Centerville to emphasize defense
Centerville looking to get defense back in line.
As Centerville hosts Fairfield on Friday, the Elks are looking for a different outcome from last season.
Centerville couldn’t get defensive when it needed it most last football season. Allowing 38.7 points per game is as un-Elks like as it gets.
That’s why Centerville finished 6-4 and out of the Division I playoffs, not quite the encore that was expected following a 10-1 run in Rodney Roberts’ first season as coach in 2014.
Springboro put 50 points on the Elks defense last season and Wayne 56. A glimpse of what was to come emerged in the opener when Fairfield pinned a 35-32 loss on Centerville.
“At times last year, we started six sophomores on defense,” Roberts said. “We have to make a big jump on that side of the ball if we’re going to have any chance of being successful.”
That begins Friday when Centerville hosts Fairfield in the return season opener for both teams at 7 p.m.
Senior Colin DeBord inherits the starting quarterback role after being a receiver last season. He was one of 24 players who missed a scrimmage last weekend, a blowout in favor of LaSalle.
“It’s been a weird preseason, but that isn’t going to be an excuse,” Roberts said. “Nobody’s going to feel sorry for us and we’re not going to get credit for any touchdowns because we’ve got guys out. Everybody gets banged up throughout the course of the year.”
DeBord, verbally committed to Bowling Green as a receiver, missed the scrimmage with an ankle injury but is expected to play Friday.
“You’re going to see Colin taking snaps. You’re going to see Colin line up in the slot. You’re
going to see Colin lining up out wide. You may even see Colin at running back,” Roberts said. “We’ve got to get the ball in Colin DeBord’s hands. He’s so dynamic.”
Junior Alex Grandin will take over at QB when DeBord is not there. Senior Mason Kuhr will be Centerville’s tailback after missing last season with a broken foot.
Defensively, the Elks have more than half of their starters back, including junior linemen Sam Vance, Dylan Haller and Jevon Henderson.
Stebbins is taking a new turf and scoreboard dedication at Edmundson Stadium to a new level. Members of the Piqua Shawnee Tribe — recognized by the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs — will bless the new turf prior to Friday’s 7 p.m. kickoff against Carroll. Stebbins 1980 grad Miles Scully donated much of the funds for the new playback scoreboard. Now living in San Diego, he’ll be featured in a special scoreboard message prior to the game.
Also, the 1995 Stebbins team (9-1) will be honored. All four captains from that squad, including NFL/CFL running back Jamal Robertson, are expected to participate in the coin toss.
The Stebbins and Carroll school districts border each other. The teams haven’t played since both were part of the now-defunct Mid-Miami League.
There are two area football games today: Xenia at Beavercreek in the 15th annual “Backyard Battle” and Ponitz vs. Clark Montessori at Welcome Stadium.
The respective mayors of Xenia (Marsha Bayless) and Beavercreek (Brian Jarvis) will be joined by other sponsors to present awards after that game, including a traveling winner’s trophy. The series is even at 7-all since it began. Last season Beavercreek won 45-7.
Ponitz is coming off a program-best 4-6 season, which includes a 36-35 defeat of Clark Montessori in that opener. Incidentally, the Ponitz coach is Jim Place, who also was Beavercreek’s head in the late 1970s.
As expected, Carroll has promoted Cecilia Grosselin to varsity girls basketball coach. Previously an assistant, she succeeds longtime coach Rob Berry who died of cancer in July.
Grosselin has been with the Patriots program since 2008 and became Berry’s top aide in 2012.
“It is an honor to be given the opportunity to lead the girls’ basketball program,” Grosselin said in a statement. “I look forward to carrying on the tradition of exceptional basketball success that is associated with this program.”
Fairmont made its boys soccer season debut with a 2-1 win at Northmont on Tuesday. That was new coach Dave Kozlowski’s his first career varsity win. Wes McClellan scored both Firebirds goals. Fairmont is at neighboring rival Alter at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
The streaking Centerville girls golf team won its sixth invitational in as many events during Monday’s Lady Elk Invite at Yankee Trace. Even better, Centerville defeated multiple state champ Dublin Jerome by five strokes, 309-114.
Elks sophomore Marissa Wenzler shot a career-low 71 to place runner-up. Senior Amanda Hayes shot 75 and sophomore Kayla Ramsey 77.