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Consistent play is necessary for YSU

Time is running out for the Youngstown State football team — and maybe for coach Bo Pelini. No, YSU won’t be firing him anytime soon — nor should they — and no, the Penguins won’t be eliminated from playoff contention if they lose Saturday’s showdown with top-ranked North Dakota State (6 p.m., at Stambaugh Stadium), but that’s not the point. Consistency has been the missing ingredient since Pelini took over in 2015, and if that doesn’t change soon, one has to wonder if it’s every going to happen. This season could be a defining one for Pelini and his ...

The lure of the big catch

Big fish capture the imagination and fuel the pursuit of anglers who cannot resist the drive to raise the bar as high as possible. They are the reason states keep records and international associations publish lists of those who are recognized worldwide for their magnificent catches. October is big-fish season here in northeastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania. While we don’t live in world-record territory, our home waters do yield oversized specimens of popular species like walleyes, largemouth and smallmouth bass, muskies and more. The past few weeks and those leading up to ...

The 3 weeks of CC that matter

The warmth from the sun was beating down on the exposed Trumbull County Fairgrounds. For a Saturday in mid October, it’ll be a welcomed change to start the biggest three weeks of the cross country calendar. District cross country. Some dirt and grass paths weaving in and out the vast expanse of the Bazetta-area land. It’s where Howland High School graduate and Arizona State University freshman Vinny Mauri blazed through the course with a state’s best time. This Saturday’s district meet starts with a Mahoning County runner on a mission. Boardman senior Mitchel Dunham has ...

Some good, some bad after Penguins loss at Northern Iowa

AS great as the Youngstown State football team looked through four games, there were reasons to hesitate before lauding them a playoff team. A somewhat soft non-conference schedule allowed for a mostly dominant start — with YSU winning its first four games by 20 points or more. Then came the Missouri Valley Football Conference opener Saturday, and the team that had been pushing teams around finally felt some push back. Now fans will see if they can get back up. No. 13 Northern Iowa continued its home dominance of the Penguins, who have not won in Cedar Falls since 1999. The ...

Area tracks still open late in racing season

While the curtain is closing on the 2019 racing season there is still some great racing to be had. This weekend, October 4-5, Michaels Mercer Raceway will present the 20th Little Guy Nationals. The 3/8-mile dirt oval will host an eight-division program consisting of what would usually be support divisions. The hugely-successful format lets these divisions race for more money than usual. With most racetracks closed now, car counts easily exceed over 200 cars. Many drivers from various tracks that usually don’t get to race each other will challenge each other. Divisions include ...

Game fish hungrier than ever this time of the year

Game fish species here in northeastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania have kicked up their feeding as our days get shorter and water gets cooler. Their appetites are impressive. Imagine if people could eat quantities that are the equivalent of the proportion of body weight that bass, walleye and northern pike are eating this month at Mosquito, Milton, Shenango, Berlin and West Branch. I’ve been bass fishing two times a week since Labor Day and have been amazed at the bulging bellies of the largemouth bass and even a few smallmouths. I have kept a few fish in the livewell to weigh ...