Sandusky Bay Conference Football

CLYDE: Can the Fliers make it three straight SBC crowns?
Quite simply, yes. If it plays as a team.
"We can't have little factions, little cliques, come across and take away our brotherhood and what were fighting for," coach Marc Gibson said. "If we can stay healthy with those top kids, and come together, we’ll be more than competitive."
Gibson believes it's harder to build a program that's been down compared to wearing the bullseye as the defending champ — his team already has a winning attitude and knowd what it takes to pile wins
"The focus is working hard to remain where you're at," Gibson said. "If your at the bottom working hard to remain where you’re at..."
Point taken. Clyde has to self-implode to not be a good team, it knows it can play, and Gibson wants to see his guys play together for four quarters. You can talk about predictions, but Gibson said none of that matters when the season starts.

PERKINS: Can the Pirates win an SBC title?
Yes, but a lot has to go right. The Pirates can win the SBC with an experienced 18-man senior class, but team depth is an admitted concern in Perkins Township. Factor in a 3-week stretch during crunch time in weeks 6-8 at Edison, home to Huron and at Clyde, and that may be too tall of an order for the Pirates to come out unscathed in an SBC schedule that will likely take 7-0 or 6-1 to earn a title.

EDISON: Can the Chargers claim their first-ever SBC title?
On paper it certainly appears to be the case, but what about on the field? The stigma around Edison is obvious over the years: they can't win the big one. Therefore, they could have all 22 starters back (as it is, they have 15 back) and it would be hard pressed to say they can win the SBC without actually seeing them go out and do it.

The schedule does set up nicely, however. After hosting Huron in the SBC opener, they get Perkins at home two weeks later, and Clyde at home in the season finale. Those 3 teams are considered the Chargers stiffest challenges, and they are spaced out pretty nicely. With all that being said, much like the basketball team last winter, it's time to stop making SBC title predictions in Milan until we actually see it happen. 

HURON: Can Huron keep winning with a young team?
It’s almost unheard of for a team that return just three lettermen and no starters, but that’s what Huron is facing.
Tony Legando has gotten more quality play out of teams with little or no experience for years. But this year appears to be very different.
It may be hard for Huron fans to hear, but the Sandusky Bay Conference is a pretty rugged test for any team and no experience will make it even tougher.
The Tigers kick off the season with an improving Vermilion squad on the road, then host the two teams from Norwalk in back-to-back weeks. Huron has traditionally had its way with the Truckers, but St. Paul is another matter all togethe. And conference play is no picnic with a trip to Edison, followed by a Homecoming date with defending champion Clyde. This isn’t going to be easy no matter how you cut it.
But that’s where Legando and his staff comes in. It’s a huge staff by high school standards with 13 assistants, but they are dedicated to Legando, the program and the Huron players. That’s a strength as is a system that has developed talented players over and over and over again for decades.
Huron has an .822 winning percentage since the 2000 season, and Legando has just one losing season in 21 years.
This may be the second, but a lot would have to go wrong.

MARGARETTA: Can Polar Bears avoid early-season slump?
Yes, because of early season matchups against Lakota and at. St. Mary C.C. in weeks three and four. The Polar Bears will likely start 0-2, though, after facing Clearview at home and then traveling to Western Reserve.
Margaretta closed last season 3-3 in its last six games. It has strong returning talent at the skill positions such as Devin Jones at quarterback and Corey Yontz at running back. However, many more will have to step up and surprise, which is what coach Rock Farlow hopes, to get this team above .500.

OAK HARBOR: Can the Rockets regain their winning ways?
Oak Harbor needs a complete turn-around from last year, when it averaged 10.4 points per game for the season and allowed 43.0.
The tough games against Holland Springfield (58-14), Genoa (61-0) and Eastwood (28-0) open the season, so the Rockets could be 0-3 heading into league play again.
There are 15 starters back on both sides of the ball, but they were 15 starters for a 2-8 squad in 2008.
There's talk of a commitment to winning at the school, but a sixth-place finish in the league is where they should be.

PORT CLINTON: Can the 'Skins avoid depth issue, stay healthy?
Port Clinton can stay healthy. Heck, any team can. They could also face serious injury problems.
For their sake, staying healthy is a must. New offensive and defensive schemes are placing players in foreign territory. With a small senior class, most are learning on the fly.
The Redskins can stay healthy, but it will take more than health to get this team to be respectable and competitive on a consistent basis.

SMCC: Will Underclassmen step up for the Panthers?
Well, they have to.
Whether the younger players are ready or not, many will be starting on a team that has roughly double the amount of upperclassmen in the ninth and 10th grades. It will serve this team well for the future and it appears coach Jason Zeigler is moving the Panthers' ship in the right direction.
For 2009, this team could possibly finish the way the 1-9 Panthers did in 2008. But three years down the road we might be having a different conversation.