Heelan, SB-L tangle tonight
By Steven Allspach | Posted: Monday, November 03, 2008
It's rematch time for Bishop Heelan and Sergeant Bluff-Luton as Iowa's 2008 post-season football competition officially reaches the playoff stage across the state tonight.
The new-fangled substate round, concocted by the Iowa High School Athletic Association with post-season play expanding from 16 to 32 schools in each class this season, is now history.
In the 3A substate last Wednesday, Heelan improved to 10-0 with a 44-6 win over Adel ADM at Olsen Stadium. Sergeant Bluff-Luton, meanwhile, stunned then 8-1 Council Bluffs Lewis Central 35-14 in Council Bluffs to hike its record to 7-3.
In the final regular season game at Memorial Field, Heelan rolled past SB-L 35-7 with University of Iowa recruit Brandon Wegher rushing for 270 yards and five touchdowns.
Wegher is the catalyst for No. 1-ranked Heelan. The 5-11, 206-pound senior tailback leads the state in rushing (2,324), touchdowns (38) and scoring (228 points). Also, Wegher's 100 career TDs rank fourth in Iowa prep history.
"Sergeant Bluff-Luton made a huge statement about what kind of football team they have by going down there to whip Lewis Central,'' said Heelan Coach Roger Jansen of tonight's showdown. "They're going to be fired up playing at home, too.
"Winning on the road in the playoffs is always a difficult thing.
"They've got a solid running game with Paul Saxen and the Huffman kid (Jordan) is pretty special. An outstanding receiver.''
Saxen has rushed for 1,341 yards and 19 touchdowns and Huffman has caught 22 passes for 451 yards. Junior Ross Chettinger is at the quarterback controls for the Warriors, completing 45 of 92 passes for 679 yards.
Saxen rushed for 163 yards and two touchdowns in the rout of Lewis Central, but was checked to just 47 yards on 19 totes in the regular-season finale with the Crusaders.
"Obviously, we're playing one of the best teams in the state and one of the best running backs in the state in Brandon Wegher,'' said SB-L Coach Chris Zyzda. "Since we've already played them that should help in our preparation, but that's the case with them, too.
"Our kids didn't back down the first time and stood toe-to-toe with them.
"They put a different look in here and there for us like the direct snaps to Wegher and I'm sure they'll have other things in store for us this time, but they'll do what they do best with their basic offensive and defensive schemes.''
Tonight's winner will play the Harlan-Spencer winner in the quarterfinals. If Heelan and fifth-ranked Harlan win, the western Iowa 3A rivals would collide Friday at Olsen Stadium with Heelan the host.
After Heelan strolled past Class 1A Lawton-Bronson 62-13 in the season opener, the Crusaders took down Harlan in week 2, 28-13, at Memorial Field.
Until the district duel with Heelan in the regular season finale, SB-L had permitted just three rushing touchdowns in its previous eight games.
The Warriors shut out South Sioux City (27-0), while Storm Lake (20-7), Estherville-Lincoln Central (21-6) and Spencer (14-10) managed only a touchdown each and Denison-Schleswig was held to a lone touchdown in a 10-7 upset of Zyzda's team.
SB-L's other loss is to MOC-Floyd Valley (30-13) and the Warriors have also beaten Hull Western Christian (34-24) and Le Mars (17-16).
SB-L can now officially say it has qualified for the playoffs for the fourth time. Warrior teams advanced in 1987, 1999 and 2003. Zyzda was a member of the '87 team that beat Fort Dodge St. Edmond in the 2A first round and then fell to Emmetsburg in the quarters.
In ''99, Council Bluffs St. Albert won a first-round joust in 2A and in '03, the Warriors whipped Missouri Valley 46-13 before losing to Emmetsburg 55-14.
On the defensive side, Heelan's tackle leaders are George Wakeman (73), Buckley Wright (68), Jake Skibinksi (63), Josh Bousquet (59) and Sean Geary (59). SB-L's Bo Solari has 89 tackles and Huffman 56.
The new-fangled substate round, concocted by the Iowa High School Athletic Association with post-season play expanding from 16 to 32 schools in each class this season, is now history.
In the 3A substate last Wednesday, Heelan improved to 10-0 with a 44-6 win over Adel ADM at Olsen Stadium. Sergeant Bluff-Luton, meanwhile, stunned then 8-1 Council Bluffs Lewis Central 35-14 in Council Bluffs to hike its record to 7-3.
In the final regular season game at Memorial Field, Heelan rolled past SB-L 35-7 with University of Iowa recruit Brandon Wegher rushing for 270 yards and five touchdowns.
Wegher is the catalyst for No. 1-ranked Heelan. The 5-11, 206-pound senior tailback leads the state in rushing (2,324), touchdowns (38) and scoring (228 points). Also, Wegher's 100 career TDs rank fourth in Iowa prep history.
"Sergeant Bluff-Luton made a huge statement about what kind of football team they have by going down there to whip Lewis Central,'' said Heelan Coach Roger Jansen of tonight's showdown. "They're going to be fired up playing at home, too.
"Winning on the road in the playoffs is always a difficult thing.
"They've got a solid running game with Paul Saxen and the Huffman kid (Jordan) is pretty special. An outstanding receiver.''
Saxen has rushed for 1,341 yards and 19 touchdowns and Huffman has caught 22 passes for 451 yards. Junior Ross Chettinger is at the quarterback controls for the Warriors, completing 45 of 92 passes for 679 yards.
Saxen rushed for 163 yards and two touchdowns in the rout of Lewis Central, but was checked to just 47 yards on 19 totes in the regular-season finale with the Crusaders.
"Obviously, we're playing one of the best teams in the state and one of the best running backs in the state in Brandon Wegher,'' said SB-L Coach Chris Zyzda. "Since we've already played them that should help in our preparation, but that's the case with them, too.
"Our kids didn't back down the first time and stood toe-to-toe with them.
"They put a different look in here and there for us like the direct snaps to Wegher and I'm sure they'll have other things in store for us this time, but they'll do what they do best with their basic offensive and defensive schemes.''
Tonight's winner will play the Harlan-Spencer winner in the quarterfinals. If Heelan and fifth-ranked Harlan win, the western Iowa 3A rivals would collide Friday at Olsen Stadium with Heelan the host.
After Heelan strolled past Class 1A Lawton-Bronson 62-13 in the season opener, the Crusaders took down Harlan in week 2, 28-13, at Memorial Field.
Until the district duel with Heelan in the regular season finale, SB-L had permitted just three rushing touchdowns in its previous eight games.
The Warriors shut out South Sioux City (27-0), while Storm Lake (20-7), Estherville-Lincoln Central (21-6) and Spencer (14-10) managed only a touchdown each and Denison-Schleswig was held to a lone touchdown in a 10-7 upset of Zyzda's team.
SB-L's other loss is to MOC-Floyd Valley (30-13) and the Warriors have also beaten Hull Western Christian (34-24) and Le Mars (17-16).
SB-L can now officially say it has qualified for the playoffs for the fourth time. Warrior teams advanced in 1987, 1999 and 2003. Zyzda was a member of the '87 team that beat Fort Dodge St. Edmond in the 2A first round and then fell to Emmetsburg in the quarters.
In ''99, Council Bluffs St. Albert won a first-round joust in 2A and in '03, the Warriors whipped Missouri Valley 46-13 before losing to Emmetsburg 55-14.
On the defensive side, Heelan's tackle leaders are George Wakeman (73), Buckley Wright (68), Jake Skibinksi (63), Josh Bousquet (59) and Sean Geary (59). SB-L's Bo Solari has 89 tackles and Huffman 56.
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