“Pressure is a privilege,” Aracri said during a break in preseason practice at Roush Stadium on Friday. “We want to be respected. We want people to have to prepare and feel like we do the right things and they know they’re going to be in for a battle. Doing things the right way doesn’t guarantee victory, but if you don’t do things the right way it can definitely guarantee you a loss.”
Aracri is second only to Wayne’s Jay Minton for longest tenure among Greater Western Ohio Conference Central Division head coaches. Rodney Roberts (Centerville), Maurice Douglass (Springfield) and Nik Black (Beavercreek) all are in their season seasons leading their respective teams. Former assistant Tony Broering was named Northmont’s head coach last spring following Lance Schneider’s resignation.
That’s a widespread coaching turnover in a relative brief time for the area’s best Division I conference. What hasn’t changed is a competitive spirit in each program that brings out the best in the rivals.
The GWOC has had seven teams play for state championships in the last nine seasons. GWOC North members Piqua (2006) and Trotwood-Madison (2011) won D-II titles. Trotwood also played for championships in 2010, ’12 and ’13. Wayne fell in D-I title games when Braxton Miller was a senior in 2010 and just last December.
That’s heady company for a program such as Fairmont, which embarks on its 94th season against neighboring rival Alter in the Aug. 28 home opener.
“We’re proud of 6-4 and we know we have a lot more work to do,” assured Aracri. “It’s still a process to get to where we want to be. Even in those rougher years we felt like we were very competitive. We stayed the course and we believe in what we’re doing. I think the kids see that and believe in us.”
Fairmont finished last season on a 6-2 run. The Firebirds missed an upset of unbeaten Centerville by a couple of missed kicks. Two other losses were to Alter and Wayne, both of which played for state championships.
Senior Corde’ Kyles likely will return to quarterback for Fairmont. He started last season at QB but switched to a slot receiver the final eight games and “touched the ball more than anybody on our offense,” said Aracri.
Wes Ewing, a 6-foot-3, 220-pound receiver and linebacker, will be a go-to target. Defensively, senior defensive end/linebacker Connor Van Oss played every down last season. Defensive back Trevor Cukovecki also is a returning starter following as a junior.
It’s unlikely that Fairmont will qualify for the D-I, Region 2 playoffs. But another winning season will be a step in that direction.
“Last year was that first step down the hill,” Aracri said. “You get to that hump and now you get the ball rolling a little bit.”
GWOC forecast: Both Centerville (10-1 last season) and Wayne (13-2) took massive graduation hits but should be reloaded enough to once again reign supreme in the Central Division and advance to the D-I playoffs.
Trotwood (12-2) has a lock on the North Division. The Rams haven’t lost a divisional game since 2007, a win streak of 31 straight games. Springboro (9-2) has mounted a 15-0 run in sweeping the last three South Division titles. Miamisburg (8-3) and Lebanon (5-5) are the best bets to threaten that streak.
Ones to watch: The most intriguing are senior transfers Messiah deWeaver and Jacob Harrison. Both outstanding quarterbacks, deWeaver enrolled at Wayne last January after guiding Trotwood to two straight state championship games in 2012-13 and a D-III state semifinal last season.
He excelled at Trent Dilfer’s Elite 11 QB camps this summer. Initially verbally committed to Michigan when Brady Hoke was the coach, he de-committed when Jim Harbaugh was named the Wolverines coach and re-pledged a verbal commit to rival Michigan State. The Ohio High School Athletic Association has ruled he’s immediately eligible.
• One of the most prolific passers in Chaminade Julienne history, Harrison transferred to his hometown school of Centerville last spring. CJ was a combined 17-13 in Harrison’s three seasons as the QB and failed to advance to the playoffs.
He previously de-committed to Akron and instead landed an appointment to Navy and will play football. Also was a starter last season on CJ’s final four D-III basketball team.
• Just a junior, massive Miamisburg lineman Josh Myers is ranked the top OL recruit in the country by several recruiting services. The 6-3, 300-pounder was the first of the Class of 2017 to verbally commit to Ohio State, choosing the Buckeyes over Notre Dame, Alabama, Michigan State, Michigan, Florida and Tennessee.
Key matchups: Wayne has a Week 2, Sept. 6 date against Moeller at Lockland. The 4 p.m. Sunday matchup will be televised live on ESPNU. Both are ranked among the nation's top 40 big-school teams by MaxPreps.
There’s no beating the regular-season finale of Centerville at Wayne, either. Like last season, that likely will determine the Central title and a possible home playoff opener.
Centerville also will host Trotwood in a great Week 4 crossover matchup. Miamisburg takes a rare City League plunge by hosting heavyweight Thurgood Marshall in a season opener.
Things to know: Joining Broering in his first season as a GWOC head coach is Matt Burgbacher at Troy. The son of former Tippecanoe coach Charlie Burgbacher, Matt succeeded Scot Brewer whose contract wasn't renewed at Troy following a 1-9 season last fall. Matt previously had a perennial playoff program at Fort Loramie.
• Changing divisions from last season are Miamisburg (now D-II), Piqua (D-III) and Vandalia Butler (D-III), all of which dropped. However, the OHSAA announced last week it would revise divisional classifications for all sports this coming school year following its decision not to count charter school and STEM students to enrollment counts.
• Longtime Northmont assistant Mike Schneider is now the QB coach at Xenia. The Buccaneers also have had Cox Stadium upgraded with Field Turf.
• The GWOC will undergo a major makeover next season. Tippecanoe and Stebbins will leave the Central Buckeye Conference and join the GWOC, bumping its members to 20. There also will be four divisions: North, South, East and West.
The North will consist of Butler, Greenville, Piqua, Sidney, Tipp and Troy. The South will featured Fairborn, Stebbins, Trotwood, West Carrollton and Xenia. In the East will be Beavercreek, Centerville, Fairmont, Springfield and Wayne. The West will consist of Lebanon, Miamisburg, Northmont and Springboro.
• All GWOC crossover and divisional games will begin at 7 p.m.
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