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OCTOBER 23, 2011 - BRADFORD
It was a special day for Covington football Sunday as both Covington Little Buccs football teams came away with league championships. The junior varsity (3rd and 4th grade) defeated Houston 20-12 in the early game and the varsity squad (5th and 6th grade) also defeated Houston 13-6.

And on hand to watch was head football coach Dave Miller, some of the high school football players and the junior high football coaches.

"What a great group of kids we have coming up through the program," said Coach Miller. "I give credit to the coaches we have down there (with the Little Buccs). They do a fine job with the kids. It started a few years back with Steve Bordelon, Hammer (Greg Vandegrift) and that group of coaches and these coaches have kept it going. I'm very excited about our youth football program and what the future will look like when these kids come up to us."

The present is pretty exciting as well as Little Buccs have brought home the fourth league title this year for the Covington football program. The high school team locked up at least a share of the title this past Friday and the junior high program captured their championship last Tuesday.

"That's neat that every group that plays football at Covington has a league championship," Miller said, wondering if this has ever happened before. "Hopefully we can keep it going."

The third and fourth grade Buccaneers got it going from the opening snap and didn't stop until the final play of the game ended on a defensive stop at mid-field.

Spencer Brumbaugh started it off for the youngsters on a long touchdown run in the first quarter and then Alex Schaffer scored before the half after Houston got on the board with a touchdown.

Covington then broke the game open in the third quarter on another Schaffer touchdown run, while the defense held a dangerous Wildcat offense in check.

It wasn't until there were eight plays left in the game when Houston scored to make the game closer, but by then the Buccs had virtually sealed the contest.

Which was a sweet victory for the youngsters as it avenged a 20-0 defeat at the hands of Houston just one month ago.

"That's what makes this so much sweeter," said junior varsity Little Buccs coach Alex Reck. "It just shows how much these kids have improved over the course of the year."

The varsity team had plenty of motivation on Sunday as it was looking to repeat as league champions and finish with an unblemished 9-0 record.

And it wasn't easy for the Buccs as Houston played a whale of a game, stopping Covington twice in the first half inside the ten. The Buccs did get on the board, however, as Ethan Herron connected with Jett Murphy for a 50-yard touchdown pass to make the score 6-0 at the break.

Murphy scored again in the third quarter on a slant pass from Ty Freemen. "The Jett" went high in the air to make the catch and then split the Houston defense for a 65-yard touchdown reception to push the lead to 13-0.

Houston wouldn't go quietly as it responded late in the fourth quarter with a touchdown run to cut the deficit to 13-6.

But the Buccaneer defense, which swarmed to the ball all game long, made the plays in the final moments to seal the deal.

"I was very impressed by the fifth and sixth grade," said high school coach Dave Miller. "They were physical and came off the ball really well. Sure they have things they need to work on like running their feet and finishing, but that will come as they move up to junior high. I sure hope all those kids come out next year and bring some more friends with them."

The kids are already tight as a group, which is evident by the way they play the game.

"One thing I noticed right off that bat is that these kids are a close knit group," Miller said. "You can tell they care for each other and the team is what's most important."

Which is something that has been instilled in them since they began playing football as third graders. This year the team concept has once again been the driving force under coaches Hammer and Don McReynolds - and it was the point of emphasis in the post-game speech.

"We're so proud of you guys because you set a goal as a team and accomplished it as a team," McReynolds told the kids. "Everybody here earned this and contributed to this."

"This" was a memorable season for the youngsters, but it will be all for naught if the kids don't stick together down the line.

Should these kids in all four grades stick together, six years from now something special will be taking place at the high school level on Friday nights.

LITTLE BUCCS TEAMS ADVANCE TO TITLE GAMES...
OCTOBER 16, 2011 - COVINGTON
It was a great day for the Covington Little Buccs program as both the junior varsity and varsity teams advanced to next week's CCC Championship games next week against Houston with impressive wins over National Trail on Sunday.

The junior varsity squad will take the field next Sunday at 2:00pm and the varsity team will tee it up at 4:00pm. Both games will be played at Bradford.

For the Little Buccs third and fourth graders, it was an outstanding effort across the board as the youngsters avenged a 19-12 loss at National Trail earlier this season by dominating for a 26-6 win.

National Trail took the opening possession and moved the ball inside Buccaneer territory, but Covington's defense stiffened to take over the ball at its own ten.

Three plays later Spencer Brumbaugh put on an amazing show, following his blockers and weaving his way 87 yards for the score and a 6-0 lead.

The Buccs then increased its lead to 13-0 on a touchdown run by Alex Schaffer and a run for an extra point by Dalton Weer with five plays left in the half.

Which was enough for the Buccs to get the ball back as Trail fumbled with two plays left, turning the ball over to Covington 25 yards from the goal line with one play left.

And that one play was a memorable one for Clayton Maschino as the Buccaneer quarterback faked out the entire Blazer defense with a bootleg and scored to give Covington a 20-0 lead at the break.

National Trail responded midway through the third quarter with a long touchdown run to cut the deficit to 20-6, but Covington closed the show in the fourth quarter on a Spencer Brumbaugh interception for the score.

The victory was a gratifying one for the third and fourth graders, not only because they avenged an earlier defeat, but more so because every youngster in uniform had a hand in it - most obvious by the defensive stand by the youngest kids on the roster late in the fourth quarter. On the play Parker Metz forced a Blazer fumble that was recovered by the Buccaneer defense in the end zone.

For the varsity boys, it was a physical battle with National Trail from start to finish.

Covington started the scoring on its first drive with a 55-yard halfback pass from Ethan Herron to Jett Murphy, who outran the Blazer defense for a 6-0 Buccaneer lead.

But National Trail responded in a big way on a long touchdown run to tie the score - a play where the Blazer runner broke several tackles and raced down the sideline for the score.

It remained a defensive struggle throughout the rest of the half as the score remained 6-6 with two quarters to play.

The defensive struggle continued in the second half until Buccaneer quarterback Tyler Freeman connected with Nick Risner on a long pass to set the Buccs inside the Blazer ten.

Herron then went the rest of the way on a short touchdown run to give the Buccs a 12-6 win.

"Trail was the hardest hitting bunch we've played all year," said Covington varsity Little Buccs coach Don McReynolds. "We played pretty well and the kids hung tough out there. A lot of kids stepped up tonight and everybody played their hearts out."

The victory for both Covington teams gives them an opportunity to claim a league title next week - but more importantly, it gives the kids an extra week to play football together.

In the grand scheme of things, that's the real prize.

The junior varsity squad (3rd & 4th grade) posted an impressive 38-22 win over Twin Valley South, but more importantly showed the improvement on the things that have been worked on in practice.

"We've been working on gang tackling on defense and on offense getting our backs to get up field," said junior varsity coach Alex Reck. "Today was the best they've done that all year. And our kids were hitting today."

The beauty of the performance was the number of kids who contributed in a big way. It wasn't just one or two players, but an entire unit.

As proof, four different Buccaneer players found the end zone (Spencer Brumbaugh, Alex Schaffer, Duncan Cooper and Dalton Weer) and Joshua Lattimer caught the first successful Buccaneer pas this year for a two-point conversion. These youngsters get their names mentioned, but it was the effort by their teammates that put them in position to make plays.

"Everyone played and played well," Reck said, as his team improved to 4-3 on the season. "The kids stuck together as a team."

The varsity unit (5th & 6th graders) also put together a great team effort in capturing a 27-0 win.

Once again, everyone in uniform saw the field and contributed along the way. Ethan Herron scored three times for the Buccs, while Bryan Miller recorded his first touchdown for the Little Buccs and Tyler Fraley scored on a two-point conversion.

But it was the defense that impressed the most, recording a second straight shutout win in improving to 7-0.

And Covington coach Don McReynolds couldn't have put it any better way in a short, but sweet summary.

"Everyone played and played well," he said. "It was a good all-around, team effort."

Both the Buccaneer teams return home next Sunday for the second round of the tournament. The junior varsity game begins at 2:00pm and the varsity contest at around 4:00pm.

For the third and fourth graders (JV Team), it was a rough day as the youngsters dropped their third straight game - falling by the score of 28-12.

The Little Buccs had difficulty hanging onto the football all afternoon, but were still within striking distance at the half, trailing 20-12.

But a long touchdown run by Miami East in the fourth quarter sealed Covington's fate.

The varsity unit continues to jell together as a team, putting forth an impressive team effort in a 26-0 win.

Jett Murphy started things off by hauling in a long touchdown pass from Ethan Herron on a halfback pass. The Buccs improved their lead to 14-0 at the break with a short touchdown run by fullback Joe Schmeltzer.

The defense played lights out all day and put the Buccs in position for another score on a fumble return by Asa Swabb. Ethan Herron capped the effort with a touchdown run to push the Covington lead to 20-0.

The defense then sealed the contest in the fourth quarter as Derek Hite scooped up another Viking fumble and raced 30 yards for the score and a 26-0 win.

Covington begins playoff action next Sunday at Twin Valley South. The junior varsity takes the field at 2:00pm and the varsity unit is slated to begin at around 4:00pm.

Forget the junior varsity group dropped a 20-0 affair with Houston - because all 36 kids on Covington's roster saw the field - a fact that is rather impressive considering the age of the kids and there are that many in uniform.

Looking beyond the score, the little things the kids do right was evident - swarming to the football, playing hard, and most of all, listing to coaching.

Plus, Covington's offense gives opportunities for everyone. It is run by committee, opportunities for several kids to execute what they practiced.

And this will pay dividends down the line as the kids grow older and become more sound in the fundamentals that are being coached. Give these kids time and they will be tough to beat.

The fifth and sixth grade classes are proof of that.

Two years ago this same group of kids were soundly defeated by Houston. Today, the varsity group jumped out to a 19-0 lead with the black offense and defense (mostly sixth graders) on the field.

Ensuring everyone received adequate experience, the white offense and defense took the field for much of the second half. Sure, Houston scored twice to cut the deficit to 19-13, but the younger kids made the Wildcats earn every yard.

They also made plays when they needed to secure the victory.

And the varsity unit held on for a 20-18 victory to remain unbeaten at 4-0, while the junior varsity unit came up short in a 19-12 score to fall to 3-1.

Even in defeat, the third and fourth graders learned a valuable lesson in ball control as National Trail kept the ball out of Covington's hands with long, sustained drives. It's the style of football the youngsters are learning to play - moving the chains and keeping the other team's offense off the field. The Blazers executed that plan very well for a group of young kids.

When Covington did have the ball, it had some success - scoring twice on touchdown runs.

The varsity team jumped out to a 14-0 lead, but found itself in a dog fight as Trail was in position to tie the score in the waning moments with a two-point conversion. But the Buccaneer defense was up to the task, swarming to the ball to stop the attempt and preserve the two-point win.

And everyone contributed in a big way. Ethan Herron scored twice and recovered a fumble. Joey Schmelzer scored once and recorded and interception. Ty Freeman ran for a conversion and also hooked up with Jett Murphy on a nice pass play. Cade Harshbarger had some big runs, while Asa Swabb and Derek Hit each had three sacks.

Both the varsity and junior varsity Little Buccs have a week off before returning home on September 25th against Houston.

Starting with the junior varsity - once again all 36 of the kids played a significant amount and played very well. Yes, a victory was in hand on the scoreboard, but the performance of these youngsters goes way beyond what the numbers read on the scoreboard.

The lineman, consisting of third and fourth graders, fired off the ball low and hard with their hands out front on both sides of the ball. The backs ran low and hard with their heads up and two arms around the football. It was textbook execution for kids of such a young age, which is a sign of kids who are very coachable.

Then there was the tackling - not one or two players flying to the football, but all eleven players in the lineup hustling to make a tackle - tackling with their heads on the outside and driving their feet until the whistle blows.

Witnessing this kind of fundamentals by third and fourth graders is so much more gratifying to see than watching the score.

As proof, the Twin Valley South coach said it best.

"You guys have something going here at Covington," said the coach. "Your kids listen and do exactly what they are told and they are very well coached. How they get all those kids in the game and play like this is beyond me."

And it wasn't only the junior varsity kids who shined.

The varsity unit played a whale off a game too, even after falling behind 8-0 after South converted a fumble into a touchdown.

Covington scored three times in the contest on two Ethan Herron runs and a fumble recovery for a score by Cade Harshbarger.

But it was the aggressiveness by the offensive and defensive lines that got the job done.

It didn't matter whether it was the black until, white unit or the red unit, the Covington lineman played as well as any group of kids I've seen in the past seven or eight years - firing low and hard off the ball and driving their feet until the whistle blew.

The backs, in particular the fullbacks, hit the hole with a full head of steam and drove the pile an extra four or five yards each time they touched the ball - all the while keeping two hands wrapped around the football for ball security.

The defense, it was tenacious, swarming to the football and making sure tackles on opposing ball carriers.

In the end, both the Covington teams won on the scoreboard, but the fact that every kid in a Buccaneer uniform contributed in a big way is the most important thing.

Lastley, it was the teamwork. There were no stars where kids stand back and watch a teammate run up and down the field. Both games saw a complete team effort across the board.

And if all of these kids continue to play all the way through high school, we'll have something special brewing in Covington.

It's also a credit to the coaches and kids when they can come away with a victory - even though winning isn't the primary focus - but giving every kid the opportunity to learn is.

The junior varsity squad, consisting of 36 third and fourth graders, played inspired football in a 26-20 victory over Arcanum on Sunday.

All of the youngsters contributed and it's an injustice to single out any one or two players - but you can't overlook the play of little Alex Shaffer. The jitterbug used the blocking of his teammates to burn the Trojans twice for touchdowns - scores that symbolize the essence of "Team" football. The line did their jobs up front by driving their opponents backward, while Shaffer read his blocks and squirted his way into the end zone.

It was a case of "Team Ball" for the fifth and sixth graders as well in a 19-0 shutout win over the Trojans.

There will also be some names mentioned in reporting the action, but ALL of the kids played very well - especially at the defensive end in recording the shutout.

At the offensive end, Jett Murphy opened the scoring on a 55-yard strike from quarterback Ty Freeman - who hit "The Jett" in stride with a perfect pass.

Ethan Herron then scored on runs from 22 and 66 yards away and Freeman ran in an extra point to cap the Buccaneer scoring.

To top it off, Christian Meyer recorded a fumble recovery for the Buccs.

With both teams holding 2-0 records, the youngsters head home next week for the home opener against Twin Valley South.

AUGUST 21, 2011 - BRANDT
Team Unity was the theme for the Covington Little Buccs during a memorable season a year ago and that theme appears to have carried over to the 2011 Little Buccs squad by the way they performed in the season opener at Bethel on Sunday.

And it was the sixth grade class that set the tone, kids who were a part of a championship season in 2010.

"Those kids learned from last year's sixth graders about what it means to be a team, that you can't do it alone," said varsity coach Don McReynolds. "It's kind of neat because now they are teaching the younger kids what it means."

After a scoreless first half the varsity squad hit pay dirt on a five-yard run by Ethan Herron to make the score 7-0.

Bethel responded with a long scoring play of its own on a halfback pass, but the Buccs put the game away on a 70-yard pass from Herron to the "Jett", Jett Murphy, who had raced behind the Bethel defense and hauled in the pass in stride.

The Buccaneer defense was stellar all afternoon, only surrendering the one big play to the Bees.

The junior varsity squad also came out on top in a hard-fought contest, 13-6.

With 36 kids in uniform it was impressive to witness how the coaches managed to get each player on the field using a color system. The system was nearly flawless as the kids rotated in and out without much confusion, a rarity for third and fourth graders in the first game of the season.

Much like the varsity game, scoring was at a minimum, but the Buccs received two long touchdown runs, one by Alex Shafer and another by Spencer Brumbaugh.

It was enough to capture victory as the defensive units Covington put on the field did a whale of a job gang tackling Bethel runners throughout the contest.

With successful season opening victories under their belts, Covington continues the learning process next week at Arcanum.