Scioto Valley Conference – Conference Preview
By: Zachary Knight
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Unioto Shermans
Unioto successfully reclaimed the SVC crown last season and will be looking for a three-peat when they hit the field this year. They finished last season 9-2 overall and went undefeated in the conference with a 7-0 SVC record.
It won’t be an easy road for the Shermans this season, who graduated one of the most decorated classes the team has ever had. They had four All-Ohio players in Marcel James, Ben Griffin, Caden Cutright and Blake Hoops. Cutright and Hoops also hold school records.
With a long road to the conference crown, the Shermans will need to be on their A-Game to pull off another conference title.
Zane Trace Pioneers
Zane Trace finished second in the SVC last season, and did it with strong performances from returning underclassmen, making this a potential dark horse in the conference.
Despite a quick playoff exit courtesy of the Fairland Dragons, they have potential to come back with a vengeance this season. They wrapped up last year with six wins, all from SVC opponents.
The team showcased strong defensive efforts, and with returners like Brice Johnson and Silas Stewart, the Pioneers will be a team to keep an eye on this football season.
Piketon Redstreaks
Piketon managed to fight their way to third in the SVC standings last season, pulling ahead of Paint Valley thanks to their narrow 13-12 victory in week seven.
They finished with seven total wins and managed to defeat five SVC opponents along the way.
The Redstreaks could manage to sneak their way back into the upper echelon of the SVC this year, especially with how many shakeups the conference is seeing between seasons.
Paint Valley Bearcats
The Paint Valley Bearcats will see John Penwell take over as the head coach after former coach Corey Dye stepped down to take over the defensive coordinator position at Miami Trace.
The Bearcats wrapped things up with seven wins and started last season with six wins in a row. Their streak was cut short by Piketon, who managed to jump above them in the conference.
Paint Valley is losing a talented senior class, leaving behind a smaller team. However, with returners like QB Preston Fauber, they still have a strong core group that’s prepared to put in the work for the Bearcats this season.
Westfall Mustangs
Westfall finished last season with four hard fought wins, and three came from SVC opponents.
The Mustangs will return a large senior class and can look to continue adding to the win column this time around.
They managed to pull off wins over Madison-Plains in week one, as well as defeating Adena, Huntington and Southeastern along the way.
Huntington Huntsmen
Huntington climbed a spot in last year’s conference standings, wrapping things up in sixth.
They picked up three wins on the season. The first came from East Clinton in week one, and they later defeated SVC opponents Southeastern and later took down Adena in overtime in week 10, notching two SVC wins.
They’ll look forward to returning players like Kalvin Manson and Gordon Cyrus to help the Huntsmen fight through the SVC.
Adena Warriors
The Adena Warriors fought their way to a 3-7 season but can look forward to returners like Fisher Schaaf to help increase that number this year.
They picked up wins in the first two weeks, defeating McClain and Portsmouth Notre Dame. In week 5 they were able to defeat the Southeastern Panthers to earn themselves a conference win.
With a returning coach and younger roster, the Warriors will look to improve their performance this season.
Southeastern Panthers
Southeastern finished last in the SVC and were unable to pick up a win against any conference opponents.
They managed to defeat Sciotoville East in week one but couldn’t find another victory during the season.
The Panthers have a strong base of underclassmen that can help lead the team in the coming seasons.