Team

Southern Local

Record	Div.	Conf.
1/2	Div. VI	Eastern Ohio Athletic Conference

Team

Western Reserve

Record	Div.	Conf.
8/3	Div. VII	Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference

Team

McDonald

Record	Div.	Conf.
8/2	Div. VI	Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference

Team

Jackson-Milton

Record	Div.	Conf.
2/9	Div. VI	Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference

The Southern Local High football team has never opened a season with six straight wins. So it isn’t hard to imagine just how exciting things have been in Salineville this week.

Tonight, Mike Skrinjar’s 5-0 Indians travel north to Berlin Center to face Andrew Hake’s 5-0 Western Reserve in a showdown for first place for the Inter Tri-County League Tier Two.

“Tier Two is very competitive this year,” said Skrinjar, the Indians’ first-year head coach after serving as defensive coordinator for five seasons. “A little adversity makes it more of a dogfight.”

With eight teams in each of its tiers, the ITCL usually has four teams competing for each crown. This year, Southern and Sebring (3-2) have inserted themselves into the mix along with traditional contenders McDonald (3-2) and Western Reserve.

“If Sebring and Southern are having success, it’s proof that any of us can,” said Jackson-Milton coach Mark Assion whose Bluejays posted their first win last Friday by upsetting Leetonia, 13-6. “We just have to work as hard as they have.

“Both coaches are implementing are their plan and their kids buying in,” said Assion of Skrinjar and Sebring’s Jay Brophy. “They [have found] success.”

Hake agrees.

“[Skrinjar] obviously is doing a great job,” said Hake of the unbeaten Indians. “There are good coaches at this level.

“We work hard, too,” Hake said. “Sometimes, we have to because we have less to work with so you have to coach harder.”

The Blue Devils have been getting used to unbeaten starts. Two years ago when Mike Kopachy was head coach, Western Reserve was 6-0 when they played unbeaten McDonald for first place. Dan Williams’ Blue Devils won on their way to a 10-0 season.

In Hake’s first season, the Blue Devils were 7-0 before losing to McDonald.

This year, Western Reserve and McDonald don’t play until Week 9.

Southern has never opened a season with six wins. In 1969, Skrinjar said the Indians were 5-0 and then lost a key player to injury and finished 5-5.

A longtime member of the Tri-County League, most of Southern’s seasons since then have ended with a below .500 record. Last year, the Indians were 3-7.

Skrinjar says he preaches a philosophy of sacrifice, commitment and dedication.

He had two dozen players participate in offseason workouts in the weight room and the number grew to 30 once basketball season ended. Those numbers may not impress anyone at Mooney or Ursuline or Fitch or Howland, but we’re talking small town football here.

Skrinjar’s goal was to strengthen his players mentally and physically.

“I’m a big believer in what work in the weight room can do,” Skrinjar said.

Among Southern’s wins were romps over Tier One’s Lisbon and East Palestine (both having down seasons). The Indians also blasted Toronto and Wellsville by a combined score of 86-13.

Their closest call came in Week 4, a 21-3 victory over Jackson-Milton where the Indians fuumbled twice early in the game then responded with a victory.

“We’ve hit some adversity,” Skrinjar said. “In the past, we haven’t been able to overcome adversity.”

Despite their fine start, the Indians can’t afford to let up if they want to compete in Week 11. In this week’s computer playoff ratings for Division VI Region 23, Southern is seventh (the top eight teams in each region qualify for the playoffs). In Region 21, Western Reserve is second, McDonald is 12th and Sebring is 16th.

Hake cited the leadership of linebackers Eddie Crump and Ed Newhouse, defensive back John Risati and defensive ends Bruce Hostetter and Dan Hawkins for his team’s solid start.

“Our defense is very consistent,” Hake said. “We really take pride in defense.”

One player Hake especially enjoys working with is safety Riley Sheptock,

“Oh, he’s a nasty hitter,” said Hake who was an assistant at Mineral Ridge, Rayen and East before taking over at Western Reserve. Hake believes that Sheptock is so gifted that he would find playing time if he was part of a bigger football program.

“Somebody on one of those bigger teams would be sitting if he were on the roster,” Hake said.

Although a showdown with McDonald looms, Hake said his team is focused on solely Southern.

“I believe that if you start looking past [opponents], you get bit,” Hake said. “Southern is pretty darn good.”

Skrinjar said playing the Blue Devils is the only thing on their radar.

“This is an opportunity for us to make some history,” Skrinjar said. “We need to take advantage of it.”

INJURY FACTOR

Last Friday, Mineral Ridge (2-3) stood toe-to-toe with South Range (4-1) before a key injury took its toll.

The Rams already were limited in how they could use quarterback Jesse Garland (knee injury) when running back Mike Keleman suffered an ankle injury in the second quarter.

“Not having him in the second half and only having [Dan] Skiba, it’s pretty easy to see who to key on,” Mineral Ridge coach Joe Stevens said. “That took away part of our game in the second half, that hurt us.

Keleman stayed in the game as the Rams kicker.

“[We] taped it tight and told him to put as little pressure on his plant foot as he could and do what he had to do to get it through the uprights,” Stevens said.

After the 38-28 victory, South Range coach Dan Yeagley praised the Rams’ courage.

“Garland, what a story there, coming back from his knee injury,” Yeagley said.

The Raiders coach was happiest for defensive lineman Dylan Hollobaugh who blocked a punt and recovered it in the end zone for a third-quarter touchdown.

“That was huge,” Yeagley said. “He executed it perfectly.

“What a memento — he’s worked hard all his life. Here he is a senior and now he has a touchdown. Linemen don’t get touchdowns very often.”

Fitch-Poland

Some would have you believe that the Poland Athletic Department has written a check to Fitch get out of next year’s football game. (In Week 2, the Falcons won 48-13 on the Bulldogs’ field).

Not true say both athletic directors.

“There still a game,” Poland’s Brian Banfield said. “It will be up [at Fitch] next year. There’s no buyout.”

Rob Conklin, Fitch AD, said that there has been no talk of canceling the game.

“And we’ve had numerous conversations since our game,” Conklin said.

Outside the valley

One of Ohio’s top kickers has connections to Boardman. The parents of Ross Martin, the junior placekicker for Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit, are Boardman High and Youngstown State University graduates: Jim and Kristi (Klingel) Martin. His grandparents are Tony and Audrey Martin of Canfield, and Carol Klingel of Boardman.

Martin has attracted recruiting interest from FBS schools including Ohio State and Michigan. Last summer, he participated in kicking camps at YSU, Ohio State, Michigan, Wake Forest, Notre Dame and Stanford. One of his attempts at Stambaugh Stadium was good from 55 yards away.

At the Chris Sailer Annual Top 12 Event Elite Camp in Los Angeles he won the field goal competition by making the most consecutive field goals and hitting a 62-yarder.

Walsh Jesuit is 4-1 and ranked ninth in Division II Region 5 where Howland (5-0) is third. Walsh Jesuit’s loss was to Mentor Lake Catholic (31-14), a team that Ursuline defeated 14-10.