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Piqua's first-year coach Bill Nees has big shoes to fill after Steve Magoteaux turned Indian football from a struggling program into one of the most respected programs in the area over the past two seasons. Magoteaux's coached the Indians to an 11-2 campaign in 1990 and then an 11-1 season last year before turning the driver's seat over to Nees.
If one year is any indication, Nees is more than capable of filling those shoes, and then some.
The Bill Nees era opened with an 8-2 regular season record and two playoff wins, one coming at the expense of hated rival, Troy.
Piqua started the season with four straight wins over Springfield North, Fairmont, Urbana, and Greenville.
Troy got the first laugh on the Indians in week five as the Trojans took a 22-7 win to hand Piqua its first loss of the season.
Any loss is hard to overcome, but it stings more when it comes at the hands of Troy. The loss may have been a blessing in disguise as it tested the character of the Indians and provided Nees an opportunity to teach his troops the most important aspect of the game...staying together as a team.
"When we stood on the Troy field, we told our kids we are not going to point fingers at each other and we are not going to divide," Nees said. "We made some mistakes and that's fine. We were going to correct our mistakes, but our No. 1 priority was to stay together as a team...and that's just what we did."
The team took to Nees' teachings and rebounded with a hard-fought win over Trotwood, 17-14. The game itself tested the Indian's bond as a team as the score was tied 14-14. Ryan Hulme was called upon to deliver victory with a 23-yard field goal midway through the fourth quarter.
With a passing grade on character, Piqua won their next three games over west Carrollton, Vandalia Butler, and Sidney to set up a regular season finale showdown with Northmont with the GMVC title on the line.
Fate would not be kind to the Indians as Northmont took the momentum early and held on for a 21-0 victory.
Fortunately for Piqua, it qualified for the state playoffs and received a chance to redeem itself.
Redemption would not take long as Piqua dominated Toledo St. Francis 13-0 at Lima Stadium in their Region 2 playoff match-up.
The Indians backed that win up with a 20-7 win over rival Troy. The win was the most rewarding as it avenged an earlier 22-7 loss to those same Trojans.
Dreams of advancing farther in the playoffs were dashed the following week as unbeaten Cincinnati St. Xavier used the big play to defeat the Indians, 30-7.
Despite the playoff loss, Bill Nees and the 1992 Indians proved that it's not the end of outstanding football in Piqua. It's only just the beginning.
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