GAME OF THE WEEK: Mikes, Rangers clash for TCS title
When a conference championship is on the line you might expect to see a coach ranting and raving all week, trying to fire up his players to a maximum level leading up to that key clash.
If you’re thinking that about Carmichaels coach Ryan Krull as his team prepared for its Tri-County South showdown against visiting Fort Cherry tonight, then you’re dead wrong.
Krull’s approach with his players has always been one game at a time without over-hyping or taking for granted any game on the schedule.
“For us it’s just the next game,” Krull said. “We always tell them the most important game is the next game you’re going to play. Every conference game is possibly for the section. This is just the next game.”
That game, which kicks off at Carmichaels tonight at 7, is the Herald-Standard Game of the Week.
The Mikes (6-1, 6-0) would clinch sole possession of the TCS crown with a victory. They could still split first place with the unbeaten Rangers (7-0, 5-0) with a loss but only if Jefferson-Morgan (1-7, 1-4) defeats Fort Cherry next week.
Krull’s players are aware of what’s at stake so he sees no reason for any additional build up.
“They do know,” Krull said. “There’s no hiding it. They know what we’re playing for. It’s not like we don’t say it at all. We talked about it on Monday and we allowed them the opportunity if they wanted to say anything about it at that time that they could. We also said after today we’re not talking about it anymore, it’s just getting ready for the next week.
“Obviously we understand the opponent is very good and we have to pay attention to the details in terms of just the fundamentals, the basics, like blocking and tackling and taking care of the football.”
Both teams feature solid defenses especially in conference play where coach Jim Shiel’s Rangers are giving up just 10.8 points per game and the Mikes only 8.2.
Fort Cherry’s size could be a concern for Carmichaels.
“Their defensive ends are huge,” Krull said. “They’ve got a guy who’s 6-6 (Devon Brown) and the other guys is 6-3 (Logan Higham). They’ve got to be two of the biggest defensive ends in all the WPIAL.
“They’ve got some linebackers who play aggressively. They do a good job of running to the football. The defensive backs are big, all of them are over 6-foot so when we throw the football down the field, the quarterback (Jonathan Christopher) is going to have to careful he doesn’t under throw it. He’s going to have to do a good job of putting the ball where it needs to be because they’re the type of team where if there’s a tipped pass and one of their guys intercepts it, that could go for six the other way.”
One of the Mikes’ strengths is their line play.
“Those guys have done a pretty solid job of working together,” Krull said. “I want to stress that because if you just get one or two linemen doing a great job and the other ones are doing a poor job you’re still not going to have much success.
“Those guys have been working very well as a unit. They’re doing a good job of communicating with each other, which is huge. In terms of execution, generally they’ve done a good job of getting after it up front. We’re proud of those guys and pleased with those guys, but not surprised by it, just because of the work that they put in in the offseason, it’s kind of expected of them to be able to do the job that they’re doing.”
Offensively, the teams are different as far as who the defenses should focus on.
The Rangers relay heavily on quarterback Ryhan Culberson, where the Mikes offense, run by Christopher, has a myriad of threats.
Culberson has completed 30 of 56 passes for 536 yards and 11 touchdowns and leads Fort Cherry in rushing with 734 yards and 16 TDs.
Christopher has connected on 40 of 64 throws for 613 yards and six touchdowns. Cody Brown is the Mikes’ leading receiver with 15 receptions for 246 yards and two TDs.
The Mikes have four players with over 300 yards rushing.
Christopher leads the way with 417 yards and seven touchdowns, Joey Minor has 384 yards and three scores and Brown has 382 yards and three TDs. Brennen Pelzer follows with 314 yards and a team-high eight touchdowns.
“I think we’ve got a lot of kids that are deserving to touch the football,” Krull said of his team’s varied attack. “I think it makes us harder to prepare for because it’s not just that one guy that you have to account for. Multiple guys in the backfield will get touches. Multiple guys at the receiver spot will get touches. Our H-back, which is kind of a cross between a fullback and a tight end, those guys are going to get touches.
“We just try to spread it out, let multiple guys touch the ball and I think it helps keep guys fresh, too.”
The two teams last met three years ago in the WPIAL playoffs when Fort Cherry stopped a late two-point conversion to hold off the Mikes, 13-12.
Two games with huge playoff implications take place in the Century Conference tonight as Frazier visits Bentworth and Beth-Center hosts Charleroi, both at 7 p.m. The Bearcats need a win to keep their playoff hopes alive. The Commodores can clinch a spot in the postseason with a victory tonight or next week against Chartiers-Houson. The Bulldogs and Cougars will be fighting for survival as the loser will be eliminated from the playoff race.
In other TCS games tonight, all with 7 p.m. kickoffs, California can clinch a playoff spot with a win over visiting Jefferson-Morgan and Monessen is at Avella where the loser will be knocked out of playoff contention.
In Big Nine action, all at 7:30 p.m., Belle Vernon hosts West Mifflin with the winner taking over sole possession of second place, Albert Gallatin visits Uniontown in another clash of Fayette County rivals, and Laurel Highlands is at first-place Thomas Jefferson.
In Interstate action, all at 7 p.m., Elizabeth Forward travels to South Park with the loser likely to fall out of the playoff face, Southmoreland is at Yough and Waynesburg Central travels to first-place Derry.
In Big East action, Connellsville hosts first-place Armstrong at 7 p.m.
In non-conference action tonight, all at 7 p.m., Brownsville travels to Leechburg, Mapletown hosts Jeannette, West Greene hosts Western Beaver, Mount Pleasant hosts Beaver and Ringgold is at New Castle.