Firebirds Looking Forward to Another Great Season Aug 2018 Volume 2 Inside Issue 1 Firebird s Schedule 2 Inside the Huddle 3 Firebirds DDN Preview 4 Alter DDN Preview 5 2018 Season Schedule 6 Coach of the Year 7 2017 Award Winners 8 2017 Offensive Statistics 9 2017 Defensive Statistics 10 Football Music & Film 11-12 Road to the Playoffs 13 Newsletter Thanks 14 Fairmont s first trip to the playoffs in nearly a decade has set the bar high as the Firebirds head into the 2018 football season. The Firebirds battled Hilliard Bradley in the first round of the OHSAA tournament last November. Following a hard-fought first half, Bradley shut down the Firebirds powerful offense and ended the Fairmont season. After watching his team gather in the end zone to sing with the Firebirds band one last time this season, Head Coach Dave Miller was ready to look ahead to 2018. Get better, he said. We ve got to come back to work. We did a lot of good things this year. We just tonight didn t do enough of em, and that s a good team. Bradley is really good. Hats off to them. One and done is something this veteran class of seniors does not want to repeat this season. Loaded with experience, many three-year starters dominate this senior class. Just making the playoffs is not acceptable but the class understands the process. One play at a time, one game at a time is what is required to achieve this challenging goal. The journey begins this Thursday night against their rival, the Knights from Archbishop Alter. Rousch Stadium will be filled to capacity once again for this Kettering kick-off to the 2018 season. The Knights will be looking to start their playoff journey as well as another in their legacy of GCL championships. This game could be one of the best in the history which started back in the sixties. What can you do? Be there Thursday night and support your Firebirds!! www.firebirdathletics.com
Firebird s Football Schedule TEAM OPPONENT DATE TIME LOCATION Varsity Alter Thursday 08-23 7:00 PM Roush Stadium Freshmen Alter Friday 08-24 8:00 PM Roush Stadium Junior Varsity Alter Friday 08-24 6:00 PM Roush Stadium 7th Grade Wayne Wednesday 08-29 5:30 PM Home 8th Grade Wayne Wednesday 08-29 6:30 PM Home Page 2
Inside the Huddle The players have worked hard over the winter and summer getting ready for the season. The coaches are proud of the attitude and the effort demonstrated by this team so far. They realize what it will require and they are ready for the challenge. We have a lot of good players coming back and the team chemistry that continues to build is real special for the future. The positive impact from the Kettering community has been fantastic, what a great situation for our players. We cannot wait to get back on the field in 2018! Coach Miller Page 3
Firebirds DDN Preview By Marc Pendleton, Dayton Daily News Staff Writer Team: Fairmont Firebirds 2017 records: 1-3 GWOC National East, 7-3 regular season, 7-4 overall Division/Region: D-I, Region 3; no change from last season. Head coach: Dave Miller, entering third season at Fairmont (8-13) after succeeding Andy Aracri. Previously had a record-setting nine-year run at Covington in the Cross County Conference. Also head coach at Twin Valley South in the CCC. Overall career record of 133-49. Assistant coaches: Pat Roncagli, assistant head coach/dl; Keith Bertram, defensive coordinator/lb; Dave Baker, HB; George Reinke, OL; Jake Feldmeyer, assistant OL; Jeff Schwartz, DB; Vince Godsey, assistant DB; Coleman Ryan, WR; Dalton Bordelon, assistant DL; Brad Probasco, FB. 2017 highlights: Mounted one of the greatest turnarounds in area history, going from 1-9 in 2016 Miller s first season to qualifying for the D-I postseason for only the second time. Needed a 7-3 Week 10 defeat of Springfield to do so, which also knocked the Wildcats out of the postseason. Jump-started the season with a 13-12 season-opening defeat of non-league nemesis Alter. That snapped the Firebirds 13-game losing skid to the Knights in what has become a traditional opener for the neighboring rivals. Joined Wayne and Centerville as GWOC National East teams to reach the playoffs. Lost 49-14 at Hilliard Bradley in a playoff opener. Key returners: Trey Baker, 6-0, 220, jr., LB, first team All-GWOC, three-year starter. Connor Bunts, 6-0, 260, sr., OL, first team All-GWOC, three-year starter. Jesse Deglow, 5-8, 195, sr., FB, first team All-GWOC, 1000-yard rusher. Ryan Hall, 6-4, 185, sr., DB/WR, first team All-GWOC, three-year starter. Braden Miller, 5-9, 175, sr., QB, second team All-GWOC, three-year letterman. Patrick Roncagli, 5-8, 250, sr., OL/DL, second team All-GWOC, three-year letterman. Jonas Smith, 6-0, 200, sr., OLB/DE, three-year starter. Marqies Williams, 5-9, 165, sr., DB, three-year starter. About the Firebirds: Loaded with an outstanding and experienced senior class, many of who will be three-year starters. Braden Miller, the coach s son, directs a ground-hugging option offense that features Deglow. He rushed a 1,040 yards and had 16 TDs as a junior. Coming anywhere close to the 4-0 start of 2017 will be key. That starts with the traditional Alter opener, which also kicks off the ABC 22/FOX 45 Thursday Night Lights at 7 p.m. on Aug. 23. One major schedule upgrade was made, dropping Hamilton (3-7) of the Greater Miami Conference in Week 2 for host Northmont (8-3) of the GWOC National West. Northmont s high-scoring offense is led by senior QB Miles Johnson. If he sounds familiar, he should. Johnson transferred from Fairmont after his sophomore season. He ranked third in GWOC passing last season with 2,249 yards and 23 TDs. Page 4
Alter Knights Preview By Marc Pendleton, Dayton Daily News Staff Writer Alter football coach Ed Domsitz still maintains the task-master charm that has worked so well for so many teams. In his 43rd season as a head football coach, he resonates with players, a super-sized, 16-member coaching staff and his peers. I became a head coach when Gerald Ford was in the White House, said Domsitz, 68. These kids now look at you and say, Gerald who? There s no question Alter is still the team to beat in the Greater Catholic League Co-Ed North. Fifteen GCL titles in the last 16 years is proof of that. Alter also has qualified for the postseason 17 straight seasons and has mounted a 20- game league win streak. Domsitz was enshrined in the Ohio High School Football Coaches Association hall of fame in June. With 327 career wins, he should pass former Versailles patriarch Al Hetrick this coming season to rank No. 6 among Ohio s all-time winningest coaches. The brown and gold beating goes on from the campus at East David Road in Kettering. There s good reason to believe we re going to be pretty competitive, said Domsitz. Alter senior running back John Bivens still has not been cleared to return to the Knights backfield after suffering a severe leg injury in a Week 9 defeat of McNicholas last season. Bivens had 1,308 yards rushing, 15 TDs and the admiration of Domsitz. That s a shame, Domsitz said. He s probably one of the top two running backs I ve ever had. Bivens blew out knee ligaments and dislocated a knee cap, but the worst part was severing a nerve in his leg. Key returning offensive players Connor Bazelak, sr., QB, Alter: 1,097 yards passing, 11 TDs, committed to Missouri. Ricardo Calzada, sr., C, Carroll: Second team All-GCL North. Sully Janeck, sr., QB, Fenwick: 607 yards passing, 4 TDs. Dominic Wilcox, sr., WR, CJ: 450 yards receiving, 5 TDs in three playoff games. Derek Willits, sr., TE, Alter: 19 catches for 270 yards (14.2), 1 TD. Key returning defensive players Shane Cokes, sr., DE, CJ: 34 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble. Sam Howard, jr., DB, Carroll: 66 tackles, 1 INT. Connor Meyer, sr., DL, Alter: 77 tackles, 1 fumble recovery. Dan O Connell, sr., LB, Alter: 24 tackles, 1 forced fumble. Sam Secrest, sr., DE, Fenwick: 65 tackles, 1.5 sacks. Page 5
2018 Season Schedule Page 6
Fairmont Coach Earns Top All-Ohio D-1 Top Honor Page 7
2017 Firebird Award Winners Jesse Deglow Best Offensive Back GWOC East 1st Team All SW District 2nd Team Ryan Hall Best Defensive Back GWOC All Conference GWOC East 1st Team All SW District 2nd Team Ty Smith Best Defensive Lineman GWOC East 1st Team All SW Honorable Mention Trey Baker GWOC East 1st Team All SW District 2nd Team Connor Bunts All SW District 2nd Team GWOC East 1st Team Kennon Burroughs Most Improved GWOC East 2nd Team Jared Feltner Michael Klenk Award Best Offensive Lineman Braden Miller Most Valuable Player GWOC East 2nd Team Emmanuel Beade GWOC East 2nd Team James Oliver Coaches Award Patrick Roncagli GWOC East 2nd Team Caleb Smith Attitude & Effort Award David Stamer Sportsmanship Award Page 8
2017 Offensive Statistics Returners circled in red below Page 9
2017 Defensive Statistics Returners circled in red below Page 10
Football Music and Film Page 11
Boys of Fall Page 12
2018 Road to the Playoffs Page 13
NEWSLETTER The Fairmont Firebirds football newsletter is published weekly. The goal is an attempt to capture all of the excitement of Friday Night Lights. This newsletter could not be published without a great team of people. The members are listed below and we thank them for their efforts! PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED GRAPHICS PROVIDED BY: George Reinke WEBSITE UPLOAD: STATISTICS PROVIDED: FOOTBALL SUPPORT: Dave Miller Jim & Cathy Siewe ADMINISTRATION SUPPORT: Sondra Whaley Chris Weaver Firebird Newsletter Publisher Jim Ehrensberger Any questions or comments please contact Jim jehrensberger@att.net www.firebirdathletics.com www.firebirdathletics.com