»RELATED: GWOC places 7 teams in high school football playoffs
»RELATED: First-round pairings for area teams
»RELATED: First-round pairings for all 28 regions in Ohio
»RELATED: Week 10 recap
“You go back to December and January and you can see the work they put in,” Miller said on Sunday. “It doesn’t surprise me but at the same time if you told that back then I probably would have said you were crazy.”
After back-to-back losses to Centerville and Wayne, Fairmont needed a win at home in Week 10 to guarantee a top-eight spot in the Division I, Region 3. The Firebirds are one of seven GWOC teams to reach the postseason.
The Firebirds did it with defense on a rainy night at Roush Stadium, stifling Springfield in a 7-3 win.
“They’ve just learned how to persevere ,” Miller said. “I think last year we competed very well, this year they’ve learned what it takes to win.”
Fairmont hasn’t played in the postseason since 2008, but while this week will be something new for the Firebirds players, it’s not for the coach. Miller took Covington to the playoffs for nine straight seasons and five of those teams went 10-0 in the regular season.
“We did have that opportunity up in Covington and that should help, and the guys on my staff have been through it too so there are a lot of people around them to keep them calm,” he said.
Fairmont, the No. 7 seed, faces a difficult challenge in its first-round game Friday night at No. 2 Hilliard Bradley (10-0)
“They’re very good,” Miller said. “We’ve watched them on film and this is a daunting task, but the fact that we’re here and we’re playing another week — I think the kids are going to accept that challenge and be ready.”
About the Author