By CRAIG DUNN Sports Editor cdunn@logandaily.com
LOGAN — Thanks to improvements in technology, tracking defensive statistics has become much easier in recent seasons.
Outside of interceptions, all-time Logan High School records for tackles and assists do not exist. They weren’t even kept for many, many seasons, and in several others the numbers were sketchy at best.
Assists can especially be construed in different ways depending upon the coaching staff and/or the sheer eye of the beholder who compiled them.
That said, Dean Jordan’s 28 total tackles — seven solos and a whopping 21 assists — against Teays Valley have to rank right up there in the all-time LHS upper echelon. Especially the 21 assists.
LOGAN — Thanks to improvements in technology, tracking defensive statistics has become much easier in recent seasons.
Outside of interceptions, all-time Logan High School records for tackles and assists do not exist. They weren’t even kept for many, many seasons, and in several others the numbers were sketchy at best.
Assists can especially be construed in different ways depending upon the coaching staff and/or the sheer eye of the beholder who compiled them.
That said, Dean Jordan’s 28 total tackles — seven solos and a whopping 21 assists — against Teays Valley have to rank right up there in the all-time LHS upper echelon. Especially the 21 assists.
“We’ve moved Dean inside to be able to run tackle-to-tackle for him to make plays, and maybe that’s a better fit than him playing outside (linebacker) where he was playing,” noted Logan coach Billy Burke.
“The philosophy is to get the best 11 players on the field and figure out where they go,” he added. “We think that’s where we are right now. We’ve identified our best 11, especially from the physical aspect… now (it’s figuring out) exactly where they fit into the puzzle.”
When sophomore quarterback Lane Little was injured (and sidelined indefinitely) in the third quarter of the season opener at Lancaster, the Logan coaching staff was forced to shuffle personnel, which they continue to do this week.
Senior Nick Kost not only moved to full-time QB but, to keep him fresh — and avoid more opportunities for injury — he was taken out of the defensive rotation. He was the team’s leading tackler last season (82 total, including 28 solos) and Jordan and Austin Scarberry (both with 54 total) were second.
Jordan, a 6-0, 185-pound junior, stepped up last week and was involved in almost half of Logan’s defensive stops.
“The kids have been great about stepping up and playing whatever position is asked of them — but at the same time, as a coaching staff, we’re also getting a glimpse of where we think the kids are comfortable,” Burke revealed. “I think Dean’s a prime example of that. He’s more comfortable inside-out than he is outside-in.”
Teays Valley controlled the ball all night, running 68 plays to the Chiefs’ 40, and the Viking offense possessed the ball for more than 31 minutes. That meant Jordan, as well as the rest of the Logan defense, was on the field most of the night.
The Logan linebackers were especially busy, with sophomore Bryce McBride involved in 15 tackles (12 assists) and senior Scarberry in 12 (11 assists). The previous week, senior Evan DeLong led the way with 14 tackles (eight solo) and McBride added 11.
“We’re still trying to find guys who fit in the right spots,” Burke said. “Evan DeLong is a kid we moved to a strong safety/outside linebacker position (against Teays Valley), and he really solidified stopping the perimeter run.
“Evan’s a prime example where, if you can block them, and you can tackle them, it really doesn’t matter what schemes you run,” he continued. “We’ve put him into position where we need him to make a tackle, (or) we need a catch, (or) we need a block on the perimeter on offense. The more kids you have being able to execute the basic fundamentals of offense and defense, the better opportunity you have to win no matter what the scheme is.”
Points needed: It goes without saying that the days of 6-0 and 7-6 games being the norm are long gone.
In this age of offense-minded football (in the first two weeks, area and Division II Region 5 scores have included counts of 52-22, 48-46, 48-21, 55-42, 51-40, 42-35, 47-45, 52-32, 48-47 and 57-50), you need to put a lot of points on the board. That’s exactly what Logan’s foes have been doing.
While the Chiefs have scored just 20 total points in their first two games (six on a school record-tying 95-yard kickoff return by Isaac Schmeltzer last Friday), nine of their 10 opponents have already posted at least one game in which they scored at least 35… granted, some against competition nowhere near the caliber of Lancaster and/or Teays Valley.
Among Logan’s SEOAL brethren, Jackson has already tallied 68 (against Waverly) and 54 (Wellston); Gallipolis 60 (Rock Hill); Warren 40 (in a 51-40 loss to Parkersburg), and Portsmouth 35 (Portsmouth West).
The Chiefs’ non-conference foes have lit up the scoreboard, too: Lancaster (57 against Logan), Teays Valley (52 against Westfall), Newark (35 in a loss to Westerville North), Loudonville (48 against Smithville and 41 against Convoy Crestview), and Zanesville (55 against Columbus South and 49 against Newark).
All of Logan’s non-league opponents, except for Nelsonville-York, are averaging more points per game than the Chiefs’ total scoring output.
N-Y has been shut out by Trimble (40-0) and lost to perennial state qualifier Newark Catholic (34-16). But don’t be fooled. With Trimble having also dealt defending West Virginia small-school state champion Wahama its first-ever Tri-Valley Conference loss (12-7) last Friday — and, more than likely, set to run its regular-season table — and with Newark Catholic strong as always, it isn’t like the Buckeyes have started the season by feasting on cupcakes.
Fresh start for Angle: Former Logan quarterback Patrick Angle started at QB for Ohio Northern University last Saturday as the Polar Bears routed visiting Alfred State (N.Y.) 55-0.
Angle quarterbacked the 2008 and 2009 Logan teams that went 10-0 in the regular season (and also won a home playoff game each season), setting many Chieftain passing records in so doing that may never be broken. He signed with Youngstown State, but did not get a chance to play, and transferred to ONU.
Angle was 4-of-14 passing for 40 yards, and ran the ball eight times for 21 yards, before having to leave the game in the second quarter with a minor injury, according to the Ohio Northern athletic department. But he should be fine when the Polar Bears play at Heidelberg next Saturday, Sept. 21, after a bye week this week.
Carpenter hammers Chiefs: Here’s an interesting piece of information that Logan football historian Spencer Waugh uncovered late last week: Logan’s last three head coaches all lost their Chieftain head coaching debuts to the same opposing coach… Rob Carpenter.
Carpenter was head coach at New Lexington when the Panthers defeated Dale Amyx’s Chieftains 38-6 in 1990. As head coach at Lancaster, Carpenter has spoiled the LHS coaching debuts of Kelly Wolfe (37-24 in 2010) and, two weeks ago, of Billy Burke (57-7).
“The philosophy is to get the best 11 players on the field and figure out where they go,” he added. “We think that’s where we are right now. We’ve identified our best 11, especially from the physical aspect… now (it’s figuring out) exactly where they fit into the puzzle.”
When sophomore quarterback Lane Little was injured (and sidelined indefinitely) in the third quarter of the season opener at Lancaster, the Logan coaching staff was forced to shuffle personnel, which they continue to do this week.
Senior Nick Kost not only moved to full-time QB but, to keep him fresh — and avoid more opportunities for injury — he was taken out of the defensive rotation. He was the team’s leading tackler last season (82 total, including 28 solos) and Jordan and Austin Scarberry (both with 54 total) were second.
Jordan, a 6-0, 185-pound junior, stepped up last week and was involved in almost half of Logan’s defensive stops.
“The kids have been great about stepping up and playing whatever position is asked of them — but at the same time, as a coaching staff, we’re also getting a glimpse of where we think the kids are comfortable,” Burke revealed. “I think Dean’s a prime example of that. He’s more comfortable inside-out than he is outside-in.”
Teays Valley controlled the ball all night, running 68 plays to the Chiefs’ 40, and the Viking offense possessed the ball for more than 31 minutes. That meant Jordan, as well as the rest of the Logan defense, was on the field most of the night.
The Logan linebackers were especially busy, with sophomore Bryce McBride involved in 15 tackles (12 assists) and senior Scarberry in 12 (11 assists). The previous week, senior Evan DeLong led the way with 14 tackles (eight solo) and McBride added 11.
“We’re still trying to find guys who fit in the right spots,” Burke said. “Evan DeLong is a kid we moved to a strong safety/outside linebacker position (against Teays Valley), and he really solidified stopping the perimeter run.
“Evan’s a prime example where, if you can block them, and you can tackle them, it really doesn’t matter what schemes you run,” he continued. “We’ve put him into position where we need him to make a tackle, (or) we need a catch, (or) we need a block on the perimeter on offense. The more kids you have being able to execute the basic fundamentals of offense and defense, the better opportunity you have to win no matter what the scheme is.”
Points needed: It goes without saying that the days of 6-0 and 7-6 games being the norm are long gone.
In this age of offense-minded football (in the first two weeks, area and Division II Region 5 scores have included counts of 52-22, 48-46, 48-21, 55-42, 51-40, 42-35, 47-45, 52-32, 48-47 and 57-50), you need to put a lot of points on the board. That’s exactly what Logan’s foes have been doing.
While the Chiefs have scored just 20 total points in their first two games (six on a school record-tying 95-yard kickoff return by Isaac Schmeltzer last Friday), nine of their 10 opponents have already posted at least one game in which they scored at least 35… granted, some against competition nowhere near the caliber of Lancaster and/or Teays Valley.
Among Logan’s SEOAL brethren, Jackson has already tallied 68 (against Waverly) and 54 (Wellston); Gallipolis 60 (Rock Hill); Warren 40 (in a 51-40 loss to Parkersburg), and Portsmouth 35 (Portsmouth West).
The Chiefs’ non-conference foes have lit up the scoreboard, too: Lancaster (57 against Logan), Teays Valley (52 against Westfall), Newark (35 in a loss to Westerville North), Loudonville (48 against Smithville and 41 against Convoy Crestview), and Zanesville (55 against Columbus South and 49 against Newark).
All of Logan’s non-league opponents, except for Nelsonville-York, are averaging more points per game than the Chiefs’ total scoring output.
N-Y has been shut out by Trimble (40-0) and lost to perennial state qualifier Newark Catholic (34-16). But don’t be fooled. With Trimble having also dealt defending West Virginia small-school state champion Wahama its first-ever Tri-Valley Conference loss (12-7) last Friday — and, more than likely, set to run its regular-season table — and with Newark Catholic strong as always, it isn’t like the Buckeyes have started the season by feasting on cupcakes.
Fresh start for Angle: Former Logan quarterback Patrick Angle started at QB for Ohio Northern University last Saturday as the Polar Bears routed visiting Alfred State (N.Y.) 55-0.
Angle quarterbacked the 2008 and 2009 Logan teams that went 10-0 in the regular season (and also won a home playoff game each season), setting many Chieftain passing records in so doing that may never be broken. He signed with Youngstown State, but did not get a chance to play, and transferred to ONU.
Angle was 4-of-14 passing for 40 yards, and ran the ball eight times for 21 yards, before having to leave the game in the second quarter with a minor injury, according to the Ohio Northern athletic department. But he should be fine when the Polar Bears play at Heidelberg next Saturday, Sept. 21, after a bye week this week.
Carpenter hammers Chiefs: Here’s an interesting piece of information that Logan football historian Spencer Waugh uncovered late last week: Logan’s last three head coaches all lost their Chieftain head coaching debuts to the same opposing coach… Rob Carpenter.
Carpenter was head coach at New Lexington when the Panthers defeated Dale Amyx’s Chieftains 38-6 in 1990. As head coach at Lancaster, Carpenter has spoiled the LHS coaching debuts of Kelly Wolfe (37-24 in 2010) and, two weeks ago, of Billy Burke (57-7).
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