Iola High’s Mustangs will face a suddenly dangerous and confident bunch when Osawatomie comes to town Friday. FRIDAY’S game also will feature the first of a series of blasts from the Mustangs’ past.
The young Trojan squad defeated Neodesha, 47-36, in their opener last week to snap a 17-game losing streak, and brings an underclassmen-dominated roster to Iola for Friday’s home opener for the Mustangs. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. at Riverside Park.
“They’re very young and they’re 1-0,” Iola head coach Doug Kerr said. “That tells me they already have confidence, and they already know how to win. That puts them in a whole different category of dangerous.”
They’re also explosive.
Osawatomie’s offense is keyed by a pair of sophomores, running back Riley England and quarterback Brody Russell, who starred in the win over the Bluestreaks. England ran for a whopping 288 yards and four touchdowns and had 60 yards receiving on two catches with another score. Russell threw for 181 yards and three touchdowns.
“They’re predominantly an option team that likes to run, but they have a real good tight end,” in Chaseton Wylie, who caught Russell’s other two touchdown passes, Kerr said.
Osawatomie’s winless 2012 wasn’t indicative of the effort put forth in their matchup against the Mustangs last year. Iola raced to a quick 21-0 lead before the Trojans scored 13 unanswered points before the end of the first quarter.
A pair of John Whitworth touchdown passes in the second and third quarters helped Iola stay safely ahead in their 40-28 win.
In attacking Osawatomie’s defense, Iola must be successful on the ground, Kerr said, and if necessary, through the air. Kerr said to expect the Trojans to deploy a defense similar to the one utilized by Cherryvale, with several defenders crowding the line of scrimmage to slow Iola’s rushing attack.
“Hopefully, our receivers showed enough that they’ll have to respect our passing game, too,” Kerr said. “We’re confident we can move the ball through the air.”
Osawatomie’s defense struggled in the first half against Neodesha, as the Trojans trailed 28-14 midway through the second quarter. But a few apparent defensive adjustments proved effective, limiting Neodesha to less than 100 yards and one touchdown in the second half.
Attempts to reach Osawatomie coach Rod Madden were unsuccessful.
The school will recognize all former IHS players who have suited up for Iola since 2000. The alums will be asked to sign in when they arrive at the game. The players will be introduced at the end of the first quarter.
Kerr said several trivia questions related to Mustang football will be asked during the game. Prizes will be given to the first ones who offer up correct answers.
“We’re trying to get a club” of former players, Kerr said. “This should be a lot of fun.”
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