Football Preview 2018

Cadiz Graduate Hayes Takes Over at Harrison

By KIM NORTH CADIZ — Anthony Hayes, a 1996 Cadiz graduate, has taken over the Harrison Central reins after veteran head coach Justin Kropka stepped down following last season — his 13th. However, Hayes is no stranger to the Husky program as he served as an assistant coach for 11 years under Kropka. “It’s an exciting time to be at Harrison Central,” Hayes said after being hired in the summer. “We’ve got a new school being built and we just had turf installed at our stadium prior to last season. “There’s a lot of passion for football here. There’s also a lot more ...

Ischy Filling Captain Chair at Monroe Central

By RICK THORP WOODSFIELD — As his players readied for Media Day outside of his office, Josh Ischy sat behind his desk rifling through a myriad of paperwork. Ischy is a familiar face inside the Jay Circosta Fieldhouse, but not one accustomed to being seated in “the captain’s chair.” That spot was reserved for Circosta for the last 47 years. But when the winner of 336 games called it a career in coaching in May after 50 years in the business, the Switzerland of Ohio School District called upon Ischy to fill his shoes, as if anyone could really do that. “I’m learning a ...

SEC: Alabama, Georgia on Collision Course Again

By JOHN ZENOR AP Sports Writer Georgia coach Kirby Smart gave mentor Nick Saban and Alabama a run for their money in the national championship game — and did it again in the offseason. Smart brought in the nation’s top recruiting class and stayed on point with Saban-like messages about guarding against complacency and embracing the pressure of high expectations while dismissing potential as “dormant ability.” “We can’t allow complacency to slip into our program and slip into our staff because I know that will eat away at the core fundamentals that we started to ...

Bruney, Jesuit Set To Kick Off Inaugural Season

By JOSH STROPE WHEELING — A new era begins for Wheeling Jesuit University this fall as football finally comes to the school. Martins Ferry native Zac Bruney was hired last year to build the program from scratch and the team took to the field during the second week of August to practice. “I’m pleased with the excitement and the morale of this team,” Bruney said. “We are pleased with the numbers. We wish we had more depth as some spots, more up front on the offensive and defensive line front, but that is to be expected. Our skill positions are solid. I really like our ...

ACC: Clemson Shooting for Fourth Straight Title

By AARON BEARD AP Sports Writer RALEIGH, N.C. — Clemson coach Dabo Swinney isn’t changing how the Tigers approach each season — and there’s no reason he should. The repetition is working. His program is the unquestioned Atlantic Coast Conference favorite again and has become a perennial national power. Everyone else in the ACC is looking up at the three-time reigning champions and trying to figure out a way to loosen their grip on the league. “We start over every year, reinstall the program, reinstall the core values, the philosophy that we believe in, the why,” ...

Pac-12: Huskies in Search of League Redemption

By GREG BEACHAM AP Sports Writer LOS ANGELES — Chris Petersen spent the past half-decade building a powerhouse at Washington, and his latest group is the strong favorite to win the Pac-12 title while leading the league’s quest to regain national respectability. So why was Petersen so disappointed when a preseason media poll simply confirmed what everyone already knows by anointing the Huskies as the Pac-12 favorites? “I like to be on a different team than you guys are on,” Petersen said to reporters at Pac-12 media day. “I’d rather prove you wrong than to prove you ...