Here are the season predictions coming from Will Frasure, Rob Ogden and myself.
TVC-Ohio champion:
Will: Athens. The Bulldogs have too much talent at the skill positions not to be a force in the conference and overtake Nelsonville-York.
Rob: Athens. The TVC Ohio championship will likely be determined in an Oct. 29 showdown between Athens and Nelsonville-York. The Bulldogs will avenge last year's one point loss to the Buckeyes and take the division crown outright for the first time since joining the league in 2008.
Vince: Nelsonville-York. There might not be a better year than this one for a team to knock the Buckeyes off the throne. Athens and Alexander both seem ready to make the jump. But until it happens, I'm going to have to pick the champs.
TVC-Hocking champion:
Will: Trimble.
Rob: Trimble.
Vince: Trimble.
The consensus picked the Tomcats, who return most of last year's team and are led by All-Ohio running back, senior Tyler Dyla.
Week One picks
Trimble at Nelsonville-York
Will: Nelsonville-York. Both are favorites in the two TVC conferences and return many of the players that battled in the 7-6 Buckeye victory in last year's opening game.
Rob: Nelsonville-York. Trimble took great strides in the second half of the season last season, reeling off five consecutive victories to close out the campaign. However, Nelsonville-York returns 18 starters from a team that went 8-2 a year ago. Expect a close one, but the experience of the Buckeyes will carry them to victory.
Vince: Trimble. This game has all the making of a classic: two good, experienced teams with lots of returning players in what expects to be a back-and-forth affair. It's tough to pick, but I believe in coach Faires, and I think the Tomcats are going to pull off the slight upset and get revenge for last year's loss.
Eastern at Alexander
Will: Alexander. Coach Sean Arno has his players fired up to build upon last year's playoff season. Eastern could be tough after an impressive 6-4 campaign in 2009.
Rob: Alexander. Eastern will be formidable, but the Eagles lack the firepower to compete with Alexander's offensive attack.
Vince: Alexander. I foresee a big day for the Spartans' offensive line and Cody Lawson.
Galia Academy at Athens
Will: Athens. We know Athens has the tools to have a potent offense, but they'll only go as far as its new offensive line can take the team. Gallia could be tough, too, as coach Mike Eddy said that the unit is the strongest he's ever worked with.
Rob: Athens. Coming off a 2-8 season a year ago, Gallia Academy is not quite ready for a team like Athens. Expect the Bulldogs to pick up where they left off in 2009 and beat the Blue Devils running away.
Vince: Athens. Trey Harris to Ian Dixon. Get used to hearing that. The Blue Devils will tonight.
Dawson-Bryant at Meigs
Will: Dawson-Bryant. Meigs loses a lot of firepower from last season's 6-4 team. The Marauders pushed the team from Coal Grove to the limits last season. We will see a similar battle this season.
Rob: Meigs. Dawson-Bryant defeated Meigs 44-42 in a barnburner in 2009, look for Meigs to turn the tables in 2010 and ride home-field advantage to a close victory.
Vince: Dawson-Bryant. This will be a good game. It will be interesting to see how Meigs fares without Jeremy Smith. Ultimately, I think that will make the difference.
Federal Hocking at River Valley
Will: Federal Hocking. The Lancers arel trying to prove last season's 3-7 season was a fluke. What better way to do that than to start the season with a win?
Rob: Federal Hocking. These teams finished the '09 season with a combined record of 4-16. But Federal Hocking should be able to handle an offense that averaged only 6.1 points per game last year.
Vince: Federal Hocking. Could be a long year for both these teams, but the Lancers will get in the win column for week one.
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Writers share their opinions on upcoming season
