08-16-2010, 10:20 PM
Highlands
Coach: Dale Mueller (252-63 overall, 193-32 at Highlands)
Last year: 15-0 (defeated John Hardin in Class 5A state final)
Players to watch: Junior QB Patrick Towles; senior WR Daniel Gold; senior RB Corey Compton; senior DB Austin Abner; junior DB Drake Bruns.
Other key players: Senior OL Ryan Hahn; senior RB Robby Nienaber; senior LB Ty Seidl; senior LB Brendan Sullivan; senior LB Billy Huddleston.
Outlook: Eleven starters return from a team that finished third in last season's final USA Today Super 25 rankings.
A strong group of linebackers and two of the area's best defensive backs in Abner and Bruns highlight the defense.
Covington Catholic
Coach: Dave Wirth (33-28 overall, 6-6 at Covington Catholic)
Last year: 6-6 (lost 51-32 to Johnson Central in second round)
Players to watch: Senior WR Alex Connelly; senior RB Leo Schaefer; junior RB Gabe Gray; senior RB Alex Slabaugh; senior DE Troy Timmerman; senior S Paul Ritter; senior CB Travis Connor.
Other key players: Junior WR Michael Best; senior C Cary Thaxton; junior G Bradley Way; senior G Evan Kuderer; senior DT Mark Jones; junior LB Tanner Coyne-Chailaind.
Outlook: Two sophomores (Blake Bir and Matt Summe) and a junior (Brady Reese) are in the mix for the starting quarterback job, but a trio of experienced running backs that combined for 1,314 yards and 18 touchdowns should help to make up for the lack of varsity reps.
The Colonels are getting accustomed to Wirth's offensive and defensive schemes in his second year as coach.
Dixie Heights
Coach: Tom Spritzky (98-72)
Last year: 5-7 (lost 49-0 to Highlands in the second round)
Players to watch: Junior QB/LB/DE Zeke Pike; junior RB Seth Bruns; senior WR Bobby Leonard; senior LB Ryan Zumdick; senior FS Billy Menkhaus.
Other key players: Senior OL Ian Johnson; junior DB Tyler Moore; junior DL Blake Withrow; junior DL DJ Handlon.
Outlook: Pike, Bruns and Leonard are the returning skill position starters on offense where the Colonels should have a great deal of athleticism, but lack experience.
Defensively, five full-time and one part-time starters return, but Dixie needs to play more consistent and limit the big play.
Scott
Coach: Dave Campbell (6-15)
Last year: 2-9 (lost 62-41 to Johnson Central in first round)
Players to watch: Senior LB Rob Swinford; senior WR/DB Alex Swinford; senior DL Mike Sherrard; senior OL/LB Scotty Campbell; junior wingback/DB Ryan Sowder, who was named all-Northern Kentucky DB last season as a sophomore.
Other key players: Junior FB/LB Justin Hoskins; junior DB Brandon Stamper; junior DB Aaron Smith.
Outlook: Scott will try to rebound from a 2-9 season behind strong senior leadership from an otherwise young team. Senior Scotty Campbell hopes to return from ACL surgery in Week 3 at home against Bellevue.
There will be a lot of sophomores playing both ways throughout a tough schedule, which Dave Campbell describes as a "murderer's row" the last four weeks of the season, facing CovCath, Holmes, Highlands and Simon Kenton.
"If we can make it through those teams, we'll be well on our way toward being ready for Week 11 (and the playoffs)," said Campbell
http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20100...District-5
Coach: Dale Mueller (252-63 overall, 193-32 at Highlands)
Last year: 15-0 (defeated John Hardin in Class 5A state final)
Players to watch: Junior QB Patrick Towles; senior WR Daniel Gold; senior RB Corey Compton; senior DB Austin Abner; junior DB Drake Bruns.
Other key players: Senior OL Ryan Hahn; senior RB Robby Nienaber; senior LB Ty Seidl; senior LB Brendan Sullivan; senior LB Billy Huddleston.
Outlook: Eleven starters return from a team that finished third in last season's final USA Today Super 25 rankings.
A strong group of linebackers and two of the area's best defensive backs in Abner and Bruns highlight the defense.
Covington Catholic
Coach: Dave Wirth (33-28 overall, 6-6 at Covington Catholic)
Last year: 6-6 (lost 51-32 to Johnson Central in second round)
Players to watch: Senior WR Alex Connelly; senior RB Leo Schaefer; junior RB Gabe Gray; senior RB Alex Slabaugh; senior DE Troy Timmerman; senior S Paul Ritter; senior CB Travis Connor.
Other key players: Junior WR Michael Best; senior C Cary Thaxton; junior G Bradley Way; senior G Evan Kuderer; senior DT Mark Jones; junior LB Tanner Coyne-Chailaind.
Outlook: Two sophomores (Blake Bir and Matt Summe) and a junior (Brady Reese) are in the mix for the starting quarterback job, but a trio of experienced running backs that combined for 1,314 yards and 18 touchdowns should help to make up for the lack of varsity reps.
The Colonels are getting accustomed to Wirth's offensive and defensive schemes in his second year as coach.
Dixie Heights
Coach: Tom Spritzky (98-72)
Last year: 5-7 (lost 49-0 to Highlands in the second round)
Players to watch: Junior QB/LB/DE Zeke Pike; junior RB Seth Bruns; senior WR Bobby Leonard; senior LB Ryan Zumdick; senior FS Billy Menkhaus.
Other key players: Senior OL Ian Johnson; junior DB Tyler Moore; junior DL Blake Withrow; junior DL DJ Handlon.
Outlook: Pike, Bruns and Leonard are the returning skill position starters on offense where the Colonels should have a great deal of athleticism, but lack experience.
Defensively, five full-time and one part-time starters return, but Dixie needs to play more consistent and limit the big play.
Scott
Coach: Dave Campbell (6-15)
Last year: 2-9 (lost 62-41 to Johnson Central in first round)
Players to watch: Senior LB Rob Swinford; senior WR/DB Alex Swinford; senior DL Mike Sherrard; senior OL/LB Scotty Campbell; junior wingback/DB Ryan Sowder, who was named all-Northern Kentucky DB last season as a sophomore.
Other key players: Junior FB/LB Justin Hoskins; junior DB Brandon Stamper; junior DB Aaron Smith.
Outlook: Scott will try to rebound from a 2-9 season behind strong senior leadership from an otherwise young team. Senior Scotty Campbell hopes to return from ACL surgery in Week 3 at home against Bellevue.
There will be a lot of sophomores playing both ways throughout a tough schedule, which Dave Campbell describes as a "murderer's row" the last four weeks of the season, facing CovCath, Holmes, Highlands and Simon Kenton.
"If we can make it through those teams, we'll be well on our way toward being ready for Week 11 (and the playoffs)," said Campbell
http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20100...District-5