big strong safety that has a chance. It's just hard. I don't know where the transition began. I played with Charlie Sanders, who was just a tremendous player. He had that advantage over people all the time. I guess it's just the individuals that are born with that gift."

(On starting out poorly defensively in the first two series and then getting better against the Colts and what happened there)- "That's about it. Defensively the deal for us always is, if we score 14, we've got to hold them to 13. When you plot it seasonally you say, if you can hold people to 17, it's a pretty good day in our league, but it's not if you lose. We started out, and we usually challenge most throws. They made them. They made a lot of throws. They made plays in their first drives, it was disheartening to say the least. Because we made them go the long way, you end up towards halftime. Even if our offense hadn't done well and moved the ball and scored, you still say, 'Okay we're still in this thing.' We didn't give up the big plays, the huge plays. That was a positive. The loss is just a huge negative over the whole thing. We changed a few things, not a lot, our guys maybe calmed down, the young guys and just played more consistently and better over the course of the game, and made a few more plays."

(On what went wrong on the first pass to Reggie Wayne)- "I didn't have them in a great defense a three-deep concept. The play-action always gets your backers because they got to react to hard run fake. It opens up the middle of the field. Our backers were responding well and running to it. It was a 20-yard in cut, which is hard for any defensive back to cover in man. We're kind of outside in on it, and they made a good throw."

(On where the rush from the right side came on that play)- "I think it was Frostee (Rucker)."

(On the key to gaining consistency in defending the run)- "Sometimes it's calls. I don't put them in the best defenses. Then fits, we're 4-3 scheme and there are fits. There are gaps that are controlled by the front. There are gaps that are controlled by the linebackers, and gaps by the secondary where everybody fits. It's not an easy thing to hold that fit as the play moves. It's not stationary, obviously. Everything is dynamic in there. You get different blocking angles and pullers and things happen. Our guys, we have young guys, but sometimes our older veterans they'll miss their fits too. Sometimes anybody's going to miss a fit. That's generally been it. It's either not the best call, I didn't give them the best call or something breaks down up front by somebody. It could be a secondary player not hitting the right gap, or a linebacker or the front. It happened, of course it happened a lot more against the Giants and they had a nice scheme. They did a nice job against us."

(On if 'fits' means maintaining your gaps)- "Pretty much, yeah. On every play, probably both sides of the ball, I've never done the offensive side, but on both sides of the ball, you have an assignment.  It's certainly a lot easier in writing than it is on that field, I'll say that. That's it. It's alignment, it's assignment and it's technique on every play. It's hard. Forrest Gregg used to say, 'If it was easy, people would walk off the street and do it,' because they want to do it."

(On how he approached the game against the Colts because people say you should pressure a rookie quarterback)- "We went in thinking we would pressure about 20-25 percent of the time, then the game progresses and we see what's happening, see what they are doing, then move along from there."

(On if Philip Rivers is an inconsistent quarterback)- "No, I wouldn't say so. I would say no. If he were inconsistent, which means all the time, every game, we wouldn't be talking about him as one of the elite players in the league. He's clearly one of the elite quarterbacks in the league. Every quarterback, including the best that have ever played, have bad games. They all do. They all have a game where they would like to have plays back. He puts up a lot of points and he makes remarkable throws from some unusual positions. He's really good."

(On if he talked to Buster Skrine about his confidence after Giants game)- "I've never sensed that Buster had any confidence issues. I know I've never spoken to him about his confidence because I've never doubted it. I just think he's a very good football player. He's got a great attitude. He comes out every day with the same attitude. He's a willing learner and he's progressing. He's still very young in this game at this level, but he's got the things that you certainly like to coach. He's tough, he's fast and he's a really good person. He likes to play. Buster is doing a nice job."

(On Skrine's run support)- "Buster probably as tough as anybody I've been around. He's a very tough football player. He's got a pretty good feel for the game. He's learning the feel for different spots. He plays inside in the sub package and that's not an easy thing to do. He's very willing. Thankfully, it doesn't make a big different to him who he's on. He'll go up and play Reggie Wayne like he would maybe a younger receiver, not as accomplished receiver and play them just as hard and just the same way. It's a really great experience for him to be gaining."

(On if Sheldon Brown's success having two takeaways the last two games is due to him being a crafty veteran)- "Definitely, the experience is definitely part of it. It's not just experience. Even when Sheldon was as younger player, he was a good player before he had experience. When he got into the situation on Sunday for maybe a very young defensive back, they are not there very often. They are not in the back field very often sacking the quarterback. He knew exactly what he wanted to do. He went after the ball in the right way. He got it loose in the right way, and then he recovered it. It was a remarkable play, and it has to do with his skill and his experience."

(On T.J. Ward saying the defense has more interceptions this year because they are catching the ball and if there is more to that)- "Interceptions are a combination of lots of things, clearly. The situation the football game, pressure up front, those kinds of issues, but it always comes down to catching the ball. I've always felt as a defensive back and as a coach, I've always felt that any time you catch it, it's a great play. I don't care if its 20-yards overthrown, it's a great play because it's a takeaway. Then we got a chance to be on offense with the ball, the defense, so we can attack and score. His point is well taken, if you don't catch it, clearly, it's not an interception. We're catching the ball. It's a big part of it every year. Every year, when you go back at the end of the season, you look at it as an individual player or as a football team and say, 'If we had only caught our chances.' Some of them are really difficult, a lot of bodies around, a lot of contact at the ball so you're not going to catch every one of those. Some of them are not that hard, the ball surprises you. You've just got to make your catches, and make your plays."

(On how Joe Haden played in his second game back)- "Joe's playing well, kind of like Buster. He's got this innate toughness that you really admire. He'll tackle, he'll cover you. He likes a challenge. He's still rusty, but he's getting back to where he was before he went on his leave."

Browns cornerback Joe Haden is tied for the team lead with two interceptions.

Cleveland Browns Joe Haden intercepts a tipped pass in front of the Cincinnati bench in the third period at Cleveland Browns Stadium on Oct. 14. Chuck Crow, The Plain Dealer

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Joe Haden kept count. A year ago, the Browns cornerback had five chances at intercepting the ball. Five times, he dropped it.

"I've always had good hands," Haden said, shaking his head. "I don't know what happened."

His disappointing zero-interception season came on the heels of his six-interception rookie year. He vowed to improve.

This season? Haden has two interceptions, and the Browns' team total of 10 through seven games already surpasses last season's total of nine. It comes after a renewed emphasis on forcing turnovers and it comes with just a bit of good luck, too.

Haden chooses to believe the interceptions -- he, Usama Young, D'Qwell Jackson and Craig Robertson all have two apiece -- are a result of Browns defenders playing better this season.

"People are just trying to make plays," said Haden, whose two INTs have come in just three games played this season. "People just doing their part and basically trying to make a play for the team, not being afraid to take chances."

It helps that defensive coordinator Dick Jauron has spent most days since the spring reminding his squad that turnovers are essential to the Browns' success. Jauron reminds to not only try to make a hard tackle, to smack the quarterback with a sack -- but to also try to dislodge the ball.

That's exactly what cornerback Sheldon Brown said he did Sunday in Indianapolis when he homed in on quarterback Andrew Luck from his blind side. Brown focused on trying to time his hit precisely when Luck drew back the ball to throw, he said. And while the timing was a bit off, Brown did manage to force the fumble -- the team's fourth this season -- and recovered the ball. Last season, the team had 15 forced fumbles.

"Last year we missed out on a lot of opportunities to get interceptions," Jackson said. "This year we've been able to capitalize on those balls early. There are some things we do during practice to work on stripping guys, and getting interceptions is really a focal point on our side of the ball. If we can create those turnovers and give Brandon [Weeden] and the offense more opportunities, it just makes us better as a team."

The defense has even spent extra time working catching drills this season, another part of the renewed emphasis on coming up with interceptions.

"If you don't catch it, clearly, it's not an interception. We're catching the ball," Jauron said. "It's a big part of it every year. Every year, when you go back at the end of the season, you look at it as an individual player or as a football team and say, 'If we had only caught our chances.' Some of them are really difficult, a lot of bodies around, a lot of contact at the ball so you're not going to catch every one of those. Some of them are not that hard, the ball surprises you. You've just got to make your catches, and make your plays."

Then again, Brown isn't completely sure the higher interception numbers are all about the catches.

"Turnovers come in bunches," he said. "People say it's luck. Who knows."

Sold: The sale of the Browns to new owner Jimmy Haslam officially closed Thursday with his payment of $700 million of the $1 billion price tag. Per the agreement, another $300 million will be paid in four years.

Although the sale was final, new CEO Joe Banner did not officially start Thursday. He was in Boston with his father, who is ill.

Understatement: Defensive tackle Phil Taylor practiced again Thursday, his second full day of practice since returning from pectoral surgery in the off-season. He reported no soreness after .

"It's weird," Taylor said. "I expected to be sore."

Browns coach Pat Shurmur wasn't sure what to expect, but was surprised by what he saw out of the 6-foot-3, 355-pound defensive lineman.

"He looked big," Shurmur said. "I'm not used to seeing him out there. I'm not saying he's fat, I'm like, 'Wow.' It reminds you how big he is. I watched him quite a lot and he moved around fine."

Injury report: Offensive linemen Ryan Miller and Jarrod Shaw both did not practice Thursday because of illness. Defensive lineman Ahtyba Rubin (calf) and Dimitri Patterson (ankle) also remained sidelined. Receiver Mohamed Massaquoi (hamstring) and running back Montario Hardesty (knee) were limited in practice.

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

Ohio State's DeShaun Thomas and Aaron Craft were named to the preseason Big Ten basketball team, and OSU women's player Tayler Hill is picked as the preseason Player of the Year.

Ohio State's Deshaun Thomas listens to reporters Thursday at Big Ten NCAA college basketball media day in Rosemont, Ill. Nam Y. Huh, Associated Press

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State has two of the five best players in the Big Ten in men's basketball, the best women's player in the league and at least a shot to compete for conference titles.

So said the preseason voting announced during the Big Ten's basketball meetings Thursday in suburban Chicago.

Forward Deshaun Thomas and point guard Aaron Craft were both named to the preseason All-Big Ten Team, along with Indiana big man Cody Zeller, Michigan point guard Trey Burke and Penn State guard Tim Frazier.

The Big Ten unveils only a top three predicted order of finish, which matched the more complete poll of 24 Big Ten writers conducted this week by the Columbus Dispatch: Indiana, Michigan and Ohio State.

In women's basketball, Ohio State's Tayler Hill was named the preseason Player of the Year by the media and shared that honor with Penn State's Alex Bentley in the coaches voting.

Penn State and Nebraska were picked to finish first and second by both the coaches and media, with Ohio State picked third by the media and Purdue picked third by the coaches.

Both Ohio State teams open the regular season on an aircraft carrier in Charleston, S.C., on Nov. 9. The women play Notre Dame at 4 p.m., with the men playing Marquette at 7 p.m.

The men play their only exhibition game at home on Tuesday against Walsh.

Strength of the conference was a big theme Thursday, only this year it seemed like something more than coach-speak. There seems to be some weight to it.

"We're going to have to back it up," said Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan, whose team is coming off a 26-win season and Sweet 16 run. "We're going to have to play well, that's for sure. There are certain teams now in our league that have that 'X' mark on their back, but that's good. I think that's good, that quality competition, that interest, the outside interest of people saying, 'Well, we think this team is pretty good.' This team is pretty good. That's OK, that's great for the league."

For Indiana, it's been a tough climb back toward the top. The Hoosiers won just 10 games in coach Tom Crean's second season and 12 in his third, before turning it around a year ago. Zeller's arrival was the extra kick the program needed.

"It's pretty crazy to think about how far we've come," senior Jordan Hulls said. "It speaks volumes of how coach Crean and his staff have really instilled their lives into getting Indiana basketball back to where people are used to seeing it. Being part of the losing seasons and then now, last year having a pretty good year and then expectations for this year, it's pretty cool to be a part of that."

Barnes had been on five Pro Bowl teams before he began his Browns career as a 30-year-old cornerback in 1965. He maintained his pass coverage and tackling skills for several more years.

Browns cornerback Erich Barnes intercepts a pass before returning it 40 yards for a touchdown during Cleveland's 24-21 win over the Redskins on Dec. 8, 1968 in Washington. Also pictured are Washington's Gary Beban (16) and star Browns' linebacker Jim Houston (82). Plain Dealer

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A countdown of the top 100 players in Cleveland
Browns history. Players must have spent at least four seasons with the
Browns. The ranking is based only on players' careers with the Browns.

No. 63, Erich Barnes, cornerback, 1965-71

Erich Barnes was about to turn 30, and had made five Pro Bowl teams when the Browns acquired him prior to the 1965 campaign, getting him from the New York Giants in exchange for a 1966 third-round draft pick.

The Giants had been Cleveland's chief nemesis from 1956-63, winning the Eastern Conference championship six times to the Browns' one (1957). New York slid to 2-10-2 in 1964, however, while the Browns won the NFL championship with a 27-0 rout of the Baltimore Colts.

New York was an old team looking to dispatch many of its veteran mainstays, and as it turned out, the Browns got a bargain in landing Barnes, one of the NFL's most intimidating cornerbacks.

Barnes, as a youngster, and some friends had occasionally taken the train from their Elkhart, Ind. home to watch the Browns of Otto Graham, Bill Willis and Lou Groza play at Cleveland Stadium.

Once Barnes got to Cleveland in a Browns' uniform, he didn't immediately break into the starting lineup. The Browns had won their 1964 title with Bernie Parrish -- one of the league's best -- and late-blooming Walter Beach as the starters at cornerback, and that's how they played most of the 1965 season, which ended in a 23-12 championship game loss to the Green Bay Packers.

Barnes, though, started a few games when Beach was injured, and played extensively in other contests. He replaced Beach as the starter in 1966, and through the 1970 campaign, generally played as he had during his prime with, first, the Chicago Bears, and then the Giants.

A big corner, listed at 6-2, 200, Barnes was known for his ability to challenge some of the Eastern Conference's game-breaking wide receivers, such as the Washington Redskins' Charley Taylor, the Dallas Cowboys' Bob Hayes and the Giants' Homer Jones. He did it with superb coverage skills and with his reputation as a punishing tackler, often distracting receivers' attention from their primary task of catching the football. Some ordinary Barnes' tackles might these days -- with the stricter rules -- draw a penalty flag.

Barnes intercepted 18 passes during the regular season with Cleveland, returning them for 414 yards (23-yard average) and three touchdowns, and had a key pick during the Browns' 31-20 win over the Cowboys in a 1968 playoff game. Statistics, though, don't nearly indicate the impact Barnes made as a pass defender.

Barnes made his sixth Pro Bowl team in 1968. The Sporting News named him first-team all-Eastern Conference in 1966 and 1968. During his first 13 NFL seasons (1958-70), Barnes missed one game, in 1967. Finally, an aching Barnes played just two games in 1971, his final season. Starting in his place was the Browns' first-round draft pick, Clarence Scott, who would play his entire 13-year career in Cleveland.

(The Browns' all-time top 100 players so far)

Video: From the 1968 Browns' highlights film, announced by Browns' radio play-by-play man Gib Shanley. About 1:55 in, cornerback Erich Barnes intercepts a Sonny Jurgensen pass and returns it 40 yards for a touchdown in Cleveland's 24-21 win at Washington. About 5:55 in, Barnes intercepts a Craig Morton pass during the Browns' 31-20 playoff game win over the Cowboys at Cleveland Stadium. Barnes is then seen going to the Browns' bench and talking with teammates:

Kent State has bolted out to a 6-1 record, its lone loss at Kentucky. The Flashes are hoping for a winning result this Saturday against their next BCS foe, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.

Karen Schiely, Akron Beacon JournalKent State's Luke Batton is embraced by teammates Luke Wollet, left, and Norman Wolfe after scoring a touchdown on a Western Michigan fumble during the fourth quarter of their game at Dix Stadium last Saturday. Kent State beat Western Michigan Broncos, 41-24, and is preparing for a showdown against undefeated Rutgers this Saturday.

Nobody's saying that at Kent State as the Golden Flashes prepare for Saturday's game at No. 18 Rutgers.

But it is clearly the attitude Kent State linebacker Luke Batton and the Flashes are carrying with them for the 3:30 p.m. matchup.

"We're not getting tired yet. We have prepared all winter long for this," the senior said of the Golden Flashes' 6-1 record. "We're playing for November. You can't say this season is satisfying because the season isn't over yet."

KSU players and coaches have consistently said Batton's leadership has been a rallying point for a defense that has not completely lived up to expectations, but still delivered in the clutch.

"For me, so far it's been one of the most satisfying at Kent, but we want to play for November; that's our ultimate goal," Batton said. "Pretty much all season we have bent as a defense, but haven't really broke. That's pretty much how the year has been. I just try to do my best, to get the defense to do the best we possibly can, to win games."

Now comes the latest test.

Kent's last venture against a team from one of the "big six" conferences was a 47-14 loss at Kentucky in Week 2.

"Our worst week of preparation this season, by far, and it showed," Batton said. "We know Rutgers has a better offense than Kentucky. We have to prepare like crazy not to have a blowout like we did at Kentucky. We'll be disappointed in ourselves, more than anything, if we don't prepare right for this one."

Since then, attention to preparation and detail has been key. Batton has been one of the leaders. The 5-11, 230-pound senior from Nordonia has put together strong back-to-back games.

"His field play has been phenomenal the last few weeks, from sideline to sideline," KSU coach Darrell Hazell said. "He's playing with a purpose. I think he's taking much more ownership of the defense. It is definitely fun to watch him right now."

In a road win at Army on Oct. 13, Batton had 16 tackles, including 13 unassisted. He followed that with a 14-tackle effort Saturday against Western Michigan, plus he tipped a pass that led to an interception and recovered two fumbles. Batton returned the last fumble 83 yards for a touchdown that sealed a 41-24 win.

KSU hopes for a better result than against Kentucky because the Flashes left up to 24 points on the field in that game:

Kent State missed on two field-goal attempts. Kicker Freddy Cortez is now on a roll, hitting his past eight.

Kent failed to convert on a third-and-1 at Kentucky's 20; failed to convert a 78-yard drive on fourth-and-goal at the 2; failed to convert a 54-yard drive on fourth-and-goal at the 5. Since then, Kent is 9-of-11 on fourth-down conversions.

"When your backs are against the wall, there are only a couple of things you can do," Batton said. "You can fight back or you can cower down."

And Kent hasn't cowered yet this season.

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

No. 9 Ohio State puts its undefeated record on the line on Saturday at Penn State. We preview the top national games, games in the Mid-American Conference and games involving local schools.

Marvin Fong, The Plain DealerOhio State quarterback Kenny Guiton (13) shouts to teammates standing behind offensive lineman Marcus Hall (79) during the game against Purdue last Saturday.

No. 9 Ohio State at Penn State

Kickoff: 5:30 p.m. at Beaver Stadium, State College, Pa.

TV/radio: ESPN; WKNR AM/850.

Notable: Penn State is 5-2, 3-0 in the division and riding a five-game winning streak. The Buckeyes are 8-0 for the first time since 2007 and 4-0 in the conference. OSU needed to rely on backup QB Kenny Guiton last week against Purdue after a big hit sent star Braxton Miller out of the game and to the hospital. Guiton engineered the game-tying TD drive before the Buckeyes escaped with a 29-22 overtime victory. Miller says he is ready to go Saturday. He is second in the Big Ten in total offense (292.9 yards per game) and 41 yards shy of becoming the first OSU QB to run for 1,000 in a season.

Next for OSU: Nov. 3 vs. Illinois, TBA.

No. 5 Notre Dame at No. 8 Oklahoma

Kickoff: 8 p.m. at Memorial Stadium, Norman, Okla.

TV: WEWS Channel 5

Notable: The Fighting Irish (7-0) are visiting OU for the first time in 46 years. Notre Dame is 7-0 but needed to rally for a 17-14 home win against Brigham Young last weekend. Oklahoma (5-1) is 79-4 at home under coach Bob Stoops, who has led it to 13 straight bowl games, including eight BCS contests and one national title. The Sooners have scored 156 points during a three-game winning streak after a 24-19 home loss to then-No. 15 Kansas State.

Next for Notre Dame: Nov. 3 vs. Pitt, 3:30 p.m.

-- Compiled from AP reports

Mid-American Conference

Akron at Central Michigan

Kickoff: 3:30 p.m. at Kelly/Shorts Stadium, Mount Pleasant, Mich.

Radio: WARF AM/1350.

Notable: Short on depth and experience, the Zips (1-7, 0-4) are now being hit by injuries. The most notable this week is to RB Jawon Chisholm (hand), who is unlikely to play at CMU (2-5, 0-3). The Chippewas do have a Big Ten notch on their belt, 32-31, against Iowa.

Next for Akron: Nov. 3 at Kent State, 2.

Kent State at No. 18 Rutgers

Kickoff: 3:30 p.m. at High Point Solutions Stadium, Piscataway, N.J.

Radio: WHLO AM/640.

Notable: Kent State (6-1, 4-0) has won five straight but hasn't faced an opponent as strong as undefeated Rutgers (7-0). Only one team (Arkansas) has scored more than two touchdowns against the Scarlet Knights, and four teams have been held to 12 points or less. KSU's strengths -- turnovers (plus 14) and special teams -- will have to shine.

Next for Kent: Nov. 3 vs. Akron, 2 p.m.

Bowling Green vs. E. Michigan

Kickoff: 3:30 p.m. at Doyt Perry Stadium, Bowling Green, Ohio.

Notable: BG (5-3, 3-1) may be playing from behind to Ohio and Kent State in the MAC East, but the Falcons may also be playing the best ball of the three. EMU (1-6, 0-3) is coming off its first win but has been playing well for several weeks with new quarterback Tyler Benz (943 yards passing, nine TDs).

Next for BG: Nov. 7 at Ohio, 8 p.m.

No. 21 Ohio at Miami

Kickoff: 3:30 p.m. at Yager Stadium, Oxford, Ohio.

TV: SportsTime Ohio.

Notable: Bye weeks for both the Bobcats (7-0, 3-0) and RedHawks (3-4, 2-1) should make for a well-rested quarterbacking show between OU's dual-threat Tyler Tettleton and Miami's dart-throwing Zac Dysert. Tettleton (1,343 yards, 12 TDs) should be recovered from injuries that limited his running in recent weeks. Dysert (1,914 yards, 14 TDs) should have a healthy receiving corps for the first time in weeks.

Next for Miami: Nov. 3 at Buffalo, noon.

Next for OU: Thursday vs. E. Michigan, 6 p.m.

Toledo at Buffalo

Kickoff: 3:30 p.m. at UB Stadium, Buffalo, N.Y.

Notable: Toledo (7-1, 4-0) can't afford a stumble at Buffalo (1-6, 0-3) when it is just weeks away from its road MAC West showdown at defending conference champion Northern Illinois. The Rockets have been resilient, even while allowing an average of 27.5 points a game. UT will rely on an efficient passing game led by Glenville's Terrance Owens (2,026 yards, 12 TDs) and stout running from David Fluellen (953 yards, nine TDs).

Next for Toledo: Nov. 6 vs. Ball State.

-- Elton Alexander

Division II

Lake Erie at Walsh

Kickoff: 6 p.m. at Fawcett Stadium, Canton.

Radio: WFUN AM/970.

Notable: Lake Erie is 2-6, 2-5 in the Great Lakes Collegiate Athletic Conference. Last week, LEC couldn't contain Findlay RB Monterae Williams, as the visiting Oilers won, 41-14. Williams rushed for 268 yards on 39 carries and scored all five TDs for Findlay. Walsh (3-5, 2-5) got back into the win column with a 27-3 triumph against Tiffin at Fawcett last Saturday. Walsh rushed for 189 yards, including 67 by Steve Smith (Norton).

Next for LEC: Nov. 3 vs. Ohio Dominican, 1 p.m.

Notre Dame College at Malone

Kickoff: 1 p.m. at Fawcett Stadium, Canton.

Radio: KNR2 AM/1540.

Notable: NDC (1-7, 0-7 GLIAC) takes on Malone (1-6, 1-6), which earned its first conference win Sept. 29. NDC hopes to snap a program-worst, seven-game losing skid. Included in that streak are three games between Sept. 29 and Oct. 13 that saw the Falcons defeated by a combined nine points. Running back Pedro Powell became the Falcons' first single-season 1,000-yard rusher last week.

Next for NDC: Nov. 3 vs. Walsh, 1 p.m.

-- Compiled using information from the colleges' sports-information departments.

Division III

No. 18 Baldwin Wallace vs. Marietta

Kickoff: 1:30 p.m. at Finnie Stadium, Berea.

Radio: WBWC FM/88.3.

Notable: BW (6-1, 5-1 Ohio Athletic Conference) is trying to set up a showdown with No. 1 Mount Union next weekend in Berea. Marietta is 0-7, 0-6. Offensively, BW scores 31.0 ppg and is led by senior QB Ryan O'Rourke (Avon), who has completed 83 of 152 passes for 1,185 yards and 13 TDs. Junior All-OAC WR Josiah Holt (Midview) has a team-leading 32 catches for 551 yards and five TDs.

Next for BW: Nov. 3 vs. No. 1 Mount Union, 1:30.

Case Western Reserve at Chicago

Kickoff: 2 p.m. at Stagg Field, Chicago.

Notable: CWRU (4-3) begins defense of its University Athletic Association championship. The Spartans have won four of the past five league titles, while Chicago (4-3) captured the other in 2010. CWRU senior LB Ryan Ferguson leads the conference and ranks 19th in the nation with 81 tackles. The Spartans rank 19th in Division III in rush defense (89.1 ypg) and have only allowed two 100-yard rushers in their past 18 games.

Next for CWRU: Nov. 3 vs. Washington (Mo.), noon.

John Carroll vs. Wilmington

Kickoff: 1:30 p.m. at Don Shula Stadium, University Heights.

Radio/TV: WJCU FM/88.7.

Notable: It took two late goal-line stands by the defense, but John Carroll (5-2, 4-2 OAC) held on to beat Ohio Northern, 28-23, for its first win against the Polar Bears since 2005. The Blue Streaks have won four straight with an offense that averages 459.1 yards per game and a defense that allows just 60.7 rushing yards per game, good for sixth best in Division III.

Next for JCU: Nov. 3 at Heidelberg, 1:30 p.m.

No. 1 Mount Union vs. No. 14 Heidelberg

Kickoff: 1:30 p.m. at Mount Union Stadium, Alliance.

Radio/TV: WDPN AM/1310; SportsTime Ohio, delayed (Saturday at 11 p.m.; Monday at noon).

Notable: Mount Union faces ranked teams back-to-back, Saturday vs. Heidelberg and at No. 18 Baldwin-Wallace. Like Mount, Heidelberg is 7-0, 6-0. Last week, in a 51-0 win against Otterbein, Mount's top-ranked defense held Otterbein to 96 total yards (17 rushing) and forced four turnovers. T.J. Lattimore (Maple Heights) had a career-high three rushing TDs. Sophomore QB Kevin Burke (St. Edward) completed 19 of 28 passes for 259 yards, threw for two scores and was also the Raiders' leading rusher with 83 yards on 11 carries.

Next for Mount Union: Nov. 3 at No. 18 Baldwin Wallace, 1:30.

Oberlin at Hiram

Kickoff: 6 p.m. at Henry Field, Hiram.

Radio: WOBL AM/1320.

Notable: Oberlin (2-5) fell to Case Western Reserve last week in overtime, 24-17. Hiram (0-7) is coming into the week after a 23-7 loss to Chicago. Oberlin has beaten Hiram in the past three meetings, including a 27-7 victory in 2011. Oberlin senior defensive lineman Clay Eaton ranks at the top of the NCAA Division III sacks list for the fifth straight week.

Next for Oberlin: Nov. 3 vs. Wabash, 1 p.m.

-- Compiled using information from the colleges' sports-information departments.

Starter Justin Verlander and reliever Jose Valverde, once mainstays on the Detroit Tigers pitching staff, have proven vulnerable lately.

Jose Carlos Fajardo, Associated PressThe Giants' Buster Posey tags out the Tigers' Prince Fielder, who was trying to score on a second-inning double by Delmon Young Thursday night at AT&T Park in San Francisco.

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — One of the reasons the Tigers are in the World Series is because of the work of their starting rotation.

In beating Oakland and New York in the postseason, Detroit starters went 5-1 with a 1.02 ERA (seven earned runs in 62 innings). They were led by Justin Verlander, who won his first three starts before running afoul of Pablo Sandoval on Wednesday night in Game 1 of the World Series.

When "Kung Fu Panda" got done with Verlander, he had allowed five runs on six hits in four innings in an 8-3 Giants victory. Now the Tigers need their other starters, Doug Fister, Anibal Sanchez and Max Scherzer, to continue to pitch like they have been doing in October.

If they don't, if Verlander's vulnerability spreads, it could mean trouble because behind the rotation is a vulnerable bullpen without a proven closer.

Jose Valverde used to be Detroit's door slammer, but he has had the door slammed on him this postseason. In Wednesday's loss, manager Jim Leyland gave Valverde an opportunity to find himself, but it didn't go well.

Valverde, 49-for-49 in save situations in 2011, started the seventh by striking out Tim Lincecum. Then he allowed four straight hits and two runs as the San Francisco Giants took a 8-1 lead. Valverde has allowed nine earned runs in 2 innings this postseason.

"You know, he wasn't terrible, he just wasn't good," said Leyland. "For whatever reason, it doesn't seem to be coming out quite right, although he did have a pitch at 93 mph.

"It's a little bit puzzling, to be honest with you. It looks like it's just not quite exploding. But that's pretty much all I can say about that."

Valverde was taken out of the closer's role after Game 1 of the American League Championship Series against the Yankees. Wednesday's seventh-inning appearance was the earliest he has come into a game since Aug. 22, 2006, when he pitched for Arizona.

Lefty Phil Coke has replaced Valverde in the closer spot, although Leyland won't say exactly who he will use if there's a game to be saved. Perhaps he would go with veterans Joaquin Benoit or Octavio Dotel.

The Giants, meanwhile, have gotten a boost in their bullpen from Lincecum, a two-time Cy Young winner. After not making the World Series rotation, Lincecum relieved Game 1 winner Barry Zito and retired seven straight batters, five on strikeouts, in 21/3 innings Wednesday.

Lincecum is 1-0 with a 0.84 ERA (one earned run in 10 innings) in four relief appearances this postseason. He has walked one and struck out 14.

"Timmy has done a tremendous job for us," said manager Bruce Bochy. "He's so competitive, but he's such a good teammate. When I talked to him about this, he was all in. He wants to do it, he wants to help, and he's ready."

Lincecum makes a good bullpen even better. Giants relievers are 2-0 with one save and a 2.78 ERA in 13 games this postseason. Jeremy Affeldt (nine appearances, 0.00 ERA), Santiago Casilla (nine appearances, 1.59), Javier Lopez (five appearances, 0.00) and Sergio Romo (1-0, one save, 1.17) have pitched well.

We remember: Before Game 2 of the World Series, MLB honored baseball veterans who served in World War II. One of them was left-hander Lou Brissie, who pitched for the Indians from 1951 through '53.

Brissie, who could not attend the ceremony, was wounded by artillery fire in Italy in December 1944 while serving in the U.S. Army Rangers. Doctors wanted to amputate his left leg, but he told them he was a ballplayer and to do everything possible to save the leg.

He underwent 23 operations on the leg and made his big-league debut with the Philadelphia Athletics in 1947. He won 14 games in 1948 and 16 in 1949 for the Athletics before he was traded to the Indians in April 1951.

In his three years with the Indians, Brissie went 7-5 with 13 saves and a 3.59 ERA.

"Those were great teams in Cleveland," said Brissie, reached at his home in North August, S.C. "I enjoyed playing with Bob Feller, Al Rosen and all of them."

Brissie, 88, did not let his wounds stop him from reaching the big leagues.

"You can't surrender. You can't give up," he said. "You have to work for what you want to do."

Finally: With their victory on Wednesday, the Giants are 12-7 in World Series openers. . . . The winner of Game 1 has gone on to win the World Series 61.7 percent of the time (66 times).

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

On Twitter: @hoynsie

Madison Bumgarner pitched seven scoreless innings and the San Francisco Giants beat Detroit, 2-0, to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the World Series Thursday night.

Jose Carlos Fajardo, Associated PressThe Giants' Buster Posey tags out the Tigers'™ Prince Fielder, who was trying to score on a second-inning double by Delmon Young Thursday night at AT&T Park in San Francisco.

On Thursday night, he didn't have to say anything. All the left-hander had to do was pitch.

Bumgarner, Santiago Casilla and Sergio Romo combined on a two-hitter as the Giants beat the Tigers, 2-0, at AT&T Park to win the first two games of the 108th World Series. The Series moves to Detroit for Game 3 Saturday night where San Francisco's Ryan Vogelsong will face Anibal Sanchez.

Teams with a 2-0 lead in the World Series have won it all 79 percent (41-for-52) of the time.

In his first two starts this postseason, Bumgarner was 0-2 with an 11.25 ERA. After a particular disturbing performance in Game 1 of the NLCS against St. Louis on Oct. 14 , manager Bruce Bochy put him on the shelf and told pitching coach Dave Righetti to work his magic on the 23-year-old. It took 10 days, but the mission was completed.

Bumgarner needed only 86 pitches to go seven innings. He struck out eight and walked two, while allowing two hits.

Casilla and Romo each worked a scoreless inning, retiring six straight Tigers. Romo earned his second save of the postseason.

"I'm not going to get into what I was working on," said Bumgarner. "I was just able to make pitches and the defense played well behind me."

Doug Fister, who grew up a Giants fan in Merced, Calif., was almost as good as Bumgarner. The 6-8 right-hander, after taking a line-drive off the head in the second inning, allowed just one run in six innings, but the Tigers vaunted offense did nothing to support him.

The Giants, on a five-game postseason winning streak, scored the only run they needed in the seventh as Hunter Pence scored on Brandon Crawford's double-play grounder. Pence, hitting .173 in the postseason at the start of the night, slapped a 2-2 pitch into left field for a leadoff single to knock Fister out of the game after 114 pitches.

Lefty Drew Smyly entered and walked lefty Brandon Belt. Gregor Blanco, trying to advance the runners with a sacrifice bunt, bunted down the third baseline. The Tigers thought it would roll foul, but it stayed fair for a hit to load the bases.

The Giants should give their head groundskeeper, Greg Elliott, a full postseason share just for that. Elliott, by the way, used to the groundskeeper for the Tribe's Class A Lake County Captains.

Tiger manager Jim Leyland kept his infield at double-play depth instead of trying to cut the run off at the plate. Crawford sent a grounder to second baseman Omar Infante, who flipped to second to start the double play. If he'd been playing in, Infante could have easily forced Pence at the plate.

"We were absolutely thrilled to get out of that inning with only one run scoring," said Leyland. "I mean, we still had to score anyway."

San Francisco made it 2-0 on Pence's sacrifice fly in the eighth.

The Tigers missed a great chance to take the lead in the second. Bumgarner hit Prince Fielder on the arm to start the inning. Delmon Young followed with a double past third.

When the ball kicked off the left field grandstand, third base coach Gene Lamont sent the 275-pound (wink, wink) Fielder home. Blanco quickly recovered the tricky rebound and threw to cut-off man Marco Scutaro, who made a strong throw home.

Buster Posey, stationed in front of the plate, took the throw and reached out and tagged the sliding Fielder on the rear end just before his foot hit the plate. If he'd slid to the back of the plate, Posey couldn't have reached him, but the big man too much momentum going one way.

Fielder argued and so did Leyland, but replays showed plate umpire Dan Iassogna made the right call.

"Gene just got a little over aggressive," said Leyland. "We haven't been scoring a lot of runs besides the final game against the Yankees. . . . The umpire made an absolute terrific call."

Blanco hit Fister in the head with a line drive that landed in center field for a single with two out in the second. Detroit's trainers checked Fister out and he stayed in the game.

"They were asking him what city are we win and what game of the World Series is it," said Leyland. "Doug just kept answering them."

Fister walked Crawford after getting hit in the head, but then retired 12 straight.

Infante started the fourth with a single. Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera followed with a liner toward the left field corner that third baseman Pablo Sandoval caught.

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

On Twitter: @hoynsie

Archbishop Hoban's Jamie Dean had a girls soccer game most players only dream of playing. Dean scored four goals when the Knights (14-4-1) blanked Norton, 6-0, in a Division II district championship game on Thursday. Goalie MacKenzie Beke had two saves to earn the shutout.

Jamie Dean of Archbishop Hoban.

Archbishop Hoban's Jamie Dean had a girls soccer game most players only dream of playing.

Dean scored four goals when the Knights (14-4-1) blanked Norton, 6-0, in a Division II district championship game on Thursday. Goalie MacKenzie Beke had two saves to earn the shutout.

Hawken 3, Gilmour Academy 1 Courtney Yoke, Ainsley Gialamas and Mackenzie Lesnick scored goals in giving the Hawks a Division III district title.

Hathaway Brown 4, Lake Catholic 1 Lysette Roman had two goals and Melissa Vajskop and Libby Fletcher each had a goal and an assist when the Blazers (13-4-2) won their seventh consecutive Division II district championship.

Volleyball

Padua 3, Triway 0 The top-seeded and top-ranked Bruins (23-2), champions of the North Coast League Blue Division, reigned at the Holy Name Division II district tournament. Katie Stansbury and Jenna Veres finished with 11 kills and 12 digs, respectively, and Gina Kilner and Mary Djukic combined for 42 assists.  

Ledgemont 3, Windham 0 The unbeaten Redskins (24-0) hardly broke a sweat in their Division IV district title triumph at Badger. Along with Mikayla Erskine's 20 assists, Ledgemont got nine kills from Tamara Heller, six digs from Emily Shantery and five blocks from Alivia Sidley.

Willoughby South 3, Riverside 0 The No. 1-seeded Rebels (21-5) captured the Division I district crown at Euclid by tripping up the Premier Athletic Conference foe Beavers for the third time. Morgan Tippee benefited from Joelle Livorse's 23 assists with a team-best 12 kills. Nicole Nugent finished with 26 digs for the PAC champs.

Cuyahoga Heights 3, Elyria Catholic 0 The unranked Redskins (21-4) pulled one of the biggest upsets of the year with a Division III district title win over top-seeded/12th-ranked Elyria Catholic at Elyria. Veronic Gehring and Lucy Mervar had a combined 24 kills while Corinne Zielinski dished 28 assists and Tina Horvath had 25 digs.

Wadsworth 3, Copley 1 The No. 1-seeded/14th-ranked Grizzlies (23-2) won a Division I district title at Barberton. Ciera Koons (10 kills, 13 blocks) joined Peyton Booth (19 kills) to form an unstoppable front-line attack. Haley Beavers totaled 50 assists and Rachel Goodard added 27 digs.

Football

John Hay 39, East Tech 6 The Hornets (8-2, 6-0) went through their Senate Athletic League slate unbeaten and only time will tell if they have secured home-field advantage in the first round of the Division III, Region 9 postseason. Hornets tailback Carlin Ray gained 206 yards and two touchdowns on just eight carries.

Good goaltending by the duo of Calvin Pickard and Sami Aittokallio have helped propel the Lake Erie Monsters to a 4-2-0-0 start.

Gus Chan, The Plain DealerLake Erie Monsters goalie Sami Aittokallio makes a save in the second period against Oklahoma City Barons on Oct. 12.

CLEVELAND — The Monsters' 4-2-0-0 start has been a team effort, but goaltending stands out.

Calvin Pickard (four games) and Sami Aittokallio (two) have combined for a 1.83 goals-against average and .944 save percentage.

For now, Pickard and Aittokallio form a tandem. When one distinguishes himself from the other, coach Dean Chynoweth will ride him.

On Thursday, Chynoweth did not say who would be between the pipes for home games Friday and Saturday night against Abbotsford. Chynoweth said that one could play both games.

Of course, Pickard would like to be the No. 1 goalie, but he is more than willing to work within the current competition parameters.

"When you really don't know what's happening, it keeps you on your toes," he said. "You need to push yourself in practice to be that much better, and every game is really important for what role you're going to play. If you have a bad game, the other guy might get a couple of starts out of it. You've got to make sure you're sharp and have your 'A' game every single time out."

Pickard, who is 2-2 with a 1.77 GAA and .948 save percentage, said he gets along fine with Aittokallio.

"I want to be in that net, and he wants to be in the net," Pickard said. "You can't take anything personally, though. You just have to play your own game, worry about yourself, stop the puck and let the coaches make the decision. Coach pretty much tells us who's playing which game, and we take it from there. We're really good friends, and we've played well. We're going to push each other and battle for as many starts as we can get."

Pickard and Aittokallio each have faced the Oklahoma City Barons twice. The Barons are projected to be one of the AHL's best teams, mainly because of a powerful offense. The Monsters and Barons each won once at home and on the road. Aittokallio was 2-0 and Pickard 0-2, but it is not as if Pickard played poorly.

In the final game of the season series, Tuesday in Oklahoma City, Pickard made 34 saves in a 4-3 defeat. Oklahoma City scored all of its goals on the power play.

"It was a tough game at the end of a road trip," Pickard said. "We got caught flat-footed on a couple of power plays. You're not going to have a shutout every game, and we played a good team. Going into the season, everybody thought highly of Oak City -- and why not? They have so many good players. But we held our own, we beat them twice. We have a lot of talent, too."

Pickard, a second-round pick of the Colorado Avalanche in 2010, played major junior with the Seattle Thunderbirds of the WHL for four seasons through 2011-12. Last spring, he joined the Monsters and appeared in two games, winning one.

Aittokallio, a fourth-round pick in 2010, played in his native Finland last season.

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

Lake Erie's defenseman Barry Goers recalls the dry heat in Las Vegas, and why he will never be a gambling man.

Lake Erie MonstersBarry Goers

Q: You made your pro debut with the Las Vegas Wranglers of the ECHL and appeared in 120 games for them from 2010 to 2012. What is it like to play hockey in Vegas?

A: [Laughter]. It's a lot of fun, that's for sure. Playing hockey in Vegas is kind of a joke among players, that even NHL guys would want to play there because of the city and the atmosphere. You've always got a lot going on, the weather's terrific and the fan base for hockey is awesome.

Q: Playing home games in The Orleans Hotel & Casino must be a blast. How often did you visit the casino?

A: I tried gambling a little bit, I played some blackjack, but I never really got into it. When I did go, it was for entertainment value and to have fun with the guys. In the long run, gambling is a losing man's game. It's obvious why Vegas is so nice: You can't beat the casino.

Q: To your knowledge, what was the highest temperature outside while you practiced or played a game?

A: I remember the start of training camp, end of September/early October, when I left the rink and went outside. The temperature reading in my car was 107 degrees. I couldn't believe it. But there's something to be said for "dry heat." It's bearable.

Q: Your bio states that you were born in Ivyland, Pa. What is . . . ?

A: I actually was born in Fort Worth, Texas. Then my family moved to Las Vegas, believe it or not, and we were there a couple of years. When I was 7, we moved to Schenectady, N.Y., which is when I started to play hockey. When I was 11, we moved to the Philadelphia area, which is where my parents live now.

Q: Did you always want to play hockey?

A: Absolutely. My parents have a funny little story they like to tell: When I first went ice skating, it was at a birthday party in Las Vegas. When I came back from the party, I was raving about the skating and said I had to do it. That's when it began to take off for me.

Q: If not a hockey player, what?

A: I'd probably be coaching hockey at some level. If not coaching, I'd want to be involved in hockey in some form or fashion, because it's such a great game.

Q: You were on the Hockey East All-Academic Team while at UMass-Lowell in 2007-08. What was your favorite subject in school?

A: I majored in finance. I liked to learn about investing and such, but with the corruption of Wall Street, it's not really an appealing industry to me. I learned about the corruption while I was studying.

Q: Favorite sport other than hockey?

A: I love to play golf. Pretty clich for a hockey player, right? But in the summer time, it's a fun game to play with your buddies, your family. I like to be in the outdoors, in general.

Q: Favorite hockey venue in which you have played?

A: In college, we played Boston University in TD Garden. That was cool.

-- Dennis Manoloff

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

Rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden has what it takes to be the Browns franchise quarterback, according to someone who should know, former Browns signal-caller Trent Dilfer.

Brandon Weeden, above, deserves at least two years to establish himself as the Browns' quarterback, says ESPN analyst and former NFL quarterback Trent Dilfer. A.J. Mast, Associated Press

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Former Browns quarterback Trent Dilfer, now an analyst for ESPN, is confident that new Browns owner Jimmy Haslam and CEO Joe Banner have their franchise quarterback in rookie Brandon Weeden.

"From a talent, leadership, and intangibles standpoint, yes, they have the guy that deserves at least two years under their full leadership to build around," said Dilfer, who worked with Weeden at an ESPN Elite 11 quarterback camp two summers ago and has studied all of his games this year. "Given the right situation, Brandon Weeden could put the Browns back on the map."

Dilfer believes Weeden is better than the quarterback prospects coming out this year, including West Virginia's Geno Smith and USC's Matt Barkley.

"They're not going to be able to draft a guy who's more talented, because this year's draft has nobody close to as talented as Brandon," he said. "Right now, all the talk is all about Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III and Ryan Tannehill, but I have no doubt Brandon is as talented as that group and should be in that conversation if he gets the same support."

Dilfer watched the film of Weeden vs. Luck in Indianapolis last week, a 17-13 Browns loss after the big Josh Gordon drop, and thinks Weeden stacks right up with the No. 1 overall pick as a passer.

"From a passing standpoint, Brandon is as pure as they come," said Dilfer, who has a Pro Bowl and Super Bowl ring to his credit. "He's found his stroke, his passing comfort zone. There's more than just being pure, but that's one of the bigger components. He can challenge the field with his arm as well as anybody."

Dilfer stressed that Weeden doesn't have the same supporting cast as RG3. In fact, the Browns lead the NFL with 25 dropped passes, according to profootballfocus.com

"I think they're the worst receivers I've seen in a long time -- to this point," said Dilfer. "It doesn't mean they can't improve. It doesn't mean they don't have talent. But from a production and a performance standpoint, they're killing him. And it's not just dropping balls. It's not releasing the right way, not seeing the coverage the right way, not hitting their depth properly. As a quarterback you start to get gunshy because you can't trust your guys."

Dilfer attributed some of Weeden's 10 interceptions -- tied for most in the league with Cincinnati's Andy Dalton -- to the young receivers adjusting to the game.

"A high volume of interceptions typically comes when the receivers aren't trustworthy," said Dilfer. "You can throw the ball to good receivers before they're open and trust that they're going to be where they're supposed to be, or body up and protect you on a bad play."

Dilfer's been impressed with Weeden's ability to stand in the pocket, deliver the ball and absorb a hit.

"Amazing," he said. "Two summers ago when we worked with him at the Elite 11, he was awful in the pocket. His footwork was terrible. He was a typical spread guy that didn't understand pocket mechanics and he worked really hard on it that summer. He took it back to Oklahoma State last season and made significant improvement. He's made great strides in the pros and he'll continue to improve."

Dilfer said one of Weeden's No. 1 attributes is his ability to self-correct.

"Spending a week with him at the Elite 11, training him and getting in his mind a little bit, he kind of taught himself at Oklahoma State," he said. "But once my coaching staff and I got my hands on him, we showed him how to correct himself from a technical standpoint. We gave him the tools to say "OK, when something goes bad, this is what you need to look for." It was amazing. Of the 14 college kids we've worked with the last two years that have been drafted, he was the best at self-correction."

Dilfer said he's seen this play out on the field this season.

"That first game, either his mind was going too fast or he was trying too hard," said Dilfer. "He just wasn't himself. The second game, he comes out and corrects the throws from the first week. The third week he threw a couple of picks and the fourth week he gets the same looks and doesn't force the ball. The fifth week he hit all of the checkdowns. He continues to self-evaluate."

Dilfer said Weeden has also started to put more air under deep balls and is completing them.

"The first two weeks, they were too flat," Dilfer said. "There's so many little nuances I've seen him correct."

Browns coach Pat Shurmur agreed that he's excited about Weeden's potential.

"I see our quarterback improving each week and much like Josh Gordon, I can't wait to see how far he can take this thing as we move through the back half of our season," said Shurmur. "Now, I would say this, quarterbacks will eventually be evaluated by wins. I've got this little checklist of things I want to see him do better and that also includes getting us wins."

Shurmur cautioned that a sensational arm isn't everything.

"We knew he had a good arm and that's about fourth or fifth though on the must-have have characteristics for a quarterback," he said. "You've got to be a good decision-maker, you've got to be accurate, you've got to understand timing, you've got to be a good leader and then the bonus baby in all of that is if you've got an outstanding very strong arm where you can make all the throws, then that's good."

Dilfer's only issue with Weeden, 29, is his age.

"I've told him, 'your leash is shorter, so you need to have more immediate success than the next guy,'" said Dilfer. "Within the first 30-35 starts, he's going to have to show more production than the next guy drafted at his position. It's easier to move on from a 31-year-old than it is a 24-year-old."

Dilfer also stands by his longheld belief that backup Colt McCoy can be a winning NFL quarterback.

"I came out when he was drafted, and said he should've been a late first-round pick," said Dilfer. "I've been ridiculed by my colleagues who say it's because we have the same agent or because he's a Christian, but I stick to my guns. Colt McCoy has enough talent -- he's not overly talented -- but he's got enough talent and he's got an excess amount of the other stuff, the intangible qualities.

"He's got a very sharp mind, and he's a very good decision-maker. If he's given another opportunity, especially if he's got a good supporting cast, a completion-based offense, a sideline-to-sideline offense where he has a lot of space to work with, I think Colt Mccoy's definitely a starter in this league and a winning starter."

Dilfer acknowledged that McCoy won't wow anyone with his arm strength, "but what he does wow you with is all the other things he brings to the table: his ability to make quick decisions, his leadership, his football I.Q, his ability to create space for himself in the pocket. I hate it when people say he can't throw the deep ball. Yes, he can throw the deep ball. He just doesn't throw it as well as the best guys throw it. They say he can't throw the out route. Yes, he can throw the out route well enough. But 70 per cnet of offense in the NFL is between the numbers and I think he can be very good in that element."

Dilfer said he knows at about five to seven top NFL personnel men who like McCoy.

"He's not a laughingstock," said Dilfer. "They think that given the right offense, Colt can be a good to very good NFL starter."

So at least in Dilfer's opinion, Haslam and Banner should be set at quarterback for awhile.

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

On Twitter: @marykaycabot

Keeping quarterback Braxton Miller injury-free is the key to Ohio State in its game Saturday at Penn State.

Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller needs to stay behind center Saturday for the Buckeyes to stay one step ahead of the Nittany Lions. MARVIN FONG/PLAIN DEALER

Keep Braxton Miller in the game: Not to rain on the parade, but Kenny Guiton isn't Braxton Miller.

The backup quarterback deserves all the credit in the world for leading the Ohio State comeback last week. His greatest attribute was that he stayed calm, which might be the most difficult thing for any college backup to do. Guiton wasn't overwhelmed. But if he has to play a significant amount at Penn State, the Buckeyes are in trouble.

I think Miller is fine to start the game. It seems that the greatest effect from his neck injury might be his reaction to another big hit.

Miller has left four straight games with what before last week were minor injuries. If he takes another blow to the head or neck against the Nittany Lions, will he be able to bounce back?

Without having to fear Miller in the run game, the entire defensive plan would change for Penn State. Carlos Hyde and the passing game would become the focus, because Guiton offers very little run threat. Coach Urban Meyer actually laughed at a question about his backup's legs.

"Let Kenny run it? Nah," Meyer said. "I love Kenny. Nope."

Before his late-drive heroics, Guiton handed off six times as the Buckeyes gained 19 yards. And he was 2 of 5 for 11 yards, with an interception, and ran once on a play in which a block in the end zone led to a safety.

Is Guiton cool? Yes. Does he know the offense? Yes. Is he smart? Yes. Is he trusted by his coaches and teammates? Yes. Is he a dynamic offensive threat? No.

Could the Buckeyes win at Penn State if he has to play a lot? Ohio State would rather not find out.

-- Doug Lesmerises

The San Francisco Giants, with good fortune smiling on them as they have overcome seemingly impossible odds, will try to open up a commanding 3-0 lead over the Tigers in Game 3 of the World Series, tonight at Comerica Park in Detroit.

Charlie Riedel, Associated Press The San Francisco Giants' Pablo Sandoval singles during the sixth inning of Game 2 of the World Series Thursday at AT&T Park in San Francisco. The Kung Fu Panda homered three times in Game 1.

DETROIT — What comes first, victory or good fortune?

The San Francisco Giants, up 2-0 on Detroit in the World Series, don't care, they just want it to continue. Still, based on baseball's normal measurements regarding a hot team getting all the good bounces, boundaries are being pushed.

In the NLDS, Cincinnati took a 2-0 lead against the Giants. San Francisco rallied for three straight win-or-go home victories to become the first team since the NLDS was created in 1995 to overcome a 2-0 deficit.

In the NLCS, St. Louis led the Giants 3-1 in the best-of-seven series. The Giants laughed in the face of elimination for three more wins to reach the World Series. The five previous times the Giants played in a decisive Game 7, they lost. This time they blew out the Cardinals, 9-0.

For the first time this postseason, the Giants have a 2-0 lead in a series. Not only that, but because they had to play seven games in the NLCS, their best two starters, Ryan Vogelsong and Matt Cain, are scheduled to pitch Games 3 and 4 tonight and Sunday night at Comerica Park. When the World Series opened, the Giants seemed to be at a disadvantage because they had to start lefties Barry Zito and Madison Bumgarner in the first two games against Detroit's best two starters, Justin Verlander and Doug Fister.

All the Giants did was clobber Verlander and edge Fister. It's the fifth time they've led a World Series, 2-0. The first four times, they won the whole thing.

"I'd rather have the lead than not have the lead, but really 2-0 is just a number," said manager Bruce Bochy.

What has the Tigers worried is what went into making that number.

In Game 1, Pablo Sandoval, the Kung Fu Panda, hit three homers, two off Verlander. He's just one of four players to homer three times in a World Series game along with Babe Ruth, Reggie Jackson and Albert Pujols.

The thing is Sandoval hit only 12 homers during the regular season. As a team, the Giants hit only 31 on their home ground, AT&T Park.

Sandoval hit his second homer, a two-run shot, in the third inning. He may not have gotten a chance to swing the bat if it weren't for Angel Pagan bouncing a freaky double off third base with two out.

Then there's the fact that the last time the Giants were in the World Series in 2010, Sandoval was in the doghouse. He was overweight and unproductive and batted just three times. This postseason, he's hitting .368 (21-for-57) with four doubles, six homers and 13 RBI in 14 games.

Spooky, right? Hey, Halloween is close and the Giants' colors are orange and black. What did you expect?

In Game 2, Bumgarner threw seven scoreless innings. He hadn't pitched in 10 days because he'd lost his first two postseason starts, allowing 10 earned runs in eight innings.

When Tigers third base coach Gene Lamont sent Prince Fielder home in the second inning of the same game on Delmon Young's double, he was thrown out at the plate. When San Francisco's Gregor Blanco tried to advance Hunter Pence and Brandon Belt with a sacrifice bunt late in the seventh, his slow roller down the third baseline stayed fair instead of going foul for a hit to load the bases.

Brandon Crawford followed with a double play grounder to score the only run the Giants needed in the 2-0 victory.

Get the picture?

"A team's confidence grows when you win games like that," said Bochy. "It gets the momentum going."

Tiger manager Jim Leyland doesn't believe in momentum or magic.

"I don't think the Giants are getting any breaks," said Leyland. "I think they've earned everything they've got. You get a break play that hit the bag in Game 1, but that's the game.

"Up until this point, they've outplayed us. . . . they're good. They're really good."

Leyland makes sense, but what about Game 7 of the NLCS when Pence hit a three-run double that hit his broken bat three times before taking a right turn past Cardinals shortstop Pete Kozma and rolling in center field? What does that say about the Giants and where they're headed?

Some mysteries just can't be answered.

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

On Twitter: @hoynsie

Inconsistent special teams, turnovers continue to plague undefeated Buckeyes.

Special teams mistakes have bitten Ohio State throughout the season, including on this 60-yard punt return by Indiana's Tevin Coleman. Sam Riche, Associated Press

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Urban Meyer's plan hasn't worked. The wins have come anyway.

When Ohio State's first-year coach took over, he arrived with his proven "Plan To Win." It's not earth-shattering stuff, but it makes clear how Meyer prioritizes the keys to success.

1. Play great defense.

2. Take care of the football.

3. Score in the red zone.

4. Great special teams.

Eight games into an undefeated season with Penn State waiting for the Buckeyes today, Ohio State has maybe hit on 11/2 of the four.

"We just imploded that whole thing," Meyer said.

The defense, ranked 63rd in the nation, has been well at times. But certainly not at all the time.

The Buckeyes have scored in the red zone, ranking 23rd in the nation in that category, having scored on 30 of 34 trips inside the 20-yard line. The best stat for Ohio State is that 27 of the 30 scores have been touchdowns, compared to just three field goals.

But taking care of the ball and great special teams? Not close.

Ohio State has lost the turnover battle in three of its four Big Ten games and still won, beating Michigan State and Purdue despite being minus-three in turnovers in both those games. The Buckeyes have thrown six interceptions and lost seven fumbles, four of them by quarterback Braxton Miller. It's a bit surprising that hasn't caught up with them yet.

"It is hard to believe because that is time-tested. From the origin of football, that's the rule," Meyer said. "You take care of the football and you win. But we are what we are. We are working hard to take care of the ball better. The better teams you face, you won't win those games."

In special teams, Meyer's final point, Ohio State has been impossible to figure out.

The Buckeyes are good. They're bad. They're both. It would be no shock if special teams makes the difference in what most expect to be a close game today. Which way it goes is anybody's guess.

Consider just some of the positive special teams plays by Ohio State this season:

•Bradley Roby recovered a high punt snap in the end zone for a touchdown against Miami.

•Adolphus Washington blocked an extra point against Central Florida.

•Orhian Johnson blocked an extra point against UAB.

•Roby blocked a punt against Michigan State.

•Corey Brown returned a punt 76 yards for a touchdown against Nebraska.

•Travis Howard blocked a punt against Indiana, and Roby recovered it for a touchdown.

•Garrett Goebel blocked an extra point against Purdue.

•Johnathan Hankins blocked a 34-yard field goal against Purdue.

"I feel we're confident in our special teams," said Howard. "We have guys that are injured that play special teams, so we kind of have a lot of new guys playing. So we have to get those guys familiar with game speed."

And those injuries have Meyer worried.

"We're just completely blown away in our personnel right now," Meyer said. "I've never had to change so many guys. Our kickoff team isn't the same group of guys it was five weeks ago. It's completely different."

So the Buckeyes could add to their list of special teams mistakes.

•Drew Basil missed an extra point after the first touchdown against Cal.

•UAB blocked a punt and returned it for a touchdown.

•Punter Ben Buchanan fell short on a fake punt run against Nebraska from the Buckeyes" own 25-yard line.

•Indiana blocked a punt and it set up a touchdown.

•Basil missed a 35-yard field goal with OSU trailing, 14-10, against Indiana.

•Indiana recovered an onside kick with a crazy out-of-bounds save to set up a touchdown.

•Purdue returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown.

And then there's one of the strangest stats of the season for Ohio State: Opponents are just 11-of-19 on field goals against the Buckeyes, including just 3-of-8 from 40 to 49 yards.

That's a 38-percent success rate in that range. The average in major college football on 40 to 49-yarders this season is 57 percent.

Cal went 0-3 from that range in a seven-point loss, Michigan State was 3-of-4 on field goals but did miss a 42-yarder in a one-point loss, and Purdue had that 34-yarder blocked by Hankins and missed a 52-yarder in a game that went to overtime last week. Basil also missed a 50-yarder in that game for the Buckeyes.

The bottom line is that missed field goals by the opponents have been very important to Ohio State this season. And Penn State kicker Sam Ficken is tied for 97th among major college kickers, making 4 of 11 field goals.

So make No. 5 in the Plan to Win:

5. Have opposing kicker miss.

BAINBRIDGE TOWNSHIP, Ohio — Most of the high school football talk revolves around playoffs this time of year. Coach Bob Mihalik and his Aurora Greenmen are plenty happy to talk conference championships. Make no mistake, Aurora is looking forward to hosting a game in next week's Division II playoffs. It's just that winning the Chagrin Valley Conference Chagrin Division...

BAINBRIDGE TOWNSHIP, Ohio — Most of the high school football talk revolves around playoffs this time of year. Coach Bob Mihalik and his Aurora Greenmen are plenty happy to talk conference championships.

Make no mistake, Aurora is looking forward to hosting a game in next week's Division II playoffs. It's just that winning the Chagrin Valley Conference Chagrin Division is the first goal on the agenda at the start of every season.

The Greenmen accomplished that in fine fashion with a 48-20 victory at Kenston to wrap up the regular season Friday night.

"It's such a tough league," Mihalik said. "To win six out of the last eight, that's pretty special in a league like this."

Aurora improved to 9-1 and 6-1 in the CVC, sharing the title with Chagrin Falls. Kenston fell to 6-4 and 5-2 and will need some breaks to make the playoffs.

"My feeling is if you're 6-4 you don't really deserve to get in there," Kenston coach Jeff Grubich said. "We didn't handle our business in the regular season and that's on me. But if we're lucky enough to get in the next round, we'll battle our butts off."

Quarterback George Bollas led the way running and throwing. He rushed for 174 yards on 16 carries and two touchdowns. Bollas completed 5 of 9 passes for 183 yards and two touchdowns, including a 96-yard touchdown to Kirk Janoch for Aurora's final score.

"This feels really good," Bollas said. "We love to win the CVC and Kenston is one of our big rivals. We love playing them."

Aurora dominated from the opening drive, going 72 yards in eight plays. Zach Quinn hit the Bombers with a 42-yard run on the game's first play.

The next key play came when Bollas lofted a screen pass to Zach Smierciak on a fourth-and-7 play from the Kenston 27. It looked like Smierciak was surrounded for a loss, but the 6-3 tight end broke two tackles and was off for a 14-yard gain.

Three plays later, Bollas finished the drive with a 3-yard touchdown run.

"We haven't really been able to get off to good a start this year in some of our earlier games," Bollas said. "It was really good to do that. We look forward to doing that in our upcoming games."

The Greenmen made it 14-0 on a 28-yard run by Jake McVay, who was given a huge hole off left tackle.

A special teams play briefly got Kenston back in the game. Ryan Malek blocked an Aurora punt to give the Bombers the ball at Aurora's 15. A 14-yard run by quarterback Darryl Richards set up a 1-yard touchdown run by Nick Lombardy.

Aurora increased its lead to 27-7 on consecutive scores early in the second quarter. Smierciak got the first touchdown on a 28-yard pass from Bollas.

McVay intercepted Richards to set up the next score, a 10-yard run by Bollas. Lombardy's second touchdown run cut the deficit to 27-13 with 1:47 left in the second quarter, but it was enough time for Aurora to launch an 80-yard drive. McVay scored on a 2-yard run and the Greenmen led, 34-13, at the half.

Quinn finished with 102 yards on 18 carries as Aurora rushed for more than 400 yards.

"The holes were there," Bollas said. "The line was great. I love 'em."

Bob Migra is a freelance writer in Westlake.

MENTOR, Ohio — By now, it's an urban legend that Mentor doesn't have a running game. The Cardinals clearly do; they just don't use it very much. Friday night in a 41-0 dismantling of Twinsburg, Mentor made it clear they can hit and run with tailback Nick Delisa. The quick, 5-9 tailback rushed for 179 yards and four touchdowns...

Mentor's Nick Delisa, shown during a game earlier this month, had 179 yards and four touchdowns on 11 carries Friday night against Twinsburg. - (Joshua Gunter, PD file)

MENTOR, Ohio — By now, it's an urban legend that Mentor doesn't have a running game. The Cardinals clearly do; they just don't use it very much.

Friday night in a 41-0 dismantling of Twinsburg, Mentor made it clear they can hit and run with tailback Nick Delisa. The quick, 5-9 tailback rushed for 179 yards and four touchdowns on just 11 carries.

"We're not really used to that. It was a good to see some big runs," Mentor quarterback Mitch Trubisky said. "It adds another dynamic to this offense. We love it."

The Cardinals (9-1, 5-0) won the Northeast Ohio Conference Valley Division championship and appear set to host a first-round playoff game next Saturday, with Warren Harding the likely opponent. Pairings will be announced Sunday.

Clearly motivated by an upset loss to Twinsburg last year, the Cardinals eliminated Twinsburg (6-4, 4-1) from postseason contention.

Motivation was in deep supply on the Mentor sideline. "That one was for Billy," Mentor coach Steve Trivisonno said in reference to former Mentor captain Billy Deitmen, who died Oct. 18.

The cold, rainy and windy night began with a somber pregame tribute to Deitmen, who also played for Case Western Reserve and died of unknown causes two days before his 24th birthday. He starred on the 2007 state runner-up team, and his teammates gathered at midfield wearing red shirts with his uniform number, 28, and the words "Forever our captain."

"Those guys were my heroes growing up," said Trubisky, a ball boy on Deitmen's teams. "It was very emotional, but it was good to get this win."

With playoff weather descending on Northeast Ohio, Mentor began the game determined to do what it does best -- pass -- regardless of situations or conditions. Trubisky threw deep frequently, including third and fourth downs.

"That was one of the objectives," Trivisonno said. "It was nice to be handle the wind."

Trubisky completed 13 of 23 passes for 171 yards and one touchdown with one interception. Conner Krizancic caught 11 passes for 96 yards and had 33 yards rushing.

Delisa scored on runs of 62 yards, 1 yard, 30 yards and 5 yards, and he had a 57-yard run to the 2-yard line.

"There were a lot of big holes," he said. "Running the ball is really big because if we can't pass the ball, we can run the ball."

Twinsburg moved the ball in big chunks, but in both directions. Quarterback Jalen Washington passed for 179 yards, but five sacks and three fumbled shotgun snaps resulted in losses totaling 95 yards.

"When you face a team of that caliber, every little mistake gets magnified," Twinsburg coach Joe Schiavone said.

No magnification of Mentor's young, talented defensive line was required. Junior ends Kent Berger (6-4, 225) and Delvon Maddox (6-2, 215) and sophomore tackle Nico Lautanen (6-3, 240) made plenty of big plays on their own.

"That's what we wanted to do," Berger said. "We wanted to punch them in the mouth early and take them back."

Defensive back Reese Armstrong and Jaylen Dowdy had interceptions for Mentor.

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

On Twitter: @TimsTakePD

See a photo gallery from the game here. WESTLAKE, Ohio — What's a little rain and mud when you can claim a conference championship?

Westlake's Shawn Turk sprints for a touchdown Friday against Brecksville at Westlake High School. - (Lonnie Timmons III, PD)

See a photo gallery from the game here.

WESTLAKE, Ohio — What's a little rain and mud when you can claim a conference championship?

Make that a lot of rain and mud, but the more the merrier for Westlake, as nothing could get in the way of the host Demons clinching a share of their first Southwestern Conference title since 1984 as they shut out Brecksville-Broadview Heights, 17-0, on their mud bowl of a field.

"We were well-prepared," said mud-splattered senior captain Logan Paul, the heart and soul of his club on both sides of the ball at running back/linebacker. "We were ready. The combination defensively and working the run, it all worked out. Shout out to Danny Strodtbeck."

That would be for teammate Strodtbeck's two-way play, but especially for the early emotional lift he gave his club.

With the miserable conditions not boding well for Brecksville's proficient passing game under senior quarterback Tommy Tupa, Strodtbeck delivered that message on the third play of the game.

The senior linebacker got in front of Tupa's short pass over the middle for an interception and raced 22 yards untouched for a touchdown with the game less than two minutes old.

"I just read my keys, did my drop and went to the house," said Strodtbeck, who also did the punting. "It felt great. We took a lot out of them."

At 9-1 and 6-1 in the league, Westlake and Avon Lake are co-champions. Westlake does have the satisfaction of handing the Shoremen (8-2, 6-1) their lone league loss.

Besides sharing the league title, the Demons will make their first appearance in the playoffs since 1989. They came in fifth in Division II, Region 6.

"A great group that truly believed," said Westlake coach Mark Campo, whose club was ranked No. 18 in The Plain Dealer Top 25. "The seniors led, and they deserved it. They will remember it and talk about it the rest of their lives."

Proving their championship mettle, the Demons defied the conditions as they covered 97 yards in seven plays in the second quarter. After three first downs that included a 24-yard run by Paul, they came up with the right call at the right time.

In the slot, senior wide receiver Shawn Turk took an inside handoff from junior quarterback Kent Axcell on a counter play and went 46 yards up the middle for the score with about three minutes left in the half. Senior Sean Bigley's extra point made it 14-0.

"I think we ran it in one other game," said Turk, who finished with 70 yards on nine carries. "It opened up, and I didn't do a thing but run."

Both teams had their troubles moving the football, with the Bees especially hard-pressed to make a go of it.

Tupa, who came in with more than 3,000 yards and 31 touchdowns, could never get untracked on either short or long throws. He finished 11 of 28 passing for 112 yards. The Brecksville ground game was limited to 20 yards, with two fumbles.

"The conditions went against what we were trying to do," said Brecksville coach Jason Black, whose club (5-5, 5-2) could have had a piece of the title with a win. "Give them a heck of a lot of credit. They did a great job."

The Demons closed out the game by keeping the ball for 10 minutes in the fourth quarter, settling for Bigley's 26-yard field goal with two minutes to play.

Paul finished with 100 yards on 26 carries and had a fumble recovery. Axcell completed 2 of 6 passes for 36 yards and added 31 yards on the ground.

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

On Twitter: @JoeMaxse

See a photo gallery from the game here. MUNSON TOWNSHIP, Ohio — Like many athletic teams, the Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin football team posts its goals in the locker room.

Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin's Nicholas Evans holds off Lake Catholic's Luke Turk on a fourth quarter run Friday in Munson Township. - (Joshua Gunter, PD)

See a photo gallery from the game here.

MUNSON TOWNSHIP, Ohio — Like many athletic teams, the Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin football team posts its goals in the locker room.

"Coach [Byron Morgan] always says that if we achieve our goals, we're going to win," said wide receiver/safety Tim Helton.

Mission accomplished.

Hosting rival Lake Catholic on Friday with the outright conference title and playoffs on the line, the Lions came through like champions, blanking the Cougars, 21-0, to win the North Coast League Blue Division and clinch what's expected to be a home game in next week's first round of the Division III playoffs.

"We were pretty stoked to play this game," Morgan said of his team's eighth consecutive victory. "We knew what was at stake. The kids were ready to go."

Ending the regular season at 8-2 (5-0 in the NCL) has been a process that began two years ago, when Morgan and his coaching staff started a youth movement.

"We knew two years ago when we played eight sophomores that we were going to take our lumps," Morgan said. "Now look at them. They're seniors and they're champions."

NDCL has always had a chip on its shoulder when it comes to Lake Catholic. The Cougars, who end the season at 6-4 and 4-1, have beaten the Lions 17 times in their 23 meetings. However, with Morgan at the helm, the series is tied, 3-3.

"I've never beaten them," Helton said. "I was at Benedictine and we never beat them, and then I transferred here. Doing it your senior year, especially at home, is really special."

The game had somewhat of a role reversal, as Lake Catholic entered with a suffocating defense, having posted three consecutive shutouts. The Cougars were 1-3 at one point but used their defense -- as well as a punishing running game -- to win five games in a row.

But against NDCL, the closest the Cougars came to scoring was on their first possession, when an attempted 41-yard field goal ended up about 8 yards short. After that, they rarely crossed midfield and never entered the red zone.

"We're going to play man and put people in the box, and you're going to have to knock us out of the box," Morgan said of his team's defensive strategy. "We felt we had to stop their run first and force them to throw."

The game plan worked perfectly. The first half saw Lake quarterback Mark Baniewicz complete just 1 of 6 passes for 13 yards, while NDCL quarterback Robbie Nash completed 9 of 13 for 119 yards.

The Cougars tried to establish the running game, but they were held to 43 rushing yards in the first half while falling behind, 14-0.

"We were doing the things that got us back to 6-3, but they weren't working," said Lake coach Mike Bell. "We took some shots with our passing game early, but it wasn't working for us."

NDCL workhorse Nick Evans scored two touchdowns and totaled 94 yards on 31 carries. The Lions also scored on a 21-yard toss from Nash to Helton.

Joe Magill is a freelance writer in Auburn Township.