TIM'S TAKEPlain Dealer reporter Tim Warsinskey's weekly view on the world of high school sports
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Afraid of heights, Perry's O'Donnell having no problem setting new ones
by
Tim Warsinskey/Plain Dealer Reporter
Monday January 05, 2009, 8:12 PM
With little prior experience at diving other than the benefits provided by gymnastics training, Perry's Erin O'Donnell placed eighth in last winter's state meet and has higher goals this year.The teacher, Brad Henninger, also is Perry High's swimming and diving coach, and he asked O'Donnell an off-the-wall question in the fall of 2007.
"Do you want to try diving?"
O'Donnell looked at Henninger like he was nuts. A gymnast since she was 3, O'Donnell knows a few things about flipping, twisting and sticking a landing. The operative word being landing. Falling head-first into water, well, that's different.
There also was another problem. She's deathly afraid of heights, which means she's really scared of falling.
But diving appealed to her competitive nature, so she told Henninger, "Sure."
O'Donnell, then a junior, took to diving like a swan to water. The metaphor is exact because, like swans, O'Donnell had a thing for hitting the water feet first.
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My high school sports Christmas wish list
by
Tim Warsinskey
Monday December 15, 2008, 5:06 PM
One of Plain Dealer reporter Tim Warsinskey's wishes is that every cynical fan attend the state wrestling finals. The event, including the Parade of Champions that spotlights participants before the final round, would renew their love of sports. Christmas is a time for wish lists. Here's mine on behalf of high school sports.
I wish kids didn't have to pay to play.
I wish St. Ignatius and St. Edward fans would stop being jealous of one another's success. It's tiresome.
I wish I could watch every state tournament, every year.
Continue reading "My high school sports Christmas wish list" »Injuries remind of dangers of hockey
by
Tim Warsinskey
Tuesday December 09, 2008, 10:15 AM
CannonHigh school sports are not all fun and games. Two Toledo-area hockey players suffered serious injuries in separate games Thanksgiving weekend, a stark reminder of the risks involved in sports.
Kyle Cannon, a freshman at Oregon Clay, suffered a broken neck and lost all feeling from the neck down when he was rammed into the boards on a hit from behind against Lexington, Ky., Catholic on Nov. 30. He has regained some sensation in his arms and abdomen, but has been told he may be paralyzed for life, according to the Toledo Blade.
Toledo Start senior Dustin Wells suffered a severely bruised spinal chord and lost feeling and movement in his right leg in an open-ice hit on Nov. 28. Start Athletic Director Dan Sanders said Wells has been released from the hospital, is using a walker and has a good prognosis.
Continue reading "Injuries remind of dangers of hockey" »Savoring that championship moment
by
Tim Warsinskey/Plain Dealer Reporter
Monday December 01, 2008, 8:39 PM
Aurora assistant football coach Brian Wervey.If it was me on the winning side, I'd want to stay all day, or all night, just to make the moment last longer. Once you exit the stadium, it's just a memory.
Maybe that's why Aurora defensive coordinator Brian Wervey was the last to leave the field Saturday afternoon in a near-empty Fawcett Stadium. He knew from experience that even championship moments are fleeting. Wervey won four rings as a player -- two state titles at Lake Catholic and two national titles at Mount Union. Aurora's 21-10 win over Columbus Eastmoor was "one for the thumb."
What kept him on the field longer than anyone was a mini-reunion with former Lake Catholic teammates Sean Surdy, Dan Holian and John Scolaro, who came to watch Wervey's defense put on another outstanding show. He gave each a giant bear hug, the muffled sounds of gloved hands pounding backs of winter coats. "Aw, man, thanks for coming," he told them.
40 years later, he's still a proud Wildcat
by Tim Warsinskey
Tuesday November 25, 2008, 10:28 AM
Before leading St. Ignatius to nine state championships, Chuck Kyle played tailback for the Wildcats and was the leading rusher on the undefeated 1968 team. Here he takes a handoff against John F. Kennedy in the final Thanksgiving Day "Charity Game" in 1968.History is Chuck Kyle's currency.
Every day, he teaches still-relevant lessons in the writings of Chaucer and Shakespeare to his literature students at St. Ignatius.
Kyle is himself a part of Ohio sports history, but just don't remind him too much this week.
Continue reading "40 years later, he's still a proud Wildcat" »From pucks to pigskins, Aurora's Bellamy emerges as a rising star
by Tim Warsinskey
Monday November 17, 2008, 9:37 PM
Adam Bellamy heard the stories about Ohio long before he moved here.
"They told me as soon as I got here, they'd throw a football helmet on me," Bellamy said.
Let them try, he thought. He was a hockey player. Better yet, he was a Massachusetts hockey player from Worcester, where hockey is a 12-month sport starting at age six. There was no room for football in his life.
Even after his family settled in Aurora and eighth grade was about to start, he resisted. He had his eye on two select hockey travel teams.
But the easy-going, fun-loving Bellamy already had made many neighborhood friends, and they played football. If he had brothers, it might have been different. Hockey brothers stick together and rarely let other sports come between them and the ice. But he has a younger sister, and he wanted to be with his buddies, so he decided to give eighth-grade football a try.
The hook was set. He and Ohio are better for it.
Tim's Take: Geauga foundation makes impression on baseball great Aaron
by Tim Warsinskey
Tuesday November 11, 2008, 6:31 AM
The powerful memory of brothers Josh and Tyler Yoder and the inspiring work of their family continues to leave me breathless.
Aaron will come to town with his wife, Billye, on March 6 to speak at the annual Joshua and Tyler Yoder Scholarship Foundation dinner and auction
Continue reading "Tim's Take: Geauga foundation makes impression on baseball great Aaron" »Glenville's Chinchar quite content as a very able assistant to Tarblooder's Ginn
by Tim Warsinskey
Monday November 03, 2008, 11:33 PM
Glenville assistant football coach Matt Chinchar."People assumed the white guy was the head coach," said Chinchar, who was then and remains the only white coach on Ginn's staff. "Nobody knew who we were back then."
Chinchar has been Ginn's right-hand man since their meager beginning in a mediocre program in 1997. Chinchar is Ginn's assistant head coach and offensive coordinator, yet he has received little of the credit or accolades that have followed Ginn, who is a revered community leader and a nationally respected high school coach.
"Glenville football was created by me and Matt," Ginn said. "He has been with me since Day One, and I rely on him a lot."
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High School Newsfrom The Plain Dealer's Bob Fortuna, Pat Galbincea, Carl Matzelle, Mike Peticca, Tim Rogers and Tim Warsinskey.
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AP HS Sports Headlines
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