SPENCERVILLE – There have been a few changes at Spencerville, starting with a new coach and the departure of a talented senior class.
But the goal is something familiar — to continue the success the football Bearcats have had in recent years when they have averaged eight wins a season since 2011.
Chris Sommers, whose Delphos Jefferson teams won the Northwest Conference the last three seasons, took over as Spencerville’s coach after John Zerbe resigned following an 8-3 season last fall.
The Bearcats have 11 letter winners and have nine starters back from that 8-3 team, led by first-team All-Northwest Conference linebacker Jacob Settlemire and running back Chris Picker, who rushed for 1,101 yards last season.
“I think it will be very similar to Spencerville football of the past. I’ve always had a tremendous amount of respect for Spencerville football in the past,” Sommers said. “We’re excited to be here. We have the goal of being a great team and we’re going to work for it.”
Spencerville ran the ball more than any team in the Northwest Conference last season when it averaged 326.3 yards a game on the ground. Delphos Jefferson was second at 300.8 yards a game. The Bearcats (37 passes) and Wildcats (67 passes) were also the NWC teams least likely to put the ball in the air.
“We both ran the Wing T. Offensively there are a lot of things these guys were used to,” Sommers said. “Defensively (where the Bearcats have changed to a 4-3 alignment) we’re kind of starting from the beginning.”
Offensive lineman Ben Dues said, “It’s kind of the same offense. There are some new twists and turns to it, but every team goes through growing pains.”
Picker said, “We’re getting to know the coach very well. It’s a change but I think it will be a good change. We have a lot of the same, a lot of the new and it’s all coming along very well.
“We have a lot of new kids coming in but they’re good kids. Our JV went undefeated last year,” he said.
Sommers said the offensive line is the strength of the team at this point in the season.
“We think they have good ability. It’s a big, physical line and it meets what we do from an offensive standpoint, which is run the ball,” he said. “I’m really pleased, as a defensive coach, where we’re at.”
Picker was one of two 1,000-yard rushers for Spencerville last season. Calvin Wilson, who was a senior, gained 1,259 yards and another senior, Keaton Lotz, ran for 800 yards.
Picker is “a special back,” Sommers said. “He is a very hard worker, a very good player. And we have a number of backs around him we are excited about.
“It may be a running back by committee but that’s not bad. We have a number of guys who can run the football,” he said.
“We have seven seniors. They’ve been part of a great program. They know what winning looks like. They know what it takes to get there. It’s nice to come in and see that.”
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