Dragon 39;s Crown Pro Battle Hardened Edition

[Earlie Schwoyer]

Postseasonfootball is back for Southeast Ohio, and I cannot wait to look across the board for the teams that made history, contenders, pretenders, the upsets waiting to happen and the teams we will be watching in Canton. For those of you missing the predictions, I hope to return to the usual format next week, but I thought it would be prudent to provide a window into the playoff races that will captivate the region until December 2nd. As I always say, I hope these teams exceed my expectations and are playing for far longer than expected. While the expanded playoffs have left many cynical about the validity of a playoff berth, it is worth mentioning that these teams have achieved something monumental in just earning a postseason run.

Unfortunately, this is the largest category for the teams in our coverage. To start from the top, we have the history-makers, McClain. With their Week 10 upset against Hillsboro, the Tigers bought themselves another week of football. Unfortunately, McClain will have to face Region 16 titan, Taft. Keith Penwell deserves recognition for getting McClain to their first-ever playoff game, and his potent running attack may prevent a rout for the 14 seeded Tigers. That being said, it will be an uphill battle for McClain to advance to the second round of the playoffs. The Tigers will have great things in years to come.

It is often difficult to fill the holes that generational players leave on rosters. It is even more difficult when your team plays in one of the most competitive conferences in Southeast Ohio. Despite their 4-6 record, the Coal Grove Hornets have clawed their way into the postseason. In Round One, they will more than likely fall to Northmor, but this season has

Most of the teams on this list have the misfortune of being unlucky, or they are in the midst of a transition year. It is rare to see both of those factors combine into such a perfect storm. That is the case for the Nex Lexington Panthers. Coming into this season, New Lexington had a roster of two seniors hoping to defend the MVL Small-School title. West Muskingum forced the Panthers to concede, but New Lexington still managed to put together a five-win season to crack the playoffs and earn a 13-seed position. What awaits them? The Harvest Prep Warriors. Weighed down by two out-of-state losses, the Warriors were given the four-seed in the region. There is an argument that Harvest Prep should have been given the one-seed in this region, but that is no consolation for New Lexington. The Panthers are in for a long night.

It is never easy to be the 16-seed. Rock Hill managed to sneak into the postseason after a brutal conference schedule, winning their final two games after dropping five straight in the middle of the season. And it is not going to get easier for Rock Hill as they face Garaway. For

context, the Garaway Pirates have won 30 consecutive regular season games. The Pirates play one of the most punishing schedules in Division Six, yet Garaway has not allowed more than 14 points this entire season. Best of luck to Rock Hill.

games in the OVC. Thanks to this turn of events, Coach Darren Crabtree is just one more playoff berth away from tying his record for consecutive appearances at five. With their 13-seed, Valley has to face West-Liberty Salem. I doubt very many teams envy Valley, but congratulations to them for making the dance once again.

Nelsonville-York and Bellaire are fascinating case studies of the year-to-year shifts experienced by teams throughout Southeast Ohio. Despite both teams facing off in the regional semifinal last season, they will face off as the seven and 10-seeds respectively. The Buckeyes hold the seven-seed this year and home-field advantage, but the Big Reds remained consistent in one way: a late-season rally. Bellaire won five of their final seven games after dropping their opening three games. The Buckeyes have been trending in the wrong direction, falling in their final two games against Vinton County and Athens. I put more stake in the quality of the teams, but the momentum for each of these squads is something to keep an eye on. The Buckeyes need to be careful to avoid the trap presented by this game, or they could be sitting on the couch for the rest of November and December.

Unioto does not have the look of a team in danger in Round One but recent history is not on the side of the Shermans. Last season, Unioto held the four-seed in Region 16, and things did not go according to plan. Clinton-Massie came to town and shut down the Shermans, 38-0. Coach Matt Hoops has the only home playoff win in school history, and Unioto will be looking to avenge their defeat from last season against Urbana. Urbana, their opponent, also defies the typical standards of a 15-seed. The Hillclimbers have seven wins, and their three losses have been to contenders across the board. These include Jonathan Alder, Bellefontaine and the undefeated London. The Shermans need to be on their guard to avoid an early playoff exit this season.

Miami Trace has gone through a peculiar season. The Panthers have both impressive wins and head-scratching losses. Miami Trace has stunned Waverly, Western Brown and Bethel-Tate in out-of-conference play, but the Panthers have refused to follow the conventions of a contender in FAC play. Miami Trace has three explainable losses which include Wilmington, Logan Elm and Jackson, but their Week Nine loss to Hillsboro is confounding for many reasons. The talent present on the Panthers roster makes their 13 points in Week Nine perplexing. Hamilton Township saw their ranking in Region 11 plummet after a shocking Week 10 shutout at the hands of Logan Elm. The Rangers dethroned Bloom-Carroll as the dominant dogs, pun intended, at the top of the MSL conference. They were unable to claim a sole title due to their Week 10 loss, but their performance for the rest of the season is hard to ignore. For a team like

the Panthers, one that plays hard week in and week out, this a prime opportunity to knock off one of the better teams while they recover from a devastating loss. When the tape goes out on a team, it makes the path forward much more simple for opponents. Miami Trace has an opportunity to take advantage of both of those factors.

Paint Valley has moved out of a first-round lock after their past two weeks. The Bearcats have suffered two tough losses after sprinting out to a 7-1 start. Parkway travels to Bainbridge with just two wins, but the third most difficult schedule in Division Six. Those Panthers have played many of the favorites from Division Five through Seven, and this battle-hardened group presents an early test for the Bearcats. After breezing through their first-round match against Huntington last year, Paint Valley will have a much more difficult time.

Trimble was gifted an unfortunate seed despite their tight-rope act of a conference schedule. The Tomcats have been a stout defensive unit that has only a single blemish, their Week Four thrashing at the hands of Fairland. Since then, the Tomcats have not allowed more than 21 points in a game, and they have only allowed more than two touchdowns twice. Despite their unlucky seed, Trimble faces a team with one of the easiest schedules in Division Six according to Fantastic 50. The Tomcats are not a spoiler in the traditional sense, but looking at their seed, you may be deceived.

West Muskingum has flourished under the leadership of Coach Nathan Brownrigg, and the Tornadoes have entered an era of dominance in the MVL Small School Division. That dominance looks to expand to Region 19, and West Muskingum has a serious advantage against the Union Local Jets. While the Tornadoes have swept away their competition, Union Local has

Fairland has defied expectations with their father-son duo at head coach and quarterback, and they have the benefit of already defeating their Round One opponent. The Dragons defeated Portsmouth 43-27 in Week Eight, and there is no reason to suspect that Fairland a second time. When Ironton leaves the OVC next season, it will be a head-to-head clash for conference supremacy between the Dragon and Gallia Academy.

Speak of the (Blue) Devils and they shall appear. Gallia Academy has an interesting first-round matchup when they face Vinton County due to the strength of schedule disparity. While Gallia Academy had to navigate a conference with Fairland and Ironton, Vinton County managed to sail through a weaker slate of TVC-Ohio teams. With home field and boatloads of talent, the Blue Devils are primed to vault into the second round of the postseason. Gallia Academy will have to face the winner of Morgan @ Sheridan next week, and the Generals are going to be a tough out for any team in Region 15.

Zane Trace has navigated a difficult situation with remarkable grace this season. Despite losing an excellent head coach, Dylan Wears has kept the ship moving in the right direction. With a senior-heavy roster, the Pioneers have been able to remain competitive in SVC conference play and survive early season adversity in out-of-conference competition. Zane Trace also was the beneficiary of seeding in Region 20, entering the postseason as a four-seed. The Pioneers will face Madison in the first round, the first time the two teams have ever met. Zane Trace hopes to make it further in the dance, and I would not count out the Pioneers. I stop at the line of believing that Zane Trace will be able to claim the region outright.

Fort Frye has encountered a great deal of adversity on their path to a share of the TSL crown this season, but the Cadets managed to claw their way to eight wins this season. Fort Frye has not been their usual dominant self, but it is impossible to count out Coach Eric Huck. A suffocating defense has allowed the Cadets to survive the massive turnover they have experienced from last season. When the playoffs come, it has almost become a certainty that Fort Frye will have a deep playoff run. That is why I will not count out the Cadets.

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