High School Football: Dunbar, Belmont back together again

It’s fitting that Dunbar and Belmont will open the high school football season playing each other.

The Dayton City League rivals will kick off their seasons at 7 p.m. Thursday at Welcome Stadium. Like all five City League teams, Belmont and Dunbar are second-year members of the Southwest Ohio Public League, although in different divisions, Dunbar in the American Division and Belmont in the National. That makes this a crossover game.

RELATED: Week 1 schedule

Both teams have separated from other City League programs Ponitz, Meadowdale and Thurgood Marshall. But that’s not what gives this matchup extra pop.

RELATED: DPS lowers GPA rule for school sports: What it means

This was the Week 10 matchup last season that produced the never-ending story of how one team (Dunbar) was accused of throwing the contest and the other benefiting (Belmont). Instead, Dunbar forfeited two games for an academically ineligible player, the playoff lineup in three divisions was juggled as a result and Dayton Public Schools and the Ohio High School Athletic Association launched lengthy investigations.

In the end, all DPS athletic programs from grades 7-12, boys and girls, were placed on a three-year probation and fined $10,000 by the OHSAA.

Numerous new DPS rules and regulations to prevent that from happening again have since been put in place. And you thought this matchup was just about who was returning at what position.

“It just worked out they had a Week 1 opening and so did we,” Belmont coach and athletic director Earl White said. “We thought, wouldn’t that be fun to start the season off? I don’t want this to be one game or bust, but it should be pretty exciting.”

Dunbar was 9-1 on the field last season and appears to be even better. That's because running back Tavion Thomas, who's committed to Oklahoma, and receiver Joseph Scates, uncommitted but holding many top-end offers, are back as seniors. Who Wolverines coach Darran Powell doesn't have is standout middle linebacker Antwuan Johnson, de-committed from Michigan and a senior transfer to Wayne.

Belmont doesn't have anyone of that recruitable stature, but the Bison also have a go-to senior in running back/defensive back Jadon Rucker-Furlow, who committed to Miami University. Dunbar moves up to Division III (Region 12) and Belmont goes from D-III to D-II (Region 8), courtesy of the OHSAA's competitive balance formula debut this season.

“It’s a great game,” White said. “Both teams should field pretty good teams this year. I’m really nervous building up to this big point. I haven’t been this nervous for a game in quite a while. It’s exciting for the kids to look forward to something that’s positive.”

• City League teams Meadowdale and Ponitz will play in a doubleheader at Welcome Stadium on Friday. Ponitz will play Danville, a Kentucky power, at 5:30 p.m. That will be followed by Meadowdale vs. Piqua at 8 p.m.

On Saturday, Meadowdale will play Springfield Shawnee at 7 p.m. also at Welcome Stadium.

• Other games Thursday are Alter vs. Fairmont at Kettering’s Roush Stadium and Beavercreek at Xenia. Both are at 7 p.m. As usual, Alter and Fairmont should attract a capacity crowd.

• The first Associated Press state poll will be released following Week 3 games. The first computer rankings will be released by the OHSAA after Week 4 contests. There are seven divisions, comprised of four regions each. The top eight teams in each of the 28 regions qualify for the playoffs.

• Contact the Cox Media Group Ohio (Dayton Daily News, Springfield News-Sun and Journal-News) with scores and results as soon as possible after each varsity contest by email only at sports@coxohio.com.

Include final score, score by quarters and scoring sequence, team records, a brief summary, noteworthy stats, contact name and phone number.

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