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Aiken wants his Cosmos to hit and have grit Rutland Herald | June 14, 2018 By BOB FREDETTE STAFF WRITER Aiken (Provided photo) SPRINGFIELD — Todd Aiken was on the sidelines as an assistant last year when Springfield beat BFA-Fairfax 18-3 in the first round of the Division III football playoffs. When BFA comes to visit Springfield for the season opener on Aug. 31, Aiken will be on the sidelines again, but this time as the Cosmos head coach. He’ll be one of many wearing Springfield green and white with fond memories of that day last fall. “That was a hard-nosed, grind-it-out kind of game,” Aiken said Thursday. “A lot of our freshmen and sophomores had playing time in that game.” That was the highlight of a two-win season but there could be more good things in store for a program whose numbers are building. “I had 38 players on Tuesday for spring ball,” said the 2005 Springfield graduate. That will be enough for Springfield to get back to fielding a JV team. D-III opponents should expect to see more hard-hitting ball from Aiken’s Cosmos. “I expect us to be very physical. We have some kids who love to fly around the football field,” he said. Aiken replaces Rich Saypack, who has taken over as the school’s athletic director. Aiken called offensive plays for two years and called defense last season under Saypack. “My feeling when I put him on the staff is that he would take over,” Saypack said. “I felt that he would be a good head coach one day.” Aiken, who will move from teaching at Riverside Middle School to the high school in the drivers education department, feels Springfield sports in general are on the upswing after some leaner years. As a student, he was part of an upward movement in sports. Three years after he graduated, the Cosmos beat Windsor 52-28 to win their last state championship. “I think this is one of the better years coming in,” Saypack said. “The program is on a solid footing with 14 juniors and a big freshman class and we’re going to have a JV team for the first time in awhile. I think Todd is in a good position.” “It’s been a longtime dream,” Aiken said of becoming a head football coach. “I’m excited. I’ve been working my way up and working under some great coaches trying to build my skill set.” Saypack put Aiken in charge of running backs and linebackers but he’s spent the past few seasons learning about multiple positions. He anticipates some tweaks to the system to fit his personnel but no major changes to Springfield’s style of play. One thing he wants to be crystal clear — there will be no backing down on the Cosmos’ part in a tough division that has been dominated in recent years by Windsor and Woodstock. “We’re going to prepare every week regardless of who we are playing with a lot of hard work and a lot of grit,” Aiken said. “Whether we’re (home at) Brown Field or their place, we want teams to know that we are a physical team and that they’ve been hit.” Springfield’s 2018 schedule: Friday, Aug. 31 BFA-Fairfax at Springfield, 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 7 Mill River at Springfield, 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 15 Springfield at MSJ, 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 22 Springfield at Bellows Falls, 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 29 Springfield at Missisquoi, 1 p.m. Friday, Oct. 5 Oxbow at Springfield, 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 12 Windsor at Springfield, 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 20 Springfield at Poultney, 1 p.m. Follow Bob on Twitter: @Bob_Fredette bob.fredette@rutlandherald.com
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