Clinton-Massie visits former South Central Ohio League rival Miami Trace Friday night in Eber.
Long-time Clinton-Massie head coach Dan McSurley quickly squashed any harsh feelings toward the Panthers football program.
“There is no animosity toward their team,” said McSurley.
Miami Trace is one of the five schools who left the SCOL and went on to help form the Frontier Athletic Conference.
When it joined the SCOL in 2005, Clinton-Massie slowly started wrestling football supremacy from Miami Trace. The Panthers defeated the Falcons in Massie’s first-ever SCOL game in 2005. From there, Massie went 74-1 against league rivals.
The Panthers come into the game at 0-3. The No. 6-ranked Falcons are soaring at 3-0. Kickoff at Miami Trace is set for 7 p.m.
Miami Trace lost to Circleville, Carlisle and Logan Elm by a combined 45-93. Massie, on the other hand, has outscored its three foes 110-21.
McSurley said his defense is “playing very fast and athletic” so far.
In last week’s game, though, McSurley was troubled by a couple items.
One, his offense failed to establish the fullback “and that presented some problems for our running game.”
Second, Thomas Myers was injured on one of the final plays of the game.
“Kinda really didn’t like the way that game ended,” McSurley said.
Up 30-7, on a fourth and 11 play, the Falcons were lining up in punt formation. Shawnee opted to “bring all 11” players in an attempt to block the punt, McSurley said.
Myers was injured on the play and “will miss a few games.”
McSurley said Myers will return “but it just stinks.”
Against Shawnee, Myers had four sacks and a blocked punt that resulted in a special teams touchdown for Massie prior to the injury.
