© 2024 WYSO
Our Community. Our Nation. Our World.
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Springfield Wildcats head to state finals this week

A Wildcats fan holding a sign saying the team is state bound.
Jenna Leinasars
/
Springfield City School District
A Wildcats fan holding a sign saying the team is state bound.

The Springfield High School football team will play for the state championship this week. The Wildcats advanced to the state final after beating Cincinnati Moeller last week.

It’s the second consecutive season Springfield will be in the final.

“The guys are excited about the opportunity to go back. They feel as though they have unfinished business,” Wildcats coach Maurice Douglass said.

On Friday, the Wildcats came back in the last 10 or so minutes, scoring two touchdowns and securing the victory. Douglass said it was a hard-won victory against a good team.

Now, it’s time to prepare. The team will spend this week doing their regular training regiment and watching film.

Then, on Thursday, the team will head up to Canton.

“They’re excited about the opportunity to get back and even have an opportunity to play the same team that we faced last year,” Douglass said.

Before heading for Canton, there will be a public send off for the team.

Douglass said last year people were lined up from the school down Limestone Street all the way to the highway. He says it was a special feeling he’s excited for the team to feel before the game.

Once in Canton, Douglass said he wants the team to watch a Division II game to show them the Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. Last year, the team was slow moving until half-time, something Douglass attributes to the stadium.

“I think we were kind of starstruck for a half,” he said. “This year, we’re going to try and handle it a little differently by going in and watching these other guys play.”

The Wildcats will play Lakewood St. Edward this Friday at 7:30 p.m.

Garrett is a WYSO intern and graduate of University of Dayton. He spent time covering the Dayton area with WDTN Channel 2 News after the 2019 Memorial Day Tornado outbreak. It was around this time that he began listening to NPR and fell in love with radio-based journalism. Garrett graduated from UD in May of 2021 with his Bachelor’s in Communications with a focus in journalism and graduated in May of 2022 with his Master’s. While not working at WYSO, Garrett is an avid reader, loves to play video games, and hanging out with his friends.