WARDSVILLE - It's the state playoffs, so the Blair Oaks Falcons are expecting a test.
Blair Oaks carries a 27-game winning streak into the Class 3 quarterfinals when it hosts the Cassville Wildcats. Kickoff for today's game is at 2 p.m. at the Falcon Athletic Complex.
"They're very disciplined, they're very honed in to what they do and they're a very physical football team," Blair Oaks coach Ted LePage said of Cassville.
Blair Oaks (12-0), ranked No. 1 in Class 3 in the final regular-season poll in the Missouri Media Rankings, won the District 5 title last Friday with a 35-7 victory against Buffalo.
It was the first time during the past two seasons the Falcons didn't have a halftime lead, but they responded with 28 unanswered points in the second half to win their fifth straight district championship.
"Our players just kept a level course, kept doing what they were supposed to do," LePage said.
Cassville (10-2), ranked No. 10 in Class 3, avenged a regular-season defeat to beat Seneca 30-20 last Friday to win the District 6 title. The Wildcats overcame a 14-0 deficit early in the second quarter to win their first district championship since 2011.
"We have (film from) a couple games on them, and every game, they're creating turnovers and they're not turning the ball over," LePage said. "They're winning the turnover battle. That's really where they won the last game."
LePage said Cassville is similar to Blair Oaks in that the Wildcats' players are always where they are supposed to be.
"When they're supposed to make a tackle, they make a tackle," he said. "When they're supposed to run the ball, they run the ball. When they're supposed to throw the ball, they throw it and they catch it.
"You're going to know what they're doing, you're going to see what they're doing, they're very effective at doing it."
Cassville's offense will feature two running backs and one tight end. Leading the backfield is senior Bowen Preddy (6-foot-6, 180 pounds), who was named to the Big 8 West Division all-conference first team. Preddy had 130 yards rushing with one rushing touchdown and one receiving touchdown against Seneca.
"For the most part, they're good with taking 4-5 yards and grinding the clock, getting in a huddle, slowing the game down," LePage said.
Cassville's other running back, junior Zach Coenen (5-11, 190), had 75 yards rushing in the district title game.
"Coenen is more of a fullback, more of their hard-nosed, up the middle (runner)," LePage said. "With Preddy, they're trying to get outside. But when they go to split backs, they run the same plays with both young men. They're almost interchangeable."
Senior quarterback Deven Bates (5-9, 145) only attempted six passes against Seneca, but senior wide receiver DJ White (6-1, 190) has been his top target this season. White was a unanimous pick on the all-conference team.
"You've got to know where he's at," LePage said of White, "and when you know where he's at, it still doesn't help you. He's just very good at being in space. They put him in positions to get him the ball when you least expect it."
The Wildcats also have three all-conference linemen in junior guard Jaiden Reibert (6-2, 230), junior tackle Hunter Chasteen (6-1, 225) and senior center Troy Hagins (5-11, 200).
"You come from that area of the state and you're 10-2, you're doing some things right with some very good players," LePage said.
Cassville junior kicker Drake Reese (6-2, 175) made field goals from 19, 21 and 48 yards against Seneca. He made the Class 3 all-state third team last season.
"If they're kicking field goals, we're making our accomplishments on defense work," LePage said. "We have to keep them out of the end zone."
Defensively, Cassville will utilize a 4-3 look, with senior defensive end Andrew Prier (6-2, 200) leading the line.
"He's having a great year," LePage said. "He really does a good job of extending his hands, getting people away from him and is able to shuck the blocker off and make a play. The other thing is their two interior defensive linemen are making the ball bounce to him and the other defensive end."
Coenen was a unanimous all-conference pick at linebacker, while junior defensive back Jericho Farris (5-10, 180) leads the secondary.
"Their linebackers are flying around and hitting running backs very hard," LePage said. "In the pass defense, Preddy, Farris and White, all three of those guys are ball hawks on defense. They're so fast and they're so electric that they turn around and they're able to play off and break on balls."
LePage noted teams have mostly run the ball this season against Cassville's defense. Seneca had a pair of 100-yard rushers in last week's game.
"The teams that have played them have tried to run the ball on them, and they've had some try to throw it," he said. "But a lot of teams have not had very much success doing either."
Teams are averaging just 11.9 points against Cassville this season. In their two regular-season losses, the Wildcats gave up 28 points to Seneca and 14 points to Lamar.
"They do a very good job at the line of scrimmage at the point of attack," LePage said.
Blair Oaks is averaging 45.1 points per game and allowing just an average of 7.6 points. Cassville is scoring 32.8 points per game.
The Falcons have not allowed multiple touchdowns in a game for nine consecutive games.
"They want to go out and prove we're still a good football team," LePage said. "Everybody keeps telling them how physical Cassville is. Any time we've challenged our young men, our young men have stepped up to the challenge. They're ready and they're going to play their best game."
III
Notes: The winner of the Blair Oaks-Cassville game will face the winner of Lutheran: St. Charles (10-2) and Trinity Catholic (9-3) next Saturday in the Class 3 semifinals. Trinity Catholic, which began the season ranked No. 1, is currently No. 4, while Lutheran: St. Charles is unranked. Today will be the final home game of the season for Blair Oaks, which will host its fifth straight game. If the Falcons win, their next game will be on the road against either Trinity Catholic or Lutheran: St. Charles, regardless of which team wins the quarterfinal game. Kickoff was initially scheduled for 1 p.m. for today's game in Wardsville, but the start time was pushed back an hour to allow more travel time for Cassville, which is located southwest of Springfield. After missing the last two games with a broken hand, Lathe Willson will return to the offensive line today for Blair Oaks. LePage said Adam Jurgensmeyer will continue to start at right tackle, but Willson is expected to get into the game for at least a couple offensive possessions.
Related Media: Blair Oaks Football Podcast [Cassville preview, Nov. 23, 2019]