XHS Came To Play On Homecoming Night

            For a number of reasons, the night of Friday, September 27, 2013, was an extremely important & pivotal one for The Xenia High School (XHS) Football Team. First & foremost, it was Homecoming Night. So, of course, the Buccaneers wanted to put on a good showing for its home crowd. No one wants to lose on such an important and highly-touted night. Xenia was coming off of a loss to Wayne in the previous week (Week 4). During that game, the Buccaneers were completely dominated from start to finish. However, as always, the Buccaneers refused to give up, and quit. They continued to fight, and they scored some late points. That game was a learning experience. Xenia has not defeated Wayne since 1992. With the right game plan and athletes, Xenia can end that long, losing streak. I just do not know when that time will come. Week 4 is now in the past. This is Week 5. Therefore, it is a brand-new week. Along with a brand-new week, comes a brand-new opponent. So, the Buccaneers had to clear their mindsets of the previous week’s defeat. They had to be ready for a new challenge that the 2013 Season has presented them with. If the Buccaneers did not come into Week 5 adequately prepared, then The Springfield High School (SHS) Wildcats would be a difficult team to deal with. Coming out on top victorious would be an even tougher task for Xenia. Coming into this game, the Wildcats were winless at 0-4. That winless record did not matter. The Buccaneers had to take the Wildcats as a very serious & viable contender. At any time, a team (no matter if they have a bad record or not) can strikeout, and win a game. For the Buccaneers, this is what people term a “Trap Game.”

            Tonight is Homecoming Night. A pre-game, tailgate party was held on the adjoining playground of Cox Elementary School. Plenty of food, games, and other activities were available. Music was blaring at the tailgate party and from inside Cox Stadium. Before the game, pre-game Homecoming Festivities were held. The various student clubs, groups, and student leaders were all introduced. As the names (of the clubs, groups, and student leaders, etc.) were read, every one of them took the field. The 2013 Homecoming Court was next. All of their names and accomplishments were read off to the on-looking spectators. Congratulations, To Both Robert Jordan & Anna Helmig. The two students were XHS’s 2013 Homecoming King & Queen. Jordan and Helmig received a loud, standing ovation from the home crowd. It must be a highly esteemed honor for both students to enjoy with their family members, friends, close loved ones, etc. All students who have ever taken part in any “Homecoming Court” always have the dream of being named king & queen. Of course, on an annual basis, the unique honor is bestowed to only two, well-deserved students. Therefore, I feel so happy for both Jordan and Helmig. I can only imagine the joy which both are currently experiencing within their lives.

            For anyone who likes old-school, ground-it-out football the way that it should be played, this was the game for you!!! As former World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Announcer & Personality Jim Ross would say, “This was a SLOBBER-KNOCKER!!!!!” That is exactly how the game played out. If you thought that you were going to see some skillfully maneuvered passing plays/techniques, you were sorely mistaken! In this game, the passing game was basically null & void. Whatever damage was done, it was created through the use of the rushing game. In order for me to give you a better picture of what actually took place, all I need to say is the following. The halftime score was Xenia 3 and Springfield 0. Now, I must admit something. The Buccaneers’ Quarterback Danny Naylor did have some success in the passing game. However, the success which Naylor obtained did not lead to much (in terms of points placed onto the scoreboard). On the other hand, Springfield’s Quarterbacks were straight abysmal (as far as passing goes). With them, I just did not understand something. The Wildcats’ Quarterbacks were highly unsuccessful passing the ball. However, they repeatedly kept right on with the intent to pass the ball. Now, I understand that if something does not work the first time, you should never give up. Quitting should never be a main, focal point of anyone’s life. If you keep on practicing & trying to correct what is wrong, then at some point, your misfortunes possibly will turn around in a more positive fashion. I completely understand all of that. However, sports are different. You do not always possess enough time for situations to turn positive. At some point, you just have to realize something is not working. Then, you abandon its usage. Obviously, the SHS Football Coaching Staff does not understand that issue.

            After the game’s opening kickoff went out-of-bounds, the Buccaneers were penalized. The Wildcats started on offense first. They were positioned on their own 35-Yard Line. They immediately went to the rushing game. The Buccaneers’ Defense shut it down. Then on 2^ND & 3^RD Downs, passes were incomplete. On 4^TH Down, the Springfield was forced to punt. Xenia started off with good field position. The Buccaneers’ Offense started on its own 46-Yard Line. By utilizing a mixture of three rushing plays and one long pass downfield, the Buccaneers moved deep into the Wildcats’ territory. However, like always, the Xenia gets into an opponent’s red zone. However, they were unable to convert a touchdown. A False Start Penalty and an incomplete pass into the end zone left the Buccaneers with no other choice, but to try a field goal attempt. Unfortunately, Kole Patterson’s Field Goal Attempt was blocked. Springfield recovered the ball. That was probably the most intense action which the game displayed until 1:15 of the 1^ST Quarter.

            Around that time, the Wildcats were on an offensive drive. By mainly utilizing rushes by their running backs and one rush by its quarterback, the Wildcats were moving the ball downfield. They were already into Buccaneers’ territory. So, Springfield was only helping itself out. They were successful at what they were doing. Well, like the old-time, highly-used phrase goes, “All good things must come to an end!” At 1:26, one of the Wildcats’ Running backs ran the ball. He forgot to hold onto the ball, and he fumbled it. At 1:15, a Xenia Defender recovered the lost fumble. On the play, the Wildcats’ Starting Quarterback did get hurt. He got to his feet, and he was able to walk off the field. Later on in the game, he would eventually return. The lost fumble ended up not hurting the Wildcats. Once again, the Buccaneers failed to capitalize on one of the Wildcats’ mistakes. The Buccaneers ended up having to punt the ball. Xenia’s play got even more frustrating. At 10:16 of the 2^ND Quarter, the Buccaneers’ Linebacker Mark Thomas III recovered another fumble by a SHS Running Back. Once again, the Buccaneers’ Offense went flat. On a 4^TH Down and 7 at 7:56, Naylor threw an incomplete pass downfield. The Buccaneers turned the ball over on downs.

            Time and time again, Springfield failed to find any type of sustainable success with its passing game. However, they did not care. They kept right on throwing the ball.  At 3:57 of the 2^ND Quarter, their refusal to correct their passing mistakes and/or give up passing altogether came back to bite them big-time.  Xenia’s Defensive Back Nate Richmond intercepted a pass. Richmond returned the interception to the Wildcats’ 10-Yard Line. The Buccaneers failed to get into the end zone. They had to settle for the conversion of a field goal by Patterson. Those were the first points of the game, and the Buccaneers led the Wildcats 3-0. With 31.2 Minutes left in the 2^ND Quarter, Buccaneers’ Defensive Back Khalil Capers intercepted a pass within the end zone. In the case of SHS, when it rains, it definitely pours. Capers’ interception put an exclamation point to the ending to the game’s 2^ND Quarter & first half. Before the quarter ended, the Buccaneers ran one play. It was a rush by a running back. That play ran out the quarter’s remaining seconds.

            In the 3^RD Quarter, the Buccaneers’ Defense came onto the field completely fired up. After a failed drive by the Buccaneers’ Offense, Patterson was forced to punt the ball. He made an excellent kick which led to what eventually happened two plays later. After the punt, the Wildcats were positioned on their very own 1-Yard Line. They rushed the ball on 1^ST Down. The rush went absolutely nowhere. On 2^ND Down, the Buccaneers’ Defense made their presence emphatically known. At 9:01, a rushing play by the Wildcats ended up being a 2-Points Safety. With the aid of two key Personal Foul Penalties committed by the Wildcats’ Defense, the Buccaneers’ next offensive drive was very successful. At 5:13 of the 3^RD Quarter, the Buccaneers had a 1^ST and Goal on Springfield’s 2-Yard Line. Naylor kept the ball, and he rushed into the end zone for a touchdown. After the completion of Sabrina Gregory’s Extra Point Kick, Xenia led Springfield 12-0. For the Wildcats, this nightmare of a game got even worse. While still continuing to pass at 3:51, the Buccaneers’ Richmond intercepted another pass. During the 3^RD Quarter’s final three minutes, multiple fights broke out. At one point, Offsetting Personal Foul Penalties were called on both teams.

            Even as the 4^TH Quarter got underway, the Wildcats were only down 12-0 to the Buccaneers. Therefore, in order to mount a comeback, the Wildcats had plenty of time. At 8:58, the Wildcats had a 1^ST and Goal on the Buccaneers’ 3-Yard Line. At 8:54, the Wildcats’ offense rushed into the end zone for a touchdown. The completed extra point attempt made the score: Xenia 12 and Springfield 7. The Wildcats were now right back in the thick of things. Their crowd and the band were beginning to come alive with much excitement. The Buccaneers would soon quiet all of that excitement. With 21.8 Seconds to go in the game, the Wildcats were facing a huge obstacle to overcome. Due to penalties committed by their very own offense, the Wildcats were backed up on their 25-Yard Line. In order to win this game, the Wildcats had to drive the ball more than 75 yards for a touchdown. 21.8 Seconds is not a lot of time to get that feat accomplished. Well, on 4^TH Down, the Wildcats hopes & dreams were crushed for good. The Buccaneers’ Defensive Lineman Trevor Moyer recovered a fumbled snap in the end zone. The end result was the game’s final touchdown of the night. After a completed extra point kick by Patterson, the Buccaneers went up by a score of 19-7. The Wildcats got the ball back one final time. However, with no time remaining on the game clock, Capers intercepted another pass.

            Thus far, I honestly believe that this was Xenia’s Best Game of The Season. In the previous week, they suffered a crushing defeat to Wayne. The Buccaneers bounced back well. I was totally impressed with how strong their defense came out and played the entire game. They completely shut down Springfield’s Passing Game. However, I firmly believe this. Flat out, Springfield cannot adequately throw the football whatsoever. So, add that together with the Buccaneers’ Defensive Backs stopping whatever passing the Wildcats were trying to do, and guess what you have? You have a mixture which led to multiple interceptions by the Buccaneers’ Defense. As far as the Wildcats’ Rushing Game goes, the Buccaneers kept that pretty much in-check. Considering how poor the Buccaneers’ Rush Defense has been all season long, that was very surprising. On the ground, Springfield may have gotten some yards. However, for the most part, Xenia did not allow Springfield’s ground game to control the game. In every other previous game this season, the Buccaneers have allowed that issue to take place. Now, all that the Buccaneers need to do is put together a strong pass defense with a strong rush defense. If they are successful at creating & joining the two attributes together, then the rest of the 2013 Season will have some very positive moments. Of course, the Buccaneers’ offense has to play its part as well. They have a lot of improvements to make. If they get their act together too, then the ending to the 2013 Season is going to be a very interesting one to watch.