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Blue Dons set for first home game

WEIRTON — The wait is almost over for Madonna fans to watch their team play in their home town.  After starting their comeback season on the road last week, the Blue Dons play their first home game since restarting the program Friday night when Van comes to Jimmy Carey Stadium.  “It’s exciting,” Madonna head coach Shawn McKinnon said. “The community is excited. They’re ready to go. The parents are excited. The kids are excited. We’re ready to go.” The matchup is a battle of teams looking for their first win of the season as both teams suffered losses in the ...

Crusaders continue road trip at Rosecrans

ZANESVILLE — For the first time this week, things feel like they’re in a routine for Catholic Central.  Opening week is always chaotic, especially with a new head coach, then last week school started and the Crusaders were on a short week.  This week, they have a full week between games and have had time to get in a rhythm, something head coach Greg Bahen hopes will help the Crusaders put together their first win of the season.  “We’ll have more of a routine down this week,” Central head coach Greg Bahen said. “The bus is leaving at a similar time Friday; we’ll ...

Creek looks to bounce back on trip to UL

BELMONT — The Indian Creek football team has its work cut out for it this week against undefeated Union Local. The Redskins will take on the Jets at 7 p.m. Friday night on the road. Indian Creek enters this week’s game coming off a 48-14 loss to Buckeye 8 rival East Liverpool this past Friday night at Kettlewell Stadium. “Our kids played hard, but the game got away from us early,” Indian Creek (1-1) head coach Andrew Connor said. “Our kids tried to fight back. You do want to try and find positives, and one positive was our kids played hard.” Meanwhile, Union Local ...

Red Knights coming home off to 2-0 start

TORONTO — Something is going to have to give Friday when unbeatens Toronto and Brookfield meet on the gridiron. The Toronto football team will take on Brookfield for the first time when the two teams meet at 7 p.m. Friday night at Clarke Hinkle Field. The Red Knights remained undefeated on the season as Toronto rallied to dispatch Newcomerstown, 27-20, this past Friday night out at Lee Stadium. “We started in a deficit, but we slowly dug in,” Toronto (2-0) head coach Jaret Aubiel said. “We battled back. We were able to come back and come away with a huge road ...

Oak Glen heads down the river after a big win

HANNIBAL — Coming off an emotional win in Week 1, the Oak Glen football team will take on River this week in a battle of unbeatens. Oak Glen is playing this season with heavy hearts following he death of junior lineman Carter “Boo Boo” Pesacreta, who died in an offroad accident Aug. 21. Pesacreta was 16-years-old. Pesacreta’s funeral was held last Thursday morning at Nixon Funeral Home in Newell. Several hours later, the Golden Bears took their home field to play their first game of the season against Hancock County rival Weir. The boys from the northern part of the ...

Panthers look to find their footing

SHADYSIDE — It’s been a tough start to the campaign for firstr-year head coach Hayden Daley and the Buckeye Local Panthers. Back-to-back lopsided losses to Bellaire and River find the Panthers 0-2 facing another difficult task. Daley and company head south on Route 7 to face the undefeated and surging Shadyside Tigers, who are coming off back-to-back drubbings of East Palestine and Southern Local. The Tigers’ program suffered a 2-8 campaign last season. One of those losses was to Buckeye Local, its second-straight season losing to the Panthers. No doubt that fact is on the ...