Analysis: Chi-Hi, Menomonie football teams show versatility
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By DAVID BOSSICK
david.bossick@lee.net
Tuesday, October 21, 2008 10:12 PM CDT
The Chippewa Falls football team went back to work already. With the passing hours and days, the win over Menomonie is becoming more and more a memory.
However, there was something very interesting to come out of that contest, if those who watched closely caught it.
Chi-Hi sprung a surprise on its first possession when the Cardinals lined up in the offensive formation that Menomonie typically employs. The Cardinals had a tailback set a handful of yards behind the quarterback. Two halfbacks were lined up next to each other and behind the guard and tackle. Essentially, it seems like a single-wing variant.
It worked for Chi-Hi, too, yielding a diving touchdown plunge by Mike Adams.
The Cardinals, though, weren’t the only ones to flip the script on their foes. After checking with The Dunn County News Sports Editor Brett Hart, he said Menomonie’s use of the double-wing — Chi-Hi’s bread-and-butter of years gone by — was the first by the Indians this season.
The Indians tried to gather some steam by using the double-wing to their advantage, but the Cardinals defense seemed to do well against it.
As if that didn’t empty out the playbook for Chi-Hi, the Cardinals threw in a couple of shovel passes for good measure. It seemed that particular play took a year-long hiatus until it sprung up against Menomonie.
What does all this mean? If the first-round foes for Chi-Hi or Menomonie get film on these two teams, the opposing coaches are going to have a headache thinking about what they have to defend.
And, they just might not see everything these two teams have up their sleeves, either.
Sigh of relief for Macks
Not a thing went right for McDonell in the third quarter against Marathon last Thursday night.
There were penalties and other problems that allowed the Red Raiders to basically play on the Macks’ half of the field and build a 12-point lead.
That was until perhaps one the most talked-about catches in these parts in a long time. Jarrod Martell caught a pass one-handed and got into the end zone. The Herald has exclusive video of the catch on its Web site.
From there, it seemed all of the momentum swung swiftly into the Macks’ corner. McDonell recovered a fumble, chewed up the clock and marched down the field until Alex Hiess’ game-clinching touchdown.
The win clinched a playoff berth for McDonell, making Thursday’s home game against Eau Claire Regis a pressure-less game.
Wait. Scratch that. Rivalry games are never ‘pressureless,’ are they?
Now or next year for Trojans, Chieftains
For Lake Holcombe, Thursday’s game with New Auburn could mean another playoff trip.
For the Trojans, it could mean the glimmer of hope the program has sought after some lean years.
The Chieftains have qualified for the playoffs 14 of the past 15 seasons, missing just the 2006 season to end a very long streak of qualifying.
New Auburn hasn’t been in the playoff since 2001. And, the Trojans used a win against Cornell two seasons ago just to halt a long consecutive game losing skid.
All of those stats don’t matter come Thursday night. New Auburn should come to the game hungry to defeat Lake Holcombe for the playoff berth. The Chieftains will attempt to come back from last week’s lopsided loss.
For the seniors on each team, it’s now or never. For the rest of the players on the losing team, it’ll be wait until next year.
Take care of the ball
Bloomer learned the hard way what turnovers and mistakes can do to you.
The Blackhawks outgained Hayward by nearly 300 yards.
But Bloomer had three interceptions, two fumbles and 11 penalties in the 42-24 loss to Hayward.
Take away the fumble recovery and the interception for touchdowns, and the score is 28-24 Hayward.
Lessons will be learned by Bloomer, and it happened the hard way against the Hurricanes.
Reach David Bossick at david.bossick@lee.net.
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sportfan wrote on Oct 21, 2008 5:05 PM: