Familiar foe for Springfiedl in tonight's regional final
The Springfield
SPRINGFIELD — High School football team will face a familiar opponent with a trip to the state semifinals on the line.
The Wildcats (11-1) will play
Olentangy Liberty (8-5) in the Division I, Region 2 final at 7 p.m. tonight at London’s Bowlus Field.
The winner will advance to play either Lakota West or Cincinnati Moeller in the D-I state semifinals at 7 p.m Friday, Nov. 25 at Piqua Alexander Stadium, the OHSAA announced Thursday morning.
The Wildcats will face the Patriots in the regional final for the second time in three years. In 2020, Springfield beat Liberty 19-0 to advance to their second straight state semifinal. Several of Springfield’s key players — including senior linebacker Jaivian Norman and
wide receiver Anthony Brown — saw action in the game.
Springfield has won seven straight games since falling to Fairmont in Week 6. While the stakes keep getting bigger and bigger each week, the Wildcats have to remember to simply do their job, said Springfield coach Maurice Douglass.
“Sometimes when kids haven’t been there, they try to do things they don’t normally do,” Douglass said. “So my thing is just play your own game, do what you normally do from your role’s standpoint. As Bill Belichick said, ‘Do your job’.”
The Wildcats understand each game could be their last, Norman said, and won’t leave anything on the field.
“You’ve just got to go into it as
another game,” he said. “Every play, you have to give your best
penalties,” Douglass said. “We’ve gotta play physical and fly to the ball.”
Both teams will also have effort. The coaches always to contend with a forecast say they can’t control our that shows below-freezing effort and that’s absolutely temperatures in London. right. It’s up to the players “It’s going to be cold for every week.” both teams and it’s going
The Patriots started the to be cold throughout the season 0-3 against a tough state of Ohio,” Douglass schedule that included said. “We don’t have the Pickerington Central, luxury of being an NFL Cincinnati St. Xavier and team and flying to Florida Cleveland Glenville. Liberty to play in the Super has won eight of its Bowl. It’s Ohio football. It’s last 10 games, including going to be a little colder, a victory over Region 3 we’ll bundle up and let finalist New Albany. those sideline heaters get
The Patriots run a spread to work. When you’re on offense that features sophomore the field, make plays while quarterback Andrew you’re out there.” Leonard (2,429 yards, 19 While the season is touchdowns) and senior nearing its final weeks, wide receiver Alex Okuley the Wildcats aren’t ready (67 catches, 919 yards, to stop playing, especially 9 TDS). Sophomore Ryan a senior class seeking to Schapker (288 yards, 2 TDS) win the first state championship is filling in for the injured in Clark County Jack Struck (738 yards, 7 history.
TDS) as the team’s featured “For some of those guys, running back. this is it,” Douglass said.
“They’re going to present “They won’t play football a challenge,” Douglass after this season is over. said. I think it’s getting realer
The key will be playing and realer, but I’m excited a clean football game in for them. I think they’re all three phases, he said. excited about the opportunity
“We’re going to have to to be able to finish be real sound in all of our something that they started special teams, offensively when they got into high and defensively, not turning school when they came to the ball over and not Springfield. I’m just excited having a bunch of crazy* for those guys.”