Rich McGowan
FREMONT – The celebrations Friday night were multilayered.
First, there was the obvious. Any win is worth celebrating, sure. Especially season-opening victories at home against a quality opponent.
But a little deeper, under the surface was the knowledge the Fremont Ross football team had, knowing all over Northwest Ohio people would see Friday 28-18 win over Springfield and have similar reactions: ‘Whoa!’ and ‘Ross beat Springfield?’
At that point, those same souls might say to themselves, “Maybe Ross is for real this year?”
The Little Giants told that answer to everyone who was willing listen prior to Friday night’s victory, but if predictions in newspapers and online forums are an indication, people needed to see it to believe it.
They may be believing now.
“We proved we can be a threat,” said junior Noah Hotz, who caught a pivotal endzone fourth-quarter interception. “A lot of people don’t think we’re going to be good but, if we can all stick together, we’re actually a pretty good football team.”
Friday night’s win wasn’t an early-season cupcake. This was not a case of a big school scheduling a small school or a struggling program in order to work out the Week 1 wrinkles.
Ross hosted a strong program. A program no one can question was better than Ross a season ago. The Blue Devils brought back the bulk of a team that went 10-0 last year, was No. 2 in the region and primed for an extended playoff run were it not for an opening-round overtime loss. This wasn’t just a win, it was a statement of arrival.
“We lived up to the hype,” senior defensive end Shawn Newsome said. “But we can always get better. There is always room for improvement and that’s what we have to do from here on out. Other teams are going to look at this and adjust to it so we have progress every day.”
Ross, however, cannot afford to think a big win one week guarantees continued success. This week’s opponent does not bring the aura of recent success Springfield enjoyed, but therein lay the Little Giants’ next challenge.
Ross travels to Sylvania Southview this week. The Cougars went winless a season ago, including a 35-7 loss to the Little Giants, and are riding a 15-game losing streak.
Everyone is starting to buy stock in the Little Giants. It can be a good feeling for the players. It can also be a slippery slope. Ross must be careful not to lose sight of the path it took in beating Springfield.
“It proves to the kids they can compete against great programs,” head coach Chad Long said. “It proves to the kids that with the hard work they put it, it can be accomplished and we can have success, given the hard work and everything else they put into it.
“We sacrifice our bodies and are willing to open up things for other guys,” Long continued. “There is no selfish kid on this Fremont football team and that’s what I find very special about this team. They’re willing to do whatever is necessary to win or put our team in the best potion to win.
Ross will be heavily-favored this week. The Little Giants believe they proved a little something to outsiders last week. They can prove it further by this week. By showing a struggling program what a team on the rise looks like, Ross can further its case to the rest of the league and region that these are not the same old Little Giants.