Captain Kangaroo

The BCS "led" Pitt to a BCS game. not Tyler Palko. If you think Pitt would have received anything but an invite to the Motor City Bowl had they not received the sorry-ass Big LEast automatic BCS bid, you have at least one thing in common with Josh Cribbs (puff, puff, puff) Great win vs. Notre Dame? Wow...ND was a juggernaut last year. How 'bout Palko's riveting performance vs. Furman? UConn? Were any of his "wins" vs Rutgers or Temple? Yes, two. They also nailed mighty South Florida. That home loss to doormat Nebraska was impressive too, as was the 35-7 Fiesta Bowl beating to non-BCS Utah (quick, name another player on Utah's roster besides Alex Smith...I THOUGHT so!) Man, the Dude is a "winner." Palko couldn't hold Frye's jock strap.

A phrase I heard that rang true is: "Keep in mind, Palko couldn't hold Frye's jock strap." Yeah, he's a "Big East QB", but he would have sat behind #5 last year if he were a Zip. I guarantee Palko won't be a first day NFL pick (when his time comes). Hey, I hope Getsy shakes off the rust and wins the job this summer. I'll be the first in line for the #16 jersey. But is looks like the jury is still out.

I would say it is more like: "Before, when we had a defense that could stop someone on occassion. And, we established the run." "After, when we had an atrocious defense while also ceasing to present any semblance of a balanced offensive attack." Frye won as many games as any D1 quarterback could (@ Akron) given the offensive and defensive talent of the team and the coaching. Maybe more? If you thought you saw a conservative passing attack @ Penn State last year, wait until you see us at Purdue this season. Does a single pass go beyond 15 yards? Unlike the transition from Butchie to Frye...this one isn't going to be seamless. I hope I'm wrong, but it seems like the Sparks/Frye battle was about "Who's better?" while the "Getsy/Arthur/Fergie" battle is about "Who's more 'OK'?" Biggs left, Biggs middle, Biggs right. Probably going to see a lot of that.

It seems like the two biggest local (senior) 2005-6 HS stars will be: Rydell Brooks, Buchtel (G) Marcus Johnson, St. Vincent-St. Mary (PF) If Dambrot could land one or both of these two guys, we would likely be on our way to the Promised Land. Are these guys going "big time," or do the Zips have a legit shot at them?

My annual golf trip to South Carolina cnflicted with the game. I tried to get UAM to move the game back a week or two, but the guy wouldn't budge! From what I saw from last weeks practice, I think you're dead-nuts on regarding Kasparek. He's really bulked up, and was one of the hardest-working guys the entire practice. That's interesting news that Kennedy is looking like a player? Early word on him was "bust?" Maybe that allows us to redshirt the kid from Ursuline, who is proported to be the #2 recruit in the most-recent class (behind Hight). Is Ferguson really pushing for playing time, or it it simply the "Ben Ruhlin Effect" revisited? (a guy that leads the team in spring game yardage, then never sees the field again) Thanks to all for your reports!

It's a shame he's forfeiting his senior year (5th). He was a good 3rd down guy. Oh well...I'm sure there's some youngsters more than happy to fill his position.

30K with grass. Approx. 25k "hard" seats.

I could give you the names of 20 people who's be happy to drop $100.00 ea. for "Name Bricks" to be placed in front of the stadium. Wonder when the fund raising will begin? Probably this fall, I guess.

Spend a day walking around Jackson Field and you pick up all sorts of stuff... As previously noted on this board, an architect has been selected to draw-up the new stadium. It is not the one that was seen in the local newcasts a few months ago. 30k total seating Grass seating in the endzone will happen The Odd Corner will likely need to find a new place to peddle it's Grateful Dead bandanas and skull bongs Expect an official announcement in the fall. The architect needs about 6 months to put everything together.

It is tough to say from only watching 80 minutes of just one practice. Most of what was done was drills on blocking sleds...stuff like that. My gut feeling: Secondary seems to have speed. That will likely be our defensive strength. Linebackers: Rohr is the best one. The others may be fast, but they are not as fundamentally sound as him. I saw quite a few of the LB drills. The young guys have decent size and speed, but that only goes so far. They will need to be in the right set at the right time, make sure tackles, "read" the offense...all that stuff only comes with experience. My guess is they'll struggle in the early half of the schedule and improve as the year goes on. It looks like Showers and Groza will struggle to break the 2-deep. DL: Still seems small to me. Although it is a longshot, there's still some hope that Hight could make grades and be eligible in the fall. Tim Wilkes made a couple nice plays, pushing bigger OL's around. OL: Really depleted. Spaulding (222 lb) was playing a bit of OL just to fill the slot. A couple of the true Fr.'s are going to see heavy PT this season. That will be a position to watch in the summer. Right now, you have to wonder where Biggs' holes are going to come from? Even with 4 senior OL's last year, the "better" teams contained Biggs pretty well. He got the bulk of his yardage vs. the bottom feeders. RB: Ringer looked ok...made a couple nice moves here and there. Kennedy...McDaniel...couldn't get a read on either. Rumor has it the kid from Youngstown could be the steal of the 2005 class. Swiger was booming 47 yarders pretty consistently. I don't see the Wisconsin transfer supplanting him.

Took in the Aeros/Mets game today, and stopped to watch the Zips practice on Jackson Field afterwards. What I could see: The Getsy/Arthur battle is for real. Both looked "ok," neither one looked stellar. The word on Getsy is he's having a tough time shaking off the rust from his transfer year...and beyond that he only played a handful of snaps at Pitt. Jabari has worked pretty hard in the offseason too, so the "battle" may rage into the summer. My edge would go to Jabari because I've seen him run...and with our OL, the QB is going to need to be pretty elusive. Our CB's look pretty good. We're pretty undersized at LB. Rohr seems to have taken a vocal role in getting the youger LB's to step it up. If they F'd up a drill, he let them know it...especially if it meant everyone had to run the drill again. Kasparek looks good. A lot bigger than before. He worked hard the entire practice. A #44 was in the backfield (FB)? John Martin? He's a transfer...from Colorado as far as I can tell. Our WR's are all small. Not that that's horrible...I like Hixson and Montgomery...but they're small. Ditto our DL's. In general, were a pretty small team. Biggs looks fine. You hear a lot about searching for leaders on this team...especially on offense. I have to believe that's a priority coming out of the spring, and maybe a reason JD might name a #1 QB after the spring game. Leadership typically comes from the QB position on offense, and it is tough to "lead" when you might be #2 on the depth chart. Hey, it was a beautiful day...the guys were all working hard...and we're still undefeated in 2005. Life's good. Go Zips!

Coincidentally, I spoke to someone from the University today regarding the Zips 2005 schedule. That person mentioned Middle Tenessee as an opponent, so I would assume there's still a good chance the game is still "on." However, the Zips schedule has not been finalized, so you never know.

Marcus Crenshaw and Demetrius “Mechie” Johnson have quit Can't State’s men’s basketball team. According to team sources, Crenshaw never bought into the program’s structured philosophy and demanded to be given free reign offensively to stay in Can't. The same sources said Crenshaw decided to give up his spot on the roster at the end of the season believinghe would find an offer to transfer to the University of Milwaukee-Wisconsin. That opportunity has since disappeared. Crenshaw averaged 4.7 points per game while shooting just 36.2 percent from the field and 40 percent from the foul line in his freshman year. The 5-foot-9 Detroit native also turned the ball over 40 times and totaled just 36 assists while averaging more than 15 minutes per game as the Golden flushes’ backup point guard. He started five of the 33 games he played. Johnson is a bigger loss. He averaged justtwo points in less than 10 minutes per game as a sophomore last season, but, unlike Crenshaw,he had a team-first mentality that will be missed. Johnson’s attitude and work in practice earned him some significant minutes as a role player off the bench in the final two weeks of the season. His three blocked shots in the second half of the regular-season finale with Ohio University were the keys to a victory that clinched a first-round home game for Can't State in the Mid-American Conference tournament. Johnson was not willing to return to the flushes for another year as a role player. According to team sources, the 6-foot-4 swingman hopes to transfer to a Division I school that will allow him the chance to start. He would not have found that opportunity in Can't in 2005-06. The departures give Can't State coach Jim Christian two open scholarships. After finishing eighth in the MAC in 3-point shooting at a mediocre 35.2 percent, the flushes will most likely fill one of those open spots with a sharp-shooting wing from the junior-college ranks. The team will also add either a junior-college or true-freshman point guard in the near future

PG West: CV's 'late bloomer' no shrinking violet Friday, April 08, 2005 By Rick Shrum, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Two years ago, Mike Gielarowski was weary of baseball. So he took a mulligan. He didn't go out for the Chartiers Valley varsity, focusing instead on his other athletic specialty -- golf. "I was burned out on baseball," Gielarowski said. "I had played it for a whole year straight." At about the midpoint of the Colts' 2003 season, though, Gielarowski "realized that I missed baseball. I wanted to come back." It's been quite a comeback. Gielarowski, a right-handed pitcher, returned to the diamond last year and sparkled. He had a 4-3 record, a 1.26 ERA, and 61 strikeouts for a 7-12 team. Oh, and he also had the admiration of college recruiters, who were enamored of his junior achievements and started courting him. The Colts have shown a lot of kick this spring, with a 3-0 record through Tuesday, all outside Section 3-AAA. Their opener last Wednesday was a masterpiece by their 6-foot-2, 175-pound ace. Gielarowski (pronounced "gill-a-rowski") fired a three-hitter, striking out 11, in a 2-0 non-section victory at Upper St. Clair. Frank Brown wasn't surprised. He is the Chartiers Valley coach, the man Gielarowski approached and asked to return. The man who started working diligently with this budding prospect in the fall of 2003. The man who helped transform him from an unknown into a first-team All-Section 7-AAA performer a year ago. "I think he's a late bloomer," Brown said. "Mike has gotten a whole lot better in the past year and a half. He's developed physically and as a player." Coach and right-hander generally agree on things . . . except on style. "Mike is absolutely a power pitcher," Brown said. "I think I'm a finesse pitcher," said Gielarowski, of Scott. He certainly has a quality fastball, according to Brown. "He's in the high 80s now." That's not the extent of his repertoire, however. Gielarowski said he also has an efficient curveball and split-finger fastball. Fortitude and ingenuity also have placed him high on a hill. "He is the kind of guy who, when he gets in trouble, is at his best," Brown said. "Maybe we make an error, or he gives up a hit or two. He finds a way to get out of trouble." That was evident a week ago, when Gielarowski barely outpitched Upper St. Clair's Pat Slowey, who struck out 12 in six innings. The Panthers put two runners on with one out in the seventh, and final, inning. Gielarowski then quelled the budding rally. "He got two big outs," Brown said. That clutch pitching impressed Panthers coach Jerry Malarkey, who hadn't seen Gielarowski before. "We had a couple of situations where we had guys on base, and he knuckled down and got out of the inning," Malarkey said. "I thought he had poise, and he threw strikes. He was able to locate his fastball and curve pretty well." That poise undoubtedly was acquired from the person who has had a major influence on his life. His mother, Diane, is a single mom with four children: Mike and his three younger siblings, two boys and a girl. Apparently, and amazingly, Gielarowski is more demanding of himself than he is on opposing batters. He was perturbed that he walked three against Upper St. Clair. "Normally, I'm a good control pitcher," he said. And he disputed talk about being pressure-resistant. "I have to be tougher out there mentally." Baseball is now his priority. Gielarowski, who shoots in the high 70s to low 80s, did not play for the Chartiers Valley golf team last fall. He's a full-time pitcher, an occasional second baseman and a contact hitter. The scholastic season is in its infancy, but college baseball is a long-range probability -- perhaps at the major-college level. "He's been getting a whole lot of interest, especially lately," Brown said. Gielarowski, who has a grade point average above 3.0, favors Akron at the moment. But Duquesne, West Virginia, Marshall and Can't State are among the other programs that have inquired about him. "He's a very good kid with an excellent work ethic," Brown said. "If he gets better, I don't know if there's a ceiling for him. "Some college will be getting a gem."

My guess is that a 30,000 seat stadium would require parking for only about 10,000 cars max, probably less. Since the stadium would be located on the campus of a university that supports about 15,000 commuter students...all of whom are gone on Saturdays (no classes)...parking wouldn't be a problem at all. I'm sure busses could be used to shuttle people to/from parking decks downtown if necessary. Also, streets immediately surrounding the stadium would be blocked off on gamedays. Man, you can almost see it now.... My biggest concern: They tear down The Sun Bar and Grille!

Franklin Regional defensive lineman commits to Pitt Subscribe By Paul Schofield TRIBUNE-REVIEW Tuesday, April 5, 2005 Franklin Regional High School junior tackle John Malecki made two choices this past weekend, and the Pitt football program may be the big winner in both cases. Malecki decided to attend Pitt's select junior day over Penn State's junior day on Saturday. And then after Pitt offered him a scholarship, he accepted. He is the third player from western Pennsylvania to commit to Pitt early, after Johnstown defensive tackle Scott Corson and Gateway linebacker Dan Loheyde. "John said he always wanted to remain a Panther," Franklin Regional Panthers coach Greg Botta said. "He wanted to stick around the area and play for Pitt." Botta said he knew Malecki was someone special the first time he met him during his sophomore season. "He had a great growth spurt between his sophomore and junior seasons," Botta said. "He blossomed into a tremendous player. He runs to the football well, has great speed, excellent strength and a great work ethic in the classroom and on the field. He has a nose for the football and he dominated in the conference." He was an All-Greater Allegheny Conference first-team player on offense and defense. Malecki, 6-foot-3, 270 pounds, had 76 tackles, seven quarterback sacks and 21 tackles for losses last season. "I wanted to stay close to home," said Malecki, who was receiving interest from Penn State, West Virginia, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Akron, Indiana, Illinois and North Carolina.

Akron Cable Personality Arrested Wearing Foil, Jock Strap 43-Year-Old Man To Appear In Court UPDATED: 10:22 am EDT April 7, 2005 AKRON, Ohio -- An Akron cable personality and former City Council candidate was arrested Wednesday after an overnight disturbance, The Akron Beacon Journal, NewsChannel5’s partner, reported Thursday. According to police, Anthony Hudson, 43, was wearing a jock strap over his pants and was sheathed in aluminum foil -- and proclaiming himself the King of Egypt -- when arrested. Hudson, whose shows often include nudity, has acted so erratically at recent city council meetings that city officials have added tighter security at city hall, the paper reported. Hudson was charged with felonious assault against a police officer, resisting arrest and criminal damaging. Hudson was treated at Akron City Hospital and then taken to the Summit County Jail. He is scheduled to appear in court Thursday.

I like how the 2nd leading scorer is torn between Findlay and Can't State... Balanced OCC wins second straight over City Thursday, April 7, 2005 JARROD ULREY ThisWeek Staff Writer By David J. Yunker/ThisWeek Watterson's Ryan Ferst drives past Worthington Christian's Colt Cunningham last Friday during the District 10 Division II-III-IV All-Star Game at Worthington Kilbourne. Ferst scored 24 points with four 3-pointers for the Dark team in a 121-99 loss to the White team. Cunningham had 13 points for the winners. When the OCC all-stars began preparing for the District 10 boys basketball game last Friday against the City League at Worthington Kilbourne, one of the things coach Ken Braun of Groveport stressed was getting everyone involved. That's exactly what happened, and inevitably the OCC's balanced offense held off a late rally by the City to win 110-107. The OCC has won the last two contests and is 5-2 since the rivalry was renewed in 1999. "With these all-stars, there was still a competitive edge of wanting to win the game," said Braun, who led his team to a Division I district runner-up finish. "When we got together and started practicing, I told them, 'I want you to have fun and I want you to share the basketball with each other.' They did a good job of making opportunities for each other and I was happy with all of them." Gahanna's Nate Linhart had eight points and four rebounds during his 10 minutes in the first half as the OCC built a 52-38 halftime advantage, and then he scored eight of the OCC's first 10 points in the second half as the OCC built a 62-43 advantage with 18 minutes, 1 second remaining. The City, behind Linden's Shaun Gunnell, Mifflin's Cordaryl Ballard and Africentric Secondary's Donald Suel, stormed back with a barrage of layups and 3-pointers. Gunnell had 15 points during one 10-minute stretch of the second half, including one 3-pointer, Ballard made four 3-pointers in the second half and Suel added two. Suel had 19 points in the second half and finished with 30. He was named game MVP. Gunnell finished with 25 points and 10 rebounds and Ballard added 22 points. Linden's Sam Payne had nine points in the first half and finished with 16. "At first everybody was just lolly-gagging around, but then we just started playing," Suel said. "It's fun getting a chance to play with people around the City and just learning how to play with other players." Linhart, who has signed with Akron, led the OCC with 18 points. Westland's Josh Bostic added 15, Gahanna's Kollin Hancock and Groveport's Brandon Johnson both finished with 14 and Worthington Kilbourne's Mounir Benzegala had 13. Benzegala made three 3-pointers and Johnson had two. "We knew we just had to play defense and try to get smarter shots," said Bostic, who is considering Can't State and Findlay among his college options. "It was definitely bragging rights if nothing else. Nate Linhart, I thought, played well. Mo Benzegala, Justin Patrick, really the whole team, played as a whole. We just played team ball."

Tosa East survives Rybak's onslaught 2/2/2005 - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel By DAVE BOEHLER dboehler@journalsentinel.com West Allis - For 30 minutes Tuesday, John Rybak couldn't be stopped. During that span, the West Allis Hale senior had 35 of his team's 49 points. Fortunately for Wauwatosa East, Rybak did not dominate the final 2 minutes. Rybak missed 2 three-point shots and made just two free throws in the final 2 minutes. Meanwhile, the Red Raiders made 8 of 10 free throws in the final 76 seconds to escape with a 61-53 victory over the Huskies. Rybak, who will play at Akron next season, finished with a personal-best 37 points on 13-of-26 shooting (50%). But it was no consolation to him, because Tosa East (12-2) remained in first place in the Greater Metro Conference with a 7-1 record and Hale (9-5) fell to second place at 6-2.

Last update on Gozips.com is dated March 24th? Has there been a practice since? I know there was a week off for spring break, but what's the deal with the coverage, or lack thereof?

All-star game effort leaves B-C senior thinking about future By DAVE PURPURA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MOUNT VERNON - Kristen Black isn't sure what she wants to do after high school. Part of her wants to go to a southern university and play softball, a feeling reinforced the past few weeks with the start of that sport's regular season. "Maybe I'd get a better (scholarship) and see some pretty good competition," the Bloom-Carroll senior said Friday night. And then there's basketball. Black isn't quite sure she's ready to give up that sport, in which she was a successful power forward and averaged 12 points and eight rebounds this year for the district semifinalist Bulldogs. After her nine-point, eight-rebound performance in the District 11 All-Star Game at Mount Vernon, Black is as torn as ever. "I don't know yet," said Black, who is considering Ohio Dominican and Otterbein but was approached by a Marietta College scout after the game. "This was a fun game. We ran, which is different than what (Bloom-Carroll) did, and we got to do a lot of what we wanted. It was good to get out there one last time. I'll see what happens." Black was one of four area players in the game. She and Pickerington Central swingman Lauren Stephenson played together on the South team; Pickerington North's Cydnei Stoudt and Candyce Brown were on the North team, which won 72-64. Butler University-bound Brown had 12 points, four rebounds and a steal and Stoudt finished with 11 points, seven boards, a steal and an assist for the North, which got two 3-pointers from Licking Heights' Jessica Brink to widen a five-point lead with two minutes left. "I wanted to prove to myself that I still had it and I was in shape," Brown said. "At the beginning, it was tough to get in the rhythm, but once you play a few minutes, it feels just like another game." Stephenson, a 6-footer who has been heavily recruited the past few years but was adamant about signing late, verbally committed to Akron two weeks ago and will sign her letter of intent later this month. She came out with a bang Friday, scoring eight of her 11 points and grabbing all four of her rebounds in the first half of an up-tempo game to which she was well-suited. "I didn't want to sign early and pass up any opportunities," Stephenson said. "It wasn't who I was leaning to at first, but in the end they were there and it was the right fit." Pickerington North point guard Jenna Schone, District 11's and the Eagle-Gazette's All-Fairfield County Player of the Year, was out of town for spring break and did not play. She will participate in the North-South All-Star Game a week from Sunday at Capital University. Millersport guards Holly Lewis and Caylee Clark were selected to play but did not attend. Keith Ebright, the recently retired assistant coach from Pickerington North, was honored as the District's Assistant Coach of the Year. Ebright and Dave Butcher, honored as the Division I Coach of the Year, coached Pickerington and Pickerington North to 520 wins and six state championships from 1983 to 2005. Originally published April 2, 2005

That was very informative! Thanks. I'm looking foward to future interviews.

Seven NCAA Tournament Teams Highlight 2005 Men's Soccer Schedule Zips will take on seven teams that made the NCAA Tournament field in 2004, including National Champion Indiana March 31, 2005 AKRON, Ohio - Defending NCAA Champion Indiana, Round of 16 participant Ohio State, and Elite Eight qualifier St. John's University highlight the 2005 University of Akron men's soccer schedule released today. Akron will be in search of its fifth-straight NCAA Tournament appearance as it opens regular-season play at Lee Jackson Field on Sept. 2 against Evansville University. "We are very excited about this schedule, said head coach Ken Lolla, who is entering his 13th season at the school. "Not only did we retain some top opponents we have played each of the last few years, but we also picked up nationally prominent programs in Indiana and St. John's." Northeast Ohio's own version of the NCAA College Cup will take place on Aug. 18-21 as the Zips play host to the inaugural Westfield Cup at Lee Jackson Field. The preseason tournament will match Connecticut (NCAA Tournament) against Maryland (2004 College Cup participant) in the first game on Aug. 19, with the Zips taking on Southern Methodist (NCAA Round of 16) in the nightcap. August 21 will feature consolation and championship matches. After nonconference matches vs. Robert Morris (Sept. 4) and Wright State (Sept. 11) on the road, and Cleveland State (Sept. 9) at home, the Zips will travel to New Jersey for the Princeton Tournament. UA faces host Princeton on Sept. 16, followed by a match against powerhouse Loyola (Md.) on Sept. 18. IPFW visits Lee Jackson Field on Sept. 23, followed by a trip to Oakland University on Sept. 25. The Zips then play host to a pair of Big Ten foes in Ohio State (Sept. 30) and Penn State (Oct. 3). Both were NCAA Tournament teams last season with the Buckeyes advancing to the third round. "I feel like this schedule is as good as we have had in recent history," Lolla said. "To get into the NCAA Tournament we can't just rely on winning the conference. Strength of schedule is very important in the selection process and this will prepare us for the postseason." The defending Mid-American Conference tournament champions, Akron opens MAC play at Buffalo on Oct. 7, followed by its first-ever trip to St. John's on Oct. 12. The Red Storm were 12-6-4 last season and made their third Elite Eight appearance in the last four seasons. The trip is followed by a pair of home games against league foes Bowling Green (Oct. 16) and Northern Illinois (Oct. 21). "This season the No. 1 seed for the MAC Tournament will play host to the semifinal and final matches, so that puts a premium on doing well during the regular season," Lolla said. The Zips wrap-up MAC action at Western Michigan on Oct. 23 and close out the regular season with three nonconference matches. Michigan comes to Lee Jackson Field on Oct. 28 as the Zips will try to avenge last year's first-round NCAA Tournament loss to the Wolverines. UA then plays host to Kentucky on Oct. 30. The Wildcats are beginning their first season as a member of Conference USA. Akron's final tune-up before the MAC Tournament (Nov. 11-13) is a big one as it travels to Bloomington, Ind., to take on the defending NCAA Champion Indiana Hoosiers on Nov. 3.

Tell "Aairtime" to check in on the 'Nation sometime! I nominate him for the Varsity "a" (lower case intentional) Hall of Fame. Any founding fathers of "The Pouch" should be there! Any students that came to games in the Crawford and early-Hipsher era should have statues erected in their honor. Dark years, man.... Back in my day...and that of Z-Pouch, ZipsWin, etc. they wouldn't even let students near the floor. All lower arena seats were reserved for season ticket holders. Hence us 80's guys are ineligible for the Varsity "a". At least we caught a few 20 win seasons and some post-season action. Whoda' thunk there's be such a horrid dry spell of 16 years without a post season berth back in '89? Restore the Roar, KD!

I'd love to do my part and fill a couple rubbers myself. Know any cheerleaders that would like to assist? Ah, the side benefits to a slow board...