Scores and predictions for tonight's high school football games:
Athens (9-0) 31, Nelsonville-York (9-0) 27
With home field advantage, the Bulldogs will knock off the seemingly untouchable Buckeyes tonight. After talking with the Athens coaches, there is so much frustration being felt in the locker room after all the close losses to Nelsonville, that the team is going to be extremely motivated tonight. In fact, despite having already secured a playoff spot, the first Athens team to go to the postseason since 1990, head coach Ryan Adams said their season would not be satisfying without this win. Tells you a little something about what this game means to Athens. So much is on the line in this game- the TVC championship, playoff seeding for home field advantage, bragging rights for the best team around Athens, etc. Expect a very hard-fought, physical, and entertaining contest in front of a packed stadium.
Nelsonville will be all over DeVon Sharp, so Athens will be able to open up the field a little bit with their passing game. Sharp will have a solid game, but it will be the unexpected passing attack and defense that puts the Bulldogs over the top in this one.
Disclaimer: If starting quarterback Josh Skinner and defensive back Chris Russell are out with injuries, all bets are off. Both are day-to-day with injuries.
Meigs (6-3) 24, Alexander (6-3) 20
Reeling Alexander takes one last blow tonight to end their season on a four-game losing streak. Ever since their 6-0 start, the Spartans have been caught in a complete downward spiral, especially after the loss of star quarterback Trey Bennett to injury. Look for an opportunistic Meigs team to take advantage of Alexander's miscues.
Trimble (6-3) 45, Federal Hocking (4-5) 7
Other than its loss to Wahama, Trimble has been pretty dominant in the TVC-Hocking so far. Don't expect that to change against Federal Hocking as the Tomcats have a playoff berth on the line. With a convincing win, Trimble still has a good chance of making the Division VI playoffs.
