Defense Must Grow Up Quickly for Notre Dame

August 25, 2016

By TRACY WATSON SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Brian Kelly’s seventh season as coach of Notre Dame could very well turn into one of his most interesting. Kelly, the longest tenured Fighting Irish coach since Lou Holtz was in charge from 1986-96, led Notre Dame to a 10-victory season in 2015 even with a what seemed like a never-ending rash of injuries to key players. If not for a pair of hard-to-swallow two-point losses to national powers Clemson (24-22) and Stanford (38-36), the Fighting Irish may have been in the group of final four playoff teams competing for a chance to capture a ...

Non-Conference Schedule Is Huge for Marshall

August 25, 2016

By TRACY WATSON HUNTINGTON — Coming off another impressive campaign for Coach Doc Holliday’s Marshall football team, it faces a pair of huge non-conference games early in 2016 that could go a long way in deciding its fate. Holliday’s troops finished last season with a 10-3 ledger, ending things with a 16-10 victory against Connecticut in the St. Petersburg Bowl. Entering his eighth campaign in Huntington, Holliday has guided his squad to an 50-28 record, including a Conference USA championship two years ago. Marshall will face four non-conference opponents this season, ...

Bethany Program Wants to Take the Next Step

August 25, 2016

By JERROD PLATE BETHANY — Looking to continue its climb up the ladder in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference, the Bethany football program will turn to a solid nucleus of returning starters to improve on a .500 record from a season ago. Entering his fourth season at the helm of the Bison, Coach Bill Garvey has placed the the club in a position to flourish during the past few seasons. The Bison have not had a conference record below the .500 mark since Garvey took over the reins of the program, and Bethany is coming off back-to-back Eastern College Athletic Conference ...

‘Improvement’ Is the Word at Conotton Valley

August 25, 2016

By CODY TOMER BOWERSTON — ‘Improvement’ seems to be the word Connotton Valley coach Karl Justus and his Rockets are focusing on this season. Last year the Rockets went 1-9 but Justus is taking over as the new head coach and expects his team to compete more in the 2016 campaign. Justus has coached for 34 years. It’s a career that includes 23 years in high school and 11 at the collegiate level. His 11 years of coaching college football included stops at Akron and Auburn University, and he is now entering his third year as a head coach at the high school level. “We need to ...

Brutal Schedule Faces Cambridge

August 25, 2016

By BUBBA KAPRAL CAMBRIDGE — We may never know how good a football team Cambridge is this season. Why? Because the Bobcats tackle a schedule that borders on insanity. Coach Kevin Gunn’s club faces heavyweights Zanesville, Dover and New Philadelphia in successive weeks. Toss in 8-2 Logan, playoff-qualifier Indian Creek and mix in improving Coshocton, rival Meadowbrook and talent-rich Canton South, and a final record may not be a true measuring stick of the 2016 Bobcats. “We have a competitive schedule to say the least,” Gunn, said as he prepared to enter his fifth ...

Potters to Rely on 17 Seniors

August 25, 2016

By CODY TOMER EAST LIVERPOOL — Experience should not be an issue for the 2016 East Liverpool football team. The Potters are returning 17 seniors for the upcoming campaign and Coach Josh Ludwig, has had them their whole careers. He has been with the school for five years, serving as the defensive coordinator for two years before taking over as the head coach in 2014. “With 17 returning seniors, we are looking to have a successful season,” Ludwig said. “Our seniors have worked hard under my system now for the entire life of their high school careers and we are poised to bring ...