Brock Netter, Staff Writer
CHILLICOTHE — Before the season starts, every team sets a goal to win a conference championship.
And here in the final week, Jackson and Chillicothe sit undefeated in the Frontier Athletic Conference with the outright title on the line.
Jackson has been the class of the FAC for the past couple of years, and it’s reign on the mountain top isn’t a place it plans on leaving anytime soon.
However, on the other side, Chillicothe has the athletes to match Jackson early and stay with them throughout the game.
Herrnstein Field is the place to be. Here’s a preview of SOSA’s Game of the Week:
| JACKSON | CHILLICOTHE | |
| 11-1 | 2019 Record | 4-6 |
| 14 | Playoff Appearances | 9 |
| 8-14 | All-Time Postseason Record | 2-9 |
| 48-7 win over Hillsboro | Last week’s result | 44-3 win over Miami Trace |
| 49 | Last year’s score | 2 |
JACKSON IRONMEN (5-0)
THREE PLAYERS TO WATCH
- Evan Spires (QB), Tristan Prater (WR), Macon Perrill (CB)
If you look up a picture of the phrase ‘red hot’, a giant photo of Evan Spires will be the first thing to pop up.
Since taking over under center due to an injury to Jacob Winters two games back, Spires has thrown for a modest eight touchdowns and over 400 yards with no turnovers. Not bad, right?
He has a multitude of weapons at his disposal, led by wideout Tristan Prater, who is a Sportscenter highlight reel waiting to happen.
While Macon Perrill possesses a ton of qualities, it’s his play at defensive back where he shines the brightest. He has four interceptions on the season and two for touchdowns. However, he hasn’t had a pick since Week 3, which means he’s due.
There’s something special about this group, which says a lot considering how dominant of a program Jackson has been over the past decade.
CHILLICOTHE CAVALIERS (4-1)
THREE PLAYERS TO WATCH
- Kam Smith (QB), Joel Barnes (WR), Isaac McCory (LB)
Think about this for a quick second: since being shutout against Wheelersburg, the Cavaliers have won four straight games and have done so by pitching shutouts in 12 of the last 16 quarters.
The defensive group is led by Isaac McCory from his linebacker spot, who reads and reacts to a play just as good as anyone in the area. Dude is legit.
Meanwhile, the Cavs have finally found a rhythm offensively as Kam Smith continues his progression at QB1. However, he has to play turnover free. Better to throw the ball out of bounds than into the arms of a Jackson defender.
Barnes has the ability to be a gamechanger if he gets the ball enough times in his hands. He’s electric in the open field and possesses breakaway speed.
BOTTOM LINE …
This is the game Chillicothe has been waiting for since beating Washington. The Cavaliers believe they have a real chance to beat Jackson.
They’ll have to play turnover free, run the ball effectively and convert on third downs. Even getting two out of three might not be good enough.
For the Ironmen, they have found what works which is getting the ball down the field. The Ironmen have more proven weapons than the Cavaliers do. They’ll need to use that to their advantage.
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