August 16, 2017 at 12:00 p.m.
Primed for Prescott
Hodags ready for long road trip, improved Cardinals in opener
Primed for Prescott
Rhinelander defeated the Cardinals 27-8 at Mike Webster Stadium in last year's season opener and Prescott went on to have an 0-9 season, however Hodag coach Chris Ferge said he's expecting a more difficult matchup this time around.
"This is not going to be an 0-9 team, I can tell you that," he said. "They're very athletic. They're going to give us a challenge. The road is going to be a challenge. We're looking forward to this game. I'm very excited. All week we've been very, very excited about this game. Our kids can't wait to play."
Prescott utilizes a plodding Wing-T attack and brings back its leading rusher from last year's game - senior running back Joe Roosen - who carried five times for 68 yards.
"They have a couple of great wings, a good fullback," Ferge said based on his film study.
"They run the ball very, very well and they're very deceptive in how they do that. They have some strong offensive guards," Ferge added.
Rhinelander burned Prescott's defense last year for 403 yards, including a 294-yard, three-touchdown effort from quarterback Logan Freund. The problem for Freund is he won't have his top targets from last year's game to throw to this time around. Owen White, who caught two touchdowns in that contest, didn't go out for the team this fall and Alec Kurtz, who caught five passes for 78 yards, has moved inside and will be the team's starting center.
The Hodags had scoring plays of 59, 59 and 28 yards in last year's game. Ferge said he expects the Cardinals will try to limit the Hodags big-play capabilities this time around.
"They look like they're going to be pretty fundamental, tough and not give you any big plays," he said. "We're going to have to earn it."
The X-factor in Friday's game could be the long road trip. It's a 231-mile trek from Rhinelander to Prescott and the Hodag convoy plans to depart around 12:30 p.m. for the 7 p.m. kickoff. Ferge said the key will be to make sure the players are properly fed and hydrated, while sticking to the normal pregame routine as much as possible.
"It's just a longer road trip, so it's a little bit harder, but I know our guys will handle it," he said.
Ferge said there were aspects the coaching staff liked and did not like from a four-team scrimmage last Friday at Northland Pines and practice this week has boiled down to the basics.
"It's the same for every team in the state, I imagine," Ferge said. "It's tackling, it's blocking, it's being aggressive, it's pursuit. It's the basics of football, being strong in the basics of football so you can play the game and be solid."
Basics will also be a key to Friday night's game. Though important every week, Ferge said limiting turnovers and penalties are especially important in Week 1.
"The penalties and turnovers are going to be huge in this game," he said. "Whoever can do the fundamentals right and get into the mold of playing football and being physical faster is going to have the edge the whole night, and it's going to show up on the scoreboard."
Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. Friday at Laney Field in Prescott.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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