The Kenton Ridge Excessive College soccer group is one win away from clinching its first Central Buckeye Convention Kenton Path Division title since 2014.
The Cougars (8-1, 4-0) will host five-time defending champ London (7-2, 4-0) within the de facto CBC Kenton Path Division championship at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23, at Richard L. Phillips Subject in Springfield.
“It’s an enormous recreation, all these issues, however all that’s outdoors of our management,” stated Cougars coach Jon Daniels. “What’s in our management is with the ability to exit and do all of the issues we’ve labored on for weeks … all these little particulars.”
The Crimson Raiders enter the sport having gained 22 straight division video games courting again to Week 8 of the 2022 season. The Cougars have by no means overwhelmed London because it joined the CBC in 2019.
The important thing to their season, Daniels stated, has been specializing in what they’ll do to go 1-0 every week — and that’s precisely learn how to strategy Friday’s recreation towards London.
“(London has) an incredible program,” he stated. “They obtained a bunch of children. They’re a great soccer group, all these issues. However we’re nonetheless on the identical spot we began all this off with a number of weeks in the past, if not months, the place our job is to go 1-0 and never fear about something outdoors of us.
“That’s the place our guys are at. We’re fearful about us. … Our guys are freaking purchased in. They belief one another greater than any group I’ve ever seen that I’ve been part of. They care about one another greater than any group I’ve been part of, so simply seeing all that basically sort of come collectively has been actually particular.”
The onerous work got here to fruition final week with a 35-7 victory over Jonathan Alder in Plain Metropolis, organising the important thing Week 10 recreation towards London. The rating was tied at 7 after one quarter, however the Cougars scored 35 unanswered factors to beat the Pioneers, avenging a 35-33 loss final season. KR senior quarterback Bryndyn Parsons threw three TD passes — two to senior Brennan Shaffer and one other to senior Preston Smith — and senior working again Brody Runkle rushed for 2 extra TDs within the victory.
“I’m so blessed with the coaches I’ve to place collectively the sport plans we find yourself with week to week,” Daniels stated. “Our guys put collectively a very, actually efficient recreation plan on either side of the ball towards them and our guys went out and executed.”
They’ll face a tricky process towards a Crimson Raiders group which, since a Week 5 loss to Graham, have outscored opponents 194-32. They function a punishing floor recreation that averages 282 yards per recreation. They’re led by junior fullback Bryson Toronto, who has rushed for 973 yards this season.
“We’ve obtained to go match that (physicality),” Daniels stated. “We’ve obtained to come back and play our model of protection. We’ve obtained to be aggressive. We’ve obtained to be prepared to get downhill and go get soiled and all these issues. It’s trusting what we’ve completed now for weeks and never permitting stuff that’s outdoors of us to creep in.”
Whereas the Cougars have clinched a playoff berth in Division VI, Area 16, a win over London might assist them clinch a house first-round playoff recreation. Nonetheless, the Cougars haven’t talked about Week 11, Daniels stated.
“We’re going to concentrate on what’s in our management and that’s working towards our tails off (this week) to ensure we’re ready to go have success on Friday,” he stated.
Whereas the sport is KR’s greatest matchup in current reminiscence, the fact is “you may’t make it greater than what it’s,” Daniels stated.
“You bought to go do precisely what you’re assigned to do, what you’re coached to do and and go play inside that. In order that’s precisely what we’ll do. We’ll exit and concentrate on the whole lot that’s in our management. Our guys are purchased in on that and fairly frankly, they’re assured in who we’re after we do this.”