The Chillicothe Hornets and Marshall Owls high school football programs have a long – and at times heated – history with each other. However, even though their teams have met each of the past two seasons, when their 2010 editions square off at Cecil Naylor Stadium in Marshall at 7 p.m Friday, they will be like old classmates who had plastic surgery since last they met – they may not recognize the other.
Stylistically, the Hornets – beginning their 13th season under Phil Willard and deep in their fifth decade in a system installed in the early 1960s by Willard’s predecessor, legendary coach Bob Fairchild – won’t have changed much, but personnel-wise they will bear little resemblance to the squad which defeated Marshall 12 months ago.
Chillicothe will have only four players – tight end/defensive end Blake Stephens, free safety Alex Thompson, offensive tackle Justin VanHoutan, and tight end Spencer Hart – back at the positions they manned in that 24-7 home triumph and only a couple of others who saw any meaningful playing time.
Marshall has a couple more returning starters, but it also has a new head coach in former Albany HS head coach Paul Eilers, offensive line coach for Missouri Western State University the past couple of years, a smaller, quicker group of players, and a new offensive look.
"They were running out of a 'pistol' (shotgun) offense with some misdirection. I'm sure there'll be some play-action passes and they'll throw some things at us that we didn't see in the (jamboree)," Willard told the C-T Wednesday.
"Marshall looks like they're pretty athletic on the line. They've not as big as they were last year, but they still have nice size … throughout their team and it looks like they run pretty well."
"Defensively,,” he continued, “it looks like they're running a 3-4 or 3-5. Doing a lot of stunting. It's going to be difficult for our young line to pick up, but we've been working on that this week and hopefully being able to make some adjustments as the game progresses."
The inexperienced Hornets appear to have a leaner, more-athletic interior line, which – as long as they’re hard-nosed, too – often is a plus for the crisp precision needed in executing the combination of power and misdirection running plays the tried-and-true system features.
Compounding Chillicothe’s preparations for the season opener beyond the youth (12 underclassmen slated to start at the 22 offensive and defensive positions) and inexperience is that bad weather has eliminated two key preseason practice sessions.
"We've tried to make up for some lost time this week,” reports Willard. “The last two Fridays, with the storms we've had (which prevented a practice and last Friday’s jamboree scrimmage), really didn't help us.
"Only getting seven plays in (at the jamboree), you really couldn't get a good look and adjust and do the things you need to do, especially as fast as it happened (rushed start without the usual warmups and reviews)."
Marshall was able to get a large percentage of its jamboree in at Central Methodist University of Fayette, allowing one touchdown and scoring one against Carrollton and doing nothing in an abbreviated set against Mexico. After the storm reached Fayette, the teams slipped inside a CMU practice building with unlined artificial turf and the Owls looked crisper, according to Marshall Daily News sports editor Chris Allen, against Normandy, a suburban St. Louis school which was a Class 4 state playoffs team in 2009.
"Any coach would ask for more practice time,” new MHS head coach Jay Eilers stated to the C-T Wednesday night."
Personnel-wise, neither club returns any proven playmakers. Marshall, as indicated, has a bit of an edge in game experience – an advantage reduced a bit on offense by being in a new system. Chillicothe looks to use fewer players both ways full-time, so stamina could become a factor as the game moves along.
"We've got a little depth, so we'll be able to rest people when we need to," Willard acknowledges.
"I know we haven't gotten to condition as much. We've done quite a bit since the weather's cooled. I would have liked to have had a little more."
Eilers is familiar with the CHS program and coaching philosophy, having recruited some Hornets for Missouri Western the past couple of years.
"I know we're going to be playing a team that's extremely well-coached. Coach Willard's a guy that I respect tremendously," he states.
Chillicothe is expected to be without three players who would have seen significant action, including fullback/nose guard Nick Plummer, a would-be returnee on defense. He could be back in a week or two. Marshall, according to Eilers, should have virtually everyone they want to use available.
As with any season opener, mistakes – giveaways, penalties, missed assignments – could play a decisive role, creating or negating big plays.
Willard says the potential problems which accompany a young team can be balanced by the potential for growth.
"It's exciting, having this young crew,” he stated Wednesday. “They've worked extremely hard. They're really tuned in to what we're doing and I think they'll progress throughout the year.
“If they have that kind of attitude, that they're going to jump in there and play as hard as they can play, they're going to learn a lot."
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The Chillicothe Hornets and Marshall Owls high school football programs have a long – and at times heated – history with each other. However, even though their teams have met each of the past two seasons, when their 2010 editions square off at Cecil Naylor Stadium in Marshall at 7 p.m Friday, they will be like old classmates who had plastic surgery since last they met – they may not recognize the other.
Stylistically, the Hornets – beginning their 13th season under Phil Willard and deep in their fifth decade in a system installed in the early 1960s by Willard’s predecessor, legendary coach Bob Fairchild – won’t have changed much, but personnel-wise they will bear little resemblance to the squad which defeated Marshall 12 months ago.
Chillicothe will have only four players – tight end/defensive end Blake Stephens, free safety Alex Thompson, offensive tackle Justin VanHoutan, and tight end Spencer Hart – back at the positions they manned in that 24-7 home triumph and only a couple of others who saw any meaningful playing time.
Marshall has a couple more returning starters, but it also has a new head coach in former Albany HS head coach Paul Eilers, offensive line coach for Missouri Western State University the past couple of years, a smaller, quicker group of players, and a new offensive look.
"They were running out of a 'pistol' (shotgun) offense with some misdirection. I'm sure there'll be some play-action passes and they'll throw some things at us that we didn't see in the (jamboree)," Willard told the C-T Wednesday.
"Marshall looks like they're pretty athletic on the line. They've not as big as they were last year, but they still have nice size … throughout their team and it looks like they run pretty well."
"Defensively,,” he continued, “it looks like they're running a 3-4 or 3-5. Doing a lot of stunting. It's going to be difficult for our young line to pick up, but we've been working on that this week and hopefully being able to make some adjustments as the game progresses."
The inexperienced Hornets appear to have a leaner, more-athletic interior line, which – as long as they’re hard-nosed, too – often is a plus for the crisp precision needed in executing the combination of power and misdirection running plays the tried-and-true system features.
Compounding Chillicothe’s preparations for the season opener beyond the youth (12 underclassmen slated to start at the 22 offensive and defensive positions) and inexperience is that bad weather has eliminated two key preseason practice sessions.
"We've tried to make up for some lost time this week,” reports Willard. “The last two Fridays, with the storms we've had (which prevented a practice and last Friday’s jamboree scrimmage), really didn't help us.
"Only getting seven plays in (at the jamboree), you really couldn't get a good look and adjust and do the things you need to do, especially as fast as it happened (rushed start without the usual warmups and reviews)."
Marshall was able to get a large percentage of its jamboree in at Central Methodist University of Fayette, allowing one touchdown and scoring one against Carrollton and doing nothing in an abbreviated set against Mexico. After the storm reached Fayette, the teams slipped inside a CMU practice building with unlined artificial turf and the Owls looked crisper, according to Marshall Daily News sports editor Chris Allen, against Normandy, a suburban St. Louis school which was a Class 4 state playoffs team in 2009.
"Any coach would ask for more practice time,” new MHS head coach Jay Eilers stated to the C-T Wednesday night."
Personnel-wise, neither club returns any proven playmakers. Marshall, as indicated, has a bit of an edge in game experience – an advantage reduced a bit on offense by being in a new system. Chillicothe looks to use fewer players both ways full-time, so stamina could become a factor as the game moves along.
"We've got a little depth, so we'll be able to rest people when we need to," Willard acknowledges.
"I know we haven't gotten to condition as much. We've done quite a bit since the weather's cooled. I would have liked to have had a little more."
Eilers is familiar with the CHS program and coaching philosophy, having recruited some Hornets for Missouri Western the past couple of years.
"I know we're going to be playing a team that's extremely well-coached. Coach Willard's a guy that I respect tremendously," he states.
Chillicothe is expected to be without three players who would have seen significant action, including fullback/nose guard Nick Plummer, a would-be returnee on defense. He could be back in a week or two. Marshall, according to Eilers, should have virtually everyone they want to use available.
As with any season opener, mistakes – giveaways, penalties, missed assignments – could play a decisive role, creating or negating big plays.
Willard says the potential problems which accompany a young team can be balanced by the potential for growth.
"It's exciting, having this young crew,” he stated Wednesday. “They've worked extremely hard. They're really tuned in to what we're doing and I think they'll progress throughout the year.
“If they have that kind of attitude, that they're going to jump in there and play as hard as they can play, they're going to learn a lot."
