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HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS
Ohio Valley Conference has slow start to overcome
HUNTINGTON -- As teams in the Ohio Valley Conference look to Week 3, there is only one team that has tasted victory in 2008.
The conference members hold a 1-11 record through two full weeks of the season, with several narrow defeats haunting immediate memories.
All six teams hope to change their collective fortunes this week, but it will not be easy.
Chesapeake, whose 30-29 win over Oak Hill in Week 1 still is the lone win for the conference on the season, will host a Symmes Valley team looking for its first win over the Panthers in 18 seasons.
Fairland will host the Sheldon Clark Cardinals at Dragons Stadium after letting a victory slip out of its grasp last week at Meigs in a 26-23 loss. Like Meigs, Sheldon Clark features a physical attack that looks to wear its opponent down.
Last week, Meigs used that in its favor to outscore Fairland 20-0 in the second half.
The South Point Pointers are another hard-luck team from the first two weeks, but they have played well in each game. South Point held a 15-14 lead in the fourth quarter of its first game against Portsmouth before falling late, and once again last week, played toe-to-toe with a strong Wheelersburg team, only to fall 28-20.
It doesn't get any easier for the Pointers as they take on Portsmouth West this week. The Senators defeated Portsmouth 34-0 last week and have not allowed a point this season.
In other action, Coal Grove will travel to Lucasville Valley in search of its first win after a pair of losses to Meigs and Paint Valley. The Hornets' offense has struggled to muster points this season despite a strong stable of running backs.
This week, they will take on the Indians, who are coming off a 41-13 win over Rock Hill. Lucasville Valley rushed for 237 yards in that game.
Rock Hill's defense has not been able to stop teams in the first two weeks, and they will host Oak Hill, who rebounded from the loss to Chesapeake with a 33-0 win over River Valley.
While the OVC looks to improve on its dismal mark thus far, Ironton will start SEOAL action this week when Gallipolis comes to Tanks Memorial Stadium.
All games are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Friday.
