Sports
Athens Eyes Regional Final Berth
By: Pat Moore
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The first round of the OHSAA Playoffs have come and gone, and the young Athens Bulldogs find themselves in the second round, looking to advance to the regional finals of Division III, Region 12.
The No. 3 seed Bulldogs took care of business last Saturday beating sixth seeded Circleville by a score of 63-28. Gridiron Glory Player of the Year candidate Joey Burrow lead the charge for Athens, racking up 342 total yards, and accounting for eight touchdowns.
Now the Bulldogs will be going up against another underdog this Saturday, in the No. 7 seed Shawnee Braves. The Braves are coming off an impressive upset over No. 2 seed Kettering Alter by a score of 42-34.
Shawnee owns a 7-3 record, and will not be an easy opponent for the Bulldogs, who haven’t lost since the first week of the season. Shawnee’s last loss came in Week 7, when they dropped a 24-13 loss to Tecumseh.
When asked if seeding matters at this stage in the playoffs, Athens head coach, Ryan Adams simply said, “Take seeds and throw them out the door.”
“With Shawnee going to the Final Four a year ago, it’s a situation where you have to have a lot of respect for a them,” he added.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday at Hamilton Township High School.