McComb

2021 RECORD: 11-2 overall, 8-0 Blanchard Valley Conference. KEY GAME: August 26, at Marion Local, into the Jaws of the Juggernaut. Schools will schedule opponents that will give coaches a good indication of how competitive their team stacks up overall. Those games are referred to as "measuring sticks." The problem with playing Marion Local is the Flyers have been so good for so long that trying to get some sort of statistical comparison may be impossible. Since 2000, Marion Local has reached the state semifinals in either Division VI or Division VII 17 times in 22 years. Last season, the school won a record 12th state championship. That hardware probably looks pretty good in the trophy case where the school can also showcase the five volleyball, three boys basketball and one girls basketball state championships it has earned. Oh, yeah, and the 28 Superior Ratings the marching band has achieved in 34 years of OMEA state competition. McComb can't match Marion Local's overall record (267-44) or number of state championships (12) since 2000, but the Panthers are far from pushovers. They've posted a 205-61 record over that same span and in 2018 won the second state championship in school history. As for measuring up, in last year's matchup at McComb's Doc Miller field, the Panthers lost 10-0, but gave Marion Local one of its toughest battles of the season. The Flyers would go 16-0, average 32.5 points a game and allow just 7.9, but only one other opponent held Marion Local under 20 points and only two held them under 30. PLAYOFF HISTORY: With 12 straight trips to the playoffs, 25 overall, and a 32-22 record, McComb has been one of the area's most successful teams when it comes to post-season play. The school also owns a playoff record that can be tied but can never, ever be broken: fewest points allowed in post season play. That's because, in winning the 1983 state championship back when there were still five divisions instead of seven, McComb gave up zero points in beating Edgerton 25-0 in the regional final, Middletown Fenwick 7-0 in state semifinals, and Newark Catholic 6-0 in the championship game. INTERESTING FACT: With a 219-68 career record, Kris Alge already ranks among the top 50 winningest coaches in Ohio prep football history. Luck? Chance? Kismet? Alge's winning ways more likely follow that tried and true adage originally attributed to Aristotle but modernized by 20th century American philosopher, William Durant: success breeds success. Alge's high school coach was Joe Metzger. He played college ball for Dick Strahm and was an assistant under Bill Banning at McComb before taking over as head coach when Banning stepped down following the 1997 season. Metzger (162-65-3), Banning (157-66-2) and Strahm (183-46-5) combined for 502 victories and had an aggregate winning percentage of .736. Obviously an apt student and a quick study, Alge has used what he learned under their tutelage to achieve a .765 winning percentage of his own 2022 MCCOMB SCGHEDULE Aug. 19 Galion A Aug. 26 Marion Local A Sep. 2 Vanlue* H Sep. 9 Van Buren* H Sep. 16 Pandora-Gilboa* A Sep. 23 Riverdale* H Sep. 30 Arlington* A Oct. 7 Cory-Rawson* A Oct. 14 Plymouth A Oct. 21 Liberty-Benton* H *Blanchard Valley Conference game – All Games 7 p.m.