There are 22 schools in the Akron Beacon Journal five-county coverage area that have qualified for the 2011 OHSAA state football playoffs.

OHSAA released the final computer rankings Sunday after the 10-week regular season concluded this weekend. There are 192 teams in the playoffs broken into four regions of eight teams in six divisions.

Beacon Journal sports writer George Thomas, Michael Beaven and Jim Isabella break down this week’s top high school football games.

The High School Football State Playoff Picture

Here is a brief look at area high school football teams that are in the playoff hunt after Week Nine according to information provided by the Ohio High School Athletic Association and www.joeeitel.com.

Firestone football coach Tim Flossie said Wednesday that senior Stefan Willis and juniors Kevin Gladney and Joshua Brebant are receiving interest from Division I colleges.

Gladney, a receiver, recently was invited and visited Ohio State and Toledo.

The Walsh Jesuit football team could be looking at a No. 1 seed in Division II Region 5 when the Ohio High School Athletic Association announces the postseason pairings Sunday.

Projections analyst Joe Eitel says Walsh controls its own destiny with the top seed.

Massillon junior quarterback Kyle Kempt reportedly took an unofficial visit to Notre Dame this past weekend for the Notre Dame vs. University of Southern California football game, according to ESPN.com.

“It was a crazy, great weekend that’s for sure, just being able to be a part of something like that,” Kempt was quoted as saying by ESPN.com. “... It was nuts. Guys from the West Coast, East Coast, South and North, even being mentioned in the same name as all those people is really a testament to all the hard work every single person in that room has done.”

By Michael Beaven

COLUMBUS: Stow sophomore Ian Holt earned a share of the Division I state boys golf individual title Saturday on the Scarlet Course at The Ohio State University Golf Club.

By Michael Beaven

COLUMBUS: Sophomores Ian Holt and Cassie Pantelas shot the best rounds of the 29 area golfers that participated Friday during the first day of the Division I boys and girls state golf tournament at The Ohio State University Golf Club.

Pigskin prognosticators Michael Beaven, Jim Isabella and George Thomas present their picks.

Oak Hill (Ohio) senior guard Chris Fairchild has reportedly given an oral commitment to play football at Kent State, according to ESPN.com.

Fairfield is 6 feet 1 and 273 pounds and is the 12th player to orally commit to the Golden Flashes in the 2012 class, according to ESPN.com.

Walnut Hills senior defensive end Jason Stargel Jr. is expected to visit the University of Akron at some point soon, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Stargel, who is listed at 6 feet 5 and 215 pounds, has 8 ½ sacks, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery for the Eagles (6-2) this season.

The Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy girls’ tennis finished fourth in the Division II state coaches’ poll this week – the highest area finish this season.

In Division I, Walsh Jesuit was No. 8 and North Canton Hoover was No. 11. Hudson finished tied for 13th.

Green senior running back/linebacker Kyle Finch has reportedly been offered by Tiffin, according to ScoutingOhio.com.

It is the first offer fro Finch, who is 5 feet 11 and 202 pounds.

The Copley Indians will be without starting running back and University of Tennessee recruit Aregeros Turner for the rest of the season, his mother told the Beacon Journal.
Turner broke his tibia during last Friday’s game against the Green Bulldogs, a game the Indians eventually lost 42-21 despite his best efforts.
Prior to the injury, Turner, a junior, rushed the ball 16 times for 112 yards including an 80-yard TD run and caught three passes for 43 yards.
Cassandra Turner said that her son’s surgery went well.
“The surgeon was able to realign his tibia almost perfectly,” she said.
Turner is facing a 3-6 month recovery time, she said.  That definitely puts him out for the rest of the football season and could delay or prohibit him from running track in the spring.
The Indians (5-3, 3-2) will face the Tallmadge (6-2, 5-0) this weekend.

Memphis (Tenn.) East High School senior small forward Earvin Morris has reportedly given an oral commitment this afternoon to play basketball at Kent State, according to Scout.com.

The website said Morris will attend a post graduate year at South Kent School (Conn.) before committing to Kent State’s 2013 class.

St. Vincent-St. Mary senior forward Lorenzo Cugini has verbally committed to play at High Point University, according to St. Vincent-St. Mary athletic director Andy Jalwan.
High Point recruited Cugini over a three-week period, said Irish coach Dru Joyce.
“They went all out recruiting him,” he said, “beginning with an assistant coach, the head coach then the entire staff.”
He took notice, even after attracting interest from Western Carolina, Central Michigan and Colgate University.
“It was important to him because Lorenzo is a relationship kind of guy,” Joyce said.
Cugini, who is 6 feet 7, averaged 14 points, 6.9 rebounds and shot 52 percent from the field last season. He was also 29 percent for 3-pointers and 80.5 percent from the free-throw line.
A four-year varsity letter winner, he was a member of the school’s 2011 and ’09 Division II state championship teams.
The Big South Conference program is in High Point, N.C.
National signing day for basketball is Nov. 9.

Beacon Journal sports writer George Thomas, Michael Beaven, Jonas Fortune and Jim Isabella break down this week’s top high school football games.

Walsh Jesuit football coach Gerry Rardin was very pleased with the way the Warriors played in Buffalo last weekend.

Walsh defeated Canisius (New York) 45-27 on Oct. 1.

A familiar figure donned pads and worked out with the St. Vincent-St. Mary Irish football team Tuesday afternoon.

LeBron James, who at one time played basketball and football for his alma mater, showed to catch a few passes with quarterback Kevin Besser.