Week four: Rootstown (2-1) @ Mogadore (3-0)
7.p.m Friday at Wildcat Stadium

Storyline: Mogadore heads into week three undefeated and averaging nearly 30 points a conference. What else is new? Everything with the Wildcats do offensively is predicated on the running game, which is usually a two-headed monster.

Senior Kodey Chance has been out with injury, but senior Jake McAvinew has still been plowing through defenses. Kyle Cramer has helped fill in for Chance at running back too.

Rootstown needs to bounce back from its first loss of the season, a shutout loss to United 14-0. One big way to accomplish that would be to stop allowing the opening kickoff returned for a touchdown. It has happened twice already this season.

Rootstown plays a stout defense and outscored its first two opponents, Sebring McKinley and Jackson Milton, by a combined score of 50-7.

Can’t make the game Friday? No worries. You can follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/ABJ_Varsity for up-to-date scoring throughout the contest and scores from around the area as we get them.

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!

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.

Field 47, Rootstown 7

Varsity Letters Player of the Game: senior running back/defensive back Seth Koosed

Koosed had 22 carries for 160 yards and three touchdowns. He carried the ball 15 times for 97 yards and two touchdowns to help give Field a 40-0 lead. Koosed also had an interception on defense.

“Seth Koosed has been good three years in a row,” Field coach Matt Furino said. “He’s approaching 3,000 yards in his career right now at Field. He’s very close — probably 2,900. Our school record is 3,400. He’s a special kid.”

Field is now 3-0. The Falcons have outscored their first three opponents 116-13 and look to be a serious contender heading into their Portage Trail Conference Metro Division opener at Kent Roosevelt in Week 4.

Do you think Field will win the PTC Metro Division? If not, tell me who will.

Here is a preseason look at Portage Trail Conference County 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.

MOGADORE (11-3 overall, 6-1 in the PTC County last season; PTC County co-champs)

Top players: Senior RB-LB Cody Destro (first-team PTC County offense, second-team All-Ohio and first-team all-district in Division VI), senior Sean Holland (second-team defense).

GARRETTSVILLE (7-3, 6-1; PTC County co-champs)

Top players: Senior OL-LB Chris Taylor (first-team offense), junior OL-WR-K Caleb Schwan (first-team special teams), senior WR-DB Kenny Vanek (second-team offense), senior WR-OL Kyle Hartman (second-team offense), junior John Hartman (second-team defense), senior RB-LB Brad Mast (second-team defense).

WINDHAM (7-4, 5-2)

Top players: Sophomore RB-WR-DB Jay Lugo (honorable-mention PTC), junior Kyle Cooper (honorable-mention PTC).

STREETSBORO (5-5, 5-2)

Top players: Junior RB-WR-DB Cory Lanterman (first-team offense), junior DB-WR Mike Edwards (first-team defense), senior John Cushman (second-team offense), senior Doug Tackett (second-team defense).

WOODRIDGE (3-7, 3-4)

Top players: Senior DL-OL Andy Jenkins (first-team defense), senior QB-DB Dave Krusinski (second-team offense), senior WR-DB Josh Jones (second-team offense).

ROOTSTOWN (2-8, 2-5)

Top players: Senior RB Corey Devitt (first-team offense), senior DL-OL Joe Farrah (second-team defense).

EAST CANTON (1-9, 1-6)

Top player: Senior RB Mike Wheeler (second-team offense).

WATERLOO (0-10, 0-7)

Top player: Senior Joe Adelman (honorable-mention PTC).

Here are my 2007 preseason predictions for the PTC County Division.

1. Mogadore

2. Garrettsville

3. Windham

4. Woodridge

5. Streetsboro

6. Rootstown

7. East Canton

8. Waterloo

Here is my explanation for my picks: I expect the top three teams from last season to finish in the same order again. I think defending co-champs Mogadore and Garrettsville could easily tie for first again. But if I had to pick one over the other, I give the slight edge to Mogadore because it’s running back Cody Destro’s senior season, and I think Wildcats coach Matt Adorni will get the most out of Destro in his last high school season. I also think the bottom three teams from last season will finish in the bottom three again. The only difference I’m predicting from last year, is Woodridge’s improvement. I think the Bulldogs will finish fourth and have an outside chance of sneaking into third. There is a lot of buzz around the league about Woodridge senior quarterback Dave Krusinski and the Bulldogs senior class.

Let me know what you think. How do you think the teams will finish in the PTC County Division?