State bound Trotwood, Thurgood, changes culture of Dayton High School Football

Brandon McKinney throwing with future QB

       Last summer SportsEffectLive.com attended former C-J standout and current Indianapolis Colt Brandon McKinney's 7 on 7 passing camp (located at Trotwood Madison high school) in which there were 6 teams in attendance, all getting ready for the season; As we talked with one of the Trotwood coaches, they felt like that Thurgood wasn't quite on Trotwood's level, which may have been one of the reasons that the two schools didn't play this season.  As they competed in the summer drills, it was a heated series and Thurgood had stopped the Rams, which in turn gave them the ball. As it turns out, maybe they were one of the ONLY TEAMS who could have competed with the Rams this season.

          Thurgood Marshall has gone where no Dayton City League team has gone before; landing in the D-III State Semifinals. Behind a incredible running game (led by Denzel Norvell and Vayante Copeland), a very good coaching staff and a underrated defense the Cougars have become a major force. Last year the Cougars was a cinderella team as they made the playoffs, beat a precocious Alter squad (who was undefeated) and almost got to state last year (losing to Springfield Shawnee after leading at half 13-0); this year, as the players said: This was revenge. 
      
         And sweet revenge it was as the Cougars would beat the brakes off of Athens 60-21. There would be no comebacks this season as Thurgood amassed over 650 - yes, that's right - 650 offensive yards, while holding Athens to 230 yards. And with it, the Cougars have cemented their place in dayton history, as not only the first city team to get this far, but looking to build on a possible legacy if they can pull out a state title. Which leads us to the Trotwood Madison Rams...

   

  

Israel Green goin' ham

Trotwood, coming off a dramatic D-II State Championship last year,  looked overmatched, out of sync, and frustrated in their season opener against a mighty opponent in their first week on ESPN; Then injuries occurred, which forced them to look into a young QB to run the show...They lost another game early in the season to fall to 1-2. It looked like the Rams would flounder and maybe not even get back to the playoffs. After that, the coaches started to see the Ram football they had been accustomed to throughout the last half decade. The young QB (Messiah DeWeaver), called the "Black Tom Brady" by Coach Douglass, starts to develop; new guys fill into their roles; and the vets started to kick into top form.  After barely squeaking into the playoffs on a Week 10 win, Senior RB Isreal Green began the charge like he did last year, running roughshod over any opponent. Rams hit their groove, got their swag back, with a little more drama nevertheless, and got back to the State Semifinals for the 3rd season in a row.
       
       Coach Maruice Douglass, who said earlier in the season that "Some new guys would have to step up" did a masterful job of coaching his guys up, keeping them focused, and not letting the bottom fall out when they started out 1-2. Now the Rams are literally two wins away from repeating as champions and starting the chants as a DYNASTY really in the making. With a rushing game that has been invigorated and a QB that has been making better and better decisions it will be left up to the defense, which has Mike McCray Jr. (Michigan bound) leading the stable of Rams who make it happen, this could once again be "RAM Nation" as they head into the Semis as the favorite.

        Just a few years ago, if anybody said that City League Football was State worthy, you prolly would've laughed. Playoffs? Ok. State bound? Just don't happen. But with Thurgood Coach Earl White instilling a running game unparalled to any school in Ohio, its time to recognize that good City League teams can compete with ANYBODY. It was always a myth, a running joke, that City Schools weren't smart enough, weren't capable enough of competing with the big schools. Funny, all it took was a couple changes here or there, a dedicated group of young men, a solid game plan, and the skys the limit.

    Whether they like it or not, the ONLY team capable of playing with the mighty Rams is the Thurgood Marshall Cougars. And that, my friends, is no joke.

How sweet would it be to see both teams bring home the title?  Maybe we just might see that rivalry renewed next year.



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