I also plan to attend a University of Dayton volleyball match. I have never seen a collegiate level match, and the UD Flyers are currently ranked in the top twenty-five.
In addition to being the home of a large number of excellent college football programs, southwest Ohio in general and Cincinnati in particular are one of the true national high school football hotbeds. St. Xavier in Cincinnati is currently ranked as the number one high school team in the nation in the USA Today poll. I plan to try to catch one of their games this fall, as well as some of the region's other top rivalries. I also have the last game between North and South high schools in Springfield before they consolidate into the new Springfield High School next year circled on my calendar. A trip to the other side of the state to see my old alma mater, South Gallia High School, which is currently in contention for it's third consecutive playoff berth, is also coming down the pike.
I plan on doing the same thing during basketball season.
This week I decided to capitalize on an opportunity to see two of the premiere lower division college football programs in the nation battle it out and attended my first Wittenberg football game. It promised to be an interesting diversion for the weekend as I had never attended a small college game. The game itself and the atmosphere more than lived up to my expectations.
The 12th ranked team in Division III, the Capital Crusaders, shut out the Wittenberg Tigers, picked to finish second in the NCAC this year, 13-0. The Wittenberg Tigers are the winningest program in Division III history, having had amassed a total of six hundred and sixty three victories. They have posted a winning season an incredible forty-nine out of the past fifty-six seasons. Five of those seasons, 1962, 1964, 1969, 1973, and 1975 resulted in national championships, with runner-up finishes in 1978 and 1979. They have won a total of eight NCAC and fifteen OAC conference championships. They are truly one of the football gems in a state with a great football tradition. On this night, however, the Wittenberg offense was stymied, gaining only 153 yards of total offense. The performance of the defense, on the other hand, was exemplary. They surrendered only thirteen points to a highly rated opponent, and three of those points were the product of a goal-line stand that saw Capital unable to punch the ball across the goal line after having it first and goal at the the one yard line. This was one of several instances in which Capital was unable to capitalize on having the ball deep in Wittenberg territory. The defense kept Wittenberg in the game, but the offense was simply unable to get on track. The Tigers are young, with five freshman starters and ten first-year players in the two-deep, and the next few years should be promising.
Edwards-Maurer Field is an excellent venue in which to spend a Saturday evening taking in a football game. The hilltop on which the stadium is situated constitutes one of the highest elevations in the city, offering an excellent view of downtown Springfield. It is surrounded by trees, creating a feeling that the stadium is detached from the rest of the city in a country or park-like setting, although it is in fact surrounded by the campus and a residential neighborhood. My only complaint is that there was no marching band performance.
The combination of perfect fall football weather, partisan fans, the cheerleaders, the setting, and the excellent view of the city's downtown (especially after the lights in the buildings came on at night) made for a perfect beginning to the football season.
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