Friday’s game
What: Roger Bacon (3-4, 0-4 GCLC Central) at Fenwick (7-0, 4-0 GCLC North), 7 p.m.
Where: Krusling Field, 4855 Ohio 122, Middletown
Last meeting: Fenwick won 48-6 in 2014
Andy Riazzi was tired of being an observer.
The Fenwick High School senior running back returned to action last Friday after sitting out three games with a knee injury, helping the Falcons remain unbeaten with a 38-6 victory over Purcell Marian.
“It was like I was testing it a little bit last week to see if I could go at game speed, and it felt great,” Riazzi said. “This week, it feels even better. The No. 1 thing right now is staying healthy. Give me the ball and I’m going to do the best I can.”
It’s been a magical season thus far for Fenwick, which has developed into a Division IV football power. The Falcons are 7-0, have outscored their opponents 205-55 and are ranked second in the Associated Press state poll behind Steubenville.
The Falcons played without fullback Michael Sheridan (concussion) last week, but they should have their full stable of running backs available for Friday’s homecoming game against Roger Bacon (3-4).
Riazzi looked strong with 39 yards and a touchdown on seven carries and a 32-yard reception against Purcell. He suffered a sprained MCL in the Week 3 contest against Monroe and didn’t play in three of Fenwick’s biggest wins (over Alter, Badin and McNicholas).
“It was really tough, but I got my brothers ready for those big games, Badin and Alter especially,” Riazzi said. “Hopefully I get to see them in the playoffs.”
Falcons coach Joe Snively said this is no time to relax. Fenwick figures to be heavily favored in its final three games of the regular season (Chaminade Julienne and Carroll are next), but the Falcons won’t hear that from their coach.
“I’ve been stressing to our kids to play their perfect game. Don’t worry about all the other stuff and keep striving for that,” Snively said. “I think our staff’s done a good job, especially since McNick. We got an eye-opener against them. Every team we play has the ability to make plays against us. Now can they do it for the duration of the game? I don’t know.”
Riazzi said practices certainly have not softened.
“Every Monday we get conditioned, and I feel like each Monday is getting harder and harder,” he said. “But it helps us a lot.”
Snively doesn’t want his players to live in a bubble, but he also doesn’t want them to take the hype too seriously. He calls it “positive noise.”
“We can’t say we don’t like it because we love it,” Snively said. “We just can’t fall into the trap of thinking we’ve done something yet.”
Fenwick’s current winning streak has reached 11, two short of the school record set in 1974-75. One more win will give the Falcons the best start in school history (FHS was also 7-0 in 1955, 1973 and 2010).
All signs seem to point toward a difficult evening for Roger Bacon, which kicked off the season with three straight victories, but has been outscored 189-45 since Greater Catholic League Coed Division play began.
“We’ve got a problem with physically matching up with the GCL schools right now,” first-year Spartans coach Mike Blaut said. “We’ve only got 10 seniors on the team, and I’m replacing 20 of 22 starters from last year. So not only are we very young, we’re also very inexperienced. Once you get in the GCL, that just doesn’t fly.”
Blaut said Bacon’s spread offense has been a strength. Senior wideout Jordan Williams has racked up 1,281 all-purpose yards and 10 touchdowns. Senior quarterback Will Greene has thrown for 658 yards and rushed for 300.
Are the Spartans capable of pulling off the upset?
“It would be a shock to the world,” Blaut said. “We’re pretty realistic. The kids look across the line and see a kid that’s a foot taller and 50 pounds heavier, so they know it’s going to be a battle. But our kids will keep fighting. That’s one thing Fenwick can expect from us.”
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