SPORTS

SBC coaches, media release pre-season polls

Rich McGowan
Reporter

HURON – No coach wants to speak first when the Sandusky Bay Conference holds its annual football media day, since the order of the speakers is determined by the reverse order of the league’s final standings.

Therefore, Oak Harbor coach Mike May, whose Rockets went 3-7 last year, including a 1-5 record in the SBC, had the dubious honor of taking the first step to the podium Monday morning at Sawmill Creek Golf Course.

And, if the league’s preseason coaches and media polls are to turn out accurate, May just might open proceedings next year as well.

The coaches and media polls were nearly identical, as both had Sandusky Perkins the league’s team to beat, and Oak Harbor bringing up the rear.

“That’s kind of where I expected us, but I keep the perspective that no matter where we’re picked, that’s why we play the games,” May said. “So it really doesn’t mean a whole lot.”

After Perkins, Huron was voted second and Clyde third by both coaches and media. Port Clinton was voted fourth by the coaches with Edison fifth, while the teams tied for fourth in the media poll.

Margaretta, which went winless in the SBC last year, did not take part in the media day and will play this coming season as an independent in football as it and the conference transition to an expanded league with multiple divisions in 2016-17.

After going winless in 2013 to 7-4 with a playoff berth last season, Port Clinton coach Beau Carmon said his Redskins still have to prove they belong among the league’s elite.

“I have no problem with that,” Carmon said. “We have a chance to be a good football team this year. But, as a program, I don’t think you can compare us to the best in the league. Everybody in the area knows who the best team in the league is.”

For Clyde, coming off its second-straight regional championship appearance — but with many holes to fill due to graduation — coach Ryan Carter understands why his team is viewed as just the No. 3 team in the conference.

“With what we lost and have coming back, I could have seen us finishing in the voting anywhere between two and five,” Carter said. “The league is very good, we lost a ton of talent, so it’s not surprising to me.”

Like May and Carmon, Carter maintained the importance of not becoming too caught up in preseason polls.

“We were picked first last year, we didn’t finish first,” Carter said. “I don’t think it much matters. When you line it up in two-a-days, you don’t say: ‘We were picked first so we need to have a better practice than we normally would.’”

rmcgowan@gannett.com

419-334-1043

Twitter: @RMcGowan

Sandusky Bay Conference preseason polls

Coaches’ Poll

Team (points)

1. Sandusky Perkins (5)

2. Huron (8)

3. Clyde (12)

4. Port Clinton (18)

5. Edison (20)

6. Oak Harbor (25)

Media Poll

1. Sandusky Perkins (23)

2. Huron (24)

3. Clyde (44)

4 (tie). Port Clinton (61)

4. (tie) Edison (61)

6. Oak Harbor (77)