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slideshow

PDT Sports Report

There wasn’t much to find wrong for Minford in last week’s 40-0 win over Rock Hill.

The Falcons turn the page tonight as they take on a Wellston ball club that lost its opener 34-14 last Saturday against county rival Jackson. Minford likely knows they cannot take this Rockets team lightly.

They did last year, and Wellston left with a 13-7 victory. Coach Brent Daniels understands how important revenge is and he feels everyone in the locker room does as well.

“They got us last year and we’re trying to exact that loss from last year,” Daniels said. “I think this group of kids realize that.”

While the physical aspect of the game is always something to look out for in football, it was the other phases of the game that Daniels felt his team got off on the right foot last weekend.

“I thought the main thing that I saw was our mentality was a lot better,” Daniels said. “With our attitudes, we came out fired up and ready to play football. I think we’ve realized this year is that we can’t walk out on the field and expect teams to roll over on us.”

Valley (1-0) at Rock Hill (0-1)

Valley will look to extend its longest regular season winning streak to 12 games as the Indians travel to Pedro and face Rock Hill.

Last weekend’s 36-24 win over Portsmouth was a message to outsiders that losses of a decorated senior class will not hinder Valley’s program. To Indians coach Darren Crabtree, the focus is on defeating a Redmen squad that lost 40-0 at Minford as his team is coming off a shortened week of practice.

“The biggest concern with a short week is that we kind of slowed things down as we went through practice this week to make sure we didn’t beat each other up more than what we left Saturday night,” Crabtree said. “The biggest thing we tried to preached was not looking past Rock Hill.”

Nate Arnett led Valley with 192 yards on 20 attempts and scored twice on the ground. Crabtree feels the running game will be essential to get the victory.

One thing that concerned Crabtree after last week was his pass defense. The Trojans passed for 253 yards.

“Our pass defense must get better,” Crabtree said. “I think that includes getting more pressure on the quarterback from our front four.”

Wheelersburg (0-1) at Coal Grove (1-0)

Wheelersburg faces its second-straight Lawrence County team tonight when the Pirates travel to Coal Grove.

For Wheelersburg coach Rob Woodward, the goal is to take the positives from last weekend’s 32-27 home loss to Ironton and build upon them as his ball club takes on a Hornets team that defeated Meigs 24-8 last week.

“I thought we had an outstanding offensive performance by our guys in a bit of a new look and a new system that we introduced to recognize our skilled athletes,” Woodward said. “I thought they did a very good job of staying poised throughout the ballgame.”

It was a coming out party for quarterback Eddie Miller in his first-career varsity start. In the air, the junior was 29-of-31 for 218 yards, one passing touchdown and one interception. On the ground, the grandson of Wheelersburg coaching icon Ed Miller had 94 yards on 21 rushes with three scores on the ground.

One of the keys to victory for the Pirates is to limit the impact of Coal Grove three-year starting quarterback Alex Bare. Woodward also said not committing three turnovers will also be something his team will need to do in order to win.

Notre Dame (1-0) at Canal Winchester Harvest Prep (1-0)

Notre Dame will make its second-longest trip on the team’s regular season schedule tonight as the Titans venture into Franklin County to face Canal Winchester Harvest Prep.

The 86-mile trip will be dwarfed by the Sept. 22 trip to Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph. Notre Dame’s journey into Cuyahoga Gounty will be 245 miles one-way.

But for Titans coach Bob Ashley, to goal will be to stop a Warriors squad that defeated Columbus Bexley 34-6.

“It’ll definitely be a big test for us on the road and see how we’ll travel,” Ashley said. “From what we’ve scouted from Harvest Prep, they’re a big, athletic ball club that their skilled kids have the capability of taking the ball from any distance and anywhere on the field.”

Ashley’s troops are 1-0 thanks to a 55-20 win at Chillicothe Huntington and look to start 2-0 for the second-straight year.

Harvest Prep is led by Zach Yousey, who had three touchdowns against the Lions. One of his scores was a 90-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to start the second half.

“From what we’ve seen on film, they move a lot of players around to different positions,” Ashley said. “…They do a lot of different things with a lot of different athletes.”

If Notre Dame wants to come back into Scioto County with the win, the Titans need a big game out of the offensive line.

Millersport (0-1) at Green (1-0)

In last week’s 40-0 home win over Manchester, Green coach Dan McDavid was pleased to see his team’s aggressiveness against the Greyhounds.

“It was hot and it’s going to be hot (Friday) but the kids played with a lot of energy and put a lot of effort into it,” McDavid said. “We told them that’s they way we want them to play every play so we’re looking for a good effort (Friday) night and we’ll see what happens.”

Now the Bobcats turn their attention to the Millersport Lakers, who enters tonight’s contest coming off last weekend’s 55-17 defeat to Lancaster Fairfield Christian. Millersport looks to snap a 29-game losing streak. The Lakers’ last win was Sept. 4, 2009, a 7-6 win over Miller.

“Offensively they can do some things that can hurt you,” McDavid said. “Defensively, they’re kind of like us. They turn around, the offense comes off the bench, runs around the bench and goes out to play defense.”

McDavid was glad to see his offensive line block in the running game but in order to maintain any type of success, he said giving time for Rob Applegate to pass has to become more of an emphasis. Defensively, getting multiple helmets to the ball has to continue.

Jackson (1-0) at Waverly (1-0)

It’s Opening Night at the newly-renovated Raidiger Field tonight as Waverly hosts Jackson.

The Tigers are coming off a 29-21 loss last week at Pike County rival Piketon, the first time Waverly has lost three-straight to the Redstreaks. In comes an Ironmen football team that is on a 20-game regular season winning streak after last Saturday night’s 34-14 win at Wellston.

“They are going to bring 94 kids down here,” Waverly coach Rusty Wright said in an interview with the Pike County News-Watchman this week. “Most of these kids were juniors last year so this is another team with a big senior class.”

The player Wright named personally was senior Morgan Landrum, who had 74 yards on 13 carries last weekend. Last year, he rushed for 669 yards on 106 touches and seven touchdowns.

The Tigers will also need to contain sophomore quarterback Derek Rafferty, who scored four touchdowns (two rushing) against the Golden Rockets.

In a written statement, Waverly Principal Bill Hoover instructs all guests to enter through the gates closest to the gym. There will be special accessibility areas for handicapped patrons.

Piketon (1-0) at Vinton County (0-1)

Piketon looks to go to 2-0 for the second time in three years tonight when they travel to McArthur to take on Vinton County.

The Redstreaks are coming off a 29-21 home win last week over Pike County rival Waverly. The victory was the third-straight in the series for Piketon, a first in school history.

For coach Tyler Gullion, last year’s 30-27 home loss against this week’s opponent stung very hard as it came on the final play of the game and it was the only victory for the Vikings in the 2011 season. Vinton County comes into tonight’s contest 0-1 after last week’s 38-15 loss to Unioto.

“We made a lot of mistakes,” Gullion said in an interview with the Pike County News-Watchman earlier this week. “Give Vinton County credit, they played well and mistake-free. This year, it is good to be 1-0 but we want to be 2-0.”

Senior quarterback Isaac Brabson was 14-of-18 for 183 yards and a touchdown in last weekend’s game against the Tigers.

Chillicothe Southeastern (1-0) at Symmes Valley (1-0)

Last week, the Symmes Valley offense racked up 364 yards on 51 carries.

The ground game by the Vikings led to a 28-13 road victory over Reedsville Eastern. The defending SOC I champions return to the friendly confines in Willow Wood to host a Chillicothe Southeastern team that gave coach Colton Coy a 23-21 win in his first attempt, a 23-21 decision at Northwest.

Symmes Valley will need another big game out of Alec Harrell if the Vikings want to avoid becoming the second-straight victim to the Panthers. Last weekend, Harrell had scores of 55 and 49 yards on his way to a 156-yard performance.

On the other side of the two-headed rushing attack, D.J. Miller had scampers of 10 and 46 yards for his 151-yard performance.

Oak Hill (1-0) at Alexander (1-0)

Oak Hill plays its first road contest of the season tonight as the Oaks go into Albany to face an Alexander squad coming off a thrilling victory from the week before.

Last week, Oak Hill picked up its first win under coach Nathan Dugan in a 33-7 triumph over Chesapeake. The Spartans squeaked out a 22-21 win over Federal Hocking.

In an interview with the Jackson County Times-Journal, Dugan has to make sure his team is ready for that second game.

“They’re a good solid team,” Dugan said. “They are not as big as they were, but they get to their blocks and maintain their blocking well. Alexander is a school that is building into a tradition-rich school.”

The Oaks enter the game with a 6-1-1 all-time series lead against Alexander.

Ironton (1-0) at Russell (Ky.) (1-0)

The Mark Vass regime at Ironton got off on the right foot last weekend as the Fighting Tigers defeated Wheelersburg 32-27.

After revamping the series in 2009, Ironton ventures across the Ironton-Russell (Ky.) bridge to face the Russell Red Devils. The Fighting Tigers are looking to win their fourth-straight in the series since it was regenerated onto each other’s schedules.

Last week’s 45-10 win by the Red Devils over border rival Greenup County drew the attention of Vass. Troy Huffine ran for 86 yards on 12 attempts, one catch for 60 yards and a touchdown against the Musketeers.

“Their running backs impress us,” Vass said in an interview this week with the Ironton Tribune. “They have some size and run hard.”