Trojans to tangle with unbeaten Southview

By DAVE HANNEMAN Every football team circles a game or two on the schedule, a matchup that raises the stakes – and the preparatory intensity – a tad above the rest. The way Stefan Adams sees it, that's more of an every-week phenomenon for his staff and his Findlay High players. "We're like that school every single game, and that's OK," said Adams, who off and on has been in the area since 2014, including the last three as FHS head coach. "I've learned over the years, and for some reason the perception of how people feel is they want to knock off Findlay. When we've been solid, we got people's best. When we've been down, we still got people's best. "I don't want to make too much about it, but I do want our players to understand that there is that perception out there. I want them to understand that we have to be on point and execute, we have to strive to be perfect because with the teams we play and the league we play in, we're going to get everybody's best every time out." Adams and the Trojans expect to see the best from Sylvania Southview on Friday in the first of three cross-over games between the Buckeye and Cardinal Division teams in the Northern Lakes League. The preseason pick of NLL coaches as the top team in the Cardinal Division, Southview has lived up to the billing, jumping off to a 2-0 start with wins over Sylvania Northview (34-0) and Toledo Waite (51-14). "They have a lot of weapons, all over the place," Adams said of the Cougars, who won a Division II state championship in 2008, reached the D-II championship game in 1999 and return nine offensive starters from a playoff team that went 8-3 a year ago. "No. 1 (Emite Lamb, 5-9, 160, sr.) is a very good player. Their quarterback runs out of necessity and does a nice job of getting the ball to their skill players. Obviously, we have to be on point, execute, be disciplined and do what we've been coached to do. Lamb was first-team all-NLL last season. So was Isaac Sexton, a 5-10, 190-pound running back. Zack Carter (5-10, 170, sr.) is another returning veteran at receiver, a position that was strengthened by the addition of 6-3, 200-pound senior Avery Offenburg. Last season, Offenburg split time at quarterback with Will Mayzes, but the 6-1, 185-pound junior has earned the starting job full time and with good results. In Southview's win over Northview, Mayzes threw for 240 yards and two touchdowns and added 30 yards and two scores on the ground. "Watching film of them from the last couple of years, you can see they stick to their guns," Adams said. "They do what they do. You can try to out-scheme all you want but at the end of the day you have to find your guys, you have to get the ball to your playmakers." Findlay played a sterling defensive game in last week's 43-0 win over Lima Senior. Knowing Spartans' quarterback Ja'naius Hall was looking to throw on every snap – Lima Senior attempted 31 passes in 48 offensive plays – the Trojans teed off, sacking Hall four times, intercepting him once and recovering one of three fumbles. Lima Senior was held to 17 yards on 16 rushing attempts. Findlay had 225 yards passing and 152 on the ground, but Adams knows Southview's defense will pose a stiffer challenge on Friday. "We have to find the creases," Adams said. "We have to find the seams, whether that's with the run game or the passing game." After a season-opening loss to powerhouse Toledo Central Catholic, Adams said getting on the plus side of the win/loss column had a residual effect. "We weren't playing Central Catholic, but we got a win. I think that helped as far as validation," Adams said. "You feel good about yourselves (after a win). The kids have been awesome, though. They've had that next-game mentality. They enjoyed the win, but they know that on Monday you turn the page and move on to whoever's next." FOOTNOTES: Findlay and Sylvania Southview played a four-game series from 2013-2016. Southview won the first matchup, 20-17. Findlay took the next three 45-14, 38-7 and 42-7. n Though the two schools have met just four times on the football field, Southview pops up a couple of times in the FHS record books. In the 2014 game Kyle Nunn, who had returned an interception 45 yards or a score a year earlier against Southview, picked off another pass two steps deep in the end zone and returned that one 102 yards for a TD. n Also in that 2014 game, Grant McKinniss booted a school-record 53-yard field goal.