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Opening week has playoff vibe

The season is finally here and the schedule is littered with potential playoff teams taking on each other in Week One. The beauty of those great matchups is that we will see top notch performances right out of the gate. It’s time to find out who is ready to make a statement.

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Here is a look at the Dayton area’s Best Bets for this weekend.

Mason @ Springboro – This will be the fifth straight season that these to schools have kicked off the season. Springboro has won the last three games in the series. The Panthers have reloaded once again and are looking for the schools fourth straight post-season appearance. They are led by quarterback Elijah Cunningham who guided the team to 21 or more first half points six times in the last nine games of ’14. A start like that would make life miserable at CareFlight Field.

Kings @ Lebanon – The task at hand for Lebanon is monumental for Lebanon. The Warriors face a killer schedule on their quest for the post-season. The good news is that they are all the same foes that the team faced in ’14. With an offensive line that returns five starters and a talented backfield Lebanon believes it can be a factor in the Division I, Region2 playoff race. Kings has its own motivations after a perfect regular season a year ago. The Knights are a polished group of proven veterans. They are a favorite to play for a Division II, Region 6 championship. A young Warriors defense will have their hands full with a potent Kings offense.

Pickerington HS Central @ Trotwood-Madison – A pair of perennial playoff powerhouse square off in this one. Pickerington HS Central has been to the post-season nine straight times. Trotwood-Madison has won five consecutive regional titles. This will be a defensive struggle. The loser is still going to be a force come November.

Alter @ Fairmont – Is this the year Fairmont finally gets to heal some of the wounds that Alter has inflicted on them in the recent past? This would be a great time for Fairmont to take advantage of the Knights inexperience on offense. The Firebirds defense needs to be the best unit on the field in order for them to bring home the victory. Alter has owned the battle of Kettering winning the last six by an average score of 38.0 to 16.7, a 21.3 point per game margin.

Franklin @ Carlisle – For Franklin there will be no more Luke Kenard talk and bustle to deal with this school year. Time to turn the page for everyone. This group now looks to forge its own identity. The Wildcats are young on offense but they will have a new look and coordinator. Franklin has to find a way to average more than the 14.2 points they put up in ’14 if they are to contend for the playoffs.

The ability to score points is one of the strong points for Carlisle. Head coach Mike Brown enters his first year at the school with stable of playmakers on offense and in the return game. The Indians could make things very difficult for Franklin by putting up a double-digit lead.

Bellefontaine @ Wapakoneta – A great regular season was followed by a playoff flop for Bellefontaine last fall. The Chieftans get a chance to show that they were no fluke a year ago against regional rival Wapakoneta who was the Division III, Region 10 runner-up in ’14. A very inexperienced Bellefontaine offense has a tall order trying to put points on the board on the road versus a Redskins team that expects to win the regional title. Playing mistake free is key to staying in this contest for the Chieftans.

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