Tri-Valley Conference (TVC) Hocking Preview
By: Maddie Kiefer
Posted on:
Eastern Eagles
The Eastern Eagles are hoping to replicate the success of last season. The Eagles went 12-2 overall, achieved the title of TVC-Hocking champions and reached a regional final.
Eastern will return most of last year’s squad, but there are still a couple of holes to fill. Division VII Co-Defensive Player of the Year Brandon Oldaker and All-Ohio running back Rylee Barrett, graduated this past spring. Oldaker and Barrett were key players and leaders on the field, but the loss of the two seniors isn’t the only change the Eagles are facing. The Eagles are also moving up from Division VII to Division VI.
But in the light of all the changes Eastern is facing, their mentality remains. The upperclassmen on the team are continuing to teach and uplift their new teammates, as is the coaching staff.
There may be some uncertainties for the Eagles, but one thing is for sure, they will come out like they always do; ready to play violent football.
Waterford Wildcats
With a three and one conference record, Waterford was the closest to catching the Eagles. They found themselves ranking second in the TVC-Hocking last season with a 3-1 conference record.
The Wildcats are returning nine-year head coach Eric McCutcheon. Throughout McCutcheon’s tenure, his Wildcats haven’t had a losing season. We’ll see if McCutcheon and the Cats can keep the trend going.
With the top team in the conference losing key players to graduation, will this be Waterford’s year?
Trimble Tomcats
The city of Glouster will see many new faces and numbers on the field this season. 13 Trimble Tomcats graduated this past spring, creating a lot of room for younger players to step up.
Although full of new faces, Trimble’s patented dominant defense is something they can rely on while working through this transition.
One thing that isn’t changing is for the Tomcats is their head coach. Coach Phil Faires is entering his 31st season with this team. So, a rebuild, while not always easy, isn’t something he hasn’t seen before.
It’ll be exciting to see what the Tomcats can accomplish with their youthful core.
Southern Tornadoes
The Southern Tornadoes are coming off a three-win campaign, but there are a couple returning players to watch. Wide receiver and defensive back Brandon Laudermilt is coming off a six-interception season, including four pick sixes. Linebacker Gyphon Thomas finished last season with over 100 tackles.
While Laudermilt and Thomas are great defensive assets, the Tornadoes will need to find the same intensity on offense if they want to secure their first winning season since 2018
Belpre Golden Eagles
Belpre has had a rough go-around the past few years, with a winless season in 2022 and just one win in 2023. The Golden Eagles lone win came in the regular season finale against Clay-Battelle. In the nine games Belpre played leading up to their match against the Cee Bees, they only scored 25 points total. The Golden Eagles exhibited a new offensive power in their season closer, scoring 31 points. However, they didn’t have an opportunity to capitalize on their momentum.
Head coach Kevin Welsh is back for his second season, with hopes of carrying on what his team started at the end of last season.