LOGAN — While the Logan Chieftain coaching staff isn’t necessarily using the disappointing ending to the 2007 season — a last-minute, 31-26 Division II playoff loss to visiting Dresden Tri-Valley in the swan song for Bill Sauer Field — for motivational purposes, they are using some of the things that happened during that game as teaching tools.

For example, a fake punt that led to a key score for the Scotties.

“We haven’t talked about it too much other than scenarios during the game, like that special teams scenario,” revealed Logan coach Dale Amyx. “You have to be alert for fakes and (situations) where we change the offensive script during a game. We have to be able to do that in a game.”
“There’s no doubt had we got the ball back we’d have scored again,” Amyx recalled, “but it was a great call on their part, it was a gutsy call, they got the ball back and scored, and that’s what I think won them the game. And it was going to be a short field (for the Logan offense) too; we would have scored and been up two scores. But those are the kind of things you can do when your quarterback is your punter.”

Thus the lessons learned from that game, and making sure they’re prepared for such scenarios in the future, is what’s more important at this point.

“ ‘Guys, you should have won that game. You know that,’ ” Amyx said he has told his players. “We should have been playing in the next round. If maybe there’s one little thing we can do in practice that can get us over that hump, (such as) knock down a pass instead of trying to intercept it, or something. Make a play. We might be in that situation again to get to the next level or to even get into the playoffs.”

Getting focused

Amyx likes the attitude and makeup of his current 60-man roster, but admits there are some aspects in which he and his coaches feel the team needs improvement.

“They have a great attitude, they’re hard-working kids and will do anything we ask them to do,” he said, “but if anything, we have a little concern with their focus — they have a tendency to mess around. They’re having fun, and I’m never going to discourage that, but they don’t know when it’s time to turn it off and start focusing in on the practice or a certain drill or whatever. That’s something we’ve been addressing.”

Maintaining that focus could be the difference between seven points, three points, or maybe none at all… or simply the very difference between winning and losing.

“On a 20-play (practice) script, when you get to play 18 or 19, are you going to start screwing up or stay focused and get it done?” Amyx asked. “That’s like the end of a drive. Are you going to get it in the end zone or have some kind of penalty or do something stupid?

“Focus means you have a 90-yard drive (going) and if you lose focus, are you going to jump offsides or something and we move backwards? Then we (have to) kick a field goal or we’re out of field goal range and we don’t score. Then you’ve wasted all that,” he added. “You have to finish what you start and stay focused from beginning to end.”

Amyx says his 18 seniors are still developing leadership skills.

“I don’t think their leadership skills are (like last year’s seniors) yet, but they’ll get there,” he said. “We tell the seniors they have to help us with (leadership).”

Home(s) sweet home(s)

The first week of the season is always both hectic and exciting, but this week’s season opener against Lancaster is unique in the fact the Chiefs will play a home game in mostly-unfamiliar surroundings.

With the demolition of old Bill Sauer Field on the Hilltop, the Chiefs still have some getting used to when it comes to their new home at Logan Chieftain Stadium, in which they began regular practices just last week.

This summer, the Chiefs have been practicing on a large plot of real estate behind the school district-owned former Rich Wholesale Building because the middle school campus, including the stadium, has been closed for renovations.

Plus, most of the middle school practice field is gone anyway, as well as the old storage and locker room area, to make room for the new Green Elementary School.

“It’s been a big change of atmosphere being (at the new practice facility) instead of the middle school for all those years, and also knowing we’re finally going to be getting on the new field. It’s exciting,” Amyx admitted. “And I don’t know about anybody else, but it’s been a good change for me.

“Mentally I think it’s kind of helped me a little bit… it felt kind of stale going out to the middle school all the time, doing the same thing year in and year out,” he added. “It’s been a new routine for me. It’s more open (and) it’s refreshing. And we’ve got a lot accomplished out here.

“The kids were so excited to finally get on (the Logan Chieftain Stadium field)… but we need to get that (excitement) out of their systems and let them know we have a game to play there. (The new stadium) is not going to guarantee any wins.

Examining the schedule

Lancaster, whom the Chieftains haven’t beaten since 1945 — including the last four games since the series resumed after a 47-year hiatus in 2004 — leads off a schedule that should be tougher than it was last season. (See Thursday’s issue of The Logan Daily News for a preview).

The schedule gets tougher this season via both addition and subtraction, although Portsmouth, a state Division IV playoff team last season, rotates off the Logan schedule until 2010.

The Athens Bulldogs, whom the Chieftains had beaten 12 consecutive times and 16 of 17 games since 1991, are not only out the SEOAL but also backed out of an agreement to play a two-season non-league series. In recent seasons Athens was the most lopsided game on the Logan schedule.

The Chiefs travel to Pickerington North and first-time foe Hamilton Township for non-conference games before hosting Gallipolis in week four. Like Portsmouth, Gallipolis also rotates off Logan’s conference schedule until 2010 but in the meantime the two schools will play a pair of non-league contests.

Gallipolis begins a three-game stretch of home games that follows with Ironton — likely the Chiefs’ main competition for the conference crown — and Zanesville, a pair of games that should set the tone for how the Purple & White fare in conference play.

After traveling to Marietta and hosting Warren in week eight to round out the Logan Chieftain Stadium portion of their schedule, the Chiefs complete the regular season with road games at Jackson (week nine) and Chillicothe (week 10).

Jackson (whom the Chiefs haven’t played since 2005) and Chillicothe rotate onto the Chiefs’ SEOAL schedule this season to replace Gallipolis and Portsmouth.

In a manner similar to which Logan and Gallipolis are playing non-league games this season and next, Logan and Chillicothe played as non-conference foes in 2006 and 2007.

The Cavaliers are the only team other than Lancaster to beat the Chiefs in a regular-season game the past two seasons, topping the Chiefs 31-21 in 2006.

“You have to throw everything out that happened last year,” Amyx said. “You know Ironton is going to be a good football team. Traditionally Gallipolis is always good and Zanesville will be a tough, physical game. Pickerington North was a tough game last year (and) Hamilton Township will be a good game. (Bob) Jacoby is a good coach. They’ll be ready for us.”

Lofty team goals

The Chieftains always set lofty team goals, and that doesn’t change this season.

“We always talk about (going) 10-0, but obviously our number one goal is always to win the league. As long as I’m coach here that will always be our number-one goal, to be league champions,” Amyx stressed. “We want to go 10-0 (and) not only just make the playoffs but also want to go on a run and win some games.

“But you’ve got to get there first,” he added. “We talk about that in pre-season, but once the season starts it’s one game at a time… (there’s) no talk about the playoffs or league championship. I want to talk about who we’re playing that week.”

Then, the Chiefs will let their on-field performance do the talking.

Read More in the Logan Daily News.