Paying another visit to the variety store...
Magic moments
We’ve received several submissions in regards to what makes high school football special already.
However, Loyal Readers, I have no doubt there are many more great experiences to be shared so, come on, send them my way.
Just to reiterate, we want to hear from fans, cheerleaders, band members, mascots, chain-gang members, you name the role, we want to hear why Friday Night Lights are so special to you. Basically, we want to hear from anyone... and everyone.
We have a tentative deadline set for Wednesday, but we will continue to take them as our schedule permits.
Just a reminder, our annual high school football preview, “Kickoff ’09,” will appear in our Thursday, Aug. 27 edition.
This year’s section will be 48 broadsheet pages, with full color on the vast majority of them.
Super Dave
Congratulations go out to Dave Jones.
One of the true nice guys, Jones, is the new varsity volleyball coach at Harvey High School.
Jones replaced Jim Sanchez midway through the 2007 season — taking over after starting the season as eighth-grade coach at Braden Junior High — and guided the Warriors down the stretch to a 13-10 finish. Under Jones’ leadership, Edgewood finished strong that season, going 7-4 with him at the helm. Those Warriors finished in a tie for second place with Jefferson behind coach Annah Haeseler’s undisputed champion Geneva Eagles. A year ago, Jones lost nine letterwinners to graduation and Edgewood posted a 6-15 season.
When The Godfather of area volleyball, Dave Fowler, wanted to return to the bench, Jones knew his time was up — as would anyone who was placed in his position.
However, it’s good to see him land on his feet in Painesville, where the Red Raiders will be playing in a brand new gymnasium as they enter the Chagrin Valley Conference.
Jones succeeds Tricia Pozsgai at the helm of the Red Raiders. Pozsgai, the daughter of former Indians utility man Kevin Rhomberg (1982-84), led the Harvey spikers the previous six seasons.
Jones inherits a squad that finished 4-17 last fall and a program that hasn’t won more than six matches since the Red Raiders set a school record with eight wins in the 1987 season.
Release the hounds
Now, on to not one of the good guys.
In case you missed it, Michael Vick was signed to a two-year contract by the Philadelphia Eagles last week.
The fact he signed with a team is no surprise. Once NFL Commissioner/Czar Roger Goodell gave his blessing, it was only a matter of time.
Personally, I can’t see stopping Vick from earning a living.
However, being an animal lover — dog Rocky and cat Zach are my roommates — I can’t help but feel Vick should be forced to first endure what he did to the pooches.
With that in mind, he should:
n Be hung from a tree, by his feet, of course, though that would be humane compared to what he did to dogs.
n Have jumper cables hooked up to, oh, any body part would be fine.
n Be held under water.
If Vick were to do that, he’d have my blessing to play a game for millions of dollars again.
Until then, well, the headline in the Philadelphia Daily News the day after Vick signed with the Eagles said it all:
“Hide your dogs!”
McCormack is the sports editor of the Star Beacon. Reach him at donmac@suite224.net.
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DON McCORMACK
Discussion
A Don McCormack column: Tell me about your magic moments
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Falcons impress
The Jefferson Falcons used an 8-2 early run and an 8-0 late run, both in the first quarter, backed by hot shooting, to open a big lead on the Conneaut Spartans that reached double digits early, paving the way to a solid 65-47 Falcon win Tuesday night at Falcon Gym.
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Eagles knocked off perch
The Geneva girls led at the end of every quarter but the final one Tuesday night. And that may turn out to be somewhat symbolic of their season in the Premier Athletic Conference.
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Lakers done in at Girard
When freshman Craig Randall began practice for Girard on Nov. 4, he walked in thinking he may start for the junior-varsity team.
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Pirates cruise as Eagles ‘lay egg’
Late in the second quarter, Geneva’s Dan Camplese hit a 3 to bring the Eagles within 4 points of the Perry Pirates, 21-17.
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Beavers scalp Warriors
Chandler Smith had the answer. The question — how do you overcome a poor shooting performance?
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Scholastic Schedule:
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 8
Girls Basketball
n Geneva at Perry
n Kirtland at Madison
Wrestling
n Jefferson, Grand Valley at PV (6) -
Lakers clinch NAC outright
Pymatuning Valley coach Jeff Compan thought that his opponent was the aggressor on Monday night. But his side still came out on top. And with that, the Lakers clinched the Northeastern Athletic Conference title outright.
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Warriors edge Heralds
With both the Edgewood and SS. John and Paul girls basketball teams struggling to get something going early in Monday’s non-conference matchup, there were certainly plenty of openings for a single player to tip the scales in favor of her team.
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Eagles fly to top seed
Having already clinched a share of the Premier Athletic Conference championship — which they can wrap up outright with a win at North on Tuesday — the Geneva Eagles were accorded another honor Sunday.
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SECTIONAL SUCCESS:
- 1. Jefferson 17
- 2. Madison 11
- 3. Perry 8
- 4. Geneva 7
- 5. Conneaut 6
- 5. Pymatuning Valley 6
- 7. Riverside 4
- 8. Grand Valley 1
- 9. Edgewood 0
- 9. Lakeside 0
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