Quarterfinal Preview

Alright folks.  Quarterfinal Saturday.  Here’s what to look for.

CLASS 1

• Valle Catholic (12-0) at Miller (10-2)
  • After getting the past their recent nemesis, Thayer, the Cardinals come up against an even more formidable challenge in Valle Catholic.  The Warriors have scored an astonishing 125 points in their first two playoff games.  And average over 45 ppg on the season.  They run a spread offense triggered by senior QB Michael Greminger who passes well, runs well, and causes havoc for opposing defenses.  The Warriors also have athletes all over the field for him to hand off & pass to.  Defensively, they use their speed to attack & force turnovers.  The key for Miller will be to contain Greminger, force him to throw to beat them, and close on receivers quickly to minimize gains.  If they try to cover man-to-man, Greminger has the arm strength to go deep.  If they try to blitz to bring pressure, he read the field very well and will hit his check down receivers.  A balanced, consistent, defensive approach is needed.  Derek Jack and Damon Dempster having big days would help also.  They will score points, just keep it from being too many.  Offensively, Miller has the horses to open some holes, and the speed to exploit them.  But Valle brings great speed also.  Justin Jack needs to use a variety of receivers, Daniel Parscal needs to use his speed to make some plays on the ground, and the Miller offense needs to keep the Warrior defense on the field as much as possible.  A big challenge, but not out of reach.

CLASS 2

• Lamar (6-6) at Fair Grove (12-0)
  • By now, everyone should realize this isn’t the mismatch that it appears by the records.  Lamar can play.  Since they’ve starte playing class 2 competition, they are 5-0 with a combined score of 192-26.  The annual Big 8 wars prepared them to win their third district title in four years and once again to make a playoff run.  So don’t expect them to roll over and play dead for Fair Grove.  But they have yet to face a player that can put his singular mark on a game like Caleb Schaffitzel.  And recent games have shown that he is not the only player that must be accounted for on the Eagles side of the ball.  QB Alec Hackett is a very dangerous second option running the ball and passes enough to keep defenses honest.  The Fair Grove defense has been formidable, and must continue to be so in order to control the tigers double wing offense.  RB Markell White has been a house of fire in the playoffs so far.  QB Trenton Doyle has only had to hand the ball off & run it himself so far.  And that strategy should keep the Eagles defensive backfield keyed in on the rush and minimize turnovers.  The Tigers will focus on containing Schaffitzel, and they have the tools to do it.  I look for this to be decided by whose role players make the biggest contributions.

CLASS 3

• Cassville (11-1) at Rogersville (11-1)
  • Some people are calling this the de facto state championship game.  While teams like Bowling Green and O’Hara may still have something to say about that, they have to be the two favorites.  Talented, athletic, well coached, disciplined, they have all the traits of contenders.  This game comes down to who imposes their will on the other.  For Cassville, as always they look to dominate defensively, wear down the opposing defense, and let their playmakers make plays.  It’s a plan that works well.  Especially since the only class 3 school capable of beating them at that game was Seneca.  While the Wildcats don’t have the biggest lineman, you won’t find a more well-conditioned, strong, disciplined group.  When they play well, they truly work as a unit and it’s beautiful to behold.  Behind the line is speed and athletic ability.  RB Joseph Gouvion gets the most press, but QB/RB Trevor Tanner & Josh Lewright are dangerous every time they touch the ball.  WR Travis Northern must be accounted for.  And LB Trenton Tanner and Devin Linenbrink can run down almost any ball carrier.  For Rogersville, Colton Dill is the engine to their machine.  The field general is dangerous on foot or through the air, and has great weapons like RBs Grant Clouse & Dylan Cole, and WR Conner Smith at his disposal.  Defensively, they hold their own on the line and use their great speed to clean up.  I really think the matchup is simple.  Can Rogersville strike early & often to take Cassville out of their game plan?  If they do, Cassville is not designed to play catchup.  Although with their athletic ability, they certainly have the ability.  And they do have the spread in their arsenal.  If Rogersville doesn’t grab a lead, then Cassville will most likely take control of the line, the game, and make Rogersville hope for a lightning strike.

CLASS 4

• Webb City (12-0) vs Bolivar (11-1) at SBU, Bolivar
  • Here’s what we know.  Both teams can score. Multiple weapons for both sides.  Boliver has QB Kolton Peavey to pass, RB Josh Moffett to run, and WR Alex Talley to catch.  Webb City brings the pain on the ground with Braxton Baker, Maddy Johnson, and Patrick Drake who has shown you don’t want to forget about his arm either.  The Cardinals can play D. Allowing 14 points to Carthage’s explosive offense is just the latest example.  Bolivar can handle pressure. Lest we forget their great last second come back against Rogersville.  Here’s what we don’t know.  If Bolivar can stop a high powered running attack.  Refer back to the Mountain Grove game.  And folks, that’s the ballgame.  IF they can find a way to contain the Webb City rushing attack without allowing Drake to kill them through the air, they should win.  But, no one has done that yet.  If you load the box, Drake finds the open receivers.  If you defend the pass, a lead blocker is more than ready to plant your first tackler.  Defensively, Webb City must defend the deep ball.  They do have a weakness there.  But their defensive line can exert pressure and take over the game.  Similar to Cassville/Rogersville, I think Bolivar needs to jump on top to have a chance here.

CLASS 5

• Raytown South (9-3) at Nixa (9-3)
  • As we talked about earlier this week, and we saw Monday, Raytown South is all about athleticism & speed.  They absolutely ran their way into the next round by hitting a number of big plays against Ozark.QB Dennis Tanner can do a little bit of everything, the Cardinals look to spread the field, and use the tools they have.  Defensively, those tools translate into a strong attack as their athleticism allows them to beat most teams at their own games.  Here’s the ray of hope for Cardinal fans.  If South has a weakness, it’s a strong running attack.  And Nixa decidedly has that with Jordan Keeney running the ball.  And the aerial performance of Ben Fisher and Eric Christophel lately gives the Cardinal defense something to think about also.  But the teams that have beaten South have shortened the game with strong rushing, limited the time that the Cardinal offense is on the field, and taken care of the ball.  Avoiding turnovers is essential for Nixa.  They cannot lose the turnover battle and expect to win this game.  Control time of possession, contain the big plays, and Nixa has a real chance to move on.