Jon Wnoroski, Summit County Realtor

Infocision Stadium- Summa Field

The University of Akron entered a new era in Akron football on September 12, 2009 when they hosted Morgan State in their home opener in a new stadium. The new stadium is an "on-campus" facility and a vast improvement over the historic Rubber Bowl which was located some distance away from campus. The new "on-campus" stadium ought to attract thousands of university students who live in university dorms and off-campus housing giving the football program an opportunity to increase game attendance.

The University of Akron has a long football history dating back over 130 years. In 1968 the "Zips" played in the Grantland Rice Bowl but had the misfortune of running into a relatively unknown quarterback by the name of Terry Bradshaw. They lost to Louisiana Tech in that game 33-13 and, of course, we all know that Bradshaw went on to win four Super Bowl rings with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

John Heisman coached at Buchtel College (now known as The University of Akron) in 1984. Interestingly enough, that season only had one game; a 12-6 victory of The Ohio State University.

On September 12, 2009 27,881 fans celebrated The University of Akron's home opener against Morgan State. No one in attendance was disappointed. Akron dominated the game and was on the front end of a 41 - 0 score. The result of the game, however, wasn't as important as the level of pride everyone felt for this university and their efforts to raise the football program to a highr level.

On September 19, 2009 The University of Akron will host Indiana at their new stadium marking this the first time in history that a "Big 10" school traveled to Akron for a football game. Win or lose, Dr Proenza and the Board of Trustees are to be congratulated for their efforts in brining a "first class" facility to Akron and instilling a high level of pride for this growing football program in the Akron community.

http://www.jonwhome.com

Firestone Park dream home! 5bedrooms, 3 full baths, 2 kitchens, finished basement, 3 car garage and more! You'll enjoy this spacious brick Cape Cod located in Firestone Park. Property includes a double lot. Firestone Park is located in south Akron and is part of the rubber industry neighborhoods established in the early years of the Firetone Tire and Rubber Company. Firestone Country Club is located nearby and is also connected with the early years of Akron's Rubber Industry. http://www.JonWHome.com

I recently listed a home in "Historic Ridgewood." It was listed on April 6 and had an offer on April 8.

We don't often get a "quick" sale on our listings but every now and then we get a home that will move fast. What is the difference between this home and other listings I've had?

Four factors come in mind:

1. Location
2. Price
3. Staging
4. Preparation

Location: This home is located in Historic Ridgewood in Canton, Ohio. There are several different architectural designs in this area that make it unique. The area also has a great history; you can read more about it by following the link below:

http://www.historicridgewood.com/

Price: The seller understood the importance of pricing a home to sell. We looked at the comps and did an analysis of homes in the area that had recently sold. We also had the benefit of a recent appraisal; however, it was two years old.

Staging: The seller did a great job in staging this home. Everything was perfect and the home had "tons" of appeal.

Preparation: Before we listed this home we did a "walk through" and identified areas that needed to be addressed in order to get the home ready for the market. There was some painting to be done and some minor repairs to be made. The seller made a checklist of all the things he needed to do and followed up by doing the needed work.

We took the view that a home could have a great deal of positive factors that may impress a buyer but it only takes one negative to offset all the good. The seller did a great job of doing the things he needed to do in order to eliminate any "negatives."

You can view the virtual tour of this home by going to my earlier post; 415 21st St NW, Canton, OH 44709

http://www.JonWHome.com

The University of Akron stepped up and played great basketball in their first NCAA Tournament game against Gonzaga last night; at least for the first 28 minutes. The Zips led at halftime 38 - 35 in a game that had upset written all over it. However, Gonzaga had different thoughts and came out fired up for the second half.

Akron led 52 - 51 with 9:43 left in the game but then Gonzaga burst their bubble with a 26 - 12 run from that point to the final buzzer.

The results did not surprise many people around the country who fully expected Gonzaga to win this game. I'm not sure it even surprised many Zip fans who knew they were facing a huge challenge against a powerful and talented Gonzaga team. Hope did rise to a high level as both teams went into the locker rooms at half time; the Zips were actually leading this game. They appeared to be standing up very well against a powerful opponent. Could they do it for the entire game? That was the questions.

Obviously, Akron was unable to keep up their tempo in the second half and quickly fell behind. They went a span of 13 minutes without scoring from the field and shot around 25% in the second half compared to a 42% shooting percentage in the first half.

It was the "Tale of Two Halves" and the second half was a dismal one for the Zips.

However, there is hope for this team and the Akron program. Four of the five starters will be back next year and they will add a 7 foot center next year to bolster their program and team. All of who follow Akron sports are hoping to see the team make another appearance in the NCAA tournament next year.

Ohio is still represented in the tournament by Ohio State, Cleveland State, Dayton, and Xavier.

www.JonWHome.com

The University of Akron has made the NCAA tournament by virtue of winning the Mid American Conference (MAC) championship. They were ranked fifth in the tournament and had to go through number 1 seed Bowling Green and number 2 seed Buffalo to earn the championship. Bowling Green and Buffalo were co-champions of the MAC regular season.

They accomplished this task by playing five games in seven days; but that's the stress teams play under in tournament competition.

They are going to the NCAA tournament for the fist time since 1986. The coach of the 1986 team was Bob Huggins. Yes, the same Bob Huggins that brought Cincinnati to the tournament several times and is now coaching West Virginia.

In my view, Bob Huggins is an outstanding basketball coach. During his years at Akron they consistently won 20 games or more each year; he raised the level of basketball at the university during his time there.

I had the good fortune to meet Bob just before his spot on a local sports radio talk show. I was heavily involved with soccer in the Akron area and Ohio at the time and appeared on a program with commentator Steve French that was devoted to talking about soccer and its development in our area. The "Bob Huggins Show" went on shortly after my spot and I had the opportunity to meet and speak with him before he went on. I've followed his career after he left Akron and have enjoyed his successes.

Now back to the NCAA tournament. Akron (ranked 13 in their bracket) drew number 4 Gonzaga for their first game. Most of us never heard of Gonzaga until Jerry "The Shark" brought them to the forefront of national attention with a serious run in the tournament many years ago. They have a strong program and are expected to put Akron away in the first round.

Of course, miracles do happen and those of us who follow Akron University sports are hoping for a good game and, yes, a victory. We will watch the game with interest and hope for the best. Gonzaga will be a huge test for this growing Akron University basketball program.

Go Zips!

www.JonWHome.com