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Is the Cleveland Cavaliers' Tristan Thompson the NBA's Most Improved Player?

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Second-year power forward Tristan Thompson has improved in every statistical category, and he's already earning whispers for Most Improved Player.

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio -- Maybe you missed it amid all the hand-wringing of the Cavaliers' third loss in four games Friday, after Cleveland let another uninspired third quarter lead the team to another loss.

But listed in the Cavaliers' box score was this: Tristan Thompson recorded 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Another double-double.

It wasn't outstanding and it wasn't unexpected, either. It's about what the Cavaliers have come to expect from the second-year power forward.

thompson-dunk-celts-2013-to.jpg Tristan Thompson has 22 double-doubles this season compared to nine last season.      

But it's why, as the season heads into its final month and awards season begins to pick up, whispers already have begun that Thompson has earned the right for consideration for Most Improved Player.

Take TNT's Ernie Johnson, for instance, who tried to console himself after learning that Kyrie Irving would miss the Chicago game televised by NBA TV on Feb. 26. When a fan reminded Johnson that Dion Waiters would still be there, Johnson (@TurnerSportsEJ) replied, "True ... True and Tristan Thompson (most improved candidate)."

"He should be in the conversation, there's no doubt," Cavaliers coach Byron Scott said. "I think he's made big-time strides. His stats show that. His field-goal percentage, his double-doubles, the free throw percentage has gone up a little bit. I think he definitely should get some consideration for it."

Thompson has improved in every category this season, but most striking is that he already has 22 double-doubles in 62 games.

He had nine double-doubles in 60 games last season.

The Cavaliers touted how hard Thompson worked in the off-season, how he spent hours upon hours in the gym and spent time working on his shooting.

When the season began, it was hard to tell.

Through the first 26 games, Thompson averaged 8.3 points and 7.7 rebounds, and often looked lost in the Cavaliers' offense.

The turning point? When Cavaliers center Anderson Varejao was lost to a quad injury Dec. 18.

Since then, Thompson has averaged 13.6 points and 10.4 rebounds per game, shooting 50.3 percent.

The Cavaliers turned to Thompson when they had no other choice, and he has responded with strong play.

"I'm just trying to do whatever is asked of me," Thompson said. "Whether it's passing the ball or finishing the play or finishing the dunk or whatever it needs to be, playing defense, just be confident."

Scott said all season that fans simply needed to be patient with Thompson, a Toronto native.

"I had a lot of faith in Tristan, and I saw the type of work he put in this summer," Scott said. "We said that from Day 1 in training camp, he worked harder than anybody we had this summer. And the season didn't start off the way he wanted it to, but as it went on, he got comfortable with all the things he was working on over the summer and it started to come to light. I think he should be credited more than anybody with sticking to it and understanding he was going to benefit in the long run and he has."

The trouble will be trying to persuade those around the NBA that Thompson deserves a look and consideration for Most Improved Player. The Cavaliers' 21-41 record doesn't do a lot to garner attention.

"I think a lot of awards are always based on how well the team does because most of those awards they give out during the post-season," Scott said. "It's probably going to be tough, but I still think he should be up in that category and be talked about."

It's early, but Thompson already is in the conversation.

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



OHSAA hockey: Shaker Heights wins state hockey title with 3-1 win against Sylvania Northivew

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COLUMBUS, Ohio - Shaker Heights defeated defending champion Sylvania Northview, 3-1, on Saturday night to win the state hockey championship at Nationwide Arena. It was the fourth title for the Red Raiders (28-7) and their first since 2001. The Wildcats finished 27-7-1.

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Shaker Heights defeated defending champion Sylvania Northview, 3-1, on Saturday night to win the state hockey championship at Nationwide Arena.

It was the fourth title for the Red Raiders (28-7) and their first since 2001. The Wildcats finished 27-7-1.

Shaker Heights senior John Longman scored the go-ahead goal late in the second period off an assist from senior Connor Siwik for a 2-1 advantage. The Shaker defense, with senior Eric Sterin goaltending, held off the Wildcats the rest of the way.

Siwik scored with 9:13 to play in the third period for the final advantage.

Shaker Heights got the first goal three minutes into it as senior defenseman Johnathan Greenberg controlled a loose puck at the Northview blue line and skated in to beat junior goaltender David Marsh to his stick side with a drive from 20 feet.

The Wildcats needed a minute to tie it up as they took advantage during a power play to score as senior Nick LaPlante sent home a slap shot from just inside the blue line. Shaker Heights senior goaltender Eric Sterin had to contend with a screen as Northview sophomore Ian Clement set up shot in front of the net.

The Raiders regained the lead 2:22 before the break on a hustling effort by Siwik. The senior worked his way past two Northview defenders by controlling the puck after bouncing it off near boards and then passing, left to right, to Longman.

Longman got Marsh to go left in the crease, then put the puck into the right corner for the 2-1 lead.

Sports Time Ohio will have the replay telecast on Sunday at 4 p.m.

Basebrawl: WBC game between Canada and Mexico turns into melee

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Punches were thrown as multiple fights broke out in the ninth inning and former Cleveland Indians pitcher Denis Boucher, now the pitching coach for Canada, got hit in the face with a water bottle.

PHOENIX -- A little bunt single turned this WBC matchup into a World Boxing Classic.

Alfredo Aceves and several players threw nasty punches when a fierce, full-scale brawl broke out in the ninth inning Saturday of Canada's 10-3 romp over Mexico in the World Baseball Classic, a melee that also involved fans and set off skirmishes in the seats.

"Whoever says that we're just here as an extra spring training game or we're just here to say we represented our country and then go home obviously didn't see how intense that game was and what it means to everybody that was involved," Canadian slugger Justin Morneau said.

Multiple fights erupted after Canada's Rene Tosoni was hit in the back by a pitch from Arnold Leon with the score 9-3 at Chase Field, home of the Arizona Diamondbacks. It quickly turned into a wild scene, as chaotic as any on a major league field in recent years.

Even when the fisticuffs ended, Canadian pitching coach Denis Boucher was hit in the face by a full water bottle thrown from the crowd. Canada shortstop Cale Iorg angrily threw the bottle back into the crowd.

Several police officers came onto the field trying to restore order, and there were a few skirmishes in the decidedly pro-Mexico crowd of 19,581. Seven players were ejected after umpires huddled, trying to sort out the frenzy.

There had already been several borderline plays on the bases when things got out of hand. A bunt hit by Chris Robinson heightened the tension -- a WBC tiebreaker relies heavily on runs and the Canadians wanted to score again in the ninth. Third baseman Luis Cruz fielded Robinson's bunt and seemed to tell Leon to hit the next batter.

Managers from both teams blamed the tiebreaking rule that uses run differential to determine what team moves on to the next round.

"It was just simply a misunderstanding," Mexico manager Rick Renteria said. "In a normal setting, a normal professional setting I should say, a 9-3 bunt in that particular fashion would be kind of out of the ordinary."

Right as the game resumed, someone in the crowd hurled a baseball that almost hit Canada first base coach Larry Walker in the head.

"That's when I went out to the umpire and I said, 'Another thing comes out, we're going to pull our team off the field," Canadian manager Ernie Whitt said.

The collision of WBC rules and the unwritten rules of the game led to the blowup, Renteria said.

"I think in just in the heat of the moment you lose sight of it," he said, "and maybe that's how it occurred."

Whitt said WBC officials need to look at the tiebreaking rule.

"There's got to be another method other than the scoring runs, running up the score on the opposing team," he said. "No one likes that. That's not the way baseball's supposed to be played. There's professionalism that we're all accustomed to here in North America. And unfortunately teams are knocked out of the tournament because other teams run up the score on them. Unfortunately that's what you have to deal with when you have that type of format."

Morneau, Adrian Gonzalez and Joey Votto were among the big-name, high-priced stars playing in the game. The fight was exactly the kind of thing that must have made major league managers and general managers cringe at the thought of one of their players getting hurt in such a fracas.

"There's a point you got to stand up for yourself," said Morneau, a former MVP with the Minnesota Twins. "We got hit for playing the game, and that happens, but at the same time you got to stand up for yourself. You can't just get pushed around."

"Obviously everyone wishes it didn't happen, but it happens in the game sometimes," he said. " I think we have all learned from being in the minor leagues that, especially in low-A ball, high-A ball, those things get real crazy. There's not as much security. It starts to get out of control pretty bad, and I think you learn from that, you learn to keep your head on a swivel."

Aceves was among four Mexican players thrown out -- the angry Boston reliever was tossed to the ground by Philadelphia minor league outfielder Tyson Gillies during the height of the altercation, then rushed to rejoin the fray.

Also ejected were Leon, Oliver Perez and Eduardo Arredondo of Mexico and Tosoni, Pete Orr and Jay Johnson of Canada. A statement from organizers said tape of the incident would be reviewed for possible disciplinary action.

All in all, it was far from the worldwide goodwill that is supposed to accompany this competition, where players exchange team hats with opponents before the start of each game as a sign of sportsmanship.

A day earlier on the same field, Mexico posted an emotional 5-2 over the United States in a game without incident. Canada, meanwhile, absorbed an embarrassing 14-4 loss to Italy.

Mexico finished its Pool D play at 1-2. Canada is 1-1 going into a game Sunday against the United States.

Whitt said he hoped any decision on suspensions would take into account that Mexico has finished its pool play, while Canada has a big game remaining.

Canada scored four times in the first inning, and Mexico cut the lead to 4-3 with two runs in the fourth.

Karim Garcia, Edgar Gonzalez and pinch hitter Sebastian Valle started the inning with singles. Garcia tried to score from second on Valle's single and was thrown out from center field by Gillies.

Robinson, the catcher, held on to the ball in a collision with Garcia down the third-base line. Garcia never did touch the plate.

Gil Velazquez followed with an RBI double and Arrendondo's sacrifice fly cut Canada's lead to one.

Robinson's hard slide into second broke up a potential double play and allowed a run to score in a two-run seventh inning that put the Canadians ahead 7-3.

Morneau, who had four hits and drove in three runs, doubled in a run, then Michael Saunders walked and Robinson was hit in the foot by a pitch. With one out, pinch hitter Jimmy Van Ostrand grounded to second.

But Robinson took the legs out from Velazquez at shortstop to prevent the relay throw and a run scored.

"'We want to play the game hard. We want to play it properly. You get an opportunity to help a team, help your teammates, by breaking up a double play or something, that's something we do," Robinson said.

All that led up to the ninth, with Mexico trailing badly and facing possible elimination despite the big win over the United States.

Robinson bunted because Canada wanted to widen the margin.

Two pitches came close to Tosoni and the next one hit him in the back. He dropped the bat and walked toward the mound.

When the players all rushed onto the field. Some just shoved, other threw wild haymakers. And just when it seemed things would calm down, more skirmishes ensued.

When the bottle was thrown from behind the Canadian dugout, one Canada player had to be restrained from going into the stands.

No player seemed to be hurt.

"I know the bodies kept moving everywhere but there was a lot more people holding people back than there was real action going on," Renteria said, "as is always the case."

As for his team, Whitt said, "You can't hurt Canadians."

OHSAA state hockey: Tournament Insider

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Best sight: All the gloves, sticks and players jumping off the Shaker Heights bench to litter the ice when the final horn sounded for their state championship. Best gesture: The red-clad Shaker Heights student section broke off one of its cheers when realizing that Northview player Zack Galecki was shaken up midway through the second period. When Galecki skated...

Best sight: All the gloves, sticks and players jumping off the Shaker Heights bench to litter the ice when the final horn sounded for their state championship.

Best gesture: The red-clad Shaker Heights student section broke off one of its cheers when realizing that Northview player Zack Galecki was shaken up midway through the second period. When Galecki skated off, the Raider faithful let out a rousing salute for the player.

Shaking it up: Shaker Heights won its fourth state hockey championship, the others won in 2001, 1993 and 1981. The 29-0 mark in 1981 remains the state's lone undefeated title team.

The Raiders have won state titles in boys track in 1926; boys swimming and wrestling, both in 1954; boys golf (1958, 1959, 1967); baseball (1965, 1976); and a lone girls title in field hockey in 1991.

Bad hair daze: In keeping with their championship tradition, Northview players dyed their hair some sort of rust-colored blonde. When asked what color it was, a player responded with his own query: "What color do you think it is?" How about something borrowed from a scarecrow.

Missing cheer: Since all four schools were public, the Sylvania Northview student section could not voice its favorite chant of a year ago: "We Have Girls!" They let the St. Edward faithful have an earful with that one in last year's finale.

Grand evening: There were a combined 1,225 coaching wins in the house as retired Northview coach Jim Cooper took in the game. Shaker Heights' Mike Bartley notched his 640th in 37 seasons.

Ohio Bobcats D.J. Cooper looking to put up huge numbers: MAC Men's Tournament

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Ohio Bobcats D.J. Cooper is arguably the best pure point guard in the MAC this year.

00sOUAKRONc Ohio Bobcats guard D.J. Cooper is looking to make a big impact in the MAC Mens tournament.  
Athens, Ohio -- It was well after practice and D.J. Cooper sat on the training table outside of coach Jim Christian's office, a big bag of ice on his hip, chuckling with Christian and his wife, Patty, as their three children played at Cooper's feet.

Another in a career of big games was just hours away for the 6-0, 175-pound senior guard for the Ohio Bobcats and his coach, yet they were laughing like a boss and a co-worker sharing small talk in the parking lot after work.

Only minutes before, Christian had noted the added maturity, confidence and newfound direction being displayed by Cooper, now that he had a son of his own.

"It changes guys," Christian said of young men taking on the responsibility of being a father. "Some guys struggle with it.

"But a lot of them it changes for the better. I saw it with Q [Haminn Quaintance] and with Chris [Singletary].

"For some guys, it brings a lot of focus into their lives, a lot of purpose."

Which is just what the rest of the Mid-American Conference probably does not want to hear at the start of the 2013 MAC Tournament. Cooper, arguably the best pure point guard in the league since Saddie Washington (Western Michigan), Earl Boykins (Eastern Michigan) and Antonio Daniels (Bowling Green), is now even more driven to win and leave a lasting legacy since Donel James Cooper III arrived in this world.

Understand, Cooper spent his senior season putting the bow on a career that made him the first player ever in college basketball to notch a "quartet."

He is the only player in NCAA history to collect 2,000 points, 900 assists, 600 rebounds and 300 steals. On March 5, he scored his 2,000th point; on Feb. 27, he notched his 900th assist and 600th rebound; on Jan. 26, he nabbed his 300th steal.

Former Syracuse guard Sherman Douglas and Oregon State guard Gary Payton are the only other players who have ever posted both 2,000 points and 900 assists. Payton also has more than 300 steals. It's the rebounding that separates Cooper. And he already has 610 of those.

The only college player one can argue who had better numbers than Cooper (and in just three seasons) was Oscar Robertson, generally considered the best all-around college (and pro) basketball player in history. The NCAA did not keep steals stats in his era, and only counted assists in two of his three seasons. But "The Big O" delivered 2,973 points, 1,338 rebounds, 425 assists (two years) and an unknown number of steals for the Cincinnati Bearcats.

That's the company Cooper's numbers sit with, and quite possibly could land him 2013 MAC Player of the Year honors.

If so, he would be the third guard so honored under Christian. When he coached at Kent State, Christian nurtured DeAndre Haynes at point guard four years. Haynes earned MAC Player of the Year honors as a senior, taking the Flashes to the 2006 NCAA Tournament. Two years later, Christian recruited the mercurial Al Fisher from junior college. Fisher was MAC Player of the Year in 2008, leading Kent to the NCAA Tournament that year.

Christian inherited Cooper, forged a relationship with him early on, then nursed a statistical jump-shooting bricklayer -- who barely shot 25 percent from the field overall, and 30 percent on 3-pointers -- into a respectable 43.5 percent shooter overall who is 36.1 percent on 3-pointers this season, both career bests.

As good as Cooper was his first three years for the Bobcats, he has been even better as a senior.

"Players like him just don't come around very often," Christian said.

The native of Chicago and Seton Academy enters his final MAC Tournament looking to add to his totals, more focused than ever thanks to his new bundle of joy.

"He makes my days better, no doubt," Cooper said. "He's 2 months old, still an infant, but I want him grown. I want him to walk and talk and crawl. All of it. This is a real blessing. I'm living for somebody else now and that's a wonderful feeling. I call him 'Little D.J.' "

And yes, the little fella curls up with a basketball in his hands at night.

"He's sleeping with it," Cooper said. "The ball they gave me for all-time MAC assists. He sleeps with that. I put it in his left hand, too."

If he learns to use it like his dad, his future could be much the same.

"I don't know how I became left-handed," Cooper said. "Everybody in my family is right-handed. When I was little, when my father found out I was left-handed, he used to tie my hand behind my back, and make me dribble with my right. But he never made me shoot right-handed."

Cooper tries to win third MAC tourney

Cooper was recruited by Baylor and a score of mid-majors like Valparaiso, Ohio, Loyola and Kent State. Now he and fellow senior Reggie Keely have a chance to do something rarely done by players in the MAC.

If they can win a third MAC Tournament, they would be the first since Andrew Mitchell, Trevor Huffman and Eric Thomas at Kent State (1999, 2001, 2002) to play on three NCAA Tournament teams. Interestingly, Cooper sounds much like many former MAC players -- Wally Szczerbiak among them -- who went on to win NCAA Tournament games -- even Sweet 16s -- yet called winning a MAC Tournament the highlight of their careers.

"That's true," Cooper said. "I've had the same experience as that. It's hard, really hard, to win a MAC Tournament, because everybody knows everything you do. The NCAA Tournament, none of those teams knows you. The MAC Tournament, the championship, the way we got there beating Akron by a point. [The Bobcats beat Akron, 64-63, in the MAC tourney final last March]. The Q was packed. You remember the MAC Tournament because that's so hard getting there [to the NCAA Tournament]."

Cooper's dream is to play in the NBA. His height and his heft might have some think that it's a long shot. But not to Cooper.

"I feel like I can play on the next level, with my vision and stuff," Cooper said. "As long as I get the chance, that's all I can ask for. I feel like I definitely can [gain weight], especially when that is your job. . . . When that's your life, and you are focused, I feel like you can do that. I think I can add 10 to 12 pounds of muscle."

Focus is one thing Cooper certainly does not lack, whether it's heading into his last MAC Tournament, or looking to his basketball future.

Benedictine defeats Cleveland Central Catholic in Division II district final

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WESTLAKE, Ohio -- Coach Albert Wilson says the Benedictine Way is based on three tenets: playing hard, playing smart and playing "team above all basketball." For much of the season, the Bengals struggled to put all three together and the losses mounted. But as the season went on, the Bengals began to play Wilsons' way more consistently. Benedictine showed...

WESTLAKE, Ohio -- Coach Albert Wilson says the Benedictine Way is based on three tenets: playing hard, playing smart and playing "team above all basketball." For much of the season, the Bengals struggled to put all three together and the losses mounted.

But as the season went on, the Bengals began to play Wilsons' way more consistently. Benedictine showed just how far it has come Saturday night, defeating Cleveland Central Catholic, 60-50, in their Division II district final at Westlake.

"Either one or two of the three things wasn't always there," Wilson said. "Now, all three things are there. These kids play hard, they play smart and they want their teammates to do better than them. That's what we call the Benedictine Way."

The victory gives Benedictine (10-16) back-to-back district championships. The Bengals advance to the regional semifinals Thursday in Bowling Green.

Junior guard T.J. Steele said winning the district championship shows why the Bengals didn't give up on the season despite the early disappointments.

"It just means anything is possible," Steele said. "Just because you have a disappointing regular season doesn't mean you can't pick it up in the playoffs."

Steele led Benedictine with 16 points. Senior forward Westley Parr added 14 points and eight rebounds.

The Bengals led much of the second half and held an 11-point advantage with 4:31 left in the fourth quarter. But top-seeded Central Catholic (18-7) wouldn't let Benedictine run away with the game. The Ironmen went on an 8-0 run to cut the deficit to 51-48 with three minutes to play.

Central Catholic would get no closer. It endured a three-minute long scoring drought and watched as Benedictine sealed the game at the free throw line.

Wilson said taking a timeout after Central Catholic's run allowed Benedictine's defense to refocus and close out the victory.

"I wanted to use a timeout just to reiterate, 'We have to continue what we've been doing and, not only that, but you have to finish strong,' " Wilson said. "They went out and got the job done. I couldn't be more proud of these guys."

During the scoreless stretch, Central Catholic coach Jonathan Harris said the Ironmen attempted too many 3-pointers instead of patiently chipping away at the deficit.

"I think that we settled for jump shots, trying to hit the big one and it doesn't happen that way," Harris said. "We didn't do a good job at all with knowing time and possession."

Guards Chelvonte Montgomery and Peter Washington led the Ironmen with 14 points. Freshman forward Tervell Beck added 10 points.

Saturday's game was a reversal of the teams' regular season meeting, which Central Catholic won in early December. Harris said he thought Benedictine played more as a team Saturday.

"Sometimes losing will bring you closer together," Harris said. "I thought that through it all they kind of jelled. I thought they were playing more cohesive, more team basketball."

 

Cleveland Browns call agents for Ravens linebackers Paul Kruger, Dannell Ellerbe

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The Browns have called the agents for Ravens free agents linebackers Dannell Ellerbe and Paul Kruger during this three-day talking period.


Paul Kruger The Browns have contacted the agent for Ravens linebacker Paul Kruger as the free agent signing season gets under way.  

If you can't beat 'em, sign 'em.

That seemed to be the Browns mantra over the past two days when they called the agents of Ravens free agent linebackers Dannell Ellerbe and Paul Kruger, league sources told the Plain Dealer.

The "backers, fresh off their Super Bowl victory over the 49ers, are two of the many unrestricted free agents the Browns have reached out to through their agents during this quirky new three-day legal tampering window before free agency opens Tuesday at 4 p.m.

Kruger, who had nine sacks during the regular season and 4.5 in the playoffs, is believed to be a main target of the Browns, along with Detroit pass-rusher Cliff Avril. The Ravens would love to keep Kruger, but they're cash-strapped this offseason and probably won't be able to match the possible $9 million a year he'll get on the open market.

S04brownsKF The Browns would like to have Ravens linebacker Dannell Ellerbe chasing down ball carriers for them next season.  

Knowing they'd most likely lose Kruger, the Ravens sets their sights on keeping Ellerbe, and are prepared to make him a significant offer, according to the Baltimore Sun.

But that didn't stop the Browns from tossing their hat into the ring for Ellerbe over the weekend. They were one of several teams that called his agent, Hadley Englehard, a source said. Englehard also told USA Today that one team called at 12:01 Saturday, the minute clubs were allowed to call.

Ellerbe, 27, was signed by the Ravens as an undrafted rookie out of Georgia in 2009, and went on to become an integral part of the Ravens' Super Bowl winning defense. He had 66 tackles and 4.5 sacks in 2012, and and led the Ravens with nine tackles in the Super Bowl victory over San Francsico. He also pressured quarterback Colin Kaepernick into an incompletion in the end zone that preserved the victory.

Still basking that victory, Ellerbe hopes to return to Baltimore.

"There's always a chance, and that's what I'm hoping will happen," Ellerbe told the Baltimore Sun. "The Ravens are a perfect situation for me. Hopefully, it's a perfect situation for me to sign on the dotted line."

The Browns made numerous calls to the agents of players on their wish list, but weren't permitted to enter into any agreements. In fact, the NFL sent out a memo on Friday threatening tampering investigations against any clubs that violated the new rules. The memo had teams and agents so skiddish that they barely whispered numbers all weekend.

Still, the Browns made it known to plenty of agents that they're interested, including those for cornerbacks Antoine Cason (6-1, 195) of the Chargers and Greg Toler (6-0, 192) of Cardinals, sources said. Both cornerbacks, in the prime of their careers, have ties with members of the Browns coaching staff.

Cason, a first-round pick in 2008, played for coach Rob Chudzinski and offensive coordinator Norv Turner in San Diego, and Toler played for defensive coordinator Ray Horton in Arizona. The Lions are also among the handful of teams coveting Cason. His current team has also reached out, but Cason is expected to command more on the open market than the Chargers are willing to pay. Some reports estimate Cason could make up to $5 million a year.

Toler, 28, was a fourth-round pick out of St. Paul's in 2009. He missed all of 2011 with a knee injury, but returned last season in a reserve role and started two games.

Other free agents that might be on the Browns radar include Cowboys linebacker Victor Butler and Jets tight end Dustin Keller. Contrary to one report, they did not contact the agent for Dolphins cornerback Sean Smith, a source said. Smith, who's reportedly coveted by Tampa Bay, New England and Arizona, is expected to receive an average of $8 million a year.

Previously, it was reported that the Browns will consider Raiders tight end Brandon Myers, Cardinals linebacker Quentin Groves and Raiders defensive tackle Desmond Bryant.

CRIBBS SOUGHT-AFTER: The Giants and 49ers, Super Bowl participants this year and last, are among about five teams interested in Browns free agent receiver/special teamer Josh Cribbs, league sources said.

The other teams are the Patriots, Cowboys and Cardinals. It's a good bet Cribbs will sign with one of the teams shortly after free agency opens on Tuesday. It will mark the end of Cribbs" eight-year career with the Browns.

Cribbs, signed as a free agent out of Kent State in 2005, wanted to finish his career in Cleveland, but strongly believed after the season finale in Pittsburgh Dec. 30 that he wouldn't be back.

Cribbs, 29, is hoping a team will use him on offense as well as special teams, where he's a two-time Pro Bowler.

HARRISON CUT: The Steelers have released linebacker James Harrison, an Akron native and Kent State alum, and his agent, Bill Parise, said he thinks the Browns would be a great fit for him. He said Harrison, 34, would love to play for the Browns and return to this area. Harrison has been a nemesis for the Browns, and has knocked out three players with concussions in recent years: Cribbs, Mohamed Massaquoi and Colt McCoy.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:

mcabot@plaind.com, 216-999-4370

On Twitter: @marykaycabot

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North Royalton beats St. Edward in Division I district final

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BRECKSVILLE, Ohio -- Postseason basketball is a time when heroes are made. Drive around the city of North Royalton today and you're liable to hear talk about a bunch of heroes and how they bonded together to pull off one of the greatest basketball victories in school history.

BRECKSVILLE, Ohio -- Postseason basketball is a time when heroes are made.

Drive around the city of North Royalton today and you're liable to hear talk about a bunch of heroes and how they bonded together to pull off one of the greatest basketball victories in school history.

Led by a tenacious and talented guard who has been the heart and soul of the athletic program for the last seven months and a tall and talented freshman who moved into the community over the summer, the Bears stunned top-seeded St. Edward, 53-51, on Saturday in the finals of the Division I district tournament at Brecksville-Broadview Heights.

The upset sends the Bears (23-2) into Wednesday's regional semifinals at Cleveland State's Wolstein Center against Shaker Heights, which knocked off St. Ignatius earlier Saturday.

And to think there are people begging for separate playoffs.

If Royalton guard Travis Tarnowski isn't the epitome of the all-around athlete, then such a creature doesn't exist. The 6-0 senior, who dazzled Royalton fans as the football team's quarterback, was at it again on Saturday in front of a standing-room-only crowd.

Scoring on a combination of layups and jump shots, Tarnowski scored 15 of his game-high 19 points in the second half -- getting eight in the final 6:14 -- to lead the Bears to their first regional appearance since 1993. His clutch 3-point shot from the corner gave North Royalton, ranked 14th in The Plain Dealer, a 50-49 lead with 1:26 to play and set the stage for freshman Omari Spellman.

"I was feeling it and coach [Tim Matus] told me to keep shooting 'cause I had made a few shots earlier," said Tarnowski. "I had an extra step on the guy and I shot it. When it went in, it was the loudest I've heard this place in a long time."

The 6-7 Omari, who moved to North Royalton from New York over the summer and was featured in The Plain Dealer as one of the area's top ninth-graders, gave his team the lead for good with a 3-point play with 36.1 seconds left and then blocked three shots as the Eagles (19-6) tried to tie the game in the final, frantic seconds. Omari finished with 16 points, 11 rebounds and six blocked shots.

"We had to take a stance some time," said Omari. "We stressed post defense coming in but gave up a lot of open shots inside. When it got down to crunch time, we didn't want to let it go on any more."

While players such as senior Nick Krempasky and juniors Logan Chuppa and Nick Woods did not score much, they made key plays throughout, the kind of plays that help produce victories.

St. Edward coach Eric Flannery had nothing but praise for North Royalton.

"We had shots, we missed a lot of free throws and open baskets," he said. "But, you have to credit North Royalton. They did a great job. Their guards were as tough as nails. They took care of the basketball and kept their composure all night. We thought our press would get to them and it didn't. We thought we could wear them down and we didn't."

The Eagles, ranked fourth in The Plain Dealer Top 25, got 17 points and seven rebounds each from Marsalis Hamilton and sophomore Kipper Nichols and 10 points from Tim Stainbrook. They had a four-point lead at the half and led until Tarnowski's 3-pointer put the Bears on top, 40-39, with 6:14 to go.

St. Edward led 47-42 when Spellman scored on a wrap-around layup and followed with another basket off an offensive rebound with 2:10 to go that tied the game at 47-47. Stainbrook drove for layups, including one with 55 seconds left that gave the Eagles a 51-50 lead.

Following a timeout, Spellman executed his 3-point play for the final two-point spread and set the stage for the final 36 seconds.

"This is the toughest team I've ever played on," said Spellman. "It's just a bunch of guys who love one another. We used teamwork to win this game."


Northeast Ohio high school sports scoreboard for Saturday, March 9, 2013

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Hockey State championship

Mentor's Caleb Potter takes a shot as East Tech's Richard Wilson defends in the first half of play Saturday, March 09, 2013 in Euclid. Mentor won the game 88-58. - (Joshua Gunter, The Plain Dealer)

Hockey

State championship

Shaker Heights 3, Sylvania Northview 1

SH (28-7): Greenberg, Longman, Siwik. SN (27-7-1): LaPlante.

Goalies: SH, Sterin (25 saves); SN, n/a.

 

Girls basketball

Division I

REGION 2

 

Wadsworth12 13 7 7--39

Notre Dame Acad.16 6 10 11--43

 

Wadsworth (25-3): Booth 1-0-2, Goddard 3-3-9, Hassinger 4-0-9, Johnson 1-3-5, O'Brien 4-2-14

Notre Dame Academy (22-3): Floyd 6-5-20, Jefferson 0-2-2, McIntyre 5-1-11, Worthy 3-4-10

REGION 4

 

Kettering Fairmont58

Centerville46

 

Division III

REGION 9

 

Orrville17 18 15 25--75

Beachwood11 13 13 11--48

 

Orrville (26-2): Adcock 2-0-5, Davault 3-4-12, Hall 3-0-6, Plybon 11-20-42, Reusser 1-4-6, Sims 2-0-4

Beachwood (23-3): Aldridge 5-7-20, Hardin 2-2-6, Kaiser 3-0-7, Leathers-Clayborne 1-0-2, Robinson 4-4-13

REGION 10

 

Columbus Africentric60

Archbold42

 

REGION 11

 

Johnstown-Monroe43

Beverly Ft. Frye58

 

REGION 12

 

Anna61

Middletown Madison42

 

Division IV

REGION 13

 

Berlin Hiland58

Maplewood41

 

REGION 14

 

Ottoville52

Arcadia37

 

REGION 15

 

Reedsville Eastern57

Newark Catholic56

 

REGION 16

 

Ft. Loramie69

New Madison Tri-Village43

 

 

Boys basketball

Division I

ALLIANCE DISTRICT

At Alliance H.S.

 

#3 Hoover14 14 11 12--51

#1 Uniontown Lake11 18 6 14--49

 

North Canton Hoover advances to the Cleveland Regional

BROADVIEW HEIGHTS DISTRICT

At Brecksville-Broadview Heights H.S.

 

#2 N. Royalton11 10 11 21--53

#1 St. Edward13 12 11 15--51

 

North Royalton (23-2): Chuppa 2-0-5, Krempasky 2-0-4, Smolinski 0-2-2, Spellman 6-4-16, Tarnowski 6-3-19, Woods 1-2-5, Wypasek 1-0-2

St. Edward (19-6): Hamilton 8-3-19, Meyer 2-0-5, Nichols 5-5-15, Ryan 1-0-2, Stainbrook 4-0-10

North Royalton advances to the Cleveland Regional

CANTON DISTRICT

At Canton Memorial Civic Center

 

#3 Barberton9 5 5 17--36

#4 Timken11 4 12 11--38

 

Barberton (19-6): Painter 2-0-5, Sabol 2-0-6, Washington 1-0-2, Williams 3-0-6, Williams 5-4-17

Timken: Cook 5-1-11, Johnson 2-0-4, Lenix 1-2-4, Reed 1-0-2, Toles 4-1-11, Williams 3-0-6

Timken advances to the Columbus Regional

COPLEY DISTRICT

At Copley H.S.

 

#3 Hudson14 4 5 25--48

#1 Nordonia15 15 15 21--66

 

Hudson (20-5): Boslet 0-2-2, Brandy 7-5-21, Gedeon 6-0-12, Guadagni 1-2-4, Hogan 0-1-1, Mushock 2-0-4, Wolanske 1-0-2, schwarz 1-0-2

Nordonia (22-3): Alders 2-2-7, Coleman 3-0-6, Gamble 0-1-1, Hartman 1-1-4, Linder 1-0-3, Luster 5-2-12, Piotrowski 4-0-11, Scott 6-10-22

Nordonia advances to the Toledo Regional

EUCLID DISTRICT

At Euclid H.S.

 

#1 Mentor88

#5 East Tech58

 

East Tech (16-9): Unavailable

Mentor (21-5): Unavailable

Mentor advances to the Cleveland Regional

GRAFTON DISTRICT

At Midview H.S.

 

#3 Westlake13 10 16 14--53

#1 Brecksville14 11 16 17--58

 

Westlake (9-16): Beach 1-0-3, Lackner 3-4-11, Mackenzie 4-0-8, Skelly 3-3-9, Strodtbeck 2-2-8, Turk 5-1-14

Brecksville-Broadview Heights (22-3): Balhorn 1-2-4, Chrzanowski 6-1-15, Csuhran 5-3-15, Karthan 1-0-3, Ti.Tupa 4-2-13, Ty.Tupa 3-0-8

Westlake Heights advances to the Toledo Regional

SOLON DISTRICT

At Solon H.S.

 

#3 Shaker Heights17 9 15 20--61

#1 St. Ignatius16 9 10 17--52

 

Shaker Heights (19-6): Ahmad 7-6-21, Blackwell 3-4-10, Hurley 0-2-2, Leach 5-5-16, Roy 2-6-12

St. Ignatius (21-4): Berger 1-0-2, Black 2-0-4, Black 2-3-7, Papesch 1-0-2, Santiago 3-4-11, Sloan 10-6-26

Shaker Heights advances to the Cleveland Regional

Division II

ASHTABULA DISTRICT

At Lakeside H.S.

 

#3 University6 15 10 24--55

#6 Warrensville Hts.20 8 16 20--64

 

University School (17-8): Austin 5-2-12, Bentz 2-2-8, Black 0-1-1, Bonner 5-9-19, Calo 2-0-5, Gibbons 4-0-8, Scadlock 0-2-2

Warrensville Heights (16-10): Brown 4-1-9, Franklin 5-2-12, Goodwin 6-2-15, Hall 5-5-15, Howze 0-1-1, Howze 1-0-2, Jackson 3-0-8

Warrensville Heights advances to the Canton Regional

BOARDMAN DISTRICT

At Boardman H.S.

 

#2 Salem16 3 14 13--46

#6 Cardinal Mooney8 15 15 23--61

 

Cardinal Mooney advances to the Canton Regional

CANTON DISTRICT

At Canton Memorial Fieldhouse

 

#6 Alliance11 8 10 27--56

#3 SVSM14 15 18 26--73

 

Alliance (18-8): Kukura 8-12-29, Martin 5-0-13, Phillips 1-2-5, Sampson 2-1-5, Thomas 1-0-2, Williams 0-2-2

St. Vincent-St. Mary (17-9): Bickley 3-0-7, Booker 1-2-4, Campbell 1-0-2, Hargrove 4-0-9, Hudson 6-10-22, King 5-5-16, Weber 1-0-2, Wells 4-0-8, Williams 1-1-3

St. Vincent-St. Mary advances to the Canton Regional

STOW DISTRICT

At Stow-Munroe Falls H.S.

 

#1 CVCA12 17 11 14--54

#2 Buchtel13 10 12 15--50

 

Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy (24-2): B.Peters 5-6-18, Kleibscheidel 2-3-7, Lee 3-0-8, M.Peters 3-6-13, Punka 1-5-8

Buchtel (16-7): Bell 3-4-10, Cooper 1-1-4, Graise 3-0-6, Hicks 3-2-10, Johnson 3-0-6, Johnson-Lollar 1-0-2, Jones 4-2-10, Smith 1-0-2

Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy advances to the Canton Regional

WESTLAKE DISTRICT

At Westlake H.S.

 

#2 Benedictine12 14 18 16--60

#1 Cle. Cent. Cath.13 13 12 12--50

 

Benedictine (10-16): Fucnhes 1-0-2, Jones 3-1-7, Layne 3-0-6, Parr 6-2-14, Philpotts 1-2-4, Poole 3-1-8, Powell 1-1-3, Steele 5-5-16

Cleveland Central Catholic (18-7): Beck 3-4-10, Lillard 0-3-3, Montgomery 5-4-14, Peters 3-0-7, Washington 4-0-14, White 1-0-2

Benedictine advances to the Bowling Green Regional

AROUND OHIO

Division I

Cin. Colerain 75, Cin. Withrow 68

Cin. La Salle 59, Huber Hts. Wayne 43

Cin. Walnut Hills 68, Centerville 54

Cols. Northland 52, Powell Olentangy Liberty 48

Gahanna Lincoln 64, Newark 54

Pickerington Cent. 62, Lewis Center Olentangy Orange 55

Springboro 57, Cin. Moeller 56

Tol. Rogers 60, Tol. Cent. Cath. 39

Whitehouse Anthony Wayne 64, Mansfield Sr. 51

Division II

Lima Bath 56, Elida 50

Sandusky Perkins 50, Tol. Scott 47 (OT)

Division III

Huron 41, Collins Western Reserve 35

Leavittsburg LaBrae 68, Youngs. Ursuline 61 (2OT)

Lima Cent. Cath. 66, Spencerville 60

Ottawa-Glandorf 56, Defiance Tinora 34

Division IV

Hannibal River 56, Berlin Hiland 49 (OT)

Portsmouth Notre Dame 49, Portsmouth Sciotoville 46

S. Webster 72, Leesburg Fairfield 57

 

Boys track

INDEPENDENCE INDOOR INVITATIONAL

Shot put: 1. Johnson (John Hay) 44-8; 2. Reynolds (Brecksville) 44-61/2; 3. Toth (Brecksville) 44-41/2. High jump: 1. Williams (John Hay) 5-10; 2. Wesel (Brecksville) 5-6; 3. Maxwell (North Olmsted) 5-4. 4x800: 1. North Olmsted (Tomcho, Kozik, Jarufe, Nester) 9:33.16; 2. Brecksville 9:40.54; 3. John Adams 10:32.13. 55 hurdles: 1. French (North Olmsted) 9.21; 2. Dang (North Olmsted) 9.32; 3. Sanborn (North Olmsted) 9.63. 55 dash: 1. Thomas (John Adams) 6.69; 2. Smith (John Adams) 6.89; 3. Skirk (NDCL) 6.96. 4x200: 1. John Adams (Hall, Smith, Turner, Thomas) 1:37.53; 2. John Hay 1:42.02; 3. John Adams 'B' 1:42.92. 1,600: 1. Kuzilla (Independence) 4:50.58; 2. Bonamer (Brecksville) 4:52.28; 3. Mathew (Independence) 4:59.42. 400: 1. Curry (John Adams) 55.38; 2. Hall (John Adams) 55.49; 3. Hundley (John Adams) 56.61. 800: 1. Perozeni (Brecksville) 2:09.55; 2. Kuzilla (Independence) 2:12.47; 3. Bonamer (Brecksville) 2:12.47. 200: 1. Turner (John Adams) 23.98; 2. Smith (John Adams) 24.07; 3. Williams (John Hay) 24.23. 3,200: 1. Kozik (North Olmsted) 11:13.19; 2. Burton (John Hay) 11:15.63; 3. Covell (North Olmsted) 11:28.39. 4x400: 1. John Adams (Hall, Curry, Smith, Hundley) 3:49.30; 2. John Hay 3:59.62; 3. Independence 4:02.43.

 

Girls track

INDEPENDENCE INDOOR INVITATIONAL

Shot put: 1. Ragland (Lutheran West) 32-71/2; 2. Thomas (John Hay) 32-6; 3. Schultz (Lutheran West) 32-6. High jump: 1. Jones (Harvey) 4-10; 2. Swanson (Lutheran West) 4-10; 3. Grimone (Brecksville) 4-10. 4x800: 1. Brecksville (Schlabig, Johnson, Antonelli, Zelis) 10:50.91; 2. Lutheran West 11:02.14; 3. North Olmsted 11:47.54. 55 hurdles: 1. Welch (North Olmsted) 9.85; 2. Napoleon (Collinwood) 10.14; 3. Beaver (Brecksville) 10.17. 55 dash: 1. Stewart (NDCL) 7.85; 2. Onyeukwu (John Hay) 7.86; 3. Hill (John Hay) 7.90. 4x200: 1. John Hay (Newborn, Hill, Burdette, Onyeukwu) 1:53.92; 2. Cleveland MLK 1:55.34; 3. John Hay 1:57.84. 1,600: 1. Schlabig (Brecksville) 5:59.08; 2. Land (Harvey) 6:04.11; 3. Bierly (Lutheran West) 6:09.07. 400: 1. Stewart (NDCL) 1:03.20; 2. Daniel (Harvey) 1:05.45; 3. Appling (Cleveland MLK) 1:05.77. 800: 1. Schlabig (Brecksville) 2:40.11; 2. Hajek (Independence) 2:43.24; 3. Pucella (Independence) 2:44.40. 200: 1. Onyeukwu (John Hay) 28.22; 2. Gesicki (Independence) 28.95; 3. Hill (John Hay) 29.05. 3,200: 1. Holt (John Hay) 15:45.94; 2. Upshaw (John Hay) 16:28.65. 4x400: 1. John Hay (Lumbus, Newborn, Smith, Kincaid) 4:35.49; 2. Independence 4:40.52; 3. Laurel 4:41.04.

Warrensville Heights beats University School to win Division II district title

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Ashtabula, Ohio -- There are a few things about Warrensville Heights' first boys basketball district championship in nine years that don't add up. The Tigers were 3-18 last season.

Ashtabula, Ohio -- There are a few things about Warrensville Heights' first boys basketball district championship in nine years that don't add up.

The Tigers were 3-18 last season.

They start one senior, three juniors and a freshman.

They were seeded sixth at the Ashtabula district.

Their coach, Brian Swift, is in just his second season.

The unexpected sum of it all was a 64-55 victory over University School in the Division II district final Saturday at Lakeside High School.

Warrensville Heights (16-10) heads to the Canton regional Thursday for a semifinal against Youngstown Cardinal Mooney at 8 p.m. The other semifinal at the Civic Center matches Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy, which has won 21 straight, against St. Vincent-St. Mary at 6:15 p.m. Thursday.

"This is a young team, but we play hard and we back each other up," said junior Montell Goodwin, who scored 15 points. "The later part of the year, we knew we were going to come together. We play more defense now."

Warrensville Heights last won the district in 2004. Swift, a 2001 Warrensville Heights grad, led the Tigers to the state finals his senior year.

"As a coach, being in my second year, I didn't expect it to happen this fast, to come in and turn the program around," Swift said. "But these kids have bought in quickly, and it's a great feeling.

"Now that I'm back home coaching, it's even sweeter because I'm impacting other kids. I'm letting them feel the same things I felt as a kid. This is a little more special to me than when I played."

Warrensville freshman guard Yavari Hall opened the game with a deep 3-pointer and never flinched in some pressure-filled moments. He finished with a team high 17 points.

"He attacks the basket, and he's confident," Goodwin said.

Junior forward Charles Franklin scored 10 points, and 6-7 junior center Jermaine Brown had nine points and three blocked shots.

Two days after knocking off defending champ and No. 1 seed Lake Catholic, Warrensville raced to a 14-2 lead and never trailed.

US (17-8) made several runs. It trailed, 26-12, midway through the second quarter, which it ended on 9-0 run. They had the margin down to 30-27 in the third. Hall and Jalen Jackson ended the quarter with a pair of 3-pointers for a 44-31 Warrensville advantage, and that grew to 48-33 early in the fourth.

Senior forward Xavier Bonner (19 points) keyed an 11-0 US run with four free throws for a 48-44 deficit with 4:25 to play.

Warrensville's defense responded. Brown had a block and later a steal, as it rebuilt a 55-45 lead.

"They made a play every time they needed it," US coach Terry Lipford said of the Tigers.

Lake Erie Monsters fall to Griffins, 2-1

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Lake Erie suffered a 2-1 setback Saturday night against Grand Rapids as the Monsters hit the road after completing an eight-game homestand. The Monsters (27-25-2-7) couldn't score in the first period, despite being on the power play three times. The Griffins (34-19-2-2) took a 2-0 lead in the second on goals by Jeff Hoggan, who batted in a loose...

lake erie monsters logo  
Lake Erie suffered a 2-1 setback Saturday night against Grand Rapids as the Monsters hit the road after completing an eight-game homestand.

The Monsters (27-25-2-7) couldn't score in the first period, despite being on the power play three times.

The Griffins (34-19-2-2) took a 2-0 lead in the second on goals by Jeff Hoggan, who batted in a loose puck at 5:51, and Louis-Marc Aubry, who intercepted a Lake Erie clearing attempt and buried the shot at 11:20.

Thomas Pock made it 2-1 with his 10th goal of the season at 3:58, with assists by Mike Sgarbossa and Markus Lauridsen.

The Monsters return to action Wednesday in Toronto.

Mentor rolls past East Tech for fifth straight Division I district title

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EUCLID, Ohio -- In rolling to its fifth consecutive boys basketball Division I district championship at Euclid High School, the Mentor Cardinals averaged 101 points per game in four outings. But Saturday's title game, an 88-58 rout of East Tech at Euclid, was as much about defense as anything else.

Mentor's Jeff Foreman goes up for two points against East Tech on Saturday. - (Joshua Gunter, The Plain Dealer)

EUCLID, Ohio -- In rolling to its fifth consecutive boys basketball Division I district championship at Euclid High School, the Mentor Cardinals averaged 101 points per game in four outings.

But Saturday's title game, an 88-58 rout of East Tech at Euclid, was as much about defense as anything else.

"I was really happy with the defense and I was really happy with the effort," said Mentor coach Bob Krizancic, whose team faces North Canton Hoover in a regional semifinal on Wednesday at the Wolstein Center. "We gave a great effort for 32 minutes and defensively we were a different team from a week ago."

See a photo gallery from this game

The game Krizancic is referring to is a 118-98 sectional final victory over Ashtabula Lakeside that set a school scoring record but left Krizancic livid because of the defensive effort. Since then, the Cardinals have allowed an average of 51 points in victories over Willoughby South and East Tech.

The Scarabs (16-9) entered the game on a roll, led by Kyauta Taylor and Johnell Free, who average nearly 45 points per game between them. With Brody Nelson face-guarding Taylor and Conner Krizancic putting the clamps on Free, the two managed a total of just 18 points between them, 13 in the second half after the game was out of reach.

"I thought their physicality really got to us," East Tech coach Brett Moore said of his junior-dominated lineup. "I'll give them about a week off and then we need to get in the weight room."

Moore singled out Nelson and his defensive effort on Taylor, saying the 6-5 senior took the MVP of the Senate out of his game by bumping him all over the floor.

"The last 10 games or so I've taken a lot of pride in my defense," said Nelson. "They've been putting me on guys that I've had to shut down."

East Tech made its run to the district championship game with an aggressive 1-3-1 trap that gave its opponents fits. However, Mentor sliced right through the zone and jumped to a 16-5 lead, with Conner Krizancic hitting two 3-pointers and Caleb Potter adding another.

"I thought the 1-3-1 would affect them more," Moore said. "They hurt us from our vulnerable spot -- the corner 3s. But they don't just shoot from the corner; they can shoot from anywhere."

It was more of the same in the second quarter, as Mentor jumped to a 49-26 halftime lead. Ironically, the high-scoring Cardinals were a nightmare from the foul line, hitting just 6 of 17 in the opening half and 12 of 26 for the game.

"I thought overall we played really well," Bob Krizancic said. "The only really bad thing was the free throws. Now that we're at the regional level, we can't shoot free throws like that and expect to keep playing."

Jeff Foreman led five Mentor players in double figures with 18, followed by Krizancic and Potter with 15 each and Brandon Fritts and Kade McClure with 11 each. Richard Wilson led East Tech with 18 points and Free added 10.

Joe Magill is a freelance writer in Auburn Township.

 

 

Nordonia beats Hudson for Division I district title: Sports Roundup

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Trying to avenge a 67-58 loss in the first game of the season and extend its 12-game winning streak, Hudson was overmatched against No. 1 seed Nordonia (22-3) and lost, 66-48, in the Division I district basketball final at Copley. Nordonia's defense allowed only nine total points in the second and third quarters. Senior Chris Scott, averaging 16.8 points...

Trying to avenge a 67-58 loss in the first game of the season and extend its 12-game winning streak, Hudson was overmatched against No. 1 seed Nordonia (22-3) and lost, 66-48, in the Division I district basketball final at Copley.

Nordonia's defense allowed only nine total points in the second and third quarters. Senior Chris Scott, averaging 16.8 points a game, scored 22 to pace the Knights. Dameon Luster scored 12 and Nick Piotrowski added 11.

Hudson (20-5) was led by guard Zack Brandy's 21 points, while Michigan football recruit Ben Gedeon scored 12.

Nordonia will play Brecksville-Broadview Heights in the regional semifinals Wednesday night at the University of Akron's Rhodes Arena.

Timken 38, Barberton 36: Barberton fell to No. 4 seed Timken in the Division I district finals at Canton Memorial Field House.

With only 19 points entering the fourth quarter, the Magic made the contest interesting by outscoring Timken, 17-11. Josh Williams finished with a game-high 17 points.

Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy 54, Buchtel 50: The Royals' ability to not only get to the free-throw line but also make them is the reason they were crowned Division II district champs at Stow-Munroe. CVCA (24-2) finished the game with 20 points from the line, while Buchtel hit only nine free throws.

Bob Peters scored 18 points and Michael Peters added 13 for the No. 1-seeded Royals. Buchtel (16-7) had three scorers in double figures, with Tyler Jones, Elijah Bell and Monte Micks each scoring 10 points.

CVCA will face St. Vincent-St. Mary on Thursday at Canton Memorial Civic Center in the regional semifinals.

St. Vincent-St. Mary 73, Alliance 56: The Irish (17-9) make another appearance at the regional tournament after defeating No. 6 seed Alliance at Canton Memorial Field House.

St. Vincent-St. Mary's Jalen Hudson caught fire in the second half, scoring 18 of his team-high 22 points and going 10-of-12 from the free-throw line.

Kent State women see season come to an end: MAC Women's Tournament roundup

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The Golden Flashes struggle against the Falcons as a disappointing season comes to a close.

The season came to an abrupt end Saturday for Kent State's women, as host Bowling Green routed the Golden Flashes, 76-35, in the first round of the Mid-American Conference Tournament.

The Falcons (21-9, 11-5) built a 44-16 lead at the half -- shooting nearly 50 percent.

Things got no better for the Flashes (3-27, 1-15) in the second half, as they were held without a score for nearly seven minutes and piled up fouls. The Falcons went 21-of-25 from the line for the game. They also dominated the boards, outrebounding KSU, 51-31.

Senior Tamzin Barroilhet led the Flashes with 12 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Teammate Ashley Evans scored six points and contributed two steals.

Allison Papenfuss paced the Falcons by scoring 13 points off the bench and grabbing 10 rebounds. Alexis Rogers also scored 13 for BGSU.

Next up for the Falcons is Western Michigan on Wednesday at The Q.

Miami 83, Ohio 61 Senior Courtney Osborn scored 39 points as the RedHawks (19-11) routed the visiting Bobcats. Ohio ended its season at 6-23.

Shavon Robinson scored 14 points for Ohio in the loss.

Miami will meet Buffalo in Round 2 on Wednesday. Buffalo 56, Northern Illinois 46 Freshman Mackenzie Loesing scored a game-high 13 points before fouling out to lead the host Bulls (11-19) to a first-round tournament victory against the Huskies (7-23).

Neither team led by more than six points before Buffalo went on a 15-5 run late in the second half to take a double-digit lead and put the game away. Western Michigan 80, Eastern Michigan 72 Freshman Miracle Woods scored a career-high 29 points and added 10 rebounds as the visiting Broncos (11-19) outlasted the Eagles (8-22) to advance.

Corie Buchanan added 14 points for Western Michigan.

A tale of 2 Cleveland Indians pitchers: Zach McAllister a likely starter: David Huff on the cusp

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David Huff and Zach McAllister pitched against the Cubs on Saturday. While McAllister has a job in the rotation all but guaranteed, Huff doesn't know where he will end up at the end of spring training.

s14tribeg.jpg Zach McAllister pitched four strong innings on Saturday against the Cubs and is expected to be in the starting rotation for the Indians this season.  
Mesa, Ariz. -- David Huff came to spring training like he usually does. He was expecting the worst, hoping for the best and all the while looking over his shoulder to see how many other teams were scouting him.

Zach McAllister arrived in the Arizona desert knowing full well that GM Chris Antonetti had all but anointed him the Indians' fourth starter.

The GM's seal of approval carries a lot of weight, but so does McAllister's upbringing. His father, Steve, a big-league scout for the Diamondbacks, played six years in the minors.

No one grows up in a baseball family without learning that there are few, if any, guarantees in this game.

Huff and McAllister pitched on a chilly Saturday afternoon against the Cubs at HoHoKam Stadium. The Indians won easily, 9-2, as Huff started and went three innings. McAllister followed with four of the kind of innings that showed why Antonetti said what he did before camp even opened. Read more on Tribe action Saturday.

s06tribet.jpg David Huff pitched 3 innings against the Cubs on Saturday. He is battling to make the team either as a starter or reliever.  

Right now the first four starters look like this: Justin Masterson, Ubaldo Jimenez, Brett Myers and McAllister. Outside of Masterson, who will start Opening Day on April 2, the order might be jumbled, but that will be decided later this month. In the fifth spot, the competition is still lively among Scott Kazmir, Trevor Bauer, Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, Daisuke Matsuzaka and Huff.

Some clarity to that situation should come later this week. The Indians are off Tuesday and manager Terry Francona said decisions will be made coming out of the off day regarding who gets to pitch what innings. In other words, time is getting shorter and the starting pitchers are going to need more innings to get ready for the season.

It's probably not the best news for Huff, but he is a two-pronged pitcher this spring. If he doesn't make it in the rotation, he could make it in the pen. The Indians need lefties after the departures of Tony Sipp and Rafael Perez.

Huff is also out of options, meaning he has to make the big-league staff or get placed on waivers.

Asked to expound on his situation, Huff said: "It's me just trying out for every team if I'm not a fit for this organization. I know that Tito (Francona) said I'm in every situation that they can think of. For me I just have to concentrate on what I have to do, which is pitch. The pressure is on them to make the decision."

Huff allowed a double and homer to the first two Cubs he faced before settling down. He struck out three and allowed four hits and two runs.

McAllister struck out three and allowed three hits in four scoreless innings. In retiring 11 of the 14 batters he faced, McAllister worked so efficiently that he needed to go the bullpen and continue to throw to reach his pitch count for the day.

McAllister is 6-6 and weighs 240 pounds. Francona said earlier in camp that he seems to grow a little bigger every day.

"He's so big and he gets right on top of the hitter that he can do a number of things," said Francona. "Today he elevated the ball a couple of times for some swing-and-miss and he can sink it. He creates an angle because of his height. There's a lot of ways he can attack hitters."

The Indians acquired McAllister from the Yankees on Aug. 20, 2010 for Austin Kearns. At the end of that season, the Indians suggested that he go to the Arizona Instructional League and make some changes in his delivery.

McAllister agreed because he knew what how he was pitching at the time wasn't good enough to get him to the big leagues. Ruben Niebla and Dave Miller, two former members of Manny Acta's coaching staff, helped McAllister reshape his delivery. Niebla is now the Indians' minor league pitching coordinator, while Miller is scouting for them.

The changes have brought McAllister to the cusp of opening the season in a big league rotation.

"From my first big league camp to where I am now, every spring training has been different for me," said McAllister. "It's a nice feeling to have people say you're penciled in, but I don't take anything for granted. I know I have to go out and pitch well and earn my spot."

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


Akron's 'tough kid' Rachel Tecca shines on and off basketball court: Terry Pluto

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The Zips' forward is leading the them into the Mid-American Conference Tournament, where Thursday they will play the winner of Wednesday's Buffalo-Miami match-up.

TECCA24_14415813.JPG Akron's Rachel Tecca takes a shot while Kent State's Trisha Krewson guards her during their game in Akron in January. The Zips won the game 93-58. Tecca has good numbers on and off the court: 19.4 points per game for the basketball team, and a 3.89 grade-point average in her marketing studies.  

AKRON, Ohio -- The University of Akron’s star women’s player is junior Rachel Tecca, who just happens to be a second-team Academic All-American who already has graduated with a degree in marketing. She plans to stick around to play her senior season — and work on her MBA.

And the Archbishop Hoban grad is the leading scorer in the Mid-American Conference at 19.4 per game .¤.¤. and a licensed insurance agent.

Can anyone screech AF-LAC?

That’s where she worked last summer, and won one of the company’s “Fast Start” awards for newcomers excelling in sales.

The 6-1 Tecca plays inside with a huge brace (decorated with butterflies) on her knee, the result of major reconstructive surgery a year ago. And she’s played much of this season with a broken nose.

“Talk about a tough kid,” said Akron coach Jodi Kest. “I bet she didn’t tell you about the operations on her calf muscles.”

In the summer of 2011, Tecca’s legs began to swell, and she was diagnosed with something called Compartment Syndrome.

According to WebMD.com, the condition “occurs when excessive pressure builds up inside an enclosed space in the body. Compartment syndrome usually results from bleeding or swelling after an injury. The dangerously high pressure in compartment syndrome impedes the flow of blood to and from the affected tissues .¤.¤. it can require surgery to prevent permanent injury.”

She had surgery.

“No one has any idea how much pain she deals with just to be able to play,” said Kest.

But now, Tecca is leading the Zips into the Mid-American Conference Tournament where Thursday they will play the winner of Wednesday’s Buffalo-Miami game. 

Record-breaking season 

“This has been such a great season,” said Tecca. “One of our goals was the win the MAC (regular season), and then it’s to get to the NCAA.”

The Zips are 21-8, the best Division I record in school history. They won the MAC East with a 12-4 record, and lead the conference in scoring at 75.9 points per game — ninth-best in the country.

The high-powered offense is more than the result of Kest having some strong Ohio-based recruiting classes.

Two years ago, the veteran coach realized: “I had let my team down. We were one of the worst fast-break teams (in the MAC). You can blame the kids, but it starts with me.”

Kest then traveled to Oregon to spend two days with Ducks women’s coach Paul Westhead.

Yes, that’s the same Paul Westhead whose teams set scoring records at Loyola-Marymount and is one of the godfathers of the fast break.

Kest returned to Akron and changed nearly all of her practice regimens and her approach to the game. During her first six years at Akron, the Zips averaged 62 points per game. Last season, it was 73. Now, it’s nearly 76.

While Kest doesn’t use full-court pressure that often, when the Zips get the ball, they run. And run. And Kacie Cassell (optimistically listed at 5-foot-4) is the engine, leading all of Division I players in assists at 7.7 per game.

Hanna Luburgh (15.7) and Sina King (15.0) join Tecca to combine for nearly 50 points per game. Both are on the Dean’s List.

Then there’s Taylor Ruper, a former star at Trinity who has become the team’s defensive specialist. The senior has a 3.6 grade-point average in finance, and she’s assigned to cover the best scorer on the opposing team.

The only senior in the starting lineup, Ruper said that the four years under Kest taught her “what it means to be unselfish.”

She said she defined her game by points scored in high school and early in her Akron career. Now, she has found contentment “even if I don’t take a shot. I just defend and pass. Being a part of this team is so special to me.” 

Winning in the classroom

Ruper plans to remain in the Zips program next season, serving as an academic adviser to the team and taking courses for her MBA.

The Zips use six players in every game, and all six have at least a 3.0 GPA.

Look at this academic lineup:

1. Rachel Tecca, 3.89 in marketing.

2. Carly Young, 3.81 in marketing.

3. Sina King, 3.68 in dietetics.

4. Hanna Luburgh 3.67 in pre–physical therapy.

5. Taylor Ruper, 3.64 in finance.

6. Kacie Cassell, 3.04 in chemistry.

“We want to build a program with good kids who are from the area,” said Kest. “And we want to contend every year in the MAC.”

The Zips are starting to do just that with a roster containing only two players not from Ohio.

While this has been a record-smashing season in terms of victories, Kest has averaged 17 victories over the past four years.

In the 10 seasons (covering three coaches) before Kest arrived in 2006, the Zips averaged just 6.7 victories per season.

“A lot of us were not highly recruited,” said Ruper. “My only other Division I offer was Mount St. Mary’s. I remember when Rachel (Tecca) got here, she could barely lift a broom stick. Now, you ought to see her in the weight room. She is strong. Now, our goal is the make the NCAA [Tournament].”

That would be another first for the Akron women — and these Zips do have a chance make it happen. 

Beanie Wells released by Arizona Cardinals

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The former Ohio State standout was limited to eight games last season due to a turf toe injury. He ran for 234 yards and eight touchdowns



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Beanie Wells was released by Arizona today.





 


TEMPE, Ariz. -- The Arizona Cardinals have released running back Beanie Wells after four injury-plagued seasons.

A first-round pick in 2009, Wells showed flashes of the brilliance he had at Ohio State, but has only played one full season -- his rookie year.

Wells, an Akron Garfield High School graduate, eclipsed 1,000 yards and scored 10 touchdowns in 2011, but was limited to eight games last season due to a turf toe injury. He ran for 234 yards and eight touchdowns.

Wells has 2,471 yards and 24 touchdowns rushing, with 28 catches for 293 yards in 51 career games.

Arizona also released running back Fozzy Whittaker off its practice squad.


Are North Royalton, Rocky River and Shaker Heights part of a changing tide for public-school sports? Look again: Tim Warsinskey's Take

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Private schools have won 16 of 39 state championships, or 41 percent, this school year. That's in keeping with the trend this century.

SHAKER5.JPG View full size Shaker Heights' John Longman picks up Jonathan Greenberg to celebrate after their 3-1 victory over Sylvania Northview in the state hockey final Saturday in Nationwide Arena. Shaker was part of the first all-public school state final four since 1984.  

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Those darn private schools. Just when you think you've caught them with their hands in the state tournament cookie jar, they disappear.

Weeks before Ohio decides whether to send them to their room, private schools are losing games like it's going out of style, leaving the hardware to the public schools.

But don't you worry, we've got our eye on those rascals.

A week after the first all-public school hockey state tournament in almost 30 years, the local basketball tournament landscape is, at first glance, more of a virtual tuition-free zone.

What timing!

In May, high schools will vote whether to separate public and private schools in Ohio High School Athletic Association tournaments. This has come about after failed attempts in 2011 and 2012 to even the playing field with “competitive balance” proposals, which were voted down by member schools.

At issue is the fact that over a 10-plus year period, private schools won about 44 percent of the OHSAA state championships even though they make up about 17 percent of the membership.

But what about the strange goings on around here lately? It's as if private schools suddenly are saying, “Who, little ol' me? Why, I'm lucky just to win a sectional now and then.''

Not only was the hockey final four all-public for the first time since 1984, Rocky River became the first west side public school to reach the state semifinals since North Olmsted went back-to-back in 1984 and '85. Catholic powers St. Edward, St. Ignatius and Padua had owned the west side ever since.

Rocky River upsetting St. Ignatius and Holy Name to win the Brooklyn district is one of this school year's great stories, and not because it was public over private. Rocky River was 0-4 against St. Ignatius and Holy Name during the regular season and was outscored, 16-6, in those games.

Rocky River lost in the state semifinals to eventual champ Shaker Heights, the first public school winner since the Shaker won in 2001.

Then there's the North Royalton boys basketball team, which upset St. Edward on Saturday to win its first district title in two decades. The Bears head to an all-public school regional at Cleveland State that is part of a near sweep. In Division I, 15 of 16 regional semifinalists are public schools.

The CSU regional also features Mentor, North Canton Hoover and Shaker Heights. The Akron-Toledo regional teams are public schools Brecksville-Broadview Heights, Nordonia, Whitehouse Anthony Wayne and Toledo Rogers, which upset both Toledo Central Catholic and St. John's Jesuit.

Beachwood's boys and girls basketball teams both won their first district titles, and both teams beat Gilmour Academy in the finals.

The girls basketball state semifinals this week feature 13 of 16 public schools, and Twinsburg goes for its third straight Division I state title.

Speaking of public-school dynasties, Brecksville won its 10th straight gymnastics title on March 1, the same weekend that Graham Local, of St. Paris, won its 13th consecutive Division II state wrestling championship.

All this reminds me of some of the unexpected public-school victories last fall, such as Mentor knocking off St. Edward and St. Ignatius in consecutive weeks of the football playoffs, and Kirtland's remarkable regional win against the Goliath of small-school football, Youngstown Ursuline. The same month, Norwalk's volleyball team overcame an 0-2 deficit to stun No. 1-ranked Padua in a regional final.

But Mentor and Norwalk were mirages, as are the recent spate of local public-school triumphs. In truth, the success rate of private schools is unchanged this year.

Mentor didn't win the state football title, Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller did. Norwalk's volleyball team went on to beat Catholic school Kettering Alter in the state semis, then lost to another Catholic power, Beaumont, in the final.

As exciting as Twinburg's possible three-peat is, all-girls private school Hathaway Brown has that feat beat. The Division II Blazers can win an unprecedented fifth consecutive championship this week.

Warrensville Heights' boys basketball team upsetting Lake Catholic and University School to win a Division II district title is another nice story for the publics. But the Tigers won't have any company in a Canton regional that features three private schools. Statewide, 18 of 64 boys basketball regional semifinalists are private (28 percent).

The reality in wrestling is two of the three classifications were won by private schools, St. Edward (Division I) and Troy Christian (Division III).

On it went in swimming (three of four state titles won by private schools), volleyball (two of four), cross country (two of six), football (three of six) and soccer (three of six).

The bottom line?

Private schools have won 16 of 39 state championships, or 41 percent, this school year. That's in keeping with the trend this century, where private schools win at almost 2.5 times the rate of their 17-percent membership.

This doesn't mean separate playoffs is the best solution, or that it is good for high school sports. It is neither.

But it does demonstrate the issue isn't going away, no matter how heartwarming it might be to see Rocky River, North Royalton and Shaker Heights get their hands in the cookie jar.



Scouting boys basketball regionals for March 12, 2013

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Division IV CANTON

Duane Gibson (25) and his Villa Angela-St. Joseph teammates will be a tall order for anyone in the Division IV regional tournament in Canton. - (Thomas Ondrey, The Plain Dealer)

Division IV

CANTON

Semifinals: Tuesday, Hannibal River (19-7) vs. Youngstown Christian (15-8), 6:15 p.m.; Villa Angela-St. Joseph (21-4) vs. Windham (24-2), 8 p.m. Final: Friday, 7:30 p.m.

Where: Memorial Fieldhouse, 1815 Harrison Ave., Canton. Call 330-438-2741.

What to watch: The area is guaranteed to have a team in the final. VASJ, ranked second in the state and third in The Plain Dealer, has to be an overwhelming favorite against Windham. But, the Vikings will know they have been in a game. The Bombers have not played the demanding schedule that VASJ has played, but this is a solid, experienced, unified group that is following a rich tradition. Windham, located in Portage County, is in the regionals for the third year in a row and for the eighth time in the past 10 years. Veteran coach Marty Hill is moving in on 600 wins and the Bombers have three players - Matt Knight (17 ppg), Cameron Poszgai (14.6) and sophomore Parker Richey (13.9) - who know how to get the ball in the basket. The downside is no one on the team is taller than 6-3. And that is a big concern when playing the likes of VASJ and its possible lineup of 6-9 Carlton Bragg, 6-7 Demonte Flannigan, 6-7 Dererk Pardon, as well as point guard Duane Gibson, the Lakes District player of the year.  Bragg, a sophomore with offers from OSU, Illinois and West Virginia, and Flannigan, a CSU recruit, were the key players in the Vikings’ district final win over Richmond Heights. They are averaging 16.7 and 16.2 points, respectively, and a combined 14 rebounds a game. Youngstown Christian nearly lost a 16-point lead in beating Wellsville by two points in the district final at Struthers. Coached by Dolph Carroll, a former Youngstown State assistant and a brief member of the Phoenix Suns, YC’s key players are Jayquan Yanno, Darian Townsend and Daylen Williams. Hannibal River, located on the Ohio River, faces a 2 ½-hour drive to the Fieldhouse but after finally beating Berlin Hiland in overtime in the district final – after losing to the Hawks three straight years – the drive may be worth it. A senior-laden team that has won 50 games over the past three seasons, the Pilots are led by 6-3 guard Brett Price (20 ppg), 6-2 Cody Caldwell (11 ppg) and 6-5 Jordan Indermuhle (8.5 ppg, 10 rpg).

Twinsburg's Ashley Morrissette headlines All-Ohio Division I girls basketball teams

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COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Here are the 2012-13 Associated Press Division I All-Ohio girls basketball teams, based on the recommendations of a media panel. FIRST TEAM: Alexis Peterson, Cols. Northland, 5-7, sr., 28.6; Kelsey Mitchell, Cin. Princeton, 5-7, jr., 23.9; Ashley Morrissette, Twinsburg, 5-9, sr., 19.1; Kristen Confroy, Solon, 5-8, jr., 18.0; Keshyra McCarver, Tol. Whitmer, 5-10, jr., 17.7; Alyssa...

Twinsburg guard Ashley Morrissette was selected as the sole Division I girls basketball player of the year on Monday by the Associated Press.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Here are the 2012-13 Associated Press Division I All-Ohio girls basketball teams, based on the recommendations of a media panel.

FIRST TEAM: Alexis Peterson, Cols. Northland, 5-7, sr., 28.6; Kelsey Mitchell, Cin. Princeton, 5-7, jr., 23.9; Ashley Morrissette, Twinsburg, 5-9, sr., 19.1; Kristen Confroy, Solon, 5-8, jr., 18.0; Keshyra McCarver, Tol. Whitmer, 5-10, jr., 17.7; Alyssa Rice, Reynoldsburg, 6-3, jr., 15.2.

Player of the year: Ashley Morrissette, Twinsburg.

Coaches of the year: Julie Solis, Twinsburg; Todd Sims, Perrysburg; Trish Kruse, Solon.

SECOND TEAM: Taylor Agler, Lewis Center Olentangy, 6-3, jr., 15.2; Kelsey Peare, N. Canton Hoover, 5-9, sr., 13.0; Sarah Baer, Perrysburg, 6-1, jr., 13.2; Martha Thompson, Solon, 5-9, sr., 20.4; Lauren Stefancin, Mentor, 5-10, sr., 15.0; Kathryn Westbeld, Kettering Fairmont, 6-2, jr., 15.0.

THIRD TEAM: Christy Macioce, Pickerington North, 5-11, sr., 13.9; Rachel Goddard, Wadsworth, 5-7, sr., 13.0; McKenna Stephens, Uniontown Lake, 6-0, sr., 14.0; Marquia Turner, Canton McKinley, 5-7, jr., 17.8; Tierra Floyd, Tol. Notre Dame, 6-0, soph., 10.9; Indiya Benjamin, Lima Sr., 5-4, jr., 16.9; Lynsey Englebrecht, Eastlake N., 5-6, jr., 18.8.

Special Mention

Quiera Lampkins, Gahanna Lincoln; Alexis Gassion, Fairborn; Kayla McDowell, Mason; Jillian Spurlock, Hamilton; Alexandria Harris, Lorain; Stasha Carey, Midpark; Mary Jones, Elyria; Sarah Kinch, Medina; Gabrielle Bulic, Brunswick; Megan Sefcik, Austintown Fitch; Hannah Boesinger, Hudson; Brooke Smith, Twinsburg; Alexis Stoops, Ashland.

Honorable Mention

Megan Beidelman, Lewis Center Olentangy; Yamonie Jenkins, Reynoldsburg; Kym Royster, Newark; Symone Simmons, Westerville North; Mya Walker, Lewis Center Olentangy Orange; Kenzie Howe, Zanesville; Jaida Carter, New Philadelphia; Alex Henning, Centerville; Imani Partlow, Cin. Winton Woods; Bianca Quisenberry, New Carlisle Tecumseh; Madison Temple, Cin. Anderson; Kelley Wiegman, Cin. Mother of Mercy; Ashley Frasure, Logan; Bri Dawes, Chillicothe; Ashanti Abshaw, Cleve. Hts.; Katie Battaglia, Cleve. St. Joseph Acad.; Catherine Rachek, Chagrin Falls Kenston; Brooke Wallace, Amherst; Alison Smolinski, North Royalton; Shannon Zajec, Mayfield Village Mayfield; Keesha Henderson, Cleve. Glenville; Porshae Hearn, Akron Kenmore; Julie Worley, North Canton Hoover; Bre Peterson, Massillon Washington; Alahna Singleton, Canton Timken; Jessa Gilberto, Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit; McKenzie O'Brien, Wadsworth; Char-dell Dunnigan, Twinsburg; Claire Ballard, Wooster; Kendall McCoy, Sylvania Northview; Michelle Murnen, Tol. Central Cath.; Kre'Ana Henry, Tol. Waite; Nicole Muehl, Findlay; Kaayla McIntyre, Tol. Notre Dame; Dierra Bluester, Mansfield Senior.

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