Announcement
From the GAZETTE:, By Jason P. Skoda, Staff Writer
(This article was very prophetic)
The rest of the Mohican Area Conference gets its last shot at West Holmes in 2002.
The Knights, who have won or shared the last three football titles, will move to the Ohio Heartland Conference next year.
"It would be kind of nice to shove them out the door, wouldn't it?" Loudonville coach John Lance said. "They've been at the top for a long time. If we are going to get them, it will have to be this year, I guess."
According to West Holmes coach Bob Maltarich, the Knights (4-6, 4-1) can be had this season, but the 17-year head coach said the same thing before sharing the title with Clear Fork last season.
"I don't think the league was very good last year, so we were able to get away with one," he said. "That won't be the case this season. The league will get back to being a hard-nosed, grind-it-out-type league."
The most experienced player returning for West Holmes is senior tackle Rick Druschal (6-foot-3, 280 pounds). Senior Cody Efaw and junior Jamie Yoder will battle it out at quarterback.
Druschal will be a defensive tackle and Dustin Kessinger figures to start at one of the linebacker spots.
After that Maltarich said everything is up for grabs.
"We are in the process of trying to figure out who can do what," he said. "We have some unproven players who we think can be good, but we won't know until we start playing the games."
Black River (6-4, 2-3) was picked as one of the favorites by league coaches, as the Pirates return a ton of starters on both sides of the ball.
Buckeye (6-4, 3-2) has a new coach in Chris Medaglia as it tries to have back-to-back winnings seasons for the first time since 1983 and '84.
Clear Fork (7-4, 4-1) got a share of the conference title and a playoff berth in Rick Beans' first year at the helm of the Colts, and he hopes to be at the top again.
But the Colts will have to do it without Charles Swank and Rich Hoover, the offensive and defensive players of the year, respectively, in the MAC.
"We think we can be in the thick of things," Beans said. "It's going to be tough, but we think we have some solid players to get back on top."
Senior quarterback Derek Fry (HM All-MAC), senior tight end Chad Wolff and senior tailback Scott Miller head up the offense.
All-MAC selection Jordan Oyster will captain the defense from his linebacker spot, while Miller (SS) and Wolff (DE) will also be counted on heavily.
Triway (6-4, 2-3) will try to get into the top half of the league standings in Jim Reynolds' second season.
The Titans will have to do it with junior quarterback Ryan Mullins, junior halfback Adam Bogner and junior fullback Mike Ogden. The offensive line will be anchored by seniors Mike Copley and Mike Bogner.
Defensively, the Titans will be led by ends Copley, Ogden and Mark Zarlongo. Mike Bogner will be at linebacker and Adam Bogner will shore up the backfield.
Loudonville (2-8, 0-5) played several sophomores last season and Lance hopes the experience will pay off.
The Redbirds will rely on Ken Davis at running back and hope junior quarterback Richard Beans can make it through a full year after sustaining an injury midway through last season.
Senior offensive tackle Lance Parrish, junior tackle David Huffman and junior fullback Derek Stake round out lettermen from the offense.
Stake and Huffman will head up the linebacking corps, while Davis, Jason McMullen, Joe Petty and David Cutlip will be starters in the defensive backfield.
"We were in some games, but never put a full game together," Lance said. "If we can start playing for four quarters and our talent matures like it should, we could surprise some people."
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