Opening Week Was Not Good For The Buccaneers

Friday, August 30, 2013 will go down, in history, as a very important day within my life. For the first time in two years, I was able to attend a Xenia High School (XHS) Buccaneers Varsity Football Game. For months, my anticipation was highly building up with my excitement. In the weeks, days, hours, and minutes leading up to the game, my anticipation turned toward one of a nervous nature. Even the night before the game, I could barely sleep. I was not scared that something bad would happen to me and/or anyone else at the game. It had just been so long since my presence was made inside of Cox Stadium. Once the Buccaneers’ football team made its way onto Veterans Field, I knew that my anticipation and curiosity would be well served. For the past two years, I had sorely missed all of what makes up the existence of what is known as XHS Football. I missed the flavorful smells of the concession stand. The overall excitement of both the home & away crowds is another aspect of which I fully respect and had been missing. Hearing the XHS Marching Band conduct a wonderful, musical rendition of The United States National Anthem is a big part of the entire XHS Football Experience. At each home game, the Buccaneers' Marching Band does such a wonderful job with The National Anthem. Their rendition is enough to bring tears to the eyes of all who are present within the stadium’s friendly confines. Without any shadow of a doubt, it felt so good to be back home. Cox Stadium is my home away from home. It was great to once again be able to support my alma mater. However, this time around, my presence was not just a common fan. This time around, I was in the stadium as both a community supporter & a news journalist.

            The Xenia Community Schools (XCS) Universe began packing Cox Stadium rather quickly. It was more than an hour to go before kickoff. However, as soon as the gates were opened, most of the home side was filled to capacity. Along with the beginning of a brand-new season, a brand-new set of hopes, dreams, and aspirations are heavily in existence. Coming on the heels of a rare, successful, winning season for the Buccaneers, the Buccaneers Fan Base was expecting big things out of its beloved team. The Buccaneers themselves had a point to make. They wanted to prove to everyone that the 2012 Season was not just some fluke. They did not want people to believe that it was some strange, unusual misconception. During the 2012 Season, the XHS Football Team became a winning program. The team wanted to continue that tradition in 2013 and beyond. The entire XCS Universe, from this point moving forward, wants everyone to know that the XHS Football Team is a formidable force to be reckoned with. The winning tradition created last year is now expected to become the annual, standard-bearer. As the game got underway with the initial kickoff, one issue was quickly noticeable. Last season’s winning tradition was not going to carry into the 2013 season (at least not into Week 1). In all aspects of the entire game, Cincinnati Princeton completely dominated and shut down the Buccaneers. In the end, Princeton won the game by a very commanding score of 48-10.

            While the game’s final score was an indication of how unprepared the Buccaneers were for Princeton, one had to be present in order to get the complete picture of what exactly went wrong. The Buccaneers started the game first on offense. Before their first official snap, a 5-yard Offside Penalty was called on Princeton. During the course of the entire game, penalties were a problem for both teams.  Both sides of the ball were plagued with penalty issues. However, the Buccaneers’’ progress was hampered more by the penalties called. While Princeton was flagged for their fair share of committed penalties, they were able to not allow the penalties to affect their overall, game performance. During the course of any athletic contest, penalties can hamper any progression and success. It is up to the athletes themselves to prove that they can adequately deal with penalty setbacks. As a whole, Princeton did not allow the yellow flags to mess with their momentum. Princeton was consistently able to put themselves in good positions. That positive positioning took place on both offense and defense. If something negative occurred, Princeton took their mistakes all in stride. Their team was able to make the necessary adjustments to make sure that the mistakes did not knock them off-course. As far as mental makeup goes, Princeton was a very disciplined team. They did not allow the team’s mindsets to be cluttered with inaccuracies and confusion. When they made negative decisions, they learned from their mistakes. As a result, they were able to move on. Allowing negativity to stick in the mindset is not a positive movement. While participating in any athletic contest, it can be extremely detrimental to any potential progress. If an athlete’s mindset is cluttered in a state of confusion, how can he or she adequately perform? It is virtually impossible to do.

            A very prominent deficiency for the Buccaneers was “Offensive Line Play.”  The Buccaneers’ offensive line has got to play better. All night long, their offensive line was completely broken down by the Princeton defense. The Buccaneers’ offensive line allowed way too much defensive pressure. Princeton’s defense was consistently in the Buccaneers’ backfield. The Buccaneers could do nothing to stop them. They could never figure out how to stop the intense, fast-paced pressure which Princeton’s defense presented. All members of the Princeton defense were very quick on their feet. As a result, they were quite successful at consistently slowing down the Buccaneers’ offensive unit. A perfect example was the Buccaneers’ running game. During every football season, one of the attributes which the Buccaneers have always possessed is a positive running game. The Buccaneers can usually run the ball in an adequate fashion. However, during Week 1’s opening game, Princeton put an end to that commonly known fact/attribute. Princeton’s defense did an excellent job of completely shutting down the Buccaneers’ running game. During the course of the entire game, the Buccaneers’ running game was non-existent.

            The XHS Buccaneers’ defense was just as inadequate as their offense was. The Buccaneers’ defense was unable to apply any type of sustainable pressure whatsoever. Princeton’s offensive line kept the Buccaneers’ defensive live in total check. As a result of the lack of a defensive presence by the Buccaneers, the Princeton offense was in complete control of the game. Princeton’s quarterback was allowed to run around at will. There was no pressure on him. He was able to constantly utilize his mobility to hold onto the ball and run himself. If he did not run the ball himself, he was successful at passing to his running backs, wide receivers, and tight ends. His mobility allowed him to maneuver inside and outside of the pocket. As a result, he was able to fight off any pressure which the Buccaneers’ defense tried to present. The Princeton quarterback was able to consistently place himself in good, multiple positions so that he could make accurate passes. When Princeton’s quarterback was not passing the ball and/or running the ball himself, he was handing the ball off to his stable of running backs. The Buccaneers’ defense had no answer for Princeton’s running game whatsoever. The Princeton running backs controlled the game. Whenever they were handed the ball, Princeton’s running backs ate up chunks of yardage. As a result, they took so much time off of the game clock. The Buccaneers’ defense could not do anything to figure them out and slow them down. The Buccaneers’ handling of Princeton’s running backs was so poor that Princeton did not even have to consider throwing the ball (if they did not want to). The Buccaneers’ defense could not stop Princeton’s running backs. Therefore, all that the Princeton quarterback had to do was handoff to his running mates. He could have saved his arms and legs for future usage.

            While the Buccaneers did not get much positively accomplished on opening night, beneath it all, there was one bright spot. Special Teams seems to be an area of strength for the Buccaneers. The Buccaneers’ “Special Teams Unit” blocked Princeton’s first attempted punt. Also, a Princeton field goal attempt, in the first quarter, was no good. Last but certainly not least, while down 27-0, Xenia’s Khalil Capers returned a kickoff 88-yards for a touchdown. So, it is easy to know that Xenia has something positive to work within the area of special teams play. As the season proceeds, special teams will be extremely vital to the Buccaneers’’ success. When all else fails, hopefully, the Buccaneers can always depend on their special teams unit to bail them out. Also, if they are in control of a game or have a lead, a big play by the special teams unit can ensure that the Buccaneers stay ahead. Another unique aspect of any special teams unit is to provide excitement. A big-time special teams play can instantly energize and hype up a crowd. The same goes for a team as well. On many occasions, situations are not going in a positive direction for a team. With the flick of a switch, a special teams unit can make a huge play out of nowhere. After most occurrences, that play will have everyone (who is cheering for a particular team) on their feet. Special teams plays can sometimes alter the outcome of a close, hard-fought game. They can be the difference between either a win or a loss, especially in overtime.