In need of an opponent to replace Columbus Watterson after a two-year agreement (the 2020 game was postponed because of COVID), Bellefontaine could have went in a lot of different directions in finding a Week 2 replacement for the 2022 season.
The Chieftain brass had the option to pick a lesser opponent to help ease into the season, but the thought process was exactly the opposite.
When an opportunity to host seven-time state champion Coldwater arose, the Chiefs jumped on it.
“Iron sharpens iron,” said Bellefontaine head football coach Jason Brown. “We want to play the best. It was similar to why we scheduled Watterson the last two years. Playing teams like this can only make you better.”
The Cavaliers, who finished as the Division VI state-runners up last season, will take on the Chiefs inside AcuSport Stadium at 7:30 p.m. Friday.
“It’s a great opportunity for our young men,” said Brown. “Really, we have nothing to lose. Obviously, we want to play our best football. Our guys have worked extremely hard all offseason and the last two weeks to put themselves in a position to be ready for this game. We are going to play as hard and as fast as we can, and then see where that gets us on the scoreboard by the end of the game.”
Coldwater had to do some re-tooling after losing a strong senior class from last year, but the Cavaliers still have talent left in the cupboard.
Brown is particularly impressed by quarterback Marcel Blasingame.
After mainly playing a receiving role last year, Blasingame has taken his athletic talents to the QB position this fall.
In last week’s 37-2 season-opening win over Kenton, Blasingame threw for 97 yards and a touchdown and ran for 188 yards and three TDs on 16 carries.
“Their quarterback is a great playmaker,” said Brown. “He is an elite runner and a great athlete. He can make plays as a runner and he can hurt you throwing the ball, too. They do a nice job of taking advantage of his athleticism.”
Blasingame is the main threat to run the ball for the Cavaliers. Four other rushers combined for just eight carries to Blasingame’s 16 in the Kenton victory.
At receiver, the Cavaliers have several capable options. Jack Broering had three catches for 30 yards and Braylen Harlamert had one catch for 42 yards and a TD against Kenton.
Bellefontaine saw plenty of positives to build on in its 43-13 Week 1 victory at Sidney.
The Chiefs raced out to a 28-0 halftime lead and piled up 456 yards of offense.
But Brown and his staff didn’t like how BHS squandered some scoring opportunities late in the first half and early in the second half.
“We really dominated the line of scrimmage at times and our playmakers made some plays,” said Brown of the season-opening performance. “But we hurt ourselves with some mistakes at the end of the first half and into the start of the third quarter. That has to be better. We can’t afford to have letdowns like that.”
Facing a Coldwater program that always seems to take advantage of the opponent’s errors, Brown said the Chiefs must play clean football Friday.
“We have to be mistake free in all three phases,” said the Chieftain head coach. “We need to play complimentary football and do our best to win at the line of scrimmage.”