Blanchester traded Fayetteville-Perry for Tri-Village on the 2022 football schedule.
That’s a step up for the Wildcats, no doubt about it. And that’s a good thing.
“This is a great test for us,” BHS coach Jon Mulvihill said. “Playoff caliber team, new to us, great work for the coaches and the players.”
Blanchester makes the long trek to New Madison to face the Patriots 7 p.m. Friday.
“Tri-Village is a huge game,” Mulvihill said. “They’re a good (7-1) football team. They do play quite a few guys both ways, so we’re pretty similar there. They have speed. They have a solid line. They’re going to load the box (on defense) like we have seen the last three weeks. Their special teams return game is very good; we will try to limit their opportunities.”
Reed Wehr had 13 touchdowns and 749 yards rushing on 87 attempts. Braden Keating, the QB, has 22 touchdowns and only three interceptions on 117 attempts. His favorite target is Tanner Printz (35-755-10).
Seth Cook has 10 quarterback sacks and 21.5 tackles for loss. Austin Rismiller is the lead tackler with 103.
Blanchester picked up a big win last week over Bethel-Tate, 45-20, as Michael Mulvihill continued his magical ride through 2022 with four rushing and two passing touchdowns. Mulvihill said the last three minutes of the first half was the best part of the game. His special teams also were good. “Definitely the best we’ve looked all year there,” he said.
The Wildcats did have a few fumbles that must be cleaned up in order to win Friday and in the future.
So this non-league will mean big points for both teams. A Blanchester win could solidify a home game in Week 11.
“We win out (last two games), we get a chance at having a home playoff game,” Mulvihill said.
