Friday Night Picks: No strangers in River Valley-Marion Harding football game in Week 6
MARION — When they say everyone knows everyone, they aren't lying.
For Marion Harding and River Valley, the two largest Marion County schools roughly six miles apart, that's certainly the case.
"This is a rivalry game," Harding coach Chuck Williamson said. "We got our scouting reports (on Monday), and we told them the cover was bragging rights. This is a county game. The teams are excited. They’ve played little league together and all know each other."
Williamson is the lone outsider, new to the area after coaching for years in Grove City and Washington Court House. As for everyone else, there are ties.
River Valley head coach Matt Waddle once worked at Marion Harding. Only last year, RV co-defensive coordinator Dan Arndt served as interim head coach for the Presidents after a long stint in the program. Likewise, Marion Harding football legend L.J. Scott moved from the Harding staff to RV's offensive coordinator.
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"Coach Arndt and Coach Scott are two quality coaches. Our kids know them," Williamson said. "They know our kids. It’s going to be one of those fun games. It’s fun to play in games like this. It’s exciting on both sides."
There will be no secrets Friday night when the game kicks off at 7 p.m. in Harding Stadium. The Presidents hold an 8-6 edge in the matchup with RV, which shows how competitive the rivalry has been.
"You know what their strengths are and what their weaknesses are, what they do well and what they don’t," Waddle said of the familiarity between programs. "In that aspect, you can attack certain kids and know how to beat them and what their strengths are and what we need to do to stop them. It can work to your advantage, but it can also be a disadvantage, knowing that they know each other so well that maybe you might overlook some things."
While coaching at Washington Court House, Williamson enjoyed an advantage over rival Miami Trace, beating them six times in seven seasons, so he knows what needs to happen in a game like Harding-RV.
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"You try to keep them even keeled through the week," he said. "You try to explain to them how emotional the game is going to be. You’re going to have highs and lows, and you’ve got to battle through mentally with both. When things are going really well, you can’t get too high, and if things aren’t going the way we want to, you can’t get too low because you can always come back. You do that Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. You talk to them about it, and hopefully they’re buying in and listening."
The Vikings are going about preparation like they did a week ago when getting ready for Pleasant, the school's other top rival.
"They know how to get in each other’s heads a little bit. For us, the way we approached last week is we were not going to get caught up in any of the chirping or social media stuff," Waddle said. "We were going to handle our business and take it as another week. We’re going to play our game."
Friday Night Picks
● River Valley at Marion Harding: This is probably a better matchup for the Presidents than last week against run-heavy Highland. Harding has guys who can pressure the quarterback and players in the backfield who can ballhawk, Likewise, the Presidents present different challenges than Pleasant did for River Valley. Look for fireworks in what should be a competitive showdown in the county. Pick: River Valley.
● Clear Fork at Pleasant: This is a good one to bounce back from for Pleasant. The Colts aren't what they've been in recent years. Pick: Pleasant.
● Highland at Shelby: Highland's defensive backfield is a strength, but it will be tested by the Whippets who like to chuck it around. Shelby did a good job of limiting the running of Galion's Gabe Ivy last week, but Highland's Dane Nauman is a different beast in the backfield. If the Scots can slow the pace and be methodical when they have the ball, it will be an interesting game. Still, it's hard to see Highland putting up enough points to outscore the Whippets over 48 minutes. Pick: Shelby.
● Crestline at Elgin: Look for the JV guys to get a lot of reps in this one as the Comets keep their powder dry for next week's Northwest Central Conference first-place showdown at Waynesfield-Goshen.
● Ridgedale at Hardin Northern: The Polar Bears only lost 28-19 to Waynesfield-Goshen, so that shows the quality of team they have this season. After this one, the schedule lightens for the Rockets as they close out the season with three winnable games. Pick: Hardin Northern.
● Centerburg at Cardington: It doesn't get any easier for the Pirates. Centerburg isn't at the level it was last year when winning the Knox Morrow Athletic Conference, but they're not bad either. Pick: Centerburg.
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● East Knox at Mount Gilead: I've struggled to nail down the Indians all season. When I pick them to win, they don't. When I pick them to lose, they don't. The Bulldogs might be the second-best team in the KMAC this year behind Danville. Pick: East Knox.
● Fredericktown at Northmor: The Golden Knights gave it their best shot last week at Danville and came up short. If they don't turn the page, Fredericktown is good enough to upset them. Look for Northmor to respond in the right way. Pick: Northmor.
● Shawnee at North Union: The schedule has been a grind to date for the Wildcats. Up next is the Mad River Division favorite Shawnee. North Union's four losses have come to teams with a collective 15-5 record. It lightens up for NU down the stretch.
● Last week: 5-3. Season: 27-15
Rob McCurdy is the sports writer at the Marion Star and can be reached at rmccurdy@gannett.com, 419-610-0998, X (formerly Twitter) @McMotorsport and Instagram @rob_mccurdy_star.
Marion Star Football Player of Week 5 Poll winner
In last week's poll, Highland's Sam Hernandez, who rushed 15 times for 97 yards and a touchdown plus intercepted a pass on defense in a win over Marion Harding, earned 402 of 1,419 votes (28 percent) to win it. Other nominees were North Union's Tyler Krebehenne, River Valley's Chase Ebert, Ridgedale's Landon Murphy, Northmor's Bo Landin, Marion Harding's Raymond Scott-Harbolt and Pleasant's Owen Lowry.
This article originally appeared on Marion Star: Friday Night Picks: River Valley-Harding highlights Week 6 matchups
