Groveport-Madison

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At a glance
Big jump in numbers GAHANNA LINCOLN LIONS
Colors: Blue and gold
Coach: Mike Lanza, 13th season
Key players: Aaron Breitfeller, Matt Donaldson, Kevin
Guthrie, Darius Reeves, K.C. Sparks and Elliott Williams
Oct. 26 ..............Newark ..............................Home
2006 RESULTS
(8-4 overall, 3-2 OCC-Ohio)
Mifflin........................................................W, 40-0

for Cruisers sparks

On the Web: gahannaschools.com
2007 SCHEDULE
Aug. 24..............Mifflin ................................Home
Aug. 31..............Upper Arlington ..................Home
Marion Harding ........................................W, 14-13
Dublin Coffman.........................................L, 35-19
Reynoldsburg .............................................W, 38-7
Dublin Jerome............................................W, 35-7
Westland ..................................................L, 40-28

rising expectations
Sept. 7...............Olentangy Liberty .................Away
Sept. 14 ............Reynoldsburg.......................Away
Sept. 21 ............Dublin Jerome....................Home
Sept. 28 ............Westland ...........................Home
Oct. 5 ................Groveport ............................Away
Oct. 12 ..............Hilliard Darby .....................Home
By JEREMY STEWART
ThisWeek Staff Writer At a glance Oct. 19 ..............Lancaster............................Away
Groveport ................................................W, 42-19
Hilliard Darby ...........................................W, 24-14
Lancaster ...................................................L, 34-3
Newark......................................................W, 32-0
PLAYOFFS
Lancaster ................................................W, 33-28
Dublin Coffman.........................................L, 35-23

Last season, Kevin Castle often would line
up as one of the two halfbacks in a wing-T for-
mation for the Groveport-Madison High School
football team, trying to help the offense get a
first down.
If it didn’t, Castle stayed on the field to play
safety on defense. If he was successful in help-
ing the defensive unit force a punt, then he would
go back to field it.
In short, Castle was one of a handful of play-
ers who were relied on to play the entire game.
But things have changed in the locker room.
Before a scrimmage against Delaware on
Aug. 10, it was packed with so many players
that when fifth-year coach Tim Brown asked
the seniors to meet in the cafeteria, they had to
step between arms, legs and torsos. The
obstacles couldn’t have made Castle happier.
“It’s nice to know that if I’m tired someone
can come in,” said Castle, whose team opens
Friday at Pickerington North. “(Brown) can give
me a rest, and someone can come in and give
110 percent still and still get the job done.”
The Cruisers have 80 players in the program,
with a few more expected as transfer papers are
finalized for prospective students. Last year
Groveport started the season with 49 players,
but because of injury and eligibility issues that
number had dropped to 34 by season’s end.
As the numbers diminished, so did Grove-
port’s ability to win. After opening 2-0, includ-
ing a 29-7 win over eventual Division II play-
off qualifier Marion-Franklin, the Cruisers fin-
ished 3-7 overall. They were fifth in the OCC-
Ohio Division at 1-4 behind Lancaster (5-0),
Westland (4-1), Gahanna (3-2) and Hilliard
Darby (2-3) and ahead of Newark (0-5).
“The coaching staff got together and we
decided the biggest problem that we had is num-
bers,” Brown said. “(The players) work hard,
but they played offense, defense and special
teams and they never came off the field and we
knew that that was a problem. We went to the
GROVEPORT-MADISON CRUISERS
Colors: Red and black
Coach: Tim Brown, fifth season
Key players: B.J. Camden, Scott Castle, Scott Chap-
man, Tyler Dugan, Max Hoyt, Brandon King, Brian
Martin and Seth Nelson
On the Web: gocruisers.org
2007 SCHEDULE
Aug. 24..............Pickerington North .............Away
Aug. 31..............Dublin Jerome..................Home
Sept. 7...............Pickerington Central .........Home
Sept. 14 ............Marysville .........................Away
Sept. 21 ............Reynoldsburg...................Home
Sept. 28 ............Lancaster .........................Away
Oct. 5 ................Gahanna .........................Home
Oct. 12 ..............Westland ..........................Away
Oct. 19 ..............Newark .............................Away
Oct. 26 ..............Hilliard Darby ...................Home
2006 RESULTS
(3-7 overall, 1-4 OCC-Ohio)
Marion-Franklin........................................W, 29-7
Dublin Jerome.........................................W, 14-8
Pickerington Central .................................L, 35-7
Marysville ..............................................L, 41-20
Eastlake North.......................................L, 17-14
Lancaster ..............................................L, 47-21
Gahanna ...............................................L, 42-19
Westland ...............................................L, 48-28
Newark ...................................................W, 41-7
Hilliard Darby .........................................L, 21-6å
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get the bulk of the carries, the coaches main-
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GAHANNA
Continued from page 10
senior Blake Hickey were still in contention for
the starting spot, and Lanza said a two-quar-
terback rotation was a possibility.
Junior Ryan Ballenger was the backup last
season but could not practice for much of the
preseason because of a hairline fracture in his
back. Senior guard Kevin Guthrie is the only
returning starter on the offensive line, although
seniors Seamus Garvey, Alex Friend and Josh
McCaskey all started a few games. Reeves said
he’s been impressed with how the offensive line
has progressed, and he said their play may deter-
mine much of the Lions’ success.
“Our offensive line, that’s our main focus,”
Reeves said. “That’s what’s going to make or By Karen Carter/ThisWeek
break our season. We have to control the line Earl Cunningham prepares to catches a
of scrimmage.” kick during the preseason. The Lions open
Defensively, the Lions will return most of
their back seven from a year ago. Jake Hart-
Friday at home against Mifflin.
sook, Breitfeller, Reeves, Sparks, Williams and good as your front four.”
Ballenger all started or played significantly in As important as an OCC-Ohio title or a trip
the defensive backfield. At linebacker, seniors past the regional semifinal is, Lanza said suc-
Matt Donaldson, Guthrie and White started part cess is not based solely on victories
or all of last season. “We’re really not setting a whole lot of goals
McCaskey returns at nose tackle, but the chal- for our program this year. We’re trying to set a
lenge will be filling the other three vacant spots purpose. Our purpose is for our young men to
along the defensive line. be better men and better players at the end of
“We had a really good front four last year, the season than they are at the beginning of the
so we have our work cut out for us there,” Lanza season. So many times, goals have a beginning
said. “You know, your back seven is only as and an end. Purposes don’t really have an end.”

August 22, 2007 • Central Ohio High School Football Preview ’07
administration and asked for some help and did
some brainstorming.”
Brown sent letters to every male student in
the school asking them to consider playing foot-
ball. The coaching staff also held two meetings
Good Luck
Groveport Madison
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to promote interest in the football program. They

also formed study tables and workout groups
that met three days a week from last January
until the end of the school year.
Now the 13 seniors who never have experi- Check on your rivals
GREEN & SONS, LTD. What kind of
enced a winning season think they have a shot
Good Meet the new coach
ThisWeekNews.com

to be the first winning team since 1988. season will it be?

“We didn’t have injuries in the beginning,” See award-winning
senior offensive lineman Tyler Nuckles said. “It
helped keep players fresh when you have 40
guys and you don’t have injuries.”
Scott Chapman threw three touchdown passes
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in that game. This year as a senior, he will enter
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his second season as starting quarterback with sports in central Ohio.
sophomore Aaron McKenzie as the backup. Mt. Sterling
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One of his favorite targets was tight end B.J. for in-depth coverage.
Camden, who had three touchdown receptions sports coverage, 740-888-6000
last year, including two against Westland. Cam- every day.
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den returns as a senior to lead a group of tight

ends that includes juniors Jordan Elmore and
Victor Wayman. CRUISERS! ThisWeekNews.com ThisWeekNews.com
11
Although senior fullback Nick Goodrich will