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SPORTS
Saturday, November 2, 2019
C1
Inside this section High school football is always on at FridayNightOhio.com
■ NBA: Cavaliers fall on road to Pacers, Page C2 ■ NASCAR: Taking next step toward Cup, Page C7
QUESTIONS? Contact Sports Editor Chris Beaven at 330-580-8345 or email chris.beaven@cantonrep.com
HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL: MASSILLON AT McKINLEY
Getting stops Rivals’ defenses demonstrate abilities By Chris Easterling GateHouse Media Ohio
GATEHOUSE MEDIA OHIO KEVIN WHITLOCK
MASSILLON The offenses are going to be front-and-center as Massillon and McKinley prepare for the 130th meeting today in Canton. That’s not specific to this game, though, as much as it is to virtually every football game. The outcome between the Tigers and Bulldogs, however, might come down to the other side of the football. That, too, is a hallmark of most football games.
■ Massillon linebacker Ben Krichbaum makes a tackle
during the Tigers’ Week 8 win at Barberton.
Massillon at McKinley Today, 2 p.m. Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, Canton TV WIVM RADIO WHBC-AM 1480, WDJQ-FM 92.5, WHOF-HD2 99.7 FM, ESPN-AM 990
SEE DEFENSES, C5
REPOSITORY RAY STEWART
■ McKinley Chamber Stokes-Williams (right) grabs Perry’s Joshua
Lemon as safety Harold Fanin comes in to help up during the Bulldogs’ Week 9 win over the Panthers.
H.S. GIRLS BASKETBALL
HIGH SCHOOL BOYS SOCCER: DIVISION I REGIONAL FINAL
Transfer violation
OHSAA rules three Aquinas players must sit out second half of season By Joe Scalzo Repository sports writer
REPOSITORY JULIE VENNITTI
■ The Hoover High School boys soccer team gathers around head coach Neil Baasten (at right, in white hat) during the team’s 2-1 shootout win
over Jackson in the Division I district championship game at Perry High School. The Vikings will face Medina in a regional title game today in Green.
RIDE EXTENSION
Retiring Baasten has Hoover one step from state
Baasten said of the Vikings reaching the Division I regional finals Not too long ago, reach- following a 3-2 win ing a regional tournament over Shaker Heights on was one goal that had Wednesday. eluded Neil Baasten Hoover takes a 14-4-2 during his memorable record into the game soccer coaching career. against No. 1-ranked The last two seasons Medina at 3:30 p.m. at have changed that. And Green High School. the retiring Hoover High The 71-year-old BaasSchool boys head coach ten is retiring at the end of will be going out on top the season after a sucregardless of the result cessful career. He has won today when the Vikings more than 300 games at play in a regional champi- St. Thomas Aquinas and onship game for the first Hoover, with his Vikings time. SEE HOOVER, C5 “It’s a nice feeling,”
■ Hoover’s
By Cliff Hickman
Pedro Tula advances the ball upfield as Shaker Heights’ David Vahey (left) and Davis Belk (right) move in on the play during the Vikings’ 3-2 win at Solon High School on Wednesday.
Repository sports writer
REPOSITORY SCOTT HECKEL
The St. Thomas Aquinas basketball team suffered its first loss before the season even began. The Ohio High School Athletic Association ruled three Aquinas transfer students do not meet the requirements of any of the exceptions to the state’s transfer bylaw, which means they will only be eligible for the first half (11 games) of the regular season. They then must sit out the remainder of the season and the postseason. The three players — Addison Mucci, Erica Warren and Hayley Smith — were starters on the Golden Eagles’ 2018-19 team that advanced to the Division I state tournament, falling to eventual champion Cincinnati Mt. Notre Dame in the semifinals. All three are seniors. “Doug Bond has been retained to provide legal representation in this matter,” said Marc Mucci, the father of Addision Mucci. “We will appeal this decision at the Nov. 14 (OHSAA board meeting). We hope the OHSAA does the right thing and permits the girls to play the full season during their final year in high school.” The 6-foot-1 Smith was a first team all-district and third team all-Ohio selection last season after averaging 12.0 points per game. Mucci earned honorable mention all-district. The transfers stem from allegations Golden Eagles coach Paul Wackerly engaged in verbal, emotional and psychological abuse of GlenOak girls basketball SEE AQUINAS, C7
COLLEGE FOOTBALL: MOUNT UNION
McComb’s return strengthens Raiders’ ‘D’ By Tim Rogers Special to The Canton Repository
ALLIANCE Ethan McComb has returned, and that makes the Mount Union football team healthy, wealthy and if not wise, extremely happy. It had been a torturREPOSITORY RAY STEWART ■ Mount Union’s Ethan McComb (middle) teams up ous eight or nine weeks for McComb, his teammates on a tackle during a game against Heidelberg.
and the coaching staff after a mysterious intestinal illness knocked the 6-2, 255-pound defensive tackle to the sideline. McComb had been a solid contributor along the front line over the last two years, playing in 26 of a possible 30 games and producing impressive statistics. During
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the off-season it only stood to reason that he would return to his normal position after making 86 tackles that included 20 for lost yardage and 10 sacks. However, about one week before the team’s only preseason scrimmage against Washington & Jefferson in August, McComb began
feeling sick. He had a hard time keeping food down, lost weight and had little or no energy. He underwent a series of tests but said no one could come up with a pinpoint diagnosis or cause. “They said I had some gastro-intestinal inflammation SEE RETURN, C4
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