Breaking News

Sports Columns

Now is the time to practice your knots

Do you tie perfect fishing knots every time? If this sounds like a silly question, then you probably can count yourself among the relatively small number of anglers who truly understands the attention to detail required to consistently execute the perfect connection between your fishing line and the hook that holds your prized catch. Whether you fish for food or for sport, you will have a considerably more satisfying experience out on the water when your lure and its hook stay secured at the end of your line. Nothing in fishing stings quite as hard as a broken knot. Now is ...

Past champs reflect on title experience

Given Aaron Brown’s resume, it would be easy to assume that a high school state title would be something of an afterthought. After all, Brown was a three-year starter and a first-team All-American at Ohio State. He’s a member of the OSU Athletic Hall of Fame. He also went on to a six-year career in the NFL. Still, when Brown discusses his career milestones, he speaks glowingly and with excitement about the time he and his Warren Western Reserve teammates won a state championship. Brown was a junior on the 1972 WWR team which defeated Cincinnati Princeton to capture the ...

A groundhog day scenario

Attention Ohio State fans looking for revenge and wanting it in the upcoming college football playoff, here is a scenario you should be rooting for when watching this week’s conference championship games. Since the beloved Buckeyes have been ranked fifth in the latest College Football Playoff rankings and the top four ranked teams are playing, the only other Top 10 teams also on the field this weekend will be a decimated No. 9 Clemson team lining up against a 23rd ranked North Carolina squad for the ACC championship and three-loss and 10th-ranked Kansas State who is playing TCU in ...

Good anglers make their own ‘luck’

The fishing community is comprised of a diversity of tactical approaches, species preferences, and beliefs and superstitions that run the gamut from plausible to unbelievable. Rooted deeply in the fiber of many who fish is a belief in luck as a factor in the outcome of their success on the water. “Lucky catch!” is not an uncommon expression. Truth is, luck does play into the equation out on the water, but one thing I have observed is the best anglers leave little to luck when they launch their boats and rig their rods. The best anglers I know are the ones who work the ...

End of year thoughts on YSU football

YOUNGSTOWN — There’s no doubt Youngstown State’s season reached a disappointing conclusion when the Penguins were left out of the FCS postseason. But make no mistake — the 2022 campaign was a much, much needed step forward for the program under Doug Phillips. After winning a ...

Will YSU make the playoffs?: An assesment of the Penguins’ resume

YOUNGSTOWN — Count Doug Phillips among those who believes Youngstown State has done enough to earn a playoff bid. “We’re playing in the toughest FCS in the country, and we won our last five out of six games,” YSU’s head coach said. “It doesn’t matter how you win — we found a way to win the last five out of six games. We have the best running back in the country and in FCS history.” But, he lamented, there were a couple games this season that could’ve given the Penguins much more breathing room going into today’s selection, which will air on ESPNU at 12:30 ...