2018 OVC Football Offseason Talk and Outlook

[Matt77]

Bait- I definitely think ironton has the talent. It all comes off the off season, and discipline. I think Pendleton or Salmons would be a great move for ironton. But I don’t know if they’ll pull the trigger. This may be one of those years where we see Co or Tri champions in the conference. I don’t know if anyone is that much better than everyone else.

Raider - that 2013 team was probably the best team in fairland school history. I don’t know what Athens has now, I don’t see this fairland team beating Athens, Waverly, Ironton, Coal Grove, Rock Hill, or Gallia. I’d say 4-6, 3-7 is where fairland will finish. They relied so much on Cunningham last season, I don’t see them finding another work horse to replace him. He had 1700 rushing yards and 500 receiving last year.

[Geronimo]

Gallia will surprise !

[Firebreather]

Matt, I would argue with the best team in Fairland history all day with you, but you are right about one thing. This Team will not be a threat in the OVC this year. Your placement is about right on par with my feelings. No playmakers on the roster for a team that relies on big plays to score.

[Matt77]

Firebreather, I’m not from fairland, I’m a Grover. I just know of what I’ve watched. Which isn’t too many years. I hear the 1993 team from fairland was special. I just know as an outsider that 2013 fairland team was one of the better ones I’ve watched since I’ve been watching. Which is about from 2005 or so. Lol.

[Osu fan]

Interesting predictions for next year. I think the Tigers need to be in the top 3. If healthy, gotta believe hey are the team to beat. As far as talent and key players returning, we should finish first. The lack of respect given to us now is sad and I think this whole coaching mess has hurt our image. From what I seen last year I think Us, Gallia, coal grove, and Rock Hill will be atop the OVC. Fairland and Portsmouth could surprise people. Wilcoxen and parker will be top players in the conference. Fairland will have to replace cunningham which will be a tall order and Portsmouth will have to find some defense. They seem to get worse on defense every year

[Matt77]

Interesting predictions for next year. I think the Tigers need to be in the top 3. If healthy, gotta believe hey are the team to beat. As far as talent and key players returning, we should finish first. The lack of respect given to us now is sad and I think this whole coaching mess has hurt our image. From what I seen last year I think Us, Gallia, coal grove, and Rock Hill will be atop the OVC. Fairland and Portsmouth could surprise people. Wilcoxen and parker will be top players in the conference. Fairland will have to replace cunningham which will be a tall order and Portsmouth will have to find some defense. They seem to get worse on defense every year

Ironton lost 4 conference games last year, the coaching situation is a joke and Coal Grove is the defending champion with a 1,000 yard rusher and arguably the best quartback in the conference returning. I’m confident in my top 3 right now. (Of course it is only March) You can have all the talent in the world and it doesn’t matter if you can’t put it together and make it work on gameday. It will be a interesting season!

[YOU'RE TIGER BAIT]

I think it will be. especially if ironton makes a coaching change. but as matt said . the grovers are rightfully the team to beat right now until someone proves otherwise. and they bullied the ovc last year.

[OVC]

I'm gonna take a shot at this:

Chesapeake
08/24 A Oak Hill L
08/31 A Albany Alexander W
09/07 H Willow Wood Symmes Valley W
09/14 H Gallipolis Gallia Academy L
09/21 H Coal Grove Dawson-Bryant L
09/28 A Ironton L
10/05 H Portsmouth L
10/12 A South Point W
10/19 A Ironton Rock Hill L
10/26 H Proctorville Fairland L

Record: (3-7; 1-6)

Coal Grove Dawson-Bryant
08/24 A Bidwell River Valley W
08/31 A Lucasville Valley W
09/07 A West Portsmouth Portsmouth West L
09/14 H South Point W
09/21 A Chesapeake W
09/28 H Portsmouth W
10/05 H Gallipolis Gallia Academy L
10/12 A Ironton W
10/19 A Proctorville Fairland W
10/26 H Ironton Rock Hill L

Record: (7-3; 5-2; DVI Playoffs)

Proctorville Fairland
08/24 A Fort Gay Tolsia (WV) W
08/31 H The Plains Athens L
09/07 H Ironton L
09/14 A Waverly L
09/21 A Ironton Rock Hill L
09/28 A Gallipolis Gallia Academy L
10/05 H South Point W
10/12 A Portsmouth L
10/19 H Coal Grove Dawson-Bryant L
10/26 A Chesapeake W

Record: (3-7; 2-5)

Gallipolis Gallia Academy
08/24 H Pomeroy Meigs W
09/01 H Bidwell River Valley W
09/07 A Jackson L
09/14 A Chesapeake W
09/21 A Portsmouth W
09/28 H Proctorville Fairland W
10/05 A Coal Grove Dawson-Bryant W
10/12 H Ironton Rock Hill W
10/19 H Ironton W
10/26 H South Point W

Record: (9-1; 7-0; OVC Champions; DIV Playoffs)

Ironton
08/24 A Wheelersburg L
08/31 A Russell (KY) W
09/07 A Proctorville Fairland W
09/14 H Ashland Blazer (KY) L
09/21 H South Point W
09/28 H Chesapeake W
10/05 A Ironton Rock Hill W
10/12 H Coal Grove Dawson-Bryant L
10/19 A Gallipolis Gallia Academy L
10/26 A Portsmouth W

Record (6-4; 5-2; On the bubble DV Playoffs)

Portsmouth
08/24 A Lucasville Valley W
08/31 H West Portsmouth Portsmouth West L
09/07 A Bidwell River Valley W
09/14 H Ironton Rock Hill L
09/21 H Gallipolis Gallia Academy L
09/28 A Coal Grove Dawson-Bryant L
10/05 A Chesapeake W
10/12 H Proctorville Fairland W
10/19 A South Point W
10/26 H Ironton L

Record (5-5; 3-4)

Ironton Rock Hill
08/24 H Minford W
08/31 A McDermott Northwest W
09/07 H Oak Hill W
09/14 A Portsmouth W
09/21 H Proctorville Fairland W
09/28 A South Point W
10/05 H Ironton L
10/12 A Gallipolis Gallia Academy L
10/19 H Chesapeake W
10/26 A Coal Grove Dawson-Bryant W

Record (8-2; 5-2; DV Playoffs)

South Point
08/24 H West Portsmouth Portsmouth West L
08/31 A Ashland Boyd County (KY) W
09/07 H Albany Alexander W
09/14 A Coal Grove Dawson-Bryant L
09/21 A Ironton L
09/28 H Ironton Rock Hill L
10/05 A Proctorville Fairland L
10/12 H Chesapeake L
10/19 H Portsmouth L
10/26 A Gallipolis Gallia Academy L

Record: (2-8; 0-7)

[trojandave]

Portsmouth has beaten only 1 team with a winning record the last 2 seasons, and the defense continues to be porous even though there was a slight improvement in that time (from 32 PPG to 25 PPG). Offense is not the problem, and the last 2 seasons have produced near a 27 PPG average. For the Trojans to move into the upper echelon of the OVC, and just maybe challenge for the playoffs, continued improvement on defense is a must. Talyn Parker is truly a special back, and he might be the top home run hitter in the conference. If the defense can't get off the field enough, that means the offense with Talyn is standing on the sidelines.......and that is not a good thing.

I am hoping that Coach Kalb is the one who can finally get the football Trojans headed in a positive direction........and one thing I think is an absolute must is to get Wheelersburg back on the schedule. That game at the very least will fill the pocketbooks of both schools, and from Portsmouth's standpoint it would be a huge step in getting back our self-esteem.

GO TROJANS!!!

[YOU'RE TIGER BAIT]

great post dave.

[Osu fan]

The Tigers seem to have difficulty making the transition to the spread on offense and defending it on defense. The T has been really good for our tigers for many years and the kids seem to be most comfortable when running it. I am a supporter of Coach Vass but the biggest complaints I hear in the stands on Fridays are about this. The Trojans on the other hand have been spread for a while and always score a whole lot of points but have trouble when teams play smash mouth football with them. Anybody that watched the game last season can attest to this. The glaring thing that stands out to me about my Tigers is the lack of athleticism as compared to teams of the past. I think Trojan fans could say the same. Trojan Dave brought up some interesting points. So I did some looking. It seems to be a football and basketball problem for both schools as neither sports team beat a school with a winning record this year. Maybe it just is what it is. I too hope the Trojans and Burg start playing again. I remain hopeful that the Tigers can rebound and once again be competitive with the Burg.

[YOU'RE TIGER BAIT]

ole Trojan dave is thee man to ask anything about Portsmouth sports to. if'n he don't know it about the Trojans , nobody does. he is an excellent, honest poster and a great long term poster here.

[SEOPS]

Schedules all filled?

[NoPain23]

Wilcoxen from fairland transferred to Huntington High

[YOU'RE TIGER BAIT]

I take it that is brent's son. isn't he the head coach at fairland, he was the qb on the 79 state championship fighting tiger team.

[YOU'RE TIGER BAIT]

that sounds very strange to me.

[YOU'RE TIGER BAIT]

THAT'S COOL, OUT OF THE CORNER OF MY EYE I CAUGHT SOMETHING === MY POST TOTAL IS 22,222. THAT'S COOL.

[ohbuckeye2]

I take it that is brent's son. isn't he the head coach at fairland, he was the qb on the 79 state championship fighting tiger team.

Fairlands Head Coach is Melvin Cunningham

[PtownClown]

Portsmouth has beaten only 1 team with a winning record the last 2 seasons, and the defense continues to be porous even though there was a slight improvement in that time (from 32 PPG to 25 PPG). Offense is not the problem, and the last 2 seasons have produced near a 27 PPG average. For the Trojans to move into the upper echelon of the OVC, and just maybe challenge for the playoffs, continued improvement on defense is a must. Talyn Parker is truly a special back, and he might be the top home run hitter in the conference. If the defense can't get off the field enough, that means the offense with Talyn is standing on the sidelines.......and that is not a good thing.

I am hoping that Coach Kalb is the one who can finally get the football Trojans headed in a positive direction........and one thing I think is an absolute must is to get Wheelersburg back on the schedule. That game at the very least will fill the pocketbooks of both schools, and from Portsmouth's standpoint it would be a huge step in getting back our self-esteem.

I believe Coach Duncan is the one who FINALLY got the program going in the right direction now it’s up to Coach Kalb to build on what Coach Duncan started. I am predicting he will.

GO TROJANS!!!

[PtownClown]

Portsmouth has beaten only 1 team with a winning record the last 2 seasons, and the defense continues to be porous even though there was a slight improvement in that time (from 32 PPG to 25 PPG). Offense is not the problem, and the last 2 seasons have produced near a 27 PPG average. For the Trojans to move into the upper echelon of the OVC, and just maybe challenge for the playoffs, continued improvement on defense is a must. Talyn Parker is truly a special back, and he might be the top home run hitter in the conference. If the defense can't get off the field enough, that means the offense with Talyn is standing on the sidelines.......and that is not a good thing.

I am hoping that Coach Kalb is the one who can finally get the football Trojans headed in a positive direction........and one thing I think is an absolute must is to get Wheelersburg back on the schedule. That game at the very least will fill the pocketbooks of both schools, and from Portsmouth's standpoint it would be a huge step in getting back our self-esteem

GO TROJANS!!!