OHIO NOTEBOOK Vanlue seeks league relief

The small school has lost 79 straight conference games.
By RUSTY MILLER
AP SPORTS WRITER
Vanlue eventually is going to win a conference game. Not yet, however.
The Wildcats tried to end their footnote in Ohio prep football history Friday night, but had one touchdown called back because of a holding penalty and were stopped at the goal line on a two-point conversion with six minutes left in a 20-18 loss to Van Buren.
It was the 79th consecutive Blanchard Valley Conference defeat for Vanlue, one of the smallest schools in the state offering football.
Van Buren quarterback Matt Blair carried 36 times for 222 yards and two TDs and threw a touchdown pass.
Elsewhere, Newark Catholic pulled out a wild 25-23 victory at Thornville Sheridan on Doug Stevens' 70-yard TD pass to Chris Wohlheter just after Sheridan had scored on a 47-yard pass from Josh Barrera to Josh Davy.
Wohlheter earlier had returned a fumble 60 yards for a score after a short TD burst by Sheridan.
All this action occurred in the fourth quarter, which the Green Wave entered leading 13-7 in the first meeting between the two perennial playoff teams.
Pass-happy
Findlay's Tyler Curlis caught 11 passes for 219 yards and two TDs in the Trojans' 27-19 victory over Upper Arlington, giving him 30 receptions, 481 yards and four TDs this season; Upper Sandusky's Greg Micheli, moved from wide-out to quarterback this season, threw for 253 yards and three TDs and rushed for 67 yards and three more scores in a 42-0 decision over Bucyrus; Hamler Patrick Henry's Marc Krauss caught seven passes for 220 yards and two TDs in an opening-game defeat;
McComb's James Copus completed 21-of-38 passes for 391 yards and three TDs in a 34-33 overtime win over Leipsic; in a 34-24 defeat Friday night against Chardon, Ashtabula Lakeside receiver Rashaad Osborne caught six passes for 194 yards, including touchdown passes of 75, 61 and 31 yards; and seven-time state champion Cincinnati Moeller avoided its first 0-3 start with a 27-14 victory over East Central (Ind.) as Blake Carter -- nephew of Ohio State and NFL great Cris Carter -- caught five passes for 102 yards and a TD.
Turnaround
Union City Mississinawa Valley is off a 2-1 start, its best since 1993.
In the nine years since the graduation of Curtis Enis -- the 1993 Mr. Football who played at Penn State and with the Chicago Bears -- the Blackhawks were 4-86. That included six 0-10 seasons and a 54-game losing streak. The school ended last season with 15 players.
New coach John Graher has 33 players out this year and the school is playing its first JV game since Enis' departure.
Heroes everywhere
In Mineral Ridge's 45-27 victory over United, the teams combined for 871 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Mineral Ridge quarterback Chris Ault completed all 10 of his passes for 203 yards and a touchdown, extending his streak of completions to 19 straight over two games.
United Local quarterback Mitch Phillis completed 26 of 40 passes for 339 yards, but the biggest numbers belonged to teammate Corey Manfull. He scored four touchdowns, rushed for 80 yards on 19 carries and caught 15 passes for 242 yards -- and his team still lost.
Foot note
Thom McDaniels has not lost a home game since becoming Warren Harding's head coach before the 2000 season. With a 21-6 victory over Akron Buchtel last week, the Raiders improved to 23-0 at home under McDaniels.