Sports
Gallia Academy Seeks to Capitalize on SEOAL Swan Song
< < Back toThe Gallia Academy Blue Devils are leaving the SEOAL for the Ohio Valley Conference in 2016, giving them one more season to capture SEOAL glory.
Second-year head coach Josh Riffe is tasked with helping Gallia Academy rebound from its third-place finish last season. Returning many starters will make that task a bit easier.
“Our expectations are always to win the league,” Riffe said. “We’re really excited this year. We have a lot of guys back and we’re a little older than we were last year.”
Wes Jarrell, however, will not be back. The star receiver transferred across the river to Point Pleasant. With is departure, dual-threat quarterback Kole Carter will have to pick up the slack. Riffe’s spread offense system should allow Carter to make plays on the ground and through the air.
“Last year kind of left a bad taste in our mouth finishing 4-6,” Carter said. “We feel like this year, with all the work we put in in the offseason and all the motivation from outside, we really want to show people what we have.”
Logan and Jackson both appear to be favorites to take the final SEOAL title, but Gallia Academy is not lacking for confidence.
“We’re a pretty athletic team,” senior defensive end Brett Johnson said. “We’re going to be better than what most people think we’re going to be. We’re going to show some people up.”
The Blue Devils have some stiff competition ahead of them, but they are ready to start their 2015 season. They open their season Friday, August 28 when they take on the Meigs Marauders on the road.