All Eyes on Trotwood, Dunbar as they clash for Regional FInal Spot; 6 Teams left in Tourney; Playoff Matchups, Predictions; Louisville, Iowa State jump in for Star WR

When it comes to Trotwood - Dunbar and the rivalry that has ensued over the years, you automatically think about the great basketball teams and games that these teams have had.

However this year, football has joined the party, as the Rams and Wolverines will play for a Regional Final berth tonight at Vandalia Butler (7:30).

Trotwood, who has been in this position many times before, will look to continue their rock solid run as they want to hoist the OHSAA D-3 Championship Trophy after a runner up finish last season. They have been the #1 state ranked team all season since the OHSAA Polls came out.
Star RB Raveion Hargrove, a legitimate Mr. Football in Ohio candidate, leads the Rams.

But, they will have to show they are the best in Dayton.

Which means, this year, defeating the talented Wolverines.

Dunbar, which has been through a great deal in the last calendar year, now gets a shot on the big stage after a thrilling comeback win last week against Goshen 28-27.

Coach Darran Powell is excited for the opportunity, and knows they are facing one of, if not the best in Ohio in Trotwood.
But, this is a interesting game to say the least, as most of the fanatics and experts here in Dayton area know how talented Dunbar is.

With the trio of  RB Tavion Thomas,WR Jo Jo Scates, and LB Seth Arnold, the Wolverines have 3 D-1 type star players who have nearly single-handedly won a game.

But the leadership factor and unity is what has gotten the Wolverines to this point.

And that leadership and unity will have to be on point to be able to match wits with Rams coach Jeff graham and the vaunted coaching staff and the experienced Rams.

Dunbar has the talent, and has shown the consistency and guts to get here, but can they execute and put it all together tonight to pull off one of the biggest victories in their historic football program?

Or will the mighty Ram Nation show why they are the unquestioned team to beat in the OHSAA D-3 Playoffs?

Should be a epic night.

But regardless, great to see local teams getting it done to create these type of matchups deep in the playoffs.




Six teams left in Miami Valley;
Here are the 2nd round Playoff Matchups:

Dunbar          vs   Trotwood   (D-3)
In a game which features a upstart team in Dunbar with State type of talent, but will face the team who looks to be on a straight line to a OHSAA State Title. What star will step up and make it happen?

Centerville    vs   Pickerington North  (D-1)
Can the Elks knock off a hot Pickerington North squad? Both teams had very good 1st round performances. Elks need offensive passing game to be on point to get W over Star QB Jimmy Weirick?

Sidney           vs   Cin. LaSalle  (D-2)
Can the dynamic duo do it again, and defeat one of the big boys from Cincy? LaSalle has been rolling lately, but if Sidney can get the running game going, the Yellow Jackets could move on.

C-J                vs    New Richmond   (D-4)
The Eagles will look to ride the hot hand of star QB Ryan Peltier as they take on a tough New Richmond squad, who knocked off Franklin last week. Can the Eagles do it again and move on?

Valley View   vs  Clinton Massie 
The Spartans have been untouchable this season. Can Massie, a playoff regular lately, pull off the upset?




Louisville, Iowa State enter Jo Jo Scates sweepstakes

Joseph Scates (smiling) with fellow Wolverines on set of Dayton HS Sports 

Jo Jo Scates, the star senior wideout for Dunbar, who has been pursued by the likes of Alabama and West Virginia, is now being recruited by Louisville & Iowa State.

Scates, who came on the Award winning  Dayton HS Sports TV Show last week, talked about how both teams have came into the recruiting trail lately.
Scates is one of the top recievers in Ohio, and had the Game winning TD last week in the playoff win @ Goshen.

While Alabama was thought of as a front runner, Louisville and Iowa State have came on very strong of late.
 Could those schools be offering a starting spot as a true freshman?



Find out more at: DaytonHighSchoolSports.com

Week 2 Playoff Recap: Wayne, Trotwood, Miamisburg, Alter advance; How did they do it? Stars of Week 2;

After the 2nd Week of the Playoffs, one thing is crystal clear:

 The Miami Valley, and in particular, the GWOC, is reppin' well in the OHSAA State Football Playoffs, as 4 teams will play for a chance to reach the State Semifinals this weekend.

  With the teams that are still in, they all have a legitimate shot to not only get to state, but to win it.

Here's last weekend results and recap, as we see how all the local teams fared in their divisions.

Can these thoroughbreds lead their respective teams to the State Semifinals? 

(D-1) Wayne blows out Dublin Coffman   -
   Wayne RB Fred Pitts scored 4 times as the Warriors D shut out Coffman in the first half (31-0) and cruised to a victory vs Dublin Coffman 52-10. Coffman was outmatched from the start as the Wayne Train steamrolled Coffman in the first half. Wayne, who is now ranked #6 in the country (Max Preps) was clicking on all cylinders, and looked razor sharp from the kickoff.



(D-2) Miamisburg beats Troy again   - Different location, but the same results after Miamisburg defeated Troy 28-21. The game was played to a tilt until a late blocked punt helped the Burg seal the deal. Star RB Jake Netherton scored on a burst to give the Vikings the 28-21 lead they never relinquished, and will now head to the Regional Finals. Troy (10-2) had a great season, only losing to Miamsburg twice after only winning 2 games last season.

Rising Star QB Markell Stephens-Peppers of Trotwood passed for 3 TDs last week 

(D-3) Trotwood slams new Richmond
 Trotwood star RB Ravieon Hargrove once again scored on the first play of scrimmage and rising star QB Markell Stephens-Peppers threw 3 TDs as the Rams overwhelmed New Richmond 47-10. The D also did a great job of shutting down New Richmond offense as the Rams (11-1) head to another Regional Final.


(D-4) Alter shuts out Massie  -
Alter dominated early and often as they shut out Clinton Massie 42-0 as the #1 team in Ohio in D-4 moved to another Regional Final. Star RB John Bivens ran for a score as the Knights Defense stymied the Massie attack.



(D-3) Franklin falls to St Marys  - 
Franklin fell behind early, and fell prey to a tough St Marys team as they lost 55-31. Once St Marys got rolling, the Franklin offense couldn't stop them, as they scored, but wasn't able to get back in the game.



(D-4) Valley View falls to Cincy Wyoming
 Cincy Wyoming scored twice in the 2nd quarter to build a 21-6 halftime lead and take control in the game to hold off Valley View. The Spartans pulled it to 21-12 but missed the 2 point conversion and Wyoming scored in the 4th to seal the deal. Colin Genslinger and Colin Wood scored for the Spartans in a losing effort

OHSAA Playoffs Start tonight; Matchups, Stars to Watch, Predictions

With the OHSAA football playoffs here, it's time for the best of the best to battle for HS Supremacy.

  Here's the teams who made it to the Playoffs, their 1st round Matchups and the key players to watch.

Can L'Christian "Blue" Smith and Fred Pitts lead the WayneTrain tonight in playoff action?

D -1 (Region 3)
Wayne  (9-0-1) (Ranked 2nd in State) 
  Home vs Lancaster 
 Wayne will look to start another Deep Run against Lancaster, a team that has been solid, but still was 6-4 coming into the playoffs. Wayne should be led by ferocious running attack and a aerial passing game that is second to none. Look for the Wayne train to win 34 - 17.

Springfield  (7-3) 
@ Pickerington Central (9-1)
 Pickerington was the best team in the city, and they are loaded with talent. Springfield needs to force turnovers early in the game, to seize momentum. Central has a balanced attack, so the Wildcats must be focused from play one....Also look for Leonard Taylor to make some plays to change the outcome. We have Pickerington Central 27, Springfield 24.


(Region 4)
Springboro (7-3) 
 @ (1) Cincy Colerain    
Springboro pulled off 2 huge wins to get to this point, defeating Miamisburg and Lebanon to streak into the playoffs. Problem is, they get the top team in the State in Colerain who looks to be set on a Championship run.
We have Cincy Colerain winning 28-17.

Lebanon (7-3) 
Home vs Cincy Sycamore 
Lebanon had a sterling year, led by a potent offensive attack which put up big points this season. However, they also gave up huge offensive outcomes, and Sycamore can score as well...We think with 2 even teams, the home team will prevail in Lebanon winning 35-32.

Division 2  
(Region 8) 
Troy (9-1)  
Home vs Cincy Anderson (7-3) 
Troy has been waiting for the opportunity to get back into the playoffs after a subpar season where they only won 2 games. They will get Anderson as a result of the hard work. Anderson has a nice season as well, but Troys  defense will lead them to a win in a home game. We got Troy winning 20-13.


Miamisburg (8-2)  
Home vs Kings (8-2) 
 "The Burg" has had a very good season by most, but with the talent on the team they feel there is more in store. They take on perennial power Kings as they host a game. Kings has had a good season, but Miamisburg is ready for the challenge in the best round. We got Miamisburg Winning 30-24.

Division 4 
(Region 16) 
Alter (Ranked #1 in state) 
Home vs Cincy Indian Hill (9-1) 
Alter has demolished everyone in their path this season, and ended CJ hopes emphatically with a 51-3 trouncing to gather the #1 spot in the D-4 State poll. While Cincy Indian Hill has had a great season thus far, the Knights eat, breathe and sleep for this year to atone for what happened last season..
Loon for a Alter win 41-27.


Valley View  (9-1)  
@ Waverly (9-1) 
 Valley View will head to Waverly after a very good season to take on the Waverly program. That crowd will be rockin tonight for this contest as Waverly has a good squad capable of making a deep run. Valley View, is 9-1 & has had some key guys step in and make plays. Can they continue the "next man up" philosophy to a playoff win?
 We got Valley View with the upset win 27-26.

Who are the Top 10 Teams in the Miami Valley? (Spoon-Fed Edition)

Heres our first High School Football Ranking of 2016

(D1-3) Top 10  Teams

Wayne Train 2-way star Matt Wilcox 

(1) Wayne (5-0-1)  
Wayne Train seems to be on another level, and the focus looks razor sharp as they go for the big school (D-1) Championship.  With Senior two-way star Matt Wilcox leading the way, the Warriors are primed for another championship run.



(2) Miamisburg (5-1) 
 The Burg has the weapons on offense and defense to get it done, and their coach will keep them focused. They also have a flair for the spectacular, which could be due to their explosive offense or their fiery coach.


(3) Trotwood  (5-1) 
 The Rams seem to be clicking on all cylinders and could be headed for a deep run with two potent RBs at the helm. Since the setback to Troy the Rams have rolled off 5 straight. We know what coach Graham can do come playoff time.


(4) Troy  (5-1)   The Trojans bounced back in a major way, and showed that they could be headed for a playoff berth this season. The only loss was a last second shocker to Miamisburg at home.

(5) Lebanon (4-2) The Warriors stopped Springfield and Northmont in consecutive weeks to move into 5 spot. Can they continue their hot play?



Next 5 :  Springboro (4-2), Springfield (4-2),  Franklin (6-0), Northmont (3-3), St. Mary's 6-0 ; Belmont (5-2) 



D4 -7 Rankings

(1) Alter   (6-0) D-4 -  The Knights have rolled over almost every opponent this season;  They are currently 2nd in the OHSAA state poll and could make another Stat trip.

(2) Coldwater  (6-0)  D-5  Have been dominant this season; Wil another trip to state be the end result?

(3) Dunbar   (5-1) D-4 The Wolverines boast a team with a high skill set, and seems to be gelling at the right time. Can the Wolverines do the little things to make a deep run?

(4) Marion Local  (5-1) D-6 Marion Local once again have a team that could be playing into December.

(5) Clinton- Massie (5-1) D-4 Massie have played well this year, and aside from the one blemish, look to be headed towards a playoff run.



Next 5:  St. Henry  (4-2) D-6; Valley View 5-1 D-4; Versailles (3-3) ;  Fort Recovery (4-2) D-7; Covington (6-0) D-7