LOCAL

LOCAL

Harding opponent new

WARREN — The Warren G. Harding Raider football team has replaced Cleveland JFK with Ingster High School out of Michigan as its opening opponent on August 24, 2007.

Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m. Ingster was the 2006 Division 6 state runner-up in Michigan.

Season tickets will go on sale August 1 at Harding’s ticket office. For more, call the athletic office at (330) 392-8425.

Shields picks Thiel

GREENVILLE, Pa. — Jackson-Milton High graduate Matt Shields recently announced his intention to attend Thiel with plans to continue his football experience by playing for the Tomcats under seventh-year coach Jack Leipheimer.

Matt, the son of Todd Butler of Berlin Center and Tami Shields of North Jackson, plans to major in business administration.

Boney Junior winner

FAIRVIEW PARK, Ohio — Mollie Boney of Youngstown placed first in the girls’ 16-19-year-old age group at the Northern Ohio PGA Junior golf tournament at Big Met Golf Course.

She shot a 1-over-par 74 to edge 12 other golfers.

Stars & Stripes race

HOWLAND — The Fourth of July Stars and Stripes 5-kilometer (3.1-mile) run and 1-mile walk, sponsored by St. Joe’s Urgent Care Center, will be held July 4 at the Howland High School Stadium.

Registration will begin at 7 a.m. and will be followed by the 1-mile fun walk at 8 a.m. and the 5K race at 8:20 a.m.

A children’s 50-yard dash will follow the race. Runners should arrive no later than 7:30.

Registration will be $15 on race day. The 1-mile fun walk is $10 and the 50-yard dash is free.

The 5K course will follow a route thorough Howland that will be closed to traffic for the event.

All children must be accompanied by an adult.

The first 300 entrants will receive souvenir T-shirts. Cash prizes will be awarded to the top overall male and female finishers, as well the top from each age division.

Montana works Big 33

HERSHEY, Pa. — Local football official Pat Montana recently officiated in the Big 33 football game between Ohio and Pennsylvania All-Stars.

The only other local officials who have worked this game in the past were John Patton, Tony Montana (Pat’s brother) and John Vicarel.

Schaffert is certified

HILTON HEAD, S.C. — Former Youngstown State tennis standout Kevin Schaffert was recently certified by Professional Tennis Registry to teach as a professional.

Schaffert graduated from YSU in 2005 where he was on an athletic scholarship. He has been teaching tennis for five years.

NATION

Perry has better day,
tied for lead after 63

GRAND BLANC, Mich. — It wasn’t supposed to be Kenny Perry’s week.

He spent all of Wednesday in the hospital when his wife, Sandy, came down with food poisoning.

Then Perry drummed up a little more business for the health-care profession Thursday when he hit a lady flush on the nose with his three-wood approach to the 16th hole. He also hit a man in the shoulder with his tee shot on the 13th hole.

And then came Friday. As the second round of the Buick Open dawned, fortune finally smiled on Perry. He started the day at one-under par. Eight birdies, an eagle and a bogey later, his reversal of fortune was complete. He had shot nine-under-par 63 and vaulted into a three-way tie for the lead at 10-under 134.

All this after Perry almost called it quits before he had even hit his first tee shot at Warwick Hills Country Club.

“At first I told Sandy, let’s just go home, it ain’t worth it, with her feeling the way she was feeling and with the way yesterday went,” said Perry, the 2001 tournament champion. “I felt like the guy — everybody was staying away from me. They said, we’re going to get away from you. And then to have this happen, you never know. It may be my week. It may be destiny.”

First, Perry will have to distance himself from a tight leader board that boasts five former champions within two shots of each other.

Staff/wire reports