Aug. 26, 2015
The Index Features
3 ON THE COVER: Photo cour tesy of Action Images, Brooke High School senior Thomas Cole is a four-year starter on offense and a three-year star ter on defense and has verbally committed to continue his academic and athletic careers at the University of Akron. Weir ’s Kyle Baldwin, Toronto’s Blaine Rawson and Steubenville’s Joh nnie Blue look to help lead th eir respective teams to the postseason, where they all appeared a year ago.
Playing Division I football ...................................................................................................................................... 6 Cover story: Time has zipped along for Brooke’s Thomas Cole .................................................................. 7 Sports editor Mike Mathison on making the letter G .................................................................................... 8 Sports writer Matthew Peaslee says love the game, but protect your heart ............................................ 8 Sports correspondent Ed Looman states football season bigger than most holidays .......................... 8 Sports correspondent Ralph Cox talks how the game has changed .......................................................... 8 Sports correspondent Aaron Petchal says not all football games are created equal ............................ 8 Ghosts of Jimmy Carey past ................................................................................................................................ 17 Madonna, Oak Glen meet on gridiron ............................................................................................................ 33 Toronto, Edison renew rivalry.............................................................................................................................. 61 2014 stats .......................................................................................................................................................... 96-97 Off the Field Talk .................................................................................................................................................. 110 In the Trenches ...................................................................................................................................................... 116 Playoff road changes with new divisions in Ohio ........................................................................................ 118 Weir, Oak Glen back at Week 1 ........................................................................................................................ 123 Weekly high school schedule .......................................................................................................................... 125 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 Wildcats .................................................................................................................................................... 48 Oak Glen Golden Bears ........................................................................................................................................ 54 Toronto Red Knights ............................................................................................................................................60 Harrison Central Huskies .................................................................................................................................... 68 Buckeye Local Panthers ...................................................................................................................................... 74
Other Teams
St. Clairsville ............................................................................................................................................................ 84 Wheeling Central ................................................................................................................................................ 106 Wheeling Park ...................................................................................................................................................... 107 THANK YOU: This publication would not be possible without the combined effor ts of many members of the staff, including: Herald-Star/Weir ton Daily Times spor ts depar tment staff of Mike Mathison, Matthew Peaslee, Ed Looman, Ralph Cox and Aaron Petchal; Michael D. McElwain for his tireless effor ts of overseeing the work throughout the publication from the beginning; the adver tising depar tment, led by Denise Delatore; the creative ser vices depar tment, led by Patty Bowers and including Ash Leigh Negri, Ellie Miller and Eddie Kokosinski; the spor ts depar tments 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 Newbrough Photo and Action Images for their kindness and tremendous help during the media days.
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Playing Division I football
Aug. 26, 2015
Arlia, Comis, Murray, Petteway, Prather have unique journeys By MATTHEW PEASLEE For The Gridiron
With 244 Division I football teams, there are 18,012 scholarship players. Our small corner of the world is home to five of them. Shaq Petteway (West Virginia), Najee Murray (Kent State), Connor Arlia (Kent State), Ross Comis (Massachusetts) and Marcus Prather (Robert Morris) all hail from the Upper Ohio Valley. They’ve each taken separate and unique journeys to make it to the highest level of collegiate athletics. It wasn’t an easy path — they’ll be the first to admit that. It wasn’t a direct road from the sandlots to 60,000-seat stadiums. It took dedication, sacrifice, and even a little bit of luck. Their journeys started when they first put on a helmet and pads as 6-year-olds, but the plans began to take shape when they were 16. They remember being recruited and they look back on what they could have done differently. For the most part, there are no regrets, just fond memories. Their journeys were special. And they want those who come after them to have their own special journeys. They’re our hometown boys of fall who have gone on to bigger and better things elsewhere. But they always remember their roots.
FOR PETTEWAY, GOAL IS TO GET BETTER From 2008 to 2010, Shaq Petteway was a starter on both sides of the ball for the Big Red football team. He had to wait four years at West Virginia to get that starting feeling again. Even though he saw playing time as a freshman with the Mountaineers in 2011, it wasn’t until the regular-season finale of 2014 that Petteway was in the starting lineup again. In the 37-24 win over Iowa State, Petteway, a 2011 Steubenville graduate, made a total of six tackles against the Cyclones. “After that game, the confidence grew,” Petteway said. “I knew coming into this season I had to stay confident and know that I was performing at my best level.” He had to sit out West Virginia’s bowl game, a 45-37 loss to Texas A&M in the Liberty Bowl, but Petteway is listed at the top of the depth chart at Will linebacker coming into the 2015 campaign. “The goals for right now are to keep getting better and to hold on to my starting position,” he said.
“I’m blessed to be able to be a starter and I don’t want to lose that.” Petteway has appeared in 38 games for the Mountaineers and has a total of 81 tackles, despite missing all of the 2013 season with a knee injury. When he first arrived at WVU, Petteway was listed as a safety. He had only played sparingly at safety with Big Red, filling in when injuries plagued the secondary in 2010. He was mostly an outside linebacker as well as a passrusher and receiver and running back on offense. Petteway made his verbal commitment to WVU in October 2010, choosing the Mountaineers over Michigan State. Following Steubenville’s 8-3 campaign, Petteway was named the Division III Eastern District Player of the Year. Petteway graduated with a 346 overall record in high school. “There’s nothing like high school football, especially coming from where I come from,” Petteway said. “On a Friday night, everyone from the city is at the games and cheering you on. People live and die with each down on the field and at Big Red, we played to make everyone in town proud of us. “Even though I’m a Division I athlete, I’d give it up to do it all over again.” Now, he does the next best thing. He gives advice to current Big Red student-athletes. “When I go back, I keep it clear-cut with the guys,” Petteway said. “Nobody is going to push you. You have to make the right decisions on your own. Any extra rep or extra study time, you have to do that on your own.” At WVU, Petteway majors in multidisciplinary studies and is a member of the Garrett Ford Academic Honor Roll. Fellow seniors Nick Kwiatkoski and Jared Barber join Petteway in this year’s starting linebacker core, part of a defensive unit that head coach Dana Holgorsen says is the best he’s had in his five seasons at WVU. “This season, I have to do what I can control and then put it in God’s hands,” Petteway said. “We all have the same dream to make it to the NFL, but I’m going to do what ever I can to help make that dream a reality.”
WINNING ATTITUDE FUELS MURRAY Najee Murray could spend hours talking about his individual accolades. His eye-popping statistics, all-star game opportunities and player of the year honors could fill a scrapbook and trophy case. He doesn’t want all that for himself, though. What matters to him is the number of checks in the win column. As a college player at Ohio State and now Kent State, Murray has been a part of 14 wins. In his Steubenville career, Murray helped Big Red wrap up 29 varsity victories. “My biggest thing has always been winning, and those Big Red teams knew how to win,” Murray said. “We were confident every time we were on the field together. We were so close as teammates. You play the game to win and we did that every single night. “I try not to look back much because I’m trying to move forward everyday. But being around the team, coaches and community Friday nights was an amazing feeling.” As a high school senior, Murray recorded 54 tackles on a team that surrendered just 9.1 points per game during a 10-0 regular season. He also finished with 17 catches for 280 yards and four touchdowns. Murray also carried the ball 11 times for 185 yards and a touchdown. He was named the Division III Eastern District Defensive Player of the Year and was a Division III AllOhio Defensive CoPlayer of the Year. Murray was also a 2011 track state champion on the 4x200meter relay team that featured Shaq Petteway, Jonathan Sherrell and Josh Thompson. It all earned him a full athletic scholarship to Ohio State. Murray played in six games as a freshman for the Buckeyes on the 2012 undefeated team, Urban Meyer’s first year as head coach. After some offseason issues, he transferred to Kent State, but had to sit out the entire 2013 season due to NCAA rules. “It was hard to sit out for one year and not play,” Murray said. “It was like an extended break. Sure, you get to practice, but it still beats on you mentally knowing that you’re not able to help the team. You See DIVISION I Page 66
Aug. 26, 2015
Time has zipped along for Cole Brooke’s four-year starter prepares for final high school season
By MATTHEW PEASLEE For The Gridiron
WELLSBURG — Even after three years of high school football camp, Thomas Cole doesn’t feel like a senior. He knows it’s his last go-around with the Brooke Bruins, but that realization just hasn’t sunk in. “It hasn’t really hit me yet,” said Cole, the area’s only Division I verbal commitment. “I still feel like a freshman, but here I am getting ready for my senior season. I cherish every moment that I’ve had with the game and will make the most of my senior year.” That’s because, to Cole, football is more than a game. It’s a way of life. Bound for the University of Akron to play tight end, Cole stands above much of the other Ohio Valley gridders this season. At 6-foot-5, 230 pounds, he has the look of an all-state wide receiver and the physical makeup of a rim-rocking power forward on the basketball court. “He is as he is billed as,” said second-year Brooke head coach Mac McLean. “I don’t think he is even close to the ceiling of his potential.” Right after last basketball season, where Cole was the leading scorer for the Bruins, he hit the weight room and traveled to various football camps. That’s right around the time when Akron headed to Wellsburg for an inschool visit. “(Assistant) Coach Mike Woodford came to school and that told me that they were serious about having me join their team,” Cole said. “A couple of other schools reached out, but when I got that first offer from Akron, words can’t describe how happy I was. They made my dream come true.” Even though a lifelong goal was reached when the Zips extended Cole a full athletic scholarship, he wasn’t just going to accept it and then get lazy until he moved into his dorm room. The real work was just beginning. “I’ve worked very hard in the offseason just trying to get faster and stronger to make this the best season of my high school career,” Cole said. “I’ve really been using techniques to get my 40-time down (it’s now at 4.7 seconds) and I’m incorporating more lifting exercises to get stronger all around.”
Though Cole will play tight end in college, he’s been a wide receiver for his high school career. He wasn’t always a playmaker, though. In middle school, he hit the field as a lineman. “I’ve always been one of the biggest guys on my teams growing up, so that’s why I began playing football on the line,” he said. “Freshman year, I wasn’t (one of the biggest) because I was 14 playing with 18-year-olds. Once I got to high
Photo courtesy Action Images
school, they tried me out as a receiver and I really liked it. It made sense, and it’s been a good fit.” In the 2014 season, Cole led the coverage area with 819 yards on 58 receptions and seven touchdowns. Of course, he wants to top all that for his final prep season. More important, though, he wants the Bruins to improve on last year’s 3-7 record. “We’re are so much better than we were last year,” Cole said. “We have
7
the state championship in mind.” But getting to Wheeling Island in December means the intangibles must be taken care of in June, July and August. Cole has taken it upon himself to host fellow Brooke players in the swimming pool at his house this summer to bond with players in a nonfootball setting. “We could’ve given it our all, all day in the heat for practice,” Cole said, “but I want the guys to know that in order to win it all we need to have tight chemistry, and a lot of times that is built off the field. “We’re spending eight hours a day together. I’m trying to hang out with everybody on the team outside of practice. We’re doing a lot of teambuilding and bonding together.” It’s worked. Cole says the team members can approach him or any of the other 12 Brooke seniors at any time. “When I walked in the locker room, I felt like I belonged,” Cole said. “Guys were approaching me and asking if I was excited for the season. Of course, I am. This is my last time wearing the green and gold, and I have to get these other guys pumped up to win some games to send all the seniors out on a high note.” Cole has his sights set high and he has a narrow focus on his goals. He’s not a normal teenager — no football player really is. Studying, practicing and performing on tests and in games, is the ultimate challenge. Chasing girls, going to the movies and heading out for a joy ride are put on the backburner when in season. “Football keeps me out of trouble,” Cole said. “My life is dedicated to sports. I don’t worry about the parties and the other fun stuff that may be happening around me. I stay focused on getting better and helping my team win games. “I feel like I’m on the right path in life in general because of my dedication to getting better and playing sports.” A game is something that isn’t always taken seriously. It’s Monopoly or Chutes and Ladders on the family dinner table. A sport is a competitive, physical activity which takes the full exertion of force. Football may sometimes be both. But, really, it’s neither. It’s life.
8
Aug. 26, 2015
We made a letter on accident and won an award
W
MIKE MATHISON
e made a “G.” Not a cursive “G.” Not something from a calligraphy pen. It was a “G.” On accident. Almost 38 years ago, my senior year at Granite Hills High School, there was a preview for the eight football teams in the Grossmont League. Teams were paired and played one
MATTHEW PEASLEE
ootball is a sport that many of us love with all of our heart. But how much can our vital muscular organ take, especially on the gridiron? Lawmakers, coaches and athletic officials in Texas believe young athletes’ hearts need to be monitored more often. Before it’s too late.
ED LOOMAN
ithout question, my favorite football movie is “Remember the Titans.” The screenplay is based on the true story of African-American coach Herman Boone (portrayed by Denzel Washington) and follows coach Boone as he attempts to introduce a racially diverse team at T.C. Williams High
RALPH COX
igh school football has changed a lot since I began watching and writing about games through parts of seven decades. In just a few days, the fans in this football-crazed area will again be going out to local high school stadiums on Fridays and Saturdays to root for their favorite teams.
AARON PETCHAL
aul Simon may be able to gather all the news he needs from the weather report, but I gather all the news I need from the sports report. Through the years, I have played a role in many a sports report. I began my career as a sportswriter 16 years ago this month meaning many of the athletes I will cover this year were not
F
W H P
quarter. We did. A little sneak peak into the season, if And, made a “G.” you will. Who knows how we did it. We were playing the last quarter and We weren’t that smart to do it on purwaiting our turn in a straight line, well pose. as straight as you would expect a footBut, it was a “G” nonetheless. ball team to make. Couldn’t tell you what happened that Teams were coming off the field and we were asked to move. See MATHISON Page 92
Love the game, but protect your heart This outcry from the Lonestar State began in 2012 with the death of Cody Stephens, a 6-foot-9, 290-pound lineman from Crosby High School. Stephens was to be a scholarship prospect at Tarleton State University. He was attending his first college training camp when he took a nap and never woke up. After putting in three hours of grueling
work on the football field, Stephens died from an ailment that went undiagnosed for several weeks. Eventually, an autopsy showed that he had an enlarged heart which gave out. Stephens died from sudden cardiac arrest and a condition known as hypercardiomyopathy, or HCM.
School, located in the city of Alexandria, Va., a suburb of Washington in 1971. If you’ve seen this gridiron classic, you know that coach Bill Yoast makes the transition from head coach to Boone’s assistant. He and Boone end up forming a life-long friendship, and the Titans record an amazing first season.
Early in the movie, Sheryl, coach Yoast’s young daughter, states the following: “In Virginia, high school football is a way of life, an institution revered. It’s bigger than Christmas day, and each playoff is distinguished more grandly
Some fans, I believe, still think the season for these high school players begins around Aug. 1 when two-a-day and three-a-day practices begin. Not so. Instead, many of the young men who you’ll cheer for began learning the game as pre-teens on various midget football teams or flag football clubs. They have honed their skills over the
years with coaches of various abilities. Most midget and flag football coaches are parents or volunteers who know the game well and do their best to impart that knowledge on the young kids. The next level is at middle school where the youngsters usually receive
even born when I started at the HeraldStar/Weirton Daily Times as a correspondent under Sports Editor Mike Kilroy. The first game I ever covered was the season-opening football game between now ITCL schools East Palestine and Wellsville at Nicholson Stadium. At the time, current Toronto head coach Eric Meek was the head coach at Wellsville.
Since that game between the Bulldogs and the Tigers, the number of high school football games I have covered has well surpassed the triple-digit mark. Though I am not sure off the top of my head what the exact number of games is that I have covered since that August day back in
See PEASLEE Page 102
The season is bigger than most holidays
See LOOMAN Page 121
Game has changed a lot over the years
See COX Page 119
Not all football games are created equal
See PETCHAL Page 120
Roll Red Roll
in 2015 Best of Luck from
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Steubenville Big Red
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Aug. 26, 2015
2015 Schedule Aug. 27
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Clinton Massie
Sept. 11
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Sept. 18
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Ursuline
Oct. 9 at Brooke + Oct. 16
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Oct. 23
Cardinal O’Hara
Oct. 29 at St. Clairsville
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Saccoccia’s club searching for an identity The Coaches
For The Gridiron
STEUBENVILLE — The 2015 Big Red football team returns plenty of firepower and loads of playoff experience. Veteran coach Reno Saccoccia knows, however, there’s still one thing his squad needs — an identity. “I’ve been excited about every team I’ve coached,” said Saccoccia, who has guided Big Red to two consecutive Region 13 championships and berths in the Division IV semifinals. “Every team is different. As far as this team is concerned, we have to work on developing an identity during two-a-days and then we’ll have 10 games to see what exactly our identity is going to be. “Those regional championships don’t belong to this team. Last year’s seniors are gone and you’re only as good as your senior class. These seniors have to step up. This year’s team has nothing to do with last season’s team.” Topping the list of offensive returnees is hard-running senior tailback Johnnie Blue. As a junior, he ran for 1,440 yards and 14 touchdowns as Big Red complied a 10-4 record. During his sophomore campaign, Blue collected 798 rushing stripes and found the end
zone 10 times. Also back are senior quarterbacks Dimitri Collaros and Mandela LawrenceBurke. Collaros took control of the Big Red offense in 2014 when LawrenceBurke went down with a broken leg just before halftime of the Youngstown Ursuline game (Week 3). He would go on to complete 162 passes, good for 2,505 yards and 30 touchdowns. Prior to his injury, Lawrence-Burke threw for 444 stripes and four scores. “The quarterback situation we have right now is a situation where I will see how much respect I have earned from the two players involved,” stated Saccoccia,
who is entering his 33rd season with Big Red. “If there is a controversy at quarterback that means I didn’t do a good job of earning their respect. “We had the same thing in 2003 or 2004 with Steve Repella and Antonio Magnone. They did a great job of pulling for each other when they were in there. We’ll see how much respect I have from the two players involved. They are both going to be the quarterback. Who plays the most or the least will depend on how the games go. Both also will be on defense. “The quarterback position is not like every other position. Usually, the quarter-
back gets more credit than he deserves or more blame than he deserves. That makes the position different. Right now, they are both our quarterback. That’s going to be a decision I will have to make, hopefully they both know the harder they work, the more time they will get on the field.” When two-a-day practices began earlier this month, Saccoccia welcomed 60 players, 16 of whom earned letters a season ago. “I believe we’ll be a balanced team,” Saccoccia noted. “I don’t think we can go out there and run the ball on every play or pass it on
JIM ROBINSON
See BIG RED Page 15
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2015 Roster
The Seniors
“Although I’m not a Duke fan, Coach Krzyzewski drove his team and himself to a national championship. I don’t think they were the best team but he proved to be the best coach because he motivated his team and his coaches. Motivation is probably 99.9 percent of football. A motivated player can do things he never thought he could do.”
From The Coach ...
— Reno Saccoccia
Seniors (16) 7 ...................... Dimitri Collaros 8 .. Mandela Lawrence-Burke 10 .......................... Jeremy Blue 13 ........................ Niko Petrides 15 ...................... Joey Walkosky 23 ........................ Johnnie Blue 25 .................... Tavian Williams 30 .................... Bradley Berkey 34 .................. Devin Ferguson 44 .................... Anthony Zorne 53 .......................... Seth Biacco 55 .............. William Poplowski 60 .......................... A.J. Cochrun 63 .................. Amir Richmond 67 .......................... Paul Runkle 75 ...................... Ryan Gardner Juniors (18) 5 ........................ Jalen McGhee 12 ................ Shyoun Petteway 17 .................... Charles Reeves 21 .............................. Nick Scott 24 ........................ Shay Wallace 27 .......................... Zane Zimish 35 ........................ Ethan Brown 45 .................... Mitchell Gulan 46 ............................ Alek Davis 49 .............. Ny'Juan Robinson 54 ........................ Kieran Doyle 58 ...................... Drone Moore 61 .............................. Chris Elliot
65 66 68 76 82
.......................... Mark Smith ...................... Ryan Bernard .................................. Nick Ely .................. Anthony Tomini ...................... Vontice Bailey Sophomores (26) 14 ............................ Gino Pierro 18 ............................ Alec Taylor 22 ........................ John Agresta 29 ...................... Dujuan Jones 31 ...................... Jacob Bernard 32 .................. William Hopkins 33 .................... Jamal Petteway 36 .................... Austin Duggan 40 ............................ Nick Zorne 42 .................. Michael Wukelic 43 .................. Bradely Jackson 47 .......................... Lucas Koval 48 ........ Johnathon Blackmon 51 ...................... Reuben Saxon 56 .................... Alijah Demitras 57 ................ Marlon Lawrence 62 .......................... Devin Evans 64 .................. Quenton Moore 69 .................. Hezekiah Scurry 70 .............. Richard Lawrence 72 .................................. Tyler Ely 80 .................... Sincere Herring 81 ............................ Jah Sawyer 83 .......................... Amin Butler 86 .............................. Abe Zane 88 .............................. Zach Ekyr
Aug. 26, 2015
15
Big Red
every play. We do have the ability to be a well-balanced offense. “In the past three years, we’ve run a little 3-5 defensively and a little of the 4-3. Right now, we’re still really not sure what we are going to do defensively or how we are going to do it. But, we have the experience we need defensively that will allow our players to pick up on what we want to do.” Junior Jalen McGhee, who averaged 5.5 yards a tote in 2014, will back up Blue at tailback. Others in the mix for carries are (note: position players are listed in no particular order) junior Shay Wallace, sophomore William Hopkins, sophomore Jamal Petteway and senior Tavian Williams. Sophomores Johnny Agresta and Gino Pierro will back up Collaros and Lawrence-Burke as Big Red’s signal caller. Senior Devin Ferguson (146 rushing yards and 17 receptions for 153 as a junior), returns at fullback. He’ll be competing for time with junior Zane Zimish along with sophomores Jonathon Blackmon, Lucas Koval, Nick Zorne and Michael Wukelic. Junior Alek Davis and senior Anthony Zorne top the list of tight end candidates. Juniors Mitchell Gulan and Ny’Juan Robinson also are on the depth chart along
with sophomore Zach Eky, senior Bradley Berkey, junior Vontice Bailey and sophomore Bradely Jackson. Split end candidates are junior Charles Reeves, who grabbed 21 passes for 454 yards (an average of 21.6 stripes a catch) and six touchdowns during 2014, senior Joey Walkosky, sophomore Sincere Herring and Berkey. Niko Petrides is back for his senior season at flanker. During his junior campaign, Petrides hauled in 30 receptions (second best on the team) for 346 yards and four scores. Others in the mix are sophomore Alec Taylor, junior Nick Scott and Agresta. Those battling for time at the slot are junior Shyoun Petteway, senior Jeremy Blue, sophomore Dujuan Jones, Pierro, sophomore Jah Sawyer, sophomore Amin Butler and sophomore Abe Zane. Seniors Paul Runkel and A.J. Cochrun return at tackle. Runkel started 2014 as a tight end (he had one catch good for a touchdown) before moving to tackle. Junior Kieran Doyle is in the mix along with sophomore Reuben Saxon, sophomore Quenton Moore, junior Ryan Bernard, junior Nick Ely, senior Ryan Gardner, sophomore Tyler Ely, sophomore Hezekiah Scurry, sophomore Richard Lawrence and senior Anthony Tomini. Veterans William Poplowski and Amir Richmond, both seniors, are back at guard for the Big Red. Sophomore Marlon Lawrence, Saxon junior Mark Smith also
From Page 12
will be vying for playing time. Senior Seth Biacco returns to anchor the offensive line from the center spot. Junior Drone Moore, junior Chris Elliot, sophomore Alijah Demitras and sophomore Devin Evans also are candidates. Junior Ethan Brown and sophomore Austin Duggan will be looking to handle the kicking duties for Big Red. The punting chores will be handled by Petrides and Lawrence-Burke. “Right now we have completed three phases of our football program and the fourth part will be two-a-days,” Saccoccia pointed out when discussing his early season depth chart on both sides of the ball. “Each player will be put into a position based on what he has done in the weight room during the winter, during spring fitness and during the month of June. We also evaluate what he did during camp. “That’s how players are entered into the depth charter going into two-adays. Whatever comes up, comes up after two-a-days and our scrimmages. Guys who have had the best effort will be in the lineup.” Defensively, Big Red returns its top tackler from 2014 in safety Jeremy Blue (who was credited with 90 stops as a junior). Scott, Agresta and Zane are other safety candidates. Lawrence-Burke, Collaros and Taylor will be battling for playing time at free safety. Petrides and S. Petteway (70 tackles) are the top corner candidates. Behind See BIG RED Page 82
2015 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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Aug. 26, 2015
Ghosts of Jimmy Carey past
17
Opened in 1935, old Jimmy Carey Stadium told some great stories By RALPH COX For The Gridiron
WEIRTON — Have you visited the old Jimmy Carey Stadium lately? While you still can, walk up to the padlocked gate and let your imagination run. What you see is a place that last saw a high school game in 2011. Bleacher seating ... gone. Although the remnants of what constituted as bleachers are there. The huge cement slabs on the home side are now without seating and full of weeds. One goal post is down and is at the corner of Weir Avenue and Cove Road. If you listen closely, though, and you may hear the roar of the crowd, the great music from the Weir High bands and you may even hear the crowd cheering wildly when Red Rider tackle John Bonnacci recovered a fumble in the end zone for the first touchdown in the brand new stadium in
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1935. You may picture yourself as part of the September 1958 crowd that witnessed Madonna’s 60-0 win over Newell in the first Blue Don varsity game at what was then known as Weir High
Stadium. Or you may have been there in November 1987 when the unbeaten and destined-to-be-state-Class-Achampion Madonna played the first state playoff game in the stadium.
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Of course these and many other experiences are gone forever since the old stadium, first used for the presentation of the elaborate Labor Day Festival of Nations on Sept. 2, 1935, soon will be the new home of
Metal Conversion Technologies Inc. The family owned business, based in Georgia, recycles and processes lithium ion batteries from electric vehicles into a See GHOSTS Page 75
Good Luck To All Area Teams!
304-748-6622 www.stripsteelcfcu.com
3316 Main St.,Weirton, WV 26062
Weir Red Riders
18
2015 Schedule Aug. 28 at Oak Glen Sept. 4
Harrison Central
Sept. 12 at Catholic Central + Sept. 18 Grafton
Sept. 25 at Liberty Clarksburg + Oct. 2 at Union Local Oct. 9 at Magnolia + Oct. 16 Edison
Oct. 23 Brooke
Oct. 30
East Liverpool
+ 7:30 p.m. kickoff Games at 7 p.m. unless noted
FREE WALK-IN INJURY ASSESSMENT 8 - 10am SATURDAYS DURING FOOTBALL SEASON IN THE WMC ATRIUM
Orthopedic Surgeons Sports Medicine Specialists and Physical Therapists On-Site
Aug. 26, 2015
Big, fast, experienced and ready for next step By RALPH COX For The Gridiron
WEIRTON — The Weir High Red Riders are four years away from a winless football season, but already have their sights set on going deep into the West Virginia Class AA playoffs in 2015. The 15 seniors on the Red Rider roster have vivid memories of that horrible 2012 season when, as freshmen, they were forced into action against juniors and seniors because of a lack of upperclassmen and injuries as the season progressed. Now they are bigger, stronger, more mature and coming off a season that saw them record eight wins in the regular season and make it to the post-season. They lost that first-round playoff game at Westside in a wild 56-52 affair that saw the game decided on a controversial last play. “We have a large picture of that play posted in our weight room as a reminder of what can happen,” said Tony Filberto, who is in the fourth year of his second stint as Red Rider coach. “These guys know they’ve got a pretty good team, so we want that picture to remind them of how it felt to lose that game. It’s just another tool we’re using to guard against complacency.” The Red Riders head into the first game of the season at Oak Glen on Aug. 28 with 23
The Coaches
lettermen and an experienced player or returning starter at just about every position. Graduation last May took five key players from the Red Rider team of last year, which was the first one to have a winning record in five years. Gone are four-year starting quarterback William Larch, linebacker Zahir Hicks, wide receiver JoJo Rice, defensive back and running back Matt Hartman and lineman Mark Parr. Larch led the Weir High offense, starting all 11 games after three injury-plagued seasons as an underclassman. He was the Red Riders’ leading rusher with more thanr 1,000 yards and passed the football
for nearly 1,500 yards. “We’ll miss Larch, but Jake Wypasek is ready and able to step in to direct this team,” Filberto said. “He started five games as a freshman and another game and a half as a sophomore when Larch was injured, so he‘s got some experience. He didn’t get much time at quarterback last year, but he’s such an outstanding athlete that he started last year as a wide receiver and was our third leading pass catcher. Also, he’s started in the defensive secondary the last two years. So he’s seasoned.” Filberto said that because of Larch’s size, he was a straightahead, bruising type of runner. “With Wypasek, we’ll
change the offense a little bit to utilize his speed,” Filberto continued. “We’ll use more play action and bootleg plays. We’ll change our approach a little bit. Perhaps run more and play more of a ball control football game.” Behind Wypasek at quarterback are junior Donovan Spencer, senior Marques Smith and sophomore Khalib Smith. Kameron Davis, a senior, is back for his fourth year at tailback. He’s matured and grown and hasn’t lost any of his outstanding speed. Davis was the second leading ground gainer with more than 800 yards. “Kam has decent size now See RED RIDERS Page 21
Aug. 26, 2015
19
2015 Roster
The Seniors
Seniors (15) 1 ...................... Marques Smith 3 .............................. Dan Sarles 4 ...................... Kameron Davis 6 ............................ Brae Bryant 8 .................... Phillip McAllister 15 ...................... Jake Wypasek 35 .................. Michael Ceraolo 50 .............................. Jacob Parr 51 ................ Brenden Williams 55 .................... Cole Davidson 60 ........................ Kyle Baldwin 64 .................. Matt Thompson 76 .................... Brandon Taylor 80 .............................. JoJo West 88 .............................. C. J. Reed
From The Coach ...
“If we stay healthy, stay focused and stay generated, we’ll be pretty good. Along with our size, we have exceptional speed and that wealth of valuable experience.” — Tony Filberto
Juniors (16) 2 ................ Donovan Spencer 11 .............. Domenick Murphy 13 ........................ Cody Enrietti 23 ...................... Zeb Lawrence 25 ................ Jimmy Whitlatch 37 ........................ Michael Mills 45 .................... Quent Thorton 52 ...................... Travis Lowther 54 ...................... Nathan Fields 56 .......................... Jordan Allen 57 .............. Gaetano Fuscardo 62 ........................ Dustin Keyes
81 82 83 87
.................... Adam Cowden .................... Matt Anderson .............. Matt Komorowski ...................... Jacob Rosnick
Sophomores (17) 5 .................... Cameron Pierce 7 .......................... Chris Gillette 9 .............................. LaVelle Hall 10 .............................. Caleb Rea 14 .......................... Khalib Smith 20 ...................... Jaylon Bridges 24 ...................... Dalton Valero 31 ........................ Dylan Custer 32 ............................ Tyler Mack 33 .......... Frank Ty Hudacheck 39 ...................... Dom Soplinski 61 .................. Garrett Johnson 63 ...................... Greg Hawkins 67 .............................. Kris Linke 70 .......................... Zach Martin 73 .................... Daymeon Paris 75 .......................... Mason Rice
Aug. 26, 2015
21
Red Riders with 185 solid pounds,” said Filberto. “He’s bigger, stronger and more mature. He’s also versatile. In our new offensive style, we plan to line him up as a receiver so we can further use his exceptional speed.” Senior Dan Sarles also will be a solid running back for the Red Riders. He has started in the defensive secondary the last two years. Sophomore Dalton Valero also will see some time in the backfield, Filberto said. Another weapon at Filberto’s disposal is junior Cody Entietti. He’s back at tight end, but will move into the backfield with his 6-3, 240 pounds to run in short yardage situations. Junior Domenick Murphy, who is returning as a Weir High inside linebacker, will get the nod at tight end when Enrietti moves to the backfield. Weir High speedster Donovan Spencer is back as one of the wideouts. Spencer, a junior, set the school record in the 100 meter dash last spring while splitting time between track and baseball. Filberto said he has two other juniors who have experience catching the football in Matt Komorowski and Adam Cowden. Then, Filberto has three newcmers out for football for the first time and all are speedsters ticketed for duty at wide receiver. Senior JoJo West, a two-year starter on the Red Rider basketball team, is
out for the first time along with juniors Matt Anderson and Jacob Rosnick. Rosnick is the starting shortstop on the baseball team. Filberto said junior Jimmy Whitlach also is in the mix at wide receiver. The offensive line is big, experienced and mean, according to Filberto. Senior Jacob Parr returns for his fourth year as the starting triggerman at center. Sophomore Mason Rice will back up Parr. Senior Cole Davidson, who started at guard as a sophomore but sat out last season with a knee injury, returns at guard and will split time with junior Gaetano Fuscardo, who transferred from Madonna where he lettered as a sophomore last year. Two 300-pounders, Kyle Baldwin and Branden Taylor, both seniors, will split time at the other guard. They have named themselves “big” and “bad.” Baldwin is a four-year starter at defensive tackle. “I’ve been coaching for about 33 years and this is the biggest line I’ve ever had,” Filberto explained. “And these kids aren’t soft. They’ve had the best winter workouts of any team I’ve ever had.” Travis Lowther, a junior, returns at left tackle. Filberto said Lowther started out as a 185-pounder three years ago and now checks in at 225. Another junior, Jordan Allen, returns at right tackle. Zack Martin and Greg Hawkins, a pair of sophomores, are vying for playing time. Filberto said senior Matt Thompson could be in the mix, but he is rehabilitating from a pre-season injury. Enrietti and Murphy are ticketed for most of the playing time at tight end, but Filberto said sophomore Frank Hudacheck could get into the rotation. Senior Michael Ceraolo, who
From Page 18
was fourth in kick scoring in The HeraldStar/Daily Times coverage area among place kickers, returns. He kicked 25 extra points and three field goals for 34 points last year. He also will be the punter this year. “Ceraolo has attended several camps this summer and has worked very hard. He’ll be a weapon for us,” Filberto exclaimed. On the defensive side of the ball “big” and “bad” will man the defensive tackles with Brenden Williams, another senior, spelling them. Filberto said that in passing situations, Phillip McAllister, a senior who at 165 pounds has developed into a good pass rusher, will get the call. Enrietti and Allen are back for the third year at defensive end. Fruscardo and Lowther will rotate with them. Murphy, who was the leading tackler last year, returns at strong linebacker while sophomores Chris Gillette and Taylor Mack will split time at quick linebacker. At outside linebackers are senior C. J. Reed, a third-year starter, with Komorowski, junior Michael Mills, Sarles and Whitlach all splitting time there. Kam Davis returns for his third season at cornerback. He’ll be joined by Spencer, Cowden and Rosnick. Filberto said he plans to rotate all four because they all play offense. Senior Marques Smith returns at safety with sophomore Cameron Pierce as his backup. Sophomore Jaylon Bridges also could see playing time in the secondary, Filberto said. “This team, especially the seniors, should enjoy this season more than all the others,” Filberto said. “They have come from the bottom. “All of us have expectations. One of the big advantages that we have is that these kids will have more varsity playing time than any of the opponents we play because most of the juniors and seniors have at least 30 games under their belts. “If we stay healthy, stay focused and stay generated, we’ll be pretty good. Along with our size, we have exceptional speed and that wealth of valuable experience.”
2015 Coaches
Head Coach
Tony Filberto
Assistant Coaches Tom Taylor Mike McKenzie Frank Sisinni Terry Rea Rick Stead Gerard Spencer David Cowden John Leary Anthony Pompa Michael Buffo Troy Fetty Anthony Picarillo Quentin Smith
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Aug. 26, 2015
Catholic Central Crusaders 2015 Schedule
Aug. 28 at Wheeling Central Sept. 5
Oak Glen
Sept. 12 Weir #
Sept. 19 Toronto
Sept. 26
Warren JFK
Oct. 3 at Bellaire *
Oct. 9 at Barnesville
Oct. 16 at Bishop Donahue Oct. 24 at Madonna Oct. 31
St. John Central
* 12:30 p.m. kickoff # 7:30 p.m. kickoff Games at 7 p.m. unless noted
FREE WALK-IN INJURY ASSESSMENT 8 - 10am SATURDAYS DURING FOOTBALL SEASON IN THE WMC ATRIUM
Orthopedic Surgeons Sports Medicine Specialists and Physical Therapists On-Site
Daley’s squad seeks Week 11 spot in Division VI
By ED LOOMAN For The Gridiron
STEUBENVILLE — Like all Ohio football teams, Catholic Central’s primary goal entering the 2015 season is pretty simple: Earn the right to play in Week 11. Thanks to off-season changes made by the Ohio High School Athletic Association, that always-tough challenge was made even more difficult for the Crusaders. Steve Daley’s gridders were bumped up to Division VI and will compete for a playoff spot in Region 19 against the likes of Canton Central Catholic, Cuyahoga Heights and Berlin Center Western Reserve. “Our goal is always the same — these guys want to play during Week 11,” said Daley, who is entering his fifth season as the CCHS grid boss. “We definitely want to reach that point, so we need to take one week at a time and one opponent at a time. If we take care of business and maintain that approach week in and week out, hopefully by Week 10 we’ll know we are going to be playing in Week 11. That’s our ultimate goal. “Moving up a division makes things tougher and puts that much more stress on us. We can’t have setbacks going from week to week. We need to win as many games as possible with us
The Coaches
playing up a division and given our assigned region.” When double sessions began, Daley, who has guided Central to the playoffs in two of the last three campaigns, welcomed back 25 letter winners. Eighteen of those players were starters in 2014 when the Crusaders posted a 6-4 mark. “Given the number of returnees we have on both sides of the ball, early on it’s been nice,” he pointed out. “They already know our system on both sides, and we’ve been able to jump right in and add some new things. The changes have been real easy for the kids to pick up and that’s huge.
“You always want to make adjustments based on the players you have. We lost a 1,000-yard rusher (Stone Romano), so we have to focus on how to make up for the loss. We’re looking at doing a little by committee and a little by making some slight changes, because we’re adjusting to different players. We’ll do both of those things, and maybe one guy will step forward. The point is we still want the same results.” Eight starters return on the offensive side of the ball, led by senior quarterback Tony Barber. In his first year as a starter, Barber threw for 1,549 yards and 14 touchdowns. He also ran for nearly
300 yards and four additional scores. The all-district performer will primarily be backed up by freshman Justin Hartzell. “Tony worked hard over the summer and he’s throwing the ball really well,” Daley pointed out. Last year, it took a few weeks for him to get comfortable and once we reached the second half of the season, he turned into being a real nice quarterback for us. This year, he doesn’t need that growth period. “He seems really comfortable already, and his throwing motion looks good. He throws a real nice ball. Plus, See CRUSADERS Page 27
Aug. 26, 2015
25
2015 Roster
The Seniors
Seniors (8) 2 .................... Anthony Heavlin 5 .............................. John Fallon 11 ............................ Tony Barber 14 .......................... Cedro Parise 32 .................... Robbie LeFever 44 ...................... Seth Potenzini 55 .............. Dan Franckhauser 61 ................ Jesse Zamberlani
From The Coach ...
“Given the number of returnees we have on both sides of the ball, early on it’s been nice. They already know our system on both sides and we’ve been able to jump right in and add some new things.” — Steve Daley
Juniors (12) 9 .................... Lucca DiMichele 10 ............................ Kutch Clark 12 ........................ Nate Kilonsky 13 .............. William Thompson 21 .............. Eddie DiBenedetto 25 .................... Brody Mihalyo 29 ............................ Dan Harris 30 .................. Anthony Leluika 33 ........ Vinnie DiCarlantonio 45 ...................... Hayden Daley 59 ........................ Tommy Mort 73 ................ Stephen Marcino
Sophomores (10) 3 ........................ Mitchell Zapor 15 ...................... George Zapor 17 ............................ A.J. Connor 22 ...................... Tommy Bensie 23 ...................... Andrew Green 34 ........................ Gino DiBiase 40 .................... Levi Thompson 54 ............................ Ryan Neely 63 .......................... Vince Oliver 67 ........................ Kevin Cuervo Freshmen (7) 4 ........................ Justin Hartzell 7 ...................... Anthony Fallon 16 ................................ Matt Bell 20 .......................... Noah Fayak 52 .................... Austin O’Kruta 75 .......................... Jordan Maul 77 ............................ Jacob Stoll
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Aug. 26, 2015
27
Crusaders we already know he has the ability to run. Having that dual threat is going to be good for us.” Barber’s top targets from 2014 also are back. Senior split end John Fallon topped Central in receiving with 18 grabs good for 446 yards (25 stripes per reception) and five touchdowns. Fellow senior Seth Potenzini had 16 grabs for 317 (nearly 20 yards a catch) and a pair of six-pointers. Junior Brody Mihalyo (three catches for two scores in 2014) and senior Anthony Heavlin, a Harrison Central transfer who will become eligible in Week 6, also are candidates at split end. Senior Robbie LeFever and junior Kutch Clark, both returning starters, will man the slot positions. LeFever grabbed 13 passes for 269 (20.7 per catch) and four touchdowns. He also ran for 205 and a couple of scores. Juniors Vinnie DiCarlantonio and Nate Kilonsky will serve as slot backups. Hartzell also is expected to see some time at both split end and in the slot. Hayden Daley, another returning junior starter, is back at tight end with junior Dan Harris also in the hunt for playing time. “When you have your whole
receiving corps back, that’s big,” Daley commented. “Those guys have worked with each other for a whole season. They understand the routes and the system, and they also understand how each other run their routes and can adjust. “Fallon and Potenzini have good speed and are pretty long kids who are able to go up and get the ball. Then you look inside of them, and our slot receivers can do a variety of things. LeFever, Clark and Mihalyo — each player is different and unique and each player presents different problems to the defense. “Hayden has improved a ton as far as catching the ball and his speed is better. He was used primarily as a blocker last year but now he can do some more things for us. Hartzell is going to get some looks because he has outstanding speed. He’s young but when you can add pure speed into the mix you’re going to be able to stretch defenses and make them defend the whole field.” Candidates to replace Romano as the featured running back are senior Cedro Parise, sophomore Levi Thompson and junior Anthony Leluika. Senior Dan Franckhauser is back at tackle and will be joined by junior Stephen Marcino. Sophomore Ryan Neely will be the
From Page 24
primary backup. Sophomore Vince Oliver served as Central’s starting center in 2014 but has shifted to guard. He’s the biggest player (6-5, 265) on the 37-man Crusader roster. Sophomore Kevin Cuervo and senior Jesse Zamberlan are battling for the other guard spot. The center position will be manned by junior Tommy Mort with Cuervo as his backup. “We have good size up front, nobody under 200 pounds which is kind of a unique situation for us,” Daley stated. “The key thing is getting them to gel and come together. “We don’t have a whole lot of depth, and that’s a concern. We have some younger kids with real nice size but they’re not quite ready. Hopefully by the middle of the season they’ll be able to step in and give our starters some rest. Initially, we need to stay healthy upfront.” Junior Lucca DiMichele is being counted on to handle the PAT and field goal kicking duties. On defense (the Crusaders play a base 3-4), Central returns 10 starters. See CRUSADERS Page 117
2015 Coaches
Head Coach
Steve Daley Assistant Coaches Jeff Clark
Tom Daley
Frank Marcino Rick Gillette Joe Bahen
Jake Emmerling
400 Three Springs Dr. Weirton WV 304.723.3445
30
Aug. 26, 2015
Madonna Blue Dons
2015 Schedule Aug. 28
Bishop Donahue
Sept. 5 at Tusky Catholic + Sept. 12
Wheeling Central
Sept. 18 at Oak Glen
Sept. 26 at Ashtabula St. John + Oct. 2
St. John Central
Oct. 17
Notre Dame
Oct. 24
Catholic Central
Oct. 30 at Toronto Nov. 6
at Clay-Battelle #
+ 1:30 p.m. kickoff # 7:30 p.m. kickoff Games at 7 p.m. unless noted
FREE WALK-IN INJURY ASSESSMENT 8 - 10am SATURDAYS DURING FOOTBALL SEASON IN THE WMC ATRIUM
Orthopedic Surgeons Sports Medicine Specialists and Physical Therapists On-Site
Strength is in the line for Taylor’s youthful club By RALPH COX For The Gridiron
WEIRTON — Madonna football had its first losing season in two decades last year (2-8) and all involved are focused in 2015 at getting the Blue Dons back to the winning side of the ledger. “No one took that well,” said fifth-year head coach Doug Taylor, who enters the season with a record of 3316. “Not the school, the community, the players or the coaches. Our big focus is to right the ship and get back on the winning side.” To do that, the Blue Dons must replace not only the eight seniors whot graduated, but also quarterback Joey Ewusiak, who decided not to play football this year, and lineman Gaetano Fuscardo, who transferred to Weir High. Seniors graduating were Austin Connell, Grant Retton, John Ekey, Levi Shreve, Matt Green, Marquis Jeter, Jarod Taflan and Christian DeAngelo. The 2014 Blue Dons were mostly comprised of players who were on the unbeaten 2013 squad that swept to the Class A state championship with 15 seniors. Therefore, most of them didn’t get a lot of playing time. Among the returnees from the title team that saw much playing time were Nate Martin, Grant Retton and Matt
The Coaches
Green, the kicker. Two of the three are gone this year. That means that Taylor had a lot of players last year who were seeing their first substantial varsity playing time. Most of those returning lettermen, however, are linemen. With Ewusiak gone, along with Shreve and wideout Marquis Jeter, Taylor is forced to go into the 2015 season with a whole group of inexperienced players at the skill positions. Junior Dustin Brown, who started last year on defense, and senior Dillon Shaw, who is a three-year starter on defense, are the leading candidates to replace Ewuisak. “Those two have a lot of
experience, but not at the quarterback position,” Taylor explained. “You want your most athletic kids at that position and in our offense the quarterback is asked to make reads of the opposing defense. That takes a lot of work and experience. “Both Brown and Shaw are doing well in practice. The one who doesn’t start at quarterback will definitely be one of our running backs.” Freshman James Todd is showing a lot of promise at quarterback as well, Taylor said. Taylor has a stable of other capable running backs including junior Phillip Good, Dominic Schell, Angelo Gurrera,
and Hunter Baird, all sophomores. He’s also impressed with freshman Donovan Kirby and Ricky Daddario, a senior out for football the first time. “Daddario was a member of Madonna’s state championship 4x100 relay team,” he said. “He doesn’t have any experience with football, but he can fly.” Nate Martin (6-6, 265) leads the group of experienced linemen. He was a spot starter and saw a lot of playing time as a sophomore on the state championship team. “I believe the strength of our team will be up front,” See BLUE DONS Page 33
Aug. 26, 2015
31
2015 Roster
The Seniors
Seniors (7) 4 ............................ Dillon Shaw 5 ...................... Ricky Daddario 19 .......................... Ryan Phelps 52 .......................... Nate Martin 56 ........................ Tristin McCoy 74 .......................... Adam Davis 77 .................... Thaddeus Dillie Juniors (4) 10 ............................ Nate Smith 21 .............................. Phil Good 22 ........................ Dustin Brown 55 .......................... Justin Canei
From The Coach ...
“We were young last year and inexperienced. But we got experience as the season went along ... We’re not going to change the offense much. We are who we are ... Any time you can run the football and play good defense you are a better team.” — Doug Taylor
Sophomores (11) 1 .............................. Cole Strain 3 ...................... Angelo Gurrera 7 .......................... Vinnie Pulice 9 ................................ Nic Schell 11 .................... Max Fiedorczyk 17 .......................... Tripp Moore
23 26 50 61 80
........................ Chase Smith ............................ Jacob Todd .................... Jacob Gasvoda ............................ Zac Tokash .............................. Ryan Ekey
Freshmen (4) 12............................ James Todd 32 .................... Donavan Kirby 34 ........................ Garrett Cook 65 ...................... Robbie Valenti
Aug. 26, 2015
33
Blue Dons said Taylor. “We return most of our line from last year.” The triggerman at center returns in junior Jake Gasvoda. Martin and Tristen McCoy, both seniors, return at the guards, and Thaddeus Dillie and Justin Canei are back at the tackles. Dillie is a senior while Canei is a junior. Linemen vying for playing time are senior Adam Davis and sophomores Zak Tokash and Robby Velenti. Sophomore Ryan Ekey looks like the starter at tight end with sophomore Max Fiedorczyk and freshman Garrett Cook rotating there. Taylor said the wide receiver position looks strong with the return of senior Ryan Phelps and junior Nate Smith. Others looking to get playing time are sophomores Vinnie Pulice, Tripp Moore, Cole Strain, Chase Smith and Jacob Todd along with freshmen Alec Cook and
Garet Hostuttler. Like the offense, Taylor has basically the same experienced players on the line. Davis and Dillie are the defensive tackles, and Martin and Canei are back at the ends. Behind them are Tokash, Velenta, Fiedorczyk, Gasvoda, Kirby and Ekey. Lettermen dot the depth chart at linebacker, too. Shaw and Schell are the inside backers while Good and McCoy are on the inside. Looking for playing time at linebacker are Garrett Cook, Baird and Nate Smith along with Gurrera and sophomore Cole Strain. Defensive backs include Vinnie Pulice, Phelps and Moore on the corners with Brown at safety. Backups there include Nate Smith, Alec Cook, Daddario, Todd and Hostuttler. “One of the weaknesses we had a year ago was our defense,” Taylor commented. “For whatever reason, we just didn’t tackle very well at all. We worked hard at tackling in practice every day last year, but just couldn‘t turn the corner until late
Madonna, Oak Glen meet on field for first time in ... forever
From Page 30
2015 Coaches
By MATTHEW PEASLEE For The Gridiron
Look at any Oak Glen and Madonna sports schedule during the past several years. Whether it be basketball, baseball, soccer or quidditch (if it was a WVSSAC-sanctioned event) the Golden Bears and Blue Dons would be knotted up in several match ups throughout the season. One would find the Hancock County teams paired up in every sport, except football. The last time they played each other on the gridiron was 1987. “We are very excited to get Oak Glen back on the football schedule after at least a 25-year hiatus,” said Madonna Athletic Director Jon Kendrick. “We have been trying to get the county high schools on the schedule, and the dates with Oak Glen just worked out perfectly.”
See FOREVER Page 59
in the season. “We’ve made tackling a priority in our practices so far. We’re focusing on taking away the run game from our opponents. We had a lot of situations last year where the other team was in second-and-long and third-andlong, but we’d miss a tackle and they’d get long yardage. “If you can’t stop the run in h i g h school football,
you’re in for a long night. Everyone knows it and we’re all working hard to fix it.” Taylor also feels that a lack of offensive consistency last year was missing but a lot of that is attributed to inexperience. He wants the offense to help out the defense with consistency and maintaining ball control to keep the defense off the field. “We were young last year and inexperienced,” Taylor continued. “But we got experience as the season went along and I thought we played well against Toronto and Clay Battelle the last two games of the season.
Head Coach
Doug Taylor Assistant Coaches Brad Kessel
John McClelland Jon Kendrick
Bruce Marshall Keith Keenan
They both were playoff teams. “We’re not going to change the offense much. We are who we are. Whichever quarterback gets the start, we’ll work off his strengths. Any time you can run the football and play good defense you are a better team. “We’ll start the year that way and see what happens.”
Indian Creek Redskins
36
Aug. 26, 2015
2015 Schedule Aug. 28 at Cambridge
Sept. 4 at East Liverpool + Sept. 11
Oak Glen
Sept. 18
Buckeye Local
Sept. 25 at St. Clairsville + Oct. 2
Brooke
Oct. 9
Martins Ferry
Oct. 16
Beaver Local
Oct. 23 at Harrison Central Oct. 30 at Edison
+ 7:30 p.m. kickoff Games at 7 p.m. unless noted
FREE WALK-IN INJURY ASSESSMENT 8 - 10am SATURDAYS DURING FOOTBALL SEASON IN THE WMC ATRIUM
Orthopedic Surgeons Sports Medicine Specialists and Physical Therapists On-Site
23 lettermen return in search of postseason
By MIKE MATHISON For The Gridiron
WINTERSVILLE — It took hitting rock bottom. That was six years ago. Six straight winning seasons ago, mind you. “It’s a testament to the coaches how we have grown as a staff since that 2-8 season,” said Indian Creek football coach Andrew Connor. “We, as a staff, and as a program, could have crashed and burned after that season. “But, we made changes as a staff and as a program, along with myself as the head coach, and our kids have bought in, and now we have a different culture. “It didn’t come overnight, but we are a better program. “Our kids have done everything we have asked of them. They have bought into playing tough, playing physical. They are the reason our program is successful. They care about the colors they wear and representing this community.” Only three OVAC schools have longer streaks of winning seasons — Steubenville (15), St. Clairsville (9) and Monroe Central (7). “The offseason is the biggest change within the program — the commitment to working hard and being there on regular basis. At the beginning, it was tough for the kids to commit to come
The Coaches
all the time. “We don’t have that problem anymore. “The kids have taken responsibility and taken ownership of wanting to be a good team, a good program. Being good doesn’t happen by accident. “We do not chase kids anymore. “If your kids are committed, you’re going to have a good program. You have to have kids who want to be there. If they don’t want to be there, I don’t care who you are, it’s not going to be easy at practice. “It’s not easy to practice if you are doing it with a kid
there one day and not there the next. “I think that’s one of the big strengths we have.” In that 2008 season, the Redskins lost their last seven games by a combined 161 points. Since then: ¯ 2009: 6-4 finished 9th missed playoffs by .8672 ¯ 2010: 6-4 finished 12th ¯ 2011: 8-2 finished 8th made playoffs at Steubenville ¯ 2012: 9-1 finished 7th made playoffs at West Holmes ¯ 2013: 6-4 finished 9th missed playoffs by .556 ¯ 2014: 8-2 finished 10th
That’s a 43-17 regular season record and two playoff losses. “You want to be remembered as a senior class that did well, so it’s almost like a competition within a program,” said Connor. “It’s a sense of ownership for the seniors to put their record on the wall in the locker room and the names of the seniors in that class on the wall. “We don’t put all the kids on the wall, just the seniors. “So, for the 2015 class, what’s between the year and the names? What’s the record? See REDSKINS Page 39
Aug. 26, 2015
37
2015 Roster
The Seniors
From The Coach ...
“If your kids are committed, you’re going to have a good program ... The kids have taken responsibility and taken ownership of wanting to be a good team, a good program. Being good doesn’t happen by accident.” — Andrew Connor
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Senior s (11) 10 ........................ Chris Mazar 18 ...................... Gunnar Rath 28 ........................ Caleb Agin 29 ........................ Cody Sinsel 32 .......................... Zach Cole 34 ................ Jonathan Dailey 57 .................... Zach Williams 59 ................ Brandon Neville 63 ............ Tristan McDonald 67 .................. Tyreece Papola 76 ........................ Scott Kosek Juniors (10) 2 .......................... Greg Wade 4 .......................... Trey Harton 5 ........................ Jabari Taylor 19 ........ Austion Vandeborne 20 .................. Robert Coppa 22 .................. Austin Rawson 53 ................ John Livingston 54 .................. Sam Robinson 62 ................ Jacob Wounaris 78 ................ James Divittorio Sophomores (14) 3 .................. Johnathan Clark 7 ...................... Nick Crawford 8 ........................ Devon Eakle 9 ........................ Shawn Allen 11 .................... Stone Harding 10 ........................ Devin Eakle 14 ................ Aaron Robinson
17 24 26 50 52 60 80
.......................... Broc Eakle ........................ Keith Maple ...................... Frank Hague ................................ Ian Belt ...................... Evan Coppa .............. Andy Waggoner ........................ Kyle Booher
Freshmen (16) 1 .......................... Cody Cottis 6 ........................ Shane Zrinyl 15 ........................ Jakih Scales 16 .................. Brennon Norris 21 .......................... Cody Allen 27 ................ Richie Gualtiere 42 .................... Logan Wilson 43 .................... Mitch Wukelic 51 ...................... Nathan Truex 64 ...................... Josh Harvey 65 ........................ Trent Bolek 75 .................... Sean Stevens 77 .......................... Luke Allen 84 .................... Matt Mamula 86 ...................... Derrick Eakle 88 ...................... Zach Barnett
M. RAGAN
SALES and EQUIPMENT
1569 Smith Township State Road, Atlasburg, PA 15004
(724) 947-3500
Aug. 26, 2015
39
Redskins “The seniors want something to be special on the wall. They want 7, 8, 9 wins. “That was a driving force for last year’s senior class. People counted them out, and they did well. “It’s good for kids to see that record and the names on the wall. “Of all the successful programs around here, I think the seniors talk about what their part is and what they are passing down to the underclassmen on the team. “I think our kids take that a little more seriously now.” Approximately 25 percent of Ohio high school football teams make the playoffs in the seven divisions. That is something Connor, his staff and the players do not shy away from. “I’d like to think that’s what kids work for, they want to carry on what the kids before them did and last year’s senior class worked toward being the first class in school history to go to the playoffs three out of their four years in high school. “We just missed. It wasn’t always pretty last year and we really only had one bad game, but the senior class last year wore the colors well and represented the program well. “Each class wants to leave with a winning record, and this year’s senior class is no different. We play a good, competitive schedule, and the kids and the staff know that we
have to come to work every week, every day ready to go.” The Redskins will have a tripleheaded monster at quarterback with senior Chris Mazar (who lettered for IC as a sophomore at defensive back before moving with his family to Florida last year), and juniors Greg Wade (opening day starter a year ago) and Jabari Taylor. Taylor will be the tailback with Mazar and Wade moving to wide receiver when not behind center. Also at tailback will be Robert Coppa, Trey Harton and Keith Maple. Jonathan Dailey is the fullback, along with Cody Sinsel. Zach Cole is the tight end with Shawn Allen and Johnathan Clark as backups. At receiver will be Devon Eakle and Devin Eakle, along with Austin Vandeborne, Nick Crawford and Aaron Robinson. The tackles are Tyreece Papola, Brandon Neville, Andy Waggoner and Tristan McDonald, with the guards being Zach Williams, Scott Kosek and Evan Coppa. The centers are Sam Robinson and Ian Belt. “We feel like we will be able to do what we do here and that’s run the ball,” said Connor. “We have a lot of guys who can carry the ball for us. “The offensive line worries me a little bit. We have a couple of starters back, but that’s going to be a youthful mix. “Wideout worries me a little because we graduated our two starters from last year. “We feel good with our quarterback situation.”
From Page 36
Cole, Williams, Dailey and Papola are the captains. They are also two-year lettermen, along with Wade, Robert Coppa and Sinsel. Joe Hammack runs the offense and Sean Grinch the defense. “I have two of the best coordinators money can buy,” Connor said. “They would be unbelievable head football coaches. They are outstanding, just like the rest of the staff. I have a great, great staff.” The defense is a 4-3 with the ends being Dailey, Taylor, Waggoner and Aaron Robinson. The tackles are Williams and Papola, along with Sam Robinson, Kosek, Neville and Jacob Wounaris. Cole is an outside linebacker, as well as Mazar, Clark and Maple, who will also get reps at middle linebacker with Williams (who would move off the defensive line). The Redskins return their secondary with Harton and Devin and Devon Eakle at corner and Sinsel and Robert Coppa at safety. Wade and Crawford will also see time in the secondary. Taylor will punt, as he did a year ago. “I think we have good chemistry,” said Connor. Indian Creek returns 23 lettermen, six defensive starters and four on the offense. “I am concerned a little bit at linebacker,” said Connor, entering his 13th season on the sidelines. “We lost two starters from last year and that’s a big hole for us right now.” Those two are Connor’s See REDSKINS Page 124
2015 Coaches
Head Coach
Andrew Connor Assistant Coaches Joe Hammack Sean Grinch Doug Karas Mike Voltz Rob Lucas Justin Wilson Mike Wilson Todd Mazzaferro Keith Duncan Jeremy Pressley Matt Shrieve
Brooke Bruins
44
2015 Schedule Aug. 28
Huntington
Sept. 4 at Morgantown Sept. 11
University
Sept. 18
Hurricane
Sept. 25 at Wheeling Park + Oct. 2 at Indian Creek + Oct. 9
Big Red
Oct. 16
Parkersburg South
Oct. 23 at Weir +
Oct. 30 at John Marshall + + 7 p.m. kickoff
Games at 7:30 p.m. unless noted
FREE WALK-IN INJURY ASSESSMENT 8 - 10am SATURDAYS DURING FOOTBALL SEASON IN THE WMC ATRIUM
Orthopedic Surgeons Sports Medicine Specialists and Physical Therapists On-Site
Aug. 26, 2015
Green and gold have a lot of athleticism By ED LOOMAN For The Gridiron
WELLSBURG — When second-year coach Mac McLean talks about the skill players returning to Brooke’s football team, his eyes light up like a child at Christmas. “We’re not going to be arrogant about our skill, but when you look at the ball-handling positions right now and our secondary, we have a lot of athleticism,” McLean said. “The big question mark is who’s going to fill Aaron Walker’s shoes at quarterback. “Obviously when you have Thomas Cole and Nathan Green returning, you feel pretty good about wide receiver and tight end. Justin Loughrie has been running the ball here for a long time and he’s probably the fastest kid on the team. I’m also impressed with the athleticism of Tyler Bailey, who was a role player last year, and Fargo Camerlengo, who just came out for football this season. “I’m not saying we are Division I caliber in every spot, but we have athletes in just about every ball-handling position.” The Bruins went 3-7 in McLean’s first season as head coach of his alma mater. “Anytime you go 3-7, it’s a disappointing season,” McLean stated. “There’s not a head coach in this world that is going to say he’s
The Coaches
happy with three wins. If you’re happy with that, you’re in the wrong business. The positive was in our seven losses — there weren’t many games we weren’t in during the second half. “With our schedule, a couple of slip ups here or a couple of slip ups there and two or three games could have gone the other way. Hopefully this year, we will be able to keep those ones from slipping away. I don’t want to hang around — I want to win and these kids want to win.” Six starters return on both sides of the ball to help McLean in his quest “to win.”
Cole, the 6-5 senior who has verbally committed to Akron, is Brooke’s top offensive returnee. As a junior, the talented wide receiver had 58 receptions good for 819 yards and seven touchdowns. “I see things from Thomas this year that I didn’t see last year,” McLean noted. “He has taken on a vocal role. He’s a positive leader who is not above anyone. He constantly is encouraging his teammates. If a rep isn’t done right, he’s the first to say let’s do it again. “His natural gifts combined with that kind of attitude are why he’s getting the looks
from the big schools. If I was sitting at a Division I school, I’d be saying that he’s a guy I want on my football team.” Junior Chris Yachini also returns at wide receiver. As a sophomore, Yachini, who McLean also praised for his athleticism, recorded 11 catches. Bailey, Camerlengo and Jacob Kennedy, all seniors, are other candidates for playing time at the receiver spot. Loughrie, who compiled 577 rushing yards as a junior and found the end zone three times, is back at tailback. SenSee BRUINS Page 47
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Aug. 26, 2015
45
2015 Roster
The Seniors
Senior s (14) 5 ............ Fargo Camerlengo 7 ...................... Nathan Green 8 ........................ Chad Harper 11 ...................... Thomas Cole 12 .................. Jacob Kennedy 13 .................. Justin Loughrie 21 .......................... Tyler Bailey 31 ........................ Matt Lazear 56 .................. Marty Johnson 58 .................. Cody Younciak 60 ........................ Zac Tweedy 67 ............................ John Fox 75 .......................... Levi Doyle 77 .......................... Jeff Braun
From The Coach ...
“Right now, our expectations are to be prepared for Huntington. When the final second ticks off the clock for that game, then we’ll worry about what’s next. With the schedule we have, we can’t look ahead.” — Mac McLean
Juniors (13) 2 ........................ Coty Hudson 3 ........................ Chris Yachini 15 ........................ Dillon Stein 23 ........................ Alex Edgell 24 .............. Colton Zombeck 32 ...................... Austin Kemp 44 ...................... Noah Talbott 46 .................... Jeremy Bosick 53 .................. Nick Tomassilli 54 ........................ Ira Arcicich 55 ............ Vincent Pederson
61 .................... Hagin Bennett 82 .................... Derek Jenkins
Sophomores (16) 1 ........................ Ethan Secrist 6 ................ Nick Provenzano 9 ........................ Kenny Taylor 10 .......................... Josh Richie 22 ...................... Zeke Farmer 25 .................... Walker Morris 26 .......................... Josh Taflan 36 .................. Adam Horvath 40 .............................. Ty Ohler 57 ...................... Ethan Doyle 65 .................... Cross Tulenko 68 .......................... Skyler Rice 70 ...................... Kyler Haynes 71 .......... Jonathan Gallagher 78 ...................... Kenny Taylor 88 ................ Jason Hodgking Freshmen (1) 4 ............................ Gage Yost
Aug. 26, 2015
47
Bruins ior Matt Lazear and sophomore Zeke Farmer also will be looking to get some carries. Hard-running junior Alex Edgell is the returning starter at fullback. Sophomore Ty Ohler and senior Marty Johnson will be his primary backups. Green, who like Cole goes 6-5, again will man the tight end position with junior Noah Talbott and sophomore Walker Morris providing support. When practices began, junior Coty Hudson was the leading candidate to replace Walker at quarterback. Senior Chad Harper also is competing for the spot. Freshman Gage Yost, who McLean likes because of his speed and size, was taking some snaps, as was Cole. “He throws a decent ball,” McLean said of Hudson. “He’s probably not as an explosive runner as Walker but he’s serviceable and will go up field. Because he played free safety as a sophomore, there’s no question about his toughness. The one trait he has is his coolness. The kid doesn’t get shaken. The building could be on fire and he would remain steady. “He took it upon himself to get with our receivers and
backs. He threw all winter and spring. He made the decision last year that he wanted this job and he spent the whole off-season making sure he would be in the mix. That’s why he’s sitting at the top of the depth chart right now, no doubt.” When it comes to the offensive line, McLean admitted he and his staff are “really searching. We’re going to be young tackle-to-tackle.” Senior Cody Younciak is the lone starter returning. He’s been Brooke’s center for the past two seasons. Junior Nick Tomassilli is his backup. Candidates at guard are Johnson and Ohler along with junior Vincent Pederson. Senior John Fox, who saw some playing time at guard in 2014, and sophomore Jonathan Gallagher, the biggest man on the Brooke roster at 6-4, 310, look to get most of the playing time at tackle. Pederson also is in the mix. “Making the line gel is a major challenge for us, but I think that’s a common problem at a lot of high schools,” McLean commented. “We want to find the right five guys, the right mix of guys without having our offensive line be our defensive line and vice versa. That’s the most challenging part. “I laid it on the line during the first day of camp. I told our guys the
From Page 44
word on the street is we can’t succeed here because we don’t have any good offensive linemen. I was straightforward with them and I wanted to see how they responded to that kind of criticism. “Right now, they’re really getting after it every day. They’re working their tails off. I think we‘ll be able to put together a good offensive line. They have to gel quickly — with our schedule we don’t get much in the way of warmups. I’m hoping by Aug. 28 that we have the right mix of seven or eight kids that we can put in and out of there.” Defensively, McLean admitted Brooke faces two huge challenges — replacing Cody Rine at defensive tackle and Walker at outside linebacker. “A kid like Cody Rine doesn’t come around every day,” the Brooke boss pointed out. “Filling his spot is a big challenge. Walker was a big, physical outside linebacker with speed. Replacing him is going to be difficult.” Green, a senior, will anchor the defensive line from his end spot. Senior Zac Tweedy and Tomassilli also are seeking playing time. “Nathan is garnering Division I attention because of his physical ability and his play on the field,” McLean said. “I’m very excited about him. His potential is just about as high as Thomas’. He can do whatever he wants to do. “He’s a hard worker, a vocal kid and See BRUINS Page 90
2015 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 Mason Werner Ryan Scherich Chris Baldauf
Jefferson County Vocational School
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Edison Wildcats
50
2015 Schedule Aug. 28 at East Liverpool * Sept. 4
Carrollton
Sept. 11
Buckeye Local
Sept. 18 at Beaver Local Sept. 25
Union Local
Oct. 2 at Oak Glen
Oct. 9 at Harrison Central Oct. 16 at Weir
Oct. 23
Toronto
Oct. 30
Indian Creek * 7:30 p.m. kickoff
Games at 7 p.m. unless noted
FREE WALK-IN INJURY ASSESSMENT 8 - 10am SATURDAYS DURING FOOTBALL SEASON IN THE WMC ATRIUM
Orthopedic Surgeons Sports Medicine Specialists and Physical Therapists On-Site
By AARON PETCHAL
Aug. 26, 2015
Season of change for Stickles’ squad
For The Gridiron
RICHMOND — This season will be one of change for the Edison football team. The Wildcats have made changes to the schedule and to the coaching staff, resulting in some changes on both sides of the ball to go along with an influx of talent from a deep freshmen class. “We want to improve,” thirdyear Edison head coach Derrick Stickles said. “The kids are getting a lot of reps. The changes we have made to our coaching staff have really helped the team. We have some good knowledgeable coaches. We have changed some things, and the kids are really learning. They have become students of the game. The kids are really working hard.” The Wildcats finished last season with a record of 2-8, including a four-game losing streak to end the season. “Anytime you go 2-8, you look back on the season as a disappointment,” said Stickles, who is 6-14 as a head coach. “You learn lessons whenever you go through something like that. I told the kids we had to go through that to get to where we are going. Everybody understands that. They can see where the program is going. “Last year was a learning experience for the kids. It was a learning experience for me. We had to face a lot of adver-
The Coaches
sity. When we face adversity this season, the kids will understand how that feels. They will know how to handle that situation this season, and that will help us move forward.” The Wildcats lost 11 seniors from last year’s team, but return several players who saw plenty of action last season. “We return 20 lettermen,” Stickles said. “A few of those were starters last season. We have experience on the offensive line and in the backfield. “Joe Nave came on and played quarterback for us in a couple of games late in the season, and he did a really
good job. We had some role players step in and do a good job for us. “We lost a good number of seniors to graduation. We had some role players step in last year, and this year they are going to have to step up. Some players played on special teams last year. “We are getting the kids ready. We have to prepare them for battle. We have to prepare them for Friday nights.” There are 49 players on the roster and the program dropped from Division IV to V. “I think that is a good num-
ber for us,” said Stickles. “We are getting smaller, but with that many kids, that gave us an opportunity to give the kids as many reps as possible. We are able to split them up and have scout teams on both sides of the ball.” The Wildcats, who have 19 freshmen on the roster, look to be strong in all phases of the game this season. “I think we will be wellrounded this season,” Stickles said. “We have a lot of pretty good skill players. We have to get the ball into their hands See WILDCATS Page 53
Aug. 26, 2015
51
2015 Roster
The Seniors
Seniors (12) 5 .............................. Jay Loucks 20 ............................ Nick Glenn 24 ...................... Dakota Byron 29 ........................ Robert Smith 42 .......................... Andy Matta 46 ................ Colter Whitmore 55 .................. Liam McAfoose 60 ...................... Cody McCain 74 .................... Clayton Wilson 75 .................. Nick Dellapenna 77 ........................ Dylan Boyuk 82 .......................... Evan Longo
From The Coach ...
“Last year was a learning experience for the kids. It was a learning experience for me. We had to face a lot of adversity. When we face adversity this season, the kids will understand how that feels. They will know how to handle that situation this season, and that will help us move forward.” — Derrick Stickles
GOOD LUCK To All Area Teams
formerly Hancock-Brooke Mental Health Service
Juniors (14) 7 .................... Storm Vincenzo 9 .......................... Dom Rogers 19 ................................ Joe Nave 32 .......................... Mark Johns 43 ........................ Chris Kosegi 44 ............ Cameron Radovian 50 .................... Mason Balzano 52 ........................ Logan Glenn 62 .......................... Cole Clutter 63 .................. Hunter Huggins 64 ...................... Logan Krinock 72 ............ Brandon Alexander 73 ........................ Jon Kemmer 84 .................... Cody Westling
Sophomores (4) 4 ........................ Dalton Cresap 11 .................... Dustin Calhoun 14 .................. Dylan Haldiman 22 ............................ Seth Cade
Freshmen (19) 1 ............................ Justin Wade 10 ............................ Devin Allen 25 .................. Bryce McAfoose 31 ...................... Dakota Clifton 33 ........................ River Pappas 37 ........................ James Torres 40 ...................... Cooper Smith 45 ...................... Michael Rood 54 ............................ Ben Kuntz 58 ............ Dominick Flinneken 60 ........................ Nathan Cain 61 ...................... Caleb Briganti 65 ...................... Ryan Laverick 67 .................... Joey McAllister 68 .................... Caleb Thorton 70 ........................ Logan Kmatz 78 .............. Dominick Williams 85 ........................ Derek Rohall
Aug. 26, 2015
53
Wildcats on Friday nights. “I have been impressed with them in practice. We’re going to be good up front. The linemen are using good technique. Our two line coaches are doing a good job with them. I am impressed with the whole picture.” Nave, a junior, will be the team’s starting quarterback. He will be backed up by senior Nick Glenn. “You want to create competition,” said the coach. “You want to keep guys on their toes. You want to find ways to make the kids better. I think competition is a good thing. “Joey has a great work ethic. He watches film. He wants to learn the game. He didn’t play football prior to his freshmen year. He has advanced quickly and pushes himself. We just have to keep him healthy.” Senior Dakota Byron, junior Chris Kosegi and sophomore Seth Cade are battling for the starting spot at tailback. All three will see time during games. Byron is the team’s leading returning rusher. “They are sharing reps,” Stickles said. “It is a good competition. We’re going to have to see how it goes. They are all doing a good job. We should be strong at that position.” The Wildcats will not use a traditional fullback. The team will use an Hback or a ‘”Y.”
Junior Dom Rogers will start at the position. “We have good depth at the ‘Y’ position,” Stickles said. “We will use a rotation of players. Kids will play both ways. We’re going to spread teams out and have our tight end in our backfield. We’re going to give teams a lot of looks. We are going to have different guys in the slot. “We have evolved offensively. We’re trying to find an identity. With the backs we do have, we do want to spread teams out. We want to do more with our running game. We’re not going to have as many four-wide receiver sets. We’re going to have a two-back spread with guys in the slot.” Edison also has a talented group of receivers. Nick Glenn will once again be a starting receiver. He will start in the slot at the “H” position. Glenn saw time at wide receiver as a sophomore and as a junior. Last season, he hauled in 25 catches for 201 yards and three touchdowns. Junior Cody Westling will start at the “Z” position, and classmate Storm Vincenzo will also see time at the position. “Cody is a bigger kid,” Stickles said. “He catches the ball well. He runs good routes.” Junior Marky Johns, senior Evan Longo and junior Cameron Radovian will all see time at the “X” position. Edison has some good size up front on the offensive line. The starting tackles are seniors Dylan Boyuk and Nick Dellapenna. “Both of our tackles are big and they move
From Page 50
well,” Stickles said. They will use a rotation of players on the inside. Junior Logan Glenn, who was the center last season, is working out at guard. Junior Mason Balzano will be the team’s center. Senior Liam McAfoose will be the right guard. Clayton Wilson will also see time on the inside.” The team will be without senior Collin Scott, who will not be able to play due to a medical issue. “Collin Scott was injured last season,” Stickles said. “You could say he got sick. He had a blood clot in his arm. It was in his tricep. It was a tough decision. Sports are his life. He wakes up at 5 o’clock to go into the barn and hit baseballs. He wants to be the best he can be. He was one of our emotional leaders. It is a tough loss.” Edison should be strong up front on the defensive line. Logan Glenn will play one of the defensive end positions along with Wilson. Balzano and Dellapenna will play on the inside. “We are going to use a rotation,” Stickles said. “A lot of kids are going to get reps. We want to keep the kids fresh. A lot of kids are going to see time. Mason Balzano will be our nose tackle.” Edison will use three linebackers. “We have moved to a new defense,” Stickles said. “We have changed our defense a few times. We are going to a 43. I think that is the best fit for us.” Rogers will serve as Sam linebacker, senior Colter Whitmore will serve as the Will linebacker and McAfoose will serve as the Mike linebacker. Kosegi is also getting reps as a linebacker. He will be competing for a spot. The Wildcats are expected to have a strong secondary. Cade will start at See WILDCATS Page 112
2015 Coaches
Head Coach
Derrick Stickles
Assistant Coaches Jason Duke Spencer Bendle Josh Garvin Shane O’Brien Steven Fletcher Caleb Crowl Josh Waggoner Kodi Peterson
GOOD LUCK GOLDEN BEARS!
Good Luck To All Area Teams!
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Oak Glen Golden Bears
56
Aug. 26, 2015
2015 Schedule Aug. 28 Weir
Sept. 5 at Catholic Central Sept. 11 at Indian Creek Sept. 18
Madonna
Oct. 2
Edison
Oct. 9 at East Liverpool *
Oct. 16 at Harrison Central Oct. 23
Buckeye Local
Oct. 30 at Beaver Local Nov. 6
Tyler Consolidated * 7:30 p.m. kickoff
Games at 7 p.m. unless noted
FREE WALK-IN INJURY ASSESSMENT 8 - 10am SATURDAYS DURING FOOTBALL SEASON IN THE WMC ATRIUM
Orthopedic Surgeons Sports Medicine Specialists and Physical Therapists On-Site
Counting on experience to turn the tide
By RALPH COX For The Gridiron
NEW MANCHESTER — Plagued by injuries during the three years that Ian Whittington has been the head football coach at Oak Glen meant that he had to play a lot of freshmen and sophomores during the past couple of seasons, something he really didn’t want to do. While that has meant that victories have been hard to come by, it may pay off in 2015 because those freshmen and sophomores are now experienced juniors and seniors. They are bigger, stronger and more mature. “It’s about time,” said Whittington, who has endured season records of 4-6, 0-10 and 2-8. “We have patiently worked with these kids over the past three years and I think we’re in a position to be rewarded. These guys finally are getting older, smarter, seasoned and ready to compete. We have a good group of juniors and seniors. “This team has really become a close-knit group — the closest we’ve had as a team in my four years. They all have played together for a long time, most since midget football days. They’ve taken their lumps as freshmen and sophomores and now it is their turn to step up and perform. They have the confidence and swagger to do that.”
The Coaches
Graduation took first-team All-OVAC wide receiver Micah Swiger, who played a big role in West Virginia’s win over Ohio in the conference all-star game in Wheeling in July, along with quarterback Chase Hartley. Both were keys to the Golden Bear offense last year and will be difficult to replace. Also picking up diplomas were starting tackle Chance Staley, middle linebacker Patrick Arneault, corner back Nathan Bebout, tackle Joe Wells and tackle Noah Mills, a three-year starter. Junior letterman, Lance Collins, will step in to Hartley’s quarterback shoes.
Whittington will miss the 929 passing yards and 305 yards rushing provided by Hartley, but he is confident that Collins, who saw substantial playing time last year spelling Hartley, is a capable replacement. Chayce Lemley, a sophomore, will be the backup signal caller. “Collins will pass the ball because we have definite threats on the outside again this year despite the loss of Swiger, but I think our strength this year will be in our running game,” said Whittington. “We have some veterans on our line and one of the better running backs in the area in Dakota Price.
“He is a big back (225 pounds) with speed and we plan to feed him the ball often.” Price, who was first-team All-OVAC as a sophomore last year and also honorable mention All-West Virginia running back, lugged the pigskin 143 times for 635 yards. He put up most of that yardage in just seven games because he didn’t get into the starting offensive lineup until the third game of the season when junior Alec Swiger, who decided to give up playing football, was injured in the second game. See BEARS Page 59
Aug. 26, 2015
57
2015 Roster
The Seniors
Seniors (10) 2 ................ Michael Campbell 4 .................... Justin Campbell 14 .......................... Aaron Gray 24 ................ Devon Chadwick 36 ............................ Brady Hitt 43 ............................ Cyle Perez 54 ............ Ryan Cunningham 59 ...................... Noah Flowers 71 .......................... Ron Moore 84 ................ Brandon Skeeles
From The Coach ...
“This team has really become a close-knit group — the closest we’ve had as a team in my four years. They all have played together for a long time, most since midget football days.” — Ian Whittington
Junior s (9) 3 ........................ David Devaux 5 ........................ Chase Crago 15 ........................ Lance Collins 22 ........................ Dakota Price 23 .......................... Stevie Cool 74 ...................... Logan Kranis 78 .................... Isaac Rosohac 80 ...................... Solan Mueller 86 .................. Austin Andrews Sophomores (15) 7 .................... Chayce Lemley 8 .................... Mason Headley 9 .......................... Jayden Glen
10 ...................... Mac Enriquez 13 ...................... Colin Williams 32 ........................ Nic Rowland 62 .................... Noah Toomey 66 ................................ Ty Beila 68 ...................... Mathias Cook 76 .......................... Joe Durant 77 ........................ Tony Minnis 81 .......................... Gus Weekly 88 .................. William Straight 89 .......................... Zane Cook 90 .......... Chance Provenzano
Freshmen (7) 6 ...................... Hunter Skeeles 20 ........................ Jake McCoy 27 .......................... Blake Almo 47 .................... Shawn Moore 58 ........................ Cole English 60 .................. Cameron Oulds 83 ........................ Ethan Travis
Aug. 26, 2015
59
Bears “We have senior Cyle Perez as a threat on the outside and I’m sure he’ll get his share of catches, but I think our focus will be on the run game,” Whittington continued. As a junior last year, Perez emerged as the third leading receiver in The HeraldStar/Daily Times coverage area, snagging 34 passes for 357 yards and a touchdown. On the offensive line, Whittington said he’ll rely on returning starters Noah Flowers at center, Isaac Rosohac at left guard, Ryan Cunningham at right guard and Michael Campbell at tight end. Rosohac, who will be in his third year as a starter, is a junior and the rest are seniors. At the offensive tackles, Whittington said he’ll have a four-man rotation that includes senior Ronnie Moore, junior Logan Kranis and sophomores Mathias Cook and Tony Minnis. Whittington said Devon Chadwick, a senior, is battling Campbell for playing time at tight end and will see action as a fullback. A number of the Golden Bears will double as defensive players, including Price and Flowers at defensive ends, Rosohac at defensive tackle and Perez at safety. Whittington also returns Kranis, who
started the final three games at defensive tackle. He said there is a three-way battle going on for the two starting cornerback slots among Collins, senior Justin Campbell and junior Solan Mueller. Outside linebacker Stevie Cool, a junior, returns. Chadwick is in a battle with sophomore Nic Rowland to start at middle linebacker. Rowland also could see time at fullback on offense. Whittington said that several players have caught his eye in the early workouts including junior Chase Crago at wide receiver and senior Bradley Hitt at running back. Hitt returns after sitting out his junior year. “True to his name, he’s a hitter, too,” Whittington said with a smile. Whittington said he was pleased with
Forever
From Page 56
the turnouts for the off-season workouts and weight lifting. He said he had 30 or more for those on a regular basis. “That’s why I say we will be much stronger than we have been,” said Whittington. “These kids have really come together and have worked hard to restore Oak Glen football.” Whittington said he’s happy that the Hancock County rivalry game with Weir High has been moved back to the first game of the season, where it had been traditionally until several years ago. “It will mean that we can go into that game healthy for a change,” he said. “The past couple of years we’ve had some key injuries and weren’t at full strength. It means both teams will start out with 0-0 records.”
2015 Coaches
From Page 33
The rivalry will officially be renewed in Week 4 — Sept. 18 — at Oak Glen. “(Oak Glen AD) Phil Rujak and myself have been talking about trying to get this done for a few years, and are both very excited that we did,” Kendrick said. “It is nice to play a school that’s local. It creates more excitement in the community, it’s great for fans and players and usually has a big crowd which adds to a great game atmosphere for the kids. “I am very happy that we were able to get it done and I am really looking forward to the game. It should be a fun night and exciting night for the players and fans.” Madonna opens its season against fellow Northern Panhandle parochial school Bishop Donahue at Jimmy Carey Stadium. Oak Glen will take on another rival in Weir High. Both of those games are on Aug. 28. “As always, I look forward to a successful athletic season at Oak Glen,” Rujak said. “During my five years as Athletic Director, our athletes have worked hard and achieved at high levels both athletically and academically.” Getting the Madonna football game back on the schedule is another crowning achievement for Rujak, along with Kendrick. It was easy for the two school leaders to work together and schedule the game, as they are cousins. “It wasn’t a hard process in the sense that Madonna and Oak Glen wanted to renew this rivalry,” Rujak said. “Both schools have great respect for one another and have a good relationship, overall. The difficult part of the process was finding a workable date that fit both schedules. “Football schedules are exceptionally difficult to complete because you only play once a week and everyone wants an equal amount of home and away games. “Therefore, in order to make a football game happen, both schools need to have See FOREVER Page 108
Head Coach
Ian Whittington Assistant Coaches Patrick McGillian Frank Crain
Ted Arneault Chris Hill
Justin Lipps-Watson
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Toronto, Edison back at it on gridiron
Aug. 26, 2015
By MATTHEW PEASLEE For The Gridiron
The hope for Edison and Toronto to resume playing football again didn’t necessarily begin in a conference room or school office. For Matthew Morrison, the desire to resume the rivalry started out in public. “I never realized how intertwined the two communities were until I came to Edison,” said Morrison, now the Edison principal. “I didn’t know very many Edison people at first. But just going to the grocery store or shopping, no matter where you go, you run into Edison and Toronto people. Everybody knows everybody.” Morrison spent 11 years as a teacher and coach at Toronto before coming to Edison in 2004. He was an educator and coach with the Wildcats, too, before taking the principal job in 2007. He’s seen both sides of the neighboring school districts and couldn’t be prouder that the Wildcats and Red Knights are joining together again on
the gridiron. “It’s going to be fun,” Morrison said. “It’s very good for both communities. It’s a great rivalry and moneymaker.” The teams last faced each other in 2007 at Edison. They played fourstraight games from 2004 to 2007, splitting the series. Toronto won, 2120, in 2004; Edison won, 20-13, in 2005; Edison won, 23-14, in 2006 and Toronto won, 35-15, in 2007. “We split the series,” Morrison said. “The games were very competitive and came down to the last minute. They were fantastic games and we’re looking for more of the same. It should be a packed house.” The game will be played at Edison on Oct. 23. “With it being Week 9,” Morrison said, “we’re just concerned about the weather.” Whether rain, sleet, snow or hail, Toronto athletic director Andy Reeves knows that date will be circled on many fans’ calendars. “It will be great for northern Jefferson County and both schools,” Reeves said. “Short trip, good crowd
and a competitive game should make for a good environment with possible playoff implications on the line in Week 9.” Last year, Toronto finished 8-3 with a trip to the Division VII state playoffs. Edison is now in Division V and is aiming for its best season since going 8-2 in 2010. “We enjoy playing them, but it all hinges on their bye week in the Buckeye 8 at this point,” Reeves said. “We are not in a mandatory scheduling league so we have to take what we can get when someone has an opening, which means we have to have flexibility in our schedule, which is why we move teams around.” For now, the game is signed to a two-year contract. “We hope we keep this rivalry going on forever,” Morrison said. Added Reeves, “It should be a good experience for the students, athletes, cheerleaders, band, parents, coaches, general fans and the communities.” Like it was 30 years ago. Edison was formed in 1994 from
Directory
61
the consolidation of several schools in northern Jefferson County. Prior to the four-year stretch in the mid2000s, Toronto just played Edison North, which the Red Knights beat five times. Toronto never played the old Stanton High School, which was located in Hammondsville. In the 1970s and 1980s, the Toronto-Jefferson Union game was the hottest ticket in town. “You hear from the older people who were involved in that series and they’re sure to tell you how big this game was,” Morrison said. “Several parents and grandparents are already reminding their kids of that now.” In the week leading up to this highly anticipated contest, there will certainly be chirping going on in the local grocery stores and shopping centers. Friendships will need to be put on hold. But after the game, normalcy will resume. However, one team will have something to hold on to for the next 365 days. Something near and dear to any football team’s heart. Bragging rights.
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Aug. 26, 2015
Toronto Red Knights
2015 Schedule Aug. 27 Wellsville # Sept. 4
Bridgeport
Sept. 11
McKinley
Sept. 19 at Catholic Central Sept. 25 at Shadyside Oct. 2
Ashtabula St. John +
Oct. 9 at Paden City Oct. 16
Conotton Valley
Oct. 23 at Edison Oct. 3
Madonna
# 7:45 p.m. kickoff at Harding
+ 7:30 p.m. kickoff
Games at 7 p.m. unless noted
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Program looking for another playoff appearance By AARON PETCHAL For The Gridiron
TORONTO — A highpowered offense along with a stingy defense made for a good combination for the Toronto football team last season. The Red Knights finished with an 8-3 record, including a trip to the Ohio Division VII playoffs. Unfortunately, Western Reserve defeated Toronto, 27-17, in the first round of the playoffs. “We are cautiously optimistic as we enter the season,” Toronto head coach Eric Meek said about the 2015 season. “We had success last season. We caught some teams by surprise last season and aren’t going to be able to do that this season. We play some quality teams this year. “We have some good skill position players back. We have a good junior class. “We want to improve every day. We want to stay injury free. That is always important. We want to play our best on Friday nights. We cannot take a week off. We have to come ready to play every Friday night.” The trip to the playoffs was the fourth in school history, and the boys from the Gem City are looking to make another trip back to the postseason this season. “Football is a team sport,” Meek said. “There is a lot of pressure in football, and I think
The Coaches
that makes it a great game. We tell the kids that they are going to face pressure when they grow up and become men. We want to get them used to dealing with pressure. We welcome it. We embrace it. We have high expectations this season. That is better than having low expectations.” After getting a taste of the postseason last year, Toronto is looking to go even deeper this season. “Some people think we took people by surprise last year,” Meek said. “We had success a year early. These kids are not satisfied. They want to go further. It is not going to be easy.
We play some good teams.” Toronto outscored its opposition, 375-143, last season and scored 32 or more points in a game eight times last year. Defensively, Toronto limited the opposition to eight or fewer points six times. The Red Knights shut out two teams. Though Toronto lost some key contributors from last season’s team, the Red Knights look to be strong on both sides of the ball once again this season. Toronto had 37 players on its roster for this season. “That is a good number for a school our size,” said Meek.
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“Our numbers are where they should be at.” While the Red Knights return some talented players from last season, Toronto’s biggest strength is team chemistry. “The strength of our team is just that, we are a team,” Meek said. “We do not have a lot of superstars on this team. The kids are not selfish. They always try their best to get the job done.” The Red Knights return 15 lettermen. “We are going to mix it up on offense,” Meek said. “If our See RED KNIGHTS Page 65
Aug. 26, 2015
63
2015 Roster
The Seniors
Seniors (9) 3 .......................... Blaze Glenn 5 .................... Donnie Starkey 7 ............................ Joe Jordan 8 ................ Brandon Mitchell 13 ........................ Gavin Roche 15 .................... Blaine Rawson 27 ...................... Drew Lowery 54 ............................ Cody King 72 ...................... Justin Starkey Juniors (10) 10 ................................ Ty West 20 .................... Danny Zdinak 21 .............. Thomas Fordham 24 ...................... Danny Braniff 32 .......................... Joe Obrien 34 .............................. Max Tice 57 ............................ Ben Davis 69 ...................... Dustin Henry 71 ...................... Griffin Allison 77 .................... Dylan Warren
From The Coach ...
“We want to improve every day. We want to stay injury free. That is always important. We want to play our best on Friday nights. We cannot take a week off. We have to come ready to play every Friday night.” — Eric Meek
Sophomores (6) 2 .................. Nathan Keenan 18 ........................ Jake Keenan 28 ...................... Kobe Herrick 51 .......................... Luke Fogle
55 .................... Avery Watkins 66 .................... Kanne Larkins
Freshmen (12) 1 .............................. Judge Hall 4 .................... Nathan Karaffa 12 .............................. Travis Hill 25 ...................... Andre Roach 26 .................... Chase Cooper 31 ...................... Carson Meek 45 .................... Nick Sninchak 56 ........................ Trent Wright 60 ...................... Seth Watkins 74 ............................ Joe Shook 75 .................. Cole DeGarmo 76 ...................... Justin Haynes
Aug. 26, 2015
65
Red Knights offensive line can stay healthy and get better every day, they will be very good. We have four talented running backs. We can run the ball efficiently, but we can also spread teams out.” Two of those returning lettermen are senior quarterbacks — Blaze Glenn and Blaine Rawson. Glenn started last season as the team’s starting quarterback, but he ended up missing eight games due to a broken foot suffered in a season-opening loss at Wellsville. Rawson was one of two quarterbacks to fill in under center last season while Glenn was out of action. Last season, Rawson was 56 of 82 for 896 yards. He threw 11 touchdowns and three interceptions. Glenn completed 15 of 30 passes for 241 yards. This season, Glenn and Rawson will split time at quarterback. Whichever one is playing quarterback the other will be playing as a wide receiver at the “X” position. Freshman Nathan Karaffa will be behind Glenn and Rawson. “We have packages for both Blaine and Blaze,” Meek said. “They can both play outside of their packages. Blaine showed he could run the ball last year, and he threw for 1,000 yards as a freshman. There are a lot of
neat things we can do with the two of them.” Sophomore Kobe Herrick and freshman Judge Hall are vying for time at the “X” position. Junior Ty West is expected to see a lot of time at the “Z” position, and he will be backed up by sophomores Jake Keenan and Nate Keenan, junior Thomas Fordham and senior Gavin Roche. West led the Red Knights with 17 catches last season. He totaled 225 yards on his 17 catches, one of which went for a touchdown. “We have Blaze Glenn and Ty West at wide receiver, but Jake Keenan is going to see a lot of time,” Meek said. “He is very good.” Senior Donnie Starkey is the frontrunner at tight end. Last season, Starkey caught three passes for 129 yards and a touchdown. Starkey will be backed up by juniors Joe Obrien and Dan Braniff, along with freshmen Nick Sninchak, Chase Cooper and Travis Hill. Despite the loss of Charles Ross III to graduation, the Red Knights are once again expected to have a strong running game. Ross led the team with 973 yards on 113 carries for an average of 8.6 yards a carry. He scored 13 touchdowns last season. This season, four talented players are vying for time at tailback. Junior Max
From Page 62
Tice, who rushed for 291 yards and six touchdowns on 54 carries last year and classmate Danny Zdinak, who did a little bit of everything last season for the Red Knights, are the top two candidates for the job at the moment. Last year, Zdinak ran for 283 yards and six touchdown on 54 carries, he caught 15 passes for 272 yards and five touchdowns, he returned 16 kickoffs for 336 yards, he returned three punts for 27 yards and he kicked 36 extra points and three field goals as well as scoring one twopoint conversion. He led the team with 113 points scored. Zdinak also intercepted a pass on defense. Senior Brandon Mitchell and freshman Andre Roach are also vying to see time this season. “Andre Roach is a freshman, but he is very talented,” Meek said. “He is going to get some playing time this season. I have been very impressed with him so far.” The tailbacks will also see time as slot receivers. “Our tailbacks can play slot receivers,” Meek said. “You have the top two, and then you have Mitchell and Roach both of whom are going to get a lot of reps. Roach won’t get as many reps early on because he is just a freshman. Senior Drew Lowery will be the starter at fullback. Last year, Lowery rushed for 266 yards and six touchdowns on 41 carries. He also caught 11 passes for 178 yards and two touchdowns. See RED KNIGHTS Page 105
2015 Coaches
Head Coach
Eric Meek
Assistant Coaches Jason Fogle Bruce Palmer Bill Stone Al Johnson Matt Karaffa Bill Meek
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Aug. 26, 2015
Division I
From Page 6
learn a lot of things along the way, but most of all it teaches you to be patient. “As long as you you learn from it and work on what you need to work on, I feel you can progress to be a better player than what you came in as.” That’s the case with Murray. He was a starter right away with the Golden Flashes in 2014, making 23 tackles with 16 solo stops and three pass breakups as a cornerback. “Many of the players and coaches look to me to fill the role of the leadership spot,” Murray said. He’s a leader back home in the Ohio Valley, too. When he’s back in Steubenville, Murray visits with current Big Red players and whoever else cares to lend an ear to one of the MidAmerican Conference’s best defensive players. “The biggest issue is dedication,” Murray said. “A lot of guys may think that just because you’re good on your high school team means that you don’t have to work anymore. Me and (Weirton native) Connor (Arlia) bring a little different mentality to Kent because we kept working no matter what team we were playing for. You have to have the right attitude because everybody can always be better. “My biggest advice to kids is to stay out of trouble and stay in the books. There’s always somebody else behind you who is trying to become the next best person. As long as you don’t give up on your work ethic and you stay committed to what you want to do and be disciplined, you’ll be a successful college player.” Murray and Arlia connected as high school standouts at Steubenville and Madonna, respectively. They’ve both switched schools and now have found a home at Kent, where they are thriving. “Basically every day, we’re chatting it up about the team or where we came from,” Murray said about his relationship with Arlia. “We talk it up about coming from the Ohio Valley. Connor is one of my guys. He has a great work ethic — one of the best I’ve ever seen out of a football player. He’s going to be a great fit for our offense because he’s bought into our style. He’s definitely one of our top receivers and we’re looking forward to him making plays on offense.”
AFTER TRANSITIONS, ARLIA IS NOW WHERE HE BELONGS In 2012, Connor Arlia played alongside eventual NFL stars Tavon Austin and Stedman Bailey. In 2013, he was poised to break out into his professional potential, too, as he was moving up the West Virginia wide receiver depth chart. In the summer of that year, Arlia earned WVU’s Tom Nickolick Award, given to the program’s top walk-on player. Arlia was an Iron Mountaineer honoree for excellence in the weight room. He earned a full athletic scholarship, quite the full circle journey for the Madonna standout who had offers from Harvard, Penn, Robert Morris and Carnegie Mellon, among others, after high school. Things were shaping up to be great that fall. Then life happened. In August, Arlia left the Mountaineers in search for a change of scenery. After officially recording seven catches for 43 yards with WVU, Arlia found his next opportunity at Division II West Virginia Wesleyan. He made an impact right away in his first game with the Bobcats making six catches for 66 yards at Elon. Arlia finished with 66 catches for 733 yards and seven touchdowns in what would be his only season at Wesleyan. Another change of scenery was needed. See DIVISION I Page 101
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Big Red
Catholic Central
Indian Creek
Brooke
(Games at 7 p.m. unless noted) Aug. 28 at Cambridge Sept. 4 at East Liverpool, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 11 Oak Glen Sept. 18 Buckeye Local Sept. 25 at St. Clairsville, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 2 Brooke Oct. 9 Martins Ferry Oct. 16 Beaver Local Oct. 23 at Harrison Central Oct. 30 at Edison
(Games at 7:30 p.m. unless noted) Aug. 28 Huntington Sept. 4 at Morgantown Sept. 11 University Sept. 18 Hurricane Sept. 25 at Wheeling Park, 7 p.m. Oct. 2 at Indian Creek, 7 p.m. Oct. 9 Steubenville Oct. 16 Parkersburg South Oct. 23 at Weir, 7 p.m. Oct. 30 at John Marshall, 7 p.m.
(Games at 7 p.m. unless noted) Aug. 27 Cleveland JFK, 5:45 p.m. Sept. 4 Clinton Massie Sept. 11 D.C. St. Johns Sept. 18 Massillon Sept. 25 at Dover, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 2 Ursuline Oct. 9 at Brooke, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 16 University Prep Oct. 23 Cardinal O’Hara Oct. 29 at St. Clairsville
(Games at 7 p.m. unless noted) Aug. 28 at Wheeling Central Sept. 5 Oak Glen Sept. 12 Weir High, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 19 Toronto Sept. 26 Warren JFK Oct. 3 at Bellaire, 12:30 p.m. Oct. 9 at Barnesville Oct. 16 at Bishop Donahue Oct. 24 at Madonna Oct. 31 St. John Central
Buckeye Local
Edison
Toronto
Weir High
(Games at 7 p.m. unless noted) Aug. 28 at Martins Ferry Sept. 4 Union Local Sept. 11 at Edison Sept. 18 at Indian Creek Sept. 25 Bellaire Oct. 2 at John Marshall, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 9 Beaver Local Oct. 16 East Liverpool Oct. 23 at Oak Glen Oct. 30 Harrison Central
(Games at 7 p.m. unless noted) Aug. 28 at East Liverpool, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 4 Carrollton Sept. 11 Buckeye Local Sept. 18 at Beaver Local Sept. 25 Union Local Oct. 2 at Oak Glen Oct. 9 at Harrison Central Oct. 16 at Weir Oct. 23 Toronto Oct. 30 Indian Creek
(Games at 7 p.m. unless noted) Aug. 27 vs. Wellsville at Harding Stadium, 7:45 p.m. Sept. 4 Bridgeport Sept. 11 McKinley Sept. 19 at Catholic Central Sept. 25 at Shadyside Oct. 2 Ashtabula St. John, 7:30p.m. Oct. 9 at Paden City Oct. 16 Conotton Valley Oct. 23 at Edison Oct. 30 Madonna
(Games at 7 p.m. unless noted) Aug. 28 at Oak Glen Sept. 4 Harrison Central Sept. 12 at Catholic Central, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 18 Grafton Sept. 25 at Liberty-Clarksburg, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 2 at Union Local Oct. 9 at Magnolia, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 16 Edison Oct. 23 Brooke Oct. 30 East Liverpool
Harrison Central
Oak Glen
Weirton Madonna
(Games at 7 p.m. unless noted) Aug. 28 at Claymont Sept. 4 at Weir Sept. 11 Bellaire Sept. 18 Union Local Sept. 25 at Martins Ferry Oct. 2 at St. Clairsville, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 9 Edison Oct. 16 Oak Glen Oct. 23 Indian Creek Oct. 30 at Buckeye Local
(Games at 7 p.m. unless noted) Aus. 28 Weir Sept. 5 at Catholic Central Sept. 11 at Indian Creek Sept. 18 Madonna Oct. 2 Edison Oct. 9 at East Liverpool, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 16 at Harrison Central Oct. 23 Buckeye Local Oct. 30 at Beaver Local Nov. 6 Tyler Consolidated
(Games at 7 p.m. unless noted) Aug. 28 Bishop Donahue Sept. 5 at Tusky Catholic, 1:30 p.m. Sept. 12 Wheeling Central Sept. 18 at Oak Glen Sept. 26 at Ashtabula St. John, 1:30 p.m. Oct. 2 St. John Central Oct. 17 Notre Dame Oct. 24 Catholic Central Oct. 30 at Toronto Nov. 6 at Clay-Battelle, 7:30 p.m.
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Aug. 26, 2015
Harrison Central Huskies 2015 Schedule Aug. 28 at Claymont Sept. 4 at Weir
Sept. 11 Bellaire
Sept. 18
Union Local
Sept. 25 at Martins Ferry
Oct. 2 at St. Clairsville + Oct. 9
Edison
Oct. 16
Oak Glen
Oct. 23
Indian Creek
Oct. 30 at Buckeye Local
+ 7:30 p.m. kickoff
Games at 7 p.m. unless noted
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Expectation level high for Kropka’s crew
By SETH STASKEY For The Gridiron
CADIZ — As much as he tries to tune it out and not listen, Justin Kropka still seems to hear the noise surrounding his Harrison Central football team. It’s a good noise, but Kropka doesn’t want his team to looking any further than Friday’s opener at Claymont. “I’m old school when it comes to this stuff,” Kropka said. “The expectations of the outside world don’t matter much to me.” Those outside expectations are high. Really high, actually. “I’d say they’re the highest expectations we’ve had, but I don’t get much into that,” Kropka said. “Our expectations don’t ever change and that’s effort, execution, doing the right thing, putting in the work and after that things take care of themselves.” The expectations and excitement surrounding the 2015 Huskies stem from a roster that features more than 50 players, including 12 who are seeking at least their third letter and 12 who are seeking their second. Taking it a step further, the Huskes’ roster features 10 seniors, who have provided steady leadership thus far. “I think this group has been forced to be leaders early (in their careers),” Kropka said. “Our juniors had to become leaders a year early, so we did-
The Coaches
n’t have a big transition there. This has been a really fun group to coach with a lot of good kids who care.” The leadership advancement went down last year when the Huskies finished with a 5-5 record. Though it wasn’t what he had envisioned this time a year ago, but as it transpired, Kropka called his team’s .500 finish, “a miracle.” “The whole year we were piece-mealing things,” Kropka said. “I would have liked to have seen what that team could have done if we kept everyone on the field. I thought we could
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have beaten seven or eight teams (if healthy).” The injuries the Huskies had to deal with simply weren’t bumps and bruises. Some had season and career-ending ramifications. “There were six or seven times when we had guys on the field who didn’t even play the position they were at during two-a-days,” Kropka revealed. “That’s not a recipe for success.” Even with all of the issues they dealt with, the Huskies final two losses came by a combined 10 points. “I think we were down to
our fifth quarterback and six or seven deep at linebacker at a point last season because of injuries,” Kropka said. “We hit (injuries) real bad in 2011 and that was the last time it was even as close to as bad as last season.” One thing Kropka admires about his current team, last season’s squad and basically every team he’s had in his previous 10 years is the fact they’ll show and battle. “It doesn’t matter to these kids ... they’re going to play hard,” Kropka said. “That’s a See HUSKIES Page 73
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Aug. 26, 2015
71
2015 Roster
The Seniors
Seniors (10) 2 ................ KeShaun Muckle 3 ................ Brandon Mitchell 4 .................. Giovanni Rocchi 6 ...................... Bryson Porter 11 ................................ Sam Hill 14 .................. Zach Arbogast 22 .................. Travis Stenson 24 .................... Austyn Porter 28 .................. Tison Johnson 67 .................... Antony Risley
From The Coach ...
“I’d say they’re the highest expectations we’ve had, but I don’t get much into that. Our expectations don’t ever change and that’s effort, execution, doing the right thing, putting in the work and after that things take care of themselves.” — Justin Kropka
Juniors (16) 7 ........................ Grant Sproul 13 .................. Shaun Logsdon 20 ...................... Kyle Roberts 25 ........................ Tyler Carter 31 ...................... John Mitchell 34 ............................ Jesse Ball 46 .......................... Jacob Barr 48 ........................ Logan Starr 50 ...................... Bobby Taylor 51 .................... Malcom Boyer 52 .................. Nevada Kuryn 60 ...................... Brenton Stull 66 ........................ Clay Gilliam 75 ...................... Logan Smith 77 .................... Shane Jenkins 78 ...................... Lance Smith
Sophomores (12) 1 .................. DeJuan Caldwell 5 .................. Trent McDonald 9 .................. Caden Arbaugh 12 ...................... Isiah Cowans 17 ...................... Gage Rapavi 23 .......................... Wyatt Elias 26 ................ Coleman Dodds 30 ........................ Lindsey Ball 53 ...................... Jake Schoup 54 .................. Blake Barnhart 55 .................... Reese Beasley 58 .................. Ronnie Bowers
Freshmen (14) 15 ...................... Peyton Taylor 16 .................... Caden Dalton 21 ............................ Tyler West 27 ............ Damon Carpenter 32 .................... Cody Gamble 33 .................... Zack Marbais 61 ...................... Caden Bailey 62 .......................... Josh Croft 64 ...................... Cole Dunfee 65 ............................ Nick Gray 68 ...................... Blayne Erwin 70 ...................... Sean Francis 71 ................ Gabe Alexander 79 .......................... Isiah White
Aug. 26, 2015
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Huskies testament to the kids. They’re awesome.” Taking care of the little things is something that Kropka stresses annualy and it remains a constant as the Huskies have went through summer conditoning and camp. “We have some guys who revert to bad habits or make mental mistakes at times and they can cost you,” Kropka said. “Every so often, I write some of the different scores on the board so these kids don’t forget how close we were. We can’t make those same mental mistakes and that sometimes worries me.” If there’s anything to be taken from last season it’s the fact that the Huskies’ senior class was relatively small and the injuries forced some kids into the lineup maybe sooner than the head coach had envisioned. “We accidently developed some depth, which has put us further ahead,” Kropka said. “We return 17 starters or something, but they weren’t always expecting that. Some of those kids played out of necessity.” As it stands right now, Kropka thinks his personnel — on paper — has the makings of being a playoff contending outfit. “I was a little younger, but I used to think I had a beat on (football), but you never know how
it’s going to play out,” Kropka said. “I don’t try to predict things, but I like where we are and we look like a veteran team. I like how we’ve handled our business, our mindset, our leadership. The makings of a good football team are there.” Kropka’s teams have been pretty balanced offensively and this will be no exception. “It’s kind of a pick your poison type of offense,” Kropka confirmed. “If our (linemen) develop the way they should, we’re going to put you in a pickle (defensively). Our offense is versatile enough to do whatever we need to do without throwing the baby out with the bath water.” Amongst all of the changes, Kropka realized he had more quarterback depth than he had guessed. Senior Zach Arbogast was the starter out of camp last season and had a solid season, throwing for 1,641 yards and 10 touchdowns. However, he went down with one of those aforementioned injuries in the second half of the campaign. In steps classmate Brandon Mitchell who threw for 289 yards and four touchdowns. His performance has created quite the battle in camp and a weekly decision for Kropka. “We like both kids a lot,” Kropka said. “We’re going to use them both. It might be game-to-game or series to series. We feel confident that both of those guys can win games for us.”
From Page 70
Kropka has been pleased with how the quarterbacks have handled the situation. “It takes a special kind of (kid) to make the sarfices that these guys are and when you have guys willing to do that, it shows on the field,” Kropka said. Arbogast and Mitchell are backed by talented sophomore Wyatt Elias and freshman Peyton Taylor. At the tailback spot, senior Travis Stenson (6-3, 195) put forth an impressive season, racking up 1,247 yards and scoring 14 touchdowns in nine games. He missed the opener at Buckeye Trail. He’s also a talented receiver. He made 25 receptions for 309 yards. ‘Travis has put on 15 pounds and really worked hard on the weights this offseason,” Kropka said. “He’s a heck of a two-way football player.” Senior Bryson Porter saw quality time last season and will take on a bigger role this year. Junior Jesse Ball (6-1, 255) will get the start at fullback. He averaged 4.5 yards a carry last season in limited touches. He caught 17 passes out of the backfield.” Senior Tison Johnson is a versatile player who will find his way to the field in some capacity. He can play at running back and wide receiver. Other backs looking to work their way into the rotation include: senior Sam Hill, juniors Shaun Logsdon, Tyler Carter, sophomores Coleman Dodds, Lindsey Ball and freshmen Damon Carpenter, Cody Gamble, Tyler West. “We like our backfield and think we See HUSKIES Page 114
2015 Coaches
Head Coach
Justin Kropka
Assistant Coaches Mike Valesko Mike Palmer Cain Noble D.J. Butler Anthony Hayes Bryan Mays Nick Bickar Dom Barabara
Aug. 26, 2015
Ghosts
“remelt alloy” used in stainless steel products. And while the business is family owned and based in Weirton, John Patterson, the owner says: “It’s like coming home for me.” Patterson’s mother grew up in Weirton living on Weir Avenue right across from the current basic oxygen plant building. She graduated from Weir High and saw many football games at old Jimmy Carey Stadium. “I remember the stadium myself because even though my mother and father moved to Carnegie, Pa., after they were married in Weirton, we visited relatives there often,” Patterson said. “It’s like coming home for us.” Plans include constructing a warehouse at the south end of the stadium and actually using the existing concession stand in the left corner as an employee break room. There will be an addition to the existing building on the former Weir High School property that was used most recently as a school bus repair facility. “We’ll have parking areas on the stadium property, but plans now are not to disturb the concrete stands and press box area and I’m not sure yet how we’ll use it, but we want to keep the goal post that remains,” Patterson continued. “We think it’s just ideal for the 18-20 people we plan to employ there.” Back to your imagination. Keep it going and you’ll hear the crowds cheering on the great teams coached by Carl R. Hamill, who had an unbeaten team in the stadium in 1938
75
From Page 17
and once-beaten teams in 1937 and 1941. Hamill became a legend, coaching from 1929 to 1950 and compiling a record of 171-36-13 with three state championships. You may see Burdell “Jimmy” Carey, for whom the stadium is named, prowling the sidelines as an assistant coach. He took over as head coach in 1956 after serving as an assistant for many years. Carey was head football coach only until 1961, but won three state championships in that brief six-year span. The first came one year after he became head coach as his 1957 Red Riders went undefeated and won the state Class AAA title on Thanksgiving Day at Wheeling with a thrilling 19-12 comeback victory over Fairmont West. Carey’s 1960 and 1961 teams won consecutive state championships with identical 10-1 records, becoming the first school in West Virginia to win undisputed championships back-to-back. See GHOSTS Page 89
626 North Fourth Street Steubenville, OH 43952 President: Kyle Brown Vice President: Scott Mazzulli Secretary/Treasurer: James Conrad Jefferson County Vocational School
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Aug. 26, 2015
Buckeye Local Panthers 2015 Schedule Aug. 28 at Martins Ferry Sept. 4
Union Local
Sept. 11 at Edison
Sept. 18 at Indian Creek Sept. 25 Bellaire
Oct. 2 at John Marshall + Oct. 9
Beaver Local
Oct. 16
East Liverpool
Oct. 23 at Oak Glen Oct. 30
Harrison Central
+ 7:30 p.m. kickoff
Games at 7 p.m. unless noted
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Pest’s Panthers will be large up front
For The Gridiron
The Coaches
RAYLAND — When Phil Pest took over as the Buckeye Local Panther grid boss four years ago, he knew he had his work cut out for him if he was going to rebuild the football program. On the verge of opening his fourth season with the Panthers, Pest knows the job of bringing success back to Buckeye is still in need of work. He does like to believe that a big line and some experience in some key places may light the spark. Over the past two seasons, Panther football has provided its fans with backto-back 1-9 records. Shrinking numbers and untimely injuries haven’t been any help in the hopes to recover. Heading into the 2015 season, Pest and his Panthers will be without the top two rushers from last season, the top four receivers, the team’s top kick returner and a quarterback that started four games and missed five after being injured in an automobile accident. Pest isn’t downtrodden though. What he sees is a very big bunch of linemen, a lot of young players who got plenty of playing time
last year, a strong-armed quarterback with some good receivers and a group of kids that he says aren’t accustomed to quitting. Graduation took a big bite although the Panthers lot just eight players from last season’s team. Gone from a year ago is Devon Marques, a veteran player that suffered severe injuries in an auto accident after the third game of the season and never returned. Also missing are Brandon Panepucci, Austin Antill, Tyler Miller, Eric Banal, Damion Beall, Shawn Tustin and Logan Dehnart. Miller missed five games
By RICK DeLUCA
after being a part of the auto accident with Marques. Banal has moved on to West Liberty where he will be a member of the Hilltopper baseball team. “We lost eight good players by graduation, but as the season turned out last season, we played a lot of young kids. We had a few freshmen that started,” Pest pointed out. “Of course, we had freshmen playing who didn’t have the opportunity to play as a freshman. They had to play as a sophomore or junior. “This year, our numbers are down, but we have 40
kids who have been real steady for us. A lot of them played last year, so that’s an advantage for us. That should help us in the long run.” Pest is hopeful that the injury bug will stay clear of the Panther camp as he hold high expectations for a strong-armed quarterback in 5-foot-11, 185-pound junior Jared Moore, who threw for nearly 700 yards last season, twice going ove 200 yards in a game. He is also looking at a pair of able receivers in seniors Nathan Bloom and See PANTHERS Page 79
Aug. 26, 2015
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2015 Roster
The Seniors
Seniors (10)
2 .......................... Dylan Dokes 16 .................. Brandon Mayle 43 ...................... Ryan Morrow 51 ........................ Tristan Jones 53 .............. Mason Patterson 69 .......................... Zac Merkel 78 .................... Simeon Smith 83 ........................ Ryan Myers 84 .................... Nathan Bloom 85 ........................Bobby Myers
Juniors (10)
From The Coach ...
“This year, our numbers are down, but we have 40 kids who have been real steady for us. A lot of them played last year, so that’s an advantage for us. That should help us in the long run.” — Phil Pest
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Sophmores (9)
20 ........................ John Marelli 32 .................... Kadin Weaver
34 55 72 74 76 80 83
........................ Trey Burgess ........................ Cody Briffith ........................ Matt Barsch ................ Lukas Dickerson .............. Brock Woodward .................. Kevin Marques ................ William Hopkins
Freshmen (11)
10 .................. Shane Christian 11 .............................. Jacob Still 15 ............................ Jack Reese 21 ............................ Zack Reed 30 .................. Isaiah Valentine 33 ............................ Ben Bailey 51 ...................... Gage Kornetti 52 .............................. Joe Reed 68 .......................... Dillon Wier 71 ............................ Jared Cain 77 ........................ Fred Hertler
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Panthers Bobby Myers. Both are sure-handed pass catchers that could ignite some offense. In addition to Moore in the backfield, Pest has two very capable runners in veteran tailback Dylan Dokes and hard-hitting Ryan Morrow at fullback. Pest will be counting on a huge line that will likely go both ways and should be around for a couple years. At center will be junior David Crites (6-foot, 220), at guards are senior Zac Merkel (6-foot, 210) and sophomore Lukas Dickerson (6-1, 280), at the tackles will be sophomore Cody Griffith, (6-3, 235) and junior DonRay Mayle (6-4, 270). Pest will also have junior Andrew Hillman and senior Brandon Mayle. With the Panthers forced to play so many players last season, Buckeye will benefit from 22 lettermen, three of which are sophomores and 10 who are juniors. Pest mentioned that some players will likely not be coming off the field much during the season. Defensively, he sees the secondary as a problem area early. “If we have an area to be concerned with it is our secondary,� Pest remarked. “We lost experience there and we are hoping t use Moore at safety because he is our
From Page 76
quarterback, but it as if that will need to happen.� As for the kicking game, junior Logan Barsch, who suffered lifethreatening injuries in the same auto accident, has returned and will be the kicker on PATs. It’s a heartwarming return of a young player who, at one point, was doubtful to walk. Moore and Hillman will handle the punting and Hillman is set be the man on kickoffs. “We have a lot of players that can be used in a variety of ways and a lot of players who will can be two-way players at any time. Right now we are working on conditioning.� While Pest has singled out some players as likely starters, he cautioned that his squad that could easier create changes at any time. His senior contingent also includes play-anywhere Tristan Jones (6-1, 210), fullback/linebacker Mason Patterson one
of the top returning rushers, two-way tackle Simeon Smith (6-7, 400) a certain starter on defense and split end/defensive back Ryan Myers. “We don’t have a lot of depth, but the kids are working real hard and are hoping to turn things around,� Pest said. “The kids didn’t quit last year and I expect much of the same from this group.� Every junior returning has lettered previously. Looking for another monogram are juniors back-up QB and cornerback Danny Callarik, split end/cornerback Nate Dwyer, two-way tackle Jake Ingram, converted guard to running back and linebacker Abel Maxwell and slot back/linebacker Corey Neavin. Buckeye’s sophomore group also includes letterwinner runningback/linebacker John Marelli, two-way tackle Matt Barsch (6-1, 301), tailback/linebacker Trey Burgess, split end/linebacker William Hopkins, wide receiver/defensive back Kevi Marques, slotback/corner Kadin Weaver and two-way tackle Brock Woodward. Eleven freshmen will be looking for varsity and jayvee playing time this season. That contingent includes fullback/linebacker Ben Bailey, tackle Jared Cain (6-4, 315), QB/corner Shane Christian, guard/tackle Fred Hertler, center/D-end Gage Kornetti, tackle Joe Reed (6-1, 320), receiver/corner Zack Reed, running back/linebacker Jack Reese, tight end/safety Jacob Still, running back/linebacker Isaiah Valentine and lineman Dillon Wier.
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Aug. 26, 2015
Parents, fans and friends salute their favorite players ... Mark Johns
Jacob Kennedy
"Go for it!”
"Good luck #12 in your senior year! We are all proud of you!" Mom, Dad, Jess, Grandma and Grandpa
“Have a great season! We’re very proud of you ... keep up the good work!” Love, Mom, Dad, Ashley and Austin
Zachary Williams
Adam Cowden
Drew Lowery
"We are so proud of you! Have a great Senior season!"
"Work hard, hit hard, play hard, win EASY!"
Edison Junior
“Have a great football season."
Rich & Jan Gregor & Mom and Dad
Indian Creek Senior
Brooke Senior
Weirton Junior
Love, Mom, Dad and Alyssa
Good luck, Grandma & Grandpap Adyniec & Uncle Aaron
A.J. Cochrun
Trent Bolek
Steubenville Senior
"Good luck in your senior year!" ... All our love, Mom, Dad, Anastasia, Grandma, Granddad, Launastasis, Launette and Rusty
Indian Creek Freshman
"Good luck Trent!!"
Love, Mom and Jeff
William “Popeye” Poplowski Steubenville Senior
Toronto Senior
"Good luck in your senior year! We’re very proud of you!”
Grandma & Pappy Lowery
Clayton Wilson Edison Senior
"Good luck! Have a great season!!" Love you, Grandma Donna, Mom, Kenny, Shai, Logan & Kaleb
Zach Cole
Gage Kornetti
Tristan McDonald
"Good luck Zach. Hope you have a great season! Go Creek!”
"Good luck Gage and Panthers!"
"Good luck in your Senior year. We’re very proud of you!"
Indian Creek Senior
We Love You, Gary, Grammy, Stephen, Ariel and Sarge
Buckeye Local Freshman
Love, Mom, Dad, Pap and Roo
Indian Creek Senior
Love, Your Family
Aug. 26, 2015
81
Parents, fans and friends salute their favorite players ... Chris Gillette Weirton
Sophomore
“Good Luck Red Riders!”
Grandma & Pap Day and The Day Families
Brennon Norris Indian Creek Freshman
“Have a great 2015-16 season! We are so proud of your accomplishments! Keep it up and have fun!!” Love, Dad, Mom and Jared
Jonathan Dailey Indian Creek Senior
Koty Hudson Brooke Junior
“Let’s go Jonathan, get out there and blow those other teams away so I.C.H.S. is #1” Pappy & Uncle Jay Dailey
"Good luck Koty! Have a great season."
Alec Taylor
Richie Gualtiere
Steubenville Junior
"Catch everything you can and run fast! Good luck!"
We love you, Grandma and Pap
Indian Creek Freshman
Love, Mom, Dad, Nana, PaPap, Cincin and Papa Dale
"Good luck in your 1st high school year as a Freshman player!" We love you! Mom, Dad and Rileigh
Khalib Smith
Sam Robinson
Blaine Rawson
“Good Luck! Do your best and have fun."
“Good Luck Sam and Go Creek!”
Aaron Robinson
Jacob N. Wypasek
Austin Vandeborne
“Good Luck Aaron and Go Creek!”
"From the time you were a little boy growing up, you always made Gram & Pap very proud of you! Good luck to you & the team!" Love, Gram & Pap Wypasek
"Play hard, have fun and enjoy your Junior year #19 ... Go Creek!"
Weirton
Sophomore
We love you, Mom, Dad, Austin, Mema, Roy, Mema Alice
Indian Creek Sophomore
Love, Your Family
Indian Creek Junior
Love, Your Family
Weirton Senior
Toronto Senior
"We have enjoyed watching you as a tiny Titan grow into a Red Knight. Hold these memories close. Remember how proud you’ve made us!” Love, Dad, Mom, Meg & Jack
Indian Creek Junior
Love, Dad, Mom & Kacie
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Aug. 26, 2015
Parents, fans and friends salute their favorite players ... Zachary Williams
Donavan Spencer
"We love you #57 ... Good luck your senior season!"
"Have a healthy & successful season. You’ve worked hard for this and deserve the best!" Good Luck, Dad, Mom & Sebastian
Weirton
Indian Creek
Junior
Senior
Love, Grandma & Grandpa Williams and Grandma Serafini
Big Red
Petrides are Jones, Hopkins and Butler. Pierro, Williams and Sawyer will compete for time behind S. Petteway. Zimish returns at the Mike (middle) linebacker spot. He took over late in 2014 and finished with 66 tackles. Koval, Gulan and N. Zorne
also are in the mix. McGhee, the second leading tackler a season ago with 85, is back at Sam (strong side) linebacker. He’ll be supported by Wallace, Wukelic and Blackmon. Johnnie Blue (54 tackles) will battle for time at Will
(weak side) linebacker along with Ferguson, J. Petteway, Berkey, J. Bernard and Bailey. Those in the hunt for time on the nose include Biacco, Richmond, Poplowski, Smith, Evans, Scurry and Tomini.
HELP FIGHT CRIME. STAY IN SCHOOL. BE SOMEBODY.
Jane M. Hanlin PROSECUTING ATTORNEY Jane M. Hanlin Paid for by Jane M. Hanlin - Prosecuting Attorney of Jefferson County, Ohio
Andy Waggoner Indian Creek Junior
"Good Luck Andy and Good Luck Redskins!"
Love, Mom, Dad, Gram & Pap
Cochran, Runkle, N. Ely, Saxon, Doyle, Eky, Elliot, Q. Moore, Lawrence, T. Ely and Gardner all will compete for time at defensive tackle. Robinson (36 tackles and four sacks in 2014) is back at end where he’s joined by A. Zorne, Demitras, Lawrence, D. Moore and Bradley. Reeves leads the candidates to play opposite Robinson along with Davis, R. Bernard and Herring.
From Page 15
When asked about all the veterans he has coming back, Saccoccia responded by noting: “As a coach, you can try to forget the past, but you tend to repeat it. When anybody talks to me about guys coming back, I think of the 1985 team and how I did them a disservice by not driving them or demanding more from them. So, they never got to finish and the See BIG RED Page 124
St. Clairsville Red Devils
84
Aug. 26, 2015
Aug. 26, 2015
2015 Schedule Aug. 28 at Carrollton
Sept. 5 at Coshocton + Sept. 11 Open
Sept. 18 at Martins Ferry + Sept. 25
Indian Creek
Oct. 2
Harrison Central
Oct. 10 at Bellaire # Oct. 16
Union Local
Oct. 23 at East Liverpool Oct. 29
Steubenville +
+ 7 p.m. kickoff # 12:30 p.m. kickoff
Games at 7:30 p.m. unless noted
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St. Clairsville Red Devils
85
Experienced group back for coach McLean
By SETH STASKEY For The Gridiron
ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Back for more. And if the St. Clairsville Red Devils had their druthers, they’d gladly accept much more. That’s the kind of mentality that’s been built into the Red Devils’ program under Brett McLean, who is set for his 15th season at the controls. The idea of more comes on the heels of a trip to the regional semifinals, an undefeated regular season, an OVAC title and a Buckeye 8 championship with primarily an underclass dominated roster. “The bar has been set pretty darn high,” McLean said. “We’re just trying to build off the foundation of tradition that was set long ago here. These kids have pride in the uniform they wear and the school they represent every week, which is very important to me and to all of the sports here.” The 2014 Red Devils may have come from under the radar a little bit en route to a 10-0 campaign that eventually ended at 11-1 after a 42-7 rout at the hands of eventual regional champion Columbus Bishop Hartley. This year’s version of the Red Devils might not be afforded the same opportunity as it pertains to being under the radar. “I like (being under the
radar) a lot better,” McLean smiled. “We had a small senior class, but it was a group that had enough stripes on its shoulder to know what we needed to do to be prepared to play. They also probably benefited from the year prior to that, and I hope this class remembers the experiences it had as juniors and carry it on into how they work.” As has been the case since the Red Devils have really got the success cranked up in recent years, McLean is hoping that some of the intangible aspects from the class and classes before have rubbed off on this particular batch of Red Devils, who open the season Friday at Carrollton. “Hopefully, this team is able to emulate the groups before them,” McLean said. “We need these kids to keep a level head each time they walk onto the field because we’re going to face one of the toughest schedules we’ve faced around here in a long, long time.” Speaking of the schedule, that’s been one of the biggest issues that McLean and company have dealt with during the offseason. The quest to find a 10th game to complete the schedule has been taxing on all involved. As it stands, the Red Devils will play only nine regular season contests. They’ll be idle in Week 3 and won’t make their home debut until Sept. 25 when Indian Creek visits. McLean and Athletic Direc-
“IT PAYS TO DRIVE TO WHITESIDE’S”
tor Kelly Rine have basically checked everywhere in search of a Week 3 opponent, but have simply come up empty. “It’s been an unbelievable process,” McLean said. “A year ago, we recognized we’d have two or three openings and then it turned into five openings quickly with the changes in the Buckeye 8. “We had to scramble and it’s a very tough deal to be able to find the games you need when basically three of them had to be home games. This is as frustrating a thing as I’ve ever been a part of.” Playing only a nine-game schedule isn’t unheard of Ohio. Shadyside did it last year and several teams around the Buckeye State have bye weeks. “We hope and pray that something falls into our laps,” McLean said. “If it doesn’t, it is what it is and we’ll play nine. We’ll have to know that with a limited number of games, we’ll want and need to show up and play our best every week. We never dreamed (nine games) would happen, but it’s looking like reality and we’ll have to accept it.” The Red Devils will play just four home games, which McLean admits to being disappointed about. “We have such a beautiful facility and we want to put our teams in front of our home fans every chance we get,” McLean said. “If I had a nickel
for every question I’ve been asked about the schedule over the last 365 days, I’d never have to work again.” The biggest change or addition to the schedule was signing a home-and-home series with Steubenville. Big Red comes to Belmont County in Week 10 this season and the Red Devils will return the trip in week 9 in 2016. Neither the players or coaches, will spend any time looking ahead to that game until well down the road. “The public is excited for it, but we’ve got a brutal schedule right out of the gate and that’s where our focus lies,” McLean said. “It takes me back to when we played Brooke and Park to open the season and I think it’s similar. We can’t look further than Carrollton because the last time we went up there was for a scrimmage and we got our butts handed to us.” Still on the slate are the normal Buckeye 8 South Division games against Bellaire, Martins Ferry, Union Local and Harrison Central. “We have some guys back who played key roles on that team last year, and we’re extremely excited about that,” McLean said. “We want these kids to go out and put their best foot forward and continue to emulate those who’ve come before.” With a senior-dominated See RED DEVILS Page 87
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Aug. 26, 2015
Red Devils team, including two — Brendan Ferns and Jake Stewart — who saw a good bit of action as freshmen on the state runner-up squad in 2012, McLean has heard the chatter and knows what people are expecting. “This team is 0-0 right now,” McLean said. “There are expectations because of how many (veterans) are in the group, but they can’t ride the coattails of those who’ve come before them. It’s their turn and chance to leave a mark. These guys have some great experience and have been around a lot of big games.” The Red Devils boast a lot of game experience, but to be in the role of leaders is new for some of them, which has been something McLean and company stressed during camp. “We need these kids to be leaders by both example and vocally,” McLean said. “I worry about the mental aspect of this football team. Do they realize they have to show up right out of the gate in a very tough environment?” Hiding the expectations is nearly impossible in today’s age and McLean realizes that. However, he believes that if the seniors do their part, the focus will be strictly on the opponent of that week. “It’s a tough thing to do when you have a lot of kids back,” McLean said. “We can only win one football game right now and that’s Carrollton. The kids hear stuff constantly and we’re well aware of expectations. Our past teams have had those, too, but they’ve done a good job of putting things they’ve heard in the pre-season out of their ears.” The Red Devils plan to once again employ a balanced offense and the pieces are certainly there for that. “We’re looking for the guy who can be our home-run hitter in the offense and we think we have some good, viable options,” McLean said. “We move kids around and I think the juggling act will be getting the best 11 on the field and that may mean playing multiple positions, which we’ve had kids do in the past. We have 15 or 16 guys who can really play multiple positions.” The Red Devils’ attack will be
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From Page 85
led by junior quarterback Zach Bigelow, who threw for 1,663 yards and 25 touchdowns against just one interception. He won the job in camp last summer and McLean is really impressed with what he’s seen thus far. “He looks a year better and a year more confident,” McLean said. “He looks like a returning starter should and he’s starting to develop the identity as the team leader. The team is starting to rally around him that way, too.” Other quarterbacks listed on the roster include junior Malachi Mellema, junior Landon Thompson, sophomore Matt Greenwood and freshman Dustin Carrothers. The aforementioned Ferns (6-3, 220) earned first-team allOhio accolades a season ago. He was a force on both sides of the ball. He shifted to running back in August and made the most of it, accumulating 1,135 yards and scoring 13 touchdowns. Ferns owns upward of 30 major college football offers, but has yet to offer a verbal commitment. “Brendan’s a very versatile kid,” McLean said. “He’s played a variety of spots. We knew he could play tailback and because of injury he overtook the role and never looked back. We’re looking forward to utilizing his ability again this year. He’s such a smart kid, who can handle so many roles.” Helping to pave the way for Ferns will be Stewart, who is also a team captain and seeking his fourth letter. He scored five touchdowns last season and ran for 135 yards from his fullback spot. The Red Devils’ backfield depth is being enhanced with the return of speedy tailback Shane Peroni, who went down with an injury last season. Sophomore Nick Falbo saw his carries increase late in the season a year ago and could take on a bigger role, too. Other running backs vying for carries include: senior Branden Ducker, junior Joey Maroon, junior Gage Cuiksa, sophomore Matt Butkus, freshmen J.T. Porter, Luke Watt, Matthew Busby and Justin Heatherington. “We’re really excited about our backfield,” McLean said. See RED DEVILS Page 88
2015 Coaches
Head Coach
Brett McLean
Assistant Coaches Donnie Giffin Jike Jacob Kevin Sacco Ben Frye Chris Patrone Ryan Clifford Casey Callarik Gary Hull Vern Ridgeway Steve Hicks Caleb Myers
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Aug. 26, 2015
Red Devils Gone via graduation are 63 catches, 1,391 yards and 21 touchdowns. Senior Daniel Trouten is the leader at the receiver spot. Senior Christian Witchey will take on a much bigger role on the perimeter as well. Juniors Devon Harris, Logan Williams are two other receivers that McLean spoke highly of. The remainder of the receiving corps includes senior Blake Peroni, juniors Jacob Keen, Dustin Tomich, Zach Clark, sophomore Jayden Starks, freshmen Craig Bober, Kyle Storer, Braedyn Mihalic, Caige Hepburn and David Mellema. Tight end is another strength for the Red Devils. Senior Cole Skaggs leads the way there. Logan Thompson is shifting to tight end because of the logjam in the backfield. “The tight end is important in our offense and both guys are taking the role very seriously,” McLean said.
Junior Caleb Stotridge and sophomore Rocco Ballog supply depth. The Red Devils’ offensive line is certain to be a strength, with five players who saw time in 10 games a year ago returning. “We have four seniors and a junior up there,” McLean said. “We need them to continue to gel every day to become a cohesive unit.” The offensive line will be led by Haydn Lewis (6-4, 270) at the right tackle spot. Senior Brad LeCron returns at right guard. His season was cut short a year ago by injury. Junior Trey Elerick returns as the starting center. Senior Mike Furbee (5-11, 245) is back at left guard as a threeyear starter. Senior Carson Ernest (6-3, 300) rounds out the starting line at the left tackle spot. “When you have an offensive line back with some knowledge and experience, everything seems to be much
smoother,” McLean said. “You don’t have to spend as much time on plays and theory. You can get down to nuts and bolts and work on things that are really important. Things have gone well.” St. C. also boasts solid depth in the trenches. McLean is high on senior Ty Hawley (6-1, 275), senior Troy Powell. Junior Devin Helt is on the depth chart at center. Junior Nick Schramm is on the list at tackle. The sophomore line contingent is comprised of Chris Teater, John Hawley, Luke Sorge, Tanner Younkins, Geno Drake, Tyler Powell, Andrew Landeen, Hunter Cook and Garret Matis. On the defensive side of the ball, the Red Devils are coming off one of their finest seasons. They surrendered 52 points during the regular season, while pitching five shutouts. “There are expectations for the defense because of the ex-
perience we return,” McLean said. “Similar to the offense, we can’t be big headed on defense. We have to show maturity on the defensive side of the ball, too.” Ferns and Stewart return for their third season as starters at inside linebacker. “We’re going to expect a lot of out of those two,” McLean said. “They complement each other very well with their physicality and ability. We have to keep people off them, so they can run and make plays.” Skaggs returns at an outside linebacker post. The other outside backer spot has been a competition between Logan Thompson, Falbo and Maroon. Ducker and Cuiksa supply depth at the inside linebacker spots. On the defensive line, Ty Hawley returns as a starter at tackle. Ernest, Furbee, Lewis will also see time on the defensive line. “It’s nice that we’ll be able to platoon some guys, espe-
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From Page 87
cially early (in the season),” McLean said. “Anytime we can have a rotation, defensively, it’s a strength.” The defensive backfield is a “constant rotation” for the Red Devils, according to the head coach. Falbo is penciled in as a starter at safety. Harris, Williams and Malachi Mellema are all in the mix at safety, should Falbo move up into the linebacker equation. Shane Peroni returns at one of the corners and Trouten is set to man the other corner post. “None of those guys (in the secondary) are green,” McLean said. “All of those guys have been in varsity games when the money’s on the line. It’s nothing to see us play five or six kids in the secondary on a given night.” Greenwood was one of the area’s most accurate kickers last season, converting 45 PAT kicks and one field goal. He’s being pushed by Mellema, who moved into the St. C. district via Uniontown, Pa. He played at Kiski last year. “Those kids know they’re competing,” McLean said. “We start every practice with special teams and work on individual kicking. We’ll absolutely go with the hot hand of the night based on what Coach (Mike Jacob) Chops and I feel like coming out of the warm up. We’ll have no rear-view mirror and those kids know it. Whoever is out there will be expected to get the job done and do it well.” Witchey and Ducker have been competing for the punting duties. Both players saw time there last season, but Witchey eventually took the job over full time because of an injury. “Both are healthy and ready to go,” McLean said. “That could be a game-time decision every week. We’ll look at who’s on and who’s hitting well.” St. Clairsville’s roster boasts 65 players and 19 of those are freshmen, who will have their own schedule, but dress for varsity games.
Aug. 26, 2015
89
Ghosts Coaching all three major sports was customary in those days, and Carey was the first West Virginia Class AAA coach to win state titles in football, basketball and baseball, a feat only a few coaches ever accomplished at any level. He joined Hamill in the West Virginia Sports Hall of Fame. Remember, if you will, the great Madonna teams that played at Jimmy Carey. There were the state championship teams of 1987 and 2009. “Do I remember Jimmy Carey Stadium?” asked former highly successful Madonna coach Bob Kramer, the all-time winningest Blue Don coach. “I played there and coached there. I have a lot of memories. “I played there as an eighthgrader at Grant Junior High and then my senior year at Big Red when Weir High beat us 13-7. That would have been in 1959.” The inside of the Madonna locker room door has signatures of the 2009 state championship team.
Kramer said he didn’t know that his 2009 team put their autographs on the door or that those autographs were still there. “That was neat. I remember we got permission to paint that locker room blue and silver,” he said. “One of the things I really liked about Jimmy Carey was the fact the stands were up high. There wasn’t a bad seat in the place. I miss that stadium as a fan and as a coach. It was well built and well laid out. There was just a comfortable feeling there for me. “It was kind to me.” There are hundreds, yes thousands of stories about Weir High football players’ spectacular efforts on the old Jimmy Carey turf, but there are many stories about the great marching bands of the late 1950s and 1960s that strutted their stuff there, as well as the spectacular Labor Day pageants, and many other events that were held at the facility over the years. Let your imagination run
From Page 75
free and you may hear the roar of the crowd when Weir High, in the second year of playing in the Class AA division, demolished John Marshall, the eventual state Class AAA champion 40-19 in the finale of the 1998 unbeaten regular season. All-time Red Rider ground gainer Quincy Wilson (6,160 yards with 93 touchdowns) ran through the Monarch defense and really turned it on in the state playoffs as he and his Weir teammates went 14-0 to win the Class AA championship under coach Wayne Neely. “My greatest memory of Jimmy Carey Stadium is that final game of 1998 when we beat John Marshall,” said Wilson, who became the third Red Rider to win the coveted Kennedy Award. “I remember lingering long after the game soaking up every minute of my final game there. “Unfortunately The Jimmy, as we called it, wasn’t state See GHOSTS Page 98
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Aug. 26, 2015
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Brooke a good student. I hope he has a big year for us.” McLean described the other defensive end spot as a question mark following the graduation of Justin Elliot. “He had a good year for us, and that’s a big question mark also on the defensive side of the ball,” McLean added. Defensive tackle candidates are Ohler, who saw action as a freshman, senior Levi Doyle, who has recovered from off-season shoulder surgery, sophomore Ethan Doyle, senior Jeff Braun and sophomore Kyler Haynes. Johnson and Harper are returning starters at middle linebacker with Edgell and sophomore Adam Horvath also in the running. Cole returns as one outside linebacker with Yachini the top candidate to replace Walker; Talbott and junior Colton Zombeck will provide backup.
Loughrie will again start at corner. Bailey, Kennedy and Lazear are battling for the other spot. Hudson returns at safety. He’ll be backed up by Camerlengo and Yost. Loughrie, according to McLean, may also see time at safety in Brooke’s base 44 defense. Kennedy will again handle kicking chores for Brooke with Cole back as the punter. As he prepares for his second season, McLean noted he’s a little more comfortable in his first head coaching position, but…. “If we would have had eight or nine wins last year, I’d be a lot of more comfortable than I am right now,” he said with a smile. “There’s not so much of a feeling of being under the gun as far as trying to put everything together in a few weeks. I’ve had time to develop a working relationship with my staff. We are starting to gel and we’re on the same page
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with what we want to do defensively and offensively.” In addition to improving his relationship with the staff, McLean grew closer with his players during Brooke’s offseason program. “Coach (Mario) DiBias and I ran the program and, overall, I was pleased with how it went,” McLean stated. “I’m sure every head coach would say this, but I would have liked to have seen bigger numbers participating. I spent the winter with a core group of guys. We averaged 25-30 in the weight room from Dec. 8 until the start of camp. They really worked hard, and I think we built a lot of chemistry. “I got to know them, learn their work ethic and their habits. I was very pleased with the non-winter sports athletes who participated. I also was very impressed with how fast our winter sports athletes came back and the commitment I saw out of some of our spring athletes. Most of our track athletes did their football workout every day before they went to practice.” McLean and his Bruins will launch their season Friday with a home game
From Page 47
against Huntington, which advanced to the Class AAA semifinals a season ago. “Right now, our expectations are to be prepared for Huntington on Aug. 28,” McLean stressed. “When the final second ticks off the clock for that game, then we’ll worry about what’s next. With the schedule we have, we can’t look ahead. Seven of the 10 teams we play were in the playoffs last year so we have to look at what’s in front of us and not peek down the road.” In addition to Huntington, other playoff opponents on Brooke’s slate include University, Hurricane, Wheeling Park, Big Red, Parkersburg South and Weir High. McLean pointed out he’s been asked if his team will have a slogan for the season. He indicated his response to those inquiries has been “we’re just too busy working to worry about those kinds of things.” “We’re still going to pride it up like the Brooke Bruins always have before a game, but we have to focus on business, we’re not worried about window dressing,” the coach stressed.
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Martins Ferry Purple Riders
91
Bruney’s bunch looks toward 8 seniors to lead
By SETH STASKEY For The Gridiron
MARTINS FERRY — The philosophy won’t change a bit as the Martins Ferry Purple Riders embark on their 108th season of football. “We’ve been pretty lucky with being able to sustain our success,” head coach Dave Bruney said. “The tradition was here before I got here and I think we’ve enhanced it. It’s great to be able to coach at a place where football means so much.” Ferry comes into the 2015 campaign off a 9-2 season that saw it advance to the playoffs for the 13th time in school history. A large portion of the tradition that’s been written at Martins Ferry has been authored by Bruney, who is set to embark on his 37th season as the head coach at his alma mater. It’s his 43rd consecutive year as a football coach. To hear him tell it, as long as the excitement of getting up in the morning to get to the fieldhouse during August doubles remains, Bruney will continue to coach. “That’s the way I feel right now,” Bruney said. “In December of last year, I may not have felt that way, but as we got into the weight program, I was glad I didn’t make my mind up before March 1 because I would have regretted it. I still have the passion for it.” Counting back to his days as a player, this is the 49th consecutive August that Bruney has taken part in twoa-days. “I really don’t know what I would do or how I would act if I got to act like a normal person,” Bruney laughed. “I really enjoy the player development part of it through the winter, spring, camp, fitness and two-a-days.” Though many key cogs and familiar faces are gone from last season, the Riders’ cupboard isn’t bare. There are plenty of
younger guys on the 2015 roster. Only eight seniors dot the roster and three of those didn’t wear a Martins Ferry football uniform last season. “I like this team’s work ethic and attention to detail,” Bruney said. “Hopefully, that continues.” Part of that falls on the shoulders of the senior class, which is small in number, but Bruney has been pleased with them. “These seniors have led by example and busted their butts to be first in everything,” Bruney said. “They hustle through and finish every drill. That’s the first thing that leaders have to do because they have to define their credibility to the rest of the group.” When the Purple Riders are on offense, don’t expect much different than you’ve seen basically throughout Bruney’s tenure. “We’re going to do what we do,” Bruney said. But, having said that, Bruney would also like be able to throw the ball better. “That’s a big key for us,” Bruney said. “With our size up front, I think rushing the football is a priority with some play-action pass. We feel pretty good about the offense. “Our youth at the receiver spot is probably my biggest concern right now. They have to be disciplined enough to realize that sometimes the ball goes to the second or third read.” With some new faces in key places, Bruney believed
scrimmages — which came against Meadowbrook, Barnesville and Shadyside — were critical for both the live reps and the ability to see tape. “Sometimes you think you know what the biggest key (for the offense) is going to be, but you really don’t know until you look at some of the guys who’ve not been in (the game) a lot,” Bruney said. “When you’re able to see what they’re actually capable of doing after you evaluate it on film, it makes it easier to figure out what the actual keys (to success) are.” Bruney and his staff gave a lot of the action in scrimmages to the younger, new
guys who are embarking on their real trip into varsity football. The proven, veteran players got work, but not as much as in years past. “The guys who played a lot got a little bit of work, but we didn’t want to over do it because we knew what they could do,” Bruney said. “We did some things in scrimmages that might have been a little bit out of character of us just to see what other kids could make plays for us because some of these guys are going to have to grow up quickly for us.” Back to trigger the Purple Riders’ attack is senior quarterback James Edwards. He’s coming off a season in which he threw for more than 1,000 yards. “James can deliver the ball where it needs to be,” Bruney said. “He’s put on some
weight and grown two inches, so we’re excited about him.” Backing up Edwards are sophomore Austin Bassa, junior Dom Bell and freshman Mason Goddard. The Riders are in good hands at the tailback spot with the return of senior standout Arjay Burress. The two-time all-Ohioan is coming off a campaign in which he ran for more than 1,700 yards and 30 touchdowns. “Arjay had his best summer since he’s been with us and we expect big things from him,” Bruney said. “We have 15 juniors on this team who are older than Arjay, so he definitely has some upside.” With Burress’ ability, the Riders may utilize a few gadgets at times with him as well See FERRY Page 103
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Aug. 26, 2015
Mathison quarter at San Diego State University, but our G won us the spirit award for the evening. Yay, us. I played one year of high school football for the Eagles. That year. I broke my wrist during two-a-days as a sophomore and didn’t go out for the team as a junior (still in the top five dumbest decisions I have ever made). Played my freshman season at St. Augustine High School on the freshman team. Being on a football team is more than game night. It is laughing in the locker room. It is sparing teammates punishment. We had three rules my senior year under head coach Dwight Morris — be on time, lock your locker and no football cleats inside the locker room. That’s it. If someone had their cleats on we reminded them before they got up to walk outside (really easy to tell when cleats are being worn while walking inside the locker room). If someone forgot to lock their locker, as long as someone was in the locker room and saw it, the lock was
locked (couldn’t help those who were last out and forgot to lock the locker). We were a really good football team. We didn’t lose until the San Diego Section CIF semifinals, when we dropped a 19-14 decision to Lincoln High School and some guy named Marcus Allen (he went on to score six TDs in the championship game). Being on that team meant eating watermelon during breaks at two-a-days. It meant running 16 220s in under a mandated time (45 seconds I think) when the 220 was marked off by chalk on the decomposed granite that was used during game nights as a parking lot. For every 220 you missed, you ran a mile — in gear. Being on that team meant going to a coach’s house to watch film. We laughed. Being on that team was special because we were teammates. I was the punter and had good moments and bad. But, coach always put me out there. The only game I kicked off for us, we recovered one of my kickoffs. But, that was because I half-
shanked it. Of course, we were flagged for offsides because I stutter-stepped so badly approaching the football that teammates were almost in full sprint and couldn’t hold up. I went 78 yards for a score on a simple out pattern because the cornerback jumped the route and missed the football. We were on the road, at Monte Vista High School, and I ran down the home field sideline and my mother, sitting in those stands, stood up and cheered. People asked her what she was doing — “That’s my son.” They understood. Being on that team meant going out for pizza at one of two places after we got back to the school, showered and dressed. One pizza place was for the big gathering of everybody. The other pizza place meant you were there with your girl. Great times. I remember one of our running backs forgot the snap count, moved forward and then turned left like he was in motion.
From Page 8
The other team jumped offsides and we gained 5 yards. Myself and another receiver were used to run in plays. One game, I forgot the play call from the sideline to the huddle. “21 something.” Luckily, our quarterback understood what I forgot. I missed stuff like that my junior year because of selfishness. I didn’t want to sit the bench, so I didn’t play. What an idiot. I understand now that it was never about playing time but about the wealth of memories as a teammate. We wore our jerseys to school on game day, and we wore them proudly. We wore them proudly because we knew the team was bigger than any member of the team. We had a great coaching staff. We worked hard. We also laughed hard. We never wanted to let a coach down. We surely never wanted to let a teammate down. It was a great season. And, it started with a “G.”
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STATS OHIO VALLEY FOOTBALL
2014 FOOTBALL STATISTICS
Team Games RYDs Big Red 10 1937 Weir 10 2412 Harrison 10 1781 Central 10 1891 Toronto 10 2429 Indian C 10 2115 Oak Glen 10 1313 Brooke 10 987 Edison 10 1030 Madonna 10 1411 Buckeye L 10 903
TEAM OFFENSE PYDs Total Avg 2143 4080 408.00 1359 3771 377.10 1880 3661 366.10 1616 3507 350.70 1047 3476 347.60 690 2805 280.50 1266 2579 257.90 1538 2525 252.50 1378 2408 240.80 849 2260 226.00 1077 1980 198.00
Points Avg 320 32.00 337 33.70 266 26.60 256 25.60 358 35.80 212 21.20 153 15.30 158 15.80 175 17.50 137 13.70 97 9.70
Team Games RYDs Toronto 10 1144 Indian C 10 837 Weir 10 1485 Central 10 1639 Big Red 10 1118 Oak Glen 10 1959 Harrison 10 1964 Buckeye L 10 2254 Edison 10 2123 Madonna 10 1896 Brooke 10 2290
TEAM DEFENSE PYDs Total Avg 874 2018 201.80 1318 2155 215.50 786 2271 227.10 980 2619 261.90 1556 2674 267.40 1013 2972 297.20 1024 2988 298.80 791 3045 304.50 1263 3386 338.60 1598 3494 349.40 1498 3788 378.80
Points Avg 116 11.60 161 16.10 203 20.30 225 22.50 220 22.00 274 27.40 239 23.90 359 35.90 344 34.40 291 29.10 277 27.70
RUSHING Player - Team Att Travis Stenson - Harrison 196 Stone Romano - Central 181 Johnnie Blue - Big Red 147 William Larch - Weir 117 Charles Ross III - Toronto 100 Ethan Shannon - Edison 179 Kam Davis - Weir 122 Michael Puorro - Indian C 123 Dakota Price - Oak Glen 143 Justin Loughrie - Brooke 120 Jabari Taylor - Indian Creek 120 Joey Ewusiak - Madonna 163 Dillon Shaw - Madonna 88 Nolan Clegg - Toronto 36 Damion Beall - Buckeye L 100 Donte Brown - Big Red 95 Shawn Tustin - Buckeye L 109 Zach Connor - Indian Creek 57 Max Tice - Toronto 47 Chase Hartley - Oak Glen 73 Danny Zdinak - Toronto 47 Tony Barber - Central 70 Drew Lowery - Toronto 38 Levi Shreve - Madonna 53 Jesse Ball - Harrison 52
Yds 1215 1021 993 931 851 802 730 671 635 577 557 489 465 464 447 446 357 333 329 305 276 270 262 251 245
Avg 6.20 5.64 6.76 7.96 8.51 4.48 5.98 5.46 4.44 4.81 4.64 3.00 5.28 12.89 4.47 4.69 3.28 5.84 7.00 4.18 5.87 3.86 6.89 4.74 4.71
TD 14 13 12 11 12 5 10 3 5 3 4 7 2 5 2 5 2 6 6 1 6 4 6 2
Aug. 26, 2015
STATS OHIO VALLEY FOOTBALL
2014 FOOTBALL STATISTICS
Player - Team Arbogast - Harrison Collaros - Big Red Barber - Central Walker - Brooke Larch - Weir Hartley - Oak Glen Rawson - Toronto Ewusiak - Madonna Skeeles - Edison Moore - Buckeye L Nave - Edison Miller - Buckeye L
Att 165 182 192 239 179 170 68 143 166 112 88 62
PASSING Comp Comp% Yds 103 62.42% 1679 102 56.04% 1640 91 47.40% 1549 115 48.12% 1517 78 43.58% 1303 72 42.35% 929 53 77.94% 852 72 50.35% 840 96 57.83% 794 40 35.71% 609 45 51.14% 531 28 45.16% 459
RECEIVING Player - Team Rec Yds Cole - Brooke 58 819 Andreozzi - Edison 43 423 Perez - Oak Glen 34 357 Mitchell - Harrison Central 32 579 Herrington - Big Red 31 506 Mitchell - Harrison Central 31 597 Shannon - Edison 30 238 Richmond - Big Red 27 439 Swiger - Oak Glen 27 339 Glenn - Edison 25 201 Stenson - Harrison Central 23 273 Denhart - Buckeye Local 22 418 Retton - Madonna 20 266 Rice - Weir 19 308 Banal - Buckeye Local 18 303 Fallon - Catholic Central 18 446 Spencer - Weir 18 290 Jones - Big Red 17 411 Loughrie - Brooke 17 169 Daley - Edison 17 210 Potenzini - Catholic Central 16 317 SCORING Player - Team Travis Stenson - Harrison Central Kam Davis - Weir Stone Romano - Catholic Central Charles Ross III - Toronto Johnnie Blue - Big Red William Larch - Weir Danny Zdinak - Toronto Drew Lowery - Toronto Zach Connor - Indian Creek Aaron Walker - Brooke Thomas Cole - Brooke Robbie LeFever - Catholic Central Joey Ewusiak - Madonna Branden Jones - Big Red
TDs 96 90 84 72 66 66 60 48 48 42 42 42 42 36
TD Int 11 11 20 7 14 8 10 7 11 12 3 9 12 1 7 6 5 7 6 13 5 3 3 5
Avg 14.12 9.84 10.50 18.09 16.32 19.26 7.93 16.26 12.56 8.04 11.87 19.00 13.30 16.21 16.83 24.78 16.11 24.18 9.94 12.35 19.81 2-Pt 6 2 6 2 2 2
TD 7 3 1 3 4 5 1 3 4 3 2 5 3 3 2 5 2 6 1 2 2 Total 102 90 86 78 68 66 62 50 48 42 42 42 42 36
97
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Introduction to Guitar Advanced Guitar eBay Basics Quilting Chinese Fitness Shibashi Investing & Wealth Management Introduction to Bass Fishing Dance Greeting Card Creations
Sept. 29 Tues. Oct. 1 Thurs. Sept. 23 Wed. Sept. 24 Thurs.. Sept. 30 Wed.
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Registration to be conducted on September 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17, 2015. Phone JVS Adult Ed. Program 740-264-5545 from 3:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. You may also register in person. Starting dates of individual classes are noted above.
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Ghosts playoff-ready so we had to play our home playoff games at Brooke,” continued Wilson, who now is a member of the West Virginia University sports operations staff, getting facilities and other details for players and coaches ready for the 2015 football season. “But I grew up in that area of downtown, and we often used the stadium as our playground. “I remember the thrills of playing in the stadium with the Little Steelers and Weir Middle as well. Although I haven’t been able to see a game at the new stadium, I have seen it, and I think the school board and Weir High people did it right. It is a beautiful facility.” Another former Weir High athlete who has unique ties to the stadium as a child is cur-
rent principal, Dan Enich. He played in the stadium in middle school and on the Red Rider varsity and then coached the team there. “It was such a thrill for me being on coach (Wayne) Neely’s staff coaching such Weir High greats as Quincy Wilson and Art Miller, and I regret that we didn’t get to play a playoff game or two there,” Enich related. “I thought I had come full circle when I got a chance to be head coach in 1999, but that actually came when, as principal, I initiated the building of the new stadium. “I grew up, though, in the stadium neighborhood. We lived on Orchard Street near the Ferguson Avenue intersection, and Jimmy Carey Sta-
dium was the playground for us kids. “We’d get there just about every day in the summer to play baseball in that large area behind the south end zone and in the fall we would play football on the field. It was like our second backyard. “We didn’t see much of the games then because after jumping the fence on Friday nights I was one of those kids that would run around and play ball on the hillsides next to the press box. Then on Saturday mornings, we’d go back to the stadium and dig through the trash cans to find tickets to use at the concession stand the next home game. “In those days, people bought tickets at a booth and then presented them at the concession stands for their food and drinks. Sometimes the workers at the stands would forget to tear the tickets so we’d gather the good ones and use them.” Kramer said he remembered watching games at Jimmy Carey after he graduated from high school and followed Big Red football. “I remember smoke rolling in from Weirton Steel so thick you had difficulty seeing the game,” Kramer continued. “I got my 100th win as a coach there and I remember beating Wheeling Central in 2009 the year we won the state championship.” That 2009, Blue Dons team
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was really good. One year after falling to Williamstown in the 2008 finale, Madonna had some “unfinished business.”
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And, those players got down to business. The Blue Dons defense allowed 24 regular-season points, and three (yes, three) touchdowns. The offense scored 416. They outscored their opponents 110-2 in the final three regular-season contests. It was 141-20 in the four playoff games — 14-0 overall, gave up 44 points (and six scores), while scoring 557 points. “I don’t even remember signing that door,” said Max Nogay, the starting quarterback and safety on that squad. “I guess it shows how locked in we were every time we got to the field. “I sure hope we can get that door and bring it back to the locker room so all of us old players can get access to it. See GHOSTS Page 100
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Ghosts “When I think about Jimmy Carey, I think of the smell of the mill and the sound of the mill and the orange soot you would get on your uniform. I just remember walking into the stadium with those sounds and the smell and knew it was our turf and we felt at home. “If there’s one thing I really took away from that field was that, although the surface was rough and muddy, it was our surface and we took a lot of pride in it.” Nogay, who started law school at WVU (his alma mater) a few weeks ago, didn’t hesitate when asked for the best win at Jimmy Carey. “It has to be Wheeling Central,” he said. “It was kind of an ugly game with an awkward score (18-7). We played them in the semifinals my sophomore year and they ran all over us (47-6). And, two years later, to come back and put it to them on our home turf was pretty rewarding for our team. “I don’t think they did much on offense the whole night.”
From Page 98
Nogay, who played baseball for four years with the Mountaineers, remembers that 2009 team being pretty business-like at all times. “Anything we did, we took it seriously,” he said.
“Whether it was from making sure our mixed-tape of Earth, Wind and Fire had the songs we wanted on it, to our appearance of getting off the bus, to warming up for the game, we took it seriously.
“That’s how we went on with our business. “I was talking to Michael Kranak, the author of that mixed tape, and we laugh about it now. I don’t remember why we picked Earth,
Wind and Fire.” The leaders on that team were Nogay and Lou Comis. “Lou played with a lot of emotion,” Nogay said. “Anything he did was with a lot of emotion regarding his effort on the field. He was the guy who was banging his head off people and getting pumped up. “My job was to be on the other end of the spectrum, keeping my calm and keeping my cool. We had a little bit of hot and cold going on. “I couldn’t afford to get too high or too low.” The bottom line of Jimmy Carey for Nogay? “The smell. The noise. And, we protected our turf,” he said. Hancock County Commissioner Mike Swartzmiller, who had a hand in making the deal with the Business Development Corp. to acquire the stadium from the board of education, remembers sneaking into the games as a child, too.
See GHOSTS Page 111
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Aug. 26, 2015
Division I
“WVU and Wesleyan were great experiences and great life lessons for me,” Arlia said. “I just had the itch to get back to Division I again.” He was able to stay in the region as Arlia landed at Kent State. He sat out for the 2014 season due to NCAA transfer rules, but is now listed at the top of the depth chart for this season. “People ask me all the time if I ever regret anything,” Arlia said, “I really don’t. It’s crazy how God works and it feels like everything fell into place. “Kent State is now just the perfect place for me. Hopefully, I have a lot of success this year because I feel really comfortable and enjoy it.” Like at WVU, Arlia is being recognized for his work ethic. In April, Arlia earned the Read Award for “hard work and dedication beyond the call of duty.” “I was surprised,” Arlia said. “I just transfered and was only there a year. I played scout team all year. You got to try and earn your way and become a leader with new guys in there pretty quickly. That’s what makes our team what it is. We have great guys and great coaches and that made it easy for me to step right in. It wasn’t hard for me to make an impact and take a leadership role in my work ethic and mentality. “That’s how I get by, working as hard as I can and trying to outlast guys. I was pretty excited when I received that award in the spring. Right after that, Coach (Paul) Haynes gave me a scholarship for this season.” It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Arlia is making a name for himself in a positive way. His high school honors included state championships in three varsity
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sports, an invitation to the national combine at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, the Wendy’s Heisman Award and MVP of the North-South All-Star Game. Arlia was a senior with the Blue Dons in 2010 when Ross Comis, also a current Division I athlete, was a freshman. Arlia saw Comis’ early development into one of this area’s best all-time quarterbacks and would come back to check on him as Comis came into his own. In a few months, they will meet each other face-to-face in opposing uniforms. On Oct. 17, Arlia’s Golden Flashes travel to Amherst, Mass., to take on Comis’ Massachusetts Minutemen. “It really is amazing,” Arlia said. “To come from a small school in a small town to where we are now is a special feat. No matter where I’m at, I always remember the values I learned in Weirton and Madonna. It really is a blessing for both of us. We want to help out whoever we can throughout the Ohio Valley. No matter if you’re at a small school or a big school, if you put your mind to something, anything is possible. You can achieve whatever you want to achieve.” Arlia was a straight-A student throughout high school, which is why those Ivy League programs came calling. Though he didn’t choose to become part of the Crimson or Quakers, his study habits allowed him to stay on the football field. “School and grades are always the most important See DIVISION I Page 108
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Peaslee In today’s football world, the most looked after physical condition deals with the head. Concussion injuries are experienced by at least 5 to 10 percent of all athletes, according to the Sports Concussions Institute. That’s a total of 1.6 to 3.8 million high school athletes suffering from concussions each year. In football, players endure 900 to 1,500 blows to the head in a 10-game season, but only 47 percent of football players will actually report feeling symptoms of a concussion (headache, dizziness, etc.) after a concussive blow. If the number is that high in concussion-related incidents, it’s even less when it comes to matters of the heart. Back in Texas, only nine of the more than 13.6 million middle school and high school students who played sports from 2005 through 2014 died of cardiac arrest during a game or
practice. It’s a low number, yes, but one that needs to be even lower. In a New York Times article from Aug. 8, 1992, Jets wide receiver Al Toon missed a series of pre-season games due to heart palpitations. “I just felt weird and I informed the trainers,” Toon said in the article. “I can’t say I’m going to be fine. I can’t say nothing is going to happen. But based on all the tests that have been done, I’ll be fine.” Toon played in just nine games in the 1992 season. He retired from football after that year. He was 29. Toon is still living, at the age of 52, with a wife and four children. Cody Stephens won’t be able to experience that same luxury of life. Stephens’ parents saw their son taken way too soon from a condition that could have been caught, if monitored properly. Stemming from Stephens’ death,
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Texas is at the forefront of heart studies in young athletes. In April, the Texas House of Representatives voted to require public school athletes to get tested before their first and third years of competition. The state Senate has yet to decide on the measure. “All eyes are on Texas,” said Martha Lopez-Anderson, founder of the Saving Young Hearts Association. “If it passes in Texas, other states will follow.” Lopez-Anderson’s 10-year old son collapsed and died while rollerblading in 2004. Sudden cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death in the United States, claiming nearly 325,000 lives a year, according to the Saving Young Hearts website. The simple feeling of chest pains, shortness of breath or palpitations could be symptoms of a possible cardiac problem.
From Page 8
When our young athletes are taking the field this season, they will be put through a gauntlet of drills in the heat of competition and in the routine of practice. They will be tattered, torn and broken down by the opposition, and even themselves. The cuts and bruises can be seen after a hard tackle. But inside, the damage done to the heart can often be hidden. At this year’s NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis all 300 football players were required to undergo cardiac testing to ensure that their hearts were strong enough to play at the highest level. Locally, fantastic hospitals and health centers offer similar testing opportunities. Take care of the muscle that keeps the rest of the body running. Love the game, but love your athletes more.
Aug. 26, 2015
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Ferry
as some ‘Wildcat’ packages. Senior speedster Andrew Hython, who Bruney says “can score from anywhere on the field,” will see time both at tailback and fullback. The fullback could be split between sophomore Dalton Hoover and Hython. Junior George Stan, sophomore Brandon Lemon and freshman Kyle Jamison are all vying for action. Other running backs listed on the roster include junior Jared Straub, sophomore Jacob Johnson and freshman Logan DiLoretta. Wide receiver is a position where both starters collected their diplomas during the spring. Bruney has been impressed with the work and progress of juniors Ryan Fox and Sam Russell. Bruney also expects to utilize rangy junior Zac Selby (6-4, 185) a lot on the perimeter. Sophomore Shaun Jeter is also in the mix. Senior Kylil Bass is expected to make an impact as he returns to the football team for the first time since he was a freshman. Sophomore Cory Bennett is another who could see action. He was slowed in camp by an ankle sprain. Bruney said freshman Trent Rice has a chance to be “exceptional” before it’s all said and done. Senior John McCracken and freshman Donovan Shrodes are also vying for action. “As we progress and get into it, those receivers will continue to mature and get better,” Bruney said. “I think those receivers could end up being a strength for us.” Another offensive strength is at tight end where the Riders feature a trio of legitimate weapons. Senior Matt Barbour (6-1, 240) saw quality time there last season and his head coach thinks he’ll take on an even bigger role in the offense. “I don’t know that I’ve coached anyone with any better hands than Matt Barbour,” Bruney noted. “He really makes some exceptional catches. We’re pretty happy
with him.” He’s backed by juniors Jack Davis and Logan Selby. With so many tight end
candidates, Bruney thinks his team could show “some Stanford-type sets with multiple tight ends.”
Also vying for time at tight end are freshmen Logan Porter and Drake Dobson. The Purple Riders sustained
From Page 91
significant graduation losses in the trenches. Actually, they lost See FERRY Page 109
Aug. 26, 2015
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Red Knights Lowery will be backed up by Braniff and freshman Carson Meek. The Red Knights are expected to be strong once again up front on the offensive line. Junior Dylan Warren and senior Justin Starkey are battling for the starting spot at center. Sophomore Avery Watkins is also vying for playing time. Also on the inside, senior Cody King and sophomore Luke Fogle will be the starting guards. They will be backed up by freshman Trent Wright, junior Dustin Henry, and freshmen Joe Hook and Seth Watkins. On the outside, the starting tackles will be juniors Griffin Allison and Ben Davis. Freshmen Justin Haynes and Cole DeGarmo and sophomore Kanne Larkins are fighting for time at the spot. The defense also looks to be strong again this season. The Red Knights use a 4-4-3 defense. On the inside up front, Warren and Fogle lead the way, while Henry, Avery Watkins, Larkins, Seth Watkins, DeGarmo and Haynes. On the outside, Tice and Justin Starkey are the starters at end, and they will be backed up by Allison, Carson
Meek, Hall, Sninchak and Cooper. Toronto has a strong group of linebackers. Lowery and King are the leaders on the inside, and they will be backed up by Braniff, Obrien and Wright. Leading the way on the outside are Mitchell and Donnie Starkey, and the pair will be backed up by Fordham, Roach, Herrick and Hill. The Red Knights will also have a talented secondary. Glenn and West are the top two cornerbacks, and they will be backed up by Jake Keenan, Nate Keenan and Roche. “Jake is pushing them real hard for a spot,” Meek said. Zdinak and Rawson are the top two at safety, and they will be backed up by Karaffa. Jordan is also in the mix in the secondary. Toronto is also expected to have a strong special teams unit this season. Zdinak will be the kicker, and Donnie Starkey will be the holder. Tice will be the punter. The Red Knights have a strong group of returners. Glenn, Zdinak, West and Tice are expected to see time
as kick and punt returners. “Practices have gone well,” Meek said. “We have only had one day in pads so far. We are going to have to see how it goes as we head into our scrimmages. We just want to stay healthy. Eventually, we are going to shorten our practices.” With each passing day, the Red Knights get more and more excited about the start of the upcoming season. “The kids are excited,” Meek said. “We are counting down the days to our opening game against Wellsville. We want to improve each day. We are going to take a business-like approach to things. We want to have enthusiasm and play with a lot of physicality.” This year’s team is relying on its senior class to lead the way. “I told our seniors that I hope they have a career-best year this season,” Meek said. “I always wish that for our seniors. I want them to have the best season they can have.” Though the upperclassmen will lead the way this season, the Red Knights have talent in all four classes. “We have a good group of freshmen,” Meek said. “It is a good situa-
From Page 65
tion to have. We have talent ahead of them. Our juniors and seniors have a lot of talent.” Toronto has made some changes to its schedule this season, the biggest one is renewing a rivalry with Edison. “The Edison game is going to be a game,” Meek said. “It is Week 9, but we have eight other games in front of that one. We are not looking ahead. We are not looking past Wellsville. We are nothing thinking about any other team. All of our focus is on Wellsville. “Our schedule is a competitive one for a Division VII school. We play who we need to play. Our schedule is solid. We just have to play the best we can every week. We are going to reload after every game we play. “We are looking forward to the season. We want to stay healthy. We have great team chemistry. That is important in football. The kids put the team first. “We are cautiously optimistic about the upcoming season. We have several kids who tasted success last season who return. Being a small school, we need to stay healthy, improve each week and win the close games.”
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Wheeling Central Maroon Knights
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By SHAWN RINE
Aug. 26, 2015
Young’s squad seeks to get back to playoffs
For The Gridiron
WHEELING — It’s not often a season kicks off with talk of Wheeling Central attempting to rebound. But that’s exactly where the 2015 story begins following an uncharacteristic 46 campaign. It wasn’t as though the Maroon Knights weren’t talented — they were. But that talent came in the form of freshmen and sophomores who found themselves physically overmatched against one of the tougher West Virginia Class A schedules. ‘‘We had kids playing against men in some ways last year,’’ said coach Mike Young, who enters his 44th season in the sport. ‘‘We were outmanned and we were out-physicaled last year because we only had three seniors. ‘‘At the same time we had young kids who had to perform. One link was weak but caused the other to get stronger.’’ Assistant coach Brett Clough made that link stronger — literally. He took over the weight program and the results have been astounding. ‘‘He’s doing an excellent job and I am very proud of what he’s done for our offseason program,’’ Young said. ‘‘Kids are lifting and have increased their lifts, weights and their size. ‘‘We had to be bigger, faster and stronger and we’ve become that.’’ Nowhere is that more evident than on the offensive line. It starts at center with senior Matt Gruber , who believe it or not was the team’s quarterback at points during his freshman season. ‘‘He’s a team player, is one of our leaders and we are looking for big things out of him,’’ Young said. Junior Chantz Chambers, a lacrosse standout, returns at right guard, with
senior Dalton DeLong and sophomore Luke Lawrence battling it out for left guard B r e n t Blazier, a senior, is the l e f t tackle, though DeLong could slide over there if need be. Sophomore Trey Denniston will also see time at the position. ‘‘We’ve got a lot of numbers up front,’’ Young said, noting that the overall head count stands at 49. ‘‘They come off the line well and know their assignments. ‘‘We’re looking to develop and get better and the more reps we can get in in August, the better we will be in September.’’ The quarterback will be junior Isaac Rine. He’s a steadying hand who is set to enter his third season behind center. He’ll be in charge of running the vaunted spin series and hitting open receivers when the opportunities present themselves. ‘‘He’s been a staple at the quarterback spot,’’ Young said. Rine will be backed by sophomores Blake Peluchette and Rob Kahle, as well as freshman Scott Hunter. The Maroon Knights have an embarrassment of riches at tailback, led by juniors Dom Stevenson and Jaquan Jackson. Michael Niggemyer, a junior, will see time here and pretty much everywhere else. ‘‘Michael is very versatile and is going to be at the running back spot, the fullback spot and tight end,’’ Young said. ‘‘He’s probably going to be one of the most versatile kids we have on the
team in terms of being able to be a utility player.’’ Braden Price is a freshman who provides exceptional speed, and Mitch McGuire, a trasnfer from Maine, has the potential to be explosive. Oh, and don’t forget senior Kevin Keane. He combines a hard-nosed attitude with a burst. The fullbacks are a pair of really good ones in senior Brandon Angalich and junior Tyler Riedel. At receiver, John Burkhalter returns for his junior season. He has the ability to run by or through defenders, as well as leap over them to come down with the football. ‘‘He has great speed, great hands and is very athletic,’’ Young said. Junior Luke Fahey will play receiver, as will senior Brandon Foose and sophomore Patrick Brown. Clayton McCabe will get reps. On the defensive side of the ball, Campbell and McCabe will man the end positions with Niggemyer offering top support. DeLong, Calvert, Blazier and Gruber will split time at tackle, along with freshman Luke Duplaga, Denniston and sophomore Tyler Roth. Keane, Riedel, junior Dylan Baker, Peluchette and Fahey will see action at outside linebacker. Stevenson, Jackson and Burkhalter are the defensive backs, with senior Wesley Kahle playing here as well as some receiver. Foose is the entrenched starter at free safety. The kicking position was up for grabs between Calvert, sophomore Jack Stryker and senior Cate Calissie, the first female in the program’s storied history. Burkhalter is the punter, backed up by his freshman brother, Jacob. ‘‘Last year was very challenging and it was my job as a coach being in this 44 years, to maintain sanity and being able
(Games at 7 p.m. unless noted) Aug. 28: Steub. Catholic Central Sept. 5: at Bellaire, 12:30 p.m. Sept. 12: at Madonna Sept. 18: Westinghouse Sept. 25: Magnolia Oct. 2: Linsly Oct. 9: Shadyside Oct. 17: at St. John, Noon Oct. 30: Beallsville Nov. 6: Bishop Donhue
to accept the challenges in front of us,’’ Young said. ‘‘We had to try to stay as positive as possible, and I say that because these are young kids. ‘‘If I learned anything from the coaches I was around in (George) Strager and (Jim) Thomas, is if you panic around young kids they will panic. If you’re negative they’re negative toward each other.’’ The Maroon Knights will have a new home as they move onto campus of Wheeling Jesuit University. All seven of their home games are scheduled there, but the regular-season finale against Bishop Donahue could be moved to Wheeling Island Stadium depending upon the availability of Bishop Schmitt Field due to the Cardinals playing host to the Mountain East Conference Soccer Tournament. ‘‘We’re very thankful for the partnership and opportunities to be there. Fr. Flemming has been remarkable,’’ Young said. ‘‘The support from the community — donors who have stepped up with support for Wheeling Jesuit and Wheeling Central to make this a reality. ‘‘There will be seats on the visiting side — about 900 — along with the 750-800 seats that are on the home side now. We don’t need any more than that.’’
Aug. 26, 2015
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Wheeling Park Patriots
Daugherty’s team prepares for possible deep playoff run By SHAWN RINE For The Gridiron
WHEELING — One could make the argument that Wheeling Park has been one or two key injuries away from winning the first West Virginia Class AAA state football championship in the school’s history the last two seasons. Coach Chris Daugherty will be the first in line with that sentiment, but believes in a weird way those hardships have made his program stronger both mentally and physically. ‘‘I think it’s built some depth. I don’t want to go through it again, but it has helped us strengthen this football team,’’ Daugherty said. ‘‘I think we were an unhealthy team two years ago or we’re playing for a state championship. I think we were the best team in the state at some point of that season. ‘‘But you have to be the best and be healthy at the end, and we weren’t. ‘‘I think last year everybody expected three steps backward and (it was) maybe a half step. I think this team’s very, very
good. If we keep building on our previous success and learn from our past mistakes, who knows what’s ahead?’’ This season, particularly in-house, the expectation is three steps forward. This could well be the most talented and deepest roster — on paper — since Daugherty took over the program. The headliner, of course, is senior running back Savion Johnson (5-foot11, 215 pounds). He ran for 1,300 yards and 20 touchdowns his sophomore season, but went down with a torn ACL last August and missed the entire year. ‘‘Him coming back and how hard he worked, we have 60-some kids who watched that. They know what he has put in just to get back to practice,’’ Daugherty said. ‘‘In seven months he was fully cleared by the doctor. But I think it took the other four to actually get where he is full tilt. ‘‘The hungriest kid in the state of West Virginia is on our football team. I don’t know if he’s the best in West Virginia, but he is the hungriest.
‘‘There’s some value in that loss.’’ You would have a hard time convincing the opposition of that. Johnson will have plenty of help behind him. Senior Chase Adams, junior Collin Hlad and sophomore Lorenzo Clark are all ticketed for action. ‘‘We’ve got a senior, junior and sophomore, and that’s a nice mix. They’re all going to be able to play and do well,’’ Daugherty said. The Patriots are cautiously optimistic that they have a chance to have a good one at quarterback in sophomore Cross Wilkinson (6-2, 190). He burst onto the scene during a pair of highly publicized 7-on-7 encounters — both won by Park — and has looked good at practice. ‘‘When Park, who is supposed to be the running team shows up and that happens, people take notice,’’ Daughtery said. ‘‘Obviously Cross has the 6-foot-2 with vision and he’s intelligent. ‘‘His release is good, too. But he has a big, strong arm. He can get it from Point A to Point B fast.’’ But he was locked into an extremely
(Games at 7 p.m. unless noted) Sept. 4: at Bridgeport (WV) , 7:30 p.m. Sept. 11: Allderdice Sept. 18: University Sept. 25: Brooke Oct. 2: at St. Albans, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 9: at Mrogantown, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 16: Carrick Oct. 23: at Princeton, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 30: Pksbg. South Nov. 6: at John Marshall
stiff battle for the starting position with senior Austin Crebs. That means the Patriots are quite comfortable if either has to play. ‘‘His release is phenomenal and he’s got a good head on his shoulders,’’ Daugherty said of Crebs. Park has been blessed with great fullbacks the last few years in the form of Geremy Paige and Theo Blackston. They’ll do it by committee this year — See PATRIOTS Page 114
740-314-8240
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Forever
From Page 59
the same date open and both schools have to need the same venue, one home and one away.” Scheduling the Madonna-Oak Glen game has been five years in the making. “We were both able to move some games around to make this happen,” Rujak said. “This is another exciting game for our teams, our schools and our communities. When we play Madonna in any sport it’s a great game as we are both very competitive in every sport and we have developed a great relationship, rivalry and friendship between the Golden Bears and Blue Dons over the years.” The last time Oak Glen and Madonna played each other in football, Golden Bears head coach Ian Whittington was only 2 years old. “The addition of that game is something I know everyone in Hancock County will be looking forward to,” Whittington said. “The Oak Glen boys know the Madonna boys real well and they get along outside of the football field. They’re close guys, so I think it’s great to have them on the schedule. It used to be a rivalry game played a lot, but it’s been away for about 20 years or so.” Madonna head coach Doug Taylor has been coaching in the area since 2000. After a stint as a Weir assistant, he was the offensive coordinator at Oak Glen for two seasons before accepting the Madonna job in 2011. “It’s great to be playing Oak Glen again,” Taylor said. “I have some good memories from my time there. I’m sure the fans and players have been waiting for this game to be played for a while and it’s great for the schools to be playing again.”
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Division I things,” Arlia said. “Even if you’re talented enough to make it to the highest level, you need to have a good head on your shoulders. It really is a lot of work, but there’s nothing stopping you from being a college football player. It’s all up to you.” Grinding it out in the weight room and kitchen is imperative, also. “There’s no reason why kids can’t train two or three times a day,” Arlia said. “It’s a lot of work but that’s what it takes. You have to be conditioned and healthy. That was hard for me in high school. In your spare time, run. Eat right, all the time. No cheating. Surround yourself with the right people, too. You need to be with the crowd that wants to go far in life.” Arlia’s career goals are right in line with his personal philosophies. “Education, coaching, nutrition,” Arlia said. “Whatever I can do to give back.” Of course, keeping his playing days going as long as he can is what has fueled Arlia this long. He hopes that fuel lasts even longer into the future. “I probably still wouldn’t be playing if I didn’t have dreams and aspirations of
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playing football,” he said. “It’s a life goal to make it to professional football. You see my man Zach Collaros (a Steubenville graduate) on TV ripping it up in the Canadian Football League. Those opportunities are out there.”
COMIS CONTINUES TO MAKE IT HAPPEN He was a magic man in high school. Whether he was evading tacklers, sinking buzzer-beating three-pointers, or scooping ground balls at the hot corner, Ross Comis always came through in the clutch. It wasn’t something he necessarily worked on or was ever taught. He just had it in his genes. But playing in college has taught Comis that he won’t always be able to get by on his instincts (no matter how sharp they are). “College football is way more fun and way more competitive,” said Comis, the back-up quarterback at UMass as a redshirt freshman. “Every day is a game and you have to bring your A-game every day. If you don’t there’s a guy See DIVISION I Page 113
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Ferry their entire starting offensive line, which paved the way for big seasons from Burress and others. While that may cause some serious headaches for many teams, Bruney isn’t loading up on aspirin at this point. “I really think the offensive line could be one of our strengths,” Bruney said. “We had some good guys, who just had to wait their turn to play. In spots, we may be better than we were there a year ago.” Bruney is especially high on junior Dom Wallace (6-0, 308), who is penciled in to take over at right tackle. Sophomore Keegan Hupp (6-2, 220) appears set to take over at right guard, but he’s being challenged by senior Zach Olson (6-1, 240), who moved to Martins Ferry from North Carolina this summer. “Zach’s arrival has led to some good competition in our camp, which is a good thing,” Bruney said. “As soon as he showed up, guys started to get better because there’s competition. It doesn’t take kids long to figure out that someone is breathing down their necks (for playing time). Junior Drake Rice (5-11, 200) is set to anchor the line from the center position. Sophomore Demetrius Dokes (5-9, 210) is battling Rice for the center spot. He could play either spot, too. Sophomore Hunter Bodkin (5-8, 245) is expected to win the left guard spot, while senior Emilio Appolloni (6-8, 270) is moving to left tackle after spending most of his career as a tight end. “The way those linemen have come together has been a pleasant surprise for us,” Bruney said. “We could have won games (last season) with these guys playing, but they were behind some good, senior guys, who had been two and three-year starters.” Battling to get into the offensive line mix are juniors Noah Encinas and Connor Pollock; sophomores Isaih Dietz, Keith Wilson, Lar’Reek Patterson and Conner Patterson; freshmen Jason Husvar, Ian Terrill, DeAndre Pugh and Shane
Krob. The Martins Ferry defensive unit won’t only be breaking in some new faces, but will be doing it with a new voice directing the unit. Bill Bruney — Dave’s brother — retired after a long career as an assistant. John Bennett — a long-time defensive coach — has ascended to the role of coordinator. “We will essentially be the same front, using a 4-4,” Bruney said. “I think we’re going to be a little more active up front and move our defense a little bit more. We don’t want to confuse ourselves, but we’ll probably use the stem a little bit more. We may be a little bit more active in terms of stunting and blitzing, too.” Bruney is high on his defensive front, which possesses good size and foot speed. Wallace and Bodkin are the leading candidates at defensive tackle, but Appolloni and Olson are pushing for action. On the ends, Davis and Rice are getting the first looks, but Bruney also lauded the jobs being done by Dokes and Johnson. Barbour, who started at defensive end last season, is moving to an inside linebacker post
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this season. Hoover is slated to take over the other inside backer post. Logan Selby and Patterson are both providing depth and should see time. Hython and Stan are solidly in the mix for the outside linebacker posts. Straub and Patterson are getting looks there, too. “We’re better in some spots (defensively) than we were a year ago, too,” Bruney explained. One area that’s a concern is in the secondary where all three starters — Fitch, Barritt and Jacob — are gone. Jeter and Fox have the leg up for the starting corner spots. Cory Bennett will also see time in the defensive backfield along with Bass. Burress is slated to take over at safety. Bassa and Zac Selby are both safety candidates. Special teams will be a critical area for the Riders. Burress is slated to take over for Fitch as the punter. Bassa is his backup. The place-kicking duties will be decided between Burress and Barbour. Russell and Hoover will handle the long-snapping duties.
Off The Field Talk What some local players say about life off of the field ...
Austyn PORTER Harrison
What team do you play in Madden?
Seattle Seahawks
Favorite sport other than football?
Baseball
Least favorite food?
Tacos
Justin STARKEY Toronto Pittsburgh Steelers
Jeremy BLUE Steubenville San Diego Chargers
Dillon SHAW Madonna
Justin LOUGHRIE Brooke
Joey NAVE Edison
Ryan MORROW Buckeye
Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
New England Patriots
New York Giants
Wrestling
Track and Field
Wrestling
Basketball
Baked Beans
Seafood
Salad
Well Done Steak
Fish
My Father
My Father
Chris Paul
My Mother
Cancun
Hawaii
Nice , France
Drake
Drake
Top role model?
Barack Obama
My Uncle Jack
Michael Jordan
Place you want to travel?
Australia
Berlin , Germany
Brazil
Favorite musical artist or group?
Rae Sremmurd
Brantley Gilbert
Meek Mill
Twitter, Instagram or Snapchat?
Snapchat
Hawaii
Justin Moore
Lecrae
Snapchat
Baseball
Wrestling
Onions
Aug. 26, 2015
Ghosts
111
From Page 100
“I lived on Weirton Heights until I was about 12 years old when we moved to the northern part of the county,” he said. “I remember as a kid my buddies and I would ride the bus down to the stadium and we’d sneak in through the old fence behind the concrete stands.” Swartzmiller said the metal bleachers attached to the concrete stands on the home side of the stadium were sold to Edison Local for use at their stadium, and Buckeye Local bought the bleachers from the visitor-side. “I’m glad that someone was able to get some use out of them, and the Weirton Area Chamber of Commerce and we donated one of the goal posts for the display of Weirton greats at the corner of Cove Road and Weir Avenue,” he said. Michael Arlia played for the Blue Dons from 1985-88, a member of the 1987 state championship team. “I remember visiting teams always commenting about how loud the mill was which was behind the visitors stands,” he said. “We really never noticed how loud it was, I guess we were just used to the noise. It created a home field advantage for our team. “I always remember during games looking up on the roof tops of the mill and the rigger shops and seeing steel mill workers on the tops watching our games. “Looking back that was very unique and very cool, that workers wanted to watch the game that bad.” Arlia was later the athletic director for Madonna and had
two sons — Matt and Connor — play for the Dons. “I remember when they added the new stands and painted all the buildings we were all so happy with the new look,” he said. “I was so proud to have my boys playing on the same field that I grew up playing on.” Arlia said he has three memorable games at Jimmy Carey — two as a player and one as the AD. “The most memorable game I played in was the two playoff games which we won in 1987 against Mullins High and Moorefield, and then traveled to the title game,” he said. “The most memorable game as AD was when we beat Wheeling Central 18-7 during the 2009 State title run. What a game and after that game we knew we would win it all.” The old Jimmy Carey Stadium has thousands of memories throughout all those 77 years. You probably have yours. Let’s just call them “the ghosts of the old Jimmy Carey Stadium.”
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Wildcats strong safety, while Nick Glenn will start at free safety. Johns and Vincenzo will start at corner. Byron will also see time in the defensive backfield along with Radovian. Rogers will serve as the team’s placekicker and he will handle the kicking-off duties. Nave will serve as the punter and will be the holder for Rogers. Nick Glenn can serve as holder as well. Westling will return punts along with Nick Glenn and
Cade. Glenn will also be one of the team’s kick returners. The returner on the other side has yet to be determined. “Things have gone very well,” Stickles said. “The coaching staff is top notch. I am impressed. We have a great group of guys. I believe we are ahead of schedule. We have challenged the kids, and they have responded well to the challenge. They have really stepped up. “We are going in the right
direction. We want to develop an attitude and a culture here. We want the kids to play with a high level of excitement. They are playing the game the way it is meant to be played. They are giving a great effort. They always do, but I think the light bulb went off the other day. I am very comfortable with where we are at.” There are more freshmen on the roster this season than any other grade. Though none of the 19 freshmen are
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slated to start right away, the freshmen will see time on the field throughout the season. “I am not against playing freshmen,” Stickles said. “Our freshmen are physically able to play. The question is are they mentally ready to play? They will see time on special teams or if we have some injuries. As far as starting a freshman at a certain spot, I don’t think we are there yet. We have to make sure they are mentally ready to play. “Things are different on Friday nights. The situations are different. The speed of the game is different. When you have kids who are 14 or 15, you have to make sure you prepare them to handle what gets thrown at them. The freshmen are going to see some playing time. Our freshmen are pretty good. “We cut all freshmen sports at Edison a few years ago. You want to schedule JV games so the kids are playing against other kids at their level.” The Wildcats will continue to emphasize doing the little things that are necessary for success. “Doing the little things is something we emphasize all the time,” Stickles said. “The little things kind of got away from us last season. We turned the ball over a lot. We have to make the sure we have good ball security. We have to have the ball high and tight. We have to follow through on our throws. We have to secure our catches. “When you don’t have success, the kids start to doubt the system. You tell them
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hard work pays off, but they weren’t seeing the payoff. This year, the kids are excited.” The Wildcats are looking to improve throughout the season. “The kids are getting better every day,” Stickles said. “That is our goal every day. We want to win the week. You can’t win all of your games at once. We want to go 1-0 each week. The kids said they wanted to go undefeated at home. “The kids are working hard. Hopefully, we can get to where we want to be.” Stickles is assisted by Jason Duke, Spencer Bendle, Josh Garvin, Shane O’Brien, Steven Fletcher, Caleb Crowl, Josh Waggoner and Kodi Peterson. “There is a little buzz right now. The kids are starting to see that hard work pays off. The kids are working their butts off. We had a lot of kids work out in the weight room in the summer. One day we counted we had 47 kids there. We had high 40s to about 52 kids working out in the weight room this summer. “The coaches are around. They are teaching the kids well. The kids have good technique. I am seeing progress. “Like I said, I think we are ahead of schedule.” Edison is scheduled to open the season Aug. 28 at East Liverpool. “I am pretty excited,” Stickles said. “As a coach, you start to understand when the kids get it. I believe we are on an upswing. I am excited to get under way.”
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Aug. 26, 2015
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Division I waiting behind you to steal your spot. “I knew that it was going to be a lot of work, but you don’t really know about it until you get to that point. Every day, it’s a grind. It’s not like a high school day where you can lay back and do what you want sometimes.” Still, it was those magic plays that took Comis from Madonna to Massachusetts. He helped win a state championship in 2013, leading the Blue Dons to a 14-0 season. Comis accounted for 9,255 total yards and 121 touchdowns in his high school career. He was an all-state finalist and the MetroNews Player of the Year as a senior and set the state record among quarterbacks with 2,037 rushing yards as a senior. He was also on state championship basketball and baseball teams. Comis nearly ended up at West Virginia or Pitt, taking the walk-on route. However, when Mark Whipple was named the UMass head coach in January 2014, there was a major shake up. Whipple’s son, Spencer, was an assistant at Pitt who was heavily recruiting Comis to play for the Panthers. Spencer was immediately appointed to his father’s staff which, in turn, allowed him to lure Comis to the Minutemen. When the enticing offer of a chance to play in the Mid-American Conference came up, Comis was intrigued. When the promise of a full athletic scholarship was presented, he was on board. “It was very easy when I made my visit,” Comis said. “It was a full scholarship and a great opportunity. But when I got back from UMass, I
got a call from (Madonna assistant coach, Brad) Kessell telling me that Toledo was visiting Madonna the next day to talk to me. They offered me that day. “People wanted me to go there because it was close. But for some reason, UMass was the right fit. I felt comfortable right away because the facilities and coaches are great. “It’s a different offense than I ran in high school. I enjoyed having a different perspective on things my first year and I feel even more comfortable now.” He’s comfortable now because he never sat still in high school. He never got too high on his good times, and never scoffed during the bad times. “You’ve got to always stay positive and keep working,” Comis said. “For me, a blessing just came my way. And I feel that’s what happens with a lot of people. Something will come up where you can show your talent if you remain optimistic. “You have to put the work in and always be ready for that special situation to come about.”
PRATHER’S FRIENDS BACK THEN BECOME FAMILY NOW One loss doesn’t define how successful the 2011 Steubenville football season was in the eyes of Marcus Prather. Rather, it’s the number 3. “I was only sacked three times the entire year,” said Prather, the quarterback on that Big Red team. “It was the best offensive line I’ve ever played behind.”
He can still easily call out those big guys by name: Michael Camilletti, Simon Saxon, Luke McCort, Devon Wicker and Joey Nation. And, they can call on him whenever they’re in need. “Being on the field with guys that are basically your brothers — they’ve been through everything with you — just to be part of that team aspect, a lot of people don’t know what that feeling is like,” said Prather, now playing at Robert Morris. “Playing for Big Red with those guys, we knew we were going to win every single week. That confidence that head coach Reno (Saccoccia) put in our minds is something that I’ve never had another coach be like that. The high standards at Big Red were unbelievable. I wish I could do it all over again.” In 2010, Prather completed 15 passes for two touchdowns as a junior backup to Anthony Pierro. He assumed the reigns fulltime, for the first time, in 2011 as a senior. That year, he completed 121 of 185 passes for 20 touchdowns, while Steubenville outscored opponents, 447 to 126. “Your high school days are the best years of your life,” Prather said. “You’re never going to experience that again. Playing for Big Red was the best experience I’ve ever had in my life. I played for the best coaching staff I’ve ever had a chance to play for. “We had that great year my senior
From Page 108
year and it helped me get some looks, collegewise.” Prather wound up walking on to the University of Akron’s football program in 2012. After dressing for one year, he trans-
ferred to RMU. Right away, he appeared in seven games. Prather finished the year completing 28 of 59 passes for 347 yards and two touchdowns. He was named Northeast Conference Rookie of the Week on Oct. 28, 2013, after leading a comeback victory in his first start at Wagner. Prather was 5 for 8 passing in the game’s final drive and completed an 11-yard pass with under two minutes remaining to secure a Colonials’ win. In 2014, Prather served as the See DIVISION I Page 117
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Patriots as in every linebacker will take a turn. The list includes seniors Clay McDonald, and Nick Nardone, and junior Scotty Meige. Don’t be surprised if sophomore John Nash works his way into the mix. ‘‘We’re probably going to use every one of them because Clay McDonald is that good in the middle of the field (on defense),’’ Daugherty said. Seniors Jake Laing and Jamez Coles are a pair of big receivers ‘‘that can go in and block — maybe not exactly from the fullback position — but then slide out and get open,’’ according to the coach. Two more senior receivers, Elijah Bell and Tre Saunders stand to benefit from the arm strength of whomever wins the job, which will allow them to get the ball quickly and make plays in space. Up front, the entire right side of the offensive line returns with guard Austin Curnes, who will be a threeyear starter, and senior tackle Jaelan Bartlett. Two more seniors — center Troy Salatino and tight end Isaac Turner are also back. Senior Richard Blackwell (6-3, 255) has the inside track at left tackle. Others fighting
for playing time both there and at guard, are juniors Cameron Kefauver and Justin Hibbs, sophomore Dalton McNinch and senior Nathan Myers. Defensively, Wheeling Park returns 9 of 11 starters and has the potential to be downright nasty. Dustin Dominquez, Blackwell and Isaiah Myers are all back up front, as is Curnes. ‘‘Where they end up, I am not sure,’’ Daugherty said. The new face here is junior Jack Bence. ‘‘He’s done a good job and we have a handful of kids we can use to keep guys fresh,’’ Daugherty said. The linebacking unit is big and it can move, led by McDonald. ‘‘We got to Capital (secondround playoff loss) and they take (Kashaun) Haley out of the backfield and we get screwed up and he knows he’s got to get out there and cover him,’’ Daugherty recalled. ‘‘They run a vertical and he runs right with him — rangy, 6-3 with his head back — and they couldn’t throw him the ball. ‘‘He’s under the radar and his work ethic is above the average, too. He’s Division-I
From Page 107
material.’’ McDonald will be joined by Nardone, who Daugherty said made it known his sophomore season he was a player. ‘‘Nick doesn’t look it and you don’t think he’s going to be able to do it,’’ Daugherty said. ‘‘But I remember seeing him as a sophomore and saying ‘man, he reads so well and you know where that comes from (father, Mark).’” Meige is also back at linebacker and showed promise last season before suffering a torn ACL. At defensive back, Bell and Coles will afford the Patriots the luxury of playing man-toman coverage. ‘‘Both of them will not pay a dime to go to college,’’ Daugherty raved. ‘‘If you can play man with average defensive lines and linebackers, you can be pretty good. ‘‘We’re not going to be average there.’’ Saunders is a ‘‘pit bull’’ back there and senior safety Jake Pedelose stepped in last year when Michael Grove was banged up and ‘‘people didn’t see the dropoff because there was none,’’ Daugherty said. ‘‘I do think it’s a team that’s right in line with 2013 and 2014,’’ Daugherty said. ‘‘I know these kids are dying to take that next step that no Wheeling Park team has taken. We talk about it all the time, but we’ve got to go out and do it.”
Huskies
From Page 73
have a lot of guys we can give the ball to,” Kropka confirmed. “We don’t have a lot of lights out speed, but we have guys who are football fast.” The Huskies also boast a lot of speed and talent on the outside at wide receiver despite senior Gio Rocchi being sidelined after suffering a serious injury last season. Whoever isn’t playing quarterback between Arbogast and Mitchell will be at wide receiver. Mitchell caught 36 passes for 594 yards a season ago. Senior Austyn Porter ascended to the Huskies’ top receiving threat toward the end of the season and will be amongst them all season this year. Junior Kyle Roberts has been impressive in camp and Kropka expects him to have a big season. First-year senior KeShaun Muckle is also developing well. Sophomore DeJaun Caldwell is another to keep an eye on outside. Other receiving options include: junior John Mitchell, sophomores Trent McDonald, Caden Arbaugh, Isiah Cowans, Gage Rapavi and freshmen Caden Dalton and Zack Marbais. Junior Grant Sproul (6-1, 235) is back at the tight end spot. Junior Jacob Barr (6-4, 190) is also listed as a tightend. In the trenches, the Huskies feature experience, but Kropka says the group is still a bit “thin” on depth. “We’re not as thin as we’ve been, but we feel like we have seven or eight guys up front that we can play and not lose very much,” Kropka said. “We’re experienced juniors up there. The biggest advantage we have is those offensive linemen have a year of starting under their belt. Plus, we’re much, much bigger than we’ve been in a long time.” Anchoring the offensive line will be junior center Logan Smith (5-10, 270). He’s coming off a knee injury. Junior Lance Smith (5-10, 270) shifts to left tackle after starting on the other side a year ago. At left guard, sophomore Ronnie Bowers will get the call. He’s the lone newbie in the bunch. Junior Brenton Stull is penciled in at right tackle. He’s started every game of his high school career thus far. The right guard is junior Nevada Kuryn (6-0, 280). Junior Clay Gilliam (6-1, 280), senior Antony Risley (5-10, 180) are also in the mix. Barr could also shift down to the line if needed. Other line depth is supplied by juniors Bobby Taylor, Malcolm Boyer and Shane Jenkins. Sophomore line group consists of Jake Schoup, Blake Barnhart and Reese Beasley. See HUSKIES Page 120 Powered by TRINITY SPORTS MEDICINE & PERFORMANCE CENTER
2015
New Episodes posted every Thursday morning. Go to our home page and click on the Gridiron Series Football Xtra link. heraldstaronline.com weirtondailytimes.com
Aug. 26, 2015
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EVERY YARD COUNTS
Football is a game of yards. The white lines painted across the field every 3 feet can be the difference between getting another set of downs for your offense or putting the ball into your opponent’s hands. It’s the players in the trenches who battle for every inch and every yard. They are often overlooked and unappreciated. Players like Steubenville Catholic Central’s Dan Franckhauser, Weir’s Kyle Baldwin, Indian Creek’s Zach Williams and Oak Glen’s Ryan Cunningham know that on every play and with each snap of the ball, every yard counts.
Dan Franckhauser Steubenville Catholic Central
Kyle Baldwin Weir
Zach Williams Indian Creek
Ryan Cunningham Oak Glen
A: It’s the personal satisfaction of knowing that if I wasn't there blocking the guys across from me that running back wouldn't be able to break long runs and score touchdowns.
A: Definitely knowing the importance of the role. Without us linemen, a team cannot function. We may not get the glory, but we know that we're the driving force of the offense.
Q: What's your favorite part of being an offensive lineman? You guys don't always get the glory of scoring touchdowns, but what is it that keeps you going in games and practices? A: My favorite part of being an offensive lineman is knowing that every play starts with you. You are the unseen hero. What always keeps me going is my love of the game.
A: I just like whenever our player scores or makes it far down the field. That's always a cool feeling and that's why I love football.
A: It's a stressing predicament but you know that if you listen to the coach and execute the play perfectly, you will find the ball on the other side of the marker.
A: They call us the trolls up front for a reason. We get tough, mean and nasty if we want to win. That one-yard situation is big, and we have to pull that out for our team.
A: The long runs and passes are what everyone wants to see, but when we need a yard that's when we man up, blow the other team off the ball and prove that we are a better team.
A: It's all mental toughness. You have to dig and find what drives you most. Those oneyard, first-down situations are the reason you work so hard in the offseason.
A: You cannot take it back, so move onto the next play and forget about it. If it is something I need to fix, the coaches will help me with that problem to complete the play better.
A: You can't get down on yourself. You have to have faith in yourself and the guys next to you. Everybody makes mistakes and it's about correcting those mistakes on the next play.
A: When you get beat you really just need to have a short memory and forget about the last play. You have to get ready to give 110-percent on the next play.
A: You just have to use it as fuel for the next play. Learn from your mistakes and have a short memory.
A: I’ve always been a lineman ever since I started playing in seventh grade. I played left offensive guard last season and left offensive tackle this one. I’ve always played those two offensive positions.
A: I've always been one of the biggest guys on the team, so my coaches have always trusted me up front. I've gotten stronger over the years and love that this is my position on the field.
A: I have played center, guard and tackle. I started playing football in third grade for the Mingo Chiefs.
A: I was a lineman all the way through pee-wee football and up until this year I've been playing fullback. It was bittersweet to move back for one last year but I wanted to do what was best for my team.
Q: So scoring touchdowns and getting long runs has to be personally glorifying, but what is it like in a scrum when you just need to move one yard for a first down?
Q: Say you get beat on a play, how do you recover from that and get ready for the next one?
Q: Have you always been a lineman? When did you get your start playing football and did you play another position along the way?
Aug. 26, 2015
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Division I
backup quarterback and saw action in four games. He started the season finale against Duquesne, going 12 for 28 through the air with 125 yards. After suffering three concussions in five months, Prather has been ruled out for this season. He will take a medical redshirt and still have two years of eligibility remaining. “The doctors are a little worried,” Prather said. “I’ll take another test at the end of the year to see if they’ll let me back on the field. I kept having symptoms this summer and sat through a series of six-hour tests.” The time off to rest has helped put things in perspective for Prather. “If I could go back and do it all over again with the recruiting process, I would look more for a coaching staff that was so excited for me and wanted me to come play for them,” he said. “I would sign with a team where I would have started all four years of college, no matter the
Crusaders
Mort is back at the nose with Franckhauser and Cuervo providing the backup. Marcino and Harris were regulars at end. Thompson and Oliver also are fighting for playing time. Parise started at inside linebacker in 2014 but has moved to the outside, where he’ll join Clark, another returning starter. Junior Gino DiBiase and Heavlin are other candidates. Leluika returns at one inside linebacker spot. Neely and Daley are competing for the other starting assignment. Barber and LeFever return as the starting corners with Potenzini and DiCarlantonio in reserve. Fallon, who had nine interceptions as a junior and earned post-season honors for his defensive work, and Mihalyo are back as the starting safeties. Sophomore A.J. Connor also will see time there. Potenzini will serve as Central’s punter with Zamberlan doing the long snapping. “It’s big for us to have so many returning starters on defense,” said Daley. “We have some pretty athletic kids who move pretty well. They have a lot of games under their belts. We were
level. You don’t want to waste years waiting for your time to get on the field. “You want to play for a passionate coaching staff that makes you feel connected with them, and for coaches that make you excited to play for them. “It’s important to be passionate about your school and your coaches. You don’t want to be stubborn with your way of thinking. You want to be sure about yourself and with your college decision.” Prather will finish his undergraduate studies in December and graduate with a degree in business. He wouldn’t mind trying his hand at coaching. “I would want to be the exact same coach that (Big Red assistants) Mike Haney and JoJo Saccoccia were to me,” Prather said. “They were total father figures and helped me out with everything on and off the field.”
very young last season and that showed at times. I like our overall speed and quickness as well as the fact that we go after the ball. One key for us this year will be our ability to get stops on the defensive side.” Central will open its season Aug. 28 with a road trip to Wheeling Central. The game will be the first for the Maroon Knights at Bishop Schmitt Field, located on the campus of Wheeling Jesuit University. It will mark the first time in school history the Knights have not played on Wheeling Island. “That should be an exciting opportunity for the kids,”
Daley noted. “Playing the first game there will be a neat experience for both sides.” The Crusaders will then play four straight games at Harding Stadium, hosting Oak Glen, Weir High, Toronto and Warren John F. Kennedy. Road trips will follow to Bellaire, Barnesville, Bishop Donahue and Madonna. The regular season will conclude with a home game opposite Bellaire St. John. The contest with Bishop Donahue will be the first between the schools. CCHS has not played St. John since 1965 and the Crusaders last
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THE OHIO VALLEY’S SLICE OF STARS
The top three states that produce Division I football talent are California, Florida and Texas. Nearly every program across the country has at least one player from one of those three states on their roster. Four Division I programs have players from the Ohio Valley region of Ohio and West Virginia on their rosters. This may not be the sexiest area for football talent, but one would be hard-pressed to find another locale that is as passionate as this one. It’s that passion for the sport and that passion for performing as the best. Petteway, Murray, Arlia, Comis and Prather spoke more highly of their high school teammates and coaches than they did of themselves. They’re proud of where they are now, but they’re even more proud of where they came from.
played Warren JFK in 2006. “It’s a small-school schedule and yes, that’s where we are right now,” Daley stated. “We’re a small school, but by no means do we have an easy schedule. Bishop Donahue has been up in recent years and St. John is improving and has things on the right track. “Wheeling Central has a ton of guys back and JFK along with Madonna will be much improved. Toronto is loaded and Barnesville is improving. Bellaire has a ton of kids back and we know what Weir did last year. Oak Glen will always be a big, physical team. In my opinion,
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there are no breaks from Week 1 to Week 10 this year.” Daley noted that for the first time in many years, Central was able to schedule all area Catholic schools. He called that “kind of a first step” in possibly creating a small,school Catholic league. “I think it would be great if we had some type of league,” he said. “I believe the communities involved would love to see it and the fans would see competitive football week in and week out. It also would bring more attention to the kids we have within our program.”
Playoff road changes with new divisions
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By ED LOOMAN For The Gridiron
The Ohio High School Athletic Association re-configures its football divisional set-up every two years to allow for enrollment changes. The changes made for 2015 will impact several area schools. Big Red, for example, won’t have to worry about butting heads with Columbus Marion-Franklin or Columbus Beechcroft should it be in the hunt for a third straight Division IV Region 13 championship. Those Columbus schools have moved up to Division II, according to information released earlier this summer by the OHSAA. Steubenville remains in the region along with Indian Creek. St. Clairsville, Big Red’s Week 10 opponent, has jumped from Division V to D IV and will compete for
Aug. 26, 2015
the Region 13 crown. Other teams in the region include: ¯ River View, Coshocton, Fairfield Union, Bloom Carroll, Columbus Bishop Hartley (which also jumped from D V), Columbus Africentric, Gallia Academy, Cambridge (which dropped from D III), Meadowbrook, Licking Valley, Lakewood, Heath, Johnstown-Monroe (Big Red handed the Johnnies a 35-22 setback in round one of the 2014 playoffs), Pomeroy Meigs, Maysville, Philo, John Glenn, New Lexington, Circleville, Logan Elm, Waverly, Chillicothe Unioto, Claymont and Indian Valley. There is sure to be a new D IV champion in 2015 since Cleveland Benedictine, which knocked off Big Red in the state semifinals, has advanced to D III. Benedictine earned the crown by clipping Kettering Alter 21-14.
Longtime Big Red playoff nemesis Youngstown Cardinal Mooney has departed the D IV ranks and moved down to Division V. The Cardinals and the Irish of Ursuline will now compete in the same region. Toledo Central Catholic, which took the D III crown in 2014 thanks to a 56-52 win over Athens, has dropped to Division IV this season. Benedictine will open its 2015 season with a visit to Toledo Central Catholic on Aug. 29. The game, slated for a 4 p.m. kickoff, will be televised on ESPNU. The OHSAA’s re-configuring process has pushed Catholic Central up to the Division VI (Region 21) list of schools. The Crusaders had been competing in D VII. Steve Daley’s gridders will be competing for a playoff spot with the likes of Bellaire, Bishop Ready, Fort Frye, Monroe Central, Newark Catholic, Newcomerstown,
River, Centerburg, Grandview Heights, DawsonBryant and Crooksville. Canton Central Catholic reached the Division V state title game a season ago, bowing to Coldwater 62-21. Western Reserve advanced to the D VII Region 23 championship tilt where it fell to Norwalk St. Paul. Berlin began the playoffs with a win over Toronto. Daley admitted the move is going to be “tough” for his club. “We’ll be one of the smallest Division VI schools in a very tough region,” he said. “Plus, we’ve geared our schedule toward a Division VII slate. When those numbers come up again, we will more than likely be back down in D VII. “However, for the time being, we’re going to have to do our best, win games and hope to get some help. If those things happen, hopefully we’ll get in and go from there.” Central opens its season Aug. 28 on the road against Wheeling Central. It then will play consecutive home games opposite Oak Glen, Weir High, Toronto and Warren JFK. The Crusaders will trek to Bellaire, Barnesville, Bishop Donahue and Madonna before closing at Harding Stadium against Bellaire St. John. Buckeye Local stayed in Division IV after the latest
changes released Aug. 13. Edison has moved to Division V and will compete in Region 17. Last season, the Jefferson County school competed in Division IV. Harrison Central has stayed in Division V but will move from Region 15 to Region 17. Toronto, which ended a long playoff drought in 2014, will stay in Region 23 of D VII along with longtime rival Wellsville. Here’s a look at the football divisional structure for 2015: ¯ Division I: enrollment of 627 or more (72 schools) ¯ Division II: enrollment between 423 and 626 (107 schools) ¯ Division III: enrollment between 271 and 422 (107 schools) ¯ Division IV: enrollment between 201 and 270 (107 schools) ¯ Division V: enrollment between 150 and 200 (108 schools) ¯ Division VI: enrollment between 107 and 149 (107 schools) ¯ Division VII: enrollment of 106 and less (108 schools) ¯ Enrollment figures are based on students in grades 9-11 with athletic participation opportunities as of Oct. 1, 2014. There will be 716 Ohio schools fielding football teams this season.
GOOD LUCK To All Area Teams This Season!
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Aug. 26, 2015
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Cox more advance training from paid coaches are carefully selected by high school head coaches. Of course, the next level is high school where it gets a lot more serious with hard-working, skilled coaches. Added to this are various football camps, usually held at some university, which are presented by individuals with college coaching or professional playing experience. Then, you mix in the off season weight training. Football today isn’t your grandfather’s game where the better athletes played multiple sports. Some do today, but many athletes begin to concentrate on one sport during their high school careers. And those who do play multiple sports usually find time to get at least some of their weight workouts in. By the time the young men reach high school, they not only begin to specialize in one sport, but in football they
find the position that best fits their talents and here again begin to specialize by getting more intense training at whatever that position may be. The high school days that I remember — of just getting into shape and going out for football when the early practices begin — are long gone. I don’t remember the football players of my day doing all that intense off-season preparation. That was back in the 1950s and in those days if you wanted to keep in shape for football you played other sports if you were a good enough athlete. I don’t remember anyone lifting weights intensively or going to camps or any of that offseason stuff. The young men you see on the gridiron in 2015 have worked hard to get out on the fields of the Ohio Valley and we, as fans, should appreciate that. Oh, and let’s not forget about those high school
coaches. Most of them put in a lot more than an eight-hour working day trying to get your favorite team prepared for the competition. They work just as hard as the players and do it during the offseason as well. They do work very hard and we should show our appreciation for that, too, win or lose. The game today is much more exciting than the one I grew up watching. The wide open style of the offenses is fun to watch, but there’s still plenty of run game to excite the fans. Games back in the day started at 8 p.m. and finished about 9:30 p.m. with the halftime show included. Now, games start at 7 p.m. and still aren’t finished until 9:30 p.m. or later. The running game prevailed back then with passing being done only when long yardage was needed for a first down or as a surprise tactic. Most teams limited passing to less than 10 per contest.
Today, most games have each team passing the ball 20 times or more. That’s OK. I much prefer the excitement that it brings to the game and watching as the defensive coaches try in-game strategy to stop the high-powered offenses. Let’s get ready to watch these athletes that have put so
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much of their young lives into being the best that they can be. Let’s enjoy the various coaching strategies rather than criticize. Remember, they work hard, too. Let’s enjoy the hoopla, the bands, the cheerleaders and all that makes Friday and Saturday nights special in this great Ohio Valley.
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Petchal 1999, I do know I have covered a total of 52 games, not counting all-star games or scrimmages, in the past five seasons. Since I have become a sportswriter, I have covered high school football scrimmages, regular season games, playoff games — including one state final — and some all-star games. Since my first game back in 1999, many players, coaches and games have come and gone, some of which are more easily able to be recalled. In the past five years, I have covered four playoff games while covering 48 regular season games. One of the highlights of the last five seasons was being able to cover Oak Glen’s 28-20 victory over Roane County in Spencer in
the opening round of the 2011 West Virginia Class AA playoffs. One none-playoff game that stands out is the Week 7 game of the 2010 season between Buckeye 8 rivals St. Clairsville and Edison out on Cartwright Memorial Field. The Red Devils entered play that night undefeated at 6-0, while the Wildcats were 5-1. On that Friday night in Richmond, St. Clairsville jumped out to a 21-0 halftime lead. The Wildcats fought back to close their deficit to 21-13 before another Red Devils’ touchdown gave the visitors from Belmont County a 28-13 advantage. Undeterred, Edison scored the final 15 points of regulation to tie the score at 28 and send the game into overtime.
After stopping St. Clairsville three straight times, Edison finally scored a touchdown in the third overtime period to pull out a thrilling 34-28 victory. The Red Devils and Wildcats do not play this season. The game between Edison and St. Clairsville is just one of the 52 games I have covered in the past five seasons, but many of the other 51 have not been nearly as close. Last year, I covered eight games. Two of those games were decided by 25 points, while the other games were decided by three points, 19 points, 27 points, 30 points, 34 points and finally 41 points. I covered four games in 2013. Those games were decided by 11 points, 14 points,
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From Page 8
36 points and 55 points. In 2012, I covered 14 games. Three of those games were decided by 21 and 35 points respectively, while the others were decided by seven points, nine points, 14 points, 20 points, 36 points, 44 points, 48 points and finally 52 points. I covered 13 games in 2011. Three of those games were decided by 40 points, two were decided by three points and the rest were decided by one point, eight points, 10 points, 13 points, 36 points, 42 points, 46 points and finally a whopping 58 points. I also covered 13 games in 2010. Two of those games were decided by one point and two were decided by 18 points, while the others were decided by six points, eight
points, 11 points, 12 points, 20 points, 26 points, 28 points, 39 points and 42 points. As a sportswriter, it is tough covering games and writing stories when there is a large margin of victory, though it is easier when the game you cover only features one local team and that is the team that comes away with the win. I have seen my share of those, but unfortunately I have also covered plenty that went the other way. I do not know how many games I will cover this season, but no matter how many I do cover and no matter who is playing in the games, hopefully all of the players come out of the game injury-free or at least without sustaining any major injuries. That is the most important point of all.
The freshmen linemen include: Caden Bailey, Josh Croft, Cole Dunfee, Nick Gray, Blayne Erwin, Sean Francis, Gabe Alexander (6-3, 305) and Isiah White. The Huskies’ defense should be solid, utilizing a base 4-4 alignment. “I like the way we get to the ball,” Kropka said. “We have physical kids who like to hit. Probably too much, but I don’t want to take that away because they get to the ball and they’ll hit you. You’ll remember it if you play us.” The defensive ends are expected to be Carter, Sproull and Barr is in the mix. The tackles are a battle between Stull, Kuryn, Lance Smith, Logan Smith and Gillian. “We’re going to be able to platoon some, which is a key,” Kropka said. “We have a rotation of guys and I think that will help keep us fresh.” Risley returns at one of the inside linebacker spots. He led the Huskies with 96 tackles last season. Ball recorded 95 stops and is back at the other linebacker spot. The outside linebacker spots are locked by Stenson, who
had 51 tackles, and Bryson Porter, who had 71 stops. Hill will also be in the mix in that rotation. “The linebackers have different builds and different skill sets,” Kropka pointed out. “We think these guys bring a lot to the table.” The defensive backfield is certainly a strength with Mitchell leading the list of returnees at a corner spot. He was a first-team all-Ohioan a season ago, recording six interceptions and 46 tackles. The other defensive back spots are basically interchangeable between Austyn Porter, Johnson, Roberts, Arbogast and Stenson. “Depending on the matchup, we can play these guys in different spots and they’re experienced enough to where they won’t cost us with a mental mistake,” Kropka said. For one of the first time in Kropka’s tenure, the Huskies have a placekicker available. Junior Logan Starr, who also plays on the Harrison Central soccer team, is handling the kickoffs and point after tries. Austyn Porter will handle the punting duties. Johnson will serve as the long snapper.
Huskies
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than any national holiday. My daddy coached in Alexandria, he worked so hard my momma left him but I stayed with coach, he needed me on that field.” Hmm, sound familiar? High school football a way of life? Bigger than most holidays? If the word “Virginia” hadn’t been in Sheryl’s comments, her statement could very well have been about the Upper Ohio Valley, where high school football is king. On the night before his team’s season opener, coach Boone stands on the T.C. Williams stadium turf and offers a powerful statement regarding his thoughts on high school football. “Yeah, this is my sanctuary right here,” he says. “All this hatred and turmoil swirling around us, but this…. this is always right. Struggle. Survival. Victory and defeat. It’s just a game, but I love it.” Well, folks, it’s back. It is just a game, but we love it. It’s again the time of the year when plenty of folks will load up the car and head out on Friday and Saturday nights to cheer on their favorite high school football team. And when it’s time for a road game, please remember—if you’re the last one out of town, turn off the
lights! In our valley, it’s almost a rite of passage for families to experience the football culture in a variety of ways. Besides the young men who have worked yearround in the weight room and on the practice field to show off their running, passing, blocking, tackling and kicking skills under the lights, there’s a whole lot of other things going on. It adds up to some very special evenings. Community involvement and pride are on display on a scale few other local events can match. Whether connected to the respective marching bands, the cheerleaders, the training staffs or simply working a concession stand, there’s plenty of activity and excitement. Press box, media and film crews turn out as well as the “chain” gang on the field, all the stadium workers at ticket booths and gates and everyone selling chances to win the 50-50 drawing or game ball. After the team captains shake hands in the center of the field for the coin toss and the national anthem has been played, the real fun begins. All the thrills of some of the best high school football annually in Ohio and West Virginia bring us back week after week to see who wins, which stars emerge and, more importantly, how many computer
points can your favorite team collect. At this moment, championship dreams abound with every team in the Herald Star/Daily Times coverage area. As the season unfolds, however, we’ll discover who the contenders are and which teams are nothing more, unfortunately, than pretenders. Regardless, the coaches and the young men donning pads and helmets will continue pouring all their energies into making their aspirations come to pass. Without a doubt, the start of the high school football season is a crazy, exciting time — and not only for players, coaches and veteran sportswriters. The mascot, band and cheerleaders (let’s not forgot how hard those young people work to prepare) and throngs of people who are integral to the success of the overall production of game night have been awaiting that first kickoff. The 2015 season locally promises to be another exciting one when you consider the following: ¯ Will Big Red survive its difficult regular season schedule and capture a third straight regional championship? The Red’s slate is filled with huge dates, Clinton Massie in Week 2, a visit from those always-tough Tigers from Stark County, a road trip to Dover and the
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highly anticipated Week 10 battle at St. Clairsville. ¯ Can Catholic Central win enough games to reach the Division VI post season? The Crusaders are moving up a division this campaign. ¯ Will Toronto and Weir High return to the playoffs after outstanding campaigns in 2014? ¯ Can Edison, Oak Glen, Madonna, Brooke and Buckeye Local improve on their win totals from a season ago? ¯ How many wins will Indian Creek need in order to return to the playoffs? ¯ What about those Huskies from Harrison Central? Will they be able to improve on their 5-5 mark? ¯ How large will the crowd be when the new Backyard Brawl (Toronto vs. Edison) takes place? ¯ The same question can be posed about the Madonna-Oak Glen contest. Football is back and for those of us in the Valley, it is a way of life, even if the season does represent the fastest 10 weeks of the year. It’s definitely worth checking out if you’ve never been a high school football fan or you’ve been away from it for a number of years. Compared to other leisure activities, tickets and concessions are a pretty good deal. Kickoff 2015 awaits. Don’t miss it.
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Aug. 26, 2015
Weir, Oak Glen contest back at Week 1
By MATTHEW PEASLEE For The Gridiron
For the first time since 2007, Weir High and Oak Glen will open up the season playing each other under the lights. As if the two football programs didn’t need more inspiration to start a new season. “I think it’s terrific,” said Weir head coach Tony Filberto. “It’s a great situation to have the local rivalries back on the field to open up the season. Both teams will be slugging it out for that Carl Hamil Trophy. Both teams are already excited because there’s a lot at stake that night. It’s a very special time for all of us.” Filberto has seen both sides of the Red Riders-Golden Bears rivalry. The 1968 graduate of the old Wellsburg High School coached at Weir from 2002 to 2004 and he has held that same position with the Red Riders since 2012. Filberto was also a longtime assistant at the school, dating back to the 1980s. However, from 2008 to 2011, he was the leader of Oak Glen, taking the
Golden Bears to a pair of playoff appearances. “When I was at Weir, we always opened up with Oak Glen,” Filberto said. “When I was at Oak Glen, we never opened up with Weir. “I was a contributor getting the game back to Week 1. I know what this game means to all parties involved. We all talked and thought it was a great opportunity. We’re both West Virginia teams, and that’s a plus to get the season going. It’s really a great way to start the school year.” Ian Whittington, the Golden Bears head coach and 2003 graduate of Oak Glen, also knows the importance of the game. He played Weir twice on opening night when he was a football player. The Golden Bears also opened up with East Liverpool twice in his high school career. “It was either Weir or East Liverpool and we played those back-toback,” Whittington said. “So Week 1 and Week 2 were two of the biggest games of the season right off the bat. I miss playing in those heated rivalry games, but it’s good for our kids to experience that same excitement and
I still get a feel of it from a coaching standpoint.” Aug. 28 will signal the 50th edition of the “Backyard Brawl” between the Hancock County schools. Weir holds a 33-17 overall advantage since the teams began playing each other in 1965. The Red Riders have won the past two outings, but the Golden Bears won four-straight from 2009 until 2012. “It’s our biggest rivalry right in Week 1,” Whittington said. “Both of the teams are coming in 0-0 and will be hungry to get that first win. It gets the excitement going week one. We expect a huge crowd with fans from both schools packing our place at Oak Glen.” Weir athletic director Mike DelRe said the planning of this game returning to Week 1 has been three years in the making. “(Oak Glen AD) Phil Rujak and I have been working on this for several years because we know of its importance,” DelRe said. “It will continue to be the opening game in the future.” Last year, this game took place on Oct. 3.
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“Though it was still a big game for both teams, I don’t think it had the same excitement that it does as the opening game,” Rujak said. “I really believe that everyone in both communities gets excited for this game because it’s a new season with renewed hope, anticipation and expectations. Everyone in both communities comes out to see how well the teams match up against one another. “It sets the tone for the rest of the season. If you play well in this game, win or lose, you can expect a good season. However, if not — yikes — who knows and you just might have your work cut out for you. I know our kids and coaches are a little more excited than usual to get things started because we are playing our neighbors from down the road.” The schools are separated by just 13 miles. The Carl Hamil trophy, named for the legendary coach and educator, must be won by a team three times to retain permanent possession. Weir is one win away from that being the case for this campaign.
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son, Zach (a three-year starter and a third-team Division II All-Ohioan graduated and is now playing at West Liberty) and senior Isaiah Pavlic moved to Connecticut. “Getting Tyreece back after a year off with an injury is big for us,” said Connor. “He would have been a starter. “He’s a nice addition. “Having Jabari on the line, along with Dailey and Zach Williams I think will be a strength for us. “Our secondary got better as the year went a long last year and should be a strength for us. We have a lot of guy who got a lot of reps last year are back. “Linebacker is going to be a key for us.” Connor acknowledged that, like previous teams, players must understand their roles within the team concept. “This senior class reminds me of last year’s senior class,” he said. “Last year’s senior class understood their roles and played them very well. The seniors had the idea that we had to win now and that meant all those kids knowing their jobs, their roles and doing the job every day in practice and every Friday night. “That’s what turns a program around. “Every team has two, three, four kids who are well known. Every team needs kids, when they become seniors, to fully understand that they have paid their dues and now it’s time to shine. We’ve been fortunate because we have had a lot of those kids during these six years. “It’s their year and they have to step up and get the job done. Our seniors have done that year in and year out. They have been great leaders and the underclassmen have done great jobs in support. “Our program has now become well known because of all the effort and hard work by everyone. “I’ve been very fortunate as the head coach at Indian Creek.”
Big Red 1985 season never was as complete or fulfilling as I thought it would be. “This team reminds me of the 1985 team when it comes to people returning. I have to say our off-season is a lot different now and I feel we had a great off-season. The attitude is not exactly where I want it but it is heading in the right direction. As coaches, we have to remember each kid has something to offer the program. “We just have to bring the best out in each player and that’s our job during two-a-days. We have to drive our kids harder than we have. The body will do whatever the mind tells it to do. So, we have to work on mental toughness.” Saccoccia’s 1985 club went 10-3, losing to Youngstown Cardinal Mooney in the playoffs. When it comes to goals and expectations, the Big Red program stays consistent year in and year out. “Our goals are no different than any other season,” Saccoccia said. “We will work to improve every day and earn it every day. That’s tough to do, go out there and earn it every day. That’s where coaching motivation enters into the game. “Also, we want to win enough regular season games in order to earn a first round playoff game at home. I’m not sure if there is a difference between expectations and goals
Aug. 26, 2015
From Page 82
but those our goals going into every season. We set out to achieve them from day one.” The veteran Big Red grid boss believes motivation will play a key role during the 2015 campaign. “Although I’m not a Duke fan, Coach Krzyzewski at 68 years old drove his team and himself to a national championship,” Saccoccia stated. “I don’t think they were the best team but he proved to be the best coach because he motivated his team and his coaches. Motivation is probably 99.9 percent of football. A motivated player can do things he never thought he could do.” Big Red will open its season on Thursday when Cleveland John F. Kennedy visits Harding Stadium. Perennial D-IV power Clinton Massie will travel to Steubenville for a huge Week 2 showdown. Saccoccia’s crew also will face Massillon, Dover, and Youngstown Ursuline before closing the regular season with a road trip to St. Clairsville. Home games with Washington St. John’s Collegiate, University Prep from Pittsburgh and Cardinal O’Hara along with a trip to Brooke round out the schedule. “Our schedule is very competitive and challenging,” Saccoccia stated. “It’s probably the most competitive schedule we’ve had in my years as coach. With great challenges, however, come great rewards. Hopefully, we’re up to the challenge.”
(Games at 7 p.m. unless noted)
Aug. 27
Cleveland JFK at Steubenville, 5:45 p.m. Toronto vs. Wellsville at Harding Stadium, 8 p.m.
Aug. 28
Weir at Oak Glen Catholic Central at Wheeling Central Buckeye Local at Martins Ferry Edison at East Liverpool Harrison Central at Claymont Indian Creek at Cambridge Madonna at Bishop Donahue Huntington at Brooke, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 4
Clinton Massie at Steubenville Harrison Central at Weir Carrollton at Edison Union Local at Buckeye Local Bridgeport at Toronto Brooke at Morgantown, 7:30 p.m. Indian Creek at East Liverpool, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 5
Madonna at Tusky Catholic, 1:30 p.m. Oak Glen at Catholic Central
Weekly Prep Schedule Sept. 12
Sept. 26
Weir at Catholic Central, 7:30 p.m.
Madonna at Ashtabula St. John, 1:30 p.m. Warren JFK at Catholic Central
Sept. 18
Massillon at Steubenville Madonna at Oak Glen Grafton at Weir Buckeye Local at Indian Creek Union Local at Harrison Central Edison at Beaver Local Hurricane at Brooke, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 2
Ursuline at Steubenville Brooke at Indian Creek Edison at Oak Glen St. John Central at Madonna Weir at Union Local Ashtabula St. John at Toronto, 7:30 p.m. Harrison Central at St. Clairsville, 7:30 p.m. Buckeye Local at John Marshall, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 19
Toronto at Catholic Central
Oct. 3
Catholic Central at Bellaire, 12:30 p.m.
Sept. 25
Union Local at Edison Bellaire at Buckeye Local Brooke at Wheeling Park Harrison Central at Martins Ferry Toronto at Shadyside Steubenville at Dover, 7:30 p.m. Indian Creek at St. Clairsville, 7:30 p.m. Weir at LibertyClarksburg, 7:30 p.m. Oak Glen, bye
Oct. 9
Steubenville at Brooke Edison at Harrison Central Martins Ferry at Indian Creek Beaver Local at Buckeye Local Catholic Central at Barnesville Toronto at Paden City Oak Glen at East Liverpool, 7:30 p.m. Weir at Magnolia, 7:30 p.m. Madonna, bye
Sept. 11
D.C. St. Johns at Steubenville Oak Glen at Indian Creek Buckeye Local at Edison Bellaire at Harrison Central Wheeling Central at Madonna McKinley at Toronto University at Brooke, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 16
University Prep at Steubenville Edison at Weir Oak Glen at Harrison Central Beaver Local at Indian Creek Conotton Valley at Toronto East Liverpool at Buckeye Local Catholic Central at Bishop Doanhue Parkersburg South at Brooke, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 17
Notre Dame at Madonna
Oct. 23
Cardinal O'Hara at Steubenville Brooke at Weir Toronto at Edison Indian Creek at Harrison Central Buckeye Local at Oak Glen
Oct. 24
Catholic Central at Madonna
Oct. 29
Steubenville at St. Clairsville
Oct. 30
Indian Creek at Edison Madonna at Toronto Harrison Central at Buckeye Local East Liverpool at Weir Brooke at John Marshall Oak Glen at Beaver Local
Oct. 31
St. John Central at Catholic Central
Nov. 6
Ohio playoffs Madonna at Clay-Battelle, 7:30 p.m. Brooke and Weir, bye
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2015 NFL Season Week 1
Thursday, Sept. 10
Pittsburgh Steelers at New England Patriots 8:30
Sunday, Sept. 13
Indianapolis Colts at Buffalo Bills 1p Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears 1p Kansas City Chiefs at Houston Texans 1p Carolina Panthers at Jacksonville Jaguars 1p Cleveland Browns at New York Jets 1p Seattle Seahawks at St. Louis Rams 1p Miami Dolphins at Washington Redskins 1p New Orleans Saints at Arizona Cardinals 4:05p Detroit Lions at San Diego Chargers 4:05p Baltimore Ravens at Denver Broncos 4:25p Cincinnati Bengals at Oakland Raiders 4:25p Tennessee Titans at Tampa Bay Buccaneers 4:25p New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys 8:30p
Monday, Sept. 14
Philadelphia Eagles at Atlanta Falcons 7:10p Minnesota Vikings at San Francisco 49ers 10:20p
WEEK 2
Thursday, Sept. 17
Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs 8:25p
Sunday, Sept. 20
New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills 1p Houston Texans at Carolina Panthers 1p Arizona Cardinals at Chicago Bears 1p San Diego Chargers at Cincinnati Bengals 1p Tennessee Titans at Cleveland Browns 1p Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings 1p Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints 1p Atlanta Falcons at New York Giants 1p San Francisco 49ers at Pittsburgh Steelers 1p St. Louis Rams at Washington Redskins 1p Miami Dolphins at Jacksonville Jaguars 4:05p Baltimore Ravens at Oakland Raiders 4:05p Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles 4:25p Seattle Seahawks at Green Bay Packers 8:30p
Monday, Sept. 21
New York Jets at Indianapolis Colts 8:30p
WEEK 3
Thursday, Sept. 24
Washington Redskins at New York Giants 8:25p
Sunday, Sept. 27
Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens 1p New Orleans Saints at Carolina Panthers 1p Oakland Raiders at Cleveland Browns 1p Atlanta Falcons at Dallas Cowboys 1p Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Houston Texans 1p San Diego Chargers at Minnesota Vikings 1p Jacksonville Jaguars at New England Patriots 1p Philadelphia Eagles at New York Jets 1p Pittsburgh Steelers at St. Louis Rams 1p Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans 1p San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals 4:05p Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins 4:25p Chicago Bears at Seattle Seahawks 4:25p
WEEK 5
Thursday, Oct. 8
Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans 8:25p
Sunday, Oct. 11
Washington Redskins at Atlanta Falcons 1p Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens 1p Seattle Seahawks at Cincinnati Bengals 1p St. Louis Rams at Green Bay Packers 1p Chicago Bears at Kansas City Chiefs 1p New Orleans Saints at Philadelphia Eagles 1p Jacksonville Jaguars at Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1p Buffalo Bills at Tennessee Titans 1p Arizona Cardinals at Detroit Lions 4:05p New England Patriots at Dallas Cowboys 4:25p
Denver Broncos at Oakland Raiders 4:25p San Francisco 49ers at New York Giants* 8:30p
Monday, Oct. 12
Pittsburgh Steelers at San Diego Chargers 8:30p Byes: Carolina, Miami, Minnesota, NY Jets
WEEK 6
Thursday, Oct. 15
Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints 8:25p
Sunday, Oct. 18
Cincinnati Bengals at Buffalo Bills 1p Denver Broncos at Cleveland Browns 1p Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions 1p Houston Texans at Jacksonville Jaguars 1p Kansas City Chiefs at Minnesota Vikings 1p Washington Redskins at New York Jets 1p Arizona Cardinals at Pittsburgh Steelers 1p Miami Dolphins at Tennessee Titans 1p Carolina Panthers at Seattle Seahawks 4:05p San Diego Chargers at Green Bay Packers 4:25p Baltimore Ravens at San Francisco 49ers 4:25p New England Patriots at Indianapolis Colts* 8:30p
Denver Broncos at Detroit Lions 8:30p
Monday, Sept. 28
Kansas City Chiefs at Green Bay Packers 8:30p
Monday, Oct. 19
WEEK 4
New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles 8:30p Byes: Dallas, Oakland, St. Louis, Tampa Bay
Thrusday, Oct. 1
Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers 8:25p
Sunday, Oct. 4
New York Jets at Miami Dolphins (London) 9:30a Houston Texans at Atlanta Falcons 1p New York Giants at Buffalo Bills 1p Oakland Raiders at Chicago Bears 1p Kansas City Chiefs at Cincinnati Bengals 1p Jacksonville Jaguars at Indianapolis Colts 1p Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1p Philadelphia Eagles at Washington Redskins 1p Cleveland Browns at San Diego Chargers 4:05p St. Louis Rams at Arizona Cardinals 4:25p Minnesota Vikings at Denver Broncos 4:25p Green Bay Packers at San Francisco 49ers 4:25p Dallas Cowboys at New Orleans Saints 8:30p
Monday, Oct. 5
Detroit Lions at Seattle Seahawks 8:30p Byes: Tennessee, New England
WEEK 7
Thursday, Oct. 22
Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers 8:25p
Sunday, Oct. 25
Buffalo Bills at Jacksonville Jaguars (London) 9:30a Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions 1p New Orleans Saints at Indianapolis Colts 1p Pittsburgh Steelers at Kansas City Chiefs 1p Houston Texans at Miami Dolphins 1p New York Jets at New England Patriots 1p Cleveland Browns at St. Louis Rams 1p Atlanta Falcons at Tennessee Titans 1p Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Washington Redskins 1p Oakland Raiders at San Diego Chargers 4:05p Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants 4:25p Philadelphia Eagles at Carolina Panthers* 8:30p
Monday, Oct. 26
Baltimore Ravens at Arizona Cardinals 8:30p Byes: Chicago, Cincinnati, Denver, Green Bay
2680 Commercial Ave. Mingo Jct., OH 43938 740-598-4121
WEEK 8
Thursday, Oct. 29
Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots 8:25p
Sunday, Nov. 1
Detroit Lions at Kansas City Chiefs (London) 9:30a Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons 1p San Diego Chargers at Baltimore Ravens 1p Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears 1p Arizona Cardinals at Cleveland Browns 1p Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans 1p New York Giants at New Orleans Saints 1p Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers 1p San Francisco 49ers at St. Louis Rams 1p New York Jets at Oakland Raiders 4:05p Seattle Seahawks at Dallas Cowboys 4:25p Green Bay Packers at Denver Broncos* 8:30p
Monday, Nov. 2
Indianapolis Colts at Carolina Panthers 8:30p Byes: Buffalo, Jacksonville, Philadelphia, Washington
WEEK 9
Thursday, Nov. 5
Cleveland Browns at Cincinnati Bengals 8:25p
Sunday, Nov. 8
Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills 1p Green Bay Packers at Carolina Panthers 1p St. Louis Rams at Minnesota Vikings 1p Washington Redskins at New England Patriots 1p Tennessee Titans at New Orleans Saints 1p Jacksonville Jaguars at New York Jets 1p Oakland Raiders at Pittsburgh Steelers 1p Atlanta Falcons at San Francisco 49ers 4:05p New York Giants at Tampa Bay Buccaneers 4:05p Denver Broncos at Indianapolis Colts 4:25p Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys* 8:30p
Monday, Nov. 9
Chicago Bears at San Diego Chargers 8:30p Byes: Arizona, Baltimore, Detroit, Houston, Kansas City, Seattle
WEEK 10
Thursday, Nov. 12
Buffalo Bills at New York Jets 8:25p
Sunday, Nov. 15
Jacksonville Jaguars at Baltimore Ravens 1p Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers 1p Miami Dolphins at Philadelphia Eagles 1p Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers 1p Chicago Bears at St. Louis Rams 1p Dallas Cowboys at Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1p Carolina Panthers at Tennessee Titans 1p New Orleans Saints at Washington Redskins 1p Minnesota Vikings at Oakland Raiders 4:05p Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos 4:25p New England Patriots at New York Giants 4:25p
Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks* 8:30p
Monday, Nov. 16
Houston Texans at Cincinnati Bengals 8:30p Byes: Atlanta, Indianapolis, San Diego, San Francisco
WEEK 11
Thursday, Nov. 19
Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars 8:25p
Sunday, Nov. 22
Indianapolis Colts at Atlanta Falcons 1p St. Louis Rams at Baltimore Ravens 1p Washington Redskins at Carolina Panthers 1p Denver Broncos at Chicago Bears 1p Oakland Raiders at Detroit Lions 1p New York Jets at Houston Texans 1p Dallas Cowboys at Miami Dolphins 1p Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings 1p Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Philadelphia Eagles 1p Cincinnati Bengals at Arizona Cardinals 4:05p San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks 4:25p Kansas City Chiefs at San Diego Chargers* 8:30p
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Indianapolis Colts 1p San Diego Chargers at Jacksonville Jaguars 1p Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs 1p Miami Dolphins at New York Jets 1p Oakland Raiders at Tennessee Titans 1p New York Giants at Washington Redskins 1p Arizona Cardinals at San Francisco 49ers 4:05p Pittsburgh Steelers at Seattle Seahawks 4:25p New England Patriots at Denver Broncos*, 8:30p
Monday, Nov. 30
Baltimore Ravens at Cleveland Browns 8:30p
WEEK 13
Thursday, Dec. 3
Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions 8:25p
Sunday, Dec. 6
WEEK 12
Houston Texans at Buffalo Bills 1p San Francisco 49ers at Chicago Bears 1p Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns 1p Baltimore Ravens at Miami Dolphins 1p Seattle Seahawks at Minnesota Vikings 1p Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints 1p New York Jets at New York Giants 1p Arizona Cardinals at St. Louis Rams 1p Atlanta Falcons at Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1p Jacksonville Jaguars at Tennessee Titans 1p Kansas City Chiefs at Oakland Raiders 4:05p Denver Broncos at San Diego Chargers 4:05p Philadelphia Eagles at New England Patriots 4:25p Indianapolis Colts at Pittsburgh Steelers* 8:30p
Sunday, Nov. 29
WEEK 14
Monday, Nov. 23
Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots 8:30p Byes: Cleveland, New Orleans, NY Giants, Pittsburgh
Thursday, Nov. 26
Philadelphia Eagles at Detroit Lions 12:30p Carolina Panthers at Dallas Cowboys 4:30p Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers 8:30p Minnesota Vikings at Atlanta Falcons 1p St. Louis Rams at Cincinnati Bengals 1p New Orleans Saints at Houston Texans 1p
Monday, Dec. 7
Dallas Cowboys at Washington Redskins 8:30p
Thursday, Dec. 10
Minnesota Vikings at Arizona Cardinals 8:25p
Sunday, Dec. 13
Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers 1p Washington Redskins at Chicago Bears 1p Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals 1p San Francisco 49ers at Cleveland Browns 1p New England Patriots at Houston Texans 1p Indianapolis Colts at Jacksonville Jaguars 1p San Diego Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs 1p Tennessee Titans at New York Jets 1p Buffalo Bills at Philadelphia Eagles 1p Detroit Lions at St. Louis Rams 1p New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1p Oakland Raiders at Denver Broncos 4:05p Dallas Cowboys at Green Bay Packers 4:25p Seattle Seahawks at Baltimore Ravens* 8:30p
Monday, Dec. 14
New York Giants at Miami Dolphins 8:30p
WEEK 15
Thursday, Dec. 17
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at St. Louis Rams 8:25p Saturday, Dec. 19 New York Jets at Dallas Cowboys 8:25p
Sunday, Dec. 20
Kansas City Chiefs at Baltimore Ravens 1p Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts 1p Atlanta Falcons at Jacksonville Jaguars 1p Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings 1p Tennessee Titans at New England Patriots 1p Carolina Panthers at New York Giants 1p Arizona Cardinals at Philadelphia Eagles 1p Buffalo Bills at Washington Redskins 1p Green Bay Packers at Oakland Raiders 4:05p Cleveland Browns at Seattle Seahawks 4:05p Denver Broncos at Pittsburgh Steelers 4:25p Miami Dolphins at San Diego Chargers 4:25p Cincinnati Bengals at San Francisco 49ers* 8:30p
Monday, Dec. 21
Detroit Lions at New Orleans Saints 8:30p
WEEK 16
Thursday, Dec. 24
San Diego Chargers at Oakland Raiders 8:25p
Saturday, Dec. 26
Washington Redskins at Philadelphia Eagles 8:25p
Sunday, Dec. 27
Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons 1p Dallas Cowboys at Buffalo Bills 1p San Francisco 49ers at Detroit Lions 1p Cleveland Browns at Kansas City Chiefs 1p Indianapolis Colts at Miami Dolphins 1p New York Giants at Minnesota Vikings 1p Jacksonville Jaguars at New Orleans Saints 1p New England Patriots at New York Jets 1p Chicago Bears at Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1p Houston Texans at Tennessee Titans 1p Green Bay Packers at Arizona Cardinals 4:25p St. Louis Rams at Seattle Seahawks 4:25p Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens* 8:30p
Monday, Dec. 28
Cincinnati Bengals at Denver Broncos 8:30p
WEEK 17 Sunday Jan. 3
New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons 1p New York Jets at Buffalo Bills 1p Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers 1p Detroit Lions at Chicago Bears 1p Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals 1p Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns 1p Washington Redskins at Dallas Cowboys 1p Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers 1p Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans 1p Tennessee Titans at Indianapolis Colts 1p Oakland Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs 1p New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins 1p Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants 1p Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals 4:25p San Diego Chargers at Denver Broncos 4:25p St. Louis Rams at San Francisco 49ers 4:25p
* - Sunday night games in Weeks 5-16 subject to change; Week 17 game TBD
RENO SACCOCCIA STEUBENVILLE
TONY FILBERTO WEIR HIGH
STEVE DALEY CATHOLIC CENTRAL
DOUG TAYLOR WEIRTON MADONNA
Saccoccia’s club is coming off a Division IV state semifinal appearance for the second year in a row. He’s 330-65 with 25 playoff appearences, 15 regional titles, 3 state runner-ups, and 3 state titles.
Filberto’s contingent turned a corner last year and seeks a return to the playoffs. The Red Riders finished 8-2 and made the Class AA playoffs for the first time since 2008,when they also went 8-2.
Daley’s squad just missed the Division VII playoffs last year at 6-4 after two straight appearances. He is beginning his fifth year as the head coach. The Crusaders are 21-12 in the past three seasons.
Taylor’s team is looking to rebound after a tough 2-8 season a year ago, the Blue Dons’ first losing season in two decades. In his fifth season, Taylor sports a 34-15 record and one state championship.
Good Luck Weir High
Good Luck Weirton Madonna
ANDREW CONNOR INDIAN CREEK
MAC MCLEAN BROOKE
DERRICK STICKLES EDISON
IAN WHITTINGTON OAK GLEN
Connor’s crew was 8-2 last year and narrowly missed a third playoff berth in four years. Entering his 13th season as head coach, he owns a 69-53 record, including a 43-19 mark the past six seasons.
McLean begins his second season as the head coach of his alma mater. A 1994 graduate, he is the first Brooke grad to guide the Bruins’ football team. Brooke was 3-7 last season (for 3rd year in a row).
Stickles starts his third year as the head coach. The Wildcats were 2-8 a year ago and moved to DV this season. He was an assistant at Oak Glen, Edison and West Liberty before becoming head coach.
Whittington begins his fourth season with Oak Glen, his alma mater. The Golden Bears are coming off a 2-8 season but are optimistic entering this season. He won a state wrestling title at Oak Glen.
GOOD LUCK ALL AREA TEAMS!!
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Tire Repair • Brakes • Exhaust • Engine Rebuild • Road Call Services & Much More 272 Old Steubenville Pike Rd. Cadiz, Ohio
ERIC MEEK TORONTO
JUSTIN KROPKA HARRISON CENTRAL
PHIL PEST BUCKEYE LOCAL
BRETT MCLEAN ST. CLAIRSVILLE
Meek enters his sixth season in his second stint as head coach of the Red Knights. He is 26-25, including 83 last year, when the Red Knights made the playoffs for the first time since 2000.
Kropka is the winningest and longest tenured football coach in school history. He begins his 11th year with the Huskies and is 5348 with playoff appearances in 2009 and 2011.
Pest starts his fourth season as head coach of the Panthers. He has been a part of the program, his second stint, since 2006. Pest is 6-24 as head coach. He also coached at Buckeye SouthWest.
McLean begins his 15th season as the Red Devils’ boss. His teams are annual participants in the postseason and they were the 2012 Division IV state runners-up. His teams are 52-9 since 2010.
GOOD LUCK TO ALL AREA TEAMS
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Eberhart Service Center Tire Repair • Brakes • Exhaust • Engine Rebuild • Road Call Services & Much More 272 Old Steubenville Pike Rd. Cadiz, Ohio