Greeneview football: preseason survey

Team: Greeneview Rams

Division/Region: D-V, Region 20; no change from last season.

Affiliation: Ohio Heritage Conference, South Division.

Location: Don Nock Stadium, Jamestown.

Head coach: Ryan Haines, entering his second season as the Rams' head coach after succeeding Neal Kasner. A Greeneview grad, is in his seventh season overall coaching the Rams.

Assistant coaches: Terry Seigfried, RB; Shane Walterhouse, QB; Jerome Crosswhite, WR; Grant Georgic, OL; Tommy Smith, LB; Brent Noes, LB; Trae Walterhouse, DL; Dakota Sheets, DB.

2017 records: 5-0 OHC South, 10-0 regular season, 10-1 overall.

2017 highlights: Haines pulled off the unthinkable, posting a perfect 10-0 regular season in his debut as head coach. Can't beat that. Advanced to the playoffs for the fourth straight year, went unbeaten in the regular season for only the second time in program history and was ranked No. 5 in the final Associated Press state poll.

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Anything else? Sure. How about the OHC player of the year in Nick Clevenger, nine All-OHC players, seven who earned All-Southwest District honors and three All-Ohioans.

Scored 40 or more points in six regular-season games and was pushed only by OHC heavyweight Mechanicsburg, a 17-14 win in Week 4.

For all that, could do no better than a No. 6 seed in the D-V playoffs because Mechanicsburg would be the only winning team Greeneview beat. No fault of Greeneview’s, but Waynesville, Northeastern and rival Cedarville all were 1-9, which ensured the Rams would open the playoffs on the road. Lost 47-24 at Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy in a playoff opener.

Key returners:

Nick Clevenger, 6-0, 200, sr., QB/OLB, 2017 OHC player of the year.

Clay Payton, 5-10, 170, jr., RB/LB, first team All-OHC.

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Jaron Stoneburner, 6-2, 250, sr., OT/DE, second team All-OHC.

Collin Wilson, 6-3, 175, sr., WR/CB, first team All-OHC.

Nick Wolfe, 5-11, 290, jr., OG/N, first team All-OHC.

About the Rams: If Greeneview's success was a surprise with a new head coach last season, it won't be this time. Seven starters return on offense and six on defense, along with the punter and kicker. Best of the best is Clevenger, a talented QB/LB combo. In nine games threw for 600-plus yards, ran for 660 yards and accounted for 10 TDs. Drawing interest from Morehead State and Indiana State.

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The Rams are a combined 37-10 during this four-season playoff run. Ironically, 2017 was the only season in that span in which the Rams didn’t win a playoff game. No schedule change, with Greeneview opening at Arcanum of the Cross County Conference.

The Week 9 matchup against visiting Catholic Central will be televised live by ABC 22/FOX 45 on Thursday, Oct. 18.

Schedule: All at 7 p.m.

Week 1: Fri., Aug. 24 at Arcanum

Week 2: Fri., Aug. 31 WAYNESVILLE

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Week 3: Fri., Sept. 7 at Fairbanks

Week 4: Fri., Sept. 14 MECHANICSBURG

Week 5: Fri., Sept. 21 at Northeastern

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Week 6: Fri., Sept. 28 at Greenon

Week 7: Fri., Oct. 5 SOUTHEASTERN

Week 8: Fri., Oct. 12 at Cedarville