The first two weeks for Blanchester offered two different outcomes.
Week 1 was all offense, no defense for the Wildcats in a 58-42 loss to Washington.
Week 2 was all defense, no offense in a 14-6 defeat at Mariemont.
In the middle somewhere is a balance and wins for Brandon Sammons squad.
“Our defense got better last week for sure,” Sammons said. “We’ll see which way the ebb and flow moves the week.
“Lack of execution offensively and needing a sense of urgency in certain situations that was missing.”
This week, the Wildcats go on another road trip, visiting Waynesville for a 7 p.m. start Friday night.
“This is a pivotal week for us,” Sammons said. “How we respond to this week of practice and the game will be tell-tale for what this season really holds for us.”
Mariemont throttled the Blanchester offense, 201 total yards. Brayden Sipple was held to 55 yards passing.
The run game was solid with 146 yards on 30 attempts. Brent Hopkins had 60 yards and James Peters added 47 yards.
Waynesville is 1-1 with a win over Bethel-Tate 34-0 and a loss to Greeneview 40-8.
“Athletic team with some spots that could give us trouble on either side of the ball,” Sammons said. “Very similar to us in a lot of ways.”
Sammons said Parker Struewing is a receiver the Wildcats must account for on defense. Quarterback Anthony Carmichael was 15 for 17 passing in the opener.
“(Struewing) and the QB are what make them tick,” said Sammons. “(Carmichael) is very seasoned as a three or four year starter.”
Sammons said the Spartans defense relies on “pressure and trying to create confusion.”
Cameron Anderson, Waynesville’s kicker, is a good one.
“Could be the difference in the game with a field goal,” said Sammons.
