Lakers, Raiders want to take advantage of fresh start
The first half of the season did not go how Indian Lake and Benjamin Logan would have liked.
However, the start of Central Buckeye Conference Mad River division play on Friday offers both football programs a chance for a fresh start.
Ben Logan comes into Friday’s game at Indian Lake with one win, while the Lakers are still searching for their first victory.
A win Friday, though, will offer the chance to build some confidence and momentum down the stretch of the season.
Also, some bragging rights are at stake as well for the two Logan County rivals.
“Absolutely,” said Indian Lake head coach Jonn Rapp when asked if there is an extra buzz surrounding Friday’s game. “The guys being familiar with who they are playing always adds extra excitement.”
It is the second week in a row Indian Lake faces a fellow Logan County squad. The Lakers were defeated by Bellefontaine 48-14 last Friday.
Despite the lopsided final score, the Lakers did some things well early on. They marched down the field for a touchdown on their first drive of the game and were locked in a 7-7 tie after one quarter of play.
“Our program feels like there was a lot to build off of from last week,” said Rapp. “We were able to overcome some of our mistakes and get back on track in game. We got a lot better at carrying out our game plan than in prior weeks. We played with better energy than in prior weeks. All of those things can be improved upon still, but progress was made.”
For Ben Logan, the focus is on becoming more consistent. The Raiders have played at a high level at times, but have just one win to show for it, a 21-6 victory over Triad in Week 1.
Last Friday, Ben Logan battled Tecumseh to a 7-7 tie after one half, but the Raiders were outscored 28-7 in the second half.
“We have to increase the amount of possessions we have in games via turnovers and perform better going into the third quarter,” said Ben Logan head coach Jeff Fay. “I have been impressed with senior leadership that we have on this team. This needs to continue for the long haul.”
Moving the ball and putting points on the scoreboard have been issues for the Lakers. They are averaging just six points per game and are giving up 37 points per game.
Indian Lake has yet to get its running game on track with just 236 yards on 86 carries. But the Lakers have shown some positive glimpses with their passing attack.
Junior quarterback Lane Tucci has completed 64-of-122 passes for 707 yards and three touchdowns.
Receivers Caiden Nicol, Chase Baldwin and Isaac Morrison have combined for 49 catches for 603 yards and three touchdowns.
“They are clearly well-coached in the few things that they do,” said Fay. “They are fairly balanced in regards to run/pass and take advantage of gathering yards in small chunks as they always have.”
Ben Logan will look to get its offense back on track. The Raiders averaged 32 points through their first three games but have scored an average of just six points over their last two contests.
Senior quarterback Kam Allen continues to lead the CBC in passing yards with 1,167 and senior wide receiver Sam Whitten leads the league in receiving yards with 459.
“On film, Ben Logan looks to have great size up front on their lines and is very good at pushing the ball down field,” said Rapp. “Their running game is pretty solid and the quarterback is pretty elusive in open space.”
In addition to his league-league 1,167 passing yards, Allen has a team-best 164 rushing yards on 52 carries.
Elsewhere around the area this weekend:
Troy Christian at Riverside
A rejuvenated Riverside squad will look to make it a happy homecoming night Friday as the Pirates welcome Troy Christian for a Three Rivers Conference matchup.
The Pirates are riding high after a 28-22 victory over previously unbeaten Northridge last week. It was the third win in a row for Riverside after an 0-2 start to the season.
Troy Christian, on the other hand, is coming off a humbling 63-0 loss to Milton-Union.
The Eagles are 1-4 overall and 1-1 in the TRC.
The Eagles have shown a balanced offensive attack with 411 passing yards and 486 rushing yards.
Senior quarterback Lee Burkett is 24-of-62 for 411 yards with four touchdowns and six interceptions.
Burkett’s favorite target has been sophomore Christian Jarvis, who has 12 catches for 240 yards and three scores.
Burkett is also the team’s leading rusher with 232 yards and three TDs on 36 attempts. Jarvis is next with 100 yards and one TD on 14 carries.
Fairbanks at WL-Salem
West Liberty-Salem will be chasing its third win in a row Friday when it hosts Fairbanks for the start of Ohio Heritage Conference North division play.
Both the Tigers and Panthers went 3-2 during the first half of the season.
It has been a roller coaster of a campaign for the Panthers so far. They began the season with decisive wins over Cardington (43-6) and Indian Lake (28-7), lost a close game to Southeastern (20-13) and then was handled by a strong Greeneview squad 52-20.
Fairbanks bounced back last week with a 42-6 win over Madison Plains.
The Panthers feature an offense that relies heavily on its ground game. They have rushed for 1,471 yards, while throwing for just 206 yards.
The Fairbanks ground attack has used a committee approach. The Panthers don’t have a runner with more than 265 yards rushing but they have seven with at least 100 yards.
Junior Nick Rhea is the team’s leading rusher with 265 yards and five touchdowns on 35 carries. Sophomore Ryker Green has 261 yards and three TDs on 16 attempts and sophomore Noah Rhea has rushed for 244 yards and one TD on 47 carries.
Junior quarterback A.J. Landon has completed 21-of-44 passes for 199 yards. He has added 142 rushing yards and five TDs on 27 attempts.
Triad at Mechanicsburg
Triad faces a tough test in its Ohio Heritage Conference opener Friday as it travels to Mechanicsburg for a Champaign County matchup.
The Cardinals (2-3) are coming off an impressive 26-7 victory over Greenon. Triad rushed for 293 yards in the win, with sophomore Awsom Mitchell carrying the ball 22 times for 179 yards and two TDs.
After a 4-0 start which resulted in a No. 1 ranking in the Division VII state poll, Mechanicsburg was dealt a 35-0 setback by Greeneview last Friday. The Indians mustered only 94 yards of offense.
The Indians are led on offense by junior quarterback Jayden Roland, who has thrown for 484 yards and six touchdowns on 17-of-38 passing. He also leads the team in rushing yards with 297 to go along with four touchdowns on 58 rushes.
Sophomore running back Gabe Hursey has contributed 282 rushing yards and five TDs on 38 carries.
The team’s leading receiver is junior Kailen Butler who has eight catches for 361 yards and five touchdowns. He is averaging a staggering 45 yards per catch.
W-Goshen at Ridgemont
Ridgemont is aiming to run its winning streak to three games Friday when its hosts unbeaten Waynesfield-Goshen for a Northwest Central Conference game.
The Gophers (3-2) have shut out their last two opponents, beating Crestline 56-0 in Week 4 and blanking Ridgedale 24-0 last week.
However, the challenge will be much greater this Friday as the Gophers face a Tigers squad that is ranked 12th in this week’s Division VII state poll.
W-Goshen has not faced a serious threat so far this season, with its closest game being a 19-point victory over Lehman Catholic in Week 3. The Tigers dominated Elgin 49-12 last Friday.