GroundSquirrel

The Ground Squirrel Saw some true greatness from the WRC last week. This weekend will be the first full week of football with hs, college and NFl. We are so back. The Squirrel win now announce the nutty power rankings for the week. 1. SV- Bronze Helmet back in Clinton. Garzo 2.0 looked good as advertised and the wildcat defense held sullivan out and forced turnovers. Is this possibly the greatest SV team of All Time possibly. Exciting times in Clinton and now the WRC victory lap is in commence. 2. NV- Falcons dominated Paris but this week they are in Squirrel's Game of the Week. The offense is scoring and the defense has been lockdown let's hope the Falcons can continue the momentum. 3. Covington- The trojans are 2-0 and have a huge ball game friday. Moore is really really good. The rebuild is looking promising for the trojans. 4. RP- Played a good Carroll team close and Sanders has to get RP ready to play the Mustangs and get off to a positive start in conference play. 5. Seeger- Good bounce back win and looking like the Patriots will start 1-0 in conference play. 6. FC- Rough Loss for the mustangs 7. PH- There's always Attica week 8. Attica- Do I have to explain

The Squirrel has his picks for the week and I think this week will tell me alot about the conference Attica at Tri Countys- Tri county played the trojans close and Attica can't catch a break. Tri County 42 Attica 0 Carroll (Flora Boys) at Riverton Parkes- Great test for the Panthers but Carroll is a power and I think the panthers aren't quite ready but they won't be humiliated like last year. Carroll 36 RP 6 The small Trojans at South Newtons- Trojans keep winning and build momentum going into conference play. Covington 34 SN 13 Fountain Centrals at Crawdadsville- Cville by 2 scores not much commentary here. Paris (Illinois) at North Vermilions.- Big test for the Falcons at home. The offense seems to be clicking and with this being Paris's first game I like the Falcons at home Arod starts off 2-0. NV 28 Paris 7 Seegers at Benton Centrals- Call me crazy but I think the Bison have the Patriots number and being on the road in the home of the windmills doesn't help. BC 35 Seeger 20 South Vermilions at Sullivans- The wildcats want this one badly but the Arrows are a good team. I think these two teams are pretty even and the difference this year won't be weather or athletes. Sulivan getting to play this one at home gives them the edge in a close hard fought game. Sullivan 27 SV 21 West Virgo at The Woofs- Woofs win easily and handily PH 42 WV 0

The squirrel has been sniffing around and after the summer, a live scrimmage, and 1 game, this ground squirrel has his predictions for how the WRC will play out. My Power Ranking heading into Week 2 is as follows: 1. SV- Garzo 2.0 is the best QB in the conference and it is not close. Throw in Coleman and Weir on the outside and a workhorse in Schrock and you got a formula to win. A unsung hero for this team is LB/TE Dylan Hill and look for him to make big plays on both sides of the ball. Barrett also upgraded his staff and quite possibly has found his missing puzzle piece to compete for a sectional in hiring Blank. 2. NV- Now ranks 2-5 are very close and will change throughout the season but lets look at the Falcons. Rodriguez's squad has looked good the past 2 weeks but the 2 teams had a combined record of 4-16. Botner might be the best back in the conference. The holt kid is looking good on the defensive side of the ball. My question about the falcons is how can they compete against good teams and teams that have better athletes. That is what I always respected about crabtree is that NV would always win games against teams that had more talent. My question can Rodriguez and Culbreath replicate that? We shall see 3. Covington- The trojans intrigue me this year. They return alot from last year and they made some great progress toward the end of the season. The moore kid at RB is battling botner from NV as the best back in the conference. They look decent upfront and they have a tall kid at WRC. I wouldn't be shocked if the trojans were pushing to be the runner up behind the wildcats at the end of the season. 4. RP- Brad Sanders has built a culture for the panthers and he has earned that. The community expects to win now and I think this team has that potential and being truthful during the summer these guys were my number 2 team in the conference. Now I don't that much about the clovers and they may have gotten better but that game was way too close. The panthers may of had first game jitters but for the depth and experience this team has with price and sanders I was shocked. Now granted maybe the clovers aren't a bottom feeder anymore. 5. Seeger- The patriots are in a rebuild year and again I would not be shocked if they climb the rankings but the squirrel doesn't know much about the pats this year but they got spanked Friday and I think their best days are behind them. 6. FC- QB is hurt and not great upfront. Herb is a great coach and no one can argue that but I think the mustangs are a year or two away. 7. PH- Tough Loss friday for the woofs. Rector is doing an outstanding job and it just sucks that PH is a bball school. 8. Attica- Goal for 2024: Play a game where the mercy rule is not in effect The WRC this year I think will be dominated by SV but 2-5 should be fun to Watch. The squirrel has spoken and that is final

The Squirrel apologizes for the tardiness of this post, but tonight is the night. A ton of changes have a happened to the conference we all love but the tradition of great football will continue. Now for the squirrel's picks. RP @ the Clovers- RP looks big this year and I think the panthers have a chance for a great season. The clovers aren't good. RP wins by mercy Covington @ Tri County- The Trojans are my dark horse team this year and the moore kid is legit and he outscores tri county by himself. Trojans win by mercy Attica @ Culver- Is Attica better this year? Possibly but I have to see it to believe it give me culver by 2 scores LCC @ Seeger- I think the patriots glory days are behind them and LCC recruits give me the knights WV @ Visors- Did Barrett make a splash hire and steal crabtree's secret weapon for the past decade. I think it will pay off wildcats are by far the best team and have the top 3 players in the conference and win by mercy tonight. NC @ NV- The crabtree era is over and NV made an interesting hire. Botner is legit and is a top 5 player in the WRC but will NV be as good upfront with no blank or davis coaching them? The state team comes back and NV hopes the 14 magic comes back but I do not know much about some of these young kids NV has. NC looked good against RP. I think this one is a toss up give me NV by a score. Woofs @ Cville- Rector has done a great job with his situation and the Athenians usually struggle and I think the woofs take advantage and win tonight by 2 socres. Good Luck to all the Athletes and coaches this year. A quick message to seniors, enjoy the season of lasts because in 3 short months 4 years is gone and you'll be remembering the glory days. Take advantage of all the stuff your team does outside of football and enjoy the ride. The squirrel has spoken.

South Put is on a different level compared to the WRC this year. SV SP would be a hell of a matchup, but that won't happen. RP is probably the 2nd best team in the sectional but it doesn't matter because SP will mercy rule everyone in this sectional

Great Coach, Great Man, Great Leader had the honor to call him my coach but nobody should count out NV next Year whoever they bring is intaking a great group of young men ready to work. Thank you @Woody_Hayes

The PT is going to Harvard and he's their best player idk about the LCC QB. Don't sleep on Jerome White from NV is a scary dual threat and makes every defense worried. White is the best player in the conference and I will stand by that statement.

Ok the squirrel sadly won't be in town for the sectional championships, but I strongly believe in both teams advancing on to the regional championship next week. LCC @ Seeger- The Patriots pulled off the upset last week and the Cinderella story continues in a 14-7 win with amazing defense. PT @ NV- What a roller coaster win for NV last week as much as I would love to see NV win I think Park Tudor is too explosive on offense but if NV controls the game I could see the Falcons winning. I am torn but my gut tells me to pick the Falcons in a party at Gibson Falcons win 34-27

Yes those schools are bigger but THN was not good this year as I believe most of the Wabash Valley schools could've beaten the Patriots. You can never judge pre season because teams are never 100% and you are not scheming those teams> I understand what you are saying but I believe the Wildcats would be better playing Northview or Indian Creek or Greencastle week 1 compared to West Vigo.

Ok the squirrel has been busy dodging tigers for survival but I must speak on this weeks game and SV CC @ RP- Same result as last year RP can't compete CC wins 56-0 Seeger at Lewis Cass- Patriots are inconsistent give me lewis cass 45-21 CP @ NV- NV better be ready for a physical game and they will be give me the falcons 34-29 Now SV deserved to win the conference but if they want to win the sectional they can't be playing teams like Attica, RP, PH, and Cov on a weekly basis. I agree they should play teams like NV and Seeger but at some point they got to realize Linton, Sullivan and Cascade are different animals. Cascade plays a tough schedule with teams like Lutheran, Monrovia, and Triton Central. I whole heartily believe SV was better than Cascade but Cascade was more battle tested than SV. SV being the WRC is not good for the conference in my opinion. The two sports they don't dominate is Basketball and football. In sports like track, swimming, cross country they dominate I think they are better suited for the WIC and they would still be relevant in football and basketball in that conference. SV is a good school with a great community filled with great families and they deserve to win a sectional but playing in the WRC I don't see them doing that. The squirrel has spoken Good Luck to all three teams left and to the seniors who careers are over remember the good times not the result and to those seniors still alive cherish every last practice and games with your brothers cause in a year your going to wish you had one last chance.

Alright Its win or go home time will the WRC capture a sectional this year here is what this ground squirrel thinks. BC @ Seeger- Same result as week 2 give the patriots another week 49-27 SV @ Cascade- Game of the week cascade is a good team but SV is also good. Cascade has home field advantage and I believe they will make some plays early but SV will prevail 34-26 FC @ PT- FC is looking for revenge however I just don't see it happening Park Tudor is the favorite and I don't like the Mustangs chances on the road PT wins 43-21 CP @ Covington- CP is a mystery to me but the Tro-Fakers either show up or don't and after a bad loss last week I'm goanna take the Gophers 54-6 NV @ Attica- Really, enjoy the bye week Falcons on your fall break and maybe next year Attica NV 42-0 PH @ CC- Again maybe next year woofs, you improved but not enough give me CC 66-0 RP @ Cloverdale- Cloverdale is better this year and the panthers aren't as good this year, but the panthers are hot and they extend to a four game winning streak 32-12

Sectional 34 Correction: Clinton Central plays the winner of FC PT instead of NV vs Attica

The last week of the regular season is upon us the squirrel can't wait for sectional but now for my week 9 picks Attica @ SV- Congrats to the wildcats not even going to put a score Cov @ RP- Lets see if covington is for real. Its at RP coach sanders and the crew ends the regular season a 3 game winning streak RP over the fakers 28-6 Seeger @ NV- NV had their chances friday and i think they scored down on the goal line but we won't talk about that but the combination of White and Tryon is hard to stop Ill take the Falcons 34-18 FC @ PH- FC pulled it out last friday but I could see them being on upset watch this week with them preparing for Park Tudor next week give me the Woofs 24-20 The squirrel has spoken I Love this weather and football is in full swing enjoy it

One game doesn't make a line all the sudden a top tier line. Covington's line is big but can't move and if were being completely honest seeger is not the best line in the conference the bulk of yards covington has gotten on the ground has been against bad teams like tri county and south newton and Parke heritage. I'm not saying that covington's line is bad, but to say they are a top line unit in the conference is insane. If your good you show up and ball out week after week and covington hasn't done that this year.

I disagree that the trojans are a top oline and dline unit in the conference. NV and SV both did whatever they wanted to do against the trojans up front also FC did as well. Maybe seeger just isn't as good as years past but since we are here, I guess I'll rank the lineman units 1. South Vermillion 2. North Vermillion 3. Fountain Central 4. Seeger 5. Riverton Parke 6. Covington 7. Parke Heritage 8. Attica Thats it the squirrel has spoken and this is final.

I forgot RP @ PH- The Parke county showdown as I don't know that much about either team except that this where I imagined PH would be at the beginning of the year and RP is not what they were last year. Call me crazy but I got the woofs in a close game 28-27

Conference Championship week but this maybe the best week of matchups in the WRC. Covered bridge is just around the corner and that means playoffs will be here soon with the draw being on Sunday. Now time for the squirrel's picks. Covington @ Attica- Covington almost pulled off an amazing upset last week but they will get back in the win column this week with the worst team in the conference. Coving over the ramblers 54-6 NV @ FC- FC got humiliated last week against the wildcats and NV started slow against the woofs last week. NV is better up front and I think White is better than Acton and I think the Falcons are just better give me the Falcons 44-23. SV @ Seeger- Is seeger playing possum after almost imploding against the Covington Fakers last week? Will the Wildcats somehow manage to lose to the Patriots again? This all comes down to a blowout for the conference championship. SV's victory lap goes through Williamsport this week as the Wildcats win 54-12

Ok its week seven playoffs are just round the corner and this squirrel can't wait for October bridge fest, conference championship and the playoffs in IHSAA start. This time of season is truly magical for all WRC football players and I hope all the seniors across the conference soak it all in. However the squirrel still has a job and my week 7 picks are in. Attica @ RP- The panthers have played the meat of their schedule and over the next 3 weeks they should take the chance to win some games and get some momentum going into the sectional of death. Attica has to wait til next year good try ramblers give me RP 52-12 Cov @ Seeger- The Patriots won a thriller last week and next week will play for a conference championship, Covington surprised me last week with a surprising defensive battle against the woofs. My problem for the trojans is their inconsistency against the good teams but this week they give the patriots a battle but Seeger prevails 34-20. FC @ SV- Game of the week with conference implication the mustangs lost a heartbreaker but herb you can never count out. The SV line is what I believe will win them the game because FC looks a little soft upfront give me the wildcats 45-16. PH @ NV- PH lost a game they should've won and NV is rolling after an honorary bye week and I believe they are the better team. Does an NV lineman get another pick six against the woofs this year my guess would be the Hinchee kid. The Falcons are to explosive for the woofs weak defense the Falcons win at Gibson 58-12.

1. The Covered Bridge in Eugene 2. Benjamin's in Clinton

Holy cow no way its already passed the midpoint this season time flies when you're having fun. Let's do a midseason recap. SV is the best team in the conference NV FC and Seeger are fighting for 2nd place and after that we have some teams trying to prove themselves like RP and PH and Cov and Attica are bringing up the rear of the conference. Now for the squirrel's picks. NV at Attica- NV came out flat against RP but the man the myth the legend aka woody hayes will have his troops ready this week. Attica is better this year but they just can't compete. NV wins by mercy rule and they will be classy NV 48 Attica 0 PH at Cov- This game is interesting Covington can prove they aren't fakers and PH can prove they are improved by beating the trojans. Last year this game was a shootout and this year will be the same but this year the woofs come out on top PH 44 Cov 36 Game of the week Seeger at FC- This game will decide which week SV will wrap a WRC title aka next week or week 8. I like both teams Im leaning towards FC because of the Acton kid he is good and Herb will get his sweet sweet revenge. FC 31 Seeger 24 SV at RP- RP is a 1st half team as they showed against NV, RP is not bad they just played the best teams in the conference early but after this week they will get some Ws. SV's victory takes over at RP friday Night SV 42 RP 21

Unreal Week of football last week in the good old Wabash River Conference This week's picks for the squirrel RP @ NV- Its been a year since possibly the biggest upset of last season and after a brutal and heartbreaking loss on Saturday for the Falcons look for Crabtree's squad to come out on fire. Bad week to be a panther its revenge time and homecoming time for the falcons NV 55 RP12 Seeger @ PH- PH is better this year compared to a year ago however they aren't a conference contender quite yet and it will show this week Seeger 44 PH 6 Attica @ FC- This one is pretty self explanatory FC 63 Attica 0 SV @ Cov- The wildcats have pretty much wrapped a conference title and the victory lap starts this week against the Covington fakers SV 70 Covington 0

Anybody know what the actual injury is.

The Squirrel's Picks Attica at PH- This is a conference game that the ramblers can compete in this year. Bad loss for the woofs Saturday its at PH give me the woofs 27-13 FC at Cov- After Saturday Night Covington's flaw has been revealed they are bad up front NV Oline and dline did whatever they wanted to the trojans and the bulk of seniors that graduated for NV last year were lineman like Blank, Galloway , and ZIebart. FC got a good conference win on Friday Acton is a top 5 play and 5 for Covington is not FC 42 Cov 12 Seeger at RP- Seeger is Seeger they are tough and physical RP is still trying to replace Hazzard both teams are good I think the Patriots are better Seeger 38 Rp 6 NV at SV- Major Conference Implications this Saturday at SV. Can NV stop Garzo 2.0 and The SV Offense on the contrary can SV stop White and Tryon. This game will be won in the trenches this week. SV is big but don't sleep on NV's line. The Hinchee kid is physical and Athletic, and the Thomas kid has really came into his own this year compared to a year ago. Hess for SV maybe the best overall lineman this year in the conference and the state when it comes to small schools along with Kearsey who is strong and physical. This game will be close but I think SV has more athletes give me SV in a close game except for the back half of the 3rd quarter. SV 37 NV 26.

Since this week is the start of conference play who does everyone think will be WRC champs in October. My favorite is SV but I do see NV and Seeger giving the wildcats a run for their money. A dark horse for me are those mustangs I want to hear everyones opinion let em out.

White is playing Friday