'Sports'
Indians: Kotchman signing is official
CLEVELAND — The Indians have been after Casey Kotchman for awhile. They officially got him Friday. Cleveland confirmed that it had signed Kotchman to a one-year contract worth $3 million plus incentives ($1.75 million), announcing as much less than 24 hours after reports surfaced that the club had signed the free-agent first baseman. “We feel [...]
Indians hope they’ve solved problem at first base by picking up Casey Kotchman
CLEVELAND — It appears the Indians have finally found their first baseman. Cleveland agreed to terms Thursday with free agent Casey Kotchman on a one-year contract worth $3 million plus incentives. The deal is not official but pending a physical will likely be announced today. The move comes just two days after the Indians traded [...]
Fouling Dwight Howard, a lot, could be part of Cavs’ game plan
INDEPENDENCE — Cavaliers coach Byron Scott isn’t ruling out going to the hack-a-Howard approach tonight at Orlando’s Amway Center, but his team probably won’t take it to the extreme that Golden State did Jan. 12. Notoriously poor-shooting Orlando center Dwight Howard attempted an NBA-record 39 free throws that night and finished with a career-high-tying 45 [...]
Midview edges Avon for WSC dual meet title
AVON — It came down to the final match in the final dual meet, but Midview showed once again why it is the regular-season king in the West Shore Conference. A third-period reversal led to a 2-0 win by Middies 145-pounder Isaac Payne, capping a 41-32 victory over Avon on Wednesday night. The Eagles and [...]
Ex-Browns star Dixon sees Pro Bowl in future for Joe Haden
CLEVELAND — Hanford Dixon and Frank Minnifield were the last great cornerbacks to play for the Browns. The founders of the Dawg Pound combined to go to seven Pro Bowls from 1987-90 as they formed one of the NFL’s best cornerback tandems of all time. Dixon believes, after two decades, the Browns have found their [...]
Girls basketball notes and player of the week
The tightest individual scoring race in town is taking place in the Lorain High locker room. Offense for the Titans, ranked No. 2 in the Chronicle-Telegram Top 5, has turned into a triple-headed monster with seniors Madison Stoyka and Breanna Fortney and junior Alexandria Harris each averaging in double-digits. Stoyka is the clubhouse leader with [...]
Boys basketball notes and player of the week
Let’s play two (more)! Last June, the Ohio High School Athletic Association Board of Directors approved a proposal that allows high schools to play 22 regular-season games starting with the 2012-13 season. It’s the first increase in regular-season games since the early 1980s when the OHSAA approved going from 18 to 20. The proposal, which [...]
Indians: Tribe finds first baseman Kotchman
CLEVELAND — Though the Indians wouldn’t confirm as much, it appears they have finally found their first baseman. According to multiple reports Thursday night, Cleveland has agreed to terms with free agent Casey Kotchman on a one-year contract worth $3 million plus incentives. The deal is likely pending a physical and will be announced today. [...]
Indians: Reports say Tribe lands Kotchman
The Indians have reportedly signed first baseman Casey Kotchman, a free-agent first baseman that started for the Tampa Bay Rays last season. Cleveland has been in pursuit of a first baseman to replace Matt LaPorta all offseason and appears to have found it in Kotchman, who hit .306 with 10 home runs and 48 RBIs [...]
Indians: Rafael Perez signs; Cabrera still arbitration eligible
CLEVELAND — It’s down to Asdrubal Cabrera. Relief pitcher Rafael Perez agreed to a one year-contract Thursday, leaving Cabrera, the Indians’ all-star shortstop, as the the club’s only remaining arbitration-eligible player. Cabrera, who stands in the way of a lengthy arbitration-less streak for the Indians, is asking for $5.2 million in 2012. Cleveland, which hasn’t [...]
Urban Meyer’s first OSU recruiting class drawing raves
COLUMBUS — When opposing recruiters brought up Ohio State’s bowl ban and other problems, new Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer fought back. “It was a two-week assault,” Meyer said after signing 25 players in what many experts have termed a class that is top-5 in the country. “But instead of waiting for that to come, we [...]
Cavs rookie Kyrie Irving is East Rookie of the Month
INDEPENDENCE — It was a no-brainer. Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving was named Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month on Wednesday for games played in December and January. Minnesota’s Ricky Rubio was honored in the West. Irving leads all rookies in scoring (18.1), ranks second in assists (4.9) and field goal percentage (.511) and is [...]
Girls basketball: Avon’s Kaitlin Neumann hits the game-winner again
AVON — You might call Kaitlin Neumann a “big shot.” Not because she’s a show off or a big wheel or anything like that. Neumann, a 6-foot Avon junior, just happens to know how to hit game-winning shots, as she did Wednesday night to give the Eagles a 41-39 upset over West Shore Conference favorite [...]
National Signing Day: 3 county football players go D-1
Lorain County found out it has a football factory within its borders Wednesday. It wasn’t a high school program churning out Division I football prospects on National Signing Day, but the Elyria youth hockey leagues. Elyria’s Tad France, Elyria Catholic’s Alex Nielsen and Midview’s Arlington McClinton — the county’s Division I football signees — played [...]
Girls basketball: EC thwarts Ridgeville rally
NORTH RIDGEVILLE — Elyria Catholic stole a victory Wednesday night. The Panthers almost gave it back. North Ridgeville had plenty of opportunities to pull out a win via EC turnovers and missed free throws. In the end, however, the Panthers made a few good plays to secure a 55-50 victory in West Shore Conference play. [...]
County has 20 soccer players commit to colleges
Lorain County soccer players made a huge statement Wednesday. Twenty players on boys and girls teams at four schools signed national letters of intent to continue their soccer careers at the college level. Remarkably, nine are at Avon and seven at Elyria Catholic. Two are Amherst seniors; one is at Lake Ridge Academy and the [...]
High school bowling: Amherst boys, girls finish off undefeated seasons
VERMILION — The Amherst girls had a little more at stake in their North Shore Bowling Conference season finale against Vermilion than the Comet boys did. However, both went into Wednesday’s match with a chance to finish off unbeaten 15-0 seasons. The Comet girls, who would have had to share the NSBC regular season crown [...]
Celtics 93, Cavs 90: Cavs comeback falls short
CLEVELAND — There are no moral victories in the NBA, but there are morale builders. Tuesday was a classic example, as the Cavaliers cut a 22-point deficit to two before falling 93-90 to the Boston Celtics in front of 14,798 at Quicken Loans Arena. “Obviously, it’s not the outcome we wanted,” said Cleveland coach Byron [...]
Boys basketball: Elyria wears down Vermilion
VERMILION — Elyria coach Brett Larrick sounded the warning in practice that Vermilion was better than its record might indicate. He knew Vermilion’s Kurt Habermehl would have his Sailors ready to play on their home floor. But Elyria’s superior quickness and depth proved too much as the Pioneers prevailed 74-57 Tuesday in non-conference play. Elyria, [...]
Tribe trades for Rays’ prospect
CLEVELAND — It wasn’t the big fish they hoped to hook on the free-agent market, but the Indians may have found their replacement for first baseman Matt LaPorta. Cleveland acquired one of Tampa Bay’s top prospects Tuesday, sending cash to the Rays for first baseman Russ Canzler. Canzler, 25, was the International League’s Most Valuable [...]
Boys basketball: Wellington takes over first in PAC Stars
WELLINGTON — Wellington is alone in first place in the Patriot Athletic Conference Stars Division. Seniors Brady Shaw and Jason Perry each scored 19 points Tuesday night, spearheading a 65-52 PAC crossover win over Lutheran West. It wasn’t easy for the Dukes (12-2, 10-1 PAC), but moved them ahead of Keystone atop the Stars as [...]
Boys basketball: Oberlin Phoenix get the message and a win
SULLIVAN TWP. — Kurt Russell’s message to his Oberlin team was clear: The effort in Monday’s loss to Horizon Science Academy was unacceptable and changes were going to be made. Russell benched his usual starting lineup to start Tuesday’s game against Black River. It worked like a charm as the rejuvenated Phoenix held off the [...]
Boys basketball: North Ridgeville can’t keep up
NORTH RIDGEVILLE — When two Rangers duel, the quickest draw wins. Lakewood’s run-and-shoot offense was too fast for North Ridgeville on Tuesday, as its namesake fired three after three in a 72-48 non-conference rout. Lakewood shot 43 percent from 3-point range, hitting 10 of 23 shots. “We knew they were going to come in and [...]
Indians: Tribe nabs possible LaPorta replacement
CLEVELAND – It wasn’t the big fish they hoped to hook on the free-agent market, but the Indians may have found their replacement for first baseman Matt LaPorta. Cleveland acquired one of Tampa Bay’s top prospects Tuesday, sending cash to the Rays for first baseman Russ Canzler. Canzler, 25, was the International League’s most valuable [...]
Girls basketball: Open Door defense makes sure OT isn’t necessary
ELYRIA — Basketball turnovers have long been considered detrimental, but that of course depends on one’s perspective. Having been taken into overtime by Kingsway Christian when they met on Dec. 3, the Open Door Patriots were hoping to beat the Eagles again Monday night under slightly less stressful conditions. They did, 52-20, and Kingsway’s turnovers [...]