The Norton boys soccer team won its first league championship by claiming the Portage Trail Conference Metro Division title with a 4-0 victory over Ravenna on Tuesday night.

Panthers senior forward Donovan Kohler scored all four goals in the win against the Ravens and leads the team with 16 goals this season.

Norton has a 7-4-1 overall record and is 5-0-1 in the PTC Metro.

The Woodridge boys soccer team clinched the PTC County with a 7-2 victory against Waterloo on Tuesday night. It was the Bulldogs’ eighth consecutive win and upped their overall record to 10-3-0 and league mark to 7-0-0.

Bulldogs senior forward Badou Drammeh scored two goals and assisted on another in the win over the Vikings.

Week three: Norton (2-0) @ Woodridge (2-0)
7 p.m. Friday, John Lahoski Field

Storyline: The Panthers and Bulldogs meet in a matchup of undefeated teams.

The host Bulldogs are coming off of a 41-0 win in Week 2 over Gilmour Academy and a 38-13 victory in Week 1 over Fairless. Senior quarterback Jon Robinson threw for two touchdown passes last week and rushed for another. Sophomore running back John Reid rushed for two touchdowns last week.

Woodridge made the Division IV state playoffs last season and posted a 10-3 overall record and a 6-1 mark in the Portage Trail Conference County Division. The Bulldogs remain confident this season under coach Eric Ervin, despite the graduation of several key players from last season.

Norton enters this game following two close wins, 35-25 against Kenmore in Week 2 and 33-22 against Chippewa in Week 1. Senior Tyler Carey picked up an onside kick and returned it 52-yards for a touchdown to seal last week’s victory.

Panthers sophomore quarterback Cameron Sheppard proved to be a dual threat last week with two touchdowns passing and two touchdowns rushing.

Glen Kruger is in his first season as Norton’s coach.

Norton concludes its season tonight at Kent Roosevelt.

The Panthers defeated Southeast 17-8 last week behind the rushing of Steve Smith. He gained 102 yards and scored two touchdowns to guide the host Panthers (4-5, 3-3).

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!

Norton hosts Field tonight after defeating Coventry 43-21 last Friday.]ep

Norton coach Matt Parrill said he was pleased with his team’s performance.]ep

“Obviously it was nice to get back in the win column,” Parrill said. “Aside from the Ravenna game, we had been pretty competitive with each of our opponents this season and we finally got over that hump.”]ep

Parrill praised senior running back/inside linebacker Steve Smith, senior running back/inside linebacker Tim Cool and senior running back/defensive back Tyler Ross.]ep

Smith rushed for 226 yards and three touchdowns on 22 carries to pace the offense.]ep

Parrill said seniors Alex Arsic and Jerry Baughman were other key players along with sophomores Dan Aller and Logan Garrett.]ep

The Panthers (2-4, 1-2) will face a challenge tonight with the Falcons (5-1, 3-0) in a Portage Trail Conference Metro Division game.]ep

“Obviously we have a lot of respect for coach (Patrick) Youel, his staff and his players,” Parrill said. “They play a physical style of football … they run big and deep on their roster. It will be a big challenge for our team and we are excited to play them.”]ep

Parrill said the Panthers need to block better, minimize the Falcons rushing attack and wrap up and finish off tackles.]ep

Despite losing 28-7 last week at Northwest, Firestone coach Tim Flossie said he was encouraged by his team’s effort.

“We lost the ball four times inside Northwest’s 30,” Flossie said. “(Northwest) is a solid team, we just missed our opportunities.”

The bright spot for Firestone was running back Cody Grice, who rushed for over 100 yards. The Falcons play at Norton Friday then face Massillon at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium the following Friday before beginning City Series play Oct. 2 against Ellet at InfoCision Stadium.

“We’re playing a competitive non-league schedule and we’re playing well-coached teams,” Flossie said. “In the long run, that will help us in the City. We’re a young team and with this young group, the important thing is that they get better each week, and they are.”

Norton returns four starters on offense and eight on defense.

Panthers coach Matt Parrill said senior Steve Smith and Tim Cool will “anchor both the offense and the defense.”

Senior Jerry Baughman is the only returning starter on the offensive line. Parrill said that unit has “decent size and strength, but we lack experience.”

Junior linebacker Nick Misura is also expected to make an impact for the Panthers.

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

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.

Here is a preseason look at Portage Trail Conference Metro Division 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.

KENT ROOSEVELT (10-1 overall, 7-0 in the PTC Metro last year; PTC Metro champs)

Top players: Senior kicker Emily Moran (first-team PTC Metro Division special teams, special-mention All-Ohio and first-team all-district in Division II), junior DB-RB Tyler Lohr (second-team defense).

CRESTWOOD (6-2, 5-2)

Top players: Senior OL-DL Jake Roman (first-team offense), senior Jimmy Porter (second-team defense), senior Mark Mikula (second-team defense).

COVENTRY (8-3, 5-2)

Top players: Junior WR Jeff Walker (first-team offense and second-team all-district in Division III), senior Matt Myers (first-team defense), senior OL-DL Vince Magestro (second-team defense).

RAVENNA (6-4, 5-2)

Top players: Senior LB-FB Roy Davis (first-team defense), senior WR-DB Jonathan Davis (second-team offense), Drew Trammel (second-team offense), Stephen Fejedelem (second-team offense), Brad Hager (second-team defense), Mike Petrone (second-team defense), junior RB-DB Blayre Davis.

SOUTHEAST (5-5, 3-4)

Top players: Senior OL-DL Greg Lemley (first-team offense), senior TE-LB Kyle Johnston (first-team offense), Ed Burke (first-team special teams), senior FB-LB Chad Eatinger (second-team offense), junior OL-DL Christian Kainrad (second-team defense).

FIELD (5-5, 2-5)

Top players: Senior OL-DL Kris Adams (first-team offense), senior RB Seth Koosed (first-team offense), senior DB Ronnie Adkins (first-team defense), senior DL-OL Brent Ulreich (second-team defense), senior Zach Miller (second-team defense).

NORTON (2-8, 1-6)

Top player: Senior QB Jeremy Perry (honorable mention PTC Metro Division).

SPRINGFIELD (0-10, 0-7)

Here are my predictions for the order in which the teams will finish in the PTC Metro Division this season:

1. Ravenna

2. Crestwood

3. Coventry

4. Southeast

5. Kent Roosevelt

6. Field

7. Norton

8. Springfield

Here is my explanation: Of the three teams that finished in a tie for second place in the league standings last year, Ravenna has the most upside. The Ravens have 17 returning starters and 19 seniors. Defending PTC Metro Division champion Kent Roosevelt lost several key players, including Youngstown State Univeristy quarterback recruit David Rogers, to graduation, so winning another league title seems to be unlikely. Crestwood lost its main offensive threat: Kent State Univeristy RB recruit Alan Vanderink. Coventry also lost its star player: QB Chase Carris. However, Ravenna has its star players back. The Ravens will be led on both sides of the ball by Roy Davis, Jonathan Davis and Blayre Davis. And yes, they are all cousins. I wrote a story about them that will appear in the Beacon Journal’s football preview, which will be released Wednesday. On another note, if there is one player that you should try to see this season, it’s Coventry junior wide receiver Jeff Walker. I saw Walker, 6-foot-4, 195-pound, play last year, and he was amazing. He finished the season with 54 catches for 874 yards and eight touchdowns and was a second-team all-district selection in Division III as a sophomore. Carris was a very good high school quarterback and some might say his departure could affect Walker. But I think Walker will have another great season no matter who the quarterback is because he can get open, and he has the athletic ability to gain yards after the catch.

Tell me what you think of these predictions. How do you think the league will turn out?

The Norton wrestling team held a dedication ceremony for its new wrestling facility Monday night. Look for a story about the ceremony to appear in the Beacon Journal on Wednesday.

I spoke to Drew Leonard at the event. Leonard, who will be a senior, placed sixth in the 135-pound weight class at the Division II state tounament last season. He also won sectional and district titles this past season.

Leonard said he went to the J Robinson wrestling camp, which was held June 17 to June 30 at Edinboro University. Robinson is the head coach of the 2007 NCAA champion Minnesota Gophers.

Leonard said a typical day at camp started at 6 a.m. and didn’t end until 10 p.m.

“I’m so excited coming into this year knowing how far I can push myself because they push you until you break (at J Robinson’s camp),” Leonard said.

“I want to go to the state finals next year. If I dont’ I’ll be so upset. I just want to go to a Division I college and be able to start my freshman year. That’s my ultimate goal.”

With this kind of training in the offseason, don’t be surprised if Leonard reaches his goals.