PTS December

OHSAA Playoffs - Regional Finals

Sports fans, we are into the third round of the 5-week OHSAA Playoffs. We are down to the Elite Eight in each division. It's trophy time as one team gets a trophy and goes home, the other gets one and advances to the Final Four. We've got some great games this weekend, so let's get to it.

Division 1 Region 1

# 3 St. Edward Eagles (12-0) vs. #1 Solon Comets (10-2) at Parma Byers Field

Another tremendous game and the third major opponent for the Eagles. QB Kevin Burke leads his multi-set offense against the sturdy defense of the Comets. St. Ed's showed they can play with speed and discipline in dispatching the Glenville Tarblooders last week 42-22. The Eagles have an all Division 1 offensive line, and Burke has tough runners in RB Terrell Bates and Reggie Terrell. Solon is led by QB/FS Chris Humphrey and RB Kyle Hammonds, who is now healthy for this round. Solon's defense has pitched four shutouts behind LB Jovon Johnson and Humphrey. Both teams are excellent on special teams and extremely disciplined. I'll take the Eagles in a nailbiter.

Division 1 Region 2 - #3 Toledo Whitmer Panthers (11-1) over #4 Toledo St. John's Jesuit Titans at BGSU Doyt Perry Stadium

Division 2 Region 5

#4 Ashland Arrows (10-2) vs. #2 Lake Catholic Cougars (11-1) at Brunswick Judy Kirsch Field

A complete contrast of styles as theArrows will put the ball in the hands of 3,000-yard passer Marcus Fuller. The Cougars will look to pound the ball with RB Richie Sanders and his 1700 yards rushing. Both teams can put points on the board, but Lake Catholic has been tougher defensively as they have given up almost a third of the amount of points that Ashland has. Something has got to give here. Ashland has victories over top-seeded Tallmadge and a tough Aurora team. The Cougars have defeated Kenston and Warren-Howland. This promises to be a great matchup. Lake Catholic won this region last year without Richie Sanders, so I anticipate them to win it with him. Lake Catholic in a close one.

Division 2 Region 6

#5 Maple Heights Mustangs (12-0) vs. #3 Olmsted Falls Bulldogs (9-3) at Baldwin-Wallace George Finnie Stadium

The immensely atheltic and speedy Mustangs take a perfect record into Finnie Stadium against the rugged Bulldogs out of the Southwest Conference. QB Shaq Washington brings his 1,7oo-plus total yards to the dance with RB Devonte Ransom's 1,600 yards, 20 TDs on one arm and WR Andre Stubbs' 12 TDs on the other. Maple Heights piled up 600+ yards last week in their win over Sandusky. The Bulldogs steamrolled into the Regional Finals defeating Maumee 56-28. Olmsted Falls' defense has given up and average of only 11 points a game. They'll need to be physical with the Mustangs provided they can catch them. The Mustangs won this region last year with the same skilled players and they are looking to repeat. Maple Heights wins to set up a rematch of last year's Final Four with Lake Catholic.

Division 3 Region 9 #6 Youngstown Cardinal Mooney Cardinals (7-4) over #4 Akron Buchtel Griffins (9-3) at Ravenna Stadium

Division 3 Region 11 - #1 Alliance Marlington Dukes (12-0) over #7 Dover Tornadoes (10-2) at Canton Fawcett Stadium

Division 4 Region 13 - #1 Akron Manchester Panthers (12-0) over #2 Chagrin Falls Tigers (11-1) at Nordonia Bill Boliantz Stadium

Divsion 5 Region 17 - #1 Youngstown Ursuline Fighting Irish (12-0) over #2 Kirtland Hornets (12-0) at Aurora Veterans Stadium

Division 6 Region 21 - #2 Mogadore Wildcats (12-0) over #5 McDonald Blue Devils (10-2)

Feel free to send your comments and predictions! Good luck to all teams

Forsythe makes it official

BRUNSWICK, OH- - It’s not every day at Brunswick High School you see an athlete go play for division one powerhouse; that’s why when senior basketball star Pat Forsythe was getting looked at by colleges such as West Virginia and Ohio State, news of it spread like wildfire through the halls. Pat committed to West Virginia a few weeks ago but his decision was made final after he signed his letter of intent on Monday. Forsythe got noticed by these big time colleges after Coach Mackey and Brent Bartchak produced a highlight video of Pat during summer workouts. The video went out and became a hit and eventually drew in college coaches such as Bob Huggins and Thad Matta. After a very exciting recruiting process, Pat chose to go play for the Mountaineers and you can bet he will have a huge fan base back here in Brunswick.

Browns vs Jets is not JUST a game

If you thought the Browns versus Jets game Sunday was just another regular season game, guess again. These two teams have more connections, than just brothers Rex and Rob Ryan.  The records are very different, but some of the players and coaches are some you might remember.  The Jets are 6-2 and the Browns are 3-5.

Now the connections.  Lets state the obvious, Head Coach Eric Mangini will be coaching against his former team. Wide receiver Braylon Edwards will be back as he has said on more than one occasion, and it will be a show.  He was the Browns first- round draft pick in 2005 and traded in 2009. Safety Brodney Pool was a second- round draft pick in 2005 and played through 2009.  Here are some Ohio State connections-  Wide receiver Santonio Holmes, Defensive end Vernon Gholston, Tight end Ben Hartsock, and Center Nick Mangold.  Linebacker Jason Taylor played at Akron.

GM Mike Tannenbaum was a player personnel assistant with the Browns in 1995.  Running Backs coach Anthony Lynn had the same position with the Browns in 2007-2008.

The series between these two teams has the Browns with a slight edge at  13-7, including playoffs.  The most reason meeting dates back to 2007 where the Browns won a thriller 24-18 in East Rutherford , N.J.

With all the hype, different connections between players, coaches, and front office personnel, this is hardly just a game.  This has all the makings of a classic, hard fought, football game.

Prediction: Browns 27 Jets 17

Game starts at 1pm at Cleveland Browns Stadium.

Information was used from the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

OHSAA Playoffs Round 2

Sports Fans, the OHSAA Regional Semifinals are set beginning tomorrow and Saturday night. These games are played at neutral sites all around the state. I'm looking forward to these matchups, and I'll try to predict the winners. The key word is try because I think I played the Homer card too much last week and got burned for it with some local teams being eliminated. We'll give it another shot this week. Those that read this, please provide your picks and analyses for this round.

Here goes nothing....

Division 1 Region 1

#4 Austintown-Fitch Falcons (10-1) vs. #1 Solon Comets (11-0) @ Warren Mollenkopf Stadium

Solon rolled over Brecksville as expected whereas the Falcons had a little more trouble with the Rebels of Willoughby South. This should be a great matchup between two physical teams. I'm going to go with Solon on this because they have proven winners in previous playoff seasons with QB Chris Humphries and RB Kyle Hammonds

#3 Lakewood St. Edward Eagles (11-0) vs. Cleveland Glenville Tarblooders (11-0) @ Parma Byers Field

This can be looked at as a possible state final matchup. St. Ed's brings tenacity, physicality, and discipline against the outworldly athletic and fast Tarblooders. Special Teams get magnified in the playoffs. Glenville will have the edge returning kicks, whereas the Eagles have an edge in punting and kicking. This should be a dogfight that goes to the end. I'll take the Eagles here.

Division 1 Region 2

#8 Medina Battling Bees (9-2) vs. #4 Toledo St. John Jesuit Titans (10-1) @ Huron Memorial Stadium

The Battling Bees pulled off one of the most stunning upsets in Medina County history coming back from a 21-0 deficit to take out the Canton McKinley Bulldogs 31-28. Justin Letts proved to be the difference coming back from his suspension when he nailed a go-ahead 31-yard field goal in the fourth. The Titans defeated the Fremont Ross Little Giants using their size and strength. Medina has the speed edge in this matchup and loads of momentum on their side. I'll take the Battling Bees in a second upset.

#7 Twinsburg Tigers (10-1) vs. #3 Toledo Whitmer Panthers (10-1) @ Ashland Community Stadium

QB Aaron Macer led the Tiger attack in scoring an overtime upset of previously undefeated Sylvania Southview. Between their explosive offense and intense defense, Mark Solis' Twinsburg team will prove to be a tough out. Toledo Whitmer defeated Massillon Washington. I'll take the Panthers here again with the caveat that I wouldn't be surprised if the Tigers won.

Division 2 Region 5

#5 Ashland Arrows (9-2) vs. #1 Tallmadge Blue Devils (11-0) @ Massillon Paul Brown Tiger Stadium

The Arrows defeated the Greenmen of Aurora while Tallmadge handled their business against Kent Roosevelt. The Blue Devils have proven to be quite a playoff team in past years when they get in. This should be a tremendous matchup between two talented teams. I'll take Tallmadge here.

#6 Warren Howland Tigers (11-0) vs. #2 Mentor Lake Catholic Cougars (10-1) @ Solon Stewart Field

The Tigers upset Copley last week while the Cougars had their way with Kenston. Richie Sanders starred on both sides of the ball in their big win and I look for more of the same. Lake Catholic takes this one.

Division 2 Region 6

#8 Sandusky Blue Streaks (7-4) vs. #5 Maple Heights Mustangs (11-0) @ Avon Lake Memorial Stadium

The Blue Streaks took down the #1 seed Avon Eagles last week behind timely defense and a tough ground game. Maple Heights ran over and around Toledo Central Catholic. Sandusky will be hard pressed to stop QB Shaq Washington, RB Devonte Ransom, and WR Andre Stubb. Maple Heights wins big.

#7 Maumee Panthers (8-3) vs. #3 Olmsted Falls Bulldogs (8-3) @ Clyde Robert Bishop Stadium

The Bulldogs were successful in defeating playoff rookie Cleveland JFK. Maumee upset host Avon Lake. I'll take Olmsted Falls to stop the Panthers

Other Local Matchups

Division 3 Region 9:

#1 Padua Franciscan Bruins (10-1) over #4 Akron Buchtel Griffins (8-3) @ Brunswick Judy Kirsch Field

#6 Youngstown Cardinal Mooney Cardinals (6-4) over #7 Akron St. Vincent St. Mary (7-4) @ Uniontown Lake Blue Streak Stadium

Division 4 Region 13

#1 Akron Manchester Panthers (11-0) over #5 Campbell Memorial Red Devils (10-1) @ Ravenna Stadium

#2 Chagrin Falls Tigers (10-1) over #6 Cortland Lakeview Bulldogs (9-2) @ Aurora Veterans Stadium

Division 4 Region 14

#1 Belleville Clear Fork Colts (10-1) over #4 Genoa Area Comets (11-0) @Tiffin Frost-Kalnow Stadium

#2 Elyria Catholic Panthers (10-1) over #3 Orrville Red Riders (8-3) @ Medina Ken Dukes Stadium

Division 5 Region 17

#1 Youngstown Ursuline Fighing Irish (11-0) over #5 Creston Norwayne Bobcats (9-2) @ Green Memorial Stadium

#3 Cuyahoga Heights Redskins (10-1) over #2 Kirtland Hornets (11-0) @ Bedford Bearcat Stadium

Division 6 Region 21

#2 Mogadore Wildcats (11-0) over #3 Thompson Ledgemont Redskins (11-0) @ Twinsburg Tiger Stadium

Good luck to all teams this weekend!

Cavaliers beat Nets 93-91.

Who thought the Cavaliers would be in first place in the Central Division?  After going on a little road trip Cleveland now has a 4-3 record first in the Central, after their 93-91 victory in NJ.  The Cavaliers found a new scoring threat to step up and lead the team to a win....  the bench.  They scored 52 points, and led the Cavs to its 3rd win in a row.  


J.J. Hickson led the Cavaliers’ balanced attack with 18 points. Ramon Sessions and Jamison each added 15 points and Daniel Gibson had 14 as Cleveland beat the Nets for the ninth straight time.  The Cavs made five of their nine three pointers in the fourth quarter when they needed it most.  Jamison took a pass from Sessions and pumped in a 3-pointer from the right wing with 2:28 to go to push the lead to 86-82.  Cleveland did not look back.  After struggling in the third quarter the Cavs bounced back, to seal the deal in the fourth.  Cleveland takes on New Jersey tomorrow night at 7pm.


Does this start surprise you?  Or do you think its to early to tell?  Email PTS at primetimesports2010@gmail.com.

OHSAA Playoffs Week 1

Sports Fans, it is Playoff Time for High School Football in the state of Ohio. Tonight, starts the 5-game second season to determine a state champion in six divisions. I have to say from experience both as a player and a coach that there is no feeling better than preparing for a state playoff game. You take extra time on every detail, run each play more, and study film constantly. Game day for a playoff game is a different feel. The butterflies in your stomach move a little quicker and you're more nervous than your first game. I wouldn't trade it for the world and I will be missing it this year as for the first time since 2000, the Brunswick Blue Devils will be sitting this postseason out.

However, there are 192 teams, 32 in each division, 8 in each region that being their title chase this weekend. Divisions II, IV, and VI begin tonight, whereas Division I, III, and V start tomorrow night. Regional Quarterfinal games are played at the higher seeds home field, with each game until the State Championship hosted at neutral sites. State Finals games are played at both Canton's Fawcett Stadium at the Pro Football Hall of Fame as well as the legendary Massillon Paul Brown Tiger Stadium. I have seen three state championship games in person: Brunswick's loss to St. Ignatius in the 1995 D-I State Championship in Massillon, Mogadore's 2002 D-VI win in Canton, and Maple Heights' loss to Cincinnati Winton Woods in last year D-II Title Game. There is an unbeliveable feeling being in the stadium for State Title game especially here in Ohio where high school football reigns supreme.

That said, I want to look at some local matchups this week and share my thoughts. For this round, I will choose selected local games. As the tournament progress, I will look at statewide matchups. And away we go.....

Division I, Region 1

#8 Brecksville-Broadview Heights Bees (7-3) @ #1 Solon Comets (10-0)

The Comets steamrolled through the Northeast Ohio Conference's Valley Division, save for a last second miracle last week against the Strongsville Mustangs. The Bees are led by Tom Tupa Jr. the son of former NFL Punter, Tom Tupa. They went 7-3 and qualified out of the Southwest Conference. I like Solon in this matchup.

#5 Willoughby South Rebels (9-1) @ #4 Austintown-Fitch Falcons (9-1)

Willoughby South runs a trememdous spread offense that has seen QB Ray Russ throw for 41 TDs. Austintown-Fitch is a qualifier from the rugged Federal League, which has mulitple playoff qualifiers. I like Willoughby to be able to outscore the Falcons and advance.

#6 Mentor Cardinals (7-3) @ #3 Lakewood St. Edward Eagles (10-0)

This is rematch of St. Ed's 35-28 win in the season opener at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Mentor won the Lake Erie League's Lake Division in their final season before heading over to the NOC Valley Division. St. Ed's went all over the state of Ohio gaining wins against Cincinatti's St. Xavier, Youngstown's Cardinal Mooney and their Holy War opponent St. Ignatius. St. Ed's is huge on the offensive line and can run and pass. Mentor continues to succeed, this year relying more on the run than in years past. It's a tough one, but I like St. Ed's here.

#7 Warren Harding Raiders (8-2) @ #2 Cleveland Glenville Tarblooders

This is an intriguing matchup. Glenville plays tough non-conference opponents in the first three weeks to make up for a softer Senate Athletic League schedule. Warren Harding competes with Mentor and other quality opponents in the LEL Lake Division. Something's gotta give when Warren Harding's consistent performances take on a Glenville team who's glided through the last 7 games. Glenville has talent oozing from all aspects of offense and defense. It will take a quarter or two for the Tarblooders to get going, but I like them to win this game over the Raiders.

Division I, Region 2

#8 Medina Battling Bees (8-2) @ #1 Canton McKinley Bulldogs (8-2)

Medina squeaked into the playoffs by defeating Medina County rival Brunswick last week 14-13. This is their second playoff berth in school history, the other year being 2006. The Battling Bees compete in the very tough NOC Valley Division and suffered setbacks only to Solon and Strongsville. Canton McKinley is coming off of a win against their rival Massillon Washington Tigers and another successful Federal League campaign. The Bulldogs are always tough in the playoffs, and I believe they will overwhelm Medina who will be getting back all-purpose threat Justin Letts for this game.

#7 Twinsburg Tigers (9-1) @ #2 Sylvania Southview Cougars (10-0)

Twinsburg won the NOC River Division, splitting with Hudson. QB Aaron Macer leads the attach going up to Lucas County to take on the undefeated Cougars. Admittedly I do not know much about Southview. I've seen Twinsburg play, but they also had a setback against Hudson. I'll go with chalk here and take the Cougars, but I wouldn't be surprised to see the Tigers win.

#6 Massillon Washington Tigers (7-3) @ #3 Toledo Whitmer Panthers (9-1)

Massillon is traditionally strong and Whitmer has been successful in recent seasons. I'll take Massillon here in an upset.

#5 Fremont Ross Little Giants (9-1)@ #4 Toledo St. John Jesuit Titans (9-1)

This should be quite the battle between these two teams. I'll take the Titans over the alma mater of former Heisman Trophy Winner Charles Woodson.

Division II, Region 5

#8 Kent Roosevelt Rough Riders (8-2) @ #1 Tallmadge Blue Devils (10-0)

The Suburban League's Tallmadge takes out the Riders at home.

#5 Aurora Greenmen (8-2) @ #4 Ashland Arrows (8-2)

Aurora brings their punishing run game against the aerial assualt of the Arrows. I like the Greenmen in an upset.

#7 Kenston Bombers (8-2) @ #2 Lake Catholic Cougars (9-1)

It's tough to bet against the Cougars, led by RB Richie Sanders. The Bombers sprung an upset in Week 10 to get in, but will not be able to do it twice in a row.

#6 Warren Howland Tigers (10-0) @ #3 Copley Indians (9-1)

The undefeated Tigers travel to the Suburban Leauge's Copley Indians. I don't know much about either team, so I like Copley here.

Division II, Region 6

#8 Sandusky Blue Streaks (6-4) @ #1 Avon Eagles (10-0)

This is a tough matchup for the Eagles, but their air attack should be able to hold off the Blue Streaks, returning to the playoffs after a long hiatus.

#7 Maumee Panthers (7-3) @ #2 Avon Lake Shoremen (8-2)

Avon Lake is the champion of the Southwest Conference and sports a rugged running game in addition to a hard-hitting defense. I like them over the Panthers.

#6 Cleveland John. F. Kennedy Eagles (7-3) @ #3 Olmsted Falls Bulldogs (7-3)

This is the Eagles' first OHSAA playoff game ever. Coming out of the Senate Athletic League, Cleveland JFK comes into this match up against the perennial power Olmsted Falls. The Bulldogs always play tough defense, and I anticipate that to end the dream season of JFK.

#5 Maple Heights Mustangs (10-0) @ #4 Toledo Central Catholic Fighting Irish (8-2)

Maple Heights returned all of their best skill players from last year's State Runner-up teams, which included a victory against the Fighting Irish in last year's Regional Semifinals. QB Shaq Washington, RB Devonte Ransom and WR Andre Stubbs roll helped the Mustangs roll through the LEL Erie Division. They haven't played the competition that Central Catholic has, but that talent can outplay most other teams. I like the Mustangs here.

Other Local Games

D3 Region 9 - #1 Padua Franciscan Bruins over #8 Hunting Valley University School Preppers

D4 Region 13 - #8 Perry Pirates over #1 Akron Manchester Panthers

#2 Chagrin Falls Tigers over #7 Garrettsville Garfield G-Men

D5 Region 17 - #2 Kirtland Hornets over #7 Independence Blue Devils

#3 Cuyahoga Heights Redskins over #6 Hanoverton United Golden Eagles

D5 Region 18 - #6 Columbia Station Columbia Raiders over #3 Hamler Patrick Henry Patriots

D6 Region 21 - #2 Mogadore Wildcats over #7 New Washington Buckeye Central Bucks

Good Luck to All Teams.Let me know what you think of the playoffs, my picks, or your favorite memory from the playoffs!

Reveling in Radio Broadcasting

Hello sports fans, my name is Ed Dick and I will be throwing in my proverbial two cents here with Rob about local high school, Cleveland, and national sports. I want to get right to it with some thought about our Cleveland sports commentators.

I read in today's Plain Dealer an article written by the well-respected Cleveland journalist Terry Pluto. The article talks about Cleveland Cavaliers radio broadcaster Joe Tait's upcoming surgery, which has been keeping Tait out of action in what is to be his final season handling the radio duties for the Cavs. It got me to thinking about what games are going to sound like without Tait broadcasting. He has been the radio voice of the Cavs my entire life, and save for one season, the entire existence of the franchise itself.

It got me to thinking about the play of Cleveland's Big Three in the 80s, Brad Daugherty, Larry Nance and Mark Price. Then you had the Gund Arena era starting with Terrell Brandon, Chris Mills, Bobby Phills (Rest in Peace) of the mid-90s, up through the much maligned Shawn Kemp years. We had our dark period in the late 90s to early 2000s with Zydrunas Illgauskas hurting his foot every season, Wrong-Way Ricky Davis fabricating triple-doubles and putting the ball in the hands of Smush Parker, Darius Miles and Lamond Murray. Finally we broke through with the LeBron Sweepstakes and enjoyed 7 tremendous seasons that saw the Cavs' first NBA Finals appearance. Through it all, there has been one constant: Joe Tait.

"(Insert Player's Name) WHAM with a right hand!", "Three-ball, GOT IT", "He hit it", and the famous "Over the timeline, into the fortcourt". These saying have been replicated but never duplicated by anyone else. When I was younger and the Cavs were on the West Coast, Joe Tait was there into the late hours of the night. Whenever I'm driving to the store or to a friend's house to watch the game, Tait was in the passenger seat. Friends of mine that are from Cleveland now living elsewhere muse about how jealous they are that we can still listen to our favorite sayings. There's one thing us Cavs fans had to look forward to each season, and that was another 82+ games of Joe Tait describing the game of basketball to us better than any other city's radio.

To us who were Cavs fans from our youth, we were raised by Joe Tait in the sports sense. Now that we are all adults, it's harder to realize that one day he'll be off the air because he's been apart of our lives for so long. Those of you who are Cleveland Indians fans may feel the same way about Tribe radio broadcaster Tom Hamilton, and the late Nev Chandler who was the Browns' radio broadcaster in the late 80s. I was a very young Browns fan at the time, but I still remember his trademark "To the ten, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, Touchdown Browns!" My grandfather would turn down the TV so we could listen to Chandler describe what we were watching.

You feel a better sense of loyalty to radio broadcasters because they are always available. Some games are not televised, so you don't have much of a choice but to listen to the radio. It's up to the radio broadcaster to paint that sweet scene of the sports venue, to the colors and trim of the players' uniforms, even describing which side a team is moving based on your radio dial. You always know the score and the time, as well as random stats that fill slow spots in the game. And we in Cleveland have been lucky enough to enjoy the best of the best with Joe Tait.

The Cavs have been covered on the radio thus far with Mike Snyder and former center Jim Chones. They have done a good job, but it's not what I'm used to hearing. However, I believe it is better that we get a taste of life without Tait now before he's actually gone. When he hopefully returns from a successful surgery, we'll be able to take it in for one last time. We'll be able to say our last goodbyes to him like he will to us and provide us with our closure. As is the case with most good things in life, never take anything for granted.

In the final words of the Cavs postgame radio show, I close with Tait's final line: "Have a good night, Everybody."