The Garden City Telegram
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Beavers ready to face Lyons
Published 11/7/2008 in None : Area High Schools
By BRETT MARSHALL
Three games in nine days. That's what is in front of the Scott City High School football team.
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Brad Nading/Telegram — Scott City quarterback Dillon Stucky hands off in the Beavers 19-0 bi-district win Tuesday at Holcomb.
But nobody's complaining.
"There's not a lot of time in between, but it's win or go home," Scott City head coach Glenn O'Neil said of his teams Class 3A regional playoff game Saturday at Lyons. "We like the first option better. Nobody is ready to put the pads away just yet."
The game pits the Beavers (9-1) against a Lyons team that held off Phillipsburg in its Tuesday bi-district contest, 32-27. Scott City used a strong running game and a stout defense to shutout Holcomb, 19-0, in what O'Neil described as "our best overall effort of the year."
And while the record may favor the Beavers, O'Neil takes nothing for granted at this time of the season.
"Lyons is a very good team that can put points on the board," he said. "They run a lot of spread offense, the shotgun and they depend a lot on their quarterback. He's a good runner with a very good throwing arm as well."
The Lions defensive front averages about 240 pounds, and that will cause some adjustments in how they will attack on offense.
"They've made it pretty difficult to run inside and it lets their (quick) athletes cover the outside," O'Neil said.
In the days leading up to Saturday's 6 p.m. kickoff, the Beavers have gone through lighter drills with a lot of walk-through and talk-through plays for both their offense and defense.
"We just try to make sure the kids know what areas they're supposed to be covering and continue to work on having them in the right places," O'Neil said.
While the Beavers installed a number of new plays for their return match-up Tuesday with Holcomb (they won 20-6 earlier in the season), they will stay with their basic offensive schemes that they've utilized all season.
"We run a lot of sets throughout the season and at this time we will begin to recycle some it back through," he said. "We try to have a few things available that we've not used all season."
In looking back briefly at the Holcomb game, O'Neil said he was very pleased with the way the game progressed.
"The kids were focused, they read their keys on defense and they did a good job of lining up and winning the battle up front," he said.
Thus far, he has not had any problems in getting the attention and focus of this year's team.
"With the exception of the Norton game (26-14 loss), we've done a good job of focusing," O'Neil said. "We had a lot of rah-rah stuff that night and sometimes that can give you a false sense of security. This team is better when they are quiet and focused. This has been a good group -- they enjoy being around each other and I like the character of this team."
Two of the players who have provided that all-important senior leadership have been wide receiver/running back/linebacker Levi Kuntzsch and fullback/linebacker Chaston Hoeme.
"The team looks for them to make the big plays and they have," O'Neil said of his workhorses. "They're tough kids and they have lead by example."
A victory Saturday over Lyons would put the Beavers into the Sectional championship on Friday, Nov. 14. They would play the winner of the Hutchinson-Trinity (8-2) versus Garden Plain (10-0) game. If that comes to pass, the game likely would be played at Scott City where the Beavers would likely be up against Garden Plain, the defending 3A champion that has now won 24 consecutive games.
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The Scoreboard
Scott City Beavers (9-1)
Coach: Glenn O'Neil (2nd year, 16-6)
League: Mid State Activities Association
Lakin W 27-20
Pratt W 40-14
Ulysses W 24-6
Holcomb W 20-6
Larned W 40-0
TMP W 49-6
Goodland W 28-0
Norton L 14-26
Ness/Dighton W 44-6
Holcomb W 19-0 -- ##
## - Class 3A Bi-district game
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Lyons Lions (6-4)
Coach: Matt Sanbo (1st year, 6-4)
League: Mid-Central Activities Association
Marion L 6-21
Hesston L 6-30
Haven W 41-35
Hillsboro L 7-35
SE-Saline W 41-26
Sterling W 17-0
Ellinwood W 37-35
Hoisington L 40-21
Ellsworth W 28-20
Phillipsburg W 32-27 -- ##
## -- Class 3A Bi-district game
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