"Goodbye to all my friends at home
Goodbye to people I've trusted
I've got to go out and make my way
I might get rich you know I might bet busted"
It's not only week three, but it's also September. And thankfully we're getting further away from the heat that we just endured last week.
Speaking of getting further away, the majority of the teams in our coverage area hit the road this week, five to be exact. Or in the case of Ironton, all they've known is road trips so far. Luckily this one is a neutral site game.
But unlike the Steve Miller Band these teams are boarding jet airliners, but those school bus wheels keep spinnin' on around.
Symmes Valley Vikings (0-2) @ River Valley Raiders (0-2)
Time: Friday September 6, 7:00 PM
Where: River Valley Stadium, Bidwell, OH
Like last season, these two squads are searching for their first win of the 2024 campaign. And the good news is one of them will accomplish that. The Vikings took last year's game, but this time they'll have to win on the road.
Symmes Valley
Get Ahead The Vikings have fallen behind in both games and struggled. Getting off to a hot start and getting an early lead might prove to be a difference maker.
Match Up The Raiders will try to match the Vikings physicality. This means the Vikings need to match that mentality on Friday.
River Valley
Play Tough The Raiders want to be the tougher team every game. Playing tough will start up front with the big guys up front on both sides of the ball.
Stop The Run The defense needs to keep the Vikings and the likes of Will Jones from running wild on them. This means limiting those big plays to a minimum.
Green Bobcats (1-1) @ Manchester Greyhounds (1-1)
Time: Friday September 6, 7:00 PM
Where: Veterans Stadium, Manchester, OH
The Bobcats took one on the chin last week against a tough Grove City Christian. However, last week is in the rearview mirror as they hit the road for the first time this season. Last season's game was a barnburner, seeing Green win 13-10.
GREEN
Get Back To Business Best way to shrug off last week's loss, is to just get back to doing what made you successful in week one.
Corral The Greyhounds The defense needs to find ways to now allow the Greyhounds to use their speed on the edges to make big plays and keep this one interesting.
Manchester
Spread Em Out The Greyhounds want to use their skill to their advantage. Best way to make that happen is to get those playmakers in space.
Stop The Run The only way to stop the Bobcats is to stop their ground attack. This means getting off blocks, mixing up defensive fronts, and anything else to make that happen.
Oak Hill Oaks (1-1) @ Rock Hill Redmen (2-0)
Time: Friday, September 6, 7:00 PM
Where: Redmen Stadium, Pedro, OH
Known for its hard-hitting and physical nature, "The Battle of Route 93" gets renewed this Friday night. The Redmen will be looking to start a season 3-0 for the first time since 2016. Meanwhile, the Oaks will be trying to hand Rock Hill its first loss in the series since 2019.
Oak Hill
Mesh Together The offense has returners with loads of experience. Now all they need to do is bring it all together and execute.
Bottle Up The Big Play The defense needs to limit the Redmen's playmakers like Anthony Stamper and Braylon McClellan from making big play after big play on Friday.
Rock Hill
Big Plays A-Plenty For two weeks, the Redmen have been able to get big plays at key times. They'll need more of that to keep Oak Hill from thinking upset.
Force Out The Oaks will try to keep the Redmen on their heels with a balanced spread attack. The defense will need to make them one-dimensional and shrink the Oaks playbook.
South Point Pointers (0-1) @ Russell Red Devils (0-2)
Time: Friday, September 6, 7:30 PM
Where: Henry R. Evans Stadium, Flatwoods, OH
The Pointers pulled off a surprising and convincing win against Russell last season. And despite both teams being winless, the Red Devils will be favored in this season's game. Expect to see a physically demanding game on Friday.
South Point
Respond To Adversity Things got out of hand for the Pointers in last week's loss. This young team needs to respond this week and show growth.
Get Stops The Red Devils have struggled to find the endzone in their first two games. The defense needs to keep that trend going.
Russell
Play Physical The Red Devils pride themselves as a physical team and it starts up front. The offensive line needs to establish the line of scrimmage early in this one.
Make Plays The defense has taken some lumps in the first two games. Russell needs to get the Pointers off the field and set the tone.
Southern Tornadoes (1-1) @ Chesapeake Panthers (2-0)
Time: Friday, September 6, 7:00 PM
Where: Phil Davis Stadium, Chesapeake, OH
Chesapeake has controlled this series so far, winning the first 2 games. The Panthers are looking to start 3-0 again for the second year in a row. And playing at home should give them an edge.
Southern
Stay The Course The Falcons found some success as the game went along. So finding that right combination early will keep them in the game much longer this week.
Stop The Run It's pretty straight forward. The Panthers are going to hold onto the ball and run the ball. So the defense must get early down stops and force them to pass.
Chesapeake
Keep Grinding The Panthers offense really hit its stride in last week's win. It's going to take the same effort to put away Southern again this year.
No Letdown Despite the blow out win last season, the Panthers cannot allow themselves to be overconfident in this one.
Meigs Marauders (1-1) @ Coal Grove Hornets (1-1)
When: Friday, September 6, 7:00 PM
Where: Lemaster Stadium, Coal Grove, OH
Last season's game as a classic. Trailing 30-6 at halftime, the Hornets rallied to send the game into overtime. Then Kaden Murphy's touchdown run sealed the comeback win. This year's game could be just as good, even if it's not as high-scoring.
Meigs
Experience The Marauders have a lot of experience and leadership returning this season. This will be a game that tests those attributes.
Tough Against The Run The defense expects to be strong against the run. They'll have to really show that strength against Coal Grove's style.
Coal Grove
Control The Game Getting into rhythm early and dominating the line of scrimmage will help the Hornets to control the tempo of this game.
Contain, Contain, Contain Meigs will try to rely on their speed to make big plays against the defense. Flying to the ball and limiting big plays will slow their offense down.
Ironton Fighting Tigers (2-0) @ Cabell Midland Knights (0-0)
Time: Saturday, September 7, 7:00 PM
Where: Joan C. Edwards Stadium, Huntington, WV
Last season's game lived up to its expectations, as both teams battled for the first time since 1997. The Knights wound up pulling away late to take a 34-21 win. This year will be a much different scenario as the Knights will be playing their first game of the season. Meanwhile, the Tigers have 2 games under their belt and are the favorites.
Ironton
Keep The Lead Last year Ironton jumped out to an early lead. This year the key will be keeping that lead, and even building a lead to avoid a comeback.
Trench Battle Ironton's experience and size should be a factor in whether or not the Knights offense can produce on Saturday night.
Cabell Midland
Get Established The Knights offense will need to establish its identity early. Getting good execution and building confidence early will help make that happen.
1st Game Jitters The Knights will have to get in a rhythm early and shake off the butterlies fast. This means playing assignment football will be imperative.
Game of the Week: Fairland Dragons (2-0) @ Fairfield Union Falcons (1-1)
When: Friday, September 6, 7:00 PM
Where: Fairfield Union Football Field, Lancaster, OH
This will mark another first-ever matchup for the Dragons. However, this won't be the first time these head coaches have faced off before. Former Chesapeake head coach Andy Clark and his Falcons will be very familiar with the Dragons come kickoff.
Fairland
Fast Start Seems that the Dragon offense has been able to get off to good starts this season. They'll need the same thing on the road this week.
Get Stops Limiting the Eagles and their offensive success will help with limiting scoring chances and give the offense more chances to score.
Fairfield Union
Control The Tempo The Dragons have controlled the flow of the game for two week in a row. The Falcons need to get their running game going early and control the game.
No Big Plays The defense needs to limit the Dragons big play capabilities. That means keeping the ball in front of them and making their offense drive the field.
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