Paying a visit to the variety store...



7 up

If you have that itch that is high school football, then Lakeside High School is offering you an opportunity to scratch it.

Coach Bill Lipps, entering his second season at the helm — his first with a full offseason of preparation with him as the head man under his belt — will be hosting a 7-on-7 matchup at Lakeside Stadium. First snap is slated for 10:30 a.m.

Teams joining the Dragons will be coach Jimmy Henson’s Jefferson Falcons, Ursuline, University School and Cathedral Prep out of Erie.

In case it’s not clear what a 7-on-7 is, let’s allow Lipps to explain it.

“It simply is a passing scrimmage, strictly a non-conact deal,” Lipps said. “It amounts to your pass personnel vs. my pass defense. Then, we switch.”

Lipps said 7-on-7’s seem to go over big with the players. With the first day of coaching slated for Monday, 7-on-7’s allow for an opportunity to dip those toes into the water a bit early.

“Our kids love them,” Lipps, whose pistol offense is one of the most diverse and versatile in the area, said. “We tend to have kids who are really skilled who thrive on making plays in one-on-one settings.”

Lipps said the 7-of-7 will be utilized to set up different game scenarios.

“We’ll put the ball on the 40 yard-line and run a set of plays,” he said. “Then, we’ll go to like the 20, the 10, etc. It allows teams to work on their passing games in a bunch of different settings.”

The veteran coach is the first to admit it amounts to flag football.

“The two big aspects that are missing are contact and rhe running game,” he said. “At Lakeside, we have been good with the play-action pass and running the football the past couple of years.”

Still, though, it allows players, coaches, officials and even fans to get an early taste of the most popular high school sport in not only the Buckeye State, but the entire country.

“It allows our kids to compete and it allows us to form a team chemistry,” he said. “Plus, it is a tremendous conditioner. It’s a great way to get the guys going through their paces, even though there are no pads involved.”

With the 7-on-7 setup, offenses have their five eligible receivers, their quarterback and... ?

“Teams that use the shotgun like we do will have their center come and work on his snaps,” Lipps said. “Granted, it doesn’t make for a real exciting day for the center, but it is a good workout for him.”

Not to mention, the shotgun snap is something that is never noticed... until one goes astray.

“Exactly,” Lipps said with a laugh. “It’s a part of the game that is taken for granted. Until the first one doesn’t get to the quarterback, that is.”



Mighty Meghan

Steve Urchek takes a good deal of ribbing for his uncanny resemblance to the late-great Alan Hale, aka The Skipper from the old “Gilligan’s Island” television show, but we must give a tip of our cap to the guy.

The Skipper, along with legendary assistant coach Rod Holmes, has managed the Ohio Jaguars 16U softball squad to another banner season this summer, posting a 31-12 record, winning their own Summer Showcase for the second consecutive season and earning a berth in the ASA Eastern Nationals in York, Pa. the first week of August.

All of which has been accomplished with one of the Jaguars’ top players, Meghan Cunha, not playing a single game.

Cunha, the Edgewood star who earned first-team Star Beacon All-Ashtabula County honors last spring while playing for her dad, Steve’s, Warriors, is on the mend after undergoing Tommy John on her throwing (left) shoulder two months ago.

“I have a doctor’s appointment (Tuesday),” the quick-to-smile Warrior/Jaguar said Monday night while walking through at the Ashtabula Towne Square. “I hope to be able to get going again in December, if everything goes as I hope.

“I’m keeping my fingers crossed.”



Road warriors

A quick perusal of Riverside’s 2010 girls tennis schedule results in a bit of a surprise.

All 19 matches listed, starting with the opener Aug. 16 against Premier Athletic Conference rival North, are listed as away matches.

The reason is simple, according to longtime Riverside athletic director George Bellios.

“We don’t have courts at Riverside,” the Ashtabula resident told our Karl Pearson. “We wish we did have them.

“Our coaches try to make arrangements with Lakeland Community College for whatever matches we might have as home matches. Other than that, all of our matches are road matches.”

McCormack is the sports editor of the Star Beacon. Read his blog at donmac1.blogspot.com. Reach him at donmac@suite224.net.