This year, it’s not all about Athens. Or, is it? For the past four seasons, especially the last three, the Athens Bulldogs — led by three-time Tri-Valley Conference Ohio Division Offensive Player of the Year Joe Burrow —bullied their way through the division for 22 victories in 22 tries. Athens unseated Nelsonville-York in the regular-season finale four years ago (2011), capturing their first outright TVC-Ohio football championship. However, Burrow is now an Ohio State Buckeye, and that ballyhooed Bulldog senior class has graduated. But does that mean that Athens is no longer the TVC-Ohio giant…or is there plenty of Bulldog bite left to win another division title? One thing is for certain this season: the TVC-Ohio takes on much more parity — or at least an appearance of. Since Athens joined the conference in 2008, the Bulldogs and Buckeyes have either won or shared every division title. Athens and Nelsonville-York shared six years ago (2009), with the Buckeyes making it seven out of eight championships a year later. But when the Bulldogs — by a field goal in overtime by a soccer-senior turned placekicker — bounced the Buckeyes in 2011, Athens actually ended Nelsonville-York’s dozen-game division win streak. …
Continue Reading: TVC-Ohio takes on more parity
