Playoff dreams still alive for three

The football action will be about as good as it gets Friday, as three area teams with championship dreams are in action.

Fall River (9-2) at Maxwell (6-5)

This is certainly not unfamiliar territory for the Panthers - having reached the Division V finals the past three years - so hopefully familiarity will lead to Maxwell's second championship in the last three years.

Fall River is also no stranger to winning, as the Bulldogs are the defending Division V champs. These are two teams who know how to play and win at this level, so sit back and enjoy.

Fall River's rushing game is off the charts, led by Ryan Stephenson's 1,519 yards and 138 yards per game average. Then there is Nick Lakey, who has gained 1,164. With a team total of 3,720 yards to the Panthers' 2,467, the Bulldogs will be trying to gobble up a lot of real estate. It will be up to Maxwell's defensive line to slow down this juggernaut of a running game.

Fall River has also passed for twice as much yardage as the Panthers, with 1,331 yards through the air to Maxwell's 683; and the scoring differential also favors the Bulldogs. Fall River has scored 456 points to Maxwell's 216, and allowed 133 to the Panthers' 189. Maxwell does have the advantage of playing in front of its enthusiastic fans, but it will take more than enthusiasm to pull this one out.

East Nicolaus (6-5) at Willows (9-1)

The Honkers have a great deal working in their favor, but don't for a second think that coach Jim Ward and the rest of the coaching staff are taking the Spartans lightly as they are the defending Division IV champs, having moved up to Division II this season.

With a berth in the Division III championship on the line, both of these teams are going to leave it all out on the field.

Neither team has a marquee running back, but Willows' depth has allowed them to hand off to 16 different players who collectively gained 1,387 yards. East Nicolaus has run for 1,018 yards.

Both teams have proficient quarterbacks, so fans of the passing game are going to be treated to an exciting aerial display. Willows' Will Enos has thrown for 1,135 yards and 15 TDs, with Cody Pasterino catching 36 for 922 yards and 13 of the scores. The Honkers won't mess with success, so look for both of these players to add to the stats columns.

Defensively, Tyler Kormos (70 tackles) and Matt Candelaria (61) will be on the prowl for anybody near the ball, and the secondary duo of Pasterino and Josh Henriksen have picked off 11 passes, and will be looking to the skies to disrupt the East Nicolaus offense.

Willows has scored more points and given up less, but there can be no let-up at this stage of the season with the ultimate prize right in front of their eyes.

Low-scoring game? Not likely.

Rio Vista at Hamilton (8-2)
  Hamilton still reigns as the Division III champions until somebody knocks them off, and the Rams of Rio Vista would certainly like to earn that distinction. The winner plays for the championship - the loser gets to read about it in the paper.

Rio Vista lines up the section's second-leading rusher in its backfield in Tyler Wilcox, who has rushed for 1,796 yards and an average of more than 12 yards per touch. Simple math - 12 yards equals a lot of first downs. Add to that a second 1,000-plus yard back in Marquise Williams, and Ryan Schimke and the rest of the defensive line has a tough task on their hands.

With a stud in the backfield there is not as much need for a passing attack, so Rio Vista has thrown for just 547 yards, while the Braves' Brad Lohse has doubled that total with 1,192. Advantage - Hamilton.

One way to slow down Rio Vista is to hold onto the ball with sustained drives, so taking care of the football will be a must, and the Hamilton City home crowd is sure to lend a great deal of vocal support.