Last minute scheduling conflicts left new Athletic Director Harold Barker and Head Coach John Merritt scrambling to find a meaningful week one game. This Saturday, the team will take a bus to Indianapolis, Indiana to play Springfield High School (Ohio) at Brebeuf Jesuit Prep.

“It took quite a bit of effort to get this game scheduled,” Barker said. “The process really was reaching out to tons and tons of schools. I wasn’t planning on reaching out to a school in Ohio, but we kind of found out through various resources that there was an opening for a game.”

 This will be the first game the Spartans get to play before their week two game versus nationally-ranked IMG academy.

“A week of preparation is what we really need to focus on,” defensive lineman Trevon Piggee-Blake said. “Practice really well and listen to our coaches while playing hard every day and giving it our all.”

The Spartans have assembled a schedule that includes CBC high school, which is the number one team in Missouri, St. Mary’s high school, which is the number two team in Missouri, and East St. Louis, which is the number one team in Illinois. The Springfield Wildcats are ranked second in all of Ohio.

“It’s a big game before our week two,” Trevon said. “I feel like we should just go out there, do our job, and make the best out of what we got. Keep watching man. It’s a long season. You can’t doubt us if you haven’t seen us play yet.”

The team will be leaving for the game at 5:30 A.M. and plan to get to Brebeuf high school at 11:00 A.M. (Eastern Standard Time). The game will kickoff at 12:30 (Eastern Standard time) 11:30 local time. Tickets for the game are $7 if purchased in advance or $10 at the gate. The game will be streamed by Brebeuf. A link to that stream is on DSN.

“I’m really excited for the opportunity,” athletic director Harold Barker said. “This is a game between two really good schools historically from a football standpoint.”