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Expectations on the rise in Barnesville

By SETH STASKEY Times Leader Sports Editor BARNESVILLE — In many ways, the 2017 Barnesville football season was a learning experience. Head coach Blake Allen — who experienced his fair share of learning last season — is now looking for his team to take what it learned and apply it to the upcoming season. How quickly they’re able to do that may just go a long way in determining the amount of success the Shamrocks can enjoy as they bid to rebound from an uncharacteristic 3-7 campaign. “Our kids maintained a good attitude and got better each week last year,” Allen said. ...

Bellaire features increased depth

By SETH STASKEY Times Leader Sports Editor BELLAIRE — Mark Spigarelli is certainly aware of the expectations that surround the Bellaire football program. After all, other than a handful of seasons that he spent coaching at West Liberty, Spigarelli has been a part of the Big Reds program basically since his playing in the mid 80s. But, even if he had only been in Bellaire for one season, he understands, realizes and appreciates that 3-7 seasons just aren’t going to cut it. Unfortunately, that’s the exact kind of season the Big Reds were dealt in 2017 as they broke in ...

Buckeye Local aims to restore the roar

By RICK DELUCA Times Leader Sports Writer CONNORVILLE — Roger Herbert came to Buckeye Local last fall set on re-building the Panther football program. He endured a winless season as the school’s third coach in three years. Talking to Coach Herbert, it takes just a minute of the conversation to see that he is certainly a coach that looks ahead and doesn’t waste his time looking back. He is optimistic about the approaching 2018 season, which opens Thursday at home against rival Martins Ferry, but he is realistic in his thinking. He works on the moment while building for the ...

Ohio State tries to put turmoil aside

By RICK THORP Times Leader Sports Writer COLUMBUS — The Ohio State football team will take the field a week from Saturday. And when it does, the Buckeyes will need to put the turmoil that’s surrounded the program during the last month aside and focus on the Week 1 opponent — Oregon State. No matter who’s steering the ship — Urban Meyer, Ryan Day, or someone else — more than 100,000 rabid fans are sure to be on hand inside Ohio Stadium to watch what, they hope, will be another banner year for the defending Big 10 champs. The promise of another successful campaign became ...

Maturity, continuity present for WVU

By JIM BUTTA For The Times Leader MORGANTOWN – Veteran West Virginia University head football coach Dana Holgorsen has a number of reasons to believe this year’s edition of the Old Gold and Blue will be much better than the ones he led during his first seven seasons in Morgantown. The first is a very simple one. “Maturity, more than anything,” Holgorsen explained. “I’m much more comfortable with what I’m doing. I go back to last year, being in a little different role last year, this conversation could last a long time as far as we weren’t exactly where we wanted to be ...

Newcomers to play a role for WVU

By JIM BUTTA Special to The Times Leader MORGANTOWN – It would be hard pressed to find a fan of West Virginia University football who hasn’t heard of Will Grier, David Sills V, Gary Jennings Jr., Yodny Cajuste, David Long Jr. or Dravon Askew-Henry. But, when it comes to the 2018 Mountaineer football program, it may be the names fans have not heard that much about that will turn the Old Gold and Blue into a team that can challenge for a Big 12 title and a possible berth in the College Football Playoffs. Offensively, Grier is the headliner after throwing for 3,490 yards and 34 ...