Team

LaBrae

Record	Div.	Conf.
3/5	Div. V	All-American Conference Blue Tier

Team

Struthers

Record	Div.	Conf.
7/4	Div. IV	All-American Conference White Tier

This week’s Q&A

For nearly 50 years, Bill Bohren has coached football in the Valley. He’s had his share of good and bad times, but 2011 has been much of the former. His Vikings are 4-1 heading into a showdown with Girard (4-1) tonight and it doesn’t get any easier from there. Averaging 32 points a game, the offensive is explosive and ready for the rest of the AAC Blue Tier schedule.

Q. What fuels the charged offense?

A. We have good athletes who run our offensive well. We run a combination of spread and I-formation and the quarterback [Peyton Aldridge] is an outstanding player with great command and our backs know how to get up field, but more importantly are good blockers.

Q. Aldridge is a highly touted basketball prospect. As just a sophomore is he turning heads on the football field, too?

A. At 6-foot-6, Aldridge has great height. He is an outstanding basketball player and he’s turning into an outstanding football player as he gets more comfortable out there. He’s been doing a great job for us this year.

Q. After back-to-back four win seasons, you’ve already matched that total. What was the biggest concern coming into the season?

A. We were concerned about the offensive line. We lost some tackles and had to move some kids around. We’re not very big and we’re outweighed a lot against other teams. But, they’ve done a great job and have been a pleasant surprise. They’re getting better each game.

Q. Are you of the mindset that “everything starts up front?”

A. Yes, because a good blockers can create big plays. Our tight ends, too, have an excellent knack for making a block and getting the most yardage out of plays. We’ve worked hard on getting a good push up front and its paid off because we’ve really rounded into good shape.

Q. Does this team remind you of any that have had success under you in the past?

A. Our 2008 playoff team was outstanding and very similar to this years. We lost game one in ’08 and bounced back to win nine straight. We lost game three this year and hope to continue on a nice streak. We had Cameron Truss [now, a defensive back at Bowling Green] who was just a gamebreaker. We’re developing players like that now so I’d say we’re very on par with that ’08 team.

Q. What’s the outlook for the rest of this season?

A. Our eyes are on Struthers. They’re always a good football program and this year is no different. We’re getting into the meat of our schedule, Newton Falls is always a tough rival, Jefferson will bring a good team and Girard is playing about as good of football as anybody right now. We know we have to be ready for the next few games.

Interview by Matthew Peaslee