After the pain in The Plains, Warren is looking to regroup and get back on the winning track against visiting Meadowbrook in a non-conference football game at 7:30 p.m. this Friday.
"In athletics and life, you cannot dwell on the past, you must prepare for the present and future," said Warren head coach Andy Schob, whose Warriors (1-2) gave up 636 yards of offense to host Athens in a 66-14 setback to the Bulldogs last Friday night.
"You can learn from it," Schob continued. "Athens was very talented and played lights out, but everyone here understands they need to make improvements from myself, to the coaches, to the players."
Article Photos
KAREN HENTHORN Special to The Times
Warren’s Andrew Vincent, right, tries to make a reception with Marietta defender Anthony Kimbrough on him. The Warriors are slated to host Meadowbrook in a non-conference game Friday night.
While Warren probably won't face too many schools on its 2012 slate as offensive-minded as the Bulldogs (2-1), Meadowbrook (2-1) is also very capable of lighting up the scoreboard. Last Friday night, Jesse Wells-led Meadowbrook routed the winless Shenandoah Zeps (0-3), 49-6, on their new turf at Eugene Capers Field in Byesville.
The Colts amassed 404 total net yards, 266 rushing and 151 passing, so Warren's defense will essentially be facing a balanced attack.
"Meadowbrook comes in confident at 2-1," Schob said. "They very easily could have been 3-0. They run multiple formations on offense from double tight, overloaded lines, shotgun 2-back, to spread and empty sets. They make you prepare for different things and are good at each look."
En route to zapping the Zeps, Meadowbrook quarterback Trey Pugh completed 10 of 10 throws for 124 yards and four touchdowns to three different receivers. A mobile signal caller, the 6-foot, 150-pound senior rushed for 44 yards on seven carries.
Pugh's primary targets figure to be Christian Kirkman and Cody Johnston. Jacob Quinn, a 6-2, 195-pound fullback, had two touchdown receptions of 13 and seven yards against Shenandoah.
Meadowbrook's ground game is spearheaded by 5-9, 200-pound junior Clay Lapp, who gained 101 yards on 12 attempts last Friday night. Andrew Stine, 1 5-8, 135-pound freshman, added 95 yards on 15 totes and two TDs. Overall, Meadowbrook, a Division IV, Region 15 school, is relatively young with only seven seniors on its roster. This season, Meadowbrook has defeated Union Local (0-3) in its season opener and dropped a 36-32 decision to Barnesville (2-1) in Week 2.
Another Colts victory will equal their win total of last season when they posted a 3-7 overall mark and were 1-4 in the East Central Ohio League. As disappointing as the loss to Athens was for Warren, it was a non-conference game. After Meadowbrook, the Warriors play another non-league tilt at Meigs on Sept. 21. Then, Warren will go on the road to face two-time defending league champion Jackson on Sept. 28 for its Southeastern Ohio Athletic League opener.
Offensively, Warren is paced by 6-2, 215-pound senior QB Dylan Leffingwell. At Athens in The Plains, he completed 18 of 35 passes for 138 yards and one touchdown. He also scored one rushing TD.
Leffingwell's primary target is Andrew Vincent, who had team-leading six catches for 51 yards against the Bulldogs. Warren's principal ground-gainers are expected to be Austin Kuhn, Jake Scott and Chas Miller, who also had an 11-yard TD reception in last Friday's game.
"Our players and coaches have responded this week the way we need to," Schob said. "Their attitude, effort, and commitment, has been outstanding this week.
"We have been stressing getting back to some of our basic fundamentals, and playing aggressive and with confidence. Everyone understands we must be solid fundamentally and carry out assignments to be successful."
