In his 30th season as the coach of the Piqua Indians, Bill Nees is a hall of famer, a state champion, and among Miami Valley football colleagues, the 'dean' of area coaches. Having eclipsed 200 career wins, he prepares for another playoff journey this Friday at Alexander Stadium. First published in 2019, enjoy this 'encore' presentation of an Ohio High School Athletic Association coaching icon.

Steeled by the painful lessons from a two-week-old defeat, Tippecanoe reached down and found enough to rally past Piqua and end an extended streak of frustration against its MVL Miami Division rival.

Troy put pressure on Tippecanoe's defense ... but the Red Devils' didn't break in a key Miami Valley League game Friday night. Tipp's win set up a showdown with the Piqua Indians in a  Miami Division clash that could decide the division title.

Tippecanoe rallied from a 20-0 deficit against one of the top Division II teams in the state. The D-III Red Devils even took a 22-20 lead on a blocked punt late in the third quarter. But the Xenia Buccaneers had an answer ... scoring on a 10-yard touchdown pass with 51 seconds to stay undefeated in the MVL crossover game.