Sports
SECOND BASE
NASCAR
Car of
tomorrow
C3
The Lima News
A’s test Tigers today
By HARRY ATKINS
The Associated Press
When he left Detroit in 1995,
after 17 years as manager of
the Tigers and tired of losing,
Sparky Anderson said, “I ain’t
here no more.”
No one could’ve known it at
the time, but it was as if the
baseball life was sucked out of
the Motor City when he left.
The Tigers have had six man-
agers since Anderson and none
of them, until Jim Leyland this
Grove mauls Kalida
Columbus Grove senior Amanda Schroeder spikes the ball onto Kalida junior Abby Schroeder on Monday at Columbus Grove High School. Kalida was
defeated by Columbus Grove 25-12, 25-23, 25-22.
Bulldogs have back-to-back bite, clinch 2nd PCL title
By ZACH STIPE
limanews@limanews.com
419-993-2085
COLUMBUS GROVE— Columbus
Grove accomplished something no
other Bulldogs volleyball team has
ever done on Monday night.
By sweeping Kalida at home, Grove
clinched consecutive Putnam County
Browns look for answers
By PATRICK MCMANAMON
Akron Beacon Journal
BEREA — The Cleveland
Browns stumble into the bye
week having lost four of their
first five games and saying the
same things fans have been
hearing for years.
“We’ve got to do the little
things on a more consistent
level,” coach Romeo Crennel
said Monday.
“Back to the fundamentals
of football,” tackle Ryan
Tucker said.
“Work hard, execute and
make plays,” defensive end Or-
pheus Roye said.
“Keep fighting,” safety Brian
Russell said.
None of the things said are
wrong, of course.
There’s just not much more
they can say.
Crennel even did his best
Bing Crosby. He said the
Browns will accentuate the
positive and eliminate the neg-
ative (though he said nothing
about Mr. In-Between).
“We are going to try and self-
scout ourselves,” Crennel said,
season, could produce a win-
ning record. To say nothing of
a championship.
The Tigers, who lost 119
games just two years ago, open
the best-of-seven AL champi-
onship series against the Oak-
land Athletics tonight.
For a decade, however, base-
ball just wasn’t much fun any-
more, whether at old Tiger
Stadium or new Comerica
Park. And that seemed out of
character for both the town
and the team.
League titles.
“A lot of teams before them have
started a winning tradition at Colum-
bus Grove,” Bulldogs coach Jody
Benda said. “[But] this group is going
to be the first group that has won
back-to-back PCL Championships in
the history of the school.”
The Bulldogs used a mix of great
front row play, outstanding defense
Carolina’s DeShaun Foster (26) is tackled by Cleveland’s
D’Qwell Jackson (58) during the fourth quarter of the Panthers’
20-9 win in Charlotte, N.C., on Sunday.
“evaluate the things that we
think are good, look at the
things that are bad. Try to
eliminate the negatives and
work on the positives.”
He did not get into potential
Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2006
Let’s be honest. Detroit is a
medium market, at best, in the
baseball world. In their long
history, the Tigers have only
appeared in the World Series
nine times, winning just four;
they were champs in 1935,
1945, 1968 and 1984. Hockey-
town will never be mistaken
for Baseballtown.
Yet that doesn’t mean there
hasn’t been some fun over the
past 50 years or so. Even when
See TIGERS • C3
and fierce serves to defeat the Wild-
cats 25-12, 25-23, 25-22.
“They’re young, they’re energetic
and they’re balanced.” Kalida coach
Jeremy Stober said. “I think they all
did a good job of hitting off the block,
serving aggressively and making us
earn our points.”
Senior hitters Amanda Schroeder
and Aubrie Stechschulte dominated
• Associated Press
changes, but said one might
happen. That would involve
putting Joe Jurevicius in the
lineup at receiver for Dennis
See BROWNS • C3
LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
Detroit at Oakland
95-67
(Playoffs)
Ivan .274 (.309) BA .260 (.245)
Rodriguez
822 (22)
203 (6)
.329 (.338) OBP .340 (.286)
3.84 (3.60) ERA 4.21 (2.33)
46 (1)
Season Head-to-head
.297
series:
Tigers 5-4
.229
BA
SOURCE: MLB
Blue Jackets leave
Coyotes whimpering
By RUSTY MILLER
The Associated Press
COLUMBUS — Nikolai
Zherdev proved preseason
workouts are overrated by
scoring two goals and leading
the Columbus Blue Jackets to
a 5-1 victory over the Phoenix
Coyotes on Monday night.
Zherdev missed all of pre-
season camp and the club’s
first two games, arriving in
Columbus on Sunday from his
native Russia after ironing out
visa problems.
He scored on the power play
just 1:01 in and added another
when he jammed in Rick Nash’s
shot midway through the sec-
ond period to make it 3-1.
Nash and Duvie Westcott
each added a goal and two as-
sists, Anson Carter scored his
first with Columbus, and
C
Briefs and opinions /C2
SCOREBOARD
Standings and stats /C4
CLASSIFIED
/C5-7
TO REPORT GAME RESULTS: 419-993-2085 or 800-686-9924
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93-69
TEAM The Lima News
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SAVES
54 (2) Golf error
DET
52
39
OAK 4.29
5.18 can’t crush
RUNS
5 12
HR ERA
Frank
Thomas
family bond
AP An hour after it happened,
Matt Holtsberry escorted his
son Oliver into the basement
of Golf at Sugar Creek.
Tears were shed.
Apologies exchanged.
All this over golf. A simple
mistake that was easily avoid-
able.
“The one golf professional
there who works for me,
looked at me and he knew the
rule, and I didn’t want to
make him make the call,”
Matt said.
So, in front of a crowd of
students and other parents,
Matt disqualified his own son
from the Division III North-
west district golf tournament
for unintentionally playing a
ball ruled out of bounds.
“For me, it was extremely
tough,” Matt said. “If I could
have looked at it any other
way, I wouldn’t have even put
myself in the position of hav-
ing to make a call like that.”
Earlier that morning, of
course Matt and Oli envi-
sioned a trip to state. After all,
this is Lima Central Catholic.
They’re the Ohio State of
preps golf.
The Thunderbirds won
state titles in 2002, ‘03, ‘05
and haven’t missed a trip to
the Ohio High School Athletic
Association’s boys golf tourna-
ment since 2001.
Only two weeks ago, Oli
even earned first-place medal-
ist honors at the Northwest
Conference meet.
However, not only did the
mistake punish Matt and Oli,
but it killed LCC’s chances of
repeating as state champions.
It eliminated any hopes Oli
might have had for all-state
honors.
But when the Thunderbirds
fell into a scorecard playoff
with Bluffton, LCC’s fifth
score, Oli’s score, didn’t count.
Their relationship with
each other remains unaf-
STEPHANIE SMITH • The Lima News fected. It doesn’t end there,
though.
Both of the Holtsberry men
blame themselves. Neither
should. Most importantly, nei-
ther of them blames the
other.
See GOLF • C3
the net for Grove. Schroeder led the
Bulldogs with 14 kills and five blocks,
while Stechschulte tallied 10 kills and
six blocks. Junior setter Ali Kohls
added 16 assists.
Grove, who improved to 15-2 over-
all and 6-0 in the PCL, overcame
deficits in all three games.
See VOLLEYBALL • C3
NHL
KELLI CARDINAL • The Lima News
Lima Central Catholic’s Oliver
Holtsberry reacts after missing
a putt on the 17th hole Thurs-
B. JACKETS COYOTES day during the division III Dis-
5 1 trict Golf Tournament at Golf at
Sugar Creek in Lima.
David Vyborny had three as-
sists for the Blue Jackets, who
had three power-play goals for BRONCOS BEAT
the second game in a row.
BALTIMORE
Nash, Westcott and Vyborny
have points in all three Colum- DENVER (AP) — The de-
bus games.
fenses of Baltimore and Den-
Ed Jovanovski scored for the ver dominated on a cool,
Coyotes, who have lost two in damp Monday night. Denver
a row after a 6-3 win over the scored a late touchdown to
New York Islanders in the sea- win 13-3.
son opener. Denver had three first
Zherdev was involved in a downs and three punts in the
protracted and contentious third quarter. In Baltimore’s
three drives, the Ravens
contract dispute with Colum- moved the chains only once.
bus general manager Doug
Baltimore’s defense has al-
MacLean throughout the sum- lowed just three points in the
mer. He finally signed a three- second half all year on its way
year, $7.5 million deal on Sept. to the first 4-0 start in fran-
28. chise history.
See BLUE JACKETS • C3
The Lima News
NASCAR friendships at odds Car of tomorrow
After Talladega tussle, things may
never be the same for Rat Pack
By JENNA FRYER
The Associated Press
TALLADEGA, Ala. — Jeff
and Jimmie, Brian and Ricky.
They were the Hendrick Mo-
torsports entourage —
NASCAR’s very own version of
the Rat Pack.
But people change, things hap-
pen and friendships often fade.
And after Brian Vickers stole
his first career Nextel Cup vic-
tory Sunday by spinning Jim-
mie Johnson into leader Dale
Earnhardt Jr. on the last lap at
Talladega Superspeedway,
things might never be the same.
There were already cracks in
the foundation, and Vicker’s
gaffe possibly caused the whole
structure to crumble.
“He’s doing a great job of iso-
lating himself,” an angry John-
son said after the race. “I don’t
think he meant to do it, but he
did it. He shouldn’t even think
about putting any of us in that
situation. It’s ridiculous.”
Pretty harsh words for a good
BLUE JACKETS • from C1 –––––––––––––––––––––––––– BROWNS • from C1 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
With the score tied at 1-1 mid-
way through the second period,
the Blue Jackets pulled away.
Nash was camped in front of the
net during a power play and
chipped Vyborny’s pass from the
right wing into the high left cor-
ner of the net for his third goal.
In the midst of six consecutive
power plays — Columbus was
3-of-12 with a man advantage
— the Blue Jackets made it 3-1
when Nash carried the puck
along the left boards, shed de-
fender Derek Morris and mus-
cled his way to the net. He got
off a shot at the near post, with
Zherdev trailing to jam the
puck in.
Carter, a free agent signed
as insurance in case Zherdev
didn’t ink a contract, scored
1:27 into the third period. He
took a pass, steadied the puck
with his skate, and back-
handed it toward the net,
where the shot caromed off
Jovanovski’s left skate and
past Phoenix goaltender
Michael Morrison.
Just 61 seconds in, Nash
swooped in on Morrison, who
blocked the shot. But Zherdev
cleaned up for a goal on his first
shot of the season.
Jovanovski, signed in the off-
VOLLEYBALL • from C1 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––
“That is our trademark,”
Benda said. “We’ll be down five,
seven and come back to win.”
Down 5-0 in game one, the
Bulldogs rattled off 15 straight
points to bury the Wildcats,
who drop to 14-4 and 4-2 in the
PCL.
Stechulte led the way with
four kills and a pair of blocks in
the first game.
After losing game one 25-12,
Kalida rebounded to make the
final two games close.
The Wildcats tied game two
at 22-22 after junior hitter Abby
Schroeder recorded back-to-
back kills.
Kills by Amanda Schroeder
and Stechschulte lifted Grove
to the match victory, though.
The third game was similar
to the second. Both teams
were locked in a seesaw battle
when junior Courtney Diller
and Stechulte combined for a
momentum shifting block that
gave the Bulldogs a 20-17 lead.
Stechuslte said that Grove’s
intensity was difference in the
final two games. Amanda
Schroeder agreed.
“We hit a point where we got
a lot of intensity,” Schroeder
said. “I think that helped us
tonight.”
Benda credited balance as a
key factor in winning the final
two games.
“I think we got the key blocks
we needed to have the momen-
tum go our way,” she said. “We
were able to serve a little bit
stronger when we needed to.
We’ve got some very young kids
in there but I’m very pleased
with where we’re headed.”
broke into double digit wins for
the season by tripling up
Bulldogs rolling in OTCA
Napoleon.
tourney
and Tyler Corbitt all scored as
TOLEDO — The Elida girls O-G (10-4) held a 16-5 advan-
tennis team obviously wasn’t tage in shots.
happy just sending a drove of
players on to the district tour-
GIRLS SOCCER
Bluffton 1, Crestview 0
nament.
The Bulldogs took out
friend.
Along with Casey Mears,
these guys were definitely
“boys” — the NASCAR in-
crowd who showed up together
on the lake, in New York City
nightclubs and courtside at
NBA games. But things began
to change shortly after Ricky
Hendrick was killed in a 2004
plane accident. They all took it
hard, especially Vickers, who
was extremely close to Ricky
and owed much of his success to
his good buddy.
It was Ricky who hand-picked
Vickers to join the Hendrick
fold, persuading his father to
put him in a Busch Series ride
that Vickers drove to the cham-
pionship. Then he pushed his
father to move Vickers into the
Cup series in the No. 25
Chevrolet, the team Ricky was
running.
But in the two years since his
death, it’s quite possible that
Vickers has struggled with the
burden of fulfilling the expec-
tations of his late friend. While
Columbus Blue Jackets’ Adam Foote (left) and Phoenix Coyotes’
Jeremy Roenick chase a loose puck during the third period Mon-
day in Columbus. The Blue Jackets won, 5-1.
season away from Vancouver,
tied it midway through the first
period. Shane Doan skated
along the back boards and
curled alongside the right circle
before sliding a cross-ice saucer
pass that Jovanovski netted
from the right hash.
Notes: Columbus C Dan
Fritsche injured a shoulder in
the first period and didn’t re-
Maumee Valley Country Day 4-
1 on Monday, sending Elida to
the Northwest Ohio semifinals
of the Ohio Tennis Coaches As-
sociation team tournament.
Jamie Hilborn eased through
her match, but Anna Adkins
lost at second singles and Joelle
Albanese had to go to a third set
to win her match. Albanese did
sweep her two set wins 6-0, 6-0.
The Bulldogs improve their
record to 14-2.
St. Marys 5, Lima Senior 0
LIMA — Lydia Krugh and
Kelly Byer lost only two games
in the singles matches as the
Roughriders plowed through
the Spartans in a non-confer-
ence contest. The Spartans had
to forfeit the third singles
match.
Shanice McClellan and
Kelsey Conaway took the sec-
ond set 6-1 at first doubles for Brittany Brock, who had a goal
Lima Senior (0-15), but fell in
the other two 6-3, 6-4.
St. Marys improves to 8-5.
BOYS SOCCER
Continental 4, Van Wert 0
CONTINENTAL — Scott Emily Hawley.
Keck scored twice in the sec-
ond half and the Pirates scored VOLLEYBALL
all four goals after the break in Temple Christian 25-25-25,
dispatching of Van Wert in non- Waynesfield 17-9-5
league play.
Keck added an assist and 17 kills as the Pioneers nailed
Nathan Schmidt had a goal and down the Northwest Central
an assist for Continental (7-3- Conference win. Temple Chris-
4).
Van Wert (0-13-1) only had
six shots.
Ottawa-Glandorf 3,
Napoleon 1
OTTAWA — The Titans
Dustin Cox, Jeremy Duling
CRESTVIEW — Bluffton
SPORTS
Vickers Johnson
Johnson and Jeff Gordon were
racing off into championship
contention, Vickers never
found the same success.
He was the low man on the
Hendrick totem pole, the weak
link in a rock-solid structure.
So he asked team owner Rick
Hendrick if he could leave. It
wasn’t an easy decision — the
Hendricks are like a second
family to Vickers — but he
wanted a fresh start and he
wanted out from the shadows of
his superstar friends. Team
Red Bull offered him that op-
portunity in a new Toyota
team, and Hendrick gave Vick-
ers his blessing while tabbing
Mears to replace him.
“Brian has been like a part of
the family, and that’s been both
good and bad for both Brian
• Associated Press
turn. ... Phoenix D Keith Bal-
lard hurt his hand in the open-
ing period. ... The Blue Jackets
have only won two games in a
row in October twice before in
their five-year history. ... Mor-
rison, Curtis Joseph’s backup,
got the start for Phoenix after
telling Coyotes coach Wayne
Gretzky he had friends and
family in Ohio.
outshot Crestview 23-8, and
only one stuck as the Pirates
won the Northwest Conference
game.
Megan Fett scored on a Kat
Luginbuhl assist for Bluffton
(7-5-3).
Crestview falls to 3-7-3.
Ottoville 2, Kalida 1
KALIDA — Darcy Fortman
and Chelsea Bowers both
scored as the Big Green
grabbed the Putnam County
League victory.
Kylie McIntyre scored for
Kalida (1-3 PCL).
Jill Holbein had 12 saves for
Ottoville (5-5-1, 2-2 PCL).
Bath 3, Lima Central
Catholic 1
BATH TOWNSHIP — The
Wildcats won their second
game of the season behind
and an assist in the non-league
win.
Meghan Tauchur and Alex
Cottle also scored for Bath (2-9-
3).
LCC (2-9-1) got a goal from
LIMA — Megan EnYart had
tian moves to 13-4 overall, 9-2
in the conference.
Waynesfield remains winless
at 0-21.
Delphos Jefferson 25-25-
25, Wayne Trace 13-20-23
HAVILAND — The Raiders
made it close, but Jefferson
took the non-conference win in
straight games.
For the Wildcats (9-8), Kayla
Miller had five aces and eight
kills. Monica Gerdeman added
two aces and eight digs.
Natalie Snyder had 12 kills
for Wayne Trace (6-14).
Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2006 C3
IN THE RACING FUTURE
and I,” Hen-
drick said this
summer. “I
think it’s made
it hard for me to
talk to Brian
and treat Brian
tested at Talladega
TALLADEGA, Ala. (AP) — “NASCAR wants to make
like just an- NASCAR tested its “Car of To- sure they get the right restric-
other driver. morrow” at Talladega Super- tor plate and gear ratio for the
Earnhardt But at the same speedway on Monday in antic- teams,” Jimmie Johnson said.
time I want ipation of its restrictor-plate “I think that is one of our main
what’s best for Brian. debut next season. goals in the test.”
“It’s been difficult because The COT will be phased into NASCAR used a variety of
Brian and Ricky were close. But competition with 16 races next different restrictor plates dur-
Ricky and Casey were close. So season, including the October ing the test, beginning with one
this deal is almost like one of race at Talladega, and that had holes of 15/16ths of an
my children is going on to do NASCAR used the test to help inch in diameter — or 1/16th
something else, and I am get- develop proper spec- bigger than what was used in
ting one of my children back.” ifications for that Sunday’s Nextel Cup race.
So the stage was set for every- event.
one to move on at the end of
this season, but the friendships
were supposed to remain intact.
Only signs of a rift ap-
peared at the start of
the Chase for the
championship last
month in New
Hampshire. Three
of the four Hen-
drick drivers were
eligible to race for the title, • Associated Press
and Vickers was the odd man Jeff Green tests a NASCAR Nextel Cup “Car of Tomorrow” on
out. Monday at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Ala.
Northcutt, whose drop led to a derneath to Droughns from
Carolina interception and “We can sit here the 10-yard line.
touchdown Sunday. But the main call that was
Jurevicius did not look happy and pry and ask, questioned was when backup
on the sideline in the first part ‘What if?’ and all fullback Lawrence Vickers
of the game Sunday, much of threw an option pass on third-
which he spent watching.
Only when Northcutt in-
that and I’m going and-inches in the third quarter.
“Whether it’s a rookie throw-
jured his ribs did the Browns
put Jurevicius on the field with
to give you the same ing or running or a veteran
throwing or running, if it
the starters. answer I’ve given doesn’t work, I’m frustrated
Jurevicius was not talking just like the fans,” Crennel
much about it, except to say from Day One.” said. “We thought the play was
he’s healthy and ready to play. a good play when we called it.
“We can sit here and pry and — Joe Jurevicius We thought it had a chance to
ask, ‘What if?’ and all that and healthy and ready to play work, but it didn’t.
I’m going to give you the same “Like I told you before, if the
answer I’ve given from Day play works, it’s good. If it
One,” he said. “I’m a team one had struggled. doesn’t, it’s bad.”
player and when you call my “The team is 1-4 and we Crennel has never seemed
name or number more times haven’t done as well as we like the kind to fault one player
than not I’ll give you what I wanted to do or hoped to do,” or one coach. Even when ex-
Crennel said. “We’re going to
have to make the play.” plaining why the option pass
Crennel also was asked work and try to get better. I’m didn’t work, he said it was a
not going to sit up here and an-
whether he might shuffle some combination of things.
of the duties within his coach- alyze individuals, players or But he conceded that prob-
coaches.
ing staff. lems on the offensive line can
“I told you the buck stops at
“We’re going to evaluate that complicate play-calling.
my desk. I’m not doing as well
and see what happens,” he said. “You have to work around
as I would like to do and I’m
Crennel dismissed questions them the best you can,” Cren-
going to try to do better.”
about the play-calling of offen- nel said. “What you choose as
On one red-zone possession,
sive coordinator Maurice an answer, if that’s not work-
the Browns ran Reuben
Carthon by saying the team ing, you really don’t know
Droughns twice and threw un-
had struggled, meaning every- which way to turn.”
TIGERS • from C1––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
the Tigers struggled on the field, they still man-
aged to employ some of baseball’s most mem-
orable characters.
Well-traveled players like Champ Summers,
Richie Hebner and Rusty Staub left their
marks during stops in Detroit. Ron LeFlore and
Gates Brown, both of whom had seen the in-
sides of a jail, became fan favorites in the 1970s
and 1980s.
In 1976, Birdmania swept the country as
rookie right-hander Mark “The Bird” Fidrych
charmed and captivated crowds, talking to the
ball, patting down the mound, winning 19
games. A knee injury the following season led
to arm trouble and Fidrych was soon out of
baseball.
Cecil Fielder hit 51 homers, which was a big
deal in 1990. Fielder, who later filled out
enough to be called “Big Daddy,” now has a
portly son, Prince, playing in the majors.
Alan Trammell and Sweet Lou Whitaker be-
came the longest-running double-play combi-
nation in baseball, playing 1,918 games to-
gether from 1977-95. Trammell won four Gold
Gloves, Whitaker three. Trammell was selected
to six All-Star teams, Whitaker five. Whitaker
showed up for the All-tar game in Minnesota • Associated Press
without his uniform and had to wear a jersey
Oakland’s pitcher Barry Zito kicks a ball dur-
purchased at a concession stand.
ing the team’s baseball practice in Oakland,
Left-hander John Hiller, with the team from
Calif., on Monday. Zito will be the starting
1965-80, came back from a heart attack to be-
pitcher in Game 1 against the Detroit Tigers.
come a top reliever.
GOLF • from C1 ––––––––––––––––
That morning before the in business,” Matt said. “You
tournament, Matt went over replay it enough to know not
the rules with the coaches. He to make the mistake again.”
told them about repairs tak-
ing place on the course.
He mentioned the silt
fence, which defined the out-
BIRCH RUN GOLF
14451 DESHLER ROAD
of-bounds area. Rules sheets NORTH BALTIMORE, OHIO
were even distributed.
419-257-3641
Yet, after the incident, he
wondered about the days FALL RATES You just bought
prior to the tournament. The • MONDAY-FRIDAY
countless moments when he $13 – 9 holes & cart the cable package for
could have said, “Hey Oliver, • MONDAY-FRIDAY
those posts are out of $15 – All you can play w/cart 832 football games
bounds,” or “Don’t forget • WEEKEND
$17 – 9 holes & cart
Now to make sure she lets you watch them.
about the silt fence.”
Oli turned in a scorecard of • WEEKEND
$22 – 18 holes w/cart until 2pm Let Us Show You The Difference
74. At worse, he might have
finished with a 76, solid enough
• WEEKEND
$18 – All you can play w/cart after 2pm
to elevate the Thunderbirds
back to state. Three Generations Strong
But life goes on. 117 N. Elizabeth Street
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