By Steve Ruman

sports@vindy.com

WARREN

Like other coaches, Jeff Bayuk is a creature of habit. He prefers to maintain a routine for his team throughout the week and especially on game day.

However, as much as he tries, the Warren John F. Kennedy coach knows there is little he can do this week to maintain a typical schedule. Not when his team is preparing to play in a state title game. Not when the opponent is Minster. And certainly not when the venue is Ohio Stadium with a kick-off time of 10 a.m.

Kennedy (13-1) and Minster (10-4) will meet Saturday morning in the Division VII state championship.

“We’ve done a good job of maintaining our routine throughout the playoffs,” Bayuk said. “Of course, Saturday will be a different scenario all together. You’re talking about spending the night in a strange bed, getting to the stadium at 8 a.m. You want to get the ‘awareness’ factor of Ohio Stadium out of the way early, then move on.

“It’s definitely a challenge. But I will say this. I’ve been doing this since 1978. If they told me that we were playing at three in the morning, I’d gladly be there. And these players feel the same way.”

Of more concern to Bayuk is this week’s opponent.

Minster is seeking its third state title, and owns a 25-12 playoff record. The Wildcats are one of three teams from the Midwest Athletic Conference (along with Marion Local and Coldwater) playing this weekend in title games.

A straight line could connect Minster, Marion Local and Coldwater high schools, and it would span only 19 miles. The three schools own a combined 16 state titles. They each won a title in 2014.

“I’ve seen all three of those teams play this year, and I have a ton of respect for the coaches who do a marvelous job of implementing a sound system, and teaching the fundamentals,” Bayuk said. “What really stands out to me is that all these teams have players who have a strong understanding of the game, every one of them. They know football.”

After graduating 16 seniors from last year’s 10-3 team, Minster opened the 2016 season with back-to-back wins. Then, four consecutive losses eliminated the Wildcats from their league race and put their playoff chances in serious jeopardy. However, a 33-18 win over Coldwater (13-1) propelled the ’Cats to what is now an eight-game winning streak.

Minster opened the postseason with a pair of decisive wins, but had to rally in victories against Fort Recovery and McComb. Against McComb, Minster built a 21-0 lead, then trailed 23-21 before scoring a late touchdown.

The Minster offense revolves around quarterback Jared Huelsman, a dual threat who has rushed for 1,327 yards and 18 touchdowns and thrown for 2,178 yards and 21 touchdowns.

Jonathan Niemeyer (57 receptions, 1,090 yards) is Huelsman’s favorite target, while Bryce Schmiesing (1,144 yards, 16 TD) is second behind Huelsman in rushing.

“This team is head and shoulders above any team we have faced to this point,” Bayuk said. “Offensively, they will throw a lot of looks at us that we haven’t seen this year. They run a lot of routes and a lot of formations that until now we just haven’t had to prepare for.

“They are a huge threat at both running and passing the ball. Again, this is going to be a big test for our defense.”

Bayuk noted that in their semifinal win, the Wildcats completed multiple passes which went for 40 or more yards.

“[Huelsman] is not afraid to throw into coverage. He has confidence in his receivers, and they usually do make the big plays,” Bayuk said.

Defensively, Bayuk called Minster “the most fundamentally sound team” he has seen all year.

“I’ve been watching them on film all week, and I have yet to see one blown assignment, one missed coverage,” Bayuk said. “It’s obvious that this team is well-schooled and it doesn’t make mistakes.”

Kennedy is making its fifth state finals appearance. Its 21 playoff appearances and 32 postseason wins are tops among all Trumbull County schools. The Eagles won a state title in Division IV in 1991.