|
Ironmen Earn 20-0 Win at Herrnstein Field
Wednesday 10-21-2009 12:24pm ET
The Cavs got the surprise out of the way early, but Jackson (7-1/4-1) had the happy bus ride home with a 20-0 victory. Winning the coin toss, Chillicothe (1-7/0-4) deferred to the second half. On the kickoff, Drew Basil laced a perfect "kick pass", 12 yards and Marcus Dunn recovered it to give the Cavs the ball to start the game. Chillicothe drove inside the Jackson 20, but lost yards on a sack of quarterback Shay Netter, and then turned it over when a pass ricocheted off the hands of Casey Oates into the hands of Eric Landrum.  That wasn't a game deciding play, but it has been the theme for the Cavaliers this season. All too often, Chillicothe has had costly turnovers in the opponent's red zone. The Cavalier defense forced Jackson to punt on that possession, and held the Ironmen to 226 yards offense on the night. Chillicothe forced a fumble by Jackson's Kruize Wandling. Michael Dodge recovered it at the Jackson 18. The Cavs attempted a 40 field goal, but a high snap led to a Jackson block which was returned to the Chillicothe 15 yard line. Four plays later, Wandling crossed the goal line on a 1 yard run. The Cavs had four turnovers on the night. Their second was a fumble which Jackson recovered near mid-field. Just 2:56 into the second quarter, Wandling hit Nathaniel Haller on a 41 yard pass for the game's second touchdown to put the Ironmen ahead 14-0. Jackson's Drew Ervin put the game out of reach on a 37 yard touchdown run with 6:35 remaining in the game. The PAT was no good. A bright spot for the Cavaliers, Brandon Whittaker rushed for 95 yards for Chillicothe. The victory keeps Jackson's SEOAL title hopes alive. They travel to Logan next week. The Chieftains handed Warren a 31-15 loss Friday night. Chillicothe heads to Warren (6-2/4-1) next week, looking to snap a seven game losing skid. More photos
Photos by Dana Cousins wbex.com
Purchase photos DIRECTIONS: Cavs at Warren Friday
Tuesday 10-20-2009 9:01am ET
Cavalier fans have made trips to Warren High School for other sporting events, but never for Varsity football. Here's how to get there:
Take 35 East to US 50 East towards Athens. Merge onto US 50/OH-32/OH-7. Take the OH-339 ramp toward Beverly. Turn left on OH-339. Turn sharp left onto CR-805.
The trip totals 98.22 miles and takes approximately two hours. (130 WARRIOR DR., VINCENT, OH 45784)
Gallia Stops Chillicothe 27-10
Friday 10-09-2009 11:28pm ET
 On a muddy Memorial Field in Gallipolis, Gallia Academy gained momentum from the start. The end result, the Devils first win of the season, 27-10 over the Cavs. The Blue Devils won the coin toss and elected to take the ball, going for broke, trying to snap a six game losing skid. The end result was a 73 yard kick off return by Austin Wilson. 14 seconds into the game and it was 7-0. Wilson was in on three big plays for 197 yards and two tds. Chillicothe countered with a 28 yard field goal by Drew Basil with 27 seconds remaining in the first quarter, pulling the Cavs to 7-3. The Blue Devils would score the next 20 points. Gallia began their next scoring drive from midfield, aided by another run by Wilson to the Chillicothe 13. A couple of plays later, Nate Allison ran an isolation left through a gaping hole for a 14-3 lead. The Cavaliers got their hands back on the ball in the final seconds of the first half. Opting to run a play instead of the clock, a missed exchange was recovered by Gallia at the Chillicothe 8. The Devils made the Cavs pay when Ethan Moore hit a sliding Tyler Eastman just inside the goal line for a 7 yard touchdown. Gallia improved its lead to 20-3 at the half. After a scoreless third quarter, Chillicothe put the Blue Devils in poor field position, but Wilson struck again on a 73 yard run at 10:28 for a 27-3 advantage. On their final possession, Shay Netter engineered a 96 yard drive, highlighted by a 55 yard Donta Thompson pass reception. Netter would cap the drive on a 5 yard slant to Thompson to close out the scoring, 27-10. Thompson finished with 4 catches for 91 yards, while Casey Oates snatched 8 for 79 yards. Netter was 14 of 22 for 179 yards and 2 tds. The Cavs turned ball over on three fumbles and an interception. Chillicothe (1-6/0-3) returns to Herrnstein Field for the final home game, hosting Jackson (6-1/3-1). The Ironmen suffered a 28-7 defeat at home to Ironton. Chillicothe-Gallia Academy, Four Challenging Weeks Ahead
Thursday 10-08-2009 12:27pm ET
By Dan Ramey
In the fall of 1979, my Teays Valley Vikings finished their season 5-3-2. That
included knocking off (Cavs Defensive Coordinator) Jeff Metzler's Circleville Tigers, ranked #8 in Class AA, a 6-0 loss to Miami Trace and with four more points in the  right spot, the Vikes could have easily finished 10-0.
Things don't always work out as planned, but that's a part of life.
Every team has goals and hopes in summer camp.
During the course of a season, however, some have their goals amended.
For the Cavs (1-5) and Blue Devils (0-6), neither is in reach of an SEOAL championship nor have the promise of playing beyond October 30th. But that hasn't hindered their desire or their preparation.
They just want to know what the "thrill of victory" feels like again.
Week 7 could be considered their Super Bowl.
After the Cavaliers, Gallia's remaining schedule features Bishop Hartley (5-1) and Zanesville (5-1). They'll finish with Marietta (1-5).
Chillicothe's final three weeks are a bit steeper. Jackson, Warren and Logan are each undefeated entering this week.
Needless to say, pride is on the line for both teams.
Seasons like these hinge on the little things. Untimely turnovers, penalties and giving up the big play. Each has a way of deflating a team's confidence.
The series of battles are different for these teams. Each battle is magnified and can seem larger than the swing of momentum for teams tasting the sweetness of victory.
Both Chillicothe and Gallia Academy have enjoyed that taste in previous seasons and Friday night, one of them will again.
Entering their game at Memorial Field in Gallipolis, the two teams are yielding around 30 points per game while scoring about 15.
They'll scrap, fight and not give up... reaching for the consistencies that have eluded them in 2009.
The new goal is to get that next victory.
Win or lose, character building is underway. It's a bond that will keep these young men together forever.
Photos by Dana Cousins wbex.com
Purchase photos
Ironton Hands Cavs 5th Straight Loss 56-17
Saturday 10-03-2009 1:52pm ET
Ironton set the tone for their 36th meeting with the Cavaliers, a 56-17 statement.
 After forcing Chillicothe to punt on its first series, the Tigers rolled off a 10 play 60 yard drive for a 7-0 lead.
With 2:05 remaining in the first quarter, J. P. Taylor fielded a short punt and returned it untouched 44 yards for a score... 14-0.
Chillicothe put together a 13 play drive capped by a Drew Basil 38 yard field goal to pull the Cavs within 14-3.
Ironton reeled off 14 unanswered points to extend their lead to 28-3 before Shay Netter hit Marty Dunn on an 11 yard touchdown pass at the 5 second mark before intermission, 28-10.
Coming out of the locker room, Chillicothe forced an Ironton fumble and followed it with up with a Brandon Whittaker 2 yard run. For a moment, it appeared the Cavs had found some life, trailing 28-17.
 It was short-lived however, as the Tigers' Ethan Preston managed to hit Jon Monnig on a couple of long pass plays to put Ironton in the red zone to go ahead 35-17.
Preston completed 4-of-6 passes to Monnig for 150 yards.
Chillicothe clips to 1-5 overall and 0-2 in the SEOAL. Ironton improves to 4-2 and 1-2 in league play.
The Cavs will head to Gallia Academy (0-6) Friday. The Blue Devils fell at Portsmouth 34-21. Photos by Dana Cousins wbex.com
Purchase photos Homecoming Spoiler, Trojans Win 34-21
Saturday 09-26-2009 12:14pm ET
A flurry of scoring in the final 6:22 saw Chillicothe (1-4/0-1) outscoring Portsmouth 21-7. The final, however, stood 34-21 Portsmouth. Portsmouth (3-2/1-1) took advantage of some Cavalier miscues and maintained a 20-0 lead entering the fourth quarter. Both teams had their share of turnovers (5 interceptions and a fumble recovery), but the Trojans made the most lemonade when handed lemons.  After holding Chillicothe on their first possession, Portsmouth drove 73 yards in 8 plays for a 7-0 lead. The big play, a 40 yard Josh Myers pass to London Malone on 3rd and long. A few plays later, Lenny Collins broke lose on a pop to the tight end for a 22 yard touchdown. On the next play for the Cavs, Andrew Gulley stepped in and snagged a Casey Oates pass, putting the Trojans at the Cavs 39. Eight plays later, Jonathan Royster went around the left end on a 10 yard run to make it 14-0. Following a Chillicothe punt, D.J. Harris picked off a Portsmouth pass and Chillicothe drove inside the Trojans 20. Myers, playing safety, returned the favor with an interception at the Cavs' 13. Behind center again, Myers ran to the Chillicothe sideline. When it appeared the Cavs had the quarterback cornered, he reversed his tracks and caught a seam, running 81 yards to the Chillicothe 7. Angelo Jackson scored on a 1 yard run for a 20-0 lead heading into halftime. After trading turnovers in the third quarter, the final period began with Portsmouth at the 50. The Trojans coordinated a 5:38 drive capped by a 4th and goal from the 22. Myers hit Kyle Simpson on a fade to the corner for the 27-lead.  That's when things took a wacky turn. Shay Netter, who started the second half for Oates, hit the junior halfback on a pitch. Oates landed a sideline strike to Isaac Beverly for 54 yards to get Chillicothe on the board, 27-7. Forcing a Portsmouth punt, the snap sailed beyond the Trojans punter to the 1 yard line. Netter took it in for the Cavs second td in 18 seconds, 27-14. Chillicothe's Dylan Osborne placed an onside kick into Derek Milliken's hands to set Chillicothe up again. The end result, had Portsmouth heading back the other way on a 62 yard interception to put the Trojans ahead 34-14. The Cavs Brandon Whittaker punched the ball across the goal with 3.7 seconds remaining. Now, trailing 34-21, Chillicothe pulled off a pooch kick recovery at the Portsmouth 26 with 1.6 left. The game's final play ended on the final interception in the Trojans end zone. The Cavs had 279 yards offense, mostly in the second half. Both Oates and Netter threw for more than 100 yards. Portsmouth gained 291 yards. Myers rushed for 126 yards on 13 carries and was 4-of-12 passing with 2 tds and 2 picks. After playing four of their first five games at Herrnstein Field, Chillicothe will now hit the road for 4-of-5, beginning Friday night at Ironton. The Tigers (3-2/1-1) dropped a 21-7 decision to Logan (5-0/2-0) at Tanks Stadium.
NOTES: Madison Valentine is the 2009 Homecoming Queen. Ethan Graves was crowned King... 2008 Queen, Jasmine Vinson and King Ron Smith were on hand to pass the crowns.  Photos by Dana Cousins wbex.com
Purchase photosHOMECOMING: Cavs Host Portsmouth Friday
Wednesday 09-23-2009 11:29pm ET
A second chance field goal is the difference between Portsmouth entering Week 5 of the season 3-1. For a second straight years, the Trojans snatched defeat from victory in the final moments against Jackson. A Portsmouth defender fell into the Ironman kicker, giving Jackson another shot. The end result, the kick was good and Jackson is off to a 4-0 start. Curt Clifford's Trojans opened the season with a 24-14 win over South Point to open the season. The following weekend, about 9,000 fans caught a thriller at the opening of the new football facility, a 21-20 victory over Portsmouth West. Wheelersburg humbled the Trojans the following week 68-14.  Clifford says his team is loaded with juniors and like the Cavs, are playing alot of inexperienced players under the Friday night lights. Quarterback Josh Myers logged alot of time calling signals as a sophomore and Clifford's attack has turned him into a running QB, one of the team's leading rushers. Last season, Chillicothe kept Myers on the run in a 34-14 win at Spartan Stadium, constantly sending pressure into the backfield ( see more here). If the Cavs are to score a Homecoming triumph, they'll likely need to get after Myers and company again. The Cavs logged 3 sacks on Zanesville's Cole Hudson last weekend. They'll also need to find consistency on offense, similar to their final possession last week at Herrnstein Field. Photo by Wayne Allen, Portsmouth Daily Times
CAVS NOTES: Curt Clifford teams are 10-6 against Chillicothe... Bill Davidson's record is 5-1 against Portsmouth... The Cavs (1-3, 0-0) debuted at #25 of Region 12 of Division III in the first Ohio High School Athletic Association computer rankings. The Cavs host Portsmouth (2-2, 0-1) Friday for Homecoming. The Trojans are #10 in Region 15 of Division IV. The rankings of upcoming Cavs opponents: Ironton (3-1) #3 Region 15 Division IV Gallia Academy (0-4) T#27 Region 12 Division III Jackson (4-0) #2 Region 12 Division III Warren (4-0) #9 Region 7 Division II Logan (4-0) #3 Region 7 Division II Cavs Drop 14-7 Decision to Zanesville
Sunday 09-20-2009 2:27am ET
Anyone catch that game at Ohio Stadium last weekend? The Cavs' battle at Herrnstein Field was eerily similar. Chillicothe's defense was excellent for all but one series... Zanesville's last drive. Leading 7-6, the Cavs pinned the Blue Devils at their own 25 yard line. In 45 seconds, Kyle Gladden reeled off a 39 yard run and a play later, fullback Richard Simpson went off tackle, untouched from 35 yards out for the go ahead score, 12-7. A two-point conversion finished out the scoring 14-7. The Blue Devils left Chillicothe 4-0, but they had a battle on their hands.  Cole Hudson, entered the game completing 85% of his passes, but the Cavs held him to 5 completions in 12 attempts for 46 yards. Other than the last Zanesville drive, Chillicothe held them to 74 yards rushing. Chillicothe punted to the Blue Devils' 13 in the first quarter, but a penalty brought the kick back. On the second kick, Michael Lynn return the punt to the Chillicothe 9. That set up a 4 yard run by Gladden. The PAT was no good... Devils up 6-0. Casey Oates put the Cavs at midfield on the ensuing kick return. Chillicothe got on the board on a Drew Basil 46 yard field goal to pull within 6-3. The Cavs were in scoring range again late in the first half with a chance to tie, from 33 yards away. But a low snap forced holder Dylan Osborne to pick up the ball and run, falling short of a first down. At halftime, Zanesville had out gained Chillicothe 107 to 89 yards. Trading third quarter punts, Chillicothe's defense continued to push back the Zanesville attack. On the Devils' second possession of the half, Lynn was lined up to kick from his own goal line. The snap sailed above his head and he kicked it out of the end zone. 6-5 Zanesville. On their next possession, the Cavs pinned the Devils inside their own 10 again. Deja vu all over again. Another snap ended up in a sousaphone in the band section and the Cavs had their first lead of the night, 7-6 with 25 seconds remaining in the third quarter. Following the Zanesville go ahead score, Chillicothe drove the ball down field over the game's final 4:54. Starting from the Cavs' 19, Oates connected with Donta Thompson. Then, Brian Whittaker to midfield and Isaac Beverly inside the Zanesville 30 and D.J. Harris inside the Devils' 10.  As time dwindled under 45 seconds and no timeouts remaining, Oates dropped the ball on third down. Scurrying to get the team to the line of scrimmage for a 4-and-goal desperation shot to the end zone, the pass intended for Beverly fell into the hands of the Devils' Corey Harris to secure the win. Despite the loss, Chillicothe's defense matured. The only thing missing was stealing a home victory to reward their efforts. Chillicothe outgained Zanesville 204 to 196. Oates was 15 for 21 for 134 yards and a pick. He also carried the ball 15 times for 65 yards. Gladden was held to 82 yards on 15 lugs, two of those carries totaled 77 yards. The Cavs (1-3) will face (2-2) Portsmouth in their SEOAL opener at Herrnstein Field next Friday. The Trojans dropped a 24-20 decision to Jackson Friday night. Givens Suffers Season Ending Injury at Boise State
Friday 09-18-2009 1:59pm ET
 Chillicothe's Chris Givens, a junior receiver at Miami, is out for the season. Redhawks coach Michael Haywood to The Middletown Journal Givens was injured Saturday in Miami's loss to #12 Boise State. Givens is schedule to have surgery to reattach a torn labrum October 1st and receive a medical redshirt, allowing him to regain eligibility from this season. Read the Middletown Journal story. Cavs Hoping to Bounce Back Against Zanesville
Thursday 09-17-2009 9:30am ET
Last Friday's 42-20 loss at Wilmington is still fresh in the minds of the Cavaliers.
Entering Week 4, Chillicothe (1-2) has a tough task with former SEOAL opponent Zanesville (3-0).
The Blue Devils are off to their best start since 1998 when they reeled off an 8-0 mark*.
Zanesville is averaging 36ppg while yielding only six. They crushed Newark 51-6 in a game shortened by lightning in the opener, doubled Licking Valley 29-13 in Week 2 and last weekend, jumped out to a 14-0 lead at Wheeling Park in the first six minutes if the game, winning 28-0. Their three opponents' combined record is 2-and-7. (Read the Zanesville Times Recorder game report)
 Leading the way, quarterback Cole Hudson. The senior has completed 33 of his 40 passes, six for touchdowns, and just over 400 yards. 255 of those yards have been in the hands of receiver Cory Harris on 12 catches. Kyle Gladden has been a workhorse out of the backfield with nearly 500 yards on 86 carries and has found the end zone six times.
The trip to Chillicothe will be the third straight week on the road for Zanesville.
The Cavaliers have been posting nearly 16ppg while surrendering 28ppg. Chillicothe has been susceptible to the big play the last two weeks.
Big Walnut caught the Cavs off guard with a big run on a fake punt setting up a score. After turning the ball over inside the Eagles' 10 yard line, BW popped off a long td run.
Wilmington scored two touchdowns on single play possessions and also found the end zone on a 42 run.
The Cavs have been working to plug the holes defensively while hoping for more progress out of their offense.
With Shay Netter nursing sore ankles, Casey Oates handled every snap at Wilmington in his first start out in the Cavs' shotgun. Oates was 4-of-10 passing and ran for 48 yards. Meanwhile, Brandon Whittaker found some openings for 77 yards on 5 carries landing his first varsity td and Offensive Player of the Week honors.
Kick off is 7:30pm Friday.
NOTES: Players of the Week for the Wilmington game, Whittaker on offense, Danny Demick on defense, Drew Basil special teams, Marcus Dunn scout team, Aaron Elliott JV and T.J. Daniel Freshman... Other guests on The Bill Davidson Show, defensive coordinator Jeff Metzler, certified athletic trainer Mindy Smith, student trainer Jordan Baker and equipment manager Dennis Murphy... Zanesville leads series 31-3, but Cavs have taken two of last three meetings... Friday night coverage begins at 6:05pm with "Up Close with the Cavs" and "Game Night with the Cavs" at 7:05pm from Herrnstein Field... Chillicothe opens league play next week in a home game with Portsmouth... Lou Postage joins Dan Ramey and Jim Day for the broadcast.
|
