Greenwood and Bell receive their awards

Courtesy of www.d1football.net
and THE SCOREBOARD

Lake Catholic's Randy Greenwood was presented his Northeast Ohio Player of the Year award as recognized by players and coaches from the area courtesy of D1 Football. An excellent 5 position player and true MVP, Greenwood helped lead his team to a regional championship this year as a junior. A heartbreaking loss to Licking Valley in the state semi-finals sent the Cougars of Lake Catholic home a week earlier than they would have liked, but it's a step further than last season and a learning experience for next year as Lake should be heavily favored for a return trip deep into the playoffs.

Lake Catholic junior Randy Greenwood


Randy's head coach, Mike Bell, was also voted Northeast Ohio Coach of the Year. Coach Bell, along with an excellent group of assistant coaches, orchestrated a hard fought playoff season for Lake Catholic. A season that started out with a victory over Euclid on opening day, the Panthers' only regular season loss. The rest of the schedule had it's share of ups and downs but in the end, the Cougars had a share of the 4-way conference title in the North Coast League and hosted their first round playoff game then proceeded to roll on to a regional championship.

Lake Catholic head coach Mike Bell

We congratulate these two individuals on their accomplishments even though we know they would rather be suiting up this weekend and playing for the Division III state title. However, we look forward to next season when that final step can be taken to complete the journey. The journey to a state high school football championship.

Player of the Year voting:
The voting breakdown:
1. Greenwood (40%)
2. Rossi Santo-Kirtland (30%)
3. Dan Goodrum-VASJ (15%)
4. Vinny Hokavar-Perry (9%)
5T. Bart Tanski-Mentor (3%)
5T. Devon Jennings-Euclid (3%)

Voting was based on averages, not total stats. Contributions to team both offensively and defensively and special teams.

Coach of the Year voting:
Voting breakdown:
1. Bell (44%)
2. Steve Trivisonno - Mentor (39%)
3. Byron Morgan - NDCL (7%)
4T. Matt Melle - VASJ (5%)
4T. Dave Bors - West Geauga (5%)

Mooney rides 28 game winning streak into the finals!

Youngstown Cardinal Mooney enters this weekend's match-up with Coldwater on a 28 game winning streak. The longest in the state. The Cardinals have been unstoppable the past two seasons. Their toughest game was this season against Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary when they trailed 17-0 at the half then rallied to win the game 20-17 doing most of their scoring in the 4th quarter. The Cardinals offense will be led by senior running back/line backer Brandon Beachum who has carried the offense since the loss of quarterback Dan McCarthy.

Will the Cardinals up their winning streak to 29 with a second straight Division IV title? We'll find out Saturday at 3pm from Massillon. Good luck Cardinals.

North vs. South! "The Dream" vs. "The Hype"

The Division I state finals should be a familiar site to Mentor head coach Steve Trivisonno, whose team lost a heart breaker to Hilliard Davidson last season losing to the 2-point conversion. During the regular season Mentor's second loss of the season came via the 2-point conversion at the hands of playoff qualifier Euclid. That had to have seemed like deja vu to Triv, but nonetheless he kept his team focused and they have fought their way to the state finals for the second straight year.

Mentor will take on nationally ranked Cincinnati St. Xavier. They return to the finals after winning the title back in 2005 over Massillon and 4 straight playoff appearances. The Bombers come into this game with a 14-0 record, but narrowly grinding out a win over Dublin Coffman last week 10-7. It's obvious, no matter how well you play during the regular season, the playoff grind can start to wear on a team. That may have been the case with St. Xavier.

The Cardinals will look to Fisher award winner Bart Tanski to lead their talented offensive attack against the Bombers defense Saturday night. He'll have the weapons around him to be effective too. St. Xavier is battling a few key injuries that may hamper their offense, but have yet to be a factor in any games they play. The Bombers will have to live up to their hype against a very strong Mentor squad if they want to emerge victorious. It will definitely not be a cake walk for St.X.

In the end, this game may simply come down to good coaching. Both are capable. Both have had great success. Which one will come away with a ring this weekend? The hypsters will say St.X by virtue of being nationally ranked, but that means absolutely nothing to do with who wins anything in the playoffs. This year may be different. The North may have regained the edge in this one. We'll see. Good luck to both teams.

Kickoff is scheduled for 7pm from Canton's Fawcett Stadium this Saturday, December 1st. Yes it's December already! The season has flown by, but not before giving us some great highlights and great memories for area teams.

I've known Sam Fikaris since he was born and D1 believed in him now see what he's doing...

Fikaris makes immediate impact

By Joe Tuscano, Staff writer

jtuscano@observer-reporter.com

Sam Fikaris might not realize it, but he could be the most amazing story on California University's football team this season.

If the name seems unfamiliar, you are not alone.

Fikaris entered fall camp third on the depth chart at nose tackle. But Avery Goode, the projected starter, left to take a job and his backup Andre Williams was forced out of football because of a back injury.

Fikaris beat out three others to gain the starting position and will be there today when the Vulcans battle Southern Connecticut State in the first round of the NCAA Division II playoffs at Adamson Stadium. Kickoff is noon.

Fikaris has 24 tackles, including seven for losses, and two quarterback sacks for the 11-0 Vulcans. Not bad for someone lining up for Mayfield Heights (Ohio) football team last season.

"I knew I might have a chance to rotate in," said Fikaris, a 6-2, 270-pound freshman. "I didn't expect to start. I had no idea there would be an opening."

There is a good reason for that. Head coach John Luckhardt rarely allows freshmen to start.

"He's had a tremendous year for us," Luckhardt said. "Sam came ready to play."

Fikaris is part of the best defense in Division II but still had to convince his teammates that he could play his position.

"In my first scrimmage, the first time we went full go, I got by Tim McCutcheon and batted a ball down," Fikaris said of Cal's three-time All-America lineman. "I felt that if I could go against the best lineman in the nation, I can go against anyone."

Like the rest of the Vulcans, Fikaris is eager to play in the school's first playoff game. Last season, Mayfield made the playoffs for the first time since Fikaris arrived and won its first-round game.

"I felt we were in after the ninth game," said Fikaris of the 22-13 victory over Slippery Rock. "(Southern Connecticut) is a sold offensive team. They had 550 yards last week. They have big guys on their offensive line but the coaches tell us they are not the most athletic. If we can stop their running game, I feel we can shut them down."

Now that's power

Power rankings normally capture the interest of bettors and fans. So take the following for what it's worth.

The Born Power Index provides power ratings for New Jersey and Pennsylvania high schools and most college football teams.

The system uses a mathematical equation to figure out spreads. In today's game, California is listed as 20.7 points stronger than Southern Connecticut.

Congratulations to VASJ's All-District players

VASJ senior LB/RB Nick Viola was named Division IV Defensive Player of the Year as well as North Coast League 1st Team All-Conference on defense. Nick's defensive contributions included a team leading 95 tackles (26 solo), 2 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery and a sack. On the offensive side he helped spell Toney Foster and Dan Goodrum by rushing for over 300 yards and scoring 4 touchdowns, not to mention his vicious blocking that helped Foster to a near-1,000 yard season.


VASJ's Nick Viola

Other Vikings to receive Division IV All-District honors included:
1st Team
Running back- sophomore Toney Foster, Jr.; Tight End- senior Jeff Rossman; Lineman- junior Antonio Tate; Defensive- end senior Dan Goodrum Viking kicker Scott Szczepinski received Honorable mention.

Vikings represented the North Coast Conference well too. The following Vikings were also All-Conference in the NCL.
1st Team Offense:
Rashon Caronchi (JR) OT; Rossman (SR) TE; Foster, Jr (SOPH) TB; Tate (JR) OT
1st Team Defense:
Viola (SR) LB; Goodrum (SR) DE
2nd Team Offense:
Andre Wells (JR) QB; Ken Brately (JR) OG; Darius Petraitus (SR) LB; Ra'Mone Billings (SR) SS; Szczepinski (JR) K. Senior LB John Pokorny received Honorable Mention.

We've watched these kids work very hard during the off-season and we were there to see them in action during the season. It is very special seeing them take all they have learned and watching them develop throughout the course of the season. VASJ seems to be headed in the right direction under the guidance of new Athletic Director Duane Carter and new Head Coach Matt Melle, both VASJ graduates.

Duane Carter VASJ Head Coach Matt Melle



Wells Billings Foster
Goodrum Caronchi
Rossman Brately


Szczepinski Tate

These Vikings have got all of the potential to return to the forefront of northeast Ohio high school football prominence. Something it hasn't enjoyed steadily since the 80's. They did get to the championship game in 2003 only to be shutout and since then it's been a struggle, but it appears consistency may be on the rise. A foundation of former Vikings make-up the administration and the athletic department which will hopefully mark a return to tradition and the winning atmosphere that made St. Joes/VASJ a feared opponent throughout the state of Ohio.

D1 Football is very proud of your accomplishments and is very honored to be part or have been part of your football experience. You have all represented your families, schools and your teammates with class and character. We are committed to you and to the advancement of your football experience.

A Night to Remember for Lake Catholic

"The Return of the GameDay MVP!"


Tonight it was host to on of the Division 3 Region 9 semi-final games of the 2007 playoffs between Lake Catholic and Rocky River.Lakewood Stadium, normally home to the Lakewood Rangers and occasionally St. Edward. Talking with head coach Mike Bell, Randy Greenwood and Chad Hounshell before the opening kick-off I could sense the conviction to winning. These men were "confident" tonight, not cocky. You knew you were about to see something special tonight and we truly did.
Essentially a home game for the Pirates the crowd was out in force for Rocky River early, but the east-siders closed the gap and by the end of the first quarter the place was packed nearly to capacity.

Cool and calm to start out, the game got underway and Lake Catholic scored first with a touchdown run by Pat Sweigert, who soon followed up with the second score of the game to push the Cougars out to a 14-0 lead. Rocky River did get on the board to make it 14-7 through the first quarter.
In the second quarter the Pirates scored again, but Lake blocked the ensuing point after try and the score at halftime was 14-13 in favor of Lake Catholic. As the second half got under way, you could see Cougar head coach Mike Bell's game plan go to work.Junior running back Randy Greenwood would be the major weapon from here on out. Running with fluid movement and power like a young Marcus Allen, playing defensive back and punting, the kid was nails! A drive down deep into Pirate territory saw Greenwood explode on defenders breaking 3 tackles to score from 6 yards out. Being right on the sidelines and "hearing" the collision made me long to return to the gridiron. The sound only a player could appreciate fully! These Cougars found themselves leading the game 21-13 in the third quarter when the Pirates of Rocky River put together a couple good drives and forged ahead to lead 25-21. The latter drive was made possible by a fumbled punt return by Lake Catholic, however two failed two-point conversions left Rocky River only ahead by 4 points.
Late fourth quarter, here comes the wind and a chilling rain. That didn't put a chill on Lake's attack who put the ball in the hands of the kid with "No Quit", Randy Greenwood and with just over 3 minutes to go, Greenwood scored from 14 yards out after it seemed he'd be tackled for a loss of a yard. Now the Cougars were back on top 28-25 as the rain picked up as did the wind. The Pirates drove deep into Lake territory, but an attempted pass into the endzone was picked off by Lake Catholic's Matt Lender with just over a minute to go securing the win and sending the Cougars into next weeks regional final against Cortland Lakeview who upset top seed Walsh Jesuit earlier in the evening.

Enjoy this night because next week it doesn't get easier, it never does in the playoffs. Practice hard, listen to your coaches and play your hearts out next week once again. We'll be there watching you. Good luck.

PLAYOFFS 2007 - ROUND 2

Week one offered us some thrilling games, some blowouts and some unforeseen upsets.

In D-I, Mentor made it look easy ousting Painesville Riverside 38-14. The Cardinals look like they are determined to return to the state title game where they came oh so close to winning last year. Solon used balance and solid defense to defeat North Royalton. These two teams will meet in round two. Although Glenville did get by St. Ignatius 23-20, the week's biggest upset was clearly Boardman knocking off the highly touted Euclid Panthers 14-7. The Spartans used really effective ball control to keep Euclid's high powered offense off of the field for most of the game. Boardman and Glenville will clash in round two. Brunswick continued it's dominance with a 48-25 win over Canton Glenoak, but now they face a bigger test in Toledo Whitmer. A team that isn't shy about scoring. We'll have to see how Brunswick's defense can do against this type of power they haven't seen yet this season.

D-II saw Mayfield engage in battle against a gritty Padua team and pull out a hard fought 12-10 win. The Wilcats advance to take on Warren Howland who annihilated Madison 49-7. Bedford Stadium will play host for the other round two match-up between Tallmadge and Normandy.

D-III action will see Lake Catholic taking on Rocky River. Lake cam from behind to defeat Ravenna 21-20 in round one despite not having all-purpose runner Randy Greenwood in uniform. He's back this week but Coach Mike Bell will need everything to work to bring home a win. Region 9's other game features powerful Walsh Jesuit and Cortland Lakeview who beat 9-1 Aurora to advance.

D-IV has a marquee game that all eyes will be on when defending D-IV state champion Youngstown Mooney collides with Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary for the second time this season. The first meeting saw Mooney play badly in the first half and fall behind 17-0 to the Irish. They got it together in the second half and rallied for a 20-17 win with high powered offense and shut down defense after the half. Nobody has been able to stop the Cardinals this year. Can you say repeat. The other big Region 13 match-up is Steubenville's Big Red taking on Canton Central Catholic. Should the Big Red win it could set the stage for a game that could be more anticipated than even the D-I title game. Steubenville vs. Mooney???

D-V features Gilmour Academy taking on South Range and Youngstown Ursuline takes it's monster-sized team up against Apple Creek.

Playoff Time - Our thoughts, NOT picks.

It is arguably the best time of the year. Fall is here, Halloween, a change of seasons and high school football playoffs are upon us. There may be some buzz in greater Cleveland about a couple Division I teams and their chances, but for east-siders, the representation runs wide and deep. We start with Mentor, last year's runner-up to the Division I title. The Cardinals are poised and appear to be peaking at the right time to settle in for a long playoff run, perhaps back to the title game. They face some immediate competition right in their own back yard. Painesville Riverside took it right down to the wire and a win over Madison in week 10 put them into the fray and they'll tangle with Mentor in round one.

The Euclid Panthers have reasserted themselves into the post season in a big way finishing the regular season 9-1 which included a thrilling 35-34 win over Mentor. Coach Mike Rezzolla has the big cats purring at a pace to go deep into the playoffs as well. D1 prospects Howard Drake and Devon Jennings have been the cornerstones of a talented offense that helped power Euclid back into the post season and a first round game at home against Boardman.

Solon will play host to North Royalton in a battle between east and west in the first round and Nordonia will be at home for game one taking on Perrysburg.

Division II continues the eastside trend as the Blue Streaks of Madison travel to Warren Howland for their first game. Running back Nick Yeager has been strong and consistent all season behind a great offensive line anchored by big Kevin Hendricks and company. Mayfield finds themselves at home taking on Padua and the Bruins have found some of their early season magic as of late but Wildcats have been very hot toward the end of the season.

Off to Division III where Aurora has been solid all season long finishing 9-1. The Greenmen play host to Cortland in what should be a very good battle. Lake Catholic got off to a great start this year dropping Euclid in their opener, but from then on the road had its ups and downs. The Cougars finished the regular season with a loss to arch rival Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin and lost their only solid offensive weapon in running back Randy Greenwood who is suspended for game 1 of the playoffs due to a game 10 ejection last week. It will take great coaching and an "all hands on deck" approach against Ravenna. One positive is they play at home for round one.

Division IV features one of the best quarterbacks in northeast Ohio. Perry junior Vinny Hokavar, while enduring a painful separated shoulder several weeks ago has led his team to a 9-1 record. "Air" Hokavar has been the key to the Pirates run into the postseason under new head coach Matt Rosati and they must hope he's healthy and keep him that way if they stand a chance against a bigger Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary team. The Irish did have a 17-0 lead over D-IV titan and reigning D-IV state champ Youngstown Mooney and got run late in the second half and lost that game 21-17.

The Kirtland Fighting Hornets have been a bright spot in D-V all season. They got off to a 4-0 start, stumbled losing the next two then rebounded to finish the season strong. Hard to stop Rossi Santo has been their best weapon on offense scoring 26 regular touchdowns out of the backfield. They face a tough task however in round one as they travel to take on South Range who finished 10-0.

Good luck to all of these teams, players and coaches alike. Play strong and hard. Listen to your coaches, play fair and play to win. Remember, D1 Football is watching you.

Player of the Year

In accordance to the same criteria used during the regular season for the "Shut Up and Play the Game" GameDay MVPs, D1 Football will present a Player of the Year award during the post-season. This award exemplifies HEART and HUSTLE.

There are great players that ride the coattails of a successful team. Then there are those guys that go and lay it all out there each week to help their team be successful. Those are true MVPs.

Each of the 10 regular season MVPs are eligible and we're adding a couple more as the season winds down. In addition to the regular season winners we've added several other names worthy of consideration. This list will be narrowed to 10 semi-finalists then down to 5 finalists then voted on by D1 Football's celebrity panel.

Not only will stats be compiled, but we also take into account the intangibles such as HEART and HUSTLE along with coaches and classmates and teammates.

Good luck to you all and we'll keep you all informed on the announcements forthcoming.

Current list:
GameDay MVPs-
1. Vinny Hokavar - Perry
2. Michael Hounshell - NDCL
3. Dan Goodrum - VASJ
4. Nick Proudfoot - Ledgemont
5. Toney Foster - VASJ
6. Travis Smith - Euclid
7. Kevin Hendricks - Madison
8. Randy Greenwood - Lake Catholic
9. Bobby Scott - West Geauga
10. Rossi Santo - Kirtland

Others for consideration:
Bart Tanski - Mentor
Nick Yeager - Madison
Howard Drake - Euclid
Devon Jennings - Euclid
Ashante Williams - Mayfield
Isaiah Charlton - Chardon
Josh Lewis - Benedictine
McConnell Smith - University

SPECIAL INCLUSION TO THIS ANNOUNCEMENT WILL BE COACH OF THE YEAR. This will be the kickoff to next year's Coach of the Week award we'll present during the regular season.

CONTEST - GUESS THE STADIUM AND WIN!

"Do you think you know northeast Ohio high school football?"

The following pictures are aerial shots of area high school football stadiums/fields. Guess them ALL and win a FREE large Pizza from Zeppe's compliments of D1 Football. Guess them ALL, PLUS the bonus "mystery" stadium and we'll throw in a little something extra!! The pictures are numbered, so answer accordingly. Email your answer to ufc@d1football.net. We will award 3 winners!! Good luck!


Stadium #1 ???



Stadium #2 ???



Stadium #3 ???



Stadium #4 ???



Stadium #5 ???



Stadium #6 ???



"MYSTERY" STADIUM ???




Remember to e-mail your answers to ufc@d1football.net. If you have them all right, we'll email you back and get your information and send you your winnings! Remember be one of the first 3 to win!

Diehard Support -Perry vs West Geauga

Last night D1 had the honor of being on the sidelines for the West Geauga - Perry game in support of our players and coaches on both sidelines. This was supposed to be a game that sealed a home game in the first round of the playoffs for the Pirates from Perry. This was supposed to be Perry head coach Matt Rosati battling his former team, the West Geauga Wolverines. This was supposed to be the return to the playing field for Vinny "Air" Hokavar, probably the most talented quarterback in high school football in northeast Ohio. It was supposed to be a great game. What happened stunned the big crowd as West Geauga rolled up 41 points against a team rought with injury and players deactivated for the game. Vinny Hokavar started the game for the Pirates and threw the ball sparingly, limited by the extent of pain in his throwing shoulder. Halftime saw Hokavar return from the locker room without his pads. Good move as the Wolverines had done a lot of damage in the first half already leading 20-0.

Perry did manage to move the ball in the third quarter and garner a score, but that was about all they could do without their start quarterback and leader in the huddle. Big credit to Vinny who stayed right with his teammates on the sidelines throughout this agonizing loss, their first of the season. Though they may have slipped from a home game in round one of the playoffs, they can still pull out a win next week to close the regular season and possibly reclaim that first round homer. Congratulations to Dave Bors and a nice win over the best opponent they've faced all season long. Attacking on offense and an absolute "shut down" defense.

Seeing how lethargic and hampered on offense leads me to think, for this team, can one player truly make the difference? In game play, NO, but emotionally and mentally the team may have taken a hit that they couldn't overcome. This isn't too uncommon. Hats off to Perry head coach Matt Rosati who kept his guys fired up, although you had to figure he knew he was limited to what he could do and he had already veered from his normal gameplan. He very much deserves a nod as coach of the year.

As for our official visit, we had a great time making the rounds, meeting with moms and dads, players, the youth football and various school representatives. The fans were incredible. Now here is a place that has a terrific fan base. Beautiful facility too and a great atmosphere. Below are some pictures from the night. Stay together Pirates. You're still in the thick of the playoff hunt. Believe in your coach, he knows how to get you where you want to go. Believe in yourselves. You can jump right back on the track to winning. Vinny, keep you chin up and rest that arm for the playoffs. You are your team's leader. Good luck.



Fans out in force.


Do they love their coach or what?


Air Hokavar checks the plays.



Pirate huddle.



Air DiLillo joins the band!

Greenwood earns GameDay MVP honors.

Lake Catholic junior running back Randy Greenwood has been named D1 Football's "Shut Up and Play the Game" GameDay MVP for week 8 of the 2007 season. He'll be receiving his award and gear this week. Randy joins a healthy list of student athletes that showed "HEART" and "HUSTLE" helping their teams succeed on the field. The current list of this years winners so far include:

Week 1 - Vinny Hokavar, QB/FS, Perry High School
Week 2 - Michael Hounshell, OL/DL, Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin High School

Week 3 - Dan Goodrum, RB/DE, Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School
Week 4 - Nick Proudfoot, RB, LB, Ledgemont High School


Week 5 - Toney Foster, RB/DB, Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School

Week 6 - Travis Smith, WR/LB, Euclid High School

Week 7 - Kevin Hendricks, OL, Madison High School
Week 8 - Randy Greenwood, RB, Lake Catholic High School

The winners of this award receive their plaque and a spirit package from our sponsors. A nice touch and a small way to show our support for the efforts they make at home, in school and on the field. Keep up the great effort guys. HEART makes a champion.

Only two weeks left...who will be the next two GameDay MVPs?

D1 Football Success Stories

D1 Football would like to help you advance. Not only do we have a strong faith our program, but we also believe many other things that directly affect our passion to see you reach your goals…

D1 Football believes that every young man, that is seven or in eleventh grade, deserves our full attention and passion.

We believe that in 90 SECONDS, We can change the way a young man thinks about the way he wants to play out his football career.

We believe that in the soul and heart of every young man in this country, athlete or not,…… is the someone just looking for a chance. They want no guarantees. They just want someone to tell them what opportunities lie ahead, show them how to achieve it, and then believe in them enough to let them try.

What do you believe?

Here are some guys playing at the next level that believed in D1 and our philosophy, we believed in them, but more importantly they believed in themselves:


Brigham VanEtten (West Geauga '07), WR - University of Akron

Jerome Royal (Cleve Hts '07), WR - University of Akron

Nate Schkurko (Twinsburg '07), Long/Short Snapper - Youngstown State University

Jim McDonald (Riverside '07), LB - Ashland University

Justin Jones (NDCL '07), LB - Ashland University

Sam Fikaris (Mayfield '07), DL - California University of Pennsylvania

We've been where you guys want to go and we truly believe that we can help you get there. It's not easy and it's not all on us either. We make no guarantees, but if YOU want it bad enough and YOU put in your effort to strive toward your dream then there's no telling where you can go. Maybe a scholarship, maybe an invited walk-on or maybe advice if you want to walk-on yourself. We've done those things and our experience will take you farther than any recruiter in a suit that never played the game or took the journey. We have associates with our team that have played and coached high school, college and professional football. Together we have well over 30 years of experience with this great sport.

You have to commit. You have to be willing to do your best, first at home, then in school and then on the football field. Do not slack off in your studies. Pay attention at practice and then play your hearts out on the weekends. Be sure to take part in all that D1 has to offer. The Ultimate Football Combine held each June (plus the FREE baseline event in February), get signed up on the website and get your profile (your football resume) started NOW. Talk to your counselors at school and get the ball rolling on your NCAA Clearinghouse information. GET WITH US AND TALK FOOTBALL AND TAKING YOUR GAME TO THE NEXT LEVEL!

D1 FOOTBALL WILL BE WATCHING YOU.

D1 "Ballers" getting it done!

You can look at stats and think WOW that kid is great depending on his TOTAL stats. This is high school football NOT the NFL. Look at the AVERAGES and what the kids do WHEN THEY GET A CHANCE TO PASS, CARRY OR CATCH THE BALL.

First let's look at quarterback ratings. These are the top QBs in the area based on the NFL, NCAA and AFL (arena) QB rating systems. Remember a RATING is factual, a RANKING is subject to human error.

1. Howard Drake (Euclid), NFL - 120.3, NCAA - 174.9, AFL - 114.7
2. Vinny Hokavar (Perry), NFL - 119.7, NCAA - 183.6, AFL - 116.16
3. McConnell Smith (University), NFL - 117.1, NCAA - 172.1, AFL - 109.1

For those thinking what I think you're thinking...
Bart Tanski (Mentor), NFL - 106.1, NCAA - 154.2, AFL - 99.8

Now check these D1 kids out. Just some random stats and averages that are impressive.

Vinny Hokavar (Perry) 63/111 1119 yds passing 16 TD / 3 INT
Howard Drake (Euclid) 62/103 905 yds passing 14 TDS . 2 INT
Andre Wells (VASJ) 23/45 310 YDS passing 5 TDS / 1 INT

Kyle Petersen (Chardon) 83 rushes 740 YDS ( 8.9avg) 9TDS (11 total)
Toney Foster, Jr (VASJ) 96 rushes 554 YDS (5.8 avg) 6 TDS
Dan Goodrum (VASJ) 34 rushes 303 YDS (8.9 avg) 4 TDS (5 total)

These are just a sample of what kids are doing to help their teams. Remember look at the AVERAGES. That is a true measure as to what the kids are doing when they get the ball.

Congratulations guys. Keep playing your hearts out. Drive your teams into the post season. Inspire your teammates.

D1 Football will be watching you!

"Shut Up and Play the Game" GameDay MVP awards

Dan Goodrum week 3 MVP

Toney Foster, Jr. week 5 MVP

Travis Smith week 6 MVP

This season D1 Football began the "Shut Up and Play the Game" GameDay MVP awards given out each week to the player who best fits this description. His team may not win the game, he may not have the biggest stat total, may not even be a skill position player. This award exemplifies HEART and HUSTLE. A true difference maker. Not a media darling. A player who wins this award receives a plaque and a spirit package compliments of some of our sponsors. T-shirts will soon be added to the package.

Week 1 started out with a bang and Perry High School's Vinny Hokavar took the inaugural honors. This junior quarterback has set the standard this season, not only on the field, but at home and in the classroom.

Week 2 the award was given to Michael Hounshell of NDCL for taking his offensive line play to a new level and helping get the offense and the team on track for their first win of the season and head coach Byron Morgan's 200th victory of his career.

Week 3 was a difficult one to hand out as VASJ's Dan Goodrum put together an ourstanding display encompassing more than 250 all-purpose yards and 3 sacks in three quarters of play until the game was suspended due to lightning with the Vikings leading Maple heights 29-12. The next day the game was completed and for some reason Dan saw "zero" touches
and the game plan went too conservative allowing the Mustangs back in the game and on to victory 33-29. Nonetheless Dan deserved the award for what he did on the original night of the game.

Week 4 we had a dilemma. Too many good performances and players that made a difference, so we put the award up for a vote on the website, www.d1football.net. Ledgemont's Nick Proudfoot won the voting narrowly beating out VASJ's Toney Foster, Jr. The other nominees included Chardon's Kyle Petersen, Benedictine's Josh Lewis and Padua's Andy Dziak.


Week 5 was an easy choice....Toney Foster, Jr. from VASJ locked up the award with a follow-up against Holy Name to his breakaway game the week before against Shaw.


Week 6 the GameDay MVP was clearly Euclid's Travis Smith who exploded to help his Panthers knock off top rated Mentor 35-34.

Now week 7 is upon us and things still aren't "locked" for teams vying for playoff spots. This week is THE week in high school football here. This is the make or break week for a lot of teams. Some teams on the bubble could see their's "pop" if they don't play their hearts out. Villa Angela-St. Joseph and Lake Catholic come to mind as well as Lake's opponent Padua. NDCL also faces a critical game in order to stay in the points chase against Akron Hoban, who has no shot at all of the post season. Chardon, who's been strong all season, could be on the outside looking in if they drop this week's game to Madison. Both teams are 4-2, but Madison has only recently picked up the tempo of their play.

Who will be the GameDay MVP for week 7?

Will any of these make or break games come down to the GameDay MVP being the deciding factor?

We can only watch and see. We can only watch and enjoy northeast Ohio high school football 2007.

Underclassmen, get on our site and start building your football resume.

Seniors, this applies to you too if you haven't already started working on your college plans. It still isn't too late. Now is the time of the year when we're putting together highlights films and prepping letters to send out to college coaches. Go to our site www.d1football.net and start your online profile and then get ready for the baseline combine event in February.

The February event is the forerunner to the Ultimate Football Combine in June. If you have never participated in a combine before, the baseline is a good way to see what it's like and see what to expect, plus the baseline event is FREE.

Any questions, e-mail Director of Football Operations, Rusty Bliss at rbliss@d1football.net or D1 President Nick DiLillo at ndilillo@d1football.net.

"YOU KNOW YOU'RE THE BEST...PROVE IT!"

We start the blogging with the playoff hunt!

WELCOME TO THE D1 BLOGSITE ADDED COMPLIMENTS OF BLOGSPOT.COM!!

High school football has just gone beyond the halfway point and as I write this, my alma mater, Sy. Joes, now Villa Angela-St. Joseph is leading Chanel 21-3 at halftime in a crucial match-up for the Vikings. A win could surely catapult them into the playoff fray of Division 4 Region 13.

D1 was on hand last night at Euclid as the Panthers ripped Mentor's heart out with a gutsy call by head coach Mike Rezzolla to go for two points and the win rather than tie and head to overtime.

The shuttle pass from Howard Drake out of the holder's position to James Thomas worked for 2 points and the Panthers knocked out the reigning heavyweight champ of Division 1 Region 1.

Solon also won big on Friday 55-0 over Lakewood, but will they get enough points to overtake the Panthers, who are sure to get a ton of secondary points from Mentor.

Staying on the east side, Lake Catholic struggled with a faltering Holy Name green Wave team, but won 28-14 clinging to playoffs hopes for the Cougars.

Perry continued to roll, beating a tough Orange team 29-22 behind QB Vinny Hokavar, probably the best quarterback in the area, bar none and that includes Mentor's Bart Tanski.

Chardon returned to the winner column by destroying Eastlake 47-6 behind nearly 200 yards rushing by Kyle Petersen, who also scored a touchdown for the Hilltoppers.

A few surprises included Kirtland dropping it's second straight after starting the season 4-0 and Richmond Heights sailed into Fairport Harbor and beat up on the Skippers 48-20 to up their record to 4-2.

Saturday, today actually, had a nice start to it with the resurgence of the NDCL Lions against Cleveland Central Catholic as the Ironmen were dispatched at the tune of 56-0. Lion QB Brad Stricker threw 3 TDs and ran for 2 as well.


Gotta run, but in closing, the Vikings of VASJ have just gone up 27-3 over Chanel with an interception return for a touchdown. Take care everybody, have a safe weekend, come back next week, lace up the cleats, strap on the pads and go lay the smack down!

D1 FOOTBALL IS WATCHING YOU!