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(Newton's Emma Fisher played a key role in the Indians win over Twin Valley South)

By Eddie Mowen Jr.

(Kody Clark carried 14 times for 156 yards. He scored three touchdowns, including two rushing touchdowns and a kickoff return.)

By Eddie Mowen Jr. 

CAMDEN — Preble Shawnee is beginning to look like a football team finding its identity.

The Arrows put together their most convincing performance of the season Friday night, Sept. 11, overwhelming visiting Dixie 60-19 behind a physical defensive effort and a running game that repeatedly turned short opportunities into big plays.

The victory improved Preble Shawnee to 3-1 overall and 1-1 in the Western Ohio Athletic Conference. Dixie dropped to 2-2 overall and 1-2 in the WOAC.

For Preble Shawnee coach Dave Maddox, the performance was about more than the final score. It was about the way his team played.

“I thought we played very physical, and that's kind of what we're wanting to really focus on is coming off the ball and controlling the line of scrimmage,” Maddox said. “I thought we did that defensively.”

That physicality was especially important against a Dixie offense built around option concepts.

“We were concerned they run some option stuff, and that can be difficult to prepare for because it's hard to practice it,” Maddox said. “But I thought we did a pretty good job again on defensive line controlling the line of scrimmage, and they weren't able to get going.”

The statistics backed up that assessment.

Preble Shawnee held Dixie to two first downs and 142 rushing yards while forcing six turnovers. The Arrows finished with 15 first downs, 234 rushing yards and eight touchdowns.

Dixie managed only one completion on six attempts, with Ayden Hipp connecting with Colt Himan for a 75-yard touchdown on a tipped pass in the first quarter.

That score briefly cut Preble Shawnee's lead to 13-7 with 2:27 remaining in the opening quarter.

It did not take long for the Arrows to answer.

Kody Clark returned the ensuing kickoff 76 yards for a touchdown, restoring a 20-7 lead with 2:12 left in the quarter. After another Dixie interception, Preble Shawnee needed just one play to score again, with Jasper Sizemore running five yards for a touchdown.

The Arrows led 27-7 after one quarter. Sizemore added another 5-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter, followed by Ethan Mauller's 2-yard touchdown run and another Clark touchdown — this one a 50-yard burst.

Preble Shawnee took a 47-7 lead into halftime.

The Arrows continued to control the game after halftime with a running clock. Cole Deaton scored on a 2-yard run in the third quarter, and Bronx Runyan followed with a 25-yard touchdown run in the fourth.

Dixie continued to battle, however, scoring twice late.

Wyatt Kayler broke free for a 60-yard touchdown run, and after Dixie recovered an onside kick, Nathan Metcalf ran 38 yards for a touchdown on the final play of the game.

The two scores provided a fitting example of the approach Dixie coach Sean Schooley wants from his young team.

“Our kids never give up,” Schooley said. “That’s the one thing that’s great about Dixie and this team is that no matter what the score, our motto is always to finish. Finish the way we want to finish.”

Preble Shawnee's offensive production was led by Clark, who carried 14 times for 156 yards. He scored three touchdowns, including two rushing touchdowns and the kickoff return.

Maddox said Clark has continued to develop within the Arrows' system.

“Cody's, he's a tough runner, hard-nosed, and you can't arm tackle him,” Maddox said. “So he's going to break tackles and keeps his feet going just like a good running back should, and he's dangerous when he gets the ball.”

Clark was not the only Arrows running back to make an impact. Runyan finished with 34 yards and a touchdown on three carries. Mauller rushed four times for 21 yards and a touchdown, while Sizemore carried three times for 21 yards and two touchdowns. Deaton added two yards and a touchdown on one carry.

Preble Shawnee finished with 234 rushing yards on 27 attempts, averaging 8.7 yards per carry.

Defensively, the Arrows were led by Miller Berter and Foster Jewell with seven tackles apiece. Berter also recorded two forced fumbles and recovered two fumbles. Jewell had an interception and a pass breakup.

Mauller added six tackles, an interception and two pass breakups. Gavin Finch had five tackles, one sack and two tackles for loss. Clark had five tackles and two tackles for loss.

The Arrows finished with 10 tackles for loss and forced six turnovers, recovering four fumbles and intercepting two passes.

Maddox said the defensive improvement has come while several young players have been learning new positions.

“Defense played lights out,” he said. “And again, I think it's a lot guys that are playing spots that they hadn't played before. Our D line is a lot of new guys and they're starting to figure it out and starting to feel a little more comfortable. They're not thinking quite as much. They're able to play fast and play hard.”

That growth has been particularly important for a team dealing with injuries and a lack of varsity experience.

“We've got a lot of guys that are playing that don't have a whole lot of varsity experience and we've had a lot of injuries the last couple weeks, so it's been kind of crazy, just moving guys around and putting guys in different spots,” Maddox said. “But that's small school football. That's what you have to do.”

The Arrows, he said, have responded to the challenge.

“Our guys have been good about accepting that and changing roles and still playing hard,” Maddox said. “But everybody else is starting to feel a little more comfortable. I thought it looked like we clicked a little bit better tonight than what we did last week.”

Schooley saw a similar challenge facing Dixie.

“We're still young,” he said. “We played two seniors. We got a lot of juniors, sophomores, and freshmen playing. So it's tough. So we've got to make sure that we just stay together. Trust our motto. Know what's going on, and we'll be all right at the end.”

Dixie's offense was led by Metcalf, who carried 16 times for 52 yards and a touchdown. Jason Myers rushed three times for 71 yards and a touchdown, including a 60-yard run. Hipp carried 12 times for 14 yards.

Himan's lone reception went for 75 yards and a touchdown.

Schooley said the Greyhounds' next step is to improve their fundamentals and execution.

“We just need to work on the fundamentals,” he said. “A lot of teams give us a lot of different fronts and trying to stop what we got. We just got to hone in on what we do, making sure we make the right reads.”

He said the offense can be successful when those reads are made correctly.

“That's the one main thing about our offense: is if we make the right reads, we're in a ball game,” Schooley said.

The Greyhounds also need to bring the same intensity to practice that they need on Friday nights.

“It's hard when you have a limited amount of guys, and so we got to understand that no matter who we go against, if it's our own scout team or whoever, we need to go full go,” Schooley said. “And we need to make sure we get to our assignments and know what's going on.”

Despite the loss, Schooley remains confident in the direction of the program.

“We're headed in the right direction,” he said. “The kids are bought in; they know what's going on.”

He pointed to the team's motto as the foundation for that process: “Chop wood, carry water.”

“Just got to trust the process,” Schooley said. “It's not an overnight thing. We're not going to turn this around in one year, but we got the talent to do it. They just got to make sure that we come prepared.”

For Preble Shawnee, the immediate goal is to build on a night when the pieces began fitting together.

“I think we're taking steps in the right direction,” Maddox said. “The more these young guys get more experience they get a little bit better. They're playing a little bit faster.”

The Arrows will return to action Friday, Sept. 18, at Arcanum in a key WOAC matchup. The Trojans enter the game 3-1 overall and 3-0 in the conference.

Dixie will host National Trail on Sept. 18. The Blazers enter the matchup 2-2 overall and 1-2 in the WOAC.

Story and photos by Jim Freeman

ARCANUM — The Arcanum girls golf team continued to build momentum toward the postseason with a 184-249 victory over Franklin Monroe on Thursday at Beechwood Golf Course.

Sophomore Sadie Waldo and junior Ella Warren shared medalist honors after each carded a 45 for the Trojans.

Senior Adalyn Paul and junior Brooklynne Eley completed Arcanum’s scoring total with matching rounds of 47. Junior Brynn Byers shot a 51, while sophomore Jean Joslyn-Pitman finished with a 71.

The victory improved Arcanum to 6-1 in the WOAC and 9-1 overall.

With the WOAC tournament and sectionals approaching, Arcanum coach Jesse Warner believes the Trojans are finding their best golf at the right time.

“We’re starting to peak,” Warner said. “We’ve got a bunch of girls playing some really good golf right now, which makes it fun.”

Arcanum’s success has been driven by its depth.

Entering Thursday’s match, Waldo ranked second in the WOAC with a 50.6 scoring average. Paul was fourth at 51.9, followed by Eley in fifth at 53.3.

Warren ranked sixth with a 53.6 average, while Byers was eighth at 54.1. That gave Arcanum five of the top eight golfers in the conference standings.

Thursday’s balanced effort reinforced that depth. The Trojans’ four scoring golfers were separated by only two strokes, and all five of their top finishers shot 51 or better.

Arcanum has also proven itself outside of WOAC dual matches.

The Trojans won the National Trail Invitational earlier this season with an 18-hole score of approximately 381. Warner also scheduled Fort Loramie and Minster in nonconference competition because both could be among the teams Arcanum encounters during sectional play. The Trojans defeated both opponents by two strokes.

The team’s current success is the result of significant growth from last season.

Warner had seven golfers a year ago, including six who had never previously played the sport. Much of that season was devoted to teaching the rules and helping the new golfers understand how to navigate a course.

This year, Warner has been able to focus more on improving their swings and lowering their scores.

“We had six new players last year that had never played,” Warner said. “Last year was mainly just kind of teaching them, ‘Here are the rules of golf. Here’s how you play.’ This year has been more, ‘OK, let’s actually fix the golf swing a little bit.’ It’s made a huge difference.”

Participation has grown from seven golfers to 11, allowing Arcanum to add junior varsity opportunities and rotate players into the lineup.

The roster includes only one senior, with four juniors, four sophomores and two freshmen. Ten of Arcanum’s 11 golfers could return next season.

Many of the Trojans also balance golf with other activities. Warner said the roster includes approximately three cross country runners, four band members and a cheerleader. Only two of the girls participate exclusively in golf during the fall.

He credited the school administration with giving the athletes the flexibility to participate in multiple activities.

Warren is among the golfers finding her stride late in the season after a shoulder injury limited how much she could play during the summer. Her 45 on Thursday tied Waldo for the best round of the match.

Warner’s message to his players has been that they do not need to chase spectacular scores on every hole to succeed.

“If you play bogey golf, you’re going to qualify at sectionals,” Warner said. “Bogey golf is great scores.”

For Franklin Monroe, sophomore Keara Fenstermaker led the Jets with a 55. Freshman Raelin Fugate followed with a 61, freshman Adey Shellabarger shot a 66 and sophomore Caroline Knight completed the scoring with a 67.

Senior Anneliese English added a 72.

The Jets moved to 1-5 in the WOAC and 2-6 overall, but their season has represented an important step forward for the program.

Franklin Monroe had only two golfers last season and could not consistently field a complete team. This year, the Jets have five players, including three whose first experience playing 18 holes came at the beginning of the season.

Despite that inexperience, the Jets have earned two victories and continued to show improvement.

“They’re learning, and that’s all I can ask,” Franklin Monroe’s coach said.

Warner also recognized the progress Franklin Monroe has made.

“For them having two girls last year and not really having a team, they’ve got some girls that can hit the ball pretty well,” Warner said.

The two programs may be at different points in their development, but both left Beechwood with reasons for optimism.

Franklin Monroe continues to build experience with a young roster, while Arcanum appears to be playing its best golf as it prepares to compete for a WOAC championship and postseason advancement.

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The Trojans took the field in patriotic fashion Friday night. Photo by Jim Freeman

Story and photos by Jim Freeman

ARCANUM — Friday night at Arcanum began with a moment bigger than football.

On the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, those in attendance paused for a moment of silence to remember the nearly 3,000 people who lost their lives that day.

The Trojans then ran onto the field carrying large American flags, providing a patriotic beginning to a night that honored the fallen and celebrated America.

Once the game began, Arcanum displayed its strength on both sides of the ball in a 48-0 Western Ohio Athletic Conference victory over Bradford.

The Trojans finished with 411 yards of offense, nearly evenly divided between 209 passing yards and 202 yards on the ground. Defensively, Arcanum recorded nine sacks and 20 tackles for loss.

Arcanum established control immediately, driving down the field on its opening possession and finishing the drive with the first of two MJ Macy rushing touchdowns.

MJ Macy rushed for 134 yards in the win. Photo by Jim Freeman

Bradford struggled to establish any offensive rhythm, repeatedly finding itself behind the chains because of lost-yardage plays and penalties.

The Railroaders’ defense provided an early bright spot by intercepting an Arcanum pass at the Bradford 5-yard line. Bradford could not capitalize on the turnover, however, and was forced to punt.

Arcanum soon returned to the end zone. Facing fourth-and-eight, quarterback Weston Schmidt completed a pass to Talan Stone that gave the Trojans first-and-goal. Schmidt and Stone later connected for the touchdown.

Evan Parks supplied the game’s biggest play, turning his only reception into an 88-yard touchdown. Arcanum led 18-0 with 10:40 remaining in the first half.

Evan Parks takes it to the house from 88 yards out. Photo by Jim Freeman

Raysean Miles caught two more touchdown passes before halftime, helping the Trojans carry a 32-0 advantage into the break.

Schmidt completed 10 of 14 passes for 209 yards and four touchdowns. He distributed those scoring passes among Stone, Parks and Miles.

Stone finished with four receptions for 65 yards and a touchdown. Miles caught two passes for 52 yards and two scores, while Parks accounted for 88 yards and a touchdown on his lone reception.

Talan Stone had a solid game receiving foir the Trojans. Photo by Jim Freeman

“I think that’s what makes us a tough out, because we can throw the ball downfield anytime, but they also have to defend our offensive line and MJ,” Arcanum coach Matt Macy said. “It makes it tough. They’ve got to choose.”

MJ Macy gave the Trojans balance on the ground, carrying 21 times for 134 yards and two touchdowns.

“He didn’t have any big, big runs, but I think he probably ground out a pretty good game,” Matt Macy said.

The second half began with another difficult sequence for Bradford. After the Railroaders went three-and-out, the snap on their punt attempt went through the end zone for a safety.

Kenton Kenworthy then produced a long return on the ensuing free kick, and Arcanum quickly moved inside the Bradford 10. MJ Macy completed the short scoring drive with his second rushing touchdown, giving the Trojans a 41-0 advantage by the end of the third quarter.

Nate Powers completed the scoring with a 7-yard touchdown run in the fourth. He finished with 21 yards on two carries.

Raysean Miles scores one of his two touchdowns on the night. Photo by Jim Freeman

Arcanum was equally impressive defensively, consistently disrupting Bradford in the backfield and preventing the Railroaders from sustaining drives.

“Our defense was lights out,” Matt Macy said. “They had a couple pass plays they completed, but I’d be surprised if they were not negative rushing.”

Hudson Knaus led Arcanum with nine tackles, including three tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. Chris Greve and Avery Bowser each recorded two sacks.

Macy specifically praised Greve, a 6-foot-5, 250-pound senior defensive lineman playing football for the first time.

“I’m going to have to count how many sacks he had tonight,” Macy said. “He’s never played football before, playing defensive end for us, and I’m not sure he’s not a college football player.”

Despite the decisive victory, Macy said the Trojans must eliminate the mistakes that could prove costly against stronger competition.

“We’ve just got to find a way to play clean at some point,” he said. “We find a way to make things harder on ourselves at times.”

Bradford entered the game with momentum following consecutive victories, but the Railroaders faced a significant disadvantage in available depth. Arcanum listed 43 players on its roster compared with Bradford’s 27, and injuries during the game further tested the Railroaders, particularly along the offensive line.

“We knew what we were getting into,” Bradford coach Bill Trevino said. “We’re always going to be outmanned, but we fought.”

Trevino said Bradford found a few opportunities through the passing game, but penalties, incorrect routes and alignment mistakes prevented the Railroaders from taking advantage.

“I’m not going to put it on the offensive line,” Trevino said. “Some kids were running the wrong routes, lining up wrong. We had too many penalties again. That’s football. We’ll clean it up and keep grinding.”

For Trevino, improvement begins with becoming more competitive at the point of attack.

“From the beginning of football to the end of football, it’s the line of scrimmage, and we’ve got to control that,” he said.

Bradford will attempt to put the loss behind it as it prepares for Tri-County North.

“We’re moving on,” Trevino said. “We can’t let one bad night hang over to next week.”

Arcanum now turns its attention to Preble Shawnee in a matchup Macy believes will show how far the Trojans’ program has progressed.

“Preble Shawnee is good, as usual,” Macy said. “I think they’re at the top of the league, and we can’t make those kinds of mistakes and beat Preble Shawnee. I think we’re finally physical enough as a program that we can compete with them.”

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Cooper Tegtmeyer played his best round leading the way for the Trojans. Photo by Jim Freeman

ARCANUM — The Arcanum boys golf team completed an undefeated WOAC dual-match season in record-setting fashion Thursday at Beechwood Golf Course.

The Trojans fired a one-under-par 143 against Tri-County North, establishing a new nine-hole school record while improving to 11-0 in the conference and 15-1 overall.

All four of Arcanum’s scoring golfers shot 37 or better.

Junior Cooper Tegtmeyer led the Trojans with a two-under-par 34, his best round of the season. Senior Aiden Carlisle followed with a one-under-par 35, which coach Andy Bryant believed was also his best score of the year.

Kaiden Hickey shoots a 37 in route to a team record. Photo by Jim Freeman

Senior Luke Stephens and junior Kaiden Hickey completed the record-setting total with matching rounds of 37.

Together, the four scores placed Arcanum one stroke under par as a team.

Bryant clarified that Thursday’s accomplishment was different from the record Arcanum established earlier this season.

“The record we broke before was the 18-hole tournament record,” Bryant said. “This was the nine-hole record, which I didn’t think would ever be beat.”

The previous nine-hole mark was established by another strong Arcanum team playing the front nine at the former Cliffside Golf Course. Because that side of the course was favorable for low scoring and is no longer available, Bryant believed the record might remain untouched.

This year’s Trojans surpassed it at Beechwood behind four outstanding individual rounds.

“We shot 143 tonight,” Bryant said. “It was great.”

The performance provided a fitting conclusion to Arcanum’s WOAC dual-match schedule. The Trojans entered Thursday 10-0 in conference play and 14-1 overall before defeating Tri-County North to complete a perfect run through their 11 WOAC opponents.

Arcanum’s success has been fueled by both high-level individual play and exceptional depth.

Luke Stephens shoots a 37 in the record setting round. Photo by Jim Freeman

Stephens leads the WOAC with a 36.4 scoring average, 2.6 strokes better than the next golfer in the conference standings. Hickey ranks 10th with a 41.1 average, followed by Carlisle in 11th at 41.7.

Tegtmeyer ranks 15th with a 42.6 average, while senior Cohen Etherington is 16th at 42.7. Altogether, Arcanum has five golfers ranked among the top 16 and eight among the top 26 in the WOAC.

That depth was on full display Thursday. While Stephens delivered another solid round, Tegtmeyer and Carlisle recorded season-best performances, and Hickey added another 37.

The result was a balanced performance in which every scoring golfer contributed a 37 or better.

Stephens, who finished fourth at last year’s OHSAA state tournament, has consistently led the Trojans throughout the season. However, Thursday’s round demonstrated that Arcanum has several golfers capable of producing low scores on any given day.

Arcanum has now established new nine-hole and 18-hole school records during a season in which the Trojans have remained unbeaten against WOAC competition.

Aiden Carlisle shot a season best 35 in the record setting performance. Photo by Jim Freeman

With the WOAC tournament and postseason approaching, Thursday’s performance also suggests the Trojans are peaking at the right time.

After dominating the conference dual-match portion of their schedule, Arcanum will now attempt to carry that momentum—and its record-setting form—into the biggest rounds of the season.

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