SPENCERVILLE, Ohio (WLIO) — After a season of highs and lows that ended with a first-round playoff exit, the Spencerville Bearcats are ready to rewrite their story in 2025.

This year's senior class has yet to experience a winning season, fueling their motivation and determination to turn things around.

Following a strong 3-0 start in 2024, the Bearcats hit a rough patch with a 2-5 stretch and ultimately fell in week one of the playoffs. Third-year head coach Kyle Koenig sees last season as a valuable learning experience.

"Especially on the defensive side of the ball, it's just making tackles," Koenig said. "We kind of let some big plays go last year that really hurt us. But now, what we have to do is keep control of the clock and take care of the ball a lot better than we did. If we do those things, then we think we have a shot."

One of the biggest changes this season is the move of Grady Smith from running back to quarterback. Smith embraces the challenge and plans to keep the team's smash-mouth style alive.

"Spencerville has always been kind of smash-mouth football, so nothing's really going to change," Smith said. "Just trying to run the ball and see what we can get. Obviously, I was running back last year, so hoping to run the ball a little bit and see what I can get with my feet too."

The Bearcats will kick off the season on the road against the Anna Rockets, a regional runner-up in 2024 and a longtime rival with a tough reputation.

"I'm just excited because they have a really good tradition over there," Koenig said. "From my high school days playing against Anna, they've always been a tough challenge — and they still are. They're well coached. It's going to be a tough game for us to start the year off, and we're going to have to be prepared. I think our guys are mentally prepared, and we'll just go out there, play the game, and see what happens."

As the Bearcats chase their first winning season since 2019, their mentality centers on one core idea: FACT.

"Family, Accountability, Competitiveness, and Toughness. Something to motivate everybody — that we're also a family," said senior Zach. "Every day, we're going to be accountable for each other. We're going to compete, and we've got to be tough."

With the season fast approaching, the team's message is clear: make the most out of every practice and every game to reach their full potential and leave nothing on the field.

"We're just trying to get to our full potential and where we can be," Zach added. "We're not going to give up. We're going to keep giving our all until the last second."

Coach Koenig agrees, emphasizing steady progress.

"We want to play our best football at the end of the season, and right now, it's not a finished product," he said. "If we can keep stacking days where we get better each and every day, then you never know what could happen when it comes to playoffs and things like that. That's just been the message — day by day, getting better."

The Bearcats hope that approach will finally bring the winning season their seniors have been waiting for.

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