FROM THE PRESS BOX: ATHENS FOOTBALL IN THE CRYSTAL BALL, A PICK FOR TONIGHT'S GAME, AND THOUGHTS ON SAYRE FOOTBALL (2022-08-26)

Another football season is upon us, and it looks quite a bit different with the Lockhart Street Bowl set to sit idle on Friday nights. (More on that later.)

The crystal ball was showing positive visions of the 2022 season for the Athens Wildcats, but things are a bit murkier now with the firestorm surrounding the program, which is caught up in a bullying / hazing — depending on who you talk to — scandal.

There’s no doubt the Wildcats have a great deal of talent, led by four-year starting QB Mason Lister, seniors Jaden Wright and Caleb Nichols, and sophomores Kolsen Keathley and Xavier Watson.

Athens also benefitted from the transfer of four Sayre players, led by 6-4 wideout Lucas Horton. And while Horton may be the marquee name in the group of former Redskins, the other three — Austin Malanoski, Nate Polzella, and Glenn Romberger should all help the Wildcats in the trenches, where they need it most.

Prediction: If the Wildcats can win the opener tonight, against an unknown commodity in the midst of a ton of distractions, then it says a lot about this team and it’s grit and focus. This team has the potential to win 7 or 8 games (Week 10 is still an Open Date at this point), if it rises above the early-season turmoil. If not, it could go 5-4. … 2022 record: 6-3.

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Looking at tonight’s game, the Wildcats face a highly-athletic team in Executive Education Academy that likes to play in open spaces, but struggles in an old-fashioned smash-mouth football game.

If Athens can run the ball to set up its passing game, and limit EEA’s big-play offense, it should put itself in position to win the game.

It will also be interesting to see if the Wildcats can get what could be a very dangerous passing game on track against EEA’s athletes in the back seven.

The Wildcats will be playing without three starters and head coach Jack Young, who have been suspended as part of the bullying / hazing investigation, and that will definitely have an impact on them, if only in terms of experienced depth

PREDICTION: This has not been an easy couple weeks for the Wildcats, and these are 16, 17, and 18-year-old kids (something some adults should really consider when posting on Social Media). … If Athens can withstand the early onslaught of EEA’s high-octane offense, it will be a ball game. … EEA 27, ATHENS 20.

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There’s no football at Sayre High School for the first time since 1912, and that’s a shame.

Everyone has their own opinion, but all I’m going to say is there is more than enough blame to go around — from the top of the administration, right down to the student-athletes themselves.

I think it’s important to note that just because Sayre is not fielding a team this year, there’s no reason to believe the Redskins won’t return in 2023. A year off is not a death-knell for this program.

Younger fans most likely have no idea how dominant the Sayre football program was at one point.

In their history, which dates back to 1905 when they went 1-2, including a 106-0 loss to Union-Endicott, the Redskins have had nine unbeaten seasons, and 11 one-loss seasons.

Sayre went unbeaten in back-to-back seasons once — 1924-25 and went 25-1 in from 1924-26. They also posted perfect seasons in 1944 and 1953.

The 1960s was Sayre’s most prolific decade with five unbeaten seasons, including four perfect seasons.

The Redskins started the decade with a 9-0-1 record in 1960 — a 0-0 tie against Bishop O’Reilly the only blemish, and followed it up with a 10-0 mark in 1961, including a 26-6 win over Bishop O’Reilly.

Sayre also went unbeaten in 1964, ’67, and ’69.

In all, the Redskins posted a 73-19 record in the ‘60s.

Sayre had four consecutive losing seasons for the first time in school history  from 1973-76, but bounced back with five straight winning seasons before posting a 5-5 record in 1982.

Back-to-back winning seasons in 1985-86 marked the last time the Redskins would accomplish that feat until Kevin Gorman’s first two seasons at the helm in 2018 (6-5) and ’19 (8-5).

The Redskins had their first winless season (0-10) in 1992, but went 7-4 in 1994.

In 1995, Sayre went 3-6-1, but the bottom fell out in ’96 with an 0-10 season. The Redskins, who went 5-5 in 1999, would not post another winning season until 2012 (6-4) under Larry Hanafin.