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.

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.

Posted by Michael Beaven for the Beacon Journal

It would not be a shock to see Kenmore and Ellet back in the City Series Baseball Playoff Championship game next season.

As both coaches pointed out after Sunday’s game at Canal Park the teams will each return almost every player that started in the game, assuming any unforseen circumstances.

Kenmore (15-7) will return seven of nine starters and Ellet (16-9) will return eight, nine counting the designated hitter.

“Unless another City team steps it up, we could both be playing in this game next year,” said ninth-year Ellet coach John Sarver, whose Orangmen teams have won five out of the past eight City Playoff Championships and six out of eight City regular season titles.

Kenmore senior left-handed pitcher Adam Harris is one player who is departing, along with senior Mike Despot. Harris earned the win Sunday and said he was a bit surprised by his team’s emergence this season.

“I expected us to be good, but we were so young and I didn’t know how we would respond to the challenges of a season,” Harris said. “But we came together, bonded and did well.”

Much of that credit should be directed to ninth-year Kenmore coach Joe Nauer and his staff.

Kenmore and Ellet each asserted themselves over perrenial City Series contender Firestone early in the season. The Falcons suffered two losses each to the Cardinals and Orangemen and fell out of the race.

Ellet won the regular season title with a 12-0 record and Kenmore placed second at 9-3. Sarver said he wanted his players to not forget what they achieved.

“I tried to remind (our kids) we were here because we did so well in the regular season,” said Sarver, whose team will need to replace senior Mikey Canavan. “I tried to remind them they had a great year. Kenmore was one-run better than us on one particular day.”

Ellet had earlier beated Kenmore 5-4 and 2-0 this season.

“It’s ironic that both games at Canal Park (against Kenmore this season) ended with a 5-4 score,” Sarver said. “The three games we played were so close. It shows there is a lot of parity between these two teams.”

Kenmore will return: juniors Aaron Bond and Dominick Harper, sophomores Ryan Harris, Dusty Newberry and Brett Mudd and freshmen brothers Mike Massaro and Matt Massaro.

Ellet will return: juniors Chad Keppler, Isaiah Fridley, Jon Archual, Cory Martin and Kelcey Eberle, sophomores Travis Hamad and Cory Gravesmill and freshmen Steven Lively and Matt Merring.

Posted by Michael Beaven for the Beacon Journal

It was nice to see Kenmore senior Adam Harris conclude his high school athletic career as a champion.

Harris was the winning pitcher in Sunday’s City Series Playoff Championship game at Canal Park as Kenmore defeated Ellet 5-4.

Harris, a left-hander, tossed a complete-game. He struck out four batters, walked two and allowed nine hits on 89 pitches.

“It’s awesome to go out with a win,” Harris said. “I never could have imagined it ending like this.”

Harris compiled 11 varsity letters in high school; four each in football and wrestling and three in baseball. His best sport appears to be wrestling, where he qualified twice for the state tournament and was a dominant City Series champion.

Harris is a hard-nosed athlete who fits the mold of 2006 Ellet graduate Mark Hayhurst for example. Hayhurst also played football and baseball and wrestled.

Both are hard workers that improved throughout their high school careers and ended their senior campaigns as baseball champions at Canal Park. Their coaches in every sport always speak highly of their leadership skills and other intangibles that they bring to their teams.

Harris was honored to receive the City Series baseball Player of the Year award, and said: “I was shocked. I didn’t think I’d get it.”  

Harris said he will attend Muskingum College in the fall and play football and wrestle.  

Posted by Michael Beaven for the Beacon Journal

BASEBALL

Akron Public Schools City Series Playoff Championship game

Kenmore 5, Ellet 4

Varsity Letters Player of the Game: Kenmore junior left fielder Aaron Bond

Bond hit a key three-run double in the top of the fifth inning to help the Cardinals defeat the Orangemen at Canal Park Sunday. The victory gave Kenmore some redemption after Ellet won both regular season meetings and won the City Series regular season title with a 12-0 record.

Bond’s line drive capped a four-run fifth inning for Kenmore.

“I can’t describe the way it felt to stand on second base when the bases were previously loaded,” Bond said with a big smile after the game. 

Bond also caught the final out of the game in shallow left field to secure the win for the Cardinals and senior left-handed pitcher Adam Harris. 

Posted by Beacon Journal sportswriter Nate Ulrich

The Ellet baseball team clinched its second consecutive City Series regular-season title. The Orangemen (14-8, 12-0 in the City Series) defeated the Kenmore (14-5, 9-3) Cardinals 5-4 on Saturday and 2-0 on Monday.