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Top-seeded St. C. locked, loaded and focused on first playoff challenge

Photo by Nick Henthorn St. Clairsville’s Gavin Schoolcraft rushes with the ball during a Red Devils game this season against Union Local. St. Clairsville (10-0) will host Marion-Franklin (4-6) in a first-round playoff game this Friday at Red Devil Stadium.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — It was a regular season where everything came up aces for the St. Clairsville Red Devils, who put together a perfect 10-0 record throughout their schedule. Heading into the playoffs, the St. Clairsville faithful are hoping their team has a few more cards up their sleeve.

St. C., the top-seed in Division IV, Region 15, hosts Marion-Franklin (4-6) this Friday at Red Devil Stadium for a 7 p.m. kickoff. The game is set to be a rematch of the two team’s playoff opener last year, where Marion-Franklin, also called the Red Devils, were defeated 44-12. Despite their familiarity and spotless regular season though, St. Clairsville is staying locked-in.

“We don’t want to be complacent, but we are super excited to finish the regular season with 10 wins,” St. Clairsville head coach Brett McLean said. “We had a very challenging schedule, it was an emotional schedule, a lot of rivalry games and some great teams. I think we had a couple 9-1 teams and a couple 8-2’s. It was a challenge to see it through, and our whole team and coaching staff deserves all the credit for showing up every day focused and putting a heck of a lot of time into preparation whether it be the preseason, the regular season, the off-season.

“I’m excited to finish the 10 weeks that way but it’s all for naught now. We’re in a new season and it needs all of our focus here, playing a very good Marion-Franklin team who we know well, playing them a year ago.”

St. Clairsville were the ‘1’ for 9-1 Martins Ferry and Norwayne, and defeated 8-2 Union Local and Indian Creek. Marion Franklin snuck into the playoffs with a sub-.500 record to face the No. 1 seed Red Devils, but are riding a three-game winning streak coming into Friday’s matchup.

McLean says they are not a team to be taken lightly.

“They’ve got some exceptional players,” McLean said. “Some Division-I talent, they’re the champions of the Columbus City League, they’re the champions of their league in wrestling last year, they have a couple kids who are 1,000-point scorers who play for them, kids all over the podiums in the state track meet.

“We’re talking about a team with athletes, with talent and we’ve got to have all our focus on Marion-Franklin.”

St. Clairsville has talent of their own, starting on offense with a pair of rushers who combined for almost 1,600 yards and 23 touchdowns on the ground. Seniors Dino Burk (800 yards, 12 touchdowns) and Gavin Schoolcraft (778 yards, 11 touchdowns) make for a great running back tandem, while quarterback Brady Schafer has completed 64% of his passes for 1,170 yards and 10 touchdowns while spreading the ball around to Tyson Pastor (322 yards, one touchdown), Gage Wolfe (122 yards, one touchdown), Micky Balgo (193 yards, two touchdowns) and Brody Saunders (188 yards, two touchdowns).

Defensively, St. C. has held their opponents to an average of 11.2 points per game, and have pitched two shutouts. Colten Florence has nine sacks along the defensive line, while Schoolcraft has snagged four picks in the secondary.

Much of the Red Devils core- seniors like Burk, Schoolcraft, Schafer, Pastor, Saunders, Wolfe, Wyatt Toothman, Max Fogle and more- returned to the team this year after already having carved out substantial roles for themselves as underclassmen. Having not only a senior-laden team, but one that is used to carrying the load and playing in big games, is a striking advantage in McLean’s eyes.

“Having some experience in playoff games is big because they’re different,” he said. “They’re played different, they’re coached different, the environment’s different, the crowd’s different. There’s a whole lot more excitement and enthusiasm, everything is magnified more- turnovers, penalties, big plays. You’re playing knowing that you’ve got to win to move on. Coaches are going to take chances maybe where they otherwise wouldn’t because they know this game could end their season.

“It’s just different all-around and I know when we get in the playoffs in Ohio, there is talent everywhere. [Marion-Franklin]’s got two players with Division-I offers who they utilize on offense and defense. They’re exceptional. You’ll see more and more of that as every round goes by in the playoffs. You’ve got to take it one day at time, each practice is of the upmost importance.”

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