Week 1 Football Preview: Indians, Tigers open season at home
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
Two-a-days are done, summer conditioning is over, scrimmages have been played and all that’s left are the games that count, and on Friday, Aug. 25 the Hillsboro Indians and the McClain Tigers open their 2017 football seasons with games at their home field in front of their hometown fans.
The Indians will host the Western Brown Broncos of the Southern Buckeye Athletic & Academic Conference, while the McClain Tigers open their regular season by hosting the Adena Warriors of the Scioto Valley Conference.
Both the Indians and Tigers are now members of the brand-new Frontier Athletic Conference, along with the Chillicothe Cavaliers, Jackson Ironmen, Miami Trace Panthers and the Washington Blue Lions as they too begin their seasons on Friday, except for Jackson, who plays on Saturday night.
Here is a look at the upcoming FAC games for Week 1 of the 2017 high school football season:
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• Hillsboro Indians (0-0) vs. Western Brown Broncos (0-0)
This yearly game to open the high school football season has been one-sided as of late with the Broncos winning the past six meetings against the Indians. Hillsboro last won against the Broncos in 2010 by a 35-34 score. That was the second win in a row for the Indians in this annual series, as HHS won in ’09 by a 41-32 score.
Since the ’10 season, the games have been dominated by the Broncos of the SBAAC. In a span from 2006-16, Western Brown has gone 9-2 against the Indians, and in the current six-game winning streak against HHS, the Broncos have won by no fewer than 26 points, that coming last season with a 48-22 win over the Indians in a game that took two days to play due to weather issues.
The Indians — who have 39 players on their official roster and are coached by Jack O’Rourke for a second season — are coming off a four-win season from a year ago, but the positive is they ended last season with three straight wins. This year, as they get set to host the Broncos at Richards Memorial Field, they will look to a new starting quarterback in Mason Swayne, but have a good amount of their offensive line returning. Plus, the Indians have five running backs who could get carries throughout any time of the game, including Josh Keets, Deon Burns, Devon Gallimore, Mark Gallimore and Mason Lewis.
As for the Broncos, they enter the 2017 season coached by Don Sizer and have a total of 57 players on their roster. In 2016, the Broncos finished with a 3-7 record with wins against Hillsboro, Amelia (54-27) and Bethel-Tate (48-34). They ended last season on a two-game losing streak.
One player to watch is senior wide receiver Wyatt Fischer, who is 6-2, 196 pounds and runs a 4.65 40-yard dash. In ’16, as a junior, he totaled 1,301 yards on 79 receptions and scored 13 touchdowns. He averaged 16.5 yards per reception. The past two seasons, Fischer has collected 145 receptions for 2,425 yards and 24 touchdowns. In those same two seasons, he averages 16.7 yards per reception and 121.3 yards per game receiving.
Last year, the Broncos had Seth Becker on their roster, who passed for 2,955 yards as junior with 27 touchdowns and 18 interceptions, but this season will be playing for Bethel-Tate after transferring. He was also the second-leading rusher in ’16 for Western Brown with 609 yards on 103 rushing attempts with four touchdowns.
Zach Stacy was the leading rusher for WB in ’16 with 121 carries for 658 yards and 11 touchdowns but is also not on the official roster for this season.
Kickoff at Richards Memorial Field will be at 7 p.m.
• McClain Tigers (0-0) vs. Adena Warriors (0-0)
This should be a good match-up between two young teams who want to be better programs than they were one season ago. The Tigers haven’t won a game since the season opener last season, when they defeated the Warriors (of the Scioto Valley Conference) by a 34-21 score at Adena High School.
Looking back at this annual season-opening matchup, the Tigers and Warriors are 2-2 in the past four meetings, and since the 2010 season (seven meetings) the Tigers have taken the advantage at 4-3 with wins in ’16, ’13, ’12 and ’10.
The Warriors are coached by John Penwell, with this being his second season with the program. Last year, they were 3-7 overall and enter this season with 11 seniors and six returning lettermen. They are replacing a quarterback from last year in Jake Dawson who passed for 921 yards and rushed for 444 yards. He totaled 13 touchdowns in his final season.
McClain is in the same boat so to speak, as they are replacing almost all of their offensive stats compiled by two players last season in Tristan Pitzer and Gabe Smith. Those two combined for 2,218 rushing yards and 17 rushing touchdowns, with both rushing for over 1,000 yards each.
The game between the Tigers (who have Jeremey Andrews as their head coach for a third straight season) will showcase two teams looking to get on the right track, but doing so with some new players at the “skill positions.”
Kickoff at McClain Field will be at 7 p.m.
• Other FAC Week 1 Games
- Chillicothe Cavaliers (0-0) at Teays Valley Vikings (0-0) — The Cavaliers are playing to gain a third straight playoff berth and have the players to do so, especially if they work out replacing players from last season on the offensive and defensive lines. The player to watch for the Cavs is senior quarterback Branden Maughmer, who at 6-2, 165 is coming off a season where he was selected first-team All-Ohio, totaling 1,165 yards rushing (12 touchdowns) and 1,480 yards passing (18 touchdowns). Last season, the Cavs defeated Teays Valley, 12-10. CHS finished the season 8-3 in ’16 and Teays Valley was 5-5.
- Jackson Ironmen (0-0) vs. Wellston Golden Rockets (0-0) (Sat. Aug. 26) — The Ironmen open their season at home against the Wellston Rockets, a team that was 4-6 one year ago. JHS finished last season at 6-4 but were 6-2 entering the final two weeks of the regular season. In ’16, JHS defeated Wellston, 51-8 and have won each meeting with WHS since the 2011 season. The home game for JHS is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. Saturday night.
- Miami Trace Panthers (0-0) at Circleville Tigers (0-0) — The Miami Trace Panthers have a new head coach in Jerry Williams as the new era of MTHS football begins with a traditional opponent in Circleville. The Panthers were 5-5 last season, ending the season with three straight losses. The Tigers were 1-9 a season ago, losing to Miami Trace, 51-12 last season. In their past seven meetings (all season openers), Miami Trace leads the series, 4-3 as they are 3-1 in the past four games against CHS.
- Washington Blue Lions (0-0) vs. Blanchester Wildcats (0-0) — Year two for the Washington Blue Lions under Chuck Williamson begins at Gardner Park with the Blue Lions facing a new opponent from Clinton County — the Blanchester Wildcats. Washington finished 7-3 last season, while Blanchester (of the SBAAC) was 7-4, reaching the playoffs under coach Brandon Simmons in his first season with BHS. The Wildcats lost 19 seniors from last season (18 starters), making this game very interesting to start the season on both sides.
The Indians will host the Western Brown Broncos of the Southern Buckeye Athletic & Academic Conference, while the McClain Tigers open their regular season by hosting the Adena Warriors of the Scioto Valley Conference.
Both the Indians and Tigers are now members of the brand-new Frontier Athletic Conference, along with the Chillicothe Cavaliers, Jackson Ironmen, Miami Trace Panthers and the Washington Blue Lions as they too begin their seasons on Friday, except for Jackson, who plays on Saturday night.
Here is a look at the upcoming FAC games for Week 1 of the 2017 high school football season:
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• Hillsboro Indians (0-0) vs. Western Brown Broncos (0-0)
This yearly game to open the high school football season has been one-sided as of late with the Broncos winning the past six meetings against the Indians. Hillsboro last won against the Broncos in 2010 by a 35-34 score. That was the second win in a row for the Indians in this annual series, as HHS won in ’09 by a 41-32 score.
Since the ’10 season, the games have been dominated by the Broncos of the SBAAC. In a span from 2006-16, Western Brown has gone 9-2 against the Indians, and in the current six-game winning streak against HHS, the Broncos have won by no fewer than 26 points, that coming last season with a 48-22 win over the Indians in a game that took two days to play due to weather issues.
The Indians — who have 39 players on their official roster and are coached by Jack O’Rourke for a second season — are coming off a four-win season from a year ago, but the positive is they ended last season with three straight wins. This year, as they get set to host the Broncos at Richards Memorial Field, they will look to a new starting quarterback in Mason Swayne, but have a good amount of their offensive line returning. Plus, the Indians have five running backs who could get carries throughout any time of the game, including Josh Keets, Deon Burns, Devon Gallimore, Mark Gallimore and Mason Lewis.
As for the Broncos, they enter the 2017 season coached by Don Sizer and have a total of 57 players on their roster. In 2016, the Broncos finished with a 3-7 record with wins against Hillsboro, Amelia (54-27) and Bethel-Tate (48-34). They ended last season on a two-game losing streak.
One player to watch is senior wide receiver Wyatt Fischer, who is 6-2, 196 pounds and runs a 4.65 40-yard dash. In ’16, as a junior, he totaled 1,301 yards on 79 receptions and scored 13 touchdowns. He averaged 16.5 yards per reception. The past two seasons, Fischer has collected 145 receptions for 2,425 yards and 24 touchdowns. In those same two seasons, he averages 16.7 yards per reception and 121.3 yards per game receiving.
Last year, the Broncos had Seth Becker on their roster, who passed for 2,955 yards as junior with 27 touchdowns and 18 interceptions, but this season will be playing for Bethel-Tate after transferring. He was also the second-leading rusher in ’16 for Western Brown with 609 yards on 103 rushing attempts with four touchdowns.
Zach Stacy was the leading rusher for WB in ’16 with 121 carries for 658 yards and 11 touchdowns but is also not on the official roster for this season.
Kickoff at Richards Memorial Field will be at 7 p.m.
• McClain Tigers (0-0) vs. Adena Warriors (0-0)
This should be a good match-up between two young teams who want to be better programs than they were one season ago. The Tigers haven’t won a game since the season opener last season, when they defeated the Warriors (of the Scioto Valley Conference) by a 34-21 score at Adena High School.
Looking back at this annual season-opening matchup, the Tigers and Warriors are 2-2 in the past four meetings, and since the 2010 season (seven meetings) the Tigers have taken the advantage at 4-3 with wins in ’16, ’13, ’12 and ’10.
The Warriors are coached by John Penwell, with this being his second season with the program. Last year, they were 3-7 overall and enter this season with 11 seniors and six returning lettermen. They are replacing a quarterback from last year in Jake Dawson who passed for 921 yards and rushed for 444 yards. He totaled 13 touchdowns in his final season.
McClain is in the same boat so to speak, as they are replacing almost all of their offensive stats compiled by two players last season in Tristan Pitzer and Gabe Smith. Those two combined for 2,218 rushing yards and 17 rushing touchdowns, with both rushing for over 1,000 yards each.
The game between the Tigers (who have Jeremey Andrews as their head coach for a third straight season) will showcase two teams looking to get on the right track, but doing so with some new players at the “skill positions.”
Kickoff at McClain Field will be at 7 p.m.
• Other FAC Week 1 Games
- Chillicothe Cavaliers (0-0) at Teays Valley Vikings (0-0) — The Cavaliers are playing to gain a third straight playoff berth and have the players to do so, especially if they work out replacing players from last season on the offensive and defensive lines. The player to watch for the Cavs is senior quarterback Branden Maughmer, who at 6-2, 165 is coming off a season where he was selected first-team All-Ohio, totaling 1,165 yards rushing (12 touchdowns) and 1,480 yards passing (18 touchdowns). Last season, the Cavs defeated Teays Valley, 12-10. CHS finished the season 8-3 in ’16 and Teays Valley was 5-5.
- Jackson Ironmen (0-0) vs. Wellston Golden Rockets (0-0) (Sat. Aug. 26) — The Ironmen open their season at home against the Wellston Rockets, a team that was 4-6 one year ago. JHS finished last season at 6-4 but were 6-2 entering the final two weeks of the regular season. In ’16, JHS defeated Wellston, 51-8 and have won each meeting with WHS since the 2011 season. The home game for JHS is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. Saturday night.
- Miami Trace Panthers (0-0) at Circleville Tigers (0-0) — The Miami Trace Panthers have a new head coach in Jerry Williams as the new era of MTHS football begins with a traditional opponent in Circleville. The Panthers were 5-5 last season, ending the season with three straight losses. The Tigers were 1-9 a season ago, losing to Miami Trace, 51-12 last season. In their past seven meetings (all season openers), Miami Trace leads the series, 4-3 as they are 3-1 in the past four games against CHS.
- Washington Blue Lions (0-0) vs. Blanchester Wildcats (0-0) — Year two for the Washington Blue Lions under Chuck Williamson begins at Gardner Park with the Blue Lions facing a new opponent from Clinton County — the Blanchester Wildcats. Washington finished 7-3 last season, while Blanchester (of the SBAAC) was 7-4, reaching the playoffs under coach Brandon Simmons in his first season with BHS. The Wildcats lost 19 seniors from last season (18 starters), making this game very interesting to start the season on both sides.