Outlook for area teams is promising
LANCASTER – There is nowhere to go but up in 2016 for most of the area’s high school football teams.
Only three teams – Lancaster (8-3), Bloom-Carroll (6-4) and Fisher Catholic (6-4) – had winning records in 2015. The Golden Gales were the only local team to qualify for the playoffs.
Fairfield Union went 4-6, Millersport was 5-5 and Fairfield Christian Academy went 3-7. Amanda-Clearcreek and Liberty Union – both teams coming off playoff years in 2014 – went 2-8.
I feel like all the teams that had losing records in 2015 will make huge improvements.
Let’s start with Lancaster. The Gales will be hard-pressed to improve on last year’s mark. They started the season 6-0 before losing back-to-back heartbreaking double- and triple-overtime games to Reynoldsburg and Gahanna.
Included in its 6-0 start, Lancaster had wins against perennial power DeSales, and wins over Pickerington North and Pickerington Central for the first time in the same season. The Gales won their final two games and hosted a playoff game, and again, after a taking a 10-9 lead late in the game, lost to Hilliard Darby 17-10.
The Gales lost a lot of key players, especially on defense, but they return enough talent to once again be competitive. Everyone talks about how everything starts up front, and Lancaster brings back four starters on the offensive line. A line that led the Gales to more than 3,000 rushing yards, including a 600-yard rushing game against Reynoldsburg.
Lancaster also returns dual-threat quarterback Noah Dryden and running back Shea Goss, who rushed for more than 900 yards.
How will all that translate this season? That is the big question because last year Lancaster played three of its first four games at home. This year, four of the first six are on the road. They open on a Thursday night at DeSales and on the road at Dublin Jerome in Week 2. After hosting a Canadian team in the third week, they host Newark and then back on the road at Hilliard Davidson, another perennial playoff team.
From there, Lancaster will enter the always-tough Ohio Capital Conference-Ohio Division, which is a grind week in and week out.
With that said, I really feel like Lancaster will have another winning season and make a push for a playoff spot. The Gales have enough talent and they are well-coached, and are always well prepared.
As for the rest of the teams, Fairfield Union and Fairfield Christian both have new coaches in Bo Brandon and Anthony Turner. Brandon is installing a new offense and defense like most new coaches would. It might take a little time, but he won’t take long to get things going in the right direction.
The Knights could end up being one of the surprises, mainly because they have more players. That should make a huge difference. They also return three-year starting quarterback Caleb Laubenthal. I watched him throw in practice and was very impressed. He can make all the throws. He also has most of his offensive line returning, which should give him time.
The Knights should also have a solid running game with Niko Moxley and Bobby Leeper. If the Knights can stay healthy, look for big things from them.
Fisher Catholic and Millersport both lost outstanding senior classes and might struggle early on until some of the newcomers can get up to speed.
Bloom-Carroll, Amanda-Clearcreek and Liberty Union all return a ton of starters, which bodes well for their chances of improvement.
All three of those teams need to get off to good starts and gain some confidence because once they get into Mid-State League-Buckeye Division play, it will also be a weekly grind. The league is solid from top to bottom and every week will be a battle.
It should be a fun year, a year I expect a lot of improvement from all of the local teams.
twilson@lancastereaglegazette.com
740-681-4358
Twitter: @twil2323