Keystone 27, Wellington 14

Sophomore wide receiver C.J. Conrad had 204 yards receiving on 12 catches and scored three touchdowns as the Keystone Wildcats defeat the Wellington Dukes 27-14. You can listen to the replay online.

Wellington struck first after Jake Deidrick recovered a muffed punt deep in Keystone territory. The Dukes went 19 yards on 6 plays capped by a Tyler Polen 3-yard run to give Wellington a 7-0 lead.

Keystone tied the game late in the 2nd quarter when Conrad caught a 40-yard pass from junior quarterback Marcus Gunter with just 47 seconds remaining capping a 9-play, 81-yard drive.

Keystone vs. Wellington tonight

Critical PAC Stars Division match-up takes place this evening in Wellington, Ohio as the Dukes host the Keystone Wildcats. I will be covering the high school football game for WOBL. You can tune in to 1320 AM or listen online (replay will be available online as well). I'll be working with play-by-play announcer Bob Karlovec and sideline reporter Dave Andrews.

Looking at the division standings, all but one team is still alive with three weeks remaining:

Lorain County High School Football Results: 2012

Amherst

Week 1: Lost 63-28 at Elyria
Game story | 2nd story | 3rd story

Lorain County Football Team Rankings

Three weeks of high school football are complete. Six schools are looking for their first win while only two are still undefeated.

Get your updated school schedules and standings. Here are my team rankings with their overall and conference records:

1. Midview 3-0, 0-0 – The Middies have came up huge against Elyria last week. Cody Callaway-to-Eric Lauer is the most lethal passing combination in the county.
   
   
2. Avon Lake 2-1, 0-0 – When was the last time a Dave Dlugosz team blew a 24-point halftime lead in losing in double overtime against Massillon Jackson. North Olmsted is next. Be very afraid Eagles.
   
   
3. Elyria 2-1, 0-0 – Loss to Midview will bring the Pioneers back to earth. Still a lot of talent at the skills positions and defense to not have a successful season.

Final Lorain County Football Power Rankings

This week is a series of stories recapping the 2011 high school football season in Lorain county Ohio.

• Part 1: WOBL Radio Games
• Part 2: Final High School Football Regular Season Standings
• Part 3: Final Team Power Rankings
• Part 4: Top Players of 2011
• Part 5: Top Stories of 2011

Here are my team rankings with their records, pre-season and mid-season rankings:

1. Avon 13-2, (6-0 West Shore Conference), (1, 1) – The best school in Lorain County. The Eagles became the first Lorain-County school to play in a state championship game since 2004. The team used a 2010 week 11 loss to Sandusky and a 2011 week 10 loss to Lake Catholic as focus and motivation as they went through play-offs. Although the season ended in disappointment (42-28 loss to Trotwood-Madison), this Eagles team represented the city, county, and Northeast Ohio well.
   
   
2. Avon Lake 8-2, (7-0 in Southwestern Conference), (2, 6) – Tough to put a non-playoff qualifer as the #2 team in this ranking but Avon Lake deserves it. The Shoremen were bumped up to Division I status by one student (494 boys) and thus had to compete in the perennially strong Region 2.. They still earned 23 computer which would been enough to get in the post-season in regions 1, 3 and 4. This year Shoremen team did have some solid players like Dontez Smith, Collin Lucas and Brett Bass but no superstars. They accomplished in 2011 what they always do -  win the SWC, their 17th conference title in 20 years under head coach Dave Dlugosz.
   
   
3. Firelands 10-1, (7-0 in Patriot Athletic Conference, Stars Division), (14, 5) – The Falcons were by far the biggest feel-good story of the year. A team that won nine games over the previous seven years goes undefeated in the regular season and makes their first play-off appearance in school history. With nine seniors starting on offense and defense, several Falcon players such as QB Kyle Smith, RB Nick Deichler, WB Joe Kudela, DT Joe DeWitt, WR Cody Northeim, WR Jake Myers and TE Steve Bajcer had big seasons. The season ended abruptly in week 11 losing 66-14 at Chagrin Falls.

Boys High School Basketball Results: 2011-2012

Thursday June 7, 2012
Former Elyria Catholic coach pleads no contest to disorderly conduct charge

Girls High School Basketball Results: 2011-2012

Playoff Brackets

DIVISION I

Elyria Catholic District includes Amherst, Avon, Avon Lake, Elyria, Lorain, Midview and North Ridgeville

Wednesday February 29, 2012
Westlake 51, Lorain 31 | 2nd Story | Listen

Magnificat 64, Avon Lake 30

Saturday February 25, 2012
Avon Lake 51, Avon 49 | Listen
Avon Lake (12-10), (9 9 16 17--51): Disbrow 1-0-2, Kollias 2-0-5, LeDuc 10-4-25, LeDuc 2-0-5, Nicholas 1-5-7, Zelonis 2-2-6
Avon (12-7), (9 8 19 13--49): Conroy 3-2-8, Davidson 3-2-8, Janollari 0-1-1, Julius 7-4-19, Neumann 2-0-4, Smith 2-0-4, Wilden 1-2-5

Lorain-Westlake Matchup

Wednesday February 22, 2012
Lorain 64, Olmsted Falls 49 | 2nd story | Listen
Olmsted Falls (12-11), (13 13 10 13--49): Fossen 7-20, Gasper 4-8, Gerycz 4-11, Koch 2-4, S 3-6
Lorain (17-3), (17 20 9 18--64): Arnold 1-2, Farris 1-2-4, Fields 1-2, Flores 1-3, Fortney 6-15, Harris 8-2-18, Hawthorne 3-6, Stoyka 6-1-14

Monday February 20, 2012
Avon Lake 52, Elyria 51 | 2nd story
Elyria (11-11), (14 8 9 15 5--51): Christian 2-3-12, Darden 1-1-4, Mary Jones 10-4-27, Middlebrooks 3-1-7, Read 2-0-5
Avon Lake (11-10), (7 8 15 16 6--52): Disbrow 3-0-6, Kollias 1-0-2, Lacy LeDuc 6-12-24, LeDuc 2-1-5, Nicholas 3-0-6, Kim Zelonis 4-1-9

Saturday February 18, 2012
Westlake 71, Midview 24 | 2nd story
Midview (3-17), (0 10 8 6--24): Benetto 1-2, Dobbins 1-2, Eichenlaub 1-0-2, House 3-1-7, Linn 3-6, Reith 1-2, bowman 1-1, russ 1-2
Westlake (18-3), (25 14 22 10--71): Bronikowski 1-1, COLLINSA 2-5, Carroll 2-4, CollinsR 1-2-5, Furci 2-5, Kobe 1-2, Labroo 1-2, Trujillo 11-1-25, Wichman 1-4-6, Zimmerman 6-16

Olmsted Falls 41, North Ridgeville 25 | 2nd story
North Ridgeville (9-12), (8 10 0 7--25): Daveant 1-0-2, Kovach 1-1-3, Montgomery 3-3-9, Pecchia 4-8, Riley 1-3
Olmsted Falls (11-10), (17 8 8 8--41): Black 1-2, Duber 1-1, Fossen 2-1-5, Gasper 3-1-8, Gerycz 5-1-13, Jacobs 2-4, Koch 3-6, S 1-2

Lorain Preview 

DIVISION II

Elyria District includes Brookside, Clearview, Firelands, Keystone & Vermilion

Thursday March 1, 2012
Keystone 44, Holy Name 42, 2 OT | 2nd Story | Listen
Holy Name (16-7), (4 8 11 7 4 8--42): Corrigan 2-4-8, Erica Davis 7-2-17, Day 2-1-7, Kucharczyk 1-0-2, Pineiro 2-0-5
Keystone (22-1), (9 5 6 10 4 10--44): Conrad 2-0-4, Kolar 2-2-6, Nagy 0-1-1, Emily Nagy 4-5-15 (8 in Ots), Silva 3-2-8, Wilmoth 5-0-10
Last year, Keystone and Holy Name went into overtime before Keystone pulled off a 48-36 win, advancing the Wildcats to the regional semifinal, where they lost to Lima Bath, 40-33.

Saturday February 26, 2012
Keystone 51, Cleveland Central Catholic 16 | Listen
Keystone (21-1), (16 13 16 6--51): Conrad 3-0-7, Kolar 2-0-6, Nagy 5-3-16, Nagy 3-4-8, Peters 1-0-2, Silva 2-1-6, Wilmoth 3-0-6
Cleveland Central Catholic (12-9), (5 4 2 5--16): Freely 1-0-2, Fuller 1-4-6, Holmes 3-0-8

Holy Name 64, Firelands 29
Holy Name (16-6), (20 13 17 14--64): Adams 1-0-2, Bode 3-0-6, Corrigan 3-2-8, Davis 6-2-14, Day 4-0-10, Day 1-0-2, DiGeronimo 2-0-4, Kucharczyk 3-2-11, Pineiro 2-1-5, Verba 1-0-2
Firelands (15-7), (9 8 6 6--29): Bari 1-2-4, Holowecky 2-2-7, Kelley 1-0-2, Lahetta 0-2-2, Melendez 2-0-4, Morrissette 3-0-6, Muniga 0-1-1, Samples 1-1-3

Thursday February 24, 2012
Bay 57, Clearview 31 | 2nd Story
Bay (14-8), (18 17 14 8--57): Grubach 1-0-2, Passalacqua 1-0-3, Taylor Seton 5-1-11, Kaleigh Sima 3-1-9, Steyns 1-0-2, Werblak 1-2-5, White 3-0-6, Williams 1-1-3, Claire Wilson 7-2-16
Clearview (16-5), (8 9 11 3--31): Blakely 2-1-5, Kokinda 1-1-3, Tamara McCoy 5-3-13, Mielcarek 0-2-2, Ray 3-0-6, Younkin 1-0-2

Wednesday February 22, 2012
Firelands 41, Fairview 38, OT
Fairview (12-9, 8-8), (10 0 7 19 2--38): Bilak 0-2-2, Coyne 2-1-5, King 1-2-5, Morrison 4-0-9, Smith 6-2-17
Firelands (15-6, 12-4), (10 8 4 14 5--41): Holowecky 1-2-4, Kudela 3-1-7, Lahetta 1-0-2, Melendez 2-0-4, Morrissette 3-6-12, Samples 4-4-12

Monday February 20, 2012
Keystone 72, Vermilion 31 | 2nd story
Vermilion (6-14), (3 12 9 7--31): Bartlome 2-0-6, Bonner 2-0-5, Cunningham 3-0-6, Dillon 1-0-2, Kowal 1-0-2, LaForce 2-0-6, Stainbrook 1-2-4
Keystone (20-1), (16 20 11 24--71): Mackenzie Conrad 4-3-11, Emily Kolar 4-1-11, Emily Nagy 8-5-26 (five 3-pointers), Nagy 1-2-5, Peters 1-0-2, Schaffer 1-1-3, Silva 1-1-3, Danielle Wilmoth 5-0-10

Rocky River 48, Brookside 23
Brookside, (4 11 6 2--23): Andorka 0-1-1, Elias 1-0-2, Gerding 1-2-5, Musall 4-1-9, O'Neal 0-1-1, Piwowar 1-0-3, Sanchez 1-0-2
Rocky River (14-6), (11 21 8 8--48): Helleis 1-2-4, Ciarra Kessler 6-2-14, Kocher 1-0-2, Krajcer 0-1-1, Hannah McCue 6-5-18, McNally 4-0-9

DIVISION III

Barberton District includes Black River, Columbia, Elyria Catholic, Oberlin & Wellington

Thursday March 1, 2012
Rootstown 54, Columbia 32: Listen

Saturday February 26, 2012
Columbia 42, Elyria Catholic 38

DIVISION IV

Norwayne District includes Open Door

Lorain County Football Power Rankings

Six weeks of high school football are complete and six Lorain County teams have more wins in 2011 then all of last year.

Here are my team rankings with their records and pre-season rankings:

1. Avon 6-0, 3-0 (1) – The best school in Lorain County. The Eagles have dominated the competition including a 42-7 win last week vs. Rocky River. Senior quarterback Justin O’Rourke has 906 passing yards and 13 touchdowns.
   
   
2. Elyria 5-1, 2-1 (10) – If the season ended today, head coach Kevin Fell is coach-of-the-year. Dustin Stolarski has every school passing record this year.
   
   
3. North Ridgeville 5-1, 2-1 (6) – Only loss was to Avon. Have a shot at their 2nd ever post-season appearance despite moving up to Division 1 for the first time this season.

Brookside 13, Keystone 8

The Brookside Cardinals withstood poor weather and field conditions defeat the Keystone Wildcats 13-8. You can listen to the replay online.

The victory for Brookside:

• 4th of the year matching their highest win total in a season since 2006
• 3rd win in a row at home for the first time since 2004
• snaps a six-game losing streak to Keystone.

Senior Keyonte Francis made his first varsity start at quarterback and scored two touchdowns rushing. His 42-yard run on the first play from scrimmage was set-up by a Josh Zenkert 40-yard kick-off return to open the game. The 2nd touchdown by Francis came two plays after Matt Gorta recovered a Keystone fumble at the Wildcat 1-yard line. Keystone trailing 13-6 was stopped on 4th and 1 at the Brookside 17 yard with 1:53 remaining.

Keystone vs. Brookside tonight

I will be covering high school football tonight at Brookside High School as the Cardinals host the Keystone Wildcats. You can tune in to 1320 AM or listen online (replay will be available online as well). I'll be working with play-by-play announcer Bob Karlovec and sideline reporter Darrin Goats.

The annual rivalry continues as these two teams have faced each other every season for several years currently as PAC Stars division rivals and before that Lorain County Conference rivals. Keystone has won six in a row dating back to 2005.

Both teams are in transition. Keystone suffered heavy losses due to graduation from a year ago. Brookside is on their third coach in the last three months. Both teams are starting a running back as their quarterback.

Lorain County Football Preseason Team Rankings

Here are my pre-season rankings with their predicted final records:

1. Avon 10-0, 6-0 – The Eagles graduated several players from last year's 10-0 team. There's still a lot of talent remaining. Will finish 2011 with 22 regular season wins.
   
   
2. Avon Lake 8-2, 7-0 – Meet the new Shoremen superstars: QB/P Chris Jedlicka, RB Dontez Smith, FB/LB Nick Skuggen, TE/DT Jake Young, OT T.K. Burk, OG/NT Nick Stueber, C/DE Ryan Pivcevich and CB Brett Bass. Avon Lake will make it 13 play-off appearances in 14 years despite moving up to Division 1 in 2011.
   
   
3. Elyria Catholic 8-2, 5-1 – Another team that will re-load after graduating several superstars. They should make an easy transition to a new offense and a new conference. Jeremy Holley replaces record-setting QB Danny Reaser. Panthers fans don't worry. Holley is 6-5 and has an arm every bit as strong as Reaser.

Avon Lake, North Ridgeville and Brookside moving up

Ohio High School Athletic Association released its divisional changes for football last year. In Lorain county, there were three teams affected. Avon Lake and North Ridgeville were moved from Division 2 to Division 1. Brookside moved from Division 4 to Division 3. All Ohio High School Regions (.pdf)

Holiday Basketball Tournament recaps

High School Basketball Tourneys have come and gone. Here are some of the results involving Lorain County schools.

Lorain County Holiday Tournament (Dec. 27 & 28) at Vermilion

Championship Game
Elyria 62, Sandusky 59 | 2nd recap | Listen
Sandusky (3-4) (11 15 22 11—59): Jefferies 4-1-9, Johnson 2-0-5, Smith 2-2-6, Stickland 5-0-11, Stovall 2-1-5, Turner 1-0-2, Turner 8-3-19, Williams 1-0-2
Elyria (6-1) (11 16 17 18—62): Bender 5-2-14, Dickerson 8-3-20, Horton 3-5-11, Latees 1-0-2, Swidecki 2-0-4, Walton 3-0-6, Zinimon 0-5-5

Consolation Game
Lorain 64, Vermilion 43 - Listen

First round games
Sandusky 64, Vermilion 61

Boys High School Basketball Results: 2010-2011

Saturday March 12
Berea 64, Lorain 59 | 2nd story
Lorain hungry for more

(6) Lorain (15-9) (19 9 11 20--59): Cheers 3-0-6, Craighead 3-0-6, Mike Davila 7-6-23, Davis 3-0-7, Jerome Golson 4-3-11 (18 rebounds), Wilson 0-1-1, Winbush 2-1-5
(9) Berea (16-8) (12 16 21 15--64): Bates 1-0-2, Javon Cook 2-12-16 (12-14 FT, 4 steals, 5 assists), Hayes 2-5-9, Jared Paster 6-2-20 (18 pts. on 3-pointers, 11 rebounds, 2 steals), Perry 5-0-13, Swinnerton 1-0-2, Wade 1-0-2

Girls High School Basketball Results: 2010-2011

Girls Hoops Co-Players of the year
Westlake's Kalpana Beach and Lorain's Shanique Ogle
Girls Hoops Coach of the Year, Scott Terry
All Morning Journal Girls Basketball Teams
3 area players All-Ohio for girls basketball
Lorain's Shanique Ogle & Alexandria Harris; Avon's Emily Julius


Friday March 18
Oak Hill 53, Elyria Catholic 49 | 2nd story | 3rd story | 4th story
Elyria Catholic seniors finish excellent careers at state

Elyria Catholic vs. Oak Hill preview
EC's Rothgery is coaching girls because of daughters
Eight seniors look to go out as state champions
Shining stars: Schuster and Taylor
EC's Emily Taylor tough to deal with
EC should stay calm, play basketball
EC scouting report
EC coach Eric Rothgery's Panther pride has pedigree
Praise, support for EC girls hoops
Pep rally


Saturday March 12
Elyria Catholic 50, Youngstown Ursline 41 | 2nd story | 3rd story
Elyria Catholic heading to state | EC bench makes difference in win | EC seniors came together early

Youngstown Ursuline (17-8) (9 9 11 12--41): Beasley 3-1-8, Curd 1-0-2, Irizzary 7-0-18, Powell 1-3-5, Whitehead 2-4-8
Elyria Catholic (24-2) (10 8 15 17--50): Flowers 1-0-2, McGrath 4-0-8, McNamara 2-2-7, O'Malley 1-3-5, Schuster 4-4-12, Taylor 4-6-14, Tremont 1-0-2


Elyria Catholic eager for shot at state
EC is trying to become the first team in school history to play in the state tournament and the first in Lorain County since Amy Manco's Avon Lake Shoregals won it all in 1994. Other than Avon Lake's back-to-back appearances in 1993-94, the 1979 Elyria Pioneers are the only other county team to make state.

Area claims district basketball awards
Eric Rothgery, Emily Taylor, Shanique Ogle, Ashley Schuster, Kourtni Taylor

A season to remember
Lorain, Avon Lake, Amherst, North Ridgeville, Keystone, Avon, Elyria Catholic, Lake Ridge Academy

Final Lorain County High School Football Rankings

Here is the final Lorain County high school football power rankings:

1. Avon 10-1 (7-0 West Shore Conference) The Eagles had a 10-0 season for the 2nd time in three seasons. Unfortunately, they played their worst half of football in week 11 against Sandusky. Still a great year and coach Mike Elder has plenty of talent returning.
   
   
2. Elyria Catholic 10-2 (4-1 North Coast League, White Division) The Panthers showed me something with their win over Huron in week 11. A team that throws the football all over the place had faced bad weather on a bad field. EC won the game with defense and running game. Unfortunately, the next week against Orville, the Panthers reverted to old form: too many mistakes, not enough defense and questionable play-calling. Still EC played their first home play-off game this year and won their first play-off game since 1992.

Keystone vs. Wellington tonight

I will be covering high school football tonight from the sidelines of the Keystone Wellington game. You can tune in to 1320 AM or listen online (replay will be available online as well). I'll be working with play-by-play announcer Bob Karlovec and color commentator Darryl Maynard. It’s a backyard rivalry as the two schools are 10 miles apart.

Keystone (3-5) snapped a four-game losing streak last week with a 28-6 win against Brookside. Senior Fulback Tim McMullen led the way with 25 carries for 123 yards rushing and two touchdowns. Quarterback Stephen Renfrow added 100 yards rushing on 23 attempts and a touchdown. Renfrow added another TD on a 10-yard pass to Caleb Wagner. The Wildcats defense has been stingy allowing only 16 points per game.

Wellington (3-5) started the season slow dropping their first four games. The Dukes proceed to win three straight before dropping a 24-13 decision last week vs. Black River. The three-game winning streak was sparked by a change in quarterback with sophomore Dylan Weidrick taking over completing 28 of 61 throws for 412 yards and four touchdowns. The Dukes leading rusher is Junior Clay Wright with 417 yards and the leading receiver is Austin Fullen with 217 yards on 15 catches.

The two teams meet every year and it’s been almost all Wellington. Since 2002, the Dukes are 7-1 and have won two straight including a 34-17 victory last year. The Wildcats lone victory during that time was a 19-13 win in 2007.

Lorain County High School Football – Team Rankings

Only two weeks left of high school football, seven schools in Lorain County have a chance to make the play-offs. Those are included in these rankings along with the rest of the county:

1. Avon 8-0 – The Eagles are the best of the county thanks to their record and a win against Avon Lake who are the kings of the county. Will look forward to seeing the two teams meet again in the play-offs.
   
   
2. Avon Lake 7-1 – Since losing to Avon in the opener, Avon Lake has been on a roll. All signs are pointing to the week 10 match-up with Amherst. The Shoremen are listed here slightly ahead of the Comets since Avon Lake historically has come out on top but it should be a great match-up.
   
   
3. Amherst 8-0 – The Comets have had a great year from quarterback Brennan Hosier and their strong defense. Regardless of the outcome of the Avon Lake game, Amherst will be home in week 11.
   
   
4. Elyria Catholic 7-1 – The loss to Padua has exposed the Panthers to their shortcomings especially on defense. Sometimes getting punched in the nose can serve as a wake-up call. QB Danny Reaser has more passing yards than Clearview, Oberlin, Vermilion, Brookside, Lorain, Midview, and Firelands COMBINED.
   
   
5. Columbia 7-1 – The best Raider team in a long time. This club is balanced offensively, can win a high scoring game, can win a defensive struggle, have several players that always seem to be in the right place at the right time. Columbia has broken Clearview’s stranglehold on the Patriot Athletic Conference Stripes Division.
   
   
6. North Ridgeville 6-2 – Need to win out. Big showdown game against Rocky River this week. The loss to Westlake in week 1 could haunt the Rangers as both teams are looking to qualify for the play-offs in Division 2, Region 6.
   
   
7. Clearview 5-3 – Disappointing loss to Lutheran West last week ensures they will not make the post-season. The Clippers didn’t qualify last year with an 8-2 record.
   
   
8. Elyria 3-5 – Loss to Stow last week snaps a modest two game winning streak. A win this week against Lakewood could equal their win total from last year.
   
   
9. Wellington 3-5 – Three game winning streak comes to an end against Black River. The Dukes appeared to have righted the ship but the third varsity start for sophomore QB Dylan Weidrick was not a good one.
   
   
10. Keystone 3-5 – Defeated Brookside 28-7 last week snapping a four game losing streak. Their missing offense re-appeared after being MIA. Still could finish 5-5 with Wellington and Buckeye remaining.
    
    
11. Brookside 3-5 - Seemed like they were a couple of plays from being 5-1. Now, they’re on a three game losing streak and getting worse each week. Still, winning their final two games would be a huge improvement for 2nd-year coach Keenan Leichty's program.
    
    
12. Lorain 2-6 – The Titans started the season with a Hollywood scripted victory against Midview. After that came six straight losses – a streak snapped last week against Warrensville Hts. Although Lorain faces a difficult opponent this week against Maple Hts., they do have a winnable game against Bedford to close the season. A 3-7 record would match the number of wins combined on the field for both Admiral King and Southview last year.
    
    
13. Midview 2-6 – Shut out last week for the 2nd time this year. The Firelands game couldn’t come any sooner.
    
    
14. Vermilion 0-8 – Anthony Budka has done everything this year, running back, quarterback, receiver, kicker, punter, drove the bus, filled the Gatorade containers, and pumped up the footballs.
    
    
15. Firelands 1-7 – Team is still fighting despite all of the struggles on the field and the adversity off the field. They finish the season against Midview and Vermilion which provide good opportunities for interim head coach Mike Passerello to notch his first win.
    
    
16. Oberlin 0-8 – Hard to believe this team was 6-4 last year and in contention for the play-offs. Now they’re back to being a bottom-feeder. Coach Fred Howery seems like a great guy – let’s hope he has adequate time to turn things around.

Lorain County High School Football – Team Rankings

After six weeks of high school, here are the best and the worst of Lorain County:

1. Elyria Catholic 6-0 – Trying to start the year 7-0 for the 2nd time in school history. Quarterback Danny Reaser continues to hum along averaging 377 yards passing and almost four touchdowns per game.
   
   
2. Avon 6-0 – The Eagles can already place their order for West Shore Conference Championship rings. With the WSC having a down year, Avon won’t be tested again until the first round of the play-offs.
   
   
3. Amherst 6-0 – The Comets will try to avoid a repeat of 2008 when they started 8-0 only to lose their final three games. Recently handed Westlake their first loss of the season.
   
   
4. Avon Lake 5-1 – Have won five in a row – soon to be six as the Shoremen travel to Berea. Then Avon Lake finishes with Westlake, Brecksville, and Amherst.
   
   
5. North Ridgeville 4-2 – The Rangers bounced back from a loss to Avon with a dominating win against Bay. Next two opponents are Vermilion and Firelands so expect North Ridgeville to have a 6-2 record leading to the showdown with Rocky River in week 9. Strong finish will be needed to make the play-offs.
   
   
6. Columbia 5-1 – The win last Friday against Clearview was the biggest in school history since 2003. The Raiders are another team that could run the table and finish the regular season 9-1.
   
   
7. Clearview 4-2 – The Clippers find themselves outside of the play-offs for the 2nd straight year. Major special teams errors led to the loss against Columbia and almost cost Clearview a win against Buckeye.
   
   
8. Elyria 2-4 – The Pioneers four losses are against Amherst (6-0), Elyria Catholic (6-0), Mayfield (4-2), and Parma (5-1). Schedule turns very favorable with winnable games against Hudson, Stow-Munroe Falls, and Lakewood coming up.
   
   
9. Midview 2-4 – Blown out last week against Rocky River in a game that was not as close as the 44-30 score would indicate. Still have difficult games remaining against Avon in week 8 and North Ridgeville in week 10.
   
   
10. Wellington 2-4 – Have won 2 in a row and apparently have settled on sophomore Dylan Weidrick at quarterback.
    
    
11. Brookside 3-3 - Seems like everyone in the PAC is 2-4 so the Cardinals stand out a little. This team could easily be 5-1.
    
    
12. Keystone 2-4 – The Wildcats can play defense with anybody in the county. Unfortunately, they have had trouble scoring points. WB Ryan Clement is one of the most exciting players in the county you’ve never heard of.
    
    
13. Lorain 1-5 – Travel to Columbus this week to face off against the Bishop Watterson Eagles. Had a break-out game offensively scoring 41 points against Marion Harding but allowed 47 to lose. Have scored 27 total points in their other 5 games.
    
    
14. Vermilion 0-6 – Showed huge improvement this week losing only 42-19 to Avon. Anthony Budka has been moved back to tailback and had a huge game against the Eagles: 20 carries for 185 yards rushing and three TDs.
    
    
15. Firelands 1-5 – Team still struggles on offense: bad snaps to quarterback, missed assignments, and forgetting the snap count - all signs that show the team is still in disarray.
    
    
16. Oberlin 0-6 – Five teams (South, McDonald, Kenmore, Buckeye, and Black River) got off the snide with wins against the Phoenix. Doesn’t get any easier with Columbia coming to town.

Keystone vs. Black River tonight

I will be covering high school football tonight from Stevenson Field as the Black River Pirates host the Keystone Wildcats. You can tune in to 1320 AM or listen online (replay will be available online as well). I'll be working with play-by-play announcer Bob Karlovec and color commentator Darryl Maynard.

It's a Patriot Athletic Conference Stars Division match-up and both teams are desperate for a win. Keystone (2-3, 0-2) is coming off two losses against Brooklyn and Columbia to start conference play while Black River (1-4, 1-1) finally notched their first win of the season against Oberlin last week after opening the year with four losses.

For Keystone, the offense is struggling. In the 21-7 loss to Columbia, the Wildcats had 50 yards of offense and their only points came on a Ryan Clement kick-off return for a TD. Clement has established himself as a dangerous return man. So far he has three touchdowns on kick-off returns and another TD on a punt return.

Offense was not in short supply last week for Black River. The Pirates had a huge 62-8 win over Oberlin. In that game, Black River scored on nine of ten offensive possession and accumulated 466 yards of offense all rushing including:

• Jake O'Connor 13-146, 3 TDs
• Matt Joppeck 11-124, 3 TDs
• Andrew Vaughn 7-103, TD
• Austin Phillips 52 yards, 2 TDs
• Dillion White 41 yards

The Pirate defense came alive as well with five sacks and three interceptions.

The teams have met every year since the PAC started play in 2005. Black River is 4-1 during the span including a win last year at Keystone 28-21. The Wildcats lone victory during that time was a 21-12 win in 2007.