AVC Sports Blog

BUCKEYE NATION NOW BIG BC FANS

2007-10-28T21:06:00.001-04:00

This weekend was a great one for Buckeye Nation. Not only did Ohio State have an impressive 37-17 road win against JoePa and the Penn State Nittany Lions, but the Eagles of Boston College had an improbable road win at Virginia Tech to remain undefeated.

Buckeye Fans from across Ohio had a deep sigh of relief when Boston College's Heisman Trophy candidate Matt Ryan completed a 24 yard pass to teammate Andre Callender to give the undefeated Eagles a dramatic come from behind 14 -10 victory over the Hokes in Blacksburg Thursday night. The win kept the Eagles from becoming the fourth straight second ranked team to lose in the past four weeks and for OSU fans it kept LSU out of the coveted second place spot in the BCS standings.

Coach Jim Tressel surely does not want to think this far ahead, and would shutter at this article. After all there is a lot of football to be played, and the Buckeyes could conceivably lose one or more of their upcoming games against Wisconsin, Illinois or Michigan, but if the Bucks do make it to the championship game, most fans would rather play the ACC's Boston College Eagles than the LSU Tigers, who are currently ranked third in the BCS standings.

With all due respect to the Atlantic Coast Conference and BC, LSU's resume' even with its one loss is still more intimidating than Boston College's. LSU has already beaten Florida (yes that Florida), Auburn and South Carolina in the rugged SEC and thrashed the Hokie team that BC barely beat 48-7 earlier in the year. The Tigers only loss has been a 43-37 triple overtime loss at Kentucky.

Ohio State is a talented bunch and one of the country's best defensive teams, but the LSU roster with all its NFL prospects, seems to be even more potent than last year's Florida team that steamrolled the Bucks 41-14. Plus this years BCS Championship game would be played in LSU's backyard in New Orleans. Boston College, on the other hand, is a talented team but they do not have big bowl game experience and there best wins this year have been a 10 point victory over Wake Forest at home and this past week's 4 point win over Va Tech. Most Buckeye fans concede that a game against BC gives them the best chance to win, therefore OSU fans will be cheering for the Eagles as they close out their season against Florida State, Clemson, Maryland and Miami before heading into the ACC championship game.

Both Ohio State and BC have their fate in their own hands – all they have to do is win out to play for the national championship. Everyone knows that there is a lot of football to be played and nothing would be surprising in what has been a topsy-turvy, crazy football season, but if Ohio State successfully marches to a second straight BCS championship game appearance, fans will not only cheer on the Bucks but they will have one eye on Chestnut Hill, hoping the Mighty Eagles of Boston College will be taking the field with OSU on January 7^th at the Superdome.

Woody Biggs

AVC Sports

See what's new at AOL.com and Make AOL Your Homepage.

PLAYOFFS - WHO'S IN WHO'S OUT

2007-10-28T10:55:00.001-04:00

Now that the regulars season is completed, the playoff picture has been painted. Below are the area teams that made it, their match-ups for week 11 and those who just missed out on "The Dance". The top 8 teams in each region advance to the playoffs and are seeded 1 through 8 according to their average computer points through 10 games. This includes points for wins and 2^nd level points for strength of schedule(opponents wins). Below are the unofficial rankings according to Joe Eitel, computer and ranking guru on JJ Huddle.

Division II Region 7

Zanesville finishes with an 8-2 record and makes it to the post season with 21.27 points, good for the # 8 seed and a trip to take on 10-0 Columbus St. Francis DeSales, the #1 seed. Also making in region 7 is Tri-Valley, who lost game 10 and finished 9-1 but had an average of 21.90, good for the # 6 seed. The Scotties will take on the #3 seed Logan.

Division III Region 11

Several local teams were in the chase for a playoff spot in region 11. John Glenn not only solidified their spot wit ha week 10 win over Morgan, they actually moved up a couple of notches. The 8-2 Muskies are in the #5 seed, actually tied with Canton South with exactly 17.90 points. A tie breaker will determine if John Glenn gets to travel to 7-3 Dover, the #4 seed or to take on Beloit West Branch the # 3 seed.

The Cambridge Bobcats needed a lot of help to move up from their #10 spot into the top 8. The Bobcats got some, including their win over rival Meadowbrook, losses by Poland Seminary, Alliance Marlington and New Philly, however second level points was their undoing though as the Cats needed some of the teams they defeated to pick up win. Only Claymont could help them out and the Bobcats finished 7-3 with an average of 13.65 points and could move no further than #9, just behind # 8 Poland who finished with an identical 7-3 record but had 14.80 avg. points.

Division IV Region 15

St Clairsville capped off a 10- 0 season by gaining the #1 seed in the region and will host Ironton Rock Hill next week. Also in are the Union Local Jets who's only loss was to the Red Devils in 2 overtimes back in week 3. The Jets finished as the #6 seed with 19.66 points and must travel to Waverly to take on the Tigers.

Division V Region 19

The Buckeye Trail Warriors made history with a 10-0 regular season and with 21.50 points earned the #2 seed in the region. The Warriors will host #7 Fredericktown who finished 8-2. The Freddies capped the regular season with a 59-20 victory over Loudonville on Friday.

Claiming the # 6 seed is 9-1 Ridgewood. The Generals will jump on the bus and travel down to take on Wheelersburg, the #3 seed. The Shenandoah Zeps finished off a 7-3 season with a big win over rival Caldwell but could not gain enough points to break into the top eight, finishing 12^th with 11.58 points.

Division VI Region 23

In the small school division Beallsville will put their perfect 10-0 record on the line in week 11. The Blue Devils gained the #6 seed with 12.61 points and must travel to take on Monroe County neighbor and # 3 River who's only loss of the regular season was to Div V Buckeye Trail. Amazingly these two teams are in the same county and region and only a few miles apart, but did not play this year. Not only will the game have a playoff atmosphere it will have the air of a backyard rivalry.

We wish all of our local teams the best of luck in the playoffs and encourage everyone to jump on the bandwagon a follow them. As always AVC Sports will have all the post-season action, so check your listings and tune in for all the action.

Bill Kafury

AVC Sports

PLAYOFF PICTURE DIV 5 REGION 19 & DIV VI REGION 23

2007-10-20T09:50:00.000-04:00

With only one week remaining in the regular season, many teams are still trying to work their way into the week eleven picture. The Buckeye Trail Warriors are not one of them. With a huge win over River Friday night, the Warriors, unofficially have clinched the #1 seed in Div V region 19, and are guaranteed a home playoff game. Congratulations are in order for the Warriors as they have put together a great season, but they must stay focused as they play rival Monroe Central in week 10. The Seminoles are usually one of those vying for a post season spot, but this year have fallen on tough times and come into week 10 with a 4-5 record. You can be sure Coach Circosta will have the Seminoles fired up as they try to avoid a losing season, something that has rarely happen at Monroe Central.

Buckeye Trail is the only local Div V team who knows their week eleven plan. Other local teams in the playoff hunt in region 19 are 8-1 Ridgewood at #9 and 6-3 Shenandoah at # 12, and both can get in with a win in week 10, but both need some help. The Generals have their annual rivalry game with 3-6 Newcomerstown, and they won't pick up many points with a win but they must get the "W" first and hope for some help.

The Zeps are in desperate need of some help and of course must win first and then watch the scoreboard. Shenandoah closes with cross county rival 3-5 Caldwell which is usually one of those games you can throw out the records, so who knows what will happen. The Redskins have not been mathematically eliminated from the post-season, as they sit at #15 and play #14 and 6-2 Zanesville Bishop Rosecrans on Saturday the 20^th. Closing the season out with 2 big wins could jump Caldwell into the playoff picture. A loss to the Bishops would leave the Redskins to play the spoiler role for their local rivals.

In the event that both Ridgewood and Shenandoah win, a scenario that is very likely, they both need to look at teams ahead of them and 2^nd level points. Among those teams is #5 Fredericktown who at 7-2 faces a winless opponent in week 10 and does not control their own destiny. Likewise is #8 Coal Grove Dawson-Bryant who plays 1 win River Valley in week 10. Although both of these teams will likely win, they will not earn many 2^nd level points in doing so. Sitting at #6 and 7 are Minford and Belpre, both are 7-2 and both are in with a win. Minford plays 4-5 Lucasville Valley, and Belpre squares off with 5-4 Meigs. A win probably moves them each up a notch.

In Div VI region 23, undefeated Beallsville is at #6 but does not control their own destiny. The Blue Devils host 1 win Fort Frye in week 10 and a win would likely keep them in the top 8, but 8-1 Waterford sits at the #10 spot and they play a 5-4 Div 5 Federal Hocking team that could give them enough points to jump into the top 8 at someone else's expense. Perennial Div VI power Newark Catholic sits at the top of this region with Shadyside and River at #2 and #3.

There is no doubt emotions will be running high next Friday night as week 10 rivalries are played throughout the area. For many it will be their last game of their high school careers. For others it will be the springboard to the playoffs and a new season. Whatever the case, week 10 will likely be the most exciting week of the season.

Good Luck to all the local teams. Hope to see you in week 11.

Bill Kafury

AVC Sports

A LOOK AT THE DIV II REGION 7 AND DIV III REGION 11 PLAYOFF PICTURE

2007-10-20T08:31:00.000-04:00

Week 9 of the high school football season is in the books and rivalry week is upon us. But for many local teams, week eleven and the playoffs are what is foremost in their mind. Although the standings are not official as of this writing, several local teams would be in the playoffs if they started this week, and several can still get in with the right scenario. Lets take a look at who they are and what their chances are going into week 10 In Div II and Div III.

Lets start with Division III region 11, which has the 7-2 John Glenn Little Muskies at #8, the 6-3 Cambridge Bobcats at #10. John Glenn is currently holding down that last spot and with a big game next week with MVL and region 11 foe Morgan who at 6-3 and #14 in the region, has to have some help to get in, but must beat the Muskies to even think about it. The Muskies will host the Raiders and if JG wins I think they're in and maybe even move up a notch.

The Bobcats on the other hand, after 3 consecutive playoff appearances, do not control their own destiny. With a win this week over Claymont, the Cats moved up to the #10 spot. The first order of business for the Cats is they must win the rivalry game vs. Meadowbrook. Secondly, the Bobcats need some help, someone ahead of them must lose their week 10 matchup. Of course that could be the Muskies, or #7, 7-2 Poland Seminary who squares off with 8-1 Canfield(a possibility), or #6 Granville, who at 6-3 play 2-7 Lakewood in game 10 and may drop down even with a win. There are a number of factors which could help or hurt the Bobcats, and second level points for themselves and those competing to gain that last spot will be critical. The Bobcats will be watching the scoreboard very closely Friday night.

If Cambridge and John Glenn make it in, they will be faced with the task of traveling to the #1 and #2 seeds to play, and currently they are #1, 9-0 Canal Fulton Northwest, and #2, 8-1 Newark Licking Valley.

Other area teams that are still alive(mathematically) in region 11 are: #11 New Philadelphia who plays #5 Dover in game 10, and #12 Claymont who play rival Indian Valley. Philly with a win over Dover could potentially leap frog several teams, but would also help the Bobcats with 2^nd level points.

In Division II region 7, 9-0 Tri Valley is at # 5 and 7-2 Zanesville sits at #7 and although Tri Valley controls their own destiny, the Blue Devils do not. I think each is in with a win, although the Scotties play a tough Uniontown Lake squad who is 6-3 and #9 in region 7 and need a win to get in. Zanesville on the other hand plays 3-5 Chillicothe and needs some help to solidify their spot.

Regardless of who wins and loses it is safe to say that there will be a lot of excitement in week 10 during the game and even after the game as folks will scour the internet via JJ Huddle for updates and results on all the games that will impact their chances.

Good Luck to all, hope to see you in week 11.

Bill Kafury

AVC Sports

MONROE COUNTY: THE VOLLEYBALL CAPITAL OF OHIO?

2007-10-17T11:16:00.001-04:00

When you think of Monroe County sports you think of those classic Monroe Central -Beallsville gridiron battles on a cold November night or remember those great Skyvue basketball teams lighting up the scoreboard or reminisce about River's Mike Snively taking control of a game on the football filed or basketball court as we would lead the Pilots to victory. But soon sports fans are going to recognize that Monroe County is home to some of the best volleyball being played in the state.

Recently the Beallsville Lady Blue Devils and Monroe Central Lady Seminoles claimed OVAC championships. Beallsville won the Class A Championship for a second straight year by ousting Bellaire St. John 25-21, 25-19, 25-8 and Monroe Central "three-peated" as class 2-A champions with a hard fought 25-13, 8-25,25-22 win over always powerful Buckeye Trail.

Beallsville's lone loss of the season was against Barnesville, a loss that was avenged when the Blue Devils beat the Shamrocks 25-16, 25-18, 21-25 and 25-17 last week. Coach Patrick Wells had his team playing well as they opened tournament play Monday with a hard fought 3 games to 2 win over Caldwell keeping the Redskins from advancing to District tourney play for the fourth straight year. With a win tomorrow night they will advance to the District's to be held at Cambridge.

Coach Troy Baker has his undefeated (22-0) and state ranked (#5) Lady Seminoles ready to go as they play St. Clairsville tomorrow night at the Division III sectional to be held at Meadowbrook. A win there would vault the Lady 'Noles into district tournament play which will also be played at Meadowbrook.

The girls of Monroe County and their coaches are to be congratulated for the programs they are building. And with their continued success Monroe County sports will be able to add to its long list of accomplishments and proud traditions. Soon instead of being known as the "Switzerland of Ohio" Monroe County may be recognized as "the Volleyball capital of Ohio".

Woody Biggs AVC Sports

SAY IT AIN'T SO, JOE!

2007-10-12T09:15:00.001-04:00

As the paparazzi congregate around Joe Torre's house this morning Yankee fans and Yankee haters alike are wondering how long the Steinbrenner's are going to let the likeable manager dangle in the wind. Ailing Yankee owner George Steinbrenner raised a few eyebrows last week when, in the middle of the Cleveland-New York American League playoff series, he publicly declared that if the Yanks failed to come back from their 2-0 deficit in the best of five series that manager Joe Torre would be fired.

With the stakes suddenly higher the Yankee players responded with a game 3 win before being eliminated by the Indians in game 4. Now the sports world waits to learn the fate of a good manager and a better man. Joe Torre has been around Major League baseball since 1960. As a player he was named to the All-Star team ten times and was the National League MVP in 1971. In 1977 he began his second career as a Major League manager. From 1977 to 1995 he managed three National League teams (Mets, Braves and Cardinals) and worked as a television analyst for the Angels. His National League career resulted in mediocre success as he compiled a record of 894 wins and 1,003 loses.

But his managing career took a huge turn when in 1996 he was named the skipper of the New York Yankees. His hiring was not considered a wise one by the New York press. Headlines like "Clueless Joe" greeted him as he began his stint in pinstripes. But, calmly and confidently Torre silenced his critics. During his twelve years in The Bronx, Torre's team has finished first in the American League East ten times, has made the playoffs each year and has won four Worlds Series in six appearances. In recent years, however, the Yankees haven't fared well in the playoffs losing in the first round four straight times. The World Series drought hasn't sat well with Steinbrenner, therefore, his ultimatum to Torre to win or be gone was declared last week.

Joe Torres is a decent man. He has never embarrassed the organization on or off the field. He has handled his teams with class and dignity. He did not panic when the Yankees were all but dead in May. And in typical Torre fashion he has handled this latest brouhaha like a gentleman.

Even Yankee haters like Joe Torre and he deserves better treatment than what he is getting. It is indecent to treat a man who has faithfully served his employer with such dishonor. The wise thing to do is for the Steinbrenner family to admit that "Papa George's" knee jerk reaction backfired and that they are welcoming Joe back with open arms or at the least they should make their decision quickly so that Torre can go move on with his life. No matter what happens one thing is sure. Joe Torre will be clam, contented and classy – it's what he does best.

Woody Biggs

AVC Sports

See what's new at AOL.com and Make AOL Your Homepage.

BUCKEYES NEED TO LEARN FROM LAST WEEK

2007-10-05T11:23:00.000-04:00

As the Buckeyes travel to West Lafayette this weekend here's hoping that Coach Tressel not only kept the players' noses in the books but their eyes on ESPN so the players are constantly reminded that the old adage "on any given day…" is true.

The crazy world of college football got even crazier last week when upsets turned the top ten list on its head. West Virginia got thumped by South Florida in Tampa, a last second field goal sent Oklahoma home with a shocking loss, Texas lost to Kansas State, Rutgers went from "pandemonium in Piscataway" to a pity party in Piscataway when Maryland thrashed the Scarlet Knights and the defending national champion Florida Gators got beat when Auburn kicked a last second field goal. When the dust had settled 6 of the top 11 ranked teams were beaten.

The rash of upsets vaulted the Buckeyes into the top five and into the middle of the national championship picture. But now the Bucks must make sure they fall victim to the upset bug by taking every opponent seriously. Purdue is now a ranked team, Michigan State gave Wisconsin all they wanted last week in Madison, playing at Penn State is always tough, Wisconsin is ranked right behind the Buckeyes at #5 and Ron Zook has the Fighting Illini playing well. Kent State could be a trap game if the Bucks aren't careful and then there is the trip to the Big House.

The Bucks have worked hard to get back into the position to seriously contend for the national championship – they now must keep focused and take care of business and with a few breaks they could be playing in New Orleans on January 7^th.

Woody Biggs

AVC Sports

See what's new at AOL.com and Make AOL Your Homepage.

FEMALE SPORTSWRITERS CAN HANDLE IT

2007-09-28T14:11:00.001-04:00

Oklahoma's State football coach Mike Gundy has become a You Tube star thanks to his recent tirade against newspaper sports columnist Jenni Carlson last week. Gundy took issue with Carlson's column which from his point of view was an unprovoked personal attack against a student athlete. His verbal assault included a statement that Carlson was obviously not a parent or she would not have attacked the student so harshly.

The incident escalated this week with much of the media predictably circling the wagons around Ms. Carlson and labeling Coach Gundy as an out of control coach. Some members of the media (i.e. Jason Whitlock of the Kansas City star) have admitted that their fellow columnist crossed the line; but others have used the incident not only to condemn Gundy but to attempt to start a debate regarding gender. For example, Carol Slezak in her September 25^th column in the Chicago Sun-Times implied that the reason Gundy verbally attacked Carlson was because she was a woman. "I can't imagine Gundy screaming during a press conference about a male writer's lack of offspring." She mused. "I can't imagine him substituting 'daddy' for 'mommy' in his rant. I also wonder, as one of the few -- or perhaps only -- women in that room if Carlson didn't make for an easy target in Gundy's mind."

Whatever your view is regarding the Carlson vs. Gundy brouhaha, trying to turn in into a gender debate does little to help women reporters. Women in the sports media have worked hard to make progress. They have fought for better access to athletes; they have worked to show they are as knowledgeable as their male counterparts and they have labored to get respect for their work. Slezak's victimization of Carlson does nothing to help the cause.

Slezak admits that she does not know Gundy, than goes on to do Carlson a great disservice by implying that if she was a man Gundy would not have spoken to her in such a tone. Female sportswriters cannot expect all the benefits of their profession without accepting the pitfalls that come with it. A coach criticizing the media and even publicly taking issue with media members comes with the territory' Surely Slezak is not saying that women cannot handle or should be exempt from the criticism?

Gundy may not have handled the situation in the best way possible, but the fact that Carlson is a woman was not and should not be the issue. All media members both male and female know that coaches and athletes can be volatile especially in the heat of competition, and all media members both male and female realize that at times their jobs will cause confrontations. Therefore, all media members both male and female need to face their jobs remembering "if you can't stand the heat, stay out of the locker room".

Woody Biggs

AVC Sports

See what's new at AOL.com and Make AOL Your Homepage.

OVAC AND ECOL: LET'S GET TOGETHER!

2007-09-21T10:52:00.001-04:00

Many people are not aware that long before there was an East Central Ohio League that Meadowbrook and Cambridge was, and is, a member of the Ohio Valley Athletic Conference. The OVAC was established in 1943, and, according to its website, is the "largest and most functional high school Conference of its kind in the United States". There are 46 member schools with Meadowbrook becoming a member in 1972 followed by Cambridge in 1974. However, many fans do not even know the schools compete in the OVAC.

In 1987, Cambridge and Meadowbrook, along with St. Clairsville and Coshocton, became the charter members of the East Central Ohio League. Claymont joined in 1989, followed by Dover (1993), Indian Valley (who replaced Saint Clairsville in 1996), New Philadelphia (1997) and River View (2005). Membership in both the ECOL and OVAC meant that now Cambridge and Meadowbrook had more opportunities for their student-athletes to be honored and to compete in different activities, but it also meant that at times they had to make chooses as to where their loyalties laid.

For example, with just Cambridge and Meadowbrook being in both the ECOL and OVAC they have often unable to compete for OVAC team championships in several sports because scheduling would not allow them to play the required minimum number of OVAC member teams. Most other schools do not have this problem. All the members of the Pioneer Valley Conference are OVAC members as is all members of the Buckeye 8 League. Therefore, teams like Buckeye Trail, Caldwell and Shenandoah receive all the benefits of being in both organizations.

Being a member of the OVAC has great benefits for students. There is nothing in high school sports that comes close to the pageantry of the annual OVAC wrestling tournament. The OVAC also offers events for marching bands, hosts All-Star games, provides scholarships as well as many other great opportunities for students to showcase their talents. The ECOL is an exciting and competitive league as well. Bobcat and Colt athletes benefit from its association with both groups. It would be nice, however, if the schools could reap all the benefits from their dual affiliations.

The obvious answer is for all the ECOL schools to become a part of the OVAC. Attempts have been made in the recent past to forge such a partnership but it has always fallen short. Reportedly the most recent hang up has been over who will control the assignment of referees for ECOL basketball games. The ECOL would like to retain that control and the OVAC is not willing to allow that to happen. Officials of both leagues should continue to meet and try to work out a deal. Both groups would mutually profit from such an arrangement and most importantly students would reap the fruit of being a part of two quality associations.

See what's new at AOL.com and Make AOL Your Homepage.

PUTTING THE COLLAR ON THE "HORSE COLLAR"

2007-09-14T11:14:00.000-04:00

The tragic accident which has left Buffalo Bills' tight end Kevin Everett with a severely injured spinal cord was a somber reminder that football is indeed a violent and dangerous sport. In spite of the better equipment developed the bigger, faster, stronger players in today's game still risk life and limb every time they take the field. This fact is also true for today's younger players as well.

All sanctioning and governing agencies from the NFL to the biddy league groups around the country are aware of these dangers and they regularly strive to regulate the sport to make it as safe as possible. For example in 2005, the NFL decided to ban the "horse collar" tackle after the technique resulted in six serious injuries during the 2004-2005 season. The most notable of those injuries was when Philadelphia wide receiver Terrell Owens was "horse collared" by Dallas' Roy Williams resulting in Owens receiving a sprained ankle and a broken fibula.

The horse collar tackle occurs when a defender grabs, from the back, the inside of an opponent's shoulder pads and from behind jerks the ball carrier to the ground. The player tackled usually ends up with one or both legs pinned underneath him with the force of the defenders weight coming down upon him. Although the NFL rule has some stipulations that make the tackle legal in some instances the desire was to protect the runner from injury, especially when he was tackled in the open field.

Opponents of the rule said that it gave the offenses another advantage that was not needed and that it targeted one player, Roy Williams, who made the tackle on four of the players injured while being "horse collared". However owners agreed to the ban by a 27 to 5 vote.

Inexplicably other regulating agencies have not followed their lead. For example, this tackle is still considered legal in Ohio high school football. Ohio, like many states, uses the rules adopted by the National Federation of High School Associations. According to its website the NFHS helps support high school sports by "establishing consistent standards and rules for competition" and "publishes playing rules in 16 sports for boys and girls competition". This Indianapolis based organization serves all fifty state high school athletic associations.

For some reason, even though the NFL has seen the wisdom of protecting its players by placing a ban on the horse collar tackle, the NFHS has failed to address the "horse collar tackle issue thus leaving high school student athletes vulnerable. No one is naïve enough to believe that football rules can stop all injuries from happening. The nature of the sport guarantees that frequent injuries will occur. However, a ban, by the NFHS, on such a dangerous maneuver as the horse collar tackle would be prudent. It just makes sense that if the NFL realizes the unnecessary danger it poses to its professional players that those in charge of high school football would make a similar move in order to protect its students.

Woody Biggs

AVC Sports

See what's new at AOL.com and Make AOL Your Homepage.

GOLF'S FEDEX CUP NOT "UP TO PAR"

2007-09-06T15:01:00.000-04:00

Golf's version of the Nextel Cup has not been up to par (pardon the pun) in the first year of its existence. In 2005 the PGA announced the formation of the FedEx Cup championship trophy. 207 was to be the first year of the new format which was to bring late season excitement to golf and help it compete for the media attention usually given to football and playoff baseball during this time of the year.

The program was designed to help men's professional golf crown a champion after a playoff of the tour's top qualifiers was conducted. A NASCAR type point system was developed to help determine the winner. From the Mercedes-Benz Championship held in January of this year to the Wyndham Championship held the third weekend of August, players on the PGA tour earned points based on their earlier showings. The ultimate goal for each player was to be among the top 144 in points at the end of the Wyndham Championship. The player's positions were used to seed then and reset their points with the top rated player receiving the most points and the 144^th ranked player receiving the least. These 144 players advanced to a four tournament playoff and where additional points were won based on their performance. The player with the most total points at the end of the tournaments will win ten million dollars and a five year tour exemption.

In spite of all the planning, hopes and dreams of its creators the 2007 version of the FedEx cup has failed to capture the imagination of golf fans. It started off badly when the world's best and most popular player decided to forgo the first tournament of the event. Tiger Woods, the tours #1 ranked player did not participate in The Barclays much to the dismay of tournament organizers and PGA officials. Woods' hiatus meant the premier event of the PGA Tour opened with lukewarm acceptance and woeful TV ratings. Officials had hoped to rebound with the Deutsche Bank Championship this past weekend. The event was a success when Phil Mickelson beat Woods by two strokes to capture the championship and first place in the FedEx standings. However, Lefty quickly knocked the wind out of the PGA's sails by immediately announcing he would not participate in the third tournament to be played in Illinois. To make matters worse reports are that Mickelson refuses to play in the BMW Championship because of a conflict he has with PGA commissioner, Tim Finchem. The bottom line is that the experiment thus far has failed.

It is hard for golf to compete with football on any level but a format such as the one attempted this year will not succeed. There are already many ways to determine the sport's best player: Golf has money winner lists, career wins, world rankings, and Winners of its Majors to help determine the best player. If the PGA wishes to bring fans to the sport, the best format may be the match play single-elimination plan being called for by many fans and media members. Such a series would resemble March Madness with a "one and done" format. Imagine players being seeded and playing one on one knowing that if they lose they are finished. With such a format, a Tiger vs. Phil match play championship round would certainly draw wide interest and larger than usual TV ratings. Every sports fan likes an underdog. So, imagine the buzz created if Tiger was beaten by the 144^th seated player. A competition such as this would serve golf well and would pique the interest of even the nominal fan. The PGA should explore the possibility.

Get a sneak peek of the all-new AOL.com.

TEAM USA 2007 - THE NEW DREAM TEAM?

2007-08-31T12:33:00.001-04:00

In the midst of some great races in baseball and with the start of football season many sports fans may be overlooking an important event going on in the basketball world. Team USA is well on its way to restoring America to the top of the international basketball world -- where it belongs. The last few years have been embarrassing for American basketball fans as the nation's team has faltered on the international stage.

Since 2002 Team USA has only been able to garner two 3^rd place finishes and one 6^th place finish in international competition. During the Athens Olympics US fans figuratively donned the paper sack over their heads to hide the embarrassment when Puerto Rico gave the USA its worse defeat in international basketball history. The 92-73 loss was only the third in US team Olympic history (they lost two more later in Athens) and the first since the team was comprised of professionals. The stinging loss had many thinking that the USA had lost its competitive edge in basketball.

Thinking such a thing would previously have been unheard of. Historically Team USA had dominated international competition. From 1936 to 1968 the US had never lost an Olympic basketball game. After the USSR stole the gold medal in 1972 (The referees gave them two extra chances, after time expired to score the winning bucket), Team USA continued to dominate international competition until 1988 when a loss to the USSR forced them to settle for Olympic bronze. The following year, FIBA (The International Basketball Federation) opened up Olympic play to professional players. That led to the formation of the Dream Team in 1992. This team of NBA All-Stars, led by Jordan, magic and Bird, cruised through all its games, winning the Olympic gold medal. Their average margin of victory was over 43 points and Coach Chuck Daley never called a timeout during the competition.

However, after the original Dream Team the nation's international basketball fortunes began to slide. There were several factors including the improvement of international players (the NBA truly became a worldwide phenomena during this period) and the fact that many of the US's top players chose not to participate in international competition. The low points were Team USA's sixth place finish at the 2002 FIBA World Championship's and its third place finish at the 2004 Olympics.

There are just certain things that should always be true. Canada is to dominate in ice hockey, Eastern European nations are to dominate in bobsledding and the US is to dominate in basketball – but it was not happening.

However help is on the way. Coach Mike Kryzewski has assembled a team of NBA stars that are ready to restore the US to its proper place in the basketball world. This years Team USA led by Kobe, LeBron and Carmelo, is showing that they mean business. During this year's Tournament of Americas the 2007 version of Team USA has dazzled with their defense, passed with precision and shot from the outside with uncanny accuracy. Entering in to this weekend's medal round, Team USA has so far scorched the competition. They have won every game by an average of 40 points. Players are talking about being focused and "restoring the pride back in US basketball". Comparisons are even starting to be made to the original Dream Team of 1992.

For the American basketball fan this is good news. So while following your favorite baseball team's run to the pennant and while cheering your football team on to victory – be sure to take some time out to check up on our nation's basketball team as well. The Dream Team is back and come 2008 we will hopefully be able to have a national celebration when our nation's anthem is played in Beijing as our players rejoice in the recapturing of Olympic gold.

Woody Biggs

AVC Sports

Get a sneak peek of the all-new AOL.com.

Pitching Will Carry Indians

2007-08-29T09:21:00.000-04:00

The Cleveland Indians, carried on WBNV 93.5 FM, have been mired in a hitting slump since the All-Star break. But don't count the Indians out of World Series contention like many of the experts have. Afterall, pitching is what wins baseball games, especially playoff baseball games.

The Yankees hit the ball like crazy led by MVP-lock Alex Rodriguez. The Red Sox are also as strong hitting team with Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz leading the way. The California Angels and the Detroit Tigers can also post some runs, but nobody has gotten as much out of their starting pitchers as the Indians have.

The current Indians rotation has performed excellently.

C.C. Sabathia, currently with a 3.38 ERA, has 14 wins and has pitched well enough in his last four outings to pick up wins. Sabathia hasn't given up more than 2 earned runs in his past seven starts, yet he is only 1-3 in those seven games.

Fausto Carmona, also with 14 wins, went 5-1 in July but only 1-3 in August despite a 1.75 ERA in the month.

Paul Byrd and Jake Westbrook are both 4-1 in August, Westbrook has posted an ERA of 1.90 for the month. New starter Aaron Laffey is 2-1 in August with three impressive starts.

Relief pitching has also been fairly strong for the Indians with Rafael Betancourt, Rafael Perez, Tom Mastny and closer Joe Borowski, 37 saves, doing a decent job.

The hitting slump is a concern for the Tribe and Indians manager Eric Wedge has been playing with the batting order to try and shake things up. Quite frankly, they are too talented to remain in a slump for long, not to mention they have great depth.

Not many teams can bench the starting second baseman and insert a young guy like Asdrubal Cabrera. Not many teams have a guy like Jason Michaels who has played in 92 games and has more than 200 at bats sitting on the bench behind recent re-acquisition Kenny Lofton.

Look for the Indians to start hitting better down the stretch and help out the pitchers. And remember, when it comes to playoff baseball, pitching is what wins games. It is what led the White Sox to a World Championship two years ago and took the Tigers to the World Series last year.

John Charlton

Sports Director

ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL- FANTASY STYLE

2007-08-26T22:18:00.000-04:00

Are you a pro football fan? Do you have a favorite NFL team or player? If football is the new America's pastime then playing "fantasy football" is the new NFL fans pastime. With the start of the NFL regular season just around the corner, many people are already in the middle of their Fantasy Football Draft. If you're unfamiliar with the concept of fantasy football let me briefly explain as it has exploded with the emergence of internet leagues, local leagues, numerous sports websites and fantasy experts.

The concept of "fantasy football" has a history that dates as early as 1962. In the fantasy game in which the participants (called "owners"), are arranged into a league, and draft a team of real-life football players from varying teams and score points based on those players' statistical performance on the field. A typical fantasy league will employ players from a single football league, such as the NFL although some players have been known to use college players. Leagues can vary in size from 8 to 14 teams and are arranged so the winner is the team with the most total points at the end of the season, or in a head-to-head format in which each team plays against a single opponent each week, and at the end of the year the team with the best win-loss record wins the league. Most leagues set aside the last weeks of the regular season for their own playoffs.

There are three major types of fantasy football leagues: redraft, "keeper" leagues, and dynasty leagues. In a redraft, each owner starts with no players at the beginning of each season and drafts an entire fantasy team consisting usually of several offensive players at each position, kickers, and defense/special teams. Other formats include keeper leagues and dynasty leagues. Each owner in a keeper league is allowed to keep a small number of players they owned during the previous season, eliminating these players from the draft, while each owner in a dynasty league is allowed to keep as many players as they like from the previous season, with the draft encompassing only rookies and other unowned players. Players are drafted on a team in two main formats - either by serpentine draft, or by an auction system, where each team has a salary cap and bidding takes place and any team can bid on any NFL player for their roster.

Scoring formats can vary by league and by position. A typical starting lineup has 1 QB, 2 RB's, 1 WR's, 1 TE, 1 K, and 1 Defense/ special team. Points can be scored for rushing, throwing, catching, scoring etc...and the actual value for scoring can be made very simple( 6 points per TD and 1 point for each 10 yards gained rushing, passing or receiving) or very complex( points per reception, negative points for interceptions thrown, fumbles or FG's missed). Some leagues allow for very liberal scoring and its not uncommon for a head to head game to have a score like 102 - 95. Some leagues count only points scored by your players and the scores of those games are usually much lower and may reflect actual NFL scores, like 30-27. Some leagues even draft individual defensive players and give points for tackles, assists and sacks.

So has the emergence of fantasy football been good for the sport or bad for it? Personally I've been participating in various fantasy football leagues for over 15 years. In my opinion it generates more interest in the games and the players. However it does have some interesting dilemmas. For example, what do you do when your starting QB on your fantasy team is lighting up your favorite team for 4 TD's? Do you cheer for your team or your fantasy player? Situations like this happen all the time in fantasy football and it gets even more complicated if you happen to participate in several leagues at the same time. You may have Peyton Manning in one league and you may be playing against him in another, so while you're enjoying his 300 yd. 3 TD game on one hand, you're also lamenting the fact that he probably is killing you in another league. Another interesting question is, are the NFL players aware of their fantasy status and performance? NO question, they are aware, as a matter of fact many of the NFL players are involved in fantasy football leagues. Which kind of begs the question, do you think Peyton Manning drafted himself with his first pick?

Regardless of your like or dislike of certain teams you can still like certain players. Being a longtime Browns fan it's tough for me to root for the Steelers, but having drafted Willie Parker as one of my key RB's, I'd like him to have a great season, maybe 1,600 yards rushing and 20 TD's. It's easier now than it ever has been to play fantasy football. There are literally dozens of internet sites that offer free fantasy games, live drafts, automated drafts whatever your skill level. Leagues you can pay to be in and hope to use your skills to earn prize money. Leagues you can join with friends and play simply for bragging rights. We have one such league here at AVC sports and rumor has it that a certain sportscaster has compiled a dominating team, only time will tell if it's a championship team. Sound like fun? If you fancy yourself a pro football fan and you want to further your NFL experience, have fun and gain a greater understanding of the game, jump in and join a league or two or three. ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?

BILL KAFURY

AVC SPORTS

PAY TO PLAY: THE HIDDEN COSTS

2007-08-25T08:54:00.001-04:00

"Pay to Play", or to be politically correct, "Pay to Participate" has been around our area for at least three years. The costs and philosophies vary greatly from school district to district, but the effects of the policies are often similar. Meadowbrook still has one of the area's highest pay to play fees charging $200 per varsity sport with some family caps added to help ease the burden. Cambridge charges much less but one Bobcat parent recently told me that last year his family paid close to $600 in other fees and charges so his athlete could participate. A Monroe Central administrator recently said that Seminole athletes are charging a fee of $10 per sport – a move that perplexes some MC Coaches who think that the small amount charged probably results in a net loss for the district when you factor in the cost of the paperwork and employee time needed to implement the program. Pay to play is not popular but it is a practice that will not be leaving our area soon. However, school districts should periodically evaluate their pay to play policy to determine how it is affecting their students and community. In doing so they may discover that a pay to play policy that is constructed unwisely may be actually hurting their district when its hidden costs are revealed.

Pay to play usually harms the people who are traditionally the school's biggest supporters. Families of students involved in extracurricular activities are typically the school's most active volunteers. They are the first to help at school activities and historically support levy efforts. And while their sacrifice is nowhere near the pain felt by teachers who have lost their jobs, many of these households have to make drastic financial adjustments in order for their child (ren) to participate in athletics. In some cases, kids whose families cannot afford the pay to play fees are unable to participate. For many of these students, extracurricular activities are their best or only chance to be able to further their education.

The negative effects of pay to play on area booster groups are beginning to become more evident too. Funds raised by these dedicated volunteers are often diverted from other projects in order to help alleviate the financial burdens of those who play sports. The constant fund raising, so a student can pay to play, means that plans to purchase newer safer equipment, better uniforms or make much needed capital improvements are shelved. The extra fund raising projects mean that area businesses are "hit up" even more often for donations. The perpetual fund raising activities hurts the morale of parents, players, and coaches who desire what's best for their athletes but cannot provide those needs because they have to spend their time raising funds to pay the required fees.

Often the results of pay to play become a self-defeating cycle. The pay to play policy in almost all cases results in a decrease of athletes, which makes it tougher for the teams to compete, which leads to lower school and community morale, which in return makes it harder for the district to pass a levy. Like it or not, athletics is a school's highest profile program and many people, wrongly, equate a school's success and self-esteem to the success of their sports teams.

With schools feeling a financial crunch and with the state legislature refusing to fix the funding problem, students are continuing to be hurt as they lose ground to the rest of the nation in the education arena. School Boards are caught in a "Catch-22." Their primary purpose is to educate children and yet athletics plays an important part in the educational experience. In short, pay to play policies may be a necessary evil and school boards may have to implement such a practice to help stay afloat financially but it is in no way a long term solution and the hidden costs of such a program must be weighed against the short term benefits. School boards, administrators and communities must believe in the power of academics, but never forget the influence of athletics when formulating pay to play policies.

Woody Biggs

AVC Sports

Get a sneak peek of the all-new AOL.com.

THE NEWSPAPER WARS

2007-08-16T13:13:00.001-04:00

This weekend area sports fans will have another news outlet as two weekly sports papers make their debut. The Guernsey County Gazette, a weekly newspaper, and The Daily Jeffersonian are both publishing a Saturday morning sports only paper. The competition between the two rivals has been fierce and sometimes down right nasty.

The Guernsey County Gazette first developed the idea of offering a Saturday morning newspaper devoted to covering the Friday night local sports scene. In order to better insure its success they lured a couple of members from the Jeffersonian's sports staff, including long time sports editor Heath Dawson. The Jeffersonian, when hearing about the Gazette's plans, came up with their own blueprint for a Saturday morning publication in order to compete with the upstart Weekly Sports Gazette. The ensuing feud has become intense as rumors have run rampant, accusations have been volleyed about and tempers have flared.

Many people are amazed that The Jeffersonian, a local institution is reacting so vociferously to the Gazette's plans. Those who will buy a Saturday sports paper are also going to read The Sunday Jeffersonian and a Saturday sports paper by The Jeffersonian may prove to become nothing but a rehash sports news as they attempt to fill two papers in two days to be read by the same readers. However, most people realize that there is a limited pool of potential advertisers in our area and that "a new kid on the block" means the slices of the advertising pie will be cut a little smaller. Because of that limited advertising customer base some feel that the "The Jeffersonian" is justified in doing all it can to protect their turf.

So who are the winners in this battle for Saturday sports newspaper supremacy? The obvious answer is sports fan and the local student athlete. Having two more outlets for local sports means that the sports fan will now get more sports news sooner and the local student-athletes will receive more coverage of their accomplishments. Therefore, I encourage you to honor our local student-athletes by supporting these efforts, but if you want to know the local scores and exciting Friday night happenings first, than listen to the games live on our AVC stations and checkout our website for more sports information. By keeping an ear to AVC, you will get the facts first and it's free.

Woody Biggs

AVC Sportscaster

Get a sneak peek of the all-new AOL.com.

?BONDS? HR CHAMP?

2007-08-09T10:22:00.001-04:00

Whether you like Barry Bonds or not, whether you believe he has used steroids or not, he is the new all time home run champ. Is he as classy as Hank Aaron? NO! Is he as likable as Aaron? NO! But the fact remains that 755 is no longer THE number, and Bonds will, at least for the foreseeable future be the holder of the all time HR record.

Many have debated whether or not this particular record, because of Bonds link to steroids, should be set aside or have an asterisk attached to it. I for one would say NO, do not put any special mark on it for it is just a number, a statistic in a game full of statistics that have accumulated for over a century. It doesn't mean Bonds is the greatest player ever or the best hitter ever.

Barry Bonds is and has been and All-Star caliber player dating back to his Pittsburgh days and well before the steroid controversy. He's been named to the All-Star team 14 times in his 22 seasons, eight of those, before his suspected steroid use. When you look at his production, especially his home runs, it is obvious he has always had deep power. In his 7 seasons as a Pirate, Bonds hit 176 HR's with 34 coming in 1992, his last in Pittsburgh. The following year, his first in San Francisco, he hit 46 dingers, a pretty significant increase over his previous best of 34, but well before his suspected substance abuse. Was Candlestick Park a better place for his power than Three Rivers Stadium? According to Baseball-reference.com, the source of these numbers, neither stadium was considered a hitter friendly park, but the numbers speak for themselves. In his first seven seasons in SF Bonds hit 269 round trippers. Nearly 100 more than he hit as a Pirate. But the most significant increase has been since 2000 and since the move into Pac Bell Park. Discounting 2004, when Bonds was hurt for the majority of the season and hit only 5 HR's, he has amassed 307 (add the 5 from 2004, 312) home runs. Is that statistic completely out of wack with the rest of his career? I say NO. As a matter of fact, in his career, Bonds has only led the league in HR's twice, 1993(46), and 2001(73). Aaron on the other hand led the majors 4 times in home runs, hitting 40 or more 8 times in his 23 year career, and never hit over 50. In comparison Bonds has had similar numbers in his 22 seasons, 8 times he's been over 40 and only once, 2001, has he surpassed 50 in a season.

Granted, for pure baseball fans Bond's achievement will be tainted but should it be? Do we put an asterisk next to George Brett for using too much pine tar or Gaylord Perry for greasing the ball? NO. Does the NBA note the difference in scoring before the 3 point line or other notable rule changes? NO. Does the NFL asterisk the interceptions that Lester Hayes had with his arms coated with tape and stickum? NO.

I suppose you can make statistics say whatever you want them too. The question is, do professional sports in general, and pro athletes specifically, have a "do whatever is necessary to win" mentality? Absolutely. Because that's where the money is. Did you hear baseball owners whining about the money they made as Sammy Sosa and Mark Maguire chased the home run record or as Bonds surpassed it? No. How many records have been achieved while a player was using a banned substance? We will never know. Did Barry use steroids? Maybe, probably. Does that diminish what he has accomplished or tarnish the game? Lets face it, baseball has never been squeaky clean, probably never will be. It has always been and will always be about gaining an edge over your competition so you can win. Winners make more money for their franchise and for themselves.

Records are important in all sports. But their importance is most significant placed in the era in which they play. Would Hank Aaron have hit 755 HR's facing the relief pitchers in today's era? Maybe, maybe not. But the best part of the chase to surpass milestones like this, is the interest and attention it draws and the conversation it stimulates in us, the fans. After all, we could be sitting around talking about how hot it is. But for now, asterisk or no asterisk, Barry Lamar Bonds is the Home Run King.

Bill Kafury
AVC Sports Announcer

Bonds' Breaks

2007-08-07T13:37:00.001-04:00

By the time you read this, Barry Bonds will have undoubtedly broke Hank Aaron's home run record of 755. You may like it, you may not like. I, personally, would be happy if Bonds breaks his leg and retires without ever breaking the record.

I have to be honest; I used to be a Barry Bonds backer. I was and still am (even though it gets more and more difficult each year) a Pirates fan. Bonds was great as a Pirate, a Gold Glove leftfielder who hit for average and power and could steal bases.

He had a reputation for a being a jerk with fans and the media, but I wanted my team to win, and with Bonds, Bobby Bonilla and Andy Van Slyke, the Pirates won. I defended Bonds saying that he isn't being paid to be fan friendly or to give quotes to the media. He's getting paid to play baseball and he was pretty darn good when he stepped between the lines.

Now, don't get me wrong. I prefer that may athletes be fan friendly, down-to-earth, quotable and personable. But, isn't that expecting an awful lot from our professional athletes?

We demand that they play great and make no mistakes. If they do, we say, 'well they should because they make enough money," and if they don't we say, "that bum, he's not worth what we're paying him." Fact is, unless you are invested in the team, you're not paying him anything. Ticket season holder, you say. Aren't you paying for the going to the game? Entertainment value?

In any case, we demand they play great and on top of that, we want them to be public relations representatives for their team, be nice to everyone including pushy autograph seekers and rude kids, even more pushy reporters who can also be rude. I don't know about you, but that is a lot to ask.

So I defended him on the grounds that he's paid to play baseball.

Then Bonds went and became an even bigger jerk by (and I have no proof of this) cheating.

According to some reports, Bonds was so insecure about his ability, about his standing as one of the game's greatest players, that he had to go out and find away to illegally enhance his ability. He used substances that helped him play better. No matter how you slice it, using substances, whether its aspirin or steroids, to gain an unfair advantage is cheating.

Is he the only one? No. Does that make him less guilty? No.

I felt betrayed as a Bonds' fan and a Bonds' backer. As far as role model, I knew he was borderline, but I was willing to overlook some of the things because he was a good player. He was great between the lines. But then he cheated.

As for the career home run record or the single season record he already holds, well. The numbers are the numbers, the records are the records.

At no time in baseball history did we ever freeze all the factors that affect the game and say they can never change. We already have a bunch of numbers from the "Deadball Era." We never try to inflate them to make them competitive with a more advanced and livelier ball.

At some point in recent history, big stadiums became smaller stadiums, Cleveland Stadium gave way to the Jacobs Field, Riverfront Stadium became a bandbox known as All-American Ball Park. We allowed a team to build a stadium in Denver where the air is thin. Not only does that affect home run numbers, it also affects earned run averages.

What about the change in approach to using relief pictures and the number of pitchers in your starting line up. Baseball has gone from a four-man rotation to a five-man rotation, The number of quality starts and complete games keeps dropping. Others will argue with 32 teams, instead of 18 prior to 1961, the talent pool is shallow meaning hitters face easier pitching. Where does it balance out?

Baseball records are great because it allows us to compare players from different eras and it allows mathematicians to spend hours and hours analyzing numbers and comparing players form different eras.

Unfortunately, Bonds is part of the "Steroid Era" in baseball. At this point, we don't know how many players used. We may never know. Are players from other eras all innocent? Of course not.

Here's the thing. I love baseball not because of the superstars, not because of the huge salaries, not because of the records, not because I like to do math, and definitely not because of Barry Bonds.

I love baseball because I remember playing it as kid. I remember playing in the back yard for hours on end, inventing games we could play with two people, or three people. I remember razzing my buddies when my team beat their team and being razzed when my team didn't fair as well.

I remember putting on my little league uniform and going to the field and how special that felt. I remember hanging out with my teammates and coaches. I remember sleeping over at my buddies' houses and playing baseball until dark and then getting up at 6 in the morning to play some more. I love baseball because of the fun of playing and being with my friends.

I also love baseball because my son loves baseball. I love coaching him and watching him play. I love answering endless questions about offensive and defensive strategy. I love pointing out subtleties of the game and I love watching him interact with his friends.

He will remember watching, or at least highlights of watching Barry Bonds breaking Hank Aaron's record. That will be special to him. He will get to experience part of history. He is aware that Bonds may have cheated and that Bonds is not to be a role model. But someday, he is going to remember watching Bonds break a huge record. Hopefully, he'll remember Bonds, when someone with the character of Hank Aaron breaks it again.

Or maybe, he'll remember when Bonds broke his leg tied with Hank Aaron, never being able to hit that elusive record breaker.

posted by John Charlton

AVC Sports Director

No Football, No Problem!!!

2007-02-15T13:16:00.000-05:00

I heard many sports fans lamenting the lack of football on TV last weekend (with the exception of the Pro Bowl Game). Network and cable television stations play up the “No Football, No Problem” programming. Even the funny pages focus on the end of the NFL season with our favorite comic men having to find other activities, such as napping or completing “honey do lists,” to fill the time they would have been watching games.

If you’re a football fan and not a sports fan, I can see where you may want to hibernate until late August when the college football season starts and the NFL pre-season gets underway, but if you are a true sports fan, this is one of the most exciting times of the year.

Here are six good reasons to be excited about sports right now.

College basketball. I know it’s not March yet, but February can be just as mad as March when it comes to teams trying to win their conference titles, conference tournaments, and position themselves for possible NCAA tournament bids. Watch the Buckeyes and Greg Oden to see how they do in the Big Ten Tournament and the NCAA tourney.

Golf is Back. Some call it the pre-season to golf, but the Hawaiian and West Coast swing that marks the start of the PGA season, brings a ray of hope, especially to golfers in the Midwest who are looking out the window at a lot of snow and ice. This year is shaping up to be a great one as Tiger has a 7-tournament PGA win streak going. Plus Phil Mickelson won at Pebble Beach last weekend.

The build up to The Masters in April is also a reason to follow golf this time of year. The Masters is by far the best golf tournament played every year, the coverage is sensational, and knowing who is playing well heading into that major is fun to follow.

NASCAR is Super. While the NFL ended its season with the Super Bowl in Florida; NASCAR begins its season with a super race in Florida. The Daytona 500 marks the start of the stock car racing season each year and is the one race that every driver wants to win. NASCAR fans, the largest group of fans for any sport in America, are rabid while the cars are rapid.

Drivers to watch this season: teammates Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon; Tony Stewart wants to get back to the championship; this could be the year for Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Spring Training Baseball. “Hope springs eternal” is the cliché that is never truer then when applied to baseball in the February and March. Every team has a chance to win the pennant and fans of all teams are happy because they are in the race.

The atmosphere is great as well. Spring training is when teams move to Florida or Arizona to prepare for the season. It is a time when players play with the joy they played with in Little League. The stadiums are cozy and intimate. Players don’t seem to mind interacting with fans. If you can’t there yourself, with the advent of the internet and more and more cable TV networks, you can follow your team closely.

Hockey Highs. Since the return of the NHL following the year hiatus, the sport is better and more fan friendly. Rule changes have opened up the ice and the scoring. Most teams have embraced the fans, making the games more affordable and more entertaining to the casual hockey fan.

Plus, there is a lot of young talent in the league that will add excitement for years to come. If you get the chance to check out the Pittsburgh Penguins, for example, they have three young players, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and an 18-year old rookie named Jordan Staal who has scored four goals in his past two games and leads the league in short-handed goals.

Fans of the Columbus Blue Jackets probably don’t know what to think this year as the Jackets have looked great at times and terrible at times, often in the same game. Earlier this week, they fell behind 3-0 in the first 13 minutes but rallied back before they ended up losing the Chicago Blackhawks, 5-4.

The Blue Jackets are clearly a team with a lot of talent that is learning how to win. Despite a pretty mediocre record, they are exciting to watch, and the environment at Nationwide Arena has been voted one of the best in the league. If you can’t make it, AVC sports carries a majority of games on the radio. Check our website for a list of broadcasts.

High School Hoops. There are several compelling reasons to be excited about post-Super Bowl sports, but the best may well be high school basketball. Tournament games have been delayed because of bad weather, but this Saturday, (Feb. 17), AVC Sports will be carrying six games, three girls’ tournament games in the afternoon, and three regular season boys’ games in the evening.

As the teams head into the sectional playoffs, the second season, the excitement level rises. The one-and-done, win-or-be-eliminated, pressure-filled atmosphere is about as exciting as it gets for high school basketball.

Some teams to watch this post season, the Buckeye Trail girls and the Shenandoah girls. Both teams have had outstanding seasons, the Lady Warriors remain undefeated. The Lady Zeps have only suffered a few losses, two of those losses at the hands of the Warriors.

If you get a chance to see them, check out the River View Black Bears, the defending state champions. They play the Meadowbrook Colts on Saturday at Zanesville.

In boys’ action, watch for the hot teams like the Meadowbrook Colts. The Colts have been on a tear the past three weeks. The Barnesville Shamrocks have turned up their game in the second half of the season as have the Buckeye Trail boys.

If you get a chance to see them, check out the Dover Tornadoes and the Zanesville Blue Devils. They are on a collision course for the sectional championship game at Coshocton High School.

And there you have it, six compelling reasons not to be upset about the end of the NFL season. If you need more, let me know. I think I can think of few more.

-John Charlton
Sports Director
AVC Communications

test 3

2007-02-13T11:21:00.001-05:00

Test3

Joel Losego

General Manager

AVC Communications, Inc.

P.O. Box 338

4988 Skyline Drive

Cambridge, Ohio 43725-0338

Phone 740.432.5605

Fax 740.432.1991

Email jlosego@yourradioplace.com

Website http://www.yourradioplace.com

Muskingum names Shap Boyd defensive coordinator

2007-02-08T14:48:00.000-05:00

Muskingum College today announced that Shap Boyd has been named as its
new football defensive coordinator.

Boyd arrives in New Concord from Washington University in Saint Louis
where he was defensive coordinator from 2004-06. Under his guidance last
season, the Bears' defense ranked third in NCAA Division III in the
total defense and 10^th in rushing defense. Furthermore, both his
defensive squads in 2004 and 2005 were among the best in the nation in
total defense. Moreover, under his tutelage, three Bears garnered
All-American accolades, including Drew Wethington who last year led the
country in tackles for loss.

"I know Shap and I know his work ethic. He has a great understanding of
the defensive side of the ball and he will bring that expertise to the
Muskie program," said Muskingum Head Coach Al Logan. "He's a quality
coach whose knowledge of the game will benefit our players. We are real
excited about Coach Boyd and his family being here at Muskingum."

Prior to his success at Washington University, Boyd spent five seasons
at Jacksonville University, a Division I-AA non-scholarship program in
Jacksonville, Fla. He served as the defensive coordinator and associate
head coach while at Jacksonville. Boyd helped lead the Dolphins to their
second best record in school history in 2003.

Boyd, with more than 20 years of collegiate coaching experience, brings
a wealth of knowledge to the Fighting Muskie program. His previous
coaching stints include stops at Middle Tennessee State, University of
Kentucky, Lock Haven University, Lycoming College and the University of
the South (Sewanee). Additionally, Boyd spent two years coaching high
school football at Lake Highland Prep in Orlando, Fla.

Boyd graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in psychology from the
University of the South in 1985 after a four-year playing career at free
safety where he played for Coach Logan. The two-time All-Southern
Collegiate Athletic Conference selection was voted team captain as a
senior and helped lead Sewanee to a conference championship in 1983.

A native of Saint Louis, Mo. (Parkway Central High School), Boyd
received his master's degree in health, physical education, recreation
and safety in 1987 from Middle Tennessee State. Boyd and his wife,
Elizabeth, have three children.

--
Tom Caudill
Sports Information Director
Muskingum College

Phone: (740) 826-8022
Fax: (740) 826-8026

www.muskingum.edu

Congratulations Dave Adams

2007-01-31T16:18:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to John Glenn High School teacher and coach, Dave Adams, who will be enshrined in the Muskingum Valley Old-Timers Baseball Association Hall of Fame this week.

Adams is well known in the area because of his presence as a coach or fan at many East Muskingum School District athletic events and for his work at Wildfire Golf Course during the summers helping his in laws at the course. But others, including those at the Old-Timers Baseball Association, are recognizing Adams for his outstanding prep, college and professional baseball career.

Adams started his career in the East Muskingum Baseball Association as a member of the Pike Jets and Rockets. As a Babe Ruth Player, he participated in the State Babe Ruth Tournament.

At John Glenn High School, Adams won four varsity letters, was named to the Muskingum Valley League first team his junior and senior years, and earned All-Ohio honors his senior year. During the summers or 1985 and 1986 he played for the Junior Pioneers.

Adams continued his career at Ohio University earning four letters and All-MAC status as a senior. He was drafted by the Cardinals after his junior year, but chose to return to college and was drafted by the Angels after his senior year in 1989.

He played for the Angels Farm system from 1989 to1993 reaching AA level before suffering a shoulder injury that effectively ended his professional career. After being drafted, Adams played a short season in the Northwest League in Bend, Oregon. He moved to the Midwest League the next two season playing in Quad City Iowa before playing in Midland Texas in the Texas League.

During the 1994-95 season, he worked as an assistant coach at Ohio U. He also has worked as pitching coach for the Muskingum College baseball team from 1997 to 2000. In 2001, he became the head baseball coach at New Lexington High School.

Those who know Dave Adams, know he is not a person to brag about his athletic ability, in fact, he is humble about his accomplishments. When you see him weed eating or driving a mower at the golf course, you would never guess this guy was fairly close to a Major League Baseball career.
These days, Dave is about helping young people, whether in the class room or the playing fields and courts of John Glenn. Dave works as an elementary physical education teacher for East Muskingum School District and his helping coach the high school basketball team. He has worked as a pitching coach with the Muskingum College baseball team in the past and still helps with their pitching clinics each year.

-John Charlton, AVC Sports Director

Muskies' McCollister Returns to Floor to Standing Ovation

2007-01-25T12:43:00.000-05:00

When John Glenn basketball player Drew McCollister stepped onto the basketball floor for the first time during the 2006-07 basketball season, he received a standing ovation.

It was the 14th game of the season at Sheridan High School. He hadn’t scored a basket, pulled down a rebound, or even committed a foul. But anyone who has followed the Muskie basketball team knows about the 6-7 senior post player who has missed the most of the last two seasons.

McCollister re-broke his arm in a fall under the basket in the third game of his junior season. Two plates and 13 screws later, McCollister was still playing basketball, working out with his teammates, including six other seniors, and playing summer basketball.

But something wasn’t quite right, he couldn’t catch his wind. He was being treated for exercised induced asthma, but it was more than that.

A series of test including a MRI of his heart showed some irregularities. The day of the season opener, a day McCollister was anticipating and approaching as a starter for the Muskies, he was told his season was put on hold.

“It was devastating to him but also to the whole team, they found out the afternoon of the first game,” said coach Greg Woodard. “Without question it affected us. Drew is a senior on a team with six other seniors, he is our only true size and he is an emotionally leader for us. It was a mental blow for the kids and Drew, as much as physical.”

But, 14 games later, McCollister was cleared to play and provided an emotional lift for his team.

“I think a lot of people were nervous, his Mom and Dad for sure,” Woodard offered. “Our fans gave him a standing ovation. They can see his passion for the game and his support for his teammates.”

“The people and fans from John Glenn are absolutely phenomenal,” said Drew's Dad, Troy McCollister. “They gave him a standing ovation when he went into the game that is phenomenal. We have heard from tons and tones of people who heard he played. Everyone is happy for him.”

This has been very tough for Drew,” his father continued. “But he has been all about the team. He loves being around those guys. This season was starting to get frustrating, but he still went to practice every day and sat on the bench at every game. He has always been positive.”

Coach Woodard agrees.

“Drew has been that way the last two years. He comes to every practice and every game. He is always positive and always encourages his teammates.” Woodward said. “I admire the kid for that. His season was devastated with adversity; something he loves was taken away from him. But it a good lesson for kids to preserver when they face adversity.”

As for the rest of the season, McCollister was back in the starting line up against Crooksville on Tuesday night and is working hard to get the rust off.

“There was no sense in prolonging the inevitable,” Woodard said about starting McCollister Tuesday. “He is our post presence. The two main things right now are his conditioning and honing his skills.”

McCollister is a physical presence for a 9 and 6 basketball team that now has an additional reason to look forward to the post season.

But for McCollister and all his supporters, the wins may not be as important as just being able to take the court.

Congratulations Coach Schwieterman

2007-01-04T15:05:00.000-05:00

Shenandoah High School basketball coach Dan Schwieterman picked up his 400th career victory last week. In his 30th year as the Zep mentor, Schwieterman has been coaching longer than Shenandoah girls coach has been alive. During that time, he has proved to be a successful coach averaging 13 wins per season. But the number of wins is not even half the story when it comes to Coach Schwieterman.

In rural Noble County and sparsely populated Noble Local School district, Schwieterman has had to put teams on the court that might not have as much natural talent as some of their opponents. A shortage of players also means playing a lot of younger players that other coaches may have the luxury of developing on their junior varsity teams. But he has built teams constructed on the strengths of individual players, hard work, and discipline.

But more than building successful teams, Schwieterman has helped to build successful individuals. What the student-athletes have gained from being a part of a Dan Schwieterman-coached team is worth more than any number of wins.

Congratulations Coach.

-John Charlton
AVC Sports Director

Heacock wins final game as Fuller explodes for 237 yards rushing

2006-11-11T18:06:00.000-05:00

*NEW CONCORD, OHIO, November 11, 2006* - Muskingum College Head Coach
Jeff Heacock ended his 26-year tenure on the Muskie sidelines in
impressive fashion on Saturday. Behind sophomore running back Caleb
Fuller's career-high 237 yards rushing and two touchdowns the Fighting
Muskies generated a season-high 399 yards of total offense en route to
handing Heidelberg College a 28-12 setback. <2006games/GAME10.HTM>

Heacock, who was promoted to Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs
for External Relations earlier in the week, ends his Muskingum career
with 109 victories. His 109 wins ranks in the top 30 all-time in
Division III and ranks 11th all-time in the 104-year history of the Ohio
Athletic Conference. Additionally, his 26-year stint ranks eighth
all-time for active coaches across all divisions (NCAA I, II, III) for
most years at the same institution.

Muskingum took the lead for good in the first quarter on a 12-yard
touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Andre Nash to sophomore wide
receiver Jack Murray. The strike was a culmination of a 11-play, 57-yard
drive and put the Muskies up 7-3. Fuller extended the margin to 14-3 on
a 68-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter. Nash completed the
scoring in the first half on a 32-yard touchdown run with 5:35 left on
the clock. Following junior kicker Mike Zimmermann's extra point,
Muskingum led 21-3 at the intermission.

Fuller struck again early in the third quarter on a 49-yard burst that
gave the Black & Magenta a commanding 28-3 lead. Fuller's dominating
rushing day of 237 yards marked the first time a Muskie has rushed for
over 200 yards since 2002. He averaged 10.8 yards per tote on 22 carries
and hauled in two passes for nine yards. Additionally, Fuller logged two
kickoff returns for 71 yards.

Nash ended the game going 11-of-17 with one interception for 107 yards
and one touchdown. He also carried the ball seven times for 44 yards and
a score. Murray led the receivers with a career-high tying six grabs for
77 yards and one touchdown.

Defensively, Muskingum was paced by junior linebacker Sam Miller who
recorded a game-high 12 stops and one assisted sack. Senior linebacker
Jack Junker logged nine tackles and one tackle for loss, while senior
defensive end Brett Maniaci tallied six tackles, one assisted sack and
1.5 tackles for loss.

Heidelberg was led by junior quarterback Steve West who threw for 134
yards and one touchdown and rushed for 58 yards on 13 carries. Sophomore
wide receiver Kenny Sims caught a team-high six passes for 88 yards,
while sophomore defensive back Brian West anchored the defense with 10
stops.

As a team, Muskingum's 399 total yards of offense and 292 yards rushing
were season-highs. Furthermore, Muskingum's spread attack offense
averaged a season-best 7.3 yards per play and notched 18 first downs.

Hawkins, Guinsler and Gromes named All-OAC

2006-11-09T22:40:00.000-05:00

Hawkins, Guinsler and Gromes named All-OAC

*NEW CONCORD, OHIO, NOVEMBER 6, 2006 -* The Ohio Athletic Conference has
announced that Muskingum College volleyball senior middle hitter Amanda
Hawkins has been named first team All-OAC, while senior libero Elizabeth
Guinsler and senior setter Jessica Gromes were named third team All-OAC.

Hawkins led the Black & Magenta with 406 kills and 110 blocks. She
recorded a team-high .312 hitting percentage and also logged 138 digs
and 25 service aces. Twice this season Hawkins smashed 25 kills in a
game which is tied for fourth all-time at Muskingum for kills in a game.
Hawkins is a two-time All-OAC honoree and ends her tenure with 973
career kills which ranks seventh all-time at Muskingum.

Guinsler led the team with 860 digs and 39 service aces. Her 860 digs
and 7.29 digs per game average ranks first at Muskingum for a
single-season. Guinsler owns the school record for digs in a match with
her 53 dig performance against Ohio Northern last season. Additionally,
her 46 dig effort this season against Heidelberg College ranks second.
Guinsler ends her career as Muskingum's all-time career digs leader with
1,801.

Gromes led the Muskies with 1,024 assists, which marked the fourth
straight year that Gromes has topped the 1,000 assist plateau. She also
recorded 461 digs , 59 kills and 18 service aces. Furthermore, she ranks
second all-time with 1,629 career digs and ranks third, fourth, fifth
and sixth for most assists in a single match. Gromes, a two-time All-OAC
honoree, ends her career as Muskingum's all-time career assist leader
with 4,898.

Under the guidance of Head Coach Elizabeth Zicha, the 10th winningest
active coach in NCAA Division III, Muskingum advanced to the OAC
Tournament Championship game with wins over 21st-ranked Baldwin-Wallace
College and 25th-ranked Capital University en route to its 21st season
of 17 or more wins.

Muskies prepare for trip to nationally-ranked Capital

2006-11-01T14:48:00.000-05:00

Muskies prepare for trip to nationally-ranked Capital

*NEW CONCORD, OHIO, November 1, 2006* - The Muskingum College football
team continues its rugged trek through the Ohio Athletic Conference this
Saturday when they travel to Columbus to play fifth-ranked Capital
University.

The Crusaders of Capital and the Fighting Muskies of Muskingum have
previously met 55 times on the gridiron dating back to 1925. Muskingum
leads the series 36-17-2. The game can be heard live beginning at 1:30
p.m. on the Muskingum Web Broadcasting Network at
http://www.muskingum.edu/home/athletics/broadcast.html.

Capital's high octane offense runs through senior quarterback Rocky
Pentello. Pentello, who ranks seventh in Division III history with
11,047 passing yards, has thrown for 2,103 yards and 21 touchdowns this
season. Pentello's favorite target junior wide receiver Derek Alexander
who has hauled in 48 receptions for 798 yards and nine touchdowns.
Senior running back Jeremy Mulkey paces the Purple & White with 554
yards and nine rushing touchdowns.

"Rocky has been a tremendous quarterback in our conference for several
years now. As a senior he is more experienced and poised in the pocket,
a bit stronger and a smarter quarterback than he has ever been," said
Head Coach Jeff Heacock. "Rocky gets a lot of attention but they have a
solid running attack too."

Muskingum's hard-hitting defense will be led by senior linebacker Jack
Junker, the reigning OAC Defensive Player of the Week and D3football.com
National Team of the Week honoree. Junker recorded a career-high 22
tackles last week against Otterbein and leads the squad with 69 stops on
the season.

"Defensively, we will need to give some different looks and bring
pressure from various sides using some of the blitz packages that we
have," added Heacock.

Muskingum's spread attack offense which is a league-best 9-for-9 in the
red zone will have to contend with a strong Capital defense. Sophomore
quarterback Andre Nash will lead the Black & Magenta and is averaging
nearly 100 yards per outing of total offense. Hard-running sophomore
Steve Mamak will carry load the in the backfield.

"Capital is defensively strong and quick up-front," stated Heacock.
"Their speed in the secondary gives them a real plus and upside. They
react well to the ball, are strong, quick, play the pass well, and
pursue run lanes. They are obviously a good football team."

--
Tom Caudill
Sports Information Director
Muskingum College

Phone: (740) 826-8022
Fax: (740) 826-8026

www.muskingum.edu

CAMBRIDGE BOBCATS MAKE HISTORY

2006-10-28T09:31:00.000-04:00

The Cambridge Bobcats made history Friday night at McFarland Stadium by defeating their cross country rivals, the Meadowbrook Colts 27-0. With the win the Bobcats become the first team in the history of the school to go 10-0 and finish the regular season undefeated.

In conditions not suitable for man nor beast the Cats seized control early, forcing the Colts to punt and getting great field position at the Meadowbrook 36 thanks to a Price Winston 20 yard punt return. Cambridge wasted little time using 6 plays to cover the distance with Stephen Ford taking it in from 8 yards out with 7:27 left in the first quarter and with Zach Engstroms extra point it was 7-0.

The Bobcat defense would force the Colts to go 3 and out on their next 2 possessions once again giving the Cats the short field. Starting from the Colt 43 yard line it took only 3 plays for Cambridge to add to its lead. Sean Mahley on a QB bootleg dodged his way 32 yards to paydirt (or mud) and although the extra point was missed the Cats had set the tone for the game leading 13-0.

A bad start turned worse for Meadowbrook. On the first play of the next possession a bad exchange between the QB and center was fumbled(one of 10 on the night for the Colts) and the Bobcat's Adam Byers came up with it at the Colt 19 yard line. Three plays later Ford added his second TD from 5 yards out, Engstrom got back in the groove and the Bobcats had a commanding 20-0 lead at halftime.

The second half was more of the same from both "Mother Nature" and the Bobcats. With the field conditions deteriorating rapidly the Cats took the 2nd half kickoff and methodically drove it down the field, using 11 plays to cover 57 yards and eating over 7 minutes off the game clock, Mahley punched in the exclamation point from 5 yards out and the extra point made it 27-0.

With 4:55 left in the 3rd period the Colts finally got the ball only to fumble it away on their 2nd play. Cambridge again took advantage starting at the Colt 28 and in 2 plays Jamaal Lowery scored from 15 yards out. A personal foul on the Bobcats however nullified the score and the Bobcat drive stalled.

The Colts next drive again was a short one as Jordan Williams picked off a Coular Clendening pass on the first play at the Colt 22 yardline. Cambridge's JV offense was sent in to finish off the Colts, however the subs found out just how bad the field conditions were as the Bobcats fumbled 4 consecutive snaps and turned it over on downs. Both teams exchanged fumbles on the next 2 plays and the Colts managed to cross midfield at the 5:00 minute mark but were stopped on downs. The final possessions for both teams ended in turnovers in the swamp like conditions.

For the game both teams combined for 18 fumbles, Meadowbrook had 10, losing 4, and Cambridge had 8, losing 2. The Colts also had two passes picked off giving them a total of 6 turnovers on the night.

Cambridge's defense was dominant all night posting their 2nd consecutive shutout, while holding the Colts to 57 total yards and only 3 first downs, one via a penalty. The Bobcat offense on the other hand controlled the line of scrimmage, chalking up 254 total yards. Ford finished with 178 of those on 30 carries to go with his 2 TD's and surpassed 5,000 yards rushing for his career, he is just 44 yards shy of 2,000 for the season. Mahley who did not complete a pass for the first time this year, carried 8 times for 59 yards and a pair of scores.

With the win the Bobcats lock up an undisputed East Central Ohio League Championship and a home field playoff game on Sat. Nov. 4th vs. Canal Fulton Northwest, a rematch of last years playoff game. Game time next Saturday is set for 7:00 pm.

AVC/ WCMJ

Bill Kafury

Muskies travel to Westerville for OAC showdown against Otterbein

2006-10-25T14:00:00.000-04:00

Muskies travel to Westerville for OAC showdown against Otterbein

*NEW CONCORD, OHIO, October 25, 2006* - The Muskingum College football
team travels to continues its trek through the Ohio Athletic Conference
with a showdown against Otterbein College on Saturday, October 28.

The Cardinals of Otterbein College (2-4, 3-4) and the Fighting Muskies
of Muskingum College (0-6, 1-6) have previously met 65 times, dating
back to the first meeting in 1905. Muskingum leads the all-time series,
39-24-2 and have a 6-4 mark against Otterbein over the last decade. Game
time is set for 1:30 P.M. and can be heard live on WMCO 90.7 FM in New
Concord and on the Muskingum Web Broadcasting Network at
http://www.muskingum.edu/home/athletics/broadcast.html. <../broadcast.html>

Otterbein enters the game with a struggling offense that has scored just
13 points in its last four outings. To add to the Cardinals struggles
will be the absence of junior quarterback Paul Stelzer, who suffered an
injury last week at Capital.

"Otterbein right now is a team that is having some problems with
injuries on their offensive side of the ball," said Muskingum Head Coach
Jeff Heacock. "However, on defense they have outstanding defensive ends.
They have one defensive end who's a preseason All-American in Mike King
and another outstanding football player in Tyler Evans. They are active
on defense and one that swarms aggressively to the ball."

The Cardinals will look toward senior quarterback Chase Riffle and
sophomore quarterback Robbie Rosner to direct the offense. Riffle has
played in one game this season and has thrown for 14 yards, while Rosner
has appeared in two games and has thrown for 27 yards.

"I'm sure offensively there will be some different things they are going
to do," added Heacock. "We saw Riffle and Rosner play against Capital
and saw what they can do. They throw the ball well and they are big
guys. They will probably rely on running game early just to get there
quarterback settled in."

Muskingum's defense which is fourth in the OAC in turnover margin will
look to pressure the Otterbein quarterback and gain momentum early in
the contest. Junior linebacker Sam Miller paces the Black & Magenta
averaging 7.1 stops per outing, while senior linebacker Jack Junker is
notching 6.7 tackles per game and sophomore linebacker Anthony Carson is
logging 6.3 stops a game.

Coach Heacock knows that productivity is the key to leaving Westerville
with a win.

"We need to be productive early in the game on offense and defense.
Offensively we need to put points on the board; defensively we've got to
hold them out of the end zone. Productivity on both sides of the
football is going to be very important early in the game. We are anxious
to get to Otterbein and play and improve from what we have done up to
this point and obviously get a win."

--
Tom Caudill
Sports Information Director
Muskingum College

Phone: (740) 826-8022
Fax: (740) 826-8026

www.muskingum.edu

BOBCATS THUMP CLAYMONT 49-0, CLINCH HOME PLAYOFF BERTH

2006-10-21T10:34:00.000-04:00

The Cambridge Bobcats traveled to Urichsville Friday night with several goals in mind. First and foremost, win the game vs. the Claymont Mustangs. The Bobcats took care of that goal early, jumping on the hapless Mustangs for 42 first half points en route to a 49-0 shutout. Goal two, work on the passing game. On a team known for its punishing ground game the Bobcats QB, Sean Mahley was nothing short of outstanding. For the night Mahley was 8 of 12 for 213 yards and 4 TD's, oh and he also rushed for another 55 yard score. In the first half alone Mahley tossed scoring strikes to Darren Fields from 12 yards out, Cory Miller from 71 and 46 yards away and just before the half a 36 yarder to Robert Wilson. Sandwich in the Mahley 55 yard scamper and a 9 yard run by standout running back Stephen Ford who added 120 yards rushing, and the Bobcats took care of goal # 2 in impressive fashion.

Goal # 3 for Coach Goodrich was to build a big lead early in order to rest some starters. Obviously the Bobcats quick start enabled him to do that. After allowing his starters a brief 3rd qtr. appearance the subs finished the remainder of the game, preserving the shutout and scoring the final TD on a P.J. Poole 2 yard dive. Zach Engstrom added the final extra point to go a perfect 7 of 7 on the night and made Coach Goodrich's 45th birthday a happy one.

The Cambridge defense was spectacular once again, holding the Mustangs to 61 total yards and never allowing them past midfield. Jordan Williams picked off 2 errant Mustangs passes giving the Bobcat offense a short field, his first coming on the Mustangs initial play from scrimmage and his second coming late in the 2^nd period to allow the Bobcats to score again just before the half.

Goal # 4 for the Bobcats was to clinch a home field playoff game. With the victory Cambridge is ensured of a 1^st round home game at McFarland Stadium. The Bobcats entered the game as the # 3 ranked team in the Div. III AP poll and 2^nd in the Div. III region 11 computer rankings. The win over the Mustangs the Cats solidified their ranking, their post season status and tied the record for most wins in a season in the history of Bobcat football.

The Bobcats close out the regular season at home next week with cross county rival Meadowbrook who came from behind Friday to defeat Riverview 24-20. With a chance to become the first Cambridge football team to finish the regular season undefeated and maintain their rank in the region its unlikely the Bobcats will come out flat. The Colts will have nothing to lose however and will be ready for the challenge of knocking the Bobcats from the ranks of the unbeaten. A win by the Bobcats in week ten would also give them the outright East Central Ohio League Championship.

AVC / WCMJ

Bill Kafury

Muskingum faces John Carroll during annual Homecoming game

2006-10-18T15:17:00.000-04:00

Muskingum faces John Carroll during annual Homecoming game

*NEW CONCORD, OHIO, October 18, 2006* - The Muskingum College football
team continues its trek through the rugged Ohio Athletic Conference
Saturday when its hosts John Carroll University in Muskingum's annual
Homecoming game.

The Blue Steaks of John Carroll University and the Fighting Muskies of
Muskingum College have previously met 20 times, dating back to the first
meeting in 1933. JCU leads the all-time series, 16-3-1. Game time is set
for 1:30 P.M. in McConagha Stadium and can be heard live on WMCO 90.7 FM
in New Concord and on the Muskingum Web Broadcasting Network at
http://www.muskingum.edu/home/athletics/broadcast.html. <../broadcast.html>

Muskingum’s spread attack offense is the top-ranked OAC offense in the
red zone this season. The Black & Magenta are a perfect 9-for 9 with six
touchdowns and three field goals. Muskie Head Coach Jeff Heacock knows
that a key to beating John Carroll is controlling the line of scrimmage.

"Controlling the line of scrimmage is something that we are going to
have to do to be successful. You win football games when you control the
line of scrimmage on both sides of the football," said Heacock. "To beat
good football teams in this league we have to be consistent in that and
we are working real hard to try and get to that point."

With the added excitement of Muskingum's Homecoming, the Fighting
Muskies will be ready to play hard and garner a win for the Black &
Magenta fans.

"I think we are blessed at Muskingum because I think that Muskingum
still carries a lot of tradition with Homecoming, Varsity Revue, the
parade, the induction into the Hall of Fame members and the special
recognition of special guests on our campus," stated Heacock. "We know
that there is excitement, a buzz around campus this weekend. We know
that there is going to be a nice crowd at the game and it's a good Ohio
Conference opponent and that has to bring the best out of you. So with
all the combinations of things that go on with our tradition here at
Muskingum College, I really look forward to it being an extra special
weekend for us."

Muskingum's stingy defense which has forced 11 turnovers this season,
will have to contain John Carroll quarterback Mark Petruziello for the
Muskies to be successful. On the season, Petruziello has thrown for 579
yards and five touchdowns.

"I think the big key to John Carroll is their transfer quarterback from
Ohio University, Mark Petruziello. He's 6-foot-2, 210 pounds and from
Lake Catholic High School," added Heacock. "He was on a full scholarship
at Ohio University and transferred to John Carroll and has won the
starting position over some experienced quarterbacks in their program.
That shows you the talent that he has. He's a work horse for them and a
talented young man at that position."

The game will also mark the introduction of Muskingum's newest Athletic
Hall of Fame members. Joining the Hall of Fame are Terry Kelley ’79, Tom
Bixler ’63, Dee Ann Mell ’89, Tracy Franklin Fox ’87 and Ron Vessels
’63. The honorees will be honored during halftime and will join 120
other Muskies who have been selected for this prestigious honor in the
last 27 years.

Muskingum prepares for home battle against Baldwin-Wallace

2006-10-11T14:15:00.000-04:00

Muskingum prepares for home battle against Baldwin-Wallace

*NEW CONCORD, OHIO, October 11, 2006* - The Muskingum College football
team renews its rivalry with Ohio Athletic Conference foe
Baldwin-Wallace College on Saturday, October 14.

The game will mark the 50th meeting between the Fighting Muskies and the
Yellow Jackets. B-W leads the all-time series which began in 1917,
35-12-2. However, the Muskies handed B-W a 16-10 setback last year in
New Concord. Muskingum enters the game 1-4 overall and 0-4 in the OAC,
while B-W stands at 4-1 overall and 3-1 in league action.

Muskingum, who extended their league-best red zone streak this season to
a perfect 8-for-8 last week at Marietta, will use its spread attack
offense to distribute the football across the entire field. Muskingum is
throwing for 124 yards per game, while also rushing for 71 yards per
outing. The Black & Magenta are controlling the ball for 31 minutes per
contest and are one of the least penalized teams in the league.

"I saw signs of our offense really getting a lot better last Saturday at
Marietta. I think we moved the ball, had some nice drives and we mixed
it up and did some nice things," said Head Coach Jeff Heacock. "The
execution on offense without making mistakes is something that is very
important to us. We've got to work on our execution and make sure it's
in tune for Saturday and if it is, then good things are going to happen
for us."

The leadership of co-senior captains Jack Junker and Steve Howard is
critical for the Muskies as they prepare for the Yellow Jackets. Junker
leads the team and is ranked seventh in the conference in tackles with
37. Junker also has three tackles for loss and has forced one fumble.
Howard leads the team and is second in the conference with 136
all-purpose yards per game. Howard's 24.1 yards per kick return is tops
in the OAC.

"Junker and Howard play hard and they focus in each week and they bring
a lot to the table," added Heacock. "Their maturity level and their
development in our program and their positive attitude is great for our
football team. Their enthusiasm for the game and their focus for the
game has really been tremendous for us."

Baldwin-Wallace is paced offensively by junior quarterback Mickey Mental
and senior running back Brandon Hedges. Mental has completed 73-of-116
passes for 855 yards with six touchdowns, while Hedges has 394 yards on
103 carries and eight touchdowns. He also has caught 10 passes for 80
yards. As a team, B-W is averaging 24.0 points per game and 304 yards of
total offense.

"Baldwin-Wallace's quarterback Mickey Mental and Brandon Hedges their
running back are two guys that are very experienced in our conference
and each week they seem to be getting better and playing with more
confidence," stated Heacock. "Our defense will have to pressure Mental
and not allow Hedges to have big plays."

Game time is set for 1:30 P.M. in McConagha Stadium and can be heard
live on WMCO 90.7 FM in New Concord and on the Muskingum Web
Broadcasting Network at
http://www.muskingum.edu/home/athletics/broadcast.html.

Opinion: It Pays to Be Nice

2006-10-10T15:59:00.000-04:00

I had a sociology professor in college who studied sports. He claimed, and I believed him, that the sports world is a sample group for society. Things that happen in sports, like racism, happen in society. It is just a little easier to study in a smaller group, like the NFL or a baseball team.

If it is true that the sports world can teach us about society, then we can definitely learn a lesson from legendary football coach Paul Bear Bryant. Here is a story I recently came across.

At a TD Club meeting many years before his death, Coach Bryant told the following story...typical of the way he operated.

I had just been named the new head coach at Alabama and was off in my old car down in South Alabama recruiting a prospect who was supposed to have been a pretty good player and I was havin' trouble finding the place. Getting hungry I spied an old cinder block building with a small sign out front that simply said "Restaurant".

I pull up, go in and every head in the place turns to stare at me. Seems I'm the only white fella in the place. But the food smelled good so I skip a table and go up to a cement bar and sit. A big ole man in a tee shirt and cap comes over and says, "What do you need?" I told him I needed lunch and what did they have today? He says, "You probably won't like it here, today we're having chiltlin's, collared greens and black eyed peas with cornbread. I'll bet you don't even know what chitlin's are, do you?"

I looked him square in the eye and said, "I'm from Arkansas, I've probably eaten a mile of them. Sounds like I'm in the right place." They all smiled he left to serve me up a big plate. When he comes back he says, you ain't from around here then? And I explain I'm the new football coach up in Tuscaloosa at the University and I'm here to find what ever that boys name was, and he says, yeah I've heard of him, he's supposed to be pretty good. And he gives me directions to the school so I can meet him and his coach.

As I'm paying up to leave I remember my manners and leave a tip, not too big to be flashy, but a good one, and he told me lunch was on him, but I told him for a lunch that good, I felt I should pay. The big man asked me if I had a photograph of something he could hang up to show I'd been there.

I was so new that I didn't have any yet. It really wasn't that big a thing back then to be asked for, but I took a napkin and wrote his name and address on it and told him I'd get him one. I met the kid I was lookin' for later that afternoon, and I don't remember his name, but do remember I didn't think much of him when I met him. I had wasted a day, or so I thought.

When I got back to Tuscaloosa late that night, I put that napkin from my shirt pocket and put it under my keys so I wouldn't forget it. Hell, back then I was excited that anybody would want a picture of me. And the next day we found a picture and I wrote on it, Thanks for the best lunch I've ever had, Paul Bear Bryant.

Now let's go a whole! buncha years down the road. Now we have black players at Alabama and I'm back down in that part of the country scouting an offensive lineman we sure needed. Yall remember, (and I forget the name, but it's not important to the story), well anyway, he's got two friends going to Auburn and he tells me he's got his heart set on Auburn too, so I leave empty handed and go on see some others while I'm down there.

Two days later, I'm in my office in Tuscaloosa and the phone rings and it's this kid who just turned me down, and he says, "Coach, do you still want me at Alabama?" And I said hell yes I sure do. And he says, OK, he'll come. And I say, well son, what changed your mind? And he said, "When my grandpa found out that I had a chance to play for you and said no he pitched a fit and told me I wasn't going nowhere but Alabama, and wasn't playing for nobody but you. He thinks a lot of you and has ever since yall met."

Well I didn't k now his grandad from Adam's housecat so I asked him who his grand daddy was and he said, "You probly don't remember him, but you ate in his restaurant when your first year at Alabama and you sent him a picture that he's had hung in that place ever since. That picture's his pride and joy and he still tells everybody about the day that Bear Bryant came in and had chitlin's with him. My grandpa said that when you left there, he never expected you to remember him or to send him that picture, but you kept your word to him, and to Grandpa, that's everything. He said you could teach me more than football and I had to play for a man like you, so I guess I'm going to."

"I was floored", he said. "But I learned that the lessons my mama taught me were always right. It don't cost nuthin' to be nice. It don't cost nuthin' to do the right thing most of the time, and it cost! s a lot to lose your good name by breakin' your word to someone. When I went back to sign that boy, I looked up his Grandpa and he's still running that place, but it looks a lot better now, and he didn't have chitlin's that day, but he had some ribs that woulda made dreamland proud and I made sure I posed for a lot of pictures, and don't think I didn't leave some new ones for him too along with a signed football. I made it clear to all my assistants to keep this story and these lessons in mind when they're out on the road.

And if you remember anything else from me, remember this, It really doesn't cost anything to be nice, and the rewards can be unimaginable."

-John Charlton
AVC Sports

BOBCATS SCALP THE REDSKINS 28-7

2006-10-07T14:54:00.000-04:00

The Cambridge Bobcats celebrated Homecoming 2006 Friday night. First by naming Tia Theodosopoulos and Jared Matthews the Queen and King of the festivities and then by dispatching the Coshocton Redskins 28-7. The naming of the royalty was quick and easy, the victory over the Redskins was not.

Coshocton took advantage of good field position and two early fumbles by the Bobcats to take an early 7-0 lead. Cambridge seemed flat early on coming off a huge win last week at Dover. The mis-direction of the Coshocton wing-T attack led to confusion on the Bobcat defense as the Redskin had several possessions in Bobcat territory. The Bobcat defense held and the offense got on track late in the first quarter when Stephen Ford capped a 63 yard drive with a 3 yard TD run. Zach Engstrom booted the first of 4 extra points and the game was tied at 7.

Once again the Bobcat defense held the Redskins on downs, this time at the Cambridge 4 yard line. The offense used the rest of the first half clock to drive 96 yards and put the go ahead score on the board with just 13 ticks left. Sean Mahley found FB Jamaal Lowery open in the right flat and Lowery did the rest scampering down the sideline from 17 yards out and diving into the endzone.

The Bobcats opened the 2nd half with another TD, this time Mahley weaving his way through the Coshocton Defense from 60 yards out to make it 21-7. Mahley would add another score late in the 4th qtr. this time from 19 yards out to complete the scoring.

Ball control was the name of the game for Cambridge as Ford finished with 160 yards on 30 carries. Mahley added 105 yards on just 7 carries and was 5 of 7 passing for 60+ yards and another score. The Bobcats defense made some good adjustments and kept the Redskins at bay after their early score holding them to less than 150 total yards including 0 passing .

The Redskins fall to 3-4 overall and 2-2 in the ECOL. Cambridge is now 7-0 and 4-0 in league play. The Bobcats will host the undefeated New Philadelphia Quakers next Friday in what ammounts to the ECOL Championship game. Although the Quakers still have to play Dover in week 10, the winner of next weeks battle has the chance to be the undisputed league champion as well as pick up a boat load of computer playoff points that would virtually assure them of a home playoff contest.

AVC/WCMJ

Bill Kafury

Muskingum prepares for battle with rival Marietta

2006-10-04T14:42:00.000-04:00

Muskingum prepares for battle with rival Marietta

*NEW CONCORD, OHIO, October 4, 2006* - The Muskingum College football
team continues its trek through the rugged Ohio Athletic Conference when
it travels to rival Marietta College on Saturday, October 7.

The game will mark the 84th meeting between the schools with Muskingum
holding a 45-37-2 edge in the series. In the last six years, the game
has been decided by six-points or less and have all come down to the
final possession.

Muskingum enters the pivotal OAC game at 1-3 overall and 0-3 in
conference action, while Marietta sports a 2-2 overall record and 1-2
conference mark. With both schools being in close proximity to one
another, a natural bitter rivalry exists.

"We are excited about this game. This is a regional game and a game that
our guys really enjoy playing. It's a real emotional game and I think
the guys know each other," added Muskingum Head Coach Jeff Heacock.
"They come from a lot of the same high schools, played against each
other and I think a lot of the guys playing for them visited Muskingum
and the guys playing for us visited Marietta. It's a game that's an hour
away and I think in any sport - it's not just football - the emotions
pick up a little bit when these two teams compete and it's just a great
atmosphere."

Muskingum's spread attack offense which is averaging 64.5 yards per game
rushing and 130.2 through the air will look to take advantage of a
Marietta defense that ranks seventh in the OAC and is allowing 335 yards
and 32.5 points per game. The Black & Magenta enter the contest a
perfect 6-for-6 in the red zone and are second in the league in punt
return average.

"Our offense is a timing technique type offense and we need it to click.
The confidence level and the ability to perform and go at a fast rate of
speed is very important for us." stated Heacock. "We know the offense
can do good things - we have seen it happen at various times. We have
good players and they want to do well and they are working hard and
hopefully it will pay off in the Marietta game."

Marietta's offense which is averaging 24 points per outing is directed
by quarterback Jason Vrable. Vrable is averaging 374.5 yards per game
through the air, which ranks second in NCAA D-III in passing offense.
The senior signal caller became the top passer in Marietta history in
terms of completions last Saturday at Capital. Vrable has completed a
school record 398 passes and is 65 yards and one touchdown shy of
setting the Marietta records for yards and touchdowns.

"Vrable has been a four-year starter and he's a tremendous football
player, who leads his team," said Muskingum Head Coach Jeff Heacock.
"Vrable has the ability to throw the football well in pressure
situations and he can scramble. He has a strong arm and possesses the
ability to rally a football team."

Muskingum's defense which will need to apply pressure to Vrable and the
Pioneer attack will be led by senior linebacker Jack Junker, junior
linebacker Sam Miller, junior safety Jordan Rhodes and senior defensive
end Brett Maniaci. Junker ranks fifth in the OAC in tackles averaging
7.5 per game, while Miller ranks eighth notching 7.2 stops per game.
Junker also has 2.5 tackles for loss, one forced fumble and one fumble
recovery and Miller has two tackles for loss, one interception and one
fumble recovery. Rhodes and Maniaci both rank 27th in the league
averaging five tackles per game. As a team, the Muskies have 15 tackles
for loss and four sacks.

The game can heard live beginning at 6:00 p.m. on WMCO 90.7 FM in New
Concord and on the Muskingum Web Broadcasting Network at
http://www.muskingum.edu/home/athletics/broadcast.html <../broadcast.html>.

Opinion: Best Baseball Movies

2006-10-04T11:30:00.000-04:00

October is here and with it, Major League Baseball playoffs. Im sure the playoff games will provide plenty of entertainment during the next several weeks, but just in case they dont, you might want to consider a baseball movie.

Im not talking about just any baseball movie, Im talking about the best baseball movies ever made.

How, you ask, do I know what the best baseball movies are? Well, I dont, this is just my opinion. You are allowed to disagree and even disagree by posting a comment on this blog. Ill just let you know in the top of the inning, that you are wrong.

This is my criteria for rating baseball movies:
A. The movie tells a story of overcoming adversity. After all, that is what baseball is about. Its about making it from the minors to the majors, getting behind in the count and still reaching base, getting behind in the count and still getting a strike out, hitting walk off home run, hitting .300 for a season. All of these things are long shots, but they are all good stories. A top notch baseball movie should have this element.
B. The movie uses baseball as a metaphor for life. I could bore you with a bunch of examples, but I wont. Just think of all the baseball clichés you use in everyday life: Three strikes and your out, Go down swinging, Give em the high, hard one, Rounding third and heading for home, Riding the pine, etc.
C. The movie should have some humor. It can be a comedy, but for my tastes, Id rather have a little comedy mixed in with some drama and some action.

Since I couldnt possible watch every baseball movie ever made, my list is based on the movies I have seen, all of which were made after my birth in 1968.

10. Summer Catch staring Freddie Prinze Jr. In this movie, Prinze, a local kid pitching in the famous Cape Cod wooden bat league for college players, overcomes a ton of adversity, signs the minor league contract and gets the girl. This movie includes some funny scenes and some of the best things about amateur baseball like hanging out with the guys, getting into trouble, and chasing girls. An infield single.

9. Bang the Drum Slowly, staring Michel Moriarty and Robert DeNiro, is baseballs version of Brian Song. This remake (the original had Paul Newman) depicts how a team comes together around a sick player. Rate it a single.

8. The Natural staring Robert Redford and Robert Duvall, is a great comeback story. Some of the events of the movie are a little far fetched including the overly dramatic final scene. However, its still a classic and a good movie to watch with kids. A single.

7. Angels in the Outfield, Danny Glover and Tony Danza, falls into the metaphor for life category but also meets my other two criteria. Obviously unbelievable for those who need their movies to be realistic, but if you can suspend reality for a couple of hours and believe in Angels (it could happen), its a pretty good movie. Young kids will love it, too. A double.

6. The Rookie staring Dennis Quaid. Maybe this one appeals to me because our star is way too old to be trying to make it to the big leagues, and that means that maybe I dont have to give up on childhood dreams just yet. Based on a true story, this movie meets all three of my criteria. Also, this is a good movie to watch with the family. A stand- up double.

5. Bad News Bears. Dont get the remake with Billy Bob Thorton, rent the original with Walter Matthua and Tatum ONeal. Classical music and a rag-tag bunch of kids overcoming long odds to almost win the championship. Matthua is great as the boozing, pool cleaner, who gets roped into coaching a little league team. Parents beware; I recently watched this movie again and couldnt believe how much foul language was in this movie and how much the adults abused the players. Not a PC movie. I rate it a triple.

4. Field of Dreams with Kevin Costner and James Earl Jones. This is a great movie, although, its arguable if it is really a baseball movie, or just a movie built around baseball. Quite honestly, I thought the book (Shoeless Joe, by W.P. Kinsella) was better than the movie. At the same time, when I saw this movie in the theatre for the first time in 1989, I made my girlfriend go to the car and bring my ball glove in. Rate this movie an RBI triple.

3. Major League, staring Tom Berenger, Charlie Sheen, Corbin Bernsen, Wesley Snipes, Renee Russo, hits only two of my criteria, but is sooo funny, you cant keep it out of the top three. I absolutely love the radio calls by Bob Uecker as Harry Doyle and the discussion by the tribe members on the reservation about the home run ball that was too high. The training camp and locker room scenes are classic. Definitely a home run.

2. The Sandlot, which you can catch on TV fairly often, is a great story told from the viewpoint of one of the players. It will take many a grown man back in time to when they used to play on the sandlots of their childhood where the days were never long enough despite the fact there was nothing to do but play baseball. James Earl Jones has a limited role in this movie, but his insistence on referring to Babe Ruth as George, is almost as good as the narrator not knowing who Babe Ruth is. This movie is a three-run home run.

1. Bull Durham staring Kevin Costner, Tim Robbins, and Susan Sarandon is my favorite baseball movie, and also one of my favorite movies. This movie hits all three of my criteria. I love the banter between Crash (Costner) and Nuke (Robbins) and also the baseball philosophy and theories that Sarandon dispenses as Annie Savoy. Some great scenes in this movie with Max Paxton, the Clown Prince of Baseball. Robert Wuhl is also funny as the assistant coach for the Bulls. A Grand Slam.

Honorable mention movies:
A League of Their Own staring Geena Davis, Tom Hanks, Madonna, Rosie ODonnell. Famous Theres no crying in baseball, scene with Hanks.
Fever Pitch staring Drew Barrymore and Jimmy Fallon does a good job explaining the fanatical fan point of view. Set in Boston for a reason.

Brewsters Millions staring Richard Pryor and John Candy is a funny movie built around baseball. The baseball scenes are funny especially when the train goes though the outfield during games.

Long Gone is a solid movie about amateur baseball contains one of the best names for a baseball player ever: Stud Cantrell played by William Petterson.

Also funny is Mr. Baseball with Tom Selleck. Contains some fish-out-of-water scenes as Selleck plays baseball in Japan.

Funniest baseball scene not in a baseball movie: The baseball game from The Naked Gun starting Leslie Neilson as an umpire.

I hope the playoffs are competitive and all go the distance, but if not, enjoy the movies.

-John Charlton
AVC Sports

Muskingum visits Wilmington in OAC showdown

2006-09-26T15:06:00.000-04:00

*NEW CONCORD, OHIO, September 26, 2006* - The Muskingum College football
team continues its trek through the Ohio Athletic Conference when it
visits Wilmington College on Saturday. The game can be heard live on
WMCO 90.7 FM and on the Muskingum web broadcasting network at
http://www.muskingum.edu/home/athletics/broadcast.html.

Muskingum will enter the game 1-2 overall and 0-2 in league play, while
the Quakers stand at 0-3 overall and 0-2 in the conference. The contest
will mark the 12th meeting between the schools with Muskingum holding a
6-5 edge in the series.

Wilmington is still searching for its first points of the season and
have been outscored 81-0. The Quakers are averaging 128 yards per game
(25 rushing, 103 passing) and are 0-for-1 in their only red zone
appearance.

"Wilmington is a team that obviously is disappointed in the fact that
they are 0-3 right now because they have played a couple of playoff
teams from past years," said Head Coach Jeff Heacock. "I think they
think they are a better football team, and I think they are a better
football team then they were last year."

The Quakers offense runs through freshman quarterback Billy Blackburn.
Blackburn is 29-of-63 with three interceptions and 277 yards on the
season. Junior wide receiver Brandon Hiatt leads the receiving core with
10 catches for 138 yards.

"They brought in a new quarterback - Billy Blackburn - he's a freshman
and new to their program," added Heacock. "He brings a lot of life to
their offense. I know that they have struggled offensively, but again
they have played good teams and had a tough game last week against
Baldwin-Wallace in the rain."

Muskingum's spread attack offense will have to contend with an
experienced Quaker defense. Sophomore quarterback Andre Nash leads the
Muskie offense with 337 yards and four touchdowns through the air. He
has also rushed for two scores. The offense is averaging 31:24 time of
possession in each game, which ranks second in the conference.

"Defensively they are strong - they have nine starters back on that side
of the ball and are a stunting, attacking type of defense that's very
aggressive," stated Heacock. "They are an experienced bunch and they
play with confidence and they get after the quarterback."

The Muskies' defense will be led by senior Jack Junker who ranks seventh
in the OAC averaging seven stops per outing. Junker has also forced one
fumble and recovered one. As a team, Muskingum has logged 11 tackles for
loss and forced six fumbles.

Coach Heacock knows that in order for the Muskies to be successful at
Wilmington they have got to correct a few things.

"We can't have the turnover ratio that we had last week and think that
we are going to beat anybody in any game," quipped Heacock. "We have got
to eliminate mistakes and obviously protect the football."

After opening the season with a win over Bethany College, the Muskies
have dropped back-to-back games against nationally-ranked Ohio Northern
University and Mount Union College. However, the Black & Magenta have a
shot a reaching .500 with a win over Wilmington, which would mark their
best start to a season since 2003.

"A win puts us back at 2-2 and that is something I think we want to
strive for as we head into the Marietta trip and then back home against
B-W," stated Heacock.

--
Tom Caudill
Sports Information Director
Muskingum College

Phone: (740) 826-8022
Fax: (740) 826-8026

www.muskingum.edu

Opinion: Soccer, a Pretty Decent Sport Afterall

2006-09-26T14:12:00.000-04:00

Growing up the son of a high school football coach, a Pittsburgh Steeler fan during the glory years of the 1970s, and near the heart of Penn State territory, I had little interest in the sport of soccer. In fact, I would be one of the first in line to bad mouth "the soon-to-be most popular sport in the nation." I dismissed it as I did the idea that the United States would convert to the metric system.

Sure there were soccer leagues around, in fact, my brother participated in a soccer league. I, however, didnt believe there were sports other than the four majors * baseball, basketball, hockey (this was before NASCAR hit it big), and football.

What I am finding out as a parent of two young children, too young to play biddy football yet, is that soccer is not a bad sport after all.

The myths about soccer include the falsehood that soccer isnt as physical as football. While in soccer two teams dont line up in full pads and charge into each other, there is a considerable amount of contact. The physicality of the game became obvious to me not while watching and coaching my childrens U-8 soccer games, but when I recently attended a Columbus Crew game and two weeks later when I attended a Muskingum College mens soccer game.

Talk about physical. These guys were jumping into the air to battle over a played ball. In football, or should I say American football, you see this when a receiver and a defensive back both jump for a high pass. They both try to get their hands on the ball. Sometimes a defensive back arrives a split second after the receiver first touches the ball and delivers a ball-separating hit. But never do you see two helmet-less players jump simultaneously into the air and both try to contact the ball with their heads.

Another myth about soccer is that there is little strategy to the game. As a coach, I can tell you that there are a lot of different strategies that will make a difference in the outcome of a game. There is offense and defense and even special teams play that can mean the difference between winning and losing. And dont think that teamwork isnt as important as in football. It is just as important if your team is to be successful.

Another myth: Soccer players like to run. Im sure there are a few soccer players who are out there just because they like to run. However, there are probably less runners than the average critic would like to think. Come on, cross country is the same season as soccer at the high school and collegiate level. I f you just wanted to run, you could have gone out for the less physical sport of cross country.

Dont get me wrong, being in shape and able to run up and down the field during a 45-minute half (clock runs non-stop) is certainly an advantage, but it is also an advantage in football. Besides, you have to admire a sport that doesnt allow a player to re-enter once they have been subbed for. A lot more admirable then the situation substitutions you seen in a typical NFL game where some defensive lineman only play two downs out of four and some backs and receivers only play one down out of four on offense.

So basically, soccer is not a bad sport. In fact, most of the world would consider it the only major sport. Just because it doesnt have a major TV contract in the United States doesnt mean its not a great sport. You should encourage you children to try it, at least until they are old enough to play biddy football.

EOSAY
The local soccer league in Cambridge, Eastern Ohio Soccer Association for Youth (EOSAY) does a good job of introducing both children and parents to soccer. Stop down by the fields on a Sunday afternoon and check out one of the many games going on between 1 and 6 p.m.

This season, there are 28 teams participating with players between the ages of four and 12. It is a great learning experience for many youth.

It is also paying dividends at the high school level where the Cambridge High School boys and girls teams are seeing unprecedented success. Both programs are still young, but it is obvious the communitys interest in youth soccer is contributing to the success of these high school teams. Same goes for successful programs at John Glenn High School.

Thanks to the volunteer leaders of EOSAY and the volunteer coaches, many who are learning as they coach and teach their teams. Special thanks to Muskingum College soccer player Drew Untied who has volunteered to help coach 11 six and seven year olds after he finishes his college practices.

-John Charlton
AVC Sports

BOBCATS BLANK BLACK BEARS 28-0

2006-09-23T08:59:00.000-04:00

The Cambridge Bobcats used a smothering defense to limit the Riverview Black Bears to under 100 total yards Friday night at McFarland Stadium, and once again rode tailback Stephen Ford for over 100 yards and 3 TD's in picking up win number 5 on the season.

The Bobcats set the tone of the first series as DB Jordan Williams picked off a Riverview pass at the Black Bear 47. Four plays later Ford scampered in from the 21 and Zach Engstrom added the first of 4 extra points and the Bobcats would never look back. Engstrom would hammer his kickoffs deep into the endzone or inside the 5 yardline all night, as the best starting position for the Black Bears in the first half was their own 20. The Bobcat defense would take over from there, swarming over the Black Bears offense and giving the Cambridge"O" excellent field position.

Cambridge added touchdowns on its next two possessions with Ford scoring from 4 and 3 yards out to make the halftime score 21-0. On the defensive side the Cats were gang tackling Riverview ballcarriers for little or no gain and often hammering them in the backfield for a loss. DE Bear Holdren was once again a force as were LB's Kirk Wetherell and Eric Burlingame who both seemed to be everywhere.

Riverview's defense stiffened in the 2nd half as they forced the Bobcats to punt on Cambridge's first possession. Starting at the Bobcat 47 the Black Bears put together their best drive of the night using 9 plays and a Bobcat penalty to drive to the Cambridge 4 yardline. The Cats defense was equal to the task however turning the Black Bears away on a 4th down play. Once again Riverview would force the Cats to go 3 and out and take over near midfield, and once again after a short drive the Cats would repel the Bears on 4th down, this time at the Cambridge 17.

From that point on Cambridge's offense would control the game. Taking over at the beginning of the 4th quarter the Bobcats would mount a drive that would consume nearly 9 minutes and use 13 plays to drive 83 yards, with the exclamation point coming on a 7 yard pass from Sean Mahley to Hank Lilienthal at the 3:31 mark.

Riverview (0-5, 0-2)stays winless on the year, while the Bobcats (5-0, 2-0) take their perfect record to Crater Stadium next week to take on Dover. In a game that has league champion implications and playoff points galore, the winner will no doubt secure a home field date for the post-season. Dover came into week five with the #5 ranking in the Div III State poll while the Bobcats stood at #7. In region 11 Cambridge was ranked # 1 while Dover sat at # 3 just behind Steubenville.

You can hear next weeks game on WCMJ 96.7 or link to www.yourradioplace.com and hear it on the webcast game of the week.

WCMJ / AVC Sports

Bill Kafury

JG's Muskies swimming in 'dangerously shallow waters'

2006-09-20T14:56:00.000-04:00

For the second straight week, the John Glenn football squad kept their heads just 'below water' with a 7-6 win at Sheridan. It's John Kelley's Muskies first victory at Thornville since Jim Slagle's Little Muskies in 1982 and the first back-to-back win against the Generals since JG's reign from '76-'82. JG football is now 3-0 in the MVL, 3-1 overall.
After an opening night loss to the Shamrocks 21-19 in overtime, the Muskies have rolled off 3 straight wins thanks to clutch, big plays and the kicking game. In week 3, JG escaped at home versus Philo 24-21 despite being out-gained 333 yards to 177. And against Sheridan last week, JG was out-gained 286 yards to 151. Aaron Bates' 70-yard punt and 32-yard field goal late in the 4th quarter won the game vs.: Philo. Jake Stelzer had big runs of 66 (TD) vs.: Philo and 40 yards vs.: Sheridan, both occurring in the 1st quarter of each game. Seth Dodson has turned in a couple of INT's to kill opponents drives, one of which was turned into a nifty 55-yard TD. In addition to his state-best kicking leg, Aaron Bates also used his hands to finish off the Generals with an interception last week.
The JG offense, particularly the passing attack, will have to elevate itself against a stingy Crooksville defense this Friday, Sept. 22nd at McConagha Stadium. Bates, the JG quarterback, has completed only 3 of 14 pass attempts for 43 yards in the previous two wins. The Muskies will need a better balance of run & pass, as well as reducing the number of fumbles to be effective in the second half of this season.
A fresh, young Crooksville offense has been shutout in their last three contests with the defense scoring the only 2 points in their last three games. The Ceramics have scored only 19 points for the season.
Hopefully, this Friday will be a tune-up game for the 'maroon & white' before a difficult 4-game stretch at Morgan, West M., at MVL leading New Lexington and a Saturday night meeting vs. Martins Ferry.

Dave Davidson
AVC Sports Team

The AVC high school football schedule (Sept. 22):

Crooksville @ John Glenn WILE 97.7
River View @ Cambridge WCMJ 96.7
Barnesville @ Shenandoah WBNV 93.5
River @ Caldwell WWKC 104.9

Muskingum set to entertain top-ranked Mount Union

2006-09-20T14:35:00.000-04:00

Muskingum set to entertain top-ranked Mount Union

*NEW CONCORD, OHIO, September 20, 2006* - The Muskingum College football
team continues Ohio Athletic Conference play this weekend when it hosts
top-ranked and defending national champion Mount Union College on Saturday.

Muskingum enters the game 1-1 overall and 0-1 in the conference, while
Mount carries a 2-0 record and 1-0 mark in league action. Muskingum and
Mount Union have previously met 60 times on the gridiron with the series
currently tied at 29-29-2. Kickoff is slated for 1:30 p.m. in McConagha
Stadium in New Concord. The game will be broadcast on 90.7 FM and
simulcast on the Internet at
http://www.muskingum.edu/home/athletics/broadcast.html.

The Purple Raiders are led offensively by quarterback Mike Jorris who is
averaging 296 yards a game through the air with 10 touchdowns on the
season. Jorris' favorite target is wide receiver Pierre Garcon, who has
13 catches for 344 yards and four touchdowns. Running back Nate Kmic
leads the ground attack averaging 104 yards per game and 7.4 yards per
carry. The Mount Union offense is averaging 67 points per game.

This marks the second straight week that the Muskies will play a
nationally-ranked opponent. Last week, Muskingum fell at 13th-ranked
Ohio Northern University, who the Muskies were leading 7-6 midway
through the second quarter. Muskie Head Coach Jeff Heacock knows that
slowing down Mount Union's OAC-leading offense is a key to the game.

"We are going to have to try and control Mount Union's high-powered
offense and try and not to give them the big plays," added Heacock.
"They can hit you from every angle. We have to stop the run and try to
know when they are going to pass. They will give you multiple formations
on offense with their base personnel and that is a tremendous advantage
for them offensively."

Leading the Muskies defensive effort will be linebackers Jack Junker and
Sam Miller and safety Jordan Rhodes. Junker has tallied 13 stops on the
season, while Miller has 12 and Rhodes leads the squad with 14.
Muskingum's defense ranks fifth in the league in total defense and third
in pass defense.

"We are going to have to have multiple formations on defense and know
our assignments and get the proper alignment and play very fast," stated
Heacock. "If we can do that and try to hold them down early then
obviously as the game progresses it would be an advantage for us."

The Muskies spread attack offense, which is 6-for-6 in the red zone and
averaging 26 points per game, will look for quarterback Andre Nash and
senior running back Steve Howard to lead the charge. Nash is throwing
for 156 yards per game and Howard is averaging 132 all-purpose yards per
outing.

This game brings the opportunity for the Muskies to challenge the number
one team in Division III and coach Heacock believes his team is ready.

"There is no question the kids have an incentive playing the number one
team in the country. You don't have to talk a lot about who are you
playing this week because you understand Mount's great tradition and
what they have done," quipped Heacock. "Our guys know who they are
playing and they want this opportunity and this is what the Ohio
Athletic Conference brings to the table. The fact that you have
opportunities to play the best programs in Division III football. Our
guys are winners, they compete and they want to do well. They are going
to do everything in there power to play as hard as they can."

--
Tom Caudill
Sports Information Director
Muskingum College

Phone: (740) 826-8022
Fax: (740) 826-8026

www.muskingum.edu

Meadowbrook High School Should Switch Leagues

2006-09-19T10:42:00.000-04:00

Once, a long, long time ago, Meadowbrook High School competed in the Pioneer Valley Conference (PVC). They were successful. They chose to move to the East Central Ohio League (ECOL). They have struggled to compete, with few exceptions, ever since.

Should Meadowbrook return to the PVC? Would the PVC invite them back? What are the pros and cons?

For the Colts, the pros would seem to out number the cons, at least in the money sports of football and boys basketball.

With the addition of Dover and New Philadelphia high schools to the ECOL and the departure of St. Clairsville in recent years, Meadowbrook has become one of the three smallest schools in the league.

A lower number of students to draw from may not be a big disadvantage in sports like cross country, golf or volleyball where a few dedicated and talented individuals can keep your team competitive and even lead you to a league championship. But a low number of participants in sports like basketball, football, and to some extent, softball and baseball, can cause problems, especially in football and basketball where lack of depth can have an impact.

In a league where all the schools are equal or smaller in number of students, depth does not become as big of an issue. In fact, in the PVC, Meadowbrook should have a depth advantage as they have more students to pull from then most of the PVC schools.

Take the Colt football team this season. They came into the season with high hopes. They suffered injuries to two key players, and now they cant even compete with the smaller schools in the ECOL. They lost to Shenandoah, no doubt a PVC contender, but a team Meadowbrook has to beat if they have any hope of making the Ohio High School Athletic Association playoffs.

They have little chance of beating Dover, New Philly, or even arch rival Cambridge this season. They have little chance of beating Dover and New Philly in most seasons. They manage to compete with Cambridge on pure emotion of a county rivalry.

Switching to the PVC will give the Colts a chance to compete in sports like football and basketball.

They already have strong basketball rivalries with PVC members Buckeye Trail and Shenandoah and are developing a nice football rivalry with Shenandoah.

The PVC schedules would still give the Colts the flexibility to schedule county rival Cambridge in every sport, keeping alive a strong local tradition.

The cons for the Colts, they may miss some of the tougher competition in sports like cross country, track, wrestling, and baseball, where the Meadowbrook programs have traditional been strong.

Some of the smaller schools in the PVC may not provide the OHSAA recognition (read playoff points) that is needed to make the football playoffs.

As far as the PVC, the league would benefit from a school like Meadowbrook who takes pride in its athletics, has a ton of community support, and would serve as a natural rival for two of its current members.

As for the ECOL, the league has become a Tuscarawas-area league and is going to move even farther north with the possible addition of West Holmes, another big school. The ECOL has made travel for Meadowbrook and Cambridge a concern. The size of the schools should be an even bigger concern for Meadowbrook.

The Meadowbrook Athletic Department and Rolling Hills School Board of Education should seriously look into the possibility of switching leagues and giving all their athletic teams and chance to compete for league titles.

Muskingum suffers setback at 13th-ranked ONU

2006-09-16T20:30:00.000-04:00

Muskingum suffers setback at 13th-ranked ONU

*NEW CONCORD, OHIO, September 16, 2006* - The Muskingum College football
team suffered its first loss of the season at 13th-ranked Ohio Northern
University on Saturday, 36-7. <2006games/GAME2.HTM>

With the loss, Muskingum falls to 1-1 overall and 0-1 in the Ohio
Athletic Conference. Ohio Northern improves to 2-0 overall and 1-0 in
conference action.

The Muskies battled the nationally-ranked Polar Bears blow-for-blow
through the first half. ONU held a 6-0 lead midway through the second
quarter thanks to two field goals (43 yards, 30 yards) by Jake Heaphy.
Muskingum's spread attack gave the Black & Magenta the lead at the 7:20
mark of the second quarter on a 60-yard touchdown pass from sophomore
quarterback Andre Nash to sophomore wide receiver Jack Murray. Following
junior kicker Mike Zimmermann's extra point, Muskingum led 7-6. However,
the Polar Bears reclaimed the lead (13-7) on a 13-play, 72-yard drive
that culminated in a 5-yard touchdown run with 1:44 on the clock by
Justin Hunsaker.

"I thought we played a very good football team. Obviously, they are
nationally-ranked for a reason," said Head Coach Jeff Heacock. "They
have a lot of weapons on both sides of the ball and I was real proud of
our team in the first half. I thought down 13-7 going into the half was
a good thing."

In the third quarter, ONU pushed its lead to 19-7 on an R.J. Meadows
16-yard touchdown run. ONU used a 17-point fourth quarter to seal the win.

"In the second half, we had problems blocking and it made it hard to
throw the football because we had problems picking up their blitzes,"
added Heacock. "They (ONU) are big, strong and fast and as the game went
on we lost some of our enthusiasm and the result is we lost to a good
football team today."

For the game, Nash went 9-of-14 for 99 yards and one touchdown, while
Murray led the receivers with 77 yards on three catches. Senior tailback
Steve Howard carried the ball 10 times for 31 yards to pace the Muskie
ground attack. Defensively, junior Jordan Rhodes paced the squad with
nine tackles (five solo) and one forced fumble. Senior linebacker Jack
Junker and junior linebacker Sam Miller each logged eight stops.

"We've got to learn that when you play the best - you have to bring it,"
quipped Heacock. "This is our conference and we are going to play better
teams than this."

Northen was led by Meadows who rushed 17 times for 143 yards and one
score. Quarterback Adam Quirk ended the game 13-of-18 for 154 yards and
one touchdown. Jason Trusnik paced the Polar Bear defense with seven
tackles, including 2.5 for loss and 1.5 sacks.

The Muskies (1-1, 0-1) hit the field next when they host #1-ranked and
defending national champion Mount Union College on Saturday, September
23. Game time is slated for 1:30 p.m.

BOBCATS ROLL OVER IND. VALLEY 41-10

2006-09-16T08:04:00.000-04:00

In a game of early season unbeatens, the Bobcats and the Indian Valley Braves squared off at Kelly Field Friday night in the league opener for both teams. Cambridge came in riding high fresh off a convincing win at Parkersburg South last week and being voted # 7 in the state in the initial Div III AP Football poll.

The Braves took the opening kickoff and put together an impressive 8 play drive that moved them into Bobcat territory. A penalty and a sack however would stall the drive and IV had to punt the ball to the Bobcats. Taking over at their own 22, Cambridge used little time seizing control of the game. Two consecutive handoffs to Stephen Ford netted 78 yards, a Touchdown and a new All-time Rushing leader for the Bobcats. Ford came into the game just 74 yards behind Darin Ford's record set in 1986 (3,697). From that point on it was all Bobcats as Ford would add another score at the 4:24 mark of the first period from 9 yards out.

The Braves responded with a drive from their own 7 on a 48 yard pass play from Josh Perdue to Ean Rizor moved the ball once again into Cambridge territory. Perdue tried to burn the Cats secondary again but Sr. DB Jordan Williams went up high to take the ball away from the intended receiver in the endzone and keep the Braves scoreless. The Cats moved the ball again into IV territory but Rizor would return the favor by diving in front of a Sean Mahley ariel and settingthe Braves up near midfield. Six plays later the Braves drive stalled and on a 4th and 4 Caleb Cobane kicked a 27 yard field goal to slice the lead to 14-3.

Mahley would atone for his mistake however by leading the Bobcat offense to two more first half scores. The first a 15 yard pass play to TE Darren Fields and the second a 1 yard run on a QB sneak. Zach Engstrom was a perfect 4 for 4 in the first half as the Cats went to the locker room leading 28-3.

The Bobcats would receive the 2nd half kickoff looking to put the game away, the Braves however had other plans. A fired up IV defense forced the Bobcats to punt on its first 2 possessions of the half and following the 2nd one put together an solid 76 yard drive that was capped off by a 42 yard bomb from Perdue to Mike Caldwell to cut the lead to 28-10.

That however was as close as the Braves would get as the Bobcat offense sprang back to life and Mahley would tack on an answering score with a 43 yard run and then find Cory Miller with a 38 yard pass and runn play for the final points before the reserves would finish the night.

Ford would finish with 213 yards rushing on 18 carries to go with his 2 scores. Mahley checked in with 6 of 10 passing for 124 yards and 2 scores, plus 2 rushing TD's and another 45 yards. The Bobcats amassed 321 yards rushing and totaled 445 yards of offense on the night. Once again however the penatly bug infected the Cats as they were flagged numerous times for over 100 yards, a statistic of concern even though the Bobcats once again dominated the line play both offensively and defensively.

Ind. Valley is now 3-1 over all and 0-1 in the ECOL and will travel to Dover next week. The Bobcats improve to 4-0 and 1-0 and will host the Riverview Black Bears who are 0-4 but gave the Tornadoes all they wanted on Friday before dropping a 37-27 decision.

WCMJ / AVC

Bill Kafury

Muskies notch shut out win over Ursuline

2006-09-13T20:47:00.000-04:00

Muskies notch shut out win over Ursuline

*NEW CONCORD, OHIO, September 13, 2006* - Senior Leslie Roush set-up two
Muskingum goals to help lead the women's soccer team to a 2-0 home win
over Ursuline College on Wednesday.
<../photogallery/Wsoccer%20v%20Ursuline/index.html>

Playing in wet field conditions, the Muskies adapted well and struck in
the seventh minute to take an early 1-0 lead. Roush crossed a ball into
the box from the right-side and sophomore Kelsey Dillehay fired it past
Ursuline's Steph Kasza. The game-winning strike was Dillehay's first of
the season.

Junior captain Elizabeth Pittner put the Black & Magenta up 2-0 with a
rocket shot from the top of the box in the 19th minute. Pittner's first
tally of the season came off a pass from Roush. Roush ended the game
with a season-high two assists.

Sophomore keeper Sarah Behrensmeyer recorded one save in 60 minutes
between the pipes, while sophomore Emily Brown notched five saves in 30
minutes of work.

For the game, Muskingum and Ursuline each attempted 10 shots, while
Ursuline held an 8-5 edge in corner kicks.

The Fighting Muskies (2-3) hit the field next on Saturday, September 16,
when they host Oberlin College. Game time is slated for 1:00 p.m.

--
Tom Caudill
Sports Information Director
Muskingum College

Phone: (740) 826-8022
Fax: (740) 826-8026

www.muskingum.edu

Muskies spike Waynesburg in home-opener

2006-09-12T21:34:00.000-04:00

Muskies spike Waynesburg in home-opener

*New Concord, Ohio, September 12, 2006* - The Muskingum College
volleyball team spiked Waynesburg College in the Muskies home-opener on
Tuesday night at the Recreation Center, 3-0 (30-23, 30-18, 30-17).
<../photogallery/Volleyball%20v%20Waynesburg/index.html>

Senior Amanda Hawkins led the Muskies at the net with 14 kills and a
.407 hitting percentage. Hawkins also tallied a team-high four blocks.
Freshman Brittany Gadd and sophomore Allie Buckohr aided the offensive
attack with six spikes each. Freshman Amanda Pressler notched 20
assists, while senior Elizabeth Guinsler and Buckohr paced the defensive
effort with 20 and 12 digs each, respectively. Senior Kayla Kight
blistered six service aces to tie the team-high for the season.

For the match, Muskingum smashed 35 kills and recorded 53 digs.

Muskingum (7-3) hits the court next on Saturday, September 16 when they
travel to Baldwin-Wallace College to open Ohio Athletic Conference play.
Game time is slated for 1:00 p.m.

--
Tom Caudill
Sports Information Director
Muskingum College

Phone: (740) 826-8022
Fax: (740) 826-8026

www.muskingum.edu

Muskingum sets focus on nationally-ranked Ohio Northern

2006-09-12T16:29:00.000-04:00

Muskingum sets focus on nationally-ranked Ohio Northern

*NEW CONCORD, OHIO, September 12, 2006* - The Muskingum College football
team, fresh off its 45-20 thumping of Bethany College, will begin Ohio
Athletic Conference play this Saturday when it travels to 13th-ranked
Ohio Northern University. The game will mark the 43rd meeting between
the schools with ONU leading the series 22-19-2.

Ohio Northern enters the contest at 1-0 after beating Millikin (Ill.)
last Saturday, 28-14. Northern out-gained Millikin 355-166 in total
offense and had 28 first downs to only 14 for the Big Blue.

"Year in and year out Ohio Northern is one of the top teams in the Ohio
Athletic Conference," said Head Coach Jeff Heacock. "They have
tremendous athletes who are well coached. They are a solid football
program that is nationally-ranked. It is up to us to step up and we know
we are going to have to play a tremendous football game but we feel we
have that capability."

Sophomore running back R.J. Meadows paced the Polar Bear attack rushing
17 times for 182 yards and TD runs of 1, 80 and 28 yards, while senior
quarterback Adam Quirk completed 11-of-20 passes for 159 yards and also
rushed for a score.

"Quirk and Meadow’s are good football players in our league," added
Heacock. "Quirk’s a senior and knows their system, knows what to do and
how to distribute the football. Meadows is a strong back that runs with
aggressiveness and has big-play potential. They will provide a good test
for our defense."

Senior linebacker Jack Junker will anchor the Muskies defensively.
Junker logged six tackles against the Bison and will be aided by an
aggressive front seven that features junior linebacker Nathan Hedge and
senior defensive end Brett Maniaci. The stingy Muskie defense held
Bethany to 164 yards of offense and forced two turnovers.

Offensively, the Muskies will once again look toward sophomore
quarterback Andre Nash to lead the Muskies' spread attack. Nash
accounted for five touchdowns against Bethany, three strikes through the
air and two scores on the ground. He ended the contest with 214 yards
passing.

"We were happy for Andre in the fact that he had the opportunity to
start, and he stepped up and played big and helped our football team get
a win," said Heacock. "He showed that he has the capabilities not only
to lead but to perform during the course of a game. His performance
solidified him the opportunity to continue to be our starting quarterback."

Nash has a full compliment of offensive weapons to help him distribute
the ball. Senior running back Steve Howard led the ground attack with 58
yards on 14 carries and the receivers with 67 yards on four catches and
one touchdown. Sophomore fullback Ryan McClain grinded out 25 yards on
the ground and racked up 57 yards and a touchdown through the air. The
receiving tandem of sophomore Jack Murray and sophomore Matt Lilly
combined to catch six passes for 48 yards and a score. Muskingum ended
the game a perfect 6-for-6 ( five touchdowns, one field goal) in the
red-zone

"Ohio Northern's defense is a solid unit," quipped Heacock. "Our
offensive coaches are working real hard on a game-plan to distribute the
football and move it around and not get set on any one thing."

Game time is slated for 1:30 p.m. at Dial-Roberson Stadium in Ada and
can be heard on WMCO 90.7 FM and live on the Internet
http://www.muskingum.edu/home/athletics/broadcast.html.

--
Tom Caudill
Sports Information Director
Muskingum College

Phone: (740) 826-8022
Fax: (740) 826-8026

www.muskingum.edu

BOBCATS DOMINATE PATRIOTS 44-12

2006-09-09T08:05:00.000-04:00

For the second year in a row the Cambridge Bobcats traveled to the Erickson All-Sports Facility in Parkersburg West Virginia to take on the Parkersburg South Patriots, and for the second year in a row the Bobcats came away with a lop sided win, 44-12.

Such was the Bobcats domination in the first half that the Patriots had -30 yards at the break. Every Cambridge possession started in the South end of the field and most ended with points on the scoreboard as the Cats led 23-0 at the half on the strength of a Sean Mahley pass to Darren Fields, a 2 pt. conversion to Fields from Cory Harbin, a rushing TD by Stephen Ford, two Field Goals by Zach Engstrom of 25 and 37 yards and a tackle in the endzone for a safety by Bear Holdren.

The second half was more of the same by the Bobcats as they picked up where they left off in the first half. Ford added another TD with a 29 yard run, Mahley scrambled in from 7 yards out and then put the exclamation point on the night after the Bobcats Jordan Williams picked off a South ariel. Cambridge found itself backed up to their own 4 yard line when Mahley faked a handoff into the line and hit a streaking Robert Wilson down the right sideline for a 96 yard Bomb. From that point on the Bobcat JV's would finish the contest. Only then did South manage to put together a couple of late scoring drives making the final score 44-12.

For the Bobcats Stephen Ford rushed for 169 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries to lead the winners. Quarterback Sean Mahley completed 9-of-15 passes for 204 yards and two TDs, and rushed for another. The Bobcat defense was nothing short of a brick wall in the first half, yielding no first downs and not allowing the Patriots beyond their own 24 yardline. As a matter of fact, South did not cross midfield until there was :55 seconds left in the 3rd quarter. Bear Holdren, celebrating his 18th birthday, spearheaded the "Cat Attack Pack" with a dozen tackles, including 5 for a loss, 3 sacks and the safety.

The Bobcats are now 3-0 and head into ECOL play next week at Indian Valley, the Patriots fall to 2-1 and will host Lancaster.

WCMJ/AVC

Bill Kafury

Barnesville H.S. Sports Update 9/7/06

2006-09-07T10:29:00.000-04:00

The Barnesville football taem is off to a 2-0 start with Caldwell visiting on Friday.

All players are healthy. The only concern is one several area teams face throughout

the season; the county fair ! Several BHS players have missed some practice time because

of showing and caring for their 4-H and FFA livestock projects. Theis is always a

situation faced by schools in Belmont, Guernsey, Monroe, and Noble counties. All

Coaches have to realize that students put alot of work into their animal fair projects,

and that it is important to these young people and their families. Most athletes usually

miss only one or two practices.

Football players (varsity) never miss games because of the fair, but the same can

not be said for athletes in other Fall sports. Livestock shows,which are usually on

weekdays, often cause athletes to miss volleyball games, golf matches, and

cross country meets. Also lower level football players will miss a game.

The Barnesville girls cross country won the Granville Invitational on Saturday. Soph

Stephanie Morgan won the 3.1 mile race in 19:30. Freshman Karly Jones placed 3rd in

a time of 21:07. The boys team placed 3rd. Junior Aaron Burga was 6th and soph

Adam sellers was 7th. Their times were 19:05 and 19:06. The CC teams run at the

Watkins Memorial Invitational on Saturday.

The BHS volleyball team is 4-1, while the golf team is 14-5.

BHS athletic are off to a good start in the 06-07 school year.

This e-mail was sent using PreciseMail Web Access

Busy Week Slated for AVC Sports

2006-09-06T15:36:00.000-04:00

It'll be a busy week again for AVC Sports -- just part of a very busy month.

Our guests on Coaches Corner this week will be Coach Jeff Heacock and members of the 1-0 Muskingum Muskies football team. Muskingum opened their season last week with a 45-20 win over Bethany. The Muskies are off this week, preparing for a matchup with nationally-ranked Ohio Northern. Muskingum students, fans, alumni and supporters are invited to join us at DeFelice Bros. Pizza on Southgate Parkway. The show is broadcast from 7-8pm on WILE-FM 97.7 and the web at yourradioplace.com.

Upcoming schedule for Coaches Corner:

9/7 - Muskingum Football

9/14 - Columbus BlueJackets

9/21 - H.S. Golf - Cambridge, Meadowbrook, Buckeye Trail & John Glenn

9/28 - Muskingum Volleyball & Women's Soccer

10/5 - Cambridge Boys Soccer

We have a full slate of area football games on the air Friday night.

WCMJ & Web - Cambridge @ Parkersburg South

WILE - Philo @ John Glenn

WBNV - Caldwell @ Barnesville

WWKC & Web - Shenandoah @ Meadowbrook

River plays @ Monroe Central and Buckeye Trail is on the road @ Frontier.

Don't forget you can hear score updates during the games on our scoretracker and after the games starting at 11pm. Visit our website for webcasts and live, real-time scoring updates.

Reuben Perdue, AVC Sports Director

Muskingum opens season with dominating win over Bethany av

2006-09-03T00:10:00.000-04:00

*NEW CONCORD, OHIO, September 2, 2006* - The Muskingum College football
team opened its 2006 campaign with a dominating 45-20 win over Bethany
College on Saturday night.
<2006games/GAME1.HTM> <../photogallery/FootballvBethany/index.html>

Sophomore quarterback Andre Nash led the Muskies' spread attack offense
accounting for four touchdowns. Nash ended the game with 210 yards
passing and two strikes and 45 yards rushing and a pair of scores.

Muskingum took an early 7-0 lead on a four-yard touchdown run by
sophomore fullback Ryan McClain. The score marked McClain's first career
collegiate touchdown and capped off a seven-play, 39-yard drive. The
Muskies extended their lead to 10-0 at the end of the first quarter on a
30-yard field by junior Mike Zimmermann.

The Black & Magenta opened the second quarter with a nine-play, 72-yard
drive that culminated with a Nash eight-yard touchdown pass to sophomore
wide receiver Jack Murray. The touchdown was Murray's first career score
and pushed the Muskies lead to 17-0. Muskingum added two more scores in
the second frame on a Nash three-yard touchdown scamper and senior
tailback Steve Howard's 43-yard touchdown pass from Nash. Bethany added
a pair of scores before the half on a Brandon Zeman 55-yard interception
return for a touchdown and Taylor McNeil's 60-yard touchdown pass from
Brent Owens.

The Muskies scored five times out of their seven possessions to take a
commanding 31-13 lead into the intermission.

Following a Bethany fumble on the opening kickoff of the second half,
Nash tallied his final touchdown of the night on a 15-yard run. The
Muskies' sophomore running back Steve Mamak accounted for Muskingum's
final score of the evening with a one-yard touchdown plunge mid-way
through the third frame.

For the game, Muskingum amassed 361 yards of total offense with 17 first
downs and recorded a perfect 6-for-6 performance in the red-zone. The
Muskies stingy' defense held the Bison to 164 yards of total offense and
nine first downs.

Howard led the ground attack with 58 yards on 14 carries and the
receivers with 67 yards on four catches. Nash ended the night 17-of-23
with one interception to go along with his four touchdowns.

Defensively, senior linebackers Brett Maniaci and Jack Junker each paced
the team with six stops, while junior defensive back Jordan Rhodes
chipped in five tackles.

Muskingum (1-0) has a bye week next week before traveling to Ada, Ohio,
to battle nationally-ranked Ohio Northern University on Saturday,
September 16. Game time is slated for 1:30 p.m.

--
Tom Caudill
Sports Information Director
Muskingum College

Phone: (740) 826-8022
Fax: (740) 826-8026

www.muskingum.edu

Crusaders Use Ground Attack to Upend Zeps

2006-09-02T12:22:00.000-04:00

The Steubenville Catholic Crusaders used a grinding ground attack to upend the Shenandoah Zeps in Sarahsville Friday night. The defending state runners-up in Division VI came into the game 1-0 after scoring 35 points against Linsly in week one. The Zeps also posted 35 points to win their first game. Their matchup with SCC had potential to be high-scoring, but both defenses played well and kept it close.

After quick-moving, scoreless first quarter, Catholic struck first. In a game where ground yardage would be a big factor, it was a long pass that gave the Crusaders a lead. Quarterback Brian DeFalco found a streaking Zach D'Ulisse for a 35-yard strike with 10:22 remaining in the half to make it 7-0, a score that held until the break.

Catholic got the ball to start the second half and concentrated on the running game. Justin Kaufman carried the brunt of the load on 13-play drive that covered 71 yards ...all on the ground...and took 6:30 off the clock. William Brockway capped the drive with a 1-yard dive to make it 14-0.

Shenandoah struggled to get the ground game going and sophomore quarterback Cody Johnson was too long on several pass attempts early, trying to stretch the defense. With their backs to the wall, however, the young play-caller focused in on short and intermediate-range passes. After a roughing-the-kicker penalty gave the Zeps new life, Johnson led them down field for a score on a qb keeper with 3:39 remaining. Two attempts at on onside kick failed though and Steubenville Catholic took a knee with under a minute left to preserve the 7-point win, 14-7.

The Crusaders used a good mix of run and pass and had several players touch the ball. Zach D'Ulisse was the key receiver, but Zach DeLeonardis, Mike Humeinny, and Luca Call also hauled in receptions. Jeremy Samples and Kaufman both ran well for the Crusaders.

The Zeps were led by Johnson's throws on the scoring drive. Josh Cowgill, Billy Miley and Zach Gress recorded catches. Billy Hickman and Joey Wheeler ran the ball for the Zeps. Gress showed great hands and maneuverability at the tight-end position and played solid, aggressive defense, recording two sacks from his outside linebacker position to take home player-of-the-game honors.

Next week 1-1 Shenandoah will try to bounce back. They'll travel to Meadowbrook to take on the Colts, also 1-1 after a week 2 setback at the hands of Barnesville. The game will be broadcast on 104.9 WWKC.

Reuben Perdue

AVC Sports Director

All-new Yahoo! Mail - Fire up a more powerful email and get things done faster.

BOBCATS PICK UP WIN AGAINST SCRAPPY TIGERS

2006-09-02T10:11:00.000-04:00

The Cambridge Bobcats played their home opener Friday vs. the Marietta Tigers. This was not your typical high school football game. On the contrary, it was filled with frustration, penalties, missed opportunities and confusion. In the end however, the Bobcats were able to grind out a 26-12 victory. The Bobcats are now 2-0 and Marietta falls to 0-2.

After an early 3 and out by its defense the Bobcats looked like they would score first. The Tiger defense stepped up though and on a fourth and 1 at the Marietta 11 denied Stephen Ford a first down. After no gain on 1st down Tiger QB Michael Groom hit WR Sean Munfield streaking down the left sideline for an 89 yard TD. Although the extra point was no good the Tigers had served notice that they were going to be a force to be reckoned with.

The Bobcats would strike back after another defensive stop gave them good field position, something they enjoyed all night long, but didn't always capitalize on. Starting at the Tiger 40 yard line, Price Winston gained 26 yards on a reverse to the Marietta 14. On the very next play, Jamaal Lowery plowed his way through for a 14-yard touchdown run. Zach Engstrom added the PAT and with 54 seconds showing, and the Bobcats led 7-6.

On their next offensive series Cambridge would again have great field position, this time courtesy of a Cory Miller 47 yard punt return that set the Cats up at the Marietta 19 yard line. Three plays later Ford powered it in from 6 yards out and the Engstrom extra point made it 14-6 Bobcats. At that point it looked like Cambridge would have their way with the Tigers. Groom and company however had other plans. Using another long pass play(54 yards), this time to Cory Kreichbaum, the Tigers got inside the Bobcat 10 yard line where Groom would eventually take it in himself. The try for 2 on the extra point was batted down by the Bobcats Andy Byers and the score was 14-12 Cambridge with 5:49 left in the first half.

Cambridge would use up the remaining time to drive inside the Marietta 5 yardline but would be unable to add more points as they had exhausted all their timeouts and couldn't punch it in. So the score stood at 14-12 Bobcats at the half and would remain that way through most of the 2nd half.

The Bobcats defense improved in the 2nd half forcing 3 punts and getting 2 interceptions (Cory Miller, Price Winston) and the offense would drive up and down the field almost at will, BUT, was unable to score. The Tigers turned the Bobcats away on a 4th and inches at the goalline on Cambridge's initial possession of the first half. Cambridge would once again get the ball with great field position, actually playing the entire 2nd half on the Marietta end of the field, but fail to cash in. Twice the Bobcats set up for Zach Engstrom field goal opportunities and twice the ball sailed just left of the uprights.

Finally the Bobcats cracked the goalline as Ford, atoning for an earlier fumble ran like a man possessed and scored from 17 yards out with 5:38 left in the game. The extra point however was off the mark again leaving the Cats up by 8 at 20-12. It was at this point the Bobcats would get the Winston int. and Ford would then later add the exclamation point with 40 seconds to go making the final score 26-12, Bobcats.

For the Bobcats, Ford would finish with over 200 yards rushing to go with his 3 TD's. Lowery added another 63 yards on just 7 carries and Sean Mahley was 7/8 passing for 77 yards as Cambridge amassed over 400 yards of total offense while the defense held Marietta to 180 total yards and only 4 first downs. Both teams combined for over 150 yards in penalties in a game that often looked like two steps forward and one step back.

Although both teams had their shining moments I'm sure it wasn't the type of improved play either coach would have like to see from game 1 to game 2.

Marietta hosts New Philly next Friday and the Bobcats are on the road to Parkersburg South. You can follow the Bobcats once again on WCMJ 96.7 or listen to the game on our Webcast.

WCMJ/AVC Sports

Bill Kafury

Muskingum announces newest inductees of Athletic Hall of Fame

2006-08-30T13:30:00.000-04:00

*Muskingum announces newest inductees of Athletic Hall of Fame*

*NEW CONCORD, OHIO, August 30, 2006* - The Muskingum College Athletic
Hall of Fame will admit five new members in its annual induction
ceremony on October 21. The event will be held in the Thomas Dining Hall
on campus as part of Muskingum's Homecoming Weekend. Joining the Hall of
Fame will be Terry Kelley '79, Tom Bixler '63, Dee Ann Mell '89, Tracey
Franklin Fox '87 and Ron Vessels '63.

The honorees will also be honored during halftime at the Homecoming
football game against John Carroll University, which kicks off at
McConagha Stadium at 1:30 p.m. They will join 120 other Muskies who have
been selected for this prestigious honor in the last 27 years.

*Terry Kelley – Football – 1979*
All Ohio Athletic Conference in 1977 and 1978 … William F. Lang Award
for Outstanding Freshmen Athlete of the Year in 1975-76 … Holds school
record for receiving yards in a game (200 vs. Wooster, 1977) and
touchdown receptions for a career (20) … Ranks second all-time in
receiving yards in a season (727 – 1977) and career receiving yards
(1,915 – 1975-78) … Member of the 1975 OAC Football Championship team.

*Tom Bixler – Football/Track – 1963*
First Team All-Ohio Athletic Conference (football) in 1962 … Football
co-captain and Most Valuable Player (MVP) on Offense in 1962 … Member of
the 1960 undefeated OAC Football Championship team … MVP of the track
team in 1963 … Three-year letterwinner in track and football.

*Dee Ann Mell – Women’s basketball – 1989 *
All-Ohio Athletic Conference in 1987-88 and 1988-89 … Sixth all-time
leading scorer in Muskingum women’s basketball history with 1,230 points
… Led NCAA Division III in three-point field goal shooting percentage
(.524) in 1988-89 … Team Most Valuable Player in 1987-88 … Member of the
OAC regular season and tournament championship team in 1988-89 that set
a school record with 29 wins … Member of the North Atlantic Region
Championship team in 1988-89.

*Tracey Franklin Fox – Field Hockey/Track – 1987 *
Three-time Most Valuable Player of field hockey and track teams … Earned
All-Ohio Athletic Conference honors in nine indoor track events and 17
outdoor track events …Individual conference titles in 100 hurdles
(outdoor, 1985), triple jump (indoor, 1987), long jump (outdoor, 1987)
and a member of the OAC championship 4x100 relay team (outdoor, 1987) …
Held five school track records at time of graduation … Received
Muskingum’s Ann White “Strive for Excellence Award” in 1987.

*Ron Vessels – Special Category – 1963*
Began assisting Shorty Wymer with the clocks at all home football and
men’s basketball games in 1963 … Since 1984 has served as timekeeper for
football and men’s basketball games as a volunteer …Has not missed a
home Muskingum football game since 1952 … Homecoming game will be his
250th in a row … Has timed more than 500 basketball games for the
College … First sports director of College’s radio station WMCO 90.7 FM.

--
Tom Caudill
Sports Information Director
Muskingum College

Phone: (740) 826-8022
Fax: (740) 826-8026

www.muskingum.edu

BOBCATS RUN PAST PHILO

2006-08-26T09:32:00.000-04:00

The Cambridge Bobcats opened the season vs. the Philo Electrics at Sam Hatfield Stadium Friday night. Any question that the Bobcats might take the Electrics lightly was answered early and often as the Cats opened up a 28-0 first quarter lead and cruised to the victory.

The Bobcats first drive lasted only 3 plays but covered 65 yards as Stephen Ford weaved his way through the Philo defense from 39 yards out. Zach Engstrom added the first of 6 extra points and the Bobcats had the early momentum. A fumble on the Electrics first play from scrimmage would give the Bobcats excellent field position and they took advantage of it. Senior QB Sean Mahley hit Robert Wilson with a short pass and Wilson did the rest, speeding down the sideline for the score.

On the Electrics next possession senior DB Josh Kennedy picked off an errant Philo pass and returned it 45 yards for a TD, a penalty on the return nullfied the score but Stephen Ford would take care of that just seconds later going in untouched from 15 yards out.

Cambridge would dent the scoreboard again in the first quarter, this time FB Jamaal Lowery would take a quick handoff and bounce it outside and down the sideline in front of a cheering Cambridge bench and go 64 yards for the score. Lowery would score again early in the second quarter, this one right through the middle of the Electrics defense making it 35-0.

The Bobcat defense forced Philo to punt again with just 1:28 left on the first half clock. On the first play WR Price Winston would join the scorefest, taking reverse 70 yards for the Bobcats 6th TD of the half. Zach Engstroms perfect streak came to and end on the extra point however, making the halftime score 41-0 Cambridge.

The Electrics failed to get into the Bobcat end of the field the entire first half. That would change with their first possession of the 2nd half. Repeatedly giving the ball the 200 pound FB Carter Paul, Philo pounded their way down the field and Lance Curry took it in from 25 yards out giving the Electrics the early momentum of the 2nd half. They would use that energy to force the Bobcats to punt on their next possession and once again the Electrics offense was back in gear. Starting from their own 10 yard line and using a steady dose of the bruising FB Paul, the Electrics used 14 plays to get to the Bobcat 10 yardline. Facing a 4th and goal situation Philo QB Scott Williams dropped back to pass and was quickly flushed from the pocket by several blitzing Bobcats. Williams desperation pass was batted up in the air and intercepted by sophomore Tayor Leppla who returned it out to the 35 yardline.

From there the Bobcats JV team picked up the slack, driving 65 yards for the final score of the night. QB Vince Daugherty took it in from 1 yard out and Engstrom started a new streak making the final score 48-7 Cambridge.

For the evening Ford finished with 108 yards and two TD's on just 8 carries. Jamaal Lowery added another 80+ yards and 2 TD's on just 3 carries. Mahley was impressive at QB as well, completing 5-8 for a TD and about 80 yards. The Bobcat offense gathered nearly 450 yards of total offense on the night, 389 of it on the ground.

Carter Paul led the Electrics with 118 yards on 19 carries.

The victory wasn't without cost though as several Bobcats went to the sideline with injuries of various sorts. The number and extent of those injuries wasn't immediately known but most did not return. Cambridge looked impressive in its opener but the trainer will have her hands full getting the Bobcats back to full strength for their home opener next Friday with Marietta, who lost to Parkersburg South 28-13 in front nearly 14,000 people at Don Drumm Field.

AVC/WCMJ

Bill Kafury

Warriors and 'Noles Struggle in Opener; Trail Finally Wins in Woodsfield

2006-08-26T02:23:00.000-04:00

The Buckeye Trail Warriors and Monroe Central Seminoles both looked a little rusty in their season opener in Woodsfield. Quarterbacks Brock Davis and Cole Lewis combined to complete fewer than 5 total passes the entire game. After playing a penalty-free first half, Trail held a slim 7-6 lead at halftime. The Warriors scored late in the first quarter on a 1-yard plunge by Davis, capping a drive that started in Monroe Central territory and was fueled by numerous Seminole penalties. On the ensuing drive, the 'Noles started close to midfield and drove the length to score with just under 11 minutes left in the half. The point-after attempt was low and careened into the line, leaving Monroe Central a point shy of level.

In the second half, the penalties shifted, with Trail picking up at least 8 flags. Some of those haunted them. After Brock Davis added a second touchdown from within 3 yards, special teams again became a factor when Davis' PAT attempt was blocked, keeping the lead at just 7. Late in the game, Trial committed penalties on the line that stopped the clock and forced more action than they hoped for. After two timeouts by the 'Noles, Trail simply had to run out the clock. But in a long-yardage situation after a motion penalty, Davis rolled right and was hit just past his own 40, fumbling the ball ala the Giants and Eagles. Monroe Central had life. Cole Lewis scrambled on third down, running parallel to the Warrior 47 after escaping a tackle. Trail defenders dropped into a prevent but when Lewis scrambled, the middle "D" crept up to prevent the run and hail-mary pass sailed toward the endzone where Dierkes was waiting....the pass was tipped at the one and fell inches short of the receivers waiting hands, falling incomplete. A fourth down effort was similarly tipped away near the 'Noles sideline at the 5, and Buckeye Trail held on to finally get the road win that had so eluded them in the past few tries.

Steve Beros showed a lot of guts, nursing injuries to finish the game. Defensively, Trail got two key sacks from Brandon Ogden that killed Monroe Central's momentum. Ironically, both sacks came at the 47 yard line at the location the near-miracle pass was thrown from. In addition to passing, Trail also had trouble on special teams, with a couple low snaps, a blocked punt and a tipped punt late in the game. Early kickoffs left something to be desired as well. On the positive side, the Warriors overcame a nearly overwhelming sense of "hear we go again" deja-vu to win on the road in a very tough environment. The next week of practice will be key as the Warriors must improve to win again on the road, this time against co-co-co-co conference champions Caldwell, who made a trip to the playoffs last year and were victorious themselves in week one action. They'll need a healthy Beros and some completions from Davis, who, despite having ground success, must find better luck passing the ball to be considered a threat to throw...without that, teams can crowd the line and spy to prevent the QB keepers and rollouts he likes so well.

Monroe Central perhaps needs more improvement from their Quarterback. A couple balls were dropped that should have been caught, but Lewis didn't have time to make many good pass attempts against an aggressive and pressuring Trail defense that found themselves in the Seminole backfield as often as 'Noles running backs. Coach Circosta demands perfection and won't be happy with mental penalties...Monroe Central bit on the hard count and jumped offsides three times. They were also guilty of lining up in the neutral zone on more than one occasion, including once inside the five yard line with the ball spotted center on the white line. Monroe Central also has a tough road game in week two, travelling to Shadyside to face the dangerous Tigers.

Reuben Perdue

AVC Sports Director

Do you Yahoo!?
Everyone is raving about the all-new Yahoo! Mail.

47th meeting between John Glenn & Barnesville on Friday

2006-08-23T17:34:00.000-04:00

This Friday marks the 47th football contest between the "'Rocks" and the "Big Fish".

JG holds a slight edge in the won-loss record of this series 25-20-1. This early season matchup began in 1960. The two teams were virtually even through the first 3 decades (15-14-1 edge to Barnesville). Since 1990, the Muskies hold a 11-5 advantage. Another interesting point (at least to me), is the visitor has won the last 5 meetings. This should bode well for the 'Rocks. The last home team to win was JG in a shootout in 2000, 34-30.

The quarterback matchup is a good one: Steven Shumaker (BV) vs.: Aaron Bates (JG).
Shumaker is a very nice medium/long range thrower with accuracy and has good skill people returning this year. He also has deceptive speed and quickness when he scrambles. Bates running, throwing and leadership skills are usually outshined by his powerful right leg.

Experience is probably an edge to Barnesville at the majority of positions, particularly "in the trenches".

Depth is probably even. Although, Barnesville lost only 10 seniors to graduation, while John Glenn lost 19 of them.

Speed will be an advantage to the Shamrocks. Blake Allen and Kyle Gallagher will be a handful for the Muskie secondary.

Power & size will once again, I think, be an advantage for JG. Tanner Bradley and the Muskie backfield can run around and through defenders.

And finally, special teams will be a big advantage for JG. Bates can "single-leggedly" pin opposing teams inside the 20 and eliminate big plays in the kickoff return game with touchbacks.

I hope there's a big crowd at McConagha Stadium from both sides and don't forget AVC's broadcast of the game on WBNV 93.5 as well as webcast at yourradioplace.com.

Best of luck to both teams and for an injury-free game! It's football time!

Dave Davidson, AVC Sports Team

Salary Cap Challenge

2006-08-23T14:31:00.000-04:00

Okay -- football season is here. Think you know the game? Are you a fantasy football legend looking for a new challenge? AVC Sports has partnered with Dell Sports this season to present the Salary Cap Challenge. It's a totally free salary cap fantasy game for the NFL. Weekly prizes are offered for high scores and ....if you're REALLY good...Dell Sports provides the national winner with a trip for 4 to the Pro Bowl in Hawaii. The game's available to you AT NO COST! So if you're looking for something fun that won't take hours a week to plan, visit our website at yourradioplace.com, clink the link for ESPN 1270 WILE-AM and register for the fantasy football challenge.

Reuben Perdue

AVC Sports Director

2006-08-23T00:09:00.000-04:00

Hey football fans! We're just hours away from the opening kickoff of the
Ohio High School football season and the 2006 edition of the J.G. Muskies
will look quite a bit different from last year.
The most, valuable starter returning for the Muskies is without question,
Aaron Bates. The senior quarterback, defensive back, punter, place-kicker
and kickoff man had a great year in '05 and should be even better
statistically in '06. Watch for the D-I collegiate offers to start
rolling in.
In last week's second scrimmage at Coshocton, the Muskies varsity squad
fell 14-3. The defense allowed runs of 60 & 65 yards to the Redskins'
lightning-fast, Raphael Miller and will need to stiffen its perimeter
defense as well. JG's points came off a Bates 51-yard FG with about 10
more yards to spare. Opposing teams will not have the luxury of returning
very many kickoffs this season, either.
The bad news for JG is that 15 starting seniors, 19 in all, are lost to
graduation. The good news is that most positions on offense and defense
have at least 1 returner with valuable experience.
Excellent student-athlete, senior Jarrod Girod, as well as, junior Justin
Gidcumb will probably have the biggest void to fill statistically
(departed Matt Heagen) at fullback. Tanner Bradley returns at wingback
hopefully for a injury-free season. As a junior, Bradley missed nearly
half of last season and still managed very good numbers in rushing and
receiving. Senior Tyler Seamster, should help a great deal in John
Kelley's "wing-T" backfield also.
Senior Seth Dodson, should be the go-to split end this season. Dodson's
bigger frame and good hands should give him a distinct advantage over most
MVL cornerbacks.
Perhaps, the most depleted position for JG football is the O-line. Gone
are Scott Merry, Tyler Eubanks, Justin Hauenstein, Cam Black, Zach
Marlatt, Chris Lake and Joe Forshey. This season, Kelley's staff will
rely on seniors Ryan Brock, Buster Miller, Lucas Smith and Zach Warehime
to be the leaders for an inexperienced group of blockers.
The strength of the Muskie 3-5 "D" should be the linebacking corp.
Returning are seniors Girod, Seamster, Jordan Buchanan, Jake Stelzer and
Grant Woodard as well as, juniors Garrett Bennington and Chris Ballantine.
As a junior, Woodard (also a TE on offense), was the Muskies most
ferocious hitter and should knockout some more opposing mouthpieces in
'06.
The down-3 lineman will also look very new as Warehime is virtually the
only returning senior with varsity game-time experience.
The secondary will be challenged as Bates, Bradley and Dodson will need to
provide leadership on defense and limit opponents "big plays".
The toughest MVL foes the Muskies will face include, of course, Sheridan
(week 4), West Muskingum (week 7) and senior-heavy New Lexington (week 8).
Once again, John Glenn's non-league opponents will be Barnesville (week 1)
for the 47th consecutive year, and a Saturday night affair with Martins
Ferry (week 9).

Best of luck to the Maroon and White and to all of our "AVC high school
football teams"!

Dave Davidson
WILE/WBNV Sports Team

Muskingum volleyball primed for an OAC title run

2006-08-22T12:57:00.000-04:00

Under the guidance of Head Coach Elizabeth Zicha, the 10th all-time
winningest active coach in NCAA Division III, Muskingum College will
look toward the experience and leadership of six seniors to guide the
squad to the top of the Ohio Athletic Conference.

The Muskies return seniors Jessica Gromes (setter), Amanda Hawkins
(middle hitter), Elizabeth Guinsler (defensive specialist/libero), Kayla
Kight (right-side hitter), July Morckel (right-side hitter) and Jill
Weinstein (outside hitter).

“This group of seniors are tremendously important to the program,” said
Zicha. “They bring lots of talent, knowledge and leadership to the team.
We have a lot of pieces in place and we have some underclassmen who will
add depth to the squad. I’m looking forward to a good season.”

Leading the group of gifted seniors will be Gromes. She enters her final
campaign with 3,874 career assists, just 417 assists shy of setting the
school record which is held by Kristen Vejsicky (1997-00). Gromes, an
All-OAC and Academic All-OAC honoree, also ranks ninth all-time in the
OAC in career assists. She has recorded three straight years of more
than 1,000 assists in a season (1,538 -2003, 1,224 - 2004, 1,112 -2005).
Gromes also has notched 1,168 career digs which ranks eighth all-time.

“Gromes is a college setter with quick hands,” said Zicha. “She knows
where to put the ball, she plays everywhere and her defensive qualities
are wonderful. Gromes is a solid individual all over this campus. For
her to be on the verge of owning the assist record is a wonderful,
wonderful accomplishment.”

Hawkins, an All-OAC performer, will lead the play at the net. Last
season, she led the Muskies in kills (275), kills per game (2.81) and
was second in hitting percentage (.236). Hawkins has logged 576 career
kills and 218 career blocks and has seen action in 291 career games.

“Amanda is very smart where she puts the ball,” added Zicha. “She’s very
quick on the court and will be a coach at the same time she is a player
this year in assisting with the development of our younger Muskies.”

Guinsler, an academic All-OAC honoree, saw action in 98 games last
season and 261 throughout her career. She set the single-match school
record for an individual in 2005 when she recorded 53 digs against
nationally-ranked Ohio Northern University.

“Elizabeth is a very smart player who reads the ball well,” quipped
Zicha. “She always gets the most out of her athletic ability.”

Kight has appeared in 214 career games and has logged 187 kills, Morckel
posted a career-high 53 kills in 2005, while Weinstein has played in 265
career games and has notched 374 career kills including recording a
fourth-best 174 on the squad last season.

Coach Zicha also has a talented pair of sophomores in Allie Buckohr
(outside hitter) and Erin Neal (defensive specialist/libero) to help
guide the team. Buckohr played in 82 games and recorded 123 digs and 73
kills, while Neal was fifth on the team with 211 digs in 64 games of
action. (continued on page 11)
Other upperclassmen who will contribute to the Muskies are juniors
Brittani Lewis (outside hitter) and Emily Wilson (right-side/middle) and
sophomores Kara Hamilton (outside hitter) and Chelsea Popowski (outside
hitter).

Muskingum, which was ranked in the top of NCAA Division III in home
attendance for the seventh straight year, opens the new campaign on
September 1, at the Juniata College Tournament. The Muskies' schedule is
loaded with nationally-ranked and national caliber teams this season.

“We are playing a tough schedule so that we are ready for the Ohio
Athletic Conference,” said Zicha. “We are playing the best. And the fact
that the best want to play Muskingum says a great deal about the Muskie
program. The best only want to play the best.”

--
Tom Caudill
Sports Information Director
Muskingum College

Phone: (740) 826-8022
Fax: (740) 826-8026

www.muskingum.edu

BOBCATS LOOK IMPROVED VS. CARROLLTON

2006-08-19T08:46:00.000-04:00

The Cambridge Bobcats hosted the Carrollton Warriors in a game situation preview at McFarland Stadium Friday night.

The final score of the varsity portion of the preview was Cambridge 21, Carrollton 0, however the JV teams played the majority of the 3rd and 4th quarters with Carrolton outscoring the Bobcats 19-0.

The Bobcats threatened to score early but were turned away on downs by a determined Warrior defense. Cambridge finally dented the scoreboard on a Sean Mahley keeper. The Bobcats, as they did in the opening scrimmage, mixed the run and pass effectively and Mahley was elusive in the pocket, scrambling for a couple of key first downs. The Bobcats 2nd TD came on a Cory Miller punt return midway through the 2nd qtr. The Cats added a third varisty score on early in the 3rd period on Eric Burlingames short plunge into the endzone.

The Bobcat defense was impressive as the closest the Warriors would get in 2+ quarters was the Cambridge 25 yardline. Carroltons QB did not complete a pass vs. the Bobcats #1 Defense and in fact was intercepted 3 times by the Cambridge secondary, two by DB Jordan Williams and one by Mahley.

The kicking teams also looked sharp as Zach Engstrom was 3 of 3 on extra points and had several of his kickoffs go well inside the 10 yardline.

Senior RB Stephen Ford once again was held out of the scrimmage as a precaution. Ford has been nursing a sore foot during preseason but is expected to be ready for the opening game at Philo next Friday. You can hear that game live on WCMJ 96.7 FM, starting with the pregame show at 7:00 pm, kickoff is slated for 7:30.

Meadowbrook vs. Buckeye Trail Scrimmage

2006-08-18T21:51:00.000-04:00

The Colts and Warriors met for the final tune up of the year in their last scrimmage before the regular season begins next week. The Meadowbrook varsity moved the ball well on offense scoring one offensive TD and entering Warrior territory on every possession. Meadowbrook also scored an early defensive TD on a Levi Huhn interception return. Trail’s varsity did not score but returning QB Brock Davis passed the ball well coming back from a serious wrist injury. Meadowbrook’s Cody Huff ran the ball well in preparation for the Colt season opener against Union Local. Both teams’ starting fullbacks were missing because of injury and Meadowbrook was still missing a couple of defensive regulars. The Warrior JV team scored two early TD’s in the first 10 possessions and held the MB JV team scoreless in their segment of the scrimmage. BT opens the season at Monroe Central.

Muskingum football media day full of enthusiasm

2006-08-16T16:40:00.000-04:00

At Muskingum College's annual football media day in McConagha Stadium on
Wednesday, 26th year Head Coach Jeff Heacock was very optimistic about
the upcoming season with the return of 30 letterwinners including seven
starters on defense, five on offense and two on special teams.

"I'm excited about the enthusiasm, attitude and leadership of our older players. They all came back in shape and with an attitude that is very positive and upbeat and that is being carried over to the younger players," said Heacock. "I see a freshmen class that probably has as much skill as we have had in any of the recruiting classes that I have had at Muskingum. These young men have the ability to run and catch the football and provide us with good team speed."

The Muskies will open the season for the second straight year under the
lights on the ProGrass Turf on Sherman Field at McConagha Stadium
against Bethany College on Saturday, September 2, at 7:00 p.m. The game
will mark the debut of Muskingum's new spread offense attack.

"I think the spread offense is something that is fun for the players to
run," added Heacock. "Last year, we ran a lot of option football and
this incorporates the option, throwing the football and running the
football which makes the defense defend the entire field. This will be
a very exciting time for Muskingum football fans."

Following the Bethany contest, the Muskies will enter the rugged Ohio
Athletic Conference slate. Muskingum will host National Champion Mount
Union College on September 23, Baldwin-Wallace College on October 14,
John Carroll University on October 21 and Heidelberg College on November
11.

Muskingum will travel to Ohio Northern University on September 16,
Wilmington College on September 30, Marietta College on October 7,
Otterbein College on October 28 and Capital University on November 4.

Homecoming Weekend is October 20-22 when Muskingum hosts John Carroll.

Kickoff times for all OAC games are 1:30 p.m., except for the Marietta
game which is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.

Tom Caudill
Sports Information Director
Muskingum College

Phone: (740) 826-8022
Fax: (740) 826-8026

www.muskingum.edu

Coaches Corner

2006-08-16T11:11:00.000-04:00

Coaches Corner is now well into season number 4. The show has changed locations and is now being broadcast from DeFelice Brothers Pizza on Southgate Parkway. In week one we previewed the Buckeye Trail football team. Last week our guests were the Meadowbrook Colts. This week we turn our attention to a team that made the playoffs last year - the John Glenn Muskies. Here's the schedule for the next few weeks:

Thursday August 17 - John Glenn Football

Thursday August 24 - Cheerleading

Thursday August 31 - Cambridge Football

Thursday September 7 - OPEN

Thursday September 14 - Columbus Blue Jackets

The show is Thursday nights from 7-8pm. You can hear it on 97.7 WILE-FM and the web at yourradioplace.com.

Reuben Perdue

AVC Sports Director

ECOL Looks To Replace Indian Valley

2006-08-15T16:06:00.000-04:00

AVC Sports has learned that the East Central Ohio League has officially invited another school to join the conference. Indian Valley is leaving the league after the 2007-2008 school year. The league has invited West Holmes to take their place and keep the balanced, 8-team total that they currently have. No word yet on whether West Holmes has accepted the invitation.

Reuben Perdue - AVC Sports Director

High School Sports Underway

2006-08-15T14:43:00.000-04:00

The high school sports season is officially underway. I know, I know -- you're all looking forward to football on Friday, August 25th. But let's not forget that there are several other sports offered during the fall.

Last night the golf season kicked off. 22 teams competed in the Maysville Panther Invitational. The Meadowbrook Colts got off to a good start, finishing fourth. The John Glenn Muskies finished 10th and the Cambridge Bobcats were 13th.

Cross country, soccer, girls tennis and volleyball are also gearing up and will all begin before the guys in pads and helmets hit the gridiron. All of the kids who compete in these sports are sacrificing personal time in exchange for hard work, practice, and a dedication to sport, school, community, personal health and athleticism. I hope we'll all show them the same support that the football players receive. They're adding another activity on top of what should already be a busy schedule, balancing school, studying, often work, and personal time in order to compete.

AVC Sports wants to wish the best of luck to all area athletes in all sports.

Reuben Perdue

AVC Sports Director

Report from the ECOL Football Coaches Media Meeting

2006-08-13T20:37:00.000-04:00

ECOL Football Preview

The consensus at the first annual ECOL football coaches/media event, held in New Philly, is that this years league will be the most talented and most competitive in the league’s twenty year history. The meeting held at New Philadelphia gave each coach an opportunity to meet with the media and each other as they discussed what to expect in football action this fall.

Last years co-champions were Cambridge, Dover and New Philadelphia. The Bobcats Coach Goodrich said that his team looks good on paper with a lot of guys returning from last year’s play-off team but that he realizes the wins and losses must be earned on the field. The Bobcats return 7 offensive starters and 9 defensive starters including one of the league’s best linemen in Johnny Nickolizakis and one of the area’s premiere running backs in Steve Ford. With 25 seniors and 24 returning lettermen the Bobcats are poised to make another playoff appearance.

The Dover Tornadoes of Coach Dan Ifft seem to reload every year. Coach Ifft’s team returns 8 offensive starters and 7 defensive starters. The Tornadoes feature the leagues most dynamic QB in Percy Garner who executes the spread offense with excellent precision. Dover in an attempt to get playoff ready has strengthened their non-league schedule with games against Canton South, Orville and Canal Fulton NW. Dover should once again make a run for the ECOL title.

The New Philadelphia Quakers hope to build on last year’s success but Coach Denison realizes it will take some help from some talented but inexperienced youngsters to repeat as co- ECOL champs. The Quakers return only 4 offensive starters and 5 defensive starters. Their offensive line will be less experienced but larger than last years but with their talented skilled payers they hope to stretch the field more offensively. Their special teams should be in great hands with the return of their punter who averaged 38 yds per punt last years and the return of the ECOL kicker of the year. The Quaker’s stadium will sport the leagues’ first turf surface which should give them an advantage at home games.

There was also a three way tie for fourth place last year as well. Coach Mitch Bendle’s Meadowbrook Colts made a shot at the playoff’s coming up just short by finishing the season with a 6-4 record. The Colt’s hope to make it to the next round this year with the help of All-Star running back Cody Huff and speedy receiver Elric Neuhart. The returning seven offensive starters include almost the entire offensive line. Defensively the Colts lost seven starters but feel that there is enough talent among the 21 returning lettermen to help the defense improve. Coach Bendle is proud of the kids because of the way they have handled the financial crisis of the district, which has forced them to pay $275 to participate. He states that they have kept a good attitude and have worked hard in spite of the financial distractions and feels like they can take another step forward in their goal to make the playoffs.

River View will feature one of the biggest teams in the ECOL this season thanks to a huge and talented offensive line. Coach Jeff Cook says that is Black Bears are just “trying to get better”. RV will return 9 lettermen on defense and 7 on offense. They have 68 players on the roster including 23 freshmen. Their non-league opponents are Tri-Valley, West Holmes and Ridgewood.

Last year was an uncharacteristic year for the Coshocton program. The Redskins are use to being playoff bound and in the ECOL title hunt more times than not. Coach Marty Arganbright, who this year adds the duties of Athletic Director to his list, believes that last year was an anomaly and hopes that the Skins will return to their playoff form. While acknowledging that the ECOL will be “as competitive as ever”, the coach is excited about his 2006 team. Coshocton returns 14 seniors to help provide leadership (they only had six last year) and returns 9 offensive regulars and 7 defensive regulars. The Wing-T will once again be the weapon of choice as the Redskins begin what they hope is another playoff bound season.

Indian Valley has a new football coach and a new optimism as the Braves prepare for their swan song seasons in the ECOL. Coach Eddie Honabarger which turned Danville into a perennial state playoff team has the Braves fans excited as he brings his winning ways to Midland this fall. Many of the ECOL coaches believe that IV will be the surprise of the league. Honabarger reports that there are 70 to 80 players out in grades 9 through 12 and an amazing 90 kids out for junior high football. His first goal is to help the kids develop some mental toughness, stating that the Braves lost 5 games last years after leading in the fourth quarter. With the numbers and talent returning he hopes that the Braves will leave the ECOL with a bang and a new winning tradition.

Veteran coach Ed Harrison returns for another stint at the helm of the Claymont football program this year. He is welcomed by fourteen returning seniors and fourteen returning starters. Coach Harrison reports that his first priority is to help develop a new attitude within the young Mustangs. “Years ago if we lost you knew you were in a ballgame because we played and hit hard”, the Mustang mentor reports. We want to return to that toughness. To help them do that Claymont has got almost all the grapplers from the Mustang’s nationally known wrestling program out for football. Claymont has a tough non-conference schedule opening up with Harrison Central, Weir and Carrolton before entering ECOL competition.

Meadowbrook Scrimmage

2006-08-13T20:35:00.000-04:00

Meadowbrook’s first scrimmage was a successful one against Maysville on Saturday. Cody Huff had several big runs as the offensive line did a nice job opening up some holes. Matt Mallett, Josh Quinn, Josh Riggans and Matt Kennedy also ran well. QB’s Coular Clendening, Keifer Watson and Philip Biggs were on the mark most of the day. Defensively the Colts played well with the big D’ line and linebackers getting several sacks. There were four varsity starters out for precautionary medical reasons. At the end of the day the Colts combined to scored 4 TD’s to Maysville’s 2. Their next scrimmage is Thursday at 10:00 AM at home against Buckeye trail.

BOBCATS AIR IT OUT IN SCRIMMAGE

2006-08-12T22:56:00.000-04:00

The Cambridge Bobcats traveled to John D. Sulsberger Stadium in Zanesville Saturday night for a 3 way scrimmage with Buckeye Local and Zanesville.

The Bobcats squared off with The Panthers first and Ricardo Burks found the endzone in the Cats first 10 play drive. Senior Sean Mahley found senior Hank Lilienthal for the 2 point conversion. On the ensuing 1st and 10 opportunity, QB Mahley found TE Darren Fields who raced through the Panthers secondary to paydirt.

Cambridges defensive unit was opportunistic as well forcing a couple of Buckeye Local fumbles and holding them scoreless. The Bobcat first team won 14-0.

In the second matchup of the night vs. Zanesville the Bobcats scored first once again, and again it was Mahley hooking up with Fields for the first score. As they did earlier in the evening the Bobcats proved they could sustain a drive, mixing the run and the pass effectively, Mahley went for the hat-trick, this time finding Cory Miller in the back of the endzone for the TD. The defense hit well all night, although it was missed tackles that led to the Blue Devils only score as several Bobcats let a Zanesville ball carrier slip from their grasp as he rambled 60 yards for a score.

All things considered it was a good first outing for the Bobcats. The defense looked very agressive but still has a few kinks to work out and the offense showed the ability to throw the ball when they wanted to and when they had to as well as having several running backs show they can find the holes. Although All-Ohio running back Stephen Ford was held out of the scrimmage as he is nursing a sore foot, he was on the field and looked as though he could've participated. No serious injuries were apparent for the Bobcats who will now face Carrollton on Friday at 6:30 at McFarland Stadium in their final tune up before the opening game at Philo.

Lets GO CATS!!!

BOBCATS FIRST SCRIMMAGE @ ZANESVILLE SAT.

2006-08-10T16:21:00.000-04:00

The 2006 edition of the Cambridge Bobcat Football team opens with it's first scrimmage Saturday at Zanesville at 6:00pm. Fresh off its 2nd consecutive playoff appearance, the Bobcats hope for even bigger and better things this season. Led by 20+ Seniors, including 1st team All-Ohio running back and offensive player of the year in 2005, Stephen Ford, Coach Goodrich is looking for his squad to improve on last years 9-2 record. Experience abounds on this years team as only a handful of starters were lost to graduation.

To keep up with the schedule and other Bobcat football news, check back here or check out the Bobcat Football website and their awesome poster schedule "Witness the Demolition" at http://www.cambridgebobcatfootball.com/

I'll be back after the scrimmage on Saturday to update you on the Bobcats. Unitl then this is Bill Kafury saying...GO BOBCATS!!!

Welcome to the AVC Sports Blog!

2006-08-10T13:18:00.000-04:00

Hi, I'm AVC Sports Director Reuben Perdue. I want to welcome you all to the BRAND NEW AVC Sports Blog. Here we'll get updates, news, inside information, and opinions from our AVC sportscasters regarding the teams they cover during the season. We'll have blogs on Cambridge, Meadowbrook, John Glenn, Buckeye Trail, Barnesville, Monroe Central, Caldwell and Shenandoah. We want your feedback, too. As a fan, we want you to be involved. Feel free to post comments to published blogs...at times we'll post reader comments and our bloggers will try to respond when necessary.

This blog is NOT intended to be a rumor mill, trash board, or even a soapbox for spouting. It's designed to provide accurate, useful and entertaining information about our area teams. We expect all blogs to be fair -- critical if necessary -- but fair. We hope you'll enjoy reading some of the scoops and having a chance to interact with our talented staff of play-by-play and color commentators.

Let the blogging begin!

W.Reuben Perdue

AVC Sports Director

sports@yourradioplace.com

AVC Sports Blog

BUCKEYE NATION NOW BIG BC FANS

PLAYOFFS - WHO'S IN WHO'S OUT

PLAYOFF PICTURE DIV 5 REGION 19 & DIV VI REGION 23

A LOOK AT THE DIV II REGION 7 AND DIV III REGION 11 PLAYOFF PICTURE

MONROE COUNTY: THE VOLLEYBALL CAPITAL OF OHIO?

SAY IT AIN'T SO, JOE!

BUCKEYES NEED TO LEARN FROM LAST WEEK

FEMALE SPORTSWRITERS CAN HANDLE IT

OVAC AND ECOL: LET'S GET TOGETHER!

PUTTING THE COLLAR ON THE "HORSE COLLAR"

GOLF'S FEDEX CUP NOT "UP TO PAR"

TEAM USA 2007 - THE NEW DREAM TEAM?

Pitching Will Carry Indians

ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL- FANTASY STYLE

PAY TO PLAY: THE HIDDEN COSTS

THE NEWSPAPER WARS

?*BONDS*? HR CHAMP?

Bonds' Breaks

No Football, No Problem!!!

test 3

Muskingum names Shap Boyd defensive coordinator

Congratulations Dave Adams

Muskies' McCollister Returns to Floor to Standing Ovation

Congratulations Coach Schwieterman

Heacock wins final game as Fuller explodes for 237 yards rushing

Hawkins, Guinsler and Gromes named All-OAC

Muskies prepare for trip to nationally-ranked Capital

CAMBRIDGE BOBCATS MAKE HISTORY

Muskies travel to Westerville for OAC showdown against Otterbein

BOBCATS THUMP CLAYMONT 49-0, CLINCH HOME PLAYOFF BERTH

Muskingum faces John Carroll during annual Homecoming game

Muskingum prepares for home battle against Baldwin-Wallace

Opinion: It Pays to Be Nice

BOBCATS SCALP THE REDSKINS 28-7

Muskingum prepares for battle with rival Marietta

Opinion: Best Baseball Movies

Muskingum visits Wilmington in OAC showdown

Opinion: Soccer, a Pretty Decent Sport Afterall

BOBCATS BLANK BLACK BEARS 28-0

JG's Muskies swimming in 'dangerously shallow waters'

Muskingum set to entertain top-ranked Mount Union

Meadowbrook High School Should Switch Leagues

Muskingum suffers setback at 13th-ranked ONU

BOBCATS ROLL OVER IND. VALLEY 41-10

Muskies notch shut out win over Ursuline

Muskies spike Waynesburg in home-opener

Muskingum sets focus on nationally-ranked Ohio Northern

BOBCATS DOMINATE PATRIOTS 44-12

Barnesville H.S. Sports Update 9/7/06

Busy Week Slated for AVC Sports

Muskingum opens season with dominating win over Bethany av

Crusaders Use Ground Attack to Upend Zeps

BOBCATS PICK UP WIN AGAINST SCRAPPY TIGERS

Muskingum announces newest inductees of Athletic Hall of Fame

BOBCATS RUN PAST PHILO

Warriors and 'Noles Struggle in Opener; Trail Finally Wins in Woodsfield

47th meeting between John Glenn & Barnesville on Friday

Salary Cap Challenge

Muskingum volleyball primed for an OAC title run

BOBCATS LOOK IMPROVED VS. CARROLLTON

Meadowbrook vs. Buckeye Trail Scrimmage

Muskingum football media day full of enthusiasm

Coaches Corner

ECOL Looks To Replace Indian Valley

High School Sports Underway

Report from the ECOL Football Coaches Media Meeting

Meadowbrook Scrimmage

BOBCATS AIR IT OUT IN SCRIMMAGE

BOBCATS FIRST SCRIMMAGE @ ZANESVILLE SAT.

Welcome to the AVC Sports Blog!

?BONDS? HR CHAMP?