Springfield struggled in a 36-6 loss last week to Wayne, but coach Maurice Douglass expects the Wildcats to respond against Beavercreek.
“We’ve had setbacks throughout the last five-to-six year run we’ve been in,” he said. “We’ve been able to bounce back and kids have remembered the pride of the Wildcats. We’re trying to get them to relish that and remember those things. Our kids that have been a part of the program the last four years, they understand the importance of getting focused and they’ve shown that throughout the week. Hopefully we’ll get the outcome that we desire on Friday night.”
The Wildcats had not practiced well over the previous two weeks as it prepared for Springboro and Wayne, Douglass said. This week, several young players have had to step up as several players have been dealing with sickness, he said.
“We’ve had a good week of preparation,” Douglass said. “Hopefully we’ll go out there and show people what we’re capable of doing and playing up to the standard that we’ve had. Last week we didn’t play up to the standard, but it’s a new week. That’s the great thing about high school football. You’ve got 10 weeks to show what you can do, what you’ve been working on.”
The Wildcats have won eight straight games against Beavercreek dating back to 2015. The Beavers have a new coach this fall in Trace Smitherman, the former Xenia coach.
Beavercreek already has three wins this season, the program’s best win total since 2017. The Beavers also snapped a 39-game GWOC losing streak with a 19-10 win over Miamisburg in Week 5.
Smitherman brought the triple option offense with him to Beavercreek, Douglass said. Senior running back Zane Piatt ranks fourth in the GWOC with 626 yards rushing, while sophomore Dana Johnson-Dennis has 240 yards rushing and five TDs.
“He’s even better at doing it at Beavercreek than he was at Xenia,” Douglass said. “They’ve got a good running back and the quarterback (junior Jack Minnick) is doing a great job of orchestrating their offense, making the proper reads and things like that. Coach Smitherman has done a good job with those kids over there and it’s going to be a tough task.”
The key, Douglass said, will be playing for each other.
“We’ve got to realize that it’s bigger than you,” he said. “It’s not about you; it’s about the team. We have to all be focused on what’s best for the team. If that means a kid has to play a spot that he doesn’t normally play to help our team be more successful and flow a lot better, we need that kid to step up and make himself smaller and become bigger with the team. I think we’ve done a good job of that this week.”
About the Author