8B THE DAILY STANDARD, Celina, Ohio Thursday evening, August 27, 2015 GOAL LINE The Weekly Area High School Football Preview Section Let the Season Commence Computer Points By Bruce Monnin

Breakdown Late vote makes for some changes

Every two years, the OHSAA reclas- sifies its football teams based on enroll- ment, placing them in their appropriate divisions and regions. This year included a new change. The passage of Ohio House Nick WenningThe Daily Standard Nick WenningThe Daily Standard Bill 487 in July 2014 gave community and Hunter Wilker will look to help Marion Local extend its winning streak to 38 games Chris (Petey) Post returns after being a key rusher and receiver for Coldwater last STEM school students the opportunity to as the Flyers open the 2015 football season on the road against McComb, which also season. Coldwater opens defense of its Division V state title at Cavalier Stadium on participate in extracurricular activities at made the postseason in 2014. Friday in hosting Kenton in their traditional lidlifter matchup. their local public school. Since data from the Ohio Department By GARY R. RASBERRY and seasons, met in the 2012 Division VI state scored last season. several key linemen, the Cavaliers should of Education included the public school COLIN FOSTER semifinals at Wapakoneta’s Harmon Field. The Flyer defense allowed just 88 points not miss a beat. district where students reside, the OHSAA The Daily Standard Marion needed three overtimes before in 2014, including just 14 in the postseason. In the last two meetings between the decided to include community school and pulling out a 34-28 win to advance to the teams, the losing team has scored just two STEM school students in the enrollment of The 2015 high school football season is state title game. KENTON AT COLDWATER points. local public schools. This greatly increased upon us, and now the talk of what could McComb coach Kris Alge, who like Fly- This opener has been a measuring stick the enrollment numbers of many city be can be converted into action. ers coach Tim Goodwin played collegial- game for both teams over the last two FORT LORAMIE AT MINSTER schools. For instance, many of the Colum- The first Friday of the season features ity at Findlay, has a big offensive line that years, with the winner usually relying on Minster drops down to Division VII bus public schools moved up two divi- a plethora of key non-conference match- averages 263 pounds. While the Panthers the other team winning a lot of games the after winning the Division VI state title sions in football. ups. The Western Buckeye League goes will miss Clay Grubb at quarterback, Mal- rest of the season to ensure playoff spots. last year and immediately opens with a So, after putting in 60 hours prepar- into league play in Week Two while the achi Abbott, who started in the postseason Both teams had great 2014 seasons. The potential regional opponent in next-door ing for analyzing the computer points Midwest Athletic Conference will play after Grubb was hurt, is solid and returns Cavaliers won the Division V state title neighbor Fort Loramie. during the 2015 season, I left for a well- another week of non-conference games his top three receivers in Tyler Parker (450 and the Wildcats made The Redskins go through several earned week long vacation (“Vacation before going into the MAC wars. yards, 7 TDs), Austin Davis (299 yards, 2 it to the state semifinals changes this season after founding coach from what?” responded those who know Here’s a small summary of the area TDs) and Chas Shoop (271 yards, 2 TDs). in Division IV. Matt Burgbarcher moved on to Troy. For- me best). games on Friday night. All will kick off The Flyers do have to replace All-Ohio- Kenton features a mer Minster coach Whit Parks takes over When I returned in early August, I at 7:30 p.m. except for the Marion Local- ans Dustin Rethman and Jacy Goette- dominating quarter- a team that has made six straight playoff found that the divisions and regions had McComb and St. Marys-Sidney games, moeller on offense, but first-team All-stater back in Trent Hites, who appearances. been changed for many teams. OHSAA which will start a half hour earlier at 7 p.m. Hunter Wilker returns as one of the best threw for 4,175 tards Fort Loramie lost a lot of offense from Commissioner Dan Ross explained that all-purpose players in and 34 touchdowns last last season, but running back Justin Siegel “the feedback we’ve received from many MARION LOCAL AT McCOMB the state. Add in Aar- season as a sophomore. returns after rushing for 511 yards and a member schools across the state about the The defending Division VII state on Nietfeld at tailback Hites will have to look team high eight touchdowns in 2014. negative impact this had on tournament champs are now back in Division VI and and three returning to new receivers after Even with Eli Wolf joining older brother divisional movement for schools, com- Hemmelgarn face a tough competitor in the Panthers. starters on the offen- Colyn Blackford (1,651 Ethan at Tennessee, Minster quarterback bined with the belief that so few of these McComb went 8-4 last season and lost to sive line, including 6-6, yards, 15 TDs) and Kollin Stollar (1,468 Josh Nixon has enough ammunition in students currently take advantage of these fellow Blanchard Valley Conference mem- 290-pound sophomore yards, 16 TDs) graduated. stock to allow him the ability to throw to participation opportunities, made us real- ber Arlington in the regional semifinals. John Dirksen, the Flyers Jack Hemmelgarn succeeds two-time multiple receivers with returning Bryce ize it is best for us to study this issue fur- Marion holds a 2-0 lead in the all-time have the potential to put Division V Offensive Player of the Year Schmiesing and Jacob Dues. ther.” It is possible a rumored-threatened series. up points again this sea- Brody Hoying at quarterback. With a good lawsuit from the Columbus public schools The Flyers and Panthers, who have won son after setting a school core of skill players returning as well as at least eight games each of the last five record with 656 points Nietfeld See SEASON, page 7B See MONNIN, page 7B

CM YK THE DAILY STANDARD, Celina, Ohio 7B Thursday evening, August 27, 2015

Monnin (Continued from page 8B)

also influenced this decision. So, what is the result of all this? Almost no changes were placed upon teams in the WBL. Celina, St. Marys and Wapakoneta will all remain in Division III, Region 10. St. Marys was briefly demoted down to Division IV but returned to Division III after the August adjustment. Elida, Defiance and Lima Shaw- nee are also in Division III, but in the northern Region 8. Van Wert and Ottawa-Glandorf move up from Division V to Division IV, where they will join Bath and Ken- ton in Region 12. The MAC sees many more sig- nificant changes from last year. Defending state champion Coldwater remains in Division V, but the August adjustment moved the Cavaliers from the northern Region 16 to the southern Region 18. Coldwater will be joined there by Anna and Versailles, both of which are moving up from Divi- sion VI last year. Division VII teams across the state breathed a sigh of relief when they saw that Marion Local, who has won the state championship in Ohio’s smallest division each of the last four years, is moving up Nick WenningThe Daily Standard to Division VI. The Flyers will be After helping Fort Recovery to its first-ever playoff appearance, Caleb Martin is back at quarterback as the joined in Region 22 by St. Henry Indians look to continue their run. Fort Recovery hosts another Division VII Region 26 team in Lehman on and Parkway. Friday at Barrenbrugge Park. Before they could relax too Nick WenningThe Daily Standard much, Division VII schools noticed Celina’s Caleb Hoyng hands off to Garett Winget. Both players return that the defending Division VI this season as the Bulldogs try to improve from last year’s 5-5 season. state champions from Minster Season have dropped down into the Celina travels to Hole Field to face Versailles in the opener. smallest division. New Bremen (Continued from page 8B) Indians’ loss came in the regional also falls into Region 26 from Divi- semifinal. The Cavs were taken CRESTVIEW AT PARKWAY CELINA AT VERSAILLES sion VI last year, and these two down by the Flyers the following The Panthers open the season will be joined by Fort Recovery. The Bulldogs look to rebound week in the regional final. with one of many tests on their Delphos St. John’s was also initially from a 5-5 2014 season, but face a The Indians have returning loaded schedule. in this same region, but the August big challenge in an experienced starters across the board and are Crestview won last year’s adjustment sent them north into Tigers team that made the play- hoping for an even greater run game 35-0, and that began a Region 24 instead. offs last season. this time around. They have five stretch of six games in which the Once again this year, the com- Versailles, under the guidance starters returning on the offen- Panthers failed to reach double puter points for the four regions of former Delphos St. John’s full- sive side of the ball, including digits. involving most area teams can be back Adam Miller, has picked up QB Caleb Martin, and seven on The Knights went 8-3 last found throughout the season at: the running game that was its defense. year, losing to Spencerville in the http://www.nktelco.net/bdmon- calling card during the era of hall The Cavaliers were hit heav- opening round of the Division nin/football.htm of fame coach Al Hetrick after ily by graduation but still have VI, Region 20 playoffs. several years of working with a lofty goals for this season. QB Parkway went 1-9 with its lone passing game. Nick Rourke, a three-year start- win coming at New Bremen. This Week’s Colin Peters returns after er, is now gone and senior Ste- Including Crestview, the Pan- rushing for nearly 1,200 yards phen Monnin will try to keep the thers have seven playoff teams Schedule Lehman offense on point. More from 2014 on their schedule. during the 2014 regular season. Celina at Versailles Quaterback Jared Niekamp (37- than 2,000 rushing yards were 91, 793 yards, 11 TDs/6 INTs) graduated off Lehman’s 2014 BRADFORD AT NEW Kenton at Coldwater returns but will need to find team, accounted for by Rourke, BREMEN Lehman at Fort Recovery a new go-to receiver after Jace Greg Spearman, Skylar Brown After a year’s hiatus, football and Lane Monnin. is back at Bradford. Barga graduated. Barga caught Marion Local at McComb nearly a third of Niekamp’s com- The Railroaders and Cardinals COVINGTON AT ST. HENRY are both beginning new eras. For pletions (12 catches for 414 yards, Bradford at New Bremen For another season opener, it Bradford, coach Nathan Hyatt 5 TDs). will be MAC power St. Henry takes over looking to return the Crestview at Parkway Celina has Caleb Hoyng back against Covington, a perennial program to the glory that it expe- Covington at St. Henry at quarterback and Garett Win- Cross County Conference con- rienced during the 2012 season get returns at running back, but tender and playoff threat. — the first playoff berth for the St. Marys at Sidney Hoyng will have several new St. Henry won last year’s game team since 1982. At New Bremen, Bellefontaine at Wapakoneta receivers to pass to this season. 34-7 and finished the year 6-4. the Chris Schmidt era begins as The Buccs finished 6-5, losing to the Cardinals try to put an end to Nick WenningThe Daily Standard Delphos St. John’s at Bath LEHMAN AT Lehman in the opening round of a 24-game losing skid. St. Henry’s Mitchel Stammen looks to help the Redskins open the Napoleon at Defiance FORT RECOVERY the Division VII, Region 26 play- season with a win as they host Covington at the Wally Post Athletic This could be a good battle offs. ST. MARYS AT SIDNEY Complex. Lima Central Catholic at Elida between a pair of teams who Redskin RB Jesse Niekamp Coach Doug Frye returned made the Division VII, Region 26 will look to have another strong to the sidelines for St. Marys that win, St. Marys racked up a season at 5-5, highlighted by a Oak Harbor at Ottawa-Glandorf playoffs. game against the Buccs. Last sea- last season and helped snap the school-record 729 yards on the 21-13 win over rival Celina. Delphos Jefferson at Shawnee Both squads had their sea- son, he rushed for 190 yards and team’s 21-game losing streak in sons end at the hands of even- four TDs on his way to becoming its opener with a 71-21 thump- ground. Sidney is coming off a 2-8 Van Wert at Bryan tual champion Marion Local. The one of the top backs in the MAC. ing over the Yellow Jackets. In The Roughriders finished last campaign. Arlington at Anna