Sports
Fresh Look Buckeyes Battle Veteran Tomcats In Week One Matchup
By: Ethan Sands
Posted on:
The time has come for the beginning of season 20 for Gridiron Glory but it’s just another season in the TVC. This Saturday, August 25, the Nelsonville-York Buckeyes will be facing off against the Trimble Tomcats.
The Buckeyes are coming off a season where they were led by Gridiron Glory player of the year, Garrett Maiden. While he graduated, they also lost 1st team all-state Ronnie Wend, along with 14 other seniors.
When asked about how the team will regroup after the loss of so many players, Coach Rust Richards said that, “You always lose great seniors year to year so now it’s time for our young men to step up their game.”
Nelsonville led the TVC-Ohio last year and return 8 players who have seen competitive game play and will have to lean on these notables such as, Mikey Seel, Keegan Wilburn, and Connor Warren.
Mikey Seel is the new quarterback for the Buckeyes and notably, “one of our hardest workers in the weight room and in fall camp it has shown” said Richards. Not only will he be able to use his arm to cause problems but will also influence the run game as well while playing a role in the Buckeye secondary, as well. This isn’t the first time he has seen the spotlight as he was voted to be a captain for the 2017-2018 campaign as a junior and is expected to carry a big role this fall.
Adversity is not in question with a young squad even within the coaching staff, but Coach Richards is looking to see how his team will handle the mistakes that are made.
The Tomcats, on the other hand, will be returning hand-full of starters and players with experience galore.
The top returners are Max Hooper at running back and corner but unlike the Buckeyes, they return their quarterback Kam Kittle.
With this added experience, the Tomcats look to win the TVC-Hocking and taking down the Buckeyes would be a great step in the right direction to prove themselves amongst some of the top competition around the TVC.
Experience will play a huge role in this battle as both teams look to start off their season on the right note. This is the first show of how these teams will start their journey in a new direction, one with new stars and the other with a core of players who have moved up the ranks together throughout the years.
Both teams are looking to bring great intensity and fire to the first week of high school football and get ahead, early and often.