Paying another visit to the variety store...
Keeping tabs
Remember Tom Bruney? Like a ship passing in the night, he was the head football coach at Lakeside for one season — 2006.
That fall, he led the Dragons to a 5-5 finish.
Well, Bruney has another head job now, as he is the varsity football coach at Brooke High School, located in Wellsburg, W.Va.
Bruney’s Bruins are 9-0 headed into their season finale tonight and are the top-ranked Class AAA squad in West Virginia headed into tonight’s contest.
On that subject...
While we’re at it, let’s check in on how the five other former area head coaches fared at their current positions during the 2009 season:
n Brian Cross — The former Pymatuning Valley head coach was the architect of Olentangy Orange High School’s program when it debuted last year. To say the Pioneers have come a very long way in a very short time would be an understatement.
Cross’ crew finished the regular season with an 8-2 record after a 17-14 triumph at Delaware Hayes on Friday night, standing fourth in the Division II, Region 7 computer ratings and will host fifth-seeded Dresden Tri-Valley (9-1) in a first-round playoff game tonight.
n Mike Elder — The former Perry head coach led the Avon Eagles to a 6-4 finish after a 14-7 victory at Bay last Friday night.
Elder’s eleven finished 11th in the Division II, Region 6 computer ratings.
n Steve Nolan — The former Conneaut main man and his Troy Trojans dropped a hard-fought 15-14 overtime verdict at Sidney last Friday night to end the 2009 season at 5-5.
Nolan’s Trojans finished as the 12th-rated team in the Division I, Region 3 playoff chase.
n Jeff Whittaker — Another former Conneaut head coach, Whittaker’s Liberty Leopards had a rare losing season this fall, finishing at 4-6 after a tough 19-12 loss to visiting Girard last Friday night.
n Art Bortnick — The former Madison head coach and his Benedictine Bengals wound up 3-7 this season after a 45-24 defeat at Columbus St. Francis DeSales last Friday night.
Bortnick & Co. wound up as the 18th-rated team in the Division III, Region 9 playoff chase this fall.
And still more...
What seems like a lifetime ago — 1985 and 1986, to be exact — Tom Hannan was the head football coach at Ledgemont High School.
His Redskins posted records of 1-8 and 1-9 in those two seasons before he moved on and eventually became the head coach at Crestwood High School.
Hannan had great success with the Red Devils, compiling a 96-63 record in 15 seasons at the helm headed into this season.
However, after Crestwood got off to a 1-5 start this fall, Hannan resigned near the first of October, being replaced by longtime assistant coach Darrell Carson.
The Plain Dealer reported Hannan was given a 10-day suspension as a teacher and coach following a disagreement with one of his players. During that time, Hannan was banned from school property.
His resignation came just before that suspension was slated to come to an end.
And finally...
The wife and daughter of a certain legendary varsity girls basketball coach was kind enough to return my copy of the 2000 movie, “Pay It Forward,” by hand delivery yesterday, one day after we asked for its return home after a slight (OK, two-year) absence.
McCormack is the sports editor of the Star Beacon. Reach him at donmac@suite224.net.
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TOM BRUNEY, former head coach at Lakeside, is having a banner season at Wellsburg (W.Va.) High School. BILL WEST
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DON McCORMACK
Discussion
A Don McCormack column: Former Lakeside grid coach rolling
- Sports
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Mustangs move on!
The Grand Valley Mustangs used timely hitting, strong pitching and a dazzling play in the field to continue their impressive run through the Division III state playoffs as they knocked off the Orrville Red Raiders, 7-4, in a regional semifinal at Carl “Ducky” Schroeder Field at Massillon Washington High School.
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A Vince Peluso column: GV a long way from satisfied
At this point in the baseball season, there are two types of teams remaining — those that are happy to still be playing, and those that expect to still be playing.
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Scholastic Statistics:
BASEBALL
DIVISION III
REGIONAL SEMIFINAL
Grand Valley 7, Orrville 4
at Carl “Ducky” Schroeder Field, Massillon Washington High School -
Scholastic Schedule:
FRIDAY, MAY 25
Baseball
Division III
at Massillon Washington High School
Regional championship
n Grand Valley vs. Ursuline (5) -
PV’s Ratliff makes jump to state meet
Quintin Ratliff is Pymatuning Valley’s utlility player.
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Wahoos complete sweep
It’s common to fight fire with fire. (Figuratively, that is — we don’t recommend it be done literally.) Many people believe in “an eye for an eye.”
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Charting the Tribe:
n ON DECK — Cleveland Indians at Chicago White Sox.
n WHEN/WHERE — Today, 8:05 p.m., U.S. Cellular Field.
n TV/RADIO — STO; WFUN, WTAM.
n ON THE MOUND — Right-hander Jeanmar Gomez (3-2, 3.19) for Cleveland; left-hander Jose Quintana (0-0, 0.00) for Chicago. -
Indians at White Sox:
WHERE — U.S. Cellular Field.
WHEN — Tonight, 8:10; Saturday, 4:10; Sunday, 2:10.
PROBABLE PITCHERS — Tonight, RHP Jeanmar Gomez (3-2, 3.19) vs. LHP Jose Quintana (0-0, 0.00); Saturday, RHP Derek Lowe (6-2, 2.15) vs. RHP Jake Peavy (5-1, 2.39); Sunday, RHP Ubaldo Jimenez (5-3, 5.02) vs. RHP Gavin Floyd (3-5, 4.66). -
Sweet 16!
In the spring of 1971 Richard Nixon was in his second year as President of the United States. Since then, there have been 11 presidential elections, with one coming up in November.
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’71 Mustangs were quite a hit, too
In the spring of 1971, making it to the regional baseball tournament was nothing new to the Grand Valley Mustangs.
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