With several returning starters back this season, the Tecumseh Arrows are coming off of a strong summer that saw a new offense and defense introduced to the players, and a big turnout of future Arrows at their youth camp.

Coach Chris Cory leads the Arrows into the 2016 season into a new-look CBC, and feels that the kids have worked very hard this summer to prepare them for the two-a-days that started this week.

“Everyone is excited this time of year, and we are excited as a coaching staff,” Cory said. “We have a chance to have a good season with several returning players back, and they have been working hard and are dedicated to the weight room. I feel like we are ready to go.”

The players have been working long before the summer started, but the focus the past couple of month is to the preparation to what lies ahead as the season kicks off in three weeks.

“We started since after Thanksgiving break and been going three times a week all the way through,” Cory said. “We have a lot of kids with FFA projects so we took last week off for fair week. The turnout has been averaging 50-60 each day we lift, and we deal with kids doing other sports.”

“I am pleased with that number. I was hoping to have 65 when we open camp, we were at 55 last year. My goal is to have about 20 kids in each class. We have 25 freshman and 18 sophomores but our older classes are a little low.”

The Arrows just finished up camp which allowed them to put in a new offense and defense for the new season. They also just completed Youth Camp, which was a great turnout according to Cory.

”We had 108 kids at pee wee camp,” he said. “It’s hard to teach plays in two days, so we taught them how to pass and catch. We had 38 high school kids come to help in the evening, and the pee wee kids look up to them. A lot of parents said their kids loved camp with the older kids there.”

“I think our camp draws a lot of kids due to our tradition, I absolutely believe that. Our kids want to play football. We have former players coaching at pee wee with New Carlisle Cubs and Wee Arrows.”

Tecumseh also participated in three 7-on-7 drills summer at Xenia and Wittenberg. According to Cory, it allowed the quarterback and receivers to get on the same page, and the defensive backs were seeing several different routes.

With so many kids back this season, Cory has one big goal to get through the next month...health.

“We have over 20 returning letterman, and over 10 starters,” Cory said. “They are doing a great job. I think the key going into the Fairborn game (season opener August 27), is our health. We were banged up last year so we need to stay healthy. We made it through camp without injuries.”

Tecumseh will be scrimmaging twice this month, including next Tuesday at Tippecanoe at 10 a.m., then they will head to Carroll on August 20 at 7 p.m.

“We do have some things to work out,” Cory said. “We are going to start step one on Aug. 1 and go through it. We need to get the kids plenty of reps.”

Tecumseh will be a part of a new look conference this year, with Stebbins and Tippecanoe leaving to join the GWOC this season. Cory is concerned that his team faces so many unknowns headed into the season with the schedule.

“Our first three games will be against teams with new coaches (Fairborn, Butler, Bellbrook) then we play Northwestern in week four who we haven’t played in a while. We have never played Ben Logan and they are on the schedule and that makes you nervous.”

“In our division, Bellefontaine started tons of sophomores and juniors last year and will be very good, Kenton Ridge also has lot of players back, and Shawnee always puts good team out there. Urbana will be better than the last couple of years. Also Greenon is new to us.”

First Group 2x2
First Group 2x2
Local News

Stories on people, places, events and businesses right here in Western Clark County.

Local Government

Meetings and news from local Boards of Education, Township Trustees and County Commissioners.

Sports

Arrows, Bees & Warriors; we cover all local high school sports, as well as local semi-pro and adult leagues