23 Regional Final: Fort Frye (12-0) vs Newark Catholic (8-4)

[EasternDspy]

Fort Frye Dline is its strength they are about 6 deep and they rotate 3 all district players in Matheny (285) Baker (280) and Prichard 215(leads team in sacks). Nose guard is a tank Caleb Kehl (300plus). Then you rotate in speed rushers Jesse Mccleod 6-3 210 and Isiah Jones 180. I love the teams Dline play.

[EasternDspy]

Fort Frye has tons of offensive fire power scoring 43.83 points per game. Lowest Season total was 31 in the rain.

[nerkfan]

That's a nice statistic but it's kind of like comparing apples to plums.

[EasternDspy]

What happened in the Bellaire game? I figured NC would win easily.

[LICKING COUNTY FAN]

Bellaire better than you thought? I watched them in earlier in the year.
Played at home.
Was playing their best ball at the end of the season against 2 solid D-5 schools.

[nerkfan]

Bellaire was a good team. Halftime adjustments help slow down their offense. It was a close game, which I expected. NC fumbled the opening kickoff giving Bellaire a short field. NC next possession 1 play for TD, tied it 7-7. Bellaire's next possession 80 yard 22 play drive for a TD, 13-7. Like I said NC made defensive adjustments at halftime. NC pretty much shut down their running game in the second half.

[Chalito]

How does everyone see this great game?

Just my opinion. NC has one player that has been absolutely the most dominant player in the history of NC

Gibson is a very good high school player but is not close to the most dominant player for NC. I married into the NC family in 1991. Rob Kelly was by far their most dominant player. Also IMHO there have been a couple other players I would also put in front of Gibby. I'm not bashing him at all, he is a tremendous asset for NC and the young man worked his butt off to be the player he is.

Good call but you might be forgetting that the team also had JD Graham's son who was a tremendous athlete and a major weapon that year in the kicking game. (He was also a very smart football player who knew the game. There are other players in seasons before 91 that NC would have likely not won with a certain athlete. I can remember a kid names Williamson that was a huge difference maker in the season he played. We can agree to disagree but without this man NC would have been lucky to have been 5-5. More likely would have been 3-7 or 4-6. If Ft. Frye can stop him, Ft. Frye will win this game. If they can't, NC squares off against a monster week 14 no matter who they play.

[EasternDspy]

People gave Bellaire a ton of credit for beating UL. UL was an above avg team that struggled at times to score vs Warren. A team that Barnesville beat. I think this game is going to be a thriller.

[gils]

Newark Catholic vs. Fort Frye at Zanesville.

[EasternDspy]

Zanesville High it is.

[Moe]

At least there shouldn't be any griping that FF has the travel advantage again. Would have rather seen it played at PHS. That being said, it is a great field to play on. Should be exciting to watch!

[nerkfan]

Now I assume you meant Philo high school. I agree the location might of been better. OHSAA might of considered Zanesville visitor stands being much bigger and being able to seat all of FF fans.

[LICKING COUNTY FAN]

Hopefully Gils can post the N.C. record at this stadium.

[Moe]

Yes I meant Philo, I'm a lazy typist lol. The stands are probably bigger at ZHS and the field really is a great field (well maintained and large). I honestly don't give a lot of credit to traveling distances at this stage of play. It is the playoffs, traveling is to be expected. It shouldn't matter enough to turn the game one way or another. As far as I am concerned the boys should be excited and pumped up regardless of distance. It was just kind of my little dig to a lot of the people being nasty about it last week with the FF travel distance. I stayed out of it at the time but it really did irritate me.

[Greenwave]

Game is at Zanesville Friday 7:30

[nerkfan]

I'm hearing echoes, echoes, echoes.

[Greenwave]

Nc has beat malvern, woodsfield , shadyside crooksville
The 1st trip in 1981 the only losses i remember is Bridgeport in 2010 Steubenville Catholic in 1993 state final 4 and fisher Catholic 2000 the year they were in the state title. I started going in 1980 i had a spreadsheet of all Nc games but a virus locked the file hopefully some day i can get it replaced

[formerfcfan]

Nc has beat malvern, woodsfield , shadyside crooksville
The 1st trip in 1981 the only losses i remember is Bridgeport in 2010 Steubenville Catholic in 1993 state final 4 and fisher Catholic 2000 the year they were in the state title. I started going in 1980 i had a spreadsheet of all Nc games but a virus locked the file hopefully some day i can get it replaced

Just a clarification - we went to the state title in 98. We also were one of the two teams to beat NC in 2007 the year you guys won the state title.

[EasternDspy]

So what's some thoughts on this game?

[nerkfan]

I honestly have no idea EasternDspy. NC has definitely played the tougher schedule. FF has handled every team this year, their defense hasn't given up very many points.

I don't think either team is going to blow the other out.