WNG/Killdeer

[RattlerWebWonk]

Larimore/Carrington is getting a lot of hype, but personally I think the WNG/Killdeer game is more intriguing. Both are big, strong, athletic teams. A month ago, I felt these were the 2 best teams in the west. Not much has changed my mind. Here's how I see the matchup. I'd love to hear what you think.

For WNG to win...
They need to come out ready to play. They like to push the tempo on offense. If they get into a rhythm and start clicking on offense, they're hard to stop. I think they have a little more speed on the outside (Marquardt) than Killdeer. If Schell gets time to throw, they'll be able to keep Killdeer off balance and pull off the upset.
For Killdeer to win...
They need to slow down the pace and put together long, grinding scores. They have the horses to do it. Smash-mouth football and converting on third down; that's how both Hazen and BR beat WNG...and that's how Killdeer will win, too.


I'm picking WNG to pull away late.

[winners&losers]

Looking at the stat lines from the game Killdeer lost to Trinity, it looks like Trinity torched the Cowboys passing the ball. If WNG has that same mentality, it could be a long day for the Cowboys. That being said, I do agree with Rattler about Killdeer converting on 3rd downs. If Killdeer can convert on long drives, running down the clock, they will put themselves in a good spot to win the game.

[captain-crunch]

Trinity did pass the ball a good amount that game but considering that was the first game of the season, I wouldn't look too deeply into it. The score becomes skewed in many of Killdeer's games towards the end with the opposing team scoring more in the 4th because Coach Dobitz does a fine job getting the young guys in to get experience. If you have the starters in through a whole game, I think that point differential changes markedly. Killdeer has advanced significantly since that first game. Their speed definitely isn't what it was last season but they are now much more of a grind-it-out style team this year. Passing could be the Achilles heel for them but they've stepped up on pass defense. Discipline is key in playoffs and I think this will be a close game and will really depend on which team doesn't shoot itself in the foot with penalties (receivers lining up off sides, false-starts seem to plague a lot of teams this year). Home field advantage is key as well with Killdeer having the nice new artificial turf - which they are now used to playing and practicing on with a season under their belt on it. That's a bit of a factor for visiting teams who haven't played on that type of surface. It certainly does help the speedy players, though, both ways. Also, too, playoff games are very loud in Killdeer - just ask Hazen how loud Killdeer was last year on their turf.

I'm hoping for a close, injury free game for both teams. I'll pick Killdeer by a nail-biter margin.

[oncewaz]

I would agree...Having not seen WNG the Killdeer group has some exceptional athletes. Several seniors could play at the next level. Yes they did graduate some exceptional speed/skill last year and this group missed some touches last year because of that. Although the younger players have gained lots of experience...they are still not very deep. If they can stay injury free it will be a good game.

[4031sports]

Our North Dakota Class A Playoff blog has been updated. Also the inspiration behind each team's designs are shared so check it out and leave us your thoughts in the comment section! Local times for each game are posted in the bracket as well. Again good luck and safe travels to all the teams this weekend!

http://www.4031sports.com/#!North-Dakot ... da0e906d31