Sports
Nelsonville-York Ramps Up Preparation Ahead Of Playoff Matchup
By: Patrick Klinger
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On Friday night, TVC-Ohio runners-up Nelsonville-York (7-3) will travel to Lucasville Valley to square off with the Indians (8-2) to kick off postseason play in Division six, region 21.
Rolling into the match-up, these two teams are heading in two different directions. Lucasville Valley charged out of the gates, winning six straight games to begin the season, but was just 2-2 in the latter-half of the regular season. Meanwhile, the Buckeyes seemed to be clicking on all cylinders in the second half, where they emerged victorious in four of its last five contests.
“Lucasville-Valley is a storied program,” Nelsonville head coach Dave Boston said. “We know what we’re up against, and we have our work cut out for us.”
Coach Boston explained that there was a different, more intense atmosphere in practice this week in preparation for the Indians. He described his bunch as a group that goes into each game with the right attitude, ready to tackle any challenge.
Tackling is one thing that opposing teams have struggled to do against Lucasville-Valley. The Indians will ride into Friday night’s matchup with an explosive offense that is putting up north of 35 points per contest.
Fortunately for the Buckeyes, they are no strangers to prolific offensive attacks. Last week, they lined up against a nearly unstoppable offensive attack in Athens and held the Bulldogs to a season-low 48 points
”We saw some of the best athletes in the area last week,” Boston said. “Even in the loss, we gained some confidence playing against a top-notch opponent.”
No matter how complex each team’s schemes may finish, sticking to the fundamentals and avoiding mental mistakes remains the name of the game.
”We need to sustain some good, quality drives,” Boston said. “We also need to play sound on the defensive side of the ball and limit our turnovers.”
Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 from Lucasville.