Football Level 3 Preview: Division 5
posted by Travis Wilson at 11/4/2009
Division 5 Bracket
Toughest Road So Far
Osseo-Fairchild. Any time you have to take on the unbeaten and defending state champs, it's been a tough road. That's exactly what the Chieftains did in Level 2 however, knocking off Colby 18-0. It was actually a revenge game, as Colby had beaten O-F 41-17 in Week 2 in a Cloverbelt game. Osseo-Fairchild also had to get past La Crosse Aquinas in Level 1, a team that had been playing better as the year went along and played in a largely Division 2 conference.
Cinderella
I've got to go with Arcadia. Not only are they the only unseeded team left in Division 5, the school is making only its fifth playoff appearance, and had just 1 win coming into this season. But the Raiders took out second-seeded Elk Mound in Level 1 and third-seeded Marathon in Level 2.
Most Impressive
With so many elite teams in Division 5, it's hard to narrow one down, but Cedar Grove-Belgium gets a slight edge over Lancaster, Springs, and Brillion. CG-B has out-scored their first two playoff opponents 73-7 to continue what has been a dominating season so far.
The Match-Ups:
Osseo-Fairchild (9-2) vs. Arcadia (9-2) Saturday 2 p.m. -- Not necessarily the two teams that were expected to meet here in this regional, but two teams that have certainly proved they belong. Osseo-Fairchild comes in flying high after a shutout win over defending state champ Colby, while Arcadia has looked very good in knocking off a pair of seeded teams. Arcadia will rely heavily on the Thunder and Lightning backfield of Brock Haines and Reid Christ. Christ averaged over 8 yards per carry and scored 16 touchdowns, while Haines contributed over 500 yards and 5 touchdowns. Quarterback A.J. Bellville can hurt you with his legs as well, but hasn't been as efficient passing the ball. Bellville has completed just 42% of his passes this year with 7 touchdowns to 9 interceptions. Joe Garofalo can provide a spark in the return game and is someone to watch. O-F has its own outstanding backfield duo, Nick Hammer and Tanner Larson, who have combined for over 1700 yards and 20 touchdowns. Much like his counter-part, quarterback Tristin Gunderson can do damage with his legs but struggled throwing the ball at times. He's completed just 45% of his passes with 8 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
Edge: Osseo-Fairchild
Lancaster (11-0) vs. Darlington (10-1) Saturday 3 p.m. -- Two of southwest Wisconsin's elite programs square off in this one. Lancaster is second in state history with 6 titles and will be looking to tie Stratford's record of seven this year. Darlington is tied for seventh with 4 titles. The Redbirds has appeared in the state finals 8 times, second most all-time. Lancaster is just one behind with 7 appearances. Enough about the past though, let's look at these teams this year. The say Darlington relies heavily on Alex Erickson is an understatement. The junior quarterback is the leading rusher with nearly 1000 yards and 19 touchdowns. He's been a little less efficient passing the ball, completing 42% of his passes with 9 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. He is also a standout defensive back. Lancaster will bring a stable of outstanding backs in their option-heavy system. Quarterback Nathan Budack possesses outstanding athleticism, and is second on the team with nearly 800 yards rushing and 16 touchdowns. He's been effective in the few situations he's asked to throw it as well, completing 54% of his passes for 8 touchdowns and just 2 interceptions. Trevor Landon is the prototypical option fullback; capable of grinding out tough yards inside and also breaking it to the house with the tiniest window. Tyler Whitish provides outstanding speed on the outside and in the passing game. He's scored 13 touchdowns (8 rushing, 5 receiving) on offense and also returned several kicks for scores. David Koeller provides another speedy outside threat.
Edge: Lancaster
Peshtigo (10-1) vs. Brillion (11-0) Saturday 1 p.m. -- These two teams haven't gotten quite the chatter as some of the other great teams in Division 5, but they have forced people to talk about them with their play on the field. Brillion won the Olympian-Packerland Small title by two games, and has yet to give up a point in the playoffs. The backfield combo of Casey Mueller and Kyle Kittel has been outstanding for the Lions, as the pair has racked up over 2000 yards and 23 touchdowns. Kittel has also been used in the passing game with good success, albeit in limited opportunities. The defense has been stout, allowing just 7.6 points per game this year. For Peshtigo, Mack Dura has been the man, especially in the playoffs. He's totaled over 400 yards with 5 touchdowns in the two playoff games. Quarterback Jeff Gardon has been outstanding as well. The competition in the Marinette & Oconto hasn't been as tough for the Bulldogs, so it will be interesting to see how they respond against a much tougher opponent than what they're used to.
Edge: Brillion
St. Mary's Springs (11-0) vs. Cedar Grove-Belgium (11-0) Saturday 1 p.m. -- This is one of the two or three best matchups in the state this weekend, regardless of division. This could easily be a state finals-level game. Both teams pride themselves on defense. CG-B finished second in the state, allowing just 4.6 points per game while Springs was third with just 5.5 points allowed per contest. That's not to say these teams can't score, as the Rockets average over 37 points per game and the Ledgers over 45 per contest. Cedar Grove-Belgium made it to the state finals last year before falling to Colby, and returns 11 starters from that team. Many of the seniors are three-year starters, including quarterback Kyle Bruggink and two-way stars Wayne Paulus, Spencer Jacque, and Nic Vrubley. Jacque and Vrubley have combined for over 2100 yards and 33 touchdowns on the ground this year. Bruggink hasn't needed to pass often, but has been solid, with 7 of his 29 completions going for touchdowns. The stats for Springs are a little misleading, as there have been precious few games they have actually needed to use their starters much into the fourth quarter. Anthony Parker averages 7.6 yards per carry and has scored 13 touchdowns, while Brian Fellers has scored 15. Erik Martin has been outstanding at receiver, catching 10 scoring passes, and has been dynamic in the return game. Quarterback Mitchell Beau has all the tools you look for in a quarterback: size, strong arm, accuracy, running ability, leadership ability, and moxie. In limited chances, he's thrown for almost 1100 yards with 19 touchdowns and just 3 interceptions. This should be a dandy.
Edge: St. Mary's Springs
Division 7 and 6 breakdowns will be posted Tuesday, Divisions 5 and 4 on Wednesday, Divisions 3 and 2 on Thursday, and Division 1 on Friday.
Comments 1
On
11/4/2009 8:34:57 PM
db_11 wrote:
I love that you used the word moxie.
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