Division I regional track finals
Fenwick graduation 2012
Ponitz graduation 2012
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Football preview: Valley View
This is another in a series of capsules previewing area high school football for the 2010 season:
VALLEY VIEW (D-IV, Region 16)
League: SWBL Southwestern
Coach: Jay Niswonger (27 years)
2009 record: 4-2, 7-4
Key returners:
Ben Copher, sr., OL
Brian Day, jr., OL
Kenny Duff, soph., DB
Brandon Fox, sr., DB
Chris Lykins, jr., DB
Kyle Pohl, sr., QB.
Extra points:
The Spartans return eight starters on offense and four on defense (all in the secondary). And Niswonger will take it. Valley View lost 20 of 22 starters going into the 2009 season.
Speedy running back Jake Jarbo transferred from Preble Shawnee and brings three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons to an already potent offense.
“Jake is definitely a good addition, but he’s an unknown quantity because he’s still learning a lot of things. We won’t know until next week (when hitting is allowed) what he can or can not do,” Niswonger said.
Pohl, who gave a verbal commitment to play his college football at Akron, returns to lead an offense that averaged 27 points.
“We’ve never really had a problem putting up points,” Niswonger said.
The Spartans might count on that offense early. A defense that allowed 20 points per game needs to replace its entire front eight. That’s something new for the veteran coach.
“Usually you have a couple spots to replace in each of the areas line defensive line or linebackers, but usually not your front seven or eight,” he said.
Still, league coaches are giving Valley View front-runner status along with defending champ Eaton in the Southwestern Division. Valley View tied for second in the division with Franklin in 2009.
“I don’t take much stock in the preseason polls and never have. There’s only one team I’m concerned with and that’s my squad,” Niswonger said.
Of their three regular-season losses in 2009, two of them came by 5 and 6 points. The fourth loss came in the first round of the playoffs, the Spartans’ 16th trip in the past 18 seasons, in a 46-27 loss to Kenton.
Speaking of playoffs, count Niswonger as a fan of the Ohio High School Athletic Association awarding Columbus the state finals in 2014 and 2015, meaning a chance to play at Ohio Stadium.
“I’ve been to Massillon three times with the kids. My question to the kids around here and the coaches is, do they really embellish the tradition or would you like to play in the ’Shoe? All the kids know where the Horseshoe is at. To say I played in the Horseshoe my last game, I think it’s a little bit different than saying I went to Stark County,” he said.
“We really wanted to try and get everything in Columbus, but the OHSAA did a good job trying to keep peace with everybody. I think they did a good job for the kids.”
VALLEY VIEW
Fri., Aug. 27 at Dunbar (Welcome Stadium)
Fri., Sept. 3 at Indian Hill
Fri., Sept. 10 Bishop Fenwick
Fri., Sept. 17 Oakwood
Fri., Sept. 24 Monroe
Fri., Oct. 1 Bellbrook
Fri., Oct. 8 at Franklin
Fri., Oct. 15 at Carlisle
Fri., Oct. 22 Eaton
Fri., Oct. 29 at Brookville
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