Paying a Monday morning visit to the variety store...



Playoff stuff

If the high school football playoffs began this week, only one area team would be participating — the Perry Pirates — according to Ohio high school football computer-points main man Joe Eitel.

The top eight teams in each region qualify for postseason play.

Here’s how Eitel has the 10 area teams standing in their respective regions through the first three weeks of the 2009 season:

n Division I, Region 1 (30 teams) — T25, Riverside (0-3), with five other teams.

n Division II, Region 5 (30 teams) — 10, Lakeside (2-1); 13, Geneva (2-1); T25, Madison (0-3), with five other squads.

n Division III, Region 9 (31 teams) — 9, Edgewood (2-1); 12, Jefferson (2-1); 25, Conneaut (1-2).

n Division IV, Region 13 (31 teams) — 3, Perry (3-0); T28, Pymatuning Valley (0-3), with three other teams.

n Division V, Region 17 (30 teams) — 14, Grand Valley (2-1).

To scope out all of Eitel’s information, visit his Web site at www.joeeitel.com, and remember, our own Slingin’ Steve Goldman will go in depth on the area playoff situation in our Friday edition.



Passing fancy

Five area quarterbacks topped the century mark in terms of passing yardage with their Week 3 performances:

n 171 — Peter Mackey, Edgewood — The Warriors may have suffered their first loss of the season, but their guy under center completed 7 of 20 passes and fired a 70-yard touchdown pass to Matt Anderson.

n 158 — Mitchel Hokavar, Perry — The Pirate standout made it three 100-yard-or-more games in a row by completing 9 of 23 aerials in Perry’s emotional 31-28 double-overtime victory against archrival Madison on Friday night at Alumni Stadium. Hokavar threw touchdown passes of 42 and 44 yards, respectively.

n 132 — Colin Cicon, Jefferson — The Falcon signal caller came through when it counted most, heaving a 35-yard strike to Mighty Matt Moyer for what proved to be the winning score in Jefferson’s 20-14 triumph Friday night at Brookfield. Cicon made good on 8 of 14 attempts, but three of his completions went for touchdowns, adding an 18- and 16-yarder to go with the 35-yarder to Moyer that won the game.

n 123 — Kyle George, Lakeside — The man under center for the Dragons matched Cicon by completing 8 of 14 attempts and heaved a 28-yard touchdown pass in Lakeside’s 36-7 triumph against Edgewood on Saturday night at Corlew Stadium.

n 112 — A.J. Henson, Grand Valley — The super sophomore hit on 7 of 16 attempts in the Mustangs; 23-8 road whipping of Jackson-Milton on Friday night. Two of Henson’s seven completions went for touchdowns, covering 12 and 18 yards, respectively.



What a rush

Only one area player made it to 100 yards on the ground in Week 3, but boy, did he ever!

Madison’s Miles Iverson lugged the pigskin an exhausting 48 times and piled up 245 yards in the Blue Streaks’ heartbreaking 34-31 double-OT loss at Madison on Friday night at Alumni Stadium.

Iverson scored on touchdown runs of 12, 73, 1 and 2 yards, respectively.



Gift of grab?

Nope, not in Week 3, despite the fact we had five area quarterbacks surpass 100 yards threw the air.

No area receiver managed to reach the century mark in receiving yardage last week.



Trying again

We received complete, up-to-date season statistics from only four of 10 area coaches or statisticians last week.

We humbly request all area coaches to fax (998-7938) or email (sports@starbeacon.com or donmac@suite224.net) your individual and team statistics through the first three weeks of the season today.

As a refresher, for individuals, on the offensive side of the football, we are looking for points scored, rushing yardage, carries and yards per attempt, pass receptions, yardage and yards per catch, pass completions, attempts, percentage, yardage and touchdown passes.

On defense, for individuals, we are again taking interceptions and quarterback sacks, but this year we are adding two categories — fumble recoveries and one we think is kind of cool, solo (unassisted) tackles.

On special teams, we are taking placekicking points, punting average, kickoff return average and punt return average.

On the team side of things, we are looking for total yardage gained and average per game, rushing yardage gained and average per game and passing yardage gained and average per game.

And we’re taking the same categories on defense — total yardage allowed and average per game, rushing yards allowed and average per game and passing yardage allowed and average per game.

We will publish the numbers for as many teams as we receive this week, regardless of how many teams do not report.



McCormack is the sports editor of the Star Beacon. Reach him at donmac@suite224.net.