Football title games to stay at OSU until 2016

Football title games to stay at OSU until 2016

COLUMBUS

The high school football state championships will remain at Ohio Stadium in Columbus for an additional year, through 2016, the Ohio High School Athletic Association announced Tuesday jointly with the Greater Columbus Sports Commission.

The announcement comes as details are being finalized for the 2015 state championships, which include a public all-session ticket sale date of Aug. 17 for the seven state championship games.

The Sports Commission and the Ohio State Athletics Department were awarded a contract to host the football championships in 2014 and 2015, with the OHSAA intending to move the finals in 2016 back to Stark County, which hosted the championships for 24 years (1990-2013). However, the massive renovations underway in Canton at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, formerly Fawcett Stadium, are not expected to be completed until 2017.

Mount Union No. 1 in OAC preseason polls

CANTON

The Mount Union football team toped both the Ohio Athletic Conference media and coaches preseason polls announced Tuesday at OAC Football Media Day at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton.

Mount Union earned nine of 10 first place votes in the coaches poll and 25 of 27 first place votes in the media poll. The other first place votes in both polls belonged to second-ranked John Carroll.

The Purple Raiders went 14-1 last season, won the OAC championship for a 23rd straight season (26th overall) and advanced to the NCAA Division III title game for a 10th year in a row.

The 2015 season begins Sept. 5 at 1:30 p.m. against Bethany (W.Va.) College at Mount Union Stadium.

Eastwood Mall to host fan event with Bo Pelini

niles

Fans will have the opportunity to meet new Youngstown State football coach Bo Pelini at Firebirds Wood Fired Grill in the Eastwood Mall in Niles later this month.

Pelini will be there on Aug. 26 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. The event is free and a professional photographer will be on hand to provide fans with free photos with the coach.

Fans who want to shorten their wait in line may pick up a Fast Pass at Firebirds starting on Aug. 5, between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. There’s a limit of one Fast Pass per person, while supplies last. For more information, call 330-505-9660.

Caimano places 10th in 5K at Senior Olympics

Rinaldo ‘Butch’ Caimano of Boardman recently competed in the National Senior Olympics, which were held in Minneapolis Minn. in July.

Caimano competed in the 5K Road Race and finished in the top-10 nationally. He placed 10th with a time of 21:02 with a 6:47 pace per mile.

Caimano competes in the 60-64 year-old age group. He was also regional winner of the Memorial Mile in the senior division, which was also held this summer.

Dombrowski out as Tigers’ president, GM

DETROIT

Dave Dombrowski is out as president and general manager of the Detroit Tigers and been replaced by Al Avila.

The move was announced Tuesday by the Tigers, who are 51-54 and 111/2 games out of first place in the AL Central.

Dombrowski joined the Tigers as team president in 2002. He replaced Randy Smith as general manager after the team lost the first six games of the season.

He presided over Detroit’s AL-record 119 losses in 2003. But he built a roster that reached the postseason five times, losing the World Series in 2006 and 2012.

Avila is the father of Tigers catcher Alex Avila. He has served as Dombrowski’s top assistant since 2002 and also worked under him with the Marlins.

Staff/wire report