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By COLE HILLIER
Tristatesportspage.com
September 8, 2008
Hey Ohio
Valley Conference fans! This is the first installment of the
weekly "OVC Update" blog. After each week of the high school
football season, the weekly update will cover every team in
the OVC, giving you analysis and an assessment of each team
in the conference, breaking down each team's last game and
previewing the upcoming week with stats and some quick
facts. All that being said, lets begin...
Here are the OVC standings
after Week 3:
Chesapeake 2-1 (0-0)
Coal Grove 1-2 (0-0)
South Point, Fairland,
River Valley, and Rock Hill 0-3 (0-0)
Chesapeake: Week 3
Result - def Symmes Valley, 48-6; Week 4 - v. Lucasville
Valley
The
Panthers made short work of the Vikings Friday night,
thumping them, 48-6. This was the Panther's 19th straight
victory in the "rivalry". The Panthers
capitalized on Viking mistakes and led 28-0 at halftime. QB
Aaron Donahoe led the way for Peake, scoring 3 TDs and
gaining 157 total yards. Although the Panthers played a
dominant ball game, remember that this year's Symmes Valley
squad early on looks well on it's way to matching last
year's 3-7 mark. The win doubtlessly eases the sting of the
now-annual thumping at the hands of Wayne.
This week,
the Panthers will host the Lucasville Valley Indians, fresh
off their tough loss to Coal Grove (31-8). Valley destroyed
Rock Hill in Week 2, leading some to believe that they might
be a force for OVC teams to reckon with. But after Week 3,
it's plain to see that Rock Hill is in definite rebuild
mode, while Chesapeake early on has surprised many (myself
included) who picked them to finish near the bottom of the
conference. As of now, it appears Chesapeake has the firepower to
compete in conference play. Therefore, this week I like the
Panthers over the Indians.
Prediction:
Valley 22, Chesapeake 27
Coal Grove: Week 3
Result - def Lucasville Valley, 31-8; Week 4 - at Minford
Just when I
thought the Hornets, who had been so highly touted in the
preseason, had lost their sting in two very tough losses to
Meigs and Paint Valley, they
 go
on the road and pull the mini-upset against an upstart
Valley squad in a tough environment. Aaron Dickess deserved
the game ball for his effort, which included two blocked
punts, a fumble recovery, and a forced safety. Frank
Delawder got his biggest load of carries this season,
touching the pigskin 32 times for 140+ yards and 3 TDs.
While Valley is always a pesky opponent, they are not of the
same caliber of Meigs (3-0) and Paint Valley (3-0 and
currently the #1 team in Region 15). Still, the Hornets have
had a chance to win every game they've been in this year and
that's a good thing.
The Grove
will have to play its best game of the year to upend
Minford, who has beaten Coal Grove the past two years in
very tight ball games. The Hornets must cut down on mistakes
which have plagued them against Minford, and the
play-calling must get better as well. In my opinion,
Delawder should get 25-35 carries and the Hornets should
take advantage of their speedy backs in this matchup. The
line play MUST improve! While Minford is a tough place to
play, I think the 3rd time will be the charm for the Grove.
Prediction: Coal Grove
22, Minford 14
Rock Hill: Week 3
Result - lost to Oak Hill, 18-42; Week 4 - at Portsmouth
West
I had the opportunity to
head out to Redmen Country Friday and watch my first
game from the Home Stands and Rock Hill's awesome
facilities. The Rock Hill/Oak Hill rivalry has had its
share of close games, but Friday's match-up definitely
wasn't one of them. Oak Hill
capitalized on two early Rock Hill turnovers in the
first half to help build a 28-6 halftime lead that ended
up as a 42-18 route of the Redmen.
Rock
Hill wasn't able to capitalize on Oak Hill turnovers,
and if they hadn't committed so many themselves, this
might have been a bit closer. Rock Hill's defense was
exposed, as Oak Hill's highly praised passing game was
only called upon five times for two completions - both
TDs. However, I firmly believe that Rock Hill's future
is a bright one with youngster William McCollister at
the QB spot. The kid shows tons of poise and is very
mobile. He can make plays on the run where other QBs
would simply lay down and take a sack. He, as well the
team as a whole, will only grow with time under Knipp.
The Redmen will only lose 5 seniors this after this
year, so Rock Hillians should keep a weather eye to the
future.
The
Hill travels to West Portsmouth this week to take on one
of the best teams in the area thus far in the Senators.
Of course I favor West by many scores, but Rock Hill
should use the experience to prepare themselves for the
OVC slate, where I believe they can win some games if
they can cut down on turnovers and grow together.
Prediction: Rock
Hill 6, West 50
River Valley: Week 3 Result - lost
to Meigs, 53-20; Week 4 - @ Eastern
Well,
what was supposed to be a varsity game turned into a JV
showcase for Meigs friday as they quickly jumped on top
of the Raiders, downing them 53-20. In a loss like this,
the entire team deserves a game ball
 for
having to endure this. Thus far, Meigs is perfect (3-0)
and all three of their wins have come against OVC
opponents. While half of the OVC is winless (Rock Hill,
South Point, and River Valley), the Raiders look the
worst on paper, losing all of their games by a combined
score of 128-26! That's an average score of about 42-9.
There was a bunch of optimism in the preseason
surrounding the Raiders. I picked them to win at least
one game in conference play... but I didn't think that
would be the only game they'd win. There is still a lot
of talk coming from up Cheshire's way about how the
Raiders have looked improved this season. I've only
watched them at the OVC previews so I can't really pass
judgement.
This
week, the Raiders travel to Reedsville to take on the
Eastern Eagles. The Eagles are a lower-level DVI squad
with blowout losses to Wahama, WV and Alexander as well
as a blowout win against a South Gallia team who many
thought would go winless before they edged Southern,
14-0. I'm going with the Raiders to get win #1, but
they'd better protect their QB Curnutte and give him the
time to make the throws I know he can make.
Prediction: River
Valley 20 Eastern 12
South Point:
Week 3 Result - lost to Portsmouth West, 28-7; Week
4 - @ Point Pleasant, WV
The Pointers' "suicide
slide" continued last Friday as they dropped another
game to another tough non-conference opponent,
falling to undefeated Portsmouth West, 28-7. Offense
was hard to come by for the Pointers, as they
mustered just 7 points against a Senator team who
hadn't given up a score before this
game. One stat that immediately jumps off the page
is the fact that 220 of 293 yards of offense and all
4 TDs from West came from a single player - Jason
Swords. To allow a single player to wreak such havoc
on your defense is completely unacceptable. The stat
reminds me of Coal Grove a few years back when they
were dubbed "Hyland's Hornets". While every loss is
tough, just remember that Portsmouth West is playing
as well as anyone in this young season. This will be
the toughest team South Point plays all season long
and the Pointers will only grow from this.
This Friday, South Point will travel up the river to
take on Point Pleasant, WV. Point Pleasant is 1-1 on
the year and they started off the season with a
heart-breaking loss to cross-river rival Gallia
Academy. A fumble deep in Gallia territory was the
big turning point, but it must be remembered that
Gallia hasn't been impressive so far this season,
beating Athens and P. Pleasant unconvincingly, then
getting annihilated by Ironton this past week. While
I like South Point in this one, they'd better be
prepared to face a very good running back in Point
Pleasant's Allen Wasonga (28 carries, 340 yards).
They can't afford to let him run wild like West's
Swords did.
Prediction:
South Point 34 Point Pleasant 27
Fairland: Week 3 Result - Lost to Sheldon
Clark (Ky), 29-28; Week 4 - at Tolsia (WV)
For the second straight week,
the Dragons blew a big 1st half lead to a favored team, dropping a flat-out
heart-breaker to Sheldon Clark, 29-28. The Dragons got out to a 28-0 in the
first half, but injuries to Matt Bloomfield and backup running back Chad Fisher
(9
 carries,
100+ yards, 3 TDs) put a damper on the Dragon's offensive production.
Sheldon Clark's offense came alive in the 2nd half
and the Cardinals were able to pull it out at the end. While this one might
sting for the Dragons, who have dropped four in a row to SC everyone in Dragon
Country should find peace in the fact that the Cardinals are picked by many to
make a deep run in the Kentucky State Playoffs. Although Fairland is 0-3, their
first three opponents have yet to lose a game.
This week, the Dragons travel
to Tolsia to take on another undefeated team in the Rebels, who started the
season with a 66-24 thrashing of Williamson and picked up win number two last Friday in
a 21-0 blanking of Webster County. Fairland is a woeful 1-5 against Tolsia since
2002. Fisher is supposed to be back in time to play in this one. His presence
will certainly be needed if the Dragons want to have the best shot at winning.
The defense will have to step up; 20+ unanswered points cannot be given up like
they were against SC. I like Tolsia in this game, but not by that much.
Prediction: Fairland 27 Tolsia 34 |
