Outlook: Rushville returns most of its de- fensive and offensive linemen, but lacks ex- perience at the skill positions, according to McMurray. It will take a game or two for the experience to kick in, but I am confi- dent the players will get the job done, McMurray said. South Dearborn Division: 4A Coach: Chris Nobbe (0-10) 2013 record: 0-10 Key players: Senior WR/KR KJ Probst; Sr. LB Chad Terrell; Sr. DB James Sterling; Jr. QB Evan Oatman; Jr. RB Matt Disbro; Jr. LB Ca- leb Rudisell; Sr. DB Jake England; Jr. QB Wy- att Schwing; Sr. K/P Tanner Anderson Game to watch: Lawrenceburg, Aug. 22 Outlook: Although the 2013 campaign was unsuccessful, the Knights gained experi- ence and have many starters returning. Nobbe plans to run a spread offense along with a 4-3 defense. Sam Kwiatkowski OHIO VALLEY ATHLETIC LEAGUE (Listed alphabetically. Hillcrest did not re- spond to requests for information.) Cincinnati College Prep Division: VII Coach: David Pool (first year) 2013 record: 4-6 Players to watch: Sr. RB/DB Jonnell Morgan; Jr. QB/WR Teddy Freeman; Sr. QB/WR/DB Matthew McQueen; So. OL/DL Torae Mar- tin; Sr. WR/DB Jason Turner Key players: Summit Country Day, Sept. 5 Outlook: Pool is excited and eager to begin his first season at the helm. He admits, however, the transition wont be a walk in the park. We are young and will have a lot of growing pains, Pool said. He hopes his squad can improve on last years record. Gamble Montessori Division: VII Coach: Stan West (19-11) 2013 record: 3-7 Key players: Sr. DB/FB Aaron Abernathy; Sr. DB/WR Malik Washington; Sr. DB/WR Da- vonta Cargile; Sr. QB Tim Andrews Game to watch: at MVCA, Sept. 26 Outlook: According to West, the Gators will rely heavily on their passing game. Tim Andrews threw for over 2,000 yards last season, West said. Our passing game looks good and we have most of our core guys returning from last season. Manchester Division: VII Coach: Jason Mantell (7-23) 2013 record: 6-4 Key players: Jr. QB/DB Jordan Freeman; Sr. DL/OL Nick Hoskins; Sr. RB/DL Brandon Saunders; So. RB/DB Bryan Young Game to watch: Miami Valley Christian, Nov. 24 Outlook: The Greyhounds are coming off their first winning season since 1939. We return 10 offensive starters and eight de- fensive starters. We expect to win the OVAL championship and earn a berth in the OH- SAA Division VII playoffs, Mantell said. Miami Valley Christian Academy Division: VII Coach: Robert Vilardo (24-14) 2013 record: 6-4 Key players: Sr. OL/LB Joseph Hallberg; Sr. WR/DB Malique Ward; Sr. RB/DB Jordan Conklin; Jr. QB/LB Bransen Vilardo; Jr. RB/ DB James Heaton; Jr. TE/LB Thad Painter Game to watch: Lockland, Aug. 29 Outlook: The Lions are looking for their fourth consecutive winning season. Vilardo expects to have five returning starters on both defense and offense. He says the ex- perience on the offensive and defensive lines is his teams strong point. Oyler Division: VI Coach: Mike Sage (first year) 2013 record: 0-10 Key players: Jr. DB Tiyon Mincey; Jr. LB De- vin Rothwell; Jr. LB/RB Antwone Gary Game to watch: at Riverview East, Oct. 3 Outlook: In his first year as head coach, Sage is looking to take a step forward with his young squad. Were going to be young. We only have one senior, Sage said. Were typically going to have low numbers, but Im looking to take a step for- ward. Riverview East Academy Division: VII Coach: Fredrick Willis (34-16) 2013 record: 6-4 Key players: Sr. LB/RB Anaiah Freeman; Sr. QB/DB Jerome Davis; Sr. DB Jamel Hill; Sr. OL/DL Julian Goodwin Game to watch: Oyler, Oct. 4 Outlook: Willis and his squad are coming off a 2013 season where they went 5-1 in the OVAL and split the conference champi- onship with MVCA. Willis says their season depends on his players work ethic and who shows up to play. Sam Kwiatkowski OTHER SCHOOLS OF LOCAL INTEREST Clinton-Massie Division: IV Coach: Dan McSurley (182-67) 2013 record: 14-1, state champions Key players: Jr. QB Hunter Fentress; Sr. RB Chayse Wolf; Sr. FB/MLB Jared Halley; Sr. RB/P Zach Santoro; Sr. WR Isaiah Stiverson; Jr. C Jake Garrison; Fr. TE Trey Uetrecht; Sr. K Callum Jones; Sr. S Sam Burnham; Sr. DE Ryan Evans; Sr. OLB Tommy Williams; Sr. CB Devin Salley; Sr. CB Aaron Gullette Outlook: The Falcons had a great summer of conditioning and workouts and there is an experienced squad returning this fall. Clinton-Massie returns eight on defense and six on offense. Wolf rushed for 1,600 yards and 21 touchdowns last season. Sen- ior kicker Callum Jones is 40 away from the unofficial state record for most kicked points, according to McSurley. Experience on the offensive line is the only question mark going into the season. Franklin Division: III Coach: Brad Childers (first season) 2013 record: 9-1 (6-0 SWBL Southwestern Division) Key players: Sr. OL Connor Fulton; Sr. CB Layne Coffey; Sr. NG Michael Crockett; Sr. WR Brian Little; So. OL Wyatt Hillard; Sr. RB/ slot Jake Riddell; Sr. TE/QB Evan Crowe; Sr. FS/QB Matt Thompson Outlook: The Wildcats have been SWBL Southwestern Division champions the past three years and have had two straight sea- sons of 9-1 records. Childers, who has been the defensive coordinator the past six sea- sons, has been around the Franklin district for the past 20 years. He likes the leadership of this squad. Theyre competitive, he said. Theyre winners. They are big on the winning tradition. (Its) something this class has always done. Lebanon Division: I Coach: Shawn Lamb (57-33) 2013 record: 7-3 (4-1 GWOC-South) Key players: Sr. DL Dylan Gambill; Sr. LB Ryan Perkins; Sr. LB Nick Bauer; Sr. DB John Kirby; Sr. DL Jarod Burton; Jr. OL George Groh; Sr. WR Alex Stotts; Jr. LB Jango Glack- in Game to watch: Loveland, Sept. 5 Outlook: Lamb expects to have one of the best defenses Lebanon has had in years. Of- fensively, the Warriors return three offen- sive lineman and will have a strong running game. The quarterback position is a ques- tion mark as they lost last years starter to graduation. Monroe Division: IV Coach: Bill Leach (1-9) 2013 record: 1-9 (0-6 SWBL Southwestern) Key players: Sr. WR Colin Wilson; Sr. DT Tra- vis Young; Sr. WR/DB Tyler Davis; Sr. OL/DL Quinton Centers; Jr. TE Levi Handcock; Jr. RB/SS Jacob Vires; Jr. WR/SS Connor Curtis Game to watch: Edgewood, Aug. 29 Outlook: Following a 1-9 campaign, Leach knows his team will improve last years rec- ord. We will be athletic with speed but very small up front, Leach said. How much we improve will depend on how quickly this young team matures. Monroe graduated a large senior class, but has sev- eral young players capable of making an impact. Wilmington Division: III Coach: Scott Killen (first season) 2013 record: 4-6 Key players: Senior RB Jerry Johns; Jr. QB/P Matt Credit; Sr. LB Garrett Scott; Sr. DT/RB Chris McEvoy; Sr. OL/DL Mark Huff Game to watch: Little Miami, Aug. 29 Outlook: Killen is entering his first season at the helm of Wilmington, but says his players havent had a problem with the transition. They have bought into my sys- tem and have really pushed themselves in the offseason workouts, he said. Mike Dyer and Sam Kwiatkowski INDIANA, OTHERS Continued from Page I3 Roger Bacon Coach: Kevin Huxel (39-84) Last year: 4-6 (2-5). Division: V Game to watch: Badin, Sept. 19 Players to watch: Sr. OL/DL Sam Brown; Sr. OL/DL Ryan Barnes; Sr. WR/DB Kevin Schnedl; Sr. QB/DB Slaton Brummett; Jr. WR/DB Jordan Williams; Sr. TE/DE Spencer Batdorf; Sr. OL Paul Tepe; Sr. WR/DB John Byrd; Sr. WR/DB Andrew Hawkins Outlook: Huxel expects a large senior class that suffered through an 0-10 season in 2012 and improved to four wins a season ago to stay in the fight with the rest of the Central Division. They have to be able to recognize that they do have some talent and come together as a team, Huxel said. Among those talented seniors is Jordan Williams, who caught 34 passes for 445 yards and two touchdowns last season while adding 246 yards on 28 carries and two more touchdowns. Kevin Schnedl led the Spartans with 39 catches for 479 yards and four touchdowns. We have a big sen- ior class where a lot of these kids had to play as sophomore and take their lumps, Huxel said. So with two years experience under their belt, they have a chance to have a real good senior season. Tom Ramstetter GCL Coed Central Continued from Page I8 St. Xavier Coach: Steve Specht (89-25) Last year: 8-4 (3-0). Division: I Game to watch: at Colerain, Sept. 6. Key players: Sr. LB Justin Hilliard; Sr. LB Cole Jones; Sr. NG Simeon Lane; Jr. DB Sean Pro- phit; Sr. DB David Leisring; Sr. DE Nathan Winning; Sr. LB Carter Raleigh; Sr. TB Ben Glines; Sr. LT Danny McHale; Sr. RG Connor Stelljes; Jr. OL Alex Deters; Sr. TE Henry Fis- chesser; Jr. TE Noah Davis, Jr. WR Sam An- kenbauer; So. Sean Clifford Outlook: As always, the Bombers founda- tion will be on defense with three lineback- ers, two down linemen and two safeties re- turning, including Hilliard, an Ohio State recruit. The biggest question for St. Xavier will be under center, as sophomore Sean Clifford takes over for Nick Tensing at quar- terback. He is going to be really good, Specht said of his new QB. Akron has al- ready offered him. But he hasnt taken any snaps in a varsity game. I think Sean has the potential to be really exceptional. To help Cliffords transition, expect the Bombers to lean on the ground game with three-year starter Ben Glines (715 yards, seven touch- downs in 2013) running behind an experi- enced line. Quarterback is the big ques- tion mark for us right now, but Im excited about our running game, Specht said. GCL South Continued from Page I8 to be a big weekend. The players feel it, said senior defensive back/wide receiver Zach Fulton, who feels obliged to help his teammates not get too caught up in the fervor. Its high, said Fulton, who led 6-4 Taylor with 17 receptions for 225 yards last season. Its extreme- ly high around here. Everybodys looking forward to the big season were going to have. The energy is so much higher. A lot of people lose track of what were here to accomplish. We have to step back and realize what were here trying to do. Seventh-year coach David Huff- man was hoping to get his players on the new field for some practice sessions in July part of the 10 days coaches are allowed to work with their teams before the official first day of practice, which was Aug. 1. While Huffman is looking for- ward to playing in the new stadium, he admits that hell miss the old place, which was torn down after 80 years of use. We had somewhat of an ad- vantage, he said. We were one of the few teams that played on grass, so the other teams had to deal with the elements, but were excited to be moving on and opening the new place. The 2,500-seat new stadium, for which Herges was hoping to sell the naming rights, will include many reminders of the old place, includ- ing dirt from the hill in one end zone that caught many an opponent off guard. The dirt will help form an area where the flagpole from the old high school will be placed, Herges said. Piping for it came from the original gravesite of William Henry Harrison, Herges said. Harrison, the ninth president of the United States, is buried in North Bend. The stadium also will include a victory bell that will be placed in a stand built with bricks from the now-demolished high school, Herg- es said. Its going to be really neat, he said. Weve got a lot of brick left from the building and weve had a lot of discussions and a lot of great input from a lot of great people who want to preserve that. m Taylor players amped up Continued from Page I13