YSU lands top-level recruit for 2018-19

November 8, 2017

Atiba Taylor said he cannot remember when he did not have a basketball in his hands. The 6-foot-4, 176-pound combination guard is said to have an uncanny court vision. Schools like LaSalle, Temple, Rutgers, Kansas State and St. Joseph’s (Philadelphia) took notice of the New Jersey standout and made scholarship offers. It turns out Youngstown State also took an interest in the three-star guard. Why? Seton Hall and Syracuse showed interest as well. It’s clear this first-year Penguins men’s basketball staff is ambitious, but this seemed like a bit of a wild goose chase. Maybe not. ...

McDonald outside looking in at playoffs

October 29, 2017

Many area high school football fans are looking forward to a potential Girard at Lakeview playoff game later this week, but the attention of some is drawn to the unfortunate plight of the 8-2 McDonald Blue Devils. With the Ohio High School Athletic Association about to release the official final regional standings and the subsequent first-round playoff pairings today, fans across the state have been perusing the excellent web site www.joeeitel.com which calculates — unofficially — the region standings throughout the state. In many disclaimers found on the site, Mr. Eitel insists ...

Penguin basketball progress continues

October 27, 2017

Pat Birch had an open-ended invitation. Jerrod Calhoun, Youngstown State’s first-year men’s basketball coach, recently told all the area high school boys basketball coaches that they were invited to his team’s practices. It was an offer Birch couldn’t refuse. Now Calhoun might not be the Godfather, but you can believe his players are refusing to keep things as a status quo — the way YSU basketball used to be. A couple of hundred fans saw the beginning stages of pressure defense and uptempo offense during Tuesday’s exhibition against Thiel. What those people in attendance ...

Usually reliable line play an issue

October 22, 2017

There is a litany of reasons the Youngstown State football team will likely be on the outside looking in when the FCS postseason field is announced next month, and they’re not the ones fans are used to hearing. For years, inexplicable losses that could have vaulted YSU into the playoffs happened because of gaping defensive holes and puzzling collapses to underwhelming teams. This year is different, but the result could be equally disappointing. The Penguins, coming off a riveting playoff run to the FCS Championship game last year, are in a downward spiral after a devastating 19-14 ...

Potential playoff teams face pressure

October 18, 2017

The pressure is building for high school football players — and coaches. They can use the old cliche of focusing on one game at a time and not looking ahead all they want, but every coach knows exactly where they stand in the computer ratings of their respective region. It’s part of their job. There are plenty of area teams in the fold, too. Let’s start with the best of the best and figure out who is most likely to make a deep run into the playoffs. Canfield is 8-0 and atop Region 9 in Division III. The Cardinals have two tough matchups to end the season, facing Howland ...

Weather drier for XC postseason

October 17, 2017

My eyes deceive me. I really can’t believe what I’m seeing on my laptop. These AccuWeather forecasts are wrong. It’s the cross country postseason. Rain, cold, mud. Repeat three early and often. This year, not so much. I’m confused by the 72-degree forecast for Saturday’s district meet at the Trumbull County Fairgrounds. No winter boots this year with the mud splashing on my jeans. One more time to wear shorts? Maybe. Glad I won’t have bring another pair of socks to replace the ones saturated by the mud pit that soon becomes the Trumbull County Fairgrounds. Not this ...