Springfield on bouncing back from first loss? ‘We have to have a short-term memory’

Springfield senior two-way standout Michael Brown-Stephens offered the best remedy for the Wildcats following last week’s 25-7 meltdown at Northmont.

“We have to have a short-term memory,” said Brown-Stephens, who’s headed to the University of Minnesota to play defensive back. “We’ve got to keep pushing forward and go 1-0 one week at a time.”

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It was the first loss for Springfield (6-1) this high school football season and was costly on several fronts. Besides snapping a six-game win streak, the Wildcats dropped out of the Division I state poll top 10, dropped to fifth in the D-I, Region 3 computer rankings and went from first to fifth in the area power poll.

Everything that had previously worked so well for Springfield was unplugged by Northmont. The Wildcats’ offense repeatedly sputtered and its shut-down defense had no answer, especially against Northmont’s passing game.

The loss also further jumbled the Greater Western Ohio Conference D-I playoff contenders, all of which are bunched in Region 3.

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All those teams – Northmont (6-1), Miamisburg (6-1), Fairmont (6-1), Wayne (5-2) and Springfield – will remain in the GWOC. All but Trotwood-Madison from the GWOC American North and South will jump to a revised Miami Valley League next season.

“We wish our brothers well up north who’s going and playing by themselves,” Springfield coach Maurice Douglass said. “The ones that are staying (in the GWOC), the big boys, the big boys are going to ride it out in the playoffs.”

Springfield is looking to recover at Beavercreek (1-6) in a Week 8 game on Friday. Then it’s essentially and early playoff preview for the Wildcats in Week 9-10 games against visiting Wayne and Fairmont at Evans Stadium.

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Springfield could split those final two games and still make the postseason, but that’s no sure thing. A rematch with any of those GWOC teams Springfield will have played in the regular season is likely. The Wildcats’ best outcome would be following Brown-Stephens’ advice.

“We’ll bounce back,” assured Douglass.

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• Urbana senior Nic Dorsey continues to lead the Central Buckeye Conference in rushing (1,113 yards, 11 touchdowns). He put a career-high 246 yards rushing and two TDs on Shawnee in a 47-12 Week 7 win.

• Northwestern senior Chris Hart padded his CBC lead in passing with 260 yards and three TDs in a 44-12 defeat of Ben Logan last week. Hart has 1,783 yards passing and 19 touchdowns.

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• Northwestern sophomore Ben VanNoord leads the CBC in receiving (39 catches, 795 yards, 10 TDs).

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