WARDSVILLE, Mo. - The Blair Oaks Falcons are familiar with tonight's setup, trying to make their third state semifinal appearance in four years.
The McCluer South-Berkeley Bulldogs are relatively new to the scene, looking to reach the state semifinals for the first time since 1988.
The two district champions will meet in the Class 3 quarterfinals tonight, with kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Falcon Athletic Complex.
McCluer South-Berkeley (11-0) is coming off a 12-7 win last Saturday against St. Charles West in the District 5 championship. It was the lowest scoring total of the season for the Bulldogs, who average 43.6 points per game.
"The thing I noticed from watching them play in person was that they do have a bunch of different kids that can make plays when they have the ball in their hands," Walker said. "The coaches do a great job of giving different kids opportunities to make plays.
"You have to have great ball awareness and you have to have great pursuit."
In fact, the offense did not even score in the district championship win. Senior defensive back Tyriq Arties had a pair of interception returns for touchdowns, including one that measured 98 yards. He leads the Bulldogs with eight interceptions.
"They bring a lot of players off the edge," Walker said. "They take some risks in the passing game, in the sense that they're not afraid to rush the passer and really get after him. A lot of times, what that has resulted in is quarterback that maybe rushes a throw or hurries a throw.
"Then on the back end, they have some guys that really have a good nose for the football and they understand how to play the ball once the ball is in the air."
Arties is also one of 14 different players to score a touchdown this season for McCluer South-Berkeley.
The Bulldogs' offense averages 214.2 yards passing and 169.9 yards rushing per game. Junior quarterback Tavian Willis is 92-of-140 passing for 1,673 yards with 20 touchdowns and only three interceptions.
"They do a good job of spreading the football around," Walker said. "They have a quarterback that can throw it and can run it. They have three or four running backs or receivers that, on any given play, have the ability to take the football the distance."
Willis is one of six different players to rush for 200 yards or more for McCluer South-Berkeley. Junior running back Devon Blanchard leads the way with 66 carries for 601 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Senior wide receiver John White leads McCluer South-Berkeley's spread offense with 20 catches for 502 yards and seven touchdowns.
"We have a really good idea of what they're going to do offensively," Walker said.
Walker said Blair Oaks (11-0) will have to improve its tackling after allowing a season-high five touchdowns in a 56-35 win last Friday against Southern Boone in the District 6 championship.
"I thought they tackled really well. St. Charles West had some good athletes on their side of the ball and they prevented the big play," Walker said. "They forced (McCluer South-Berkeley) to drive the length of the field."
Blair Oaks has averaged 433.5 total yards of offense - 219.1 yards rushing and 214.4 yards passing. The Falcons will be challenged in both areas tonight.
In addition to Arties leading the Bulldogs' secondary, McCluer South-Berkeley possesses a defensive line that has clogged the middle and has totalled 39 sacks this season.
"They have two really big, athletic defensive tackles that kind of eat up everything between the tackles," Walker said. "Then they have two or three kids that really do a good job of coming off the edge rushing the passer, so they force the offense to be quick and crisp with their execution."
One of those defensive tackles, senior DeShawn Barnes (6-foot-2, 290 pounds), leads McCluer South-Berkeley with 11 sacks. Junior defensive end Antonio Nelson and junior linebacker Lorenzo Phillips each have 10 sacks.
The Falcons, who are averaging 43.5 points per game, have scored 40 or more points in their past eight games. Walker said with two high-scoring offenses and two lockdown defenses, momentum will be a key factor tonight.
"We've been executing well offensively," Walker said. "At the end of the day, each game is its own individual, independent event
"We've got certain things that we hang our hat on, and we're not going to shy away from those."
III
Notes: Blair Oaks has won 17 district championships, including four during the past five years. McCluer South-Berkeley has won 11 district titles, winning six in a row from 1983-88. Blair Oaks running back Jake Van Ronzelen is 77 yards shy of breaking Justin Eiken's school record for rushing yards in a season. Eiken had 1,703 yards rushing in 2008 for the Falcons. Blair Oaks senior defensive end Garrett Welschmeyer suffered a season-ending knee injury during practice Tuesday. Senior wide receiver/cornerback Cody Alexander (shoulder) is expected to play tonight.
Preview Podcast:
Blair Oaks Falcons Football Podcast [McCluer South-Berkeley preview, Nov. 11, 2016]