
Audio from Tuesday’s Kickoff Show with Defiance coach Travis Cooper
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New Defiance coach Travis Cooper discusses the first few days of camp with Lynn Groll. Click on audio link: https://blackswampfootball.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Coop.mp3
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Lynn Groll, Tony Haynes and Andrew Mickey look back at week 3, hand out Offensive Player of the Week to Otsego’s Trent Leiter and co-Blockhead of the Week to Leiter and Columbus Grove’s AJ Schafer.
Coming off stellar defensive efforts in week one, St. Marys will host Defiance in the WBL opener for both teams.
The Bulldogs staved off four goal-to-go chances by Napoleon to claim a 7-0 victory over the Wildcats while the Roughriders posted a 10-7 win over London on the first Friday.
“We have a lot of areas to work on, but the thing that jumped off the film was our effort for 48 min,” emphasized first-year Defiance coach Travis Cooper. “As a coach, that is the starting point for everything.”
Cooper knows St. Marys presents a tall challenge this week.
Lynn Groll, Tony Haynes and Andrew Mickey recap week 1 from the area while handing out Offensive Player of the Week to Jonas Tester of Wauseon and Blockhead of the Week to Liberty Center’s Owen Box! They also predict week 2 of the area high school football scene!
DEFIANCE – Minutes after Defiance used four goal-line and five red-zone defensive stands to snuff out Napoleon drives in a 7-0 victory on Thursday night at Fred J. Brown Stadium, the voice of one of the last remaining Bulldog fans in the stands reverberated through the late August night, “Travis Cooper for President!”
The comment got a big smile out of the new Defiance sideline general in a debut that Bulldog faithful will not soon forget.
Defiance turned away Napoleon twice at the goalline in the final 4:26, including the game-clincher with just second remaining.
“It’s a lot of prayers, a lot of hard work and it comes down to the kids,” said Cooper. “We can have this vision and program in the summer but the kids had to buy in. They weren’t skeptical. They bought in and did everything they possibly could. What more could you ask from our kids?”
The Bulldogs’ defense lived on the edge four times with the Wildcats teetering near hallelujah land, but each time Defiance was up to the challenge.
After failing to score on its third goal-to-go situation a couple minutes earlier, Napoleon marched right back inside the Defiance 10 after forcing a three-and-out by the Defiance offense. With under a half minute left, Napoleon faced a fourth-and-goal. As Blake Wolf tried to hit Caleb Stoner with a pass over the middle at the goalline, he was interfered with, resulting in another play for the Wildcats.