RELATED: Badin overpowers Ross in opener
That could make for an interesting Week 2 matchup Friday when the two teams meet in Oxford.
“Both teams are trying to get back on track, and we’re preparing for a good game,” first-year Badin coach Nick Yordy said. “We got going in the right direction last week and want to keep it going, and those kids are looking for a W, so they will be fired up. They have some good athletes and some good kids coming up in younger grades, and coach (J.D.) Vonderheide has them buying into what they’re doing, so we expect a physical game. They are going to bring some intense emotion, and we’re preparing for a tough game.”
Vonderheide felt his team played better than the 44-0 score showed last week, but with several sophomores in the lineup, critical mistakes piled up and a good Madison team took advantage.
The Braves managed just 30 yards of offense, a credit in part to what Vonderheide said was as good a defensive front as he has seen in his six years with the team. Talawanda is hoping for a much better showing against Badin, which allowed the most points in program history last year but brings a little more experience this season.
“There’s a lot of sting coming out of the first game,” Vonderheide said. “You work so hard to get to that first game and to not perform the way you want is disappointing, but we’re a very young group and they are willing to evaluate and learn from it. There were still a lot of good things we did that give us a lot of hope, and we’re excited for this matchup with Badin.”
Talawanda is led by sophomore quarterback Adam Crank, whose main target is classmate Terrell Wills, but a handful of upperclassmen fill the backfield as the Braves seek to get the run-first spread offense going.
Badin is preparing for some different looks this week after the Braves were a little more pass focused in the opener.
“He does a lot of multiple formation stuff on offense and tries to put defenses in bad situations, so our defensive coordinator and coaches put a lot of time in that,” Yordy said. “From an offensive standpoint, they get to the ball well on defense, flying around, so we have to be ready for that. Last week, we were able to run the ball well and took advantage of mistakes that Ross had made early in the game and got some points. I told the kids we have to keep plugging away and trust in that.”
The Rams are no longer running the pistol Wing-T, but remain a run-first offense in more of a pro-style scheme.
Vonderheide said Lavassa Martin especially is one to watch out for after he rushed for 125 yards and two touchdowns last week, but Badin has “a multitude of players,” and the Braves have to get stops quickly.
They also will have to be more disciplined against a traditionally fundamentally sound Badin team.
“They do a good job being where they are supposed to be when they are supposed to be there, so the key is limiting mistakes and when plays are there make them,” Vonderheide said. “When we do that, the talent is here to be successful. We’re willing to take the next step, and we will have to do it against a solid opponent. It’s a challenge but we have some familiarity playing them the last two years, so it’s a good game to have Week 2.”
Badin leads the series 20-3 and has won the last 12 meetings. Talawanda’s last victory came in 1969 (28-22).
Friday’s game
What: Badin (1-0) at Talawanda (0-1), 7 p.m.
Where: Talawanda Field, 5301 University Park Blvd., Oxford
Last year: Badin won 38-7
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