Line development will be critical for River

August 22, 2017

By SETH STASKEY Times Leader Sports Editor HANNIBAL — The bar has been raised at River. Now it’s simply a matter of sustaining the level at which the Pilots have played the last several years. Though the Pilots, who finished 10-0 last season before falling to Columbus Bishop Ready in the opening round of the Division VI playoffs, were hit relatively hard by graduation to a tune of six starters on offense and seven on defense, Mike Flannery likes what returns. “We have some big question marks, but we feel confident about things,” Flannery said. “The expectations and ...

Shadyside wants to finish better

August 22, 2017

By SETH STASKEY Times Leader Sports Editor SHADYSIDE — As he prepared for the 2017 season, Mark Holenka had several thoughts running through his head. Many tied into the tough-to-swallow way in which last season ended in the Division VII regional quarterfinals against Harvest Prep. Just three seconds away from defending the Fleming Field home turf and advancing, the Tigers allowed a hail mary to be completed, giving Harvest Prep a 40-37 victory, leaving Holenka, the players and fans in total disbelief. “It was definitely a tough ending,” Holenka said earlier this month at ...

St. Clairsville experienced, but young

August 22, 2017

By SETH STASKEY Times Leader Sports Editor ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Not many motivational speeches have been needed around St. Clairsville’s football camp this summer. That’s what happens when a team so accustomed to winning at a high rate experiences a ‘down’ season. Or the type of season that head coach Brett McLean said, “left a sour taste in all of our mouths.” The Red Devils, who have qualified for the postseason 10 times in the last 12 seasons, limped to a 4-6 finish in 2016. “That hasn’t sat well around here,” McLean, who is entering his 16th season, ...

Union Local looks to build on success

August 22, 2017

By KIM NORTH Times Leader Sports Writer MORRISTOWN — Although Union Local was a senior-ladened team that started 5-0 and fell just shy of a Division V state playoff berth in 2016, Bruce Stiles, entering his fifth season as the Jets pilot, doesn’t see much of a dropoff this season. Stiles saw 14 seniors graduate from last season’s 7-3 squad, which was 7-1 until season-ending setbacks to Bellaire and Barnesville thwarted a possible playoff berth. Of that group, gone are nearly 3,000 yards of offense and more than two dozen touchdowns. “That senior class was with me from Day ...

Allen now guiding Barnesville

August 22, 2017

By KIM NORTH Times Leader Sports Writer BARNESVILLE — Usually it takes a season or two for a new head coach to transition his systems into a new program. That is not the case for Blake Allen who was elevated from offensive coordinator to head coach at Barnesville following the resignation of Matt Johnson after last season to take the boys’ basketball position. Johnson led the Shamrocks for the past five seasons. Allen, a 2007 Barnesville graduate, has been the offensive coordinator at his alma mater for the past two seasons, so everything will stay the same on that side of the ...

Things looking up at Beallsville

August 22, 2017

By BUBBA KAPRAL Executive Sports Editor BEALLSVILLE — These are exciting times for the Beallsville High football program. A new and much-needed million dollar fieldhouse will be ready for the 2018 season. Already in place is a state-of-the-art video scoreboard. And most importantly, the grid roster is growing in numbers and talent. Larry Deem is in his third season at the Blue Devils’ helm. He virtually saved the program from extinction when he took over in August of 2015. In his initial two seasons, Deem has had to deal with a brutal and nonsensical schedule and a lack of ...