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!

BY DAVID LEE MORGAN JR.
Beacon Journal sportswriter

During the regular season, Revere boys cross country coach Dave Parry knew he would have a team that could compete for a league title.

At the same time, Parry was smart enough to know that the Suburban League was loaded with talented teams- Green and Wadsworth, to name a few.

All three teams battled for the league championship title Saturday afternoon at Goodyear Heights Metro Parks and it was Revere standing tall in the end as the Minutemen won the tile with 49 points.

“This has been our goal all season,” Parry said. “We knew if we weren’t training, they were and that drove us. If we took a day off or weren’t eating right, they were. We always kept that in the back of our minds.”

Revere also had its No. 4 runner who didn’t run today because of injury.

“We relied on a couple of other guys to step up and (today) showed that we have the depth and the heart to finish it off.”

Leading the way for Revere was Josh Sabo (3rd), Dave Povitsky (5th), Mike Lostosk (7th), Marc Salopek (12th) and Tim Moneypenny (22nd).

And an interesting note is that when Povitsky, who is a senior, was a freshman, the Minutemen were tied for last in the league championship.

The seniors have come a long way since then.

“We were pretty bad,” said Povitsky, who is a senior. “But we’ve been working hard all year long for this so the championship means a lot to us.”

Parry added: “This was quite a turnaround for my seniors.”

Meanwhile, the individual league champion was Green senior Kyle Wheeler, who finished with a time of 16:10.

And Wheeler’s “Aunt Kimmie” was impressed with her nephew.

After Wheeler won the Suburban League championship, his Aunt, along with his mother, Julie Wheeler, went sprinting towards Kyle.

“This is the first time I’ve seen him (run),” his Aunt said. “I have to start coming more often.”

Wheeler’s teammate and close friend- senior Dylan Papp- was the runnerup with a time of 16:31.

“This is the third year I came in second here but coming in second to this guy here…I have no problem with that,” Papp said, patting Wheeler on his back. “We’re always pushing each other.”

On the girls side, Wadsworth won the team title and sophomore Paige Szabat won the individual championship with a time of 19:20 and defended her championship from last year.

Szabat said last season was a major stepping stone into this season in her development.

“Last year was a learning year for me,” she said. “After the season, I knew I was going to have to train harder and it took all of last year to learn that.”

Szabat’s teammate, Nicole Cargill, finished second with a time of 19:40.

The high school girls tennis season continues this week with district competition.

The Division I district tournament at Oberlin College features two singles players and one doubles unit from the area. Firestone’s Christine Coffman and Jackson’s Trisha Conlan are top seeds in singles, and Revere’s Natalie Robson and Brittany Miller are a top doubles tandem.

The Oberlin district will be played on Thursday and Saturday.

The Division II district tournament at Weis Park in Canton features a singles player and two doubles groups from the area. Canton South’s Morgan Murray is a top seed in singles. Walsh Jesuit’s Nancy Joyce and Cristin Reed and Canton Central Catholic’s Lauren Coggins and Hannah Lindesmith are top doubles units.

The Canton district will be played on Wednesday and Saturday.

Here’s my thoughts on high school football now that we are at the halfway point of the season.

*I was disappointed that only 2,500 people came out to the first City Series game at InfoCision Stadium at Summa Field, though North and Kenmore aren’t big schools. Still, I would bet that crowd was two or three times bigger than it might have been at the Rubber Bowl.

*I will say this after seeing North, Kenmore, Buchtel and Ellet – there is a lot of talent in the City Series. The key for the future of the football in Akron is to get more kids to come out for these teams. The other thing coaches need is for the players to get into better shape, though with a bad economy and kids from poorer families it is sometimes impossible for them to have the time to get to the weight room in the off-season. 

*Ricky Powers is doing a nice job rebuilding the Buchtel program, which was nearly destroyed by former Claude Brown because of his conviction involving a Buchtel female student. Powers, an alumni and former Michigan star running back, is trying to bring discipline to the program, teach younger volunteer coaches what needs to be done and get the community more involved.

*Circle the Week 8 game Oct. 16 in the River Division of the NOC with Twinsburg at Hudson will be for all the marbles – a division title and tons of computer points. Both schools are in Division I, Region 2; the Tigers are fifth and Hudson seventh, according to the JoeEitel.com website.

*Who would have thought Springfield would have four wins in five games and Green would be 0-5?  Bulldog coach Tom Stacy  is drawing a lot of fire both for having too tough a schedule and, obviously, the team’s record.

*It seems that the most balanced conference this year is the Suburban League, which few fans realize has for 20 years been putting as many, if not more, teams in the playoffs each season.

Besides the red hot Wadsworth team, Barberton, Cloverleaf, Copley, Revere and Highland have comparable talent, which makes this league so hard to predict. Only Tallmadge and Green seems out of both the league title and playoff contender.

Suddenly Friday’s gane with Wadsworth (5-0) at Copley (4-1) has a lot riding on it.

*How much will Walsh Jesuit be hurt by have this week off? Yes, the Warriors will get an average of their weekly points for this week, but they will lose their playing edge going into the Oct. 9 rivalry game witth visiting St. Vincent-St. Mary. Walsh is 3-2 and 1oth in Division II, Region 5.

Like the majority of the high school teams in the area, Revere coach Terry Cistone isn’t completely sure how good, or bad, his team will be this season. Everyone has holes and weaknesses and only the games will show if they have fixed them or not he said.

“You are going into that first week trying to figure out what you are all about,’’ Cistone said. Everyone has holes and “You are going into that first week and you just don’t know if you filled them yet.”

One thing Cistone knows he has is skill players. Senior running back John Battaglia rushed for more than 1,000 yards and 13 touchdowns last season for the Minutemen and looks to add to those numbers this season.

“He is running hard,’’ Cistone said. “He is a little bigger than was last year… Just got to find some kids to bloc for him up front for him.’’

Battaglia is drawing Mid-American Conference interest, according to OhioVarsity.com

Senior receiver/ free safety/punter Steven Zarkovacki will also be a game breaker for the Minutemen.

“He has just has good hands. he is a play maker, he can break a game open,” Cistone said. “We just have to find ways to get him the ball.”

UPDATED STADIUM

The Minutemen will be showing off another phase of renovations at Joe Pappano Stadium Friday when they open the season against Akron East.

Last year it was new bleachers for the home side of the stadium and a new press box. This year the stadium received a new artificial surface and new visitor side stands.

Game 1: Akron East (0-0, 0-0 City Series) @ Revere (0-0, 0-0 Suburban League)
Where: Joe Pappano Stadium, 7 p.m. Friday

By David Lee Morgan Jr.
Beacon Journal sports writer

Green boys golf coach Dan Gorley is a gracious winner.

His team won the Suburban League postseason golf tournament Wednesday afternoon at Good Park Golf Course by edging Revere 323-327. Revere was the preseason and regular-season champion and, as a result, claimed the overall Suburban League title.

”They had a great team,” Gorley said of Revere.

Green was right up there with the Minutemen all season, and on Wednesday, the leaders for the Bulldogs were senior Charlie Miller (79), juniors Justin Grunstein (80) and Alex Hinkle (80), and senior Sean Myer (84).

”I was very happy with our guys,” Gorley said. ”They have played well all year.”

And Gorley said the roaring noise emanating from a huge chipper, used to mangle and grind fallen branches from the recent storm, wasn’t an issue.

”The course was in great shape,” Gorley said. ”There may have been a few times when it took some time to find a ball because it was underneath some leaves or a branch or something, but it wasn’t a problem at all. They did a nice job on the course.”

Larry Zimmerman, the course manager, appreciated Gorley’s compliments. He said his regular crew of 12 workers was up for the challenge.

”They came in Monday morning at 7 a.m., and they went right at it,” Zimmerman said. ”They got the fairways cleaned off and hauled away all the debris. Then we mowed all day Monday and rented a chipper for the debris and we’re continuing the [chipper] process now.

”My crew did a heck of a job getting the course ready for not only the [Suburban League] tournament, but for everyone,” Zimmerman said. ”They busted their tails.”
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David Lee Morgan Jr. can be reachedat dlmorgan@thebeaconjournal.com.

By Michael Beaven
Special to the Beacon Journal

The high school girls soccer season has begun with several area teams feeling that they are legitimate state contenders.

Archbishop Hoban and Walsh Jesuit return several key players from last season’s teams, which advanced to state semifinal matches. Jackson and Medina annually field strong teams. Brunswick Cloverleaf, Copley, Green, Hudson, Kent Roosevelt, Ravenna, Revere and Stow are all capable of making deep runs in the state tournament.

‘‘It just seems like that type of year,’’ said Frank Gagliardi, now in his 12th year coaching Jackson. ‘‘It doesn’t seem like there is any team where you say, ‘That team will win state.’ There definitely is a lot of teams that will be in the fight for a state title.’’

Veteran Walsh Jesuit coach Dino McIntyre said the Cleveland and Akron areas boast ‘‘a lot of teams that can go all the way,’’ mentioning Akron-area teams plus Strongsville, Shaker Heights Hathaway Brown, North Royalton and Brecksville.

Kent Roosevelt outlook
One team off to a flying start is Kent Roosevelt, which is 3-0 and has outscored Stow, Tallmadge and Coventry 16-4.

The Rough Riders, 7-8-2 last season, have eight returning starters. Senior tri-captains Katie Mitchell, Jessica Giulitto and Brianna Serafin are the foundation of the team along with senior forward Jennifer DeLuke.

‘‘We have four seniors who are contributing very well and showing good leadership,’’ coach Steve Mitchell said.

Katie Mitchell, the coach’s daughter, scored 10 goals in 2007. She and Giulitto, a defender, are entering their fourth years as starters. Serafin, a midfielder, sophomore midfielder Michaela Kline and junior goal keeper Abby Bradford are other key players.

‘‘Our depth is impressive,’’ Steve Mitchell said. ‘‘I can make any number of substitutions and not weaken the lineup, which is a great luxury.’’

Stow outlook
Stow returns 10 starters and 15 letterwinners from last season’s team, which went 8-5-4 and was second to Brunswick in the NOC River Division.

‘‘I tell my players to take it game by game and hopefully toward the end of the season we are in the running for the league championship, and from there anything can happen,’’ Stow coach Chris Tipton said. ‘‘I have high hopes for the team.’’

Sophomore forward Vickie Havas led the Bulldogs with nine goals last year. Senior sweeper Leah Poiner and junior stopper Ellie Swanger will pace the defense along with senior goalkeeper Sarah Conkle. Junior midfielder Kyrsten Kamlowsky also returns.

The Stow boys team won the Division I state title in 2006, an accomplishment that many of the girls witnessed.

‘‘We talk about that in a sense of that’s what we want to do,’’ Tipton said. ‘‘A lot of the
girls were there and saw it. I was there, I felt it and I saw it. I think it will take a lot of grunt work. Realistically, it will be tough, but this is the best team I have had here.’’

Championship caliber – Walsh Jesuit & Archbishop Hoban
McIntyre, entering his 16th season as Walsh’s coach, knows what it feels like to win championships. He led Walsh to state titles in 2000, 2001, 2004 and 2006. The 2000 and 2006 teams were recognized as national champions.

The Warriors, a 2007 Division I state semifinalist with a 13-4-5 record, will be led by
senior defenders Jaime Townsend and Jordan Finch, senior midfielders Alexis Garcia
and Kendra Simmons, sophomore forward Kelsey Smigel and sophomore midfielder/forward Elizabeth Bollinger.

Smigel paced Walsh with 15 goals last season. “She’s a pure goal scorer,‘‘ McIntyre said. ‘‘She knows the game technically and has all the tools.”

Townsend (Lehigh), Garcia (Dayton) and Finch (Miami, Ohio) are Division I recruits. McIntyre said Garica is training to overcome her third torn ACL in the past four years.

Juniors Juliana Libertin and Jessacca Gironda are among seven returning starters for
Hoban. The Knights compiled a 15-4-1 record and made their second consecutive appearance in the Division II state semifinals last season.

‘‘We want to win one more game and get in that final,’’ said Benny Pietrangelo, entering his third season as Hoban’s coach. ‘‘On paper, we look pretty strong, but the games have to be played. People are impressed with our talent, but you have to play the games on the field and win.’’

Libertin, a forward, received Beacon Journal Player of the Year honor last fall. She scored four goals Saturday in a 6-0 win at Chippewa. As a sophomore, Libertin scored 35 goals and had 20 assists, and she totaled 15 goals and 11 assists as a freshman.

‘‘When Jules is on, opponents can’t stop her,’’ said Pietrangelo, who also coached the Hoban boys soccer team for 17 years. ‘‘She never gets tired because she runs track and is a swimmer, too. She is a very special athlete. Her endurance is amazing.’’

Gironda, a midfielder/goal keeper, scored 16 goals last season. Senior defender Alex
Niehaus, sophomore defender Gabby Corwin, sophomore forward Margaret Woods and
senior goal keeper Francesca Gironda also return for Hoban.

Jackson & Medina outlook
Jackson returns 11 letterwinners from last year’s team, which posted a 17-2-1 record ` 7-0 in winning the Federal League.

The Polar Bears will be led by senior midfielders Rachel Dennis, a Kent State recruit, and
Melissa Hagan, a Northern Iowa recruit. Junior midfielders Maggie Rusnak and Lauren
Jokovich also return with junior sweeper Emily Sanders.

‘‘With the tradition of the past and the stage the previous girls have set, hopefully the
winning habits will still be strong within the program,’’ Gagliardi said.

Jackson is hoping to get some revenge against Walsh this season; the Warriors ousted the
Polar Bears the past three years in the state tournament.

‘‘We have never beaten Walsh in my 12 years as coach,’’ Gagliardi said. ‘‘That is a mental and a physical goal that we have as a team.’’

Medina will be paced by junior forward Becca Candler, an Indiana University recruit,
Sarah Flanders and Jillian Graff. The Bees should still be a strong team despite the absence of current Ohio State player Paige Maxwell, who was a four-year starter at Medina.

Suburban League balanced
Tina Salem is excited about what her Copley team can do in her 11th season. Senior
midfielders Kristen Mattei (Toledo recruit) and Kirsten Schulte (Case Western Reserve) lead the team.

The Indians also will rely on senior sweeper Liz Moyer, senior defender Julie Berk,
junior midfielder/forward Nikki Matttei and junior midfielder Maddi Buckham.

‘‘I think girls soccer has finally caught up with the boys,’’ Salem said. ‘‘You have a
lot more girls playing the sport. Northeast Ohio is just incredible for girls soccer. We
have a reputation for having strong soccer.’’

Copley and Revere are expected to be the top Suburban League teams, but Cloverleaf and Green should be in the mix for the league crown.

Junior forward Emily White will guide Revere after leading the Minutemen in scoring the previous two seasons. She enters 2008 with 22 career goals.

Revere coach Jeff Stoerkel said sophomores Tara Littman and Katie Kimberly will be key midfielders with freshman Amy Feher and sophomore Kristen Popa is the goalkeeper.

Cloverleaf compiled a 11-4-2 overall record and a 5-1-1 league mark last season to place second to Copley in the Suburban League. Colts coach Val Baughman said eight starters and 11 total letterwinners return from last season.

Sophomore forward Katie Roberts and junior midfielders Rachel Gokey, Hanna Cavalier and Megan Jackson lead Cloverleaf’s offense.

Juniors Melissa Zeigler and Shannon Kilkenny and sophomore Katie Koloka form the nucleus off Cloverleaf’s defense in front of junior goal keeper Karly Beuck.

“We have a really strong junior class,” Baughman said.

Green is led by seniors Desiree Aber and Kelsey Ahbe.

Cloverleaf defeated Green 4-0 Wednesday to improve to 2-0 overall and 1-0 in the Suburban League this season.

Other promising teams and players
North Canton Hoover went 14-4-2 last season and Sarah Maj and Kathleen Ray are among eight returning letter winners.

Perry has seven starters and 10 total lettermen back from 2007. Junior goal keeper Megan
McMaster, sophomore forward Michelle Genetin and junior forward Ally Smith all return.

The Vikings and Panthers will try to dethrone the Jackson Polar Bears from the top spot in the Federal League.

Firestone senior forward Christine Black and Western Reserve Academy senior midfielder Anne Song are two other players that are entering their fourth varsity seasons.

Black netted the lone goal in Firestone’s 1-0 victory over St. Vincent-St. Mary earlier this
season.

Song, who also has a four-goal game this season, netted 18 goals at WRA as a forward last season enters 2008 with 37 career goals.

The Revere club Rugby team put together a decent showing in its first Northeast Ohio High School Rugby Division II Championship. The team started three hours later than when they were scheduled and began their first round game against Canton “flat” coach Keith Bull said.

The Minutemen still were able to play to a 3-3 tie at half before falling 6-3 in a close game. They then won their second game of the season in the losers bracket as they beat Copley 17-13. Revere then lost to St. Edwards 22-8 to finish in sixth place out of eight teams.

In today’s story Senior Captain Brandon Rotili said one of the main reasons he had an interest in the sport of rugby is because of a New Zealand teams ritual dance. Rotili said they incorporated the All Black’s Haka into their soccer games at Revere. For those of you who are interested in what the Haka actually looks like check out the video below.” alt=”New Zealand All Blacks’ Haka”>

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.

Revere senior Joe Corfman has committed to continue his baseball and academic careers
at the University of Toledo.

Corfman, a shortstop, batted .500 last season with 37 hits and 28 RBI. He enters this
season with 91 hits and 67 RBI at Revere. He also has a 6-6 career record as a right-handed pitcher.

Corfman is entering his fourth season as a starter under coach Phil Heyn. Corfman
earned all-Suburban League honors the past three seasons and has been recognized on the
Buckeye Scout’s Top 100 List and as a player to watch by the publication Collegiate Baseball.