Miami Valley Football High School Predictions, Top 10 players to watch for; Top 5 Storylines in Dayton High School Football

As we enter to another rugged season of Football here in the Miami Valley, one thing is for certain; With all the moves that happened in the Miami Valley Area, this is sure to be one exciting season. With a plethora of players committed to D-1 colleges, teams trying to get back to the state, and social sports awareness at a all time high, its easy to see why we could be in for a epic season here in the Miami Valley.

Top 5 Predictions:

(1) Trotwood will win State this season 
    While I know this is not jumping out on a limb, the Rams did lose the man who rebuilt the Trotwood organization into a dynasty (Maurice Douglass) and also a couple of key players. However, the new coach (Jeff Graham) although while not as experienced as Douglass, has some experience of his own (NFL Veteran) and he has a experienced QB (Messiah DeWeaver) who will lead the way along with a Small College ready D with D-1 talent lurking at every position; Make a note as Trotwood plays Springfield in Week 1 tonight.


(2) Belmont will go .500 this season
     Now this is jumping out on a limb! Anybody who knows the history of Belmont knows that when it comes to football? Haven't hit on much in the last say......50 years or so?....But a new day is coming, as former Thurgood coach (Earl White has moved over to the Bison after leading Thurgood to consecutive playoff appearaces and building a reputation for rolling over folks with the running game. Add to that a pack of young, athletic, hungry players who give not one inkling of a thought to history and you get a possible great story here; the Bison thrashed Ansonia 36-22 to start the season 1-0. Stay tuned.


(3) Springfield will fight for state - in two years
    When the news leaked that Maurice Douglass was leaving the Mighty Rams program and moving to Springfield, it was almost like a earthquake had been sent through the GWOC and Southwest Ohio. Why leave the place that is going to State Championship Games every single year, all the while sending kids all over to D-1 programs?  But make no mistake; Douglass has a way with his players,  and he can restructure a program quickly; And although it seemed like a bad move, it was the perfect one for him to make; He knows there is a wealth of talent in Springfield, but the community was dying. Players not caring, or transferring.  Nothing that a guy who took a middling program and turned it into a powerhouse couldn't handle. While he's already changed the mindset, it will take a year or so to change the results on the scoreboard to the point where we see them in the State Semis. But don't doubt Douglass, as when he gets his QB back in midseason if they are over .500? Watch out.

(4) Wayne will end up in Final Four this year
    The Warriors have been really close in getting to the state title game, but because of the powerhouses that roam down in Cincy, its been too tough to get through; well that could change this year, as the Warriors are primed and ready to breakthrough with QB DMitrick Trice leading the way; With a top D back and weapons galore, this will be a banner year for the Warriors. Question is, can they put it all together when it counts?


(5) West Carrolton will have the hottest freshman in the state
    Yes you read it right; The Pirates, of all people, have one of the best talents in the State, and he will be debuting as the starting RB for the Pirates. Jaylen Artis, nicknamed the "Tank", will put his talents on display this weekend. He has been punishing opponents since pee wee, and now the Pirates have put the ball in the hands of the talented frosh; Can he help rise the Pirates from the depths of the GWOC bottom?


                                   Here is SportsEffectLive Top Players to watch for this Season:


Messiah DeWeaver QB, Trotwood - DeWeaver will look to prove his commitment to Michigan as a junior is no fluke. And he's definitely ready for the challenge.

Jamahl Manley QB , Thurgood - Without the coach to run the scheme that worked so well, can Manley step up to the challenge to become a All-State QB and lead his Cougars back to playoffs?

Damian Popp  RB, Centerville - Popp popped all over the scene last year, and didn't stop until he ran for almost 2k (1,982 yds) and 20 TD's; Can he top 2,000 this season?

Chris Young RB/ LB, Miamisburg  - Young was dominant with the Vikings last season, amassing 16 TD's on the ground; however, he's even scarier on the defensive side, which is what the D-1's see.

D'Mitrick Trice QB, Wayne - Trice lit it up for 34 TD's and only 8 INT's for a 11-2 squad last year. Can he go one more notch and get them boys to the State?

Davion Lankford  RB, Belmont - Lankford was unstoppable racking up 3 TD's and 130 yards in Game 1; Can he keep that up all season when the D is keying on him? Great start nevertheless.

Nick Coleman RB, Alter  - Coleman was a monster last year, and will follow fellow Knight Malik Zaire to Notre Dame; Question is, can he lead a Alter team deep into the playoffs?

Jaylen Artis  RB, West Carrollton - Artis, nicknamed the "Tank", has been unstoppable up into this point; Now the heralded frosh will be tested early and often; Can he handle the transition?

State bound Trotwood, Thurgood, changes culture of Dayton High School Football

Brandon McKinney throwing with future QB

       Last summer SportsEffectLive.com attended former C-J standout and current Indianapolis Colt Brandon McKinney's 7 on 7 passing camp (located at Trotwood Madison high school) in which there were 6 teams in attendance, all getting ready for the season; As we talked with one of the Trotwood coaches, they felt like that Thurgood wasn't quite on Trotwood's level, which may have been one of the reasons that the two schools didn't play this season.  As they competed in the summer drills, it was a heated series and Thurgood had stopped the Rams, which in turn gave them the ball. As it turns out, maybe they were one of the ONLY TEAMS who could have competed with the Rams this season.

          Thurgood Marshall has gone where no Dayton City League team has gone before; landing in the D-III State Semifinals. Behind a incredible running game (led by Denzel Norvell and Vayante Copeland), a very good coaching staff and a underrated defense the Cougars have become a major force. Last year the Cougars was a cinderella team as they made the playoffs, beat a precocious Alter squad (who was undefeated) and almost got to state last year (losing to Springfield Shawnee after leading at half 13-0); this year, as the players said: This was revenge. 
      
         And sweet revenge it was as the Cougars would beat the brakes off of Athens 60-21. There would be no comebacks this season as Thurgood amassed over 650 - yes, that's right - 650 offensive yards, while holding Athens to 230 yards. And with it, the Cougars have cemented their place in dayton history, as not only the first city team to get this far, but looking to build on a possible legacy if they can pull out a state title. Which leads us to the Trotwood Madison Rams...

   

  

Israel Green goin' ham

Trotwood, coming off a dramatic D-II State Championship last year,  looked overmatched, out of sync, and frustrated in their season opener against a mighty opponent in their first week on ESPN; Then injuries occurred, which forced them to look into a young QB to run the show...They lost another game early in the season to fall to 1-2. It looked like the Rams would flounder and maybe not even get back to the playoffs. After that, the coaches started to see the Ram football they had been accustomed to throughout the last half decade. The young QB (Messiah DeWeaver), called the "Black Tom Brady" by Coach Douglass, starts to develop; new guys fill into their roles; and the vets started to kick into top form.  After barely squeaking into the playoffs on a Week 10 win, Senior RB Isreal Green began the charge like he did last year, running roughshod over any opponent. Rams hit their groove, got their swag back, with a little more drama nevertheless, and got back to the State Semifinals for the 3rd season in a row.
       
       Coach Maruice Douglass, who said earlier in the season that "Some new guys would have to step up" did a masterful job of coaching his guys up, keeping them focused, and not letting the bottom fall out when they started out 1-2. Now the Rams are literally two wins away from repeating as champions and starting the chants as a DYNASTY really in the making. With a rushing game that has been invigorated and a QB that has been making better and better decisions it will be left up to the defense, which has Mike McCray Jr. (Michigan bound) leading the stable of Rams who make it happen, this could once again be "RAM Nation" as they head into the Semis as the favorite.

        Just a few years ago, if anybody said that City League Football was State worthy, you prolly would've laughed. Playoffs? Ok. State bound? Just don't happen. But with Thurgood Coach Earl White instilling a running game unparalled to any school in Ohio, its time to recognize that good City League teams can compete with ANYBODY. It was always a myth, a running joke, that City Schools weren't smart enough, weren't capable enough of competing with the big schools. Funny, all it took was a couple changes here or there, a dedicated group of young men, a solid game plan, and the skys the limit.

    Whether they like it or not, the ONLY team capable of playing with the mighty Rams is the Thurgood Marshall Cougars. And that, my friends, is no joke.

How sweet would it be to see both teams bring home the title?  Maybe we just might see that rivalry renewed next year.



Follow us on twitter @ TheSportsEffect
                     Facebook: SportsEffectLive.com FanPage/Sports Show