Countdown to football: Arcadia

2024 Record 0-10 (0-8 BVC)Head coach: Derek Kidwell, second year (0-10)KEY GAME: Season opener, at home, with Cory-Rawson. No team ever wants to go through a whole season without ringing the victory bell at least once, but that's what happened to a very young and inexperienced Arcadia squad last fall. Arcadia's best chance for that 'W' came in its opener with Cory-Rawson. The Redskins led 22-21 with 4½ minutes to play but Cory-Rawson scored on a late pass play to pull out a 29-22 victory. Cory-Rawson graduated nine players from that team; Arcadia graduated only two. The Redskins, who had 12 freshmen and sophomores on last year's 18-man roster, are still on the young and thin side of the ledger. But they can no longer be called inexperienced, and a season-opening win, at home, would go a long way in erasing memories of last year's 0-10 record.INTERESTING FACT: Young, inexperienced team are usually susceptible to the little mistakes – fumbles, penalties, missed assignments – that can devastate drives and possessions. While Arcadia was in the middle of the BVC pack as far as turnovers (7 lost fumbles, 9 interceptions), the Redskins were the least penalized of any BCVC school. In 10 games, they were flagged just 28 times for a league-low 189 yards.MAGIC NUMBER: 5, the number worn by Tripp Brubaker. While it may be presumptuous to put added pressure on a player with just one varsity season under his belt, Brubaker is one of those all-around athletes – he was all-league in basketball as a freshman – that can be a difference maker. He not only threw for 775 yards last season, but also rushed for 273 yards and four TDs. He also kicked extra points and punted and led Arcadia's secondary in interceptions (2). A key part of the Redskins rebuilding process, Brubaker is a player that needs to stay uptight and on the field. 2025 SCHEDULEDate Opponent Home/AwayAug. 22 Cory-Rawson H 29 Lakota ASept. 5 Riverdale* A 12 McComb* H 19 Leipsic* A 26 Ada* AOct. 3 Van Buren* A 10 Pandora-Gilboa* H 17 Liberty-Benton* H 24 Arlington* H*Blanchard Valley Conference games