Week one of high school football is in the books. It may not have come with stadiums packed with fans, but it’s the first step on the road back to a normal season.
While it’s too early to make any predictions, what The Post can do is provide a rundown of what happened in the TVC-Ohio this week.
Athens
The Bulldogs won their first game, but that win unveiled a long list of problems to be fixed. Limited practices due to COVID-19 resulted in an ill-prepared Athens, who struggled with the underdog Alexander Spartans.
The second half left much to be desired. Most of Athens’ offensive line played both ways on the defense and were fatigued for much of the game. An entire second half without an Athens touchdown only exacerbated the need to hold the Spartans back.
Alexander surged while the defense did its best to hold back a rally. The Bulldogs held on for a 20-13 win, but it was a bitter victory. Coach Nathan White felt his team’s spirit, but the performance needed work.
Quarterback Joey Moore’s performance on Friday saved Athens from disappointment. The senior went 15-for-30 with 270 passing yards and three touchdowns. Despite the sparse practices, Moore appears readier than most for week two.
Alexander
The Spartans dropped their first game of the season on Friday, but they showed improvement on both sides of the ball after a tough first half against rival Athens.
Besides a 55-yard touchdown run by Jagger Cain, the Spartans struggled to get anything going offensively. But in the second half, Alexander made adjustments, including putting in Xander Karagosian at quarterback and focusing the offense around the ground game.
Alexander only scored one touchdown in the second half in its 20-13 loss to Athens, but it moved the ball better and found ways to compete with the Bulldogs’ big plays with some big plays of its own.
Defensively, the Spartans were solid in the first half but struggled to stop Athens’ explosive offense from hitting on the big plays, giving up 20 points in the first two quarters. So in the second half, Alexander adjusted by increasing the pressure on Joey Moore and forcing him to stay in the pocket. The pressure affected Moore’s ability to get off clean passes and, as a result, the Spartans held Athens scoreless in the second half.
The halftime adjustments did not result in a win for Alexander, but improved play has the Spartans confident before their next game.
Nelsonville-York
The Buckeyes lost their season opener against rival Trimble for the third straight season. Nelsonville-York found itself losing early in the 34-28 loss and took a 20-point deficit to halftime.
Trimble built its first-half lead with five straight conversions on fourth down — two for touchdowns. Tomcats quarterback Tabor Lackey found a receiver in the back of the endzone on fourth-and-22 in the second quarter and pad the lead.
Nelsonville-York finally gained some traction in the third quarter with several Trimble players cramping. The Tomcats were forced to put in younger and less experienced players. The Buckeyes took advantage with 21 unanswered points.
The Nelsonville-York offense was led by its run game from Colton Snyder and Critter McDonald, but with one minute remaining and 80 yards to go it had to turn to the pass. Drew Carter threw his third interception of the game to finish the loss.
The Buckeyes will seek more consistent play next week at Wellston.
The Rest of the TVC-Ohio
Meigs defeats Vinton County 28-20
Meigs had scored first, but much of the game belonged to Vinton County. The Vikings were on their home turf and clung to a 14-6 lead while the Marauders failed to make headway.
That was the case until the fourth quarter. The Marauders managed a rally behind quarterback Coulter Cleland, who was 16-for-26 for the game and had three touchdown passes in the fourth quarter.
The Marauders took the lead with only 44 seconds remaining, and Vinton County couldn’t respond in time.
Wellston defeats River Valley 41-6
There was only one trend that emerged in week one — every home team lost.
River Valley was no exception. Wellston rode into Bidwell and made it clear that they were in charge. The Golden Rockets were up 41-0 by halftime and focused on keeping the Marauders from scoring for the rest of the game.
The Marauders managed a single touchdown midway through the fourth quarter.
Conference Standings
- Wellston (1-0)
- Athens (1-0)
- Meigs (1-0)
- Nelsonville-York (0-1)
- Alexander (0-1)
- Vinton County (0-1)
- River Valley (0-1)
What’s Next Week?
Athens is set to play its first home game of the season in the newly-dubbed Joe Burrow Stadium against Vinton County on Sept. 4.
Alexander will be traveling to West Virginia for a non-conference game against St. Mary’s on Sept. 4. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.
Nelsonville-York will travel to Wellston for its first conference game of the season on Sept. 4.
Meigs will host River Valley in Pomeroy on Spet. 4
All kickoff times not specified are slated for 7 p.m.
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