Antonio Pittman, a former standout running back at Ohio State University at Buchtel High School, was released Saturday by the New Orleans Saints.

The Saints selected Pittman in the fourth round of the 2007 NFL Draft.

The Beacon Journal’s Marla Ridenour reported that soon after Pittman was cut, the St. Louis Rams claimed him off waivers. Pittman is projected to be star running back Steven Jackson’s backup.

Coach Keith Dambrot has added another local talent to the University of Akron men’s basketball team.

Rydell Brooks, a 2006 Buchtel High School graduate, has transferred from Niagara University to the University of Akron and is a member of the Zips men’s basketball team, UA Assistant Director of Athletics Media Relations Gregg Bach said.

Bach said Brooks will have to sit out the 2007-08 season and will be eligible to play at UA the following three seasons. Brooks is currently a walk-on.

Brooks, a 6-foot-2 and 190-pound guard, led Buchtel to three consecutive City Series championships. He was selected as the City Series Player of the Year his junior and senior years and was a Division II second-team all-Ohio pick as a senior.

Brooks averaged 27.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.8 steals during his senior campaign as the Griffins leader.

He helped Niagara win the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament championship as a freshman. Niagara went 23-12 and qualified for the NCAA Tournament. The Purple Eagles won 12 consecutive games, including the a win over Florida A&M in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament before losing to Kansas.

Brooks played in all 35 games with 30 starts. He averaged 4.7 points in 18 minutes per game.

The addition of Brooks gives the Zips six area high school graduates on the roster: Tim Carroll (CVCA), Eric Coblentz (Lake), Nick Goddard (Wadsworth), Andrew Moss (Copley), Jeremiah Wood (Central-Hower) and Brooks.

UA went 26-7 last season, winning the Mid-American Conference East Division title and losing in the MAC Tournament championship game. The Zips must replace standouts Romeo Travis and Dru Joyce III, a pair of 2003 St. Vincent-St. Mary graduates, that were key players for four years.

Photo courtesy of Niagra University athletics

Rydell Brooks

I went to the City Series football media day to gather information, get answers to some of your questions and most importantly, eat lasagna. Here are some items I have in my notebook:

—All the coaches agreed that the 2007 season might be the most wide open the City Series has been in years.

“I think this could be one of the most balanced years that we’ve seen in the City Series in a long, long time,” said Ellet coach Joe Yost, who is entering his 29th season with the Orangemen.

Yost will be inducted into the Summit County Hall of Fame on October 2.

—Firestone coach Tim Flossie was entertaining as usual. After Joe Howard, the Akron Schools director of athletics, introduced Flossie as the coach who is celebrating the 20th anniversary of winning his first state championship with Buchtel, Flossie joked about it.

“I’m so old I can’t even remember the damn thing,” said Flossie, who won back-to-back state titles as the Griffins head coach in 1987 and 1988.

Flossie went on to talk about the value of the City Series and how its underrated.

“I get sick and tired of hearing about the suburbs,” he said. “It enrages me. … We have a 3.0 student here and they have an 8.9 student there.”

—I talked to Buchtel senior Johnny Adams about making the switch from wide receiver to quarterback this season.

“I feel like it’s my senior year, and I’m ready to take charge of the offense,” Adams said.

Adams, who has a 2.7 grade-point average and scored a 22 on the ACT, said he feels comfortable in his new position because the Griffins offensive line looks solid. “Our line is bigger, stronger and smarter than any line we’ve had since I’ve been here,” he said.

Adams, who earned special-mention all-state honors as a defensive back/receiver/kick return specialist last season, said he has received offers from the following colleges: University of Akron, Michigan State, Pitt, Syracuse, West Virginia, Indiana, Purdue, Northwestern, Iowa, Marshall and Toledo. Adams said he hasn’t narrowed down his choices yet.

—Garfield defensive end/tight end Whitney Mercilous said he has narrowed down his colleges of choice to Purdue and Illinois. Whitney, 6-foot-3, 235 pounds, was a second-team all-district pick in Division II last season, when he had 23 tackles (eight for a loss).

—North senior running back Larry Dawson said he’s received offers from the University of Akron, Bowling Green State University and Army. Dawson said he hasn’t made a decision where he will go, but he knows what he wants.

“I want to be comfortable,” said Dawson, who has a 3.8 grade-point average. “I want to be on a team where I at least know one person. I want to be somewhere we can compete.”

At BG, Dawson said he knows former Walsh Jesuit standout running back Mark Wooldridge. At UA, Dawson said he knows former Buchtel standout running back Bryan Williams.

—East coach Damon Beasley said East senior linebacker Shomari Akhdar, a first-team All-City selection last season, is receiving interest from Villanueva, Holy Cross and Miami of Ohio. Beasley also said Bowling Green has shown interest in senior fullback/linebacker Demetrius Bentley, a second-team All-City selection in 2006.

—East High School students will go to school in the old Central-Hower buidling in downtown Akron because their building is being renovated. Beasley said the move has had a positive affect on the football team.

“It was a tough process at first, but it turned out to be a blessing,” Beasley said. “It’s a nice facility. The kids like it a lot.”

—Flossie said Firestone running back Darshawn Thomas is the real deal. Thomas ran for 1,126 yards and eight touchdowns on 211 carries for the Falcons (4-6, 3-2).

“He runs a 4.3 40 (yard dash), Flossie said. “He’s fast and he’s tough. He could go to a Division I school. I think he’s as good as Antonio Pittman.”

Pittman was a standout running back at Buchtel and Ohio State University. He’s now an NFL rookie with the New Orleans Saints.

—Kenmore coach Tony Grimes said Cardinals senior running back/linebacker Thomas Cheairs gaining interest from colleges because of his speed and size (6-foot-2, 195 pounds).

“He’s probably our best athlete,” Grimes said of Cheairs. “He’s got some schools looking at him at the low-Division I level.”

—Buchtel first-year coach and legendary area running back Ricky Powers talked about the importance of emphasizing academics among his players.

“We’ve got to get our kids to understand that school is first,” said Powers, who was a star player on the Griffins team that won state titles under Flossie. “That’s they only way they’re going to get to play at the next level.”

Powers knows about playing at the next level. He played for the University of Michigan, then went on to play for the Detroit Lions and Browns.

Beacon Journal reporter David Lee Morgan told me that Buchtel senior Johnny Adams is going to switch from wide receiver to quarterback this season.

Adams earned special-mention All-Ohio honors in Division III last season as a wide receiver/defensive back/kick return specialist. He was also a second-team all-City Series selection on defense.

Adams, 6-foot, 180 pounds, has received offers from the University of Akron, Michigan State, Purdue, Syracuse and West Virginia.

Johnny Adams

The blogger with the username “Blue Room Bum” asked a good question about Archbishop Hoban safety Will Fleming making a choice about college.

I talked to Hoban football coach Ralph Orsini and he confirmed that Fleming has received offers from the University of Akron and Hawaii. Orsini did not say that Fleming will become a Zip for sure but he indicated that it’s a strong possibility because Fleming’s father, Jim Fleming, is the defensive coordinator at UA. Orsini also said Fleming has a good relationship with Zips head coach J.D. Brookhart.

“Those two factors pretty much indicate that he could be leaning toward Akron,” Orsini said.

Fleming had 74 tackles, three interceptions and was a second-team all-district selection in Division II last season.

The “Blue Room Bum” also asked about Buchtel senior Johnny Adams’ college decision, Garfield senior Whitney Mercilous’ college decision and the food selection at the City Series Media Day. Actually, the media day isn’t until Tuesday, so I’ll answer those questions later.

Archbishop Hoban senior Will Fleming

Here is a preseason look at City Series football for the 2007 season. In this post, you will find players (and any all-star recognition they received in the league last season) to watch from each team and my predictions for the upcoming season.

ELLET (8-2 overall, 5-0 in the City Series last season; City Series co-champs).

Top players: senior OL Tyler Dunagin (first-team All-City and honorable-mention all-district in Division III), senior RB Paris Wicks (first-team offense), senior LB-QB Chad Keppler (first-team defense), senior DL Branson Price (first-team defense), senior LB Aaron Byard (second-team defense), junior LB Travis Hamad.

BUCHTEL (6-4, 5-0; City Series co-champs)

Top players: sophomore DB-RB Solomon Griffin (first-team defense), senior DB-WR (now QB) Johnny Adams (second-team defense, special-mention All-Ohio in Division III).

FIRESTONE (4-6, 3-2)

Top players: senior RB Darshawn Thomas (first-team offense), senior DL-OL DeAndre Tucker (first-team defense), senior QB Trevor Kennedy (second-team offense), junior OL-DL Richard Barucci (second-team offense), senior LB-TE Alex Paul (second-team defense).

GARFIELD (3-7, 3-3)

Top players: senior DL Whitney Mercilous (first-team defense and second team all-district in Division II), senior DB-WR Jerome Beasley (first-team defense), senior Garrick Twitty (first-team defense), sophomore DB-RB Tyson Gulley (second-team defense), junior OL-LB Laimere Latson (second-team offense).

EAST (5-5, 2-3)

Top players: senior LB Shomari Akhdar (first-team defense), senior LB-FB Demetrius Bentley (second-team defense), senior DL-OL Mark Humphrey (second-team defense).

NORTH (1-9, 5-0)

Top player: senior RB-DB Larry Dawson (second-team defense).

KENMORE (0-10, 0-5)

Top player: senior LB-RB Thomas Cheairs.

Now that you have a feel for which players are returning this year, here are my predictions for how the City Series standings will look at the end of the 2007 season.

1. Buchtel

2. Firestone

3. Ellet

4. Garfield

5. East

6. North

7. Kenmore

Here is my explanation for my picks: Buchtel is always a force to be reckoned with in the City Series, and I think the Griffins’ excitement to play for legendary running back Ricky Powers in his first year as head coach will translate to success. Also, I think Soloman Griffin is a special player. He earned accolades for his defense last season, but he’s also an excellent running back with big-play potential.

I think Firestone will continue to improve in coach Tim Flossie’s second year with the Falcons. After the Falcons failed to win a game for two consecutive seasons, Flossie led them to a 4-6 record last year (and they had a winning record in league play: 3-2). Senior Darshawn Thomas had the best 2006 season of any of the City Series running backs. Thomas rushed for 1,126 yards and eight touchdowns on 211 carries.

I think Ellet will be very good, too. The Orangemen should have a dynamic offense with senior quarterback Chad Keppler and senior running back Paris Wicks returning. Travis Hamad and Aaron Byard should bring stability to the defense as inside linebackers in a 4-4 system. However, I think Firestone has a legitimate shot to beat Ellet. The Orangemen beat the Falcons 16-7 last season.

Garfield will have a tough defense, but its offense seems questionable. After a .500 record last year, East will need younger players to step up because it graduated several key seniors, including last year’s City Series Player of the Year - quarterback Kenny Hicks. I think North will improve because senior running back Larry Dawson is good enough to carry the Vikings if he stays healthy. Kenmore has a lot to prove after going winless last season.

What do you think of these predictions? If you agree let me know. If you disagree let me know and give me your predicted finish … and hurry because the season begins next Thursday.

The football season is approaching, so I compiled a list of high school seniors from the Beacon Journal’s five-county coverage area who are listed as prospects on www.scout.com. There are several area players who are not on this list who will surely play in college. Nonetheless, this should give you some names to look for this season.

Here are the players, the positions they are being recruited at and their high schools (click on the player’s name for more information from scout.com and make sure to scroll down the player’s bio page to see which colleges have made offers):

DeVoe Torrence/running back/transfered from Canton South to Massillon Washington/committed to Ohio State University

Johnny Adams/wide receiver/Buchtel

Steve Yoak/linebacker/Archbishop Hoban

Will Fleming/safety/Archbishop Hoban

Eric Magnacca/safety/Perry

Whitney Mercilous/defensive end/Garfield

Larry Dawson/running back/North

K.J. Herring/runnning back/Massillon Washington

Jeff White/running back/Alliance

Carlin Isles/running back/Jackson

Kameron Alexander/running back/Buchtel

Dominic Surace/fullback/Twinsburg

Jordan Bell/wide receiver/Barberton

Chris Edwards/wide receiver/Wadsworth

Teddy Robb/wide receiver/Northwest

Justin Ray/offensive line/St. Thomas Aquinas

Reggie Comeaux/offensive line/Massillon Washington

Grady Spidell/offensive line/Buchtel

Kevin Dahl/linebacker/North Canton Hoover

David Whipple/safety/Canton South

Matthew Vick/safety/Perry

Steve Schott/kicker/Massillon Washington

Steve Yoak

Here are some highlights from the Division II state track and field meet at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium in Columbus: 

The Buchtel girls track and field team won the Division II state title.

Buchtel clinched the title with a first-place finish in the final event, the 1,600-meter relay.

Buchtel freshman Kachay Hullum came from behind down the final stretch and crossed the finish line first as the Griffins recorded a time of 3:54.42. Senior Chelsea James and juniors Samantha Lockhart and Tiffany Tucker were the other members of the relay team.

Lockhart, Tucker, senior Jasmine Golson and sophomore Christy Campbell won the 800 relay in 1:40.77.

Buchtel coach John Scott becomes the first coach to win back-to-back state titles with different genders. The Buchtel boys won the Division II state title last year.

Posted by Beacon Journal sportswriter David Lee Morgan Jr.

The announcement hasn’t been made officially regarding the new football coach at Buchtel but one source told me that it will be former Buchtel star Ricky Powers. The other candidate was former St. Vincent-St. Mary head football coach Jay Brophy, another former Buchtel star.

I met with Brophy several weeks ago and he told me that he had a conversation with Powers and the two decided that whomever got the job, the other would coach on the staff. I think that’s a great gesture by both men to work together and do what’s best for the players. Powers doesn’t have any head coaching experience but in my opinion, that doesn’t make him any less qualified. And with Brophy’s head coaching experience, he’ll be able to guide Powers along and offer advice when needed.

I know the Buchtel community was hit hard with the unfortunate situation surrounding former head coach Claude Brown but I think the proud program will continue its winning tradition with Powers and Brophy leading the way.