SCOL Football Notebook: Week 6
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
After five weeks in the books and five more weeks to go, the 2016 high school football season enters the second half, and so far it has been an exciting season for the South Central Ohio League in its final year of existence.
The SCOL still has one undefeated team entering the week in the Washington Blue Lions at 5-0 overall, with two wins in the SCOL against the Hillsboro Indians and East Clinton Astros.
Also with a 2-0 record in the league are Clinton-Massie, Chillicothe and Wilmington. East Clinton, Hillsboro, McClain and Miami Trace are still looking for their first league win of the season.
In just league games this season, the CM Falcons have allowed a total of 14 points in their two games against Miami Trace and McClain, while both Washington and Wilmington have each allowed 55. Chillicothe in two SCOL games has given up just 21 points.
The Hurricane may have allowed 55 points in SCOL play against Hillsboro and McClain, but they’ve also scored the most points at 123 the past two weeks. The Cavaliers of CHS have scored 94 points, followed by Clinton-Massie with 80 and Washington at 77.
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Those four teams in the SCOL right now are playing the best overall football, but remember Miami Trace did start the season with three straight wins in non-league play, and the past two games they have faced two very good teams in Clinton-Massie and Chillicothe, so they are a better team than their league 0-2 mark shows.
East Clinton is still looking for their first overall win of the year, as McClain and Hillsboro both have one win this season, with MHS losing their past four games and the Indians losing their past two.
All four of the winless teams in SCOL play all have their positives. McClain has a very solid player in Tristan Pitzer who has helped carry the offense this season with his rushing abilities from the quarterback spot. The Indians have big-play ability, as the duo of Hunter Chain to Sajoun Jones has proven that with big-yardage touchdowns this season. The Indians also have the abilities to keep possession of the football with their rushing game, keeping the opponents’ offense off the field.
What hurts both the Indians and Tigers this season is the fact players have to play a majority of both offense and defense each week, while some of their opponents have enough players to have platoons where players play either offense or defense in a game. No matter how great of shape a player is in, eventually it will take a toll on players when facing that situation each and every week.
Looking at the overall records of SCOL teams, besides the Blue Lions’ 5-0 mark entering Week 6, Clinton-Massie, Chillicothe and Wilmington all have 4-1 records, and Wilmington and Washington have each scored over 200 points in ’16.
With five weeks in the books, it is still exciting to see what occurs in the final five weeks of the regular season, beginning this Friday night.
• Week 6 schedule and sneak peek
- Washington Blue Lions (2-0, 5-0) at Clinton-Massie (2-0, 4-1)
As usual, when a game involves Clinton-Massie, this is the game of the week for SCOL. The Blue Lions are the last SCOL team to defeat Clinton-Massie way back in 2007 (CM has a 54-game winning streak in the SCOL since then), and both are playing good football right now.
The Falcons have defeated Miami Trace and McClain the past two games, so with that momentum, this could be a very interesting clash between two teams who want to make some noise in the final season of the SCOL. Fans in attendance should be in for a good game.
Washington is coming off a game vs. East Clinton where they totaled 358 yards of offense on 19 rushing plays and 14 passing plays.
CM won 56-0 last week at McClain, where they dominated after the first quarter with a 21-0 lead, mostly using their running game to gain points.
- McClain Tigers (0-2, 1-4) at Miami Trace (0-2, 3-2)
Both of these teams are looking for a SCOL win in Week 6, and both have had to face some tough competition thus far in league play. The Panthers have faced Clinton-Massie and Chillicothe, while McClain has taken on CM and Wilmington.
Against their common opponent, CM, the Tigers lost 56-0 and Miami Trace was a lot closer, losing by a final score of 24-14. MT will also have some extra motivation as it will be their homecoming game.
- Chillicothe Cavaliers (2-0, 4-1) at Hillsboro Indians (0-2, 1-4)
The Indians got off to a strong start last Friday with a 15-0 lead over Wilmington within the first six minutes of play. Though that momentum didn’t last for the rest of the game, it did show the Indians have the capabilities to score points against good football teams.
That will have to be the case this Friday as the Cavaliers are also a good football team, winning their past four games, including last Friday by defeating MT by 35 points. In their four wins, CHS has defeated Jackson (24-21), Teays Valley (12-10), East Clinton (38-0) and the aforementioned Miami Trace game by a 56-21 score.
To defeat a team like CHS, the Indians will have to play four complete quarters, and for the Cavs to win this, they will have to limit the big-play scoring of the Indians as they’ve had big-yardage touchdowns in most games this season.
- Wilmington Hurricane (2-0, 4-1) at East Clinton (0-2, 0-5)
The Astros are looking for their first win of the season and are coming off a 20-point loss to Washington. The Hurricane have played mostly well this season, scoring 212 points through the first five weeks, including a 61-36 win last Friday at Hillsboro.
WHS is a very athletic and quick team offensively, and defensively they’ve allowed just 55 points in two SCOL games, with most of those coming against Hillsboro in Week 5. The ‘Cane are averaging 228.8 yards per game rushing and 199.8 yards per game passing.
Last week for EC, Anthony Osburn totaled 110 yards rushing on 19 carries. He also had one rushing touchdown.
• Final Thoughts
It is hard to believe the second half of the season is beginning, which means the most important thing is to start dressing warmer to games to defeat the chill in the air that has arrived.
I believe this Friday will go a very long way in shaping what the SCOL will be like in the standings for the rest of the year. The undefeated teams in the league will go from four to no more than three, as either Washington or Clinton-Massie will suffer a league loss this week guaranteed as they face each other.
That will be the game to watch, and for good reason, but each game on the schedule offers something to look forward to as well.
Some teams in the league are better than what their record states. If you think about it, there are teams in the league who have played well for parts of games this season, but just haven’t put together a complete game.
As someone who watches games each week, you know, and I know, that seeing teams improve from week to week can give hope. As fans of this game, all of us like a good story where we can see teams improve their play week to week.
My favorite thing about this season – at least for the teams from Highland County, as that’s what I keep track of the closest – is the fact both Hillsboro and McClain may not be getting the wins, but there is no doubt they are playing better football overall this season than they have in recent years.
That is what makes this so enjoyable … sure, winning is fun and is one of the reasons players play, but being able to see a team not quit or give up when they easily could when trailing is an excellent thing to see. If that type of thinking and feeling stays around and on the forefront, the wins will eventually come, and folks can say this is the season all of that began. It may take a while, but no great football program was built overnight.
Best of luck to all the SCOL teams this week as they continue to look to gain wins and make their case for a solid playoff spot.
Stephen Forsha is the sports editor of The Highland County Press.
The SCOL still has one undefeated team entering the week in the Washington Blue Lions at 5-0 overall, with two wins in the SCOL against the Hillsboro Indians and East Clinton Astros.
Also with a 2-0 record in the league are Clinton-Massie, Chillicothe and Wilmington. East Clinton, Hillsboro, McClain and Miami Trace are still looking for their first league win of the season.
In just league games this season, the CM Falcons have allowed a total of 14 points in their two games against Miami Trace and McClain, while both Washington and Wilmington have each allowed 55. Chillicothe in two SCOL games has given up just 21 points.
The Hurricane may have allowed 55 points in SCOL play against Hillsboro and McClain, but they’ve also scored the most points at 123 the past two weeks. The Cavaliers of CHS have scored 94 points, followed by Clinton-Massie with 80 and Washington at 77.
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Those four teams in the SCOL right now are playing the best overall football, but remember Miami Trace did start the season with three straight wins in non-league play, and the past two games they have faced two very good teams in Clinton-Massie and Chillicothe, so they are a better team than their league 0-2 mark shows.
East Clinton is still looking for their first overall win of the year, as McClain and Hillsboro both have one win this season, with MHS losing their past four games and the Indians losing their past two.
All four of the winless teams in SCOL play all have their positives. McClain has a very solid player in Tristan Pitzer who has helped carry the offense this season with his rushing abilities from the quarterback spot. The Indians have big-play ability, as the duo of Hunter Chain to Sajoun Jones has proven that with big-yardage touchdowns this season. The Indians also have the abilities to keep possession of the football with their rushing game, keeping the opponents’ offense off the field.
What hurts both the Indians and Tigers this season is the fact players have to play a majority of both offense and defense each week, while some of their opponents have enough players to have platoons where players play either offense or defense in a game. No matter how great of shape a player is in, eventually it will take a toll on players when facing that situation each and every week.
Looking at the overall records of SCOL teams, besides the Blue Lions’ 5-0 mark entering Week 6, Clinton-Massie, Chillicothe and Wilmington all have 4-1 records, and Wilmington and Washington have each scored over 200 points in ’16.
With five weeks in the books, it is still exciting to see what occurs in the final five weeks of the regular season, beginning this Friday night.
• Week 6 schedule and sneak peek
- Washington Blue Lions (2-0, 5-0) at Clinton-Massie (2-0, 4-1)
As usual, when a game involves Clinton-Massie, this is the game of the week for SCOL. The Blue Lions are the last SCOL team to defeat Clinton-Massie way back in 2007 (CM has a 54-game winning streak in the SCOL since then), and both are playing good football right now.
The Falcons have defeated Miami Trace and McClain the past two games, so with that momentum, this could be a very interesting clash between two teams who want to make some noise in the final season of the SCOL. Fans in attendance should be in for a good game.
Washington is coming off a game vs. East Clinton where they totaled 358 yards of offense on 19 rushing plays and 14 passing plays.
CM won 56-0 last week at McClain, where they dominated after the first quarter with a 21-0 lead, mostly using their running game to gain points.
- McClain Tigers (0-2, 1-4) at Miami Trace (0-2, 3-2)
Both of these teams are looking for a SCOL win in Week 6, and both have had to face some tough competition thus far in league play. The Panthers have faced Clinton-Massie and Chillicothe, while McClain has taken on CM and Wilmington.
Against their common opponent, CM, the Tigers lost 56-0 and Miami Trace was a lot closer, losing by a final score of 24-14. MT will also have some extra motivation as it will be their homecoming game.
- Chillicothe Cavaliers (2-0, 4-1) at Hillsboro Indians (0-2, 1-4)
The Indians got off to a strong start last Friday with a 15-0 lead over Wilmington within the first six minutes of play. Though that momentum didn’t last for the rest of the game, it did show the Indians have the capabilities to score points against good football teams.
That will have to be the case this Friday as the Cavaliers are also a good football team, winning their past four games, including last Friday by defeating MT by 35 points. In their four wins, CHS has defeated Jackson (24-21), Teays Valley (12-10), East Clinton (38-0) and the aforementioned Miami Trace game by a 56-21 score.
To defeat a team like CHS, the Indians will have to play four complete quarters, and for the Cavs to win this, they will have to limit the big-play scoring of the Indians as they’ve had big-yardage touchdowns in most games this season.
- Wilmington Hurricane (2-0, 4-1) at East Clinton (0-2, 0-5)
The Astros are looking for their first win of the season and are coming off a 20-point loss to Washington. The Hurricane have played mostly well this season, scoring 212 points through the first five weeks, including a 61-36 win last Friday at Hillsboro.
WHS is a very athletic and quick team offensively, and defensively they’ve allowed just 55 points in two SCOL games, with most of those coming against Hillsboro in Week 5. The ‘Cane are averaging 228.8 yards per game rushing and 199.8 yards per game passing.
Last week for EC, Anthony Osburn totaled 110 yards rushing on 19 carries. He also had one rushing touchdown.
• Final Thoughts
It is hard to believe the second half of the season is beginning, which means the most important thing is to start dressing warmer to games to defeat the chill in the air that has arrived.
I believe this Friday will go a very long way in shaping what the SCOL will be like in the standings for the rest of the year. The undefeated teams in the league will go from four to no more than three, as either Washington or Clinton-Massie will suffer a league loss this week guaranteed as they face each other.
That will be the game to watch, and for good reason, but each game on the schedule offers something to look forward to as well.
Some teams in the league are better than what their record states. If you think about it, there are teams in the league who have played well for parts of games this season, but just haven’t put together a complete game.
As someone who watches games each week, you know, and I know, that seeing teams improve from week to week can give hope. As fans of this game, all of us like a good story where we can see teams improve their play week to week.
My favorite thing about this season – at least for the teams from Highland County, as that’s what I keep track of the closest – is the fact both Hillsboro and McClain may not be getting the wins, but there is no doubt they are playing better football overall this season than they have in recent years.
That is what makes this so enjoyable … sure, winning is fun and is one of the reasons players play, but being able to see a team not quit or give up when they easily could when trailing is an excellent thing to see. If that type of thinking and feeling stays around and on the forefront, the wins will eventually come, and folks can say this is the season all of that began. It may take a while, but no great football program was built overnight.
Best of luck to all the SCOL teams this week as they continue to look to gain wins and make their case for a solid playoff spot.
Stephen Forsha is the sports editor of The Highland County Press.