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Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Marshall coach: ‘I probably lost 15 pounds that week’
Thurgood Marshall had just finished football practice on the low-lying field that once hosted practices for the old Roth High School, and coach Earl White was talking about his team.
Behind him, his four running backs with the mind-boggling numbers — Tavion Wright, Dionte Oliver, Brandon Walker and Quincy Surles — were posing with quarterback Avontae Penn for a photo. They wore their jerseys with serious looks on their faces.
These are serious times for the Marshall football team. Forced to forfeit its first three games for using an ineligible player, Marshall stands 5-3 and on the cusp of the Division IV playoffs. Entering a Week 9 matchup with Dunbar to decide the city championship, the Cougars are No. 9 in the D-IV, Region 16 computer points.
Sports often provide major “What if?” situations, and here’s one for Marshall: What if the Cougars hadn’t been forced to forfeit those games? Would they indeed be considered one of the best teams to ever play in the city?
Discussion on that will continue. But the reality at Marshall is that those three games — wins on the field against Greenon, Chaminade Julienne and Jefferson — are now losses.
“I was absolutely devastated,” White said of learning of the ineligibility. “I probably lost 15 pounds that week, I was absolutely devastated. But, you know, we had no choice but to pick up the pieces and move on.”
Marshall has indeed moved on, winning its four games since the decision by scoring an average of 62 points. The Cougars give up their share of points, but with a tight double wing offense and the mix of speed and power backs, opposing coaches say it’s just too difficult to catch up with their offense.
“They’re the best offensive team we’ve ever played,” said Brad Burchfield, coach at Columbus Bishop Hartley, which Marshall defeated 60-41 in Week 7. “Not even close.”
At the time, Marshall officials declined to elaborate on the ineligibility. On Tuesday, White explained a bit more.
“We had a young man on our roster who was academically ineligible,” White said. “It’s a kid who was here, he was with us last year. Somehow, administratively, we missed his grades, not checking his grades.”
By the time Marshall officials learned of the problem, the players had already participated in the first three games. They all became losses.
But somehow, if Marshall can catch some magic and indeed make the playoffs, with the running backs the coaches expect to gain a combined 5,000 rushing yards during the regular season, many feel the Cougars would be a major threat in D-IV.
“If they make the playoffs and someone stops them, I want to see how they do it,” Burchfield said. “People have an idea how to stop double wing, but I think when you combine backs with those linemen, it’s sickening.
“It literally makes you sick to your stomach.”
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TweetFairmont soccer has serious momentum
Things might have seemed grim for the Fairmont boys soccer team back on Saturday, Sept. 12.
That day, the Firebirds lost to Lakota East 3-1 to drop to 4-3 on the season following their final non-conference game.
But what a conference season it turned out to be.
Following that loss, Fairmont won eight of its next nine games to become champion of the Greater Western Ohio Conference Central Division. It’s a division, by the way, that includes two state-ranked programs, No. 9 Beavercreek and No. 10 Centerville.
Centerville dropped Fairmont 3-1 Oct. 6, but the Firebirds rebounded to beat Beavercreek 3-2 on Oct. 13. With a 4-1-0 division record, Fairmont finished ahead of second-place Centerville (9-0-6, 2-0-3) and third-place Beavercreek (10-2-4, 2-1-2).
As a nod to the accomplishment, Fairmont’s Tom Robey was named GWOC Central coach of the year.
With that momentum, Fairmont will begin its postseason with a game against Little Miami (11-3-1) on Saturday. With the enthusiasm of a strong conference finish, Fairmont could make a strong tournament run.
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TweetWayne RB Taylor taking heat off QBs
When freshman Javon Harrison made his second start at quarterback for Wayne High School against Northmont in Week 6, many wondered just how much the sub for junior star Braxton Miller would do.
Answer: He threw the ball 45 times. And what did that say about Wayne’s running game?
Those questions have been answered in the past two weeks by junior running back Anthone Taylor. Against Fairmont and Beavercreek in consecutive Wayne wins, Taylor has rushed for a combined 347 yards.
He’s coming on strong at the right time, as Wayne stands No. 9 in the Division I, Region 4 computer points and is struggling for a postseason. The Warriors (5-3) can pick up big-time points — possibly even enough to get over the hump — on Friday against Centerville (7-1) in the Dayton Daily News Game of the Week.
To do it, it looks like Wayne will need more help from Taylor. Last week against Beavercreek, the Warriors got just 57 total passing yards, and Harrison came in late in the game to relieve Miller (who was playing his second game since returning from the thigh bruise that kept him out of two games).
Taylor rumbled, averaging 8.4 yards on 21 carries in helping Wayne to the win. Granted, Taylor went through a rough patch as Wayne struggled to a win against Trotwood-Madison (Taylor had 52 yards) and losses against Troy (40 yards) and Northmont (81 yards as Harrison chucked it 45 times).
With the quarterback position still iffy, despite the unquestioned upside of both Miller and Harrison, it might be Taylor who becomes the most important offensive player for Wayne in weeks 9 and 10.
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