Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan says he will reimburse the city for the cost of 18,000 fliers mailed to primary voters.

The city spent $7,086 to produce and send out fliers promoting local Issues 1 and 2, despite the fact that they are noncontroversial and there’s no organized opposition to either.

The flier, which was expected to reach about 24,000 voters, includes a photo of a smiling Horrigan.

The mayor said Friday — the same day a short story appeared in the Beacon Journal on the cost — that he would reimburse the city using his campaign funds.

Horrigan said he didn’t want any attention diverted away from the importance of approving both issues, which go before voters on Tuesday.

Issue 1 would allow the city to start a gas aggregation program. Issue 2 would change the charter to create a department of human resources.

Both changes were recommended earlier this year by a blue-ribbon task force created by Horrigan.

Rick Armon can be reached at 330-996-3569 or rarmon@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter at @armonrickABJ.

LOS ANGELES: Keith Emerson, founder and keyboardist of the progressive-rock band Emerson, Lake and Palmer, has died in what may have been a suicide, it was announced Friday. He was 71.

Emerson’s longtime partner, Mari Kawaguchi, called police to his condominium in the coastal suburb of Santa Monica, Calif., about 1:30 a.m.

Emerson had an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, police said. “It’s being investigated as a suicide,” Sgt. Erika Aklufi said.

Kawaguchi told police that Emerson could have died anywhere between Thursday evening and Friday morning.

“Keith was a gentle soul whose love for music and passion for his performance as a keyboard player will remain unmatched for many years to come,” his former bandmate, drummer Carl Palmer, said in a prepared statement. “He was a pioneer and an innovator whose musical genius touched all of us in the worlds of rock, classical and jazz. I will always remember his warm smile, good sense of humor, compelling showmanship and dedication to his musical craft. I am very lucky to have known him and to have made the music we did together.”

Kawaguchi said Emerson was able to compose without any instrument.

Emerson, Palmer and vocalist/guitarist Greg Lake were giants of progressive rock in the 1970s, recording six platinum-selling albums. They and other hit groups such as Pink Floyd, the Moody Blues and Genesis stepped away from rock’s emphasis on short songs with dance beats, instead creating albums with ornate pieces full of complicated rhythms, intricate chords and time signature changes. The orchestrations drew on classical and jazz styles and sometimes wedded rock instruments with full orchestras.

Emerson, Lake and Palmer’s 1973 album Brain Salad Surgery included a nearly 30-minute composition called Karn Evil 9.

A musical prodigy, Emerson was born in Todmorden, Yorkshire, in England.

He helped form one of the first progressive rock groups, the Nice, before hooking up with Lake and Palmer in 1970. ELP broke up in 1979, reunited in 1991, later disbanded again and reunited one last time for a 2010 tour.

A convicted heroin dealer was charged Thursday with providing drugs to a Wadsworth man who accidentally overdosed and died in an Akron parking lot in September.

LeTroy Vaughn, 24, of Akron, was charged with felony counts of involuntary manslaughter, corrupting another with drugs and drug trafficking. Vaughn is accused of dealing fentanyl — an extremely potent narcotic drug — to 25-year-old Eric Ward, who used the drugs and died in the McDonald’s parking lot at 1650 Copley Road.

Fentanyl is a drug 40 to 50 times more potent than heroin, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Some drug dealers sell fentanyl itself, and others sell it mixed with heroin to boost the drug’s potency.

Experts have attributed a dramatic spike in the number of opiate overdose deaths to the rise of street fentanyl. Many drug users overdose, experts report, because they use the same dose of fentanyl as they would heroin despite the difference in potency.

In Ward’s case, he used fentanyl only. Police reported they found him dead in a parked van just after midnight on Sept. 28.

Ward’s family members followed a national trend after his death by acknowledging his addiction in his obituary. They asked the community to donate money in lieu of flowers to help establish Wadsworth Against Substance Abuse, an advocacy group.

According to police reports, the Copley Road McDonald’s parking lot is a hotbed of drug activity. Dozens have been arrested there on charges of drug abuse, possession and trafficking since 2009. Gary Guenther, chief investigator for the Summit County Medical Examiner’s Office, said fatal overdoses there are unusual, however.

If convicted of selling the fentanyl that killed Ward, Vaughn could face 11 or possibly more years in prison. He’s already serving a mandatory three-year prison sentence for trafficking heroin.

In that case, police reported they found an ounce of heroin, a digital scale and thousands of dollars in drug money during a traffic stop in February 2015. Vaughn and codefendant Gabriel Dixon were charged, according to court records. Dixon was sentenced to 2½ years in prison for his involvement.

Nick Glunt can be reached at 330-996-3565 or nglunt@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @NickGluntABJ.

They stood by the dozens side by side in lab coats, hospital scrubs, suits and police uniforms outside of Summa’s Akron City Hospital.

It was a day of celebration Friday, as the security officer at Summa’s St. Thomas Hospital who was stabbed several times in February by a psychiatric patient was able to walk out of City and go home for the first time.

The sight of the hospital workers cheering along with the flashing lights of police vehicles from numerous Northeast Ohio police departments and hospitals lining the street stopped Arthur Belcher Jr. in his tracks.

He stood for a moment to soak in the love and then waved his hands high in the air.

“You saved my life,” Belcher, 54, told the crowd.

He credited the hospital care and prayers from his fellow hospital workers, friends, family and the police community for his remarkable recovery. He thanked many by name.

“[God] heard your prayers,” Belcher said.

After leaving City Hospital, Belcher was given a police escort back home that included a brief stop at St. Thomas, where he was greeted by workers.

A patient, Andrew Wallace, 33, attacked Belcher and stabbed him several times Feb. 16 while he was working security at the hospital.

Akron police say Wallace, who is homeless, concealed a knife while he was being admitted to the hospital and attacked Belcher.

Wallace was arrested and charged with two counts of felonious assault. His case is pending in Summit County Common Pleas Court.

David E. Davis, chief of protective services at Summa Health System, said Belcher was at the hospital that night to not only protect the staff, but also the patients and their families.

What happened that night, Davis said, reinforces the importance and danger of the job of the security forces at Summa.

“This is a day of closure for all of us,” he said. “Art is an institution here at Summa.”

Whenever something happens to a member of the Summa family, Jason Niehaus, vice president of hospital operations, said the staff rallies to support not just the employee, but also his or her family.

“It is a joyous day to see him go home,” Niehaus said.

Craig Webb can be reached at cwebb@thebeaconjournal.com or 330-996-3547.

Maple Sugar Festival at Hale

The Maple Sugar Festival returns to Hale Farm & Village in Bath Township on Saturday, Sunday and March 19 and 20. You can follow the steps in the process, from tree tapping to pouring it on pancakes. Buy some syrup to take home and check out Hale Farm’s usual demonstrations and sights. The festival will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Breakfast and activities are $15 for adults, $10 for children ages 3 to 12, $5 for members. Pancake breakfast only is $5. Reservations are not necessary. 330-666-3711 or www.halefarm.org.

Egg show at Our Lady of Elms

Another kind of food artistry will be on display at the Elegant Egg & More, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday at Our Lady of the Elms, 1375 W. Exchange St., Akron. It’s a show and sale of eggshell art such as the famously intricate pysanky eggs. Decorating classes at 1 p.m. both days are $20 each (advance registration required). http://TheElegantEgg.weebly.com.

‘Cinderella’ ballet in Canton

The Canton Ballet ends its 50th anniversary season with the fairy-tale ballet Cinderella at 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the Canton Palace Theatre, 605 Market Ave. N., Canton. Tickets are $11-$25 at 330-455-7220 or www.cantonballet.com.

‘American Idol’ singer in Kent

The Kent Stage presents American Idol alum David Cook at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25 (the $75 VIP seats are sold out) at 330-677-5005, www.thekentstage.com. The Kent Stage is at 175 E. Main St.

CLEVELAND: They ran out of gas, sputtered and ultimately stalled.

The University of Akron women’s basketball team blew a 12-point lead and wasted an impressive performance by freshman Lilli Piper, a Walsh Jesuit graduate, on its way to an 88-87 loss to Buffalo in a Mid-American Conference Tournament semifinal Friday afternoon at Quicken Loans Arena.

Piper led the fifth-seeded Zips (19-13) with 24 points and nine rebounds. Guards Anita Brown and Hannah Plybon added 22 points each.

Guard Joanna Smith led Buffalo with 18 points and eight rebounds.

Despite their struggles, the Zips found themselves with a chance with 7.6 seconds left after battling back from an eight-point deficit. Trailing 86-84, the Zips fouled Buffalo’s Ayoleka Sodade, who missed the back end of a 1-and-1 free-throw opportunity, only to come up with the offensive rebound.

That summarized the game perfectly as eighth-seeded Buffalo (19-13) bullied the Zips on the glass. They outmuscled UA, outrebounding the Zips 51-37.

A 20-11 advantage on the offensive glass led to 22 second-chance points for the Bulls.

“At the end of the day, Buffalo deserved to win,” Zips coach Jodi Kest said. “They killed us on the offensive glass and that was one of the big differences.”

Buffalo coach Felisha Legette-Jack said the Bulls reflect her principles.

“We build our family from the inside out, and we certainly think we should be a rebounding team since that’s what I teach,” she said. “... We’re supposed to outrebound opponents, I don’t care who we play, I just believe in it.”

Add to the mix UA’s inability to take advantage of a gift from the officials. The Bulls’ best player and second-leading scorer Stephanie Reid was forced out of the game after protesting her fourth personal foul and drawing a technical. It didn’t matter. The Zips held a 50-45 lead when Reid left, but the Bulls outscored them 43-37 the rest of the way.

“Yeah, like Stephanie is the head of our body, so I’m sure when she got fouled out, they said ‘Oh, I have this game in my hand,’ ” Sodade said. “But that’s not the case, we always pull through with whoever we have on the floor.”

Reid’s replacement, freshman guard Gabi Bade, scored 13 points in relief.

“And you’ve got to give them credit,” Kest said. “[Reid] is out of the game and those other kids that came off the bench, they won the game for them.”

Part of that credit includes the Bulls’ effort to make Brown work for every shot, causing her to look gassed and frustrated at times. Brown’s points came on 7-of-23 shooting for the game.

“They just made a lot of pressure for me, they made it hard for me to get the ball,” Brown said. “That’s pretty much it.”

Piper provided the lift the Zips needed with Brown struggling early. Piper came into the game averaging 1.9 points. Kest said she hadn’t played as much because of conditioning, an issue Piper will have to work on.

“She’s been playing well over the last couple weeks,” Kest said. “So we’ve seen that and we had a couple different backups throughout the year and kept giving different people opportunities. The last couple weeks she was the one that we felt could come off the bench and give us a spark and she did that today.”

The Zips are hoping their record will be good enough to get a bid for the Women’s National Invitation Tournament, which will be announced Monday night.

George M. Thomas can be reached at gmthomas@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Zips blog at www.ohio.com/zips. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GeorgeThomasABJ.

BASKETBALL

GIRLS

State Tournament Scoreboard

Friday’s Results

Division IV Semifinals

Waterford 52, Willoughby Cornerstone Christian 42

Fostoria St. Wendelin 47, Jackson Center 37

Division I Semifinals

Wadsworth 58, Reynoldsburg 48

Mason 48, Solon 31

———

Scoring Summary

Division I State Semifinal
WADSWORTH 58, REYNOLDSBURG 48

Reynoldsburg 19 12 10  7 — 48

Wadsworth 11 16 11 20 — 58

REYNOLDSBURG (23-6) — Crockwell 3-1-8, Davis 1-0-2, Ezeudu 3-2-8, Gaskins 0-1-1, B. Johnson 2-0-5, Pannell 7-3-19, Salley 2-1-5. Totals: 18-46 8-13 48.

WADSWORTH (27-1) — P. Banks 3-2-8, Fortner 2-4-9, Je. Johnson 3-0-6, Jo. Johnson 5-14-24, Lance 4-0-8, Palitto 1-0-3. Totals: 18-46 20-24 58.

3-point goals: Pannell 2, Crockwell, B. Johnson, Fortner, Palitto. Fouls: Rey., 18-14. Rebounds: Rey., 23 (Ezeudu 11); Wad., 38 (Jo. Johnson 9). Turnovers: Wad., 12-11.

———

State Tournament Schedule

Saturday’s Games

Division III Final

Marion Pleasant (27-2) vs. Columbus Africentric (23-5), 10:45 a.m.

Division II Final

Kettering Alter (27-2) vs. Ottawa-Glandorf (26-2), 2 p.m.

Division IV Final

Waterford (27-1) vs. Fostoria St. Wendelin (26-3), 5:15 p.m.

Division I Final

Wadsworth (27-1) vs. Mason (26-2), 8:30 p.m.

———

BOYS

Tournament 
Scoreboard

Friday’s Result

Canton Division IV Regional Final

Willoughby Cornerstone Christian 83, Cleveland Hts. Lutheran East 63

———

Late Thursday

Akron Division I Regional Semifinal
CANTON MCKINLEY 72, BRUNSWICK 65

Brunswick 15  6 11 33 — 65

McKinley 20 18 12 22 — 72

BRUNSWICK (21-5) — Goessler 2-0-6, Quiring 6-4-19, Kev. Simmons 3-17-23, Cebula 2-0-5, Badowski 2-0-6, Mick 1-1-4, Flynn 1-0-2. Totals: 17-23-65.

CANTON MCKINLEY (22-5) — Straughter 3-2-8, Wood 0-2-2, L. Toles 6-3-19, I. Williams 2-0-4, Davis 8-1-17, K. Hall 6-1-13, Stovall 1-0-2, Robinson 1-0-2, C. Hall 1-0-2, Leavall 1-0-3. Totals: 29-9-72.

3-point goals: L. Toles 4, Quiring 3, Goessler 2, Badowski 2, Mick, Cebula, Leavall. Fouls: CMK., 23-16. Rebounds: Bru., 22 (Quiring 5); CMK., 40 (L. Toles 8). Turnovers: CMK., 16-12.

———

Tournament Schedule

Saturday’s Games

Toledo/Akron Division I Regional Final

(At Rhodes Arena, University of Akron)

Canton McKinley vs. Lima Senior, 7 p.m.

Canton Division II Regional Final

(At Canton Memorial Civic Center)

St. Vincent-St. Mary vs. Cleveland Benedictine, noon

Canton Division III Regional Final

(At Canton Memorial Fieldhouse)

St. Thomas Aquinas vs. Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph, 7 p.m.

———

State Tournament Schedule

(At Schottenstein Center, Ohio State)

Thursday’s Games

Division III Semifinals

St. Thomas Aquinas (19-8)-Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph (21-5) winner vs. Lynchburg Clay (24-2)-Marion Pleasant (16-11) winner, 10:45 a.m.

Lima Central Catholic (25-1)-Toledo Ottawa Hills (22-3) winner vs. Cin. St Bernard Roger Bacon (20-7)-Cin. Summit Country Day (24-2) winner, 2 p.m.

Division II Semifinals

St. Vincent-St. Mary (24-3)-Cleveland Benedictine (22-4) winner vs. Cincinnati Taft (22-5)-Cincinnati Aiken (24-4) winner, 5:15 p.m.

Columbus St. Francis DeSales (21-6)-New Concord John Glenn (25-1)-Ottawa-Glandorf (21-5) winner, 8:30 p.m.

———

March 18 Games

Division IV Semifinals

Willoughby Cornerstone Christian (15-12) vs. Columbus Wellington School (24-3), 10:45 a.m.

Van Wert Lincolnview (26-1) vs. Jackson Center (24-4), 2 p.m.

Division I Semifinals

Canton McKinley (22-5)-Lima Senior (27-0) winner vs. Centerville (17-10)-Wilmington (25-1) winner, 5:15 p.m.

Westerville South (23-4)-Gahanna Lincoln (25-2) winner vs. Garfield Heights (22-4)-Cleveland St. Ignatius (20-6) winner, 8:30 p.m.

———

March 19 Games

Division III Final

Semifinal winners, 10:45 a.m.

Division II Final

Semifinal winners, 2 p.m.

Division IV Final

Semifinal winners, 5:15 p.m.

Division I Final

Semifinal winners, 8:30 p.m.

The University of Akron and the Akron chapter of the American Association of University Professors announced Friday that they have reached a tentative four-year contract agreement.

Details of the deal have not been released.

It now must be ratified by the university’s board of trustees and Akron AAUP members. Leaders of both groups are recommending ratification of the proposal.

They hammered out an agreement late Thursday.

The chapter membership will begin voting after an informational meeting Wednesday. Members will have a week to vote. It will be an electronic vote. The board has not set a date on when trustees will vote on the contract. University officials said management usually votes after the membership vote.

“We’re on the same page,” said trustees chairman Jonathan Pavloff. “We spent a lot of time on it and I think it will work for all us. I’m hopeful we can put this behind us and focus on those things that are important for student success.”

The leadership of the union said it’s a fair contract.

“In every negotiation, you prioritize some things and one side wants something they really want and the other side has something they really want, and you hope you can come to an agreement. I think it’s a good contract for both sides,” said John Zipp, president of the Akron AAUP. “It lends stability to the university for the next four years and I think there are certain provisions in it that have important ways to move forward.”

The previous two-year contract expired June 30, 2015.

Members of the 600-plus full-time faculty union have been working on a day-to-day extension of the contract. The two sides have been negotiating since December 2014.

A federal mediator was brought in last December.

Last week, the union voted and approved a strike authorization vote, giving union leadership authority to call a strike if needed.

“We only have one more step to take and then we can put this behind us,” Zipp said. “Both sides have shown the willingness and understanding if something comes to us that people didn’t anticipate, there may be things we have to tweak in the future as circumstances change.”

Marilyn Miller can be reached at 330-996-3098 or mmiller@thebeaconjournal.com.

Some Ohio teens will get a chance to help decide which candidate could potentially run for president this fall.

A Franklin County judge on Friday reversed an earlier edict from the Ohio secretary of state that banned 17-year-olds from casting ballots in the state’s presidential primary.

The move angered some teens — prompting nine to file a legal challenge seeking to reverse Secretary of State Jon Husted’s edict.

In the past, 17-year-old voters who turn 18 before the November election were permitted to vote in the primary for party races including mayor, congressional and even presidential contests. They were not allowed to vote on tax issues, the actual election of a candidate for office or candidates for a party’s governing board.

Husted, a Republican, argued that the state’s Constitution and Ohio law only allows the teens to vote “solely on the nomination of candidates.” Since Ohio’s presidential primary involves the election of delegates and not the nomination then they should not be allowed to vote.

Common Pleas Court Judge Richard Frye issued an emergency order “blocking Husted’s instructions” clearing the way for 17-year-olds to vote in Tuesday’s primary.

Graham Sell of Akron, who turns 18 in August, was elated to hear the news. The Western Reserve Academy student had one word to express his excitement — “Awesome.”

Graham and his father tried voting in-person on Saturday in Summit County.

After an hour arguing the finer points of Ohio law and the merits of the directive from Husted banning the teens from voting in the presidential race, poll workers in Summit County would not let him check the box next to Bernie Sanders — his choice for president.

He is now hoping he can update his ballot since he was blocked from casting his vote for the presidential candidate.

“I voted for the non-presidential candidates,” said Graham, who is among 15,474 17-year-olds who will turn 18 before Nov. 8. “So I’m not sure if they’ll let me vote again.

“I guess I’ll go down there and see.”

Rachel Bloomekatz, who represented the Central Ohio teens who challenged Husted’s decision, applauded the ruling.

Bloomekatz told the Associated Press that the delegates serve as “the voters’ surrogates at a party’s nominating convention” and are not elected to an office in the traditional sense.

Husted issued a statement Friday saying he plans to appeal the ruling, arguing “this last-minute legislating from the bench on election law has to stop.”

“No matter the outcome of these disputes, I want 17-year-olds to know that they are eligible to vote on certain races and they should exercise that right,” Husted said.

The chairman of Ohio’s Democratic Party encouraged teen voters to exercise their right to vote.

“We were confident that Secretary Husted’s directive barring young Ohioans from voting for their chosen presidential candidate would not hold up in court, but it’s still a shame it came to this,” said David Pepper in a statement. “We urge Husted and Attorney General Mike DeWine not to appeal this ruling. Young Ohioans deserve to have a say in whom they want to lead our country.”

FairVote, a group that tracks electoral issues, notes that some 20 other states allow 17-year-olds to vote in presidential primaries or caucuses.

State Rep. Kathleen Clyde, D-Kent, who has been an outspoken critic of Husted’s decision, said Ohio law has allowed 17-year-olds to vote in presidential primaries since 1981.

“I hope we can focus our efforts on making voting easier and more accessible — rather than harder — for all Ohioans,” Clyde said.

The Associated Press contributed to this article. Craig Webb can reached at cwebb@thebeaconjournal.com or 330-996-3547. Doug Livingston can be reached at dlivingston@thebeaconjournal.com or 330-996-3792.

Summit County Common Pleas Judge Christine Croce has denied former Akron police captain Douglas Prade a new trial in the death of his ex-wife.

“The defendant has failed to introduce any new evidence that the jury had not already considered during the 1998 trial,” Croce said in her 18-page decision released Friday afternoon.

Croce said the DNA evidence that another judge found should exonerate Prade was “likely the product of incidental transfer and or contamination, rendering those profiles meaningless.” She said the introduction of the DNA evidence at a new trial therefore likely wouldn’t change the verdict.

Kenya Prade, one of Prade’s two daughters who is supportive of her father, first learned about Croce’s ruling Friday on Facebook. She said she planned to talk to her father over the weekend.

“I am just upset with the decision,” she said. “That’s pretty much it.”

Summit County Prosecutor Sherri Bevan Walsh, though, who fought against the new trial, was pleased.

“In this case, there was overwhelming evidence that Douglas Prade stalked and terrorized Margo Prade prior to killing her. Judge Croce agreed that the DNA found on Margo’s lab coat was unreliable and meaningless,” Walsh said in a statement. “For the past 19 years, Doug Prade has tried to find one way or another out of prison. It’s time for him to accept the jury’s verdict and take responsibility.”

A fight for freedom

David Alden, Prade’s attorney with the Ohio Innocence Project, was on the road Friday returning from vacation and had not yet had the chance to read the ruling.

“We’re reviewing it and will see if there are grounds to appeal, which I suspect there are,” he said.

Prade, who will turn 70 later this month, was convicted and sentenced to life in prison for the 1997 shooting death of his ex-wife, Margo Prade, that happened inside her van at the parking lot of her Wooster Avenue Medical office.

Prade was seeking a new trial based on DNA evidence that excluded his genetic markers from the most scrutinized evidence in the case — a bite mark impression left under two layers of a lab coat worn by Dr. Prade on the morning of the slaying.

In January 2013, Prade was freed from prison after Summit County Common Pleas Judge Judy Hunter ruled the DNA evidence proved his innocence. An appeal by prosecutors sent him back to prison in October 2014.

Croce’s long-awaited decision focused on whether Prade should be granted a new trial based on the new DNA evidence, forensic odontology — the study of bite-mark evidence — and eye-witness testimony. She heard oral arguments in June.

Alden said DNA evidence found near a bite mark on Margo Prade’s coat and under four of her fingernails excludes Douglas Prade from the act — though the man the DNA belongs to hasn’t been identified. He also questioned the reliability of matching teeth marks found beneath two layers of clothing on Margo Prade’s body.

Assistant Summit County Prosecutor Brad Gessner, however, argued the bite mark and DNA wouldn’t be enough to sway a future jury.

Croce agreed. She dismissed the relevance of the new evidence, repeatedly saying it “does not disclose a strong probability that a different verdict would be reached if a new trial is granted.”

Likely contamination

Croce said the DNA evidence on Margo Prade’s lab coat “traveled at various times to at least five different laboratories and were handled by an undetermined number of individuals.” The judge said it is likely the DNA “occurred due to incidental transfer and/or contamination rather than containing the true DNA from Margo Prade’s killer.”

Croce also noted “the overwhelming other circumstantial evidence in this case,” including Prade’s motive, financial problems, the impending divorce, and his jealousy. She quoted from a Ninth District Court of Appeals’ decision.

“The amount of circumstantial evidence that the state presented at trial in support of Prade’s guilt was overwhelming,” the appeal’s court said. “The picture painted by the evidence was one of an abusive, domineering husband who became accustomed to a certain standard of living and who spiralled out of control after his successful wife finally divorced him, forced him out of the house, found happiness with another man, and threatened his dwindling finances. The evidence, while all circumstantial in nature, came from numerous, independent sources and provided answers for both the means and motive for the murder.”

Alden said he was surprised and disappointed by Croce’s decision. He said the evidence, as judge Hunter found, supports both a finding of innocence and the need for a new trial. He said the ruling will be a crushing blow for his client, who is incarcerated at Allen Correctional Institution in Lima.

“For him, it’s just unimaginable — to be found innocent and wrongly re-incarcerated and now not to be granted a new trial unless we prevail on appeal,” Alden said. “He’s [nearly] 70 years old and sitting in prison. That’s a very unfortunate fact.”

Stephanie Warsmith can be reached at 330-996-3705 or swarsmith@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow on Twitter: @swarsmithabj and on Facebook: www.facebook.com/swarsmith.

Johnny Manziel unbuckled the chinstrap, ripped off his helmet and slammed it on the field at Arrowhead Stadium.

It was the last time Manziel ever donned a Browns uniform.

The team ensured it by cutting him Friday.

It could also prove to be his final appearance on the field as an NFL player.

The image of Manziel throwing a tantrum after time expired Dec. 27 in a 17-13 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs perfectly illustrates his disastrous tenure in Cleveland. The disappointment, the frustration, the agony — all of it captured in a fit of uncontrollable rage.

Manziel was drafted 22nd overall in 2014 to become the franchise quarterback of a long-suffering team. Instead, he inflicted more pain by becoming the personification of wasted talent, an enormous bust with a penchant for rampant partying and a toxic reputation.

The Browns filed for divorce from Manziel on Feb. 2, when head of football operations Sashi Brown made it clear he planned to cut the former Heisman Trophy winner from Texas A&M once the new league year arrived Wednesday and gave the organization the financial flexibility needed to absorb the $4.624 salary-cap hit.

However, the Browns held on to Manziel for a bit longer than originally expected to see if they could lure a team into trading a conditional late-round pick for him. No one bit on a deal, which would have saved them the $2.17 million he’s guaranteed during the next two seasons.

So the divorce was finalized with the Browns announcing on Twitter at 11:33 a.m. Friday they had waived Manziel. They sent a news release a minute later without a quote from their brass.

Manziel released the following statement through his publicist: “I’d like to thank the Browns for the opportunity they gave me — nearly two years ago, we all hoped that we were building what could be a championship team for Cleveland. I will always remember the support I received from the organization, my teammates and especially the fans.”

The Browns are left seeking their quarterback of the future yet again and will likely fill the role by drafting North Dakota State’s Carson Wentz or California’s Jared Goff second overall on April 28.

They’re also interested in trading with the San Francisco 49ers for quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who, according to ESPN, would be eager to join the Browns because he would like to play for coach Hue Jackson.

The Browns have been the most aggressive suitor in the Kaepernick sweepstakes, per the report, but they have competition from the Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos. On Friday, the Broncos traded a conditional late-round pick in 2017 to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for backup quarterback Mark Sanchez, a move Broncos General Manager John Elway described on Twitter as “the 1st step in our process.”

The Sacramento Bee reported the 49ers are believed to have reached an understanding with the Browns in which they would receive a third-round pick (No. 65 overall) for Kaepernick. But the Browns would want to restructure his contract first, according to NFL Network, and talks with his agents haven’t progressed enough for him to approve a new deal. The 49ers are preparing to keep him if nothing works out, per the network.

As for Manziel, he leaves Cleveland with a record of 2-6 as a starter and two years left on his four-year, $8.248 million contract, which included $7.998 million guaranteed. He completed 147-of-258 passes (57 percent) for 1,675 yards and seven touchdowns with seven interceptions to go along with a rating of 74.4. He rushed for 259 yards and a touchdown.

Manziel, 23, will be available Saturday for any team to claim off waivers. He’ll likely go unclaimed, whereupon he would become a free agent.

But perhaps no team is willing at this point to scour through the fiery wreckage of his troubled life to see if it can save his career. Not with the possibilities of jail time and a suspension from the league looming.

His ex-girlfriend Colleen Crowley accused him of beating her and threatening to kill them both Jan. 30 in Dallas. Police investigated the domestic violence case and referred it to a grand jury, which will consider whether to charge Manziel.

The NFL launched a probe as well and could suspend him, even if he’s not charged. The Browns are expected to attempt to recoup guaranteed money in Manziel’s contract if he’s suspended.

In the meantime, he has continued to live in the fast lane. Videos showing him tossing money at strippers, smoking in a nightclub and frequenting countless bars have surfaced online in the past two weeks.

He spent more than 10 weeks last year in an inpatient rehabilitation facility specializing in alcohol and drug addiction treatment, but the issues that led him there resurfaced as this past season unfolded.

For the vast majority of the past two years, the Browns stood by Manziel, defended him and, in some ways, enabled him.

Still, he finally wrote his ticket out of town when he abandoned the Browns during the Jan. 3 season finale, reportedly fleeing to party in Las Vegas that weekend while in the NFL’s concussion protocol and hiding behind a blond wig, mustache, glasses and the pseudonym “Billy.”

Throughout Manziel’s two seasons with the Browns, he was involved in so many embarrassing off-field incidents — the inflatable swan ride, the rolled-up dollar bill in a bathroom, the brawl with fans, the Oct. 12 in-car fight with Crowley — that they all can’t be listed here.

He also made countless promises to clean up his act.

But in realty, one sentence he uttered on June 27, 2014, during the NFL Rookie Symposium defined his stint with the Browns.

“I’m not going to change who I am for anybody.”

NEW YORK: Ken Adam, the British production designer who gave Dr. Strangelove its cavernous War Room and James Bond supervillains their futuristic lairs, has died. He was 95.

Adam’s biographer, Christopher Frayling, said Adam passed away in his sleep Thursday at his London home. Frayling called Adam “the greatest production designer for film, ever.”

MGM Studios and Eon Productions mourned the death of “our beloved friend” in a statement on the official James Bond Twitter account, hailing Adam as the person “who was so responsible for the visual style of the James Bond films.”

The Berlin-born Adam won two Academy Awards in a career that lasted into his 70s and spanned more than 70 films. He was revered for his indelible set artistry, including seven Bond movies. Adam was behind the Fort Knox vaults of Goldfinger, the iconic volcano hideaway of You Only Live Twice and Bond’s gadget-filled Aston Martin.

“One critic asked, ‘How did you ever get inside the volcano?’ ” Adam told the Los Angeles Times last year. “I didn’t get inside the volcano! I think that is the function of a film designer, to create something which the audience has never seen.”

In the art of production design, Adam’s work on Stanley Kubrick’s 1964 classic is widely considered among the craft’s highest achievements.

Adam was knighted in 2003, a first for a production designer.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich’s campaign says it is not coordinating with other candidates to stop Donald Trump despite a campaign schedule that offers little Republican competition days before the primary in Ohio.

Kasich spokesman Rob Nichols said Friday that the governor’s campaign has not spoken with Sens. Marco Rubio or Ted Cruz regarding a way to defeat Trump in Ohio, where Cruz and Rubio have no scheduled appearances before the primary.

Nor is Kasich going to Florida, Rubio’s must-win home state. Of the five states with Republican contests Tuesday, Kasich is expected to only be in Ohio, where he said a loss would end his bid for the White House.

Trump — with his event in Dayton and at the I-X Center in Cleveland on Saturday — was also in Ohio, according to schedules. Rubio, similar to Kasich’s play in Ohio, has no plans to leave Florida.

Do or die

Rubio and Kasich (who have won a single state between the two of them) are battling for the anti-Trump spot behind Cruz, 100 delegates behind the billionaire and apparently not putting up a fight in Ohio, or Florida.

Cruz held a town hall meeting at a Florida church Friday morning with former presidential candidate Carly Fiorina and Sean Hannity of Fox News.

He is scheduled to campaign in Columbus on Monday.

Should Trump take Ohio, Florida or both, the Republican Party will find it difficult to prevent the anti-establishment front-runner from reaching the 1,237 delegates he needs for the nomination. More than half of the nation’s Republican delegates will be awarded following Tuesday’s elections. With many states opting for winner-take-all scenarios after the Republican Party changed its rules this year for awarding delegates, wins in Ohio and Florida would put Trump on pace to win the nomination.

No collaboration?

None of the campaigns has admitted a collaborative effort to stop Trump.

However, Rubio spokesperson Alex Conant endorsed Kasich over Trump in Ohio in a CNN interview Friday morning.

“If you are a Republican primary voter in Ohio and you want to beat Donald Trump, your best chance in Ohio is John Kasich,” Conant told CNN. “My answer is John Kasich is the one candidate in Ohio who can beat Donald Trump. That’s stating the obvious.”

Rubio made similar comments later that day during a news conference in Florida.

“Clearly, John Kasich has a better chance of winning Ohio than I do, and if a voter concludes that voting for John Kasich is our best chance of stopping Donald Trump, that’s what they’ll do,” Rubio said.

Those comments come nearly a week after Kasich, speaking in Tennessee, suggested that candidates who can’t win their home states should get out of the way. Cruz already won Texas. That just leaves Rubio and himself.

“Some of the other candidates, if they can’t win their home states, they got to get out. OK?” Kasich said, according to the New York Times. “If I don’t win my home state, I’ll get out.”

The Kasich campaign wouldn’t comment on whether Kasich still plans to drop out should he lose. Instead, spokesman Chris Schrimpf said: “We agree with the Rubio campaign that the best chance to beat Donald Trump in Ohio is by voting for John Kasich. And in that spirit, Sen. Rubio should immediately tell his Super PAC to stop attacking the governor.”

Super PACs, by law, are not supposed to coordinate with campaigns.

“We do not coordinate with outside groups. Period,” said Greg Brooks, regional spokesman with the Marco Rubio campaign. “We have not coordinated with any other campaigns about strategic voting in Tuesday’s primaries. Voters in Ohio will make their own decisions on who to vote for. In Florida, we have argued that any voter who wants to defeat Donald Trump should vote Marco Rubio.”

Trump is holding onto a narrow lead over Kasich in Ohio. In head-to-head match-ups, something the Kasich camp has noted makes their candidate the most electable this fall, Ohio’s governor beats Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton where Trump falls short.

In Florida, Trump has a larger lead over Rubio, who is creeping up in the polls.

According to an average of major polling, Real Clear Politics reported Friday that Trump is leading Kasich in Ohio by 2.5 percentage points and Rubio in Florida by 14.7.

Doug Livingston can be reached at 330-996-3792 or dlivingston@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow on Twitter: @ABJDoug.

See blue herons building nests off Bath Road

Now is the perfect time to watch the great blue herons that nest in the trees off Bath Road, before the spring leaves obscure the view. Heron fans can check them out through spotting scopes from 1 to 3 p.m. at Hampton Hills Metro Park, Bath Road Heronry, at the intersection of Bath and Riverview roads in Akron. For more information, call 330-865-8065.

Anonymous postcards inspire unusual play

PostSecret is a collection of more than 1 million anonymous postcards sent to artist and curator Frank Warren, in which people confess to all kinds of things from silly to serious. PostSecret: The Show compiles many of these postcards into a narrative, and comes to the Ohio Theatre at Playhouse Square at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10-$40 at 216-241-6000 or www.playhousesquare.org.

Decoy collectors, carvers gather in Strongsville

Hunting decoys can be amazingly intricate works of art. Come check them out at the Decoy Collectors and Carvers Show, beginning at 9 a.m. at the Holiday Inn Strongsville, 15471 Royalton Road. Admission is $5. You’ll find decoy collectors, competitive carvers, artists and vendors presenting hand-made, one-of-a kind waterfowl and wildlife art. www.odcca.net.

Bowlers to raise funds for animal sanctuary

The “Pins For Ponies” Cosmic Bowling Fundraiser benefits Forever Amber Acres Animal Sanctuary in Medina. For $10, you get unlimited bowling and shoes, and there are raffles, prizes and a silent auction. It’s from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Fast Lane, 193 Wooster Road, Barberton. www.foreveramber.org/event/pins-for-the-ponies.

After months of blimp-free skies, there’s a new Goodyear airship flying over the Akron area.

Goodyear’s second NT, or New Technology, airship – not yet named – took its first flight Saturday afternoon at the company’s Wingfoot Lake blimp base in Suffield Township.

The first test flight originally was scheduled for Monday, but was pushed up to the weekend to avoid the high potential for predicted bad weather. Saturday, skies were clouding up, with a light breeze and temperatures rising to the low 50s – perfect blimp-flying weather.

Goodyear blimps have long been familiar sights for Akron area residents. But the Akron tire maker has not had an operable airship in the area since late September.

Goodyear’s first NT semi-rigid airship, called Wingfoot One, left last fall for its permanent base in Pompano Beach, Fla., making room for the under-construction NT2 in the Portage County hangar. Goodyear’s last true blimp, the Spirit of Innovation, is based in California.

Crew pulled the new airship out of the hangar about 8:30 a.m. and began putting it through a number of tests that included running the engines, checking instruments and tweaking software.

The airship underwent what is called the “swing the compass” procedure, in which the aircraft pivots in a circle while attached to its mast truck as the crew adjusts an internal magnetic compass.

But when a piece of electronic equipment failed, the airship was trucked back into the hangar so the part could be replaced.

Following a lunch break, the large airship, some 50 feet longer than the previous generation Goodyear blimp, was hauled out again.

This time, all went well.

At about 1:20 p.m., the airship detached from the mast truck. On board were pilots, engineers and mechanics.

The main pilot swiveled the side vector engines up and the airship rose, helicopter-like, and then glided forward as onlookers cheered and waved.

Once the new airship is certified, Goodyear expects to put it into regular service no later than May or June.

“This is the biggest and best news in Akron,” said Cindy Slater, a Springfield Township resident who was among onlookers watching the airship fly from the blimp base.

“We’re lucky to be here the first day it came out,” said Brenda Long, a Cuyahoga Falls resident who drove out to watch the first flight.

Jim Maquire, a Springfield Township resident, said Goodyear blimps have been flying over his home his entire life.

“It’s been a big part of our lives,” he said. Both of his parents had worked for Goodyear Aircraft at the Akron Airdock.

“It’s like an eternity since Wingfoot One left,” said Brian Corbin, a Lake Township resident. “We had perfect weather for it today.”

Construction on a third NT airship is expected to start later this year in the Wingfoot Lake hangar, with its first flight in 2017.

Jim Mackinnon can be reached at 330-996-3544 or jmackinnon@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow him @JimMackinnonABJ on Twitter or www.facebook.com/JimMackinnonABJ. His stories can be found at www.ohio.com/writers/jim-mackinnon.

WASHINGTON: Marco Rubio scored a much-needed victory Saturday night, grabbing the majority of delegates in the Republican presidential caucuses in Washington, D.C., and narrowly defeating John Kasich.

It’s the third presidential contest victory for the Florida senator. Earlier this month, Rubio won the GOP caucuses in Minnesota and the party’s primary in Puerto Rico.

Rubio picked up 10 delegates with his Saturday caucus win in the nation’s capital. Runner-up Kasich was just 50 votes behind Rubio, and the Ohio governor will get nine delegates.

None of the other candidates in the race won enough votes to earn any delegates.

Earlier in the night, Cruz added to his delegate total in the Republican county conventions in Wyoming.

The Texas senator won nine of the 12 delegates that were up for grabs. Rubio and billionaire businessman Donald Trump won one apiece. One delegate was uncommitted.

The Associated Press did not declare a winner in Wyoming on Saturday because another 14 of the state’s delegates will be awarded at the party’s state convention on April 16.

Trump leads the overall race for delegates with 460. Cruz has 369, Rubio has 163 and Kasich has 63.

It takes 1,237 delegates to win the Republican nomination for president.

In Guam, Republicans held a presidential convention but only one delegate was awarded — to Cruz.

Guam has nine delegates to the Republican National Convention. Former party chairman Mike Benito said in an email that eight delegates are uncommitted. He said they will meet Tuesday and decide whether to back a candidate.

Guam Gov. Eddie Calvo is the only delegate who has endorsed a candidate. Benito said that Calvo serves as Cruz’s local campaign chairman.

On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton picked up more superdelegates after winning the Northern Mariana Islands caucus. The chairman of the Democratic Party there, Rosiky Camacho, said all five of the U.S. territory’s superdelegates are now supporting Clinton over Bernie Sanders. Up to now, only one of them had endorsed Clinton. The others were uncommitted.

Superdelegates are party officials who can back any candidate they wish.

Camacho said that he and the others made their decision after Clinton won their caucus with 54 percent of the vote.

Earlier Saturday, Clinton had picked up four delegates to Sanders’ two based on the caucus results.

When including superdelegates, Clinton maintains a big delegate lead over Sanders, 1,231 to 576. It takes 2,383 delegates to win the nomination.

Basketball

BOYS

Tournament Scoreboard

Saturday’s Results

Toledo/Akron Division I Regional Final

Lima Senior 68, Canton McKinley 61

Cleveland Division I Regional Final

Garfield Heights 70, Cleveland St. Ignatius 69 (2OT)

Columbus Division I Regional Final

Westerville South 68, Gahann Lincoln 59

Cincinnati Division I Regional Final

Wilmington 48, Centerville 28

Canton Division II Regional Final

St. Vincent-St. Mary 53, Cleveland Benedictine 40

Kettering Division II Regional Final

Cin. Aiken 61, Cin. Taft 60

Athens Division II Regional Final

New Concord John Glenn 70, Cols. St. Francis DeSales 60

Bowling Green Division II Regional Final

Bay Village Bay 76, Ottawa-Glandorf 65

Canton Division III Regional Final

Cle. Villa Angela-St. Joseph 54, St. Thomas Aquinas 46

Athens Division III Regional Final

Lynchburg-Clay 68, Marion Pleasan 50

Bowling Green Division III Regional Final

Lima Central Catholic 54, Toledo Ottawa Hills 29

Kettering Division III Regional Final

St. Bernard Roger Bacon 66, Cin. Summit Country Day 53

Scoring Summaries

Canton Division II Regional Final
ST. VINCENT-ST. MARY 53, 
CLEVELAND BENEDICTINE 40

STVM 18 10 12 13 — 53

Benedictine 10 10  7 13 — 40

ST. VINCENT-ST. MARY (25-3) — Baddley 6-5-19, Walter 1-0-3, Williams 3-2-8, Graves 3-0-6, Lalos 2-1-6, Sampson 2-0-4, Stevens 1-0-3, Woolridge 1-0-2, Davis 1-0-2. Totals: 20-8-53.

CLEVELAND BENEDICTINE (22-5) — Patterson 5-0-10, Sylver 4-1-9, Layne 3-0-6, Moore 3-0-6, Nichols 1-0-3, Johnson 1-0-3, Fox 1-0-3. Totals: 18-2-40.

3-point goals: Baddley 2, Walter, Lalos, Stevens, Johnson, Nichols, Fox. Rebounds: STVM, 31 (Graves 8); Ben., 33. Turnovers: Ben., 16-9. Fouls: STVM, 13-12.

State Tournament Schedule

(At Schottenstein Center, Ohio State)

Thursday’s Games

Division III Semifinals

Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph (22-5) vs. Lynchburg Clay (25-2), 10:45 a.m.

Lima Central Catholic (26-1) vs. Cin. St Bernard Roger Bacon (21-7), 2 p.m.

Division II Semifinals

St. Vincent-St. Mary (25-3) vs. Cincinnati Aiken (25-4), 5:15 p.m.

New Concord John Glenn (26-1) vs. Bay Village Bay (24-3), 8:30 p.m.

———

Friday’s Games

Division IV Semifinals

Willoughby Cornerstone Christian (15-12) vs. Columbus Wellington School (24-3), 10:45 a.m.

Van Wert Lincolnview (26-1) vs. Jackson Center (24-4), 2 p.m.

Division I Semifinals

Lima Senior (28-0) vs. Wilmington (26-1), 5:15 p.m.

Westerville South (24-4) vs. Garfield Heights (23-4), 8:30 p.m.

———

Saturday’s Games

Division III Final

Semifinal winners, 10:45 a.m.

Division II Final

Semifinal winners, 2 p.m.

Division IV Final

Semifinal winners, 5:15 p.m.

Division I Final

Semifinal winners, 8:30 p.m.

GIRLS

State Tournament Scoreboard

(At Schottenstein Center, Ohio State)

Saturday’s Results

Division III Final

Cols. Africentric 59, Marion Pleasant 37

Division II Final

Kettering Alter 74, Ottawa-Glandorf 48

Division IV Final

Waterford 29, Fostoria St. Wendelin 27

Division I Final

Wadsworth 60, Mason 51

HOCKEY

State Tournament Scoreboard

Saturday’s Result

State Championship

Cleveland St. Ignatius 4, Hunting Valley University School 3

LOS ANGELES: Kobe Bryant wants LeBron James to obsess about the Golden State Warriors. James would rather obsess about his own team’s problems.

Stretched out comfortably on the practice floor at UCLA on Saturday, James agreed with Bryant’s views on conflict while rejecting the idea he should already be focusing his attention on a potential Finals showdown with the Warriors.

“Everyone has their opinion on the game, and [Bryant’s] is always a great opinion for sure. But for me, my obsession is how I can get this team going in the right direction, which I believe we’re doing right now,” James said. “If we’re able to cross that road, then we’ll cross it when that happens, but we can’t put ourselves in obsession with the Warriors right now.”

Bryant said after the Cavaliers’ victory against the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday that James needs to obsess about how to beat the Warriors and that internal conflict is needed to win a championship.

“Every team should have that lightning rod,” Bryant said. “Because the happy-go-lucky stuff doesn’t work.”

James has butted heads with both Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love at times during their two seasons together. Bryant ruled out James as the Cavs’ antagonist, but believes Irving could be the guy who creates tension within the locker room similar to how Bryant sees Draymond Green doing it for the Warriors.

Irving remains the youngest player on the team and has often said he enjoys not having all eyes focused on him like he did his first few years in the league. But he has sometimes been slow to bend to James’ will, which James confirmed in January when he told the Beacon Journal that Irving can be hard-headed at times.

James, however, doesn’t mind conflict and thinks it can be healthy when guys are unhappy with each other.

“It’s like a marriage. It’s not going to be a bed of roses every day, but you’ve got to figure it out,” James said. “I think when you have some type of conflict, not saying where guys are fighting, but when guys … dislike each other for a day or two, that’s fine for me.”

The Warriors remain on pace to break the record for most wins, forcing Cavs players to answer questions about them throughout the season. Love even said he agreed with Bryant.

“They’re the best team in the league at this point, the best record and they’re playing great, great basketball,” Love said. “I think everybody is kind of obsessing over them. I think Kobe is right.”

Love ready

Love will return to the lineup Sunday, when the Cavs play the Los Angeles Clippers. He missed one game with a sprained left knee, but said he worked out Friday and was expected to be a full participant in Saturday’s practice. Coach Tyronn Lue said Timofey Mozgov will return to the starting lineup after fighting a flu bug.

Jason Lloyd can be reached at jlloyd@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Cavs blog at www.ohio.com/cavs. Follow him on Twitter www.twitter.com/JasonLloydABJ.

CLEVELAND: A man arrested Saturday after he tried to get on the stage at a Donald Trump campaign rally in Ohio reportedly told police he planned to grab the microphone and yell that Trump is a racist but didn’t intend to hurt anyone.

The Dayton Daily News reported that it obtained a report from Dayton police that included comments 22-year-old Thomas DiMassimo of Fairborn made to officers after his arrest. The newspaper said DiMassimo told officers he gave his car keys to his girlfriend before he rushed the stage because he anticipated being arrested.

The newspaper said DiMassimo vaulted over waist-high metal railings, muscled past security guards and nearly got on the stage at the end of Trump’s rally before Secret Service agents tackled and handcuffed him. Video shows Trump, the front-runner in the Republican presidential campaign, turning around after hearing the commotion followed by agents surrounding him protectively. Trump was campaigning ahead of Tuesday’s Ohio primary

DiMassimo was released on bail Saturday after being charged with inducing panic and disorderly conduct. DiMassimo, an acting major in the theater program at Wright State University, couldn’t be reached for comment Sunday. It’s unclear if he has an attorney.

The Daily News also reported DiMassimo was involved in an anti-racism protest at Wright State in April. Video from the protest shows him dragging an American flag behind and then standing on it.

Trump on Twitter thanked the Secret Service for acting so quickly and implied that DiMassimo has ties to the Islamic State group, an assertion dismissed by experts.

BASKETBALL

BOYS

State Tournament Schedule

(At Schottenstein Center, Ohio State)

Thursday’s Games

Division III Semifinals

Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph (22-5) vs. Lynchburg Clay (25-2), 10:45 a.m.

Lima Central Catholic (26-1) vs. Cin. St. Bernard Roger Bacon (21-7), 2 p.m.

Division II Semifinals

St. Vincent-St. Mary (25-3) vs. Cincinnati Aiken (25-4), 5:15 p.m.

New Concord John Glenn (26-1) vs. Bay Village Bay (26-3), 8:30 p.m.

———

Friday’s Games

Division IV Semifinals

Willoughby Cornerstone Christian (15-12) vs. Columbus Wellington School (24-3), 10:45 a.m.

Van Wert Lincolnview (26-1) vs. Jackson Center (24-4), 2 p.m.

Division I Semifinals

Lima Senior (28-0) vs. Wilmington (26-1), 5:15 p.m.

Westerville South (24-4) vs. Garfield Heights (23-4), 8:30 p.m.

———

Saturday’s Games

Division III Final

Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph (22-5)-Lynchburg Clay (25-2) winner vs. Lima Central Catholic (26-1)-Cin. St Bernard Roger Bacon (21-7) winner, 10:45 a.m.

Division II Final

St. Vincent-St. Mary (25-3)-Cincinnati Aiken (25-4) winner vs. New Concord John Glenn (26-1)-Bay Village Bay (26-3) winner, 2 p.m.

Division IV Final

Willoughby Cornerstone Christian (15-12)-Columbus Wellington School (24-3) winner vs. Van Wert Lincolnview (26-1)-Jackson Center (24-4) winner, 5:15 p.m.

Division I Final

Lima Senior (28-0)-Wilmington (26-1) winner vs. Westerville South (24-4)-Garfield Heights (23-4) winner, 8:30 p.m.

Late Saturday

Canton Division III Regional Final
CLE. VILLA ANGELA-ST. JOSEPH 54,
ST. THOMAS AQUINAS 46

Aquinas 7 15  9 15 — 46

VASJ 16  6 19 13 — 54

ST. THOMAS AQUINAS (19-9) — Newman 5-1-13, Pellegrene 4-2-10, Paul 4-2- 13, Duplin 1-0-2, Knott 3-2-8, Sommers 0-0-0. Totals: 17 7-10 46.

CLEVELAND VILLA ANGELA-ST. JOSEPH (22-5) — Roberts 4-2-10, Higgins 3-5-11, Dean 5-0-14, Stauffer 2-2-6, Newlon 1-0-3, buttler 1-1-4, Gaffney 3-0-6. Totals: 19 10-13 54.

3-point goals: Dean 4, Paul 3, Newman 2, Newlon, Butle. Fouls: Aqu., 20-17.