The 2020 football season has thrown teams plenty of curve balls.
While many teams are still in the hunt for a state championship, others are playing games that, to them, are still meaningful.
On Friday night at 7 p.m., East Clinton will host McClain in a battle of former South Central Ohio League rivals.
“We have two important games left and we cannot afford to lose focus,” EC head coach Steven Olds said. “The game on Friday against McClain is the most important game of the year for us and it has to be if we are going to achieve our goals.”
The Astros go in to the game at 3-5, seeking to even its slate .500 by the time the season is over.
McClain is 0-7 and has scored 49 points in the last six games, including a 36-10 playoff loss to Milton-Union two weeks ago.
In that loss, Matt Bliss rushed for 107 yards and touchdown. Braeden Bergstrom kicked a 41-yard field goal in that loss.
Andrew Potts, a freshman, is a strong defender, Olds said.
The Astros defeated Hillsboro 28-7 last week. McClain lost to Hillsboro 21-16 in the pre-playoff finale.
The East Clinton win last week came on the same day as the death of the mother of two players, Brandon and Jeff Zimmerman.
“We certainly feel as though we have overcome a lot of adversity this season,” said Olds. “To their credit, they have bounced back every single time and I have no reason to believe that they won’t continue to do so over the next two weeks. It should bode well for our program that we have young men with the heart and desire to keep on competing, no matter the circumstance.”
