D.L.B

  As the 2024 football season approaches, I want to say thank you to all of the players, coaches, cheerleaders, band members, officials, and all of the school staff for the good times you are about to give thousands of fans this year. As a fan and a person who covers games, I often get asked why I go to as many smaller school games as I do, and I always tell those asking that there is something special about driving into a small town or village and seeing signs wishing the team well. The crowds might not be as large as the bigger school games, but to a certain extent, they are more into it. I believe that is because almost everyone knows everyone, and it is really a community by itself. The players put their pads on the same as the players at the bigger schools, and they, as with the bigger schools, give it their all as much as they can. The biggest difference some will say is talent; others will say size and speed; but more often than not, at a small school, most of the players ...

  Jayden higgins  Zane Trace High School WR and free safety  2026 6ft 170lbs  What are your goals for the 2024 season? I want to have an undefeated season and go deep into the playoffs.  As I watched your hud package, I was impressed by the way you are willing to block when the ball is not coming your way. Is there a college or pro receiver that you molded that part of your game from? I wouldn't say that I molded it from any college or pro receiver; it just comes naturally to me. Also, from your HUD package, you seem to enjoy playing on special teams; how difficult is it to give 100% on that part of your game? It isn't difficult for me because in the middle of the game, my adrenaline is pumping, so it's pedaling to the medal the whole time. Football, soccer, or track: how long have you been in each sport? I have played football and soccer since I was 5, and I just started track in 7th grade. How did your track and soccer seasons go? They both went ...

  Name: Malachi Lamerson Piketon High School Positions played Left guard/Tackle Graduating year 2027 Height and weight 6’0 245lbs What got you started playing football? My brother inspired me to start playing. How long have you been playing football, along with the reasons you continue to play? I’ve been playing football for 7 years, and I will continue because I love football and it is my favorite thing to do. What are your goals for the 2024 season? Gold ball Would you rather kick off the season with your rival or end the season with them? Explain I would rather start so we can set the tone at the beginning of the season. Which road game are you looking forward to the most? Why? Definitely Zane Trace or Paint Valley, because they always have good competition. What was the highlight of your 2023 season? My highlight was getting to play next to my brother. What is the strongest part of your game? I would say run-blocking. Which part of your game are you working o...

  Elijah Lewis  Aiken New Tech High School Wide receiver, safety 2025 5’11, 150 What are your goals for the 2024 season? I want to leave my school with records set and multiple division 1 offers. What is the strongest part of your game? The ability to understand what is going on. If the defense is lined up in Cover 3, I’ll know exactly where I should run my route. Could you share with everyone any camps you have attended, along with the most important things you are learning? Thomas More, Miami, OH, KSU, MSJ. The most important thing that I am learning is that there will always be people willing to compete, so you have to outwork everyone who comes your way. What is the toughest part of practice? Trying to focus on the job at hand. If I’m conditioning , I find it hard to push through and finish. Instead of saying I can do this, I think there are “only 2 left." That’s something that I really need to work on. What is the worst type of weather to play in? To me, it d...

  Yesterday I made the almost two-hour drive to Wheeling, West Virginia, to take in the 78th Ohio Valley Athletic Conference Annual Rudy Mumley All-Star Game, which pits Ohio vs. West Virginia. The game always seems more like a playoff game than an All-Star game, which at times can get a little chippie. Ohio would score with 9:20 left in the opening quarter when Kabel Islay (River) found a wide-open Cole Thoburn (St. Clairsville) for a 34-yard touchdown. Jacob Meager just made his kick to put Ohio up 7-0. Thoburn would have made Randy Moss happy with his route running and sweet little move to lose the player attempting to guard him. With 6:00 left, the clock Jason Castello (Barnesville) picked off a pass thrown by Luke Hudson (University). The West Virginia defense used a nice play from Corey Lyons (Weir), who stopped Sabron Felton (Steubenville) after a catch for a 4-yard loss to quickly end the Ohio drive. Lyons would use some nice work from the big boys up front to pick up 22...

  Myles Hutchinson Grove City HS Linebacker 2025 5"11" 200 What are your personal goals for the 2024 tackle football season? 125 tackles, 12 sacks, and 20 TFL What goals will you set for your team this season? As a captain, it's my job to motivate and lead my team to greatness. If I drag my ass around being lazy, they will do the same. If I am the #1 hypeman on the field and they believe in me, I will take them to a playoff run. Which teammate is the toughest to square up against at practice? Me. I never want to give up an inch on the field. If I get something wrong, I have to keep doing it until I can get it right every time. If I am going to lead, I'm going to lead by example, so I hold myself accountable on and off the field. Which teammate is most likely to do something to get a laugh when things are a little tense? Me. I am the one when tough times start or times get low to  rally the team around me. I got jokes! What has been the highlight of your f...

  Saturday Aug 10 2pm Indy Crimson Knights vs Landmark Christian at Cincinnati St. Joe Uninversity Wednesday, Aug. 14 at Kell High School, Ga. 4:30 p.m.- Douglass-ATL vs. LaGrange 7:30 p.m.- North Atlanta vs. Kell Thursday, Aug. 15 at West Forsyth High School, Ga. 4:30 p.m.- South Paulding vs. Dunwoody 7:30 p.m.- Prince Avenue vs. West Forsyth Friday, Aug. 16 at Dacula High School  Hebron Christian High School  vs Therrell New Hillgrove at Mountain View (Georgia) 2:0Saturday, Aug. 17 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Ga) 10:00 a.m.- Walton vs. Brookwood 1:00 p.m.- Alpharetta vs. Houston County 4:00 p.m.- McEachern vs. North Gwinnett 7:00 p.m.- Douglas County vs. Cedar Grove0 p.m.- Therrell vs. Hebron Christian Aug 22 (Thursday) Clinton, Tn At Anderson County, Tn Aug 23 At Warren East, Ky (Friday) Christian County at Warren East Daviess  County VS Franklin-Simpson 8-24 At Eminence, Ky (Saturday) Bellevue Vs Grant County Waggner at Eminence Thursday, Aug. 29 at Carey Stadium i...

  Quentin Cremeans Fairland High School  Middle linebacker and running back 2025 6’0 230 What are your goals for the 2024 season? I want to top my tackles from last year and my rushing yards. What goals are you setting for your team? I want our team to win the OVC and make a deep run in the playoffs. Middle linebacker or running back, Which one do you feel you are better at? I personally feel like I’m better at linebacker because that's what my main focus is when I go to camps and what I put more work into. However, my film for running back looks a lot flashier. Middle linebacker or running back, which one is harder to prepare for? Linebacker, at linebacker, I watch films on the offenses tendencies and clues to what they are doing and learn my reads, and I have to make sure the rest of the team knows what we are doing. As for running back, all I do is trust that my oline will get there blocks and just try to make stuff happen. Football/Power Lifter/Wrestler How lo...

  Maddox Mohler School Zanesville High School Positions played Quarterback  Graduating year 2027 Height and weight 6'0, 150 lbs What are your goals for the 2024 season? To beat Newark and make the playoffs  Which game are you looking forward to the most this season? Newark What got you started playing football? Football was played all around my family. Why do you continue to play? The love for the game You are one of those rare three-sport athletes. Would you share with everyone the three sports that you play, along with how long you have played each sport? Football, basketball, and baseball have been all three sports since I was 5 years old. Of the sports that you play, which one is the hardest to prepare for? Football Which of the three sports do you feel you are the best at right now? Football since I have been practicing it the most. Which defense is the toughest to prepare for? A well-coached defense and an athletic team  What is the bes...

  Evan Ferguson Boyd County Head Coach Marshall University  Would you share with everyone your coaching career, from your first job up to your current position? After I finished my playing career at Marshall University, I started coaching at Wayne High School in WV. I was lucky to be on two state championship teams and a state runner-up. After that, I went to my alma mater at Coal Grove High School in Ohio to take on my first head coaching job. In our first season there in 2017, we went 11-2, won the conference championship, and were the Region Runner-Up. Started at Boyd County in 2019. We were district champs in 2022 and district runner-ups in my second season of the COVID year 2020.  Who are some of the coaches you have learned the game from, and how much of what you have learned from them will you incorporate into what you do? I have learned a lot from numerous coaches throughout the years. From both my playing and coaching days. But I have to give a lot of cred...