Wolfe coming to Beaver Local

CALCUTTA — A meet and greet with former NFL star and Super Bowl champion Derek Wolfe will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sept. 13 at Beaver Local’s new Derek Wolfe Athletic Complex.

Wolfe, a graduate of Beaver Local High School, played his college ball at Cincinnati before being drafted by the Denver Broncos in 2012. In 2016, Wolfe won Super Bowl 50 as part of the Broncos.

Admission to the ticketed event is $30. All monies from the event go directly to scholarships for Beaver Local athletes.

Tickets can be purchased at Campbell Signs & Apparel, the Upper Ohio Valley Museum and Learning Center at the Lou Holtz Hall of Fame and the Beaver Local administrative offices.

Wolfe is also scheduled to be recognized as a Beaver Local Athletic Hall of Fame member before the kick-off of Friday’s game with Beaver Local.

Warren Harding won’t play Irish

WARREN — Warren Harding canceled its Sept. 19 game football against Ursuline due to a second federal lawsuit being filed against a player, parents, Ursuline administrators and the Catholic Diocese of Youngstown on Wednesday.

“The decision was made with careful consideration, and the district is confident it is in the best interest of our Warren G. Harding students and our community,” said Warren superintendent Steve Chiaro.

Ursuline had named an interim coach earlier in the week as several members of the coaching staff were played on leave due to an internal investigation.

With this cancellation, the Irish will not play the eight games required by the Ohio High School Athletic Association to qualify for the playoffs unless the school can find a replacement game and play the remaining games on its schedule.

The latest lawsuit has to do with alleged abuse by a player toward a female Ursuline student and the administration’s response to it.

Julian Sayin passes first 2 tests

COLUMBUS (AP) — Julian Sayin passed the first two tests in a season-long course on being the Ohio State quarterback.

The assignments were far different, but coach Ryan Day learned things about the sophomore in both.

Sayin did enough to help the Buckeyes beat then-No. 1 Texas 14-7 to open the season then did just about everything right in a 70-0 blowout of Grambling State last week.

“I thought he had a good rhythm again,” Day said Tuesday as the top-ranked Buckeyes began preparations for a visit from Ohio University on Saturday. “He started fast, which was another good sign. I think he was accurate. The ball came out on time. We pushed the ball down the field a little bit, and he was accurate with those throws down the field. So those were the things probably that jumped out.”

The young signal-caller operated within a conservative game plan designed to protect him somewhat against the Longhorns, who were ranked No. 1 entering the game. He then thrived when the playbook was opened up for him against the overmatched Tigers, who play at the FCS level.

Sayin completed 13 of 20 passes for 126 yards and a touchdown against Texas and then went 18-for-19 against GSU for 306 yards, four touchdowns and an interception.

He completed his first 16 passes, an Ohio State record, in the latter contest.

“I don’t think I’ve done that before, but I think it’s just when you get those completions kind of racking up, it builds confidence and the energy from the other players in the offense,” Sayin said Saturday.

Even his one big mistake against the Tigers last weekend might turn out to be a positive in the long run.

Day preferred to see him throw a red zone interception in a game his team would win by 10 touchdowns rather than later in the season when the competition is greater.

“Yeah, you never want to see an interception, but it’s good to have some of these learning moments to understand just how it all works,” Day said. “And when you can get some of these first time things behind you, it is good.

“But that’s it: no more interceptions,” he added with a smile. “Not allowed.”

Sayin came to Ohio State — after a brief stay at Alabama — as a five-star prospect from the class of 2024, but he entered 2025 as one of the great unknowns for the defending national champions.

He played through multiple dropped passes early in the Texas game and delivered a 7-yard pass to Jeremiah Smith to convert a third-and-4 early in what would end up being Ohio State’s second scoring drive of the afternoon against the Longhorns.

Sayin capped that march with a 40-yard touchdown pass to Carnell Tate that gave the Buckeyes a little breathing room and their quarterback his first college highlight.

A week later, he added several more, including an 87-yard touchdown pass to Smith that was the second-longest in Ohio State history, but he admitted he made a bad decision when he tried to thread the ball to a covered receiver in the end zone in the second quarter, resulting in an interception.

“Coach Day always says that the issues are always there, so we had some great plays today, but you know there’s definitely something to clean up,” Sayin said. “The turnover that I had in the red zone, can’t have that. Can’t turn the ball over as a quarterback.

“So definitely some stuff to clean up. We’ll watch the tape, and we need to grow from it and be ready for next week.”

Only so much can be learned from an opponent like Grambling, but Day appreciated seeing Sayin execute the opportunities presented to him.

“There were guys open, and so that was good. He did his job,” Day said Tuesday. “But I think you’re seeing how quick the ball comes out. He is seeing the field well, and it was good to see him push the ball down the field as well because he does have a strong arm. And when we can stretch the field vertically, horizontally, and then run the ball, that’s when we’re at our best.”

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