Good news for parents and players at Stow High School. While the field itself is not in good condition, athletic director Cyle Feldman said the Bulldogs will host rival Cuyahoga Falls Friday night as scheduled.

“We have rescheduled 15 events because the field was in poor shape. But we talked to parents, looked at the forecast this week and we decided to keep it here,” Feldman said. “It wasn’t an easy decision. You have band parents, football parents, senior band and football parents concerned here because it is Seniior Night. The players weren’t as worried about it.”

Feldman said if the game had moved, it would have been played at Kent State University’s Dix Stadium. He added that Stow is talking to neighbor Kent Roosevelt about playing each other two straight years at Dix Stadium.

“We would split the costs and the revenue 50-50,” Feldman said.

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!

Stow coach Marty Tinkler says it simply.

“We just a need break; a big break,” Tinkler said. “The kids are doing everything they can to get better; they are practicing and preparing as hard as they can.”

The Bulldogs are facing the probability of not having starting quarterback Duane Mitchell and tailback Jon Markulis again Friday night against Lakewood. Both missed last week’s 14-7 Homecoming loss  against Hudson with injuries.

“It was 0-0 at halftime, then 14-0 going into the fourth quarter. We scored with three minutes left and we had a chance if we get the onside kick. We didn’t, but at least we were in position to have the shot,” Tinkler said.

It has not been an easy season for Marty Tinkler. The Stow football coach is hoping his 0-5 team can recover from its latest loss, a 27-14 setback to Garfield Heights (4-1) and knock off invading Hudson (4-1), which suffered its first defeat of the season, 28-14, to undefeated Solon.

“Obviously, you never think about being 0-5 despite our schedule. Its our Homecoming came and we’ve played with them the last two years, winning at home two years ago and we lost a good game at their place last year,” Tinkler says.

The coach hopes that injury-plagued senior running back Jon Markulis is finally on a roll, having rushed for over 300 yards the past two games.

Stow football coach Marty Tinkler is a realist.

The Bulldogs lost Friday night to Massillon, 31-14, though they were tied at 7  in the first half.

“We were outmatched, but we played hard and fought the best we could,” Tinkler says.

Including the loss to Massillon, the Bulldogs have lost their three games to unbeaten teams. Stow lost its opener to Wadsworth (21-7) and Kent Roosevelt (21-17). Friday the Bulldogs are at Medina, which is 1-2.

Good news for Stow fans – tailback John Markulis played about a dozen plays against the Tigers and should get more playing time this week.

Marty Tinkler says he sees nothing but positive things coming from hosting Massillon Friday night at Stow.

“Certainly financially this helps the program with a big crowd. It also helps us increase the profile of the program,” said the Bulldog coach. “If you want to be the best, you have to play the best.”

The Bulldogs (0-2) are coming off a 21-17 loss to Kent Roosevelt.

“We played much better than we did in the loss to Wadsworth. That opening game was screwy with all those delays,” Tinkler says. “We led 7-0 early and 17-14 in the fourth quarter.”

Tinkler said John Markulis, senior running back-defensive back, might play. That will be a game time decision.

Believe it or not, opening night is Friday, except for Twinsburg, which won Thursday night. Here are some thoughts from the coaches and some numbers to ponder…

Cuyahoga Falls (2-8)

Second-year coach Mike Miller wants his more experienced Black Tigers to show improvement this season.

“The biggest difference for us there is a lot more confidence and offensively the kids know the system. Everyone knows what to expect, from the players to the coaches,” Miller says. “The big thing is nerves for both teams. The kids will be jacked up on both sides, so the first half will be important.”

The Black Tigers had a good first half in their opener last year at Boardman, but the Spartans throttled them in the second half for a 43-0 win.

Friday Falls opens at Barberton, renewing an old rivalry. The squads have not faced each other since they played in 2004 in the Western Reserve Conference.

“The have two kids being offered scholarships to Ohio University, one of them is  that good quarterback Kyle Snyder. I think we are ready,” Miller says.

That was the  Magics last winning season (7-3). Barberton won that last meeting, 24-7.  The Magic lost their opener last year at Perry, 48-17.

Hudson (5-5) and Medina (4-6)

Hudson coach Tom Narducci has an easy way to look at a season opener.

“It is like going on a blind date – you don’t know what you are going to get until you get there,” the Explorer coach says.

Last year, the Explorers won the opener at Medina, 38-16. Both teams looked to be improved this year as they open Friday at Dante Lavelli Stadium. Hudson won its scrimmage playing a half and another series against Copley, 14-10.

“It was pretty vanilla. The good thing is we were down 10-0 and a returning players kept cool and helped us come back. But you never know. Medina’s j.v. team beat us the last two year, so that’s a concern,” Narducci says. ”We are pretty good health  except for our offensive tackle Tim Pallay might miss the game.”

Medina has some players banged up, two in the secondary. Having missed a lot of time in preseason, returning starters Jeremy Stich, a cornerback, and Brandon O’Connor, a safety, are not expected to play the entire game.

“They just have not gotten enough reps in practice because of their injuries,” says Medina coach Greg Reed.”Our starting inside linebacker Connor McBride is questionable.”

There is reason for optimism at the Hive. Seven starters return on defense and the Battling Bees won the half scrimmage against North Olmsted, 7-6.

Medina has long been the school no one understands why it struggles so much in football, being a school that has over 2,400 students. The Battling Bees lone playoff appearance was in 2006, their last winning season (7-3). That lone game was a 34-20 loss to then Pioneer Conference and now Valley Division rival Brunswick, 34-20.

Nordonia (7-4)

Al Huge’s first year at Nordonia after replacing Jason Hall, who replaced Keith Boedicker for one season before going to Massillon, was certainly successful. The Knights got off to a good start with a win over visiting Tallmadge (9-4, 5-2), 28-7. It’s Nordonia turn to travel to Thomas Rossiaky Field to face the Blue Devils, which since 2004, its first ever playoff appearance) has become a perennial playoff team. 

The coach came away from the Knights final sscrimmage with Highland in a good frame of mind, despite losing in the one half of actual scrimmage action 18-14.

“We played very well except for giving up a couple of touchdown in 1:05. It’s nothing we can’t clean up,” Huge says.

The Knight are quite healthy with one exception. Defensive lineman Aaron Highberger has missed a lot of preseason action because of mono.

Tallmadge under coach Joe Vassalotti who grew up in the city, won the Suburban League from ‘04 to ‘07, reaching the playoff each of those seasons in addition to last year, despite a 3-3 start. The Blue Devils are in rebuilding mode after graduating virtually the entire team.

Stow (4-6)

 The Bulldogs won their season opener against Kenmore (3-7), 31-0.  This year should be a much tougher challenge, as Stow opens at Wadsworth (5-5), which normally is good for 2-1 or 3-0 starts its three independent games each year. The Grizzlies started 2008 season with a 35-19 win over Wooster (6-4). The bolstered opening game as part of a long term strategy. 

“In 2007,  we had  7-3 record, but that was only good to finish 10th in our region. Beating a team with a good record can be the difference between being third in a region or making the playoffs at all,” says Bulldog coach Marty Tinkler. “For me, openers are always an unknown. You always want to be in control and since we have not played Wadsworth before you have to rely on the two tapes of the scrimmages we saw.”

The Bulldogs are in pretty good health with one exception – senior tailback Jordan Markulis hurt his hamstring and will likely not play in the opener. 

The idea of a super or mega conference was first concocted five years ago, football being the driving force. The idea was to bring together two of the top conferences, the Pioneer and Western Reserve, along with two schools from the Lake Erie League, Lakewood and Garfield Heights to form the 18-team Northeast Ohio Conference. The NOC would have three divisions, each with six teams. Play would begin in the 2007-08 school year.

Check.

The Valley Division would have the best schools, the River would contain  the middle of the pack and the Lake the struggling programs.

Check.

The principals that  formulated the plan added a new twist. Each sport would would be aligned in the fashion. That would mean a school like Cuyahoga Falls would be in the Valley Division for baseball, its best sport, the River for swimming and diving, and the Lake for football.

Huh?

If you are confused, you are not alone, Coaches sometimes aren’t sure which division they are in or the name of the division.

Now after two years of play, the NOC made realignments in each of the sports. Here’s the breakdown for the fall:

In football, Nordonia and Mayfield moved up to the Valley Division from the River to join Brunswick, Medina, Solon and Strongsville. Twinsburg, which was the Lake Division champion, moves up to the River to join Hudson, Cuyahoga Falls and Stow. Also coming into the River are Elyria and Lakewood, which drops down from the Valley.

Check.

Now for the rest of the fall sports, let’s go by school.

Cuyahoga Falls is in the River for cross country, girls tennis, boys and girls golf, boys and girls soccer. The lone exception is volleyball, where the Black Tigers are in the Lake.

Hudson and Twinsburg are the most confusing. The Explorers are in the Valley for cross country, girls golf and tennis, boys and girls soccer while volleyball is in the Lake and boys golf  is in the River. The Tigers are in the River for cross country, girls golf, girls soccer, while girls tennis, volleyball, girls is in the Lake, with boys soccer  in the Valley.

Medina is easiest to remember, as it is in the Valley for all fall sports.

Nordonia is in the River for cross country, boys and girls golf, and in the Lake for girls tennis, volleyball and boys and girls soccer.

Stow is in the River Division except for two in the Valley – girls tennis and volleyball.

So this is the way these sports are aligned for this season and next. Of course, if two schools opt to flip flop divisions, as Twinsburg and Garfield Heights did in girls basketball and wrestling last year, then it could change.

Now, was that so confusing?

Here is a list of 2009 Football Recruiting Classes for the University of Akron, Kent State, Ohio State and other local high school players that signed with other schools.

NOTE: This information was obtained from high schools and colleges in person or via e-mail, fax, mail, etc. There will be additional local players that will sign at a later date.

UA, KSU & OSU 2009 FOOTBALL CLASSES:

AKRON (24) — Bill Alexander, 5-10, 165, DB, Whigham, Ga.; Broderick Alexander, 6-2, 215, RB, Covington, Ga.; David Anderson, 6-2, 220, LB, Cincinnati; Jake Brandt, 6-6, 255, OL, Bexley, Ohio; Josh Couch, 6-3, 220, P, Carlisle, Ohio; Jake Delmonico, 5-11, 175, DB, Beaver Falls, Pa.; Jerrod Dillard, 6-5, 190, WR, Adrian, Mich.; Blake Fraley, 6-1, 225, LB, Hilliard, Ohio; Dee Friesen, 5-9, 165, WR, Jacksonville, Fla.; Randy Greenwood, 5-11, 180, WR, Fairport Harbor, Ohio; Chris Henderson, 6-2, 325, DL, Harrisburg, Pa.; Abdullah Homayed, 6-4, 235, DL, Dearborn, Mich.; Jordan Houser, 5-11, 180, DB, Fairborn, Ohio; Jeremy LaFrance (Jr.), 6-1, 200, WR, New Orleans; Anthony Meriwether, 6-2, 190, WR, Cleveland; Patrick Nicely, 6-4, 220, QB, Willoughby; Joe Petrides, 6-6, 255, OL, Baltimore; Nolan Procter, 5-9, 170, WR, Southfield, Mich.; Jon Root, 6-6, 225, TE, Fairview, Pa.; Adam Steiner, 6-2, 215, LS, Canton (GlenOak); Phil Tonga (Jr.), 6-4, 275, DL, Torrance, Calif.; Joe Vidovic, 6-6, 265, OL, Willoughby; Diamond Weaver (Jr.), 5-10, 180, DB, Mobile, Ala.; Grant Williams, 6-5, 220, TE, Louisville, Ky.

KENT STATE (22) — Dri Archer, 5-7, 155, RB, Laurel, Fla.; Tyler Arend, 6-5, 295, OL, Paulding, Ohio; Luke Batton, 6-0, 200, LB, Macedonia (Nordonia); Anthony Bowman, 5-10, 168, ATH/RB, Detroit, Mich.; Dana Brown, 6-1, 265, DL, McKeesport, Pa.; Ed Cazenave, 6-2, 180, WR, Dallas, Ga.; Freddy Cortez, 6-0, 200, PK, Fort Meade, Fla.; Mike Daniels, 6-0, 195, DB, Greenville, N.C.; Jake Dooley, 6-2, 215, LB, Mason, Ohio; Zack Gonosz, 5-10, 185, S, Dallas, Ga.; Tyshon Goode, 6-1, 185, WR, Syracuse, N.Y.; Danny Gress, 6-1, 220, LB, Englewood, Ohio; DeVonte’ Helms, 6-3, 260, DL, Waldorf, Md.; Garrick Piggott, 6-1, 200, DB, Williamsburg, Va.; Max Plunkett, 6-8, 305, OL, Dayton; Darius Polk, 6-0, 180, DB, Lynchburg, Va.; Fabrice Pratt, 6-2, 180, DB, Miami; C.J. Steward, 6-1, 215, LB, Jacksonville, Fla.; Bryan Wagner, 6-5, 290, TE, Mantua (Crestwood); Jeff Walker, 6-5, 200, WR, Akron (Coventry); Kent Walker, 6-2, 235, LB, Kittanning, Pa.; Brian Winters, 6-5, 320, OL, Hudson (Hudson).

OHIO STATE (25) — C.J. Barnett, 6-1, 180, DB, Clayton, Ohio; Dorian Bell, 6-2, 220, LB, Monroeville, Pa.; Adam Bellamy, 6-4, 275, OL, Aurora (Aurora); Jaamal Berry, 5-10, 185, RB, Miami; Zach Boren, 6-1, 245, LB, Pickerington, Ohio; Corey Brown, 6-1, 190, ATH, Monroeville, Pa.; Duron Carter, 6-3, 185, WR, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.; Dominic Clarke, 5-10, 170, DB, Frederick, Md.; Melvin Fellows, 6-5, 255, DT, Garfield Heights; Chris Fields, 6-1, 180, WR, Painesville; Reid Fragel, 6-8, 258, TE, Grosse Pte., Mich.; Kenny Guiton, 6-2, 182, QB, Aldine, Texas; Jordan Hall, 5-11, 190, RB, Jeannette, Pa.; Marcus Hall, 6-6, 300, OL, Cleveland; Adam Homan, 6-2, 230, LB, Coldwater, Ohio; Carlos Hyde, 6-1, 235, RB, Naples, Fla.; James Jackson, 6-0, 175, WR, Grand Ledge, Mich.; Storm Klein, 6-2, 225, LB, Newark, Ohio; Corey Linsley, 6-4, 285, OL, Youngstown; Sam Longo, 6-5, 270, OL, Bellbrook, Ohio; Jack Mewhort, 6-6, 285, OL, Toledo; Jonathan Newsome, 6-3, 230, LB, Cleveland; John Simon, 6-3, 265, DT, Youngstown; Jordan Whiting, 6-1, 230, LB, Louisville, Ky.; Jamie Wood, 6-2, 185, ATH, Pickerington.

OTHER LOCAL FOOTBALL PLAYERS THAT SIGNED:

ASHLAND — Anthony Capasso, 5-11, 197, Soph. WR, Lakewood, (Kent State transfer); Cooper Ivan, 5-8, 171, DB, Massillon (Washington); Keith Dingler, 6-3, 260, OL, Massillon (Washington); David Lee, 5-7, 165, DB, Akron (St. Vincent-St. Mary); Matt Rose, 6-2, 250, DL, Canton (Massillon Washington); Ethan Scott, 5-9, 185, DB, Akron (Archbishop Hoban); Andrew Volcheck, 5-10, 210, LB/DB, Tallmadge (Archbishop Hoban).

BALL STATE — Armand Dehaney, 5-9, 178, WR/DB, Maple Heights (Walsh Jesuit).

BOWLING GREEN — John Pettigrew, 5-10, 185, RB, Maple Heights (Cuyahoga Valley Christian
Academy); Alex Thomas, 6-2, 218, LB, Stow (Stow-Munroe Falls).

FINDLAY — Monterae Williams, 5-9, 185, RB, Canton (McKinley).

INDIANA — Pat McShane, 6-5, 290, OL/DT, Stow (Walsh Jesuit).

INDIANA UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA — Cory Lanterman, 6-1, 180, WR, (Streetsboro).

MIAMI (OHIO) — Brian Slack, 6-5, 228, TE-DL, Akron (Archbishop Hoban).

MICHIGAN — Justin “J.T.” Turner, 6-2, 185, CB-RB, Massillon (Washington).

MICHIGAN STATE — Nate Klatt, 6-4, 280, C, Canal Fulton (Northwest).

MILFORD ACADEMY — Mikey Bickley, 6-0, 170, WR, Akron (East); Jackie Adams, 6-1, 195 RB/LB, Akron (East).

NORTHWESTERN — Brian Smith, 6-8, 295, OL/DT, Medina (Walsh Jesuit).

OHIO DOMINICAN — Jon Haught, 5-11, 220, LB/RB, Cuyahoga Falls (Walsh Jesuit); Garrett Wilcox, 6-3, 225, LB, Streetsboro (St. Vincent-St. Mary).

ROBERT MORRIS — Matt Gavin, 5-10, 160 CB, Akron (East).

WALSH — Jesse Mason, 6-2, 190, QB, (Green); Dominic Williams, 5-9, 186, DB/RB, Akron (Archbishop Hoban).

WEST VIRGINIA — Chris Snook, 6-2, 220, FB-LB, Medina (Highland).

YOUNGSTOWN STATE — Theo Barnes, 6-3, 240, DL, Akron (Archbishop Hoban); Conner Seeman, 6-4, 250, TE, (Copley).

ARCHBISHOP HOBAN (20-4, 13-1 North Coast League)
Seniors Rachel Tecca, Nikki D’Amico and Brittany Brown return to lead the Knights, the defending NCL champions and a program that has made the Division II regional tournament three out of the past four seasons under coach Tracy Miller. Tecca, a 6-foot-1 forward and University of Akron recruit, averaged around 20 points and 10 rebounds last season. D’Amico, a guard, and Brown, a forward, also will play integral parts along with junior point guard Taneka Lewis, junior forward Krissy Sokol and sophomore guard Grace Foote.

CLOVERLEAF (8-13, 5-9 Suburban League)
• Coach John Carmigiano expects the Colts to be much improved this season with three returning starters and a transfer. Senior starters Brittani Pekar (10.7 points, 7.2 rebounds), Candace Andel (10.1 points) and Kayla Henry are back, and 6-foot-3 junior center Brooke Forsythe, formerly of Brunswick, is another pivotal player. Sophomore guard Sarah Schleich and senior forward Caitie Coughlin also return.

COPLEY (13-7, 10-4 Suburban League)
• The senior tandem of Beth Mantkowski and Brittany Powell will guide the Indians this season. Mantkowski, a 6-foot-2 center, averaged about 16 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks last season and has committed to Ashland University. Powell, a 5-foot-7 guard and Gannon University recruit, averaged about 14 points and five rebounds. Sophomore 6-foot guard Taylor Reif will also be a key contributor after averaging 9.6 points and 4.2 rebounds last season.

CUYAHOGA VALLEY CHRISTIAN ACADEMY (15-6, 9-3 PAC-7)
• The Royals will look to improve upon last season’s second-place finish in the PAC-7. Seniors Jeanette Pettigrew, Alyssa Presley, Melissa Knepper, Jessica Glenn and Victoria Risenhoover and junior Turea Moore provide an experienced foundation for CVCA coach Bill Stalnaker to work with. Defending PAC-7 champion Manchester (18-5, 12-0) will still be a formidable opponent with senior guard Lexis Staubs returning.

FIELD (18-5, 11-3 Portage Trail Conference Metro Division)
• Senior Traci Vandegrift returns to lead the Falcons. Vandegrift, a 6-foot center and Albany recruit for volleyball, gives Field a presence in the lane with her skill set and athleticism. Juniors Lauren Feciuch, Arielle Kenyon and Tabitha Murray are also back for coach Jeff Kidd, along with sophomores Hanna Mueller and Emily Ulrich. Field is seeking to dethrone defending PTC Metro champion Southeast, which posted a 20-0 regular-season record last season, but lost several players to graduation. Southeast does return senior Mya Levels, a 6-foot-2 forward and UNC-Wilmington recruit who averaged nearly 19 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks last season.

FIRESTONE (10-10, 8-4 City Series)
• The Falcons will look to challenge for the City title with senior guards Danielle Thomas, Jaysha Russell and Dominique Echols playing prominent roles for coach Audley McGill. Thomas averaged about six points and seven rebounds last season. Russell did not play for Firestone last season, but she contributed around 15 points per game for the Falcons as a sophomore.

GREEN (20-4, 11-3 Suburban League)
• Sophomore Logan Pastor and junior Deanna Wheeler return to lead the Bulldogs under the guidance of coach Tony Whitmer. Pastor and Wheeler, 5-foot-10 and 5-foot-8, respectively, each averaged around 10 points last season. Juniors Selana Reale and Kelsey Corle will also be counted on for production, along with senior Tiffany Henley and freshman Lydia Corle.

HUDSON (12-10, 5-5 Northeast Ohio Conference Valley Division)
• The Explorers are hoping to emerge in the NOC this season with seniors Jennifer Lawson and Hannah Jones leading the attack under coach Dennis Lawler. Lawson, a 6-foot-1 forward, averaged 12.1 points and 9.9 rebounds last season. Jones, a 6-foot-4 center and Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne recruit, posted 6.5 points and 5.5 rebounds. That duo will be accompanied by sophomore guard Jessica Monsman, senior guard Emily Griffiths and junior Lindley Hill.

KENMORE (22-3, 13-0 City Series)
• Senior 5-foot-8 point guard Andola Dortch returns to lead the Cardinals, the defending City Series champions under coach Yontami Jones. Dortch, a University of Toledo recruit, uses her skill and quickness to be a prolific scorer. She will be joined by senior forward Scharlawn Hubbard, junior forward Courtney Palmer, junior guard Shanequa Williams and sophomore guard Markayla Powers. Kenmore reached the Division I Regional semifinal last season.

LAKE (15-7, 5-5 Federal League)
• Senior Lauren Myers returns to give the Blue Streaks an effective shooter from long range. Myers, a 5-foot-10 guard and Wheeling Jesuit recruit, averaged 14.6 points last season. Seniors Jordan Jenkins, Dana Brown, Cindy Netti, Kelly Vigars and Jessica Saporito are also back for coach Thom Grubb. Jenkins is a Tiffin University recruit.

LOUISVILLE (18-4, 13-1 Northeastern Buckeye Conference)
• Juniors Jessica Lairson and Erin Thornton will be key players for the Leopards under first-year coach Garee McCully. Lairson averaged 11.9 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.4 steals last season. Sophomore Desi Givens and freshman Brianna Libertore should also be vital players for Louisville, which shared the NBC title with rival Northwest last season.

MOGADORE (13-7, 10-4 Portage Trail Conference County Division)
• The Wildcats will rely heavily on the production of junior guards Jordan Poth and Amanda Sidwell and sophomore center Presley Destro. That scoring trio should make coach George Tompkins happy and give opponents’ defenses trouble all season.

NORTH CANTON HOOVER (20-3, 10-0 Federal League)
• Senior Jessica Carpenter returns to lead the Vikings, who must reload after the graduation of frontline standouts Brittany Orban (Northwestern) and Kyle Baumgartner (University of Akron). Carpenter, a 5-foot-8 guard and Baldwin Wallace signee, averaged 11.1 points for the Federal League champions last season. Coach Paul Wackerly will also have the luxury of having seniors Leah Gibson and Eleni Bourlas back with juniors Allison Peare and Alyssa Chovan. Senior guard Erica Iafelice is expected to return this season after a back injury.

NORTHWEST (21-3, 13-1 Northeastern Buckeye Conference)
• Junior 6-foot forward Dakota Harkins is expected to be the Indians’ top player under the tutelage of coach John Martin. Seniors Rachel Miller, Candace Gemma and Erika Stach will be counted on for leadership and production. Sophomore Jessica Wormald also returns for Northwest, which shared the NBC title with rival Louisville last season. Martin is also counting on a few other sophomores and freshmen to emerge on the varsity team as the season progresses to soften the loss of junior Tabatha McKinney, who transferred to Canton South.

RAVENNA (14-8, 10-4 Portage Trail Conference Metro Division)
• Junior guard Lauren Tilden returns to lead the Ravens and is one of the most dangerous 3-point shooters in the area. Junior forwards Chanel Berry, Kayla Plaso and Dannielle Boyce will figure prominently for Ravenna, along with senior forward Lauren Flarida. Coach Rod Chlysta said the rotation is in flux due to depth and competition, and that freshmen could emerge into larger roles as the season progresses.

ST. VINCENT-ST. MARY (9-11)
• The Fighting Irish will be led by three seniors; Jessica Bridenthal, Jill Brownfield and Amanda Olszewski. Bridenthal, a 6-foot-1 forward-center, averaged 10.5 points and 5.9 rebounds last season and has committed to Ashland University. Sophomore Maria Arnone also returns for coach Joe Jakubick, a former University of Akron player.

STOW (12-11, 5-5 Northeast Ohio Conference Valley Division)
• The Bulldogs return three starters — senior forward Kelsey MacWherter, senior guard Dana Cummins and sophomore guard Sarah Parsons — under coach Bob Podges. MacWherter and Cummins each averaged nearly 10 points last season. Junior forward Sonya Istocka should also be a major contributor for Stow.

TWINSBURG (20-2, 10-0 Northeast Ohio Conference Lake Division)
• Senior Rachel Peelman, a 5-foot-8 forward, is a solid defender, and 5-foot-3 senior Katie Whittington is a steady point guard for the Tigers. That tandem will lead the Tigers, along with Lauren Macer, for coach Mike Kelley. Malina Howard and LaShawna Gatewood are two highly touted freshmen that should figure into Twinsburg’s plans.

WADSWORTH (17-6, 12-2 Suburban League)
• Senior Lindsay Tenyak, a 5-foot-9 senior guard, will step into a more prominent role this season for the Grizzlies. Tenyak helped Wadsworth win the Suburban League title last season by averaging about eight points and 4.5 rebounds. Coach Andrew Booth is also counting on senior Kate Macko, sophomores Robyn Rotterschmidt and Taylor Woods, juniors Kristen O’Brien and Sam Gearhart and freshman Christy Cingel. Cloverleaf, Copley, Green and Tallmadge will attempt to dethrone Wadsworth in the Suburban League.

WALSH JESUIT (19-5)
• The Warriors will be led by senior Amy Gardner, a 5-foot-10 senior guard and University at Buffalo recruit. Gardner averaged 13.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.2 steals last season. Claire Lysaght and Kendra Simmons are senior tri-captains with Gardner. Coach Pete Zaccari is also relying on junior Nneka Offodile, freshman Rachel Theriot and juniors Cheryl Yu and Sarah Sureck to produce on the court.

— Michael Beaven