ThisWeek Community Newspapers Reynoldsburg
Page B2
August 4, 2011
Football
Coaches face ‘delicate balance’ with scrimmages By JARROD ULREY
At a glance
ThisWeek Community Newspapers
On the way to its first losing season in 12 years last fall, an already young and undersized Ready High School football team was hindered further when it lost an expected two-way starter to a broken leg. The fact that Christian Knapper went down on the second play of the Silver Knights’ final preseason scrimmage to end his senior season virtually before it started was all the more painful. The 2011 preseason gets under way Tuesday, Aug. 9, with a series of matchups that includes Grove City traveling to Upper Arlington and Gahanna playing host to Olentangy Liberty. From Aug. 9-20, coaches and players will compete in various scrimmages throughout central Ohio in preparation for the coming season. They’ll be crossing their fingers that they won’t face a similar situation to what the Silver Knights and Knapper did last fall. “Injuries like that usually are freak accidents where somebody twists somebody or gets pretzeled underneath a pile,” Ready coach Larry Wolf said. “(Knapper’s injury was) where the kid tried to stop and cut. Most of the time freak injuries are a total accident where there’s no rhyme or reason to them. Our kids are well-conditioned and wellprepared and we just tell them to go out and play hard.” After three seasons in which his team stayed mostly healthy over the course of each season, DeSales coach Ryan Wiggins watched last year as several
WILSON Continued from page B1 In 1996 as a freshman at Columbus Academy, he took second in the long jump, was fifth in the 110 hurdles and ran the anchor leg of the winning 1,600 relay in the Division III state meet. That performance followed a boys soccer season in which he helped the Vikings win the 1995 Division II state title. Wilson transferred to Westerville North midway through his sophomore season and immediately became a standout at the Division I track level. In the 1997 state meet, he took fourth in the long jump, fourth in the 110 hurdles and fourth in the 300 hurdles and helped the 1,600 relay finish third. In 1998, during the final state track meet held at Ohio Stadium, he was one of five North athletes competing but the only one who scored. The 3,200 relay of Nathan Aichele, Jared Conley, Jason Conley and Tyler Pensyl also represented the Warriors but didn’t place. In 1999 at Welcome Stadium in Dayton, Wilson defended his titles in the 110 hurdles (13.7) and 300 hurdles (36.46) and finished third in the long jump (23-7 1/4). He also competed in the 1,600 relay that failed to place. “It was amazing, watching Ryan perform the way that he did,” said Pensyl, who went on to run for Denison University and has been working for the law firm of Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease as an associate for five years. “He rose to the occasion. We only lost one meet all year, and we had a number of outstanding individuals. It really felt like a team championship and I thought it was a reflection of everything that we did that year.” According to Bob Cavin, who was North’s coach in 1998 and currently serves as an assistant football and track coach at New Albany, a now-famous T-shirt was produced after the first day of the state meet. On the front, the shirt read, “Get outta my way. I’m on Ryan Wilson’s team.” On the back, it read, “I made it to the state meet, too.” “It was a great team accomplishment and Ryan was just the leader,” Cavin said. “For Ryan to score all of our points, that was just the icing on the cake.” “Even though I happened to score all of the points, that was one of the best teams we’ve ever had,” Wilson said. “Even though it’s an individual sport, I still have a lot of friends from that team. That was the last meet in ‘The Horseshoe,’and I’m really proud I was able to be a part of people sending the track out in style.” Wilson comes from a family of track athletes. His brother, Glen, was a three-time state meet com-
Cross said. “This gives us a chance to have the defense see more passing, and we’ll mix in a few draw plays.” While some teams prefer to play a neighborhood school that could bring unique intensity during their scrimmage opener, others will enter their first scrimmage with an eye on keeping it simple. Perennial playoff contender Eastmoor Academy and defending Division IV state champion Hartley will meet in the opening scrimmage for both teams Aug. 13 at Hartley. The matchup of East-side schools is one that Warriors coach Jim Miranda looks forward to because of the toughness that his team will get to face as it prepares for the coming season. “Hartley’s got a good, sound program with well-coached kids,” Miranda said. “(Hawks coach Brad Burchfield) enjoys the team speed we have. For us, they have a quick-paced offensive set and disciplined kids, so it makes us have to play sound.” DeSales plays at Westerville South on Aug. 13 in what Wiggins calls a “controlled” scrimmage. It then plays host to Upper Arlington on Aug. 19. “The first scrimmage is against somebody other than ourselves and it’s when you’re going to see real speed for the first time,” Wiggins said. “We know we’re going to see kids with good size and good athleticism, and we’re looking to see how physical we are and how well we’ve learned our assignments.”
Below is a list of scrimmages involving central Ohio high school football teams throughout the ThisWeek Community Newspapers coverage area (times and dates are subject to change): AUG. 9 Gahanna vs. Olentangy Liberty (9 a.m.); Grove City Christian vs. South Charleston Southeastern (6 p.m.); Teays Valley vs. Columbus Academy (9 a.m.); Thomas Worthington vs. Beechcroft, Marysville and Walnut Ridge (5 p.m.); Upper Arlington vs. Grove City (noon) AUG. 10 Bexley vs. Licking Heights (10 a.m.); Buckeye Valley vs. Ready (9 a.m.); Jonathan Alder vs. Brookhaven (8:30 a.m.); Marion Elgin vs. Grandview (10 a.m.); Pickerington North vs. Dublin Coffman (9 a.m.) AUG. 12 Canal Winchester vs. New Albany and Liberty (10 a.m.); Central Crossing vs. Columbus East (7:30 p.m.); Gahanna vs. Lakewood St. Edward (11 a.m.); Olentangy vs. Brookhaven (7 p.m.) AUG. 13 Bexley vs. Fairbanks (10 a.m.); Briggs vs. Ready
(10 a.m.); Delaware vs. Westland (10 a.m.); Dublin Coffman vs. Marysville (9 a.m.); Dublin Jerome vs. Independence, Pickerington Central and Worthington Kilbourne (11 a.m.); Dublin Scioto vs. Hilliard Davidson (7 p.m.); Grove City vs. Hilliard Darby (10 a.m.); Grove City Christian vs. Africentric (9 a.m.); Hartley vs. Eastmoor Academy (6 p.m.); Hilliard Bradley vs. Groveport, Hamilton and Northland (10 a.m.); Johnstown vs. Licking Valley (10 a.m.); Licking Heights vs. Heath (10 a.m.); Marion Harding vs. Watkins Memorial (10 a.m.); Olentangy Orange vs. Kings Mills Kings (10 a.m.); St. Charles vs. Big Walnut (10 a.m.); Troy vs. Reynoldsburg (10 a.m.); Upper Arlington vs. Watterson (9 a.m.); Westerville Central vs. Granville (10 a.m.); Westerville South vs. DeSales (10 a.m.); Whetstone vs. Westerville North (10 a.m.) AUG. 16 Bloom-Carroll vs. New Lexington and Northridge (10 a.m.); Orange vs. Westland (5 p.m.) AUG. 17 Grandview vs. Academy (6 p.m.) AUG. 18 Canal Winchester vs. Newark (6 p.m.); Coff-
man vs. Gahanna (7 p.m.); Pickerington Central vs. Dover (noon); Sparta Highland vs. Hartley (7 p.m.); Westerville South vs. Pickerington North (7 p.m.) AUG. 19 Big Walnut vs. Teays Valley (7 p.m.); Brookhaven vs. Lancaster (7 p.m.); Central Crossing vs. Columbus South (6 p.m.); DeSales vs. Upper Arlington (7 p.m.); Jerome vs. Thomas (6 p.m.); Eastmoor vs. Olentangy (7 p.m.); Grove City Christian vs. Fisher Catholic (7 p.m.); Davidson vs. Findlay (6 p.m.); Johnstown vs. Zanesville Maysville (6 p.m.); Kilbourne vs. Grove City (7 p.m.); Liberty vs. Marion-Franklin (6:30 p.m.); Licking Heights vs. Utica (6 p.m.); Marion Harding vs. Delaware (7 p.m.); Marysville vs. Darby (7 p.m.); New Albany vs. Whetstone (7 p.m); Northland vs. Walnut Ridge (7 p.m.); Northridge vs. Independence and Philo (6 p.m.); Orange vs. Reynoldsburg (7 p.m.); St. Charles vs. Scioto (6:30 p.m.); Watkins Memorial vs. Bexley (10 a.m.); Watterson vs. Lexington (6:30 p.m.); Westerville Central vs. Beechcroft (7 p.m.); Westerville North vs. Bradley (6 p.m.); Westland vs. Franklin Heights (7 p.m.)
key regular-season injuries, including one to running back Warren Ball that lingered much of the fall, hindered his team’s success. Like Wolf, however, Wiggins isn’t planning to keep his players from giving their best effort just to try to keep them from getting injured, and that includes when they’re competing in a preseason scrimmage. “It’s a delicate balance,” Wiggins said. “It always bothers me when a kid gets hurt in practice, but you’ve got to prepare physically. You’re trying to be smart when it’s your own guys, but when you play a different-colored jersey, you’ve just got to play. Usually when injuries occur they are freak things
and you can’t worry about them.” Most of central Ohio’s teams are competing in two scrimmages, although a few will play two scrimmages from Aug. 9-16 and a third that the OHSAA deems a “jamboree” scrimmage from Aug. 18-20. Because the OHSAA requires all schools to pay $250 to its Catastrophic Insurance Fund if they choose to compete in a third preseason game, schools may charge admission to the jamboree. Olentangy Orange opens its scrimmage schedule Aug. 13 against visiting Kings Mills Kings and plays host to Westland on Aug. 16 before playing host to Reynoldsburg on Aug. 19 in a
jamboree. According to Pioneers coach Brian Cross, the scrimmage against Westland will be a “passing scrimmage.” Although both teams will have 11 players on the field unlike in the 7-on7 passing tournaments during the summer, at least seven of every 11 plays will be passes. Cross considers it to be a sign of the times as teams continue to develop more complex passing offenses. Westland’s new coach, Steve White, was an assistant under Cross when the two were on the same coaching staff at Grove City. “I don’t know what other people are doing, but having two scrimmages when julrey@thisweeknews.com we tackle and run the ball is enough,” www.ThisWeekSPORTS.com
Counting down to No. 1 ThisWeek Community Newspapers has been around for 22 years. That timeframe was used as the basis to compile a top-10 list of the top individual performances we’ve covered. Along with the experienced sports staff at ThisWeek and Steve Blackledge, high school reporter at The Columbus Dispatch, we arrived at a top-10 list. Below are Nos. 3-10. Check back next week for No. 1 and let us know your thoughts at ThisWeekSPORTS.com.
NOS. 3-10: 10. MAURICE HALL, Brookhaven football (Oct. 27, 2000) — During a season in which he rushed for 3,057 yards to rank fifth on Ohio’s all-time list, Hall’s most memorable individual performance came during the final week of the regular season. The Bearcats beat Briggs 75-16 as Hall rushed for 411 yards and eight touchdowns on 19 carries. 9. LATOYA TURNER, Pickerington girls basketball (March 19, 1999) — The 6-foot-4 senior helped the Tigers advance to the Division I state final with her 29-point performance in a 51-35 win over Wadsworth. The Ohio State recruit made 12 of 14 shots from the floor and was 5-for-6 from the free-throw line while adding five rebounds, four steals and two assists. 8. DARCY FISHBACK, Upper Arlington girls swimming (Feb. 27-28, 2009) — During preliminaries Feb. 27, Fishback broke the state record in the 100-yard butterfly when she finished in 53.38 seconds. She won her fourth state title in the event the next day in 54.17 seconds. Fishback also swam on two state-record relays: the 200 medley (1:43.59) and the 200 freestyle (1:34.24). 7. CHARLES JOHNSON, Watkins Memorial boys basketball (Feb. 24, 1995) — There have been few more surprising performances than what this 5-8 senior guard accomplished in leading the Warriors to a 93-87 overtime upset of second-seeded and state-ranked London in the second round of the Division II district tournament. Watkins Memorial was just 1-19 entering the matchup but got 57
petitor for Academy who later competed in track for Yale. His mother coached track in the 1980s and early 1990s, making stops at Columbus Central, Centennial and Academy, and remains a teacher at Academy. After Wilson graduated from North, he competed for the University of Southern California, winning an NCAA title in the 110 hurdles in 2003. He also was the bronze medalist in the IAFF World Athletics Final in 2008. Wilson has been a professional track athlete since 2004. In the USATF Outdoor Nationals on June 25 in Eugene, Ore., he finished 16th (13.52) in the semifinals of the 110 hurdles senior race as the top eight advanced to the final. He then traveled to Europe to compete in meets in Switzerland and France in July. He also was expected to travel to Sweden for a meet in late July. Now 30 years old, Wilson expects to continue competing professionally for at least two years and possibly as many as six. He has lived in Los Angeles since 1999. “It’s a lot of fun to compete in
points from Johnson, who made 19 of 34 from floor, including eight 3-pointers, and was 11-for-15 from the freethrow line. He added eight rebounds, six steals and five assists. 6. KHALILAH CARPENTER, Brookhaven girls track and field (June 2-3, 2000) — At the 2000 Division I state meet, the junior broke the meet and state records in the 100 meters with a time of 11.59 seconds on June 2. The next day, she won the 100 in 11.71 and the 200 title in 23.69, a time that lowered the state mark she already held. 5. JEFF BACKES, Upper Arlington football (Dec. 2, 2000) — In leading the Golden Bears to the Division I state title, the 5-9, 180-pound senior turned in a performance worthy of the Ohio Mr. Football award that he had received days earlier. Backes rushed for 183 yards and two touchdowns on 32 carries and preserved a 159 victory over Solon at Fawcett Stadium in Canton with an interception with less than a minute remaining. 4. COURTNEY SMITH, Hilliard Davidson softball (May 17 and 19, 2006) — Smith brought to a close what remains the longest OHSAA softball tournament game, hitting a grand slam in the bottom of the 22nd inning for a 4-1 victory over Olentangy Liberty and a Division I district championship for the Wildcats. It was Smith’s first career home run. She also stood out in the circle, striking out 29 while pitching a complete game. She didn’t allow a run until the top of the 22nd. 3. GREG AVERY, Newark boys basketball (March 15, 2008) — Avery led the Wildcats to a 65-52 victory over Lakewood St. Edward in the Division I state championship game. The 6-3 senior forward tied his career high of 33 points on 14 of 18 shooting and added 11 rebounds, three assists and four steals as the Wildcats captured their first state title since 1943. Avery made third-team all-state his senior season as he averaged 18.9 points, 8.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists. He became the sixth player in program history to score more than 1,000 points, finishing with 1,131 career points.
Europe,” he said. “It’s always nice to know that there’s a knowledgeable fan base over there that really appreciates you. It’s refreshing. I definitely feel fortunate to be able to travel like this, and I’m trying to enjoy the parts that I can. Not a lot of people are able to see the world like I have.” Although he’s competed in track meets in front of as many as 75,000 fans in Europe, the sheer magnitude of winning three state titles is something Cynthia Wilson believes will live on in the memories of track fans throughout Ohio. “The further you get away from it, the more you realize what a big deal it was, especially since it was in Division I,” she said. “It was the last time the meet was held at Ohio State, so that was fun, too. He’s always set all of these goals for himself and some of those goals have eluded him, but he’s been able to run at the highest levels. He loves the hurdles and he really loved Westerville North and loved coach Cavin and the support from the community.” julrey@thisweeknews.com www.ThisWeekSPORTS.com
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Sports briefs Raiders’ Murray commits to Cincinnati Reynoldsburg High School senior Jeff Murray has verbally committed to play baseball at the University of Cincinnati. A first baseman, Murray had a .400 batting average with four home runs and 26 RBI last season and was named second-team all-OCC Ohio Division. The Raiders finished 16-11 overall and lost to Westerville Central 12-7 in a Division I district final. As a sophomore in 2010, Murray hit .489 with seven home runs and 50 RBI. Eight other members of the Raiders baseball team last season will play at the college level
— Nick Analogue (Ohio Northern), Mike Castro (Bluffton), Halen Core (Bluffton), J.C. Gibson (Marietta), Tommy Nobile (Bluffton), Jon Sheline (Ohio Wesleyan), Taylor Snare (West Liberty) and Weston Weiss (Youngstown State). All eight are 2011 graduates. Weiss, a shortstop and pitcher, missed all of last season because of a shoulder injury.
Columbus Sharks to hold tryouts The 17-and-under Columbus Sharks baseball team will hold tryouts at 1 p.m. Aug. 20 and 21 at New Albany High School. For more information, contact Steve Parker at (614) 284-3825 or sdp196@yahoo.com.
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