LOCAL

LOCAL
Howland's Fetchkoheaded to Buffalo
HOWLAND -- Howland High graduate George Fetchko will continue his track and field career at the University of Buffalo.
Fetchko holds the Howland High discus record of 174 feet, 5 inches.
Fetchko won the discus competition at the Division I district meet at Fitch High and earned All-Ohio honors with a fifth-place finish at the state meet.
He graduated with a 3.9 grade-point average and will major in engineering.
Poweski will wrestleat Muskingum College
WARREN -- Bobby Poweski, a graduate of Warren JFK, will continue his wrestling career at Muskingum College in New Concord.
A four-year letterman, Poweski placed fourth at the Division III state wrestling tournament.
He placed second at the 2002 Eastern Ohio League championships and will join his brother, heavyweight Jared, at Muskingum. Bobby will wrestle at the 197-pound weight class.
E. Palestine's Joneswins at Diamondback
CANFIELD -- Scott Jones Jr. of East Palestine recently won the Diamondback Junior Golf Tournament by shooting a 4-under-par 32.
Because of recent storms, the tournament was shortened to nine holes.
Jones will be competing next week in the Ohio Publinx State Amateur Championship in Mt. Vernon.
Mineral Ridge BOEmulls coach's actions
MINERAL RIDGE -- The board of education has taken under consideration comments regarding the actions of varsity football coach Joe Stevens.
Stevens, who was arrested on a DUI charge July 20, has not offered to resign as either coach or a teacher, superintendent Rocco Aducci said after Wednesday's board meeting. He declined to comment on whether the board has asked for Stevens' resignation.
A crowd of about 100 people at Wednesday's meeting was told the board will discuss the matter in executive session.
Football players sat together in the auditorium and readily applauded whenever positive remarks were made about the coach.
The players said the coach had explained to them what had happened and admitted he was wrong and apologized to them.
They implored the board to keep the coach on through the 2003 season.
Some students noted Stevens has not been found guilty of anything. Stevens did not attend the meeting.
Other parents encouraged the board not to make a change from softball coach Gene Cheredar. William Alt, president of the Mineral Ridge Youth Baseball and Softball Association, endorsed Cheredar, telling the board there was no need to make a change.
Resident John Axe told the board it would be in the best interest of the students to hire William Croft as new softball coach, noting complaints from some students about Cheredar.
The board voted to hire Croft at $2,110 a year.
Kovach will speakat Trumbull club
WARREN -- Baseball historian Marty Kovach will be the featured speaker when the Speaking of Sports (Trumbull County All-Athletics Sports Club) meets Monday at 5:30 p.m. at the Ground Round Restaurant on Elm Road.
The first induction class for the Speaking of Sports Hall of Fame will be announced.
Club dues are $20 annually and $100 lifetime. For more information, call John Caparanis at (330) 637-6910 or (330) 783-1000.
Farrell's Davishonored at Thiel
GREENVILLE, Pa. -- Kennard Davis, a junior defensive back for the Thiel College football team from Farrell High, has been named to Don Hansen's National Weekly Football Gazette Preseason Division III All-America Third Team.
Last season, Davis had 60 tackles and five interceptions and was named to the D3Football.com All-America team as an honorable mention.
REGION
Golf roundup
* CANTON -- Former Ohio State player Ryan Dennis parred the first hole of sudden death to beat Glenn Cunningham and win the rain-shortened Ohio Open golf championship Wednesday at Tam O'Shanter Golf Course.
Dennis, a native of Twin Lakes, took two shots in the second round before rain stopped play on Tuesday and caused officials to cut the tournament from 54 to 36 holes.
* DAYTON -- Two-time champion Emily Bastel of Upper Sandusky defeated another two-time champ, Pat Milton of Munroe Falls, 2-and-1 Wednesday in match play at the Women's Ohio Amateur golf tournament.
Gabby Wedding of Wilmington, who was last year's medalist with a tournament record of 65, defeated Katy Loomis of Cleveland 5-and-4 at the par-72, 5,850-yard Walnut Grove Country Club.
Vindicator staff/wire reports