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Let’s combine bowl games & playoffs

College football for me crossed the rubicon in 2018. There were several times in the last week or so that I felt that something was terribly wrong with this great sport. No, it wasn’t the fact that Big Ten champion Ohio State didn’t make the top four and once again fell short of qualifying for the College Football Playoff. It wasn’t even the fact that another Nick Saban-led team managed to make it to the playoff despite not playing at the top of its game. The point that I realized that I no longer held college football in such high esteem occurred last Monday when I took a ...

Waid’s impact far beyond one contest

CANTON Mark Waid sat at a table with three of his teammates in the underbelly of Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, awaiting questions from a few area reporters. His body language dictated he’d rather be someplace else instead of having an Ohio High School Athletic Association microphone in front of his face, which I couldn’t blame him. It was one of the few times the 6-foot-3, 215-pound Girard High School senior quarterback had his helmet off all night. Waid took his fair share of bumps and bruises following a 42-14 loss in the Division IV state championship game against a ...

Decision to stay, or go, is on Pelini

The speculation began before the season even started. Before the epically embarrassing loss to Butler. Before there was a quarterback controversy. Before the team was eliminated from playoff contention. People have wanted to know what’s next for Bo Pelini since last season ended. It’s a valid question. The fiery coach of the Youngstown State football team has a contract that expires in February and, maybe of equal importance, the oodles of money he was still being paid from his buyout with Nebraska also stops rolling in around the same time. He has a big decision to make, ...

YSU women not taking 3-0 start for granted

YOUNGSTOWN — McKenah Peters takes the rebound from associate head coach John Nicolais. The Youngstown State women’s basketball assistant coach watches the sophomore guard make 10 consecutive free throws before she has lunch with her team in the concourse of the Beeghly Center. Senior guards Melinda Trimmer and Alison Smolinski are rebounding jump shots for one another at the other end of the gym. This Penguins team might be 3-0 and have just beaten an Atlantic Coast Conference team in Pittsburgh on Tuesday, but there’s no way this team would ever rest on its laurels. Their ...

Nagy proud of distance running in Niles, area

BAZETTA Les Nagy had a Sharpie in his hand, signing some T-shirts under the pavilion in the midst of the Trumbull County Fairgrounds as one of the honorees at this year’s The Legends cross country event. The Niles High School legend was one of the nation’s fastest distance runners in 1970 — finishing top 10 in the country in the mile, 2-mile and 3-mile races. He even helped Villanova beat Oregon and the late Steve Prefontaine to win a NCAA cross country crown. His time of 9:01 in the 2-mile is still the fastest by a Trumbull County runner and he clocked 9:34.7 to win the ...

Last time around the track this season

The summer racing season is nearing its end for another year, but area race fans still have the opportunity to get out to a track. Tonight and Saturday, Mercer Raceway Park will host the Little Guy Nationals. Mercer has been near idle this year, hosting only one other racing event. The event was a success as far as fan turnout and car count goes. This 19th annual event features seven divisions of race cars that don’t usually headline an event. The result is over 200 race cars and a cross-section of racers on a neutral site — along with a huge fan turnout wanting to get a final ...