“It shows how far we’ve come,” said Northeastern coach Jake Buchholtz.
One of Ohio’s storied programs awaits in the second round of the Division VI, Region 24 playoffs. The eighth-seeded Jets will travel to top-seeded Coldwater at 7 p.m. Friday at Cavalier Stadium.
The Cavaliers, who finished the season ranked second in the D-VI state poll, have won seven state championships. Coldwater is seeking its first state title since 2020.
“It’s going to be a really cool atmosphere,” Buchholtz said. “We’ve always said that I think our conference is the best small school conference outside of the (Midwest Athletic Conference). Now we get to go experience what the best conference is and I don’t really think there’s a debate there. I think it’s good not only for our kids and our coaches, but our community to see where we want to go as a program. Coldwater, Marion Local, Minster — those are the model small-school programs. I’m really looking forward to the experience of how they do things.”
The Jets (7-4) beat Miami Valley Christian Academy 41-0 in a first round game last week, while the Cavaliers (10-1) beat Covington 58-0.
Coldwater’s lone loss this season came to MAC champion Marion Local in Week 10.
“These are the games we’re excited to come out and compete,” Buchholtz said. “I told our guys that obviously they have a storied history and have had a ton of success. They go through two-a-days like we go through two-a-days. They strap up their helmets the same way we do. … If we can do what we’ve done these last two weeks, I’m excited to see what opportunities we’ll have on Friday.”
Offensively, Coldwater uses a spread attack similar to the Jets, Buchholtz said. They enter the game having outscored their opponents by an average of 30 points per game. Cavaliers senior quarterback Baylen Blockberger has thrown for more than 1,200 yards this season.
The Cavaliers have more than 70 players on their roster. Unlike the Jets, they have just a few players competing on both sides of the ball.
“You can tell they’re a great program from top to bottom,” Buchholtz said. “They’ve got good athletes at every position.”
The winner will play either No. 4 Portsmouth West or No. 5 St. Bernard-Elmwood Place in a Region 24 semifinal game at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 15, at a site to be determined.
The Jets last played a MAC opponent in 2021, falling to Anna 17-3 in a first-round game. They won’t know what to expect this week, Buchholtz said, which could be helpful heading into Friday’s game.
“I told our guys to not try to win every play,” he said. “We’ve got to come out and play our game of football, be physical and match their physicality, I like where we’ll be when the clock strikes zero. Win or loss, I think we’ll be in a good position if we can just play physical and take care of the football.”
About the Author