The Gridiron - High School Football Preview 2014

The Index

Aug. 27, 2014

3

Features

Sports editor Mike Mathison on being part of a team .................................................................................. 6 Sports writer Matthew Peaslee never played football, but... ........................................................................ 6 Sports correspondent Ed Looman says it’s a special time of year .............................................................. 6 Sports correspondent Ralph Cox is looking forward to football ................................................................ 6 Sports correspondent Aaron Petchal on conference realignment .............................................................. 6 Cover story: Building a championship .............................................................................................................. 7 2013 stats .......................................................................................................................................................... 96-97 Larch prepared for 2014 .................................................................................................................................... 101 Andrew and Zach Connor: Making family and football co-exist ............................................................ 104 Red Riders football climbing the ladder........................................................................................................ 108 McLean at alma mater ........................................................................................................................................ 110 Weekly high school schedule .......................................................................................................................... 122 NFL schedule ........................................................................................................................................................ 126

The Teams

Steubenville Big Red ............................................................................................................................................ 10 Weir Red Riders ...................................................................................................................................................... 16 Steubenville Catholic Central Crusaders .......................................................................................................... 22 Weirton Madonna Blue Dons ............................................................................................................................ 28 Indian Creek Redskins .......................................................................................................................................... 34 Brooke Bruins ........................................................................................................................................................ 40 Edison Local Wildcats .......................................................................................................................................... 48 Oak Glen Golden Bears ........................................................................................................................................ 54 Toronto Red Knights ............................................................................................................................................60 Harrison Central Huskies .................................................................................................................................... 68 Buckeye Local Panthers ...................................................................................................................................... 74

Other Teams

Martins Ferry .......................................................................................................................................................... 84 St. Clairsville ............................................................................................................................................................ 99 Union Local ............................................................................................................................................................ 103 Wheeling Park ...................................................................................................................................................... 109 Wheeling Central .................................................................................................................................................. 113 St. John Central .................................................................................................................................................... 114 John Marshall ........................................................................................................................................................ 115 Bridgeport ............................................................................................................................................................ 120 THANK YOU: This publication would not be possible without the combined efforts of many members of the staff, including; Herald-Star/Weirton Daily Times sports department staff of Mike Mathison, Matthew Peaslee, Ed Looman, Ralph Cox and Aaron Petchal; Michael D. McElwain for his tireless efforts of overseeing the work throughout the publication from the beginning; the advertising department, led by Denise Delatore; the creative services department, led by Patty Bowers and including Eddie Kokosinski, Ash Leigh Negri and Ellie Miller; the sports departments of the Times Leader and the Intelligencer; the coaches and players for their cooperation with the cover and at all media days.

Special thank you to Action Images and Newbrough Photo for their kindness and help during the media days.

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Aug. 27, 2014

Playing Special Energy Ready Change MIKE MATHISON

MATTHEW PEASLEE

Never Being part of played, but a team is ... what fun unique

“If a team is to reach its potential, each player must be willing to subordinate his personal goals to the good of the team.” — Bud Wilkinson

I have made a million mistakes and just as many dumb decisions.

One of those dumb decisions was to not play football my junior year of high school.

I didn’t want to sit the bench.

I never had in anything and wasn’t going to start then.

Dumb. Dumb. Dumb.

I didn’t understand then the camaraderie of a team, especially one that only was guaranteed 10 games on Friday nights.

I didn’t understand the bond that would be formed.

I didn’t understand the hard work.

I didn’t understand the laughs and good times.

I didn’t understand what coaches go through to get a team prepared.

I didn’t understand what my mom thought when I chose not to play.

I deprived my mother the opportunity to watch her son See MATHISON Page 111

I’ve been a part of the high school football atmosphere for as long as I can remember.

The band performing the school’s fight song, boosters selling 50-50 tickets, fans stomping their feet on cold — sometimes wet — metal bleachers.

Oh, and pepperoni rolls from the concession stand ...

The best dinner on a Friday night.

Then there’s the game, itself.

Kickoffs, gang tackles, goroutes and 5-foot-7 running backs pounding through linemen more than twice their size.

Oh, and spectators along a fence chewing out the head coach for not going for it on fourth-and-inches ... The best soundtrack on a Friday night.

I was raised in this atmosphere and have become even more immersed in it in recent years.

Funny thing, though. I’ve never strapped on pads, taped my ankles, fastened a chinstrap or broke through a cheerleader-created banner.

I never played high school football.

I never played pee-wee football.

I only played backyard See PEASLEE Page 85

ED LOOMAN

RALPH COX

AARON PETCHAL

Excitement fills air this time of year

Looking forward to football

Conferences doing some shifting

You could sense the excitement starting to build back in late July when the OVAC All-Star game was played at Wheeling Island Stadium.

The excitement increased a couple of notches when twoa-day practices began on both sides of the river. Now that opening week has arrived, the excitement surrounding the 2014 high school football season is off the charts.

From where I sit, there is nothing better than a beautiful fall Friday or Saturday night for a high school football game. So many high school students are involved—the football players, members of the band, cheerleaders, flag corps and dance teams. The season is so much a core of our society, particularly in this area, that books have been written and movies made detailing the spirit.

Currently, every team in the area has a legitimate shot at playing for a state title either in Columbus or Wheeling. Ohio fans should remember the seven divisional titles will be decided on the turf inside Ohio Stadium this season. That’s an interesting development particularly since this season marks the 30th anniversary of Big See LOOMAN Page 88

Some thoughts from an old sportswriter: Every day throughout the year the media, including the newspaper behind this publication, informs us of all the disasters and troubles locally and throughout the world.

The lobbing of missiles from one country to another, shooting down civilian airliners, murders, etc., etc.

My thoughts are that is one of the reasons we all look forward to reading, watching or listening to the sports section of whatever media we’re involved with at the time.

And in particular, it is the reason we all look forward to high school football this time of year. It is an opportunity for us to get away from all those troublesome things happening, sit down and watch kids play the game. We watch them compete for the honor of their school and for the glory of individual and team achievements.

Just watching the coaching staffs compete against each other by making changes in offenses and defenses during the heat of the game is interesting. It’s like a chess game.

High school football not only gives us the chance to go to games on Thursday, Friday See COX Page 89

Change can be a good thing, or it can be a bad thing. It all just depends on your point of view.

In the last few years, several changes have been made to conferences at the collegiate level, and it has taken time for even the biggest of sports fans to get adjusted to all of the changes.

Changing of conferences has also become prevalent on the high school level locally and throughout the state of Ohio. There are more than 80 conferences in the state, and there are so many more now defunct conferences.

Nearly all of the high schools in Columbiana and Jefferson counties are members of at least one conference, and several of the schools belong to two conferences. There are 13 high schools in Columbiana County and seven in Jefferson County.

The only school in either county not to belong to a conference is Heartland Christian.

Heartland Christian, which is located in Columbiana, as well as American Spirit Academy and Jefferson County ChrisSee PETCHAL Page 116

Aug. 27, 2014

7

BUILDING A CHAMPIONSHIP The team is bigger than any one individual Lombardi and other admired leaders simply guide them on their quest to build a championship. ßßßßßßßßßßß

“Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength.” — Arnold Schwarzenegger

By MATTHEW PEASLEE For The Gridiron

“Individual commitment to a group effort — that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work,” – Vince Lombardi Legendary football coach Vince Lombardi has a standard for quotes that inspire athletes, businessmen, politicians and even journalists.

A two-time Super Bowl winner and six-time NFL Championship leader, Lombardi’s keys to success are revered today, though he coached in a decade before many local coaches were even born.

Lombardi preached perseverance, leadership, hard work and commitment. Winning would come, yes, but those basic principles are what form a winning attitude.

It’s simple. It’s football.

Today’s coaches don’t have to be as revered as Lombardi or as notorious as Nick Saban, Mike Tomlin or Steve Spurrier. But they all proclaim the simple steps speared by Lombardi and the leaders before him.

Today’s players must embrace their coaches’ words and act upon them.

In sports, a team is stronger together than it is alone. A team is bigger than any one individual.

Today’s players are different, yet they are one in the same. They come from distinct backgrounds and wear compromising colors. They find different sources of inspiration and have different hobbies.

They all want to win. They’ll take different steps to reach their goals and they’ll find varying results.

They’ve started from the bottom, now they’re here to succeed.

Chase Hartley began his high school career on a motivational high. The Oak Glen Golden Bears went 10-2 his freshman year before falling to Point Pleasant in the Class AA quarterfinals.

“I got to play as a freshman a little bit, but that’s when Jeff Hissam and Lucas McDowell were putting up 60 points a game,” said Hartley, now an Oak Glen senior. “That was fun.

They were stud athletes.”

The Golden Bears have won just four games since then.

Coming off a winless season in 2013, Hartley regains his role at quarterback, looking to duplicate the success of Hissam and McDowell.

Or, at least earn a notch in the win column.

“This offseason has been crazy with everyone’s work ethic,” Hartley said. “Last year, I saw clumps of us coming together. But everyone is working 10 times harder now.”

To help the team’s current motivation, the football program has established a leadership council where senior football players adopt an underclassman to nurture and take care of. Whether it’s studying the playbook together or playing video games against each other, members of the leadership council build team chemistry and most of all, friendships.

“You take them under your wing, hang out and let them know that you’re there for them,” said Hartley, who has Lance Collins (a backup quarterback and free safety) as well as Dakota Price (a running back and defensive end) as his leadership council apprentices.

Hartley is one of eight seniors who has dealt with a coaching change and a winning drop off.

The adversity over the years has just brought them closer together.

“I truly believe that we will still be friends for the rest of our lives because of all the stressful situations we’ve been through together already,” he said. “We know we have each others backs. We were together when we were losing and winning.

Nothing could pull us apart.”

Wins for this season could bring them even

closer together.

ßßßßßßßßßßß

“The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team.” — Phil Jackson

When he began playing football in the first grade, Ethan Shannon had no idea that the kids he would learn the game with would be the ones lining up next to him for his senior season in high school.

“You play with the same kids a lot,” Shannon said. “You become closer each year that you play together, then you become such close friends off the field, too.”

This year, he joins 10 of the same kids he grew up with as senior leaders on the Edison High School football team.

It’s a dream that’s been at least 11 years in the making.

“It’s hard to believe that it’s finally here,” Shannon said of his senior season. “All of us seniors have worked so hard to get here and we’re all the leaders of this team. It’s weird because when we were freshmen, the senior class pushed us and made us know what all was ahead of us. They taught us to work hard.

“The senior class has to push the younger kids.

We have to lead by examples. We have to work hard and set an example for the freshmen that hard work pays off.”

Shannon and the rest of the seniors accepted that responsibility right after Week 10 of the 2013 season as the Wildcats closed the book on a 4-6 campaign. They’re learning even more about the leadership aspect through intense summer workouts.

“We all come together like a family here in the summer,” Shannon said. “We’re more than a team, we really are a family.”

They may not be blood relatives, but the 2014 Wildcats are like inseparable siblings that can’t be pulled away from their favorite playroom activities.

“My teammates are my brothers,” Shannon said. “We have one year to show the community and everybody else what we can do as a team.

We’re working to impress some people and we want to be able to be proud of ourselves for what we can accomplish.”

That’s the individual strength that can achieve team goals.

See CHAMPIONSHIP Page 8

8

Aug. 27, 2014

Championship ßßßßßßßßßßß “Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishment toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.” — Andrew Carnegie The Steubenville football program has 19 undefeated seasons and nine state championships to its name.

Lucas Herrington wants nothing less than to add one more — a 20th and 10th to those totals for his senior season.

“That’s basically our only goal this year — we want to win the state championship at the end,” Herrington said. “We know what it feels like to come so close but come up just short.

We don’t want that feeling again. We want to end as winners.”

Big Red shocked the state, but not necessarily itself, by storming to the Division IV state semifinals after beginning the playoffs as the No. 8 seed.

Herrington is the team’s top returning wide receiver who came up with some big plays to secure Steubenville’s 22-20 second-round win over Maysville.

His contributions all season long, though, helped shape him into one of the team’s top leaders.

“The juniors helped with the leadership roles because we had a very young team last year,” Herrington said. “We had excellent seniors like Bryan Pierro, Robert Hayden and Cody Saltsman who kept everyone going through practices.”

Herrington’s older brother, Zach, helped keep him going since the day he was born.

“Zach has pushed me to be the athlete I am today,” Lucas said of his older brother by two years who is now playing football at Mount Union.

“Playing basketball with him in the backyard always made me better. I learned so much from him. He never quit in anything he did and he always worked hard. I take that same approach because I’ll always look up to him.”

Even at age 6, as a member of the Mingo Chiefs, Herrington caught on to the team premise and has lived as a team with his buddies on and off the field.

“They really preached to us about playing as a team and that no one kid is more important than the whole group,” he said. “It’s important to stick to the basics when playing as a team.

We’re so close to each other that we know the guy standing next to us is going to go out and give his all everyday — no matter what. We’re all going to do what’s best for the team.”

Whatever the objective is, working together is always what is best for the team. ßßßßßßßßßßß

“Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.”

— Henry Ford The newest member of the Toronto High School football team didn’t have the luxury of growing up in the same area as his teammates. He didn’t play on the same team with the same guys for 10 years, nor did he even get the chance to meet his teammates prior to this year.

Jesse Beckwith came to Toronto from North Carolina around Thanksgiving of 2013. It’d be easy to think he was always a Red Knight, though, as Beckwith fit right in with fresh classmates and a rising football team.

“Everybody was really friendly when I came to the school,” Beckwith said. “Everybody was really nice and there were no troubles at all to fit in.

“It was even easier when football started.

Everywhere I’ve been, football helps to bring everybody closer together. It’s a familylike atmosphere on the field.”

Beckwith has covered a lot of ground in his 18 years. He’s the son of a military family who has moved from Cleveland to Virginia to Alabama and North Carolina. His father recently retired from the service and brought his family to Jefferson County.

“I have a lot of places I can call home, which is kind of nice,” Beckwith said.

“But I like it in Ohio. It’s more laid back here.”

Beckwith may have an easy-going attitude most of the time, but that’s not the case when he straps on a helmet and pads. The 6-foot-4, 280pound lineman is the biggest player on Toronto’s team and has shown signs that he could also be one of the most aggressive.

“I started playing football in the sixth grade and I was taught from an early age to go as hard as possible on every play and in everything I do,” Beckwith said.

He began working with Toronto’s remaining lineman in December, which further helped his transition — along with his restless ambition to get on the field.

“In December, it was good to work out with the guys I would be lining up with for football,” Beckwith said.

“Back then, we all just couldn’t wait to play. But it’s coming a lot faster than we even thought.”

Sharing that antsy anticipation is a good sign for the Red Knights, as Beckwith believes a team’s prosperity can be determined by the grit of its offensive line.

“It’s an important thing to be on the same page because it’s the lines that win the games,” he said.

For Beckwith, coming together with his new team was the easy part. Working together through the grind of the season will be the real success. ßßßßßßßßßßß

From Page 7

“I am a member of a team, and I rely on the team, I defer to it and sacrifice for it, because the team, not the individual, is the ultimate champion.” — Mia Hamm No matter who is leading them, the Brooke Bruins will stick together. The senior class has gone through three coaching changes as Mac McLean, a Brooke graduate, himself, begins his first year with the team.

“Nothing changed even though we went through coaches,” said Brooke senior quarterback Aaron Walker. “My senior class has been acting like brothers toward each other all four years. When times got tough, we all stuck together and nothing fell apart. We all leaned on each other.”

It appears that there is now a solid foundation as McLean looks to build the program and Walker and the rest of the seniors look to leave their mark on the school.

“We have a lot of coaching experience with us now,” Walker said.

“They’re young guys so we can really relate to them. They’re football smart and know what to do in any situation.”

Though faced with a grueling schedule in West Virginia’s Class AAA, the Bruins have a renewed confidence that has been growing since the time many of the players picked up a pigskin for the first time.

“Growing up, it was all about fundamentals,” Walker said. “The coaches back then made sure we developed our skills early.

“They also all stressed how important it was to be part of a team. Without a team-minded focus, you’re not going to accomplish anything. Things can fall apart when you’re not going all out for your team.”

Walker, a senior captain, stresses that he won’t let that happen to the team, this year. It’s his team, after all.

“I want to win the last game of my high school career,” he said. “I’d love to go out on a high note. The group of seniors we have this year can really make things happen.

“It’s been a fun experience with this group of seniors. I love them all. We all want to make this a year to remember.”

By relying on each other. ßßßßßßßßßßß “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” — John Quincy Adams It’s finally here. Nate Maykowski has waited for the day when he could lead the Harrison

See CHAMPIONSHIP Page 106

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Aug. 27, 2014

2014 Schedule Aug. 28

John F. Kennedy #

Sept. 5

Glen Este

Sept. 12 Ursuline

Sept. 19 Brooke

Sept. 26 at Massillon Oct. 3

Athens +

Oct. 11

St. Joseph (NJ) #

Oct. 17

Obama Acad. (PA)

Oct. 24

Wheeling Park

Oct. 31

Pinehurst (Ontario)

# 6 p.m. kickoff + 7:30 p.m. kickoff Games at 7 p.m. unless noted

By ED LOOMAN

Goal for Saccoccia and crew: Be prepared

For The Gridiron

The Coaches

STEUBENVILLE — Reno Saccoccia pulled no punches when offering an early preseason assessment of his 2014 Big Red football team.

“Questionable,” the veteran coach said while supervising a late morning practice on Reno Field at Harding Stadium.

“We haven’t had a championship pace every day, but we have showed signs of that pace. That’s something I’m sure most teams are going through right now. We have to keep working hard in order to get ourselves to a championship pace.”

Saccoccia is entering his 32nd season at the Big Red helm. He has compiled a career record of 320-61. His teams have made 24 playoff appearances, claimed 14 regional titles and won three state championships.

The Big Red opens its season Aug. 28 with a home game against Cleveland John F. Kennedy. The 2014 schedule has Saccoccia’s gridders playing nine home games. Big Red’s only road trip comes on Sept. 26 when it visits Massillon.

“Our schedule is very demanding,” Saccoccia stated.

“We have teams on the schedule that are up and coming and have been great the last couple of years. We also have opponents that have been great forever. We will have a challenge

every week “I’m proud of our kids for accepting this challenge. I feel we can be a very good Division IV football team and we’ll be playing schools from all levels. Our challenge is to be prepared.”

Saccoccia’s 2013 unit won four straight before falling short against Massillon. Next came a victory at Barberton, followed by three straight losses for the banged up Big Red. A week 10 victory against Renaissance Academy from Pittsburgh gave Big Red the eighth seed for the Region 13 playoffs.

The Red got healthy before its opening game and proceeded to win three straight, including a 21-14 triumph

over number-one seeded Licking Valley. Steubenville finished 9-5, bowing to Youngstown Cardinal Mooney in the Division IV semifinals.

“Last season’s misfortune created this year’s depth,” Saccoccia stated (he welcomed 22 lettermen to the field when practice began earlier this month).

“All the injuries we had last season really helped us to learn to keep fighting. When you keep fighting, good things will happen. Once you put your fists down, good things can’t happen. You have to keep fighting and we did that last year.”

Juniors Mandela LawrenceBurke and Dimitri Collaros re-

turn at quarterback for Big Red. Sophomores Shyoun Petteway and Alek Davis also are listed on the depth chart as signal callers.

In 2013, Lawrence-Burke passed for 999 yards and 10 scores. He added 475 stripes on the ground. Collaros threw for 678 and five scores.

Junior Johnnie Blue was Big Red’s leading rusher in 2013, and he returns at tailback. Blue finished with 798 stripes and found the end zone 10 times.

He hit his stride during the post-season run, compiling 431 yards in four games.

Other tailback candidates include senior Donte Brown, sophomore Marcus Kelley,

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See BIG RED Page 15

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13

2014 Roster

The Seniors

From The Coach ...

“Last season’s misfortune created this year’s depth. All the injuries we had last season really helped us to learn to keep fighting. When you keep fighting, good things happen ... You have to keep fighting and we did that last year.”

- Reno Saccoccia

Seniors (17) 9 ...................... Robbie Agresta 11 ............................ Travis Wolfe 15 ................ Bradley Newburn 17 ................ Lucas Herrington 18 ................ Ma’Lik Richmond 22 ............................ Zach Burch 24 .................... Oko Anyabwile 33 ........................ Donte Brown 36 ............................ Tevon Gary 40 .................... Dondre Brown 46 .................... Branden Jones 49 .......................... Devin Smith 50 ............................ David Lulla 51 ................................ Jake Boni 62 .................. Darrell Solomon 75 .......................... Nick Pielich 81 .................... Jordan Gamble Juniors (14) 7 ...................... Dimitri Collaros 8 .. Mandela Lawrence-Burke 10 .......................... Jeremy Blue 13 ........................ Niko Petrides 28 ........................ Johnnie Blue 31 .................... Tavian Williams 34 .................. Devin Ferguson 43 .......................... Paul Runkel 45 ........................ Matt Sherrell 53 .......................... Seth Biacco 55 .............. William Poplowski 60 .......................... A.J. Cochrun

63 .................. Amir Richmond 80 ...................... Joey Walkosky Sophomores (19) 5 ........................ Jalen McGhee 12 ................ Shyoun Petteway 14 .............................. Alek Davis 21 .............................. Nick Scott 23 .................... Charles Reeves 25 ...................... Marcus Kelley 27 .......................... Zane Zimish 29 .................... Austin Rawson 30 .......... Austin Deffenbaugh 35 ........................ Ethan Brown 41 ........................ Shay Wallace 42 ................ Marshawn Kelley 52 .............. Ny’Juan Robinson 54 ........................ Kieran Doyle 58 ...................... Drone Moore 61 ............................ Chris Elliott 64 .......................... Mark Smith 66 ...................... Ryan Bernard 67 ...................... Willie Whatley 73 ............ Quenton Thornton 74 .................................. Nick Ely 83 .................... Xavier Crowder 85 .................... Brandon Kaiser

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Big Red

junior Tavian Williams, junior Matt Sherrell, sophomore Jalen McGhee, sophomore Shay Wallace and senior Jordan Gamble.

Seniors Dondre Brown and Nick Pielich are in the running for playing time at fullback along with juniors Devin Ferguson and Jeremy Blue. Sophomores Zane Zimish and Austin Deffenbaugh also are part of the fullback corps.

Saccoccia has a host of players battling for time at wide receiver. They include: seniors Lucas Herrington, Rob Agresta, Bradley Newburn, Travis Wolfe, Ma’Lik Richmond, Zack Burch and Oko Anyabwile; juniors Niko Petrides and Joey Walkosky; sophomores Charles Reeves, Nick Scott, Brandon Kaiser, Xavier Crowder and Marshawn Kelley.

Herrington had 29 catches for 441 yards and eight touchdowns in 2013.

Petrides hauled in 20 for 277.

Branden Jones and Devin Smith, both seniors, are back at tight end. Junior Paul Runkel and Davis also are battling for playing time.

Senior David Lulla, junior Seth Biacco and sophomore Chris Elliott are the top center candidates.

Senior Jake Boni is back at guard as is junior William Poploski. Biacco also is the mix there along with sophomores Ny’Juan Robinson, Mark Smith, Drone Moore and Kieran Doyle.

Competing for playing time at tackle are junior A.J. Cochrun, junior Amir Richmond, Elliott, senior Darrell Solomon, sophomore Ryan Bernard and sophomore Nick Ely. Senior Tevon Gary and sophomore Ethan Brown are listed as the Big Red kickers.

“We do have decent depth at wide receiver, tailback and quarterback,” Saccoccia noted. “Overall, however, our depth is not where we want it. I’m sure every Division IV team has that same problem. We have good starters, but we just don’t have any depth.”

On the defensive side of the ball, D. Smith, Jones, Runkel, Davis, Robinson, Elliott, Bernard and Dondre Brown are competing for time at end.

The tackle candidates are Biacco, Cochrun, Boni, A. Richmond, Moore, Ely, Solomon and M. Smith.

Looking for playing time at inside linebacker are M. Richmond, Johnnie Blue, Ferguson, Zimish and Pielich.

Johnnie Blue was second on the team with tackles in 2013 with 107.

McGhee, Williams, Gamble, Wallace and Sherrell are vying for playing time at outside linebacker.

Herrington returns at corner with Anyabwile, Newburn, Agresta, Walkosky, Marcus and Marshawn Kelley, Crowder, Kaiser and Rawson in contention.

Petrides and Lawrence-Burke both saw considerable duty at safety during 2013. They’re joined there

by Collaros, Wolfe, Burch and Scott.

From Page 12

Petrides and Gary are battling for the right to do the punting. Runkel is working at long snapping along with Elliott and Moore.

A season ago, Petrides was credited with 52 tackles during Big Red’s 14 game run.

“Our strength right now is not physical, it’s mental — it’s our attitude,” Saccoccia said.

“I feel we have the talent to win but talent alone isn’t enough to win championships. There are teams with talent and teams with talent that prepare. Our success will depend on what our guys have in their stomachs and hearts and how hard they work at preparing.”

Saccoccia’s veteran coaching staff underwent some changes during the off-season. Gone from the staff are Rick Camilletti and Bob Lamantia.

Duke Jones and Justin Banks moved up to the varsity, while Todd Filtz is the new addition.

T. Filtz, an all-state linebacker during his Big Red playing days, spent the past two seasons as the head coach at Canton McKinley. Previous to that, he guided Maple Heights to a 2010 Division II state championship. Maple Heights made three playoff appearances under the Muskingum University product, finishing as the D II runner-up in 2009. After going 6-4 in his first season with the Mustangs, T. Filtz’s teams went 12-3, 15-0 and 8-2.

“We lost two outstanding veteran coaches,” Saccoccia stated. “We replaced them with coaches who have great attitudes and a very strong will to get the job done.”

2014 Coaches

Head Coach

Reno Saccoccia Assistant Coaches Anthony Pierro Mike Haney Justin Banks Gus DiMarzio JoJo Saccoccia Todd Filtz Dan Filtz Jason Kernahan Duke Jones

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Star Sports Cast 2014

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Weir Red Riders

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2014 Schedule Aug. 30

Steub. Catholic Central #

Sept. 5 at Harrison Central + Sept. 12 at Edison

Sept. 19 at Grafton + Sept. 26

Liberty Harrison

Oct. 3

Oak Glen

Oct. 10

Magnolia

Oct. 17

Ritchie County

Oct. 24 at Brooke

Oct. 31 at East Liverpool +

# 7 p.m. kickoff + 7:30 p.m. kickoff Games at 7 p.m. unless noted

Aug. 27, 2014

Filberto’s group optimistic in return to prominence

By RALPH COX For The Gridiron

WEIRTON — The Weir High football team gave fans a glimpse of resurgence last year, so there is a lot of optimism for the Red Riders to reclaim gridiron glory.

The Red Riders won three of 10 games, which is two more wins than they had in the previous 20 games.

Part of the optimism comes from the fact that head coach Tony Filberto greeted 18 lettermen when fall drills opened in early August. Another part of that is when 63 football players, including 24 freshmen, put on cleats for the first practice.

“We’re still young with only eight seniors on the team,” said Filberto, a veteran of 35 years in high school coaching. “I like to say that we have experienced youth, which worries me a little bit, but I have great expectations for the this bunch.

“I see progress. I see kids working hard in the weight room, and we had a great minicamp in June. This group is doing everything we’ve asked of them in their preparations for this 2014 football season.”

With all those lettermen, the Red Riders will field a squad with many returnees in key positions, guys that got a lot of experience as freshmen and sophomores over the past couple of years and who have grown both physically and

The Coaches

mentally.

For instance, Filberto has William Larch at quarterback, where he has started the past three years. Even though this will be his fourth year as the signal caller, Larch has only 17 games under his belt due to injuries.

“William is an outstanding football player,” Filberto explained. “We have expectations for him this year, and he has his own expectations.”

Junior Jake Wypasek has filled in for Larch in about seven games during the past two seasons and will be an experienced backup. Also taking snaps are sophomore Donovan Spencer and junior Marques Smith, who is out for football

for the first time.

Kameron Davis returns as the starting running back with his same speed, but bigger.

Davis now tips the scales at 180 pounds.

Filberto has a stable of bigger ball carriers this year with senior Matt Hartman and senior Zahir Hicks. Hartman saw considerable playing time last year and Hicks was a starter at Columbus Eastmoor a year ago. Hartman, who plays at 170 pounds, also is the starting safety on defense and Hicks is a 205-pounder, who will be in the rotation at inside linebacker as well.

Then, Filberto also can call upon another big guy in sophomore Cody Enrietti (6-3,

230). Enrietti was a backup quarterback last year but has moved to running back on offense and will return to his spot as inside linebacker where he started nine games last year.

“We could play all those guys on offense at the same time in certain situations,” Filberto said. “One of the areas where we struggled last year was in short yardage situations. With these guys, I don’t think we will struggle now.”

Filberto said that Danny Sarles, a junior who played defense last year, but missed four games with a concussion, also is in the mix in the backfield.

Senior JoJo Rice, a threeyear starter, returns at wide reSee RED RIDERS Page 21

Aug. 27, 2014

19

2014 Roster

The Seniors

From The Coach ...

“I see progress. I see kids working hard in the weight room, and we had a great mini camp in June. This group is doing everything we’ve asked of them in their preparations for this 2014 football season.”

- Tony Filberto

SENIORS (8) 5 ........................ Jonathon Rice 7 .......................... William Larch 9 ........................ Matt Hartman 26 .............. Jonathon Fedoush 36 ............................ Zahir Hicks 42 .................. Jeremy Freeland 58 .............................. Mark Parr 87 ............ Marcello Magnone JUNIORS (16) 3 .......................... Daniel Sarles 4 ...................... Kameron Davis 6 .......................... Joey Caldwell 15 ...................... Jake Wypasek 22 .................... Marques Smith 35 .......................... Mike Ceralo 41 ...................... Patrick McCoy 48 ................ Phillip McAllister 50 .............................. Jacob Parr 53 .................... Owen Pearson 55 .................... Cole Davidson 60 ........................ Kyle Baldwin 64 .................. Matt Thompson 73 ................ Brenden Williams 76 .................... Brandon Taylor 88 .............................. C. J. Reed SOPHOMORES (13) 2 ................ Donovan Spencer 11 .............. Domenick Murphy 13 ........................ Cody Enrietti 14 ................ Alvyn Hernandez 25 ................ Jimmy Whitlatch 51 ........................ Michael Mills 52 ...................... Travis Lowther 56 .......................... Jordan Allen 62 ........................ Dustin Keyes 66 .............................. Isaac Piatt

68 .......................... Owen Boyd 81 .................... Adam Cowden 83 .............. Matt Komorowski FRESHMEN (24) 1 ...................... Cameron Pierce 17 .......................... Khalib Smith 19 ............................ Tre Harford 23 .............. Domenic Soplinski 24 ...................... Dalton Valero 27 ............................ Lavelle Hall 29 ............ Caleb Johnson-Rae 30 ........................ Chris Gillette 31 ........................ Dylan Custer 32 ............................ Tyler Mack 33 .......... Frank Ty Hudacheck 34 .................. Keshawn Faulks 44 ........................ Jaden Glenn 61 ....................Garrett Johnson 63 ...................... Greg Hawkins 65 .......................... David Cline 67 ............................ Kris Lincke 69 .............. Nathaniel Childers 70 .......................... Zach Martin 72 .................... Kenan Pullings 75 .......................... Mason Rice 77 ...................... Shane Majoris 79 .................. Logan Robinson 84 ...................... Jaylon Bridges 83 .................... Xavier Crowder 85 .................... Brandon Kaiser

Aug. 27, 2014

21

Red Riders ceiver and Spencer will be on the other side. Both were top sprinters on the Red Rider track team last spring with Spencer finishing third in the 100 meters at the state championships and Rice was right behind him in fourth place.

“With those two kids on the perimeter, our opponents will have to respect our speed,” Filberto offered.

Marques Smith, and a pair of sophomore speedsters, Adam Cowden and Matt Komorowski and junior C.J. Reed, who played there some in 2013, will get playing time as wideouts.

Marcello Magnone, a senior out for football for the first time, looks like he’ll take over at tight end. Sophomores Domenick Murphy and Enrietti and senior Jeremy Freeland are in the mix.

Wypasek, Davis and Reed also will see plenty of action when the Red Riders need a slot back in the formation.

Two members of the Red Rider soccer team are vying as the placekicker. They are junior Mike Ceralo and senior Jonathon Fedoush. Larch and Davis will be back to do the punting.

The offensive line will have Jacob Parr returning as the starter at center with Cole Davidson and Kyle Baldwin at guards.

Davidson started at guard last year and Baldwin moves over to offense and will also start at defensive tackle where he’s been a mainstay the last two years.

A pair of juniors, Owen Pearson and Matt Thompson, a starter at defensive tackle, will rotate at the guard positions.

Mark Parr, Jacob’s senior brother, returns as the starter at tackle. He is the only senior starting lineman for the Red Riders.

Sophomore Jordan Allen, who Filberto says is probably the best offensive line-

man on the team, starts at the other tackle where he was the last nine games of 2013.

Others pushing for time at tackle are sophomore Travis Lowther, a transfer from Oak Glen and junior Brandon Taylor. Taylor played on the defensive line last year at 323 pounds, but has slimmed down to 280 and still is the biggest of the Red Riders.

“He’s now a big, strong kid that is very athletic,” said Filberto. “He has worked hard during the off season. Last year he looked soft, but he is lean and mean this year.”

On the defensive side, Baldwin and Taylor, both starters a year ago, return at defensive tackle with Thompson expected to be in the rotation.

Allen and Mark Parr will be at defensive end with Magnone and Brendon Williams, a junior first-year player in the mix.

Filberto said he is blessed with three outstanding inside linebackers in Enrietti, Hicks and Domenick Murphy.

“All three play offense, so we want to put them in a rotation so they are fresh in the late stages of games,” said Filberto.

Filberto said junior letterman Patrick McCoy and Freeland are pushing those three for playing time.

Sarles, Reed and Wypasek all got starting time a year ago at outside linebacker. Junior Joey Caldwell and sophomore Jimmy Whitlach will get playing time at OLB, Filberto said.

Davis and Rice return at cornerback with Spencer in that rotation along with two others — Cowden and Komoroski.

Hartman returns at free safety with Marques S m i t h getting t i m e there

From Page 18

and Larch, who has experience at safety, also available on a need-be basis.

“We’ve struggled over the past two years and were forced to play a lot of these kids that earned letters into games before they should have been,” Filberto said. “I don’t like to play freshmen and sophomores unless they are special athletes, but these kids played at that young age and now they are ready to compete at the varsity level.

“They have participated in a lot more varsity games than many of the kids they’ll be playing against, who are the same age.”

When Filberto returned to Weir High three years ago for his second stint as head coach, his team was comprised of 27 athletes. Last year, the number of players increased to 42. That’s why the 63 that came out for football this year tells the story, and Filberto says he’s still not satisfied. He said his goal is to have 80 kids in pads, hopefully by next year.

“The assistant coaches and myself have worked hard over the past three years recruiting kids from our middle school, going to their games, helping them with strength and conditioning and talking to their parents,” Filberto said.

“We’re beginning to reap the benefits from all that work.”

Filberto describes the last three football seasons as “survival” in 2012; “necessity” in 2013 and “optimistic” in 2014. He predicts that his Red Riders will be solid in 2015 and will have the capability of having a two-platoon system, which hasn’t been possible recently.

There are 24 freshmen out for football this year, and for the first time in a long time, the Red Riders will field a freshman team.

“Our plan is to schedule four or five freshmen games in the beginning of the season and then advance those freshmen to our junior varsity team to get them accustomed to the faster game,” said the coach.

2014 Coaches

Head Coach

Tony Filberto Assistant Coaches Tom Taylor Mike McKenzie Frank Sisinni Terry Rea Rick Stead Gerard Spencer David Cowdan John Leary Anthony Pompa Paul Stevens Michael Buffo

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Catholic Central Crusaders

24

Aug. 27, 2014

2014 Schedule Aug. 30 at Weir #

Sept. 6 at Wheeling Central Sept. 13

St. Clairsville

Sept. 19 at Toronto

Sept. 26 at Oak Glen Oct. 4

Bellaire

Oct. 10

Barnesville

Oct. 18

Youngstown Christ.

Oct. 25

Madonna

Nov. 1 at Conotton Valley *

* 1:30 p.m. kickoff # 7:05 p.m. kickoff Games at 7 p.m. unless noted

Cupboard is not bare for Daley’s troops

By ED LOOMAN For The Gridiron

STEUBENVILLE — The Catholic Central football cupboard may not be as fully stocked as it was in 2013, but it definitely is not bare.

Steve Daley, entering his fourth season at the Crusader helm, has 26 letter winners back from last season’s squad which went 9-3 and advanced to the second round of the Division VII playoffs.

“In spots, we’ll be a little bit green,” said Daley, who sports a career record of 1815. “But you have to remember we have kids back who got a lot of playing time last year against varsity teams.

When you go down the list, we were able to get our younger kids action in good, quality game situations.

“So when we put sophomores and juniors on the field this season, it’s not going to be their first time stepping into varsity situations. That should help us a lot going into the season.”

Central lost 14 seniors from the 2013 playoff club.

Those former Crusaders compiled the school’s first ninewin season since 2005, the first 8-0 start since 1971 and earned the right to host a post-season game for the first time since 2005.

“They were a special group,” Daley said. “Their goal was to get to the state

The Coaches

championship game and they gave that kind of effort. They wanted to go out as winners.

There is no doubt they contributed to getting us back on the map.”

Given the loss of that talented bunch, Daley knows his 2014 unit will “have to do things a little differently.”

“Right now, we’re still working to find our personality and identity on offense,” he said. “We have a good feel about what we can do and where kids can be fit into situations. We will be doing things differently formationwise.

“Last year, we had kids who could move from spot to spot and do multiple things

for us. This year, we’ll have multiple kids doing those things. We’ll be using more kids and that’s not a bad thing either. It will give us the opportunity to rest some guys at times who are going to be on the field a lot.”

Junior Tony Barber will take over for four-year starter and record-setting quarterback Brenton Colabella. During his four years as the Crusader QB, Colabella threw for 7,608 yards and 82 touchdowns. Barber started in the defensive backfield as a sophomore and also saw time as a signal-caller.

“Tony throws the ball well and is accurate,” Daley noted.

“He can throw it well on the

run and that’s something we will be looking to utilize.

We’re expecting good things out of him. I think he is going to surprise some people.

“He gives us a little more versatility in the run game.

Not that Brenton couldn’t do that, we just really didn’t want him doing it. Now our quarterback is going to be more of a dual threat and hopefully that is going to open some things up for us.”

Senior Chris Murphy and junior Robbie LeFever will provide backup for Barber.

Murphy, along with fellow senior Stone Romano, will get most of the carries at the See CRUSADERS Page 27

Aug. 27, 2014

25

2014 Roster

The Seniors 24 42 52 56 63 74 75

Seniors (7) ...................... Chris Murphy .................... Stone Romano ............................ Nate Neely ................ Jonathan Shrieve ...................... Jacob Borden .......................... Jake Karovic ...................... Cam Lupinetti

Juniors (9) 5 .............................. John Fallon 11 ............................ Tony Barber 32 .................... Robbie LeFever 35 ........................ Cedro Parise 41 .................. Jesse Zamberlan 44 ...................... Seth Potenzini 55 .......... Daniel Franckhauser 77 .............. Shawn Thompson 84 .................... Bradley Berkey

From The Coach ...

“Last year, we had kids that could move from spot to spot and do multiple things for us. This year, we’ll have multiple kids doing those things ... It will give us the opportunity to rest some guys at times who are going to be on the field a lot.”

- Steve Daley

Sophomores (13) 9 .................... Lucca DiMichele 10 ............................ Kutch Clark 13 .............. William Thompson 20 ........................ Luke Coniker 21 ................ Eddie DiBendetto 25 .................... Brody Mihalyo 29 ........................ Daniel Harris

30 33 45 59 73 80

.................. Anthony Leluika ........ Vinnie DiCarlantonio ...................... Hayden Daley ........................ Tommy Mort ................ Stephen Marcino ...................... Nate Kilonsky

Freshman (14) 2 ........................ George Zapor 3 ........................ Mitchell Zapor 4 .......................... Nate Padgett 7 .......... Donnie Vanderborne 12 .................. David Schimmel 17 ............................ A.J. Connor 22 ...................... Tommy Bensie 23 .......................... Drew Green 34 ...................... Geno DiBiase 40 .................... Levi Thompson 50 .......................... Vince Oliver 54 ............................ Ryan Neely 67 ........................ Kevin Cuervo 68 ...................... Bobby Perron

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Crusaders running back spot. LeFever also will see time there. Romano averaged 8.5 yards a trip last season and scored eight touchdowns. Murphy went for 7.8 stripes a tote.

Candidates for playing time at split end include juniors Seth Potenzini and John Fallon along with sophomores Vinnie DiCarlantonio and Nate Kilonsky.

“I think Seth is a little under the radar,” Daley pointed out. “He’s one of those guys that I think will step up and really perform for us.”

Murphy and LeFever, along with sophomores Kutch Clark and Brody Mihalyo, will see action in the slot position.

When Daley utilizes a tight end, likely candidates are sophomore Daniel Harris, sophomore Hayden Daley, Clark and junior Bradley Berkey.

Graduation hit Daley’s program hard in the receiving corps. Gone are Ryan Fletcher (29 catches), Aleks Porreca (26 grabs), Johnny DiCarlantonio (17 receptions), Luke Potenzini and Khalil Jones (16 catches apiece). Jones also rushed for 831 yards.

Senior Jonathan Shrieve, a three-year starter, will anchor the offensive line from his center position. In the hunt for playing time at guard are senior Jake Karovic, another three-year starter, senior C a m

Lupinetti, junior Shawn Thompson and junior Daniel Franckhauser.

The top tackle candidates are senior Jacob Borden, sophomore Stephen Marcino and senior Nate Neely.

When it comes to his offense, Daley admits Central “wants to be as close to 50-50 pass and run as we can.”

“Are we going to be able to stretch people vertically like we did last year?

Probably not,” Daley stated. “But there are other things we can do in order to achieve that balance. We have to be smart enough as a staff and that’s on me as the head coach to figure out how to manipulate the things we want to do with different personnel.

“That is what’s nice about high school football. You need to adjust to what your kids can do. Our playbook will be relatively the same, we’ll just have a different way of going about it and we’ll need to change things slightly.”

Romano and Murphy, both three-year starters, will lead the Central defense from their linebacking spots. Candidates to join them include junior Cedro Parise, Daley, sophomore Anthony Leluika, Clark and sophomore Luke Coniker.

Karovic, Lupinetti, Thompson, Berkey, Marcino, Borden, sophomore Tommy Mort, Neely and Franckhauser all will see time along the defensive line.

Barber will lead the Central

From Page 24

secondary. Joining him will be LeFever, Potenzini, Fallon, Mihalyo and DiCarlantonio.

Lucca DiMichele will be booting extra points for Central while Potenzini and Murphy are vying for the punting spot.

Romano returns as the long snapper and also will kick off.

Daley was quick to point out Central will lean on its four three-year starters (Romano, Murphy, Shrieve and Karovic).

“We’ll be leaning on those guys heavily, especially earlier on,” he said. “With four of our first five games on the road, we’ll be relying on them to bring us along to the point where we are clicking as a unit. Hopefully that happens sooner rather than later.”

The Central grid boss noted the strength of his 2014 squad “will be up front.”

“That may not have been the case the last couple of years,” he stated. “We were loaded with skilled guys last year.

This year we are going to be a little thinner and younger at the skilled positions.

I feel comfortable with where we are on both sides of the ball up front.

“Our size is comparable to last year.

We have decent size up front and our guys move well. Karovic, for example, got bigger in the off-season and at the same time, he got quicker. He came into camp in a lot better shape even though he is bigger. I like where we are up front.”

Daley also noted Central has “real good depth on the offensive and defenSee CRUSADERS Page 103

2014 Coaches

Head Coach

Steve Daley Assistant Coaches Joe Colabella Jeff Clark

Tom Daley

Mike Lemal

Frank Marcino Rick Gillette

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Madonna Blue Dons

30

Aug. 27, 2014

2014 Schedule Aug. 29

Beallsville

Sept. 5

Tusky Catholic

Sept. 12 at Wheeling Central Sept. 25 at Cameron

Oct. 3 at Bridgeport

Oct. 10 at Bishop Donahue Oct. 18 at Notre Dame +

Oct. 25 at Catholic Central Oct. 31

Toronto

Nov. 7

Clay-Battelle

+ 7:30 p.m. kickoff Games at 7 p.m. unless noted

Something new for Taylor’s squad: Inexperience

By RALPH COX For The Gridiron

WEIRTON — Inexperience.

That is the key word in the Madonna Blue Don football camp this fall.

And that’s something new for fourth-year head coach, Doug Taylor. But, the coach feels he has most of the pieces he needs to keep the Blue Don football machine rolling provided they learn quickly, work hard and stay healthy.

Taylor sports the all-time highest winning percentage among Blue Don head coaches.

In the three years he has been at the helm, the Blue Dons amassed a record of 32-7 with a state runner-up and a state title.

Taylor, who admits that good players make good coaches, has the daunting task of replacing 15 seniors who played key roles in going 14-0 while winning of the state Class A championship last fall.

That group was led by allstater and Division I recruit, Ross Comis, who currently is working hard to make a contribution on the University of Massachusetts football team as a freshman quarterback.

Others in that senior class who posted an overall 40-10 record during their four years in Blue Dons uniform were: Anthony Antinone, Austin Bell, Garrett Beaver, Marcello Biondillo, Travis Brown, Will Bowser, Tyler Ewusiak, Nate

The Coaches

Guio, Gabe Hypes, Shain Livada, Josh Martin, Stevie Maus, Eliott Nero and Adam Robertson.

“We’ve been fortunate at Madonna to have a good run of athletes,” Taylor remarked.

“We had size and speed and they worked hard for the program. And all were good kids.

We had no trouble with any of them. They were well mannered and just awful good football players.”

But Taylor doesn’t feel that the Madonna cupboard is bare despite the big hit from graduation.

He has 16 players who saw enough action in 2013 to earn a letter, but only a couple saw significant playing time. Junior

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Nate Martin is the only starting lineman returning. Senior Grant Retton got considerable action at wide receiver rotating in and out on just about every other play. Senior Levi Shreve got some carries at running back last year and also played some at defensive back.

The other lettermen are seniors Matt Green, Marquise Jeter, Austin Connell, Jonathan Ekey, Christian D’Angelo; juniors Dillon Shaw, Adam Davis, Thaiddeus Dillie; and sophomores Joey Ewusiak, Jimmy Mazzone, Phillip Good, Dustin Brown, Gaetano Fuscardo and Justin Canei.

“With the great season we had last year, we were able to give kids playing time and

that’s why we have so many lettermen,” said Taylor. “But few played a full game. That’s why we’re preparing these guys to play a full four quarters, and if they do, we’ll be successful.”

Taylor said Ewusiak, who for a while this summer indicated he wasn’t going to play football, but concentrate on playing basketball, showed up the first day of drills. The 6foot-3-inch sophomore saw considerable action as a freshman member of the Blue Don varsity basketball team last winter.

“He’s a good athlete,” Taylor said.

Good Luck To All Area Teams!

See BLUE DONS Page 33

Aug. 27, 2014

31

2014 Roster

The Seniors

Seniors (7) 8 .............................. Levi Shreve 10 ...................... Marquise Jeter 11 .......................... Jarrod Taflan 12 .......................... Grant Retton 20 ............................ Matt Green 25 ...................... Austin Connell 28 ........................Jonathan Ekey 67 .............. Christian D’Angelo

Juniors (6) 4 .............................. Dillon Shaw 19 .......................... Ryan Phelps 52 .......................... Nate Martin 56 ...................... Tristen McCoy 74 .......................... Adam Davis 77 .................. Thaiddeus Dillie

From The Coach ...

“We’ve been fortunate at Madonna to have a good run of athletes. We had size and speed and they worked hard for the program ... We had no trouble with any of them. They were well mannered and just awful good football players.”

- Doug Taylor

Sophomores (7) 5 ............................ Joey Ewusiak 7 .................... Jimmy Mazzone 21 .......................... Phillip Good 22 ........................ Dustin Brown 50 .................... Jacob Gasvado 51 ................ Gaetano Fuscardo 55 .......................... Justin Canei

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33

Blue Dons Ewusiak is expected to fill the hole left by Comis at quarterback.

“Joey is athletic enough and he had the advantage of learning the offensive system last year as a freshman,” said Taylor. “Comis didn’t have that advantage because my staff and I didn’t come on board until his sophomore year.

“He’ll make mistakes, but we can live with that. I expect his numbers to be compatible with those of Comis. Ewusiak is a different kind of runner.

He has more finesse and is more of a cut-back type of runner where Ross had more power.”

Jeter is a speedy wide receiver and defensive back while Green is the place kicker, who made 60 of 67 extra points last year.

Taylor rated his backfield as “solid.” The Blue Dons will use three different running backs with Shreve, the senior, Shaw, a junior and Brown, a sophomore.

“They all bring something different to the table, but I would rate them as the best group of running backs that we’ve had since I got here,” Taylor exclaimed. “They will give us a good 1-2-3 punch.”

Taylor said he plans to rotate the backs so that all will be fresh late in the game.

From Page 30

From The Coach ...

“This year we want to do the same things we have done over the past three years.

We expect to do the best we can early on and polish up on what we need to work on so we’ll be better as the season goes along.”

“But our success still depends on the group up front,” said Taylor. “We have only one true starter returning in Nate Martin. He started from about Game 3 through the playoffs and we expect him to be the leader.”

Martin is the brother of Madonna’s All-State giant of a tackle, Josh Martin, who stood 7-feet tall and weighed in at 290 pounds. Nate is a mere 6-feet-6 and 260 pounds, but is the biggest of the Blue Dons. He’ll start at guard.

Taylor thinks that junior Tristen McCoy, a transfer from Aliquippa, Pa., will be the other guard. Sophomore Gaetano Fuscardo is expected to see some playing time at guard.

Jacob Gasvado, a sophomore, will anchor the offensive line at center. Junior Thaiddeus Dillie is the backup.

Taylor says there is a battle going on for the two that will start at tackle. The trio vying for those honors are D’Angelo, Canei and Davis. Fuscardo and Dillie also could

see time at tackle.

Senior Austin Connell will move into the tight end slot.

“We have decent size up front again this year and a lot of these kids got valuable playing time last year. That’s a plus,” Taylor continued.

Retton returns to lead the wide receiving corps. Others there are Jeter, sophomore Jimmy Mazzone, and senior Jarrod Taflan, (6-4, 190), a transfer from Brooke High.

On the defensive side, Connell and Retton will man the defensive ends and at tackle will be Eckey, Martin and Davis.

McCoy and Fuscardo should see a lot of time as inside linebackers with Shaw and Phillip Good in the mix.

The outside linebackers will be Shaw and Brown with freshman Nic Schell and Mazzone in backup roles.

Jeter and junior Ryan

- Doug Taylor

Phelps, another transfer from Brooke, should man the corners with Ewusiak at safety.

Shreve also will get playing time at safety.

Ewusiak and Brown are the two vying for punting duties.

“Since Brad Kessel came in with me three years ago as the defensive coordinator, the Blue Dons have been stingy on defense,” said Taylor.

“Our offense got most of the publicity last year, but our defense has been very good.

Kessel has instilled a lot of pride in our defense and we expect those guys to tackle well. I think that is the key to good defense.

“This year we want to do the same things we have done over the past three years. We expect to do the best we can early on and polish up on what we need to work on so we’ll be better as the season goes along.”

2014 Coaches

Head Coach

Doug Taylor

Assistant Coaches Brad Kessel John McClelland Eric Nejus Jon Kendrick Bob Orlando Keith Keenan

It’s 2014: Now what?

By RALPH COX

For The Gridiron

WEIRTON —OK, you’ve just graduated 15 seniors that comprised the best group of athletes who probably ever donned a Madonna High School football uniform together.

During the four years those athletes played, a couple of whom started all four years, they compiled a gridiron record of 40-10 and participated in the state playoffs all four years. They were state Class A runner up as juniors and were undefeated and won the state championship as seniors.

Where do you go from there?

Doug Taylor, head football coach, has it figured out when he says: “Will we be world See BLUE DONS Page 111

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Indian Creek Redskins

36

Aug. 27, 2014

2014 Schedule Aug. 29 at Brooke + Sept. 5

East Liverpool

Sept. 12 at Oak Glen

Sept. 19 at Buckeye Local Sept. 26

St. Clairsville

Oct. 3 at Beaver Local Oct. 10

Union Local

Oct. 17 at Martins Ferry Oct. 24

Harrison Central

Oct. 31 Edison

+ 7:30 p.m. kickoff Games at 7 p.m. unless noted

Connor’s crew looks to take leap back into playoffs

By MATTHEW PEASLEE For The Gridiron

WINTERSVILLE — A little extra motivation is rarely a bad thing.

It is something that head coach Andrew Connor and the Indian Creek football team has as it prepares for the 12th season under Connor.

The 2013 Redskins finished in ninth place in the Division III, Region 13 standings — .0556 behind No. 8 Steubenville.

“We were so close to a playoff spot,” Connor said. “It was a motivational thing. We were fortunate to make the playoffs the previous two years. This year’s class, we pounded into their heads that nothing is given. It’s renewed motivation.

They want to play in Week 11.

They want to be the first class to make the postseason three out of four years.”

Connor says it’ll be different, though. This Redskins team is young and somewhat inexperienced, with five returning starters on defense and just one on offense.

“You could be negative about it, you could be a worrywart, but that’s not going to win games,” Connor said. “This is the hand your dealt and sometimes you have to stand firm.

These are our kids and they’re program kids who have been with us, they’ve waited their turn and they’re ready to make an impact.”

The Coaches

‘The team isn’t negative about the situation at all. In fact, the players have turned it into a positive aspect.

“It created a lot of excitement in the weight room and at the beginning of two-a-days,” Connor said. “Usually, coaches say that positions are open and just because you’re returning doesn’t mean you have your spot.

“We’re not lying about that at all. There’s a lot of places on the field that are wide open.”

The sure thing on offense is the fullback, Zach Connor. He happens to be the coach’s son and, as a junior, one of the top all-around players in the area.

Connor rushed for 300 in last year’s 6-4 campaign, while averaging eight yards per carry.

He also had five receptions, averaging 25 yards per catch.

Competing with Connor at fullback is Jonathan Dailey, a junior and returning letterwinner.

The Redskins backfield is diverse in the fact that they run both I-formation and a spread package. Senior Michael Puorro, a captain, returning letterwinner and backup to AllEastern District performer Blake Roar — who is off to play collegiately at Waynesburg — will get the nod in the I-formation. Sophomore Trey Harton and fellow sophomore Robert Coppa, who is a returning letterwinner, will start at running back in the spread. Junior Isaiah Pavlic will also be in

the mix in the backfield.

Youth is prevalent at quarterback, too. Connor isn’t sure who will be the starter, but he does know that it’ll be a sophomore. It will be the first time the head coach has utilized a sophomore starting under center.

“I’m a little concerned,” Connor said. “You worry a bit about what’s going on in the huddle, but because we are so inexperienced it isn’t like we’re putting a sophomore QB with a veteran team. You’re going to put a sophomore quarterback with a bunch of inexperienced kids.

“They’re all new and that may help a little bit. There aren’t going to be any guys See REDSKINS Page 39

Good Luck Creek! Have A Great Season!

Aug. 27, 2014

37

2014 Roster

The Seniors

From The Coach ...

“This year’s class, we pounded into their heads that nothing is given. It’s renewed motivation. They want to play in Week 11. They want to be the first class to make the postseason three out of four years.”

- Andrew Connor

Seniors (15) 3 ........................ Zach Connor 6 .................. Justen Chappell 7 .................... Zach Crawford 8 .................. Anthony Krager 9 .......................... Sean Tipton 12 ................ Christian Getsey 14 .......................... Chris Plotts 21 .................. Michael Puorro 25 ................ Jacob Holloway 36 .................... Jordan Herald 55 .................. Nick Fortunato 72 ........................ Luke Carroll 73 .................. Donnie Merritt 77 .................... Greg Burrows 78 .................. Corey Springer Juniors (12) 10 ........................ Jacob Wigal 15 ...................... Isaiah Martin 23 ........................ Isaiah Pavlic 29 ........................ Cody Sinsel 32 .......................... Zach Cole 34 ................ Jonathan Dailey 57 ...................... Zac Williams 59 ................ Brandon Neville 61 ...................... Eddie Homol 63 ............ Tristan McDonald 67 .................. Tyreece Papola 76 ........................ Scott Kosek Sophomores (11) 2 .......................... Greg Wade 4 .......................... Trey Harton

5 ........................ Jabari Taylor 19 .......... Austin Vandeborne 20 .................. Robert Coppa 22 ...... Bryce Throckmorton 28 ........................ Caleb Agin 53 .................. Trey Livingston 54 .................. Sam Robinson 62 ................ Jacob Wounaris 70 .................. Michael Butler Freshmen (16) 11 .................... Stone Harding 16 .................. Jonathan Clark 17 ...................... Devon Eakle 24 ........................ Keith Maple 30 .................. Nick Crawford 31 ...................... Andrew Shea 33 ...................... Shawn Allen 35 .................... Trevor Takach 50 ................................ Ian Belt 52 ...................... Evan Coppa 56 ...................... Robert Travis 58 .................. Justin McCann 60 .............. Andy Waggoner 66 ...................... Robert Travis 80 ........................ Devin Eakle 88 ................ Aaron Robinson

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Aug. 27, 2014

39

Redskins who were there before wondering what you’re doing. They should be on the same page because of their experience level.”

In the mix at quarterback are 5-foot-11, 215-pound Jabari Taylor or 5-foot-9, 150pound Greg Wade, a returning letterwinner.

“They all can play wideout, too,” Connor said.

Seniors Zach Crawford and Jacob Halloway, both returning letterwinners, and fellow senior Chris Plotts will be the Redskins’ starting wide receivers.

On the offensive line, junior Zac Williams (5-10, 205), senior Corey Springer (6-3, 285) and Luke Carroll (511, 200) have some experience from previous years and will be penciled in as starters. Carroll is a senior, as well as a twotime letterwinner and a captain.

Senior Nick Fortunato and sophomore Sam Robinson look to be the other two starters on the line. Juniors Scott Kosek, Tristan McDonald and Brandon Neville will also compete for spots.

“We graduated all five seniors along the line,” Connor said. “We’ll have to see how it all meshes out now.”

Indian Creek is also coping with the loss of junior and returning letterwinner Tyreese Papola, who is out for the season with a torn ACL. He suffered the injury during a recent camp in Carrollton. Papola

would have been a force along the lines.

“He’s the strongest kid on the team,” Connor said.

The Redskins may also be without the services of Christian Getsey, a defensive end and tight end. The senior has had a series of back problems and is undergoing tests to determine his playing status.

“We’re hopeful that he will be cleared to play,” Connor said.

Dailey will start on the defensive line if Getsey is unable to go. Fortunato, Springer, Williams and senior Greg Burrows are the top four candidates at defensive tackle.

The linebacking corps is all back with Zach Connor, Pavlic and Zach Cole as returning starters.

“That’ll be the heart of the defense,” Connor said. “We’re confident in those guys.”

Connor enters his senior season as an All-OVAC, All-Eastern District and AllOhio honorable mention. He totaled 90 tackles, including six for a loss, and three sacks. He had two fumble recoveries, one forced fumble and one interception.

The secondary consists of Cody Sinsel and Robert Coppa. Wade, Harton and Sean Tipton are the corners.

Handling kick offs and extra points will be Jordan Herald. The senior is a Redskins soccer player who joined the football team late last season.

From Page 36

Connor is encouraged by his development and the added dynamic a solid kicker can offer his squad.

“We struggled mightily on extra points before,” Connor said. “Jordan has done really well. He went to kicking camps and this will be much better. He’s really an extra weapon for us.”

The quarterback, either Taylor or Wade, will be the punter.

The 2013 season snapped a two-year postseason streak for the Redskins. A 2821 loss to Martins Ferry in Week 8, followed by a 49-28 loss at Harrison Central derailed solid plans for the playoffs. Indian Creek did rebound for a Week 10 36-22 win at Edison to close the season.

“The Ferry game was the dagger in the heart,” Connor said. “The kids finished well by rallying to beat Edison to close out the year. Having another winning season would be five-straight, so that’s the goal. It says a lot about the consistency of the program and the kids. They have goals and they work towards them.”

The consistency also comes with the coaching staff. Connor, a 1988 Steubenville Central graduate, has been at Indian Creek for 13 years, starting as an assistant in 2002. He started coaching as an assistant at Akron Hoban, with other stints at his alma mater and Harrison Central.

Many of his current assistants have been with the team for at least the past seven years.

“I’ve been blessed,” Connor said. “I have a great staff and two great coordinators. That veteran coaching staff helps me a lot.”

2014 Coaches

Head Coach

Andrew Connor Assistant Coaches Joe Hammack Sean Grinch Doug Karas Mike Voltz

Justin Wilson Mike Wilson

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Brooke Bruins

44

2014 Schedule Aug. 29

Indian Creek

Sept. 5

Morgantown

Sept. 12 at University

Sept. 19 at Big Red + Sept. 26

Wheeling Park

Oct. 3 at Logan

Oct. 17 at Prksbrg South Oct. 24 Weir

Oct. 31

John Marshall

Nov. 7

Cabell Midland + 7 p.m. kickoff

Games at 7:30 p.m. unless noted

Aug. 27, 2014

McLean’s squad looks to get better every day

By ED LOOMAN For The Gridiron

WELLSBURG — Along with his own system and terminology, Mac McLean also brought a piece of Nebraska to the Brooke football program.

McLean, hired in early July, and his Bruins have developed a habit of ending workouts by reciting the University of Nebraska chant.

The end of the chant goes like this: “Day by day, we get better and better. A team that can’t be beat; won’t be beat.”

“We needed something to rally ourselves around,” McLean, a 1994 Brooke graduate, said. “I was searching the Internet and came across the Nebraska chant. I tried it out one day during our July workouts. The next day, I’m getting ready to dismiss practice and kids said ‘We didn’t do the chant yet, coach we have to do the chant.’”

“So every day when our second summer practice ends, the kids want to do the chant.

They are all on board with it.

And that’s what we want to do here — get better every single day just like the chant says.”

McLean, who spent the last 12 years as an assistant on his brother Brett’s coaching staff at St. Clairsville, realizes he has inherited a “situation that is a little unusual for a new

The Coaches

coach.”

“The cupboard is not bare here,” McLean, who replaced Sean Blumette, noted. “I tell the kids I am always going to be humble when I talk about the team. But I see the raw ability that is here and that makes you feel pretty good about what you are going to do.”

Senior quarterback Aaron Walker is one of many weapons McLean found in the Bruin cupboard. As a junior, Walker threw for more than 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns. He also ran for six scores.

“Walker definitely is a leader on the field,” McLean

stated. “I’ve coached quarterbacks for 12 years and it’s great to have a kid who can run and throw as well as he can. His talents take a lot of weight off my shoulders as an offensive coach.”

Junior Chad Harper and sophomore Cody Hudson will provide backup for Walker.

Thomas Cole, a 6-6 junior, returns to his wide receiver spot. Last season, he grabbed 28 passes for nearly 500 yards and five six-pointers.

“He’s the real deal,” McLean said about Cole. “He has outstanding talent and his future is very, very bright.”

McLean expects senior

Kyle Bowman to be the No. 2 wide receiver with junior Tyler Bailey also in the mix.

Junior Justin Loughrie will lead the Bruin running game from the tailback spot. During his sophomore campaign, Loughrie averaged 5.8 yards per trip. Senior Jake Ohler and junior Chantz Cassella will provide backup for Loughrie. Cassella is a transfer from Toronto.

Michael Kurcina, a senior, is the leading candidate at fullback. Juniors Aaron Cox and Marty Johnson along with sophomore Alex Edgell also will see time there.

See BRUINS Page 47

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Aug. 27, 2014

45

2014 Roster

The Seniors

Seniors (12) 1 .................. Joseph Bowman 6 ...................... Aaron Walker 9 ...................... Eugene Jones 20 .............. Wayland Stewart 25 ........................ Jacob Ohler 30 ................ Steven Johnson 34 ................ Michael Kurcina 46 ........................ Scott Edgell 50 ...................... Luke Grizzel 54 ........................ Collin Burns 57 .......................... Cody Rine 71 .......................... Justin Elliot

From The Coach ...

“I tell the kids I am always going to be humble when I talk about the team. But I see the raw ability that is here and that makes you feel pretty good about what you are going to do.”

- Mac McLean

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Juniors (17) 7 ...................... Nathan Green 8 ........................ Chad Harper 11 ...................... Thomas Cole 12 .................. Jacob Kennedy 13 .................. Justin Loughrie 21 .......................... Tyler Bailey 31 ................ Matthew Lazear 32 ................ Chantz Cassella 42 .......................... Aaron Cox 44 .................. Marty Johnson 47 .......................... Seth Burek 58 .................. Cody Younciak 67 ............................ John Fox

75 76 77 78

.......................... Levi Doyle ............ Thomas Lancaster .................... Jeffery Braun ...................... Patrick Taylor

Sophomores (15) 2 .................... Aaron Hudson 3 ........................ Chris Yachini 15 ............................ John Hall 16 ............ Donnis Woodburn 23 .............. Alexander Edgell 24 .............. Colton Zombeck 33 ...................... Austin Kemp 55 ............ Vincent Pederson 61 .................... Hagin Bennett 66 ...................... Joshua Ross 72 ........................ Ben Kosevic 73 .................... Zac McKinney 86 .................... Colt Gaschler 87 ...................... Noah Talbott 88 .................. Nick Tomassilli

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Bruins Junior Nate Green, who also goes 66, will start at tight end.

Cody Younciak, a junior, will anchor the Brooke offensive line from his center spot. The guards will be senior Luke Grizzel and junior John Fox. Seniors Justin Elliott and Cody Rine have a lock on the tackle positions.

“Our front five is very solid,” McLean commented. “We have six kids behind them who will battle to determine who is next on the field.”

Brooke fans can expect McLean’s offense and defense to be “very simple.”

“Because I was hired on such a short timetable, at least early on, we are going to be very simply both offensively and defensively,” he stated. “We’ll be a proI base offense and run a base 4-4 defense. The playbook is not going to be very big on either side of the ball. But I have seen some teams in the valley run very basic packages and they tend to win eight or nine games every year.

“The playbook will increase in complexity as the season progresses. We’ll add a new wrinkle each week. We’re going to run power and play action passes — high percentage stuff, simple stuff that we can pick up quickly.”

Green and Elliott are expected to start at defensive ends for Brooke while Rine and Grizzel are the top candidates

at tackle.

Harper and Johnson should start as inside linebackers with Bowman, Cole and Kurcina in the mix for the outside spots.

Walker will again man the safety spot for Brooke with Loughrie and Ohler ticketed to start at corners.

“Elliott is a very quiet guy but from just watching him, I know he is as tough as nails.” McLean noted. “Rine, for the size that he is, has impressive speed. He can really move.

“When it comes to Walker at safety — an athlete is an athlete. He covers a lot of ground. He’s a smart kid and takes over the quarterback role in the secondary just like he does on offense.”

Junior Jacob Kennedy will handle the placekicking duties for McLean while Kennedy, Cole and Loughrie all are candidates to do the punting.

The linebacking area is one that has McLean a little concerned.

“We’re very young and inexperienced at linebacker,” he pointed out. “Coach Eric Francis, an all-state linebacker for us at St.Clairsville, and coach Mario DiBias are spending a lot of time trying to develop our linebackers. That is a real question mark on our team right now.”

McLean also knows his Bruins need to improve their tackling skills.

“I want us to be the best tackling team in the valley,” he said.

From Page 44

“We’ve worked hard on tackling drills nearly every day. I see tackling as kind of a lost art in high school football. As long as we can tackle the guy who has the ball, we will be OK on defense.”

McLean is quick to point out he’s been “impressed most with how much the kids have embraced me.”

“I know that with the struggles you go through during the season, every day won’t be a happy day,” he commented.

“But right now, the kids have done everything I have asked them to do.

Some of these kids have had three coaches during their high school career and I think how they have embraced me speaks volumes regarding what kind of kids they are. I think we are heading in a good direction.

“The senior class has been outstanding for me. They are energized and ready to go. This group of seniors was successful in athletics at the junior high level. I know they want to be winners in all sports when they walk out the door.

I told the seniors if they are going to leave any legacy, it should involve leaving the program in better shape than they found it.”

McLean added the Brooke football program has “a lot of talent in the under classes, especially the junior class with guys like Cole and Loughrie.”

“That excites me,” admitted McLean.

“I’m looking forward to spending an off-season with them. If their attitudes are the same, I think good things are on the way.”

See BRUINS Page 109

2014 Coaches

Head Coach

Mac McLean

Assistant Coaches Paul Julio C.J. Besece Mario DiBias Chris Hill Eric Francis John Shubaugh Chuck Taylor Doug Lamp Rich Henry

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Edison Wildcats

50

2014 Schedule Aug. 30

Oak Glen *

Sept. 5 at Carrollton Sept. 12 Weir

Sept. 19 Bellaire

Sept. 26 at Union Local

Oct. 3 at Buckeye Local Oct. 10

Harrison Central

Oct. 17

St. Clairsville

Oct. 24 at Martins Ferry

Oct.. 31 at Indian Creek * 4 p.m. kickoff at Weir

Games at 7 p.m. unless noted

Aug. 27, 2014

Stickles’ squad committed to defensive improvement

By AARON PETCHAL For The Gridiron

RICHMOND — The Edison football team is looking to grow from kittens to fullgrown Wildcats by the end of the season.

The Wildcats enter the 2014 season under the guidance of second-year head coach Derrick Stickles. Edison began last season at 4-2 before losing its final four games to end the year at 4-6.

“I think we got better as a team throughout the year,” Stickles said. “The kids worked hard. We lost a lot of seniors who contributed significantly to our team.

“I learned a lot as a coach. I learned from playing against coaches who have been very successful in the local area. I feel like I can grow more as a coach and an individual.

“As a team, I think the turning point was the Carrollton game. We fought back from a 25-point halftime deficit and clawed our way back into the game. The lowest point of the season was the St. Clairsville game, but I was proud the kids fought back the next week against Martins Ferry.

“The kids are resilient, and we are looking to carry the momentum we gained this past season into this season.”

Edison was outscored 168102 in the final four games.

The Wildcats gave up at least 34 points in each game, in-

The Coaches

cluding allowing 49 points in back-to-back road losses to Harrison Central and St. Clairsville.

The Huskies defeated the Wildcats, 49-47, in triple overtime in Week 7 to start the slide.

“The kids fought,” Stickles said. “It is tough when you put that much into it and it doesn’t go your way. There were a few times where we thought we had won the game, but I think us as a team learned how to compete.

“We competed in almost every game. That is the first step. You need to learn to com-

pete, and we did that this past season. This season, for us to turn that corner, we have to learn how to win. That is the next step. We have to win close games, and I think we have the right group of kids and the right coaching staff to do that.

“We are keeping things positive. We are keeping things competitive during practice.

We are doing the things we need to do to turn things around and to be a competitive program.”

Edison was outscored, 299276, in 2013. The Wildcats gave up 34 or more points five times during the season.

The Wildcats have made a commitment to improving defensively this season.

“We have made some changes defensively,” Stickles said. “We are going to be a 33 stack team. We have a lot of outside linebacker-safety types of players. They are all athletic kids. We are definitely undersized in a sense, and that is what is best for us. We have depth on the defensive line.

“We can change our three down linemen, and that will play into our hands.”

The defensive issues were See WILDCATS Page 53

Aug. 27, 2014

51

The Seniors

2014 Roster

Senior s (11) 1 .................... Carter Andreozzi 3 ......................... Robert Daley 10 ................... Russell Shannon 17......................... Collin Skeeles 45 ..................... Ethan Shannon 58 ....................... Mitchell Wells 63....................... Nate VanHorn 67 ............................. Nick Fisher 78 ......................... Cody Kosegi 81 ......................... Tyler Schmitt 88....................... Dustin Dayton

From The Coach ...

“I think we are athletic. I think the biggest thing this year is we have young kids who are in the process of growing up ... I am very excited to watch the process and to see what our football program can become.”

- Derrick Stickles

Juniors (14) 5 ................................. Jay Louks 18......................... Shane Wright 20 ............................. Nick Glenn 24 ....................... Dakota Byron 25 ................... Liam McAfoose 42 ........................... Andy Matta 46 ................. Colter Whitmore 59 ............................. Uziah Yetts 60 ....................... Cody McCain 68 ........................... Collin Scott 74 ..................... Clayton Wilson 75 ......................... Michael Ford 77 ......................... Dylan Boyuk 82 ........................... Evan Longo

Sophomores (15) 7 ..................... Storm Vincenzo 9 ........................... Dom Rogers 19 ................................. Joe Nave 32 ........................... Mark Johns 37............................... Josh Oaks 43........................... Chris Kosegi 44 ............. Cameron Redovian 50..................... Mason Balzano 52 ......................... Logan Glenn 62 ........................... Cole Clutter 64....................... Logan Kinrock 70 ..................... Richard Yocum 73 ......................... Jon Kemmer 84 ..................... Cody Westling 86 ....................... Vincent Bonar Freshmen (5) 2......................... Kyle Koehnlein 4 ......................... Dalton Diserio 14 ................... Dylan Haldiman 22 ............................. Seth Cade 80 ........................... Trevor Coffy

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Wildcats apparent in the Week 8 loss against the Red Devils.

“It was one game,” Stickles said. “I try not to think about it. You don’t forget about it, but you want to so bad. I learned a lot about myself and our program that night. A loss like that is tough to take.

“I want to focus on the fact that we competed against the majority of the teams we played. We competed in nine games.

Against St. Clairsville, there was something different in the air that night. It was not our night. It was an experience I don’t want to ever have to experience again.

“Who knows what the future may bring? The kids learned a lot. I certainly did as well. That is part of the reason we changed to a 3-3 stack. I think our kids fit into it better. Defense is something I am giving more emphasis to. It is a very, very important part of the game.”

Edison scored 33 or more points three times.

Stickles said he learned a lot about himself and his team during his first season as a head coach.

“I’m sure I will continue to learn more as time goes on,” he said. “I don’t think you can truly ever know everything about the job. I think I have a pretty good handle on things. I think I am prepared for whatever comes my way. I am excited to meet any new challenges. I am going to approach them in a positive way. I have not learned everything there is to know, but I have gained the tools necessary, and I am going to use them this season and throughout the following seasons.”

The Wildcats lost 15 seniors from last year’s team, including several key contributors, but the team does return 12 lettermen.

“Things are going pretty well,” Stickles said. “Things are going not bad at all. The kids are working hard. We have not had any injuries. The kids worked hard in the offseason. When kids are in shape, they are not going to get as hurt as quick. There is a fine line between working hard and staying healthy and working hard and not getting rundown too much. That is the tricky thing. You want the kids to get tired enough, but you don’t want to push past the point of overtraining.”

Edison has 45 players on the varsity roster this season.

“That is not quite the number I wish we had,” Stickles said. “I wish we had as many boys as possible come out to play football, but that is a solid number. I wish we had 100 kids come out to play.

“I am excited about our middle school program. We have 31 eighth-graders. We are looking into having a seventh-grade team as well. We have the numbers to do it. We have the numbers in the middle school to go into the direction we want to go.

“I think we are athletic. I think the biggest thing this year is we have young kids who are in the process of growing up.

Once we grow up and we all come to the point that we are playing at the same level on a consistent manner, I think we will be a good football team. It is just a matter of waiting for the kids to mature. I am very excited to watch the process and to see what our football program can b e -

From Page 50

come. The focus is on our youth and the progress they make throughout the season and throughout their time in our program.”

The Wildcats roster is made up of 11 seniors, 14 juniors, 15 sophomores and five freshmen. Stickles said the seniors are once again the leaders of the team.

The Wildcats have become known for having some of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in the local area throughout the last 15 years, and Edison has been one of the top scoring teams around.

“We have an offensive system,” Stickles said. “I think it is important to adapt our offensive system to the players we have.

The concept is the same. We are going to play to the strengths of the athletes we have. The nuts and bolts will not change.

We are going to do some things a little different, but the system will be there. I like the system we have. We are able to adapt to what we have. We are not going to change too much. We are going to play a style that will bring the best out of the athletes we have.”

This season, senior Collin Skeeles will be the starting quarterback. Skeeles replaces the ultra-talented Nolan Marcus, who graduated, as the team’s signal caller.

Sophomore Joey Nave will be the backup to Skeeles.

“Collin will play the majority of the time,” Stickles said. “Joey is learning from Collin like Collin learned from Nolan.

Jason Duke has come in and done a great job coaching the quarterbacks. He is teaching them what they need to know, and they are coming right along. Collin will be taking the snaps as the starter, but Joey is right there. If something happens to Collin, we are confident Joey can come in and do the things we need done.

“Collin certainly has a very good arm.

See WILDCATS Page 90

2014 Coaches

Head Coach

Derrick Stickles Assistant Coaches Jason Duke Spencer Bendle Clint Chevalier Shane O’Brien Chuck Yocum Josh Waggoner Jim Benson

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Oak Glen Golden Bears

56

Aug. 27, 2014

2014 Schedule Aug. 30 Edison *

Sept. 5

Beaver Local

Sept. 12

Indian Creek

Sept. 19 at Williamstown Sept. 26

Cath. Central

Oct. 3 at Weir

Oct. 10

East Liverpool

Oct. 18 at John Marshall Oct. 24

Frankfort

Nov. 7 at Tyler Consolidated * 4 p.m. kickoff at Weir

Games at 7 p.m. unless noted

Leadership group brings camaraderie to new level

By RALPH COX For The Gridiron

NEW MANCHESTER — It was a tumultuous year for Oak Glen football in 2013 with season-ending injuries to key players and a mid-season suspension of the head coach.

The result was something that no one in the Golden Bear camp wants to think about, an 0-10 record.

Now, there is optimism at Oak Glen because the injured players are back and so is the head coach, Ian Whittington.

“The players also had a new offensive system that we put in last year for the first time and that was another challenge for them,” said Whittington, who is in his third season as head coach.

“Everything was new and we had only one returning starter on each side of the ball. We felt the system we installed my first year wasn’t what was best even though we went 46 in that first season.”

Whittington, who saw 11 seniors pick up their diplomas last May, is optimistic about this year, though.

“Our line is big and athletic and we have overall team speed that we want to use to our advantage,” he said. “The line wasn’t where we wanted it to be last year and now they got a lot of experience, worked hard in the weight room during the off season and everyone understands the

The Coaches

offense a lot better.”

The Golden Bears were hit hard in the first half of the 2013 opener against Edison when quarterback Chase Hartley went down with a broken leg attempting to get a first down on a quarterback sneak.

The senior signal caller is back, but Whittington said he is being pushed hard by sophomore Lance Collins, who quarterbacked the junior varsity team last year.

Another key player back from injury is wide receiver and big play guy, Micah Swiger, a senior. Swiger received a season-ending spinal injury midway through the

schedule a year ago.

“He’s our big-play guy and speedster,” Whittington explained. “Now we have both he and Hartley back for their senior year.”

Junior running back Alec Swiger is among the 17 lettermen that Whittington greeted when August drills began.

Whittington thinks he has a good stable of running backs with Dakota Price, a sophomore, who lettered last year as a freshman, and senior Patrick Arneault.

“Hartley is a good runner, too, so he adds another dimension to our backfield,” he added.

Ryan Cunningham, a junior who has started the past two years at linebacker, is the fullback.

Whittington has lettermen and starters returning all across the offensive line. He said the biggest battle to start is at tackle where seniors Chance Staley and Joe Wells return, but sophomore Richard Bowen is making a strong bid.

Sophomore Isaac Rosohac was a starter at tackle last year, but is being moved to guard where he joins senior Noah Mills, a third-year starter.

See BEARS Page 59

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Aug. 27, 2014

57

2014 Roster

The Seniors

Seniors (8) 4 ........................` Nate Bebout 5 ........................ Micah Swiger 9 ...................... Chase Hartley 42 .................. Patrick Arneault 55 .......................... Noah Mills 56 .................... Chance Staley 70 .............................. Joe Wells 84 ...................... Patrick Morris

From The Coach ...

“Our line is big and athletic and we have overall team speed that we want to use to our advantage.”

- Ian Whittington

Juniors (11) 2 ................ Michael Campbell 8 .................. Shawn Troutman 20 ...................... Lance Mynes 24 ................ Devon Chadwick 27 ...................... Zack O’Brien 36 .......................... Alec Swiger 43 ............................ Cyle Perez 46 ............ Ryan Cunningham 59 ...................... Noah Flowers 71 .......................... Ron Moore 82 .......................... Aaron Gray Sophomores (10) 3 ........................ David Devaux 14 ........................ Chase Crago 15 ........................ Lance Collins

22 ........................ Dakota Price 23 .......................... Stevie Cool 57 .................. Richard Bowen 74 ...................... Logan Kranis 78 .................... Isaac Rosohac 80 ...................... Solan Mueller 85 ........................ Taylor Edgell

Freshmen (12) 7 .................... Chayce Lemley 13 ...................... Colin Williams 32 ........................ Nic Rowland 40 .................... Brayden Taylor 64 ........................ Gus Weekly 66 ................................ Ty Beila 68 ...................... Mathias Cook 76 .......................... Joe Duranti 77 ........................ Tony Minnis 83 ...................... Colin Stanley 86 .................. Austin Andrews 88 .................. William Straight

58

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Bears Noah Flowers, a junior, returns to anchor the offensive line at center.

Junior Aaron Gray returns at tight end and is joined by fellow classman Michael Campbell, who will start at outside linebacker again this year on defense.

Joining Micah Swiger on the perimeter will be another veteran in senior Nate Bebout. Also getting a lot of looks at wide receiver is junior letterman Cyle Perez, whom Whittington said was impressive in Oak Glen’s junior camp and in the early August drills.

On the defensive side, Whittington said Mills, will be in his second year as a defensive end along with Price, who had 12 sacks last year as a freshman. Chance Staley and Aaron Gray are battling for playing time at defensive end.

Wells, Rosohac and Bowen will rotate at defensive tackle.

Whittington has returners at inside linebacker with Cunningham, who will be starting for the third year, and Alec Swiger. Devon Chadwick, a junior, and Arneault will see action here also.

Hartley and Campbell are returning at outside linebacker with sophomore Stevie Cool looking to see action there, according to Whittington.

Whittington will use his speed guys in the defensive backfield with seniors Micah Swiger and Bebout and juniors Zack O”Brien and Zach Mynes rotating in.

Collins, who started the first three games at safety before tearing the ACL in his knee, is back with junior Shawn Troutman vying for playing time.

Whittington is hopeful that Colin Williams, a freshman soccer player, will do the place kicking for the Golden Bears

From Page 56

From The Coach ...

“Our leadership captains feel more responsible. They are taking charge in the locker room.”

- Ian Whittington

and Gray will get the punting duties.

Also new for the squad is a mentoring program put into place by Whittington in the spring and he has already seen it pay dividends.

“It has made our kids be more accountable, not only for themselves and their actions, but for other members of the team,” he said. “There is more camaraderie on this team and you can see how it’s working. The leaders are calling kids to make sure they are on time. If any of the kids have questions, they go talk to their leadership captains to get answers.

“It’s been great to see.

“Our leadership captains feel more responsible. They are taking charge in the locker room, making sure things are done right.”

Whittington saw the program at the Ohio State coaches clinic in February and brought he idea back with him.

“The Northwestern football coach (Pat Fitzgerald) started a leadership program and I thought it would be a great thing for our kids,” Whittington said.

A vote was taken to see which members of the team went to the next level and they had to fill out an application to be one of the leaders.

After the leaders were selected, t e a m s were cho-

sen in a fantasy-league-type draft with pizza and Gatorade.

“We keep scores on positive and negative things,” said Whittington. “I think it’s been a great team-bonding experience. And, this is not always about football. It’s about responsibility and accountability, not only with the leaders, but with everyone on the teams making sure they are on time, work hard and doing positive things.

“The leadership kids are not all seniors. They are invested in what we are doing. They have to keep tabs on those in their group.”

Whittington admitted he was a bit surprised on the applications he received and who are in the leadership positions.

“I told them to take the job application seriously and think about things, how they went about filling it out,” he said.

“This was a team-oriented job application, not one for an individual, but they all had to have the team in mind.

“They took the time and were serious about this. They can put this on their college application that they were a part of our leadership program on the football team here at Oak Glen High School.”

The Golden Bears open the season again this year against Edison, as the opener of a doubleheader at Jimmy Carey Stadium on Aug. 30.

“This program is building character, building leaders and building people who can be trusted,” said Whittington. “The accountability factor for kids and for kids to be held accountable to other kids is great and it’s not always about football.

“We feel this is going to grow into something big and how other kids will want to be in the leadership roles next year.

“We want everyone on this team to feel as if they are a part of this team. We want to feel as one. That’s our ultimate goal.

“That’s how you win football games.”

2014 Coaches

Head Coach

Ian Whittington Assistant Coaches Michael Demster Ryan Wells

Patrick McGillian Frank Crain

Justin Lipps-Watson

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Aug. 27, 2014

2014 Schedule Aug. 29 at Wellsville

Sept. 5 at Bridgeport Sept. 12

Fairport Harding +

Sept. 19

Cath. Central

Sept. 26

Shadyside

Oct. 3 at Sts. John & Paul + Oct. 10

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Games at 7 p.m. unless noted

Meek’s squad seeking jump to next level

By MATTHEW PEASLEE For The Gridiron

TORONTO — Like every team, Toronto High School wants to start its season with a win to set the tone for the rest of the schedule. But the Red Knights have some bad blood with their Week 1 opponent.

They travel to Wellsville, a mere 11 miles away on State Route 7. The Red Knights and Tigers square off for the fifthstraight year, and the previous four have been Wellsville wins.

“We’re focused on Wellsville,” said Toronto head coach Eric Meek. “They’ve had our number the past couple of years. We need to come out of there with a victory. We feel that if we can do that and get better, we can have a really good season.”

Meek has an intimate history with the Tigers, since he spent eight years as their head coach in the late 1990s.

Wellsville has outscored the Red Knights, 94-39, in the past four years. The past two years, though, have been close with 8-6 and 13-12 decisions in the annual season opener.

“There’s been some really close games, especially recently,” Meek said. “They’ve been a good opponent to open with.”

Meek also feels he has a good team to beat them this season.

“I like our confidence,” said

The Coaches

Meek, the fifth-year coach of Toronto. “Our kids are very coachable. We knew it would be a rebuilding process.

“We said that when year five arrives, that we would put out a solid product that the people in town would be proud of. We’re on the right track and are excited for the season.”

The team’s success will start with its quarterback, Blaze Glenn. The three-sport standout is entering his third year as the starter under center. He was 74 of 132 on passes in 2013, totaling 787 yards with eight touchdowns.

Glenn turned in a 199-yard

passing performance in a Week 2, 35-14 win over Bridgeport. He was the Red Knights’ second leading rusher with 446 yards on 100 carries and seven touchdowns.

Glenn stands 5-feet-9 and weighs 165 pounds.

“He’s an athlete,” Meek said. “Nothing can beat experience at the quarterback position. Going into year three now as a starter, he knows what his strengths are. There have been a few weaknesses that we’ve discussed and he’s working tirelessly to make those better. I’m sure he’ll improve and put his best foot forward.”

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As a freshman, Glenn threw for 1,073 yards with nine touchdowns, while rushing for 539 yards and six more scores.

He will be backed up by junior Blaine Rawson and freshman Nolan Clegg. Rawson will also be a starting wide receiver and Clegg could see time at wide out, as well.

Last year’s leading receiver, senior Nate Stewart, returns after making 17 catches for 157 yards and two scores. Junior Brandon Mitchell, sophomore Ty West, freshman Jake Keenan See RED KNIGHTS Page 65

Aug. 27, 2014

63

2014 Roster

The Seniors

Seniors (6) 9 ........................ Nate Stewart 32 .................. Charles Ross III 53 ........................ Mitch Reese 74 ........................ James Reed 75 .................... Jesse Beckwith 76 ........................ Alec Haynes Junior s (9) 2 .......................... Blaze Glenn 4 ...................... Hayden Saner 5 .................... Donnie Starkey 8 ................ Brandon Mitchell 15 .................... Blaine Rawson 27 ...................... Drew Lowery 30 ............................ Cody King 66 ...................... Sean Spence 72 ...................... Justin Starkey

From The Coach ...

“We said that when year five arrives, that we would put out a solid product that the people in town would be proud of. We’re on the right track and are excited for the season.”

- Eric Meek

34 .............................. Max Tice 57 ............................ Ben Davis 58 .......... Joven Householder 59 ...................... Dustin Henry 71 ...................... Griffen Allison 77 .................... Dylan Warren

Freshmen (5) 2 .................... Nathan Keenan 7 .......................... Nolan Clegg 18 ........................ Jake Keenan 51 .......................... Luke Fogle 55 .................... Avery Watkins

Sophomores (10) 1 ............................ Joey Carrao 10 ................................ Ty West 20 .................... Danny Zdinak 24 .......................... Dan Braniff

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65

Red Knights and freshman Nathan Keenan will play receiver, too.

Charles Ross III leads the backfield. The returning letterwinner started as a slot receiver in 2013 but will carry the ball this season. Sophomore Danny Zdinak, also a slot receiver a year ago, and sophomores Max Tice and Joey Carrao will also see time in the backfield.

There will be some changes along the offensive line as last year’s starting guard, junior Drew Lowery, will shift to fullback with junior Cody King and junior Hayden Saner serving as back ups. There are two more returners who will stay on the line, with a little modification.

Senior Alec Haynes started at tackle in 2013 and will shift to guard, while Dylan Warren will remain the center for a second-straight season.

The biggest guy on the field will be a newcomer. Jesse Beckwith, a 6-foot-4, 280pound senior, who transferred to Toronto from North Carolina. He will start at tackle after lettering

From Page 62

From The Coach ...

“We’re still a young football team. There’s a very good possibility that we’ll be starting, in the neighborhood, of eight underclassmen on each side of the ball. We still have experience and depth and really the most we’ve had in a while. We have some quality positions and some talented kids who are competing.”

- Eric Meek

at his former high school.

“He looks like he’s going to be a player,” Meek said.

“We’re going to find out real fast in the opener. Wellsville has some talented lineman as well.”

Freshman Luke Fogle will start at guard and sophomore Joven Householder will start at tackle.

Sophomore Griffin Allison and freshman Avery Watkins will serve as the backups at center, with senior Mitch Reese, senior James Reed, junior Justin Starkey and junior Sean Spence backing up at guard.

Sophomores Dustin Henry and Ben Davis will back up at tackle. Junior Donnie

Starkey is the starting tight end, with sophomore Dan Braniff competing for time, also.

There are seven returning starters for the Toronto defense, which runs a 4-4 set.

Davis starts at tackle and Saner starts at end on the line. King and Lowery return as starting inside linebackers, with Tice coming back as a starting outside linebacker.

Zdinak and Ross III are back in the secondary at safety and corner, respectively.

The unit surrendered 271 yards per game in 2013, but forced 22 fumbles.

“We’re still a young football team,” Meek said. “There’s a very good possibility that we’ll be starting in the neighborhood of eight underclassmen on each side of the ball.

“We still have experience and depth and really the most we’ve had in a while. We have some quality positions and some talented kids

who are competing.”

The biggest change for the Red Knights is one that Meek really isn’t worried about at all.

Toronto is moving from Division VII Region 25 to Region 23.

The shift puts the school with northern teams in the Youngstown area, taking it away from the more southern Ohio Valley-region.

“It’s all done geographically, and I really don’t have too many concerns about changing regions,” Meek said.

“It’s nothing we need to worry about right now. When it comes down to winning and losing and we hope we’re in a position to earn a playoff berth, then we will start to look at it more closely.

“You can flip a coin each year. One time you might need more points to get in the playoffs with the northern teams.

Same thing another time with the southern teams. It varies each year in terms of how easy or hard it will be to get in the playoffs.”

2014 Coaches

Head Coach

Eric Meek

Assistant Coaches Jason Fogle Bruce Palmer Bill Stone Al Johnson Matt Karaffa Bob Unger Bill Meek

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Harrison Central Huskies

70

Aug. 27, 2014

2014 Schedule Aug. 28 at Buckeye Trail Sept. 5 Weir

Sept. 13

Plymouth *

Sept. 19 at Union Local Sept. 26

Martins Ferry

Oct. 3

St. Clairsville

Oct. 10 at Edison Oct. 17

Independence +

Oct. 24 at Indian Creek Oct. 31

Buckeye Local

* 6 p.m. kickoff + 7:30 p.m. kickoff

Games at 7 p.m. unless noted

2013 finish jumpstarted 2014 for Kropka’s crew

By SETH STASKEY For The Gridiron

CADIZ — Despite just turning 38 a few weeks ago, Justin Kropka will begin his 10th season as head coach of the Harrison Central Huskies.

“I am very anxious to get the season started,” Kropka said. “I think last year was kind of a jumpstart for this season, and it was a lot of fun because most of our guys were just freshmen and sophomores. I told the kids that if they hung with us, we’d get better.”

And they did just that. Harrison Central finished the season with a convincing win against rival Buckeye Local in the meeting for VALES to finish 5-5 and just missed its third trip to the OHSAA playoffs.

The Huskies carried that momentum into the offseason.

“Our schedule was brutal last season, we lost a tough one early (to Wheeling Central) that could have sunk us, but it didn’t,” Kropka said. “I thought we played our best football the last four weeks of the season. Plus, we survived some things, injury wise, and it was an enjoyable season.

That experience at the end of last season has really launched into where we’re heading.”

The Huskies lost 11 seniors to graduation, including a trio of OVAC All-Star Game participants in Niko Williams, Dalton Rutter and Nate Olm-

The Coaches

stead. The balance of the graduation losses were Austin Thompson, Cody Evans, David Miser, Cole Howes, D.J. Jones, Cyle Riedel, Sean Donato and Dusty Fulton.

“Every year, I coach my rear end off and I hope our kids play their rear ends off for the seniors because they don’t get to come back,” Kropka said. “That was a good group of seniors we lost.”

Kropka didn’t hesitate in saying the postseason is a yearly goal of his team. He’s guided a pair of teams to the tournament and thinks there are certainly some ingredients on hand that lead to some lofty expectations for this season.

“It was about four or five

years ago when we got to the point, as a program, where we should be contending for the postseason every year,” Kropka said. “We felt like we were a solid enough program, with enough continuity and things in place to make that our ultimate goal because when you can get there anything can happen. There are some goals beyond that we’d like to reach, too.”

One of the biggest ingredients that Kropka loves about his team has been its approach and attention to detail during the offseason.

“When you’ve got kids who want to be here and really care, it leads to a fun offseason,” Kropka said. “What

more could you ask for?”

On top of the work ethics, Kropka also likes the chemistry has team has shown throughout the summer and into camp.

“It’s probably one of the tightest-knit groups I’ve had,” Kropka said. “That’s both on and off the field, too. A lot of them play other sports together, so some of them are together 12 months a year, and I see that as a real plus.”

While there are plenty of plusses, the Huskies aren’t devoid of their issues either. According to Kropka, they’ve battled some injuries this summer and will have some key See HUSKIES Page 73

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2014 Roster

The Seniors

From The Coach ...

“It’s probably one of the tightest-knit groups I’ve had. That’s both on and off the field, too. A lot of them play other sports together, so some of them are together 12 months a year, and I see that as a real plus.”

- Justin Kropka

You can read every story, every page of every issue on your computer, tablet or phone. With the Steubenville Herald-Star or The Weirton Daily Times digital editions, the latest news will be just a click away.

Seniors (9) 8 .................... Kalub Mitchell 10 ................ Nate Maykowski 45 ...................... Shaun Snair 57 .............. Casey Runevitch 64 .............. Austin Sambuco 65 .................. Zach Manbeck 70 ........................ Ean Moore 79 .......................... Zach Elias 80 .............. Evandro Coehlo Juniors (13) 2 ................ Anthony Heavilin 3 ................ Brandon Mitchell 4 ................ Gionvanni Rocchi 6 ...................... Bryson Porter 11 ................................ Sam Hill 14 .................. Zach Arbogast 22 .................... Travis Stenson 24 .................... Austyn Porter 28 .................. Tison Johnson 31 ........................ Danier Hunt 54 .............. Austin Marchetta 62 .................... Brian Heavilin 67 .................. Anthony Risley Sophomores (16) 7 ........................ Grant Sproul 9 ................ Corey Van Camp 12 .................. Dakota Beckley 13 .................. Shaun Logsdon 15 ...................... Bobby Taylor

20 ...................... Kyle Roberts 34 ............................ Jesse Ball 46 .......................... Jacob Barr 51 .................. Malcolm Boyer 52.................... Nevada Kuryn 60 ...................... Brenton Stull 66 ........................ Clay Gilliam 77 .................... Shane Jenkins 72 ...................... Shane Shook 75 ...................... Logan Smith 78 ...................... Lance Smith Freshmen (12) 5 .............. Trenton McDonald 16 ................ Caden Arbaugh 17 ...................... Gage Rapavi 21 ...................... Jabyn Moore 23 .......................... Wyatt Elias 25...................... Isiah Cowans 26 ................ Coleman Dodds 27 ........................ Lindsey Ball 50 .................. Blake Barnhart 51 .................... Malcom Boyer 53 .................. Ronnie Bowers 71 .................... Reese Beasley

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Huskies people probably miss at least the opener at Buckeye Trail.

“Some of our older leaders aren’t going to be able to play Week 1, so that is going to test our depth right away,” Kropka said.

If there’s any blessing for the Huskies and their injury battle it’s the fact that they’ve had most of the summer to prepare without the expected starters.

“We’ve been able to create some depth, but once we get all of the bullets back in the gun, I really think it’s going to benefit us,” Kropka said. “You’re going to need depth at some point. It’s just put the urge in for us because we have to have these guys ready to go in Week One. We don’t take anything for granted.”

After scrimmaging against John Marshall and Wheeling Park, Kropka believes his team — injuries aside — can hit the ground running.

“I hope we can (get off to a fast start), but the one thing I’ve learned is you never know about week one,” Kropka said. “If we don’t get hit the ground running, we could pay the price for it (down the road), but I think these guys have a better feel of what it takes, so I am hoping that’s the case.”

The Huskies’ roster includes 49 players, 20 of whom have earned a letter. However, only eight of those players are seniors. Taking that a step further, one is a foreign exchange student.

“One of my concerns is we’re still young,” Kropka said.

“We’re a couple of injuries away from having to start some kids who might not be quite ready for varsity football yet.

We’re young in terms of our age, but a lot of them have played.”

One area where the Huskies are breaking in a new starter is at quarterback.

Kropka is handing the reins of his offense to

73

From Page 70

junior Zach Arbogast.

“Zach put the time in, did all the right things in the offseason and he has a nice feel for the position and what we’re trying to do,” Kropka said. “He’s a dual-threat kid and probably one of the most athletic kids we have. He’s an accurate passer and can throw the deep ball when he needs to. We 2014 Coaches feel he has the physical tools to handle the job.”

Other quarterbacks listed on the roster are sophomore Corey VanCamp and freshman Wyatt Elias.

The Huskies have a stable of backs at their disposal.

The leader of the group is junior Travis Stenson. He had a solid sophomore campaign and missed some action due to injury.

“Travis is one of those guys when you look at his benchpress numbers, he’s about average; look at his 40 time, he’s about a 4.7. There’s nothing that explodes off the paper at you, but he’s one of those guys who can play football. He’s as fast in pads as he is in shorts.”

Senior Nate Maykowski will also see plenty of carries after a 2013 season in which he ran for more than 600 yards. Junior Tison Johnson has also shown flashes of brilliance in spot duty. He’s expected to take on a larger role.

Sophomore Jesse Ball (6-foot, 220) is slated to take over the fullback duties and has been especially impressive during camp, according to Kropka.

Head Coach Junior Bryson Porter has shown versatility to play both fullback and tailback.

Justin Kropka “We have five or six guys we feel real comfortable giving the ball to,” Kropka said.

Assistant Coaches Depth at running back is supplied by senior Shawn Snair, Mike Valesko junior Sam Hill, sophomores Shaun Logsdon, Bobby Taylor, freshmen Blake Allen Coleman Dodds Mike Palmer and Lindsey Cain Noble Ball.

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Buckeye Local Panthers

76

Aug. 27, 2014

2014 Schedule Aug. 29

Martins Ferry

Sept. 5 at Union Local + Sept. 12

John Marshall

Sept. 19

Indian Creek

Sept. 27 at Bellaire # Oct. 3

Edison

Oct. 10

Beaver Local

Oct. 17 at East Liverpool + Oct. 24 at St. Clairsville +

Oct. 31 at Harrison Central + 7:30 p.m. kickoff # 12:30 p.m. kickoff

Games at 7 p.m. unless noted

Pest’s contingent looks to surpass rebuilding stage

By RICK DeLUCA For The Gridiron

YORKVILLE — Phil Pest has been around the gridiron for quite some time, serving as an assistant to some of the most successful coaches in the valley and serving as the head coach at Buckeye Local the past two seasons.

During his career, he has been around teams that were built for championship runs and teams that needed to rebuild in hopes of getting back to that level. His past two seasons at the Panther helm have certainly been in that rebuilding mode and the work is still progressing.

Pest took over a 3-7 Panther team that was hit by big graduation loses. He was still hopeful that he could build a winning team in 2012. His team’s hard work produced a 43 record after seven weeks, but finished at 4-6.

Graduation bit deeper, and his 2013 squad experienced one of the more disheartened campaigns at Buckeye. Defeating only Western Reserve, the Panthers finished at 1-9 with most contests very hard to swallow.

Bring on 2014, and this new set of Panther gridders are working harder and looking for a unity that will turn the table and hopefully bring about a new beginning for Buckeye Local football. The task, though, will be a tough one.

The Coaches

Graduation took a contingent that included starting QB Chase Hopkins, who will be playing baseball at West Liberty University; hard-nosed fullbacklinebacker Devin Pyciak, who played in the OVAC’s OhioWest Virginia All-star game; veteran linemen Josh Figurski and Dominic Rose.

Also gone are Denny Czuchran, Austin Flaherty, D.J. Rusnak, Adam Borkoski, Andrew Cammer, Derek Sebring and two-way tackle Steve Sable.

“We have eight seniors and not one lineman in that group,” Pest said alluding to his current roster. “We have our skilled players back, especially in the secondary and at linebacker,

but we will be young in the trenches.

“We have some nice younger players and we will look to our underclassmen to fill in the spots on the line.

We’ve got Simeon Smith (junior) at 6-foot-5, 310 pounds and DonRay Mayle (sophomore) at 6-foot-3, 230 pounds that will give us size, but we are still inexperienced there.”

This season, Pest welcomes a smaller than usual senior group totaling eight in number.

In addition, he has a junior class that totals 14, a sophomore class of 11 and a freshmen group of 12, similiar class numbers with a good look to the future.

That senior contingent in-

cludes some speed-burners and experience, but Pest will need to rely on the young guys to fill the spots on the line.

His senior group includes veteran fullback/defensive end Damion Beall, quarterback Tyler Miller, wide receiver/cornerback Brandon Panepucci, tailback/linebacker Shawn Tustin, tight end /linebacker Logan Dehnart, speedy slotback/linebacker Eric Banal, wide receiver/cornerback Devon Marques and wide receiver/cornerback Austin Antill.

Miller is set to open at quarterback with Beall at fullback and Tustin splitting time at tailSee PANTHERS Page 79

Aug. 27, 2014

77

2014 Roster

The Seniors

Seniors (8)

3 .................... Devon Marques 5 ............................ Austin Antil 9 ............ Brandon Panecuppi 10 ............................ Tyler Miller 25 ............................ Eric Banal 30 ...................... Damion Beall 32 ...................... Shawn Tustin 42 .................. Logan Denhart

Juniors (14)

From The Coach ...

“We had a good winter in the weight room and so far we think that we are ahead of where we were last year. I really feel good about the way the kids are playing and the effort of my coaches.”

- Phil Pest

2 .......................... Dylan Dokes 16 .................. Brandon Mayle 23 ............................ Tyler Boyd 40 ................ Zachary Plazarin 43 ...................... Ryan Morrow 51 ........................ Tristan Jones 53 .............. Mason Patterson 60 .................... Austin Mosser 62 ................ Jacob Thonrton 65 ........................ Trevor Clark 69 .......................... Zac Merkel 78 .................... Simeon Smith 84 .................... Nathan Bloom 85 ...................... Bobby Myers

Sophmores (11)

4 .......................... Jared Moore 7 .......................... Nate Dwyer 12 .................... Danny Callarik

24 ...................... Johnnie Blue 51 ...................... Abel Maxwell 52 .................... Wyatt Cornish 54 ........................ David Crites 70 ........................ Jake Ingram 73 ...................... Logan Barsch 75 .................... DonRay Mayle 81 .................. Andrew Hillman

Freshmen (12)

1 ........................ Kadin Weaver 20 ........................ John Marelli 34 ........................ Trey Burgess 35 .............. Jeremiah Seaman 45 ...................... Robert Evans 67 ...................... David Pechek 72 ........................ Matt Barsch 74 ................ Lucas Dickerson 76 ...................... Cody Griffith 80 .......................... James Mills 83 ................ William Hopkins 86 .................. Maxwell Moffo

You can read every story, every page of every issue on your computer, tablet or phone. With the Steubenville Herald-Star or The Weirton Daily Times digital editions, the latest news will be just a click away.

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Panthers back and fullback. Panepucci was one of the Panthers’ top receivers last season and one of the area’s better kick returners. He will be back at both spots. Dehnart and Banal excelled defensively last season with Banal also capitalizing with his speed on offense.

Graduation punches every team square in the jaw, but to be successful, teams must move beyond those losses and build for the days ahead. Pest has a very talented and sizable junior group that will give the program something to work on for the future.

“Our strength will be our secondary and at linebacker and we have skilled players back on offense,” Pest mentioned. “They have all been working very hard and they have a great attitude and want to win.“ His impressive junior group features a two-year letterman-starter and a contingent that found themselves in the thick of a great deal of the action last season. They are among the group that has no time to dwell on last season and to start working on 2014.

Dylan Dokes is a multi-talented athlete that started defensively as a freshman and was counted on as one of the team’s top backs on offense last year. Dokes will be counted on heavily again this season to help carry the Panthers.

Eleven other juniors will be playing a very important role in the Panthers’ 2014 season. In that group are slotback/cornerback Nathan Bloom, full-

back/linebacker Tyler Boyd, guard/tackle Trevor Clark, guard/tackle Tristan Jones, two-way tackle Zac Merkel, two-way end Brandon Mayle, fullback/linebacker Ryan Morrow, guard/linebacker Austin Mosser, guard/linebacker Mason Patterson, wide receiver/cornerback Bobby Myers, two-way tackle Smith, wide receiver/safety Zachary Plazarin and guard/tackle Jacob Thornton.

“Tustin, Beall and Dokes return to our backfield and Miller will be at quarterback, so we have some experience there,” the Panther boss noted. “But our young players are inexperienced. We keep telling our young lineup that they are 15 year olds going up against 18 year olds. They will need to grow up in a hurry.”

Pest saw his sophomore group add numbers over the past year, and he will be hoping to see the group make contributions at the varsity level.

This sophomore crew will include center/defensive end Logan Barsch, cornerback/safety Danny Callarik, tight end/linebacker Andrew Hillman, center/tackle David Crites, wide receiver/center Nate Dwyer, guard/defensive end Wyatt Cornish, two-way tackle Jake Ingram, guard/linebacker Abel Maxwell, two-way tackle DonRay Mayle, quarterback/safety Jared Moore and slotback/linebacker Corey Neavin. Moore was a part-time starter at QB last season.

“I really feel good about this team,” Pest added. “They have a very good attitude, they are not selfish and they want to win. I

From Page 76

feel that we should win four or five games this season and that’s pretty good with this young group.

“We’ve told them that we want them to be good people, play hard, physical football, fight as hard as you can and always work to be better. We also told them that there was a time when teams didn’t want to play Buckeye Local in football and that they should want to get back to that level.”

Buckeye’s freshmen group has a lot of promise and it includes two-way tackle Matt Barsch (6-foot, 270), slotback/linebacker Trey Burgess, two-way tackle Lucas Dickerson, wide receiver/linebacker Robert Evans, two-way tackle Cody Griffith, wide receiver/linebacker William Hopkins, tailback/center John Morelli, wide receiver/center James Mille, wide receiver/safety Maxwell Moffo, guard/tackle David Pechek, two-way end Jeremiah Seaman and quarterback/center Kadin Weaver.

“We had a good winter in the weight room and so far we think that we are ahead of where we were last year,” Pest said. “I really feel good about the way the kids are playing and the effort of my coaches.”

Pest’s staff includes mainstays from his staff of a year ago including offensive coordinator Nate Skrypek and former Panther head coach Anthony Barsch, who will be working with the secondary and offensive line. Caleb Meyers returns to coach the offensive and defensive linemen, former Buckeye Local standout, Chris Heaton, returns to work with the receivers and backs and Mike Wilt, one of the school’s top all-time rushers, is again on the Panther staff. Pest also has Mike Slaga to work with some of the younger players.

2014 Coaches

Head Coach

Phil Pest

Assistant Coaches Nate Skrypek

Anthony Barsch Caleb Meyers Chris Heaton Mike Wilt

Mike Slaga

80

Aug. 27, 2014

Parents, fans and friends salute their favorite players ...

Nate Stewart

Cameron Lupinetti Catholic Central

Brooke

"We love you bunches!"

"Blessings and much love in your Senior Blue Football 20142015 Season.”

Love, Mom, Gram and Pap

“Our favorite player #71, have a great season and Senior year.

We are proud of you!" Love, Bairds, Provenzanos and Elliotts

Toronto Senior

Nana, Pop, Aunt Amber, Nico, Aubrey, Zach, Preston & Brandi

Luke Carroll

Senior

Chris Elliott

Justin Elliott

Senior

Daniel Braniff

Indian Creek

Steubenville

Toronto

"Have a great Senior season!"

"Good Luck son!

Hard work pays off! Best wishes for a winning season! Roll Red Roll!!!"

Love, Mom and Dad

"Good Luck Daniel #24, hit 'em hard, good luck Red Knights!"

Senior

Love, Uncle Joe and Uncle Tony

David Lulla

Sophomore

Jacob “Jake” Karovic

Sophomore

From Mom, Tiff, Sami & Jamie

Greg Wade

Steubenville

Catholic Central

Indian Creek

"Best of luck in your Senior year!"

"Good luck in your Senior season. We are so very proud of you!!" All of our love, Mom, Dad, Grandma Mary & Grandma Boo

"Good luck Greg and all the players on a good season!"

Senior

Love, The Lulla Family

Khalib Smith

Senior

Stone Romano

Sophomore

Mom, Dad, Kirsten & Jakih

John Fox

Weirton

Catholic Central

Brooke

"Khalib, have a great freshman season. We love you and are very proud of you!"

Love, Mema, Roy, Austin & Mema Alice

"Your love of the game is obvious. We love watching you play with all of your Courage-CharacterHeart and Spirit!"

Love you #42, Mom and Dad

"Have a GREAT Junior year!"

Freshman

Senior

Junior

Love, Mom, Dad, Kayla, Cory, McKenzie and Chloe

Aug. 27, 2014

Parents, fans and friends salute their favorite players ...

Andrew Shea

Russell Shannon Edison

Catholic Central

“Good luck and go CREEKS!”

"Have a great Senior year #10”!!

Love, Dad, Mom, Allyssa, Ethan, Robert, Caitlin & Kyler

“Good luck in your Senior year, play like a true Crusader.”

Love, Mom, Dad, Lacey, Bailie, Grammy, Jene, Pappy Tarr, Gram & Pap Murphy

Indian Creek Freshman

Love, Your family

Carter Andreozzi

Senior

Ian Belt

Chris Murphy

Senior

Jake Wypasek

Edison

Indian Creek

Weirton

"Good luck in your Senior year. You are always #1 with us."

Love, Grandpa Jim & Grandma Janice Dillon

“Good Luck Indian Creek Redskins, have a great season Ian Belt, #50”!

Love, Mom, Dad & Morgan

"Good luck, show 'em how it's done!"

Jonathan Shrieve

William J. Poplowski Jr.

Senior

Catholic Central Senior

“Good luck in your Senior year. We are proud of you. Go Blue #56”! Love, Mom, BJ, Ashley, Kristen, Cheyenne, Mamsie & Pap

Adam Cowden

Freshman

Steubenville Junior

“Popeye, we are proud of you and we wish you will have a winning year!”

Good luck, Poplowski Family

Nate Stewart

Junior

Love, Ms. Traci

Ethan Shannon

Edison Senior

“Have a great senior year, go Wildcats!”

Love, Granny & Pap Shannon

Alexander J. Cochrun

Weirton

Toronto

Steubenville

“Have a great season”!

"Have fun and enjoy your Senior year!"

“AJ, we have been watching you play football for 10 years The best is yet to come.

Good luck in your junior year!” Love, Mom, Dad, Anastasia, Granddad & Grandma

Sophomore

Love, Grandma & Grandpap Adyniec and Uncle Aaron

Senior

Love, Dad

Junior

81

82

Aug. 27, 2014

Parents, fans and friends salute their favorite players ...

Bradly Newburn

Christopher Murphy Catholic Central

Edison

“Good luck #15 in your Senior Season, we love you so much”! From your fan section Harding Stadium Sec C-Row F, Mom, Lee, Sara, Aimee & Jamie

“Your Senior year has arrived; enjoy your final season 10 yards at a time.” We love you Tuff #24”!

Gram & Pap Murphy, Auntie, Uncle Bob, Em, Mikie, Ty & Ana

"Have a great Senior year #45”!!

Love, Dad, Mom, Allyssa, Robert, Russell, Caitlin & Kyler

Steubenville Senior

Kameron Davis

Senior

Thomas Cole

Ethan Shannon

Senior

Andy Waggoner

Weirton

Brooke

Indian Creek

"Set records & keep making me proud!!"

“We always knew you were born an athlete since you were very young. We are all so proud of you,” Grandma, Pap, Blake, Uncles Tom & George and Families

“Good Luck Indian Creek Redskins, have a great season #60”!

Love, Mom, Dad, Gram & Pap

Junior

Have fun.

Love, Mom

Collin Skeeles

Junior

Lucas Herrington

Freshman

Carter Andreozzi

Edison

Steubenville

Edison

"Good luck in your Senior year!" Love, Mom, Dad, Kylen, Kenna, Grandma Peggy, Pap Norm, Grandma Linda & Pap Tom

“Have a great Senior year, Roll Red Roll.”

We Love You, Papou, Nana, Aunts, Uncles & Cousins

“Good luck in your senior year!”

Senior

Stone Romano

Senior

Russell Shannon

Senior

Love, Mom, Dad, Sisters, Pap and Gram

Kenan Pullings

Catholic Central

Edison

Weirton

“Wear #42 proudly, a Lemal/Romano Family Tradition.”

“Have a great senior year, go Wildcats!”

“Way to go KDog! I’m proud of you!”

Senior

Love, Aunt Noreen & Uncle Den

Senior

Love, Granny & Pap Shannon

Freshman

Love, Miss Rosie, Bus #69

Aug. 27, 2014

Parents, fans and friends salute their favorite players ...

Sean “Tippy” Tipton

Lucas Herrington Steubenville

Edison

“Play hard, have fun & enjoy your Senior year #9”!

Go Creek!

“Make the most of your Senior year!”

“Enjoy your senior year of football and all that this year holds for you. We are proud of you!”

Love You, Grandma & Pap Skeeles

Indian Creek Senior

Love, Mom & Mike

William J. Poplowski Jr.

Steubenville Junior

“Believe in yourself, you can make a wonderful difference in this world.” I’m so proud of you, Grandma Poplowski

Senior

Love, Mom, Dad and Zach

C J Reed

Collin Skeeles

Senior

Jonathan Dailey

Weirton

Indian Creek

"Hit 'em hard CJ! Good luck this season!"

“Good luck this season. Go Indian Creek. Go #34”!!

Junior

Love, Ms. Traci

83

Junior

Bob, Mae & Jay Dailey

Powered by TRINITY SPORTS MEDICINE & PERFORMANCE CENTER

A roundup of the local High School football season. Watch the Star Sports Cast every week with new episodes posted every Thursday morning.

Go to our home page and click on the Gridiron Series Football Xtra link.

heraldstaronline.com weirtondailytimes.com

84

Aug. 27, 2014

MARTINS FERRY

Purple Riders return 15 senior lettermen

By SETH STASKEY For The Gridiron

MARTINS FERRY — Featuring a roster of 15 seniors, all of whom are past lettermen, Martins Ferry veteran head coach Dave Bruney is very excited about what could lie ahead in his 36th season at the helm of his alma mater.

“We have veteran guys and kids we feel good about,” Bruney said. “Plus, they’re high-character guys.”

Above all of the experience and talent the Riders may boast, Bruney’s favorite quality is the chemistry his team has shown throughout the summer and two-adays.

“Our character has been good, we’ve had a great attitude and I think our kids genuinely like each other. Chemistry is always a key,” Bruney said.

“If our guys are continually working hard, like they have, being great teammates to each other and enjoying the time they have here, I think we can be really successful.”

The Riders are coming off an impressive 10-2 campaign in which they reached the Division V, Region 17 semifinal before falling to Wheelersburg. They also claimed the school’s 12th OVAC title and a share of the Buckeye 8 crown.

“We’d hope we’d be good enough (this season) to get the chance to possibly play Wheelersburg again,” Bruney said. “They’ve been good and quite capable of being in the (state) semis or better.”

Ferry will now attempt to take the next step and though it’s a new season and none of the 2013 accomplishments matter, Bruney wants his team to “draw from their experiences of a season ago.”

“You always talk about not wanting every day to be the first day, so we want to continue to build on what we’ve done,” Bruney said.

From all indications, Bruney believes his team has come into the season with a hunger and maybe a chip on its shoulder. There’s no signs of the Purple Riders resting on any prior accolades.

“We’re happy with how the kids have embraced practice,” Bruney said. “I’ve seen them attempting to do the things we’ve asked them to do and getting better each day.

“Like I tell the kids, I am more concerned with how we play than who we play. If we take care of our business, we’re good enough to beat anyone we play, but we have to play that way because there are three or four teams defSee PURPLE RIDERS Page 86

Aug. 27, 2014

Peasalee

85

From Page 6

football with my buddies.

Does that make me any less of an expert on the sport? Maybe.

Does that make you trust my reporting even less? Perhaps.

But it shouldn’t. One of the biggest reasons I went into sports journalism was because of football. Even before I went to my first Pittsburgh Pirates game, my parents took me to a football game.

The autumn after I turned 2 years old, I was sitting on my father’s lap in old Pitt Stadium for the annual Backyard Brawl — the Panthers against the West Virginia Mountaineers.

I didn’t know it then, but I was born to write.

In January 1996, I sat on the edge of my living room couch as the Pittsburgh Steelers held on to beat the Indianapolis Colts in the final seconds of the AFC Championship Game. After my father picked me up and yelled, “We’re Going to the Super Bowl,” I wrote my first headline.

DADDY IS HAPPY FOR BIG STEELERS WIN Yep, I grabbed a pen and wide-ruled notebook paper, slapped some words down and even attempted to write a recap. But I wasn’t quite sure how to spell “Neil O’Donnell.”

The next day, my dad bought a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette to commemorate the win. That’s when I knew I wanted be a newspaper man.

All because of football.

My father was instrumental in laying the framework for my love of football, and he helped build on it over the years. A physical therapist, he always spends his Friday nights on gridiron sidelines as a trainer for various schools in the Youngstown area. Growing up, I’d tag along for the chance to roam the hashmarks with him.

Occasionally, I’d be a water boy. Sometimes, I’d play catch with the fourth-string quarterback. But standing mere feet away from the hard-hitting action on the field, I knew I never wanted to play this violent game.

Call me weak. Call me fragile. Call me a nancy-boy — though I don’t think that term has been used since the 1950s.

I’m sure Mike Zmijanac heard those same words as a youngster in the age of the Space Race and Rat Pack.

Zmijanac never played a down of organized football, either.

Now, he’s one of the most successful head coaches in the region, leading Aliquippa in nearby Beaver County, Pa. He’s been the coach of the Quips since 1997, winning six WPIAL titles. Zmijanac began coaching in 1973 at the urging of Don Yannessa — Aliquippa’s head coach at the time.

Despite no playing experience, whatsoever, Zmijanac learned the game from the sidelines — much like I did — and has turned into a go-to source on prep sports.

It doesn’t hurt he was an English and creative writing teacher for more than 40 years, too.

Writing and football — what a novel concept.

I’m not going to be the next Mike Zmijanac. Storytelling is my passion and I followed it. Molding young minds is Zmijanac’s passion. He did that on the football field and in the classroom.

For many high school football players, their passion is in the locker room. That’s where life-long friendships are made. These teenagers learn how to become a family and work together throught the summer and during the school week to win games on Friday nights.

“I’m truly going to miss the friendships made through high school,” Harrison Central graduate Dalton Rutter told me before he played in the Rudy Mumley OVAC All-Star Game. “You really become a family with your teammates. Those friendships are irreplaceable and truly indescribable.

“You don’t fully grasp it unless you play.”

He’s right, I don’t fully grasp it.

But physical participation is not the only requirement for being a high school football junkie.

All you need is an appreciation for cold bleachers, warm pepperoni rolls and the diehard fans along the fence who always want their opinion to be heard.

That’s high school football. All are welcome.

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Purple Riders initely good enough to beat us. Hopefully, we (as coaches) are smart enough to put our kids in a position to be successful.”

While the playoffs are the ultimate goal of every team in the state of Ohio, Bruney doesn’t talk about it much with his players because plenty of work remains before anything of the nature deserves that attention.

“If you have hopes of playing in Weeks 11, 12, 13 or beyond, it’s very important that you practice like it’s Week 11 or 12,” Bruney said. “If you do that every day in practice, from the first day on, you have a chance to win.

That’s what other teams are doing and after the first round, there probably aren’t any pretenders left, so you had better have been practicing at a high level throughout because they didn’t get there by accident.”

The Purple Riders have the mak-

ings of a squad that can hit the ground running. They did go through the state maximum three scrimmages. They squared off against Meadowbrook, Barnesville and Shadyside.

“There are good teams on our schedule,” Bruney said. “We’d like to think that we can come out of the gates strong.”

The Purple Riders’ roster features 43 players in four grades. Of those, only five are juniors.

“Our numbers aren’t what they’ve been, but I don’t know that any (school) has really good numbers,” Bruney said. “All of those five juniors can play and our sophomore class has 15. Plus, we have four or five pretty good freshmen, too.”

In an ideal world, the Riders would love to field a freshmen team, but Bruney believes the extra time around the varsity unit and older plays will

pay dividends down the road.

“The downside is the numbers, but when you have to move your freshmen up, the ones who embrace (the move), end up being able to play sooner,” Bruney said. “They’ve been practicing against better people sooner, but you have to watch them so they don’t get banged around too much.”

Case in point is the Riders’ senior class, which was the first group that Bruney elected to move up with the varsity unit in 2011.

“I could tell then that there were seven or eight of them would bite you, even as freshmen,” Bruney said. “They might have gotten their rear end kicked at times, but they’d bite you. That’s really helped this class because they jumped in there and weren’t intimidated by it, so it’s a pretty good senior class all

From Page 84

around.”

One thing Bruney is especially fond of about his team is that so many of the players the Riders will lean on are multi-sport athletes. Whether it’s been in basketball, baseball or track and field, along with football, the Riders have experienced a lot of success and Bruney doesn’t think there’s any better preparation than formulating a competitive edge.

“I don’t know how you get the competitive edge unless you compete and just competing in one sport, unless you’re just off the charts athletically, doesn’t allow you to do that,” Bruney said. “You’re not going to get that edge by bench pressing.”

Along with the experience, the Riders boast talent, speed and size.

Again, more necessary ingredients for success.

See PURPLE RIDERS Page 94

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Aug. 27, 2014

Looman

From Page 6

Red winning its first on-the-field title.

Big Red clipped Columbus Whitehall-Yearling 12-9 in overtime to capture the 1984 Ohio Division II crown at the home of the Buckeyes.

I’ve often wondered if there exists another place in our society that teaches and defines the word “team” like high school sports, particularly football.

Experts note that roughly 98 percent of student athletes will play sports only during their high school years. That is why there are many who believe that sporting events are not about winning (sorry to rain on your parade) but rather about providing a unique opportunity to learn sacrifice of individual achievements for the greater good of the team.

Let’s face it — today’s society is pretty much dominated by a mentality that puts “me” and “I” first. Thus, it’s not uncommon for young athletes to focus inordinately on themselves. It actually can be tough for student-athletes to convince their parents and other family members that the team is more important than individual achievement.

I’m guessing every football player on every team in the area would gladly forego individual honors in favor of advancing deep into the playoffs. Ross Comis, the former Madonna quarterback, should have won West Virginia’s Kennedy Award, signifying the state’s best high school football player as voted on by members of the West Virginia Sports Writers Association, after the 2013 season.

Instead, the award went to a running back from Morgantown. Comis tied for second. He finished his high school career with a Class A championship and an unbeaten season. I’m sure those team accomplishments were more satisfying to Comis than the Kennedy Award.

In addition to stressing the importance of teamwork, football players also learn how to compete. Life, after all, is one continuous competition. If you can learn to compete in a positive away early, you certainly will be a success in life. There’s nothing wrong with competition as long as you learn to properly handle the wins and the losses.

Competition also can teach value lessons when it comes to accountability. Additionally, it can teach the ability to handle pressure. Competition can prepare young student athletes to be stable, poised and energized by heightened intensity.

I once read a quote attributed to a football coach from Missouri.

It goes like this: “The strength of the tree comes from growing thicker in the good years when there is water, but staying alive in the bad, dry times.”

Throughout the upcoming season, local high school players also will have the opportunity to love the moment. Most folks near my age have a deep understanding of that lesson. After all, you only get one trip through time so you must enjoy it to the max. If you win a championship or excel in an activity, it is likely you will remember that event in a positive way for the rest of your life.

Competition has a tendency to create focus and concentration and allows participants to rise to the occasion when the stakes are high. So as we are sitting in the stands on a Friday or Saturday evening this fall, let’s not forget the positive virtues associated with high school football.

To the players in the area, I wish you luck. I also encourage you to enjoy the adventure — it can be very rewarding and it also will be gone before you know it.

Time does indeed have a way of flying by. The high school football season once was described as the fastest 10 weeks of the year.

The more I’m involved with the sport, the more I become a believer of that statement.

I want to close this piece with a quote from Babe Ruth, one of the greatest ever to play the game of baseball. His words, I’m sure, were meant for his sport but his message is one every high school player should remember as the 2014 season approaches.

“The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don’t play together, the club won’t be worth a dime.”

Aug. 27, 2014

89

Cox and Saturday, but it allows us to brag a little bit around the water cooler or debate that our favorite team will be on the winning side during the upcoming weekend.

When you’re a little more mature like me, you like to reminisce about the teams and players of yesteryear.

Whatever is your favorite weekly routine during the high school football season, it is getting away from the real world of work and those troublesome happenings in our ever-shrinking world.

Which teams have the best opportunities for success in 2014? Which teams will get their names on that championship trophy?

It’s all speculation, isn’t it? We have to take that journey through the fastest 11 weeks of the year before we find out which teams are the better ones.

Last year’s West Virginia Class A champion, Madonna, has the daunting task of replacing 15 seniors and still playing at the high level of the last several seasons.

Weir High appears to be on the rebound after six difficult seasons where wins were scarce.

Oak Glen surely won’t go winless as it did in that tumultuous 2013 season.

Brooke has a new coach with a large amount of winning experience behind him and that springs new opportunities for the green and gold.

One of the water cooler debates that I sometimes think about concerns high school teams that are successful or experience a down year is it because of the

coach, or is it the players who are responsible for the outcomes?

In my younger years, which have now passed, I didn’t think that coaches mattered a whole lot. I thought that if they had good athletes, they would win.

Now that my maturity is beginning to show along with the wrinkles around my eyes, I have changed that thought. I now believe that coaches make a significant difference.

On the other hand, I believe that at most high schools (Steubenville Big Red excluded) the athletes come in cycles. I don’t know why and I probably never will.

Weir High, for example, has gone through some rough times as of late. I believe that has been proven by the lackluster records of the Red Rider basketball and baseball teams as well as football. If it was just one sport, then you could perhaps point a finger at coaches.

A couple of years ago, I had a Red Rider coach look ahead and tell me that the teams at Weir High are destined to improve because there is that cycle of good athletes in the middle school.

Those kids are moving into high school now so we’ll see if there is really an up-tick in the caliber of the school’s teams.

On the other hand, Madonna had that outstanding group of athletes that were in the 2014 graduating class. Their football, basketball and baseball teams all

Brooke Hills Park “Home of The Brooke County Fair”

From Page 6

have done well during the past four years. Will that continue? Only time will tell.

One more of the things I think about often is the popularity of soccer. Is football on the high school level as popular as it once was? Is soccer gaining?

There was a lot of buzz about the World Cup in Brazil earlier this summer and I saw a photograph in a Pittsburgh newspaper in July of a soccer game between two professional soccer teams from Europe that drew a near-capacity crowd to Heinz Field.

Then there is this issue of concussions. They are showing up in all sports, not just football.

I’m probably not the first to say this, but I did tell friends and family a long time ago—before Lou Holtz said it recently at his annual bash in the Ohio Valley— that they need to take the face mask off of football helmets.

Yea, you’ll have some broken noses and a few loose teeth occasionally, but it has been apparent to me that the confidence that the face mask gives an athlete to stick his head into places that he wouldn’t if he feared getting that nose bleed or loose tooth has made concussions much more of an issue than it was pre-face mask.

These are some of the things I think that I think. Get around that water cooler and express thoughts.

Here’s wishing all of our local high school teams much success in 2014 and thanks for keeping our minds off this troublesome world.

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Wildcats

From Page 53

He is accurate with his throws. He goes through his progressions well. He is more of a passer, but that is not to say he can’t pull the ball down and run. With our zone read, he can get into space and do some special things. He is more of a passer than a runner, but that is not to say he can’t do both. He is not going to be responsible to do as much running as Nolan did. He is more of a passer, but he can do some damage running the ball.”

In the backfield, senior running back Ethan Shannon will get the majority of the carries. Shannon ended his junior season just a little bit shy of reaching the 1,000 yard plateau.

“Ethan is a downhill runner,” Stickles said. “He is the style of runner who is at his best going downhill and taking on defenders.

He surprised me with his offseason training. The kid is pretty versatile. He can catch the ball and get into the open field. In the open field, corners and free safeties are going to have a hard time bringing him down. We are going to look to move him around so we can get him the ball in space.”

Junior Nick Glenn and sophomore Chris Kosegi will also get some carries. Kosegi and Shannon will see time at fullback.

Edison once again has a talented group of receivers. Junior Dakota Byron and Glenn will see time as slot receivers. The outside receivers will be seniors Carter Andreozzi and Dustin Dayton.

Fellow seniors Robert Daley and Russell Shannon will see plenty of time as well.

The Wildcats do not have a true tight end.

Up front, senior Cody Kosegi and junior Dylan Boyuk are battling for the starting spot at right tackle. Junior Collin Scott will be the left tackle. Scott played guard last year. Manning the left guard spot will be either senior Nathan VanHorn or junior Clayton Wilson. The right guard spot will be manned by senior Mitchell Wells.

Sophomore Logan Glenn will be the team’s starting center.

The Wildcats will rotate offensive linemen throughout the season.

Edison’s defensive linemen will also rotate. That group is comprised of Cody Kosegi, Logan Glenn, VanHorn and Wilson. Cody Kosegi will play nose tackle. Wilson and VanHorn are defensive ends. Sophomore Mason Balzano is also in the mix to play on the line.

Edison has a good group of linebackers. The group is made up of Ethan Shannon, Chris Kosegi, sophomore Dom Rogers, junior Colter Whitmore, Nick Glenn, Wells and Dayton.

As good of a running back as Ethan Shannon is, Stickles said he thinks his biggest strength is as a defensive player.

In the secondary, Andreozzi will be one of the starting corner backs, and Russell Shannon, Skeeles and Daley will rotate between corner back and the free safety spot.

On special teams, the kicker will either be Cody Kosegi or Rogers. Scott will be the punter. Logan Glenn or Skeeles will serve as the long snapper. Skeeles will be the primary holder. He will be backed up by Andreozzi. Andreozzi, Nick Glenn and Byron will return kicks and punts.

“The little things are something I will always emphasize,” Stickles said. “It was always emphasized to me when I was an athlete, especially by Larry Shaw. He showed us. He just didn’t tell us to focus on the little things. The little things are the most important aspect of life. We are looking at the big picture.

“The kids are focused on fundamentals. The kids are getting better. When the kids are during reps, the coaches are telling them what they did right and what they did wrong. The coaching staff is doing a great job. They are putting a lot of time and effort in with the kids.

“The very-interesting part about coaching is watching these kids develop from eighth graders to freshmen, from freshmen to sophomores and from boys to men. That is interesting, and that is my favorite part of the job.

“The kids are doing a good job. They are very enthusiastic. They work hard. I am very blessed to have the kids I have.”

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Aug. 27, 2014

Big Red

93

Catholic Central

Indian Creek

Brooke

Games begin at 7 p.m. unless noted

Games begin at 7 p.m. unless noted

Games begin at 7 p.m. unless noted

Games begin at 7 p.m. unless noted

8/28 John F. Kennedy # 9/5 Glen Este 9/12 Ursuline 9/19 Brooke 9/26 at Massillon 10/3 Athens + 10/11 St. Joseph (NJ) # 10/17 Obama Acad. (PA) 10/24 Wheeling Park 10/31 Pinehurst (Ontario) +7:30 pm kickoff #6pm kickoff

8/30 at Weir# 9/6 at Wheeling Cath.

9/13 St. Clairsville 9/19 at Toronto 9/26 at Oak Glen 10/4 Bellaire 10/10 Barnesville 10/18 Youngstown Christ.

10/25 Madonna 11/1 at Conotton Valley * *1:30 pm kickoff #7 pm kickoff

8/29 at Brooke + 9/5 East Liverpool 9/12 at Oak Glen 9/19 at Buckeye Local 9/26 St. Clairsville 10/3 at Beaver Local 10/10 Union Local 10/17 at Martins Ferry 10/24 Harrison Central 10/31 Edison +7:30 pm kickoff

8/29 Indian Creek 9/5 Morgantown 9/12 at University 9/19 at Big Red + 9/26 Wheeling Park 10/3 at Logan 10/17 at Prksbrg South 10/24 Weir 10/31 John Marshall 11/7 Cabell Midland +7 pm kickoff

Buckeye Local

Edison

Toronto

Games begin at 7 p.m. unless noted

Games begin at 7 p.m. unless noted

Games begin at 7 p.m. unless noted

8/29 Martins Ferry 9/5 at Union Local + 9/12 John Marshall 9/19 Indian Creek 9/27 at Bellaire # 10/3 Edison 10/10 Beaver Local 10/17 at East Liverpool + 10/24 at St. Clairsville + 10/31 at Harrison Central +7:30 pm kickoff #12:30 pm kickoff

8/30 Oak Glen * 9/5 at Carrollton 9/12 Weir 9/19 Bellaire 9/26 at Union Local 10/3 at Buckeye Local 10/10 Harrison Central 10/17 St. Clairsville 10/24 at Martins Ferry 10/31 at Indian Creek *4 pm kickoff at Weir

8/29 at Wellsville 9/5 at Bridgeport 9/12 Fairport Harding + 9/19 Cath. Central 9/26 Shadyside 10/3 at Sts. John & Paul+ 10/10 Beallsville 10/18 at Conotton Valley # 10/24 Hundred + 10/31 at Madonna +7:30 pm kickoff #1:30 pm kickoff

Harrison Central

Oak Glen

Weir High Games begin at 7 p.m. unless noted 8/30 Steub. Cath Cent. # 9/5 at Harrison Central + 9/12 at Edison 9/19 at Grafton + 9/26 Liberty Harrison 10/3 Oak Glen 10/10 Magnolia 10/17 Ritchie County 10/24 at Brooke 10/31 at East Liverpool + +7:30 pm kickoff #7 pm kickoff

Weirton Madonna

Games begin at 7 p.m. unless noted

Games begin at 7 p.m. unless noted

Games begin at 7 p.m. unless noted

8/28 at Buckeye Trail 9/5 Weir 9/13 Plymouth * 9/19 at Union Local 9/26 Martins Ferry 10/3 St. Clairsville 10/10 at Edison 10/17 Independence + 10/24 at Indian Creek 10/31 Buckey Local *6 pm kickoff +7:30 pm kickoff

8/30 Edison * 9/5 Beaver Local 9/12 Indian Creek 9/19 at Williamstown 9/26 Cath. Central 10/3 at Weir 10/10 East Liverpool 10/18 at John Marshall 10/24 Frankfort 11/7 at Tyler Consolidated *4 pm kickoff at Weir

8/29 Beallsville 9/5 Tusky Catholic 9/12 at Wheeling Central 9/25 at Cameron 10/3 at Bridgeport 10/10 at Bishop Donahue 10/18 at Notre Dame+ 10/25 at Cath. Central 10/31 Toronto 11/7 Clay-Battelle +7:30 pm kickoff

94

Aug. 27, 2014

Purple Riders “We’d like to get all of our playmakers on the field at the same time and then try to figure out what two or three plays we can feature each kid on,” Bruney said.

The Purple Riders’ speed is something that Bruney hopes they can utilize each week.

“We’d like to get the ball on the edge,” Bruney said.

“We’re going to play from multiple sets and formations.

You may even see us do some stuff that Auburn did with some unbalanced where we can get some mismatch, so we can get the opposition to adjust and maybe get some people out of position.”

Slated to take over the quarterback job is junior James Edwards. He started the Indian Creek game last season and engineered a game-winning drive in the game’s final minutes.

“That (Indian Creek) game was big for him, but I think that competitive edge he gained in basketball, particu-

larly the last eight or 10 games of the year is even more important,” Bruney confessed. “He’s worked very hard, and I think he’s ready.”

Sophomore Dom Bell (59, 140) and freshman Austin Bassa are the other quarterbacks on the Riders’ roster.

Though the Riders may open up the attack a bit more, Bruney doesn’t plan on going away from a run-first system that’s worked so well for his program for three decades.

Leading the way at the tailback spot is junior Arjay Burress, who had a break-out season as a sophomore. He ran for 1,078 yards and averaged 11 yards per carry, while scoring 10 touchdowns.

Junior Andrew Hython is another player that’s stood out during camp, according to Bruney. He will be a solid option at running back.

Other running backs vying for carries include sopho-

mores Cory Miklas, Jared Straub and freshman Jacob Johnson.

The fullback position is also one where the Riders have depth and talent. Senior Bruce Burger ran for better than 400 yards and scored 10 touchdowns last season.

He’ll be joined in the backfield by classmate Bryce Coleman, who enjoyed a very solid junior season. Other fullbacks trying to get into the mix are sophomore George Stan and freshman Dalton Hoover.

The Riders’ desire to get the ball on the edge should be greatly aided by a talented and deep corps of receivers.

Senior Jake Barritt is top returnee in terms of catches.

He hauled in 20 balls for 223 yards and a score last season.

Classmate Jack Fitch, who is one of the fastest players on the team, was on the receiving end of two touchdowns last season, including a game winner from Edwards at In-

dian Creek.

Senior Andrew Watts has been impressive and should take on a larger role. Bruney called him “probably the most improved player on the team.”

Bruney also spoke highly of seniors Lucas Agnew, T.J. Jacob and Shawon Manns Providing depth at wide receiver are sophomores Ryan Fox, Zac Selby, Sam Russell, freshmen Cory Bennett and Shaun Jeter.

Bruney is also high on his tight ends.

Junior Matt Barbour (6-1, 232) is expected to take over the role vacated by Robert Vargo’s graduation. Junior Emilio Appolloni (6-8, 260) is his top backup and will also see time. He’s been slowed by a foot injury this summer.

“Matt’s got a little bit of a mean streak in him and Emilio has improved about a thousand percent and is ready to contribute,” Bruney said.

From Page 86

Senior R.J. Reed is pushing for action as well. Other tight ends on the Riders’ roster include: sophomores Jack Davis and Logan Selby.

Most teams can find options to run and catch the football, but when a high school team has some of its most veteran pieces in the trenches, it usually leads to good things.

Martins Ferry’s line returns four starters from a year ago.

On top of the experience, they’re also a year stronger.

“Our offensive line is certainly a strength,” Bruney said. “Most of those guys played a lot last year and many played a good bit when they were sophomores.”

Anchoring the line is senior center Jonathan Bodkin (5-8, 242). An OVAC wrestling champion, Bodkin has been the anchor of the line, but he missed some action last season with an injury.

Flanking him at the guard spots will be seniors Cody Beavers (6-2, 235) and Mark Douglas (5-10, 222).

At the tackle position, senior Nick Bain (6-1, 255) is penciled in at one spot with classmate Brian Sadosky (64, 232) on the opposite side.

Bruney is also very high on senior Kyle Staley (6-0, 277) and sophomore Dom Wallace (5-11, 295).

“We have a little bit of depth on the offensive line,” Bruney said. “We have some depth at tight end.”

Battling for action are sophomores Darren Clark (63, 265), Keegan Hupp (6-1, 202), Connor Pollock (5-11, 220), Drake Rice (5-11, 200) and Conner Patterson (5-10, 250).

Freshmen line candidates include: Hunter Bodkin (5-7, 235), Demetrius Dokes (511, 225) and Justin Husvar (5-11, 205).

The role of placekicker has been a battle between Burress, who connected on 29 PATs last season, and Barbour. Fitch appears to be set

See PURPLE RIDERS Page 98

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STATS OHIO VALLEY FOOTBALL

2013 FOOTBALL STATISTICS

Team Games RYDs Madonna 10 3234 Central 10 1816 Indian C. 10 2777 Edison 10 1712 Harrison 10 1376 Brooke 10 1881 Big Red 10 1871 Weir 10 1687 Toronto 10 1903 Buckeye L. 10 1039 Oak Glen 10 953

TEAM OFFENSE PYDs Total Avg 1331 4565 456.50 1900 3716 371.60 630 3407 340.70 1645 3357 335.70 1870 3246 324.60 1196 3077 307.70 1183 3054 305.40 1070 2757 275.70 795 2698 269.80 887 1926 192.60 466 1419 141.90

Points Avg 462 46.20 425 42.50 260 26.00 264 26.40 251 25.10 222 22.20 297 29.70 205 20.50 254 25.40 102 10.20 96 9.60

Team Games RYDs Madonna 10 945 Central 10 1512 Big Red 10 1350 Indian C. 10 1069 Harrison 10 1940 Toronto 10 1670 Buckeye L 10 2310 Edison 10 2400 Oak Glen 10 2718 Brooke 10 2858 Weir 10 2937

TEAM DEFENSE PYDs Total Avg 997 1942 194.20 747 2259 225.90 1041 2391 239.10 1422 2491 249.10 827 2767 276.70 1107 2777 277.70 895 3205 320.50 1063 3463 346.30 1081 3799 379.90 1097 3955 395.50 1046 3983 398.30

Points Avg 106 10.60 132 13.20 258 25.80 213 21.30 244 24.40 242 24.20 353 35.30 292 29.20 395 39.50 343 34.30 407 40.70

Player - Team Comis - Madonna Nero - Madonna Roar - Creek Ossman - Brooke Shannon - Edison C. Glenn - Toronto Larch - Weir Jones - Central Woodbury - Creek Marcus - Edison B. Glenn - Toronto Davis - Weir Stenson - Harrison C. Puorro - Creek Walker - Brooke Johnnie Blue - Big Red Maykowski - Harrison C. Hartman - Weir Fletcher - Central Loughrie - Brooke Lytle - Big Red Hayden - Big Red Lawrence-Burke - Big Red A. Swiger - Oak Glen Lathem - Creek

RUSHING Att 154 153 177 128 143 84 122 55 75 149 84 69 88 67 67 66 84 110 40 57 60 40 81 56 42

Yds 1299 1289 1149 908 888 721 680 628 496 496 465 439 400 398 390 378 374 361 355 343 328 308 303 302 293

Avg 8.44 8.42 6.49 7.09 6.21 8.58 5.57 11.42 6.61 3.33 5.54 6.36 4.55 5.94 5.82 5.73 4.45 3.28 8.88 6.02 5.47 7.70 3.74 5.39 6.98

TD 22 19 14 12 11 12 7 13 4 8 9 3 8 1 6 6 5 2 5 3 4 6 1 2 4

Aug. 27, 2014

STATS OHIO VALLEY FOOTBALL

2013 FOOTBALL STATISTICS

Player - Team Colabella - Central Miser - Harrison C. Marcus - Edison Comis - Madonna Larch - Weir Hopkins - Buckeye L Walker - Brooke B. Glenn - Toronto Collaros - Big Red Woodbury - Indian C Lawrence-Burke - BR Porter - Oak Glen

Att 179 234 183 117 146 143 99 133 128 129 100 80

PASSING Comp Comp% Yds 116 64.80% 1883 126 53.85% 1859 109 59.56% 1590 76 64.96% 1299 70 47.95% 975 75 52.45% 873 63 63.64% 810 74 55.64% 785 69 53.91% 612 47 36.43% 611 47 47.00% 585 28 35.00% 347

RECEIVING Player - Team Rec Yds Rutter - Harrison Central 42 643 Olmstead - Harrison Central 39 660 Bowser - Madonna 35 594 Springer - Edison 30 464 Bennett - Weir 27 433 Fletcher - Central 26 540 C. Glenn - Toronto 24 254 Pierro - Big Red 23 308 Cole - Brooke 22 391 Goodrich - Indian Creek 20 257 Andreozzi - Edison 20 157 Porreca - Central 20 412 Dokes - Buckeye Local 19 122 Hildreth - Brooke 18 200 Herrington - Big Red 17 219 Nero - Madonna 17 220 Stewart - Toronto 17 155 Pasek - Edison 15 159 Ross - Toronto 15 132 Potenzini - Central 15 156 Saltsman - Big Red 14 183 Player - Team Nero - Madonna Comis - Madonna Fletcher - Central Jones - Central Roar - Creek C. Glenn - Toronto Romano - Central Ossman - Brooke Marcus - Edison Shannon - Edison Stenson - Harrison C Olmstead - Harrison C Larch - Weir B. Glenn - Toronto

SCORING TDs PATs 150 138 96 96 84 84 72 11 72 54 16 66 60 54 48 48

FGs

TD Int 26 9 17 17 20 8 13 5 11 5 6 7 8 2 8 8 4 5 6 4 8 1 3 7

Avg 15.31 16.92 16.97 15.47 16.04 20.77 10.58 13.39 17.77 12.85 7.85 20.60 6.42 11.11 12.88 12.94 9.12 10.60 8.80 10.40 13.07 2-PT 4 4 4

2 4 4

TD 4 7 5 5 6 12 2 1 4 1 2 2 6 2 2 1 2 1 1 Total 154 142 96 96 88 84 83 72 70 68 60 58 52 48

97

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Wks.

Tuition

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Sept. 18 Thurs.

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Introduction to Guitar Advanced Guitar eBay Basics Quilting Personal Finance Glass Mosaics Safe Child Care Provider Workshop Chinese Fitness Shibashi

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Aug. 27, 2014

Purple Riders to handle the Riders’ punting duties.

On the defensive side, Bruney didn’t hesitate when asked about things his team needed to improve on for the coming season.

“We have to tackle better,” Bruney said. “We didn’t tackle very well and we want to be a little bit more aggressive. Because of the experience we have, I’ve seen that we’ve improved.

We’ve set the tone and did some contact, but we didn’t want to get guys hurt in drills.”

Hoping to utilize the speed and athleticism of his club, Bruney expects his team may play more man coverage in the secondary.

“We’d like to bring people and create some more negative plays,” Bruney said. “We want to bring linebackers and people off the edge. I think we can get a pretty good push

with our inside guys.

Barbour and Beavers are slated to take over the defensive end roles. Sadosky and Appolloni are also in the mix.

At the defensive tackles, Bodkin, Douglas and Bain are vying. Bruney also likes Wallace and Staley at those spots to provide depth.

In the second level, the Riders’ linebacking corps is solid, but depth could be a concern. Agnew has shifted from the secondary to an outside linebacker where he’s competing for time with Burress and Hython.

Burger and Coleman are ticketed for the inside linebacker spots. Reed is also in the mix.

Barritt and Fitch return to lead the secondary at safety and corner, respectively. Barritt was in on some 30 tackles and had an interception, while

Fitch picked off three passes and had 23 tackles.

Watts, who is expected to start at the other corner, and Jacob have also impressed the coaching staff with their play in the defensive backfield.

“We feel like we have four guys to play the three spots and Lucas (Agnew) could move back if we get into a bind,” Bruney said.

MARTINS FERRY (Games at 7 p.m. unless noted) Aug. 29 at Buckeye Local Sept. 5 at Wickliffe, 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 12 Linsly Sept. 19 at St. Clairsville, 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 26 at Harrison Central Oct. 3 Union Local Oct. 10 at Warren Local Oct. 17 Indian Creek Oct. 24 Edison Oct. 31 Bellaire

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From Page 94

Seniors Lucas Agnew, Nick Bain, Cody Beavers, Jonathan Bodkin, Jake Barritt, Bruce Burger, Bryce Coleman, Mark Douglas, Jack Fitch, T.J. Jacob, R.J. Reed, Shawon Manns, Brian Sadosky, Kyle Staley, Andrew Watts.

Juniors Emilio Appolloni, Matt Barbour, Arjay Burress, James Edwards, Andrew Hython.

Sophomores Dom Bell, Darren Clark, Jack Davis, Ryan Fox, Keegan Hupp, Cory Miklas, Connor Pollock, Drake Rice, Logan Selby, Zac Selby, Jared Straub, George Stan, Sam Russell, Dom Wallace, Conner Patterson.

Freshmen Austin Bassa, Cory Bennett, Hunter Bodkin, Demetrius Dokes, Justin Husvar, Dalton Hoover, Shaun Jeter, Jacob Johnson.

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ST. CLAIRSVILLE

By SETH STASKEY For The Gridiron

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — The St. Clairsville Red Devils are 23-3 in the last two seasons.

Many of the key faces of those teams that finished 2012 as Division IV state runner-up and then qualified for the Division V postseason in 2013 before bowing out in the first round are gone, however.

“There were a lot of unanswered questions in our camp and position battles everywhere,” McLean said. “It was a good camp because people didn’t come in feeling like they had a position won before it even started. It made for a great atmosphere at practice because guys were winning jobs through their work.

“It’s exciting. The coaches on the staff are coaching more, we’re making more decisions than we’ve probably had to make in a long time. They’re tough decisions, but we’ve spent every waking moment with them from the end of last season’s 30-day off period through the summer, so we know a lot about them and the time they’ve put in. Sometimes the

99

Red Devils 23-3 last 2 seasons

picture might be a little more clear than the people in the public may think.”

As was the case last season, the Red Devils must find a way to replace a quality group of seniors, which was led by two current Division I players.

Jaylon Brown, who was a firstteam all-Ohioan and one of the area’s most electric players, is now playing at Youngstown State University. Michael Ferns — an allOhioan in 2012 — battled injuries much of last season and really never got untracked. He’s currently playing at the University of Michigan.

To most, a 9-2 season and winning a share of the Buckeye 8 championship would be deemed a pretty solid campaign. The bar has been raised for the Red Devils, however.

“Expectations can hang you,” McLean said.

“They really can, but we’re realistic in our coaches’ office in what we can do and what we’re capable of achieving. It’s exciting to have our program to

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to the level where we expect to win, but we can’t bat our eyes at a 9-1 (regular) season in a tough league. That was a huge success and any coach in America would take a nine-win season.”

While he deems it a success in terms of record, there were areas that McLean knows his Red Devils must improve if they wish to continue to maintain the level of success and continue to grow.

One area that McLean has been stressing to his team that has to be in check for this season is chemistry.

“We’ve talked about setting standards and getting back to the standards that were set before them,” McLean said. “Being together as a group is huge for us. It’s been a slogan and a motto.

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“We have to be together in every facet and that’s not just on the field, but also off the field. Unfortunately, I think that’s something we may have lost sight of and we weren’t as good of a team as we could have been because of it. I don’t know if our chemistry was there when we needed it to be at times last season, so that’s become the biggest todo for me this year.”

With so many new faces taking on larger roles, McLean sees the season as a “progression” and it started during the Red Devils’ two scrimmages, which were contested against Magnolia and Carrollton.

“Some of the people who are going to start (on Friday) are going to be green, so surely their best football is in front of them,” McLean said.

“If they keep working hard and we keep coaching them well, there should definitely be improvement as the season moves along. I am hoping those kids making their firstever varsity start don’t play their best games on Friday because I don’t know what we’ll do after that.”

McLean called the scrimmages “vital” to his team for a myriad of reasons, but just the bonus experience in a live setting is where they proved to be the most beneficial.

“We (gave) the competing kids realistic opportunities in the scrimmages to lay down what they’re capable of on film and we evaluated it to the fullest,” McLean said.

On top of just wanting to win games, the competition during the camp has served as quite the motivation and attention grabber for the Red Devils’ players.

“It can be tough to keep teenagers level headed for 10 weeks, at a minimum,” McLean said. “They get exposed to a lot of different opinions, so for them to keep their eyes and ears on (the coaches) and approach each game like the coaches expect them to can be the biggest challenge, but we’ve not had to pull teeth to motivate the kids because they See RED DEVILS Page 102

Larch prepared for 2014

Aug. 27, 2014

By RALPH COX For The Gridiron

WEIRTON — The saying goes that if you want to get something done, call upon a busy person.

William Larch, who is entering his fourth football season as the Weir High starting quarterback, is that way. Besides school, which often is enough for most teenagers, he has two jobs, plays baseball a good part of the year, spends a lot of time in the weight room and the film room, has two and sometimes three-a-day football practices, carries a gradepoint average over 3.0, gets his hands dirty working on the engine of his little twodoor car, takes welding classes and somehow finds time to be with his girlfriend.

Now that’s a busy person.

So, what drives him to excel on the football field?

Larch says the thrill of playing under those Friday night lights at Jimmy Carey Stadium.

“Playing before all those people on Friday nights is the coolest feeling ever,” he exclaimed.

“Ever since I can remember, I wanted to be a Red Rider. I used to dream of playing in Jimmy Carey Stadium when I played for the Little Steelers and Weir Middle.

“I loved going to all the Weir High games, especially in that 2005 season when they won the state championship, and while the other kids my age played football and ran around the stadium I sat and watched the games most of the time.

‘I remember going to the state championship game in Wheeling.

“Now, I want the kids to see us out there and want to set a foundation for them to look forward to being Red Riders.”

Larch’s Weir High career hasn’t been all the peaches and cream that he would

101

have wanted it to be. The Red Riders have won only four games in the previous three years and injuries played havoc with his playing time as a freshman and sophomore.

A broken collar bone in the third quarter of the second game as the freshman starting quarterback kept him out of the next six games and most of the seventh. However, Larch came back to start the final game of that 2011 season, and the Red Riders recorded their only victory over Tyler Consolidated.

Tony Filberto, who had been the head football coach at Weir for a stint in the early part of the first decade of the 2000s, returned with a new staff, but things didn’t get any better.

In fact, they got worse. Weir High went 0-10 in 2012, Larch’s sophomore season.

“The coaches worked us hard that year,” Larch remembered. “I thought I was in pretty good shape having wrestled and played baseball and worked out for football during the summer, but I never ran so much in all my life. But it is beginning to pay off.”

William started the first five games in 2012 but damaged his knee in the Oak Glen game and missed the final half of that season.

Larch received a minor injury last year, but missed only the Oak Glen game in that season that saw the Red Riders win three games, a dramatic improvement over the previous two. He finished the season completing 69 of 146 passes for 948

yards and 11 touchdowns.

Larch works at his father’s business, Larch Heating and Cooling, and pulls turns at Arby’s on Three Springs Drive.

Allegheny College, a Division III school in Meadville, Pa., has been recruiting Larch, but he’s not sure if he wants to play football on the college level.

“I’m looking at some type of engineering career, maybe something in the mining or petroleum industries,” he said. “I haven’t decided for sure yet, but I may just concentrate on education. I want to work at something where I’m outside and active. I don’t want to be in an office all the time.”

Larch also plays baseball for the Red Riders, American Legion Post 10 and a traveling team in Pennsylvania. When pressed about which sport he likes best, baseball comes out on top.

“I like those Friday nights before all those people and I’m really looking forward to that doubleheader for the first game this year, but I really don’t like all the prepa-

ration it takes to be good at football,” Larch continued.

“Baseball, you just kind of go out there and play with not a whole lot of concentrated practices.

“But I also like that family atmosphere that you get with football. I like being with the guys and all of us working hard together and accomplishing our goals.

“My dad always told me that I’m playing for the guy next to me, not for myself.

We’re a team and now that we’ve given a lot of effort and starting to win games it’s satisfying that all the hard work is starting to pay off.”

A hard-nosed kid, Larch wants the football in his hands on those third- and fourth-down plays with just a few yards needed for a first down or touchdown.

“I like passing, but I want the ball in my hands and I want to run it,” Larch said.

“My goal is to gain at least five yards each time I run. I like putting my shoulder down and going after it.”

So when Filberto needs to get something done, he calls on William Larch, perhaps the busiest of this year’s Red Riders.

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Aug. 27, 2014

Red Devils known they had to bring their best every day to win a job.”

As much competition and position battles as the Red Devils had during their twoa-days, they’re not totally void of experience. They do feature 26 players who’ve earned a letter at some point during their careers, but only six are multiple-year lettermen.

“We look for different ways to continue to be motivated and not rest anything we’ve done previously,” McLean said. “We have a lot of team and individual goals that we market to our players to get them better every year on the field, in the weight room, etc. I think we’re putting more stress on that every year so our kids don’t get complacent and think it’s just going to happen because it has in the past.”

McLean likes the depth of his team, but wouldn’t be too upset if some of the players step it up a little bit more and create some separation.

“The depth is a good thing, but until we see we ourselves compared to other players and teams, I don’t know if it’s a good thing or a bad thing,” McLean said.

Don’t expect much of a change in offensive philosophy from the Red Devils.

They still plan on working from the spread, utilizing tempo and no huddle.

“My philosophy is you sit

down in the offseason, look at the cards you’re dealt and then tailor the offense, plays and schemes to the strengths of what you have,” McLean said.

One of the biggest battles in the Red Devils’ camp has been at the most important position in the sport.

Senior Michael Monteroso (6-3, 185) and sophomore Zach Bigelow (5-10, 180) have been vying for the quarterback job all summer.

Monteroso won the job out of camp last season and started all 11 games. He threw for 1,064 yards and 10 touchdowns against eight interceptions on 71-of-127 accuracy.

“Michael knows as much as anyone there’s been a big battle in camp for the quarterback job,” McLean said.

“Both Michael and Zach bring different things to the table, and I am sure we’ll utilize them both at times.”

McLean is completely serious when he says both will play.

“We’ll make a decision probably five minutes before (the game) starts and a lot of it will be based on who has the hot hand that day,” McLean said. “It could change week-to-week or snap-to-snap. The two quarterback system is going to become a question mark about us, but we’re not worried about it. It just depends on the

situation and that’s the way it has to be. One may surface as the full-time guy, but that’s in the future and we can’t predict it right now.”

Two other quarterbacks listed on the Red Devils’ roster are sophomore Landon Thompson, freshmen Matt Greenwood and Kaden Blomquist.

Filling the shoes of Brown will be no easy task for anyone. He racked up 1,244 yards and scored 22 touchdowns despite missing some time with an injury.

Expected to take over the tailback job is junior Shane Peroni. He filled in admirably when Brown was injured last season.

Junior Jake Stewart had an impressive sophomore campaign on both sides of the ball. He’s expected to see the bulk of the action at fullback.

Junior Branden Ducker is another who McLean is “excited” about.

Senior Isaiah Sears, juniors Daniel Trouten, Logan Thompson and Cole Skaggs have all had varsity carries and could see their roles increased.

Depth is being provided by senior Dakota Bacon, junior Mikey Berardi, sophomores Joey Maroon, Devon Harris, Gage Cuiksa, Dylan Alwine, Dylan Krone, freshmen Nick Falbo and Matt Butkus.

“That’s probably our deepest position, but there’s not

been enough separation,” McLean said. “We spread the carries around in the scrimmages to see who was going to step up.”

McLean feels really good about his wide receiver corps, two of whom were basically full-time starters last season.

Seniors Malik Gummer and J.C. Coleman will hold down a spot at receiver.

Gummer caught 22 passes for 319 yards and scored three touchdowns. All told, he scored seven touchdowns.

“We’re going to lean on those guys and hope they continue to step up for us,” McLean said. “They have a lot of stripes on their shoulders, so we’re expecting a lot from them.”

Senior Daulton Freeman is also expected to take on a larger role as a wide receiver.

Junior Blake Peroni has also turned some heads in camp and will be one of the receivers to see quality action.

Other wide receivers vying for time include: junior Christian Witchey, sophomores Logan Williams, Zack Clark, Dustin Tomich, freshmen Jayden Starks, Michael Vannest, Caden Rine, Owen Hynds and Cole Kazmirski.

Tight end is also a strength with a pair of veterans.

Junior Brendan Ferns (5-9, 190) returns after starting all 11 games in that spot last season. Ferns could also see time in the backfield, accord-

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ing to McLean. Also back is senior Michael Jacob.

Providing depth at tight end are senior Jake Miller (61, 145), junior Josiah Rhodes (6-1, 165), sophomore Caleb Stotridge (6-0, 175), freshmen Rocco Balog (5-10, 145) and Tyler Powell (6-0, 165).

One of the Red Devils’ biggest question marks and battles is in the trenches. St. Clairsville is looking to replace three starters in Lindsay, VanVoltenburg and Giffin.

The line is led by junior Michael Furbee (5-10, 245), who started in every game last season at guard.

Expected to take on a bigger role on the offensive front after earning a letter as primarily a defensive player are the likes of Haydn Lewis (62, 250), junior Carson Ernest (6-3, 315) and junior Brad LeCron (6-0, 200), who missed a good portion of the season with an injury.

McLean also pointed out senior Matt Carnes (5-5, 190), sophomore Michael Scarnecchia (6-4, 215), sophomore Trey Elerick (5-6, 210) will see valuable action.

Senior Zach Dopkiss (5-9, 190) is another who is in the mix for quality playing time.

“We’re excited about the line,” McLean said. “It’s a fight to be in the top five, but we’re looking for six, seven and eight. These guys are all athletic and they’re learning to play the positions.”

Depth up front is provided by senior Austin Rine, juniors Troy Powell (6-0, 190), Ty Hawley (6-0, 265), sophomores Kyle Roscoe, Noah Roscoe, Nick Schramm (5-8, 270), Devin Helt, freshmen Luke Sorge, Alex Bradshaw, Garret Matis, Tanner Younkins, Hunter Cook, Geno Drake, John Hawley and Chris Teater.

Sticking with the competition theme, the job of replacing Musilli, who was a first-team all-Ohioan placekicker and is now at West Liberty, has been a battle, too.

See RED DEVILS Page 125

Aug. 27, 2014

103

UNION LOCAL Jets seek to sustain quick start of a year ago

By KIM NORTH For The Gridiron

MORRISTOWN — The Bruce Stiles era at Union Local got off to a quick 3-0 start last season before injuries proved to be too much to overcome as the Jets dropped their last seven contests.

However, the former St. Clairsville defensive coordinator and Salem College graduate, is more than eager to begin his second season as the Jets’ pilot.

“We started off 3-0 and things were looking pretty good, but then we lost Travis James, our third quarterback at that stage of the season, and that really hurt us,” Stiles explained. “I also think we lost our confidence and never recovered from that. Another big thing was our second half of the schedule wasn’t easy at all. It had playoff-contender after playoff-contender on it.

“Sometimes when you’re not used to winning, you find ways not to win. I think that was part of it, as well. We’ve stressed all offseason that how we react when adversity happens,” he continued.

“Hopefully, we’ll react better this year when adversity arises.”

Union Local has 41 players out this year, with 11 of them being lettermen. Two of those will earn their fourth letters this fall.

“We’re excited about the upcoming season,” Stiles said. “We’ve got a good nucleus of players coming back, and the kids have really worked hard in the off-season. They’ve done everything we’ve asked of them so far.”

Leading the group of returning letterwinners are seniors Tater Blake and Spencer Ware. Twoyear vets include West Virginia University recruit Colton McKivitz (6-7, 275); senior Joey Brown; and juniors Isaac Goodson (6-0, 190) and Jacob Fijalkowski (6-0, 250). Going for their second letter this season will be senior John Howell; juniors David Paulick (6-4, 265) and Bobby Stewart; and sophomores Josh Bolyard and Shane Smolenak.

Crusaders

McKivitz will lineup at right tackle and a defensive end slot.

“Colton certainly has some big expectations to live up to, but we expect him to do so. I think he will,” Stiles said of his two-way stud lineman. “I’ve told him that since he’s been labeled a Division I player, he’s going to have to play like one. He has high expectations himself, as well.”

McKivitz, who originally pledged to Miami of Ohio before flipping his commitment to the Mountaineers in June, will be joined on the right side of the offensive line by Fijalkowski, while Paulick and junior Tristan Price (6-0, 270) will hold down the guard and tackle positions, respectively, on the left side. The starting center will be sophomore Nate Stubbs (5-11, 185).

“We’ve got some pretty big kids up front,” Stiles noted. “Other than Colton, however, we are fairly young due to graduation and some other things. We’ve got good size, but they are inexperienced.

“The Paulick kid has excellent feet, and Fijalkowski helped us out last year until he got hurt.

He’s healthy and ready to go,” he said. “There are four or five other guys that we’re very excited about, but they need to put the pads on and get after it.”

Battling for playing time in the trenches are sophomore guard T.J. Kelley; junior guard Brendon Morris; sophomore tackle Robert Roof (6-1, 210); sophomore guard/tackle Cory Jones (6-0, 220); sophomore center Josh Taylor; freshman center Dalton Latham; freshman tackle Hank Myers (6-0, 210); freshman guard Billy Arigoni; freshman center Braden Robinson; freshman guard Brandon Taylor and freshman guard Lucas Donley (6-0, 270).

Taking over at quarterback full-time is Smolenak, who was forced into the starters role last year From Page 27

sive lines.”

“I’m a little concerned with our depth at the skilled positions,” he admitted.

“That goes back to figuring out what our younger guys can do. Last year, we had Luke Potenzini who could line up at tight end, slot or fullback.

This year, we will use three different guys to do that.

“But that’s not totally a bad thing. We’ll be getting kids on the field and getting them experience. Early on, we’ll be doing things by committee. Eventually, we hope we can find one guy who does several things for us.”

When asked how he felt about the 2014 season, which begins Aug. 30 with a visit to Weir High, Daley was quick to note he is “optimistic.”

“Our kids have been working really hard, especially our sophomores through seniors,” he said. “It’s an adjustment for our freshmen but they will come along. I’m optimistic that we will keep improving and you can tell the kids are mentally prepared to do that.”

The 2014 Central squad has 43 players, 16 in the junior and senior classes.

in Week 4 when James went down.

He finished 11 for 29 for 134 yards. He didn’t throw a touchdown or interception in five appearances. He also ran for 48 yards on 24 carries.

“Shane got some starts under his belt as a freshman and that has really helped him to improve over the summer,” Stiles acknowledged.

“He’s looking really good this summer.”

According to the head coach, Stewart, who is also a quality wrestler, is also vying for playing time under center.

“We’ve got two kids who are solid and we feel both can do good things for us.”

Also listed at quarterback is freshman Braden Lucas.

Brown and Ware will get most of the carries out of the backfield, as the fullback and tailback, respectively. Brown carried 14 times for 37 yards and a TD a year ago. Ware had nine totes for 38 stripes.

Blake could also see some action. He lugged the leather 40 times for 143 yards.

Other ball-toters include sophomores Brian McWhorter and Devin Crum; and freshmen Austin Koscoe, Ben Howell, Chris Rinehart and Dawson Mellinger (5-10, 245).

Goodson is a nice target at tight end. He caught 16 passes for 259 yards and a pair of touchdowns last season. Junior Nik Wright and freshmen Cody Ray and Michael Withers are other possibilities.

“We’ve got all of our skilled position players returning and a group of underclassmen that we are excited about,” he said.

See JETS Page 121

All in the family Andrew and Zach Connor share the ups and downs as father-son, coach-player at their Indian Creek home

By MIKE MATHISON For The Gridiron

WINTERSVILLE — Andrew and Zach Connor are not the first father and son who are also coach and player on the football field, and they sure won’t be the last.

But, through all the ups and downs, both agree they wouldn’t change the last four years at Indian Creek for anything.

“He’s been with me since I started,” said Andrew, who is starting his 12th year as head coach of the Redskins. “He went from a water boy to ball boy to one of the older kids on the sidelines and now is ready to start his senior year. He dressed as a freshman and played as a freshman. He’s the only person I have left who has been with me for all 12 years.

“Next to me or on the sidelines, he’s been with me every step of the way.

“We talked about how this was going to work out for the both of us. But, Zach has had it much harder than I have. It has to be a lot harder to play for your dad than to coach your kid. I received some advice from other head coaches around the valley about coaching your kid.

“They said it could be the greatest experience of your life, but they also said it would be tough on your kid.

“For Zach, you wonder if people are saying you are playing only because your dad is the head coach. I’m sure there are fans in the stands saying, ‘Look at 3, he’s playing because his dad is the coach.’ If that is said it means they aren’t giving Zach any credit for how hard he has worked to be on the field and how critical I am.

“As a dad, you overcompensate the other way, and you’re twice as hard on your kid than you are on any other player on your team. People in the stands really don’t understand the situation.

“Then you have his peers who think he is going to tell me things that happen off the field. If he says anything critical of the program, people think that’s me talking. He can’t have an opinion. I’m not sure people can separate what he says from what I say — ‘Zach said it, so that’s what his dad must think.’

“And, that’s not true. People don’t give enough credit for what any head coach’s kid has to go through.”

Zach remembers those early days when he was on the sidelines.

“I used to think it was funny watching my dad go crazy on the sidelines — until I played for him,” he said. “As a kid on the sidelines, I wanted my dad to go out and scream and Zach Connor ... holler because I thought it was funny.

“I know I don’t play because of my dad, and I sure hope my play shows that. I work “Now, I want him to stay where he’s at.

“My dad is the head football coach and not a lot of kids get every day to the point of exhaustion. I know what I have done here. I played as to say that in the sport they play. I knew how he coached and hard as I could because I love the school and I love to play football.”

I knew how much fun it was going to be to be around that. I

was looking forward to that when I became a freshman.

“It was pretty hard during my freshman and sophomore years. I would call him ‘dad’ around football things and there he’s my coach. I was still a puppy back then and I would always revert back to, ‘Well, he’s my dad.’

“My junior year I started to realize that he’s my football coach and I can’t let that stage of him being my dad be my savior every time. I knew I had to separate the two because when I play football in college and get yelled at, I’m getting yelled at by the coach, not my dad. So, I had to get used to him yelling at me because he’s my coach.

“At football, it’s a different relationship from home. Different, but still great. I have gotten better at it and so has he. It’s been better for me to take responsibility for what I’ve done wrong instead of being protected because he’s my dad and I want him to tell me I’m doing well all the time.

“If it’s good, he tells me it’s good. If it’s bad, he tells me it’s bad. I’m not getting mad at that anymore. My freshman and sophomore years it was like, ‘Wow, are you going to say that to me?’

“Now, it’s what can I do to be better and how can I be a better leader.

“I remember any time anyone said to me my sophomore year that I was playing because my dad is the head coach, I would get so mad. It had nothing to do with how hard I had worked to get on the field, it was because I was the coach’s kid.

“My dad never made the call for me to start that first game when I was a sophomore. Coach (Sean) Grinch started me, not my dad. It was a game-time decision and coach Grinch came up to me and said, ‘You are going to start at the Sam.’ “I know I don’t play because of my dad, and I sure hope my play shows that. I work every day to the point of exhaustion. I know what I have done here. I played as hard as I could because I love the school and I love to play football.

“About the middle of my sophomore year everything started falling into place and I was getting 10, 11 tackles a game. The hard work and dedication was starting to show. In our playoff game, I had 13 tackles and a fumble recovery and I fully understood that I was not out there because of my dad. I was out Andrew Connor ... there because I earned the “I think it’s harder to coach him than I ever could have spot to be out there.

“I know I am where I imagined, but the pride and joy it has brought me is also am because of how hard I more than I ever could have imagined. I can’t really put it into words. I’ve told other coaches there is no greater have worked.”

Zach was a first-team thing than coaching your own son. The time you have with All-Eastern District and your son and the bond you make with him is priceless.” special mention All-Ohio selection last season. He totaled 90 tackles, including six for a loss, and three sacks. He had two fumble recoveries, one forced fumble and one interception. He also played fullback.

“Other dads can be dads all the time, but I’m still the head coach,” said Andrew. “I have to wait longer to be a dad. I take care of our team, the media and then be a dad. He’s had some great things happen and I can’t celebrate with him as a dad. I don’t get to do as much as I could have.

“I think it’s harder to coach him than I ever could have imagined, but the pride and joy it has brought me is also more than I ever could have imagined. I can’t really put it into words.

I’ve told other coaches there is no greater thing than coaching your own son. The time you have with your son and the bond you make with him is priceless.

See CONNOR Page 124

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106

Aug. 27, 2014

Championship

From Page 8

Central Huskies on the field, and off it.

It’s finally here. His senior year.

“It’s a new chapter,” Maykowski said. “It’s nice being a senior because working my way up from my freshman year has been eyeopening.

“It’s been a ride, that’s for sure.”

From pee-wee to reserve team, Maykowski worked his way through the system while growing older, getting stronger and becoming wiser.

He feels he got a much better grip on the Huskies’ system as time passed — quickly, at that.

“You really get to see how valuable the scout team is and what they do to make the varsity better,” Maykowski said. “I have to give them big props. There were some hard hits to endure and you learn to get hit, then get back up and keep on going.”

He’s become smarter. Though he wants to play football in college, he knows there’s a separate life off of the gridiron. However, it doesn’t have to be completely removed.

“Football teaches you to deal with people from all walks of life,” Maykowski said. “You may be different off the field, but you come together on the field.

“You learn your place and how you need to perform in order to make the team do well in the big picture. Leadership and teamwork are the biggest things.”

He adds, “By the time you’re a senior, you’re always automatically looked up to as a leader.”

Maykowski thrives on the fact that all eyes will be on him and seven other Harrison Central seniors. Two years ago, the Huskies made the playoffs. Now, this class wants to return to that glory — without looking too far ahead.

“We’re still focused on our camp,” Maykowski said. “You’re always together and you make memories. Bonding together in camp makes you who you are as a team and an individual because you learn your role on the team.

Once that’s established, then you can focus on winning games.”

It’s a dream built on inspiration.

Still underdeveloped, he tried to pick the brains of older players. The guy who made the most impact on him actually wasn’t a skill player — it was an offensive tackle.

“His name was Max Hudson,” Larch said.

“He was a big guy and was always a good friend of mine and I just looked up to him because of his work ethic.

“He really worked hard and always tried to make himself better. He went the extra mile and nothing was ever about himself. He just wanted what was best for the team. I always wanted to be in that kind of role, where you work hard to make yourself better, but it’s all for the good of the team.”

Now, it’s his duty every day.

“A lot more guys are coming up to me asking about the offense,” Larch said. “I’m happy to share what I know and it actually lets me understand what’s going on a lot better, also.”

Having the reigns of the Red Riders for the past three injury-riddled years (he has started 17 games), Larch is beginning to see progression.

Weir won the last game of his freshman season, went winless two years ago and won three times last season.

“Now we’re starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel,” Larch said. “The expectation is to win. I want to leave the team in an uprising fashion. My senior class wants to put Weir High back on top.

“We want to get people talking about Weir High athletics again. We can get that started with the football team having a good season.”

As two-a-days come to a close, the Red Riders begin their favorite tradition.

“We all go swimming,” Larch said. “That’s a fun time to hang out and unite after a hard two weeks. We spend eight hours a day as a team for two weeks straight. That’s a long time to be with the same team, so we just become even more of a family. If you don’t have a good two-adays, the season itself isn’t as good as it could be.”

Larch’s role, one that he has worked tirelessly to assume, is a privilege, not a right. As is suiting up in the black and red on brisk, fall nights.

It’s also a privilege to go for a swim after putting in work on 90-degree, summer days.

He’s already done that with his family during his entire life.

Crawford’s younger brother, Nick, is a freshman wide receiver for the Redskins.

“We’re three years apart,” Zach said. “It’s important because I want to show him how it’s done on the field. I’m going to do everything I can to teach him because I’ve been here for so long. I want him to be able to grow in the system and become and a leader once he’s an upperclassman.

“We’re very competitive with each other no matter what we’re doing. When he’s on the scout team, we’re going hard at each other to make a play.”

The Crawford brothers have grown up together playing pick-up basketball in the driveway every day.

Crawford’s Redskins brothers have done the same.

“We grew up together and we’re super close,” he said of the Indian Creek senior class. “We’re going to be sad when it ends, so we want to go as far as possible this season. Our goal is to get that state championship ring. It’s going to be a good year.”

Making a statement like that is easy to say — that’s every team’s goal. But the Redskins have been working toward this for a while.

Getting on the football field is actually just the midway point of the process.

“We start in like December and we continue to work all year long,” Crawford said. “There’s really no breaks. We’re lifting and running and doing whatever we can to stay in shape and get ready for the season in the fall.”

“That feeling comes in December all the time. We just want that Friday Night feeling. We want to put the pads on and play a game. But we know if we don’t push each other and go just as hard in the gym in the offseason, our goals won’t be accomplished as a team during the season.”

The right attitude and the right work ethic, of an entire team together, certainly is worth more than 10 cents. Crawford hopes it also could be worth more than 10 wins.

ßßßßßßßßßßß

ßßßßßßßßßßß “The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don’t play together, the club won’t be worth a dime.” — Babe Ruth

Jake Karovic isn’t like most other standout high school athletes. There will be kids who play sports year-round, starting with football, transitioning into basketball and wrapping up with baseball.

For the Steubenville Central lineman, football is it.

“It’s bittersweet,” said Karovic, who played soccer, basketball and baseball, along with football, in his earlier years. “It’s my senior year and it’s important to give it my all. It’s the last time I’ll ever play

“Being on a team is a privilege, not a right. You give up the right to be selfish, average and apathetic when others depend on you.” — Brittney Ezell Originally just hoping to be on the sidelines under the Friday night lights, Will Larch was a bright-eyed freshman who earned the role of starting quarterback for Weir High.

As one of 15 seniors on the Indian Creek football team, Zach Crawford must elevate his game to meet goals for this season – and to also try to leave the future of the program in capable hands.

ßßßßßßßßßßß “If you want to achieve some really big and interesting goals, you have to learn to fall in love with hard work.” — Steve Pavlina

See CHAMPIONSHIP Page 107

Aug. 27, 2014

107

Championship high school sports, so I want to make this count.”

Karovic is confident that he’ll do his part, but he knows he must count on the guys lining up next to, in front of and behind him to make the same effort.

“When all 11 guys on the team give 100 percent, every team has a chance to go far,” he said.

The Crusaders have qualified for the Division VI and Division VII playoffs the past two seasons. Last year, they advanced to the regional semifinals.

“We have to work harder every day at every practice,” Karovic said. “We’re pushing each other to go further than we did last year. We made a little bit of a run in the playoffs, but we know we want to win it all. We want a state championship — and that’s every team’s goal — but we’ve had a taste of success over the years and we know we can do it.”

Karovic’s freshman year was a seven-loss season and he’s helped Central improve ever since — while he, himself, was personally trying to get better on and off the field.

“Coming up through the years, I always made a note of what the older guys taught me,” Karovic said. “They always knew how everything worked. I try to tell the younger kids now about my experiences coming up We all help each other out. We make a mistake and we can try to correct each other.

“It’s our senior year and we call this ‘our team.’ All seven of us seniors will gauge our high school careers on how well we do this season.”

He’s in tune with the future, too. This season might define the class of 2015’s high school career, but Karovic has a chance to help define the standard of the Central program.

“Even when we leave, we want to leave a good program behind,” he said. “Next year, these juniors can take over and ensure that our program grows for years to come.”

told me to embrace the leadership role. We’re picking up with how they led us and I feel comfortable with that.”

Shreve added depth at wide receiver for the past three years, but now he is inserted into the starting lineup. There’s some lofty shoes to fill since last year’s Blue Dons went undefeated and won the West Virginia Class A state championship.

Shreve doesn’t necessarily feel that his team has a target on its back, though. But Madonna does have question marks that Shreve hopes to replace with some exclamation points.

“A lot of people are overlooking us,” he said. “We still have big expectations because we have a lot of guys still coming back. People are sleeping on us and I think we can make a run. If we work hard, we’ll win games. I know that.”

This year’s senior class is a lot smaller than the previous group — there are only six.

But there’s also a crop of underclassmen ready to contribute right away.

“We have a lot of younger guys out,” Shreve said. “We’re trying to get the basics down by going over our plays and making sure everything is smooth. The younger people will make an impact and we want them to be comfortable with the system.”

The Blue Dons won’t lose their grip on the accomplishments of the past. Those days are gone, but not forgotten. They plan to fight to keep the memories alive, while creating new ones this season.

“We know we can win,” Shreve said. “We’ve been a part of some great seasons by going to the playoffs and winning a championship. I’m confident that we can have a good season that we all will be proud of.”

ßßßßßßßßßßß

“Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down.” — Oprah Winfrey

“One piece of log creates a small fire, adequate to warm you up, add just a few more pieces to blast an immense bonfire, large enough to warm up your entire circle of friends; needless to say that individuality counts but team work dynamites.” — Jin Kwon The Weirton Madonna football team graduated 15 players from last season, including a Division I recruit and a 7-foot tall lineman. The Blue Dons lost a powerful running back along with speedy receivers and lockdown corners.

Talent departed, but leadership remains.

“The seniors who graduated showed me a lot of things and told me what to be prepared for in my senior year,” said Madonna’s Levi Shreve. “They

ßßßßßßßßßßß

Shawn Tustin and the Buckeye Local football team trudged through a 1-9 season in 2013.

“There were fights on the team and a lack of leadership in previous years,” Tustin said. “We’ve tried to put that in the past. That doesn’t define us.

This senior class is trying to create a family atmosphere that players want to be a part of.”

So far, it’s working.

“I want the team to stay together,” Tustin said.

“I want us to work together in every practice and every game, no matter what we’re up against. I don’t want us to fall apart. Losing a couple of games is OK. We just have to be ready for our

From Page 106

next challenge.

“We have to be confident that we can win each game. It’s all about staying positive.”

This renewed attitude was a byproduct of an offseason lesson by the S.T.A.R.T team. Pioneered by Navy veteran Frank Hoagland, Special Tactics and Rescue Training came to the Buckeye Local weight room and motivated the Panthers with team-oriented drills that forged a winning attitude.

“Whenever we would make mistakes during our exercises, there would be a punishment,” Tustin said. “That taught us to stay disciplined. We ended up being very fluid with what we were doing.

“They’d split us up and we had team-building competitions. It was a lot of fun and the team enjoyed it.”

From that S.T.A.R.T team visit, the Buckeye Local mental toughness program evolved.

“They taught us to stay positive all the time,” Tustin said. “The whole team is starting to do that.

Whenever someone gets down on another player, we tell them to stop and encourage them to be more positive. They’re only doing more damage if you’re not trying to stay united as a team.

“Staying positive is very important with the team now. Coach (Phil) Pest encourages us to keep the positive attitude in everything we do.”

Tustin plans on doing just that, even after his football career is over.

“I’d like to use all of the things we’ve done to be a better leader,” he said. “In a career, being a leader is important if you want to be a manager or a boss.”

Tustin has experienced break downs. But whether it takes a bus ride or a pep talk, he’s always prepared for the next positive step. ßßßßßßßßßßß “People who work together will win, whether it be against complex football defenses, or the problems of modern society,” — Vince Lombardi The Xs and Os are only a small component of what makes up a successful football program. The Upper Ohio Valley has its share of capable clubs, but there are also teams needing a boost.

Leadership comes in many forms. Some people are born into the role, while others are thrust into the capacity. One leader doesn’t define the ultimate strength of the team. It takes committment from every member to reach the highest points, while also digging out of the lowest of the lows.

“If you’ll not settle for anything less than your best, you will be amazed at what you can accomplish in your lives.” — Vince Lombardi It takes a best effort of a collaborative group effort to build a championship.

108

Aug. 27, 2014

Red Riders climbing football ladder again

By RALPH COX For The Gridiron

WEIRTON — If there is one telling statistic that describes the resurgence of Weir High football, it is that there are 63 young men working their tails off at two-a-day practices on the Jimmy Carey Stadium turf.

There isn’t much history telling us the number of players on the Red Rider squads of the past, but head coach Tony Filberto can quickly tell you the numbers from the past three years.

When Filberto returned to Weir High three years ago for his second stint as head coach, his team was comprised of 27 athletes. Last year, the number of players increased to 42.

That’s why the 63 that came out for football this year tells the story, and Filberto says he’s still not satisfied. He said his goal is to have 80 kids in pads, hopefully by next year.

“The assistant coaches and myself have worked hard over the past three years recruiting kids from our middle school, going to their games, helping them with strengthening and conditioning and talking to their parents,” Filberto said. “We’re beginning to reap the benefits from all that work.”

Filberto describes the last three football seasons as “survival” in 2012; “necessity” in 2013 and “optimistic” in 2014. He predicts that his Red Riders will be solid in 2015 and will have the capability of having a two platoon system, which hasn’t been possible recently.

That is light-years from the disastrous 0-10 season in 2012. The Red Riders took a big step forward, recording three victories in the 10 games a year ago.

There are 24 freshmen out for football this year, and for the first time in a long time, the Red Riders will field a freshman team.

“Our plan is to schedule four or five freshmen games in the beginning of the season and then advance those freshmen to our junior varsity team to

get them accustomed to the faster game,” said the coach.

Filberto has built football teams before. When he took the head job at Weir High the first time in 2002, the Red Riders had a record of 5-25 in the previous three years.

In the three years he had the position, the Riders won 25 games and made the Class AA playoffs and many of the players on his 2004 team returned in 2005 to win the state championship under his successor, Eric Meek.

After three years away from coaching, Filberto returned to the gridiron as the head man at Oak Glen.

There again, he rebuilt the program.

He took the Golden Bears to the playoffs in his four years with the most success that program ever had.

The Red Rider football record during the past seven years isn’t stellar.

The overall football record in those seven years is 17-55, and that includes the 2008 season when the Red Riders were 8-2 during the regular season and finished ranked fourth in the Class AA ratings, the last time a Weir High football team has been ranked among the top 16 in West Virginia.

“This is the part of football that I’ve enjoyed — reconstructing programs,” said Filberto, a veteran of 35 years on the sidelines. “That is what we do. I feel that if we, the coaching staff, show enough determination, it rubs off on the kids.

“The kids recognize work ethic. It is not myself, but the entire staff and we get a lot of help and support from a terrific administration.”

William Larch, Weir High’s fourthyear starting quarterback, who persevered through some hard times during his first three seasons, says that the Weir High team is much more positive now and he feels the Red Riders are making great progress.

“I believe we can be above .500 this year,” he prognosticated. “We’re moving forward and taking the necessary steps to move forward. We’re making progress and I want to be an

example for the younger ones on the team. I want them to be able to look upon this season as the stepping stone toward winning seasons.

“I’ll say that under coach Filberto the practices have gotten a lot harder, but there is a much more positive atmosphere and the coaches are not only teaching us, but they are inspiring us.”

Dan Enich, Weir High principal, is a graduate of Weir High where he played football and baseball. He was the Red Rider head football coach from 1999-2002, and he and Filberto were assistants together on the Weir High staff during the late 1990s (Weir High won the Class AA state championship in 1998 with Wayne Neely at the helm). Filberto was the defensive coordinator on Enich’s staff when he became the head man.

Enich said that football does a lot for overall school morale.

“Being at the beginning of the academic year, football sets the tone for the entire school year,” Enich explained. “When we have a successful football team, the students are more positive and it is a good thing for school climate and culture.

“We have a lot of program building going on at Weir High and I meet with all of the heads of those programs. We want an entire positive system and it is beginning to show.

“We not only have much higher numbers out for football, but in soccer

as well and it carries over into the middle school. The seventh- and eighth-grade athletic programs have a lot more participation.

“And Tony has included the Little Steelers (Weirton’s midget football program) in the mix as well. We’re giving them the opportunity to play before the large crowd between the games of the kickoff Clash at the Carey on Aug. 30.”

Enich said he is a testimony to how athletics can inspire kids to take academics more seriously.

“I just attended my 35th class reunion and I was sitting around with some of the guys I played football and baseball with at Weir High and we all agreed that athletics spurred us to get to a level that we perhaps wouldn’t have achieved,” he said. “I know athletics helped me in high school and beyond.”

Athletics play a big role in getting students involved as a team member and are a big incentive toward academics, according to Enich.

“Athletics are an avenue to keep kids going and recognizing that they can go on and do academic things,” he continued. “We had a down year when we didn’t win a football game, but in the end, those young kids who got all that playing time are the leaders today in the resurgence. They experienced dirt in their spikes so to speak and it is now going to pay off.”

Aug. 27, 2014

WHEELING PARK

By SHAWN RINE For The Gridiron

WHEELING — Despite having advanced to the West Virginia Class AAA semifinals a season ago on the way to an 11-2 record, many throughout the state were still not all that kind with expectations for the Patriots coming into 2014. That was before preseason Kennedy Award candidate Savion Johnson went down with what will likely be a seasonending knee injury at the end of the first week of practice.

A team that already had to replace first team allstate quarterback Zach Phillips, all-state lineman Matt Hackathorn, Huff Award-winning linebacker Geremy Paige, home-run threat Eric Banks and outof-nowhere stud kicker Liam Casey, Wheeling Park will not blink with the loss of Johnson. It’s a nextman-up mentality these days for the Patriots, even though there are huge shoes to fill. ‘‘I think they get it and I really do think that our seniors understand that this is their turn,’’ Daugherty said. ‘‘We had really strong senior leadership last year and the blessing in that is two-fold. One, you get that leadership in that current year. But then at some point we get that on the junior and sophomore level. ‘‘That was one of the better groups in the history

Bruins

Brooke will make its debut under McLean Aug. 29 when Indian Creek invades Memorial Stadium.

“I tell the kids our job is to get ready for one team at a time and right now, we are preparing for Indian Creek,” he said. “Everything we are doing is geared toward getting ready to play a well-coached team. I have the utmost respect for Andrew Connor and his staff.”

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Patriots seeking return to playoffs

of our school. At the same time, every good thing has to end and everybody moves on. We’ve got a bunch of good kids that are ready to go.’’

That starts with first-year starting senior quarterback Killian Coyne (6-foot-2, 165 pounds). He spent two years learning under Phillips, and big things are expected. If Coyne can keep the offense moving at a nice clip, success is going to come. ‘‘If Killian does what I think he’s going to be able to do, we have threats outside. If we can keep those things going, that’s very, very important,’’ Daugherty said. ‘‘I think in today’s society a kid says ‘he’s starting the next two years so I am out.’ (Coyne) prepared for the last two years like he was going to be the starter, but knew he was probably only going to get one crack at this. ‘‘He has been unbelievable at getting ready for this one year when he is going to be able to take the team and go.’’

An owner of a score of 31 on the ACT, Coyne will get support at the position from sophomore Austin Crebs, junior Jake Laing (6-1, 167) and even senior Michael Grove, who has played the position before.

‘‘I can’t say enough about the athlete Michael Grove is,’’ Daugherty said. ‘‘He’s the quarterback in our secondary, makes all the calls and gets everybody right. He’s a quarterback-type of kid mentally. ‘‘He will probably take a couple snaps in practice just to make sure that if we had a long-term injury, he would be ready to go in.’’

Coyne will now be handing the ball off to senior bruiser Theo Blackston (6-1, 232), who was slated to man the fullback position prior to Johnson going down. He’s more than capable, and Daugherty believes Blackston would be the starting tailback on most Class AAA teams, anyway. ‘‘We will go with a different fullback, put Theo at tailback and go forward from that point,’’ Daugherty said. ‘‘We think we have some nice, young kids that can be fullback-ish. ‘‘Not the prototypical fullback, but what the colleges look for in the H-back that is running out.

added his early days at Brooke have “been like a homecoming since I haven’t spent much time here during the last 12 years.”

“A lot of people have approached me about our schedule,” he commented. “My attitude is we can only control the things we can control. We have a very competitive schedule and I tell the kids nobody is going to feel sorry for us.

“We will play who we have to play. We are a big school and we should play big schools. As far as changing the schedule goes, I will be in my third year before that be-

comes a possibility.”

McLean’s first head-coaching job has come with the usual set of problems, including terminology issues among the coaches.

“With me coming from St. Clairsville and coach DiBias having spent the bulk of his career at Wheeling Central and guys who were here last year, it’s like we have three different languages being spoken on the field,” he said with a smile. “It’s taking time for us to gel as a staff. The other day, we had four different terms for a cross block because of where everyone comes from.

“It’s a challenge to get everyone using the same terminology that I want. If I would have had the job earlier, I would have been strict with my terminology but because we are a work in progress, we’re settling on happy mediums when it comes to terms and how we call things.”

See PATRIOTS Page 112

From Page 47

110

Aug. 27, 2014

By ED LOOMAN For The Gridiron

WELLSBURG — It didn’t take Mac McLean long to realize, “I have a group of competitors.”

McLean was hired July 7 as Brooke High School’s new football coach. He took over for Sean Blumette who stepped down earlier this summer after accepting a job as an assistant principal at the school. Blumette served as the Bruin grid boss for two seasons.

“I got lucky with the group of seniors I have,” McLean said recently. “I’m their third coach in four years at the same school. For some kids, that kind of environment could create mistrust.

“These kids have been very positive. They’ve been off the charts and energetic about all I have asked them to do. They’ve been working hard five days a week. I have a group of competitors.”

The first-time head coach hopes to bring the Brooke program and his current crop of players “stability.”

“This group of seniors has been through a lot with some

coaching turnover,” he noted.

“I want them to buy in and work hard so we can win some football games.”

A 1994 graduate of Brooke and a former player under coach Paul “Bud” Billiard, McLean admitted his first couple of weeks on the job had their share of “ups and downs.”

“The up side involved getting around the kids and getting to know them,” noted McLean, who spent the last 12 years as an assistant on his brother Brett’s coaching staff at St. Clairsville. “I’ve been able to watch them work and I realized we have some very positive kids with some talent. They were real excited about getting to work.

McLean’s “downs” have centered on his quest to finalize the Brooke coaching staff.

“It’s hard to get coaches at this time of the year,” he pointed out. “Most quality candidates are already in camp. I’m happy with the coaches we have in place, and we’ll have guys from the outside who will join the staff.”

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The new Bruin mentor indicated his first few weeks as a head coach have “definitely been a struggle.”

“There is a lot of work, a lot of long nights and loads of paperwork,” he said.

“Those are things you don’t have to worry about as an assistant. Basically, I’ve been trying to squeeze a whole pre-season into just a few weeks.”

Even so, McLean was quick to admit he’s “very excited to be back” at his alma mater.

“I was happy at St. Clairsville and I want to again thank the people there for taking me in and letting me get my start,” he stated.

“This opportunity, at least so far, has been like a dream for me.

“I do know the reality of this job, and I know there will be days when it’s not like a dream. I’m ready to take the good with the bad because that’s what builds character in a coach.”

McLean continued by stressing, “For me and my family, this was the right

thing. It’s a great opportunity and where I need to be.”

Brooke began double sessions on Aug.4 and McLean planned to use that first day for orientation, to show his players “how we are going to

run practice.”

“My goal in doing that is make sure practices run smoothly when we get into it fully,” he added.

McLean and his Bruins will open the season Aug. 29 at home against Indian Creek.

“I’m certainly excited about that first home game, but I’m also so very cautious,” he stated. “From coaching in the Buckeye 8, I’m very familiar with Indian Creek and their staff.

“Andrew (Connor) is a top-notch coach.

His teams are always well-coached and ready to play. I’m excited about it, but I realize we have a lot of business to get through. We can’t get caught up in the hoopla of me being on the sidelines. For me, it’s more about the kids and the game.”

McLean, the first Brooke graduate to guide the Bruins’ football team, will be serving as in-school suspension monitor this year.

“Like I said, I’m very excited about this opportunity at my alma mater,” he noted.

“But at the same time, I would have been excited if this opportunity to be a head coach would have come elsewhere.

“I love the kids, love the game and love to coach. The fact that I get to work at Brooke makes it a little sweeter to get my first head coaching job.”

McLean is a graduate of Bethany College. He spent two years as a defensive end on the Fairmont State football team.

As far as his offensive philosophy goes, McLean said Bruin fans can expect “basic but not boring.”

“We’re going to install a basic offense, similar to what we ran at St. C,” McLean said. “It’ll be very basic, but not boring. We’re going to stress fundamentals on both sides of the ball and install a couple of coverages on defense.”

Aug. 27, 2014

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Blue Dons

Mathison

beaters? Probably not. But we’ll be OK as long as everyone plays four quarters of football.”

All but one of the 2013 offensive and defensive linemen are gone plus the entire backfield and two quality wide receivers.

But Taylor says his Blue Dons of 2014, while lacking in experience, might be as big collectively as its predecessor along the line of scrimmage and will have a quality group in the backfield.

“This year’s group of three running backs might be the best as a group that I’ve had here,” said Taylor, who is 327 through three years, the highest winning percentage of any head coach at Madonna.

The three running backs that Taylor expects to get most of the carries are senior Levi Shreve, junior Dillon Shaw and sophomore Dustin Brown.

“Each brings a different talent to the table with speed, power and shiftiness,” said Taylor. “They will give us a very good 1-2-3 punch.”

Madonna probably will have the tallest set of linemen among all Class A schools in West Virginia. The big linemen are led by junior guard Nate Martin (6-6, 260), the only returning starter. Justin Canei (6-6, 250), Christian D’Angelo (6-7, 250) and Adam Davis (5-10, 250) are in a battle to for the starters at tackle. D’Angelo’s a senior, Adams is a junior and Canei is in the sophomore class.

“Our linemen are tall and lean and athletic. They are not fat kids,” Taylor said. “We think that after they and all the other inexperienced players get their feet wet in the scrimmages and first couple of games, that they’ll get used to playing together and we’ll be pretty good.

“We have to stay healthy, though, because we don’t have a lot of depth — at least not early in the season.

“We’re not looking to the future, we plan to compete and win this year, but with our underclassmen and 12 guys in our freshman class, things look bright down the road, too.”

play football.

Not to be a star.

Not to be “the guy.”

Just to be part of a team.

I missed that, and now I fully regret that decision.

From Page 33

“I am a member of a team, and I rely on the team, I defer to it and sacrifice for it, because the team, not the individual, is the ultimate champion.” — Mia Hamm It’s really OK to sit on the bench and learn.

It’s really OK to be on the second team and see time here and there.

It’s OK to bust your rear end like everyone else on the team and not be the one with the late-game score, the late-game block, the late-game reception, the lategame interception, the late-game sack.

It’s OK. It came to bite me in that same rearend my senior season when I platooned with another guy at wide receiver.

If I had done all that work and busted that same behind the year before, I would not have been platooned, but been a wide receiver that did not shuffle plays in and out from the head coach.

Someone else would have done that.

So, me being selfish my junior year cost me the opportunity to be on the field for more action my senior year.

I still wouldn’t have been a star.

I still wouldn’t have been “the guy.”

And, I would have been all right with that.

Instead, I caught seven passes for two touchdowns my senior year. One went for 78 yards and that was a school record for a long time.

At the same time, I caught a pass in Week 10, turned upfield and was laced

in the side. It knocked the wind out of me and, later that night, I was urinating blood.

One trip to the hospital later, I was on the sidelines for the playoffs with a kidney problem.

If I had been a full-time receiver, would that play have happened?

Who knows.

It did and I watched our team lose in the San Diego Section CIF semifinals to Lincoln High School, led by some guy named Marcus Allen.

Allen went on to score six touchdowns the next week as Lincoln won the championship.

I was also the punter, and the doctor would not allow me on the field.

Bummer.

It all goes back to that selfish person going into my junior year who did not want to sit the bench.

Selfish.

“Ultimately, being a part of a team means competing, working, living and winning and losing together. And in the end, a teammate’s nationality, his language, his taste in music or his religion aren’t sources of division, but, in fact, mediums of greater friendship, understanding and success.” — Steve Kerr With a football team of 55 there are 11 on the field. That means 44 are on the bench.

If a team with 55 has 22 starters, 33 are on the bench — the majority of the team.

I had a discussion recently with a couple of football assistant coaches and they all agreed that, for the most part, sitting on the bench is something that athletes (parents) think is demeaning.

“My son, as a freshman, should play,

From Page 6

and if he doesn’t play for your team, I will find a school where he will play.”

Sound familiar?

“In order to have a winner, the team must have a feeling of unity; every player must put the team first — ahead of personal glory.” — Bear Bryant Waiting your turn is almost becoming unheard of around this nation.

Not playing for one reason or another is, in reality, akin to quitting.

If you played as a sophomore and, for some simple reason, chose not to play as a junior, you have quit on your teammates.

Period.

That was me.

I quit on my teammates and I am thankful my head coach back then, Dwight Morris, allowed me to play as a senior.

He didn’t have to do that.

He could have parked that same behind on the bench and made me watch.

He could have told me just to not come out.

But, he didn’t.

Now, I am thankful for that.

Being a part of a team has so many great qualities that mean nothing about sports.

Those same people who are part of a team will go to college and will probably be a part of a study group, part of a science lab group, part of a skit, part of debate team and will live in an environment (dorm life) that means they will have to get along with different people with different backgrounds and different beliefs.

Being part of a team is special — a lot more special than how much playing time you get.

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Aug. 27, 2014

Patriots ‘‘Then after that it’s a bunch of young kids.’’

Looking for playing time are sophomore Collin Hlad (5-9, 164), and juniors Chase Adams (5-7, 165) and Jake Pedelose (6-0, 163).

Up front, the left side of the offensive line — senior Henry Gompers (6-1, 212) at tackle and classmate Elliot O’Brien at guard — returns, as does tight end Chalmer Moffett (6-3, 228), who very likely will be playing at Harvard next season. Junior Austin Curnes was basically a ‘‘1A’’ at right guard last season, and will start there. ‘‘We’ve got to find a right tackle and a center,’’ Daugherty noted.

Troy Salantino, a junior, could be the center, while Jaelan Bartlett, a 5-10, 212pound junior, was seeing time at right tackle, though the coaching staff was working out several people at both positions.

The headliner, and matchup nightmare, in that group, is Moffett. He tore a ligament in his knee in a first-round playoff victory against South Charleston at Wheeling Island Stadium, but didn’t require surgery. ‘‘He’s stronger and quicker than he’s ever been and he’s up to 230 — he played at 212 last year. Hasn’t slowed down a bit,’’ Daugherty said. ‘‘In our 7on-7s he wasn’t with us a lot.

When he was it was funny, because linebackers would try to run with him and then teams would say we better get the safety, and then he’s too big. ‘‘You might make the tackle, but he’s going to make the catch. He’s honestly a great blocker and people forget that, too.’’

Outside the Patriots feel as though they’ve got as deep a receiving corp as ever, led by Grove and junior Elijah Bell (6-1, 185), a pair of rangy,

athletic talents that have the ability to run past defenders or go up and take the ball away from them in traffic.

Another name to watch at receiver is James Coles, a junior who started to see his playing time increase down the stretch last season. Others pushing to play are Zach Amend, Dalyn Grimm, Spencer Wiley, Michael Corum, Tysaun Pugh-Davis.

Defensively, it begins with Blackston at linebacker.

Stuck in the shadow of Paige for two years, this is going to be the season he makes a name for himself around the state. Already with DivisionII offers, a good senior season will undoubtedly gain interest from D-I schools. ‘‘I feel for him sometimes.

He’s waited — not that his play has waited, but he’s had to wait for Geremy Paige to graduate. You are just not going to talk about both of them and we get that ... he gets that,’’ Daugherty said.

‘‘It’s his turn to stand alone and run the show. ‘‘Eyes are going to be on him, and very deservingly so.’’

Just who will be standing beside him, is another question entirely. Juniors Nick Nardone (5-7, 184), Clay McDonald (6-3, 190) and sophomore Scotty Meagie are all going to ‘‘get an opportunity to stand beside Theo and be a linebacker.’’ ‘‘We’re not asking for Superman — we lost him (Paige). We’re looking for someone to come in and play their role well,’’ Daugherty said.

Defensive ends Moffett and fellow senior Tommy Ricker, both of who wreacked havoc on opposing backfields last season, are back. ‘‘That helps,’’ Daugherty said.

Junior Isaiah Myers (5-11, 209) returns along the defensive line. He cut his foot on a running lawnmower last preseason and didn’t round into form until late. That was a pleasant surprise since at the time of the injury, Daugherty honestly wasn’t sure if the young man would

From Page 109

play football again. ‘‘He ends up coming back Game 4 but it’s Game 1 for him,’’ Daugherty said. ‘‘He didn’t really catch up until about the playoffs and I think it was probably after Point Pleasant (a quarterfinal victory) when people started saying ‘where did that kid come from?’ ’’ The coach noted that Curnes did a good job on the defensive line, but that he prefers not to have to play kids both ways, particularly up front.

Davion Cooper, a 6-2, 290-pound junior, hopes to fill the large void left by Gary Hagan at nose guard. ‘‘People don’t realize that Eric McCave is a full-scholarship to Mercyhurst,’’ Daugherty said. ‘‘Any time you lose a scholarship D-II lineman, it’s tough. ‘‘We’ve got to find some defensive lineman.’’

The same can’t be said of the secondary, where the Patriots appear stacked.

Grove is the quarterback there, and will be joined by Bell and Coles. ‘‘He knows the call before See PATRIOTS Page 119

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WHEELING CENTRAL

By SHAWN RINE For The Gridiron

WHEELING — Harken back to the 2005 season, when a youthful Wheeling Central team was breaking in a new coach by the name of Mike Young. That club, thought to be a year away from truly competing for a state championship, ran roughshod on the competition, culminating with a 35-20 rout of Williamstown in the West Virginia Class A title game.

Now, fast forward four more state championships later and history may be on the verge of repeating itself in 2014. ‘‘I don’t know if history can repeat itself, but we’re going to work like heck to cause it to happen,’’ Young said. ‘‘For us and our tradition here and what our expectations our, it is to win it all. ‘‘Each year it gets tougher because you have that target on your back. I think other programs have elevated their level of play which makes it more challenging. ‘‘It all started with a group similar to this one.’’

A slew of injuries had a big hand in the Maroon Knights finishing an unimaginable 6-4 last season.

Though battered and playing as many as eight freshmen at times, Wheeling Central still managed to slide into the playoffs and take eventual semifinalist Williamstown to the wire before bowing out.

At most schools that would be considered a successful season, especially given the hardships that were endured along the way. At Wheeling Central, that kind of finish is cause for complete shock. ‘‘So many things have to happen, and so many things can’t happen. It’s not just one side, it’s both,’’ Young said. ‘‘But we still have the expectations that aren’t going to change that.’’

For the Maroon Knights to get back into their usual territory, they are going to have to keep sophomore quarterback Isaac Rine in an upright position. That will be a taller order than ever, if for no other reason than the club is going to rely more on the pass than perhaps it ever has.

To take advantage of its personnel — skill players are everywhere — Wheeling Central, which has only three seniors on the roster, is moving away from the spin series on offense, and adopting a spread package.

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‘‘We think we’ve got a good perimeter attack,’’ Young said.

That starts with Rine, who stepped into an unwelcoming role last year as a wide-eyed freshman, but managed to keep the ship moving in the right direction while acquitting himself well. He’ll be backed up by junior Matt Gruber, as well as a pair of highly promising freshmen in Christian Trip and Robert Kahle.

In the backfield, the Maroon Knights are loaded for bear.

Gruber could see some time there, but the big names to watch are senior Benny Duplaga, sophomores Dom Stevenson and Jaquan Jackson, and juniors Brandon Angalich and Kevin Keane.

Outside at receiver, the Maroon Knights have a good one in sophomore John Burkhalter, who broke onto the scene as a rookie and is expected to team with Rine for one of the most dangerous combinations in the state, regardless of class. Joining Burkhalter are senior Matt Pleva, who could have a standout season himself, as well as sophomores Luke Fahey and Michael Niggemyer, and juniors Brian Campbell, and Brandon Foose.

Any championship team is only as good as its offensive line, and the Maroon Knights feel good about where they are in that regard, too.

Leading the way is Peter Hartzell (6-0, 230), one of three senior captains. He will play tackle.

Junior twins Alex (6-0, 230) and Isaac Calvert (510, 215) are back, with one at guard and the other at tackle. Junior Brent Blazier (5-10, 240) ‘‘plays tough’’ at center, and sophomore guard Chantz Cham-

bers (5-10,195) got valuable experience a season ago.

Clayton McCabe, a 6-1, 205-pound junior ‘‘will be in the mix,’’ according to Young, and ‘‘we have got some great backups in kids who are looking to step up like Joe Chappelear,’’ a junior.

In an effort to get more people to the ball at the same time the Maroon Knights are switching to a 30 defense.

The real strength of that unit will be the defensive backs, where Pleva and Duplaga return, as well as Burkhalter.

Dylan Baker, a sophomore, will be another defensive back or outside linebacker.

Junior Jeff Gwynn is back at linebacker and figures to have a big season, as does Chambers. Sophomore Tyler Riedel is also being counted on here.

David Sampson, a 6-4, 185-pound junior transfer from Wheeling Park, can play tight end and defensive end, and will also punt.

Young will be assisted by Jamie Bordas, Jason Rine, Jim Wolfe, Brett Clough, Felix Bruno, Ed Anderson, Shannon Kuchinski and Hayden Cook.

Seniors Ben Duplaga, Peter Hartzell, Matt Pleva.

Juniors Brandon Angalich, Brent Balzier, Isaac Calvert, Brian Campbell, Joe Chappelear, Dalton Delong, Brandon Foose, Hunter Frazier, Matt Gruber, Jeff Gwynn, Lucas Herrick, Kevin Keane, Justice Murphy, David Sampson, Gus Schmidt, Wes Kahle.

Sophomores Dylan Baker, John Burkhalter, Connor Calmbacher, Chantz Chambers, Luke Fahey, Jaquan Jackson, Brandyn Johnson, Joe Main, Clayton McCabe, Michael Niggemyer, Jacob Pleva, Tyler Riedel, Isaac Rine, Dom Stevenson.

Freshmen Isaac Basinger, Jonah Boyd, Patrick Brown, Michael Chappelear, Paul Denard, Trey Denniston, Patrick Duffy, Chris Fuka, Robert Kahle, Luke Lawrence, Blake Peluchette, Tyler Roth, Brandon Russell, Daevon Stradwick, Chandler Templeton, Isiah Threets, Christian Trip, Matt Turziano, Dawson Wear.

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ST. JOHN CENTRAL

By KIM NORTH For The Gridiron

BELLAIRE — St. John Central has only won 39 football games since it last appeared in the state playoffs in 1999, and the program needed a change, once again.

Enter one of the All-American village’s native sons, Jose Davis, who turned around his alma mater, across the street, in five seasons at Nelson Field, compiling a misleading 27-25 mark that included back-toback playoff berths in 2012 and 2013. He will be the fourth

Aug. 27, 2014

New-look Irish starts at the top

head coach in as many seasons for the green-and-white and replaces Jeff Paolina, who succeeded Jason Merryman, who followed Paul Rose.

“We want to be competitive,” Davis said.

“Our motto from day one was to commit and compete. The kids need to commit to the program and compete every day. If you compete every day, you give yourself a chance to win. That’s what we’ve been selling them.

“So far, so good,” he added with a smile. “We’ve got 32 kids out. My goal the first year was 30. If we can consistently have 25 kids at practice every day or in the weight room every day and the other five are excused for various reasons, I’ll take that. No, that doesn’t necessarily guarantee you wins, but it does show commitment to the program.”

Not only did the program need a change at the top, the culture also needed a different

outlook.

“It’s funny because I’m getting more and more feedback (from the kids) about what we have to do to make the playoffs,” Davis noted. “They’re excited about all the work they’re putting in, but I told them, ‘listen, I’m comfortable athletically where we’re at. I think we have a lot of talent here, but the one thing I don’t know about you is how tough you are?’

“We can’t answer those

questions until I see how they deal with adversity,” he added.

“When you’re losing and used to losing, as soon as adversity hit’s, who’s going to be that first guy to step and say ‘we’re not going to go through this again?’ I know how to deal with adversity.

I’ve gone through it before, but I’m not out there between the white lines. I can’t control it.

“Confidence and playing with (confidence) are going to be important for us this season.”

Offensively, Davis, who was a standout quarterback at Bellaire High and Kent State University, likes to throw the ball all over the field. That won’t change with the Irish.

“We’ve got a lot of athletic bodies, skill-wise,” he said.

“There are some that we can move around and give teams different looks. Those are the See IRISH Page 123

Aug. 27, 2014

JOHN MARSHALL

By SHAWN RINE For The Gridiron

GLEN DALE — From hoping to win and then wanting to, John Marshall now expects to win as Rick Goodrich enters his third season. The schedule appears to set up favorably for a run toward the postseason in West Virginia Class AAA. ‘‘There’s a sense of purpose this year. The ground work has been laid and the guys understand what we’re trying to get accomplished,’’ Goodrich said. ‘‘They are starting to understand that they can get there. ‘‘It took a couple years. Everybody wants to win on Fridays but not everyone wants to prepare to win. I think these guys want to prepare to win.’’

The newfound confidence in this bunch comes in its numbers. Goodrich believes this might be the deepest club he has coached, and that includes teams he took to the OHSAA playoffs during stops at Bridgeport and Cambridge. ‘‘We’re pushing them hard, are very demanding of them and we’re not settling for anything less,’’ Goodrich said. ‘‘We expect their maximum effort and we’re not accepting their excuses like bailing when they start to get tired. ‘‘You’ve got to get through the pain and suck it up and be accountable. ‘‘It’s a business-like approach.’’

John Marshall has a plethora of talented skill play-

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Monarchs have a ‘sense of purpose’

ers on offense, beginning with a bigger and stronger Noah Martin, a 6-foot, 190-pound junior quarterback. He was thrown to the wolves as a sophomore, but completed 58.3 percent (70 of 120) of his passes for 1,056 yards and six touchdowns. ‘‘He’s matured mentally and physically. Before he was afraid to get in the weight room,’’ Goodrich said. ‘‘Growing up he was so talented that he was able to get away with that playing against kids his own age. ‘‘When you’re a sophomore and playing against 18-year-old kids, it’s a different animal. ‘‘He knows what’s expected of him and he knows that you can’t just show up on Fridays and chuck it.

He’s got to be a leader in practice and in the locker room.’’

There are plenty of options at tailback, but none appear better than junior Chase Gump (6-0, 210), who had a couple of 100-yard rushing games primarily as a fullback in 2013. ‘‘He can play fullback, tailback and tight end if you need him to,’’ Goodrich said. ‘‘We’re pushing him this year to get into better condition because he is going to have to stay on the field. ‘‘If he’s going to carry the ball 25 times or whatever, he’s going to have to be in shape to play on the

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other side on defense. He’s a competitor who lives in the gym.’’

Goodrich said the team likely won’t feature a 1,000-yard rusher, but will have a group of guys carry for 400 or 500 yards. In that rotation are juniors Jimmy Michelucci (5-8, 185) and Kyle Caruso (5-9, 168), as well as seniors Quentin Blatt (511, 175) and Cameron Fisher (6-2, 215), who will see the majority of his time in the backfield as a fullback. ‘‘Blatt played as a freshman and is back out. He’s a physical specimen,’’ Goodrich said. ‘‘Fisher is quick as (heck) off the line and is like having a guard at fullback.’’

When the Monarchs go to the air Goodrich feels as though Martin will have at least seven guys who can get the job done as receivers. This group includes seniors Jared Horan (6-0, 160), Jonathan Taylor (5-10, 160), Patrick Yocum (6-0, 150) and Alex Whorton (6-1, 170), along with juniors Tyler Goode (5-8, 145) and Austin Skrzyneki (6-0, 170).

See MONARCHS Page 118

HELP FIGHT CRIME. STAY IN SCHOOL. BE SOMEBODY.

Jane M. Hanlin

GOOD LUCK To All Area Teams This Season!

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116

Aug. 27, 2014

Petchal tian do not have football teams. American Spirit Academy and Jefferson County Christian are members of the SWCAC. All told, there are 17 high schools in the two counties with football teams.

Nine of the 20 teams in the two counties are members of the OVAC. Those schools are Big Red, Catholic Central, Edison, Buckeye Local, Toronto, Indian Creek, Beaver Local, East Liverpool and Wellsville.

Meanwhile, Columbiana, Crestview, Lisbon (David Anderson), East Palestine, Leetonia, Southern Local and Wellsville are all members of the ITCL. Finally, Salem is a member of the NBC. This year, Beaver Local and East Liverpool have joined Edison, Indian Creek and Buckeye Local in the Buckeye 8. Harrison Central, Martins Ferry, Bellaire, St. Clairsville and Union Local are the other members of the conference.

Beaver Local dropped out of the All-American Conference following the 2012-13 school year. The Beavers were a member of the conference from 2008 through 2013.

The Beavers were joined in the conference by the Quakers, but Salem dropped out of the conference in 2011. Salem went on to join the NBC, and the Quakers are a member of that conference today.

The All-American Conference is made up of three tiers: the Red Division, the White Division and the Blue Division. Previously, the ITCL was made of just two tiers — the Upper Tier and the Lower Tier, but starting this year the conference will also go to a three-tier format.

Two of the tiers will have five schools in them, while one tier will be made up of six schools. The schools in the tiers will be based mainly by the location of the school.

All of these changes forced the schools to make adjustments to all of their sports schedules.

This year, the Buckeye 8 has also made changes. The 10 schools will now be divided into two divisions — a big school division and a small school division. In the future, teams in the conference are only required to play teams within their own division, leaving the schools with six dates to fill with any other schools.

Good Luck To All Area Teams!

That rule will not apply to this year due to some schedules already being set before the changes were made to the conference.

For three-straight seasons, Edison has played the same 10 teams. The Wildcats schedule has been made up of the seven other original schools in the Buckeye 8 along with non-conference games against Carrollton, Oak Glen and Weir.

This year, Harrison Central will play six games against teams from the Buckeye 8. The Huskies will play all of the other original members of the conference with the exception of Bellaire. Harrison Central’s non-conference games are home games against Independence, Plymouth and Weir and a road game at Buckeye Trail.

Indian Creek will play eight games against teams from the Buckeye 8.

Like the Huskies, the Redskins will not play the Big Reds this season. Indian Creek replaced Bellaire on the schedule with Beaver Local. Indian Creek’s non-conference games this season are on the road — at Brooke to open the season and later at Oak Glen.

Buckeye Local will play all nine of the other teams in the conference. The

From Page 6

Panthers’ lone non-conference game will be a home game against John Marshall.

Newcomers East Liverpool and Beaver Local will each play three games against Buckeye 8 competition.

The two schools will continue to play each other, and the Potters and the Beavers will play the Panthers and the Redskins this year.

Games against East Liverpool and Beaver Local will be added to Edison’s schedule next year. The Wildcats will continue to play their three nonconference opponents — the Warriors, the Golden Bears and the Red Riders.

With the addition of the two divisional games, Edison will be dropping games against three conference opponents — St. Clairsville, Martins Ferry and Bellaire.

Edison has also added Toronto to its 2015 schedule. The Wildcats and Red Knights last played in Week 7 of the 2007 season at Toronto. The Red Knights won that game, 35-15.

Change is a constant part of life, and I expect plenty more wheeling and dealing at the high school level in the future. The only question is will the changes make things better or worse?

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117

Huskies Mitchell. Johnson will also see time at wide receiver if he’s not at running back.

Senior Kalub Mitchell is expected to return to the lineup at some point this season. He’s still recovering from an injury suffered during baseball season.

“We have a lot of guys we feel comfortable throwing the ball to,” Kropka said. “They’re athletic kids, who will go get the ball. I’ve seen them get better. We have guys who can catch and fall down for a first down or guys who can catch it and then take it 80 for a touchdown.”

Other receivers looking to get into the mix are juniors Anthony Heavilin, Danier Hunt sophomores Dakota Beckley, Kyle Roberts, freshmen Caden Arbaugh, Gage Rapavi, Jabyn Moore, Trenton McDonald and Isiah Cowans.

Sophomore Grant Sproul (6-1, 220) is set to take over the tight end job for the Huskies. He’s backed by classmate Jacob Barr (6-3, 195).

Like most prep teams, the Huskies have speed and skill in the backfield and at receiver. But, Kropka knows it takes the guys in the trenches to really make the engine crank.

“We have three starters back up front, but one of those guys is battling an injury and we’re not sure if he’s going to be able to play,” Kropka said.

“The other kids have never started a varsity game.

We just have to wait and see how the line develops and gels. Eventually, we’re going to have a really good offensive line, but the earlier the better.”

Sophomore Nevada Kuryn (5-10, 245) is penciled in at the left tackle spot. Junior Anthony Risley (5-10, 170) is slated to take over the left guard spot.

Senior Zach Manbeck (6-0, 215) is a returning starter at center. Sophomore Brenton Stull (5-10, 250) is shifting to the left guard spot. He started 10 games along the line last season.

Sophomore Logan Smith (5-10, 265) has had a solid camp and is expected to take over the left tackle job.

Junior Austin Marchetta, sophomore Shane Jenkins and senior Casey Runevitch, who missed a bulk of last season with a knee injury, are all in the mix for line duty.

“We could really put eight or nine guys’ names in a box and pick them out,” Kropka said. “Plus, they’re interchangeable position-wise, too, which is a nice luxury. We just have to find the chemistry and we also feel like we can rotate guys. I really feel that if our line gels, we can be pretty tough to stop because we have a lot of ways to hit you.”

Other linemen looking to get into the mix are seniors Austin Sambuco, Ean Moore, Zach Elias (6-5, 285) junior Brian Heavilin, sophomores Malcolm Boyer, Clay Gilliam, Shane Shook, Lance Smith, freshmen Blake Barnhart, Ronnie Bowers and Reese Beasley.

“Our sophomore class of linemen is probably the best class of linemen I’ve ever had,” Kropka pointed out. “And they’re all going to have to play

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From Page 73

on both sides of the ball.”

Taking over the kicking duties is exchange student Evandro Coehlo (5-10, 130), who is from Brazil.

“He just showed up in August and started booting 35-yard field goals, so I said, ‘you’re hired,’” Kropka joked.

Austyn Porter is set to handle the punting duties.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Huskies will operate from a 4-4 system.

“We’re going to be an aggressive defense because it fits our kids,” Kropka said. “I think we’ll be a good tackling team.”

Manbeck and Sproul are listed as the starting defensive ends, while Stull, Kuryn, Smith, Smith and Elias are all battling for action at the defensive tackle spots.

Ball and Runevitch, if healthy, are slated to serve as the inside linebackers. Risley also is in the mix.

At the outside linebacker spot, Stenson, Bryson Porter, Johnson and Maykowski are the leaders for the bulk of the action.

“Linebacker depth concerns me,” Kropka said.

“We have two or three we feel comfortable with, but that’s not enough.”

In the secondary, some new faces will be in the lineup. Johnson, Brandon Mitchell, Rocchi, Austyn Porter, Roberts and Kalub Mitchell can shift between corner and safety.

118

Aug. 27, 2014

Monarchs ‘‘They have enough speed to go deep and enough toughness to block,’’ the coach said.

A pair of juniors who bring different skill sets to the table will play tight end. Dalton Blake (6-4, 218) is the one who moves the masses, while Lee Henry (6-3, 180) will likely see more passes thrown his way.

Up front John Marshall appears to be much improved.

Starting at center is 6-2, 215-pound junior Gage Adams. He be flanked by left guard Dallas Catlett, a thirdyear starter and senior, and right guard Tyler Debolt (61, 240), another senior, though classmate Trent Estep (5-9, 240) will also see time here. At left tackle and pro-

tecting Martin’s blindside will be Bishop Donahue transfer Chase Padlow (6-4, 300), while Scott Kubancik, a 6-3, 206-pound senior, is back at right tackle. ‘‘I’ve never seen (Padlow) play, but he can be as good as he wants to be,’’ Goodrich said. ‘‘He has unlimited potential, but he’s got to realize how good he can be. ‘‘I’ve told the linemen we’re going to go as far as you guys will take us.’’

Defensively, it all begins with Fisher, who as a nose guard, may be the most talented player on the team. ‘‘He’s versatile enough we could stand him up and put him outside,’’ Goodrich raved. ‘‘He has so much natural ability and strength that

JOHN MARSHALL Aug. 29: University 7 p.m.

Sept. 6: at Bellaire 12:30 p.m.

Sept. 12: at Buckeye Local 7 p.m.

Sept. 19: Bellfonte, Pa. 7 p.m.

Oct. 3: Musselman 7 p.m.

Oct. 10: Pksbg. South 7 p.m.

Oct. 17: Oak Glen 7 p.m.

Oct. 24: at Morgantown 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 31: at Brooke 7:30 p.m.

Nov. 7: at Wheeling Park 7 p.m.

Seniors Andrew Armstrong, Daniel Baker, Aaron Bishop, Quentin Blatt, Dakota Brannan Dallas Catlett, Ron Clay, Brandon Debolt, Tyler Debolt, Trent Estep, Zack Evans, Cameron Fisher, Thad Herback, Jared Horan, Luke Howard, D.J. Kay-

nobody can block him 1-on1. ‘‘If he would just apply himself to being good every play, he could be so good.’’

Kubancik and Henry will

Good Luck

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From Page 115

lor, Bobby Kosky, Scott Kubancik, Chase Padlow, Jonathan Taylor, Alex Whorton, Patrick Yocum.

Juniors Gage Adams, Zeke Andrews, Corey Birkett, Dalton Blake, Kozzie Brannan, Chance Buchner, Kyle Caruso, Garrett Green, Lee Henry, Tyler Goode, Chase Gump, Alek Kesselring, Hunter Lockhart, Noah Martin, Jacob Maury, Logan McGlumphy, Jimmy Michelucci, Chase Richmond, Austin Schwing, Austin Skrzyneki, Kevin Williams.

Sophomore Joe Cacace, Johnny Caruso, Louie Clay, Cole Curtman, Hayden Derro, William Dove, Seth Feiock, Jacob Kereks, Trenton Kreoger, Devin Milbert, Thomas Norris, Criss Purell, Carson Ray, Nathan Simmons, Jacob Smith, Dorin Tolpa.

see time at the tackles, with Padlow and Blake also figuring into the mix.

Goodrich was still looking at a few of the lineback spots early in camp, particularly on the outside where some combination of Whorton and Blatt figure into the equation.

On the inside things are much more settled, starting with Gump, but not ending there.

Michelucci and Howard are joined here by senior Daniel Baker (5-10, 170).

The secondary, led by Skrzyneki, who showed a nose for the ball as a sophomore, has the potential to be

scary good. ‘‘He’s smart as can be, understands our defense and is in charge of our secondary as far as getting us lined up,’’ Goodrich said. ‘‘He just knows what’s going on and he’s our captain out there. ‘‘He has enough athleticism and toughness to get the job done, and he has instincts that you can’t coach. ‘‘He’s one of those special players, but sometimes you wonder if he’s around because he never says a word.’’

Joining him in the defensive backfield are Horan and Yocum, providing veteran chemistry.

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119

Patriots the call comes in. That’s huge because if your secondary gets set up slow — even if they are set up right — you are in trouble. He’s got us halfway right before the call comes in,’’ Daugherty said of Grove. ‘‘Really nice to have both those kids (Grove, Bell) back on the hash. I think teams will have trouble throwing the ball on us. ‘‘James Coles is going to shock people.’’

The other cornerback, not unlike the situation at linebacker, is up in the air. Senior Wiley (5-9, 146) gets the first crack.

Grove will handle the punting duties, while freshman Chase Gheen is scheduled to do the kicking. ‘‘We’ve got a really good freshman ... I don’t know how good, but I know he’s made 40, 43 yards in practice with no rush,’’ Daugherty said. ‘‘We can’t heap too much on him but I know we’ve got a guy who is going to be able to kick field goals and extra points.’’

Kickoff chores will be taken care of either by Grove or Gheen, and any number of players will be returning kicks.

‘‘People think everyone is gone,’’ Daugherty said. ‘‘We lost some good kids, but there’s lot of good kids back. ‘‘We’re not going to give up the fight and it’s starting to settle in and they are getting a little upset with the comment (we’re going to be down).’’

Daugherty is assisted by Drew Biehl, Shane Glass, Tim Ickes, Daryl ‘‘Boogie’’ Johnson, Rick Marsh, Keith Phillips, Bob Pyle, Andy Seals, Joey Subasic, Jack Doyle Doug Boyd and Bryan Arbes.

WHEELING PARK Aug. 29: Allderdice Sept. 5: Bridgeport, W.Va. Sept. 19: at University Sept. 26: at Brooke Oct. 3: at East Liverpool Oct. 10: Morgantown Oct. 17: Carrick, Pa. Oct. 24: at Steubenville Oct. 31: at Pksbg. South Nov. 7: John Marshall

7 p.m.

7 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

7 p.m.

7 p.m.

7 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

7 p.m.

From Page 112

Seniors Zach Amend, Keandre Benjamin, Theo Blackston, Michael Corum, Killian Coyne, Tyler Flemming, Cody Flick, Henry Gompers, Dalyn Grimm, Michael Grove, Chalmer Moffett, Sebastian Nolan, Elliot O’Brien, Tysaun Pugh-Davis, Tommy Ricker, Spencer Wiley.

Juniors Chase Adams, Jaelan Bartlet, Elijah Bell, Richard Blackwell, Davion Cooper, James Coles, Richard Cummings, Austin Curnes, Dustin Dominguez, Harrison Harttong, DeMonte Johnson, Savion Johnson, Jake Laing, Clay McDonald, Isaiah Myers, Shayne Myers, Nick Nardone, Zach Nolte, Jake Pedelose, Troy Salantino, Trey Saunders, Issac Turner, Cole Velas, Antonio Venskoske.

Sophomores Jack Bence, Hayden Berry, Noah Bott, Parker Cornell, Austin Crebs, Austin Eisenhauer, Cameron Kefauver, Justin Hibbs, Collin Hlad, Mason Lapp, Isaac Leech, Kolton McCardle, Scotty Meagie, Maezi Mosby, Charles Mirandy, Michael Muffeny, Hassam Sheraz, Austin Slie, Zach Torbett, Robbie Winston.

Freshman Chase Gheen.

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120

BRIDGEPORT

By KIM NORTH For The Gridiron

BROOKSIDE — Entering his 12th season as head football coach at Bridgeport, Rudy Vavrock understands that staying healthy will be of utmost importance for his 2014 Bulldogs.

Bridgeport won its season opener a year ago in thrilling fashion against Columbiana, but saw several players suffer injuries that affected the squad for the remainder of the season.

With only 23 kids out this year, the Bulldogs can’t afford to get anyone hurt.

“We got a little banged up in that game,” Vavrock recalled of the 26-25 nail-biter. “We didn’t recover very well and only got one more win after that.

This year we need to start strong and stay healthy.”

Bridgeport has 11 returning lettermen, with three of them being three-year vets and another four having two years under their belts.

“We’ve got some experienced players, especially in our skill positions,” Vavrock added. “We’ve also got a couple of linemen back, so that’s a good start.”

Vavrock will be counting on his five-member senior class for leadership throughout the season. That group has 13 varsity letters between them.

“This group has played a lot for us in their first three seasons,” Vavrock continued.

“We’re going to lean on them for a lot this year.”

That group includes threeyear letterwinners Bailey McGrath, Bradley Pritchett and Patrick Britton. Earning two letters thus far have been classmates Jared Heslop (6-0, 285) and Jacob Ray. Other two-year veterans are juniors Carlos Kusic (6-0, 190) and Tyus Harris (5-11, 230).

Earning one letter thus far have been junior Dylan Bennett (59, 220); and sophomores Emilio Saldana, Thomas Coyne and Jace Johnston.

Vavrock said the Bulldogs will continue to utilize their run-oriented offense, where they have a talented group of skill players.

“We’ve got our entire backfield returning, so that will be one of our strengths,” he said.

“We think we’ve got some pretty good speed. We’re not that big, but we should be quick.”

Aug. 27, 2014

With small numbers, Bulldogs must be healthy McGrath, a two-year starter at quarterback, is being pushed for the starting job by Kusic.

However, whichever one doesn’t start under center will be taking handoffs.

“Carlos is really pushing Bailey, but both of them are going to play,” Vavrock admitted. “Whatever one isn’t at quarterback will be at running back.

There will be sets for Bailey at quarterback and sets for when Carlos is there.

“I like where we are in that position,” Vavrock added.

McGrath completed 73 of 151 passes last season for 1,067 yards. He tossed nine TDs, but was picked off 15 times. He also ran the ball 106 times for 344 yards and six touchdowns.

Kusic saw limited action under center, but caught a dozen passes for 138 stripes and two touchdowns as the starting tight end.

Ray is the Bulldogs top running back returning, as far as yards gained goes last season when he toted the leather 60 times for 293 yards and five TDs. He missed two games with injuries.

Britton, who missed the season-opener with an injury, picked up 280 stripes and scored a trio of touchdowns on 53 carries. Pritchett, who also missed two games with injuries, had 53 carries for 184 yards and two TDs. “We’ll probably run the ball a little more than pass it,” Vavrock noted. “We’ll run our jet sweep and other plays off of that.”

Saldana is also listed as a running back, but could also see time at wideout.

Pritchett is also listed as a wideout, as are junior Mark Wells; sophomores Dane Cash and Eli Williams; and freshmen Elliott Dean and Tanner Heslop.

Of those listed above, only Pritchett (5-112-td) had a catch.

Coyne and frosh Garrett Duncan are battling for the starting tight end spot, with freshman Jeremiah Booker also listed.

The offensive line has two starters returning in Heslop and Harris. Both will lineup on the right side of the line, with Heslop playing tackle.

“Jared was our best offensive lineman last year and we’re expecting big things from him again,” Vavrock allowed. “We have a couple other kids with good size that we are counting on.”

Those players include Bennett, sophomores Matt Herink (6-0, 280) and Johnston. Other possibilities are freshmen Levi Bryant (5-10, 250), Keke Harmon, Ron Hundley and Nick Stanton.

According to Vavrock, Bennett will start at center, with Johnston and Herink manning the left side at guard and tackle,

BRIDGEPORT (Games at 7 p.m. unless noted) Aug. 29 at Valley, 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 5 Toronto Sept. 12 at Caldwell Sept. 19 Paden City Sept. 27 at Conotton Valley, 1:30 p.m.

Oct. 3 Madonna Oct. 10 at River Oct. 17 Beallsville Oct. 24 Shadyside Oct. 31 at Cameron, 7:30 p.m.

respectively.

Defensively, the Bulldogs will employ a 40 defense, but, according to Vavrock, may switch it up a little.

“We may use a 4-2 or 4-3 at times,” he said. “It just depends on what we see lining up across from us.”

Heslop and Harris will man the tackles, with Herink, Bennett, Stanton, Bryant, Hundley and Harmon backing them up.

“We feel we’ve got two big tackles who have good quickness,” the head coach added.

“Both of them are really active.”

The ends will be Coyne and Duncan, with Johnston and Booker awaiting their turns.

Britton, the Bulldogs’ leading tackler the last two seasons, and Kusic form a formidable tandem at inside linebacker, with Pritchett and Saldana on the outside. Their backups include Tanner Heslop.

“We feel we’ve got two really good inside linebackers in Patrick and Carlos,” Vavrock said.

The secondary could be Bridgeport’s strength as McGrath, a third team all-stater a year ago, returns at free safety.

Ray will man one corner with Cash and Williams battling for the other corner spot. Backups are Wells and Dean.

“Our secondary seems to be a strength of ours,” he continued.

McGrath will handle the punting and kicking duties, as he has in the past.

“Bailey has done both of those for us in the past, so we’re confident in him being capable,” Vavrock said.

Seniors Patrick Britton, Jared Heslop, Bailey McGrath, Bradley Pritchett, Jacob Ray. Juniors Dylan Bennett, Tyus Harris, Carlos Kusic, Mark Wells Sophomores Dane Cash, Thomas Coyne, Matt Herink, Jace Johnston, Emilio Saldana, Eli Williams.

Freshmen Jeremiah Booker, Levi Bryant, Elliott Dean, Garrett Duncan, Keke Harmon, Tanner Heslop, Ron Hundley, Nick Stanton.

Aug. 27, 2014

121

Jets When the Jets take to the airways, the prime targets will be Stewart, Bolyard and Howell. Bolyard had four catches for 56 yards. Ware led the team with 22 receptions for 280 yards and a trio of six-pointers a year ago.

Others listed at wideout are senior Garrett Hart; junior Seth Anderson; sophomore Isaiah Palko; and freshmen Luke Menges, Derek Smith, Ty Kildow and Zane Thompson.

“Honestly, our offense last year probably wasn’t conducive to the athletes we had,” he admitted. “This year we’ve adapted our offense so it fits our personnel better.”

Stiles, who continues to teach at St. Clairsville, also said that familiarity is something that he’s been stressing.

“Being my second year here, the kids are starting to understand the offense and defense, and just understanding what we’re trying to do with the program,” he added. “Whereas, last year there was so much for kids and staff to learn in a short amount of time. The kids

had a hard time adjusting.

“The big key this season is the fact that the kids know me better now than they did last year,” he said. “I’m still not in the school during the day, but the kids already know me.

“The staff also got to know each other better through the off-season.”

One thing Stiles knows is the Jets must be able to establish the run in order to allow the quarterback time to throw.

“Offensively, we’ll do whatever we have to do to win, but we need to be able to run the ball and keep teams from stacking the box against us. Last year we couldn’t do that Defensively, the Jets will utilize the 4-3 with McKivitz and Fijalkowski manning the end spots. Stubbs, Arigoni, Robinson and B. Taylor are listed as backups.

Paulick and Price will be responsible for stuffing the inside run from their tackle slots, with Morris, Roof, Meyers, Jones, Kelley, J. Taylor Donley and Withers.

Blake, Brown and Goodson will serve as the linebackers, with Wright,

UNION LOCAL (Games star t at 7 p.m. unless noted) Aug. 29 Monroe Central Sept. 5 Buckeye Local Sept. 12 at Barnesville Sept. 19 Harrison Central Sept. 26 Edison Oct. 3 at Martins Ferry Oct. 10 at Indian Creek Oct. 17 at Shadyside Oct. 25 at Bellaire, 12:30 p.m.

Oct. 31 St. Clairsville Seniors Tater Blake, Garrett Hart, John Howell, Colton McKivitz, Spencer Ware.

Latham, Hart, Mellinger, Rinehart, Crum and Koscoe are backups.

Manning the corners are Ware and J. Howell. Listed as backups are Palko, Kildow, McWhorter, Anderson, Smith, Lucas, B. Howell and Thompson.

Stewart gets the nod at strong safety, with Menges in reserve. Bolyard is the free safety and backed up by Smolenak.

“We’re stressing to play

From Page 103

Juniors Seth Anderson, Joey Brown, Jacob Fijalkowski, Isaac Goodson, Brendon Morris, David Paulick, Tristan Price, Bobby Stewart, Nik Wright.

Sophomores Josh Bolyard, Devin Crum, Cory Jones, T.J. Kelley, Isaac Palko, Robert Roof, Shane Smolenak, Nate Stubbs, Josh Taylor.

Freshmen Billy Arigoni, Lucas Donley, Ben Howell, Ty Kildow, Austin Koscoe, Dalton Latham, Braden Lucas, Dawson Mellinger, Luke Menges, Hank Meyers, Cody Ray, Chris Rinehart, Braden Robinson, Derek Smith, Brandon Taylor, Zane Thompson, Michael Withers.

sound, fundamental defense,” Stiles said. “There were times when I thought we played very well on defense last year. We’re hoping to build upon that.”

Stewart will handle the punting and placekicking duties. He booted seven extra points and a field goal last season. He will also kick off.

“Bobby did an excellent job for us last season,” Stiles recalled.

Pushing Stewart for the punting job is Hart, according to Stiles.

“The Hart kid has a live leg.”

If Stiles has one main concern, it is in his team’s depth.

“Depth is a real concern with only 41 kids out, but we are very happy with the kids we have out. Our numbers are down like just about every other school in the valley.”

122

Weekly Schedule

Aug. 27, 2014

(Games at 7 p.m. unless noted)

Aug. 28 Cleveland JFK at Steubenville, 6 p.m.

Harrison Central at Buckeye Trail Aug. 29 Beallsville at Madonna Toronto at Wellsville Martins Ferry at Buckeye Local Indian Creek at Brooke, 7:30 p.m.

Aug. 30 Oak Glen vs. Edison at Weir, 4 p.m.

Catholic Central at Weir, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 5 Cincinnati Glen Este Steubenville

at

Weir at Harrison Central East Liverpool at Indian Creek Tusky Catholic at Madonna Beaver Local at Oak Glen Edison at Carrollton Toronto at Bridgeport Morgantown at Brooke, 7:30 p.m.

Buckeye Local at Union Local, 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 6 Catholic Central at Wheeling Central

Sept. 12 Ursuline at Steubenville Weir at Edison Indian Creek at Oak Glen Madonna at Wheeling Central Buckeye Local at John Marshall

Fairport Harding at Toronto, 7:30 p.m.

Brooke at University, 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 13 Plymouth at Harrison Central, 6 p.m.

St. Clairsville at Catholic Central

Sept. 19 Brooke at Steubenville Catholic Central at Toronto Indian Creek at Buckeye Local Bellaire at Edison Oak Glen at Williamstown Harrison Central at Union Local Weir at Grafton, 7:30 p.m.

Madonna bye Sept. 26 Martins Ferry at Harrison Cen-

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tral St. Clairsville at Indian Creek Liberty Harrison at Weir Shadyside at Toronto Madonna at Cameron Steubenville at Massillon Edison at Union Local Wheeling Park at Brooke, 7:30 p.m.

Catholic Central at Oak Glen, 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 27 Buckeye Local at Bellaire, 12:30 p.m.

Indian Creek at Martins Ferry Independence at Harrison Central, 7:30 p.m.

Brooke at Parkersburg South, 7:30 p.m.

Madonna at Notre Dame, 7:30 p.m.

Buckeye Local at East Liverpool, 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 18 Toronto at Conotton Valley, 1:30 p.m.

Youngstown Christian at Catholic Central

Oct. 3 Oak Glen at Weir Edison at Buckeye Local St. Clairsville at Harrison Central Madonna at Bridgeport Indian Creek at Beaver Local Athens at Steubenville, 7:30 p.m.

Brooke at Logan, 7:30 p.m.

Toronto at Lakeside St. John, 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 4 Bellaire at Catholic Central

Oct. 24 Wheeling Park at Steubenville Harrison Central at Indian Creek Frankfort at Oak Glen Edison at Martins Ferry Weir at Brooke, 7:30 p.m.

Paden City at Toronto, 7:30 p.m.

Buckeye Local at St. Clairsville, 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 25 Madonna at Catholic Central

Oct. 10 Harrison Central at Edison Union Local at Indian Creek Barnesville at Catholic Central Beallsville at Toronto East Liverpool at Oak Glen Magnolia at Weir Beaver Local at Buckeye Local Madonna at Bishop Donahue Brooke bye Oct. 11 Joseph, N.J. at St. Steubenville, 6 p.m.

Oct. 17 University, Pa. at Steubenville Ritchie County at Weir St. Clairsville at Edison Oak Glen at John Marshall

Oct. 31 Canada Prep at Steubenville Edison at Indian Creek Toronto at Madonna Buckeye Local at Harrison Central John Marshall at Brooke, 7:30 p.m.

Weir at East Liverpool, 7:30 p.m.

Oak Glen bye Nov. 1 Catholic Central at Conotton Valley, 1:30 p.m.

Nov. 7 Ohio playoffs Clay-Battelle at Madonna Oak Glen at Tyler Consolidated Cabell-Midland at Brooke, 7:30 p.m.

Aug. 27, 2014

Irish

guys that we need to find ways to get the ball in their hands.

“It’s our job as coaches to put those kids in the right positions for us to be successful. I like our athletic ability for what type of offense we run. Putting those guys in spaces is huge for us.”

Senior Chaice Truex (6-5, 245), a transfer from Bishop Donahue, will be the Irish quarterback after playing tight end for the Bishops.

“Chaice is going to be our gunslinger,” Davis admitted.

“He has good size and can play wideout if needed.”

Sophomore Cameron Opic is another option in the shotgun for Davis.

“Cameron gives us different looks. With him at quarterback, we can split Chaice out wide, or with Chaice at quarterback, Cameron will be split out.

That’s the benefit of having a 6-5 kid that’s as athletic as Chaice is.”

Opic did a little bit of everything for the Irish as a frosh. He completed 7 of 14 passes for 87 yards in his only action at quarterback against Valley. He also 10 passes for more than 200 yards and 2 TDs. Freshman Colten Selmon is also listed at quarterback.

The running backs are led by sophomore Malik Hill, junior Kyle Coppa and freshman Kane Kasprowski. Only Coppa has seen action before.

Senior Malik Ford has looked good in practice, according to the head coach, despite never playing football before. Also expected to get carries is senior Nick Wilson.

The wide receivers, who will get plenty of action in the spread offense, are, in addition to Truex and Opic, junior Anthony Busack; seniors Lance Williams, Israel Phillips and Jacob Jones; sophomores Ty Taylor and Cody Hamilton; and freshmen Logan Zusack and Raquan Prior.

Davis also likes the size and agility of his offensive line, which is crucial in the spread offense.

“We’ve got decent size up front, but we’re obviously senior heavy,” he explained. “I like our size, but I also like the way the kids move their feet. We

123

have a lot of big kids with quick feet. Even though we’ve got a couple of tackles that (only) weigh between 170 and 180, I’m good with that for the things that we do. The kids are very athletic.”

Anchoring the line are seniors Greg Wilson, Landon Gray (5-9, 229), Quinn Myers and Kyle Rine (6-0, 245); along with juniors Brycen Murray (62, 245), Jared Keiser, Bryce Zonkoski and A.J. Anatasia.

Sophomores include Jeremy Hagiloizou (5-6, 231), Austin Schramm, Brock DeCoy and Keegan Sproul (6-3, 145); and freshmen Stephen Showalter (6-0, 240), Shane Tomlin and C.J. Justice (6-1, 200).

Defensively, the Irish will lineup in a 4-4, but may switch it up depending on what the situation is and what the opponents are trying to do.

“We’ve been stressing getting as many kids to the ball as possible on every play,” Davis said. “We’ve got a lot of good athletes, some who haven’t played football in a couple of years, so we need to get them back in the mix of playing the game and understanding the concepts of what we’re trying to accomplish.”

Davis said long-time St. John Central assistant Neal Zaccagini will serve as the defensive coordinator.

“He’s a little more familiar with the personnel we have because he’s been here for a while,” Davis noted. “That makes it a little easier on me and the kids.”

Across the defensive front will be Keiser, Rine, Myers, Greg Wilson, Gray, Hagiloizou and Murray, who will have to sit out the first five games due to OHSAA transfer rules. Other possibilities are Zonkoski, Schramm, DeCoy, Sproul, Showalter, Tomlin and Justice.

Listed at linebacker are Nick Wilson, Truex, Opic, Hill, Taylor and Kasprowski.

“Our linebackers are going to be a trial and error,” Davis admitted. “We have an idea who we want to put there, but there are some guys that we’ve moved around. You always want to have your best athletes

ST. JOHN CENTRAL Aug. 29 at Millersport, 7 p.m.

Sept. 6 Conotton Valley, Noon Sept. 12 at Strasburg, 7 p.m.

Sept. 20 Green, 2 p.m.

Sept. 26 at Clay-Battelle, 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 3 OPEN Oct. 10 at Valley, 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 17 at Hannan, 7 p.m.

Oct. 25 Cameron, Noon Nov. 1 Beallsville, Noon Seniors Malik Ford, Landon Gray, Jacob Jones, Israel

on the field at all times.”

The secondary will include Jones, Williams, Phillips, Coppa, Busack, Anastasia, Hamilton, Zusack, Selmon and Prior.

Davis said Truex will do the punting, placekicking and kicking off.

As far as the SJC staff goes, in addition to Zaccagini, other holdovers include Dirk DeCoy and Nick Falcone. Making the move across Guernsey Street with Davis were Ty Masciarelli, Justin Green, Ryan McMahon, Casey Davis and Logan Koshenka.

From Page 114

Phillips, Quinn Myers, Kyle Rine, Chaice Truex, Lance Williams, Greg Wilson, Nick Wilson.

Juniors A.J. Anastasia, Anthony Busack, Kyle Coppa, Jared Keiser, Brycen Murray, Bryce Zonkoski.

Sophomores Brock DeCoy, Jeremy Hagiloizou, Cody Hamilton, Malik Hill, Cameron Opic, Austin Schramm, Keegan Sproul, Ty Taylor.

Freshmen C.J. Justice, Kane Kasprowski, Raquan Prior, Colton Selmon, Stephen Showalter, Shane Tomlin, Logan Zusack.

“The guys (that came with me) from across the street are the only reason I even considered this job,” Davis stressed. “I had asked them if they would be interested in coming here, and they said ‘yes’. If they hadn’t, I wouldn’t have came here.

I had considered throwing my hat into a couple of different places, but if those guys weren’t going to be on board, I would’ve went in another direction.

“I’ve been there were a new staff comes in fresh, but whenever I started off across the street, I had guys that had the

same beliefs that I had. When you’re picking and choosing or taking guys by default, it becomes a racket and not everyone has bought into your system. Having your own staff is really important because I know when I step away at practice, these coaches are going to be teaching the kids the right things. I don’t have to micromanage everyone. Those guys get paid to develop players just like I do, so I let them do their thing, but ultimately, I always have the last say. I have all the trust in those guys.”

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124

Aug. 27, 2014

Connor

From Page 105

“I’m with him all the time — weight room, locker room, on the field, in the car. We have moments as a father and son that we wouldn’t have had if he weren’t playing for me.

Things you don’t think of — cleaning the locker room or hanging out late waiting for somebody and something happens.

“It gets us through the moments where we lose a tough game or he makes a mistake in a game and he comes over and sees his dad and head coach at the same time. He’s not only letting the head coach down, but letting his dad down, too.

“Some kids decide they don’t want to have that father-son time. He’s forced to and we’ve experienced a lot of great moments because of it. Some of the biggest wins we’ve had here at Indian Creek have come when he’s been on the field.

“He’s seen the bad, the good and we’ve been able to share the last three seasons together, two of them playoff years.

I’ve been able to watch him grow up and see how hard he’s worked. He has physically proven himself. I’m not out there making tackles for him.

“The hardest part has been trying to understand how hard it is to separate the two. There is a fine line between being dad and coach.”

And, Andrew admitted, there’s been a time or two he’s heard in his headset, ‘You’re being his dad right now. Stop.’

“We always joke that I ask him, ‘What answer do you want, the dad answer or the head coach answer — pick the one you want because they are totally different answers,’” said Andrew. “I have to make sure I never let things slip where I am always the head coach. I am always a dad first.

“Zach has grown up with football and understands football after being at all those practices. He’s been to more games than anyone on the staff. So, growing up with it, he’s his own worst critic, and that comes from the fact that I’m not always an easy guy to get along with. There are times when I don’t have to say something to him after he makes a mistake because he’s already beating himself up. He’s hard on himself.

“This experience has brought us closer together than I ever thought it would. This is time spent with my son that I can’t get back and there are a lot of fathers out there that don’t get that with their sons.

“I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

Zach agreed with that statement.

“The easiest part of this whole thing is that he’s my dad,” said the high school senior. “I got to spend all those years going to Indian Creek with my dad, kind of getting the feeling what it would be like in high school. Regardless of anything, he’s still my dad. I know if I mess up it’s not going to be fun because he’s my dad. But, it’s still something special.

“If I screw up, I know I am going to get yelled at by him.

But, I didn’t just let the head coach down, it let my dad down.

He’s given me everything I could ask for as a son. The least I could give him is a W on Friday nights.

“I know all dads can say, ‘You never let me down and I’m proud of you.’ But, when you screw up and the hand is on the hip with one leg pointed at the other and the headset goes up — oh no. Can we please set the ball back down so I can go back to the huddle?

“Please.”

Andrew also knows it’s been hard on those around him.

“I have to remember sometimes to answer as the father and not the coach because she doesn’t want to hear the coach,” he said of his wife of 19 years, Tiffany. “Zach sides with me a lot because he knows football, but, it’s her boy and she doesSee CONNOR Page 125

Aug. 27, 2014

Red Devils

125

From Page 102

“We’ve been blessed with kickers the last few years,” McLean said. “Special teams are so undervalued at the high school level. A lot of things have to happen and we spend about 45 minutes a day working through camp on special teams. We have goal boards and awards for our special teams, so we tell our kids that if you’re on the punt team, you’re a starter.”

Witchey and Ducker have been vying for the role of punter.

Greenwood is expected to handle the placekicking duties.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Red Devils want to maintain their aggressiveness and stopping the run will continue to be the ultimate focus.

Because of that, McLean expects the defense to be ahead of the offense at the season’s outset.

The Red Devils’ defensive strength is in their linebacking corp with Stewart and Brendan Ferns. Both will be playing on the inside. Stewart was the Red Devils’ leading tackler last season with 110 stops.

Ferns played an outside linebacker spot last season and will move to the middle. Ducker and Berardi both saw time at backer last season and will be in the mix as well again this season.

The outside backers are ticketed to be a combination of Skaggs, Logan Thompson, Jacob and Sears.

Ernest, LeCron and Lewis are returning starters along the defensive front. Furbee is expected to move into another defensive tackle spot. Hawley is another guy who McLean speaks highly of.

Gummer returns at free safety. Coleman and Shane Peroni saw spot duty as starters at corner. Freeman and Trouten are also in the mix. Williams and Harris have also caught the coaches’ attention during camp and could see action.

“We need the secondary to be a deep position because we play several spread teams,” McLean said. “We need fresh legs.”

ST. CL AIRSVILLE (Games at 7:30 p.m. unless noted) Aug. 29 Claymont Sept. 5 River View Sept. 13 at Steubenville Central, 7 p.m.

Sept. 19 Martins Ferry Sept. 26 at Indian Creek, 7 p.m.

Oct. 3 at Harrison Central Oct. 10 Bellaire Oct. 17 at Edison Oct. 24 Buckeye Local Oct. 31 at Union Local, 7 p.m.

Seniors Dakota Bacon, Matt Carnes, J.C. Coleman, Zach Dopkiss, Daulton Freeman, Malik Gummer, Michael Jacob, Jake Miller, Mike Monteroso, Austin Rine, Isaiah Sears.

Juniors Mikey Berardi, Brandon Ducker, Carson Ernest, Brendan Ferns, Mike Furbee, Ty Hawley, Brad LeCron, Haydn Lewis, Blake Peroni, Shane Peroni, Troy Powell, Josiah Rhodes, Cole Skaggs, Jake Stewart, Logan Thompson, Daniel Trouten, Christian Witchey.

Sophomores Dylan Alwine, Zach Bigelow, Gage Cuiksa, Zach Clark, Trey Elerick, Devon Harris, Devin Helt, Dylan Krone, Joey Maroon, Caleb Stotridge, Landon Thompson, Kyle Roscoe, Noah Roscoe, Michael Scarnecchia, Nick Schramm, Dustin Tomich, Logan Williams.

Freshmen Rocco Balog, Kaden Blomquist, Alex Bradshaw, Matt Butkus, Hunter Cook, Geno Drake, Nick Falbo, Matt Greenwood, John Hawley, Owen Hynds, Cole Kazmirski, Garret Matis, Tyler Powell, Caden Rine, Luke Sorge, Jayden Starks, Chris Teater, Michael Vannest, Tanner Younkins.

Connor n’t want to hear any extra stuff from me. It’s gotten better with time. But, we just celebrated out 19th anniversary and I’m at a picnic with my kids.

“She’s seen it all, and I am thankful we have gone through this together.

“It’s a family thing with us. Tiff is the cheering coach for the seventh- and eighthgrade teams and my daughter (Chelsea) cheers.

“It can’t be easy on the football staff, either. They love him because he’s been around a long time. They have to deal with the thing between the head coach and the kid and the dad and the kid.

“There are a lot of variables with everyone around and those are the things you don’t think about.

“I am fortunate that Zach is very levelheaded and works hard. He has made it easy on me.”

Said Zach, “I am blessed to have both parents involved in my life. I love my mom, but what mom likes talking football with their son?”

For Zach, it’s the last football preseason in his high school career leading up to the 10 regular-season games.

“It’s going to be hard,” he admitted. “You see the IC all your life, walking across the parking loss with the players, first as a ball

From Page 124

boy, then as a water boy. They were my idols I looked up to. It was something cool to see IC on Friday night. Most kids don’t get to see what I saw. When I put on the IC helmet, the red and gold means something special because of a lot of things.

“Since the age of 5 or 6, I’ve been walking through the tunnel going into the locker room. We have a sign that says, ‘Play like a champion today’ and this will be the last time I get to smack it before going out to play.

“No one can say, ‘He doesn’t yell at Zach because he’s his son.’ He hasn’t favored me one bit. Not at all.

“But, it’s the best thing in the world.

There’s no better feeling in the world than having your dad watch you play, especially when he’s right there. We spend a lot of time together - going to practice with him, going here, going there. I have been able to spend a lot of quality time with my dad. He taught me everything to ever know about anything.

“I never have to wonder if my dad saw me make a play, or not play a play. I don’t have to look far, he’s standing right there. Not every player gets that opportunity — to have their dads watch them play.

“It means so much to me to be able to play for my dad.”

2014 NFL

Season

Week One Thursday, Sept. 4

Green Bay at Seattle, 8:30pm

Sunday, Sept. 7

New Orleans at Atlanta, 1pm Cincinnati at Baltimore, 1pm Buffalo at Chicago, 1pm Washington at Houston, 1pm Tennessee at Kansas City, 1pm New England at Miami, 1pm Oakland at N.Y. Jets, 1pm Jacksonville at Philadelphia, 1pm Cleveland at Pittsburgh, 1pm Minnesota at St. Louis, 1pm San Francisco at Dallas, 4:25pm Carolina at Tampa Bay, 4:25pm Indianapolis at Denver, 8:30pm

Monday, Sept. 8

N.Y. Giants at Detroit, 7:10pm San Diego at Arizona, 10:20pm

Week Two Thursday, Sept. 11

Pittsburgh at Baltimore, 8:25pm

Sunday, Sept. 14

Miami at Buffalo, 1pm Detroit at Carolina, 1pm Atlanta at Cincinnati, 1pm New Orleans at Cleveland, 1pm New England at Minnesota, 1pm Arizona at N.Y. Giants, 1pm Dallas at Tennessee, 1pm Jacksonville at Washington, 1pm Seattle at San Diego, 4:05pm St. Louis at Tampa Bay, 4:05pm Kansas City at Denver, 4:25pm N.Y. Jets at Green Bay, 4:25pm Houston at Oakland, 4:25pm Chicago at San Francisco, 8:30pm

Monday, Sept. 15

Philadelphia at Indianapolis, 8:30pm

Week Three Thursday, Sept. 18

Tampa Bay at Atlanta, 8:25pm

Sunday, Sept. 21

San Diego at Buffalo, 1pm

Tennessee at Cincinnati, 1pm Baltimore at Cleveland, 1pm Green Bay at Detroit, 1pm Indianapolis at Jacksonville, 1pm Oakland at New England, 1pm Minnesota at New Orleans, 1pm Houston at N.Y. Giants, 1pm Washington at Philadelphia, 1pm Dallas at St. Louis, 1pm San Francisco at Arizona, 4:05pm Kansas City at Miami, 4:25pm Denver at Seattle, 4:25pm Pittsburgh at Carolina, 8:30pm

Monday, Sept. 22

Chicago at N.Y. Jets, 8:30pm

Week Four

(Byes: Arizona, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Denver, Seattle, St. Louis)

Thursday, Sept. 25

N.Y. Giants at Washington, 8:25pm

Sunday, Sept. 28

Carolina at Baltimore, 1pm Green Bay at Chicago, 1pm Buffalo at Houston, 1pm Tennessee at Indianapolis, 1pm Detroit at N.Y. Jets, 1pm Miami vs. Oakland at London, 1pm Tampa Bay at Pittsburgh, 1pm Jacksonville at San Diego, 4:05pm Atlanta at Minnesota, 4:25pm Philadelphia at San Francisco, 4:25pm New Orleans at Dallas, 7:30pm

Monday, Sept. 29

New England at Kansas City, 7:30pm

Week Five (Byes: Miami, Oakland)

Thursday, Oct. 2

Minnesota at Green Bay, 8:25pm

Sunday, Oct. 5

Chicago at Carolina, 1pm Houston at Dallas, 1pm Buffalo at Detroit, 1pm Baltimore at Indianapolis, 1pm Pittsburgh at Jacksonville, 1pm Tampa Bay at New Orleans, 1pm Atlanta at N.Y. Giants, 1pm St. Louis at Philadelphia, 1pm Cleveland at Tennessee, 1pm Arizona at Denver, 4:05pm N.Y. Jets at San Diego, 4:25pm Kansas City at San Francisco,

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4:25pm Cincinnati at New England-x, 8:30pm

Monday, Oct. 6

Seattle at Washington, 8:30pm

Week Six

(Byes: Kansas City, New Orleans)

Thursday, Oct. 9

Indianapolis at Houston, 8:25pm

Sunday, Oct. 12

Chicago at Atlanta, 1pm New England at Buffalo, 1pm Carolina at Cincinnati, 1pm Pittsburgh at Cleveland, 1pm Green Bay at Miami, 1pm Detroit at Minnesota, 1pm Denver at N.Y. Jets, 1pm Baltimore at Tampa Bay, 1pm Jacksonville at Tennessee, 1pm San Diego at Oakland, 4:05pm Washington at Arizona, 4:25pm Dallas at Seattle, 4:25pm N.Y. Giants at Philadelphia-x, 8:30pm

Monday, Oct. 13

San Francisco at St. Louis, 7:30pm

Week Seven (Byes: Philadelphia, Tampa Bay)

Thursday, Oct. 16

N.Y. Jets at New England, 8:25pm

Sunday, Oct. 19

Atlanta at Baltimore, 1pm Minnesota at Buffalo, 1pm Miami at Chicago, 1pm New Orleans at Detroit, 1pm Carolina at Green Bay, 1pm Cincinnati at Indianapolis, 1pm Cleveland at Jacksonville, 1pm Seattle at St. Louis, 1pm Tennessee at Washington, 1pm Kansas City at San Diego, 4:05pm N.Y. Giants at Dallas, 4:25pm Arizona at Oakland, 4:25pm San Francisco at Denver-x, 8:30pm

Monday, Oct. 20

Houston at Pittsburgh, 8:30pm

Week Eight

(Byes: N.Y. Giants, San Francisco)

Thursday, Oct. 23

San Diego at Denver, 8:25pm

Sunday, Oct. 26

Detroit vs. Atlanta, at London, 9:30 a.m.

Seattle at Carolina, 1pm Baltimore at Cincinnati, 1pm Miami at Jacksonville, 1pm St. Louis at Kansas City, 1pm Chicago at New England, 1pm Buffalo at N.Y. Jets, 1pm Minnesota at Tampa Bay, 1pm Houston at Tennessee, 1pm Philadelphia at Arizona, 4:05pm Oakland at Cleveland, 4:25pm Indianapolis at Pittsburgh, 4:25pm Green Bay at New Orleans-x, 8:30pm

Monday, Oct. 27

Washington at Dallas, 8:30pm

Week Nine

(Byes: Atlanta, Buffalo, Chicago, Detroit, Green Bay, Tennessee)

Thursday, Oct. 30

New Orleans at Carolina, 8:25pm

Sunday, Nov. 2

Jacksonville at Cincinnati, 1pm Tampa Bay at Cleveland, 1pm Arizona at Dallas, 1pm Philadelphia at Houston, 1pm N.Y. Jets at Kansas City, 1pm San Diego at Miami, 1pm Washington at Minnesota, 1pm St. Louis at San Francisco, 4:05pm Denver at New England, 4:25pm Oakland at Seattle, 4:25pm Baltimore at Pittsburgh-x, 8:30pm

Monday, Nov. 3

Monday, Nov. 24

Monday, Nov. 10

Thursday, Nov. 27

Carolina at Philadelphia, 8:30pm

Week 11

(Byes: Baltimore, Dallas, Jacksonville, N.Y. Jets)

Thursday, Nov. 13 Buffalo at Miami, 8:25pm

Sunday, Nov. 16

Atlanta at Carolina, 1pm Minnesota at Chicago, 1pm Houston at Cleveland, 1pm Philadelphia at Green Bay, 1pm Seattle at Kansas City, 1pm Cincinnati at New Orleans, 1pm San Francisco at N.Y. Giants, 1pm Denver at St. Louis, 1pm Tampa Bay at Washington, 1pm Oakland at San Diego, 4:05pm Detroit at Arizona, 4:25pm New England at Indianapolis-x, 8:30pm

(Byes: Houston, Indianapolis, Minnesota, New England, San Diego, Washington)

Thursday, Nov. 6

Cleveland at Cincinnati, 8:25pm

Sunday, Nov. 9

Tennessee at Baltimore, 1pm Kansas City at Buffalo, 1pm Miami at Detroit, 1pm Dallas vs. Jacksonville, at London, 1pm

Baltimore at New Orleans, 8:30pm

Week 13 Chicago at Detroit, 12:30pm Philadelphia at Dallas, 4:30pm Seattle at San Francisco, 8:30pm

Sunday, Nov. 30

San Diego at Baltimore, 1pm Cleveland at Buffalo, 1pm Tennessee at Houston, 1pm Washington at Indianapolis, 1pm N.Y. Giants at Jacksonville, 1pm Carolina at Minnesota, 1pm New Orleans at Pittsburgh, 1pm Oakland at St. Louis, 1pm Cincinnati at Tampa Bay, 1pm Arizona at Atlanta, 4:05pm New England at Green Bay, 4:25pm Denver at Kansas City-x, 8:30pm

Monday, Dec. 1

Miami at N.Y. Jets, 8:30pm

14

Monday, Dec. 15

Thursday, Dec. 4

Dallas at Chicago, 8:25pm

Sunday, Dec. 7

Pittsburgh at Cincinnati, 1pm Indianapolis at Cleveland, 1pm Tampa Bay at Detroit, 1pm Houston at Jacksonville, 1pm Baltimore at Miami, 1pm N.Y. Jets at Minnesota, 1pm Carolina at New Orleans, 1pm N.Y. Giants at Tennessee, 1pm St. Louis at Washington, 1pm Kansas City at Arizona, 4:05pm Buffalo at Denver, 4:05pm San Francisco at Oakland, 4:25pm Seattle at Philadelphia, 4:25pm New England at San Diego-x, 8:30pm

Monday, Dec. 8

Atlanta at Green Bay, 8:30pm

Week 15

Week 16 Thursday, Dec. 18

Tennessee at Jacksonville, 8:25pm

Saturday, Dec. 20

San Diego at San Francisco, 4:30 or 8:15pm Philadelphia at Washington, 4:30 or 8:15pm

Sunday, Dec. 21

Cleveland at Carolina, 1pm Detroit at Chicago, 1pm Baltimore at Houston, 1pm Minnesota at Miami, 1pm Atlanta at New Orleans, 1pm New England at N.Y. Jets, 1pm Kansas City at Pittsburgh, 1pm Green Bay at Tampa Bay, 1pm N.Y. Giants at St. Louis, 4:05pm Indianapolis at Dallas, 4:25pm Buffalo at Oakland, 4:25pm Seattle at Arizona-x, 8:30pm

Thursday, Dec. 11

Arizona at St. Louis, 8:25pm Pittsburgh at Atlanta, 1pm Jacksonville at Baltimore, 1pm

Pittsburgh at Tennessee, 8:30pm

Week 12

(Byes: Carolina, Pittsburgh)

Thursday, Nov. 20

Kansas City at Oakland, 8:25pm

Sunday, Nov. 23

Cleveland at Atlanta, 1pm N.Y. Jets at Buffalo, 1pm Tampa Bay at Chicago, 1pm Cincinnati at Houston, 1pm Jacksonville at Indianapolis, 1pm Green Bay at Minnesota, 1pm Detroit at New England, 1pm Tennessee at Philadelphia, 1pm St. Louis at San Diego, 4:05pm Arizona at Seattle, 4:05pm Miami at Denver, 4:25pm

New Orleans at Chicago, 8:30pm

Monday, Dec. 22

Sunday, Dec. 14

Monday, Nov. 17

Indianapolis at N.Y. Giants, 8:30pm

Week 10

Washington at San Francisco, 4:25pm Dallas at N.Y. Giants-x, 8:30pm

San Francisco at New Orleans, 1pm Pittsburgh at N.Y. Jets, 1pm Atlanta at Tampa Bay, 1pm Denver at Oakland, 4:05pm St. Louis at Arizona, 4:25pm N.Y. Giants at Seattle, 4:25pm Chicago at Green Bay-x, 8:30pm

Week

Green Bay at Buffalo, 1pm Tampa Bay at Carolina, 1pm Cincinnati at Cleveland, 1pm Minnesota at Detroit, 1pm Houston at Indianapolis, 1pm Oakland at Kansas City, 1pm Miami at New England, 1pm Washington at N.Y. Giants, 1pm Denver at San Diego, 4:05pm N.Y. Jets at Tennessee, 4:05pm San Francisco at Seattle, 4:25pm Dallas at Philadelphia-x, 8:30pm

Denver at Cincinnati, 8:30pm

Week 17 Sunday, Dec. 28

Carolina at Atlanta, 1pm Cleveland at Baltimore, 1pm Detroit at Green Bay, 1pm Jacksonville at Houston, 1pm San Diego at Kansas City, 1pm N.Y. Jets at Miami, 1pm Chicago at Minnesota, 1pm Buffalo at New England, 1pm Philadelphia at N.Y. Giants, 1pm Cincinnati at Pittsburgh, 1pm New Orleans at Tampa Bay, 1pm Indianapolis at Tennessee, 1pm Dallas at Washington, 1pm Oakland at Denver, 4:25pm Arizona at San Francisco, 4:25pm St. Louis at Seattle, 4:25pm

Note: Night game TBD

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Filberto’s contingent turned a corner last year and seeks a return to prominence. He is in his third year in his second stint as head coach of the Red Riders. Filberto coached Weir from 2002-04.

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Stickles starts his second year as head coach of the Wildcats, who were 4-6 a year ago. He was an assistant coach at Oak Glen, his alma mater, for three years, Edison for two and West Liberty for one.

Whittington begins his third season with Oak Glen, his alma mater. The Golden Bears are coming off an 0-10 season but are optimistic entering this season. He won a state wrestling title at Oak Glen.

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Pest starts his third season as head coach of the Panthers. He has been a part of the program, his second stint, since 2006.

Pest is 5-15 as head coach. He also coached at Buckeye SouthWest.

Ludwig is in his first season as the Potters’ head coach, after being the defensive coordinator last year. He was a starting defensive tackle on Mount Union’s 2002 national championship team.

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