Columbus South
Visit ThisWeekNews.com for Live Friday Night Football Coverage
Coach determined to build on success
By SCOTT GERFEN
ThisWeek Contributor
A former player at Columbus South
High School, football coach Jeramie
Carter is determined to bring City
League prominence back to his alma
mater.
But he’s not about to talk up last
season’s finish at 6-4 overall and 4-3
in the City-South Division behind
Marion-Franklin (7-0) and Eastmoor
(5-2) and ahead of Independence (4-
3), West (3-4), Walnut Ridge (3-4),
Africentric (2-5) and Briggs (0-7).
“As a first-year coach it felt good
to get to 6-4, but I wasn’t satisfied,”
said Carter, who took over a program
that went 4-6 in 2005. “I think my
school and my kids deserve more. We
lost some close games, so we could’ve
easily been 8-2. We just want to be
better.”
The Bulldogs were loaded with
senior talent last season that included
defensive stars Luther Missick (60
tackles, seven sacks), Brandon Joiner
Walnut Ridge
‘Confident’ Scots
enter season with
high expectations
By SCOTT GERFEN
ThisWeek Contributor
When Byron Mattox took over the
football program at Walnut Ridge
High School last season, he figured Key players: Zakee Bashir, Alphonzo
the Scots might be a year away from
making a run at the City League-
South Division title.
“Last year I don’t think they were
100 percent sure we could get it
done,” said Mattox, whose team will
Central Ohio High School Football Preview ’07 • August 22, 2007
open Friday at St. Charles. “But a lot
of our guys wrestled over the winter
and they had some success at that
and other sports.
“All that kind of carries over, so I Sept. 28.......Eastmoor................Away
hope we have a pretty confident bunch Oct. 5...........Briggs.....................Away
coming in.”
The Scots return 11 starters —
seven on defense and four on offense
— after finishing 4-6 overall and
3-4 in the league to tie West behind
Marion-Franklin (7-0), Eastmoor
(5-2), South (4-3) and Independence
(4-3) and ahead of Africentric (2-5)
and Briggs (0-7).
After losing four of its first five Africentric ..............................L, 16-13
games, Walnut Ridge won three of
its final five contests, including deci- Independence .........................W, 21-6
sions over South (7-0) and Indepen-
dence (21-6).
Mattox, a longtime defensive coor-
dinator at Beechcroft, has worked to
change the mindset of expecting to
lose against tough competition among
his players.
It showed last season, even in a last game.
21-14 loss to Division II playoff-qual- “These guys were able to experi-
60 ifier Marion-Franklin in the next-to- ence tough games every week,” Mat-
At a glance
COLUMBUS SOUTH BULLDOGS
Colors: Blue and gray
Coach: Jeramie Carter, second season
Key players: Marcus Allen, James Bradley,
Dominique Chandler, DeShawn Farr, Ky’Ayre
Hubert, Shamaal Russell, DeVonte Sher-
wood, Demetris Womack, Romando Wor-
thington
On the Web: columbus.k12.oh.us/
south_high/index.html
2007 SCHEDULE
Aug. 24 ........Cincinnati Aiken .........Away
Aug. 31 ........Linden.......................Away
Sept. 7.........Whetstone.................Away
Sept. 14.......Independence............Away
Sept. 21.......Eastmoor.................Home
Be a champion for life — donate blood!
1-800-GIVE-LIFE S www.BloodSavesLives.org
(68 tackles) and Alexis Vaughn (58
tackles) as well as running back Ste-
fan Gregory, who rushed for 1,099
yards on 135 carries and scored 11
touchdowns.
At a glance
WALNUT RIDGE SCOTS
Colors: Red, gray and white
Coach: Byron Mattox, second season
Berry, Alvin Busbee, Thomas Douglas,
Anthony Gamble, Chris Harvey, Glenn
Hicks, Darius Jones, Kamrin Kimbrough,
Brandon Rice, Lamar Ross, La’Velle
Steans and Willie Tatum
On the Web: columbus.k12.oh.us/wal-
nut_ridge/index.html
2007 SCHEDULE
Aug. 24 ........St. Charles .............Away
Aug. 31 ........Westland ................Away
Sept. 7.........Mifflin ...................Home
Sept. 14.......Marion-Franklin .......Away
Sept. 21.......West.....................Home
Oct. 12.........Africentric..............Home
Oct. 19.........South .....................Away
Oct. 26.........Independence .......Home
2006 RESULTS
(4-6 overall, 3-4 City-North)
Pickerington North....................L, 21-7
Northland ...............................W, 19-0
Brookhaven ...........................L, 28-12
West .......................................L, 13-6
Eastmoor...............................L, 32-14
Briggs.....................................W, 37-0
South .......................................W, 7-0
Marion-Franklin ......................L, 21-14
BE THE ONE to
champion
life for patients in need.
1-800-GIVE-LIFE
BloodSavesLives.org
Sept. 28.......Briggs......................Home
Oct. 5...........Africentric..................Away
Oct. 12.........West .........................Away
Oct. 19.........Walnut Ridge............Home
Oct. 26.........Marion-Franklin.........Home
2006 RESULTS
(6-4 overall, 4-3 City-South)
Medina Buckeye .......................L, 14-12
East ...................................W, 16-8 (OT)
Linden.....................................W, 29-12
Eastmoor ...................................L, 26-0
Briggs .....................................W, 40-12
Africentric ................................W, 32-24
West .........................................W, 19-7
Walnut Ridge ................................L, 7-0
Independence............................W, 38-8
Marion-Franklin .........................L, 21-13
“We’ve got a lot of new additions
this year who I think are really going
to shake things up, but they’re young,”
said Carter, whose team opens Friday
at Cincinnati Aiken. “It’s one of those
The Scots’ Thomas Douglas walks back to the huddle after making a tackle Aug. 11 against Northland.
tox said. “Every week in the fourth
quarter we were in the game.
“We lost to Marion-Franklin in the
final two minutes of the game. It was
a big lift and these guys have bought
into what we want to do.”
The Scots, like a year ago, appear
to be strongest on defense as they
held opponents to 13.7 points per
game.
Leaders on defense include senior
defensive backs Thomas Douglas
(second-team all-City), Lamar Ross
(first-team all-City) and Glenn Hicks,
junior free safety Chris Harvey, junior
linebackers La’Velle Steans and
Kamrin Kimbrough and sophomore
defensive end Willie Tatum, who
was a City League champion in
wrestling.
“We’ve got a lot of experience this
year and we know how to read and
experience things that I hope we will
get in the scrimmages.”
South looks to be most experienced
on defense, where it returns seven
starters who held opponents to 13.7
points per game — second-best in the
league behind Marion-Franklin (9.4).
Among them is senior MarcusAllen
(6-foot-3, 245 pounds), a versatile per-
former who plays linebacker, quar-
terback and tight end. He dropped 10
pounds in the offseason and report-
edly can run 40 yards in 4.5 seconds.
“We’ve got a lot of young kids so
it’s going to be kind of tough, but I
think we’re going to work through it,”
Allen said. “I’ve really been working
on my speed, form and footwork. I
think it’s going to be a better year for
me.”
Others expected to be leaders on
defense include junior linebacker
DeShawn Farr (5-9, 185), senior defen-
sive end Romando Worthington (6-2,
215), junior lineman Ky’Ayre Hubert
(6-1, 330) and defensive backs James
Bradley (5-9, 159), Shamaal Russell
react,” Harvey said. “We’ve been
putting in a lot of hard work in the
offseason.”
Walnut Ridge might need a strong
defense as it nurtures first-year junior
quarterbackAlvin Busbee, the replace-
ment for Dion Sink, who completed
66 of 140 passes for 1,006 yards and
nine touchdowns.
Mattox expects to run multiple sets
in his offensive scheme, but doesn’t
want to throw too much at Busbee
all at once.
“He’s an intelligent player who
takes care of the football,” he said.
“He can throw it when we need to
throw it. He’s lacking in experience,
but I think he’s played enough over
the past couple of years that he’s ready
to go in and take command of the
position.”
Others at the skill positions include
(5-6, 165) and Demetris Womack (5-
8, 155).
Bradley, a senior, came into camp
as one of the top receivers along with
his classmate Womack.
Russell, sophomore DeVonte Sher-
wood and Dominique Chandler (6-0,
205), a transfer from Franklin Heights,
will get most of the carries in the back-
field. When starter Robert Harris went
out with a season-ending injury last
year, Russell and Sherwood combined
for 550 yards.
“I’m expecting a lot from our back-
field this year,” Carter said. “Russell
goes by the nickname ‘Sub Zero.’He’s
one of those running backs who use
fakes and freezes.”
The Bulldogs drop down a division
this season from II to III.
“We’re actually going to play four
Division I teams this year so I think
we have a tremendous chance to shake
things up,” Carter said. “With us play-
ing that many Division I schools it’s
only going to help us points-wise for
the playoffs.”
. . . .
By Chris Parker/ThisWeek
Brandon Rice, a junior tailback who
made a few starts last season and
rushed for 165 yards and a touch-
down against Independence.
Gamble was second-team all-City
at receiver with more than 15 catches
for nearly 300 yards.
Senior receiver Darius Johns played
in just one game last season after he
broke his collarbone.
Three-year starter Alphonzo Berry
(6-foot, 330) will anchor the line at
center along with junior Zakee Bashir
(6-2, 225), who starts at tackle and
defensive end.
“Last year, I think we went into
some games thinking we were going
to win and we really didn’t work as
hard in practice,” Gamble said.
“This year we want to take one
game at a time and hopefully come
out with a win every Friday.”