Football Preview 2017

Bison Picked 7th in Presidents’ Athletic Conference

By ANDREW WOODLEY BETHANY — The Bethany College football team was picked to finish seventh at the Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) annual Football Media Day held on the campus of Saint Vincent College last month. The Bison will enter the season with more than 15 starters returning to campus, including senior quarterback Chase Kinemond, who was an all-state player at Shadyside during his prep days. Kinemond started all 10 games last season and threw for nearly 2,000 yards with 20 touchdowns and nine interceptions. “(Chase) had a great offseason,” said Bethany head coach ...

Caldwell Wanting To Build on End of Season

By MIKE MORRISON CALDWELL — Second-year head coach Grant Gaydos and his Caldwell Redskins would like to pick up right where they left off at the end of last season. After dropping five of their first six games to begin the season, Caldwell came on strong by winning three of their final four, including a dramatic 31-30 win over arch-rival Shenandoah in their season finale. “I think the way we finished last year was huge. We really started off slow and I kind of attribute that to a new coaching staff meshing with some inexperienced players,” Gaydos said. “It took a little ...

Defense Will Have to Lead Colts

By KIM NORTH BYESVILLE — Jeff Twiddy’s first two seasons as football coach at Meadowbrook have been like night and day. The Colts enjoyed a fantastic 2015 season in which they went 9-1 and qualified for the Ohio Division IV state playoffs. However, last fall saw them drop to 2-8. “We don’t have as many players this year, but the ones here have lifted all year and done all of the off-season stuff we’ve asked,” Twiddy said, “So maybe for the first time we finally have it down who the football players in the school are. “Offensively we return just two starters, but ...

Graduation Took Large Toll on Fort Frye Squad

By RON JOHNSTON BEVERLY — Fort Frye took a major graduation hit on the gridiron. Seventeen football players from last year’s school history-making 12-1 team received their diplomas in the spring. “Twelve of those guys were starters, too,” 10th-year coach Eric Huck said. “Since I’ve been coach, I think that’s the most I’ve ever had graduate from a team.” Some of those grads were Casey Lewis, Clay Baker, Brady Carpenter, Garrett Lochary, Leithon Stewart, Jacob Prichard, Colton Sampson, Owen Matheny, Levi Bickford, and Jordan Baker. But don’t shed any tears for ...

Wells: “It’s Time” for Shenandoah

By MIKE MORRISON SARAHSVILLE — Shenandoah enters 2017 looking to put together its first winning season since 2009 and, according to third-year head coach Jesse Wells. “Its Time.” “It’s Time” is the team slogan for the Zeps as they look to improve on back-to-back 4-6 seasons with a team loaded with both experience and talent. “I felt like last year we were going to be close and a couple of midseason injuries may have cost us a game or two,” Wells said. “I feel like with nine starters back on offense and nine back on defense and with many of them being ...

Sun Belt Thinks It Has New Year’s Day Team

By BRETT MARTEL AP Sports Writer NEW ORLEANS — Appalachian State coach Scott Satterfield understood the implication when Sun Belt Conference Commissioner Karl Benson asserted that the league could have a team in New Year’s Day bowl game for the first time — and win it — as soon as this season. While Benson didn’t name that team, Appalachian State, which shared the Sun Belt title a season ago, is now the league’s preseason favorite in 2017, according to a poll of coaches and selected media. Troy and Arkansas State — which are not on the Mountaineers’ eight-game ...