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Slone sleepless in Southington
By Steve Ruman
Southington coach Ryan Slone is losing a lot of sleep this week, but it has nothing to do with his team’s upcoming Division VII, Region 23 playoff game against Norwalk St. Paul.
Slone’s inability to get a full night’s rest is the result of a new addition to the family — a newborn boy which arrived last Thursday. Slone’s wife gave birth on Halloween night, an event which triggered two-day roller coaster ride for the Wildcats mentor.
One day after becoming a dad, Slone was on the sidelines to guide Southington in its regular-season finale against Pymatuning Valley. At the start of the night, Slone’s team controlled its playoff destiny.
After building a 21-6 halftime lead, the Wildcats surrendered three second-half touchdowns and lost 28-21.
“It was a tale of two halves,” Slone said. “By the end of the night, we knew we needed quite a few things to go our way on Saturday in order to qualify. We told our players that we’d see them on Monday, but we didn’t know if it was to practice or to turn in uniforms.”
Slone spent Saturday night scoreboard-watching. With losses by Warren JFK and Youngstown Christian, the Wildcats earned their first playoff berth in 12 years. Just before 10 p.m., Slone sent out a text to his players which read, “Welcome to the playoffs.”
“It was a crazy couple of days filled with a ton of emotion,” Slone said. “Those are a couple of days that I’ll never forget.”
STAYING IN RHYTHM
Lowellville coach Jeff D’Altorio has been roaming the sidelines for 15 years, either as an assistant or head coach at the varsity level. Until now, D’Altorio’s teams have never played on a Saturday.
D’Altorio and his players will get their first taste of Saturday football when Lowellville visits Danville in a Division VII, Region 23 quarterfinal game. In addition to playing off-schedule, the Rockets will be making a 130-mile trek to Knox County. It’s the longest travel for any of the 112 schools playing a first-round road game.
Lowellville’s longest regular-season road trip this year was a 31-mile venture to Sebring.
However, if you think that D’Altorio and his players are bothered by the changes, think again.
“This is a huge happening for the kids,” D’Altorio said. “No school buses this week, they get to travel on charter buses, and they couldn’t be more thrilled about the trip. It’s something different, it’s something very special for the kids and the community.”
The Rockets will enjoy a team meal at noon, then depart for Danville at 1 p.m.
“Once we arrive, it will be business as usual,” D’Altorio said. “We’ll go through our team meetings and pregame workouts just as we would on any other given game day. We’re not worried at all that the travel or the Saturday game will hurt this team in any way.
“This group will play as hard as they ever have. But they’ve also earned the right to enjoy the experience.”
VALLEY RESIDENT HOSTS POLAND
When Poland travels to Chesterland for its first-round game, the Bulldogs will be greeted by Girard resident John Cardiero, who serves as the West Geauga athletic director and boys basketball coach.
Cardiero, a Girard High graduate, has been the West Geauga AD for seven years. He is in his fifth year of guiding the basketball program.
“It’s really neat to have a local team coming our way,” Cardiero said. “I was in high school back when Girard and Poland were both members of the Mahoning Valley Conference. Those were great battles, and Poland has always had a first-class sports program.”
Cardiero noted that his brother-in-law lives directly across the street from Poland High School, while his mom’s best friend lives just down the street from the school.
“I’m in Poland quite a bit,” Cardiero said. “I love the community, but I have to root against the Bulldogs this one time.”
West Geauga coach Lou Cirino also has a background with the Bulldogs. He was a player for the Wolverines when the two teams met in a first-round game in 2001.
BATTLING A HORNETS NEST
McDonald (7-3) won three of its final four regular-season games to grab the eighth seed in Division VI, Region 19. As a reward, the Blue Devils must face the hottest team in Ohio. The Blue Devils’ first-round opponent, Kirtland, has won 45 consecutive regular-season games, and 58 of 60 overall. The Hornets won a state title in 2011, and were state runners-up a year ago.
“It’s funny, I remember scrimmaging them in the ’80s and they were pathetic,” said McDonald coach Dan Williams. “They are now what everyone else is striving to be.
“You look at their films, and you can’t find anything they do wrong. They are so fundamentally sound and they have an abundance of talent. We have a very rich history that we’re proud of. They are creating their own history, and it is quite remarkable.”
McDonald’s 40-man roster is one of the largest Division VI rosters in the Valley. By comparison, the Hornets dress 72 players. In fact, the Hornets have had an astounding 30 different players gain positive rushing yards this season.
Kirtland has outscored opponents this year 580-83. Its closest game was a 41-14 win over Cuyahoga Heights.
MOLLENKOPF HOPING TO HOST
Despite having to cancel its final regular-season game of the year because of heightened tensions in the community, Warren has applied to host playoff games.
The Ohio High School Athletic Association uses neutral sites for its regional semifinals and regional final games, along with the state semifinals.
“We put in for a game and we’re here for the OHSAA should they decide that Mollenkopf Stadium would best serve their needs,” said Warren Athletic Director Paul Trina. “We canceled our game based on information we received specifically to that day, but there is absolutely no reason to believe we can’t or shouldn’t host playoff games.
“We’ve always taken care of our [playoff] guests in the past, and we host a first-class tournament. We’ve never had issues with students or fans, and if the state chooses to use our facility, it will be business as usual.”
One night after the canceled Lorain-Warren G. Harding game, Mollenkopf Stadium played host to a contest between Warren JFK and Cleveland Central Catholic.
Mollenkopf historically is one of the area’s most widely used stadiums during the playoffs. Many years it has hosted multiple tournament games.