High School Football Notebook | Extreme heat could play a factor in Week 3
· Yahoo Sports
LANCASTER — Week two of the high school football season was a rough one for area teams, with only two of the area’s nine coverage-area teams winning.
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Fisher Catholic pulled out an overtime win to improve to 2-0 and Fairfield Union held on for a 20-14 victory to even its record at 1-1.
The Falcons, Bloom-Carroll, Millersport and Berne Union stand at 1-1 each, while Lancaster, Amanda-Clearcreek, Liberty Union and Fairfield Christian Academy are still looking for their first wins of the season.
Here is a closer look at last week and ahead of Week 3.
Will the Golden Gales have an answer this week?
Is Lancaster primed to get its first win of the season when it travels to Marysville for its second consecutive long road trip?
If you looked at the stats last week in the Gales’ loss against Delaware Hayes, you might have thought Lancaster should have won. However, four big plays of 30 yards or more, all coming on third down and long, did the Gales in.
Lancaster gave up a 52-yard touchdown pass, two 30-yard touchdown passes, and a 32-yard touchdown run. Lancaster outgained the Pacers, had 15 first downs to only five for Delaware, but Lancaster could only muster up two offensive plays that went for more than 20 yards.
Senior running back Jahmeir Gordon has been dynamic in the first two games, but Lancaster will need other players to step up on offense if they expect to head in the right direction.
Another downfall through the first two games is the fact that the Gales have only converted 7 of 25 third-down attempts and are 2-for-5 on fourth-down attempts.
Lancaster’s Dynamic Duo
The Gales have two players who have been outstanding in the first two weeks of the season. Gordon, on offense, and senior linebacker Jackson Reynolds on defense.
Gordon has 314 yards total rushing and receiving and scored three rushing touchdowns. He has carried the ball 40 times for 224 yards for a 5.6 average, and he has caught a team-leading eight passes for 90 yards. He is electric with the ball in his hands.
Last week against the Pacers, Gordon rushed for 152 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries and caught five passes for 60 yards.
Reynolds, coming off a 14-tackle game in Week 1, was all over the place against Delaware Hayes. He finished with 18 total tackles, including 11 solo, and two tackles for loss. Several of his tackles were big-time hits, including one on the quarterback, who was able to release the ball right before Reynolds laid him out.
In the first two weeks, Reynolds is averaging 16 tackles per game. He has 32 total tackles, including 19 solo tackles.
The extreme heat could be a problem
With a heat advisory in effect on Tuesday and Thursday, things could get interesting on Friday, where the high temperature is expected to be around 88 degrees.
The Ohio High School Athletic Association has strict rules, as far as practice goes, when the temperature reaches a certain high. On Wednesday, with the heat index above 100, teams were not allowed to practice outside. They were only allowed to practice inside if there was air conditioning.
Lancaster is fortunate because it has a new high school and a big auxiliary gymnasium.
Regardless, it limits teams’ preparation, so it could be a factor for teams on Friday, and the high heat could also come into play. Stay tuned.
This Week’s Games
Lancaster (0-2) at Marysville (1-1)
Jonathan Alder (2-0) at Bloom-Carroll (1-1)
Lakewood (0-2) at Fairfield Union (1-1)
Liberty Union (0-2) at Meigs (1-1)
Zane Trace (2-0) at Amanda-Clearcreek (0-2)
Berne Union (1-1) at Symmes Valley (2-0)
Fairfield Christian Academy (0-2) at East Clinton (0-2)
Federal Hocking (0-2) at Millersport (1-1)
Fisher Catholic (2-0) at Portsmouth Notre Dame (1-1)
Last Week’s Results
Delaware Hayes 28, Lancaster 13; Teays Valley 35, Bloom-Carroll 14; Fairfield Union 20, Colonel Crawford 14; Licking Valley 40, Amanda-Clearcreek 7; Valley 30, Liberty Union 24; Fisher Catholic 28, Tuscarawas Central Catholic 22 (OT); Huntington 34, Berne Union 7; Gamble Montessori 46, Millersport 13; Trimble 42, Fairfield Christian Academy 0:
Tom Wilson is a sports reporter for the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette. Contact him at 740-689-5150 or via email at [email protected] for comments or story tips. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @twil2323.
This article originally appeared on Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: High School Football Notebook | Extreme heat could play a factor in Week 3