Friday, October 27, 2000
High stakes for Walnut Hills, West Hi
By Dave Schutte
The Cincinnati Enquirer
The stakes couldn't be higher: Walnut Hills and Western Hills play tonight for the Queen City Conference championship and a playoff spot.
“I told the kids that most players never get an opportunity to participate in a game like this that means so much,” Walnut Hills coach John Young said.
Walnut Hills hasn't won a league championship since the mid-1980s, If they win, the Eagles will qualify in Division II. A Western Hills victory would qualify it in Division I.
After Walnut Hills started the season with losses to Harrison (34-21), Turpin (14-8) and Purcell Marian (21-19), the playoffs were the farthest thing from the Eagles' minds.
“It was a big play that cost us both the Purcell and Turpin games,” quarterback/middle linebacker Eric Robinson said. “Everyone was down, but the seniors knew that we could still pull out the season.”
What followed has been a six-game winning streak, all against league opponents.
“This will be one of the biggest moments of our lives,” Robinson said. “There will be a time in life when we look back to this game. We want the thoughts to be positive.”
Young wasn't optimistic to start the season.
“The quarterback I expected to start came up ineligible academically,” Young said. “I started working with a freshman and sophomore during the summer but things weren't working out.”
Robinson, coming into the year as the starting middle linebacker, was in attendance during the quarterback workouts and noticed the younger players were struggling.
“Eric walked up and told me to give him the ball,” Young said. “He's not a true quarterback but he's a leader. I had the choice of going with a middle linebacker or a young quarterback.”
Young adjusted the offense to fit Robinson's limited abilities, especially throwing the ball.
The Eagles run the option, using a lot of trap blocks with three backs picking up most of the yardage. They also feature the play action pass with Robinson occasionally dropping back to throw.
“We used the shotgun in the first game but we quickly changed,” Young said. “We throw 20 passes a game. Eric's not a great thrower, but he does a good job with audibles and makes good decisions.
The offensive line, one of the biggest in Cincinnati, has played a major role in the recent success along with tailback Clinton McGhee and fullback Scott Dean.
“Our linemen have to be good blockers because the backs are small,” Young said. “This is a special group. I could see when they were in the eighth grade that if they stuck together, they would be good.”
Allen Shelton, a 6-foot-1, 350-pound tackle, anchors the line that also includes Sean Krebs (6-2, 260), Ned Boydston (6-5, 250), Alex Speight (6-3, 315) and tight end Mike Dubose (6-2, 225).
Complete prep football coverage at Enquirer.com/prepfootball
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High stakes for Walnut Hills, West Hi
