Football Xtra

Red Knights not looking past Oak Glen

NEW MANCHESTER -- The Toronto football team is not looking past Oak Glen.

The Red Knights and Golden Bears are set to meet at 7 p.m. Friday night up at the Bears Den.

The Red Knights were 4-0 last season and Toronto was looking forward to a showdown with undefeated Edison the next week, however, the Golden Bears shocked the Red Knights as they came away with a 25-8 victory at Clarke Hinkle Field.

This season, Toronto enters the game with a record of 3-1, and the boys from the Gem City will be entering this week's encounter fresh off a 47-13 victory against Madonna Friday night at home.

"It was a huge win," Toronto head coach Josh Franke said. "It gives some momentum, and it helped to build confidence. It helped build the confidence of Russ Dickinson, and it helped build the team's confidence in Russ Dickinson.

"We had to prove to ourselves that we are good football team."

On the other side, the Golden Bears once again enters this week winless. Edison defeated Oak Glen, 34-0, last Thursday night at home to drop the Golden Bears to 0-3.

"We are getting better," Oak Glen head coach Doug Taylor said. "We just have to learn how to finish. It was 14-0 at halftime. Our defensive back fell down a play. It should have been 7-0.

"We felt good at halftime. We just could not finish.

"Edison came out in the second half and ran their offense. They pushed us around in the second half.

"We are getting better. We just have to play a complete game. We have to play for four quarters."

Franke is familiar with Oak Glen.

"I watched the Edison game live on TV," Franke said. "I have seen them on film. We scouted them from their film against Weir. We exchanged films Saturday. I have seen all three of their games. We have had one of the same opponents."

The Red Knights have scored at least 34 points in three of their four games.

"There is no doubt about, they are very athletic team," Taylor said. "Sure, they don't have all their players, but they are awfully good. They play a different style.

"Bouscher is really athletic. Baker runs hard at running back. They're real good.

"My hat's off to Coach Franke. He does a great job with his offense. They give you so many looks. They have deep motion, reverse motion and jet motion. They are a fun offense to watch. They make it difficult on you."

Both teams are in similar situations as they are without their starting quarterbacks.

Toronto starter Zeb Kinsey went down with an injury in the second quarter in his team's Week 3 loss to Weir. Kinsey suffered a season-ending foot injury that required surgery.

Oak Glen starter Wesley Molish missed his team's game against Edison. Molish originally injured his back during a scrimmage, and he was replaced by Logan Murray for the second half two weeks ago against St. Marys. X-rays showed Molish has a stress fracture. It is not clear when or if he will be able to return to the field this season.

"It is a work in progress," Taylor said. "We are not going to change what we do. We may change the window dressing. Our blocking scheme is going to be the same.

"I thought Logan Murray did a real good job in the second half. He got his first start and first game out of the way. The game is going to slow down for him. It is going to get easier."

Dickinson made his first career start in the Red Knights win against the Blue Dons.

"Both teams' quarterbacks are hurt," Franke said. "We are in the same position. That is not going to stop them from trying to throw the ball. We will see a heavy does of run. We also are expecting to see play-action passes off the run."

The boys from Hancock County want to run the football.

"They want to run the football," Franke said. "That is not going to change.

"They're similar to last year. They were able to beat us last year. That should give them confidence. They were able to beat last year.

"We are going to be prepared. We are not going to overlook them. We owe them one from last year."

Defensively, Oak Glen is going to try and slow down Toronto's potent running game.

"They are going to stack the box," Franke said. "They run a 4-4. They want it to make it difficult to run the football. They are going to put eight guys in the box. They will play some cover 3 behind them, and they will play some man coverage.

"We are going to have to try and loosen them up with the athletes we have."

Toronto's defense has made life difficult for the opposing offenses this season. The Red Knights have recorded two shutouts on the season.

"They're fast," Taylor said. "They get after you. They get to the football. They have a lot of team speed. They are aggressive.

"Benton is a heck of a football player. He is a good hard-nosed player. He's hard to block."

Toronto has a simple recipe for success to win football games -- create more big plays one offense than the other team and win the turnover battle. The Red Knights are looking to do that once again this week.

"We are going to have to take care of the football," Franke said. "We are going to have to create explosive plays on offense. We live and die by explosive plays. That's our number one goal. That is what we are best at. We want to create explosive plays.

"Last year, two long runs made the difference in the game. You take those two long runs out of the game, and our defense pretty much held them in check. They were able to get those two long runs, and that paid dividends for them. We are going to try and prevent them from getting those long runs this season."

While the Golden Bears knocked off the Red Knights last season, that outcome won't play a role in this week's game.

"It's a different year and a different team," Taylor said. "We were 0-3, and we were able to slip past them. They have not forgot about that. They have talked about. They are focused on it. We're not going to surprise them. We are going to have to play our best football game to come away with a victory."

Toronto enters plays this week in 10th place in the Ohio Division VII Region 25 rankings.