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The Chesapeake Junior Panthers won the 2009 Ohio Valley Conference Middle School football championship. Team members are: front from left, Rashaan Combs, Alex Carl, Timmy Martin, Zack Brown, Brandon Moore, Alex Workman, Jerad Browing, Wyatt Burns; second row from left, Dylan Ferguson, Jordan Jones, Taze Sites, Hayden Straight, Caleb Heffner, Chad Meadows, Ryan Taylor; third row from left, Trea Davenport, Mark McMillian, Andrew Saunders, Quinton Harris, Simeon Combs, Daulton Elkins, Josh Browning, John McFarland. Not pictured were Matt Kendall, head coach Chris Ball, assistant coaches Tyler Marcum and Robbie Isaacs and manager Phil Selby.

Junior Panthers claim OVCMS title

By Jim Walker | The Tribune

Originally published 11:57 p.m., November 14, 2009
Updated 11:57 p.m., November 14, 2009

CHESAPEAKE — The Junior Panthers gave a major effort.

The Chesapeake Junior Panthers 14-13 opening game win over the Symmes Valley Junior Vikings made coach Chris Ball happy, but left him unsure of what was ahead.

“After the first game of the season I said to our coaches, ‘I don’t know if we’re going to win three or four games this season.’”

“But Symmes Valley had a good team and they play so hard against our kids.”

What ensued was six more wins as the Junior Panthers finished 7-0 and with an Ohio Valley Conference Middle School championship.

In the second game, the Panthers had a surprising 34-22 win over Huntington, W.Va.

Josh Browning — who had two touchdowns catches in the opener — and Chad Meadows each ran for more than 100 yards against Huntington.

“After the Huntington game it raised some eyebrows and we felt we had a good group of linemen, a quarterback, good leaders, and a very opportunistic bunch that never gave up. They understood the challenge in front of them and responded,” said Ball.

Meadows three TDs and a defensive effort led by Hayden Straight and Quinton Harris led a 34-0 shutout of River Valley.

Simeon Combs threw a touchdown pass and Meadows ran for another in a 14-12 win over Rock Hill.

Combs threw for a score, returned a fumble for a touchdown, and had an interception as the Panthers beat Coal Grove 24-0 to win the Little Brown Jug. The defense held the Hornets to less than 100 yards of offense.

Next came a thrilling 22-20 double overtime win over South Point.

Combs threw a 38-yard TD pass to Josh Browning as time expired to send the game into overtime. Jerad Browning recovered three fumbles and Meadows had a big game out of the “Tebow” formation to secure the win.

“It was a wild game, but it was one of the better games I’ve been involved in at any level,” said Ball.

Chesapeake capped the season with an 18-8 win over Fairland.

Combs threw TD pass of 23 yards to Browning and 77 to Meadows for a 12-0 lead, but Fairland got within 12-8 and was driving. But Browning ran back an interception 65 yards to seal the win.

“We had a little bit of talent and a hard-working bunch and they were dedicated to winning,” said Ball. “And our assistant coaches (Robbie Isaacs, Tyler Marcum) did a great job.”

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