The buzz around the Beavercreek High School football team is a strange one.

Coaches, players and fans are talking about Greater Western Ohio Conference Central Division championships, Division I state playoffs and even back-to-back winning seasons for first time in two decades.

A methodical 35-20 win over Springfield on Friday put Creek in a position for success. The Beavers have had 19 losing seasons in the last 24 years.

Creek (5-3) is now in a four-way tie for first in the GWOC Central with Wayne, Centerville and Northmont, all at 2-1.

The last two games on the Creek schedule are Centerville (5-3) next week at home and Fairmont (2-6) on the road.

If Creek could win those final two it could at least get a share of the division title. It could also be in the hunt for a spot in the D-I, Region 4 playoffs. It would also mean back-to-back winning seasons after going 6-4 last season.

“It’s great to be in a position to talk about all that stuff after the struggles we’ve had,” Beavers coach Scott Clodfelter said. ‘It shows the hard work these kids have put in is paying off.

“But now it’s all talk. We have to go out and do the job on the field.”

Creek built a 35-0 lead after three quarters in its usual grind-it-out style. It ran the ball 70 times for 290 yards.

Fullback Shaun Hill scored twice on short runs. Quarterback Michael Berry scored on a short run and completed his 12th pass of the season, a 22-yard TD strike to Zach Shannon.

Springfield played the first half without six starters benched by coach Eric Gillespie for disciplinary reasons.

The result was 13 yards total offense on 14 plays in the first half. Quarterback Chris Wallace was 0-for-3 passing.

Wallace found his stride the second half, completing 15 of 28 for 203 yards and three fourth-quarter TDs.

“This is typical of our play all year,” said Gillespie. “Very inconsistent. We drop 10 passes in the third quarter and catch everything the fourth quarter.

“When we put it together we can be pretty good like we were the last nine minutes. But by then we were out of it.”