Week 1 Football Preview: Tigers, Warriors set to battle
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
GREENFIELD — It is a new season for the McClain Tigers football team, but standing in their way for the first week of the season is a traditional opening game opponent.
McClain, coming off a four-win season, will take on an improved and now experienced Adena Warriors, of the Scioto Valley Conference, on the road this Friday.
The Tigers are headed into week one with some uncertainty on the offensive side of the ball, as running back Jared Loftis will not be available for the first week due to an injury. MHS will take the field Friday night with four players back on the offensive side of the ball that played last season. Against Adena last year, Loftis had three touchdown runs of 57, 14 and 7 yards.
"We are still growing," McClain head coach Randy Closson said. "We don't have a lot of experienced players on the offensive side with just two linemen, a quarterback and a tailback back from the rotation from last season.
"The guys have been competing, and now it is up to us to figure out who the best guys to put on the field Friday will be."
Adena, finished 6-4 last year, and like always, are still a run-first team with a fast running back, physical line and a mobile quarterback.
"Watching their scrimmages, I see an Adena team that is strong and balanced. Most of their team from last year is back and they are just a darn good football team," Closson said. "They (AHS) run a nice fullback trap series and tailback counter."
Closson also said the Warriors run nice boot and waggles plays and they are going to be tough to defend.
"They like to attack the defensive end when they block down with their fullback," Closson said. "They run the ball, I would say, 75-80 percent of the time."
But the MHS offense, though still a work in progress, has a better understanding of the system, which is a credit to junior quarterback Cameron Cooper, who may be unavailable due to an injury. Last season Cooper, who played part time at QB, helped lead the Tigers to a 46-20 win over the Warriors at McClain Field. In that game, Adena scored the game's first 20 points, but MHS came back with a 33-point second quarter and 7-point third for the win.
"Cameron has a great understanding of our option game, but passing-wise, we need to work on a few things," Closson said. "But, on our option, he gets it and he understands the reads."
The Adena defense likes to do a lot of gaming in the box and on the front line as they like to pinch, loop and angle.
"The Adena defense will bring pressure with their backers and safety," Closson said. "They will force you to beat them by throwing the ball. They are going to load the box.
"We have to maintain the football to win this game. We've got to score points and finish drives."
Finishing drives was something the Tigers didn't perform well in scrimmages this summer.
"We need to control field position, and if we can move the chains and keep drives going on offense it will help the entire team," Closson said.
What will keep the Tigers in the game while the offense works out the dents in the armor will be the defense.
"We must play great defense and we have so far in scrimmages," Closson said. "But to be productive as a team we have to coach the guys up, especially the guys who have never played on Friday's before. We have to get through that first series, block the lights out, block out the crowd noise and just play football."
The Tigers will travel to Frankfort to play Adena Friday at 7:30 p.m.[[In-content Ad]]
McClain, coming off a four-win season, will take on an improved and now experienced Adena Warriors, of the Scioto Valley Conference, on the road this Friday.
The Tigers are headed into week one with some uncertainty on the offensive side of the ball, as running back Jared Loftis will not be available for the first week due to an injury. MHS will take the field Friday night with four players back on the offensive side of the ball that played last season. Against Adena last year, Loftis had three touchdown runs of 57, 14 and 7 yards.
"We are still growing," McClain head coach Randy Closson said. "We don't have a lot of experienced players on the offensive side with just two linemen, a quarterback and a tailback back from the rotation from last season.
"The guys have been competing, and now it is up to us to figure out who the best guys to put on the field Friday will be."
Adena, finished 6-4 last year, and like always, are still a run-first team with a fast running back, physical line and a mobile quarterback.
"Watching their scrimmages, I see an Adena team that is strong and balanced. Most of their team from last year is back and they are just a darn good football team," Closson said. "They (AHS) run a nice fullback trap series and tailback counter."
Closson also said the Warriors run nice boot and waggles plays and they are going to be tough to defend.
"They like to attack the defensive end when they block down with their fullback," Closson said. "They run the ball, I would say, 75-80 percent of the time."
But the MHS offense, though still a work in progress, has a better understanding of the system, which is a credit to junior quarterback Cameron Cooper, who may be unavailable due to an injury. Last season Cooper, who played part time at QB, helped lead the Tigers to a 46-20 win over the Warriors at McClain Field. In that game, Adena scored the game's first 20 points, but MHS came back with a 33-point second quarter and 7-point third for the win.
"Cameron has a great understanding of our option game, but passing-wise, we need to work on a few things," Closson said. "But, on our option, he gets it and he understands the reads."
The Adena defense likes to do a lot of gaming in the box and on the front line as they like to pinch, loop and angle.
"The Adena defense will bring pressure with their backers and safety," Closson said. "They will force you to beat them by throwing the ball. They are going to load the box.
"We have to maintain the football to win this game. We've got to score points and finish drives."
Finishing drives was something the Tigers didn't perform well in scrimmages this summer.
"We need to control field position, and if we can move the chains and keep drives going on offense it will help the entire team," Closson said.
What will keep the Tigers in the game while the offense works out the dents in the armor will be the defense.
"We must play great defense and we have so far in scrimmages," Closson said. "But to be productive as a team we have to coach the guys up, especially the guys who have never played on Friday's before. We have to get through that first series, block the lights out, block out the crowd noise and just play football."
The Tigers will travel to Frankfort to play Adena Friday at 7:30 p.m.[[In-content Ad]]