Trending
YORKVILLE -- Monday's film session gave Buckeye Local a sobering look at the result of not having its best effort against a very good team.
The results weren't pretty. That tends to happen when you lose at home 57-7.
But they were enlightening, reinforcing the importance of preparation and determination, along with believing in one's abilities.
"We turned on the film, and as they always say, the eye in the sky doesn't like," Buckeye Local head coach Chris Kiedaisch said. "We took a hard look and decided it wasn't us and what we had been through the last month and a half.
"We've had two really good days of practice so far and we're refocused."
Buckeye was coming off its first win of the season after two competitive losses to start the year. The Panthers had an opportunity to test their mettle against one of the top teams in all of Ohio; not just the Ohio Valley.
They admittedly squandered it, but the players began atoning on Monday and will look to come out Friday against a tough Monroe Central team with renewed vigor.
"We have a chance to meausure ourselves against one fo the best teams in the state and they decided to not take advantage of that opportunity," Kiedaisch said. "The playoffs, and all of our goals are still in front of us, and they've been preparing hard for this game."
The Seminoles head to Yorkville following an impressive 42-13 win against a Caldwell team that expected big things again in 2024.
Monroe is 4-0, having outscored teams 201-31, an average of 50.3 to 7.8 per game.
This is undoubtedly Monroe's best team since the retirement of legendary coach Jay Circosta. The Seminoles are on the war path, exacting revenge teams who took advantage of the program's rare down year or two in recent memory.
There's no more of that.
If the Panthers wish to avoid the same fate as the 'Noles previous 2024 ooponents, they must try to contain Monroe's big weapons in senior quarterback Tucker Howell, his younger brother Cooper, and receiver Chance Allen.
"Barnesville is one of the more complete teams that we'll face, while Monroe is more dependent upon its superstars," Kiedaisch said. "The Howell kids and Allen, those guys have their majority of their offensive output."
Kiedaisch noted that by no means are the Seminoles a one, two or even three man teams, but there was also no question which of the proverbial straws were stirring this drink.
In theory, it allows the defensive gameplan to focus on stoppong one or two guys. The previous four defensive coaching staffs had that same opportunity and the results speak for themselves.
The Seminoles can line up five-wide, rolling out Howell and allowing him to test his big arm down field. Usually waiting at the other end of a 40-plus yard bomb is Allen, the 6-foot-3 basketball star coming out for football for the first time and using his size, speed, and athleticism to his advantage.
Monroe can also line Howell up under center in a wishbone formation, and use a lot of misdirection and fakes, ultimately keeping the ball in Howell's hands for a designed QB run.
That works, quite frequently, for big yardage gains and points.
Monroe can be physical up front, but so can Buckeye, especially when the Panthers are motivated and ready to fight, as they are heading into Friday's matchup.
They want to show that the Barnesville loss isn't representative of who they are as a team. The opportunity is there for seizing.
"I think if we play the way we have the first three games, we should be in for a good fight," Kiedaisch said. "If we decide to come out and not give our best effort, and not be prepared, it'll be a long night."