BY JON HANLEY
This Saturday Warrior Nation heads to the Dayton area to take on the Greeneview Rams for a 7PM game at Don Nock Field. According to MHS principal and former left-tackle of the football team, Dr. Jim Renner, this marks the first time the Warriors have made back-to-back playoff appearances since 1995-1996.
Mariemont (7-3), led by second-year head coach Kurry Commins, started the year 5-0, another feat that hadn’t been accomplished since 1996. The Warriors then suffered through a 3-game losing skid, but won out against Deer Park and Reading to finish fifth in Region 18 (top eight teams qualify), securing a spot in the Division V high school football playoffs.
Greeneview (9-1), under third year head coach Neal Kasner, finished with a winning record for the first time since 1999 and qualified for the playoffs for the first time in the program’s history. The Rams finished the year ranked fourth in the region, giving them the home-field advantage.
Why Greeneview’s Record Shouldn’t Intimidate the Warriors
On paper Greeneview looks like the sure favorite. During the regular season the Rams averaged 41.1 points a game, and held opponents to only 13.1. The Warriors on the other hand, managed to score just 27.9 points a game, while allowing 22.1 points on the other side of the ball, according to Maxpreps.com.
However the numbers don’t tell the whole story, as Greeneview has played eight of ten games against teams in lower divisions. Their two opponents in Division V finished the season well under the .500 mark. The rest of their schedule was made up of teams from Divisions VI and VII, a luxury not present for the Warriors’ schedule. Mariemont was forced to play the majority of their games against Divison IV opponents, and all three of their losses came to teams who qualified for the playoffs (Taylor, Madeira, and Wyoming).
Possible Concerns for Mariemont
Turnovers: Mariemont quarterback Kane Coates finished the regular season leading the CHL with 1777 passing yards and 14 touchdowns, but also threw a league high 17 interceptions. When asked about the subject, however, Coach Commins showed no concern.
He explained that 9 of Kane’s 17 picks came during the 3-game losing stretch to Taylor, Madeira, and Wyoming, who finished with a combined record of 25-5.
“Those are good football teams we lost to, very good football teams. Sometimes when you find yourself in a hole, like we did in all 3 of those games, you’re forced to throw the ball more and the quality of the passing game goes down because you just have to try to force one in there,” said Commins.
On top of that, Commins said there were several dropped passes and mis-run routes on the part of the Warrior receivers during those games. So he believes, “It was less of a Kane problem and more of a team problem.”
Size: Commins and several players admit that the Warriors are an undersized team in general, and especially compared to the Rams. The Greeneview offensive line consists of several players in the 230-260lb range, including one player who weighs well over 300lbs. The Warriors, however, have only a few linemen over 200lbs, and will have to rely on their speed and athleticism.
According to Commins, the Warriors try to make up for this by running a defensive scheme that involves lots of unpredictable movement from the defensive line and defensive backs. The coach said, “When you’re smaller and you’re more athletic, you’ve got to keep your guys in motion. You can’t afford to be a sitting duck, you’ll get pushed around.”
Keys for Mariemont
Get the ball into space: The Greeneview defensive line is also a force to be reckoned with, as most of the offensive linemen play on both sides of the ball. However, the players believe that the Greenveview defensive has not yet to be tested by solid competition.
If the Warriors can get shifty receivers such as seniors Connor Bortz and Chris Cascella into place, Commins believes they can win. “If we can get our skill guys the ball and get them in open field to where they can do what they do, that’s a huge advantage for us,” said the coach.
The offensive line will have to hold long enough to allow Coates to throw quick passes over the middle, as the Rams tend to stack the box, meaning they put one extra defensive back on the line instead of keeping him back in coverage.
However, the Warriors can take advantage of this by throwing deep to senior wideout David Cowart, who finished 1st in the CHL in with 40 receptions, and 2nd in the league in yards (761) and touchdowns (7).
Maintain run game as a viable threat:
Although Mariemont will focus their attack on getting the ball into the air, the run game is still important. In order to ensure that Greeneview doesn’t simply move their linebackers into coverage, the running-back duo of junior Aaron Urevick and sophomore Ryan Fields will have to build off its recent success.
Urevick finished 4th in the league with 681 rushing yards (4.1 per carry) and 9 touchdowns, while Fields finished with 526 yards (7.0 per carry) and 6 scores. The two combined for 211 yards in the 27-12 win over Reading last Friday.
Commins said the run game needs to be strong, but he stresses the importance of getting the ball over the middle: “If we have to run every play right into those big guys up front, that makes our challenge a lot harder.”
Shut down Frye:
Greenview quarterback Chance Frye (#15) will be the center of attention for the Warrior defense. The senior has accounted for most of the Rams’ offense this season, throwing for 1,281 yards, and leading the team with 997 rushing yards.
According to Commins, Greeneview likes to run the read option, and they expect to see a lot from the zone read. In this case, running the read option means Frye will take the snap from the center, and based on how he reads the Warrior defense, will either hand it off to junior running back Logan Reed (#7), or keep the ball and run it himself.
Frye also poses the deep threat through the air, as he often takes chances with senior wideout Cody Pfeifer (#4). The two have only connected on 19 passes this year, but Commins says most of these were for big gains.
Fan Factor
Since it’s their first time making it to the playoffs, Greeneview is expected to show up with a crowd. “Half of their town will probably be there,” said senior captain Connor Bortz. He continued, “We have the most supportive fans a team could ask for and we really need Warrior Nation out for this one.”
Directions and Game Information:
Game time: 7pm
Location: Jamestown Greeneview High School
Address: 53 North Limestown St, Jamestown, Ohio 45335
Tickets: Presale tickets are available at Mariemont High School through Friday during regular office hours, 8am-4pm, for $8. Mariemont will receive a portion for all presale tickets, so please purchase your tickets through the school. Tickets will be sold at the game for $9.
