Batavia head coach Matt Lester talks with defense during the Bulldogs’ 20-12 victory over Fayetteville-Perry on Saturday, Sept. 12.

Batavia head coach Matt Lester talks with defense during the Bulldogs’ 20-12 victory over Fayetteville-Perry on Saturday, Sept. 12.
By Chris Chaney
Sports Editor

Preseason expectations weighed heavy on the Batavia Bulldogs as they began their first full season under head coach Matt Lester three weeks ago.

Following back-to-back losses to start the 2015 campaign, Lester’s group found their footing and notched their first win of the year over Fayetteville-Perry on Saturday, Sept. 12, 20-12.

“I think we just play better with our backs against the wall,” Lester said. “We had a lot of preseason hype and we set expectations high for ourselves. The first two weeks were kind of humbling, but we still think that we’re a good team and that we’re a league championship team and whatever else down the road.

“We had a very spirited week of practice last week and I think it donned on some of these seniors that if we lost too many more games that they’re not going to accomplish any of the goals they set for themselves. We woke up. As coaches, we tightened down the reigns a little bit and the kids have responded extremely well.”

Lester said part of the blame for the slow start was having a strong competition at many positions. While on the surface it seems like a good problem to have, the Bulldogs were shuffling players around the field over the first few weeks before finding the right fit more recently.

“It took us a little time to get some guys to the right spots and the main reason it took a while is that we had some young guys emerge that we really weren’t expecting to be ready this year,” he said. “We had some sophomores and a couple freshmen step up that filled in and were the right guy for the job.”

Having to replace 11 seniors from a year ago made the transition on the field a little more time consuming, but now with a sense of urgency coupled with a continually gelling core, the Bulldogs hope to build momentum off of a statement victory in Week 3.

“(Against Fayetteville), we tackled extremely well and we were able to run the ball very effectively,” Lester said. “If you do that, most of the time you win your games. We played good fundamental football last week and hopefully, we can build on that, add a couple wrinkles in here and there and give New Richmond a really good game (on Friday).”

That combination of solid tackling and controlling the clock with the run game was a manifestation of Lester’s previous point about putting younger players in the right spots. Sophomore Austin Maham has been the biggest surprise for Batavia, emerging as a dangerous player out of the backfield.

“We knew (Maham) was talented, but didn’t really know if he was ready,” Lester said. “He has 458 yards in the first three games and last week, he had 241 yards. He helped us to win that game last week and he kept us in those first two.”

Joining Maham in the backfield is freshman quarterback Kaleb Moell. Moell was called into duty out of desperation when senior QB Shaun Howe left the Week 2 Mariemont loss with a concussion.

Other underclassmen who have contributed, Lester said, include Will Scaggs, Jake and Dylan Ellington and Brandon Brookbank. The coach said that those six players were expected to be on JV to begin the year and are now starting on varsity.

Howe has been going through the school’s concussion program and Lester expects him to be available for Week 4 against New Richmond. Whether or not Howe will be under center remains to be seen as Lester preferred to keep his cards close to the chest while the Bulldogs prepare for New Richmond and their stud quarterback, Austin Torrens.

“The biggest thing we’re harping on (this week) is that 1999 was the last time we beat these guys,” Lester said of New Richmond. “We know how good New Richmond is — they beat up on everyone in Clermont County, including ourselves. The Torrens kid is probably the best quarterback that we’ll see, but from an athletic standpoint and a football standpoint, I think that we match up with them very well.

“If we go out and play four good quarters, if we fly to the ball and tackle on defense and we win the turnover battle, I like our chances.”

The Bulldogs will host New Richmond at Holman Stadium on Friday, Sept. 18 with kick off set for 7 p.m.