Before Team USA coaches Chuck Kyle and Steve Specht join forces on the same sideline, they must first battle each other as opponents. The showdown will take place on Saturday night, as Kyle and the Cleveland St. Ignatius Wildcats travel to Cincinnati to take on Specht and the St. Xavier Bombers.
"This is always a fun game to play," Specht said. "I'm really looking forward to it."
And while he may be looking forward to the matchup, a lot is at stake for the Bombers and Specht, defensive coordinator for USA Football's Junior National Team. With only two games left in the regular season, St. Xavier (4-4) looks to keep its playoff hopes alive - and its record above .500 - while St. Ignatius (7-1) hopes to extend its winning streak to eight games.
But Kyle, head coach of Team USA, knows that St. Xavier is not going to makes things easy for the Wildcats.
"Our offense is quite aware that this will be our biggest challenge of the year - to be successful against the St. Xavier defense," Kyle said. "The Xavier defensive line does a superb job in collapsing the pocket with pass rush. Their secondary gives various coverages, so it is difficult for the quarterback to go through his progressions."
Upsetting the Wildcat offense will be critical for the Bombers. Although both teams dropped their season openers at home, St. Ignatius has not had much trouble handling the competition since then. Kyle's Wildcats are averaging 38 points per game, while holding opponents to a dismal eight-point average.
Specht said he expects it to be a physical game because both teams play hard and play the right way. Keeping the score low will also benefit the Bombers, as St. Ignatius has kept five opponents to seven points or less this season.
"We've got to control the ball and stop Ignatius from hitting big plays," Specht said. "They're very explosive. They've done a lot of exceptional things with the return game. We're going to need to force them to march the length of the field to score."
Kyle knows that will be a tough task for his squad.
"I hope our defense can give the offense good field position," Kyle said. "I do not like the prospects of trying to drive 80 yards for a score against the Xavier defense."
So, while they'll be on opposite sides of the field this weekend, partnering up on Team USA for the International Federation of American Football (IFAF) Junior World Championship will give Kyle and Specht the chance to win games side-by-side.
"As a friendly in-state rival to St. Xavier, I look forward to coaching with Coach Specht rather than against him," Kyle said.
Specht is also looking forward to the opportunity and is grateful for being chosen to help lead America's finest 2009 high school graduates next June and July in Canton, Ohio.
"Talk about humbling," he said. "It's a dream come true for me. I get to learn from the best and compete with the best."
But this Saturday, neither coach will have next summer's competition on his mind. It will be business as usual.
