Football team working to limit mistakes

The Canal Winchester High School football team will be seeking a 3-0 start for the second-consecutive season Friday when the Indians travel to Whitehall.

The Indians defeated Whitehall 55-28 last year.

The Rams have struggled in its first two games, losing to Beechcroft 42-0 in the opener Aug. 22 and to Eastmoor 62-7 last Friday.

Whitehall hasn't won a game since Sept. 29, 2005 when it topped Bexley 27-21 -- meaning the program has lost 26 in a row and 33 of its last 34.

The Rams run the option with a lot of veer, which will give the Indians a few new looks compared to what they saw from them last year.

"Playing against the veer option, we need to be assignment-oriented," coach Phil Mauro said. "They've got the ability to break one anytime. "

Canal Winchester is looking to improve on offense. The Indians didn't have much trouble stopping Lakewood last week but Mauro said the offense was less than impressive.

"Last week we played some really good defense and I was pleased with that, but I thought we were sporadic on offense," Mauro said. "We had some breakdowns technique-wise and we just really weren't in sync as well as in week one.

"I think against Whitehall we need to be sound with our blocking assignments in pass protection. We need to make sure we make the right reads. The other thing is we need to turn the ball over less. Against Lakewood, we had some interceptions and a fumble and those are things that don't bode well to be successful."

Canal Winchester will start league play Sept. 12 at home against Teays Valley.

"I think every week you want a situation where you play better than the week before," Mauro said. "I don't think we did from week one to week two, so hopefully we'll accomplish that against Whitehall."

•The girls tennis team added a new player last week, putting coach Jason Moisey in a position he hasn't been in before with the Indians. Moisey now has more players than spots and must determine who plays and who sits.

For the time being, Moisey said he will rotate the girls so that every player gets experience in both singles and doubles.

"We have eight players and that makes me happy," Moisey said. "I feel like the program is slowly getting bigger."

The newest player is freshman Michelle Pfeifer, who has no tennis experience but has impressed Moisey with how quickly she is picking up the game. Despite being on the team less than a week, Moisey put Pfeifer at second singles against Hamilton Township on Aug. 28. Pfeifer lost 6-3, 6-2, but the Indians won 4-1.

"I felt like I had the confidence to put her out there and I'm glad I did," Moisey said. "She had some rallies. She came off smiling and had a ball out there.

"She knows the things I'm telling her. It's like the maturity is getting there and you can see she's making progress and thinking things through. She's going to be one of those players who picks up on it. She's practicing every day, even on days when we don't practice and that's why she's been able to make the progress."

As for a set lineup, Moiseysaid he had no definite plansto make one. He said that although Priscilla Fisher, Hannah Kimbler and Bailey Davis have spent time playing doubles, they will round out the singles spots. The rest is still up in the air, however.

"We're still moving some girls around, especially the girls who are more inexperienced," Moisey said. "The idea is to get some experience at both singles and doubles. A lot of the girls are still new to tennis and I'm trying to see who's making the most progress and who's putting in a lot of work."

Last Friday

For coverage of all area football games last Friday, please visit:

Friday Night Live

at www.thisweeknews.com

At a glance

Below are recent results and coming schedules for theCanal Winchester boys and girls cross country and football teams:

CROSS COUNTRY

Aug. 27 -- Boys: Finished fourth (164) behind champion Bexley (42) in Canal Winchester Invitational. Mike Williard was eighth (17:29) followed by Micah Cobb (26th, 18:30), Tyler Jenkins (37th, 18:54), Aaron Robertson (85th, 20:41) and Brandon Rogers (87th, 20:43); Girls: Won (31) ahead of runner-up Bexley (127). Kaitlin Smith was first (18:40) folowedby Emily Pifer was (2nd, 19:26), Penny Boswell (4th, 20:07), Hannah Spicer (8th, 20:35) and Christy Wildermuth (19th, 21:37).

Last Saturday -- Boys: Finished 13th (320) behind champion Unioto (76) at Circleville Invitational. Williard was 20th (18:12), Jarrod Genther was 56th (19:17), Jenkins was 60th (19:23), Cobb was 88th (20:15) and Rogers was 123rd (21:07); Girls: Finished first (89) ahead of runner-up Granville (102). Smith was second (19:40), Pifer was third (19:52), Boswell was fourth (20:38), Wildermuth was 27th (22:17) and Spicer was 53rd (23:15).

Saturday -- At Tiffin Carnival

FOOTBALL

Last Friday, Saturday -- Defeated Lakewood 38-21. Tyler Thompson ran for 79 yards and a touchdown for the Indians in a game that started last Friday but was postponed because of lightning and was completed last Saturday

Friday -- At Whitehall

Below are recent results and coming schedules for the Canal Winchester boys and girls golf, boys soccer, girls soccer, girls tennis and girls volleyball teams:

GIRLS GOLF Aug. 28 -- Lost to Lakewood 213-235 at Westchester Today -- At Licking Valley Monday -- Home vs. Liberty Union

BOYS SOCCER *Aug. 26 -- Tied Teays Valley at 0 Aug. 28 -- Def. Centennial 3-0 Last Tuesday -- Played London Today -- Home vs. Fairfield Union Of note: The Indians were 3-0-2 overall before last Tuesday and are 0-0-1 in the MSL-Buckeye.

GIRLS SOCCER *Aug. 26 -- Lost to Teays Valley 7-2 Aug. 28 -- Def. Groveport 3-2 Today -- At Fairfield Union Saturday -- Home vs. Jonathan Alder Tuesday -- At Buckeye Valley Of note: The Indians are 3-0-1 overall and 0-1 in the league.

TENNIS Aug. 28 -- Def. Hamilton Township 4-1 Last Wednesday -- Played Independence Today -- At Teays Valley Monday -- At Fisher Catholic

VOLLEYBALL *Aug. 28 -- Def. Teays Valley 25-18, 25-22, 25-17 in opener *Last Tuesday -- Played Fairfield Union Today -- At Circleville Saturday -- At Huesman tournament at Hilliard Davidson *MSL-Buckeye contest