Friday’s game
Who: Valley View (10-1) vs. Alter (10-1) at Centerville, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Centerville Stadium, 500 East Franklin St., Centerville
Next: The winner will play either Clinton-Massie or McNicholas next Friday for the Division IV, Region 14 championship.
Kris Ketron knows what lies ahead for his Valley View High School football squad. He also knows what his Spartans will bring.
Let the battle begin.
“In my mind, it’s going to be like a heavyweight title fight,” Ketron said of Friday night’s Division IV, Region 14 semifinal against Alter at Centerville. “This is a great opportunity for our kids. You’re not going to see anything other than their best effort.”
Both teams are 10-1. Fourth-seeded Valley View is representing the Southwestern Buckeye League. The top-seeded Knights are carrying the Greater Catholic League flag.
It’s a tradition-rich matchup with two programs that have combined for 62 playoff wins (31 apiece) and five state championships.
“I think it’s a great showcase kind of game,” Alter coach Ed Domsitz said. “I always believe we’re going to win, but the reality of it is if we don’t play well, we aren’t going to win. Valley View is very solid.
“I guess you could say Alter’s the No. 1 team in the region, so that makes us the favorite. That can disappear real quick. There were a number of times against the No. 8 team in the region where I sure as heck didn’t feel like the favorite.”
The Knights were uncharacteristically loose with the ball in that game, losing three fumbles in a 35-21 victory over Wyoming. Alter’s wishbone also chewed up 382 yards on the ground.
Junior Nick Coleman (121 carries, 1,000 yards, nine TDs) and senior Tommy Ruff (127 carries, 814 yards, 12 TDs) are the primary runners behind junior quarterback Dusty Hayes (126 carries, 974 yards, 13 TDs).
The Knights have thrown 49 passes this season.
“The one kid that’s oftentimes overlooked is Thomas Alig,” Domsitz said of the 5-foot-8, 160-pound junior. “He doesn’t get many opportunities to run the ball, but he may be our best blocker coming out of the backfield.”
Ketron said Alter’s version of the wishbone isn’t as straightforward as it might seem.
“The wishbone is certainly a sophisticated offense,” Ketron said. “A lot of people don’t really understand the intricacies of it and exactly how they can get you mismatched and outnumbered.”
Defensively, the Knights are giving up 182.6 yards and 10.5 points per game. If you’re looking for a leader on that side of the ball, just pick somebody — eight Alter defenders are on the GCL North first team.
“The thing that jumps out at me is they’re really good tacklers,” Ketron said. “The kids understand how to put their chests on people, how to finish plays.”
Junior quarterback Clay Smith directs a Spartan offense that’s averaging 39.5 points per contest. Valley View’s lowest point total came in a 24-7 win over Eaton.
Smith is 114 of 199 for 2,268 yards and 24 touchdowns, also running 90 times for 548 yards and 11 scores. Senior Cole Johnson is the Spartans’ top rusher with 864 yards and 12 TDs on 102 carries.
“Their offense is diversified. Their defense is aggressive,” Domsitz said. “You watch a couple of their games and you understand pretty quickly why they’re in the playoffs.”
Ketron summed up the key for his team like this: “Make them punt. Keep yourself in manageable situations.”
This will be Alter’s third game at Centerville Stadium this season. The Knights lost to Thurgood Marshall 34-14 in Week 3 and defeated McNicholas 51-20 in Week 7.
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