ASHLAND — Ashland filled its dance card just as the band finished warming up.
The Arrows will invade Finnie Stadium on Friday to take on Berea-Midpark in the season opener.
Ashland is a member of the Ohio Cardinal Conference, along with Richland County schools Mansfield Senior, Madison and Lexington. Because the conference only has seven members (New Philadelphia will join in 2022), one school will play a non-conference game each week during the modified six-week schedule.
Ashland was looking for a Week 1 dance partner and found a match in the Titans. Berea-Midpark had an opening after its original Week 1 opponent, North Olmsted, had a positive COVID-19 test within the program.
“They reached out and when I called them back, they asked if we were still open for Week 1,” Ashland athletic director Jason Goings said. “I said we were and he said they were, too, because they lost their Week 1 (opponent) to the coronavirus.
“They wanted to know if we were interested and I said absolutely.”
Ashland was also in negotiations with Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary and Akron Hoban, but Goings and coach Sean Seder decided Berea-Midpark was the best fit. Berea-Midpark is a Division I school and a member of the rugged Southwestern Conference that includes Avon, Avon Lake and Olmsted Falls.
“They are a true Division I program. That will be the most interesting thing,” Ashland coach Sean Seder said. “When we looked at the (enrollment) numbers we kind of laughed because they are a little over double our size as far as boys.
“We hope we can compete. You just never know with a school like that how big and how deep they are.”
Berea-Midpark was 4-6 last year. The Titans finished 14th in Region 1 of Division I.
“I did some research on them before I called them back to see what we were getting into,” Goings said. “It is what it is. We want a game.”
Seder agreed.
“We’re just excited we got a chance to play,” Seder said. “We’re going to line up and go at it.”
