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It actually gained’t be straightforward for the Springfield Tigers to make one other journey to the state remaining — with just one public college in Mahoning Valley historical past moving into back-to-back seasons (Warren Western Reserve in 1972 and 1973).
Successful one other 4 (or 5) video games isn’t any straightforward job, although the Tigers have made successful look straightforward to date.
Springfield, coming off a 14-1 marketing campaign that ended with a 48-14 loss to Anna within the state remaining, has outscored its opponents 322 to 59 in going 7-0. The Tigers haven’t trailed but this 12 months, and their closest recreation was final week’s 35-7 Division VI, Area 21 second-round win over Western Reserve, which scored its solely landing late within the fourth quarter.
Tigers coach Sean Guerriero is aware of issues solely get harder from right here on out, and it begins with an athletically gifted St. Thomas Aquinas workforce at 7 p.m., Saturday.
The Knights (5-2) have gained 5 straight after beginning 0-2. They’re led by do-it-all vast receiver/working again/quarterback A’Sian Burt — a 6-foot-2, 180-pound senior standout. The 2019 All-Ohio vast receiver is coming off a 200-yard speeding efficiency in opposition to Trinity.
“They’ve some unbelievable playmakers,” Guerriero stated. “(Burt) is a good athlete. He’s a wideout who they run jet sweeps with. He’s a kick returner-punt returner, and he’s clean. He’s very elusive, however he’s a powerful runner. He can go up and catch the ball. He’s one.”
He and Aquinas may very well be a pleasant take a look at for a Springfield workforce that hasn’t seen one but this 12 months.
The Knights boast a singular problem. Guerriero stated they performed “three or 4” quarterbacks in final week’s 42-26 victory over Trinity. Aquinas possesses a number of gamers with pace and agility, and the Knights attempt to get them the ball in quite a lot of methods — together with placing them in shotgun.
“With these athletes, I feel they only type of throw them again there, allow them to catch the ball and run round,” Guerriero stated. “I’m not saying they’re not working schemes, however they only type of let these children catch the ball and go and use their athleticism to make performs. They’ve a ton of athletes.”
The Tigers have fairly a couple of as nicely.
Led by junior quarterback Beau Brungard, Springfield is averaging simply over 200 yards passing per recreation to go together with 178.6 yards speeding. Brungard is the catalyst.
He has accomplished 86-of-125 passes (68 %) for 1,323 yards and 16 touchdowns. He has but to throw an interception. The twin-threat QB additionally leads the Tigers in speeding with 377 yards and 9 TDs. Brungard has loads of assist, too.
Seven gamers have caught landing passes. Clay Medvec leads in receptions (26) and yards (396). Lucas Yemma has 10 catches, and 4 have gone for TDs. Nick Slike provides 15 grabs, 211 yards and two TDs.
Clayton Nezbeth is second in speeding with 351 yards and eight TDs, and two others have greater than 100 yards on the bottom. It’s a humiliation of riches for the No. 4-ranked Division VI workforce within the AP Ballot.
“We wish to play our recreation,” Guerriero stated. “With our benefit of the quantity of children that we play, making an attempt to choose up the tempo and making an attempt to put on on some children is a profit for us. … That’s one factor that’s fairly distinctive for us is we are able to come out in a five-wide set, or we are able to come out in a double-tight (finish), two-back set. These are the issues that we work on to verify we’re utilizing a number of formations.”
It has labored for fairly some time.
The Tigers have only one loss of their final 27 video games (the state championship). Oh, and their protection is fairly good too. It hasn’t allowed anybody to attain greater than 18 factors this season.
Their dominance does have Guerriero a bit curious as to how his workforce will react in the event that they’re in an in depth recreation.
“You attempt to simulate that stuff, however I don’t know in the event you’ll ever know the way they’ll react to adversity till you’re in it,” he stated. “… We now have had some conditions the place our youngsters have needed to step up and make a play, and so they have finished that.”
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