When the Ohio Northern football team visits Williams Stadium 1:30 p.m. Saturday, the question will be which black and orange team will be playing.
"Ohio Northern is a team that is well coached," said Wilmington head coach Stacey Hairston. "They have some athletes. They might not be as strong as they have in the past. But, each week you are not sure what you are going to see from them. One week they look like one of the top teams in the nation, and the next week, they make a lot of mistakes. They have a lot of young guys playing."
The Polar Bears are 4-4 on the season, and needs wins in their final two games to secure a winning season.
If they are to be successful it could be on the legs of sophomore running backs William Bodden and Justin Magazine. They have combined for 827 yards on 153 carries and 11 touchdowns.
"We have to be concerned with keeping those guys contained," said Hairston. "If we allow those running backs, either one of them, to have a big day – it could be a long day for us because it opens their passing game."
A passing attack led by junior transfer Patrick Angle, who is in his first season with the Polar Bears after transferring from Youngstown State. He is coming off a game in which he completed nearly 77 percent of his passes for 198 yards and three touchdowns in a win over Muskingum.
"I've seen a drastic improvement from the first couple of games to the last couple they have played," said Hairston. "He has improved a lot. His poise is much better and he throws the ball better. That is a product of being in the system. In my mind, he is playing his best football at this time of the year."
Ohio Northern features an aggressive and physical defense that has yield a little over seven points in their four victories, including two shutouts.
Four of the top five tacklers, including linebacker Dillon Kwiat, are seniors. Kwiat leads the team with 96 tackles, including six for loss and 1.5 sacks. Linebacker Josh Cantrell is second on the team with 56 tackles.
The Polar Bears also feature an explosive threat in special team with sophomore Devon Price. The reigning Special Teams Player of the Week can cause headaches on offense as well.
"He is a dangerous weapon," said Hairston. "Anytime he gets the ball in his hands, he has shown over and over again that he will make the big play. Our goal is to keep the ball out of his hands."
