WHEELING - The following are things I would like to see happen during the upcoming 2010 season, which is rapidly approaching.
All Schools: Many have switched to 7 p.m. starting times for home games. It's about time everyone else followed suit and did the same.
Barnesville: A return to the smash-mouth football that made the Shamrocks a household name in the early part of the 2000s.
Beallsville: A return to prominence for one of the Ohio Valley's true coaching good guys, Dave Caldwell.
Beaver Local: Rich Wright and the Beavers to get back into the dominating, always-contending realm.
Bellaire: A year in which Coach Jose Davis doesn't have to worry about all kinds of outside distractions like the ones he faced in his debut season. It's his program now, period.
Bishop Donahue: Coach John Durdines and Co. have been pointing to this season for a couple years. Now it's time to cash in with his wealth of talent.
Bridgeport: Back-to-Back playoff berths have been nice. This is the season the Bulldogs kick down that door and go on a legitimate run.
Brooke: When you're as loaded as these guys are, you don't need much. But a quarterback that's half as productive as Cotey Wallace would go a long way in determining the path of the season.
Buckeye Local: Josten Dear left, Josten Dear right, and Josten Dear up the middle. That's a recipe for success for new coach Anthony Barsch.
Buckeye Trail: As Guns 'N Roses once said, 'a little patience.' Second-year coach Ty Sichnia doesn't have much in the way of experience, but it's on its way.
Caldwell: The Redskins tradition is matched by few, but we don't hear about it as often because of the school's location. That tradition helps get them back in the postseason.
Cambridge: It's difficult when you lose a running back the caliber of Tyler Hardesty. But it's downright unfair to be able to turn to Dashaun Lewis, who ran for more than 1,000 yards on limited carries last season. He'll lead the valley in rushing.
Cameron: After considerable success the numbers and victories have slowly dissipated. Nothing would make me happier than seeing coaches like Jim Rogers, Eric James, Wyatt O'Neil and Aaron Poling back in the postseason.
Conotton Valley: First-year coach Tyler Brown to get these Rockets off the ground again.
East Liverpool: Coach Mark Asher would like to see the ball bounce the Potters' way this season. So would I, because Ohio Valley football needs East Liverpool to get back to being East Liverpool.
Edison: A complete season from talented runner Mark Rogers will determine the fate of the Wildcats. It says here he'll be one of the breakout stars of 2010.
Fort Frye: It would be nice to see Coach Eric Huck's group of seniors rewarded for their four-year contributions to the program.
Frontier: The quick maturation of younger players who are replacing veterans that produced a 7-3 season in 2009.
Harrison Central: Losing your top running back and lineman in never easy. But I think Coach Justin Kropkas has gotten this program to the point it can sustain.
Hundred:
Indian Creek: After coming so close last season only to have their hearts broken, is there a team in the valley that more deserves a trip to the Ohio postseason?
John Marshall: These kids have been ridiculed the last couple of seasons for producing un-Monarchs-like results. Coach Dan Wilson and crew will have the last laugh.
Linsly: Coach B.J. Depew has a heckuva running back in Phil Acrie. He'd like to see what type of numbers the kid can put up if he stays away from injuries.
Madonna: How do you replace a player like Max Nogay? Well, a good place to start would be a 1,500-yard season on the ground from Connor Arlia.
Magnolia: I'm not sure any player or coach I've have the pleasure to deal with deserves a state title the way quarterback Justin Fox and Coach Mark Batton do.
Martins Ferry: Dave Bruney is simply too good a coach to not have an Ohio title on his resume. It would be nice to see him get it.
Meadowbrook: A smooth transition for new coach Jesse Wells, who takes over a program starving for a winner.
Monroe Central: Another deep playoff run for Jay Circosta, whose name has to be included in discussions about the best to ever wear a whistle in this area.
Morgantown: It's been a couple seasons since the Mohigans were on top of the world. Coach John Bowers will get them there - or close - this season.
Oak Glen: How about a 2,000-yard rushing season for perhaps the OVAC's most versatile running back, returning all-stater Chance Rowland.
Paden City: Malakai Anderson proved a capable replacement for Wes Cosper. The question is, who steps in now? Here's hoping Coach Brent Croasmun has another star in the wings.
Parkersburg South: A replacement for maniac fullback-linebacker Hunter Ferguson. But since those don't come along every day, a reasonable facsimile will have to do.
River: A Division-I scholarship for kicker Tanner Wright, who is easily the best at his position in the OVAC.
St. Clairsville: For the Red Devils to get production from a new offensive line so that Tavin Stevenson and Michael Young can run crazy through opposing secondarys.
St. John: Mike Rose's return to the sideline gives the program a shot of instant credibility. If they can get to .500 you'll see a whole host of people climbing back on the wagon.
Shadyside: A quicker start out of the gates for Coach Mark Holenka's club, which rebounded from a 1-4 beginning last season to make the playoffs.
Shenandoah: A capable offensive line for what could be a talented offense for Coach Tim Wilson's club.
Steubenville: An all-state season and subsequent choice of the Division-I school he wants to attend for Shaquille Petteway.
Steubenville Catholic: A bulletin board to post up all the talk about their demise, so they can rub it in when they surprise some people this season.
Toronto: A little excitement about the return of Eric Meek as the program's leader.
Tyler Consolidated: Lately the program has had a propensity for churning out star running backs, most recently Nate Taylor. I want to see who Coach Rob Caldwell turns lose this time around.
Union Local: Enough footballs to go around. Coach Mark Cisar and quarterback Kyle Copeland are going to throw it early and often again.
University: Coach John Kelley's Hawks have been so close to the state title game the last decade or so. Time to take that next step.
Valley: 'Back to the Future' worked for Brooke. Why not the Lumberjacks?
Weir: To shake off the cobwebs of an uncharacteristic 1-9 season and get back into contention.
Wellsville: For Dave Skinner and the boys to return to the glory of yesteryear.
Wheeling Central: An open date for the first week of December when they'll again be playing for a Class A championship on the turf at Wheeling Island.
Wheeling Park: Health, health, health, and more health. Few times has a club been as decimated by injuries as the Patriots were during Chris Daughtery's first season.
Zanesville: Some kind of a break - anywhere - in what is shaping up as a brutal schedule.
West Liberty: They were but two games away from playing for a national title last season. With nearly everyone back they'll get there this time.
Bethany: A replacement for record-setting receiver Matt Cruse.
West Virginia: A compliance officer or two that has the brains to attend the first practice following the revelation of five major and one secondary NCAA violations.
Ohio State: A season-ending loss to RichRod and Michigan, thus thwarting any thoughts of a national championship.
Marshall: A victory against West Virginia for new coach Doc Holliday. That's the only way the series with the Mountaineers is going to continue.
Big-Time Bruins
In case you haven't heard, a couple of key cogs from Brooke's W.Va. Class AAA runner-up football team have landed on their feet collegiately.
Quarterback Cotey Wallace, who threw for more than 2,000 yards and rushed for more than 1,000 on his way to being a finalist for the Kennedy Award, has taken his considerable talents to West Virginia University.
Meanwhile, his top offensive lineman, Jake Lilly, who himself was a finalist for the Hunt Award as the state's top lineman, was offered by nationally ranked West Liberty in the locker room following the OVAC All-Star Game.
