GRIDIRON GREATS

Congratulations to the 2011 Inductees!

The first class inducted during the Alter vs. Carroll game

October 7th.

Gridiron Greats 2011-2

Back Row: Coach Domsitz, Doug Penno '03, Eric Lauman '03, Jim Stangle '66, Steve Fortson '79, Jason Boeckman '93, TJ Poelking '87, Jim Harnett '85, Jay Tant '96, Fr. Manning

Front Row: Bob Vari '66, Tim Quinn '69, Mark Thuney '76, John McVay '71, Former Coach Jack Ward, Matt Riazzi '89, Mike Rose '96, Jerry Rudzinski '94, Coach Dave Imber.

Not Pictured: Nick Mangold '02, Jeff Graham '87, Former Coach Bill Rankin.

Special thanks to the Sophomore Team Moms, Knights of Gold members: Ralph Mantica, Doug Stone, Ed Leschansky, Mike Conway and Greg Merrill for making this such a memorable event. See the attachment of the bios for each award winner. Gridiron Greats 2011 Award winner bios

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4th annual golf outing attended by a record number of golfers.

The day started with questionable weather and a record 75 golfers teeing off early in the morning of June 18th at Pipestone Golf Course in Miamisburg Ohio. Midway through the front nine the rain came down slowing the groups down for about a half hour. Once play began after the short delay the weather was sunny and steamy. As usual when the gold was over we enjoyed burgers, brats, drinks and conversation. Coach Domsitz announced the first class of Gridiron Great recipients. The KOG and AFA want to congratulate all of the nominees, we look forward to next years outing and the second Annual Gridiron Greats class.

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Annual Captain's Lunch attended by several past captian's.

2011 TEAM WELCOMES PAST CAPTAINS

18 past captains joined this year's team for lunch on Saturday, August 6, where they talked about their number one regret while playing for Alter. Although their regrets were varied they all wished the team good luck and told them to "Beat Fairmont!"
captains lunch 2011

Front row (L to R): 2011 Captains - Keenan Plate, Ryan Goulden, Brian O'Donnell, Joey Bolek, Andrew Asebrook, Ryan Bayer

Middle Row (L to R): Ed Griffith, Brian Thibo, Brett Mahle, Rick Rueth, Mike Gorman, Zane Pitzer, Paul Howe, Jake Cochran, Tim Mantica, Greg Engler, Mike Williams

Back Row (L to R): Tim Quinn, Matt Krystofik, Evan Neff, Mike Rose, AJ Savino, Teddy Link, Matt Shafer

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From the Dayton Daily News May 13,2011

Twelve area football teams to change divisions in fall

Significant moves include Alter, Bellbrook, Franklin going up; Carroll and CJ going down.

By Kyle Nagel, Staff Writer11:37 PM Thursday, May 12, 2011

The Alter High School football team has been a Division IV menace for the past four seasons.

Playing in the fourth-largest of the state’s six football divisions, the Knights have won two state championships and compiled a 50-6 record in that time. Now other D-IV teams in the state know they won’t have to face Alter on the postseason path.

The Knights will move from D-IV to the higher D-III in new fall sports divisions that were announced Thursday by the Ohio High School Athletic Association. The division changes begin in this fall.

Alter is one of 12 Dayton-area football teams that will change divisions in the fall, including two others in the Greater Catholic League North Division. Carroll will drop from D-II to D-III, and Chaminade Julienne will drop from D-III to D-IV.

The OHSAA recalculates enrollment figures and division standards every two years. The updated enrollment figures include boys and girls in grades 9-11 as of October 2010.

In that two-year span, Alter added 19 boys. That addition, combined with the OHSAA changing the enrollment levels that place schools in which divisions, moved Alter back up.

“It doesn’t change what we have to do the first 10 weeks,” said Alter coach Ed Domsitz. “You have to win those first 10 weeks, no matter what division you’re in.”

Divisions are significant in football because it is the state’s only team sport that requires qualification for the postseason. Teams are ranked on a points system, and they are compared with the other teams in their region. Thirty-two teams in each division — eight each from four regions in the state — advance to the postseason.

But Alter isn’t new to D-III. In the Knights’ run of 10 consecutive playoff appearances, they have spent five seasons each in D-III and D-IV. In D-III, they are 52-13 in that span. In D-IV, they are 62-8.

“It’s a challenge I think we can meet,” Domsitz said. “I guess I’ll have to look at who the other big names in (Division III) are.”

Bellbrook will be one of three area teams, joining Franklin and Tippecanoe, to move up from D-III to D-II next season. Bellbrook and Franklin are members of the Southwestern Buckeye League, which now includes two teams in D-II, three in D-III, eight in D-IV and one in D-V.

That disparity could potentially hurt Bellbrook and Franklin in the regional points system. Beating teams in lower divisions provides fewer points.

Bellbrook is also an example of how much Thursday’s division updates changed from the previous two years. The Eagles lost two boys in enrollment numbers, from 346 to 344, but moved up a division because the division levels shifted downward.

“Our division (of the SWBL) has been strong, and if the teams are winning, it helps you no matter what (OHSAA) division they are,” said Bellbrook coach Kevin Basinger. “That’s all that matters.”

Other notable Dayton-area changes Thursday included:

• Ponitz Tech, a Dayton City Schools program that will play its third season this fall, will move up two divisions from D-VI to D-IV and was just 14 boys from jumping all the way to D-III.

• St. Henry, which has won four state titles at D-V and two at D-VI (1994 and ’95) moved from D-V back to D-VI.

The divisions set Thursday, though, could be short-lived. OHSAA member presidents are in the process of voting on a Competitive Balance Proposal, which was created by a committee last year to address concerns that private schools have advantages in state tournaments in certain sports.

The proposal, if passed, could increase or decrease a school’s enrollment number — creating an “athletic count” — based on boundary, socioeconomic and tradition factors. Principals have until Monday to submit their votes, and the results are expected to be announced Tuesday. The new athletic count could go into effect as soon as the 2012-13 academic year.

If passed, the proposal would likely increase Alter’s football division another step, because it has no boundary and it has been successful in the past four years, the period included in the tradition factor.

“If the only thing I have to worry about is moving to Division III, not tradition or boundary or anything like that, I can live with D-III,” said Domsitz.

Area high school teams on the move

School	Formerly	New
Bellbrook	III	II
Franklin	III	II
Tippecanoe	III	II
Carroll	II	III
Meadowdale	II	III
Marshall	IV	III
Alter	IV	III
Cham. Julienne	III	IV
Greeneview	V	IV
Ponitz Tech	VI	IV
Covington	VI	V
St. Henry	V	VI

We Are The Champions!

Trophy photo from Bergeron Photography

“Strike The Shield, Roar Victory”

Knights of Gold

During the 2005 Alter football season, we started the Knights of Gold (KOG) football social organization for all past Alter football players, parents of past players and interested fans. Learn More...