Alder's program progresses to top

The Pioneers are making their first state final appearance.
By JOE SCALZO
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
When Barry Blackstone took over at Plain City Jonathan Alder in 2000, one of the first things he did was schedule a game against Marion Local.
Alder lost 41-0.
"We had a pretty good team," said Alder coach Steve Coate, who took over as head coach for Blackstone after last season. "It was a lot different, though, when we played them."
Blackstone and Coate, who have been coaching together since 1972, knew that if the Pioneers were going to reverse years of mediocrity, they needed to measure themselves against the best.
By 2002, they were competitive, losing to Marion Local in the opener 35-34.
"We made a little bit more progress each year," Coate said, "and now we're here."
The Pioneers (13-1) will make their first appearance in the state championship game when they take on Division IV's top-rated team, Cardinal Mooney, Friday at 11 a.m. at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium in Massillon.
Task at hand
"We're going to have to play extremely well to beat them," Coate said of the Cardinals. "That's the task that we're going to be working on the next few days."
Alder entered this year's postseason with a 4-7 record all-time in the playoffs. The Pioneers had never before won a regional championship game, let alone made it to the state final.
Mooney, on the other hand, is 5-2 all-time in championship games and is in the state final for the third straight year.
"There's certainly a big advantage with their success and history," Coate said. "We'll have to play extremely well to negate that.
"[But] they don't award points for playing there previously and they don't deduct points because we haven't been there before."
Alder finished sixth in the final Associated Press poll (the Cardinals were No. 1), but were overlooked for the most part.
By midseason, most around the state were penciling in a Mooney-Coldwater rematch in the Div. IV state final. Then Coldwater lost to Oak Harbor in the second round of the playoffs, prompting most to assume that the Rockets would be the Cardinals' opponent.
Surprise.
"We had a great game against Oak Harbor," Coate said. "We were very pleased with the way we played against them."
Coaching team
Blackstone is still on staff and coaches the Pioneers' defense. Coate handles the offense, an arrangement that has worked well for 34 years.
"The only difference is now I talk to [reporters]," Coate said.
Like every other team Mooney has faced this season, the Pioneers will be outsized at the line of scrimmage. But Alder has no two-way players, which will allow its players to stay fresh.
"[The strategy] has led us to some wins," Coate said. "We're pretty happy with it."
But will it be enough? The Pioneers will be a heavy underdog, but playing Mooney isn't going to change their approach.
"For us, it's a one-game, two-team tournament," Coate said. "We're focusing on this one game. It's the same approach we've had all through the playoffs."
scalzo@vindy.com