Arrows aim for first winning season since 2001


Preble Shawnee

Coach: Matt Hopkins, third season (3-17)

OHSAA designation: Division V, Region 18

Playoff history: None

2013 record: 3-7 overall, 2-4 in the Southwestern Buckeye League Buckeye Division (fourth, tied)

Schedule: Aug. 29 — National Trail, 7:30 p.m.; Sept. 5 — Dayton Christian, 7:30 p.m.; Sept. 12 — at Greenville, 7 p.m.; Sept. 19 — Madison, 7 p.m.; Sept. 26 — Milton-Union, 7 p.m.; Oct. 3 — at Carlisle, 7 p.m.; Oct. 10 — Dixie, 7 p.m.; Oct. 17 — at Waynesville, 7 p.m.; Oct. 24 — at Northridge, 7 p.m.; Oct. 31 — at Monroe, 7 p.m.

Matt Hopkins finally is starting to see a little fight in his Preble Shawnee High School football team.

The third-year coach said after going 0-10 in 2012 and progressing to a 3-7 finish last year, the Arrows are hungry to get back on the winning side. The program’s last winning season was in 2001 – Hopkins’ senior year.

Shawnee was 2-4 in the Southwestern Buckeye League Buckeye Division last year with its wins coming against Milton-Union and Northridge – two of the other three teams to earn two conference wins or less.

“The guys are finally getting a little mean and a little nasty,” Hopkins said. “I think it comes with growth, and I think they are just getting tired of losing. They are tired of being at the bottom of the league and the bottom of the county and other schools making jokes. I think they are ready to prove some people wrong.”

The Arrows played with a roster dominated by freshmen and sophomores the past two years but now they finally return experience this season.

Shawnee is hoping that its junior- and senior-dominated squad can achieve better results. Overall, the offense returns nine starters overall and the defense seven.

“We set the bar kind of low after going 0-10 but that was our first year under Coach (Hopkins) and we were mostly freshmen and sophomores,” senior lineman Cameron Davidson said. “We improved to 3-7 and now everyone has experience; everyone is bigger and stronger. We spent a lot of time in the weight room, and we’re ready.”

Among those returning are three of the team’s top four statistical leaders on offense, including junior quarterback and third-year starter Joby Williams, first-team all-conference receiver Trey Smith and sophomore running back Brandon Frost. Williams led the no-huddle spread offense with 1,938 yards passing and 18 touchdowns last year, Smith had 854 yards and 11 scores and Frost added 718 yards and six touchdowns on the ground.

The offense averaged 342.4 yards per game and 26.8 points, ranking ninth in the league.

However, Hopkins said the biggest strength of the team comes from the non-skill positions. Davidson is a leader on the offensive line, along with fellow seniors Jack Adams and Paul Conway, junior Nick Frost and sophomore Alex Steele. Steele also is a part of the defensive line along with Chance Crabtree, Mason Williams, Kolten Dillon and Zac Ramsey.

“We are going to go as far as our offensive and defense lines take us,” Hopkins said. “That’s where we have a lot of depth. If we don’t have one guy in, we’re not missing a step with the next guy, so guys are constantly competing for a spot and they’ve responded.

“They are a big part of what we do. We have some really good skill players, and with a really good line you can make a lot of things happen.”

Shawnee needs to show a lot of improvement on defense especially, though, after allowing 41.5 points per game in 2013.

Hopkins said tackling is definitely better than it was a year ago, and some of that goes back to the drive to win games. Shawnee was competitive in a recent scrimmage with Division III Indian Hill, losing by just one score, and Hopkins said his team looked like a completely different group of players.

“That was the first time I’ve seen our guys compete and really get after it,” Hopkins said. “That’s just a sign to us we are getting to where we need to be. We’re being physical and we aren’t getting manhandled like we have in the past. Hopefully we have a great season and hopefully we can give Carlisle and Waynesville a run for their money.”

About the Author