Edison has no room for error this week
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RICHMOND -- Edison looks to bounce back and get back on the right side of the .500 mark Friday night when it hosts East Liverpool. Both teams are 3-3.
"They have done a really good job this year," Edison coach Shane O'Brien said. "They have a very explosive offense, and what they do they do really well. They have a lot of good athletes. We are going to be tested again this week, and I think our guys are up to the challenge.
"We have got to be more consistent. We have done some really good things at times, we just have be more consistent and not fall behind."
Anthony Sinicropi leads Edison's attack with 648 passing yards, the third best mark in the area, completing nearly 61 percent of his passes for six scores and six picks. He also has added 273 yards and three scores with his legs. Leading the rushing attack is Kaleb Waggoner with 389 yards and six touchdowns. Bryce McAfoose is the fourth-leading receiver in the area with 21 catches for 233 yards and three scores.
Edison averages 241.7 yards and 21.7 points for, facing an East Liverpool defense that allows 19.2 points. The Wildcats defense gives up 293.2 yards and 25.3 points, facing a Potters offense that averages 28.2 points.
Indian Creek at
Martins Ferry
MARTINS FERRY -- Martins Ferry might be in its first season with a new coach, but it certainly has not had much effect on the Purple Riders.
First-year coach Chas Yoder has led Martins Ferry to a 5-1 record as it heads into Friday night's meeting with Indian Creek at the Dave Bruney Football Complex.
"They play very well, and they are still very well-coached," Indian Creek coach Andrew Connor said. "They are very rich in tradition. They hired someone that played there and coached there. When you do that, your tradition continues to move forward, and I think that is where they are at now. That tradition has got them where they are at this season."
According to Connor, not much has changed with what Martins Ferry does on the field.
"They have always been a good football program," he said. "I do a lot of the same stuff. They are a little more diverse on offense. They have a good quarterback that makes you defend the entire field, but their bread and butter it still running the football."
The key for his Redskins will be limiting mistakes.
"We need do a good job controlling downs and distances," Connor said. "We have to not put ourselves in bad situations. For us, turnovers and penalties have hurt us. We have to hang on to the ball and eliminate penalties. Penalties have really hurt us, and we have to not let that happen at Ferry."
Indian Creek is averaging 305 yards and 28.2 points on offense. Quarterback Sam Mazar has completed 50.6 percent of his passes for 576 yards, three touchdowns and five picks, while also rushing for 183 more yards and four scores. The Martins Ferry defense allows 17.7 points.
On defense, the Redskins allow 238 yards -- the second best mark in the Herald-Star/Daily Times coverage area -- and 17.7 points per game. The Purple Riders average 35.7 points.
Oak Glen at
Warren Local
VINCENT -- Coming off a thrilling win over Edison that brought the Golden Bears back to .500 at 3-3, Ted Arneault's club will be looking for win No. 4 on Friday night when Oak Glen travels to Warren Local.
"Warren is coming off a win, and they have a different coach this year," Arneault said. "They are a little more conventional and modern in their approach this year on both offense and defense.
"They are junior and senior heavy and have some good athletes. It should be a good game again."
According to Arneault, the Golden Bears will have to continue to have a balanced attack with a newly established running game.
"We have to keep our run game going," he said. "That is a goal this week. They are physical team, and we have to come out and match that physicality. We have to keep it mixed up and be balanced on our offensive attack."
Oak Glen's offense averages 349 yards of offense and 32 points per game, led by the area's top passer in sophomore quarterback Nick Chaney with 1,206 yards, 18 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He has completed 44.9 percent of his passes and ran for the winning score against Edison. Hauling in those passes is Hunter Patterson with 24 catches -- second in the area -- for 284 yards and four scores. Zach Taylor has 18 catches for 382 yards and nine scores. Oak Glen's defense gives up 340.8 yards and 32 points.
Warren Local is 1-5 and averages 14.7 points for and 39.7 points against.
Brooke at
Parkersburg South
PARKERSBURG -- Brooke travels to take on 3-2 Parkersburg South Friday night, looking to get win No. 1 on the season.
"They are a very good AAA high school," Brooke coach Mac McLean said. "Our schedule is pretty demanding. Even some of the smaller schools that are on our schedule are having particularly good years. It is going to be hard all the way."
The key for the Bruins will be getting on the board early.
"We have got to be able to capitalize on our chances early in the game," McLean said. "We had the ball inside the 5 against Indian Creek in the first quarter after an interception, and we jumped offsides, had a bad snap and dropped a ball that was catchable in the end zone. As young as we are, we don't have the experience to overcome mistakes like that. We have got to capitalize when we have the chance to."
Brooke averages 123.6 yards and 11.6 points per game. Of the two quarterbacks McLean has used, Gage Yost leads the way with 317 yards, three touchdowns and three picks. Max Camilletti has 121 rushing yards and a score. Camden Bates has eight receptions for 111 yards and a score. The Bruins allow 435 yards and 52.6 points per.
Parkersburg South averages 24.4 points for and 12.8 against.
Toronto at Lisbon
LISBON -- Toronto will look for its third win on Friday with a trip to face Eastern Ohio Athletic Conference foe Lisbon.
"They are in our conference, and any team in our conference is a tough team," Toronto coach Josh Franke said. "It should be some pretty good competition for us."
According to Franke, the Red Knight (2-4) will have to run the ball against the 3-3 Blue Devils.
"We have to be able to establish the run," Franke said. "Our offense has to pick up. Last week against Columbiana, we had several opportunities. Three different times we were inside the 10. We either need to be more creative or muscle up and find ways to get in the end zone in the redzone."
Caleb Leasure has thrown for 400 yards, three touchdowns and six interceptions. Zack Stackhouse has 17 catches for 157 yards. Kobe Herrick leads the rushing attack with 344 yards and three scores.
Toronto averages 221.7 yards and 17 points for, while allowing 289.7 yards and 24.2 points per game on defense. The Blue Devils average 19.2 points for and 16.5 points against.
Harrison Central
at Lucas
LUCAS -- Harrison Central goes on the road to face another tough opponent on Friday night in 4-2 Lucas.
"They are a very-good football team," Harrison Central coach Anthony Hayes said. "They have been in the playoffs, I think, four of the last five years. They play hard-nosed, smashmouth-type football. They are loaded in the backfield and just want to run it down your throat."
One thing the Huskies (1-5) have going for them is facing tough opponents.
"We're 1-5, and we make no excuses about that, but the five teams that beat us this year are a combined 26-1," Hayes said. "We have played some pretty darn good teams. At times we have been able to have some success on both sides of the ball."
Kobe Mitchell is the second-leading passer in the area with 948 yards, six touchdowns and six picks. Tyler West is in the top 5 of area backs with 533 rush yards and five scores. Caden Dalton is third in the area with 23 catches for 383 yards and two scores.
The Huskies average 313.2 yards and 17.7 points for per contest, while allowing 349.3 and 31.8 points. The Cubs average 33 points for and 21.5 points against.
Buckeye Local
at Beaver Local
CALCUTTA -- Buckeye Local goes on the road Friday once again, looking to put an end to the streak to get in the win column.
The Panthers are led by quarterback Seth Richardson, who has thrown for 484 yards and four touchdowns with nine interceptions. Charles Smith leads the ground attack with 132 yards and a touchdown. Shayne Christian has 87 rushing yards and two scores. Christian is also the leading receiver with 14 catches for 146 yards and a score.
The Panthers average 125.2 yards and 10.2 points for, while the defense has been a bright spot, allowing 321.3 and 36.3 yards, in the middle of the pack for area defenses.
The Beavers are 2-4, have lost three in a row after a 2-1 start, and average 13.8 points for. Beaver Local allows 25.5 points.