For the first time in 15 years, the Springfield Blue Devils and rival Anthony Wayne Generals did not close the season with the annual Fight for the Blue and White Helmet Trophy thanks to the Northern Lakes League’s expansion and divisional format. In fact, after next season when Springfield moves to the Cardinal Division in football, the rivalry may no longer be a guaranteed, annual tradition.
If recent history is any indicator, however, that might be a welcome reprieve for the Blue Devils. The Generals continued their winning streak in the series–which dates to 2017–with a 51-6 drubbing of the Blue Devils at Schaller Memorial Stadium in Whitehouse.
Anthony Wayne amassed an eye-popping 543 to 151 advantage in total yards including a whopping 431 yards rushing on what quickly became the first very autumnlike evening of the football season with intermittent rain and lots of wind blowing across the field. Springfield, despite sophomore tailback Eli Beal’s explosiveness, managed just 27 yards rushing.
In spite of the lopsided numbers, Head Coach LaCharles Smith saw reasons for optimism, particularly with how his squad performed in the opening 12 minutes.
“Everything we preach about energy, working hard and staying together, they did,” the coach said. “Obviously, you look at the score and people, fans, parents, they might not see it. But as a coaching staff, when you’re outmanned like this, that’s what you ask for of your team and they did it. It was 7-6 at one point in the middle of the first quarter.
At the end of the first quarter, it was 14-6, and I thought that was really good. We still had some good energy.
“Then, their power came through and we couldn’t stop them. We were going threeand- outs while they were getting drives of seven plays and scoring. We could not sustain a drive on offense. But as far as our kids giving up, I thought they did a good job and did not give up. We were still coming up, hitting them, coming off blocks and everything. As a program, we’re just not there yet. But that’s the goal, to get there within the next couple of years.”
That early competitiveness came through on a long touchdown pass to junior wideout Kamren Tall who, alongside Beal, has had his moments to shine in a largely trying 2023 campaign.
“We thought we could take advantage of their secondary,” Smith explained. “I really think that going into next year, Kam Tall is going to be one of the top 10 receivers in northwest Ohio. He’s something special and has a grit to him. He’s only a junior, and comes back next year. He’s got some good speed to him and is a hard-working kid, and we thought we could take advantage with Kam against their secondary.
“The sky’s the limit for Kam, and him getting behind the secondary, it was kind of a preview of next year because [junior] Kaiden Taylor threw the pass and Kaiden’s going to be our quarterback next year.”
The Generals’ defense wasted little time in returning to form following the early touchdown, forcing three turnovers while shutting out the Blue Devils the rest of the way. That, too, has been a theme within their recent dominance of the rivalry. Over their past six seasons, the Blue Devils have averaged only eight points a game and were shut out once as well.
Hard as another lopsided defeat was to swallow, Smith said it’s just another step along the journey that he hopes will turn the program back around to prominence. Seeing some of his younger players make an impact against a talented playoff-bound team like Anthony Wayne gives him further reason for optimism.
“We’ve got some good young talent, and I’ve said that since the beginning of the year,” he said. “Now, since we’re entering game nine, some of that young talent in practice is coming out. We thought it was going to grow a little bit, and we were hoping to have that young talent grow up in games one, two and three, but it just took a little bit longer. I think going into next year, we have an Eli Beal coming back, we have a Kam Tall coming back, we have some skilled guys and offensive line pieces coming back. We’re excited about the future.”
In the more immediate future lies the Blue Devils Homecoming tilt against yet another NLL powerhouse, Perrysburg.
Staying competitive with them will be an immense challenge, too, but the Yellow Jackets are reeling just a bit coming in off successive losses to Whitmer and Findlay.
With that in mind, the message going in is one of pride and respect for their game and each other. It’s a message that the coach has been pleased to see not lost on his squad despite all the challenges they’ve encountered to date.
“Just playing for your school and playing for each other,” said Smith. “I told the kids this is not a me thing, it’s an us thing. Kids are still showing up, getting after it, and like I’ve said we’ve got a great leader in [senior quarterback] Will Scott that’s keeping us together. Those guys are at practice every single day, in the weight room, working hard and they have a great mentality. As the season winds down, if we can get one of these two games we can get to the playoffs.
“But we just want something special to happen. Quarter by quarter is how we need to take it. Being at home and it’s Homecoming, we’re going to have great energy. Hopefully, we can ride that energy and get to halftime as a close score and regroup, come out in the second half and play some good football.”
Kickoff tonight is at 7 p.m. The game will be preceded by the annual Homecoming parade at 6 p.m., and the king and queen will be crowned at halftime.
