There is a lot of buzz about the Kilbourne RB transfer at Orange, but I'm sure ol Zeb will find a way to underperform developing a team around him. Im interested to see all 3 Hilliard schools this year, they still seem to be trending sideways but someone like Bradley is dangerous if they get talent that can run the pro-style offense.
They got the QB Fleharty as a transfer from a smaller school last year so he will know the system better and he is one to watch. , par for the course over there ,[Getting the QB transfer} and a very good receiver who was the best MS skill player in Dublin in 2019 WR Wolfe played at Karrer and whose brothers went to Coffman along with this kid Teah . Jr. Wolfe is tall at 6-3 but a bit on the slight side at 170 But athletic with good hands and he played as a frosh. Teah is 6-1 about 190 or so . A decent RB and a line that has some potential. If UA had a few more back I would say they are the team to beat, but I think Bradley may have just enough to win the league this year. With Fleharty with a year under his belt making a nice jump as a Junior they should be able to throw the football pretty well.
Darby will be pretty decent, Good Junior class, with a couple of Sophs who played a lot last year. LB Marsh is very good and a MAC level LB. Davidson had a pretty good Frosh team and has a few players but lost it's really nice three-year RB tandem in Weir and Nixon. Solis was going to coach the O-Line until the DC needed to be replaced adn he is taking that job on. Big loss for Kilbourne. Calip will help Orange who has some athletes as usual, but they never seem to pop. I thoght they had a nice collection of players back in 2020 when I saw them play Coffman in that Covid year. Probably should have beaten Coffman last year which tells you how dramatic the Coffman fall was. Both Darby and Davidson are what they are. Clinging to the past a bit too much but it is what it is. Darby back in 2007 when they took Coffman to the mat in the regional final was a dynamic offensive team. That was then. Bradley opened and they fell off and went more conservative. Well coached team that gets something from limited talent, but they will stay pretty consistent IMO.
Don't know if the Louie Line will be up for week one and Cal Preps doesn't do actual predictions until later Sept. BUT you can still use their feature project the match-up and some are accurate it seems based on what's coming back and previous performance and some are a ways off. These are the 10 games that I find most interesting in week one. I will include the CP projection as well as usual.
Tol. ST Johns at Coffman - DC - 1Decent line, may be DC should be favored by a few more
Liberty at Pick Central - PC - 32 - too high. PC offense not a light it up unit, at least early on
Lancaster at Pick North - PN - 21 - Pretty sharp line
UA at Burg - UA - 26 - totally based on last year, should be a decent game.
Hartley at Big Nut - BN - 7 Not bad, should be a good ballgame.
Darby at Orange - Orange - 1 - no real feel for this one,
New Albany at Marysville - M-Ville - 6, solid line. M-Ville has built a nice program the last 5 years. Helsp that they have had a few studs, but a really solid culture over there that is impressive. NA loses coach Kidwell, but he built a nice foundation that is consistent.
Bradley at Berlin - Bradley - 3 , I like the Jags in this one, at this price, Harbins can may be give us some more insight into Berlin.
Mason at Gahanna - Gahanna - 14 - Lions best team since they had Landry, Bruckner, that nice RB adn stud D-Lieman Johnson who transferred to PC the next year. Always have a modicum of talent but this year they have more than usual. Can they put it together. Not sure what Mason has.
Perrysburg at Jerome- P-Burg -8 Burg has the stud RB and Jerome with the second-year coach, but they lost some really nice players on offense, but return the QB and a couple solid players. Still can't believe they couldn't beat Coffman last year despite returning 3 kicks for TD's. They won't have to contend with Mr. Maggs this year, but I think they let a nice chance slip away and I sense Coffman wins again this year. [If they can cover kicks lol} Line looks about right