NILES CASE Soccer player denies assault

A hearing has been set for April 12 for the Niles youth.
By DENISE DICK
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
MEDINA -- A Niles boy denies that he assaulted another boy during a soccer game.
In a brief hearing Tuesday in Medina County Juvenile Court, Kevin Pavone, 17, through his Summit County attorney, entered a plea of denial, the equivalent of an innocent plea in adult court, to a charge of felony assault.
Kevin, dressed in khaki pants and a dark gray shirt, sat quietly beside his parents, Robert and Deborah Pavone, in the Medina courtroom as his attorney, Michael Bowler, entered the plea on his behalf.
Magistrate Roger R. Ingraham set a hearing for April 12.
"We will take the entire day if necessary," Ingraham said of next month's proceeding.
If he is convicted, Kevin could be placed in a juvenile detention facility until he's 21.
He is accused of kicking Brad Delsky, 17, during a soccer game Feb. 4 between the Cleveland Whitecaps of which Brad is a member and the Sons of Italy of Youngstown, of which Kevin was a member.
The game was played at Pinnacle Field in Montrose and the assault was alleged to have occurred near the game's end.
What's behind charges: Linda Delsky, Brad's mother, has said her son was kicked in the face, lost consciousness, went into convulsions and suffered a broken cheekbone, broken nose, two black eyes, chipped teeth and a concussion.
Kevin and his parents avoided reporters at Tuesday's hearing, leaving through another exit after court personnel ushered members of the press from the courtroom. Bowler declined to comment.
Brad didn't attend the hearing. His parents said he preferred to go to school. Brad is a senior at Solon High School, where he returned Feb. 9 after the assault.
Brad, who has been playing soccer since he was 5, played his first game Sunday since being injured. He was able to attend a a Feb. 25 tryout for a soccer scholarship at Findlay College.
"As soon as the doctor cleared him to play, he was playing the next day," said his father, Edward.
The Delskys said they didn't have a reaction to the denial plea.
"They have to do what they think is the right thing for their family," Delsky said.
Mrs. Delsky said the two boys don't know each other.
"They never even played each other before," she said.
Earlier kicks: Wire reports have said that the Niles player's actions followed a kick in the groin from Brad Delsky. Mrs. Delsky has said her son kicked another player early in the game after being kicked twice in the chest.
She doesn't know if the player her son kicked was Kevin Pavone. Brad doesn't remember the second half of the game, she has said.
Delsky said he'd like to see the boy who assaulted his son prohibited from playing soccer again.
"Other than that, I'll leave it up to the court," Delsky said.