Local Area Coaches Preview Football Season With “Countdown to Kickoff”
ZANESVILLE, OH – The countdown is officially on to the 2025 high school football season, and what better way to mark it than with the annual ‘Countdown to Kickoff’ event?
It’s always a fun time at ‘The Barn’ in Zanesville when local coaches from all over come to preview their team’s seasons. There were nine coaches in total in attendance this year, ranging from Zanesville to New Lexington to Philo to Rosecrans, and everywhere in between. All coaches took the stage to talk on both Highway 103 and Z92 radio in front of a good crowd over on Linden Avenue.
Even with the raindrops falling outside, the event was another wild success, with fans getting an early look and listen for their team’s season with week one on the way. It is just that exciting feeling that always comes around this time of year with football on the horizon.
“Honestly, we just get excited for football in general” says Meadowbrook head coach Steve Norman. “This year we start a day early, so going on Thursday. But yeah, excitement is always high, and really throughout the season, you know, you just kind of love doing it.”
Now the longest-tenured coach in the MVL, Philo’s Dirk Lincicome adds that there is nothing quite like week one of the football season.
“The week one excitement only builds. You know, having practices all summer long, three or four days a week, with no opponent in front of you can be difficult” says Lincicome. “I think our kids have done a good job of staying focused on our week one opponent, even through our scrimmages. We’re just really excited to get the season started.”
The week one games, locations, days, and times for local area teams are as follows, all with the traditional 7 pm kickoffs:
- THURSDAY, AUGUST 21ST: Tri-Valley @ Meadowbrook
- THURSDAY, AUGUST 21ST: Lakewood @ West Muskingum
- FRIDAY, AUGUST 22ND: Coshocton @ Ridgewood
- FRIDAY, AUGUST 22ND: Crooksville @ Newcomerstown
- FRIDAY, AUGUST 22ND: John Glenn @ Maysville
- FRIDAY, AUGUST 22ND: Morgan @ Marietta
- FRIDAY, AUGUST 22ND: Fairfield Union @ New Lexington
- FRIDAY, AUGUST 22ND: Philo @ Heath
- FRIDAY, AUGUST 22ND: Garaway @ River View
- FRIDAY, AUGUST 22ND: Licking Valley @ Sheridan
- FRIDAY, AUGUST 22ND: Marion-Franklin @ Granville
- FRIDAY, AUGUST 22ND: Newark Catholic @ Allen East
- FRIDAY, AUGUST 22ND: Zanesville @ Johnstown-Monroe
- FRIDAY, AUGUST 22ND: Buckeye Trail @ Caldwell
- FRIDAY, AUGUST 22ND: Indian Creek @ Cambridge
- FRIDAY, AUGUST 22ND: Miller @ Alexander
- FRIDAY, AUGUST 22ND: Newark @ Licking Heights
- FRIDAY, AUGUST 22ND: Shenandoah @ Edison
- SATURDAY, AUGUST 23RD: Peebles @ Foxfire
