Eastern Girls Dominate Trimble, 89-7

Trimble Falls In State Title Game, 33-0

http://woub.org/2013/12/08/trimble-falls-state-title-game-33-0 

The first Division-VII championship in the history of the OHSAA ended with the Trimble Tomcats falling at the hands of the Marion Local Flyers on Saturday night, 33-0. It is the Flyers’ third consecutive state championship, with the last two having come as a D-VI school.

The championship victory is the seventh in Marion Local’s history. The win increased their historic playoff winning percentage to .855 with a record of 53-9.

The Flyers, led by D-VII coach of the year Tim Goodwin, called all the right plays in cutting right through the Tomcat defense on the first drive of the game.

Senior quarterback and University of Pittsburgh commit Adam Bertke threw precise passes and handed off to his back Jacy Goettemoeller several times, picking up four first downs in five plays.

Bertke rolled right and threw a screen to Goettemoeller in the backfield near the Flyers’ sideline, and he rumbled 19 yards for the touchdown to go up 7-0.

Trimble responded on the kickoff on a reverse with Terry Simmerly handing the ball off to Konner Standley, who took the ball to the 45-yard line. The Tomcat offense moved steadily, all the way down to the Marion Local 5. Standley, in attempting to flip the ball to Austin Downs in the end zone, instead found Peyton Kramer for an interception.

Both defenses found their footing, and dug in as neither team produced much offensively. Marion Local reached the Trimble red zone with just under six minutes left in the half, but Goettemoeller coughed up the football. Justice Jenkins fell on it and the Tomcats regained possession.

Trimble made a grave mistake after a missed field goal. Near the end of the half they attempted to move the ball but maintained possession for only forty seconds before punting it away. On four successive plays, Bertke completed first down passes. Starting on his own 29, Bertke completed two consecutive passes to Hunter Wilker (for 11 and 17 yards respectively), Troy Homan for 16 yards and to Ryan Bruns down the right sideline to the two-yard line. Two plays later, Bertke punched it in for the score to put the Flyers up 13-0.

“Maybe we should have just ran the clock out, but we wanted to try and win,” Trimble coach Phil Faires said. “We didn’t come here to have a close game, we wanted to go for the win and it gave them just enough time to score.”

Trimble received possession to start the second half but gave the Flyers short field when Standley threw another interception. The next play, Goettemoeller found the end zone again and Marion Local went up 19-0.

Marion Local took advantage of short field on their next possession, after another Standley interception, as Bertke capped the short drive with a 3-yard plunge.

The Flyers scored on the next possession on a Goettemoeller 1-yard run to run the score to its final count of 33-0.

Marion Local outgained the Mohawk Mafia 414-104 on the evening.

The Flyers distributed the ball among several players on the ground, with three different players running for at least forty yards, those being Bertke, Goettemoeller and Aaron Nietfeld.

Bertke completed 17 of 28 passes with a touchdown and an interception while also picking up two touchdowns on the ground to go along with 54 yards. Bertke connected with his start receiver Troy Homan 10 times for 119 yards.

His counterpart Standley struggled, going 3-of-16 with three interceptions.  

Ultimately, the folks in Glouster’s support meant a lot to the Tomcats.

“The community support helps a lot. It means a lot to us to know that we’re helping them too as much as they’re helping us, and it’s has been a fun ride. It has been the funnest time of my life,” Standley said.

The air surrounding the Tomcats has been electric all year, and the players have memories that will last a lifetime

Senior and co-defensive player of the year Jacob Koons said, “I know we’ll look back on this and be proud of being state runners up, but we wanted to win and that didn’t happen.”

All in all, it still was a moment to remember for Athens area football, as Trimble is the first Athens County team to make the state championship game in any sport since Nelsonville-York did in football in 1981. There is a great deal of pride. The Mohawks will likely live on a bit longer.

Opinion: GOP should watch what they say

http://thenewpolitical.com/2013/12/02/opinion-gop-should-watch-what-they-say/

“Happy Holidays!” This phrase lights a fire in the bellies in many conservatives.

It’s no secret that the Republican Party is in an ongoing battle to better their image. And now the GOP is in hot water over several attempts at improving the party’s image. Republicans are attempting to reach out to minorities and traditionally liberal groups if they are to gain back ground on a national level. Democrats have done a great job in gaining the votes of marginalized groups, the last two presidential elections have made that much apparent. According to the Pew Research Center among voters aged 18-29, Obama was able to win women, blacks, and hispanics by double digit margins.

So why the annoyance with those who use the phrase “Happy Holidays?”

Now more than ever, they are hurting themselves in terms of what they are saying in an effort to build support.

Just recently, the Republican National Committee showed their ignorance on the subject of racism when they attempted to commemorate the 58th anniversary of Rosa Parks’ arrest.

This echoes a theme that many conservatives like to think is true. Referring to Park’s role in “ending racism” ignores the fact that racism prominently pervades the United States’ societal fabric today.

Now this could have very well been just a slip of the tongue. Most sensible Republicans understand that blatant racism is not a thing of the past.

But the RNC just came out with a shirt proposing that “ ‘Happy Holidays’ is what liberals say” while the back of the shirt reads “MERRY CHRISTMAS.”

What exactly is offensive about recognizing and acknowledging opposing viewpoints? No matter what people say, the United States does not have a national religion, therefore, it is not a “Christian nation” as some might have it.

And what is surprising about these shirts? These shirts actually sold out in a hurry. Maybe it’s not much of a surprise. Alienating a large portion which could make up part of your parties’ base is not an intelligent way of going about things.

Be it over Twitter or through the sale of t-shirts, the GOP continues to do a good job at maintaining a poor relationship with the general public.

Inclination towards acceptance: queer liberation and the Middle East

http://thenewpolitical.com/2013/11/26/inclination-towards-acceptance-queer-liberation-and-the-middle-east/

Captain Avner Even-Zohar spoke to an audience made up of students and faculty on Monday afternoon, with the speech centered around the current state of the Queer Liberation Movement in the Mid East.

In an event sponsored by Hillel, the LGBT Center, and the Jewish National Fund, a great deal of dialogue was introduced. 

Even-Zohar, a professor, author, gay activist, as well as former member of the Israeli Armed Forces spoke to the congregation in the Multicultural Center about numerous ways in which Israel leads the pack in terms of queer acceptance and progressive policy. Specifically Tel Aviv is quite accommodating to the queer community, at least in relation to other major Mid Eastern cities.

In talking about trans activist Nora Grinberg, Even-Kohar said: “In Israel you see amazing community leaders like (Grinberg) that would head queer organizations in Israel. And what they are trying to do, they work very successfully with the ministry of education in Israel to support teens in middle schools and high schools to provide support….”

Even-Zohar dismissed the notion that the United States was the most progressive nation in terms of policy and acceptance for queer individuals early on in his speech.

Take for example: In 1988, Israel struck down laws against sodomy on the books.  This just reinforced Israeli Supreme Court decisions in the 1960s that stated sodomy laws in effect from the British Mandate of Palestine would not be enforced (you can thank Queen Victoria for those laws). Israel began allowed gay soldiers to serve openly in the military starting in 1993.

The United States on the other hand, did not legislate the lifting of the sodomy laws at a federal level. The Supreme Court ruled the law unconstitutional in 2003 as a result of the “Lawrence vs. Texas” case, effectively ending the laws on the books against sodomy that remained in 14 states.

Queer individuals were not allowed to serve openly in the U.S. military until 2011.

In the United States, workplace discrimination exists in the sense that one can be fired in 29 states for being gay.

Israel made it illegal to discriminate against queer individuals in the workplace in 1988.

Even-Kohar said: “There is a lot of work we need to do with Congress to get it approved.” He speaks in this instance of ENDA, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which has passed the Senate but has yet to go to a vote in the House.

Delfin Bautista, Director of the Ohio University LGBT Center placed emphasis on the perception of queer individuals from an inside and outside perspective.

Bautista said: “How we talk about LGBT identities here in the US is not always how our identities are talked about in other parts of the world.  My hope is that folks who attended are able to learn from the movement in Israel. “

The disturbing practice of “Honor Killing” was another topic that was broached during the course of the presentation. This entails mostly Saudi women and gay individuals killed by family members for having sex outside of marriage, for committing “lewd” acts (this pertaining to gays specifically) or for being raped.

Even-Kohar tied in literacy rates with some of the countries in the Mid East in terms of their acceptance of the queer community. Showing Saudi Arabia and Israel as starkly contrasting in terms of educating women, literacy most notably.

His personal mission in speaking on college campuses, is to “empower and inspire” activists for the sake of women, the queer community, and others Even-Kohar believes there is much to learn from Queer Liberation Movement in the Mid East.

Bautista looked positively on the event.

Bautista said: “There is an interest on campus for more conversations on the intersection of faith and sexuality; hopefully today’s lunch will be one of many collaborative events not only between Hillel and the LGBT Center but also find ways to bring other groups into the mix.”

Opinion: Reid goes nuclear

http://thenewpolitical.com/2013/11/26/opinion-reid-goes-nuclear/

Harry Reid led the Senate Democrats to invoke the so-called “nuclear option” last week. The name itself invites an elevated sense of alarm—what has the Senate done? How could they invoke the nuclear option? Are thanks in order to Harry Reid for invoking the nuclear option?

Look at how opposed President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden were just a few years ago. One can find numerous examples of just how terrible an idea they believed the nuclear option to be. But after finding it hard to push through their own appointees, they are all for the 51-vote rule.

In 2005, then Illinois Senator Barack Obama said: “Everyone in this chamber knows, that if the majority chooses to end the filibuster, if they choose to change the rules and put an end to democratic debate, then the fighting and bitterness then the fighting and gridlock will only get worse.”

Biden, in emphatic fashion said: “You cannot change the Senate rules by a pure majority vote,” and “The nuclear option abandons America’s sense of fair play.”

Now, eight years later, they have completed a total reversal, most notably because of the inability to appoint preferred judicial appointees.

A few days ago, Obama said, “I support the step a majority of Senators today took to change the way that Washington is doing business.”

Initially, when examining the practical consequences, it really seems insubstantial.

For those unfamiliar with with the consequences of the recent Senate rule changes, the nuclear option will only require a simple majority of 51 votes in the Senate for a confirmation vote. Previously, 60 votes had been needed. The topic has been broached numerous ties in recent years with Democrats recently holding it over the heads of Republicans in hope of inviting compromise, but the debate this time around has come about as a result of recent frustrations surrounding Appeals Court nominees that have been blocked by Republicans.

Now high-ranking Republicans like Mitch McConnel of Kentucky are decrying the move, lamenting that it discriminates against the minority.

The better question here is: Why was it changed from a simple majority vote in the first place? Holding up a vote for confirmation and an insane amount of filibustering has taken place because of the necessary 60 votes. Just move forward—if there is a majority, the Senate should be able to move forward and ready itself to put the appointees to a vote. If not 50, back to the drawing board. Simple as that. It is not a tyranny of the majority, it is democracy.

One valid criticism of the new rule is this idea of a tyranny of the majority. That the Senate would become the House and the controlling party would render the process insignificant as the majority party would exercise unrestricted power. The comparison is understandable. And it could begin a slippery slope if Senate Democrats are not careful. Senate Republicans could be in the same situation in a short amount of time. Only six seats are needed by the GOP to make this a reality. But this rule should only pertain to filibustering, as a way to ensure that appointees are able to be voted upon. The 60 votes is still a good number for official confirmation.

A minority has been able to continually able to block nominees, which has essentially given the minority party the right to say, “No, we will not let the vote go forth.”

Ultimately, what is most readily apparent is the fact that it all comes down to politics. The minority party does not want the majority party to exercise power. The majority party will give itself the opportunity to best legislate as they see fit. The policy itself holds almost no value without the context of political party.

Opinion: Toronto mayor needs to step down

Rob Ford is up for reelection as mayor of Toronto in 2014. One day, he wants to be the Prime Minister of Canada. Wait, what?

When the American public thinks of corrupted or questionable politicians, they tend to think inward. There is a history of corruptible and negligent politicians within the United States’ history, so who could blame them?

When Americans think of Canada, the image invoked by many is one of the following: Mounties, maple-syrup, and hockey players who will bust your front teeth in but greet each other with a warm “How’s the weather, eh?” Well look, Americans. Right in front of you, Canada presents humanity. A looney politician no longer acting in the best interest of his constituents.

The media backlash to the release of the video showing Ford’s purchase of crack cocaine and his subsequent (but very late) admission of drug usage has been quite critical. It seems to be generally accepted that he should step down. So why is he still in office? Most politicians would have wilted under far less pressure than this.

http://thenewpolitical.com/2013/11/18/opinion-toronto-mayor-needs-to-step-down/

Ford’s outspokenness this week has brought him admirers and critics alike. He does not maintain the demeanor of the typical politician. His responses are not cold and calculated. He is brash and seems to say whatever comes to his mind first. When allegations arose that he was cheating on his wife, he shrugged it off, saying that he had plenty to “eat” at home. He later attributed the remarks to increased stress, which is quite believable given the current situation.

Mostly though, he is just a pain and nuisance to the people of Toronto who would like to move on from this nightmare. Ford has denied many an allegation. The fact that this many rumors swirl around him make him a figurehead and celebrity more than a politician. It is because of this that the city of Toronto is trying to push him out.

He maintained public office for years while coaching a local high school football team, the Don Bosco Eagles. He is also an outspoken fan of his city’s professional football franchise, the Toronto Argonauts. And it sure does not seem that Ford had any intent to stay away from the spotlight. While at a recent game, the Grey Cup against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, he held up a fake Grey Cup and posed for pictures.  CFL Commissioner Mark Cohon had even requested that he stay away from the game, but then again, why would Ford comply?

Even if smoking crack cocaine was his only fault, even if he has not solicited prostitutes, or done any of the things said of him, he is still causing a distraction. He may be acting accountable in regards to drug abuse, but Toronto laughs at him as the city council has continued to strip most of his power. Yet he just will not step down. Step down, Mayor Ford, so the city of Toronto can move on.

Opinion: Doing something about tragedy

http://thenewpolitical.com/2013/11/11/opinion-doing-something-about-tragedy/

Often in times of troubling news, people struggle to come to terms with the significance of a tragedy. So as word continually streams in from southeast Asia about Typhoon Haiyan, it is disconcerting to hear, but hard to react to.

Quite often, the tiny voice whispers something to the tune of, “What does my vote matter?” or “What can my small contribution do?” Individually, this is not an absurd thought process. But when it becomes a part of the collective conscience of a people, it becomes troublesome.

Humans inherently are not moved to action unless they are made to think that they can make a difference. This may sound over-generalized, but it is part of the very socialized surroundings that most humans inhabit.

There is no doubting the abundance of compassion and empathy with which some people act within the world today. These people do many things on this earth to help others. At the same time, there are many who do care but do not know quite how to react or provide aid. Yes, one can argue that it is as simple as calling up the local Red Cross and providing “X” amount of dollars from a MasterCard. At the same time, there are gripes that some people have with the religious affiliation that such charities possess.

This is a gripe that is concerning—that some choose not to donate charity or provide aid for the sole reason that they do not like a charity’s religious affiliation. This is not to say that an individual cannot be against donating to a particular religious charity. Maybe the way in which the organization distributes their money is unjust. Maybe an inordinate amount of money goes to higher-ups and administrators within such organizations. Maybe the organization has a history of discriminating against certain groups, like LGBT constituents.

So do research. Try to find the organizations that will funnel the money directly to those in need. Websites like this can help along the way.CBS has also compiled a list.

It is easy to come across as compassionate and caring, or pretend to be so, but what do most people do besides send out a tweet or Facebook status to help people? People who claim that they have “raised awareness” and that is their contribution are somewhat full of it. Publicity helps, but a call to action is often warranted. Everyone is a little guilty of just moving on with their lives, the guy who wrote this column included.

Just do a little research. Find effective ways to help and contribute when disaster strikes. A tiny contribution may be insignificant to the person who supplied it, but collectively, it benefits everyone when groups band together to give aid. Aiding the pain is necessary. Building those that are broken down is a tenuous process that is aided exponentially each time someone does something to help. The idea is not that not giving makes you bad, but do not feel as if you cannot make a difference. Keep that in mind for a rainy day.

RedStorm Claim MSC Crown

http://woub.org/2013/11/16/redstorm-claim-msc-crown

Once again, coach Scott Morrissey and his Rio Grande RedStorm are Mid-South Conference champions after a 3-1 defeat of Cumberland.

This marks the 14th time in the RedStorm have won a conference championship, and it is the third time they have won the MSC.

The Bulldogs did Rio a favor by knocking out the Lindsey Wilson Blue Raiders who are nearly every year among the NAIA’s best and this season was no exception. The Bulldogs took down the Blue Raiders 1-0 on Thursday. Rio and Lindsey Wilson tied back in September.

Wasting no time in the contest, MSC Freshman of the Year Pau Rodriguez scored first for Rio Grande, putting one past the keeper in the ninth minute to go up 1-0. The two teams proceeded to trade goals as Tom Riley scored in the 20th minute and Rodriguez scored again in the 58th minute. Maximilliano Viera added an insurance goal on a free kick from 20 yards out to put away the Bulldogs for good.

The RedStorm outshot the Bulldogs by a margin of 14-6, a far greater effort from a Cumberland squad that the RedStorm previously defeated 6-0.

Rio maintains a record of 15-2-2 heading into the NAIA tournament. They are all but guaranteed a first round home match up with the opponent still undetermined. 

Rio Grande Men's Soccer Cleans Up Conference Awards

http://woub.org/2013/11/15/rio-grande-mens-soccer-cleans-conference-awards

The men’s soccer program at Rio Grande earned honors galore on Wednesday, as the Mid-South Conference announced its awards for the season..

The RedStorm placed nine players on the Academic All-MSC team. The following players made the team: Nikoy Wallace, Jordan Jenkins, Jon Dodson, Cesar Lopez, Luiz Filho, Romain Terzian, Ludovic Delapeyre, Hristian Lenkov and Edward Mussi.

In order to be nominated to earn such honors, the players had to have at least a 3.25 GPA on a 4.0 scale. Rio led the MSC in number of players to earn the honor.

As good as the RedStorm are in the classroom, they are known to be just as good on the pitch. Six players earned First Team All-Conference honors. The players included:  Dodson, Filho, Ryota Tonegawa, Lopez, Maximilliano Viera and Pau Rodriguez.

Craig Davies and Romain Terzian earned second team honors.

Pau Rodriguez earned Freshman of the Year honors for Rio, and head coach Scott Morrissey took home the Coach of the Year award for the second consecutive season.

The RedStorm maintain a record of 14-2-2 and 7-0-2 in the MSC. They take on Cumberland for the conference tournament championship Friday evening at 8:30 p.m.

Rio Grande Advances To MSC Title Game

http://woub.org/2013/11/15/rio-grande-advances-msc-title-game

Playing on the same field where they will play Cumberland for the Mid-South Conference championship, the Rio Grande RedStorm defeated the Campbellsville Tigers 3-1.

Luiz Filho scored first for Rio, and William Paulino put one home in the 32nd minute to jump out to a 2-0 lead. Cumberland’s Ryan Foster netted a goal in the 41st minute to cut the Rio lead in half.

Paulino later assisted on the final Rio Grande goal, with a cross to Orlando Zapata.

With the win, Rio defeated the 3-seed Tigers after tying them in Campbellsville in early October.

The semifinal win puts Rio in the MSC championship game. Earlier in the day, host Lindsey Wilson fell at the hands of Cumberland, 1-0. A month ago, the RedStorm defeated Cumberland 6-0 at home.

The championship match is scheduled for Friday, Nov. 15, at 8:30 p.m. at Lindsey Wilson’s Watler S. Reuling Stadium.

Rio Men's Soccer Defeats Point Park 2-1

http://woub.org/2013/11/23/rio-mens-soccer-defeats-point-park-2-1 

Escaping with a win in round one of the NAIA tournament proved to be a bit tougher than Rio Grande may have envisioned. The RedStorm staved off a motivated Point Park squad in the second half to win 2-1.

Luiz Filho started off the scoring in the 12th minute when a Craig Davies free kick landed on his head, bounced off the post and he put the ball past the keeper on the rebound for the early 1-0 lead.  The goal was Filho’s 28th on the season.

In the 17th minute, Pau Rodriguez trapped a ball that bounced around in the box. He let loose a strike from a sharp angle on the right, hitting it on the outside of his foot and the ball curved just inside the left lower corner of the net for the second Rio goal.

Point Park held Rio scoreless the rest of the match. Play became more and more physical as the RedStorm seemed phased by mind games.

Several yellow cards highlighted the aggressive start of both teams’ play early in the second half. At the 54’ mark, Patricio Arce was red-carded and sent off in a call that was much disputed and did little to limit the physical play.

A man down, Point Park upped the pressure on the Rio defense as leading goal-scorer Ousman Jaiteh supplied pressure on the Rio backline. This helped get Max Flick a look on goal as he chested the ball into the goal as several Rio players protested a no-call with keeper Jon Dodson on the ground.

Rio did not maintain possession near as much of time in the second half as they did in the first. As the chaotic minutes ran down to the final seconds, Point Park received one last look on goal. The ball squirted away from Rio defenders in the box, and ended up at the feet of Flick, who bounced a ball into the diving hands of the keeper Dodson.

After the kick, the whistle sounded and Rio escaped to travel to Montgomery, Alabama for the second round of tournament action. Point Park fell to 12-7-1 to end their season. Rio now sits at 16-2-2.

How To Speak Soccer

http://woub.org/2013/11/29/how-speak-soccer

Photo Credit: 

Kaleb Carter

Cesar Lopez is one of 16 international players on Rio Grande's 24-man roster.

Rio Grande, Ohio. Population: 830, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Home of the original Bob Evans farm and a university with a particularly diverse soccer team.

RedStorm student athletes litter the sidelines and bleachers in what are normally sparsely populated stands on Wednesdays and Sundays in the fall. Thick accents fly through the air, with quick cries shouted in Portuguese, French, Spanish, Japanese and English. Broken English is the practiced language of choice as soccer terminology can be heard through the night. Junior goalie Jon Dodson’s screeching voice commands, “SQUEEZE,” “HOLD,” and “PRESS” throughout the full 90 minutes.

Junior center back Cesar Lopez plays the ball back and forth, feeding his teammates passes that start goal-scoring runs. He flies under the radar, keeping fairly quiet for most of every game. The talented and consistent Lopez is in his second year in Rio Grande by way of Montreat, N.C., and originally San Salvador, El Salvador.

In his home country, Lopez played a combined four years for the country’s U17, U20 and U21 national teams. During that time, Lopez played thousands of hours of soccer, traveling to the likes of Nicaragua, Guatemala, Peru, Chile, Trinidad and Tobago, the United States and more.

Lopez came to the U.S. by way of a recommendation by a friend of a former teammate in El Salvador.  He originally went to Montreat College in North Carolina where he spent two years with his friend and current teammate Maximilliano Viera. Lopez came to the idea in a somewhat roundabout fashion. Viera was set to go to Rio after several years at Montreat. For Lopez, the opportunity kind of just fell into his lap.

“A friend of a friend that I played with – I played with this guy like since I was nine,” Lopez said, “and his brother was starting playing at Montreat … I saw them Christmas over there, and he said something about it and I said, ‘Oh yeah, I’m going, I like that idea.’”

Rio head coach Scott Morrissey originally did not recruit Lopez. He had been playing with Viera for two years, and he also wanted to go elsewhere to play soccer.

“Maxi was the one who told us about Cesar was wanting to leave as well,” Morrissey said, “so it just kind of came together, so we were very fortunate to get both of them actually."

Lopez had much to share with his counterparts, even while he had much to learn himself.

Just as important in coming to the United States as soccer was, receiving an education was critical to his journey. Lopez by no means comes from a background in which he wanted for necessities like food, clothing or other simple needs. His father works within the Catholic Church in El Salvador and his mother is a dressmaker who works out of the family’s home. He realized, however, he had a great opportunity before him to come to the U.S. and receive a quality education and play soccer at a high level.

Since coming to Rio, Lopez has worked toward a degree in mathematics. His classes are small and he, while shy at times, works diligently with his fellow students and professors to grasp the concepts he hopes to possibly teach in the future. Among the two math classes he takes in the fall semester of the 2013 school year, there are four people in each of the two classes. Both of these classes are with Dr. Jean Daniels. 

Lopez said Dr. Michael Rhodes is possibly his favorite and most influential teacher. In the two years Lopez has been at Rio, he had Rhodes for four mathematics courses.

“In Cesar’s case he came very prepared, and he was highly motivated, and was one of my best students,” Rhodes said. “He is one of my best students that I have had in all my classes. He is hardworking and has a good background.”

More than anything, even education, Lopez says, getting an American girlfriend has been the most pivotal part of his acquisition of the English language. Lopez specifically talked of himself and teammate Viera as examples of this idea that finding a partner has the potential to be the best learning tool, in the most non-materialistic way, of course.

“You can ask Maxi,” Lopez said. “He got a girlfriend in two months and in a year he was fluent.”

Nicole Ogg is a senior defensive specialist on the Rio Grande volleyball team. Ogg and Lopez have been dating since November of 2012. Lopez credits his girlfriend with helping him pick up English much better than he had in his previous two years in the United States. Ogg has spent a great deal of time trying to better understand Lopez and help him acclimate to English.

“It has taken a lot of patience from me because I’ve never been with somebody who doesn’t speak English as a first language,” Ogg said, “so it was really hard at the beginning, ‘cause I was just getting used to it and I got frustrated a lot because I didn’t know what he was talking about.”

Lopez also asked Ogg to stay on him about improving his English. If there was a word he did not understand or he spoke in an incorrect manner, he adamantly proposed that Ogg correct him.  The two would work together with the help of an English translator.

Ogg decided to pick up Spanish to better acquaint herself with Lopez’ native tongue. She received a 100 percent on her first test of the 2013 fall semester. Now, the two plan on traveling to El Salvador over Christmas break to meet Lopez’ family.

As much as being immersed in the language with a significant other has helped, there is no doubting that being a member of the RedStorm soccer team has played as big a part as any. Morrissey continually stresses the importance of being on the same page in terms of communication. This can be quite difficult at times, considering all the different languages spoken and the degrees to which the players can handle communicating in the same languages, namely English.

Morrissey is in the ears of his players at practice constantly. He said he believes it to be imperative for them to be able to comprehend English.

“It’s so very important that they get away from their native language and start to understand English because we are the ones who are trying to bring this all together, so it’s easier said than done,” Morrissey said. “And it’s not something that happens in one, two, three, four weeks, or let alone a season. It takes a while to figure that out, so it’s going to be an ongoing battle to get that across to everyone.”

In bringing together all of these different cultures, there are shared methods of communication. Rio communicates in short commands and hand gestures during the course of a match. Dodson yells in his distinctive way from the back of the pitch, directing his teammates. A hand gesture with a thumbs-up is often what verifies the reception of the command. A thumbs-down shows the need for Dodson to repeat what he has said.

“I like using eye contact and hand motions with them so if I say ‘squeeze in’ you know I’m doing hand motions to pull them in or push them out, whatever it may be,” Dodson said. “It’s just them giving a thumbs-up or thumbs-down, you know if they need to hear it again. It’s really if they understand it, you know, then I can keep going or saying something different or some other way they might understand.”

Lopez is one of those players who is expected to help communicate commands and inform his teammates of any changes in strategic positioning. Yet, he is only able to assist with the players who speak Spanish and or Portuguese. The roster is complete with players from the United States, France, El Salvador (Lopez), Brazil, England, Uruguay, Spain, Colombia, Chile, Japan and Jamaica.

Tuesday dinners are another way Rio attempts to bridge the gap of cultural differences and promote team unity. Each Tuesday night the squad has a team dinner in which a player will share a dish unique to his home country.

The diversity presents an always present challenge to communicate, but in a sense they all have a common language: soccer. Players on the Rio Grande team understand soccer like it is a common discourse. Yes, it is difficult to understand one another at times, but there is an always improving, dedicated group of guys on Evan E. Davis field fighting for the RedStorm.

“Most of the players … they don’t speak English or we do not have a common language,” Lopez said, “but when you know like how to play, when to pass the ball, like the basics, a little more of soccer, we are fine in the fields. We just need to fix a little bit.”

Soccer as a common language is a reoccurring theme that is heard among Rio coaches, administrators and those within the community.

Rio Grande Sports Information Director Randy Payton speaks in awe of what he sees displayed on the pitch when the RedStorm play.

“I guess that’s the one thing that maybe the one thing that soccer has that some other sports don’t have,” Payton said. “It is that you may not necessarily know each other’s language, but soccer kind of bridges a lot of the gap between different nationalities and things like that.”

One of the more peculiar things Lopez has experienced in his travels are the slight differences in lingual exchanges. Even while being able to comprehend the things Portuguese players say, as well as other Spanish-speaking players, Lopez cannot help but be amused by some of the minor differences in the way certain things are said in other Spanish-speaking countries.

“Ready for me means listo. For Maxi, it means pronto. So after many years with somebody with different cultures with different places … I don’t lose everything, but I lost part of it because I spend so much time with other culture,” Lopez said. “I don’t say my word anymore, I say pronto for that specific translation.”

Lopez now uses many words that Viera and his teammates have used around him, in place of his previous usage of certain words.

Another example was Lopez’s use of frijoles (beans) and Viera’s use of the word poratoto mean the same thing.  The cultural differences Lopez has absorbed have been just as meaningful to his experience as learning a whole new language.

Lopez’ accomplishments are on display in his every day actions with his team and his girlfriend. Ogg remains proud of what Lopez has accomplished as the two grow closer. He has family in Rio Grande now, and they are united in a number of ways.

“Also, one of the points for us, that makes us be more together than other sports, is that we are far away from home, and we don’t have anybody here,” Lopez said. “Our team is like our family. Because we live with them, we eat with them … it makes us be more together."

The team does all of these things – winning the Mid-South Conference and placing eight players on the All-MSC team, for example – while going through the process of learning to communicate with each other. Lopez is one of the most vital to the current group’s understanding of each other.

It’s likely the last thing one would expect from the town that gave life to Bob Evans’ country cooking. The small town of 800-plus brings flavors from all over the world to put on a show twice a week every fall. Rio Grande’s chemistry on the pitch is delectable to the soccer fan’s voracious mind.

“For somebody who, you know frankly spent most of his life in West Virginia and didn’t get out to see a lot of things, it is really neat,” Payton said.

Cesar Lopez helps lead the way. Amid the voices crying out in diverse dialects and languages is a quiet but consistent voice, as Cesar Lopez’ demeanor shapes the methodical and efficient manner in which the Rio soccer storm rages on.

Trimble Advances To First State Championship Game

http://woub.org/2013/12/01/trimble-advances-first-state-championship-game

The Trimble Tomcats are on their way to their first state championship appearance in school history after a 14-10 victory over the Western Reserve Blue Devils in St. Clairsville on Saturday, Nov. 30.

Both teams came in with identical 13-0 records. Both squads maintained balanced offensive attacks throughout the season, with Western Reserve going over 2,000 yards rushing and passing in 2013.

Trimble had only won three playoff games in the school’s history coming into this postseason and emerged with its fourth playoff victory this postseason.

Trimble held the rope in a hard-fought fourth quarter in which the Devils gave the Tomcats all they could handle. Austin Downs came through for the Mowhawk Mafia with two of his three interceptions coming in the second half. The last came with 1:30 left in the game on the final Western Reserve possession. The ball was intended for 6-foot-5 star receiver Joe Falasca, who only ended up with one catch on the night.

“As soon as I hit the ground and I had the ball in my hands, I knew it was over,” Downs said. “I don’t think I could get up fast enough to start celebrating, because I knew number-wise they were out of timeouts.”

“The guys did a great job running the clock and playing defense,” Trimble Coach Phil Faires said. “No bigger interception in [Downs’] career. He has got a lot of receptions, but that is the best interception he has ever had. “

The gang from Glouster had control of the ball game early, going 60 yards to draw first blood. Running back Justice Jenkins romped 12 yards for the first points of the night.

Western Reserve couldn’t muster a first down on its next drive, but it recovered a Downs muffed punt in the red zone. The Trimble defense held, and Western Reserve kicker Parker Clegg converted the short field goal to make it a 7-3 game.

 The Tomcats’ offense responded, driving down the field to make it a two-score game. A 16-yard score by Jenkins put the Red and White up 14-3 with 1:56 left in the first quarter, as Trimble asserted its authority early. 

On both drives, Trimble was aided by pass interference calls. The Western Reserve defenders committed several penalties against the pass, helping Trimble keep drives alive.

The Tomcats went into the half in steady control of the game as the folks from Glouster looked on and cheered raucously.

Late in the third, the Devils’ Evan Nesbitt took advantage of good field position and shot like a cannon for a 33-yard touchdown, cutting the Trimble lead to 14-10 with 2:33 left in the third.

Western Reserve seemed to gain a second wind after the touchdown, holding off the Trimble offense several times, and forcing the unit to punt continuously in the fourth. The Devils had some success through the pass game in the quarter, but they were just not able to break through the Tomcat defense.

Trimble quarterback Konner Standley had issues holding onto the ball, coughing it up near the Western Reserve goal line with 9:20 left in the game.

Standley also lost the ball on Trimble’s next two offensive plays, but his offense recovered each of the fumbles with less than seven minutes left in the contest on its own half of the field.

 Downs’ final interception sealed the deal for a Trimble squad that went crazy as teammates mobbed the senior cornerback. It was the 10th interception of the season for Downs.

The scene after was one of pure jubilation as the Tomcats celebrated their imminent state championship debut.

 “We put our hats on and we went to work and it paid off,” Standley said.

Jacob Altier described the win as “the best feeling I have ever had in my life, without a doubt.”

Trimble is set to take on the two-time defending Division VI champion Marion Local Flyers on Saturday, Dec. 7 at 7 p.m. at Massillon Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.

Umass vs. Ohio 2013 Preview: Bringing Things To An End

http://www.hustlebelt.com/mac-football/2013/11/28/5146378/umass-vs-ohio-2013-preview-bringing-things-to-an-end

Neither Ohio nor UMass is on a hot streak as of late, but both teams have something to salvage as the Minutemen head into Peden Stadium on the final week of the regular season. Ohio comes in with a chance at seven wins and possibly securing a bowl appearance. The Minutemen just want a second MAC win and to finish on a high note.

Senior quarterback Tyler Tettleton has struggled for Ohio as of late. The run game has floundered, and the defense has been torn to shreds over the last three games. Tarell Basham, a talented Bobcat defensive end, has been stuck on six sacks for weeks. Formerly big-play defensive backs Devin Bass, Travis Carrie and Xavier Hughes have done little to spark the team in weeks of late. No Bobcat seems capable of making a big play as Ohio has scored just 16 points combined over its last three games.

The Minutemen have at least put up a fight in one-point losses to Western Michigan and Akron (though not at all against Northern Illinois and Central Michigan).

Otherwise, points have been scarce for the Minutemen too, who come in averaging an abysmal 10.6 points per game. Good for, you guessed it: last in the MAC.

It cannot be too fun to be in Charley Molnar's shoes in 2013. Molnar coached offenses that impressed at Central Michigan, Cincinnati and Notre Dame, where he was the offensive coordinator and quarterback coach. The man anointed the head of the UMass Minutemen program during it's transition to D-1 football has struggled to win only once each season the last two years. But Molnar has a young team worth looking out for.

UMass's lone victory in 2013 came in a 17-10 victory over Miami. The Minutemen have not won a road game this season.

The Minutemen almost took down the Bobcats a year ago, but ultimately fell, thanks mainly to Beau Blankenship who had a career day. Blankenship, the Oklahoma native, ran for 269 yards and two touchdowns as he cut through the UMass defense.

Quarterback Mike Wegzyn completed 27 passes for 373 yards. Too bad for the Minutemen, he is not playing well enough to give UMass a benefit this year. A.J. Doyle is starting in his place for that matter. Doyle is coming off of a three interception performance against CMU. So, maybe not absurd to think Wegzyn might get the start.

In that win, Ohio advanced to 5-0 for the first time since 1968. This time around, the prospects surrounding the Ohio football program are not anywhere near as exciting. The Bobcats have lost three straight, yielding 123 points over that span.

If UMass is going to pull the upset (albeit not a major one given Ohio's recent play) Doyle is going to have to connect with Rob Blanchflower and Tajae Sharpe quite a few times on Saturday.

Someone out of the backfield is almost certainly going to have to come up big as Jamal Wilson leads the team with only 413 yards on the season. No single UMass player has more than three touchdowns this year and that will certainly have to change on Saturday.

Ohio has to fight to be back at .500 in the MAC. Winning against UMass would put the Bobcats at 7-5 and 4-4 in the MAC. A win would guarantee Ohio its fifth consecutive winning season, something that has come to be expected under Solich. The senior class at Ohio had great aspirations and now, they are trying to merely get another victory before completing their collegiate football career.

UMass is just looking for that elusive second MAC win. A win would also mark the first win for the Minutemen over a winning team in their two years as an FBS program. 41 of the 65 players who have seen time for the Minutemen this season are redshirt sophomores or younger, and such a win has the potential to be a huge building block for a program trying to get on its feet.

Eastern Michigan Got Caught In The Wildcats Claws, Falls To Kentucky 81-63

http://www.hustlebelt.com/mac-basketball/2013/11/27/5152790/eastern-michigan-got-caught-in-the-wildcats-claws-falls-to-kentucky

John Calipari's always talented young crew of Wildcats (6-1) fought off Eastern Michigan for the better part of the first half before pulling away in the second half for an 81-63 victory.

FINAL - 11.27.2013	1	2	TOTAL
Eastern Michigan Eagles	32	31	63
Kentucky Wildcats	35	46	81

Complete Coverage >

Kentucky held the lead for much of the first half while the Eagles (5-1) chipped away consistently.

With 11:32 remaining in the first half, Aaron Harrison sunk two free throws that gave UK the lead it maintained the rest of the game. This did not stop EMU from fighting back. Kentucky extended the lead to near multiple digits several times, but sophomore guardDarell Combs helped keep the Eagles in the contest. Eastern Michigan trailed by only five at the half (35-30).

About five minutes into the second half, Aaron Harrison led a Kentucky run that helped the Wildcats to pull away, scoring 12 in the second half.

The Wildcats received outstanding efforts from a group of freshman (per the usual). Aaron Harrison put up 22 points and seven boards while his brother Andrew scored eight. Julius Randle contributed a double-double courtesy a 14 point, 10 rebound performance. Freshman center Dakari Johnson pitched in 10 more points.

Sophomore Willie Cauley-Stein added another 15.

Eastern Michigan lost to the Wildcats 90-38 this past January and by comparison exhibited standout play from a number of Eagles this time around.  Combs poured in 23 points. Daylen Harrison and Glenn Bryant added nine and eight respectively.

Eastern Michigan came into the game averaging 79.2 points a game. By comparison, coach Rob Murphy's last two EMU teams have averaged 53.2 and 56.6 a game.

Kentucky moved on to 6-1 and the Eagles suffered their first loss on the young season. Eastern Michigan's next game is in the Convocation Center when it hosts the nationally ranked, No. 24 UMass.

November Follies: The Collapse of Ohio Football In November

http://www.hustlebelt.com/ohio/2013/11/27/5127124/november-follies-the-collapse-of-ohio-football-in-november

Remember, remember, the fifth of November, the gunpowder treason and plot. I see no reason why the Bobcat treason would ever not result in loss.

While Ohio's loss at Buffalo in late October was horrendous in all aspects of the game, credit the Bulls for putting it to the Bobcats that night by a score of 30-3. But since then the November struggles of this Ohio University football team have been heart-wrenchingly painful for Bobcat fans to watch. A feeling of resignation seems to have been reached.

High expectations have been the norm in Athens over the last several years. Coming off of two MAC East championships in three seasons at the start of last year, Ohio has been the favorite for the East heading into each of the past two seasons. Frank Solich rejuvenated a program that was long dormant and averaged less than four wins a year before his arrival. The 2012 season was to be the high point. It was to be the year Ohio did all right, and maybe even reached a BCS game. It was something more than a few pundits predicted. A week one victory over Penn State had spirits at an all-time high as students flocked to Court Street, the strip of road that runs right past the Ohio University campus. It was a time for celebration.

All of this happened as injuries piled up. Among the defensive backs, among the offensive line, and the wide receivers. But not to worry, Ohio continued winning, reaching 7-0. But then in a trip to Oxford, Ohio fell at the hands of hated rivals Miami. The 'Cats rebounded with a solid victory over Eastern Michigan, but then the wheels fell off. In three consecutive weeks against Bowling Green, Ball State and Kent State, Ohio looked less than stellar. No one was quite sure what to attribute the collapse to. Was it injuries? Coaching issues? Lack of leadership?

A bowl victory over a more than respectable UL-Monroe squad seemed to instill some positivity back into the program.

So in 2013, things were supposed to change. The Ohio guys were healthy. Solich mandated less contact in practice. He rested more players. He was measured in the way in which he used his players. A week one loss to Louisville was disappointing if only for the fact that it seemed as if Ohio did not show up. But, it was a forewarning to what would come down the stretch.

Ohio played admirable ball, winning six of its next seven games. A MAC East bid was still a possibility even after a loss to Central Michigan. But that Buffalo loss told a whole new story. In the grand scheme of things, it revealed something intrinsic with Ohio Football. Something that is lacking. With a group so talented and with such high expectations, how have the 'Cats fallen so far?

After getting shellacked by Buffalo, stomped on in a merciless Tuesday night of #LACKtion vs. Bowling Green, and getting pounded into submission by Kent State in a second-half that was cringe-inducing, Ohio sits with one game remaining.  The pessimistic attitude and altogether downer aura surrounding the program pervaded the chilly Tuesday night. The cynicism was in the air. And the night proved to seal the fate of the collapse of epic proportions. They are 6-5, and 3-4 in the MAC. Where did it go wrong?

Tyler Tettleton, Mr. Everything, undoubtedly one  of the best players in Ohio history, has completed less than 50% of his passes over the last three games. He has passed for only 351 yards in his last three games, all losses.

Gripes about the play-calling continue, and justifiably so. Predictable schemes that are not executed well are a cause for concern. Runs right into the back of the center on first down become predictable when you see it 10 times a game.

The carries have been split in 2013 between Beau Blankenship and Ryan Boykin (with Boykin hurting as of late) in order to keep Blankenship healthy. This has not necessarily helped the Bobcats at all as they have never gotten their star running back going. Ohio ranks eighth in the MAC in yards on the ground per game.

Injuries cannot be an excuse like they were last year. Some point to the offensive line, but that does not adequately represent a team that has given up 30, 49, and 44 points in successive contests.

The punting game has even been inconsistent, something that Ohio struggled with down the stretch, especially in a loss to Bowling Green.

There seems to be a lack of leadership. The word of the week surrounding Ohio football is the "disconnect" between coaches and players. Solich talked about this after the Kent State game saying, "if there's a disconnect, you'd have to ask the players that."

When asked what the issue was after the Kent State game, Tettleton said, "I think it's just one of those things where we're not executing where we should be."

Maybe a want for focus?

In the press conference after the Kent State game, Solich said, "focus is something that you always address as a coach to your team. That's something that you continually need to keep coming back to, because, obviously, without focus - regardless of talent - you aren't going to be very good."

Players and coaches alike suggest that this is not the case, but it is hard to argue against it. Something is missing. Talks of change at Ohio are ablaze. This does not necessarily mean that Solich would go, as he has done more for the program than anybody. He could even leave on his own terms. But it seems apparent that something has to change.

The senior class, is arguably the most successful in Ohio history, so it is not all doom and gloom. In the Nov. 25th episode of the Solich Show he said, "they have been obviously special to me...they were a class that we were able to recruit and obviously have a system change during their time in terms of what we were all about offensively... They won a ton of football games and have done a lot in terms of promoting Ohio."

So maybe Ohio steps up, takes pride in what it has done. Especially the seniors. Maybe they come out ready to go down fighting to the end. Or maybe the November follies continue.