Sports
After Turnaround Season, Belpre Wants More
By: Sean Neidig
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The Belpre Golden Eagle football program has come a long way since a winless season four years ago.
Last season, the Golden Eagles won eight games, including six in a row to close out the regular season, en route to a berth in the Ohio High School Football Playoffs. Belpre lost to powerhouse Fredericksburg, but considering where the program once was, the playoff appearance provided a large boost in confidence.
Sixth-year head coach Greg Adams knows the team should be very excited about the upcoming year, but emphasized there is no room to be overly confident and lazy.
“Taking it day by day,” Adams said. “We have to focus on the opponent coming up and not getting ahead of ourselves.”
On the field, the roster will not undergo too drastic of a change.
The Golden Eagles will return all but one starter to a senior-heavy roster, but that one loss will hurt. 2014 TVC-Hocking Player of the Year Manney Tullius is gone, but six other Belpre players landed on last year’s All TVC-Hocking team.
Quarterback Tavian Miller is entering his fourth straight year as the starter and was recently named to JJHuddle.com’s D-VII All-Ohio Offensive Honorable Mention list.
With so many starters returning and so much experience, Adams said working on the fundamentals has been the focus of their practices.
“Our practices are structured and we focus a lot on tackling and blocking, the fundamental aspects of the game,” Adams said. “We look at all the little things that you need to do in the game of football.”
Two other Belpre players were also named to JJHuddle.com’s preseason list. Senior defensive back Deijon Bedgood earned first team honors and senior offensive lineman Nathan Mason earned a spot on the second team.
Adams noted he and the other coaches knew that this year’s senior class would be special back when they were still in junior high. Such praise has led to the expectation of another winning season, and the hope for Belpre’s first-ever playoff victory.
The Golden Eagles have a scrimmage against Warren on Aug. 21 and will officially open the 2015 season at Fort Frye on Aug. 28.