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Ron Novak will present a program on the rich history of Sharon Speedway Monday evening at 7 at the fire station located in Hartford Center. Novak’s father, Jim, took control of the speedway in 1950 and promoted the speedway until 1980. It has always been my thought that if there was a hall of fame for Trumbull County auto racing, the Novak family, Jim, his wife Vera, and son Ron, would be among the first inducted. Or if Ohio had such a hall of fame they would also be among the first inducted. As far as that goes, Sharon Speedway, in my opinion, should be a part of the National ...

Wallace in middle of Loyola hype

FOCUS. Yes, focus on the task ahead. Kenny Wallace, disciplined by nature, never faced that quandary. The former Mathews Mustang entered his weekly history class at Loyola University in Chicago. It was 4:15 p.m., central standard time. Midterm exam. Focus on the task at hand. Kind of hard to do around this campus, especially when the 11th-seeded Ramblers men’s basketball team was in a virtual deadlock with sixth-seeded Miami in the NCAA Tournament. Two minutes remaining. Time for class. His professor told him the exam comes first, then a lecture to follow. It’s a class ...

Basketball, forgotten around here

AN orange sphere, some black stripes swirling around the surface. Some smooth. Some rough. Either way, it bounces on different surfaces. The length of the court remains 90 feet long as sweat drips, shoes squeal and various other grunts emit from the mouths of high school athletes. Basketball. Sometimes seen as a foreign object around an area obsessed, to a fault, with football. This sport, which is my favorite, is one that is seen as a second-class citizen in the Mahoning Valley. No Friday Night Lights here, just a constant grind for a couple of months — 22 games until the real ...

Smart coaches should listen to dumb critics

It's no secret that coaches don’t like being criticized, even though it’s an inevitability of the job. From youth league to professional, there’s always someone who thinks a coach can do a better job in a certain area. Heck, part of my job as a sports writer is to voice my opinion if a coach acts foolishly or says something deemed inappropriate. Criticism comes with the territory. That may be part of the reason there are coaches who accept — and even embrace — criticism. For one, it can be used as motivation to improve. And honestly, the smart coaches critique their own work ...

Stories of state champs will be told

PRETTY much every job has tasks that workers despise, but they’re part of the job, so they must be done. Nurses and doctors, for example, have the unenviable task of telling loved ones that a family member just passed away. Teachers must deal with the endless needs of dozens of rambunctious kids, all day every day (nothing more needs to be said). Police and firemen often risk their lives for complete strangers. Businessmen can be asked to work ridiculous hours, causing them to miss family events and time with their loved ones. Heck, even well-paid bosses have to fire people they ...

Decisive weekend looms for wrestlers

It's the best and worst day of the season, with joy and agony happening simultaneously dozens of times at venues all over the state. The pinnacle moment of the season for just about every wrestler comes on the second day of the district tournament, during one of the most grueling, competitive and heart-wrenching six minutes you’ll ever see. The top four placers at each district wrestling tournament advance to state, which is often the career goal of a high school wrestler. There are only 42 state champions out of 672 participants at the tournament, so those who are realistic about ...