Athens 62 Gallia Academy 19

[93Bulldog]

My as well get this party started early ...

[93Bulldog]

2012 RESULTS:

GALLLIA ACADEMY - 52
ATHENS - 34

* Was the only regular season loss for Athens
* Both Gallia Academy and Athens won 1st round playoff games last year.
* Gallia Academy lost to Thurgood Marshall 68-9 in week 12.
* Athens beat Springfield Shawnee 36-35 in week 12.
* Athens lost to Thurgood Marshall 60-21 in week 13.

[Orange and Brown]

lol....I am having withdrawals too but this is super early lol

[Orange and Brown]

Gotta go with Athens by a bunch though.

[superblue]

We need to improve our pass and rush defense or it will be a long night... Was hoping for a rematch in the post season last year... Would have been interesting and advantage to Athens ....Hasn't the last 4 years favored the visiting team???

[85cruiser]

Have to favor Athens with most of their skill players still intact and some coming up from the JV. The question marks with Athens will be in the trenches. Early to mid season injuries last year left a few quality players sidelined a few games.

[93Bulldog]

Early to mid season injuries last year left a few quality players sidelined a few games.

Athens lost starting offensive tackle Dennison West and RB Freddie Stalder in scrimmages and they missed the entire season - not just a few games.

West graduated and will be attempting to play college football at Otterbein. (I think its Otterbein)

Freddie will be back and is 100% as him and a few of his teammates prepare for the state track meet in Columbus this week.

[93Bulldog]

lol....I am having withdrawals too but this is super early lol

Never too early my friend!

[85cruiser]

Actually I was looking at the whole picture including the JV. West is not going to be a contributing factor to the topic, but Garlock, McDaniels, Moberg, Sebring and Gould all had some sort of nagging injury holding them back last year. Some had playing time, some did not, and some of those Athletes are going to be depended upon heavily this season.

[GalliaGrad78]

Gotta go with Athens by a bunch though.

Reasoning?

[Orange and Brown]

Gotta go with Athens by a bunch though.

Reasoning?

Athens has a full year with there O and they are bringing back alot of skill players. There backups got alot of playing time last year so I think there O line will be fine. There Defense should be a whole lot better.
Athens should blow through everyone they face this year.

All I jave to say about Athens is that you better get off the tracks because it is going to get ugly when the the train is coming through.

[93Bulldog]

Not sure about the defense being a lot better O & B ... the unit last year played great the 2nd half of the season, but lost a ton of starters to graduation ... the Athens team this year will actually be younger than it was in 2012 believe it or not, and while I think they will be good, no way do I think they will "blow through everyone they face."

@ Gallia Academy will be a huge test ... Watkins Memorial is no slouch ... Warren is Warren and won't roll over and play dead ... Jackson? Another huge test ... and a trip all the way down to Fairland will not be easy ... and by week 10, the Buckeyes will be yet another tough test.

[Orange and Brown]

Not sure about the defense being a lot better O & B ... the unit last year played great the 2nd half of the season, but lost a ton of starters to graduation ... the Athens team this year will actually be younger than it was in 2012 believe it or not, and while I think they will be good, no way do I think they will "blow through everyone they face."

@ Gallia Academy will be a huge test ... Watkins Memorial is no slouch ... Warren is Warren and won't roll over and play dead ... Jackson? Another huge test ... and a trip all the way down to Fairland will not be easy ... and by week 10, the Buckeyes will be yet another tough test.

Alot of the dogs problems on Defense last year was the coaches trying to put the right players in the right places. Overhauling the O took prioraty so more time was dedicated to it in the summer.
The O is installed and the kids know it so the coaching staff will spend more time coaching up the defense.
Athens has the horses to repeat and even surpass what they did last year. The key is keeping the kids grounded and humble.
This team should be 10-0 this year.

[93Bulldog]

O & B ... last season I don't think any less time was spent on the defense than any other year ... Matt has been coaching the unit since day 1 when Adams took over, the kids have been running the same stuff since their freshmen year ... its just a matter of replacing experienced players (just like it was last year) ... you just don't step onto the field in July and think your going to replace Tanner Wood (D.P.Y.), or John keifer, or Jed Debruin, Alex Tritipo, Daniel Evans and a Skylar Schwarzel overnight ... the same problem persisted last season and Athens gave up 52 points to Gallia Academy in a week one loss, then turned around and gave up 54 to Watkins Memorial ... they face the same two opponents to open the season this year ... Athens will be younger, they lack experience all over the place and they might even be a bit smaller up front than last season (and the Bulldogs were pretty small) ... the offense will no doubt be a juggernaut, but can it carry the team until Matt gets the defense in order remains to be seen ... they really turned it around fast after those first two games last season, but that doesn't always happen ... if you don't have a group of kids that are willing to work hard, that have some size, strength and aren't afraid to lay the wood - it could be a long year defensively.

[Orange and Brown]

O & B ... last season I don't think any less time was spent on the defense than any other year ... Matt has been coaching the unit since day 1 when Adams took over, the kids have been running the same stuff since their freshmen year ... its just a matter of replacing experienced players (just like it was last year) ... you just don't step onto the field in July and think your going to replace Tanner Wood (D.P.Y.), or John keifer, or Jed Debruin, Alex Tritipo, Daniel Evans and a Skylar Schwarzel overnight ... the same problem persisted last season and Athens gave up 52 points to Gallia Academy in a week one loss, then turned around and gave up 54 to Watkins Memorial ... they face the same two opponents to open the season this year ... Athens will be younger, they lack experience all over the place and they might even be a bit smaller up front than last season (and the Bulldogs were pretty small) ... the offense will no doubt be a juggernaut, but can it carry the team until Matt gets the defense in order remains to be seen ... they really turned it around fast after those first two games last season, but that doesn't always happen ... if you don't have a group of kids that are willing to work hard, that have some size, strength and aren't afraid to lay the wood - it could be a long year defensively.

Part of having a successful program is RELOADING. So if your telling me Athens can't do that then there is a coaching problem.
Athens has everything in place to be successful for years to come and you sir need to have more faith in the coaching and the kids.
and trust me, they spent a lot more time putting in the new O last year and it does hurt the Defense when that happens.
I have no dog in the fight other than being a fan of the TVC, I think by week 4 you will be singing a different tune about the D.

[Orange and Brown]

O & B ... last season I don't think any less time was spent on the defense than any other year ... Matt has been coaching the unit since day 1 when Adams took over, the kids have been running the same stuff since their freshmen year ... its just a matter of replacing experienced players (just like it was last year) ... you just don't step onto the field in July and think your going to replace Tanner Wood (D.P.Y.), or John keifer, or Jed Debruin, Alex Tritipo, Daniel Evans and a Skylar Schwarzel overnight ... the same problem persisted last season and Athens gave up 52 points to Gallia Academy in a week one loss, then turned around and gave up 54 to Watkins Memorial ... they face the same two opponents to open the season this year ... Athens will be younger, they lack experience all over the place and they might even be a bit smaller up front than last season (and the Bulldogs were pretty small) ... the offense will no doubt be a juggernaut, but can it carry the team until Matt gets the defense in order remains to be seen ... they really turned it around fast after those first two games last season, but that doesn't always happen ... if you don't have a group of kids that are willing to work hard, that have some size, strength and aren't afraid to lay the wood - it could be a long year defensively.

Part of having a successful program is RELOADING. So if your telling me Athens can't do that then there is a coaching problem.
Athens has everything in place to be successful for years to come and you sir need to have more faith in the coaching and the kids.
and trust me, they spent a lot more time putting in the new O last year and it does hurt the Defense when that happens.
I have no dog in the fight other than being a fan of the TVC, I think by week 4 you will be singing a different tune about the D.

[93Bulldog]

Part of having a successful program is RELOADING. So if your telling me Athens can't do that then there is a coaching problem.
Athens has everything in place to be successful for years to come and you sir need to have more faith in the coaching and the kids.

Sean Arno is a great coach, IMO ... but when you have no horses, you can't just 'reload'.

I have all the faith in the world in the Athens coaches ... playing football requires 'football players' ... I'll know if Athens has enough of them after I watch a few scrimmages.

Athens was (9-1) in 2009 ... the year after they went (5-5).

it happens O & B.

[noreply66]

Going with the Bulldogs. In this came last year I thought Athens didn't have the defense in place yet.With that being said they just seemed to wear down and couldn't hold Gallipolis. I feel if the game would have been the last regular season game the Bulldogs would have pulled it out. Could be another shoot out this year.

[BBallin fool]

GA in a close one.

[gobigblue12]

I heard from one of the players Warnimont is in a full arm cast and out for sometime