The official start of practice for bowling and wrestling teams happens next week across the state. Wrestling and bowling teams can begin practice Nov. 13.
Bowling can start the regular season Nov. 20, while wrestling can begin Dec. 4.
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The Garfield football team finished with a 6-4 record this season and coach Bob Sax said the Rams are looking forward to 2010.
“We lose four starters from this year’s team, so we are really excited about next year,” Sax said. “But we need to have a good offseason and continue to come together as a team.”
Garfield lost to Buchtel in the regular-season finale last week. The Rams had just eight seniors on the 2009 team, so Sax was proud of how the squad matured throughout the fall.
“I felt like we got better as the season went on and I really liked how we handled adversity,” Sax said. “We just picked a bad time to play our worst game of the year.”
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Rivals.com is reporting that Louisville senior WR Bobby Swigert (6-1, 175) visited Boston College last weekend. The Web site said Swigert plans to make a college decision sometime soon.
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Cincinnati Aiken 6-foot-2 sophomore guard William Moore is getting interest from Akron, Kent State, Xavier and West Virginia, reports the Cincinnati Enquirer. Moore has been offered by Ohio University.
Aiken senior 6-1 point guard Kenny Knight made an oral commitment to Kent State earlier this year.
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OHSAA Regional Quarterfinal Football Pairings (Local Teams Only)
Friday Night Games (All games start at 7:30 p.m.)
DIVISION II
Region 5
(8) Ravenna (8-2) at (1) Mentor Lake Catholic (9-1) – Can Parnell Taylor, Zach Thomas and company rush the ball effectively and lead the visiting Ravens to a victory?
(7) Highland (6-4) at (2) Warren Howland (9-1) – Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Wiita family after Highland senior Kory Wiita was severely injured in Week 10. We hope he stays strong and gets better. We wish him the best. The game is definitely secondary, but can the visiting Hornets regroup and secure a playoff win?
(5) Aurora (8-2) at (4) Canfield (9-1) –The Greenmen seek to defend the Division II title they won last year at Canfield.
Region 7
(8) Cols. Marion-Franklin (8-2) at (1) Louisville (10-0) – The Leopards were ranked No. 1 in the final AP Division II poll. Can the Leopards win five more games and finish 15-0 with a state title?
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DIVISION III
Region 9
(8) Field (8-2) at (1) Youngstown Cardinal Mooney (10-0) – The visiting Falcons make their third playoff appearance in a row. The Cardinals are loaded with talent. Field will have to win the turnover battle and control the ball to win.
(7) St. Vincent-St. Mary (6-4) at (2) Poland Seminary (8-2) – The visiting Fighting Irish must limit their turnovers to win and be at their best defensively. Look for playmakers Doran Grant and Mark Murphy to be key if St. V-M secures a victory?
(6) Parma Padua Franciscan (7-3) at (3) Archbishop Hoban (7-3) – A rematch of a North Coast League regular season game that the Knights won 10-6. If Lawrence Wynn rushes the ball effectively and LaTroy Lewis and Greg McMullen lead the defense, look out for Hoban.
(5) Buckeye (8-2) at (4) Hubbard (9-1) – The visiting Bucks look to extend their season at Hubbard’s expense.
Region 11
(8) Marlington (8-2) at (1) Steubenville (9-1) – The Dukes face a tall task of knocking off the Big Red at home.
(6) Northwest (7-3) at (3) Rayland Buckeye Local (8-2) – The Indians will need to be at their best on both sides of the ball to extend their season.
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DIVISION V
Region 17
(8) Waynedale (7-3) at (1) Cuyahoga Heights (10-0) – Waynedale must be at its best to defeat an undefeated team on their own field.
(5) Hillsdale (8-2) at (4) Ashland Crestview (9-1) – Hillsdale hopes its first appearance in the playoffs doesn’t end after one game.
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Saturday Night Games (All games start at 7 p.m.)
DIVISION I
Region 2
(8) Canton McKinley (6-4) at (1) Tol. Whitmer (9-1) – The visiting Bulldogs are fresh off a 35-21 win over rival Massillon in Week 10. Can McKinley keep the momentum going with a tenacious defense that features Jewone Snow and Steve Miller and offense that includes Kyle Ohradzansky, Bryce Wilder and Angelo Powell?
(7) Brunswick (7-3) at (2) Twinsburg (9-1) – A rematch off an NOC game that Twinsburg won in the regular season. Can the visiting Blue Devils keep up with the Tigers speedy Dion Johnson, Andrew Collier, Aaron Macer and others.
(6) North Canton Hoover (7-3) at (3) Massillon (7-3) – An intriguing matchup with college-level talent. The Vikings are fresh off a blowout win over a winless team and the host Tigers are coming off a stinging loss to rival McKinley. Players to watch include Hoover running back Erick Howard and Massillon quarterback Robert Partridge. Who’s defense steps up and makes the key stops?
(5) Wadsworth (9-1) at (4) GlenOak (8-2) – Another interesting matchup that pits the champions of the Suburban League against the champions of the Federal League. The Grizzlies rely on Caleb Busson, Jack Snowball, Bart Randolph, Aarick Jones and Anthony Schrock. The host Golden Eagles counter with Collin Daniels Mitchell, Brionte Dunn and Alex Meredith. GlenOak defenders Spyro Spondyl and Andrew Garman could be the difference.
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DIVISION IV
Region 13
(7) CVCA (7-3) at (2) Girard (10-0) – CVCA looks to rebound after Week 10 loss to rival Manchester. The Royals must face undefeated team and get the rushing game going that features Alex Utley.
(6) Woodridge (8-2) at (3) Martins Ferry (7-2) – The Bulldogs make their first playoff appearance after earning co-champion status in the PTC County Division with Mogadore (a team that defeated this season). Woodridge quarterback Anthony Westren, running back Anthony Kelly and receivers Brandyn Peters and A.J. Graham must make plays and Cameron Hilling has to lead the defense to extend this playoff run.
(5) Cortland Lakeview (7-3) at (4) Manchester (9-1) – The host Panthers are confident after defeating rival CVCA 35-14 in Week 10 to win the PAC title. Running backs Craig Dougherty and Brit Hunter must continue to rush the ball successfully for Manchester.
Region 14
(6) Bellville Clear Fork (7-3) at (3) Orrville (7-3) – Chase Hoobler and Sam Miller have college-level talent and their contributions are vital to the host Red Riders.
(5) Ottawa-Glandorf (8-2) at (4) Triway (8-2) – Derek Carmichael and Brandon Butcher guide the host Titans attack.
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DIVISION VI
Region 21
(6) Warren John F. Kennedy (7-3) at (3) Mogadore (9-1) – Jake McAvinew and Kodey Chance lead yet another Wildcats team into the playoffs. Drew Babbitt, Zach Glagola and Matt Traugh are also vital to Mogadore’s success.
(5) Dalton (9-1) at (4) Bucyrus Wynford (10-0) – A battle between two teams that know how to win. Special teams could come into play with balanced offenses and defenses.
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The Ohio State softball fastpitch winter clinic will be Jan. 23-24 in Columbus. The clinic will be held at the Woody Hayes Athletic Facility. More info at www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com.
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Here are my thoughts on this week’s playoff games:
*The best games - North Canton Hoover at Massillon in Division I and Ravenna at Lake Catholic in Division II.
The Vikings have a chance because in its two losses, the Tigers defense gave up far too many big plays. Hoover is tested and look for it to use the passing game at time to surprise the home town Tigers.
Ravenna needs to get Pernell Taylor loose in the secondary to set up the star back in the running game.
*Rematches - Padua plays at Archbishop Hoban in a battle of two teams that struggle to score in big games. Knights won the last meeting, 10-6, and I expect the same. Ditto that for Brunswick at Twinsburg, which the Tigers win in Week 5 at Brunswick. Tigers are more experienced and the Blue Devils aren’t what they have been in recent years.
*Upset special - No. 8 Canton McKinley will upset top seed No. 1 Toledo Whitmer in Division I, Region 2.
*Who will show up? – The Fighting Irish of St. Vincent-St. Mary can look one minute like world beaters, the next like the Cleveland Browns – nah, check that – Ohio State in big bowl games the past few seasons. Running back Mark Murphy needs a big game.
*Best wishes- We wish the Wiita family well and hopefully his Highland teammates will bring him back a playoff victory at Warren Howland. Also think it would be great for neighboring Woodridge and Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy to win on the road, especially a Bulldog team that has reached the playoffs for the first time.
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Area boys’ basketball teams can start practice on Friday, per OHSAA rules. Girls’ basketball practice started Oct. 30.
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When you are a writer, you see things from different angles than the public, particularly fans that follow one high school team.
On Saturday, Canton McKinley defeated Massillon, 35-21, which is always special in and of itself. Here were the Bulldogs, a team that had blown a 34-2 lead two weeks earlier in a 38-34 loss to North Canton Hoover, reaching the playoffs on third level points.
It was a glorious moment for McKinley coach Ron Johnson, who has been roasted this season by Bulldog fans as if he was the most evil character a writer could concoct. After the game, he told me that the players never quit and that is what made him so proud of the kids.
So McKinley heads to Toledo Whitmer Saturday hoping to pull off another upset and go further into the playoffs.
For Hudson players and fans, the McKinley victory was a crushing loss because the Explorers were the team bumped out of the playoffs. On the face of it, this is ridiculous. Hudson is 8-2 and McKinley is 6-4.
What killed the Explorers were some opponents who just had awful seasons. Jackson, normally a .500 team at least, took the pipe and was 0-10. Lakewood, the worst Division I program in Northeast Ohio and frankly is a waste of time watching, had its usual one win season. The Rangers were Hudson’s opponent in Week 10, giving virtually nothing in computer points to the Explorers.
Hudson coach Tom Narducci, quarterback Richie Piekarski and the Explorer seniors
People talk about win or go home themes for the playoffs. As Hudson now knows, sometimes you go home early when you win because you lose. Life is not always fair.
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Here is a look at the 26 area high school football teams that qualified for the state playoffs after 10 weeks of regular season play, according to the Ohio High School Athletic Association computer ratings.
The top eight teams in each region are in the regional quarterfinals. Local schools that qualified are listed by division and region.
DIVISION I, Region 2
Clinched: Twinsburg; Massillon; GlenOak; Wadsworth; North Canton Hoover; Brunswick; Canton McKinley.
DIVISION II, Region 5
Clinched: Highland; Aurora; Ravenna.
DIVISION II, Region 7
Clinched: Louisville.
DIVISION III, Region 9
Clinched: Archbishop Hoban; St. Vincent-St. Mary; Buckeye; Field.
DIVISION III, Region 11
Clinched: Northwest; Marlington.
DIVISION IV, Region 13
Clinched: Manchester; Woodridge; Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy.
DIVISION IV, Region 14
Clinched: Orrville; Triway.
DIVISION V, Region 17
Clinched: Waynedale.
DIVISION V, Region 18
Clinched: Hillsdale.
DIVISION VI, Region 21
Clinched: Mogadore; Dalton.
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Hudson is in the eighth and final playoff spot in Division I, Region 2. That is thanks to Perrysburg’s 42-12 loss to Maumee, Toledo St. John’s 40-21 loss to Toledo Central Catholic and Thursday Amherst Steele loss to Avon Lake.
There is only one team that can send the Explorers (8-2) home – Canton McKinley. The Bulldogs are the 15th team in the region, but mathematically still have a chance this afternoon at 2 McKinley beats rival Massillon at Fawcett Stadium.
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Buchtel defeated Garfield 14-8 Friday night to win the City Series football championship at InfoCision Stadium-Summa Field on the campus of the University of Akron.
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The Buchtel and Garfield football teams meet tonight at 7 p.m. on the campus of the University of Akron.
The winner of tonight’s matchup on Summa Field within InfoCision Stadium will finish the season with a perfect record within the City Series and earn the City Series title.
Garfield is seeking its second consecutive City Series title. Garfield defeated Buchtel 49-20 on Oct. 24, 2008 to win the City Series championship. That game was the final City game played at the Rubber Bowl, UA’s former football home.
Garfield and Buchtel each have a 6-3 overall record and a 5-0 mark in the City Series this season. The Golden Rams, under the direction of coach Bob Sax, rely on the rushing brother tandem of senior Tyson Gulley and sophomore Toneo Gulley.
The Griffins also feature a solid rushing attack that includes John Coleman.
Buchtel coach Ricky Powers said that every senior starting defender has scored a touchdown this season. They are: defensive tackles Brandon Henderson, Jibir Hadi and Devonte Blackwell, outside linebacker Garnett Thompson and defensive backs John Coleman and Desmond McCoy.
Buchtel won City Series titles from 2002-2006, and then Firestone won the City Series title in 2007. Garfield won the City in 2001 and prior to that Buchtel was the premier team in the City for several seasons.
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Here is a look at the high school football state playoff picture heading into the final week of the regular season, according to the Ohio High School Athletic Association computer ratings.
The top eight teams in each region advance to the regional quarterfinals. Local schools are listed with their record after nine weeks and are posted by division and region, according to who has clinched a playoff spot, who is in right now and who is on the bubble with a chance. Schools that have been mathematically eliminated are not included.
DIVISION I, Region 2
Clinched: Massillon (7-2); Twinsburg (8-1).
In right now: Wadsworth (8-1); North Canton Hoover (6-3); GlenOak (7-2); Brunswick (6-3); Hudson (7-2).
On the bubble: Canton McKinley (5-4).
DIVISION II, Region 5
In right now: Highland (6-3); Aurora (7-2).
On the bubble: Ravenna (7-2); Walsh Jesuit (5-3); Cloverleaf (5-4); Kent Roosevelt (7-2); Copley (6-3); Revere (6-3).
DIVISION II, Region 7
Clinched: Louisville (9-0).
DIVISION III, Region 9
In right now: St. Vincent-St. Mary (6-3); Buckeye (7-2); Archbishop Hoban (6-3); Field (7-2).
On the bubble: Buchtel (6-3).
DIVISION III, Region 11
In right now: Northwest (6-3); Marlington (7-2).
On the bubble: Minerva (7-2).
DIVISION IV, Region 13
In right now: Manchester (8-1); Woodridge (8-1); Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy (7-2).
On the bubble: Garrettsville (6-3); Sandy Valley (5-4).
DIVISION IV, Region 14
Clinched: Triway (7-2); Orrville (6-3).
On the bubble: Black River (5-4).
DIVISION V, Region 17
In right now: Waynedale (7-2).
On the bubble: Norwayne (5-4); East Canton (5-4); Northwestern (4-5).
DIVISION V, Region 18
Clinched: Hillsdale (7-2).
DIVISION VI, Region 21
Clinched: Dalton (8-1); Mogadore (8-1).
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Canton McKinley junior defensive Steve Miller has reportedly made an oral commitment to play football at Ohio State, according to JJHuddle.com
Miller, who is 6-4 and 235 pounds, also had offers from Florida, Michigan State and Purdue. He had 116 tackles as a sophomore.
Miller was clearly one of the nation’s top recruited players in the 2011 class. He is rated the state’s No. 2 player overall by Ohio High Magazine in the 2011 class.
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Ravenna hosts Springfield tonight with a Portage Trail Conference Metro Division title and a possible state playoff appearance at stake.
The Ravens (7-2, 6-0) defeated Field 39-0 last week and currently are ninth in the Division II, Region 5 standings. The top eight teams in each region advance to the regional quarterfinals.
Ravenna assistant football coach Chuck Harris, who is in charge of the school’s athletic promotions, said there were several positives to come from the triumph over Field.
“We controlled the clock well, moved the ball effectively on the ground and reduced turnovers and penalties,” Harris said. “We also spread the ball around, getting the ball in the hands of five different running backs. Defensively, we moved to the ball well and were able to get another shutout.”
Ravenna senior running back Parnell Taylor rushed 21 times for 283 yards with his longest being 84 yards. He scored three touchdowns – one on a 90-yard kickoff return.
Ravens senior defensive linemen Dan McCoy had three solo tackles and assisted on six other tackles.
Harris knows Springfield (6-3, 4-2) will present quite a challenge tonight.
“Springfield has certainly turned things around and while their record doesn’t reflect it, we feel that they are a better team than their 6-3 record,” Harris said. “We cannot allow this team to hang around. In order for us to win this week’s game, we are going to have to score quickly and often while coming at them hard defensively.”
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Woodridge wraps up its regular season tonight with a Portage Trail Conference County Division game at Waterloo.
The Bulldogs (7-2, 6-1) are hoping to qualify for the state football playoffs for the first time in school history. Woodridge is currently sixth in the Division IV, Region 13 and a win should help them stay in the top eight and make a regional quarterfinal appearance.
Senior Anthony Kelly rushed for 219 yards and two touchdowns and broke the Woodridge single-season rushing record to lead the Bulldogs to a 22-21 win over visiting East Canton a week ago.
Kelly had a 73-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to put the Bulldogs ahead for good after trailing 21-16. Kelly now has 1,425 yards this season and broke the record set by Terry Lahoski in the 1989 season.
Bulldogs junior Marcus Thompson returned a blocked punt for a touchdown in the first quarter.
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