Editor’s note: Logan High School graduate and Logan Chieftain football historian Spencer Waugh makes a big contribution to the football coverage provided by The Logan Daily News. This season he will again preview the Chieftains’ opponent each week. Look for his previews every Thursday. Today he offers a capsule look at each Southeastern Ohio Athletic League team.

In the SEOAL North, Marietta is looking to turn around its program under first-year head coach Andy Schob. Schob, a Marietta graduate and longtime assistant, will work on adding balance by improving the defense and the Tigers running game in 2008.

Southpaw quarterback Cody Westbrook (6-3, 160) returns after passing for nearly 2,200 yards a season ago. His top targets will be Sean Munfield (6-0, 170), who caught 36 passes for 488 yards and five scores a year ago, and Zane Eschbaugh (6-1, 195) who caught 20 passes for 351 yards and three scores.
Junior Perry Wheeler (5-11, 185) will lead the Tigers ground game after averaging over 6.8 yards per carry as a sophomore. Perry will run behind either sophomore Conner Hess (6-3, 245) or junior Lance Weppler (6-3, 205), who will split time at fullback.

Up front, Marietta is rebuilding but will rely on seniors Statton Johnson (6-0, 215) and Nick Place (5-10, 240).

Defensively, the Tigers will move to a 4-4 defense that should get them improved results against the run, an area where the Tigers have struggled the last two seasons.

Hess and Weppler lead a re-tooled defensive line, while senior Garrett Kerr (5-4, 125) and Jared Ross (5-10, 185) along with junior Ryan Offenberger (5-11, 205) lead the linebacking corps. Munfield and sophomore Morgan Wynn (5-10, 170) lead the secondary.

Warren looks to continue its return to the SEOAL contender under second-year head coach Jim Pifer. Make no mistake, the Warriors are probably still two years away from competing for a championship, but the blue and white shouldn’t be a pushover in 2008.

Offensively, the Warriors look to build around a talented backfield duo as well as two solid receivers. Junior Craig Wolfe (5-10, 205) and senior speedster Andrew Dunfee (5-8, 180) will see the bulk of the carries out of the Warrior backfield.

Junior Clay Ellenwood (6-2, 200) will be the starter under center, where he will look for junior Tyler Cox (6-2, 185) and sophomore Grant Venham (6-3, 190) as his top receivers.

Up front, the Warriors should be bigger than in previous seasons averaging 230 pounds across the line led by senior tight end Eric Hoon (6-4, 235), senior tackle Jacob Lemon (5-10, 250), and junior center Cody Alfred (6-2, 230).

Defensively, Warren will line up in a 4-3 front led by Hoon and Alfred at defensive end and Lemon at tackle. Wolfe, Ellenwood, and junior Kyle Pritt (6-0, 175) will form a solid linebacking corps.

Dunfee, one of the fastest players in the league, will anchor the secondary at free safety.

Zanesville might be reloading instead of rebuilding in 2008 — its final season as a member of the SEOAL — despite the biggest talent loss in the league.

Not only are running backs Bryan Gaiters (the defending North division MVP) and Anthony Chandler gone, but so is nearly every starter from both the offensive and defensive lines.

Still, the Blue Devils should be able to reload behind junior southpaw quarterback Cole Hudson (6-2, 180) and junior running back Kyle Gladden (5-10, 200). Gladden ran for over eight yards per carry in a mop-up role last fall.

Also back for the Blue Devils is fullback Anthony Scott (5-8, 250) who rushed for over 1,000 yards as a sophomore and for nearly 500 yards last season as a complement to Gaiters.

In the passing game, Hudson will be looking for J.T. Bunting (5-8, 175) and Jordan Minnick (6-0, 170). Hudson must hope that a small Blue Devil offensive line led by Adam Cronin (6-0, 260) can mature quickly.

Defensively, the Blue Devils will rely on Scott at noseguard and junior Noah Baldwin (6-0, 180) at defensive end up front.

Bunting is one of the SEOAL’s top open field tacklers and will play at linebacker or in the defensive backfield, while Seth Garrison (5-9, 175) is a returning starter at linebacker. Hudson and Gladden will both see time in the secondary for ZHS.

Chillicothe may have been 4-6 in 2007, but the Cavaliers finished fourth in the SEOAL with a 4-3 SEOAL record. Five of the Cavaliers’ six losses came against playoff teams, including 2007 Division III state champion Big Walnut.

With 17 returning starters, including four starters on both lines and one of the state’s top kicking prospects in Drew Basil (6-1, 175), the Cavaliers are a legitimate contender for the SEOAL championship.

Most important to the Cavs’ 2008 season is the return of senior quarterback Caleb Knights (6-2, 180). Knights will be starting for the fourth straight season and is already the CHS all-time leader in nearly every passing stat. Toward the end of 2007, Knights also began using his legs as a weapon, making him a dual threat.

The blue and white return three receivers who caught 23 or more passes in Alex Grow (6-0, 175), Jordan Benson (6-3, 195), and Kevin Scott (5-9, 155). Newcomer Eric Young (5-10, 170) will be the Cavaliers main threat at tailback, while seniors David Dere (6-1, 240) and Curt Smith (6-1, 270) will split time at fullback.

Up front, Chillicothe returns senior center Danny Russell (6-0, 245), senior guards Tyler Dunkle (6-3, 265) and Kent Parker (6-2, 290), and junior tackle J.T. Gray (5-10, 300).

Defensively, CHS will start one of the league’s best defensive lines led by Smith at tackle, senior nose guard Tyler Vest (6-3, 280), and senior tackle Jackque Wong (6-0, 290). Danny Demick will be one of the ends.

Senior Ron Smith (6-3, 190) will play one of the linebackers, while Benson will anchor the secondary at free safety.

Gallia Academy is in full rebuilding mode following its first losing season since 1998. The Blue Devils had a potential special season ruined by injuries last fall, and now must face an uphill battle to return to the top of the SEOAL.

Gone is three-year starter (who missed his senior season) Jeff Golden at quarterback, along with several talented linemen. The Blue Devils return several starters up front however, led by seniors Clint Saunders (5-11, 180), Jon Kyger (6-1, 235), and Robert Daniels (6-1, 230).

In the backfield, junior Kruize Wandling (5-10, 170) returns after starting the second half of last season at quarterback. Senior Tyler Grimm (5-9, 175), junior Nate Allison (5-10, 175), and sophomore Jared Golden (6-1, 185) will all split time running the ball out of the backfield.

The Blue Devil receiving corps is led by seniors Beau Whaley (6-1, 165) and Quinton Nibert (6-0, 165).

Defensively, the Blue Devils will need to continue to improve in their 3-5 front. Junior Demetrius Garnes (6-1, 235) will anchor the front line at nose guard, while Golden, Grimm, Saunders, and Allison will be leaders in the linebacking corps. Whaley and Nibert will be mainstays in the secondary.

Ironton, along with Chillicothe, are the two favorites from the South Division to compete for the SEOAL championship. The Fighting Tigers should be uncharacteristically balanced on offense due to the return of senior quarterback Jon Schweickart (6-0, 195). Schweickart was invited to the Top Gun quarterback camp held at Dublin Coffman High School and passed for over 1,000 yards last season.

Ironton also will have unusual depth, and project only three to five starters to play on both sides of the football. Joining Schweickart in the backfield of Ironton’s T-formation offense are junior fullback Keith Wetzel (5-7, 200) and senior halfbacks Major Brice (5-9, 180) and Chance Freeman (5-11, 180). Transfers Paris Birchfield (6-1, 205) and Courtney Lewis (5-7, 150) add depth.

Senior Lukas Morris (6-2, 150) hopes to replace speedy Marc Carter at split end, while transfer Mike Lamb (6-3, 205) will play at tight end providing Schweickart with two talented pass catchers.

Up front, the Tigers will have beef with tackles Sam Cramblit (6-0, 280, junior) and Robbie Webb (6-3, 240, sophomore) along with center Taylor Barker (6-0, 285).

Defensively, senior Tony Murphy (5-11, 270) will anchor the defensive line at nose guard. Senior Geoff White (6-2, 270) and sophomore Brad Spaljaric (6-3, 255) will be the tackles. Junior Jon Monning (6-0, 170) returns after leading the Tigers in sacks last season, and Lamb will start on the opposite side.

Erin Edens (6-0, 195) returns at linebacker, while Freeman, Brice, and Morris will anchor the Ironton defensive backfield.

Jackson looks to improve on last season’s 6-4 record behind improved depth in the offensive backfield. Senior Josh Brown (5-11, 175) returns at quarterback, but senior Tyler Boggs (6-0, 150) will challenge for the position after being academically ineligible in 2007.

Senior Cody Huff (5-10, 180) will move to tailback from fullback, while junior Nathaniel Haller (5-11, 205) takes over for Huff at fullback. Sophomore Derrick Meredith (5-10, 145) and junior Eric Landrum (5-10, 180) will split time at wingback.

Senior split end Lukas Lindamood (6-3, 170) and senior tight end Brandon Trace (6-0, 190) will be the top receiving targets.

On the offensive line, Jackson will lean on seniors Ryan Hughes (6-2, 280) and junior Tyler Glassburn (5-11, 225) at tackle and guard, respectively.

Defensively, the Ironmen should be solid in their traditional 4-4 front thanks to a pair of solid ends in Hughes and Ryan Klingaman (6-0, 180). Trace and Landrum will start at inside linebacker, while Brown and Huff will see time at outside linebacker.

Lindamood, Boggs, and Meredith all will have roles in the secondary.

Portsmouth handled every team in the SEOAL last fall except for the two bigger schools Zanesville and Logan. Not bad for a Division IV team. But with the loss of Shane Porter, who provided 3,000 yards of total offense and leading rusher Wes Jordan, the Trojans have to be rebuilding, right?

Think again. Behind a talented sophomore class and two Division 1 prospects up front, the Trojans should be in the thick of the SEOAL championship race again in 2008.

The job of replacing Porter falls on sophomore Josh Myers (6-0, 190). Myers is a dual threat who may have more raw talent than Porter, the SEOAL South Division MVP last season.

Myers will have two of the most talented wide-outs in the SEOAL at his disposal in senior Malik White (6-0, 180) and junior Forrest Johnson (5-11, 170). White led the Trojans with 44 receptions (for 577 yards and four touchdowns) in 2007 while Johnson made 35 catches for 768 yards and seven scores.

Up front, senior tackle John Prior (6-6, 280), a Florida State University verbal commitment, will anchor the offensive line while classmate Nate Cadogan (6-7, 265), a Penn State verbal commitment, will play tight end.

Defensively, the Trojans need to improve on last seasons results if they want to bring home a championship. Prior and Cadogan will be mainstays on the Trojans defensive line, and senior Aaron Montgomery (5-10, 200) is a returning starter at inside linebacker in the Portsmouth 4-4 defense.

Sophomore Andrew Bendolph (5-10, 150) and junior London Malone (5-10, 150) are returning starters in the defensive backfield.
 

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