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2016 Snapshot: Batavia

A strong finish to the 2014 season was not a precursor for good fortunes last fall for Batavia. A young Bulldogs team struggled mightily to find its identity in ‘15. Head coach Matt Lester would like to see his team dig deeper, start strong and end the same way.

Batavia LB Stephen Trainor (photo from Facebook)

Batavia LB Stephen Trainor (photo from Facebook)

“We are in the middle of changing the culture here. We are committing as a program to the core values of – Trust, Teamwork, and Toughness. We have made great improvements this off-season in our attitude, effort, and attendance. We are still not exactly where we want to be, but we are getting there. The most important thing is that we make the choice to be show up every day, be a great teammate, and be tough enough to fight through adversity. If we become a good football team in 2016 it will be because of this. It is our goal as a program to be known for our work ethic, toughness, class, and execution,” Lester states.

Batavia returns 14 players that started at least one games a year ago. Many of those players were spot starters and not relied upon to carry the team. “We had a lot of tough experiences last year. If we use these experiences to grow and learn from, it can be our strength, we are battle-tested. Unfortunately, we didn’t win a lot of those games. If we can continue to grow, work hard and are able to learn how to fight through adversity, we can give ourselves a chance to have a lot of success this year,” Lester says.

Division IV, Region 16
2015 RECORD: 3-7, 1-3 SBAAC National
COACH: Matt Lester (9-9 at Batavia, two years; 9-9 overall)

HONOR ROLL
Stephen Trainor, Sr – RB/OL/LB – Trainor was in on 102 total tackles as a junior. He was named Honorable Mention All-Southwest District for his efforts. He is one of the Bulldogs leader sand has a coachable demeanor that his coaches love.

Austin Maham, Jr, RB/DB – One of the SBAAC’s most pleasant surprises in ’15 Maham moved up from JV to starting varsity right before the first game of the season and never looked back. He ran for 679 yards, had 35 receptions for 305 yards and found the end zone six times (five rushing, one receiving). Arguably the fastest players in the league, Maham earned Honorable Mention All-Southwest District honors as a sophomore.

OTHER RETURNEES
Austin Gray, Sr, OT/DL – The Bulldogs need leadership up front from the 6-foot-5, 300 pound Gray. Coach Lester is hoping he can return to the level of play that saw him garner Second Team All-SBAAC National honors as a sophomore.

Spencer Fluegel, Sr, QB/WR/FS – A naturally gifted athlete who made a huge impact for the Bulldogs despite playing in just five games. Fluegel had three interceptions in three games as a free safety. On offense he threw for 601 yards and 10 touchdowns (that is not a typo) in two games as a starting quarterback.

Will Scaggs, Sr, QB/WR/SS – Scaggs ended up with 55 tackles and showed promise in one start under center in ’15. He will be a main cog fo Batavia.

Jake Ellington, Jr, RB/LB – Ellington came into his own as a sophomore with 61 total tackles and three sacks.

Kobe Stepp, Sr, WR/DB – One of Batavia’s top receivers Stepp reeled in 19 catches for 173 yards as a junior.

Kaleb Moell, So, QB/RB/LB – Moell is a gifted player who started two games at quarterback and several more at linebacker as a freshman.

Blake Albright, Sr, OL/DL – A strong off-season should make Albright one of the Bulldogs top linemen. Started 8 games last season on the offensive line has had one of the best off-seasons of anyone on the team.

NEWCOMERS
Dylan Ellington, Jr, TE/LB – Ellington started five games last season he will be in the mix for jobs on both sides of the ball.

Skylar Morgan, Sr, TE/LB/DL – A total team player. Morgan’s versatility makes him a candidate to start at several positions.

Blake Grigsby, Sr, DL – Playing mostly on special teams as a junior Grigsby has bulked up 20 pounds. His quickness and high motor
Zach Kennedy, Sr, DB – An injury-shortened junior campaign saw Kennedy play just three games. He will be counted on for leadership in the secondary.

Nathan Martz, So, OL – A rising star who started three games as a freshman Martz is extremely strong and has great feet. A great off-season should lead to Martz becoming one of the top linemen in the SBAAC.

PLAYOFF HISTORY
(three appearances, 1-3) – 2012, 2003, 1999

2016 SCHEDULE
After a home opener against East Clinton the Bulldogs will hit the road for four tilts in five weeks. A pair of those battles will be against Cincinnati Hills League foes Mariemont and Madeira. Those will be big tests for Batavia. Pulling out wins against those teams may mean good things for coach Lester and his troops down the stretch. Crossover SBAAC games with American division rivals Amelia and Norwood as well as Portsmouth West coming to town could lead to some solid Level 1 Harbin points if the Bulldogs can pull out those victories.

STOPPING THE BLEEDING
Batavia allowed 30 points or more in six of its seven losses in ’15. Three of those defeats were at the hands of playoff teams.

BACKFIELD AUDITIONS
The Bulldogs will look for others to step up running the ball this fall. Maham had 679 yards on the ground a year ago. The rest of the team combined for just 223 yards (11 players).

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