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Roughrider Football 1997 Illustrated
Biased Weekly Updates
visitors since October 1, 1997
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1997 SCHEDULE
August 23 ~ Urbana ~ "Chicken Bowl" ~ Home (W 51-0)
August 29 ~ Sidney ~ Away (W 49-0) ~ WBL
September 5 ~ Van Wert ~ Home (L 0-6) ~ WBL
September 12 ~ Shawnee ~ Home (W 49-6) ~ WBL
September 19 ~ Kenton ~ Away (W 34-12) ~ WBL
September 26 ~ Elida ~ "Homecoming" ~ Home (W 21-7) ~ WBL
October 3 ~ Bath ~ Home (W 42-13) ~ WBL
October 10 ~ Celina ~ Away (L 7-28) ~ WBL
October 17 ~ Defiance ~ "Parents' Night" ~ Home (L 13-38) ~ WBL
October 24 ~ Wapakoneta ~ Away (L 13-20) ~ WBL
October 31 ~ Ottawa-Glandorf ~ Away (L 13-18) ~ WBL
DATELINE AUGUST 23 - SKIP BAUGHMAN STADIUM - HOME of the ROUGHRIDERS
On a dead-perfect afternoon, with the thermostat providentially set at each individual's comfort level, the relative humidity relatively irrelevent, and a cobalt sky so blue cowboys came from Colorado to envy it, the Roughriders pounded a crew from Urbana previously advertised as a football team into oblivion, in the annual preseason warm-up.
The Chicken Bowl, for those of you so unfortunate as to never have attended or hare-brained enough to have forgotten, is played out in four quarters by the clock, 12 regulation minutes per quarter, with all the usual rules applied; except during punts, which are down on reception, and kick-offs, which are also, then brought out to the 35. The scrimmage draws its moniker from the fund-raising activity of the Rider Rooters as they provide boxed chicken dinners prepared on the spot for all who care to dine. By this observer's estimate, about 2500 Roughrider football enthusiasts loyal and true attended the massacre, even to the presence of the rail-rooters astraddle the tracks south of the end zone. One would be hard-pressed to believe it was a mere scrimmage, if ignorant of the circumstances.
A week ago, the hometown stalwarts had hosted the squad from Piqua in what has become a tradition in its own right as the annual Piqua Scrimmage. Piqua fought its usual sturdy battle, as large-division Ohio High School football teams can be expected to do, and came out of the fray with mixed results, according to fanatic reports. That is, the Riders fared somewhat better than last year against the big boys, but showed, as first scrimmages are designed to expose, some room for improvement.
It would be difficult to improve on the outcome a week later.
Urbana, a former football power seemingly fallen on leaner days, brought a scant 36 players to the Stadium by one observer's count. They were not outmanned in numbers only. For St. Marys not only fielded its usual army of four two-platoon squads, but any one of the four strings appeared ready, willing and able to subjugate the hapless visitors.
The first string D held the Hilltoppers scoreless while the offense scored three TDs at their leisure during their participation in the first half. Quarterback Rick Haines exposed his deceptive speed on a series of waggle plays - which, to the knowledgeable St. Marys throng, were only too obviously runs all the way - as he shamelessly dusted Urbana's ends for twenty or more yards a crack. The backfield trio of John Thistlethwaite, Jason Clark and Andy Slone met their toughest challenge in deciding which hole to stroll through. The offensive line includes Paul Kuck, who in working out over the off-season sweat off 50 pounds or so and now weighs in at a sveldt 270.
Kuck notwithstanding, the Defensive line outweighs the Offensive line, if talk in the stands is to be believed. That defensive line made clear to all in attendance that "stuffing the ball" is not something exclusive to the game of basketball. Urbana coaches congratulated their panting rabble whenever they were successful enough to come off the field after a series with positive net yardage, and the first half mercifully ended with the unofficial score in favor of the home team, 4 TDs (28 points) to nil.
In the third quarter, the second string D held the Hilltoppers scoreless while the offense scored two TDs at their leisure. QB Aaron Seewer stunned the out-of-towners by throwing the rock twice on the waggle, the second for a TD. Seewer also plunged for a first down on a fourth-and-inches play at midfield, on which this observer could find no takers in the vicinity on 100-1 odds against a sneak call, and gained five yards. Why not just run the sneak every play?
Do I need go on to say that the third and fourth string Ds held the Hilltoppers scoreless while their respective Os scored respective TDs at their respective leisure? Perhaps not, for it is true enough. The "contest" drew to a merciful close when, with time expiring, a Roughrider was forced out of bounds a yard away from what would have been the eighth TD of the game.
The aliens' complimentary dinners surely turned to ashes in their mouths, after being violated to the tune of 51-naught. Savvy St. Marys spectators were yet cynical on the season's prospects, despite the favorable drubbing. Heard on exit from the hallowed pile were numerous sentiments to the effect of "we'll find out next Friday," a reference to the recently rejuvenated Sidney Yellowjacket rivalry. Sidney put us in our place a year yore, en route to the Playoffs, and we'd best not yet count chickens. Even so, lest ye believe Urbana not to shoulder any consequence at all, consider that in the scrimmage a week ago between Urbana and Celina, the former emerged victorious by 4 TDs to 2. Although it never works out, it is pleasant to imagine proportionally doubling the score against the Bulldogs, something like 102-0. Deny the smile on your face as you read that, if you can.
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