First-and-Ten Football Notebook: Bearcats working this offseason to make improvements
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
Next on the 2012 First-and-Ten Football Tour this preseason is a drive to Bainbridge to visit with the Paint Valley Bearcats and head coach Pete Hollon.
The day I showed up, practice ended early due to players' commitments to the annual Ross County Fair, and though I only saw some punt and kicking practice, I still had some good football conversations with Coach Hollon and three of his senior leaders.
We'll all get an opportunity to see the Bearcats in live action on Friday, Aug. 17 in their final preseason scrimmage when they visit the Hillsboro Indians at Richards Memorial Field.
Last season, I had the chance to watch Paint Valley defeat Southeastern, a season in which the Bearcats finished 4-6 overall (2-5 in the Scioto Valley Conference).
This year, the Bearcats want to take take another step to build on their improvements from last season but will have to do that with some new skill players as last season's quarterback and a lineman graduated, along with replacing some other graduates as well.
Just from my years covering this team, I can see them taking that next step this year, as Coach Hollon told me about the offseason program his Bearcats took part in, along with the group of athletes the Bearcats have returning … that group has the possibility of improving their overall record from a season ago.
Another great story with this team is the story of Quentin Tesi, as he is just finishing his Army boot camp a summer early so following graduation he can go straight into his Army career. I'll write more about that in the team preview for the Bearcats.
It will be interesting to see this team from week one to the final week of the season and see how they progress, but until then, let's just enjoy their upcoming journey because they have some football players that will be fun to watch play the game on Fridays.
3 Quick Thoughts
1. The Bearcats have one of the better running backs in the area in junior Mark Clifford. I'll go more into detail on Clifford later on in this notebook, but if you get a chance to watch PV this year, he's a must-see player.
2. The players are tired of having a losing mark overall at the end of the year. With all the work they've put in this offseason, it's easy to tell just by speaking with the three seniors I spoke with they have a winning season in mind.
3. One of my favorite yearly visits is to PVHS. I like how they go about their football business in Bainbridge, and on game days, they have one of the better football Friday night atmospheres.
Two Must See Games
Week 1 (Aug. 24) at Belpre — I'm very interested in seeing how the Bearcats open the '12 season. With a new quarterback and a better than average rushing attack, it will be interesting to watch their offense. Also, as I mentioned earlier, the Bearcats want to continue to work on their field position when starting their possessions.
Week 4 (Sept. 14) vs. Zane Trace — This game is the first on the SVC slate of games, so a win by PV in this game could be a good confidence boost throughout the conference season.
Who to Watch
- Riley Markko, guard/defensive end, senior
Markko's story is interesting as he not only plays football in the fall, but is also a member of the cross county team (more on that in the First-and-Ten Football Preview edition). Markko is coming off a season where he was All-Ohio in Division IV at defensive end. Markko had 82 tackles with 12 sacks and three caused fumbles. Of the 82 tackles, nine were for loss.
- Kyle Kottenbrook, full back/defensive end, senior
Last season, Kottenbrook was not only a lead blocker for leading rusher Mark Clifford at full back, but he also compiled some yards on the ground as well as he played in five games, rushing for 407 yards on 71 carries.
- Mark Clifford, running back, junior
For the '11 season, Clifford led the Bearcats with 971 yards rushing on 150 carries. He scored 11 touchdowns. I had the chance to watch him in the aforementioned game against Southeastern last season, and I swear he made the best hit by a running back I saw all last season to seal the win for the Bearcats.
Player Quote
"We've been working a lot this offseason, but a lot of us got the experience last season. Getting that experience last year … I think that's really going to help us this year." — Riley Markko, PV senior, on how last season will help the Bearcats headed into the '12 season.
Coach Quote
"Our returning experience and our blend of speed that we haven't had in a couple years is one of our big strengths headed into the season. We're really excited about that, and depth wise, we are in a better position than what we've been in the past few years." — Pete Hollon, PV head coach, on some of the strengths for the Bearcats headed into the '12 season.
Final Thoughts
If they can correct their problems that plagued them last season, the Bearcats could surprise some teams this upcoming season. They have a great running game and great leadership and team character. They will have some growing pains at the quarterback position, but every team has that when replacing a starting quarterback. Last year was the first step in the right direction; this year, I wouldn't be surprised to see them add to that path they began one season ago.
Stephen Forsha is the sports editor of the Highland County Press. He can be reached at sforsha@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @hcpsportseditor.[[In-content Ad]]
The day I showed up, practice ended early due to players' commitments to the annual Ross County Fair, and though I only saw some punt and kicking practice, I still had some good football conversations with Coach Hollon and three of his senior leaders.
We'll all get an opportunity to see the Bearcats in live action on Friday, Aug. 17 in their final preseason scrimmage when they visit the Hillsboro Indians at Richards Memorial Field.
Last season, I had the chance to watch Paint Valley defeat Southeastern, a season in which the Bearcats finished 4-6 overall (2-5 in the Scioto Valley Conference).
This year, the Bearcats want to take take another step to build on their improvements from last season but will have to do that with some new skill players as last season's quarterback and a lineman graduated, along with replacing some other graduates as well.
Just from my years covering this team, I can see them taking that next step this year, as Coach Hollon told me about the offseason program his Bearcats took part in, along with the group of athletes the Bearcats have returning … that group has the possibility of improving their overall record from a season ago.
Another great story with this team is the story of Quentin Tesi, as he is just finishing his Army boot camp a summer early so following graduation he can go straight into his Army career. I'll write more about that in the team preview for the Bearcats.
It will be interesting to see this team from week one to the final week of the season and see how they progress, but until then, let's just enjoy their upcoming journey because they have some football players that will be fun to watch play the game on Fridays.
3 Quick Thoughts
1. The Bearcats have one of the better running backs in the area in junior Mark Clifford. I'll go more into detail on Clifford later on in this notebook, but if you get a chance to watch PV this year, he's a must-see player.
2. The players are tired of having a losing mark overall at the end of the year. With all the work they've put in this offseason, it's easy to tell just by speaking with the three seniors I spoke with they have a winning season in mind.
3. One of my favorite yearly visits is to PVHS. I like how they go about their football business in Bainbridge, and on game days, they have one of the better football Friday night atmospheres.
Two Must See Games
Week 1 (Aug. 24) at Belpre — I'm very interested in seeing how the Bearcats open the '12 season. With a new quarterback and a better than average rushing attack, it will be interesting to watch their offense. Also, as I mentioned earlier, the Bearcats want to continue to work on their field position when starting their possessions.
Week 4 (Sept. 14) vs. Zane Trace — This game is the first on the SVC slate of games, so a win by PV in this game could be a good confidence boost throughout the conference season.
Who to Watch
- Riley Markko, guard/defensive end, senior
Markko's story is interesting as he not only plays football in the fall, but is also a member of the cross county team (more on that in the First-and-Ten Football Preview edition). Markko is coming off a season where he was All-Ohio in Division IV at defensive end. Markko had 82 tackles with 12 sacks and three caused fumbles. Of the 82 tackles, nine were for loss.
- Kyle Kottenbrook, full back/defensive end, senior
Last season, Kottenbrook was not only a lead blocker for leading rusher Mark Clifford at full back, but he also compiled some yards on the ground as well as he played in five games, rushing for 407 yards on 71 carries.
- Mark Clifford, running back, junior
For the '11 season, Clifford led the Bearcats with 971 yards rushing on 150 carries. He scored 11 touchdowns. I had the chance to watch him in the aforementioned game against Southeastern last season, and I swear he made the best hit by a running back I saw all last season to seal the win for the Bearcats.
Player Quote
"We've been working a lot this offseason, but a lot of us got the experience last season. Getting that experience last year … I think that's really going to help us this year." — Riley Markko, PV senior, on how last season will help the Bearcats headed into the '12 season.
Coach Quote
"Our returning experience and our blend of speed that we haven't had in a couple years is one of our big strengths headed into the season. We're really excited about that, and depth wise, we are in a better position than what we've been in the past few years." — Pete Hollon, PV head coach, on some of the strengths for the Bearcats headed into the '12 season.
Final Thoughts
If they can correct their problems that plagued them last season, the Bearcats could surprise some teams this upcoming season. They have a great running game and great leadership and team character. They will have some growing pains at the quarterback position, but every team has that when replacing a starting quarterback. Last year was the first step in the right direction; this year, I wouldn't be surprised to see them add to that path they began one season ago.
Stephen Forsha is the sports editor of the Highland County Press. He can be reached at sforsha@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @hcpsportseditor.[[In-content Ad]]