Congratulations to the CM Falcons
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
At the beginning of every football season, all teams are full of hope and excitement as the sun is still shining and every team has a record of 0-0.
Some teams set expectations to beat their rival, to win a few league games or even to win a league if they so dare to think of such things.
But then there are the Clinton-Massie Falcons, who represent the South Central Ohio League like no other team.
If you haven't heard, the Falcons won on the last play of the Region 16 Regional Final with Bayle Wolfe scoring a 2-yard touchdown for a 21-20 win.
I listened to the second half of that game on Buckeye Country 105.5 FM with Stu Gardner and Roger Barber calling the action as I sat at a kitchen table with my dad. Neither one of us have ever attended school at CM, but along with hopefully a lot of others, we've adopted the Falcons this postseason as they run a football program the way one should be run.
While most programs are struggling to get kids out, the Falcons, and I say this in the most sincere way I can, are like a football factory. This item never rebuilds, but they reload.
When listening to the Falcons win the regional championship for the first time in school history last Saturday, I honestly thought back to my visit with their program during the preseason.
Coach Dan McSurley and a few of his seniors didn't pull any punches as they stated their goals were big. Not only were they entering the season with 10 consecutive years of making the playoffs and five straight SCOL football championships, but they wanted more. You can just tell by speaking to them they needed more.
Sure, they lost two games this past regular season (by a combined of total 16 points), but if you include those two teams and the Falcons … it is the team from Clarksville who is still standing.
Looking back at their 2011 season preview from The Highland County Press' First and Ten Football Special, this quote from Coach McSurley stood out: "This group of kids are going to make a name for themselves. This gives them their chance to establish themselves to make a new team … a new era of Clinton-Massie football … For a football coach, it's exciting to see the potential that is there."
Well, the year was exciting for the team, to say the least. They began the year at 1-2 overall, and since a week three 28-27 loss to Jonathan Alder, the Falcons have done nothing but win football games. They haven't lost an SCOL game since '07, and their run of playoff wins have come against teams such as Cincinnati North, Cincinnati Hills and Dayton Chaminade-Julienne.
Now Kenton awaits. They are old "friends" in the playoffs, as the Falcons were knocked out of the playoffs last season by Kenton by a 36-20 score.
Coach McSurley also said this about his team in August: "They've been in some big games. They've been in some of the biggest games in school history, so they know how close they are to maybe taking it to the next level."
It is safe to say you can check that off the list of accomplishments.
He even spoke about how this group of seniors didn't want to be the group that set the program back a step.
"You are only as good as your senior leadership, I've always believed that. We've had senior classes with five or with 17. This year, we have 11," McSurley said. "I think it all comes down to the senior class, and they do not want to be the class that takes this program backwards. It's a pride thing with the seniors."
Well, it is safe to say that didn't happen, either.
And then their biggest goal this year wasn't to just reach the playoffs ... no, that’s expected in Clarksville. It wasn't to just win a league title or win one or two playoff games … no, they wanted more, and they got it on the last play of the game last Saturday night.
"We want to win the league. It's nice for the school and nice for the program, but after that, we've been in the playoffs for the past 10 years. It's nice making the playoffs, a lot of teams don't have that opportunity, but that's no longer one of our goals … Our goal is to win Region 16. We lost to two state champions and to a state runner-up team," McSurley said. "We know we have the chance to reach the regional championship game again this year, but we want to win it. So that is our biggest goal right now."
It wasn't just Coach McSurley who had these goals, but members of his senior class were well-spoken on what they wanted to accomplish this season as well.
One of the most inspiring quotes of the entire preseason came from Wes Clutter: "I'm looking forward to the whole season. Our goal is to win the regional championship, and after that is to win state. I really don't have individual goals, I play for the team."
He was right … this was truly a team season for the Falcons.
Other senior teammates I spoke with echoed Clutter during a hot August day in Clarksville while sitting in the bleachers of the Clinton-Massie football stadium.
"I want us to win the league again, win regionals, get to the state," Brad Burgess said. "My individual goals are pretty much nothing … play for the team. If you get individual goals, cool, but I'm playing for everyone else, not just me."
"Just win regional finals … I want to win," Jared Salisbury said.
"I want to win the league again, get out of the region, get to Canton and go from there … It's about playing for the people who came before us and keeping the tradition going," Jimmy Singleton said. "Our coaches push us and get us through it, and it's always a lot of fun."
All that is left to say is you guys did it.
Congratulations and best of luck in the Final Four … you not only deserve it, but you worked for and achieved your goals. That is something in these dire times everyone can use in life.
Stephen Forsha is the sports editor of The Highland County Press. He can be reached at sforsha@gmail.com. Follow Stephen on Twitter @hcpsportseditor.[[In-content Ad]]
Some teams set expectations to beat their rival, to win a few league games or even to win a league if they so dare to think of such things.
But then there are the Clinton-Massie Falcons, who represent the South Central Ohio League like no other team.
If you haven't heard, the Falcons won on the last play of the Region 16 Regional Final with Bayle Wolfe scoring a 2-yard touchdown for a 21-20 win.
I listened to the second half of that game on Buckeye Country 105.5 FM with Stu Gardner and Roger Barber calling the action as I sat at a kitchen table with my dad. Neither one of us have ever attended school at CM, but along with hopefully a lot of others, we've adopted the Falcons this postseason as they run a football program the way one should be run.
While most programs are struggling to get kids out, the Falcons, and I say this in the most sincere way I can, are like a football factory. This item never rebuilds, but they reload.
When listening to the Falcons win the regional championship for the first time in school history last Saturday, I honestly thought back to my visit with their program during the preseason.
Coach Dan McSurley and a few of his seniors didn't pull any punches as they stated their goals were big. Not only were they entering the season with 10 consecutive years of making the playoffs and five straight SCOL football championships, but they wanted more. You can just tell by speaking to them they needed more.
Sure, they lost two games this past regular season (by a combined of total 16 points), but if you include those two teams and the Falcons … it is the team from Clarksville who is still standing.
Looking back at their 2011 season preview from The Highland County Press' First and Ten Football Special, this quote from Coach McSurley stood out: "This group of kids are going to make a name for themselves. This gives them their chance to establish themselves to make a new team … a new era of Clinton-Massie football … For a football coach, it's exciting to see the potential that is there."
Well, the year was exciting for the team, to say the least. They began the year at 1-2 overall, and since a week three 28-27 loss to Jonathan Alder, the Falcons have done nothing but win football games. They haven't lost an SCOL game since '07, and their run of playoff wins have come against teams such as Cincinnati North, Cincinnati Hills and Dayton Chaminade-Julienne.
Now Kenton awaits. They are old "friends" in the playoffs, as the Falcons were knocked out of the playoffs last season by Kenton by a 36-20 score.
Coach McSurley also said this about his team in August: "They've been in some big games. They've been in some of the biggest games in school history, so they know how close they are to maybe taking it to the next level."
It is safe to say you can check that off the list of accomplishments.
He even spoke about how this group of seniors didn't want to be the group that set the program back a step.
"You are only as good as your senior leadership, I've always believed that. We've had senior classes with five or with 17. This year, we have 11," McSurley said. "I think it all comes down to the senior class, and they do not want to be the class that takes this program backwards. It's a pride thing with the seniors."
Well, it is safe to say that didn't happen, either.
And then their biggest goal this year wasn't to just reach the playoffs ... no, that’s expected in Clarksville. It wasn't to just win a league title or win one or two playoff games … no, they wanted more, and they got it on the last play of the game last Saturday night.
"We want to win the league. It's nice for the school and nice for the program, but after that, we've been in the playoffs for the past 10 years. It's nice making the playoffs, a lot of teams don't have that opportunity, but that's no longer one of our goals … Our goal is to win Region 16. We lost to two state champions and to a state runner-up team," McSurley said. "We know we have the chance to reach the regional championship game again this year, but we want to win it. So that is our biggest goal right now."
It wasn't just Coach McSurley who had these goals, but members of his senior class were well-spoken on what they wanted to accomplish this season as well.
One of the most inspiring quotes of the entire preseason came from Wes Clutter: "I'm looking forward to the whole season. Our goal is to win the regional championship, and after that is to win state. I really don't have individual goals, I play for the team."
He was right … this was truly a team season for the Falcons.
Other senior teammates I spoke with echoed Clutter during a hot August day in Clarksville while sitting in the bleachers of the Clinton-Massie football stadium.
"I want us to win the league again, win regionals, get to the state," Brad Burgess said. "My individual goals are pretty much nothing … play for the team. If you get individual goals, cool, but I'm playing for everyone else, not just me."
"Just win regional finals … I want to win," Jared Salisbury said.
"I want to win the league again, get out of the region, get to Canton and go from there … It's about playing for the people who came before us and keeping the tradition going," Jimmy Singleton said. "Our coaches push us and get us through it, and it's always a lot of fun."
All that is left to say is you guys did it.
Congratulations and best of luck in the Final Four … you not only deserve it, but you worked for and achieved your goals. That is something in these dire times everyone can use in life.
Stephen Forsha is the sports editor of The Highland County Press. He can be reached at sforsha@gmail.com. Follow Stephen on Twitter @hcpsportseditor.[[In-content Ad]]