Kent Roosevelt hosts Norton tonight with a chance to reach the Division II state playoffs.

Junior Evan Shimensky rushed for a 32-yard touchdown and threw an 86-yard touchdown pass to junior Nicholas Sacchini to guide the visiting Rough Riders (7-2, 4-2) over Crestwood 27-7 last week.

Sacchini also scored a touchdown by recovering a fumble in the end zone. Roosevelt sophomore Shakeel Howard contributed a rushing touchdown.

Good news for parents and players at Stow High School. While the field itself is not in good condition, athletic director Cyle Feldman said the Bulldogs will host rival Cuyahoga Falls Friday night as scheduled.

“We have rescheduled 15 events because the field was in poor shape. But we talked to parents, looked at the forecast this week and we decided to keep it here,” Feldman said. “It wasn’t an easy decision. You have band parents, football parents, senior band and football parents concerned here because it is Seniior Night. The players weren’t as worried about it.”

Feldman said if the game had moved, it would have been played at Kent State University’s Dix Stadium. He added that Stow is talking to neighbor Kent Roosevelt about playing each other two straight years at Dix Stadium.

“We would split the costs and the revenue 50-50,” Feldman said.

Hey everyone! This is my column that’s running in the Akron Beacon Journal Friday, but it’s posted on Ohio.com now, as you can see. Thanks to everyone who submitted votes for their favorite high school nicknames. If there are other crazy nicknames from out of state, post them so we can all get some laughs. Thanks again!

Springfield will travel Kent Roosevelt tonight and attempt to win their second consecutive Portage Trail Conference Metro Division game.

The Spartans defeated visiting Crestwood 33-14 last Friday after a 16-13 loss to visiting Field the previous Friday.

Spartans coach Kevin Vaughn said he was impressed by “The team’s ability to bounce back with a victory after a tough loss. The kids maintained a positive frame of mind the entire week of practice and focused on the game at hand.”

Sophomore Dillon Matthews rushed for 197 yards and three touchdowns on 12 carries.

Vaughn said Springfield (5-2, 3-1) has struggled with the kicking game, particularly kick-off and field goal units the past few weeks. He also said John Hofer has been injured and that “has affected depth on both sides of the ball, but more importantly with our special teams.”

Vaughn expects Hofer to “be back in action this week and that should alleviate some of the problems we’ve had in the past.”

Roosevelt (5-2, 2-2) will present Springfield with some problems.

“Their team speed is a definite threat to us in all three phases of the game,” Vaughn said. ‘We have a lot of respect for Coach (John) Nemec and his staff and know that they will always put a quality team on the field. We feel Evan Shimensky does a great job at the quarterback position and is very exciting to watch. He is the key to their offense. We need to contain Shimensky and his passing game for us to win. … Part of containing Shimensky will be keeping him and the Kent offense off the field by controlling the clock with our ground game. A solid dose of Zack Talbert and Dillon Matthews carrying the ball successfully will help us achieve that goal.”

Springfield is seeking its first victory against Kent since the start of the new PTC.

What a week that was and what a game coming up. As you read my thoughts, remember this – to reach the football playoffs, eight teams in each of the four regions in each division get their ticket punched. The top four teams host first round home games.,

Let’s go:

Roll 7, please!

I have beeen watching high school sports longer than some of my colleagues have been alive. So when I tell you that Ravenna coach Jim Lunerdi took one of the biggest gambles I’ve ever seen in defeating bitter rival Kent Roosevelt, 29-28 in overtime, I believe that is a big statement.

Here was the situation – Kent had just scored the go ahead touchdown in the OT to go ahead 28-21. Ravenna quarterback Zach Thomas, who wears No. 7, then counters with a 6-yard touchdown run to cut the lead to 28-27. Conventional wisdom is to kick to the extra point and play another overtime.

Instead, the Ravens come out from a time-out and Lunerdi, convinced by his assistant coaches, go for the 2-point conversion. Thomas barely falls over the goal-line and Ravenna wins 29-28.

What was on the line? The Ravens came in 3-0 in the Metro Division of the Portage Trail Conference and Kent was 2-1, and both teams desperately needed playoff points. Ravenna and Kent now are 13th and 14th in Division II, Region 5 and now must win out for a hope of getting to the post season in this brutal division, one of the best in the state.

Surprising Spartans

Springfield’s 5-2 season now becomes the focus for both Ravenna and Kent. Kent hosts the Spartans this week, which is No. 12 in Division III, Region 13. so the winner’s chances of the post season improves.

Two of Ravenna’s last three games are against the Spartans and Field, which is 6-1 and also 4-0 in the division and No. 4 in Division III, Region 9. The  Falcons have already defeated the Rough Riders, so the Oct. 23 game at Ravenna could be for both the division and a playoff berth.

The big game

As each week as passed, it became apparent that Week 8 would gives football fans a big game in the River Division of the Northeast Ohio Conference. As  Twinsburg plays at Hudson Friday night, the stakes could not be bigger.

Face it – in an otherwise weak division, the winner will bring home the division crown. The winner also grabs a huge number of critical playoff points, which neither can get in the remaining two weeks of the schedule. It appears Twinsburg is the No. 4 team in Division I, Region 5, Hudson is No. 8. The Explorers obviously need this game more.

Kent Roosevelt enters tonight’s rivalry matchup with host Ravenna after defeating Southeast 33-0 last week.]ep

The Rough Riders, 5-1 overall and 2-1 in the Portage Trail Conference Metro Division, will have to stop the Ravens (4-2, 3-0) potent rushing attack.]ep

“We play our rival game this week against Ravenna,” Roosevelt coach John Nemec said. “They look very good.”]ep

Southeast (0-6, 0-3) didn’t offer Roosevelt much resistance.]ep

“Two of our sophomores, who both started last year, had a great game,” Nemec said. “Shakeel Howard, a running back and wide receiver, scored three touchdowns, two rushing and one receiving; and Ryan Anderson, our right guard and a defensive tackle, was dominant up front.”]ep

Nemec said Anderson turned 16-years-old last week and is 6-foot-4 and 280 pounds.]ep

“He is the best offensive lineman I have coached in years,” Nemec said.]ep

Kent Roosevelt coach John Nemec praised the play of junior quarterback Evan Shimensky.

“Evan had another outstanding week,” Nemec said. “In our win at Coventry he was 20 for-24 passing with two touchdowns, and had one rushing touchdown. Eight of our receivers caught the ball with sophomore Shakeel Howard’s four catches leading the way.”

Nemec said the Rough Riders are prepared for this week’s opponent.

“Our players have worked hard this week in preparing for Southeast,” Nemec said.

The Kent Roosevelt team entered this past Friday with a perfect 3-0 record.

The Rough Riders ended that evening with a loss to visiting Field and one of their star players out with an injury.

Field defeated Roosevelt 31-13 with a dominating performance. Rough Riders senior standout Denerio Bryant was injured late in the second quarter and did not return.

Roosevelt coach John Nemec said Wednesday afternoon that Bryant had yet to get an MRI because the swelling on his knee has not gone down. Nemec said Byrant was definitely out a few weeks and possibly for the remainder of the season.

“He had the ball, he didn’t get touched,” Nemec said. “He turned and went down. It was one of those freak things. He was running a sweep, he planted and then boom he went right down. At first, I wasn’t concerned. I saw some him fall, but I thought he just slipped and fell.”

“It’s a blow. He is a tremendous kid. Our kids will rally. They are a strong willed group. He is there helping out, but other kids have to step up. This kid is the real deal. He is probably one of the best players I have coached and I have been a head coach for 29 years. Having said that, we’re a team and I really believe our kids will rebound.”

Ravenna coach Jim Lunardi said he heard about the injury and felt awful.

“You never want to see that happen to a kid, especially with his being his senior year,” Lunardi said of Bryant. “He is great playmaker for them. My heart goes out to the kid.”

Nemec said the team sustained other injuries. Senior defensive lineman Jordan Bedell left the Field game due to injury and senior middle linebacker Marcus Wright sat out the game with an injury.

“It’s bad enough that we lose the game, but we also lose some player,” Nemec said. “That is like a double whammy. I have to emphasize it’s a team game and our kids will not make excuses and neither will I .We have to buckle up. Our players have to play better and I have to coach better.”

Nemec said there were not many positive to come from the setback to Field. He did say: “We had a lot of young kids get experience against a very good Field team.”

Roosevelt junior quarterback Evan Shimensky rushed for a touchdown and also threw a touchdown pass to sophomore Shakeel Howard.

Nemec said he was impressed by Field’s play.

“They were the superior team on Friday, there is no doubt,” Nemec said.

Kent Roosevelt travels to neighborhood rival Stow Friday night for a Week 2 matchup after the Rough Riders defeated visiting Kenston 38-0 this past Friday/Saturday.

Junior quarterback Evan Shimensky threw three touchdown passes and completed 19-of-27 passes for 266 yards.

Sophomore slot back Richard Graves emerged as a playmaker with two receiving touchdowns and a touchdown via an interception return.

Senior Denerio Bryant had a touchdown reception and sophomore Shakeel Howard rushed for a touchdown.

Kenston was limited to 39 yards passing and 31 yards rushing.

Kent Roosevelt will seek to defend the Portage Trail Conference Metro Division title and qualify for the state playoffs again with seven starters back on both offense and defense.

Veteran coach John Nemec is counting on junior Evan Shimensky, senior Denerio Bryant, sophomore Shakeel Howard, sophomore Ryan Anderson and senior Eric Pucillo to lead the offense; and seniors Marcus Wright, Sam Thomas and Marcus Rogers to guide the defense.

“Bryant is one of the best football players in the area, I believe,” said Nemec, who is also intrigued by sophomore slot back Richard Graves.

Check Thursday’s Akron Beacon Journal for a special section in the newspaper that previews the 2009 season.]ep