OK, a year ago I was convinced Southview would win some games. Not just one game, but some games. If I remember right, I thought they'd win at least four.
Instead, they went 0-10 for a third straight year and I'm faced with the question of if Southview will win this year. Of course, I think the Saints will get some wins. Lorain has too much talent for either of its schools to go winless or not even flirt with a .500 record.
What I'm anxious to see is Ricky Earl at quarterback. He played his eighth grade year at Whittier as the quarterback and got four games in last year on the J.V. team at the position.
But, and this is a big but, the team isn't going to win or lose because Earl is at quarterback, running back or playing the tuba for the marching band.
Southview will win or lose because of what happens on the offensive line. Last year against Bedford, quarterback Matt Andujar was planted into the field at George Daniel Field so often that I'm sure his imprint is still in the ground. The Saints went through as many changes at quarterback last year as they did coaching changes going into that season.
Now, there's a little more stability and a little bit of an established presence.
That will help, but most importantly, so will the line.

Which area team could go the furthest this season? Take a second to think about it because there's a lot of teams to consider.
My pick: The Clearview Clippers.
That's why they were my first visit during two-a-days. There's a lot to like about this team. OK, offensively, there's a lot to like about this team.
Defensively, I'm not sure. We'll see, but the Clippers have the coaching and personnel to have a formidable defense. Plus, when your head coach is the defensive coordinator, defense will be the point of emphasis.
For coach Mike Collier, that's a good thing when he has running backs Anthony Hitchens and Tony Williams to run the ball, receivers James Washington and Jordan Celestino to catch the ball and a seasoned quarterback in Zach Anderson to throw them the ball. On top of that, they have a strong line to make it all together.
Early in the season, don't be surprised if they have some scores in which the teams combine for 50 to 60 points. If I was a swami, that'd be my prophecy. But, I'm not a swami. I'm more like Johnny Carson's character, Carnac The Magnificent.
Yeah, I'm reaching on that reference even for a 26-year-old.

Not too long ago, Avon and Brookside were neighborhood rivals. Now, they're just neighborly.
Renovations to Brookside's Sevits Stadium has forced the Cardinals to play their home opener against Firelands at Avon. The Eagles play at Aurora for a Thursday night game to open their season, making Avon's stadium -- which is pretty much the class of Lorain County -- Brookside's home for a night.
Brookside Athletic Director Dick Kerschbaum said the plan is subject for approval, but he and Avon Athletic Director have discussed the arrangement and don't forsee any problems.
As Kerschbaum said, there's a lot of red tape that must be sorted out to make it happen, such as who will be the site manager and if Avon has anyone available. Kerschbaum runs the stadium at Brookside, but he likely will not have access to everything that would need to be accessible during the course of a high school football game.
The last time Avon and Brookside were accociated in a high school football game came during the final week of the 2004 season. Avon beat Brookside at Sevits Stadium for the final Lorain County Conference title. Firelands was also in that conference and left with Avon for the West Shore Conference. Brookside vs. Firelands has been a consistent matchup since the LCC split apart, but the rivalry between Avon and Brookside has not lived past 2004.
In a way, it could be renewed. Just in a neighborly twist.

Training camp has already arrived for the NFL. In less than a week, high school football begins its version of training camp with two-a-day practices July 31.
And this year, it’s all about the lines.
Think about it. Who’s back? Linemen.
Elyria Catholic has junior Jared Schuster, the younger brother of graduated quarterback Cody Schuster and running back Jacob Schuster. Avon Lake returns junior Christian Pace and senior Joe Coyne. Shawn Hemenway and Chris Doughty also return for Norwalk St. Paul.
Then, there’s the defensive side of the ball. The Shoremen have their guys with end Zach Murray and Sean McCann. Keystone’s got talent with Matt Herb and Forrest Smith. I didn’t even mention all the experience Wellington and Monroeville have on the offensive and defensive lines.
Oh, and don’t let me forget Michigan State-recruit Derek Hoebing. Sure, he’s a tight end, but he can count as a lineman. He practically was a blocking tight end the last two years anyway.
The stars are aligned for many teams along the line. With that, new star players will emerge at other positions.
St. Paul coach John Livengood may say there’s no way you can replace a running back like Joe Graziani, but the presence of guys like Hemenway and Doughty will make such a feat that much easier for fullback Matt Wilde. Mike Haddad and his Golden Helmet may have graduated from Avon Lake, but Steve Mares and anyone else coming up will probably look just like Haddad, Bobby Doyle and any other former Avon Lake running back marching down the field. That’s all because of the line.
This fall, when a star quarterback or running back says all the credit goes to his offensive line, that may be more true than ever.

Imagine being the little kid playing in the park with the older kids. Sound familiar?
Morgan Jones practically relived that setting during last weekend's Oberlin Outdoor Basketball Festival. Jones was the only high school player on a team of guys at least 10 years older, some with experience playing overseas and one with Division I college experience.
Jones still held his own, and he delivered on a team that included recent Sandusky graduate Cole Prophet.
Prophet was exceptional with his ballhandling and shooting on the blacktop in Oberlin, but Jones thrived with his defense. A few times, he picked apart an opposing point guard and created scoring chances for his teammates.
This just lets your mind wonder about next season.
Jones returns for Oberlin and will be one of the only experienced players back on that team.
How good can they be? How good can Jones be?
One of the best players in the area could go on a scoring binge and carry the Phoenix, or we may not see just how good he is. That will be up to the guys around him who are his age.

This winter was poised to be a promising one for Southview’s boys basketball team. It still could be, but without junior forward Marshall Crum.
The Saints are slated to return a lineup loaded with players experienced since their freshman years. Of course, it starts with four seniors who will be four-year players. Then, there was Crum, who made varsity as a freshman a year after the arrival of Josh Biber, Montrell Elliott, Quincy and Quinton Ezell.
Multiple coaches confirmed Crum moved to the Orange School District.
With Crum playing in summer leagues with Orange and Biber playing in out-of-area tournaments, the Saints still played well in their summer league games. What makes that interesting is not just the fact Biber and Crum were two of Southview’s top players coming back, but the fact they’re Southview’s two best options in the post.
Crum’s absence will change what Southview coach Andy Bastock is able to do with his lineup. For example, the versatile Biber will likely have to play more in the post.
Two coaches said they think the Saints will be just fine because the talent they return. Not only do they have the four seniors with four years experience, but they also have a catalyst in Mike Anderson.
Anderson will be a junior and a big reason Southview won’t be just the four Saints.
My question to anyone reading is which change will have a bigger impact: Crum’s departure from Southview or Michael Scott’s departure as Admiral King coach?

For the last few years, it hasn’t been as prevalent.
This year, though, the rumblings of transfers have crept back into high school football in Lorain County. Internet discussion boards have brought the topic up, one of which centers around a few Elyria players heading to Oberlin.
Who is it and why? We should find out when practices officially begin.
Earlier this week, Morgan Jones mentioned he also heard of a few players transferring to Oberlin for football, but the big new face in Oberlin that we know about isn’t from Elyria. He’s Hugh Thornton, who moved to the area from Idaho.
The 6-foot-5 Thornton was a state champion at 285 pounds last year in wrestling at Meridian Mountain View, and Oberlin basketball coach Kurt Russell was working him out last spring after school.
As for the local movers and shakers, this is something we haven’t seen much of since OHSAA rules tightened up and included a rule that forces transfers to sit out a year. Of course, there’s ways around that, such as moving into the district or getting the former school’s permission to play. An example of that last season was Admiral King’s Antwaun Carlton playing at Clearview.
Clearview typically received transfers from schools like Admiral King and Southview because, frankly, Clearview is practically a Lorain school. Oberlin once had an influx of Elyria talent when Elyria West closed in 1996. Since then, the school has lost more players than it has gained, whether it was via open enrollment or to Elyria Catholic.
This could be just a coincidence, but Oberlin coach Dave McFarland was already building momentum with the players in school who were attending weight-lifting sessions.

In less than two weeks, the coaches of the Sandusky Bay Conference meet for their annual media day. When that happens, two-a-days will be upon us.
Excited? If you’re in the SBC, you should be.
If you’re Rock Farlow, you should be excited.
Farlow returns to the SBC after spending last season breathing life into the Firelands program. Farlow left when he got the chance to return closer to home and his family, which you can’t blame anyone for doing. With Farlow, though, it’s a little extra enticing because he won a state championship at Perkins and built the program into a powerhouse.
Coincidentally, Farlow’s first SBC game in Week 4 will be at home against Perkins.
The game probably won’t have extra meaning to the players. This year’s senior class was in eighth grade during Farlow’s final season at Perkins, but the matchup should still be a must-see.
Also, if you’re Gary Quisno, you should be excited.
Quisno will oppose Farlow on the sidelines in Week 4. Like Farlow, he’s a familiar SBC face in a new place. The difference with Quisno is he left an Oak Harbor program that he was building momentum with and is now at Perkins. So maybe I should make a correction there: If you’re Perkins, you should be excited.
Finally, if you’re a Huron player, you also should be excited.
The Tigers return Matt Lehrer at receiver and in the secondary, along with running back Craig Thorne and a talented nucleus. Of course, saying Huron has talent is like saying a pen has ink. This year should be exceptional, though, and these Tigers will be fun to watch -- even for Huron standards.

Walking toward the softball fields Wednesday at LaGrange Community Park, there was Keystone softball coach Jim Piazza.
He was obviously tired, carrying a pack of soda after a tough day of
maintaining the fields. The OGSO games were just beginning, but later I heard Piazza wasn’t feeling great. Still, he took time to make sure the fields were ready to play for the 11- and 12-year-old softball players participating in district tournament play that day.
That says something about the commitment many softball coaches have to their sport, and it’s a big reason why Lorain County teams consistently contend for state championships every year.
Rain or shine, Piazza made sure the fields were ready for his team during the high school season, and that didn¹t change for the teams he didn’t coach -- and also in this case, regardless if he was feeling good or bad.
Piazza wasn’t the only coach present. Midview’s Mike Ives and Oberlin’s Rick Twining are constant presences with their community¹s teams prevalent at the district tournaments. The same goes for Wellington and North Ridgeville, which both had multiple teams playing for a shot at the state tournament to be held next weekend.
Any teams that advance won¹t have to travel far. Wellington is the host for the OGSO state tournament, which means you¹ll see many of these area coaches working behind the scenes.
Rain or shine, sick or well.

***

If high school softball draws any interest for you, be sure and check out this weekend’s district games and next week’s state games.
A big reason for Lorain County’s success in high school softball starts with these teams, which play girls as young as 9 all the way to 18 years old.
Much of the area’s softball talent got its start with OGSO, especially around Grafton, LaGrange and Wellington. All three of those community’s high school teams at least advanced to district championship games this spring.
District games at LaGrange Community Park conclude today at 6 p.m. and tomorrow at 1 p.m. State play begins July 19 in Wellington.

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Congratulations go out to Amherst’s Brandon Kish, who will attend Ball State on a football scholarship next year. Kish will join former Amherst teammate Alex Knipp at the school, and the reunion should definitely be one to watch.
When Kish was a freshman and Knipp was a senior, heralded for his speed, Kish was said to have beaten Knipp in 40-yard dashes on the track at Amherst.
Kish took over at running back as a sophomore after Knipp graduated. Last season, as a junior, Kish was bothered by injuries.
Here’s to a healthy senior season and, next year, a rematch on the track when Kish and Knipp are reunited.
mgoul@MorningJournal.com

IT’S hot and it’s July. You know what that means:
One more month of freedom until two-a-day high school football practice begins.
For each and every player, perspectives differ. Some hate it, some love it. Everyone recognizes the importance of it.
This year is no different with a heightened level of uncertainty this season. Who’s going to be good? No one really knows.
Obviously, you can expect the usual suspects to win, like Avon Lake, and then Avon Lake’s J.V. team in the second half and ensuing Saturday morning. Oh, and there’s Avon Lake’s freshman team and junior high teams.
But who else?
Clearview is poised for another run at the Patriot Athletic Conference Stripes Division title. They return running back Anthony Hitchens for his junior year, plus senior receiver James Washington and junior quarterback Zach Anderson. The line was young, too, which should bode well for the Clippers in 2008.
Speaking of the PAC, Oberlin looks like a team ready to build from its 4-6 season a year ago. Coach Dave McFarland has dramatically improved turnout for the offseason weight-lifting program (he said they had about 40 around February’s Super Bowl), and that should only help a team that has some pieces in place at the skill positions.
The theme of this season could very well be teams that haven’t had much success now experiencing a renaissance.
Oberlin is one of them, and so is Clearview. Don’t get me wrong, the Clippers have been strong the last two seasons, but I can’t help but get the feeling this team is poised to be one of those special Clearview teams. You know, like the 1998 Clippers that went 8-2 with Jason Ammons at running back, or the ones from the Tom Hoch era in the early-to-mid-90s.
Vermilion is also one of those teams I expect to have more success than it’s been used to in recent years. Part of the reasoning behind that thought is the shift of balance in the West Shore Conference, plus the stability the Sailors are experiencing under fourth-year coach Frank Horvath. This year’s Vermilion team returns linebacker Justin Turner, Mike Virgin in the secondary and at running back, plus receiver Derek Barbato. All three are key members of the basketball team, so the Sailors have some proven athleticism, which should allow them to compete with the likes of Avon and Midview.
That’s just a fraction of who could break out this season.
A trend that could keep some of the typical giants atop the football landscape is teams with veteran offensive lines. Avon Lake has one, as do Wellington and Monroeville. All three of these teams are looking mostly inexperienced everywhere else, but their lines are strong. They usually are, but this season they will have as much experience as a coach could ask for.
That should make a coach grind headset earpiece to earpiece, whether it’s Avon Lake’s Dave Dlugosz, Wellington’s Matt Stoll or Monroeville’s Steve Ringholz.

***

The reason behind all the football talk is simple. Planning for next month’s football preview has began around the office.
Look for some noticeable changes this year. I can’t say what they are, as I neither don’t want to spoil it nor have everything decided. I’ll say this, though. The goal for this year is to get everyone fired up for football season more than ever before.

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Had a conversation with former Amherst boys basketball coach Phil Schmook last week.
Schmook resigned earlier this month from his positions as basketball coach and social studies teacher at Amherst. The former Richmond Heights basketball coach is returning to that area, where he will be both boys basketball coach and a career-based intervention teacher at Maple Heights.
Schmook had nothing but positive remarks for Amherst athletic director Bill Miller and former coach Mitch Gillam Jr., whom Schmook succeeded.
Schmook doesn’t have the easiest job ahead of him at Maple Heights -- the team loses star guard Marcus Pearl -- but he will be closer to home. With gas prices more than $4 per gallon, that means something.

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Gas prices makes for one more transition this week, and it’s more of a rant.
It’s time area high schools, particularly in Lorain County, get together and realign. The new conferences that have formed over the last few years are a bad idea, and the cost of fuel is the main reason why.
Sure, realignment has helped competitive balance, but it’s also a bigger hit on the wallets of everyone involved. Parents and fans have to spend more gas money if they want to go see their schools’ road games, and so do the schools to transport the athletes.
Pretty soon, everyone will realize enough is enough and it’s time to think close to home.
A super conference like the 18-team Northeast Ohio Conference, which Elyria calls home, isn’t a bad idea. The fact many of the schools are so far away doesn’t help, but such a format could bring all the Lorain County schools, big and small, together.
Mgoul@morningjournal.com