Well-conditioned Springfield-Montco ready to repeat as district champ
The season might be new but the goal, the formula and route all remain the same for Springfield as it enters the 2015 season as the defending District 1-AA champions after defeating Bristol for the title a year ago.
Not many teams are privileged enough to compete for a district title with a losing record in the regular season. For Springfield that is obviously not the intent but unfortunately the reality as the only Class AA school in the Suburban One League.
“We’re looking at becoming district champs again,” Springfield senior linebacker and fullback Brett Righter said. “It was an exciting moment.”
Because the Spartans have the smallest team in its league, everything starts with conditioning, as most starters will have to play both ways and want to unsure that they will be the team wearing teams down at the end of the game and not the other way around.
“We basically start the week after our season ends,” Righter said. “On Wednesday we run. We already started running 10 banners (a 40-yard sprint down and back) this first week of two a days and that’s the highest we’ve gone.”
The Spartans know that its tough Suburban One American conference schedule toughens them for the district playoffs but coming off of a season in which it finished 2-4 in the league they expect to compete tougher this year.
“I feel like Suburban One prepares us toughness- wise,” Righter said. “There’s no AA team that competes like PW or Upper Dublin. I think those teams prepare us mentally and (with our) toughness.”
With five returning starters on offense and defense Springfield enters the 2015 season with some important senior leadership starting with Righter and quarterback and defensive back Justin Hill other senior leaders include offensive and defensive lineman Nigel Fox and running back and defensive back Ben Fisher.
“I’m just excited to lead my guys,” Hill said.
The Spartans also boast a talent junior class that returns key players wide receiver and defensive back George Baughan, wide receiver and defensive back Sheir-Ron Whittaker, running back and line backer Drew Toutkousian and offensive line man and linebacker Robert Demerlis.
“We got a lot of young guys but we got a lot of guys that are hungry,” Hill said. “We been working hard all off season and we’re coming back trying to repeat what we did and take it a step further.”
Top Photo: Springfield-Montco football players stretch at practice on Monday, Aug. 17, 2015. (Bob Raines/Montgomery Media)
