NKY Countdown to Kickoff

Over the next few weeks, I will doing a "Countdown to kickoff" Q&A with all of the NKY football coaches in 1A, 2A, 4A, 5A, and 6A. With 4 teams making it to the state championship last year from the area, and 2 of them bringing home the title (Highlands, Beechwood), expectations have been raised for many teams this coming season.

We start off in 1A with the Bellevue Tigers who are coming off of a 7-4 season. The Tigers were upset last year in the first round of the playoffs at home by Gallatin Co (33-28), but with several key returners back, the Tigers are poised to get back to the playoffs and make a run. I recently had the chance to get in touch with Coach Dave Eckstein and here is what he had to say:

1. Which key returners do you expect to have the biggest impact?

Ricky Buckler RB,DB

Richard Wills QB

Travis Lyvers LB

Opal Decker OL,DL

Tad Dougherty OL,DL

2. Which players do you expect to have a break out year that we didn't hear about last season?

Rick Allen OL/DL

Marcus Reynolds OL/DL

DJ Slater RB/LB

Nick Evans WR/LB

Austin Lay WR/LB

3. What are the keys for your team to have a successful season?

Develop outstanding chemistry, stay healthy, and develop more balance offensively. We also need to see improvement in the kicking game and more consistency on defense.

4. What are you doing as a coach to help prepare your team for the upcoming season?

We are working hard on the passing game both offensively and defensively as well as the kicking game.

5. Lastly, what are your expectations for the 2009 season?

We should be a strong contender for the playoffs and with some luck possibly a home playoff game or two.

Notes:
- With Ricky Buckler returning in the backfield, expect the Tigers traditional running game to be very good, as usual. The senior to be rushed for 1375 yards on 218 carries last year while also scoring 21 td's and rushing over 200 yards three times (including a 218 yd performance on 28 carries against Paris). Not bad for a kid that is probably only around 5'7 and 155 lbs. He plays with tremendous heart and will be looked upon as the leader of this team.

- Bellevue will also return senior Richard Wills under center who will be making his second year as the starter. Wills passed for 511 yards last year as a junior. While being somewhat inconsistent last year, you can tell that the talent is there. Needs to work on some of his decision making, but he will be a huge asset to the Tigers offense this season.

- If the Tigers can develop a passing game, they could be a legit contender with the Tigers from Fort Mitchell. Last year the first half was a tightly contested game before the Bellevue squad just eventually got worn down in the second half and ended up losing 48-0.

Outlook: I'd expect the Tigers to finish anywhere from 5-5 to 7-3 next season. Coach Eckstein has upgraded the schedule some with Holmes, Scott, and Holy Cross, so they should be battle tested come playoff time. Look for the Tigers to finish 3-1 in the district and get the #2 seed.

Schedule:

Aug 21, 09	Holy Cross (Covington)	away				7:00 PM
Aug 29, 09	Newport	away				7:00 PM
Sep 4, 09	Holmes	home				7:00 PM
Sep 11, 09	Scott	home				7:00 PM
Sep 18, 09	Open	home
Sep 25, 09	Walton-Verona	home				7:00 PM
Oct 2, 09	Bishop Brossart	home				7:00 PM
Oct 9, 09	Dayton	away				7:00 PM
Oct 16, 09	Ludlow	away				7:00 PM
Oct 23, 09	Beechwood	home				7:00 PM
Oct 30, 09	Lloyd Memorial	home				7:00 PM