Breaking down the D-1 state final
Here's a look at the keys to the D-1 state football final.
No. 1: The experience factor can’t be ignored. Howells coach Mike Speirs knows how to prepare teams for games in Memorial Stadium, with all the distractions. The Bobcats were among the contenders in Class C-2 the last two years and won six straight eight-man titles from 2000 to 2005, including a 46-6 win over Axtell in the ’05 game. That is Axtell’s only appearance in a championship game. Youth will be dominant. Axtell has six seniors on the team and just three among statistical leaders while Howells has eight seniors and counts heavily on its juniors.
No. 2: Axtell certainly has the edge in nail-biters. The Wildcats rallied to beat Maxwell in the semis, beat Clearwater/Orchard 40-36 with five seconds left and beat Newman Grove 28-20 and that’s just in the playoffs. “We’ve had some excitement. The three we lost, by two, three and eight points, all came down to the last minute,” said coach Kent Ropers. “Our kids have really played tough clear to the end. We put the two-minute drill in our playbook a few years back, and the kids understand we can execute and move effectively.”
No. 3: Howells has a big advantage in the running game. Clint Belina has rushed for 2,168 yards and 33 touchdowns. “Clint reads his blocks very well. We run a lot of sweep and he can read it and run it,” said Howells coach Mike Speirs. “When we played 11-man, we moved our tailback back a yard deeper to give him a better chance to read the defense, and we just left him at that depth this year.”
No. 4: Offensive challenges. Axtell has 15 interceptions, but the Bobcats throw the ball fewer than six times a game. “We’ve seen about the same defense every game, so our blocking is the same,” said Speirs. “But they are very athletic and explosive and can score in bunches.” Axtell is a spread team that relies on passing, but Howells has allowed just 57.3 yards a game through the air.
— Ryly Jane Hambleton
No. 1: The experience factor can’t be ignored. Howells coach Mike Speirs knows how to prepare teams for games in Memorial Stadium, with all the distractions. The Bobcats were among the contenders in Class C-2 the last two years and won six straight eight-man titles from 2000 to 2005, including a 46-6 win over Axtell in the ’05 game. That is Axtell’s only appearance in a championship game. Youth will be dominant. Axtell has six seniors on the team and just three among statistical leaders while Howells has eight seniors and counts heavily on its juniors.
No. 2: Axtell certainly has the edge in nail-biters. The Wildcats rallied to beat Maxwell in the semis, beat Clearwater/Orchard 40-36 with five seconds left and beat Newman Grove 28-20 and that’s just in the playoffs. “We’ve had some excitement. The three we lost, by two, three and eight points, all came down to the last minute,” said coach Kent Ropers. “Our kids have really played tough clear to the end. We put the two-minute drill in our playbook a few years back, and the kids understand we can execute and move effectively.”
No. 3: Howells has a big advantage in the running game. Clint Belina has rushed for 2,168 yards and 33 touchdowns. “Clint reads his blocks very well. We run a lot of sweep and he can read it and run it,” said Howells coach Mike Speirs. “When we played 11-man, we moved our tailback back a yard deeper to give him a better chance to read the defense, and we just left him at that depth this year.”
No. 4: Offensive challenges. Axtell has 15 interceptions, but the Bobcats throw the ball fewer than six times a game. “We’ve seen about the same defense every game, so our blocking is the same,” said Speirs. “But they are very athletic and explosive and can score in bunches.” Axtell is a spread team that relies on passing, but Howells has allowed just 57.3 yards a game through the air.
— Ryly Jane Hambleton
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