John Glenn football felt the heartbreak of a Week 1 overtime loss. That alone is enough motivation for head coach Matt Edwards and the Little Muskies.

A showdown between two playoff teams from last season did not disappoint, but it was John Glenn who fell when the day was over. After Edwards’ group held onto a 14-0 lead at the midway point, Meadowbrook’s offense took off in the final two quarters.

The biggest struggle of the night for the Muskies was in late game pass defense and keeping drives alive in critical moments. It’s something Edwards has not let his team forget since their opening night loss, noting a run game that was not up to his standards as the main culprit for his team’s shortcomings.

“You know, we didn’t run the ball very well,” he said during Thursday’s practice. “And it’s hard to have a sustained drive if you don’t run the ball very well. So, yeah, that’s been a point of emphasis this week.”

Joseph Clifford, fresh off a pair of wins at the OHSAA State Track Tournament, torched the Colts secondary for a trio of scores. Showing off his track speed, the sprinter/hurdler displayed soft hands and agility while racking up 120 yards.

Edwards was quick to note the special, big-play ability of his No. 1 receiving threat. But it will take more than a solid air attack and the burning speed of Clifford for the Muskies to beat Cambridge, even though the team dismantled the Bobcats, 35-0, last season.

Although last year’s game went in favor of John Glenn, the fresh faces on both sidelines this season make for an intriguing showdown.

“This week was real easy for us, because we had to get back to us,” Edwards said. “We’re not worried about the other sideline this week. Cambridge just happens to be the next one on the schedule. We’re excited to get back on the field and try to correct some of those things that cost us last Friday night and try to get on a roll.”

Defensively, John Glenn will be looking to limit a Bobcats’ offense that kicked it into gear in the second half against Indian Creek last Friday. It took a last second, go-ahead score from the Redskins to best Cambridge, which is an eerily similar way to how Edwards’ team lost last week.

But, in true coach form, Edwards feels the key to stopping Cambridge is not reinventing the wheel, rather than just polishing it up a bit.

“We gotta do our jobs,” he said. “And, again, it’s not even as much about Cambridge and what they do offensively and defensively. You go back to our second half last week and we just had too many breakdowns. Whether it was individuals or specific groups. And it wasn’t everybody on every play. And that’s what stinks. On a Friday night, it only takes one guy to have a breakdown.”

Kickoff between the Muskies and Bobcats is scheduled for 7 p.m. from McFarland Stadium in Cambridge, Ohio.