AREA

AREA
Girard hostsmakeup games
GIRARD -- The Brookfield boys basketball makeup games at Girard will be played tonight with the junior-varsity game tipping off at 6 p.m.
Poland changesgame times
POLAND -- The starting times for Saturday's Howland-at-Poland girls basketball games has been moved ahead. The junior varsity game will begin at 1 p.m., with the varsity contest to follow at approximately 2:30 p.m.
Rayen hostsfreshman tourney
YOUNGSTOWN -- For the first time in many years, Rayen is sponsoring a freshman boys basketball tournament, starting Saturday.
The eight-team field includes City Series and Steel Valley Conference entries as well as Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary.
Saturday's first game at 10:30 a.m. pits Warren Harding against Chaney, followed by the Ursuline-Woodrow Wilson game. At 1:30, St. Vincent-St. Mary plays Rayen and Cardinal Mooney and Canton Timken tip off at 3 p.m.
The tournament resumes Feb. 18-19 and concludes on the 21st. Admission costs $3 for adults and $2 for students. Rayen athletic director Marco Marinucci is organizer.
Volleyball teamstays busy
LORDSTOWN -- The Kaeppa Hollywood-Mizuno Elite 14-year-old girls volleyball team competed in two tournaments last weekend.
In the Lordstown 15-year-old club tournament, Kaeppa finished in second place, losing to Pittsburgh in the championship game.
In the West Salem 14-year-old tournament, the team came in third, behind Wooster and Cincinnati.
Team members are: Danielle Bletso, Courtney Schiffauer and Katie Spatara, all of Boardman; Sarah Brobeck and Paige Kenveigh of Salem; Emily and Valerie Goerig of Leetonia; and Jackie Nentwick and Courtney Rothbauer of Canfield.
The team will compete in a tournament in Dayton this weekend.
Bethany athletesare honored
BETHANY, W.Va. -- Matt Drahos, a sophomore on the Bethany College men's basketball team, and Dana Culbert, a sophomore swimmer, were named Presidents' Athletic Conference players of the week.
Drahos, of Wheeling, W.Va., led Bethany to an 80-72 win over Grove City by tying his season-high with 29 points and adding 13 rebounds. He is ranked second in the PAC in rebounding (8.1), sixth in scoring (14.8), fifth in field goal percentage (.532) and first in blocks (1.50) per game.
Culbert was named swimmer of the week for the second time this season. Against Washington & amp; Jefferson, she won the 50-yard freestyle and 100 free. Culbert is from North Huntington, Pa.
Tournamenttickets on sale
NORTH LIMA -- At South Range High School, fans may obtain tickets for the sectional wrestling tournament and the South Range-Ursuline girls basketball tournament game.
The Div. III sectional wrestling meet will be at Rootstown High School on Friday and Saturday.
The girls basketball game is scheduled at United High School on Feb. 21 at 6 p.m.
Palowitz setsbench record
AUSTINTOWN -- Ron Palowitz, a junior at Chaney High School, set a national record with a 320-pound bench press at the Ohio Powerlifting Meet at Fitch High School.
Palowitz was in the age 13-16, 220-pound class.
Cardinal Mooney junior Josh Moffie (age 17-19) set a state mark with a 315-pound bench press in the 181-pound class.
Mathew Lyd (age 13-16), in eighth grade at St. Christine's School, placed first in the 148-pound class with a 755-pound total in the three events.
Canfield's Havasselects Malone
CANTON -- Canfield High School senior Andrew Havas will play soccer at Malone College in the fall.
Havas helped the Cardinals reach the Div. II district tournament final this year and earned three letters in soccer and in basketball. He will study health.
Boardmanicers split
BOARDMAN -- The Boardman club ice hockey team recently defeated Painesville Riverside (6-3) and lost to Quaker Valley (4-3) in overtime.
Bob Walla scored three goals and Arman Olgun two against Riverside.
Jeff Lorimer, Frank Dovidio and Zack Skook scored against Quaker Valley.
Goalie John Yuhaniak stopped 56 shots in the two games.
REGION
Clevelandhonors James
CLEVELAND -- Cavaliers' rookie LeBron James, snubbed in voting by NBA coaches to be an All-Star reserve, received the People's Choice Award Tuesday at the Greater Cleveland Sports Awards.
The award was voted by fans in an online poll.
Ben Curtis, the surprise British Open winner, was chosen Cleveland's outstanding professional athlete over James and Cavaliers forward Carlos Boozer.
Ted Ginn Jr., a track and football star who recently signed with Ohio State, former Ohio State lineman Alex Stepanovich and Olympic swimmer Diana Munz were also honored in other categories.
Staff/wire reports