Plenty of top talent for 2004

One of the overpriced words I learned in college was "syllogism."
(Other words I paid a lot of money to learn, and never use, include: egalitarian, altruism, rubric, hubris and the pronoun "one.")
Anyway, I'm going to start this column off with a syllogism, which should allow you to use "deductive reasoning" and help me "justify" the "tens of thousands of dollars" I paid for my "not-at-all overpriced" education.
Ready? Here we go.
1. All mixed bag columns are lousy.
2. This is a mixed bag column.
Ergo ... well, I'll let you draw your own conclusions.
But we have a saying in this business: If you're going to write a bad column, at least make it a bad high school football column.
Top players
"Ohio High Magazine" -- which is put out by the same people who brought us JJHuddle.com (although I won't hold it against them) -- recently came out with its rankings of the top 100 senior football prospects.
The top-ranked area player is Warren Harding wideout Mario Manningham at No. 7. Manningham, who is also one of the area's best basketball players, committed to Michigan earlier this year, following in the footsteps of Harding graduate Prescott Burgess.
Only one other area player is in the top 60: Harding lineman Rocco Cironi, who is ranked 13th.
Other area players in the top 100 include Ursuline lineman Corey Maizel (63rd), Liberty wideout Marcellus Brown (68th), Liberty tight end/fullback Keith Forstal and Hubbard linebacker/fullback Ben Lane.
Brown's cousin, Bradley Fletcher, will play at Iowa this fall. Lane's older brother, Shaun, will play at Ohio State this fall.
Other notable prospects include Ursuline wideout Derrick Stewart (who is also a good track athlete), Ursuline running back Alex Allen and Warren Harding lineman Shaun Andrews.
Three area players made the list of top juniors: Harding defensive tackle Antonio Reed (9th), Boardman lineman Levi George (17th) and Howland tailback Maurice Smith (40th).
Other notable juniors: Harding quarterback Pat White, Ursuline tight end Jerome Jones, Liberty defensive end Chris Harrison, Ursuline linebacker Joe Underwood and Campbell safety/wideout Derrell Johnson.
They even list sophomores. Harding tailback Daniel Herron and Hubbard tackle Marcus O'Hara were among the players to watch.
The state's two top-ranked seniors -- Cleveland Glenville cornerback Jamario O'Neal and Lakewood St. Edward lineman Alex Boone -- have already committed to Ohio State.
All-star participants
Two area players, Howland's Tony Davis (a Penn State recruit) and Fitch's Miles Williams (Michigan State), will play in the prestigious Big 33 Football Classic on July 27 in Hershey, Pa. The game draws some of the best players from Ohio and Pennsylvania, including Ohio State recruit Ted Ginn.
There has never been a Super Bowl without a Big 33 alumnus.
Davis and Williams will also play for the North team in the Ohio All-Star Classic on Friday at Crew Stadium in Columbus.
Track titles
Those of you who follow track may have noticed the eruption of area state champions over the past three years. Valley athletes won 12 state titles at last weekend's state meet in Columbus, which continues a trend over the past five years.
Area athletes won five state titles in 2000, four in 2001, 10 in 2002 and 11 last year. (Maplewood and Poland also won team titles in 2000.)
And there's no reason to think it will slow down next year, since the class of 2005 is (on paper, at least) even stronger.
Girard junior Cachet Murray won three titles this year (100, 200 and long jump), Springfield junior Nick Panezich won two (discus, shot) and Mineral Ridge junior Levi Leigh (110 hurdles) and Maplewood junior Jen Grayson (high jump) each won one. Also, Struthers' state champion 4x100 relay had three sophomores and a junior.
What does this mean? Well, since I cover the state meet, it means a lot more work for me.
Thanks a lot, guys.
XJoe Scalzo is a sportswriter for The Vindicator. Write him at scalzo@vindy.com.