Buckeye Local Entertains Shadyside Friday As Both Teams Seek Their Initial Triumph
Photo by Kim North YORKVILLE -- A pair of teams struggling to slow anybody down through two weeks, and both hungry for their initial win of the season, will meet Friday night at World War II Memorial Stadium as Shadyside makes the trip up Route 7 to take on Buckeye Local.
Coach Mike Kernik's Tigers are coming off a 53-14 setback at Shenandoah last week and have been outscored by a 94-50 margin thus far.
Meanwhile, Coach Jim Hoover's Panthers dropped a 47-7 decision to Union Local at home last Friday and have allowed 97 markers while putting up just the seven.
"It's all about intensity level for us," Kernik said. "Our coaches have got to find a way to get the intensity level higher every day in practice and then again on gameday. We have to be able to flip that switch and the coaches have to give them that mindset now."
While senior quarterback Ben Wach has struggled getting time under center he has put up some pretty impressive numbers through two weeks, accounting for five touchdowns in the opener and two more last week. Senior Nathan Booth and junior Cole Micker have both come up big in the receiving corps.
Shadyside needs to get the running backs going as well, with Wach as the leading rusher to date, and will look to senior Karl Tsoras to help get it moving.
"Shenandoah simply took it to us last week," Kernik added. "And we have continued having trouble stopping the run first two weeks. Offensively we had a few drives look good, but we never really got into any rhythm and when we could get anything going we were playing catch-up."
And while the Panthers' defense has been porous, the offense has not been any better with Buckeye Local's only touchdown so far coming on an 80-yard kickoff return for a score by junior Alex McDiffit.
Hoover's offense has gained just 229 yards in two games while allowing 627.
They also have nearly as many penalties (16) as first downs (17), and even though they have only lost one fumble, they have put the ball on the ground nine times.
Senior Skyler Ebright is the quarterback and has completed eight of 21 pass attempts for just 21 yards and an interception. Freshman Zavier Eastham is the team's leading rusher with 15 totes for 51 yards while senior Noah Kourim has 50 yards on 23 tries. McDiffit leads the receivers with five grabs.
"No changes with them, they come out and do what they usually do," Kernik said. "They are a big, strong team and they just want to fire off of the ball and run the ball right over you. They are very physical and we are going to need to find a way to match their intensity and aggressiveness."
Buckeye Local will host Brownsville, Pa. in week four, a team that Shadyside will visit the following week, while the Tigers will host the backyard-brawl next week when Bellaire pays a visit to Fleming Field.