End-of-Conference Recap: TVC-Ohio
By: Trent Hollon
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The TVC-Ohio was an absolute electric factory this season. The fight for the top dog in the conference came down to the final week of the regular season. There was even an opportunity for a three way tie for the conference championship.
The tough nature of the conference forced new players as well as new coaches to step up and rise to the occasion, and that they did.
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River Valley Raiders
Preseason Rank: 7
Final Rank: 7
The River Valley Raiders had a bumpy ride this year, but they never rolled over. They finished the season at 2-8 (1-5, TVC-Ohio), with wins coming against Meigs and South Gallia. They managed to take down conference foe Meigs in their fourth game and then finished the season strong with a win over the Rebels. They need to ride this win into next season; with a good offseason and a lot of hard work they could climb the rankings next year.
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Meigs Marauders
Preseason Rank: 3
Final Rank: 6
The Meigs Marauders came into the season hopeful as their young quarterback, Coulter Cleland, just came off of a very impressive showing as a freshman last year. The Marauders didn’t quite meet their expectations and finished the season at 2-8 (1-5, TVC-Ohio). Meigs finished the season strong with a dominant win over Alexander, 30-7. The Marauders are a young team and still have plenty of time to build around their young quarterback.
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Alexander Spartans
Preseason Rank: 4
Final Rank: 5
The Alexander Spartans came out of the gate hot this season winning their first three games. They then fell into a bit of a funk and only got one more win through their last seven games; which left them with a record of 4-6 (1-5 TVC-Ohio). The Spartans fought hard all season and never gave up. This showed in their matchup against Nelsonville-York as they almost put an end to the Buckeyes hopes at a share of the conference championship. The game finished with a final score of 13-10 in favor of Nelsonville-York, but the battle and heart the Spartans showed was not overlooked. They will be losing key seniors Kaleb Easley and Jordan Cantrell, so they will have to focus on filling their spot this offseason.
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Wellston Golden Rockets
Preseason Rank: 6
Final Rank: 4
The Wellston Golden Rockets were on a mission this season. They were led by new head coach Mike Smith, who is credited with flipping the organization around and leading them in the right direction. Coming into the year, they were not even considered as a contender for the conference championship. After losing to FAC champion Jackson in their first game, the Golden Rockets rattled off six straight wins. They ended up finishing the season with a record of 7-4 (4-2 TVC-Ohio), one game being a loss in the first round of the playoffs to Ironton. This was the first time Wellston had made the playoffs since 2006. Although the Golden Rockets fell one game short of the conference championship, there is no reason for them to hang their heads as it was a very special season. They have big shoes to fill, as star running back and player of the candidate Rylan Molihan will be graduating. Molihan finished the season with a total of 1,257 yards and 13 touchdowns.
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Vinton County Vikings
Preseason Rank: 5
Final Rank: 3
The Vinton County Vikings played solid football all season long. They challenged all of the top teams in the conference and managed to spoil Wellston’s chances at the conference championship. When it was all said and done Vinton County held a record of 5-5 (4-2 TVC-Ohio). The Vikings defense was the story of this team as they only allowed 151 points the whole season, which was the best in the TVC-Ohio. They continue to slowly get better and will be exciting to see what they are able to accomplish next season.
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Athens Bulldogs
Preseason Rank: 1
Final Rank: 2
The Athens Bulldogs finished with a share of the conference championship, which makes this the second year in a row their name will go on the trophy. The Bulldogs had a bit of a shaky year overall as they didn’t win a single game in out of conference play. That being said they won the games that mattered and finished the season 5-5 (5-1 TVC-Ohio). They rallied behind first year quarterback Joey Moore, who will be sticking around for one more year as he is only a junior. Moore put up some big numbers this season with a combined 3,161 yards and 35 touchdowns. These numbers were good enough to put him at fifth in Ohio for total yards for a quarterback and gave him a bid at Gridiron Glory Player of the Year. Moore will be without his top three targets next season, including star receiver Nate Trainer; so the Bulldogs will have lots of work to do on the offensive end this offseason.
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Nelsonville-York Buckeyes
Preseason Rank: 2
Final Rank: 1
The Nelsonville-York Buckeyes round up the list as they are once again, TVC-Ohio conference champions. This didn’t come easy as they went up against the Bulldogs in the last game of the season, and won on a game winning interception to clinch a share of the title. The Buckeyes finished the year off with a record of 7-3 (5-1 TVC-Ohio). Keegan Wilburn had another impressive season as he broke the record for both career receiving and rushing yards. He accounted for a total of 1309 yards and 17 touchdowns this year and will continue his football career at Ohio University next season. The Buckeyes can celebrate another great season, but next year won’t be any easier as they will have to fill the roles of Mikey Seel and Keegan Wilburn.