Prep Football: Jays to face battle-tested Rock Bridge team

Don't let the 2-3 record fool you. The Rock Bridge Bruins are battle-tested headed into tonight's contest against the Jays.

And the Jefferson City Jays look to continue its momentum from the thrilling 28-24 fourth quarter comeback win against Rogers, Ark. last week.

Jefferson City (4-1) will take on its second district opponent of the regular season in Rock Bridge at 7 p.m. in Columbia. In the Jays first district matchup, they took care of Hickman with a convincing 56-26 road victory in Week 3. The Bruins beat Hickman 22-0 last week.

Rock Bridge also beat DeSmet just as handily as the Jays did as the only other common opponent that both teams have played to this point of the season.

The Bruins' losses have been to Rockhurst (26-7) in the season opener, state-ranked Battle (27-20) in Week 3 and state-ranked Lee's Summit West (27-19) in Week 4.

While the Jays offense is averaging 44.2 points per game, they are also giving up 31 points a game. The Bruins' defense is stout and has held its opponents to 19.4 points a game, while the offense puts up 23 points per contest.

The Rock Bridge defense currently possess two NCAA Division I commits: DE Tre Williams to Missouri and DE/TE Hayden Johnson to Arkansas. A third Bruin - CB Bryce Banks - orally committed to Missouri before changing his mind at the beginning of August. The Bruins' defense shut out Carter Nicoli and a Hickman offense that threw for 392 yards on the Jefferson City defense in Week 3.

"Their defense is as solid as we've seen," Jefferson City head coach Ted LePage said. "They've got two Division I signees in their defensive ends (Hayden) Johnson and Tre Williams. Those two young men are phenomenal, long athletic defensive ends. They pretty much set the outside and turn everything back into their two big defensive tackles and then their two middle linebackers. Those guys are very good.

"Their front four is pretty dynamic and their secondary is really good. So you have to be calculated in how you approach the game. What I mean by calculated, I mean, we're willing to take some risks, but against this defense, you have to be really careful. They're very fundamental, strong, athletic. They have three Division I players on the defensive side of the ball."

The Jays were forced to take those risks last week, when Rogers took off ahead of the Jays.

Jefferson City junior quarterback Gunnar See excelled in his position as game-manager down the stretch. He led the team to 21 unanswered fourth quarter points, capping off with a game-winning 14-yard touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Adam Huff.

See was 15-of-18 passing for 204 yards and two touchdowns through the air. He also got it done with his legs, rushing nine times for 55 yards and a touchdown. It was the first game he threw for more than 200 yards since Week 1. The touchdown was an 18-yard run that ignited the three straight touchdowns in the fourth quarter.

"It was exciting. You always look at the growth process of a player as the season wears on," LePage said. "Sometimes players just never grow; you can see the process with Gunnar in each week he's getting more confidence. But in a pressure-packed situation, four and a half hours from home, with the band playing and the homecoming crowd was sold out and very loud, and he just let all that go and he was one of the guys that played for the other 10. He decided I'm going to do what I have to do to get the ball to the guys, or if I have to read it or whatever I have to do. That was a great confidence builder for him."

See, in his first season as the first stringer, will quite possibly face the toughest defense yet.

But LePage said his team is prepared for the challenge.

"This week we challenged our players a little bit," he said. "Because we felt for three quarters we didn't dictate that game, we let had the game dictate us. And Gunnar's never wavered. He's really the temperament quarterback you want; he's never too high, he's never too low. He just see's the path in front of him and takes it, and I think he will keep growing."

The Jays' defense showed up in a big way in the fourth quarter last week. LePage was pleased with their efforts.

"It was more of the mentality of just getting the win," he said. "And I remember the guys saying "just score and we'll stop them.' They had been methodically moving it, but all of our players on defense decided "I'm going to take my responsibility and go and do it as well as I can.'

"It was just simple devastation out of our defense in those final stands."

Rogers did rush for 303 yards and three touchdowns, though. This week, they'll face a short, quick and shifty back in Nick Collins.

"First and foremost you have to stop their running back, Collins," LePage said. "He is just a phenomenal back, and I say that with very much respect. He really has a great feel for his body and how to maneuver his body in space around tacklers.

"They're a spread team, they're going to use the whole field. I think the key to our defense is that we make sure we sure up the run lanes, make good, sure tackles, and rally to the football."

The Jays will have to do without one of their leading tacklers in senior linebacker David Rogers, who suffered a medial collateral sprain. The injury will keep him out for 2-4 weeks, according to LePage.

In the past four seasons, the Bruins have a 4-2 edge on the Jays. Rock Bridge beat the Jays 36-31 last season.

The key for the Jays will be to jump out to a fast start, LePage said.

"In the past few meetings, it's come down to who gets out fastest," he said. "I think that'll be a key for the game."

The game kicks off at 7 p.m.

Jefferson City at Rock Bridge - Updates on Twitter: @AdamBurnsJC. Listen live online: kwos.com or klik1240.com

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Week 6 Preview: Jefferson City vs. Rock Bridge