Correspondent file photo / Michael J. Sekol Struthers’ Tyler Sanchez runs for a gain against St. Thomas Aquinas during the Wildcats’ season-opening win on August 19. Sanchez is one of three running backs that have led the Struthers succesful ground game this season.

Struthers has come a long way since the first half of the season.

After decisively winning its season opener, the Wildcats lost four straight games to start the year 1-4, but three of those losses came by 10 or fewer points — with two coming by a single score and one coming in overtime.

Since that overtime loss, Struthers has won four straight games.

“During that stretch, we talked to the team and it’s hard to get positives out of being 1-4, but as a coaching staff, we were looking at our team and we knew we were getting better,” Struthers head coach John Bayuk said. “We were losing close games and we were battling to the very end in all of our games — we just weren’t coming up with the W.”

The Wildcats’ winning streak has clinched them a spot in the Division IV playoffs, which Bayuk said was one of the team’s goals at the beginning of the year.

“It’s a process and none of (the players) decided to take the easy way out and quit or complain,” Bayuk said. “They took practice seriously everyday. After the (Week 5) loss, we said every game is a playoff game. So I just think we kicked it up a notch in practice and our focus got a little closer and clearer because we wanted to reach that goal of Week 11.”

Standing before Week 11 for the Wildcats is a familiar foe — rival Poland.

Like Struthers, the Bulldogs also sit at 5-4, but have had more of an up-and-down season, having won three of their last four games. But Poland is hoping to put an end to Struthers’ win streak and solidify its playoff seeding.

“It’s a great challenge in front of us — they are playing really well,” said Poland head coach Tom Pavlansky. “(They) have a lot of momentum. In big games like this rivalry game, we have to make sure we believe in our plan and take care of the football and we have to take care of the football. If we do those things, and the ball bounces our way once or twice in the fourth quarter, then we’ll have a chance to win the game.”

Also like the Wildcats, Poland has also had to deal with some adversity this season. Injuries have forced Poland to shuffle players around at quarterback and at positions around the field.

Five different players have taken snaps this season for the Bulldogs, however, Poland typically prefers to rely on the ground game and it has no shortage of options to carry the ball out of the backfield, with the likes of Cole Fulton, Dom Pagano and Danny Nittoli.

“Like any team, you always go through adversity, you always have injuries,” Pavlansky said. “No matter who’s out there, we expect them to be at their best and I think our kids will do that.”

The uncertainty of who and what they may see from Poland offensively, complicates defensive preparation for Struthers.

“Just to be able to have different packages with different kids — that makes it difficult for us on defense,” Bayuk said. “We have to make sure our kids are focused on what we need to do when we’re on the field defensively. All those quarterbacks (that) they have do some things differently and better than others and they’re all really good at what they do, so we have to make sure we prepare for that.”

According to the computer ratings, both teams have clinched a playoff spot in Division IV, Region 9. Currently, Poland sits at No. 7, while Struthers sits at No. 10, but each spot could fluctuate depending on how Week 10’s results shakeout.

Pavlansky said the Bulldogs aren’t focused on the playoffs, seeding or otherwise, right now, and that they are focused “only” on Struthers. On the flip side, Bayuk said his teams discussed playoff seeding after Tuesday’s practice since the team has a goal of hosting a home playoff game.

“We want to keep reaching these goals that we have set for ourselves and we’re raising the bar,” Bayuk said. “We have a chance for our kids to possibly play on their home field again and not many teams get that opportunity, so for our kids to have that chance is a little extra motivation.”