Game tonight: Five-time regional champ Springfield faces Moeller

Springfield's Da'Shawn Martin scores against Dublin Coffman in the Division I, Region 2 final at Hilliard Darby Stadium on Nov. 17, 2023. Michael Cooper/CONTRIBUTED

Springfield's Da'Shawn Martin scores against Dublin Coffman in the Division I, Region 2 final at Hilliard Darby Stadium on Nov. 17, 2023. Michael Cooper/CONTRIBUTED

After lifting its fifth straight regional championship trophy, the Springfield High School football team joined an elite group of Ohio High School Athletic Association powerhouse programs.

Springfield is the 13th program in OHSAA history to win at least five straight regional championships, a list that includes three other Division I programs.

“We’re going five times in Springfield, Ohio with things that we don’t have in comparison to everybody else,” said Springfield High School football coach Maurice Douglas. “If we can do it in Springfield, we can do it anywhere. We won four in Trotwood and now we’ve won five here. God is really good. I’m grateful to be coaching this group of kids.”

The Wildcats hope to extend another streak with a victory this week — three straight state championship game appearances. To accomplish that feat, Springfield (9-5) must beat Cincinnati Moeller (10-4) in a D-I state semifinal game for the third straight season.

The Wildcats will play the Crusaders at 7 p.m. Friday at Piqua’s Alexander Stadium. In 2021, Springfield beat the Crusaders 22-21 in a state semifinal game in Sidney. Last year, the Wildcats beat Moeller 28-24 in Piqua.

“We’re the underdog,” Douglass said. “We’re the one that’s 9-5. We’ll be the underdog. I’ll take the underdog role. I like when we’re the underdog.”

The winner will play either two-time defending state champion Lakewood St. Edward (13-1) or Hilliard Bradley (13-1) in the D-I state championship game at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 2, at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton.

In Division I, Cleveland St. Ignatius won nine straight regional titles from 1991 through 1999, Pickerington Central won five from 2016 through 2020 and Moeller — Springfield’s state semifinal opponent — won five straight from 1973 through 1977.

Newark Catholic owns the state record for consecutive regional championships, winning 13 straight from 1980 through 1993. Steubenville has won five straight regional championships twice in its program’s history — 1987 through 1991 and 2013 through 2017.

Kirtland has also done it twice. They won five straight from 2011 through 2015 and are on a current streak of seven in a row from 2017 through 2023.

Trotwood-Madison won eight straight regional championships from 2010 through 2017 — the first four of which came with Douglass as head coach.

After starting the season 3-5, Springfield has won six straight games, including four straight playoff victories over Wayne, Centerville, Olentangy and Dublin Coffman. Four of the Wildcats five losses came by eight points or less.

There’s more history to be made for the Wildcats. With a victory against Moeller, Springfield will earn another opportunity to become the first Clark County team to win a state football championship since the OHSAA playoff era began in 1972.

Only three programs in Clark County history have advanced to the state championship game — Catholic Central (1991), Shawnee (2011) and Springfield (2021, 2022).

The Wildcats have finished runner-up in D-I each of the past two seasons, falling to Lakewood St. Edward in back-to-back seasons. The Eagles beat the Wildcats 28-14 last season and 23-13 in 2021.

Springfield’s senior class is hoping to make more history with a third straight trip to Canton.

“We’re just trying to keep everything going, keep the wheels going,” said Springfield senior wide receiver Da’Shawn Martin.

OHSAA Football Consecutive

Regional Championships

13: Newark Catholic 1980-1993

9: Marion Local 2011-2019, Cleveland St. Ignatius 1991-1999

8: Coldwater 2009-2016, Trotwood-Madison 2010-2017

7: Kirtland 2017-2023.

6: Mogadore 1983-1988

5: Moeller 1973-1977, Versailles 1986-1990, Steubenville 1987-1991 and 2013-2017, Kirtland 2011-2015, Pickerington Central 2016-2020, Avon 2017-2021, Springfield 2019-2023

Source: OHSAA

Springfield defeated Dublin Coffman 21-14 in the Division I, Region 2 final at Hilliard Darby Stadium on Nov. 17, 2023. Michael Cooper/CONTRIBUTED

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