Valley View prepares for record-setting Kenton

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Staff reports Updated 4:14 AM Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Valley View High School football coach Jay Niswonger has been close friends with Kenton coach Mike Mauk for years. In the past, they’ve shared offensive and defense philosophies.

That could help the Spartans in preparing for Kenton and its record-setting passing attack. Like, more than 3,500 yards of passing attack.

“You could put it this way,” Niswonger said while watching game tape on Monday, Nov. 2, “I’m not as clueless as a lot of people they play.”

The Spartans will play Kenton on Saturday in a Division IV first-round playoff game, and they’ll face a major challenge in preparing for the Kenton offense that uses five receivers on nearly every play. Mike Mauk coached his son, Ben, to a state-record 17,364 passing yards from 1999-2002, more than 6,000 more than second-place Zac Dysert, who went from Ada High School to Miami University.

With Ben helping coach this season, his brother, sophomore Maty Mauk, has flourished. Through nine games, he had passed for 3,362 yards (373.5 per game) and 39 touchdowns.

Maty Mauk was also part of Kenton’s 400-meter relay team that finished sixth in the state in Division II last spring.

So this week, Niswonger will prepare to face a prolific passing offense and a good friend on the opposite sideline.

“We always talked a lot about the run and shoot offense,” Niswonger said, “but he’s taken it to a little bit of a different level.”

Middies will play at Lockland

The Division I, Region 4 regional quarterfinal football playoff game between Middletown and Moeller will be played at Lockland Stadium, the Crusaders’ home field.

Game time is 7 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 7.

Lockland will host a D-VI playoff game on its home field that same day at 2 p.m. against Fort Loramie.

Hornets to play at Welcome

Monroe will meet Chaminade Julienne on Friday at Welcome Stadium in Dayton in a D-III, Region 12 playoff game.

The Eagles’ usual home field is West Carrollton Middle School.

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