Here's that Scoreboard Video from Football Season

Call it an early Christmas present.

I feel bad for not getting this ready in time for the football banquet a few weeks ago, but I just didn't have the time to dedicate to it. 

But it's done now, and I hope you enjoy.  It's not the EXACT version, but it's the same song and the 90% of the pictures are the same too.

The video is embedded below.

Mason Monheim verbals to Illinois

Will have more on this later, but just got the word & wanted to share it with Red Rider Nation.

Mason Monheim, the 2-time OCC defensive player of the year and 2-time 1st team All-Ohioan, gave his verbal commitment to the University of Illinois and new coach Tim Beckman today.

Congrats to Mason & his family on a well deserved honor. Couldn't happen to a nicer young man. Illinois is getting a winner with a great work ethic and attitude.

This is now the 3rd Red Riders in 3 years to commit to a Big10 school. Chase Hoobler was the first (to Indiana) in 2009, then Max Pirman (to Nebraska) in 2010, and now Mason.

All happen to be linebackers...a credit to LB coach Jason Haley and a credit to head coach Doug Davault for the continued exposure he brings to the football program.

Thanks to the Monheim family for keeping me in the loop all through the recruiting process & to Mason himself for letting me know the news of his verbal.

Some Catching Up To Do...

Apologize for the absence lately, but I kind of needed a battery recharge.  I'm going to do as much catching up as I can in one post.  Winter Sports Season is in the early stages, the Smitty Classic is this weekend, and there's been some turnover among the ranks of the Ohio Cardinal Conference football coaching fraternity.

So let's hit it...

Oh, and Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of you.  Another great year of being a Red Rider!!

2011 Post-Season Football Awards

Time to pass out some post-season football awards.  Here's everything from All-OCC all the way up to the All-Ohio team that was just released yesterday. 

Congrats to all the honorees.

UPDATED: Thoughts and Prayers to the Tipton Family

UPDATE: Here are some links to local news coverage of his passing.  Ohio.com (Akron Beacon) & Daily Record.  Here is Mo's obituary and information on services from Auble Funeral Home's website.

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A coaching legend has passed. Morris "Mo" Tipton passed away today after a short period of declining health while in South Carolina with his family.

Thoughts and prayers to his wife Suzanne, children and grandchildren. The architect of "Red Rider Tradition," Coach Tipton is the all-time winningest coach in Orrville history, compiling 168 wins from 1965 to 1987. His all-time record at Orrville was 168-69-5 in 23 seasons (He was 203-84-6 in 28 seasons counting his time at Akron Hoban and Coventry).

He led 13 Orrville teams to conference titles, 7 teams to undefeated regular seasons, boasted 6 playoff appearances, 8 playoff wins, 4 regional titles and 2 state runner-up finishes.

The Orrville football program is what it is thanks to Coach Tipton....and it was great seeing him this past October at his son Clay's induction into the Orrville Sports Hall of Fame.

Thoughts and prayers to the Tipton family, and all who called Coach Tipton a friend.

Photo Memories (click on each picture for a full-size version)

1.  Smitty and Mo...Two coaching legends.

2.  Family

3. "When the Coach talks, player listen."

4.  The refs listened too...

5. Just being Coach...

Rest in Peace, Coach.

Share your "Mo"-ism. The comments section is wide open for anyone who knew Coach to express their sympathies or to simple share a story or fond memory.  I've removed the registration requirements, so you don't need to sign up with an email address in order to comment.  I'll still review and approve all comments for appropriateness.

Mo Reading.  Here are two articles I did on Mo..the first from January 2009 and one from April of 2010 when he was inducted into the Ohio High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

Survey Says....!!

First one of these I've done in over 3 years running this site, so I guess it's overdue.

See below for a 10 question reader survey. I'm trying to get a grasp of how the site is perceived and what you the reader would suggest as improvements to the site.

It's anonymous, so please be honest in your responses.

2011 Football...In Review

Saturday's playoff didn't end like anyone wanted...or even thought it would.

The 34-19 loss to the Bobcats was a tough loss, no getting around it. It was one of those nights that nothing went right for us and everything went right for Norwayne.

I'm not going to spend time delving on what could have and should have happened....just going to say congratulations to the Bobcats and good luck the rest of the way.

Orrville vs. Norwayne - Ten Things You Need to Know

Thought I'd share some facts/stats and helpful hints for this Saturday's Regional Semifinal game between Orrville and Norwayne...I posted thoughts on the game itself earlier...but wanted to focus on all the extra "stuff" associated with this matchup.

Week 12: Orrville Red Riders vs. Norwayne Bobcats

Who: Orrville Red Riders (#2 seed, 8-3) vs. Norwayne Bobcats (#3 seed, 10-1)
What: An OHSAA Division 4 Regional Semifinal
Where: Medina High School's Ken Dukes Stadium
When: Saturday November 12, 2011, 7pm

Last Week: Orrville beat LaBrae 53-14, Norwayne beat Brookfield 42-7
Series: 3rd Meeting, Orrville leads 2-0 (1958 - Orrville won 46-0, 1981 Orrville won 29-0)

Radio/TV: Game will be live on 104.5 WQKT and also streamed at www.wqkt.com
Updates: I'll be sending updates through Qwixcore, a service of the high school website MaxPreps.com, click here to follow along online.  I'll post the link on Saturday where you can follow along.

Coaches: Doug Davault for Orrville (50-21 in his 6th season, 8-3 playoff record) and Joe Harbour for Norwayne (19-4 in his 2nd season, 2-1 playoff record).
Playoff History: Orrville is making their 22nd appearance and have a 29-20 playoff record.  Norwayne is making their 4th playoff appearance and is 2-3 all time.

Well...the talk is pretty much over, time to see this matchup actually happen.  This is what playoff football is all about.  Two good teams from supportive communities who will lay it all on the line to be one step closer to a state championship.  I'll talk briefly about what each team needs to do well and give my thoughts on how I think this one plays out.

Pancake Breakfast to Support Soccer Field Improvements

Wanted to get this out there before the craziness of this weekend hits.

Aaron Simon, an OHS junior and Troop 60 Boy Scout is putting together a pancake breakfast this Saturday (November 12th) from 7:30am to 12pm at Trinity United Methodist Church in Orrville.

Donations will be accepted for the breakfast and the proceeds will be used to fund an Eagle Scout project at the OHS soccer field behind the Orrville Boys and Girls Club.

A new flag pole will be constructed at the field as well as the construction and installation of a soccer kickboard.

Please consider supporting this worthwhile effort.  Fill up on some pancakes and then head to Medina to watch the Orrville/Norwayne playoff game. Sounds like a good day to me.

Good luck with the project Aaron!!

Vikings Vanquished...Bobcats Next

Another chapter in Red Rider Football playoff history is in the books, and what a night it was.  An action packed 53-14 win over LaBrae and Orrville is back in familiar territory, week 12...something only 16 teams in Division 4 can say at this moment. 

The win was the 29th win in the history of Orrville playoffs, the 596th overall and the 50th for head coach Doug Davault.

Let's look back on the win and look ahead to the much anticipated week 12 matchup with the Nor-what? Norwayne Bobcats.

Pics courtesy of Rod Dilyard.  Full Gallery here.  Thanks Rod!

Week 11 - LaBrae Vikings at Orrville Red Riders

Who: Leavittsburg LaBrae Vikings (6-4, #7 seed) at Orrville Red Riders (7-3, #2 seed)

What: OHSAA Division 4, Region 13 Quarterfinal

Where: Red Rider Stadium, Orrville

When: Saturday November 5, 2011, 7pm

Series: First Meeting

Last Week: Orrville beat Wooster 35-7, LaBrae beat Steubenville Central Catholic 27-13

Coaches: Doug Davault for Orrville (49-21, 6th season, 7-3 in 3 playoff appearances) - Bill Bohren for LaBrae (287-153-6, 46th season, 8th year at LaBrae, 0-1 in 1 playoff appearance at LaBrae)

Radio/TV: Game will be broadcast on Wooster's AM 960 and also streamed at www.wqkt.com

Playoff Appearances: Orrville - 22nd appearance (28-20 Record), Labrae - 3rd Appearance (1-2 Record)

Conference Affiliation: Orrville is a member of the Ohio Cardinal Conference while LaBrae is a member of the All-American Conference, Blue Division

Points per Game/Allowed: Orrville - 25.2 scored, 15.2 allowed....LaBrae - 24.18 scored, 18.1 allowed

Looking back on Wooster, ahead to playoffs

It's November 1st, leaves and temperatures are falling, Orrville just beat Wooster and helmets are full of skulls....yep...it's playoff time.

For the 22nd time in the 39 year history of the OHSAA state football playoffs, the Orrville Red Riders will once again be playing in week 11 (and hopefully beyond).

Some quick notes about the Wooster game, and we'll look ahead to the 2nd season.
 

Orrville Playoff Ticket Information

Here are the details related to the sale of presale tickets for the Labrae/Orrville playoff game this Saturday at 7pm at Red Rider Stadium.


Tuesday- Beginning at 7:00 p.m. through 7:30 p.m. in the OHS lobby tickets to current reserved season ticket holders will be sold. Season ticket holders will be able to purchase the same reserved seats in which they had during the fall. Beginning at 7:30 p.m. through 8:00 p.m. general admission tickets and all other reserved seats will be available.

Wednesday - Friday- Tickets will be sold out of all 3 Orrville school buildings during school hours. They will also be sold during business hours at Carmichael Sports and Expert T's in Orrville.

Saturday- Tickets will be sold at Carmichael Sports & Expert T's from 9:00 a.m.- Noon


ALL presale tickets are $7.00. ALL tickets at the gate are $9.00. Fans are encouraged to purchase presale because Orrville gets a percentage of the presale and nothing that is sold at the gate.

FoxSportsOhio to Webcast Orrville-Wooster Game

Found this out just the other night and wanted to share with all of you, especially the out-of-towners who can't see the game live tonight.

Fox Sports Ohio will be broadcasting the game live tonight on their website.  It's like a TV broadcast, but online instead of on TV.  They'll have a camera in the pressbox as well as sideline cameras.

The link is below, click play and you should be able to see the game as it happens.  Make sure your internet settings aren't blocking Flash Player or any other setting needed to broadcast the game.

http://www.foxsportsohio.com/pages/prepzone_streaming_north

As if this game can't get any bigger.

Wooster's WKVX will also be streaming the audio of the game.  Link for that broadcast is here.

Week 10 Preview: The Game - Orrville vs Wooster

Who: Wooster Generals (4-5, 2-4 in OCC) at Orrville Red Riders (6-3, 4-2 in OCC)
When: Saturday October 29, 2011, 7pm
Where: Red Rider Stadium

Series: Wooster leads 50-41-9 (Click here for detail)
Last Year: Orrville won 42-17
Last Week: Orrville beat Clear Fork 20-13, Wooster beat West Holmes 35-14

Coaches: Doug Davault is 48-21 in his 6th season for Orrville, he is 5-0 vs. Wooster. Mike McCreary is 69-62 in his 13th year for Wooster, he is 5-7 vs. Orrville.
TV/Radio: Game will be broadcast on WKVX AM 960 and will also stream at www.wqkt.com

All-Time Records: Wooster is 542-466-53 in their 111th season of football...while Orrville is 594-344-41 in 102 seasons of football. Thanks to Aaron Dorksen at the Daily Record for the Wooster info.

I think we all know the overlying theme to this game...backyard rivals, throw the records out the window, blah, blah, blah. Looking deeper, I believe this has the potential to be one of the better Orrville/Wooster games in recent memory, and local fans would expect nothing less from the 6th longest running rivalry in all of Ohio.

Red Rider Tradition..DEFINED

A distraction from Wooster Week, but I don't think anyone will mind. If you're from Orrville or an alumni of Orrville High School, or a student at OHS, this will make your day.

I received an email from a reader, thanking me for what I do on this site. I never get tired of that...but what this reader went on to say was one of the more impactful emails I've gotten on this site in quite a while...and I wanted to share with all of you.....

Crunching the Playoff Numbers

The unofficial computer points standings are out on the indispensable Joe Eitel's website..and the Orrville Red Riders are now officially in the playoffs for a 22nd time.

Here is the snapshot of Region 13 after 9 weeks, showing the Riders in 2nd place. So now that we can officially say "we're in," let's talk about who we might play in week 11. It's not mathematically certain, but it might as well be so I'll just say it....Orrville WILL host a week 11 home game regardless of the outcome against Wooster. Even if we received no 2nd level points from teams we've already beaten, I think we drop no further that 4th place, still earning us a week 11 home game.

2011 Week 9 Preview: Orrville Red Riders @ Clear Fork Colts

Who: Orrville Red Riders (5-3, 3-2 in the OCC) vs Clear Fork Colts (3-5, 2-3 in the OCC)
Where: "The Colt Corral" - Bellville, OH (Directions here)
When: Friday October 21st All-Time Series: Orrville leads 9 to 1. (Series Detail Here)

Last Year: Clear Fork beat Orrville 33-0 for their first ever win over the Riders
Last Week: Orrville beat Madison 20-17, Clear Fork lost to Ashland 49-14.
Coaches: Dave Carrol is 17-6 in his 3rd year and Colt head coach.  Doug Davault is 47-21 in his 6th season as Rider head coach.

Radio/TV:  None (that I know of..)
Region Standings: Orrville is 3rd in Region 13 and could lock up a home playoff game with a win.  Clear Fork is 12th in the stacked Region 14 and will need to win out and get help just to make it to week 11.

Football: Playoffs a 99% Certainty

According to statistics guru Drew Pastuer (http://www.fantastic50.net), the Orrville football team could actually lose their last two games and still have a 99% chance of making the OHSAA state playoffs. As of now, he says we have a 91% chance of hosting a home first-round game.

So it leads me to assume that a win over Clear Fork this Friday will lock up a first-round home playoff game regardless of the outcome of the Wooster game. Read below for more playoff talk, including my projections of where we'll end up in the region, and what team may be making the trip to Orrville in week 11.

Week 8 Preview + Fall Sports Update

***I'll do the update first, but read past the preview for some other interesting items of note.

Who: Orrville Red Riders (4-3, 2-2 in OCC) vs. Mansfield Madison Rams (6-1, 3-1)
Where: Ram Field - Mansfield (Directions Here)  
When: Friday October 14th, 7:00pm

All Time Series: Orrville leads 25-15-1.  Orrville has won 7 of the last 8 meetings dating back to 2003. (Click here for detail)

Last Meeting: 2010 (Orrville won 35-14)
Last Week: Orrville lost to Ashland 14-0, Madison beat Clear Fork 21-14

Coaches: Doug Davault is 46-21 and in his 6th year as Red Rider coach. Sean Conway is 8-9 in his 2nd year as Ram head coach.
Radio: Game will be broadcast live on WMFD out of Mansfield.  Click here for the live stream link.

Computer Points: Orrville sits 7th in Region 13, Madison is 10th in Region 6.

Week 7 Preview: Ashland Arrows at Orrville Red Riders

Who: Ashland Arrows (2-4, 2-1 in OCC) at Orrville Red Riders (4-2, 2-1)
When: Friday October 7th
Where: Red Rider Stadium (Ashland Fans: Click here for Directions)

Series: Ashland leads 12-8, there was 1 tie (Click Here for Detail)
Last Year: Ashland won 42-28
Last Week: Orrville beat West Holmes 28-21, Ashland beat Mansfield Senior 38-6

Radio/TV: WQKT 104.5 will boradcast the game on the radio and also at http://www.wqkt.com
Coaches: Orrville's Doug Davault is 46-20 in his 6th season, Ashland's Scott Valentine is77-33 in his 10th season with the Arrows

Computer Points:  Orrville sits 5th in Region 13 while Ashland sits 17th in Region 7.

Week 7 already? Really?? Unbelievable. Week 7 also means you can smell the playoffs right around the corner. It's fall, weather is cooler, leaves are falling, it just feels like football weather now.

It's also officially cruunch-time in Rider country. This is where the destiny of our team and many others across the state begins to take shape. The Riders simply control their own destiny...win out and win the OCC and host a first-round playoff game. It sounds so simple doesn't it? Unfortunately, there's 16 quarters (at least) of football in between us and raising an OCC title at midfield of Red Rider Stadium after a 7th straight win over Wooster. I'll guarantee nobody but me is looking past Ashland though.

From the OHSAA: Historical All-Ohio Lists

Saw this a few weeks ago on the OHSAA twitter account and just haven't had time to get it up until now.

This is quite the historical find. It's 3 things actually...first is an all-time list of boys basketball All-Ohio teams dating back to the 1938-39 season. Next is a list of girls basketball All-Ohio teams dating back to 1977-78 (first year as an OHSAA recognized sport). Lastly, it's a list of All-Ohio football teams going back to 1933.

Keep reading for the link and more on the first Orrville All-Ohioans.

The link is here. As it mentions, it was compiled by Associated Press member Rusty Miller and lots of thanks go his way for his diligence.

Some of the files are tough to read so make sure you zoom in as needed....but grab a cup of coffee and go back in time.

Being an Orrville-centric site, I wanted to see who the first Orrville athletes were to be name All-Ohio in each of the three sports....and I think I've found what I'm looking for.

1. First girls basketball All-Ohioan was Rhonda Winters who made 3rd team in the 1982-83 season.

2. First boys basketball All-Ohioan was Ron Snyder who was named Honorable Mention in the 1965-66 season.

3. First football All-Ohioan were Roy Lockett (tackle) and Tyrone Barnett (halfback) in 1960.

One warning on the validity of these....some of the data from past years show a first, second and third team plus special (or honorable) mention....while some years only showed a first & second team.

It is amazing to see how players from large metropolitan areas seemed to land on All-Ohio teams, while players in small towns were largely overlooked. In football especially....lots of players from Canton, Massillon, Mansfield and Cleveland for the first few decades of All-Ohio teams. I don't think a Wayne County player was even named All-Ohio in football until the mid 50's and he was from Wooster.

What is also noteworthy was how prestigious an All-Ohio honor was 50 years ago compared to how it is now. Back then it was a team of 11 in football and 5 in basketball. Now, several players at each position are chosen, and there are a 1st, 2nd and 3rd team PLUS honorable and special mention. It's just not as exclusive as it used to be. Not sure if that's good or bad, but the measuring stick has certainly changed.

I figured Bobby Knight would surely be our first All-Ohioan in basketball in 1957 when he averaged 24.3 points per game or in 1958 when he averaged 20.6 per game, but he's not there in either season. His Ohio State teammates Jerry Lucas and John Havlicek are both on the list.

Over the next few months, I'm going to compile lists of Orrville All-Ohioans in each of the three sports. I'll post to the 'Records & Champions' section of the site when they're completed.

Really like seeing the OHSAA continuing to the living history of their member schools. Lots of great athletes have got their start in Ohio and records, especially those prior to 1970, are difficult to come by. Great work by lots of people.

Happy reading!!

After Week 6...More Big Games to Come

Friday's 28-21 win over West Holmes was just gutsy. No other way around it. Riders made plays and stopped the Knights from doing the same. It was a game we had to have, and we got it. Give the kids and coaches credit for steadying the ship and to the seniors for speaking through their words and actions in what might have been a season-saving win (#592 in school history).

Let's talk about it all...but not until we look at the pictures from the game courtesy of Rod Dilyard. Rod does great work and is very dedicated to Orrville sports.

2011 Week 6 - Orrville Red Riders at West Holmes Knights

Who: Orrville Red Riders (3-2, 1-1) at West Holmes Knights (4-1, 2-0)
Where: Knights Stadium in Millersburg (Directions Here)
When: Friday September 30, 2011
Last Week: Orrville lost to Mansfield Senior 21-14, West Holmes beat Ashland 35-31.

Series History: Orrville leads 26-12 (click here for detail)
Last Year: Orrville won 38-6.

Coaches: Orrville coach Doug Davault is 45-20 in his 6th year. Kevin Maltarich is 5-10 in his 2nd season with the Knights.

Radio/TV: 104.5 WQKT will provide updates. The game will be streamed online at The Voice of Holmes County. Click here for directions on how to listen to the game through your cell phone.

Computer Points: Both Orrville (Region 13) and West Holmes (Region 11) both sit in 8th place in the latest computer point standings. West Holmes region is stacked with perennial powers Steubenville, Mooney and Dover...as well as Stark County powers Minerva, Northwest and Marlington.

Overview: Last week could not have went any differently for the Riders and Knights. Orrville dropped a game they were heavily favored to win to Mansfield Senior, and West Holmes completed a comeback dubbed the 'Millersburg Miracle,' beating Ashland for the first time in program history, 35-31.

Orrville has won 6 of the last 8 meetings (outscoring the Knights 80-6 in the last 2 meetings), but the 2 Knight wins in that stretch (2007 and 2008) kept the Riders from the postseason each year.

2011 Week 5 Preview - Orrville Red Riders at Mansfield Senior Tygers

Who: Orrville Red Riders (3-1, 1-0) at Mansfield Senior Tygers (1-3, 0-1)
Where: Mansfield's Arlin Field (Directions Here)
When: Friday September 23, 2011
Last Week: Orrville beat Lexington 35-12, Senior lost to Clear Fork 35-28.

Series History: Orrville leads 9-5 (click here for detail)
Last Year: Orrville beat Senior 28-14.

Coaches: Orrville coach Doug Davault is 45-19 in his 6th year. Chioke Bradley is 7-7 in his 2nd season as Tyger head coach.
Radio/TV: The game will be broadcast on WRGM AM1440/97.3 FM starting at 6:45pm. It will also be streaming online...click here Friday evening to stream the game on your computer.

Overview: Two teams seemingly headed in opposite directions will meet up Friday night in Mansfield at the beautifully renovated Arlin Field.  The Tygers are 1-3, losers of three straight games, and last week lost the focal point of their offense in senior running back Terrell Dorsey to a season ending leg injury.  Orrville is fresh off a 35-12 drubbing of Lexington and is looking to stay perfect in the Ohio Cardinal Conference behind a quick-strike offense and a defense that has allowed the fewest total points (59) of any OCC team through 4 weeks.  Orrville has won the last 5 meetings between the schools.

After Week 4: Football and Everything Else

Well, Friday night after Week 4 sure felt better than Friday night after week 3 didn't it? A nice bounce back performance by the Riders. Doesn't it seem when this program is counted out or doubted that they always respond? Not just sometimes...ALWAYS. Again....TRADITION.

Let's review the game, the rest of the OCC, some Region 13 chatter and a little bit of volleyball, golf and Tim Hiller sprinkled in for good measure.

Pics, as always, courtesy of Rod Dilyard. Lexington gallery here. Thanks Rod.

Make Plans to Attend the Orrville Sports Hall of Fame Induction

We're just a little over 3 weeks away from the bi-annual OHS Sports Hall of Fame induction, to be held Saturday Night October 8th at Orrville High School.  The event will start with a dinner at 6pm in the gym, followed by the induction in the OHS Auditorium.

Here's a ticket order form, and I'd recommend getting your order in ASAP so a final count can be given to the caterers.

It's a great night of Red Rider Tradition and in addition to the 8 inductees, the 1991-92 State Champion Boys Basketball team will be honored. It's been nearly 20 years since that team won Orrville's first ever team state title and it's hopeful that a good number of players from that team will be in attendance.

Hope to see everyone there.

2011 Week 4 Preview - Orrville vs. Lexington

Who: Orrville Red Riders (2-1, 0-0) vs. Lexington Minutemen (2-1, 0-0)
Where: Red Rider Stadium
When: Friday September 16th, 7:00pm

All Time Series: Orrville leads 7-5. (Click here for detail)
Last Meeting: 2010 (Orrville won 21-14)
Last Week: Orrville lost to Copley 13-7 (OT), Lexington lost North Canton Hoover 32-0.

Coaches: BJ Payne is in his 6th season as Minutemen head coach, his overall record is 34-21. Doug Davault is also in his 6th season for Orrville, with an overall record of 44-19.

Radio: WQKT 104.5 FM will carry the game. Click here a little bit before 7pm Friday to listen live.

2011 Week 3 Preview - Copley Indians at Orrville Red Riders

Who: Orrville Red Riders (2-0) vs. Copley Indians (1-1)
Where: Red Rider Stadium, Orrville
When: Friday September 9, 2011

All Time Series: Orrville leads 24-13(detail here)
Last Meeting: 2010 - Copley won 34-33 in double overtime.
Last Week: Orrville beat Triway 52-7, Copley beat Akron Firestone 24-14.
Coaches: Doug Davault is 44-18 in his 6th year as Orrville coach, Ron Viscounte is 20-23 in his 5th year for Copley.

Stewart Turner verbals to Ball State

Wanted to take a minute to congratulate Orrville senior DB/WR and special teams extraordinaire Stewart Turner for his verbal commitment over the weekend to Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana.

Ball State was the first school to offer him, and over the weekend he attended Ball State's win over Indiana at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The school has been very aggressive in recruiting the speedster, and I think he'll be a great fit there.

The verbal was first reported Monday evening by the Ball State website BallStateInsider.com and verified by the ScoutingOhio.com website earlier today.

This continues the streak of Orrville football players to land Division 1 offers, joining the likes of Tim Hiller, Rhyne Ladrach, Chase Hoobler, Sam Miller and Max Pirman.

Turner is being recruited by the Cardinals as a defensive back, but his ability anywhere on the field can't be questioned. He'll be an asset to the Cardinals at any position.

Since coming to Orrville last season, Turner has averaged nearly 100 all-purpose yards per game and has scored 13 touchdowns in 16 games.  His versatility is a big part of Orrville's fast 2-0 start and he's a game changer with elite speed and great hands at the receiver position and great cover ability from his cornerback spot.

Always gives me a lot of 'Rider Pride' to report on an Orrville athlete earning a full scholarship to play at the next level. It's great to see young people use the gifts they're given and work hard for to further themselves.

Congrats to Stewart, his family, coaches and teammates.

Week 2 Review & Upcoming Schedule

Week 2 of football season is in the books...a nice 52-7 thumping over Triway. Again, can't complain about the points this offense has put up and the play of the defense either. But still lots to work on, but that's a good thing. No reason to peak in week 2. Seems that through history, Coach Davault's team hit their stride late in the season and are playing their best ball late in the season.

I'll hit the high points of the win over Triway, look ahead to week 3 vs. Copley and look at the upcoming week for all the fall sports teams.

2011 Week 2 Preview - Orrville Red Riders at Triway Titans

Who: Orrville Red Riders (1-0) vs. Triway Titans (0-1)
Where: Titans Stadium
When: Friday September 2, 2011

All Time Series: Orrville leads 33-6 (detail here)
Last Meeting: Week 11, 2010 OHSAA Playoffs (Orrville won 27-25)
Last Week: Orrville beat Northwest 41-27, Triway lost to West Holmes 20-7.
Coaches: Doug Davault is 43-18 in his 6th year as Orrville coach, Tony Lee is 16-7 in his 3rd season as Triway coach.

It's the 40th matchup between the Riders and Titans, and the 3rd time these teams have met in the past 15 weeks of football.  Two programs that are very familiar with each other, and will look to add another classic chapter to this local rivalry.

Monheim Back on Ohio State Radar?

The recruiting news on Orrville senior LB/RB Mason Monheim took an interesting twist a few weeks ago and it seems now that the Ohio State Buckeyes are back in the picture.

After an impressive showing at Ohio State's camp over the summer (Mason was named one of the camp's MVP's), the thought was that Mason may get an offer from the Buckeyes, but an offer went to another Ohio LB instead, leaving a coveted Buckeye offer a question mark for the foreseeable future for the Red Rider standout.

It was thought that he would look to commit to Illinois (his first offer) before the season began, but a call to Ohio State has put that commitment to Illinois on hold for now.

Orrville Football: Thoughts after Week 1

Not going to dive too deep into analysis. A win is a win. And in week 1, all I could have asked for is a win, so it should end there.

But some observations from a convincingly, if at times, sloppy 41-27 win over Northwest.

Pic at right courtesy of Rod Dilyard Photography.  A complete gallery from the game can be found here.  Thanks to Rod for again providing this service.

2011 Week 1 Preview - Northwest Indians @ Orrville Red Riders

Who: Orrville Red Riders (0-0) vs. Northwest Indians (0-0)
Where: Red Rider Stadium - Orrville, OH
When: Friday August 26th, 7pm
Coaches: Doug Davault (42-18 in 5 seasons at Orrville) & Vic Whiting (99-40 in 13 seasons at Northwest -- 193-68 over 23 seasons)
Radio/TV: Updates on 104.5 WQKT
All Time Series: Orrville leads 20-7 (Click Here for Series Detail)
Last Meeting: 2010 (Orrville won 24-22)

Orrville Football: 2011 Season Preview

Here is my season preview football article that will also appear in this Friday's (8/26) OrrViews. I know a lot of my readers are out of the area, so I figured I'd post it here to reach those not in or around Orrville.

Enjoy.  Oh, here's a roster, schedule and a Region 13 map for your reference.

Now enjoy....

Pictures and Video from Louisville Scrimmage

Courtesy of LouisvilleLeopards.org, a fan site run by Leopard fan Jared Heller, here is a link to pictures and video from last night's scrimmage at Orrville.

http://bit.ly/qE47ut

Really nice job by Jared....and very kind words about his experience at Orrville.

I liked what I saw in the scrimmage from the Red Riders. I like to think that our young line will only get better as the season progresses and that should help our run game.

The games count for real in less than a week. Hope to see a full stadium for the Northwest game. Come out and see the new lights, the new scoreboard and hopefully, a Red Rider win.

Check back mid-week for my season preview as well as a game preview.

It's almost here....Go Riders!!

(PS...special thanks to Jared, or the person who snaps pictures for him, for capturing probably the last evening of action that our old scoreboard will ever see.)

New Lights Poles Installed at Red Rider Stadium

I live for this kind of stuff, in case you hadn't figured it out by now.

Another renovation is taking shape at Red Rider Stadium which seems to be a yearly thing anymore (new bleachers, new track records board, new turf in place of the asphalt on the sidelines, a new scoreboard on the way, brand new field turf).

OK, that last one hasn't happened...yet. But it is nice to see continuous upgrades. The stadium is on the wrong side of 50 years old and upkeep it vital to keeping it looking good.

The latest improvement in process right now is the install of new aluminum light poles and the removal of the old aging wooden ones. Along with it are new light sets which will eliminate dark areas of the field. The project of adding new light poles came in under budget so it was decided to add new light fixtures as well.

I guess a local official once said that our field was one of the poorest lit fields in the area. This project should eliminate that issue.

Let's take a look some photos.....