SPORTS

Crestline set for a move to the MBC

Jake Furr
Reporter

CRESTLINE – The Crestline Bulldogs have hit the reset button again. This time with a switch to the Mid-Buckeye Conference.

They have also been battling a numbers war with just 25 kids coming out for football a year ago, the number is even smaller this year, but with the switch to the new league, the Bulldogs should be more competitive.

They return 12 lettermen from a team that finished 0-10 in 2014. They also lost their starting quarterback Chase Cooke to transfer, but against all odds, the Bulldogs are looking for a turnaround season.

“We start off the season with five home games in a row,” head coach Kevin Sipes said. “We should be competitive in each of those games so hopefully we can start to show the kids at Crestline that the football team is going to be something they should be interested in.”

It is a heck of a schedule that gives the Bulldogs some nice home field advantage. They will open their season by hosting Mapleton. They will then host Bucyrus, Loudonville and Fisher Catholic. It would not be surprising to see the Bulldogs at 2-2 before their first away game.

Junior JR Wolfe will be under center and has already made a splash with a very strong summer.

“He has done a great job and will fill in nicely and may be a better look for us at the quarterback position. We still want to establish the run game and give the defenses several different looks,” Sipes said.

Wolfe attempted just seven passes last season, connecting on two of them for six yards. Junior JC Clark will man the back field and will look to stay healthy after only playing in five games in 2014. He ran for 193 yards and three scores in those five games.

The Bulldogs are still low on numbers with about 20 players again. But, Sipes knows that he has some youth.

“We should be strong on the offensive and defensive lines. But, we just do not have the numbers that we would like. We want to improve on our record from last year and take advantage of this small league and compete,” Sipes said. “We have young kids coming in this year that will help, but our overall numbers are still way down.”

Sipes has just three seniors in his starting depth chart — fullback Connor Kurtsman, left tackle Kamin Gearhart and left guard Nate Weyant.

Wolfe will have a pair of Sipes to throw to in 5-foot-8 junior wide receiver Tyler and 6-4 junior tight end Jordan. Six-foot-one freshman Tommy Hale and 6-2 freshman Dillan Foltz will be getting their first varsity experience on the offensive and defensive lines. Ty Clark also is a nice sized freshman at 6-1 and will be a great option as a tight end.

The Bulldogs will host Mapleton on opening night and continue their cross county rivalry with Bucyrus in Week 2.

jfurr@gannett.com

419-610-5034

Twitter: @JakeFurr11

2015 Schedule:

Aug 28 MAPLETON

Sept 4 BUCYRUS

Sept 11 FISHER CATHOLIC

Sept 18 LOUDONVILLE

Sept 25 WESTERN RESERVE ACADEMY

Oct 2 Danville

Oct 9 LUCAS

Oct 16 Open Door Christian

Oct 23 Mohawk

Oct 30 Toledo Horizon Science Academy

2014 Results: (0-10, 0-8)

12 Northmor 53

0 Bucyrus 35

0 Buckeye Central 49

20 Ridgedale 22

0 Carey 62

6 Wynford 62

14 Colonel Crawford 54

14 Seneca East 55

20 Mohawk 49

34 Hardin Northern 47