First-and-Ten Football Notebook: Cavaliers working to build program
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
The 2012 Chillicothe Cavaliers are the next stop on the First-and-Ten football tour presented by the Highland County Press. The Cavs are entering the '12 season with expectations of playing a tough schedule, but more importantly, they are in the process of rebuilding a football program the way veteran head coach Ron Hinton sees fit.
After this season, the Cavaliers will be a member of the South Central Ohio League, but until then, they have one final season being in the Southeastern Ohio Athletic League, and that is their focus this season.
The Cavaliers finished 3-7 one year ago (wins were against Hillsboro, Warren and Logan), and though my schedule didn't permit me to see them practice last Wednesday, I did get to have a very good football conversation with Coach Hinton, as he's a two-time state champion football coach at Amanda-Clearcreek and is entering his 36th year of being a varsity head coach, his third with the Cavaliers.
What I found interesting about the Cavaliers is just how many quality teams they have on their schedule this upcoming season. This season, they open on the road against Hamilton Twp., followed with games at home with Big Walnut, Portsmouth West and Thurgood Marshall. They follow that with road games at St. Francis and Gallia Academy, then return home to host Warren and wrap up the year with two away games at Logan and Jackson, followed by the regular-season finale vs. Portsmouth.
Just from my conversation with Coach Hinton and five of his standout players, you can tell they want to keep building toward the future, including the seniors, because a couple of them said to me they want to be a part of the first stages of bringing Chillicothe football back to the top. That is something you have to admire and tip your cap to because it's hard to find 17- and 18-year-olds who are thinking about the future and how they want to be a part of building a program's success for future teams.
Read the First-and-Ten Football Preview to learn more about the upcoming Chillicothe Cavaliers season.
3 Quick Thoughts on Chillicothe
1. They are hungry. After starting the '11 season 0-5, they went on the finish the second half of the year at 3-2. Coach Hinton said that's something they need to improve on, as did the players I spoke with.
2. The Cavaliers are really committed not only to this season, but the whole future of the program. The two seniors I talked to want the overall future of the program to be a success, and the three current juniors had a lot of playing time one year ago as sophomores, so they've gained that experience that will help them toward the direction they want to travel in '12 and beyond.
3. With the leadership this team has as the season is about to arrive, it will be interesting to see how much building of their program they do in '12.
Two Must-See Games
Week 1 (Aug. 24) at Hamilton Twp. — The reason I picked this game is simple … the Cavaliers said they wanted to get off to a winning start unlike last season, and the first game of the year will be a good test for the Chillicothe squad. Last season, Hamilton Twp. defeated the Cavaliers 27-23.
Week 7 (Oct. 5) vs. Warren — This game was one of the three wins for the Cavaliers last season, and a close one at that, 15-13. With a two-point differential like that, maybe this year could be just as close.[[In-content Ad]]
Who to Watch
- Ryan Mathis, quarterback, junior
Ryan Mathis became the Chillicothe starting quarterback Week 4 of last season and in the process was named honorable mention All-SEOAL. Mathis was also a member of the SEOAL All-Academic team as a sophomore. In the season finale last season against Logan, a 29-19 win, Mathis rushed the ball eight times for 106 yards and two touchdowns.
- Julius Lee, running back, junior
The 6-0, 186-pound Lee will be one of the running backs used in the run-heavy offense of Coach Hinton this season. Last season, Lee was injured and missed five to six games but returned late in the season. Coach Hinton said he's happy with Lee's strength, size and his toughness.
- Tim Beard, running back, junior
Last season, Beard was one of the leading rushers for the Cavaliers, including a 102-yard performance in the Cavs' season finale last season. The 6-0, 179-pound Beard is also a defensive back.
Player Quote
"It's gone by really fast, faster than anything I've ever been through, but I want to leave it all out on the field. No regrets at all." — Luke Barnes, Chillicothe senior, on what it has been like entering his senior season, and what he wants to gain from the upcoming season.
Coach Quote
"Our offseason went pretty well. We worked on what we wanted to do and worked on injury prevention. We wanted to change the work ethic this offseason and be held more accountable. We've made some big strides, mainly because the sophomores from last season have grown up." — Ron Hinton, Chillicothe head coach, discussing some of the Cavaliers' offseason.
Final Thoughts
I really wish I could have had the time in my schedule to watch the Cavaliers practice because just from reading about them from last season and speaking with Coach Hinton and some of the juniors and seniors on the team, they seem to have the right mindset heading into the '12 season, and that is to improve and to continue what they started last season. I'm excited to see them become a part of the SCOL in the future, and I look forward to see how much more they progress this year.
Stephen Forsha is the sports editor of the Highland County Press. He can be reached at sforsha@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @hcpsportseditor.
After this season, the Cavaliers will be a member of the South Central Ohio League, but until then, they have one final season being in the Southeastern Ohio Athletic League, and that is their focus this season.
The Cavaliers finished 3-7 one year ago (wins were against Hillsboro, Warren and Logan), and though my schedule didn't permit me to see them practice last Wednesday, I did get to have a very good football conversation with Coach Hinton, as he's a two-time state champion football coach at Amanda-Clearcreek and is entering his 36th year of being a varsity head coach, his third with the Cavaliers.
What I found interesting about the Cavaliers is just how many quality teams they have on their schedule this upcoming season. This season, they open on the road against Hamilton Twp., followed with games at home with Big Walnut, Portsmouth West and Thurgood Marshall. They follow that with road games at St. Francis and Gallia Academy, then return home to host Warren and wrap up the year with two away games at Logan and Jackson, followed by the regular-season finale vs. Portsmouth.
Just from my conversation with Coach Hinton and five of his standout players, you can tell they want to keep building toward the future, including the seniors, because a couple of them said to me they want to be a part of the first stages of bringing Chillicothe football back to the top. That is something you have to admire and tip your cap to because it's hard to find 17- and 18-year-olds who are thinking about the future and how they want to be a part of building a program's success for future teams.
Read the First-and-Ten Football Preview to learn more about the upcoming Chillicothe Cavaliers season.
3 Quick Thoughts on Chillicothe
1. They are hungry. After starting the '11 season 0-5, they went on the finish the second half of the year at 3-2. Coach Hinton said that's something they need to improve on, as did the players I spoke with.
2. The Cavaliers are really committed not only to this season, but the whole future of the program. The two seniors I talked to want the overall future of the program to be a success, and the three current juniors had a lot of playing time one year ago as sophomores, so they've gained that experience that will help them toward the direction they want to travel in '12 and beyond.
3. With the leadership this team has as the season is about to arrive, it will be interesting to see how much building of their program they do in '12.
Two Must-See Games
Week 1 (Aug. 24) at Hamilton Twp. — The reason I picked this game is simple … the Cavaliers said they wanted to get off to a winning start unlike last season, and the first game of the year will be a good test for the Chillicothe squad. Last season, Hamilton Twp. defeated the Cavaliers 27-23.
Week 7 (Oct. 5) vs. Warren — This game was one of the three wins for the Cavaliers last season, and a close one at that, 15-13. With a two-point differential like that, maybe this year could be just as close.[[In-content Ad]]
Who to Watch
- Ryan Mathis, quarterback, junior
Ryan Mathis became the Chillicothe starting quarterback Week 4 of last season and in the process was named honorable mention All-SEOAL. Mathis was also a member of the SEOAL All-Academic team as a sophomore. In the season finale last season against Logan, a 29-19 win, Mathis rushed the ball eight times for 106 yards and two touchdowns.
- Julius Lee, running back, junior
The 6-0, 186-pound Lee will be one of the running backs used in the run-heavy offense of Coach Hinton this season. Last season, Lee was injured and missed five to six games but returned late in the season. Coach Hinton said he's happy with Lee's strength, size and his toughness.
- Tim Beard, running back, junior
Last season, Beard was one of the leading rushers for the Cavaliers, including a 102-yard performance in the Cavs' season finale last season. The 6-0, 179-pound Beard is also a defensive back.
Player Quote
"It's gone by really fast, faster than anything I've ever been through, but I want to leave it all out on the field. No regrets at all." — Luke Barnes, Chillicothe senior, on what it has been like entering his senior season, and what he wants to gain from the upcoming season.
Coach Quote
"Our offseason went pretty well. We worked on what we wanted to do and worked on injury prevention. We wanted to change the work ethic this offseason and be held more accountable. We've made some big strides, mainly because the sophomores from last season have grown up." — Ron Hinton, Chillicothe head coach, discussing some of the Cavaliers' offseason.
Final Thoughts
I really wish I could have had the time in my schedule to watch the Cavaliers practice because just from reading about them from last season and speaking with Coach Hinton and some of the juniors and seniors on the team, they seem to have the right mindset heading into the '12 season, and that is to improve and to continue what they started last season. I'm excited to see them become a part of the SCOL in the future, and I look forward to see how much more they progress this year.
Stephen Forsha is the sports editor of the Highland County Press. He can be reached at sforsha@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @hcpsportseditor.