HEY, TIM!

Tim Warsinskey tackles your high school sports questions

Q: Hey, Tim: St. Ignatius-Glenville was the most hyped football matchup last week and didn't live up to the billing in my opinion. What will be the best game this week? -- Amy Farrell, Ashley, Ohio  Full story »

Hey, Tim: Mentor finished the football season with the same win-loss record as Euclid (6-4). Mentor was unbeaten in the Lake Erie League (including a victory over Euclid) and its four losses were to highly ranked Division I competition. How did Euclid get a higher ranking? -- Don Casey, Mentor  Full story »

HEY, TIM! Q: Hey, Tim: I'm sure you're aware of a football coach in Arkansas with a team that never punts and has the success and statistics to back up his strategy. He reminded me of the Division I state title team, Hilliard Davidson, in 2006. I couldn't believe it when they consistently went for it on fourth down... Full story »

Q: Hey, Tim: I am a big Padua Bruins football fan, and since we moved down to Division III we are stuck in the same region as Youngstown Cardinal Mooney. Can anyone knock off Cardinal Mooney? -- Mike Honcho, Broadview Heights  Full story »

Q: Hey, Tim: What are your thoughts about so few Division I schools (outside of Pitt) that thought enough of St. Ignatius' Mark Myers to offer a scholarship? Is he a late bloomer? I've read some posts comparing him to a left-handed Tyler Palko. Is the kid a potential sleeper? -- David Pirillo, Warren, Pa.  Full story »

Q: Hey, Tim: I'm shocked that Cleveland Heights has to forfeit those (three) wins. Will they win on appeal? Who benefits from the forfeits? -- David DeNoma, Westlake  Full story »

Q: Hey, Tim: Can you believe the beating Woodridge's football team handed to Mogadore last week? I can't recall Mogadore ever losing to a league opponent so handily, which just goes to show how impressive the Bulldogs look this year, right? -- Jody Michael, Rootstown A: Hey, Jody: Woodridge plays football? Until this year, I could have sworn cross... Full story »

Plain Dealer reporter answers your questions Cleveland Central Catholic's football program and the OHSAA's computer points. Full story »

Q: Hey, Tim: Can Beachwood make the football playoffs? How good are they? Do you think they'll win the league they're in now? - Jay Tischendorf, Kent A: Hey, Jay: The 4-0 Bison are off to its best start in more than 15 years. It's nice to see Beachwood competing again after going 5-25 the past three seasons. It has made the playoffs once, in 1990, so just the fact the question is being asked is progress.  Full story »

Q: Hey, Tim: Since Gilmour Academy's Lauren Davis, last year's Division II singles state champion, advanced to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Junior Open, winning three times and beating the world's 30th- and third-ranked juniors in the process, have you reconsidered your opinion that she should have stayed home so that she could have played her second year of high school tennis? Personally, I think she would have been crazy to turn down this opportunity. - Neil Harris, Pepper Pike A: Hey, Neil: I've never expressed that opinion before. On one hand, I like to see athletes play on high school teams because it is a special honor to win a state title for your school. But, I also understand that in sports such as tennis, gymnastics and hockey, the level of competition in Ohio can be lacking when compared to some elite athletes' abilities. I wish it weren't an issue at all. I agree the Ohio High School Athletic Association should have a cutoff date for competition outside of high school sports. That rule prevented Davis from competing for Gilmour this fall because she played past the Sept. 7 deadline. It's a good rule because athletes who compete at higher levels with better coaching have an advantage. However, I would like to see it written into the bylaws that the commissioner could make a one-time annual exception for athletes who are either representing the United States on a national team, or in the case of Davis, athletes who compete at a U.S. Open-level tournament. Having players of her caliber competing in high school is good for high school tennis. - Tim Do you have a high school sports question? PD reporter Tim Warsinskey answers questions each week in The Locker Room. Go to cleveland.com/heytim to submit your question.  Full story »

Q: Hey, Tim: I am sure this question has come up before, but it is time that it be discussed in the open. Without taking anything from coach Ted Ginn and all that he has done, the question becomes if he is the person who can take Glenville to the next level. I have followed them from their first playoff appearance, and I find in spite of their superior talent they continue to defeat themselves in the same way: mental errors that lead to their defeats. No matter the team or the year, the same errors occur that show the lack of discipline to do the small things that good schools do to win (i.e. St. Ignatius).  Full story »

Q: Hey, Tim: The Benedictine program has gone a bit south since back-to-back state football championships in 2003 and 2004, including three straight losing seasons. Art Bortnick is the guy who coached those two championship teams, but is it time for a new voice to lead the Bengals?  Full story »

Hey, Tim: What is and who holds the state record in the 800 meters by an Ohio high school girl, including girls running prior to official girls high school track teams in Ohio? You may be surprised by the date of the record and the difference between it and the second-best time. -- John Cameron, Parma Full story »

Q: Hey, Tim: How well will the Amherst Comets football team do this year? -- James Hinkel, Amherst A: Hey, James: With 27 seniors graduating, including RB Brandon Kish (Ball State), Amherst will be hard-pressed to match last year. The Comets started 8-0 before injuries derailed them and they lost three straight, getting knocked out in the first round... Full story »

Q: Hey, Tim: I read that some of the fast suits were banned in swimming. Does that mean high school, too? What about kids who wear two suits? That's an advantage, isn't it? -- Drew Weaver, Zanesville A: Hey, Drew: Nothing has changed on the high school level. The recent ruling by FINA, the international governing body for swimming,... Full story »