#PACtion™ 2024

Orrville has won more football state championships than Massillon.

Massillon fans everywhere:

Im Back Wake Up GIF
Massillon will for sure get back to the championship this year and will most likely go back to back.
 
The Chicago Cardinals became the St. Louis Cardinals left St. Louis to become the Arizona Cardinals.
The Cleveland Rams became the Los Angeles Ram then the St. Louis Rams and moved back to Los Angeles.
Sounds like St. Louis Is schizophrenic. If they get another team, they should name them the Lunatics.
What about if Lou-a-vull got a team and we called them the Lou-a-vull Lunatics?

I'm just not sold on L.A. being more than a one-team NFL city but Roger Goodell is no Ghostin' Gary Woods as far as commissioners go.
 
I know I started it up yesterday with some ideas on an alternate Manchester mascot, but that was just joking around. Sometimes you have to laugh at yourself.

If you want to understand the heart of the Manchester community, read the article below from today's Beacon Journal.

The great thing is that there are thousands of communities just like this across this land, this great country of ours, where thousands of "Norma Jeans" have raised their families and had sons give their lives in our defense so that we can live in freedom.

Norma Jean Miller's 3 great-grandsons aid Manchester's return to OHSAA football playoffs​

Portrait of Nate UlrichNate Ulrich
Akron Beacon Journal





NEW FRANKLIN — Norma Jean Miller has long been drawn to football, perhaps for the sweetest reason ever associated with an inherently tough-as-nails sport.
Miller, 96, once asked her youngest daughter, Darla Smith, to take her to a peewee game because the sight of children donning football uniforms and equipment brought her joy.
“They were so cute with those helmets,” Miller said with a laugh.

Norma Jean Miller, 96, with her daughter Darla Smith, son Blaine Miller and daughter Billie Jean Arny, at the new James R. France Stadium on Monday, Oct. 28, 2024. She's a 1946 Manchester graduate who has three great-grandsons on the current Panthers football team.'s a 1946 Manchester graduate who has three great-grandsons on the current Panthers football team.


Miller has watched several members of her family grow over the years from youth to high school football players.
She even has three great-grandsons on Manchester High School's playoff-bound team. They are senior wide receiver, safety and wingback Blaise Donatelli, sophomore running back and safety Lorenzo Donatelli and sophomore running back and cornerback Phil Partin II.
The Donatelli brothers and Partin are cousins.

Phil Partin II talks about his family and football on Monday, Oct. 28, 2024, at Manchester High School.


Partin is one of Greater Akron's most prolific rushers this season with 218 carries for 1,474 yards and 25 touchdowns. As a defender, he has compiled 37 tackles, seven pass breakups and two interceptions.
Blaise Donatelli has registered 55 tackles, eight pass breakups and three interceptions to go along with four catches for 59 yards and two touchdowns. Lorenzo Donatelli has tallied 22 tackles with two pass breakups.
“They're my family, and I love them,” Blaise Donatelli said. “And the fact that we all get to play together on a great team and make plays together, it's just been real fun.”

Blaise Donatelli talks about his family and football on Monday, Oct. 28, 2024, at Manchester High School.


With the trio of Miller's great-grandsons in key roles, second-seeded Manchester (9-1) is scheduled to host No. 15 Youngstown Liberty (5-5) for a Division V, Region 17 first-round postseason game at 7 p.m. Friday at the new James R. France Stadium.
It will be Manchester football's 28th appearance in the Ohio High School Athletic Association playoffs but the first since 2021. The Panthers went 0-10 in 2022 and 1-9 in 2023 before executing a dramatic turnaround and winning the PAC-7 championship this season under the guidance of second-year Manchester coach Kevin Stacy.
“The group of seniors that we have now, we've all been friends for a long time, and the whole team is just really close,” Blaise Donatelli said. “Coach Stacy, he's done a real great job with it, turning the program around.
“[Struggling from 2022-23] plays a big role in the team we are now because I think that definitely kind of inspired us to try and be better so that we wouldn't have to go through that again.”

Lorenzo Donatelli talks about his family and relationship with Manchester on Monday, Oct. 28, 2024 at Manchester High School.


Partin also cited team chemistry as a reason for Manchester's reversal of fortunes, and Lorenzo Donatelli added, “There was a lot of extra work put in during the offseason, like people going to the field after practice and extra lifts.”
All of those factors have combined to restore playoff time in Manchester, which has a countdown clock to Friday's kickoff displayed in the school atop a caged panther statue.
The great-grandmother of a Manchester football legacy is proud.
“I get very excited over it,” Miller said.

A countdown clock until the first postseason game against Youngstown Liberty above a caged panther at Manchester High School.


Born in Akron, Miller (nee Swesey) began attending school in Manchester in the third grade. Some people who have known her for a long time call her “Jeanie.” She and her late husband, Bob Miller, graduated from Manchester High School in 1946. Bob built their house by hand. Miller still lives in the same home where she and her high school sweetheart raised their four children.
Bob Miller died in 2018 at the age of 91.
“We were married 70 years, six months, three weeks and two days,” Norma Jean Miller said.
Each of their kids graduated from Manchester: Burt “Rusty” Miller (Class of 1966), Billie Jean Arny (1969), Darla Smith (1972) and Blaine Miller (1979). Rusty Miller joined the U.S. Marines shortly after high school and was killed during the Vietnam War in 1968. His three siblings joined their mother this week for an interview with the Beacon Journal at her home a short distance from where the Panthers play on Friday nights.

Norma Jean Miller, 96, a 1946 Manchester graduate who has three great-grandsons on the current Panthers football team, is photographed on the 10-yard line of the new James R. France Stadium on Monday, Oct. 28, 2024.


Miller spoke as if there is no place she would rather be than the Manchester community.
“It means everything,” she said. “As far as the comfort, the love for this area, I really do, I love it here.”
Miller has 10 grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren. Large family gatherings have always inevitably led to kids engaging in some form of backyard football.
“Dad and mom, they loved to sit out there too and watch them play,” Billie Jean Arny said. “Football just kind of stayed in the blood.”


Trophies and plaques of the 1997 Division IV state runner-up football team displayed in the hall at the new Manchester High School on Monday, Oct. 28, 2024.


Miller's late younger brother, Gerald Swesey, and her youngest son, Blaine, were standout Manchester football players who were inducted into the Swede Olsson/James R. France Athletic Hall of Fame. Four of her grandsons also played football for the Panthers. In other words, Miller has nurtured three generations of Manchester student-athletes.
A member of Manchester's third graduating class, Miller has followed one of Summit County's most storied football programs since its infancy.
“When I was in high school, the school was just getting started, and our football games would be right after the last class,” she said.

Norma Jean Miller, 96, with her great-grandsons and Manchester High School football players, from left to right, Phil Partin II, Lorenzo Donatelli and Blaise Donatelli after the Panthers defeated Fairless on Oct. 18, 2024, at the new James R. France Stadium.


Times have changed, yet Miller is still rooting for the Panthers. She bundled up with blankets next to her daughter Darla Smith as they attended Manchester's 39-0 win over Fairless on Oct. 18. Afterward, Miller posed for a photograph with her three great-grandsons who had helped the Panthers prevail.
“I told the boys, 'Great-grandma's going to be there, so don't run into the locker room. We want to get a picture,'” Smith said. “I thought, 'They're going to forget. It's boys. They're running off the field.' There they all were.”
Reflecting on Miller's presence at the Week 9 game, Partin said, “It meant a lot just that she could come out and show support for us.”
Now Miller is eager to continue cheering for Manchester in the playoffs.
THIS is Manchester, They really are a good family as well, Phil's mom is a Kindergarten teacher here, and what's crazy is they may be better wrestlers than they are ball players, some goes for the Kusmits boys. My wife said that some of the parents get crazy but she cant promise that it wont be her in a year or two. If you were to go down to Lockhart on Saturday you would see where it all starts, Packed to the gills and Pee wee teams dominating and going undefeated, Not saying other teams dont have that close community connection, but after moving here and being an outsider there is something just.......Different about the old Chester.
 
THIS is Manchester, They really are a good family as well, Phil's mom is a Kindergarten teacher here, and what's crazy is they may be better wrestlers than they are ball players, some goes for the Kusmits boys. My wife said that some of the parents get crazy but she cant promise that it wont be her in a year or two. If you were to go down to Lockhart on Saturday you would see where it all starts, Packed to the gills and Pee wee teams dominating and going undefeated, Not saying other teams dont have that close community connection, but after moving here and being an outsider there is something just.......Different about the old Chester.
Not saying other teams don't have that close community connection

We just wait to fight each other after week 10 concludes.

Signed,

The Slaw



being an outsider there is something just.......Different about the old Chester.

Is it Koach's pepper crops used for his legendary hot sauce and pickled peppers?

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They get to meet you and eat in Hartville or maybe you'll collaborate with some Hartville Hotties© and cook up some chicken n noodles and serve it in big crock pots in the press box?

Just invite @Smoove Mooves when this happens. I'm always looking to help Smoove.
Kotite and Smoove should go on a Tour de Stark & Summit Counties for Rounds 2-4 of the Playoffs. Smoove & Kotite could set up shop at some BellStore location and they could providify us wit' some free liquidified courage, maybne some Colt 45 40-ouncers, and kind of have a round-table discussion on all the thingies we know so freakion' much ABOUTCHT! Kotite can spit on all things BellStores, PACtion coaches, and Smoove can spit on Smoovifyin' Concessionary Chickies! Prolly not the smartest thing, though, 'cuz if Smoove and Kotite team up, the streets gonna get stuffed wit' peeps and chickies, and the Po-Po gonna get callified. Smoove not sure if Smoove still ever paidified that one speedin' ticket through Stark County and they may arrestify Smoove.
 
More than the other 6 PAC schools combined if you didn't know. Toss in The University of CVCA on that list too.

Disclaimer: The past is all we have in the 'ville as long as Z is still head ball coach.
as long as Z is still head ball coach.

He's got a lot going on over there. Definitely living his best life, very active, don't see a lot of coaching.

Disclaimer: The past is all we have in the 'ville

You don't even have this legendary paper anymore:

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As I like to tease my acquaintances & family members who reside within the district - It's kinda funny that more people know "General" as your arch-rival's most famous alum's nickname than as Wooster's mascot. 🤷‍♂️ 🤷‍♂️
I like to think I know some things…

But I had no idea that is how Wooster got its name.

Other than that, (Daniel) Morgan County, and the obvious Baron Von Steuben… are there any public schools — directionals notwithstanding— that carry its name from something that isn’t specifically-relevant to Ohio?
 
I like to think I know some things…

But I had no idea that is how Wooster got its name.

Other than that, (Daniel) Morgan County, and the obvious Baron Von Steuben… are there any public schools — directionals notwithstanding— that carry its name from something that isn’t specifically-relevant to Ohio?
It's completely ignorant of the details of GEN Wooster life & service, but if you told someone that Wooster the city is named after a guy from Connecticut who went to Yale most would kind of nod and say "yeah, that makes sense"
 
It's completely ignorant of the details of GEN Wooster life & service, but if you told someone that Wooster the city is named after a guy from Connecticut who went to Yale most would kind of nod and say "yeah, that makes sense"
don’t have a CoW, man

ahem, edit: “don’t have a CoW, man”

edit edit: this sounded better in my head than it does on the screen
 
Poochie got a surprise shoutout on the New Lex board, and when I wrote a reply… a question dawned on me…

What’s the explanation for how Canton South and its district, Canton Local, got their names?
 
For the record, I have no affiliation with any decision makers on this stuff.

That schedule info was pulled from the Yappi 2025 schedule thread.

Just aligning expectations here.
I am aware of this....I just let Dan know if I see a school with an open...he has access to a lot of info on who has open dates...I hope if I send him it is just as back up to his info....the decision will be made by the two coaches if it is a great fit
 
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I am aware of this....I just let Dan know if I see a school with an open...he has access to a lot of info on who has open dates...I hope if I send him it is just as back up to his info....the decision will be made by the two coaches if it a great fit
If you're CVCA and you want to really make a statement play Lake.

CCC would also be a fine opponent for CVCA.

In the bigger picture I'm not sure the new league is the long term best option for the Royals. You're going into the vast and powerful Cleveland Catholic School culture.

I already read where Elyria Catholic was playing footsie with the LC-8 and they seem like a less than stable organization.

Louisville always needs opponents, too. CVCA vs Louisville could be a good one.

I'm just throwing spaghetti against the wall.
 
In the bigger picture I'm not sure the new league is the long term best option for the Royals. You're going into the vast and powerful Cleveland Catholic School culture.
This league is not the best long term option for half of that league, I would be absolutely shocked if it lasted even 5 years before some major change happened
 
Poochie got a surprise shoutout on the New Lex board, and when I wrote a reply… a question dawned on me…

What’s the explanation for how Canton South and its district, Canton Local, got their names?
After the schools of Waco and North Industry consolidated, the school was known as Canton Township. Circa 1948, the name changed to Canton South. Canton Township itself extends as far north as where the map says "Meyers Lake." There is still a small piece of unincorporated area around the southern half of Meyers Lake, but I'm pretty sure Canton Local SD never served students from there, so it made sense to call the school Canton South. A crude attempt to show what's going on is below: C. Local = Canton South. C. City = McKinley. The others are pretty much the same HS name as the district name, except for GlenOak which is actually known as Plain Local SD and East Canton which is known as Osnaburg Local SD. East Canton became the town's name during WWI when anti-German sentiment was a thing. New Berlin also changed its name to North Canton during that era.

Incidentally, Canton South is 1 of the few schools in Stark County that could argue that it's more of a "basketball school" than a "football school." In the early years, the school won a lot of basketball games under the direction of head coach Charles "Red" Ash. Also of note is that before St. Thomas Aquinas HS came into existence, Canton South served as Canton CC's week 10 rival on the gridiron. Despite playing only 1 time in the past 25 years, South is still the 2nd most played opponent in Canton CC football history (43 games). #1 is obviously STA (59 games), and #3 is the defunct Canton Timken HS (42 games).

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Another piece of trivia I can add: When East Canton girls basketball began its rise to 30+ years of prosperity in the late '70s/early '80s, somebody dubbed them the "Wizards of Osnaburg." The nickname stuck, and East Canton's girls basketball team has been known as the "Wizards" ever since. The "Hornets" nickname is used to refer to all of the school's other athletic teams. Their basketball floor features both a hornet and a wizard.
 
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After the schools of Waco and North Industry consolidated, the school was known as Canton Township. Circa 1947, the name changed to Canton South. Canton Township itself extends as far north as where the map says "Meyers Lake," but I'm pretty sure Canton Local SD never served students from that part of the township, so it made sense to call the school Canton South. A crude attempt to show what's going on is below: C. Local = Canton South. C. City = McKinley. The others are pretty self-explanatory. Incidentally, Canton South is 1 of the few schools in Stark County that could argue that it's more of a "basketball school" than a "football school." In the early years, the school won a lot of basketball games under the direction of head coach Charles "Red" Ash. Also of note is that before St. Thomas Aquinas HS came into existence, Canton South served as Canton CC's week 10 rival on the gridiron. Despite playing only 1 time in the past 25 years, South is still the 2nd most played opponent in Canton CC football history (43 games). #1 is obviously STA (59 games), and #3 is the defunct Canton Timken HS (42 games).

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Appreciate it, Slip.

Didn’t realize GO district was due north of Canton. Knew where Jackson was, somehow, and everyone else I’m familiar with.

I believe I see the fringes on the right (south to north) of… Malvern, ???, Alliance and Dukes.

My Carroll and Columbiana County geography isn’t very strong. So, the ??? is probably… uh… I don’t want to say Salem and I think Minerva is the remaining Stark County district not mentioned. Only remember where Minerva generally is because of EBC threads.

So, (north to south this time)… Dukes, Alliance, Minerva and Malvern?
 
Appreciate it, Slip.

Didn’t realize GO district was due north of Canton. Knew where Jackson was, somehow, and everyone else I’m familiar with.

I believe I see the fringes on the right (south to north) of… Malvern, ???, Alliance and Dukes.

My Carroll and Columbiana County geography isn’t very strong. So, the ??? is probably… uh… I don’t want to say Salem and I think Minerva is the remaining Stark County district not mentioned. Only remember where Minerva generally is because of EBC threads.

So, (north to south this time)… Dukes, Alliance, Minerva and Malvern?
A wider view. You'll have a ball identifying all the school districts from Lodi down to Millersburg and then all the way east to the PA and WV state lines. There should be enough city names, aka towns associated w/ various schools, to identify most of the districts shown. The big L-shaped district b.w Louisville and Alliance is Marlington. It serves the townships of: Marlboro, Lexington, and Washington, hence the name. The nickname of Dukes is a carryover from the old Marlboro HS.

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A wider view. You'll have a ball identifying all the school districts from Lodi down to Millersburg and then all the way east to the PA and WV state lines. There should be enough city names, aka towns associated w/ various schools, to identify most of the districts shown. The big L-shaped district b.w Louisville and Alliance is Marlington. It serves the townships of: Marlboro, Lexington, and Washington, hence the name. The nickname of Dukes is a carryover from the old Marlboro HS.
SlipMap.png


I know I didn't get them all, because I can't for the life of me think of what that district northeast of United, southeast of Salem is called. I don't want to cheat and go look at Eitel. The name is on the tip of my tongue... ughhhhhhhhh

edit: just now saw there was a district below Strasburg. uhhhhhh... Dover is the that is in the north and New Philly is south of Dover, right? I always screw that up.
 
View attachment 68022

I know I didn't get them all, because I can't for the life of me think of what that district northeast of United, southeast of Salem is called. I don't want to cheat and go look at Eitel. The name is on the tip of my tongue... ughhhhhhhhh

edit: just now saw there was a district below Strasburg. uhhhhhh... Dover is the that is in the north and New Philly is south of Dover, right? I always screw that up.
WAIT NOOOOOO. THAT'S NOT HILLSDALE!!! I got caught looking at the southern edge of the district thinking that it spanned two counties!! I'm a buffoon!!! Ashland County is west of Wayne!!! I can't think of what the dang district is called, and I know they're in the WCAL!!! ARGH

edit: It's Waynedale!!!

another edit: just pulled up the Maps app to see how close I was on the Mahoning County ones. Not even close. D'oh! Making matters worse is I know that I've talked about BCWR and where the name comes from on a previous iteration of the R25 thread, didn't come to me how far south in Mahoning it was. Niles was a dumb guess (was thinking about the exit for Niles on I-76.) I realize the other one I screwed up in Mahoning, too. Hopefully my penance is not to spend 30 minutes with their resident poster. That was a bad miss, thanks to my dumb self forgetting that it's not called North Lima South Range anymore (or is it?) It's called [that other place] South Range
 
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WAIT NOOOOOO. THAT'S NOT HILLSDALE!!! I got caught looking at the southern edge of the district thinking that it spanned two counties!! I'm a buffoon!!! Ashland County is west of Wayne!!! I can't think of what the dang district is called, and I know they're in the WCAL!!! ARGH

edit: It's Waynedale!!!

another edit: just pulled up the Maps app to see how close I was on the Mahoning County ones. Not even close. D'oh! Making matters worse is I know that I've talked about BCWR and where the name comes from on a previous iteration of the R25 thread, didn't come to me how far south in Mahoning it was. Niles was a dumb guess (was thinking about the exit for Niles on I-76)
Correct that is Waynedale and yes it goes Strasburg, Dover, New Philadelphia.
 
View attachment 68022

I know I didn't get them all, because I can't for the life of me think of what that district northeast of United, southeast of Salem is called. I don't want to cheat and go look at Eitel. The name is on the tip of my tongue... ughhhhhhhhh

edit: just now saw there was a district below Strasburg. uhhhhhh... Dover is the that is in the north and New Philly is south of Dover, right? I always screw that up.
The one you identified as Mogadore is Akron Springfield. Mogadore's territory tiny, and it's too far north to be on the map. It sits between Springfield and Tallmadge going north on Route 91.

This is the first time I've seen the Wayne County district lines (what is Waynedale doing!). Those shapes are absolutely bonkers. I believe the Eastern part of the Smithville district used to be Marshallville. When Marshallville closed in the 1930s, its students went to Dalton, which is the closest high school to it, but there was some law that you can't bus students through a part of another district (Orrville in this case), so it became part of Smithville's district. This was mentioned before on this thread months ago.
 
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