Scotus Preparing For Playoff Matchup With Bishop Neumann

COLUMBUS - For the first time since 2016, Columbus Scotus will be competing in the Class C-1 playoffs, and they will face a familiar foe in the first round.

The Shamrocks finished out the regular season 7-2, which was their most wins in a season since 2015. Scotus Head Coach Tyler Linder says he's very proud of what his team has accomplished this season, and he's especially happy for the group of seniors who will get to continue competing in a Shamrock uniform.

"It's been a joy to come to practice every single day, and it was awesome to get the bid into the playoffs and extend our season," Linder said. "I'm happy for these seniors, they deserve to wear the green jersey again and getting a home playoff game is huge for our program, so I'm excited to compete for championships and spend a little more time with this special group."

Scotus will be playing host in the first round this Friday, as district rival Bishop Neumann will be making the trip to Memorial Stadium in Columbus. The Shamrocks narrowly defeated the Cavaliers in the regular season, earning a 34-33 victory in Wahoo back on October 4th.

Coach Linder says the Cavaliers are a great, well-coach team who will be looking for some payback in Friday's game.

"They're going to be ready to play on Friday night, and they're motivated, they feel like we came in there and robbed them of a win, and they're going to come to our place and expect to do the same thing," Linder said. "It's going to be a fun week of practice, it's a lot of review, so this week's going to be about maximizing mental reps and keeping guys healthy."

The Shamrocks were one-and-done in their last playoff appearance three years ago, but won a state championship as recently as 2015. Coach Linder says the home-field advantage the Shamrocks will enjoy Friday night will not only be a huge benefit for his team, but will make for a great atmosphere in Columbus.

"We've got a tremendous community around us that supports us in everything that we do, and our fans are represented better at home than they are on road trips," Linder said. "I'm expecting it to be a loud environment, and I'm excited to be a part of it, it's a great high school environment, and it's something that you can't duplicate anywhere else."

Kickoff between Scotus and Bishop Neumann is set for 7:00 PM this Friday at Memorial Stadium in Columbus.