Iola High and Central Heights High will offer up a contrast in strengths and styles when they tangle on the gridiron Friday evening in a key Pioneer League matchup.
Iola, blessed with a stable of fast and nimble backs and receivers, will look to speed up the Viking defense.
Central Heights, meanwhile, will be more than content to chew up the clock with time-consuming drives.
“We really do want to get them into a track meet,” Iola head coach Doug Kerr said.
The 7 p.m. kickoff at Iola’s Riverside Park also puts the wrap on this week’s homecoming festivities. The king and queen will be crowned prior to kickoff. Those festivities begin at about 6 o’clock.
In their 2012 matchup, the Mustangs raced to a 27-0 halftime lead in what became a 34-6 victory.
“Iola was faster than us then, and if anything, we’re even slower this year,” Central Heights head coach Kent Schulte said.
Kerr agreed, but noted the Vikings will have a distinct size advantage.
“I don’t know that you can call us a fast team, when you have teams like Coffeyville around, “Kerr said. “we are faster, but they are bigger.”
Therein lies the key.
“Even if we don’t score, we’ll be happy just getting a first down or two on each drive,” Schulte said. “We want to eliminate mistakes and penalties, things that prevent us from possessing the ball. We’ve been successful this year when we can do that.”
“We want to speed them up,” Kerr said. “They love to pound the ball, and throw when they want to.”
The Central Heights offense is keyed by its fullback-tailback tandem of Tristan Davis and Jacob Pryor, a senior and sophomore, respectively.
With defenses keying on those two, quarterback Jordan Horstick has been successful finding tight end Tanner Erhart and receivers Chase Brown and Gavin Holler.
And much like the rest of the Mustang opponents before this week, the Viking defense must remain assignment-sound and avoid getting put out of position by Iola’s presnap motion offense.
Controlling the line of scrimmage is vital, both coaches agreed.
Iola will be without the services of starting linebacker Keenan Badders, who reaggravated a shoulder injury. Defensive lineman Eric Maxwell also was limited in practice with with a triceps injury, but should be good to go at game time, Kerr said.
The contest is vital for both teams’ Pioner League fate.
Both are 3-1 overall. Iola is 2-0 in League play, while Central Heights is 1-1, having dropped a 42-28 decision to Osawatomie Sept. 20.
A victory keeps Iola in the driver’s seat in the league race. A loss drops them into a tie with Central Heights and likely looking up at Wellsville in the standings.
Like Iola, Wellsville is unbeaten in Pioneer League play.
“These games keep getting bigger each week,” Kerr said. “We have to win this one in order to have our game next week (against Wellsville) mean anything.”
In addition to the homecoming ceremonies, Friday also has been designated as “80s Night.” Any player who suited up for Iola from 1980-89 will be recognized. Trivia questions related to Mustang football during that decade also will be asked throughout the evening.
Starting lineups
Iola High Mustangs
Offense
QB — 10 Tyler McIntosh, Sr.
WB — 6 Adam Kauth, Sr.
HB — 24 John Whitworth, Sr.
FB — 34 Shane Walden, Jr.
TE — 2 Jesse Zimmerman, Sr.
OL — 62 Quinton Morrison, Sr.
OL — 56 Alex Bauer, Jr.
OL — 70 Ethan Sigg, So.
OL — 58 Arion Kunkler, Sr.
OL — 50 Derrick Weir.
WR — 5 Trent Latta, Sr.
PK — 15 Isaias Macias, Sr.
Defense
DL — 87 Bryce Misenhelter, Sr.
DL — 32 Shawn Frye, Jr.
DL — 54 Eric Maxwell, Sr.
OLB — 21 Brice Aiello, So..
OLB — 6 Adam Kauth, Sr.
ILB — 34 Shane Walden, Jr.
ILB — 12 Kaden Macha, Jr.
ILB — 43 Keanen Badders, So.
CB — 22 Alex Kelly, Jr.
CB— 1 Cody Conner, Sr.
FS — 3 Jacob Rhoads, Sr.
P — 12 Kaden Macha, Jr.
Central Heights High Vikings
Offense
QB — 8 Jordan Horstick, Sr.
FB — 25 Tristan Davis, Sr.
TB — 15 Jacob Pryor, So.
WR — 3 Chase Brown, Jr.
WR — 21 Gavin Holler, Jr.
TE — 88 Tanner Erhart, Sr.
T — 65 Chance Schooler, Jr.
G — 59 Byron Redifer, Sr.
C — 76 Jacob Anderson, Jr.
G — 58 Tyler Hendron, Sr.
T — 77 Eli Davis, Jr.
PK — 8 Jordan Horstick, Sr.
Defense
DE — 88 Tanner Erhart, Sr.
T — 65 Chance Schooler, Jr.
N— 59 Byron Redifer, Sr.
T —58 Tyler Hendron, Sr.
E — 15 Jacob Pryor, So.
LB — 24 Coby Robertson, Sr.
LB — 51 Alex Jones, Sr.
DB — 25 Tristan Davis, Sr.
DB — 46 Zele Smith, So.
S 21 — Gavin Holler, Jr.
Rtn — Horstick or Brown
P — 25 Tristan Davis, Sr.
Key league matchup looms
