BGHS, Rossford face obstacles

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Fall isn’t quite yet in the air but it’s still that time of year: opening weekend of the high school
football season.
It’s a time for coaches to finally measure how their offseason preparations translate to game settings
and, for the players, gives them the chance to hit someone who isn’t a teammate.
"I think everybody that goes through all the summer conditioning and all the training, and then into
the two-a-days in August really get excited about that first game week when they get to hit somebody
else and find out how good they are, said Bowling Green coach Scott Seeliger, whose Bobcats are coming
off a 3-7 season. "So it’s a really anxious time, but a really exciting time for everyone."

Unfortunately for Rossford and head coach Todd Drusback, they’ll be starting the season short-handed.
A slew of injuries in camp have the Bulldogs heading into the opener without several top players,
including starting wide receiver Dylan Nawrocki and University of Toledo commit Nate Childress, a
captain and starter on the defensive line and tight end.
"Unfortunately we have a few on top of that as well, but that’s the way it goes," Drusback
said. "We’ve been though setbacks and adversities before, and they happen on every team. That’s
part of it and part of it as our job as coaches is to get the next guy up and ready to play."
Drusback has been leaning on the team’s other three captains – John Pupik, Cody Igo and Steven Carey – to
help pick up the slack. He also credits the injured players for mentoring their replacements and
continuing to be leaders off the field.
"We’re kind of in that next-man-in kind of mode where injuries occur and are part of (the
game)," Drusback said. "You’ve got to be ready when your opportunity calls so you can make the
most of it. So I’m really excited to see who steps up and fills some roles for us."
On the other side of the field, the Bobcats will be breaking in a new quarterback in Devon Garcia, a
transfer from St. John’s Jesuit in Toledo.
A strong athlete who is committed to Ohio University to play baseball, Garcia has the tools to excel for
BG. However, he has been off the football field for two years, so Seeliger and his staff have been
working on getting him re-acclimated to the gridiron.
"Everything is kind of new that way," Seeliger said. "But he’s a great athlete. He’s a guy
who makes plays. Both on the offensive and defensive side of the ball, he’s another playmaker for us.
And I think he’ll be exciting with the ball in his hands."
For both coaches, the opener is about executing. While they have spent the entire offseason working on
fundamentals, Friday will offer the first chance they have to see how their players implement those
fundamentals in a game.
"When you get to this point getting ready for week one, that’s when you have to cut down those
mistakes and execute," Drusback said. "And really every game, no matter what style you play,
blocking and tackling are always going to be the key deals. If you execute there and take care of the
ball, create turnovers, prevent the big play and all those kind of clich√© type things, but it’s really
true and it’ll definitely be true Friday."

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