“I look for it to be a great high school environment,” Franklin coach Brad Childers said.
»RELATED: First football computer ratings list
»RELATED: Top 7 all-time, Dayton-area football players
»DEFINING STATEMENT: It took four weeks, but Wayne made it
»THE BOYS ARE BACK: Hartsock and Pendleton on Facebook Live
»WHO’S NO. 1? Second week of state football polls
»WEEK 5: High school football schedule
Barring upsets, this will decide the SWBL Southwestern Division title. That’s what happened last season when Franklin won 41-8. The Wildcats finished 10-0 in the regular season and the Spartans 9-1. Both teams should be playoff bound, Franklin in Division III and Valley View in D-IV.
Franklin’s go-to offensive standout is senior running back Ryan Montgomery (659 yards rushing, 12 touchdowns). Valley View quarterback Collin Wood has been just as effective (683 yards passing, seven TD passes).
However, Valley View senior running back Collin Genslinger has been limited to mostly defense after being slow to recover from knee and ankle injuries in the preseason. Last season he rushed for 1,703 yards and had 32 touchdowns.
“Franklin looks really fast, especially on defense, and then they’ve probably got the best player (Montgomery) in the league on offense,” Valley View coach Bob Skidmore said. “I just hope our combination of everybody can pull together and make something happen.”
Franklin has won five of the last six matchups.
• Don’t blink or you might miss a Greater Western Ohio Conference National East battle between Beavercreek and visiting Fairmont.
This promises to be an old-school, off-tackle showdown between the 4-0 teams in this divisional opener. Beavercreek quarterback Cody Hocker has completed just 10 passes, but five have gone for touchdowns. That’s an aerial attack compared to Fairmont QB Braden Miller. The son of coach Dave Miller has completed all five of his passes for two touchdowns. Those are four-game totals for both.
Kaden Wenger (805 yards rushing, six TDs) is on pace to hit 2,000 yards rushing for the Beavers. Jesse Deglow (561 yards) and Miller (224) get most of Fairmont’s carries.
Long time-consuming drives and a minimum of clock stoppages could make this the area’s quickest game.
• The other GWOC crossover showdown is Wayne at Northmont. Both are 3-1 and both have won three straight games after falling in season openers. Wayne unloaded its offensive fireworks in a 56-28 defeat of previously unbeaten Miamisburg last week. Northmont was just as impressive in a 48-13 defeat of Butler.
Northmont last beat Wayne 14-11 in 2012.
• Greenon snapped a 32-game losing streak last week. What super-charged the victory were circumstances the program, school and community has endured. “It was a made-for-TV situation,” said first-year Greenon coach Josh Wooten.
The Knights trailed their home opener by 14 points with about five minutes left and rallied to defeat Triad 42-35. That was the first Greenon win since the 2013 season. It was Community and Teacher Appreciation Night. The team also honored the families of David Waag (soccer) and Connor Williams (football), students who died following a car crash in August.
Williams’ family requested Greenon sophomore Luke Downing to wear Connor’s No. 25 jersey. Downing obliged in honor of his childhood friend. Then he dominated. A receiver, he had seven receptions for 218 yards and four touchdowns. Greenon freshman quarterback Cade Rice threw for 330 yards and five scores.
“We’ve got a tight-knit community,” Wooten said. “Luke grew up with Connor and played sports together. They lived in the same area. … It’s an unfortunate situation, but for Luke to have the jersey on of a good childhood friend and to catch four touchdown passes, it was a good night.”
• Dayton City League teams Dunbar, Meadowdale and Thurgood Marshall all play on Saturday. Dunbar is at Aiken (6 p.m.) and Meadowdale at Hughes (1:30 p.m.). Thurgood hosts Cincinnati Gamble Montessori at Welcome Stadium (7 p.m.).
• Finally, Fairmont volleyball player Kayla Morris provided a big hit in last week’s match against visiting Springboro. Spectator Bob O’Brien posted a video of Kayla singing the national anthem. Nothing unusual in that. What makes it a hit was Kayla stepped up to perform after a pre-recorded version of the Star-Spangled Banner malfunctioned.
Those in attendance at Trent Arena gave Kayla a rousing ovation afterward. O’Brien posted a video of Kayla singing to his Facebook page. That can be seen on whio.com. Springboro won the match in three games.
About the Author