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East Knox Bulldogs High School Athletics

Point of Attack Crucial For East Knox

          East Knox plays Newark Catholic Saturday night in a regional semifinal in division VII at Highland High School.

          The Bulldogs got there in a dramatic way as Peyton Lester connected with Shane Knepp with 38 seconds to play Saturday night giving East Knox a come from behind (35-28) win over Gloster Trimble in a quarterfinal game in Howard last week.

          They had trailed (21-7) in the first half, but coach Cody Reese says they never quit playing hard.  “Especially there in first half, we played hard, but we didn’t play as well as we needed to.  Certainly, we have to give Trimble credit for that.  They were executing and we were not.  So, we were able to regroup and bounce back.  We always tell the players, we have to have guys step up and make plays.  You have to step and say enough is enough,” he told Swankonsports.com on Monday night, “Our senior group certainly did that on Saturday night.  It was a lot of fun to see them just take control and make those plays.  It is always fun to see athletes reach their potential, what you have always seen in them.  It was just very rewarding.  It was a great team effort and a lot of fun.  It is always fun when you win.”

          Lester threw for 353 yards and five touchdowns on the night.

          East Knox (10-2) plays Newark Catholic (11-1), the top seed in the region.  The Greenwave beat Caldwell (42-7) on Saturday night.

          Reese says they are athletic and aggressive.  “They are solid across the board on both the offensive and defensive side, just as they always are, it’s a heavy tradition down there, offensive line, they have a good running back, the quarterback is a very good athlete that extends plays, making pass throws downfield.  They just give teams fits.  They have receivers that make plays.  They have athletes all over the field.  On the defensive side, they just get after it.  They are physical and aggressive.  It is definitely going to be a tall task for us, but we look forward to it,” said Reese.

          Reese says they have seen some teams with the same approach as Newark Catholic, but these guys do it really well.  “Defensively, we have seen offenses like they run this season.  Offensively, formationally it reminds me a lot of stuff we like to run and we have played some other teams such as that, but they are really good at what they do.  They are 11-1 for a reason.  They do what they do and they are really good at it.  So, it is going to be a lot of fun.  We are looking forward to it,” he said.

          To win the game Saturday night, Reese says they have win the line of scrimmage and the turnover battle.  “We have to reestablish the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball.  We have to be aggressive.  We have to take control of the line of scrimmage. We have to win the turnover battle.  We can’t be turning the football over and we have to create some turnovers.  At the end of it, just like last week, we have to have players step up and make plays down the stretch.  If we do those three things, we put ourselves in position to be successful,” said Reese.

Published 11/09/21

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East Knox Plays Aggressive, Physical Gloster Trimble

          East Knox, the co-champion of the Knox Morrow Athletic Conference, is at home Saturday night for Gloster Trimble in a regional quarterfinal in division VI.

          They advanced with a (41-13) hammering of Reedsville Eastern last Saturday.

          Coach Cody Reese says they got off to a real good start in the game and that was a key for them.  “Coming out we held them to a three and out.  We had a big run on the first play and from there I think after two or three series we were up 20-0.  So, they boys came out and played fast and scored often in the early going.  That really helped us get on track for the rest of the game.  We were up 34-0 at halftime.  We were very pleased with how we played.  I felt we executed like we should have.  Starting the playoff rounds it is really important to get started fast and execute at a high level. We were pleased with our performance on Saturday night,” he said.

          Trimble (8-2) shutout Fisher Catholic (38-0) in their first round game.

          Reese says they have a lot of good players.  “They are a very well coached.  They are a seasoned program.  I think back in 2017 they were in the state finals.  So, they have had a lot of tradition.  They have been very good.  They have a good quarterback.  On both sides of the ball, they are solid, they are good.  The quarterback is a good player.  He can run, he can pass, they have good receivers, good running back.  They are just solid on the offensive side.  Defensively, don’t disappoint as well giving up eight points in the last month.  We certainly have our work cut out for us.  It is going to be a tremendous challenge for us, but none the less and opportunity that we are certainly looking forward to,” said Reese.

          East Knox (9-2) has played a strong schedule this year and that prepares them for a game like Saturday.

          Reese says Trimble’s defense has all of the elements of that good defenses have.  “They are just physical.  They play fundamental football.  They rally to the football.  They have an up in your face mentality and they are aggressive as well.  All of that coupled together basically they like to get to you before you get to them.  They make plays,” he told Swankonsports.com on Tuesday night, “It comes down to making plays, it doesn't matter what you run.  Kids buying in and making plays is the name of the game.  So, they are very good at what they do.  You can tell their kids have a lot of fun playing as well.”

Published 11/03/21

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East Knox Faces Power Run Team

          East Knox, the co-champion of the Knox Morrow Athletic Conference, will be at home Saturday night for a first round playoff game in division VII against Reedsville Eastern.

          They earned that co-title with a (35-21) win over rival Danville last week.

          Coach Cody Reese says they were able to keep their focus.  “Starting our of the gate, they had a nice long run to set up their first touchdown and get up 7-0.  After that we were able to settle in and get a nice drive of our own and it took us a few plays to get down the field and score a touchdown.  From that point we only gave up 14 points for the rest of the game to a good Danville team.  Overall, I thought offensively and defensively we played at a pretty high level.  With so much on the line we tried to keep the kids levelheaded and they did a good job of that.  Just focusing on doing what got us there and what we need to do to be successful.  We played hard and played together and it was a fun football game,” said Reese.

          East Knox (8-2) hosts Eastern (4-4) this week.  The Eagles vaulted into the playoffs after a three game winning streak culminating with (41-14) win over Racine Southern last Friday.

          Reese says they make no bones about it, they want to run the football.  “They are a physical football team.  They like to line up in the “I” formation, run heavy formations and run the football and mixed in with that they like to do play action.  So, we just have to make sure we are disciplined.  We just have to keep them in front of us.  We have to play physical football, they are a physical football team.  Defensively, they like to run a 4-4, so they like to fill the box and force you to throw it,” he told Swankonsports.com on Thursday night, “On both sides of the line of scrimmage we have to reestablish it in order to be successful because they are physical on both sides of the ball.  We just have to make sure we are playing at a high level.  It’s playoff football, so everybody is playing to not go home.  We need to go out and do our thing and see what happens.”

          Reese says they have seen other teams this year Northmor, Highland and Crestview with this kind of approach to offensive football.  “Even the week that Cardington had to cancel due to COVID we picked up Conotton Valley and they were an “I” heavy run team as well.  So, we have seen that quite a bit this season and that may play out to our advantage.  I think the boys are excited to play against it.  It is a physical style of offense, but our kids seem to enjoy that type of thing.  With four games like that, that is four weeks of practice against that we have had against these types of offenses.  So, that definitely pays off in the long run,” he said.

Published 10/29/21

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Win Means Title For East Knox

          East Knox is a win away from earning a share of the Knox Morrow Athletic Conference football title.  They need a win on Friday at Danville, their arch rivals.

          They put themselves in that position with a come from behind (27-20) win over Highland last week.  They now share first place with Highland and Northmor, who play each other on Friday night.

          The Bulldogs scored with less than 20 seconds in the game to win last week.

          Coach Cody Reese says they made some big plays to get that win.  “We were able to get a couple turnovers there in thy second half and we were able to turn those into touchdowns.  After we scored to tie it up, they blocked our extra point to keep the game tied at 20 a piece.  Our defense did a great job and forced a punt with about 1:30 left in the game.  We were able to complete a pass and a deep pass down to about the five.  We were able to score with about 14 seconds left in the game.  It was definitely an exciting end to the game, especially being able to come out victorious, which we were fortunate to be able to do so,” said Reese.

          East Knox (7-2,4-1), they had a conference game cancelled with Cardington last moth due to a combination of illness and injury with the Pirates, plays at rival Danville (4-5,3-3), they beat Mt. Gilead (35-21) last week in a conference game.

          Reese says the Blue Devils have the personnel to challenge them, no question.  “They are definitely a hard nosed football team.  They play extremely hard.  Every year, year in and year out, this is a big game, throw the records out, it’s a backyard brawl.  It is going to be four quarters of smash mouth football.  We certainly expect nothing less than that.  They have a quarterback that is a good runner and good passer.  So, we have to make sure we slow him down and do what we can there.  Their offense they have a good running back and good receivers.  They definitely have multiple aspects that they can hit you on.  We have to make sure we are in position to make plays,” he told Swankonsports.com on Thursday night, “Defensively, they like to blitz from everywhere.  On play in one area and then they will shoot a guy they next play from somewhere else.  They like to do that to keep you off balance and they do a good job of that.  We just have to make sure we are executing like we need to.”

          It’s win and be rewarded for the Bulldogs and Reese says they look forward to these kinds of situations.  “We tell our players that situations like these are what we work to play for.  When you put yourselves in these positions you have to be excited about it.  Focus on what you did to get there and to execute.  If we make plays and play hard and play together at the end of the night, we will see what happens,” he said.

Published 10/21/21

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East Knox in a Must Win

          East Knox must beat Highland at their place to have any chance to share in the title of the Knox Morrow Athletic Conference this fall.

          They trail Highland and Northmor by a game with two conference games to play.

          They beat Fredericktown (49-8) last week to maintain their position.

          Coach Cody Reese says they got off to a good start and were able to build some momentum.  “We had a really good week of practice.  We knew Fredericktown was a good football team, well coached.  We wanted to jump on them early and get ahead from there.  We were able to do that.  We preformed at high level, executed, had a lot of fun, did a lot of things right.  We are just trying to build off that momentum going into this week with Highland,” he said.

          East Knox (6-2,3-1) hosts Highland (6-2,5-0) on Friday night.  The Scots beat Cardington (45-26) last week to maintain their share of first place in the conference.

          Reese says Highland is an outstanding running team.  “Obviously, they have a good back in Nauman, but that starts up front for them too.  Their offensive line gets after it.  They fire off the ball.  They are really tough up front.  They have a good backfield with (Dane) Nauman and another running back back there with him that is really good at carrying the ball,” he told Swankonsports.com on Wednesday night, “The quarterback does a really nice job of carrying out fakes and throwing the ball down field.  Offensively, they are solid across the board.  Defensively, they just get after it.  They are pretty disciplined in the defensive backfield.  Their defensive line loves to cause disruption.  Overall, they are good team and there is a reason they have won five in a row.”

          Nauman has rushed for 1,707 yards and 18 touchdowns.

          Reese says against a run team you have to do control first down in order to put them behind the chains and force them to throw it.  “As an offensive play caller it definitely influences what you do on second and third down based on the limited success you have on first down.  If you can win those early downs and put the opposing team behind the chains that what you want to do.  You want to force running teams to pass.  If you can win the early downs, you set yourself up for success,” he said.

Published 10/14/21

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East Knox has to Bounce Back

          East Knox, coming off a loss to Northmor last week, will be at home from Fredericktown in Knox Morrow Athletic Conference action on Friday night.

          The Bulldogs (5-2,2-1) lost (24-7) to Northmor and fell a game behind both the Golden Knights and Highland in the conference standings.

          Coach Cody Reese says they couldn’t get any momentum in the second half of the game.  “It was 7-7 at halftime.  We ended up scoring on a 41-yard touchdown pass on a fourth down to close out the end of the first half.  It seemed like after the second half kickoff from that point forward we didn’t do things to help ourselves out.  Things went against us, but you have to give credit to Northmor as well.  They are a really good football team, well coached,” he told Swankonsports.com on Monday night, “The kickoff we end up tripping and giving them the ball on the five and from there it seemed like it just snowballed.  Like I said Northmor did a great job defensively and offensively, especially the second half.  They were running the football on us.  We just couldn’t get a stop.  So, you have to give them credit for doing a great job.”

          Northmor totaled 250 yards on the ground.

          East Knox still has a lot in front of it to accomplish and Reese says they have to be focused.  “It is what do we need to do to improve?  What can we overcome that we did not overcome last week going into this week?  We have to get back on track.  We still have a lot to play for.  We no longer control our own destiny in the conference.  We didn’t take care of business, but we still have a lot to play for.  We certainly have a goal of a playoff spot and spot we want to be in.  We aren’t out of the league hunt either.  Like I said, we don’t control own destiny.  All we can do is focus on what we can control and that’s one week at a time.  We have to get our mentality back right going into this week against a good Fredericktown football team,” said Reese.

          Fredericktown (3-4,1-3) lost (41-20) to Highland last week.

          Reese says they must play physical football.  “You can tell on film that they have improved every week.  They are getting better at what they do on both sides of the ball.  They are a very physical team.  They are big up front.  We have to make sure we are prepared on both the mental and physical piece,” he said.

Published 10/05/21

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East Knox Has to Execute Against Northmor

          East Knox and Northmor, who share the Knox Morrow Athletic Conference lead with Highland, play each other on Friday night at Northmor.

          The Bulldogs (5-1,2-0) have won their last three, including a (49-10) shellacking of Mt. Gilead in conference play last week.

          Coach Cody Reese says they got off to a fast start and were able to defend the Indians pass game.  “We were really pleased with how our boys played.  We came out from the first snap.  In week’s past it seemed like we came out kind of slow.  We were firing on all cylinders coming out last week and that was a good feeling to have.  We held them on the first series and I think the second or third play from scrimmage got a fumble and the next play we end up scoring running one in from about 30 yards out.  We were just able to have intensity from the word go and physicality and that was the big difference,” he told Swankonsports.com on Wednesday night, “They had had a lot of success throwing the ball and that was a focus of ours last week to get our defense amped up to stop the pass and for the most part they did a pretty good job.  They busted some long runs on us and there are things we need to fix there.  Overall, pleased with our execution on both sides of the ball.  We were able to run and throw the ball successfully.  Just trying to play at a high level for four quarters of football and keeping high school kids in that mindset.  We had a lot of fun last week and certainly hoping to build off that momentum with the opportunity we have with Northmor.”

          Northmor (6-0,3-0) outscored Fredericktown (40-20) last week to remain unbeaten on the season.

          Reese says they have an outstanding running game and a defense that just very fundamental.  “They have a really good run game.  Max Lower is a fantastic running back and the quarterback is a great runner and he is pretty accurate throwing the ball when he is rolling out.  They have some skilled guys on the edge that are good receivers.  They put you in some positions that are going to give us fits going into Friday night.  Defense they play in their base defense and they are solid and like to keep things in front of them.  They are just a physical team, so we have to make sure we are matching that physicality and bringing it on Friday night if we want to put ourselves in position to be successful,” said Reese.

          With Northmor’s defensive philosophy, Reese says they have to be patient and execute when they have the ball.  “It definitely shortens the field for you on offense.  Defenses do that because they want you to have more plays and make you execute and hope you are going to make a mistake at some point.  They have good athletes, so their guys are going to make plays as well.  We just have to make sure we are executing at a high level.  We have to make sure we are taking care of the football.  We can’t be turning the ball over either,” he said.

Published 9/30/21

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East Knox Plays Improved Mt. Gilead

          East Knox, one of three schools in the Knox Morrow Athletic Conference without a loss in league action, plays at Mt. Gilead in a conference game on Friday night.

          Last week, they were one of the schools that had to quickly find another opponent to play.  Cardington cancelled their “KMAC” game and the Bulldogs instead played Conotton Valley in a non-conference game winning by (42-16) count.

          Coach Cody Reese says he liked his kids approach to the week.  “We were really proud of our boys.  With the quick turn around often times we can make excuses and look at reasons why it is okay not to preform.  Our team refused to do that, which we are very proud of.  They picked up the opportunity and ran with it and played pretty well, so we were pleased with that form the first quarter though the fourth quarter,” he told Swankpnsports.com on Monday, “Anytime you get a win in high school football that’s a good night and to be able to do it on the short notice that we had I think just speaks volumes on how focused our boys were at the task at hand and we are really excited with the outcome that we had.”

          East Knox (4-1,1-0) is at Mt. Gilead (2-4,0-2) on Friday night.  The Indians lost (30-24) to Fredericktown in a conference game last week.  The Freddies scored with just over a minute to play to win it.

          Reese says the Indians are a team that is getting better.  “Mt. Gilead is a much improved football team form last year when unfortunately they had to cancel quite a few games to this year.  That game last week with Fredericktown, they are both good football teams, it came down to the wire and it really could have gone either way.  Mt. Gilead and Fredericktown both played four full quarters of football.  So, this is going to be a battle for us a dogfight and we will have to be ready to go from the first play to the last going up to Mt. Gilead on Friday night,” he said.

          Pass defense is going to be very important to the Bulldogs because Reese says Mt. Gilead will throw it around a lot.  “They have a really good passing game going.  Their quarterback sees the field well.  He extends plays with his feet and throws the ball downfield, so he does a good job with that and they mix that with their run game.  So, with that combination it makes it hard at times they put you in positions to defend the pass or the run.  So, that can be a great challenge for us.  We are going to have to make sure we play disciplined football, assignment football, and get the job done consistently if we want to be successful on that side of the ball,” said Reece.

Published 9/21/21

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East Knox Now Playing Conotton Valley

          In a scenario that has been repeated too many times over the first half of this regular season, East Knox had to find someone in a hurry to play this week.

          Cardington let them know Wednesday evening they wouldn’t be able to play due to a combination of injuries and COVID, so the Bulldogs had find an opponent and they found Conotton Valley, division VII school located in eastern Ohio in Harrison County.

          Coach Cody Reese says they were very fortunate to get an opponent.  “You feel like are going 100 MPH one way and then all of the sudden somebody hits a key break and oh no we are going a different direction and you don’t even know what direction that is.  We are fortunate and blessed to be able to pick up a Conotton Valley, a team that having a good year themselves and they were kind of going through the same situation that we were.  We also want to thank Centerburg for being great partners in the “KMAC” and trying to help us out to find a team as well.  They did a great job as well and we are grateful for the that.  We just feel very fortunate to be able to pick up a game om such a short notice and it’s a quick turnaround, but we are looking forward to the opportunity that we are given,” he said.

          In their week four game in Knox Morrow Athletic Conference play, East Knox beat Centerburg (41-28) at home.

          Reese says they really played as a unit.  “Coming off our Crestview game when we got our butts kicked you can always go one of two ways.  You can set back and feel sorry for yourself or we can get up and do something about it.  I think our boys’ actions speak for themselves.  They play hard for four quarters of football.  Anytime you play Centerburg you are going to have to play four full quarters,” he told Swankonsports.com on Thursday, “We came together and were able to execute on both sides of the ball at the line of scrimmage.  That is always a key factor in every single football game.  We couldn’t have been more proud of our boys’ performance.  Of course, there are areas to work on, but at the same time they were working hard and working together.  We are very pleased with the effort they put in.”

          East Knox (3-1) plays host to Conotton Valley (2-1) on Friday night.  The Rockets have had three games cancelled this season due COVID and have now been able to replace two of them.

          Reese says they are going to be able run the ball.  “I still have some film to watch.  They are good football team.  They are very well coached.  They play hard for four full quarters.  They like to run the football.  They line up in the “I” and like to run their quarterback, he is a good runner, hard nosed kid.  He likes to get after it.  Defensively, they like to line up in an even or an odd front.  Their kids just play hard.  They are just well coached.  It’s a game where we are going to have to come out and start often and start early and put ourselves in position to be successful.  It is one of these teams that we feel we are going to have to get up on them in order for us to be successful,” said Reese.

Published 9/17/21

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East Knox Tangles With Centerburg

          The teams that have won the last two Knox Morrow Athletic Conference titles square off on Friday night as East Knox plays at home against Centerburg this week.

          Centerburg won it last year.  East Knox was champion in 2019.

          Last week, the Bulldogs (2-1) lost for the first time when Crestview beat them (41-21) in a non-conference game.

          Coach Cody Reese says they got off to a bad start and you can’t do that against good teams.  “Crestview is a really good football team, well coached, good players, and overall really good football team.  We came out flat, but I can’t take any credit away from them.  They did a great job all four quarters of play.  We found ourselves early down 21-0.  We were able to put a drive together and score before half, but unfortunately weren’t able to keep them out.  We went in at the half down 27-7.  We were able to even it up there in the second half with two scores each, but it was too little too late,” he told Swankonsports.com on Wednesday evening, “Give them all of the credit.  When you get knocked down you can focus on feeling sorry for yourself or focus on what you can do to get better.  That is kind of approach that we attempted to take this week and we hope that benefits us down the road.”

          Centerburg (2-0,0-0) did not play last week due to COVID.  The Trojans were impressive the first two weeks with non-conference wins (40-14) over Utica and (49-0) over Grandview Heights.

          Reese says they are going to be really ready to play this week.  “They are a really well coached team.  They play extremely hard for four quarters.  Those kids get after it.  For four quarters of play we are going to have a battle Friday night.  Unfortunately, they didn’t get to play last week, so that is going to make their team even more hungry going into this Friday.  We just have to make sure we continue to prepare as hard as we can.  It’s going to be a tall task for us.  We certainly need to do what we need to help us be successful,” said Reese.

          Considering their slow start last week and Centerburg not playing, Reese feels the first quarter Friday night is going to be important.  “You always want to start out on the right foot.  With them not being able to play last week, they are going to want to get off on the right the foot.  With us coming off the loss we had last week it we are going to want the same as well.  It is critical to get some things going these first few drives offensively and defensively.  Lots of times that can have a bearing the outcome of the game,” he said.

Published 9/09/21

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East Knox Progressing

          East Knox plays Crestview at Community Stadium in Ashland on Saturday night in a non-conference game.

          It’s Crestview’s home game, but their new turf field is not ready to go.

          Last week, the Bulldogs (2-0) crushed Utica (37-6) in their second game of the season.

          Coach Cody Reese says they got better from week one and that was what they were looking for.  “We were pleased with how we preformed last Friday.  Our goal is to improve, make a big step in the right direction from week one to week two.  We felt like as a team as a whole we accomplished that.  There are still things we need to improve on, but we liked our improvement as a whole between the two weeks.  We came out and were able to march right down the field and punch in a couple of scores against Utica early,” he told Swankonsports.com on Wednesday night, “Our first team on defense was able to get a shoutout again, it was the second week in a row, so we are really proud of that effort out of those gentlemen on the defensive side of the ball.  Offensively, we were able to move the ball and execute at a higher level than we did the first week.  We are pleased with what we brought away from week two.  We are hoping going into this week that we can carry that momentum and improve even more.”

          Crestview (2-0) smoked Bucyrus (54-7) in their week two game.

          Reese says Cougars are really good.  “They are a solid football team.  They are probably going to be one of the best teams that we see on our schedule. We have a tough league ourselves, so that is just how highly we think of the Cougars.  Looking at them defensively, they are solid across the board, same offensively.  So, we are just going to have to make sure we are disciplined and executing at a high level and do what we need to do in order to be successful.  It is definitely going to be a tough game for us and we are looking forward to the opportunity,” said Reese.

          Crestview is young in a lot of positions this year, but he says they have already shown a lot of maturity.  “Each week it looks like they are getting more comfortable in their offense and their defense and their schemes.  They play really well, they are well coached, they play hard all four quarters.  They are exciting to watch, so there should be a lot of excitement on Saturday night,” he said.

Published 9/02/21

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East Knox Has to Clean up Mistakes

          East Knox makes the short trip to Utica to play the Redskins on Friday night in a non-conference game.

          They won their opener in downing Johnstown Northridge (22-8) last Friday.

          Coach Cody Reece says they were really good on defense.  “The best thing we did was defense.  Defensively, we played pretty well.  I was pleased with their efforts.  Our defense actually got a shutout week one.  We had a turnover on offense, they scooped and scored on a fumble.  It was 22-0 at that point and they scooped and scored and made it 22-8.  I think that was toward the end of the third quarter and that’s the way the game ended,” he told Swankonsports.com on Tuesday, “Our defense, really pleased with them and their efforts.  The kids did a great job of flying around to the football and making plays.  We had some bright spots on offense as well, but the defense is certainly the thing that stood out for us.”

          Every team, win or lose, has to get better and that includes East Knox.  Reese says they made some big mistakes on offense and they have to clean that up this week.  “We have to execute at a high level.  We had way too many penalties last week.  We had three touchdowns called back and we ended up not scoring on those drives.  The mental aspect is what we have got to improve.  If we don’t fix that then we are not going to improve to our potential.  So, we really have to fix our mentality.  So, that’s what we are really focused on this week in practice,” he said.

          Utica got blasted by Centerburg (40-14) in their first game last week. 

          Reese says they are going to try and create a lot of one on one situations when they have the ball.  “They have some good athletes on their team.  They try and spread you out and try and move the football using their athletes in space.  On defense, they like to bring a lot of pressure from different places.  We have to make sure we are communicating and getting the job done up front.  As it is every week you have to win both sides of the ball and reestablish the line of scrimmage.  This week is a great opportunity for us going over to Utica.  We are really looking forward to week two,” said Reese.

Published 8/25/21

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East Knox Must Contain

          East Knox hosts the Johnstown Northridge Vikings in their season opener on Friday night.

          The Bulldogs are coming off another solid season when they went (6-2) and finished as runners up in the Knox Morrow Athletic Conference.

          Coach Cody Reese says they are certainly looking forward to Friday night.  “It seems like this is a long time coming, especially after coming off the season we did last year with all of the unknowns and the things we had going on.  It has been a longtime coming and very much looking forward to the opportunity,” he said.

          Northridge was (2-8) in 2020, but Reese says this year they have a quarterback that can make some plays and a defense that will be aggressive.  “They are a solid squad over there.  They play extremely hard.  Offensively, they have themselves a good quarterback, who does a great job of using his feet to create plays.  He is a great runner and a good passer.  He is just dangerous on each and every play.  They have a good running back and a couple of good receivers that do a nice job of contributing to the team.  With their offense we going to have our hands full trying to contain that athleticism,” he told Swankonsports.com on Tuesday, “Defensively, they play sound disciplined defense.  They fly to the football, they try and give you different looks and bring pressure from different areas on any given play.  We are certainly going to have our work cut out for us this week.”

          Reese says containment is certainly a priority when it comes to defending that Northridge offense.  “That is one of the concerns trying to contain him.  With their wing-T, shotgun style of offense there are some read plays that they have and some play actions, so if becomes very difficult at times to contain those plays that are designed to get him in space.  We are trying to see what we can do to minimize the big plays and that he can hurt us with on his feet,” said Reese.

Published 8/18/21

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East Knox Making Progress

          East Knox has built a solid football program and the Bulldogs are working toward having another good season this year.

          They scrimmage Smithville on Friday night and then open the season August 20 at home against Johnstown Northridge.

          Coach Cody Reese says despite the elimination of a week of the preseason to allow for another week of playoffs their preparation is right on schedule.  “We really didn’t change much with what did this summer.  We stuck to the 10 days that we have done in the past.  We just had to adjust how we are going to implement what we are wanting to put in and what not.  So, I guess for obvious reasons the time is the biggest change, but we just had to make amends I guess with that process.  So far, we are pleased and feel that it has worked out better than what we had originally anticipated coming into it,” said Reece.

          Reese says he has been happy with the work ethic he has seen this season with the Bulldogs.  “They have been working hard.  They have been coachable.  Last week, it was super nice, one of the nicest weeks all summer, and then this week we have this extreme heat.  We have really been working on the mentality and trying to improve that in order to get to the next level.  Up to this point we are pleased with how our boys are preforming and how much we have been able to improve in practice,” he said.

          There was a heat advisory in Ohio Thursday, but Reece says having hot weather now, in the preseason, is better than later.  “With it being so cool last week.  Monday wasn’t as warm as (Thursday), but it was certainly warmer than all of last week.  It definitely takes them a day or two to get acclimated.  (Thursday) was the hottest and you could tell it bothered them some, but they are much more used to it,” he told Swankonsports.com on Thursday, “So, I would much rather have it now that have some cool two a days and have the season be extremely hot.  Those extremes are very difficult for anyone to overcome.  It makes it difficult getting through games and keep kids healthy and safe.”

Published 8/13/21

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East Knox Faces Aggressive Shadyside in Playoffs

          East Knox went all of the way to the state semis last year and even after losing a lot to graduation they are enjoying another fine season as they host Shadyside in the division VII regional quarterfinals on Friday night.

          They scored three times in the second half last week to down Toronto (20-6) in a second round game.

          Coach Cody Reese says they have been an excellent second half team, but he would like to be more of a four quarter team.  “We would like to come out in the first half and get some things accomplished as well, it’s certainly not by choice, but the boys have been overcoming adversity and working hard.  It seems like the second half they decide to play, which is great overcoming that adversity.  They just never give up, they just keep playing hard, but as time goes on we are going to face a good team and we won’t be able to do that and we need to play four full quarters of football.  They are being tenacious and resilient and really proud of that aspect of them,” said Reese.

          The Bulldogs (6-1) have only allowed one score in each of their last three games and Reese says their defense is becoming more confident as they season goes on.  “The boys are getting after it and having a lot of fun and they are just taking ownership on the defensive side.  Honestly, the last two weeks that is what has kept us in these ballgames.  Thankfully, last week we were able to get a little breathing room there in the fourth quarter, we haven’t had much experience with that the last couple games, so that two score lead is as much as we have had and it was enjoyable there at the end,” he said.

          Shadyside (4-3) beat Frontier (48-14) last week to advance.  The Tigers are not new to the playoffs.  This is their 22^nd appearance and their 20^th in a row.

          Reese says they are a team with a multi tool quarterback and an aggressive defense.  “They are a solid team.  They play hard and just get after it.  Offensively, they have a quarterback that is a good runner and a good thrower, he is a dual threat.  They have good receivers to throw to.  Their offensive line is solid and gets after it,” he told Swankonsports.com on Monday night, “Defensively, they are an up in your face kind of team.  They like to be aggressive, they like to bring it to you and they like to play a lot of man coverage on the back end of their defense.  They are a tradition rich program and you can definitely see why.  They know what it takes to get the “W” and they are willing to do that.  It is going to be a tough challenge for us this week.”

          With Shadyside playing a lot of man to man defense, Reese says the Bulldogs have to win some of those one on one matchups, something they really haven’t been doing.  “That is something we have been talking about, do your 1/11^th and make plays.  One on one we haven’t done a great job with that the last few weeks and definitely we are going to have to step up on that, especially now that we are playing these good teams.  When we get those one on one matchups if you can win that, good things are going to happen,” he said.

Published 10/20/20

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East Knox Defense Needs to Get off the Field

          East Knox begins the non postseason playoffs at home on Friday night in a division VII second round game against the Toronto Red Knights.

          Like many teams in this part of Ohio, the Bulldogs chose not to play a regular season game last week, a bye week for them, but coach Cody Reese says he thinks they get better in trying to refine some things last week.  “They went well.  What we did was practice all week and focus on the fundamental aspects that we needed to address.  We were excited for the opportunity to rest up from the normal bumps and bruises that come with any season of high school football.  Focus on us and improve in areas that we need to improve and building off our strengths.  We just tried to make the most of that opportunity,” he said.

          East Knox (5-1) hosts Toronto, and know that’s not in Canada, but instead down by the Ohio River in eastern Ohio on Friday night.  The Red Knights (4-3) beat Tuscarawas Central Catholic (26-12) at home last week.  They have won their last three games.

          Reese says this is a team that wants to be a power football team.  “They are a good football team.  Those kids play hard and they come right at you, the run the ball right at you.  They have a lot of misdirection as well to complement their smash mouth mentality.  Defensively, they get after it was well.  The kids play hard and you can definitely see they have a lot of fun playing together,” he told Swankonsports.com on Monday night, “We have to make sure we are ready to rock and roll Friday night.  Not only has this year been odd, but when it comes to playoffs anything goes and everybody is playing for the right to play next week and loser goes home.  So, we have to be ready to go.”

          The Red Knights appear to be a team that likes to eat the clock.  Reese says they can’t let them do that and their defense has to be able to get off the field.  “They are big across the front.  We are going to be undersized, so we have to make sure we are disciplined, have low pad level, and use our speed as our strength to try and disrupt they power run game that they have.  They can control the clock and when they do that, they limit our offense’s opportunities to be on the field.  When that happens that just puts stress on the entire team.  So, we have to make sure that defensively we execute at the level we need to to be successful,” said Reese.

Published 10/13/20

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East Knox Plays Arch Rival Danville

          East Knox and Danville are tied for second place in the football standings of the Knox Morrow Athletic Conference and they play each other in Howard on Friday night.

          The winner has a chance to move into a share of first place with Centerburg if the Trojans would lose to Fredericktown, but this game is for more than that, its for bragging rights for the next year.

          Last week, the Bulldogs (4-1,4-1) punished Mt. Gilead (56-7) in a “KMAC” game.

          Coach Cody Reese says they went out and accomplished the task that was given them.  “The schedule it is what it is.  All we can do is make the most of the opportunities we are given.  We work in practice to improve from week to week and accomplish what we can in terms of being successful in the game.  We were pleased with our performance on Friday night.  We felt like we did what we needed to do in order to be successful,” he told Swankonsports.com on Monday, “We did what we needed to do to improve from the prior week.  We felt like we handled our business the way we should have.  There are always going to be things we need to work on.  We are definitely pleased with our boy’s efforts and level of execution Friday night.”

          Danville (4-1,4-1) beat Highland (29-6) in a conference game as quarterback Max Payne threw two touchdown passes and ran for another.

          The Blue Devils have won four straight and Reese says are physical and also a team that keeps improving.  “Week one they lose to a very solid Centerburg team and from there they have done nothing but improve.  Watching film, they play extremely hard.  Defensively, they are very active.  They like to move guys around and give different looks and try to confuse the offensive line and quarterback and coverages and things.  Offensively, they throw bodies at you.  They are extremely physical and they come right at you.  It is definitely a physical Danville football team that plays hard the first snap to the last snap,” said Reese.

          Reese says when you play football at East Knox this is the game you look forward to playing every year.  “They are a lot of fun.  It is kind of like that playoff mentality, you lose, you go home.  That is kind of how these rivalry games are, nobody wants to go home the loser.  There is lots of energy.  There is going to be a lot of pad popping on Friday night.  We tell our boys this is what we play for, situations like this, opportunities like this.  Now that we have it, what are we going to do with it?”

Published 9/29/20

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East Knox Has to be Ready to Play

          East Knox trails Knox Morrow Athletic Conference leader Centerburg by a game in the conference standings and they are at home for Mt. Gilead on Friday night in a conference game.

          The Bulldogs (3-1,3-1) beat Cardington (33-18) last week in conference play.

          After a tough overtime loss to Centerburg two weeks ago, coach Cody Reese says they were able to refocus.  “We had a good week of practice.  They played extremely hard Friday night.  We executed better than we had been in certain areas.  There are still areas that we need to work on.  The boys came out and they played their hearts out and we were very proud of how we did bounce back after that double overtime loss to Centerburg the week before.  We told them we have one of two directions we could go either feel sorry for ourselves or learn from our mistakes, get better and improve and move forward.  They did just that,” said Reese.

          There are just two weeks until the playoffs in this shortened season and Reese their kids need to be working as hard as possible to get better each and every day.  “You have to make sure you are making the most out of each opportunity each and every day, not only in practice, but especially in games and what we can take from game film as well.  With this shorter season time is definitely of the essence.  If we are a team that is not improving at the greatest rate then we are getting behind and we certainly don’t want that.  I don’t how many not good players or good players we have it doesn’t matter if we are not seeking to do that on a daily basis we are wasting our own time,” he said.

          Mt. Gilead (0-2,0-2) lost (28-22) to Fredericktown last week.  It was just their second game due to concerns with COVID-19.

          Reese says they have to match the effort that the Indians play with on a consistent basis.  “Their kids play extremely hard.  On defense, they are very active, they like to move around, they like to give different fronts, different box looks, they like to bring pressure from a lot of different areas.  Offensively, they are fundamentally sound,” he told Swankonsports.com on Monday, “They like to take advantage of what the defense gives them.  They play extremely hard, so we just have to make sure we are communicating and executing at a high level and be ready to play this week because like I said they play hard from the first down to the last down, so we have to make sure we are ready to play football.”

Published 9/22/20

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East Knox Has to be Physical

          East Knox fell out of a share of first place in the Knox Morrow Athletic Conference last week and they need to get back on the winning track to stay in the race.

          They visit Cardington on Friday night to take on the Pirates, who are also a game behind Centerburg.

          It was a heartbreaker last week for the Bulldogs as Centerburg beat them (35-28) in double overtime.

          Coach Cody Reese says the Trojans made the plays down the stretch.  “It was really a hard fought game by both sides.  It was tough, we were ahead the whole game up through the middle of the first overtime and you come away empty handed.  You tip your hat to Centerburg and you have to look and see what we need to do better and get over the top.  They made the plays when they really counted down the stretch and we didn’t.  We have to make sure we learn from it and get better and move forward,” he said.

          Reese says to get better as a team they have to improve as individuals and they worked hard at that this week.  “We are focusing on the fundamental aspects that each individual player needs to improve upon.  It is something we have been talking about from day one.  It is the little things that make up the big picture and that is what we have really been hitting on.  It is definitely not a lack of effort on our players part, it is just we need to make sure we are improving each and every day every way we can.  That was our goal starting out this week and we are extremely proud of how hard the boys worked this week in practice,” said Reese.

          Cardington (2-1,2-1) beat Northmor (20-12) last week to settle into a four way tie for second place in the “KMAC.”

          Reese says they are a physical team with athletes and that means they have to be physical too.  “They are a good team.  They have a lot of athletes.  They like to play extremely hard and they get their athletes in space and get them the football.  On defense, they like to bring a lot of pressure and be up in your face kind of style.  You can tell those kids play hard and have a lot of fun.  They just get after it,” he told Swankonsports.com on Thursday night, “So, we have to make sure we are disciplined and doing the little things right and improving.  We need make sure we are extremely physical with this team because they are a physical football team.  We certainly can’t back down from that and we have to play four full quarters of mistake free football in order to put ourselves in position to be successful.”

Published 9/18/20

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