The Blue-Collar Wildcats win and take first place in the LC8 – Morning Journal

Keystone is all about blue-collar football.

In 2023, the loss of quarterback Zach Shackelford forced the Wildcats to rely on their defense, and they still managed a four-win season.

This year, Keystone’s defense is still there, and it was at full strength in the 33-18 win over Firelands on Oct. 11.

“We had a really nice second half,” Keystone coach Don Griswold said. “We moved the ball efficiently and (Firelands) scored again. It was a nice win for us.”

Keystone’s defense has allowed 74 points all season. Over seven games, that’s an average of 10.5 points per game.

“All year we had a nice group (on defense). They play hard and have a lot of guys on defense,” Griswold said. “We’ll rotate them and try to stay fresh. They are tough, hardworking and take a defensive approach.

The Wildcats were tied with the Falcons, but didn’t trail the entire game. They allowed 287 yards of offense but forced three turnovers (two interceptions, one fumble).

“There’s no doubt we played great defense last year. Nobody really noticed because we were a four-win team and couldn’t do much offensively,” Griswold said. “We knew we were laying the foundation for a great season. … Beyond that, we have a lot of depth. We’d probably be playing defense against 20 guys on a Friday night.”

The offense played complementary football as Shackelford threw two touchdowns with 51 passing yards. He also scored two rushing touchdowns for 150 yards.

Keystone’s rushing attack played a crucial role with 245 yards. Sophomore running back Wyatt McKee had 90 yards on the ground.

“We were able to win the battle of possession, keep the ball away from them and keep getting first downs,” Griswold said. “It was very methodical.”

Keystone improved to 6-1 (4-0 in LC8). The Wildcats are the only Lorain County League team undefeated in conference play, as Clearview lost 22-18 to Columbia.

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They control their destiny and reach the Division V, Region 18 playoffs. Keystone could host a playoff game since Joe Eitel rates it as a No. 8 seed.

Keystone will face a unique challenge unique to the Clippers. The last three games of the season will be played over eight days.

The Wildcats’ next game is October 18 against Wellington. They then play Clearview on October 22nd (a Tuesday) and Oberlin on October 25th. They are all street games.

“We have to be very mindful of how much the guys are running and doing (during games and practices),” Griswold said. “I think our depth benefits us enormously here. Load management to take a page out of the NBA playbook.”