Had you placed a mirror down the center of the field it might have had the same effect.
On one sideline stood the Spartans of 2009. Tough. Proud. Confident. Beaming with purpose and drive, and their 5-3 record showed it.
On the other sideline stood the Coventry Comets, who looked more like the Spartans of 2008, 2007 and 2006. Learning. Adapting. Pushing. Yet still attempting to get over that first oh-so-high hurdle with a check in the “win” column.
Unfortunately for the Comets, it didn’t come Friday, as Springfield went on to a 33-15 victory to officially certify their first winning season in 11 years.
Assisted by a few penalties, Coventry started about as well as they could have wanted. The Spartans were penalized for a delay of game after arriving to the field late, and were called for a personal foul penalty on the kickoff, moving the Comets to the Springfield 40-yard line.
Coventry moved to the Springfield 31 after the Spartans were penalized for being off sides on fourth-and-six, and senior David Bulgrin (19 carries, 109 yards) took the next play 31 yards for a quick 7-0 Coventry lead.
Springfield didn’t let it stand long, as sophomore running back Dillon Matthews became the first Spartan to carry for 1,000 yards since 1998 with a 67-yard touchdown on Springfield’s first play from scrimmage.
Matthews (218 yards on 15 carries) scored four times in the game—his last a 15-yard touchdown that set the Springfield record for most rushing yards ever by a sophomore (currently 1,181).
“I’ll have to look at the tape, but I think those were the same plays we ran all year,” Springfield head coach Kevin Vaughn said of Matthews’ big runs. “The line blocked well and the hole was there.”
Matthews’ second touchdown put the Spartans ahead for good. On the first play of Springfield’s first drive of the second quarter, he rolled right, bolted down the Coventry sideline, cut back toward the middle and outran defenders for a 76-yard score and 12-7 lead that held through halftime.
“Those were some of the things that have been problematic for us all year—giving up big plays on defense,” Coventry head coach Neal Kopp said. “We played a good first half, but some of the big plays hurt us.”
Matthews scored on a nine-yard carry in the first drive of the second half, and junior Zach Talbert (132 yards on 17 carries) ran it in from the 10-yard line for a 26-7 Springfield lead with two minutes to play in the third quarter.
Just like that, the Comets went from dominating the time of possession in the first half (16 minutes, 10 seconds vs. seven minutes, 50 seconds), to only running six plays from scrimmage and punting twice in the third quarter.
“We seemed to spin our wheels at the start of the second half,” Kopp said.
Matthews’ 15-yard touchdown capped Springfield’s first drive of the fourth quarter, and Coventry senior Randy Henline (12 carries for 59 yards) added a 63-yard touchdown and two-point conversion with 6:50 to play for the 33-15 final.
“Our kids continued to hang in there,” Kopp said. “All we can do is get better.”
Ironically, it was against a mirrored image of their former selves that the Spartans certified their first winning season since 1998. A year ago, Springfield was finishing up another winless season in Kevin Vaughn’s first year at head coach.
One year later, the Comets are 0-9 with Neal Kopp in his first year at head coach, while the Spartans are 6-3.
“I give a lot of credit to Springfield,” Kopp said. “They went 0-10, and now they have a chance at 7-3. That’s a great job by their coaches.”
Vaughn said he feels the Comets will be turning around soon.
“I met Coach Kopp before the game, and we talked quite a bit,” Vaughn said. “I have a lot of respect for him. They played like they have a lot of heart."
“They’re like ourselves. They’ll keep fighting and it will raise their expectations.”
The Comets will have one last chance to overcome their hurdle at Field this week. The Falcons were shut out Friday 39-0 by Ravenna, and need to win their final game to keep their playoff hopes alive.
The Ravens clinched the Portage Trail Conference with the win, and will battle the Spartans at home to hope for a potential playoff spot.
“They’re a very talented team,” Vaughn said of Ravenna. “We know it’s going to be a challenge. We’re going to go through practices like any other week. We want to go out there and play to the best of our abilities. If that happens we’ll be happy regardless of the result.”
