All times p.m. unless otherwise noted.

*Region 6 games

–Tom Reisenweber

McDowell running back/outside linebacker James Conner signs his National Letter of Intent with Pitt Wednesday at the McDowell's lirbary. MATT MEAD/Erie Times-News

Today is National Letter of Intent Day, and many area football players and other athletes are set to sign with Division I and Division II schools or commit to program at other levels.

The Erie Times-News took a look at the area football players expected to sign today. Read a short bio on each player. Here’s the list:

Following are the athletes from other sports who plan to sign today. Read a short bio on each athlete.

Note: Coaches are encouraged to notify the Times-News if an athlete plans to commit to a college.

Shay ranks Central Valley wide receiver Robert Foster as the No. 1 recruit in Pennsylvania. Foster, an Alabama recruit, has made several All-America teams.

Check out the top 50 list. Here’s how District 10 players rank, along with their college choices:

9. Damion Terry, Cathedral Prep quarterback, Michigan State
12. Delton Williams, Cathedral Prep defensive back, Michigan State
16. DeShawn Coleman, Hickory RB, West Virginia
17. James Conner, McDowell RB/OLB, Pitt
38. Artrel Foster, Meadville DB, Temple

Pennlive.com is providing a countdown of the top 20 leading up to the Feb. 6. signing day. James Conner is featured today.

“I’m not sure that the board is opposed to them coming back in,” WPIAL executive director Tim O’Malley told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, “but wants to wait to see the landscape, as it relates to number of teams in Quad A and whether their inclusion is advantageous or detrimental, before making a decision. If they had stayed in, we wouldn’t have this discussion.”

–Tom Reisenweber

– McDowell rushed for 446 yards in a 61-14 win over Perry but amazingly didn’t have the highest rushing total among the three Erie County teams. General McLane rushed for 470 yards in its 46-42 win over Slippery Rock.

– McDowell star James Conner scored in three ways — on a run, a reception and a sack that resulted in a safety. The Pitt recruit finished with 129 rushing yards on just eight carries.

– Like McDowell’s Conner, Sharpsville’s Tyler Luchey had a big all-around game in the Blue Devils’ 41-34 win over Lakeview. Luchey had TD receptions of 2 and 43 yards. He also scored on a 55-yard return of a Lakeview fumble. His 2-yard TD catch in the fourth quarter proved to be the game winner.

– Cathedral Prep’s Delton Williams, a Michigan State recruit, had just three rushing attempts Friday in a 54-12 win over Warren but each resulted in a touchdown — 1, 6 and 11 yards. Williams also broke Prep’s single-season record with 48 receptions after making four catches Friday.

– Prep’s Damion Terry, another Michigan State recruit, became the first player in District 10 history to pass for 40 touchdowns in a season. He now has 41. He also extended his D-10 records with 6,447 career yards and 78 career TDs.

– One of Terry’s primary receivers, Brendan Klemensic, tied the Prep record for single-season touchdown catches with 11. He had a 25-yard TD reception Friday

– Slippery Rock’s Frank Conlon had a monster game in defeat against McLane. He rushed for 284 yards on 15 carries while scoring on runs of 83 and 71 yards.

– General McLane had two rushers with big games: Quarterback Quinn Thompson, a UConn recruit, was busy as he rushed 30 times for 145 yards and two TDs. Michael Suminski had 13 carries for a team-high 195 yards. Suminski had scoring runs of 2, 28, 49 and 60 yards. His 49-yard TD run provided the winning margin in the fourth quarter.

– Lakeview’s Blake Reddick rushed 23 times for 243 yards in defeat against Sharpsville. Reddick scored on runs of 2, 41, 68 yards.

Fans can check out all of Friday’s District 10 game statistics.

That game is scheduled for Friday at 7 p.m. at Veterans Stadium.

However, two upcoming soccer games will serve as cancer fundraisers as well.

McDowell and Prep meet on the soccer field today at 7:30 p.m. at Dollinger Field in the second annual “Kickin’ Cancer” game.

Shelley McQuown, a Cathedral Prep soccer parent rep, said the game will be utilized to raise money “to assist a family who has been affected by cancer.”

Last year, more than $1,000 was raised for a family at the inaugural “Kickin’ Cancer” game.

Fans can help by selling T-shirts, 50/50 tickets and raffling three baskets. In addition, $1 from each admission ticket sold will be donated. The public is encouraged to attend.

• Meanwhile, the McDowell girls soccer team will raise money for the Regional Cancer Center Foundation during its game at Gus Anderson Field Monday at 7:30 p.m. against rival Mercyhurst Prep.

A press release from the McDowell girls soccer team noted that one team member lost a grandmother to colon cancer and an aunt to lung cancer. Another McDowell player’s uncle had childhood leukemia at age 2, and “fortunately, thanks to treatment, he is now 35, cancer-free and about to be a father for the first time.”

The team chose the Regional Cancer Center “because it benefits cancer patients right here in our community. No patient is ever turned away because of his or her inability to pay and patients with financial needs are served.”

McDowell will be selling special game shirts and soccer ball cutouts with ribbons to raise funds.

For information, send an e-mail to Caroline Mashyna at carolinemashyna@gmail.com or Char Mashyna at charmashyna@gmail.com or call 881-1210.

The Ramblers will host archrival McDowell Friday at Veterans Stadium. McDowell, which is coming off a second consecutive loss to an Ohio power — a 34-23 setback to St. Edward on Friday — dropped into the “teams to watch” category in Class AAAA after being ranked No. 9 for the previous three weeks.

District 10′s Hickory, Wilmington  and Grove City are ranked in the Class AA top 10, while Sharpsville remained No. 4 in Class A. West Middlesex is listed as a Class A team to watch.

Complete state rankings:

Harrisburg Patriot-News state rankings:

CLASS AAAA
Rank, School (District)    Record    Previous
1. LaSalle College HS (12)    5-0     1
2. Gateway (7)    5-0     2
3. North Allegheny (7)    5-0     3
4. Upper St. Clair (7)    5-0     4
5. Central Dauphin* (3)    4-1     5
6. St. Joseph’s Prep (12)    4-0     6
7. Easton (11)    5-0     7
8. North Penn (1)    3-2     8
9. Harrisburg (3)    4-1     10
10. Downingtown East (1)    5-0     NR
Teams to watch: Cumberland Valley (3) 4-1, Delaware Valley (2) 5-0, McDowell (10) 2-3, Mount Lebanon (7) 4-1, Ridley (1) 5-0, Seneca Valley (7) 4-1, Wilson (3) 4-1.

CLASS AAA
Rank, School (District)    Record    Previous
1. Cathedral Prep (10)    5-0     1
2. Bishop McDevitt (3)    5-0    2
3. Archbishop Wood* (12)    4-1     3
4. Montour (7)    5-0     4
5. Central Valley (7)    4-1     5
6. Pottsgrove (1)    5-0     8
7. West Allegheny (7)    4-1     6
8. West Chester Henderson (1)    5-0     NR
9. Cardinal O’Hara (12)    3-2     9
10. Berwick (2)    4-1     10
Teams to watch: Clearfield (9) 5-0, Franklin Regional (7) 4-1, **Lancaster Catholic (3) 3-2, Mars (7) 5-0, Scranton Prep (2) 4-1, Thomas Jefferson (7) 5-0.

CLASS AA
Rank, School (District)    Record    Previous
1. Aliquippa (7)    5-0     1
2. Imhotep Charter (12)    5-0     5
3. Wyomissing (3)    5-0     3
4. South Fayette (7)    5-0     6
5. Washington (7)    5-0     NR
6. Jeannette (7)    4-1     2
7. Hickory (10)    4-1     8
8. Wilmington (10)    4-1     9
9. Trinity (3)    4-1     NR
10. Grove City (10)    4-1     10
Teams to watch: Beaver Area (7) 5-0, Catasauqua (11) 5-0, Central Columbia (4) 5-0, Central Martinsburg (6) 4-1, Richland (6) 5-0, Seton-LaSalle (7) 4-1.

CLASS A
Rank, School (District)    Record    Previous
1. Clairton*(7)    5-0     1
2. Southern Columbia (4)    5-0     2
3. Rochester (7)    5-0     3
4. Sharpsville (10)    5-0     4
5. Old Forge (2)    5-0     5
6. Dunmore (2)    4-1     7
7. Monessen (7)    4-1     10
8. Bellwood-Antis (6)    5-0     8
9. Port Allegany (9)    5-0     9
10. Bishop Canevin (7)    4-1     6
Teams to watch: Beth-Center (7) 5-0, Line Mountain (4) 4-1, Penns Manor (6) 4-1, West Middlesex (10) 4-1, Williams Valley (11) 5-0.
*2011 PIAA champion. **2011 Class AA champion.

Update No. 23
Prep defeats Lake Catholic 37-6.

Update No. 22
Meadville in control 35-15 in the fourth quarter, while Prep is leading 37-0 over Lake Catholic in the fourth.

Update No. 21
Midway through the third, Meadville leads East 28-15. Late third, Prep leads Lake Catholic 37-0.

Update No. 20
Terry with his third touchdown pass and the rout is on. 34-0 Prep over Lake Catholic with less than one minute left in the half.

Update No. 19
Damion Terry keeps it for a 10-yard touchdown. Prep jumps out to a 27-0 lead with three minutes left in the first half.

Update No. 18
Damion Terry finds Jake Plonski from 10 yards out. 20-0 Prep after the PAT was blocked. 5:30 left in the first half.

Update No. 17
East leads Meadville 9-7 after the first quarter.

Update No. 16
Delton Williams returns a punt 55 yards for a touchdown. He also had a 90-yarder against Strong Vincent. 14-0 Prep in the first.

For earlier updates, click below.

–Tom Reisenweber

Update No. 15
With 2:45 left in the first, Cathedral Prep takes a 7-0 lead against Lake Catholic on a 32-yard touchdown pass from Damion Terry to Brendan Klemensic.

Update No. 14
McDowell finishes off the route 49-20. Very impressive win for the Trojans. The Prep-Lake Catholic and Meadville-East games are 40 minutes from starting.

Update No. 13
Dylan Ukasik makes it 42-7 McDowell with a 2-yard touchdown run.

Update No. 12
McDowell leads 35-7 after three quarters. The Trojans will start the fourth quarter on the Lancaster Catholic 2-yard line.

Update No. 11
Another long touchdown run by Spearman puts McDowell up 35-7 early in the third quarter.

Update No. 10
McDowell is starting to run away with this one. A 46-yard touchdown by Tyree Spearman and McDowell leads Lancaster Catholic 28-7 at halftime. McDowell has 292 rushing yards in the first half to LC’s 8.

Update No. 9
Have a game James. Conner goes 92 yards for the touchdown. 21-7 Trojans. He has 169 yards and two touchdowns and there is still half of the game to play.

Update No. 8
McDowell takes a 14-0 lead but Lancaster Catholic answers with a 68-yard touchdown pass. Early second quarter.

Update No. 7
That didn’t take long. James Conner goes 73 yards for a touchdown. 7-0 McDowell less than two minutes into the game. Also, St. Ignatius beats Strong Vincent 40-0 for its first shutout since 2009.

Update No. 6
St. Ignatius leads Strong Vincent 40-0 after three quarters. McDowell and Lancaster Catholic are minutes away from getting started.

Update No. 5
St. Ignatius leads Strong Vincent 34-0 at the half. One hour until McDowell and Lancaster Catholic get underway.

Update No. 4
C.J. Haag picks up a “punt” on the one-yard line and runs it in for a touchdown. 34-0 St. Ignatius early second quarter.

Update No. 3
A nice 35-yard touchdown run by Tim McVey makes it 28-0 St. Ignatius over Strong Vincent. St. Ignatius has had one play in its own territory and that was after a holding call. The game is headed to the second quarter. LaManna has touchdown passes to John Hyland and Rocky Zingale and a TD run.

Update No. 2
With 4:11 left in the first, Mike LaManna runs in a 9-yard touchdown. 21-0 St. Ignatius

Update No. 1
St. Ignatius leads Strong Vincent 14-0 with 6:19 left in the first. LaManna with a nice slant pass for the Wildcats’ second touchdown.

–Tom Reisenweber

Senior quarterback Michael LaManna passed for 225 yards and completed two first-quarter touchdown passes as St. Ignatius stormed to a 21-0 halftime lead. Tim McVey rushed 11 times for 105 yards and two touchdowns and had four receptions for 50 yards and a score.

Mooney avoided a shutout when Mark Handel scored on a 60-yard run in the fourth quarter.

St. Ignatius is an 11-time Ohio state champion, while Mooney is an eight-time state champ. McDowell will play St. Ignatius Sept. 21 at Gus Anderson Field and will visit Cardinal Mooney Oct. 12. Strong Vincent will host St. Ignatius Sept. 15.

In another Ohio score of interest to District 10 teams, Youngstown Ursuline rallied from an 18-0 halftime deficit to beat Youngstown East 41-24 Saturday. Cathedral Prep will host Ursuline Sept. 28 and Vincent will visit Ursuline Oct. 12.

Finally, St. Edward rolled to a 42-14 victory over another longtime Cleveland power, Glenville, Saturday. St. Edward, which forced five first-half turnovers, recovered from an early 14-7 deficit to score 35 unanswered points. St. Edward will visit McDowell Sept. 28.

McDowell fans can get an idea of what their team is up against this season by looking at this weekend’s scores. The Trojans will face the Cleveland area’s No. 1 (St. Ignatius), No. 3 (Mentor) and No. 4 (St. Edward) teams, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer poll. Those teams won their season openers by scores of 31-7, 33-13 and 42-14, respectively against quality competition.

Mentor and Trubisky had a rough start, but he recovered to pass for 197 yards and two TDs. He also rushed for 45 yards and a score.

Three games of area interest will be played today in Ohio.

Youngstown Ursuline was scheduled to open at home against Youngstown East at 2 p.m. Both Strong Vincent and Cathedral Prep will play Ursuline this season.

Cleveland power Glenville will visit St. Edward at 7  p.m while St. Ignatius meets Cardinal Mooney at 7 p.m. at Cleveland Browns Stadium. McDowell is scheduled to play St. Edward, St. Ignatius and Cardinal Mooney this season. Vincent will play St. Ignatius.

For instance, Cathedral Prep’s Sept. 15 opponent is Lake Catholic (Mentor). On Thursday, the Cougars routed Strongsville 49-21 in their season opener. Lake Catholic senior quarterback Mark Baniewicz rushed 17 times for 227 yards and five touchdowns and also passed for a TD. He did almost all of that damage in the first half, as he accounted for 194 rushing yards, four running TDs and his passing TD.

Lake Catholic was ranked No. 10 in the Cleveland Plain Dealer’s opening poll of Cleveland-area teams.

However, if the Plain Dealer rankings are any indication, McDowell will face an even rougher task. The Trojans will meet three of the Cleveland area’s top four teams in the Plain Dealer poll.

McDowell will open against the No. 3 team, Mentor, next week. The Trjoans will face the No. 1 team, St. Ignatius, on Sept. 21, and No. 4-ranked St. Edward a week later. Strong Vincent also will play St. Ignatius (Sept. 15).

Another future McDowell foe, Cardinal Mooney, isn’t in the Cleveland area, so it isn’t included in the Plain Dealer poll. However, like St. Ignatius, Mooney is a defending Ohio state champion. Mooney and St. Ignatius will meet Saturday night at Cleveland Browns Stadium.

Region 6 rivals McDowell, Cathedral Prep and Strong Vincent each will play powerhouse Ohio teams this year.

McDowell will face Mentor in next Friday’s opener followed by St. Ignatius (Sept. 21), St. Edward (Sept. 28) and Cardinal Mooney (Oct. 12).

Cathedral Prep will play Lake Catholic (Sept. 15) and Youngstown Ursuline (Sept. 28).

Strong Vincent will meet St. Ignatius (Sept. 15) and Youngstown Ursuline (Oct. 12).

Lake Catholic will open early, when it hosts Strongsville today at 7 p.m.

Mentor will host Euclid Friday at 7 p.m., and Cleveland power Glenville will visit St. Edward Saturday at 7 p.m. Youngstown Ursuline will open at home against Youngstown East on Saturday at 2 p.m. (The game’s date was changed.)

McDowell coaches will be able to double the impact of their scouting Saturday at 7 p.m. when St. Ignatius meets Cardinal Mooney at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Both teams are defending Ohio state champions – St. Ignatius in Division I (big schools) and Mooney in Division III.

Online coverage of the game can be found on the Ohiohssports.com website.