Sports
Tri-Valley Looks to Overcome Depth Issues, Remain Dominant
By: Nathan Wiseman
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When you walk on the campus of Tri-Valley High School, four letters prominently catch the eye on almost every sign displayed. A motto that perfectly depicts the philosophy of the Scotties football program and the way the players are taught to believe in themselves: “D.V.T.V,” “Deserve Victory Tri Valley.”
This motto is not only a common hashtag used by the Tri-Valley football players, but a true testament to the dynasty Coach Justin Buttermore has produced during his time in Dresden. A focused mind set instilled in the minds of his players to remind them of how far they can go with hard work and no distractions.
The MVL title has ran through Dresden for the better part of the past decade, with the Scotties having claimed five of the past six league titles, including each of the last four. Last year’s seniors never lost a conference game.
The biggest area of concern for Buttermore’s team this fall is depth and it’s a problem he hasn’t had to deal with for quite some time.
As the largest school in the conference, losing players to graduation is commonplace, but it’s not every year that a team loses the majority of its skill players. Departed players include star wide receiver Hunter Mohler, running backs Logan Bash and Bubby Scott, and quarterback Brock Fargus, who threw for over 2,000 yards last season.
“We have a great group of seniors this year that I have a lot of confidence in, but they just don’t have much experience,” Buttermore said. “We have a small junior class, so our depth is really coming from the younger levels, so building depth is one of our primary goals.”
Wide receiver Colin Slaboden will be called on to pick up the slack. Slaboden served as a productive secondary option to Mohler last year, hauling in 22 receptions for 489 yards and four touchdowns last season.
“He’s a high effort kid,’ Buttermore said. “He’s an excellent receiver and defensive back and I really expect him to be one of the better skill guys in the league.
For the first time in over five years, a competition is brewing over who will start at quarterback for the Scotties. Current Kent State quarterback, Nathan Strock, led Tri Valley to two MVL championships before Brock Fargus, current Tiffin University quarterback, stepped into the signal caller role and led the Scotties to two more. Both Strock and Fargus were known for their dual-threat play, which leaves their successor with big shoes to fill.
Senior Logan Nezbeth is currently sidelined with a high ankle injury, leaving the other senior, Tyler McGee, and sophomore Andrew Newson to battle for the starting job.
For the team as a whole, Buttermore noted he is still figuring out the niche of this team and how to utilize its strengths.
“We’ve got to figure out what we can do well,” Buttermore said. “We haven’t run or passed the ball particularly well in practice so we have to find some consistency and find a way to do something well, something that we know we can do well each and every week.”
Although the 2015 Scotties will look much different team than the M.V.L champions of last season, the mindset remains the same. A mindset that every victory needs to be earned and with that effort, the victories and possible fifth consecutive title will be deserved.
Coach Buttermore’s Scotties open their 2015 campaign with a home game against Licking Valley on Aug. 28.