Congrats to Lake wrestler on 2nd title

BOUQUETS >> To Lake Catholic junior Kevon Freeman, for winning his second straight Division II high school wrestling championship.

Freeman recorded a fivepoint move in the second period, paving the way for a 7-0 victory over Sandro Ramirez of Wauseon in the Division II 145-pound state championship match on March 11 at Jerome Schottenstein Center in Columbus.

Last year, Freeman won the 132-pound title.

“This year was a big stepping stone for me. I learned a lot every day,” Freeman said. “I don’t want to let my teammates down, I don’t want to let my mom down, I don’t want to let my coaches down by not winning a second straight state title.

“Now I know what I have to do to continue to be a state champion.”

Freeman (46-3) took the difficult route to the state title this year, defeating the eighth-ranked (Alex Kowal of Middletown Fenwick), thirdranked (Joey Sanchez of St. Paris Graham) and secondranked (Ramirez) wrestlers in his weight class to confirm his season-long rank as the 145-pounder to beat in the Division II state tournament.

With the second straight state title in the books, Freeman turned his attention to No. 3. After winning his first title, he said he wanted to be the first three-time state champion in Lake Catholic program history, something he is two-thirds of the way to achieving.

All eyes will be on Freeman next wrestling season to see if he can accomplish this admirable feat.

BOUQUETS >> To Randy Carver, president of Carver Financial Services in Mentor, on being named as one of the top financial advisers in the United States for 2017 by Barron’s magazine.

The rankings are based on data provided by more than 4,000 of the nation’s most productive financial advisers, Barron’s stated. Factors included in the rankings are assets under management, revenue produced for the firm, regulatory record, quality of practice and philanthropic work. Investment performance isn’t an explicit component because not all advisers have audited results and because performance figures often are influenced more by clients’ risk tolerance than by an adviser’s investment-picking abilities, Barron’s stated.

According to Reuters, there are roughly 285,000 financial advisers in the United States. Barron’s listed its top 1,200, or just four-tenths of 1 percent of all advisers.

Carver Financial Services Inc. manages more than $1 billion in client assets, and focuses on retirement income planning, a news release from the firm stated.

It’s noteworthy that Carver has received this award every year from Barron’s since 2008. We congratulate him for retaining his place on this prestigious list.

BRICKBATS >> To former Euclid Middle School girls basketball coach Kevon Smith, after he admitted sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl.

Smith, 23, of Euclid, pleaded guilty March 20 in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court to two counts of sexual battery and one count each of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor and disseminating matter harmful to juveniles.

He is now scheduled to be sentenced April 20 by Judge Steven E. Gall, said Kathleen Caffrey, a spokeswoman for Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael C. O’Malley.

The sexual battery charges are felonies that carry a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison. Unlawful sexual conduct is a felony that is punishable by up to 18 months in prison.

The fourth charge is a misdemeanor that has a maximum penalty of up to six months local jail time.

Police say Smith assaulted the girl between December 2015 and September 2016.

It’s too bad that Smith couldn’t have resisted sexual temptation and put all of his energy into coaching basketball. He could have spared himself a likely prison sentence.

BRICKBATS >> To Franklin County Appeals Court Judge Tim Horton, on being sentenced to 10 days in jail after pleading guilty to charges related to improperly spending campaign funds.

The Columbus Dispatch reported that Horton also was ordered to perform 100 hours of community service, give $2,000 to a food bank and undergo alcohol treatment.

Horton was charged with improperly spending $1,000 in campaign funds at a dinner to celebrate his opponent dropping out of the 2014 appeals court race; nearly $1,000 on a restaurant fundraiser that attracted just one donor; and $170 on cigars.

Horton told the judge who sentenced him on March 16 that his “mistakes and misjudgments” were partly caused by alcohol problems.

Nevertheless, you’d expect a judge to exercise better judgment.