This isn’t your father’s Wilmington High School football team.
OK, it’s not your brother’s Hurricane, either.
Miami Trace shut down the vaunted Hurricane rushing attack last week but Aiden Price and Michael Brown made them pay. Price was 12-for-23 for 213 yards and two touchdowns with Brown on the receiving end of nine passes good for 158 and both scores. WHS won the game 24-21.
In 2022, the Ryan Evans-coached Wilmington Hurricane likely comes up short in a game when it rushes 34 times for just 61 yards.
But Price, Brown and other pass catchers like Zane Smith, Alex Massie, Steven Rickman and Eli Stewart are playing well this season and executing strong enough to be more than just a passing (no pun intended) threat.
The WHS passing attack can win ballgames in 2023.
How that plays out Friday night, only time will tell. An extremely talented Mt. Healthy team comes to Alumni Field. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. Friday.
“They are fast,” Evans said of the high-flying Owls. “They have a QB and RB that we have to contain on defnese. The offense has to take care of a sound defense. They are well-coached and play fast.”
The Owls, who play Clinton-Massie next week, defeated Wilmington 13-10 last season and 26-23 in 2021.
There are three transfers that elevate Mt. Healthy to one of the top teams in Division III Region 12. Mt. Healthy was 5-6 last year but have started this campaign with wins over Little Miami (24-0) and Ross (40-14).
Jai’Mier Scott is a receiver and defensive back who has major Division I college offers from Penn State, Wisconsin and Cincinnati.
Jahmeir Spain is an athletic 6-4, 190-pound quarterback who has thrown for 364 yards in two games. His top target was JayJay Etherridge who caught eight passes for 154 yards and a score.
Israel Bradford ran 14 times for 162 yards and four touchdowns last week against Ross.
The Owls’ defense is strong, led by tackling machines Michael Watson (20 tackles last week) and Kash Mallory (19 tackles last week).
So how does the Hurricane flip the script and win a close game instead of coming up short like the past two seasons?
“Playing together as one whole, doing what we need to do on both sides of the ball, eliminates unnecessary penalties,” Evans said. “The team (Friday night) that has the least amount of penalties and plays disciplined football will win this game.”
Evans said the win last week showed his team’s continuing ability to fight “hard to the end.” But Wilmington must finish drives on offense with touchdowns. Jon Custis is a solid kicker but Evans would much rather seem him booting extra points than field goals.
“We have work to do on some things but I have confidence that they will get it done.”
And to do that, Evans and his Hurricane will maintain their season-long mantra.
”Keep chopping wood. One play at a time,” he said.
