Special Teams help Harlan beat Heelan

It was definately the game of what ifs as Harlan survived Heelan’s rally attempt and the Cyclones advanced in the Class 3A playoffs, winning 21-14 on Friday night at Merril Field in Harlan.

The difference in the game was a 99-yard kickoff return by Brian Kloewer on the opening kickoff of the second half.  It was the first kickoff return for a touchdown of the season for Harlan and it turned out to be the only score of the second half by the Cyclones.

But, like I said, this was a game of what ifs.

What If . . . Preston Ives doesn’t fumble the football late in the second quarter.  After Harlan tied the score at 7-7, Ives fumbled the ball on the kickoff giving Harlan excellent field position on the 24 yard line and the Cyclones drove the short field into the end zone, scoring on a 5-yard run by QB Michael Kaufmann to take a 14-7 lead at the half.

What if . . . The officials do not blow a call on a pass interference on that last drive of the second half.  Kaufmann was throwing to the end zone and Nate Berger was flagged for the interference when it was clear he was nowhere near the receiver and it was a good defensive stop.

What if . . . .The officials ruled that Zach McCabe’s momentum was stopped at the goal line.  In the third quarter, Heelan was on the one-yard line and McCabe tried to sneak it into the end zone.  He ran into a pile of players who stopped him cold.  His forward progress was stopped but the officials never blew the whistle and Harlan was able to strip the ball loose, recover the fumble and prevent Heelan from cutting the lead to one score.

What if . . . . McCabe’s final pass of the game was never thrown.  Or maybe it should have been overthrown.  After Heelan got the ball back with about a minute and a half left in the game, the Crusaders got huge pass plays to move to the Harlan 25 yard line.  McCabe then threw to the end zone for Nick Berger but the ball was badly thrown and Harlan picked it off to end the the drive.  There is no doubt that McCabe wants that pass back.

Heelan committed 4 turnovers in the game, 3 fumbles and 1 interception and spoiled a great performance by the Heelan defense, which held the Harlan offense scoreless in the second half — the only points coming on Kloewer’s kickoff return.

The running game for the Crusaders was a non-factor.  As a matter of fact, Heelan did not call a running play in the entire second half.  The only rushing yards for Heelan in the third and fourth quarters were on McCabe scrambles.  When was the last time you saw that in a high school football game?  Let alone any football game?  Michael Malloy finished with 5 carries for 5 yards.  Heelan had a net minus 26 yards rushing in the game.

McCabe finished — unofficially — 29 of 37 passing for 405 yards.  Both Bergers were absolutely sensational for Heelan.  Nate Berger caught 9 passes for 196 yards and 2 touchdowns (66 and 42 yards).  Nick Berger caught 13 passes for 148 yards.  Brady Van Dusen added 2 catches for 44 yards.

Ives simply disappeared in this game.  The speedy wideout only caught 2 passes for 8 yards.  For a player who publicly said that he circled this game on the calendar, it was a disappointment.

For Harlan, they had balance on the rush.  Dylan Barrett had 22 carries for 63 yards; Matt Hoch had 14 carries for 66 yards and Kaufmann finished with 12 rushes for 54 yards.  Kaufmann was 5 of 14 passing for 61 yards and 1 TD and 1 INT.  Harlan had 183 yards rushing.

In the end, the game came down to special teams.  Both coaches said so in our pre-game show.  Harlan Head Coach Curt Bladt was concerned with the return game for Heelan.  Instead, it was Kloewer’s 99 yard return that proved to be the difference.

Still, this was a game that Heelan will look back on and say — we should have won this football game.  Ultimately, it was Heelan mistakes that ended the season.  It was a good season nevertheless as the Crusaders finish up 10-2.  But when Harlan celebrates a state title in a couple of weeks, Heelan will probably watch it on TV and say it could have been them.

Preview: Heelan @ Harlan

No, this isn’t a game for mansy pansies.

Its Heelan versus Harlan and the winner on Friday night will be the clear favorite to take the Iowa 3A football crown.  The Cyclones will have the home field advantage and are coming in with a perfect 11-0 record.  Heelan comes in with a 10-1 mark; the only loss coming to Harlan back on September 4 by a score of 24-6.

Heelan jumped out early in that game, getting a quick TD run from Kyle Kinney and then recovering a Matt Hoch fumble.  After the turnover, Heelan QB Zach McCabe threw for the end zone but the ball went off the pads of Preston Ives and bounced into a Harlan defender for an interception.  That play turned the momentum around and the Cyclones scored 24 straight points to win the game.

Heelan, however, played the game without RB Nate Berger, who suffered a severe ankle sprain in the season opener against Lawton-Bronson.  Ives also was not 100 percent.  And Michael Malloy had not yet emerged as the starting tailback.  Whether all that is a difference will be determined on Friday night.

Here are my keys to the game:

1)  Special teams.  This goes first because when I talked to both head coaches this week, they both made a point of mentioning it.  Harlan Head Coach is leery of Ives and his speed on kickoff returns.  The senior has 4 returns for touchdowns this season, including a back-breaking 70 yard kick return for a touchdown at the end of the first half Monday versus Denison-Schleswig.  Harlan only has 1 special teams touchdown this year — on a 25 yard punt return.  Advantage in the return game to Heelan.

However, I think what the coaches are most afraid of is field position and special teams can determine field position more than anything.  If the defenses take control of the game, then the punting game will be huge.  Ives could be the X factor if he can break one long.

2)  Find Hoch.  The future Iowa Hawkeye was not a huge factor against Heelan back in September but he could be on Friday night.  Hoch had 6 rushes for 30 yards and 4 catches for 63 yards.  And he led the Cyclones with 14 tackles.  Heelan must find a way to contain him — on both sides of the football.

3)  Can Heelan run the football?  The offensive line for the Crusaders must create some holes for Malloy to run through.  That means running away from Hoch or puting a couple of bodies on him.  One key player might be Jacob Tastad, the Heelan fullback.  Tastad will probably run into Hoch a lot on Friday night and he will have to find a way to block him and create a hole for Malloy to burst through.  With Malloy’s speed, all he needs is a little crease and he will get his yards.

4)  Stop the short pass.  Yes, Harlan likes to run the football with Dylan Barrett and Matt Hoch.  Barrett has 1514 yards rushing and Hoch has 480 but the screen play could be a very dangerous weapon for the Cyclones as Heelan stacks the defense in the box to stop the run.  In week two, Barrett broke open a short pass 69 yards for a TD.  Heelan has to be wary of those big plays.

Key Player for Heelan:  Nate Berger.  He did not play against Harlan and he might be the key for Crusaders in moving the football.  Berger can do so much on offense — run the football and catch the football.  He is the most versatile player on offense for Heelan.  Short passes to Berger might be successful.  And if Malloy is ineffective on the run than Berger will need to pick up the slack.  I look for Berger to play a huge game.

Key for McCabe:  No mistakes.  It goes without saying that turnovers are huge in a game like this.  Zach will need to play flawless football for Heelan to win.  Every decision that McCabe makes will be magnified 10 times over.  The good news is that McCabe is more than up to the challenge.  He is a veteran leader out there and Heelan will be looking to him if its a close game.  Heelan has not played too many close games so it will be interesting to see how the team responds.  Of course, Harlan has not played too many close games either.

Overall, its going to be a classic showdown.  We’ll have the game on 1360 KSCJ.  Our coverage will begin at 5:00 with the Hawkeye Insider Kickoff Show.  JB and Marty Millard will talk Iowa Hawkeye football with the Radio Voice of the Hawkeyes Gary Dolphin, Howard Griffith of the Big Ten Network and former Hawkeye WR Ed Hinkle, with the Hawk in the Huddle. 

At 6:00, we will have a special Knova’s Carpets Pre-Game Show, presented in extended format from Irwin Painting and Finishing.  We’ll talk with Heelan Head Coach Roger Jansen and Harlan Head Coach Curt Bladt.  Plus, we’ll be joined by the Head Coach of the Iowa Hawkeyes Kirk Ferentz, who will talk about the magical season of the Hawkeyes plus give his insight into Brandon Wegher and Iowa High School Football.

Kickoff is 7:00 pm.  Let the fun begin.

Heelan beats D-S 34-14; Harlan is next

Preston Ives returned a kick 70 yards for a touchdown on the final play of the first half and Heelan finished off Denison-Schleswig 34-14 in 3A playoff action on Monday night.

Ives kickoff return came after the Monarchs got their first score of the game and stole D-S’s momentum just before halftime.  Ives also recovered a fumble by Nick Berger for a touchdown and Michael Malloy had 113 yards rushing and a touchdown.  Zach McCable also found Nick Sawin for a 6 yard TD as Heelan rolled to a 20-point win.

Heelan’s defense swarmed over the Monarchs, holding D-S to just 44 yards rushing in the game.  Denison’s leading rusher Jesse Preul was held to just 43 yards on 16 carries.  Alex Pick was named our McClintock Insurance Player of the Game, leading the charge fo the Crusaders.

Heelan had built a 17-0 lead but Denison took advantage of 2 15 yard penalties on the Crusaders late in the 2nd quarter to set up the Monarchs inside the 10.  QB Ricky Torres hit Matt Reitz for a 2-yard TD to put Denison on the board.

However, on the ensuing kickoff, Nate Berger fielded a short kick at the 30 and ran back to hand the ball to Ives who weaved around the Monarchs kick coverage and raced down the sidelines for a back breaking score.  Ives would later have to come out of the game when he was hit in the head late in the third quarter.

QB Zach McCabe had a solid game for the Crusaders, going 11 of 19 passing for 128 yards and 1 touchdown.  McCabe made a bigger mark on defense, forcing 1 fumble and pressuring Torres all night long.

Heelan will now have a rematch with Harlan in a 3A quarterfinal game this Friday night.  Harlan crushed Adel A-D-M 48-0.  The Crusaders will have to visit the Cyclones for the second time this season after losing at Harlan 28-6 in week 2.  Game time is 7 pm and you can hear the game on 1360 KSCJ.

Preview: Heelan v. Denison-Schleswig

The Iowa High School football playoffs get back under way on Monday night and Heelan continues their quest for back-to-back state titles in a tilt with Denison-Schleswig at Memorial Field.

The Crusaders topped the Monarchs 28-6 on September 11 in the district opener for both teams.  D-S likes to run the football but was held to just 62 yards rushing in the game.  Denison’s leading rusher Jesse Preul was held to just 9 yards on 10 carries.  QB Ricky Torres was just 2-12 passing for 35 yards and an interception.  The Monarchs only score came on a kickoff return for a TD by Taylor Langholdt.

The game was a breakout one for Heelan’s Michael Malloy.  The sophomore ran for 113 yards on 17 carries and scored three touchdowns.  Kyle Kinney added 75 yards on the ground.  Zach McCabe was 9-20 passing for 133 yards and an interception.  However, the QB made an impact on defense, returning an interception 46 yards for a touchdown.

Heelan is coming off of a 66-2 thrashing of Creston in the sbustates while Denison-Schleswig rallied for a 14-9 victory over Glenwood.  Here are some things to look for in this game:

1)  Can Heelan contain the run again?  Since the Heelan game, Preul has gone wild, running for 1,087 hards and scoring 12 touchdowns.  Blum has 575 yards rushing to compliment him in the backfield.  Can the Crusaders hold Preul to 9 yards just like last time?  Unlikely.  D-S will be hard pressed to run up the middle so the Monarchs will try to mix it up and get outside on Heelan.  Denison is not a throwing football team so stopping the run will be key for Heelan

2)  Special teams.  I am sure that Head Coach Roger Jansen did not like to see Langholdt return a kick for a TD against the Crusaders back in September.  Look for Heelan to focus on the return game  here.  Kick coverage will be key but Zach Maxey could make it easy by just kicking the ball into the end zone.

3)  Establish the run early.  Heelan was able to run the football early against Creston as Malloy had 2 big runs on their first 2 plays.  Malloy finished with 133 yards and 2 scores against the Panthers so look for Heelan to continue run with the sophmore.  The offensive line completely dominated the line of scrimmage against Creston.  If they play like that on Monday, Denison will not have a chance.

4)  Keep the hammer down.  Heelan was explosive last week against Creston.  That intensity level must be maintained.  There cannot be a letdown.  It gets more and more difficult as the rounds progress.  Denison-Schleswig is sky high after a comeback win last Wednesday.  They will want to prove that the early season loss was a fluke.  Heelan cannot think they will cruise to the win.

We’ll have all the action on 1360 KSCJ with our Knova’s Carpets Pre-Game Show at 6:30 and a 7 pm kickoff.

Heelan rolls past Creston

It was over before it started.

Bishop Heelan moved into the second round of the 3A State Playoffs with a 66-2 win over Creston O/M on Wednesday night at Memorial Field.  The Crusaders obviously wanted to play a lot better than last Friday’s OT win over Sgt. Bluff-Luton.  Mission accomplished.

Michael Malloy ran for 133 yards in the first half and 2 touchdowns.  Zach McCabe threw for 3 TD’s in the first half as Heelan built a 52-2 halftime lead.  Neither player would play in the second half.  As a matter of fact, Head Coach Roger Jansen would sit most of his first team players in the second half — on both offense and defense.

Preston Ives caught 2 TD’s from McCabe — one from 18 yards out and a gorgeous 40 yard leaping catch for a score.  Brady Van Dusen also caught a TD pass from McCabe — from 5 yards out.

The defense scored as well.  Leading 35-2 in the 2nd quarter, Nick Berger intercepted a Luke Eblen pass and returned it 27 yards for a touchdown.  After the kickoff, Berger would scoop up a fumble and return it 30 yards for a TD.  Both scores happened within 20 seconds of one another.

Zach Maxey would kick 9 extra points in the game and added a 37 yard field goal — his longest of the season — for a total of 12 points in the football game.  It was complete domination for Heelan.

Dane Hickman would add a 4 yard TD run and Cort McGregor would score from 10 yards out — both coming in the 4th quarter and both scores coming after Creston turnovers.  The Panthers would commit 6 turnovers in the game — 4 interceptions and 2 fumbles.

Heelan will now face Denison-Schleswig in the second round on Monday night at Memorial Field.  The Monarchs beat Glenwood 14-9.  It ’s a rematch of the district opener for both teams — Heelan beat D-S 28-6 in week 3 of the season.  We’ll have all the play-by-play on 1360 KSCJ with a 7:00 kickoff and a 6:35 pre-game.

Preview: Heelan v. Creston

On Wednesday night, Heelan will begin their quest to repeat as 3A state champions.  The Crusaders will take on Creston, the 4th seed in District 8.  The game is at Memorial Field and is scheduled for a 7:00 pm kickoff.  Our coverage will begin with our Knova’s Carpets Pre-Game Show at 6:35 on 1360 KSCJ.

Here are some keys to the game:

1)  Can Heelan correct mistakes committed against Sgt. Bluff-Luton

Maybe it was a fluke but Heelan had problems snapping the football against the Warriors.  Maybe it was the weather conditions.  Maybe the football didn’t have enough air in them.  Whatever.  Heelan had 2 poor snaps on punts and 2 poor snap exchanges between the quarterback and center.  In the playoffs, the Crusaders — or anybody for that matter — can afford such mistakes.

2)  Shadow Number 6

His name is Kevin Irr and get used to seeing him often on Wednesday night.  Irr leads Creston in rushing with 344 yards and 4 TD.  He leads the Panthers in receiving with 36 catches and 4 TD.  He is third on the team in tackles with 54.  He leads the team in interceptions with 4.  He is the team’s kicker and is a perfect 19-19 on extra points and 5-5 on field goals.  He is the team’s punter averaging 31 yards a kick.  Irr also is the leader in kick returns and punt returns.  I am not making this up.  I think he might also be the team’s trainer and water boy.  I have never seen any one player with so many statistics.  Obviously, Heelan must find where he is on the field because he might be touching the ball.

3)  Establish the run.

The Crusaders only had 59 yards rushing against Sgt. Bluff-Luton.  That must improve if Heelan wants to go far in the state playoffs.  Michael Malloy is clearly the best running back on this team but the offensive line must do a better job of blowing open some holes for him to run through.  Luckily, Malloy does not need much room.  Just a little opening and Malloy will do the rest.  Controlling the line of scrimmage will be key as with any football game.

Estbablishing the run will also take the pressure off of Zach McCabe.  It sure was fun to watch McCabe throw for 465 yards against the Warriors, which is the 8th most in Iowa High School history.  However, I am sure Head Coach Roger Jansen does not want to see that every game.  If McCabe continues to throw that many times, it means the Heelan rushing attack is non-existent.

4)  Take control early

Heelan just came off a tough football game against SB-L.  You have to give credit to the Warriors for playing hard but Heelan just did not play well in the first half and then didn’t put the knock out punch together in the second half.  That is very unlike Heelan.  They need to get their swagger back and get their confidence early against Creston.

What a win for Iowa

For the first time ever, Iowa is 8-0.

It did not come easy for the Hawkeyes.  Nor it should it.  Ricky Stanzi threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Marvin McNutt as time expired to give Iowa a come from behind 15-13 win over Michigan St. on Saturday night.

Some skeptics will once again say that Iowa was playing down to their competition.  A two point win over an unranked Spartan club is hardly impressive.  Blowouts apparently are the only thing that impress pollsters, critics, and fans across the country.

However, Head Coach Kirk Ferentz could care less about all those people.  All he cares about is winning games for his bunch of guys and the Hawkeye fans who have come to believe in his team.  The skeptics will remain skeptics no matter what you do.

Michigan St. clearly came to play on Saturday night.  The Spartans had some early season stumbles, including a shocking loss to Central Michigan.  But this clearly was not the same football team.  MSU used a huge win over rival Michigan to turn their season around.  Michigan St. needed a win over Iowa to re-validate their season and move into first place in the Big Ten.

The game was dominated by defense — neither team could do much offensively.  The field goal kickers seemed to be the most effective offensive players for both teams until the final few minutes.  Both teams had inspiring goal line stands to force a couple of field goals.  But it was Iowa who led 9-6 until Michigan St. used an old fashioned hook and ladder play to set up a go-ahead touchdown that gave the Spartans a 13-9 lead.

But Ferentz’s expression did not change at all — as it never does in any game.  There is no doubt who the leader of the Iowa Hawkeyes is.  Ferentz did not panic and that led to Ricky Stanzi’s success.  Everybody knew their job:  score a touchdown in the final 1:37 of the game.

And that’s what Stanzi did.  He engineered a perfect drive, maybe one of the most impressive drives in Iowa history.  Heck, Iowa had one timeout left and they didn’t need it until the very end.  As it turned out, that timeout was crucial for Offensive Coordinator Ken O’Keefe to design the final play.  Stanzi’s TD pass to McNutt was not in the playbook on that night but O’Keefe recognized a weakness in the Michigan St. defense.  So he improvised the playbook and Stanzi completed the pass for the winning score.

In addition, Ferentz revealed in his post-game press conference that Iowa did not get a chance to practice the 2 minute drill that week because of the weather.  Yet, Stanzi and the Hawkeyes ran the 2 minute drill to perfection to remain perfect.

It is never easy to go 8-0 and Iowa won for the first time in East Lansing under Ferentz to do it.  Anybody who says this victory is not impressive does not know what they are talking about.  This was the most impressive win of the year for the Hawkeyes.  They should move up in the polls and not down.  Its not easy to win on the road and its even harder to win on the road in the Big Ten.  Yet, Iowa has beaten Penn St., Wisconsin and Michigan St. on the road in the same year.  And they had to come from behind in all three games to get the win.  It doesn’t matter whether its 2 points or 82 points, a win is a win.

On Saturday night, oh what a win it was.

Heelan wins wild game at SB-L; Playoffs Announced

What a crazy game!

Zach McCabe set a new Sioux City passing record, throwing for 465 yards as Bishop Heelan survived a scare from Sergeant Bluff-Luton, winning 42-35 in overtime.  The Warriors were playing for their season, needing a win to get a shot at the post-season for the second consecutive season but SB-L came up a touchdown short against the Crusaders.

Sgt. Bluff actually outplayed Heelan through most of the 2nd half.  Neither team could get much offense going early but SB-L broke through with a pair of TD passes from Kendall Hazel to Ross Chettinger — one from 5 yards and the other from 40 yards to build a 14-0 lead.

However, Heelan came back and tied the score in the final 2 minutes of the second quarter.  The Crusaders got a 6 yard from Michael Malloy and took the ball down the field in 18 seconds as McCabe fired a 4 yard TD pass to Nate Berger just before the end of the half to tie the game at 14-14.

Heelan kept the momentum going in the third quarter as McCabe opening up the aerial assault.  The quarter was highlighted by a 90 yard catch and run from the Senior QB to Preston Ives for a score.  McCabe also found Nick Berger for a pair of scoring strikes and Heelan built a 35-14 lead.

With their season slipping away, the Warriors did not quit and regrouped and got a huge break on a bad snap on a punt.  T.J. Obermeyer could not field the high hike and was downed at the 1-yard line where Hazel sneaked it in for a score to make it 35-21.

After Heelan could not move the football, Jansen apprently feared another bad snap so the Crusaders went for it on 4th and 15 and failed.  SB-L had great field position in Heelan territory and Hazel found Dustin Hiserote for a 17 yard touchdown to pull the Warriors within one score.

Sgt. Bluff-Luton forced another punt and got the ball back with about a minute and a half and Chettinger got lost in the Heelan secondary for a 45 yard TD to tie the game at 35-35.

In the overtime, Heelan scored on their first play as McCabe connected with Brady Van Dusen for a 10 yard TD to give the Crusaders the lead.  At the time, nobody knew who caught the TD with the mud soaked jersies but later we learned it was Van Dusen.  There was no second miracle for the Warriors as they failed to score on their possession giving the win to the Crusaders.

Heelan finishes the regular season at 8-1 while Sgt. Bluff-Luton concludes at 4-5.  The Crusaders will play Creston O-M in the first round of the playoffs on Wednesday, October 28 at Memorial Field.  Kickoff is at 7:00 and you can listen to it on 1360 KSCJ.

As for Heelan’s performance on Friday, the Crusaders were simply outplayed the majority of the game.  SB-L should not be disappointed with they way they performed; they showed the heart of a Warrior.  Heelan has a lot to work on before the post-season begins.  They had 4 bad snaps in the game, 2 on punts.  One of the exchanges between McCabe and the center was recovered by SB-L.

Here are the playoff match-ups between District 1 and District 8 in Class 3A:

Creston O-M at Bishop Heelan

Denison-Schleswig at Glenwood

MOC-Floyd Valley at Harlan

Adel A-D-M at Le Mars

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In Class 4A, Sioux City North did not make the playoffs and I can blame the Iowa High School Athletic Association’s website for not listing Ames’ record accurately.  They had the Cyclones as 1-6 and not 2-6 last week and so I thought that Des Moines Roosevelt was the only team that could catch the Stars for the final playoff spot.

However, Ames beat Newton on Friday night and the Cyclones moved past North at 3-6 into the final playoff position.

East, meanhile, finished 5-4 and won the MRAC title.  The Black Raiders will travel to Urbandale on Wednesday night for the first round of the playoffs.  Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln also made the post-season and the Lynx will play at Waukee.

Here is the link to the Iowa High School Athletic Association for the playoff brackets:

http://www.iahsaa.org/football/index.html

Monday’s Random Thoughts (on Tuesday)

A few weeks ago, after Briar Cliff lost to Midland Lutheran down in Fremont, NE, Head Coach Tom Rethman turned to me and JB and said as he was walking out of the press box that he was close.  He was meaning that Briar Cliff was close to putting things together and actually winning a few football games.  Frankly, I didn’t believe him.

After Saturday’s 33-7 thrashing of Dakota Wesleyan, maybe I can become a believer.  BCU dominated this football game, from beginning to end.  This wasn’t a simple, sneak out a 1 point win on the road win.  No.  This was a humiliation in Mitchell, SD.

Briar Cliff has a first rate defense but their offense has had too many holes.  On Saturday, freshman Lehi Tonga did not play like a freshman.  The passing game — which had been weak all season — finally came together.  It might have been the most complete football game BCU has ever played.  Certainly the best it has ever played under Rethman.

Now, the work begins.  Briar Cliff has Northwestern this week, then visits Dordt and then a little school called Morningside College comes calling.  Let the confidence swell.

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I did not get to watch much football this week but I tuned in to ESPN just as Iowa was trailing Wisconsin 10-3.  The Hawkeyes rallied to win 20-10 and it was one of the most impressive wins this season for Kirk Ferentz’s bunch.  Iowa has won both of its Big Ten road games and has to come from behind to win them both.  Maybe this is a team of destiny.

I am still concerned about Ricky Stanzi.  This guy just scares me — every time he goes back to pass, you just don’t know what is going to happen.  Chances are, he’s going to complete the pass.  However, you just don’t know which team he’s going to complete it to.

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What has happened in Lincoln?  Nebraska got slammed by Texas Tech this past week and at home no less.  Every time this program takes a step forward — i.e. a win against Missouri on national television — they take a step backward.  It has been a roller coaster ride for Husker fans.

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Who is the best team in the nation?  Florida or Alabama.  If these 2 teams played today, my pick would be the Crimson Tide.  That defense is awfully good.

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NFL Thoughts

Washington lost to lowly Kansas City this past week.  After only scoring 6 points against the Chiefs, the team stripped away the play calling responsibilities of Head Coach Jim Zorn.  They should have just fired him.

Did anybody think that Denver would be unbeaten at this point in the season?  The Broncos are the biggest surprise in the league.  But remember, they play in the worst division in the league.

Did anybody think that Tennesse would be winless at this point in the season?

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Final Thought:  It looks like a Yankee-Philadelphia World Series this year.  Go Phillies!!!!!

Playoff Scenerios are Clear (Sort of)

It took overtime but East was able to clinch a playoff spot and the Missouri Rivers Activities Conference crown with a 20-17 win over West on Friday night.  That moves the Black Raiders into the playoffs in Bob Goodvin’s first year as head coach.  The Black Raiders clearly did not play their best football game on Friday night but it was enough to squeak out a victory.  Credit West Head Coach Andy Yost for giving East all they can handle.

As for North, the Stars are still in the driver’s seat for a playoff spot, despite their loss Thursday night to Council Bluffs A.L.  North is 3-5 and currently has the final playoff spot in the Western half of Class 4A.  There is only one team that can catch them:  Des Moines Roosevelt.  The Roughriders are the only 2-6 team in the West and they face Des Moines Lincoln in the final regular season game.  The Stars visit West Des Moines Valley (7:30 kickoff on KSCJ) on Thursday night.

If North beats the Tigers, they are in the playoffs.  If North loses to Valley and Roosevelt beats Lincoln, North would not be in the playoffs.  If North loses to Valley and Lincoln beats Roosevelt, North is in the playoffs.  Its as clear as that.  Here’s how the western half of the state looks for playoff berths:

8-0:  Dowling, Marshalltown

7-1:  Ankeny, Ft. Dodge

6-2:  Ottumwa, Urbandale

5-3:  Des Moines Lincoln, Des Moines East, Mason City, Johnston, CBAL, Waukee

4-4:  Valley, Sioux City East, Indianola

3-5:  Sioux City North

2-6:  Des Moines Roosevelt

As for first round playoff match-ups for East and North, its awfully hard to determine who East would play.  Here’s a wild guess:  Ft. Dodge.  Just a hunch.  As for the Stars, looks like back-to-back trips to West Des Moines are in store.  I am guessing North will play at Dowling in the first round.

As for 3A, Heelan has clinched the 3A District 1 title with their huge blow out of Le Mars.  Who the Crusaders will play has not been decided but my guess is Creston.  District 1 is matched up with District 8 and Harlan has clinched that title.  Glenwood and A-D-M are tied for second at 4-2 and Lewis Central and Creston are tied for fourth at 3-3.  Lewis Central has to play Harlan so I am assuming the Titans lose that game and fall out of a playoff spot.  Creston plays 1-7 Clarke-Osceola so that gives Creston O-M a playoff spot, if there are no upsets.  A-D-M will beat Atlantic and I am guessing Glenwood wins on the road against Winterset.  Did you get all that?

As for the playoff teams in District 1, Le Mars needs a win @ Estherville to get the number two seed.  The Bulldogs should accomplish that feat.  Sgt. Bluff-Luton must beat Heelan in the final week of the regular season (7 pm kickoff on KSCJ) to get in the playoffs.  That’s going to be a tough task for the Warriors.  SB-L is tied with Spencer, MOC-Floyd Valley, and Denison-Schleswig at 3-3 and 2 of those teams are going in the playoffs.  Specer will vist D-S so the winner there will get in and the Dutch visit 1-7 Storm Lake.

With all that being said, here are my projected 3A playoff matches in District 1 and District 8.

District 8 #4:  Creston at District 1 #1:  Bishop Heelan

District 1 #3:  Spencer at District 8 #2:  Glenwood

District 8 #3:  A-D-M at District 1 #2:  Le Mars

District 1 #4:  MOC-Floyd-Valley at District 8 #1:  Harlan

Of course, there could be upsets next Friday to throw all this out the window.