Blue Valley Tigers (2-1) vs. Blue Valley Southwest Timberwolves (3-0)
(Home game)
Friday Sept. 26, 2014 at 7 p.m.
Blue Valley:
Last week was one of the biggest disasters in Tiger football history. Bishop Miege blew BV out of the water, taking a stunning 42-7 lead at the half en route to a 21 point victory. The Stag offense, led by Ryan Willis and Dawson Dowling, had a field day with the ball. Tigers defensive end senior Jackson Maase was taken out of the game with an gruesome injury with the score only 14-7, and from there the bottom fell out. A suffocating Miege defense kept the Tigers from responding on numerous occasions and forced a big key turnover right before the half.
Blue Valley Southwest:
The Timberwolves inflicted further misery on the lowly Gardner-Edgerton Trailblazers, who have yet to record a win this year. The Timberwolves turned a three-point halftime lead into a rout, winning by the final score of 49-25. Quarterback Luke Wilmes was a dominant force, helping Southwest pull away in the third quarter, including a 59 yard touchdown sprint, pushing the Timberwolves to their best start in school history.
BV will win if: The Tigers consistently move the chains. Last week, BV was constantly stopped on the ground for short-yardage by the Bishop Miege defense. The run game cannot be neutralized like that tonight. Starting running back junior A.J. Totta practiced with the team this week but remains questionable tonight. The burden will fall back onto quarterback junior Colton McCumber, who will have to be aggressive in the air to beat a tough BV Southwest defense.
Players to watch:
Blue Valley Southwest — Quarterback Luke Wilmes
A dangerous dual-threat quarterback, the Tiger defense must work to keep him contained. The dual-threat QB the Tigers faced last week, Ryan Willis, racked up four touchdowns. Wilmes returns as a senior starter after a successful junior campaign and was extremely effective last week against Gardner.
BV Cornerback — Gannon Cornley
After Bishop Miege initially torched the Tiger pass defense multiple times, Cornley initiated strong coverage on the Stag receivers and reduced the air raid. His coverage will be vital tonight against Timberwolf receiver Sam Randall.
Last Matchup — The Timberwolves offered Blue Valley no challenge whatsoever, and the Tigers plowed forward to a 47-3 victory in the rain. It was the Tigers fourth consecutive victory on the Timberwolves, won with ruthless defense and an unstoppable running game.
Prediction — Tonight is the Homecoming game, and a fired up home crowd will expect total victory and nothing less. After last week’s disaster against Miege, it is vital that the Tigers get back to it tonight. This Timberwolves team is no longer a pushover, and life won’t be easy tonight. However, sense of urgency will push the Tigers out in front early, and they won’t look back. The defense will regain its swagger, and everyone will be going home satisfied.
BV: 35
Blue Valley Southwest: 14
