No charges filed. No appearances in Ohio State's first three games for senior running back Carlos Hyde.

Hyde, along with Coach Urban Meyer, avoided a major dilemma when the woman involved in an altercation with Hyde earlier this month strayed from bringing the legal system into the matter. Hyde's punishment for placing himself in an awful situation before a high-stakes season consists of "at least" a three-game suspension from Meyer.

The Buckeyes open with Buffalo and San Diego State at home before visiting California. If Meyer wanted to prove a bigger point, he could have suspended Hyde for Ohio State's first three conference games against Wisconsin, Northwestern and Iowa. Or perhaps the Buckeyes' final game against Michigan. College football discipline, unfortunately, is never backlogged.

Suspending Hyde for the first three games might be beneficial to Ohio State. Buffalo, San Diego State and California went a combined 16-21 last season. No member of the trio poses a threat to Ohio State, so the Buckeyes are in no position to lose a game because of Hyde's suspension.

Sitting Hyde might silence some critics of Meyer, whose handling of non-football issues while at Florida has developed into a significant summer story. It also might help Ohio State construct a deep backfield. Rod Smith, Jordan Hall, Bri'onte Dunn, Warren Ball and Ezekiel Elliott will compete for Hyde's early-season carries. Hall is the lone senior in the group. Smith is a junior, Dunn is a sophomore, Ball is a redshirt freshman and Elliott is a true freshman. Hall led the group with 40 carries last season. Hyde, by comparison, received 185.

Dispersing carries early in the season should help Ohio State later this fall and beyond. Great teams cultivate more than one reliable running back. With Hyde out for at least three games, Meyer has no choice but to resort to other options. 

Some medical benefits to sitting Hyde also exist. 

Division I running backs absorb cruel poundings. Unlike the Big Ten's other top backs, Hyde should begin conference play Sept. 28 against Wisconsin without lingering bruises from the non-conference schedule. A fresh Hyde might be difficult to slow.

Hyde partially damaged his reputation and put Meyer in a tough spot. But his ordeal hasn't altered Ohio State's status as an overwhelming favorite in a struggling Big Ten.

-- Guy Cipriano | @newsheraldguy

The following line has repeated itself too often:

Outfielder LeVon Washington has rejoined the Lake County Captains.

The Indians 2010 second-round draft pick will be activated for the Captains' series at Great Lakes. The three-game series begins Saturday.

Washington pulled his hamstring in the season opener against Lansing. He missed three weeks and rejoined the team for 21 games before going on the disabled list again. Washington was hitting .351 when he went to Arizona to begin yet another rehab process.

Washington, who turned 22 on Friday,  appeared in just 13 games last season because of a hip injury that required surgery. Washington first joined the Captains on May 6, 2011. The 2011 season marked his longest as a professional as he hit .218 with four homers and 20 RBI in 79 games.

The Indians invested $1 million into Washington. The injuries are making it difficult for the organization to evaluate Washington, who once ranked among the Indians' top 10 prospects.

-- Guy Cipriano | @newsheraldguy

The Indians signed 24 of the 39 players they selected in the 2013 Major League Baseball Draft. Here's a look at how some members of the draft class are handling the early stages of their professional careers:

Clint Frazier (first round, OF, AZL Indians) -- Frazier is hitting .318 with two homers and 16 RBI through 17 Arizona League games. He has struck out 22 times, but the whiffs shouldn't spark concern. Frazier, after all, doesn't turn 19 until September.

Dace Kime (third round, RHP, Mahoning Valley) --  Kime, who played at Defiance High School before helping Louisville reach the College World Series, is operating under rigid restrictions. He has made four starts, but the Indians haven't allowed him to pitch past the third inning. He is 0-1 with a 3.24 ERA and nine strikeouts in 8 2/3 innings.

Kyle Crockett (fourth round, LHP, Mahoning Valley) -- Perhaps the best pitcher in the Scrappers' bullpen. The former Virginia standout hasn't allowed an earned run and has struck out 16 through 9 1/3 professional innings. Only seven batters have reached base against Crockett.

Sean Brady (fifth round, LHP, AZL Indians) -- The 19-year-old hasn't allowed an earned run through three professional starts. Brady pitched three scoreless innings in his longest professional outing last Friday against the AZL Mariners.

Casey Shane (sixth round, RHP, AZL Indians) -- The start of his professional career is contrasting what Brady has experienced. The 17-year-old Shane is 1-0 with a 10.29 ERA in seven innings. He allowed five runs and six hits last Thursday against the AZL Padres -- yet he earned his first victory.

Kenny Matthews (seventh round, LHP,  Mahoning Valley) --  Matthews is making a smooth transition from Riverside (Calif.) Community College to the New York-Penn League. He has a 2.00 ERA and 11 strikeouts through nine innings.

Trevor Frank (eighth round, RHP, Mahoning Valley) --  Frank is 0-2 with a 4.32 ERA in nine relief appearances for the Scrappers. He has allowed an earned run in five of his nine outings.

Thomas Pannone (ninth round, LHP, AZL Indians) -- Pannone has struggled against rookie-ball competition, allowing 11 earned runs in his first 6 2/3 professional innings. He received an eight-day break after allowing six hits and six runs and coaxing just one out against the AZL Giants earlier this month.

Adam Plutko (11th round, RHP) -- Plutko hasn't started his professional career after agreeing to a $300,000 signing bonus shortly before the July 12 signing deadline.

James Roberts (15th round, INF, Mahoning Valley) -- A solace in the 12-23 start at Mahoning Valley. Roberts, who played at Southern California and signed for $100,00, is hitting .303 while playing multiple infield positions. He's making a bid to join the midseason New York-Penn League All-Star team.

Matt Whitehouse (19th round, LHP, Mahoning Valley) -- The former UC Irvine Anteater is 2-0 with a .47 ERA, 14 strikeouts and one walk in 19 1/3 innings. He hasn't allowed an earned run since his professional debut on June 21.

-- Guy Cipriano | @newsheraldguy

A key piece in the CC Sabathia has been spotted.

Matt LaPorta, a former first base-outfielder prospect looking for a career jolt, is using the arid Arizona air to rehab a nagging hip injury with the Indians' rookie-league team. LaPorta started the rehab assignment on July 13 and appears ready to return to Triple-A Columbus.

He's hitting .545 in four games. LaPorta went 3-for-4 with a homer, two doubles and five RBI on Friday.

LaPorta missed all of April before hitting .235 in 22 games. He hasn't played for the Clippers since June 3.

The 28-year-old LaPorta is no longer on the Indians' 40-man roster -- or a prospect. But as long he's playing in their farm system, LaPorta will spark interest. Productive Indians outfielder Michael Brantley and Double-A Akron reliever Rob Bryson were also involved in the trade.

LaPorta has appeared in 292 major-league games since being traded in 2008.

-- Guy Cipriano | @newsheraldguy

Captains shortstop Dorssys Paulino hit his 19th double Friday against Quad Cities.

The two-bag feat further illustrates Paulino's growth since arriving in Lake County. Paulino, who entered the season as the Indians' No. 3 prospect, according to Baseball America, didn't hit a double in April. In fact, he didn't collect one extra-base hit during the month.

Paulino's inability to find barrels represented an early-season mystery. As a 17-year-old in the rookie Arizona League last summer, Paulino had 26 extra-base hits in 41 games. His performance, physical potential and the $1.1 million he received in 2011 propelled Paulino toward the top of prospect lists.

The slow start left many wondering if Paulino graduated to full-season baseball too soon. His struggles were magnified because Francisco Lindor flourished with the Captains as an 18-year-old in 2012. Some even wondered if the Indians would demote Paulino to Mahoning Valley at the start of the New York-Penn League season.

Paulino is rewarding the Indians for their patience. He's hitting .237, a pedestrian average until a glance at his 2013 day-by-day history. Paulino was hitting .199 on May 26.

He has 25 extra-base hits, including three homers, since the frigid April. He has committed 30 errors, but only three have come in July.

The season might not solidify Paulino, the youngest player in Captains' history, as one of baseball's elite prospects. But improvement and development are buzz words in the low minors. Paulino's recovery from a slow suggests he might be absorbing some lasting lessons.

-- Guy Cipriano | @newsheraldguy

Mount Union's legendary coach retired and the Purple Raiders return just five starters.

None of it matters to those who follow Division III football.

D3football.com released its preseason poll Thursday, and a panel of coaches, Sports Information and media members selected Mount Union as No. 1. The Purple Raiders, who went 15-0 last season, received 606 points, eight more than St. Thomas (Minn.). Mary Hardin-Baylor (Texas), Linfield (Ore.) and Wesley (Del.) complete the top five.

The biggest story in Division III involves the coaching change at Mount Union. Larry Kehres retired as football coach in May. His 37-year-old son Vince takes over. Larry Kehres, who accumulated a 332-24-3 record in 27 seasons, is serving as the school's athletic director. The younger Kehres spent the last eight seasons Mount Union's defensive coordinator.

Ohio has strong representation in the top 25, with No. 10 Wittenberg, No. 14 Heidelberg and No. 23 Baldwin Wallace joining Mount Union. Otterbein and Ohio Wesleyan also received votes. Heidelberg, Baldwin Wallace and Otterbein join Mount Union in the Ohio Athletic Conference.

-- Guy Cipriano | @newsheraldguy

Loathe him or respect him, Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith always provides quality sound bites when pressed on issues related to college athletics.

Smith's candid side emerged Wednesday during an interview on the "Bull & Fox" show on WKRK-FM 92.3.

The biggest profit generator in Smith's athletic department found itself in an odd spot last season. Ohio State's football team went 12-0 and didn't participate in the Big Ten title or a bowl game because of a one-year NCAA-mandated postseason ban. A cash-for-tattoo scandal involving former Coach Jim Tressel and some of his players peeved the NCAA. Penalties also included the reduction of scholarships from 85 to 82 for three straight years beginning in 2012.

The NCAA announced its decision on Dec. 20, 2011. The magnitude of the penalty still disappoints Smith, who kept his job despite the scandal.

"I still think that was unfair," Smith said. "There was no precedence for it. I think we got trapped in a transition of the enforcement staff and leadership at the NCAA trying to be more harsh, just like I feel about the Penn State case. I think it was overly harsh."

Ohio State's penalty looks like detention compared to what the NCAA levied against Penn State. The Buckeyes' Big Ten rival received a four-year bowl ban, massive scholarship reductions and a $60 million fine in the aftermath of the Jerry Sandusky sex abuse scandal.

The penalties severely damage Penn State's chances of competing at an elite level in the neat future. But they also damage Ohio State.

The Buckeyes are poised to become a national title contender under Urban Meyer. Playing for a BCS title this season and qualifying for future four-team playoffs will require victories over quality opponents. Penn State went 8-4 last season, a solid mark considering the chaos caused by the sanctions last summer. The sanctions, though, will likely prevent Penn State from creeping into the top 15.

Ohio State's 2013 non-conference schedule includes four clunkers, and the Buckeyes escape Nebraska and Michigan State in Big Ten crossover play this season. Virginia Tech is on the 2014 and  '15 schedules. Ohio State plays Oklahoma in 2016. But there's no guarantee the Big Ten will correct some of its self-inflicted football problems in the next four years.

Penn State doesn't leave Ohio State's future schedules, which is overly fair because the series is one of college football's best.

So what's "overly unfair" for Penn State isn't good for Ohio State, either. And Smith will subtly tell you this.

-- Guy Cipriano | @newsheraldguy

The most anticipated series of the Captains' season begins Saturday.

The Quad Cities River Bandits are bringing the Houston Astros' last two No 1 picks to Classic Park for a three-game series. Carlos Correa and Mark Appel aren't any first-round picks. They are the No. 1 overall picks in the last two drafts, and the Astros have invested more than $11 million into the duo.

The River Bandits are the first minor-league team to boast two consecutive No. 1 overall picks on the same roster. No team below the Double-A level has featured two No. 1 overall picks on the same roster.

Correa, last year's top pick, plays shortstop, meaning he will perform this weekend barring an odd circumstance. Appel pitches and made his Midwest League debut Sunday. He will make his next start Friday against Fort Wayne.

The Captains played their first game in 2003, and a No. 1 overall draft pick has never appeared in a game at Classic Park. They played in the South Atlantic League from 2003-09. The franchise joined the Midwest League following the 2009 season.

The Captains faced former Tampa Bay No. 1 overall picks Delmon Young and Tim Beckham on the road.

-- Guy Cipriano | @newsheraldguy

The Indians didn't receive a hometown discount from 10th-round draft pick Ross Kivett. In fact, the Indians didn't receive Kivett's signature on a contract.

Major League Baseball's deadline for signing draft picks passed Friday without a deal between Kivett and the Indians. Kivett, a Cleveland native who attended St. Edward High School, will return to Kansas State for his senior season.  

Kivett, 21, was one of just nine players drafted in the first 10 rounds who didn't agree to terms. The infielder earned Big 12 Player of the Year honors after hitting .360 as a junior this past season. Kivett helped the Wildcats reach NCAA Super Regional play.

Kivett, a three-year letterwinner at St. Edward, likely surrendered a six-figure signing bonus to return to school. The Indians signed UCLA right-hander Adam Plutko on Friday to an above-slot bonus of $300,000. Ninth-round pick Thomas Pannone, who played at the Junior College of Southern Nevada, received a $120,00 bonus.

-- Guy Cipriano | @newsheraldguy

Lake Erie College became an active NCAA Division II member in 2009. Notre Dame College earned the same status in 2012.

Ursuline College took a major step toward joining the pair as the NCAA granted the Pepper Pike school active Division II status Friday. Ursuline becomes an active Division II member on Sept. 1.

"This is a great day, one that we have been working toward for years," Ursuline athletic director Cindy McKnight said in a statement. "There is no doubt this news will benefit our department and the College greatly, in particular our outstanding students. The work is not done as we will continue our pursuit of excellence on the playing surfaces while molding young women who are well-educated and sound citizens."

Urusline launched its athletic department in 1999 and started its application to join Division II in 2010. The all-women's school will add lacrosse as its 11th sport in 2013-14. Ursuline also sponsors basketball bowling, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field, and volleyball.

Nine Ursuline teams will join the Great Midwest Athletic Conference, which will become the 24th active Division II conference in September. The lacrosse and swimming and diving programs are not joining the new conference.

Alderson-Broaddus (W.Va.), Cedarville (Ohio), Central State (Ohio), Davis & Elkins (W.Va.), Georgetown College (Ky.), Kentucky Wesleyan, Ohio Valley University, Salem International (Va.) and Trevecca Nazarene (Tenn.) are also in the conference.

Two other Ohio schools -- Malone and Walsh -- were also granted NCAA Division II status Friday. Both schools will compete in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Lake Erie has been a GLIAC member since 2010.

-- Guy Cipriano | @newsheraldguy

The contract the Cavaliers handed brittle center Andrew Bynum could be worth as much as $24.5 million over two years.

A generous offer indeed. But if Bynum plays two years in Cleveland, he will still be far from Cleveland's richest sports newcomer.

The Cavaliers, Browns and Indians have signed 19 free agents for a combined $266,240,000 million since last December. The deals demonstrate the days of sports frugality in Cleveland might be ending.

Indians Nick Swisher (four years, $56 million) and Michael Bourn (four years, $48 million) are the biggest winners in the recent spending spree. Swisher and Bourn are fortunate to play a sport without financial limits.

Linebacker Paul Kruger (five years, $40 million) and defensive end Desmond Bryant (five years, $34 million) grabbed a share of Owner Jimmy Haslam's football money. Haslam's non-football money appears to be eroding. As of Thursday night, 20 lawsuits have been filed against Haslam's Pilot Flying J truck stops.

Business must be booming at the Horseshoe Casino, as Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert approved significant deals to Bynum, guard Jarrett Jack (four years, $24.5 million) and forward Earl Clark (two years, $9 million). Somebody besides Chris Grant might be spending Gilbert's money if the Cavaliers miss the playoffs for a fourth straight year.

Gilbert is easily Cleveland's smartest sports owner. Placing a casino within walking distance of an NBA locker room guarantees future profits, which means he can chase whatever brittle players he wants without experiencing financial regret.

Cleveland might never become New York, where the Yankees committed the ultimate contract sin by signing Alex Rodriguez to 10-year, $275 million.

At least Haslam, Gilbert and whichever Dolan owns the Indians are proving their checkbooks aren't sponsored by Master Lock.

-- Guy Cipriano | @newsheraldguy

Mayfield graduate Jodi Kest has received security in a volatile industry.

Kest signed a five-year contract extension as University of Akron's head women's basketball coach. The deal runs through 2017-18.

Kest will enter her eighth season as Akron's coach in 2013-14. She led the Zips to a school-record 23 victories and a WNIT berth last season.

Kest is 98-119 at Akron. She has accumulated a 323-272 record in 21 seasons as a head coach, with other stops coming at Wilkes (Pa.), Gannon (Pa.) and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

The Zips return four starters, including MAC Player of the Year Rachel Tecca, in 2013-14.

-- Guy Cipriano | @newsheraldguy

The Captains' July 20-22 series against the Quad Cities River Bandits looks more enticing by the day.

The Houston Astros promoted 2013 No. 1 overall pick Mark Appel from short-season Tri-City to Quad Cities on Tuesday. Appel, who pitched four years at Stanford, made one New York-Penn League appearance before graduating to the Midwest League. Appel's throwing schedule hasn't been announced, which makes it unclear whether he will pitch at Classic Park.

Unless he's promoted, Quad Cities shortstop Carlos Correa will play during the series. Correa, the No. 1 overall pick in last year's draft, has spent the entire season with the River Bandits. The 18-year-old Correa is hitting .325 with a .416 on-base percentage in 69 games.

Correa and outfielder Byron Buxton were regarded as the Midwest League's top two prospects this season. But Buxton, the second overall pick in last year's draft, was promoted from Cedar Rapids to High-A Fort Myers last month.

The promotion came too soon for Northeast Ohio fans. Cedar Rapids visits Classic Park July 17-19.

Still, Buxton should eventually visit the area. He plays in the Minnesota Twins' farm system. Radical realignment might be the only thing that prevents Buxton from playing nine times in Northeast Ohio each season.

Start times for the Quad Cities series are 7 p.m. July 20, 7 p.m. July 21 and 11 a.m. July 22. 

-- Guy Cipriano | @newsheraldguy

Determining the Indians' needs hasn't changed since April.

A high-end starting pitcher would inflate the team's confidence every fifth day. A reliable left-handed reliever would aid in holding leads. Another powerful would result in Jason Kipnis, Nick Swisher and Carlos Santana seeing better pitches.

The difficult part also hasn't changed. A barren farm system might prevent the organization from making significant deals before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline.

High-A Carolina shortstop Francisco Lindor is the organization's top prospect. A slick-fielding 19-year-old who plays a premium position represents a nice piece. But Lindor isn't going anywhere, especially considering Asdrubal Cabrera's contract expires following the 2014 season.  

Players the Indians might mention in trade discussions include Triple-A Columbus pitchers Trevor Bauer and Danny Salazar, Double-A Akron shortstop Ronny Rodriguez, High-A Carolina outfielder Tyler Naquin and Luigi Rodriguez, and Low-A Lake County shortstop Dorssys Paulino.

The Diamondbacks traded Bauer, the third overall pick in the 2011 draft, to the Indians last winter. Being traded once likely diminishes Bauer's trade value because it raises questions about why his name becomes frequent trade fodder. Bauer's confounding ways  -- he experimented with pitching from the stretch in a big-league start last month -- also scares some general managers.

Salazar, who was promoted from Akron to Columbus in May, might be surpassing Bauer as the organization's top pitching prospect. He's 23 and his fastball touches the upper 90s. Besides Lindor, Salazar might yield the highest return. Salazar, though, isn't regarded as one of baseball's elite pitching prospects.

Ronny Rodriguez is one of the organization's most consistent performers and he could be paired with Naquin or Luigi Rodriguez in a package to obtain a reliever. But no combination of the trio will yield an impact player. The 18-year-old Paulino, who has rebounded from a slow start with the Captains, is too far from the majors to be a major piece in a deadline deal.

Major League Baseball rules prohibits a player from being dealt in his draft year, which takes 2013 first-rounder Clint Frazier off the market.

The second wild-card spot in both leagues might produce more buyers than sellers this month. Organizations with deep farm systems such as St. Louis, Tampa Bay and Arizona are positioned to land the biggest deadline hauls.

Baseball America rated the Indians' farm No. 24 before the season. Nothing has happened in the past three
months to alter opinions of the system.

Players in Columbus, Akron, Carolina and Lake County will be heavily scouted in the next three weeks.  The Indians must hope their top prospects are playing at levels they have yet reached -- and other contender's prospects are struggling.

-- Guy Cipriano | @newsheraldguy

Heard an interview with an 18-year-old on WKRK-FM 92.3 on the way to work today.

Clint Frazier handled it well, describing the nuances of his swing and how he's adapted to professional baseball. Frazier also has handled the on-field part of his job well.

Through five games in the rookie Arizona League, the Indians' first-round draft pick is hitting .450 with one homer and eight RBI. Frazier has made just one start in the field, playing center field against the AZL Diamondbacks on Monday. He's batted either first or third in the baby Indians' lineup.

First-year professionals, especially those a few weeks removed from high school, often struggle in the infant stages of their professional careers for various reasons. Pitfalls include hitting permanently with a wood bat, living away from home, facing pitchers who chuck it 90 mph on a regular basis and adapting to a clubhouse filled with players and coaches from contrasting backgrounds.

Frazier has yet to play a half-dozen games. But there's nothing wrong with scorching baseballs before the first signing bonus check is deposited.
 
There's also nothing wrong with listening to an energetic 18-year-old on the radio. It's a pleasant way to spend a commute.

-- Guy Cipriano | @newsheraldguy

A new college conference with Northeast Ohio representation opened for business this week.

The Division II Mountain East Conference has welcomed 12 charter members. The group includes Notre Dame College, which spent the 2012 football season as an associate member of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.  

The MEC sponsors 16 sports. The conference's headquarters are in Wheeling, W.Va., which makes sense because nine members hail from the Mountain State. NDC, Urbana (Ohio) and University of Virginia's College at Wise are the only MEC schools from outside West Virginia.

Concord, Fairmont State, Glenville State, Shepherd, University of Charleston, West Liberty, West Virginia State, West Virginia Wesleyan  and Wheeling Jesuit are the other nine members. The nine schools were members of the defunct West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The group decided last June to leave the WVIAC, which sponsored sports at the NAIA and then Division II levels for 89 years.

Plans for the MEC were revealed last August. The conference received NCAA approval in February.

Wheeling Jesuit is the only MEC member without a football program. Virginia-Wise is nearing completion of the Division II membership process.

Reid Amos, who has a communications background, is the MEC's first commissioner. The conference will hire three assistant commissioners, according to its website.

NDC plays its first MEC football game Sept. 14 at Urbana.Schools are playing nine conference this season.

-- Guy Cipriano | @newsheraldguy

Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer contrasts Indians manager Terry Francona in one major way. Meyer doesn't mind challenging players in public.

After Monday's Urban Meyer-Dean Hood Football Camp in Geneva, Meyer was asked about players facing boom-or-bust years in 2013.

Meyer said he didn't "want to single guys out." Yet he offered names of three players preparing for critical seasons: middle linebacker Curtis Grant and receivers Devin Smith and Michael Thomas.

"Those are examples of guys hitting their stride," Meyer said.

Grant, a mega-recruit from Virginia in 2011, is a junior trying to fulfill vast potential. He's also one of just two linebackers on the roster recruited before 2012. Outside linebacker Ryan Shazier is the other. A young unit might start relying on 18-year-olds if Grant isn't prodcutive.

Smith and Thomas are competing for time at 'X' receiver. Smith, who also runs track, averaged 20.6 yards per reception last year. Thomas only had three receptions last season, but he could be primed for a breakout season.

Some other leftovers from Meyer's appearance:

-- Hood, Eastern Kentucky's head coach and one of Meyer's childhood friends, joked about the possibility of his program facing Meyer's. Eastern Kentucky, coincidentally, visits Meyer's old team, Florida, next season. The game was arranged before Meyer resigned from Florida in 2010.

"We got Florida on the schedule when Urban was at Florida," Hood said. "Now he's not there, and we have to play them. I don't think if we played against him he would take it easy on us. I don't think that's in his blood."

Games between Division I and I-AA programs might become extinct. Division I begins a four-team playoff in 2014. Strength of schedule will be a major factor in determining the field.

-- The OHSAA finals head to Ohio Stadium next season. Meyer said he's envisioning the buzz it would create in his own office if an Asthabula County team reached one of the finals.

"What a feeling it would be to walk down to Ohio Stadium on state championship day and see a team from your hometown," said Meyer, who attended St. John High School. "It energizes communities, it energizes schools. Ashtabula should have good high school football. I sound like an old man, but there used to be. There should be good football here. There's a great history of good football in the northeastern part of the state."

-- Guy Cipriano | @newsheraldguy