Forsha on Football: Takeaways on FAC Week 1 and more on other conferences
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
Week 1 for the Frontier Athletic Conference is in the books, and well, it was an exciting way to start the 2019 high school football season with the conference going 4-2 in the first week of a five-week non-conference schedule.
The winners for the FAC were the Hillsboro Indians, Miami Trace Panthers and Washington Blue Lions on Friday night, and on Saturday the Jackson Ironmen won their season opener. The two losses in the conference saw the Chillicothe Cavaliers and McClain Tigers unable to outscore their opponent.
Results for the FAC included the following scores:
• Western Brown 14, Hillsboro 16
• Adena 41, McClain 14
• Chillicothe 0, Teays Valley 14
• Blanchester 0, Washington 26
• Miami Trace 42, Circleville 20
• Wellston 6, Jackson 23
Last season in Week 1, the FAC finished 5-1 in non-conference games.
• Miami Trace opens season with strong win at Circleville
The biggest surprise for the number of points they put on the scoreboard was the Miami Trace Panthers, as they dominated the host Circleville Tigers, scoring all 42 of their points in the first half for their 42-20 win. The Panthers scored 21 points in each of the first two quarters.
The stat sheet for the Panthers showed quarterback Dalton Mayer finish 3-for-3 with 97 yards passing, adding two touchdown passes and no interceptions. Mayer also rushed for 106 yards on seven carries, recording a touchdown run as he averaged 15.1 yards per carry.
Also standing out for the Panthers in Week 1 was running back Jayden LeBeau with six carries for 131 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 21.3 yards per carry. That is what you call a standout performance to open the season. Cayden Griggs also stood out for the Panthers with nine carries for 82 yards at Circleville. The receiving yards all were recorded by Joshua Gilmore, who totaled three receptions for 97 yards and a touchdown, averaging 32.3 yards per reception.
Before the start of the season, MTHS head coach Jerry Williams spoke about how his team needed to learn how to win, and that began that process on Friday night:
“I’m excited for these guys,” Williams said. “They have put in the offseason work, they’ve invested into the program and now I want them to get the results they deserve. We do have the talent to win. Now we have to have the confidence and get the momentum to go in the right direction.”
This performance was an excellent way for the Panthers to begin their season. After just two wins a season ago, and sitting on their 2-8 record for an entire offseason, scoring 42 points in a half isn’t a bad start. Next week the Panthers face the Wilmington in their home opener at 7 p.m. Wilmington lost their season opener to Valley View, 41-7.
• Defense was key for the Hillsboro Indians in season opener
The Hillsboro Indians’ defense showed up in a big way on Friday night in Week 1 of their 2019 season opener against the Western Brown Broncos, as the defensive game plan of defensive coordinator Nathan Horne worked well, and the results showed for it.
Hillsboro held the Broncos to just two touchdowns, both in the first half, and the defense combined for multiple sacks. There was a play made by Mark Gallimore in the secondary on the final third down play of the game that broke up the Western Brown Broncos’ pass, which made a big difference. That play kept the Broncos back near their own goal line and not closer to mid-field, plus it made the ensuing down a fourth down and not first-and-10.
Also, don’t forget the safety caused by the HHS defense, with Sanchez Seals forcing a fumble in the end zone, which was recovered by WB, causing the safety and two points for the home team.
In a fun fact about this win, this was the first time the Indians’ defense held the Broncos to 14 or fewer points in a game since 2008, a game where Hillsboro defeated Western Brown, 28-14.
On offense, the Indians stalled in the final three quarters as they didn’t score any points after the first quarter ended. The first quarter, though, saw HHS score two touchdowns, coming from Silas Simmons on a 1-yard run and an 11-yard reception off a pass from Justin Spears to Hayden Hawk.
Also, there was the play of Gallimore on offense that has to be given a tip of the cap as he totaled 20 carries for an unofficial 118 yards, and Simmons finished with 16 carries unofficially for 75 yards. Logan Hester also totaled 46 yards on nine carries, and Justin Spears finished with 37 yards on six QB rushes.
It was a solid win for the Indians, and though there are always things to work on for a football team, they did enough to win the game, and that is the most important thing, especially in Week 1.
• More on the FAC
- There was a lot that happened in the FAC this past weekend, including Jackson winning their final meeting against Wellston by a 23-6 score, ending a rivalry matchup that usually went the way of the Ironmen.
Also with Jackson, they are to me a very interesting team to watch and keep track of because of the schedule they play, plus they are already off to a good start with their season-opening win.
- The McClain Tigers didn’t get the win they wanted on Friday night, but the program continues to work toward their goals as they did score two touchdowns in the third quarter in their loss to Adena. Braden Wright rushed the football nine times as the quarterback, finishing with 110 yards (12.2 yards per carry) and one touchdown. Also on defense, Sam Faulconer led the team with 10.5 tackles.
- McClain is still rebuilding their team under second-year head coach Jake Orr-Zody, and for McClain it will be fun to watch to see how much they improve from Week 1 to Week 2 this upcoming Saturday night when they travel to face Northwest High School in a game that’s going to be played at Valley High School.
- Washington quarterback Ethan Rogers-Wright finished 16-of-28 for 112 yards with three touchdowns. The Blue Lions scored 14 points in the first half and 12 points in the fourth quarter, but what stands out is their defense had a shutout. The Blue Lions defense is what will be interesting to watch this season, as that could be what lifts them into competitive situations in the FAC.
- Catching the three touchdown passes by Rogers-Wright were Jerome Mack (four receptions for 38 yards), Jameson McCane (two receptions for 30 yards) and Eli Lynch (six receptions for 23 yards).
- The Blue Lions have a favorable matchup in Week 2 as they are facing the Circleville Tigers, which Miami Trace defeated by 22 points in Week 1, so it will be interesting to see how the Blue Lions fare against the same team.
- Garitt Leisure led the Blue Lions with 7.5 tackles (six solo) with 2.5 tackles for loss. The Blue Lions duo of Leisure and Mason Mustain each had a half sack.
- Another Blue Lion standout was Jameson McCane with the running back finishing the game with 21 carries for 100 yards, averaging 4.8 yards per carry.
- Chillicothe was led in rushing by Hunter Thomas with 14 carries for 71 yards, for 5.1 yards per carry.
- Jackson led their game against Wellston 21-0 at halftime, including a 57-yard touchdown by Jayden Spires in the second quarter. There was also a touchdown run by Brice Graham.
• More from area teams and conferences (SVC and SBAAC)
- Thursday night the Paint Valley Bearcats opened their ’19 season against the visiting Eastern Eagles, and following a slow start on defense (and a 44-minute first quarter), the Bearcats dominated the game with a 56-13 win. The Bearcats finished strong defensively in the final three quarters with a shutout performance, while the offense of PVHS had scoring of 21 points in the fray, followed by a 28-point second quarter.
- PVHS scored their final touchdown in the third quarter and for the game totaled 352 yards of offense, including 276 yards rushing.
- The Bearcats were led by in their running game by senior Brayden Ison with five carries for 134 yards and two touchdown runs. There was also senior Lane Mettler having a three-touchdown performance, totaling 40 yards on nine carries.
- The East Clinton Astros had a tough way to start Week 1 by facing the powerhouse program that is Clinton-Massie. The Astros were led by Todd Wedding in rushing with 22 yards, and Kaleb Kingery totaled one reception for eight yards.
- Phillip Davis led the Astros with 2.5 tackles, and on special teams teammate Jared Smith finished with a 26.1 yard average on eight punts.
- For Clinton-Massie, Brendan Lamb led the team with 10 carries for 149 yards (14.9 yards per carry) and six touchdowns in a standout performance. In fact, the Falcons had three 100-yard rushers with Robby Frederick totaling eight rushes for 102 yards (102 yard per carry) and Carson Vanhoose with five carries for 100 yards (20 yards per carry) and one touchdown.
• Wrapping up Week 1
- The opening week of high school football is always exciting, and this past weekend didn’t disappoint. Sure, there is a lot teams need to work on, but the positives outweighed the negative for most teams in the area. Getting the chance to watch two games this past week with the Paint Valley opener on Thursday, followed by Friday’s Hillsboro season opener, gave me the opportunity to see two strong performances by local teams.
- The Bearcats looked strong once they got over the slow start, but they also were without three players who will be in the starting lineup throughout this season. It is going to be fun to see how much more improved the Bearcats can be this season, and this season could end up being very special.
- As for the Indians, that was an excellent performance by the unit. Not many programs have been able to keep any Western Brown team to 14 points in a game — and scoreless in the second half — so kudos to the Indians once again for that performance. The offense played strong too, and though they were shut out in the final three quarters, they were playing a grind-it-out type of power football that took time off the clock and helped keep the lead.
- The Indians, with a lot of new players in the lineup, played well in their first regular-season outing, and for them it is now on to Goshen in Week 2.
• One Last Comment
- If you haven’t picked up a copy of the 2019 First and Ten High School Football Preview yet, be sure to do so as it is a source you can use all season long and it is FREE.
- Also, be sure to check out the high school football notebook each Thursday for previews, stats and other info on upcoming games from the FAC, SVC and the SBAAC.
The winners for the FAC were the Hillsboro Indians, Miami Trace Panthers and Washington Blue Lions on Friday night, and on Saturday the Jackson Ironmen won their season opener. The two losses in the conference saw the Chillicothe Cavaliers and McClain Tigers unable to outscore their opponent.
Results for the FAC included the following scores:
• Western Brown 14, Hillsboro 16
• Adena 41, McClain 14
• Chillicothe 0, Teays Valley 14
• Blanchester 0, Washington 26
• Miami Trace 42, Circleville 20
• Wellston 6, Jackson 23
Last season in Week 1, the FAC finished 5-1 in non-conference games.
• Miami Trace opens season with strong win at Circleville
The biggest surprise for the number of points they put on the scoreboard was the Miami Trace Panthers, as they dominated the host Circleville Tigers, scoring all 42 of their points in the first half for their 42-20 win. The Panthers scored 21 points in each of the first two quarters.
The stat sheet for the Panthers showed quarterback Dalton Mayer finish 3-for-3 with 97 yards passing, adding two touchdown passes and no interceptions. Mayer also rushed for 106 yards on seven carries, recording a touchdown run as he averaged 15.1 yards per carry.
Also standing out for the Panthers in Week 1 was running back Jayden LeBeau with six carries for 131 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 21.3 yards per carry. That is what you call a standout performance to open the season. Cayden Griggs also stood out for the Panthers with nine carries for 82 yards at Circleville. The receiving yards all were recorded by Joshua Gilmore, who totaled three receptions for 97 yards and a touchdown, averaging 32.3 yards per reception.
Before the start of the season, MTHS head coach Jerry Williams spoke about how his team needed to learn how to win, and that began that process on Friday night:
“I’m excited for these guys,” Williams said. “They have put in the offseason work, they’ve invested into the program and now I want them to get the results they deserve. We do have the talent to win. Now we have to have the confidence and get the momentum to go in the right direction.”
This performance was an excellent way for the Panthers to begin their season. After just two wins a season ago, and sitting on their 2-8 record for an entire offseason, scoring 42 points in a half isn’t a bad start. Next week the Panthers face the Wilmington in their home opener at 7 p.m. Wilmington lost their season opener to Valley View, 41-7.
• Defense was key for the Hillsboro Indians in season opener
The Hillsboro Indians’ defense showed up in a big way on Friday night in Week 1 of their 2019 season opener against the Western Brown Broncos, as the defensive game plan of defensive coordinator Nathan Horne worked well, and the results showed for it.
Hillsboro held the Broncos to just two touchdowns, both in the first half, and the defense combined for multiple sacks. There was a play made by Mark Gallimore in the secondary on the final third down play of the game that broke up the Western Brown Broncos’ pass, which made a big difference. That play kept the Broncos back near their own goal line and not closer to mid-field, plus it made the ensuing down a fourth down and not first-and-10.
Also, don’t forget the safety caused by the HHS defense, with Sanchez Seals forcing a fumble in the end zone, which was recovered by WB, causing the safety and two points for the home team.
In a fun fact about this win, this was the first time the Indians’ defense held the Broncos to 14 or fewer points in a game since 2008, a game where Hillsboro defeated Western Brown, 28-14.
On offense, the Indians stalled in the final three quarters as they didn’t score any points after the first quarter ended. The first quarter, though, saw HHS score two touchdowns, coming from Silas Simmons on a 1-yard run and an 11-yard reception off a pass from Justin Spears to Hayden Hawk.
Also, there was the play of Gallimore on offense that has to be given a tip of the cap as he totaled 20 carries for an unofficial 118 yards, and Simmons finished with 16 carries unofficially for 75 yards. Logan Hester also totaled 46 yards on nine carries, and Justin Spears finished with 37 yards on six QB rushes.
It was a solid win for the Indians, and though there are always things to work on for a football team, they did enough to win the game, and that is the most important thing, especially in Week 1.
• More on the FAC
- There was a lot that happened in the FAC this past weekend, including Jackson winning their final meeting against Wellston by a 23-6 score, ending a rivalry matchup that usually went the way of the Ironmen.
Also with Jackson, they are to me a very interesting team to watch and keep track of because of the schedule they play, plus they are already off to a good start with their season-opening win.
- The McClain Tigers didn’t get the win they wanted on Friday night, but the program continues to work toward their goals as they did score two touchdowns in the third quarter in their loss to Adena. Braden Wright rushed the football nine times as the quarterback, finishing with 110 yards (12.2 yards per carry) and one touchdown. Also on defense, Sam Faulconer led the team with 10.5 tackles.
- McClain is still rebuilding their team under second-year head coach Jake Orr-Zody, and for McClain it will be fun to watch to see how much they improve from Week 1 to Week 2 this upcoming Saturday night when they travel to face Northwest High School in a game that’s going to be played at Valley High School.
- Washington quarterback Ethan Rogers-Wright finished 16-of-28 for 112 yards with three touchdowns. The Blue Lions scored 14 points in the first half and 12 points in the fourth quarter, but what stands out is their defense had a shutout. The Blue Lions defense is what will be interesting to watch this season, as that could be what lifts them into competitive situations in the FAC.
- Catching the three touchdown passes by Rogers-Wright were Jerome Mack (four receptions for 38 yards), Jameson McCane (two receptions for 30 yards) and Eli Lynch (six receptions for 23 yards).
- The Blue Lions have a favorable matchup in Week 2 as they are facing the Circleville Tigers, which Miami Trace defeated by 22 points in Week 1, so it will be interesting to see how the Blue Lions fare against the same team.
- Garitt Leisure led the Blue Lions with 7.5 tackles (six solo) with 2.5 tackles for loss. The Blue Lions duo of Leisure and Mason Mustain each had a half sack.
- Another Blue Lion standout was Jameson McCane with the running back finishing the game with 21 carries for 100 yards, averaging 4.8 yards per carry.
- Chillicothe was led in rushing by Hunter Thomas with 14 carries for 71 yards, for 5.1 yards per carry.
- Jackson led their game against Wellston 21-0 at halftime, including a 57-yard touchdown by Jayden Spires in the second quarter. There was also a touchdown run by Brice Graham.
• More from area teams and conferences (SVC and SBAAC)
- Thursday night the Paint Valley Bearcats opened their ’19 season against the visiting Eastern Eagles, and following a slow start on defense (and a 44-minute first quarter), the Bearcats dominated the game with a 56-13 win. The Bearcats finished strong defensively in the final three quarters with a shutout performance, while the offense of PVHS had scoring of 21 points in the fray, followed by a 28-point second quarter.
- PVHS scored their final touchdown in the third quarter and for the game totaled 352 yards of offense, including 276 yards rushing.
- The Bearcats were led by in their running game by senior Brayden Ison with five carries for 134 yards and two touchdown runs. There was also senior Lane Mettler having a three-touchdown performance, totaling 40 yards on nine carries.
- The East Clinton Astros had a tough way to start Week 1 by facing the powerhouse program that is Clinton-Massie. The Astros were led by Todd Wedding in rushing with 22 yards, and Kaleb Kingery totaled one reception for eight yards.
- Phillip Davis led the Astros with 2.5 tackles, and on special teams teammate Jared Smith finished with a 26.1 yard average on eight punts.
- For Clinton-Massie, Brendan Lamb led the team with 10 carries for 149 yards (14.9 yards per carry) and six touchdowns in a standout performance. In fact, the Falcons had three 100-yard rushers with Robby Frederick totaling eight rushes for 102 yards (102 yard per carry) and Carson Vanhoose with five carries for 100 yards (20 yards per carry) and one touchdown.
• Wrapping up Week 1
- The opening week of high school football is always exciting, and this past weekend didn’t disappoint. Sure, there is a lot teams need to work on, but the positives outweighed the negative for most teams in the area. Getting the chance to watch two games this past week with the Paint Valley opener on Thursday, followed by Friday’s Hillsboro season opener, gave me the opportunity to see two strong performances by local teams.
- The Bearcats looked strong once they got over the slow start, but they also were without three players who will be in the starting lineup throughout this season. It is going to be fun to see how much more improved the Bearcats can be this season, and this season could end up being very special.
- As for the Indians, that was an excellent performance by the unit. Not many programs have been able to keep any Western Brown team to 14 points in a game — and scoreless in the second half — so kudos to the Indians once again for that performance. The offense played strong too, and though they were shut out in the final three quarters, they were playing a grind-it-out type of power football that took time off the clock and helped keep the lead.
- The Indians, with a lot of new players in the lineup, played well in their first regular-season outing, and for them it is now on to Goshen in Week 2.
• One Last Comment
- If you haven’t picked up a copy of the 2019 First and Ten High School Football Preview yet, be sure to do so as it is a source you can use all season long and it is FREE.
- Also, be sure to check out the high school football notebook each Thursday for previews, stats and other info on upcoming games from the FAC, SVC and the SBAAC.