by PARMA, OH – It has been a long time coming, but High School Football is finally back in Northeast Ohio. Week 1 features a matchup between Gilmour and Valley Forge on Friday night. The game will be played at Byers Field with a 7 PM kickoff. Throughout the next few months, there will be new rivalries, new breakout stars, and more great football. There are also changes to some schools that will need some getting used to. One of which involves the Valley Forge Patriots.
Valley Forge
Last season, Valley Forge finished the season with an overall record of 7-4 and lost in the first round of the playoffs. The Patriots graduated their leading playmaker from last season in Shane Warden. Warden made big plays throughout the season all over the field. Valley Forge will look to fill that hole this year. This season along with incoming freshmen, they will be bringing in some familiar faces from rival school, Parma Senior High. With the closing of Parma High, student-athletes had to look for a new school. That also meant that they would have to fight for their positions on teams all over again. Valley Forge will look to get over the hurdle of fresh faces and start the season off strong.
Gilmour Academy
Key Players
Gilmour graduated their leading receiver from last season in Tommy McCrone. However, the dynamic brother duo of Andy and Jake Kavcic are returning for their senior season. Andy led the Lancers in rushing yards last season. He averaged over 100 yards per game and accumulated over 1300 rushing yards for the season. Kavcic was also productive in the passing game collecting over 300 receiving yards. His brother Jake managed the offense under center and had a good year himself last season. Jake threw for over 2200 yards that scored 35 touchdowns.
Last Season
Gilmour Academy is coming off their best year since the 2018-19 season. The Lancers finished last season with a 9-2 overall record. They fell in the opening round of the playoffs in a hard-fought battle against Geneva. Gilmour had an explosive offense last season by averaging over 34 points a contest. Gilmour and the Kavcic brothers will look to continue their offensive prowess from last season and carry it into the season opener Friday night.
