The George Auten Invitational was conducted in mostly rain at Ellet High School, yet North won the boys title and Firestone won the girls crown.

North won the boys meet with 155 points and Firestone (118) edged Ellet (117) in the girls meet.

North senior Troy Burgan was the boys meet high-point scorer with 32 points after winning the 110 meter hurdles and the 300 hurdles. Burgan also placed second in the long jump and fifth in the high jump.

The Vikings won two relays: the 3,200 (Steve Triola, Davon Coman, Shaun Cummings and LaRue Wimley) and the 400 (DeMonte Powell, Lase Brooks, Antuan Logan and Larry Dawson).

Brooks, a senior, also won the 100 and 200.

“We had prom last night and had everyone show up today in the rain, which was nice,” North coach Tom O’Neil said. ‘”They are an extemely dedicated senior class.”

Firestone senior Nia Johnson won the 3,200 and the Falcons won two relays: the 800 (Julie Kostura, Monique Ransome, Courtney Carter, Rachel White) and the 1600 (Alex Olmedo, McKenna Morton, Courtney Carter, Kachay Hullum).

“Our team has worked very hard this season and they are very deserving of this victory,” Firestone coach Malia Milec said. “I am confident that they will continue their success.”

Kenmore’s Shanequa Williams won the girls 100, 200 and 400.

Ellet, Archbishop Hoban and Firestone rounded out the top four teams on the boys side. Hathaway Brown and North placed third and fourth on the girls side.

Three Firestone football players will be continuing their careers in college next season, and two at the same school.
Trevor Kennedy, who was a first-team All-City performer at quarterback, will play at Mercyhurst (Pa.) College, along with receiver Jeffery Brantley. Meanwhile, Ross Davis, a running back for the Falcons, will be a preferred walk-on at the University of Akron.

The three players helped the Falcons (7-2, overall and 6-0 in the City Series) win the outright City championship for the first time since the school opened in 1963 and started playing in 1964.

The City Series baseball teams will not have a four-team playoff at the end of the regular season. One veteran City coach said there may have been the perception on the outside that the reason the league did away with the playoff system several years ago was because the district was going through financial difficulty, which forced cuts in extracurricular activities.

The district passed a levy which helped bring back those extracurricular activities that were cut. But Ellet coach John Sarver said the levy had nothing to do with the elimination of the playoff system.

Sarver said it all started a few years back when the basketball teams decided to drop the four-team playoff system and instead just play the championship game between the top two teams. That change was implemented because the basketball teams, in putting together schedules each season, had to factor in the possibility of playing in the semifinal and/or championship games. That meant coaches could only schedule 18 games (OHSAA rules allow for 20 regular season games) in case they made it to the City playoffs. But if a team didn’t make the playoffs, they would have only played 18 or 19 games during the regular season.

So the baseball teams decided to follow suit and drop the playoff system, allowing the coaches to schedule two additional games in place of the two dates they would have reserved for the playoffs.

Incidently, OHSAA rules allow 27 regular season baseball games.

When it comes to track, it’s always about who ran the fastest, jumped the highest or threw the shot or the discus the farthest. But sometimes there are stories, GREAT, INSPRATIONAL STORIES, that don’t have to do with who won.

For instance, I remember watching the local news in the fall, I think it was, and there was an amazing story about a young lady (she may have been from the Youngstown area), who was competing in the state high school cross country meet and was almost near the finish line. Then came a gruesome sight. She broke her leg on the course and fell to the ground.

But this young lady had the courage and fortitude to crawl and limp her way to the finish line, despite being in obvious pain.

It was a story of incredible self-will. This young lady needed medical help, but she didn’t want it. She was withering with pain but she wanted to finish that race, and if you watched the video, you couldn’t help but get a little emotional, knowing she was in a world of pain. But watching her will her way to that finish line, regardless of the pain she was experiencing, was breathtaking and moving.

The yound lady gave a great television interview a few days later and it was great to see she was doing well and was in good spirts. I think she even joked that all she was thinking about, when she went down, was that she wasn’t going to be able to dance at her sister’s wedding later that night.

I witnessed another incredible story, but it didn’t involve injury. A few years ago I was covering a regional track meet at Ravenna and the Copley girls were favored in this particular relay event. As the race began, Copley was right there, as expected. But during one of the exchanges, the baton was dropped and the team was out of the race.

The young lady who dropped the baton was devasted. I mean, I had never seen an athlete more distraught. What I found out later was that the young lady was only a sophomore and there were two seniors on that relay team. The sophomore felt she had blown it for the seniors because it was their last chance to make it to state.

She was on the infield of the track, as the race was still going, slumped over an emotional ball.

She just shuddered and shook as she cried.

Then, former Copley standout Carrie Dyer, who was a senior and on that relay team, ran to the young runner to comfort her.

Then the rest of the realy team followed.

To me, that was one of the most inspirational stories I had ever witnessed.

The sophomore was heartbroken. But she was heartbroken because she cared about her teammates and wanted to perform at her best so that it would help the seniors.

It didn’t happen. But when it didn’t happen, the seniors weren’t mad, bitter or upset. They showed support for their younger teammate because they loved her. And in the end, winning didn’t matter.

So, with that, I’m asking readers to post any inspirational stories you witnessed, in track or any other sport, that didn’t involve someone winning.

A story where someone overcame odds to get where they are. Or a story about teammates helping one another.

Those are the most compelling stories.

Tom O’Neil is still the track coach at North even though he gave up his position as head football coach after the 2006-07 season.

But that football mentality is still in his head.

While I was at a City Series track meet at Ellet Tuesday, I found it odd that O’Neil was standing along the fence near the finish line with a stop watch. Now keep in mind, the meet was between host Ellet, Buchtel and Firestone. North wasn’t competing.

So I asked O’Neil, “Hey Tom, are you helping with the timing?” He answered, no, we run against Buchtel in a few days so I’m just scouting.”

I doubled over in laughter. I couldn’t believe it.

Then again, as competitive and thorough as O’Neil was as a football coach for 12 years at North, it didn’t surprise me.

GlenOak basketball player C.J. McCollum scored a school-record 54 points to lead the host Golden Eagles to a 92-78 victory over North on Saturday night.

McCollum, a junior guard, made eight 3-pointers in the season opening game for both schools.

Here are a few quick notes regarding City Series football, which has certainly been surprising this season.

The madness began Sept. 15 when Ellet defeated Buchtel.

With Buchtel (0-5, 0-3 City Series) struggling, the race for the title is wide open. It appears that (listed alphabetically) Firestone (3-2, 2-0), Garfield (3-2, 1-0) and North (4-1, 2-0) are the favorites to win the City Series title.

These notes were gathered via Beacon Journal records.

– The Firestone win over Ellet (27-7) on Friday (Sept. 21) was the Falcons first victory over the Orangemen (3-2, 1-1) since 1996. Ellet had won 10 in a row over Firestone from 1997-2006. The Falcons defeated the Orangemen twice in the 1995 season, once in the regular season and once in the City championship game. It should be noted that Buchtel played in the state playoffs that season and that is why Firestone and Ellet met in the title game.

– The North win over Buchtel (24-0) on Friday (Sept. 21) was the Vikings first victory over the Griffins in 23 years, according to people within the North football community.

– Firestone and North meet this Friday (Sept. 28). The Falcons won last year 21-6, but the Vikings won the previous four meetings (2002-2005). Since 1994, North has won seven times and Firestone has won six times.

– Firestone and Garfield meet next Friday (Oct. 5). The Falcons won 37-21 last year, but the Golden Rams won the previous nine meetings (1996-2005). Since 1994, Garfield is 10-2 against Firestone (wins in 1995 and 2006). They did not play each other in 2004.

– Garfield and Buchtel meet Oct. 19. The Golden Rams last beat the Griffins in 2001 and 1998. Buchtel has won the past five meetings (2002-2006).

I will look for other trends and streaks within the City Series and post them at a later date. Stay tuned.

ED SUBA JR./Akron Beacon Journal

Firestone senior wide receiver Gary Franklin tries to avoid Ellet defenders after making a catch during the Falcons’ win over the Orangemen Friday night.

North and Stow are both undefeated heading into Week 3. This is a new feeling for both teams.

North has already surpassed its win total in 2006. The Vikings finished with a record of 1-9 last season.

Stow has already matched its win total from last season. The Bulldogs went 2-8 in 2006.

The Vikings and Bulldogs are hungry to go 3-0, but they will obviously prevent each other from doing that when they meet at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Stow. I talked to North coach Ken Johnson and Stow coach Marty Tinkler about the matchup. Click here to see what they had to say.

Who do you think will remain undefeated, North or Stow? Let me know what you think. I want your predictions!

There are a few scores that stood out in week 2 of high school football. Here is what I noticed:

North beat Coventry 32-22. That means North is 2-0. North is undefeated after the first two weeks for the first time since 1976. The Vikings are off to this rare start with first-year head coach Ken Johnson leading the way.

Johnson is a 1990 graduate of North who dreamed of becoming head coach at his alma mater one day. After 15 years as an assistant, he got his chance and he’s taking advantage of his opportunity. Congratulations to coach Johnson and the Vikings for their good start.

Click here for some North-Coventry game notes and quotes from Johnson.

Tallmadge defeated Ellet 17-7. The Blue Devils keep winning but it’s not by the margin of victory expected for the Beacon Journal’s preseason No. 1 team.

Last week, Tallmadge defeated Cuyahoga Falls 17-14, which raised the question: Is Tallmadge overrated of is Cuyahoga Falls underrated?

Cuyahoga Falls went on to lose to Wadsworth 38-14 in week 2. Click here to watch a really cool behind-the-scenes video of the Cuyahoga Falls-Wadsworth game.

Stow defeated Kent Roosevelt 45-20. The Bulldogs have already matched their 2006 season total for wins by earning a 2-0 start.

Stow beat Kenmore in a rout in week 1. But the Bulldogs did the same thing last year, then went on to finished with a record of 2-8. However, Stow appears to be a much improved team this year. The Bulldogs aren’t just winning games, they are thrashing their opponents.

Are there any teams surprising you? Let me know.

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.