SCOL Football Notebook: Week 2 Preview
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
The first week of high school football play didn't fare so well for the South Central Ohio League as the league as a whole finished 3-5 overall with wins by Clinton-Massie, McClain and Madison-Plains.
This week, the league looks to gain their first winning mark as a league in non-league play in over a season, but this week will be just as tough, or possibly tougher, to achieve that mark ... but hey, that's why they play the games.
In looking at the scores from Week 1, the SCOL scored 196 points (122 points from the winning teams) compared to the 266 points allowed (Clinton-Massie allowed no points, and Madison-Plains allowed just seven) … simply, it just wasn't the best of ways to open a season for any league.
Here are the results from Week 1:
- Hillsboro 14, Western Brown 41
- McClain 24, Adena 18 (2OT)
- Urbana 65, London 14
- Cedarville 7, Madison-Plains 35
- Clinton-Massie 63, Blanchester 0
- East Clinton 6, Waynesville 42
- Washington 6, Wilmington 52
- Circleville 41, Miami Trace 34
I'm guessing the best game to watch in terms of competition involving teams in the SCOL was the game I attended in Frankfort when the McClain Tigers won in double overtime against Adena. It was one of the better football games I've watched in the past few years.
So with last week behind us, let's take a look at the upcoming week of games for the SCOL.
• Week 2 Previews/Predictions
- Hamilton Township (1-0) at London (0-1)
For the second consecutive week, the London Red Raiders must face a very tough opponent as they are set to host Hamilton Township, who defeated Chillicothe, 52-32. As for the Red Raiders, last week they didn't click offensively but scored two touchdowns, including one by Kyle Fisher. With LHS being a younger team and having the non-league schedule they have, Week 2 is another daunting challenge for the Red Raiders.
Prediction: Hamilton Township wins
- Gamble Montessori (0-1) at Madison-Plains (1-0)
The Golden Eagles got off to a great start by scoring 35 points last week, and this week they will face an opponent in Gamble Montessori, who lost 51-0 to Shroder Paideia Academy to open the season.
This could be another good matchup for MP as they try to build on their opening week win.
Prediction: Madison-Plains wins
- Waynesville (1-0) at Clinton-Massie (1-0)
This is easily the game of the week involving teams from the SCOL. If I was just a fan of football and didn't have a prior game to be covering the same night, I would be in Clarksville watching this. Last season, CM lost to Waynesville, 17-2, but this is another year, and who knows what will happen.
Both teams are coming off big wins from the opening week with Waynesville defeating East Clinton by 36 points and CM defeating Blanchester by 63 points. With two high-powered scoring offenses and two tough defenses to match … this will just be a great football game.
CM last week was led by a variety of players scoring touchdowns, including Bayle Wolf running for a 60-plus yard score. CM had TD scores on offense, defense and special teams … so they had all three aspects of the game working in the first game.
As for the Spartans of Waynesville, they totaled over 250 yards of offense against East Clinton and held the Astros to under 200 yards of offense.
The Falcons have had this game circled on their calendar since the loss last session, and I can't stress this enough: if you have no ties to either school and want to see great high school football … Clarksville is probably the place to be Friday night.
Prediction: Clinton-Massie wins
- Blanchester (0-1) at East Clinton (1-0)
The Astros last week had some decent production from their running game as they had 80-plus yards on the ground by Max Morrow and the team totaled around 130 yards of overall rushing. Another plus was the play of Dalton Floyd, as the quarterback didn't pass for many yards but did use his rushing skills for two touchdowns.
They will need improved play for their team if they want to gain a win in Week 2, but so will their opponent in Blanchester, who has yet to score a point this season and turned over the ball five times last week. Last season, EC defeated Blanchester 14-0, but this is a whole different year.
This game could be a turning point in the early season for both teams.
Prediction: East Clinton wins
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- Hillsboro (0-1) at Goshen (1-0)
I was told the game by Hillsboro last Friday at Western Brown could be described by the old adage "a tale of two halves." In the first half, they were tied at 14-14 but failed to score any more points in the final two quarters.
In the story by the Highland County Press, it says: "The second half, however, was all Western Brown, as the Broncos galloped to a 41-14 season-opening victory."
Even coach Brian Spicer told me this week: "We need to hang onto the ball. We lost the turnover battle and lost the game. We have to do a better job of preventing the offensive turnovers and come up with some on the defensive side."
As for the Warriors of Goshen, as I wrote in the Week 2 preview for HHS and McClain, they return their four main skill players from last season … a season where Goshen narrowly defeated HHS 28-26.
Last week in their season opener, Goshen defeated Ross, 21-20, and if you are wanting comparisons to them and Western Brown … there really isn't one except they are opposites.
In their Week 1 win, Goshen rushed for 170 yards on 38 attempts but gained just one touchdown. They passed for 58 yards.
Prediction: Goshen wins (P.S. I hope I'm wrong on this one)
- Unioto (1-0) at McClain (1-0)
Both teams are coming off wins last week, so they each have that first win of the year out of the way. Now, for this week, the injury bug hasn't clamped down on the Tigers, but it has bitten them from last week.
But … the Tigers proved they can win after the pressure of playing two overtimes last week.
I don't know much about UHS except they won last week over Vinton County, 38-15 in a home victory.
What I do know is UHS is led by their quarterback John Vanderpool, who was 5-of-11 for 64 yards passing and had nine rushes for 116 yards in their win last week. As a team, UHS totaled 44 rushes for 210 yards.
This game will be won in the trenches … no doubt about it.
Prediction: McClain wins
- Circleville (1-0) at Washington (0-1)
The Blue Lions struggled mightily last week in their 52-6 loss at Wilmington to open the season. They totaled just 75 yards of rushing and didn't score a touchdown until the fourth quarter. The Blue Lions' leading rusher led with 37 yards.
Circleville, on the other hand, trailed at Miami Trace and were able to rally for the victory as they scored eight points in the fourth frame for the win.
Prediction: Circleville wins
- Miami Trace (0-1) at Wilmington (1-0)
Last week, Miami Trace held the lead going into the fourth but left the game with a loss to Circleville. What stood out for MT was quarterback Jimmy Stroker, who had 106 yards passing with one touchdown and rushed for 104 yards, including a 72-yard score.
Then there is Wilmington who I've been high on a lot this summer after seeing their preseason practice and a scrimmage at McClain. Last week, they dominated the Washington Blue Lions for 52 points and allowed a fourth-quarter TD when I'm sure all the starters were already on the sideline.
I like Wilmington's offense and how they mix their two quarterback sets (at least that's what they did in the scrimmage I watched) and their intensity on the defensive side.
But I also think Miami Trace will have a good season as well … this is a tough one.
Prediction: Wilmington wins
• My Predictions Last Week
Last week, I went 6-2 overall in the eight games I tried to predict. The two losses for me were Miami Trace and Hillsboro.
• 2012 High School Football Standings
SCOL
(after Week 1)
Clinton-Massie 0-0, 1-0
Madison-Plains 0-0, 1-0
McClain 0-0, 1-0
Miami Trace 0-0, 0-1
Hillsboro 0-0, 0-1
East Clinton 0-0, 0-1
Washington 0-0, 0-1
London 0-0, 0-1
• 5 Things I'd Like To See Happen This Friday
1. I'd like to see the Hillsboro Indians regroup from last week and gain a win on the road at Goshen.
2. I really want to see the SCOL have better outcomes, or the scores to be closer than they were last week.
3. I want to see the Tigers exceed their overall win total from '11 after two weeks in '12.
4. Teams leaving the field with a clean bill of health is something I want to see every week.
5. The game I want to see is Clinton-Massie and Waynesville. I just think that could be a better than average football game.
Stephen Forsha is the sports editor of The Highland County Press.
This week, the league looks to gain their first winning mark as a league in non-league play in over a season, but this week will be just as tough, or possibly tougher, to achieve that mark ... but hey, that's why they play the games.
In looking at the scores from Week 1, the SCOL scored 196 points (122 points from the winning teams) compared to the 266 points allowed (Clinton-Massie allowed no points, and Madison-Plains allowed just seven) … simply, it just wasn't the best of ways to open a season for any league.
Here are the results from Week 1:
- Hillsboro 14, Western Brown 41
- McClain 24, Adena 18 (2OT)
- Urbana 65, London 14
- Cedarville 7, Madison-Plains 35
- Clinton-Massie 63, Blanchester 0
- East Clinton 6, Waynesville 42
- Washington 6, Wilmington 52
- Circleville 41, Miami Trace 34
I'm guessing the best game to watch in terms of competition involving teams in the SCOL was the game I attended in Frankfort when the McClain Tigers won in double overtime against Adena. It was one of the better football games I've watched in the past few years.
So with last week behind us, let's take a look at the upcoming week of games for the SCOL.
• Week 2 Previews/Predictions
- Hamilton Township (1-0) at London (0-1)
For the second consecutive week, the London Red Raiders must face a very tough opponent as they are set to host Hamilton Township, who defeated Chillicothe, 52-32. As for the Red Raiders, last week they didn't click offensively but scored two touchdowns, including one by Kyle Fisher. With LHS being a younger team and having the non-league schedule they have, Week 2 is another daunting challenge for the Red Raiders.
Prediction: Hamilton Township wins
- Gamble Montessori (0-1) at Madison-Plains (1-0)
The Golden Eagles got off to a great start by scoring 35 points last week, and this week they will face an opponent in Gamble Montessori, who lost 51-0 to Shroder Paideia Academy to open the season.
This could be another good matchup for MP as they try to build on their opening week win.
Prediction: Madison-Plains wins
- Waynesville (1-0) at Clinton-Massie (1-0)
This is easily the game of the week involving teams from the SCOL. If I was just a fan of football and didn't have a prior game to be covering the same night, I would be in Clarksville watching this. Last season, CM lost to Waynesville, 17-2, but this is another year, and who knows what will happen.
Both teams are coming off big wins from the opening week with Waynesville defeating East Clinton by 36 points and CM defeating Blanchester by 63 points. With two high-powered scoring offenses and two tough defenses to match … this will just be a great football game.
CM last week was led by a variety of players scoring touchdowns, including Bayle Wolf running for a 60-plus yard score. CM had TD scores on offense, defense and special teams … so they had all three aspects of the game working in the first game.
As for the Spartans of Waynesville, they totaled over 250 yards of offense against East Clinton and held the Astros to under 200 yards of offense.
The Falcons have had this game circled on their calendar since the loss last session, and I can't stress this enough: if you have no ties to either school and want to see great high school football … Clarksville is probably the place to be Friday night.
Prediction: Clinton-Massie wins
- Blanchester (0-1) at East Clinton (1-0)
The Astros last week had some decent production from their running game as they had 80-plus yards on the ground by Max Morrow and the team totaled around 130 yards of overall rushing. Another plus was the play of Dalton Floyd, as the quarterback didn't pass for many yards but did use his rushing skills for two touchdowns.
They will need improved play for their team if they want to gain a win in Week 2, but so will their opponent in Blanchester, who has yet to score a point this season and turned over the ball five times last week. Last season, EC defeated Blanchester 14-0, but this is a whole different year.
This game could be a turning point in the early season for both teams.
Prediction: East Clinton wins
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- Hillsboro (0-1) at Goshen (1-0)
I was told the game by Hillsboro last Friday at Western Brown could be described by the old adage "a tale of two halves." In the first half, they were tied at 14-14 but failed to score any more points in the final two quarters.
In the story by the Highland County Press, it says: "The second half, however, was all Western Brown, as the Broncos galloped to a 41-14 season-opening victory."
Even coach Brian Spicer told me this week: "We need to hang onto the ball. We lost the turnover battle and lost the game. We have to do a better job of preventing the offensive turnovers and come up with some on the defensive side."
As for the Warriors of Goshen, as I wrote in the Week 2 preview for HHS and McClain, they return their four main skill players from last season … a season where Goshen narrowly defeated HHS 28-26.
Last week in their season opener, Goshen defeated Ross, 21-20, and if you are wanting comparisons to them and Western Brown … there really isn't one except they are opposites.
In their Week 1 win, Goshen rushed for 170 yards on 38 attempts but gained just one touchdown. They passed for 58 yards.
Prediction: Goshen wins (P.S. I hope I'm wrong on this one)
- Unioto (1-0) at McClain (1-0)
Both teams are coming off wins last week, so they each have that first win of the year out of the way. Now, for this week, the injury bug hasn't clamped down on the Tigers, but it has bitten them from last week.
But … the Tigers proved they can win after the pressure of playing two overtimes last week.
I don't know much about UHS except they won last week over Vinton County, 38-15 in a home victory.
What I do know is UHS is led by their quarterback John Vanderpool, who was 5-of-11 for 64 yards passing and had nine rushes for 116 yards in their win last week. As a team, UHS totaled 44 rushes for 210 yards.
This game will be won in the trenches … no doubt about it.
Prediction: McClain wins
- Circleville (1-0) at Washington (0-1)
The Blue Lions struggled mightily last week in their 52-6 loss at Wilmington to open the season. They totaled just 75 yards of rushing and didn't score a touchdown until the fourth quarter. The Blue Lions' leading rusher led with 37 yards.
Circleville, on the other hand, trailed at Miami Trace and were able to rally for the victory as they scored eight points in the fourth frame for the win.
Prediction: Circleville wins
- Miami Trace (0-1) at Wilmington (1-0)
Last week, Miami Trace held the lead going into the fourth but left the game with a loss to Circleville. What stood out for MT was quarterback Jimmy Stroker, who had 106 yards passing with one touchdown and rushed for 104 yards, including a 72-yard score.
Then there is Wilmington who I've been high on a lot this summer after seeing their preseason practice and a scrimmage at McClain. Last week, they dominated the Washington Blue Lions for 52 points and allowed a fourth-quarter TD when I'm sure all the starters were already on the sideline.
I like Wilmington's offense and how they mix their two quarterback sets (at least that's what they did in the scrimmage I watched) and their intensity on the defensive side.
But I also think Miami Trace will have a good season as well … this is a tough one.
Prediction: Wilmington wins
• My Predictions Last Week
Last week, I went 6-2 overall in the eight games I tried to predict. The two losses for me were Miami Trace and Hillsboro.
• 2012 High School Football Standings
SCOL
(after Week 1)
Clinton-Massie 0-0, 1-0
Madison-Plains 0-0, 1-0
McClain 0-0, 1-0
Miami Trace 0-0, 0-1
Hillsboro 0-0, 0-1
East Clinton 0-0, 0-1
Washington 0-0, 0-1
London 0-0, 0-1
• 5 Things I'd Like To See Happen This Friday
1. I'd like to see the Hillsboro Indians regroup from last week and gain a win on the road at Goshen.
2. I really want to see the SCOL have better outcomes, or the scores to be closer than they were last week.
3. I want to see the Tigers exceed their overall win total from '11 after two weeks in '12.
4. Teams leaving the field with a clean bill of health is something I want to see every week.
5. The game I want to see is Clinton-Massie and Waynesville. I just think that could be a better than average football game.
Stephen Forsha is the sports editor of The Highland County Press.