High School Sports
Cubs Takeaways
BOX SCORE The Cubs had the opportunity to bounce back after dropping an epic pitcher’s duel on Friday night. They did just that, receiving yet another quality outing from their starter in the process. The Cubs beat the Detroit Tigers 6-1 at Comerica Park on Saturday afternoon. The Cubs (40-24) hit five home runs in […]


The Cubs had the opportunity to bounce back after dropping an epic pitcher’s duel on Friday night.
They did just that, receiving yet another quality outing from their starter in the process. The Cubs beat the Detroit Tigers 6-1 at Comerica Park on Saturday afternoon. The Cubs (40-24) hit five home runs in the win, which paired well with a strong performance from Jameson Taillon.
Here are three takeaways from the win over the Tigers (42-24):
Home run derby
Hitting home runs isn’t easy. Sending them out at Detroit’s pitcher-friendly park is a greater challenge.
That’s what makes Saturday’s five-home-run outburst against the American League’s standard even more impressive. Seiya Suzuki (twice), Pete Crow-Armstrong, Michael Busch and Matt Shaw all went deep at Comerica Park, which had allowed the eighth-fewest long balls entering Saturday. There had been just two games this season at Comerica Park where teams had combined for five or more home runs. It was the second time this season the Cubs had five or more homers in a game, with the first on April 18 in a 13-11 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks at Wrigley Field.
The Cubs had the fifth-most home runs as a team entering Saturday and used the long ball to beat the Tigers. It was quite the 180-degree turn after the Cubs faced reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal on Friday. Runs were at a premium then. Three batters in and Suzuki had matched the run output from Friday with a 104.9-mph line drive home run to left field.
Busch extended the Cubs’ lead with a two-run blast in the fifth, which marked his 10th of the season and made him the fifth Cub to reach double-digit home runs this season. Shaw’s homer was the first by a Cubs’ third baseman this season. His first homer of the year in Arizona was as a pinch hitter.
Big strike zone? No problem
Home plate umpire Doug Eddings’ strike zone was a topic of conversation on Saturday’s broadcast. We mean that quite literally. The field microphones were loud enough that they were picking up Eddings’ voice as he argued back with some in the Cubs dugout early in the contest.
The arguments were valid from both sides. Eddings had some questionable strike calls, particularly Pete Crow-Armstrong’s strikeout in the fourth inning.
Strike zones can be a sore spot for big-league hitters. They’re so good at knowing the strike zone and their hitting spots in particular that being rung up on pitches that they know are outside can be frustrating. It can lead to expanding the strike zone and poor results.
Well, except if you’re Crow-Armstrong, who seemingly thrives on pitches below the zone. He crushed a solo home run in the seventh inning on a Keider Montero curveball that was shin high. It’s Crow-Armstrong’s fourth home run below the strike zone, an impressive feat and his 17th overall season.
Ja-Mo-re of the same
Ben Brown went toe-to-toe Skubal on Friday night and right-hander Jameson Taillon followed it up with another excellent outing, allowing just one run on three hits with five strikeouts in seven innings of work.
He’s been oh, so good for the Cubs this season, particularly of late. Taillon sports a 1.69 ERA and 0.71 WHIP in his last four outings. The Cubs are 4-0 in those starts. He has thrown four straight quality starts and has nine in 13 starts this outing. That, my friends, will play.
Taillon isn’t a flashy pitcher, but he has pitched like a front-of-the-rotation arm as of late. That’s important because the Cubs have been without their two top-of-the-rotation starters for over a month now. Those types of injuries could torpedo a season. Instead, the Cubs have rolled with the punches and remained a top the National League Central.
If Taillon keeps doing that and you throw in Shota Imanaga’s return later this month with Matthew Boyd’s strong start to 2025, that’s the makings of a strong front of the rotation without taking into account any potential external additions.
High School Sports
James Johnson highlights from the newest Georgia Bulldogs 4
Georgia landed its 24th commitment for the 2026 class and on Friday when Miami Northwestern defensive lineman James Johnson announced his decision to commit to the Bulldogs, giving the program a commitment for the seventh day in a row. The 6-foot-3, 285-pound prospect chose Georgia over Florida, Florida State, Miami, Texas, and 38 other offers, giving Georgia assistant and defensive line […]


Georgia landed its 24th commitment for the 2026 class and on Friday when Miami Northwestern defensive lineman James Johnson announced his decision to commit to the Bulldogs, giving the program a commitment for the seventh day in a row. The 6-foot-3, 285-pound prospect chose Georgia over Florida, Florida State, Miami, Texas, and 38 other offers, giving Georgia assistant and defensive line coach Tray Scott his fourth defensive lineman commitment for the 2026 cycle, joining Carter Luckie, Seven Cloud, and Corey Howard. The addition of Calicut moves Georgia up one spot in the 247Sports Team Class Rankings, passing Notre Dame to give the Bulldogs the No. 2 class in the country.
Watch Johnson’s junior highlights above. As a junior, Johnson made 60 tackles, 29 tackles for loss, five sacks, and five quarterback hurries in nine games. As a sophomore, Johnson had 51 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 13 quarterback hurries, and seven sacks.
Johnson is ranked as the No. 90 overall prospect, the No. 13 defensive lineman in the country, and the No. 11 overall recruit in Florida according to 247Sports. He ranks as the No. 69 overall recruit in the country in the industry-generated 247Sports Composite, as well as the nation’s No. 8 defensive lineman and No. 10 overall prospect in Texas. Below is the 247Sports Scouting Report for Johnson from February 20.
“Explosive defensive tackle with all the fixings to make a living up front. More of a one-gap player than he is a two-gap player at this stage, but has the mass to dock in the middle. Added almost 25 pounds to a frame that stretches just over 6-foot-2 between sophomore and junior seasons and should eventually carry 300 pounds or more. Owns some of the best throwing metrics in the Sunshine State for his class and that lower-body twitch constantly shows up on tape as he shoots out of his stance and is quick to put opponents on their heels. Raw upper-body strength allows him to club his way around obstacles while a near 82-inch wingspan makes it difficult for blockers to establish initial hand positioning. Can get caught playing with a higher pad level and will fade for stretches during games, but hard to overlook push-back power and motor when it has been primed. Likely to face an initial adjustment period as he will see a significant jump in competition when he arrives at the college of his choice, but projects as a potential difference-maker at the point of attack for a College Football Playoff contender that can be stationed at different spots across the line.”
Not a VIP subscriber to Dawgs247? Sign up now to get 50 percent off access to everything Jordan D. Hill. Kipp Adams, Benjamin Wolk, and Olivia K Sayer have to offer on all things Georgia and access to the No. 1 site covering the Dawgs.
High School Sports
Blair Oaks Baseball Coach Mike DeMilia Hired as Missouri Valley College Head Coach
Blair Oaks High School‘s longtime head baseball coach Mike DeMilia, who has served with the Falcons for seven seasons (2018–2025), is taking the reins of Missouri Valley College’s baseball program, according to a press release from the school’s athletics department and reported by ABC 17 News. During his tenure at Blair Oaks, DeMilia guided the […]


Blair Oaks High School‘s longtime head baseball coach Mike DeMilia, who has served with the Falcons for seven seasons (2018–2025), is taking the reins of Missouri Valley College’s baseball program, according to a press release from the school’s athletics department and reported by ABC 17 News.
During his tenure at Blair Oaks, DeMilia guided the program to:
“Mike has a great track record, and he’s a very hard worker,” Missouri Valley Vice President of Athletics Marsha Lashley said in the school’s announcement. “His energy and his respect for the game and doing things the right way will serve our students well.”
Before his time at Blair Oaks, the Nebraska native coached at the collegiate level:
“I’m thrilled to have this opportunity,” DeMilia said in the release. “There is so much happening at Missouri Valley; they’re really on the move. It’s an honor to join the team.”
Blair Oaks will begin the search for its next head baseball coach ahead of the 2025–26 school year.
High School Sports
Bike with Mayor in Euclid highlights new routes and community connections
With the intense heat backing off a few degrees after the recent rain, a cooler day presented participants the perfect weather to go on a bike trip with Euclid Mayor Kirsten Holzheimer Gail. Starting in the morning of June 28 about 40 participants gathered at the front entrance of the Shore Cultural Centre, 291 E. […]

With the intense heat backing off a few degrees after the recent rain, a cooler day presented participants the perfect weather to go on a bike trip with Euclid Mayor Kirsten Holzheimer Gail.
Starting in the morning of June 28 about 40 participants gathered at the front entrance of the Shore Cultural Centre, 291 E. 222nd St., before heading out on the four-and-a-half mile route which would highlight the lakefront trail, Yuko Park, Russell Avenue Park and concluding at Bananas For Bikes, a local bike shop on Lakeshore Boulevard.

Holzheimer Gail said that besides the chance to get some exercise, the idea to behind having a “Bike with a Mayor” event was to not only have a chance to engage with some community members but also to gauge the quality of bike routes in the city.
“It’s just an opportunity to get residents out and ride their bikes and see some of the improvements we’ve made,” Holzheimer Gail said before departing. “We always want to help improve the bicycle and pedestrian safety for the community.
“I think that’s a big part in building a vibrant community. So, this is just a way to get out and model that.
“We would love to work towards more sheltered trails, but we don’t have enough room to do that,” Holzheimer Gail added. “So, just being mindful in how do we incorporate bike safety into our transportation planning is kind of part of everything that we do. As we are planning park improvements, as we are attracting businesses, keeping in mind of how do you make it safe for residents to ride their bike there.
“Sometimes it’s simple things like bike racks, sometimes it’s having special trails for the bikes, it can be a number of different things.”

She said that they have done around four similar bike rides in the past, each time the route changes in order to highlight a new area of the city. She said that while the bike ride was a big part of the event, it was also to build comradery and to show even lifetime residents that there are new things going on in the city.
“Last year we did kind of the south side Euclid Avenue, started at Collision Bend and kind of stayed up there,” Holzheimer Gail said. “So, this year, we are going to kind of focus more on the north. Still, with the improvements that we’ve made, it’s still hard to get over the field by the freeway and the big streets, so we are going to stay north this time.
“It’s also just a great way to meet residents,” Holzheimer Gail added. “I know one of the times that we did this, residents who have lived here most of their life were surprised by things that they didn’t know about… It’s a good way to learn about some things that are happening in the city, get to meet new people, and have some fun.”

Diana Hildebrand, education and outreach manager for Bike Cleveland, who was leading the group along the route as part of the safety team, said she is excited to get on the road and that the Bike with the Mayor event was, to her, a fun way for people to get involved.
“Bike with the Mayor rides are so important,” Hildebrand said. “It gets the community out and connects the person who they consider a higher up to the people to say, ‘hey I’m a person as well’…
“We have to let people know that bicycles are allowed to share the road with other vehicles. We also talk to our city and county people as well, so that they can start to implement changes — that they are aware that the sidewalks could be a little wilder, or maybe when we are repaving their streets we could add a speed table, buffer bike lanes or install a bike lane…”
While there were many places along the route that she was excited about, the first thing that came to mind, she said, was the new lakefront connections and Lake Erie itself.
“My favorite part is the connection to the lake and the beautification around the lake,” Hildebrand said. “They have been trying to install the park and while I was out here I was looking at it, I love being outside, and connecting communities to our beautiful lakefront is so important.”
Riding bikes can be fun, but it can also be dangerous. According to the National Safety Council, there were 1,377 preventable bicycle-related deaths in 2023 in the U.S., with 937 of those deaths due to being hit with a motor-vehicle.


Hildebrand said that she had something to say to drivers who might be getting a little too close.
“One thing I would like to say, so that people understand our bike safety laws, bicycles are (considered) vehicles in the state of Ohio and a lot of states across the nation,” Hildebrand said. “Just give us our three to four feet while passing us cautiously. And if I had to add an explanation point to something, don’t honk your horn at us. Hoking your horn absolutely scares a cyclist. We don’t know if a car is coming fast at us, or anything like that.
“Just be cautious with us on when we are on the roadways, and remember that, your mom, your dad, your aunt or uncle, your brother or sister- one of us are enjoying the outdoor space on two-wheels- or sometimes three-wheels if you want to ride a tricycle- just let us enjoy our time outside… we always want to come home to our families.”
Originally Published:
High School Sports
Looking at the Top 10 moments of the 2024
It’s been a long ride. The 2024-25 high school sports season began what seems like forever ago, and yet it came to a close just a couple weeks past. It was a wildly successful season for the Berkshires, with multiple state championships returning to the county at the end of Massachusetts. 2


It’s been a long ride. The 2024-25 high school sports season began what seems like forever ago, and yet it came to a close just a couple weeks past.
It was a wildly successful season for the Berkshires, with multiple state championships returning to the county at the end of Massachusetts.
High School Sports
Former Jaguars cheerleader's death from colorectal cancer highlights rising cases
Since the mid-1990s, colorectal cancer cases among adults aged 20 to 39 have increased by about two percent each year. Author: firstcoastnews.com Published: 12:37 PM EDT June 28, 2025 Updated: 12:37 PM EDT June 28, 2025 2


Since the mid-1990s, colorectal cancer cases among adults aged 20 to 39 have increased by about two percent each year.
High School Sports
Anthony Raio named USA Lacrosse's 2025 Northeast Player of the Year
When Anthony Raio learned he was USA Lacrosse’s 2025 Northeast Player of the Year, the first person he told was his dad. “He was super happy and proud of all the hard work paying off,” Raio said. And justifiably so. Raio, Newsday’s boys lacrosse player of the year, set Long Island’s career goals record this […]

When Anthony Raio learned he was USA Lacrosse’s 2025 Northeast Player of the Year, the first person he told was his dad.
“He was super happy and proud of all the hard work paying off,” Raio said.
And justifiably so.
Raio, Newsday’s boys lacrosse player of the year, set Long Island’s career goals record this spring (295) while leading Half Hollow Hills to a 23-win undefeated season and a program-first state title. He scored 99 goals and assisted 77 more for a terrific 176 points.
The accomplishment was announced on Thursday, just days after Raio had won the Lt. Ray Enners Award, which highlights the top lacrosse player in Suffolk.
“It’s the result of all the work I put in when people weren’t looking,” Raio said. “All the times I went to shoot by myself after practice, or when I’ll take a couple teammates on weekends to just shoot and mess around. I couldn’t be more grateful to my teammates and coaches for helping me become who I am, because I wouldn’t be half the person I am without them.”
As Northeast Player of the Year, Raio is a member of the 14-team All-Northeast lineup. He’s joined by Gary Merrill of St. Anthony’s, Quinn Ball of Chaminade, and Owen Wuchte and Blake Cascadden of Garden City. The list considered players from New York, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont.
“[Long Island] is the best place to play lacrosse,” Raio said. “The grit, the intensity and love for the game that all the guys who come out of here have just shows on championship weekend.”
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