Well the latest rumor is that Coach Cottingim is stepping down at TVS. But his replacement is Shondlemyer(sp) - formerly of Versailles and Arcanum. Very successful at Arcanum, but not so good at Versailles. He was stepping into a legends shoes in Tiger land, and that can be tough to do. He tried to install his system and his offense and it just didn't click. He runs the double wing, and doesn't like to pass a lot. The contract has to approved by the school board but it should be a done deal shortly.

News from TVS - Head Football Coach Cottingim is stepping down. So that will make the 2008 campaign that much tougher. A very thin senior class, pay to play, and a new coach/new system. It will take a monumental effort to overcome all of this. I also understand that at least one of the assistants may be leaving as well.

Girls Summer Basketball. Had a rep from TVS get with me about restarting a basketball league that I had going when Chelsea was still in school. It will be good for local girls to get this going again. Lots of youngsters are doing JO volleyball, but not many are doing any basketball in the offseason. Right now 6 schools have expressed an interest. http://christ77.tripod.com/SummBB.html

The North Girls ended their season with a hard fought game in the state tournament. They got off to a slow start, but closed the gap and even lead in the 3rd quarter. But West Liberty Salem had a nice run at the start of the 4th quarter and North had to foul towards the end. The Tigers hit their shots and North dropped out.

Kevin Schaefer, the head coach for the Preble Shawnee girls was the first casualty of the offseason. he will not be renewed for next season. Usually the first season is a bye, too bad that things turned out the way that they did. Kevin did seem to have good knowledge about basketball. By next season the varsity team will have had 3 coaches in 3 years. And although the team only loses one senior, the returning starters have a lot of work to do to get back in the win column.

South's girls team was beaten soundly by Franklin Monroe. Katie McCoy was out with a badly injured knee and Lindsey Vogue was ill. So they were down 2 varsity players. The team never did get in sync on offense. Kate Ervin was the only beam of light on an otherwise dreary day. Lead the team in scoring, rebounded, and played solid defense. The team did have a good season, a winning record, next year they should reload.

South boys did win the league, got the Versailles bug off their back with a win over the Tigers in the first round of the tournament. But ended up losing a hard fought game in the next round. They graduate a lot, but some strong players are coming up so they shouldn't lose much.

Dixie boys played too many come from behind games and in the tournament against Arcanum, they couldn't muster up a rally and fell to the Trojans. A great season for the Hounds and they were state ranked for the first time in a long time.

My team finished just under .500 with an overall record of 7-9. That includes going 1-1 in the tournament at the end of the season. They ended the regular season with a 3 game winning streak and made it 4 in a row with a win over Dixie. After an 0-5 start, we turned things around. We finished the season with a tournament game against a tough Bellbrook team. We were definitely overmatched - they were like a head taller at every position. But we scrapped all the way to the end. The team went down, but we went down with full sails, cannons blazing, and flags snapping in the breeze. They fought all four quarters, they gave it all that they had. What more can a coach ask for.

South girls varsity had two injuries to post players at the end of the season. So they will have to retool the team going into the tournament.

Shawnee girls varsity have had a rough season, going winless in their season. Now to compound the situation, the team played 21 games due to a scheduling error. The AD was alerted a month ago about the situation, but they played it out. Several girls can't play in the post season and they go against a number one seed in the first round of the tournament. So that could be a real ugly game.

If the South boys don't choke, they are in the drivers seat for an outright league championship. They have tough brackets in the tournament, but they are capable of winning a district title as well.

My team is back in the win column. But only after a couple of losses. We had a disappointing game against Carlisle, scored only 5 points in the first half, then came back in the second half and just fell short. I don't know if we were over confident after our lopsided victory or what, but the team was just flat in the first half. We played the second best team in the lead toe to toe for about 3 and a half quarters. After being close we found ourselves down 10 with a little over a minute and a half to go. I thought about fouling, but we had only accumulated 3 fouls. Plus they were hitting their foul shots and were like 0 for 7 from the 3 point line. So a very very slim chance of pulling off the upset. I pulled the starters and gave the bench a little playing time. It's a fine line between balancing playing time and playing to win at the 7th grade level.

But the team rebounded after that performance and has had one sided victories over Milton and Northridge. They seem to be peaking at the right time with the tournament coming up this weekend. One concern is that we have been lucky with illness and injuries. Last night both occured. My center felt ill after the game and her backup injured her knee - took a hard fall on the floor. It looked like it would bruise. They have a day to recover, then our last regular season game, then the tournament.

At the high school level South boys have posted a big victory with a win over Miami East. It gives them a real good shot at winning the league outright. They have a tough tournament bracket. So getting a district title will be a dog fight. The South girls are out of the hunt for the ccc crown, but could do something in the districts. They are D4 this year and so they have a chance of getting a sectional and even a district title if they play the way that they are capable.

My team: A roller coaster week. We had a close game on Tuesday. We were up by two at one point in the second half. But we gave up a turnover, had a mixup on the called defense, and had another miscue. It added up to a 4 point loss - 24-20. Still the team played hard. Another coach told me that he arrived at halftime and saw the halftime score (5-5), then saw the other team take the court. He wondered how my scrawny little team held them to just 5 points. Like all the other teams they outsized us, we just play scrappy basketball. Still it was an emotional loss.

We did manage another win. We crushed Franklin 38-8. Almost everyone got at least one basket. I was worried about how the team would rebound coming off of that loss and they did surprisely well.

Won a close game over Waynesville - a one point victory. We had a slim lead at halftime, they battled back and had the lead in the last quarter. We got the lead back with about 2 minutes left and hung on for the win. It was the best game that we have played this season. The team played hard from the tip off to the closing buzzer. After winter break we play two tough games against larger schools. We had better not lose our momentum from back to back victories. Now that they know we can win, it should give them more confidence against the bigger schools.

at the high school level South boys won the Shawnee Christmas tournament. The consolation game was won by TCN. Dixie girls won their holiday tournament. South won the consolation game. South is having a winning season so far which is a positive.

Tough start to the season. The Junior High teams play against some bigger schools. We pulled up to Bellbrook Middle school and the girls remarked that their Middle School was as big as our High School. So that makes it tough to compete. We finally managed our first victory tonight. We were even at half time and after a good talking to and a change to a full court man to man press we pulled ahead for good. The girls seem to get into lackadaisical moods at times and you have to get tough with them to get them focussed.

At the High School level TVS was upset by Franklin Monroe. Lost by one point. I thought that they had the talent to run the table in the CCC. Still the league seems to continuously have strong basketball teams. So it is tough to make it thru the season undefeated. It is more common to have co-champions at the end of the season than a single championship team.

My team:Our first 4-5 games are our toughest. The team is gradually getting better - at least we are starting to score points. But we are still needing our first win. Also the team needs to start stronger. We have been allowing the other teams to race out to early leads. We seem to play solid basketball in the second half.The girls suggested that I do some sort of Vince Lombardi speech in the pregame, but thats not my style. We just need to be mentally prepared from the beginning. At least we are getting better each game, as long as we are improving - we will eventually get that first win.

Around the area: South boys seem to be on fire in the early going, no losses and beat Tri Village who is perennially in the top of the CCC. South girls upset favored Franklin Monroe in the CCC. Preble Shawnee girls are really struggling in the early season. The other boys teams in the county aren't doing so well. The North girls are continuing their winning ways and seem to be well on their way to a good season.

Yeouch, zonked on our first game of the season. Really outsized and our turnovers really made it easy for them. They had tall girls with coordination. They could take the ball coast to coast and outdistance our girls who I consider as being quick. The half court defense was fair, but a lot of turnovers became points. Lots of work to do before the next game. As a small team we need to work hard to get position on rebounds. Our best quarter was the third quarter. The team came out of the locker room and played with determination. So they did not give up, they showed spirit.

Chelsea has been a good help on the bench and in the locker room. I think she would make a good coach, but with school and work there just isn't enough hours in the day for her to do it all. I think the girls look up to her. It is interesting to hear her say same some of the same things that I have told her over the years. After all those years of basketball some of it sunk in.

First scrimmage.

The team did OK - considering we have had only 8 or so practices. The first week we worked on defense, so only 3 practices on offense. And it showed, our defense was pretty good for the most part, the offense could have been better. But we did well enough to win 4 out of 5 quarters. Speed, hustle, good defensive plays made the difference. Only two practices and then we have our second and last scrimmage. So much to learn, so little time...

Had some good performances. One of the wings did a great job on defense when we had to shut down their best player. A guard hit a last second shot - the buzzer went off as the ball was in mid-air to win one of the quarters. Our center had a good game under the boards.

I am back in the saddle again. After laying off for a few years I am coaching basketball again. This time for a school. I am not used to all of the red tape that it takes to coach for a public school. I organized and started a peewee football program and a youth basketball program. Plus I did some AAU basketball. But these were all not connected directly with any school. There were a few forms to fill out, but after that you were able to concentrate on the team.

Not so easy with the school. A background check and fingerprints. CPR course - it had been 20 years since my first red cross course so it was time for a refresher. A "Pupil Activity Course" - it had some good stuff about concussions and injuries that I paid close attention to; every season there are at least a few sprains or hard falls. Still have to fill out some forms for the office. That takes care of me, then the parents and kids have to sign umpteen documents and return them. Next year I will have to hire a secretary....

The team is vertically challenged. But they are athletic and are competitive. They work hard and most of all they have fun on the court. So far no prima donna's or drama queens. We are really focusing on defense. We will need a tough defense to offset our lack of height.

What a season for the Panthers. I am sure that the seniors must have thought they they would never see a victory after going 0-10 their Freshman and Sophomore years. The team went 2-8 last season, and completed this season at 7-3. South's first winning season in like 5-6 years. Something that the seniors can be proud of. They can look back and say that we were the team that turned the program around and regained respectability.
They proved me wrong, my personal thoughts at the start of the season was that the team would go 5-5. Good thing that I am not in Vegas....

The last game was tough it was pretty even going into the last quarter, then Ansonia ran away with the ball game. According to my son it was emotional as the team gathered together for one last huddle. I hope that the underclassmen reflect back on the season, the emotions of that moment and resolve to do even better next year. We will be light on seniors and so the juniors and sophomores will have to step up even more to carry the team forward. Will South be a flash in the pan - a one season wonder, or is this the return of South to the days of old when they were consistantly at the top of the league?

ME 48 - TVS 7 Wow, what a whooping from the Vikings. A big game with playoff implications and the Vikings controlled it from the first whistle to the last. They were definitely up for the game and South just seemed to be in a daze. Nothing seemed to work on either defense or offense. We did have one drive that made it 21-7 and gave a glimmer of hope. We were hoping to see the magic happen, but South seemed to run out of mojo. We let their backs run wild, ripping off runs of 60+ yards several times. We got pushed off the ball and out of position. They ended up with a 41-7 halftime lead.

Maybe the team was emotionally spent to a degree. Back to back games against Covington and North - finally beating them for the first time in 5-6 years at least. Maybe the team got complacent and thought that they could just walk onto the field and win. East was definitely the better team, but South really seemed to tuck their tail between their legs and roll over.

Three winnable games left on the season, but I am sure that Bradford, Trail, and Ansonia all smell blood. The seniors need to show leadership and get the team rallied. Otherwise the highwater mark for season could be the North game.

Well many CCC teams have had their hopes dashed against the Covington Buccaneers. The first half was all Buccs as they accumulated a 14-0 half time lead. The defense was very stingy only allowing 4 first downs in the half, and about 80 yards of offense. South's best chance at a score was stopped. Maleski went deep on a pass and Flynn hit him in stride - he had the corner beat. But the Covington safety made one heck of a play. As Maleski was making the catch he raced across the field and knocked the ball loose for an incompletion.

In the second half, South put together a drive mixing the short pass and a few runs. They hit paydirt on a Flynn to Boyd TD catch to make the game 14-7. But was as close as the team would come. The Covington offense looked potent as they racked up another TD to make it 21-7. South did have another second half drive that was deep in Covington territory. But a trick play on 4th and 6 on about the Bucc 25 yard line fell short and South had to give up the ball on downs. They were driving at the end, but ran out of clock deep in Covington territory.

So the team has a gut check, they are not going to be undefeated, but how will they react to the loss? And now injuries are now starting to be a factor, they are starting almost all sophomores o on the offensive line. There are still plenty of tough games on the schedule. This week will be a critical one for the Panthers. Do they lick their wounds and tuck their tails? Or do they rebound from this loss and redouble their efforts?

TVS 34 Bethel 33.

Wow, another nail biter - at this rate the coaches must be running out of fingernails. But you have to hand it to the players and coaches - they keep finding a way to win. Bethel dominated the first quarter, but South fought back. I think that Bethel definitely had a larger line and seemed to be getting a good surge off the ball initially. But South adjusted and had some good series where they made Bethel go 3 and out. Mayes was definitely effective - but he didn't run helter skelter thru the defense as was feared. He had his share of good carries, but there were some drives where he was stuffed.

South's defense still gives up the big play. We will get a team in 3rd and long, but let them off the hook with a big pass, or long run. Maybe the defense relaxes, or ??? but it does seem to be a pattern -not sure how to cure this. The offense sure seems to able to score. Again the team made some adjustments; in the first quarter we looked awful - 3 plays and punt. But the coaches made some changes and the offense began to move the ball well.

Players really stepped up and made big plays. Josh Flynns 90 yard runback to start the second half was huge - and was channel 7's play of the week, so congrats to him. JT Stone had a nice 40+ yard carry to set up the last TD. Eisenhour had a catch where he was wide open and took it to the house. Maleski did some damage in the first half, had a nice TD catch and run. Matt Wentlender made the defensive play of the night when he ended Bethels last drive with an interception with less than a minute in the game. And of course the play that put TVS on top was something that young kids dream about. Quarterback rolls out with the game on the line. Defenders converge and start to grab hold. With defenders clinging to his jersey, the quarterback makes a desperation pass to an open reciever who catches it in the end zone.

Next week Cinderella will go up against Covington. Will they shatter the glass slipper and send South home in a pumpkin? Word is that Covington has a tough defense (no surprise there) and a young but potent offense. An angle to the game is that Covington is coached by ex-South coach Dave Miller who took South to the regional finals several years ago. The game will be a battle of unbeatens and with South's track record this season, promises to be an exciting one. This is a game with both playoff and conference implications.

I see that North soundly defeated Bradford for their first win the season. The Railroaders did score 21 points, so it looks like they don't give up. Ansonia shows that they are a force to be reckoned with as they beat Arcanum by a bunch. Mississinawa Valley took out their frustrations on Trail.

TVS defeats Mississinnewa Valley in OT 34-33. A whale of a ball game. Both offenses were churning up yardage, the Blackhawks in big chunks, the Panthers in a methodical Woody Hayes style. South did not pass that much, I think because they wanted to control the ball and keep the Blackhawks off the field. It ended up tied in regulation when the Blackhawks scored in the last minute of the 4th quarter. They won the toss, scored, and elected to go for the kick and made. South scored on their possession and went for two and Josh Flynn crossed the goal line on a quarterback keeper.

I jokingly remarked after the game that the Blackhawk ball carriers must have lathered themselves up with soap before the game. They were elusive and we just couldn't seem to tackle them. They had several gains of 30, 40, 50 yards. We just couldn't contain their running attack. They also had a decent sized line that opened some nice holes for the runners.

Next up for the Panthers is Bethel, Mays will be another slippery running back. Miami East and Bethel are also shaping up as teams to beat in the CCC. ME may be the real deal this season narrowly beating Bethel by a point. Ansonia could be in the mix. But Bradford and National Trial will be battling to stay out of the basement this fall.

TVS 32 Arcanum 20. A quality win for South. The Trojans have been in the upper echelon of the conference for many years now. A big first quarter put TVS up 18-0. And early in the second quarter South was up 25-0. But they could not nail the coffin closed. Arcanum would outscore TVS the remainder of the game. But South was opportunistic - twice in the second half Arcanum was knocking at the door only to fumble and South recovered both times. Converting one into a second half touchdown to give a little cushion. Still the team seemed to let their foot off the pedal a little bit, the next time they may not be able to hold off a comeback. But as Coach Cottingim stated the players are still learning to win and now need to learn how to hold onto a lead and not let the other team back into the game.

Maleski showed what he can when he gets past the line of scrimmage. On so many carries he only gets a yard or two, but when he gets green grass in front of him, he is gone. His 44 yard TD run was an example of that. He found a crease to the secondary and he zipped by them like they were standing still. If he gets some lateral moves to get around people or gets better at shedding tacklers he will be formidable. Flynn did well on both sides of the ball. Stone and Wentlender did well on defense. Michael Williams was shook up and a sophomore had to take his place. So at one point, 4 sophomores were on the offensive line - and the team still moved the ball. So that bodes well for the future. Freshman Balthis scored on both sides of the ball - caught a TD pass and intercepted a pass and ran it in too.

Special teams was a concern this game. Three missed extra point opportunities and the coverage on kickoffs seemed to decline as the game went on. There were some good kicks from Koeller and we tackled them back deep the first time. But despite the good kicks we let them get some decent returns. When you let the other team start at midfield, you make it easy for them. Wentlender seems to be consistent at punter - so having two good kickers is a plus on the special teams ledger.

Missinnewa Valley will be an interesting team to play. Won their opener, but Miami East seemed to win fairly handily - judging from the box score. My sources tell me that they have some size on the line this year. Did they think that ME were going to be pushovers and weren't up enough for the game? I imagine that this is a tough week for the Blackhawks - Graher will be getting them focused and ready the visiting Panthers. It will be a big game for both teams - South will want to keep their momentum while the BlackHawks will want to redeem themselves and get back to a winning record.

Covington won big over rival Bradford. Trail got knocked around by Ansonia as did TCN by Bethel. Looks like there will be a big gap between the teams at the top of conference and those at the bottom.

Opening night was a tough night for the CCC. Lost 3 games and only won 7 - it looks like a down year for the conference. Anna was the team to beat and now they are gone so it knocked down the competition a notch. Teams had to play at a higher level to be competitive with them. Plus last season we lost several good coaches so teams are learning new systems, etc. I would say that Covington is back to being the standard bearer for the conference and the road to the conference championship will have to go thru the Bucc's.

Missinnewa Valley under coach Graher could make some noise. Sounds as though they have some size, and with him coaching you know the team will be hitters. They won on opening night (over Union City IN) as did Covington under Dave Miller (7-3 over New Breman) and TVS.

I was able to watch the TVS game and it was a thriller. Dixie is the real deal. they line up in a spread offense and can throw the ball. It was close at half time, but Dixie had 2 scores in the third quarter to pull ahead 30-14 going into the last stanza. South was in the middle of a drive and finished it off with a TD to start the 4th, but the two point try was denied. So the team was still down by two scores. About the 2nd play after the kickoff, Dixie ran a sweep. A defensive tackle busted thru and go to the runner the same time that the ball did. Knocked the ball loose and grabbed it in midair. Took it 25 yards to the house. Again Dixie starts their drive and goes to pass after 2-3 downs. A linebacker picks it off and takes it back to the 25 yard line. A few plays later and now South has the lead. In a little over 3 minutes the team scored 3 TD's!

Dixie did knock at the door, but on 4th and 3 on the TVS 15 a pass was batted and fell incomplete with about 2 minutes left . South was able to get a much needed first down on offense and run out the clock. Definitely shows that the boys don't give up.