Home > Blogs > Springfield, Ohio Sports (Skip to blog navigation.)
Shawnee beat Elida 56-42 in the D-III state semifinals at Piqua Alexander Stadium on Friday night to earn its first berth in the state championship game in school history.
Now, the Braves will set their sights on Youngstown Cardinal Mooney, a seven-time state champion who beat Chagrin Falls 24-14 to advance to the finals.
Here’s the game story from the Youngstown Vindicator.
Permalink | Comments (11) | Post your comment More: High School Football
Check out this Youtube clip from WLIO-TV in Lima on Elida coach Jason Carpenter, who always wears shorts, no matter the weather.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment More: High School Football
Shawnee’s next opponent, Elida, used a strong defensive effort in its 37-10 victory over Columbus Eastmoor Academy on Friday night.
They held the Warriors to just 146 total yards, according to the Lima News.
The Bulldogs (10-3) finished the regular season 7-3 with their losses coming to three playoff teams — Kenton, Wapakoneta and Ottawa-Glandorf. They beat Bellevue 54-20 in the first round of the playoffs, then beat Columbus DeSales on a last-second field goal 24-21.
They’re led by senior quarterback Reggie McAdams, the D-III Northwest District offensive player of the year. He finished the season with 2,664 yards, 28 TDs and six interceptions. He’s headed to Akron to play basketball next season.
Shawnee will face Elida at a site to be determined, likely Piqua’s Alexander Stadium, on Friday at 7:30 p.m. in the D-III state semifinals. The winner will advance to its first state championship game appearance in school history at Canton Fawcett Stadium on Dec. 2 at 3 p.m.
Permalink | Comments (1) | More: High School Football
Here’s a look at some interesting facts about the regional football tournament and Shawnee’s upcoming game against Jonathan Alder.
Jonathan Alder capitalized on mistakes in its 28-7 victory over Jackson last week. Here’s the game story from the London Madison Press.
The Pioneers moved up from D-IV to D-III for the first time this season. They’ve made the playoffs 11 times in a row, including state runner-up in 2006. They won the D-II baseball state championship last spring.
Last year, Jonathan Alder was knocked out by Alter, 28-14, in the D-IV regional semifinals.
The Pioneers are averaging 36.5 points per game this season. They beat two playoff teams in the regular season, including Ironton (17-0) and Clinton-Massie (29-28 in Week 2). They’ll face Chaminade-Julienne in the D-IV regional final on Saturday.
48 teams total are remaining in the football playoffs, eight in each division.
Fifteen undefeated teams remain throughout the state, including Shawnee and Jonathan Alder. Three other games will see matchups of unbeaten teams: Trotwood-Madison vs. Kings in D-II, Kenton vs. Columbus Bishop Hartley in D-IV and Bucyrus Wynford vs. Lucasville Valley in D-V.
Five of the eight teams remaining in D-III were ranked in the final AP state poll. Jonathan Alder was third, while Chagrin Falls was fourth and were followed by Shawnee (T6), Dover (8th), Youngstown Cardinal Mooney (10th) and Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary (13th).
Of the eight remaining teams, only two have won state titles. Youngstown Cardinal Mooney has won seven state titles, its last coming in 2009. Akron SVSM has won four titles, but hasn’t won since 1988.
Shawnee and unbeaten Chagrin Falls are the only two remaining top seeds.
The other three regional games include top-seed Chagrin Falls (12-0) vs. sixth-seed Akron SVSM in Region 9, Fifth-seed Elida (9-3) vs. third-seed Columbus Eastmoor Academy (10-2) in Region 10 and No. 4 Youngstown Cardinal Mooney (8-3) vs. second-seeded Dover (11-1) in Region 11. Rebracketing may occur in the state semifinals.
Permalink | | More: High School Football
Jonathan Alder is a playoff regular, and they’ll be facing Shawnee in next week’s regional final in D-III, Region 12.
They beat Jackson 28-7 to advance to face Shawnee. Here’s a link to the box score, via the Columbus Dispatch.
Permalink | | More: High School Football
After Friday’s 20-13 victory over Thurgood Marshall, I couldn’t help but think of the last time I covered Shawnee in a regional semifinal.
The Braves needed a last-second TD pass to beat Logan Elm 21-14 at Hilliard Bradley.
That was one of the best football games I’ve ever covered, but the victory over Thurgood Marshall is going to be hard to beat.
It’s games like these two that make Shawnee coach Rick Meeks’ hair turn grey. I’m sure he’ll take a touch of grey to keep playing.
Permalink | | More: High School Football
KETTERING — The Shawnee High School football team used a goal-line stand to beat Thurgood Marshall 20-13 in a Division III, Region 12 semifinal game at Kettering Fairmont’s Roush Stadium on Friday.
With 4.2 seconds remaining, Marshall had the ball on the 2-yard line. On the final play, the Braves’ Nick Costa and Nick Talley stopped Marshall running back Tavonn Crisp on a 6-foot line. The ball came loose as Crisp stretched for the goal-line, and Jordan Huggins recovered in the end zone to seal the win.
“What can you say about the character of our kids make a goal-line play like that at the end of a game,” Meeks said.
The coaching staff was hoping to stop the Cougars, but was also planning in case they had to stop them one more time. The Cougars took a big risk in its victory over Alter in the first round, going for two to seal the win last week.
“We were getting ready for them going for two,” Meeks said. “I told (Defensive coordinator Devin Spitzer), ‘You know they’re going to go for two if they score.’ He says ‘Coach, I already got it.’ He told them what play they were running if they scored during the timeout (before the final play).”
Shawnee improved to 12-0 and will play Jonathan Alder in the D-III, Region 12 finals next Friday at 7:30 p.m. at a site to be determined.
But it certainly wasn’t easy. They trailed 13-0 at halftime, the first time that had happened all season. They allowed 358 yards rushing to the Cougars, including 222 to Crisp, the most they’d allowed all season. Marshall runs the double-wing, an unorthodox offense with double handoffs and multiple pulling guards/tackles. They even lead block with their QB on certain plays.
“It’s a different offense,” Meeks said. “You know where he’s at, but he gets right behind them and he’s hard to find. They did a great job blocking. You have to give Coach Spitzer and the defensive staff credit for playing a great game”
At halftime, Meeks told his players the Cougars were doing everything they’d planned all week. Essentially, it came down to blocking and tackling better.
It was the closest game Shawnee had played since an OT win over Urbana in Week 3. It was the first time in weeks the Braves had faced true adversity.
“I told them ‘Are we going to go home, or are we going to fight and make something happen?’ Someone’s going to have to make a play,” Meeks said.
The Braves scored 20 unanswered points, and made three stops in their own territory to win the game.
“They’ve got heart and they’ve got fight and they’re not going quit,” Meeks said. “I’m real proud of the way they responded.”
The Braves’ final offensive possession was capped by a 66-yard run by Jarzab, who rushed for 145 yards and two TDs.
“He was so close a couple times,” Meeks said. “His knee had been bothering him a little bit this week, and we weren’t running him as much in the first half and he came to me and asked if weren’t running him because of his knee. He said, ‘Coach I’m fine. I’m ready to go.’ I said, ‘All right, we’re going to wear you out in the second half.’”
The defense made three huge plays in the second half. In the third quarter, Marshall’s Breland Cospy broke free and was on his way to the end zone when Andrew Young stripped him at the five-yard line and James Williams recovered on the 1-yard line. On the ensuing possession, Shawnee was pinned deep and was forced to punt, giving Marshall a short field.
However, the Braves were able to stop them on 4th-and-5 from the 10, a stop which led to Shawnee’s game-winning score.
Then, on the second-to-last play of the game, Jordan Huggins one-hand deflection knocked the ball away from the Marshall receiver. It likely would’ve been a touchdown.
Shawnee has advanced to the regional finals three times in nine years.
“I’m real proud of that,” Meeks said.
They fell to Clyde in 2005 and lost to Cin. Wyoming in 2009.
Permalink | | More: High School Football
COLUMBUS — While Springfield High School made a few mistakes which proved costly in its 34-19 loss to Upper Arlington in the Kirk Herbstreit National Kickoff Classic on Sunday at Ohio Stadium, there were several bright spots for the Wildcats.
AIR IT OUT: After gaining just 11 yards against St. X in Week 1, Springfield’s offense showed huge signs of improvement in the second half against UA.
They outgained the Golden Bears 435-173, and threw for 399 yards.
Chris Wallace passed for 313 yards and two TDs, and also led the team in rushing with 32 yards and a touchdown.
“It was a great experience,” Wallace said. “I had fun. I just tried to take it as another game. We wanted to get the win, did everything we could, but sometimes those chips don’t fall into place.”
Wallace said the offense struggled to find its rhythm in the first half, running wrong routes and dropping passes. The Wildcats outgained UA 146-91 in the first half, but found themselves down 7-0 at the break. They had two drives stall inside the 10-yard line.
“It was execution, just simple miscues,” Wallace said. “You saw what we can do in the fourth quarter.”
Wallace is excited to return to Evans Stadium on Friday, even if it means one less day of rest. The ‘Cats host Sycamore at 7:30 p.m.
“I’m ready for a short week,” Wallace said. “Those long weeks of practice can get to you. We’re going to be ready to play in our home stadium and get back on the right schedule.”
EXHAUSTED: Titus Montgomery was all over the field on Sunday, finishing the game with 313 all-purpose yards. He had 11 catches for 223 yards and two touchdowns.
“It was a tiring game, felt like it took forever,” Montgomery said. “I don’t remember coming off the field.”
He enjoyed playing at the Horseshoe; especially the day after Springfield native Braxton Miller took the field for the first time as a Buckeyes quarterback.
“It was an honor,” Montgomery said.
The ‘Cats had six different receivers catch passes. Andrae Carey caught eight passes for 93 yards and Thaddeus Snodgrass added six catches for 26 yards.
Montgomery hopes to get off to a better start on offense this week against Sycamore.
“Our offense has to click more at the very beginning,” Montgomery said. “We started to click at the end of the game. If we get clicking at the very beginning, we should be fine.”
KAMIKAZE: Junior linebacker Kyle Jacks finished the game with a team-high 6.5 tackles, including three for loss, two sacks and a forced fumble — all while playing with a foot sprain.
Springfield trainer Mike Willets nicknamed Jacks ‘kamikaze’ for his relentless style of play.
“I love this sport,” Jacks said. “This is what I live for. It’s the only sport I play. I wake up in the morning thinking about football. It’s all I want to do. And I put my heart into it like everybody on our defense. It’s frustrating not to win, but we’re getting there.”
Jacks said the fourth quarter is a sign of things to come. The defense held UA to just 173 yards of total offense.
“If we play like we did in the fourth quarter, I don’t think any team can stop us,” Jacks said.
BIG OPPORTUNITY: Last season, Aaron Cosby was a reserve lineman at Catholic Central. He was disappointed with his playing time, and returned to Springfield High this fall.
On Sunday, he found himself playing in the Horseshoe on the defensive line.
“It’s a totally different experience because I didn’t play last year at Catholic Central,” Cosby said. “I came out here and they told me I wasn’t going to play. I set my mind to it and I wanted a spot on the field. I did what I could and I got it.”
He finished with 6.5 tackles and was a mainstay in the Golden Bears’ backfield. He also had a fumble recovery.
“I listened to my coaches,” Cosby said. “They said to stay low, so I stayed low. They said to use your hands, I used my hands. That’s all you can do.”
CRAZY EXPERIENCE: Even for Springfield coach Adam Taylor, the game at the Horseshoe was something he’ll never forget.
“As far as being here, it’s a crazy experience,” Taylor said. “It’s fantastic. It’s hard to imagine all the fantastic athletes who’ve played here. It’s an absolute privilege and honor for me to coach one time on the field. It was fun. I wish it could’ve been a little different result, but at the same time, it’s a great experience. I wouldn’t trade it; just change it a little bit.”
THE OTHER SIDE: Upper Arlington assistant coach Jim Dimitroff has plenty of ties to Springfield, having graduated from Catholic Central and coached at both North and South. He applied for the vacant job this spring, but withdrew his name early in the process for financial reasons.
“It was exciting to see them play here,” Dimitroff said. “I thought they played their (butts) off and did a heck of a job. They didn’t quit.”
Permalink | | More: High School Football
CINCINNATI — The Springfield High School football team held its own for one quarter in a 30-7 loss against Cincinnati St. Xavier in the Skyline Chili Crosstown Showdown at UC’s Nippert Stadium on Saturday night.
But in the second quarter, the Wildcats dug hole a they couldn’t climb out of. St Xavier led 23-0 at the half, thanks in part to winning the field position battle. They capitalized on a safety early in the game, as well as blown pass coverage, which led to a long touchdown pass.
“We were underneath our own goalposts (on offense) for most of the first half, and really all of the game,” said Wildcats coach Adam Taylor, making his debut as head coach. “Their defense was stout. They made it very difficult for us to run the ball, or move the ball down the field. We had a lot of drops, guys running the wrong routes. A lot of those little things make for a 23-point deficit.”
Defensively, the Bombers front seven kept the Wildcats from running the ball. Springfield finished with -29 yards rushing, and 11 total yards.
“We anticipated their line would be very physical, very disciplined,” Taylor said. “We tried to complete some passes early and loosen up those linebackers to get some of the run supporters out of the box. But with some dropped passes and guys running the wrong routes, it’s hard to do that.”
Next Sunday, the Wildcats face Upper Arlington in the Kirk Herbstreit Kickoff Classic at Ohio Stadium. The game will be televised on ESPNU at 3:30 p.m. Both teams are 0-1.
The Wildcats, however, played better in the second half, where the score was essentially 7-7.
“It’s definitely going to be something we can build on,” Taylor said.
Springfield’s Titus Montgomery was awarded the player of the game award by the showcase after the game. He scored the team’s lone TD on a 77-yard interception return in the fourth quarter.
“He’s a kid who can make some dynamic plays,” Taylor said.
Taylor said his team will work on staying disciplined and focused at practice next week. He said the difference in the game was the Wildcats struggles on offense.
“We couldn’t move the ball effectively on offense and that really hurt us,” Taylor said.
Permalink | | More: High School Football
Shawnee coach Rick Meeks looked exhausted after his team’s 20-14 victory over Catholic Central at Hallinean Field on Friday.
“It was a great battle between two good teams,” Meeks said. “It was sloppy. We didn’t play well, and I don’t think they played their best game, either.”
In the first half, Shawnee fumbled twice in the red zone. The Irish countered with a 12-yard TD pass from Brian Kelly to Dimitrious Dimitroff in the first quarter.
“You have to give them credit for stripping the ball,” Meeks said. “If we stop making mistakes, we can be a good team. We’ve got plenty to work on. When we watch films tomorrow, they’ll be plenty to work on and get upset about.”
Shawnee tied the game with three minutes remanining in the first half on a nice 59-yard screen pass from Brad Jarzab to Alex McCrory, who zigged-zagged through the Irish defense.
The Irish got the ball to start the second half, and drove the ball down the field, shaving 10 minutes off the clock. A 53-yard TD pass from Brian Kelly to Mitchell Grimone was called back for a block in the back, and the Irish attempted a 36-yard field goal try, but Taylor Gannon’s attempt missed wide right. The Irish had five penalties on that drive alone (more on that later).
To start the fourth quarter, Jarzab rushed for a 40-yard TD to give Shawnee a 14-7 lead. Three plays later, a fumble by Brian Kelly gave Shawnee the ball on the Irish 37. On fourth-and-8 from the 35, Jarzab hit Nick Hines, who had five catches for 121 yards, in the end zone to make it 20-7.
“Brad’s a player,” Meeks said. “He’s much more comfortable this season. At the beginning of last season, his first season starting, he was a little jittery. After the playoff games and the league last year, he’s ready to play. Nothing really rattles him anymore. Good players make plays at big times.”
The Braves tried their best to milk the clock in the fourth quarter, but the Irish kept their comeback hopes alive by making stops. With 2:43 remaining, Kelly hit Ryan Weeks on a short pass, and Weeks shrugged off two Braves defenders, running 52 yards to bring the Irish with six.
Kelly then attempted an onside kick, but it failed. The Irish were able to get the ball back, thanks in part to a penalty on Shawnee for offsides, but with :50 remaining, Kelly’s pass was intercepted by Shawnee’s Jordan Huggins.
Catholic Central coach Steve DeWitt said his team needs to improve both on the offensive and defensive fronts.
“It’s not the mechanics of the thing, but the believing of the thing,” DeWitt said. “My biggest disappointment at this moment is the believing in the things. We’ve had too many times where we’ve been able to come back in ball games throughout the history of the program. I’m not sure they understood that, so I’m going to make sure they understand that before we leave tonight.
“We’ve got to go back and process who we want to be and what we’ve got to accomplish,” DeWitt said. “Scheme-wise, we were on, we just made some mistakes that were costly.”
Meeks was also disappointed in what he felt was poor officiating. The teams combined for 26 penalties worth 240 yards.
“The officials were terrible,” Meeks said. “They tried to take control of the game. I heard before the game these guys were notorious flag throwers. Some of the calls they were making I’d never even heard of, but both sides had to deal with it. They’re known as flag throwers, and they lived up to their billing tonight.”
A big turning point in the game was when Dimitroff went down in the third quarter with a sprained right ankle. He had five catches for 95 yards and a TD in the first half alone. He and Brian Kelly combined for several backyard football plays when Kelly got flushed from the pocket.
“(Dimitroff) is probably going to be upset with me, but we were erring on the side of caution,” DeWitt said. “We don’t want to be without him the rest of the year.”
Permalink | | More: High School Football
DaytonDailyNews.com: Contact Us | Advertise | Rated with ICRA | RSS | Customer Service | Our Partners
Copyright ©2006 Cox Ohio Publishing, Dayton, Ohio, USA. All rights reserved.
By using DaytonDailyNews.com, you accept the terms of our visitor agreement and privacy policy. You may wish to note our other business policies.
Copyright © 2011 Cox Media Group Ohio, Dayton, Ohio, USA. All rights reserved.
By using this site, you accept the terms of our Visitors Agreement and Privacy Policy. You may wish to note our other business policies.
Badin vs. Fredericktown
Miamisburg graduation 2012
Valley View vs. Greenville
Latest comment
Judge Roy Bean…I PLAYED FOR A D-1 catholic school. I WAS CHASED AND HUNTED NIGHT AND DAY BY