The state is imposing stricter rules for hunters in portions of Wayne and Holmes counties to monitor for the spread of a fatal, degenerative brain disorder in white-tailed deer.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources this week designated the region as the state’s first Chronic Wasting Disease Surveillance Area.

For hunters, the designation means all carcasses from animals killed in southern Wayne and central Holmes counties must be taken to one of two inspection stations, where they will be tested for the chronic wasting disease.

The move, announced Thursday, is part of the state’s efforts to confirm that the fatal disorder related to mad cow disease is not in Ohio’s wild deer herd.

Chronic wasting disease is a contagious disease that afflicts deer and elk. It has been found in wild or captive deer and elk herds in 19 states and two Canadian provinces. Discovered in 1967 in Colorado, chronic wasting disease is marked by tiny sponge-like holes in the brain created by abnormal proteins.

There is no evidence that the disease has spread to humans, but that remains a concern, says the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.

The state designation triggers testing additional rules for the next three years for hunters killing deer in the targeted region.

The area involved includes Franklin and Clinton townships in Wayne County and Ripley, Prairie, Salt Creek, Monroe, Hardy, Berlin, Killbuck and Mechanic townships, plus the northeast part of Richland Township in Holmes County.

The designated area falls within a 6-mile radius of two fenced-off deer facilities in Holmes County where the disease has been found.

Since October 2014, 19 deer from a captive farm and a separate breeding facility in Holmes County have tested positive for the disease. The state killed 510 deer at the facilities that were operated by Daniel Yoder of Millersburg. He faces six criminal charges filed by the Ohio Department of Agriculture for allegedly violating state quarantine orders.

An additional 24 deer that escaped from those facilities have been killed and tested for the disease. All were negative.

But the fear is that the disease may have made its way into Ohio’s wild deer herd, said state spokeswoman Jamey Emmert.

During the 2014-15 hunting season, 3,625 deer were killed in all of Holmes County, which ranked No. 8 in Ohio. An additional 1,923 deer were killed in all of Wayne County.

Dennis Malloy of Cortland, field director of hunting group Whitetails Unlimited, said he supports the new surveillance.

“It’s a good move by the state of Ohio,” he said. “It sucks to be a hunter in Wayne and Holmes counties, but that is ground zero. There may be some resistance locally, but Ohio needs to be aggressive to make sure that [the disease] is not in the state’s wild deer herd. It must be stopped.”

Malloy has experience in Wisconsin, where thousands of deer were killed in 2002 to keep the disease from spreading beyond four counties.

Ohio is trying to make the testing process as easy as possible for hunters to assure that they participate, Emmert said.

Hunters killing deer in the designated area must take the carcasses to inspection stations in Holmes County’s Millersburg and Holmesville, where tissue samples will be collected to test for the disease.

The inspection stations will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. during deer-gun and deer muzzleloader seasons from Nov. 30 to Dec. 6, Dec. 28-29 and Jan. 9-12.

Hunters will be asked to provide their confirmation number from the game check process as well as the location where the deer was killed. The address of the farm or the nearest intersections are sufficient, ODNR said.

The process should take only 10 minutes, but there could be delays at peak times, the state said.

The state will pay for all tests within the designated area.

Hunters shooting deer near but outside the area can pay $25 to $30 plus shipping to have samples analyzed by the state, Emmert said. Results would be available within a few weeks.

Hunters that harvest a deer in the designated area and wish to have it mounted will still need to bring their deer to a carcass inspection station. Samples will not be taken at that time, but staff will collect additional information so samples can be collected later.

Additionally, the new state rules:

• Prohibit the use of salt, mineral supplements, grain, fruit, vegetables or other feed or the shooting deer with those aids in the designated area. Such practices are allowed elsewhere. The goal is to keep deer from congregating and spreading the disease, Emmert said.

• Ban the removal of roadkill carcasses within the designated area unless the carcass complies with state rules.

Additional information on carcass regulations is available at www.wildohio.gov.

For more information, hunters can call 800-WILDLIFE or 330-644-2293.

Bob Downing can be reached at 330-996-3745 or bdowning@thebeaconjournal.com.

The game at hand — the so-called Holy War 2.0 — brought them all together in a chilly parking lot outside InfoCision Stadium.

Some wore green and gold — St. Vincent-St. Mary’s colors — while others wore Hoban colors of navy blue and gold as they tailgated before Friday night’s high school playoff game on the University of Akron campus.

Amid the tents, tables full of heart-attack-inducing food and corn hole competitions, clusters of diehard high school football fans argued the X’s and O’s of the first matchup earlier in the season that ended with the Hoban Knights as the victors.

History is important in such cross-town rivalries and is not forgotten.

But the brisk wind brought back memories for a couple of grown men of another big game in Akron football lore. It was 1979, and St. V-M found itself in the state championship game against underdog Ironton.

The heavily favored Irish lost 7-6 to the scrappy school from southern Ohio.

Tim Rickus was there. He was an outside linebacker, split end and punter for St. V-M.

“I never left the field,” said Rickus, recalling the challenge of playing multiple positions.

Ron Ross was there, too. He played cornerback on St. V-M’s team.

“We’re still bummed about it,” he said of the heartbreaking loss.

Both men married their high school sweethearts — both proud “Irish” girls.

But they now find themselves on opposite sides of the tailgating party with more than just the smell of brats, cigars and beer dividing them.

Rickus still proudly wears his green and gold.

Ross now wears Hoban’s navy blue and gold.

Ross’ deliberate switch of loyalties — at least one time a year and in the case of this season twice — to Hoban came about several years ago when four of the couple’s five kids decided to become Knights.

His son, William, is a senior at Hoban and is one of the team’s receivers, the proud dad points out.

“When we are not playing St. V’s, I root for both teams,” he said.

Rickus said what makes the “Holy War” so much fun and special is the friendly rivalry among friends — pointing out many of the kids and alumni from both schools attended parochial grade school and middle school together before having to make that critical decision to either attend public school or chose among the Akron area’s four Catholic high schools.

“Once the ball’s on the field, it is game on,” he said of the rivalry.

But this fervent team spirit exists between the lines on the field and the friendly verbal jabs are reserved for the tailgate parties.

Rickus said once off the field and everyone heads to the pews for Mass, all that stuff is forgotten.

“At the end of the game, we are all back to being friends.”

Craig Webb can be reached at cwebb@thebeaconjournal.com or 330-996-3547.

Conductor returns to Cleveland

Conductor Christoph von Dohnanyi returns to the Cleveland Orchestra to lead Schubert’s Great Symphony at 8 p.m. at Severance Hall, 11001 Euclid Ave., Cleveland. The program also includes Smetana, Overture to The Bartered Bride; and Sortomme, Concerto for Two Violas, on Themes from Smetana’s “From My Life” Quartet. Tickets are $29-$89 at www.clevelandorchestra.com.

Dancing Wheels at orchestra

Canton Symphony Orchestra teams up with Dancing Wheels Company & School for a performance at 8 p.m. at Umstattd Performing Arts Hall, 2323 17th St. NW, Canton. Dancing Wheels includes dancers with and without disabilities, and the concert, marking the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, includes the world premiere of Stephen Melillo’s Symphony IIII Lightfall. Tickets are $25-$45 at 330-452-2094 or www.cantonsymphony.org.

Classic comedy is at Capitol

“Those aren’t pillows!” Get in the Thanksgiving spirit with a midnight showing of the classic John Candy-Steve Martin comedy Planes, Trains & Automobiles at the Capitol Theatre, 1390 W. 65th St., Cleveland. Tickets are only $6. 440-528-0355, www.clevelandcinemas.com.

Learn about feeding birds

The Medina County Park District is holding a walk-in program on feeding birds in your backyard from noon to 5 p.m. at the Wolf Creek Environmental Center, 6100 Ridge Road (state Route 94), Sharon Township. There will be bird games, crafts and displays. 330-722-9364 or www.medinacountyparks.com.

An outbreak of E. coli linked to Chipotle that originated in the Pacific Northwest has spread and has now infected people in six states, including Ohio. One report hits close to home.

New cases have been reported in Summit County, California and New York, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday. The first cases were discovered late last month in Oregon and Washington, and more recently in Minnesota.

Investigators have yet to determine the specific ingredient linked to the illness.

So far, 45 people have been infected, with 43 of them saying they ate at Chipotle in the week before they became sick. The CDC said it is aware of illnesses starting on dates ranging from Oct. 19 to Nov. 8. The agency said that illnesses that took place after Oct. 31 may not have been reported yet.

Bob Hasenyager, director of environmental health for the Summit County Health District, said district officials learned from the Ohio Department of Health earlier this week that an affected individual, who is a resident of Cuyahoga County, reported eating at a Chipotle in Summit multiple times. The Chipotle is not in the city of Akron.

The state health department also said the person reported eating at two Chipotles in Cuyahoga in late October.

Hasenyager said Friday evening that health district officials did not know the condition of the individual.

He said investigators “would pull together the dietary history of the patient to determine if there is a strong link between the Chipotle that this individual had eaten at in Summit County and the illness.”

The store manager at the Summit County location told county health inspectors that Chipotle corporate officials had instructed store leaders to replace in-stock food items that could be a source of the E. coli strain.

If investigators determine a “strong link,” Hasenyager said, they would talk with restaurant employees about safe food-handling practices.

“It would appear that there is a strong link, but it has not been determined for sure,” he said. “We don’t know what food item may be implicated in causing the illness.”

Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. closed 43 restaurants in Oregon and Washington in late October after health officials discovered most of the people sickened in the outbreak had eaten at its restaurants. The restaurants have since reopened.

“At the moment, we do not believe that it is necessary to close any restaurants,” Chipotle spokesman Chris Arnold said in an email. He said the company has taken measures including deep cleaning in restaurants, replacing ingredients and providing supply chain data to investigators.

Chipotle, based in Denver, has more than 1,900 locations and has gained popularity by touting the freshness and quality of its ingredients. Earlier this year, the company ran into trouble after suspending a pork supplier that violated its animal welfare standards. That led to a shortage of carnitas at hundreds of locations around the country, which dampened its sales growth.

On news Friday that the outbreak had spread, Chipotle shares plunged more than 12 percent.

Chipotle said affected individuals reported eating at restaurants in Summit County; Turlock, Calif.; Amherst, N.Y., and Burnsville, Minn. The company said it is not aware of any employees who have become ill.

Of those sickened, two have been in California, two in Minnesota, one in New York, one in Ohio, 13 in Oregon and 26 in Washington, according to the CDC.

Sixteen people have been hospitalized, but there have been no deaths, the agency said.

Akron Beacon Journal reporter Katie Byard and Associated Press reporter Candice Choi contributed to this report.

There’s no doubt who owns Akron General Health System.

Akron General, now owned by the Cleveland Clinic, displayed its new logo during a groundbreaking Friday morning for a new, larger, $43 million emergency department.

The Cleveland Clinic name dominates Akron General’s in the new logo. It’s in larger letters and sits atop Akron General.

Cleveland Clinic officials said Akron General’s new logo is part of a systemwide branding revamp, and all of its regional hospitals will eventually have similar logos.

Akron General’s new logo is just the beginning of changes in store, courtesy of the Cleveland health care giant’s infusion of cash.

“This new emergency department would not have happened if it weren’t for our relationship with the Cleveland Clinic,” Akron General Health System President and Chief Executive Dr. Thomas “Tim” Stover told the crowd.

The new ER, scheduled to open in fall 2017, will replace one built in the 1960s.

The ceremony featured Akron General and Cleveland Clinic leaders using shiny shovels to turn over dirt that had been placed in bins. The ceremony was at the site of the planned facility, across from the existing emergency department on Akron General Avenue.

“It’s no surprise that the first thing that we wanted to do with the money from the Cleveland Clinic is to build a new emergency department,” Stover said, referring to Akron General’s long history of providing training for emergency room residents and its status as a Level-I trauma center, meaning it can care for the most complex trauma cases.

In an agreement struck last year, the Cleveland Clinic agreed to invest $100 million in Akron General as minority owner. The deal allowed the Cleveland Clinic to take over ownership of Akron General, a much smaller health system, after a year.

Additionally, the Cleveland Clinic has pledged to make at least $29.8 million in capital improvements to Akron General Health System in the first year of ownership and similar amounts annually for the next four years. These investments are on top of the initial $100 million.

In recent years, Akron General hasn’t been able to spend as much as needed on upgrading equipment and facilities because of financial challenges, Stover had said earlier.

Celebrating change

Friday’s event also was about celebrating the new ownership of the 101-year-old Akron General.

Cleveland Clinic Chief Executive Dr. Toby Cosgrove told those gathered Friday that the Akron-based health system becoming a part of the “Cleveland Clinic family” is a “significant event in the history of Ohio health care,” allowing patients to benefit from a wider range of medical services offered through the Cleveland Clinic network.

Emergency departments, he said, “are a portal to the full range of patient services available through the main campus and its regional health systems, which now include Akron General.”

The groundbreaking for the downtown facility comes after both Akron General and its cross-town rival Summa Health System have expanded emergency services to the suburbs, both building a facility in Green. Akron General also has satellite ERs in Bath Township and Stow.

Summa Health System struck its own $250 million deal in 2013 giving Cincinnati-based HealthSpan Partners — an auxiliary of Mercy Health, formerly Catholic Health Partners — a 30 percent ownership stake in Summa.

Plans for Akron General’s new ER also come after Summa Akron City Hospital replaced its dated downtown ER with a larger facility that opened in 2012.

More space, services

Emergency departments serve as the front door for many hospitals.

Nationwide, the number of emergency department visits reached a record high of 136.3 million in 2011, according to estimates released last year by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. ER use by uninsured patients and an increased need for medical services by an aging population are among the factors contributing to the trend.

Akron General’s emergency department, last renovated in 2002, will see about 56,000 patients this year, nearly twice the 30,000 patients it was designed to handle.

The planned roughly 60,000-square-foot facility will be designed for 65,000 to 75,000 patients on a yearly basis. Hasenstab Architects of Akron is the project architect.

The facility will have 58 treatment areas for patients, up from the current 37, as well as a separate urgent care area.

Hospital officials recognize, Stover said, “not everybody that comes to an emergency room needs emergency-room level care.”

The new department will include what hospital officials call “high acuity” trauma rooms for patients with serious injuries as well as a designated unit for Akron General’s PATH (Providing Access to Healing) program, in which specially trained registered nurses conduct medical examinations with sexual assault and domestic violence victims.

It also will have an expanded behavioral health unit, as well as its own imaging department, including a CT scanner, to make the best use of caregivers, Stover said.

Katie Byard can be reached at 330-996-3781 or kbyard@thebeaconjournal.com.

FOOTBALL

Playoff Scoreboard

Friday’s Results

Division II

Region 3

Hudson 31, Mayfield 6

Region 4

Perrysburg 50, Cleveland Glenville 19

Region 5

Perry 28, Worthington 7

Region 6

Cincinnati La Salle 42, Kings Mills Kings 7

———

Division III

Region 7

Archbishop Hoban 24, St. Vincent-St. Mary 21

Region 8

Toledo Central Catholic 32, Cleveland Benedictine 31 (2 OT)

Region 9

Zanesville 38, Jackson 21

Region 10

Trotwood-Madison 33, Wapakoneta 3

———

Division V

Region 15

Canton Central Catholic 33, Columbiana Crestview 6

Region 16

Milan Edison 70, Chippewa 37

Region 17

Wheelersburg 31, Chillicothe 0

Region 18

Coldwater 31, Brookville 13

———

Division VII

Region 23

Mogadore 35, Warren John F. Kennedy 7

Region 24

McComb 36, Lucas 6

Region 25

Danville 44, Caldwell 34

Region 26

Fort Recovery 33, Minster 21

———

Playoff Schedule

Saturday’s Games

(All games at 7 p.m.)

Home team is listed first

Division I

Region 1

1 Lakewood St. Edward (11-1) vs. 5 Euclid (10-2) at Parma Byers Field

2 Stow (12-0) vs. 3 Lewis Center Olentangy (11-1) at Mansfield Arlin Field

Region 2

1 Cin. Colerain (11-1) vs. 5 Cin. Elder (9-3) at Mason Dwire Field at Atrium Stadium

2 Hilliard Davidson (11-1) vs. 3 Huber Heights Wayne (12-0) at Dayton Welcome Stadium

———

Division IV

Region 11

5 Youngstown Ursuline (7-5) vs. 3 Crestwood (10-2) at Ravenna Portage Community Bank Stadium

Region 12

1 Columbus Bishop Hartley (8-3) vs. 7 Bellevue (10-2) at Mansfield Madison Ram Field at StarTek Stadium

Region 13

1 Steubenville (11-0) vs. 2 Johnstown-Monroe (12-0) at New Philadelphia Woody Hayes Quaker Stadium

Region 14

1 Middletown Bishop Fenwick (12-0) vs. 3 Clarksville Clinton-Massie (11-1) at Xenia Doug Adams Stadium

———

Division VI

Region 19

1 Kirtland (11-1) vs. 6 Cuyahoga Heights (10-2) at West Geauga Howell Field

Region 20

5 Van Buren (9-3) vs. 2 Defiance Tinora (10-1) at Findlay Donnell Stadium

Region 21

8 Fredericktown (10-2) vs. 3 Grandview Heights (11-1) at Newark White Field

Region 22

1 Maria Stein Marion Local (11-1) vs. 2 Mechanicsburg (12-0) at Bellefontaine AcuSport Stadium

Scoring Summaries

Division II Region 3 Final
HUDSON 31, MAYFIELD 6

Mayfield 0 0 0 6 — 6

Hudson 10 0 14 7 — 31

Hud.: Moreno 4 run (Gonya kick)

Hud.: FG Gonya 29

Hud.: Restifo 38 run (Gonya kick)

Hud.: Parker 12 run (Gonya kick)

May.: Dostal 24 pass from Monastero (run failed)

Hud.: Parker 47 run (Gonya kick)

Mayfield Hudson

Records 11-2 11-2

Division II Region 5 Final
PERRY 28, WORTHINGTON KILBOURNE 7

Kilbourne 0 0 7 0 — 7

Perry 7 7 0 14 — 28

Per.: Cleveland 25 run (Brown kick)

Per.: Cleveland 34 pass from Baker (Brown kick)

Kil.: Stoner 24 pass from Bell-Wheelwright (Flores kick)

Per.: Sims 4 run (Brown kick)

Per.: Sims 13 run (Brown kick)

Kilbourne Perry

First downs 6 20

Rushing 25-123 58-361

Passing 9-18-65-2 1-2-34-0

Records 11-2 11-2

Divison VII Region 23 Final
MOGADORE 35, WARREN JFK 7

JFK 7 21 7 0 — 35

Mogadore 0 7 0 0 — 7

Mog.: Williams 1 run (Pollock kick)

Mog.: Williams 2 run (Pollock kick)

Mog.: Williams 1 run (Pollock kick)

Mog.: Tompkins 18 run (Pollock kick)

Mog.: Dunn 39 pass from Pollock (Pollock kick)

JFK: Coates 65 run (kick good)

JFK Mogadore

First Downs 7 14

Rushing 44-184 45-175

Passing 4-10-45-2 5-9-100-1

Records 11-2 12-1

Divison V Region 15 Final
CANTON CENTTRAL CATHOLIIC 33, CRESTVIEW 6

CCC 7 6 13 7 — 33

Crestview 0 6 0 0 — 6

CCC: Colangelo 17 run (Mills kick)

Cre.: Hicks 23 run (kick failed)

CCC: Stufffel 11 pass from Platek (kick failed)

CCC Crestview

Records 10-3 10-3


Division V Region 16 Final
MILAN EDISON 70, CHIPPEWA 37

Chippewa 10 14 13 0 — 37

Edison 7 28 14 21 — 70

Chi.: Bennett 19 pass from Breitenstine (Gerstenslager kick)

Edi.: Scott 30 pass from Hall (Munroe kick)

Chi.: Gerstenslager 33 field goal.

Edi.: Hall 21 run (Munroe kick)

Edi.: S. Stoll 90 run (Munroe kick)

Edi.: Hall 12 run (Munroe kick)

Chi.: Brown 37 pass from Breitenstine (Gerstenslager kick)

Edi.: Scott 58 run (Munroe kick)

Chi.: Breitenstine 5 run (Gerstenslager kick)

Edi.: D. Stoll 35 run (Munroe kick)

Chi.: Breitenstine 11 run (Gerstenslager kick)

Edi.: Goodwin 27 pass from (Munroe kick)

Chi.: Breitenstine 8 run (pass failed)

Edi.: Hall 18 run (Munroe kick)

Edi.: Hall 1 run (Munroe kick)

Edi.: D. Stoll 7 run (Munroe kick)

Chippewa Edison

First downs 23 25

Rushing 36-251 39-547

Passing 16-24-205-1 4-6-101-0

Records 10-3 12-1

Division III Region 7 Final
ARCHBISHOP HOBAN 24, 
ST. VINCENT-ST. MARY 21

SVSM 0 0 14 7 — 21

Hoban 10 0 7 7 — 24

Hob.: Sibley 1 run (Kersh kick)

Hob.: FG Kersh 40

Hob.: Morris 29 fumble return (Kersh kick)

SVSM: Davis 14 pass from Lalos (Martucci kick)

SVSM: Hurd 18 run (Martucci kick)

Hob.: Christian 22 interception return (Kersh kick)

SVSM: Hurd 1 run (Martucci kick)

BASKETBALL

BOYS

Scoring Summary

KINGSWAY CHRISTIAN 64,
STEEL ACADEMY 45

Steel Academy 10 14  4 17 — 45

Kingsway 16 18 16 14 — 64

STEEL ACADEMY (0-1) — Latham 0-2-2, Bell 1-0-2, Porter 3-2-8, Robinson 3-1-9, Wilorn 7-6-24. Totals: 14-59 11-23 45.

KINGSWAY CHRISTIAN (1-0) — Dutt 1-0-2, Gold 1-0-3, G. Himes 4-1-10, H. Himes 6-1-13, Money 5-3-13, Bochart 8-5-21, Linkowski 1-0-2. Totals: 26-59 10-20 64.

3-point goals: Wilorn 4, Robinson 2, Gold, G. Himes. Fouls: SA, 19-18. Rebounds: SA, 30 (Brown 6); OKC, 59 (H. Himes 17). Turnovers: OKC, 32-19.

GIRLS

Scoring Summaries

WINDHAM 61, ROOTSTOWN 41

Windham 18 14 20 9 — 61

Rootstown 11 9 10 11 — 41

WINDHAM (1-0) — A. Knight 8-3-22, Riggs 4-0-8, B. Knight 7-6-23, Snyder 0-2-2, Vean 2-0-4, Apthore 1-0-2. Totals: 22-11-61.

ROOTSTOWN (0-1) — Johnson 1-0-2, Franks 1-1-3, McGurk 0-1-1, Ryan 7-2-17, Vair 6-1-14, Gibson 1-0-3, Brunswick 0-1-1. Totals: 16-6-41.

3-point goals: A. Knight 3, B. Knight 3, Ryan, Vair, Gibson. Fouls: Win., 17-14. Rebounds: Win., 46; Roo., 26 (Ryan 11). Turnovers: Roo., 22-16. JV score: Rootstown, 25-20.

NORWAYNE 64, WELLINGTON 25

Wellington 8  7  6  4 — 25

Norwayne 15 15 12 22 — 64

WELLINGTON (0-1) — Simmons 5-1-11, Lehmkuhl 3-0-6, J. White 1-0-2, Diermyor 1-0-2, Frank 1-0-2, S. White 1-0-2. Totals: 12 1-3 25.

NORWAYNE (1-0) — Boley 5-5-17, Hilty 7-1-15, Gill 2-0-4, Hess 0-1-1, Chapman 2-0-4, Perry 2-0-4, Gasser 4-0-11, Deiotte 1-0-2, Norman 1-0-2, Copley 1-2-4. Totals: 25 9-17 64.

3-point goals: Gasser 3, Boley 2. Fouls: Wel., 20-9. Rebounds: Nor., 32-19. Turnovers: Wel., 24-7. JV score: Norwayne won.

WADSWORTH 61,
EASTMOOR ACADEMY 40

Eastmoor 13 13  5 9 — 40

Wadsworth 26 13 17 5 — 61

EASTMOOR (0-1) — Mahogany 5-2-15, Daniels 1-0-2, Burke 4-0-9, Rodgers 1-1-3, Belcher 0-3-3, Craig 0-1-1, Caart 1-1-3, Moore 0-2-2, Wooten 1-0-2. Totals: 13-41 10-21 40.

WADSWORTH (1-0) — Jo. Johnson 7-7-22, Fortner 5-4-15, Conley 0-1-1, Movsesian 0-1-1, Lance 2-2-6, Palitto 1-0-2, Chaney 1-0-2, Je. Johnson 1-5-7, M. Banks 1-0-2, P. Banks 1-1-3. Totals: 19-60 21-38 61.

3-point goals: Mahogany 3, Burke, Jo. Johnson, Fortner. Fouls: Wad., 30-29. Rebounds: Wad., 50 (Jo. Johnson 9), East. 30 (Burke 6). Turnovers: East., 25-15. JV score: Wadsworth won.

CLOVERLEAF 59, ASHLAND 49

Ashland 13 9 10 17— 49

Cloverleaf 11 16 19 13 — 59

ASHLAND (0-1) — McQuate 0-3-3, Webb 3-5-11, Shoemaker 2-0-4, Radebaugh 3-4-12, Stevry 0-1-1, Cline 1-1-3, Kennedy 4-7-15. Totals: 13-50 21-31 49.

CLOVERLEAF (1-0) — Illig 3-3-9, Hamilton 1-0-2, Barnum 1-0-2, Civittolo 4-9-18, Jordan 1-0-2, Limas 1-9-11, Miglich 2-2-3, Kemp 3-0-7. Totals: 16-56 23-33 59.

3-point goals: Radebaugh 2, Miglich 2, Civittolo, Kemp. Fouls: Clo., 26-20. Rebounds: Ash., 45; Clo., 41 (Civittolo 13). Turnovers: Ash., 26-19. JV score: Ashland, 30-14.

NORTON 70, BARBERTON 48

Norton 16 17 20 17 — 70

Barberton 21  2 11 14 — 48

NORTON (1-0) — Miller 7-1-19, Daniel 1-0-2, Shearer 0-3-3, Kraus 1-3-6, K. Hosey 3-5-11, Murawski 4-2-10, Ab. Murawski 4-2-10, P. Hosey 3-0-8, Howell 2-0-4, Al. Murawski 2-1-5, Lester 1-0-2. Totals: 24-15-70.

BARBERTON (0-1) — Blackwell 4-6-17, Chik 4-0-11, Kelley 1-0-3, Miller 1-1-3, Ferguson 2-1-6, Ries 1-1-3, Tinnett 1-2-4, Debevec 0-1-1. Totals: 14-12-48.

3-point goals: Miller 4, Blackwell 3, Chik 3, P. Hosey 2, Kraus, Kelley, Ferguson. Fouls: Nor., 23-19. Rebounds: Nor., 33 (Howell 8); Bar., 18.

Schedule

Saturday’s Games

(All games 2:30 p.m., unless noted)

Archbishop Hoban vs. Perry, at Romeo’s Pizza Classic, 4:30 p.m.

Avon at Highland

Black River vs. Loudonville, at Hardwood Classic, 1 p.m.

Brecksville at Amherst Steele, 7:30 p.m.

Brunswick at Parma Padua, 7 p.m.

Buchtel at CVCA

Canton Central Catholic vs. Medina, at Romeo’s Pizza Classic, 2:45 p.m.

Canton South vs. Manchester, at Green Tip-Off Classic, 4 p.m.

Cle. John Marshall at Copley

Cle. Martin Luther King at East, 3:30 p.m.

Coventry vs. Smithville, at Hardwood Classic

Crestwood vs. Norton, at Green Tip-Off Classic

Dalton at Springfield

Ellet vs. Lake, at Romeo’s Pizza Classic, 1 p.m.

Euclid at Strongsville

Garfield at Our Lady of the Elms, 1 p.m.

GlenOak at Louisville

Green vs. Kenmore, at Green Tip-Off Classic, 5:30 p.m.

Hudson at Olmstead Falls

Mansfield Christian at Hillsdale, 7 p.m.

Massillon at Kent Roosevelt

Minerva at Fairless

Mogadore at East Canton, 7:30 p.m.

Nordonia at Bedford, 1:30 p.m.

North Canton Hoover at West Holmes, 7:30 p.m.

North Royalton vs. Canton McKinley, at Romeo’s Pizza Classic, 6;15 p.m.

Northwestern at South Central, 7:30 p.m.

Painesville Riverside at Aurora

Ravenna at Tallmadge

Revere vs. Jackson, at Romeo’s Pizza Classic, 8 p.m.

Rittman vs. Lake Ridge Academy, at Hardwood Classic, 4 p.m.

St. Thomas Aquinas at Wooster, 7:30 p.m.

St. Vincent-St. Mary at Solon

Triway at Mansfield Madison

Tusky Valley at Sandy Valley

BOWLING

BOYS

WOODRIDGE 2,285, RAVENNA 2, 002

(At Legend Lanes, Cuyahoga Falls)

High Games: B. Fleming (W) 192; Stoffer (R) 234. High Series: A. Fleming (W) 367; Stoffer (R) 424. JV Score: Woodridge, 1785-1436.

Records: Woodridge 3-0, 2-0.

The company behind the proposed Nexus Pipeline across northern Ohio has filed paperwork to begin the official federal review of the $2 billion project.

Texas-based Nexus Gas Transmission LLC on Friday asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to begin an environmental review of the 255-mile natural gas pipeline.

The company had earlier filed preliminary paperwork.

The company is seeking what’s called a certificate of public convenience and necessity from the federal agency that oversees interstate pipelines.

FERC must now evaluate all potential environmental impacts, as well as the company’s plans to address and minimize them.

The federal agency is expected to issue its final ruling in late 2016.

The company called the filing “a significant milestone” in its announcement late Friday.

Its filing with the federal agency includes responses to comments filed by pipeline opponents as well as a full evaluation of alternative routes and potential impacts of the pipeline, which will be 36 inches in diameter.

The pipeline would run through northern Stark, southern Summit, the northeast corner of Wayne and across Medina County.

It would run from eastern Ohio to Defiance in northwest Ohio and into Michigan. Connections could then carry the natural gas into Ontario.

The city of Green and a grass-roots group, the Coalition to Reroute Nexus, have urged that the pipeline be routed south of the Akron-Canton-Medina area in more rural southern Stark and Wayne counties. That proposal, which affect 103 miles of pipeline, drew a chilly reception from the company.

Nexus Gas Transmission is planning to begin construction in January 2017 and to have the pipeline in operation by November 2017.

The company says the pipeline is “critically needed” to get natural gas from the Utica and Marcellus shales in Ohio, West Virginia and western Pennsylvania to Midwest markets and connecting pipelines.

The company says it has signed agreements to provide pipeline connections with industrial parks, natural gas utilities and electric-generating plants across northern Ohio and in southern Michigan.

That includes two connections in Medina County with Columbia Gas of Ohio Inc. and with a Wadsworth industrial development, Brickyard Industrial Park. There is also a Wayne County connection with Dominion East Ohio.

The pipeline would transport up to 1.5 billion cubic feet per day, enough to heat 6 million homes.

It is being developed with Detroit-based DTE Energy Co. and Texas-based Spectra Energy Partners.

An Ohio-Michigan group, the Coalition for the Expansion of Pipeline Infrastructure, is supporting the Nexus Pipeline.

Anti-pipeline landowners in Summit and Medina counties have prevented the company from conducting surveys along the pipeline route. That issue is tied up in continuing court fights. Access in other Ohio counties has largely been resolved in court.

Bob Downing can be reached at 330-996-3745 or bdowning@thebeaconjournal.com.

See ‘Oklahoma!’ on big screen

See an old-fashioned big-budget musical on the big screen, the way it was intended, as Oklahoma! is shown in theaters for its 60th anniversary at 2 p.m. Sunday and 2 and 7 p.m. Wednesday. Starring Gordon MacRae and Shirley Jones — who became a star because of this — the movie is an adaptation of the Rodgers & Hammerstein production and full of unforgettable songs and the famous Agnes DeMille “dream ballet.” Participating theaters include Cinemark Valley View and Cinemark Tinseltown in Jackson Township.

Fall Tasting at Cellar 59

Cellar 59, 3984 Kent Road, Stow, will host its third annual Fall Tasting from 2 to 4 p.m. featuring 20 wines at various price points, accompanied by light appetizers. Tickets are $45 plus tax at the door. Call 330-688-2684. Cellar 59, in a renovated farmhouse near the Kent State University Airport, opened in 2013. See www.cellar59wine.com.

Candlelight walk in Medina

Catch the last day of Medina’s Candlelight Walk. Today’s highlights include a craft show at Medina High School, a winter farmers market at Root Candles, choirs and handbells, and a lighting ceremony on the square at 5 p.m. See www.mainstreetmedina.com for a schedule.

People fired up snowblowers and dug out their shovels Saturday after the first significant snowstorm of the season dumped between a few inches and 20 inches of snow across the Upper Midwest, blanketing a swath from South Dakota to Michigan.

The storm created hazardous travel conditions and caused more than 500 flight cancellations. A blast of much colder air was following the storm.

The National Weather Service said the snow, which first fell in South Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa on Friday, would continue in Illinois, Indiana and Michigan before heading northeast into Canada late Saturday.

In the southern Wisconsin town of Janesville, between 10 and 20 inches of snow had fallen by late Saturday afternoon, the National Weather Service said.

Southside True Value Hardware manager Matt Krienke said business had been good in the days leading up to the storm, but that it had become “very, very, very, very slick.”

“People who don’t need to drive don’t need to be out,” he said.

Snow totals in the northern suburbs of Chicago topped initial forecasts of six to 10 inches, said National Weather Service meteorologist Amy Seeley — 12.5 inches in Woodstock and 11.7 inches in Roscoe. It’s unusual for the area’s first snowfall of the season to dump more than 6 inches, Seeley said.

About 60 miles northwest of Chicago, the village of Capron had received 14.6 inches by Saturday morning, spurring village employee Robert Lukes into action clearing sidewalks with his snowblower in the community of about 1,400 people. He said the snowfall was wet, with a layer of slush underneath that made the work slow going.

“It’s a typical first snow for us, but it’s a pain in the butt. There’s quite a bit of it and it’s kind of difficult plowing and snowblowing,” he said, adding, “It’s just another snowstorm in northern Illinois.”

Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport had 7.1 inches of snow by noon Saturday, which forced the cancellation of about 350 flights in and out of the busy airport, according to the tracking website FlightAware.com. Midway International Airport had canceled about 175 flights.

The northern Indiana city of LaPorte is no stranger to heavy snowfalls, though only about 4 inches were on the ground by noon Saturday. Alizha Demunck, a clerk at the city’s Little Chocolates candy store, says the weather didn’t slow weekend shoppers from getting handmade chocolates.

“Northern Indiana, we’re used to snow. Most people aren’t even fazed by it,” she said.

Between 5 and 8 inches of snow had fallen on far northern Indiana and southern Michigan by Saturday afternoon, with accumulations growing ever-smaller farther to the south, the weather service said. Indianapolis was expected to receive 1 to 3 inches of snow.

Temperatures plunged behind the front. Sioux Falls, South Dakota, reached 11 degrees Saturday and the town of Estherville in northern Iowa was even colder at 6 degrees with a wind chill of minus 4, the weather service said.

Southeastern South Dakota got up to 18 inches of snow on Friday, National Weather Service meteorologist Bruce Terry said, while amounts of a foot or more — 17 inches in one spot — were common in northern Iowa.

“Some of those amounts are pretty impressive for this time of year,” he added.

BAMAKO, MALI: The heavily armed Islamic extremists who shot up a luxury hotel in Mali’s capital, killing 19 people, timed their assault for the moment when guards would be the most lax, allowing them to easily blast their way past a five-man security team before turning their weapons on terrified guests, a security guard and witnesses said Saturday.

The timing suggested a well-planned operation that analysts say could be an attempt by al-Qaida to assert its relevance amid high-profile attacks by the rival Islamic State group.

The attack on the Radisson Blu hotel in Bamako began at around 7 a.m. Friday morning when two gunmen, approaching on foot, reached the entrance where five guards who had worked the night shift were waiting to be replaced by a new team, said Cheick Dabo, one of the guards.

The guards had just finished the morning prayer and had put their weapons — a shotgun and two pistols — away in their vehicle when the militants struck.

“We didn’t see the jihadists until they started firing on us. We weren’t concentrating and we didn’t expect it,” he said.

Four of the guards were shot, one fatally, while Dabo himself managed to hide under a car.

Government critics have attacked the level of security at the hotel and in the country but Interior Minister Salif Traore said Saturday that there was little to be done in the face of such determined attackers.

“They were ready to die, so the level of security is hardly important,” he told reporters. “The Radisson hotel had a level of security that was considered good.”

Once inside, at least one of the assailants headed for the kitchen and restaurant, sparking pandemonium, said Mohammed Coulibaly, a cook at the hotel.

“I was busy cooking when a waitress started screaming at the door, ‘They are attacking us, they are attacking us!”’ Coulibaly said. “I asked everyone to go into the hallway, so everyone headed in that direction. Suddenly we heard the footsteps of the jihadists behind us and there was total panic and people were running in every direction.”

Coulibaly said he then hid in a bathroom with one of the guests, but one of the assailants saw him through a window and started firing, prompting him to run to the kitchen where he was nearly overwhelmed by smoke.

“I realized that if I didn’t leave the kitchen the smoke would kill me. So I waited until I didn’t hear any noise and I ran from the kitchen and escaped the hotel through a window,” he said.

By that point, the assailants were heading upstairs where they took dozens of hostages, launching a standoff with Malian security forces that lasted more than seven hours and claimed 19 lives in addition to their own. All but one of the victims were hotel guests.

Speaking to reporters briefly after visiting the hotel on Saturday, Mali President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita said the attack underscored the global threat posed by Islamic extremists, especially coming just one week after teams of attackers from the Islamic State group in Paris killed 130 people while targeting a stadium, a concert hall and cafes and restaurants.

“These people have attacked Paris and other places. Nowhere is excluded,” Keita said.

Army Maj. Modibo Nama Traore said earlier Saturday that security forces were hunting “more than three” suspects who may have been involved in the assault. The government on Friday declared a 10-day nationwide state of emergency and three days of national mourning beginning Monday.

The Radisson attack was claimed by Al-Mourabitoun (The Sentinels), an extremist group formed by notorious Algerian militant Moktar Belmoktar, in a statement Friday that said it was carried out in cooperation with al-Qaida’s “Sahara Emirate.”

Belmoktar, an Algerian militant and former al-Qaida commander who has long been based in the Sahara, shot to prominence after his group carried out a January 2013 attack on an Algerian gas plant that resulted in the death of 39 foreign workers.

Jean-Herve Jezequel, an analyst with the International Crisis Group, said Al-Mourabitoun may be allying with al-Qaida in the face of the losses the extremists have suffered at the hands of French forces that intervened in Mali in 2013 after much of the north fell to radical Islamists.

“Belmoktar may want to revive the alliance with al-Qaida maybe to reassert their position because they have lost a lot,” he said. “They have lost a lot of leaders in the last three years because of the French military intervention.”

The attack may also be a way for al-Qaida and its allies to assert itself in the face of the highly publicized string of attacks carried out by its chief rival in jihad, the Islamic State group.

While IS does not have a major presence in this region, its successes elsewhere in the world have resulted in local radical groups pledging allegiance to it.

“Al-Qaida and its international affiliates have been surpassed by IS and needed to show that they are still there,” said Djallil Lounnes, an expert on radical groups in the Sahara based in Morocco. “The attack on the hotel was perfect — only foreign delegations in a highly secure area — so the message would be that we, al-Qaida, can strike high-quality targets, not just random civilians.”

Among the dead in the Radisson attack were a 41-year-old American development worker, six Russian plane crew from a cargo company, and three senior executives from the powerful state-owned China Railway Construction Corp., officials said.

BRUSSELS: Belgian authorities closed down Brussels’ subway system and flooded the streets with armed police and soldiers Saturday in response to what they said was a threat of Paris-style attacks.

The decision to raise the threat alert to the highest level in the Belgian capital came as the manhunt continued for a suspect missing since the carnage in neighboring France. It was taken “based on quite precise information about the risk of an attack like the one that happened in Paris,” said Belgium’s Prime Minister Charles Michel.

The tip authorities received suggested that an attack would involve “several individuals with arms and explosives launch actions, perhaps even in several places at the same time,” he said.

The U.S. Embassy in Belgium urged Americans in the country “to shelter in place and remain at home” while the U.S. European Command issued a 72-hour travel restriction for U.S. military personnel on travel to Brussels — a city of more than 1 million that is home to the headquarters of the European Union, the NATO alliance and offices of many multinational corporations.

On Saturday night, a relative calm descended on the city center, where restaurants and beer bars would usually be teeming with business. On Brussels’ central square, the Grand Place, tourists snapped selfies as a green army truck full of soldiers pulled up next to a lit Christmas tree. Some restaurants and bars shuttered their doors, while others remained open, defying advice from the mayor to close for the night.

Tensions were also high elsewhere in Europe. In Paris, police equipped with emergency powers extended a ban on demonstrations and other gatherings through Nov. 30, when a U.N. climate conference with more than 100 heads of state is scheduled to start.

Several of the Paris attackers had lived in Brussels, including suspected mastermind Abdelhamid Abaaoud, who was killed in a standoff with French police on Wednesday.

Salah Abdeslam, another suspected attacker, is at large and is known to have crossed into Belgium the morning after the Nov. 13 attacks. A Paris police official and the Paris prosecutor’s office said Saturday they had no firm information on Abdeslam’s whereabouts, including whether he was in the Brussels area.

Carine Couquelet, the lawyer for a man who rode back to Belgium with Abdeslam, said in a broadcast interview Saturday that her client had said Abdeslam was extremely nervous and may have been wearing a suicide bomb vest.

The Belgian Federal Prosecutor’s office said several weapons were discovered during a search of the home of one of three people arrested in connection with the Paris attacks, but that no explosives were found. It didn’t specify when the weapons were found. The three have been charged with “participation in terrorist attacks and participation in the activities of a terrorist organization.”

In the Turkish coastal city of Antalya, authorities detained a 26-year-old Belgian citizen, suspected of being connected to Islamic extremist and possibly to the Paris attacks — raising hopes of a possible new break in the investigation.

The private Dogan news agency identified him as Ahmet Dahmani and said he is suspected of having explored areas in Paris that were targeted in the attacks. A senior Turkish government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to Turkish government rules, said he was believed to have been in contact with the Paris attackers. Dahmani had arrived in Turkey Nov. 14 from Amsterdam, and was preparing to cross into Syria together with two other suspected Islamic State militants, the official said.

Officials across Europe, the Mideast and in Washington are trying to determine how a network of primarily French and Belgian attackers with links to Islamic extremists in Syria plotted and carried out the deadliest violence in France in decades — and how many may still be on the run.

Belgium’s national Crisis Center raised its terrorism alert for the Brussels region to Level 4, which indicates a “serious and immediate threat.” Heavily armed police and soldiers on Saturday patrolled key intersections of the city.

Residents were advised to avoid gatherings, train stations, airports and commercial districts. Service was halted on the Brussels Metro, as well as on streetcar lines that run underground.

As the first snow flurries of the season fell, many stores and commercial centers in the capital shut their doors on what normally would have been a busy weekend shopping day in the lead-up to the Christmas and New Year’s holidays. The Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium closed for the weekend, and a Saturday evening concert by French rocker Johnny Hallyday was rescheduled for next March, the Palais 21 venue announced on its website.

Brussels Airport, which is not in the Brussels administrative region, reported normal operations Saturday, but external communications manager Florence Muls said special attention was being paid to security.

The prime minister, speaking at a news conference after the emergency government meeting, said “We urge the public not to give in to panic, to stay calm. We have taken the measures that are necessary.”

Michel said the government’s crisis cell would meet again on Sunday afternoon to reassess the threat.

William Bridell, an American living in Brussels, said there was a noticeable difference in the city Saturday.

“There’s definitely not as many tourists and the Belgians have stayed in,” he said. He doubted there would be any attacks with the greater police presence and was on his way to watch a football match.

British tourists Georgie Maughan and Alexander Walker said they weren’t too worried about the security situation and had dismissed advice from their hotel to avoid crowded places. They, too, were in search of an open sports bar to watch a football game.

While some restaurant staffers weren’t happy about having to shut down on one of the busiest nights of the week, waitress Lourdes Taipe said it was probably for the best.

“It’s very bad for the company because we’re losing money but we have to do it for the security of the customers,” she said, adding the presence of so many police and military officers in central Brussels made staffers feel reassured.

Parisians were still trying to come to terms with the new reality imposed on them by the attacks, including security checks on entering stores and public buildings and a visible presence of armed police around the city.

In one of many tributes paid to the 130 victims of the Paris attacks over the past eight days, members of the Federation of Bikers of France gathered in Paris for a “RIP run.” Some 75 bikers from Paris and surrounding areas drove through the city and held a minute of silence in front of the Bataclan concert hall where 89 people were killed, including three members of their Federation.

The annual Christmas market along the Champs-Elysees avenue, shuttered after the attacks, reopened in time for the weekend. Although crowds seemed smaller than usual, people lined up on the cobblestones to ride a huge ferris wheel at the Place de la Concorde, lit up in red white and blue.

Her mother made her go, but in the end 12-year-old Hali Bridges had to be thankful for her ringside seat Saturday at a business workshop for black youths hoping to become entrepreneurs.

The session, part of the Code Akron Youth Workshop program sponsored by social-media marketer Kevin Lockett of Lockett Media, was held on the fifth-floor Bit Factory complex in the former B.F. Goodrich buildings in the 500 block of South Main Street in Akron.

Lockett was hoping for a turnout similar to the one in June, when about 15 young people attended a session on computer coding for websites, software and mobile apps.

On a chilly, overcast Saturday, however, Hali was lucky to be one of only three in attendance at a two-hour workshop for students interested in the basics of putting together a business and marketing plan.

Hali, who attends St. Paul Catholic School, had a one-on-one training session from SCORE counselor DeWayne Lockhart, a retired vice president and general manager of the Northeast division of the Dr. Pepper/Seven Up soft-drink manufacturing company.

Hali said that she wants to become a NASA astronomer, but for now she’s hoping to start her own baby-sitting business.

Lockhart had her undivided attention as he discussed some of the preliminary steps.

“I know what it is to work in corporate America,” Lockhart said, “but you should always have a dream of your own.”

Marketing 101, he said, is to know who your customers are so that you can wisely spend your time, energy and resources.

The first thing that he told Hali to decide is the age group of the children she’ll be caring for, with the advice that toddlers from 2 to 4 might be best.

“If I trust you with my toddlers,” Lockhart said, “you have to prove to me that you’re a very responsible person who’s going to watch them when I’m not there. And that’s part of your plan — how do you convince me that you’ll be a good baby sitter, versus a friend, a cousin or a person down the street who might be a better baby sitter than you.”

To set herself apart, Lockhart told Hali to plan a series of activities for baby-sitting sessions of two hours, four hours, six hours or a weekend.

“Make that part of your business plan when you try to sell it — the activities,” he said.

Two University of Akron students, Peter Okwuosah, 25, a junior electrical engineering major from Columbus, and Ebanee Bond, 25, a junior mechanical engineering major from Mansfield, also attended the workshop.

Okwuosah, who is a member of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), said he attended the session to be able “to positively impact the community.” He said it’s part of the society’s mission statement.

Attending the computer coding workshop in June, Okwuosah said, “made learning about engineering fun.”

“When you learn the coding, you can create anything you want. This one,” he said, “is like the next step.”

For information on future workshops, go to the website CodeAkron.com, or contact Lockett at Lockettmedia@gmail.com or codeakron@gmail.com.

Ed Meyer can be reached at 330-996-3784 or at emeyer@thebeaconjournal.com.

Pilots who regularly fly in and out of Akron Fulton International Airport say it is safe to travel to the airport.

And in bad weather and poor visibility, similar to conditions when a small private jet crashed this month in Akron while approaching the airport, there are procedures that pilots are supposed to follow to ensure a safe landing, they say.

Pilots nearing Akron Fulton are instructed to abort if they cannot see the runway at a certain point on their landing approach. The option then is to climb, circle around and try again or to fly to a nearby airport such as Akron-Canton.

“There is nothing complicated. There is nothing unusual. There is nothing hard,” said Jim Case, 67, who flew out of Akron Fulton for decades. “If you do not visually see the airport, you do not go down.”

Case, a retired Akron Fire Department captain, now lives in Florida, where he works at an airport. He still flies regularly. “I had a hangar at Akron Fulton for years,” Case said. “It’s a very nice airport.”

Case and four other pilots familiar with the Akron airport said there are no unique challenges to flying into Akron Fulton. They agreed to talk following the crash of a small corporate twin-engine jet into an apartment building Nov. 10 as it was attempting to land at the airport in cold, misty and rainy weather. All nine people on board were killed in the afternoon crash in Akron’s Ellet neighborhood; no one on the ground was hurt.

In a preliminary report released Wednesday, federal investigators noted that a flight instructor who had just landed at Akron Fulton warned the chartered jet about low visibility as the jet was about 10 miles from the runway. Investigators have not said or speculated on what caused the crash.

Denise Hobart teaches people how to fly out of the airport. She owns and operates American Winds Flight Academy and air charter business.

“One of the great assets that Northeast Ohio has is this great airport,” Hobart said. American Winds has trained several hundred pilots out of the airport in the 13 years since she and her late husband started the business, she said.

First-time fliers do not need to be instructed about anything unusual about taking off and landing at Akron Fulton, Hobart said. “There’s nothing,” she said.

No staffed tower

The airport does not have a staffed control tower. Instead, planes take instruction from the control tower at nearby Akron-Canton Airport as they go to or depart Akron Fulton, Hobart and others said.

That’s not unusual: The vast majority of U.S. airports do not have control towers.

Of the 19,511 public, private and military airports in the United States, just 513 have control towers, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The majority of U.S. airports — a bit more than 14,300 of the total — are small, privately owned operations, with most having unpaved and unlit runways.

According to the latest available information, about 70 planes take off and land daily out of city-owned Akron Fulton, which dates back to 1929.

Jets regularly fly in and out of the airport, said John Hogarth, who runs the airport’s fixed-base operator on behalf of the city. There are days that the runway is “packed” with jets, he said.

Heavier aircraft such as most jets have to fly a pattern more than 500 feet higher than lighter planes as they approach the airport, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association said.

As planes approach the long and wide main asphalt runway at Akron Fulton — 6,337 feet long and 150 feet wide — pilots can be assisted by the airport’s “localizer” or radio navigation antenna that tells an aircraft when it is centered on the runway, American Winds’ Hobart said. The localizer does not tell how high off the ground an aircraft is; that’s the responsibility of the pilot and flight crew using their own instrumentation and other onboard equipment, she and others said.

Pilots have specific minimum altitudes that their aircraft cannot go below as they reach specific distances from the airport, Hobart said.

All aircraft have altimeters that tell a pilot how far above sea level they are, but those devices aren’t linked to a so-called instrument approach landing, Hobart said.

More sophisticated aircraft have expensive equipment that determines altitude and location, she said.

Hobart said that in her 14 years of flying at Akron Fulton, she had to abort a landing just once because a snow cloud obscured the runway. In that instance, she chose to land at nearby Akron-Canton Airport.

Akron utility giant FirstEnergy Corp. keeps its fleet of three business jets, two Cessna Citation XLS models and an Embraer Legacy 600, at Akron-Canton Airport.

The larger airport, with its longer runway, is more suited to the jets, FirstEnergy spokesman Todd Schneider said.

But when there has been bad weather such as a thunderstorm hovering over Akron-Canton Airport, FirstEnergy’s pilots have opted to land at Akron Fulton and even traveled further to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, he said.

Tim Lanigan, a 37-year-old flight instructor based out of Wadsworth, said Akron Fulton airport “is very, very easy” to fly in and out of.

“As far as airports go, it is a nice facility,” Lanigan said.

No special challenges

Even bad weather doesn’t call for pilots to take unusual measures to land safely at Akron Fulton, he said.

“There’s nothing special about Fulton that would make it less safe,” Lanigan said.

He and others described the terrain the airport sits in as a kind of “bowl” but also said that does not pose special flight challenges.

“The airport itself is in a bowl. You can see the elevations,” Case said. “That has nothing to do with anything. That being in a bowl means nothing.”

Mike Emich, an Akron Fire Department lieutenant, pilot and balloonist, said he has kept a small plane at Akron Fulton for about eight years.

“It’s not a tough place for me to fly in and out of with my plane,” Emich said. “I have flown in and out many times. It’s a nice airport.”

The airport “bowl” might be noticed by someone landing at the airport for the first time but subsequent landings would become second nature, Emich said.

John Malene has been flying out of Akron Fulton since the 1950s. He is now in his mid-80s, owns two small planes and continues to fly.

The Cuyahoga Falls resident and retired Goodyear and Loral engineer, who is a certified flight instructor, is a member of the Aero Fliers Inc. The organization, which is based at Akron Fulton, got its start under Goodyear as the Wingfoot Fliers. Malene also has won national aviation awards, including the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award from the Federal Aviation Administration.

“I’ve been flying out of [Akron Fulton] since 1954,” Malene said. “It’s routine, really. … I don’t know of anybody who’s had a problem going in there.”

Jim Mackinnon can be reached at 330-996-3544 or jmackinnon@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow him @JimMackinnonABJ on Twitter or www.facebook.com/JimMackinnonABJ. His stories can be found at www.ohio.com/writers/jim-mackinnon.

The University of Akron football team will be bowl eligible for the first time since 2005 after a 42-21 drubbing of the Buffalo Bulls Saturday at InfoCision Stadium.

Quarterback Thomas Woodson threw a career best four touchdowns on 17-of-30 passing for 258 yards. After starting running back Conor Hundley left the game with a head injury, senior Donnell Alexander took over and rushed 24 times for 143 yards and two scores.

Receivers Imani Davis and Jerome Lane contributed to the dominance, also.  Davis caught seven passes for 118 yards and a score and Lane grabbed five catches for 80 yards and touchdowns of 32 and 28 yards.

The Zips defense forced three turnovers in the game.

FOOTBALL

Playoff Scoreboard

Saturday’s Results

Division I

Region 1

Lakewood St. Edward 33, Euclid 0

Stow 38, Lewis Center Olentangy 16

Region 2

Cin. Colerain 41, Cin. Elder 11

Huber Hts. Wayne 20, Hilliard Davidson 6

———

Division IV

Region 11

Youngstown Ursuline 41, Crestwood 13

Region 12

Columbus Bishop Hartley 28, Bellevue 20

Region 13

Steubenville 42, Johnstown-Monroe 7

Region 14

Middletown Bishop Fenwick 10, Clarksville Clinton-Massie 3 (OT)

———

Division VI

Region 19

Kirtland 34, Cuyahoga Heights 13

Region 20

Defiance Tinora 44, Van Buren 14

Region 21

Grandview Heights 25, Fredericktown 14

Region 22

Maria Stein Marion Local 9, Mechanicsburg 7

BASKETBALL

GIRLS

Scoreboard

Saturday’s Results

Amherst Steele 53, Brecksville 38

Aurora 49, Painesville Riverside 33

Beachwood 62, Cle. VASJ 56 (2OT)

Brunswick 56, Parma Padua 44

Canfield 69, New Philadelphia 64 (OT)

Canton South 45, Manchester 31

Carrollton 61, Claymont 30

Chagrin Falls 28, Chardon NDCL 25

Coshocton 46, New Lexington 29

CVCA 38, Buchtel 37

Dalton 62, Springfield 31

East 71, Cle. MLK 30

GlenOak 51, Louisville 28

Green 6, Kenmore 53

Hathaway Brown 64, Pickerington N. 55

Highland 48, Avon 38

Kent Roosevelt 52, Massillon 48

Kenton 62, Lima Cent. Cath. 46

Lisbon Anderson 52, Hanoverton United 45

Logan 57, Lancaster 32

Loudonville 51, Black River 27

Mansfield Christian 60, Hillsdale 28

Minerva 47, Fairless 38

Mogadore 42, East Canton 40 (OT)

Nordonia 62, Bedford 58

North Can. Hoover 53, West Holmes 49

Norton 63, Crestwood 38

Olmsted Falls 64, Hudson 53

Our Lady of the Elms 34, Garfield 22

Parma 49, Fairview 23

Perry 46, Archbishop Hoban 26

Rittman 38, N. Ridgeville Lake Ridge 30

Rocky River Magnificat 65, Berlin Hiland 46

Shaker Hts. 50, Cle. St. Joseph 40

Shaker Hts. Laurel 77, Garfield Hts. 31

Shelby 71, Ashland 39

Smithville 31, Coventry 17

Solon 60, St. Vincent-St. Mary 57

Strongsville 70, Euclid 55

Tallmadge 44, Ravenna 39

Triway 46, Mansfield Madison 38

Wooster 58, St. Thomas Aquinas 30

Scoring Summaries

HIGHLAND 48, AVON 38

Avon 13 10  8  7 — 38

Highland 16  7 12 13 — 48

AVON (0-1) — Sauter 5-0-13, Douzos 1-0-3, Davidson 3-0-6, Bjorn 2-2-6, Sprecher 2-1-6, Walker 0-1-1, Flynn 1-0-3. Totals: 14 4-9 38.

HIGHLAND (1-0) — Profitt 10-4-24, Less 2-0-6, Esker 0-2-2, Catron 2-0-4, Peterlin 1-2-4, Kirchner 2-0-4, Lyon 1-2-4. Totals: 16 23-35 48.

3-point goals: Sauter 3, Less 2, Flynn, Douzos, Sprecher. Fouls: Avon, 23-14.

OUR LADY OF THE ELMS 34,
GARFIELD 22

Garfield 7  5 6  4 — 22

Elms 7 56 9 12 — 34

GARFIELD (0-1) — Nance 5-2-13, Jones 2-1-5, Johnson 1-0-2, Williams 1-0-2, Woods 0-0-0. Totals: 9-3-6 22.

OUR LADY OF THE ELMS (1-0) — Chinchar 2-4-9, Holcomb 3-2-8, Rokicky 1-6-8, Vober 2-1-5, Kirk 2-0-4. Totals: 10-13-24 34.

3-point goals: Chinchar, Nance. Fouls: Gar., 21-11. Rebounds: 29-29.

TALLMADGE 44, RAVENNA 39

Ravenna 4 18  9  8 — 39

Tallmadge 12  8 10 14 — 44

RAVENNA (0-1) — Geib 4-1-9, Smetak 4-0-8, Rutherford 3-0-8, Calhoun 3-0-6, Holt 20-4, Cipriano 0-2-2, Taylor 1-0-2. Totals: 17 3-7 39.

TALLMADGE (1-0) — McGhee 6-0-12, Stralka 4-2-11, Haught 3-0-6, Warmenhoven 3-0-6, Ayres 1-3-5, Johnson 1-0-2, Gardella 1-0-2. Totals: 19 5-10 44.

3-point goals: Rutherford 2, Stralka. Fouls: Rav., 14-11. Rebounds: Rav., 30 (Geib 9); Tal., 34 (McGhe 11). Turnovers: Tal., 20-19. JV score: Tallmadge, 42-36.

OLMSTED FALLS 64, HUDSON 54

Hudson 8  7 17 22 — 54

Olmsted Falls 11 17 17 19 — 64

HUDSON (0-1) — Klemencic 6-3-15, Cristofoli 5-3-13, Hinkle 3-0-6, Prosser 2-1-6, Johnson 2-3-7, Madar 2-3-7. Totals: 20-12-15 54.

OLMSTED FALLS (1-0) — Bellfour 5-14-24, Gerycz 2-6-12, Marschall 2-0-4, Vance 2-0-6, Akins 0-2-2, Kelly 3-5-12, Klyphak 1-0-2, Craft 1-0-2. Totals: 16 27-35 64.

3-point goals: Vance 2, Gerycz 2, Kelly, Prosser, Cristofoli. Fouls: Hud., 27-20. JV score: Hudson, 40-32.

RITTMAN 38, LAKE RIDGE ACADEMY 30

Lake Ridge 7 6 11  6 — 30

Rittman 10 5 13 10 — 38

LAKE RIDGE ACADEMY (0-2) — Williams 4-3-4-11, Baker 3-1-1-7, Janasko 2-1-2-5, Kirk 1-1-2-4. Totals: 10 7-11 30.

RITTMAN (1-1) — Marcum 4-0-0-10, Wilson 2-6-10-10, Leatehrman 3-0-0-7, Rupp 2-1-2-5, Smith 1-1-2-3, Gasser 1-1-2-3. Totals: 13 9-16 38.

3-point goals: Marcum 2, Kirk, Leatherman. Rebounds: Rit., 14 (Gasser 6).

SMITHVILLE 31, COVENTRY 17

Coventry 2 5  6 4 — 17

Smithville 10 4 11 6 — 31

COVENTRY (0-1) — Green 1-0-3, Morrisak 2-1-5, Murray 2-0-5, Mashburn 2-0-4, Black 0-0-0. Totals: 7 1-4 17.

SMITHVILLE (1-0) — McConnell 1-3-6, Trogdon 1-2-4, Horst 3-0-6, Erikson 1-2-4, Kull 4-1-9, Beasancon 1-0-2. Totals: 11 8-9 31.

3-point goals: Green, Trogdon, McConnell. Rebounds: Cov., 16; Smi., 21. Turnovers: Cov., 17-11.

DALTON 62, SPRINGFIELD 29

Springfield 6  6 10  7 — 29

Dalton 14 19 15 14 — 62

SPRINGFIELD (0-1) — Karas 2-4-8, Kline 1-0-2, Thompson 1-2-4, Serevoravong 1-1-3, Jaime 0-1-1, Treen 1-3-5, Foreman 1-1-3, Rodenbucher 0-1-1. Totals: 8-13-29.

DALTON (1-0) — Huth 5-2-12, Shoup 7-1-15, Pizzola 3-6-12, Abby 1-2-4, Beun 2-5-9, Hicks 1-0-2, Waid 1-0-2, Graham 0-1-1, Zalieski 2-0-5. Totals: 22-17-62.

3-point goal: Zalieski. Fouls: Dal., 19-16. Rebounds: Spr., 38 (Forman 10); Dal., 36. Turnovers: Spr., 23. JV score: Dalton, 36-28.

LAKE 61, ELLET 20

Ellet 2  4  6 8 — 20

Lake 18 15 19 9 — 61

ELLET (0-1) — Dario 3-1-8, Norris 2-1-5, Rorar 1-0-3, Chambers 1-0-2, Mason 1-0-2. Totals: 8 2-3 20.

LAKE (1-0) — Snow 4-3-12, Champagne 3-2-9, Butler 3-2-8, B. Miller 3-1-7, Leising 3-0-6, S. Miller 1-2-4, Tobin 1-1-3, McSherry 2-1-5, Davis 1-0-3, Smith 1-0-2, Boarman 1-0-2. Totals: 23-12-2 61.

3-point goals: Snow, Davis, Champagne, Rorar, Dario. Fouls: Ell., 18-14. Rebounds: Ell., 27 (Rorar 5); Lake, 37 (Boarman 7). Turnovers: Ell., 22-14. JV score: Lake won.

SOLON 60, ST. VINCENT-ST.MARY 57

STVM 6 16 16 19 — 57

Solon 10 13 20 17 — 60

ST. VINCEN-ST. MARY (0-1) — Loll 3-2-9, Williams 4-4-13, Santucci 2-0-4, Uecker 7-5-19, Handley 0-5-5, Hoffman 3-1-7. Totals: 19 17 57.

SOLON (1-0) — Stover 4-3-13, Modkins 2-0-5, Joseph 3-1-7, Bekelja 6-9-22, Myers 4-4-13. Totals: 19 17 60.

3-point goals: Stover 2, Loll, Williams, Myers, Modkins, Bekelja. Fouls: Sol., 21-20. Rebounds: Sol., 33; STVM, 44 (Uecker 8, Loll 8). Turnovers: STVM, 20-11. JV score: STVM, 41-37.

CVCA 38, BUCHTEL 37

CVCA 7 8 12 11 — 38

Buchtel 4 4 13 16 — 37

CVCA (1-0) — Mitchell 2-6-11, Bartel 2-3-7, Radcliffe 1-4-6, Wright 2-4-8, Judge 1-4-6. Totals: 8-21-38.

BUCHTEL (0-1) — Hatcher 4-1-11, Giles 3-1-7, Biddings 3-0-6, Pace 10-3, Harmn 1-0-2, Skinner 3-0-6, Brice 1-0-2. Totals: 16-2-37.

3-point goals: Hatcher 2, Pace, Mitchell. Rebounds: CVCA, 43 (Radcliff 12); Buc., 46.

KENT ROOSEVELT 52, MASSILLON 48

Massillon 10 14 10 14 — 48

Kent 12 12 12 16 — 52

MASSILLON (0-1) — K. Pierce 2-4-9, Broyles 3-2-9, Spencer 3-2-8, Ridley 4-0-8, Broyles 3-0-6, M. Pierce 1-0-3, Morgan 0-3-3, Kyles 1-0-2. Totals: 17-53 11-22 48.

KENT ROOSEVELT (1-0) — Mercer 4-3-11, Nielsen 2-4-9, Bennett 3-4-9, Wright 3-2-8, Brett 2-0-6, Bush 1-2-5, Face 2-0-4. Totals: 17-47 14-23 52.

3-point goals: Brett 2, Bush, K. Pierce, K. Broyles, M. Pierce, Nielsen. Fouls: KR, 23-17. Rebounds: Mas., 36 (Broyles 5, Spencer 5); KR, 40 (Mercer 9). Turnovers: KR, 35-25.

Romeo’s Pizza Classic
PERRY 46, ARCHBISHOP HOBAN 26

Hoban 8  5  9 4 — 26

Perry 13 11 17 5 — 46

HOBAN (0-1) — Tecca 2-2-7, Chessar 1-1-5, Marshall 4-0-8, Carlson 1-2-4, Roberts 1-0-2. Totals: 9 5 26.

PERRY (1-0) — Cauthon 1-2-4, Borck 2-2-6, R. Pirev 1-1-4, Fenn 1-1-3, Parks 1-0-2, Layton 1-0-2, St. Tean 2-0-5, K. Pirev 5-0-11, Morosko 4-1-9. Totals: 18 7 46.

3-point goals: Tecca, Chessar, R. Pirev, St. Tean, K. Pirev. JV score: Hoban, 36-26.

Green Tip-Off Classic
NORTON 63, CRESTWOOD 38

Norton 10 15 21 17 — 63

Crestwood 7 13 14  4 — 38

NORTON (2-0) — Housley 4-1-11, Miller 5-0-15, Daniel 1-0-2, Shearer 1-5-8, Kraus 1-0-2, K. Hosey 4-0-8, Ab. Murawski 3-0-6, P. Hosey 2-0-5, Howell 1-0-2, Al. Murawski 2-0-4. Totals: 23 8-16 63.

CRESTWOOD (0-1) — Hoffman 3-8-14, Lamb 2-0-4, Miller 0-3-3, Klatik 0-2-2, Kulla 3-0-6, Cymanski 2-0-4, Lerch 0-1-1, Walker 2-0-4. Totals: 12 14-29 38.

3-point goals: Miller 5, Housley 2, Shearer, P. Hosey. Fouls: Nor., 24-17. Rebounds: Nor., 39 (Howell 10); Cre., 27.

EAST 71, 
CLEVELAND MARTIN LUTHER KING 30

Cleveland MLK 1  8  9 12 — 30

East 14 16 25 16 — 71

CLEVELAND MLK (0-1) — Je. Johnson 5-0-10, Green 3-2-8, Bourns 2-1-6, Stewart 2-0-4, Ja. Johnson 1-0-2. Totals: 13 3-11 30.

EAST (1-0) — Jones 12-2-29, Whitehead 3-3-9, Boyer 4-0-8, Aguirre 4-0-8, Paris 2-2-6, Poe 2-0-5, Maxwell 2-0-4, Cox 1-0-2. Totals: 30- 7-13 71.

3-point goals: Jones 3, Poe, Bourns. Fouls: MLK, 15-11. Rebounds: East, 40 (Whitehead 10); MLK, 16 (Je. Johnson 4). JV score: MLK, 31-15.

Green Tip-Off Classic
GREEN 65, KENMORE 53

Kenmore 7 17 11 18 — 53

Green 19 15 19 12 — 65

KENMORE (0-1) — Richards 7-1-15, Dix 2-0-6, Burply 1-0-2, Taylor 7-6-23, Howell 2-2-7. Totals: 19-9-53.

GREEN (1-0) — McCausland 2-2-6, Lovell 1-0-2, Trainer 2-0-4, Pizzino 1-0-2, Pearce 2-3-7, Carson 1-1-3, Jackson 6-3-15, Feld 1-0-2, Glass 5-0-15, Maynard 3-3-9. Totals: 24-12-65.

3-point goals: Glass 5. Rebounds: Ken., 24; Green, 42 (Jackson 11). JV score: Green, 30-3.

WOOSTER 58, ST. THOMAS AQUINAS 30

Aquinas 7 18 0 5 — 30

Wooster 16 33 0 9 — 58

ST. THOMAS AQUINAS (0-1) — Rhodes 3-8 4-8 11, Hiestand 4-5 1-3 9, Dempsey 1-3 3-4 5, Masher 1-4 1-2 4, Meadowercroft 0-2 1-3 1, Harbert 0-1 0-0 0, Webb, 0-0 0-2 0. Totals: 9-25 10-22 30.

WOOSTER (1-0) — Brown 10-18 2-4 22, Stoll 4-11 3-5 11, Sigler 2-4 3-4 8, Smith 1-3 2-5 4, Syd.Clapp 2-2 0-0 4, Berry 1-4 1-2 3, Morgan 1-2 0-1 3, B. Koller 0-2 2-2 2, Sky. Clapp 0-6 1-2 1, Rico 0-3 0-0 0, Evans 0-1 0-0 0, A, Koller 0-1 0-0 0. Totals: 21-57 14-25 58.

3-point goals: Rhodes 3, Masher, Sigler, Morgan. Fouls: STA, 38-17. Rebounds: STA, 25 (Hiestand 6, Meadowercroft 6); Woo., 37 (Brown 8). Turnovers: Woo., 13-8.

MOGADORE 42, EAST CANTON 40 (OT)

Mogadore 9 8 10 7 8 — 42

East Canton 13 5  8 7 7 — 40

MOGADORE (1-0) — L. Pierce 7-1-16, Morris 6-0-9, Johnson 2-0-4, Oliver 1-0-3, Kerr 2-2-6, S. Pierce 1-1-4. Totals: 16 4-16 42.

EAST CANTON (0-1) — Knight 1-0-2, Yacklin 3-6-18, Dotson 2-0-4, Reichard 5-2-16, Greisen 0-0-0. Totals: 13 8-8 40.

3-point goals: Reichard 4, Morris 3, Yacklin 2, L. pierce, Oliver, S. Pierce.

Late Friday

COVENTRY 27, RITTMAN 20

Coventry 6 8 5 8 — 27

Rittman 5 9 6 0 — 20

COVENTRY (1-0) — Green 3-1-8, Hudson 2-0-4, Morisak 1-2-4, Murray 0-2-2, MAshburn 2-0-4, Sheppard 2-0-5. Totals: 10 5-13 27.

RITTMAN (0-1) — Wilson 3-2-9, Leatherman 2-0-5, Caser 2-0-4, Coleman 1-0-2, Oravecz 0-0-0. Totals: 8-2-6 20.

3-point goals: Green, Sheppard, Leatherman, Wilson. Rebouds: Cov. 25-18. Turnovers: Cov., 19-15.

ORRVILLE 65, NORTHWEST 33

Northwest 8 10  4 11 — 33

Orrville 11 25 19 10 — 65

NORTHWEST (0-1) — Kellman 3-2-8, Heard 4-0-8, Worden 2-0-5, Foulty 2-0-4, Macko 0-2-2, Boecker 1-0-2, Spradling 2-0-4. Totals: 14 4-6 33.

ORRVILLE (1-0) — Hall 6-4-17, Dennis 5-2-15, Martin 1-0-2, Hoodard 2-0-5, Stiffler 0-1-1, Walters 4-0-8, Landis 1-1-3, Suppan 1-0-2, McDuffie 3-0-6, Summers 1-0-2, Carpenter 1-2-4. Totals: 25 10-16 65.

3-point goals: Dennis 3, Goodard, Hall, Worden. Fouls: NW, 16-14. Rebounds: NW, 28 (Boecker 4); Orr., 33 (Hall 11). Turnovers: NW, 27-23. JV score: Orrville, 49-14.

BOWLING

BOYS

SUBURBAN LEAGUE TOURNAMENT

(At Riviera Lanes, Akron)

Team Results: 1. Nordonia 4,286; 2. Stow 3,921; 3. Copley 3,732; 4. Wadsworth 3,645; 5. Cuyahoga Falls 3,522, 6. Kent Roosevelt 3,459, 7. Tallmadge 3,399; 8. Hudson 3,288; 9. Twnsburg 3,275; 10. Barberton 2,491.

High Game: Ziga (Cop.) 278. High Series: 1. Ziga (Cop.) 707; 2. Toth (Nor.) 704; 3. Frankina (CF) 694; 4. Postolka (Nor.) 691; 5. Shovestull (Cop.) 667.

GIRLS

SUBURBAN LEAGUE TOURNAMENT

(At Riviera Lanes, Akron)

Team Results: 1. Twinsburg 3,387; 2. Wadsworth 3,112; 3. Stow 3,003; 4. Kent Roosevelt 2,953; 5. Nordonia 2,713; Copley 2,706; 7. Cuyahoga Falls 2,636, 8. Barberton 2,258, 9. Hudson 2,226.

High Game: Kaitlyn Jastromb (KR) 225. High Series: 1. Jastromb (KR) 592; 2. Elder (Twi.) 576; 3. Girod (Twi.) 557); 4. Ritzinger (Stow) 537; 5. Mazzulo (Nor.) 432.

MANSFIELD: Three big plays on offense, three big plays on defense and one big play on special teams proved to be the winning formula Saturday for the Stow football team.

Stow defeated Lewis Center Olentangy 38-16 on a chilly November evening at Mansfield’s Arlin Field to advance to a Division I state semifinal/regional final for the first time in the history of Bulldogs football.

Stow (13-0) will play Lakewood St. Edward on Nov. 28 at a site to be determined. St. Edward defeated Euclid on Saturday.

Junior quarterback Kyle Vantrease led Stow’s offense by throwing two touchdown passes and rushing for two other touchdowns. He completed 11-of-21 passes for 197 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, and rushed seven times for 74 yards.

Bulldogs coach Mark Nori called on Jayson Gobble to carry the ball 22 times and the senior gained 104 yards and scored one touchdown.

Senior Monte Board, junior Logan Ford and senior Owen Fankhauser each had an interception for Stow, and senior kicker Garrett Rigby recovered a fumbled kickoff. Seniors Noah Fisher and Jakob Madgar were also active defensively for Stow along with juniors Matt Esterle and Joe Andrassy.

Stow’s second and third possessions helped it build a 10-0 at the end of the first quarter.

Board snagged his interception on Olentangy’s second offensive play and returned the ball 25-yards to the Braves’ 12. Gobble gained six yards on the next three plays, but the drive stalled and Rigby kicked a 23-yard field to give Stow a 3-0 lead with eight minutes remaining in the first quarter.

Olentangy (11-2) put together a drive down to the Stow 10, but was forced to turn the ball over on downs. Stow then put together a seven-play drive that ended with Vantrease rushing for a 6-yard touchdown and junior Austin Burnham kicking the extra point to make it 10-0 at 2:40.

The Braves trimmed their deficit to 10-7 with 6:48 left in the second quarter when senior quarterback Deeb Haber threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to senior receiver Seth O’Neal and senior Jacob Bell kicked the extra point to cap a 14-play drive that covered 85 yards.

Stow went to the air to take a 17-7 halftime lead. Vantrease threw a short pass to Board, who sprinted down the sideline for a 42-yard touchdown with 2:10 on the clock. Burnham kicked the extra point.

Bell kicked a 25-yard field goal with 8:13 to go in the third quarter to cut the Braves’ deficit to 17-10. The Bulldogs countered with 14 points to remain in control of the game. Gobble broke loose for a 53-yard touchdown run up the middle two plays after Fankhauser’s interception, and Rigby nailed the extra point kick at 6:25. Vantrease threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to junior Logan Lindsay with 1:17 left in the third quarter and Burnham’s extra point made it 31-10.

Hauber threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to junior Sam Durst with 32 seconds left in the third quarter to make it 31-16.

Vantrease dashed 54-yards for a touchdown and Rigby’s extra point with 3:59 to go capped the scoring.

Michael Beaven can be reached at 330-996-3829 or mbeaven@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the #ABJVarsity high school blog at www.ohio.com/preps.

COLUMBUS: Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott thought he should have got the ball more often in the Buckeyes’ 17-14 loss to Michigan State on Saturday at Ohio Stadium, and he wasn’t afraid to say so afterward.

Elliott wasn’t pleased with only receiving 12 carries that resulted in 33 yards and snapped his nation-leading streak of 15 consecutive 100-yard games.

Visibly upset, he didn’t hold back and repeatedly called out the team’s play calling.

“It’s very disappointing,” Elliott said. “The plays we ran [early], we ran a lot of gap schemes and we were gashing them. You guys saw it on that [touchdown] drive and we had a lot of momentum. Honestly, we didn’t see those plays at all for the rest of the game. Those plays weren’t called anymore. I asked for those plays to be called, and they weren’t. It just hurts. It hurts a lot.”

Even before Saturday night, Elliott stood a strong chance of entering the NFL Draft after this season. But after watching MSU celebrate on the field in a game in which he felt he was not properly used, Elliott was upset enough to outright say that the game will be the last time that Ohio State fans see him play at home.

“There’s no chance of me coming back next year,” Elliott said. “I have to make the most of my time left. I just want to thank Buckeye Nation for making this place so special and I’m sorry about tonight.”

Elliott said he spent the entire game lobbying Ohio State coach Urban Meyer to give him the ball. Elliott put OSU ahead 7-0 in the second quarter with a 1-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-goal but was given just two carries in the second half.

“I was lobbying all game,” he said. “I’m talking about the play calling, so whoever calls the plays. I was lobbying to Coach Meyer all game. … I heard no explanation.”

Meyer said he “wasn’t content” with the play calling as well, although he spoke to reporters before Elliott and wasn’t in the room when players were made available to media.

“I call a lot of plays anyway, so the finger will be pointed right here,” Meyer said. “And I have to do better.”

Elliott nearly didn’t play. He revealed after the game that he spent three days in a hospital this past week with a cyst on his right leg. Depressed and crying, he didn’t think he’d able to play in the biggest game of the season thus far. But he said he was “100 percent” good to go and that it didn’t affect him.

As it turns out, Elliott was able to contribute. It just ended up falling short of his expectations, particularly in a game that garnered at least 18 NFL scouts to the press box.

“I think I deserve more than [12] carries,” he said. “I think I really do. I can’t speak for the play calling. I don’t know what was going on. I don’t know what they were seeing. It wasn’t working.”

Stuck in the mud

As a team, OSU averaged just 3 yards per rushing attempt. It forced some third-and-long situations, something that isn’t ideal in windy and rainy conditions. Facing a stiff Michigan State defense, the Buckeyes were forced to adapt and were never able to do so successfully.

It highlighted the issues at quarterback position this season. The offense had rarely looked like it did at the end of last season with Cardale Jones in at quarterback. It’s looked better with Barrett, but he hadn’t had much time and lost a game with his suspension over an OVI stop. It might have caught up with OSU on Saturday.

“Being that we’re an offense that definitely likes to run the ball and we were getting 2 yards on a run play, we’re not accustomed to that,” Barrett said. “It was different, we tried to find different ways to attack them. They did a good job of keeping everything between the D-ends and we couldn’t really attack the edge. They try to restrain you from getting outside because that’s where they’re weak at. We just couldn’t get outside.”

Ryan Lewis can be reached at rlewis@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/RyanLewisABJ and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RyanLewisABJ

Coordinator’s absence felt

Ohio State coach Urban Meyer never found a way to regroup after the departure of offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Tom Herman at the end of last season to become coach at the University of Houston. Meyer tried to make it work with co-offensive coordinators Ed Warinner and Tim Beck, with both taking their turns at play calling with Meyer’s input. Quarterback J.T. Barrett denied that the change affected the offense, saying, “Um, no, I don’t think so. Coach Beck is a great coach and our offensive staff does a good job preparing us. We had a good week of practice. We just came into the game and didn’t execute the game plan. I don’t think that’s part of it.” But Barrett was giving the politically correct answer.

Running out of Columbus

Ezekiel Elliott said, “There’s no chance of me coming back next year.” While that’s no surprise, the loss illustrated that the junior running back was the No. 1 reason the Buckeyes won the 2014 national title. The OSU offense doesn’t hum when Elliott is not at his best, and he spent Monday through Wednesday in the hospital with an infected cyst in his leg. Perhaps Meyer thought he could rest Elliott since Michigan State was without starting quarterback Connor Cook, but that plan backfired.

Injuries hurt Buckeyes

Season-ending broken legs suffered by receivers Noah Brown and Corey Smith were major blows. Michael Thomas can play in the NFL, but the Buckeyes’ leading receiver managed only two catches for 8 yards against the Spartans. The Buckeyes still have talent with Jalin Marshall, Curtis Samuel, Braxton Miller and tight end Nick Vannett, but not nearly as much as expected. Miller’s switch from quarterback seemed more of a distraction than an asset.

Quarterback quandary

This game might have shown that the quarterback change from Cardale Jones to J.T. Barrett put the offense behind. Barrett said he didn’t deserve to be the starter on Sept. 7 at Virginia Tech because of his poor practices. But Barrett’s limited work while Jones was No. 1 left Barrett unpolished going into crunch time.

Playoff hopes are dim

Ohio State is now a long shot to make the four-team playoff. The Michigan State game was the Buckeyes’ first real test this season, and it came against a backup quarterback after Cook was unable to play. Ohio State first needs Penn State to beat Michigan State next week to open the door to the Big Ten title game. The Buckeyes would likely need to beat Michigan and Iowa handily and then get at least one contender among Clemson, Alabama, Notre Dame or Oklahoma State — if not more — to drop another game. Even if all goes right, the Buckeyes are facing an uphill battle.

— Marla Ridenour

and Ryan Lewis

COLUMBUS: No. 3 Ohio State’s matchup with No. 9 Michigan State on Saturday was supposed to be the first major test for the defending-champion Buckeyes this season.

It was billed as the first chance the nation would get to see this Ohio State team play a worthy competitor, and really put its title on the line.

Even that was brought into some question, though, when MSU quarterback Connor Cook was unable to play, forcing the Spartans to turn to two backup quarterbacks on the road in miserable weather.

The conditions were ripe, rain or shine, for the Buckeyes to travel to Ann Arbor next week with everything on the line.

But that didn’t matter.

MSU kicker Michael Geiger drilled a 41-yard field goal as time expired to give the Spartans a 17-14 victory, stunning the record crowd of 108,975. It completed a run-first manhandling of Ohio State’s offensive and defensive lines that kept a deadlocked score for most of the night in windy, rainy conditions.

Finished is Ohio State’s 23-game win streak. Finished is the 30-game regular-season, in-conference win streak. Finished is the possibility of an unbeaten season.

When Geiger’s kick went up, the Buckeyes watched a lot more than just a single game slip from their grasp. All the nation-leading streaks are gone — and, almost certainly, so too is the chance to return to the playoffs.

“We lost the line of scrimmage,” said OSU coach Urban Meyer. “The passing game was just — it was not there. … We tried the inside-outside and they beat us at the line of scrimmage and we were unable to execute the throw game. That was a very poor performance.”

The severe conditions at Ohio Stadium made it difficult for either team to pick up yards through the air. Still, the numbers weren’t pretty. The Buckeyes (10-1, 6-1 Big Ten) finished with only 132 yards of total offense and had the ball for just 21:50. They were outgained (294 yards) and out-possessed (38:10) by the Spartans’ driving run game.

J.T. Barrett was 9-of-16 passing for 46 yards and a touchdown to go along with 44 yards rushing on the ground. Ezekiel Elliott rushed for 33 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries, snapping his nation-leading 15-game streak of 100-yard games.

The Buckeyes’ two touchdowns both came after Michigan State (10-1, 6-1) mistakes. Late in the first quarter, OSU defensive end Sam Hubbard sacked and stripped MSU quarterback Damion Terry. The loose ball was recovered by defensive tackle Adolphus Washington, giving OSU excellent field position. That drive eventually ended on a 1-yard touchdown run by Elliott on fourth-and-goal, giving OSU a 7-0 lead with 12:45 left in the second quarter.

Later, in the third quarter with the score tied 7-7, MSU’s Macgarrett Kings Jr. couldn’t handle a punt, and the loose ball was recovered by OSU wide receiver Terry McLaurin at the MSU 6-yard line. On the next play, Barrett hit Jalin Marshall, who made a one-handed catch to give OSU a 14-7 lead.

Michigan State answered both OSU scores. In the second quarter, quarterback Tyler O’Connor hit fullback Trevon Pendleton for a 12-yard touchdown pass, the first sign of life for MSU’s offense.

The second response was aided by some OSU friendly fire. The Buckeyes hurt themselves with four offsides penalties — three on Joey Bosa — that gave Michigan State some breathing room.

The biggest — Bosa’s third of the game — turned a fourth-and-8 at OSU’s 35-yard line early in the fourth quarter into a more manageable fourth-and-3. Given the option to run the ball, O’Connor kept it himself, found room to the outside and ran for 11 yards. Five plays later, running back Gerald Holmes ran for a 2-yard touchdown to tie it 14-14 with 12:03 remaining in the game.

Led by O’Connor and running back L.J. Scott, MSU drove 45 yards and wound down the final 4:07 on the clock on the game’s final possession, eventually finishing with Geiger’s game-winning kick.

Now, the Buckeyes have to rebound for the Michigan game Saturday with the potential loss of national title hopes still fresh in their minds.

“We had a couple of our leaders say a few words,” linebacker Josh Perry said. “The biggest thing is that it’s going to be hard to respond, obviously. … We have to go out there with the mentality that we have to get better.”

Ryan Lewis can be reached at rlewis@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/RyanLewisABJ and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RyanLewisABJ

CLEVELAND: Seventeen thoughts for LeBron James' plus/minus of plus-17 in a 109-97 win Saturday against the Atlanta Hawks…

1. The Cavs were ahead by 26 in the third quarter Saturday night when LeBron James stormed off the court. A bad pass from Jared Cunningham apparently set him off, but certainly it wasn’t the only factor.

2. James subbed himself out of the game and sat down while play continued around him. Richard Jefferson, startled to see James walking toward him, did his best to get to the scorer’s table in time, but it was futile. Play resumed and crew chief Tony Brothers whistled the Cavs for a technical when he only counted four players.

3. “I blew a gasket,” James said. He didn’t erupt, he didn’t shout at anyone. I’ve seen him far more demonstrative in the past. He simply signaled he wanted a sub, then walked off the court and sat down.

4. The fact the Cavs were leading by 26 against one of the best teams in the league, despite playing without three starters and four of their top eight in the rotation, illustrates how high of expectations James has for this team. And he’s not alone.

5. David Blatt found plenty he didn’t like in a game that wasn’t close after the first quarter. Blatt was critical of the shot selection at times and thought they forced unnecessary 3s, he didn’t like some of the defensive breakdowns in the second half and he didn’t like a lot of the bad passes that led to turnovers – such as Cunningham’s. That wasn’t the only one, however.

6. And remember, this was a team that led by double figures for the final 35 minutes and led by 26 in the third.

7. The most significant moment to me, however, was Blatt’s criticism of LeBron. It wasn’t overbearing and he even mixed in some humor, but for the first time since he arrived, Blatt didn’t bow to James.

8. “He was frustrated, knew we weren’t playing right and thought we were playing hockey. Hockey sub,” Blatt joked of James subbing himself out. “I understand his frustration but obviously you shouldn’t do that.”

9. Until now Blatt has rarely, if ever, told James what he should and shouldn’t do. When James seemed to disregard him for weeks at a time, Blatt never publicly retaliated. Only now, in his second season and clearly feeling more comfortable in his surroundings, Blatt offered his first subtle criticism of his star player.

10. Blatt is smiling more this season, he’s more relaxed. He isn’t nearly as defensive and on guard as he was last season. He has said multiple times now how much he had to learn and how very different the NBA culture is from where he lived for so long. He seems to be figuring it out.

11. Not a good night for the Hawks or coach Mike Budenholzer. This isn’t indicative of their talent, however. The Cavs had a game like this early last season when they blistered the Hawks at home, only to travel to Atlanta and get pounded on a night they didn’t have James and lost Kevin Love to back spasms.

12. J.R. Smith addressed the accusations he choked a man while the team was in New York last week. Smith and his attorney maintain he didn’t choke anyone, but some sort of incident occurred because Smith disclosed his version to Cavs folks last week when it happened. After the story hit the Daily News on Friday, Smith reiterated his side of the story to the Cavs and his version remained the same, one source with knowledge of the incident said. The Cavs don’t seem overly concerned about it right now.

13. “Things aren’t being reported the right way,” Smith said without elaborating.

14. Kyrie Irving was back on the floor during the team’s morning shootaround Saturday and is clearly inching closer to a return. I chatted very, very briefly with him in the locker room prior to the game and he said he hasn’t had any swelling in the knee, which is big. One of the team’s fears when he ramped up his activity level was swelling in the surgically-repaired knee, which would’ve slowed his timetable considerably. But he keeps pushing ahead with no setbacks.

15. Irving has advanced to playing 5 on 0 and 1 on 1 with some contact, Blatt said Saturday. He’s also more engaged on the bench and in huddles during games, something Blatt takes as a good sign.

16. “I think it sort of tells you that he’s getting closer and closer,” Blatt said. “He recognizes that his time is coming.”

17. Just not a lot of excitement from this one. And while Blatt found plenty he didn’t like about the win, the energy level at least seems to be back where it needs to be consistently. The Magic are here on Monday. Talk to you then.