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Showing posts from July, 2025

2025 Interview with Urbana Head Coach Carleton Cotner

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  Carleton Cotner Urbana High School Head Football Coach College: Norwich University (Vermont) Could you share with the readers your coaching tree, from first job to current job? Started right out of college at Muncie South HS in Indiana. Spent the next 10 years coaching in college. Norwich University Plymouth State University United States Merchant Marine Academy Ohio Wesleyan University After that, HC at Fairbanks HS 2003-2006 HC at Ben Logan HS 2007-2013 Co/OC at Dublin Jerome HS 2014 DL at Marysville HS 2015 DL at Bellefontaine HS 2016 HC Urbana HS 2017 to present Who are some of the coaches that you have learned the most from? My time at Plymouth State University under Don Brown was crucial in my overall development as a coach. Understanding the importance of relationship building, motivation, and player development. Mike Hollway at OWU taught me how to develop a family atmosphere. At the HS level, the guy I learned a lot from and talk to quite a bit is Toby Smith. Coached wit...

2025 Interview with Jonathan Adjin-Tettey from East Stroudsburg South High School

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  Jonathan Adjin-Tettey East Stroudsburg/South High School DE O Line 2026 6’0 215 Jersey Number: 50 Awards won or earned: 2x all league HUDL LINK: https://www.hudl.com/video/3/18117169/671f96470f40bd694879e411 Other sports played: Wrestling, Track Please post a small recap of last season with something like a big game you had, something about a certain game, something from a bus ride to or from the game, or something that sticks out from a practice. Last year’s season was special; we opened strong, beating some tough teams, and had a solid record. Winning the district championship was definitely a highlight in my career, and something I always think back to is winning our rivalry game and when our student section rushed the field. What is the best part of being a member of the East Stroudsburg South football family? The best part of being a member of this team is the community and the support we get. We really play as a family, and every time I step on the field, I know I’m playing...

2025 Interview with Logan Sell from James A. Garfield

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  Logan Sell School/town: James A. Garfield, Garrettsville, OH Positions played: ILB, FB Class: 2027 5’10”, 170 lbs. Jersey Number: 12 Awards won or earned: Varsity letterman, 1st team all-league (MVAC) HUDL LINK: http://hudl.com/v/2RNAjy Other sports played:Wrestling Please post a small recap of last season with something like a big game you had, something about a certain game, something from a bus ride to or from the game, or something that sticks out from a practice. Week 9 vs. Crestview: A victory on the road to win the league championship What are the three biggest reasons that you play football? I play for the game, the friends, and the fun. Who or what got you started playing football? My brother What has been your biggest moment as an athlete? Getting a TFL on one of my first varsity plays. What has been your most embarrassing moment as an athlete? Missing open tackles Linebacker or running back, which one do you feel you are better at? Explain I feel I’m better at lineback...

2025 Interview with Maddox Mohler from Zanesville

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  Maddox Mohler Zanesville/Zanesville, Ohio QB/WR 2027 5’10 160 Jersey Number: 8 Awards won or earned: Zanesville Times Recorder Athlete of the Week, City Tire Pro Player of the Game HUDL LINK: http://www.hudl.com/profile/19117760 Other sports played: Baseball, Basketball Please post a small recap of last season with something like a big game you had, something about a certain game, something from a bus ride to or from the game, or something that sticks out from a practice. Something that sticks out in practice is how hard our O-line works. Might not have had the best year last year, but every practice you can see improvement with the guys up front. What are you looking forward to the most this season? Our first game with new coach Zach Clapper What makes you a good teammate? I'm a good teammate because I'm always a guy people can lean on and learn from. How do you handle criticism?  I handle criticism by maintaining a positive attitude and mindset and continuing to work. How...

2025 Interview with Tyler Gjerde from Buena High School, AZ

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  Tyler Gjerde Buena High School, AZ center, D-line Class of 2026 Height and Weight: 6’2, 245 Jersey Number 75 Awards won or earned: first team all-region 5A southern, Buena O linemen of the year, all-academic for AZ What are your personal goals for the 2025 season? First team all-region again and to make all-conference for 5A Arizona What goals are you setting for your team? Make it past the quarterfinal also in playoffs, and the end goal is a state championship. With this being your final high school football season, have you trained differently during the off-season? Yes, a lot more intense agility-type training with heavy lifting. What do you believe is the strongest part of your game? Mental for me and knowing how other teams operate to help counter them What is the toughest part of being a two-way lineman? Conditioning: having to use full strength on offense and defense to make plays Center or D-line, which one do you feel that you are best at? Center by far, mainly because...

2025 Interview with Devin Bates from James A. Garfield High School

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      Devin Bates School/town James A. Garfield High School, Garrettsville, Ohio Positions played MLB/RB Class 27 Height and Weight: 6'0, 180 lbs. Jersey Number: 33 Awards won or earned: two-year letter winner, Portage Sports Player of the Game, 1st team all-league MVAC HUDL LINK: http://www.hudl.com/profile/19094132 Other sports played: Basketball, Track Please post a small recap of last season with something like a big game you had, something about a certain game, something from a bus ride to or from the game, or something that sticks out from a practice. Week 4 vs. LaBrae: 18 tackles, 82 rushing yards, 3 touchdowns, and 13 carries. What is the biggest memory you have from playing sports? Creating all the friendships and memories over the years with my teammates. Safety or running back, which one do you believe that you are best at? I believe I am best at middle linebacker now from the position change from halfway through my freshman year. If the game is on the line, ...

2025 Interview with Eoghan Savage from Upper Dauphin Area High School (PA)

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  Eoghan Savage Upper Dauphin Area High School/Elizabethville TE/DE/FB 2027 6’3 237 Jersey Number: 12 Awards won or earned: 1st team all-league DE and TE Honorable mention Allstate 2023 1st team all league DE HUDL LINK: https://www.hudl.com/v/2Qj3xB Other sports played: Wrestling Please post a small recap of last season with something like a big game you had, something about a certain game, something from a bus ride to or from the game, or something that sticks out from a practice. Last year against Steel High in the district playoffs, I was asked to play middle backer on Monday and got a forced fumble on the opening drive that we later scored on a screen with me making a big block at receiver. What is the best part of being a student-athlete at Upper Dauphin High School? At Upper Dauphin we’re thankful enough to be surrounded with great people within the school, the community, and our team. Everyone truly cares about everyone here, and we’re really developing a culture that allows...

2025 Interview with Brennan Kostyak Beaver Area High School (PA)

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  Brennan Kostyak Beaver Area High School Fullback, tight end, defensive tackle, defensive end 2028 6’1 214 Jersey Number: 47 Awards won or earned: defensive honorable mention HUDL LINK: https://www.hudl.com/v/2RBPsW Other sports played: basketball, track Please post a small recap of last season with something like a big game you had, something about a certain game, something from a bus ride to or from the game, or something that sticks out from a practice. Coming in as a freshman, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Getting to play as a freshman was very exciting. Earning my first letter and being a part of a conference championship-winning team was something I’ll always remember. What will you miss the most from the 2025 class? The thing I will miss the most from the 2025 class is their leadership. They helped me and pushed me forward. What was the highlight of the 2024 season? The highlight of the 2024 season for me was getting 3 sacks against Avonworth in the last game to get a three...

2025 Interview with Trent Lewis from Frewsburg Central School (NY)

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  Trent Lewis School/town: Frewsburg, NY, Frewsburg Central School QB/Slot 2026 5’11 185 Jersey Number: 12 Awards won or earned: First Team Allstate, Offense MVP HUDL LINK: https://www.hudl.com/profile/20012814/Trent-Lewis Other sports played: Basketball, Baseball, Wrestling Please post a small recap of last season with something like a big game you had, something about a certain game, something from a bus ride to or from the game, or something that sticks out from a practice. Week 4 vs. Redjacket, with over 200 yards rushing and 2 rushing touchdowns, then passing for over 200 yards with 4 passing touchdowns. Also, week 1 vs.  Allegheny : having over 200 rushing yards with 2 rushing touchdowns and having over 150 passing yards with 1 passing touchdown. What was the best part of the 2024 season? Winning sections with a winning record and earning First Team All-State. What was the toughest part of the 2024 season? Going through adversity, having guys get hurt, and having some...

2024 Interview with Luke Hatfield from Corbin High School (KY)

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  Luke Hatfield Corbin High School LB/DE 2027 6’3” 212 Jersey Number: 48 Awards won or earned: Defensive MVP: Lexington Cath, Russell County HUDL LINK: http://www.hudl.com/profile/16400016 Post a small recap of last season with personal highlights and any other big moments you have and/or memories you have from last season, whether it be a game, the bus ride to or from the game, or any other thing that sticks out. Even though the season did not end how we wanted it to. It was still a lot of fun and a blessing playing with my brother. My favorite memory was when I got that pick six against Lexington Catholic and I saw Jace cheering and running down the sideline. To this day, I still watch that clip just because it meant so much to me that Jace could finally watch me show out in high school with him. What will you miss from the 2025 class? Playing with my brother on the field What is the strongest part of your game? My quickness and reading the offense What have you done as far as tr...

2025 Interview with Deacon Nunez from Bellevue High School

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  Deacon Nunez School/town: Bellevue High School/Bellevue, Ohio Positions played: Center, Guard, Defensive Tackle Class: 2028 Height and Weight: 5’11 280 Jersey Number: 74 Awards won or earned: earned honor roll all four quarters. Lettered in football and wrestling as a freshman HUDL LINK: http://www.hudl.com/profile/22557690 Other sports played: Wrestling and Track Please post a small recap of last season with something like a big game you had, something about a certain game, something from a bus ride to or from the game, or something that sticks out from a practice? Last year we weren’t that good. We went 2-8 on the year. The game against Wauseon I feel I played my best in. I got my first varsity pancake that game. The practices last year were fun because of our online coach, Tommy Mygrant. He would always make us laugh at practice, and he would help build us up after a game we lost. He retired last year and was a great coach. Wrestling, track, and football. You are in all of the...

2025 Interview with Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator from Hughes High School

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  Coach James Minor Cincinnati: Hughes High School Positions Assistant Head Coach (DC) Defensive Coordinator Head Coach (Junior Varsity) Defensive Coordinator (Freshman) Defensive Assistant (Varsity) College Alcorn State University (Bachelors) Grand Canyon University (Masters) Could you share with the readers your coaching tree, from first job to current job? Defensive Assistant (WJHS 2007-2010) Freshman Defensive Coordinator (Winton Woods High School 2019-2020) Head Coach, Junior Varsity Assistant Coach LB/SPT (Winton Woods High School 2021-2022) 2021 Division II Ohio State Champions Defensive Coordinator (Deer Park High School 2023) Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator (Hughes High School 2024-Present) When you met with the player from Hughes, what was the first thing that you said to them? Trust the process and buy in, and you will become a champion. Overall, what message did you receive from the team? It was a message of hope. They wanted to win, and they responded with a...

OVAC ALL-STAR GAME WV 15 Ohio 14

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  The 79th Ohio Valley Athletic Conference Annual Rudy Mumley All-Star Game was another hard-fought battle between Ohio and West Virginia. Defense ruled the nest for most of the game as the two teams combined for just 394 yards of offense. Ohio held West Virginia to just 37 yards in the first half, while West Virginia held Ohio to just 93 yards in the second half. Just three minutes into the game, Brody Cottrill (Linsly) used a high snap to Ohio quarterback Aiden Davis (Stubenville) to drop the Ohio quarterback for a 6-yard loss. At the 6:00 mark of the opening quarter, Ohio would get a stop on third and one when Michael Balgo (St. Clairsville) pulverized Klypsan Wallace (Cameron). With 3:14 left in the quarter, facing a third and one, Ohio would get the first down when Dino Burk (St. Clairsville) picked up 3 yards. Burk picked up 12 yards, taking the ball to the West Virginia 39-yard line with 1:47 showing on the clock. Davis used his feet to pick up 10 yards for Ohio with 1:24 le...

2025 Interview with Head Coach David Buchanan from Anderson County HS (KY)

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  Head Coach David Buchanan Anderson County HS Positions HFC: Paris, Mason, Mercer, Anderson College Center Would you share with everyone your coaching career, from your first job up to your current position? Mercer Assistant, 1986-1987 Paris Assistant, 1988-1991 Paris HFC, 1992-1995 Mason HFC, 1996-2014 Mercer HFC, 2015-2021 Anderson HFC, 2023-Present   Should football be played on grass or turf? Grass! https://youtu.be/iNLhSYDnJTU?si=w4BHd0ysE1EmkNer From day one, when you first met the team, to right now, what has been the biggest change inside the football program? Our bodies are much different. We are more businesslike when we do our work, and also more confident. We touched on this a bit during our last interview. Is it time for someone to take the bull by the horns and get some all-star games restarted in Kentucky? As much as I loved the old KY-TN All-Star, those days have passed, at least for now. When we last spoke, you had stated that a big concern going into the ...

2025 Interview with Reid Claus from Bellevue High School

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  Reid Claus Bellevue High School/Bellevue, Ohio Defensive end, defensive tackle, linebacker, offensive tackle 2026 6’2 225 Jersey Number: 50 Awards won or earned: 2nd team defensive line, SBC Bay Bellevue’s D-rock award winner for best defensive lineman Honor roll in school all year HUDL LINK: https://www.hudl.com/v/2QeQuA Other sports played: basketball and baseball Please post a small recap of last season with something like a big game you had, something about a certain game, something from a bus ride to or from the game, or something that sticks out from a practice. A recap on last year: it was not the greatest team-wise because we went 2-8, but we held our own the last four games of the year and didn’t lose by more than 14 points. We were in the games; we just couldn’t finish the games. Personally, last year I had 5.5 sacks with 30 tackles (14 TFL), 1 interception, 1 forced fumble, and 1 touchdown. The touchdown came against Port Clinton when we were down 7. I read the scream ...