Friday’s game
What: Alter (3-0) at Fenwick (3-0), 7 p.m.
Where: Krusling Field, 4855 Ohio 122, Middletown
Last meeting: Alter won 35-13 in 2014
Fenwick High School’s football team rumbled through its nonconference schedule and gave up just one touchdown along the way.
The Falcons have been very good. Now it’s time to crank things up to another level.
Fenwick begins Greater Catholic League Coed North Division play Friday night at home against perennial power Alter, last year’s Division IV state runner-up.
“The league title runs through Alter,” Falcons coach Joe Snively said. “We’re trying to keep an even keel with the kids and not let them think that one game is going to make or break their season. But there’s no doubt that a win would do great things for our confidence level as a program. They are where we want to be. That will always be the benchmark we’re shooting for.”
These 3-0 squads might be the best teams in D-IV, Region 14. It’s also a series the Knights have dominated, winning nine of the 10 contests (Fenwick won in 2012).
“It would be stupid for either one of us to ride off previous seasons expectation-wise,” Falcons senior defensive tackle Brett Schneider said. “There’s a saying that Alter doesn’t restart, they reload. But I’ve been on the varsity field for four years and I’ve never seen a Fenwick team as dedicated as we are this year.
“This is definitely the hungriest I’ve seen any of our players. Even in films, guys were shaking. That’s how anxious we are to play this game.”
Alter may lack some of the star power it’s had in recent seasons, but the Knights are the Knights. They’re big and strong. They expect to win when they step on the field. They’re gunning for their 14th straight North Division title.
Veteran coach Ed Domsitz knows Alter’s dominance will end at some point, “but you always hope that it’s maybe next year and not this year.”
“This is a pretty strong Fenwick team, a senior-laden team,” Domsitz said. “I expect them to be physical and fired up. We’ll both have a few more answers about our teams after this week. And it’s not wholly out of the question that we could face each other again.”
The Knights have outscored Fairmont, Withrow and Thurgood Marshall by a 103-28 margin. Fenwick has outscored Anderson, Mt. Healthy and Monroe by an 81-8 margin.
The teams are similar in philosophy — control the clock with a ground-based offense and play beatdown defense when necessary. Alter likes a wishbone and spread approach on offense. The Falcons prefer the Wing-T.
“They’re really big up front, and their backs are big and strong,” Snively said. “They remind me of our backs in a sense. They’re physical when they need to be, and when they get in space, they’re definitely going to get some yards. Their speed is deceiving.”
Senior Andy Turpin (59 carries, 330 yards, five TDs) and junior Holden Rushing (15 carries, 208 yards, three TDs) are the Knights’ top halfbacks. Junior Jake Ledford (14 carries, 89 yards) is the fullback.
Junior quarterback Ryan Markoff has rushed for 233 yards and four touchdowns on 21 carries. He missed last week’s game against Marshall with a leg injury, but Domsitz is optimistic that he’ll be back in the starting lineup Friday.
“It’s always nice when your No. 2 quarterback can step in there and you win a football game,” said Domsitz, praising the efforts of sophomore Alden Simms. He will return to his linebacker position Friday, assuming Markoff gets the green light to play.
The Knights have run the ball 152 times for 1,003 yards. Markoff and Simms have combined to complete 7 of 10 passes for 69 yards.
Senior center Chris Beech (6-3, 292), a Ball State commit, heads Alter’s offensive line. The average size of the six players who rotate through the O-line is 6-1, 267 pounds.
“I think we match up speed-wise without a doubt,” Snively said. “We’re pretty proud of our defensive speed. Although speed kills, so does size and strength and demeanor, and their O-line has all of that.”
The Knights only start five seniors — Marcus O’Neal, Jauren Pryce and Tyler Sorrell in the secondary, John Ruff and Conor Ryan on the line — on defense.
“I think it’s going to be a battle of wills,” Domsitz said.
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