Response to loss has Western in contention

COLLINS — The setback tells the story. After the Western Reserve football team lost at Bucyrus Wynford on Sept. 6, head coach Ty Stevenson wasn't sure what response he was going to get. But what he heard from his players in the immediate days after has now put the Roughriders in prime position. Western — which received a vote in the Associated Press state poll in Division VI — will take a 5-1 record overall and a 3-0 mark in the Firelands Conference to Marsh Field on Friday to take on Div. VII No. 6-ranked Monroeville (6-0, 3-0). After losing to the Royals (1-5), the 'Riders have outscored Plymouth (1-5), Mapleton (2-4) and St. Paul (2-4) by a combined 123-27 score. "Our kids have really built some confidence over the last three weeks," Stevenson said. "I thought it was very similar to 2019 when we lost against Edison (in a 9-1 regular season), but I thought our kids took the loss (at Wynford) the right way. "They said that we didn't play well, we have to go back and work harder, it was just one game … It was that kind of talk. That was a turning point to what we're trying to do here, and I think we've played really well since. "I think our kids give themselves a chance to compete because they really enjoy playing together. They are willing to play hard for each other, and that makes a big difference." In last week's 28-7 win over St. Paul, junior quarterback Hayden Keith was 13-of-15 passing for 207 yards. He also ran 16 times for 85 yards and two touchdowns. For the season, Keith is 81-of-129 passing for 1,382 yards with 14 TDs and four interceptions, while adding 608 yards and 9 TDs on 70 rush attempts. Brexton Fraelich has 20 catches for 419 yards and 3 TDs, while Chase Hipp has 19 catches for 304 yards and 5 TDs. Hayden Dobias adds 17 catches for 213 yards and 2 TDs, and Jared Hipp has rushed 44 times for 267 yards and 5 TDs. Will Taylor leads the defense with 57 tackles and two sacks. Dom Edwards has 56 tackles, while Austin Kolb adds 39 tackles and two sacks. The Roughriders will be tested like they haven't this season against the high-flying Eagles. Quarterback Evan Benfer does it all for the Eagles. He has 71 rush attempts for 814 yards and 12 TDs on the ground and is 31-of-57 passing for 379 yards with 3 TDs and 4 INTs. Landen Roeder has totaled 602 yards and 9 TDs on 92 attempts. AJ Bores is Benfer's top target with nine catches for 131 yards and a TD. Monroeville has won all six games by 15-plus points and has outscored teams 247-51, an average of 42-9. "They're obviously really good with a lot of guys back," Stevenson said. "And you can start with Benfer being one of the best players in the Firelands Conference. Roeder is also one of the best players in the FC, too, and they have them both back there running the football. "And if you force them to throw, they have plenty of athletes on the edge who are more than capable of catching the ball," he added. "And then you look up front and you got three-year starter (Brycen) Dunlap and the (Jaxson) Hedrick kid is really good and their leader on the line." Stevenson said on top of their athletes, what makes the Eagles difficult to play is they know and understand what they want to do. "And it's a credit to their coaching staff and the things they've done with their team," he said. "They are just good all around the field, and it shows." Defensively, Benfer is also the team leader for Monroeville with 39 tackles and an interception. An All-Ohio first team safety in 2023, Stevenson remembers well how he performed in last year's Monroeville win. "I think he had something like 22 tackles against us," he said. "He is a phenomenal free safety, and in general it's a lot of those same guys as their best defenders, too." Western enters the game as the No. 6 team in Div. VI Region 22, while the Eagles are No. 3 in Region 25 in Div. VII. The winner will also be alone in first place entering the final three weeks. "You have to try and get them to drive the football, and I'm sure they are thinking the same thing with us and not giving up deep passes," Stevenson said. "We have to execute defensively. We can't just load up on one thing and take one thing away, because they are good enough with their coaches and players that they will just beat you somewhere else. "I think you just have to try to line up, play defense and make sure you're as fundamentally sound as we can," he added. "We have to make sure we don't give up the big plays and hope they have to drive the ball and one of your kids can make a big play here or there and get them behind the chains — then you have to be able to take advantage of that, too. You have to get them off the field."