Mangini: Stay or Go?

I hope everyone had a great Christmas and I hope the New Year begins even better. This post I usually talk about the last Browns game, but today, I figured I would throw in my two cents on the hottest topic in Cleveland.

First let me begin by saying that I do not want to go through another coaching change. As a Browns fan, I am tired of going through the rebuilding process every two to three years. This time is different. The rebuilding began last year when Mike Holmgren, Tom Heckert, and gang joined the Browns. Everyone thought Mangini was done for, but to the surprise of everyone, Holmgren decided to keep Mangini for another season. As this season draws to a close and another 5-11 record becoming a real possibility, it looks as though Eric Mangini's time as Browns Head Coach will end.

From the beginning, many wondered if it would work between Holmgren and Mangini. They're philosophy's are different. They are from different coaching tree's. It's like putting a square peg in a round hole. It just doesn't fit. Mangini is not Holmgren's "guy" and because of the disappointing end to this season, it looks like Holmgren's "guy" will be here in 2011.

Who will it be? I'm hearing names like Jon Gruden, John Fox, and even Holmgren himself. I am also hearing rumors of the Browns looking at former Vikings Head Coach Brad Childress, as the Offensive Coordinator. Has the decision been made yet? Only Holmgren knows and I have a feeling that we will not hear anything for atleast a week from now so let's stop speculating for now.

Again, nobody really knows if Mangini is staying or going. Maybe Holmgren doesn't even know. I just think that this past year was an audition for Mangini to see how well he can do. Although he has done alot of good things this year, I just don't think he has done enough to persuade Holmgren to keep his job.

An Exciting Home Victory

BRUNSWICK, OH- - After a very tough road schedule to start the season off that included a trip to New York and a rivalry game at Medina, the Blue Devils finally played in front of a their home crowd. They took on North Olmsted (3-2) and battled till the final seconds to get the 55-51 victory. Senior Matt Dunning said, “You always look forward to playing home games, the crowed was great and it was a good win for us.”

Brunswick started off the game with a 13-4 run and they controlled the tempo for the majority of this matchup. They lead 30-21 at the half and the second half of this game was exciting to watch for the home crowd. North Olmsted kept chipping away at the lead and tied the game up at 45 with 5:32 remaining in the 4th quarter. Then North Olmsted took the lead but that wouldn’t last long because freshman Ryan Badowski knocked down a 3 with 3:20 left on the clock to give Brunswick a one point advantage. The Eagles would again take a short one point lead until Pat Forsythe went in for a layup, made the shot and was also fouled. Forsythe hit his free-throw and this put the Blue Devils up by 2 with 40.5 seconds remaining.

On the Eagles' next possession, Brunswick came up with a huge steal and Dunning received the ball and was fouled right away. With two free-throws coming, Dunning had the chance to seal up the game and that is exactly what he did. He knocked down both shots to give the Blue Devils a 55-51 lead and the victory. “I knew I was going to make them the whole time,” said Dunning, “You got to have confidence; I knew they were going in.”

With this victory the Blue Devils improve to 4-2 on the season. The next game for Brunswick will be at home for the Holiday Hoops Classic on December 28th. The Varsity team plays Chaney High School at 7:30 but come out to watch the JV team play at 4:30.

Stats:
Badowski 5-0-14, Dunning 3-4-13, Forsythe 10-4-24, Hartill 0-1-1, Wheeler 1-0-3

JV Score:
Brunswick won 65-12

Article By: Brent Bartchak

Monday Thoughts (Tuesday Edition)

If we thought things didn't look good for Eric Mangini after the loss to Buffalo, how do you think they look now? With the loss to the Bengals, the Browns could be looking at a our game losing streak to end the season which means Coach will be looking for a job. I am not going to get into all the coaching stuff now. Mangini is the Head Coach now and we will leave it at that.

What I liked...

- The first drive. Colt McCoy looked pretty sharp in his first drive back as starter. The Bengals helped with some penalties, but the TD catch and throw from McCoy to Robert Royal, yes that Robert Royal was fancy.

- No turnovers. Usually when you have no turnovers, you win the game. Colt McCoy made some good decisions. He got lucky on a couple screen passes, but you will have that from a rookie. The Hill-Train also did a very good job keeping the ball tucked.

- We have a Brian Robiskie sighting. How nice was it to see the young receiver go out and catch eight passes for 82 yards, not to mention a 46 yard touchdown reception. He definitely needed to have a game like that to boost his confidence.

What I didn't like...

- The run defense. Holy Cow Gents! You really gave up 188 yards rushing to the Bengals? The Browns defense, especially the front seven played soft. You can't expect to win when you get man handled like that. Word is the Mangini was not happy with Rob Ryan and took over play calling duties on defense.

- Brian Dabol. I don't want to pile on the guy but this offense is terrible. They play not to lose the game. Sure on the first drive they did great. They were creative. They called plays that made it seem the Browns were going after it. After the first drive, snooze fest. They lack the killer instinct on offense.

- Josh Cribbs. The man is not 100%. He does virtually nothing on returns and even more of nothing on offense. Again, I have to assume his foot is still bothering him. He is a tough guy, but there come a time when you hurt a team more than you help. Are we at that point with Cribbs?

Who I got on Monday Night...

Bears 40 Vikings 14 (I feel good about this one!!)

Brunswick Weekend Recap

The Blue Devils Friday matchup at Medina was a much anticipated game after the Bees beat Brunswick twice last season and the Blue Devils were looking for some revenge. Not only was this a great conference matchup, but it was a chance for fans to watch two division one recruits battle it out on the hardwood. Those two athletes that drew the fans in were Brunswick’s Pat Forsythe (committed to West Virginia) and Medina’s Kenny Kaminski (recruited by Michigan State). Although Forsythe almost had a triple double with 13 points, 10 rebounds and 8 blocks, the Bees (2-0, 1-0) battled for a dominating 61-37 victory over the Blue Devils. Brunswick couldn’t set their own tempo and the Bee’s took advantage of the Blue Devils young guards by trapping them before they could reach half court and this lead to 18 turnovers.

Brunswick would not have to wait long to bounce back after their loss to Medina as they had a game Saturday evening against Triway (2-3) at the Steve Smith WQKT Holiday Hoops Classic. The Blue Devils got off to an early start as Forsythe got a quick bucket right off the start. He went onto score 10 of the teams 16 points in the first quarter. Brunswick played a great first half and lead 39-18 at halftime. Sophomore Kyle Wheeler looked unstoppable behind the 3-point line and finished the night with 15 points. The Blue Devils would not look back after halftime and cruised to 61-49 victory. Forsythe was dominating on both sides of the ball and finished with 29 points, 16 rebounds and 11 blocks, receiving the triple double and most importantly the victory.

After this weekend’s play, the Blue Devils are now 3-2 on this young season but fall to 0-1in the conference.

UPCOMING GAMES:
· 12/21/10 Home Against North Olmsted 7:30pm
· 12/28/10 Home for the Holiday Hoops Classic 6:00pm
Avon Lake and Solon
· 12/28/10 Home for the Holiday Hoops Classic 7:30pm
Brunswick and Chaney
· 12/29/10 Home for the Holiday Hoops Classic 6:00pm
Brunswick, Avon Lake, Chaney, Solon

Article By: Brent Bartchak

Week 14- "Battle of Ohio"

I usually do this Preview blog on Fridays, but I needed some more time to think about this one. It's sad because I shouldn't have to think about it. Before last weeks lost to the Bills, the Browns were still in the mix to capture the final playoff spot in the AFC. Now, here we are again not in the playoffs and fans are starting to talk coach change again (sigh). The coach talk can wait to the off-season, lets talk Browns and Bengals.

Much to the surprise of everyone, Eric Mangini made Colt McCoy the starter for the rest of the season. Good move in my opinion. It gives the Browns an opportunity to see how Colt plays within the division and in cold weather. Plus, it's pretty easy to see that the Browns have played their best football with McCoy at quarterback. All Colt has to do is continue to manage the game and make solid, smart plays.

Peyton Hillis said that this week he worked on holding on to the ball in practice. That is the key to today's game. The Bengals defense has been playing like kittens all year. The Hill-Train will get his carries he just has to hold on to the ball and get back into the end zone.

Speaking of kittens, Carson Palmer is having a terrible season. Last week against the Steelers, he threw two, count em, two pick six's to increase his number on the season to six. One good thing about it is that Troy Polamalu hurt himself on his TD return. They may rest him for the remainder of the season. The Browns play that Pennsylvanian team in two weeks. At any rate, I have to believe Rob Ryan and his boys have to be licking their chops to get at Palmer. I am also looking for a big day from Joe Haden. Ochocinco has been talking a little trash over twitter to Haden. I hope Ochocinco remembered his Pepto.

Overall, I feel more confident this week that the Browns can win this game. Maybe because McCoy is starting. Maybe because the Browns already beat the Bengals once. Unlike last week, where I thought it would be tough, I don't see it. Colt and the Hill-Train, aka The Young Guns, will lead the Browns to a season sweep of the Bengals.

Prediction: Browns 28 Bengals 17

World of Sports Wednesday

Happy Hump Day everybody!!! Well it's the middle of the week so I figured I would give you some random thoughts on the world of sports, so here it goes...

1. Heat vs Cavs: Round 2. Does anyone outside of Cleveland really care about this game? As I am writing this, the game will be starting in 15 minutes and I can really care less to be honest. My feeling is that the Cavs are going to lose by at least 20 and LeBron will go off again. My hope is that someone on the Cavs knocks him down and maybe the Cavs can hang in there. If they play grab a$$ with him again, extra security will be needed at the airport to protect the Cavs when they come back.

2. Indians are looking at Bartolo Colon? (smack hand to head right now!) Really? On a serious note, the Indians will be lowering ticket prices. Best off season move they've made in three years.

3. Rumors that Mangini is out after the season. I am a fan of Tony Rizzo's morning radio show on ESPN 850 WKNR, but his Co-host Sabrina Parr must go. Today she said her sources, who are players on the Browns (friends), said that Mangini is gone after the season no matter what happens in the last three games. First, those players should shut their mouth and second, I think Sabrina Parr should leave those statements to credible media people. It just seems like she just spits rumors out.

4. Big up to Cliff Lee. Way to get your money and screw the Yankees. Now if he could have screwed the Red Sox, he would've been my favorite player in MLB.

5. Congrats to the Akron Zips Men's Soccer Team! Close last year. Finished the job this year.



Tweet of the Day- Joe Haden, Cleveland Browns DB

joehaden23 "All my defensive teammates have got there ipads merry Christmas fellas!!!"

That is all for this week. Remember to follow me on Twitter @jeffi1981!

Akron Men's Soccer Wins National Title

The city of Akron now has something they can truly be proud of. No, it's not LeBron James and his antics. It's the University of Akron's men's soccer team, who on Sunday brought home the 2010 Division I National Championship. The Zips went out to UC-Santa Barbara last week and defeated Michigan and previously-unbeaten Louisville to win the College Cup. This is Akron's first National Championship in any sport in school history, avenging last year's defeat in the national title game against Virginia.

The Coach

Akron coach Caleb Porter left his assistant post at his alma mater, Indiana University, to head up the Akron soccer program. Akron's team had qualified for the NCAA Playoffs numerous years in the past, but Porter wanted to take the Zips to the next level. Porter had been to two College Cups as a player and five times as a coach for Indiana, winning it three times (1998, 2003, and 2004). He utilizes a style designed to attack and take clean, open shots. The Zips did it well, averaging 2.64 goals per game, which is basically the equivalent of 30 points a game in football. To realize this dream, he needed to get the right players no matter where they came from.

The Players

Caleb Porter set out to bring in the players who were the best fit of their system. These are just a few of the many that have brought the program to prominence.

Porter's first blue-chip recruit has been through the process. Senior midfielder Anthony Ampaipitakwong from Carrollton, Texas paved the way for future recruits when he chose to play at Akron. Local standouts such as Walsh Jesuit graduate Michael Nanchoff joined the fray, as well as Lakewood St. Edward's Darlington Nagbe who is up for Player of the Year honors. Other Ohioans include Huber Heights' Kofi Sarkodie and Lewis' Chad Barson who's open-net save in the final minute of the National Championship preserved the win. Leading scorer Darren Mattocks came from Jamaica and title game heroes Scott Caldwell came by way of Braintree, Massachusetts and David Meves from Arlington Heights, Ill. 2009 Player of the Year and current MLS player Teal Bunbury is an Akron product.

My Thoughts

I've watched Akron play live one time, and that was in the Elite Eight last season. My cousin, Billy Berger is a team manager for the squad and hooked myself and my brother up with tickets at Lee Jackson Field. The atmosphere was intoxicating. Organized and clever chants directed at the other team were loud and proud. The unofficial cheering section, the AK-Rowdies were in full-force. The pitch was glistening in the light snowfall. If you were a recruit considering a college to further your academic and soccer career, this scene would have sealed the deal.

Give credit to the University of Akron because they realized what they had in this team. The college provided over $2 million to bolster the program from a renovated field, to equipment and the like. They believed Caleb Porter when he said that his program can win multiple national championships. The first one is in the books; now it's time to repeat.

I always enjoy an underdog story like this. Not that Akron was underdogs, actually it is quite the contrary as they were ranked #1 to begin the season. It is a school like Akron who is more known for their nursing program than their sports, that can get to the top of the sport and compete with the big boys like Michigan, North Carolina, Virgina, etc. It's the fans and support that they harbor that makes you want to cheer them on. This is why it is fulfilling for such fans when a National Championship is won.

Just think if this was college football, this wonderful story wouldn't have come to fruition....

What do you think about the Zips' first National Championship in any sport? Any Akron alums want to comment? Provide your thoughts to us!

Monday Thoughts

Well the weather situation in Buffalo was anticlimactic and to be honest, so was the game. Each Monday, I will post a blog talking about my thoughts on the previous days Browns game. I will give you a few likes and dislikes that I saw from the game. Feel free to comment on the site or drop me a tweet. My Twitter handle is @jeffi1981.

What I liked...

- Peyton Hillis, aka the Hill-Train, going over the 1000 yard mark this season. He totaled 108 yards on 21 carries. He did a pretty good job carrying the load on offense even when everyone and their mother knew he was getting the ball.

- Phil Dawson. I called out Phil last Friday and he answered by scoring the only points for the Browns. He made field goals from 19 and 25 yards.

- The Defense played good enough to win, with the exception of the touchdown Buffalo scored. T.J. Ward got beat over the middle. I can't be mad though, Ward had 12 tackles, 10 of which were solo tackles. Joe Haden continues to play well. It's only a matter of time before opposing quarterbacks avoid throwing in his direction.

What I didn't like...

-The play calling. What frustrates me more than anything is the simplified play calls. In some games the Browns are doing all kinds of trick plays and than in other games, like Buffalo, the play calling was so predictable. It's almost like they were calling plays so Jake Delhomme wouldn't or couldn't make mistakes. I am not a coach and I know the Browns lack play makers, but I have to believe they can be more creative on offense. Whose to blame? Brian Daboll? Jake Delhomme? Eric Mangini?

-Fumbles. The Browns coughed the ball up six times. Luckily, they only lost two of them. Mangini preaches smart, penalty and turnover free football. C'mon men! Hold on to the football plan and simple.

- Duck season in Buffalo. I like Jake Delhomme as a person, but he should not be starter for this football team. I like that he gets the receivers the ball, but some of the throws he had were ducks. Maybe the rainy conditions caused that, but even with that said, Jake scares me when he drops back to pass. Hopefully Colt McCoy is ready to go this Sunday against the Bengals. By the way, what happened to Seneca Wallace?

- Finally, Robert Royal...Please catch the ball. That is all.


Who I got on Monday Night...

Ravens 28 Houston 13
Giants 24 Vikings 23

Freshman Point Guard Leads the Way

CUYAHOGA FALLS, OH- - It was the Blue Devils (2-1) first game played in Ohio after starting off the season 1-1 at the Wilson Tournament in New York, and they did not disappoint the fans who traveled out to Cuyahoga Falls (0-3) to watch the team battle for a 55-40 victory over the Black Tigers. The Blue Devils looked a little shaky on the offensive side of the ball in the first half and only lead 23-19 at the half. Brunswick came out strong in the second half and was lead by the freshman point guard Ryan Badowski who drained a key three-point shot to put the Blue Devils up by 12 with a little more than 4 minutes remaining in the game. Badowski finished the game with 18 points and his confidence with the ball is growing with each game which makes him more deadly as the season progresses. “You have to give Ryan a lot of credit,” said Coach Mackey, “I think people still think we are nuts as a coaching staff for starting a freshman point guard, but he is the best point guard we have in the entire school.”

The Blue Devils will finally be playing a home game on Tuesday, December 14 against Mayfield and tipoff is at 7:30 p.m. Come out and support the team as they will be pumped up to be playing in front of the home crowd.


Article by: Brent Bartchak

Week 14- Browns vs Bills

Here we go again! It always seems like when the Browns play the Bills, it is a given there will be horrible winter weather. That again will be the case this Sunday as the Browns (5-7) travel to Buffalo to take on the Bills (2-10).

With the weather forecast calling for snow, everyone is expecting to see alot of the Hill Train. That should please alot of Browns fans still lacking confidence in Jake Delhomme, who will be starting in his third straight game. Colt McCoy has been limited in practice making it doubtful he'll play on Sunday. One thing I will say with Delhomme, is that he spreads the ball around to everyone. Brian Robiskie and Mohamed Massaquoi have been making more plays as of late making it easier on Tight Ends Ben Watson and Evan Moore to make plays. Watson last week had 10 receptions for 100 yards and one touchdown. Again with the weather potentially being terrible, I expect the Browns to run the football. The Bills are last in the league in run defense, giving up 170 yards per game so everything is in the Browns favor to dominate with Peyton Hillis.

Believe or not, Buffalo is statistically better than the Browns on offense. They average more total yards, passing yards, and points so the defense must not take them lightly. Joe Haden is looking for his fifth interception in as many games and he is also starting to make some serious noise for Defensive Rookie of the Year. The main question is, however, can this defense build on their success from last week? They came up with a game changing turnover last week that led to the game winning field. Instead of giving up the big play, they made the big play. The weather will be on their side and they must continue to improve.

I was at the stadium in 2007 when the Browns beat the Bills 8-0 in a Blizzard, What a fun game to be at. I don't think the weather will be as bad for this contest. This is a very winnable game for the Browns, in fact they should win. My only hope is that the Browns do not play to the level of their competition. I need to see them dominate a team, they should beat, for me to have confidence in them. With that said I see this being a close game, especially if the Bills manage to stop the run. Delhomme did a nice job last week not trying to do too much and just managing the game. He needs to do that again. The defense just needs to keep getting stops and key turnovers. Finally, will the real Phil Dawson please make a field goal. There might be quite a few opportunities this Sunday.

Prediction: Browns 16 Bills 12

Random Sports Thoughts

As I sit here in downtown Cleveland, Ohio still at work waiting out a blizzard, I thought it would be a good time to dispense some quick, random thoughts about the local sports scene:

What happened to the Cavs? They are making Rob and I look bad for praising them on PrimeTime Sports! The players need to man up and start taking direction from Coach Byron Scott....

Coach Scott isn't off the hook entirely. He had a chance to show some bravado by putting LeBron James in his place last week when James was chirping at the bench. Scott showed no confidence in backing his team and being the leader they badly need...

I was at the Division I State Finals last Saturday in Canton. It was an unbelievable game. St. Ed's is probably one of the most complete teams I've ever seen. Their resiliency on offense, and their tenacity on defense netted them their first football title...

Coach Tressel has himself a good one in Braxton Miller from Division I runner-up Huber Heights Wayne. He was easily the best player on the field Saturday night. Miller can run with speed, elude tacklers, and make the throws. It would be an interesting idea to see him and Terrelle Pryor in the same backfield the Buckeyes on a few plays...

A return trip to the Sugar Bowl for the Buckeyes, this time against Arkansas. Ryan Mallett gets his second chance against the Buckeyes, but in a different uniform...

This game is a month away still, so no need to break it down yet. However, I think this will be one of the more entertaining and competitive BCS games this season...

The Cleveland Browns are sitting at 5-7, with a victory over 9-2 New England. Behind Peyton Hillis and an opportunistic defense, I'd like to see us end up no worse than 7-9...

The most exciting thing going for the Cleveland Indians recently was Shin-Soo Choo's South Korea National Team winning the Gold Medal in the Asian Games. This excuses the star OF from fulfilling his two years of military service for South Korea. The Tribe's best player no longer has that on his mind and should produce a career year in 2011...

True or False: Snow Days at Progressive Field will yield a higher turnout in a month than the entire 2010 Indians Home Schedule...

The best team in this area that no one knows about are the Vikings from Cleveland State. They are off to a 11-0 start with a superstar in guard Norris Cole. Gary Waters has this team firing on all cylinders and they will have a lot to say about the happenings in the Horizon League this season.

That's all I got now sports fans. Check out the blog often for view from our other contributors. Brent Barchek has Brunswick sports covered, Josh Jeffi tackles the Browns and shoots the breeze about the Cavs, and Rob Trautman anchors with his thoughts and analyses. Provide some feedback; we would love to hear your thoughts!

Josh Jeffi Joins The PTS Blog

Hello Everyone! My name is Josh Jeffi. Not only am I a die-hard Cleveland sports fan, but I am also the long time buddy of Rob Trautman. We have been friends and teammates for over 15 years to be exact.

Me and him, along with our buddy Tony Bianchi started PTS on the local cable access channel over two years ago. Unfortunately life kind of got a little crazy and I had to step down from the show. Recently, Rob asked me if I would like to contribute to the blog with my thoughts about the local and national sports scene. Always having an opinion, whether it's biased or unbiased, I obliged.

Keep checking for my post and I always welcome your thoughts and opinions. I am really looking forward to contributing to the PTS Blog.

Let's Do This!!!

~Josh Jeffi

Brunswick Coach Joe Mackey and Brunswick center/West Virginia recruit Pat Forsythe stop by!

Are you ready?

BRUNSWICK, OH- - It’s that time of year again where the boys at Brunswick High School lace up their sneakers and hit the hardwood. The Brunswick Blue Devils will be taking their talents to New York Friday night to start the 2010-2011 basketball season at the Wilson’s Tip-Off Tournament. “I am most excited about New York, it going to be amazing,” said senior Zach Gresch when asked about the upcoming season. This will be a great test to start off the season because the Blue Devils will be facing some tough competition. “I am excited that another season is here and we get a chance to compete,” said Coach Mackey.

There are two factors to keep an eye out for at the start of the season; the role of the underclassman on the team and also how the opponents will match up against Pat Forsythe. The majority of the playing time will be dominated by underclassmen and their role will be “pretty big” according to Mackey. “We have never really relied on this many underclassmen before and how quickly they grow up will probably dictate how fast of a start we get out to in terms of the win column,” Mackey said. The obvious “big” factor of the season will be the performance of West Virginia recruit Pat Forsythe. The opponents know the talent Pat brings to the court and he will be the anchor on both sides of the ball.

The first home game of the season for Brunswick will be on December 14 against Mayfield. Make sure you save the date to check out the high explosive offense in action in front of the home crowd. This will be a season that you do not want to miss.

Article by: Brent Bartchak

The State Finals

14 weeks down, 1 more to go for 12 teams across the State of Ohio. Out of over 700 schools, only 12 have a shot at a state championship. Some schools are looking for redemption from last season, others are making their maiden voyage into this ocean. It's Canton's Fawcett Stadium at the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the legendary Massillon Paul Brown Tiger Stadium that teams strive to end their seasons raising the trophy. Without further ado, let's jump into the matchups.

Division 1 State Championship -Saturday 7pm @Canton Fawcett Stadium

Lakewood St. Edward Eagles (14-0) vs. Huber Heights Wayne Warriors (11-3)

Division 1 Coach of the Year Rick Finnoti leads the champions of Region 1 against Region 4's Wayne Warriors, quarterbacked by Ohio State recruit Braxton Miller. St. Ed's defeated Mentor, Cleveland Glenville, Solon, and Toledo Whitmer en route to Canton. Wayne was the #8 seed in Region 4 defeating Middletown, Centerville, Cincinnati St. Xavier, and Hillard Davidson. St. Ed's is led by QB Kevin Burke, RB Reggie Terrell, RB Terrell Bates and an all Division-1 collegiate offensive line. Their defense is paced by DB Rob Coury's 7 interceptions, LB Sam Martello's 111 tackles and Pitt recruit Deonte Gibsons 19 sacks. St. Ed's has traveled all around the state taking shots from St. Xavier, Youngstown Cardinal Mooney and St. Ignatius. Wayne features the most dynamic player in this game in QB Braxton Miller who has accounted for more than 2,500 total yards. RB Anthone Taylor compliments him with over 1,500 yards rushing and 13 scores. Teren Willams and Trey Moore hold it down on the defensive side combining for more than 240 total tackles. The Warriors come out of a rugged Cincinnati region that usually sends one of their premier Catholic/public school. The big question is if St. Ed's can contain Braxton Miller. The Eagles are diversified enough on offense to keep the Warriors guessing, but their D will need to step up like they have against previous playoff opponents. K Mike DiNunzio may have the final say in this game, which bodes well for St. Ed's.

Prediction: St. Edward 38 Huber Heights Wayne 35

Division 2 State Championship - Friday 7:30 pm @ Massillon Paul Brown Tiger Stadium

Maple Heights Mustangs (14-0) vs. Trotwood-Madison Rams (12-2)

Todd Flitz returns his high-octane Mustang offense to the state title game for the second straight year. Cincinnati recruit QB Shaq Washington leads the way with over 2,700 total yards and 35 total TDs. Washington has studs in WRs Andre Stubbs and Dana Day combining for over 1,600 yards and 20 TDs receiving. RB Devonte Ransom is nearing the 2,000 yard mark running behind the likes of Donovon Garner and Almonte Patrick. The Mustangs run a 4-2-5 defense, showcasing their overall team speed and power led by DE Claybourne Miller's 11.5 sacks. The Rams feature a 2,000 rusher of their own in Antwan Gilbert, while QB Marcus Graham has thrown for 21 TDs. Defensively, they run a 4-4 defense, led by the trio of LBs in Nick Grigsby, William Wheat and Treyvon-Williams Brown. This promises to be a shootout with explosive players all over the field. Last year in this game, the Mustangs were without Andre Stubbs which took away much of their team speed. Maple Heights is on a mission to bring a state title back with them.

Predicition - Maple Heights 41 Trotwood-Madison 34

Division 3 State Championship - Saturday 3pm @ Massillon Paul Brown Tiger Stadium

Akron Buchtel Griffins (11-3) vs. Columbus Bishop Watterson Eagles(12-1)

Fourth-year head coach and alumnus Ricky Powers brings the Griffins to their first state title game since the late 80s when Powers ran Buchtel to two championships. Perennial power Watterson brings a tough running game into Massillon with RBs Ray Cook and Isaiah Murray. The Griffins thrive on the big play, as evidenced by a TD on the first play from scrimmage last week against Alliance Marlington in the semifinals. Corey Smith is the main target on offense with this 1,100 yards and 16 TDs receiving. Defensively, LBs Blake Lewis and Devonte Blackwell lead with a total of over 250 tackles. The Eagles have a dual threat in QB Patrick Rhomberg on offense and are led on defense by Matt Redfield. Watterson has more experience in big games, but the Griffins have the coach that's done it before in their uniform.

Prediction: Akron Buchtel 34 Columbus Bishop-Watterson 21

Division 4 State Championship - Friday 11 am @Massillon Paul Brown Tiger Stadium

Chagrin Falls Tigers (13-1) vs. Columbus-Bishop Hartely Hawks (12-2)

The Tigers return to the Division 4 state title game with a completely different team than last year's. Chagrin Falls features a diversified offense with muliple wideouts in Spencer Diedrich, Mike Hageman, Anthony DeCamillo and Bradley Munday catching passes from QB Timmy Porter. LB Kurt Vidmer and S Everette Dishong lead the defense. Hartley will run the ball as their first, second, and third options. TB Noah Key has 2,700 yards rushing and 39 TDs. He's in a backfield with 1,000-yard rusher Jared Zang and an all-purpose threat in Omar Lane who has almost 1,000 yards combined rushing and receiving. Their defense is paced by their two way RBs, as well as Napoleon Bell. Falls will have to keep Hartley on their toes on offense, but Hartley has multiple running threats.

Prediction - Columbus Bishop Hartley 27 Chagrin Falls 21

Division 5 State Championship - Saturday 11 am @ Canton Fawcett Stadium

Youngstown Ursuline Fighting Irish (14-0) vs. Coldwater Cavaliers (13-1)

This is a rematch of the D5 state title game, won by the Irish 55-25. Ohio's Mr. Football resides in the Irish backfield with TB Akise Teague's 2,200 yards rushing and his combined 43 TDs. The Cavaliers will be led by WR Reese Klenke on offense, but starting QB Austin Bruns will miss this game with a knee injury. LB Jordan Chapin leads the way on defense. The Fighting Irish are regarded as one of the state's top teams regardless of divsion.

Prediction - Youngstown Ursuline 49 Coldwater 14

Division 6 State Championship - Friday 3pm @ Canton Fawcett Stadium

Shadyside Tigers (13-1) vs. Delphos St. John's Blue Jays (14-0)

Shadyside and Delphos both love to run the ball. TB Brandon Sedinger's 1,600 yards and 18 TDs lead the Tigers, while the Blue Jays will rely on TB Evan Burgei and FB Jordan Bergfeld who have combined for over 3,300 yards rushing and 46 TDs. The Blue Jays are the #1 ranked team in Divsion 6 who will send LB Chris Pohlman and Kyle Neumeier to stop the Tigers offense.

Prediction - Delphos St. John's 31 Shadyside 17

This has been another awesome year of high school football. Good luck to all teams in their quest. Please provide your feedback with comments about the games, teams or predictions!