TRENTON — The Badin and Edgewood high school football teams rode a tough two-game stretch of competition into Week 3.
They’ll face each other on Friday night at Kumler Field — as both programs search for their first win of the season.
“For us, just looking at the grand scheme of things, you throw the records out the door with Edgewood and Badin,” Cougars first-year coach Trace Reynolds said. “It’s a backyard rivalry. We’re very similar programs in terms of bringing blue-collar and grit.
“Truthfully, what this game is going to represent is two teams that know they’re good football teams. They know they’re looking to get things rolling offensively.”
Badin is 0-2 and riding its first three-game losing streak in five years. The Rams had their 38-game regular-season win streak snapped by Hamilton (15-0) in Week 1 before falling to St. Francis De Sales (17-3) last week.
“We’re in a position we haven’t been in for a while,” Badin coach Nick Yordy said. “For us, it’s like teaching kids to stay the course and telling them to trust the process here with what we’re doing. It’s worked, obviously, in the past.
“The biggest thing for us is getting the kids to realize that not one person has to go out there and single-handedly win a game,” Yordy added. “We need 11 guys. We’ve been in both of our games at halftime and into the third quarter. We’re right there.
“The kids still have good attitudes. I don’t think we’re hitting the panic button or anything like that. It’s a matter of our kids learning how to play the game at a high level. They’re still figuring it out. We’re one or two guys away from a couple plays in each of these last two games of breaking off a long run or something like that. We’re just hoping at some point it’s going to click.
“With us and Edgewood, somebody’s got to win.”
Edgewood also sits at 0-2 after losing to Division I programs — Milford (33-3) and Springboro (38-7).
“The focus on us is that we knew we’ve got the toughest schedule in Butler County,” Reynolds said. “We knew what we were up against at first. That’s what everybody’s thought of us — ‘They’ve got a tough schedule, new systems.’ All that stuff. I look at it as we’re not going to make excuses for that. We knew we were going to play good teams.
“We didn’t get the job done the first two weeks, but our kids played for 48 minutes, and they played hard,” Reynolds added. “We didn’t lay down in those games.
“The big thing for us is that we’ve had flashes in all phases of where we want to be. But we have yet to consistently put a whole game together.”
Badin began the season with just four returning starters from a year ago. The Rams are still revamping on both sides of the ball.
Senior Garrett Konesky and junior Colt Emerson have seen reps at quarterback, while junior running back Lem Grayson has yet to have a breakout performance. Junior receiver James Brink has 10 catches for 65 yards.
Badin has yet to score a touchdown this season. Defensively, the Rams are holding their own.
“The kids have had pretty good attitudes,” Yordy said. “Some kids are playing the game, and we’re trying to get them to practice hard and learn how to practice hard and learn how to practice the right way — in all three phases of the game. They’re still learning.
“We’re just focusing on the little things. I’ve always said it, but I feel like if we can control things that we can control and take care of the little things, it’s going to take care of the bigger things. They’re still playing hard. They’re still playing Badin football, and that’s what we expect out of them.”
Senior quarterback Ryan French leads the Edgewood offense. He scored the Cougars’ lone touchdown this season on a keeper against Springboro. Edgewood averages 125 yards of offense a game.
Cougars junior defensive back Roman Smith has a team-high 14 total tackles.
“I see two teams that are looking to make a statement,” Reynolds said. “Both of these records could be a little deceiving for both sides. I think Badin has a good football team. They’re going to be ready to go. Our kids are going to be coached up and ready to go, too.
“Our focus has always been about us, and it’s going to continue to be about us,” Reynolds added. “We focus on our brand. We’re going to study our opponent. I think the focus is going to be on playing a true, full, complimentary 48 minutes of football. That’s what I’m looking for from us — trusting the process in that we have a good football team.
“But we need to play a complete game in all three phases. We have to get stops. We have to take advantage of takeaways. We have to tackle the ball inside the 20 on kickoffs. All these things. You have to play good football. That’s going to be our story from here on out.”
