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Home > Blogs > Springfield, Ohio High School Sports > Archives > 2011 > September > 05 > Entry
Springfield has bright spots in loss to UA
COLUMBUS — While Springfield High School made a few mistakes which proved costly in its 34-19 loss to Upper Arlington in the Kirk Herbstreit National Kickoff Classic on Sunday at Ohio Stadium, there were several bright spots for the Wildcats.
AIR IT OUT: After gaining just 11 yards against St. X in Week 1, Springfield’s offense showed huge signs of improvement in the second half against UA.
They outgained the Golden Bears 435-173, and threw for 399 yards.
Chris Wallace passed for 313 yards and two TDs, and also led the team in rushing with 32 yards and a touchdown.
“It was a great experience,” Wallace said. “I had fun. I just tried to take it as another game. We wanted to get the win, did everything we could, but sometimes those chips don’t fall into place.”
Wallace said the offense struggled to find its rhythm in the first half, running wrong routes and dropping passes. The Wildcats outgained UA 146-91 in the first half, but found themselves down 7-0 at the break. They had two drives stall inside the 10-yard line.
“It was execution, just simple miscues,” Wallace said. “You saw what we can do in the fourth quarter.”
Wallace is excited to return to Evans Stadium on Friday, even if it means one less day of rest. The ‘Cats host Sycamore at 7:30 p.m.
“I’m ready for a short week,” Wallace said. “Those long weeks of practice can get to you. We’re going to be ready to play in our home stadium and get back on the right schedule.”
EXHAUSTED: Titus Montgomery was all over the field on Sunday, finishing the game with 313 all-purpose yards. He had 11 catches for 223 yards and two touchdowns.
“It was a tiring game, felt like it took forever,” Montgomery said. “I don’t remember coming off the field.”
He enjoyed playing at the Horseshoe; especially the day after Springfield native Braxton Miller took the field for the first time as a Buckeyes quarterback.
“It was an honor,” Montgomery said.
The ‘Cats had six different receivers catch passes. Andrae Carey caught eight passes for 93 yards and Thaddeus Snodgrass added six catches for 26 yards.
Montgomery hopes to get off to a better start on offense this week against Sycamore.
“Our offense has to click more at the very beginning,” Montgomery said. “We started to click at the end of the game. If we get clicking at the very beginning, we should be fine.”
KAMIKAZE: Junior linebacker Kyle Jacks finished the game with a team-high 6.5 tackles, including three for loss, two sacks and a forced fumble — all while playing with a foot sprain.
Springfield trainer Mike Willets nicknamed Jacks ‘kamikaze’ for his relentless style of play.
“I love this sport,” Jacks said. “This is what I live for. It’s the only sport I play. I wake up in the morning thinking about football. It’s all I want to do. And I put my heart into it like everybody on our defense. It’s frustrating not to win, but we’re getting there.”
Jacks said the fourth quarter is a sign of things to come. The defense held UA to just 173 yards of total offense.
“If we play like we did in the fourth quarter, I don’t think any team can stop us,” Jacks said.
BIG OPPORTUNITY: Last season, Aaron Cosby was a reserve lineman at Catholic Central. He was disappointed with his playing time, and returned to Springfield High this fall.
On Sunday, he found himself playing in the Horseshoe on the defensive line.
“It’s a totally different experience because I didn’t play last year at Catholic Central,” Cosby said. “I came out here and they told me I wasn’t going to play. I set my mind to it and I wanted a spot on the field. I did what I could and I got it.”
He finished with 6.5 tackles and was a mainstay in the Golden Bears’ backfield. He also had a fumble recovery.
“I listened to my coaches,” Cosby said. “They said to stay low, so I stayed low. They said to use your hands, I used my hands. That’s all you can do.”
CRAZY EXPERIENCE: Even for Springfield coach Adam Taylor, the game at the Horseshoe was something he’ll never forget.
“As far as being here, it’s a crazy experience,” Taylor said. “It’s fantastic. It’s hard to imagine all the fantastic athletes who’ve played here. It’s an absolute privilege and honor for me to coach one time on the field. It was fun. I wish it could’ve been a little different result, but at the same time, it’s a great experience. I wouldn’t trade it; just change it a little bit.”
THE OTHER SIDE: Upper Arlington assistant coach Jim Dimitroff has plenty of ties to Springfield, having graduated from Catholic Central and coached at both North and South. He applied for the vacant job this spring, but withdrew his name early in the process for financial reasons.
“It was exciting to see them play here,” Dimitroff said. “I thought they played their (butts) off and did a heck of a job. They didn’t quit.”
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