News and insight on high school sports
Springfield looks to finish off its surprise season with a win tonight at Ravenna.
Spartans sophomore Dillon Matthews rushed for 218 yards and four touchdowns in a 33-15 win over the visiting Coventry Comets last week.
The victory ensured Springfield’s first winning season since 1998.
The Spartans (6-3, 4-2 Portage Trail Conference Metro Division) also rely on the rushing of Zach Talbert.
{ 0 comments }
Mogadore hosts East Canton tonight knowing it has a clinched a spot in the state playoffs.
The Widlcats are currently fifth in the Division VI, Region 21 standings and are hoping to get into the top four spots and host a playoff game.
Juniors Kodey Chance and Jake McAvinew each rushed for a touchdown to help the visiting Wildcats (8-1, 5-1) to a 28-0 win over Waterloo this past week.
Mogadore senior quarterback Drew Babbitt threw two touchdown passes, one to senior Landon Trainer and one to senior Matt Traugh. Chance rushed for 105 yards on 10 carries and McAvinew gained 102 yards on 16 carries.
{ 0 comments }
Kent Roosevelt hosts Norton tonight with a chance to reach the Division II state playoffs.
Junior Evan Shimensky rushed for a 32-yard touchdown and threw an 86-yard touchdown pass to junior Nicholas Sacchini to guide the visiting Rough Riders (7-2, 4-2) over Crestwood 27-7 last week.
Sacchini also scored a touchdown by recovering a fumble in the end zone. Roosevelt sophomore Shakeel Howard contributed a rushing touchdown.
{ 0 comments }
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).
{ 0 comments }
For all of those seniors and their families who will take part in their final football game this weekend, this column by David Lee Morgan Jr. is for you.
{ 0 comments }
Garfield plays Buchtel in a highly-anticipated football showdown for the City Series title at 7 p.m. Friday at the University of Akron.
The Rams (6-3, 5-0 City Series) are coming off a 37-12 over Kenmore last week. Garfield coach Bob Sax said senior running back Tyson Gulley missed last week’s game with flu-like symptoms. Sax said other running backs stepped up last week in his absence.
“Toneo (Gulley) and Bud (Brown) both did a good job of blocking and took advantage of the few carries they got,” Sax said. “We really spread it around last week. I think they both led the team with seven carries apiece.”
Sax also credited the offensive line and he’s been pleased with the defense and how it has created turnovers.
Buchtel (6-3, 5-0) is coming off a 37-13 win over Firestone. Senior Desmond McCoy had a 65-yard interception return for a touchdown. Senior John Coleman had a 40-yard touchdown.
“Buchtel is a very good team with a lot of speed,” Sax said. “They have a lot of good players and I think Coach Powers has them playing with a lot of confidence. You can tell that the kids have bought into Coach Powers’ program.”
{ 0 comments }
The Walsh Jesuit football team plays host to Cincinnati La Salle Friday night.
Walsh will travel to play La Salle in Cincinnati in 2010, the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
{ 0 comments }
Click image for larger version
{ 0 comments }
Tom Narducci hopes to be working next week. The Hudson football coach knows that Senior Night at Dante Lavelli Field against Lakewood might be the team’s swan song. Even if the Explorers beat the Rangers, it might not be enough to get them into the playoff. Coming into the is week, Hudson sits in the eighth and final spot in Division I, Region 2.
“We need a few things to happen, like Perrysburg, Toledo St. John’s and some other teams too lose and maybe get lucky that Medina knocks off Brunswick (No. 6 in the region), which is possible because they’ve played pretty well in the second half of the year,” Narducci said.
The coach also Richie Piekarski ’s numbers are down in the passing category because of the weather.
“Of course, it will probably rain. The last four weeks have hurt Richie’s stats because we haven’t thrown with all the rain,” the coach said.
{ 0 comments }
Medina sophomore basketball standout Kenny Kaminski has reportedly been offered by Ohio State, according to JJHuddle.com’s Ohio High Magazine.
The report said Kaminski also has offers from Michigan State and Indiana.
{ 0 comments }
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.
{ 0 comments }
It is Week 10 and there is no room for bad play or flu. In many cases, it is essentially a playoff week for teams, meaning win or go home. Unlike other sports, football pairs down the number of post season schools to only one out of seven. The top eight teams in each region qualify for the playoffs with the first four teams hosting a home game. Here are some of the big games for area teams:
*Massillon (7-2) at Canton McKinley (5-4)- The Tigers sit pretty at the No. 2 spot in Division I, Region 2. McKinley, with coach Ron Johnson on the hot seat, is in the 13th spot in the region. The state’s oldest rivalry bold down to this – Massillon win ensures home field; McKinley win gives them a shot with some help, of reaching the post season.
The Bulldogs need help, such Perry upsetting GlenOak, and ditto that with Brunswick, Hudson, Sylvania Southview, Amherst Steele, and Perrysburg (7-2) to lose to Maumee (8-1), as well Toledo St. John’s to Toledo Central Catholic.
*Springfield (6-3) at Ravenna (7-2) - The Spartans have their first winning season since 1998. Though they won’t make the post season, Springfield can knock the teetering playoff hopes of Ravenna out in Division II, Region 5 with a win over the Ravens. Even if Ravenna wins, they need help in Division II, Region 5 because they are in the ninth spot coming into this week. Sitting one spot back is Walsh Jesuit, who faces Division I LaSalle, which has four wins.
*Coventry (0-10) at Field (6-3); Garfield (6-3) vs. Buchtel (6-3) at InfoCision Stadium - By losing to Ravenna, Field now sits at No. 8 in Division III, Region 9, with Bay Village one spot back. While Garfield has been mathematically eliminated from any post season hopes, they can win the City Series championship and douse Buchtel’s hopes to return to the playoffs.
{ 0 comments }
When an underdog team like Stow has a chance to shine in the spotlight of TV, it would be easy for a heavy favorite like the Twinsburg football team to let down.
But after leading at halftime 14-0, the Tigers finished off the Bulldogs, 38-0, on the FS Ohio Thursday Game of the Week.
This is a classic case of a team taking on its coach’s personality. Mark Solis gets jacked up for every game, but you would never know it during the game. Rather his kids and coaches get that message during the week and the players really enjoy playing each week and it shows.
Aaron Macer III had two touchdowns and ran for 135 yards, while defensive lineman Brandon Bucknell had a typically dominate performance. Twinsburg is 8-1 overall and 4-0 in the River Division of the Northeast Ohio Conference, clinching at least a share of the title. Last year, Twinsburg won the Lake Division title.
{ 0 comments }
Sportswriter David Lee Morgan Jr. shines the Friday Night Spotlight on the Highland at Copley High School football game.
{ 0 comments }
The Walsh Jesuit girls’ tennis team will play Columbus Academy in the Division II state team tournament Sunday at Hilliard Davidson. The winner plays either Indian Hill or Lexington. The state final will be after 1 p.m.
{ 0 comments }
Springfield heads into tonight’s Week 9 game against visiting Coventry seeking a win that will guarantee a winning season and keep alive chances of qualifying for the state playoffs.
The Spartans are looking to rebound from a 19-12 loss to host Kent Roosevelt in Week 8. The Spartans are 5-3 overall and 3-2 in the Portage Trail Conference County Division.
Springfield coach Kevin Vaughn said “John Hofer played well on defense for his first game back off of injury and Dillon Matthews also continued to produce on the offensive side of the ball.”
Matthews rushed for 124 yards on 16 carries.
Vaughn praised senior Chris Evans and junior Chase Cole for their efforts defensively.
“Evans played great against the run, and Cole put pressure on (Roosevelt quarterback Evan) Shimensky all night.”
Vaughn said Springfield sustained “some crucial injuries from last week” that will affect not only this week, but the rest of the season.
“We lost junior middle linebacker Randy Baker for the rest of the season to a knee injury,” Vaughn said. “We also lost sophomore linebacker Andrew Hofer for this week due to a head injury. We are thin at the linebacker position and now we have to resort to more two-way players.”
Vaughn said the Spartans must be more efficient offensively on third down.
Coventry is 0-8 overall and 0-5 in the PTC County, yet Vaughn still respects the Comets and does not want his team to overlook them.
“Coventry is a neighboring school district,” Vaughn said. “We know that there team is hungry for a win and will give great effort this week to achieve that goal. This is the kind of game that you can throw all the records out the window. We must stop the run on defense and play well on first and third downs on offense to beat Coventry.”
{ 0 comments }
Woodridge hosts East Canton tonight in a key Week 9 matchup with Portage Trail Conference Metro Division and state playoff ramifications.
The Bulldogs (6-2, 4-1) will look to rebound against the Hornets (5-3, 4-1) after losing last week to Rootstown 34-32.
“Another week and another quality opponent,” Woodridge coach Eric Ervin said. “East Canton has been where we want to go – they were league champs last year and made the playoffs. It’s going to be one great game come Friday night.
“They run the ball very well out of their Flexbone Jet offense and they’ve got guys who can take it to the house on any given play. They’ve got a very good quarterback (Landon Schmidt) and wide receiver (Cody Marshall) combo and they are going to be tough to beat.”
Ervin said Woodridge trailed Rootstown (5-3, 3-2) for “pretty much the entire game.” Yet the “kids never gave up and fought to the very end. We had a chance to recover the onside kick late in the game, but it didn’t work out for us.”
Ervin is hopeful that the Bulldogs defensive linemen play better tonight after struggling last week.
“One thing that really stands out from last week is the way that Rootstown pushed around our defensive front,” Ervin said. “We knew going in that they were big and physical from film, but I think their strength was one thing we did not anticipate. Being a former lineman and a line coach, I was very impressed with their front five.”
Ervin praised the efforts of two Bulldogs, in particular, Brennan Owens on defense and Anthony Kelly on offense.
{ 0 comments }
The Jackson boys’ soccer team is ranked No. 3 in this week’s Division I state soccer poll. The final regular season poll was released earlier this week.
In Division II, Revere is ranked No. 5. In Division III, CVCA is ranked No. 4.
In girls’ soccer, Walsh Jesuit is ranked No. 3 in Division I. Medina is No. 4, while Cloverleaf is No. 7.
St. Vincent-St. Mary is No. 6 in Division II.
{ 0 comments }
Jacqueline Endre
Walsh Jesuit’s Jacqueline Endre commits to Findlay
Walsh Jesuit’s Jacqueline Endre recently committed to Findlay to continue her academic and volleyball career. Here is the press release from Walsh Jesuit:
Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, October 21, 2009 — Walsh Jesuit senior Jacqueline Endre, 17, has made an oral commitment to continue her academic and athletic career with the Oilers at the University of Findlay. She will sign a National Letter of Intent in November, accepting a scholarship to join the university’s NCAA Division II volleyball program.
Jacqueline Endre
The 5-foot-4 Endre plays as a libero for the Warriors and is a three-year letter winner. She was instrumental in helping the team capture three consecutive district championships, and last season she recorded 201 digs and had a serve reception percentage of 87. In addition, she earned the team’s Unsung Warrior Award.
“Jacqui has grown and improved as a player every year,” said Missy Sturm, Walsh Jesuit’s head volleyball coach. “This season, she has shown a new confidence, as well as awesome leadership abilities. Jacqui is the vocal leader on the court and leads the team in defense and serve receive with her quickness, agility, and determination. She is so strong mentally, which enables her to work through tough situations and come out on top.”
In addition to volleyball, Endre is an outfielder for the Walsh Jesuit softball team and has participated in the school’s Christian Service Program by volunteering at an assisted living home.
Endre, who intends to major in criminal justice at the University of Findlay, resides in Chagrin Falls, Ohio. She is the daughter of Sharon Endre and Marty Endre.
{ 0 comments }
Powered by
WordPress
Entries (RSS)
and Comments (RSS).
