Two teams normally in the hunt for state championships will meet Friday night at Frank Irelan Field.
And the stakes are decidedly different than the last time they met.
Clinton-Massie (0-3) will host Columbus St. Francis DeSales (1-2) will kickoff week 4 at 7 p.m. Friday.
The Stallions won their opener (28-0 over Tri-Valley) then lost to Badin 27-14 and Berea-Midpark 21-6.
The Falcons traveled to Columbus last season and improved to 2-1 with a 17-7 win over DeSales. Massie went on to its third state championship in school history. DeSales won its playoff opener then lost in the second round.
This year, it appears at this point in the season, both teams would be happy to have a shot at the post-season.
“We might be a victim of our own success,” Massie coach Dan McSurley said. “It has been very difficult to schedule teams our size over the past several years. Last year we had an open date week one.”
McSurley said DeSales, a Division II team, has a strong defense returning this year and always features solid offensive talent.
The young Falcons are experiencing several key injuries at this time, the coach pointed out. Despite a difficult schedule, McSurley believes his team is not far away from being very good.
“We believe we could easily have been 3-0 if not for some mistakes in all three phases of the game,” he said.
But the reality is Clinton-Massie is still seeking its first win.
“There’s no question we are being humbled right now,” McSurley said. “We’re not going to make excuses, thought, just continue to grind it out and improve each week.”
As usual, Massie is a rushing team, with 158 attempts on the ground versus just one pass completion.
However, the Falcons are averaging just 4.3 yards per carry. Logan Chesser leads with 285 yards while Brody Clutter has 189 yards. Brighton Rodman has the only reception.
Gavan Hunter leads the defense with 13 solos and 24 total tackles. Keegan Lamb has 15 and Leyton Bell 14.
