Week 9 Football Preview: Tigers host MP; Tribe travels to Washington
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
Madison-Plains (1-4, 4-4) at McClain (3-2, 5-3)
Both the McClain Tigers and Madison-Plains Golden Eagles are coming off Week 8 losses, and both are looking to get things straightened up as the regular season nears the end of the schedule.
The Tigers enter this week "more humbled," according to head coach Randy Closson, after being defeated 49-8 last week at Miami Trace.
"We are very focused on Madison-Plains this week, and the loss last week was very humbling," Closson said. "They are talented and have great team speed. Not sure how to compare them to anybody, but they are good at what they do."
Last week, the Tigers were held to 123 yards of offense, and nothing clicked like it has in a majority of their games this season on either side of the ball as the defense allowed their second highest point total of the year, along with 404 yards of offense (227 yards rushing).
As for the Golden Eagles, they have lost their past four games, all in the South Central Ohio League, as they started the season at 4-0, but they have since dropped to the .500 mark as they've scored 220 points and allowed 181 points.
The Tigers, in eight games, have scored 152 points and allowed 191.
"Madison-Plains is a very good football team," Closson said. "They're a talented offense with some really good skilled players. They have an aggressive defense, which can really disrupt an offense."
For MHS, one thing Coach Closson wants to see from his No. 9 ranked (Region 12) squad is a return to a productive running game. Last week at Panther Stadium, the Tigers were held to 41 yards in net rushing.
"We must get our run game and pass protection back on track," Closson said.
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Hillsboro (0-5, 0-8) at Washington (3-2, 4-4)
The Hillsboro Indians are coming off a loss to the London Red Raiders by a 34-8 score, and the Washington Blue Lions are also coming off a loss to the Clinton-Massie Falcons by a 76-0 score, as the Blue Lions trailed by 70 points in the first half.
For HHS, they are still looking for the elusive first win of the season with just two more opportunities to gain a victory. This week, they play in their final road game of the season as they travel to Fayette County to play at Gardner Park in their sixth SCOL game of the year.
As for last week, the lone HHS TD was scored on a pass from Logan Lesley to Kyler White for 24 yards in the second quarter. The Indians also had a 2-point conversion run by Craig Jackson.
Other than that, there was no more scoring for HHS, which is something head coach Brain Spicer wants to improve in the final weeks of the season and with improvement on third down.
"We need to just keep working," he said. "Last week we gave up the big plays that we said we couldn't, especially on third down. I did feel we played better on first down in several series, which was something we felt we didn't do the week before."
As for the Blue Lions … they struggled against CM last week and have lost two consecutive games but still are 4-4 overall and have a winning mark in the league. Washington enters the game with a size advantage over HHS, but that is something the Indians have become accustomed to this season.
"They run the ball well behind a line that is much bigger than ours," Spicer said. "That worries us, but that has been our scenario all year."
HHS this season has scored 85 points while allowing 368. The Blue Lions have scored 192 but have allowed 297 through the first eight games.
As the season winds down, Spicer said his team needs to keep a good attitude and not let the losses get to them.
"Our biggest opponent now is ourselves," he said. "When things get rough, everyone likes to point the finger the other way … but we all know that does more harm than good.
"We keep after them about what is right and what they still need to improve on, and we keep after them about what it takes to come up with the win."
Both the McClain Tigers and Madison-Plains Golden Eagles are coming off Week 8 losses, and both are looking to get things straightened up as the regular season nears the end of the schedule.
The Tigers enter this week "more humbled," according to head coach Randy Closson, after being defeated 49-8 last week at Miami Trace.
"We are very focused on Madison-Plains this week, and the loss last week was very humbling," Closson said. "They are talented and have great team speed. Not sure how to compare them to anybody, but they are good at what they do."
Last week, the Tigers were held to 123 yards of offense, and nothing clicked like it has in a majority of their games this season on either side of the ball as the defense allowed their second highest point total of the year, along with 404 yards of offense (227 yards rushing).
As for the Golden Eagles, they have lost their past four games, all in the South Central Ohio League, as they started the season at 4-0, but they have since dropped to the .500 mark as they've scored 220 points and allowed 181 points.
The Tigers, in eight games, have scored 152 points and allowed 191.
"Madison-Plains is a very good football team," Closson said. "They're a talented offense with some really good skilled players. They have an aggressive defense, which can really disrupt an offense."
For MHS, one thing Coach Closson wants to see from his No. 9 ranked (Region 12) squad is a return to a productive running game. Last week at Panther Stadium, the Tigers were held to 41 yards in net rushing.
"We must get our run game and pass protection back on track," Closson said.
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Hillsboro (0-5, 0-8) at Washington (3-2, 4-4)
The Hillsboro Indians are coming off a loss to the London Red Raiders by a 34-8 score, and the Washington Blue Lions are also coming off a loss to the Clinton-Massie Falcons by a 76-0 score, as the Blue Lions trailed by 70 points in the first half.
For HHS, they are still looking for the elusive first win of the season with just two more opportunities to gain a victory. This week, they play in their final road game of the season as they travel to Fayette County to play at Gardner Park in their sixth SCOL game of the year.
As for last week, the lone HHS TD was scored on a pass from Logan Lesley to Kyler White for 24 yards in the second quarter. The Indians also had a 2-point conversion run by Craig Jackson.
Other than that, there was no more scoring for HHS, which is something head coach Brain Spicer wants to improve in the final weeks of the season and with improvement on third down.
"We need to just keep working," he said. "Last week we gave up the big plays that we said we couldn't, especially on third down. I did feel we played better on first down in several series, which was something we felt we didn't do the week before."
As for the Blue Lions … they struggled against CM last week and have lost two consecutive games but still are 4-4 overall and have a winning mark in the league. Washington enters the game with a size advantage over HHS, but that is something the Indians have become accustomed to this season.
"They run the ball well behind a line that is much bigger than ours," Spicer said. "That worries us, but that has been our scenario all year."
HHS this season has scored 85 points while allowing 368. The Blue Lions have scored 192 but have allowed 297 through the first eight games.
As the season winds down, Spicer said his team needs to keep a good attitude and not let the losses get to them.
"Our biggest opponent now is ourselves," he said. "When things get rough, everyone likes to point the finger the other way … but we all know that does more harm than good.
"We keep after them about what is right and what they still need to improve on, and we keep after them about what it takes to come up with the win."