'06 OH QB Miles Schlichter (Ashland signee)

[kn1f3party]

I just watched his highlight reels--I'm a slackass. I have to say, Miles is quite the gamer. He has excellent pocket presence and great vision. There are many times you think he is going to be sacked and he finds a way out of the mess, often getting the ball downfield to a receiver. I'd like to see the Buckeyes offer Miles because he could really make an impact. Imagine the legacy that would leave!

 

[osugrad21]

Scout $

7/18

Miles said he was most impressed with Miami (OH) and Michigan State during his camping tour this summer.

 

[osugrad21]

Rivals $

7/19

Miles does not hold any offers and is being recruited the hardest by West Virginia, Marshall, and Miami (Ohio).

 

[wadc45]

Rivals $

8/2/05

From Rivals.com...Miles will visit Marshall in August.

 

[osugrad21]

Columbus Dispatch

8/10

Carrying the burden of his famous name High-school quarterback Miles Schlichter doesn 't shy away from comparisons to his famous uncle, Art — nor does he allow the taunts and insults to bother him


Wednesday, August 10, 2005
Ken Gordon
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

ERIC ALBRECHT | DISPATCH
A photo of Art Schlichter, who threw for 4,397 yards in high school, still hangs in the hallway at Miami Trace.

ERIC ALBRECHT | DISPATCH
Miles Schlichter stands next to the No. 10 worn by his uncle Art in the Miami Trace trophy case.

‘‘Some people are not going to like this kid or family because of their last name. Somehow they feel maybe Art had wronged them or the community." JEFF CONROY Miami Trace coach


The taunts come raining down from the stands almost every game:

‘‘Where’s your uncle?" kids and adults alike yell at Miles Schlichter, a 17-year-old quarterback for Miami Trace High School.

The answers are many:


• Art Schlichter is enshrined in a trophy case in the hallways of his and Miles’ school. Art was one of Ohio’s great schoolboy quarterbacks and a prized recruit of former Ohio State coach Woody Hayes.


• Art Schlichter is in prison, again, housed in the Medaryville (Ind.) Correctional Facility, due out in May 2008. It is the latest incarceration for a man whose gambling addiction has so far ruined his life.


• Art Schlichter is an invisible burden on the back of his nephew Miles, who has had to live with the comparisons on the field and the stigma associated with the name.

So, really, his uncle is everywhere. There is no avoiding him.

‘‘Anywhere you go in Ohio, you say your last name in a restaurant or you’re at the mall and someone sees your last name, everyone is going to say stuff," Miles said recently, taking a break from the MAX Elite Quarterback Camp in Dublin. ‘‘Growing up, I’m used to it, I heard it all the time. You get the nice people who say a lot of nice things and you get maybe a handful, (a) couple of bad ones that will say some bad stuff, but you’ve just got to let that go.

‘‘That’s their problem. If they want to be rude and if they want to say some things that are going to try to put another kid down, especially adults, that’s their business. You’ve just got to be more mature than them."

He speaks calmly, maintains eye contact, and seems wise beyond his years. That’s what being a Schlichter has done to him, and for him.

‘‘It’s been tough," said his coach, Jeff Conroy, ‘‘but it’s made him a better person."

Miles says, ‘‘I grew up real quick. A lot of things life can throw at me, I’ve been ready for. I grew up wanting stuff to come at me fast, and it has."

Art Schlichter has deeply affected his home community in and around Washington Court House and Fayette County. First, he brought fame. Folks are proud that he started at OSU as a freshman, holds the Buckeyes’ record for career passing yards and was the No. 4 overall pick in the 1982 NFL draft.

But his problems also brought infamy, and resentment.

‘‘Some people are not going to like this kid or family because of their last name," Conroy said. ‘‘Somehow they feel maybe Art had wronged them or the community."

Miles signed up for this when he chose to be a quarterback. The comparisons now would be brutally direct.

His father, John, a state representative and Art’s older brother, talked to Miles about his choice of positions.

‘‘I pointed out what was going to happen, but that was his choice," John said. ‘‘He’s always been the kid who wanted the ball in his hands. He was a catcher growing up in baseball, too.

‘‘Miles is proud of Art. He did a lot of great things on the field, but yet he’s had an illness. A lot of people still remember the things he did on the field, and Miles wants to try to do those things.

‘‘It’s not something he’s intimidated by. He’s taken it as a challenge."

In the second game of his freshman year, Miles was tabbed to start. Division III Trace was playing at Division I Olentangy, and the Braves were opening a new stadium.

Schlichter threw four interceptions. After the third, he came to the sideline in tears.

‘‘He was looking at me and I said, ‘This is what you wanted, wasn’t it? Go out and take it,’ " Conroy said. ‘‘He had to toughen up on the run."

Heading home that night, John told Miles that Art’s first start as an OSU freshman also ended in disaster — five interceptions in a loss to Penn State.

During the past two seasons, Trace is 18-3, and Miles was named first-team All-Ohio last season when he threw 19 touchdown passes against just four interceptions.

With a senior season still to come, Miles is in easy reach of Art’s high-school total of 4,397 passing yards.

‘‘I kind of say, ‘OK, compare. Do it. See what you get,’ " Miles said. ‘‘I’m not second behind him. I’ll take any comparison anyone wants to give me. I want to be better than him."

He won’t get the chance to compare Ohio State records with his uncle, though. The Buckeyes recently got a commitment from Georgia quarterback Antonio Henton and likely won’t sign another quarterback for 2006.

Miles, 6 feet 2, 205 pounds, is looking at a number of Mid-American Conference schools and possibly some from the Big Ten, as well.

He has met Art and said he gets occasional pointers from him.

‘‘My grandma (Mila) sends him clippings from papers and he sends them back and says, ‘Look at your elbow, look at your feet,’ " Miles said. ‘‘He helps."

Still, the effect of Art’s troubles ripple through the family and the town. Shortly after Miles had that forgettable first start in 2002, his grandfather Max, father of John and Art, was found dead in a swimming pool in his Columbus home.

It was ruled a suicide. Miles was devastated.

‘‘We were really close, that’s a hard thing for me," he said, wiping away tears. ‘‘He came to everything, and then next thing you know he saw me start my first start and he’s gone. It was rough. But I know he’s watching me."

Maybe it shouldn’t be shocking to learn that Miles was taunted about his grandfather’s death, as well.

‘‘I’m used to any way a kid can put me down, he’s going to put me down," Miles said. ‘‘It’s to the point where my friends are like, ‘You’re not going to do anything about that, you’re not going to say anything back to them?’

‘‘And I say, ‘Why? That’s your fault. If you want to be like that, I’m going to be the bigger person.’ "

Miles is asked if he ever wished he had a different last name, if he didn’t have to live with Art’s legacy. Poised and thoughtful, his answer is not surprising.

‘‘I have a great family," he said. ‘‘Even my uncle Art, I wouldn’t trade him for anything. He’s helped me through a lot, and if not good, he’s helped me through the bad, to realize that’s not where I want to be.

‘‘It’s been a blessing."

[email protected]

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

great read........I am rooting for this kid to get a shot at OSU, but I don't think that is in the cards, but I will follow his career in college.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

jjhuddle

8/25/05



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Welcome to opening day … er opening night!!

There will be a smattering of high school football games across the state this evening with most of the state’s 700-plus football playing schools getting into action Friday and Saturday.

For the third year in a row, we will be presenting the Ohio High’s Man of the Year award in football. The inaugural winner in 2003 was Cleveland Glenville’s Ted Ginn Jr., now at Ohio State. The 2004 winner, Akron Hoban’s Tyrell Sutton, now at Northwestern, ended his career as the leading rusher in Ohio prep history.

Who will step forward to win Ohio High’s Man of the Year award as well as the Mr. Football award, presented annually by The Associated Press?

We have a worthy list of candidates to keep an eye on. Here we go:

* Chris Wells, RB, Akron Garfield – The 6-2, 225-pound Wells rushed for 1,939 yards and scored 20 TDs as a junior. He is rated as Ohio High’s top prospect in the state and is considered one of the nation’s top five prospects overall by Scout.com. This Ohio State verbal says his goal is 3,000 yards. If he gets there, Garfield would be a certain playoff contender and Wells would likely have made his case.

* Rudy Kirbus, QB, Cleveland St. Ignatius – The 6-4, 200-pound Kirbus will have every opportunity to shine, piloting what could end up being the state’s best Division I team. He threw for 1,437 yards and 18 TDs last year. And he’ll be throwing to Notre Dame verbal (and longtime target) Robby Parris.

* Mike McGee, QB, Columbus Brookhaven – The 6-1, 190-pound McGee was the driving force behind Brookhaven’s Division II state championship team with 1,902 yards passing and 22 TDs. If Brookhaven succeeds in jump up to Division I, McGee could get a serious look.

* Jahmal Brown, RB, Cleveland Benedictine – The 5-10, 190-pound Brown rushed for 1,894 yards and scored 21 TDs in helping lead Benedictine to the Division III state title.

* Miles Schlichter, QB, Washington C.H. Miami Trace – The 6-1, 210-pound Schlichter led Trace to a 10-0 regular season in 2004. He threw for 1,790 yards and 19 TDs and also rushed for 620 yards and four scores a year ago.

* Nate Davis, QB, Bellaire – The 6-3, 220-pound Davis threw for over 2,000 yards and 26 TDs in 2004. If Bellaire can again advance to the playoffs, Davis may be a name to keep in mind for postseason honors.

* Mike Hartline, QB, Canton GlenOak – The 6-5, 190-pound Hartline threw for 2,400 yards and 16 TDs in 2004. If he can cut down on 18 interceptions and if GlenOak can solve crosstown rival Canton McKinley and go deep in the playoffs, Hartline might be a strong awards candidate.

* Connor Smith, OL, Cincinnati Colerain – Awards like this rarely go to linemen. They just don’t have those appealing stats. But the 6-5, 295-pound Smith is considered one of the nation’s top 25 college prospects. He has already verbaled to Ohio State.

* Kurt Coleman, CB, Clayton Northmont – The 5-11, 190-pound Coleman came up big for Northmont last year with 91 tackles and 10 interceptions. If he can lead Northmont to the playoffs, Coleman would have to be an awards candidate. He has already verbaled to Ohio State.

* Ross Homan, RB-LB, Coldwater – Homan had over 140 tackles for Coldwater’s No. 1-ranked Division IV team. He also is a standout in the backfield. He has already verbaled to Ohio State.

* Devon Torrence, junior, RB-DB, Canton South – The 6-1, 180-pound Torrence is the state’s top-rated junior and may be that class’ best chance to steal the award away from the seniors. He rushed for over 1,000 yards and scored 20 touchdowns last year as a sophomore.





* Anthony Elzy, RB, Warren JFK – Elzy rushed for over 2,500 yards a year ago at JFK.

* Delone Carter, RB, Copley – Carter was in the 2,000-yard range last year for Copley.

Preseason Predictions

OK, with the games starting tonight, I will share my state championship picks and a dark horse in each division. Here goes:

Division I – Cleveland St. Ignatius gets a record 10<SUP>th</SUP> title, defeating Columbus Brookhaven in the title game. Cincinnati Moeller, which hasn’t been to the state final four since 1997, is my dark horse.

Division II – Dublin Scioto drops down from D-I. I like Scioto to down Avon Lake in the title game. My dark horse is Springboro with a ton of seniors.

Division III – Until somebody beats Cleveland Benedictine, this is their division. They go for three in a row and I think they beat Columbus DeSales to get it. My others to watch would be a toss-up between Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit and Mentor Lake Catholic.

Division IV – I like Coldwater to finally break through and win the state title, beating Youngstown Ursuline in the title game. My dark horse would be Bellaire – provided it can get past nearby Martins Ferry (finally).

Division V – It would be foolish to bet against St. Henry and Versailles, right? St. Henry hosts Versailles in the game of the year in this division on Oct. 21. St. Henry is the defending champ, but Versailles drops down from D-IV where it was the runner-up last year. I’ll take Versailles for the title. Hamler Patrick Henry is another one to watch.

Division VI – Defending champ Dola Hardin Northern is again the pick, but look out for D-V dropouts Delphos St. John’s and Liberty Center.

Good luck to your team in 2005 and he’s hoping they go all the way!
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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Schlichter threw for 140 yards and a TD and also had TD runs of 20 and 47 yards in a 28-7 win over Circleville.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

LINK

9/20/05

<TABLE cellSpacing=5 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD align=left>[FONT=ARIAL, SANS SERIF]It’s good![/FONT]
[FONT=ARIAL, SANS SERIF]Smith and Sollars have record-setting days in Panthers win[/FONT]
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[FONT=ARIAL, SANS SERIF]David Morgan[/FONT]
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<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD align=left>[FONT=ARIAL, SANS SERIF]What's the prescription for what ailed the Miami Trace Panthers the last two weeks?

Apparently, it is a dose of Dominique, a drive by Miles, and a kick or four from Brad.

Dominique Smith set a school record with 39 carries, Brad Sollars set another with four field goals, and Miles Schlichter drove the Panthers down the field for a game-tying field goal, then into position for the game-winner in overtime as Miami Trace broke a two-game losing streak with an 18-15 win.

"At this stage of the game, this (win) is probably as big as I have ever had," Panthers coach Jeff Conroy said. "We beat a great football team tonight. We beat the seventh-ranked team in the State of Ohio."

For three-plus quarters, they not only beat them, they dominated them. The Panthers defense held the Pioneers scoreless for 41 minutes, and Dominique Smith and the offensive line pounded the ball down their throats. Smith had 68 first-half yards, and 144 for the game, as Miami Trace ran the ball consistently, and kept it away from the Pioneers offense.

"The linemen told me they would open the holes for me," Smith said. "All I had to do was run through them. They opened the holes, they did their job, and I did what I had to do."

Two first-half Sollars field goals, and a Smith scoring dive in the third quarter had the Panthers up 12-0, and feeling pretty good, but it started to unravel late in the final stanza.

The Pioneers took advantage of a 2-yard Miles Schlichter punt to climb back in the game. Starting at the Miami Trace 18, quarterback Austin Schlosser found Zach Fleming on a 15-yard pass to get the ball down to the two, and Andrew Toll took the ball over on the next play to cut the gap to 12-7, the extra point made it 12-7 with 2:59 remaining, setting up an onside kick.

The squib kick bounced right for the Panthers, who had a good chance to field it, but the ball bounced off of their man, and the Pioneers came up with it in the scramble at midfield.

Jonathan Alder had 51 yards to go in just under three minutes, and moved quickly, as Brad Miller ran around the right end for 16 yards to the Trace 29. After two incompletions, and a stop by the Panthers defense on an inside carry by Toll, Schlosser threw a quick backwards pass to wide receiver Fleming, who launched a pass to Zack Page at the 2 -yard line. Page made the catch, and launched himself into the touchdown for the score.

Trace then had 80 yards to go with under two minutes remaining, and Miles Schlichter marched them down the field, hitting three straight passes to get the ball to the Miami Trace 44, then scrambling 19 yards on fourth and 15 to keep the drive alive.

He found Mathew Marting on a two passes, sandwiched between a Pioneers sack, and a penalty for intentional grounding. The second pass put the ball at the 15 with 28.6 seconds left, giving the Panthers just enough time to get the field goal team onto the field for Sollar's 34-yard field goal with one second left on the clock.

As the teams prepared for overtime, it was not Conroy, but Schlichter who pulled the Panthers aside, and talked to them.

"I just said, 'Guys, this is our second overtime game this year. This is a great group of kids, I love you all to death. If we come together, and we play with heart, we've got this,'" the senior quarterback said after the win. "That's all we had to do. I told them, 'No mistakes. From here on out, it's seven games in a row we've got to win, and that's what we're going to do.'"

The defense came with the stop first in overtime, forcing a fumble on a third and long to end the Pioneers possession. The Panthers then ran Smith three times to the 11-yard line, setting up Sollar's game-winning 27-yard field goal.

Without a doubt, the first of the two pressure field goals was toughest, according to the senior kicker. "The one to tie was (more pressure). I didn't even take the steps I needed to take. I just got back there and kicked it. I didn't even have to think about it."

Trace improves to 2-2 on the season, and begins SCOL play next week at Clinton-Massie (4-0), who upended Hillsboro on Friday night. It will likely be their second-straight game against a ranked opponent.
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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

link

9/23/05

<TABLE cellSpacing=5 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD align=left>[FONT=ARIAL, SANS SERIF]Panthers show heart in win, now face unbeaten Falcons[/FONT]
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[FONT=ARIAL, SANS SERIF]David Morgan[/FONT]
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<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD align=left>[FONT=ARIAL, SANS SERIF]For two weeks, Miami Trace had had to figure out how to come back from a tough loss. That problem is gone, but now the Panthers need to figure out how to get up for a ranked team two weeks in a row.

They figured out that it was hard work, good football and a lot of heart. They showed they are capable of all of that in last week's 18-15 overtime win over previously unbeaten Jonathan Alder.

Now, they have to do it all again.

And this time, they have to do it on the road.

On Friday night, the Panthers, ranked 10th in Division II, region 8, and within shouting distance of the all-important eighth spot and a playoff berth, head to Clarksville to take on Clinton-Massie. The Falcons have started their first year in the SCOL with a bang, going 4-0, last week handling previously unbeaten Hillsboro 27-14.

Even more impressively, the Falcons have gone 4-0 with all four games on the road. They certainly don't want that streak to end on their home field.

"This is another big game, it's our first league game, and a tremendous challenge for a first league game," coach Jeff Conroy said. "It's a team that is undefeated, first in the region, and ranked 11th in the state. And they are playing at home for the first time."

The Panthers have had a good week of practice, building on the overtime win against Jonathan Alder last week. After two frustrating weeks, Miami Trace knows what it takes to win, and to beat a quality team. It's something Conroy feels confident they can do again Friday.

"You saw a different Miami Trace team last week. From that first snap of the football game we played very solid football. The difference was our offensive and defensive lines, and they have to play well if we are going to win again."

Despite the disparity in records, this may be the matchup of the two best teams in the league. Clinton-Massie has had several playoff appearances over the last five or six years, and is used to battling for conference titles. They expect that to continue in the SCOL.

As for the Panthers, well, Conroy said it best when he said, "We are defending SCOL champs, and we take that seriously. These kids expect to win it again, and are working to win it."

The Falcons have used the big play to get the lead in their four games, and a stout defense to maintain it. They have also shown an ability to grind the ball out on the ground as well, making the Panthers' line play even more important.

"Their kids have a lot of the same goals, same desires." Conroy said of the Falcons. "Right now they are looking for an undefeated season."

An undefeated season —something the Panthers accomplished last season — would make Clinton-Massie's entry into the SCOL a memorable one indeed. But that's something the Panthers would take pride in ending.

"I think its going to be a very highly emotional football game, especially at the start," Conroy said. "You have to work through those emotions, and play a good solid football game."

Except for a wind-blown punt, and a bad bounce on the onsides kick, the ending last week could have been far less hectic than it was. For a majority of the game, the Trace offensive and defensive lines controlled the game.

That line play, and strong running from Dominque Smith kept the Pioneers' weapons off the field.

"The fact is that we played well for 3 quarters and 8 minutes," Conroy said. "Things got crazy for two minutes, then we played well for a minute and a half.

"It was a big win for us. I thought we played well, and then we responded to adversity."

They did just that, and found that in different situations, they could rely on different players, different pieces of the team puzzle, to do their jobs and make the win possible.

The lines and Smith helped them get the lead. Miles Schlichter and the air attack moved them down the field quickly when they absolutely had to, and Brad Sollars came through with every field goal, from the routine to the pressure-filled overtime kick, and most importantly, to the hectic pace of the last-second regulation kick.

"We thought we found that nice mix last week," Conroy said. "We played good solid football, played aggressive, played a good football game. Our kids know what it takes to do that again, and what it takes to beat a good football team."º
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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

link

9/29/05

ADAMS TOWNSHIP — It was the tale of two halves Friday between the Clinton-Massie and Miami Trace high school football teams... and the winner of the second half won the game.

After trailing 16-14 at halftime, the Panthers came back to beat Massie 37-23 in South Central Ohio League action, giving the Falcons their first loss of the season.

With the win, Trace is now 3-2 on the season while the Falcons fall to 4-1.

"What a great second half," said Trace head coach Jeff Conroy. "We gave up the TD at the end of the first half. Offensively, we felt really good because we didn't feel they stopped us. We mixed the pass and the run up. Our kids played well and in the second half ... I think the difference was our defense. It was just a great win for us."

Dominique Smith sealed the game for Trace with a punt return for 83 yards in the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach for the Falcons. Smith led his team in rushing with 131 yards. The Miami Trace passing game was kept the team in the contest, though. Miles Schlichter threw for 195 yards while Mathew Marting led receivers with 131 yards and three touchdowns.

"We played one heck of a game — that was the best effort we have put in all year. We came out ready to play but it just didn't work out for us," said Clinton-Massie head coach Dan McSurley. "They really hurt us with the passing game tonight. We stopped them rushing, they just hooked up on the passing game. They made the plays ... that is the game."

But the first half of the game was much different.

Trace received the kickoff and was forced to punt after Massie's Travis Jones sacked Schlichter for a five-yard loss to make it fourth and 18. The Falcons began their first drive at their own 29 and drove to the Trace 18 on 11 rushing attempts. On fourth and 6, the Falcons opted for the punt and Drew Frey split the uprights from 35-yards out to put CM up 3-0.

The Panthers then received the kickoff and began a drive to the endzone. Schlichter led the series with 22 yards rushing, 38 in the air and the touchdown. Marting made a 29-yard catch in the series while Smith added nine yards. Brad Sollars added the PAT for Trace to take the lead 7-3. The series ran into the second quarter.

Massie battled back on its following possession. After earning 17 yards rushing from Frey, quarterback Tyler Sargent and Tim Schanda, Falcons were within 44 yards of the endzone. Sargent fell back to pass to Kyle Miller. The Panthers were called on pass interference after Miller made the catch for about three yards. With the penalty, Massie was moved to the Trace 29. CM then drove the ball in with Frey finishing the series on a 5-yard carry. His point-after attempt was good to put the Falcons up 10-7.

Trace again was able to capitalize on the following drive. Schlichter hooked up with Marting for two catches and 22 yards. Jacob Mossbarger picked up 11 yards rushing and a first down before Schlichter was sacked for a 9-yard loss. On second and 19, though, Schlichter hit Corey Martin for 36 yards to put the Panthers within 20. They were then moved closer after a Massie offsides call. Schlichter then finished the series with a 15 yard pass to Marting and the TD. Sollars' kick was good and Trace took the lead 14-10 with 57 seconds remaining in the half.

The Falcons proved they could own the half, though. The drive began with a 10-yard loss on penalties for Massie. Frey then picked up eight yards followed by Schanda with five for a first down at the 50. Sargent dropped back and looked for Caleb Medley who received two hands in the middle of the back from Trace's Ryan Knisley. Knisley picked off the pass but was called for pass interference. Massie was given 15 yards and moved to the 35 where Sargent again looked topass to Medley who pulled down the catch and earned the 35-yard TD with 4 seconds remaining in the quarter. Frey's PAT was blocked and the Falcons took the 16-14 advantage into the locker room.

"We knew they were a good football team with the same goals and aspirations as us," said Conroy.

The Panthers opened the second half forcing Massie to a three-and-out. After receiving the punt and starting first and 10 at their own 35, the Panthers picked up 18 yards. Schlichter then ran 34 yards before being stopped at the Massie 19. The quarterback was slow to get up and held his left leg after returning to the huddle, but did not leave the game. After Smith gained 10 more yards on the ground, he lost three on a fumble but managed to recover the ball on the CM 13. Schlichter then hit Marting for 13 yards and the TD. Smith ran in the conversion and the Panthers took the lead 22-10.

On the ensuing Falcon drive, CM was forced to punt after three tries. Trace returned the ball to their 36 to being another scoring drive. Smith gained 13 yards to take his team to their 48. Schlichter then launched a 52-yard pass to Marting for the score. Smith again earned the conversion to put his team up 30-16.

The Falcons tried to stage a comeback on the following drive. Schanda opened the series with a 22-yard run, followed by eight from Frey and five from Cole Ross. Sargent then hit Medley for 29 yards to put the Falcons within 16. Frey carried for three yards and then finished with 13 into the endzone. He added the kick to move within seven, 30-23.

The Falcon defense stiffened on the next drive with hopes regaining the lead. Trace's Smith packed the ball 47 yards on five carries. Schlichter then added a 2-yard pass to Mossbarger to take his team to the CM 28. After a delay of game call against MT, the Panthers lined up on third and 14. Schlichter dropped back to pass only to be sacked by Ross and Ridge Sams.

Trace punted and the Falcons took possession on their own 5-yard line. After earning a first down on runs by Schanda, Frey and Sargent, Massie took first and 10 at their 16. Medley then pulled down a Sargent pass for 29 yards. The Falcon offense sputtered and was forced to punt — and Trace capitalized.

Smith received the punt behind the MT 20 and dodged a host of CM defenders en route to the end zone. Sollars added the kick to give Trace the 37-23 final result.

"That was some great blocking and a kid making a great run. It was big for us," said Conroy.

The Falcons tried to regain offensive momentum with Schanda earning 15-yards on a pass from Sargent. After an incomplete pass, Sargent tried to hit Schanda again, but Trace's Knisley was able to pick off the pass and force the CM defense back onto the field.

The Falcons were, however, able to force Trace to a three-and-out to receive one last chance to score in the game. On the final CM drive, Sargent was incomplete on the first and second down before Frey earned seven yards on a run. The Falcons went for the first won on fourth and three, but Sargent was sacked in the backfield by Nathan Williams to finish the game.

"When we are running and throwing the ball well, that means our offensive and defensive lines are working," said Conroy. "We only had the ball three times in the first half and scored on two of those. I think the difference was we got the ball in our hands a lot more in the second half. Jacob Barker is doing a great job of blocking for Dominique."

McSurley complemented the Panthers.

"They made the plays. You have to hand it to them," said McSurley. "Their quarterback put the ball on the money. They executed and played one heck of a game. The punt hurt us. It was one of those things where we couldn't match up well.

"We are going to regroup. I am real happy with the way our kids are playing. The option really looked good and Tyler was really poised. They have to finish league play. If they stub their toe and we win out we could share it. We are not going to concern ourselves with that, we are just going to take it one game at a time."

McSurley said he was proud of the effort of his defensive linemen Josh Smith, Jesse Gilliam, Jones and Schanda.

link

9/29/05

<TABLE width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD align=left>[FONT=ARIAL, SANS SERIF]David Morgan[/FONT]
[FONT=ARIAL, SANS SERIF]Sports Editor[/FONT]
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<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD align=left>[FONT=ARIAL, SANS SERIF]To be the champ, you have to beat the champ. That's not really true anywhere in sports now, because you can always just knock off the team that beat the champion. It is still a clear way to show that you deserve to be the new champion, no matter what the sport.

It was that thought that was in the minds of the Clinton-Massie Falcons on Friday night. What better way to show that you were capable of taming the South Central Ohio League than to whip up on the defending champs from Miami Trace.

They found out there is a little bit of a difference between Hillsboro and the Panthers.

While Clinton-Massie used their superior numbers, and bevy of offensive weapons to knock off the Indians in a battle of unbeatens two weeks ago, they ran into a resilient Panthers team that kept coming back. When the Falcons got a last-second score before halftime to go up 16-14, they had all of the momentum in the world. The Panthers responded with two scores in three minutes in the third quarter to take charge of the game.

"We told them the biggest key to the game was getting that stop," Panthers coach Jeff Conroy said. "They went three and out, they punted, and we went down the field and scored.

"The kids kept bouncing back. We had the big plays last year, this was the first time we've done that this year."

Drew Frey scored late in the third quarter to cut the gap to seven points, and the Panthers' defense stiffened, and again the Panthers came through, as Dominque Smith returned a punt 83 yards for the back-breaking score.

HOW'S THE KNEE?: He didn't miss a play, and helped guide his team to their second-straight victory, and third of the season. Why then is the big topic in town about Miles Schlichter's health?

It has a lot to do with the fact that Schlichter was on crutches Saturday, a precautionary move to keep the weight off a sprained knee for a day or so, according to Conroy. Schlichter suffered the injury in the third quarter on Friday night.

Number 14 has been off the crutches for two full days now, and back under center for practice. Conroy expects him in that same spot Saturday against Madison Plains.
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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

link

10/3/05

<TABLE cellSpacing=5 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD align=left colSpan=2>[FONT=ARIAL, SANS SERIF]Defense steps up with shutout[/FONT]
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[FONT=ARIAL, SANS SERIF]David Morgan[/FONT]
[FONT=ARIAL, SANS SERIF]Sports Editor[/FONT]
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<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD align=left>[FONT=ARIAL, SANS SERIF]Miami Trace turned on the defensive pressure at Panther Field, and shut down what had been an explosive Madison Plains offense, taking their second-straight SCOL win, and posting their first shutout of the season, 29-0.

They did it with a defense that stifled the Golden Eagles, holding them to five first downs for the game, and 47 net rushing yards. That allowed the Panthers to grind the ball out on the ground, with Dominique Smith getting 115 tough yards, before the passing game opened up to give Trace the big play.

"That's obviously a very good football team, and we tried to smoke and mirror them, and they caught us," Eagles coach Sean Adams said. "Size won out. They were able to run the ball on us, and it set up their passing game. They hit some big plays in the pass."

The first quarter was scoreless, as the Eagles got one big pass play for a first down, but won the early field position battle when J.D. Payne's punt pinned the Panthers on their two-yard line.

The teams traded punts, with Trace starting its second drive at the ten, and gradually working the ball downfield, beginning with a bevy of Smith runs. Smith ran the first four plays, gaining 28 yards, before quarterback Miles Schlichter gained 12 yards on a quarterback sneak. A Brock Conroy run for five yards had the ball in Eagle territory at the 45, and Smith broke off another 14-yarder to move into field goal range.

The Eagles defense stiffened, as Jon Folsom and Eddie Vallery sacked Schlichter for a 28-yard loss after a bad snap. A personal foul for a late hit on Schlichter on the next play gave Trace a first down, and they drove down to the ten, but settled for a 27-yard Brad Sollars field goal to go up 3-0.

The Eagles defense made the Panthers work for everything they got, but it was the Panthers defense that shut down the Eagles.

"Our defense played a solid game tonight," Miami Trace coach Jeff Conroy said. "They came out and threw some wrinkles at us, and we adjusted, and really shut them down."

The Panther defense stuffed the Eagles again, and Miami Trace got the ball back on their own 40. After a one-yard run by Smith, Schlichter found Mathew Marting on the left sideline, and Marting raced 59 yards for a touchdown to put the Panthers up 9-0.

A 15-yard gallop by Jed Kohli gave the Eagles one first down on their next possession, but again they were forced to punt, setting the Panthers up on their own 33. Schlichter hit Smith on a 27-yard pass, then two plays later found Jacob Mossbarger for 20 more, and the Panthers were well into Eagles' territory. After one Schlichter run of six yards, Smith took it from there, rushing three times for the final ten yards and the score, putting Trace up 16-0 at the half.

The third quarter was held up for about 20 minutes on the Eagles' second possession, as Vallery was attended to after getting hit hard on an incomplete pass. Vallery was taken to a local hospital as a precautionary measure, with a probable concussion.

After starting on a promising 13-yard run from Jerick Abbott, the Eagles drive faltered, and a punt off the side of J.D. Payne's foot set the Panthers up at the Madison Plains 30. On the fourth play, Schlichter hit Smith on a screen pass, and Smith weaved his way through the Plains defense for a 27-yard score to push the margin to 22-0.

Madison Plains never got untracked in the second half, and after Abbott's third-quarter run, did not record a first down until there were less than five minutes remaining, and the Panthers second-team defense was on the field.

Smith scored the final Panthers touchdown on another three-yard run. Miami Trace out gained the Eagles 338-141, including a 169-47 edge on the ground. Abbott led the Eagles with 37 yards on nine carries, while quarterback Zach Williams finished with six rushes for negative 23 yards.

Despite the loss, Adams was upbeat about his team, and ready to start getting them ready for Hillsboro next week.

"I've got coaches that coach, and we've got kids that play four quarters," Adams said of his team. "We've got a bunch of fighters. We're going to get some wins we're not supposed to get. It wasn't tonight. That's a great team, and they are going to do some damage in the post season.

"We are building our program, and this was a great measuring stick for us tonight. We have a lot of work to do to get to their level."

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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

10/8/05

Miles had 156 yards rushing and 2 touchdowns in a 42-0 win over London.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

link

10/14/05

<TABLE cellSpacing=5 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD align=left>[FONT=ARIAL, SANS SERIF]From the rush to the pass[/FONT]
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[FONT=ARIAL, SANS SERIF]David Morgan[/FONT]
[FONT=ARIAL, SANS SERIF]Sports Editor[/FONT]
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<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD align=left>[FONT=ARIAL, SANS SERIF]Last week the challenge facing the Miami Trace defense was Wil Longsdorf and the London running game. Longsdorf got his yardage, but did not add to his then league-leading touchdown total.

This week, the challenge is Jacob Orr-Zody, and the McClain air attack, and the Panthers would like nothing better than to add to their streak of nine consecutive quarters without giving up any points.

"There's no doubt about it, that they have probably as good as skilled kids as anyone in the league," Panthers coach Jeff Conroy said. "They have a quarterback who throws the ball well, and he also runs the ball well."

It is a different kind of challenge for the Panthers, but the defense has been up to the challenge, shutting out their opponents not only in nine straight quarters, but 12 of the last 16, and the overtime session against Jonathan Alder as well.

The Tigers come in with the highest rated quarterback in the SCOL in Orr-Zody, who leads Panthers quarterback Miles Schlichter 80.5-79.7 in quarterback rating, using the NFL's quarterback rating formula. Of course, that formula does not take into consideration the 529 yards rushing that Schlichter has accumulated.

They also have the number two receiver in the league in Neil Decker, who has 27 catches for 431 yards, and three touchdowns on the season. He trails only Mathew Marting in receiving catches and touchdowns.

"They have some kids who can make some big plays," Conroy said. "They've got three or four receivers who can catch the long ball, and make some things happen after they get it."

While Conroy hopes to stop the Tigers running game, putting Orr-Zody into passing mode, and turning the Panthers defense loose to continue their recent trend of putting pressure on the quarterback, he is also expecting another phase of his team to help defend the Greenfield passing attack — the offense.

"The flip side of that is our offense has to do a pretty good job. The last couple of weeks we've done a better job of controlling the football," he said. "Sometimes your best defense is a good offense. If we can keep the ball away from them, we keep them from being able to throw the ball to their good receivers."

With McClain under .500 on the season, and the Panthers facing a winless Washington team the final week, there might be a tendency to look ahead to next week's game at Hillsboro. Not for the Panthers, Conroy says.

"The first thing we did this week is show them last year's film," he said. "We went into halftime down last year. In the last three or four years, the team that has played as well as anyone in the league, or outside of the league, has been Greenfield.

"Greenfield's kids play tough against us, they get excited about playing us, and its a good matchup. Our kids will not look past Greenfield. They have been told enough times what has happened the last couple of years."

Kickoff is set for 7:30 Friday night at Greenfield, with WCHO 1250 AM providing live coverage.
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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

11/5/05

Miami Trace 29, Wilmington 22

QB Miles Schlichter scored the winning TD on a 2-yard run in overtime for Trace (9-2), which gets Springboro in the D-II, Region 8 semis.

Trace tied the game at 22-all on an eight-yard run by Dominque Smith with 3:56 left in regulation. The Panthers were on offense first in OT and scored. Wilmington (7-4) had a fourth-down pass knocked down in the end zone.