So who is favored when Montezuma’s football team hosts Southeast Warren at 7 p.n. on Friday evening, Aug. 25?
One thing is pretty much assured: The fans are in for a slobber-knocker of an 8-man game.
Probably.
The Warhawks were a 10.65-point favorite in rankings released on Wednesday by BCMoore, an Iowa ranking service.
But, their Week 0 scrimmage against Waterloo Christian did not figure in to the rankings. Neither were all that Montezuma did in its 64-6 win over HLV/Tri-County.
What was used were totals BCMoore had available from the end of last season, minus what the ranking service figured each team lost to graduation.
Southeast Warren went 9-2 last year. The Braves were 9-3.
On the field, the Warhawks were 52-20 winners over Montezuma.
The Warhawks have one really strong player returning for sure in running back/receiver/defender Trey Fisher. The Braves hope they can keep him over-occupied trying to plug holes they plan to punch in Southeast Warren’s dike.
Fisher rushed for 1,288 yards, 19 touchdowns and a 6.8-yards per carry average last season as the team’s leading rusher.
He also caught 12 passes for 312 yards and 5 touchdowns.
As a defender, he was the team’s second-leading tackler with 53.0 stops.
However . . . Southeast Warren has to replace a graduated quarterback. The team threw for 1,218 yards and 23 touchdowns last season.
Two juniors who saw limited duty at QB last season completed a total of 8 passes.
A problem both staffs have faced this week was how to get sensible practices in, given the ghastly heat and humidity. Teams usually make their best improvements of the season between weeks one and two.
We’ll see.
You’ll recall that Braves Coach John Beck praised the Southeast Warren coaching staff, saying it does a good job of putting its athletes in position to have success.
Southeast Warren usually employs a physical style. So does Montezuma. Hence, the slobber-knocker potential.
They’ll meet somewhere over the football at 7 p.m. Friday at Badger-Gabriel Field.