Football Preview 2016

Times Have Changed For Meadowbrook

By RICK THORP BYESVILLE — When Jeff Twiddy arrived at Meadowbrook High School from Canton McKinley in 2015, his hope was that a little of the Bulldogs’ storied past would rub off on his new program. It did. Meadowbrook went 9-1 during the regular season and despite only winning one game against an opponent with a winning record (Barnesville, 46-18, Week 2), secured the school’s first playoff berth. The Colts’ stay in the Ohio Division IV postseason was shortlived — they lost at Johnstown-Monroe, 35-22, in the first round — but Twiddy believed the culture started to ...

Clay-Battelle Comes With Loads of Experience

By KYLE LUTZ BLACKSVILLE — After finishing 9-1 in the regular season and making a appearance in the state semifinals in 2014, Clay-Battelle experienced some growing pains during the first half of the 2015 season, experimenting with a somewhat young team. After the first five games, the Cee-Bees were 1-4. However, Ryan Wilson’s squad had a complete turnaround four of the last five to finish with a record of 5-5. “During the last five games, we did go 4-1,” Wilson said. “And we had a couple of big wins in there. I’d say we were a young ballclub last year and I think ...

Kerns Back at Home Coaching Buckeye Trail

By RICK THORP OLD WASHINGTON — Sitting at his desk inside the Buckeye Trail coaches’ office at the Baker Activity Complex, Donnie Kerns couldn’t help but smile. He’s home. A 2000 graduate of the Guernsey County school, Kerns has a vested interest in the success of the program. He played there under Coach Bill Starr, and he’s coached there for most of the last decade sans stints at Meadowbrook and Barnesville. ‘’I’ve always wanted to be a head coach,’’ he said. ‘’And I’ve always had the dream of being the Buckeye Trail head coach.’’ When Bill ...

Wells Eyes Improvement In Year 2 With the Zeps

By CODY TOMER SARAHSVILLE — After a 4-6 record in his first season at Shenandoah, Jesse Wells believes that despite having a young squad, the Zeps can still be contenders in both the Pioneer Valley Conference and the Ohio Valley Athletic Conference. “Last year we just came in with the idea to get our feet on the ground with a new program,” Wells said. “We weren’t exactly happy with a 4-6 record but it was also a good start for us in the program. “This year I really believe that we can be a playoff team. We want to compete for a PVC and an OVAC title in the upcoming ...

Beaver Local Looks to Build on Strong Finish

By BUBBA KAPRAL LISBON — Beaver Local finished the 2015 season on a roll. The Beavers captured five of their last seven games to finish with a 5-5 mark. Coach Jeremy McElroy is looking to build on that late-season momentum for bigger and better things in 2016. Beaver welcomes back six starters on each side of the ball. “We developed as the season went on in areas where we had to replace quality seniors from the previous year,” McElroy said. “We are looking forward to competing in the Buckeye 8 North and a strong out-of-conference schedule.” Logan Bouscher (5-foot-11, ...

Pitt Offense Looks to Light Up Scoreboard

By TRACY WATSON PITTSBURGH — Even with its all-time leading receiver gone to the National Football League in Tyler Boyd, Pittsburgh heads into the 2016 season with what could be one of the most potent offensive attacks in the country. That is assuming Coach Pat Narduzzi’s Panthers can stay healthy. Pitt is coming off a season in which it finished 8-5 overall and 6-2, and in second place, in the Atlantic Coast Conference’s Coastal Division. However, three of its five losses came by seven or fewer points. And that all came without the services 2014 ACC Offensive ...