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.

Akron native LeBron James won his first gold medal Sunday following the United States of America men’s basketball victory over Spain in the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China.

USA defeated Spain 118-107 in the gold medal game and outscored opponents 106.2-78.4 in eight games.

James, a 2003 St. Vincent-St. Mary High School graduate, was a pivotal player on Team USA. He started all eight games in the Olympics and averaged 15.5 points and 5.3 rebounds in 24.8 minutes per game.

James led Team USA in total minutes played (198), minutes per game (24.8), steals (19) and blocked shots (eight). He was second in scoring (124 points) and second in assists (30). His 42 rebounds were third best.

Dwayne Wade led Team USA in scoring with 128 points (16.0 per game) and Chris Paul paced the Americans in assists with 33. Chris Bosh (49) and Dwight Howard (46) were the top two rebounders.

Kobe Bryant, Jason Kidd, Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard joined James in the starting lineup in all eight games. Bryant was Team USA’s third leading scorer with 120 points (15.0 per game).

Team USA beat China, Angola, Greece, Germany, Australia, Argentina and Spain twice in the tournament.

James, a standout for the Cleveland Cavaliers in the National Basketball Association, won a bronze medal in the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece.

My observations from Archbishop Hoban’s 27-26 overtime win against Garfield in the season-opener for both teams:

* MORGAN’S MVP: No question, my pick is 5-foot-9, 175-pound Garfield junior running back Tyson Gulley. He rushed for a game-high 225 yards on 25 carries. Gulley rushed for over 130 yards- just in the first quarter, with touchdown runs of 60 and 58 yards.

What I like about Gulley is the explosiveness he has once he hits the line of scrimmage. His quickness allows him to get to the hole, then, his speed and ability to change directions and cutback without losing much speed is the key to his impressive running style.

* OTHER MVP CONTENDERS: There were several, including Garfield freshman running back and defensive back Toneo Gulley, Tyson’s little brother. Playing in his first varsity game, Toneo (5-7, 170) was impressive. He showed flashes of speed and quickness equal to his brother.

But what impressed me the most was his skills defensively. He registered eight tackles but he deflected several passes intended for Hoban senior receiver/tight end Chris Sarkis, that could have been big plays.

On two occasions, Sarkis was open and waiting to catch both passes on stride. But at the last moment, Toneo’s speed enabled him to make up ground and get to the ball to knock it away. For a freshman, playing in a pretty overwhelming atmosphere for a youngster, he handled himself like a veteran.

For Hoban, there were two MVP contenders, in my opinion. The first was junior punter Paul Kramer. His play actually changed the entire complexity of the game and allowed the Knights to get back in the game.

For instance, Hoban had the ball to start the third quarter, after trailing 14-3 at halftime. The Knights opened the second half with an impressive drive, with nice runs from Laymon Carter III, who finished with 94 yards, and Dominic Williams, who had 74 yards.

However, Hoban’s drive stalled and the Knights had to punt. Kramer’s kicked was downed at Garfield’s 2-yard-line by Chris Bernardo, who played a tremendous game on special teams. A few plays later, Hoban registered a safety to cut the lead to 14-5.

The Knights got the ball on Garfield’s free kick and quickly scored cutting the lead to 14-12.

Then, in the fourth quarter, Kramer had another quality punt that was downed by Bernardo at Garfield’s 5-yard line. The Rams couldn’t move the ball and had to punt, and once again, Hoban scored and took the lead for the first time at 20-14 with 7:29 left in the game.

When Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel was the head coach at Youngstown State, he never failed to emphasis the importance of special teams. In fact, he always contended, and still does, that the punt is the most important play in football, because of the potential for some many things- good or bad- that can happen.

Hoban coach Ralph Orsini saw the punt work in his team’s favor.
“”We went into the game thinking that special teams would be a key for us because we have two pretty good kickers,” Orsini said. “”He was referring to Kramer, of course, and also junior kicker Zack Christensen, who booted a 30-yard field goal and also had several deep kickoffs, helping the kickoff coverage limit Garfield’s big returns.

Hoban’s other MVP contender was senior quarterback Josh Masters. He couldn’t establish a passing game in the first half, so he got things going with his running ability. Masters finished with two touchdown runs and converted on two rushing two-point conversions.

And finally, a special mention goes to Garfield junior offensive lineman Kenny Blevins. This young man is 6-0, 300 pounds and playing under hot and humid conditions, he played the entire game, both ways. His jersey was soaked after the game and although he was disappointed in the loss, he left it all on the field and that’s all you can ask from the young man.

Even longtime Hoban team physician Joseph Congeni took notice of Blevins’ performance. “”That young man played a heck of a game, especially given the conditions,” Congeni said.

* QUESTIONABLE CALL SHOULDN’T BE QUESTIONED: Garfield coach Bob Sax opted to try to pass for a two-point conversion and win in overtime instead of running the ball. Some Garfield fans, as they left the stadium, thought the Rams should have run the ball as well.

But looking back, Sax’s call made sense. First off, Tyson Gulley left the field a few plays before his little brother Toneo scored the game-tying touchdown in OT. Tyson left because of severe cramps.

Second, with the way Rams quarterback Darius Martin was playing- rolling out and making plays happen out of the pocket- Sax’s idea was to let Martin do the same, thinking that Hoban would be expecting one of the Gully’s to get the ball.

But Hoban defensive back Rahsheed Moore just did what good players do, he came up with a big play, stepping in front of Garfield wide receiver James Barnett at the goal line to intercept the two-point conversion ending the game.

* NICE TURNOUT: The Hoban-Garfield game always draws a health crowd because the game is on Thursday and everyone is ready to watch the first game of the season, especially players from area teams who don’t open the season until the following day.

The players who are spectators crack me up because they wear their jerseys. That’s not what cracks me up. It’s the fact that they roll up their sleeves really high so they can let their biceps breath. I understand, after all that offseason weightlifting, they have to get those puppies some air.

The Akron area will have three athletes competing for the United States of America in the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China.

The athletes are: basketball player LeBron James, swimmer Mark Gangloff and javelin thrower Kim Kreiner. The trio all competed and represented USA in the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece.

Gangloff won a gold medal in the 2004 Olympics as a member of the 400-meter medley relay and placed fourth in the 100-meter breast stroke. James won a bronze medal on the basketball team.

James graduated from St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in 2003 and currently stars for the Cleveland Cavaliers in the National Basketball Association.

Gangloff graduated from Firestone High School in 2000 and Auburn University in 2005.

Kreiner graduated from Mogadore High School in 1995 and earned a degree from Kent State.

The Akron Beacon Journal wishes the trio good luck in Beijing!!!

Romeo Travis and Dru Joyce III were selected to play for the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2008 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Travis and Joyce were each standout players at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School and The University of Akron. The tandem were high school teammates of current Cavaliers star LeBron James, who will play for USA in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China.

Travis, the 2007 Mid-American Conference Player of the Year, played on the Cavaliers Summer Team last season.

Travis and Joyce were professional teammates this past season in Germany on Ratiopharm Ulm in the Bundesliga League after Travis briefly played for Alerta Cantabria and Ciudad de Huelva in Spain.

Joyce played 34 games for Ulm and averaged 9.5 points and 4.4 assists in about 26 minutes per game. Travis played 10 games for Ulm and averaged 10.8 points and 5.1 rebounds in about 23 minutes per game.

Former Cavalier Robert “Tractor” Traylor is also on the Summer League team with current Cavalier roster players Lance Allred and Billy Thomas and rookies J.J. Hickson and Darnell Jackson.

Here is a link to the Cavaliers website with schedule and roster information: http://www.nba.com/cavaliers/news/summer_league_080708.html

It was a long day of softball for the St. Vincent St Mary softball team. The Fighting Irish played three games in the Elyria Classic Tournament, winning two. The Fighting Irish lost to Midview 7-2 in the first game.  

Senior Olivia Mathews made it all worth while in the second game. The senior hit a game-winning grand slam home run to cap a seven run seventh inning rally and help the Fighting Irish defeat Oberlin 9-7

Mathews added a triple in third game. St. V-M beat North Olmsted 9-2 in their final game of the day.  

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.

After a brief separation, a pair of Akron natives have been reunited again as teammates.

Dru Joyce III and Romeo Travis are teammates on Ratiopharm Ulm, a professional basketball team in the Bundesliga League in Germany.

Joyce and Travis each played on successful teams at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School and the University of Akron.

Travis, the Mid-American Conference Player of the Year in 2007, started his pro career with two different teams in Spain and then was added to Ulm’s roster on Mar. 12.

Joyce, a 6-foot guard, has played in all 27 games for Ulm. He is averaging 8.6 points, 3.7 assists and 1.7 rebounds in about 23 minutes per game this season.

Travis, a 6-foot-7 forward, has made an immediate impact for Ulm in three games played. He is averaging 9.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists in about 20 minutes per game.

Travis appeared in two games for Ciudad de Huelva and averaged 3.5 points and 3.5 rebounds. He played in eight games prior to that for Alerta Cantabria and averaged 3.4 points and 1.8 rebounds. Both teams play in the LEB Gold league.

Joyce and Travis, both 23, led the Zips to the MAC East Division title and a MAC runner-up finish in 2007. They were each standouts on state championship winning teams at St. V-M alongside Cavaliers star LeBron James.

It appears as if Eastern Michigan has searched deep into Ohio plucking four area softball players to fill next year’s roster. Hoover’s Sarah Gerber (1B) and McKenna Russ (OF) are both already inked. As is Jackson’s Jess Richards (3B). Stow’s Allison Scherer (SS) will join her sister, Jenny Scherer ( a sophomore OF),  at EMU  as well.

Former Canton McKinley baseball shortstop Zack Leonard is also at EMU. The freshman is hitting .263 with two home runs in 20 games this season.

Freshman defensive back Judson Rambaud, Formerly of Akron St. Vincent St. Mary, and redshirt freshman wide receiver Corey Welch (Green High School) are on the football roster there.

High School Football Playoff Schedule

Note: These are probable playoff matchups according to www.joeeitel.com and the matchups have changed several times on Saturday, which means they might be different on the website on Sunday. Official OHSAA playoff pairings will be released Monday.

Friday’s Games
(All games 7:30 p.m., unless noted)

Division II, Region 5
Firestone (7-3) at Tallmadge (9-1)

Division II, Region 7
Lake (7-3) at Louisville (8-2)

Division III, Region 9
Field (9-1) at Walsh Jesuit (8-1)
Cortland Lakeview (8-2) at Aurora (9-1)
Ravenna (8-2) at Mentor Lake Catholic (6-3)

Divison III, Region 11
Poland Seminary (7-3) at Northwest (10-0)
New Concord John Glenn (8-2) at West Branch (8-2)
Canton South (6-4) at Dover (7-3)

Divison V, Region 17
Northwestern (9-1) at Waynedale (8-2)

Saturday’s Games
(All games 7 p.m., unless noted)

Division I, Region 2
GlenOak (6-4) at Brunswick (10-0)
Toledo St. John’s Jesuit (6-4) at North Canton Hoover (8-2)
Perrysburg (8-2) at Nordonia (9-1)
Wadsworth (9-1) at Toledo Whitmer (8-2)

Division IV, Region 13
CVCA (9-1) at Stuebenville (10-0)
Tusky Valley (8-2) at Canton Central Catholic (9-1)
Lake Co. Perry (9-1) at St. Vincent-St. Mary (8-2)

Division VI, Region 21
Columbiana (7-3) at Mogadore (9-1)