The road to Canton begins Friday when the Wildcats host Cincinnati Winton Woods at 7 p.m. at Springfield High School.
»RELATED: Shawnee eyes another division title
»RELATED: OHC North up for grabs
The Wildcats, however, aren’t feeling any pressure about getting back to Stark County this December.
“We’ve just got to put the work in and believe,” said senior defensive end Jackson Heims.
The bar has been set high in recent years. The goal is always to play through Week 16, said Springfield coach Maurice Douglass. But the Wildcats aren’t worried about what’s ahead — they’re laser focused on being the best they can be each and every day.
“We have to continue to max out today and be where our feet are,” said Springfield coach Maurice Douglass. “It’s a slogan, but it’s real — be where your feet are. You can’t do nothing about something down the road or anything like that. You’ve just got to continue to work.”
The journey to Canton has been different for the Wildcats each season. After winning back-to-back regional titles in 2019 and 2020, Springfield went 9-1 in the regular season in 2021. They advanced to the state title game for the first time in school history, falling to St. Edward 23-13.
The next season, the Wildcats again went 9-1, advancing to Week 16 where they fell to Lakewood St. Edward 28-14.
Last year, the Wildcats won their fifth straight Division I regional championship. They struggled with injuries during the regular season, finishing 5-5.
“It showed us that we can definitely be beat,” said senior linebacker Kyron Dolby. “There’s teams out here that want us. We know we’ve got to come ready to play every game.”
Once they got healthy, the Wildcats made another run to Canton. They beat Moeller 26-19 in overtime in a state semifinal game, advancing to face St. Edward for the third straight season — a feat that has happened just once in OHSAA history (Coldwater vs. Lima Central Catholic 2014-2016). The Eagles pulled away midway through the fourth quarter to beat Springfield 31-21.
The senior class has been a part of the program for all three state championship runs. They know what to expect this fall.
“It doesn’t matter how you get there as long as you get there,” Douglass said.
The Wildcats return several key players on both sides of the ball. Offensively, quarterback Brent Upshaw will lead Springfield behind a veteran offensive line. Wildcats junior running back Deontre Long and senior tight end Zy’Aire Fletcher — who moved to tackle last season — will also play key roles in the Wildcats attack.
On the other side of the ball, the Wildcats return three starters — senior defensive back Quenta Wafer, Dolby and Heims.
“The season is definitely bright,” Dolby said. “We’ve got a lot of guys on both sides who can play. We’ve just all got to get on the same page and do what we do. We want to bring it home.”
The Wildcats will also play a loaded schedule to prepare them for the postseason, including a non-conference game against Gonzaga College High School from Washington, D.C. — the alma mater of Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams.
This week, however, they’re focused on Winton Woods, a Cincinnati-area powerhouse that won the state championship as recently as 2021. The Warriors went 8-4 last season, falling to Cincinnati Withrow in a D-II, Region 8 second round playoff game. They return several key players, including senior linebacker Justin Hill, the D-II Defensive Player of the Year last season who recently committed to Alabama.
“We need everyone here,” Douglass said. “We need to fill this place up. We’ve got seven home games and we need support this weekend.”
PREP FOOTBALL
WEEK 1
FRIDAY’S GAMES
Winton Woods at Springfield
Shawnee at Stebbins
Northeastern at Urbana
Catholic Central at Bradford
Fairborn at Tecumseh
Mechanicsburg vs. Kenton Ridge at Bellefontaine’s AccuSport Stadium
Southeastern at Northwestern
Cedarville at Fayetteville-Perry
West Liberty-Salem at Graham
Northridge at Greeneview
Greenon at Miami East
Triad at Mount Gilead
About the Author