×

Local football teams begin practice

MARIETTA — Jason Schob was pleased with the turnout.

“Right now, it’s in the upper 60s, lower 70s,” said the fourth-year Marietta High head football coach on the first official day of practice Monday. “It’s about where we’ve been.”

Last year, with a veteran squad, the Tigers broke even with a 5-5. At one point in the season, they were 5-2 and flirting with a D3, Region 11 postseason playoff berth. But the orange and black bottomed out, dropping its last three games of the campaign.

“We had 22 seniors last year,” Schob said. “It’s hard to lose a group like that but we’ve got some kids who didn’t play last year, and we’re hoping that they can contribute a little bit.”

Some of those Tigers who got their diploma were quarterback Trent Dawson, wide receivers’ Travis Moore and Isaac Danford, tight end Bailey Wright, linebacker Matt Ford, kicker Tyler DeVol. All of these players and the others will be missed.

Of the returnees, 5-foot-11, 200-pound Dominic Vanfossen will be one Tiger to keep an eye on. The senior standout, who owns both the single season and career rushing records at MHS, is expected to get a lot of touches in the backfield.

“I’d like to get over 1,000 rushing yards again and score over 15 touchdowns,” said Vanfossen, who rushed for 1,077 yards on 153 carries and 14 touchdowns last season. (In 2015, he rushed for 1,515 yards on 215 carries and 15 TDs.)

“But,” he added, “I want to help my team win.”

This past year, Vanfossen participated in the nationally known Blue-Grey football recruiting combine. At the Canton Super Regional at the Pro Football Hall of Fame Field, he excelled and will be competing in the All American Football Bowl in Jacksonville, Fla., in January of 2018.

“I thought I did all right (in Canton),” said Vanfossen, modestly. “They must have seen something in me.”

Handing the ball off to Vanfossen Monday was sophomore southpaw quarterback Corbin Alkire. Alkire’s backup is expected to be junior Brady Vincent.

“Corbin has a strong arm and a lot of potential,” Schob said. “Brady’s the other quarterback. He was a running back for us last year.”

Schob was really looking forward to Monday.

“It’s a grind from winter all the way through summer with lifting, camp days and stuff like that,” the coach said. “It’s nice to get back to the real thing.”

“We’ve only been out there a couple of hours, but so far, not too bad,” Schob added. “We have a lot of positions up in the air. And, we’re preaching competition and winning every battle and every rep. It’s exciting.”

During the preseason, Marietta is slated to host Athens in a scrimmage August 12 at 10 a.m. and will be at Meigs Aug. 11.

“We need to work a little harder,” Vanfossen said. “But we will pick up the tempo. I think we’re going to have a real good season.”

FORT FRYE

BEVERLY — Fort Frye High has youth on its side.

“We have about 35 out for the team,” said 10th-year FFHS head football coach Eric Huck during a break on the first official day practice. “After losing 17 seniors, 35’s pretty good. We’ll take it. We’ve got quite a few new faces and some kids who didn’t play last year.”

Last year, the Cadets posted a school-best 12-1 record and competed in the D6 playoffs for the second straight season. They also finished their second straight fall undefeated at 10-0 in regular-season play.

Of those Fort seniors who received their diplomas, Casey Lewis, an offensive and defensive standout, is expected to suit up for Marietta College this upcoming fall. During the summer, Lewis was the Ohio MVP in the annual BACF football classic at Don Drumm Stadium, and also excelled in the OVAC Rudy Mumley All-Star Football Game at Martins Ferry.

Three Cadets who weren’t on the Monday practice field were quarterback Tate Engle, linebacker Tyler Bradford, and Logan “Hulk” Isner.

“Those three are playing baseball,” Huck said. “They had a really good weekend but came up a game short, but we’re rooting them on. Hopefully, they keep winning.”

Engle, Bradford, and Isner are currently playing for Beverly/Lowell Post 389/750, the Ohio American Legion Baseball Senior State Tournament runner-up at Beavers Field in Lancaster. This week, BevLow is scheduled to compete in the Great Lakes Regional, a double-elimination tourney at Mercy Field in Toledo. At stake there is a berth in the American Legion World Series in Shelby, N.C., Aug. 10-15.

“We’ll take care of football when they get done, but right now they can just keep winning,” Huck said.

Taking center snaps for Fort on opening day was sophomore Brady Schilling.

“We’ve had a couple of weeks of camp here and our coaching days,” Huck said. “So, I thought they did a good job of jumping right into it.

“We run our camp right into two-a-days. It’s a little bit of a grind. But they seem to have energy and are excited and ready to go.”

Fort Frye is slated to scrimmage Morgan in McConnelsville Aug. 8 at 10 a.m. The Cadets will then host Southern in an exhibition Aug. 12 at 10 a.m.

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *

Starting at $4.62/week.

Subscribe Today