2011 Friday Night Live High School Football Preview Guide

August 25, 2011 | ThisWeek Community Newspapers

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2011 Central Ohio High School Football Preview Guide

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POWER of the

CCL

League’s longtime success hits new level after Hartley and Watterson won state titles last year. Page 4

2

FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE 2011 Football Preview | August 25, 2011

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SEASON PREDICTIONS

Who will be league champions this season? Members of ThisWeek’s sports staff make their picks: OCC-Central OCC-Capital OCC-Cardinal OCC-Ohio MSL-Buckeye MSL-Cardinal MSL-Ohio CCL-Gold CCL-Silver City-North City-South

Lee Cochran

Paul Batterson

Frank DiRenna

Brad Emerine

Scott Hennen

Dave Purpura

Jarrod Ulrey

Sports editor

Sportswriter

Sportswriter

Sportswriter

Sportswriter

Sportswriter

Sportswriter

Hilliard Davidson Big Walnut Westerville South Pickerington Central Canal Winchester West Jefferson Licking Valley Hartley DeSales Brookhaven Marion-Franklin

Hilliard Davidson Olentangy Orange Westerville South Pickerington Central Canal Winchester West Jefferson Licking Valley Hartley Watterson Beechcroft Marion-Franklin

Hilliard Davidson Olentangy Orange Westervillle South Pickerington Central Hamilton Township West Jefferson Licking Valley Hartley DeSales Northland Eastmoor Academy

Dublin Coffman Olentangy Orange Westerville South Pickerington Central Amanda-Clearcreek West Jefferson Licking Valley Hartley DeSales Northland Marion-Franklin

Dublin Coffman Olentangy Orange Westerville South Pickerington Central Hamilton Township Grandview Licking Valley Hartley DeSales Northland Marion-Franklin

Hilliard Davidson Olentangy Orange Westerville South Pickerington Central Hamilton Township West Jefferson Licking Valley Hartley DeSales Northland Marion-Franklin

Hilliard Davidson Big Walnut Olentangy Liberty Pickerington Central Amanda-Clearcreek West Jefferson Licking Valley Hartley DeSales Beechcroft Marion-Franklin

INSIDE FEATURES Power of the CCL ...................4 High School Football Weekly ...5 Top area players ....................6 From the Commissioner .........8 Weekly schedules ...........48-49 CCL Watterson..............................9 DeSales ..............................10 St. Charles ..........................11 Hartley ................................12 Ready .................................13 OCC-OHIO DIVISION League spotlight ..................16 Groveport-Madison...............16 Gahanna Lincoln..................17

Grove City............................18 Lancaster............................19 Newark................................20 Pickerington Central .............21 Pickerington North ...............22 Reynoldsburg.......................23

OCC-CARDINAL DIVISION League spotlight ..................36 Dublin Jerome .....................37 Dublin Scioto.......................38 Marysville............................39 Olentangy............................40 Olentangy Liberty .................41 OCC-CENTRAL DIVISION Westerville Central...............42 League spotlight ..................25 Westerville North .................43 Central Crossing ..................25 Westerville South.................44 Dublin Coffman....................26 Hilliard Darby .......................27 OCC-CAPITAL DIVISION Hilliard Davidson..................28 League spotlight ..................46 Thomas Worthington ............29 Franklin Heights...................46 Upper Arlington....................30 Big Walnut...........................47 Westland.............................31 Delaware Hayes ...................50 Worthington Kilbourne..........32 Hilliard Bradley.....................51

Mount Vernon ......................52 New Albany..........................53 Olentangy Orange ................54 Watkins Memorial ................55 CITY LEAGUE-NORTH DIVISION League spotlight ..................58 Beechcroft...........................58 Brookhaven .........................59 Centennial...........................60 Columbus East ....................61 Linden-McKinley...................62 Mifflin ................................63 Northland ............................64 Whetstone...........................65

CITY LEAGUE-SOUTH DIVISION League spotlight ..................66 Africentric............................67 Briggs .................................68 Eastmoor Academy ..............69 Independence......................70 Marion-Franklin ....................71 Columbus South ..................72 Walnut Ridge .......................73 Columbus West ...................74 MSL-OHIO League spotlight ..................75 Bexley .................................76 Columbus Academy..............77 Granville..............................78 Heath..................................79

Lakewood............................80 Licking Valley .......................81 Newark Catholic...................82 Whitehall.............................83 OTHERS Buckeye Valley .....................84 Canal Winchester.................85 Hamilton Township...............86 Grandview ...........................87 Harvest Prep .......................88 Licking Heights ....................89 Grove City Christian..............90 Johnstown-Monroe ...............91 Northridge ...........................92 Utica ...................................93 Columbus Crusaders............94

Think Academy is just about academics? Take a closer look... www.columbusacademy.org

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FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE 2011 Football Preview | August 25, 2011

3

COVER STORY

CCL ‘values’ produce elite programs

By JARROD ULREY

On the cover

ThisWeek Community Newspapers

Whether the signature image of last season was the dynamic running of Hartley’s Noah Key or Watterson’s bruising defense, it truly was a memorable fall for central Ohio high school football and particularly the Central Catholic League.

Although CCL teams have enjoyed significant success during the past three decades, the Eagles and Hawks provided the conference a rare trophy double by winning 2010 state titles in Divisions III and IV, respectively.

Combined with DeSales’ 17 consecutive playoff appearances — the state’s longest-running streak — and stretches of strong play by Ready and St. Charles, CCL teams have proven themselves in the win column time and again.

It’s a brand of football that Hartley coach Brad Burchfield describes as more like a lifestyle than a set of plays on a field.

“I think you have to dig much deeper than it just being about CCL football,” said Burchfield, who coached Centerburg for five seasons before replacing longtime coach Dick Geyer in 2008. “You have to look at the culture as a whole. There’s a sense when you come to a Catholic school that there’s a lot of self-sacrifice.

Whether you’re doing service hours or extra-curricular activities, you have those same school values.”

Dan Bjelac, entering his 10th season as Watterson’s coach, is a Steubenville Catholic Central graduate who was an assistant when the Eagles won the 2002 state title under Mike Golden.

He believes being part of a Catholic educational system provides dividends.

“Religion-based education is certainly a discipline,” Bjelac said.

“It provides a lot of educational values and a very strong tradition.

It’s something that’s a big part of your life in sports and beyond.

There’s a unique togetherness.”

4

Hartley’s Jarrod Zang and Watterson’s Craig Fada are among the top returnees for their teams which won state titles last season. (Photo by ThisWeek chief photographer Adam Cairns; design by ThisWeek special sections artist Annie Steel.)

The Columbus Dispatch file photo

Watterson’s Brad McCurdy is stopped by DeSales’ Jalen Noble last season during their Division III first-round playoff game. The Eagles won their second state title last season, but the Stallions have won a CCL-best three state championships.

After his team’s 34-13 win over Chagrin Falls in the Dec. 3 state final in Massillon, Burchfield talked about how his team didn’t “fracture” after losing regular-season games to Elyria Catholic 34-28 in overtime Sept.

17 and Ironton 37-16 on Oct. 15.

The Hawks avenged the loss to Ironton with a 26-20 win in the Region 15 final Nov. 19 and edged two-time defending champion Kettering Alter 29-28 in a state semifinal Nov. 26.

Some of the adversity Watter-

son was forced to overcome came in the state title game in Massillon on Dec. 4, when the Eagles committed six turnovers but made enough big plays defensively to beat Akron Buchtel 13-12. In addition, quarterback Patrick Rhomberg battled injuries throughout much of the postseason.

A culture built around “putting others over themselves,” as Burchfield calls it, might be what sets the Eagles and other CCL programs apart.

“It seems like the Catholic League in general is more than just football,” Watterson senior linebacker Craig Fada said. “It’s more about the morals and values that we get from the school.

We’re disciplined all day, especially with getting our schoolwork done.”

HISTORY OF SUCCESS The two championships last season, combined with DeSales’ three previous titles and one previous title apiece by Hartley,

Ready and Watterson, gave the CCL’s current members a combined eight state championships.

Newark Catholic, which left the CCL after the 2001-02 school year, won seven state titles from 1978-91.

Although DeSales hasn’t won a championship since capturing titles in 1985 under Tony Pusateri and 1997 and 1998 under Bob Jacoby, it could be argued that there has not been a more consistent program in the state over the last two-plus decades.

FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE 2011 Football Preview | August 25, 2011

The Stallions went 5-6 a year ago for their first non-winning season since 1974 but managed to beat three eventual playoff teams and earn the eighth seed for the Division III, Region 10 playoffs. Although it lost to Watterson 31-7 in the regular season, DeSales stayed with the Eagles before losing 14-7 in the first round of the playoffs.

According to Stallions coach Ryan Wiggins, the success of his program predates the accomplishments of Pusateri and Jacoby.

Forest “Treeze” Sharrock, who was DeSales’first coach in 1962 and remained in the position until 1975, coined the phrase, “A team with a past is a team with a future.”

It remains a team mantra.

During the 1980s and 1990s, current central Ohio head coaches such as Mike Carter (Johnstown), Mark Crabtree (Dublin Coffman), Rocky Pentello (Westerville South), Brian White (Hilliard Davidson) and Wiggins all served as DeSales assistants.

The Stallions were state runnersup in 1996, 2001 and 2005 under Jacoby and in 2009 under Wiggins.

“There have been a lot of great people who have been involved in the CCL,” Wiggins said. “I think all the CCL teams have good, dedicated coaches. Every year when we go to the CCL league meeting in the summer, there are just a lot of great people who have been involved.”

Watterson was the unofficial state champion in 1966 under Richard Walker, earned a state See VALUES, page 14

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FROM

THE

EDITOR

‘High School Football Weekly’ ready for launch More than 20 years ago, Hank Williams Jr. first sang: “Are you ready for some football?”

We at ThisWeek Community Newspapers sure hope so because we’re going to deliver the pigskin like never before.

It was five years ago that ThisWeek launched our Friday Night Live website. The site, sponsored by Columbus State Community College, is devoted to high school football and the staff of ThisWeekSPORTS.com is devoted to giving you the most comprehensive coverage of the area scene.

We are very proud of what we accomplished, but, as in previous years, we’ve come up with a few new wrinkles.

FOOTBALL AND PIZZA The first edition of the High School Football Weekly will be available Sept. 1 at 51 central Ohio Donatos locations.

There will be a cover story that is exclusive to this publication.

These will focus on features, trends and issues surrounding the sport.

Also in the publication will be standings, schedules and results as well as game previews and game recaps.

The tab will be available each Thursday, only at Donatos.

FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE •Game of the Week: A preview will be available Wednesdays, and a recap — with video and video and a photo slideshow — will be posted the night of the game.

•On the air: Our broadcast team of Ron Smith and former Ohio State quarterback Stanley Jackson will call the Game of the Week. Listen through our website or by downloading our App (more on the App later).

•Other games: We do plenty with the signature game each week, but we don’t neglect the

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others. Previews of these games also are posted each Wednesday and recaps will be available the night of the game. As we LEE like to say, "It’s COCHRAN called Friday Night Live and not Saturday Morning Live for a reason."

•From our eyes: See the games through the lenses of our awardwinning staff.

•We’re mobile: Got a smartphone? Then download our Friday Night Live app for instant access to all the features on our site. Listen to our call of the Game of the Week while you’re watching it.

•Who’s No. 1: Check out our Super 7 poll, which will be posted on Mondays.

•Player of the Week: Each Tuesday, we will announce the top player from the previous week’s games. We will have a short description of his accomplishments as well as a video.

•Player Profiles: Get to know the players off the field, too.

•We’re on TV: Tune in to ThisWeek in Sports on Time Warner. Join Don Delco, our sports web producer, and sportswriters Jarrod Ulrey and Scott Hennen each week. The show will be available Thursday on the web and as the lead-in for the Time Warner Game of the Week.

Again, the question is asked: “Are you ready for some football?”

You better be because we sure are.

Lee Cochran is the assistant managing editor for sports and photography of ThisWeek. Let him know what you think at lcochran@thisweeknews.com

FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE 2011 Football Preview | August 25, 2011

5

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Area receivers primed to display skills

By JARROD ULREY

The 10 spot

ThisWeek Community Newspapers

Upper Arlington coach Mike Golden has been around high school football long enough to know that the impact he has on a player such as senior Frank Epitropoulos often is less than it seems.

“I wish I could say it was all coaching, but to get to a program like Ohio State, you’ve really got to have a tremendous amount of physical talent,” Golden said. “A lot of it is sheer athletic ability that people are born with. He just really jumps out at you and has become a big part of our offense.”

Epitropoulos, who verbally committed to Ohio State in April, not only might be the area’s best wide receiver, but he also was the first-team all-district punter in Division I last year and is likely to contribute at defensive back.

Combine his talents with that of Dublin Jerome’s Cameron Wilson, and there should be plenty of moments when wide receivers shine this fall.

Wilson verbally committed to Iowa in June after finishing with 77 receptions last year.

After making an impact at wide receiver as a freshman, Wilson spent some time at running back as a sophomore before settling in as the team’s No. 1 receiver last season. “(Wilson’s) got good size and good strength, and although he doesn’t have breakaway speed, he’s very shifty and very quick,” Jerome coach Mark Hundley said.

“He was good when we put him in at running back, but when we put him in at receiver, he was great at it.”

Epitropoulos and Wilson aren’t the only players from central Ohio set to step into the spotlight catching passes.

Dublin Coffman senior Marcus Davis was second-team alldistrict last year and made ThisWeek Super 25 honorable mention after having 48 catches during the regular season. Olentangy Liberty senior A.J. Motika also made Super 25 honorable

6

By Paul Vernon/ThisWeek

Upper Arlington’s Frank Epitropoulos (right) is one of the impact wide receivers in the area. The senior already has committed to play at Ohio State.

mention and second-team all-district after finishing with 51 receptions.

Roger Lewis, who made only a minimal impact last year at wide receiver for Pickerington Central, recently made a verbal commitment to play for Ohio State.

New Albany’s Kevin Collins and Bexley’s Jalen Robinette are wide receivers who reportedly have received offers to play for Bowling Green.

Marysville tight end Craig Runyan has verbally committed to Toledo.

Below is a look at some of the area’s other top players, by position: •QUARTERBACK — While there might not be an obvious star among this year’s quarterback class, there is plenty of depth.

Pickerington Central senior Nick Jensen-Clagg has verbally committed to Kent State, while Zach Olszewski is back to lead Pickerington North.

Groveport’s Shane Denny, Walnut Ridge’s Fred Hardgrove, Westerville South’s Marcus Ball and Marion-Franklin’s Corry Benson all are athletic signal-callers. However, Hardgrove is expected to miss the early part of the season, Scots coach Byron Mattox said.

Senior Chris Rhodes made second-team all-district last year after passing for 2,512 yards and 33 touchdowns and again should put up big numbers in Columbus West’s passing-oriented offense.

•RUNNING BACK — Apair of returning Super 25 players and an Ohio State recruit should be among this year’s top running

backs.

Alex Mickley is back to lead Hilliard Davidson, and Johnstown’s Ross Franklin returns after joining Mickley on the Super 25 last season, when he rushed for 2,183 yards and 22 scores.

After verbally committing before last season to play for the Buckeyes, DeSales senior Warren Ball battled injuries for much of last fall but now is expected to be healthy.

Defending Division IV state champion Hartley lost Toledo recruit Noah Key but returns another runner who had more than 1,000 yards last season in senior Jarrod Zang.

Others who should make an impact include Westerville South’s Daxton Cates, Harvest Prep’s Taimere Fambro, Grandview’s

Below are 10 players you need to know heading into the 2011 central Ohio high school football season: MARCUS BALL Westerville South Sr. QB The Wildcats should have a new look after graduating running back Jayshon Jackson, the two-time district Player of the Year, and Ball should help make that transition easier. He passed for 1,204 yards and 14 touchdowns last season.

WARREN BALL DeSales Sr. RB The 6-foot-2, 205-pounder could be poised to break out after injuries limited him to eight games last season. He rushed for 634 yards and 12 touchdowns a year ago and is hungry to help the Stallions bounce back from their first losing season since 1974.

FRANK EPITROPOULOS Upper Arlington Sr. WR/DB/P This 6-3, 195-pounder might be the most versatile among the seven central Ohio athletes who have verbally committed to Ohio State. He had 28 receptions, averaged 42.2 yards per punt and added 55 tackles and two interceptions last season.

TERRELL JACKSON Marion-Franklin Sr. DL One of the keys to the Red Devils’ 11-1 season a year ago, this 6-3, 255pound defensive end had more than 10 sacks and 20 tackles for losses. He has 11 Division I scholarship offers, including from Duke.

ROGER LEWIS Pickerington Central Sr. WR/LB One of Central’s best athletes, this 6-2, 185-pounder could see time at several positions, including wide receiver. He has committed to Ohio State.

ALEX MICKLEY Hilliard Davidson Sr. RB A ThisWeek Super 25 selection last year, Mickley is back as one of the leaders of the Wildcats’ option offense after rushing for 29 touchdowns and 1,538 yards and making first-team all-district.

A.J. MOTIKA Olentangy Liberty Sr. WR Another from the area’s bumper crop of wide receivers is this 6-3, 170-pounder who made ThisWeek Super 25 honorable mention for the Patriots last year.

He finished with 51 catches for 819 yards for a 16.1 average, and scored six touchdowns.

JOSHUA PERRY Olentangy Sr. RB/LB The first verbal commitment to Ohio State’s 2012 recruiting class in June 2010, this 6-4, 228-pound outside linebacker had 14 tackles for losses last year. He also rushed for nearly 400 yards.

LUKE ROBERTS Lancaster Sr. LB Led by this 6-2, 230-pounder, the Gales went 7-3 and narrowly missed the playoffs a year ago. The Ohio State recruit had 23 tackles for losses, 96 total tackles and two interceptions last season.

CAMERON WILSON Dublin Jerome Sr. WR Central Ohio’s leader in receiving yards (1,079) and receptions (77) during the regular season last year, the 6-2, 195-pound Wilson made first-team alldistrict in Division II and the Super 25. He has verbally committed to Iowa.

Jason Franks, Licking Valley’s Drew McArtor, Briggs’ Dyonte Morgan, Hilliard Bradley’s Blake Scipio, Mount Vernon’s Leevi Stump and Jerome’s Donovan Wilson.

•OFFENSIVE/DEFENSIVE LINE — It should be a busy signing day next February for line-

FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE 2011 Football Preview | August 25, 2011

men throughout central Ohio.

The big names might be Ohio State recruits Jacoby Boren (Pickerington Central) and Pat Elflein (Pickerington North), but many others also should be signing to play college football.

See RECEIVERS, page 7

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PLAYERS TO WATCH

RECEIVERS Continued from page 6 Olentangy senior offensive tackle Kenton Playko has verbally committed to play for Northwestern, and Pickerington Central defensive lineman Taco Charlton also should sign with a major Division I college after recently receiving an offer from UCLA. Other offensive linemen who have made verbal commitments include Upper Arlington’s James Henry (Toledo) and Grove City’s Dalton Chapman (Bowling Green). Watkins Memorial senior two-way lineman Reno Reda made Super 25 honorable mention last season.

On the defensive line, MarionFranklin’s Terrell Jackson should make an impact along with Grove City Christian’s Zach Casparro, UA’s Grayson Fisher, Reynoldsburg’s LaVonne Gauthney and Lancaster’s Aaron Woosley. •LINEBACKER — Olentangy’s Joshua Perry and Lancaster’s Luke Roberts, both of

whom have verbally committed to Ohio State, should be among the standouts at linebacker.

Other impact players are expected to include Pickerington Central senior Jake Kincaid (verbal commitment to Kent State) and Licking Heights junior Ronnie Dawson, who had more than 100 tackles a year ago. Hartley again should be strong at linebacker, where Zang and juniors Jacob Matuska and JaWaun Woodley all return.

Watterson, which is central Ohio’s other defending state champion, returns an honorable mention all-district linebacker in Division III in Craig Fada. •SECONDARY — Coffman continues to produce talented players, and senior cornerback Taylor Williams could be its next standout. He has seven Division I offers, all from Mid-American Conference schools.

Pickerington Central’s next crop of defensive backs includes safety Sebastian Smith (verbal com-

mitment to Indiana) and cornerback Billy Eakins.

Although Thomas Worthington has had just one non-losing season over the past 10 years, it has a bona fide talent in senior cornerback Nana Kyeremeh. He has seven Division I offers, including from Boston College, Northwestern and West Virginia. •SPECIALTEAMS — While Epitropoulos is the area’s best punter entering this season, the top kickers returning are Gahanna senior Tyler Grassman and New Albany senior Jimmy Gammill.

Also a strong punter and likely a key player at defensive back, Grassman was second-team alldistrict in Division I last year when he made four field goals of 40 yards or more.

Gammill made 43 of 45 extrapoint attempts and seven of nine field goals with a long of 45 yards during the regular season. julrey@thisweeknews.com www.ThisWeekSPORTS.com

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Football and pizza.

Is there a better combination?

Stop in to more than 50 area Donatos each Thursday and pick up the best coverage of high school football from the award-winning staff at ThisWeek Community Newspapers.

Visit ThisWeekSPORTS.com for the location closest to you!

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7

From the commissioner: On behalf of the Ohio High School Athletic Association, welcome to another season of high school football! More than 50,000 youngsters in Ohio participate in the great game of football every season and demonstrate why Ohio is considered to have some of the best football in the nation.

There are so many values that can be established by participation in interscholastic athletics. Sportsmanship, integrity, teamwork, discipline, commitment, academic accountability and school spirit are all essential ingredients to making school sports an important part of the educational process. Every year, it is proven that few things bring communities and students together quite like high school activities and sports.

And that includes everyone! Our motto — “Respect the Game” — certainly applies to parents and fans, too. Remember that young people are always watching how adults conduct themselves while at a sporting event. Let’s make a commitment to show them how to cheer on your team, not taunt or disrespect the opponent.

While we certainly applaud those student-athletes who go on to play at the college level, our focus and commitment is strictly on promoting and protecting athletics participation at the junior high and high school level. We say every day that interscholastic athletics helps prepare kids not for the next level of competition, but for the next level of life.

Remember that if all we care about is winning, then we all lose. While the thrill of competition gives student-athletes memories they will never forget, let’s ensure that school sports are first and foremost a learning experience that helps give them the foundation to be great citizens.

Respectfully, DAN ROSS Commissioner, Ohio High School Athletic Association

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CENTRAL CATHOLIC LEAGUE Watterson

State title put behind as new tests loom

By JARROD ULREY ThisWeek Community Newspapers

The memory of last December’s state championship is becoming more distant for those still involved with the Watterson High School football team.

A new season, according to coach Dan Bjelac, has enough character to stand alone.

“You get a lot of comments from people still, especially from people who you haven’t seen for a while,” Bjelac said. “But mentally, you’ve moved on. This is a different group. It’s not like the (Green Bay) Packers in the NFL when you’re returning the same nucleus. This is a totally different season.”

A year ago, the Eagles went 13-1, beat DeSales twice and captured the program’s second state title.

Watterson allowed only 7.7 points a game, a stinginess that helped it overcome six turnovers during a 13-12 win over Akron Buchtel in the Division III state final on Dec. 4 in Massillon.

Senior inside linebackers Craig Fada (6-foot, 217 pounds) and Mario Dean (5-9, 191), senior free safety Erik Oman (6-1, 172) and senior defensive linemen Erik Rutkowski (6-2, 260) and Chris Seguin (6-1, 227) all were contributors.

Junior Andrew Lorenz (6-3, 261) also saw action on the defensive line, where he should join Rutkowski, Seguin and senior Andrew Ticknor (5-11, 267).

Also at linebacker should be seniors Brennan Clegg (5-10, 190) and Joey Vagnier (6-0, 201). Seniors Isaiah Murray (5-10, 170) and Austin Greene (6-2, 180), junior John Nutter (5-9, 140) and sophomore Cody Calhoun (5-10, 175) all will see action at cornerback, with junior Patrick Bookman (6-0, 181) and senior Anthony Melaragno (5-10, 170) at strong safety.

Fada had a team-leading 119

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By Chris Parker/ThisWeek

Erik Oman returns at free safety to help lead a defense which allowed only 7.7 points a game last season.

tackles and made honorable mention all-district last season. Oman had four interceptions and 45 tackles while making special mention all-district.

Junior Andy Elberson (6-2, 191) is taking over for 2011 graduate Patrick Rhomberg at quarterback.

He started Watterson’s opening 20-7 win over Akron St. VincentSt. Mary and played during the second half of a 21-7 win over Elida in a regional semifinal.

Greene will be his backup.

The leading returning rusher is senior tailback Isaiah Murray, who had 342 yards and four touchdowns in the regular season but played mostly special teams in the postseason. Dean — who rushed for 285 yards and two touchdowns and added nine catches for 94 yards with three touchdowns — will be at fullback along with Clegg and Vagnier. Bookman rushed for 102 yards last year.

Oman had 10 catches for 238

yards and three touchdowns and is back to lead a wide receiver corps that also should include seniors Jack Gammon (5-10, 167), Chase Nutter (5-9, 158), Joe Traini (5-9, 150) and Greene and junior Mike Vlahakis (6-1, 175).

Fada will be at tight end. Either Lorenz or Rutkowski is expected to begin the season at center, with the other starting at tackle. Senior Mike Novak (5-11, 236) also will be at tackle, with Seguin and Ticknor among a group of players competing at guard.

According to Dean, the Eagles plan to mix power running with a spread look on offense.

“We’ve got good athletes, good team speed and our line is shaping up,” Elberson said. “I’m definitely happy I got experience last year, and we all have good chemistry with the offense.”

The schedule could be tougher than a year ago, when the only blemish was a 23-14 loss in week

4 to Cincinnati Winton Woods.

The Eagles open Friday, Aug. 26, at Pickerington North, which last year went 6-4 and finished ninth in the Division I, Region 3 computer ratings.

While Hamilton (Ontario) Cathedral and Lorain, which the Eagles crushed 56-0 and 63-0, respectively last season, are no longer on the schedule, Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit, Cincinnati LaSalle and Jonathan Alder have been added.

Jonathan Alder (Division IV) and LaSalle (Division I) both made the playoffs last fall, and Walsh Jesuit went 7-3.

Looking for their second consecutive CCL-Silver Division title, the Eagles play Oct. 14 at DeSales and Oct. 21 against visiting St. Charles. Last season, they beat the Stallions 31-7 during the regular season and 14-7 in the first round of the Region 10 playoffs.

Watterson’s 2011 senior class included the district Defensive Player of the Year in Matt Redfield (RB/LB) and fellow firstteam all-district selections T.J. Gilles (OL), Hunter Maynard (DL), Brad McCurdy (DB) and Rhomberg. Maynard signed with Bowling Green, Gilles signed with Ohio Dominican and Red-

Schedule 2011 SCHEDULE Aug. 26 .....Pick. North ............Away Sept. 2......Beechcroft...........Home Sept. 9......Walsh Jesuit..........Away Sept. 16....Winton Woods......Home Sept. 23....Cin. LaSalle...........Away Sept. 30....Greenville ............Home Oct. 8........King City (Ontario) St. Thomas of Villanova ..............Home *Oct. 14....DeSales................Away *Oct. 21....St. Charles ..........Home Oct. 28......Jonathan Alder ......Away

field is walking on at Bowling Green. Justin McCarthy, a starter on the defensive line, signed with Dayton.

“After losing all of the seniors, we didn’t know what to expect, but we’ve had a couple sopho-

2010 RESULTS (13-1 overall, 2-0 CCL-Silver) Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary ...W, 20-7 Beechcroft..........................W, 30-6 Hamilton (Ontario) Cath.......W, 56-0 Cincinnati Winton Woods....L, 23-14 Greenville ...........................W, 72-0 Lorain ................................W, 63-0 *DeSales ...........................W, 31-7 *St. Charles .....................W, 28-21 Uniontown Lake ................W, 37-13 PLAYOFFS DeSales .............................W, 14-7 Elida ..................................W, 21-7 Tiffin Columbian..................W, 18-7 Cincinnati McNicholas.........W, 20-7 Akron Buchtel ...................W, 13-12 *CCL game

mores step up and take positions,” Dean said. “The expectations are still like they are every year, and we have the same goals.” julrey@thisweeknews.com www.ThisWeekSPORTS.com

GREAT degree a

closer

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EAGLES !!!

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CCL-SILVER

DeSales

Rare losing record provides extra motivation

By JARROD ULREY

Schedule

ThisWeek Community Newspapers

With three state championships and four state runner-up finishes to its credit, high expectations are the norm for the DeSales High School football team.

However, the Stallions found a reason beyond tradition to enter this season with extra motivation.

Despite extending a state-best streak of playoff appearances to 17 last fall, DeSales endured two losses to Watterson and a 62-0 drubbing by Lakewood St. Edward en route to its first losing season since 1974.

Needless to say, according to coach Ryan Wiggins, it wasn’t difficult during the offseason for a roster that includes 29 seniors to find motivation “We’ve had a good offseason,” said Wiggins, who enters his fifth season. “With last year ending up being sort of marginal, our guys have been hungry. One thing about having a season where you don’t do everything you want to do is that it gets your focus back.”

One of those seniors, running back Warren Ball, is hoping for a breakout year. After verbally committing to Ohio State before his junior season, Ball (6-foot-2, 215 pounds) battled an ankle injury most of last season and was limited to 634 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Although the Stallions will run the same triple-option that has been a staple, they likely will show more I-formation looks in hopes of taking full advantage of Ball’s talent.

After graduating Nick Gentile at quarterback, the Stallions are expected to use either senior Jalen Noble (5-11, 180) or junior Alex Perrine (5-9, 170) in that position.

Expected to join Ball in the backfield are seniors Auston Garrett (5-8, 170) and J.T. Blubaugh (5-10, 180).

Senior Charles Chandler (6-3, 185) is back to lead the wide receiver corps after finishing with 21 catches for 229 yards and two touchdowns last year. Senior

10

2011 SCHEDULE Aug. 26 .....Gahanna..............Home Sept. 2......Brookhaven .........Home Sept. 9......New Albany ...........Away Sept. 16....Union (Ky.) Ryle......Away Sept. 23....Orchard Lake (Mich.) St. Mary’s ..................................Home *Sept. 30..St. Charles............Away *Oct. 14....Watterson............Home Oct. 21......Cinn. LaSalle.........Away Oct. 28......Cl. Benedictine ....Home

By Paul Vernon/ThisWeek

Senior Charles Chandler is the leading returnee at wide receiver for DeSales after catching 21 passes for 229 yards and two touchdowns last season.

Daulton Nebraska (5-10, 170), junior Oliver Grimard (6-3, 175) and sophomore Griff Saunders (6-2, 200) also are at the position.

Seniors Ryan Maloney (6-1, 195) and Derek Traini (6-1, 200) are the tight ends.

Senior guard R.J. Ball (6-1, 220), senior tackle Aaron Melsop (6-1, 190) and senior guard Max Yinger (6-0, 190) give the Stallions three returnees on the offensive line. Senior Alex Washington (6-2, 290) likely will play tackle, with either senior Todd Righter (6-1, 225) or classmate Jhas Corbitt (5-10, 210) at center.

The strength of the defense could be the secondary, where Noble and senior Tim Doone (61, 190) are returnees. Doone should be at free safety, while Noble could play corner or safety.

Seniors Chris Kurek (5-10, 175) and Marq Pannell (5-9, 150), sophomore Sayyid Kanu (5-10, 175) and Chandler also are expected

to see time in the secondary.

Washington is a returning starter on the interior defensive line in the Stallions’ 4-3 set. Ball, Melsop and senior Ja’Mezz McKinney (5-9, 210) are other defensive tackles, with junior Darrien Scott (6-2, 200), senior Kameron Stewart (5-10, 225) and junior Chris Ritter (6-1, 205) at end.

Senior Joe Lyberger (5-10, 180) is back at inside linebacker. Other linebackers will include seniors Adam Dobner (6-2, 185), Patrick McGuire (6-2, 190) and Keylon Richards (5-9, 175).

Chandler and Noble are expected to be the top kick and punt returners, with senior Nate McBride (6-0, 170) serving as long snapper.

Senior Anthony Ciammaichella made all seven of his field-goal attempts and averaged more than 38 yards per punt a year ago.

“We’re all really excited about this year,” Lyberger said. “A lot

(OL/DL) also were key players lost to graduation.

The Stallions have a bye during the first weekend of October, between their matchups with St. Charles (Sept. 30 on the road) and Watterson (Oct. 14 at home).

“The best thing about last season is that losing can be a good motivator,” Wiggins said. “Last

of people got experience last year, and the good thing about our class is that all of the seniors get along.”

Last season, DeSales opened with back-to-back wins but lost five of its next seven.

The Stallions beat St. Charles 20-6 and lost to Watterson 31-7 in CCL-Silver Division play to finish 1-1 behind the Eagles (20) and ahead of the Cardinals (02).

They closed the regular season LARGEST IN-STOCK SELECTION. with a 35-17 win over Cleveland LOWEST PRICES. EVERYDAY! Benedictine to earn the eighth and OVER 1 MILLION SF OF FIRST final playoff spot in Division III, QUALITY HARD SURFACE FLOORING! Region 10.

DeSales lost 14-7 in its playoff opener at Watterson, which went on to win the state title.

In addition to losing Gentile, who is playing for Air Force, 2011 graduates Evan Kendrick (RB/DB, Navy) and Chris Rock (OL/DL, 3785 PARK MILL RUN RD. Michigan) are on college rosters.

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2010 RESULTS (5-6 overall, 1-1 CCL-Silver) Gahanna ..........................W, 28-14 Maumee.............................W, 41-0 New Albany.................L, 13-10 (OT) Youngstown Mooney..........W, 41-31 Orchard Lake (Mich.) St. Mary’s ...... ..........................................L, 24-0 *St. Charles .......................W, 20-6 Lakewood St. Edward ...........L, 62-0 *Watterson .........................L, 31-7 Cincinnati LaSalle ..............L, 33-30 Cleveland Benedictine.......W, 35-17 PLAYOFFS Watterson ...........................L, 14-7 *CCL game

year we also had a lot of guys contributing, and with our schedule there’s a very fine line between winning and losing. They know it’s a marathon of a season, and as much work as we put into it, we want expectations to be high.” julrey@thisweeknews.com www.ThisWeekSPORTS.com

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CCL-SILVER

St. Charles

Spread offense must overcome key departures

By SCOTT HENNEN ThisWeek Community Newspapers

After making the playoffs last season for the first time since 2002, the St. Charles Preparatory School football team got a bump.

The Cardinals were moved up to Division I after falling to host Uniontown Lake 41-14 in last year’s opening round of the Division II, Region 7 postseason.

Coach Jeff Pharion said his team can’t worry about the move, and the players are ready to start the season.

“Summer is a tough time. You get tired and hot,” said Pharion, whose team finished 5-5 last season despite a 5-0 start. “We have a lot of new guys, a lot of new faces, but I like the kids. They’re athletic and talented.”

Graduation took four key components from the Cardinals’ spread attack. Quarterback Joe Spahr led the team in rushing with 963 yards and six touchdowns on 179 carries.

The second-team all-district selection, who now plays at the University of Dayton, also was 94-for-179 passing for 963 yards with five touchdowns and four interceptions.

Jourdan Wickliffe, an Eastern Illinois signee, was first-team alldistrict as a defensive back after intercepting four passes, but he was a dual threat. He caught 18 passes for 276 yards and five touchdowns and rushed for 546 yards and 10 scores.

Colin Merrill, a Davidson (N.C.) signee who was honorable mention all-district, had 27 receptions for 246 yards and one touchdown. Senior J Schroeder, a preferred walk-on at Penn State, was special mention all-district

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Schedule 2011 SCHEDULE Aug. 26 .....Canal Winch. ......Away Sept. 2......Eastmoor..........Home Sept. 9......Beechcroft..........Away Sept. 16....Toledo Rogers ...Home Sept. 23....Crusaders.........Home *Sept. 30..DeSales .............Away Oct. 7 ........Canal Fulton Northwest ...........................................Away Oct. 14......Jackson .............Away *Oct. 21....Watterson ..........Away Oct. 28......Marion Harding .Home 2010 RESULTS (5-5 overall, 0-2 CCL-Silver) Canal Winchester...........W, 27-20 Eastmoor.........................W, 20-6 Beechcroft.....................W, 22-12 Marion Harding ..............W, 49-28 Sandusky ......................W, 24-21 *DeSales .........................L, 20-6 Youngstown Ursuline.......L, 49-20 *Watterson ....................L, 28-21 Jonathan Alder................L, 39-20 PLAYOFFS Uniontown Lake ..............L, 41-14 *CCL game

after he caught 28 passes for 284 yards and one score. He also was 10 of 14 on field goals and 22 of 25 on extra points, and had a punting average of 34.9 yards.

“We have quickness and our attitude has been that with the schedule we’ve played the last two years, we had to worry about just getting better as a football team. That was our offseason motto,” said Pharion, who is entering his third year. “We have to make sure we make ourselves better and not worry about any-

By Adam Cairns/ThisWeek

Senior receiver Chris Fenlon is one of four returning starters on offense for third-year St. Charles coach Jeff Pharion.

thing else.”

The Cardinals return four starters on both sides of the ball.

Returnees on offense are all seniors in tailback Gunner Francis (5-foot-10, 180), wide receiver Chris Fenlon (5-11, 160) and linemen Nick Franco (6-1, 260) and Travis Nixon (5-10, 340).

Last season, Francis had 265 yards rushing on 26 carries with two touchdowns. He ran for 165 yards on four carries with touchdowns of 71 and 61 yards in a 24-21 win over Sandusky in week 5. Fenlon caught six passes for 37 yards and a score last season.

“Gunner is fast and he has the experience and maturity to be a good back for us,” said Pharion, a 1986 graduate of St. Charles.

“He’s going to be the man this year because there is no (Joe) Hartge or (Jourdan) Wickliffe in front of him.

“But he’s not the only guy who will run the football. Junior Sean Fitzmartin (5-10, 170) will be an outside linebacker and running back for us and junior John Radney (5-10, 160) played (junior varsity) for us. He has some shifty moves and has a lot of speed.

He’s Gunner-esque.”

Replacing Spahr at quarterback will be senior Nick DeJaco (6-1, 190), who has been the j.v. quarterback for three years.

“I’m impressed with Nick’s work in the pocket,” Pharion said.

“He’s a good passer and he can also run the football.”

Joining Fenlon at receiver is a group that includes juniors Mitch Wiseman (5-11, 170), Evan Brown (5-10, 160) and Joe Flynn (5-9, 155).

Also seeing action up front will be juniors Brandon Burdine (61, 235) and Evan Ryan (6-0, 220), with sophomores David Heil (65, 300) and Nathan Puthoff (62, 240) looking to contribute as well.

The returning starters on defense are senior Garrett Cargin (6-0, 180) at free safety, senior Stevyn Spees (5-9, 155) at cornerback, senior Brooks Wagstaff (6-2, 200) at linebacker and junior linebacker Phil LeFleur (6-0, 200), who was second-team alldistrict.

“We changed things up on defense from a 4-4 to a three-man front,” Pharion said. “I was looking around and we don’t have 10

linemen in the school, we have more linebackers. We want to put the kids in position to be successful so we’ll go three linemen, five linebackers and three backs.”

Wagstaff said the transition has been going smoothly.

“It’s a simple defense,” he said.

“We’re blitzing a lot more. As far as being a linebacker, that let’s me do more damage.”

The defensive front is com-

prised of seniors Josh Padgett (61, 220), nose guard Kossi Houngbedji (5-10, 235) and Jack Bengel (6-4, 220), with LeFleur, Wagstaff and Fitzmartin being joined at linebacker by junior Jack France (5-11, 170) and senior Matt Feldmann (6-0, 215).

Fenlon will be the third defensive back.

See CARDINALS, page 32

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CCL-GOLD

Hartley

Hawks set sights on defending state title

By JARROD ULREY

(6-1, 175) and Jacob Matuska (6-

ThisWeek Community Newspapers 4, 240) and Saxton all could see

Hartley High School football coach Brad Burchfield knows that it likely will take a few weeks before he can determine whether his team has the character to reach some of the lofty goals it hopes to achieve.

Even though the Hawks lost a 16-member senior class that included five players who are competing collegiately, they believe they possess similar athleticism, leadership and unity to a year ago, when they won the Division IV state title by beating Chagrin Falls 34-13 on Dec. 3 in Massillon to finish 13-2 overall.

“Our goal is that we want to again be the best team in the state of Ohio,” said Burchfield, who is 27-9 in three seasons at Hartley. We’ve got really good players at Hartley, so you always have a chance. Having camaraderie is an important thing, and I like the camaraderie we have.”

One of the keys to Hartley’s success a year ago was that it averaged 37.8 points. The top performer in that offense, Noah Key, is gone after rushing for 2,885 yards and 42 touchdowns to share the state’s Offensive Player of the Year honor, but several other assets return.

Senior Jarrod Zang (5-foot-10, 215 pounds) is back at running back after rushing for 1,039 yards and six touchdowns. Junior JaWaun Woodley (5-10, 220) also should contribute after rushing for 305 yards and four touchdowns. Juniors Anthony Allwein (5-10, 175), Marcellus Calhoun (5-11, 175) and Nick King (5-11, 215) and sophomore Alonzo Saxton (5-11, 175) are others who will carry the ball.

Senior Matt Simpson (5-11, 180), juniors Trevonn Brown

time at wide receiver.

Matuska and sophomore Kalil Morris (6-1, 220) each should see action at tight end, with seniors Napoleon Bell (6-0, 220) and Eric Seleque (5-8, 205), junior Tyler Schaffer (6-0, 225) and sophomores Austin Kirkbride (510, 175) and Max Steele (5-10, 220) on the offensive line.

Expected to take over at quarterback is sophomore Jared Brandewie (6-3, 185). Austin Underwood, a 2011 graduate, passed for 907 yards and 10 touchdowns a year ago.

Defensively, Hartley likely will run a 3-5 system that returns Brown, Saxton and Simpson in the secondary and Matuska, Woodley and Zang at linebacker.

Morris, Seleque and Schaffer are among the defensive linemen, along with seniors Stephen Moore (6-3, 185) and Austyn Parks (510, 185) and juniors Emmanuel Kalala (6-0, 200) and Aaron Winkle (6-0, 175).

Allwein and Bell also should see action at linebacker, while senior Patrick Randall (5-9, 175) is another defensive back.

Last year, Woodley made thirdteam all-state and first-team alldistrict, and Matuska and Zang both were special mention alldistrict.

Senior Brent Wahle was second-team all-district at kicker last year, while Brandewie will be the punter. Brown, Saxton and Simpson all will return kicks and punts, and junior Luke Heinmiller will be the long snapper.

“What we’re striving for is when somebody goes out that nothing changes,” Simpson said.

“We’re still going to make big plays and score a lot of points.

Last year was last year, and we’re working even harder than last

Schedule 2011 SCHEDULE Aug. 26 .....Amanda-Clear. .......Away Sept. 2......Cols. Academy .....Home Sept. 9......East Knox .............Away Sept. 16....Akron Hoban........Home Sept. 24....Cleveland Villa AngelaSt. Joseph..............................Away Oct. 7........Elyria Catholic ......Home Oct. 14......Ironton ................Home Oct. 21......Coshocton ...........Home *Oct. 28....Ready ...................Away

year.”

After a 3-0 start last season, the Hawks fell to eventual Division IV playoff-qualifier Elyria Catholic 34-28. Their only other loss came at Ironton 37-16, and they avenged that defeat with a 26-20 win in the Region 15 final.

Hartley, which is now competing in Region 14, beat twotime defending state champion Kettering Alter 29-28 to advance to the state final.

In addition to Key, who is now playing for Toledo, Hartley’s 2011 graduating class included twoway linemen Malcolm Branch (West Virginia State), Jordan Dickerson (West Virginia State) and Evan Jackson (Ohio Dominican) and wide receiver/defensive back Omar Lane (Tiffin) as college recruits.

2010 RESULTS (13-2 overall, 1-0 CCL-Gold) Amanda-Clearcreek ...........W, 48-10 Columbus Academy...........W, 42-34 Bexley ................................W, 54-7 Elyria Catholic.............L, 34-28 (OT) Villa Angela-St. Joseph ........W, 37-8 Columbus Grove ...............W, 42-35 Dayton Thurgood Marshall .W, 38-14 Ironton ..............................L, 37-16 Spencerville .....................W, 54-14 *Ready ............................W, 41-13 PLAYOFFS Amanda-Clearcreek ...........W, 40-21 Heath...............................W, 39-26 Ironton .............................W, 26-20 Kettering Alter...................W, 29-28 Chagrin Falls.....................W, 34-13 *CCL game

Hartley opens a nine-game regular season Friday, Aug. 26, at Amanda-Clearcreek, a team it beat 40-21 in the first round of

By Paul Vernon/ThisWeek the playoffs a year ago. The Hawks also face East Knox (Sept. Senior Jarrod Zang rushed for 1,039 yards and six touchdowns a 9 away), Akron Hoban (Sept. 16 year ago in a complementary role to graduate Noah Key. at home) and Coshocton (Oct. 21 at home) on the schedule.

The Hawks beat Ready 41-13 last season and play the Silver Knights on Oct. 28 at Dublin Scioto for the CCL-Gold Division title.

“I think we’ve had great athletes here for 51 years, but it’s your offensive line and defensive line that will determine whether you’re going to be at that championship level,” Burchfield said.

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CCL-GOLD

Ready

Silver Knights aiming for bounce-back year

By JARROD ULREY

Schedule

ThisWeek Community Newspapers

Since Larry Wolf took over as coach in 1998, the Ready High School football team has endured just two losing seasons and has advanced to the playoffs seven times.

Still, the idea of bringing back what senior Bo Hardy calls “oldschool Ready football” is among the prevalent themes as the Silver Knights look to bounce back from a 4-6 season.

The idea is more about philosophy than style, as Ready has no plans to switch back to the wing-T after installing the spread offense midway through the 2008 season.

“Last year was definitely disappointing,” Hardy said. “Everyone is working hard this year, and I think our offense is fine.

Our defense is definitely improved. I think we’re ahead compared to last year since we had to replace 17 people coming into last year.”

Hardy (5-foot-10, 190 pounds) is among the key returnees after passing for more than 1,000 yards, but he will line up at running back after playing the position earlier in his prep career.

He and sophomore Akili Taylor (5-8, 155) should see time in the backfield in what often will be a one-back set.

Doug Strickler, who saw significant action at running back last year as a sophomore, is not back with the team.

Sophomores Matt Yoho (6-3, 175) and Hunter Clanin (6-1, 160) battled throughout the preseason to take over at quarterback.

Senior Gregg Yoho (6-3, 185), sophomore Kelly Culbertson (57, 140) and Taylor all should see action at slotback, with seniors John Wright (6-1, 205) and Thomas Livingston (5-10, 155) at wide receiver.

Senior Brandon Gutheil (6-4, 255) has played tight end in past seasons but likely will line up at

ThisWeekSPORTS.com

2011 SCHEDULE Aug. 26 .....Franklin Hts. .....Home Sept. 2......Fredericktown .....Away Sept. 9......Licking Valley ......Away Sept. 16....Nelson.-York......Home Sept. 23....Dawson-Bryant....Away Sept. 30....Wheeling (W.Va.) Linsly .........................................Home Oct. 7........Lima Central Catholic .........................................Home Oct. 15......Montpelier..........Away *Oct. 28....Hartley .............Home 2010 RESULTS (4-6 overall, 0-1 CCL-Gold) Franklin Heights .............W, 23-21 Blairsville (Pa.).................W, 51-6 Licking Valley ..................L, 48-21 Nelsonville-York...............L, 26-16 Covington Holy Cross .....W, 46-41 Sidney Lehman Catholic ..L, 33-14 Lima Central Catholic ........L, 41-7 Waynesfield-Goshen .........W, 35-0 Columbus Crusaders ......L, 35-14 *Hartley .........................L, 41-13 *CCL game

By Chris Parker/ThisWeek

By Chris Parker/ThisWeek

Senior Bo Hardy threw for more than 1,000 yards last season but Coach Larry Wolf, who has been with Ready since 1998, hopes to has moved from quarterback to running back for Ready. get Ready back on track after a 4-6 finish last season.

tackle in most formations. Sophomore Brady Taylor (6-5, 215) should be the other tackle, with seniors Trey Thatcher (6-4, 245) and Guy Ferrelli (6-2, 225) at guard and senior Josh Hicks (60, 190) at center.

“Hardy’s a pretty good running back. He’s gotten bigger and he’s gotten stronger,” Wolf said.

“We’ve got a pretty good offensive line, although we don’t have a whole lot of depth.

“We’ve got two sophomores at quarterback, so one day you love them and the next day you can’t kill them fast enough.”

Ferrelli and Thatcher should be among those leading a 3-3 stack defense. They’ll be on the line along with sophomore nose tackle Patrik Garren (6-0, 225), who is a returning starter.

Hicks should be the starting middle linebacker, but Wolf said as many as eight others could see

action at the other linebacker spots.

Culbertson is a returning starter at cornerback, with Taylor likely the other starting cornerback.

Gregg Yoho and Hardy should be the safeties.

Wright made five field goals and finished with 42 points while making special mention all-district in Division V at kicker a year ago.

Last season, the Silver Knights opened with wins over Franklin Heights (23-21) and Blairsville, Pa. (51-6) but went 0-5 against the teams on their schedule that eventually made the playoffs.

Ready, which lost to Division IV state champion Hartley 41-13 in the one-game CCL-Gold Division, has added 2010 Division V playoff qualifiers Fredericktown (Sept. 2 away) and Coal Grove Dawson-Bryant (Sept. 23 away) to the schedule.

According to Wolf, the Silver Knights will play home games against Nelsonville-York (Sept.

16) and Lima Central Catholic (Oct. 7) at Franklin Heights, Wheeling (W.Va.) Linsly (Sept.

30) at Hilliard Bradley and Hartley (Oct. 28) at Dublin Scioto.

Demetrius Clark, a 2011 graduate who rushed for 1,233 yards and 13 touchdowns and made first-team all-district a year ago, was among the few bright spots during a season in which Ready had just 11 seniors and numerous injuries.

This season, the Silver Knights have 14 seniors and 21 sophomores but only six juniors.

“I don’t think we’re very physical yet,” Wolf said. “We’re trying to find out what we can do and trying to piece things together. I think we can become physical, but we haven’t got a lot of depth.

“With our schedule, playing Fredericktown, Licking Valley, you’re going to get hammered.”

Nelsonville-York, Coal Grove Dawson-Bryant, Lima Central julrey@thisweeknews.com Catholic and Hartley without depth, www.ThisWeekSPORTS.com

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COVER STORY

VALUES Continued from page 4 runner-up finish in 1972 under Ron Shay and made 11 playoff appearances from 1989-2002 under Golden.

The schedule that DeSales played last season — it included six teams that made the playoffs — has been more the rule than the exception for CCL teams.

While Hartley’s regularseason schedule included three teams that made the playoffs, St. Charles had seven postseason qualifiers on its schedule. Ready and Watterson both had five.

Although Ready has made the playoffs 10 times since 1994, it found itself in a rare situation last year when it couldn’t survive a tough schedule and injuries and finished 4-6.

Because DeSales, St. Charles and Watterson from the CCLSilver Division usually don’t play Hartley or Ready from the CCLGold, it is an annual challenge for the five teams to piece together a 10-game schedule.

Often it includes at least one or more long trip for each team.

The positive side is that the schedule often pays dividends once the postseason arrives.

“We could be a good team and only go 5-4,” said Larry Wolf, who has been Ready’s coach since 1998. “In the Catholic League we play great schedules so that if we get into the playoffs, we’ve got a chance. We’re playing a playoff team almost every week.”

St. Charles made it to the postseason for the first time in 17 years in 2000 under Crabtree and added a playoff berth in 2002.

Last season, the Cardinals beat three playoff qualifiers during their first five games on the way to earning the sixth seed in Division II, Region 7 despite a 5-4 record.

St. Charles, however, remains the only CCL program without at least one title.

“I think the one chip the other schools have is that they have a state championship,” said coach Jeff Pharion, a 1986 St. Charles graduate who was on the Cardi-

14

By Lorrie Cecil/ThisWeek

Gunner Francis and the Cardinals are looking to make the playoffs for a second consecutive season. St. Charles is the only member of the CCL without a state title.

nals’ first playoff team in 1983.

“St. Charles is thought of as the high-end academic school, and I’m trying to convince these young men that we can also have great football here. We’re playing in very tough games against some great teams every week.

These kids know we can compete at that level.”

A WINNING STYLE As offenses have continued to evolve to include more passing, each of the CCL teams has done its share of rolling with the tide while sticking to a foundation that centers on running the ball.

DeSales took a momentary break from the option toward the end of Jacoby’s tenure as coach but returned to the approach as its base offense during Wiggins’ first four seasons.

With an Ohio State recruit in senior running back Warren Ball, the Stallions again should provide punishment with their ground game this season whether they’re running an option play or not.

Watterson has tweaked an attack that traditionally has featured the wing-T to create what Bjelac calls a pro-style offense that includes enough passing to keep defenses off balance.

Hartley had a special running back a year ago in Key, who rushed for more than 2,800 yards, and has another talented group that should be led by Jarrod Zang this season. St. Charles and Ready had offenses last year that featured a mix of running and passing.

Leading every playoff team from the CCL in recent years has been an offensive line that often brings more girth and strength than its opponents can match, according to Burchfield.

“We’ve all been hard-running, physical teams,” Burchfield said.

“The linemen want to work together in everything they do. I’ve only been (at Hartley) for four years, and the perception is that not every team around the state has a chance to win the state championship, but when you’re a CCL school you’re going to be in the mix every year.”

Zang’s two older brothers, 2006 graduate Jake Zang and 2007 graduate Jon Zang, each played for Hartley.

An attitude of toughness is something that Jarrod Zang believes comes with the tradition of being a part of a CCL program.

“A lot of us have family, uncles and dads, who went to

By Laurie Stevenson/ThisWeek

Ready’s Gregg Yoho (7), Nick Frye (23) and Trey Thatcher (55) combine to bring down Hartley quarterback Austin Underwood last season. The annual showdown is the only league game in the CCL-Gold Division.

Inside the division 2010 SILVER STANDINGS Team League Overall Watterson 2-0 13-1 DeSales 1-1 5-6 St. Charles 0-2 5-5 2010 GOLD STANDINGS Team League Overall Hartley 1-0 13-2 Ready 0-1 4-6

Catholic schools,” Zang said. “We always expect to make the playoffs every year, and it was tough in my freshman and sophomore years when we didn’t make it. We play hard-nosed football where we absolutely are trying to kill the team right across from us.”

Having overall size, particularly on defense, has been one of the key factors that has separated DeSales and Watterson from most opponents.

Both teams again will compete in Division III, where they’ve dominated throughout the early rounds of the playoffs.

“With Catholic football in general there’s a perception that you’ll have solid defenses and physical kids,” Wiggins said. “When you

2011 LEAGUE SCHEDULE Sept. 30 DeSales at St. Charles Oct. 14 DeSales at Watterson Oct. 21 St. Charles at Watterson Oct. 28 Hartley at Ready

By the time he was a 5-foot-9, 165-pound senior, he had helped the football team reach consecutive Division V regional finals in 2008 and 2009 and the boys basketball team to a 2010 Division III state semifinal.

“Our kids are trained to be successful,” Wolf said. “We’re not stronger than or faster than or more talented than (other teams), but Ready has moms and dads who are invested in their children’s education. They don’t care that the facilities might not be as nice as a public school’s or that the teachers might get paid less (at a Catholic school).

“We’ve done it with small kids, little kids. They’re not always better kids, but when you get them together collectively, there’s an expectation. We have great kids at Hilliard Darby and certainly Hilliard’s facilities are fantastic, but maybe there’s a collectiveness, a oneness, at (a Catholic school). Victory is an expectation.”

play DeSales or you play Watterson, win or lose, you know you’d be in a tough game. We like to play a good, clean, physical style of football where kids play very hard.”

Wolf, who formerly coached at Columbus Academy and has been a teacher at Hilliard Darby for 15 years, has had his share of talented and large linemen over the years to help the Silver Knights compete in Division V. Ready, which has moved up to Division IV this season, also has found success with athletes like Cody Culbertson.

A 2010 Ready graduate, Culbertson barely weighed 100 pounds as a freshman, according julrey@thisweeknews.com to Wolf. www.ThisWeekSPORTS.com

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O H I O C A P I T A L C O N F E R E N C E - OH I O D I V I S I O N Spotlight

Denny blends physical tools, decision-making

By DAVE PURPURA

Inside the division

ThisWeek Community Newspapers

Next to this brainteaser, figuring out the Groveport-Madison High School football team’s new spread offense is child’s play for Cruisers quarterback Shane Denny.

How does Denny, a 6-foot-5, 225-pound three-year starter, improve on a year in which he threw no interceptions?

“Just throw more touchdowns,” he said with a moment’s pause after a mid-August practice.

And Denny, who is on the radar of several Division I colleges — reportedly including Central Michigan, Cincinnati, Michigan State, Notre Dame and Ohio State — thinks he’s in the perfect situation to repeat a feat for which every quarterback hopes.

“I think (running the spread) is easier really,” he said. “I’ve always liked throwing the football. ... We’ve worked hard this summer to get that timing right, a lot more than last year. We have a real good line in front of us who have been around.”

Denny started playing quarterback in sixth grade and entered the spotlight his freshman year,

2010 STANDINGS Team League Overall Pickerington Central 7-0 11-1 Lancaster 5-2 7-3 Pickerington North 4-3 6-4 Gahanna 4-3 5-5 Grove City 4-3 4-6 Groveport 3-4 6-4 Reynoldsburg 1-6 3-7 Newark 0-7 1-9 2011 LEAGUE SCHEDULE Sept. 16 Gahanna at Newark Reynoldsburg at Grove City Groveport at North Central at Lancaster Sept. 23 Lancaster at Gahanna Grove City at Groveport Newark at Reynoldsburg North at Central Sept. 30 Central at Gahanna

By Tim Revell/ThisWeek

Groveport’s Shane Denny is drawing attention from Division I colleges including Ohio State, Michigan State and Notre Dame.

when injuries on varsity allowed him to be moved up from freshman ball. He started the final three games, then threw only one interception his sophomore year as

Groveport finished 6-4 and barely missed the postseason.

“Opportunity knocked,” coach Tim Brown said. “We had an injury and we noticed he’d done a

good job with the freshman team.

We figured why not move him up and see what he had? He ended up playing the last three games and we won two of those three, and of course he had good size then. He came back the next year and he’s kept progressing ever since.”

Denny was 72-of-162 passing for 794 yards and 20 touchdowns a year ago out of multiple sets.

But injuries derailed the Cruisers’ bid for the playoffs, a bug

Lancaster at Grove City Groveport at Newark North at Reynoldsburg Oct. 7 Gahanna at North Grove City at Newark Central at Groveport Reynoldsburg at Lancaster Oct. 14 Grove City at Gahanna Groveport at Reynoldsburg Lancaster at North Newark at Central Oct. 21 Gahanna at Reynoldsburg Central at Grove City Lancaster at Groveport North at Newark Oct. 28 Groveport at Gahanna Grove City at North Newark at Lancaster Reynoldsburg at Central

that caught up with Denny when he tore a knee ligament in a Week 9 loss to OCC-Ohio Division rival Lancaster. He sat out the next week’s 24-21 loss to Gahanna, then endured three months of rehabilitation.

“He throws a nice ball,” Grove City coach Jeff Jordan said. “Any time you have a quarterback who is in his third year as a starter that’s big time. You have to be concerned (playing him), but you stay within your system, stay with

Groveport-Madison

Avoiding injuries key to playoff push

By DAVE PURPURA ThisWeek Community Newspapers

A Groveport-Madison High School football fan probably would hope coach Tim Brown was sitting when he discovered the following statistic, one that figured mightily in the Cruisers missing the playoffs by mere percentage points for the second consecutive year: From the first to last weeks of the 2010 season, the Cruisers lost 10 starters to injury and had two

16

playing through injuries.

“Yet we still lost only 24-21 to Gahanna (in week 10) and dropped a touchdown pass on the final play of the game,” said Brown, who is in his ninth year with the Cruisers. “It speaks volumes for (the coaching staff). My assistants are doing a heck of a job getting kids ready to play.

We’re playing with (second- and third-string) guys in some places and still being competitive in the OCC. I can’t fault anyone here for their effort. But when you

have that many kids on the sidelines watching, there’s not much anyone can say.”

Other than that Groveport is ready to return to the postseason for the first time since 2007.

The Cruisers went 6-4 overall last season and 3-4 in the OCCOhio Division, placing sixth behind Pickerington Central (7-0), Gahanna (4-3), Grove City (43), Lancaster (4-3) and Pickerington North (4-3) and ahead of Reynoldsburg (1-6) and Newark (0-7).

Groveport started 4-0, includ- LARGEST IN-STOCK SELECTION. ing a 19-10 victory against peren- LOWEST PRICES. EVERYDAY! OVER 1 MILLION SF OF FIRST nial power Westerville South in QUALITY HARD SURFACE FLOORING! its season opener, but alternated wins and losses the next five weeks until losing the last two games to Lancaster (41-14) and Gahanna. That left Groveport with its second consecutive sixwin season and an 11th-place finish in Division I, Region 3. The WWW.FLOORANDDECOROUTLETS.COM top eight teams in the region made 3780 PARK MILL RUN RD. the playoffs.

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what you’ve been teaching since day one.”

While Groveport’s spread look is among the reasons Denny has earned looks from large colleges, it’s been a lot for the Cruisers to learn the past several months. One thing Denny’s teammates don’t have to worry about, though, is his acumen for quick thinking and making the right reads.

“We have faith in the decisions he’s going to make,” center Kyle Bobo said. “It makes us easier not worrying about him. We just have to worry about our jobs. It puts less pressure on us because of how smart he is.”

That often can be the clincher for colleges, Brown said.

“These days, really, decisionmaking is at the top of the list.

Then you’ve got size, speed and mechanics,” he said. “You look around — all those guys have to be big, fast and strong. Are you going to be able to deliver the ball or are you a guy who’s going to be taking sacks? Is your footwork good? Are your reads quick? Is your delivery on target? Anymore, for a kid to be a Division I quarterback it’s all about those abilities. He’s shown a lot.”

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Gahanna Lincoln

Lions plan to build on late-season surge

By TREY SMITH

Schedule

ThisWeek Community Newspapers

After a strong finish a year ago, the Gahanna Lincoln High School football team expects big things in 2011.

The Lions closed last season by beating Grove City (38-14 on Oct. 15), Reynoldsburg (45-7 on Oct. 22) and Groveport (24-21 on Oct. 29) to finish 5-5 overall and 4-3 in the OCC-Ohio Division. The winning league record was the first for fourth-year coach John Snoad.

Pickerington Central (7-0) won the OCC-Ohio, followed by Lancaster (5-2), Pickerington North (4-3), Gahanna, Grove City (43), Groveport (3-4), Reynoldsburg (1-6) and Newark (0-7).

“Winning our last three games, when we were in a situation that wasn’t pleasant at 2-5, we were looking at a dismal season,” Snoad said. “A lot of these kids stepped up and took three straight wins in the OCC. “I’ve coached under a lot of great men, and the one thing I’ve learned over the years is that there is a fine line between average and good and good and great. And the line is discipline. If our kids buy into that, great things can happen for this group because there is talent here.”

Along with the talent, there is plenty of experience. The Lions return 16 seniors who lettered in 2010 as well as four juniors.

Linebacker Jeff Baasch (5-foot11, 170 pounds), wide receiver/defensive back Sante Cook (59, 169), safety/kicker Tyler Grassman (6-1, 160) and wide receiver/defensive back Julian Lowe (5-11, 160) are all two-year letterwinners. Grassman was firstteam all-OCC as a kicker, Lowe had nine receptions for 271 yards with two touchdowns, and Cook finished with 18 receptions for 164 yards and one touchdown.

Baasch, who was second on the team in tackles with 60, also

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2011 SCHEDULE Aug. 26.......DeSales............Away Sept. 2 .......Strongsville .....Home Sept. 9 .......Upper Arlington .Away *Sept. 16 ...Newark .............Away *Sept. 23 ...Lancaster........Home *Sept. 30 ...Pick. Central....Home *Oct. 7 .......Pick. North........Away *Oct. 14 .....Grove City........Home *Oct. 21 .....Reynoldsburg ....Away *Oct. 28 .....Groveport ........Home 2010 RESULTS (5-5 overall, 4-3 OCC-Ohio) DeSales .........................L, 28-14 Lima Senior .....................W, 17-7 Mason ...........................L, 28-14 *Newark..........................W, 24-6 *Lancaster.....................L, 30-28 *Pickerington Central ........L, 45-2 *Pickerington North ........L, 21-20 *Grove City....................W, 38-14 *Reynoldsburg.................W, 45-7 *Groveport ....................W, 24-21 * OCC-Ohio game

By James D. DeCamp/ThisWeek

Tyler Grassman returns at safety and kicker as the Lions look to improve on last season’s 5-5 finish.

recorded 3.5 sacks and one in- four starters following the loss ald Payne, Nick Rozler, and Mike to graduation of Evan Bergen- Shaw. terception.

Senior Brian Snoad (6-1, 218) The Lions’ most dynamic re- stein (first-team all-OCC), Donturnee is Aaron Roberson (5-6, 140). The diminutive running back, who was second-team allOCC, rushed for 780 yards and three touchdowns on 116 carries.

He also had 11 receptions for 129 yards and two scores.

Junior Alec Tuohy (5-11, 165) is expected to be the starting quarterback when Gahanna travels to DeSales on Friday, Aug. 26, for SCAN QR CODE OR VISIT the opener.

GAHANNAVISION.COM TO LEARN HOW TO EARN “He really just has a knack for YOUR ATHLETE A FREE TRIAL things. He’s just smart player,” OF 1-DAY CONTACT LENSES Snoad said of Tuohy, who will replace honorable mention allOCC quarterback Tanner Zwelling.

One of the biggest concerns for Snoad is the offensive line, (614) 471.7177 where the Lions must replace

is the only returning starter. Se- in the 2010 opener against Denior Parker Kurtz (6-6, 292), who suffered a season-ending injury See LIONS, page 24

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Grove City

Weekly newspaper.

Dawgs put emphasis on fast start

By FRANK DiRENNA ThisWeek Community Newspapers

Schedule

2011 SCHEDULE After its 2009 season was canAug. 26.......Davidson ..........Away celed because of a South-West- Sept. 2 .......Canal Winch. ...Home ern City Schools levy failure, the Sept. 9 .......West. South ....Home Grove City High School football *Sept. 16 ...Reynoldsburg...Home team returned to the field last fall *Sept. 23 ...Groveport..........Away *Sept. 30 ...Lancaster........Home and tied for third in the OCC-Ohio *Oct. 7 .......Newark .............Away Division. *Oct. 14 .....Gahanna...........Away Third-year coach Matt Jordan *Oct. 21 .....Pick. Central....Home expects even more progress this *Oct. 28 .....Pick. North........Away 2010 RESULTS season after the Dawgs rebound(4-6 overall, 4-3 OCC-Ohio) ed from an 0-3 start a year ago to Hilliard Davidson.............L, 28-21 finish 4-6 overall and 4-3 in the Canal Winchester............L, 38-14 OCC-Ohio Westerville South............L, 34-13 “We have to get off to a better *Reynoldsburg...............W, 39-28 start,” Jordan said. “We had some *Groveport ....................W, 40-34 *Lancaster.....................L, 44-14 off-the-field things last year that *Newark..........................W, 56-9 really hurt this football team. We *Gahanna ......................L, 38-14 were a better team than 4-6. We *Pickerington Central ......L, 34-10 never put it all together because *Pickerington North .......W, 35-25 *OCC-Ohio game of some of the distractions.”

Grove City opens Friday, Aug. 26, at perennial power Hilliard Davidson, which won the 2009 Division I state championship and advanced to a state semifinal last year before losing to Huber Heights Wayne 28-14.

The Dawgs challenged Davidson in the opener last year — their first game since the 2008 season — before falling 28-21.

Grove City must replace 37 Smurthwaite.

The Kent State signee rushed players who were lost to graduation, including quarterback Luke for 477 yards and 11 touchdowns

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Good Luck Greyhounds!

By Jeff Mills/ThisWeek

Jordan Fisher will be the featured running back after being named honorable mention all-OCC.

on 141 carries and completed 168 of 298 passes for 2,369 yards with 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

Senior Nick Davis (5-foot-10, 170 pounds) will take over at quarterback in Grove City’s multiplescheme offense.

“It’s a tough (OCC) division, but we’re a lot more together as a family,” Davis said. “We’re a better team and I think we’ll do a lot better.”

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Senior Jordan Fisher (5-8, 175), who was honorable mention allleague, will be the featured running back.

Others expected to see time in the backfield are seniors Ryan Barbari (5-8, 170) and Connor Lucas (5-7, 165).

Senior Joey Scott (6-2, 180) and junior Devonta Thomas (63, 200) are expected to be the top

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Lancaster

Gales setting sights on ‘super, great’ season

By TREY SMITH ThisWeek Community Newspapers

For the Lancaster High School football team and coach Rob Carpenter, the quest for the “super, great season” is the No.1 focus.

Carpenter, who is entering his 14th season, has led Lancaster to nine consecutive winning seasons.

During that span, however, the Gales have produced only one playoff victory on the field, beating Grove City 56-28 in 2003.

Lancaster also has been credited with a 1-0 win from 2003 over Dublin Scioto, which had to forfeit its postseason victory over the Gales for using an ineligible player.

“Our goals in Lancaster may be a little different than a lot of people’s,” said Carpenter, whose team will open Friday, Aug.26 against visiting Logan.

“Our first goal for our seniors is to win as many games out of 10 as you can on your schedule.

Our second goal is to win the Ohio Division of the OCC and then qualify for the state playoffs.

“We’ve met a lot of those goals along the way, but once we’ve qualified for the playoffs we’ve had some tough draws and then we haven’t played well when we thought we had a good draw,” he added.

“If you look at our records throughout the years, we’re pretty much a 7-3 team every year.

We never have the bad season, but we really never have too many super, great seasons.”

Carpenter believes this is the season his team will break that

Schedule 2011 SCHEDULE Aug. 26.......Logan..............Home Sept. 2 .......Mason..............Away Sept. 9 .......Twinsburg ........Home *Sept. 16 ...Pick. Central....Home *Sept. 23 ...Gahanna...........Away *Sept. 30 ...Grove City .........Away *Oct. 7 .......Reynoldsburg...Home *Oct. 14 .....Pick. North........Away *Oct. 21 .....Groveport..........Away *Oct. 28 .....Newark............Home 2010 RESULTS (7-3 overall, 5-2 OCC-Ohio) Logan............................W, 37-24 Lakota West ....................W, 27-7 St. Ignatius.....................L, 28-21 *Pickerington Central ........L, 26-0 *Gahanna .....................W, 30-28 *Grove City....................W, 44-14 *Reynoldsburg.................W, 28-6 *Pickerington North ........L, 28-21 *Groveport ....................W, 41-14 *Newark........................W, 64-15 * OCC-Ohio game

trend.

“I think we’ll be better than 7-3,” he said.

A year ago, Lancaster finished 7-3 overall and 5-2 in the OCCOhio to place second behind Pickerington Central (11-1, 7-0).

For the Gales to be better than 7-3, they will have to do so without six all-league players who were lost to graduation, including quarterback Nolan Flowers and running back Connor Smith.

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Also making the first team was Corey Richards (DL), while second-team selections were Christian Long (RB), Garrett Renegar (DL) and Chris Seymour (LB).

Junior Riley Theiss is expected to replace Flowers at quarterback.

“Riley has been running our system since the seventh grade so he’s pretty good,” Carpenter said. “But with Nolan being basically a three-year starter for us there weren’t a lot of reps in there for him. We got him some when we could, but he got a lot of good j.v. reps and he looks really good right now. We haven’t missed a beat at that position.”

Helping Theiss as he makes the adjustment to the varsity level will be an offensive line that returns four starters in seniors Clayton Happeney (center), Jordan Francis (guard) and Kevin Miller (tackle) and junior Matt Graves (guard).

Francis was second-team allOCC and Miller was specialmention all-OCC. Defensively, Lancaster will be led by two seniors who have verbally committed to Division I colleges in linebacker Luke Roberts (Ohio State) and end Aaron Woosley (Ball State).

Roberts and Woosley were both first-team all-OCC and special mention all-state in Division I. Senior safety Ethan Jones, who was special mention all-league, will anchor the defensive backfield.

Lancaster’s first major test will come early, as they play host to Pickerington Central on Sept. 16.

The defending OCC-Ohio cham-

By Karen Carter/ThisWeek

Luke Roberts, who has committed to Ohio State, will lead the defense for the Golden Gales.

pions defeated the Gales 26-0 a year ago.

Roberts said he is one of many players looking forward to the chance to avenge that loss.

“We have a solid group of guys coming back, a lot of starters,” LARGEST IN-STOCK SELECTION. LOWEST PRICES. EVERYDAY! Roberts said.

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Newark

FALL FIX-UP?

Wildcats hope offseason work pays off

By BRAD EMERINE ThisWeek Community Newspapers

Second-year coach Gregg Forsythe hopes his Newark High School football team has closed the gap that existed last season between the Wildcats and their opponents.

Most troubling last year was a lack of depth, as Newark lost three games that were decided in the fourth quarter en route to a 1-9 record.

“We did a good job in the weight room and we’re going to try to limit the number of players who play both ways,” Forsythe said. “Ideally, we’d like to have enough depth that nobody would have to go both ways, but that’s not a reality right now.

“So we’d like to develop enough depth so that we can at least rotate and give those guys who do go both ways a little break.”

The Wildcats’ thin roster was more evident on defense, especially in the second half of the season when bumps, bruises and injuries began to take a toll.

Newark allowed 39.4 points per game last year, but that figure was only 26.0 points a game midway through the season before ballooning over the last four games when opponents averaged 57.2

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Grant Russell, also played a role.

Newark’s struggles to run the ball frequently produced either a 2011 SCHEDULE quick series or led to a turnover, Aug. 26 .....Zanesville...........Away leaving the defense on the field Sept. 2......Mans. Madison .Home longer and often with its oppoSept. 9......Hilliard Darby......Away *Sept. 16..Gahanna...........Home nent in scoring position. *Sept. 23..Reynoldsburg......Away “In order for us to be success*Sept. 30..Groveport .........Home ful, we’ve got to put drives to*Oct. 7......Grove City .........Home gether,” Forsythe said. “We’ve *Oct. 14....Pick. Central.......Away *Oct. 21....Pick. North........Home got to run the ball better to help *Oct. 28....Lancaster...........Away our defense. Plus, the defense has 2010 RESULTS to stop the run better than we did (1-9 overall, 0-7 OCC-Ohio) last year.”

Zanesville.........................L, 41-7 Forsythe said the natural proMarion Harding ..............W, 15-14 Hilliard Darby ..................L, 34-14 gression into his second season *Gahanna ........................L, 24-6 has the Wildcats further along than *Reynoldsburg................L, 17-14 they were a year ago when they *Groveport .....................L, 35-12 finished 0-7 in the OCC-Ohio Di*Grove City.......................L, 56-9 *Pickerington Central ........L, 64-0 vision, behind Pickerington Cen*Pickerington North ........L, 45-30 tral (7-0), Lancaster (5-2), Ga*Lancaster.....................L, 64-15 hanna (4-3), Grove City (4-3) and *OCC-Ohio game Pickerington North (4-3), Groveport (3-4) and Reynoldsburg (16).

“We’re definitely more comfortable with the offense and defense and the continuity allowed us to compete well in the 7-on-7s we had over the summer,” Forsythe said. “We’ve got more heart and we’re in good shape.

“I think we run better routes and we’ve got some big targets.

Grant Russell’s decision-making points.

The Wildcats’ spread offense, is much better at quarterback and run by a freshman quarterback in he knows his first, second and

Schedule

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third reads.”

Sophomore Shawn Dillon (6foot-2, 215 pounds) and junior Sharode Simpson (6-1, 195) will see time at running back, with senior Aaron Brown (6-2, 175) at tight end or wide receiver.

Juniors Devonta Shackleford (6-4, 205), Jesse Cartnal (5-10, 150) and Brandon Pool (6-1, 175) will see action in a receiving corps that also includes senior Jordan Conley (6-3, 165) and juniors Colton Ponser (5-10, 155) and Austin Williams (6-3, 235).

“Cartnal was a quarterback last season but asked if he could switch over and he’s done a very nice job at receiver,” Forsythe said. “Shackleford gives us a big target and overall I’ve been pretty happy with our receivers. They’re athletic and all catch it pretty well. ... I think the 7-on-7s really helped

us in that area.”

Ryan Amspaugh (6-2, 210) is expected to start at center, with Josh Grannon (5-11, 210) and Colton Taylor (5-11, 240) at guards, and James Siminoski (60, 210) and Jacob Jones (6-1, 225) at tackles. All are seniors except Jones, who is a junior.

Amspaugh was injured during the preseason, but Forsythe expected him to miss only a few weeks. Junior Jordan Goddard (511, 185) was filling his spot.

Russell (6-3, 210) was honorable mention all-district in Division I last season. He will do the punting, while junior Tyler Griffith (5-10, 125) is the kicker.

On defense, the line is comprised of Williams and seniors Trey McHenry (6-1, 205) and Jor-

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Pickerington Central

Tigers avoid getting caught up in hype

By AARON BLANKENSHIP

Schedule

ThisWeek Community Newspapers

Pickerington High School Central football coach Jay Sharrett doesn’t deny that his players have the physical tools needed for a championship season.

Not only are the Tigers athletic and deep, they feature a talented and experienced senior class headlined by Division I college recruits Jacoby Boren (Ohio State), Jake Kincaid (Kent State), Roger Lewis (Ohio State) and Sebastian Smith (Indiana).

But after going 11-1 and winning a fifth consecutive OCCOhio Division title, the ninth-year coach emphasized that his team can’t afford to get caught up in the hype this season.

The Tigers open against Cincinnati Moeller on Saturday, Aug. 27, at the University of Cincinnati.

“Looking at our camp records, this is the strongest team we’ve ever had in terms of strength and speed,” Sharrett said. “We’ve got a lot of players returning who have a lot of varsity experience under their belts and we have about 100 players on our varsity roster and another 50 freshmen playing football.

“We have the potential to do real well, but there are a lot of other things that factor into how successful a team is, and we still haven’t played a game yet. I’ve been pleased with our players’ focus, toughness and chemistry so far, but we’ll need to stay strong in those areas over the course of the entire season.”

Returning to lead Central’s multiple-formation offense are senior quarterback Nick JensenClagg, senior running backs Addison Clopton and Devone Penick, senior left tackle/left guard Nick Wilson, senior tight end Zach Beaver, senior wide receivers Lewis and Jake Raymond and Boren at right guard.

Junior Nick Walter will start at center and senior Ryan Schmeltzer will start at right tackle.

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2011 SCHEDULE Aug. 27.......Cincinnati Moeller........ ..................University of Cincinnati Sept. 4 .......Cincinnati St. Xavier..... .................................Ohio Stadium *Sept. 16 ...Lancaster ............Away *Sept. 23 ...Pick. North .........Home *Sept. 30 ...Gahanna..............Away *Oct. 7 .......Groveport ............Away *Oct. 14 .....Newark ..............Home *Oct. 21 .....Grove City ............Away *Oct. 28 .....Reynoldsburg......Home

By Chris Parker/ThisWeek

Nick Jensen-Clagg completed 38 of 72 passes for 716 yards and four touchdowns for the Tigers, who open against Cincinnati Moeller on Aug. 27 at the University of Cincinnati’s Nippert Stadium.

Last year, Jensen-Clagg was 38-for-72 passing for 716 yards with four touchdowns and six interceptions. Penick rushed for 607 yards and nine touchdowns on 80 carries. Clopton rushed for 172 yards and two scores on 11 carries. Lewis had nine receptions for 288 yards and four touchdowns and 22 punt returns for 299 yards. Raymond had 14 receptions for 155 yards and a touchdown and eight carries for 118 yards and two scores.

Returning players who saw significant time in Central’s multiple-front defense are senior cornerbacks Billy Eakins, Nick Ellis and Lewis, senior strong safeties Adam Clopton and Raymond, senior linemen Boren, Davion Bowers and Adam Cole, senior linebackers Garrett Foster and Kincaid, junior linebackers Taco Charlton and Greg Basalyga and Smith at free safety.

Last season, the Tigers gave up only 5.0 points per game while limiting opponents to 961 yards passing and 916 yards rushing.

The defense also forced 26 turnovers.

Raymond, who was 49-for-55 on extra-point attempts and made all four of his field-goal tries last year, returns to kick, while Ellis is back at punter and Walter will be the long snapper.

“Our theme is ‘lead’ because we have a lot of leaders on this team, and we’ll need everyone’s leadership to make it as far as we want to go,” Eakins said. “We have a lot of people back on defense and our team has the potential to be great, but we know we’ve got to work and play hard to reach our goals.”

The Tigers went 5-0 against teams with winning records during the regular season a year ago, defeating Plainfield (Ind.) 38-0

at Indianapolis Warren Central, Chesapeake (Va.) Oscar Smith 36-20 at Ohio Stadium, Lancaster 26-0 at home, Pickerington North 42-0 on the road and Groveport 45-7 at home.

Central ended the regular season with a 45-0 victory at Reynoldsburg to win the OCCOhio at 7-0 ahead of runner-up Lancaster (5-2).

Gahanna, Grove City and Pickerington North all went 4-3, followed by Groveport (3-4), Reynoldsburg (1-6) and Newark (0-7).

The Tigers have won league titles and qualified for the playoffs 10 times in the past 12 years.

Top-seeded Central defeated Troy 24-8 and Westerville South 30-0 in the first two rounds the playoffs before to second-seeded Hilliard Davidson 13-6 in the Region 3 final.

In addition to the opener

against Moeller, the Tigers also have another high-profile nonleague matchup when they face Cincinnati St. Xavier on Sept. 4 in Ohio Stadium.

Central then has a bye in Week 3 before opening league play on Sept. 16 at Lancaster.

“All of our focus is on beating

2010 RESULTS (11-1 overall, 7-0 OCC-Ohio) Plainfield (Ind.)....................W, 38-0 Chesapeake (Va.) Oscar Smith........ .......................................W, 36-20 *Lancaster .........................W, 26-0 *Pickerington North ............W, 42-0 *Gahanna ..........................W, 45-2 *Groveport .........................W, 45-7 *Newark.............................W, 64-0 *Grove City.......................W, 34-10 *Reynoldsburg....................W, 45-0 PLAYOFFS Troy....................................W, 24-8 Westerville South................W, 30-0 Hilliard Davidson..................L, 13-6 *OCC-Ohio game

Moeller because they’ve got a good team coming back, but ultimately we want to win another OCC title and to challenge for regional and state championships,” Eakins said. ablankenship@thisweeknews.com www.ThisWeekSPORTS.com

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Pickerington North

Panthers put focus on developing depth

By JARROD ULREY ThisWeek Community Newspapers

Although seniors Pat Elflein and Luke Carothers have been starters on the offensive line since they were freshmen, they might not see as much time together when the Pickerington High School North football team has the ball this season.

It is part of the Panthers’ new philosophy to keep all key players fresh and have them get as many of their reps as possible on defense.

A year ago, North gave up an average of 23.3 points, and a lack of depth caused by injuries hurt in particular during a 35-25 loss to Grove City in the regular-season finale.

That defeat cost the Panthers a second consecutive Division I playoff berth. They finished ninth in computer points in Region 3, one spot out of the final spot.

In addition, there are about 70 athletes on the team, down about 15 from a year ago.

“One of the improvements we’ve made is that we’re going to play more kids on Friday nights,” coach Tom Phillips said.

“Our goal is to spot Carothers in one series, Elflein in one series and save them for defense.”

Elflein (6-foot-3, 285 pounds), who verbally committed to Ohio State in July, is one of 19 returning letterwinners. He was secondteam all-district on offense and finished with three sacks and 12.5 tackles for losses on the defensive line.

Other offensive linemen should include seniors DeVaughn Dobbins (6-2, 275) and Dalton Main (6-1, 225), juniors Jake Butt (66, 225) and Jordan Grubb (5-11, 200) and sophomore Geno Rollo

By James D. DeCamp/ThisWeek

Zach Olszewski is part of a veteran backfield for the Panthers after throwing for 1,457 yards and 17 touchdowns last season.

(6-2, 230). Senior Adam Hunt (6-2, 225), who did not play last season, could see time at tight end in some formations and should provide depth on the line.

The Panthers return a senior trio of experienced skill players in quarterback Zach Olszewski (6-0, 205), running back Alston Robertson (5-7, 152) and wide receiver Seth Gamby (6-1, 170).

Olszewski completed 112 of 175 passes for 1,457 yards with

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17 touchdowns and six interceptions, while Robertson was the third-leading rusher with 329 yards. Gamby had 27 catches for 208 yards and one touchdown.

Junior Godwin Igwebuike (511, 180), a transfer from Pickerington Central, and senior Stephon Goodwin (5-7, 150) also will carry the ball in North’s oneback spread offense. Senior Joe Myers (5-11, 145) and juniors Mason Olszewski (6-1, 160) and

Jamie Hence (5-10, 155) all could see action at wide receiver.

“Things are looking pretty good,” Elflein said. “We’re working hard. We have a lot of varsity experience, which has been one of our strong points.”

Set to join Carothers and Elflein on the defensive line are senior Blake Springhetti (5-10, 205) at nose guard and Butt, Hunt and senior P.J. Cleary (6-2, 185) at end. Butt, who had 14.5 tackles for losses and 6.5 sacks last year, has Division I scholarship offers from Bowling Green, Buffalo, Kent State, Toledo and UCLA. The secondary should be a strength with the return of seniors Derek Frebault (5-9, 160), Gamby and Mason Olszewski.

Igwebuike and senior Tabeal Radney (5-11, 175), a Reynoldsburg transfer, also will be at defensive back. Gamby had 3.5 tackles for losses and 56 tackles last season.

Junior Warren Stoddard (5-11, 200) and sophomore Dylan Weigel (5-11, 185) will be among the linebackers, as will senior Gahanna transfer Joshua Higgins (5-10, 203).

Last season, the Panthers tied Gahanna and Grove City for third in the OCC-Ohio Division at 43, behind Central (7-0) and Lancaster (5-2).

After North lost to Central 42-0 on Sept. 24, it won its next four to salvage a second consecutive winning record under Phillips. The Panthers have gone 23-18 since Phillips took over but are 0-4 against Central.

North lost 21 players to graduation, including four who are playing collegiately in either Division I or II in Darien Bryant (Vanderbilt), Alex Huettel (Bowling Green), Devin Lomax (Cal-

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Schedule 2011 SCHEDULE Aug. 26.......Watterson .......Home Sept. 2 .......Logan ...............Away Sept. 9 .......Northland........Home *Sept. 16 ...Groveport ........Home *Sept. 23 ...Pick. Central .....Away *Sept. 30 ...Reynoldsburg ....Away *Oct. 7 .......Gahanna .........Home *Oct. 14 .....Lancaster........Home *Oct. 21 .....Newark .............Away *Oct. 28 .....Grove City........Home

ifornia University of Pennsylvania) and Tony Traylor (Bowling Green).

The Panthers open Friday, Aug. 26, at home against Watterson, which won the Division III state title a year ago.

North then travels to Logan on Sept. 2 and plays host Sept. 9 to Northland, which made the Division I playoffs last year.

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2010 RESULTS (6-4 overall, 4-3 OCC-Ohio) Youngstown Mooney ..........L, 31-14 Logan.................................W, 24-3 Northland .........................W, 30-14 *Groveport........................L, 23-20 *Pickerington Central ...........L, 42-0 *Reynoldsburg..................W, 45-14 *Gahanna ........................W, 21-20 *Lancaster.......................W, 28-21 *Newark...........................W, 45-30 *Grove City .......................L, 35-25 *OCC-Ohio game

“Our goal is to come out of the gates a little bit better,” Phillips said. “We’re 15-5 in the second half of the season (over the last four years combined), so we felt like we had to do a little better job in the summertime to get them ready. julrey@thisweeknews.com www.ThisWeekSPORTS.com

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Reynoldsburg

Signs of renewal everywhere for Raiders

By DAVE PURPURA

Schedule

ThisWeek Community Newspapers

Buddy White is from Uhrichsville, Ohio, about 100 miles east of Reynoldsburg.

But the first-year coach of the Reynoldsburg High School football team bleeds purple and gold — and he wants to make sure everyone else in town does, too.

White, a Raiders assistant coach from 2005-09 who coached Hartley’s freshmen to an undefeated record in 2010, succeeded Steve Evans in January and immediately took to increasing interest in the program and halting a recent trend of defections to rival programs.

“Since I’ve been here, the phone calls from other schools have slowed down,” White said.

“They haven’t stopped, but they’ve slowed down. I’ve been sending a message that our players need to be left alone.”

Not only have numbers increased — White estimated the Raiders had 20 more players out in the preseason than in 2010 — but some players who left Reynoldsburg are back, including the possible starting quarterback. A decrease in the payto-participate fees from $500 to $240 has played more than a small part, too.

“As soon as we heard (White) was going to be the head coach, a lot of guys came out and we’re feeling a lot of support,” senior two-way tackle LaVonne Gauthney said. “A lot of people are going to be coming to the games.

“I’ve been going to a lot of college camps and people are saying they’ve heard good things about Reynoldsburg.”

That’s the goal for White, who takes over a program that’s 1238 the past five seasons, hasn’t had a winning season since 2005 and hasn’t made the postseason since 2001. The Raiders went 3-7 overall and 1-6 in the OCCOhio Division last year.

“It’s been a different attitude.

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2011 SCHEDULE Aug. 26.......Dublin Jerome ...Away Sept. 2 .......Findlay..............Away Sept. 9 .......Logan..............Home *Sept. 16 ...Grove City .........Away *Sept. 23 ...Newark............Home *Sept. 30 ...Pick. North ......Home *Oct. 7 .......Lancaster .........Away *Oct. 14 .....Groveport ........Home *Oct. 21 .....Gahanna .........Home *Oct. 28 .....Pick. Central .....Away 2010 RESULTS (3-7 overall, 1-6 OCC-Ohio) Dublin Jerome ..................L, 28-0 Toledo Scott ....................W, 61-0 Logan..............................W, 47-7 *Grove City.....................L, 39-28 *Newark........................W, 17-14 *Pickerington North ........L, 45-14 *Lancaster.......................L, 28-6 *Groveport .....................L, 41-21 *Gahanna ........................L, 45-7 *Pickerington Central ........L, 45-0 *OCC-Ohio game

By Jeff Mills/ThisWeek

Senior receiver Mykel Bennett, who is being recruited by Division I colleges, is expected to give the Reynoldsburg offense a break-away threat under first-year coach Buddy White.

We’ve been a lot more intense in our workouts and out here” on the field, senior linebacker/tight end Ryan Carter said. “The (increased) numbers have been a huge plus. We’re gonna have a lot more depth. We need it.”

The Raiders’ lack of depth signaled doom in the second half of the 2010 season. They lost their final six games by an average of 31 points, including a season-ending 45-0 loss to Pickerington Central. Reynoldsburg was seventh in the OCC-Ohio, ahead of only Newark (0-7) and behind Central (7-0), Gahanna (4-3), Grove City (4-3), Lancaster (4-3), Pickerington North (4-3) and Groveport (3-4).

White expected sophomore Jordan Aekins, a Reynoldsburg

resident who played last year at Mifflin, to start at quarterback.

Two other transfers also should start — sophomore center Solomon Grace, who played last year for White at Hartley, and junior running back Kumar Collins, who played at Reynoldsburg as a freshman and Walnut Ridge as a sophomore.

Gauthney (6-foot-1, 260 pounds), who placed 14th in the shot put in the Division I state track and field meet last spring, likely will start at tackle on both sides of the ball, as will senior Sean McKeen. Junior Jeff Jones will be an offensive guard and nose tackle.

Also leading the defense will be senior free safety Jimmy McKean (5-10, 160), an Ivy League recruit who missed all of 2010

“This year is a foundation year, establishing the way we’re going to play football and the way we go about our business.

Hopefully we’re going to be able to just keep growing every year.

But that doesn’t diminish our expectations for this year.”

The Raiders have had — and will have — plenty of time to bond. They played both their scrimmages on the road, at Troy and Olentangy Orange, and will have their first two regular-season games away, at Dublin Jerome on Friday, Aug. 26, and at Findlay on Sept. 2.

Reynoldsburg’s league opener is Sept. 16 at Grove City, after which four of five games will be at home. The regular season ends Oct. 28 at Pickerington Central. If the season goes as White hopes, that will be the most important game between the two teams in recent memory by far.

“Can you imagine how intense the Battle of (State Route) 256 would be in week 10 if we have a chance to make the playoffs?,” White said. “And the kids believe in it. They’re looking for greatness right now.”

ferring to the 59 juniors and with a broken foot; Carter, whom sophomores on the roster. The dpurpura@thisweeknews.com www.ThisWeekSPORTS.com White said already has a full ac- Raiders have 21 seniors. ademic scholarship to Ohio State; and junior outside linebacker Emmanuel Beal (6-4, 200), a twoyear starter.

White is optimistic that senior receiver Mykel Bennett (6-3, 195), a Division I recruit, LARGEST IN-STOCK SELECTION. and junior running back DionLOWEST PRICES. EVERYDAY! ta Brown will have the ability OVER 1 MILLION SF OF FIRST QUALITY HARD SURFACE FLOORING! to make game-breaking plays.

Underclassmen dot the defense. Junior Tre Rowe and senior Chris Lee will be the cornerbacks, with junior free safety Grant Coleman and linebacker DaQuian Williams also expected to play key roles.

Southeast Center WWW.FLOORANDDECOROUTLETS.COM “We think we’re going to be 3780 PARK MILL RUN RD. at Groveport good this year. If everything goes HILLIARD, OH 43026 cscc.edu/southeast as planned, we’re going to be 614-777-6170 great next year,” White said, re-

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CRUISERS Continued from page 16 “We’ve been so close for two years. We just have to make that next step,” senior center Kyle Bobo said.

Bobo and Brown, among others, think the key to the next step — the playoffs — is better conditioning. The injury bug also derailed the Cruisers’ 2009 season.

To that end, the coaching staff re-examined the offseason conditioning program and is approaching preseason workouts slightly differently.

“We’re doing a lot more preventive stuff, just trying to make sure kids have knee braces, ankle braces, anything they need to stay healthy,” Brown said. “We’ve come out like a ball of fire the past few years, then simply through attrition we’ve not been able to play up to the level we’ve become accustomed to.”

Health will be especially key considering Groveport will run the spread offense full-time after several years of multiple looks.

Quarterback Shane Denny, a 6-foot-5, 225-pound senior and three-year starter, will lead the system behind an offensive line featuring three-year starters Bobo (6-3, 265) and senior right tackle Jimmy Frazier (6-3, 305), junior two-year starter Durrell Bristol (6-3, 320) at left guard, junior Thomas Workman (5-10, 261) at right guard and promising sophomore Cameron Oshodi (6-2, 235) at left tackle.

“They make my job a lot easier,” Denny said. “It’s easier for me when I can sit back, do my reads and not worry about a blitz coming.”

Schedule 2011 SCHEDULE Aug. 26.......West. South.........Away Sept. 2 .......West. North........Home Sept. 9 .......Dublin Jerome ....Home *Sept. 16 ...Pick. North...........Away *Sept. 23 ...Grove City...........Home *Sept. 30 ...Newark ................Away *Oct. 7 .......Pick. Central.......Home *Oct. 14 .....Reynoldsburg .......Away *Oct. 21 .....Lancaster...........Home *Oct. 28 .....Gahanna..............Away

2010 RESULTS (6-4 overall, 3-4 OCC-Ohio) Westerville South..............W, 19-10 Westerville North ..............W, 29-22 Dublin Jerome ..................W, 34-28 *Pickerington North ..........W, 23-20 *Grove City .......................L, 40-34 *Newark...........................W, 35-12 *Pickerington Central ...........L, 45-7 *Reynoldsburg..................W, 41-21 *Lancaster........................L, 41-14 *Gahanna .........................L, 24-21 * OCC-Ohio game

Sales (28-14 loss), will return to the mix. Seniors Chris Baehr (59, 181) and Zach McCaskey (57, 182) also will compete for a spot on the offensive line.

Defensively, junior linebacker Mitchell Rowell (6-0, 218) re-

24

Continued from page 16 Denny credits his timing and ability to read coverages to recent work with Cliff Stoudt, a former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback whose sons, Cole and Zack, started for Dublin Coffman and now are quarterbacks at Clemson and Mississippi, respectively.

Groveport opens Friday, Aug. 26, at Westerville South, then has non-league games against West-

erville North and Dublin Jerome before beginning OCC-Ohio play Sept. 16 against Grove City.

The Cruisers were 6-4 overall in 2010 and finished sixth in the OCC-Ohio at 3-4, behind champion Pickerington Central (7-0), Lancaster (5-2), Gahanna, Grove City and Pickerington North (all 4-3), and ahead of Reynoldsburg (1-6) and Newark (0-7).

“Saying it’s a meat grinder does not do it justice,” Brown said.

“It’s ridiculous how good and

physical our league is.”

Denny doesn’t mind that, either. Brown said after one game last year Denny asked to play safety on occasion, but the coach won’t consider that for a second — not with how important Denny is in his current role.

“This year we’re going all out,” Denny said. “We can pass. We can run. I’m excited to see everything we can do.”

and sophomore Tracey Lee (6-0, 175). Brown or Ponser will be the free safety.

“We’ve been waiting for one of the (inside) linebackers to step up and take control, but we can play all four of them without hesitation,” Forsythe said. “We’re pretty excited to get going and we want to be ready from the start.

“We have a tough non-league schedule with Zanesville, Mans-

field Madison and Hilliard Darby, but we need to build some confidence to prepare for our league, which is a bear. We’ve got to find a way to win some league games.

We had leads or had a chance to win in the fourth quarter ... last year against Groveport, Gahanna and Reynoldsburg, but never got it done.”

(5-10, 300) and Ben Handley (6-3, 255).

Dick, senior Aaron Lewis (6-0, 230) and juniors Mike Adkins (6-3, 235), Nick Imber (6-1, 230) and Drew Nankivell (5-11, 180) are at linebacker.

Lucas, who had 41 tackles last season, is expected to lead the secondary.

Also expected to see time in the defensive backfield are Barbari, senior Tyler Cook (5-10, 180) and junior Chad Moore (6-0, 180).

“Our defense is a lot sharper,” Davis said. “They’re a lot faster.

Right now, they’re just working on getting on the same page, but once they do, they’re going to be a pretty good defense.”

Nankivell will be the kicker, and Moore will handle the punting duties.

“We have plenty of numbers,” Jordan said. “We’re building depth this year. You have to play football to gain experience. You can’t

be on the sidelines all the time.

You have to get used to playing against someone else and how to handle that on a daily basis. We’re getting better.”

Last season in the OCC-Ohio, Grove City’s 4-3 record tied Gahanna and Pickerington North for third, behind Pickerington Central (7-0) and Lancaster (5-2) and ahead of Groveport (3-4), Reynoldsburg (1-6) and Newark (0-7).

“Central has 42 seniors and Lancaster brings back a lot of guys,” Jordan said. “North brings back a ton. Gahanna brings back a lot.

The OCC-Ohio is a very difficult division.

“There’s a lot of parity. I still think Central is the class of the league. We’re all trying to chase to get there. It’s going to be a huge fight for second, third and fourth.”

dpurpura@thisweeknews.com

WILDCATS Continued from page 20 Bobo and Frazier are Division I recruits.

“We really think that (the line) will be our strength,” Brown said.

Last season, Denny completed 72 of 162 passes for 794 yards and 20 touchdowns without an interception — a feat he’ll seek to repeat with skill positions loaded with seniors. His targets will include senior tailback Melvin Smith (5-11, 205), senior wide receiver Wyatt Hikins (6-3, 180) and senior slotback Ryan Jones (5-8, 160), a three-year starter whose blocking skills Brown lauded.

The defense will be led by Jones at safety, senior end Vince Waymon (6-3, 235), junior end Dawuane Smoot (6-4, 210), senior linebacker Kyle Dodson (62, 225), senior safety Zack Green (6-0, 175) and senior cornerback Kevin Fowler (6-2, 175). Injuries kept Green and Fowler out at different times last season.

Groveport allowed 40 points or more three times during the league schedule a year ago.

The Cruisers open Friday, Aug. 26, at Westerville South and play host to Westerville North (Sept.

2) and Dublin Jerome (Sept. 9) before beginning league play Sept. 16 at Pickerington North.

Groveport gets Grove City, Pickerington Central and Lancaster at home and ends the season Oct. 28 at Gahanna.

“This team is very hungry and still disappointed about last year,” Brown said. “They understand it’s been something a little bit out of their control. They’ve worked a little extra hard and you hear them telling each other they have to push themselves so they’re ready. They’re buying in. They’re program kids.”

turns after leading the team with 81 tackles and 4.5 sacks.

Another key player the Lions are counting on after a strong sophomore season is defensive lineman Granyl Smith (5-10, 213).

Smith had 20 tackles, which included 7 for a loss and 4.5

sacks.

Combining the momentum of last year’s finish with the number of returnees, Snoad used two words to express his expectations for the season.

“Great things.”

dpurpura@thisweeknews.com www.ThisWeekSPORTS.com

LIONS Continued from page 17

DENNY

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dan Brock (6-6, 350), with seniors Charlie Seymour (6-0, 225) and Taylor also in the rotation.

Competing at inside linebacker are Jones, Simpson, Siminoski and Dillon, and seniors Chris Griley (6-0, 160) and Dalton Clapper (6-1, 180) are on the outside.

The cornerbacks are junior Dominique Shackleford (6-1, 160)

bemerine@thisweeknews.com

DAWGS Continued from page 18 wide receivers, and senior Caleb Dick (6-1, 215) will play tight end.

Senior Dalton Chapman (6-6, 295), who has verbally committed to Bowling Green, will anchor the offensive line. He was secondteam all-league and honorable mention all-district in Division I. Also expected to start up front are juniors Brandon Glover (6-4, 330) and Jarred McCoy (6-4, 335).

Vying for the remaining spots on the line are seniors Joe Fields (5-11, 250) and Justin Paige (6-4, 250) and juniors Hayes Davis (61, 265) and Luke Egelhoff (6-1, 230).

Grove City, which will feature a 50 base defense, allowed an average of 31.2 points last season — a number Jordan hopes to improve on.

Chapman will be joined on the defensive line by seniors Dakota Cardenez (6-1, 305), Gary Eanes

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O H I O C A P I T A L C O N F E R E N C E - CE N T R A L D I V I S I O N Spotlight

Teams in lower half of league aiming to close gap

By FRANK DiRENNA ThisWeek Community Newspapers As the “big three” high school football teams in the OCC-Central Division appear ready to again contend for top honors in the league, the remaining five teams are hoping to close the gap.

Since the league’s current alignment began in 2008, Hilliard Davidson (2010), Dublin Coffman (2009) and Upper Arlington (2008) have won titles.

Over that same span, Westland is 0-14 and Central Crossing is 2-12 in league play. The Comets posted both of their league wins against Westland, winning 13-0 in 2008 and 33-12 last season.

Central Crossing and Westland, along with Grove City of the OCC-Ohio and Franklin Heights of the OCC-Capital, did not have fall athletics in 2009 after a South-Western City Schools levy failure.

Many believe the lost season has contributed to the continued struggles for Central Crossing and Westland.

Grove City, however, responded well in its return to the field last season, as the Dawgs finished 4-6 overall and 4-3 in the OCCOhio. Grove City lost to Davidson, which won the Division I state championship in 2009, 28-21 in its season opener last year.

“The year off that Central Crossing and Westland experienced probably has something to do with where they’re at,” Davidson coach Brian White said. “I don’t know that they have quite the football community that a Grove City does, where Grove City can just bounce back and not miss a beat. I don’t know if Westland and Central Crossing have that type of community atmosphere that Grove City has.”

Steve White, who is entering his first season as coach at Westland, feels there is talent in the school and that building a peren-

nial winner is just a matter of improving the program’s mentality.

The Cougars last won an OCC game in 2006, when they finished second (4-1) to Lancaster (5-0) in the OCC-Ohio. Led by quarterback Kasey Wendal, Westland finished 7-4 overall that season and qualified for the Division I, Region 3 playoffs, losing to Upper Arlington 28-21 in the first round.

That was Westland’s last winning season.

“You have to get the kids to believe in what you’re doing,” Steve White said. “Once they believe in what you’re doing, you can compete with anybody. One thing that was appealing about this job as an assistant last year here and coaching against Westland for years was the talent that is at this school.

When you have kids like Kasey Wendal and the Bostic brothers (Caleb and Josh) coming through here, you have a chance to win.

See OCC-CENTRAL, page 66

Inside the division 2010 STANDINGS Team League Overall Hilliard Davidson 7-0 13-1 Dublin Coffman 6-1 8-3 Hilliard Darby 5-2 8-3 Upper Arlington 4-3 6-4 Worth. Kilbourne 3-4 4-6 Thomas Worth.

2-5 3-7 Central Crossing 1-6 2-8 Westland 0-7 1-9 2011 LEAGUE SCHEDULE Sept. 16 Coffman at Central Crossing Darby at Kilbourne Davidson at Westland Upper Arlington at Thomas Sept. 23 Central Crossing at Darby Kilbourne at Upper Arlington Thomas at Davidson Westland at Coffman Sept. 30 Central Crossing at Davidson

Coffman at Thomas Darby at Upper Arlington Kilbourne at Westland Oct. 7 Darby at Coffman Davidson at Kilbourne Upper Arlington at Central Crossing Westland at Thomas Oct. 14 Coffman at Davidson Kilbourne at Central Crossing Thomas at Darby Westland at Upper Arlington Oct. 21 Central Crossing at Thomas Darby at Westland Kilbourne at Coffman Upper Arlington at Davidson Oct. 28 Coffman at Upper Arlington Davidson at Darby Thomas at Kilbourne Westland at Central Crossing

Central Crossing

Second-year coach putting emphasis on improvement

By STEVEN COLLINS ThisWeek Community Newspapers

For the 2011 season, secondyear Central Crossing High School football coach Chris Harr has developed a motto that he wants his team to live by.

“You can get better, you can get worse, but you’ll never stay the same,” he said. “I always say everything you do, you’re either going to be better or be worse. We take that to heart.”

Last season, Central Crossing went 2-8 overall and 1-6 in the OCC-Central Division to finish seventh, behind Hilliard Davidson (7-0), Dublin Coffman (6-1), Hilliard Darby (5-2), Upper Arlington (4-3), Worthington Kilbourne (3-4) and Thomas Worthington (2-5) and ahead of Westland (0-7).

The Comets’ victories came against two other programs in South-Western City Schools —

By Eric George/ThisWeek Franklin Heights (34-20) and Westland (33-12). The Falcons Trevor Warner celebrates with Dylan Simpson after the Comets scored a touchdown during a scrimmage against Columbus East. and Cougars combined to go 1-

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19 last season.

“Our school has only won three games (in a season) in the history of the school one time, and I think that one of those wins was a forfeit,” said Harr, whose team opens against Mifflin on Friday, Aug. 26, at home. “That was the most our school has ever won and one of our goals is to break that record.”

Central Crossing went 3-7 in 2003, its second season. The Comets have a total of 13 wins in eight seasons. They did not field a team in 2009 because of the South-Western City Schools levy failure.

“I feel like we’re good enough to (win more than three games),” junior running back Zach Wyatt said. “It would help out with our pride and get more people in the stands, which helps with the energy.”

“Beating our school’s record for wins would be a great boost and help with school spirit,” senior two-way lineman Trevor Warner said.

While Harr believes the Comets can accomplish their goals, they must overcome a number of challenges including a small roster.

“We’re really thin,” he said.

“We probably only have 40 eligible kids for varsity. Because of this, we want to be the best-con-

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Dublin Coffman

Shamrocks confident in new QB’s ability

By SCOTT HENNEN

Schedule

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The signature component of the Dublin Coffman High School football team over the past decade has been its quarterback.

After three-year starter Cole Stoudt left for Clemson, following the likes of Brady Quinn (Notre Dame and NFL), Jack Rafferty (Otterbein) and Stoudt’s brother, Zack (Mississippi), the Shamrocks now look to fill that void with junior James Walsh.

Easing that transition will be the return of three starters on the offensive line and a starting running back and wide receiver as Coffman tries to reach the Division I playoffs for the third consecutive season and the eighth time in 10 years.

As a senior, Stoudt completed 182 of 279 passes for 2,329 yards, 22 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He was secondteam all-state and first-team alldistrict.

“James is a good passer — he has really good feet — but he doesn’t have the experience,” coach Mark Crabtree said of the 6-foot-1, 181-pound Walsh.

“James was behind a three-year starter. He could be as good as he wants to be. He has the ability to do things with his arm and his feet. He works hard and is very coachable.”

The returnees on the line are seniors Joe Hackett (6-4, 240) at tackle, Andrew Yerich (6-0, 241) at guard and Henry Kruse (6-2, 210) at tight end.

“The role of the line is as important as any on the team, whether you have a new quarterback or not,” said Crabtree, whose team finished 8-3 after losing to Westerville South 2814 in a first-round playoff game a year ago.

“We have a good offensive line coach in Tom Turner and they

26

2011 SCHEDULE Aug. 26.......Ole. Liberty.........Home Sept. 2 .......West. South .......Home Sept. 9 .......Massillon Perry ....Away *Sept. 16 ...Central Crossing ..Away *Sept. 23 ...Westland............Home *Sept. 30 ...Thomas ...............Away *Oct. 7 .......Hilliard Darby......Home *Oct. 14 .....Hilliard Davidson ..Away *Oct. 21 .....Kilbourne ...........Home *Oct. 28 .....Upper Arlington ....Away

2010 RESULTS (8-3 overall, 6-1 OCC-Central) Olentangy Liberty ..............W, 24-10 Westerville South...............L, 31-21 Brookhaven ......................W, 40-14 *Central Crossing ...............W, 68-0 *Westland..........................W, 52-6 *Thomas Worthington .........W, 28-6 *Hilliard Darby .............W, 20-19 OT *Hilliard Davidson................L, 27-3 *Worthington Kilbourne.....W, 38-14 *Upper Arlington.................W, 27-9 PLAYOFFS Westerville South...............L, 28-14 *OCC-Central game

By Laurie Stevenson/ThisWeek

Junior Bilal Willamson ran for 727 yards and eight touchdowns a year ago as the Shamrocks finished 8-3 overall.

have started to come together.

We like to throw and run so (the linemen) need chemistry to come together as one unit.”

Hackett said any perception of the Shamrocks’ spread offense

WORLD-class teaching, first-CLASS convenience Dublin Center cscc.edu/dublin

ing and running plays in the past.

We want to stay with that balance.”

Top skill players returning include junior running back Bilal Williamson (5-7, 185) and senior wide receiver Marcus Davis as one-dimensional is a miscon- (5-10, 170). Williamson rushed ception. for 727 yards and eight touch“Obviously we want to stay downs last season, and Davis with Coffman tradition,” he said. caught 53 passes for 680 yards “We may be known for passing, See SHAMROCKS, page 75 but we’ve been even with pass-

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Hilliard Darby

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Despite having just over 50 players on his roster, Hilliard Darby High School football coach John Santagata is optimistic that his team can compete for the OCC-Central Division championship and a Division I playoff berth.

The Panthers qualified for the postseason for the second time and finished third in the OCC-Central last year with a similar number of players.

Darby finished 8-3 overall, losing to Springfield 22-7 in the first round of the playoffs in Region 3.

The Panthers, whose other postseason appearance came in 2007, open on Friday, Aug. 26, at Whetstone and begin league play Sept. 16 at Worthington Kilbourne.

“There are some challenges that come with having low numbers,” said Santagata, who is entering his fourth season at Darby.

“Depth is an issue, so we need to rely on everyone to contribute and we have to practice a different way to try to stay healthy.

“But I’m extremely proud of the kids we do have, because they worked really hard in the weight room again and had a good offseason.

“That’s half the battle of having a good season, because if you wait until the season to work hard, it’s too late.”

The five returning starters in Darby’s spread offense are seniors Dante Talley (slotback), David Jordan (left guard) and Brad

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Senior Dante Talley will be one of the key players in Darby’s spread offense after rushing for more than 400 yards to help the Panthers reach the postseason a year ago.

Hebert (receiver) and juniors Zack Williams (tight end) and Caleb Day (slotback).

Talley rushed for 418 yards and four touchdowns, while Day ran for 281 yards and two touchdowns and added eight receptions for 240 yards and four scores.

Junior Chase Longwell is the front-run-

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Hilliard Davidson

Heavy losses to graduation will test depth

By FRANK DiRENNA

Schedule

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Coach Brian White disputes the notion that the Hilliard Davidson High School football team never needs to rebuild.

The Wildcats must replace 18 seniors from last year’s state semifinalist team. Those 2011 graduates included lineman Kyle Annis, quarterback Jimmy Curtis and defensive end/tight end Keith Heitzman, who will play at Michigan.

“We obviously have high expectations of our kids,” said White, who is in his 13th season.

“Our kids have high expectations of themselves, but we’ve gotten to a point here where some people think it’s just automatic that we’re going to reach that level of success every year and it’s just too hard to do that.”

The Wildcats open against Grove City on Friday, Aug. 26, at home.

The Dawgs provided a challenge for Davidson last season, losing 28-21 in their first game since 2008. A failed South-Western City Schools levy forced the cancellation of fall athletics in the district in 2009.

The Wildcats, who have a bye in week 2, finished last season

2011 SCHEDULE Aug. 26.......Grove City...........Home Sept. 9 .......Big Walnut..........Home *Sept. 16 ...Westland .............Away *Sept. 23 ...Thomas..............Home *Sept. 30 ...Central Crossing .Home *Oct. 7 .......Kilbourne.............Away *Oct. 14 .....Dublin Coffman...Home *Oct. 21 .....Upper Arlington...Home *Oct. 28 .....Hilliard Darby .......Away

2010 RESULTS (13-1 overall, 7-0 OCC-Central) Grove City.........................W, 28-21 Brookhaven ........................W, 37-3 Toledo St. Francis .............W, 35-14 *Westland..........................W, 70-6 *Thomas Worthington .........W, 52-0 *Central Crossing ...............W, 51-0 *Worthington Kilbourne.......W, 57-6 *Dublin Coffman.................W, 27-3 *Upper Arlington.................W, 34-7 *Hilliard Darby ....................W, 16-0 PLAYOFFS Northland ...........................W, 47-6 Springfield ............................W, 9-0 Pickerington Central ............W, 13-6 Huber Heights Wayne.........L, 28-14 *OCC-Central game

By Chris Parker/ThisWeek

Senior Tyler Talbott returns to the backfield for Davidson, which won the OCC-Central a year ago and reached a Division I state semifinal before losing 28-14 to Huber Heights Wayne.

13-1 overall and 7-0 in the OCCCentral Division to win the program’s 11th OCC championship.

Seeking its second consecutive state title and third overall, Davidson fell two wins short, los-

ing to Huber Heights Wayne 2814 in a Division I state semifinal at Welcome Stadium in Dayton.

Wayne lost to Lakewood St. Edward 35-28 in the state final at Fawcett Stadium in Canton.

After missing most of last season with a right knee injury, senior Brandon Gleim (5-foot-10, 165 pounds) is taking over for Curtis at quarterback.

He is looking forward to the

challenge of guiding Davidson’s option attack.

“I’m the leader of the offense and I have to make sure everyone is doing their job,” Gleim said. “We still have a lot of room to improve on and we have some pretty good teams in our confer-

ence, so we have to focus on winning our league and hopefully make the playoffs.”

Senior running back Alex Mickley (5-9, 189) returns after leading the team in rushing last See WILDCATS, page 34

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Thomas Worthington

Cardinals want wins to reflect improvement

By COLIN SMITH

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When Scott Gordon took over as coach of the Thomas Worthington High School football team in 2006, he knew it would be a long, hard road.

Five years later, Gordon is patiently waiting for the program to blossom into a perennial contender in the OCC-Central Division.

“Our guys know what to do,” said Gordon, whose team opens Friday, Aug. 26, at Jonathan Alder.

“We’ve got a system in place and we’re ripe to take some big steps. We’re all ready for it.”

Battered by injuries last year, the Cardinals finished 3-7 overall and 2-5 in the OCC-Central to place sixth, behind Hilliard Davidson (7-0), Dublin Coffman (6-1), Hilliard Darby (5-2), Upper Arlington (4-3) and Worthington Kilbourne (3-4) and ahead of Central Crossing (1-6) and Westland (0-7).

The Cardinals are hoping all the talk about steady improvement will show up on the scoreboard this season.

Thomas has not had a winning season since 1999 and has had only two winning seasons since 1989.

“Last year definitely left a bad taste in our mouth,” said senior wide receiver and safety Nana Kyeremeh, who was secondteam all-league last season.

“It’s definitely a motivator to know we’re getting better and see the school and community latch onto that, but we really have a shot this year to get some wins and show everyone the progress we’ve made.”

On both sides of the ball, this might be Gordon’s best crop of players.

Seven starters are back on offense, including senior running back Eric Monfort.

Sidelined for six games last season with a separated shoul-

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2011 SCHEDULE Aug. 26.......Jonathan Alder .....Away Sept. 2 .......Whetstone ...........Away Sept. 9 .......West. Central .....Home *Sept. 16 ...Upper Arlington...Home *Sept. 23 ...Hilliard Davidson ..Away *Sept. 30 ...Dublin Coffman...Home *Oct. 7 .......Westland............Home *Oct. 14 .....Hilliard Darby .......Away *Oct. 21 .....Central Crossing .Home *Oct. 28 .....Kilbourne.............Away

By Steve Friend/ThisWeek

Aron Meek (right) will be in the backfield rotation for Thomas, which finished 3-7 overall a year ago and 2-5 in the OCC-Central behind champion Hilliard Davidson.

der, he rushed for 222 yards against Westland in his first game back, leading Thomas to its first win after an 0-6 start and attracting the attention of Division I college programs.

Monfort finished with 505 yards on 82 carries and was second-team all-league.

Aron Meek also is expected to see time at running back.

Three senior starters are back on the offensive line in Will Spernoga (6-foot-4, 265 pounds), Michael Allison (6-0, 205) and Brooks Gilmore (6-0, 250).

Spernoga was honorable mention all-league last season.

Also returning with experience is senior tight end Nick Sharick (6-4,245).

Previously an offensive tackle, Sharick has missed 14 games over the past two seasons because of injury.

Senior Austin Kaiser likely will start at quarterback, but Gordon said underclassmen Scott Brown, Jeremy Nicklos and Jalen Wells also may see action under center.

The Cardinals lost their starting quarterback, John Chadwell, to graduation after he threw for 1,202 yards.

Speed is key at the receiver position with the return of Kyeremeh and senior Eric Sutton.

Kyeremeh may be the Cardinals’ best two-way player. This past spring, he caught the at-

field by Nicklos, Ryan Gabel and Alex Rentz.

“I think our secondary is going to be pretty good,” Kyeremeh said. “We’ve got a lot of team speed and guys that can fly around on defense. That fits well with our schemes and defensive game plan.”

On special teams, Will Sherry will handle the punting and share kicking duties with Kyle

tention of Division I college coaches by running 4.3 seconds in 40 yards at the McAllister Scouting Report developmental combine in Powell.

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On defense, Jonathan Highley (6-0, 250) will start at nose tackle, in front of linebackers Matt Johns (6-0, 170) and Adam Norris (6-1, 190).

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2010 RESULTS (3-7 overall, 2-5 OCC-Central) Jonathan Alder.....................L, 24-0 Whetstone..........................W, 28-6 Hilliard Bradley ..................L, 42-21 *Upper Arlington..................L, 41-0 *Hilliard Davidson................L, 52-0 *Dublin Coffman..................L, 28-6 *Westland........................W, 34-27 *Hilliard Darby ....................L, 35-0 *Central Crossing .............W, 38-13 *Worthington Kilbourne........L, 13-7 *OCC-Central game

Dineen.

“I love this team, and I love these guys,” Gordon said.

“From day one, these guys have brought a tremendous work ethic and our big group of seniors has given 100 percent. Our guys feel like they’re not just part of a team, they’re part of a program.” www.ThisWeekSPORTS.com

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Upper Arlington

Confident Bears focused on reaching playoffs

By PATRICK DOLAN

Schedule 2011 SCHEDULE Aug. 26.......Tri-Valley...............Away Sept. 4 .......Springfield............OSU Sept. 9 .......Gahanna ............Home *Sept. 16 ...Thomas ...............Away *Sept. 23 ...Kilbourne ...........Home *Sept. 30 ...Darby .................Home *Oct. 7 .......Central Crossing ..Away *Oct. 14 .....Westland............Home *Oct. 21 .....Davidson .............Away *Oct. 28 .....Coffman ..............Away

ThisWeek Community Newspapers

2010 RESULTS (6-4 overall, 4-3 OCC-Capital) Dresden Tri-Valley..............W, 24-17 Springfield.........................L, 26-10 Courtice (Ont.) Holy Trinity ...W, 38-7 *Thomas Worthington .........W, 41-0 *Worthington Kilbourne.....W, 21-18 *Hilliard Darby.....................L, 21-6 *Central Crossing ...............W, 84-6 *Westland..........................W, 72-0 *Hilliard Davidson................L, 34-7 *Dublin Coffman..................L, 27-9 *OCC-Central game

Seventh-year Upper Arlington High School football coach Mike Golden believes this could be a special season for the Golden Bears.

“I have a really good feeling about our team,” said Golden, whose squad opens Friday, Aug. 26, at Dresden Tri-Valley. “(The players) get things done, they achieve. They have a great deal of confidence in themselves and it shows, and I’m very confident in what they can do and so is our staff.

“This team has the chance to be the best team I’ve coached at Arlington.”

UA is looking to qualify for the Division I playoffs after missing the postseason the past two

seasons. Last year, the Golden Bears finished 6-4 overall and placed 14th in Region 3, with the top eight teams making the playoffs. “(The players) talk about (making the postseason) because it hurts (missing the playoffs),” Golden said.

“We probably should’ve been in the playoffs the last couple years, so they want to make a statement.”

“I think (making the postseason) is 100 percent necessary,” senior linebacker Eddie Miller said. “We’re definitely shooting for the playoffs. We’ve got a lot of good athletes on the team and we have the skill to go far in the playoffs.”

UA also has its sights set on winning the OCC-Central Division. The Bears went 4-3 in

the league last year to place fourth, behind Hilliard Davidson (7-0), Dublin Coffman (61) and Hilliard Darby (5-2) and ahead of Worthington Kilbourne (3-4), Thomas Worthington (25), Central Crossing (1-6) and Westland (0-7).

UA last won the OCC-Central title in 2008, and Coffman captured the championship in 2009.

“It’s the usual suspects,” Golden said when asked about the league race. “They’re all program schools. They all have a good program, so you can count on them to be well-coached and have good football players every year.”

Sixteen players who started or saw significant playing time last fall graduated, but UA returns a number of key players,

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including Miller and seniors Frank Epitropoulos (WR/DB/P), Spencer Luallen (OL), Ryan McSheffery (RB), Tyler Pfister (WR/LB), Garrett Powers (WR/DB), Jack Trabue (LB) and Francis Wilamosky (RB/LB).

Epitropoulos (6-foot-3, 195 pounds) has verbally committed to Ohio State as a wide receiver.

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Westland

Coaching change provides fresh start

By FRANK DiRENNA ThisWeek Community Newspapers

First-year coach Steve White is looking to provide a fresh attitude for the Westland High School football team.

White was named coach last January. He replaced Brian Smith, who stepped down three days after the Cougars lost to Central Crossing 33-12 in the season finale last fall.

In three seasons under Smith, the Cougars were 2-28 overall and 0-19 in the OCC-Central Division.

Last season, Westland was 19 overall and 0-7 in the OCCCentral, having beaten Toledo Scott 28-0 in week three.

White served as linebackers coach last year in his first season with the program.

“It’s been a smooth transition,” he said. “I got the job at a pretty good time in the offseason to start doing the weight lifting and recruiting information.”

Westland opens on Friday, Aug. 26, at home against Linden-McKinley.

The Cougars lost to the Panthers 20-16 last year.

“If you think about week five instead of week one, you’re putting yourself in a bad position,” White said.

“If the kids can focus on each week as it comes, we’ll have a chance to compete, have some fun and hopefully have some success.”

After finishing last season with approximately 30 players, a rise in numbers should provide a boost. The roster has 45 players this year, according to White.

“The kids are working hard and they have a chance to compete,” he said. “The kids are having fun, too. We’ve had parents of kids coming in saying they want to be here. They’re having a good time and having a good experience so far.”

ThisWeekSPORTS.com

“We’re going to have a real strong running game and that’s going to help us a lot in our confidence,” Browning said.

Seniors Chris Butcher (6-1, 180) and Nate Mitchell (5-6, 136) should be the top receivers, and junior Brian Jackson (5-8, 232) will play tight end.

White said a key to the team’s success will be how quickly the offensive line develops.

Candidates for starting positions are seniors Aaron Hoffman (6-3, 370) and David Kinder (511, 205), juniors Anthony Beardsley (6-3, 343), Kyle Maxwell (6-1, 260) and Justin Porter (60, 225) and sophomore Dorrion Newton (5-11, 270).

Westland will utilize a 4-3 base defense.

Maxwell, Newton, senior John Hay (6-0, 194) and junior Marquez McGhee (6-1, 220) should lead the defensive line, with Gantt and senior Zach Hall (61, 229) expected to be the top linebackers.

Butcher, Mitchell, senior

By Chris Parker/ThisWeek Deshone Davis (6-0, 153) and junQuarterback Korey Browning is back after completing 111 of ior Eric Byers (5-9, 155) are pro237 passes for 1,362 yards and 11 touchdowns last season. jected to start in the secondary.

“The defense has to improve,” The offense will be a combi- ning back, with senior Cody nation of multiple sets, includ- Gantt (6-0, 200) and junior Mitch White said. “Unfortunately, in ing a wing-T scheme.

Hamilton (5-9, 152) sharing time the past, I don’t think the defense has played well enough to Back to lead the Cougars is at fullback. junior quarterback Korey Browning (6-foot-3, 175 pounds), who transferred from Lancaster before his sophomore year and guided the offense last season.

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“We just have to grow together as a team before anything else, because if we don’t play as a team, how can we play at all?” said Browning, who also will handle the kicking and punting.

“Leadership needs to step up and WWW.FLOORANDDECOROUTLETS.COM South-Western @ we have to get stronger in the 3785 PARK MILL RUN RD. Grove City Center weight room.”

H ILLIARD, OH 43026 cscc.edu/grovecity Junior Paulus Thomas (5-7, 614-777-6170 150) should be the featured run-

Schedule 2011 SCHEDULE Aug. 26 .....Linden-McKinley.....Away Sept. 2......Mifflin..................Home Sept. 9......Hilliard Bradley.....Home *Sept. 16..Davidson .............Home *Sept. 23..Dublin Coffman......Away *Sept. 30..Kilbourne.............Home *Oct. 7......Thomas.................Away *Oct. 14....Upper Arlington......Away *Oct. 21....Hilliard Darby .......Home *Oct. 28....Central Crossing....Away

compete in the OCC the way you should. To be successful, you have to have good defense.”

Last season, the Cougars finished eighth in the OCC-Central, behind Hilliard Davidson (7-0), Dublin Coffman (6-1), Hilliard Darby (5-2), Upper Arlington (4-3), Worthington Kilbourne (3-4), Thomas Worthington (2-5) and Central Cross-

2010 RESULTS (1-9 overall, 0-7 OCC-Central) Cleveland John Marshall ....L, 20-14 .............................................(2OT) Linden-McKinley.................L, 20-16 Toledo Scott .......................W, 28-0 *Hilliard Davidson................L, 70-6 *Dublin Coffman..................L, 52-6 *Worthington Kilbourne........L, 44-6 *Thomas Worthington........L, 34-27 *Upper Arlington..................L, 72-0 *Hilliard Darby...................L, 42-13 *Central Crossing ..............L, 33-12 *OCC-Central game

ing (1-6).

“I want to be able to say that we competed in all 10 games,” White said. “Last year, we had three or four games get away from us. I don’t know if we competed for four quarters. If we can do that, then we have a shot to play and win games, and we need to win OCC games.”

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Worthington Kilbourne

Wolves coach forced to rely on young players

By TREY SMITH ThisWeek Community Papers

By Steve Friend/ThisWeek

Matt Wylly, a junior defensive back, was second on the team in tackles last season with 56 and also had two interceptions.

The Worthington Kilbourne High School football team ended last season playing an unexpected amount of young players because of injuries to upperclassmen.

While 2011 will start with a relatively clean bill of health, the story will be much the same as coach Vince Trombetti expects to field a young team as he enters his sixth season.

“As part of our work in progress this year we are a very young team. Not only kids at new positions but a lot of young kids,” said Trombetti, whose team will open Friday, Aug. 26, at Westerville North.

The Wolves also faced the Warriors in week one a year ago and won 34-19 before losing their next four games.

Kilbourne, which finished 4-6 overall and 3-4 in the OCC-Central Division, lost a senior class of 25 members from a year ago and will look to the motto “one play at a time” in 2011.

“We started four sophomores today,” Trombetti said, referring to a quad scrimmage at Dublin Jerome on Aug. 13. “It’s been about five years since we started four sophomores.

“At one point I looked at the defensive line and it was sopho-

Schedule 2011 SCHEDULE Aug. 26.......Westerville North..Away Sept. 2 .......Solon................ Home Sept. 9 .......Dublin Scioto......Home *Sept. 16 ...Hilliard Darby......Home *Sept. 23 ...Upper Arlington ....Away *Sept. 30 ...Westland .............Away *Oct. 7 .......Hilliard Davidson.Home *Oct. 14 .....Central Crossing ..Away *Oct. 21 .....Dublin Coffman ....Away *Oct. 28 .....Thomas..............Home

more, sophomore, sophomore, junior. So we’re just going to take it one play at a time, one practice at a time and one day at a time and just look at getting better.”

Returning at quarterback is senior Brian Miller (6-foot, 160 pounds) who saw extended time because of injury to Brandon Randolph a year ago.

Miller was 11-for-17 passing for 146 yards with three touchdowns and one interception.

“Hopefully we can improve from last season. There’s a lot of

2010 RESULTS (4-6 overall, 3-4 OCC-Central) Westerville North ..............W, 34-19 Solon................................L, 42-13 Dublin Scioto.....................L, 31-14 *Hillard Darby......................L, 21-7 *Upper Arlington................L, 21-18 *Westland..........................W, 44-6 *Hilliard Davidson................L, 57-6 *Central Crossing .............W, 62-28 *Dublin Coffman................L, 38-14 *Thomas Worthington .........W, 13-7 * OCC-Central game

rebuilding but we’re looking forward to the season,” Miller said.

“I like the responsibility, and I look forward to the pressure.

That’s just sort of how I am.”

A number of other key seniors return. That group includes linebacker Conor Flaherty (6-0, 190), who had 42 tackles, wide receiver Evan Nordengren (6-0, 212) who caught four passes for 156 yards and three touchdowns, and two- www.ThisWeekSPORTS.com

Pharion said. “We have good quickness. The defense is quick to the football and we have quick linemen, for big guys, and wide receivers.”

Wagstaff said the team’s unity was a positive.

“We have really good chemistry, especially on defense,” he said. “We’re really close-knit on defense.”

The kicker and punter will be

32

GREAT degree a

CARDINALS Continued from page 11

way lineman Chris Skura (6-6, 225), who was special mention all-OCC after recording 23 tackles.

Key juniors returning are running back Isaac Lumpkin (5-7, 175), who rushed for 153 yards on 29 carries, and defensive back Matt Wylly (6-0, 170), who was second on the team with 56 tackles and had two interceptions.

Trombetti will have to replace second-team all-OCC selections Matt Skura and Jeremy Isenhart on the offensive line.

Other significant losses to graduation included first-team allOCC linebacker Nick Porter (114 tackles), and honorable mention all-OCC running back Sheldon Tillman (1,057 yards rushing, nine touchdowns).

Kilbourne finished fifth in the OCC-Central behind Hilliard Davidson (7-0), Dublin Coffman (6-1), Hilliard Darby (5-2) and Upper Arlington (4-3), and ahead of Thomas Worthington (2-5), Central Crossing (1-6) and Westland (0-7).

The 13-7 win over Thomas was the third in a row in the series for Kilbourne.

The Wolves also won 28-13 in 2009 and 43-3 in 2008.

John Colosimo, a soccer player who has kicked for the team since he was a freshman.

“John’s 6-1, 200 pounds and is a college prospect as a kicker and punter,” Pharion said. “He kicks booming kickoffs into the end zone.”

The Cardinals finished last (02) in the CCL-Silver Division last season behind Watterson (2-0) and DeSales (1-1).

Despite moving up to Division I, the Cardinals don’t have a Di-

vision I team on their schedule.

They still have trouble finding opponents, only playing nine regular-season games last year and playing five Division III schools (Eastmoor, DeSales, Canal Fulton Northwest, Jackson and Watterson) this year as well as the Columbus Crusaders club team.

“We don’t have a Division I team on our schedule, but we didn’t just fill up the schedule with any school,” Pharion said. “Watterson is Watterson and DeSales

is DeSales, but we also have Canal (Winchester) and Eastmoor (Academy) and we picked up (Toledo) Rogers, which is a lot like Beechcroft. We play the Crusaders, but they are supposed to be a lot better this year and Jackson was 9-1 last year, and Canal Fulton Northwest has been a powerhouse since (coach) Vic Whiting came over from Delphos St. John’s.” shennen@thisweeknews.com www.ThisWeekSPORTS.com

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Schedule 2011 SCHEDULE Aug. 26.......Whetstone ...........Away Sept. 2 .......Dublin Jerome ....Home Sept. 9 .......Newark ..............Home *Sept. 16 ...Worth. Kilbourne ..Away *Sept. 23 ...Central Crossing .Home *Sept. 30 ...Upper Arlington ....Away *Oct. 7 .......Dublin Coffman ....Away *Oct. 14 .....Thomas Worth. ...Home *Oct. 21 .....Westland .............Away *Oct. 28 .....Davidson............Home

2010 RESULTS (8-3 overall, 5-2 OCC-Central) Garfield Heights..................W, 49-7 Dublin Jerome ..................W, 14-10 Newark.............................W, 34-14 *Worthington Kilbourne.......W, 21-7 *Central Crossing ...............W, 75-7 *Upper Arlington.................W, 21-6 *Dublin Coffman................L, 20-19 *Thomas Worthington .........W, 35-0 *Westland........................W, 42-13 *Hilliard Davidson................L, 16-0 PLAYOFFS Springfield...........................L, 22-7 *OCC-Central game

PANTHERS Continued from page 27 Jarrod Kelso will see action at wide receiver.

Senior Daniel Carter and juniors Stephan Hernon and Alex Martin are expected to help shore up the offensive line.

“When you’re replacing so many moving parts on offense, it’s going to take some time to find consistency,” Santagata said.

“We’re stressing the importance of taking care of the ball.”

Eight players who started multiple games on defense have returned.

That group includes senior linemen Tae Bradley and Adam Hernandez, junior lineman Stephan Hernon, senior linebacker Jevaughan White, junior

Getting married?

By Paul Vernon/ThisWeek

Junior linebacker Cameron Kohl (top) is one of eight returning players who started at times on defense for Darby last season.

linebacker Cameron Kohl, Day at cornerback, Talley at cornerback and Longwell at strong safety.

Day (41 tackles, four interceptions) was special mention all-district, and White (77 tackles, two interceptions) was honorable mention all-district.

White and Day were secondteam all-league, Longwell (46 tackles, three interceptions) was

records last year in Dublin Jerome (14-10) and Upper Arlington (21-6) on their way to a 6-0 start.

Darby lost to Dublin Coffman 20-19 in overtime when Talley was stopped a foot short of the goal line on a two-point conversion run.

But the Panthers bounced back to beat Thomas Worthington 35-0 and Westland 42-13 before

losing to Davidson 16-0 to close the regular season.

In the OCC-Central, Darby (5-2) finished behind Davidson (7-0) and Coffman (6-1) and ahead of UA (4-3), Kilbourne (3-4), Thomas (2-5), Central Crossing (1-6) and Westland (07).

“Any time you play Davidson, Coffman, Upper Arlington and Worthington Kilbourne, you

know that you’re in a tough conference,” Santagata said.

“The keys for us to have another good season and make it back to the playoffs are for our kids have to remain healthy through a tough schedule and for our team to execute to the best of its ability.” ablankenship@thisweeknews.com www.ThisWeekSPORTS.com

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special mention all-league and Kohl (92 tackles) was honorable mention all-league.

“We have a lot of kids back on defense, but it’s important that the kids realize this is a whole new year and we need to maintain the same work ethic and focus that we had last year,” Santagata said.

The Panthers beat two teams that finished with winning

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WILDCATS Continued from page 28 season with 1,538 yards and 29 touchdowns on 265 carries.

Mickley was first-team allleague and all-district and special mention all-state. He also joined Annis and Heitzman on the ThisWeek Super 25 team.

Senior Tyler Talbott (5-10, 175) and junior E.J. Jennings (5-11, 200) should provide depth in the backfield.

Seniors Bryce Lehwald (5-10, 215) and Gursimar Singh (5-11, 175) and sophomore Alex Backenstoe (6-0, 205) will look to replace Heitzman and Kyle Payton, another 2011 graduate, at tight end.

Wide receivers are seniors Chad Robinson (5-10, 175) and J.P. Schonhardt (5-7, 155) and junior Nick Waters (5-8, 170).

White said he has been pleased with the progress of the offensive line, where senior Jordan Weatherby (6-4, 270) is moving from right to left tackle and is the lone returning starter.

Weatherby has verbally committed to play at the Air Force Academy.

Senior Tyler Baker (6-2, 259) will play center, while other linemen are seniors Nick McDowell (5-9, 255) and Hunter Strong (6-0, 230) and juniors Leroy Akoto (6-2, 230) and John Browning (6-2, 240).

Davidson also must replace kicker and punter J.D. Detmer, who will play at Toledo.

Last season, Detmer converted 10 of 12 field goals and made 50 extra points. He was first-team all-league, all-district and allstate.

Talbott will be the punter and White said there are four players vying for the kicking duties.

White’s biggest challenge on defense will be replacing Heitz-

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man at end.

Senior Sammy Coles (5-11, 190), who has switched jersey numbers from 35 to Heitzman’s 2, is a candidate to play the position.

Other linemen are senior end Michael Wilt (6-3, 228), senior tackle Dylan Skaggs (6-0, 195) and junior nose guard Nick Wright (5-10, 240).

The linebackers are seniors Jake Himmeger (6-1, 205), Ian Losey (6-2, 195) and Sean Neimeister (6-1, 205) and junior Tyler Doty (5-9, 195).

Senior Chase Delande (5-11, 174), who won a Division I state wrestling title at 145 pounds in March, will move from cornerback to strong safety.

“We have a lot of hard-working kids on this team like we’ve had in the past,” Delande said.

“I feel like we have a good chemistry going.”

Senior Jack Kincade (6-1, 180) will play free safety, and seniors Chris Harris (6-1, 170) and Brayden Myers (5-11, 173) will be the cornerbacks.

“We’re not terrible at this point, but we certainly have a long, long way to go,” White said. “We don’t have nearly the depth that we’ve had in previous years. I would like to think that the first 22 guys that we put out on the field will be competitive, but I’m a little

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Senior Alex Mickley was special mention all-state a year ago after rushing for 1,538 yards with 29 touchdowns.

concerned that if the injury bug hits it could decimate us more this year than ever before because we just drop off so dramatically.”

Last season, the Wildcats won the OCC-Central ahead of Dublin Coffman (6-1), Darby (5-2), Upper Arlington (4-3), Worthington Kilbourne (3-4), Thomas

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Worthington (2-5), Central Crossing (1-6) and Westland (0-7).

White expects Coffman and UA to be strong and for Darby and Kilbourne to be improved.

Darby plays host to Davidson in the regular-season finale Oct. 28. fdirenna@thisweeknews.com www.ThisWeekSPORTS.com

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BEARS

COMETS

Continued from page 30

Continued from page 25

trict as a punter, averaging 42.2 yards on 29 punts. On defense, he had 55 tackles, including 38 solo, and two interceptions.

McSheffery (6-0, 180) missed three games and played sparingly in two others last year because of a foot injury, finishing with 292 yards on 64 carries.

As a sophomore in 2009, he started the final six games, rushing for 793 yards and seven touchdowns on 133 carries.

“He’s back and healthy,” Golden said of McSheffery. “He looks like himself again.”

Miller (6-2, 210) was second on the team in tackles last season with 70, including 45 solo.

Trabue (58), Wilamosky (48) and Pfister (43) also were among the Bears’ top tacklers. Powers (6-2, 180) had 32 tackles, including 22 solo, and three interceptions and made secondteam all-league.

Miller, Pfister (6-1, 195) and Wilamosky (6-1, 190) all missed at least one game because of injury.

Senior David Smith (6-1, 180) takes over at quarterback after serving as the backup to 2011 graduate Jake Johns.

He completed 15 of 21 passes for 154 yards with two touchdowns and one interception last season.

“David has done an outstanding job,” said Golden, whose team uses a wing-T offense. “He has all the physical skills. He can see downfield and he has a great arm. It’s just a matter of gaining experience, but he got some significant minutes last year, so that helps. But he’s now in command and that’s different than being the backup.”

Backing up Smith will be junior Alex Husted (5-10, 160), whom Golden called “a quarterback with running-back skills.”

In addition to McSheffery and Wilamosky, others expected to see time in the backfield are jun-

we just want to be progressing and improving each week.”

Harr said that senior Dylan Simpson will open as the starting quarterback.

He will be backed up by junior Tory Clark, who was the starter last season and was second-team all-league.

Wyatt and sophomore Tre Whitehead are expected to split time at running back, with junior Trevor Brown playing fullback. “(Brown) is developing into a pretty nice fullback, granted he has a former NFL player there teaching him and helping him improve,” Harr said, referring to former Ohio State and Dallas Cowboys fullback Jamar Martin, an assistant coach who is in charge of the Comets’offseason strength and conditioning program.

Along with Warner, others expected to see time on the offensive line include senior Aaron Richmond, juniors Alex Duemmell, Cody Hall and Nathan Turkovich and sophomore Dustin Vanscoy.

Senior Alex Emmons, junior Lance Lagunzad and sophomores Austin Albert and Michael Traversa will see action at receiver, and senior Travis Fullen will play tight end.

Expected to start on the defensive line with Warner are senior

ThisWeekSPORTS.com

ThisWeek file

Eddie Miller (5) had 45 solo stops and 70 tackles overall from his linebacker position last season.

ior Gus Ackley (5-9, 165) and sophomore Chris Fry (6-0, 180).

According to Golden, Ackley rushed for more than 1,200 yards last year on the junior varsity.

Epitropoulos, Pfister, Powers and his twin brother, senior Zach Powers (6-2, 180), are expected to be the primary wide receivers, with seniors Grayson Fisher (6-5, 210) and Cam Layer (6-2, 205) splitting time at tight end.

“I think our wide receivers are very talented,” Miller said. “I think they’re the best in the OCC and among the best in the state.”

Luallen (6-3, 250) is the lone returnee on the offensive line and will start at center. Also expected to be an impact player on the line is James Henry, a 6-7, 265-pound senior tackle who transferred from Madison Plains.

Henry has verbally committed to Toledo.

Others vying for starting spots on the line include seniors Ben Armstrong (6-3, 225) and Robert Brownlee (6-2, 225) and juniors Nick Legler (5-11, 250) and Nick Milo (6-1, 210).

“I feel really good about our offense,” Golden said.

Defensively, UA has switched from the 3-5 base formation it utilized last year to a 4-2 scheme.

According to Golden, the change

was made because the Bears want to improve their run defense from a year ago.

“I think (the 4-2 base defense) will open some lanes for me and the other linebackers,” Miller said. “I think we’ll have a great defense.”

Fisher, Layer, senior Jack Vlahakis (6-1, 200), junior Will Hess (5-10, 260) and sophomore Noah Spielman (6-0, 220) all are expected to see time on the defensive line. Henry also could see time on defense, Golden said.

Miller and Trabue will be the primary linebackers and Pfister and Wilamosky will be rover linebackers who often will line up in the secondary.

The secondary will include Epitropoulos, Garrett Powers, Zach Powers, Husted, senior James Trabue (6-1, 175) and senior Johnny Fry (5-11, 160).

Senior Bobby Hamilton is expected to be the kicker.

“We have a good, experienced group of seniors,” Golden said.

“They’re good leaders, they’re making a real difference. Our top priority is to be the best we can be every day. If we do that, then everything else takes care of itself.” pdolan@thisweeknews.com www.ThisWeekSPORTS.com

Schedule 2011 SCHEDULE Aug. 26.......Mifflin ................Home Sept. 2 .......Buckeye Local......Away Sept. 9 .......Franklin Heights ...Away *Sept. 16 ...Dublin Coffman...Home *Sept. 23 ...Hilliard Darby .......Away *Sept. 30 ...Hilliard Davidson ..Away *Oct. 7 .......Upper Arlington...Home *Oct. 14 .....Kilbourne ...........Home *Oct. 21 .....Thomas ...............Away *Oct. 28 .....Westland............Home

Cecil Kozuh, junior Paul Smith and sophomore Jake Whitlock.

“Trevor Warner is a monster on both sides of the ball,” Harr said.

“He’s a senior and I expect him to be a standout player this season.”

Vying for time at linebacker are seniors Nathan Huffman, Zak Ogilbee and Austin Peppard, junior Solomon Sellers and sophomore Hunter Taylor.

In the secondary, senior Antonio Siravo and junior Alex Hin-

2010 RESULTS (2-8 overall, 1-6 OCC-Central) Mifflin ...............................L, 42-14 Northland............................L, 37-6 Franklin Heights................W, 34-20 *Dublin Coffman..................L, 68-0 *Hilliard Darby.....................L, 75-7 *Hilliard Davidson................L, 51-0 *Upper Arlington..................L, 84-6 *Worthington Kilbourne......L, 62-28 *Thomas Worthington........L, 38-13 *Westland........................W, 33-12 *OCC-Central game

ton should start, with juniors Marco Garcia and Michael Huffman and sophomore Issac Gutierrez expected to play significant minutes.

Senior Mack Bostard is expected to do most of the kicking.

“We’re a really young team,” Harr said. “But we’ll gain experience with time and I have confidence we’ll become better as the season goes along.” www.ThisWeekSPORTS.com

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O H I O C A P I T A L C O N F E R E N C E - CA R D I N A L D I V I S I O N Spotlight

South program sets standard for excellence

By PAUL BATTERSON ThisWeek Community Newspapers

Since the 2008 realignment of the OCCCardinal Division, the Westerville South High School football team has continued to reinvent itself to stay ahead of the competition.

The other seven programs are trying to keep up.

“It’s always motivating to play Westerville South,” Olentangy fullback Derrick Rodgers said. “You always want to crush a big team’s dreams of making the playoffs and winning the state championship. It gets you more amped up to play.”

Last year, South won its third consecutive OCC-Cardinal title, going 6-1 to finish ahead of Dublin Jerome (5-2), Dublin Scioto (43), Olentangy (4-3), Olentangy Liberty (43), Marysville (3-4), Westerville Central (25) and Westerville North (0-7). South fin-

ished 9-3 overall, losing to top-seeded Pickerington Central 30-0 in the second round of the Division I, Region 3 playoffs.

The Wildcats are 18-3 in league play the past three years. Liberty, which defeated South 39-27 in 2010 and 21-17 in 2008, and Marysville, which beat South 24-14 in 2008, are the only OCC-Cardinal teams to get the best of the Wildcats since the realignment.

Even in 2008, when South went 5-5 overall, it shared the league title with Liberty and Jerome with a 5-2 record.

South’s domination is a bit surprising considering that in the past three years, Jerome, Marysville, Liberty and Olentangy also have made playoff appearances.

“I think we surprised a lot of people when we won the first (league title) and the last one,” South coach Rocky Pentello said. “The good thing is the kids have won before and want to win it again. The bad thing is everybody in our division wants to get us back

now.”

The Wildcats have become a model for the rest of the league. “(South has) a great combination of what you want in a championship program,” Marysville coach Jeff Gafford said. “They have tradition, they have outstanding coaching, they have some good skilled athletes and they play great defense. They’re just a solid football program.”

Pentello believes the Wildcats could be in for a battle to win another OCC-Cardinal title, however. South lost 17 seniors from last year, including running back Jayshon Jackson, the ThisWeek Super 25 captain, and Ray Ball, an offensive lineman who is now at the University of Wisconsin.

“We usually have a big enough senior class to fill that void, but we need to rely on underclassmen more than usual this year,”

Inside the division 2010 STANDINGS Team League Overall Westerville South 6-1 9-3 Dublin Jerome 5-2 6-4 Dublin Scioto 4-3 6-4 Olentangy 4-3 6-4 Olentangy Liberty 4-3 6-4 Marysville 3-4 5-5 Westerville Central 2-5 2-8 Westerville North 0-7 0-10 2011 LEAGUE SCHEDULE Sept. 16 Liberty at Marysville North at Jerome Olentangy at Scioto South at Central Sept. 23 Central at North Jerome at Liberty Marysville at Olentangy Scioto at South Sept. 30 Jerome at South

Liberty at Olentangy Marysville at Central North at Scioto Oct. 7 Central at Scioto Liberty at North Olentangy at Jerome South at Marysville Oct. 14 Central at Olentangy Marysville at Jerome North at South Scioto at Liberty Oct. 21 Jerome at Scioto Liberty at Central Marysville at North Olentangy at South Oct. 28 Central at Jerome North at Olentangy Scioto at Marysville South at Liberty

See CARDINAL, page 45

2011 Time Warner Cable Games of the Week Catch these games on Channel 24 Fridays at 11pm, Saturdays and Sundays at 7pm and anytime on Local on Demand Channel 411.

Friday, August 26 Groveport Madison at Westerville South Saturday, August 27 Wellston at Jackson Friday, September 2 Zanesville at Licking Valley Marion Franklin at Dublin Scioto

Local OnDemand Channel 411 36

Friday, September 9 Bellefontaine at Marysville Gahanna Lincoln at Upper Arlington

Channel 24

Friday, September 16 Pickerington Central at Lancaster Shawnee at Kenton Friday, September 23 Delaware at Mt. Vernon Olentangy Orange at Big Walnut Friday, September 30 Hilliard Darby at Upper Arlington Ironton at Jonathon Alder

Friday, October 14 Bishop Watterson at St. Francis DeSales Dublin Coffman at Hilliard Davidson Friday, October 21 TBD Friday, October 28 TBD

Friday, October 7 Olentangy at Dublin Jerome Heath at Granville

FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE 2011 Football Preview | August 25, 2011

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OCC-CARDINAL

Dublin Jerome

Wilson brothers set to pace Celtics’ attack

By FRANK DiRENNA ThisWeek Community Newspapers

Led by brothers Cameron and Donovan Wilson, the Dublin Jerome High School football team could have a prolific offense.

Senior Cameron Wilson (6foot-2, 195 pounds), who has verbally committed to play at Iowa, led the team in receiving last season with 77 catches for 1,079 yards and six touchdowns.

Junior running back Donovan Wilson (6-0, 202) led the team in rushing with 1,106 yards and

Schedule 2011 SCHEDULE Aug. 26 .....Reynoldsburg ....Home Sept. 2......Hilliard Darby......Away Sept. 9......Groveport ...........Away *Sept. 16..West. North ......Home *Sept. 23..Liberty ...............Away *Sept. 30..West. South .......Away *Oct. 7......Olentangy .........Home *Oct. 14....Marysville .........Home *Oct. 21....Dublin Scioto......Away *Oct. 28....West. Central ....Home 2010 RESULTS (6-4 overall, 5-2 OCC-Cardinal) Reynoldsburg...................W, 28-0 Hilliard Darby ..................L, 14-10 Groveport .......................L, 34-28 *Westerville North ...........W, 42-0 *Olentangy Liberty .........W, 24-14 *Westerville South..........L, 35-23 *Olentangy ....................W, 49-21 *Marysville.......................L, 34-6 *Dublin Scioto ...............W, 15-12 Westerville Central .........W, 43-22 *OCC-Cardinal game

15 touchdowns on 181 carries.

He also has been contacted by several Division I colleges.

Both were first-team all-OCCCardinal Division.

“This is going to be a breakout year for Donovan,” eighthyear coach Mark Hundley said.

“He already has a bunch of Division I schools looking at him and they’re going to be salivating at the end of this season to try and get him to sign on their dotted line.

“Cam is looking so good. He’s looking very mature as a senior right now.”

The Celtics — who open against Reynoldsburg on Friday, Aug. 26, at home — were 6-4 overall and 5-2 in the OCC-Cardinal a year ago to finish second behind Westerville South (6-1).

That Jerome team featured 25 seniors who were lost to graduation, including quarterback Ryan Gannon.

The first-team all-league selection threw for 1,859 yards with Go Celtics

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Cameron Wilson, who has committed to play at Iowa, returns after catching 77 passes for 1,079 yards last season for the Celtics.

14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions last season. For his career, he completed 272 of 509 passes for 3,932 yards with 30 touchdowns and is playing at Toledo as a preferred walk-on.

Hundley said seniors Joe Bano (5-11, 175) and Logan Williams (6-0, 195) have been competing in the preseason to replace Gannon.

“This is probably the first time in our eight years that we’ve had

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true competition,” Hundley said.

“We’ve always told the kids that there was a competition and there were a couple of years where the backup was close, but you knew the front-runner was the front-runner.

“This year those guys are neck and neck. It’s kind of fun to see that. They both can throw and they both have the ability to run.”

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Dublin Scioto

Irish feature young, but experienced lineup

By SCOTT GERFEN

fense from a team that went 6-4

Schedule

ThisWeek Community Newspapers overall and 4-3 in the OCC-Car-

With a number of first-year varsity players last season, the Dublin Scioto High School football team had to cope with turnovers and other potentially game-changing mistakes.

“By the end of the season, I thought we became a pretty good football team, but we knew there wasn’t any room for error,” 12thyear coach Karl Johnson said.

“Those guys are now all a year older.”

The returnees include junior quarterback Evan DeMars (6-foot-1, 175 pounds), who threw for 1,097 yards with eight touchdowns and six interceptions.

Junior William Houston (6-0, 230), the son of the former Ohio State fullback of the same name, became a physical runner who gained 908 yards on 202 carries with six touchdowns. He was second-team all-league.

“We’re still young, but we’ve got the experience,” said DeMars, whose team opens Friday, Aug. 26 at Hilliard Bradley. “I’ve got a lot of good people around me who know the game really well and I think I’m going to be smarter about reading defenses and making good decisions.”

Seven starters return on of-

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38

dinal Division.

The Irish tied Olentangy and Olentangy Liberty for third behind champion Westerville South (6-1) and Dublin Jerome (5-2) and ahead of Marysville (3-4), Westerville Central (2-5) and Westerville North (0-7).

Scioto won four of its final five games and also regained the Hard Road Trophy with a 31-14 victory over Worthington Kilbourne.

The Irish should be solid on the offensive line with four returning starters in seniors Grant Noppenberger (6-1, 260), Wesley King (6-7, 230) and Adam Allard (6-4, 245) and junior Mason Sawicki (6-1, 245).

Senior Travis Yates (6-6, 190),

By Adam Cairns/ThisWeek

See IRISH, page 45

Junior Evan DeMars threw for 1,097 yards last season in his first year as a starter.

2011 SCHEDULE Aug. 26.......Hilliard Bradley.....Away Sept. 2 .......Marion-Franklin ...Home Sept. 9 .......Kilbourne.............Away *Sept. 16 ...Olentangy...........Home *Sept. 23 ...West. South.........Away *Sept. 30 ...West. North........Home *Oct. 7 .......West. Central .....Home *Oct. 14 .....Olentangy Liberty .Away *Oct. 21 .....Dublin Jerome ....Home *Oct. 28 .....Marysville ............Away

2010 RESULTS (6-4 overall, 4-3 OCC-Cardinal) Hilliard Bradley....................W, 17-7 Marion-Franklin ....................L, 20-6 Worthington Kilbourne.......W, 31-14 *Olentangy........................L, 42-13 *Westerville South...............L, 31-0 *Westerville North ............W, 26-14 *Westerville Central............W, 16-9 *Olentangy Liberty ..............W, 13-3 *Dublin Jerome .................L, 15-12 *Marysville.......................W, 28-14 *OCC-Cardinal game

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Marysville

Monarchs stress importance of good start

By FRANK DiRENNA

Schedule

ThisWeek Community Newspapers

Fifth-year Marysville High School football coach Jeff Gafford said his team didn’t fulfill expectations last season by finishing 5-5 overall and 3-4 in the OCC-Cardinal Division.

He wants to see the Monarchs start strong and maintain that level of play throughout this season, which begins Friday, Aug. 26, at home against Marion Harding.

The Monarchs defeated the Presidents 31-13 in the opener a year ago, but lost four of their next six games.

After Harding, Marysville plays non-league contests against area rivals Jonathan Alder on Sept. 2 and Bellefontaine on Sept. 9.

“It’s important to win at least two out of three to start the season,” Gafford said. “We’d like to get off to a 3-0 start. People start paying attention when you’re 30. You go 0-1 and half the people forget about you. It adds excitement for your program if you get off to a great start.”

Gafford is optimistic about his returnees.

Senior quarterback Connor Devine (5-foot-11, 185 pounds) completed 42 of 84 passes for 676 yards with nine touchdowns and three interceptions last season.

He also rushed for 243 yards and two touchdowns on 58 carries.

“We’re running the ball a lot this year up the middle, trying to beat people down and then do some play-action passes off of that,” Devine said. “If we do that then we should win. We have to play good defense, too.”

Also back is senior tight end Craig Runyan (6-5, 235), who has verbally committed to play at Toledo.

Last season, Runyan led the team in receiving with 19 catches for 455 yards and seven touchdowns.

Devine and Runyan are captains.

“The majority of the seniors

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2011 SCHEDULE Aug. 26.......Marion Harding...Home Sept. 2 .......Jonathan Alder .....Away Sept. 9 .......Bellefontaine ......Home *Sept. 16 ...Liberty ...............Home *Sept. 23 ...Olentangy ............Away *Sept. 30 ...West. Central .......Away *Oct. 7 .......West. South .......Home *Oct. 14 .....Dublin Jerome......Away *Oct. 21 .....West. North .........Away *Oct. 28 .....Dublin Scioto......Home

Senior center Kyle Thirkield (6-2, 290) will be flanked on the line by senior guard Ethan Joseph (6-2, 260), senior tackle Luke Blumenschein (6-3, 260), junior guard Al Thompson (6-4, 330) and junior tackle Josh Kent (6-1, 260).

“We’re going to be a little more traditional lining up in the I(-formation) and coming at you, running downhill a little bit more,”

Gafford said.

Marysville’s 4-3 base defense also will feature ample size, led by senior Dereck Fleury (6-0, 255). Other linemen are Miller, seniors Michael Andrews (5-11, 245), Greg Haynes (5-10, 185) and Austin Rine (5-11, 240) and sophomore Darius Walker (6-2, 240).

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Kody Davisson, a junior, is one of three players expected to see time at tailback for the Monarchs, who open as host to Marion Harding on Friday, Aug. 26.

really want to make a playoff push,” Runyan said. “We have to finish. Last season we were really good a lot of times, but there were a couple of plays taken off.”

Gafford expects a battle for playing time at tailback between

2010 RESULTS (5-5 overall, 3-4 OCC-Cardinal) Marion Harding .................W, 31-13 Jonathan Alder...................L, 30-21 Bellefontaine ......................W, 55-6 *Olentangy Liberty......L. 23-20 (OT) *Olentangy.........................W, 21-7 *Westerville Central...........L, 23-20 *Westerville South .............L 42-35 *Dublin Jerome ..................W, 34-6 *Westerville North ..............W, 28-9 *Dublin Scioto...................L, 28-14 *OCC-Cardinal game

senior Lam Tse (5-5, 130) and juniors Kody Davisson (6-0, 175) and Brandon Bruce (5-9, 155).

Senior Joseph Boyd (6-1, 210) returns at fullback.

Senior Zach LaRoche (6-2, 180), junior Morgan Miller (6-0,

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Key receivers will be senior Kori Mack (5-10, 150) and sophomore Nick Mazza (5-10, 150).

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OCC-CARDINAL

Olentangy

Braves keep focus on establishing run

By PAUL BATTERSON ThisWeek Community Newspapers

Olentangy High School football coach Ed Terwilliger doesn’t believe he is difficult to read. After all, his coaching philosophy, which has helped the Braves compile a 123-106 record the past 22 seasons, is simple.

“There’s not one coach out there (in central Ohio) who doesn’t know we want to run the football,” said Terwilliger, whose team opens against Olentangy Orange on Friday, Aug. 26, at home.

“I always say we want to throw it when we want to throw it, not because we have to throw it. To be successful, we need to run the football.”

Last season, the Braves finished 6-4 overall and tied Dublin Scioto and Olentangy Liberty for third in the OCC-Cardinal Division at 4-3, behind Westerville South (6-1) and Dublin Jerome (5-2) and ahead of Marysville (34), Westerville Central (2-5) and Westerville North (0-7).

In its six victories, Olentangy rushed for 1,309 yards (5.1 yards per carry) and 18 touchdowns.

However, in its four losses, it ran for only 626 yards (4.0 yards per carry) and five touchdowns.

“Establishing the run means coming out and smacking the other team in the mouth,” senior offensive tackle Kenton Playko said.

“It sets the pace and lets them know we’re here and we’re going to run it down your throat.”

Playko, who has made a verbal commitment to Northwestern, and senior linebacker Joshua Perry, who has verbally committed to Ohio State, are among 13 returning starters.

Playko (6-6, 284), senior guard Bryan Young (6-2, 288) and senior center Brandon Owens (6-4, 240) are returning starters on the offensive line. Young was firstteam all-league and Playko was honorable mention all-league.

40

Schedule 2011 SCHEDULE Aug. 26.......Ole. Orange ........Home Sept. 2 .......Delaware .............Away Sept. 9 .......Big Walnut ...........Away *Sept. 16 ...Dublin Scioto .......Away *Sept. 23 ...Marysville...........Home *Sept. 30 ...Liberty ...............Home *Oct. 7 .......Dublin Jerome......Away *Oct. 14 .....West. Central .....Home *Oct. 21 .....West. South.........Away *Oct. 28 .....West. North........Home

Others vying for playing time on the line are seniors Ian Culp (6-1, 260) and Nick Gray (6-2, 264), juniors Brian Raiff and Austin Schmidt (6-5, 243) and sophomores Quinton Gallion (511, 214), Andy Sims (6-3, 227) and Ben Young (6-2, 267).

Olentangy, which last made the playoffs in 2008, lost running back William Greathouse to graduation. Last season, he rushed for 804 yards and 14 touchdowns on 184 carries and was named special mention all-district in Division II. Seniors Derrick Rogers (5-6, 205), who rushed for 278 yards and a touchdown on 54 carries, and Matt Winnings (6-1, 235) are competing at fullback, while senior Tyler Webb (6-1, 212) and junior Ramal Iverson (5-11, 167) will see time at tailback.

Perry (6-4, 231), who rushed for 383 yards on 63 carries a year ago, also could see time in the backfield.

At quarterback, senior Jon Seymour (6-0, 178) and junior Andrew Horstman (6-4, 193) are competing for the starting spot following the graduation of Joey

2010 RESULTS (6-4 overall, 4-3 OCC-Cardinal) Olentangy Orange ...............W, 27-7 Delaware ..........................W, 42-13 Big Walnut.........................L, 13-10 *Dublin Scioto..................W, 42-13 *Marysville..........................L, 21-7 *Olentangy Liberty ..............W, 10-7 *Dublin Jerome ................W, 49-21 *Westerville Central..........W, 27-20 *Westerville South.............L, 52-10 *Westerville North ............W, 44-12 *OCC-Cardinal game

Gadd.

Gadd threw for 947 yards with three touchdowns and seven interceptions and rushed for 293 yards and three touchdowns.

“Each day is a learning experience for them, but I have confidence in both of them,” Terwilliger said of Seymour and Horstman. “We’re not going to ask them to win games for us.

We just ask them not to lose games for us.”

Senior tight end Alex Shetler (6-2, 205) and junior wide receiver Buchi Okafor (6-1, 180), who caught seven passes for 135 yards and a touchdown a year ago, return after making starts last year.

Senior Anthony Outley (6-0, 182) and junior Francis Ramadhani (5-9, 180) also could see time at receiver.

Defensively, the Braves return seven starters in Perry at linebacker, senior nose tackle Alex Steinmetz (5-11, 232), senior end Eric Price (6-2, 221), junior linebacker Griffin Binkley (5-11, 169), senior free safety Will Brett (5-11, 182), senior cornerback Zach Padovan (5-6, 165) and jun-

By Karen Carter/ThisWeek

Joshua Perry fights off a double team during a scrimmage Aug. 9 against Lancaster. The senior linebacker is one of 13 returning starters for the Braves.

ior cornerback Christian Brett (6-0, 167).

Terwilliger said Perry, who was first-team all-district, is a hybrid-type player who also could play on the defensive line or in LARGEST IN-STOCK SELECTION. the secondary.

LOWEST PRICES. EVERYDAY! “Joshua is kind of a different OVER 1 MILLION SF OF FIRST position in and of himself,” said QUALITY HARD SURFACE FLOORING! Terwilliger, whose team allowed an average of 17.9 points last season. “I think our staff has done a good job in putting together packages just for him.”

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Olentangy Liberty

Patriots eager to start new playoff streak

By SCOTT GERFEN ThisWeek Community Newspapers

For the first time since the program’s inaugural season in 2003, the offseason for the Olentangy Liberty High School football team began in October.

Despite a 39-27 upset of OCCCardinal Division champion Westerville South in the regular-season finale last fall, the Patriots failed to make the playoffs.

The end of Liberty’s six-year postseason streak “has certainly been a motivating factor for us,” senior receiver A.J. Motika said.

“Around here, they expect us to make the playoffs and we have those expectations. We know what prior teams have accomplished and we want to keep with that tradition.”

For coach Steve Hale, who has guided the program since its inception, preseason camp was about developing consistency following last year’s 6-4 finish.

Liberty went 4-3 in the OCCCardinal to tie Dublin Scioto and Olentangy for third, behind champion South (6-1) and Dublin Jerome (5-2) and ahead of Marysville (3-4), Westerville Central (2-5) and Westerville North (0-7).

“Not making the playoffs has been a topic of conversation, but

big up front, but Hale does have plenty of experience in seniors Brian Johnson (6-foot-4, 290 pounds), Luke Flemming (6-1, 260) and Matt Cubberly (6-0, 200).

In camp, a decision had to be made on a starting quarterback to replace Taylor Hudson, who had 2,016 all-purpose yards last year.

He completed 129 of 239 passes for 1,712 yards with 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

Juniors Joey Longhino (6-0, 170) and Ryan Sibert (6-4, 200) have been competing for the position.

“They’re very different kids,” Hale said. “Joey is more of a quick runner who can help our running game. Ryan has a real arm to get the ball downfield. We’ll have to decide which best fits our team and go with it.”

Also gone is Liberty’s top rusher from in Jeff Kemper, who had 747 yards on 128 carries with 11 touchdowns.

Senior Phil Osolinski (6-0, 180) earned a number of carries last season. He also can play wide

By Karen Carter/ThisWeek receiver.

Motika (6-3, 175) caught 51 Senior receiver A.J. Motika said missing the playoffs last season passes for 819 yards and six has been “a motivating factor” for the Patriots. touchdowns. that’s a long way down the road,” sion is brutal and we’re going to “We want to play with more said Hale, whose team opens at try and fix some of the things we enthusiasm this season,” Motika Dublin Coffman on Friday, Aug. didn’t do well last year.” said. “I don’t think we did that last The Patriots never have been year until the end of the season 26. “The competition in our divi-

MONARCHS Continued from page 39 Seniors Dakota Romine (6-1, 230), Tyler Miller (5-11, 75) and Michael Xie (5-11, 185) should lead the linebackers.

LaRoche, senior Ryan Erwin (6-2, 180) and juniors Joey Cunningham (5-8, 155) and Kyle Hites (5-11, 160) will be key defensive backs.

Mazza will be the kicker, Fleury will be the punter and Devine will handle the long snapping duties.

Last season, the Monarchs finished sixth in the OCC-Cardinal behind Westerville South (6-1),

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Schedule 2011 SCHEDULE Aug. 26 .......Dublin Coffman.....Away Sept. 2........Ole. Orange ..........Away Sept. 9........Delaware.............Home *Sept. 16....Marysville .............Away *Sept. 23....Dublin Jerome .....Home *Sept. 30....Olentangy .............Away *Oct. 7........West. North ..........Away *Oct. 14......Dublin Scioto.......Home *Oct. 21......West. Central........Away *Oct. 28......West. South ........Home

and we need to continue that.”

Five starters return for a defense that held opponents to 14.7 points and 289.1 yards per game.

They are junior linebacker Grant Cartwright (6-4, 220), senior defensive end Myles Robinson (5-11, 200), Flemming (DL), senior Paul Campbell (DL) and Motika (DB).

“We’re still looking for some linebackers,” Hale said. “We’ve

2010 RESULTS (6-4 overall, 4-3 OCC-Cardinal) Dublin Coffman ...................L, 24-10 Olentangy Orange...............W, 29-14 Delaware .............................W, 61-3 Marysville ..........................W, 23-20 Dublin Jerome.....................L, 24-14 Olentangy .............................L, 10-7 Westerville North..................W, 34-0 Dublin Scioto ........................L, 13-3 Westerville Central .............W, 41-12 Westerville South ...............W, 39-27 *OCC-Cardinal game

usually had some depth at that position, so this is new for us. Hopefully, we can lean on the other guys early on.”

The coaching staff also looks different.

Assistant Zebb Schroeder was hired as Delaware’s head coach.

The teams meet Sept. 9 at Liberty. www.ThisWeekSPORTS.com

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Dublin Jerome (5-2), Dublin Scioto, Olentangy and Olentangy Liberty (4-3), and ahead of Westerville Central (2-5) and Westerville North (0-7).

Gafford said wins over Olentangy (21-7) and Jerome (34-6) were highlights of the season, but he was disappointed with a 2320 overtime loss to Liberty, along with setbacks to Central (23-20) and Scioto (28-14).

Gafford expects South to again be the team to beat. He said his team played well in a 42-35 loss to the Wildcats last season.

“Every team is different,”

Gafford said. “We don’t have as much skill this year, but we’re probably deeper on the lines.

We’re changing some things this year to play into what we think we can do well. I think we have a chance to have a good football team. The margin for errors in our non-league and league games, especially our league, is very, very small. We have to execute, play well, stay healthy and win close games because there’s going to be close games in the OCC.” fdirenna@thisweeknews.com

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Westerville Central

Schedule

Building new attitude seen as key to success

By FRANK DiRENNA ThisWeek Community Newspapers

Westerville Central High School football coach John Magistro hopes the return of two-way player Cody Kondas and a new attitude lead to success for his team this season.

The Warhawks entered last year with high hopes but lost their first four games and finished 2-8 overall and 2-5 in the OCC-Cardinal Division.

The Warhawks open against Big Walnut on Friday, Aug. 26, at home looking to avenge a 28-26 loss a year ago. Central led that game 20-0 at halftime before the Golden Eagles rallied.

In the fourth game, Kondas took over at quarterback in the second half against eventual OCC-Cardinal champion Westerville South.

He was driving his team to a potential tying score late in the game when he suffered a season-ending knee injury. The Wildcats held on for a 21-14 win.

Kondas (6-foot-3, 225 pounds) also missed the basketball season.

He said he’s ready for his final football season at Central.

“It’s amazing to be back out here with everybody,” said Kondas, who also will start at middle linebacker. “It’s a new season. We have a different attitude and we got rid of a few issues on the team.

Everybody is buying into the program, following everybody’s leadership, and they understand now what it takes to win all these games.”

Magistro said Kondas is helping to fill the leadership void caused by the departure of 25 seniors from last season.

That group included tight end Nick Vannett (Ohio State) and run-

42

ning back/cornerback Miles Fisher (U.S. Air Force Academy).

“Cody is a leader out there,” said Magistro, who is entering his third season. “He is the captain of the huddle.”

Also back is senior wide receiver Max Shawver (6-0, 180), who should be Kondas’main target.

“It’s more mental than anything,” Shawver said of the key to his team’s success. “We have to work harder this year.”

Other key receivers in the team’s spread offense will be seniors Channing Doermann (6-3, 190) and Malik Lundy (5-11, 175) and junior Charlie Moushey (5-8, 140).

Lundy will back up Kondas at quarterback.

Senior James Byers (5-8, 170), who also missed last season with a knee injury, is expected to start at tailback.

Other featured running backs should be seniors Josh Gardy (58, 175) and Jalen Liggins (5-8, 170).

2011 SCHEDULE Aug. 26.......Big Walnut.......Home Sept. 2 .......New Albany......Home Sept. 9 .......Thomas ...........Away *Sept. 16 ...West. South ....Home *Sept. 23 ...West. North ......Away *Sept. 30 ...Marysville........Home *Oct. 7 .......Scioto...............Away *Oct. 14 .....Olentangy .........Away *Oct. 21 .....Liberty.............Home *Oct. 28 .....Jerome .............Away 2010 RESULTS (2-8 overall, 2-5 OCC-Cardinal) Big Walnut......................L, 28-26 New Albany.......................L, 33-6 Canal Winchester..............L, 21-3 *Westerville South..........L, 21-14 *Westerville North ...........W, 33-7 *Marysville....................W, 23-20 *Dublin Scioto..................L, 16-9 *Olentangy.....................L, 27-20 *Olentangy Liberty ..........L, 41-12 *Dublin Jerome ..............L, 43-22 *OCC-Cardinal game

By Andrea Kjerrumgaard/ThisWeek

Wide receiver Max Shawver catches a pass during a scrimmage Aug. 13 against Granville. The senior should be one of the main targets for Warhawks quarterback Cody Kondas.

Seniors Kurt Vanaman (5-9, 175) and Sean Johnson (5-9, 200), who moved into the district from Texas, will share time at tight end.

Senior Evan Stevenson (6-0, 245), who has received interest from several Division I colleges and will start at left guard, is

pleased with the team’s new attitude.

“We all care about each other, we respect each other and we have some goals now,” he said.

Also playing up front on offense should be senior right guard Dante Camboni (6-1, 220), sen-

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Richardson and Stevenson on the line.

Vanaman and junior Josh Winchester (5-9, 210) are the outside linebackers, and the secondary should include Liggins, Moushey, Shawver and senior Davon Reed See CENTRAL, page 45

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ior center Jobie McCoy (5-10, 280), junior tackles C.J. Naples (5-10, 210) and John Whitman (6-0, 240), junior Taribo Osuobeni (5-9, 175) and sophomore Nick Richardson (6-4, 250).

Central’s base 4-3 defense will feature Camboni, McCoy, Naples,

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Westerville North

Warriors out to end skid with rise in numbers

By JORDAN LaBATTE ThisWeek Community Newspapers

A new season brings a new opportunity for the Westerville North High School football team to turn things around after struggling in recent years.

Last season, the Warriors finished 0-10 overall and 0-7 in the OCC-Cardinal Division, placing eighth behind Westerville South (6-1), Dublin Jerome (5-2), Dublin Scioto (4-3), Olentangy (4-3), Olentangy Liberty (4-3), Marysville (3-4) and Westerville Central (2-5).

North entered last season with only 68 players on its varsity, junior varsity and freshman teams, but injuries and illness to starters as the season went on exposed the program’s lack of depth.

“We had so many two-way players go down with injuries. It really devastated us,” third-year coach Mike Owens said.

“At one point last year, we had nine players playing both sides of the football and playing on every special team, so they never came off the field. This year we’re not going to have that problem.”

Fifty-two players are on the varsity roster this season, which has allowed Owens to restructure practices.

In his first two years, the Warriors could not split up the offense and defense during the two-hour practices because there were so many two-way players. That left only an hour to dedicate to each side of the ball.

This season, however, both the offensive and defensive units are able to work together for two hours each practice.

“From where we are right now compared to where we were a year ago, we’re a better football team,” Owens said. “I do believe the No. 1 reason we feel this way right now is because of the two-platoon.”

North — which opens against

ThisWeekSPORTS.com

Schedule 2011 SCHEDULE Aug. 26.......Kilbourne ...........Home Sept. 2 .......Groveport ............Away Sept. 9 .......Ole. Orange ........Home *Sept. 16 ...Dublin Jerome......Away *Sept. 23 ...West. Central .....Home *Sept. 30 ...Dublin Scioto .......Away *Oct. 7 .......Liberty ...............Home *Oct. 14 .....West. South.........Away *Oct. 21 .....Marysville...........Home *Oct. 28 .....Olentangy ...........Away

2010 RESULTS (0-10 overall, 0-7 OCC-Cardinal) Worthington Kilbourne........L, 33-19 Groveport ..........................L, 29-22 Olentangy Orange ................L, 35-0 *Dublin Jerome ...................L, 42-0 *Westerville Central.............L, 33-7 *Dublin Scioto...................L, 26-14 *Olentangy Liberty...............L, 34-0 *Westerville South...............L, 56-0 *Marysville..........................L, 28-9 *Olentangy........................L, 44-12 *OCC-Cardinal game

By Paul Vernon/ThisWeek

B.J. Campfield, a senior, will be the Warriors’ starter at quarterback after playing wide receiver and running back last season.

Worthington Kilbourne on Friday, Aug. 26, at home — enters the season on a 25-game losing streak.

Its last victory came on Sept.

19, 2008, when it defeated Westerville Central 21-17.

The Warriors’last winning season was 2004, when they finished 6-4. They went 5-5 in 2005 but are 6-44 the past five seasons.

North nearly ended that skid early last year, as it held fourthquarter leads in its first two games before losing to Kilbourne (3319) and to Groveport (29-22).

The Warriors have a chance to avenge both defeats this season, as they travel to Groveport on Sept. 2 after opening against the Wolves. The Cruisers are led by 6-foot-5 senior quarterback Shane Denny, who threw for 20 touchdowns with no interceptions a year go.

Owens expects his team to be more competitive this season.

“I think we’ve improved dramatically from day one to where we are right now,” he said. “We’ve

really made great strides on both sides of the football.”

The Warriors will look to senior quarterback B.J. Campfield and senior running back and safety Kory Watson to help turn around their fortunes.

Campfield has been moved to quarterback after playing wide receiver, running back and defensive back last season.

He rushed for 196 yards and one touchdown a year ago.

“You would think he’s been playing quarterback his entire life,” Owens said.

“He’s picked up the offense very quickly and worked extremely hard to not only win the position, but also excel at it. He’s the key to our offense. He makes it go.”

Like Campfield, Watson is a versatile player who will be counted on heavily.

Watson played quarterback and defensive back last season, rushing for 175 yards and three touchdowns, passing for 206 yards and a touchdown and totaling 433

yards on kick returns.

He also is expected to again play a key role on special teams.

“He has multi-purpose for us,” Owens said of Watson. “If we need him at receiver, he can play that.

If we need him at linebacker, he can do that for us. He’s going to

be the leader of our defense.”

Others expected to contribute on offense include senior tight end Dane Cameron, senior lineman Kyle Fugger, junior wide receivers Grant Bruce and Kevin Schaublin, junior lineman Peter Sandvik and sophomore running back

Johnathan Taylor.

Among others expected to contribute on defense are senior end Danny Bichsel, junior lineman Shane Coulter and sophomore linebacker Andy Struttman. www.ThisWeekSPORTS.co

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43

OCC-CARDINAL

Westerville South

Wildcats must replace 17 starters

By AARON BLANKENSHIP

Schedule

ThisWeek Community Newspapers

Throughout the offseason, Westerville South High School football coach Rocky Pentello repeatedly was asked how he would replace running back Jayshon Jackson’s production.

As a senior, Jackson rushed for 2,583 yards and 23 touchdowns on 349 carries to earn ThisWeek Super 25 captain honors.

The Grand Rapids Community College recruit also helped lead the Wildcats to a 9-3 overall record and a third consecutive OCC-Cardinal Division title.

But after losing 17 starters to graduation, Pentello said the biggest concern for his shotgunspread offense is finding a way to replace the entire offensive line, which was anchored by Wisconsin recruit Ray Ball.

The Wildcats open Friday, Aug. 26, at home against Groveport and begin league play on Sept. 16 at Westerville Central.

“The kids we have playing our skill positions are second to none, so it’s going to come down to just how quickly we can compete up front,” said Pentello, who is entering his 21st season.

“We’ve got five players there

2011 SCHEDULE Aug. 26.......Groveport...........Home Sept. 2 .......Dublin Coffman ....Away Sept. 9 .......Grove City ............Away *Sept. 16 ...West. Central .......Away *Sept. 23 ...Dublin Scioto......Home *Sept. 30 ...Dublin Jerome ....Home *Oct. 7 .......Marysville ............Away *Oct. 14 .....West. North........Home *Oct. 21 .....Olentangy...........Home *Oct. 28 .....Ole. Liberty ..........Away

The Columbus Dispatch file

Gary Brown, a junior, had 21 receptions for 353 yards and five touchdowns last season.

who have never started a varsity game and two of them are underclassmen. We’re not big up front and we (have) a lack of experience. I know that our line is going to be competitive at some point. It’s just a matter of how quickly we can get there.”

Three offensive starters return

GOOD LUCK WILDCATS!!!

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in junior quarterback Marcus Ball (6-foot-3, 210 pounds), senior wide receiver Kelly Carter (5-11, 180) and junior wide receiver Gary Brown (6-0, 185).

Senior Daxton Cates (5-10, 210) and junior Noah Prentiss See WILDCATS, page 45

Good Luck Wild Cats!

WORLD-class teaching, first-CLASS convenience Westerville Center

2010 RESULTS (9-3 overall, 6-1 OCC-Cardinal) Groveport ..........................L, 19-10 Dublin Coffman.................W, 31-21 Grove City.........................W, 34-13 *Westerville Central..........W, 21-14 *Dublin Scioto....................W, 31-0 *Dublin Jerome ................W, 35-23 *Marysville.......................W, 42-35 *Westerville North ..............W, 56-0 *Olentangy.......................W, 52-10 *Olentangy Liberty.............L, 39-27 PLAYOFFS Dublin Coffman.................W, 28-14 Pickerington Central .............L, 30-0 *OCC-Cardinal game

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FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE 2011 Football Preview | August 25, 2011

ThisWeekSPORTS.com

OCC-CARDINAL

CENTRAL

WILDCATS Continued from page 44 (5-10, 195) are the top running backs.

Last year, Ball was 91 of 180 passing for 1,204 yards with 14 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

Brown had 21 receptions for 353 yards and five touchdowns, and Cates rushed for 541 yards and eight touchdowns.

Senior Camden Doherty (58, 185) and junior Jalen Bell (60, 210) will see action at running back and tight end.

The starters on the offensive line are senior Kyle Hiers (5-11, 220) at center, senior Camoron Hooks (6-0, 240) at right guard, senior Trevor Killilea (6-0, 295) at left guard, sophomore Kris Holman (6-3, 275) at right tackle and junior Zack Murdock (65, 270) at left tackle.

“We’re working on fundamentals a lot more now,” Pentello said. “We’re trying to get them to execute with consistency.”

South’s 4-3 defense returns two starters in senior safety Evan Lese (6-1, 185) and senior cornerback Charles McLemore (5-

10, 170).

McLemore had two interceptions and Lese had one interception last season.

New starters on defense are junior tackles Zachery Taylor (6-0, 180) and Gabe Whittman (6-1, 225), sophomore ends Darryl Long (6-5, 210) and Curtis Mitchell (6-4, 205), junior middle linebacker Jordan Rodriguez (6-3, 220), senior outside linebacker Jarrod Barnes (6-2, 200), senior back David Pierre (5-11, 170), junior back Myles Collier (6-0, 185) and Prentiss at outside linebacker.

Juniors Tra Jones (6-5, 225) and Devin Penick (6-0, 210) will see action on the defensive line, and senior Andrew Bonnell (511, 180) will handle kicking and punting duties.

“We’re not that big, but I think we’re quick, and we’re going to try to use that to our advantage,” Pentello said.

After opening last season with a 19-10 loss to Groveport, South bounced back to win eight consecutive games en route to winning the OCC-Cardinal before losing 39-27 to Olentangy Liberty in the regular-season finale.

The Wildcats finished ahead of Dublin Jerome (5-2), Dublin Scioto (4-3), Liberty (4-3), Olentangy (4-3), Marysville (3-4), Westerville Central (2-5) and Westerville North (0-7).

The Wildcats beat Dublin Coffman 28-14 in their Division I, Region 3 playoff opener, before losing to Pickerington Central 30-0 in a regional semifinal.

“Olentangy, Westerville Central and Marysville have the most guys back, so those are the teams I would consider the early favorites to win our division of the OCC,” Pentello said. “We shocked everyone when we won the OCC three years ago, and we’re hoping to do it again.

“We’re probably going to play 15 underclassmen who have no experience, so we’re going to have to grow up in a hurry.

Younger players want to do things their own way, and how long it takes for them to decide to do things our way will determine what kind of season we have.” ablankenship@thisweeknews.com www.ThisWeekSPORTS.com

OCC-CARDINAL Continued from page 36 tello said.

“It’s probably been a good 10 years since we’ve had to rebuild this way.”

However, rebuilding rarely has been a problem for the Wildcats.

Quarterback Rocco Pentello — who completed 422 of 674 passes for 6,228 yards and 71 touchdowns and rushed for 2,931 yards and 38 touchdowns in his career — graduated in 2007, but Cortez Fleming stepped in the following fall and accounted for 2,126 yards of offense and 26 touchdowns as a junior.

After Fleming graduated in 2009, Jackson rushed for more than 4,500 yards and 48 touchdowns the past two seasons.

ThisWeekSPORTS.com

Olentangy coach Ed Terwilliger marvels at South’s talent past and present. Penn State running back Ki-Jana Carter (Cincinnati Bengals), Ohio State linebacker Andy Katzenmoyer (New England Patriots) and Toledo wide receiver Lance Moore (New Orleans Saints) are South graduates who made it to the NFL. “They’re pretty darn good, aren’t they?” Terwilliger said.

“Who has more NFL athletes than Westerville South?”

Part of South’s success, according to Westerville Central coach John Magistro, is because of Pentello’s longevity. Pentello is in his 21st season as South’s coach.

Terwilliger, who has been at

Olentangy for 22 years, is the only OCC-Cardinal coach who has been with his current team longer than Pentello.

“They’re an established program,” Magistro said of South.

“Winning breeds confidence.

When you’re confident, you win.

And when you win, you’re confident. We have to borrow that, we have to get that. That’s what we’re trying to do.”

Jerome coach Mark Hundley said “there’s no doubt” that any team that hopes to win the OCCCardinal must beat South.

“Until somebody beats them, they have to be the team to catch,” Hundley said. pbatterson@thisweeknews.com www.ThisWeekSPORTS.com

Continued from page 42

By Paul Vernon/ThisWeek

William Houston was second-team all-OCC as a sophomore after rushing for 908 yards and six touchdowns.

IRISH Continued from page 38

Those inexperienced players will be tested early with a nonleague schedule that includes a home game Sept. 2 against Marion-Franklin, a Division II regional semifinalist last season.

“Our schedule doesn’t change much and I think everybody in our league takes their lumps,” Johnson said. “It’s a fast, physical league and I think Westerville South has to be the favorite again.”

a starter at receiver last year, has moved to tight end.

Lost to graduation was Jerry Miles, who is now at Villanova.

He not only rushed for 665 yards and six touchdowns, he also was the team’s top receiver with 29 catches for 327 yards and eight touchdowns.

Those competing for playing time at receiver are all first-year varsity players. www.ThisWeekSPORTS.com “The biggest obstacle right now is our depth,” Johnson said.

“We’re a little thin. We can go a lot of directions, but we’re going to try and get the ball to the guys who can make plays.”

Only three starters — Sawicki, senior linebacker Austin Mooney (5-11, 190) and junior linebacker David McCruter (510, 190) — return for a defense that allowed 16.9 points per game.

Johnson is excited about what he’s seen from his defensive backs, however. That group includes senior Michael Hawkins (5-9, 175), junior Shawn Snow (5-9, 160) and sophomore DarDublin ius McDonald (5-8, 160).

Center “We do have good depth there cscc.edu/dublin with lots of competition,” Johnson said.

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FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE 2011 Football Preview | August 25, 2011

(5-7, 160) as the Warhawks attempt to improve on last season’s performance when they allowed 32.1 points a game.

Senior Blake Munn (6-0, 162) will handle the kicking duties and senior Kevin Page (5-9, 160) will be the punter.

Magistro said Central’s change in attitude remains a work in progress.

“We had to change the attitude and we’re working on that. Every year our attitude has gotten better.

“They think winning just takes place on the field. It doesn’t. It’s in the classroom and our locker room. We’re cleaning that up.”

Last season, the Warhawks finished seventh in the OCC-Cardinal behind South (6-1), Dublin Jerome (5-2), Dublin Scioto, Olentangy and Olentangy Liberty (43) and Marysville (3-4), and ahead of Westerville North (0-7).

Magistro thinks his team can improve its league record.

“We’re out to win every game,” Magistro said. “We’re out to get in the playoffs.

“There’s not a team on our schedule that we can’t beat and there’s not a team on our schedule that can’t beat us. It all comes back down to the attitude.” fdirenna@thisweeknews.com www.ThisWeekSPORTS.com Go Irish

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45

O H I O C A P I T A L C O N F E R E N C E - CA P I T A L D I V I S I O N Spotlight

Familiarity helps smooth transition at Bradley

By SCOTT HENNEN ThisWeek Community Newspapers

By Chris Parker/ThisWeek

Mike LoParo is coaching a new team but staying in the same division as he left Delaware for Hilliard Bradley.

Mike LoParo had a bit of insider information when he took over the football program at Hilliard Bradley High School during the offseason.

LoParo had spent his previous three seasons as coach at Delaware, a team the Jaguars play as a member of the OCC-Capital Division. Bradley senior Terell Stanford said that gave his new coach a head start with his new team.

“I think it will help (the transition) because coach LoParo knew what we can do and he also knew what to do to stop us,” said Stanford, whose team finished 3-7 last year after starting 3-2.

“Now he can use that to get us to reach our maximum potential.”

Bradley opened two years ago, and the Jaguars were 1-12 in league games in two seasons under former coach Ted Wierzbicki. Their only victory came a year ago when they defeated Franklin Heights 42-18 in Week 5.

Franklin Heights, which went on to finish 0-10 last year, had not fielded a team in 2009 because of the South-Western City Schools levy failure.

Inside the division 2010 STANDINGS Team League Overall New Albany 7-0 10-1 Big Walnut 5-2 10-3 Mount Vernon 5-2 6-4 Olentangy Orange 5-2 6-4 Watkins Memorial 3-4 6-4 Delaware 2-5 3-7 Hilliard Bradley 1-6 3-7 Franklin Heights 0-7 0-10 2011 LEAGUE SCHEDULE Sept. 16 Big Walnut at Watkins Memorial Franklin Heights at Delaware Mount Vernon at Orange New Albany at Bradley Sept. 23 Bradley at Franklin Heights Delaware at Mount Vernon Orange at Big Walnut Watkins Memorial at New Albany Sept. 30 Bradley at Big Walnut

The Jaguars were 1-6 in the OCC-Capital last year to finish seventh, behind New Albany (70), Big Walnut (5-2), Mount Vernon (5-2), Olentangy Orange (52), Watkins Memorial (3-4) and Delaware (2-5) and ahead of Franklin Heights (0-7).

Senior Blake Scipio led Bradley in rushing with a program-record 757 yards on 96 carries with eight touchdowns. He also caught 14 passes for 108

Delaware at Watkins Memorial Franklin Heights at Mount Vernon New Albany at Orange Oct. 7 Big Walnut at Delaware Franklin Heights at New Albany Mount Vernon at Bradley Watkins Memorial at Orange Oct. 14 Delaware at Bradley New Albany at Big Walnut Orange at Franklin Heights Watkins Memorial at Mount Vernon Oct. 21 Bradley at Orange Delaware at New Albany Franklin Heights at Watkins Memorial Mount Vernon at Big Walnut Oct. 28 Big Walnut at Franklin Heights Orange at Delaware New Albany at Mount Vernon Watkins Memorial at Bradley

yards and a touchdown and had an interception and forced a fumble as a linebacker. “(Coach LoParo) knew a lot about Hilliard Bradley from scouting us, but now he’s all about Bradley and wanting to beat Delaware,” Scipio said. “I’m glad he’s here with us.”

LoParo compiled a 16-15 record the past three seasons at Delaware and guided the Pacers to their only Division I playoff

Franklin Heights

Falcons looking for first victory since 2008

By STEVEN COLLINS ThisWeek Community Newspapers Members of the Franklin Heights High School football team had only one thing on their minds during the preseason — getting their first win since 2008.

The Falcons will take a 12-game losing streak into their opener on Friday,Aug. 26, against Ready on their home field.

Franklin Heights finished last season 0-10 overall after its 2009 season was canceled because of the South-Western City Schools levy failure.

The Falcons lost their final two games

46

in 2008 to finish 5-5, and their last win was a 22-13 victory over Olentangy Orange in Week 8 of that season.

“Our goal is to get some victories after the levy issue and after going 0-10 last season,” said second-year coach Rodney Hopkins, whose team went 0-7 in the OCCCapital Division last season to finish last behind New Albany (7-0), Big Walnut (52), Mount Vernon (5-2), Olentangy Orange (5-2), Watkins Memorial (3-4), Delaware (2-5) and Hilliard Bradley (1-6).

“The main thing is that you want to get that first victory and get the confidence up of the team. That’s big.”

Franklin Heights nearly won its opener against Ready last season, falling 23-21.

Its next closest game a year ago, however, was a 34-20 loss to Central Crossing, which also had its 2009 season canceled because of the levy failure.

“Our goal is to beat Ready, get that first win right off the bat and boost everyone’s confidence in the locker room and in the building,” junior linebacker Samual Reed said.

Senior fullback John Pyles, who was honorable mention all-league last season, also realizes the importance of the opener.

“We want to come out and beat Ready and get some confidence to start the season off right,” he said, adding that victories are more important than individual statistics.

In getting his team ready during the preseason, Hopkins has tried a different approach as far as what he wants his players to learn and do.

“Our install has been a lot slower than last year,” he said. “After our (postseason) meeting last year, we decided that maybe we threw too much at the team too fast.

FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE 2011 Football Preview | August 25, 2011

appearance in 2008. The Pacers beat Bradley 28-24 last fall and 49-7 in 2009.

“I think it was harder on him than us,” Scipio said of getting the new coach. “Coach LoParo was an icon at Delaware, and when he left, everyone at Delaware was devastated.”

LoParo is a Hilliard resident and his wife, Heidi, teaches German at Bradley. They have two children, Macie and Joey.

“I think the situation is that he lives in Hilliard and his wife teaches there,” Orange coach Brian Cross said. “It’s a good program, but it may take time to build because they’re running a new offense and defense.

“Last year, in a lot of games, (Bradley) didn’t know how to win when the game was on the line. But their (junior varsity) team beat our j.v team last year and we only had two losses, so they do have some talent.”

LoParo, who coached two seasons at North Union before going to Delaware and led North Union to a 6-4 record in 2006 and 2007 — marking the Wildcats’ first back-to-back winning seasons since 1974 and 1975 — said he See OCC-CAPITAL, page 70

WORLD-class teaching, first-CLASS convenience South-Western @ Grove City Center cscc.edu/grovecity

See FALCONS, page 66

ThisWeekSPORTS.com

OCC-CAPITAL

Big Walnut

Eagles experienced on both sides of ball

By PATRICK DOLAN

Schedule

ThisWeek Community Newspapers

Understanding the importance of varsity experience, third-year Big Walnut High School football coach Joe Weaver likes that his team returns 14 players who were regular starters or saw significant playing time last season.

However, he knows that experience doesn’t guarantee success.

“Guys who have Friday night experience, anytime you have that, it gives you confidence (as a coach) and gives the kids confidence,” said Weaver, whose team opens Friday, Aug. 26, at Westerville Central. “They’re not shellshocked about playing Friday nights. But we can’t rely on past experience to carry us.”

Last season, the Golden Eagles finished 10-3 overall and qualified for the playoffs for the fourth time in five years. Seeded fifth in Division II, Region 7, they defeated fourth-seeded Canal Winchester 44-20 in the first round and upset top-seeded MarionFranklin — ranked first in the final state poll — 24-12 in a regional semifinal before falling to third-seeded Uniontown Lake 4214 in the regional final.

Big Walnut went 5-2 in the OCC-Capital Division to tie Mount Vernon and Olentangy Orange for second, behind New Albany (7-0) and ahead of Watkins Memorial (3-4), Delaware (2-5), Hilliard Bradley (1-6) and Franklin Heights (0-7).

“Last year was a lot of fun, but this year brings new challenges,” Weaver said. “Week to week, there are challenges. You have to be able to get up and be ready for each week, each game. We have to take each game, each week, each day one at a time and get better each day because we don’t have the luxury of looking past anybody on our schedule. Everybody on our schedule is a quality opponent.”

Weaver’s message seems to have been received by the play-

ThisWeekSPORTS.com

2011 SCHEDULE Aug. 26.......West. Central .......Away Sept. 2 .......Chillicothe............Away Sept. 9 .......Olentangy...........Home *Sept. 16 ...Watkins Mem.......Away *Sept. 23 ...Orange...............Home *Sept. 30 ...Hilliard Bradley ...Home *Oct. 7 .......Delaware .............Away *Oct. 14 .....New Albany.........Home *Oct. 21 .....Mount Vernon.....Home *Oct. 28 .....Franklin Heights ...Away

2010 RESULTS (10-3 overall, 5-2 OCC-Capital) Westerville Central............W, 28-26 Chillicothe ..........................W, 28-7 Olentangy.........................W, 13-10 *Watkins Memorial ...........W, 28-21 *Olentangy Orange ...........W, 23-21 *Hilliard Bradley ...............W, 26-10 *Delaware ..........................W, 15-0 *New Albany........................L, 41-0 *Mount Vernon..................L, 36-33 *Franklin Heights................W, 41-0 PLAYOFFS Canal Winchester..............W, 44-20 Marion-Franklin .................W, 24-12 Uniontown Lake .................L, 42-14 *OCC-Capital game

By Chris Parker/ThisWeek

Lucas Garcia, a senior running back, is one of five returning offensive starters for the Golden Eagles.

He rushed for 761 yards and seven touchdowns last season.

ers.

“We have to focus on one step at a time, one game at a time,” senior quarterback Tyler Beam said. “If we do that, the rest will take care of itself. The talent (to get back to the playoffs) is there.

We’ve just got to come out and do it.”

Big Walnut went into last season with no returning starters on offense after the graduation of all 11 starters in 2009.

The Eagles enter this season with nine players on offense who have significant varsity experience, including five starters in Beam (5-foot-9, 170 pounds), senior running back Lucas Garcia (5-8, 150) and senior linemen Trent Fielding (6-1, 260), Tyler McKenzie (6-1, 250) and Brandon Sholl (6-3, 220).

Beam, who completed 58 of 133 passes for 694 yards with three touchdowns and six interceptions and rushed for 783 yards

and six touchdowns on 126 carries, was first-team all-league.

Garcia, who rushed for 761 yards and seven touchdowns on 152 carries, was second-team allleague and special mention alldistrict.

Big Walnut also returns two other running backs in seniors Joey Johnson (5-7, 155) and Nick Shryock (5-9, 170) and two wide receivers in senior Seth Wandling (6-3, 180) and junior Gabe Kitchen (6-0, 160).

According to Beam, the offense is ahead of where it was at this point a year ago.

“I feel more under control and confident,” he said. “Last year I didn’t know what to expect going from Saturday mornings (on junior varsity) to Friday nights. (The varsity experience) puts us ahead of where we started last year because guys know what to do.”

Others who could see time at running back or fullback include

juniors Corbin Ball (5-7, 155) and C.J. Harness (5-11, 155) and sophomores Grant Burks (5-9, 165) and Alec Eisnnicher (5-11, 180).

Senior Garrett Dandrea (6-0, 210) and juniors Jay Miller (5-

11, 165) and Brant Weiss (6-3, 185) are competing at tight end.

Others vying for playing time at wide receiver are seniors Grant Beam (5-9, 170) and Jordan Stimmel (5-11, 140), juniors Seth Myers (6-1, 165) and Adam Shaheen (6-0, 145) and sophomore Chase LaVeer (5-9, 160).

Good Luck

Eagles!

Among those competing for playing time on the offensive line are senior Jason Griffith (6-2, 260), juniors Brandon Koon (511, 220), Kameron Montgomery (5-10, 165), Julian Simon (6-2, 235) and Logan Williams (5-11, See EAGLES, page 52

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Delaware Campus cscc.edu/delaware

47

C O M P O S I T E S C H E D U L E S: W E E K S 1 - 5 WEEK 1 FRIDAY, AUG. 26 Area nonleague Newark at Zanesville; Hilliard Darby at Whetstone; Groveport at Westerville South; Worthington Kilbourne at Westerville North; Big Walnut at Westerville Central; East at West; Licking Heights at Watkins Memorial; Logan Elm at Washington Court House; South at Warrensville Heights; Cleveland Heights at Walnut Ridge; Upper Arlington at Tri-Valley; Westfall at Teays Valley; Gahanna at DeSales; Watterson at Pickerington North; Olentangy Orange at Olentangy; Harvest Prep at Newark Catholic; Fairfield Union at New Lexington; Licking Valley at New Albany; Lexington at Mount Vernon; Fairfield Christian at Millersport; West Jefferson at Mechanicsburg; Marion Harding at Marysville; Heath at Martins Ferry; Brookhaven at Marion-Franklin; Westland at Linden; Bloom-Carroll at Liberty Union; Logan at Lancaster; Sheridan at Lakewood; Thomas Worthington at Jonathan Alder; Grove City at Hilliard Davidson; Dublin Scioto at Hilliard Bradley; Buckeye Valley at Delaware; Johnstown at Granville; Centennial at Grandview; Northland at Eastmoor Academy; Reynoldsburg at Dublin Jerome; Olentangy Liberty at Dublin Coffman; East Knox at Coshocton; Maysville at Columbus Academy; Miami Trace at Circleville; Hamilton Township at Chillicothe; Mifflin at Central Crossing; St. Charles at Canal Winchester; Clear Fork at Briggs; Franklin Heights at Ready; Africentric at Bexley; Crooksville at Berne Union; Independence at Beechcroft; Hartley at AmandaClearcreek; Wynford at River Valley; Van Buren at Ridgedale; Loudonville at Ontario; Crestline at Northmor; Fairbanks at North Union; Highland at Fredericktown; Bucyrus at Elgin; Rittman at Danville; Mount Gilead at Colonel Crawford; Cardington at Centerburg; Pleasant at St. Henry

WEEK 2

WEEK 3

WEEK 4

FRIDAY, SEPT. 16 Ohio Capital Conference Gahanna at Newark; Reynoldsburg at Grove City; Groveport at Pickerington North; Pickerington Central at Lancaster; Dublin Coffman at Central Crossing; Hilliard Darby at WorthingArea nonleague/others Area nonleague/others ton Kilbourne; Hilliard Davidson at Centerburg at Lucas; Ashland Millersport at Northridge; Centerburg Westland; Upper Arlington at Crestview at Loudonville; Strongsville at Mechanicsburg; Mount Vernon at Thomas Worthington; Olentangy at Gahanna; Marion Harding at Lima Madison Comprehensive; Triad at Liberty at Marysville; Westerville Senior; Ready at Fredericktown; Fairbanks; Hartley at East Knox; North at Dublin Jerome; Olentangy at Reynoldsburg at Findlay; Grandview Fredericktown at Ashland Crestview; Dublin Scioto; Westerville South at at East Knox; Zanesville Rosecrans Dublin Scioto at Worthington KilWesterville Central; Big Walnut at at Danville; Central Crossing at bourne; Hilliard Bradley at Westland; Watkins Memorial; Franklin Heights Buckeye Local; Amanda-Clearcreek Olentangy Orange at Westerville at Delaware; Mount Vernon at Olenat Zane Trace; Solon at Worthington North; Linden at West; Watterson at tangy Orange; New Albany at Bradley Kilbourne; Bloom-Carroll at WhiteCuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit; Heath hall; Thomas Worthington at Whetat Utica; Gahanna at Upper ArlingCity League stone; Mifflin at Westland; Logan ton; Westerville Central at Thomas Centennial at Beechcroft; East at Elm at Westfall; New Albany at West- Worthington; Centennial at South; Brookhaven; Northland at Linden; erville Central; Madison Plains at Logan at Reynoldsburg; Northland at Whetstone at Mifflin; Africentric at West Jefferson; Linden at Watkins Pickerington North; Dublin Coffman Walnut Ridge; Marion-Franklin at Memorial; Granville at Utica; Walnut at Massillon Perry; Delaware at Briggs; Independence at Eastmoor; Ridge at Urbana; Brookhaven at Olentangy Liberty; Fisher Catholic at South at West DeSales; Eastmoor Academy at St. Newark Catholic; DeSales at New Charles; Fairbanks at Southeastern Albany; Berne Union at NelsonvilleMid-State League Local; Olentangy Liberty at OlenYork; Watkins Memorial at Mifflin; Columbus Academy at Lakewood; tangy Orange; Maple Heights at Bellefontaine at Marysville; MansBexley at Granville; Licking Valley at Northland; Madison Comprehensive field Senior at Marion Harding; West Whitehall; Newark Catholic at Heath; at Newark; Lakewood at Millersport; Jefferson at London; Zane Trace at Amanda-Clearcreek at Circleville; Lancaster at Mason; Pickerington Logan Elm; Ready at Licking Valley; Bloom-Carroll at Teays Valley; Canal North at Logan; Zanesville at Licking Teays Valley at Licking Heights; Winchester at Fairfield Union; HamilValley; Gallia Academy at Licking Twinsburg at Lancaster; Johnstown ton Township at Logan Elm; Licking Heights; Fairfield Union at Liberty at Lakewood; Clear Fork at Indepen- Heights at Harvest Prep; Fisher Union; Marysville at Jonathan Alder; dence; Loudonville at Hillsdale; Catholic at Berne Union; Grandview Heath at Johnstown; Berea at IndeWalnut Ridge at Hilliard Davidson; at West Jefferson; Millersport at pendence; Dublin Jerome at Hilliard Newark at Hilliard Darby; Bexley at Liberty Union Darby; Teays Valley at Hilliard Hamilton Township; Dublin Jerome at Bradley; Olentangy at Delaware; Groveport; Danville at Grove City Mid-Buckeye Conference Africentric at Harvest Prep; London Christian; Westerville South at Grove Danville at Loudonville; East Knox at at Hamilton Township; Westerville City; Whitehall at Grandview; Central Utica; Fredericktown at Northridge; North at Groveport; Canal WinchesCrossing at Franklin Heights; Johnstown at Centerburg ter at Grove City; Briggs at Franklin Granville at Fairfield Union; AfricenHeights; South at East; Mariontric at East; Whetstone at Columbus Mid Ohio Athletic Conference Franklin at Dublin Scioto; Westerville Academy; Jonathan Alder at Clinton- Buckeye Valley at River Valley; CardSouth at Dublin Coffman; WashingMassie; Marion-Franklin at Canal ington at Elgin; Highland at Pleasant; ton Court House at Circleville; Big Winchester; Fairfield at Brookhaven; Mount Gilead at Ridgedale; North Walnut at Chillicothe; West at CenSt. Paris Graham at Briggs; Harvest Union at Northmor tennial; Mount Vernon at Cambridge; Prep at Bloom-Carroll; Olentangy at Beechcroft at Watterson; Columbus Big Walnut; St. Charles at Area nonleague/others Academy at Hartley; Berne Union at Beechcroft; Liberty Union at AmanDeSales at Ryle (Ky.); Cincinnati Bexley da-Clearcreek; Winton Woods at Watterson; Toledo Saturday, Aug. 27 Rogers at St. Charles; NelsonvilleArea nonleague Saturday, Sept. 3 Saturday, Sept. 10 York vs. Ready; Akron Hoban at Pickerington Central vs. Archbishop Area nonleague Area nonleague Hartley; Dayton Meadowdale at Moeller at the University of CincinFisher Catholic at Fairfield Christian Circleville at Westfall; Eastmoor Crusaders; Fort Loramie at Grove nati Nipper Stadium; Pleasant at St. Academy at Thurgood Marshall; City Christian; Jonathan Alder at Henry; Newbury at Northridge; Utica Sunday, Sept. 4 Miami Trace; Waynesfield-Goshen at at Buckeye Local; Whitehall at Fisher Area nonleague Fairbanks Catholic; Cincinnati St. Xavier vs. Pickerington Central at Ohio State; Springfield vs.

Upper Arlington at Ohio State

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FRIDAY, SEPT. 2 Mid Ohio Athletic Conference Ridgedale at Cardington; Mount Gilead at Northmor; North Union at Highland; Pleasant at Buckeye Valley; River Valley at Elgin

FRIDAY, SEPT. 9 Mid Ohio Athletic Buckeye Valley at Ridgedale; Elgin at Mount Gilead; Northmor at Highland; Pleasant at North Union; River Valley at Cardington

FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE 2011 Football Preview | August 25, 2011

WEEK 5 FRIDAY, SEPT. 23 Ohio Capital Conference Lancaster at Gahanna; Grove City at Groveport; Newark at Reynoldsburg; Pickerington North at Pickerington Central; Central Crossing at Hilliard Darby; Worthington Kilbourne at Upper Arlington; Thomas Worthington at Hilliard Davidson; Westland at Dublin Coffman; Westerville Central at Westerville North; Dublin Jerome at Olentangy Liberty; Marysville at Olentangy; Dublin Scioto at Westerville South; Hilliard Bradley at Franklin Heights; Delaware at Mount Vernon; Olentangy Orange at Big Walnut; Watkins Memorial at New Albany City League Beechcroft at Whetstone; Brookhaven at Northland; Linden at Centennial; Mifflin at East; Briggs at Africentric; Eastmoor at West; Independence at Marion-Franklin; Walnut Ridge at South Mid-State League Heath at Whitehall; Lakewood at Bexley; Licking Valley at Granville; Newark Catholic at Columbus Academy; Amanda-Clearcreek at Canal Winchester; Circleville at Hamilton Township; Fairfield Union at BloomCarroll; Teays Valley at Logan Elm; Berne Union at Harvest Prep; Grandview at Millersport; Liberty Union at Licking Heights Mid-Buckeye Conference Centerburg at East Knox; Danville at Fredericktown; Loudonville at Johnstown; Utica at Northridge Mid Ohio Athletic Conference Cardington at Buckeye Valley; Elgin at Highland; Northmor at River Valley; North Union at Mount Gilead; Ridgedale at Pleasant Area nonleague/others Columbus Crusaders at St. Charles; St. Marys Prep (Mich.) at DeSales; Watterson at Cincinnati LaSalle; Ready at Coal Grove Dawson-Bryant; Cincinnati College Prep at Grove City Christian; Jonathan Alder at London; Fairbanks at Riverside DeGraff Saturday, Sept. 24 Mid-Buckeye Conference West Jefferson at Fisher Catholic Area nonleague/others Hartley at Villa Angela-St Joseph

ThisWeekSPORTS.com

C O M P O S I T E S C H E D U L E S: W E E K S 6 - 1 0 WEEK 6 FRIDAY, SEPT. 30 Ohio Capital Conference Pickerington Central at Gahanna; Lancaster at Grove City; Groveport at Newark; Pickerington North at Reynoldsburg; Central Crossing at Hilliard Davidson; Dublin Coffman at Thomas Worthington; Hilliard Darby at Upper Arlington; Worthington Kilbourne at Westland; Dublin Jerome at Westerville South; Olentangy Liberty at Olentangy; Marysville at Westerville Central; Westerville North at Dublin Scioto; Hilliard Bradley at Big Walnut; Delaware at Watkins Memorial; Franklin Heights at Mount Vernon; New Albany at Olentangy Orange

WEEK 7 THURSDAY, OCT. 6 Mid-State League Columbus Academy at Bexley

WEEK 8

WEEK 9

WEEK 10

FRIDAY, OCT. 14 Ohio Capital Conference Grove City at Gahanna; Groveport at Reynoldsburg; Lancaster at Pickerington North; Newark at Pickerington Central; Dublin Coffman at Hilliard Davidson; Worthington Kilbourne at Central Crossing; Thomas Worthington at Hilliard Darby; Westland at Upper Arlington; Westerville Central at Olentangy; Marysville at Dublin Jerome; Westerville North at Westerville South; Dublin Scioto at Olentangy Liberty; Delaware at Hilliard Bradley; New Albany at Big Walnut; Olentangy Orange at Franklin Heights; Watkins Memorial at Mount Vernon

FRIDAY, OCT. 21 Ohio Capital Conference Gahanna at Reynoldsburg; Pickerington Central at Grove City; Lancaster at Groveport; Pickerington North at Newark; Central Crossing at Thomas Worthington; Hilliard Darby at Westland; Worthington Kilbourne at Dublin Coffman; Upper Arlington at Hilliard Davidson; Dublin Jerome at Dublin Scioto; Olentangy Liberty at Westerville Central; Marysville at Westerville North; Olentangy at Westerville South; Hilliard Bradley at Olentangy Orange; Delaware at New Albany; Franklin Heights at Watkins Memorial; Mount Vernon at Big Walnut

FRIDAY, OCT. 28 Ohio Capital Conference Groveport at Gahanna; Grove City at Pickerington North; Newark at Lancaster; Reynoldsburg at Pickerington Central; Dublin Coffman at Upper Arlington; Hilliard Davidson at Hilliard Darby; Thomas Worthington at Worthington Kilbourne; Westland at Central Crossing; Westerville Central at Dublin Jerome; Westerville North at Olentangy; Dublin Scioto at Marysville; Westerville South at Olentangy Liberty; Big Walnut at Franklin Heights; Olentangy Orange at Delaware; New Albany at Mount Vernon; Watkins Memorial at Bradley

Central Catholic League DeSales at St. Charles

Friday, Oct. 7 Ohio Capital Conference Gahanna at Pickerington North; Grove City at Newark; Pickerington Central at Groveport; Reynoldsburg at Lancaster; Hilliard Darby at Dublin Coffman; Hilliard Davidson at Worthington Kilbourne; Upper Arlington at Central Crossing; Westland at Thomas Worthington; Westerville Central at Dublin Scioto; Olentangy Liberty at Westerville North; Olentangy at Dublin Jerome; Westerville South at Marysville; Big Walnut at Delaware; Franklin Heights at New Albany; Mount Vernon at Bradley; Watkins Central Catholic League Memorial at Olentangy Orange Watterson at DeSales

City League Beechcroft at Linden; East at Northland; Mifflin at Centennial; Whetstone at Brookhaven; Briggs at Eastmoor; South at Independence; Walnut Ridge at Marion-Franklin; West at Africentric

City League Beechcroft at Mifflin; Brookhaven at Linden; Centennial at Northland; East at Whetstone; Eastmoor at South; Independence at Briggs; Marion-Franklin at Africentric; West at Walnut Ridge

Mid-State League Columbus Academy at Heath; Granville at Whitehall; Lakewood at Licking Valley; Canal Winchester at Bloom-Carroll; Circleville at Teays Valley; Hamilton Township at Amanda-Clearcreek; Logan Elm at Fairfield Union; Licking Heights at Grandview; Liberty Union at Berne Union; Millersport at West Jefferson

Mid-State League Heath at Granville; Newark Catholic at Licking Valley; Whitehall at Lakewood; Amanda-Clearcreek at Teays Valley; Bloom-Carroll at Logan Elm; Fairfield Union at Circleville; Hamilton Townshp at Canal Winchester; Fisher Catholic at Liberty Union; Grandview at Berne Union; Millersport at Licking Heights; West Jefferson at Harvest Prep

Mid-Buckeye Conference Centerburg at Danville; East Knox at Mid-Buckeye Conference Northridge; Fredericktown at Johnstown; Loudonville at Centerburg; FrederickUtica at Loudonville town at East Knox; Johnstown at Utica; Northridge at Danville Mid Ohio Athletic Conference Elgin at Ridgedale; Highland at Card- Mid Ohio Athletic Conference ington; Mount Gilead at Pleasant; North- Buckeye Valley at Highland; North Union mor at Buckeye Valley; River Valley at at Elgin; Pleasant at Cardington; North Union Ridgedale at Northmor; River Valley at Mount Gilead Area nonleague/others Greenville at Watterson; Linsly (W.Va.) Area nonleague/others vs. Ready; Grove City Christian at Fair- St. Charles at Canal Fulton Northwest; field (Ky.); Ironton at Jonathan Alder; Elyria Catholic at Hartley; Lima Central Lima Perry at Fairbanks Catholic vs. Ready; Columbus Crusaders at Cincinnati Ursuline; WashSaturday, Oct. 1 ington Court House at Jonathan Alder; Mid-State League Fairbanks at Upper Scioto Valley Bexley at Newark Catholic; Harvest Prep at Fisher Catholic Saturday Oct. 8 Area nonleague/others Area nonleague/others Villanova College (Canada) at WatterColumbus Crusaders at Cincinnati Col- son; Grove City Christian at Fostoria lege Prep Academy St. Wendelin

ThisWeekSPORTS.com

City League Beechcroft at East; Centennial at Brookhaven; Northland at Mifflin; Whetstone at Linden; Africentric at Independence; Briggs at South; MarionFranklin at West; Walnut Ridge at Eastmoor Mid-State League Bexley at Heath; Granville at Lakewood; Licking Valley at Columbus Academy; Whitehall at Newark Catholic; Amanda-Clearcreek at Fairfield Union; Circleville at Bloom-Carroll; Canal Winchester at Logan Elm; Teays Valley at Hamilton Township; Berne Union at Millersport; Fisher Catholic at Grandview; Harvest Prep at Liberty Union; Licking Heights at West Jefferson Mid-Buckeye Conference Centerburg at Northridge; Danville at Johnstown; East Knox at Loudonville; Utica at Fredericktown

Central Catholic League St. Charles at Watterson

City League Brookhaven at Mifflin; Centennial at City League Whetstone; Linden at East; Northland Brookhaven at Beechcroft; East at Cen- at Beechcroft; Africentric at Eastmoor; tennial; Mifflin at Linden; Whetstone Independence at Walnut Ridge; Mariat Northland; Eastmoor at Marion- on-Franklin at South; West at Briggs Franklin; South at Africentric; Walnut Ridge at Briggs; West at Independence Mid-State League Bexley at Whitehall; Heath at Licking Mid-State League Valley; Granville at Columbus AcadeColumbus Academy at Whitehall; Lake- my; Lakewood at Newark Catholic; wood at Heath; Licking Valley at Bex- Hamilton Township at Bloom-Carroll; ley; Newark Catholic at Granville; Aman- Logan Elm at Amanda-Clearcreek; Cirda-Clearcreek at Fairfield Union; Cir- cleville at Canal Winchester; Teays Valcleville at Bloom-Carroll; Canal Win- ley at Fairfield Union; Harvest Prep at chester at Logan Elm; Teays Valley at Millersport; Liberty Union at GrandHamilton Township; Berne Union at view; West Jefferson at Berne Union Licking Heights; Grandview at Harvest Prep; Liberty Union at West Jefferson Mid-Buckeye Conference Fredericktown at Loudonville; Northridge at Johnstown; Utica at Centerburg Mid-Buckeye Conference Danville at Utica; Fredericktown at Centerburg; Johnstown at East Knox; Mid Ohio Athletic Conference Buckeye Valley at Elgin; Cardington at Loudonville at Northridge Mount Gilead; Highland at River Valley; Northmor at Pleasant; Ridgedale Mid Ohio Athletic Conference Elgin at Pleasant; Highland at Mount at North Union Gilead; Northmor at Cardington; North Area nonleague/others Union at Buckeye Valley; River Valley Cleveland Benedictine at DeSales; Marat Ridgedale ion Harding at St. Charles; Watterson

Mid Ohio Athletic Conference Cardington at North Union; Elgin at Northmor; Mount Gilead at Buckeye Valley; Pleasant at River Valley; Ridgedale at Highland Area nonleague/others DeSales at Cincinnati LaSalle; CoshocArea nonleague/others ton at Hartley; Grove City Christian at St. Charles at Jackson; Ironton at Hart- Fayetteville-Perry; Marion Harding at ley Jonathan Alder; Fairbanks at Ridgemont Saturday Oct. 15 Area nonleague/others Ready at Montpelier

Central Catholic League Hartley vs. Ready

Saturday Oct. 22 Mid-State League Millersport at Fisher Catholic

at Jonathan Alder; Fairfield Christian at Grove City Christian; Riverside DeGraff at Fairbanks Saturday Oct. 29 Mid-State League Licking Heights at Fisher Catholic Mid-Buckeye Conference East Knox at Danville

Area nonleague/others Area nonleague/others Western Reserve Academy at Cru- Crusaders at Lancaster (Tenn.) Chrissaders tian

FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE 2011 Football Preview | August 25, 2011

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OCC-CAPITAL

Delaware Hayes

Senior class embracing leadership role

By BRAD EMERINE ThisWeek Community Newspapers

First-year coach Zebb Schroeder has been impressed with the senior leadership and work ethic of the Delaware Hayes High School football team.

“We’ve got a great mix of size and skill and I’m really impressed with the competitiveness and toughness of the team,” said Schroeder, who replaced Mike LoParo. “The senior class has really embraced the leadership role and they’ve done a great job beginning last spring in the weight room and all the way through these two-a-days.”

Schroeder, an assistant at Olentangy Liberty the previous eight years, has 22 letterwinners back from a team that went 3-7 overall last season under LoParo LoParo was 16-15 in three seasons with the Pacers before leaving to coach OCC-Capital Division rival Hilliard Bradley.

Senior Xia Minich (6-1, 205 pounds) returns to anchor the 3-3 base defense at middle linebacker, along with senior Zach Katona (6-3, 215). Senior Zach Weston (6-0, 210) and sophomore Tyler Harris (6-2, 185) are vying for the other linebacker spot.

“Our linebacker corps will be

GREAT degree

game last season.

“We’re still trying to figure out a way to keep our best players on the field without using them both ways the entire game,” Schroeder said. “Our personnel grouping will be important. We’re concerned with our depth, especially on the offensive and defensive lines. We like our front-line guys, but we don’t want them playing 48 minutes. We need to get the sophomores ready to step in by late August because injuries up front could be troublesome.”

Competing at nose tackle are seniors Mike Herrell (5-11, 235) and Lance Horne (5-9, 295) and sophomore Shawn Johnson (5-9, 200). Competing for end positions are seniors Jeremy Morrall (6-2, 235) and Jordan Nichols (5-10, 215) and sophomores Gaige Linville (6-3, 215) and Ray Simpson (6-0, 170).

Seniors Jake Wright (5-10, 170) and C.J. Wade (6-0, 160) and sophomore Caleb Howell (5-10, 155) ThisWeek file are seeking cornerback spots. Seniors Zack Parson (6-0, 180) and Josh Bender is competing for time at quarterback and strong Ethan Nicol (5-11, 165) will be safety under first-year coach Zebb Schroeder. the free safeties.

Competing at strong safety are the heart and soul of our defense,” leader, student and person.”

The defensive line will revolve, seniors Josh Bender (5-11, 195), Schroeder said. “Xia Minich is a terrific athlete and Zach Katona as Schroeder attempts to keep legs Jeremy Hunt (6-0, 185) and Jeff is everything you want in a high fresh on both sides of the ball. The See PACERS, page 56 school football player. He’s a great Pacers allowed 33.4 points per

A VE A H

GREAT Y EA R

PACER ATHLETES

WE’RE BEHIND YOU! Delaware Campus cscc.edu/delaware

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2011 SCHEDULE Aug. 26.......Buckeye Valley....Home Sept. 2 .......Olentangy...........Home Sept. 9 .......Liberty .................Away *Sept. 16 ...Franklin Hts........Home *Sept. 23 ...Mount Vernon ......Away *Sept. 30 ...Watkins Mem.......Away *Oct. 7 .......Big Walnut..........Home *Oct. 14 .....Hilliard Bradley.....Away *Oct. 21 .....New Albany ..........Away *Oct. 28 .....Orange...............Home

Lawyers Title Agency of Delaware Inc. Carolyn Kay Riggle 103 N. Union Street Delaware, OH 43015 740-369-1656 www.lawyerstitledelawareohio.com

2010 RESULTS (3-7 overall, 2-5 OCC-Capital) Buckeye Valley ..................W, 30-10 Olentangy..........................L, 42-13 Olentangy Liberty.................L, 61-3 *Franklin Heights..............W, 28-13 *Mount Vernon....................L, 39-9 *Watkins Memorial ..............L, 40-0 *Big Walnut.........................L, 15-0 *Hilliard Bradley ...............W, 28-24 *New Albany........................L, 41-3 *Olentangy Orange ..............L, 49-7 *OCC-Capital game

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FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE 2011 Football Preview | August 25, 2011

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OCC-CAPITAL

Hilliard Bradley

Jaguars like changes under new coach

By SCOTT HENNEN

about the brand of football we

ThisWeek Community Newspapers play,” said coach Mike LoParo,

Hilliard Bradley High School football players had a lot to digest during the offseason, with a new coach installing different offensive and defensive schemes.

But that hasn’t fazed Terell Stanford. The 5-foot-8, 165pound senior slotback and defensive back likes what he has seen over the past few months.

“I love the new system because its fits us better than the one before,” said Stanford, whose team finished 3-7 overall last year after losing its final five games.

“We have some really good all-around backs and it gives us more opportunities to get the ball in our hands.”

The offense moves from a spread attack to the option. The defense goes from a 4-4 to a fiveman front.

“We’ve had a smooth transition so far and we’re excited

WORLD-class teaching, first-CLASS convenience

who coached at OCC-Capital Division rival Delaware the past three seasons and has replaced Ted Wierzbicki at Bradley. “But the kids are learning a new system.

“We’re still learning to be a ground-and-pound team. You never know how well that transition has gone until you start playing the first game.”

The Jaguars return senior running back Blake Scipio, who led Bradley in rushing with a program-record 757 yards in 96 carries with eight touchdowns. He also caught 14 passes for 108 yards and a score and had an interception and forced a fumble as a linebacker.

“We have hard workers and we’re dedicated. It all starts with the coaching staff,” Scipio said.

“They brought enthusiasm here and everyone is charged up.”

By Jeff Mills/ThisWeek

See JAGUARS, page 57 Blake Scipio rushed for a program-record 757 yards last season and also caught 14 passes for 108 yards.

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OCC-CAPITAL

Mount Vernon

Yellow Jackets aim to build on success

By DAVE PURPURA ThisWeek Community Newspapers

Mount Vernon High School football fans made the hour-long drive home from New Albany after a season-ending, 21-6 loss to the Golden Eagles last October disappointed but optimistic.

The Yellow Jackets took steps toward making their program relevant again, reeling off five consecutive victories in the OCC-Capital Division to post their first winning season since 2003 but falling one win short of the playoffs.

When the Yellow Jackets take the field Friday, Aug. 26, for their opener against visiting Lexington, those same fans might be scrambling for programs and tapping neighboring shoulders to figure out who they’re watching.

That’s because Mount Vernon graduated all but four starters, including all its linebackers and all but one offensive lineman.

Coupled with having a firstyear coach — Anthony Naples — there is guarded optimism about improving on last season, when it finished 6-4 overall and placed 13th in the Division I, Region 3 computer standings.

The top eight teams in the re-

gion made the playoffs.

“We’re going to be a team with a lot of ‘no names.’ We’ll be a team that’s unproven,” said Naples, who coached at Westland from 2002-04 and was athletics director at Madison Plains the past two years.

“We don’t have 10 or 11 guys back. But if we come together as a team, 11 guys at a time, we’ll be OK. “If we have a lot of people asking in week one, ‘Who are these guys?’ and just calling guys by their numbers, that’s fine.

Hopefully by week 10, people take a look and realize how much these guys have blossomed. We don’t have guys who run 4.4 (seconds in 40 yards) or throw the ball 80 yards, but they have some time to grow.”

Mount Vernon went 5-2 in the OCC-Capital last year to tie Big Walnut and Olentangy Orange for second, behind New Albany (7-0) and ahead of Watkins Memorial (3-4), Delaware (25), Hilliard Bradley (1-6) and Franklin Heights (0-7).

Naples replaced Gary Keller, who was named the Central District Coach of the Year last season but resigned last December for family reasons.

Naples wasn’t hired until

Schedule 2011 SCHEDULE Aug. 26.......Lexington ...........Home Sept. 2 .......Cambridge ...........Away Sept. 9 .......Mans. Madison ....Away *Sept. 16 ...Orange ................Away *Sept. 23 ...Delaware............Home *Sept. 30 ...Franklin Heights..Home *Oct. 7 .......Hilliard Bradley.....Away *Oct. 14 .....Watkins Mem. ....Home *Oct. 21 .....Big Walnut ...........Away *Oct. 28 .....New Albany.........Home

April, however, meaning the program lost four months of conditioning under a new coaching staff. Ever since, the program’s been playing catch-up.

“It’s 100 percent different being hired in April versus December,” Naples said. “You lose four months of lifting, four months of character building, four months of team bonding.

You have 50 guys here some-

2010 RESULTS (6-4 overall, 5-2 OCC-Capital) Lexington ..........................L, 44-21 Cambridge........................W, 27-13 Mansfield Madison ............L, 20-16 *Olentangy Orange ............L, 41-26 *Delaware ..........................W, 39-9 *Franklin Heights..............W, 49-20 *Hilliard Bradley ...............W, 29-22 *Watkins Memorial ...........W, 28-21 *Big Walnut......................W, 36-33 *New Albany........................L, 21-6 * OCC-Capital game

times and that’s a team. Those guys are cheering someone else on when they’re going for a (personal record on a lift). Helping a guy spot, those relationships build. That’s something you lose.”

The Yellow Jackets will feature almost all two-way players on both sides of the ball, a consequence of low numbers in the program partly brought about

by a $200 pay-to-participate fee.

The defense will run a 4-3, and the offense will be a spread rather than the multiple sets of recent seasons.

A featured player will be 5-foot-10, 160-pound senior running back and cornerback Leevi Stump, likely Mount Vernon’s top returnee after rushing for 875 yards and 12 touchdowns.

“We’re getting there. It just takes time,” Stump said.

Senior Brandon Porter is expected to start at quarterback.

Senior Shawn Maxwell, who completed 45 percent of his passes with three touchdowns before a season-ending injury, will move to receiver.

He will join classmate Bradley Fenton (6-3, 185) to bring needed experience to the receiver and secondary corps. Other receivers will include seniors Jake Smith and A.J. Smith, both of whom also are cornerbacks.

Senior offensive tackle Micha Cromier is the only returnee on the line. Other expected starters are junior guards Austin Pagani and Jake Gaston, senior center Ceth Miller and junior tackle Brian Johnson.

Pagani also will lead on the defensive line at tackle, with Miller and junior Brandon

EAGLES Continued from page 47 250) and sophomore Austin Hale (6-1, 230).

The defense returns five players who started or saw significant playing time last season — Griffith on the line, Dandrea at linebacker, Johnson at cornerback and Shryock and Myers at safety.

Griffith was second-team allleague and special mention alldistrict, while Dandrea was second-team all-league and honorable mention all-district.

Also back in the secondary is

52

Grant Beam, who started at safety in 2009 but missed all of last season because of a shoulder injury.

“You can definitely tell he wishes he could’ve (played) last year,” said Tyler Beam, Grant’s twin brother. “He’s excited to be out (on the field) again.”

Other candidates for the defensive line include Fielding, McKenzie, Sholl, Simon, Williams, senior Gene Hogg (61, 230) and sophomore Austin Crow (6-0, 200), while Ball, Eisnnicher, Harness, Weiss, senior Ryan Tutorow (5-7, 190) and

junior Carson Chatterton (6-0, 175) are among those competing at linebacker.

Others who could see action in the secondary include senior Dylan DeWitt (5-6, 150), juniors Cody Conley (5-7, 140) and Anthony Roberto (5-8, 140) and sophomore Joel Windle (5-10, 175).

Senior Corey Gibson (5-11, 180) will be the kicker and Gibson or Tyler Beam will handle the punting duties. pdolan@thisweeknews.com www.ThisWeekSPORTS.com

Reisinger as the ends and senior Ryan Goetzman and sophomore Charlie Skinner at tackle.

Expected to see action at linebacker are junior Jordan Crabtree and sophomore Matt Lybarger in the middle, juniors Tommy Queen and Andy Upton on the strong side and junior Kyle Daniels and sophomore Josh Edwards at weak side.

The Yellow Jackets begin OCC-Capital play Sept. 16 at Orange.

Perhaps the stiffest tests end the season, as Mount Vernon visits Big Walnut in week nine before playing host to New Albany in week 10.

How much those games matter — and, if they do, how many fans will harken back to last season — won’t be known for several weeks at the earliest.

“There’s really not much of a carryover (from 2010),” Stump said. “What was nice last year was we finally jelled as a team.

We lost a little bit of that momentum losing the senior class we had, but this year’s class, we’ve been picking it up and following in the footsteps of last year’s team.” dpurpura@thisweeknews.com www.ThisWeekSPORTS.com

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OCC-CAPITAL

New Albany

No drop-off expected despite new faces

By JEREMY STEWART ThisWeek Community Newspapers

Last year, the New Albany High School football team repeated as OCC-Capital Division champions and made the playoffs for the first time in four seasons.

Much has changed, however.

Gone from the Eagles’ lineup of a year ago are their quarterback, the majority of their rushing production, nearly all of their linebackers and Division I college signees on both lines.

Even so, eighth-year coach Mark Mueller doesn’t expect to see his team’s level of play drop off. One of the keys to New Albany’s recent success has been the players’ commitment to the offseason program.

When key players have left, new faces have maintained the same high level of performance.

“We feel good about the guys who are going to fill in,” said Mueller, whose team finished 10-1 overall last season after losing to Dresden Tri-Valley 30-27 in overtime in the first round of the Division II playoffs in Region

7, where it was seeded second.

“They worked their butts off in the weight room. That’s one of the best things about what we do is watching the kids grow as players.”

The Eagles entered the final week of two-a-days still figuring out who would take over at quarterback for graduate Bryant Bednarek, who is playing at Davidson College in North Carolina.

The candidates are senior Zach Tomi and junior Darron Lee. Tomi was a starter in the defensive backfield last year, while Lee (6-foot-3, 200 pounds) got a few snaps in games in which the Eagles were well ahead.

Although New Albany has been a run-oriented team under Mueller, the Eagles’ wing-T offense has capable outside threats at receiver in seniors Kevin Collins and Adam Bodrick.

Collins (6-3, 205) is a returning starter who had 21 catches for 430 yards last season and already has received a scholarship offer from Bowling Green.

Mueller called Bodrick, who had two touchdown catches last

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season, the team’s fastest player.

Seniors Zack Prewitt and Carson Tunney also are expected to see action at receiver, with seniors Matt Smith (6-2, 205) and Jalynn Williams (6-2, 205) splitting time at tight end.

“I feel like we’ll (pass more),” Collins said. “I feel like it’s going to be short passing and not be too complicated. We’re a little faster on the outside than we’ve been.”

Perhaps the biggest challenge on offense will be replacing graduates Alex Hake at fullback and Jordan Gallegos at tailback. Hake rushed for 1,215 yards on 144 atThe Columbus Dispatch file tempts and Gallegos added 713 Senior wide receiver Adam Bodrick is the fastest player for the Eagles.

He and Kevin Collins give yards on 86 carries.

Stepping into those roles are New Albany’s offense a pair of receiving threats. senior fullback Connor Wilson and senior tailback Dan Brittan, who combined for only 115 yards on 25 carries last season. Their backups will include senior Mac Ferguson and juniors Emmanuel Owusu-Antwi and Alan Watson.

The offensive line lost Eastern Illinois recruit Vinnie Cordova.

Senior Sam Nunner (6-0, 210), who was second-team all-league

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OCC-CAPITAL

Olentangy Orange

Pioneers counting on strong play up front

By SCOTT HENNEN

Schedule

ThisWeek Community Newspapers

The Olentangy Orange High School football team has changed for the better compared to the opening of last season.

The Pioneers entered 2010 with no returning starters on the offensive or defensive lines.

This year, they return six starters on both offense and defense, including a wealth of talent on the lines.

“Having six starters back on both sides of the ball is a good starting point,” fourth-year coach Brian Cross said. “But we only have 59 kids out and have a small sophomore class of 12 kids, but we have 31 juniors and 16 seniors. Depth might be a concern for us.”

Orange finished 6-4 overall last fall, winning its last four games. New Albany captured the OCC-Capital Division at 7-0 with the Pioneers sharing second with Big Walnut and Mount Vernon at 5-2.

Watkins Memorial (3-4) was fifth, followed by Delaware (25), Hilliard Bradley (1-6) and Franklin Heights (0-7).

Senior Brandon Schoen, who was first-team all-league and special mention all-district in Division II, has started in the wing-T offense since he was a sophomore.

Last year, the 5-foot-11, 190pounder rushed for 742 yards on 111 carries with 10 touchdowns and also had six punt returns for 147 yards and two scores.

“Our line has learned a lot since last year,” Schoen said.

“They’re a lot quicker and they know what they need to do. They know how to fix mistakes.”

Senior Bill McCague saw limited action on the offensive line as a sophomore and started every game last season.

The 6-3, 260-pound guard said things are running smoothly with juniors Cole Snowden (6-2, 240)

54

2011 SCHEDULE Aug. 26.......Olentangy...........Home Sept. 2 .......Olentangy LibertyHome Sept. 9 .......Westerville North..Away *Sept. 16 ...Mount Vernon.....Home *Sept. 23 ...Big Walnut ...........Away *Sept. 30 ...New Albany.........Home *Oct. 7 .......Watkins MemorialHome *Oct. 14 .....Franklin Heights ...Away *Oct. 21 .....Hilliard Bradley ...Home *Oct. 28 .....Delaware .............Away

ThisWeek file

Brandon Schoen rushed for 742 yards and 10 touchdowns last season on 111 carries. The senior was first-team all-OCC a year ago.

and Spencer Wilson (6-2, 265) back at guard and center, respectively, as well as senior Taylor Hardy (6-3, 215) at tight end.

“I’ve come into the season with a positive attitude and I’m doing everything to help the team win,” said McCague, who was first-team all-league and special mention all-district.

“In the past, I was looking up to people to see what I should be doing and now the younger players are looking to us for that.

I want to try to help influence the kids and make sure they’re doing things the right way.”

The Pioneers also are getting a boost from some newcomers.

Senior Cody Martin (6-1, 250), a move-in from Logan Elm, can play on the offensive and de-

fensive lines, while junior Alex Smith (6-0, 215), a transfer from Watterson, is in the mix at fullback with junior Mike Forbes (5-7, 195).

“Last year we had (2011 graduate and leading rusher) Jacob Vacheresse (766 yards, 84 carries, six touchdowns) who was a tailback moved to fullback,” Cross said.

“Jacob was 6-1, 190 pounds and could run like a tailback.

This year we have Mike Forbes and Alex Smith as the two guys we’re using now at fullback.”

Junior quarterback Kofi Hill is back after starting last season when 2011 graduate Jared Leet missed three games with a concussion. Hill passed for 216 yards with three touchdowns and

one interception.

“Kofi right now is bigger and stronger and the leader of the offense,” Cross said. “He’s 6-3, 210 pounds with a good throwing arm and he’s done a pretty good job of figuring out coverages.”

Returning starters in the 4-2-5 defense are Schoen and senior Deyshon Hill (5-8, 160) in the secondary, senior Jon Peddicord (6-1, 235) at linebacker and senior linemen Doug Ganim (6-1, 260), Hardy and McCague.

“It depends on the game (whether I like playing offense or defense better),” Schoen said.

“I really like running the ball, but I also like hitting people hard on defense. It’s a toss-up.”

Orange also returns senior

place-kicker Bryan Schrader (60, 180), who made all 34 of his extra-point attempts last season.

The other half of the kicking game is less settled, as Cross said as many as four players are competing to replace Leet as the Pioneers’ punter.

The Pioneers would like to win another OCC-Capital title, as they did in 2009, but Cross said the team will have to limit

2010 RESULTS (6-4 overall, 5-2 OCC-Capital) Olentangy............................L, 27-7 Olentangy Liberty...............L, 29-14 Westerville North ................W, 35-0 *Mount Vernon .................W, 41-26 *Big Walnut.......................L, 23-21 *New Albany .....................L, 28-21 *Watkins Memorial ...........W, 39-14 *Franklin Heights..............W, 41-14 *Hilliard Bradley..................W, 41-0 *Delaware ..........................W, 49-7 *OCC-Capital game

mistakes and will face roadblocks along the way.

“For us at Orange, we have yet to beat Big Walnut,” said Cross, whose team lost to the Golden Eagles 23-21 last season.

“New Albany has a good nucleus back, so those two are the teams to beat.” shennen@thisweeknews.com www.ThisWeekSPORTS.com

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Watkins Memorial

Warriors counting on ability to control line

By BRAD EMERINE ThisWeek Community Newspapers

The Watkins Memorial High School football team believes it has the pieces in place to improve on last year’s finishes of 6-4 overall and 3-4 in the OCC-Capital Division.

That starts on offense, where four of five linemen return to bolster the double-slot, triple-option attack. Both slotbacks also return.

The decision-making by the quarterback is vital in the offense, however, and the Warriors will be breaking in a new starter.

“We have a great quarterback competition between Tyler Hodge and Jake Hopson to replace (2011 graduate) Devonte Marable,” fourth-year coach Jeff Severino said. “Both are great leaders and take charge in the huddle. They are pretty evenkeel. Hodge may have an edge in the running game and Hopson is the better passer. I would feel comfortable with either of them running the offense.”

Hodge (5-foot-10, 180 pounds) and Hopson (6-1, 170) are both seniors.

The Warriors will rotate senior Evan Din (5-11, 200) and junior Jake Sanders (5-11, 210) at fullback because both also start

on defense.

Leading the returnees on the line is Division I college recruit Reno Reda (6-6, 250) at right tackle. He was first-team all-district in Division II and second-team all-league last fall.

Senior Austin Starowesky (61, 230) is back at right guard, with senior Connor Working (6-1, 210) back at left tackle and junior Boban Stepanovich (6-5, 275) returns at center. Joining them is senior Luke Schumacher (6-0, 205) at left guard.

Junior Brenden Kemp (6-1, 185) and senior Aaron Hix (6-1, 165) return as slotbacks. Senior Le’Trel Taylor (6-1, 180) also will see time in the slot. Kemp rushed for 18 touchdowns last year and was special mention all-district and second-team all-league.

“Kemp scored the first time he touched the ball last season,” Severino said. “He’s got a nose for the goal line. He has good vision and is a hard-nosed player, good student and good kid.”

Seeing time at wide receiver will be sophomore Hunter Holton (6-3, 170) and juniors Nic Eader (6-2, 190) and Kevin Crawford (6-4, 195).

“We need to control the ball, sustain drives and not turn it over to be successful,” Severino said.

Schedule 2011 SCHEDULE Aug. 26.......Licking Heights ...Home Sept. 2 .......Linden-McKinley..Home Sept. 9 .......Mifflin..................Away *Sept. 16 ...Big Walnut..........Home *Sept. 23 ...New Albany ..........Away *Sept. 30 ...Delaware............Home *Oct. 7 .......Orange ................Away *Oct. 14 .....Mount Vernon ......Away *Oct. 21 .....Franklin Heights..Home *Oct. 28 .....Hilliard Bradley.....Away

2010 RESULTS (6-4 overall, 3-4 OCC-Capital) Linden-McKinley..................W, 54-0 Licking Heights .................W, 41-32 Mifflin ..............................W, 42-18 *Big Walnut.......................L, 28-21 *New Albany........................L, 35-8 *Delaware ..........................W, 40-0 *Olentangy Orange ............L, 39-14 *Mount Vernon..................L, 28-21 *Franklin Heights..............W, 36-20 *Hilliard Bradley ...............W, 21-14 *OCC-Capital game

ThisWeek file

Junior Brenden Kemp will be back at one of the slotback positions for the Warriors.

“We’ve got a strong, experienced line and if we can run the ball and the clock, it could help our young defense stay off the field longer.

That’ll be important, especially early in the season.”

The Warriors averaged 29.8 points last season, but not sustaining drives hurt in 28-21 league losses to both Big Walnut and Mount Vernon.

Watkins Memorial finished fifth

in the league as New Albany (70) won and Big Walnut, Mount Vernon and Olentangy Orange tied for second at 5-2. Delaware (2-5), Hilliard Bradley (1-6) and Franklin Heights (0-7) followed the Warriors in the standings.

The 3-3 stack defense has a new group of linebackers. Sanders will play in the middle, flanked

by Crawford and junior Collin Cruikshank (6-1, 205).

“Replacing all three linebackers was a concern entering camp, but I think those three guys will grow up quickly despite their inexperience,” Severino said.

“We’ve got a lot of guys back on the line and in the secondary.”

Seniors Cody Starowesky (63, 250) and Reda will play tackle with junior Jerrade Shough (60, 235) at nose guard. Holton and Taylor will be the cornerbacks,

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with Din, Hix and sophomore Ron Carruthers-Kimball (5-10, 150) at safety.

“Reda is a special player with good size, footwork on both sides of the ball and leadership,” Severino said. “I also expect big things from Cody Starowesky. He was injured in the third game last year, but has good speed for a big boy.”

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OCC-CAPITAL

DELAWARE COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS

PACERS

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VOTER REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS 9:00 P.M. MONDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2011

Continued from page 50 Applegate (5-10, 180) and junior Mike Giannakos (5-9, 175).

“We’ve kept things fairly simple on both sides of the ball because we want to be able to execute the basics well and build from there,” Schroeder said. “That will allow us to play harder and more disciplined. We must be as good as we can be mentally and take care of the intangibles as well. I believe we have the physical tools to be very competitive.”

The Pacers averaged 12.1 points per game last year and had 31 turnovers (19 fumbles, 12 interceptions). They finished sixth (2-5) in the OCC-Capital behind New Albany (7-0), as Big Walnut, Mount Vernon and Olentangy Orange tied for second at 5-2.

Watkins Memorial (3-4) was fifth, followed by the Pacers, Bradley (1-6) and Franklin Heights (0-7).

Bender and junior Alex Rafeld (6-0, 170) are competing to direct the pro-style spread offense at quarterback.

“We have real good competitions taking place at quarterback and tailback and we will use a great number of receivers,” Schroeder said. “It’s all about personnel groups and finding the right mix to make sure we have the right people on the field at the right times.”

Competing at tailback are Hunt, Wade, junior Taylor Adair (6-0,

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Matt Bingaya, a senior, is expected to be one of the top wide receivers for the Pacers.

165) and sophomore Thoeun Sorn (5-9, 165). At fullback are Minich and junior Austin Arthur (5-11, 185).

The receiving corps includes seniors Matt Bingaya (6-5, 210), Kyle Ferguson (5-11, 160), Derek Mavis (6-1, 165), Nicol and Wright, junior Alex Hohe (5-10, 150) and sophomore Jante Wright (6-1, 160).

Katona will play tight end when needed.

Linemen include seniors Colton Christner (6-0, 305) at center, Conner Wolfe (6-5, 280) and Aaron Heber (6-3, 235) at the tackles and Nichols at guard, along with junior Andrew Sierawski (5-11, 190) at guard.

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On special teams, Bingaya, Heber and Weston are vying at punter. Seniors Sam Spivey and Aly Smiley and juniors Cole Millet and Anthony Sanfillipo are competing to be the kicker.

“It is critical that we get off to a good start,” Schroeder said. “We don’t want confusion early. We want to play fast, be physical and create confidence. We had a fantastic summer and have had a great preseason. We’ve got to use those as a springboard into the season.

The excitement level is up and we’ve got to keep it there and build on it.”

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JAGUARS Continued from page 51 Bradley has several players who are new to the school.

They include senior Cody Klein (5-10, 170) from Hilliard Darby, junior C.J. Wall (6-1, 205) from Georgia and junior Bradley Spelman (6-2, 205) from New York.

Back at quarterback is senior Connor Driscoll (5-11, 165), who started several games last season and completed 22 of 62 passes for 305 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

His backups are junior Reilly Butz (6-0, 165) and sophomore Tommy Horn (5-10, 160).

Running backs include seniors Scipio and Stanford, with seniors Tony Harvard (5-7, 230) and Dalton Warner (5-11, 150) and junior Matt Bryant (5-8, 155) also in the rotation.

The line will be anchored in the interior by seniors Ricky McGrath (6-1, 200) and Dominic Racanelli (6-0, 240) and junior Alex Vazquez (6-0, 230).

Competing for the tackle spots are senior Devon Smith (6-1,

Schedule 225) and junior Fraser Smith (61, 210) as well as sophomore Ryan Beveridge (5-11, 220).

The wide receivers include seniors Jalen Jackson (6-1, 155) and Blake Doughty (6-2, 185) and sophomores Zack Popovec (6-2, 165), Ryan Reffitt (6-2, 160) and Jakob Welch (5-9, 160).

“I think they’re starting to understand that no one player is above the team,” LoParo said.

“They like the family-style atmosphere. They’ve bought into everything in a big way.”

The defense will be led by senior outside linebacker Walid Abdel-Jabbar (5-11, 190), who was the top tackler last season with 71 while playing at defensive back.

“Walid is in a position that he’s not used to, but we’re coaching him in the system and he’s getting used to it,” LoParo said.

“He’s being coached by J.B. Strahler, who was a linebacker on Davidson’s state championship team from 2006. It’s J.B.’s job to make sure he gets the new alignment down.”

Other linebackers include sen-

ior Steve Breen (5-9, 180), Spelman and Wall, and the defensive line features senior Parris Crockett (6-1, 270) at nose guard, Harvard and junior Sam Riggs (60, 200).

Seeing action in the secondary will be Butz, Klein, Stanford, Scipio, junior Eric Bridgett (5-11, 170), junior Matthew Bryant (5-8, 155) and sophomore Jacob Pugh (5-11, 170).

“We went to a 50-shade on defense from a 4-4,” Scipio said. “It sets us up to move people around and put versatile people in spots where they can succeed.

“We have safeties moving to becoming outside linebackers and linebackers covering pass routes.

It really fits our personnel.”

A pair of seniors who also play on the boys soccer team will handle the kicking. The place-kicker will be Tanner Sheffield (5-10, 180), with Spencer Gates (5-10, 180) as the punter.

The Jaguars were 1-6 in the OCC-Capital Division last year to finish seventh behind cham-

2011 SCHEDULE Aug. 26.......Dublin Scioto......Home Sept. 2 .......Teays Valley........Home Sept. 9 .......Westland .............Away *Sept. 16 ...New Albany.........Home *Sept. 23 ...Franklin Heights ...Away *Sept. 30 ...Big Walnut ...........Away *Oct. 7 .......Mount Vernon.....Home *Oct. 14 .....Delaware............Home *Oct. 21 .....Orange ................Away *Oct. 28 .....Watkins Mem. ....Home

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pion New Albany (7-0), Big Walnut, Mount Vernon and Olentangy Orange (5-2), Watkins Memorial (3-4) and Delaware (2-5). Franklin Heights was 07.

“The league is the same as it’s always been with New Albany, Big Walnut and Orange at the top,” LoParo said. “If we want to be a front-runner in the league,

Hilliard Bradley!

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2010 RESULTS (3-7 overall, 1-6 OCC-Capital) Dublin Scioto.......................L, 17-7 Teays Valley ......................W, 42-27 Thomas Worthington .........W, 42-21 *New Albany .....................L, 49-12 *Franklin Heights..............W, 42-18 *Big Walnut.......................L, 26-10 *Mount Vernon..................L, 29-22 *Delaware.........................L, 28-24 *Olentangy Orange ..............L, 41-0 *Watkins Memorial ............L, 21-14 *OCC-Capital game

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C I T Y L E A G U E - NO R T H D I V I S I O N Spotlight

Non-league schedule key to playoff success

By JARROD ULREY ThisWeek Community Newspapers With nearly a dozen players who went on to play at the college level, the Brookhaven High School football team made it to a Division II state semifinal in 2003 and captured the City League’s only state championship the following year.

One factor that makes the two-year run stand out is that other than those two Bearcats teams, playoff wins by teams in the City League-North Division have been more the exception than the rule.

The City-North is 14-18 in the postseason since the OHSAA’s expansion from 72 playoff teams to 144 in 1999, but just 6-17 when not including Brookhaven’s 2003 and ’04 seasons.

Last season, Northland closed the regular season with a 12-7 victory over Beechcroft and secured the seventh seed for the Division

I, Region 3 playoffs. In their first postseason game, however, the Vikings endured a 47-6 loss to Hilliard Davidson.

Northland coach Kevin Tooson talked after that game about how his team could take a few lessons from the Wildcats in the “way they approach the games.”

Figuring out ways to minimize mistakes is crucial to winning in the postseason, according to Beechcroft coach Bruce Ward.

“It takes having a system and not just relying on your athletes,” Ward said. “You’re usually going to see a team that you’ve not seen before. It boils down to you have to be disciplined.”

Beechcroft last reached the Division II, Region 7 playoffs in 2008 when Ward was the defensive coordinator. In what turned out to be former coach Tom Dunlap’s final game, the Cougars lost to Marion-Franklin 34-28 in double overtime.

In 2005, Beechcroft was the seventh seed

in Region 7 and was forced to make a twohour trip to Canfield, where the Cougars lost 28-0.

The last playoff victory for Beechcroft came in 2003 when it won a first-round game.

Since 1999, the Cougars are 2-7 in the postseason.

According to Ward, one thing he can do to help prepare his team if it advances to the postseason is make full use of the non-league schedule.The Cougars play Sept. 2 at Watterson, the defending Division III state champion. They faced strong programs such as Licking Valley in 2005 and ’06 and Upper Arlington in 2009.

“There was the one year when we had to go up to Canfield, and a lot of these kids haven’t traveled like that before,” Ward said.

“We try to match ourselves up (with strong teams) in those first three weeks, so I think See CITY-NORTH, page 60

Inside the division 2010 STANDINGS Team League Overall Beechcroft 6-1 7-3 Northland 6-1 8-3 Brookhaven 5-2 5-5 Whetstone 4-3 4-6 Centennial 3-4 4-6 Mifflin 3-4 5-5 East 1-6 1-9 Linden 0-7 1-9 2011 LEAGUE SCHEDULE Sept. 16 Centennial at Beechcroft East at Brookhaven Northland at Linden Whetstone at Mifflin Sept. 23 Beechcroft at Whetstone Brookhaven at Northland Linden at Centennial Mifflin at East Sept. 30 Beechcroft at Linden

East at Northland Mifflin at Centennial Whetstone at Brookhaven Oct. 7 Beechcroft at Mifflin Brookhaven at Linden Centennial at Northland East at Whetstone Oct. 14 Beechcroft at East Centennial at Brookhaven Northland at Mifflin Whetstone at Linden Oct. 21 Brookhaven at Beechcroft East at Centennial Mifflin at Linden Whetstone at Northland Oct. 28 Brookhaven at Mifflin Centennial at Whetstone Linden at East Northland at Beechcroft

Beechcroft

Two-way performers provide foundation for Cougars

By JARROD ULREY ThisWeek Community Newspapers

By Eric George/ThisWeek

Junior Maurice Hale will take over at quarterback for the Cougars after backing up graduate Sheldon Akin a year ago.

58

Beechcroft High School football coach Bruce Ward loves the idea of creating a two-platoon system from the more than 50 athletes who regularly have participated in practice.

Now in his third season heading the program after previously serving as its defensive coordinator, Ward also is keenly aware of the importance of using his best athletes in every situation possible.

With that in mind, players such as senior Shaquille Minnifield, junior Maurice Hale and most of the Cougars’ key linemen likely will see action on both sides of the ball as well as special teams.

It’s not a situation that concerns Ward, whose teams have used the same formula to post back-to-back 7-3 finishes and last year earned a share of the City League-North Division title with Northland at 6-1.

“If you want to win games,

you’ve got to have your best athletes on the field,” Ward said.

“When we go to the all-district meetings, the coaches from the OCC all the time are talking about which players go both ways. For us as City coaches, that’s nothing new because every one of our players does that.”

Whether Beechcroft will remain among the upper echelon of the City-North may depend on the development of Hale, a 6-foot-2, 190-pound quarterback who saw significant action in three games last season.

He was the backup to 2011 graduate Sheldon Akin, an honorable mention all-district selection in Division II who passed for 720 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Hale, who has been on varsity since his freshman season, also will play cornerback and return punts.

Minnifield (5-10, 185) and senior James Duncan (5-11, 180) are expected to be the top running backs in the Cougars’ spread offense. Minnifield rushed for 649

yards and four touchdowns last season.

Senior James Clayborn (5-10, 175) is a newcomer who is expected to be a slot receiver. Seniors Dalyn Kroger (6-5, 170) and Kendall Moore (6-1, 165), who also are new to the team, and jun-

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ior Khaleed Franklin (6-1, 185) will be at wide receiver. Kroger also will serve as the backup quarterback.

Senior twins Jalen Randolph and Jamar Randolph both are See COUGARS, page 62

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CITY-NORTH

Brookhaven

Bearcats unveiling new look on offense

By JARROD ULREY ThisWeek Community Newspapers

A large group of experienced upperclassmen has the Brookhaven High School football team believing it is significantly ahead of where it was heading into last season.

Because one of those players is a quarterback who is entering his third season as a starter, experimenting with a new look on offense has become an additional part of the Bearcats’ rebuilding process.

Under first-year coach Trevor White, who was an assistant when Brookhaven won the Division II state title in 2004 and was on the coaching staff at Marion-Franklin last season, the Bearcats are planning a multiple-set offense that includes shotgun plays.

Senior quarterback Tajuan Green (6-foot, 180 pounds) gives the coaching staff optimism that a more spread-oriented approach can work after he passed for more than 600 yards a year ago.

Last season, the offense featured 2011 graduate Donivan Lipsey, who rushed for 1,141 yards and 14 touchdowns and made second-team all-district in Division II. Lipsey signed in February to play for Urbana University.

“We feel as though Tajuan Green can handle quite a bit,” White said. “He has great football knowledge and we don’t have to teach him the basics.”

Brookhaven looks to bounce back from last year’s 5-5 finish, which represented its first nonwinning season since it posted the same record in 2001. The Bearcats went 5-2 in the City League-North Division to place third behind co-champions Beechcroft (6-1) and Northland

(6-1).

Senior Antonio Bell (5-10, 185), who was limited by injuries last year, and junior Blake McEwen (5-8, 170) should be the primary running backs.

Green likely will have a group of four junior wide receivers — Ramone Broomfield, Casey Gayle, Olander Hines and Clevis Towns — as targets.

Senior Jesse Curry (6-0, 235) is back to lead both the offensive and defensive lines after emerging as a key player a year ago.

Also expected to be on the offensive line are seniors Sevon Banks, Tyler Frazier and Jacob Shelton.

Gayle believes there is reason to be excited about his team’s offensive potential.

“Last year, we were kind of young, but now we’re used to playing with each other,” he said.

“Offensively, we’re going to be really explosive because we have a lot of speed.”

Curry and Banks also should be among the key players on defense. They are expected to play defensive tackle, with seniors Antwan Bell, Andrew Clark and Frazier likely to play end.

Senior Toby Rushing should be at middle linebacker in a 4-3 set, with senior Rico Freeman filling one outside linebacker slot.

The Bearcats were expected to return junior Randal Clarkson (honorable mention all-district last year) in the defensive backfield, but he elected to focus on basketball and is not playing.

Green and Towns will lead a secondary that also should include senior Damien Mayhorn and junior Josh Baker.

McEwen and Towns likely will return kicks and punts, with Curry serving as long snapper.

Schedule 2011 SCHEDULE Aug. 26 .....Marion-Franklin ......Away Sept. 2......DeSales................Away Sept. 9......Fairfield ...............Home *Sept. 16..Columbus East ....Home *Sept. 23..Northland..............Away *Sept. 30..Whetstone...........Home *Oct. 7......Linden-McKinley.....Away *Oct. 14....Centennial ...........Home *Oct. 21....Beechcroft ............Away *Oct. 28....Mifflin ...................Away

A year ago, the Bearcats entered the season with just three experienced seniors. Their youth showed early, as they opened with consecutive blowout losses to Marion-Franklin (27-2), Hilliard Davidson (37-3) and Dublin Coffman (40-14).

Brookhaven edged Northland 3-0 in week four on the way to a four-game winning streak but lost two of its final three, including a 26-10 loss to Beechcroft in week eight. The Bearcats had their string of three consecutive league titles officially snapped with a 22-20 loss to Mifflin in week 10.

In the offseason, White replaced Anthony Thornton, who compiled a 24-10 record with two playoff appearances during his three seasons.

Brookhaven will open against Marion-Franklin for the third consecutive season on Friday, Aug.

HIGH SCHOOL

2010 RESULTS (5-5 overall, 5-2 City-North) Marion-Franklin ....................L, 27-2 Hilliard Davidson..................L, 37-3 Dublin Coffman..................L, 40-14 *Northland ...........................W, 3-0 *Whetstone......................W, 37-32 *Linden-McKinley................W, 44-8 *Centennial........................W, 36-6 *Beechcroft ......................L, 26-10 *Columbus East .................W, 56-0 *Mifflin .............................L, 22-20 *City-North game

26, on the road, but has replaced Davidson and Coffman with a road game against DeSales (Sept.

2) and a home game against Fairfield (Sept. 9).

It will be the Bearcats’ first matchup against DeSales — which is located across from Brookhaven on Karl Road —

By Steve Friend/ThisWeek since they lost to the Stallions 28-25 in a Division II regional Senior Tajuan Green returns at quarterback for the Bearcats after passing for more than 600 yards a year ago. semifinal in 2000.

“We’ve got a little bit of growing up to do, but we’re going in the right direction,” White said.

“Last year was a disappointment for those who have been around Brookhaven, but we just impressed on the seniors that LARGEST IN-STOCK SELECTION. whichever way they go is how LOWEST PRICES. EVERYDAY! the team will go. Our goal is to OVER 1 MILLION SF OF FIRST win the City League-North and QUALITY HARD SURFACE FLOORING! make the playoffs.”

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CITY-NORTH

Centennial

Stars to build on momentum after ending skid

By JARROD ULREY

and I think that’s what we start-

ThisWeek Community Newspapers ed to learn.”

There was a sense of relief that reverberated through the Centennial High School football team when its 34-game losing streak came to an end with a 31-7 victory over Columbus South in week three last season.

It took a pair of talented athletes in Wesley Russell and Taylor Wicks and what longtime coach Pat Sergio believes was an outlook focusing on the positive to finally put an end to a skid that had dated back to the 2006 season.

Although Russell and Wicks were both part of the 2011 senior class, the same optimistic attitude is something that Sergio expects to see again as the Stars look to build on a 4-6 season that included a three-game winning streak.

“I enjoy it when kids participate in the classroom and graduate, and seeing wins on the field is great,” Sergio said.

“Our kids in the past would put their heads down when something would go wrong, and that’s something you can’t do. Wesley and Taylor were very positive,

The leadership role Sergio sought during the offseason is being taken up by a group of players that includes senior Angel Leeman and senior twins Aaron Chambers and Simeon Chambers.

Leeman (5-foot-10, 177 pounds) is back for his fourth season and is expected to start at fullback and middle linebacker.

Simeon Chambers (6-3, 183) will play wide receiver and defensive end, with Aaron Chambers (6-2, 173) playing linebacker.

Senior Joel Waits (5-10, 147) and freshman Jeremy Johnson (6-3, 171) competed at quarterback throughout the preseason to replace Russell, who is playing basketball for Ohio Christian University.

The Stars plan to feature the wing-T but also should run some shotgun spread formations.

Joining Leeman in the backfield will be senior Obie Clardy (5-9, 170) and junior Charles Rogers III (5-7, 159).

Other receivers are senior Keenen Smith (6-1, 151) and junior Eric Cofer-Wilson (6-0, 160), with senior Brandon Upchurch

Schedule 2011 SCHEDULE Aug. 26.......Grandview............Away Sept. 2 .......Columbus West ..Home Sept. 9 .......Columbus South ..Away *Sept. 16 ...Beechcroft ...........Away *Sept. 23 ...Linden-McKinley..Home *Sept. 30 ...Mifflin ................Home *Oct. 7 .......Northland ............Away *Oct. 14 .....Brookhaven..........Away *Oct. 21 .....Columbus East ...Home *Oct. 28 .....Whetstone ...........Away

2010 RESULTS (4-6 overall, 3-4 City-North) Columbus Crusaders ...........L, 21-0 Columbus West .................L, 30-15 Columbus South .................W, 31-7 *Linden-McKinley..............W, 34-18 *Mifflin ............................W, 18-12 *Northland..........................L, 27-7 *Brookhaven .......................L, 36-6 *Columbus East .................W, 27-8 *Beechcroft ......................L, 29-12 *Whetstone ......................L, 53-19 *City-North game

Smith at cornerback. Clardy also is in the mix in the secondary.

“Things are looking pretty good,” said Clardy, who missed four games last season because of injury. “We should be better than we’ve been the last few years. (Last season) gave us a lot of confidence for this year, and we’ve got a good senior class.

We just have to do a lot of hard work and no slacking. Hopefully (the seniors) can lead by example.”

After the Stars scored just 22 points during the entire 2009 season, Mark Shaffer took over as offensive coordinator last season, and the offense improved to average 16.9 points. Shaffer elected not to return to the staff this season, however, and Philip Farmer is the new offensive coordinator. Donte Goosby returns as defensive coordinator.

The Stars followed the win over South last season by beating Linden-McKinley (34-18) and Mifflin (18-12) to open City League-North Division play.

Their other conference win came over Columbus East (27-8) as they tied Mifflin for fifth at 3-4 behind co-champions Beechcroft (6-1) and Northland (6-1).

(6-0, 173) playing wide receiver or tight end.

The offensive line is expected to include senior Kevan Jones (6-1, 190) and sophomores Martin Holloway (5-9, 204), Nick Martin (6-0, 242) and Noah Martin (6-1, 212).

Junior Jordan Talley (5-10, 253) could start up front as well.

Each of those offensive linemen also could see action on the defensive line, along with Simeon Chambers.

Also at linebacker should be junior Ronald Phillips (5-10, 174), with the secondary likely consisting of Rogers at free safety, Upchurch at strong safety, senior Bradley Bryant (5-7, 163) and

difficult, but we’re going to see some very great talent. Maple Heights has gone to the state final two years in a row.”

Simply getting to the playoffs has been a challenge that Centennial, Linden-McKinley and Whetstone have yet to achieve.

Columbus East’s only postseason appearance came in 1999 when it lost to Dover 14-12 in the first round of Division II playoffs.

Mifflin has been to the playoffs four times but not since 2002.

Gregg Miller, who led Brookhaven to six playoff appearances between 1990 and 2001 and is beginning his second season at Mifflin, believes the two

key factors in the playoffs are discipline and being physical.

“When I was at Brookhaven LARGEST IN-STOCK SELECTION. LOWEST PRICES. EVERYDAY! and Tom Dunlap was at OVER 1 MILLION SF OF FIRST Beechcroft, we always had the big QUALITY HARD SURFACE FLOORING! linemen, but it would seem like (Beechcroft would) always draw somebody like Uniontown Lake and they’d physically get beaten up front,” Miller said. “Being physical and strong are two different things. We’ve got kids who aren’t very strong but they bring it. It’s WWW.FLOORANDDECOROUTLETS.COM more of an attitude and more of 3785 PARK MILL RUN RD. a style of play that you have to HILLIARD, OH 43026 have to win at that level.”

CITY-NORTH Continued from page 58 scheduling has a lot to do with it.

Also, I think Region 7 is one of the toughest regions in Division II. You’re saying something if you can make it out of Region 7.”

In 2009, Brookhaven opened with a 23-21 win over eventual Division II state semifinalist Marion-Franklin before consecutive setbacks to Division I playoff qualifiers Hilliard Davidson (22-13) and Dublin Coffman (33-0).

That season, Brookhaven reached the Region 7 final, where it lost to Marion-Franklin 31-24.

The Bearcats were outscored by a combined 94-19 against the

60

same three non-league opponents last year but ended up 5-5.

Northland took a page from Brookhaven’s playbook when it was putting together its non-league schedule this fall.

After opening Friday, Aug. 26, at perennial playoff contender Eastmoor Academy, the Vikings will play host to defending Division II state champion Maple Heights on Sept. 2. Maple Heights also was state runner-up in 2009.

Northland then travels Sept. 9 to Pickerington North, which made the playoffs in 2009.

“It’s a very ambitious schedule,” Tooson said. “Those first three games are going to be very

Russell started at defensive back as well as quarterback last year and made ThisWeek Super 25 honorable mention.

Russell, Wicks and 2011 graduate Di’Andre Harrison, who is playing for Ohio Dominican, all made first-team all-league.

Sergio, who enters his 25th season, has coached the Stars to a 52-188 record. Their last winning record was in 2001.

Centennial opened with a 21-0 loss to the Columbus Crusaders a year ago but opens this season on Friday, Aug. 26, at Grandview.

There are 44 players out for the team, although 18 are freshman.

“We’re very happy (with our numbers),” Sergio said. “A lot of kids are attracted to our school by the academics, and this happens to be a group that’s interested in playing football. We do have a couple kids who were in the building who were influenced by us winning games last year.

“We need to work on eliminating some of the simple mistakes that we made last season.” julrey@thisweeknews.com www.ThisWeekSPORTS.com

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CITY-NORTH

Columbus East

First-year coach brings fresh outlook to Tigers

By JARROD ULREY ThisWeek Community Newspapers

At a practice early into twoa-days, the new coaching staff for the Columbus East High School football team decided to get away from the regular routine and had the players alternate between practicing a twominute drill and running sprints.

The idea, according to firstyear coach Lewis Carter, was to keep his players off balance.

The Tigers wouldn’t mind catching opponents off guard this season as well as they aim for their first winning record since 1999.

That season, they went 8-3 and made the playoffs for the only time in program history.

“I like the enthusiasm from these guys,” Carter said. “The guys are starting to understand the system. Even though we’ve got some seniors, I felt, and the coaching staff felt, as though their football IQs were more like freshmen. I’m feeling comfortable with where they’re at now.

There’s been a lot of chalk talk.”

Carter was nicknamed “Bam” during a playing career that included a stint at linebacker and as captain in 2001 for the University of Cincinnati. His coaching staff includes former assistants from City programs such as Eastmoor Academy, Independence and Mifflin.

Carter took over in January for Mike White, who resigned at the end of a 13-year tenure that included a 1-9 finish last season.

East likely will feature a mix of running plays that includes the I-formation behind sophomore quarterback James Curry

ThisWeekSPORTS.com

Schedule 2011 SCHEDULE Aug. 26.......West.................Away Sept. 2 .......South..............Home Sept. 9 .......Africentric........Home *Sept. 16 ...Brookhaven.......Away *Sept. 23 ...Mifflin .............Home *Sept. 30 ...Northland .........Away *Oct. 7 .......Whetstone ........Away *Oct. 14 .....Beechcroft.......Home *Oct. 21 .....Centennial ........Away *Oct. 28 .....Linden.............Home 2010 RESULTS (1-9 overall, 1-6 City-North) Columbus West ..............L, 54-24 Walnut Ridge ....................L, 51-0 Briggs ............................L, 41-28 *Mifflin ............................L, 53-8 *Northland .......................L, 35-0 *Whetstone......................L, 36-6 *Beechcroft......................L, 53-6 *Centennial......................L, 27-8 *Brookhaven ....................L, 56-0 *Linden-McKinley...........W, 18-14 *City-North game

(5-foot-10, 180 pounds).

Senior Elijah Earnest (5-7, 165), junior Nyquan Bell (5-8, 160) and sophomore Corbin Bannister (5-7, 150) all are candidates at running back.

One of the Tigers’ top athletes is senior John Williams (6-1, 205), who will play tight end and serve as the backup quarterback on offense and play linebacker on defense.

Junior Enous McGee (5-10, 165) also is expected to be an impact athlete at wide receiver and free safety and also could

By Eric George/ThisWeek

First-year East coach Lewis Carter, a former linebacker for the University of Cincinnati, talks to his players during a scrimmage.

see time at quarterback.

After averaging just 6.5 points in City League-North Division play a year ago, the Tigers hope a young but bulky offensive line featuring seniors Jovante Moore (5-10, 210) and Richard Peterson (5-7, 205) and sophomores Frank Gavin (6-2, 265), Evan Junel (6-2, 245) and Paul Taylor (6-2, 250) can pave the way to more success. “(Curry) can throw the ball, but I don’t want to throw the ball unless we have to,” said Carter, who formerly assisted at Mifflin and last year was the linebackers coach for Northland as the Vikings made the postseason for the first time. “The last thing we need is turnovers and mistakes, especially with having only about 36 to 40 kids. We want to keep the kids as rested as possible.”

Williams should be joined at linebacker by seniors Joe Ross (5-9, 200) and LaFred Gibbons (5-8, 175).

Expected to see action with McGee in the secondary are Bannister and sophomore Zyon Mock (5-7, 145) at cornerback

and junior Lauray Kinlock (510, 170) at strong safety.

The defensive line should be comprised of juniors Andre Gibbons (5-9, 180) and Shafiq McDowell (5-10, 230) and sophomores Nate Burke (6-0, 245) and Trante King (6-2, 210) in a 4-3 formation.

Burke also is expected to punt and kick, with Bannister and McGee returning kicks.

Last season, the Tigers opened with non-league setbacks to Columbus West (54-24), Walnut Ridge (51-0) and Briggs (4128), then lost each of their first six City-North games by 19 points or more.

During its finale at LindenMcKinley, East won 18-14 to salvage a 1-9 season that included a seventh-place finish in the City-North at 1-6, ahead of only Linden (0-7). Beechcroft and Northland shared the league title at 6-1.

The Tigers went 5-5 in both 2006 and 2008 but were just 3595 overall under White.

East again is playing its entire non-league schedule against teams from the City-South, in-

cluding its opener Friday, Aug. 26, at Columbus West.

Walnut Ridge and Briggs have been replaced by home games against Columbus South (Sept.

2) and Africentric (Sept. 9), however.

The Bulldogs went 1-9 and the Nubians were 3-7 a year ago.

“I like the new coaches, and everybody is getting along better than last year,” Williams said.

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“We started conditioning early, back in the winter. Last year, we probably wouldn’t have even started conditioning until about two weeks (before the beginning of two-a-days). We’re bigger and stronger this year, and I think if we can win our first game, it would build confidence.” julrey@thisweeknews.com www.ThisWeekSPORTS.com

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61

CITY-NORTH

Linden-McKinley

Schedule 2011 SCHEDULE Aug. 26.......Independence.....Home Sept. 2 .......Watterson............Away Sept. 9 .......St. Charles.........Home *Sept. 16 ...Centennial..........Home *Sept. 23 ...Whetstone ...........Away *Sept. 30 ...Linden-McKinley ...Away *Oct. 7 .......Mifflin..................Away *Oct. 14 .....Columbus East ....Away *Oct. 21 .....Brookhaven ........Home *Oct. 28 .....Northland...........Home

2010 RESULTS (7-3 overall, 6-1 City-North) Independence...................W, 42-20 Watterson ...........................L, 30-6 St. Charles........................L, 22-12 *Whetstone......................W, 26-14 *Linden-McKinley................W, 63-0 *Mifflin ............................W, 27-12 *Columbus East .................W, 53-6 *Brookhaven ....................W, 26-10 *Centennial......................W, 29-12 *Northland..........................L, 12-7 *City-North game

COUGARS Continued from page 58

work every day.”

Beechcroft lost two of its three non-league games a year ago and faces those same three opponents.

After playing host to Independence on Aug. 26, the Cougars travel to defending Division III state champion Watterson on Sept.

2 before playing St. Charles — a Division II playoff qualifier last year — on Sept. 9 at home.

Last season, the Cougars lost to Watterson 30-6 and St. Charles 22-12 and finished 13th in the Region 7 computer rankings despite winning six of their final seven.

Northland earned a share of the City-North title with Beechcroft by winning the regular-season finale between the teams 12-7.

Akin and 2011 graduate Dai’Ron Glover, who rushed for 920 yards and six touchdowns last season, both are playing for Masabi Range Community College in Virginia, Minn., this fall.

Austin Davenport made the ThisWeek Super 25 last year after starting at receiver and on the defensive line and is playing for Mercyhurst in Erie, Pa., and defensive back Dominik Mensah, another 2011 graduate, is playing for Fairmont State in West Virginia.

6-0, 250 pounds and are expected to start at center and left tackle, respectively. Junior Antonio Davis (6-1, 250) likely will be at right tackle, with sophomore Adonis Davis (6-2, 225) at right guard and freshman Chaquez Fair (6-0, 260) at left guard.

Sophomore Adonis Davis is a returning starter at middle linebacker, and Franklin also is back at linebacker after finishing with 101 tackles a year ago. Minnifield is the returning strong safety.

Others expected to start on defense include sophomore Landers Cox (6-1, 185) at free safety and Clayborn at cornerback.

Antonio Davis, the Randolph twins and freshman Joshua Chellers (6-0, 180) will be on the defensive line.

Senior Amos Gweh is among the candidates at kicker, with senior Redghi Remy expected to be the punter. Minnifield will return kicks and punts. Clayborn also could be a kick returner.

“We’re working hard as a team and getting stronger as a unit,” Minnifield said. “We’ve got the chemistry. I’d say the defense should be strong because we’ve got so many people coming back. julrey@thisweeknews.com It’s just work, work, work, work, www.ThisWeekSPORTS.com

62

Panthers seeking improvement

By JARROD ULREY ThisWeek Community Newspapers

Like its school grounds, the Linden-McKinley High School football team may be best described as a project under construction.

Coming off their ninth consecutive losing season, the Panthers have spent the preseason practicing at Mifflin Middle School while work was being done on their school. The amount of construction forced the team to meet at the school formerly known as Columbus North on Arcadia Avenue for pre-practice meals.

The Panthers, meanwhile, had nearly 60 athletes on their eligibility list, but for various reasons usually had 40 or fewer players practicing.

“Getting guys (to practice) is a big issue with most of the guys living in the Linden area,” senior quarterback and defensive back Chajaz Davis said. “Every day is just a hustle, and we’re trying to get all of the guys on the same page. I think it’s been going pretty well this year. There’s a different mindset from last year.”

The return of players such as Davis and senior two-way lineman Quin’Yone McLaurin gives the Panthers hope that their latest rebuilding project will have more positive results.

Davis (6-foot, 195 pounds) passed for about 1,000 yards and rushed for about 600 a year ago, according to coach Aaron Owens.

Davis, who made first-team allCity-North Division on defense last season, also starts at free safety.

McLaurin (6-2, 300) was honorable mention all-league on the offensive line and also should see

Schedule 2011 SCHEDULE Aug. 26.......Westland............Home Sept. 2 .......Watkins Mem.......Away Sept. 9 .......West ...................Away *Sept. 16 ...Northland...........Home *Sept. 23 ...Centennial ...........Away *Sept. 30 ...Beechcroft .........Home *Oct. 7 .......Brookhaven ........Home *Oct. 14 .....Whetstone .........Home *Oct. 21 .....Mifflin ................Home *Oct. 28 .....East ....................Away

time on the defensive line.

Other skill-position players include juniors Kijuan Busby and Gage Finch at running back, seniors Boyd Collins, Kevin Satterfield and Chris Stanbury at wide receiver and senior Felando Hayes (6-6, 195) at tight end.

Expected to join McLaurin on the offensive line are senior Hakim Smith (5-11, 260), sophomores Tony Black (5-11, 250) and Maurice Jones (6-1, 285) and freshman Jaymeson Niece.

Black, Hayes, Jones, Niece and Smith should see time on the defensive line with juniors Stanley Featherstone and Patrick NgenIwgee (6-2, 200).

Juniors Dashawn Willis and his twin brother, Rashawn Willis, are returning starters at linebacker.

Senior Levi McNair also should see action at the position.

Joining Davis in the second-

See what’s happening in and around your neighborhood.Visit ThisWeekNews.com to read headlines from 23 central Ohio communities.

2010 RESULTS (1-9 overall, 0-7 City-North) Watkins Memorial ................L, 54-0 Westland..........................W, 20-16 Walnut Ridge .......................L, 54-6 *Centennial.......................L, 34-18 *Beechcroft ........................L, 63-0 *Brookhaven .......................L, 44-8 *Whetstone ........................L, 53-6 *Mifflin .............................L, 52-12 *Northland..........................L, 51-6 *Columbus East ................L, 18-14 *City-North game

spread attack after averaging just nine points a year ago.

“We’re pretty much hoping that with our passing game and with a little bit of a running game that we’ll be decent offensively,” Owens said.

Owens is in his third season coaching the Panthers, who finished 3-7 in 2009 before slipping to 1-9 a year ago. Since posting a 6-4 record in 2001, Linden has gone 4-6 three times but is 2267 overall the past nine seasons.

Last season, the Panthers opened with a 54-0 loss to Watkins Memorial and then beat Westland 20-16 before losing their final eight games. Their only close losses were to Centennial (34-18) and Columbus East (18-14) and they went 0-7 in league play.

Linden opens on Friday, Aug. 26, at home against Westland, which has a new coach in Steve White.

“The biggest thing we’ve got to have is unity,” Owens said. “If we have unity, we’ll be much better than last year. We’ve done a lot of team camps and team activities like going out to eat to help build team camaraderie.

We’re looking pretty good so far.”

ary should be seniors Tawuan Wiley and Satterfield at cornerback and junior Jawuan Hairston at strong safety.

Davis is expected to handle punting duties as well, with McNair serving as the kicker. Satterfield should return kicks and punts.

Led by Davis and Satterfield, Owens believes his team can im- julrey@thisweeknews.com prove offensively featuring a www.ThisWeekSPORTS.com

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CITY-NORTH

Mifflin

Punchers’ goals increase after turnaround

By JARROD ULREY ThisWeek Community Newspapers

Winning as many games as it had the previous three seasons combined was a significant step forward for the Mifflin High School football team last year.

However, it was difficult for coach Gregg Miller not to dwell on a pair of losses that prevented his team’s season from being an even bigger success.

Mifflin — which finished 5-5 overall after going a combined 525 over the previous three seasons — hoping to turn losses such as the ones it endured last season to Centennial (18-12) and Northland (14-12) into victories.

“The team and school were excited, but from a coaching standpoint, it was disappointing because we felt we should have been 7-3 last year,” said Miller, who compiled a 131-57 record at Brookhaven from 1985-2001 before taking over at Mifflin last season. “We just need to keep doing what we’ve been doing now that the kids are more familiar with their coach.”

Juniors Derrick Pope (RB, 5foot-8, 145 pounds) and Kamaron

Green (WR/DB) and senior Troy Robinson (WR/DB) are players the Punchers hope to build around.

Robinson (5-9, 165) made firstteam all-district in Division II in 2009 but missed three games because of injury last season and was second-team all-district. He had just one interception a year ago as opponents shied away from passing in his direction, but he was ranked among the top five at a national recruiting camp last December.

Robinson also is expected to return kicks and punts and handle the punting duties.

While Robinson and Green give the Punchers a pair of talented two-way athletes, Pope rushed for more than 900 yards and made special mention all-district as a running back.

Junior Javonte Bing (6-1, 180) spent much of last season at wide receiver but is expected to take over at quarterback.

Likely to see time in the backfield alongside Pope are junior Virgil Jenkins and sophomore Taz Littlefield.

Juniors Vinny Mills and Anthony Susi are other wide receivers.

The Punchers have a slew of

large offensive linemen, including seniors Devon Radcliffe (6-5, 330) and Kevin McGinnis (6-4, 260), junior DeVonte Greathouse (6-0, 290) and sophomores James Goldston (6-0, 300) and Luther McKee (6-3, 350). Junior Andre Richards (5-9, 185) also could see time on the line.

On defense, Robinson and Green should be joined in the secondary by Mills and sophomore Jakob Green in a 4-3 formation.

Seniors Clarence Thomas (61, 190) and D’Quante Stewart (60, 230) and junior Jalen Robinson (6-3, 260) will play on the defensive line, with Richards and

any year that we’ve been here, but we think we have pretty good strength and we know that we have at least five and probably seven guys that we’ll be picking from to fight for those starting five positions.”

Junior Mitchell Keller (5-9, 150) has emerged as the kicker. Senior Christian Beith (6-1, 185) and freshman Steve Kidwell (6-0, 165) are contending for punting duties.

Senior Austin Duncan (5-11, 205) returns at linebacker and should lead the team’s 4-4 base defense.

“We have a lot of returning starters,” said Duncan, who was first-team all-league. “Our two best skilled guys on offense are

back. They’re probably the best in Ohio, the Wilson brothers. The defense is returning a lot of starters.”

Senior Patrick Wagner (6-3, 220) and juniors Alec Hood (5-6, 180) and Brett Mowery (5-11, 260) will play up front, with senior Nathan Lex (6-0, 200) at linebacker.

The secondary will feature seniors Ben Gueth (6-0, 185), Max Harness (5-11, 175), Chris Kendall (5-11, 190) and Jeff Sekinger (5-9, 165) and juniors Alex Linard (5-11, 150) and Cam Willms (5-11, 165).

“I like what our defense is doing right now,” Hundley said. “We actually have good speed. Again,

we’re not going to be as big as most of the teams that we play against, but we haven’t been that way in eight years, so we’re not expecting that. Our guys know how to play physical football now and we know how to play fast football, so that is what we’re going to set our tempo with.”

Although Hundley said South again is the team to beat in the OCC-Cardinal, he said the Celtics can contend for the title.

“This has the potential to be the best group we’ve ever had in our eight years, but we also have to make it happen.”

Schedule 2011 SCHEDULE Aug. 26.......Central Crossing ..Away Sept. 2 .......Westland .............Away Sept. 9 .......Watkins Mem. ....Home *Sept.16 ....Whetstone .........Home *Sept. 23 ...Columbus East ....Away *Sept. 30 ...Centennial ...........Away *Oct. 7 .......Beechcroft .........Home *Oct. 14 .....Northland...........Home *Oct. 21 .....Linden-McKinley ...Away *Oct. 28 .....Brookhaven ........Home

2010 RESULTS (5-5 overall, 3-4 City-North) Central Crossing ...............W, 42-14 Independence.....................W, 14-8 Watkins Memorial ..............L, 42-18 *Columbus East .................W, 53-8 *Centennial.......................L, 18-12 *Beechcroft ......................L, 27-12 *Northland........................L, 14-12 *Linden-McKinley..............W, 52-12 *Whetstone ......................L, 39-20 *Brookhaven ....................W, 22-20 *City-North game

senior Louis Baker (6-0, 220) expected to play linebacker.

Littlefield is expected to be the kicker and Green should join Robinson as a kick and punt returner.

“All we need to do is just listen to coach Miller,” Robinson said. “We’ve been working hard and it’s been going great. Having more experience and knowing what we’re going to do have made practice a lot faster and it’s helped our camaraderie.”

Miller’s tenure at Mifflin began with back-to-back wins over Central Crossing (42-14) and Independence (14-8), but the Punchers lost four of their next five.

Mifflin’s only City LeagueNorth Division wins last year came against Columbus East (53-8), Linden-McKinley (52-12) and Brookhaven (22-20).

The win over the Bearcats in the regular-season finale spoiled Brookhaven’s hopes of earning a share of the league title.

The Punchers finished 3-4 in the league to tie Centennial for fifth behind co-champions Beechcroft (6-1) and Northland (6-1).

Three players from the 2011

CELTICS Continued from page 37 Senior Matthew Mehrer (5-8, 190) will join Donovan Wilson in the backfield. In addition to quarterback, Williams also will play wide receiver along with juniors Luke Potter (6-3, 200) and Will Zimmerman (6-0, 195).

Senior Paxson Carbone (5-8, 190) and junior Tyler Iffland (511, 310) are vying at center and should be joined on the line by seniors Justin Cohen (6-1, 205), Ian Hall (6-0, 220) and Ryan Hallowell (6-0, 210), and junior Carson Richards (5-11, 255).

“We’re a little thin on the line.

We’re not real big again,” Hundley said. “We haven’t been big in

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graduating class — two-way lineman Shawn Cook (Ohio Dominican), quarterback Jacques Dorsey-Merrion (Muskingum) and wide receiver/defensive back Davonte Greer (Baldwin-Wallace) — have continued their careers at the college level.

Mifflin opens Friday, Aug. 26, at Central Crossing but has replaced Independence with a road game against Westland on Sept.

2.

The Punchers finish their nonleague schedule Sept. 9 against visiting Watkins Memorial.

Watkins Memorial went 6-4 last season, but Central Crossing and Westland combined for three wins a year ago.

“There were two more games we should have won last year,” Miller said. “Against Northland, we had an interception when we were on their 10-yard line, and you just can’t do that.

“We’ve got most of our kids back from last year and we’ve got all of our skill kids back, except our quarterback. We need to build on what we did last year.” julrey@thisweeknews.com www.ThisWeekSPORTS.com

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63

CITY-NORTH

Northland

Vikings dealing with new expectations

By JARROD ULREY

Schedule

ThisWeek Community Newspapers

For the most part over the past five seasons, the Northland High School football team believes it has had the overall numbers, size and speed needed to step forward as a title contender in the City League-North Division.

The Vikings enter this season not only having those positive factors on their side, but also with a new dynamic to deal with: Expectations.

A year after landing its first playoff berth and a share of its first league championship since 1996, Northland likely will be looked at throughout the CityNorth as the team to beat as opposed to one that is trying to emerge.

“I think (the success we had has) made us stronger defensively and offensively, and it encourages us to do all we can to hit every rep,” senior inside linebacker Justin Fischer said. “We’ve accomplished a lot as a team and I can’t wait for the first game. We can’t wait to go farther than we did last year.”

A pair of athletes with the same last name and a group of experienced linemen are hoping to put the Vikings in a position to do just that.

A year ago, Northland went 83 overall and shared the CityNorth title with Beechcroft at 61. A 12-7 win over the Cougars in the final week of the regular season helped the Vikings earn the seventh seed in Region 3 for the Division I playoffs, where they lost to second-seeded Hilliard Davidson 47-6 in the first round.

Northland, which will compete in Division II this season, should be led by seniors Marquan Barnes (RB/DB) and Will Barnes (WR/DB), who are not related.

Marquan Barnes (5-foot-8, 175 pounds) rushed for more than 400 yards a year ago and should be one of the team’s top running

64

2011 SCHEDULE Aug. 26.......Eastmoor Away Sept. 2 .......Maple Heights ....Home Sept. 9 .......Pickerington NorthAway *Sept. 16 ...Linden-McKinley ...Away *Sept. 23 ...Brookhaven ........Home *Sept. 30 ...Columbus East ...Home *Oct. 7 .......Centennial..........Home *Oct. 14 .....Mifflin..................Away *Oct. 21 .....Whetstone .........Home *Oct. 28 .....Beechcroft ...........Away

the road, but have replaced Central Crossing with defending Division II state champion Maple

By Mike Munden/ThisWeek Heights on Sept. 2 at home.

Northland graduated a senior Senior Marquan Barnes is expected to be a key member of the backfield after rushing for more class that was led by J.J. Sanders than 400 yards a year ago for Northland, which reached the playoffs for the first time.

(RB/DB), Jarrell Jones (RB/DB), backs along with senior Sam Pickerington North 30-14 in week ior Robby Darnell (5-9, 145) at Tre’ Bias (QB/WR/DB), Jamari Morgan (OL) and Mike Carter Turay (5-5, 165) and junior Bran- three and then fell to Brookhaven cornerback. don Williams (6-2, 215).

3-0 the next week before winJunior Martine Montero re- (OL). Jones ran for 926 yards and Will Barnes (6-1, 170) will be ning its final six regular-season turns at kicker, with Will Barnes signed with Miami University. joined at receiver by senior Wes- games. handling the punting duties. Will ley Green (5-10, 175). Senior In City-North play, the Vikings Barnes and Marquan Barnes are Tyris Diehl (6-2, 195) should be allowed an average of just 5.8 expected to return kicks, and at tight end. points.

Green and Wiggins could return Senior Marquan Napper (6-1, Senior Cornelius Cleveland punts.

170) is expected to take over at (6-1, 313) lost 17 pounds during “We’re looking for the strength quarterback after spending most the first few days of two-a-days of our team to be up front,” said LARGEST IN-STOCK SELECTION. of last season at wide receiver. and is projected to be at nose ninth-year coach Kevin Tooson, LOWEST PRICES. EVERYDAY! Senior Darious Wiggins (5-6, guard. Senior Terrance Davis (6- who is 39-42 with the Vikings.

OVER 1 MILLION SF OF FIRST 160) is the backup.

1, 275) will be at tackle, with sen- “We’ve got a couple of four-year QUALITY HARD SURFACE FLOORING! Seniors Cliff Pruitt (6-0, 210) iors Marshall Draper (6-1, 200) guys, which is good. Having fourand Try’a Harp (6-2, 280) are and Pruitt expected to be at end. year guys has been a rarity for back at tackle and guard, reFischer (5-10, 220) and sen- us. We’ll probably be heavy on spectively. Others who should ior Dominic Johnson (6-0, 200) the run, but (Napper) is an athsee time on the offensive line in- are projected at inside linebacker, lete so he can throw it.” clude senior center Donovan with junior Anthony Alexander Last season, Northland opened Patrick (6-0, 235), senior tackle (5-9, 165) and Turay at outside with a 25-19 overtime win over Anthony McDowell (6-0, 265) linebacker. Alexander is a Dublin Eastmoor Academy and beat 3785 PARK MILL RUN RD. and junior guard Trivon Coles Coffman transfer.

Central Crossing 37-6 in week HILLIARD, OH 43026 (5-10, 210).

Napper should be at free safe- two. The Vikings again open with 614-777-6170 Last season, Northland lost to ty, with Marquan Barnes and jun- Eastmoor on Friday, Aug. 26, on

2010 RESULTS (8-3 overall, 6-1 City-North) Eastmoor Academy ....W, 25-19 (OT) Central Crossing .................W, 37-6 Pickerington North .............L, 30-14 *Brookhaven .........................L, 3-0 *Columbus East .................W, 35-0 *Centennial........................W, 27-7 *Mifflin ............................W, 14-12 *Whetstone........................W, 34-6 *Linden-McKinley................W, 51-6 *Beechcroft........................W, 12-7 PLAYOFFS Hilliard Davidson..................L, 47-6 *City-North game

“We’re a little young, so we’ve just got to keep teaching them,” Tooson said. “The seniors are really trying to step into leadership roles. We have about 60 kids and we’re heavy on seniors and juniors, and we’ve also got a pretty nice group of freshmen.” julrey@thisweeknews.com www.ThisWeekSPORTS.com

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CITY-NORTH

Whetstone

Braves focus on improving defensive effort

By JARROD ULREY ThisWeek Community Newspapers

Make no mistake, Skyler Farley is approaching his third and final season as a varsity regular on the Whetstone High School football team with a clean slate.

Still, the mention of last season’s 4-6 record or the fact that the Braves gave up an average of 24.2 points are like fighting words for Farley and the 14member senior class.

After its first losing season since 2006, Whetstone spent significant energy during the offseason shoring up a defensive unit that returns nine starters.

“We had a really good offseason in the weight room,” Farley said. “I was in there every day and a lot of the guys were in there, which is important because one aspect of our defense is that we’re going to be able to tackle better.

“When people talk about last year and us going 4-6, it gets me going and it gets other guys going.”

One factor that fourth-year coach Jim Worden believes will help defensive unit that features Farley (5-foot-9, 180 pounds) at linebacker is the return of Chad Mickey as coordinator.

Mickey became Whetstone’s third defensive coordinator in as many years last season under Worden, who is 17-13 with the Braves.

In addition to Farley, the other returning starters at linebacker are seniors Kevin Bennett (6-1, 255), Anthony Brittman (5-8, 180) and Maurice McPherson (5-9, 185).

Seniors Cyril Butler (5-9, 165), Curtis Crowley (5-11, 175) and Marvin Draper (5-9, 165) are returning starters in the secondary and juniors Ricky Cantor (5-9, 230) and Dezwan Polk (6-5, 190) are back on the defensive line.

Senior Gage Brown (5-7, 155) also should be a starter in the

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secondary.

Senior Jon Enderle (6-1, 185), who played for the Columbus Crusaders the past three years while attending Whetstone, is expected to start at defensive end.

Offensively, sophomore Rammy Finnegan began being groomed as quarterback late last season and is set to take over the job full-time.

Draper is Finnegan’s backup and will be at tailback in an Iformation scheme along with Butler. Senior Kyle Radabaugh (6-0, 190), Farley and McPherson all could see time at fullback.

Senior Jevon Henry (6-2, 175) will lead a wide receiver corps that also includes sophomore Tony Cordetti (5-9, 165), Crowley and Brown, while Enderle and Polk will share time at tight end.

Senior Austyn Brown (6-1, 275) and junior Joel Paige Jr. (65, 295) are returning starters on the offensive line. Juniors Jean Iresne (6-3, 340) and Gabriel Rife (6-1, 350) and sophomore Nate Huffman (5-9, 190) are other linemen.

McPherson returns at kicker, Radabaugh is back as the punter and Austyn Brown is expected to handle kickoffs. Gage Brown, Butler, Crowder and Draper all could return punts and kicks.

“Things are going well so far, although we’re not quite where we want to be yet,” Austyn Brown said. “I think one big difference is that we’re really focused this year. The offensive line is doing a good job, although we’ve still got to get our formations together. In my opinion, our conditioning is a lot better this year.”

After posting winning records in Worden’s first two seasons, the Braves stumbled to five consecutive losses to begin last season.

Included in that stretch was a 27-21 overtime loss to Briggs

Schedule 2011 SCHEDULE Aug. 26.......Hilliard Darby......Home Sept. 2 .......Thomas Worth. ...Home Sept. 9 .......Cols. Academy .....Away *Sept. 16 ...Mifflin..................Away *Sept. 23 ...Beechcroft .........Home *Sept. 30 ...Brookhaven..........Away *Oct. 7 .......Columbus East ...Home *Oct. 14 .....Linden-McKinley ...Away *Oct. 21 .....Northland ............Away *Oct. 28 .....Centennial..........Home

and a 37-32 loss to Brookhaven.

Whetstone won four of its last five games, however, to finish fourth in the City League-North Division at 4-3, behind co-champions Beechcroft (6-1) and Northland (6-1) and Brookhaven (5-2).

Jordan Mitchell, a 2011 graduate, rushed for 1,870 yards and 21 touchdowns and was firstteam all-district in Division II. He and classmate Joe Saffold, who split time between quarterback and receiver, signed with Urbana University.

The Braves’ hopes of having an improved defense likely will be tested in their opener Friday, Aug. 26, when they play host Hilliard Darby, a Division I playoff qualifier a year ago.

Thomas Worthington visits on Sept. 2 and Whetstone travels to Columbus Academy on Sept. 9 to close the non-league schedule.

“The first thing I did after last season was look in the mirror and think, ‘What do I need to do make things better?’” Worden said. “(Going) 4-6 is not acceptable. Our run defense has to

2010 RESULTS (4-6 overall, 4-3 City-North) Briggs ........................L, 27-21 (OT) Thomas Worthington ............L, 28-6 Dayton Dunbar...................L, 39-14 *Beechcroft ......................L, 26-14 *Brookhaven .....................L, 37-32 *Columbus East .................W, 36-6 *Linden-McKinley................W, 53-6 *Northland..........................L, 34-6 *Mifflin ............................W, 39-20 *Centennial......................W, 53-19 *City-North game

improve, and the No. 1 thing we really put an emphasis on was our defense.

“We’ve been running the same offense now for four years. We have the same terminology and the same coaching staff. There’s a lot of consistency and a lot of familiarity, and it feels good.”

By Paul Vernon/ThisWeek

julrey@thisweeknews.com www.ThisWeekSPORTS.com

Senior Kevin Bennett returns at linebacker for Whetstone, which finished 4-6 overall a year ago.

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C I T Y L E A G U E - SO U T H D I V I S I O N Spotlight

Impact of open enrollment playing key role

By SCOTT GERFEN ThisWeek Community Newspapers

Not much has changed in the City LeagueSouth Division football standings since Brian Haffele took over the Marion-Franklin High School program in 2004.

Haffele’s teams have been among the best in central Ohio during that time, winning seven consecutive league titles with just as many appearances in the postseason. Last season, the Red Devils had their first 10-0 regular season.

Other teams in the City-South — Eastmoor Academy, Independence and Walnut Ridge — have enjoyed varying degrees of success the past few years while others such as Africentric and Columbus South have struggled.

Africentric, South and Columbus West have never qualified for the postseason.

Marion-Franklin went 7-0 in the CitySouth last season to finish ahead of East-

FALCONS Continued from page 46 We’ve been installing things slowly to get good at the things we’re going to do.

“I expect on defense to have 11 hats going to the football and to play with enthusiasm.”

Those “hats” on defense include one freshman and three seniors in the starting lineup.

Junior Robert Follrod and sophomore Brian Hanes will be at tackle, with freshman Ray Spangler and sophomore Tyler Dennis at the end positions.

Joining Reed at linebacker are junior Josh Pyles and sophomore Matt Germain.

Josh Pyles was second-team all-league last year.

Seniors Mike Boehm, Dayyon Huot and Alex Lesley and junior Manny Argudin will start in the secondary.

While Hopkins wants his players to be more aggressive on defense, he plans to take a more conservative approach on offense.

“I want to be more successful running the football on the offen-

66

moor (6-1), Walnut Ridge (5-2), Briggs (34), Independence (3-4), Africentric (2-5), West (2-5) and South (0-7).

“Once the train gets going, it’s hard to stop it,” said second-year Independence coach Maurice Douglas, whose program last made the playoffs in 2008. “We’re playing catch up ... and there’s no doubt about that.”

Africentric, which has dropped from Division V to Division VI this season, always has battled the numbers game in a league of Division II and Division III programs.

The Nubians’ only non-losing season came in 2008, when they won their first four games and finished 5-5.

Second-year coach Eugene Barrett said there has been talk of Africentric becoming an independent.

South coach Felix Catheline blames the discrepancies among City-South teams in part on Columbus City Schools’ open-enrollment policy. He also has brought re-

cruiting allegations to the Ohio High School Athletic Association.

Calls to the OHSAA seeking comment were not returned.

“We’re in a bad situation,” said Catheline, who spent two years as an assistant for the Bulldogs before being hired as head coach in 2009.

“I’ve raised some serious concerns after watching a number of our prime athletes start at South and end up at MarionFranklin.”

Haffele strongly denies allegations of recruiting.

“We’ve done everything by the rules and I can guarantee you none of our coaches go out and recruit,” said Haffele, whose team reached a Division II state semifinal in 2009 and was the top seed in last season’s Division II, Region 7 playoffs. “Parents come to us and we have to turn peo-

Schedule 2011 SCHEDULE Aug. 26.......Ready..................Away Sept. 2 .......Briggs ................Home Sept. 9 .......Central Cross. ....Home *Sept. 16 ...Delaware .............Away *Sept. 23 ...Hilliard Bradley ...Home *Sept. 30 ...Mount Vernon ......Away *Oct. 7 .......New Albany ..........Away *Oct. 14 ..... Orange..............Home *Oct. 21 .....Watkins Mem.......Away *Oct. 28 .....Big Walnut..........Home

sive side this season,” he said.

Replacing 2011 graduate Emmanuel Jones at quarterback will be Huot, one of four players who will start on both sides of the ball, Huot was a running back last season.

Expected to get most of the carries are senior running back Jared Smith and John Piles at fullback.

2010 RESULTS (0-10 overall, 0-7 OCC-Capital) Ready ...............................L, 23-21 Briggs .................................L, 21-0 Central Crossing ................L, 34-20 *Delaware.........................L, 28-13 *Hilliard Bradley ................L, 42-18 *Mount Vernon..................L, 49-20 *New Albany .....................L, 55-14 *Olentangy Orange ............L, 41-14 *Watkins Memorial ............L, 36-20 *Big Walnut.........................L, 41-0 *OCC-Capital game

German also is expected to see time in the backfield.

The receivers will include Argudin and junior Jamil Finch, while starting on the offensive line will be Follrod, Josh Pyles and juniors Keith Cantebury, Dominic Copley and Jason Williams. www.ThisWeekSPORTS.com

Inside the division 2010 STANDINGS Team League Overall Marion-Franklin 7-0 11-1 Eastmoor 6-1 6-4 Walnut Ridge 5-2 8-2 Briggs 3-4 6-4 Independence 3-4 3-7 Africentric 2-5 3-7 West 2-5 4-6 South 0-7 1-9 2011 LEAGUE SCHEDULE Sept. 16 Africentric at Walnut Ridge Marion-Franklin at Briggs Independence at Eastmoor South at West Sept. 23 Briggs at Africentric Eastmoor at West Independence at Marion-Franklin Walnut Ridge at South Sept. 30 Briggs at Eastmoor

See CITY-SOUTH, page 68

South at Independence Walnut Ridge at Marion-Franklin West at Africentric Oct. 7 Eastmoor at South Independence at Briggs Marion-Franklin at Africentric West at Walnut Ridge Oct. 14 Africentric at Independence Briggs at South Marion-Franklin at West Walnut Ridge at Eastmoor Oct. 21 Eastmoor at Marion-Franklin South at Africentric Walnut Ridge at Briggs West at Independence Oct. 28 Africentric at Eastmoor Independence at Walnut Ridge Marion-Franklin at South West at Briggs

OCC-CENTRAL Continued from page 25 I don’t care who you’re playing against.”

Since opening in 2002, Central Crossing has not had a winning season. The Comets’ best record was 3-7 in 2003.

Darby appears to be a team on the rise after going 5-2 in the league last season to finish third in the league, behind Davidson (7-0) and Coffman (6-1) and ahead of Upper Arlington (4-3), Worthington Kilbourne (3-4), Thomas Worthington (2-5), Central Crossing (1-6) and Westland (0-7).

Darby coach John Santagata has a basic philosophy in regards to competing in a challenging league.

“We take each season as a new beginning and avoid looking past even a practice,” he said. “We feel that the past is the past and we need to control the present by practicing and preparing as hard as possible. As far as viewing ourselves as one of the better teams in the conference, we never think in that way because we haven’t

played in a game. We focus on the moment and attempt to control what we can control.”

Kilbourne looks to remain in league contention despite moving from Division I to II. The Wolves were 5-2 in the league in 2008, including a 30-20 win over Coffman. They lost to Davidson 17-10 in 2008 and 1714 in overtime in 2009.

“I really don’t think about it too much,” Kilbourne coach Vince Trombetti said. “When we’re in the position where we’re being competitive with everybody else, it’s good for the teams that are at the top in terms of being ready for the playoffs. Success breeds success and that’s why those teams have been near the top. There’s another issue, though, where you have the number of guys involved in the program. That is something that is starting to catch up with us a little bit because we’ve dropped to Division II.” Thomas is 6-13 in the league the past three seasons, including a 17-9 win over UA in 2009.

Brian White said the upper-ech-

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elon teams in the league need to be wary of an upset.

“Obviously, when you play a team like Westland, you have a different challenge to motivate your kids than you do when you play a team like Dublin Coffman, but the word ‘upset’ exists in the dictionary for a reason,” he said.

“We certainly take every precaution that we possibly can to prevent our kids from overlooking anybody, but our kids are smart.

They know that Westland is a struggling program at this point.”

UA coach Mike Golden realizes the successful programs need to take care of business on Friday nights, but he also understands the obstacles facing teams like Central Crossing and Westland.

“I’m rooting for both of those teams to make a big comeback. I really am,” Golden said. “They’re human beings, too. I want them to have some success because to me it looks like everybody is working hard at those schools. They had to take a year off and it’s really hard, so I’m hoping both of them make a good comeback.”

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CITY-SOUTH

Africentric

Nubians coach seeks to instill winning mindset

By SCOTT GERFEN ThisWeek Community Newspapers

ing into our philosophy and we’ve got some good young guys coming in, especially our freshman group.”

Junior quarterback Trevon Saunders (5-foot-10, 160 pounds) played wide receiver a year ago before moving under center toward the end of the season.

Africentric will run multiple offensive sets featuring several running backs, including senior fullback Austin Clemmons (5-9, 190), sophomores Darius BrownWalker and Breon Smith and freshman Michael Simmons.

Senior Elijah Glass (6-1, 175) is a second-year player who likely will be Saunders’ top receiving target.

Four seniors in Hosie Smith (6-4, 220), Ulyssess Murphy (510, 290), Ben Booker (6-1, 260) and tight end Tyronne Browning

By Todd Seimer/ThisWeek (6-2, 210) will play on the line.

Barrett is counting on his quar- Senior fullback Austin Clemmons will be one of several running backs in the rotation for the Nubians. He also will play linebacker. terback to be the catalyst.

“He also plays point guard on Schedule the basketball team and we want him to distribute the ball and 2011 SCHEDULE 2010 RESULTS move us down the field just like Aug. 26.......Bexley .................Away (3-7 overall, 2-5 in City-South) he does on the basketball court,” Sept. 2 .......Harvest Prep........Away Bexley...............................L, 22-16 Sept. 9 .......Columbus East ....Away Wheeling (W.Va.) Linsly.......L, 51-21 Barrett said. “With our schemes, *Sept. 16 ...Walnut Ridge........Away Portsmouth Notre Dame....W, 20-13 we’re going to do what we need *Sept. 23 ...Briggs ................Home *Briggs ............................W, 26-22 to do to win. If that’s the option, *Sept. 30 ...Columbus West ..Home *Columbus West ...............L, 47-28 we’re going to run it.” *Oct. 7 .......Marion-Franklin ...Home *Marion-Franklin ..................L, 46-0 Barrett describes Booker, who *Oct. 14 .....Independence ......Away *Independence....................L, 54-8 *Oct. 21 .....South.................Home *Columbus South .............W, 32-13 also plays middle linebacker, as *Oct. 28 .....Eastmoor.............Away *Walnut Ridge ...................L, 53-18 the “heart” of the team. *Eastmoor Academy ............L, 49-0 Clemmons and Murphy also *City-South game will start at linebacker and Saunders will play defensive back.

“We know you can win with the numbers we have. Other Downtown teams have done it with less,” said Campus Barrett, whose team will play its cscc.edu first four games on the road. “For us, I think it’s important that we start out 1-0 so we can have some

By Todd Seimer/ThisWeek momentum.”

As the second-year coach of a struggling high school football program, Eugene Barrett and his staff understand the importance of fortitude.

While Africentric Early College has excelled in sports such as basketball and track and field, the football team has avoided a losing season only in 2008, when it finished 5-5 under former coach Glenn Blue.

“Getting this group to believe they can win in football has been the challenge,” said Barrett, whose team opens Friday, Aug. 26, at Bexley. “The talent is there, but nobody has ever taken that talent and honed it.”

The Nubians went 3-7 overall last season and 2-5 in the City League-South Division to tie Columbus West for sixth behind champion Marion-Franklin (70), Eastmoor Academy (6-1), Walnut Ridge (5-2), Briggs (34) and Independence (3-4) and ahead of Columbus South (0-7).

Africentric earned league wins over Briggs (26-22) and South (32-13) and defeated Portsmouth Notre Dame 20-13. They followed up consecutive wins over Notre Dame and Briggs with losses to West (47-28), MarionFranklin (46-0) and Independence (54-8).

This year, with a roster of about 30 players, Africentric has moved down from Division V to Division VI. A number of seniors must be replaced, although Barrett is more focused on getting his team to embrace his system.

“The seniors last year were receptive, but they were really stuck in their ways,” he said. “I think the guys we have now are buy- www.ThisWeekSPORTS.com

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67

CITY-SOUTH

Briggs

CITY-SOUTH Continued from page 66

school’s area, Haffele said.

South has fewer than 10 freshmen.

“The open-enrollment policy is interesting,” said Briggs coach Derek Katris, who has seen his team’s numbers grow.

“Felix has some athletes over there, but it’s hard to compete when a program has been down for so long.”

Briggs went 6-4 last season, doubling its win total from 2009.

However, the Bruins haven’t made the playoffs since 1990.

Eastmoor coach Jim Miranda said it’s all about the luck of the draw when it comes to the open-enrollment system.

“I’ve lost a 6-foot-6 tackle because of it,” said Miranda, whose team has made the playoffs five times since 2004 and reached the Division III state final in 2008.

Douglas said he is certain that he’s lost players through open enrollment to Walnut Ridge, which last reached the postseason in 2009.

“You hear all the time about recruiting allegations, but it’s none of my business,” Douglas said.

“I do know that kids will gravitate to places that are successful. That’s human nature.”

ple away. We win football games, but we also take care of academics. Our graduation rate is better than 90 percent.”

Eighth-graders are assigned a high school based on where they live, but the district’s openenrollment policy allows students to pick as many as three alternate choices.

A lottery determines who attends which school.

“It’s all random,” district spokesman Andrew Marcelain said. “But it’s also based on availability and some schools might not have any openings.”

The policy allows students to apply for open enrollment each January.

Other circumstances, such as a change of address, can permit a student-athlete to transfer without penalty during the school year.

“I have no problem with an eighth-grader deciding to go to another school, but on the other side of the coin they’re exploiting the rules,” Catheline said.

“We invest time in these kids and when it’s time for that to pay off as juniors and seniors, they’re gone.”

Of the more than 30 freshmen on the Marion-Franklin team this season, only seven live in the www.ThisWeekSPORTS.com

WARRIORS Continued from page 55

Broad Street.”

“It’s great to have them in the opener instead of the second or third game,” Severino said. “If you play in the third game, the losing team has a tough time getting back into the swing of things the following week when league play begins.

“Plus, this is something you can point toward all summer.

Rather than getting ready for that first big game in Week 3, you have their attention by pointing to your rival in the opener.”

Hix will do the punting, Reda will kick off and Din is expected to handle the rest of the placekicking.

The Warriors have a relatively small senior class with 13 players, but Severino said the leadership shown in the weight room during the offseason and preseason camp has the team ready for Friday nights.

A schedule change also should have the squad ready from the first day, as the Warriors open at home Friday, Aug. 26, against bemerine@thisweeknews.com Licking Heights in the “Battle for www.ThisWeekSPORTS.com

68

Bruins setting higher goals

By SCOTT GERFEN ThisWeek Community Newspapers

In Derek Katris’ second year as coach of the Briggs High School football team last fall, the Bruins won twice as many games as they did in 2009 to finish 6-4 overall for their first winning season since 2005.

With a number of returning starters, Briggs is looking for even better results this season, which begins Friday, Aug. 26, against visiting Bellville Clear Fork.

“Our big goal this year is to try and break into that upper part of the (City League-South Division),” Katris said. “Those three teams (Marion-Franklin, Eastmoor Academy and Walnut Ridge) have been playoff teams.

We’re working hard and have our sights set on them.”

Briggs remained in the hunt for a Division II, Region 7 playoff berth through seven games last season. The Bruins then lost to Walnut Ridge 27-20 and Marion-Franklin 40-14.

Marion-Franklin won its seventh consecutive league title at 7-0 followed by Eastmoor (61), Walnut Ridge (5-2), Briggs (3-4), Independence (3-4), Africentric Early College (2-5), Columbus West (2-5) and Columbus South (0-7).

“I finally feel like our guys are starting to buy in to what we want here and I think this year’s team expects to win,” Katris said.

“They’ve put in the time and I’m really excited about their toughness.”

Although the Bruins lost four talented seniors in running back Alex Ferrero (special mention all-district), offensive lineman

Schedule 2011 SCHEDULE Aug. 26 .....Clear Fork............Home Sept. 2......Franklin Heights.....Away Sept. 9......St. Paris Graham..Home *Sept. 16..Marion-Franklin.....Home *Sept. 23..Africentric..............Away *Sept. 30..Eastmoor ..............Away *Oct. 7......Independence ......Home *Oct. 14....South....................Away *Oct. 21....Walnut Ridge........Home *Oct. 28....West ...................Home

2010 RESULTS (6-4 overall, 3-4 City-South) Whetstone........................W, 27-21 Franklin Heights ..................W, 21-0 Columbus East .................W, 41-28 *Africentric........................L, 26-22 *Eastmoor ........................L, 43-12 *Independence...................W, 27-8 *Columbus South .............W, 39-14 *Walnut Ridge ...................L, 27-20 *Marion-Franklin ................L, 40-14 *Columbus West ..............W, 40-31 *City-South game

“

Our big goal this year is to try and break into that upper part of the (City-South). Those three teams (MarionFranklin, Eastmoor Academy and Walnut Ridge) have been playoff teams. We’re working hard and have our sights set on them.

DEREK KATRIS —Briggs coach

Adam Davey (second-team alldistrict), linebacker Joe Taylor (second-team all-district) and defensive lineman Bronde Scales (special mention all-district), there were only six seniors last season.

This year’s roster features several returning starters on offense and defense. However, depth is a concern for Katris, who expects only 20 players to see action on Friday nights.

The double-wing offense will rest on the legs of senior Dyonte Morgan (5-foot-1, 185 pounds), who rushed for more than 900 yards last season and was special mention all-district. Morgan also plays linebacker.

Senior Isaiah Campbell (6-1, 185) returns to play quarterback.

The line boasts some size with three returning starters in jun-

Harris (6-1, 170) at linebacker.

Campbell and senior Antwan Smith (5-10, 180), who was honorable mention all-City at strong safety, will be in the secondary.

“Our defensive coordinator, Ben Needham, was for a long time at Grove City, where I came from,” Katris said. “He knows more about football than I’ll ever know. More times than not, he has them in the right spot. They just have to make the plays.”

iors Cory Beasy (6-5, 300), Jordan Scales (6-3, 360) and Chris Acton (5-8, 175).

Junior fullback Todd Jackson (5-8, 165) and tight end Devon Spencer-Powell (6-4, 250), a three-year starter, also have plenty of experience.

“We really want to eat up the clock because we just don’t have some of the athletes to match up www.ThisWeekSPORTS.com with teams,” Katris said. “That takes a lot of pressure off our defense. Everybody knows we’re going to run the football, but you’ve got to stop it.”

The defense figures to look much like the one that allowed 23.8 points per game last season.

Spencer-Powell and senior Zach Morrow (6-3, 235) will play at the ends with Jackson, Acton and sophomore Tyrell

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CITY-SOUTH

Eastmoor Academy

Warriors expect to stay among league elite

By SCOTT GERFEN

Schedule

ThisWeek Community Newspapers

Some might look at what the Eastmoor Academy football team must replace from last season and wonder if the Warriors are contenders again in the City LeagueSouth Division.

Eastmoor had a strong senior class last fall led by Ohio State recruit Ron Tanner (QB/DB) as well as first-team all-district selections Derick Rudolph (RB) and Shawn Jackson (LB).

Under their leadership, Eastmoor won six of its final seven games to earn the sixth spot in the final Division III, Region 10 computer rankings. The Warriors lost to Tiffin Columbian 17-14 in the first round of the playoffs and finished 6-4 overall.

In the City-South, Eastmoor went 6-1 to finish behind champion Marion-Franklin (7-0) and ahead of Walnut Ridge (5-2), Briggs (3-4), Independence (34), Africentric (2-5), Columbus West (2-5) and Columbus South (0-7).

Coach Jim Miranda, who begins his ninth season Friday, Aug. 26, against visiting Northland, isn’t expecting the team to take a step back.

“The cupboard is not bare,” he said. “We have a tremendous amount of skill kids and I think we’re going to be very competitive. But like every other team, we have some question marks.”

Those include replacing a number of linebackers and trying to groom a quarterback who has waited his turn to become the full-time starter.

Senior quarterback David Valdez (5-foot-9, 165 pounds) split time with Tanner last season.

“He’s showing lots of leadership right now and the guys have even selected him as a team captain,” Miranda said. “He’s just had to be patient.”

Also getting his chance to carry the ball is senior running back

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2011 SCHEDULE Aug. 26.......Northland...........Home Sept. 2 .......St. Charles ..........Away Sept. 10 .....Thurgood Marsh...Away *Sept. 16 ...Independence.....Home *Sept. 23 ...Columbus West....Away *Sept. 30 ...Briggs ................Home *Oct. 7 .......Columbus South ..Away *Oct. 14 .....Walnut Ridge ......Home *Oct. 21 .....Marion-Franklin.....Away *Oct. 28 .....Africentric...........Home

By Chris Parker/ThisWeek

Terrell Hudson will start at one of the wide receiver spots for the Warriors, who open the season Friday, Aug. 26, as host to Northland.

Tahje Brown (5-10, 172), who missed part of last season with an injury before returning as a starter at defensive back.

He’ll have senior Jabari Howard (6-2, 328), a two-way starter who’s being recruited by schools including Alabama,

Michigan and Notre Dame, blocking for him at tackle. Seniors Bryan Booker (6-2, 240) and Derick Jones (5-10, 250) also are returning starters along with junior tight end Devon Edwards (6-4, 240).

Seniors Terrell Hudson (5-11,

turning starters.

“We could have the best secondary in the area,” Miranda said.

“They were all relay sprinters for the track team, so they’ve got some speed to get to the ball.”

Juniors Daivon Barrow (5-11, 175), Christopher Grace (5-10, 215) and Brent Granger (5-10, 210) will start at linebacker.

Junior Donzel Watkins (6-0, 290), Booker (DE), Edwards (DE) and Howard (DT) will start up front.

Miranda has been stressing the importance of the non-league schedule if the Warriors intend to reach the postseason.

Last year, Eastmoor lost to Northland 25-19 in overtime and St. Charles 20-6.

Besides Northland, St. Charles (Sept. 2) and Dayton Thurgood Marshall (Sept. 10) are the other non-league opponents.

“Those early games are going to be pivotal,” Miranda said. “We gave that game away last year at Northland. We’ve got to be more prepared and not commit the turnovers that we did.”

185) and Jalen Crosby (5-11, 175) will start at wide receiver, and junior Khourey Carter (5-11, 215) will play fullback.

Miranda expects his secondary to lead the defense. Brown, Crosby, Hudson and senior Khalil Hairston (5-7, 165) all are re- www.ThisWeekSPORTS.com

FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE 2011 Football Preview | August 25, 2011

2010 RESULTS (6-4 overall, 6-1 City-South) Northland...................L, 25-19 (OT) St. Charles..........................L, 20-6 *Columbus West ..............W, 55-36 *Briggs ............................W, 43-12 *Columbus South ...............W, 82-3 *Walnut Ridge ..................W, 21-20 *Marion-Franklin ................L, 34-27 *Independence.................W, 34-12 *Africentric.........................W, 49-0 PLAYOFFS Tiffin Columbian.................L, 17-14 *City-South game

“

The cupboard is not bare. We have a tremendous amount of skill kids.

JIM MIRANDA —Eastmoor coach

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Downtown Campus cscc.edu

69

CITY-SOUTH

EAGLES Continued from page 53 returns at center and senior Cameron Horch (5-10, 230) is back at guard.

Rounding out the starters up front are seniors Connor Blair (6-3, 260), Connor Hinson (5-10, 195) and Alex Manias (6-0, 225).

“One of the biggest questions we had was whether or not we could be as physical on the offensive line,” Mueller said.

“We’re not there yet, but I did like some of the things I saw in the scrimmage (against Canal Winchester and Olentangy on Aug. 12).”

The Eagles lost four linebackers from their 3-5 defense to graduation, a group that included Hake, Sylvester Hagan, Matt Odierno and Matt White.

Ferguson, who saw significant playing time at linebacker a year ago, will be joined by seniors Austin Morlan and Clay Wooten Williams and senior Mark Schubert (6-3, 210) return to a defensive line that lost 2011 graduate and Butler recruit Kashton Foley.

The secondary is the area where the Eagles return the most experience on defense.

Mueller said the “Eagle” safety position is one of the hardest positions to learn, and New Albany returns two players who can

Schedule 2011 SCHEDULE Aug. 26 .......Licking Valley.......Home Sept. 2........West. Central........Away Sept. 9........DeSales..............Home *Sept. 16....Hilliard Bradley......Away *Sept. 23....Watkins Mem. .....Home *Sept. 30....Orange .................Away *Oct. 7........Franklin Heights ..Home *Oct. 14......Big Walnut ............Away *Oct. 21......Delaware.............Home *Oct. 28......Mount Vernon .......Away

play the position in Brittan and Wilson. However, both are expected to start on offense.

Bodrick, Lee and Tomi also are options at defensive back, with senior Ty Howard, Prewitt and Owusu-Antwi also in the mix.

Senior kicker Jimmy Gammill, who was first-team all-league last year, also returns. Gammill or Tunney likely will handle the punting duties.

The Eagles went 7-0 in the OCC-Capital last year. Big Walnut, Mount Vernon and Olentangy Orange tied for second at 5-2,

2010 RESULTS (10-1 overall, 7-0 OCC-Capital) Licking Valley......................W, 26-10 Westerville Central ...............W, 33-6 DeSales.............................W, 13-10 *Hilliard Bradley.................W, 49-12 *Watkins Memorial ..............W, 35-8 *Olentangy Orange.............W, 28-21 *Franklin Heights ...............W, 55-14 *Big Walnut .........................W, 41-0 *Delaware ...........................W, 41-3 *Mount Vernon ....................W, 21-6 PLAYOFFS Dresden Tri-Valley .........L, 30-27 (OT) *OCC-Capital game

followed by Watkins Memorial (3-4), Delaware (2-5), Hilliard Bradley (1-6) and Franklin Heights (0-7).

“I don’t think there’s any pressure (to repeat as league champion),” Collins said. “I think we have to be more urgent because every team is going to give us their best shot. There’s no pressure.

“I think that we just want to be better than the seniors before us, and we don’t want to let our city down.” www.ThisWeekSPORTS.com

OCC-CAPITAL Continued from page 46 was familiar with the talent in Bradley’s program.

“We knew what kind of kids we were getting from facing them the past couple of years,” he said.

“I think it’s a great advantage staying in the league. It will be strange this year playing Delaware, but that goes with the territory. We definitely will know our opponents.”

That matchup will be take place Oct. 14 at Bradley.

LoParo’s replacement at

70

Delaware, Zebb Schroeder, suspects the transition may have been a bit smoother for LoParo because of the familiarity of staying within the league, but he added that not much changes when it comes to game-planning for league opponents.

“Preparing for Bradley will probably be similar to the preparations for Delaware when he was here,” Schroeder said of LoParo. “The opposing coaches know his philosophies and how he builds his teams and he knows everyone in the league,

with the exception of the new coaches (at Delaware and Mount Vernon).

“He knows our kids well. Our coaching staff is familiar with him, too, because when we were (assistants) at (Olentangy) Liberty, we played Delaware the past three years.”

So Schroeder, in essence, has the same familiarity with Delaware that LoParo has with Bradley. shennen@thisweeknews.com www.ThisWeekSPORTS.com

Independence

Young 76ers buying in to coach’s message

By SCOTT GERFEN

Schedule

ThisWeek Community Newspapers

After losing his quarterback and most of the players around him, Independence High School football coach Maurice Douglas can’t help but wonder if his team might be the most inexperienced in the City League-South Division.

Only four starters return on offense and three on defense from a team that went 3-7 overall last season with victories over Columbus South (45-10), Africentric Early College (54-8) and Columbus West (68-30), the teams at the bottom of the league standings.

“We don’t have any expectations and we’re going to set them as we go,” said Douglas, whose team opens Friday, Aug. 26, at Beechcroft. “It’s year two for me as the head coach, and now they have a better understanding of what we’re trying to accomplish.”

After qualifying for the Division II playoffs in 2008, the 76ers have endured back-to-back losing seasons.

Last season, Independence went 3-4 in the City-South to tie Briggs for fourth behind champion Marion-Franklin (7-0), Eastmoor Academy (6-1) and Walnut Ridge (5-2), and ahead of Africentric (25), West (2-5) and South (0-7).

Despite the losing seasons, Douglas has no intention of changing Independence’s run-first approach.

Junior Naijae Manning (6-foot1, 200 pounds) is expected to fill the void left by running backs Leland Sams (960 yards rushing, 10 touchdowns) and Sean Brown (763 yards rushing).

Douglas compares Manning’s physical attributes and running style to those of former Independence standouts Erik Haw and Luther Nicholas.

“I can see myself as one of those running backs,” Manning said.

“I’m going to go as hard as I can and all I can say is that I love my line.”

2011 SCHEDULE Aug. 26.......Beechcroft ...........Away Sept. 2 .......Berea.................Home Sept. 9 .......Clear Fork ..........Home *Sept. 16 ...Eastmoor.............Away *Sept. 23 ...Marion-Franklin.....Away *Sept. 30 ...South.................Home *Oct. 7 .......Briggs..................Away *Oct. 14 .....Africentric Home *Oct. 21 .....Columbus West ..Home *Oct. 28 .....Walnut Ridge........Away

Two of the four returning offensive starters — senior Rico Spriggs (5-11, 235) and junior Chris Walker (6-1, 260) — play up front. Junior Vincent Rambo (5-10, 160) and senior Thomas Williams (5-9, 150) started at wide receiver last year.

“We probably run it more than most in our league and we’ve got to make sure those guys up front are doing what they’re supposed to do,” Douglas said.

Independence will have a new quarterback in senior Jameel Mitchell (5-10, 195). He replaces Eric Pugh, who threw for six touchdowns and rushed for more than 500 yards and 15 touchdowns.

“He has a physical presence about him,” Douglas said. “As a quarterback, if you don’t know the system as well as the coach it can be tough for you, so he’s got to get up to speed pretty fast.”

Independence will play a 4-3 defense that features Walker (DL), Williams (DB) and junior end Darrick Green (5-11, 215) as return-

FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE 2011 Football Preview | August 25, 2011

2010 RESULTS (3-7 overall, 3-4 City-South) Beechcroft ........................L, 42-20 Mifflin .................................L, 14-8 Bellville Clear Fork .............L, 41-14 *Marion-Franklin ................L, 35-14 *Columbus South .............W, 45-10 *Briggs ...............................L, 27-8 *Africentric Early College .....W, 54-8 *Columbus West ..............W, 68-30 *Eastmoor Academy ..........L, 34-12 *Walnut Ridge ...................L, 41-34 *City-South game

ing starters.. The defense allowed 28.2 points per game last fall.

“We’re going to be a better team this year,” Manning said. “We’re different. As a group, we’re more like a team. Nobody is a star.” www.ThisWeekSPORTS.com

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CITY-SOUTH

Marion-Franklin

Red Devils seek 8th straight playoff berth

By SCOTT GERFEN

Schedule

ThisWeek Community Newspapers

When Marion-Franklin High School football coach Brian Haffele scanned this fall’s roster of returnees, the holes certainly were noticeable following a year that produced the program’s first unbeaten regular season.

Only three starters return on defense.

But Haffele can’t help but think back to 2009 when the Red Devils reached a Division II state semifinal. That year, quarterback Verlon Reed — who now plays at Ohio State — and the offensive line led the way.

This roster looks similar.

“Having those guys up front with a quarterback who’s got a year under his belt is going to help,” said Haffele, whose team opens Friday,Aug. 26, against visiting Brookhaven. “We’ve got a lot of talent at the wideout and running-back positions, but we’re young.”

Junior quarterback Corry Benson took over a year ago for Reed and threw for more than 1,000 yards and rushed for nearly as many while making special mention all-district last season.

His play not only helped Marion-Franklin win its seventh consecutive City League-South Division title, but the Red Devils also reached the playoffs for the seventh year in a row.

The Red Devils defeated Zanesville 49-19 in the first round before losing 24-12 to Big Walnut in a regional semifinal to close the season 11-1 overall.

At 7-0, Marion-Franklin finished ahead of Eastmoor Academy (6-1), Walnut Ridge (5-2), Briggs (3-4), Independence (34), Africentric Early College (25), Columbus West (2-5) and Columbus South (0-7) in the City-South.

“We’re not looking at what we did last year,” said senior running back Andre Strider (5-foot-6, 180 pounds). “This year, we’re looking at going 15-0. We might’ve

ThisWeekSPORTS.com

2011 SCHEDULE Aug. 26.......Brookhaven .....Home Sept. 2 .......Dublin Scioto ....Away Sept. 9 .......Canal Winch......Away *Sept. 16 ...Briggs...............Away *Sept. 23 ...Independence..Home *Sept. 30 ...Walnut Ridge ...Home *Oct. 7 .......Africentric .........Away *Oct. 14 .....West.................Away *Oct. 21 .....Eastmoor ........Home *Oct. 28 .....South ...............Away 2010 RESULTS (11-1 overall, 7-0 City-South) Brookhaven .....................W, 27-2 Dublin Scioto ...................W, 20-6 Ashland...........................W, 12-7 *Independence..............W, 35-14 *Walnut Ridge .................W, 35-6 *Africentric ......................W, 46-0 *Columbus West ...........W, 60-24 *Eastmoor Academy ......W, 34-27 *Briggs .........................W, 40-14 *Columbus South ..........W, 64-32 PLAYOFFS Zanesville......................W, 49-19 Big Walnut......................L, 24-12 *City-South game

By Karen Carter/ThisWeek

lost a lot of seniors, but we’ve got full confidence in the juniors and seniors we have right now.”

Four returning starters will be blocking for Strider and senior Taimer Fambro (6-2, 185), who’s also expected to get a number of carries.

Junior Damon Dillard (6-4, 350) was first-team all-district. Seniors Keith Hackworth (6-2, 260), Za’darrick Brooks (6-2, 215) and Raphael Ebhart (5-10, 245) are the others who started on the offensive line last season.

Haffele will rely on juniors Jaron Dukes (6-5, 200) and Darien Williams (6-0, 200) at wide receiver.

“We’ve been talking all offSee RED DEVILS, page 72

Corry Benson (above) returns for his second season at quarterback. The dual threat threw for more than 1,000 yards and nearly hit that mark rushing. Junior Jaron Dukes (left) is expected to be one of Benson’s top receiving targets.

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By Karen Carter/ThisWeek

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CITY-SOUTH

South

Rise in size of roster boosts optimism

By SCOTT GERFEN

(5-2), Briggs (3-4), Independence

ThisWeek Community Newspapers (3-4), Africentric (2-5) and

If Columbus South High School football coach Felix Catheline is looking for a bright spot following last season’s winless finish in the City LeagueSouth Division, he can point to the number of players on his roster.

“We’re at 45 right now and it’s the most we’ve ever had since starting with 27,” the third-year coach said. “The fact that we have more guys coming out and more people staying is generating a little bit of a buzz for the program.”

Catheline’s next task is getting the Bulldogs to believe they can win.

Since going 6-4 in 2006, South has won four games. It was 1-9 overall and 0-7 in the City-South last year behind champion Marion-Franklin (7-0), Eastmoor Academy (6-1), Walnut Ridge

Columbus West (2-5).

South’s only win last season was a 20-7 victory in its opener over Oberlin, which went 0-10.

“Our opportunities for success are going to come early again this season,” Catheline said. “If we start believing in ourselves, I think we can be real competitive in those first three games.”

The Bulldogs open Friday, Aug. 26, at Warrensville Heights, which went 1-9 last season. They then play at Columbus East (19) on Sept. 2 and play host to Centennial (4-6) on Sept. 9 before beginning league play at Columbus West on Sept. 16.

Catheline hopes to build on last year’s offensive production of scoring in double figures in seven games, including a 64-32 loss to Marion-Franklin in the finale.

South primarily runs the

foot-2, 215 pounds).

The running backs include seniors Dylan Brown (6-0, 245), 2011 SCHEDULE 2010 RESULTS Morgan Anthony Davis (5-9, 220) Aug. 26.......Warrensville Hts. ..Away (1-9 overall; 0-7 City-South) and Isaac Spruiel (6-0, 180) and Sept. 2 .......Columbus East ....Away Oberlin ...............................W, 20-7 junior Kelvin Bell (5-8, 155).

Sept. 9 .......Centennial..........Home Harvest Prep .......................L, 36-7 *Sept. 16 ...Columbus West....Away Centennial...........................L, 31-7 “We’re looking for Henry to *Sept. 23 ...Walnut Ridge ......Home *Walnut Ridge ...................L, 63-26 be a big, bruising tailback,” Cathe*Sept. 30 ...Independence ......Away *Independence .................L, 45-10 line said. “He needs to make that *Oct. 7 .......Eastmoor ...........Home *Eastmoor ..........................L, 82-3 defender feel him and that’s *Oct. 14 .....Briggs ................Home *Briggs .............................L, 39-14 *Oct. 21 .....Africentric ............Away *Africentric........................L, 32-13 where our coaching comes in.” *Oct. 28 .....Marion-Franklin ...Home *Columbus West ...............L, 35-12 Returning starters on the line *Marion-Franklin ................L, 64-32 are senior Joe Pattishall (6-3, 315) *City-South game and junior Marcus Solomon (60, 240).

Jay Anthony Bell (6-0, 240), a transfer from Independence who didn’t play last year, will start at center.

Junior quarterback LePeso Walker (5-10, 170) started toward the end of last season and will be counted on to carry out the play-action passing game.

Senior Keir Pace (5-8, 145) is power-I formation, but also shows lies on the line and senior run- a returning starter at wide receiver. a spread look at times. It all re- ning back Henry Richardson (6“With our numbers, we have

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Continued from page 40

Continued from page 71

while senior Joe Armpriester (6-2, 197), juniors Luke Hartline (5-8, 196). Jared Row (5-11, 169) and Dan Wruble (5-10, 158) and sophomore Tim Feasel (5-10, 170) also are vying for playing time at the position.

Senior Zach Tyler (5-11, 186), juniors Michael Watkins (6-1, 208), Grant Kemmerling (5-10, 195) and Branden Sheppard (5-11, 210) are among those in the mix on the defensive line.

In the secondary, senior Winston Thomas (5-10, 167) and junior Drew Woitovich (5-8, 196) are expected to split time at strong safety, and junior Ramal Iverson (5-11, 157) should see action at cornerback.

“Defensively, I like the experience of our front line and our secondary, but we won’t know the strength of our defense until we start seeing other offenses,” Terwilliger said.

“Our defense has a motto: Do your job. If we do our job, then everything else will take care of itself.”

season about how we need to finish what we started,” Haffele said.

“We’ve got some really good kids who are working their tails off and, hopefully, it’s going to click for them.”

Depth will be a concern on both sides of the ball, but more so on defense.

One of the returning starters, senior defensive lineman Terrell Jackson (6-3, 270), has 18 offers from Division I college programs.

Two linebackers also return in seniors Deshannon Shaw (6-0, 210) and Leo Smith (6-1, 220). www.ThisWeekSPORTS.com

“We have a lot of kids out there who look like deer in the headlights,” Haffele said. “We have a freshman in our two-deep mix right now. We’ve just got to get them accustomed to playing defense like we play defense here.”

The defense won’t have former co-defensive coordinator Trevor White, who was hired as Brook-haven’s coach during the offseason.

Haffele said he wouldn’t mind if the Bearcats went 9-1, as long as that lone loss comes opening night.

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more of a luxury this season of keeping it so we don’t have so many two-way players,” Catheline said.

South will switch from a 4-4 defense to a 3-4, which coaches expect will allow them to blitz with more success.

Brown, Richardson, Davis and Spruiel will play linebacker, but Catheline also has been impressed with junior Gabe Valentine (6-0, 190).

Pace, Kelvin Bell and junior Malon Campbell (6-1, 170) will see action in the secondary.

Jay Anthony Bell, Pattishall, Solomon and senior Dylan Peterson (6-0, 255) will be two-way players up front.

“We’ve got a lot of tough kids out there and the new scheme should help us cover the field better with the athletes that we have,” Catheline said.

Coach Brian Haffele and the Red Devils open the season Friday, Aug. 26, as host to Brookhaven.

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CITY-SOUTH

Walnut Ridge

Scots put emphasis on improving defense

By SCOTT GERFEN ThisWeek Community Newspapers

For a coach who has emphasized defense since taking over the Walnut Ridge High School football program in 2006, giving up 20.5 points per game last season didn’t cut it for Byron Mattox.

Improving the defense was the focus of the offseason for the Scots, who finished 8-2 overall and 5-2 (third) in the City League-South Division behind champion Marion-Franklin (7-0) and Eastmoor Academy (6-1) and ahead of Briggs (3-4), Independence (3-4), Columbus West (2-5), Africentric Early College (2-5) and Columbus South (0-7).

But that focus quickly changed for Mattox in the preseason when he learned his standout quarterback, Fred Hardgrove, would not be in camp.

The senior was special mention all-district last season in Division II, throwing for more than 1,600 yards and 15 touchdowns and rushing for more than 800 yards.

Mattox said he couldn’t comment on the situation or say whether Hardgrove would be part of the team this fall.

In his absence, coaches have turned to junior Marquez Toney (5-foot-10, 175 pounds) to run the offense against visiting Cleveland Heights in the season opener Friday, Aug. 26.

“He certainly brings some athleticism to the quarterback position,” Mattox said. “He’s been a guy who’s played a lot of football and he’s smart, so we should be able to do a lot of different things with him.”

Toney should have plenty of help around him. The offensive line has three returning starters in seniors Chris Early (6-0, 250) and Charvez Anthony (5-9, 225) and junior Terry Cole (6-2, 225).

They’ll block for senior Shawn Toney, who rushed for nearly 600 yards and scored 14 touchdowns.

Mattox said the University of Wisconsin has been looking at junior wide receiver Robert Wheel-

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Schedule 2011 SCHEDULE Aug. 26 .....Cleveland Hts....Home Sept. 2......Urbana...............Away Sept. 9......Davidson............Away *Sept. 16..Africentric .........Home *Sept. 23..South.................Away *Sept. 30..Marion-Franklin ...Away *Oct. 7......West.................Home *Oct. 14....Eastmoor ...........Away *Oct. 21....Briggs ................Away *Oct. 28....Independence ...Home 2010 RESULTS (8-2 overall, 5-2 City-South) Cleveland Heights ..........W, 28-21 Columbus East ................W, 51-0 Linden-McKinley ...............W, 54-6 *Columbus South ..........W, 63-26 *Marion-Franklin ...............L, 35-6 *Columbus West ...........W, 55-24 *Eastmoor Academy .......L, 21-20 *Briggs .........................W, 27-20 *Africentric ....................W, 53-18 *Independence..............W, 41-34 *City-South game

By Eric George/ThisWeek

a lot of different looks and everybody is capable of making plays.”

The Scots expect to have a solid defensive front that includes Early, senior Travis Gusan (6-0, 255), a City League wrestling champion, senior Ramario Budhai (5-11, 195) as well as sophomore Robert Bowers (6-5, 210) and freshman Josh Jordan (6-2, 250).

Mattox intends to switch to a 4-2-5 scheme this year.

“We’re going to keep it simple.

Try and fly around and keep it simple,” he said. “We were young last year, but we’re a year older in the weight room and we’ve got some guys who’ve been there.”

The run defense certainly will be tested Sept. 9 when Walnut Ridge travels to Hilliard Davidson, which lost to Huber Heights Wayne 28-14 in a Division I state semifinal a year ago.

“We want to be a playoff team this year and that’s all that matters,” Hawkins said.

wright (6-3, 175).

He also likes what senior tight ends Kai Turner (6-6, 215) and Zach Thomas (6-4, 185), a Canal Winchester transfer, bring to the mix.

“We’re going to depend on those tight ends and receivers to keep the offense going,” Mattox said.

The Scots must replace one of the district’s top players in Austin Traylor, a Wisconsin recruit who starred at tight end and on the defensive line.

Three starters return to the defensive backfield in juniors Jason Hawkins (6-0, 190) and Malik Robinson (5-7, 165) and senior Roscoe Bowman (6-0, 180).

Senior Salim Womack (5-8, 180) will play middle linebacker.

“We’re just really looking to take things to a different level this year,” Hawkins said. “We’ve got www.ThisWeekSPORTS.com

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Coach Byron Mattox (left) will turn to junior Marquez Toney to replace Fred Hardgrove at quarterback. The status of Hardgrove, a special mention all-district pick, is uncertain for the season.

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CITY-SOUTH

Columbus West

Play up front key to success for Cowboys

By SCOTT GERFEN

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When he’s not teaching at Columbus West High School, sixth-year football coach Mike Flusche roams the hallways in search of size.

Without it, the Cowboys have had to rely on a pass-first offense that has been the oddity among the run-first teams of the City League-South Division.

“We’ve never had the big boys,” said Flusche, whose team opens Friday, Aug. 26, against visiting Columbus East. “You look at Marion-Franklin and they’ve got linemen falling off trees. We just don’t have those kinds of kids and that’s why our passing game is so crucial.”

But entering preseason camp, Flusche seemed more optimistic that his lines would protect standout senior quarterback Chris Rhodes and shore up a defense that allowed 40.6 points per game last season.

The Cowboys return plenty of experience up front. The play of those linemen likely will determine whether West can move to the upper half of the City-South, where it went 2-5 and tied for sixth with Africentric Early College behind champion MarionFranklin (7-0), Eastmoor Academy (6-1), Walnut Ridge (5-2), Briggs (3-4) and Independence (3-4) and ahead of Columbus South (0-7).

West was 4-6 overall after going 6-4 in 2009.

“If our front seven steps up and we stay healthy, I look for us to be competing at the top,” Flusche said.

“We’re going to switch it up some on defense and tailor it more to the personnel we have. But we’ve got to be able to slow teams down this year.”

While the Cowboys averaged 33.2 points last season, they gave up more than 50 in losses to Marion-Franklin (60-24), Independence (68-30) and Walnut Ridge

74

2011 SCHEDULE Aug. 26.......East...................Home Sept. 2 .......Centennial ...........Away Sept. 9 .......Linden-McKinley..Home *Sept. 16 ...South.................Home *Sept. 23 ...Eastmoor ...........Home *Sept. 30 ...Africentric ............Away *Oct. 7 .......Walnut Ridge........Away *Oct. 14 .....Marion-Franklin ...Home *Oct. 21 .....Independence ......Away *Oct. 28 .....Briggs..................Away

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Quarterback Chris Rhodes and coach Mike Flusche go over plays during a scrimmage Aug. 10 against Buckeye Valley. Rhodes threw for 33 touchdowns and more than 2,500 yards a year ago.

(55-24).

Flusche will switch from a 4-3 defense to a 3-5-3 with six returning starters.

The unit will be anchored by junior linebackers Mike Covington (5-foot-11, 200 pounds) and David Stockton (5-11, 190).

Seniors Joey Klynman (6-2, 250) and Christian Jordan (6-4, 260) and junior Brian Grey (6-0, 215) all started up front last season and rotate on both sides of the ball.

Juniors Cody Karrol (5-10, 210) and Robert Ivey (6-2, 260) also are expected to contribute.

Behind them, senior cornerback Josh Griffith (5-10, 170) is a returning starter expected to lead a secondary that also will count on Andre Martin (5-10, 170), a South transfer, and sen-

ior Derayle Tyus (5-10, 165).

West has the ability to put up points with Rhodes (5-10, 170), who is coming off a season in which he completed 170 of 320 passes for 2,512 yards with 33 touchdowns and 16 interceptions.

He took over a year ago for Eric Stewart, who left West with district career records of 8,421 yards passing and 85 touchdowns.

“Chris is expecting to have a similar if not better season, but I know he wants more wins,” Flusche said. “He’s become more of a leader in the offseason in getting kids to work hard.

A lot of people don’t know that he only has one eye. He’s overcome that and is a three-sport athlete.”

Rhodes won’t be throwing to

his top receivers from last year.

Garryt Abfalter-Scott (821 yards, 11 touchdowns) and Nate Powell (782 yards, nine touchdowns) have graduated.

Seniors Fred Lee (5-7, 165) and Drew Greason (5-7, 140) should be Rhodes’ top targets.

Greason caught 24 passes for 440 yards with eight touchdowns and Lee had 15 catches for 228 yards and five touchdowns a year ago.

Flusche also expects sophomore Chad Holland (6-2, 175) to be in the mix. Senior Montel Cooper will run the ball along with Lee. “We’ve got a great receiving corps back, but again it’s really going to come down to our ability to protect,” Flusche said.

2010 RESULTS (4-6 overall, 2-5 City-South) Columbus East .................W, 54-24 Centennial........................W, 30-15 Hamilton Township.............L, 49-21 *Eastmoor Academy ..........L, 55-36 *Africentric.......................W, 47-28 *Walnut Ridge ...................L, 55-24 *Marion-Franklin ................L, 60-24 *Independence .................L, 68-30 *Columbus South .............W, 35-12 *Briggs .............................L, 40-21 *City -South game

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M I D- ST A T E L E A G U E - OH I O D I V I S I O N Spotlight

League has produced playoff powerhouses

By PAUL BATTERSON

Inside the division

ThisWeek Community Newspapers

As the football coach at New Middletown Springfield High School from 2001-06, John Smith never faced a team that later played for a state championship.

In his first season at Bexley in 2007, Smith opposed two in his league, the MSL-Ohio Division.

“It’s been a difficult league,” said Smith, whose team lost in the 2007 regular season to eventual Division VI state champion Newark Catholic (42-14) and eventual Division III state runner-up Licking Valley (31-0).

“Our league has always done extremely well in the postseason.”

Licking Valley won the MSL-

2010 STANDINGS Team League Overall Licking Valley 6-1 9-3 Heath 6-1 10-2 Granville 5-2 7-3 Newark Catholic 4-3 8-4 Columbus Academy 3-4 5-5 Whitehall 2-5 3-7 Bexley 1-6 3-7 Lakewood 0-7 1-9 2011 LEAGUE SCHEDULE Sept. 16 Academy at Lakewood Bexley at Granville Licking Valley at Whitehall Newark Catholic at Heath

Ohio last year at 7-0, ahead of Heath (6-1), Granville (5-2), Newark Catholic (4-3), Columbus Academy (3-4), Whitehall (2-5), Bexley (1-6) and Lakewood (0-7).

Sept. 23 Heath at Whitehall Lakewood at Bexley Licking Valley at Granville Newark Catholic at Academy Sept. 30 Academy at Heath Granville at Whitehall Lakewood at Licking Valley Oct. 1 Bexley at Newark Catholic Oct. 6 Academy at Bexley Oct. 7 Heath at Granville Newark Catholic at Licking Valley

Licking Valley (Division III), Heath (Division IV) and Newark Catholic (Division VI) all made the playoffs but lost in the second round. Granville was two spots from a postseason berth,

Whitehall at Lakewood Oct. 14 Bexley at Heath Granville at Lakewood Licking Valley at Academy Whitehall at Newark Catholic Oct. 21 Academy at Whitehall Lakewood at Heath Licking Valley at Bexley Newark Catholic at Granville Oct. 28 Bexley at Whitehall Heath at Licking Valley Granville at Academy Lakewood at Newark Catholic

finishing 10th in the Division III, Region 11 computer rankings.

Academy, Bexley, Granville, Heath, Licking Valley and Newark Catholic all have made

the playoffs since the MSL-Ohio was realigned in 2006.

“The MSL-Ohio is a wonderful conference,” said Lakewood coach Rex Sponhaltz, whose team has gone 4-31 in the league the past five years.

“The proof is in the number of teams we’ve had in the playoffs and with plus-.500 records.”

But as good as the league has been, no team has dominated it like Licking Valley. Since the realignment, the Panthers have gone 32-3 in league play while outscoring opponents 1,337-406.

All three of those losses came during the 2009 season, when the Panthers were 4-3 in the league and 5-5 overall. That season, the Panthers outscored league opponents 144-142. The other four years, Licking Valley

has outscored the other seven teams by at least 200 points.

When discussing contenders for the MSL-Ohio championship this year, Heath coach Mark Collier paused when he got to the Panthers.

“Licking Valley has been the team to beat for, well, forever,” Collier said.

Panthers coach Randy Baughman said he is concerned about a lack of depth and experience, although Licking Valley returns Drew McArtor, who rushed for more than 1,000 yards and scored 14 touchdowns a year ago after Tregg Hall was lost for the season following an injury to his left knee.

“Right now, we’ve got too See MSL-OHIO, page 81

SHAMROCKS Continued from page 26 Joining Williamson in the backfield will be senior Mark Kendrick (5-8, 164) as well as junior Daniel Chang (5-8, 153) and sophomore Austin Seiple (5-7, 157).

Seniors Austin Knisley (5-11, 184) and Spencer Richardson (6-0, 187) also will line up wide, with juniors Austen Rankin (5-8, 146) and Tony Woodford (5-11, 161) working in the rotation.

Tight ends include Kruse, senior Reagan Ramm (6-0, 200) and junior Julius Peluola (6-0, 193).

Up front, Hackett and senior Tony Hein (64, 235) line up as tackles and the guards will be Yerich and senior Alex Davis (6-3, 272).

Junior Tanner Zinni (5-10, 235) will play center. Also rotating on the line are senior Tyler Magee (5-10, 198) and juniors Phil Miele (510, 212) Michael Robinson (6-1, 240).

Hackett said success is a matter of everyone being on the same page.

“Unity will be important for us,” he said.

“Everyone has to trust each other and know that their teammates will make the right calls and reads.”

The 4-3 defense returns six starters, including senior linebackers Mitch Kraly (6-0, 200) and Kenny Kristan (5-10, 200) and sen-

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ior defensive backs Tre Scott (6-0, 182) and Taylor Williams (5-10, 168). Senior R.J. Cremeans (5-8, 237) and junior Miles McCollum (6-2, 232) return on the defensive line.

“We have a lot of experience back on defense with a safety, a cornerback, two linemen and two linebackers,” Kraly said. “Our offense has always been known by the play of the quarterbacks. This definitely could be the defense’s year. We just have to stay healthy.”

Also seeing time in the defensive backfield will be Kendrick, senior Mitch Richert (5-11, 175) and junior Jacob Gilbert (5-8, 172). Seniors T.J. Armengau (5-7, 176), Duncan VanDeCarr (5-11, 173) and Luis Vergara (5-6, 225) and juniors Matt Hollern (6-0, 245), Vinny Jones (6-2, 206) and Spencer Rhoades (6-0, 241) will rotate on the line.

The linebackers also include juniors Ian Flinders (5-11, 190), Mark Guzik (6-0, 200) and Patrick Ruz (5-10, 185).

“Our defense has to be better against the run and the offense has to make good decisions at the quarterback position,” said Crabtree, who is in his 11th season. “We have to get protection from the offensive line and be effective running the ball.”

Kraly said one of the keys will be trusting teammates to do their jobs on the field.

“If the defense gets a three-and-out, we know the offense can go out and score,” he said. “Also, if the offense has a three-and-out, they have to trust that the defense will come up big and make the stop.”

The punter is senior Tyler Low (6-0, 168), who also will handle kickoffs. Juniors Grant Coffman (5-9, 164) and John Suttle (5-8, 167) also will kick.

The Shamrocks finished second in the OCCCentral Division last season at 6-1, behind Hilliard Davidson (7-0) and ahead of Hilliard Darby (5-2), Upper Arlington (4-3), Worthington Kilbourne (3-4), Thomas Worthington (2-5), Central Crossing (1-6) and Westland (0-7).

Coffman had won two consecutive league titles before last season, but lost 27-3 to Davidson in week 8 a year ago.

“I like our enthusiasm and the kids practice well,” Crabtree said. “It’s always good for a team to want to be out there playing football. They care and they want to work hard to be good.

“The seniors are doing a good job with leadership and if they stay focused and work hard, they have a chance to have a successful year.”

By Laurie Stevenson/ThisWeek

shennen@thisweeknews.com www.ThisWeekSPORTS.com

Marcus Davis is back to lead the Coffman receiving corps after catching 53 passes for 680 yards and five touchdowns.

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75

MSL-OHIO

Bexley

Lions seeking to eliminate mistakes

By PAUL BATTERSON

Schedule

ThisWeek Community Newspapers

Fifth-year Bexley High School football coach John Smith is not as troubled by his team’s final 3-7 record of year ago as much as he is about the way the Lions lost many of those games.

Plagued by turnovers, Bexley finished 1-6 in the MSL-Ohio Division, behind Licking Valley (7-0), Heath (6-1), Granville (5-2), Newark Catholic (4-3), Columbus Academy (3-4) and Whitehall (2-5) and ahead of Lakewood (0-7).

“When I think about last year, I think about the missed opportunities,” Smith said. “I just felt like there were games where we left a lot on the field last year.

“There were two games in particular (a 35-22 loss to Granville and a 27-7 loss to Newark Catholic) where I felt like we had a chance to win, and in those two games we turned the ball over 11 times (combined).”

Smith —whose team opens against Africentric on Friday, Aug. 26, at home — put an added emphasis on taking care of the football and avoiding penalties in preseason practices.

According to Smith, there were “consequences” for each turnover and penalty committed in practice.

“Eliminating mistakes is going to be a huge piece of the puzzle,” Smith said. “It’s tough to win football games as it is, but you add in turnovers and penalties and it becomes even tougher.”

Last season, Bexley lost seven of its final eight games after a 2-0 start. The Lions scored 184 points, but 113 of of that total came in their three wins — Africentric (22-16), Northridge (49-7) and Lakewood (42-21).

Smith experimented with a twoquarterback system as Bexley struggled on offense, with 2011 graduate Alex Lemon and Jalen Robinette sharing time, but that won’t be the case this season.

76

2011 SCHEDULE Aug. 26 .....Africentric .........Home Sept. 2......Berne Union......Home Sept. 9......Hamilton Twsp. ..Away *Sept. 16..Granville.............Away *Sept. 23..Lakewood .........Home *Oct. 1......Newark Catholic..Away *Oct. 6......Cols. Academy ..Home *Oct. 14....Heath.................Away *Oct. 21....Licking Valley ....Home *Oct. 28....Whitehall............Away 2010 RESULTS (3-7 overall, 1-6 MSL-Ohio) Africentric ......................W, 22-16 Northridge .......................W, 49-7 Hartley .............................L, 54-7 *Whitehall......................L, 28-14 *Granville.......................L, 35-22 *Lakewood....................W, 42-21 *Newark Catholic..............L, 27-7 *Columbus Academy.........L, 50-7 *Heath.............................L, 28-0 *Licking Valley ................L, 62-14 *MSL-Ohio game

By Lorrie Cecil/ThisWeek

Jalen Robinette returns at quarterback after splitting time last season and completing 40 of 75 passes for 403 yards.

“Jalen is our quarterback,” Smith said.

Robinette (6-foot-4, 194 pounds) had 23 catches for 341 yards and a touchdown, rushed for 359 yards and three touchdowns and completed 40 of 75 passes for 403 yards with four touchdowns last year. He was named second-team all-league and first-team all-district in Division III. Senior Cameron Stewart (6-0, 171) and sophomore Rasheed Morgan (5-9, 140) are vying for time at tailback and senior D.J. Jones (5-7, 140), junior Jimmy Kahan (5-8, 160), and sophomore Greg Miller (5-5, 129) are competing at fullback.

Kahan and Miller also could see time at wide receiver, along with senior Derek Cain (5-9, 165) and junior Nyles Lester (5-7, 195).

Seniors Alec Robins (5-9, 171) and Henry Warren (5-6, 158) will

split time at tight end.

Last year, the offensive line struggled as the Lions constantly rotated in new players. That experience should help the Lions

this season, though.

Seniors Brandon Stokes (6-2, 206) and Raphael Vayntraub (511, 211) and junior Howard Wang (6-3, 193) are competing for the

two tackle spots ,and seniors Nick Daum (5-11, 227) and Gabe Sudai Getz (6-1, 245) and Mike Her(5-10, 191) and sophomore Jaxon wald (5-11, 197) are competing Sher (6-0, 203) are vying for the guard positions. Juniors Andrew See LIONS, page 80

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MSL-OHIO

Columbus Academy

Legacy of former coach driving force for Vikings

By FRANK DiRENNA ThisWeek Community Newspapers

Although they will play this season with heavy hearts, members of the Columbus Academy football team realize they have a task at hand.

The Vikings open against Zanesville Maysville on Friday, Aug. 26, at home.

It will be the first game under coach Jim Collis, who replaced Mark Barren after Barren died on June 9, two days after suffering a heart attack while jogging near his Worthington home. He was 51.

“Coach B wouldn’t want us to put our heads down and feel bad for him,” senior lineman Isaac Mallory said. “He’d want us to go out there and bust our butts and play as hard as we can for him.”

Collis was an assistant coach the previous two seasons and the team’s head coach from 19962006 before being replaced by Barren. Collis guided the team to the Division V state championship in 2003, with Barren serving as an assistant coach.

Last season, Academy finished 5-5 overall and 3-4 in the MSLOhio Division as Licking Valley (7-0) won the league.

Collis has been pleased with the players’ work ethic as they cope with the death of Barren.

“They’ve been working hard, they’re focused and their intensity has been good,” Collis said.

“We’ve had great practices. All the practices that we’ve had have been really solid and I’m really pleased.”

The Vikings must replace several key players lost to graduation, including quarterback Josh Hill and running backs Preston Pearson and Austin Peterman.

Peterman rushed for 847 yards and 13 touchdowns on 104 car-

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ries last season.

Senior Jake Wilson (6-foot, 171 pounds) will replace Hill at quarterback and guide the team’s wing-T offense.

“We have to continue the development at quarterback,” Collis said. “It’s coming along.”

Senior running back R.J. Watters (6-0, 180), who received playing time last season, is expected to take over a starting spot in the backfield.

Senior Langston Hughes (5-7, 237) will play fullback.

Key receivers are seniors Ben Bechtel (6-2, 167) and Nathan Brown (6-2, 167).

Zach Ratcliff (6-5, 220) will play tight end, and Mallory (62, 196) will anchor the offensive line.

“We’re a lot better,” Mallory said. “The senior class is working hard. Overall, the work ethic of the team is a lot better. We’re stronger. We worked harder in the winter. We hit the weight room hard and overall we’re stronger and faster.”

Other key linemen are senior Tyler Walker Terry (6-1, 202), juniors Matt Brigstock (6-2, 207), Rhys Davis (6-0, 166) and Jacob Hill (6-0, 200) and sophomores Zach Hinson (6-0, 244) and Isaac Sheumaker (5-11, 198).

Wilson will be the punter. He is competing with junior John Michael Long (5-8, 145) and sophomore Bryce Bailey (5-11, 160) for the place-kicking duties.

Academy will utilize a 4-4 base defense with several offensive players seeing time on defense.

Mallory and Ratcliff will be the defensive ends, with Walker Terry and Brigstock at defensive tackle.

Hill, Hughes and Watters are inside linebackers and Bechtel and junior Hart Wise (5-8, 161)

Schedule 2011 SCHEDULE Aug. 26.......Maysville .........Home Sept. 2 .......Hartley..............Away Sept. 9 .......Whetstone.......Home *Sept. 16 ...Lakewood .........Away *Sept. 23 ...Newark Cath....Home *Sept. 30 ...Heath ...............Away *Oct. 6 .......Bexley...............Away *Oct. 14 .....Licking Valley ...Home *Oct. 21 .....Whitehall ..........Away *Oct. 28 .....Granville..........Home 2010 RESULTS (5-5 overall, 3-4 MSL-Ohio) Northridge .......................W, 49-7 Hartley ...........................L, 42-34 Centerburg ....................W, 34-21 *Granville.......................L, 28-13 *Lakewood....................W, 61-28 *Newark Catholic............L, 27-24 *Heath...........................L, 43-14 *Bexley ...........................W, 50-7 *Licking Valley ................L, 35-13 *Whitehall .....................W, 43-34 *MSL-Ohio game

WORLD-class teaching, first-CLASS convenience

By Paul Vernon/ThisWeek

The Vikings’ Tyler Gittins (right) catches a pass while being hit by Teays Valley’s Jacob Betts during their scrimmage on Aug. 9.

In its 100-year history, Columbus Academy has won 64 team and individual state titles.

Our students achieve in the classroom and on the athletic fields with the goal of developing mind, body and character.

Academy now offers boys lacrosse and bowling in addition to these sports for students in Grades 7-12: baseball, basketball, cross country, field hockey, football, golf, girls lacrosse, soccer, tennis, swimming & diving, track & field, volleyball and wrestling.

We also have state champions and students earning national acclaim in the arts, chess, community service, equestrian, math, music, medical research, robotics and much more!

Now is the time to contact Columbus Academy about the 2012-13 school year.

To learn more about admissions at our coed independent school, call (614) 509-2220 or visit our website to schedule a tour. www.columbusacademy.org PreK and Kindergarten Open House Wednesday, October 19, 9:30-11:00 a.m.

Gahanna Center

Admissions Open House Sunday, December 4, 2:00-4:00 p.m.

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77

MSL-OHIO

Granville

Emergence of offensive line key for Aces

By BRAD EMERINE ThisWeek Community Newspapers

If the Granville High School football team expects to match last year’s success, it must overcome the loss of several offensive and defensive linemen.

“We’re going to continue to do what we do offensively with our multi-spread (offense) because we have our top four rushers back, three of our top four receivers and our quarterback,” said third-year coach J.R. Wait, whose team finished 7-3 overall a year ago. “We don’t have a lot of experience on the offensive line, but we have talented kids and seniors who had to wait their turn.

“The good thing with our style of offense is that we don’t need big linemen. We have some size, athleticism and speed. As long as we don’t get overpowered and they follow their fundamentals, we’ll be fine.”

Junior David Fraley returns at quarterback after totaling more than 1,700 yards and 16 touchdowns rushing and passing last year. He was special mention all-district in Division III for Granville, which averaged 26.1 points on offense and gave up 20.2 points per game.

Senior Zach Lilly and junior Josh Link are expected to be the top running backs for the Blue Aces, who went 5-2 in the MSLOhio Division last year to finish third behind Licking Valley (7-0) and Heath (6-1) and ahead of Newark Catholic (4-3), Columbus Academy (3-4), Whitehall (2-5), Bexley (1-6) and Lakewood (0-7).

Link was honorable mention all-district a year ago.

“We usually have a number of very talented skill-position players and we do throw more than most of our opponents, but our goal is to run the ball, not be a pass-first team,” Wait said.

“We want to run the ball, but because we don’t normally have

78

Schedule 2011 SCHEDULE Aug. 26.......Johnstown.......Home Sept. 2 .......Utica ................Away Sept. 9 .......Fairfield Union ...Away *Sept. 16 ...Bexley .............Home *Sept. 23 ...Licking Valley ...Home *Sept. 30 ...Whitehall ..........Away *Oct. 7 .......Heath..............Home *Oct. 14 .....Lakewood .........Away *Oct. 21 .....Newark Cath....Home *Oct. 28 .....Cols. Academy ..Away 2010 RESULTS (7-3 overall, 5-2 MSL-Ohio) Johnstown......................L, 41-14 Utica .............................W, 28-25 Fairfield Union..................W, 27-6 *Columbus Academy......W, 28-13 *Bexley .........................W, 35-22 *Licking Valley ..................L, 35-3 *Whitehall .....................W, 31-13 *Heath...........................L, 27-17 *Lakewood....................W, 57-14 *Newark Catholic.............W, 21-0 *MSL-Ohio game

big linemen, we have to do it in a creative way. We’re happy with all the primary ball-handlers we have back.”

Among the expected targets for the Blue Aces, who often use four- and five-receiver sets, are seniors Dominic Sicilian and Joey Comisford, juniors Steven Carpenter and Tucker McKenzie and sophomores Ajay Alderman, Brock Hill and Hunter Orth.

Alderman was honorable mention all-district last year.

Hoping to jell as an offensive line are senior guards Charles Daley and Ian Harmon, senior center Devyn Steffeny, senior tackle Luke Roby and junior tackle David Fox. Also vying for playing time up front are juniors Blake Marlowe and Caleb Sims and sophomore Ian Huprich.

By Andrea Kjerrumgaard/ThisWeek

Junior running back Josh Link was honorable mention all-district in Division III last season.

Granville returns seven starters on defense to match the number on offense, and the defensive philosophy also will remain the same.

“We run what we call a 7-diamond defense because we’re not big and we want to pressure in an unconventional way,” Wait said. “We do play mostly man coverage in the back, with some zone. But again, we’ve got some smaller players and we have trust in them on the edges.

“It’s an impatient, aggressive defense that can dictate what offenses can do. It’s sound and disciplined if played properly, and we like it because it allows our kids to play faster than in the read-and-react defenses.”

Sims and junior Mark Schenken appear to be starters at tackle, although Marlowe and Daley also will see action. Senior Thomas Nichols and Harmon will start on the ends, with Huprich and Roby also getting playing time.

Junior Clayton Plute and Steffeny will be at linebacker, with Stephan Klema working in as well. Link and Lilly will play cornerback and McKenzie will be the free safety.

Vying for two positions at strong safety will be Carpenter, senior Tyler Camarata and juniors Alex Marcum and Gabe Parini. Plute will be the punter

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MSL-OHIO

Heath

Young players must step up for Bulldogs

By PAUL BATTERSON ThisWeek Community Newspapers

As the Heath High School football team prepares for its opener on Friday, Aug. 26, at Martins Ferry, 11th-year coach Mark Collier may have a familiar feeling.

In 2008, the Bulldogs were coming off a 6-4 season in 2007 but sustained heavy losses to graduation. Forced to start many sophomores, Collier braced for a rebuilding year.

The Bulldogs won seven of their first eight games, however, and finished 7-3 to just miss the Division V playoffs. “That season’s when everything turned around for us,� said Collier, whose team has gone 195 over the past two seasons.

Heath is in a similar position this year to 2008. The Bulldogs return only four starters — two on offense and two on defense — after finishing 10-2 overall.

They lost to eventual state champion Hartley 39-26 in a Division IV regional semifinal and placed second in the MSLOhio Division at 6-1, behind Licking Valley (7-0) and ahead of Granville (5-2), Newark Catholic (4-3), Columbus Academy (3-4) and Whitehall (2-5), Bexley (1-6) and Lakewood (0-

7).

Senior Evan Fry, a starting cornerback and wide receiver last season, believes the Bulldogs will meet the challenges they face. “We lost a lot of senior players (from last year), but we’re starting to come together as a team,� Fry said. “We’re going to be fine.� “There’s a myth that it’s hard for a team to be up for every game,� Collier said. “We’ve played 12-game seasons the past two years and I think we’ve been up for 24 straight games. They showed up and gave us their best every single time.�

Fry (5-foot-9, 150 pounds), who was honorable mention alldistrict last year, and running back Donyelle Simpson (5-11, 165), who was special mention all-district, are the two returnees on offense.

Junior Chase Geller (6-0, 150) takes over at quarterback for 2011 graduate Cole Benner, who passed for more than 1,300 yards and 16 touchdowns and ran for 969 yards and 16 TDs. “Chase has been waiting in the wings the last couple of years,� said Collier, whose team uses a pro-I formation with multiple fronts.

In addition to Fry, Nick Allen

Schedule 2011 SCHEDULE Aug. 26.......Martins Ferry .......Away Sept. 2 .......Johnstown ...........Away Sept. 9 .......Utica ...................Away *Sept. 16 ...Newark Cath.......Home *Sept. 23 ...Whitehall .............Away *Sept. 30 ...Cols. Academy....Home *Oct. 7 .......Granville ..............Away *Oct. 14 .....Bexley................Home *Oct. 21 .....Lakewood...........Home *Oct. 28 .....Licking Valley .......Away

(6-2, 155) and Kyle Willey (510, 145) are expected to be the top wide receivers, and senior Derek Yahn (5-11, 175) and junior Jordan Corbett (5-7, 165) are competing for time at tight end.

Simpson returns at tailback and sophomore Kameron Herring (5-6, 147) and junior Tris-

2010 RESULTS (10-2 overall, 6-1 MSL-Ohio) Middletown Madison ...........W, 33-0 Johnstown........................W, 21-15 Utica ..................................W, 18-6 *Licking Valley...................L, 24-21 *Newark Catholic................W, 40-7 *Whitehall........................W, 45-19 *Columbus Academy.........W, 43-14 *Granville.........................W, 27-17 *Bexley ..............................W, 28-0 *Lakewood.......................W, 56-13 PLAYOFFS Albany Alexander...............W, 55-14 Hartley ..............................L, 39-26 *MSL-Ohio game

ten Weaver (5-9, 133) will split time at fullback.

The Bulldogs have seven players competing for the five spots on the offensive line.

Senior Chris Beck (6-0, 226) will be at center and junior Connor Thrush (5-11, 235) will be at left tackle.

Juniors Adam Hunt (6-0 213),

Gunner Loughman and Rusty Nelson (5-11, 165) are vying for the guard positions and senior Dakota Campbell (6-0, 245) and junior Ryan Nolan (6-1, 240) are competing to start at right tackle. “Our skill guys are pretty solid right now, but our linemen are a few steps away,� Collier said. “Our offense has the potential to be OK in about a month or so, but hopefully it will come together much sooner than that. “We’re going to do what our offensive line allows us to do. We still have a lot of unanswered questions of what our strength is going to be.�

Collier said there also are a lot of question marks on a defense that allowed only 14 points per game last year and posted shutouts over Middletown Madison (33-0) and Bexley (28-0).

The only returning starters are Fry at cornerback and Yahn at middle linebacker.

Graduation stripped the Bulldogs of linemen Nate Hunt, who was the district’s Defensive Player of the Year, and Mason Robinson, who was second-team alldistrict.

Collier said 12 players are vying for time on the line. “The fact the spots are still

BLUE ACES Continued from page 78 and sophomore Bradley Burkholder will do the placekicking.

Elliot Williams, who joins Comisford and Harmon as senior captains and was named the team’s Defensive Player of the Year last season, tore an ACL playing lacrosse last spring and is expected to miss the start of the season. “We’ve only got 10 seniors on the roster, but they’re a tight-knit group that has provided great leadership in the offseason,� Wait said. “They were challenged in camp and have responded. They’ve helped to establish a good level of consistency in practice and I think that will carry over on Friday nights.�

open means there’s competition, but I’d like someone to step up to take leadership of their spot,�

Collier said. “I wish things were a little more settled up front, to be honest. If the guys were performing really well, they’d start to lock up spots a little quicker.�

In addition to Yahn, Adam Hunt, Nelson, Weaver, Willey, Corbett and freshman Cameron Romine are vying for time at linebacker.

In the secondary, Allen is expected to start at cornerback, with Fry and Simpson at safety.

The chances of Heath making the playoffs for a third consecutive season could come down to how quickly the younger players adjust to the varsity level. “The key is going to be how fast we can grow up,� Collier said. “Right now, it looks like it might take six or seven weeks until we’re OK. But if it takes that long, we’re not going to have a real good year. “Last year, we knew going into the season what bullets we had to fire. This year, it might take awhile to figure out which bullets are going to fire out of the gun.� pbatterson@thisweeknews.com www.ThisWeekSPORTS.com

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J.R. Wait is entering his third season as coach of the Blue Aces.

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79

MSL-OHIO

Lakewood

Lancers aim to build new culture

By TREY SMITH ThisWeek Community Newspapers

By Todd Seimer/ThisWeek

Senior D.J. Jones is likely to spend time in the offensive and defensive backfields for the Lions.

LIONS Continued from page 76

the two defensive tackle positions.

In the secondary, Jones, Kahan and Morgan are vying at cornerback and Cain, Robins and Robinette are competing for the safety positions.

Robins started at safety as a sophomore but missed last season with an ankle injury.

Smith said one of the areas of concern is linebacker, as the Lions lost three of their four starting linebackers to graduation.

Senior Andrew Lively (6-1, 185), who played defensive tackle last year, and Stewart, who was a cornerback last year, were moved to strengthen the linebacking corps.

Warren, junior Luke Groom (510, 183) and sophomore Jacob Old (5-11, 189), a move-in from Mississippi, also are competing for the three starting linebacker positions.

“Defensively, it’s going to come down to us being able to stop the run,” Smith said. “In our league, even the teams you think throw the ball all over the place rush about 70 percent of the time. Until you do that effectively, it’s going to be a long season.”

at center.

“We know each other and we know what we have to do. The running game begins with us this year,” Getz said. “Unless we do our assignments, it’s not going to go the way we planned.”

“Last year, we were pretty young up front, but they are much improved,” Smith said. “This year, the big part of our leadership has been our guys up front with regard to the weight room and their offseason work.”

During the offseason, Smith switched from a 3-4 base defense to a 4-3 to better suit his team’s personnel.

“Ten of the 11 players who will start for us defensively played in at least three games last year,” said Smith, whose team allowed an average of 32.8 points.

“We have seven defensive linemen who started at one point last year, so we felt like a 4-3 played better to what we have coming back.”

Daum, Herwald and Sher are competing at defensive end, while Getz, Sudai and seniors Kris Johnson (5-9, 245) and Ahmed pbatterson@thisweeknews.com Khaloufi (6-4, 257) are vying for www.ThisWeekSPORTS.com

80

Most high school football programs that struggle usually can attribute the lack of success to youth, inexperience or injury.

In many cases, it is a mixture of the three that results in a poor season.

The challenge facing thirdyear Lakewood High School coach Rex Sponhaltz, however, is not only producing wins on the field but also changing the culture off the field.

With an overall record of 4-36 the past four seasons, which includes a 0-10 season in 2009, that challenge has proven to be a daunting task.

Last season, the Lancers finished 1-9 overall and 0-7 in the MSL-Ohio Division to finish last behind Licking Valley (7-0), Heath (6-1), Granville (5-2), Newark Catholic (4-3), Columbus Academy (3-4), Whitehall (2-5) and Bexley (1-6).

“It’s a little bit difficult to coach in this culture because it’s one of those things where you almost have to experiment as to what the kids will respond to,” Sponhaltz said.

“In respect to the kids, it’s an extremely difficult culture to play in because those kids who don’t want to contribute and are walking the halls, they take every advantage Monday mornings of letting guys know how they messed up. I’ve got a lot of respect for the guys who have stuck it out.”

Sponhaltz and his staff have taken a different approach in trying to change those conditions.

“What we’ve done is approach it from a holistic standpoint,” said Sponhaltz, whose squad

Schedule 2011 SCHEDULE Aug. 26.......Sheridan ............Home Sept. 2 .......Millersport ...........Away Sept. 9 .......Johnstown..........Home *Sept. 16 ...Cols. Academy....Home *Sept. 23 ...Bexley .................Away *Sept. 30 ...Licking Valley .......Away *Oct. 7 .......Whitehall............Home *Oct. 14 .....Granville.............Home *Oct. 21 .....Heath ..................Away *Oct. 28 .....Newark Cath. .......Away

opens against Sheridan on Friday, Aug. 26, at home. “By that I mean we have gone to the offseason and we do a tracking system of our kids in the classroom and the community. We have an evaluation system as far as homework, classroom attitude, community service and accountability. I just feel strongly that we have to start with all the kids’ accountability-wise in all areas in their life and I think that ends up on the football field eventually.

“The hope is that after two years of practicing this kind of stuff, we feel like they’re starting to get it. The results are going to have to be on Friday nights to see if we’re getting closer to that goal of kids being able to take that next step for being responsible, for the work that they put into it will be what they get out of it.”

The responsibility of produc-

2010 RESULTS (1-9 overall, 0-7 MSL-Ohio) Sheridan .............................L, 47-0 Millersport..........................W, 58-0 Johnstown-Monroe.............L, 42-13 *Newark Catholic.................L, 31-7 *Columbus Academy .........L, 61-28 *Bexley.............................L, 42-21 *Licking Valley...................L, 52-14 *Whitehall...........................L, 62-6 *Granville..........................L, 57-14 *Heath .............................L, 56-13 * MSL-Ohio game

have not been before.”

Other seniors expected to be key contributors are offensive/defensive lineman Kole Shriver (5-8, 245), tight end Dean Cable (6-3, 232), running back/defensive back Mark Porter (5-11, 185), wide receiver/defensive back/kicker Trey Read (6-1, 185), running back/defensive back Hunger Gray(5-7, 152) and offensive lineman Tommy Ellis (5-10, 295).

Gray was second-team allMSL and Shriver was honorable mention.

“Kole is the strongest kid we have on our team and he brings a lot of athletic ability as well,” Sponhaltz said.

Lakewood must find a way to improve a defense that allowed an average of 45 points in 2010.

In five of those setbacks, opponents scored more than 50 points.

“Defensively we’ve got to play with a little bit more attitude.

We gave up far too many big plays, far too many plays early where it kind of took us out of our game plan,” Sponhaltz said.

“Our focus has been trying to get better on defense.”

ing results on the field will fall on the 16-member senior class of a team that has only 32 players.

Starting at quarterback will be senior Tanner Taylor (5-11, 170 pounds).

“He’s a first-year quarterback, but he has lettered for us for two years,” Sponhaltz said.

“We’re looking for his leadership to take us to places we www.ThisWeekSPORTS.com

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MSL-OHIO

Licking Valley

Panthers brace for challenging early schedule

By BRAD EMERINE

gion 11 playoffs before losing

Schedule

ThisWeek Community Newspapers to Alliance Marlington 48-21 in

Players come and go but the goals never change for the Licking Valley High School football team.

“The goal is to win the league, because we feel if we accomplish that and win two of our three non-league games, we’ll have a good chance to be in the playoffs,” 30th-year coach Randy Baughman said. “The other goal is to always be prepared to play and practice. We need to be prepared and ready to go.”

Because of an aggressive nonleague schedule, the Panthers can’t be sluggish early.

This year’s non-league opponents are the same as last season, as the Panthers open against New Albany, Zanesville and Ready.

Last season, Licking Valley lost to New Albany 26-10 and Zanesville 17-14 — both Division II playoff teams — before beating Ready 48-21 to begin an eight-game regular-season winning streak. New Albany and Zanesville combined to go 19-3.

The Panthers then beat host East Liverpool 29-3 in the first round of the Division III, Re-

a regional semifinal to finish 93 overall.

Licking Valley won the MSLOhio Division at 7-0, finishing ahead of Heath (6-1), Granville (5-2), Newark Catholic (4-3), Columbus Academy (3-4), Whitehall (2-5), Bexley (1-6) and Lakewood (0-7).

“To win our league and get to the playoffs, we always have to be able to run the ball and stop the run,” said Baughman, who has a 249-79-1 record in 29 seasons with 16 league titles and 13 playoff appearances.

“In the playoffs, you’ll face teams who can stop the run, like Marlington did. What I like about this year’s team is that I think we can be more balanced offensively.”

The Panthers return junior Drew McArtor (6-foot-1, 175 pounds) at running back after he was named first-team all-district. Senior Logan Brehm (510, 195) will be the fullback in the multiple-set scheme, with senior Jake Lagace (5-10, 175) also seeing time at fullback.

“Drew didn’t begin the year as a starter but put together a strong second half of the season to go

2011 SCHEDULE Aug. 26.......New Albany ..........Away Sept. 2 .......Zanesville ..........Home Sept. 9 .......Ready ................Home *Sept. 16 ...Whitehall............Home *Sept. 23 ...Granville ..............Away *Sept. 30 ...Lakewood ..........Home *Oct. 7 .......Newark Cath.......Home *Oct. 14 .....Cols. Academy ....Away *Oct. 21 .....Bexley ................Away *Oct. 28 .....Heath ................Home

over 1,000 yards,” Baughman said. “He can also catch it well out of the backfield. We’ve got a few new pieces to the offensive line, but I think we’ll have a good running game again.”

Senior Matt McClain (6-2, 180) takes over at quarterback and has impressed Baughman.

2010 RESULTS (9-3 overall, 7-0 MSL-Ohio) New Albany........................L, 26-10 Zanesville..........................L, 17-14 Ready ..............................W, 48-21 *Heath.............................W, 24-21 *Whitehall..........................W, 42-0 *Granville...........................W, 35-3 *Lakewood.......................W, 52-14 *Newark Catholic................W, 31-7 *Columbus Academy.........W, 35-13 *Bexley ............................W, 62-14 PLAYOFFS East Liverpool.....................W, 29-3 Alliance Marlington ............L, 48-21 *MSL-Ohio game

“I think Matt can give us that support, that balance we need in the offense by throwing it around some,” Baughman said. “But he’s also a starter at safety and will be our punter, so he’s out there pretty much the entire game. We always want to put our best defense on the field first,

but right now, we’ve got too many guys going both ways and we’re trying to reduce that number.”

Senior Avery Stalnaker (5-11, 170) is the leading returnee at receiver, a group that also includes seniors Cody Lang (511, 155) and Calder Shepherd (6-1, 155) and junior Devin Carr (5-10, 150). Senior Hayden Ourant (6-3, 215) will be the tight end.

“We’ve got some good receivers and Hayden is a big target who has really improved at tight end,” Baughman said.

The line will consist of seniors Jacob Griffith (5-10, 200) and Tyler Harble (5-10, 195) at guard, senior Thomas Finke (511, 290) and junior Jacob Cotrell (6-1, 230) at tackle and junior Caleb Nethers (5-9, 175) at center.

Senior Rickey Wilson (6-1, 160) will be the place-kicker.

The Panthers return five starters in their 4-3 base defense, which will be anchored by Brehm at middle linebacker and Harble and Ourant at ends.

“Harble is a returning starter on defense who has really, really improved as much as anybody on the team,” Baughman said.

MSL-OHIO Continued from page 75 many guys going both ways and we’re trying to reduce that number,” Baughman said.

“We’re not big and we lack experience overall.

“But we do have our top rusher back. Our goals always start with running the ball and stopping the run, so we’ll go from there.”

Academy, Bexley and Whitehall have only two chances remaining to beat the Panthers as well as Granville, Heath, Lakewood and Newark Catholic in league play.

The five Licking County schools are scheduled to depart the MSL-Ohio as the Licking County League will resurface in the 2013-14 school year. They will be joined

by Johnstown, Licking Heights, Northridge,

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Utica and Watkins Memorial. The LCL existed for more than 30 years before disbanding in 1991.

Newark Catholic coach Bill Franks said the move is based in part on economics.

Currently, the Green Wave travels to Academy (27 miles one way), Bexley (29) and Whitehall (32 miles). In the LCL, the farthest Newark Catholic would have to travel is to Licking Heights (19 miles). “(The MSL-Ohio) has been a solid league.

It’s definitely bittersweet to see it break up,” Franks said. “Without question in today’s economy, travel and gate and crowds have definitely stepped to the forefront. (The close proximity of the schools) is definitely one of the major factors that drove to (the re-creation of the LCL).”

Sponhaltz said it’s a positive move for the Licking County schools said.

“The plus side for us is we’ll be able to go back into the Licking County League where old rivalries will be renewed and the travel will be reduced dramatically,” he said.

Future league affiliation is less certain for Academy, Bexley and Whitehall.

“There has been a lot of speculation on what is going to happen, but I really don’t know what to expect,” Smith said.

“Our big rivalries, Whitehall and Academy, aren’t going to go anywhere, but some of these schools I won’t be overly upset to see leave.”

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“He is definitely one guy who will play as much as possible both ways because he’s too good to be on the sidelines for too long. He’s a very aggressive kid.”

Senior Andres Ball (5-10, 170) will play strong-side linebacker with junior Tommy Wogan (59, 170) on the weak side. Junior Brice Nethers (5-11, 140) will join Stalnaker at cornerback, with Lagace and McClain at safeties.

The new artificial surface at Randy Baughman Field has paid off more this year than it did last season.

“It got installed late last season and we barely had time to practice on it,” Baughman said.

“It has helped our timing in the passing game and we’re further along because of it. There’s not a day that goes by that we’re not thankful.

“I think the biggest help comes when we practice after rain. It’s perfectly lined and we don’t waste time moving our line of scrimmage around to drier spots. We just go out and accomplish the things we need to accomplish during practices.” bemerine@thisweeknews.com www.ThisWeekSPORTS.com

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MSL-OHIO

Newark Catholic

Green Wave seeks playoff encore

By TREY SMITH ThisWeek Community Newspapers

By Paul Vernon/ThisWeek

Jim Collis, who led Academy to a state title in 2003, is back as head coach after the death of Mark Barren on June 9.

VIKINGS Continued from page 77

a chance of being a good team.”

Last season, the Vikings were fifth in the MSL-Ohio, finishing behind Licking Valley (7-0), Heath (6-1), Granville (5-2) and Newark Catholic (4-3) and ahead of Whitehall (2-5), Bexley (1-6) and Lakewood (0-7).

Collis expects Licking Valley, which plays at Academy on Oct. 14, to again be the team to beat.

The Vikings last won the MSLOhio in 2009.

“Licking Valley is always tough,” Collis said. “Granville will be tough. Newark Catholic is tough. They always have players. Every week in this league anybody can beat anybody. It’s a tough, physical football league.

If you have an opportunity to win some games in this league and are fortunate to get into the playoffs, you’re well prepared.”

are outside linebackers.

Brown, Wilson and junior Jared Harris (5-8, 135) should lead the secondary.

Collis expects Bailey (DB), senior Carlton Morris (DB; 5-9, 152), juniors Zach Austin (DL; 6-2, 184) and Tyler Gittins (DB; 6-4, 160) and sophomores Zach Hinson (DL; 6-0, 244), Lee Solomon (LB; 5-6, 164) and Charlie Watters (LB; 6-3, 173) to also see playing time on defense.

Collis hopes the Vikings can contend for a postseason berth.

They last reached the playoffs in 2006, losing 36-9 to AmandaClearcreek in the second round.

“We just need to stay focused and understand that we don’t have a lot of opportunities to get better and we have to take advantage of every opportunity,” Collis said. “I’m cautiously opti- fdirenna@thisweeknews.com mistic. If we stay healthy, we have www.ThisWeekSPORTS.com

82

The Newark Catholic High School football team enters the 2011 season on the heels of its first playoff appearance since winning the Division VI state championship in 2007.

The Green Wave finished 2010 with a 21-20 loss in a regional semifinal to Bridgeport, and while the last three seasons have not met the expectations of those involved with the program, it was an experience coach Bill Franks used as a teaching moment.

“It’s a game of inches,” said Franks, who is entering his 10th season. “The difference between us winning and losing is one inch. We just have to be as fundamental as we can and make the most of each day and each opportunity because here in Ohio people take this thing serious.

We just have to be the best that we can daily.”

The Green Wave finished fourth at 4-3 in the MSL-Ohio Division behind Licking Valley (7-0), Heath (6-1), Granville (52) and ahead of Columbus Academy (3-4), Whitehall (2-5), Bexley (1-6) and Lakewood (0-7).

The Green Wave has not won a league title since capturing the MSL-Cardinal in 2004.

Expected to lead Newark Catholic is a senior class that features quarterback Garrett Vernau (6-foot, 170 pounds), running back/linebacker Connor Shook (5-8, 205), wide receiver/defensive back Tanner Potts (5-10, 185) and linebacker Trevor Garber (6-2, 210). Shook was second team all-MSL and special mention all-state.

“Connor is just so well-rounded,” said Franks, whose squad

Schedule 2011 SCHEDULE Aug. 26.......Harvest Prep ......Home Sept. 3 .......Nelsonville-York ..Home Sept. 9 .......Fisher Catholic ...Home *Sept. 16 ...Heath ..................Away *Sept. 23 ...Cols. Academy .....Away *Oct. 1 .......Bexley................Home *Oct. 7 .......Licking Valley .......Away *Oct. 14 .....Whitehall............Home *Oct. 21 .....Granville ..............Away *Oct. 28 .....Lakewood...........Home

opens against Harvest Prep on Friday, Aug. 26, at home. “He comes from a football family.

He can do so many things, and he’s a fundamentally strong lead blocker. We’re looking to expand his role to try and get him some more carries this year. He’s going to be in the middle of our defense at linebacker and he plays low and strong. He’s also our punter and our kicker.”

Junior safety Kevin Bourne (5-11, 160), who was secondteam all-MSL, and sophomore quarterback Chayce Crouch (64, 200) also will be counted on to contribute. Franks plans on getting Crouch quality time at quarterback.

If Newark Catholic hopes to make a second consecutive playoff appearance, it will have to do so without seven all-league players who were lost to grad-

2010 RESULTS (8-4 overall, 4-3 MSL-Ohio) Harvest Prep ....................W, 27-14 Nelsonville-York...................W, 13-9 Fisher Catholic..................W, 33-13 *Lakewood.........................W, 31-7 *Heath ...............................L, 40-7 *Columbus Academy.........W, 27-24 *Bexley ..............................W, 27-7 *Licking Valley.....................L, 31-7 *Whitehall........................W, 27-14 *Granville............................L, 21-0 PLAYOFFS Fairfield Christian ................W, 28-0 Bridgeport .........................L, 21-20 *MSL-Ohio game

were special mention all-state.

Lewis also was first-team allleague. Price and Cory Murphy were second-team all-league honors and Jordan Rodgers and Jake Cormican were honorable mention.

Franks believes the departure of one class means the next one must be ready to step up.

“We have a saying here that tradition doesn’t graduate,” he said. “It’s time for other gentlemen to step up and our guys have worked hard. We’re looking forward to seeing new, young guys lead.”

A second consecutive appearance in the playoffs is not the only highlight Newark Catholic hopes it can replicate.

If the Green Wave can produce another undefeated regular season on the road they would have a shot at their first league title in seven years.

Newark Catholic’s three league losses came at home to Heath (40-7), Licking Valley (31-7), and Granville (21-0).

After three home non-league games, Newark Catholic opens league play Sept. 16 at Heath, looking to extend its road winning streak to seven.

uation.

Britt Wilder, who was firstteam all-state and all-league, rushed for 1,640 yards on 262 carries and 23 touchdowns.

Defensive lineman Zach Shane was second-team all-state and first-team all-league. Wide receiver Michael Lewis and offensive lineman Aaron Price www.ThisWeekSPORTS.com

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MSL-OHIO

Whitehall

Rams confident victory total will rise again

By KEN KITCHEN ThisWeek Community Newspapers

The Whitehall High School football team is looking to improve again this season, just like it has the previous two years.

The Rams were winless in 2007 and 2008 but went 2-8 in 2009 and 3-7 last season.

Fourth-year coach Greg Lahr thinks the program is making progress.

“I see us turning the corner and we’ll see as the season progresses,” he said. “The kids just need more experience winning games. They need to get in the habit of winning.”

Whitehall opens Friday, Aug. 26, at Fisher Catholic and begins the MSL-Ohio Division schedule Sept. 16 at defending champion Licking Valley. The Rams defeated Fisher Catholic 35-0 in week one a year ago.

Last season, Whitehall finished sixth in the MSL-Ohio at 2-5, behind Licking Valley (7-0), Heath (6-1), Granville (5-2), Newark Catholic (4-3) and Columbus Academy (3-4) and ahead of Bexley (1-6) and Lakewood (0-7).

Licking Valley and Heath qualified for the state playoffs.

“It’s a strong league, no doubt,” Lahr said. “This is also one of the last years the league will be together and the teams will all want to go out on top.”

Granville, Heath, Lakewood, Licking Valley and Newark Catholic will leave the MSL after the 2012-13 school year to join the Licking County League, which disbanded in 1991 but is being brought back.

Whitehall has several players who likely will play both offense and defense. That group includes senior Tyrone Smith, who will be a four-year starter and will play quarterback and defensive back.

He also may see time at receiver.

Smith, who was first-team all-league on defense, also is expected to return punts and kickoffs.

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By Andrea Kjerrumgaard/ThisWeek

Senior Tyrone Smith, who will start at quarterback, also was a first-team all-league selection at defensive back a year ago.

By Andrea Kjerrumgaard/ThisWeek

Junior Isaiah Turner returns at fullback and also is expected to start at linebacker for the Rams, who open Friday, Aug. 26, at Fisher Catholic.

Sophomore Cody Koons may split time with Smith at quarterSchedule back, but he was held out of the 2011 SCHEDULE 2010 RESULTS Rams’first two scrimmages with Aug. 27.......Fisher Catholic .....Away (3-7 overall, 2-5 MSL-Ohio) a concussion.

Sept. 2 .......Bloom-Carroll......Home Fisher Catholic....................W, 35-0 Senior Jontey Hammock was Sept. 9 .......Grandview............Away Bloom-Carroll.......................L, 23-6 second-team all-league as a de- *Sept. 16 ...Licking Valley .......Away Grandview .........................L, 28-13 fensive back and also will play *Sept. 23 ...Heath ................Home *Bexley ............................W, 28-14 *Sept. 30 ...Granville ............Home *Licking Valley.....................L, 42-0 receiver. *Oct. 7 .......Lakewood ............Away *Heath .............................L, 45-19 Senior Taylor Hutchison, who *Oct. 14 .....Newark Catholic ...Away *Granville..........................L, 31-13 will play defensive back and wide *Oct. 21 .....Cols. Academy....Home *Lakewood.........................W, 62-6 receiver, was honorable mention *Oct. 28 .....Bexley................Home *Newark Catholic...............L, 27-14 *Columbus Academy .........L, 43-34 all-league as a sophomore but *MSL-Ohio game missed half of last season with an injury.

Senior Channing Porter will play running back and outside linebacker.

He was all-league as a running back as a freshman and sophomore but missed half of last season with a shoulder injury.

Porter is being counted on to help fill the void left by running back Denzel Smith, a 2011 graduate who was first-team all-league The Rams return three starters and now plays at Urbana Uni- season finale last fall.

Junior Isaiah Turner returns on the offensive line in seniors versity. Denzel Smith rushed for 366 yards and four touchdowns at fullback and also will start at Thomas Johnson and Dustin May (honorable mention all-league) in a 43-34 loss to Academy in the linebacker.

and junior Alex Farrow (thirdyear starter). All three are expected to play on the defensive line as well.

Junior Ifa Abdul-Jelil returns to handle the kicking and punting.

According to Lahr, the returnees worked hard in the weight room during the offseason and are stronger than they were last season. He also believes his team’s overall speed has improved.

Lahr said there are about 60 players in the program, an increase from last year.

Meanwhile, as part of the construction of new buildings in the district, the Rams’ current stadium will be razed after the season.

“For our juniors and our seniors, this season is the last one they’ll get to play on this field,” Lahr said.

The Rams will play all of their home games in 2012 at a site to be determined before moving into their new stadium in 2013. Lahr is hoping by then that the foun-

FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE 2011 Football Preview | August 25, 2011

dation for a winning program will be established.

“We’ve got to get used to winning and that’s happening,” he said. “Last year, our freshman team went 5-2 and our junior varsity went 5-3.” www.ThisWeekSPORTS.com

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83

OTHER AREA TEAMS Buckeye Valley

Barons expect offseason work to pay off

By BRAD EMERINE ThisWeek Community Newspapers

Buckeye Valley High School football coach Mike Marshall welcomed back 19 players who earned starts last season.

“We have a lot of experience back,” said Marshall, who is in his eighth season with the Barons and 26th overall. “We’re not only a year older and a year wiser, we’re also much stronger and quicker than last season. The guys did a really good job in the offseason.”

The Barons finished 4-6 overall and 4-5 in the MOAC-Red Division a year ago. They averaged 16.8 points and allowed 18.0 per game.

Buckeye Valley finished fourth in the league, behind Richwood North Union (9-0), Sparta Highland (8-1) and Caledonia River Valley (4-5) and ahead of Marion Elgin (3-6). MOAC records include crossover games against the Blue Division. Marion Pleasant (7-2) won that division and was followed by Cardington (54), Mount Gilead (3-6), Morral Ridgedale (1-8) and Galion Northmor (0-9).

Seniors Juston Koss (6-foot3, 215 pounds), Kevan Green (61, 195), Jack Grote (6-2, 205), Ethan Harsh (6-3, 195), Zack Willis (6-1, 200) and Brad Reese (6-0, 240) are expected to lead the Barons.

“Juston is the best player we have on both sides of the football,” Marshall said. “He runs a (4.7-second 40 yards) and was honorable mention all-state (in Division III last year). He has played defensive end for two years for us out of necessity, but will play outside linebacker this year. He wants to take his game to the next level and he would be an ideal outside linebacker in college.”

Last season, Koss led the team with 94 tackles and had two sacks, an interception, a forced fumble,

84

Schedule 2011 SCHEDULE Aug. 26.......Delaware ..........Away *Sept. 2 .....Pleasant..........Home *Sept. 9 .....Ridgedale .........Away *Sept. 16 ...River Valley .......Away *Sept. 23 ...Cardington.......Home *Sept. 30 ...Northmor.........Home *Oct. 7 .......Highland ...........Away *Oct. 14 .....Mount Gilead...Home *Oct. 21 .....North Union.....Home *Oct. 28 .....Marion Elgin......Away 2010 RESULTS (4-6 overall, 4-5 MOAC-Red) Delaware........................L, 30-10 *Marion Pleasant .............L, 19-9 *Morral Ridgedale............W, 52-0 *Caledonia River Valley .....L, 27-6 *Cardington.......................W, 9-7 *Galion Northmor ............W, 30-0 *Sparta Highland..............L, 42-0 *Mount Gilead................L, 20-14 *Richwood North Union.....L, 28-7 *Marion Elgin ..................W, 31-7 *MOAC game

a recovered fumble and a blocked field goal.

In the multiple-I offense, Koss will line up as a running back and receiver. He led the team with 419 yards rushing and four touchdowns last year, as the Barons rotated five players in the backfield. He caught 14 passes for 106 yards and two touchdowns.

Green returns at quarterback after completing 71 of 155 passes for 985 yards and seven touchdowns. Grote, who will be a thirdyear starter, had 19 receptions for 251 yards and two touchdowns at tight end.

Other targets for Green include Ben Stakely (4 receptions, 41 yards, 2 TDs), Harsh and juniors Shawn Free (5-10, 140) and Will Crecelius (6-1, 170).

Willis will play guard and

By Chris Parker/ThisWeek

Junior Brad Krueger is expected to be in the rotation at running back when the Barons open Friday, Aug. 26, at Delaware.

Reese is a tackle. Joining them on the offensive line are juniors Joel Greenwood (6-0, 270) at tackle, Jay Grote (5-10, 185) at guard and Patrick Godsil (5-11, 230) at center.

Along with Koss, the backfield rotation will include juniors Caleb Green (5-11, 195), Brad Krueger (5-11, 185), Luke Edmonds (511, 195) and Jack Kelly (5-11, 140) and sophomore Kyle Doubikin (5-11, 155).

Green ran for 199 yards and

one touchdown last year.

“We’re still trying to figure out which combination is best for us in terms of tailback and fullback,” Marshall said. “Many of them will see action, though. It will be determined by a number of things, including where we line Juston up for certain plays, for instance.

So they all need to know both running back positions.”

Senior Mason Long is expected to be the punter and kicker.

In the 4-3 defense, Willis and

senior Austin Venable (5-9, 185) will be ends and Reese, Edmonds and sophomore Logan Dziak (62, 260) will split time at tackle.

Caleb Green will join Koss at outside linebacker. Junior Mark Firkins (6-3, 180) and Jay Grote will be inside linebackers.

Harsh and senior Kyle Wheatro Jr. (5-11, 190) will be at safety, with Stakely and junior Darren Dodds (5-9, 140) at the corners.

“I really think our offseason work will be evident with our de-

FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE 2011 Football Preview | August 25, 2011

fense, but the one area of concern is our depth, especially on the line of scrimmage,” Marshall said.

“We don’t worry much about receivers and secondary personnel playing both ways, but those big guys that beat each other up on every play, they need a break, so we try to get them one when we can.” bemerine@thisweeknews.com www.ThisWeekSPORTS.com

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OTHER AREA TEAMS

Canal Winchester

Indians adjusting quickly to new coach

By AARON BLANKENSHIP ThisWeek Community Newspapers

First-year Canal Winchester High School football coach Shawn Hinkle figured it might take time for his players to buy into the schemes he’s implementing, most notably the switch from a 4-3 defense to a 3-5 set.

That hasn’t been the case, though, as the Indians have embraced the changes.

“Our players have had to deal with a lot of changes, but they’ve taken to the new regime and our new ideas more quickly than I was expecting,” Hinkle said. “This group has accepted anything that we’ve asked them to do and run with our new philosophies.

“That’s important because we’re going to need to be ready to perform well right away, because we’re playing a tough opponent in Week 1.”

The Indians open Friday, Aug. 26 at home against St. Charles and begin MSL-Buckeye Division play on Sept. 16 at Fairfield Union. They will be looking to avenge a 27-20 setback a year ago, which was their only regular-season defeat.

Canal Winchester won the MSL-Buckeye at 7-0 and finished 9-2 overall, losing to Big Walnut 44-20 in the first round of the Division II, Region 7 playoffs.

While serving as an assistant under former coach Phil Mauro last season, Hinkle was heavily involved in designing Canal Winchester’s spread offense, which set a program record with 328 points.

But the Indians lost seven offensive starters to graduation, including quarterback Drew Black and running back Sam Jones.

Black threw 17 touchdown passes and rushed for 12 scores, and Jones ran for 10 touchdowns.

Four players who started multiple games on offense last year have returned in seniors Austin Whitlatch (receiver) and Alex Pickens (running back) and jun-

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Schedule 2011 SCHEDULE Aug. 26 .....St. Charles .......Home Sept. 2......Grove City...........Away Sept. 9......Marion-Franklin..Home *Sept. 16..Fairfield Union.....Away *Sept. 23..Amanda-Clear....Home *Sept. 30..Bloom-Carroll......Away *Oct. 7......Hamilton Twsp...Home *Oct. 14....Logan Elm ..........Away *Oct. 21....Teays Valley ........Away *Oct. 28....Circleville ..........Home 2010 RESULTS (9-2 overall, 7-0 MSL-Buckeye) St. Charles .....................L, 27-20 Grove City......................W, 38-14 Westerville Central ...........W, 21-3 *Circleville.....................W, 40-21 *Fairfield Union................W, 41-0 *Amanda-Clearcreek ......W, 27-25 *Bloom-Carroll .................W, 50-0 *Hamilton Township .......W, 17-14 *Logan Elm ...................W, 35-14 *Teays Valley .................W, 42-20 PLAYOFFS Big Walnut......................L, 44-20 *MSL-Buckeye game

By Mike Munden/ThisWeek

iors Zach Morehead (tackle) and Ian Jones (tight end).

Senior Alex Fox is expected to start at quarterback, senior Zach Cowan will be the second wide receiver and junior Josh Miller will take over at one of the guard positions.

Fox will be joined by a deep group of running backs that includes seniors Pickens and Antonio Whitfield and juniors Matt Cunningham, John Franklin and Jaquan Ransome.

“We had the best offense Canal Winchester’s ever had last year, but we’re replacing a lot of key players, so it’s going to be a big challenge for us to match what we did last season,” Hinkle said.

“We have a lot of kids learning new positions, but it looks like

Canal Winchester’s Brennen Moore (99) pressures St. Charles quarterback Joe Spahr last season. Moore is one of five starters back on defense for the Indians.

we’re shaping up well.”

Five starters are back to bolster the defense in seniors Britain Coldren (LB), Thomas Dexter (DL), Brennen Moore (DL) and Jesse Osborne (LB) and junior Deontaye Cosby (LB).

Senior Dean Myers and junior Nick Toledo are expected to strengthen a deep linebacker corps, while Coldren is the top punter and junior Noah Ising will handle the kicking duties.

“We’ve averaging about 215 pounds across our front line, so we have to rely on our quickness and athleticism,” Hinkle said. “We can’t push people around all day, and that’s why we changed our defense, because our new system allows our kids to run around and

use their speed and athleticism.

The kids are excited about it because they can be more aggressive, which suits their style.”

In 2010, the Indians went undefeated in league play for the first time since 1975 and made a LARGEST IN-STOCK SELECTION. fourth consecutive playoff ap- LOWEST PRICES. EVERYDAY! OVER 1 MILLION SF OF FIRST pearance, only to lose in the first round for the third year in a row. QUALITY HARD SURFACE FLOORING! “Along with the success we’ve had come greater goals,” Hinkle said. “Of course we want to win the MSL and qualify for the playoffs again, but we’re even hungrier now and we want to win a playoff game. We won’t be happy WWW.FLOORANDDECOROUTLETS.COM just to make it there again.”

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OTHER AREA TEAMS

Hamilton Township

Rangers set season motto: ‘Good to Great’

By DAVE PURPURA ThisWeek Community Newspapers

There was plenty of talk about records in the wake of the Hamilton Township High School football team’s 2010 season, in large part because 2009 featured no wins at all.

Last year, the Rangers finished 8-2 overall, finishing three spots shy of the Division II, Region 7 playoffs, and went 6-1 in the MSL-Buckeye Division to place second behind Canal Winchester (7-0). It was their first winning season since 2003.

So what is the next step for the Rangers? Winning the league? Making the playoffs?

“Both,” said second-year coach Nate Hillerich, who was named the state’s Division II coCoach of the Year last season.

“Those are our expectations now.

Our motto this year is, ‘Good to Great.’ Last year was a good season, but we didn’t win our league or go to the playoffs. Those are our two goals. Changing that is the attitude that’s carried through the whole offseason.”

Hillerich, a former linebacker at Ohio Dominican who previously was Hamilton Township’s running backs coach, succeeded four-year Rangers coach and longtime DeSales coach Bob Jacoby early in 2010 and immediately brought a youthful enthusiasm — and “smashmouth” attitude — to the Rangers.

Last season, the offense averaged 35.5 points and scored 40 points or more five times.

But with seven starters graduating, the onus will fall on Hamilton Township’s defense to keep the Rangers at a high level until the maturing offense

86

Schedule 2011 SCHEDULE Aug. 26 .....Chillicothe ..........Away Sept. 2......London .............Home Sept. 9......Bexley ..............Home *Sept. 16..Logan Elm ..........Away *Sept. 23..Circleville ..........Home *Sept. 30..Amanda-Clear. ....Away *Oct. 7......Canal Winch. ......Away *Oct. 14....Teays Valley ......Home *Oct. 21....Fairfield Union ...Home *Oct. 28....Bloom-Carroll......Away 2010 RESULTS (8-2 overall, 6-1 MSL-Buckeye) Chillicothe .....................W, 55-30 London...........................L, 19-14 Columbus West..............W, 49-21 *Bloom-Carroll ...............W, 46-14 *Logan Elm ...................W, 41-13 *Circleville.....................W, 30-27 *Amanda-Clearcreek ......W, 22-12 *Canal Winchester..........L, 17-14 *Teays Valley ...................W, 55-6 *Fairfield Union..............W, 29-15 * MSL-Buckeye game

catches up.

That much was evident in an Aug. 13 scrimmage against Marion-Franklin, where several hits sent the Rangers players, coaches and fans into howls of delight.

The defense returns seven starters, led by all-league defensive end Howard Fowler, a 6-foot-1, 235-pound senior who had seven sacks a year ago, and senior linebacker Ashton Evans (5-10, 215), a three-year starter who made 46 tackles in 2010.

“We just hit whatever moves,” said senior Caleb Brown, a 6-1,

ThisWeek file

The Rangers’ Caleb Brown tries to trip up Canal Winchester’s Sam Jones during a game last season. Brown, who was second-team all-league, said of the attacking defense: “We just hit whatever moves.”

220-pound defensive end who earned all-league honors last year. “We feel like the defense sets the pace and keeps things moving early. We know there are a lot of new guys on offense, so we have to set the tone right now.”

Others expected to contribute on defense are nose guard Logan Carter (senior, 5-9, 295), linebackers Dominique Parnell (senior, 5-11, 205), Arnold McDade (junior, 5-9, 175) and Micky Crum (sophomore, 6-4, 219), and defensive backs Sean Marcum (junior, 5-10, 151), Ray Sweet (senior, 6-0, 187), Trace Koehl (junior, 5-9, 176) and Aarren Williams (freshman, 5-9, 148).

Crum, also a tight end who is expected to be one of only six two-way players for the Rangers, already is getting looks from Big

Ten and Mid-American Conference schools.

The expected starting quarterback is junior Zach Thompson (6-2, 193), who played several positions, including quarterback, tight end and halfback, in 2010.

His targets will include receivers Caleb Morris (senior, 511, 171), Cody Lannom (junior, 5-11, 168) and running back Lorenzio Bridges (sophomore, 5-10, 169).

The line is led by two threeyear starters, center Cole Freshkorn (6-3, 260) and tackle T.J. Morrison (6-2, 268), and guard B.J. Hedges (5-10, 265).

The three seniors were all-league selections in 2010 and fit the prototype of the punishing offense Hillerich wants to implement.

“We’re one of the biggest pro-

grams in our league,” Hillerich top.” said. “We think we can go out dpurpura@thisweeknews.com and pound people.”

The Rangers open Friday, www.ThisWeekSPORTS.com Aug. 26, at Chillicothe, then play host to London (Sept. 2) and Bexley (Sept. 9) before their MSL-Buckeye opener Sept. 16 against Logan Elm. A potentially telling stretch of the schedule includes backto-back road games at AmandaClearcreek (Sept. 30) and Canal Winchester (Oct. 7).

By then, how close the Rangers are to “good” or “great” might be easier to say.

“Eight and two is a great record, but of course, we can do better,” Lannom said. “Our biggest goal is getting into the Southeast Center playoffs and going as far as we at Groveport can. ‘Good to great’ just means cscc.edu/southeast doing the best we can and hoping that means we come out on

FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE 2011 Football Preview | August 25, 2011

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Grandview Heights

Returning starters produce high expectations

By SCOTT HENNEN

Schedule

ThisWeek Community Newspapers

Joe Anderson knows expectations are high for the Grandview Heights High School football team.

The Bobcats return eight starters on offense and seven on defense from a team that finished 6-4 overall. Last year was a learning process. This year involves taking that knowledge to the next level.

“I learned a lot last year in my first year as a starter after I was injured my first two seasons,” said Anderson, a two-way lineman. “I just need to get off of the ball faster because I already know the plays.

We just have to execute.”

The Bobcats return the two top rushers in their wing-T offense in seniors Jason Franks (running back) and Oliver Rouch (quarterback).

Franks ran for 925 yards and eight touchdowns on 163 carries and was second-team all-league and special mention all-district in Division V. Rouch ran for 629 yards and six touchdowns on 72 carries and completed 33 of 55 passes for 476 yards with five touchdowns and two interceptions.

Rouch was named first-team all-league and second-team alldistrict as a defensive back.

“It’s great to have the top two rushers back from last year,” fifthyear coach Jason Peters said. “We had good effort (in the first scrimmage against Marion Elgin) and we saw some little things we needed to work on. Little things are easy to fix, so we just have to finetune some things and continue to improve.”

Returning with Anderson on the line are senior Will Heydinger and junior Andy Treasure. Also back are junior running backs Payton Jones and Tyler Mosier and junior wide receiver Luke Snider.

“After the starters, we have a lot of kids back who can play football,” Peters said. “We have some

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2011 SCHEDULE Aug. 26 .....Centennial ........Home Sept. 2......East Knox...........Away Sept. 9......Whitehall ..........Home *Sept. 16..West Jefferson....Away *Sept. 23..Millersport..........Away *Sept. 30..Licking Heights..Home *Oct. 7......Berne Union .......Away *Oct. 14....Fisher Catholic ..Home *Oct. 21....Harvest Prep ......Away *Oct. 28....Liberty Union.....Home 2010 RESULTS (6-4 overall, 4-3 MSL-Cardinal) Utica ................................L, 32-7 East Knox......................W, 23-14 Whitehall .......................W, 28-13 *Liberty Union ...................W, 9-7 *West Jefferson................L, 21-7 *Millersport.....................W, 47-0 *Licking Heights .............L, 23-18 *Berne Union ..................W, 55-0 *Fisher Catholic...............W, 35-7 *Harvest Prep ................L, 42-14 *MSL-Cardinal game

By Lorrie Cecil/ThisWeek

Linebacker Andy Treasure, shown tackling Millersport’s Alex Blake last season, is one of seven returnees on the Bobcats’ defense.

depth this year, which is something we didn’t have in the past.”

Players returning in the 4-3 defense include linebackers Treasure and sophomore Luke Miller, and Jones, Mosier and Rouch in the secondary. Senior Carter Jump returns on the line along with Anderson at nose guard.

“We have depth, we have athletes and we have experience,” said Peters, whose team opens against Centennial on Friday,Aug. 26, at home. “Our defense is fast and we’re faster than last year.

We’re an athletic group with our biggest kid being 215 (pounds), but our kids can run, even the bigger kids.”

Senior Dakota Williams will handle the kicking duties and sophomore Tim Murphy will punt.

In addition to running back, Franks will play defense for the

first time.

“I’m in my first year as a safety, so I guess I’m like a freshman at that position,” he said. “I’m learning the reads and I know I’m aggressive enough to play the position.”

Franks said he and the senior class are ready to lead the Bobcats.

“The first thing about being a senior is that people now are looking up to us,” he said. “I have to make sure the younger guys know what they’re doing.”

Peters is excited about his team’s prospects but knows health will be a key to success.

“My biggest concern would be getting people hurt,” Peters said.

“We have more depth than in the past, but in Division V football, you’re only one injury away from being an average team. We have

depth for the first time and we 21-14 in the opening round of the and returning to the playoffs will Division V playoffs. want to learn how to use it.”

Attaining goals of a league title The Bobcats believe they are See BOBCATS, page 93 primed to challenge West Jefferson for the MSL-Cardinal Division title.

Last season, they finished 4-3 in the league, tying Harvest Prep and Liberty Union for third behind West Jefferson (7-0) and LickLARGEST IN-STOCK SELECTION. ing Heights (5-2) and ahead of LOWEST PRICES. EVERYDAY! Berne Union (3-4), Fisher Catholic OVER 1 MILLION SF OF FIRST QUALITY HARD SURFACE FLOORING! (1-6) and Millersport (0-7).

“We have West Jefferson and they’re always tough,” Peters said.

“To be the man you have to beat the man, and right now (the Roughriders) are the team to beat.

Licking Heights is going to be good and Liberty Union is always WWW.FLOORANDDECOROUTLETS.COM Downtown solid.”

3785 PARK MILL RUN RD. Campus The Bobcats last made the postHILLIARD, OH 43026 cscc.edu season in 2005, finishing 9-1 and 614-777-6170 falling to host Lucasville Valley

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Harvest Prep

Warriors confident despite small roster

By DAVE PURPURA

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Only 17 players were on the Jack Johnson Field turf for the end of a recent Harvest Prep football practice, prompting an observer to ask the field’s namesake and seventh-year Warriors coach if that was the entire roster.

“Nope,” Johnson said. “I think we’re missing five or six guys.”

Thirty-nine years ago, he might have been asked the same thing as he exited the practice field at then-tiny Pickerington High School. Those Tigers, years before their town burgeoned into a prosperous suburb and the football team was ranked in state polls seemingly each week, had only 24 players.

These Warriors, embattled in recent months by accusations of Ohio High School Athletic Association violations and transfers in and out of the program, have 23. And as Johnson sat on a golf cart and reflected on what he’ll be working with this season, he took encouragement from improving from two wins in 2009 to six in 2010 and drew a parallel with Pickerington.

“We’re finally starting to get it. It takes a lot to build a football team,” said Johnson, a 215game winner at Pickerington and Harvest Prep. “When we were building the program at Pickerington, we went through some of the same growing pains as now. ... This has been a long time coming. It’s starting to jell now.

The only downfall is we don’t have a very big team.

“Once you get the truck rolling, it doesn’t take much to keep it rolling — but boy, to get it rolling. And I think we’re getting it rolling here.”

Harvest Prep finished 6-4 overall last season and went 43 in the MSL-Cardinal Division to tie Grandview and Liberty Union for third behind West Jefferson (7-0) and Licking Heights

88

2011 SCHEDULE Aug. 26 .....Newark Cath.......Away Sept. 2......Africentric .........Home Sept. 9......Bloom-Carroll......Away *Sept. 16..Licking Heights..Home *Sept. 23..Berne Union......Home *Oct. 1......Fisher Catholic....Away *Oct. 7......West Jefferson ..Home *Oct. 14....Liberty Union ......Away *Oct. 21....Grandview.........Home *Oct. 28....Millersport..........Away 2010 RESULTS (6-4 overall, 4-3 MSL-Cardinal) Newark Catholic..............L, 27-14 Columbus South ..............W, 36-7 Bloom-Carroll .................W, 50-24 *Millersport.....................W, 77-0 *Licking Heights .............L, 32-17 *Berne Union ...................L, 27-7 *Fisher Catholic...............W, 64-7 *West Jefferson..............L, 28-21 *Liberty Union ...............W, 19-14 *Grandview ...................W, 42-14 *MSL-Cardinal game

By Andrea Kjerrumgaard/ThisWeek

Zach Yousey, a junior, will be at wide receiver and free safety for the Warriors.

(5-2) and ahead of Berne Union (3-4), Fisher Catholic (1-6) and Millersport (0-7).

Losses to Licking Heights (3217) and West Jefferson (28-21) dashed the Warriors’ league title hopes, but the most costly setback was a 27-7 loss to Berne Union in early October. The Warriors finished 11th in Division VI, Region 23, three spots shy of the playoffs.

Nonetheless, the Warriors are optimistic about this season, even with just four seniors back. Two of them are special mention allstate selections in 6-foot, 215pound fullback/linebacker Terry Harper and quarterback/linebacker Devon Wade (5-10, 168).

“We had a small team last year. This year, it’s even smaller,” said Harper, who had a school-record 139 tackles as a

sophomore and is getting recruiting attention from Big Ten and Mid-American Conference schools. “Coming off that season, we should be pumped.”

Wade or junior Josiah Stacey (5-8, 175) will be the starting quarterback. If Wade wins the job, Stacey will serve as a halfback or wide receiver as well as a full-time strong safety on defense.

“We have a lot of receivers, a lot of athletes,” junior wide receiver/free safety Zach Yousey said. “We have a lot of speed.

We’re just young.”

The line is veteran if not undersized at spots. Center Chase Ridgeway, a senior, stands only 5-8, 170, but is flanked by tackles Tony Peoples (junior; 6-2,

By Andrea Kjerrumgaard/ThisWeek

See WARRIORS, page 94 Jack Johnson is entering his seventh season as coach of the Warriors.

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Licking Heights

Hornets focus on fundamentals in preseason

By BRAD EMERINE

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ThisWeek Community Newspapers

As the Licking Heights High School football team prepared to close two-a-day practices, seventh-year coach Darren Waters identified two areas of concern.

“First, we have to tighten up our discipline,” Waters said. “Second, we’ve got to improve our conditioning. Those are what we’re working on before we head to play our big rival, Watkins Memorial, on that first Friday night.”

Waters and his staff simplified play-calling in the Hornets’spread offense and put increased focus on blocking and tackling fundamentals during the summer workouts.

“We made that change because we felt it would help us compete against West Jefferson and Liberty Union and those teams,” Waters said. “We feel we have as much if not more athleticism in our program, but those teams are more fundamentally sound than we’ve been. So we cut down what we were doing early and got back to working hard on the fundamentals.”

In their first scrimmage against Bexley on Aug. 10, the Hornets were not called for any penalties.

In their second scrimmage against Heath on Aug. 13, they were pe-

GOOD LUCK We wish all area teams a great, safe 2011 season!

2011 SCHEDULE Aug. 26.......Watkins Mem.......Away Sept. 2 .......Gallia Academy...Home Sept. 9 .......Teays Valley........Home *Sept. 16 ...Harvest Prep........Away *Sept. 23 ...Liberty Union ......Home *Sept. 30 ...Grandview............Away *Oct. 7 .......Millersport .........Home *Oct. 14 .....West Jefferson .....Away *Oct. 21 .....Berne Union .......Home *Oct. 28 .....Fisher Catholic .....Away

By Lorrie Cecil/ThisWeek

Ronnie Dawson will play in the slot on offense and linebacker on defense for the Hornets.

nalized only five times, with most coming toward the end of the scrimmage.

“We lost focus once we got tired and that was a telling sign that we

aren’t as well conditioned as we normally are,” Waters said. “Usually you can see in the first three or four weeks that our kids are conditioned for football and our

opponents aren’t to that level yet.

That’s not the case this year because our weight-lifting and conditioning sessions weren’t well attended.”

Last season, the Hornets finished 7-3 overall and placed second in the MSL-Cardinal Division at 5-2, behind West Jefferson (7-0) and ahead of Grandview (4-3), Harvest Prep (4-3), Liberty Union (4-3), Fisher Catholic

2010 RESULTS (7-3 overall, 5-2 MSL-Cardinal) Philo ..................................W, 16-3 Watkins Memorial ..............L, 41-32 Teays Valley ........................W, 49-9 *Fisher Catholic..................W, 56-0 *Harvest Prep ..................W, 32-17 *Liberty Union ...................L, 22-15 *Grandview ......................W, 23-18 *Millersport........................W, 52-0 *West Jefferson ................L, 28-14 *Berne Union .....................W, 14-0 *MSL-Cardinal game

(1-6) and Millersport (0-7).

Waters made the offseason changes in preparation for what he said is one of his youngest teams.

Still, there is plenty of talent.

Leading the way are three potential college recruits in juniors Ronnie Dawson, A.J. Mitchell and Darius Strickland.

“Dawson is a 6-foot-1, 232pound slot receiver who runs a

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(4.7-second 40 yards),” Waters said. “He also plays middle linebacker and will be our fullback in goal-line and short-yardage situations. He’s already hearing from many of the (Mid-American Conference) schools.

“Mitchell is another tremendous athlete at running back and outside linebacker, and Strickland is our quarterback and he goes 64, 210. His maturity level and mechanics have improved so much.”

Like Mitchell, senior Matt Nichols is a running back and outside linebacker.

Joining Dawson at receiver are seniors Jerrid Robinson, Jeff Smith and Andre Wiafe and juniors Taylor Curtiss and Sherard Pollard, who also will punt. Dawson and Smith were first-team all-league.

Senior Zak Scott will play tight end, and junior Josh Ausberry will play an upback in goal-line situations.

The Hornets’skill-position players will operate behind a line with good size. Expected to start are senior Alex Mulcahy (355 pounds) and junior Willie Carter (270) at tackles, sophomore Jacob Hopkins (255) and senior Adam Mayville (215) at guards and senior Zach Dunbrack (170) at center. Junior C.R. Hall will kick.

See HORNETS, page 93

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OTHER AREA TEAMS

Grove City Christian

ADVANCE

Good start one of key goals for Eagles HVACR

By FRANK DiRENNA ThisWeek Community Newspapers

By Todd Seimer/ThisWeek

Coach Kerry Owens enters his second season as the Eagles expect to improve on last year’s 3-7 record.

“Old World Cooking” With New World Service Since 1963

The Grove City Christian School football team is eying a return trip to the Division VI playoffs.

The Eagles earned the program’s first postseason berth in 2009 — finishing 12-2 after losing to eventual state champion Norwalk St. Paul 52-7 in a state semifinal — but slipped to 3-7 last season under first-year coach Kerry Owens.

However, an increased number of players and the return of several key players have Owens optimistic about the season. The Eagles open Saturday, Aug. 27, at Bellaire St. John.

“I feel much more comfortable,” Owens said. “The kids bought into our offseason program. They all have great attitudes.”

Owens believes it is imperative that his team gets off to a strong start. Last season, Grove City Christian lost its first four games.

“We took it on the chin early last year,” he said. “That was tough on the psyche on the team, so (the players) want to win game No. 1 this year and start the season off right as opposed to 0-1

Best of Luck Eagles!

90

like we did last year. They’re focused on winning game one.”

Among the returnees is senior two-way lineman Zack Casparro (6-foot-6, 260 pounds), who is being recruited by numerous Division I colleges.

“We can do a lot better than last season,” Casparro said. “It starts with the seniors, the senior leadership. We really have to

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2010 RESULTS (3-7 overall) Danville...............................L, 46-0 Parma Heights Holy Name....L, 47-7 Matewan (W.Va.).................L 40-29 Dayton Jefferson Township .L, 44-12 Cincinnati Horizon Science Academy W, 73-0 Troy Christian.....................L, 21-14 Cincinnati Christian .............W, 45-0 Zanesville Rosecrans ...........L, 31-7 Fayetteville-Perry .................W, 34-6 Fairfield Christian...............L, 56-20

set an example for the young players and show them how it is.”

Senior Ben Whitaker (6-1, 175) returns at quarterback and will lead the team’s veer-option offense. Last season, he completed 79 of 172 passes for 857 yards with eight touchdowns and See EAGLES, page 94

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Johnstown-Monroe

Johnnies determined to earn playoff berth Passing game could make the difference

By SCOTT HENNEN ThisWeek Community Newspapers

Ross Franklin led central Ohio in rushing last season and his Johnstown-Monroe High School football team finished 7-3, but that wasn’t good enough.

The Johnnies didn’t reach the Division IV playoffs and they didn’t win the MBC championship. Franklin wants to make sure that changes his senior season.

“After last season, we kept talking about working to get back here for this season,” said Franklin, a 6-foot, 210-pound tailback who finished with 2,183 yards on 217 carries with 22 touchdowns. “We went 7-3 and we woulda, coulda, shoulda done better. We don’t want that this year. We want to go 10-0 and make the playoffs.”

Franklin, who was secondteam all-state and first-team alldistrict and all-league last year, will be joined in the backfield by quarterback Matt Smith (63, 195), who was 25-for-71 passing for 333 yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions a year ago.

In the opening scrimmage Aug. 9 against Mifflin, Smith threw two touchdown passes.

“We worked on our passing game a lot in the offseason and we may open things up on offense,” said Smith, who also rushed for 526 yards and seven touchdowns on 104 carries.

“We’re excited to get things going.”

Johnstown tied Utica for second in the MBC last season at 5-2, behind Fredericktown (70) and ahead of Danville (3-4), East Knox (3-4), Loudonville (3-4), Centerburg (2-5) and

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Schedule 2011 SCHEDULE Aug. 26.......Granville ..............Away Sept. 2 .......Heath ................Home Sept. 9 .......Lakewood ...........Away *Sept. 16 ...Centerburg...........Away *Sept. 23 ...Loudonville.........Home *Sept. 30 ...Fredericktown .....Home *Oct. 7 .......Utica ...................Away *Oct. 14 .....Danville..............Home *Oct. 2 .......East Knox ............Away *Oct. 28 .....Northridge..........Home

Northridge (0-7).

“Unity is the strength of the team,” 10th-year coach Mike Carter said.

“We have a tight group of kids who believe in the essence of team. They have a good time around each other.”

The Johnnies bring back seven starters in their unbalanced-I offensive set.

In addition to Franklin and Smith, returning are senior tackle Brandon Hollis (6-4, 285), senior tight end Harley O’Flaherty (6-3, 205), senior wide receiver Steven Smith (5-8, 155), junior tackle Tim Sayer (6-4, 210) and junior fullback Dan Carter (5-9, 205).

Carter rushed for 165 yards on 35 carries and scored seven touchdowns last season.

Another starter on offense who was expected to return, R.D. Williams, a 5-9, 220-pound lineman who was special mention alldistrict, transferred to Trenton Edgewood for his senior season.

“I’m more confident this year leading the team and with everyone looking up to me,” Matt Smith said. “We have higher ex-

2010 RESULTS (7-3 overall, 5-2 MBC) Granville...........................W, 41-14 Heath ...............................L, 21-15 Lakewood.........................W, 42-13 *Centerburg .....................W, 42-14 *Loudonville .......................W, 27-6 *Fredericktown ....................L, 31-7 *Utica...............................L, 21-19 *Danville..........................W, 45-14 *East Knox.......................W, 42-20 *Northridge ........................W, 70-7 *MBC game

pectations as seniors.”

The 4-4 defense also returns seven starters in linebacker/safety Franklin (58 tackles, 2 interceptions), linebacker Steven Smith (107 tackles), senior lineman Joey Dismuke (5-9, 190), senior lineman Nick SanFilipo (5-9, 255; 50 tackles, 23 tackles for loss, 7 sacks), junior lineman Dakota Crawford (6-2, 300; 6 tackles for loss), junior linebacker Corbin Grassman (6-2, 220; 99 tackles, 5 sacks) and junior linebacker/safety Nick Sadinsky (6-0, 185; 81 tackles, 3 interceptions).

“Coach Carter says this is one of the strongest teams he’s ever coached,” Franklin said. “We’ve been going hard in two-a-days and we have a good group who has a lot of fun together.”

Coach Carter doesn’t want his players looking too far ahead, though.

“We have to make sure that we’re consistent on each play and make sure we stay focused so we can get things accomplished,” he said. “If we’re able to do this and have some fun along the way, then we should

By Paul Vernon/ThisWeek

Ross Franklin returns for his senior season after rushing for 2,183 yards and 22 touchdowns a year ago when the Johnnies went 7-3 overall and 5-2 in the MBC.

be successful.”

Johnstown opens Friday, Aug. 26, at Granville. The Johnnies defeated the Blue Aces 41-14 in the opener last season.

The Johnnies then play at home against Heath on Sept. 2 and at Lakewood on Sept. 9 before opening MBC play Sept.

16 at Centerburg.

“The league is always tough from year to year and you just have to jump in and make sure you play four quarters every week,” coach Carter said.

“We have some really good teams and it should be a race to the finish.”

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Northridge

Vikings built bonds, trust in offseason

By SCOTT HENNEN

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Tom Roberts has faced an uphill battle since being named coach of the Northridge High School football team in June.

The former assistant at Olentangy will be happy to just take the field and get the season under way at home against Newbury on Saturday, Aug. 27.

A levy failure in May nearly led to the season being canceled and forced former coach Kyle Cutnaw to take a position at Upper Sandusky to ensure he would be teaching this fall.

Cutnaw had been hired in February to replace Tim Priest, who led the program for five seasons.

Roberts spent hot summer days with his team recycling plastic in a warehouse outside Johnstown to help offset $500 pay-to-participate fees. He said that offseason unity might go a long way toward turning around a program that has endured back-to-back 1-9 seasons and hasn’t had a winning record since going 6-4 in 2005.

“I like their grit. I like the fact that they all want to be here,” Roberts said. “We have 33 kids, which may not be a big number, but those 33 want to play. They’re learning to trust one another and they’re learning to be accountable to one another.”

Junior Thomas Williams, a returning starter at fullback and linebacker, said the Vikings have a new attitude.

“Practice is definitely more energized,” said the 5-foot-7, 160pound Williams. “There’s a different attitude and tempo at practice. The coaches have brought a lot of excitement.”

Northridge has changed its schemes, with the offense shifting from a wing-T to a spread attack under offensive coordinator Darby Riley, a former Newark Catholic standout. The defense, under coordinator Dallas Williams, has moved to a 6-2 from a 4-4.

“I would say things are coming around quickly in learning the new offense and defense,”

92

2011 SCHEDULE Aug. 27.......Newbury.............Home Sept. 2 .......Middletown Christian ... ............................................Home Sept. 9 .......Millersport .........Home *Sept. 16 ...Fredericktown.......Away *Sept. 23 ...Utica..................Home *Sept. 30 ...East Knox ..........Home *Oct. 7 .......Danville ...............Away *Oct. 14 .....Centerburg .........Home *Oct. 21 .....Loudonville.........Home *Oct. 28 .....Johnstown ...........Away

2010 RESULTS (1-9 overall, 0-7 MBC) Columbus Academy .............L, 49-7 Bexley .................................L, 49-7 Millersport..........................W, 45-8 *Fredericktown ....................L, 55-3 *Utica.................................L, 48-0 *East Knox..........................L, 42-7 *Danville.............................L, 53-7 *Centerburg ........................L, 27-7 *Loudonville........................L, 70-0 *Johnstown.........................L, 70-7 *MBC game

By Paul Vernon/ThisWeek

Senior Josh Harbaugh scoops up the ball during a game against Bexley last season. Northridge has not had a winning season since going 6-4 in 2005.

Williams said. “We were behind a little at the beginning but have done a lot of drilling in practice.

No one’s really behind right now and we all pretty much have it down.”

The Vikings return junior Gavin Kyle at quarterback, where he finished last season. He will be joined in the by Williams and sophomore Jacob Burke at tailback.

The offensive line includes senior Nick Johnson (6-4, 275), who Roberts said “has a Division I body, but needs to work on technique.”

Joining Johnson at tackle will be senior Jeffrey Russell (5-8, 230), with sophomore A.J. Mooney (6-1, 200) at center.

The rotation at guard will include juniors Zach Rudy (5-10, 180), C.J. Sullivan (5-9, 260) and Ty Wirth (6-0, 160) as well as sophomore Wyatte Hatfield (511, 210).

“Zach Rudy is our best lineman technique-wise,” Roberts said. “If we had five Zach Rudys on the line, we would kick butt every play. He can play guard, tackle or center.”

Wide receivers include seniors Josh Harbaugh and juniors Kyle

Lambright, Kyle Wilbur and Austin Williams. The tight end will be sophomore Zach Hossler.

The defensive line will feature Johnson and Rudy at tackles and Hossler and Mooney at ends along with junior Levi Hatfield. The linebackers include a rotation of Williams, Burke and sophomore Eric Dills.

Harbaugh, Lambright and sophomore Chad Williamson will play

cornerback, with Lambright also seeing time at safety along with senior Rami Salid.

“I think we have the makings of a good team,” Roberts said.

“But we have to go out and challenge teams. Last year we went in at halftime down 35 or more points in all but two games. We can’t do that again.”

Those two games were a 45-8 win over Millersport and a 27-7

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MBC loss to Centerburg.

Last year in the MBC, the Vikings finished eighth (0-7) behind champion Fredericktown (70). Johnstown and Utica tied for second at 5-2 with Danville, East Knox and Loudonville sharing fourth at 3-4. Centerburg finished seventh at 2-5.

The program has lost 15 consecutive league games, with the last MBC victory being a 21-10

win over Loudonville in the ninth week of the 2008 season.

“From what I have been told, Johnstown and Fredericktown should be the frontrunners in the league,” Roberts said. “Johnstown should be good with 70 kids out, a lot of kids back and a great coaching staff.” shennen@thisweeknews.com www.ThisWeekSPORTS.com

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Utica

Redskins must replace record-setting duo

By SCOTT HENNEN ThisWeek Community Newspapers

The Utica High School football team is about to embark on a new era.

For the first time in four seasons, the Redskins will take the field without quarterback Jason Hoar and his primary target, Scott Cline. The 2011 graduates put up big numbers, especially in their final two seasons.

Despite missing a game last year, Hoar was 109-for-199 passing for 1,685 yards and 20 touchdowns with 12 interceptions, and he rushed for 435 yards and six scores. The program’s all-time leading passer also averaged 39.1 yards a punt to be named firstteam all-district in Division IV and special mention all-state.

Cline was first-team all-state and all-district with 41 receptions for 872 yards. He had 11 total touchdowns, along with four interceptions and 74 tackles as a defensive back.

In their junior year, Hoar passed for 1,878 yards with 16 touchdowns and rushed for 1,208 yards and 18 scores while playing with a broken thumb. Cline caught 40 passes for 894 yards and 13 touchdowns.

“We’re already over that,” said coach Randy Felumlee, who be-

gins his 23rd season Saturday, Aug. 27, at Rayland Buckeye Local. “Jason and Scott were great players and they brought the program back to life. But graduation is something that happens when you coach in high school. Everyone graduates and when they do, it becomes an opportunity for new kids.”

The Redskins finished 6-4 overall last season. They tied Johnstown for second in the MBC at 5-2, behind champion Fredericktown (7-0) and ahead of three teams tied for fourth at 3-4 in Danville, East Knox and Loudonville. Centerburg was seventh (2-5) followed by Northridge (0-7).

“We were a little behind (this season) from the levy (failing in May),” said Felumlee, whose program was in jeopardy until funds were raised privately and through pay-to-participate fees. “We planned as if we were going to have a team because if we didn’t have that outlook we would have been really behind. We really only missed two weeks in May, but we’re still a little behind. Last year, we had five or six 7-on-7s and this year we only had two. And we lost some pretty good kids to graduation last year.”

The five returning players in the Redskins’ spread attack are

Schedule 2011 SCHEDULE Aug. 27.......Buckeye Local......Away Sept. 2 .......Granville.............Home Sept. 9 .......Heath ................Home *Sept. 16 ...East Knox ..........Home *Sept. 23 ...Northridge ...........Away *Sept. 30 ...Loudonville ..........Away *Oct. 7 .......Johnstown..........Home *Oct. 14 .....Fredericktown.......Away *Oct. 21 .....Danville..............Home *Oct. 28 .....Centerburg...........Away

senior flanker Artie Douglas (5-foot-10, 157 pounds), senior guard Matt Lewis (5-11, 196), senior tackle Sam Preston (6-2, 252), senior tight end Brett Robberts (5-11, 175) and junior center Nick Carpenter (5-11, 175).

Douglas is the son of former heavyweight champion James “Buster” Douglas.

The quarterback will be Clay Rowley, a 5-9, 174-pound senior.

BOBCATS HORNETS The Hornets are pointing to the non-league games as pivotal.

“We’re a big school in a predominantly Division V league, so our three non-league games are extremely important for us,” Waters said. “Not just the first one against Watkins Memorial, but the next two against (Gallipolis) Gallia Academy and Teays Valley are crucial, too. We need first-level points and then we can wish those teams well the rest of the way and get into league play.”

Continued from page 87

Continued from page 89

be a matter of focusing on the little things and not looking ahead, Anderson said.

“We have to focus on every game individually, no matter who the opponent is,” he said. “We have to go into each and every practice like we’re preparing for the state championship that week. Every little thing we do on the field counts and can either win or lose games for you.”

On defense, Dunbrack will pair with Dawson at middle linebacker.

The tackles will be sophomore Keion Bradley (285) and junior Steven Clum (175), with junior Matt Mayville (200) and Scott playing the ends.

The safeties are seniors David Cooper and Myles Suggs, with Smith and seniors Darius Stallings and Cameron Tennyson competing for time at cornerback.

Curtiss will see time at outside linebacker along with Mitchell bemerine@thisweeknews.com www.ThisWeekSPORTS.com and Nichols.

shennen@thisweeknews.com www.ThisWeekSPORTS.com

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2010 RESULTS (6-4 overall, 5-2 MBC) Grandview ..........................W, 32-7 Granville............................L, 28-25 Heath..................................L, 18-6 *East Knox .......................L, 34-29 *Northridge ........................W, 48-0 *Loudonville .....................W, 49-15 *Johnstown......................W, 21-19 *Fredericktown .................W, 48-20 *Danville..........................W, 321-0 *Centerburg .......................W, 47-0 *MBC game

“Clay has a lot of game experience as a freshman and two years on reserves,” Felumlee said. “It’s not like we’re throwing in someone new with no background at the position. He just has to get used to the varsity game.

“He doesn’t have the home-run running ability that Jason had, but he’s a pretty decent player.”

Sophomore Travis Baldwin (511, 172) was a letterwinner last

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season and may be a dual threat as a slotback.

“We’ll probably run the ball more than we have before,” Felumlee said. “We have some good running backs with good speed. Travis Baldwin is a sophomore, but he took quite a few reps last year.”

Utica will change its defensive alignment from a 5-0 to a 3-0 to better utilize its talent.

“We made the change to try to best fit our personnel, to get more athletes on the field who can make plays for us,” defensive coordinator Brian Radabaugh said.

“We’ve been making tweaks after scrimmages and we’re happy with the way things have gone for the most part.”

The Redskins have four returning starters on defense including Douglas (cornerback), Lewis (nose guard), Robberts (linebacker) and junior Ben Hays (59, 160), who is moving from cornerback to linebacker.

“We looked at who we had coming back and we didn’t think we were going to have five down linemen,” Felumlee said. “Teams that run the 30 defense have more athletic run-type kids on the field.

This seems to fit us better than what we have done in the past.

We have more linebackers than before and the kids do new things and we have new terminology.”

Felumlee said nothing is set in stone, especially on offense.

“We’ll probably move people around. We need to make sure we can go downfield as easily as we can go side to side,” he said. “In the last couple of years, we have had trouble with the play going one or two yards. We need to find the ability to go straight down the field.”

In the league, Felumlee said two-time defending champion Fredericktown and Johnstown are the favorites.

“If you look back at last year and who has what coming back and you would have to think that Johnstown would be on top,” he said. “But someone has to beat Fredericktown and until they do that, they have to be a favorite.

They haven’t lost a league game since 2008.”

However, Felumlee is focused on his team and making a smooth transition with new offensive personnel and a new defense.

“We have decent speed and we have decent athletes, but we’re not particularly big or strong,” he said.

“Still, it’s not like we don’t have talent to make plays. We have to put the puzzle together on both sides of the ball.” shennen@thisweeknews.com www.ThisWeekSPORTS.co

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FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE 2011 Football Preview | August 25, 2011

93

OTHER AREA TEAMS

Columbus Crusaders

Squad seeks to improve on 8-2 record

By JARROD ULREY

year that has the players thinking big heading into this season.

The Crusaders open Aug. 27 at Wheeling (W.Va.) Linsly and later play Dayton Meadowdale (Sept.

16) and St. Charles (Sept. 23) in games against OHSAA programs.

“It’s an amazing program,” said senior Brent Veerman, who attends Veritas Academy. “It’s great that we get to focus on Jesus and football, and we have amazing coaches.”

Stier, who will step down at season’s end to become the first coach of Worthington Christian’s new program in 2012, has 20 seniors to work with this fall.

Veerman (6-foot-1, 255 pounds) is expected to be among the top players on both the offensive and defensive lines.

Along with Veerman at center and senior Nate Weiland (6-1, 200) at tackle on offense, seniors Anthoni Goble (6-2, 210), Ladarr Saunders (5-8, 230), Nick Stewart (5-11, 225) and Donald Vance (5-9, 205) should be among those on both sides of the line.

Seniors Aaron Long (6-3, 195),

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For high school athletes who, for whatever reason, aren’t competing for a particular football team, the Columbus Crusaders have become an increasingly popular landing spot since Brian Stier took over as coach in 2009.

Included among the nearly 70 players on the Crusaders’ roster is senior Daniel Griffith, who lives in Medina in northeastern Ohio but stays in Columbus most of the week to practice with the team.

No longer is the program filled mostly with athletes from Worthington Christian as it was when it started in 1996 as an outreach ministry of Grace Brethren Church.

Instead, the Crusaders feature a few students from Worthington Christian as well as a mix of students who are home schooled, attend private schools or charter schools, or who chose not to compete for their high school team.

Among the benefits of the expansion was an 8-2 record last

WARRIORS Continued from page 88

wasn’t the case when I first started with the program. We also don’t typically get the bigger kids like we’re getting.”

The Crusaders’only losses last year were to Linsly 28-0 and Martins Ferry 35-27. They beat three OHSAA teams in Centennial (210), Meadowdale (36-8) and Ready (35-14).

Price made special mention alldistrict in Division VI and 2011 graduate Harold Jones Quartey made the second team at wide receiver.

Heckman was the all-district kicker after making three field goals and 35 extra points.

Nelson Anu (DB) and Allen Ritchie (LB) are 2011 graduates who were first-team all-district last fall.

“We went 8-2 last year, and with the speed and explosiveness we have on offense and with us now running a 3-4 defense, I believe we can beat everybody on our schedule,” Griffith said.

Schedule 2011 SCHEDULE Aug. 27.......Wheeling (W.Va.) Linsly .............................................Away Sept. 2 ........Pittsburgh United Military Academy...............................Home Sept. 10......Saltsburg (Pa.) Kiski Prep .............................................Away Sept. 16 .....Dayton Meadowdale .... ............................................Home Sept. 23 .....St. Charles ..........Away Oct. 1 .........Cincinnati College Prep .............................................Away Oct. 7 .........Chatham-Kent (Ontario) Ursuline College The Pines.....Home Oct. 14 .......Dayton Pontiz Career ... ............................................Home Oct. 22 .......Western Reserve Home Oct. 29 .......Lancaster (Tenn.) ........

Christian Academy ..................Away

qualifier in the 100 meters this past June, is at free safety. Peoples and Brown will anchor the line next to junior tackles Zach Moses (5-9, 185) and Anthony Ford (5-11, 215).

The Warriors open Friday, Aug. 26, at perennial playoff contender Newark Catholic, which finished 8-4 a year ago.

Harvest Prep then plays host to Africentric and visit BloomCarroll before opening MSLCardinal play Sept. 16 at home against Licking Heights.

“Everybody knows they’ll have to play their part,” Harper said. “Nobody’s down about not playing because everyone’s playing.”

Continued from page 90 15 interceptions.

Senior running back Tony Roark (5-6, 160), who led the team in rushing last season with 467 yards and four touchdowns on 85 carries, also returns.

Others expected to see time in the backfield include senior Nate Holt (5-8, 168) and sophomore Casey Stauffer (5-9, 170).

The Eagles also return their top receiver in senior Zach Brewer (6-1, 175), who had 18 catches for 293 yards and two touchdowns. He finished with more than 1,200 all-purpose yards.

Joining Casparro on the offensive line should be seniors Justin Follis (5-8, 170) and Josh High (5-11, 265) and juniors Jordan Edwards (6-2, 305) and Blair

2010 RESULTS (8-2 overall) Centennial..........................W, 21-0 Dayton Meadowdale............W, 36-8 Martins Ferry.....................L, 35-27 United Military Academy ....W, 49-30 Cincinnati College Prep......W, 44-21 Marion-Franklin junior varsity..W, 6620 Chatham-Kent (Ontario) Ursuline..W, 28-12 Ohio Wildfire Knights.........W, 39-12 Ready ..............................W, 35-14 Wheeling (W.Va.) Linsly.........L, 28-0

julrey@thisweeknews.com www.ThisWeekSPORTS.com

EAGLES

230) and Blair Clark (senior; 63, 270) and senior tight end Ethan Brown (6-4, 225).

Because Wade is as adept a runner as a thrower, Johnson expects the Warriors to be more balanced than last year, when the team was led by strongarmed quarterback Brandon Ross, a 2011 graduate.

Top offensive targets are expected to be Harper and running backs Gideon Woodson (5-11, 180) and Damon Tabron (5-7, 165).

Harper will be a leading linebacker in Harvest Prep’s defense, in which Woodson and Tabron are steadily improving cover corners. dpurpura@thisweeknews.com Yousey, a state track and field www.ThisWeekSPORTS.com

94

Jake Hayes (6-5, 165) and Owen Heckman (5-9, 185) competed throughout the preseason to take over at quarterback for 2011 graduate Jack Price, who saw action at the position each of the past two years.

Juniors Kristopher Bailey (58, 210), Jaylan Davis (5-11, 185) and Nigel Easley (5-5, 150) all are at running back, while seniors Alex Andrews (6-0, 175) and Chris Bradley (5-9, 165) are returnees at wide receiver.

Defensively, the Crusaders will show a 3-4 look that includes Griffith (6-0, 215), senior Josh Nowak (6-2, 230), Bailey and Weiland at linebacker.

Davis, Long and sophomore Eldin Anu (5-10, 160) are at cornerback, with senior Edward Jones (5-8, 170) at one safety and either Easley or Heckman at the other.

“I think we’re a little farther along offensively than maybe we’ve been in the past and that’s good, especially with all of the new guys we have,” Stier said.

“Over the last four years we’ve had right around 70 guys, which

Thompson (6-2, 235).

Several offensive players also will see action on defense.

The Eagles will employ a 5-3 base defense but will shift to a 4-2 formation against spread offenses.

Casparro anchors the defensive line and will be joined by Edwards, High and Thompson.

Follis, Holt, Roark and Stauffer will play linebacker, and Brewer will lead the secondary.

Freshman Tristan Taylor (58, 145) will be the kicker and sophomore Tanner Buhrts (6-0, 170) will be the punter.

“We have most of our guys returning and they’re stronger,” Owens said. “They all got stronger and quicker in the offseason, and we had more intense conditioning.

“We’ve evolved as coaches a little bit. We went to seminars and we changed some offensive and defensive schemes and that combination we hope will pay off on Friday nights.”

Owens said the Eagles have established some basic goals. Offensively, they would like to have a 1,000-yard rusher, and defensively they hope to force more turnovers and have at least three shutouts.

“I’m sure hoping we’re a lot better than last season,” Owens said. “We should be much improved this year. The kids don’t want 3-7 again. This has been the best offseason I’ve ever been involved in.” fdirenna@thisweeknews.com www.ThisWeekSPORTS.com

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