Midseason notes and anecdotes

I've never been a big fan of the Ohio prep sports website JJHuddle.com.
I realize this isn't groundbreaking stuff. On a list of things coaches hate, JJHuddle would sit comfortably between overbearing parents and drunken fans. (Who are also on JJs.) (Ba-zing!)
Over the past couple years, the site's administrators have tried to cut down on some of the rumors and trash talk, but that's sort of like trying to get rid of rednecks from NASCAR races. As long as they can stay anonymous, fans are going to rip coaches, officials and, yes, even players.
"I hate it," Canfield girls basketball/girls tennis coach Pat Pavlansky said. "The amount of disinformation is ridiculous and you should not be allowed to talk about high school athletes the way they do. It should be illegal."
Like many coaches, Pavlansky bans his players from posting. Fitch football coach Neal Kopp doesn't try to keep his players from checking the site -- he admits he does -- but he forbids trash talk.
"I told the kids I don't want them to get involved in it," Kopp said. "If fans want to talk about the games, all the power to them. But I better not catch any of my kids or coaches doing it."
Since the site isn't going away, I'm not going to waste time asking fans to ignore it. But I think a lot of them need a reminder that this is a site about high school kids and underpaid/overworked coaches and officials.
They deserve better.
Random anecdotesthat may only interest me
After Fitch played well in a scrimmage against Lakewood St. Edward, Wildcat coach John Gibbons was so unhappy with his players that he made them push Fitch's blocking sleds up and down the practice field. Then, when he was told by a Fitch coach that the Falcons had food for his team, he said, "You already served us our lunch. We're getting on the bus."
When do I think a coach should retire? When he starts doing stuff like that.
In Week Two, I got a rare chance to watch a game as a fan when I went to the Canton McKinley at Uniontown Lake game.
Since the stands were packed, my friends and I ended up standing in the back row of the student section. One kid had his head shaved and completely painted in Lake's colors. When I wondered if he'd get lead poisoning or something, the student in front of me said, "I hope so."
Why? Is he a jerk?
"No, I just think it would be cool."
Why do I love student sections? Stuff like that.
Completely subjectivemidseason awards
Favorite band song: Canfield's "Jungle Boogie."
Least favorite band song: Any song that begins with the announcement, "You all remember that hit song from the '70s ..."
Best team I've seen: Fitch.
Biggest surprise: Rayen.
Player of the year: Warren Harding's Mario Manningham.
Coach of the year: LaBrae's Bill Bohren. All those who thought LaBrae would be 4-1 raise your hands. Thought so.
Five thingsI think I think
UI think it's interesting that the Tri-County League has no schools outside Columbiana County.
UI think those Fox 17/62 "Game of the Week" commercials where Robb Schmidt tries to catch a giant football are really funny. And not in a good way.
UI think there's absolutely no good reason for two radio stations to cover the same game. And you don't want to know what I think of the three stations that are covering tonight's Harding-Ursuline game.
UI think Canfield deserves kudos for beefing up its non-league schedule. Two years ago, the Cardinals played Canton Timken, Marlington and Wilson and I thought it cost them a chance to go further in the playoffs. They replaced them with Canton South, Chaney and East Liverpool. There's such a thing as playing too many tough teams (just ask Boardman) but I think too many coaches would rather go undefeated than play teams that will help them get better.
UI also think Wilson deserves a lot of credit for playing a more appropriate schedule. Over the past two years, the Redmen have played Boardman, Fitch, Canfield, Poland and Massillon Washington. They still have a 25-game losing streak, but they've been more competitive.
XJoe Scalzo is a sportswriter for The Vindicator. Write him at scalzo@vindy.com.