Vance, Smith set to lead Chapmanville offensive attack again

CHAPMANVILLE, W.Va. — Rob Dial is heading into his second season as the head football coach at Chapmanville Regional, looking to get the Tigers back into the playoff mix.

Chapmanville won five straight games in 2016 from September 9 to October 10, but finished at 5-5 after three straight losses to Mingo Central, Winfield and Wayne, ending the year just outside of the postseason.

“It was a good season overall, but we ran into a tough part of our schedule on the back-end,” Dial said. “We lost nine seniors – five of which played significant minutes for us. We have a large senior class this year and they’re working hard. We’re looking forward to the upcoming year – we think we can be okay.”

Receiver Dylan Smith is one of those senior leaders back for the Tigers after finishing his junior year with 56 catches for 887 yards and 11 touchdowns.

“It starts with Dylan Smith – he’s a returning first team all-stater,” Dial said. “We’re going to move him around, playing him out-wide and in the backfield. It’s our job as coaches to make certain we give him opportunities to touch the ball and make something happen.

“He is very athletic and has a very quick first move,” he continued. “He’s also intelligent and has the experience to know where to find the holes in the zone and how to attack specific types of coverage.”

Quarterback Adam Vance, also a senior, threw for 2,055 yards, 19 touchdowns and six interceptions a season ago.

“Adam (Vance) throws the ball well on the move,” Dial said. “He throws as well to his right as he does to his left. He also has a great grasp of what we’re trying to accomplish offensively – he’s a very smart young man.”

It’s the chemistry of Vance and Smith that gets the Chapmanville offense moving.

“They do a great job and the biggest asset with both of them is that they work so hard, beyond the season,” Dial said. “They are in the weight room constantly, they do the right things and they’re leaders. We’re real excited about having both of them back.”

Cade Elkins and Payton Hensley are a couple of other names in the mix at receiver, while Tyler Barcklay could contribute at tight end and linebacker.

The Tigers also return all five starters along the offensive line in Timmy Bigley, Hunter Adkins, Seth Whitt,  Evan Willis and Corey McGraw. Dillon Renninger, CJ Dalton and Chase Berry are a few of the other returning players defensively.

“We’re really excited about the upcoming year and we have a great coaching staff,” Dial said. “We had a great summer – we won at Marshall in 7-on-7s and won at West Virginia State in 7-on-7s. Yeah, it’s flag football in a way, but it’s competition and made us better.”

A playoff run for the Tigers in 2017 will have to come out of an always-challenging Cardinal Conference schedule that includes the defending state champion in Class AA, Mingo Central.

“The biggest negative for us this year is that we only have four home games – that’s just how it fell for us,” Dial said. “We have no easy week, but we enjoy the challenge and embrace the challenge.

“If we can get to seven wins, we feel like we are guaranteed to get into the playoffs,” he continued. “At six wins in the Cardinal Conference, you may have a chance to sneak in. But if we’re fortunate to make it to the playoffs, we think we have a chance.”