Lancaster Eagle-Gazette from Lancaster, Ohio • 13

Lancaster Eagle-Gazette Tuesday, February 17, 1998 Scoreboard2C 3 Irish from McGill's 6D Senior has helped Fisher Catholic's defense blossom "I know that's my role on this team. That's what I have to do to make this team better I have to play defense on maybe their best player." Derek McGill Fisher Catholic basketball player been much of a scorer I leave that to the other guys. I've always tried to lead on defense." And since Shumaker took over last season, aggressive half-court defense has been Fisher Catholic's signature. "When he came in, he made it clear that defense was how to win games," McGill said. "And he proved to us that, if you play good defense, you're going to win the game." Evidently, the Irish have taken Shumaker's teaching to heart.

hate getting scored on, and that helps a lot," McGill said. "Nobody likes to get beat We take a lot of pride in our defense." And with back-to-back MSL titles to their credit, McGill and his teammates have a lot to be proud of. "I know they can never take that away from us," he said. "As long as I live, I will always be able to say I was on the championship team in '98." have to play defense on maybe their best player. If that's my assignment, I'm going to do it "And I know I'm going to get help from, my teammates, so I don't think it's that much pressure.

I mean, there's always pressure in a basketball game, but if that's' my job, I'm going to do it" 1 That willingness to take on one of sports most thankless jobs is why Irish coach Tim Shumaker called McGill "the ultimate role player." He cited the work and attitude of McGill, Billy Bender and Josh Saegert seniors who don't put up big scoring numbers or, in the cases of Bender and Saegert, get tegular playing time as big reasons for the team's success. "It's a pleasure to have kids that Though he has scored just 30 points in 18 games, McGill has shut down some of the top scorers in the league. Perhaps the crowning moment was Jan. 30, when he held Granville's Scott McMullen to just three points in a 6045 FC win that was one of eight straight for the Irish and started a stretch of four losses in five league games for the Blue Aces. "I always prided myself on defense," McGill said.

"I've never MSL boys season wrapping up ii s. By SCOn PRIESTLE The Eagle-Gazette Sports Staff The results of Derek McGill's labor are visible every day in the box score, but it is not as simple as black and white. McGill's performance is measured not in the numbers next to his name, but those next to his opponent's. He the heart of Fisher Catholic's league-best defense, often asked to guard the opponent's leading scorer. It is a task he has filled willingly and successfully, which is a big reason the Irish are Mid-State League Cardinal Division champs for the second year in a row.

"I know that's my role on this team," he said. "That's what I have to do to make this team better I CALL USl Do you have a cherished Browns memory? A favorite player? A funny story from the old stadium? Then call us. We'll print some of your responses in this weekend's sports section. Please be sure to leave your name and number. 681-4350 Paquelet said the organization has 22 full-time staffers who work out of the state-of-the-art training facility the team built in Berea, Ohio, in 1993.

TV7' w. i By CHAD BUCKALEW The Eagle-Gazette Sports Staff The only thing head coach Tim Shumaker and the Fisher Catholic boys basketball team needed to do Saturday night was beat second-place Granvillfi, and the Irish would clinch their second straight Mid-State League Cardinal Division title. FC rose to the occasion in a big way. The Irish jumped out to a 28-11 lead at the half and never looked back en route to a 54-35 victory FC placed three players in double figures led by senior Andy Connell's 16 Richardson Shumaker points. Junior Benn 13 points and Kurt Wallis Montle poured in 10.

Last season the Irish didn't clinch the championship until their final MSL game of the year, when FC downed Millersport 60-48. MSL SCHEDULE MSL boys basketball is heading in to its final week. What a week it will be. Bloom-Carroll will have a chance to clinch yet another MSL Buckeye Division title on Friday night when it plays at home against rival Fairfield Union. First, the Bulldogs (15-3 overall, 10-2 MSL) will have to travel to play a much-improved Hamilton Township (7-11, 4-8 MSL) team.

Also on Tuesday night a big game will take place in Tarlton, where Canal Winchester (12-6, 84 MSL) will battle E6J do that That's why we've had the success we've had," Shumaker said. "And I'm just as proud of them because they're good people, as well as good athletes. All these kids are solid individuals." As a senior and first-time varsity starter this season, McGill said he knew he would be looked upon as more of a leader. And while he clearly is not the vocal type, he has sent a message on the court 5 and coaches," Paquelet said. "We function in every aspect as a pro sports club." (See CC.MCSACK2C.) Nagano It's also the first time the Japanese have earned more than one gold in a Winter Games.

Germany led the medals table with 22 (7 gold, 8 silver, 7 bronze), followed by Norway with 16 (5-7-4) and Russia with 13 (8-4-1). The United States, with seven medals (2-1 -4), was tied for seventh. BIATHLON: Heavy snow stopped the men's 10-kilometer biathlon after several skiers had started the race. FIGURE SKATING: Saucy skating star Pasha Grishuk sailed smartly into history with partner Yevgeny Platov. They became the first couple to win the ice dancing gold medal in consecutive Olympics as the Russians repeated (See NAGAN04C.) icurnoy Tur.o Ubby Wilson (riht) and the Fisher Catholic Irish get the girls bas-kctbaSI tournament un-dsr way Wednesday when, they take on Ucking Heights.

(E-G file photo) By BILL SHEA E-G Sports Editor TO the trained ear, it's just barely audible. If you listen closely, though, maybe you can hear it, too. It's the sound of football emanating from the shores of Lake Erie Cleveland Browns football. Even though the city hasn't had a team since 1995, football has been a big subject in the Rust Belt town. After former Browns owner Art Modell announced the team was moving to Baltimore following the 1995 season, the National Football League promised the city a new team by 1999 now just 18 months away.

Right now, the sounds from next to Lake Erie are of saws and hammers, not cheers and screams. A football-only stadium is' being on the site of old Municipal Stadium, built in 1931 and home to the Browns since 1946. The football landscape has changed in Cleveland over the past three years. It has gone from a plain in the days i after the Browns move to a veritable metropolis rising next to the shore of the Though another year of quiet Sundays is still in store for Browns fans, there actually is a team sans players in town: The Cleveland Browns Trust Established in 1996, the trust is under the direction of team president Bill Futterer, a sports marketing executive appointed by the NFL in 1996 to run the team. Futterer's job has been to keep the home fires burning, according to Browns spokeswoman Laura Paquelet Thanks to Futterer's PR efforts, nearly all of the club seats and suites in the new stadium have -been The trust also maintains net-' work of radio and shows, called "Countdown to 99." The shows air weekly, Paquelet' said.

Germans, NAGANO, Japan (AP) German skier Katja Seizinger has enjoyed Nagano almost as much as her hosts. Seizinger took her second gold medal in as many days in the women's combined, while the Japanese ski jump team soared to a gold medal that turned this into the most successful Winter Olympics ever for the host nation. Seizinger became only the second woman in Olympic history to win three Alpine gold medals, joining slalom skier Vreni Schneider of Switzerland, with her showing in the snow on the slalom portion of the event A day earlier, Seizinger won the women's downhill. Her top competition defending Olympic champion Pernilla Wiberg of Sweden fell on her first trip is ('- Logan Elm (11-7, 7-5 MSL). The last time these two teams met, the Indians upset LE 67-62 in overtime.

Other Buckeye Division games scheduled for Tuesday night will be Amanda-Clearcreek (5-13, 5-7 MSL) at rival Fairfield Union (6-12, 3-9 MSL) and Circleville (10-8, 7-5 MSL) will hit the road to Teays Valley (6-12, 4-8 MSL). The Cardinal Division will see two huge matchups, as welJ: Beme Union and division-champions Fisher Catholic will be looking for revenge. BU (3-15, 2-10 MSL) will host Liberty Union (3-14, 3-8 MSL), who pulled a thrilling one-point victory at the buzzer over the Rockets earlier in the season. FC (144, 11-1 MSL) will open its doors for Heath (12-5, 84 MSL). In the first meeting between the two, Heath drilled the Irish 71-54.

Since then, FC has won seven in a row, while the Bulldogs have gone 4-3, without their leading scorer Brandon Norris, who is out for the year. The last two Cardinal Division games on the agenda will be when Millersport 1-1 6, 0-1 1 MSL) travels to Granville (12-6, 84 MSL) and Licking Heights (12-6, 84 MSL) will entertain New Albany (10-8, 7-5 MSL). MSL will be in full force Friday night, too. In the Cardinal Division, Berne Union will host Licking Heights, Fisher Catholic will travel to Baltimore to take on Liberty Union, Granville will travel to New Albany and Millersport will make the trip up Route 37 to Heath. The Buckeye Division, games will be Amanda-Clearcreek at Canal Winchester, Logan Elm at Cir- (See NOTEBOOK2D.) conference record and won their third in a row for the first time since 1996.

"I was concerned about everything in the first half. We weren't playing with any spunk and we weren't aggressive," said Penn State coach Jerry Dunn, who had a few choice words for his players at halftime. "Let's just say there was some motivation," he said. "We came out and did what we had to do." Jarrctt Stephens had 22 and Pete Lisicky added 20 as Penn State tallied its highest point total in a regulation game since it joined the Big Ten. (SeeOSU4C.) TOP LEFT: The late Lyle Alzado holds his head after a game in the early 1980s.

ABOVE: Former Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar is one of several parties interested In owning the new Browns franchise in Cleveland. (File photos by Dick Prochaska) She said the trust handles the "We're (lie Cleveland Browns, same functions as the other NFL We just don't have any players Japanese shine in 0SU still winless on road, in Big 10 franchises: fan and media relations, tickets, stadium issues everything but actually playing football. crowd of some 50,000. Standing in swirling snow, the victorious Japanese hoisted their skis to raucous cheers from the hometown fans. Funaki, who had previously won a gold and a silver, became the first man to win three medals in Nagano.

"I felt enormous pressure on my entire body, really," Funaki said af-: terward. "But the result was the gold. It's great." Okabe and Harada both soared to the longest jumps in Olympic history Tuesday (Monday night EDT) 137 meters to unseat defending titlist Germany. It was the eighth medal of the Nagano Games for the host nation their highest winter total. The 4 golds, 1 silver and 3 bronzes top the previous high of 7 set in Albertville.

down the mountain. The German women skiers, criticized their perfor- I mance in the early events, swept the medals when Martina Ertl took the silver NAGANO 19 9 8 TUESDAY Results of the U.Sv( women's 4- hockey game' with Canada and Hilde Gerg the bronze. Earlier Tuesday (Monday night EDT), the Japanese team of Takanobu Okabe, Hiroya Saito, Masahiko Harada and Kazuyoshi Funaki flew to the gold medal in 120-meter ski jumping, outdistancing runner-up Germany and third-place Austria before an ecstatic STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) -Ohio State began the second half with a 15-point lead and just 20 minutes to go until its first road win, its first Big Ten win of the season. It took less than four minutes for those dreams to end.

Penn State used a 17-2 Next game: Thursday vs Indiana 7:30 p.m. run to catch the Buckeyes then pull away for a 90-81 victory Monday. The Lions (6-6 Big Ten, 13-9) evened their.