Wayne County High Schools, Middle Schools , MU, WVU

PAGE 4, The Wayne County News, 2013 Football Preview, AUGUST 28, 2013Spring ValleyTimberwolvesBig line, bigger expectationsBY MICHAEL HUPPStaff WriterHUNTINGTON – The Spring ValleyTimberwolves are big – really big.The only thing bigger filling the WolvesDen are the expectations surrounding sixthyearcoach Brad Dingess’ squad.Despite losing Huff Award winner and1,000-yard rusher Elijah Wellman – alongwith fellow 1,000-yard rusher Ryan George– the Wolves return most of the startersfrom 2012.After finishing No. 10 in AAA last season,compiling an 8-4 record and winning the firstplayoff game in the school’s history – fans,coaches and players alike, are ready to makethe trip to Wheeling Island.“You go into the season and you wantto win every game, of course. You want tobeat your rivals. You want to win a conferencechampionship. Ultimately you want towin a state championship. I think you takeaway a fumble and a missed extra-pointand we would have got there last year,”Dingess said.This year’s key to a championship run isto remain healthy, according to Dingess. Hehopes his team peaks at the right time, likelast season, so it is a solid squad going intothe playoffs. And most importantly, get thosefirst crucial wins. Last season, the Wolveshad probably one of the toughest openingschedules in the state.Spring Valley opened with eventual staterunner-up Cabell Midland and Huntington.Both teams are I-64 rivals and both gamesresulted in heartbreaking losses. Dingesssaid he thought his squad was playing witha “hangover” from the loss to CM when TheValley played Huntington the next week.“We have got to win that first one. Starting0-2 last year almost killed us. We felt like wehad to play the rest of the season with ourbacks against the wall and we do not want tostart this season like that,” Dingess said. “Wecan not afford to lose those games. Of coursewinning rivalry games is important, but thefirst is definitely the biggest for us.”Dingess said he and everyone else knowthe hole left in the backfield from WellmanSee T’WOLVES on Next Page