Buchtel football coach Ricky Powers offered a new name for the Akron Public Schools athletic league Wednesday.
“I call this the Big City Series like the Big Ten,” Powers said during the league’s annual football media day. “I put the word big in front of City Series because that’s what we have to play. We have to play big.”
Buchtel seniors Pyrce Taylor and Shaun Cooper joined Powers at the event, which was held at the Akron Education Association building.
“This is an exciting time of the year, probably the best time of the year,” said Joe Vassalotti, the athletic director of the Akron Public Schools.
Vassalotti spoke to players, coaches and media Wednesday about the league. He mentioned the City Series postseason championship game will return this season on Nov. 3 at the University of Akron’s InfoCision Stadium. Buchtel (9-2, 7-0) won the league’s regular-season title last year and then topped East (4-7, 4-3) in the final at UA.
“The game will be played on a Thursday night so we will not be in conflict with the OHSAA playoffs,” Vassalotti said. “We will be the only show in town and possibly the only game in the state of Ohio.”
The final, the week after the regular season ends, will once again pit the two teams with the best league records that don’t qualify for the state playoffs.
“We have a tough schedule this year,” said Powers, a former standout running back at Buchtel and the University of Michigan. “We have a lot of young guys coming back who are hungry and excited to play.”
East coach Marques Hayes has three seniors — Jemarulin Suggs, Deandre Brimage and Marquess Callaway — committed to play football on scholarship at Akron.
“We want to play in Week 11 again, whether it be in the state playoffs or the City Series final,” Hayes said with Suggs and Brimage in attendance at Wednesday’s luncheon. “We are looking forward to this season. We have high expectations and high standards.”
Ellet senior Marquise Bridges is another top talent in Akron to whom Zips coach Terry Bowden and his staff have offered a scholarship. Bridges and senior Garrett Haverstick joined Orangemen coach Joe Yost, who encouraged all of the players in attendance Wednesday to “set a tone” at their respective high schools.
“Make an impression,” Yost said. “Be a role model and be a gentleman.”
Firestone coach Eric Mitchell said he is optimistic about the 2016 season with 10 starters returning on offense and nine starters back on defense.
“That’s encouraging, but we are still a work in progress,” Mitchell said with seniors Zuriel Sanders and Demonte’ Swain next to him. “There is still room for improvement.”
Mitchell lauded each of his peers and said, “This is a tremendous opportunity to be around a great group of coaches who are in it for the right reasons.”
Vassalotti said he is also pleased with the coaches in place, including Garfield’s Bob Sax, Kenmore’s Kemp Boyd and North’s Sonil Haslam.
“Joe Yost is the dean of City Series coaches, and Bob Sax is the assistant dean,” Vassalotti joked.
Yost is entering his 38th season at Ellet with a record of 225-150-2. Sax is 77-64 and entering his 15th season at Garfield.
Sax stressed the importance of a new eighth-grade football team connected to Garfield, similar to the teams with which Buchtel, East, Ellet, Firestone and Kenmore are affiliated. Youth teams continue to be important to the development of a varsity program along with freshmen and junior varsity teams.
Seniors David Gilcreast and Bryce Johnson were in attendance with Sax on Wednesday. Senior Marcus Kidd, a UA recruit, is another Golden Rams senior to watch.
Kenmore seniors Frankie Blankenship and Javere Salter stood alongside Boyd, who said he doesn’t mind the warm summer temperatures.
“I want the heat and I want the kids to sweat because I want the adversity,” Boyd said. “I want to see how we respond when things don’t go right.”
Haslam, who brought juniors Javon Banks and Le’Eire Evans, spoke of being a first-year head coach after recent assistant jobs with Hayes at East and with Mitchell at Firestone.
“We gotta get better everyday,” Haslam said. “We have to be great practice players and we gotta have fun. ... Our motto is carpe diem — seize the day.”
Michael Beaven can be reached at 330-996-3829 or mbeaven@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the #ABJVarsity high school blog at www.ohio.com/preps. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MBeavenABJ.