Local Sports

Waterford seeks playoff win in 9th straight season

WATERFORD - The Waterford Wildcats will look to continue the roll they were on at the end of the regular season Friday night when they host the Berne Union Rockets in a District 6, Region 23 playoff game.

The Wildcats won their final five games of the season by a combined score of 294-6 to clinch the number six seed in the postseason.

Overall the Wildcats averaged just shy of 40 points per contest while limiting their opponents to a minuscule 5.2 points per game.

The Waterford defense shutout their opponents six times and allowed just one score in two other games.

After beginning the season 3-0, the Eric McCutcheon-coached Wildcats dropped a pair of games to teams that are seeded in the top two in their respective Districts in Fort Frye (20-0) and Nelsonville-York (18-12).

The Wildcats have plenty of threats offensively led by three-time 1,000 yard rusher Hayden Jones and record-setting senior quarterback Avery Pottmeyer.

Jones rushed for 1,093 yards and 18 touchdowns in the regular season and also hauled in 21 pass receptions for 278 yards and five more scores.

Destined to earn All-Ohio honors once again this season, Jones also leads the Waterford defense in tackles with 125.

Jones had played quarterback for a good portion of his varsity career prior to this one but has spent his entire senior season at running back allowing Pottmeyer to take over the reins behind center.

That move has paid off for both as Pottmeyer has completed 103-138 pass attempts (74.5 percent) on the season for 1,432 yards and a school-record 25 touchdowns.

Pottmeyer has only been intercepted five times on the season while also displaying his ability to run with the football as evidenced by his 502 rushing yards on 68 carries.

Kam Johnson has been solid spelling Jones as he has rushed for 159 yards on 25 carries.

The Wildcats are deep at receiver with the likes of Gavin Hiener, Brayden Smith and Finn Pennock all making huge contributions.

Hiener leads the team with 25 receptions for 295 yards and seven touchdowns.

Smith has caught 21 balls for 279 yards and three touchdowns while Pennock tallied 212 receiving yards and five touchdowns on 10 catches, most of them coming in the second half of the season.

Senior defensive lineman Dylan McCutcheon has been a menace as he has sacked the opponents quarterback four times tying him with Maddox Antill for the team lead.

Antill is second on the team with 94 tackles while Pennock leads an opportunistic Waterford secondary with five interceptions.

Avery and Devin Pottmeyer, Jones, and Johnson have each picked off two passes.

Waterford has won at least one playoff game in eight straight seasons.

Berne Union comes into the game with a 7-3 record on the season to notch the No. 11 seed.

All three of the Rockets losses came in the first six games of the season as they won their final four games including a regular-season ending 45-5 win over Bishop Rosecrans.

The two have not played a common opponent although Berne Union did score a 41-8 win over Miller, a former Tri-Valley Conference school during the regular season.

Key players for the Tony Hurps-coached Rockets are quarterback Carson Kiger, running back James Hocking, receivers Dillon Cornell and linebacker Jackson Little.

FRONTIER (5-5) at STRASBURG-FRANKLIN (7-3)

STRASBURG - At the end of the day it doesn't matter how you get into the playoffs it's that you are in the playoffs.

Despite losing their final four games of the regular season, the Frontier Cougars did enough in their first six to finish 5-5 and lock-up the number 11 seed in the District 7, Region 27 playoffs.

The Cougars will hit the road Friday night to take on the 7-3 Strasburg Tigers who earned the No. 6 seed.

After opening the season with wins in their first four games, the Tigers lost three of their next four to put their own post season aspirations in jeopardy.

The Jimm Morris-coached Tigers bounced back in the final two weeks of the season with commanding wins over Malvern (35-0) and Tuscarawas Central Catholic (40-20) to clinch the No. 6 seed.

Key players to watch for Strasburg include quarterback Brody Baughman, running back Keiser Thomas and receivers Micah McVay and Grant Dreher.

Frontier came out of the gate strong as well with three consecutive wins before being beaten by Shadyside (43-21) in week number four.

The Cougars recovered nicely with bounce-back wins over Valley (51-6) and St. Marys (29-20).

At that point it looked like the Damon-Metheney-led Cougars were a shoo-in to reach the playoffs but the wheels fell off over the final four games of the regular season.

The Cougars fell to Conotton Valley (46-19) in week number seven and then came up short against Cameron (40-14), Shenandoah (33-32) and River (53-21).

The Cougars have gotten a strong junior season from first-year varsity starter Luke Mendenhall at quarterback.

Mendenhall completed 88-of-174 pass attempts on the season for 1,338 yards and nine touchdowns compared to six interceptions.

The Cougar QB also rushed for a team-high 660 yards and 13 touchdowns on 149 carries.

Senior Austyn Kephart has been a force in both the Cougars rushing and receiving games.

Kephart has ran the ball 61 times for 422 yards and eight touchdowns while also hauling in 27 pass receptions for 431 yards and three more scores.

Versatile sophomore Caden Barrows has been a key contributor as well as he leads the Cougars with 36 receptions for 551 yards and three touchdowns while rushing the ball 27 times for 160 yards.

The two teams have played a pair of common opponents in Shadyside and Conotton Valley.

Frontier lost to both while Strasburg fell to Shadyside (22-19) while defeating Conotton Valley (29-22).