Shawnee defense turns up the heat for playoffs

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Bellefontaine High School’s Brandon Winter (9) is tackled by Shawnee’s Eric DeWitt (33) and Cody Combs during a Central Buckeye Conference contest Oct. 23. “We have to win the time of possession battle and give ourselves a chance to win in the end,” said Shawnee coach Rick Meeks of the Braves’ contest with Cincinnati Wyoming today, Nov. 20. Staff photo by Randy Hilt

Braves have given up 158 points all season, face high-scoring Wyoming

By Brian Plasters, Staff Writer Updated 8:15 AM Friday, November 20, 2009

SPRINGFIELD — It’s not that the Shawnee High School football team didn’t play good defense during the regular season.It’s just that now that the Braves are in the playoffs, they’re more aggressive and have tapped into a mean streak.“We’ve picked up the intensity now,” senior middle linebacker Zach Fishel said. “Everyone talks about smashmouth football. I feel like we should give them a little bit of a taste of ours. We picked up that (in the playoffs).”In two playoff wins, the Braves (9-3) have allowed 21 points. They’ll face high-scoring Cincinnati Wyoming (12-0) in the Division III, Region 12 final at 7:30 tonight, Nov. 20, at Welcome Stadium.Shawnee has given up 158 points this year (13.1 per game). Other than a 34-point outburst from Tippecanoe, no other team has scored more than 20. Wyoming, the region’s No. 2 seed and ranked No. 3 in the state, runs a fast-paced offense that scored 487 points this season, and gone over 40 points in seven games.“Wyoming is much faster and quicker,” senior strong safety Sam Marshall said. “Each week teams are going to get better because the worst team of the two is going to lose. We just have to keep stepping up offensively and defensively.”Another way to keep the Cowboys offense off the field is ball control. Shawnee isn’t going to awe opponents with its passing attack, but it certainly can run the football (252 yards rushing per game).“We have to win the time of possession battle and give ourselves a chance to win in the end,” Shawnee coach Rick Meeks said.Just like last week, when a last-second touchdown pass sank No. 4 Circleville Logan Elm. The week before, the Braves knocked out Goshen, the No. 1 seed.After Shawnee didn’t win a league title, the focus became winning the region. Now one win from that goal, the success is not taken for granted. Since the seventh grade, Fishel, Marshall and the other seniors have never experienced a winning football season — until now.“Just being in the position that we’re in, everyone is more excited to play,” Marshall said. “Football is great, but when you’re in the playoffs it’s something different.”

Today’s gameWho: Shawnee (9-3) vs. Cincinnati Wyoming (12-0)What: Division III, Region 12 finalWhen: 7:30 p.m.Where: Dayton Welcome StadiumRadio: 101.7-FMOnline: SpringfieldNewsSun.com/go/sportsblog for in-game updates.Tickets: $7 presale at school; $9 at gateDirections to Welcome Stadium: Take I-675 south to U.S. 35 west to I-75 south. Take Exit 51, Edwin C. Moses Boulevard, and turn left. The stadium is on the left.

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