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Game Summary: Recap

Coach Olds Corner: Knights Take Care of Business in Week 9

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Game Summary: Recap

Coach Olds Corner:   The eyes are upon us….all of us!

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Kings welcomed West Carrollton to the Castle Friday night for the eighth edition of Friday Night Lights in the 2011 campaign. After a weather delay that pushed back the start time, the Knights jumped on the Pirates early, delivering successive blows with the offensive and defensive units on their way to a 45-20 win.

Kings again set the tone early with an impressive opening drive, going 65 yards in 10 plays to get on the scoreboard. The drive was fueled primarily by Senior RB Brian Huffman (92 yards, 3 TD) who was responsible for forty yards during the series, covering the final seventeen on a TD run off the right-side of the line anchored by linemen Ryan Anthony, Kennedy Cook and Nick Squires.  The Pirates first possession resulted in a forced fumble by LB Sean Horan and recovered by Senior DB Josh Mathias (6 tackles, 2 assists, FR) at the West Carrollton 43-yard line. The Knights quickly took advantage of the miscue as QB Jensen Gebhardt (8-10, 111 yards, TD) hit WR/TE Nick Bird for a 40-yard completion. Huffman would follow Cook into the end zone as Kings jumped to an early 14-0 lead. The Pirates struck back however as West Carrollton’s Randy Stites returned the ensuing kick-off 96-yards for a score. The 1^st quarter fireworks weren’t over as Gebhardt found WR Zach Hilderbrand for a 12-yard scoring strike to cap the Knights third possession of the game.

In early 2nd quarter action, Kings would score on their fourth consecutive possession as Huffman rushed up the middle for his third TD of the game giving Kings a 28-7 lead. The rest of the quarter was a sloppy affair as the Knights turned the ball over three times and were unable to capitalize on a solid defensive effort highlighted by Hilderbrand’s two interceptions. Half-time score, Kings 28, West Carrollton 7.

The defense started the action in the 2^nd half on the Pirates first possession as DL Garrett Ackerman and Brady Vanover recorded sacks. On 4^th down Horan recovered a Pirate fumble in the end zone for a defensive touchdown. It was Horan again on the next series, stopping West Carrollton with an interception at the Knights 25-yard line. The Pirates scored at the four-minute mark in the quarter after an eight play, 63-yard drive.

The ensuing kick-off was returned 47 yards by Sophomore Mike Ovington setting up the the Knights offense, now being led by Junior QB Drew Patterson (5-8, 119 yards, TD), in good field position. Patterson hit WR Willie Strosnider for a 25-yard gain. Kings eventually settled for a 37-yard FG by Evan Berg to take a 38-13 lead. The Pirates answered with an eight play, eighty yard scoring drive of their own as the teams battled back and forth. After carries by RB’s Colt Perry (4 attempts, 24 yards) and Ovington ( 11 attempts, 90 yards) on Kings next possession, a scrambling Patterson found Strosnider again, this time for a 55-yard touchdown down the right sideline to wrap-up the scoring for the game.

Final score: Kings 45, West Carrollton 20.

Game Summary: Recap

Coach Olds Corner:   A Great Crowd, a Great Night, and a Great Game!

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External Coverage: Pulse Journal | Cincinnati Enquirer | WLWT | TriState Football

Vote For Jensen Gebhardt: WLWT Primetime Performer of the Week

What a beautiful night for football — warm temperature, SRO Homecoming crowd at Knights Stadium, and a battle of undefeated squads — as the Knights hosted the Walnut Hills Eagles. Kings put together a nearly flawless first half of football on their way to a 23-0 victory. Offensively, the Knights put up nearly 300 yards in offense, compiling over 200 yards in the first half. For the game, Kings controlled the ball for almost 36 minutes, a 3-1 advantage over the Eagles. The Knights defense held the opponent scoreless for the third time this season while producing five turnovers, a safety and holding Walnut Hills to just 43 yards total offense, including a minus 1 yard rushing.

Kings set the tone early with an impressive opening drive, consuming nearly eight minutes while going 65 yards in 14 plays. The Knights used all facets of the offense as RB’s Brian Huffman and Nick Collado carried the ball for 20 yards and QB Jensen Gebhardt went 5-5 for the series, hitting receivers Zach Hilderbrand, Larry Southall, Collado, and Justin Crull. The drive was highlighted by two 4^th down conversions and capped off with a Gebhardt to Crull 14–yard TD reception.

After a three & out by the Eagles, Kings would take the ball across mid-field before punting the ball away. Walnut Hills went three & out a second time. On their third possession, the Knights started at their 40-yard line and proceeded to march sixty yards in twelve plays. Again, the offense relied on the legs of Huffman and Collado. Gebhardt was perfect once more, going 4-4, punctuating the series with a pinpoint pass to Hilderbrand for a 14-yard TD. Hilderbrand would make another catch a few plays later as he intercepted a Walnut Hills pass at the Eagles 36-yard line with three minutes left in the half. Huffman and Collado would follow their offensive line over the next five plays with Huffman covering the final 16-yards on a TD run up the middle. Evan Berg’s PAT was good and the score was 21-0 as the teams went to half. The Knights generated over 200 yards of offense to the Eagles nine and held possession for twenty of the 24 minutes in the half.

Homecoming activities were highlighted by DE Max DeMumbrum, along with Jordan Burke, winning King and Queens honors. It should be noted that Junior OL Ryan “Chicken” Anthony escorted not one, but two lovely young ladies during the festivities due to an unfortunate 1^st half injury to fellow OL Andrew Ruschau. Who says the QB always gets the girls….

Getting back to the game, after an inteception by DB Nick Handorf, who would get two during the evening, the Knights opening drive of the 2^nd half began at the Eagles 26-yard line. The offense would fall short however as Collado was stopped at the goal line on 4^th down. The defense rose to the challenge however as LB Sean Horan would stop the ball-carrier in the end zone two plays later for a safety, and an end to the scoring for the night, at the 6-minute mark of the 3^rd period. Kings was unable to score the rest of the way as penalties and sacks stopped promising drives. The Knights defense continued their dominant play as LB Austin Copeland and DB Mason Barker also recorded interceptions further frustrating the Eagles hopes.

Final score: Kings 23, Walnut Hills 0.

Check out Max DeMumbrum’s article in the Pulse Journal!

Game Summary: Recap

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Article Contributed by Scott Willen

As we’ve reached the half-way point of the 2011 season, it seemed like a good time for a Harbin Ratings refresher. In Ohio only eight teams from each of four geographical regions per Division make the post-season.  The eight teams are determined by OHSAA computer rankings, more commonly known as the Harbin Ratings. Region’s 5-8 are the four geographical regions for Division II. Kings is in Region 8. If you’d like a quick tutorial, read on.

The Harbin Ratings are not really that difficult to understand once you see how it works mathematically. The first concept to grasp is there are actually two sets of numbers, Level 1 points and Level 2 points, that determine the final rating:

1. Level 1 – these points give numerical weight to wins by your team. With each victory, a team earns points based on the size of the school they beat. Currently the points are awarded as follows:

            Division I        6.0 points

            Division II       5.5 points

            Division III     5.0 points

            Division IV     4.5 points

            Division V       4.0 points

            Division VI     3.5 points

For example, if Kings, a D-II school, beats Mason (D-I), Kings receives 6.0 points while Mason receives 0.0 for a loss. If Kings were to beat Wyoming (D-III), Kings would receive only 5.0 points. It makes sense then to have a challenging schedule. Getting a lot of wins over smaller schools may make your record look good, but in the long run may not help you accumulate enough points to make the play-offs.

2. Level 2 – these points are a numerical representation of the strength of your schedule. This is why we become “the biggest fans” of schools we have beaten. The more points (think victories) they accumulate over the course of the season, the higher our Level 2 points. Again, this supports playing a strong schedule. This doesn’t necessarily mean always playing larger schools but it does highlight playing and beating quality opponents. For example, assuming they play schools their own size, it would be better to beat an 8-2 D-III school than a 4-6 D-I opponent. Simply put, playing a weak schedule won’t likely provide as many Level 2 points.

If Kings loses to an opponent, we are no longer eligible to receive Level 2 points from them. So, if we lose the game, we receive zero Level 1 and zero Level 2 points.

Now that we have gathered our overall points it’s time to put them together and come up with the Harbin Rating. First, the total Level 1 points are divided by the number of weeks played so far in the season to calculate our Level 1 rating. Then, the total Level 2 points accumulated are divided by 100 (10 weeks multiplied by 10 opponents) and multiplied by 10 (moves the decimal point higher so that the averages are comparable to those in past years according to OHSAA), giving us our Level 2 rating. These two numbers are then added together for your team’s Harbin Rating.

There are other events that can have an impact on the calculations such as opponents having only nine games on their schedule (which impacts the Level 2 formula), ties, and playing out of state teams, but these don’t effect Kings directly this year so I won’t add to the confusion. Just be aware there are other nuances to the ratings beyond what’s described here. Also notice there are no “style points” associated with Harbin Ratings. A 7-6 win in overtime is as good as a 49-0 blowout.

Sounds simple enough, but if you’re like me, pictures and examples work best. To illustrate the calculations let’s use results from the 2010 season for the first six games of the Knights schedule to see how the Harbin Ratings are calculated. I’ve chosen 2010 to include the impact of a loss on the calculation.

Hopefully that helped somewhat.

For Week 5 of the 2011 season, Kings should have the #2 rating for Region 8. This is great news and certainly reflects the tremendous start the Knights have put together. Due to the schedule however, Knights fans shouldn’t expect to climb higher in Week 6. Let’s continue our example with a little “what if” scenario. After Week 5 the estimates for the top four teams in Region 8 should look like:

Trotwood-Madison      12.650

Kings                                  12.600

Butler Vandalia             10.800

Wapakoneta                   10.000

 Lets assume all four teams get wins in Week 6 (just for illustration purposes). We need to make assumptions for all opponents on each of the five teams schedules as well. Who will win between Lebanon and Xenia? Between Elida and Kenton? That done, let’s move on. Kings will play Little Miami. A win over the Panthers will yield 5.5 Level 1 Points and only 5.0 Level 2 points. A Trotwood victory over Piqua will yield 5.5 Level 1 points and 17.5 Level 2 points. Vandalia would pick-up 6.0 Level 1 points and 22.5 Level 2 points with a win over D-I Troy.  Wapakoneta plays D-IV Ottawa-Glandorf and would earn 4.5 Level 1 points and 20 Level 2 points.

Strength of schedule obviously factors prominently for Week 6 results. Given the above assumptions the ratings would look like:

Trotwood-Madison      16.633

Butler Vandalia             14.817

Kings                                 14.233

Wapakoneta                  13.367

Hopefully the above helps explain some of the mystery of Harbin Ratings and why they move around from week to week, even when we win, and also help explain why there are times when you look at records, a team that goes 8-2 doesn’t make it into the play-offs and a 6-4 team does.

In the end, we shouldn’t get too caught-up in the weekly ratings. As parents and fans, we need to simply support our team. The coaches and players must prepare and play one week at a time. Take care of business one game at a time. That’s all they can control. The rest, as you now know, is just OHSAA math!

GO KNIGHTS!

Game Summary: Recap

Coach Olds Corner: No Turf, No Problem

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 The Knights traveled to the far Eastside on Friday night and came away with a convincing 30-0 victory over Glen Este. Despite the muddy turf, the defense put on another impressive show, limiting one of FAVC’s top rushing offenses to 139 yards, and 152 yards in total – nearly 200 yards below their average coming into the game. The Trojans crossed mid-field only twice, reaching the Knights 46-yard line both times, but could go no further. RB Jamire Westbrook and the offensive line enjoyed another good night, working together to produce 166 yards in total rushing offense. QB Jensen Geghardt threw for 103 yards, including an 11-yard TD pass to WR Zach Hilderbrand.

Kings got on the board early. After Senior LB Sean Horan (3 tackles, 7 asst, 1.5 TFL, 2 FR) stopped a Trojan fake punt attempt, the Knights took over at Glen Este’s 43-yard line. Seven plays later, Kicker Evan Berg connected from 34-yards out to give Kings a 3-0 lead. It was all the Knights would need. Kings got the ball back at their 33-yard line minutes later. Two Westbrook carries, one for 12 yards, followed by a 55-yard touchdown run and the Knights were ahead 9-0. The Trojans ensuing possession was cut short by a Horan fumble recovery at the Glen Este 33-yard line. The Knights drive would end with Gebhardt hitting Hilderbrand for a touchdown with nine minutes left in the 2^nd quarter. Things did not get much better for Glen Este the rest of the half as two more possessions resulted in just 27 yards as LB Max Lerer (7 tackles, 2 asst, 3 TFL, 2 sacks, LB Austin Copeland (4 tackles, 6 asst) and DT Brady Vanover (3 tackles, 2 asst, 2 TFL, 1 sack) clamped down on the Trojan offense.

The Knights opened the second half with the ball, but were forced to punt after reaching the Glen Este 49-yard line. Special teams would deliver again as Punter Zach Hilderbrand did a nice job of pinning the Trojans down at their 10-yard line. Three plays later DE Tommy Schnee would scoop up a Glen Este fumble and return it 5-yards for a Knights defensive touchdown, giving Kings a 23-0 lead at the seven minute mark of the 3^rd quarter. The teams traded possessions on the now muddied turf before Kings took possession at the end of the period on their own 34-yard line.

Westbrook would carry four straight times to open the 4^th quarter, eventually setting up a 4^th & 4 at the Trojans 25-yard line. The offense would deliver on the conversion attempt as Gebhardt found WR/TE Nick Bird on a 20-yard gain to keep the chains moving. Westbrook covered the final 5-yards on the next play, picking up his second touchdown of the night and providing the final margin of victory, 30-0.

The night’s excitement was not over for the Knights defense however as LB Horan recovered his second fumble of the game on Glen Este’s next possession, returning it 31-yards to the Trojan 15-yard line to put an exclamation point on the evening.

Final score: Kings 30, Glen Este 0.

External Coverage: Pulse Journal | Blitz 5 | Cincinnati Enquirer | TriStateFootball.com

Click to Vote Jamire Westbrook Blitz5 Prime Time Performer of the Week

Pulse Journal Writer Scot Hayes catches up with Tommy and Coach Steve  Schnee click Pulse Journal to read!

Game Summary: Recap

Coach Olds Corner: Backyard Rivalry Lives Up to Hype

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External Coverage: Pulse Journal | Loveland Magazine |

Article Contributed by Scott Willen

With the crisp feeling of Fall in the air on Friday night, the Loveland Tigers visited a crowded Knights Stadium looking to get back on the winning track. It was not to be. With a decisive first half of football, the Knights garnered their fourth win of the season in as many tries, 28-2.

Kings started quickly as LB Sean Horan (6 tackles, 4 assists, sack) sacked Tigers QB Ryne Terry on the third play from scrimmage, forcing a fumble that was recovered by DB Nick Collado at the Loveland 37-yard line. The Knights moved methodically downfield over the next seven plays before RB Brian Huffman would follow the blocking of lineman John Miniard and Nick Wolf over the left-side of the line for an 8-yard run and the games first touchdown. Evan Berg added the PAT and the Knights held a 7-0 lead five minutes into the contest.

Loveland was forced to punt on their next possession giving the Knights the ball at their 27-yard line. On their second series of the evening, Kings would put the ball in the hands of their running backs and have the offensive line lead the way. And lead they did. Over the next six minutes, RB‘s Jamire Westbrook (135 yds, 22 att, 2 TD), Brian Huffman (20 yds, 7 att, TD), and Justin Crull moved the ball downfield. The drive was highlighted by two 4^th down conversions as the Knights kept moving the chains. Westbrook capped the drive with a 9-yard touchdown over the left-side once more. The score moved to 14-0 early in the 2^nd quarter. The Tigers had some success on their third possession, holding the ball for over six minutes, but the outstanding play of LB’s Horan, Austin Copeland, and Safety Mason Barker ultimately forced a Loveland punt with under five minutes remaining in the half. Starting at their 18-yard line, the Knights mixed the ran and pass. After a 21-yard pick-up by Westbrook to get things started, QB Jensen Gebhardt hit WR Alex Rice for an 11-yard gain, followed shortly thereafter by 11 & 7-yard completions to WR/TE Nick Bird. Finally with just 12 seconds left on the clock, Gebhardt hit Bird for an 11-yard touchdown. The half-time score was Kings 21, Loveland 0.

The opening moments of the 2^nd half saw an exchange of possessions before the Knights found themselves backed-up on their own 7-yard line. A fumble in the end zone resulted in a Safety and two points for the Tigers. Each team had the ball twice more in the quarter but neither could generate any offense as the defenses and penalties were taking their toll. Finally, with two minutes left in the period Loveland mounted a drive. Starting at their own 10-yard line, the Tigers covered 78-yards in 12 plays before the Knights defense would stand firm, forcing a turnover on downs at the Kings 12-yard line minutes into the final stanza.. After a Zach Hilderbrand punt, the Knights defense struck as DB Justin Crull intercepted a Terry pass and returned it 45-yards to the Loveland 3-yard line. Westbrook would run over the right-side, following linemen Ryan Anthony, Kennedy Cook and Andrew Ruschau into the end zone for the games final score.

Final score: Kings 28, Loveland 2.

Game Summary: Recap

Fox Sports Ohio TV Coverage: Game Highlights | Replay Center (not yet loaded)

Coach Olds Corner: “LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION”

External Coverage: TriState Football | FoxSports Ohio | Pulse Journal | Cincinnati Enquirer

Article Contributed by Scott Willen

If you believe the mantra ‘Offense sells tickets, Defense & Special Teams wins championships’, then Thursday night’s game was for you. Kings welcomed Harrison to a mist-shrouded Knights Stadium, but on this night, dominant Defense and Special Teams would still shine as Kings delivered the first victory over the Wildcats under Coach Olds, 30-14.

After opening festivities, the game opened with a kick-off from Evan Berg. On Harrison’s first play from scrimmage, QB Marcus Woelfel hit his receiver for a ten-yard gain and a first down. This was noteworthy as it was the last time the Wildcats would move the chains until the two-minute mark of the 3^rd quarter. The night belonged to the Kings defensive unit, especially the play of LB Austin Copeland (6.5 tackles), DE Max Demumbrum (4.5 tackles, 3 sacks), DT Brady Vanover (4.5 tackles, 2 sacks), LB Max Lerer (4 tackles, 1 TFL), and DE Tommy Schnee (2 tackles, sack, and two deflected passes) as the Knights held the Wildcats to only three yards on 23 attempts and 101 yards total offense for the game. Kings resulting average starting field position was their 41-yard line. Harrison was also held to 0-10 on third down conversions. Offensively the Knights moved the ball well in the opening half, gaining 215 yards while controlling possession for nearly fifteen minutes. Kicker Evan Berg was 2-2 on FG’s, including a career best 47-yarder at the end of the 2^nd quarter. Despite the statistics, the Knights, who had six possessions and four trips to the Red Zone in the 1^st half, held a lead of just 13-0 as the teams went to intermission.

2^nd half action opened with a Principal Mader-led Roller Coaster ride for the Knight faithful and an opening 6-play, 54-yard drive capped by Berg’s third FG of the night as Kings edged to a 16-0 lead. The Knights next possession resulted in a 70-yard interception return for a touchdown by the Wildcats Delmer Keaton. Harrison was still in the game as the lead was quickly cut to 16-7 with seven minutes in the 3^rd period. The Knights had an answer though as RB’s Jamire Westbrook (246 yards, 28 attempts, 2 TD) and Brian Huffman (123 yards, 20 attempts, TD) would follow solid blocking upfront on a 74-yard scoring drive. After an exchange of possessions, the Wildcats would score again, this time on a 74-yard touchdown pass from Woelfel to WR Kyle Nowlin as play wound down in the 3^rd quarter with Kings lead now at 23-14.

In the 4^th period Kings would finally deliver the knock-out blow by adding another seven points to the scoreboard on a 54-yard scoring drive, again with the 1-2 punch of Westbrook and Huffman.

During the game, Jamire Westbrook surpassed the 4,000 yard career rushing mark. Congratulations Jamire! It was also the fourth time in his last seven starts that he has gone over 200 yards on the ground. Justin Crull led the team with two catches for 81 yards and gained 183 all-purpose yards. DB Zach Hilderbrand also forced and recovered a fumble.

Final score: Kings 30, Harrison 14.