The Packers have no intentions of moving the linebacker who was drafted No. 5 overall in the 2006 draft, his agent told Packer Report. We tell you why Hawk will play an important role in 2010 and why Hawk was better than you think in 2009.

On Dec. 14, the Green Bay Packers surprisingly handed inside linebacker Brandon Chillar a four-year contract extension worth $21 million. Considering Chillar had taken playing time away from fellow inside linebacker A.J. Hawk, it didn’t take a giant leap of logic to wonder whether Hawk’s days in Green Bay were numbered.

“You cannot have enough good football players,” coach Mike McCarthy said at the time. “I think that’s shown every single year in the National Football League. Injuries are the one variable that you cannot control as you go through the season. We’re definitely trying to do the best we can to keep as many good football players as we can.”

Turns out McCarthy wasn’t throwing up a smoke screen. Hawk isn’t going anywhere, his agent, Mike McCartney, told Packer Report on Wednesday. To the contrary, the Packers are happy to have Hawk on the roster.  And rightly so.

“When I talked to the Packers, I get very positive feedback,” McCartney said. “I think A.J., much like any player, has room to grow but he’s also been very, very steady. He’s done a great job when he’s played. The team has struggled in a few of those games when he was off the field. When he’s been on the field, it was a No. 1-type defense most of the field. I sense the same excitement for 2010 in A.J. that I have. I think they’re really expecting him to build on this year and have a terrific year next year.”

Hawk was set to make $4,123,750 next season, according to salary data provided to Packer Report last season. That figure is up to $4,623,750 after he hit a playing time escalator, and he’ll get another $500,000 workout bonus.

That’s a lot of money for a part-time linebacker.

Has Hawk — as the No. 5 overall pick of the 2006 draft — been a disappointment? Yes. Hawk was a big-play machine at Ohio State, but the two interceptions he recorded this past season were Hawk’s first turnover plays since an interception at Kansas City on Nov. 1, 2007. In four seasons, Hawk has forced two fumbles, recovered three, recorded three interceptions and tallied 7.5 sacks.

Some of Hawk’s production, however, is tied to circumstance. In the old 4-3 scheme, coordinator Bob Sanders rarely blitzed his linebackers. In a 3-4, the bigger of the two inside linebackers generally is used to take on blockers to let the smaller of the inside linebackers — Nick Barnett, in the Packers’ case — make the tackles.

Obviously, it’s hard to make impact plays when rarely put in position to make them or not on the field.

In 17 games (including playoffs), Hawk played less than half of the defensive snaps seven times. Included in those four games were the Packers’ two losses to the Vikings, a loss to the Steelers and the playoff loss to the Cardinals. The quarterbacks threw 15 touchdown passes and no interceptions in those games, and the Packers allowed an average of 439.3 yards per game.

Meanwhile, Hawk played just about every snap in just three games. Those came in consecutive games against Detroit, Baltimore and Chicago. The Packers allowed an average of 237 yards in those games, propelling their surge to No. 1 in the league against the run and No. 2 overall.

As Mark Twain said, there are lies, damned lies and statistics, but Hawk’s production may surprise you. Hawk averaged a solo tackle on every 8.93 snaps. For comparison, San Francisco’s Patrick Willis averaged a solo tackle every 9.54 snaps and Baltimore’s Ray Lewis every 10.46 snaps. Barnett averaged a solo tackle every 9.73 snaps. Arizona’s Karlos Dansby, who is going to break the bank in free agency, averaged a solo stop every 11.01 snaps.

The Packers’ apparent intention to keep Hawk is well-justified. While the NFL becomes more and more like Arena Football every year, defenses still have to stop the run. And a look at the 2010 schedule shows a run-heavy slate of games against the Jets (No. 1 in carries per game), Miami (No. 3), Minnesota (No. 9), New England (No. 10), Atlanta (No. 11), Giants (No. 13) and Dallas (No. 17). Hawk will play a huge role in those games.

“A.J.’s a pro’s pro,” McCartney said. “I think he’s everything you want on and off the field. I sense the same enthusiasm from the Packers.”

Here is a list of which area athletes signed with colleges on National Signing Day:

Dakota Anderson, DL, Xenia, Ball State
Jesse Boley, OL, Lebanon, St. Francis (Ind.)
Rex Bonham, TE, Tecumseh, Eastern Illinois
Trey Bonny, RB, Lebanon, Georgetown (Ky.)
Cody Byers, DB, Alter, Wisconsin
Antoin Campbell, RB, Springboro, St. Francis (Ind.)
Chase Cochran, WR, Lebanon, Ohio
Quintin Cooper, DB, Northmont, Ball State
Ryan Cronin, OL, Alter, Dayton
Darion Delaney, DL, Trotwood-Madison, Bowling Green
Jake Dwyer, LB, Springboro, Albany
John Ehrensberger, DB, Centerville, Dayton
Jordan Erbes, OL, Fairmont, Eastern Michigan
Justin Favors, TE, Trotwood-Madison, Colorado
Jamael Green, LB, Centerville, St. Francis (Ind.)
Josh Harrison, LB, Wayne, Wisconsin
Wesley Hunsucker, QB, Anna, St. Francis (Ind.) (also playing baseball)
Andy Jomantas, OL, CJ, North Carolina State
Eric Lefeld, OL, Coldwater, Cincinnati
Jordan Paschal, DB, Trotwood-Madison, Louisville
Elias Sayre, OL, Lebanon, Kent State
Clint Shepherd, OL, Eaton, Cincinnati
Michael Shope, OL, Fairmont, Youngstown State
Terrence Talbott, DB, Wayne, Michigan
Terry Talbott, DL, Wayne, Michigan
Cody Taulbee, LB, Alter, Brown
Keith Wenning, QB, Coldwater, Ball State

The Buckeyes hosted a number of talented juniors in conjunction with the Ohio State-Minnesota basketball game on Sunday.  One of those in attendance was Centerville two-way lineman Michael Bennett.

“It went real well,” Bennett said moments ago.  “They offered (a scholarship).  I was expecting them to just talk to me, not to offer.”

Bennett went on to discuss more details of his OSU visit and how the offer came about.

“They showed us around the Les Wexner Complex,” Bennett said.  “Then I talked to Coach (Jim) Tressel in his office.  He just talked about school and everything and then he said he was offering.  I thanked him and said it was really nice they offered because I really like Ohio State.”

When asked what he liked about the visit besides landing a scholarship offer, Bennett said, “I liked how they assigned a coach to walk around with you and explain everything.  Coach (Jim) Bollman walked around with me.”

The 6-foot-3 and 270-pound Bennett started at guard his sophomore season.  He played offensive and defensive tackle during his junior season.

Bennett helped lead the Elks to an 8-3 record with over 70 ‘knockdown’ blocks and over 20 ‘pancakes’ this past season.  However, Bennett would prefer to play defensive end at the next level.

“They didn’t really talk about offense or defense,” Bennett said.  “But if it is offense I think it would be center.  I don’t know what it would be on defense.”

Bennett has scholarship offers from Ohio State, Cincinnati, Indiana, Northwestern, Duke, Wake Forest, North Carolina State, Ball State and Alabama-Birmingham.

When asked if Ohio State is his favorite, Bennett said, “I’m not sure.  I’m still weighing all my options.”

Kurelic’s Comment: While Bennett did not say he has Ohio State on top, there was no doubt he was very excited about the offer.  I like OSU’s chances of eventually landing the star lineman.

Check Bennett out on this video compliments of ScoutingOhio.com:

View more stories like this at MiamiValleySports.com

Terry Bach:
- 2-time All-Southwest Ohio 1st Team defensive lineman
- All-Ohio 1st team defensive lineman as senior
- Played on defense that allowed 27.9 yds./game rushing 
- Teams averaged -9.2 yds./game running at him
- Accepted football scholarship to Ohio State University

Jason Griffith:
- Earned 11 varsity letters at CHS in football, wrestling, and baseball
- All-WOL 1st or 2nd Team selection in 8 of 11 varsity seasons
- As senior, was 1st Team All-WOL in all 3 sports
- WOL football Defensive Player of Year as senior
- All-WOL 1st- Team 6 times and All-Greater Dayton 1st Team 3 times

Kristin Jumer:
- 1999 State Champion in 1600m with time of 4:53, 4th fastest in Ohio history
- 1999 State Champion on 4×800m relay with one of top 5 times nationally
- 8-time All-Ohio athlete in cross country and track
- 4-time All-WOL, All-District, and All-Regional athlete in cross country
- Set 3 school records in cross country and 2 WOL records in track

Pat Thomas:
- 4-year starter at CHS as defensive tackle
- 1st Team All-Ohio and 2nd Team All-American as CHS senior
- 4-year letterman and 2-year starter as Ohio State defensive lineman
- Most Valuable Player in Michigan game at Ohio State in 1988
- Lineman of the Year at Ohio State in 1989

]]> http://www.elksfootball.com/index.php/79/2010-centerville-elks-football-schedules/feed 0 http://www.elksfootball.com/index.php/76/former-centerville-elk-a-step-closer-to-nfl-dream http://www.elksfootball.com/index.php/76/former-centerville-elk-a-step-closer-to-nfl-dream#comments Wed, 13 Jan 2010 07:37:50 +0000 admin http://www.elksfootball.com/?p=76 By Joseph Stueve, Dayton Daily News Contributing Writer

CENTERVILLE — Jameson Hartke’s current journey to the NFL might not be one of traditional manner. But the former Centerville Elk is doing his best to achieve his ultimate dream of playing in the NFL.

Hartke, 22, attended the Baltimore Ravens rookie camp last month as an undrafted free agent. The 6-foot-5, 265-pound defensive end said he received strong feedback after his camp performance.

“I was able to turn some heads,” Hartke said. “They told me I exceeded their expectations and that I had looked even better than they had thought.”

Uphill climb

Since Hartke did not receive an invitation to the NFL Combine, he relied on a strong pro day to gain interest from NFL teams.

“After (my pro day), it was kind of a waiting game for me,” Hartke said. “Everything was out of my hands and my agent kind of had to do the work. He had to call these teams and tell them how I performed at the pro day.”

In May, hopes of playing in the NFL seemed bleak for Hartke as he wasn’t getting any feedback from teams.

“I put all this effort and work in and I’m not seeing anything come back,” he said. “I started to get kind of down on myself, but sometimes things happen and (Baltimore’s rookie camp invite) came completely out of the blue.”

Prepping for pros

After graduating from Centerville in 2005, Hartke moved on to Ohio University where he put together quite a career. Appearing in every game during his four years at Ohio, Hartke finished second on the school’s all-time sacks list with 17.5 and was a senior captain for the Bobcats. During his senior campaign, Hartke gained valuable experience at defensive tackle.

“It was good for me because my lifelong dream is to play in the NFL,” he said. “Even though I played defensive end throughout my whole college career, it was good for me to show the NFL coaches and GMs that I can play two positions and I can do a lot of things in a system.”

Centerville head coach Ron Ullery said it was Hartke’s versatility that caught the eye of college scouts when he was a senior in high school.

“I remember college coaches coming in liking the fact that he was able to play standing as a linebacker,” Ullery said. “They could see his body had a lot of room to grow. It had a lot to do for his marketability because he could play standing up and with his hand on the ground.”

Baltimore’s 80-man training camp is set to begin July 27. Hartke said he is just hoping for the opportunity to prove his talent. The die-hard Bengals fan wouldn’t mind cracking the roster of a heated rival.

“I’ve been with them through thick and thin,” he said about his Cincinnati loyalty. “But I am willing to go play for one of their rivals in Baltimore and totally forget the Bengals.”

That’s just another step toward a childhood dream.

Centerville grad Jameson Hartke, who played football at Ohio University, attended the Baltimore Ravens rookie camp last month as an undrafted free agent. The 6-foot-5, 265-pound defensive end said he received strong feedback after his camp performance.

Contact this writer at stuervejd@gmail.com

The total cost of the project was $772,817 and the Board agreed to reduce the loan by $150,000, the cost to the district of maintaining a grass field over a ten-year period.

According to Ullery the Athletic Program is on schedule to meet the ten-year deadline of 2015. He noted the Board has thus far received $196,356 of the $622,817 obligation.

A fourth payment will be made this fall, and as promised, the payments are coming from funds raised in a variety of ways, including an initial donation from the Sonny Unger

Foundation. Receipts from field rentals are also being used, revenues that were never available with a grass field that includes football playoff games, Friday night rental by other schools, and soccer league rentals. Thecastof Lucky Stiff.

Steve Alexander placed his first child in Centerville High School in 1984. That year, his son, Scot, earned a slot on the varsity football team, and Alexander quickly learned the value of the reserved seating section.

“The first time we sat in the general admission seats, and I said, ‘This isn’t gonna happen again,’ ” Alexander said. “We were there to watch the game, and the students around us were there to watch each other.”

Alexander plopped down a few dollars for reserved tickets, and he hasn’t stopped since. Like many area high school football fans, Alexander is a longtime season-ticket holder and continues to attend Centerville games for the passion of the community, the inexpensive entertainment and the enjoyment of comparing teams and players to past incarnations.

“It’s fun to go to a game and say, ‘OK, this is 2009, how does it compare to the Class of ‘92?’ ” Alexander said. “It helps you know the community.”

Area athletic directors, meanwhile, continually search for the best ways to serve their ticket-holders with requested seats, ease in parking, access to potential playoff tickets and other niceties.

At Northmont, Athletic Director Robin Spiller tries to ensure the parents of band members get high seats so they can easily view the formations.

At Wayne, the athletic department is planning to form a committee to ensure its season-ticket holders get fair treatment when the school opens new home stands and a new press box for next season.

Athletic director and football coach Jay Minton said the stands will have a combination of seat backs and indented seats for more comfort.

In Beavercreek, athletic director and girls basketball coach Ed Zink stresses to fans that a $65 adult season pass is a bargain because, just for fall sports, the school will host about 33 events that cost mostly $6 each.

At Fairmont, where 1,201 of the approximately 7,000 football stadium seats are reserved, Athletic Director Brian Donoher said the school is trying to make things easier for fans by adding two hand-held scanners for pass-holders.

“Plus we haven’t raised our prices,” Donoher said. “Everything is pretty much the same, including how many buyers we have.”

Some aren’t buyers at all. Several districts, including Miamisburg and Beavercreek, offer complimentary all-sports passes to residents of a certain age (60 and 65, respectively).

Students are considered, also. In Centerville, a $125 student activity pass also grants entry into school plays, a yearbook and subscription to the school newspaper.

“Sometimes the season sneaks up on people,” said Mark Hughes, the Oakwood athletic director. “We have a soccer game, and we’ll sell a few quick passes because they realize the sports season is here.”

Many of those buyers rely on the high school events to catch up with friends with whom they otherwise don’t connect. That makes the atmosphere of high school athletics a unique community meeting place, school officials and ticket buyers said.

“We can talk about how our kids are doing, where they’re in school now, what jobs they have now, all kinds of things,” Alexander said. “We can go out after the game and have something to eat, because we mostly see these people during the sports seasons.”

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-7389 or knagel@DaytonDailyNews.com

With two Replogle brothers still in the Centerville football program to continue the family tradition of competitive spirit, coach Ron Ullery has to wonder what the family’s house was like when all four boys were youngsters.

“There had to be some serious driveway basketball games,” Ullery said.

Continuing the line started by older brothers Tyler and Adam, Elks junior Mike Replogle had perhaps his best varsity game last Friday, Oct. 16, in Centerville’s 32-0 defeat of Northmont. The linebacker totaled 15 tackles, three tackles for loss, a forced fumble and a pass breakup (a fourth-down hit heard throughout the stadium).

The win helped the Elks (7-1, 3-0) take control of the Greater Western Ohio Conference Central Division heading into the Dayton Daily News Game of the Week tonight against Wayne.

Two other Elks defenders — defensive backs Bryan Kiger (seven tackles, interception, fumble recovery) and John Ehrensberger (six tackles, two forced fumbles) — had standout games against Northmont, but Replogle was the leader.

“He has the same business-like approach to football,” Ullery said.

The fourth Replogle brother, Jake, is a freshman. He practices several days a week with the varsity team but plays in the freshman games.

One wonders why there aren’t holes all over the Replogle family walls with the brothers’ competitive spirit.

“I’m not so sure,” Ullery said, “that there’s not.”

Cooper out for Senior Night

Northmont senior Quintin Cooper suffered a concussion in last Friday’s loss to Centerville and will miss tonight’s game against Fairmont, said his father, Quintin Cooper Sr.

The skilled cornerback has an improving football future, though. He has received several Division I offers and plans to visit Illinois this month.

2,000 yards 
in reach?

It would take some strong outings, but the GWOC could have both a 2,000-yard passer and a 2,000-yard rusher by the end of the regular season.

Lebanon quarterback Dusty Isaacs has passed for 1,595 yards, and his 199.4 average makes the 2,000-yard mark reachable.

Trotwood-Madison running back Antwan Gilbert leads the conference in rushing with 1,564 yards. With 246 yards last week against Troy, the remaining 436 yards in the final two games is not out of the question.

Quick hits

• Each division has a team remaining unbeaten in the conference — Centerville (3-0 Central), Trotwood (3-0 North) and Lebanon (2-0 South).

• Springfield quarterback George Walker has nearly matched his passing total (712 yards) in rushing yards (609).

• Aided by four sacks in the past two weeks, Piqua’s Joshua Osborne leads the conference with 6.5 sacks.

Contact this reporter at 
(937) 225-7389 or knagel
@DaytonDailyNews.com.