Coach Clyde Lucas and members of his Grove City Christian School football team vividly recall a 69-0 loss to Division VI power Shadyside during the Eagles' inaugural season in 2006.

Three years later, the Eagles will look to avenge that loss when the teams play in a Region 23 semifinal at 1 p.m. Saturday at Sulsberger Stadium in Zanesville.

"The guys will remember that game, and they know that Shadyside was a good team that year," Lucas said. "We weren't supposed to beat them, but they also have something to prove to them."

The site is familiar to the sixth-seeded Eagles. This will be their third game there this season.

Grove City Christian suffered its lone loss of the season against Zanesville Rosecrans 10-7 on Oct. 16, but avenged that setback last Saturday, defeating the Bishops 28-0 in the program's first postseason game to improve to 10-1.

Seventh-seeded Shadyside improved to 6-5 after rallying to beat second-seeded Columbiana 19-14 last Saturday.

When Shadyside cruised to the win in 2006, the Eagles played with just 15 players. The rapidly growing program dressed more than 45 players against Rosecrans last Saturday.

The Tigers finished second in the state in 2006, losing to Maria Stein Marion Local 17-0 in the Division VI state final.

"It was a rude awakening for how tough we would have to be to win more games," Eagles senior quarterback Christopher Bowman said. "It was like a standard where we'd have to be to make it far in the playoffs and win games."

Last season, Shadyside finished 9-3, losing to eventual state semifinalist Malvern 53-24 in a regional semifinal.

The Grove City Christian-Shadyside winner plays top-seeded Malvern or fourth-seeded Bridgeport in the regional final on Nov. 21. Both teams are 10-1.

Shadyside has moved to a Spin Series offensive scheme, which is similar to the wing-T.

Senior quarterback Dylan Kimble is the catalyst behind the Tigers' offensive success. He sparked the comeback win against Columbiana with a 95-yard drive in the final two minutes. The drive was capped with a 25-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Cline with 25 seconds remaining.

Kimble's interception on the defensive side in the closing seconds sealed the win for Shadyside.

He's also the team's top rusher, and his leading receivers are Kline, Ellis Brown and Nick Schuetz.

"They have a decent team," Lucas said. "They present different problems than Zanesville Rosecrans. They have a really good quarterback. He does throw the ball well. He'll launch it on us. We'll have to be prepared for that."

Shadyside runs a 4-3 base defense that usually ends up looking like a 4-2 in the box based on formations, according to Grove City Christian assistant coach Ed Kennedy.

The Eagles need a balanced effort if they plan on advancing to the semifinal.

Senior Jessie Barns has rushed for 1,402 yards and 17 touchdowns on 168 carries. He scored on runs of 1 and 3 yards in the win against Rosecrans.

Bowman has completed 70 of 119 passes for 1,182 yards and 16 touchdowns. His 43-yard touchdown pass to Brad Saxton capped the scoring against Rosecrans.

Brice Bowman has caught 28 passes for 727 yards and 14 touchdowns.

"We're a game-control offense, so we just have to keep the ball in the offense's hands, sustain long drives and our defense just needs to keep their offense off the field," Christopher Bowman said.

•It was a record-setting season for the cross country teams.

The brother-sister tandem of Sam and Katie Miller became the program's first regional qualifiers.

Sophomore Sam Miller finished 22nd in 18 minutes, 22.90 seconds in the Division III region 11 meet on Oct. 31 at Pickerington North.

The top 16 runners advanced to the state meet last Saturday at Scioto Downs.

Miller also shattered the program record, turning in a 17:32 in the Erin L. Nance Invitational on Oct. 3 at London High School.

The boys team finished 14th (381 points) in the Division III district race at Watkins Memorial on Oct. 24. Miller was 14th (17:48.22).

"I basically told Sam that we were going to build this team around him," coach Doug Boggs said. "I enlisted his help in keeping everyone up and excited about it all. He took it and ran with it."

Other key runners next season should be sophomores Alex Caperton, Nathan Little and David Mitchell.

Katie Miller, a senior, ended her career by finishing 42nd (22:40.45) at regional.

She set the program record with a 21:57, also at the Erin L. Nance Invitational.

Miller led the girls team at district, placing 13th (21:51.56). The Eagles did not qualify for a team score.

Boggs will also look to replace senior Jessie Jones.

Sophomore Emily Harper should be the lone girl returning with varsity experience next fall.

"Katie and Sam really laid the blueprint down for everyone else," Boggs said. "They saw how they worked in practice. They looked at their work ethic and what they were willing to do. Hopefully, they'll follow that example and we'll keep getting better and better."