2017 Playoffs Nelsonville-York 28 Coal Grove 7

[SportFan08]

Exactly!! He is just trying to deflect the fact that Coal Grove is going to send NY home bruised and beaten.

This should be a good game. I’m pulling for the Grover’s.


Question, Is CG coach in his FIRST year?

Yep, and he's only 25 years old. Played QB for Coal Hrove in 2010, the last time they made the playoffs.

Evan played in the 2009 football season. Coal Grove made the playoffs in 2009, 2011, and 2012.

[dragonalum]

Best of luck to the Hornets! GO GROVE!

[countywide35]

NY defends Alumni Stadium the way they do their home turf......buckeyes roll on and make the TVC PROUD!

[NYBuckeye96]

OHSAA announced that the winner of this game will play the winner of Kirtland (12-0) and Rootstown (12-0) in the State Semifinals.

[NYBuckeye96]

http://www.athensmessenger.com/sports/l ... 6fbc7.html

Buckeyes, Hornets meet in regional final
By Kevin Wiseman Messenger sports editor



NELSONVILLE — Some of the best years in Nelsonville-York’s football history have featured classic clashes with Coal Grove Dawson-Bryant.

In 1981, Nelsonville-York edged the Hornets in a Division IV regional final, 14-12, on its way to winning a state championship.

The two Southeast District schools wouldn’t see each other again for 16 years, as a two-game series started in 1997.

The Buckeyes won the ‘97 meeting, 20-13, on their way to a 11-1 season. The next season, in 1998, Nelsonville-York took a 17-14 overtime decision, a result that ultimately helped the Buckeyes qualify for the playoffs. N-Y beat Wheelersburg that season to advance to a regional championship game.

The Buckeyes and Hornets haven’t played since ‘98, and N-Y hasn’t played for a regional title since that season either. Both of those facts will change on Friday as Dawson-Bryant and Nelsonville-York will meet again.

The Buckeyes and Hornets will decide the Division VI, Region 23 championship on Friday at Jackson High School’s Holzer Field at Alumni Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

The winner will advance to the state semifinals in Division VI.

“It’s a good matchup for us, against a good program with Coal Grove,” Richards said. “They haven’t been here for a while either. One of us is going to come out with a regoinal championship — hopefully that’s us.”

The Hornets (11-1) were champions of the Ohio Valley Conference in 2017, and have won nine games in a row since a week 3 28-6 loss to Portsmouth West.

Dawson-Bryant has won two regional championships in its history — in 1983 and 1990 — but are in the postseason for the first time since 2012.

The Hornets arrived in the regional finals thanks to a 7-6 quarterfinal win over Shenandoah, and a big 46-22 win over Southeastern in the semifinals.

Dawson-Bryant is led by the 2017 Division VI Southeast District Defensive Player of the Year in 6-foot-1, 230 pound senior linebacker Kimo Baldwin.

Sam Angelo (6-4, 205 pounds) is another senior linebacker with size, while senior defensive end Jeb Jones (6-3, 205) is another player to watch.

A player the Buckeyes (12-0) won’t be able to miss is nose guard Josh Waulk. Standing at 5-11 and weighing 380 pounds, Waulk will try to clog the middle of the line of scrimmage.

“They tackle well,” Richards said. “It’s regional finals time so everybody’s going to be good and have some good players. But it definitely stands out, they have some big guys up front.”

The Hornets have given up an average of 13 points per game this season, six times holding an opponent to a touchdown or less.

Dawson-Bryant is scoring 29.5 points per game, having topped 30 points five times.

Junior quarterback Nate Harmon (6-2, 185) was a first-team all-Southeast District selection.

Harmon has rushed for 806 yards on the season, while completing 56 of 94 passes for 933 yards.

Junior Kyle Sites (5-8, 160) is the team’s leading rusher, gaining 1,011 yards on 160 carries with 13 touchdowns.

Jones is the Hornets leading receiver with 18 receptions for 292 yards.

Senior Darin Bloomfield (6-0, 220) is a right guard and leads the Hornets group up front as a first-team all-district pick.

The Hornets have provided the Buckeyes with some questions marks. Richards said they ran a version of the wing-T most of the season, but then opened the game against Southeastern in a spread offense, building a 26-0 halftime lead and 46-8 fourth-quarter advantage.

By comparison, Harmon was 1 for 4 passing for 19 yards in the playoff win over Shenandoah, but then completed 10 of 13 passes for 188 yards against Southeastern.

“They’ve evolved a little bit,” Richards said. “It will be interesting to see what they start out in. We’re practicing for both. We’ll be ready to see whether it’s a wing-T or the spread.

“They have good athletes,” he added. “They can power you. Their coach, (Evan) Ferguson is doing a good job of adapting to his players. It’s not just power. They had decent speed.”

The Buckeyes will be led by quarterback Garrett Maiden, an Offensive Player of the Year in the Southeast District in Division VI. The senior has completed 100 of 177 passes for 1,846 yards, 21 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He adds 644 yards rushing with 12 more touchdowns, giving him 2,490 yards of total offense and 33 total touchdowns.

Sophomore Keegan Wilburn is up to 1,161 yards rushing, 589 yards receiving and 22 total touchdowns. Senior Colt Yinger adds 949 yards rushing on 104 carries with 12 touchdowns.

Defensively, senior linebackers Ronnie Wend (65 solo tackles, 142 assists), Yinger (23 solo tackles, 111 assists), and defensive linemen junior Donovan McCollister (22 solo tackles, 90 assists) and freshman Colton Snyder (21 solo tackles, 81 assists) continue to lead the defense.

The Buckeyes received a scare in last week’s semifinal against Fort Frye, winning 26-20 in overtime after the Cadets missed a late PAT in regulation.

Richards said it taught his team a lesson, as they held on to win after losing a 20-point lead.

“It’s good we got out of there alive,” Richards said. “Good momentum, we just had a great week of practice. I think that got their attention.”

The Hornets had their own playoff scare in the opening round against Shenandoah, scoring with 5:14 left in the fourth quarter and kicking an extra point to escape with a one-point win.

Now the Hornets and Buckeyes meet up again on the gridiron, and once again, plenty is on the line.

“We’re really excited,” N-Y senior Chris Cook said. “I know my team is more than ready but we really have to keep our heads small and not get a big head. Keep our emotions down. Just play our game and we’ll be fine.”

State semifinal information

The Ohio High School Athletic Association announced on Thursday evening the pairings for the Division VI state semifinals.

The Nelsonville-York/Dawson-Bryant winner (Region 23) will face the winner of the Region 21 final between Rootstown and Kirtland. Both of those teams are 12-0.

The Region 24 champion — which will be either Coldwater (9-3) or Maria Stein Marion Local (12-0) will take on the Region 22 champion. That final will be contested between Findlay Liberty-Benton (11-1) and Jeromesville Hillsdale (9-3).

The Division VI state semifinals will be played on Friday, Nov. 24 at 7:30 p.m. on a neutral field.

[NYBUCKSFAN]

Calpreps Says NY 28-17 and Rootstown 24-22 over Kirtland.

We'll see. Anything from here out is icing on the cake to a great season for either team, so good luck to all of the boys involved, let us fans act like adults, and root hard for your team!

Go bucks!

[Olderbird]

Calpreps Says NY 28-17 and Rootstown 24-22 over Kirtland.

We'll see. Anything from here out is icing on the cake to a great season for either team, so good luck to all of the boys involved, let us fans act like adults, and root hard for your team!

Go bucks!

Let's worry about tonight before we worry about next week
NY 28
CG 17
This was my prediction before looking at Cal

[tigerfan83]

Good luck to the Grove tonight

[fireball]

good luck to both teams have fun and play injury free

[79Tiger]

Game day is finally here. Lee Corso just put on the Hornet mascot head. Points will be hard to come by in this one. Coal Grove jumps on top and holds on. 21-14

[Raider6309]

Game day is finally here. Lee Corso just put on the Hornet mascot head. Points will be hard to come by in this one. Coal Grove jumps on top and holds on. 21-14

Lee drunk again?

The Buckeyes roll

[Binary]

Calpreps Says NY 28-17 and Rootstown 24-22 over Kirtland.

We'll see. Anything from here out is icing on the cake to a great season for either team, so good luck to all of the boys involved, let us fans act like adults, and root hard for your team!

Go bucks!

I really don't think it will be that close. When NY throttled Waverly I predicted them to go 13-0. That wasn't really a stretch I know, since NY has clearly the best skill players and the most speed of any team in the region. They did lay an egg against VC, but they won. They handled FF, who most everyone says is the second best team in the region, for 3 quarters. They had a brain fart of a 4th quarter and nearly lost that game. But their extreme advantage in talent came back to light in the OT. If they don't out think themselves tonight and not be afraid to take advantage of what they have, like giving the TB who's playing FB the ball more, they should have a running clock.

[Cpt. Obvious]

God luck to the Grove!!! IMO I think these teams are very similar. NY prolly has the better offense but Grove I believe has the edge on D. I definitely believe this will be a close, low scoring game.. lookin for the Grove to come out with the upset.. my guess would be 21-17 Grove. Hope everyone stays healthy and the officials let both teams play ball!!! Wish I could be at this one but obviously I’m headed to chili!!!

[moorelukas]

This should be a good game. I’m pulling for the Grover’s.


Question, Is CG coach in his FIRST year?

Yep, and he's only 25 years old. Played QB for Coal Hrove in 2010, the last time they made the playoffs.

Evan played in the 2009 football season. Coal Grove made the playoffs in 2009, 2011, and 2012.

The Ironton tribune must be labeled as unreliable then, I saw that multiple times.

[Steegal]

NY is on a roll. They will ease in to week 14 with a relatively easy win tonight. Then it's anyone's guess what happens.

[moorelukas]

Coaching is the storyline of this game, both of these teams have changed offenses on the fly and made vast improvements when the new coach came in. Nelsonville-York goes from 1-9 to 8-2 with Rusty Richards, while Coal Grove went from no playoffs to the Regional Final when Evan Ferguson arrived. Add in the fact Ferguson is only 25, this should be a great battle of the minds in Jackson.
A part of me thinks that NY losing that lead to Fort Frye is a good thing, makes them focus up this week in practice. Hopefully, this game will be close to what happened in the 1981 Regional Final (14-12 NY), Football at its finest. May the best team win, and safe travels to Jackson, If you can't make it, listen in!

[Amarranavajas]

Coaching is the storyline of this game, both of these teams have changed offenses on the fly and made vast improvements when the new coach came in. Nelsonville-York goes from 1-9 to 8-2 with Rusty Richards, while Coal Grove went from no playoffs to the Regional Final when Evan Ferguson arrived. Add in the fact Ferguson is only 25, this should be a great battle of the minds in Jackson.
A part of me thinks that NY losing that lead to Fort Frye is a good thing, makes them focus up this week in practice. Hopefully, this game will be close to what happened in the 1981 Regional Final (14-12 NY), Football at its finest. May the best team win, and safe travels to Jackson, If you can't make it, listen in!

That 1-9 NY team had tons of talent. They beat a 9-3 Trimble team in week one and were inches from beating an 8-3 Newark Catholic in week 2. Then the wheels started to fall off with the staff as the HC slowly went off his rocker. This years team is loaded with talent. So the coach getting out of the way is the most important thing. Don't over coach, and get the ball to your athletes. You have way more talented players than anyone you've faced, and it will be no different tonight. Just don't try to get too cute, and don't choke up either. Let them play, and let your players win it for you.

[Raider6309]

Getting ride of Boston was the best thing to happen to NY. Boston only let the offense go through one player where Richards seems to get everyone involved. Athens, Trimble, and NY have three of the best coaching staffs in the area

[Jolly P(irate)]

Good luck tonight to both sides. Pulling for Grove, but have respect for both. Here’s to an injury free game.

[Steely Dan]

Best of luck to both squads tonight, hope both teams come through injury free. I feel that the Buckeyes will take care of business and move onto to the next round, too many weapons on the offensive side of the ball.