Ohio Football

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Preview: Trotwood vs. Wapakoneta

By Greg Shoemaker | Featured Analyst

Mike Simpson has thrown for at least two touchdowns in 10 of 11 Trotwood-Madison games.

Reggie Jackson might be “Mr. October” in baseball, but the Trotwood-Madison football team has become the “Lords of November.” The Rams are looking for their sixth straight win in the month of Thanksgiving.
Head coach Maurice Douglass always seems to have his boys peaking at the right time.

Wapakoneta will have their hands full on Friday night. The Redskins saw one of the most potent offense’s in Ohio in a Week 10 loss to Kenton. Nothing should shock Wapak in this affair.

We preview the Division II, Region 8 semi-final affair:

#1 TROTWOOD-MADISON (11-0) vs. #5 WAPAKONETA REDSKINS (10-1)
Site: Alexander Stadium – Piqua High School
Kickoff: Friday, November 11th at 7:30 P.M.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: The backfield duo of Isreal Green and Ashton Jackson have combined to run for 2,180 yards and 31 touchdowns for Trotwood-Madison. They are averaging more than a first down every time they carry the ball. Rams’ quarterback Mike Simpson has tossed at least two touchdowns in 10 of 11 contests. That balance makes Trotwood-Madison hard to game plan for. Wapakoneta will rely on a strong running game behind Conner Pickens to control the clock. If he can move the chains on the ground it will make things easier for quarterback Kyle Gibson in the passing game.

TEAM TRENDS: Over the past five week Trotwood-Madison is outscoring their opponents by five touchdowns per game. The Rams are averaging 47.6 points per game in that span. Something has to give as Wapakoneta is yielding just 16.8 points per contest in 2011.

TROTWOOD-MADISON’S KEYS TO VICTORY: Jumping out to an early lead has been a positive trend for the Rams all season long. This team has the firepower to put points in the board in buckets. Trotwood-Madison can unleash an athletic defense on the Wapak offense once that happens. Douglass would like nothing more than to be able to control the tempo on both sides of the ball.

WAPAKONETA’S KEYS TO VICTORY: The best defense will be a good offense for the Redskins. Keeping Trotwood-Madison off the field is only going to help Wapakoneta’s chances as the game wears on. The teams that have been able to run the ball on the Rams have stayed close enough to make a contest of it as time ticks down on the play clock.

PREDICTION: TROTWOOD-MADISON 35, WAPAKONETA 14

Greg is a co-founder of TSF and is now entering his ninth season as a Featured Analyst for the website. The Xavier University grad also serves as the Content Manager for the website and is widely considered one of the top high school football experts in the region. If you are interested in covering your team, please CONTACT US.