The Akron Beacon Journal from Akron, Ohio • Page 21

Today SOCCER 8 p.m. Cleveland at Milwaukee. TV: ESPN. Radio: WHK BUSINESS Gas rates East Ohio Gas is raising rates a bit starting Tuesday. PageB9.

EAST OHIO GAS The Sunshine People fit If Football The Browns face one of the NFL's hottest and most erratic quarterbacks when Drew Bledsoe and the New England Patriots come to the Stadium on Sunday. Page B3. There still is a chance that Sunday's Browns-Patriots game will be televised locally. The NFL granted the Browns a 24-hour extension on the blackout deadline, until 4 p.m. today.

There are about 4,200 tickets available for Sunday's 4 p.m. game by calling (216) 696-3800. more. Radio: VYHK1420-AM. Sunday FOOTBALL 4 p.m.

Patriots at Browns. TV: If the game is not blacked out, it will be on Channel 3. Radio: WAKR 1590AM, WKNR 1220-AM, WDOK 102.1 FM, WRQK 106.9 FM, WQKT 104.5 FM. GOLF 4 p.m. PGA Kapalua International.

The final round from Maui, Hawaii. Tomorrow BASKETBALL 7:30 p.m. Cleveland at Charlotte. The Cavs open the 1994-95 season on the road. TV: Channel 43.

FOOTBALL 12:30 p.m. Akron at Eastern Michigan (WHLO 640-AM). 1 p.m. Bowling Green at Kent State. Radio: WNIR 100.1-FM.

3:30 p.m. Wisconsin at Ohio State. TV: Channels 5, 23. SOCCER 7:30 p.m. Cleveland at Balti- ED SUBA JRjBeacon Journal College soccer Akron's Christian Handsor (above) faces a tough decision being an active father or having a collegiate soccer career.

Story, Page B4. The Beacon Journal Friday, November 4, 1994 Horses, Page 6 Amateurs, Page 7 OSlrs Gee, (Beiger staid their man any of those kinds of things until after the sea Despite loud calls for Cooper's head, or at least his contract, the university's top officials refuse to listen ByTomGaffney Beacon Journal staff writer son is over. There will be no comment." Gee said he wants to avoid the errors of the past, when speculation about Cooper's future often Tomorrow's game WISCONSIN at OHIO STATE 3:30 p.m. Ohio Stadium IV: Ch. 5, 23 are not worried about contracts right now," Gee said.

"I'm not talking about it, the athletic director is not talking about it, nobody is talking about it. "Our only concern is the rest of the season. I think John proved last year that he is one of the premier football coaches in the country." Geiger, who succeeded Jim Jones as athletic director on May 16, has taken a similar stand. "I've been very firm in saying that I'm not going to get into the coach and the coach's tenure or player from nearby Westervilie who choose another school soon after Gee became president in September 1990. "Look at the young man who ran against us on Saturday, Ki-Jana Carter.

A fabulous player," Gee said. "He had every intention of coming to Ohio State until all this speculation about the coach started. He mentioned this on television. That is not going to happen on my watch." Neither Gee nor Geiger can deny that Cooper's status is a hot topic around the state less than one year after the Buckeyes tied Wisconsin for the Big Ten title. That includes the Buckeye Sports Bulletin, an independent weekly newspaper devoted exclusively to Ohio State athletics.

The newspaper is usually not hard-hitting, but publisher Frank Moskowitz made his feelings known in an editorial this week. The headline read: "How Much More Can Fans Take Before A Change Is Finally Made?" One of its most pointed re- See OSU, Page B4 morrow's home game against Wisconsin has Cooper in a customary position on the hot seat His contract expires after the 1995 season, and some in the media and on talk shows are advocating a buyout. But Gee and Geiger believe now is not the time for decisionmaking and debate. "We have made an absolute commitment to ourselves that we Not all Ohio State followers have become active participants in The John Cooper Watch. That is especially true of two influential university officials: President E.

Gordon Gee and Athletic Director Andy Geiger. The Buckeyes' ugly 63-14 defeat at Penn State last weekend and their 6-3 record going into to became too public. Recruits were lost because of all the negativism, especially one Two sides to every story Cavs are center of attention League's top men in middle on the schedule for season's first seven games Some seasons, you just can't win for trying Six area teams have suffered defeat after defeat, but the players and coaches have refused to give up BY BART HUBBUCII Beacon Journal staff writer At least one of the many questions nagging the Cavaliers could be answered in a hurry. Four, and Tomorrow's game possibly five, of the Cavs' first seven games feature matchups with some of the NBA's best centers, providing a stiff test for CAVS at HORNETS 7:30 p.m. Charlotte Coliseum TV: Ch.

43 ') iron? fffpfrffifL, i pt i i A If 7 r-S" 1 i I. --trrtf if r- if. These are the six 0-9 teams in the Beacon Journal coverage area. Listed are their losing streaks and records from last season. Losing 1993 Team streak record Rittman 23 0-10 Northwest 14 37 Central-Hower 10 lH East Canton 10 1-9 Rootstown 10 6-4 Sandy Valley 4 By Ralph Paulk Beacon Journal staff writer Even as a cold wind assaulted his face mask, the sweat poured off Tim Bradley's face.

The Central-Hower junior ran his sprints just as hard as he did in the preseason. On the eve of the Eagles' season-finale, Bradley had not let up. But there was a semblance of frustration if not a sense of hopelessness. The Eagles are 0-9 and facing the prospect of going winless for the second time in four seasons. They hope to avoid that fate tonight, when they face the 1-9 North Vikings.

"No matter how hard we try, we have this feeling we are going to lose," Bradley said. "I love the sport, so I play no matter if we win or lose. "We're not afraid of being 0-10 only because most of us have played our hardest." Even in defeat, what more can a coach ask of his players? But hard work is only one ingredient for success, and six area teams Central-Hower, East Canton, Northwest, Ritt-. man, Roots town and Sandy Valley are at least two or three vital ingredients shy. Consequently, the 1994 foot- ball season has been one of utter disappointment.

All six are winless, compiling 0-9 records. Yet, there remains hope and enthusiasm. For the most part, the players, their parents and coaches have kept tiieir eyes focused forward, refusing to peek over their shoulders at the combined 54 losses. But there are those who can't seem to shake the defeats. "Even though we're young, we couldn't imagine being 0-9.

I would love to play those games See LOSING, Page B6 Cleveland's makeshift rotation in the middle. The potential Cav killers: Alon-zo Mourning (although he is doubtful for tomorrow night's opener in Charlotte), Hakeem Ola-juwon, Rik Smits and Vlade Divac, all of whom caused problems for Cleveland last season. Minus the hobbled Brad Daugherty, the Cavs plan to counter with John Williams and newcomers Michael Cage and Greg Dreiling. How that trio fares during the next two weeks could tell a lot about where Cleveland is headed this season. Williams, for one, can't wait to find out.

"We've got to play these guys sooner or later, so I'd rather start off playing them," said the ninth-year pro, who has become the starting center because of Daugh-erty's continued back problems. "You can't help but get excited about the challenge of playing guys like Hakeem, Mourning and Smits," Williams added. "Hopefully, it'll get us going earlier." A toe problem that is likely to sideline the Hornets' Mourning for the first two games of the season could provide Cleveland with a respite, but it will be brief. From Charlotte, the Cavs re See CAVS, Page B5 ROBIN WITEK Beacon Journal Central-Hower's Ken Carter watches as his team goes down to defeat against Buchtel earlier this season. Central-Hower is one of six winless teams in the Beacon Journal's coverage area.

You can't tell a league champion without a scorecard Even then, there are so many 'us' heading into tonight's league finales, it's hard to keep straight ure out which place we'd rather be," Pappano said. The Minutemen's 6-1 league record heading into tonight's finale at Wadsworth has Pappan-o's crew on the verge of an unlikely first-to-last-to-first scenario. Revere has clinched at least a star," Pappano said. "It's a real tribute to the entire team. We played a lot of young kids last year we even lettered two freshmen and they came back to have great years." The possibility, however, does See WINNING, Page B6 share of the title in what has become the area's wildest league race.

The Minutemen (6-3 overall) can win the title outright if they beat Wadsworth (2-7 overall). "The most rewarding thing is, that unlike the past, we were able to do it without a super League penthouse as league champion. Last year, was his first visit to the basement "It didn't take us long to fig BY Bill LiLLEY Beacon Journal staff writer Seven times in his first 16 years as Revere head coach, Joe Pappano occupied the Suburban McKinley-Massillon: Quite an operation MEMORIES Orthopedic surgeon Roch Hontas of Covington, says playing in the 1972 McKinley-Massillon game as a freshman was an invaluable experience in preparing him for life. the 1970s Did You Know? Massillon lost the first three times it played McKinley under Paul Brown, but Brown finished with a 6-3 record in the series after the Tigers won from 1935-40. I i a successful one for the Red and Black.

Massillon won 12-3. But the Bulldogs rebounded and won two of the three games during the Hontas' Era from 1973-75. The 6-foot, 185-pound Hontas was a brilliant passer he completed 55 percent of his 255 career passes for 2,326 yards and 21 touchdowns and strong leader at McKinley. He also was the team's place-kicker, and contributed a field goal in the 1974 classic. "People in general, and especially in New Orleans where I live, just don't understand the phenomena of the McKinley-Massillon game," said Hontas, u-ho was a See HONTAS, Page B6 Doctor who first played in game at 14 says it got him ready for life, career by Bill Lilley Beacon Journal staff writer Without fear or hesitation, Roch Hontas faced roaring crowds in the Superdome as a quarterback in the Tulane-LSU rivalry.

He faced the demands of medical school. And now, as a 36-year--old orthopedic surgeon in the New Orleans suburb of Covington, he faces delicate surgical procedures. "After you were on the field in the McKinley-Massillon game as a 14-year-old player, there isn't a whole lot that you won't be pre pared for," he said. Being involved in the 1972 game as a McKinley freshman was one of the most valuable experiences of his life. "I still can remember that day quite clearly.

And I realize today how much that experience helped me grow up and mature as a player," Hontas said. Having 20,000 people looking down at you, "is a pretty overwhelming experience." So is playing in four McKinley-Massillon games, the last three as the starting quarterback. "It helped prepare me for college football, medical school and life in general," he said. Hontas' first experience in the McKinley-Massillon rivalry wasn't Associated Press.