FREMONT – Fremont Ross and Sandusky are playing one another for the 112th time Friday. And the schools will probably continue to playing each other as long as they both have football teams.
But this will be the last time the seniors of the Little Giants will suit up in the rivalry. And that whatever happens when Ross and Sandusky clash Friday night, may well become the story the players tell the rest of their lives. Or becomes a memory they try in vein to forget.
Head coach Chad Long said he expects to make that point to his players before they run out onto the field at Don Paul Stadium.
“’This is your last opportunity. When you walk around town you can always say you left beating the arch-rival of Sandusky,’” Long said. “We really didn’t have to say a whole lot to get these guys motivated. They know it. They probably hear form their parents, they hear it from their uncles and so forth. They know it’s a big game and we know it’s a big game.”
The rivals are meeting one another with winning records for the first time since 2010, when they played in Week 10. Despite the strict adherence Ross’ coaches and players have taken toward their mantra of “Win Today” and not looking ahead of the next game, it’s hard to not look at the future possibilities for the team that wins.
A victory will mean a 3-0 record and a real shot a playoff berth. While Ross still has huge challenges ahead, Toledo Central Catholic and Whitmer chief among them, the playoff points gained from wins over Springfield and Sandusky will give the Little Giants a little room for error down the road.
But before any of that becomes relevant, there remains the matter of getting past the Blue Streaks.
“The kids are excited. They’re ready to put on a show and see what we’re made of,” Long said. “We want to see how good our defense is. This is the biggest test yet this year, facing Sandusky we want to see where we stand going into conference play.”
Any conversation about Sandusky has to begin with senior quarterback Ja’Vez Alexander. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound Michigan State University commit is your prototypical dual-threat quarterback. Through two games he has completed 20-of-36 passes for 243 yards and rushed for over 100 yards and three touchdowns.
“He reads the play, he can pull it at any time for a run,” Long said. “He has that athletic ability where he can get outside the pocket and run but he can also throw. He has some great receivers and speed he can throw to.”
Joining Alexander in the backfield is sophomore running back Terion Stewart, who possesses an usual physical skill-set. Stewart stands 5-foot-8 and weighs 195 pounds, giving him the height and speed of a slashing running back, but he has the strength and toughness of straight-ahead power runner. Against Ross last year, Stewart slipped through the Little Giant defense, eluding a tackle-for-loss, then used to speed to outrun Ross down the sideline for a 96-yard touchdown.
“He’s dangerous,” Long said. “The one thing I can say is we’ve been good stopping the run so far, but this is our biggest challenge on the defensive side, stopping those two from teeing off and making plays on the ground.”
Through its first two games Ross’ defense has allowed just 66 rushing yards. Sandusky, however, has totaled 452 rushing yards in its wins over Port Clinton and Huron.
“Our team believes we are more physical than they are, by watching film,” Long said. “We believe we are a better football team then they are. We’re not the team we were last year, we’re a better team.”
Who: Fremont Ross hosting Sandusky
What: Renewal of the second-oldest rivalry in Ohio, for the 112th meeting
When: 7 p.m. Friday
Where: Don Paul Stadium
At Stake: A 3-0 record for the winning team and a huge step toward a postseason berth.
All-time series: Sandusky leads 54-49, with eight ties.